Recipe: Cauliflower Wraps

Cauliflower Wraps

 I found this recipe on Empowered Sustenance's blog. I am a huge fan of cauliflower pizza dough, so I am so eager to try out this wrap recipe. It opens up a lot of options for those of us who choose not to eat wheat or grains. If you enjoy cauliflower as much as I do then I am sure you will love this recipe. 

Curry Wraps:

• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 eggs OR 1 egg plus 1 egg white
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt 

Garlic Herb Wraps:

• Substitute 1 minced garlic clove and 3/4 tsp. dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme or a combo) for the curry powder

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower florets until they form a crumb-like texture. Place the crumbles and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Cook on medium high heat for 8 minutes, until tender.
2. Drain the cauliflower in a sieve, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Firmly squeeze any excess water from the cauliflower. In a bowl, stir together the cauliflower and remaining ingredients. Form two thin circles on the parchment-lined baking sheets. With a spatula, press down the "dough" so it forms a thin layer. Keep the wraps compact--there should be no parchment showing through the mixture in any area of the wrap.
3. Bake for about 17 minutes until dry and pliable. Gently remove to a wire rack to cool so the bottom does not become soggy. Use with light fillings or tear into pieces and use to scoop up fillings.

Yield: 2 wraps

“Ricing” the raw cauliflower by pulsing it in a food processor creates these grain-sized crumbles.

What's For Lunch?

Today I am making Skinny Taste's Turkey Taco Chili for lunch. We are having a bit of cold weather here this week and I have a feeling it will be short lived, so I want to get in the chili before it gets warm outside. Well, ok, that's an excuse. I just love chili and will make it whenever I can, haha! I am making it without the cheese or sour cream and definitely not the chips, as are shown in the picture.

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that you cannot force open a can of tomato sauce if the lid is still attached on one side. My kitchen was the one to suffer. Red sauce EVERYWHERE!! Ah well, live and learn!

This is one of my hubby's favorite meals so I know he will enjoy it when he comes home for lunch!

Click HERE for the link to the original recipe.
Click HERE to see my blog post on the chili.
Click HERE to go to Skinny Taste's website.

Leave Your Bubble

The only way growth is possible is when you can leave your comfort zone, step out into something new and scary ... then give it your all. Even if you don't achieve what you thought you would, you still tried, you took a chance, and you did more than you ever could have by staying in your protected bubble. The more you take a chance, leaving your comfort zone behind, the more growth you'll experience. In this way, you'll find that your comfort zone grows as you do and you will be more confident, stronger, and not as afraid to take those chances! Keep it up!

Product Review: Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown

Today I tried a new workout: Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown. I got it for Christmas, but haven't been able to bust it out until now. I am definitely not an expert on Yoga, so I don't know what is the norm. The only other yoga I have done is P90x Yoga. I can say that the two styles are very different. Where P90x Yoga is very centered on power poses (holding strength poses for extended periods of time), Jillian's approach is more dynamic. She created her program to incorporate the same basic poses as the P90x Yoga, but includes reps with it before having you hold the position for 15 seconds. Let me tell you, 15 seconds may not seem like a long time, and isn't when you compare it to P90x, but after doing reps, you will feel the burn.





For example, one move is a Warrior 3 pose. In this position you are balanced on one foot while your other leg is parallel to the ground, creating a right angle. You hold this position, but only briefly, and then come down into a squat ... then back up to Warrior 3. You do the reps, then you hold for 15 seconds. Then move on to the next move.

The work is, as always, modified to be suitable for beginner, moderate, or advanced level participants. It also does not require any equipment, not even shoes, as you do this workout barefoot. The workout lasts about 35 minutes, so it easily fits into your schedule... especially when you compare it to the 1.5 hours involved in P90x Yoga. That being said, it doesn't involve as much stretching as it does strength training, but it packs a punch for a half hour workout. There are two levels too, so once you feel you've mastered the first level, you can move on to the second one for more of a challenge.

