Photo: Arabe Datsh - another good recipe for bread pudding. |
vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
Photo: Arabe Datsh - another good recipe for bread pudding. |
Photo: Unsplash |
Today let's make a healthy, thick chocolate milkshake as a snack. It has the protein of milk and potassium of a banana but for a meal, I need additional whey protein.
Ideally, a healthy snack should be 100 to 200 calories and not more. The banana gives the milkshake its thickness, but the unsweetened cocoa powder will dominate its flavor. Here's the recipe:
Healthy Thick Chocolate Milkshake
Royalty free photo |
People make the mistake of buying single packages of instant oats when 1-minute or 5-minute oatmeal flakes quickly cook in a microwave just like the more expensive less healthy instant oatmeal. Knockoff brands from Amazon Walmart or supermarkets are great too and cheap. You can then add healthy ingredients like berries or nuts to it if you wish.
Another way I use oatmeal is in most recipes that call for breadcrumbs. Oatmeal comes in a big size while breadcrumbs come in much smaller quantities. I don't tend to stock breadcrumbs.
Photo & recipe courtesy of How To Cook Smarter |
1) An Egg Cooker - When I first saw egg cookers on the market I thought how ridiculous to buy a special gadget to boil eggs, but I've changed my mind! The reason is you can cook either hard, medium, or soft boiled eggs perfectly every time. Not so in a pan of boiling water on a stovetop, where the results of getting the eggs cooked just right can be mixed. Cooking time is less using the egg cooker also because you use far less water. You pour a small amount of water into the egg cooker which quickly brings the water to a boil. A see-through cover lets the eggs steam until the water disappears which activates an alarm telling you the eggs are done. To clean, just raise the parts with tap water as they get steamed, not dirty.
Egg cookers come in mini, small, medium, and double-decker sizes corresponding to how many eggs you need to cook at once. They'll also make a custard, though I don't plan to utilize this function.
Wow, 3 economical simple cookers to make home-cooked meals better and more convenient. From cooking to serving dish to dishwasher!
👺Just for fun, here are 3 gadgets that tend to be a complete waste of money: 1) a George Foreman grill, 2) a sandwich maker, and 3) a breadmaker as you'll rarely reach for them. Tasty hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a loaf of bread can be made as easily or consistently on a stovetop or inside an oven without special gadgets -- the reason you'll stop using them. I had a small George Forman grill. It grilled burgers no better than a frying pan on a stovetop, but I had to wash a special catch-the-meat-juices tray that is placed under, in front of it, so I gave it away. I never bought a breadmaker as I knew from experience you don't need one, and the devices seem to produce small loaves. When I bake bread I like sandwich-sized slices.
Bon Appetite at home!🍷
As we move into the Spring people think about dropping a few winter pounds, and I understand why some of them turn to meal programs like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. (The latter is the least expensive of the two.) There's no guesswork. Every bite you eat is packaged for you. The cooking and cleanup are light. It's convenient and nutritionally balanced, and if you follow it, you'll drop the weight. Years ago (around 2009), I tried Nutrisystem for 30 days. I wasn't hungry on the diet and remember dropping down to 118 pounds. As a younger woman, my loftier standard of my ''ideal weight'' was much lower. I was a size 6 - 8 for many years (without starving!). Today I'd love to step on the scale at the weight that I started with before dropping down to 118 pounds. THAT number + 20 pounds would be my ideal weight today!:)
At the same time, we also don't want to gain 10 additional pounds each and every year so our weight becomes unhealthy. Unfortunately, even without stringently high (or should I say low?) standards, you can't let yourself go! No, no, never, never, uh, uh, uh.
Today I'm going to discuss the well-known Nutrisystem meal plans. If you were to buy similar food independently and are disciplined not to cheat, but follow the plan, including its portion sizes, you could reduce the cost of the diet significantly. Moreover, I remember not liking all of the Nutrisystem meals, yet ate them because of the expense and my commitment to losing weight.
Breakfasts were a combination of protein shakes, dehydrated scrambled eggs (add water and microwave), protein muffins, and protein bars.
