I am back in the saddle

Hello World,

I took a little break from my blog but now I am back. Let's catch up.

I am still on Weight Watchers, still working out and guess what? I am on a HUGE plateau. Nothing I do makes a difference. So, I have started exercising twice a day. I am also going to cut down on diet sodas (more on this later) and increase my protein.

I read an article today that talks about eating a mix of proteins and carbs before and after exercise. I am going to try it.

I have missed blogging with you. Stay tuned in for updates on my veggieriffic journey through the weight wars.

Until then - Have a Veggie Great Day!

FitandSlim4ever

Happy Birthday Blog

Can you believe it has been one year since I started to blog? Time really flies. A year ago I promised to stay on plan and drop some pounds. Twelve months later - I am 3 dress sizes smaller and more than 30 pounds lighter.

It has been a great year. I have learned a lot about myself - mind, body and soul. In addition, I have met some wonderful people at Weight Watchers.  I have to give a super shout out to Donna. She is my WW leader. Donna inspires me to dream big. I would be lost without her. My fitness coaches at Curves have been amazing. Thanks to Betsy, Heidi, Marie, Jody and Dawn for your encouragement and support. My time at Curves is always productive and fun.

A special thanks to my big brother Rod. He is my biggest supporter.  To my friends and family - thanks so much for making this easy.

Best of all, I feel so much better.

To my blog community. Thanks for following me over the past 12 months. Stay tuned. The best is yet to come. Next year - 60 pounds or bust.

See you soon and have a VEGGIE GREAT DAY!!!!!!
FitandSlim4ever

Shrimptastic

Hello blog,

Today, I went to a cooking class. It was hosted by a chef from one of the oldest (and famous) restaurants in our community. The menu included a shrimp appetizer. This got me started thinking about shrimp recipes.

The other night I whipped up a quick and easy shrimp dish. This is a great weekend dish or a "If I see another chicken dinner I will scream..." recipe. I call it "Shrimp Dish." Creative right? LOL

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra light olive oil (be sure to swirl the oil to coat the entire skillet. 1-2 tbs should do the trick. Saute 1/2 diced shallot and 1 tbs of minced or finely diced garlic until translucent. Next add 1 pound of peeled shrimp to the skillet. I like to clean the entire shrimp (deveined). I hate to see the little veins in the spine. UGH!!! Add a 1/2 cup of light olive oil, 1 tsp of finely chopped parsley (you can use dried) and a dash of garlic powder. Cook shrimp until pink (DO NOT OVER COOK).

I like to cook my rice or pasta before I start my shrimp. Sometimes I make a salad and skip the carbs.
Try linguine or angel hair. The other night I mixed 1 oz of linguine with 2 oz of spinach spaghetti. It makes a nice presentation. There are lots of low carb or wheat pastas available at the grocery store. Experiment with different brands until you find a favorite. Do not forget to calculate the calories per serving. NOTE: I find it best not to eat pasta before a weigh in- it never yields a good result for me.

After your shrimp is prepared toss it over the pasta. Use the leftover olive oil from the skillet to moisten your pasta. Sprinkle with 1 tsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy a serving of 1 cup pasta and 1 cup shrimp per person. Add a salad with fresh veggies like chopped portabella mushrooms and red onion.

slice 4-6 slices of wheat baguette and brown the slices in the skillet using 1 tbs of grape seed oil. Serve bread on the side. Yummie.

(warning: Eating shellfish may be hazardous...make sure that you are not allergic and be sure to cook carefully. All of the recipes on my blog are for information purposes. Please modify to your specific taste or needs.)

Have a VEGGIE GREAT DAY!!!!
FitandSlim4ever.

Greens Greens Greens

Hello,

It has been ages since I wrote on my blog. What can I say? Life happens. I am still on WW and making steady progress. I am 3 dress sizes smaller since I started this blog. YEAH!!!

Today, I want to talk about GREENS. Collards, Mustard, Kale and other members of this vegetable family. Many people walk through the produce section of the grocery store and sneer at the GREENS. Why are people afraid to tackle GREENS? Is it because they think that GREENS are hard to prepare?
I used to think that GREENS had to be cooked for hours with pork or turkey seasoning before they were edible. The days of GREENS loaded with salt are gone.

Out with the old and in with the new.

I am happy to report that you can prepare easy dishes made of GREENS in under thirty minutes.  I created the following recipe for Collard Greens Casserole. It is easy to make and veggielicious.

Ingredients:

1 large bag pre-washed collard greens
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup crispy onions
1 cup low skim mozzarella
1 tbs season salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup half and half
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1/4 cup extra light olive oil
1 glass pie plate

Mince garlic and shallot.  Saute garlic and shallots in extra virgin olive oil until tender and translucent. Add collard greens and cook until greens are tender and soft. (approximately 10 minutes at medium heat)  Add garlic powder, onion powder, season salt and pepper.  Next add half and half and turn heat on low. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Mix onions and bread crumbs together. (make sure to mash onions until they look like the bread crumbs) Spread the crumb mixture across the bottom of the plate like a pie crust. Add collards (I like to use tongs) .Spread the collards evenly over the pie crust.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and 1tbs of crispy onions over the collards.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Enjoy.

