Hide n' Seek Trash Bags

As I was changing out the garbage this morning I thought it might be fun to share a quick time saving tip. How many of you out there hide or store the fresh trash bags in the bottom of the garbage can? I've been doing this for years and it's such a handy idea! It saves time and steps to the pantry. In addition, if you have other family members doing chores, it might encourage them to complete the task if it's more convenient!

I just got a new box of garbage bags. It still doesn't take up that much room in the bottom. Trust me I'm able to fill them to the top!

Try these Glad bags I got last time. I was impressed. They have a force flex which has kept things from tearing out the sides and spilling randomly before I make it to the dumpster. They also have an odor shield. They were a few pennies more than the regular box but well worth it as I don't have to take out the trash as often. Think of all the wasted trash bags when you must remove them half full because the odor is so pungent! Ick!
I see they also come in vanilla scent... I might try those next time :) What tips or tricks do you guys think are the bomb? Do share!!

Breakfast Egg Roll

Just a quick post today.  Making fast healthy meals can be challenging. Especially thinking of new ideas to keep your taste buds engaged! Here's a really quick idea you can toss together in a matter of minutes. Minimal ingredients and fits within healthy in my book ;-)

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 Lt. Italian Flatout bread
baby spinach
sprinkle of cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
non-stick spray

First separate you eggs into a bowl (I missed taking pics of that) I do the half shell method. I do usually do this over a bowl though in case one of those buggers slips outta the shell into the bowl on me!

I use a 3/1 ratio as I like to get a little fat in the mix. I also like some of the flavor of the whole egg in there. It's totally up to you. If you use all egg whites try eating a few almonds with your meal. Those are a great source of healthy fat.

Spray your pan with non-stick spray (like Pam) and scramble up your eggs. Shake, shake a little salt and pepper. I sprinkled on a little shredded cheese too. Whatever type I had in the freezer (not sure it was cheddar honestly). About a teaspoon. Let it melt.

While all that was happening I got out the following:

One flat bread. Flavor: Light Italian Herb. Ammmmaaaazing!!!!  They have 90 cals a a piece, 6 carbs, no sugar, and 9 g of fiber! I know right! :o I've been eating these for years and I just love them for wraps and flat bread pizza.

Again with the baby spinach. I seriously love this stuff. It's so good for you. And a bag goes so far!

Slide your melty cheezed eggs right on top of that healthy baby spinach.

Roll the flatbread up.. cut.. and it's a wrap! (just like the movies, lol)
Yes.. I see the paper plate.. today I add to my carbon footprint in a big way.

Green Monster

As you all know I am quite fond of tossing a few items in the blender, swirling them around and swirling myself right out the door with a nutritious, on-the-go breakfast.  One version of these breakfast blend-sations includes spinach and I've become accustomed to calling these wonderful little morning creations Green Monsters. Yesterday I hauled my hiney off to kickboxing for a 6:15 (please note this next part) AM class. I was home by 7:30 ready to put some protein in my tummy to save those screaming lil muscles I'd woken up so early. Out came the blender.. in went the following ingredients!

Green Monster (Mango-Coconut)

1/2 cup fresh apple juice
3.5 oz Greek Yogurt (2% Fage is what I used)
1 TB Flaxseed
1 TB Wheatgerm
2 TB Fiber
1/8 cup frozen coconut shavings
1/4 cup frozen mango chunks (Dole)
2-3 oz cold water if needed
Baby spinach to the top!

I found this brand of Apple Juice at Hy-Vee.  I feel like it's as close to fresh apple juice as I can come with out having a juicer of my own. As you can see in the label.. "not from concentrate" They squeezed every single apple into this fun little jar! Doesn't it have a certain 50's -esque feel to it!

If you couldn't see before.. here's a closer view!

