p.s.
Just let me know the foods you absolutely do not like so I don't send you ideas you wouldn't be interested in.
Just let me know the foods you absolutely do not like so I don't send you ideas you wouldn't be interested in.
Jolie's Struggle for Success
- Thread starter ~Jolie~
- Start date
to wenwen
I can't really think of a food I don't like. I love veggies and fruits and i actually had that egg white omelette this morning. It was awesome. Can't say I don't miss my yellow gooey stuff though. I think the only food I really do not like is creamed corn, why ruin a good thing? Oh, and raddishes. I don't know what to do with them, but maybe if I did...
thanks!
I can't really think of a food I don't like. I love veggies and fruits and i actually had that egg white omelette this morning. It was awesome. Can't say I don't miss my yellow gooey stuff though. I think the only food I really do not like is creamed corn, why ruin a good thing? Oh, and raddishes. I don't know what to do with them, but maybe if I did...
thanks!
Super Jolie 
I'm really looking forward to sharing my ideas with you. The key is to have plenty of them so you are never bored with eating, and to always have lots of flavour. I will put some ideas together later today to get you going and post them; then I will keep posting as I think of others.
Later
I'm really looking forward to sharing my ideas with you. The key is to have plenty of them so you are never bored with eating, and to always have lots of flavour. I will put some ideas together later today to get you going and post them; then I will keep posting as I think of others.
Later
Hi Jolie,
Hope all is going well
In this post I am just going to give you some tips and suggestions. I can then follow with some meal ideas in another post. Snacking on the wrong things will sabatoge any weight-loss program regardless of how much you work out, so I think these are really important starting points. Some may seem obvious but you know what they say about assuming! So, in no particular order:
----it is okay to snack, in fact it is good. You want to keep the 'fire stoked' because that is how you keep your metabolism up and working, by feeding it. Don't try to go without eating when you are hungry---just eat the right foods. No empty calories. You will still feel hungry anyway and will end up binging out of sheer frustration. So never let yourself get to the point of ravenous hunger
---stock your fridge, pantry and take to work, pre-planned snacks. Keep a list handy of snack ideas so that you know what to buy. Then keep a list of snack items that you have at the ready, on a daily basis. When you are hungry you will be surprised how you can forget ideas and what you have ready. I usually have a list of about 6 - 10 things that I know I can eat and just look at the list and choose. You end up surprised at what you had forgotten and don't feel deprived at all. Sometimes hard to make up your mind what to have! (will follow up with these ideas in next post--hopefully by end of today)
----you will need some warm snacks and some cold. warm make you feel more satiated, other times you need to bite into something crunchy. If you have a good variety on your list, you can have something to suit every craving
----absolutely ready to kill for something sweet? reach for a dill pickle. satisfies a sweet craving every time
----you like the 'gooey yellow stuff'? don't tell yourself you can never have it. That will only make you want it more. Just 'decide' not to have it for now. When you do have it, it will be a treat and you will feel good when you eat it...not guilty. Remember, this change in your lifestyle needs to be permanent, and after time will become second nature. You actually will not even have to think about it in time. Choices will become automatic.
----Stay away from high glycemic foods. These are foods (even some fruits and veggies) that spike your blood sugar level. After it spikes it will drop and then you will crave more. If you can break this cycle, the cravings disappear.
----Breakfast is very important. This was a hard one for me but I finally get it. I eat a bowl of steel cut oats every morning. It gives me lots of energy and I feel full for a long time. Some skim milk and a few dried cranberries, yum. (I also add a bit of demerra sugar)
I think that's enough for now. I don't want to bore you
In my next post I will actually send you the snack foods I use/like. After that I can send you some meal ideas.
