It's Been A Long Time...

Things got pretty hectic this past week with the move and unfortunately, my writing suffered. But I missed writing, I missed sharing and I missed the excitement that came with making a home cooked meal that everyone would love! So I am back...and I have a lot to say :)

The move this past weekend went surprisingly well. Nothing was broken, the movers were nice, furniture was delivered on time and FIOS was set up just in time for the Superbowl! The apartment is so much larger than our previous one and there is a lot more space to fill...so there is a lot more spending that needs to be done, but it is all coming together nicely. We are waiting for our dining room table to be delivered and then it will start to feel like a complete apartment. But it certainly feels like home and I have never been happier. The past few nights Ryan and I will look at each other in awe of our new place and ask "are you sure this is ours?" But it is, and I can't wait to entertain friends and family. Our previous apartment was too small - we were eating dinner sitting on the floor around a coffee table. Now we have a table for 2 in the kitchen, and coffee table that rises in the living room and a 6 seating dining room table - so everyone is welcome for dinner anytime!!

Our first night in the apartment we ordered Gluten Free Pizza from Mozzarelli's! Ironically, I used to eat at Mozzarelli's most days for lunch when I went to High School only a few blocks from where I am living now. They are now an award winning gluten free pizzeria and we were so excited to try it! Unfortunately they don't deliver to our address because most delivery men get lost in the Peter Cooper Village. But it was nice out Friday night so Ryan and I took the 15 minute walk to pick it up. We ordered 3 small pies - yes we were starving after a full day of moving! We got cheese, pepperoni and broccoli/spinach/pepper. It was delicious. It tasted like a regular pizza pie and the vegetables were extremely fresh - it was the perfect first meal in our new apartment. And we actually sat on chairs at a table to eat together! I was so happy!!! I love making our homemade GF pizza using Schar crust, but sometimes, it is nice to have a warm meal cooked by someone else! So this will be worth the walk for the pickup!!!

Our new kitchen is huge! The oven/stove is twice the size, the fridge/freezer are twice the size, there's a dishwasher and cabinets space galore that I cannot even fill most of it! We have a pantry, storage and room for a table. I am in shock. The counter space alone is making me giddy because I won't have to use folding tables as an "island" when I need to cook.

Our first breakfast was a green juice and eggs and bacon. The juice was kale, 2 oranges, apple and half a grapefruit! It was so much easier to make the juice and clean up and I will be motivated to make more now that we have the space to do so!!

Our first homemade meal was Cappello's fettuchine with Turkey Bolognese. I had ordered Cappello's a few weeks back and was so excited to try the pasta and cookie dough after Victoria told me about the product. It is gluten and grain free and made with Almond Flour and eggs. The pasta cooked in 45 Seconds and was so simple, delicious and easy to make! Dinner was ready in 5 minutes (salad included). (WW Points Cappello's Fettuchine: 5, WW Points Fresh Direct Turkey Bolognese 1/2 cup: 2)

The pasta was followed up by Cappello's cookie dough! This was the best cookie dough I have ever had - I would have eaten the entire thing raw! It is already rolled out so all you have to do is slice it into your desired cookie size and amount (serving size is 20 cookies, 3 points each) and bake for 10 minutes. The almond flour was so tasty and they were a bit salty. The chocolate chunks were large and the warm cookie right out of the oven was the perfect evening dessert!!! The pre rolled dough also makes it easy to only make 1 or 2 cookies so I don't sit down on the couch and eat the entire batch, which I could easily have done. We made 10 cookies and the next day made another 10...they were too hard to resist!!!!!

We also bought Arctic Zero Ice Cream which boasts only having 150 calories per pint, which for a girl, means you can eat the entire pint and not feel guilty!!! 1/2 cup serving is only 1 WW Point!! Although it is hard to believe that there are only 35 calories per serving (and there have been news reports that there is 48% more calories than advertised), the ice cream is filling and satisfies my sweet tooth. We got the Mint Chocolate flavor which I think was the best because the minty flavor added something to what could be considered bland chocolate since it is made with whey protein. Surprisingly, I was full after 1/2 cup. I did add some Cappello's chocolate chip cookie crumble to it!

Super Bowl Sunday was eventful! Although the game was a blowout and a bit boring - delicious food kept us occupied. I slow cooked a bean and pork chili for 8 hours - the house smelled delicious like spices and herbs and pork and tomatoes! This is a Weight Watchers Recipe - my first ever slow cooker recipe and my first WW recipe and it is a big success in our house. It is so easy to make, the ingredients are fresh and the serving size is large and points values are low. And slow cooking for 7 hours means the clean up is easy, the food is ready and I can go about my day without having to worry. I buy pre chopped vegetables (mirepoix) to save time on cooking and prepping as well. Through everything into the slow cooker and....done!

