The Power of Lentils

First of all, I'm just going to say crock pots are an amazing invention. Second of all, I'm sorry I haven't posted any recipes this week. I have a lot of them, so I'll try to get them up by this weekend.

Side note: Lentils are freakin' GOOD for you. Loads of fiber, protein and vitamin B...among other good stuff. Read more.

Vegetable and Green Lentil Soup
(courtesy of Rival Crock-Pot Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes)
Makes 4 servings

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, diced (I used both...what the heck, right?)
1 red or yellow pepper. (I used a green one too)
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and sorted (I used the whole darn bag...)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 TBS fresh basil

Combine all the goods for 4 hours (high) or 8 hours low. Sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy! I feel like there needed to be some more zest. But that could be because I went a little happy with the lentils and it sucked out all the juices. Not sure.

Karl's reaction. "This is different. There's no meat in here?"  Where's the meat???

Before Pic - with all the fresh veggies!

Yummy Goodness! Your heart will thank you! :)

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Seeking Change!

I don't want to write too much in this blog post and save it for my next Star Tribune blog, but if I don't write my thoughts, I go batty. And after today's commute into work, I'm pretty much there. And it's not even 8:00 in the morning! Great. I spent my morning drive listing off things I'm grateful for to help motivate me through the day.

1. The sun is peeking through the clouds.
2. It's actually semi-light out at 7:20.
3. We're able to afford food (the healthy kind).
4. I have a car that runs.
5. I'm married to the cutest little bugger ever.
6. My skin is actually starting to look kind of nice (buh bye zits).
7. I'm healthy.
8. I live in a warm house with lots of blankets.
9. My pants are loose and not cutting off my circulation.
10. I wrote a frickin' book.

And then I pulled into the parking lot. I crawled out of my car (that now makes creaking noises), slipped in the snow and headed out into the cold. Not just normal cold, but the take-my-breath-away-below-zero stuff. Just like that, I was grumpy again.

This has been happening a lot lately. Call me Mrs. Cranks. Everything about my day is so routine. I can't stand it. The weather is cold; the earth all dark...all the time. I want to jog outside. I want to roll in the grass. I want to smell spring and hear birds chirping, but it's only January. There's a long way to go. What I can't figure out is why I didn't feel this crazy around the same time last year? I can't figure out what my problem is. But I've deciphered some ways to change things up outside of work, and it helps. Problem is most of my day is spent at work. Can you see a pattern here?

Without boring you with the details, instead I thought I'd blog about some of my more exciting news. These things always bring a smile to my face and help me stay motivated and determined. And God knows I need that right now!

1. Book status.
Where do I start? Luke still has my full manuscript; poor fella. I can't sit still and have managed to make plenty of changes since I sent him draft number one. And then I created an outline. And then I made some more changes. And some more. And even more. In the meantime, I'm sending him all of these changed documents and emails with questions. Yes, I'm a lunatic. I can only imagine his reaction. He has enough on his plate with his movie coming out in March and more screen play requests. This past weekend I filled in a few holes toward the end of the book since Karl felt there were still unanswered questions after reading the whole thing. So I adjusted and changed some things around. My book went from 324 pages to 346 pages. Oops! But I'm much happier with it and like the end a lot. Before I felt maybe it was too cheesy. Don't get me wrong, I love cheesy-goodness romance, but my first draft was a bit over the top. Think BrideWars. I was so excited to see that movie, but it just ended up so so so stupid. Cheesy stupid. I don't want that! I just hope other people like it...like literary agents so they can send off to publishers.

Just when I think I have a completed manuscript and I print chapters one through three, I sit down and flip through each page with a smile and a ton of confidence and pride. However, I end up making more changes and catch things I missed in the first place. What the heck? Then I go into this tizzy. I'd like to blame it on my computer. I swear it doesn't save my changes. But I know this is simply a major work in progress and will always be. And I need to accept that, considering I have 47 chapters to go through. For some reason I feel like I'm in a race against time. Not sure what that's about. I do know I want to send something I'm 100 percent proud of and know I gave my all.

My goal was to have my manuscript out to agencies in February, before we leave for Mexico, but now I don't know if that's possible. Damn it! Since I sent my manuscript to Luke, I've also written a query letter, and fixed up my outline to go along with my submission. What's left: a two-page synopsis. I have a feeling that is going to be hard to write. How can I condense my entire book in two pages? And I guess what worries me the most...what if Luke and the rest of my critiquers get toward the end and say..."well that was silly and you're going to have to think deeper." And the fact that I even have the thought, scares me. Karl liked it, but he's my husband and has to. I guess time will tell.

