New Recipe

Last night I decided to try a recipe from wordofwisdomliving.com- but with my own twist on it.

It was so good. Vegetarian Enchiladas.

Sauce:

2 tblsp. Olive Oil

1 can of diced tomatos with green chilies (pureed)

1/8 cup corn starch

1 can of vegetable broth

1 clove garlic (crushed)

salt and white pepper

Enchiladas:

3 cups of Mexican blend cheese (pepper jack and cheddar) shredded

6 green onions finely chopped

Handful of cilantro leaves (optional- but I ADORE the stuff!)

1 can of corn

1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 carton of chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed)

corn tortillas.

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil and garlic- add salt and pepper and pureed tomato and chilies. whisk for 1 minute. Add cornstarch to a little cold water and whisk until it's smooth- add to sauce. Let simmer until thick. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine 2 cups of cheese, spinach, beans, corn, onion and cilantro in a large bowl and mix well. Lightly oil a 9x13 pan- spoon some sauce on the bottom of pan. (I tried to roll the filling into the tortillas but they kept breaking- so I just did layers- like a lasagna.) Over with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

I topped mine with sliced olives and more green onion.

Husband was skeptical - but liked it. that's my seal of approval. :)

Of Baby Showers and Sore Muscles

Saturday I went to an AWESOME baby shower for a very sweet lady- and my friend Amanda made some positively SINFUL goodies- (So so so yummy)... I did pretty good, I thought, at restraining myself- I didn't even try the cheese cake (which I adore)- and limited myself to 3 oreo bon bons- (and when I say limited- It could have been MANY more) and I didn't have any walnut bars (until Sunday when I had like 5 :( ) or lemon cake. They all looked so good but I had to keep my goal in mind. I had a handful of peanut M&Ms and a Mango smoothie.

The previous me (I would say the "old" me, but as I near 30 I have decided to take the word out of my vocabulary) would have gone Hungry Hungry Hippos on that desert table... So I am feeling pretty proud.

Then, yesterday I made my very first Lasagna. (I am not much of a cook- as I have mentioned) But nobody told me how DANG HEAVY the pan is with all those layers of goodness- and I threw out my back putting it into the oven. After the noodle and cheesy goodness was safe inside the oven, I decided to stretch my back right then and there to prevent further soreness and I hear my husband from the the dining room:

"What are you doing???"

"Stretching."

"Oh... because it looks like you're worshiping the Lasagna."

I am still laughing. There I was, bent in a Uttana Shishosana (yoga pose) right in front of the oven.

But my back is already feeling a little better so I am going to try to do my 100 crunches today, it will just take me longer. I may have to inflate the balance ball to help me out. :)

98% Fat Free Oscar Mayer Hot dogs

I figured at 40 Calories a dog- only .5 grams of fat - why not? My family are big hot dog fans- it's cheap and easy and ready in a few minutes so the convince factor is HUGE for us...

The verdict?

Not worth it.

Blech- They were pretty bland, but I might be able to get used to it because they are SO low in calories until I saw how much SODIUM is in each wiener... 470 mg!!!! That's 20% of your daily allowance- and recently they have suggested that people should use even less than they originally suggested- so no thank you Mr. Mayer.

(of course I don't know how much sodium are in the other types of Oscar Mayer dogs- which I like- and I don't know if I WANT to know....)

Planning a Menu

I am not the greatest cook in the world. While I can follow a recipe - it doesn't mean that I have any creativity or flair in the kitchen- or any desire to be in the kitchen either.

Part of what got me to this weight in the first place was poor planning. I would work all day, get home around 5:30 and think "gee, I wonder what I should make for dinner?" This was bad for a few reasons.

1. I was already SUPER hungry and all the food that required more than a microwave took too long to cook.

2. I was already SUPER tired- and just wanted to sit and relax after a long day.

3. I get REALLY grumpy and confused when I am hungry and tired. (When we were dating, my husband almost left me in Salt Lake City because of my temper tantrums stemming from hunger... but that's a story for another time) When I get grumpy and confused I cannot decide what to cook or even what to eat when I have the options right in front of me.

So- A weekly menu usually cures this quandary. It also helps keep those unwanted fast food calories from sneaking into your week. This is what I am attempting to do right now- The problem I am having is coming up with healthy alternatives to our normal menu. Hot dogs and Mac&Cheese does not a skinny Kelly make. (Yes- it's better than fast food, but only a little...) Anyway, if you google "printable menu plans" or "free weekly menu"- you can find some cute ideas on how to make your own menu planner.

Does anyone have any really SIMPLE yummy dinner ideas for me?