Qinoa Grain...pronounced "KEEN WAH"

Yesterday we tried Qinoa grain instead of white rice. I am not a brown rice fan so when I saw the Qinoa grain I was not too excited. I was pleasantly surprised at how good and soft the grain is. It is Gluten-free and does NOT have the texture of brown rice. To me it is very similar to couscous and is amazingly tasty. We had it with grilled salmon. We put some salt, olive oil and lemon on the qinoa and it was great. I would highly recommend this grain if you are trying to find a complex carbohydrates that contains protein!

Here are Some Qinoa Facts:

One of the latest superfoods to be touted by celebrity trainers and the like is quinoa.

What makes "keen-wah" so nutritious? We’ve got the scoop on quinoa nutrition facts.

Most people who have heard of quinoa think it’s a grain, and judging by how it’s pronounced, some assume it’s from the Orient.

But technically, quinoa is a seed, not a grain and it’s grown high in the Andes Mountains of South America.

Quinoa plants have been cultivated at altitudes of well over 10,000 feet and have been considered a superfood for at least a few millennia — in fact, the Incas cherished it as a superfood of their own.

Here in the U.S., quinoa has been discovered as a nutritious asset and enjoyed culinary popularity within only the last few years. Here’s why…

Eat one cup of quinoa (a single serving size), and you’ll consume:

• 220 calories (70 percent carbs, 15 percent fat, 15 percent protein)
• 40 grams of carbohydrates (13 percent daily value)
• 8 grams of protein (16 percent of daily value)
• 3.5 grams of fat (5 percent daily value with no saturated fat)
• A glycemic load (blood sugar spike) of only 18 out of 250
• 5 grams of fiber (20 percent of daily value)
• 20 percent of daily value of folate (various forms of Vitamin B)
• 30 percent of magnesium daily value (beneficial for people with migraine headaches); 28 percent daily value of phosphorous; iron (15 percent); copper (18 percent); and manganese (almost 60 percent) from the site: One of the latest superfoods to be touted by celebrity trainers and the like is quinoa. from the site: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/quinoa-nutrition-facts
  

Forks Over Knives...

Whether or not you believe documentaries, I think everyone should see the documentary "Forks Over Knives Documentary". (I have linked the product to make it easier for you to find). As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

The documentary why dairy and meats are not good for human consumption. I personally consume both but I still was able to take away basic health information that makes me think more when going grocery shopping. Here is a favorite vegan recipe off of their website that I LOVE and the kids LOVE too!

6 ~ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins*

Serves 6-12

• 1 medium banana, mashed 
• 1 (15-oz.) can sweet pumpkin puree 
• 1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 2 cups whole oat flour 
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 
• 1 cup grain-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine mashed banana, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.

2. In a small bowl, combine oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Transfer mixture to large bowl and mix together gently until well combined. Avoid over-mixing to prevent toughness in the final product. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spoon batter into silicon muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned. Remove muffins from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Store muffins in an airtight container.

*Recipe derived from Julieanna Hever’s Blueberry Oat Breakfast Muffins in Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, edited by Gene Stone

Chicken with lemon-chipotle salad dressing and a few modifications! Substitute Cilantro for Basil

Chicken with lemon chipotle salad dressing  was...another winner by Williams-Sonoma...This was a great recipe that we tried tonight. I always enjoy putting a spin on recipes. I made a couple of minor adjustments. Feel free to try them, or just follow the #recipe. 

Modification 1: Instead of a rotisserie chicken I chose to grill chicken breasts sprinkled with Mrs. Dash's no salt southwest chipotle seasoning. (I have linked the product to make it easier for you to find). As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

"Modification" 2: Also, the entire theme or at least the ingredients were more "southwestern" but a strong flavor in the dressing was basil. I did not think about it until I was eating the salad but I really think with this theme, cilantro would have made this dish spectacular instead of Basil. Basil seems to be more of an Italian #seasoning in my opinion. 

