I was surfing the Whole Foods website for a new recipe to make on this cold winter day when I found this recipe for Butternut Squash with Wilted Spinach and Blue Cheese. I have a lot of butternut squash stored in my basement, so I only need to buy a few ingredients to make this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
• Salt and ground black pepper 

Instructions

Roast the butternut squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. Halve the squash lengthwise. 
3. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard seeds.
4. Peel the squash with a knife or a vegetable peeler and then cut the squash into 1-inch cubes.
5. Place squash cubes on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toss with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.
6. Spread the squash out in a single layer.
7.  Roast, tossing occasionally, until just tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

After removing roasted butternut squash from the oven:

1. Mash blue cheese and lemon juice together in a large bowl to make a thick smooth dressing.
2. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add onions, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
5. Add spinach and cook, tossing often, until slightly wilted and warm, 1 to 2 minutes more.
6. Transfer contents of skillet to bowl with dressing, add squash, salt and pepper and toss to combine. 

Recipe and photo source: Whole Foods

January 25, 2015

It's that time of year to use your crock pot to make some delicious beef stew - and this is just the recipe you need...

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of beef stew meat
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 small parsnips
• 1 large carrot
• 4 large mushrooms
• Sea salt
• Borsari - if you don't have this spice mix add pinch of the following dried or fresh ingredients: basil, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger

Instructions

Place a frying pan on the stove at a high temperature and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and half of the beef. 

Sear (brown) the beef on all sides and then remove the beef from the pan. I used to skip this step, but I've found searing the meat with a little oil in a hot skillet allows the meat develop more complex flavors. It just takes a few extra minutes and well worth your time.

Add1 teaspoon of olive oil and the remaining meat to the hot pan and sear on all sides.
Place all of the seared beef in a large crock pot.

Slice or mince the garlic and add it to the crock pot.

Sprinkle Borsari on top of the beef (or a pinch of the following dried or fresh ingredients: sea salt, basil, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger)

Slice the parsnips, carrot, mushrooms, and onion. To avoid overcooking the vegetables, add them to the stew 1-3 hours after you start cooking or 1 hour before the stew is finished cooking.

Place the lid on the crock pot, set the crock pot on high and cook for 4-6 hours (or low for 8-10 hours).

I added noodles to my leftover stew the next day. I use my Spirooli to turn zucchini into noodles. Delicious!

January 25, 2015

Ingredients

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 3 garlic cloves 
• 1/2 onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

Place uncooked chicken in the bottom of slow cooker.

Pour both cans of tomatoes (with all the liquid) and the chicken broth over the chicken.

Mince the garlic add to slow cooker.

Dice the onions, green pepper, zucchini, and add to slow cooker.

Add cheese, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks and then place the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker.

Top with fresh parsley and a few sprinkles of shredded Parmesan cheese just before serving

January 25, 2015

Shortly before nine o'clock this morning I was hungry and this is usual for me. Following the rule to "only eat when you're hungry," I figured a few slices of ham would hold me over. I decided to wait a few more minutes, so I could finish a project I was working on, and the next thing I knew - two hours had passed. Oh, so this how it works: acknowledge your hungry, focus on something else for a few minutes, and Wham! You've completely forgotten about being hungry. Nice!

My ham and eggs un-sandwich

Hmmm...this sounds familiar...pushing away hunger. What a great concept! LOL.

After I finished my project, and having forgotten I was hungry two hours earlier, I headed downstairs to my kitchen looking for that ham. I opened my refrigerator and an idea hit me: it's cold and snowy outside, so why not warm up that ham rather than eating it cold? In fact, why not make a ham and egg "un-sandwich?" I grabbed ham, eggs, and an onion from my refrigerator and began to create a new "un-sandwich" recipe.

