Prep Time:25 min Start to Finish:45 min makes:12 servings

24	wonton wrappers
2	tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/3	cup strawberry all-fruit spread
1	cup (8 ounces) low-fat lemon yogurt
1-1/4	cups fresh blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries
1.	Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.	Using a 12-cup muffin pan or two 6-cup muffin pans, line each cup with a wonton wrapper. Brush wonton wrappers with a little butter. Place a second wrapper diagonally on top of each of the first ones, making sure that the points of the wrappers make sides to the cup. Brush second wrapper with a little butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool. Remove from pan.
3.	Spoon about 1 teaspoon of all-fruit spread into each wonton shell.
4.	Place yogurt in a medium bowl. Fold in 1 cup berries. Spoon yogurt mixture evenly into wonton shells. Top with remaining 1/4 cup berries.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 120 (Calories from Fat 20); Total Fat 2 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 85mg; Total Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 9g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 640mg; Total Carbohydrate 39g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 15g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2 
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

The thing I like the most about the show is that they prove that you can still eat the things you love, but with small changes. They always show a comparison in calories from the original dish to the “Cook Yourself Thin” version, and it’s absolutely amazing. You can’t undo what you’ve done overnight, but small steps can get you there. If you’re like I was in the beginning, sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to change things to make them better for you.  The three gals on this show give excellent advice and tips that you might have never imagined. I hope you’ll check it out.

Ingredients

• 1 can (30 ounces) pumpkin pie filling
• 1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup reduced-fat butter, melted
• 1-1/4 cups fat-free whipped topping

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the pie filling, milk and eggs; beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with cake mix and pecans; drizzle with butter.
• Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 20 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 246 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 335 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Preheat a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the hot sauce, honey, worcesteshire, paprika, and garlic. (If the honey clumps, nuke the mixture for 10 to 15 seconds and then stir.) Place the chicken and half the sauce into a large zip-top bag. Close it and shake to coat each piece. Add the soaked tenders to the skillet, and cook them 1 to 2 minutes a side. When they’re done, toss them with the remaining sauce mixture. Serve with the dressing. Makes 2 servings

Per serving

• 250 calories
• 35 g protein
• 14 g carbohydrates
• 5 grams total fat (1 g. saturated)
• 1 g fiber
• 800 mg sodium

Homemade Ketchup

• 10 lb. tomatoes (roma are best because they are meatier and it cooks down quicker.)
• 2 sweet red peppers
• 2 sweet green peppers
• 4 onions
• 3 cups vinegar
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp. salt
• 3 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Red Pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp. whole allspice
• 1-1/2 tsp. whole cloves
• 1-1/2 tsp. broken cinnamon sticks

Dip tomatoes into boiling water with colander or slotted spoon for 30-45 seconds. Drop into ice water. This helps to remove the peels quickly and easily. Peel tomatoes. Squeeze most of the seeds and juice out of the tomatoes.

Quarter onions and peppers.  Blend vegetables together in blender until liquid. Pour into large kettle. (You will need one really good size one or two pretty decent size ones. I use a pretty large stock pot.)

Bring liquid to a good boil until bubbles burst. (It will begin bubbling, but is not ready until the foamy bubbles start to disappear into larger bubbles.) Watch closely and be careful as the liquid boils up quite a bit. Turn heat down to medium.

Add vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, and pepper. Place allspice, cloves, and cinnamon into tea ball.  Drop into liquid and bring back to a boil. Turn to low – (keep it at a slow boil) for at least 4-6 hours. (Just to let you know, I have never had it be done in 4-6 hours. It usually takes most of the day, but you don’t have to stand there and watch it) Stir occasionally. It will cook down a lot and thicken up. Ketchup is done when it piles up on a spoon and not much juice runs out.

Wash jars and lids. (I usually use pint jars, but 1/2 pint are okay too. You can also freeze the ketchup.) Fill jars to within 1/2″ from the top. Put lids in saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Place lids on each jar. Put jars in a large canning pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.

Like I said, it’s not a difficult recipe, it just takes some time. I just kind of copied this recipe verbatim from my mom so if you have any questions, just let me know.  Everyone I have given this to in the past usually loves it. I hope you and your family do too.