Tip: Try cooking some greens. Let your imagination soar.

Go green and have a VEGGIE GREAT DAY,
FitandSlim4ever

Veggaholic

I am finally learning to love vegetables. When I started this journey I dreaded the prospect of a diet full of brown rice and vegetables. Today, I spend a lot of time in the vegetable section. I take my time going down the aisle looking for new and interesting veggies. My goal is to try a new veggie at least 2 times a month.

I would like to share some WW tips with you on storing veggies:

Vegetable	Storage Tips
Artichoke	Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Add a few drops of water to a plastic bag.
Asparagus	Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Wrap stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and place in a loosely closed plastic bag.
Broccoli	Refrigerator life: 4 days. Store in an open plastic bag.
Cabbage, Whole	Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 weeks in a plastic bag.
Cabbage, Cut	Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Carrots	Refrigerator life: Very variable. Store in their original plastic bag.
Cauliflower, Whole	Refrigerator life: Up to 5 days. Store stem-side up in a plastic bag.
Celery	Refrigerator life: Up to 2 weeks. Store in a plastic bag.
Cucumber	Refrigerator life: 1 week if waxed; less if not waxed.
Eggplant	Refrigerator life: 3 to 4 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Garlic	Shelf life: A few weeks to a few months, depending on size. Store in a dark, cool spot.
Green beans	Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Leafy Vegetables	Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Wrap in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag.
Leeks	Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Loosely wrap in a plastic bag.
Lettuce	Refrigerator life: Varies greatly by type. Leave in plastic bags.
Mushrooms	Refrigerator life: Varies greatly by type. Store in a loosely closed paper bag on a refrigerator shelf and not in the produce drawer.
Onions, Whole	Shelf life: 3 to 4 weeks. Store in a cool, dry, open space.
Onions, Cut	Refrigerator life: 2 to 3 days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Peas	Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Peppers	Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag.
Potatoes, New	Shelf life: 1 week. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
Potatoes, all-purpose and baking	Shelf life: Up to 2 months. Store in a cool, dark, dry place in a burlap, brown paper or perforated plastic bag.
Pumpkin	Shelf life: Up to 1 month in a cool, dry place.
Scallions (green onions)	Refrigerator life: Up to 3 days. Store in a plastic bag.
Squash (Winter), whole	Shelf life: Up to 3 months. Store in a cool, dry place.
Squash (Winter), cut	Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week if wrapped tightly in plastic.
Squash (Summer)	Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag.
Sweet Potatoes	Shelf life: Up to 1 month if stored in a cool, dry place; up to 1 week if stored at room temperature.
Tomatoes	Shelf life: Up to 2 days once fully ripe. Store at room temperature for the best flavor.

 I love salad BUT...Salad can be a trap. Watch out for salads with fried ingredients like chicken and shrimp. Look for grilled or poached chicken or seafood.

Tip:  Instead of pouring the dressing on your salad - dip your fork in the dressing and then mix the salad with your fork.

Recipe:  dressing base:  1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup fat free or reduced calorie mayonnaise and coarse salt and pepper.  You can add in a variety of herbs, cheeses or veggies to change things up a bit.

Quick Fix Dressing:  1 pack Good Seasons Garlic & Herb dressing mix, 11/2 cups safflower oil,
2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon tarragon, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 teaspoon ground sage, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1 teaspoon dill. Shake to mix and refrigerate. You may need to add more lemon juice and a little vinegar to cut some of the oil.

Tip:  McCormick's Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme can be used for one stop seasoning with a 1 cup of olive or safflower oil.

Are you confused about lettuce? There are so many options. Below is a list of lettuce varieties with brief descriptions. I got this from WW. It is very helpful.

Lettuce Guide:

Butterhead

Butterhead lettuces, such as Boston and Bibb

Crisphead

Crisphead lettuces like the classic iceberg have a slightly acidic, clean taste, best with creamy dressings.

Loose-leaf

Loose-leaf lettuces like red leaf, green leaf or oak leaf lettuce offer a mild, grassy taste and a soft texture, good as a second fiddle to more robust or crisper greens.

Long-leaf

Long-leaf lettuces like romaine provide crunch with a slightly bitter flavor, great with creamy dressings or against softer, sweeter greens like red leaf lettuce.

Arugula

A microgreen with a peppery bite, sometimes overwhelming on its own, especially when the leaves are larger.

Mâche

A mild, sweet microgreen that pairs extremely well with tomatoes.

Mizuna

A Japanese variety of microgreen, very tart and best paired with crunchy greens like torn-up romaine.

Sorrel

A very bitter microgreen, best only with very strong dressings (Roquefort, anyone?) or braised with other vegetables in soups, stews and stocks. Raw, it should be eaten in moderation since its high oxalic-acid content can cause an upset stomach.

