Losin' It!

I am back & re-dedicated to my weight loss journey! Since the beginning of the month until today, I have lost 7 lbs. It's been a struggle, but I have no other choice than to live a healthier, better lifestyle for myself & those around me. I do not want to depend on pills & other pharmas to make me "healthier" down the road with burdening me with more side effects. 

Right now, I am struggling with anemia (which my "side effects of that have been moodiness, lack of energy, constipation & at one point, heart palpitations) as well as slight knee inflammation. I will admit, that I am currently taking an anti-inflammatory for my knee (2x a day), but am trying to just manage with one until I don't need them anymore.

As for the anemia, my blood results came in last week, so I just "found out" about it (although I've known I've had iron issues for a few years, but they were just that "issues" not a diagnoses). I have a Dr's appt on Wednesday to read the results; however this is a "simple" fix. I do not want to go another medication & now with knowing, I have been good the past week with eating more iron. 

I have been juicing more & staying more on track (I use the Lose it! app!!!) which is kinda sorta fun seeing what's going on!

Thanks for reading!

Nancy
xo

Cinnamon Raisin Homemade Bagels

I would be lying if this was my recipe, but I followed King Arthur's recipe to the T...except that I made 16 smaller bagels instead of the 8. I followed the bread maker part since I have one (and I LOVE it!)

Here is it, just a minute before it was done rising!!!

I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated about the water bath (since I have never done it before), however, it was quite fun boiling dough! lol. I ended up doing them 4 at a time instead of 5.

Cooling! My husband said they were a bit flat vs. fluffy. Yes, they were a crunchy, which I like, but he's all about that fluff! lol. I baked them on 2 baking sheets; one had parchment paper, the other was just sprayed with oil (top layer). The ones with parchment paper came out fluffier than the others (which browned faster). I had one of each, toasted, still yummy!

On a side note, I did notice that my yeast had expired a yr ago :( (I am almost a non-believer when it comes to expiration dates' however, this time, that may have been the reason they didn't fluff up! lol

Whip it good!!!! Yes, served some up with some whipped cream cheese & down the hatch, Sugar patch! 

Enjoy,

Nancy

xo

Chicken & Rice Casserole

This month, in efforts to use up the food we already have in our home, we have opted not to buy any more food until we have depleted what we have already (more on this in another post). So, I decided to make a Chicken & Rice Casserole. Super easy to make & super yummy! Below are the ingredients I used!!!

Ingredients

1 head of raw broccoli
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 pkg of chicken pizza topping
1 can of cream of chicken
1/4 c of corn
10 crushed whole wheat crackers
2 slices of provolone cheese
1/4 c of mayo

Mix all the ingredients together & then bake in a 8x8 dish at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings. 

Enjoy!

xo, 
Nancy

Banana Pineapple Bread Recipe

I was in a baking mood yesterday...so I decided to be a tad creative & made banana pineapple bread, which my husband thought was an odd combination, until I pulled it out of the oven & the smell filled the house! Yesssss, it was good!!!

As always, I tried to use the most healthiest ingredients possible & try to make healthy substitutions, which I did on this one as well. Below is the recipe! BTW, it also has coconut flakes!!! WHAT?!?!? I know!!!

Banana Pineapple Bread

1/4 c butter

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

1/3 c egg whites

1 banana, mashed

1/3 c of pineapple (I used canned chunks bc I didn't have the crushed)

1/2 c unsweetened coconut flakes

2 c whole wheat flour

1/4 c unsweetened almond milk

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Mix together & bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 mins. Super easy & super yummy! I couldn't help but have a big glass of almond milk with a slice of this bread!!! 

Serves approx. 8 View nutritional facts below:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 90 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  209 Calories from Fat  69

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  7.7g 12%

Saturated Fat  5.0g 25%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  15mg 5%

Sodium  285mg 12%

Potassium  187mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates  30.4g 10%

Dietary Fiber  1.9g 8%

Sugars  3.4g

Protein  4.9g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 8% Calcium 5% • Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Perfect Potato Recipe

Oh, who doesn't love the potato?! Yes, it is a white starch; I do use it sparingly, maybe a couple of times a month (I do try to substitute it with sweet potato instead). However, I did have a ton of potatoes at home & my niece & nephew were spending the night. They have been used to homemade french fries, fried in oil. I wanted to test them on my potatoes & I got comments "Best potatoes ever!" and "You have to give Mommy the recipe!" 

The recipe & concept is real simple! After I made the potatoes, I saved some for lunch the next day & added some chicken sausage for my protein; ignore the protein! lol Please be aware that there are no measurements in this recipe! lol

Preheat over at 400 degrees F. Chop up potatoes (as many as your heart desires) in 2 bite size chunks. But them in a bowl & sprinkle olive oil on them. Mix until fully covered. Now season. I used garlic powder, onion powder & Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 mins.

You will not regret it! :)

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Chuck Wagon Chow

I found this yummy recipe & kinda made it my own with what I had. This entire pot made 6 1/2 cup servings & leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I did top with some Amish cheese & a couple of saltine crackers. Recipe & nutritional facts to follow. 

Keep in mind that this is the recipe I followed using what I had on hand. Please customize as needed. :)

Chow Recipe

.91 pound ground chuck

1/4 c onion

1 garlic clove, minced

11 oz corn (canned)

15 oz white beans (canned)

8 oz tomato sauce

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Brown meat with onions & garlic. Once brown, add the rest of the ingredients, cover & cook for 5-10 mins until heated through. Below is the nutritional information based on one 1/2 c serving.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 158 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  209 Calories from Fat  29

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  3.2g 5%

Saturated Fat  1.0g 5%

Cholesterol  14mg 5%

Sodium  293mg 12%

Potassium  958mg 27%

Total Carbohydrates  33.8g 11%

Dietary Fiber  7.2g 29%

Sugars  4.8g

Protein  13.9g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 12% Calcium 9% • Iron 33%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in cholesterol
• High in dietary fiber
• High in iron
• High in manganese
• High in magnesium
• High in potassium
• Very high in vitamin B6

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Sweet Potato "Cantina Bowl"

The cantina bowl is always a favorite in my household; but I decided to twist things up a bit! So, instead of using rice for the base, I used baked sweet potato & topped it off with "taco" type toppings; including veggie crumbles for the protein.

Below is the approx nutritional value since nothing was really measured! lol

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 369 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  238 Calories from Fat  23

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.5g 4%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  906mg 38%

Potassium  1307mg 37%

Total Carbohydrates  41.0g 14%

Dietary Fiber  9.6g 38%

Sugars  11.5g

Protein  17.4g

Vitamin A 25% • Vitamin C 86% Calcium 9% • Iron 52%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Very low in saturated fat
• No cholesterol
• High in dietary fiber
• Very high in iron
• High in manganese
• High in potassium
• High in vitamin A
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C

Bad points

• High in sodium
• High in sugar

So good for you & so yummy!

Enjoy,

Nancy

xo