Go Greek!

First family photo with our adorable babies! I know you're jealous of our matching shirts!

 My rambunctious 14 week old daughter has been keeping me very busy,but motherhood has been more fun than I ever could have imagined! We've shown Jordan the world over the past 14 weeks. She's traveled to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virgina! She's been to the pool, felt the breeze from the boat on lake lanier, and touched her toes in the sand at Tybee Island beach.

Our most recent adventure took us to visit my sister, brother-in-law and sweet little nephew, Will. We had the best time watching these two kick and coo together.

"Mom I've been in this seat for 9 hours, get me out!"

Will and Jordan cheering on USA during the World Cup

My sister and I spent quality time changing diapers, cleaning up spit-up, bouncing babies, and swapping notes about nap times, breastfeeding, etc. One of my favorite moments occurred at about 4 am one morning. My breast pump wasn't working so I went into my sisters living room to use hers. To my surprise my sister was in the living room herself also pumping. I told her I needed to use her pump so she unhooked one side, handed it to me and we sat on the couch together at 4am sharing a breast pump. We looked at each and started cracking up; if you would have asked us a year ago where we saw ourselves today, I'm sure pumping breast milk at 4am together on the couch would not be on the list. The following 3 days we met for a breastfeeding/ pumping date at 4am.

Play Time!

We also did a lot of healthy cooking during our visit!
My sister always keeps Greek Yogurt in her refrigerator. If you have't familiarized yourself with the many uses of Greek yogurt I highly suggest you do so!

Greek Yogurt is a wonderful substitute for higher fat ingredients like mayonnaise, sour cream, and butter. It cuts fat and calories all the while adding protein!

While visiting we made a batch of DELICIOUS Greek yogurt strawberry muffins.

GREEK YOGURT STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 eggs ( we used 4 egg whites to cut fat and cholesterol)
1.5 cups greek yogurt
1/4 cup butter ( we substituted 1/8 cup applesaue for butter to cut fat)
1 tsp vanilla

Method:
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, and strawberries

2. Blend remaning ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until well combined.

3. Divide batter into 12 muffin tins and bake at 375 for 18-25 minutes.

Muffin paired with spinach and egg whites and fresh fruit

A few days ago I used Greek yogurt to make  pancakes. This easy recipe can be altered to make whatever flavor pancakes you wish! I chose to make blueberry.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, flavor of your choice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of fruit of your choice

This is my FAVORITE Greek Yogurt. It's only 80 calories and 7g of sugar compared to 15-20g in your other Greek Yogurts 

Method
1. In  small mixing bowl, whisk toget egg and yogurt and set aside.

2. In another bowl mix flour and baking soda. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

3. Heat greased skilet over medium heat and pour 1/4 cup batter onto skillet, add fruit and flip once.

38 WEEK FOOD DUMP!

After traveling Monday through Thursday for nearly 3 months , Josh is finally back to working from home as we await the arrival of Jordan. ONLY 2 MORE WEEKS!!! To say I am ready is an understatement! Physically, I feel great! And things are still pretty easy. But, I'm ready to hold my sweet girl; and to see my ankle bones again!!  I have had what I like to call "perma-cankles" for the last 2 weeks. Some days they are smaller than others, but I can't figure out what keeps the swelling down. Some days working out decreases the swelling and other days it puffs them up like balloons. So I guess I'll just keep on keeping on!

Now that Josh is home I have been trying to cook dinner at least 4 nights a week. I figure while the house is still quite and my energy level is high, I'll enjoy some time in the kitchen.

Here are 2 of my favorites from last week. I found them on cookinglight.com under the heading "Eating Healthy on a Budget" This is a GREAT place to find wonderful recipes to feed the  family for very little money!


GREEK STYLE PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (4 oz) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
3/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups diced plum tomatoes
1 /2 cup diced seeded cucumber
1/2 cup diced red onion
cooking spray

Preparation:

1. In a large Ziploc bag combine 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, oregano, 1 tsp olive oil, and garlic. Add pork chops to bag and marinate for 20 minutes turning bag over after 10 minutes.

