Flips, Food and Friendsgiving

It has been a long tradition of Cool to have Friendsgiving each year, so she is way ahead of the trendiness that has became this newly celebrated holiday.  People are celebrating this holiday everywhere and I absolutely love the idea! 

We started our day off with Friendsgiving Cocktail Club and the vintage Brandy Flip. It was delicious and tasted a lot like eggnog (or at least that is what eggnog always tastes like in my house...I'm thinking my Dad always spiked it...hmmm). 

Cool also catered to the healthy ones of the bunch (I guess that was me) and had delicious fresh veggies and hummus. She even had radishes for me!  My favorite part of holiday meals is the fresh veggie tray. I know, you're rolling your eyes because the dietitian would say that, but it's true! The reason why is because I am not a huge fan of the traditional warm vegetable dishes that are part of the meal  (aka corn casserole) and it is a great way to get a little health on this gluttonous day. 

After a plethora of veggies, I dug in! A beautiful salad with citrus fruit, almonds and onions, mashed potatoes, turkey, cheese curds...and a delicious mimosa with peach sparkling wine. The perfect Friendsgiving meal. 

Not that we had enough food or anything but I don't think we had enough dessert options. Donut bread pudding, jello with fruit, Apple and peanut butter pie. I confess right now, I had a piece of each. I also did feel the "I need to unbutton my pants to breathe." So, off for a walk I went...

I spotted this beautiful rose blooming magnificently on November 15th in IOWA!  After my walk, I joined back in the fun of converstion and drawing with Cool's kiddos. 

Friendsgiving is such a fun holiday to be with our special tribe, we are not related by blood but we are pretty close to the true meaning of family. 

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you and your tribe! Eat your veggies and wear elastic pants. 

~Crazy

Cha Cha Chili Please!

It was so cold last week and now that daylight savings time has started, I am already ready for bed at 7 pm. Let the hibernation begin! Cold weather always inspires me to make chili and so thankfully I had some leftovers after a busy Sunday to indulge in. Now anyone who knows me knows I do not like beans in my chili. When I was younger, my mom would purée beans and sneak them in. Now that I am an adult, I do the same thing because they are so very healthy for you. I guess it's the texture but when they are puréed, they only add thickness and nutrients. 

I start out with ground mild Italian turkey sausage and over medium heat, cook until almost done with the meat being slightly pink. 

I then add in carrots, onions and celery. (Yes I cheated with short cuts from Hy-Vee, so easy!) I finish cooking the sausage and slightly softening the veggies. 

Usually this is about and additional 5-7 minutes.

 I then add in 2 cups of diced red bell pepper and continuing cooking for 5 minutes. 

Next up is one can of tomato paste and one can of no salt added diced tomatoes. 

Once that is blended and simmering, in goes my flavoring. 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of chili powder. I sometimes like mine a little spicier and will add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. 

Stir under blended, add 1/2 cup of water, pop a lid on and simmer on low for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. 

In the last 30 minutes, add 1 cup of puréed beans. I used canned cannellini beans or white beans with no added sodium. The beans will help thicken the chili too. And there you have it! It was a delicious dinner tonight. 

~Crazy

A Different Halloween Delight

During the fall, everyone tends to go off the deep end when it comes to pumpkin. Pumpkin flavored lattes, cookies, bread and even protein bars. I am "in-likes" with pumpkin, let me share with you why.  My first ever pumpkin cooking experience was for Thanksgiving in 2000. My family hosted Thanksgiving each year and each year we had the same desserts, pumpkin and apple pie. I decided that year to make a delicious homemade pumpkin cheesecake. It was full of calories and yumminess. Unfortunately, not many of my family members agreed because it wasn't traditional. Only 2 people tried my cheesecake that I spent almost 4 hours making. This is why I am not "in-love" with pumpkin. This week, Cool and I had our monthly recipe "Throwdown" with a Halloween theme and pumpkin was the first thing that came to mind, so I thought I would give it another whirl. This time around without slaving 4 hours and also increasing the health of it.

