Time to update the Blog... sorry I know it's been forever, my laptop crashed and I just don't seem to get on my actual computer very often. As always a lot of my recipe credit goes to Sandy's Kitchen Adventures. http://www.sandyskitchenadventures.com/2010/10/first-good-news-i-just-finished-week-2.html  Today was weigh n day, I've lost 26.4 pounds!!!! That was 4 additional pounds for week 5! I've got a lot of recipes to add and pictures, so here goes...

Sometimes you need a little red meat in your life. We both loved this Cola braised pot roast, It was tender and perfect.  I choose to cook it in the crock pot instead of the oven.  HOWEVER, it doesn't compare to my Mississippi Roast!  I'm going t have to find a way to make that recipe in a healthy way. 

Cola-Braised Pot Roast

Slightly adapted from The Food Network Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:

1 lb 13 oz pounds boneless chuck roast - yields 20 oz cooked (4 Lean)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (3 Condiments)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (1-1/2 Condiments)

1/2 tsp garlic powder (2 Condiments)

1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves (1/2 Condiment)

1 tsp olive oil * See Note Below (1 Condiment)

1 cup low-sodium canned beef broth (1 Condiment) 

6 ounces Coke Zero

2 teaspoons tomato paste (2 Condiments) 

Directions:

Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary. Season the roast well on all sides with the spice combination. Heat a frying pan over high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the roast and cook until very well browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the roast and set aside. Add the beef stock and cola to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Add the tomato paste and stir to blend. Add the roast back to the pan. The liquid should be about 1/2 way up the sides of the roast. Cover the frying pan with a lid. Bring the liquid to a boil. Continue cooking the roast over low heat (enough to still have a slight boil) for about 3 hours. Turn the roast over every hour, adding extra water if necessary to keep the liquid level at about 1/3 up the sides of the roast. Roast is done when the meat is fork-tender. Mine was done in about 3 hours. When the meat is fork-tender, remove the roast from the oven and carefully transfer the roast to a serving platter. Cover loosely to keep warm. Skim the fat from gravy and serve with pot roast.

4 Servings with 1 Lean and 2.75 Condiments per Serving

*Nutrition Support confirmed that you are able to use a healthy fat as a condiment when choosing from the lean category which doesn't require a healthy fat. This would consist of whole eggs, 5 oz of beef, pork, dark meat poultry, etc.

This lean and green came from Carl's Jr.  It's a grilled chicken salad with low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  My only complaint was that there wasn't a lot of meat in it. 

Garlic shrimp with broccoli and yellow squash.  Neither of us loved this one, but it was my own fault.  I didn't cook the vegetables long enough 

Family Night at the Training Table, it was my first time going there, but they made this amazing citrus ceaser  salad that I added grilled chicken.  Ohhhh MY!  I could eat this salad every single day! 

Roy's mission did a surprise mission reunion for their mission president. There was so much good food!  Pizza, pasta salads, lava cake... I went with a plan and just picked up this grilled chicken salad at Walmart on our way!  I even had my fist coke zero so I could feel like I was cheating a little bit. 

This was soooooo good!  If you love curry you will enjoy this recipe.  IT's curried cauliflower and curried chicken. The recipe is only for the cauliflower, bit I just did the same to the chicken. 

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

6 cups raw cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets or one medium head of cauliflower - should yield 4 1/2 cups cooked (9 Greens)

1 tbsp melted coconut oil or olive oil (3 Healthy Fats)

1 tsp curry powder (2 Condiments)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (1 Condiment)

1/2 tsp garlic salt (2 Condiments)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil.

If using coconut oil, you can use the microwave to melt it. Microwave for 15 seconds and then stir. Microwave for 15 more seconds and stir. It took me only 30 seconds to melt it but it would depend on your microwave.

Combine oil and cauliflower florets in a gallon size Ziploc bag and shake the bag until combined. Try to make sure all the florets are coated with oil. Then put the curry powder, smoked paprika and garlic salt in a small bowl and stir until combined. Pour the spice mixture over the cauliflower florets and shake the bag until all the pieces are coated with the spice mixture.

Spread the cauliflower florets on prepared pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil.

Bake for about 25 minutes; stirring halfway through.

One Serving: 1 1/2 cups

3 Servings with 3 Greens, 1.7 Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat per Serving

I enjoyed breaking up my lean and green and having eggs and salsa with my Medifast Chocolate chip pancakes.  Below, I  had some sauteed zucchini that evening as a warm delightful treat after a long day at work. 

Date night!!!!  Olive Garden grilled chicken Caesar!  YUM! 

Another Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad , this time at Denny's... also YUM!  I'm begging to think we eat out to much....

LAST NIGHT'S LEAN AND GREEN

Taco's with iceberg lettuce as the shell.... This is for sure one of my favorites!  This one is a staple in our house! Recipes can be found http://elinapeka.blogspot.com/2014/07/i-feel-really-motivated-today-started.html

TONIGHT'S LEAN AND GREEN

 

I made amazing Orange chicken and broccoli.  I overcooked the chicken a little, but the taste was amazing!   My husband the other day said, I"m getting really tired of squash.  I don't know what to do about that because there are only about 4 vegetables the man will eat.  Also, I LOVE squash!  So I guess I"m going to have to get more creative with my greens. 

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

1 can diet orange soda

2 tablespoon soy sauce (6 Condiments)

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce (3 Condiments)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1 Condiment)

1 cloves garlic, minced (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ginger (1/2 Condiment)

36 oz raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts - should yield 24 oz cooked (4 Lean)

Directions:

Put ingredients except for chicken in gallon size Ziploc bag, mix well. Pierce chicken breasts several times with fork, put into bag and marinade several hours. Take out and bake, broil, or grill. Toss out marinade.

4 Servings with 1 Lean and 3 Condiments per Serving (Still need 1 Healthy Fat)

ONE LAST PICTURE!!!!

The top left picture is the day before I started this journey.  The bottom left is two weeks in and the right picture is 5 weeks in!  I'm looking good! Not that I didn't look good before...