Skinny Cow Skinny Cow...I love you! YES I DO!

How delicious does this picture look?  It is  hard to make low calorie candy that tastes real, feels real, and is in a portion size that doesn't make you feel ripped off.  Well, once again, the angels at Skinny Cow have won my heart.  HERE is a link for a coupon so you can try these bad boys on for size.  I loved them!  And I know you will too!!

I...AM...IN...LOOOVVEEE!

 

How would you like to be in pure Heaven for less that 150 calories?  Sounds unthinkable right?  WRONG!!  I may be a genius...jusssst maybe.  I have a new found love for Coke Zero Cherry...it might be the hormones, I don't know, but I love it.  I had a stroke of lightening hit me today when making dessert for dinner at our niece's house.  Now, I think I may even be able to get this recipe down to less than 150, but I used what I had on hand, so I will make tweaking suggestions as we go.  Prepare yourself...your mind is about to be blown!

Cherry Coke Cake From Heaven

1 box chocolate cake mix(I used Betty Crocker double fudge cake, but devil's food would work great too)

1 can Cherry Coke Zero

1 6 oz container Lite Cherry Yogurt any brand will do

1/2 cup water

Topping

1 pint heavy whipping cream

(fat free topping or lite whipping cream would save you on calories)

1/4 tsp almond extract

4 tbs. powdered sugar

(if you buy Cool Whip, omit powdered sugar and save the calories)

1 can Lite Cherry Topping

(I used Comstock brand, you could also use the no sugar added variety and ad your own Truvia to it)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl add Coke to the cake mix.  I do not recommend using an electric mixer since the carbonation makes the cake mix expand.  

Pour in the yogurt and the 1/2 cup water. 

I baked my cake mix as 24 cupcakes to make the portion sizing easier.

Bake at 350 for 20 mins.

These cupcakes do not get tall and fluffy, this is a fudgier consistency of cake.

Whip the cream to soft peak.  Once it is to soft peak stage add almond extract and powdered sugar and continue to whip to firm peaks.

Take 1 cupcake and top it with about 2 tbs. of cherry topping and a dollop of cream.

24 Servings
141 calories per serving

ENJOY!!

Recipes Re-Visited

 

A few months back I posted THIS recipe.  I had all good intentions to make it tonight, but when it came time to gather ingredients, I was missing the all important apricot jam.  So, I took what I had on hand and made a new recipe!  I call this one Gingeryaki Turkey meatballs.

Meatballs

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 dried onion or 1/2 cup diced onion

3 garlic cloves minced

1 whole egg

1/4-1/2 tsp. ginger(i used powdered ginger)

1 tbs. teryaki sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbs. teriyaki sauce

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tbs. brown sugar

Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a bowl and form into balls.  This recipe should make about 20.  Place in a greased baking dish and bake @ 400 for 15 mins.

Meanwhile, whisk together sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and let reduce for 15 mins.  

Pour sauce over meatballs and cook for 5 mins.

I served this over quinoa and had asparagus on the side.  I wish I would have had some green onions to chop up in the sauce...next time for sure!  This would also be good with some crushed pineapple!  

Enjoy!

salt and pepper to taste

Pregnancy Brain

 