Hope all this helps,
Later
Hope all is going well
In this post I am just going to give you some tips and suggestions. I can then follow with some meal ideas in another post. Snacking on the wrong things will sabatoge any weight-loss program regardless of how much you work out, so I think these are really important starting points. Some may seem obvious but you know what they say about assuming! So, in no particular order:
----it is okay to snack, in fact it is good. You want to keep the 'fire stoked' because that is how you keep your metabolism up and working, by feeding it. Don't try to go without eating when you are hungry---just eat the right foods. No empty calories. You will still feel hungry anyway and will end up binging out of sheer frustration. So never let yourself get to the point of ravenous hunger
---stock your fridge, pantry and take to work, pre-planned snacks. Keep a list handy of snack ideas so that you know what to buy. Then keep a list of snack items that you have at the ready, on a daily basis. When you are hungry you will be surprised how you can forget ideas and what you have ready. I usually have a list of about 6 - 10 things that I know I can eat and just look at the list and choose. You end up surprised at what you had forgotten and don't feel deprived at all. Sometimes hard to make up your mind what to have! (will follow up with these ideas in next post--hopefully by end of today)
----you will need some warm snacks and some cold. warm make you feel more satiated, other times you need to bite into something crunchy. If you have a good variety on your list, you can have something to suit every craving
----absolutely ready to kill for something sweet? reach for a dill pickle. satisfies a sweet craving every time
----you like the 'gooey yellow stuff'? don't tell yourself you can never have it. That will only make you want it more. Just 'decide' not to have it for now. When you do have it, it will be a treat and you will feel good when you eat it...not guilty. Remember, this change in your lifestyle needs to be permanent, and after time will become second nature. You actually will not even have to think about it in time. Choices will become automatic.
----Stay away from high glycemic foods. These are foods (even some fruits and veggies) that spike your blood sugar level. After it spikes it will drop and then you will crave more. If you can break this cycle, the cravings disappear.
----Breakfast is very important. This was a hard one for me but I finally get it. I eat a bowl of steel cut oats every morning. It gives me lots of energy and I feel full for a long time. Some skim milk and a few dried cranberries, yum. (I also add a bit of demerra sugar)
I think that's enough for now. I don't want to bore you
In my next post I will actually send you the snack foods I use/like. After that I can send you some meal ideas.
Hope all this helps,
Later
calitoker90
New member
I am sorry if this is spam but I seen the poll on the front page so I will reply with what is the most difficult thing to lose weight. The diet only because my dad cooks dinners and eats whatever so I get stuck eating it or I feel like a @ss if I dont.
calitoker90
New member
----Stay away from high glycemic foods. These are foods (even some fruits and veggies) that spike your blood sugar level. After it spikes it will drop and then you will crave more. If you can break this cycle, the cravings disappear.
What fruits are they?
What fruits are they?
Thanks so much, your tips really help. I live with family so it's hard to keep the fridge and pantry stocked with healthy foods, but I've convinced them to give me a shelf of each. That way I don't go for the honey buns. I never really thought of fruits and veggies as things that could spike my cravings. Hmmm... maybe that's why I'm always getting cravings after bananas??? But I have to eat them to keep from getting cramps while cycling.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Hi Jolie,
I just joined and was reading your post. I wish you all the best and hope you achieve your goals and more!
You don't need to deprive yourself to lose weight, but I guess you do need to cut out the junk food and sugary foods, i know it's harder said than done. I have been on a weight loss programme since January this year and have actually managed to keep to it. The trick is to lose weight healthily and gradually (1-2lbs/ week), otherwise you are losing a lot of muscle mass, which will slow down your metabolism. When I did cheat, eating naughty foods, I went to the gym and made up for the extra calories by working out a little longer.
There is a great website, which explains the dangers of crash dieting and what it does to your metabolism. It also explains, why some people have as much trouble gaining weight, as we have losing it (life's not fair)! And there are loads of good tips that I found helpful and didn't previously know. It's called superskinnyme.com. I hope you find it as good as I did!
I also think, that to successfully lose weight and keep it off, you need to have a goal besides weight loss. The reason is that a few months in you can get kind of bored and think it's just not worth the effort. This year for the first time, I added to my weight loss goal the fact that I wanted to get healthy and fit. I was tired all the time and couldn't concentrate. Before, I used to get on the treadmill and literally after 2 minuted slow jogging, my head would start to spin and I tought I was going to pass out. Now, I am running for 45 minutes and feel like I could just keep on going. That is what keeps me going. I remember my health before and now and it makes me keep going back to the gym even when I don't feel like it.