Three Bean and Pork Slow Cooker Chili
Servings: 9 (Servings Size: 1 Cup)
Weight Watchers Points: 7


1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
15 oz. canned black beans, drained and washed
15 oz. canned kidney beans, drained and washed
15 oz. canned pinto beans, drained and washed
1 cup canned tomato sauce
6 oz. canned tomato paste
1.5 lbs lean pork trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups Mirepoix (or 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 2 cloves garlic)
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
30 oz. Diced Tomatoes, Fire Roasted with Medium Green Chilies

1. Combine mirepoix, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper and jalapeno in slow cooker. Stire

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir again.

3. Cover and cook for 7 hours (I recommend 4 hours on HIGH and 3 on LOW)

There are tons of leftovers which are great the next day or frozen! I love this chili and it has become my go-to slow cooker meal!

Because we have been so busy with moving, I did not get to Bar Method this weekend! I can't wait to go back but the weather has been so crappy here in NYC that I am going to wait until Friday morning to start my routine. It's hard figuring out new train/bus times to get to the studio from my new apartment, which, even though it is in the city, is on the opposite side so it is hard to get cross-town. I actually bought a CITIBIKE membership which allows me to rent citibkes which are stationed all over the city and use them for 45 minutes, unlimited amounts of time! I rented my first bike this weekend and biked from my apartment to Juice Generation to get breakfast and then I biked with Ryan from our apartment to Bed Bath and Beyone cross-town. It's extremely scary biking during the day in NYC traffic, but most streets now have bike lanes and if you go with the traffic, it is a lot safer and more convenient and time saving! I bike yesterday morning at 5am to the Bar Method studio and it took 17 minutes! There was no traffic and besides a few cars on the road, I was basically alone. I still stopped at the red lights, yielded to pedestrians and was extremely careful because it had rained and snowed the day before. Unfortunately, it has been snowing and sleeting and rainy all day today so I didn't take a bike today. But in the summer and warmer months and even in the winter when it isn't a wintry mix, biking is really convenient!

Last night, we made bison burger salads. Bison is extremely low in fat, has no carbs and high protein. It is the best selection of meat to choose and is filled with juicy flavors. I grilled the burgers with some onions and olive oil, 4 minutes on each side and topped on a spinach salad with tons of veggies. This was the easiest dinner to make during the week! And I didn't miss the bread that goes with the burger. The salad and bison were so clean and filling and healthy. I loved it! Can you tell I love when I eat most of the time?! I only eat what I love and I love food!

Haley is getting very comfortable in our new apartment and is marking her spots. She can be found on a different couch cushion or chair every hour, testing her spots I'm sure. She is so cute and I am happy she has a lot more space to run around. I hope she realizes this is her new home - she's still a little scared and our neighbors have a dog so she gets nervous when she hears him in the hallway, but I think she is enjoying the new space!

I promise to update the blog regularly now that we are settled and cooking more and I have more time to devote to writing - I really did miss it and am excited to get back to it. I promise to provide insight to last weeks podcasts. With the move, I was only able to listen to a few but what I heard was extremely insightful and I think everyone can benefit from the information provided.

Be safe everyone in the storms that are headed our way - stay warm, stay dry, stay happy, stay healthy.

XO

Juice Generation: Raw Cleanse

Today I left my 7am Bar Method class feeling great after a really hard workout - Fold-Over Friday kicked my butt! Thank you Danielle...but after Wednesday's big meal with my family, I did not eat very well yesterday. I am eating a lot of fruits when I am "hungry" and the sugar is making me crave even more sugar. I have not cooked a meal at home in a few days either and so I am snacking a lot and having late night cravings. All of these bad habits have left me feeling full, bloated and uncomfortable.

So today I am doing a raw cleanse through Juice Generation. The cleanse involved 3 juices, 1 entree, 1 snack, 1 dessert. By eating/drinking every 2 hours, I feel full but not ravenous and I am cleaning my body of toxins and filling it with fresh vegetables, juice and raw food. My menu is below! I love all of the drinks at juice generation and the raw food is delicious. I usually eat the Cashew Ravioli for lunch on its own so today I decided to try a new entree! The juices are cold pressed which means not a lot of heat is used in the juicing process - this ensures that you are getting the most juice possible from the fruits and vegetables and also most of the nutrients remain intact.

It is expensive though and now that Ryan and I have a full fridge of juicing vegetables and fruits, I would rather cleanse with fresh juice made at home, but this cleanse was a last minute decision and one I really enjoy doing. I have tried Organic Avenue and find their juices intolerable. They are bitter and hard to finish. I find myself angry for spending so much money on a juice I barely finish. But the juices at Juice Generation are sweet, unique, colorful and keep me full all day without any headaches or stomach pains. I choose to incorporate raw food into my cleanse because I don't like 6 juices in a day - I feel great for 24 ours but wake up feeling weak and hungry. The next day, I usually over eat to compensate for the lack of eating I did during the cleanse. By incorporating food into my cleanse, I keep myself full and satisfied. I also love ending the day with a sweet chia, fruit dessert! I have made chia pudding at home before (I will do that this weekend and post the recipe) and it is such a filling dessert and with a little chocolate added to it, my sweet tooth is always satisfied! If I were to do a second day of cleanse, it would be very easy to do a full juice cleanse after having done a raw cleanse because my body has been cleared of toxins and has already experienced meals being replaced with juice.