2. Combine remaining vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, dill, and 1/8 tsp salt in a small bowl, stir well with a whisk. Cover and chill until pork is ready to serve.

3. Combine tomatoes, onion, and cucumber, sprinkle with 1/8 tsp salt and set aside until ready to serve.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove pork from marinade bag and sprinkle each piece with remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Add pork to the pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is reached.

5. On each of four plates place 3/4 cup of tomato mixture and top with 1 pork chop and a dollop of  yogurt mixture.

*** I chose to bake my pork chops on 350 for about 20 minutes rather than using a grill pan.  I served this dish with a side of pita bread and hummus.

MUSHROOM AND SAUSAGE RAGU WITH POLENTA
**I forgot to buy polenta on my shopping trip so I used grits instead and it was wonderful

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
8 oz hot turkey Italian Sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced ( I used baby bellas instead)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, un-drained
2 1/2 cup no salt added, fat-free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked polenta (or in my case grits)
4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 Tbsp butter

1. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Remove sausage from casings and add to pan, sauté for 3-5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain fat and remove sausage from the pan.

2. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat, add onion, sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage, 1/8 tsp salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer gently for 15 minutes.

3.While sausage mixture is simmering, bring broth and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add polenta (or grits) stirring well. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in remaining salt, cream cheese, and butter. Serve with sausage mixture.

HAPPY HEALTHY EATING!

Someone has been soaking up all the attention he can get before his little sister arrives.

 

Turkey Time!

This year might be the first year that I can out eat anyone and everyone at the Thanksgiving table, especially since these awesome maternity pants give a lot of extra room for stretching! Hehehe. But there is no reason to overdo it just because the food is front of me, or because I'm pregnant, and neither should you! Studies have shown that the average person consumes between 3,000 and 4,000 calories during a Thanksgiving meal, not including what you snack and sip on during the day. Here are few Thanksgiving tips that will keep you happy and keep your pants buttoned, whether you're pregnant or not, but still allow you to enjoy all the wonderful food!

1) Start your holiday morning out with a quick 45 minute workout. Whether it's a brisk walk, a short yoga session, or a full body circuit, getting a quick workout in before you stuff your face will get your metabolism moving!

2) Eat light!! If you are having a Thanksgiving dinner take it easy during the day! Whip up an egg white omelet and piece of fruit for breakfast. Keep lunch light with a broth based soup or light salad. My sister makes a wonderful pumpkin soup every year that we eat for lunch to hold us over until dinner. It's light on the stomach, but enough to keep your belly satisfied.

3) Try a new low fat recipe! We all have our family traditions and Thanksgiving favorites, but there is no reason we have to make them "Paula Dean Style"! Search for alternatives to your favorite recipes on cookinglight.com. Something as simple has replacing eggs with egg substitute can cut back on the calories, fat, and cholesterol while still giving you that traditional taste you love!

4) Thinking about going back for seconds? Be wise when going back for more! Instead of reaching for another scoop of grandma's sweet potato casserole and gravy smothered dressing, grab a second helping of veggies and a glass of water. It takes the body a full 15-20 minutes after you finish eating to feel satiety. So instead of going back for seconds right away, take a breather and drink a tall glass of water.

5) Minimize the mimosas! I'll be completely minimizing the mimosas this year (insert sad face). But the rest of you can enjoy your booze IN MODERATION!!!! Those extra cocktails add A LOT of extra calories to your Thanksgiving meal. So keep it light and sip on water most of the day so you can enjoy your favorite beer or wine during your Thanksgiving meal or while cheering on your favorite team!

6) Share a dessert plate. There are so many pies and sweet treats to choose from!  How can you pick just one?! Instead of dishing out a piece of each pie, share a dessert plate with someone. Having a bite or two of a few favorites  rather than eating  full helpings will satisfy your taste buds and keep your calories somewhat in check.