This recipe was perfect for me: 2 eggs, 4 slices of ham, a little onion, and sprinkle of cheese. Adjust the amount of ingredients for how many people you're serving and how many eggs they want. Change the ingredients to what suits your needs or what's in your refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs (I prefer local and free range)
• 4 slices of ham (I prefer Black Forrest)
• Small amount of shredded cheese (I prefer Parmesan, plus it's the only cheese I consistently have in the house)
• 2 thin slices of onion (I prefer vidalia)
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Directions

Turn the broiler on to preheat the oven. It's ideal to have the eggs finish cooking at the same time as the ham. To give the onions enough time to cook, put the ham slices in the broiler a few minutes before starting the eggs.

Sprinkle a light amount of cheese in the middle of each ham slice 

Sprinkle a very small amount of shredded Parmesan cheese across the center of the ham. Do not cover the whole slice of ham with cheese, just make a thin line with a tiny bit of cheese. The intent here is to enhance this dish with a little bit of cheese. Tons of cheese oozing from the ham is not considered "a little bit" of cheese.

If you prefer to have lots of cheese oozing out of the ham, realize you have a choice to make: enhance this recipe with a "little bit of cheese" or add a lot of cheese and plateau your weight loss. The choice is always yours. 

Roll the ham slice and place it on a baking sheet. The ham roll should be more flat than round. Repeat for the remaining ham rolls.

Peel the onion and then cut it in half. Slice off two thin pieces of the onion. Place half of each onion slice on top of each ham roll.

Place ham slices under broiler until the onion is soft.

Broil 2 slices of ham with cheese inside and onion on top per egg

As the ham is broiling, add a small amount of olive oil to a fry pan and place on the stove on medium heat. When the oil is hot, drop one egg at a time into the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the eggs.

Cook the eggs to the desired firmness and then remove the egg pan from hot burner.

The egg yolks are firm and little runny (no runny egg white)

As the eggs cook, keep an eye on the ham. You won't be turning the ham over, but you don't want the ham or onions to burn.

Remove the ham rolls from the broiler when the onions are soft (or cooked to your liking).

Eggs and ham - cooked just how I like them

Place the four slices of cooked ham side by side on one plate.

Slide the eggs from the pan onto the ham. I cut the eggs so they'd slide out easier.

On such a cold and snowy day, this really hit the spot for me

BTW, you may have noticed I had five slices of ham in the broiler, but remember I made up this recipe on the-fly when I was hungry. Trust me, no ham was wasted while making this recipe.

My ham and egg un-sandwich and coffee

I had hot coffee (Pike Place Roasted) and frothed milk with my ham and egg un-sandwich. Yummy! I didn't watch the time, but this recipe came together in less than 15 minutes. If I was thinking ahead, I would have made more coffee before I began this. Such is life!

January 24, 2015

Snowy Owl; photo by Theresa Chamberland
 Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge, Rhode Island

I've been off for a long time, but it's over now. I'm not talking about being off-program, I'm talking about being off from work. During my months as a job seeker, I stayed the course and I did not go off-program. I did not turn to my old ways of eating during this major change in my life. In fact, I lost weight during my transition. Victory!

Last week my search for a job ended and today is day three of my new job. It feels foreign to have structure in my day once again. Not that I didn't have any structure. I planned daily walks and they were longer than ever before. I walked daily with my friend in Long Beach, CA. Mary and I talked on our cell phones as she walked in sunny southern California and while she walked in a heatwave with temperatures often in the 90's, I walked through the mild summer, ever changing fall, and cold mornings of Massachusetts in my zipped and hooded Parker, and leather gloves, until it was so cold outside that my phone shut down. Yes, it was that cold!

When the long dreaded freezing temperatures of December and January arrived and my Mass. walking buddy went away for the holidays, my walking came to a halt. I started mall walking and talking with Long Beach Mary, but then she went to Rhode Island for the holidays and my daily walking routine became sporadic.

All my long walks, especially in those cold temperatures, really paid off on New Year's Eve. I joined Mary and another friend on a bird watching walk at Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge in RI. As you can see from the photo above, it was freezing cold, but seeing my first Snowy Owl was well worth it!