Start off with an 8 oz container of 1/3 less fat cream cheese and blend with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. You can use a stand or hand mixer for this recipe.

Blend until creamy and add 1 cup of canned pumpkin, mix well.

I got a hold of this awesome natural Pumpkin Spice extract from McCormick and added in 1/2 tablespoon. If you have the dried spice, I recommend adding in 1 tablespoon. Mix well.

To add body to the dip as well as nutrients as protein, I added in 1 small container of plain fat-free Siggi's Yogurt. You can also use a fat-free plain Greek Yogurt.

For the final addition, add in 1/2 of a container of light whipped topping. This will add a little more creaminess to the dip and cheesecake texture.

Choose fun things to dip. I really thought the Scooby-Doo! cracker sticks were awesome because they are shaped like bones (I had quite a few people as me if they were dog treats, hilarious). Sliced apples, banana ghosts (banana chunks with raisins for eyes) and pretzels were my other dippers.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8oz) pkg light cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• ½ Tbsp pumpkin pie spice extract or 1 Tbsp of pumpkin pie spice
• ½  (4 oz) tub light whipped topping
• 1 (5 oz) container of plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. With a handheld mixer and large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Mix in the pumpkin puree and pie spice.
3. Beat in the whip topping and yogurt until mixed thoroughly and the beaters leave ripples in the dip.
4. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
5. Serve with apples, pretzels, vanilla wafers or your favorite dippers.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-dip-recipe.html

~Crazy

An Apple a Day Keeps the Athlete at Play

When I was younger, we had a great family tradition of making a trip to an apple orchard, picking apples and drinking delicious apple cider and cherry drink after the hard work was done.  Nothing tasted better than freshly picked apples from the orchard. As I got older and moved away from home, I always had a craving for apples in the fall.  No really!  I did and still do. There is something about this time of year and my craving for this sweet and healthy snack. I also find that I have a craving for apples after any type of physical activity, especially after a run.  I think I may be on to something…..

Now that the kids are back in school, after school activities and sports are in full swing and very time consuming. You may also be like me and exercise a lot more once cooler temperatures fill the air.  As a dietitian working in a retail environment, I get many questions revolving around what foods are the best fit to fuel after school/work activities and workouts. When I think about all the options out there for snacks, I think about my own experiences and really feel apples might be one of the most perfect snacks for all ages. 

Here are my “Top 5” reasons apples should be on the top of the food list of any athlete:

1. Apples are an excellent source of fiber. The average medium apple has 5 grams of fiber that aids in the health of your heart. With your heart being your most important muscle, fiber is the key to keeping it healthy. 

2. Apples contain pectin, a fiber that absorbs water to make you feel full faster, and binds with cholesterol and sweep it out of the body. Pectin is also a prebiotic and provides food for the friendly bacteria in our gut to increase our immune systems. During sports and exercise, our immune system can become compromised, this is a natural way to increase your ability to fight off illness. 

3. Apples contain quercetin, a phytochemical that promotes health in many ways.  It may improve cardiovascular health and reduce cancer risks. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can also boost your immune function.  Quercetin has strong antioxidant activity that fights the free radicals in our bodies that come from environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, and herbicides.  These factors wreak havoc on our healthy cells.  But one exciting property that quercetin may provide our bodies is increased endurance. By consuming apples, not only are you getting proper calories or fuel for physical activity, but quercetin may also increase your endurance during a practice, game, gym workout or walk.

4. Apples are one of the leading food sources of boron. Boron is a building block to building muscles and maintaining strong bones that we can only get through food. Boron increases the ability of our body to absorb magnesium and calcium, to maintain bone health and prevent injuries from physical activity. 

5. Studies have shown that individuals who consume an apple a day, tend to consume around 200 less calories a day. For those individuals trying to maintain a healthy weight, this could result in close to a 20 pound weight loss over the course of a year. Just by eating 1 apple a day.

Now how does the saying go?  “An apple a day, will keep the athlete at play!” 

