Well, now that I've started posting on this thing again - maybe I should use it to keep myself in line! Life is crazy at the moment with all the goals I have up the air, trying to figure out where I want to go in terms of the dating arena and trying to save money while not freaking out about the whole state budget thing.
In terms of the state budget thing, basically schools in Illinois really shouldn't be counting on any state funding for awhile and that means that budgets will be affected resulting in the possibility of posistions being cut all around. I'm a teacher that teaches an elective so I am taking all possibilities into account for next year. One of which is the possibility that I may be out of a job (desperately hoping not though!). So, as a result I am working on getting my finances in order and working to get my monthly expenses down as much as possible. Now there are some of those basic expenses that you get locked into a contract for or can't live without like phone, electirc, water etc. But in my case, I could spend less on the fun things and food.
I never realized exactly how many e-mails I got in regards to advertisements! It's ridiculous! Now I only notice them because I delete them without even reading them after deciding to have a goal to limit my impulse shopping as much as possible. It is a work in progress as I do have my weaknesses, but can proudly admit I can walk into JoAnn's and walk out without buying anything! I have also gotten better at more comparison shopping and building what I need for cheaper. I do still need to stay away from the previously-viewed section at Blockbuster and try to avoid Amazon more - but like I said, work in progress here!
Food is a bit harder these days with being on Jenny Craig and all, but I have a new goal for the month of February in terms of my grocery budget! As of tonight at midnight, for the next 28 days, I am going to limit myself to one trip to the grocery store a week and one to Jenny Craig with spending as little as I can - sticking to the budget I have and using what is "cluttering up" my pantry and freezer. Eating out is going to be limited to once a week if at all possible (not that I really eat out anymore, but I do want to be conscious of what I am doing). I'll purchase dairy, fresh produce and fresh meat, but that's it. Oh and two cans of cream of mushroom soup that I know I need later in the month, but that's it!
I need to learn to be better about my budget and put thought behind what I spend. A lot of this is coming more to the top of the thought process in part due to the state budget thing, but also because I simply want to be less tied to the amount of my paycheck every month when there are people out there that have to get by with far less than what I am blessed to have each month.
Oh and that thing called dating gets expensive! Oh and maybe once I get my budget figured out, I can help the state of Illinois figure theirs out - ok that might be a bit too much to hope for!Sheesh!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Taking Emeril's Chili and making it lighter
Part of this challenge of eating healthier is finding a recipe you love and then looking at the nutrition facts :( Seriously, some of the recipes out there that are developed are downright horrendous for you! So, how do you make them healthier without sacrificing taste? Trial and error, baby!
This recipe from Emeril Lagasse for Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili is fabulous and not terribly bad for you, but given the parameters of different eating plans, it could be better...
The first time I made this, I fell in love! This stuff is amazing! Then I got creative the last time I made it to bring it further into the healthy range of things - and let me tell you, this is perfect to have the next day or a couple months later if you freeze it. The flavors are amazing :)
So the healthier version of the recipe with a calorie count of about 260 for a very large serving is... (Note: this calorie count is with both meets being ground chicken)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
12 ounces hot Italian sausage made with turkey or chicken
2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (I use white because I like them better...)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped, roasted and peeled green poblano or Anaheim chiles (or a can of green chiles that have been drained simplifies this!)
2-4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with their juice
2 cups cooked pinto beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8-16 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups grated Monterey Jack for garnish (use reduced fat or fat-free to keep the health factor up)
Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and Essence, and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and chilies, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
To serve, ladle into large bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup of cheese. Serve tortilla chips on the side.
It's not much of a change really, but just enough to make everything a bit healthier! I know the carrots and mushrooms may be a bit odd to some in chili - but for some reason they really seem to fit here. One note on using stock versus broth - you can substitute the broth but watch for sodium content as broth is usually saltier!
Enjoy!
This recipe from Emeril Lagasse for Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili is fabulous and not terribly bad for you, but given the parameters of different eating plans, it could be better...
The first time I made this, I fell in love! This stuff is amazing! Then I got creative the last time I made it to bring it further into the healthy range of things - and let me tell you, this is perfect to have the next day or a couple months later if you freeze it. The flavors are amazing :)
So the healthier version of the recipe with a calorie count of about 260 for a very large serving is... (Note: this calorie count is with both meets being ground chicken)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
12 ounces hot Italian sausage made with turkey or chicken
2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (I use white because I like them better...)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped, roasted and peeled green poblano or Anaheim chiles (or a can of green chiles that have been drained simplifies this!)
