Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Cranberry Apple Feta Salad

Salads can get very boring. It is important to mix it up once in a while. This is my all-time favorite salad and it’s very easy to make.

What you need:
1 apple, sliced
¾ dried cranberries
¾ of either pecans or walnuts (depends on you)
¾ of feta cheese
I usually cut up a bunch of lettuce. I use whatever type for this salad but NEVER Iceberg for this.

Dressing:
I typically use either Balsamic vinaigrette or I use Greek vinaigrette.


Mix all ingredients together and enjoy. 


Turkey Chili for either Cycle 1 or 2

 Ingredients
    1 lb ground turkey
    1 white or yellow onion, diced
    3 cloves garlic
    1 can crushed or diced tomatoes (or you can use fresh or frozen-fresh tomatoes)
    1 tbsp each cumin, chili powder, ground white pepper

    Instructions
    1. Brown ground turkey with onions in a pan over medium heat. Grate garlic into the pan (or you can use dried or crushed garlic if you prefer).
    2. Stir in seasonings and mix them thoroughly into the meat mixture.
    3. Add in 1 cup of grated cauliflower and stir until well mixed.
    4. Add 2 small fresh tomatoes or 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes.
    5. Cook over med-low heat for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors develop.

    If you are on Cycle 2, you may add a can of black beans or kidney beans (drained and rinsed) to this dish during step 3.

If you are on C1, you can beef out this chili with large bite-sized chunks of vegetables - carrot, cauliflower, zucchini - best to steam these only slightly so they are cooked but firm, then serve with the chili poured over the top.


***Hint Hint*** I only use fresh veggies!! Taste so much better!


Rosemary Lamb Chops

Sorry so late but I made this last week.

Ingredients:
·         1 pound lamb chops (lamb rib chops are what are pictured here)
·         2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
·         2 teaspoons salt
·         1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
·         1 garlic clove, minced
·         4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

METHOD
Before you start, decide if you want your lamb chops rare or medium. If you want your lamb chops rare in the center, you can cook them entirely on the stovetop.  If you want them a bit more cooked, and you have double rib chops (2 ribs per piece of meat, each piece of meat about 1/4 of a pound), you will want to finish them in the oven, at 400°F for a few minutes. Or you can cover the pan and remove from the heat and just let sit for a few minutes.

1 In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together. Coat the lamb chops with the mixture, massaging it into the meat with your fingers. If you are working with double rib chops, cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. (If you are working with single rib chops, and you want the result to be rare, let the chops sit in the rub in the refrigerator, do not let come to room temp or the thin ribs will easily overcook when you sear them in the next step.)

2 Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-proof sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is shimmering hot, sear the lamb chops on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (If you are working with single rib chops, sear only on two sides, and only a minute or so on each side if you want the result to be rare or medium rare.)
3 At this point, if you want your lamb chops rare, they are likely cooked enough. Remove them from the pan, cover them with foil and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If you would like your chops more cooked, you can put them in a 400°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or keep them in the hot pan, remove from heat, and cover the pan for a few minutes. Then remove from the pan to a plate or  

Now what is really important about making lamb is how you want to cook it. I used this site to help me figure out how to cook it. (http://www.leanonlamb.com/cooking) I also had to figure out what I wanted to pair it with. I decided on BROWN rice and broccoli.

 



Monday, February 17, 2014

Update

Sorry for the not posting this sooner but here is an update...

Millie (my mom) lost 12 lbs in 17 days.  YAY!!!

As for me I didn't weight my self this time. What I did was the jean test. A pair of my favorite jeans were getting tight on me so I knew I wanted to fit those comfortably again. Then I bought a pair that I knew I want to get in to. So I tried on my favorite pair of jeans and they fit within a week. As for the new pair I waited till day 18 or so and I tired them on. They FIT!! Not only did they fit but I was able to touch my toes and was able to take a deep breath in them. That's key if you can not breath in your jeans....DON'T WEAR them.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Cycle 2 Food List

Cycle 2 of the 17 Day Diet (also known as the Activate Cycle) focuses on resetting your metabolism.  Your body naturally wants to preserve its fat and Cycle 2 helps keep your body in fat-burning mode by confusing your body with alternate high and low caloric days.  Cycle 2 helps keep you from experiencing weight loss plateaus as a result of confusing your body.
In Cycle 2 of the 17 Day Diet, you’ll alternate between Cycle 1 Accelerate days with Cycle 2 Activate days.

Proteins

Same as Cycle 1, but add in the following:
Seafood:
Shellfish**
Clams
Crab
Mussels
Oysters
Scallops
Shrimp
Lean Cuts of Meat:
Flank Steak
Top Sirloin Steak
Top Round
Eye of the round
Beef round tip
Beef top sirloin
Beef top loin
Lean ground beef
Pork Tenderloin
Pork sirloin chops
Pork boneless loin roast
Pork top or center loin chops
Lamb shanks
Lamb sirloin roast
Veal cutlet

Natural Starches

(all to be eaten  prior to 2pm)
Grains: (1 serving = ½ cup)
Amaranth
Barley, pearled
Brown rice
Bulgar
Couscous
Cream of wheat
Grits
Longer rain rice, such as basmati
Millet
Oat bran
Old-fashioned oatmeal
Quinoa
Legumes: (1 Serving = ½ cup)
Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Butter beans
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Great northern beans
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans, baby
Navy beans
Peas
Pinto beans
Soy beans
Split peas
Starchy Vegetables:
Breadfruit (1 serving = 1 cup)
Corn (1 serving = ½ cup)
Potato (1 serving = 1 medium)
Pumpkin (1 serving = 1/2 cup)**
Sweet potato (1 serving = 1 medium)
Taro (1 serving = ½ cup)
Winter squashes (acorn, spaghetti, butternut, etc) (1 serving = 1 cup)
Yam (1 serving = 1 medium)

Cleansing Vegetables

(same foods as Cycle 1)

Low-Sugar fruits

(same foods as Cycle 1)

Probiotics

(same foods as Cycle 1)

Friendly Fats

(same foods as Cycle 1)

Condiments

Condiments and seasonings are allowed in moderation:
Salsa
Low-carb marinara sauce
Lite soy sauce
Low-carb ketchup
Fat-free sour cream
Low-fat
Low sodium broth
Truvia or Nectresse** (a non-caloric sweeteners made from natural ingredients)
Sugar-free jams and jellies
Vegetable cooking-spray
Fat-free cheeses (i.e. parmesan)
Fat-free salad dressing
Salt
Pepper
Vinegar
Mustard
Herbs
Spices



Why you should drink green tea...


Greek Yogurt

Why I eat Greek Yogurt…

Protein
Greek yogurt can have twice as much protein as regular yogurt
Greek yogurt averages about 13 to 20 grams of protein.
Sodium
Greek yogurt has less sodium by up to 50 percent

Low in Carbohydrates

Averages around 9 grams.