Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I made the Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Noodle Bake a little while back after seeing it on her blog.  It reminds me of a dish my mom use to make when we were growing up. It's very easy to prepare, inexpensive, and can feed a crowd (or at least give you plenty of leftovers). It is also an easy dish to make in advance and either store in the fridge for a day or in the freezer until you want to bake it. Josh and I both enjoyed this and Jack did too! It's definitely one we will keep in the rotation! And I may try it using different seasonings, adding vegetables, or whatever else comes to mind! 

Lemon Chicken Piccata

Last week I made one of our favorite meals, Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata from a recipe I found in Cooking Light a couple of years ago. This is a go-to meal for us when I want to make something easy, tasty, and light.

The recipe calls for Meyer Lemons, but I use regular lemons and they work fine. I usually serve it with whole wheat thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta and veggies, this time it was broccoli. I usually pour some of the extra sauce and a little olive oil over the pasta.

Jack enjoyed it too, I just gave him some without the sauce over it. I didn't think he would be a big fan of capers!

Light Dinner

Last night we were ready for a light and healthy dinner after our week of not eating so well. I made this pasta salad that is a favorite of mine. It is very simple, and if you make the amount the recipe calls for, you will have plenty left over for lunch for a few more days. The recipe is on a previous post.

For the pasta salad I used this pasta I bought at World Market. It was very good!

We also made margaritas last night. Josh enjoys playing bartender, so he tried a recipe from his Ultimate Bar Book that I gave him for Christmas a couple of years ago. The recipe was for a Classic Margarita.

It was a pretty good margarita. We both thought it was a little sour with all the lime, and I remembered we had just bought blueberries, so I decided to mix those in. I just put a handful in the glass and mashed a few of them at the bottom. It was pretty good, but I think next time I might try it with some sugar added, or make a simple syrup with the blueberries.

Been A Little Busy Lately...

Well, the last couple of weeks have been super busy for us, so I have been a little absent lately. My sister got married 2 weekends ago, we moved a week ago, and last weekend we were in Dallas. So, needless to say, life has been a little crazy! We are finally settling into our new apartment a little better, and I am getting back to cooking!

When we got back in from my sister's wedding, we were low on money, so we did not want to go out to eat, but we had very little food in the fridge. We did have some chicken, so I pulled that out and made a delicious (although not super healthy) meal, homemade chicken strips. I cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips. Next I made a battering assembly line. You need 3 shallow bowls, one with flour, one with a beaten egg (season the egg with salt and pepper, and garlic powder), and the last one with whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs. Keep them in that order, with the bread crumbs closest to your frying pan. Fill your frying pan with oil (canola or olive), about 1/2 inch deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat, and wait for it to get hot. Dredge chicken through flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Drop battered strips into the oil and cook until golden brown, turning to cook all sides evenly (cut into thickest pieces to make sure they are cooked all the way through). Place on wire rack with paper towel lined plate underneath to drain remaining oil.

I made a little honey mustard dipping sauce to go with the chicken fingers. I don't have exact measurements, so I will do my best. Stir together 2 parts mayonnaise, 1 part dijon mustard (I use Annie's Naturals Dijon), 1 part honey, and salt and pepper to taste.

This chicken with the sauce was really good (especially for being a meal born out of improvisation). Josh loved it too. He told me it was like homemade Chick-fil-A, which is a huge compliment coming from him, since he loves their chicken strips and Chick-fil-A sauce!


The past couple of mornings I had Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal for breakfast. It is one of my favorites! Give it a try sometime. It is sweet and has 6g of fiber per serving.


So, as I mentioned before, we have been pretty poor since we got back from my sister's wedding, so I have been trying to think of inexpensive meals using ingredients we already have along with cheap extra ingredients. On Monday night we had this pasta. I cooked whole wheat spaghetti and topped it with tomato sauce and sauteed carrots and zucchini. Often I think I can't buy fresh ingredients when we are low on cash, but that is not true. If you are on a tight budget, you can still find some really great deals on fresh produce. The zucchini was only $.55, and I bought a one pound bag of carrots for $.69, which will last me through the week! I also bought broccoli for another meal, and it was only $.41! You just have to be a little more flexible. Some produce is expensive, such as avocados, baby spinach, and almost anything organic. But if you just take the time to look around at prices, you can find some great deals on vegetables you can buy with your spare change!

