My Beloved Soybean....It just isn't fair!

In my quest to lose a few pounds..or 15, I found these. They are Edamame (or soybeans). I like to get them in the shell because it takes longer to eat them and you get full faster with the fiber.

Well, there is a big fat but to these...and I don't mean mine. :o

They break me out. Have you ever heard of soy allergies? Well, .5% of those who eat soy products have soy allergies, or so I read online.

I was having breakouts on one side of my face that would not go away. I tried to eliminate the problem by changing my face cleaner, using different face cloths, changing my makeup...nothing helped...and I was not an acne prone teenager, so I knew it was something I was doing.

Finally, I searched online because my Aunt Cindy said something about Soy and hormones. I stopped eating them about a week ago and Voila! My skin is improving already.

I haven't mentioned eating Salmon and some other types of fish makes me feel like my throat is closing. So many of the foods I love are turning their backs on me. It just isn't fair! If this happens to chocolate, I'm not sure how I will handle it!

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Anyhoo, along with my daily edamame, I was eating these.

These eggrolls are SINFUL and less than 150 calories each! You put them in the microwave and they get so crispy, unlike other microwaved foods. They actually have microwave as the recommended method. Try them! They are so good....and so far, not producing an allergic reaction!

Have a great day!!

I Have a Bone to Pick With Bisquick!

We are still at home. Kids are out of school today and will probably be out tomorrow, too. That is my guess anyway.

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In keeping with my previous post... here comes the food part! :)

My big kids are always complaining that we have no food and I am always responding with "We could live for a while on the food we have here." I was right. We have stuck our heads in the freezer and gone deep in the pantry to come up with some crazy meals, and eaten some food that needs to be eaten in the process.

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I decided to make breakfast for dinner last night. Everyone loves that and it reminds me of my Dad. He ALWAYS wanted my Mom to make him breakfast for dinner. :)

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We made cheese eggs, grits, fried hot dogs and BISCUITS.

I have a bone to pick with Bisquick. I have never been able to make biscuits. I have tried so many times and failed miserably. Do you wanna know why? BECAUSE THEIR DIRECTIONS ARE STUPID!!! There. I said it. I finally figured out why I have never made good biscuits. The directions state that you should roll the dough out to 1/2" thin and make 9 biscuits. If you roll the dough out to that thickness, it makes about 15 biscuits! We rolled the dough to about 1.5" and made 10 very large and beautiful biscuits! Yay me! The true test was when I cringed as I watched my Husband try to open one up for the syrup.... SCORE one for Tracy! It opened beautifully!

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They were really good. Don't get me wrong. They were not Aunt Cindy's Biscuits, but they were good!

So Bisquick...change the stupid recipe! 1/2" makes dumb crumbly biscuits!

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There....I said it. AND now I feel better!

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...........til next time.

Cabin Fever = Expanding Waistline!

We are snowed in! The kids are out of school again tomorrow! That will be the fourth day in a row. I bet they will not go Friday and Monday is a Holiday! We have not left the house and have been eating WAY too much! Do you think we eat more when we are cold because our bodies mistakenly think they need insulation?

Somebody Stop Me!

;)

The Story of Jonah...MUST WATCH!!

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Muffin Tops and Nuts!

Hello Friends...and Family :)

I know I have not posted in a while, but during the summer, I don't cook...or diet very much! I am, however, much better when the weather cools down (and the kids go back to school) about exercising and eating better.

I have found the "Straw in the Haystack" that I have been looking for. What's that mean? Well, I have a GINORMOUS sweet tooth! I know that is not good, especially when I see my little Hershey Kiss eating four year old! :o

Back to the "Straw". Have you ever tried Vitatops? They are muffin tops that are kept in the freezer and I LOVE them! They have only 100 calories and are way bigger than most 100 calorie items. They also have 9 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

I get one out of the freezer and it takes 30 minutes to thaw at room temperature. Here is my way of thinking. I love them so much, I will wait for them, so when I get hungry and would normally eat Hershey Kisses, Cheezeits, Little Debbie Cakes, Chips, etc. (the afternoon binge time), I truly just drink water and wait thirty minutes for it to thaw. Works for me. It is all I eat and I got more water in while I was anxiously waiting.

It is a method of "trickery", people. Try it sometime. You can fool your body! You just have to be very creative!

Check them out HERE.

Have you tried these? Did you like them as much as I do?

Let me know!!

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BUT WAIT....we did not talk about nuts!! :)

I have introduced you to my afternoon snack. Now, meet my Breakfast!

