Baked Veggies

We eat a lot of veggies.  I have found that baking a large cookie sheet full of veggies is the easiest thing to do.  I coat the cookie sheet with non-stick olive oil spray and then pile on broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, carrots, garlic cloves and whatever else I can get my hands on!  I then spray the top with non-stick olive oil spray, sprinkle with black pepper and season salt.  Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. 
**Note** If you prefer your veggies blackened, (broccoli is especially good this way) bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  

Caribbean Chicken

Ingredients:
Serves 6
2 tsp. olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. onion, chopped
1/4 C. sugar free apricot jam
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. each curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1 1/2 C. low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. coconut flavoring
Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high, add chicken pieces and saute until brown.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Saute garlic and onion in skillet until soft and golden.  Stir in jam and spices and cook one minute.  Add broth and heat through, stirring constantly.  Return chicken to sauce, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in coconut flavoring.  Serve over brown rice.

WW Grilled Cuban Chicken with Black Bean and Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings
1/2 C. orange juice
1/4 C. cilantro, fresh, chopped
3 T. lime juice
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup mango, fresh, cubed
2 T. red onion, chopped
non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine orange juice, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.  Remove 1/2 C. of  mixture and place in ziplock bag.  Add chicken to bag and turn to coat.  Seal bag and refrigerate up to 12 hours.
Meanwhile, to make salsa, add beans, mango and onion to bowl of orange juice mixture.  Toss, cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, coat grill with cooking spray, remove chicken from marinade, discarding remaining marinade.  Grill until chicken is done.  Spoon salsa over chicken.  I served this with sweet potatoes and baked veggies.  I have also baked this chicken in the oven.  I browned the chicken in a frying pan, sprayed with non-stick spray.  After the chicken was browned, I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. A good way to serve the leftovers is to cube the chicken and serve it on whole wheat tortillas.  Top with the leftover salsa, reduced fat cheese and fat free sour cream. 

Motivation...where does it come from?

I have been asked a lot lately where I get my motivation from.  I've been thinking about this for a few days now and thought I'd try and answer that question.  In the beginning, I didn't have a lot of motivation.  To be honest, I didn't think I'd be able to lose weight.  It was so overwhelming.  I started slow and after a few weeks, I started to see results.  That got me a little bit motivated.  A few more weeks went by and I noticed that I could walk for longer periods on the treadmill.  That was also motivating.  My husband started his weight loss journey a few months before I did and I got a lot of motivation from him.  Still to this day, when I look out the window and see him jogging into the driveway, I get motivated!  After 21 months of healthy living, it has become habit and I don't even think about skipping my exercise. My Leslie Sansone Walk at Home Dvd's keep me motivated.  She uses "real" people in her workouts, several who have lost a lot of weight.  I have become friends with many of them on Facebook.  It's motivating to walk with them and hear their stories.  Do I ever think about unhealthy food?  Oh yes...I'm a food addict...I've learned to live with my addiction, but I will never be "cured" of it.  I get my motivation from hearing other people's stories.  I have a network of friends on Facebook that I keep in close contact with.  A lot of us have struggled with our weight and have made some healthy changes and seen results.  I get my motivation from small things as well...how good it feels to cross my legs.  How good it feels to slide into a booth at a restaurant and not be afraid of not fitting.  I'm motivated by looking at old pictures of myself and remembering what it felt like to be unhealthy.  I'm motivated by being able to wear smaller sizes and no longer having to order my clothes from catalogs. I'm motivated by the sight of my son coming home from the gym, drenched in sweat...=)  I'm motivated every time I run up the stairs and remember when I couldn't make it up those stairs without huffing and puffing and hanging onto the bannister for dear life.  Healthy living in itself is a motivation.  Healthy feels SO good.  I've heard people say, " I wish I could lose weight"...or..."I don't have the willpower to do that"...or..."I'm too busy to exercise"...or..."Healthy food costs too much"... or... "I don't have time to make healthy food".  These are all excuses and not good ones either!  You can do anything you put your mind to.  I don't have a personal trainer, I don't have a cook and I'm not rich.  I'm just a typical 40 something year old, stay at home Mom who decided she was worth it and made some changes.  =)

Pictures

My husband, Eddie...total weight loss of 140 pounds!!!  My inspiration...;)

My son, Kyle....total weight loss of 84 pounds!!!  He is my biggest fan...ha ha!  He's been known to show my pictures to people at the gym.  Kyle is preparing for his first body building competition!

My beautiful girls, Erika and Alisha.  I need to get some before pictures of them.  Erika has lost over 50 pounds!!!  Alisha has lost over 40 pounds!!!  I'm so proud of them.  Being a teenager and trying to lose weight is NOT easy!!

Lori-total weight loss of 140 lbs.
Eddie-total weight loss of 140 lbs.
Kyle-total weight loss of 85 lbs.
Grand total of 365 lbs.!! 

Chicken With Creamy Dijon Herb Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 C. chicken broth
6 T. Dijon mustard
1/3 C. fat free cream cheese
1 T. minced basil
1 T. olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. minced garlic

Directions:
Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese, garlic and basil until well blended.  Set aside.
Cook chicken in hot oil in non-stick skillet until browned on both sides.
Place chicken in a baking dish.  Top with cream cheese mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serves 4.

I served this with a side of baked veggies and baked sweet potatoes.

Egg Whites and Veggies

I love egg whites as a snack.  I coat a frying pan with non-stick spray and pour in a cup of egg whites.  Sprinkle with black pepper and add baked or steamed veggies.  Scramble together and cook until done.  Top with salsa and lemon pepper.

Product Watch

Progresso Light Soup with Nabisco Whole Grain Saltine Crackers.  I love this for lunch in the colder months.

Product Watch

Wheat Thins Flatbread crackers and Laughing Cow reduced calorie cheese wedges.  These make for a good afternoon snack.