Modification 3: I also added two more ripe avocados because they are our #favorite.  Overall, the kids loved the #chicken and the #avocados and we would definitely make this dish again! 

Thank you, #Williams-Sonoma!

Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts about the recipe.

A Healthier Version of a "Traditional" Comfort Food....Tator Tot Hot Dish

As you know, we have been trying to eat very healthy over the past year or so because our goal is to get, and to keep Kevin's cholesterol down at "normal" levels. The other day I was really craving a "comfort food" so I decided to investigate the ingredients for Tator Tot Hot Dish to see how I could make it healthier. Here is what I did....

I took very lean ground beef (93% or higher), skim milk, "Healthy Request" cream of mushroom soup (low in fat and cholesterol), tator tots (which don't have fat or cholesterol), low-fat cheddar cheese, and a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix "Beefy Onion."

Now I know that this is, as a rule, not the healthiest casserole, but I took something a bit unhealthy and made is just a little bit better for us. I think that is the key. Trying to incorporate healthy habits into every meal eventually just becomes a part of you. It at one point seems "sinful" to not try and eat healthier!

Here is the recipe...

Crockpot Lasagna

Sorry that I have not written for so long, but I have been pretty busy. Just recently I was looking at the Healthy Eating section of books at the library and I found one about the thoughts behind belly fat. After reading the book a bit I was not completely "sold" on the author's theory that sugar is one of the main culprits of belly fat. However, the author brought to my attention that there are tons of foods with "hidden" sugars.

Before reading the book I never had taken the time to see how much sugar was actually in every day foods like spaghetti sauces etc... I always thought that sugar was for desserts! What I learned is that there really are "hidden" sugars in just about everything. The spaghetti sauce that I used to buy...blew my mind when I realized that there are actually 21 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup (serving). WOW!!!!

Breads, even the ones that are considered "healthy" because they have whole grains have corn syrup in them. I started to see why the author of the belly fat book thinks that sugar is a main cause for being overweight. So, my mission now is to try and either make my own or buy products with the littles amount of sugar possible.

I recently found this crockpot recipe online for lasagna. I made it a bit healthier by using ground turkey instead of sausage, fat free cottage cheese instead of ricotta (because I don't like the texture of ricotta cheese), and low fat mozzarella cheese. And of course I found tomato sauce that only had 5 grams of sugar per serving...however, I still think that is too much for spaghetti sauce! Another way to make this dish even more healthy would be to use multi-grain or whole wheat noodles.

The Next Step...

Now that Kevin has lowered his cholesterol, I've noticed that people keep complimenting him and asking him if he's lost any weight. We've explained to people that we've changed our eating habits and have improved his cholesterol health. I guess that I assumed that he did not lose any weight because I did not lose any weight on this new healthy eating lifestyle. However, I found out yesterday that he has lost almost 10 pounds.

After talking with some friends, I think that I have possibly discovered why I might not have lost any weight. I think I eat too many carbs and not enough protein, especially in the mornings. My new goal with this healthy lifestyle change is to try and lose a half to a full pound a week but lowering my carbs, increasing my protein, and lowering my overall caloric intake.

I found a really cool calculator that estimates how many calories you should eat if you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight. It also breaks down the calories per category. It will say that if you are supposed to eat 1500 calories, for example, you should eat so many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The link is: weight calculator,. Try out the calculator and let me know what you think!

Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins....Can be even healthier?

I really like making everything from scratch, especially when it comes to dinners. However, I am not always a "from scratch" kind of gal when it comes to baked goods. 


My daughter is two and loves helping with everything. I occasionally buy Better Crocker's Wild Blueberry muffins and we bake them together. She pours in the blueberries, stirs, etc... 


The other day I was reading the Betty Crocker recipe box and learned that on the side of the box there are directions for making low-fat, no cholesterol muffins. Add skim milk instead of regular, add apple sauce instead of oil, add egg substitute instead of regular eggs. One muffin is 140 calories (15 calories come from fat).