Here are a few healthy alternative recipes I have used in the past:

"I Can't Believe It's Not Sweet Potato Casserole"
http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/holiday-i-cant-believe-its-not-sweet-potato-casserole-recipe

Ingredients

• 8 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 2/3 cup light vanilla soymilk
• 2/3 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
• 1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated), or HG Alternative!
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" X 10" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Fill a large microwave-safe dish with 1/2 inch of water. Add squash and cover. Microwave for about 8 minutes -- squash should be tender enough to mash, but not overcooked. Drain well.

Mash squash thoroughly with a potato masher, food processor, or fork, but do not puree. (Squash should be pulpy.) Add soymilk, syrup, sweetener, salt, egg substitute, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. (Adding the ingredients in this order gives the squash enough time to cool before adding the egg substitute, which could begin to "cook" if added too early.) Mix thoroughly, but do not over-stir.

Transfer mixture to the baking pan. Bake in the oven until mostly firm, 45 - 50 minutes.

Top with mini marshmallows. Return to the oven and bake until marshmallows begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool before serving!
MAKES 8 SERVINGS



Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
 http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/maple-bourbon-pecan-pie-50400000116756/

I decreased the calories and sugar even more by substituting the whole eggs with egg substitute and using sugar-free syrup rather than regular maple syrup.


Caramel Pumpkin Pudding Cupcakes
These are one of my favorite Thanksgiving treats.  Only 100 calories per cupcake!!!!
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/14406_Hungry_Girl_s_Caramel_Pumpkin_Pudding_Cupcakes/index.html

INGREDIENTS

• For cupcakes:
• 2 cups moist-style yellow cake mix (1/2 of an 18.25-ounce box)
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• For topping:
• 3 cubes (about 1 ounce) chewy caramel
• 2 teaspoons light vanilla soy milk

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine all cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl with 13 cup of water. Whip with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes until well blended.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter into muffin cups. Place pan in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes (until cupcakes have puffed up but still appear a little gooey on top). Once cupcakes are cool enough to handle, arrange them closely on a plate so that the edges are touching.

Place caramel and soymilk in a tall microwave-safe glass or dish (mixture will bubble and rise when heated).

Microwave at medium power for 1 minutes. Stir mixture vigorously until smooth and thoroughly blended. (Return to microwave for 30 seconds at medium heat if caramel has not fully melted.) Immediately drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes.

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY THANKSGIVING!!!!

FOOD DUMP!!!

My appetite and I are not the best of friends right now! I am in the "see-food stage"; I see food and I want to eat it! I've been controlling myself fairly well by keeping healthy snacks like vegetables, trail mix, and fruit in my lunch box at all times; but I'm not going to lie, I have indulged in foods lately that I never would have before. It's OK to indulge every now and then, just remember moderation is key and exercise is important!!!!!

I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen lately whipping up some healthy recipes to satisfy my cravings so I thought I would share some of my favorites.

This first recipe is one of my new favorites!  Josh and I were drooling over it; it tastes JUST like restaurant orange chicken without the fattening fried coating. The chicken is from  calicooking.com but the rice was whipped up free hand. I actually have to thank my friend Shelby for the rice; she cooked some shrimp fried for me a few months ago and I loved it so much I had to try my own version!

Orange Chicken and "Not So Fried Rice" :

 Ingredients:

-3 medium chicken breasts
-1/3  cup of flour
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:
-9 oz of pulp free orange juice
-3 tsp corn starch
-3 Tbsp of brown sugar
-2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-1-2 Tbsp of lemon juice
-3-4 minced garlic cloves (I used the minced garlic in a jar and it was great)
-1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Cut chicken breasts in 1/4 inch pieces and put in freezer bag with 1/3 cup flour. Shake the bag until all chicken is lightly coated in flour. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Cook chicken in pan over medium-high heat until mostly cooked.

In a separate bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together . Add the sauce to the chicken pan, and cook chicken in sauce on medium low heat until chicken is cooked all the way through and sauce has thickened.