Anyway. I'll stop rambling.
Good Luck!
I just joined and was reading your post. I wish you all the best and hope you achieve your goals and more!
You don't need to deprive yourself to lose weight, but I guess you do need to cut out the junk food and sugary foods, i know it's harder said than done. I have been on a weight loss programme since January this year and have actually managed to keep to it. The trick is to lose weight healthily and gradually (1-2lbs/ week), otherwise you are losing a lot of muscle mass, which will slow down your metabolism. When I did cheat, eating naughty foods, I went to the gym and made up for the extra calories by working out a little longer.
There is a great website, which explains the dangers of crash dieting and what it does to your metabolism. It also explains, why some people have as much trouble gaining weight, as we have losing it (life's not fair)! And there are loads of good tips that I found helpful and didn't previously know. It's called superskinnyme.com. I hope you find it as good as I did!
I also think, that to successfully lose weight and keep it off, you need to have a goal besides weight loss. The reason is that a few months in you can get kind of bored and think it's just not worth the effort. This year for the first time, I added to my weight loss goal the fact that I wanted to get healthy and fit. I was tired all the time and couldn't concentrate. Before, I used to get on the treadmill and literally after 2 minuted slow jogging, my head would start to spin and I tought I was going to pass out. Now, I am running for 45 minutes and feel like I could just keep on going. That is what keeps me going. I remember my health before and now and it makes me keep going back to the gym even when I don't feel like it.
Anyway. I'll stop rambling.
Good Luck!
Hi Jolie,
Bananas are only medium on the glycemic scale and you need them for potassium because of your spinning classes anyway.
Here is a really good website on the gycemic index and which foods are high:
The Glycemic Index
I agree that you should have more reason than weight loss as well. I didn't take my health seriously until I got older. Now I kick myself for my horrible diet while I was younger. Junk food queen that I was. Your cells are not meant to deal with junk food and don't know what to do with it. The result is inflammation which leads to our later degenerative diseases (which are on the increase).
The suggestions that I will be sending you Jolie don't take up a lot of space in the fridge or the pantry really.
I am really excited for you because I know you will achieve your goals.
Bananas are only medium on the glycemic scale and you need them for potassium because of your spinning classes anyway.
Here is a really good website on the gycemic index and which foods are high:
The Glycemic Index
I agree that you should have more reason than weight loss as well. I didn't take my health seriously until I got older. Now I kick myself for my horrible diet while I was younger. Junk food queen that I was. Your cells are not meant to deal with junk food and don't know what to do with it. The result is inflammation which leads to our later degenerative diseases (which are on the increase).
The suggestions that I will be sending you Jolie don't take up a lot of space in the fridge or the pantry really.
I am really excited for you because I know you will achieve your goals.
Wow, thanks so much! I never knew most of this information and I'm excited to be incorporating it into my health plan.
Today's been pretty good, but man, yesterday just flat-out sucked. I was having cravings left and right, fighting with my ex about my son (getting chewed out when you're hungry is never fun), and my bf was just annoying me for no reason at all. He was being great, but I guess I was taking out my grumpiness on him. Luckily, he's amazing and understood. I got really pissed when he busted out with a bag of skittles (a favorite of mine) in my car on the way to his parents' house for dinner. He then started explaining how he "got" the way I felt because he'd been through it before we started dating. Is it just me or when someone's been through it, shouldn't they be a little more considerate? I was pissed off. That was not a fun day.
Today, though, back on my workout routine and eating well, has been great and I'm working on planning for the coming school year and organizing my classroom.
Have a great day!
Today's been pretty good, but man, yesterday just flat-out sucked. I was having cravings left and right, fighting with my ex about my son (getting chewed out when you're hungry is never fun), and my bf was just annoying me for no reason at all. He was being great, but I guess I was taking out my grumpiness on him. Luckily, he's amazing and understood. I got really pissed when he busted out with a bag of skittles (a favorite of mine) in my car on the way to his parents' house for dinner. He then started explaining how he "got" the way I felt because he'd been through it before we started dating. Is it just me or when someone's been through it, shouldn't they be a little more considerate? I was pissed off. That was not a fun day.
