Recipe Review: Summer Vegetable Crepes

In my hunt for tasty low calorie foods, Eating Well has been a great resource for filling and yummy food that isn't too difficult on the waist line.  This recipe caught my eye and I quickly pinned it with the hope of trying it soon.  Fresh veggies, crepes and cheese??  Sounds good to me!

I was able to get all I needed for the recipe at Publix, excluding the fresh corn.  I think out of season corn tastes blah, so instead of paying I just picked up a can of low sodium corn and rinsed it twice before using it.

When I got home I chopped up the veggies and added a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to the pan:

The veggies smelled great!  In addition to the recipe below, I also added some minced garlic and minced onion!

                     I added the cheese to the veggies and stirred it up good!  It smelled so good.  :)

I scooped out the filling and added it to the crepes.  

Big tip:  Use the wax paper from the crepe packaging to assist in the rolling of the crepe.  Without the whole thing falls apart!

Mmmmmmmmmm!

I added the chive/sour cream/ milk / lemon sauce to the tops and it was time to eat!

I used fat free sour cream

These were SOOOOO yummy.  I am glad I made them on a Water Zumba night, because I could not just eat one crepe.  As filling as it was, they were so good I ate half of another!!

Here is the official recipe from Eating Well:

Summer Vegetable Crêpes

Recipe is from Eating Well at  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/summer_vegetable_cr_pes.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels, (I used canned corn)
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes,

PREPARATION

1. Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 302 calories; 17 g fat ( 8 g sat , 6 g mono ); 46 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 15 gprotein; 3 g fiber; 687 mg sodium; 485 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium & Vitamin C (35% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Wednesday Weigh in Day or alternative title: The Day People Noticed

Hi!

I was a little nervous this morning before I hopped on the scale.  See, last week was a "party week."  On Thursday we celebrated my awesome principal's achievement with a surprise party that equaled extra snacking.  Not toooooo crazy, but I still took advantage of some yummy food.   Then on Saturday my husband and I (with our second wife Suzie) attended Columbia's World Beer Festival.  If you have never been to a World Beer Festival and enjoy a good beer, make it a priority to attend one somewhere.  So much fun!

However... lots of beer... plus bad choices on snack foods due to copious amounts of beer made me think that this week wasn't going to be a good weight loss week.  However I worked out.  I attended my Water Zumba class, I've been running further and further every time I go out, and I even fit in some weight lifting to strengthen my muscles.

I figure I'd just accept that I would have to work harder next week.

So I hopped on the scale this morning... and I have lost another 2 pounds!  Keeping up with my weekly weight loss goal of 2 pounds!

So, weekly weigh in:  -2 pounds
Total weight loss since January 1, 2013: 7 pounds.

I'll take it.  :)

However, today was a different weight loss mile stone.  Today for the first time since I started my goal, people said something to me.  "You've lost weight."

Now I am not one of those people who keeps track of my inches lost.  That is a little too much work for me.  However, I have noticed that my pants are a little baggier and my wedding ring is becoming a little lose on my finger.   I'm stronger overall, and I know I've lost inches.  Now it is starting to show.

I can't help but smile.

People keep asking me, are you doing weight watchers?  Jenny Craig?  Some "pay money for quick results" gig?

I am so proud that I can say no.  I am working out.  I am making healthy choices when I choose what to eat.  I keep saying no to sweets and am keeping track of what I eat and the calories I take in.

I'm working hard.

I finally learned that there is no quick fix.  It wont magically happen and I need to keep staying focused in order to be successful.

I need to keep doing what I am doing, because it is working and I feel GREAT.

I'm Addicted to Exercise

Actually I am addicted to the endorphins that come from a good work out, which I am currently high on.

That actual working out part can suck hairy donkey balls for all I care.  ;)

New running shoes... with PURPLE stripes

I have been dealing with shin splints and sore knees for the past couple of weeks, and decided to mix up my routine to help with the pain.  First I treated myself to brand new running shoes, and then I decided to mix up my exercise pattern so I wasn't doing the same thing, to the same spot, causing the same pain over and over.

On Sunday Suzie and I ralked (run + walked) the Lake Murray Dam with my wonderful husband watching and cheering us on as we ran ahead.  As gorgeous of a day it was, I just wasn't feeling good.  My legs hurt, especially my right shin. Pushing myself made me feel miserable.  It was obvious that I needed something different.

To mix things up a bit, I talked Suzie into going with me to Water Zumba  on Monday night.  That class was a lot of fun,  but I will share more on that later.  I felt great after the class.  A little tired, but nothing too bad.   However, I didn't realize how much I had really worked out my legs.  On Tuesday night I headed to the gym and tried treadmill running, but I just couldn't do it.  I could barely get myself to run for 20 seconds without having to slow the treadmill down to a walk.  Even a brisk walk was too much.  I kept myself moving at a slow pace so I could still burn some calories, but I felt extremely discouraged.  I was meeting my old enemy of too much too fast.  My brain tells me I can, my body is telling me "HELLZ NO!"