Before losing this weight, this three mile walk in freezing temperatures was not something I could have done. There were many such walks that I missed out on because of my obesity. Making walking a part of my life also made this opportunity possible. I didn't spend any of my thoughts on how much my feet hurt or wondering "how much further?" I was free to focus my time on being in the present moment and fully enjoying my time with my friends and meeting my first Snowy Owl.

While it may not be mandatory to exercise to lose weight, exercise was just what I needed during my transition from one job to another. All that walking, plus losing weight, helped keep my energy, my optimism, and my spirits high. What's not to love about that?

Exercise takes time to make a habit, but we must find the time in our busy lives to make exercise a habit. We also must forgive ourselves when we have lapses, and keep moving forward. Having a plan for when we're going to exercise is the only way it's going to happen. I no longer have a gym I can go to at lunch time, but I can stop at the mall on my way home from work until the weather gets better.

Do you have a plan for exercise in your life? If you're new on the weight loss journey, start with a 10 minutes a day of some form of exercise and build up from there.

January 21, 2015

Yesterday I went to the Earlee Mug, a key-friendly restaurant in Granby, MA, and they have an incredible burger served on a cauliflower bun. I used a knife and fork to eat this burger, but it was worth it! If you're looking for an inexpensive and key-friendly place to eat, this small diner-like restaurant may be just the spot for you.
A couple months ago a few key-friends and I went to the Earlee Mug for breakfast. I had heard they  makes BLT's on cauliflower buns and we wanted to give them a try. They sold out of them just before we arrived. We were disappointed, but not at all surprised. I scanned the specials listed on the chalkboard and when I saw meatball omelet, I knew there had to be some one working there following the key program. Sure enough, Jennifer recognized a couple of us.

They often have daily specials that include key friendly items. I haven't had their pulled-pork omelet, but am willing to give a try any time. All four of us ordered meatball omelets with a side of ham. Oh yeah, they have incredible ham that they slice right off the bone. We were all happy, happy, happy with our breakfast and we vowed to come back again to try a sandwich with the cauliflower bun.
Yesterday I decided I didn't want to wait any long, so I went by myself for lunch. The cauliflower buns were just out of the oven!
I ordered a cheeseburger and onions on the cauliflower bun and watched Jennifer cooking my lunch on the grill.
Jennifer plated up my sandwich and it tasted as delicious as it looked.
The cauliflower bun reminded me of a Johnny cake, which doesn't tell you much if you've never had one, but trust me - it was delicious! The texture of the bun was firmer than cornbread but not as fluffy as a slice of bread, it was just the right consistency.

Usually I add ketchup and mustard to my burgers, but there was no need on this burger. The meat was juicy and flavorful and the peppers cooked just right.

And of course the best part is this was a key-friendly lunch!
Jennifer has perfected the cauliflower bun. I encourage you to go try one for yourself some time soon!

Check out the Earlee Mug on Facebook.

Here's a recipe for cauliflower buns. I haven't made them yet, but if I get around to it I will post photos with the recipe. One thing I understand about making these is that it's key to this recipe is to really squeeze out the excess moisture. Jennifer said she leaves them on a towel for a while to really let them dry out.

January 10, 2015

If you love cabbage, you are going to freak out about how good this dish is. If you are on the fence about cabbage, this might be the recipe that converts you to a cabbage lover.
This is a simple side dish worthy of a dinner party and couldn’t be easier to make. Four ingredients, a couple of minutes to prepare and toss in the oven for an hour.

Ingredients

• 1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1 inch thick slices
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
• Kosher salt (optional)
• Black pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Pull outer leaf off cabbage and then cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into slices one inch thick.
3. Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.
4. Use a pastry brush (or fingers) to evenly spread olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.
5. Sprinkle each side of cabbage with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
6. Roast cabbage on the middle rack for 30 minutes. 
7. Carefully flip the cabbage "steaks" and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy.
8. Serve hot and enjoy!

