You're not the only one Paula Deen, I've lost 30 pounds too!

Photo Courtesy of 3Before30.com

I really don't understand why Paula Deen is big news with her recent weight loss.  Ok, I get it on one level, but maybe that fact that I just don't get star-struck is what leaves me baffled.  There are many people all over the earth who lose 30 pounds in six months and it doesn't make big news.  Paula Deen has access to all the fancy personal trainers, nutritionists and home chef's a person could need.  I'd be concerned if she couldn't lose that weight with all the help at her disposal!

You see, I've lost 30 pounds in the last six months too.  Really!  Was it that hard?  No, not really.  I didn't work with a trainer or a nutritionist or a personal chef.  But what I can tell you is it took dedication and lots of it.  With that dedication came the need to be honest with myself.  I had to really look at what in my everyday life had caused me to put on extra weight.  I couldn't put my head in the sand, just work out occasionally and say "Oh I'm trying to lose weight, see?" 


I calorie counted.  I made a strict goal of the calories I would allow myself each day that would still be healthy (I'm not one that could ever be an anorexic - I love food way too much!).  It quickly became apparent that my daily diet had to be protein heavy (with a little guidance from a brilliant friend who recently went through gastric bypass), because the carbs tasted great, but I would find myself getting hungry much faster than if my meals were protein heavy.  The carbs just ripped through my calorie allotment for the day anyway!  So I cut WAY down on carbs (and made a mental promise to myself to factor in my non-fat milk mocha as my reward for working my tail off - even if that meant getting extra cardio in each day!).


So, off I went - Calorie counting working out like a fiend at the gym.  Cardio, weight training, you name it -  I was filling up about an hour and a half a day 5 days a week at the gym.  I loved that time, just me and my iPod.  It was tiring and definitely hard work, but I saw the pounds peeling away, so it was easy to keep it up. 


I learned a lot about myself on this journey, the most important being how goal oriented I am.  Tell me where the light is at the end of the tunnel and I'll get there.  Move the light at the end of the tunnel when we were almost there and I might just bite your head off.  Give me a vague answer as to where that light is and I won't get there, I'll give up.  I'm so glad I've learned these things about myself because they factor in to all aspects of my life.  It explains why I am able to power through things.  I know the goal, dig my heels in and just get there.


Now it's Summer vacation and the kids are home everyday, so I can't spend the time at the gym I had been doing.  I'm totally ok with that because I was going at a pretty tough pace and the mental break is good.  I'm working hard at maintaining the weight loss, building more muscle (love muscle building Yoga videos!) and watching what I eat for now.  Okay, I might be reveling a bit in what I've already accomplished and psych'ing myself up for round two in the fall because I want to lose another 20-30 before I'm happy.


Now at this point you're probably wondering if the picture at the top of this post are me.  No, sigh, not yet.  It's Jen from 3Before30.com.  I adore her and look to her for lots of fitness advice.  She's a fantastic resource for how to get fit (I'm working on convincing her to write a guest post with recommendations for at home workouts for busy moms that can't get to the gym).  She's a mom to three very young kids and juggles a full time job in addition to being fabulously in shape.

What is your weight struggle or success story?  I'd love to hear about it!  Help me convince Jen we need her home exercise routine help!

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Why Is Protein So Important During Pregnancy? - A guest post

When I was pregnant with my first son, I spent countless hours researching everything from what he looked like during the stages of development to what I should be eating. I'm excited to share the following guest post on why Protein is so important during pregnancy and ways to get enough!  If you have a guest post you'd like to share - email me!  I'd love to share everything from birth stories to tips for deliveries from moms!

Why Is Protein So Important During Pregnancy?

We all have heard about the importance of protein in our nutrition, but what makes it so important? Actually protein is made of amino acids and these are considered to be the building blocks of your body. This means that they also are the building blocks of the body of the little one.
You should really focus on the protein intake during the second and third trimester. This is because that is the period when the little one is developing at the fastest rate and so the demand of nutrients is at its peak.