Today, though, back on my workout routine and eating well, has been great and I'm working on planning for the coming school year and organizing my classroom.
Have a great day!
Voices in my head...jerks
Well, sitting here about to go swimming again after eating an egg white omelette, I had a moment of miserable doubt. My head saying..."Why the hell are you even bothering? You've tried this before and you know what always happens. You just do well for a week or so and then gain more weight. So what's the point. Who even cares?"
Well, guess what head? I care! Kiss my a@@! I'm going to do it, it's important to me and for my son.
How do I get these voices out of my head? I'm seriously considering hypnosis. Has anyone else tried it?
Well, sitting here about to go swimming again after eating an egg white omelette, I had a moment of miserable doubt. My head saying..."Why the hell are you even bothering? You've tried this before and you know what always happens. You just do well for a week or so and then gain more weight. So what's the point. Who even cares?"
Well, guess what head? I care! Kiss my a@@! I'm going to do it, it's important to me and for my son.
How do I get these voices out of my head? I'm seriously considering hypnosis. Has anyone else tried it?
Great workout
Woo! I am whipped. Jenna and I went to a spin class this morning and it was a really powerful workout. I thought at one point that my legs would seriously just quit, but we pushed through it and now I feel great! We also went to the abs class right after and laughed at my inability to balance on one of those big workout balls. I know I'll be super-sore tomorrow, but it's all worth it.
Woo! I am whipped. Jenna and I went to a spin class this morning and it was a really powerful workout. I thought at one point that my legs would seriously just quit, but we pushed through it and now I feel great! We also went to the abs class right after and laughed at my inability to balance on one of those big workout balls. I know I'll be super-sore tomorrow, but it's all worth it.
Hi Jolie,
Re: bf...no, that was not cool. Good for you to get right back where you were.
I have a few ideas for you for now:
---I keep a bowl of this in the fridge most of the time: an english cucumber (not bitter like regular ones) and white onion...about equal portions. Cut both in very thin slices and put in separate bowls. Salt heavily and leave for about a half hour. Rinse and soak both well with water getting most/all of salt out. The result is very soft--as though they had been cooked, but retaining raw flavour. Put the two together in one bowl and add some rice wine vinegar. You can add any flavouring as well but it is really good on its own. I add some paprika. Even better next day.
---Cream of tomato soup. I make my own and it doesn't even compare with canned. Put a 26 oz can of crushed tomatoes in a pot. Add 4 cups of chicken or veg. broth. Bring to slight boil, take off heat and add 1 cup of skim milk. Keep warm and simmer adding a bay leaf, some italian seasoning, celery salt, onion salt, garlic powder, parsley, and a couple of pinches of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I add fresh basil as well. The recipe says to puree but I don't. This is delicious and satisfying and I just have a mug whenever...
---Have you tried Swedish rye crisp flat bread? (The one with sesame seeds is even better.) A good size piece is only 25 calories. I even put a very scant amount of butter on it.
---Cut some red, yellow and orange pepper is slices and keep in fridge. When needing a large craving filled I will stuff a half a whole wheat pita pocket with the slices and sprinkle some salt and olive oil on the peppers. Nuke on med-low for a bit to release flavours. Awesome, and hardly any calories but lots of vitamin C. I don't disallow myself the other half pocket but usually don't need it, especially if I wait a few minutes.
---When you have pasta, make it whole wheat. Will not spike your glycemic index as much as white. I always wondered why I was starving after about an hour after white pasta meal. The pasta spiked my blood sugar too high and then it dropped down below normal, therefore I was craving more to bring my blood sugar back to a normal line. After really paying attention to not eating high-glycemic foods, you will find that your cravings will lessen over time to a point of disappearing. Mine did! Take it from an ex junk food junkie. You could sit anything 'bad' in front of me now and I wouldn't have the desire to eat it. Pretty cool
---Try sprouted bread. Again, does not raise your glycemic index and is better for you. When I have a sandwich now I eat it topless and I save about 90 cal. per sandwich. Does really add up.