Juice #1 (9am): Hail to the Kale (Kale, Watermelon, Apple, Lemon)

Juice #2 (11am): Daily Detox (Carrot, Cucumber, Lemon, Apple, Ginger)

Entree (1pm): Young Coconut Pad Thai (Cocount, Pepper, Carrot, Cabbage, Onion, Scallion, Jalapeno, Sesame Seeds, Cilantro, Lime, Almond Butter, Ginger, Wheat-free Tamari, Raw Agave, Garlic, Cayenne, Almonds, Chili Flakes)

Juice #3 (3pm): Very Veggie (Apple, Beet, Carrot, Lemon, Spinach, Tumeric)

Snack (5pm): Zucchini Linguine (Zucchini, Sun-dried-Tomato, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, Garlic, Onion, Olive Oil, Lemon, Raw Agave, Chili Flakes, Tomato, Basil, Hemp Seeds, Pine Nuts)

Dessert (6pm): Seasonal Fruit Tart (Thai Coconut, Almonds, Cashews, Dates, Raw Agave, Vanilla Bean, Lemon, Sea Salt, Strawberries, Blueberries)

Hail to Kale is green and sweet. The watermelon perfectly compliments the bitterness of kale. I could drink this all day, everyday. It is my favorite! It is great starting the day with a light green juice. It is not thick so I always have to remind myself to sip it slowly over the course of 1-2 hours and supplement it with water to keep me fuller longer.

Daily Detox is orange and a bit thicker and has a tangier taste (from the carrots and ginger). It is more filling than the first juice, so it really helps get through the second hour of juicing before having the entree (or snack if you aren't that hungry by lunch time). Keep drinking water and you will be fine for a couple of hours!

Very Veggie is a deep beautiful red (beets) and is the thickest of all the juice. I like to drink this one in the afternoon because by 3pm, that's when I begin grazing and get my sugar rush and crash. 3pm is when the work day has slowed, I realize I won't be eating again until I get home and my body panics and gets very hungry, even if I know I am not. The thickness and heaviness of the apples, beets and carrots make this drink filling and satisfying. The added benefit of turmeric (an antioxidant to support immune health, clear skin, healthy blood flow, and joint health) and the iron from the spinach make this a juice I feel really good to be drinking. I feel like I am feeding my body everything it needs without any of the chemicals or processed foods!

I purchased the Juice Generation recipe book so that Ryan and I can make all of these juices at home as well as some of the raw foods like Acai bowls! I love the way eating and drinking clean and fresh foods makes me feel. I hate feeling like I have given up on my body because then my mind is slower, my focus is off and I feel less determined to get back on track. One day of bad eating should feel indulgent, but it should not be rewarded with a second day of bad eating. Get back on track and reward yourself by treating your body right.

Morning Green Juice

I am still full from last nights amazing family dinner. My mom cooked a gluten free menu to celebrate 37 years of marriage with my dad! It's so special to see 2 people together for that long and still be so in love. Ryan and I have been married 10.5 months and I hope we have 36 more years of this kind of happiness, plus more. My parents have been such role models to me growing up - they fight, they make up, they love, they travel together, they enjoy each others company, they like to be around each other and reflect that love in everything they do!

Last nights menu included:
Double Stuffed Baked Potatoes (black beans, ham, broccoli, cheese)
Veggie cups
Shrimp scampi (without pasta)
Grilled pears with mascarpone cream

Everything was delicious! I look up to my mom and her cooking skills. Growing up, we had homemade meals every night and sat together as a family to eat. I strive to have this for my family!

This morning was my day to sleep in and have breakfast with Ryan. Unfortunately, I was not hungry for breakfast so we split a green juice and he had scrambled eggs and bacon on the side!

Ryan and Leslie's morning GREEN juice
Servings: 2
Weight Watchers Points: 5

135g Kale (3 leaves)
250g Carrots (2 large)
185g Granny smith apple (1)
110g Cucumber (1/4)
100g Celery (3 small ribs)
210g Pineapple (3 slices)

I weighed everything to know the exact WW Points of the juice (11 points for both servings). Fruit/vegetables are 0 points with Weight Watchers, however, when you cook or juice fruit/vegetables, you change the structure of the food which means it has points. When you juice, the food loses the fiber so the sugar is more easily absorbed by our bodies. That is why it is important to balance fruits and vegetables in all juices and not have a pure fruit juice!

I hope everyone has a great day today! Ryan and I signed our lease and are moving in 2 weeks! We are so excited and can't wait to start designing and furniture shopping for our new apartment!!!!