 

How much?

Nutritional specialists say that during your pregnancy, your body requires about 70 grams of proteins on a daily basis. This is only 25 grams more than normally. The good news is that the majority of women consume more than they should, so most probably you won’t have problems with the protein intake.
Nonetheless in case you don’t have in your diet any meat, which is one of the major protein sources, you should make sure that you obtain the nutrient from another source.

 

Sources

There are numerous sources of protein, so you can make sure that you won’t get bored with eating the same thing all over again. These kinds of foods include beans, poultry, eggs, meat, milk, tofu, cheese and yogurt, among others. To make sure that you consume enough proteins daily, you should have 3-4 servings per day.

 

Nuts, beans and legumes

In order to get the amount of 20 grams of protein, you should consider consuming the following meals. One of these meals is made of tofu and you can eat about 1 cup of this protein source regardless that it is firm or soft. The same amount of nutrients can be found in 5-6 tablespoons of peanut butter or a handful of peanuts.
One and a half cups of cooked beans, the like of baked beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, refried beans, black beans, pinto beans or lentils. Another option you have is to drink three cups of vegan milk the likes of soy milk.

 

Dairy products

To get the 20 grams of protein per serving, consider consuming almost a cup of cottage cheese, two cups of yogurt, a few slices of cheddar, Swiss or other kinds of cheeses, 200 grams of parmesan cheese, three large eggs, or two and a half cups of milk. You should have these only in case the kind of diet that you have allows you to. As an example vegan people aren’t supposed to have any dairy products.

 

Fish and white or red meat

Having 3 oz. of meat, such as chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, veal or pork offers you the 20 grams of protein just like the servings that have been mentioned before. The same amount can be found in 3 oz. servings of trout, salmon and tilapia. You could also have 17 larger shrimps, or one and a half cups of baby shrimps. It is also healthy to have three and a half oz. of lobster, crab or thee oz. of canned clams. There are some fishes that you shouldn’t consume.


Author Bio: Liza is an avid blogger and freelance writer. She loves writing on health – women’s health and pregnancy, to be more specific. Don’t forget to check out her pregnancy week by week articles on ThePregnancyZone.com, where she writes on topics relating to preparing for pregnancy, pregnancy stages, labor & delivery, and pregnancy issues, among others.

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Seasons 52 in Costa Mesa is a Must for Foodies

The evening began with this amazing Black Mission Fig and Chevre flatbread and I knew we were in for a treat.  Clifford Pleu has done a masterful job creating a seasonally inspired, healthy yet sophisticated menu.  Seasons 52 features wood-fire grilling, brick oven cooking and absolutely no fryers.

I also tasted the Goat Cheese Ravioli, Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon

 and stuffed artichoke... 

 It was all absolutely amazing!

Dessert was served in small shot glasses and was absolutely scrumptious.  I  would have thought the Mocha Macchiato would be my favorite, but the Key Lime Pie and Meyer Lemon Pound Cake ended up being my favorites if I had to name my favorites (but they were all delicious!!!).

Nestles next to Bloomingdales on the outside of South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Seasons 52 Fresh Grill is is now open.  Serving up absolutely mouthwatering dishes (at less than 475 calories each!), you're sure to find something if not many dishes you'll fall in love with.  If you have food allergies or other diet restrictions you'll find the staff and menu to be refreshing and easy to still find something fantastic.  You'll also find that the prices are very reasonable with the entrees ranging in price from $12.75-$26.95.  Note that there is also complimentary valet parking.

Seasons 52 is perfect for a date night or girls night out.  There's nightly entertainment at the piano bar starting at 6:00 pm and you'll frequently find internationally known pianist/singer/songwriter Charlie Sleeth filling the bar with music.

You can also find other Seasons 52 locations in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and coming soon to Arizona, Texas, Florida (Coral Gables), Indiana and Maryland.  For more information you can go here.  I was treated to a media preview evening to sample the menu to facilitate the writing of this post.

