Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with good food and tons of family/friend time. I spent the entire week at home with my sister who was back from college. I kicked off the holiday week on Sunday with Thanksgiving at Jeff's aunt's house. I brought a cheese plate and tons of Oreo Balls! I swear I have never met someone that doesn't love them, biggest (and easiest) crowd pleasing dessert. 

I also ate the most deliciously creamy mashed potatoes at this round of Thanksgiving. Jeff's step dad made them with sour cream and cream cheese- so unhealthy and kind of disgusting when I think about it but I promise they were some of the best potatoes I have ever eaten. As you can see I love the skin of the turkey and canned wine! #classy

I spent the rest of the week working, shopping, and baking up a storm. I made cut out cookies really early this year so I froze them until the day I needed them. I was a little hesitant to freeze completely decorated cookies, but I had more than one person tell me these cookies were better than my usual! Now I feel like I need to freeze them every time. I used a standard cutout cookie recipe, outlined them in the type of frosting you buy in a can for boxed cakes, and filled them in with a meringue based glaze. Not hard or exciting but they get the job done! Especially considering only one person really loves them! 

Next up, I made an Apple Galette with a yogurt drizzle from Cooking Light. Everything was made from scratch and whole grain which I absolutely love. I mentioned before that I wanted to make this Thanksgiving a little healthier, so this dessert was the perfect light ending to a meal I have always found to be a bit too heavy. I definitely recommend this recipe and plan to make it again for a different crowd of people. I am officially burnt out on the baking front- three desserts in one week is my limit.!

Lastly, I put together this beautiful cheese board. Everything is from Trader Joe's excluding the wood board which I found at Home Goods for $10! Such a steal. While I was standing in front of the cheese section staring at my options, clueless because I eat like 2 types of cheese, a lady came up to me and literally put a block of caramelized onion cheddar in my hands. She said someone had done that to her on a previous trip and now she's addicted so she had to pass on the recommendation. Oh My God was she right- this cheese is AMAZING. Go to TJ's and buy it today! She suggested making grilled cheese from it, which I haven't tried yet (because the cheese was gone in an hour) but can already tell it would be delicious. The other cheeses were good, and the raisin crisp crackers were a big hit too, but nothing compares to the special cheddar. The only downside was the grapes had seeds! A total mistake on my part, but I just told everyone the grapes were for aesthetic purposes and not meant to be eaten.

I am so thankful for the last six months I have had off from school. It's given me time to learn, grow, and really figure out whats important to me. I already have New Year's Resolutions picked out to keep the new growth on track! I have to say, though, that I am even more thankful to being going back to school to pursue something I love. 

Healthy Hot Chocolate

One of my worst habits is stopping off at Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts for a hot chocolate in the morning before work. I don't drink any coffee and I think buying hot tea is a waste because it's so simple to make at home. There's something about "fast food" hot chocolate that can't be recreated (read: so much whole milk and sugar I couldn't bring myself to make it) and to be honest, carrying in a cup full of a hot drink into work makes me feel like I have it all together. 

As of now I am 22 days into No Pizza November and have been thinking about other bad habits of mine I can try cutting out for a full month. This is where the need for healthy hot chocolate comes in! I am having a No (unhealthy) Hot Chocolate December and have also decided on a No Pop January. January's challenge will be much more difficult, so for now I am taking baby steps!

I have made this recipe a few times and each time I balance out the ingredients a little differently depending on whether I want more chocolate or more sweetener. The first step is to boil a mug 3/4 of the way full of water. It needs to be boiling rather hard in order to help dissolve the cocoa powder.

Next, I add about a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Stir vigorously! Trust me when I say that eating a chunk of cocoa powder off the bottom is no where near as tasty as a chunk of normal hot chocolate mix. Cocoa powder has almost all of the same benefits as dark chocolate. Antioxidant is the buzz word that comes to most people's minds which is great because they are definitely important! Whether you need to fight off an illness or your cells are just trying to function properly, antioxidants are our best friends.

The last step is to add a little sweetener and a splash of almond milk to the mug. I use Splenda Naturals and feel like one packet is more than enough for this serving size. Truvia or Sugar in the Raw would work great too! I use O Organics unsweetened vanilla almond milk to help make the texture more creamy and less watery. With so many different variations of almond milk (sweetened, unsweetened, chocolate, vanilla) there are a lot of opportunities to spice it up! My Plane Jane version is, however, delicious and helps me start the day a little healthier than I do with an uncomfortable belly full of whole milk. 

I hope you are all having a great Thanksgiving week and enjoying a break soon! 4pm cannot get here soon enough!

Shrimp Veggie Bowl

As the holiday's approach, so do the number of social obligations and days spent shopping for friends and family. Dinner is usually the last thing on my mind at the end of one of these long days. When I am unprepared and hungry, fast food becomes an easy option. I'm not here to preach about how horrible fast food is, because let's face it we all eat it at some point! Keeping veggies chopped and ingredients for go-to recipes available are two simple ways to keep yourself on track through the holidays. 

Last night I wasn't busy, but I was feeling lazy! I decided to make a shrimp & veggie bowl to increase my vegetable and fiber intake for the day. I added broccoli, onion, carrots, and mushrooms to mine but literally any assortment of veggies will work for these simple meals. Next time I am hoping to chop up some squash and potatoes for a more dense meal. 

Holding yourself accountable through November and December is so important. Whether you've started exercising again, eating healthier, or even maintaining a goal you set at the beginning of 2016- letting yourself slip during the holidays is easy. I think we should all get a jump on our 2017 new year's resolutions by starting (or maintaining) a few healthy habits through the next month and a half. 