I've recently discovered that all yogurts are basically bad for you. They are sugar in a cup. I became very sad at this moment. It's like all these years of thinking I was eating something good for me and suddenly my favorite toy was smashed to pieces. Fortunately I only "try" to eat healthy ;-).  I can allow myself to use good yogurt in recipes and I'll still sneak that yummy Chobani I love so much as a treat when I'm feeling naughty! Consider it the lesser of two evils.. straight out cheesecake or Chobani.
This Greek yogurt has good stats with:
130 cals
4 g fat
65 mg sodium
8 g carbs
8 g sugars
17 protein

 Flax and wheatgerm. I put these in every breakfast shake I make.. standards in my book. You can't tell they are in there and they provide so much benefit! I'm super excited because I just found out my friend will be selling organic flax from her family farm! It will be fresher and organic! Yay for my body!

Next comes adding fiber. Does anyone know how many grams of fiber you are to eat in a day? (guessing, guessing...) You all might be right.. as the range is 20-35 grams!! (ADA recommends 25-35g) I used the Sprinkle fiber on the left that I bought at the local nutrition store Campbells but I put a picture of a common brand name on the right: Benefiber. These powders are great because you can toss them into just about anything: regular food, sauces, soups, beverages. They are flavorless and don't change the consistency of the food items. Benefiber even has convenient single serve packs for on the go.

 I tossed in a smidge of fresh frozen coconut that I picked up at the Indian grocery. I'm sure regular coconut would work. Or try dried, hydrate it, then freeze.

Dole makes these great pre-packaged frozen fruits. At first I thought they were too pricy for my taste. But if you watch the sales and use coupons they are well worth the price! Especially for the unique fruits like mango. Since you only need a few cubes at a time they last forever and convenience wise its fabulous. Plus we all know most of us are more likely to eat healthy if its easy. Plus I thought it was fun to know my mango came from Peru!

Fill the blender to the top with spinach. Push blend and away we go! I usually have to use a rubber spatula to gently push the spinach down abit. I also needed to add just 2-3 oz of cold water this time to make it blend up nice. It always depends. Just eyeball it.

Finally here's the little Green Monster himself. This will totally fill up your gas tank- promise!

Eat dessert every day

So I've been broadening my horizons lately and bringing home different type of yogurts. Many seem to be the Greek variety. My thought being that perhaps eating Greek yogurt will turn me into a Greek goddess! lol..just kidding ;-) I had to comment on this particular brand because it got a huge thumbs up in my book! It was an instant WOW Yeeeeum!! It was one of those double takes at what was on my spoon as if I couldn't believe God would let me eat something so yummy AND let it be healthy! This little 140 calorie container packs all sorts of protein and healthy carbs so you can count on a well balanced meal or snack. Perk- it has fruit in the bottom! Seriously.. I felt like I was eating dessert!

Purchase Power: Yogurt Focus

So recently I've been trying out some different food items and I thought it might be nice if I posted my thoughts for you guys out there so you could either not purchase the icky ones and make the same mistake I did.. or run out and buy up all the totally delicious foods I've discovered!! Brief and blunt reviews Heather style :)

PS: I just saw how many people have checked out my page since the last I've been out there- WOW.. it was like 89  last time I happened to look. It's 249 now!! That's so cool and encouraging!! No followers yet but I'm sure someone is going to be the first and then there's no stopping the flood gates from opening after that! :D Thanks guys!!

I heart this Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Dressing. Sweet Poppy Seed. Only 70 cals per serving, half that of other brands. As much as I'd like to make my homemade version every time, I just don't have time, and honestly this is prolly darn close to as healthy as it's made with apple juice, yogurt, onion, egg yolk, etc. Granted it's got just one one or two crazy things in it but convenience wise I have to draw a line in the sand to make my life workable. This falls on my side of the line. :)
A funny lil story.. quirky girl that I am lol.. I have been calling this brand BOAT-house for years! I started writing this little paragraph above, I looked at the picture and thought,, BOLT-house.. whaaaat?!!! LOL.. OMG.. I've totally have been wrong all this time!! What a spaz I am!! :D
Purchase Power: Thumbs Up.