This is a long post so I will end it with this. If you want more ideas, let me know.
You are doing great
Re: bf...no, that was not cool. Good for you to get right back where you were.
I have a few ideas for you for now:
---I keep a bowl of this in the fridge most of the time: an english cucumber (not bitter like regular ones) and white onion...about equal portions. Cut both in very thin slices and put in separate bowls. Salt heavily and leave for about a half hour. Rinse and soak both well with water getting most/all of salt out. The result is very soft--as though they had been cooked, but retaining raw flavour. Put the two together in one bowl and add some rice wine vinegar. You can add any flavouring as well but it is really good on its own. I add some paprika. Even better next day.
---Cream of tomato soup. I make my own and it doesn't even compare with canned. Put a 26 oz can of crushed tomatoes in a pot. Add 4 cups of chicken or veg. broth. Bring to slight boil, take off heat and add 1 cup of skim milk. Keep warm and simmer adding a bay leaf, some italian seasoning, celery salt, onion salt, garlic powder, parsley, and a couple of pinches of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I add fresh basil as well. The recipe says to puree but I don't. This is delicious and satisfying and I just have a mug whenever...
---Have you tried Swedish rye crisp flat bread? (The one with sesame seeds is even better.) A good size piece is only 25 calories. I even put a very scant amount of butter on it.
---Cut some red, yellow and orange pepper is slices and keep in fridge. When needing a large craving filled I will stuff a half a whole wheat pita pocket with the slices and sprinkle some salt and olive oil on the peppers. Nuke on med-low for a bit to release flavours. Awesome, and hardly any calories but lots of vitamin C. I don't disallow myself the other half pocket but usually don't need it, especially if I wait a few minutes.
---When you have pasta, make it whole wheat. Will not spike your glycemic index as much as white. I always wondered why I was starving after about an hour after white pasta meal. The pasta spiked my blood sugar too high and then it dropped down below normal, therefore I was craving more to bring my blood sugar back to a normal line. After really paying attention to not eating high-glycemic foods, you will find that your cravings will lessen over time to a point of disappearing. Mine did! Take it from an ex junk food junkie. You could sit anything 'bad' in front of me now and I wouldn't have the desire to eat it. Pretty cool
---Try sprouted bread. Again, does not raise your glycemic index and is better for you. When I have a sandwich now I eat it topless and I save about 90 cal. per sandwich. Does really add up.
This is a long post so I will end it with this. If you want more ideas, let me know.
You are doing great
Is it too soon for me to love you? Hope not! Thanks so much for all the great recipes! All that food sounds amazing and just perfect for me. I love that I can keep most of it in the fridge for easy access and not have to start cooking a whole lot (even though I love to cook, don't always have a lot of time) in order to eat well.
Keep em coming!
You rock...
Keep em coming!
You rock...
Nope. Not too soon to love me! I am just to be able to help. This is a win-win thing!
Keep your omelettes interesting. Try using different fresh herbs and you won't get bored. Mushrooms are safe, as are fresh basil and chives. Even when I make the egg mixture I am spicing it up before even pouring into pan. Try a bit of a hot sauce, a touch of worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle paprika on top after folded. Fresh herbs are great but dried are just fine if you don't have any around.
Here is another thing I do for a snack or side dish. Tomatoes are in season and are delicious. Keep them around. Slice on the thick side and saute in a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar if you want, to tone down the acidity, and then use your imagination. Some fresh basil or cilantro (don't need both) and a bit of salt. Don't need to saute very long...maybe a minute on each side. Bonus: When tomatoes are warmed they release lycopenes which are anti-oxidants (I am big on anti-oxidants).
Keep it up sister! You are well on your way. Keep focussed. Small goals. I'll keep sending as I think of them. Most, if not all, of the stuff I will send your way will be quick fix stuff so that's good that it works for you. I am that way myself. I don't have time to spend on long prep. Remember: variety and flavour. Later Buddy.
