Open Face BreakFAST

Breakfast is my pace car in this race called life in regards to my daily eating habits.  If I start the day with the right combination of proteins and carbs I can usually keep on the track all day.  If I start off bad… it usually ends the day in a pile up on the freeway!

The mornings in my house are usually a blur. ( I could start my own Reality TV Show with the cat fights that take place between mother and daughter in the mornings) So between playing referee, Peacemaker and getting ready for school/work I make breakfast.  (Oh and don’t forget a few minutes for Facebook in there with COFFEE too.)  Time is often wasted (especially the Facebook part, but hey…) but I can make a healthy breakfast quicker than I can get in and out of a fast food drive-thru line during the morning rush and it won’t be unhealthy! (Or make a mess in the car!)

I vary my breakfasts but usually not every day.  I may eat this for a few days, then that for a few days.

Here is what I ate this morning-

1 slice whole wheat toast    (55 calories)
1 slice FatFree Cheese        (25 calories)
½ a Roma tomato, slice       (  8 calories)
1 large egg                           (70 calories)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes        (  0 calories)

       Total -                             158 calories

 

Toast the bread with the cheese on top in the toaster oven.   Cook the egg in a small skillet with red pepper flakes.  Put it all together and top with sliced tomatoes.

Enjoy and have a great day!

 

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

This wonderful tasting dish cooks while you work!  It's a simple dish that is very versatile for many different meals.  Once this is cooked there are so many variables to making different meals. 

You could add some black beans and corn with a Tbsp. of cumin to make a Southwestern stew.

You could use it as a pulled BBQ-chicken sandwich meal.  I took the last bit of chicken and mixed with some leftover wild rice to school for lunch one day - YUM! So many ways to use this meat.


Ingredients -

5-6 boneless chicken breasts

16oz. jar of your favorite salsa  (My favorite brand is CHEAP- I use Harris Teeter or Southern Home brand and always stock up when it's on sale.)

What to do-

Prepare chicken by trimming away excess fat and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  *- I use the Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners, but you can spray the interior of the cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Top the chicken with the salsa.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

When the cooking is complete use two forks to 'shred' the chicken and stir the mixture.


(Editor's note- 1/16/14: Add some black beans (rinsed and drained) to the salsa.)

You can now stuff burritos, or spread over a bed of tortilla chips and top with cheese and other toppings for some serious healthy nachos.

ENJOY!

Two Ingredient Pineapple Cake

 

This wonderful tasting light dessert came to me from Pinterest.   I originally pinned it because it seemed an easy cake if some unexpected guests arrived, but after reviewing the calories involved it’s a very light treat as well.  When divided into 12 equal portions each piece runs about 154 calories!  Oh, and the pieces are nice size too! 

Ingredients-

1 – 20oz. can crushed pineapple 

1 – Box of Angel Food cake

 

 

 

Once you get this extensive ingredient list together, this is what you need to do –

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Empty the contents of the box into a large mixing bowl. 

 

Add the crushed pineapple.

Mix completely.  (The mixture will ‘foam up’ and rise a bit once it is combined.)

Pour mixture into a 9x13 greased baking dish.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

 ** Side note- A really good topping for this cake:

1 box of fat free-sugar free Pistachio Jello
1 container of Cool Whip light
1 sm. can pineapple tidbits (drain some of the juice but not all)

Mix all of the above together and refrigerate for an hour.

ENJOY!!

Slow Cooker Turkey and Cabbage Stew

This is a great low calorie and high fiber meal.  It’s easy and makes the house smell wonderful when you come home from a long day at work.  As a teacher, this meal is easy to prepare and have ready for after school and all the running around we do.  Yes, it is difficult to get your younger kids to eat it, but when they do sample it… well… mine liked it.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1lb lean ground turkey

2 medium onions, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Tbs. cumin

1 small head green cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon Splenda

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

How to:

First, heat a skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil and cook the turkey. Add cumin, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper cooking until done.

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray (or like I do, insert a crockpot liner and spray it)

After the meat is cooked add to the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add onions, peppers and stir to mix well.

Add cabbage followed by the diced tomatoes.

Mix the Splenda with the tomato sauce and pour over the top of the entire mixture.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

 

ENJOY!

Easy Sides - Baby Carrots

The old adage of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) is a great one when fixing this side dish.  I love carrots, and eat them in many different ways, but this is quickly becoming one of my favorite way to eat them. It provides a sweet side with a little kick.



source

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simply open a small bag of baby carrots and place them in a sauce pan.  Add one tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of Red Pepper Jelly.  Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes on the stove top, stirring occasionally. 

Enjoy!