I KNOW I am not the only woman on the planet who feels this way.  I also know these feelings aren't exclusive to being pregnant...but...with that being said, I feel like I am loosing my ever loving MIND.  I have this strong STRONG urge to eat, and to eat everything in sight.  I have always struggled with an addiction to food and I have always had an unhealthy relationship with food, but this pregnancy is bringing out a side of this addiction I have never dealt with before.  I feel like I am constantly battling within myself day in and day out.  I know that not too long ago I had the lifestyle I have wanted my whole life.  I wore a size 6-8, I worked out 4-5 days a week, I had control over what I ate and had a healthy understanding of what my body needed.  I was fit, happy, and healthy.  I have said this in an earlier post, but as soon as I knew I was pregnant, something just flipped in my head.  It is almost like that fit healthy happy girl was an impostor and this food crazed, fat, tired, angry person I am now is the real me and I had been locked away in some basement and I have finally escaped.  I worry that this is the real me.  I worry that I will never again have the control I had not too long ago.  I am soooo sick of hearing,"give yourself a break, you are pregnant".  NOOO giving myself "a break" is exactly how I get myself into messes like this.  I find, the only way I am ever, EVER the least bit healthy, is by treating myself to a Nazi dose of control.  I am so nervous to go to my OB appointment in two weeks and have her lecture me on how fat I am getting.  Do you think it is possible to loose weight during your second trimester??  I doubt it!  Well, either way, I am determined for the next two weeks to work on myself.  Lots and LOTS of prayer.  Lots of self repair and lots of counting calories.  I am hoping that I can find a comfortable way to sleep so I can get some rest during the night and feel good enough to work out again.  I really do miss that girl...even if she was an impostor.  At least she kept the crazy me quiet, and I would LOVE to have her back.

YUMMMMMMMMM!

 

Don't you just love the way facebook makes the world so small!  It never ceases to amaze me how people from your childhood who you haven't seen in years can become a daily part of your life again! A long lost good friend of my family found me on facebook and she made a post on her blog the other day about homemade fruit paletas! I will be going to the store to buy just about every one of these ingredients!  HERE is the link!  

ENJOY!!

I'm Back...AND....PREGNANT!!

 

Well, it has been since April 22nd my friends.  I have not posted a darn thing since April 22nd.  And, there is a very good reason for that.  I can't exactly post about saltine crackers and umm...well...PIZZA on a weight loss blog.  

I am not going to lie, because I never do on this site, but I went a little street rat crazy during my first trimester.  I had gone back on the Medifast 5&1 program to loose the 7 pounds I had put back on, and I was STARVED and most importantly NOT loosing any weight.  I was totally freaked out because I had such an easy time before on the 5 &1.  Well, after feeling like puking for a few days, and noticing my hunger and cravings getting stronger, I took a pregnancy test.  And yup....BIG FAT POSITIVE!!!  I was elated...and in my brain...liberated!!  Something in my head switched back to the mode of entiltlement, and I felt like I could, and SHOULD eat whatever I wanted because for Heaven's sake, I was hunnngggry.  So after three months of CRAZY eating, and a bit more rapid weight gain than I had hoped for, I had this horrifying dream Monday night where my Hubby told my OB/GYN that he was grossed out by my body and wished I would slow down with the weight gain.  I woke up MORTIFIED.  My husband would NEVER, ever say that, but I think it was a sign from the food Gods that I needed to reign it in!  So with joy, I am back!!  I have posted a few new recipes below that I hope you enjoy!  

I am still using medifast bars, shakes and puffs as snacks 2-3 times per day.  I will be using the 5&1 after the baby to get back down, so I just wanted to keep them in my diet.  Plus, there are so many vitamins in the meals that it can only help this baby be extra healthy!!  I do however have a calorie counting site I am using instead of the medifast site, I find this one much more user friendly, and I can use it on my ipod and computer!!  Check it out! MyFitnessPal.com!!  

I am excited to be back!  I hope you all enjoy these recipes!  Let me know what you think!

Things I Loved to Eat Today!

First, one of my all time favorite breakfast recipes that has been a standby for years.  I am sure I have posted it before,  but just as a refresher, I will re-post my breakfast parfait recipe. I don't have a picture of this one, but since you can alter it is so many ways, just use your imagination!!

1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese(50 cal)

1 6oz. Light and Fit blueberry yogurt(80 cal)

3/4 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries(70 cal)

1/4 cup Original Uncle Sam cereal(63 cal)

TOTAL CALORIES 263

You can make it pretty and layer it, or just dump it all in a bowl, mix it up and enjoy!  Imagine the possibilities with this, any type of yogurt, any type of fruit!  I prefer frozen berries because they kind of freeze the yogurt around them and it tastes a bit like ice cream! 