Here's what I think you could substitute:
* 1 dozen fresh eggs
* You're favorite high protein, low sugar meal bars - Clean and Pure Protein bars are examples. Look for at least 15 grams - 20 grams of protein with low sugar per bar.
* Protein shakes - Look for 25 grams - 30 grams per serving with low sugar and minerals. Consider buying protein powder (over liquid shakes) and adding it to skim milk for savings. Also try different brands like Premier Protein, Aldi or Trader Joe's house brands for greater savings.
Lunches consisted of canned soups and you could eat fruit or vegetable sticks that you furnish.
THE SAVVY SHOPPER has recipes for a variety of homemade soups, but this post is about convenience.
So you could buy the healthy choice varieties of any number of soups at your supermarket. Read the labels carefully focusing on low calories, salt, and at least 20 grams (30 grams if you can find it!) of protein. I will give Nutrisystem credit for sending chunky protein-rich soup, trickier to find with supermarket canned soup.
Dinners were frozen meals: meat (beef, chicken, or pork), carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, or pasta), and a vegetable, such as broccoli or peas and carrots).Supermarkets offer all of the above meals for less than $5 - $10 each of the Nutrisystem entrèes. You'll spend far less money plus only have to eat the dishes you like!
When you buy Nutrisystem you still must buy extra fresh fruit and vegetables as they aren't packaged and mailed to you.
Nutrisystem is great at teaching people what they should eat in a day; selecting food with adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber; eating a variety of food; learning portion control; and eating when you're hungry. Also, you should and do consume 1/3 of your daily protein requirements with each meal.
Image: USA Today |
Even on Super Bowl Sunday, we're not a chicken wings family, we like to eat easy, yet balanced, nutritious meals. One-pot/pan dishes are fabulous for dining with the family or entertaining guests. Healthy and flavorful, you spend more time engaging with your guests than disappearing into the kitchen to fuss over a hot stove of individual appetizers. A balanced dinner without tons of cleanup after the meal is also a plus! More and more I'm turning into the Queen of one-pan dinners! Below is how I make a delicious Tex-Mex dish using all the good stuff without having to wrap separate sloppy bites of ingredients:). One Pan Enchilada Ingredients:
1 large onion, (or you can use green onion), chopped 1 large red pepper, chopped 2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped 1 cup corn, fresh, frozen, or canned 1 can 15 ounces of black beans 1 can of 15 ounces of diced tomatoes 1 can 10-ounce enchilada sauce (or make it) 4 cups water 3 cups uncooked penne, curly or small shell pasta (I used whole wheat penne) 1 large bouillion cube, any flavor. 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (store-bought or make it) 8 ounces of extra sharp cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded Chopped cilantro leaves, fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, and a squeeze of fresh lime Optional: Toss in leftover ground beef, shredded beef, shredded chicken, or diced ham in step 1, if you are a meat eater. About 8 ounces as a guide. If you don't have corn, feel free to substitute frozen mixed vegetables. It works too. Directions: 1) In a large skillet or pot grill the celery, bell peppers, and onion before adding the corn, beans, tomatoes, bouillon, enchilada sauce, and spices. 2) Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered on a stovetop on medium heat on low medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes. 3) Add the pasta and simmer until al dente and the sauce has thickened. About 12 - 15 minutes. 4) Next top with the cheddar cheese and let it melt. 5) Crown with the chopped cilantro, tomatoes, onions, and a squeeze of lime. Serve after the top layer of cheddar cheese melts. If you still want a wrap, warm it in a microwave and eat it as a side piece of bread. Open a bottle of wine and add a side salad with a vinegarette dressing and you're all set to watch the game. You may also enjoy: The Voice Premieres On NBC Healthy Oscar Night Munchies #Shorts: A Red Wine Boldness Chart R.I.P. Prince (June 7, 1958 - April 21, 2016) |
With the Clean Protein Bars, I'm ok with the 10 grams of sugar in exchange for relatively high protein, moderate calorie count, and delicious taste. One characteristic to note: The bars fall apart when you eat them, so on the run, take a napkin with you!
Spanish Tortilla
Ingredients