XO

Weekday Family Breakfast

Well I did it, I slept in until 6am. Now I know what you're thinking - that's sleeping in? Well it is when my alarm usually goes off before 5am. I was sore this morning, I was doing cobra stretch and oblique stretches in bed before I could even think to roll out of it. I guess a night class can help change my body along with my usual morning classes. It is important to change your workout routine so that you constantly surprise your muscles and they don't get bored and used to the routine. This also means changing what time of day you work out. During the holiday vacation I took late morning bar classes and I found them more challenging than my usual 6:30am class. This is because my body was not used to working out at this hour and my muscles were fatiguing faster. So my usual Bar Method schedule is now:

Monday: 6:30am
Tuesday: 7:30am
Wednesday: 6:00pm
Thursday: Off (or 6:00pm
Friday: 6:30am (or 7:00am)
Saturday: 8:30am
Sunday Off (or 8:30am)

It is good to have some variation and be able to have a few mornings to sleep in and I loved eating breakfast with Ryan and Haley.

Today we made an extra large fresh orange juice to share. He had scrambled eggs with bacon (no bread) and I had an egg white omelet with kale and tomato. I was planning to have my favorite egg white and oatmeal pancake but I wanted to keep my daily points low early in the morning and since I was having a juice, I had a vegetable egg white omelet instead. Fruit and vegetables are only 0 WW points when eaten whole but once you change their original state by cooking or juicing them, they count as points. And fruit has a lot of sugar so it raises the points for a juice very quickly. I prefer my juices to have 1 piece of fruit for every 2 vegetables, but Ryan has juiced everything in our fridge and we used the last of our produce from Sunday's groceries.

Ryan and Leslie's Morning Juice
Servings: 2
Weight Watchers Points per serving: 4

1/2 cup Kale
2 oranges
1 apple
2 beets
2 carrots
2 apricots

Kale and Tomato Egg White Omelet
Servings: 1
Weight Watchers Points: 2

1/2 cup All Whites 100% Liquid Egg Whites
1/2 cup kale
1/2 plum tomato

I topped the finished omelet with flax seeds for added omega-3 benefits and enjoyed with a side of sliced banana.

I am not used to eating so early (7:30am) so I was worried I would be hungrier sooner for lunch than my usual 1:00pm timing, but I am still full and satisfied from the juice and omelet. I was going to surprise Ryan with Almond Flour pancakes for breakfast this morning but he wanted to stick to a healthier, more protein filled weekday breakfast and save the pancakes for this weekend. Again, loss of words but I am so happy. I am going out with friends for sushi for lunch today and can't wait!

Tomorrow is my last day on the Advocare 10-Day cleanse and then I go back to taking the MNS Trim line products. I feel like the cleanse was a great way to start the new year. It helped me get back on track with eating gluten free and with eating clean. I will take measurements tomorrow and compare to January 1. I am going to wait to weigh myself until mid-January - as a Weight Watchers Lifetime Member I have to weigh in once a month and be within 2 pounds of my goal weight. When we got back from Italy on November 11th, I had gained 6 pounds and had to drop 4 to be within my range. It was a hard 2 weeks but I managed to drop the 4 pounds by December 23rd - right in time for the Holiday season. I want to give my body a break from the holidays and be able to process this new diet of gluten free and clean eating and weigh in at the end of the month. Again, I'm less worried about the number on the scale now but in order to receive Weight Watchers tracking and membership for free, I do have to hop on the scale at least once a month. But since doing this cleanse and changing my eating habits, my clothes are fitting much better and I feel more confident when I look at my body. I don't need the numbers to define how I should feel. My size 2 pants still fit and I feel good wearing them. I just hope to be able to improve my activity as the weather warms up and balance my good eating habits with good workout and activity habits. And now that I have a partner in the kitchen who eats clean and is starting to measure his serving sizes, maybe I will also have a partner to remain active with. Ryan and I love taking evening walks together and he is loving taking monthly Bar Method classes - maybe he'll even join me for a 6:30am class one day soon!!

My coworker tried the Nibblr snack Apple of my Pie which I gave her since it contains wheat. She said it was absolutely delicious and wants to buy more! I love having the delivery of these healthy snacks to my office. Even if they just start stockpiling in drawer, it is great to know that I can always reach for a healthy pre-portioned snack. And I love being able to share these snacks with other people!

Have a great day!

XO

Is this my same husband???