~Crazy

Don't Be Too Busy for Breakfast

School has been in session for about a week. I know we all have the best intentions as the school year starts to have healthy breakfast and lunch every day for the kiddos. But after the first week, things head south in the health department, because life is just busy. Keep the school year consistent by making a healthy breakfast part of it (for parents and kids).  Breakfast is truly the most important meal to eat.   Studies show kids who eat breakfast are more likely to:

 

§  Have higher test scores in school

§  Concentrate better with problem-solving skills used in reading, writing and math

§  Have healthier body weights 

§  Have lower blood cholesterol levels

 

Follow the 3R’s to help your kids make healthy breakfast choices.

Rev Up Metabolism

Breakfast simply means to “break-the-fast”.  Your body tends to burn fewer calories as you sleep.  Burn more calories and jump-start your metabolism by eating breakfast.

 

Reach For Protein and Fiber

Smart breakfast choices should include two or three foods groups.  Include protein and fiber in your breakfast to keep you feeling full longer and less likely to overeat calories later in the day.  

 

Good protein breakfast choices:  peanut butter or almond butter, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, eggs, hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk including chocolate or strawberry milk, drinkable yogurt, lean ham and sliced deli meat.

 

Good fiber breakfast choices: choose a whole grain cereal with at least three to five  grams of fiber, Fiber One chewy granola bar, South Beach granola bar, Kashi bars, whole grain bread or English muffins, Western bagel, banana, orange, apple, strawberries.

 

Ready-To-Go In One Minute

Don’t have enough time in the morning to eat breakfast?  Here are ten quick grab-and-go breakfast ideas that take less than one minute to prepare. 

 

• Fiber One chewy bar, drinkable yogurt. 
• Wrap string cheese with slice of DiLusso deli ham; wrap buttered whole grain bread around meat and cheese, 100% grape juice.

• Clif Kid twisted fruit rope, yogurt.
• Spread peanut butter on toasted whole grain waffles or Hint of Salt Triscuits, chocolate milk.
• Hard-boiled egg, tomato juice or spicy V8 juice
• Mini bagel with Laughing Cow cheese, orange.
• Cinnamon oatmeal with a handful of Sun Maid raisins, single-serve milk chug.
• Breakfast-in-a-bag: whole almonds, golden Sun Maid Raisins, Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, and chocolate Chex.  Mix and pre-portion ahead of time in snack-size bags.  
• Breakfast parfait: layer strawberry yogurt, grape nuts and sliced banana, or stir 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter into vanilla yogurt, top with crushed graham crackers.

• Breakfast taco:  ¼ cup Hy-Vee 2% milk. Shredded Cheddar cheese on a Hy-Vee flour tortilla. Microwave 30 seconds; roll while warm.   Add salsa, if desired.  4 ounces of 100% juice.

 

Bottom line: Don't skip the healthiest part of the day! 

~Crazy

Oven Baked Tostadas

Are you or your family in a dinner funk?  Does is seem like you always eat the same thing each week?  I will tell you that I love tacos and could eat them every week because they are fast, easy, and delicious.  I try to mix my menus up each week for the family to try new foods and to keep things lively, but sometimes you just want tacos!!  This is my way of having tacos again but adding a couple extra ingredients, baking the shell and calling it something different to make them think we are having something different!  

 

 

First things first is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  spray the flour or corn tortillas with oilive oil and place on a sheet tray.  Bake for 4 minutes on each side.  Now when they are done set them aside for tostada assembly. 

Now you need to cook and brown your ground beef.  Cook on medium high heat for about 6-8 minutes.

While the beef is cooking, open up and drain the beans.  The beans are my way of making my money go a little farther and also adding fiber into my families diet.

Wash the beans, nobody likes dirty beans!

After the ground beef is cooked, add the beans, taco seasoning, and some water and mix.  Heat on medium heat until beans are hot and sauce starts to thicken. 

Now that the meat mixture is ready add it to the tops of the toasted tortillas and add cheese.  From here you can pop the tray back in the oven if you want to melt the cheese otherwise just add cheese and start adding toppings that you desire.  The cheese usually melts anyways with the meat being so hot from the pan.

And now the fun part.  Add the topping that you like and desire. 