Another breakfast recipe that I had this morning that I believe may become a favorite is this yummy pic you see above.  I am calling it English Banana Nutty Goodness!  I happen to LOVE Orowheat Double Fiber English muffins.  I like them much much more than even regular muffins.  So here is what I dreamed up this morning for breakfast!

1 Double Fiber English Muffin toasted(120 cals)

1/2 medium banana sliced(53 cals)

1/2 tbsp peanut butter divided(50 cals)

2 egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled(104 cals)

1/2 tsp Spike Seasoning Original

TOTAL CALORIES 322

I really, REALLY enjoyed this breakfast.  If you wanted to tweak it even more, buy fat free peanut butter, I didn't have any on hand so I used regular peanut butter.  I have also done this with Noella which would save you about 3 calories.  You could also save about 40 calories and use all egg whites.  I don't know what it is about eggs, but I have just got to see some yellow in there!!

 

Now, last night I was thumbing through my emails and to my pure excitement, I had received a recipe from the Hungry Girl.  She does these great recipes where she teaches you how to swap high calorie favorites for healthier options.  I love love LOVE Waldorf salad and when this swap came to my email, I couldn't wait to have it for dinner.  I did make a couple of changes from her recipe because I didn't have light bread and just kind of felt like having it in salad form.

1/2 apple chopped(36 cals)

2 celery stalks chopped(11 cals)

2 tbs. crushed almond(64 cals)

1/2 cup red grapes sliced(25 cals)

1/4 fat free mayo(33 cals)

4 oz. chicken breast cubed(87 cals)

2 cups lettuce(20 cals)

 TOTAL CALORIES 276

Mix all ingredients except lettuce in a bowl.  Make sure the mayo is evenly spread.  Scoop on top of a bed of lettuce and ENJOY!

Okay, so on Sunday, I was really feeling like cooking amazing food.  I managed to have the energy to make TWO fantastic meals that day.  They both were fairly healthy, but I have modified them even more for this post! 

Blueberries and Cream Breakfast Panini

 

We gobbled this one up so fast I forgot to take a picture!  I promise, you will too!!! I am posting the 4 serving recipe, but the caloric values will be per serving.

8 slices light bread(45 cals per slice=90cals)

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese(50 cals)

2 cups blueberries fresh(45 cals)

1/2 cup  powdered sugar(56 cals)

2 eggs(35 cals)

TOTAL CALORIES PER SERVING 262

Preheat waffle iron.

In the food processor whip cottage cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  I also added a touch of vanilla.

Beat eggs until smooth

Soak one side of your bread in the egg mixture and place egg side on waffle iron. 

Spoon cottage cheese onto bread and top it with blueberries. 

Soak one side of the second piece of bread and place it egg side up on top.

Close waffle iron and cook

remove from iron and top with a bit more cottage cheese and remaining blueberries.  

4 servings

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

This next recipe will surely become a Johnson family regular. I found it on Framed Recipes.  I did tweak it a bit, but even my super duper picky four year old was ALL over this!  He horked it down so fast!  You can tweak this a bit by having less sauce or a smaller chicken portion. By having a 4 oz. portion instead of a 6 oz portion, you would save yourself 44 cals!!  If you prepare it exactly how it is here, each serving ends up being 303 calories.  I served it with red potatoes but in the future I will serve it with asparagus and drizzle a bit of the sauce on my veggies!! 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  

1. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a baking dish and place in a 400 degree oven on lowest rack while you make sauce.
2. Pour broth into hot skillet; cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Whisk in cream, mustard, and thyme. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour any accumulated chicken juices into sauce. 
4. Pour sauce over chicken in the baking dish and place back in oven for 5-7 mins.

ENJOY!