Go Jolie Go!
to be able to help. This is a win-win thing! Keep your omelettes interesting. Try using different fresh herbs and you won't get bored. Mushrooms are safe, as are fresh basil and chives. Even when I make the egg mixture I am spicing it up before even pouring into pan. Try a bit of a hot sauce, a touch of worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle paprika on top after folded. Fresh herbs are great but dried are just fine if you don't have any around.
Here is another thing I do for a snack or side dish. Tomatoes are in season and are delicious. Keep them around. Slice on the thick side and saute in a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar if you want, to tone down the acidity, and then use your imagination. Some fresh basil or cilantro (don't need both) and a bit of salt. Don't need to saute very long...maybe a minute on each side. Bonus: When tomatoes are warmed they release lycopenes which are anti-oxidants (I am big on anti-oxidants).
Keep it up sister! You are well on your way. Keep focussed. Small goals. I'll keep sending as I think of them. Most, if not all, of the stuff I will send your way will be quick fix stuff so that's good that it works for you. I am that way myself. I don't have time to spend on long prep. Remember: variety and flavour. Later Buddy.
Go Jolie Go!
I think I got my muscle workout big time today. Stevie and I painted my giant classroom, and got most of the top half done (except for the part that I can't reach because I'm short). My arms are sore and my upper back muscles, too. Hopefully this painting can count as my weight training today, even though Wednesdays are supposed to be my off days. I'm doing a good job with the diet, but I can tell I'm relaxing a little bit, which is ok. I'm still eating very healthfully, just not as only veggies. I'm looking forward to hitting up the gym tomorrow.
Thanks wenwen for the great recipes, I tried the tomatoes for a snack and they were awesome. I'm going to try the worcestershire in the omelette tomorrow..... I put it in everything else, why not eggs? I'm going to be posting a good crawfish recipe soon, too!
Thanks wenwen for the great recipes, I tried the tomatoes for a snack and they were awesome. I'm going to try the worcestershire in the omelette tomorrow..... I put it in everything else, why not eggs? I'm going to be posting a good crawfish recipe soon, too!
Great Recipe
I had never heard of quinoa until a friend of mine told me it has taken the place of all her rice (which is a staple food in south Louisiana) and lost weight just through this change. It is full of fiber and protein, and very healthy! YAY!
Here's her favorite recipe using veggies and another staple here, crawfish. She has also used shrimp, scallops, chicken, and just plain veggies. Very adaptable. Quick hint-- if you use crawfish, you can usually find it in your frozen seafood section. I advise not getting chinese crawfish because it's harvesting techniques are not as good as locally harvested. Of course, fresh are best, but if you can't find it, next best thing will work.
Crawfish Quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups stock or water (try chicken or shrimp stock)
olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tbs garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 pack Louisiana crawfish tails
1/4 cup sliced green onions
pat of butter or heart-healthy spread
cajun seasoning
Rinse quinoa until water runs clear. Put it in a rice pot or medium saucepan with the stock or water. If using plain water, add a little salt. Cook like rice (bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy and tender). Cooking takes about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
While quinoa is cooking, saute onion and bell pepper in a skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil. When the onions and peppers are wilted, reduce to medium-low and toss in the garlic, cooking for a minute or so. Then toss in the mushrooms and stir. When the mushrooms start cooking down a little, add the crawfish and green onions and toss, cooking for just a minute or two. Add butter or spread and stir gently into the crawfish/mushroom liquid to make a nice little sauce. Serve over fluffy quinoa. (I also like to toss the quinoa in the skillet with the crawfish for a minute before serving. You only need 2 cups cooked quinoa if you're doing that and this recipe will yield about 4 cups cooked quinoa.)
I had never heard of quinoa until a friend of mine told me it has taken the place of all her rice (which is a staple food in south Louisiana) and lost weight just through this change. It is full of fiber and protein, and very healthy! YAY!
Here's her favorite recipe using veggies and another staple here, crawfish. She has also used shrimp, scallops, chicken, and just plain veggies. Very adaptable. Quick hint-- if you use crawfish, you can usually find it in your frozen seafood section. I advise not getting chinese crawfish because it's harvesting techniques are not as good as locally harvested. Of course, fresh are best, but if you can't find it, next best thing will work.