Just my own personal thoughts about Starbucks free pastry day on July 21…

If you’ve ever seen the nutritional facts on Starbucks pastries, then you realize that “free” doesn’t always equal free! The nutritional content of most food at the ‘bux can only be rivaled by their killer drinks, and I don’t mean “killer” as in taste (though they are certainly tasty)! Sure, they say they’ve up’d the health content of their food, but I’m not convinced just yet. I applaud the changes they’ve made (read about them here), but I still need to see some hard numbers on this! If you’ll notice, they do include nutritional info on their drinks, but still not on their “new and improved” food! There’s probably a good reason for this – it’s better, but not necessarily healthy. In fact, they say as much in one place on their site:

“We’re making a change by using simpler recipes and taking out artificial ingredients. So your food not only tastes better, it is better. It’s a start, and we think it’s a good one.” 

They admit that it’s just “a start.” To their credit, at least they’re moving in the right direction! But seriously, how healthy can you really make this list of pastries (included in their free offer)? Muffins, scones, bagels, croissants, rolls, breads, pound cakes, morning bun, coffeecakes, cheese danish, apple fritter, doughnuts, tarts, pies, gluten free orange valencia cake, tropical paradise bar.

Of course, they’re not stupid — they know you can’t pop in for a free pastry without dropping four bucks for a drink, while adding 300-400 calories to your waistline, might I add! (Does anyone come into Starbucks for their pastries?)

Sure, it’s only one little pastry, you say. Or one little coffee beverage. I can’t argue with that, because believe it or not, I do splurge from time to time. The problem is, I know how hard I work to eat healthy and to keep my body in good physical condition, so I feel totally justified with cheating on occasion. But I bet most people are like the “old” me — splurge anytime you’re in the mood, but not putting in the effort to be healthy the rest of the time! (If you tend to say “I’ll just work it off later,” chances are you’re already in trouble!)

Here’s a couple examples. They may be extreme, but look at these numbers — they’re ridiculous!!!

• Bran muffin with nuts + Grande 2% white chocolate mocha = 890 calories, 37g fat (14g saturated), and 82g sugar (most people think muffins and bagels are healthy, but if you look closely, they’re usually awful)
• Cinnamon chip scone = 490 calories, 25g fat (13g saturated), 24g sugar

By the way, you CAN find a way to make your drink a little more healthy at Starbucks. An easy way is to ditch the whip, or substitute sugar-free flavored syrups for other sugary syrups, or by asking for non-fat or skim milk instead of 2%. But for me — because I don’t cheat regularly, I want to fully enjoy it when I do! And seriously, who really wants to skip the whipped cream?

True, sometimes the best things in life are free, but sometimes “free” comes with a pretty heavy price-tag!

Grilled Black Bean and Pineapple Burgers

• 2 cans (15 oz., each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium red onion finely chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
• ½ cup crushed baked tortilla chip scoops
• 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. hot pepper sauce
• ½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 4 tsp. chopped green onion
• 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1-1/2 tsp. orange juice
• ½ tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
• 6 slices unsweetened pineapple
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns 

In a large bowl, mash the beans. Add the red onions, eggs, bread crumbs, tortilla chips, green pepper, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and pepper sauce. Shape into 6 patties and refrigerate for one hour. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, green onion, mustard, honey, orange juice, and soy sauce. Refrigerate until serving. Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat, 3-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Grill pineapple slices 2-3 minutes on each side or until heated through. Place burgers and pineapple on buns. Top each with 1 rounded Tbsp. of sauce.

The truth is that Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. I mean, think about it. You just went 8-10 hours without getting any nourishment. Your body needs that breakfast to get you up and going. And let me tell you. Coffee won’t do that alone. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a big huge lavish thing like pancakes, eggs, hash brown, and bacon. It can be as simple as a bowl of cereal and some fruit or an egg sandwich with canadian bacon and a glass of  juice.

Eating breakfast is the best way to get your 5-6 meals started off right. It is proven that eating several small meals throughout the day instead of gorging yourself at 3 meals will help you lose weight. By starting your day off right and snacking every couple of hours, you keep your body from getting overly hungry. Andrew and I have both done this. Like I’ve said before, I never thought that we ate that unhealthy, but when I look at HOW MUCH we ate, it’s no wonder we got where we were. Then when evening time rolled around, it never failed, we would be on the couch in front of the TV with our many snacks. Starting the day off right and paying attention the rest of the day has helped us so much.

