Monday kickoff...posted on Tuesday

For those of you following along in our weight loss challenge, I invite you to focus on meal planning this week. I want you to get out a piece of paper and begin thinking ahead. For some, this may come naturally, and for others, an unimaginable feat. Thinking in advance and having food at your fingertips is a good 30-50% of the weight loss battle. If you don't have good food, what's to stop you from eating bad food? I want to share a few of me make-in-a-flash recipes that are not only crowd pleasers, but also conducive to weight loss, weight maintenance or just existing. The first is what I made for dinner that got rave reviews, which tasted way better than it sounded...tacos made with ground turkey instead of beef.

It was incredibly easy and met with rave reviews from both children and adults.

1 package 99% fat-free white meat ground turkey

2 envelopes Goya seasoning (love that orangy color!)

2 cloves garlic, thru garlic press

1 vidalia onion, chopped so finely it disappears into the mixture as it cooks

paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, chili powder (to taste)

1 small can tomato paste

That's it! I warm taco shells (crispy as well as soft) and serve with some finely grated chedder and taco sauce. For some reason, the kids like taco sauce and not salsa (probably because of the veggie pieces in salsa), so I reserve the salsa for me! Taco shells are rather low in calories, and a serving is THREE, which is rather generous with all the meat, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Three tacos is a large enough meal for most people, and really is incredibly healthy and balanced. I make a veggie with it, on this particular day it was sauteed mushrooms for me, and steamed broccoli for the kids and hubby.

So what would you call the polar opposite of healthy and low-fat??? RIBS! For a football game get together, where we watched the Jets lose, I brough my famous all-day-cooking ribs, which I DID NOT EAT. I do love to make them, and they are a crowd pleaser, but they clearly aren't for anyone looking to lose weight, or those with reflux (ME!).

These ribs I decided to throw in a bit of freshly grated ginger for a zing! I actually think the rest of the ingredients overpowered the ginger, but it sure did create a beautiful smell in the house. Below shows the finely chopped onion and grated ginger in the hot-tub sized pot (looooove my new Le Creuset).

I made the bbq sauce from scratch, from the classic New Basics recipe. I do a few more things that the recipe does not suggest, but that's my secret! :) The ribs were a huge hit, and completely devoured except for maybe enough for the hubby's lunch...and I started with slabs upon slabs of them. I forgot what the weight was, but it said "8 pounds or more" on the label. Wooooooo!

Something that I haven't posted a lot about is the fact that sometimes I take one main dish and do it several ways (easy ways) to accomodate for the different people in my house. I do not cook 'separate meals' the way some do, for kids and for adults....but I sometimes, if it is easy,

So last night I had skinless, boneless chicken breasts defrosted from last week's 1.99 per pound sale! My friend makes fun of me for defrosting stuff, since she is an every other day grocery shopper, and refuses to freeze anything. Though I admire her dedication to waiting on grocery lines, I just cannot bring myself to food shopping more than twice a week. I may run in and get specific items, but I just cannot do meal planning more than once a week, and fill in the fridge (milk, cold cuts or side dishes) another time. That's it for me! So I defrosted (G*A*S*P*) the 4 large chicken breasts and decided to make one of my personal faves, chicken curry. Even though usually the girl child is okay with the curry, I realized early on that both kids would probably end up eating a few pieces and leaving the rest on their plates. During midterms, the boy child has to eat, so I made the executive decision to cook the same chicken a few easy ways. I cut all but one breast into bite size pieces and sauteed in garlic, onion and a touch of soy sauce (in PAM). The other breast I dipped in egg and some italian bread crumbs and fried it in my iron skillet in olive oil for the boy child....better yet, the boy teenager. When the chicken for the curry was cooked through, I removed the girl child's portion and set it aside. I visualized her eating the curry, pointing to the boy's fried chicken and saying "WHY DOES HE GET SOMETHING ELSE AND I DON'T?" so in the immortal words of my husband on race day, I said to myself, "Go big or go home!" and decided to serve the girl child the soy sauce sauteed chicken over rice, which is her favorite. It took no more time, because I was already at that stage preparing the curry. SO that's what I did, violating several of my own personal rules, but had no complaints when we sat down to eat. I felt so uniquely and indugently American in my dinner, while I usually serve one meal, with no options....this was my one try at a kid-centric dinner table. I did NOT like it, and will probably not frequently revisit it. At least not before final exams!

 For those of you on the weight loss trail. I want to leave with you two things. First, check back because I am going to upload food records in a download-able format, so you can print them out and keep them with you. I still haven't decided if I am going to make them arty and cute, downloadable as pdf's or business-like and mathmatically based, in xcel format. Ideas? But the name of the game is USE THEM, or use your own. And no, you are not the exception to the rule who is RUINED by food records. Sorry Liz, but I still think you can benefit from them. I know, I know, I'm a pain in the ass. But I'm serious about their efficacy. So serious that I jumped for joy when I heard them discussed on NBC's Today Show this morning. So do not think you are the exception. You're not. If you want to lose five pounds or 135 pounds. Do them, you won't be sorry. xoxo

PS. Did anyone see the Amy Chua interview this morning?

She wrote Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother about Chinese Parenting. Intriguing. I guess too much topic to put as a PS, and it has nothing to do with cooking, nor medicine, nor weight management. But I think worthy of consideration. I am now coming to terms with the fact that in part, I may be an extreme parent. Not a true Tiger Mother, but perhaps it's first cousin, the Tabby Cat Mother, or maybe even the Grizzly Bear Mom. Hmmmm, food for thought.

 

ADDED DOWNLOADS:

Download Foodrecords for my pdf of some fun food records to print out and use. My exercise journal page to match is right here.... Download Exercisejournal

I hope you like 'em!

Comments

[Scott]

First thanks for the Taco recipe, soon to be on my menu now that GASP I'm mixing cheese and meat ;) ;)

2nd 3 meals is a bit extreme, but I think you could have got it to 2. That said, I now make special sides for the carb lovers in my house, and something appropriate for me. It's worth the extra effort to hear my boychik say this rocks, and to not feel like an idiot for eating those butter and milk laden mashed potatoes.

Food logs work, but they are a pain. They work cause they force you to come to terms with what you are eating. Here's a thought, if you really can't stand them. Just log what you eat between meals. Most people (excluding me) eat normally at meals, the extras can sink the boat. I have to log right now. I can eat as much as a pregnant rhino just in 3 meals ( to be fair I'm a bigger person). But that can get out of control.

[Scott]

My comment is getting so lonely

sniff sniff

[Em]

Love your taco recipe. :) Tacos are the best. I am a big fan of the fish taco. Grouper, especially. yum!!! more recipes, please!!!!!