Suggestion.. use this dressing on spinach salads.. strawberries, blueberries, some sunflower seeds or sliced almonds.. mix it up and you've got a fresh summer salad that is super yummy! The one here has blackberries bc they were on sale at the grocery.. they are my FAV!! luv um!! We used to eat them straight off the wild timber bushes back on the farm. Just had to shake the bush with a stick to scare away the snakes-- no kidding!!

This new yogurt from Yoplait is now my new fav! It has twice as much protein as the other brands (12 grams!) and the texture is perfect! It's more thick, custard like. Has more of the true yogurt taste to it but not over powering. I've tried the honey-vanilla, blueberry flavors: thumbs up. Also plain for recipes. Bought strawberry this week to try. My fav was the honey-vanilla. Also it's not made with milk from cows treated with rBST/rBGH.
Purchase Power: Thumbs up!

I know organic is much healthier. I've also heard you have to go entirely organic to make a true difference. This yogurt isn't going to bring me to that life change lol. The texture was the consistency of pudding. Flavor: not that great. It ranked low nutritionally for me as the protein was only 2 grams which is mostly the reason I eat yogurt in my diet. Calories: median. The only positive point it had was the organic nature and it's graphically pleasing label.If you're into organic, it perhaps mite be worth a whirl.
Purchase Power: Thumbs Down.

Thai Tonight!

Although it's not quite grilling season where I live, I'm not afraid to hope wishful thinking might drive the snow away! This Satay recipe will be great to use the first time you break out the grill! Don't forget to soak the scewers in water before you start, so you're ready for the first peep of summer sunshine! 

Chicken Satay

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger finely chopped
• 2 TB green onions
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp white pepper (I omitted only because I didn't have any)
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp light cooking oil
• 2 TB honey
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 1 TB lime juice
• salt to taste

Chop all your ingredients as directed above. I clean and chop my veggies when I get home from the grocery and store them in air tight containers so they are ready to go at a moments notice. You can throw together a healthy meal in no time if most of the prep work is done!

Marinate chicken with all the ingredients for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Place chicken on skewers and grill until done (Chicken will run clear juice vs pink when it is done cooking. Removing just when done will ensure your chicken isn't tough and dried out from being over-cooked)

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 1 cup cashew butter (much healthier than peanut butter)
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 TB red chilies finely chopped
• 1 TB farlic finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 2 TB lime juice
• 1 TB sesame oil
• salt to taste

Heat the oils and fry the onions, garlic, and chilies until tender and aromatic.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until it starts to give out oil, stirring constantly.

Serve the skewers immediately from grill with room temperature peanut sauce. Garnish with slices of cucumber and a splash of lime juice. Sit back and enjoy the warm weather!!




Thanks to Hooked on Heat for this spicy little dish!

Jazz Up Your Cottage Cheese

I read in People magazine today Kate Gosselin (formerly of Jon & Kate Plus Eight television series) has a new focus on eating healthy and one of her fav's includes cottage cheese sprinkled with sunflower nuts. I've always been a fan of mixing my cottage cheese with some odd things, but that was one I hadn't heard! I came home and tried it for lunch and loved it! Yum Yum!!

Here are some other cottage cheese mixers:

• I like to add tuna to mine. Everyone I tell this to turns up their nose but.. they always come back surprised at how good it was! I grab those one serving packets of albacore tuna (Sunkist brand I think) and mix it right in with a half cup cottage cheese. I prefer Anderson Erickson brand- it taste the best to me!
• A friend of mine adds yogurt. I wasn't as fond of this variation but it was edible lol.
• Chop up some fresh veggies (peppers, green onions, etc) and toss 'um in!

What other foods do you add to cottage cheese to change it up? Write a comment below to share with everyone! The healthy masses want to know :)