Watercress

A mustardy microgreen that’s great in sandwiches (so long as you remove any tough, woody stems).

Belgian endive

Crunchy and bitter, it’s a good foil to sweeter greens (despite its name, it’s actually a chicory-like radicchio, grown in the dark to prevent its turning green).

Curly endive

Like the French favorite, frisée, these are lacy, floppy greens that offer a pungent, chewy backdrop to crisp bacon or radishes.

Dandelion greens

Aggressively bitter, they can also be braised, as you would collard or mustard greens.

Escarole

An Italian favorite, a bitter punch often cooked in soups and stews.

Radicchio

A red chicory, it has a pleasant bitterness often mixed with romaine. Spearlike heads are less bitter than the more familiar, rounded heads.

 Next Blog: Veggielicious Grill Ideas

I have been bad about blogging because life has been very hectic. To all of my blog friends. I AM till on WW, focused and working hard to maintain my lifestyle changes. 

This weekend I wore a suit that was two sizes smaller with a very tailored fit. This morning at 5:30 a.m. I swung myself out of bed and put on my running shoes. I looked back at my pillow with a smile and thought about the suit. I gave myself a choice between sleep or the satisfaction of wearing a smaller size.

What are you willing to give up to win the battle of the bulge. The answer may surprise you. 

Have a veggie great day,

FitandSlim4ever

Mother Knows Best

The USDA recently replaced the iconic food pyramid with a plate. The USDA offers the plate as a guide for daily food intake. Bottom line - We should have a lot of vegetables and small servings of meat, dairy and grains. The plate reminds me of childhood dinners with my family. My mother always made sure that we had vegetables on our dinner plate. We always had a salad followed by a dinner that consisted of at least two vegetables and a meat. We rarely had bread with dinner. Looking back at my childhood meals I realize that my mother was way ahead of the USDA, Mr. Atkins and the whole gang. :) 

Mom relied on the basics of nutrition. She put together meals that were based on the old rule of "eat your vegetables." This rule pre-dates microwaves and TV dinners and quick fix meals. My mom's home cooked dinner menu consisted of portion controlled traditional foods that were natural and delicious. Guess what? Mother knew best. We were not fat. We were all slim and trim. 

Today, everyone in my family struggles with weight. Maybe it is because we stopped following the basic rules. The modern way of fast food and quick fixes makes it easy to forget about the basics.

I think we need to get back to the basics. The USDA food plate is not news to those of us that were raised by health conscious mothers. It simply affirms the fact that mom was right along when she said "EAT YOUR VEGETABLES."

Tip: Salads are a great way to load up on veggies BUT watch the dressings. Dressings can often have 15-20 grams of fat in one tablespoon. Below is a light dressing recipe from Martha Stewart's FOOD magazine. 

Here is a great salad dressing base that you can use to morph into a variety of tasty toppings:

NOTE: 2tbs = 1points plus value on WW before additions

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream (you can replace with low-fat Greek yogurt)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

Green Goddess

add 1/2 mashed avocado, 1/4 cup chives, 2 tbs lemon juice, 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Thousand Island

1/3 cup ketchup

3 tbs sweet pickle relish

Blue Cheese

3 ounces crumbled blue cheese (3/4 cup)

Have a Veggie Great Day,

FitandSlim4ever

Entering the forbidden zone

OK,  I think everyone that has put on a few (or more) pounds can relate to this blog post. When you put on weight you avoid stores, clothes and any situation that reminds you of the dreaded dress SIZE. It is so humiliating to go to a store and try on NUMEROUS outfits that are too small, tight and do not fit.

Many of us stand in front of the mirror dreaming of the day when everything we try on will FIT. Well, I am here to tell you that no matter how skinny you become - there will always be the outfit that got away.

Today, I ventured out to the mall. It is important to note that I have not been to the mall for more than three months. WOW!!! Yes, it is true. The shop addict has been in rehab for several months. I have been afraid of the forbidden zone. You know- that area on the other side of the aisle that has the clothes that fit the OTHER people (skinny people). Maybe we are afraid that after all this dieting, sacrifice and hard work the clothes on the other side MAY NOT FIT.

Today, I summoned my courage and ventured across the aisle to the "regular size" clothes. The section with the cute styles that hug your shape. My palms were sweating as I glanced around for the snide sales clerk to ask "Can I help you find your size?" Ugh!!! I ran my hands over the clothes like someone that has been on a hunger strike for weeks. I made a stupid giddy gurgling noise as I grabbed ten suits from the rack. I ran to the dressing room as an urge came over me to try on EVERYTHING.

Guess What? I left the mall with 4 suits. I survived my journey to the other side. I also proved to myself that my lifestyle changes are worth it.

On my way home I prayed for the strength to stay focused and on my plan. I want to feel the joy of crossing over to the other side of the aisle. I want shopping to be fun - not agony.

The solution is simple.

Have a Veggie Great Day,
FitandSlim4ever