To make the sauce for this pasta, I used 1 can of tomato sauce, which I already had in my pantry, and poured it into a pan on medium heat. I then added a generous dash of oregano, 2 cloves of minced garlic, a dash of crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. After the sauce was bubbly, I reduced the heat to low, and let it simmer while I cooked the pasta and veggies. I saved the leftover sauce to make pizza the next day.

This meal was simple, healthy, and cheap!

New Pasta Dish & Another Basketball Game

Tonight I tried a new recipe I found in the April issue of Sunset magazine. I followed the directions except I used cherry tomatoes rather than regular ones, and no purple basil (don't know if they carry it at the local grocery store-I might have to look harder next time). This dish was pretty good, but I forgot to season it before serving, so it seemed a little bland. So, if I try it again, I will season it ahead of time and try to find the purple basil! This was very easy to make, and pretty fresh and healthy! You can find the recipe here.

Tonight I had another basketball game. The last one was canceled, and I had plans the week before that and couldn't play, so I finally got to play again tonight. This evening's game was much better than the last one I played in. Our opponents were not high school varsity players (more women in their 20s and 30s like us), and they had no subs, so we beat them pretty easily. I felt much better playing (most likely because I wasn't trying to keep up with 17-year-olds!), and I had a few good shots which boosted my confidence!

I am going climbing again tomorrow too, so I am slowly getting back into the work out mode. I realized today that I haven't done any of my at home weight workouts, I guess I just slowly quit, without really meaning to. So, I am going to try to start doing that again too.

Attempting to Get Back In the Game...

So, with all of the busyness lately, I have not been eating well. I decided on our way home from our Easter trip that we really needed to get back to cooking at home more regularly and eating healthier.

So, on Tuesday night I made this wonderful meal. I had seen something similar in a recent issue of Sunset magazine, and just changed it up a bit. It was easy and delicious! This would be a great brunch meal for guests, or just a Sunday morning on your own.


With the leftover ciabatta, I have enjoyed a nice appetizer throughout the week of ciabatta with a dipping sauce made of toasted garlic, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and a little salt. Yum! The only problem is it's so good I want to eat tons of it!

Last night I made an easy pasta with this Arrabiata sauce I found at World Market. Making homemade pasta sauces is great, but it's always nice to have this on hand when I want to make a quick, easy, and healthy dinner.

I poured this sauce over whole wheat noodles and sauteed zucchini, and topped it with a little grated parmigiano reggiano. The sauce was good and had a really nice spice to it. I will definitely try it again!

Easy Pasta Recipe

Tonight I tried a new pasta recipe for Pasta Ponza. This is one of Giada De Laurentiis' recipes, and you can find it here. I originally saw it in a recent issue of Reader's Digest (thanks for the subscription Nana and Papa!), in which they were highlighting some Food Network stars. This recipe is very simple to make, light, and flavorful. I think it would be great when entertaining a large crowd too, because you bake the tomato and bread crumb mixture in one dish for about 30 minutes, then just cook the pasta separate, so it is not too much prep work, but it is still a filling and impressive meal. The only changes I made were to use only red cherry tomatoes (couldn't find yellow tonight), greasing the pan with olive oil cooking spray instead of butter, substituting fresh parmigiano reggiano for pecorino romano, and penne for ziti (I already had these and did not think it was necessary to buy something different).

Well, tonight I got back into exercising by playing a game of basketball. I am on a team in a women's league here in town, and tonight was our first game of the spring season. Our team is a mix of women from age 16-40ish. So, I am about in the middle of the age range. Our opponents, however, were primarily players from the varsity basketball team of one of the local high schools. Turns out teenagers can run a lot faster than all of us old ladies-who would have thought?

I played basketball all growing up and through high school, and although I was never a super star, I was a varsity level player, and very familiar with the game. I feel like when I play now my mind tells my body to do things, but my body doesn't always respond the way I am hoping. I made one pass tonight to a girl under the basket, thinking it was going to be really awesome, but my pass hit the backboard, and I am afraid people watching may have thought it was a shot attempt. Yikes.

There is also the problem of being able to breath. Sometimes it's a little difficult to feel like I am capable of breathing when I am running up and down the court trying to keep up with all those 17 year old girls.

I had one shining moment where I made a nice steal then dribbled in for the lay-up. However, that moment was short lived when I missed the lay-up (but there were 2 girls guarding me, so I have an excuse, right?).

Well, I have a feeling I will be very sore these next few days. Despite the imminent soreness, the slowness of my body, and the embarrassment on the court, I did enjoy playing (as I always do), and I plan on playing through the rest of the season. So, you can look forward to many more stories about Chelsea's Adventures on the Court.