 

Sometimes I go with what is in my fridge and top my tostada with the standard lettuce, salsa, and Greek yogurt.

Other times I just want to spice things up and have more of a fiesta.  These times I add lettuce, salsa, Greek yogurt, diced tomatoes, sliced avocados and jalapeños.  

It's your tostada, you do what makes your belly happy!  

 

Have a happy week!

Tostadas

Serves 8

 

8 8-inch flour tortillas

1 lb. ground beef or turkey, cooked

1 15-oz. can pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1 Tbsp. water

1 ½ c. Shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Additional Toppings if desired:

Cut romaine lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Salsa

Greek yogurt

Avocado slices

Jalapeno Peppers

Black Olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray the tortillas with olive oil, place on a sheet tray and bake 4 minutes on each side.  Set aside for assembly.  In a medium skillet over medium high heat add the ground beef or turkey and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.  Add in the beans, taco seasoning and water and cook until meat and beans are coated and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

For assembly take the tortilla shell, top with bean mixture, shredded cheese and top your tostada with any other toppings that you desire.  Serve immediately.

 

-Cool

 

Hot Dogs! My Decade Indulgence

I cannot tell you the last time I ate a hot dog. They are not my favorite food, I never buy them and they probably do not make any dietitian's "Top 10 Food" list. But I get it. Hot dogs = summer. Today is National Hot Dog Day. And this summer, I had my first hot dog I have had in probably more than a decade.  To preface, I did consume a lot of water with this salty treat and I was a little nervous to dig in.

I was with a group of new friends that told me I had to partake in this summer tradition. Outside of this adorable establishment, you could watch the hot dog magic happen. 

Chili, hot dogs, cheese and more chili to top off this dining experience. 

The place was full of jovial hot dog lovers!

I was kind of feeding off the energy there and did get a little excited to dig in. And then it arrived...

First bite...good. 2nd bite....oooo yum.  Add a few fries and it became one of my favorite moments...and food of the summer. 

I was so glad I let down my dietitian guard and enjoy this summer favorite.  I am not sure when it will happen again, but when it does, it will be enjoyed in the summer, with good friends and a whole lot of laughter. This summer, I started a new "Top 10" list of foods, maybe not the most healthy foods but foods that made healthy memories with amazing people.

~Crazy

Probiotics: Why Your Tummy Needs Them

Do you eat food? Do you have a stomach? Have you ever been sick? Have you ever taken an antibiotic? Do you get heartburn or other related tummy issues?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need probiotics!!!! A probiotic is a food or a dietary supplement containing live bacteria (as lactobacilli) that is taken orally to restore beneficial bacteria to the body.

Why do you need probiotics? We all are born with lots of good bacteria in our gut and as time passes, so does our good bacteria. Age, illness, medications, environmental factors and much more depletes our massive stores of this life-enhancing substance. Probiotics helps us digest food, absorb nutrients, build a strong immune system and prevent illness.

Probiotics may also help prevent or ease the symptoms of a lot of GI issues many people experience: bloating, gas, IBS, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux, food intolerances/allergies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and the list goes on and on.

70% of your immune system is in your gut and if you are missing good bacteria, your immune system is suffering. Every medication you take and every time you take an antibiotic, you kill off good bacteria. If you find yourself with numerous colds, infections and doctor appointments, you need to be replacing your good bacteria.

Probiotics are naturally found in many foods with the most common one bring yogurt. Greek yogurt usually has 5 different strains of good bacteria and standard yogurt has 1 strain. Both are a great choice and should be eaten every day. You can also find probiotics in fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso and ginger beverages.

 

 

Pharmax Probiotics are Dietitian and Pharmacist Recommended.

Not into a yogurt a day or fermented foods? There are supplements available that can also be taken daily. But there is not a one-size-fits-all oral probiotic pill. You must seek out a professional to navigate the probiotic pills. I have favorites that I recommend to my clients and will be happy to discuss the one that is perfect for you.

 

Bottom line: Make probiotics part of you daily routine. Dietitian recommended!

~Crazy