Today was perfect for cooking in the crock pot while working on other things at home. Due to the heavy snowfall, I didn't have to go into the office, so I made this crock pot balsamic chicken recipe. I just ate it for lunch and the chicken was so tender and flavorful it is on my list of dishes to make again. As late in the day as it is, it was well worth the 4 hour wait!

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken (dark items are basil)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 3 garlic cloves minced)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1/3 cup fresh chopped basil)
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion (or 1/3 cup fresh minced onion)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (about 24 ounces)
• sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley

Directions

1. Combine these spices in a small bowl:

• garlic
• basil
• salt
• black pepper
• onion

I used fresh garlic, onion, and basil.

2. Spread the above spices on both sides of the chicken and then set chicken aside. 

Spread spices on both sides of chicken.

3. Pour olive oil and fresh garlic on the bottom of the crock pot. 

Olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar with measuring spoons and knife.

4. Place chicken on top of olive oil and garlic. 

5. Pour balsamic vinegar over the chicken.  

Chicken coated with garlic and basil in crock pot, olive oil and garlic on bottom, and balsamic vinegar on top.

6. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.  

7. Before serving, sprinkle fresh parsley on top (optional). I didn't have parsley, so I added freeze-dried chives.

Photos by Theresa.

February 05, 2014

I'm been writing this blog for two and a half years now and I can't believe that I have yet to add my homemade chicken soup recipe. I have many variations of this soup, but when I made this last week it was hands-down the best chicken soup I've ever made.

My homemade chicken soup.

I'm going to tell you how to make this recipe in the way my grandma would have told me one of her recipes. Instead of listing how much of each ingredient and each step, I'll tell you about the different ways I prepare the chicken and broth, and then give you veggie options.

How to Prepare the Chicken

There are a 2 methods I use for having cooked chicken to add to chicken broth:

1. Cook a package of boneless chicken breasts (2-4) in chicken broth and add veggies.
2. Pull the meat off the bones of a whole cooked chicken (store bought or one you cooked) and add chicken to the soup a few minutes before serving.

For the soup I made last week, I bought a whole cooked chicken. I cut off the breasts, which I used to make Chicken Parmesan that night. While my chicken Parmesan was baking, I removed the rest of the chicken from the bones, put that chicken in the refrigerator to add to the soup later, intentionally leaving some meat on the bones, and then I placed the bones in a crock pot.

I added a box of chicken broth and thin slices of fresh ginger root to the crock pot. Ground ginger will work also, I prefer fresh.

I set the crock pot on low around 10pm and I left it on until about 6am.

Whatever method you choose for obtaining cooked chicken, set it aside or refrigerate it to add after all the veggies are cooked (or a few minutes before serving). It's your call as to how you want the chicken cut. I prefer to shred my chicken, but you may cut it into cubes or slices.

Best Broth to Use

The best broth for any soup is one you made yourself, but I usually add boxed organic chicken broth.
Use any broth you have on hand, canned, boxed, fresh, or pull broth your homemade broth from the freezer. I haven't used bouillon cubes, but this is also an option.

After cooking, pull the chicken from the bones and cook the meaty bones in broth overnight, I pulled everything from the crock pot in the morning and separated the chicken, bones and the broth. The chicken was added to the other chicken I refrigerated the night before.

I refrigerated the broth in a separate container, because I finished making the soup when I got home from work that night. The broth gelled in the refrigerator, which allowed me to easily remove the hardened fat from the top before adding it to my soup.

Vegetables

The best veggies to add to this soup are the ones you like best. I added fresh carrots, onion, and garlic, and frozen corn.

Use your judgement on the amount of vegetables. Keep in mind you need equal or more chicken than veggies.

Finishing the Soup

1. Add a small amount of olive oil to a soup pan and caramelize 1 onion sliced or chopped (I like big pieces of onion). 
2. Add the chicken broth to the caramelized onion.
3. Add 2-4 carrots sliced.
4. Add thin slivers of fresh ginger (or ground - either is optional).
5. Cover the pan.
6. After the veggies are cooked, add frozen corn and the chicken.
7. Once the chicken and corn are piping hot the soup is ready serve.
8. Top the bowl of soup with fresh parsley or your favorite herb.

What's for lunch? My leftover homemade chicken soup of course!

January 27, 2015 Update

For the past three days I've been cooking chicken soup and I swear it's the best chicken soup I've ever made. I wanted to make sure I have my chicken soup recipe on this blog and sure enough here it is (above). On February 2, 2014 I also said I'd just made my best homemade soup ever.