2. Karl and I bought snowshoes. 
Let me just say this is a great investment and I encourage you to go out and buy some for yourself, or at least rent them. I realize my biggest problem in the winter is not getting outside enough and breathing in FRESH AIR. It's so necessary, yet I refuse to do it because I hate being cold. I have no idea what I'm doing in Minnesota either, but I do love my spring, summer and fall here. Snowshoeing was really fun and I look forward to hitting up some trails versus the paved road in our backyard.

3. Getting into healthy cooking
So, Karl and I need to eat to survive, yes. Common knowledge. But why on earth were we eating pizza three times a week around the holidays? Because we got really busy and there wasn't time. I kind of felt like a cyclone every day when I got home from work last month. This is a nice way to burn out quickly. And I don't get the luxury of stepping away from work because I'm bumming out. What I do know: my spirits are lifted a lot when I eat healthy. I feel better inside and about myself in general. So for the past few weeks I've made time to find healthy recipes and get to the grocery story. I've found time to make healthy dinners. And it's really improved my attitude at home. As you see below, I'm trying to post a few recipes a week. I plan to continue this throughout the year.

4. I hired a personal trainer
So I'm not really paying for him because he's super expensive, but wowweeeeee, he's good!!! I'm not paying because all Lifetime Fitness members get one free session with a trainer. So I used my pass, and then my brother and sister-in-law (who remain nameless) became members and used my name as their referral, so I got two free trainer sessions!!! Why haven't I done this before? My workouts are different and more enjoyable. I'm seeing muscle tone I haven't seen...ummm...ever and I feel really good. Plus I was working out maaaybe one time a week at the gym because I was sick of doing stair stepper, level 11, for 25 minutes. Now I'm there three or four times a week and I can steam!!! Steaming at Lifetime is a mini-vacation for me. Next week I have a cardio session where I wear a mask and run and they figure out all sorts of "science" behind my calorie burn. I'm pretty pumped about this. Watch out skinny jeans.

5. Townhome for sale
We're doing it. We have to do it. We're putting Karl's townhome up for sale. This means we have to move all the stuff jammed in his basement to our townhome in Shakopee. We're both dreading this. We both have anxiety about it, but it has to be done. I'm mentally psyching myself up for some major purging. I know this scares my husband, but I think in the end, we'll both feel better. We need to sell it. We need it out of our lives. It's only been bringing both of us down. With that said, anyone interested in buying it? It's cute! It's in a great neighborhood. Costco just went up across the street:) Pics to come.

P.S. Money is such a crazy thing...that's all I'm going to say. It really can change everything.

That's the latest. Hope everyone is finding time to change up their schedules a little. Don't let the cold bring you down. CHANGE! It's a beautiful thing.

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.  - Mary Engelbreit

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What's for Breakfast?

I like to start off my day with a healthy breakfast. After all, it's the most important meal of the day. And I'm someone who cannot handle being hungry. There are two things people need to know about me:

1. I'm super crabby when I'm hungry (i.e. stay away).
2. And I'm not the most friendliest person when I have less than six hours of sleep under my belt.

So it only makes sense that I start off the day right. And I noticed that the more protein and fiber I consume, the longer I'm able to last until I grab a snack before lunch. For one, I hate getting into work and feeling the start of hunger pains before I even turn my computer on. I try to at least last until 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. before grabbing something to snack on, and that means finding the right breakfast foods for me.

Below is my typical breakfast, which I eat around 6:15-6:30 a.m. during the week. Gotta get my chocolate somehow!

Old-Fashion Oatmeal
packed with protein and flaxseed

Have you seen these new BetterOats "space-saving" oatmeal? Well I have. And they are awesome because there are lots of cool flavors and they aren't packed with sugar, and they are organic! I get mine at CUB for like $1.37 a box or something reasonable like that. There are five pouches per box. I get the dark chocolate flavor. Yum!

1 packet of dark chocolate (Dark Chocolate BetterOats) oatmeal
1 handful of old-fashion Quaker Oats
1 C 2% milk (like I said...hate that fat free stuff)

Heat for a couple minutes

Top with:
1/2 TBS of PB - I use Smart Balance
1/2 TBS Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed
1/2 TBS Organic 100% Protein Whey (I use Biochem)
Stir together and enjoy

I like to eat blueberries or 1/2 grapefruit with breakfast. I usually drink a bottle of water and coffee with half and half.