Since Water Zumba is only Monday and Wednesday nights, I decided to go to the class again Wednesday night and take Thursday and Friday off from exercising.  Thursday was a long night at work, and Friday I was just tired.  So I waited.  I gave my body a chance to recover.  I upped my protein, made a batch a larabars, and got a good night's sleep.  Which brings me to today.  The first time I ran a full mile in who knows how long.

And it felt great.

I know that mile is not much to many people, but to me it was a pretty big deal.  See, I know that since I ran one mile, I can run two.  Then three.  Then I am going to enter some 5k road races and continue to grow from there.  Maybe it's the endorphins talking, but now I know the mileage is there.  It's in me and I am going to do this.

One mile at a time.

Wednesday Weekly Weigh In

So last week I counted calories, ate healthy, rejected cake, and worked out almost daily.  When I got on the scale I happily saw that I lost four pounds!

This week I did the same.  So when I got on the scale I lost one pound.

ONE.

I know, I know.  It is still a loss and considering that my program says I'm only supposed to lose 2 pounds a week, I am still a pound ahead of schedule.

This is when I realized how much we focus on actual numbers.  I didn't focus on what a great job I did sticking to my diet and working out.  I didn't focus on how I can feel my pants starting to hang loose or how I am able to run farther and faster ever time I go out.

I focused on how I only lost one pound and how maybe the PCOS is being a bitch and how no matter how hard I try, the PCOS will win.

All because a $5 machine I stepped on said I only lost one pound.

I feel that this is the struggle many dieters face.  It's not a race, it's a marathon and I haven't even reached the half mile mark yet, and feel frustrated because it isn't going as fast as I would like.

So here is my weekly pep talk.

I will not be beaten by a $5 machine that I step on.

I will be happy for doing the right thing.

When I feel frustrated or sad, I will think of something that makes me happy.  Like this:

Recipe Review: 20-Minute Hoisin Skillet Salmon

Salmon  is constantly touted for its heart healthy omega threes, low calorie, superfood... blah, blah, blah.

To me, it has been my cooking foe.

I've tried grilling it.  I've tried baking it.  I've tried pan frying it.  No matter what, it tastes like overcooked salmon crap.

However,  I have refused to give up on it.

When I found this recipe at foodnetwork.com, I decided to give salmon another go.    The ingredients intrigued me and it sounded like a simple enough recipe! To give myself more pressure, I invited Suzie over for dinner and a workout. Here is how it went:

I did need to make a special trip to Publix, not just for the Salmon fillets but also for hoisin sauce.  I wasn't sure what hoisin sauce was and figure if I didn't know what it was suppose to taste like, I wouldn't know if I was making a homemade recipe correctly.  Anyway, I digress.  The trip to Publix was mostly painless, however Salmon is not the cheapest fish.  I sighed to myself as I bought the fish hoping that this time it would be eaten and not thrown out for tasting like crap.

I added the beans and the hoisin sauce to the pan, chopped up some broccoli and added it to the top.

I nestled the salmon into the pan, and then because I love broccoli, I added some more!

I followed the recipe by letting the sauce come to a simmer and then reduced the heat and put a lid on top.  I was still in denial that a salmon recipe could be so easy.

Cooking note:  I omitted the red pepper flakes because I didn't have any and forgot to buy some!

I waited until the salmon was flakey and cooked through.  For the first time in my salmon cooking career, the salmon resembled something that looked edible!

I love cilantro so I added plenty on top of the salmon!

I was so surprised on how yummy this recipe was.  Normally Salmon is so strong in its fish taste that I force myself to eat it down.  No forcing was needed!  Dave has decided that this is one of those recipes that needs to enter our dinner rotation.


Here is the whole recipe:

20-Minute Hoisin Skillet Salmon

Courtesy of: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/20-minute-hoisin-skillet-salmon-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• One 15.5-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 cups medium broccoli florets (about 8 ounces)
• Four 5-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Directions

Combine the beans, 3/4 cup water, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic in a large skillet. Top with the broccoli, nestle in the salmon and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cover the skillet and cook until the salmon is flaky and just cooked through and the broccoli is crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with cilantro if using. Add salt to taste and serve.

Serves:4; Calories 297; Total Fat 9 grams; Saturated Fat 2 grams; Protein 36 grams; Total Carbohydrates 20 grams; Sugar 3 grams; Fiber 6.5 grams; Cholesterol 64 milligrams; Sodium 529 milligrams

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A Week in Review

Yesterday my friend Suzie and I made a day of going to the gym and then shopping.  Suzie needed to pick up a few things at Target and I had a 30% off coupon from Kohl's, as well my $15 Dress Barn rewards coupon that was about to expire.  I was originally hoping I could use it for new pants, but since I am doing so well I decided to wait in the hope that soon I will need a smaller pants size anyway.