My goals for the holiday season:

1. Eat at least 3 servings of vegetables a day

2. Continue BBG 3x per week

3. Eat 1 dessert per gathering (not a sampling of every single one!)

4. Walk or jog for 30 minutes 2x per week

These are four things I do every week with little to no effort, but with busier times approaching it will become easier for me to blow them off to spend time with family, bake, and shop. Those activities are important too, but waking up a little earlier every morning and making a few more healthy choices in the food court can make a huge difference! 

I put together this quick meal by roasting my veggies in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper on 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Next, I added the shrimp tossed in the same spices and put it back in the oven for 6 minutes. Last, I added a little more salt and pepper and through it all in bowl. It really is that easy! Approximately 25 minutes from start to finish and a delicious, extra healthy, meal ready to go. 

Whole Grain Lasagna Roll Ups

Let me start by saying I promise I eat things other than lasagna. After making the lasagna soup I posted last week, I had half a package of lasagna noodles left and decided to make a recipe I had pinned awhile ago. The website I found this recipe on claimed that they were easier to make than actual lasagna.. no. They were time consuming and very slippery! The rolls are much easier to serve and determine portion size, but definitely not easier to assemble.

That being said, you really cant put a price on perfect portion sizes. Exactly two noodles, two tablespoons of cheese mixture, two spoonfuls of sauce/meat mixture, and a little sauce and cheese on top was the exact right amount for a "full" dinner. When I think about making "full" meals I always think of my body as a machine. I have to check off certain boxes (carbohydrates, protein, & fat) and satisfy certain requirements (those of my stomach and intestines). If one part is missing or goes unsatisfied, then the process remains incomplete. The goal is to have a running machine by the end of the day so that all of my inputs balance out. 

This is a really technical way of thinking about food, but it helps me remember that I am not eating just because I am bored or because something tastes good. I am eating to nourish my body and keep it in good working condition- like a machine! That doesn't have to mean eating only veggies and boiled chicken, though. Healthy food can be delicious and flavorful.

As easy as it is to just eat the bad stuff (because lets face it, it's delicious and almost always more convenient), lets focus on turning the good stuff into something we can enjoy and even look forward to. I really think this recipe does just that!

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

 12 whole grain lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

16 ounces pasta sauce

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1.5 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

dried basil, salt, & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute chopped onion, garlic, and ground turkey until browned.

2. Cook lasagna noodles according the package.

3. Mix together the ricotta, egg, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and basil.

4. Begin assembly by spreading 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture on a noodle. Next, spread a spoonful of pasta sauce, and then a spoonful of the ground turkey mixture.

5. Roll the noodle and place in a casserole dish. Repeat with remaining 11 noodles.

6. Spoon pasta sauce over the 12 roll ups, and then sprinkle the 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese on top.

7. Place a sheet of foil over the casserole dish loosely. 

8. Bake the rolls at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Smoothie Bowls, Chiptole Orders, and Cheesecake

This week absolutely flew by, between the Cubs winning the World Series and finishing week 2 of BBG (I've attempted this workout program twice, so I am really hoping that the third time is the charm! More on that later), I want to take a minute to slow down and talk about my three favorite eats from last weekend. 

Downtown Chicago flying the W for the Cubs win!

On Friday afternoon Jeff took the L to Evanston to meet me for an after work walk to the lake and dinner. I love Evanston. The downtown area is larger than most towns, but not overwhelming like I feel the city is. I have had a list of restaurants to try since starting my internship here, but of all places Jeff and I landed in a Chipotle. 

We both wanted something healthy and had two coupons for buy one get one free meals burning a hole in our pockets, so we said screw all the nice places I want to try and marched over to our favorite burrito joint! Sometimes you just need a little Chipotle, and that's okay. I had a bowl with chicken, pico de gallo, pinto beans, lettuce and a little cheese. Jeff had a steak burrito with pretty much everything on it- he's very far from a picky eater. Skipping the tortilla saves a lot of calories and carbohydrates, especially when you are already getting those bad boys in the rice! I love that it is so easy to create a healthy meal here, but it can also be difficult to skip the less than ideal options. Chicken, brown rice, salsa of any sort, black beans and all the veggies are our best options, but who can resist a little cheese?! We all need some of that Calcium anyways.

Next up is my home made smoothie bowl. Yes, they are gorgeous. I love ordering these from Peeled Juice Bar and really wanted to come up with an at home solution to save some $$$. Jeff and I do a lot of Aldi shopping (don't knock it 'till you try it!) and that means the available products change on a weekly basis. A few weeks ago I hit the jackpot and found tons of frozen fruit! I loaded up on raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and some strawberry granola and made plans to create my own smoothie bowls. I blended the fruit with some iced tea and topped it with sliced apples and granola. Next time I plan to incorporate yogurt, but after a cheese filled couple of days I was feeling a dairy free day. 

Lunch on Sunday was at the Cheesecake Factory. Honestly, I felt like we had eaten out too much at this point in the weekend. I was really dragging and told myself I was going to make as healthy of a choice as I could but still enjoy celebrating Jeff's birthday with his family. I hadn't been to Cheesecake in awhile, but the menu was not very compliant with what I would call "healthy eating". I chose a meal that came with a small garden salad (good!), a half chicken salad sandwich (meh), and a bowl of creamy soup (ugh). I didn't feel uncomfortably full after eating it, but I also knew I'd be ordering cheesecake and that that feeling wasn't going to last. I had the original cheesecake with strawberries on top which was, as always, to die for. Sometimes you have to splurge! 

The moral of the story is that one bad weekend isn't going to kill your health and fitness goals. It certainly doesn't help, but you can't let yourself stay down for too long! I started Monday off with a vegetable filled bang and got right back on track.