Enjoy!

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Healthy Fish Recipe with Flavor

Grilled Halibut Cod with Puttanesca Salsa and Parmesan Orzo
Makes 4 Servings
(found in Fitness Magazine - May 2010)

Takes about 20 minutes to put together. And it is bursting with flavor!!!

So I did some changing to the recipe in the magazine ...

1 cup whole-wheat orzo (I didn't use whole wheat...sorry...still don't like taste)
1 1/2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth (I use Wild Harvest Organic instead, not fat free)
1/4 cup dry white wine (or 3 TBS chicken broth and 1 TBS lemon juice) - (I used the broth and fresh lemon)
2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 6-ounce halibut fillets (could not find these so I grabbed cod. Big mistake. Should have used salmon instead)
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint grape tomatoes
8 large Kalamata olives (I used Peloponnese Halved Kalamatas)
1 TBS drained capers
2 garlic cloves
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 TBS silvered fresh basil (I used a whole Wild Harvest Organic packet!!!)

The goodness I added:
Can of Chickpeas (rinsed and drained...loads of fiber and great health benefits)
1 avocado (good fats!!! And great benefits!)

1. Combine orzo, broth and wine. Bring to a boil and stir; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes...I added in the chickpeas. Stir in Parmesan and black pepper. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush fish with 2 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt. Grill until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. (I had to bake the cod and sprinkled with paprika for some reason)

3. Combine tomatoes (cut in half), olives and capers in a medium bowl. Warm the remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper; saute until fragrant. Stir in remaining salt. Toss garlic mixture with tomato mixture and add basil.

4. Serve fish over orzo and top with tomato mixture. I sprinkled fresh Parmesan on top.

5. Place sliced avocado around plate. (Each of us had a half)

Karl says, "This is good, babe...minus the lemon seed I just ate."

I would make again but for sure use salmon instead!!!

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Making Chicken Less Boring

I like chicken and all, but over time it can get boring and bland. But after making the recipe below, there was a little chicken dance going on in my mouth. We had Sauteed Zucchini with Lemon-Thyme Chicken. It was SUPER delicious!

Karl's vote: "This is awesome, but could use a little more salt." Now, just so you're aware, he says that about most things I make, but I kinda think he grew up licking a salt cube. When I first met him, he was eating Ramen Noodles out of his coffee cup for breakfast. And I still loved him right on up.

Anyway...  Here it is and it took 15 minutes total!! Yesssssssss!

Sauteed Zucchini with Lemon-Thyme Chicken
Makes 4 servings
(Found in Health Magazine - Sept 2010 issue)

1 TBS lemon zest (I used two lemon's rinds - what can I say, I looove lemon)
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme (stained my cutting board by the way...boo hiss)
1 pound chicken cutlets (I bought a packet of three chicken breasts)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 water
1/3 cup uncooked couscous (I bought the Near East boxes)
3/4 pound zucchini (about 2 medium)
1/2 pound yellow summer squash (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
I packet of mushrooms (I added this to the recipe)
Chopped fresh thyme, for garnish

1. Place lemon zest and thyme in small bowl
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides
3. Sprinkle half of the lemon-and-thyme mixture evenly onto one side of each cutlet.
4. Heat the olive oil in large pan and cook chicken - once cooked, transfer out
5. Cook couscous (I followed box instructions)
6. Saute the zucchini and squash (in same skillet chicken came from) - I also added mushrooms since they're such fun...guys...fungi... Get it?
7. Stir in remaining lemon-and-thyme mixture (I added fresh basil to the mix and it smelled really good), chicken broth, and couscous.
8. Spoon the couscous on plate and top with chicken, garnish with thyme!

ENJOY!

My added goodness to recipe:
packet of sliced mushrooms
packet of fresh organic basil

Some more pics below

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Healthy Eating in 2011

I promise you'll find a recipe at the bottom! So you can scroll down if that's what you're after.