Soon... not later.

And I actually believe it to be real this time.

This past week was a full work week since coming back from our winter vacation and it was a test of normalcy for what the majority of my school year is like.  I would like to brag about what I wonderful morning person I am.  That I jump out of bed the moment my alarm goes off, brush my teeth, shower and get dress, with plenty of time to dry my hair, put on make up, eat a full breakfast and make my lunch for the day. Maybe I wake up early enough to go to the gym or run before work!  All of this with a smile on my face.

In reality, my alarm goes off and I hit the snooze button telling myself I only need five more minutes.  This repeats about 4 times before I wake up, swear, jump out of bed and hop in the shower.  I frantically wash my hair, brush my teeth and throw on clothes.   I attempt to at least put on some eye makeup and dry my bangs so they do not cowlick or curl randomly.  The rest of my hair dries by the assistance of the heater in my car and perhaps an open car window. Lipstick is applied at stop lights or quickly in the parking lot of my school.

My husband assists by preparing my coffee for me and if I made a lunch the night before (instead of telling myself I'll make it in the morning), I grab it and maybe grab some fruit or a breakfast bar to eat in the car (if I remember during my frantic rush).  I then drive to school hoping my wet hair doesn't snarl and that I avoid dumping coffee on myself.

Lovely, right?  I am jealous of people who can wake up and actually have some down time before having to get ready for work.  My husband is one of those.  He learned early on in our relationship that attempting to wake me up will involve his sweet wife turning into a banshee mountain lion who screams, growls and roars in her attempts to scratch his eyes out.  He knows that I need to wake up on my own.

Looking back on my week, I realize how much my morning routine affects my calorie count for the day.  On the mornings that I grabbed a breakfast and had a premade lunch, my calorie count for the day was lower and I wasn't hungry.  No desire to snack and no stabby feelings developed as the day came to a close.  On the mornings where I was a total mess, (no or little breakfast, no lunch or crappy school lunch) my calories would actually be high or even over my limit due to unbeatable snacking urges and less desire to workout.

It is only thanks to exercising that not all my calories were over on those days.  Luckily, those days are the minority and not the majority.  Which brings me back to shopping / working out with Suzie.

Suzie is not only one of my closest friends, she is also my work out buddy and motivator.  We convince each other to work out when we really do not want to.  Thanks to our puppies becoming doggy bffs, we also have built in running partners that need their energy run out of them.  We are a great team.  Yesterday Suzie convinced me to workout and we decided to make it a day and add our shopping trip in.

My favorite thing lately about working out is how I am able to now burn more calories in the same amount of time.  I am able to do more and run more than I have since I started working out.   I have been committed to counting calories and working out and eating healthy portions of healthy foods for 13 days now.  It may seem like a small amount of time, but it is the longest I committed myself without ever missing a day or stopping.  So I decided to award myself.

Yesterday I used my gift card from Christmas (thanks mom!) and my coupons to buy a beautiful new fancy purse (fancy = not a $5 clearance purse from Target) and earrings.  I am to scared to buy clothes right now, so I wanted to accessorize.  Dress up my ears a bit in practice for when I do have to buy brand new clothes.  It felt good.  My new plan is to celebrate my achievements with little rewards.  Normally in the past I would just insult myself into a depression for not being as good as I think I should be.  Since that didn't work, I am determined to stay positive.  Even when the day comes that I have to fight and slay the PCOS dragon, I will stay positive.  That adventure however,  is for a different blog post.

I was debating moving my weekly weigh in day to Sunday, but since I really started this diet on a Wednesday, I am going to stick to Wednesday as the actual weigh in day.  I am forcing myself not to became a slave to the scale and not to constantly obsess over the number.  I'm only set up to lose two pounds a week, so any more is a bonus.  If I stick to what I am doing and the number doesn't change, I refuse to get mad.

This blog is a great place for me to pep talk myself.  My advice to anyone reading: remember to take the time to be your own cheerleader.  As great as it is to have others cheer you on, it means nothing if you can't pump yourself up.

Wednesday Weigh In

It's been a full week since I started my new years resolution and the results have been promising.  :)

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSE:  4 pounds


The program I am using has me set to lose 2 pounds a week, so you can see how I was pleasantly surprised to see I lost 4 pounds instead.

According to my calorie count, I was 1419 calories under my allotted calories for the week.  Over half of those  negative calories came from working out, the others from choosing low calorie foods such as more veggies and cutting out processed sugar.

Considering two nights ago I sneaked a peak before going to bed and saw that I had "gained" two pounds, this morning I smiled and fist bumped a few times.  I now there is still a loooooooong way to go, but I'm the girl who hired a personal trainer for three months and only lost 5 pounds.

I'll take my four pounds.