2-4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with their juice
2 cups cooked pinto beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8-16 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups grated Monterey Jack for garnish (use reduced fat or fat-free to keep the health factor up)
Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and Essence, and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and chilies, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
To serve, ladle into large bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup of cheese. Serve tortilla chips on the side.
It's not much of a change really, but just enough to make everything a bit healthier! I know the carrots and mushrooms may be a bit odd to some in chili - but for some reason they really seem to fit here. One note on using stock versus broth - you can substitute the broth but watch for sodium content as broth is usually saltier!
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
It's been a little long between posts...
It's been over a year since I last posted up here since I keep wondering why anyone would want to read what I write... But then I decided that people will read it if they want and if it doesn't make any sense to them, then they will laugh and ignore it! Sounds like my students...
And what a year it has been!
Quite a few changes have occured since the last time I actually posted something that I wrote. (Apparently, the trend for a couple months was to start writing and never post...) And a comment the other day inspired me to actually write and post something!
I have to say one of my biggest accomplishments from this past year was losing over 50 pounds and then continuing to stay on track to lose the 37+ pounds that are still left towards my goal weight. It hasn't been easy, but well worth the journey and the effort. There have been lots of ups and downs, both emotionally and physically - but the determination is still there although it does fade at times, unfortunately. The support from family, friends and co-workers has been amazing! And finding a program to work with that works is priceless, even if there is a price! It's amazing to me that I have now lost more than most of the "faces" of Jenny Craig typically use and have started entering the category of "results not typical" the more I lose. Hopefully, I'll be smaller than I was for my first driver's license next month...
But, let me say it again - This has not been easy! And then to hear someone say about another person that the person should just lose some weight already really ticked me off! Apparently, there are people out there that think losing weight is easy! Granted it's probably because they have one of those uberfast metabolisms that allows them to eat whatever they want, whenever they want too... Sometimes, I really, truly, dislike people like that but there are those that are fabulous and I love them!
But now, I realize there are some things that I miss about life before "the diet," namely cooking and trying different foods simply for the adventure of trying them. I've slowly been getting back into cooking and loving every minute of it - the therapy involved is still very much there but it now goes hand in hand with going to the gym.
So, this blog is being reinvented yet again! (I know I should probably start from scratch, but part of me is reluctant to let go of the adventures and words of the past!)
This is simply going to be a place where I share the ups and downs of life with a few recipes thrown in, with many of those recipes being modified to be healthier, but not sacrificing any taste!
And what a year it has been!
Quite a few changes have occured since the last time I actually posted something that I wrote. (Apparently, the trend for a couple months was to start writing and never post...) And a comment the other day inspired me to actually write and post something!
I have to say one of my biggest accomplishments from this past year was losing over 50 pounds and then continuing to stay on track to lose the 37+ pounds that are still left towards my goal weight. It hasn't been easy, but well worth the journey and the effort. There have been lots of ups and downs, both emotionally and physically - but the determination is still there although it does fade at times, unfortunately. The support from family, friends and co-workers has been amazing! And finding a program to work with that works is priceless, even if there is a price! It's amazing to me that I have now lost more than most of the "faces" of Jenny Craig typically use and have started entering the category of "results not typical" the more I lose. Hopefully, I'll be smaller than I was for my first driver's license next month...
But, let me say it again - This has not been easy! And then to hear someone say about another person that the person should just lose some weight already really ticked me off! Apparently, there are people out there that think losing weight is easy! Granted it's probably because they have one of those uberfast metabolisms that allows them to eat whatever they want, whenever they want too... Sometimes, I really, truly, dislike people like that but there are those that are fabulous and I love them!
But now, I realize there are some things that I miss about life before "the diet," namely cooking and trying different foods simply for the adventure of trying them. I've slowly been getting back into cooking and loving every minute of it - the therapy involved is still very much there but it now goes hand in hand with going to the gym.
So, this blog is being reinvented yet again! (I know I should probably start from scratch, but part of me is reluctant to let go of the adventures and words of the past!)
This is simply going to be a place where I share the ups and downs of life with a few recipes thrown in, with many of those recipes being modified to be healthier, but not sacrificing any taste!
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