Rice:

Ingredients:

-1 cup of rice ( I used jasmine- it cooks quickly and fluffs nicely)

- 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots, thawed

- 1/2 cup of onion-chopped

-1 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 egg

- 2-3 Tbsp Low sodium soy sauce

Method:

Cook rice as directed and cool in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. Saute onion, on medium heat, until soft and translucent, add peas and carrots and cook 1-2 minutes. Push onion, peas, and carrots to one side of the pan and scramble 1 egg on the empty side of the pan. Add the rice to the pan and mix all ingredients together. Add 2-3 Tbsp of low sodium soy sauce to rice mixture and stir well.

Turkey Patties:

I always try to keep 3 types of meat in the house: Chicken breasts, low-fat ground beef, and canned tuna. My grocery store had ground turkey on sale a few weeks ago so I stocked up on it as well. It came in handy a few weeks ago when I got home from work late and was in need for a speedy dinner.

I whipped up a few Asian turkey patties with a side of ginger salad. I didn't use a recipe, I just used a bunch of asian sauces I had in the cabinet. I ended up with something along the lines of this:

1 lb of ground turkey

1 Tbsp ponzu Sauce

1 Tbsp hoison Sauce

1/2 Tbsp low Sodium Soy sauce

1 Tbsp teriyaki Sauce

1 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/4 cup of chives, chopped

Mix all ingredients together and form into 4 patties. Place on a wire rack over a drip pan so that any extra fat can drip off while cooking. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 F or until meat is white all the way through.

For my salad I used romaine lettuce and a whatever vegetables I had in stock. In this case that was onion, green pepper, and cucumber. Top with 1 Tbsp Chinese noodles and 1 Tbsp of ginger dressing ( I LOVE Naturally Fresh ginger dressing. It's low in calories and a little goes a long way) and BAM dinner.

I got this next recipe from cookinglight.com and tried it last Friday night for the first time; it was a SUCCESS! The sweetness of the apply jelly blends perfectly with the kick of the horseradish. Pair with your favorite green vegetable and mashed potatoes and you've got yourself a healthy, omega- rich meal! Oh and for the record I wanted to make sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes but Josh isn't a big fan of sweet potatoes unless they are coated in marshmallows and brown sugar. So I took one for the team and made regular potatoes using a small amount of fat-free half and half, garlic, and pepper.

Apple and Horseradish Glazed Salmon:

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup apple jelly

-1 Tbsp of chopped chives

- 2 Tbsp of prepared horseradish

-1 Tbsp champagne vinegar ( I couldn't find this at the store so I used white wine vinegar)

-4 (4oz) salmon fillets, skinned

-1/4 tsp ground pepper

-2 tsp olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°
Combine apple jelly, chives, horseradish, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Sprinkle salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, and cook 3 minutes. Turn salmon over; brush with half of apple mixture. Wrap handle of skillet with foil; bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Brush with remaining apple mixture

My friend Beth introduced me to Oikos yogurt dip on our glamping trip. O-M-G their dips taste like a touch of heaven in my mouth! She had the roasted red pepper, but I couldn't find it when I went to the store so I bought the cucumber dill and the french onion flavors. I keep the dill dip in my lunch box with carrots at all times. It's a great healthy snack! Only 25 calories per 2 Tbsp!

Wheat Thins dipped in the french onion dip is a great alternative to the average high fat french onion dip and potato chips.

My favorite yoga instructor is teaching night time classes again!! Wahooo!!! I ended my hump-day the right way with a great yoga session! Did you get your workout in yesterday????

Baby's First "Glamping" Trip

As I have mentioned before one of mine and Josh's favorite hobbies is backpacking. We try to go out west every August and backpack anywhere from 40-50 miles through the backcountry of a national park. When we aren't out west we like to find short 12-14 mile weekend hikes around GA, TN, and the Carolinas. When you are carrying everything you need for 3-5 days on your back you tend to travel with as little as possible. You ration your food,  you bring only enough water to get you to the first river so you can pump more, and you certainly don't have room to bring any games or activities to keep you occupied.

Well our idea of backpacking/camping is a little different from our friend's. They enjoy what we like to call "Glamping" or glamorous camping. This past weekend we had a wonderful glamping experience with about 15 our closest friends; it was GLAMOUROUS!