Seasons 52 is located at 3333 Bristol Avenue Suite #2802, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626 and (714) 437-5252.  You can also find Seasons 52 on Facebook and Twitter.

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How to Spend $100 a Week on Groceries for a Family of Four!

Another Fabulous Yet Frugal Friday Post...

I spend $100/ a week on groceries for our family of four (yes, that includes lunches for the kids at school)!  It all started a few months ago when I got tired of how high our grocery bill was getting with multiple "quick stops" in to the local grocery store to pick up things here and there.  It had to stop.  I'm not sure if my biggest motivation was saving money or if it was just being organized for the week so we weren't scrounging around for last minute dinners.  An added side bonus is my husband now cooks most of the dinners!  Don't believe me? Well, as you'll see below the dinners are easy, fast, healthy and super easy on the budget.

So you're probably wondering what my trick is?  Well, once a week I grab my reusable grocery bags and head to Fresh & Easy.  I buy 3-4 of their prepared dinners, tons of veggies for side dishes, super yummy packaged salads for my lunches and plenty of snacks to add to the kids lunches.  And yes... all this for $100 a week.  Don't believe me?  Check out my recent receipt below.  I pointed out some of the key dinners & school lunch main dishes.  One of the things I love the most is the prepared family size dinners, they take about 10 minutes to cook (oven or microwave) and when paired with salad or other veggies, it's a complete meal.  Homemade hamburgers (loaded with onions, spinach & garlic) are great main courses for the kids school lunches.

Would you love to only spend $100/week on groceries?  Try out our plan for one week... and I'm pretty sure you'll be hooked too!  Be sure to come back and comment about your experience!

(Also check out this post on Holiday Dinners for under $20!)

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Super Easy Homemade Chicken Soup

This is panning out to be a yucky cold/flu season early this year! As a kid I was spoiled with my Mom's homemade chicken soup - chicken soup from a can never has any appeal to me.

I don't think many people realize how super easy it is to make your own chicken soup. Storage is a piece of cake (freeze it for those times when you are sick and not up to cooking!). Here's how my Mom always made chicken soup:

Take 1 roasted chicken (we always take what is left over from dinner and I use the ready cooked whole chickens from the store!) and put it as is in a large pot. Fill 1/2 way with water. Turn on high heat for 1-2 hours. Let it boil away.

Once the meat is falling off the bone and falls apart in your hands (or spoon), pour through a colander into a saucepan. The "chicken stock" is now ready to add all the goodies to.

I always add a couple tablespoons of soy sauce as my secret ingredient. Add a couple handfuls of frozen vegetables and frozen brown rice. Let it boil for about 15 minutes and it's done!

My Mom always said the sign of a good chicken soup was if it turned to jelly when refrigerated. Not sure why that is though, but it does make it easier to skim off the fat...

What's your comfort food when you're feeling under the weather?

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Taco(ish) Salad

I had to share my latest creation - Taco (ish) Salad

I was making this nacho recipe for the kids but was really craving salad for myself so I decided to take the raw ingredients of what I was cooking for the kids, add it on top of fresh cut romaine leaves to come up with this... (sorry the image is a little blurry due to my iPhone and my inability to hold still enough...)

Ingredients:

-Romaine lettuce

-Cooked ground meat

-Tabasco Chipotle sauce

-Barbeque sauce (about 1 tablespoon mixed for Nacho meat and salad meat)

-Handful of chopped cucumber

-Handful of chopped sweet red peppers

-Shredded cheese

-Spoonful of light sour cream

-4 Grape tomatoes cut in half

-1 Tablespoon of your favorite salad dressing (balsamic w/oil works well also)

Directions:

Again, I made this primarily with what I already had on hand for the Nachos.  To make the nacho meat, I took one package of ground meat and sauteed it until well cooked.  Then in a bowl I mixed it with 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce.  I took out about 1/2 cup of the meat and mixed in the Chipotle Tabasco sauce in to it to add kick (knowing the kids wouldn't like it in the nacho meat).  I added all of the above ingredients on top of fresh chopped romaine lettuce and added about 1 tablespoon of my favorite salad dressing (which happens to be Chinese Chicken Salad dressing by Girard's).