For those of you who say you aren’t hungry for breakfast, think about this. Overeating at night keeps you from being hungry in the morning, setting off a vicious cycle in which you’re never interested in breakfast but always starving by dinner. The key is to rebalance your day so you don’t set yourself up for an evening binge. To get your appetite back in the morning, cut your evening meal in half. Then eat a breakfast of about 450 calories, such as a scrambled egg with low-fat cheese on a whole wheat English muffin with an 8-ounce glass of juice–an amount that should keep you satisfied until lunch. Once your appetite adjusts, don’t go more than 5 hours without another meal of roughly the same size. Eventually you will get to where your body craves breakfast.

• It’s not that I work out 5-6 days a week.
• It’s not that I can read and understand nutritional labels.
• It’s not that I care about what I eat (a lot!).
• It’s not that I’ve learned to feed myself…somewhat! I won’t say I’ve learned to cook, but I could keep myself alive! ;)
• It’s not even the fact that I’ve dropped 40 lbs, eliminated my gut, and added muscle!

All of these things are so great, and I’m amazed that I’ve accomplished all of them! But if there’s one thing that I’m most amazed by, and most proud of, it’s this…

I drink water like a maniac now!

A lot of people are like I was — “I can’t drink much water because it has no taste! I need flavor! Whether it’s soft drinks, juice, tea, whatever — just give me something that tastes good!”

To my surprise, I’ve become essentially a two-drink man: milk and H2O. That’s it! An occasional coke will hit my lips — usually just at our wedding receptions (my once a week splurge) — but that’s it. This is by far the biggest change for me, personally!

It actually took a while for me to get into this habit. Once I started working out, I did begin to drink some — but not much. Not until I had a kidney stone scare did I change my ways. I woke up multiple times one night with excruciating pain in my lower back, which had me on my knees on the verge of tears. We hit Urgent Care in the morning, was diagnosed with a kidney stone that would pass on its own, and prescribed pain medication. Long story short — the meds were awesome, but apparently I either passed the stone without feeling it (highly unlikely!), or God somehow miraculously removed it! Either way, the cause of the kidney stone was most likely a LACK OF WATER. Probably even worse since I was working out so much and taking in so much protein.

After that experience, and deciding that I never wanted to go through that pain again, I started downing the H2O. Now Annette and I both drink water like crazy! About 65-70 ounces per day, on average. Here’s how WE do it, which makes it easy for us…

We each have a 25 oz Eddie Bauer water bottle that we bought at Target (roughly $6 each). We fill it up with tap water (ours is good, yours may not be!), stick it in the refridgerator, and drink from it all day long. During meals, rather than getting out a new glass or cup for water or another beverage, we just pull out our water bottles and drink straight from them. We drink 3 bottles a day (about 20-25 oz per bottle). That’s it. For meals, during/after we work out, in the evening — all day long!

For me, I try to drink one full bottle from breakfast to lunchtime, another from lunch to dinner, and the last one from dinner to bedtime. I also drink lots of milk, whether it’s chocolate milk or 1% milk in my smoothies. I try to drink OJ too, but not as much as I’d like. I simply cannot believe that this has become habit for me!!! And it’s not that I LOVE drinking water — I just do it! I know that I need to, that it will help me feel and be healthier, so I just guzzle!

Now I’m not quoting any experts, or giving my own “expert advice” — just stating an opinion — but to me, it doesn’t seem possible to REALLY get healthy and stay healthy without drinking a lot of water. I just don’t think it can be done! I may be totally wrong, but I DO know that you’d be WAY better off (your body AND your wallet!) if you drink more water than other beverages, especially those that are loaded with sugar, or even diet soda (let’s not kid ourselves; diet may be “better,” but in no way good!). In fact, I have read that Americans actually DRINK a significant amount of their calories each day. It’s really amazing what you could do with your weight if you stopped drinking down so many calories!

Ok, that’s my thought for the day!