Grandma would agree that today's chicken soup (photo below) is my best because it's an organic chicken and because after roasting the chicken I put the carcass and bones in a crock pot overnight to make the broth. Adding slices of fresh ginger root was brilliant too. This was well worth waiting three days!

Organic chicken soup

Ingredients in the soup above: whole organic chicken, 1 onion, 1/3 cup grated carrot, 1/3 cup peas, slices of fresh ginger, 3 minced garlic cloves, salt and pepper.

Directions

1. Roast whole organic chicken, cool and refrigerate chicken overnight.
2. The next day, remove the bones and carcass from the chicken.
3. Refrigerate chicken pieces.
4. Place chicken bones and carcass in a crock pot with 2 cups of water, cover and set on low for 10-12 hours.
5. Let broth cool, remove the bones and carcass, and refrigerate broth overnight.
6. The next day, skim the chicken fat off the broth.
7. Add sliced onion and garlic to the bottom of a big pan and saute until onions are soft. I added a small amount of the chicken fat from the stock to the onions so they wouldn't burn.
8. When the onions are soft, pour the broth into the pan, add carrots, ginger, salt and pepper.
9. Set burner to low for a few hours.
10. Turn burner up to medium, add peas and chicken slices.
11. Once the peas and chicken are hot, server and enjoy!

Photos by Theresa

February 05, 2014

It's that time of year when people start to fall off their diets. New food habits start to slip and exercise goes, well, where does it go? I've been following Julie's way of eating for 3 years now, as of a few days ago, and my food habits are not slipping at all. However, the single digit temperatures in January was just the excuse I was looking for to avoid exercising. Sigh. Any excuse not to exercise is a BAD EXCUSE. Exercise keeps us healthy and energized. So, what's a girl to do to get motivated to start moving? Sign up for the Tortoise and the Hare 10K of course!

Tortoise and the Hare 10K run on April 19.

Why would I do this? Because I can. I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k in Dec. 2013 and in 2011 I finished in the exact same time. I didn't train for the 2013 race and later I wondered how much better my timing would have been if I had trained.

To motivate myself to get back on the track, or the treadmill until it's a little warmer outside, I decided to kick things up by committing to run a 10k in April. I talked with my running buddy Aime and she too is up for the challenge. In fact, she found this race after we talked. I know I can walk the distance, so I'm not worried about finishing the race. Signing up to run a 10k encourages me to get my running shoes on and start training so I can do my best time for this race. It gives me motivation to get moving. Any excuse to get moving is a GOOD EXCUSE.

What about you? Do you have a plan for exercise this week? What can you do to get moving and keep moving? Make a plan and follow Nike's advise: just do it! I'd love to hear what you're doing to keep up with your exercise - what motivates you to keep moving?

BTW, if you haven't made the Caramelized Onion & Sausage Stuffing recipe yet - try it this week! I made it this morning and I just had it for lunch a few minutes ago - yummy! This is a nice warm and flavorful dish to make in the dead of winter. Having plenty of leftovers for lunch this week is great too. While the dish was cooling, I updated the recipe with more photos.

February 02, 2014

Are you on the wait list to see Julie and wondering what you should do while you're waiting for your first session? I received an email asking this very question. Below is my response, but first, I have this to say: it is worth the wait!

Jan. 2014 vs May 2009 - it's worth the wait!

The email:

I made an appointment with Julie at the Hypnosis Center. I know that it is a 3-4 month waiting list, but I felt I had to do it. I went to a wedding this past weekend and saw myself in some of the photos and OMG. I look like a big mountain with a little head. I am saving up for my visits but feel very encouraged as she seems to have a high success rate. Do you have any advise for me between now and April?

Recommendations:

• Go into Julie's classes with an open mind.
• Do not go on an eating binge between now and a few minutes before you start the program. 
• Do not do any further research about this program. You know what you needed to know to make the call. You're better off knowing very little about the program before your first class. Don't go looking for blogs or social media either.
• If you want to do something while you're waiting, do one or all of these suggestions:

1. Eat less sugar now. 
2. Think about why you want this (to lose weight) and what your goals are.
3. Look for others your height and body type who are the size you'd like to be. Before you go to sleep and first thing in the morning, visualize yourself the size you want to be. 
4. Repeat all of the above daily.

Those of you reading this blog who have not finished all 3 classes with Julie, don't read anymore of this blog or other social until you've attended all 3 classes. The less you know about the program when you begin, the better. Seriously.