The salad came out amazing and the kids loved the nachos!  Perfect way to satisfy the kids and allow me to eat healthily without feeling like I cooked two separate meals! 

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Two Super Easy, Super Healthy AND Inexpensive Side Dishes My Kids LOVE

We have one main rule around our house when it comes to dinner time – You must try one bite, and if you truly don’t like it, you don’t have to eat any more of it. So my goal is always to give the kids healthy side dish options with every meal so I know they are atleast partially filling up on nutrient packed food. Here are two of our favorite veggie side dishes:


Sautéed Spinach

In a medium skillet, add 2 teaspoons Grape Seed Oil and 3 Cloves fresh crushed garlic over medium heat. Sauté just until the garlic browns. Fill skillet with fresh washed spinach leaves (mounding), spinach will condense quickly so don’t worry about how high it is. As the Spinach begins to soften, gently stir to allow it to cook evenly. It should take less than 10 minutes, depending on your preferences for the spinach.

Once it is done, transfer to serving dish and lightly drizzle with Olive oil (or any oil you prefer, we have used grape seed as well as peanut oil, the peanut oil adds a wonderful nutty flavor). Drizzle balsamic vinegar and top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese (or feta works well also).

Enjoy!


Steamed Fresh Broccoli

This one is about as easy as it gets and is a very easy way to pack in the veggies without the kids feeling like they are eating too much healthy food! I’ve gotten in to the habit of making the main course and creating a couple veggie packed side dishes. This encourages the kids to fill-up on some of the healthier foods instead of the carbohydrate rich pastas.

In veggie steamer, add 3 cups of fresh broccoli (it needs to be fresh to keep it tasting yummy!). Steam for approximately 25 minutes (again, this depends on how tender your prefer veggies).

Remove from steamer and serve directly on to plates. I normally drizzle with Ranch dressing. Easy as that!

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Delicious Homemade Nachos

After reading through my posts, I am sure you have at least started to wonder if we are vegetarians… And the answer is no, well, not really… But I must confess that I really do have vegetarian tendencies when I cook, for whatever sense that makes! We are by no means true vegetarians, but to increase our health I’ve really made the effort to cook mostly vegetarian meals at home so that we eat less meat and feel less guilty about having a hamburger here or there (it also saves on the grocery bill!). But enough about that, on to tonight’s dinner! (I’ll create a separate post for the side dish sautéed spinach that was an unexpected hit with the kids).

Homemade Nachos!

Ingredients:
-One Bag of Good Corn Tortilla Chips
-Preshredded mixed Colby and jack cheese
-Preshredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
-2 cups chopped zuchinni, red pepper and onion
-Olive Oil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Sautee the veggies in a teaspoon of oil in a skillet until tender. Set aside.
Layer the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet (use a special nonstick mat or spray lightly with non-stick spray to prevent the chips from sticking to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle the veggies over the chips, and then top with a mixture of the cheeses. Cook in oven until the very first hints of browning on the cheese.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and/or salsa as dip. My kids love this dinner and we make it frequently. I constantly sneak new veggies in to the sauté mix and the kids eat all of it. I’ve also served spinach hummus dip on the side, which adds even more veggies! But tonight I served it with my fresh bruschetta (with homemade tomatoes on toasted ciabatta bread) and sautéed spinach. Be sure to check out my recipe for Bruschetta in the archives if you haven't yet, it is always a favorite among family and friends!