But for those interested in learning more, read on. One thing I pride myself on is being able to fuel my body with delicious, healthy foods. I enjoy finding old and new recipes and discovering ways to make them better for me (and my husband). My meals are not perfect--I didn't go to culinary school, but I think this cooking stuff might be in my blood. My mom is one of the best "healthier" cooks I know, along with my grandma. So I feel like it's my duty to continue on the tradition and jazz up dishes with flavor and BURSTS of color. If any of you have been to our house, you know "color" is everywhere! I also bought a pretty cool camera and think it rocks at taking pictures of food.

Side note: I minored in health at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and have a fascination with food, fitness and health. I also like to eat, but even more, I like to eat foods that are good for me and that I know help build a strong immune system, keeping those viruses/illness at bay and cancer cells far and few between.

Oh, and here's my disclaimer: I'm sure the hardcore "Whole Fooders" and dietitians alike will be down my throat, disagreeing with all my menu choices and options, but I know a few things:

1. There's not a ton of time in my day. I need to be in and out of the grocery store quick and have about 10 - 30 minutes a night to whip something up; a meal I know is good for us, tastes great and is packed with nutrients that will energize us.

2. I'm not rich and can't afford a $200+ grocery bill every few days (I say this because I was behind someone in line at Valley Natural Foods and her bill came to $284 and she had less than half her cart filled.) Hopefully I'll be able to buy more organic foods and hormone-free meats, dairy and eggs; but for now, it's baby steps.

3. I know what I like and what satisfies me...I refuse to go hungry or eat anything sugar-free, fat-free, diet, FAKE, unnatural tasting and/or loaded with whacked out ingredients. I'd rather save room for the good stuff and allow myself to eat anything I desire, but all in good portions. There's a word I've learned: B-A-L-A-N-C-E. But I will admit it: I love my Jack and Coke, and maybe a Dairy Queen Blizzard....or some french fries, but I definitely don't salivate over them anymore because I know how crappy they make me feel.

I'm going to try my best and upload at least one healthy recipe a week, not because I think I'm awesome with my 11 blog followers (ha!), but because I know others are busy and want to eat healthy, but don't know how to get there. I'm always searching for new recipes and thought I'd share what I do when it comes to preparing a meal.

So enjoy! And let me know what you think if you try it and make it yourself.

Spinach-Tomato Pasta Shells (recipe found in Health and from Guy Fieri--the host of three Food Network shows)

Makes 4 Servings
Cook 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta shells (I used normal shells because Karl and I don't like the taste of whole wheat pasta just yet...I know, I know...call me a hypocrite)
Heat 1 TBS butter in large saute pan (I also added olive oil for the good fats!)
Add 1 sliced shallot
And 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Reduce heat and cook until translucent
Add 5 ounce baby spinach
And 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Cover and cook 1 min
And 1/4 cup half-and-half,
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
And 1/2 tsp black pepper
Stir and cook 3 minutes
Add grape tomatoes (cut longways)
Toss in pasta
Garnish with parsley and add additional cheese
(takes all but 15 minutes)

My additions:
I cooked Jennie-O Italian Turkey Sausage (because Karl likes his meat). I sliced up into pieces and added to the mix.
I also added olive oil and basil

I served in bowls and with chocolate Almond Milk to drink. Delicious!

Yum, yum in my tum!! Karl gave it two thumbs up.

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Goals for 2011

I think we get tested in our lives from time to time. I'm not sure by who, though I have an idea, but I personally believe ideas pop in our heads for bigger reasons than we know at the moment. I had a recent discussion with a friend who thinks brain waves are behind these thoughts/ideas that find their way to us. I think he explained they come from cells and neuron combustion or something crazy like that (he lost me).

But I think it's more than that.

Without getting crazy religious, I think God knows who we are and who we can become and created us for a purpose. Maybe it doesn't make complete sense because some humans don't even get the chance to live a full life. However, those who've been given the gift of life are granted free will, meaning we get to make most of our own choices (depending on age and circumstance) and can design our own little journey. And I think that's pretty cool.

I've always wondered why I never wanted to become a firefighter or a pilot or a teacher, etc. Instead, I've always wanted to be a writer. And that feeling hasn't gone away, it gets stronger with every passing year. I mean, at one time I wanted to play volleyball in the Olympics, but I knew I wasn't good enough. There is a difference. Maybe this is how Taylor Swift felt when she persuaded her parents to move to Tennessee or Johnny Cash when he sang a song from the heart and scored a record deal. Something moved these people to keep after their dreams, no matter the amount of rejections.