January 22, 2014

This Chicken Parmesan recipe came from Alanna. This afternoon I decided tonight was the night to make my own version of this recipe. Since I had bought a whole cooked chicken at lunch, I just cut the breasts off the cooked chicken and added the mayonnaise dressing from this recipe. Thirty minutes later it was nice a brown and dinner was ready. It was easy and fast. I have one piece leftover for tomorrow. Two delicious meals done at one pop.

My version of Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 cup light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt 
• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray the inside of a 9x13 glass pan.  
3. Lay the chicken inside the pan.
4. Mix mayonnaise with the remaining ingredients.
5. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over each piece of chicken.
6. Be sure to cover all exposed raw meat or it will dry out.
7. Sprinkle fresh Parmesan over all the chicken.
8. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. 

Recipe adapted from: My Kitchen Escapades

January 21, 2014

After my first class with Julie, I stopped eating breakfast. For the first few months I didn't even drink coffee. Then one day I discovered hot foamy milk and from that point forward I added coffee back into my morning routine. Once in a while I have breakfast with one of my brother's on the weekend, but most days I'm just not hungry in the morning so I skip breakfast. For three years this has been my routine. That is until a few days ago. My appetite has changed.

Breakfast - it's new to me. Photo by Theresa.

My change of appetite started on Friday morning when I ate a few meatballs at 8am. I had cooked meatballs in the crock pot overnight and when I first got up I turned them off and put the crock on the stove to cool. I decided to have a few meatballs with my last cup of coffee and went on with my day. At noon, as I pulled my car out of my garage, I wondered what I would do about lunch. I wasn't hungry and I knew I wouldn't have another chance to eat until dinner. I decided not to worry about this. I was a little hungry about 2:30, so I had a cup of coffee and I tapped away the hunger.

I first noticed my appetite change on Saturday. I tried to write about this in my piece An Unplanned Day. While writing, I pondered what this change meant. Would it continue or was it just a day off kind of fluke? I thought if I wrote about the details of my day, I might see something that caused this change. I couldn't find the cause, so I kept writing and at the end of the day, I saved my post as a draft. The conclusion I was seeking was not surfacing.

On Sunday morning I made sausage and egg muffins and had 2 for breakfast. Once again I was not hungry until dinner time. Last night was the same - no lunch and I didn't eat dinner until 8pm. This morning I popped the last 2 egg muffins in the oven as I made my coffee. Breakfast once again.

Is this a change in my metabolism? Is this a new pattern for me that I'll be following from now on? I still don't see what triggered this change in my appetite, but I'm embracing this change.  This morning, I am not bringing lunch with me. If hunger hits, I can go get something to eat. I want to run with this new pattern of eating and see what comes of it.

Have any of you experienced this kind of change in your appetite?

January 21, 2014

Plans don't always unfold as smoothly as we hope. Things change and suddenly our schedules are turned upside down. We have the opportunity to go with the flow and let go of what our calendar says we were supposed to do. Regardless of the outcome, we always have the option to stay the course with our weight loss program.

 Standing on the porch of my Wickford dream home. 01/17/14.

I made plans weeks ago to meet Mary, whom I visited in Italy last spring, while she was in Rhode Island this week. A few days before she left Long Beach, a health issue came up with one of her relatives and I was on stand-by for details as to when we would get together. Mid-week I still hadn't heard from her and, tick-tock, tick-tock, time was running out. 

Thursday morning and still nothing from Mary, so I decided to take Friday off anyway. Thursday night we connected and agreed to meet at 2:30 at her friend Beth's house. I still didn't know how long our visit would be, what we were doing, or if others would be joining us.

On Friday I got up at 6:30am, made a pot of coffee, and enjoyed my morning coffee vegging out online and watching an Episode of Dexter. While waiting for my milk to froth, I pulled meatballs from my crockpot to cool. I don't usually have breakfast, but about 8 am I felt hungry, so I ate a couple meatballs with my last cup of coffee.

I'm not sure where the time went, but suddenly it was past noon and time for me to hit the road. A few miles from Beth's house I stopped at DnD for a coffee. I about eating something, but I didn't feel that hungry. I was hungrier than I thought, because as I walked toward the door, I was tempted to turn around and ask if I could have the bacon the guy who ordered after me said he didn't want on his sandwich.

Tap, tap, tap. Keep walking.

Mary and I walked through the historic town of Wickford, a familiar place to us, as we grew up in a nearby town. We often come to Wickford when she's in town. Sometimes we shop for antiques or jewelry, perhaps even have lunch. This time we walked to the pier and then explored the neighborhood of homes built in the late 1700's. I didn't pull out my iPhone to take photos until we saw this beautiful new home, which is so new that, according to the sign on the windows, the finish on the wooden floors were still wet.

