9-8-11: So, here I am. I found these this week and if you haven’t tried them, please do! SO SUPER SWEET!
I survived my last few panic attack episodes and I’m going to see if I can combine EVERYTHING I learned from Cooking Light’s Healthy Habits so far while I spend a week in Houston for work (11th -16th). For those of you who are new, here’s a recap from their website:
January: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables—Add 3 more servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet each day
February: Get Moving—Increase the amount of aerobic exercise you do
March: Get Cooking—Cook at least 3 meals more per week than you are now
April: Go For More Grains—Add 3 servings of whole grains per day
May: Eat Breakfast Daily—Eat a healthy breakfast every day
June: Get Stronger—Add strength training to your fitness regimen: at least 2 sessions per week
July: Focus on Healthy Fats—Swap unhealthy fats for healthy fats in your diet
August: Go Vegetarian at Least 1 Day a Week—Expand the number of all-vegetable dishes that you eat by making 1 dinner or main-meal-of-the-day vegetarian.
September: Eat More Fish—Cook fish or seafood for dinner 2 times a week
The only thing I can’t do is cook since I’ll be at a hotel; however, I plan to be VERY conscience of what I order while eating out. The hotel also has a gym so there is no excuse NOT to workout Monday thru Friday…I just can’t do anything that will injure my lower back so strength training will revolve around arms and legs for a while.
9-19-11: I survived Houston and following weekend. I ate some amazing seafood (and minus a run-in with Key Lime Pie at McCormick and Schmick’s), and I managed to eat really healthy.
Right before I left, the Hubby took me to Fuji Sushi in Edmond, OK (if you go, ask to sit in Lan’s section- she is the bomb-diggity):
While in Houston, I ate some amazing food, but got few pictures. I ate at Ruggles Green (it is a certified organic green restaurant) and they make HUGE salads and amazing hummus and there is this butternut squash dish…mmmm…Google them, yo!
But the hit of the week was my favorite- McCormick and Schmick’s. I got what I always get there- the crab stack with mango and avocado (it is my “salad”) and the scallop risotto. Perfect! No one does better risotto, no one (except my MIL and maybe Rococo’s).
Oh, and that is Conundrum you see in the background…a half bottle for $20? Yes, please.
I stayed at Hotel Sorella in City Center. It was nice- check out my digs:
However, the Fitness Center was less than desirable. It had one bike, two ellipticals and two treadmills. The TV’s and music thing were broken on EVERY SINGLE ONE. It is really, really boring staring at the wall while you walk. So I took my fitness outside…in 98 degrees. Yes, me, the HATER of heat worked out outside because I was bound and determined to get some walking in. I walked each night after class for about 25- 35 minutes with my water bottle and my thoughts. It was heaven. I was sopping wet with sweat in about 10 minutes from the heat and humidity and I loved every second of it.
The last night we were there, Alischa and I went to see Contagion. I was intrigued. And everyone- EVERYONE- thought that was a REALLY, REALLY bad idea for me. I had no panic attack. I had no hyperventilation moments. I did not think I was dying of the flu the next day. Weird.
9-20-11: Last night I made a healthy home cooked meal I got from Food and Wine Magazine. It was Olive and Artichoke Chicken. I made some adjustments to it since I don’t fry chicken with the skin on, but it still came out really good. My version for 2 people:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
1 Lemon
Dried Oregano (about 1-2 tablespoons, I don’t measure, I sprinkle till it looks good)
4 Garlic Cloves chopped (l used the whole head because we love garlic- so about 6 cloves)
Canned Artichoke Quarters- drained and rinsed
20 pitted Kalamata Olives
Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
Red Wine Vinegar (about 2 tablespoons)
Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease baking dish with PAM. Squeeze half of the lemon juice into the baking pan; add chicken breasts, sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake for 25-45 minutes (depending on size of the breasts). I had 4 ounce breasts so they only took 25 minutes to bake.
While the chicken is baking, put olive oil, vinegar, garlic in pan and sauté on medium heat. Once garlic starts to cook, add artichokes, olives, oregano and squeeze the rest of the lemon juice over it from the other half of the lemon. This cooks in about 10-15 minutes, so you might want to start it towards the end of the chicken baking.
I paired this with sautéed eggplant for me (olive oil, salt and oregano) and peas for the Hubby. I also made Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls and stuffed them with fat free feta crumbles (and sprinkled some oregano on top). We paired this with our leftover Decoy Red Wine. I was proud.
QUESTION: Have you followed any of Cooking Light’s Healthy Habits so far this year? If so, what was the best surprise for you?
For me, it was adding more fruits and veggies (January) and then eating more fish this month. And in all honesty, when I choose meals at restaurants (lately), they’ve all been vegetarian or fish based. Interesting. Very Interesting.
Cheers! SIL