Crawfish Quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups stock or water (try chicken or shrimp stock)
olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tbs garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 pack Louisiana crawfish tails
1/4 cup sliced green onions
pat of butter or heart-healthy spread
cajun seasoning
Rinse quinoa until water runs clear. Put it in a rice pot or medium saucepan with the stock or water. If using plain water, add a little salt. Cook like rice (bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy and tender). Cooking takes about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
While quinoa is cooking, saute onion and bell pepper in a skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil. When the onions and peppers are wilted, reduce to medium-low and toss in the garlic, cooking for a minute or so. Then toss in the mushrooms and stir. When the mushrooms start cooking down a little, add the crawfish and green onions and toss, cooking for just a minute or two. Add butter or spread and stir gently into the crawfish/mushroom liquid to make a nice little sauce. Serve over fluffy quinoa. (I also like to toss the quinoa in the skillet with the crawfish for a minute before serving. You only need 2 cups cooked quinoa if you're doing that and this recipe will yield about 4 cups cooked quinoa.)
The crawfish recipe was awesome! I added lots more veggies and made a quinoa pilaf instead of just boiling it plain. I just used a rice cooker, but had to add more water and set it to cook twice because of all the good for you veggies. Even my dad (who hates anything grown in the ground except potatos) enjoyed it!
Finished painting the bottom half of my classroom today, and man, painting is hard work. Still have to put a second coat on the top half. Can't reach, though. Much too short.
Still kinda in a funky mood, but not sure why. Not sleeping as well as when I first started exercising and kinda not feeling like going to the gym, but pushing through it so it becomes an ingrained habit.
WenWen--the tomatoes were delicious! I was happy to be getting extra anti-oxidants, especially as a teacher.
Finished painting the bottom half of my classroom today, and man, painting is hard work. Still have to put a second coat on the top half. Can't reach, though. Much too short.
Still kinda in a funky mood, but not sure why. Not sleeping as well as when I first started exercising and kinda not feeling like going to the gym, but pushing through it so it becomes an ingrained habit.
WenWen--the tomatoes were delicious! I was happy to be getting extra anti-oxidants, especially as a teacher.
Quinoa loses a lot of it's bitter flavor if you soak it for about 30 minutes (it's just the outside that's bitter, this rinses off easily. Also, if you're pressed for time, toast in skillet, then rinse and boil with vegetables for a quick and easy pilaf. I added all of the veggies in my house that seemed like they would go together well and everyone loved it. I also added a low sodium seasoning blend (Slap yo Mama or Tony Chacherie's) to the veggie broth for added flavor without fat/calories.
I will be making stuffed red, yellow, and green peppers tomorrow with the quinoa. I add a little worcestershire, hot sauce, seasoning blend, and ground turkey with more veggies. I brown the turkey and sautee the veggies at the same time, then add it all to the rice cooker and set it on cook. While that cooks, boil the peppers till just tender, and then set out to be stuffed. Preheat oven to 375. Top peppers with cooked tomatoes and a little cheese. Bake about 30 minutes till cheese is melted and peppers are tender to bite. Yum-o-la
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I will be making stuffed red, yellow, and green peppers tomorrow with the quinoa. I add a little worcestershire, hot sauce, seasoning blend, and ground turkey with more veggies. I brown the turkey and sautee the veggies at the same time, then add it all to the rice cooker and set it on cook. While that cooks, boil the peppers till just tender, and then set out to be stuffed. Preheat oven to 375. Top peppers with cooked tomatoes and a little cheese. Bake about 30 minutes till cheese is melted and peppers are tender to bite. Yum-o-la
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I am having major major cravings! Last night was chocolate and popcorn, this morning pickles (which I ate), pizza (made an egg white omelette with pizza sauce and light cheese and lots of veggies, really tasted like a pizza!), and watermelon. Last time I had cravings like this I was pregnant. I'm pretty much positive I'm not...talk about a weight loss ruiner