Fresh start....

It is amazing how difficult it is to find the words after so much time has passed. What has happened in the past almost 3 months, you ask??? My answer: Summer Vacation!! If you want to call it a vacation. Personally, being trapped in the house avoiding the AZ oven temperatures is not completely my idea of a vacation. We did have some fun though. We spent almost two weeks on the beautiful North Carolina coast (my most relaxing vacation with children ever), got a beautiful and crazy new puppy and took a nice weekend to go tent camping in the Arizona white mountain area.
Now a new school years has started. My oldest, Sedona, started first grade as if she was going into seventh. She was confident and ready as was I. My job went back to being a little bit more of a mother and a little bit less of a referee. One week of the new school year has passed and it seems that we have all fallen back into the comforting routine.
I haven't had the opportunity to do much experimentation with food, especially healthy alternative food, but as I have mentioned before, I love to use my Blended Salsa recipe for many other meals and side dishes that I make. One delicious side (as rated by my husband and kids) that finds itself on our dinner table often is my Super Spanish Skillet Rice recipe. It is a necessity for serving with the ever popular tacos and quesadillas that we have in this house. I haven't put together all of the nutritional information though other than the rice and oil, there are very few additional calories (about 160 calories for 8 servings).

Super Spanish Skillet Rice
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp chopped onion (optional - I use about 1/2 tbsp dried onion flakes because they are always in the house)
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (I use jasmine rice ALWAYS)
2 cups water
2 tsp (or 2 cubes) chicken bouillon
1 cup Blended Salsa (or favorite store brand)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. (about 1 minute for onion flakes)
2. Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to lightly brown stir in water and bouillon. Add salsa and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve with your favorite spanish dish.

I hope that you love it.....my girls love the leftovers in their scrambled eggs in the morning. It can always be made healthier by using brown rice, though I have never done it and the cooking time and/or liquid amounts may not be accurate. I would have to experiment with that one.

Until my next post.......

Tip#5: www.motivesbysarah.com Check out this AMAZING cosmetic line that I recently discovered. Motives Cosmetics share the quality of the high end department store/salon brands with out the high end department store/salon prices. Created by Internet Icon and leading trendsetter Loren Ridinger, the products are a fit for all ages, skin types and skin colors. Check out the variety of eye shadow colors!! AWESOME :)

Busy week....

So it has been a busy week in the Ungaro household. It was the last week of the school year and my oldest little girl graduated from Kindergarten!! But, enough of the excuses.....the week is ending and I am back.

So today I am posting one of my all time favorite recipes. It is SO popular in our house. It is a healthier version, though difficult to stick to the proper portion. Here is my wonderful Turkey Lasagna Recipe that I will be making 2 batches of tomorrow.......

"Quiet the Kids" Turkey Lasagna

Ingredients:
10 Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
1lb All white Ground Turkey
2 Jars Pasta Sauce
15oz container Part Skim Ricotta
16oz Part Skim Mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 egg whites lightly beaten
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves minced

Preheat oven to 375. Cook noodles as directed, drain, rinse and separate. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add turkey and cook just until browned (will cook through in oven). Add 1 1/2 jars of sauce to turkey and simmer for 5 minutes. In a large bowl combine ricotta, 12 oz of Mozzarella, Parmesan, and egg whites. Mix well. Spray 13x9" baking dish w/ cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of sauce over bottom of the dish. Place 4 noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/2 cheese mixture over noodles and cover with half of the meat sauce. Repeat with 3 noodles, cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover last layer with last of the noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

12-15 servings (calories and fat will vary slightly based on brands chosen)
12: 379 calories, 13 grams of fat
15: 303 calories, 10 grams of fat

Though this is not the healthiest meal you could eat, if you are a pasta lover, it is a wonderful alternative to traditional lasagna. Pasta dishes are always an easy sell in our house and if my kids are eating well (and quietly) then I am happy. Just be sure to stick to the portion of your choice and add a side salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette. Kraft's light Balsamic Vinaigrette has only 25 calories in 2 tbsp. Hope you enjoy it.......

Until my next post...........

Tip #4: www.my-calorie-counter.com This tool can be a little tedious, but I use it almost daily to keep track of what I am eating. It is free, but to get all the "bells and whistles" there is a monthly charge. I have been using it for free on and off for a year and I love it!! If you can commit, its a great way to help hold yourself accountable of what you are putting in your body. Also tracks your activity for the day. Its food list isn't as great as calorie kings so I use them together and it has been working wonderfully so far.

Guiltless Grill left me feeling a little guilty....

So, as you may know I am a calorie counter. I believe that caloric intake is SO important in weight loss and maintenance. I also try to be conscious of sugar in my food as well. The one thing that I don't tend to do is watch my sodium intake. I don't add salt to my food, but don't really take into account how much salt is really in foods when I eat them....especially at restaurants. If you don't already know, based on a 2000 calorie diet, the recommended daily amount of sodium is 2400mg. Based on my 1100 daily calories, my sodium intake should be about 1320mg.