Did I mention that the breathing thing made me realize I need to start running again? Not too sure how I feel about that...

GORP

Well, the past week or so I have not done a very good job at sticking with a healthy lifestyle. There are many factors contributing to this: laziness, lack of money, lack of time, lack of motivation...I could go on. Anyway, I am realizing more and more that I have to stay on top of things, be organized, and not give in to temptations (to sleep too much, eat too much, etc.). When trying to lose less than 15 pounds, every workout and every meal seems to count extra. I will do well for a few days, lose 2-3 pounds, then do poorly for a few days and gain them right back.

One thing I have noticed is that I need to stay organized, and plan out meals, groceries, budget, etc. When I don't plan these things well, we seem to run out of food and money at the same time, and our "reserves" seem to always be junk food. This month one of my goals is to do a better job with all of this so that I will have good, healthy meals planned, and a good supply of healthy snacks. I noticed on Monday at work how hard it is to get through the day when you are hungry, and the temptation to eat a lot when you get home from work if you have not eaten well throughout the day. Last week I brought snacks to eat when I have breaks, and it really made a difference. On Monday I had a small, healthy lunch around 11:00, but nothing else to eat until after 5:00 when I got off work. My energy was low that afternoon, and I was starving when I got home.

So, I got paid (from one of my jobs) yesterday, and was able to pick up some groceries. A friend at school had given me a big bag of M&M's, which I definitely do not need to be eating in large quantities, so I decided to make some GORP with it. What is GORP you may be asking yourself? Well, it is basically trail mix. I have heard it stands for "Good 'Ole Raisins and Peanuts." When I worked at the Outdoor Pursuits Center in college, we made this to take on all of our outdoor trips. It was wonderful in the middle of a day of backpacking, because it helped give you the boost of energy you need. It generally has some sugar, salt, and protein. There are many variations when making this, and last night I made mine with equal parts M&M's, Raisins, and unsalted dry roasted peanuts. You can also add cereals, pretzels, reeses pieces, dried fruits, or anything else along those lines. Now, this is not something I need to eat large amounts of, but a handful in the middle of the morning or afternoon gives me a good energy boost, and calms my appetite.

Last night Josh had his night class, and I was coming back from coaching a basketball game out of town, so I decided it would be a good night to pick up dinner. I went to Rudy's Barbecue, which is close to my house, and very good. I ordered a turkey sandwich, which I feel is a fairly healthy option, but I decided to add a side of potato salad, which may not have been the best idea (probably a lot of mayonnaise in that).

On Monday, I tried to think of a healthy lunch I could make quickly at home during my lunch break. We did not have much in the fridge or pantry (this was pre-payday, so pickings were slim), so I decided to go with pasta. I cooked bow tie pasta, then added quartered cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, dried basil (fresh would have been better, but I did not have any), fresh grated parmesan, and salt and pepper. It was really good and light! I think this might also be a good cold pasta you could make the night before, stick in the fridge, and eat it cold the next day.

Exercise update: I actually exercised! It had been awhile. Last night I went climbing again with some friends. I am really enjoying getting back into it. It is such a great workout, and I feel like I push myself more with climbing than any other sport I do. When you climb, your goal is very obvious, and I find the challenge really fun and rewarding (completing a difficult route after many attempts feels really good)! My motivation to push myself with sports like running is a lot lower. I know I could run harder than I do, but it is easy to just settle into a slow pace and go.

This morning, I tricked myself into getting up and running. This is how: last night I set my phone alarm and set it on my bedside table. I also set my ipod alarm for 10 minutes later, and put it on the floor so that it would require more effort. When the phone alarm went off this morning, I told myself I was not running today and reset it for 45 minutes later. However, when my ipod went off, I had to reach down and get it, making myself wake up more. I laid in bed fighting an internal battle of whether or not to get up, and the good side squeaked out the victory today! I ran for 20 minutes (in freezing temps), and came home in time to get ready for work and eat a good breakfast.
I like using this light vanilla flavored soy milk in cereal. It is healthy and a little easier on the stomach. Some of you may be thinking soy milk sounds really gross, which is partially true. I don't think it is that great as a drink on its own, but it tastes good in cereal, and I particularly like the vanilla flavor. So, I had a bowl of organic toasted oats (similar to Cheerios) with soy milk and topped with blueberries...not too bad!

