Monday, January 21, 2013

A meal for a cold winter's night


I love recipes that fill the house with delicious aromas of roasting garlic & onions.  The ones that make your toes curl with delight as you savor each and every bite.  This is my new favorite comfort food packed with flavor but not heavy on the calories.  Plus, its just darn pretty in the bowl.



I make mine with Johnsonville Pork & Chicken blended mild Italian sausage.  I've made it before with Italian turkey sausage and to be honest, its disappointing because the sausage is a little too dry.  Don't get me wrong, I like Italian turkey sausage cooked into pasta sauce, but without any sauce its just a little bland by itself.




Italian Sausage, Peppers & Potatoes
Adapted From Good Housekeeping
5 Servings

Nutritional Information (per serving, according to myfitnesspal.com)

Calories  446
Carbs  52
Fat  18
Protein  22


Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Oven Temp: 450

Ingredients
1 pound or 5 Links of Johnsonville Pork & Chicken Mild Italian sausage, cut crosswise into thirds
6 medium red potatoes, each cut in large wedges (about 8)
1 large white onion, cut into large wedges (about 8-12)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1+ tablespoon fresh minced garlic
Salt
Pepper
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Cover a large jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil (or lightly coat with cooking spray).
3. In a large bowl or bag, combine potatoes, onion, peppers, olive oil, garlic salt (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon), and black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon); toss to coat.  Add sausages and gently mix.
4.  Spread mixture on jelly-roll pan.  Sprinkle with dried basil & oregano (and more salt & pepper if it seems too light).
5.  Roast sausage mixture 30 or until potatoes are fork-tender and sausages are lightly browned, stirring/turning once 15 minutes into roasting.
6.  Try not to lick the bowl...

Happy Dance! (P90x Week 1 Done)



Starting Weight - 186 lbs
Post Week 1 Weigh-in - 182.4 lbs

Now I am realistic enough to know that this was mostly water/whatever weight that happens when you start a strict calorie diet, drink lots of water and spend an hour working out every day.  That didn't stop me from doing the silent happy dance this morning in the bathroom while the rest of the household was snoozing away.

In case I forgot to mention it, P90x is hard.  H_A_R_D.  Not impossible, but yeah, really stinking hard.  I'm focusing on my form so much more this time around and its paying off...with really sore muscles.  I know its only week 1, but I'm already starting to see some of the changes that are on the horizon.  I must take a before picture so I have something to compare myself to when I am done.  Unfortunately, I'm lousy at remembering to do stuff like this, but I'll try to rig something up tonight.

In other news, I've been contemplating the purchase of new swimwear.  Being a 6 foot female, this is always a daunting task to find something that will accommodate my long torso, but perhaps its time to consider something in the 2 piece category?  Maybe?  Eh?  I'm really drawn to the vintage swimwear trend.  Here are some pieces that I have my eye on:


Unique Vintage
Vintage Inspired 50's Style Pin Up Blue Cherry Print Bathing Suit 













Unique Vintage
Vintage Inspired Swimsuit 50's Black Cherry Print One Piece













Unique Vintage
Vintage Inspired Swimsuit 50's Style Black And Red Polka Dot Bikini 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

"F" Words




I haven't blogged in the last week or so because my thoughts have been unbloggable.  Gone were positive, uplifting messages of inspiration and in their place, a mind strewn with F words...failure, frazzled, frenzy, fear, frustration, fatigue...  But! I had to rally and pull myself up by my bootstraps because its time to live in reality where things just aren't that bad.  I have a wonderful life and I am surrounded by fabulously flawed family & friends.  Its time to embrace this chaos, right?  Right?!

So after consuming more than a reasonable amount of Edy's Light Fudge Tracks ice cream and deciding it was time to suck it up, I recommitted myself for the 5,093 time to never stray again!  Or at least, not to stray too far :)  This week marks the return of P90x (per my husband's request).  I was inclined to move to something else like Insanity or Rushfit, but honestly, if he's willing to put in the time to do it, I'm on board.  My Fitness Pal welcomed me back with open arms and reminded me that I hadn't fully tracked all my calories in 3 days, which seemed a little judgmental but then again, I did this to myself.  I'm on Day 2 of P90x and I can already feel the deep ache within my muscles cursing me for waiting so long between workout routines.   The good news is that the holidays didn't bring any weight gain for me (no real weight loss either after the 21 day challenge ended).  So minus the 2 pounds of whatever weight (water, salt, ice cream, being a chick) that I added to the scale over the weekend, I'm starting off in a good spot.  