Night classes are just like morning classes...it's dark outside. Except the streets are more crowded, the stores are open, restaurants are busy and I am not alone waiting for the sun to rise. There is also a serious difference in the way my body feels when I take a night class. The studio is warmer having had classes all day so my body warmed up a lot faster and I was sweating and shaking immediately. I was more flexible tonight, able to push my thighs a little deeper, able to stretch a little farther and my body was warmed up and tight from sitting all day that it moved differently. Chair didn't scare me tonight because I had been sitting at my desk in that exact same position all day. Stretching felt like a relief and it felt so good. I am going to have to mix evening classes into my week because it is a different type of class. I would never give up my morning classes because I love having my workout done for the day and I love the group of people I workout with - I didn't know anyone in the evening class and I felt like I was intruding on their time. The class was filled and I had to use the teachers bar at the front of the class - you know the one where you think everyone is staring at you, but really we're all too deep in thought about the pain of our shaking thighs to even notice the person at the front of the class!

Wednesday, January 8th 6pm w/Lara M.

Warm-up and Arms
Thigh
Seat
Abs
Back Dancing
Final stretch

On my way to class tonight I hate half a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Quest Bar and ate the other half on my walk to the train. I don't know if it had actually warmed up or if my body was so warm from the class, but I decided to walk 15 minutes to the farther train stop. It felt good to be outside after being at the Bar Method studio all morning and evening and at work for 8 hours. Surprisingly, I still only had 2 WW Activity Points today. I had 13,000 steps, but it is shocking to see how little I move throughout the day. My biggest bursts of activity are walking to and from the train. I hope when it is warm I can improve my activity level. I love in the Spring and Fall when I can walk from Brooklyn to Bar Method across the Brooklyn Bridge.

I came home to find Ryan had eaten a walnut and gorgonzola salad for a light dinner before heading to the gym. I got home as he was making a juice and a rice cake with homemade egg salad. I was shocked, stunned by the change. Usually he would be making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra peanut butter, or eating a donut, bagel or multiple bowls of cereal. To see that he had hard boiled eggs, made a fresh orange juice and was making all of this on a rice cake, you can say I was speechless. He even measure 1 tsp mayo and 1 tsp dijon mustard rather than using a heeping tablespoon (or 2) or mayo. He said, "I can't even imagine how much mayo I usually use if this is 1 tsp." I told him that that's why I am also so conscious of nutrition facts and serving sizes because we all tend to over estimate the measurements and overeat unnecessary calories.

His evening juice was carrot, orange, broccoli and kale. I wanted to make broccoli for my lunch tomorrow, but I found out he used the last of it in his juice - my husband using broccoli in his juice, again I am at a loss for words!

His egg salad was 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 slice of trader joe's cheddar cheese, mesclun salad, pea shoots, 1 tsp dijon, 1 tsp mayo with 2 rice cakes. I tasted it - it was delicious. I was not only jealous of his breakfasts now, but his dinners as well! He said that with his breakfasts he will use rice cakes as well because he doesn't even need the heavy carbohydrates with a bagel, english muffin or blueberry muffin. We haven't had Thomas's bagels in our house for weeks! The juices are really filling him up too and he is thinking about having them as meal replacements! This cannot be my same husband who never cared about what he ate or how much and cringed when I said "please measure everything!" I have never been so happy to see Ryan care about the food that he is putting into his body now that he understands the nutritional benefits of food. Carbohydrates were filling him up temporarily but they didn't sustain his energy or provide any benefits. Now he is using food to fuel his body and his mind. I only hope I can eat as well as him now! He even wants to buy more fruits and vegetables for his juices tomorrow. My how things have changed!

I get to "sleep in" tomorrow and will have breakfast with Ryan. I guess I will have to be just as good as him and have a juice for breakfast (which I am excited about because I want to give my body a rest from the usual meals I have after morning Bar classes). Since he juiced the rest of the broccoli and kale, I might treat myself to Juice Generation Cashew Cheese Ravioli or Coconut Ceviche. It all depends on my work schedule and if I can take the time to travel uptown to the store location. Or maybe Ryan will inspire me and I will make egg salad for lunch with rice cakes :) Between my brother and Ryan's healthy eating habits, my choices are starting to look a bit unhealthy in comparison!

I hope everyone had a great day and is looking forward to the warm weather headed our way.

XO

Double Chocolatey Breakfast

It's a really cold day in NYC. Real feel of -5 when I left for Bar Method this morning at 5am and it dropped to -11 before 7am. Girls were walking into the studio with 5 layers of pants on (tights, legging, leg warmers, jeans, sweat pants). You could barely see a lululemon logo under all the layers! I really need a warm vacation to get away from this cold!

Breakfast was a Chocolate Brownie Quest Bar topped with Chocolate Powdered Peanut Butter. I don't think it can get more chocolatey than that, and I don't think I could have been happier. I microwaved the quest bar for 20 seconds until it was soft and the peanut butter just melted off the sides. I added sliced bananas to the side and enjoyed this chocolatey goodness at my desk, warm at the office.

Ryan's breakfast was a green juice! He is facing his fear of the green and didn't have his usual orange, citrus juice.