Busy Week Recipes

Well, it's been a busy week, so sorry I haven't written in awhile! That also means this post will be extra long. I know most of you have been dying to see when I would post next (or maybe just my mom was, but I am glad to have a faithful reader)!

On Monday night I tried a new steak recipe and made my own french fries to go with it (it was make what we have on hand night, which just happened to be steak and potatoes-can you tell I am from Texas?). A friend had mentioned a good rub for steaks if I searched "Cowboy Steaks" online. I found a good recipe on the Food Network website that was really easy, and I had all of the ingredients in my pantry. You can find it here. I used the rub in the recipe, and tried broiling my steak, which I had been wanting to attempt for awhile. I think it could have been good, but I kept them in there just a little too long, so it was more cooked than I would have liked. Next time I think I will just follow the recipe that goes along with the rub and cook it in a pan.

I made my own version of shoe string fries by cutting russet potatoes into thin strips, laying them out on a baking sheet and drizzling them with olive oil and spices. I used chili powder, garlic pepper, and season salt. Then I baked them at about 450 degrees until they were a little crispy. I ended up baking them about 15 minutes then broiling them for a few minutes, just keep an eye on them, and figure out how long is best. I liked these fries because they are cheap, quick, and healthy!

Monday morning Josh ran with me, which was really nice. I do enjoy running on my own, but it's nice to have company sometimes too. It's also good to have someone to help push me to work a little harder!


On Wednesday night I made Pasta Pomodoro from a recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook (and just changed it up a little, so I am giving you my version). It was quick, simple, and good. It's a great meal for weeknights when you get off work and don't have time to cook a big meal. For the two of us I used about 1 1/2 cups (dry) penne pasta, which you cook as directed on the box. Then, in a pan, saute about 3 cloves minced garlic in olive oil. Next, pour one 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes in with it, along with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then let simmer about 5-7 minutes (you want the sauce to thicken a little). Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil. Split penne between two bowls. Top each with sauce and fresh grated parmesan. I also added some red pepper flakes to mine for a little spice.


Tonight I made tacos and my black bean and corn salsa. Josh had a meeting and was not going to be eating dinner with me, so I just decided to make some taco meat to use for a little taco salad. I always just make taco meat with ground turkey or beef (turkey is much lighter, but tonight it was beef because I already had some on hand) and store bought seasoning packets (my favorite is Lawry's, probably because it was what my mom always used). Taco meat makes great leftovers too (makes me look forward to my lunch break tomorrow)!

I like to use the meat for a taco salad, which for me consists of blue corn tortilla chips, my black bean and corn salsa (recipe below), my regular salsa (which I have on a previous post), reduced-fat Mexican shredded cheese, and the taco meat. Tonight I tried to use a smaller portion of meat and cheese to be healthier. I like the black bean and corn salsa because it is healthy and filling, so you can use less meat and not notice.



I ate something similar to my black bean and corn salsa once, and decided to come up with my own. It is inexpensive, easy to make, pretty, and good! It's great for parties because it makes a lot and you can make it ahead of time (just wait to add the avocado until just before your guests come so it doesn't get to brown). Here is the recipe:


Chelsea's Black Bean & Corn Salsa:

• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
• 2 small avocados or 1 large, chopped
• Julio's Seasoning (this may only be available in Texas, I am not sure) or other Mexican seasoning or season salt
• Fresh lime juice (about half of a lime)
  

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and add the seasoning to taste. You can also add fresh cilantro if you have some. This is great in salads, as a dip, or to top grilled chicken.

Okay, now to the exercise update...

Sunday night I went rock climbing at the indoor climbing wall at Tech. I use to do it a lot in college, but not much since then. It was really fun, and is a wonderful workout, so I am hoping to keep doing it about once a week.

On Monday I ran with Josh, which I mentioned earlier. Tuesday I was busy working and did not workout. Wednesday morning I decided to work out inside, which for a cardio workout wasn't the best for me. I did not work as hard as I do when I run, so it probably was not the best idea. However, Josh and I did go for a walk together that night, so I got a little more exercise in, just nothing strenuous.

Today I had a break in the middle of the day, which I normally do not have, so I decided to go for a run (and this isn't even one of my official running days-I am crazy!). It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, so it was nice to run in shorts and soak up the sunshine. I even ran longer this time-25 minutes (I know, it's not that much, but remember, we are taking baby steps here)! And after dinner I did some weight workouts at home. I think tomorrow I am going to do weight workouts in the morning, and hopefully run later in the day, and if not then, I will definitely run Saturday.

Well, hopefully next week I will be able to write more regularly!