Today, for my oldest daughter's last 1/2 day at school, we went on a family lunch date to Chili's Bar and Grill after picking her up. Knowing that they offer a "Guiltless Grill" menu, I figured out what I would be getting before I got there so I would not be tempted by all the other aromas coming from the kitchen. So when the server came to our table, I politely stated, "I'll have the Guiltless Grill Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (386 calories) with no onions and Steamed Broccoli , please." When the food came, after removing the top of the bun in order to subtract a few more calories, I took a bite.....and it was quite good. I was pleasantly surprised! So, other than the top of the bun, I cleaned my plate.

When I got home, I jumped online to enter the nutritional information into my food journal. That is when the guiltless became guilty. That simple sandwich had 2301mg of sodium!! WHAT?? Not only that, but the "steamed" broccoli had 70 calories and 190mg of sodium??? Never knew steam was so high in calories and sodium, because according to my resources 1 cup of broccoli only has a about 30 calories and 30mg of sodium.

So, needless to say, I had a nutrition lesson today and I hope that you have too. I am still happy with my choice. It is so rare that my sodium intake is that high and it was a much better choice than many other options on the menu. This has, however, opened my eyes to a new concern when eating out. For those who do have sodium concerns though, buyer beware! Low calories does not always mean healthy. "Fat free" often has higher sugar content and sometimes higher calories. "Light" tends to have less sugar or a sugar substitute. When it comes down to it......moderation is key and common sense is a blessing.

I highly recommend writing down what you eat for a day, a week, a month and see what your reality is. You might be surprised and possibly even motivated to make a healthy change in your life. :)

Until my next post......

Tip#3 CalorieKing.com. This website is a GREAT resource to find the nutritional information for so many different items whether they are grown in a garden, picked from the freezer at your local grocery store or prepared by the wonderful "chefs" at the neighborhood McDonald's. My trainer introduced this site to me a little over a year ago and I use it on a daily basis. It even has a mobile option. And yes, this is where I found my "Guiltless Grill" nutritional information.

Blended Salsa - a staple in my house

So here it is, my first recipe post. This is my version of a recipe that I received from a friend a couple of years ago. It is a favorite and is SO extremely easy. Blended salsa has become a staple in my house and I use it in a lot of my dishes so I thought that it would be an appropriate first recipe. You can make adjustments easily to change the taste slightly, but to me and my family it is perfect just as it is. The choice of peppers is to get a flavorful spice without the burn, but if you like more spice then go ahead and add more or different peppers (though it is fairly spicy). This recipe makes a very large quantity, but it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, though it hardly lasts that long. I like to make a lot because I use this salsa for Spanish rice, shredded pork chili and several other things. I hope that you enjoy! :)



Ingredients:

4 Roma Tomatoes quartered

1 Bunch of Cilantro chopped

2-3 Poblano or Serrano Peppers seeded and chopped

2-3 Cloves of Garlic chopped

1 28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes

Salt to taste (about 1/4 tsp is what I use)


Throw it all in a blender until well blended, about 45-60 seconds. Chill for 3 hours and enjoy as you would any other salsa. Simple, huh??
25-30 calories in 1/2cup (makes 4.5-5cups)

Until my next post......



Tip#2: www.wow-coupons.com Printable coupons for retail stores, restaurants, grocery, travel and rebates. My favorite use for this site is the retail coupons. Pretty long list and they are constantly updating with current coupons. Anytime I am heading to the mall I check the list to see if there are any that I may possibly use. I may not use the coupon since you aren't saving if you are only buying because you have a coupon. But, you never know what kind of deal that you might find. Its all about the right place at the right time.

Getting things started.....

Well, as my first post, here is a little bit about me.....I am a stay at home mom thanks to my loving and hard working (from home) husband. I have three little girls, ages 5, 3 and just about 2 who are my friends and enemies throughout the day. I love them completely and make a point to let them know that all the time....even when I'm not enjoying their company all that much. I love my job! I couldn't ask for anything better than this paradise that I live in. I do own a little side business, an online discount boutique designer children's store. Its really more of a hobby and don't know if it will ever lead to anything, but it does pay for my "extra-curricular" activities.

As a stay at home mom, I am always looking for little outlets for my personal interests and my favorite is cooking. I love to try to create the classic dishes in a healthier version that my kids and husband will also love, like or at least tolerate. But even more than creating these dishes, I love to share them with others and figured that this would be a great way to do so. I will try to put a new recipe up weekly with as much nutritional information as possible, but I'm not sure how devoted I will be. We'll just have to wait and see!

Another thing that I LOVE to share are my personal "tips". These are things that will be about basically anything and I will try to end every post with one. Please understand that many of these so-called "tips" will be completely based on opinion and I am in NO WAY a professional. They are just for fun, but some may come in perfectly handy for you.

I apologize now. I am not a writer nor is my grammar and punctuation going to be perfect!! So hopefully my words won't be too difficult to follow.

Until my next post.......


Tip#1 http://www.restaurant.com/ GREAT deals on restaurant gift certificates across the US. You can purchase a $10 gift certificate for $3, $25 for $10, etc. Sign up for the newsletter and they will send discount codes up to 80% off!! Seriously you can get a $25 for $2. You can print them from your computer and they are good for 1 year from purchase date. Just be sure to read the fine print on each gift certificate. Some are for specific days or you have to spend a certain $$ amount. But either way, its a great deal.