Luna Bar "The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women"

I really like these for breakfast! The White Chocolate Macadamia is my favorite, but I really like them all!

This bar has 190 calories, 3 grams fiber and 9 grams of protein. They are also 70% organic.

Have you tried these?

Check them out HERE.

This is just two of the items I have found that are worth talking about while I try to get myself back on track!!

Give me feedback! What gets you through the moments when you could actually "eat a horse"?

Thanks for looking!

Salami Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad! I got a new magazine by Taste of Home called "Great American Cookout" and it has a lot of great recipes in it. I found this pasta salad recipe and made it for Mother's Day/My Mom's Birthday and it was good!

Salami Pasta Salad

• Three cups uncooked medium tube pasta (I used a 1 pound box of Rigatoni, more than three cups, but I like for the sauce to spread out and not take over)
• 8 ounces hard salami, cubed
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
• **I added one diced tomato to this recipe. I thought it could use it and we liked it!

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. Transfer to a large bowl; add salami, parsley and onions (and tomatoes :).

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and seasonings. Drizzle over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, stir in Parmesan Cheese.

Enjoy!

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Happy Cooking!~

Thanks for looking!

Add Fiber to Your Diet!

Are you one of those "afternoon snackers"? I know I am. If not, what is your weakness? Are you an emotional snacker? How about boredome? I even snack when I haven't had enough sleep!

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I have often heard that adding fiber to your diet really helps stave off hunger and makes you feel fuller longer. I have always heard that getting 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day helps with weight loss since fiber takes longer to digest.

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I have tried many different types of fiber rich products. One of the products I have tried is the high fiber bars. I do not prefer those. They are loaded with sugar and do not seem to help keep me feeling full like they should.

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My favorite item to eat that adds fiber to the diet is these tortillas. They have a whopping 12 grams of fiber. That is a lot of fiber in one serving and helps get me through the day. With 18 grams of carbs, the net carb count goes down to 6 since you subtract the fiber. That is a win win for blood sugar also!

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Here is a recipe I found on the La Tortilla Factory website. They have many more. Check out their site for recipes and a list of stores where they are sold. What do you do with tortillas that is creative? Do you have any secret weapon that seems to get you through your "snack attacks"?

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Recipe Card Cobb Salad Low Carb Wrap
Featured Recipe Product:

Ingredients
La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low Carb Large Size Tortillas™
1 oz garlic & herb cream cheese
Romaine lettuce
1 oz fresh chopped tomatoes
1 oz black olives sliced
1 oz chopped bacon
½ oz crumbled blue cheese
3 slices avocado
3 oz sliced turkey
Directions
1.Spread cream cheese over entire tortilla.
2.Add one large leaf of Romaine lettuce.
3.Sprinkle chopped bacon over lettuce.
4.Top with chopped tomatoes, sliced olives and crumbled blue cheese.
5.Layer sliced avocado and turkey in the middle.
6.Roll tightly. Serve as Wrap sandwiches or cut into 1 inch thick pieces for a perfect party tray!

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Happy Wrapping!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Apple is the New Tot!

I picked my little girls up from preschool today and they asked for Sonic. Immediately, I sigh. I have been running my very long driveway every morning and really trying to stay on track with eating healthy. I will not lie. It is not easy. Is it easy for anyone? You can ease the burden a bit by being creative, though, and that sigh will be followed by an "I can do this".

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We pulled up and I decided to order myself a grilled chicken sandwich (no mayo), a diet coke and I substituted the apples and fat free caramel dipping sauce for my beloved TOTS! I love their tots. I got home and ate the sandwich with some buffalo sauce (our fave) and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the apples were! I looked up the nutrition info on the site and the apples and dip side item has a total of 115 calories! I went and calculated my whole meal and the total calories were 389! That really isn't bad at all. So many restaurants have meal calculators where you can plug in items and come up with a total that works for you!

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Here is the kicker: I entered in what I would normally eat if I were not watching what I ate. Crispy chicken sandwich (548 cals), Medium tots (203 cals) and the medium Dr. Pepper (157 cals)! My meal can be either 389 or 908! Wow! The food is gone, people. Whether I ate the healthy meal or the fattening meal, it is GONE now. Which makes you feel better afterward?

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NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS!

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I tried to find a low cal caramel dip to share, but decided I would need to try it first anyway, so here is a dip I have tried many times! I LOVE it.

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Pampered Chef Fluffy Peanut Butter Dip

*Make this regular or substitute the lower cal ingredients to make it healthier! Just make it!