Ryan's Green Juice
Servings: 1
Weight Watchers Points: 8

1/2 cup kale
1/3 cup broccoli
1 Granny Smith Apple
1/2 Fuji Apple
1 Orange
1 Pear

I am excited to have my kale, nut and grilled chicken salad for lunch and am still thinking about dinner! I am always planning ahead and always thinking about food!

Last night my brother told me that he made the swordfish dish I posted on Sunday for dinner last night. He even went out and bought coconut oil. He said it was "absolutely amazing" and something that he will definitely be making again. It makes me so happy that my brother is cooking a recipe that loved and thought was so easy to make. I love sharing my ideas and thoughts about food and when family is involved, it is even more special.

Ryan and I are waiting for his mom to send us a cookie recipe that he had while he was home for Christmas break. We are so excited to make the cookies and Ryan said the almond flour would be perfect to make these gluten free! It's so exciting to share in the excitement of clean, good eating with everyone!

Stay warm everyone.

XO

Portobello Mushroom Stuffed Veggie Pizza and Green Blast

Portobello Mushroom Stuffed Veggie Pizza

Servings: 1

Weight Watchers Points: 5

1 portobello mushroom with stem removed (3oz.)

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar 

1/2 cup bell pepper chopped (use any color or a mix)

1/4 cup onion chopped

1/4 cup spinach

1/4 cup kale

1/4 cup Galaxy nutrition veggie shreds cheddar flavor (I use this to keep the recipe lactose free but you can use any flavor and type of cheese you prefer)

2 tbsp Hunts Tomato Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat pan over medium heat. Spray with nonstick olive oil and add peppers and onions. Cook until softened and browning, about 3-5 minutes. 

2) Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in microwave for 15 seconds until it becomes liquid. Mix with 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar. 

3) Brush the oil and vinegar mixture on both sides of portobello mushroom. Let it rest while the vegetables continue to cook. 

4) Add spinach and kale to pan with peppers and onions and cook them down until they begin to wilt. Remove vegetables from the pan and set aside. 

5) Add mushroom cap to the pan inside facing down. Cook for 3 minutes. 

6) Flip mushroom cap and add 2 tbsp tomato sauce. Spread it on the inside of the cap. 

7) Top with cooked vegetables and 1/4 cup cheese shreds. Cover and cook for 3 minutes until cheese begins to melt. 

8) Remove mushroom veggie pizza and serve warm. Any vegetables that fall off the sides can be eaten as a side "salad" (I added cooked broccoli to my plate). 

After eating dinner, I prepared lunch for tomorrow. It's going to be freezing temperatures again so I couldn't imagine going out to get something to eat. I made a kale, veggie, nut salad - a mix of a few different things we had. 

Kale, Veggie, Nut Salad

Servings: 1

Weight Watchera Points: 8

1 cup kale

1 cup mixed baby greens 

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup sliced cucumber

1/2 cup pea shoots 

1 egg white

1/4 cup Trader Joe's Trek Mix Antioxidant almond, cashew, cranberries blend

3 oz. Trader Joe's just grilled chicken strips

7gm goji berries

7 gm Trader Joe's roasted coconut chips

*points values does not include dressing

Dessert was a delicious nutribullet blast! A green one! 

Nutribullet Almond Green Blast

Servings: 1

Weight Watchers Points: 6

1 cup spinach

1 frozen banana

1/2 apple

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 cup Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened, Vanilla

Put all ingredients into the nutribullet. Put spinach at the bottom followed by banana, apple, chia seeds and almond milk. Blend for 40 seconds. Serve!

It was a sweet smoothie and satisfied my sweet tooth cravings. I could drink this every night! It reminded me of the malts and shakes my mom used to make for me as a kid. I love frozen bananas and make sure to always have a few in my freezer. My best advice for frozen bananas is to peel them and put in a ziploc bag before putting them in the freezer. If you already have bananas frozen, run them under warm water and slide the peel off under the running water. This can be a bit messy and can clog your drain (just ask Ryan, I tend I do this a lot)!

I had 9,000 steps today and earned 1 activity point. This is good, except I have been up and moving since 5am. Obviously I still lack movement during the work day. Since tomorrow is going to be so cold, I am going to have to force myself to walk the long way to the bathroom or use a different printer - anything to keep my body active!

Have a great night and stay warm tomorrow!!

XO

Sunday Funday

I love Sunday. It's a fresh start to my week. It's when my weight watchers weekly points restart so I have a full 26 daily points and a new 49 extra weekly points. It's when mentally I tell myself that I am starting over, that whatever bad habits I had last week are in the past and this is a new week.

My week ended with a delicious family dinner - and I mean the whole family because Haley tried to steal Ryan's fish right off of his plate. She attacked him without any teeth or nails and fought him for that delicious dinner. And then she sulked off and rolled onto her back and looked really cute and who can say no to her!

Dinner was sautéed lemon pepper swordfish steaks, curry rice pilaf and carrots/cauliflower medley. 