Photo and original recipe source: AmberLee

January 05, 2015

Are you looking for a way for this to be "the year" you gained control over you weight issues? Look around: help is everywhere. Inspirational words, photos, and videos are at your fingertips. Literally. All you have to do is search online. Pinterest, YouTube, and other social media, are full of all kinds of inspiration. Why not use these free tools to help inspire you to reach your goal size? Let's start today!

Be inspired by the awe of nature photography you find online, but also get out and take some photos. Let your inner child out and have fun with your camera. As you take photos, reflect how easily you move about in the world without that extra weight you used to carry. If you are just beginning your weight loss journey, visualize how incredible you too will feel when you lose weight.

If it's too cold to go outside, go online and look for photos of the places you always wanted to travel to and use those photos to inspire you to stay the course on your weight loss journey. Collect images and videos of your dream vacation and visualize yourself walking there and feeling incredible. 

The are are tons of free online tools that allow you to collect and store inspirational images and videos. One of my goals for 2015 is to expand my Pinterest boards. The beauty of Pinterest is that I use it to inspire me and to inspire others as well. Care to join me? If you don't know what Pinterest is, perhaps it's time to find out.

When you hear an inspirational quote, share it with others. Post it to your Pinterest account. If Pinterest doesn't excite you, post inspirational images and quotes on your refrigerator. Surround yourself with inspiration in whatever way works for you.

You can even find inspiration from TV news, as I did this past weekend. The quote below is from a girl on a team that lost 84 straight games - that's four years of playing before they had a victory! See the 3-minute video With 4-year losing streak on the line, hoops team goes for broke.

"If you keep putting in the time and effort, it will pay off."

This inspirational quote is so applicable to weight loss: stay the course and it will pay off for you too!

After watching that video, how can I ever complain about being on a plateau? I know if I keep putting in the time and effort, I will reach my goal! And so will you.

This morning I was looking for inspiration to help me get and stay motivated to exercise. Now that winter has really kicked in, the number of steps I've been walking have dramatically decreased. I have a treadmill, but I haven't stepped on it yet and it's too messy to walk outside. So, what's a girl to do? Go online and find help!

I did a Google search and I found a ton of motivational exercise videos and articles, as well as apps, many which are free. I downloaded the app "Exercise Gym and Weight Loss Motivation Hypnosis" By Erick Brown (free from iTunes).

Today I'm starting a 30-day squat challenge and before I do my first squat or get on my treadmill, I'm going to listen to Erick's app. I have not been able to reach my previous attempts at a 30-day squat challenge, so this time I found a squat challenge that looks more reasonable for where I am in my journey:

Once I found a chart that looked reasonable, I searched for a good video on how to properly do a squat...

Exercise is key to helping us not only take weight off, but to keep it off. How motivated are you to reach your goal size? Do you need help finding inspiration? Look online.

Do you need motivation to start exercising or to keep going? Ask a friend to exercises with you. Is the weather too horrible to get outside? No problem - go online and use Skype to exercise together from your own homes (you can even stay in your jammies).

Use the free online tools that are out there to help you get motivated and stay motivated, to reach your goals this year! You can do this! You are doing this!

January 5, 2015 update:

I highly recommend the Exercise Gym and Weight Loss Motivation Hypnosis app! I listened to it last night and again this morning. It is inspiring and motivating. And best of all - it's free!

I actually listened while I was on the treadmill last night, so it wasn't the meditation that inspired me to get on the treadmill, but it did keep me going. Well, that is until I realized it was midnight and I needed to get to bed.

My little mean girl didn't say a word when I got off the treadmill at 12:03 am with less than my 10,000 steps for the day. Sure, it took me all day to listen to my own advice and turn on this meditation, but it was great and I'm proud that I stepped up and started exercising once again!

I am so inspired that I listened this morning before getting out of bed. As soon as I finish this update, I'm going to do my squats and then get on the treadmill again.

We do our very best today and then we do it again tomorrow. Are you ready to start moving today? Small goals is where you begin. Set a goal for today and just do it!

January 05, 2015