The Big O

The USDA has put out a "dirty dozen" list of foods that retain too high levels of pesticides:

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

The list of the safest foods includes:
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

I feel that if you can afford it you should also aim to have organic beef, dairy, and chicken. However, I see no reason to spend extra on seafood--there really is not any such thing as organic seafood. Companies that label it as such are simply misleading you.

Organic does cost more at the grocery store. There is a reason The Husband calls Whole Foods Whole Paycheck. But it typically costs less to BUY LOCAL and SUPPORT FAMILY FARMS. Sure, you can shop somewhere like Whole Foods, which is just a corporate grocery store. Or you can go out to your local farmers market and talk with the people actually growing the food about their operation and techniques.

Another money saver can be Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). This system allows you to pay a local farmer for a share of his or her crops. Usually there is a drop-off spot where you pick up your share each week. Some CSAs even include fresh flowers, coffee and meats. For more information on this in Pennsylvania check out http://www.buylocalpa.org/. Slow Food Pittsburgh also has some great information on CSAs at http://www.slowfoodpgh.com/csa.html.

Sweet teeth

This past week has been really great. I worked out Monday - Friday. Saturday we spent the day walking all over PGH looking at apts and today I tried to recover from a bachelorette party. So lots of great physical activity, minus today.

I do not really have a sweet tooth. Even the sweets I do enjoy are not so much sugary as they are fruity or peanut butter. But on those occasions that I do get a sweet craving, angel food is my go-to cure. An angel food cake box mix is the key ingredient in a lot of super quick, healthy desserts.

For this recipe, you can make your own cake--either a loaf or a traditional cake. For a time saver, I like to use the prepackaged single-serving size angel food cakes.

Ingredients:
angel food cake
12 oz container fat free cool whip, thawed
14 oz can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 pint raspberries

For the "icing": Mash the raspberries in a large mixing owl. You can use a fork or a potato masher. Using a whisk, whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and then fold in the cool whip. Put in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

With individual cakes just dollop the icing on top.

If you are not using individual size cakes, slice the cake into 3 horizontal layers. Put the first layer on the serving plate and spread the icing on top. Repeat with the second and third layer and complete icing the cake. ENJOY!

This recipe is very versatile. Instead of the raspberries, you can use strawberries or pineapple or blueberries...or add 1/3 cup of key lime juice, or orange juice, or coffee or fat free chocolate syrup...or add 1/4 cup of peanut butter or Nutella. The possibilities are endless!

The numbers per serving (these will vary based on what you add):
Fat: 0
Calories: 270
Fiber: 8
Protein: 5

This week's challenge

This week I added exercise to my life. Not that it has been nonexistent-I occasionally run, play basketball or ride my bike. But this week I am aiming to make exercise a more formally scheduled event.

The Husband suggested this plan:
http://www.apft-standards.com/trainingplan-run.html

So far, so good. On the "Normal Workout" days, I am doing Yoga and ankle conditioning exercises. Sunday is supposed to be a rest day, but I will probably play basketball on those days.

For the yoga, I am utilizing the gloriousness of having Netflix on my Wii. Today I did "The Trainer's Edge: Long & Lean Yoga." It was a good video with easy to understand instruction.

For the ankle conditioning, I am trying to strengthen my peroneus brevis and my anteromedial tibiotalar joint. The PR runs down the lateral side of the lower leg to the outside of the foot. It gets really tight and painful when I run, thus the need to strengthen. The ATJ needs strengthened because I severely sprained it this past August when I ever so gracefully fell off the edge of a sidewalk while walking. Yes, I am that coordinated.

Every now and then I fall apart

I love Glee! And wow did they nail Bright Eyes!

My in-laws, Gary & Suzy were in town this week, so I did not have much blogging time. I did, however, cook quite a few super yummy and health meals. I will start with...

Rosemary Chicken Skewers & Polenta (Serves 4)

Polenta
1 Vidalia onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 cups coarse grind cornmeal
Palm full of Italian seasonings
salt & pepper to taste

Grating an onion is one of my favorite ways to use onion. Just take your cheese grater, box or otherwise, and grate the onion. It will release a lot of moisture. Put the grated onion and garlic in a hot stock pot. Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and the Italian seasonings. Cook over med-high heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. If the onion starts to stick, just add a little water.

Next, add the remaining chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil and then slowly add the cornmeal. Reduce heat to low and stir the hell out of it. Stirring constantly for the first few minutes will keep the polenta from being lumpy. Continue to stir every few minutes until the polenta is VERY thick...about 30 minutes. Pour the cooked polenta into a rectangular cassarole dish or cake pan that has been brushed with olive oil. It should be large enough so that the polenta, when smoothed out, is about 1-2 inches deep. Put in the fridge at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours.