Lemon Pepper Swordfish Steak

Servings: 2

* 2 swordfish steaks, 5-6 oz. each

* 2 tsp coconut oil

* salt and (lemon) pepper to taste

1) Season swordfish on both sides with salt and lemon pepper. Do not use a fork to flip the fish as it will cause it to loose juice and flavor. 

2) Heat pan over medium heat until hot. Add 2 tsp. of coconut oil

* coconut oil will be solid in the jar. Scrape a tsp and let it melt in the hot pan. 

* do not use too much oil with swordfish as it absorbs the oil very quickly while cooking. 

3) When the pan is hot, place swordfish steaks into pan. You will know the pan is hot enough when the oil sizzles when you add the fish. 

4). Cook for 4 minutes and flip. Again, use a pancake spatula to flip the fish and not a fork as all the juices will come out!

5) Cook for 3-4 more minutes and serve hot. 

*swordfish can easily over cook and will become very tough and not as good to eat.

We had Near East Rice Pilaf, curry as a side and Birdseye steamfresh cauliflower and carrot medley. The fish was perfectly cooked with the juices sweet and lemony. The curry flavor of the rice added some great spices to the plate and even though the plate looked like all yellow foods and lacked anything green, Ryan and I both enjoyed the dinner!

We finished eating and watched more episodes of Weeds and ate a big bowl of microwaveable light butter popcorn topped with Trader Joe Antioxidant Trek Mix (almond, cashew, cranberries), goji berries and chocolate covered pomegranates! The salty sweet combo was so satisfying!

Unfortunately, my stomach craved more a few hours later and of course since it was Saturday and I had extra weekly points left, I mentally allowed myself to have another dessert. I didn't actually need it, but the lack of activity this week has led me to over eat a bit. My weakness is late night cravings. Especially when Ryan is showering, I sneak a few bites of anything I can get, usually cereal or rice cakes, and pretend that because no one saw me eat it, it doesn't count...but I am only hurting myself and my own body by doing this. If I snack it, I track it! So last nights snack was a plain rice cake with nutella. Not the worst thing to eat, and took care of my chocolate addiction!

Today was an early morning. I wanted to start my week off right so I made it to the 8:30am Bar Method class with Anna Trepanier. I love her Sunday morning class- it's early, today it was cloudy, grey, cold, and who wants to be up that early on the last day of the weekend, but Anna is so bubbly and energetic that she makes the class a lot of fun and her outgoing personality makes me forget how much pain I am in from all of the shaking (most of the time)! And today I was shaking so much. My muscles felt so tight from relaxing all week and I definitely noticed that I was less flexible than usual. It was a tough class but I always feel so much better after!

Sunday January 5, 8:30am w/Anna T.

Warm-up and Arms

Thigh
Seat
Abs
Back Dancing
Final stretch

I love the Bar Method SoHo studio. It has become my second home. I love all the staff and clients and feel like we are a family. We share in birthdays, holidays, weddings, births... I crave class and the social aspect of being at the studio. I love waking up and being somewhere early in the morning that I love with friends and people I care about. I love all of our conversations or sometimes just sitting in the studio or in the lobby in silence waiting for class to start. We all share a common love for the workout and the energy at the studio is addictive. I went to the Boston studio 2 years ago when we were at Ryan's parents for Christmas. It isn't just SoHo, I felt love at a different studio too. It was like going to a home away from home! 

I love sharing my love for bar with as many people as I can because it has changed my life. The workout has changed my body and the community has changed my mind! A friend from college said she was taking her first bar class today because I have inspired her. It felt so good to know that I was helping people positively! I want to help people and effect people in a wonderful way! I really hope she loves the class she takes. I don't know what studio she is going to but barre classes have a lot of similarities and I hope she feels a great burn and the bar method shake! That shake lets you know you are deep in the muscle and that you are pushing your body to its limits and changing the shape of your muscles. You are warming your muscles and then stretching them to elongate and tone your body! 

I tried a pure barre class once but I didn't feel the same way I do with bar method. The teacher didn't take the time to introduce herself or know everyone's name. I didn't feel like she went around and adjusted me and fixed my position. I felt like I was going to hurt myself because I was not in the position correctly but she didn't take the time to adjust me. The class was fast and didn't focus on the stretching as much which is so essential to changing your body! At bar method, the teachers know every students name and even though it's weird to be called out in a room full of 25 other people, you feel acknowledged and present in the class. You are part of the community. And the teachers spend time adjusting students hands on so that we don't hurt ourselves. They're training is long and hard and it shows in their work and the time they take to understand how each exercise works different parts of our bodies!

After breakfast I walked to my parents apartment to see my brother. I stopped to pick up oats and egg whites and made us an egg white and oats pancake. I added chocolate protein powder to his because he said he was headed out to the gym soon. It was fun to spend some time alone with my brother and eat breakfast. He was surprised at how good breakfast was and how easy!