Tony Horton, kick my a$$ into gear.  Its time to get serious for we are headed into <shudder> swimsuit season.



Thursday, January 3, 2013

The obligatory "2013 Resolution" post

I actually do like making New Years resolutions for myself, but starting in 2012, I tried to build them with my own weaknesses and strengths in mind.  I had some successes and some not-so-successful outcomes but I still enjoy the process of feeling renewed with new purpose.  I just read a blog post from one of my FAVORITE BLOGGERS ON THE PLANET about this subject and she has inspired me to share my own.  Seriously, if you don't follow the Pioneer Woman blogs, you should.  Right now.  Even if you don't cook...or bake...or homeschool your kids...or like photography...or like cattle ranches.  She's brilliant and funny and someone I would love to just know in person.

You can find her posts here.

So the idea is to take the letters of the word "Resolution" and outline your own goals.  Its silly and fun and its my blog so I'm gonna do it.  

Read a sentence, passage or chapter of an actual book (blogs, emails or social media doesn't count) of every day for sheer increase in knowledge or entertainment value.  Can't be work-related in any way.  No time minimums or limits.  
Eat clean for 90% of meals per week (i.e. 3 splurgy meals per week)  
Suck it up and workout at least 4 times per week.  This body isn't going to get/stay toned by itself.
Organize mini-vacations to visit friends who live in El Dorado Springs, Seattle, & Billings.
Listen to my creator, he knows what he is doing when I don't.
Understand and embrace my body/food issues so that I know how to navigate them more positively.
Tell those I cherish how much I adore and admire them as often as possible.
Invite friends to meals/movies/walks/generic outings more.  I worry that I have become the one who doesn't initiate this and that could be perceived as insensitive or uncaring.
Obsess less about the following topics: money, food, future, body image
Notice and take immediate action of problems that I can solve or at minimum, improve.   

Feel free to share yours if you would like, I really enjoyed doing this and would love to see others.


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Clean Eating & Decisions...

The past two weeks have been a fairly typical parade of holiday festivities all adding up to too much fat, salt, sugar and wine (though you won't hear me complaining about the wine...or the martinis consumed with my best friend who was in town for the holidays).  As much as I cherish the new memories associated with consuming delectable treats with my loved ones, I am completely happy to return to my routine of clean eating.  I could feel the balance coming back into place as I consumed my protein shake for breakfast and greek yogurt with frozen blueberries for lunch.  Its not that these things are particularly amazing to eat, but I found I enjoyed the flavors and the familiarity of a meal that would both keep my body full and not bring that sense of guilt or frustration.  I do have some sense of my system withdrawing a bit.  While I am not hungry at all, there is an emotional hunger for things I normally reserve for special occasions (i.e. anything with frosting, chocolate, sugar, cream cheese, chocolate, sprinkles, did I say chocolate?).  I hate the withdrawal stage.  It takes a few days to eradicate the cravings.  I usually deal with this by (1) exercising and (2) allowing myself some of those calories from exercising to indulge a little.  Some Lindt Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt...some Edy's light ice cream.  Something to keep my brain/body from complete rebellion.  I used to try complete and utter denial of those things but it only make me focus on them more.  As long as my iPhone calorie tracker app says I have the calories to do it, I try to use them up, especially the first few days back on track.  Otherwise, I'm snarky and ridiculous to those around me.

I also have a decision that I'm struggling with... The facility which held the 21 day challenge is doing a 60 day challenge starting this Saturday.  Its very enticing as the cost isn't very high for all the benefits you receive.  So I have to decide if I want to make that commitment again which means driving an extra 40 minutes 4 times per week and spending some $$$ which we are recovering from Christmas expenses.  These classes are also 1 hour long which will increase the time and intensity of the workout.  Its not that I don't think its worth it.  I know it would be, but I am a frugal person who owns several workout routines on DVD.  I had the self-discipline to get through P90x once, but I know how motivating it can be to workout in a setting where you push and are being pushed to work harder, faster.  So I'm struggling to decide if adding this commitment into my life is going to be beneficial without adding a tremendous amount of stress.  Stress to prearrange meals to be cooking in my absence.  Stress to get out of the house early on Saturday mornings when I typically make a nice breakfast for the hubby.  So we shall see what I decide I can live with.  Hmm....