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Five Healthy Family Dinners under $20

Making a meal plan for the week can be tough, especially if you are a working mother. I find that if I don’t plan ahead, it is far too easy to fall back on take-out, which as we all know is not the healthiest or cheapest option. So, I’ve pulled together some of our family recipes that happen to cost less than $20 to prepare, are nutritious and easy to make. My recommendation is to plan out 5 meals ahead of time (feel free to use our favorites below) and purchase the ingredients at Costsco as this lowers the cost dramatically, in many cases bringing the cost of the meal for the entire family down to less than $10!

Always keep lettuce and salad dressing around to accompany the meal. Grab a baguette or two to accompany soups and salads. Buy the large bag of fresh broccoli at Costco and steam in small batches throughout the week, my kids love the fresh steamed broccoli drizzled with Ranch dressing.

-Bruchetta (http://ocmomactivities.blogspot.com/2008/10/kid-favorite-bruschetta-recipe.html) and Chinese Chicken Salad (http://ocmomactivities.blogspot.com/2008/10/easy-chinese-chicken-salad.html). Make extra of the bruchetta topping because you can add it to cooked pasta to create a completely new dish the next day.

-Homemade Pizza (http://ocmomactivities.blogspot.com/2009/07/easy-pizza-dough.html)

-Panini’s (http://ocmomactivities.blogspot.com/2009/07/yummy-paninis.html)

-Chicken Pasta Primavera (http://ocmomactivities.blogspot.com/2008/10/chicken-pasta-primavera-another-kid.html)

-Corn Chowder (http://ocmomactivities.blogspot.com/2008/10/moms-yummy-corn-chowder.html)

Stay tuned as I’m putting together tips on how to keep your grocery shopping cost under $100 a week and still easily feed a family of four (this includes their lunches for school!).

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Easy Spinach Dip- Kids LOVE it!

Found this a few years ago (on epicurious.com) and it has been a family favorite ever since. The kids dip anything and everything in it, so make sure you make plenty of it. Just don't tell them how healthy it is for them!

Spinach and Garlic Dip

Fresh spinach, sauteéd in oil with garlic, is pureed with sour cream and green onions to create this delicious dip. For a picnic, transport the dip and the vegetables in a cooler, or surround them with cold packs in the picnic basket.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

8 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 6-inch-diameter pita breads
Assorted raw vegetables

Directions:

• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 10 seconds. Add spinach; sauté until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Cool.
  
• Puree spinach and green onions in processor. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
  
• Preheat broiler. Slice each pita bread horizontally in half, forming 2 circles. Cut each circle into 4 triangles. Place triangles in single layer on baking sheet. Lightly brush pita triangles with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Broil until golden, watching closely to avoid burning and moving triangles on baking sheet to brown evenly, about 2 minutes. Cool. (Dip and pita triangles can be made 1 day ahead. Keep dip chilled. Store pita in airtight container.)
  

Serve dip with pita triangles and assorted raw vegetables. Makes 6 servings.

*I also add about 4 ounces of sliced and sautéed tofu (for added protein), then puree with the spinach.

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Kid Favorite Bruschetta Recipe

My kids LOVE this recipe and it is healthy!

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

●Vine ripened cherry tomatoes (approximately 1.5 quarts when quartered); the quality of the tomatoes makes or breaks this recipe.

●Handful of washed/rough chopped fresh Basil

●Several fresh crushed cloves of Garlic (amount depending on your taste)

●Handful of shredded Mozzarella

●Olive Oil (approx. 2 tablespoons)

●Balsamic Vinegar (approx. 1 tablespoon)

●Cayenne Pepper

●Salt

●French Baguette

Directions:

Slice baguette and toast (I brush a little olive oil on each side prior to toasting in the oven or on the stove top in a skillet).

Wash and slice the tomatoes in quarters (depending on the size of the tomato), add the rough chopped basil, crushed garlic, shredded mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic. Add Cayenne and salt to taste. Mix.

Top toasted baguettes and if desired, toast in the oven on cookie sheet just until mozzarella melts.

Enjoy!

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