My Wickford dream house. Hey, a girl's gotta have a dream!

Mary and I walked all around the outside of this house, peeked through the tall doors and windows, and imagined what life would be like living in such a magnificent house on a dead-end street, with water surrounding 2 sides of the property, a dream kitchen with ocean view windows, and a two-car garage with a studio above. "I'd live there" Mary said about the studio. She was not joking.

Our friend Beth called to let us know she had arrived, so we rushed into town to meet her and then we took her to see our house. Beth was confused. "Wait, who's going to buy it?" she asked. Beth didn't know about this game that Mary and I have played for decades when we do these kinds of walks.

Mary and Beth, friend from my childhood.

Three years ago this much walking would have been too much for me to endure. I would not have been able to walk around like this for 2 hours. I would have missed spending time outdoors exploring new and old homes with my friends. I also would have had dinner with Mary's family and eaten everything served, including desert.

Earlier in the day, I arranged to have dinner with my sister-in-law. I knew I'd be quite hungry by dinner time and I wanted to be in an environment where I would have healthy food options. At the restaurant, everything that looked key friendly was coated with flour or breadcrumbs. After hearing me ask so many questions, the waitress asked if I had food allergies. "No," I told her, "I don't eat carbs." I then ordered steak with bay scallops. Lucky for me the waitress, informed me the scallops were breaded and suggested I have them broiled. Wow, I hadn't thought to ask if they would be breaded. Note to self: never stop asking questions about how food is prepared.

For a day with no plans, this day turned out quite nice. I went with the flow. I focused on being in the moment. I let myself feel hunger and I tapped it away. I asked questions about my food options and I made healthy choices. I intentionally fit exercise into my day with friends.

In front of my computer that night, I was happy to see my Fitbit statistics: 12,640 steps! Since the cold weather and snow arrived, my daily average has been between 4,000 to 6,000, far below my daily goal of 10,000.

Fitbit statistics for Friday - yeah I met my 10,000 step goal and then some!

We choose from moment to moment what we want to do with our time and energy. We can plan all we want, but sometimes the best of plans turn out different. With each decision, we affirm our priorities and we move closer to or goals. These are the kinds of decisions each we get to make every day. It all boils down to this one question: how do you want to live your life?

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

What choices are you making today that are helping you reach your goal size?

An unplanned day lead me to this house. Where's your day taking you?

January 20, 2014

This recipe has been on my list to make all week and this morning I finally made them. The original recipe calls for a dozen eggs, but since I'm cooking for just me, I cut back on the eggs and adapted the recipe based on the ingredients I had available. I ate two for breakfast and they were delicious. I put the other four 'muffins' in the refrigerator and I'll enjoy them tomorrow. The other two are going in the freezer.

Sausage Egg Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground pork sausage (or other protein)
• 6 eggs, beaten (remove the yolk from 2 eggs)
• 1/2 cup onions and peppers (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 can (4 ounce) chopped green chilies peppers, drained (oops, I forgot to add these)
• 1 large garlic clove minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste (optional) or or 1 teaspoon Borsari (original) seasoning salt

Directions

Prep counter.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Gather all your ingredients as oven warms up.
3. Lightly butter 6 large muffin cups.

Brown sausage

4. Cook sausage and crumble it as it cooks.
5. Add onions and peppers when sausage starts to brown.
6. When the sausage is evenly brown, drain, and cool.
7. In a large bowl, mix eggs, remaining ingredients and sausage.

Pour mixture into muffin cups.

8. Spoon sausage mixture evenly into each prepared muffin cup.


9. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Insert a toothpick into each 'muffin.'
11. Eggs are done when toothpick comes out clean.

Options

• Use a Misto olive oil sprayer to oil each tin instead of butter. Either way, you only need a small amount, so they will be easier to remove from the pan without breaking apart.
• Add leftover veggies veggies such as mushroom, broccoli, etc.
• Add a sprinkle of feta, Parmesan, mozzarella other other cheese to the top of each muffin as you serve them.
• Instead of creating an egg mixture, layer all the ingredients and then pour the egg mixture into each tin.
• Add a tablespoon of mix to the egg mixture. This makes the texture of the muffins softer.
• Use mini muffin tins instead of full-size tins. I did this recently and brought them to a party and people loved them.
• Other filling options: crab meat, mushrooms, black olives, green chilies, (I found a can of black olives with green chilies and these muffins were incredible), onions, the list could go on and on, just be creative! 
• When you have a small amount of leftover meat or veggies, freeze them  so you have them ready the next time you want to make these egg muffins.

January 20, 2014