I think yoga should be included in weekly, at least, because it is that flexibility and balance that help you with all of your core and strength and even cardio workouts. They also help reduce the chance of injury when working out or just in your daily routine.

I kind of got the feeling that Jillian doesn't do yoga regularly because she admits to not being all that balanced or flexible as I believe she may be if it were a regular routine. On the one hand, it might help you feel more relaxed to know that even Jillian Michaels can't do it perfectly. But on the other hand, it came off to me that she may not really think yoga is a necessary part of her routine either. It was just my first time doing the program though, so my opinion may change. I love Jillian and her attitude throughout this workout is great. I wish there were a bit more stretching involved, but I can always look to another yoga DVD if I want to stretch throughout the workout.

Pros: 

30 minute routine that fits into your schedule
The moves are easily modified to fit your fitness level
No equipment necessary
Not a boring workout at all
$8 online is a very good price
Two different levels to master

Cons:

Not as much stretching for the yoga I am used to

Change It Up

Recipe: Salmon Deviled Eggs

I have to say that when I am looking for the perfect snack for on-the-go I turn to deviled eggs. You can make a bunch of them ahead of time and they are loaded with healthy fats and proteins.

The only problem with these little guys is that they can be a bit messy to store unless you have a deviled egg holder and they typically do not last very long ... because everyone devours them. They are also a great little snack for little ones, much better than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for sure!

These deviled eggs are kicked up a notch. How did they do it? They added salmon! If you are wondering who "they" are, I would be referring to one of my favorite nutrition resources: Nutritional Weight & Wellness. They also put out a great podcast called Dishing Up Nutrition if you are interested in educating yourself on the how's and why's of food. They have created this wonderful recipe so it only contains real, whole foods and is still delicious!

Makes 6 snack-sized servings | Gluten free and dairy free

6 organic hard-boiled eggs
3 T. regular safflower mayonnaise
1 tsp. vinegar
½ tsp. salt
dash of pepper
¼ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. mustard
1/3 - ½ c. canned salmon, mashed with fork

Directions:

1. Cut hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks
2. Mash yolks with remaining ingredients. Refill egg whites with yolk mixture and refrigerate.

**If you aren't a fan of fish, you can leave out the salmon and just eat the eggs without. They will still be delicious! I promise! And I'm sure they will leave you more satisfied and feeling less guilty than a candy bar would. 

Friday: Weigh In

It's Friday and that means it is weigh in day! I was actually looking forward to this weigh in this week. I have been busy and haven't posted much this week, but I have been very much on top of my nutrition and have managed to lose this week! I'm going to work on getting back into the workouts next week and see what that does on the scale for next weigh in.

I had a few moments where I really was craving just about everything that was awful for me. Part of what kept me going was my end goal. Not to be ? pounds, but to be healthy and feel confident in my clothes. The other part of what helped me was my husband. I think I went through a bit of withdrawals this week, since I didn't eat any added sugars, and he was very supportive and helped me to keep my mind distracted from food and on other things.

We are in the process of looking for a house to buy together. We just got married in October of 2012 so I sometimes feel like we are in a whirlwind of emotions. Wedding planning was stressful and house hunting is stressful, but I think if I can get a grip on my nutrition and fitness then I will feel better overall. And there will always be something that is stressful to challenge you. The key is finding what motivates you and holding onto it to reach your goals.

I hope you all had a great week and lost this week too, but if not then just pick yourself back up and get back on track. You never truly fail until the day that you give up completely. As long as you can get up and try again, then that's success.

Have a good weekend and don't forget to turn your clocks forward!

And if anyone is interested in joining in a weigh loss challenge, click HERE. The password is GetReal. Thintopia is a free site that allows you to track your weight loss on a graph with others. It doesn't show your weight, only your weight loss percentage. Give it a try!

Top 10 Foods for Detoxing

According to Mind Body Green, there are ten main foods that you should be sure to include in your diet for a good cleanse and detox!

1. Cilantro - The chemical compounds in cilantro bind to heavy metal toxins in your body, freeing them from tissue and organs and takes them out of the body.