When you are ready for dinner, cut the polenta into squares, brush with olive oil and put onto your pre-heated grill over direct heat. Cook a few minutes on each side, top with a little grated cheese and enjoy!!

Rosemary Chicken Skewers
8 rosemary sprigs
2 chicken breasts
1 bottle of fat free Italian dressing
pitted Kalamata olives

The key here, as when using any wood skewer, is to pre soak the rosemary sprigs so they do not catch fire or burn. First, pull all the rosemary from the sprigs except for the very tips. Cover the sprigs with water and let them soak for about an hour.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized, uniform pieces. Put in a dish and cover with the dressing. Let marinade for about an hour. Then, using the sprigs as skewers, alternate one piece of chicken and an olive until the sprig is full. Grill about 4-6 minutes, turning over once half-way through, until the chicken is done.

I served this with grilled cherry tomatoes and grilled asparagus. Just grill the tomatoes whole. For the asparagus, cut away and discard the bottom inch of the stalks. Then toss it in a tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Salt and pepper and grill 6-8 minutes, turning once half-way through.

Approximate Numbers:
Calories: 444
Fat: 8
Protein: 35
Fiber: 7

Cooking for one

The Husband is away on business so I have been cooking for one. Tonight I whipped up the following for a yummy dinner:

1 poached chicken breast, shredded
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup fat free chedder cheese, shredded
Mix all together until cheese melts.
Add crunched up baked tostitos (11 chips)
And eat with 4 small corn tortillas and 1 cold beer
Calories: 783
Fat: 6
Fiber: 6

It was very good. A little heavy on the calories and light on veggies, but filling.

I want to keep a daily calorie count on here, but have not decided quite how to do it. For now I will just list it in the posts.
May 3: 1677
May 4: 1416
This week I am hoping to keep my daily caloric intake between 1500 & 1800.

One of my very strong personality traits is that I am extreme. I either do not eat at all or eat it all. In order to not allow myself to slide up and down such a steep hill, I decided to try and stick to a calorie range for the first month of this journey. The range of 1500-1800 takes into account my body weight and daily activity level, as well as my weight loss goals.

I am not looking to drop 5 lbs a week or anything like that. My goal is 1-2 lbs a week, which from all accounts is a healthy amount. I have had both quick and drastic weight loss and weight gain and know the devastating effects of both on my mind and body. My current goals reflect that experience and allow me to avoid repeating those negative consequences.

Me Vida Loca

Indeed. The Husband is currently in TN, which is seeing horrible flooding. I was about 25 yards from the mircowave bomb in PGH on Sunday morning and watched the bomb sqaud detonate it with the robot. Sometimes I feel like Forest Gump...I seem to always be nearby when strange historic events occur. For example, I was in a gas station bathroom in Pampa, Texas with my Mom, Sister and both brothers during the 1995 Tornado Outbreak where we watched the F4 tornado through a crack in the bathroom door. The F4 was just one of 20 tornados that day. Then there was the Oklahoma Blizzard of 2009, when The Husband and I were stranded in Boise City, Oklahoma with my Sister at my Aunt's house without running water or electricity. That record setting storm resulted in at least nine fatalities in Oklahoma and hundreds of injuries. There was almost a tenth fatality when I considered killing either myself or my Aunt's husband---but we both miraculously survived.

In fact, I am not Forrest Gump. I am a lawyer. I grew up in Oklahoma with my fantastic family and got my undergraduate degree in Agrcultural Communications and Political Science from Oklahoma State University. I met The Husband at OKState and after our wedding and respective graduations, we lugged one ton of "stuff" half-way across the country and settled in The Keystone State where I earned my J.D. and he is currently working on his PhD.

I am currently completeing my clerkship with a trial court judge who is a great jurist, teacher and mentor. I am a fan of college basketball and football, the Steelers and the Pens. I will beat you at fooseball. I read the Economist while watching The Hills, Real Housewives and other mindless television. That is the short of it.

Greetings

I am finally starting the blog my husband has been encouraging me to write. He even suggested the title, so he left me little excuse not to get to it. Plus, I am currently watching Julie & Julia...so what better time to start?

Besides the inspiration of my husband, Jon, and Julie & Julia, I can also blame Pioneer Woman & Dooce for their great blogs driving me to do this... and my dear friend Brig for introducing me to both.

So what in the world am I doing here? I am currently on a mission to get healthy. I love to cook and unfortunately, love to eat my cooking. But I am finding that to get healthy, I need to get my life together in all regards. So I am going to chronicle it here, writing about food, exercise and money.

Primarily, I want to write about healthy meals that even your husband will eat. I know so many women who want to eat more healthfully but tell me those they cook with and for just will not eat it. To them I say bullshit, and yes, MOM, this includes you. You can cook healthy, tasty meals. And if they do not like it, then they can eat cheesy noodles and tenderized steak until they rot (a story for another time).

With that, Bon Appétit