Ryan texted me that for breakfast he made an orange and apple juice! I was so happy to hear that he was juicing even without me home making him do it!! After you "detox" and clear the junk out of your system, your body starts craving real food. The artificial sugars and carbs make us sick. They are not nutritional so even though they satisfy us in the moment, they do nothing for our bodies so we tend to over eat because we don't receive enough fiber and protein to stay full for a long period of time. Ryan's body is getting rid of gluten and is ready for real fruits and more fiber. He had an udi's blueberry muffin too and 1 cup of apple chex gluten free cereal to go with his juice (he actually measured the cup which he never does- he is starting to understand the importance of reading and understanding nutrition labels)!

After breakfast I carefully made my way home to help Ryan with the laundry - the streets are so icy I was sliding everywhere. It's a workout all on its own just not to slip and fall!

Lunch was perfect. Ryan wanted another juice so we juiced kale, apple, celery, cucumber, grapes, beet and pineapple. It was so sweet and was a great green juice that we will absolutely be making more often. We also made tuna salad with mustard (instead of mayo), balsamic vinegar, egg whites and Trader Joe's healthy chopped 8 vegetables (broccoli, peppers, radish, celery...). Sometimes it is worth paying for the convenience of having the vegetables pre-chopped. If it saves me time I am more likely to eat healthy!  The tuna salad was 1 point (2 oz. premium albacore tuna in water) with 7 back to nature gluten free white cheddar crackers (1 point), baby carrots and the juice (4 points). I sometimes like to add avocado to my tuna in place of mayo. 

Ryan wanted to buy more fruit for morning juices so we headed back out to Trader Joe's. I hope there is enough room in our fridge for all of these healthy foods! I am so happy though that he wants to eat better and better his health that I will help him any way I can!

We also stopped at key foods while we were out and I was so surprised to see a Gluten free shelf in the middle of the store! I was pleasantly surprised because it made shopping a bit easier but it was also sad to see how few items there were in comparison to the rest of the store. I just hope it expands and doesn't get smaller as the year goes on and the fad diet of going gluten free dies down as everyone forgets their New Years resolutions. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet and it takes time, effort and determination!

Tonights dinner is chicken piccata made with almond meal instead of flour!

Ryan prepped the salads. I admit to be a control freak in the kitchen because I like to measure everything, but it's fun to have Ryan in the kitchen with me and helping cook. Salads are also 0 points so he can't mess it up ;)

Gluten Free Chicken Piccata

Servings: 4

Weight Watchers Points: 7

1 pound chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup Swanson's Chicken Broth (not all broth is gluten free so check before you buy)

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup drained capers

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Wrap the chicken breast in saran wrap and pound it thin. You want it to be about  1/4 inch thick and make sure it is pounded evenly to ensure even cooking. Repeat with all pieces. 

2) Spread 1/4 cup almond meal on a plate. Season with salt and pepper and mix. If you prefer you can season each piece of chicken separately. 

3) One piece at a time, dredge one side of the chicken in the almond meal. Flip and coat the other side. Repeat with all pieces. 

4) Heat pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil until oil is sizzling and hot

5) Add chicken to the pan and cook for 4 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. You don't want to over cook chicken because it will taste rubbery!

6) Remove chicken from the pan and place on a plate. You can cover to keep them warm, but they will be returned to the pan to heat once more before serving. 

7) Add 1 tbsp butter to the pan and let it melt.  Don't let it brown because you don't want it to burn.

8) Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup capers and the lemon juice to the pan. 

9) Stir the liquid and be sure to scrape any brown bits from the side of the pan. Let it simmer until the liquid reduces to about half.

10) Add the chicken back to the pan and heat on each side for an additional minute. 

Serve chicken and drizzle sauce over each piece. 

*we did not have capers so they were left out of our dish tonight. 

Ryan said dinner was so delicious and he can't wait to have it again. He also said it was such an easy dinner to make!! We had left over curry rice that we served as a side and Ryan's salad rounded out a perfect Sunday night dinner. Haley didn't fight us for it this time but we still gave her a piece! Now she's on our bed surrounding herself with all of our clean clothes. So when I show up to bar tomorrow morning covered in white fur, you will all know why!

Today's activity was a success. I walked a lot this morning to Bar Method and then to my parents. I get off the train at Chambers street which is 3 subway stops away from Bar Method and a good 15 minute walk. It's good to warm up before my exercise and get extra activity in - especially when it's been so cold and I didn't know what else we would be doing today. I walked from bar to my parents apartment which was another 30 minutes because I had to walk so slow with the icy streets. And with all of the grocery shopping we did today, my fitbit calculated 14,321 steps and my activity link said I got an extra 3 activity points. My daily activity points are 2 so today is an improvement over the past few days. We got out of the house and moved a lot and I feel so much better!

Ryan is watching the Green Bay Packers game tonight so I am going to enjoy some mindless reality TV and get to bed early for my 5:15am Bar Method wake up call. 

Goodnight!