We had about 9 tents, a "kitchen" tent with an endless supply of our favorite camp foods ( most were not nutritionist friendly, but you have to splurge every once in a while!) a charcoal grill, two 50 cc motor bikes, corn hole, BB guns, glow sticks, an endless campfire, and of course A LOT of laughs! We "glamped" at a trail head up in Clayton,GA  right on the river. It was the perfect spot because we were close to water for the dogs to play and swim and right on the trail head so we could pick up and do some easy day hiking.

Friend montage!

What? You've never brought photo booth props on a camping trip??

What about sparklers and glow sticks??

Baby Thomas even got in on the photo fun!

Beautiful day for hiking!

Pregnant lady on a motor bike!

AMAZING weekend! Makes you want to go glamping this weekend doesn't it :)

I made a great lowfat Turkey chili before we left. It was the perfect healthy, hearty, warm dinner for a cold night outdoors. You don't normally see zucchini and carrots in chili but they blend in really well and add some great extra vitamins and minerals to what is often a high fat, mostly protein based meal.

Spicy Turkey Chili (courtesy of myrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:

-1 1/4 cups green bell pepper strips

-1 cup sliced onion

-1/2 cup sliced carrot                

-1/2 cup  sliced zucchini                

-1 pound ground turkey                

-1/4 cup chili powder                

-1 1/2 teaspoons sugar                               

-3/4 teaspoon dried oregano                

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon black pepper

-2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained 

-1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

-1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

-1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

-1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese                

PREPARATION:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add first 5 ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until turkey is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder and the next 8 ingredients (chili powder through tomato sauce), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese.

IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND! GET OUTDOORS AND GET MOVING! 

                           

Relaxation

Anyone who knows Josh and I knows that the word "relax" is not used regularly in our vocabulary. We are ALWAYS on the go. Now I can't complain, the majority of our outings are social ventures. When we don't have an event planned we usually find something to do that gets us out of the house. We like to seize the day and try to cram as much into our lives as possible . However, since I've been pregnant that strange word "relax" is starting to sound more familiar. So this weekend we actually took it easy and did a lot of relaxing!

We slept in, drank coffee, made breakfast


2 scrambled egg whites, whole wheat toast with pimento cheese, sliced avocado, and grapes. Healthy foods for a growing baby!

Took Chance on a 3.5 mile walk { Side note: I threw my back out on Saturday putting my pants on hahaha. Not sure how that happens, but walking was the only thing that didn't hurt; so we did A LOT of walking this weekend.}



We LOVE living near the lake!!

The air is crisp and the leaves are so vibrant, there is no reason to be inside on days like these!

Chance never noticed but we had a little visitor on our walk. Sweet little deer.

Went to a Halloween Party

Juno and Bleeker. And in case you are wondering, that is not my real belly! I'm only 16 weeks!



 Made AMAZING Brunswick stew

Recipe is at the bottom of this post

And ended our Sunday night relaxing by our first fire of the season.

 

Monday and Tuesday started out with an hour long cardio workout and today started with an arm circuit and is ending with an hour of power yoga. Did you get your workout in today?????

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients

-1 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 cup chopped onion

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

1 1/2 lbs ground pork ( I use ground turkey instead, it is EXTREMELY lower in calories and fat!!!!)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef ( I use the 90% 10% or 80% 20 %)

3 (14.5 oz ) cans whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped

1 whole chicken, shredded ( I picked up a BBQ rotisserie chicken from Publix and removed the skin)

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hickory flavored bbq sauce

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste  (optional)

1 green bell pepper

3 (14.75 oz) cans of cream style corn ( I only used 2- just a preference of mine)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet, and saute the onions and celery until soft. Mix in the pork (or turkey) and ground beef, and cook until evenly browned. Drain fat.

2. Transfer meat mixture into a large stock pot over low heat. Stir in the shredded chicken, tomatoes with juice, ketchup, bbq sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Place the whole green pepper in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 hours, until thickend.

3. Stir in cream style corn. Continue cooking for 1 hour or until desired consistency has been reached. Remove the green pepper; chop and return to the stew.

ENJOY!