2. Lemons - Stimulate the release of enzymes and Vitamin C, which eliminate toxins from the body.

3. Beets - Assist the liver and gall bladder with breaking down toxins.

4. Apples - Stimulates bile production, which helps the liver, and then the pectin helps rid the body of those heavy metals.

5. Green veggies - Chlorophyll rids the body of environmental toxins, heavy metals, herbicides, and pesticides.

6. Garlic - It has powerful antiviral, antiseptic and antibiotic properties. Garlic helps stimulate the liver into producing detoxification enzymes that help filter toxins from the digestive system.

7. Sea veggies - Sea veggies have antioxidants that help alkalize the blood and strengthen our digestive tract. The alginic acid in sea veggies absorb toxins from this digestive tract.

8. Broccoli sprouts - Has phytochemicals stimulate detoxification enzymes in the digestive tract

9. Green tea - Contains catechins which increase liver function.

10. Artichokes -  Artichokes increase bile production and both purify and protect the liver. They also have a mild diuretic effect on the kidneys, which aides in toxin removal once the liver breaks them down. Some studies have shown that artichokes may actually regenerate liver tissues and are high in fiber, which helps with elimination.

Motivation

Recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash and Leek Soup

This recipe is to die for! I love, love, LOVE anything to do with onions so I really made sure I didn't lose this recipe. I would absolutely recommend doubling or tripling this recipe and freezing it for later! I didn't use fat free chicken broth, but another option would be to make your own chicken broth. The ingredients are minimal and it is totally worth the wait!

Click here for the original link (found on SkinnyTaste.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 acorn squash
• 1 tbsp butter (vegans use olive oil)
• 1 (about 1 cup) large leek, light green and white part only
• 4 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth (vegans use vegetable stock)
• 2 tbsp pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tbsp chopped chives

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut acorn squash in half and bake until tender, about 40 - 45 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, discard dark green part of the leek. Leeks usually tend to be sandy, so I like to clean them well by separating the layers and washing them well under cold water. Chop leeks and sauté in a large pot with butter or oil over medium low heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh from the skin and add to the pot with leeks.  

Add about 2/3 of the chicken stock to the pot; stir well and simmer about 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend soup until smooth. Add remaining broth and simmer a few more minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with pepitas and chopped chives.

Before and Now

I like to look back on pictures like this to remind me how far I've come. It helps to take measurements and record weight and anything else you can measure, but it also helps to keep your old clothes, one pair of jeans or a shirt at least. You don't always see the change in yourself, but it's hard to ignore when you realize there are an extra five inches in the waistline of your pants that you used to fill.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Stay motivated, stay on track. If you fall down, just get right back up and back in the game!

Friday Weigh In: 3/1

This week has had its ups and down, and unfortunately the scale is one of the ups. Things have been a bit stressful with a couple of different family issues. My husband's step mom's dad died this week and my cousin may be getting a divorce. I turned to comfort eating instead of following my tips and tricks to staying on track. My husband has been helping me get my mind right though. The gain wasn't a lot and I know I can get it off in the week to come.

At times like these, it's good to remember why you are taking the journey. I want to look good in a swimsuit this summer for the first time in my life. I want to fit into my jeans again. I want to feel energetic. I want to be attractive for my husband. I want to feel fit. I want confidence. I want to get healthy so my body will be ready when we decide to have kids. I want that muffin top to go away. And I want to feel like a success and finally reach the end of this journey.

I followed my tips last night and managed to say "NO!" to my cravings. I got on the treadmill instead. It was just a walk, heavy incline though, and I still burned over 200 calories. I have a tendency to apply my "all or nothing" approach to my workouts too, but my husband is helping me with that.

Here's to a better week ahead! I think we may be seeing a few warmer days next week. I'm very excited for that. I always tend to do better when I can get outside. I'm not made for Ohio winters.

To track your weight with me, log in to Thintopia and join my challenge. The password is: GetReal.
It doesn't show your weight, just the percentage lost. First weigh in is next Friday!

Click to go to Thintopia Challenge