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (use the lower cal kind)

1 8oz container vanilla yogurt (lite or fat free)

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup thawed frozen whipped topping (again, lower cal)

Apples or pears for dipping

Mix together PB, Yogurt and Cinnamon until thoroughly blended.

Gently stir in whipped topping and place in a chilled bowl.

Enjoy!

This dip is great to take to parties for a healthy alternative or even a great way to get your fruit in!

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Happy cooking...or mixing! :)

Thanks for looking!

Healthy Eating Makes This Momma Happy!

Hello Friends. I am back to healthy eating after a small break following our weight loss contest and spring break. When I eat healthy, I feel better inside and out. After only a few days of eating healthy, I already feel happier. There has to be some sort of chemical alteration that happens when you do not take in any junk!

One recipe that we love that is super healthy is Chicken Bruschetta. It is similar to the Bruschetta topping for bread that you may have eaten, but you put it on Chicken Breasts. I paired it with a salad and some fresh mushrooms. This is such a great dish because there are so many fresh vegetables on this plate! I felt healthier just chopping all of them! :) Maybe because it took a while and I burned more calories! Totally worth it!

Hopefully you can click the picture and see all the great veggies on the chicken!

Our favorite salad dressing is this Toasted Sesame Soy and Ginger. I hope you can find it and try it. It really is good. With only 40 calories per 2T serving, you can eat it without feeling guilty at all!
*Here is a pointer and something I like to do with dressing. I know lots of people say to get the salad dressing on the side at restaurants because you can better control how much you eat, but I also do it at home. I believe you will find that if you measure out 2T of salad dressing in a small cup like I did in the above picture, you will not use as much as you would if you poured it on. The lettuce stays crisp and I do not even eat the whole 2T when I dip it in the cup. This is just one of those small things you can do to save unnecessary calories.

Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it:

Chicken Bruschetta

Ingredients

Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Topping

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 (4.5 oz) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
• 3 medium italian plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 oz (1/4 cup) shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Spray broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
3. Broil on sprayed pan until done at 170 degrees (I always use a thermometer with meat).
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot.
5. Add mushrooms, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until garlic is tender.
6. Add onion, chopped basil, tomatoes, vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
7. Cook 30 to 45 seconds or until heathed throughout.
8. Arrange chicken on plates and sprinkle with half the cheese.
9. Top each serving with the mushroom mixture and remaining cheese on top.

I hope you will try this. It is really a healthy and filling meal with a salad.

**Dressing on the side!!

Enjoy!

Happy cooking..thanks for looking!!

Asparagus and Prosciutto Wraps

We are approaching the last week of the weight loss competition and Derek and I have done really well. He was a great partner as I am sure I was, too! After all, I cooked all his meals. Some days I made him breakfast at home, lunch at the office and dinner at night! I am not saying "behind every man is a good woman" or anything... well, maybe I am! :)

We switched up our diet this last two weeks a bit. I can not say any more because one girl I work with may come look at my blog!

I have a cookbook and found a new side that is better tasting than I could possibly describe!

Have you ever used Prosciutto? I had seen it on cooking shows, but had never used it until I ran across it at the grocery store last week. You must try this recipe! This honestly could have been a whole meal. They were that tasty!

Asparagus and Prosciutto Wraps

1. Trim one bunch of asparagus spears and plunge them into a large saucepan of boiling salted water. Cook over a medium heat for 4-8 minutes, or until tender but still crunchy.
2. Drain and plunge into cold water. When they have cooled, drain once again and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400.
4. Cut provalone cheese into 18 equal slices (the recipe called for mozzarella and I accidentally bought provalone, but it was so good, I am changing it!). Separate the prosciutto into 6 even piles and cut the butter into 12 even sized pats.
5. Take 3 asparagus spears and place them on 1 slice of prosciutto. Cut or tear cheese and lay a bit on top of the asparagus and put a small pat of butter on top. Wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus.
6.Repeat until you have used all the asparagus. If you have leftover prosciutto, wrap one with the extra. It will be good!
7. Lightly grease an oven dish with some butter and place the bundles on the pan. Cut or tear cheese and place across the spears and put another small pat of butter on top. Season with pepper and bake at the top of the oven for about 20 minutes.

You MUST try this if you like asparagus. It is a beautiful side for company. I can imagine it would be a great side with steak, although it worked for us with pork tenderloin!

Happy cooking.....Thanks for looking!! Wish me luck! I am almost there!!!!!

BEFORE

AFTER!