I want to believe something or someone is pushing me to follow my dream(s). With that said, 2011 is right around the corner and that means resolutions! I feel like I need to get some of my goals written down so I'm held accountable throughout the year and can go back and check them off one by one. Here they are in no particular order.

1. Receive representation for my book
2010 was all about writing my first ever manuscript, all 330 pages of it. This was a huge challenge and journey - but once completed, something inside of me grew. I became hungry for more. A deep passion was birthed. If I lived in a perfect world, I'd set up shop in our house and write all day (that's how fun writing my manuscript was), but to pay the bills I need to hold my job and balance the dreaming. In 2011, I plan to query my manuscript off to agencies and intend to touch my book and smell the pages. I want to have book signings and walk into Barnes and Noble and see my book on the shelves. One step at a time.

2. Travel somewhere new
I love seeing all parts of the world, especially with my husband. I enjoy exploring with him and building memories. In 2010 we concluded our amazing trip to South Africa and took a week's vacation along the west coast (Northern California, Oregon and Washington) in August. Who knows where 2011 will take us(fingers crossed it's somewhere warm). I've always wanted to go to Hawaii...

3. Start a family
Just so you all know, this goal scares me to death. I don't want to lose my freedom - I'm still very much selfish, but I do want to see what we can create and what they'll look like and who they'll become. Plus, I'm not getting any younger. I know the chances of having children drops once women hit 35, and that age isn't far away. I'm scared to lose sleep, my body, patience and myself. Most of all, I'm worried our marriage will change. Right now we're able to do whatever we want, whenever we want and we have so much fun!!! I have a feeling that spontaneity will go away. Plus, I have a hard enough time trying to keep up with everything going on and only have to do laundry once a week and cook for two and clean whenever my schedule allows. I'm semi-aware of what having a child means and know it's going to be hard - very hard - so this means I'll work my ass off at making the experience precious. Am I scared. Very. Ready? Not so. Are we ever? Probably not. But I think it'll be awesome, stretch marks and all.

4. Start a recipe portfolio/blog
I love health and fitness and cooking healthy meals. Sometimes I even impress myself with the recipes I piece together. I take a recipe from a magazine or a cookbook, and make it healthier. I love colorful meals with tons of flavor. I think it'd be fun to take snapshots of our faves, write out the ingredients and start a "family" recipe book. Watch for this in 2011.

5. Get an article in a magazine
I subscribe to 10 or 15 magazines. It's a bit of an obsession. I can't remember the exact number anymore. In 2011, I want to open one of them up and see an article written by me.

6. Say "no" more and do things for me
I have a tendency to say 'yes' to others simply because it'll make them feel better. It may make them happier, but it makes me insane. Why do I do that to myself? The older I get, the things that matter are doing those things I genuinely want to. I need to listen to that voice telling me 'no', and form the sounds and actually say it. I've learned people are highly capable of doing things themselves, but find it easier to ask someone else for help rather than learning themselves. I'm guilty of this as well. But I have my own life to live and dreams to chase after. My life would be a lot less complicated if I just said NO more.

7. Get organized
Part of the reason I feel so scatterbrained is because my husband has a chunk of his stuff packed away in his town home. Yes, as in...it's been there for over a year and a half now. That's another nightmare - I wish we could sell, but I try to remind myself we'll be fine and it'll sell when it's supposed to. Not only that, but I'm a pile person. I have piles everywhere: on the carpet, in the corner, on our island. Why? I need to purge it all and that's my plan for 2011. Get rid of stuff and start a filing system!

8. Stop biting my nails
What can I say? I'm an addict. But it's time I let the damn things grow already!

9. Flush out the bad with the good
Karl and I are going to try and metals detox. Karl had to pee in a jug for 24 hours. The results: he had high levels of arsenic and platinum in his body. Ewww! I'm nervous but excited since I do not believe in those liquid detoxes one bit. This one is a 30-day program. No, we won't be starving ourselves, but will be eating really healthy foods (like grass fed meats, filtered water, raw veggies) and taking some cleansing pills that are supposed to pull the metals out. I'm excited to try this. More to come...

What are some of your goals for 2011 and how will you hold yourself accountable?

"I wish you sunshine on your path and storms to season your journey. I wish you peace - in the world in which you live and in the smallest corner of the heart where truth is kept... More I cannot wish you except perhaps love - to make all the rest worthwhile." - Robert Ward

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