Wordless Wednesday 10/26

the fall rose

Healthy Living Doesn't have to be a Fight with Food, 5 hints

We all struggle with Healthy living especially as the holidays begin. Halloween and all the candy, Thanksgiving and all the wonderful savory dishes, and then December and the variety of holiday celebrations and baked goodies.  The good news is it doesn't have to be a fight.  Here are 5 hints to winning the holiday Food fight.

1. Moderation, moderation, moderation.  Yes I said it 3 times. moderation is the key. Don't deny yourself the fun treats but don't go crazy. Have a little. I have read so many articles over the years talking about giving something up completely and then soon after going crazy on the something.

2. Keep lots of healthy alternatives around. Veggies pre-cut and placed in a small bowl of cold water are a wonderful way to snack. Celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, even sweet potatoes and turnips make a easy crunchy healthy snack.. Use a little lemon juice in the water to give you an extra bit of flavor.

3. Reduce the salt! so many health issues are aggravated by sodium.. Try using a low / no sodium seasoning on veggies, salads, sandwiches, even eggs.

4. Lots of water! replace half your sodas, coffee, and other beverages with water.  We attended a wedding this weekend and the carafes of water all had lemons, limes, cucumbers, or raspberries in them. It added a hint of flavor without the extra sugar or salt. With the berries it even added a hint of color.

5. Find light , lean protein if you need an evening snack. Things like cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, even yogurt if it isn't too full of sugar. The protein will last longer in you system and can satisfy a craving for something in the evening.

These are things I try and do during the holidays to win the fight with food.  I am not a health care professional, just a person who struggles with the food and holiday food fight.

 


This post was sponsored by   Aetna Healthy Food Fight andSheSpeaks all opinions within the post are my own including any recipes I share.

End of the Season campfire fun **beer** #Cbias

So what to do when you find the beer fridge empty but have an evening of clear weather ahead?
Head to the mini mart of course!
This time since we were going to be in town we decided after the wedding we were going to , we would head over to 7-11.
We use to shop at 7-11 when we lived in the Hillsboro area, but since moving to Yamhill County, it wasn't as convenient (the closest  store is 14 miles away).  I love the Slurpee machines and decided this would be a fun treat for the boys as well as a chance to pick up a couple of things for an evening campfire with friends.

We attended a beautiful wedding honoring 2 very special young people. The boys had fun hanging out at the reception with all their friends and being a little more social than normal. Usually this group of little guys are all together in their homeschool co-op so they know each other but don't hang out as much outside of co-op.




The boys enjoyed cupcakes and a little dancing, but tend to get a little antsy so we didn't stay as long as we would have liked.

Off we went to pick up some beer and chips at the 7-11 

We were surprised to find a pretty good variety of Beer as well as a fairly large selection of chips.




The boys picked out a bag of chips and then we let them get a Slurpee for on the way home.

Keeping in mind the amount of sugar the just consumed (cupcake and Slurpee) I knew it was going to be an interesting evening.

Once we got home I had them change into play clothes and Cameron went down to get his friends for the gathering.

We had campfire with snack foods to start (mini chimis and little chicken sausages in a italian breading but like a corn dog.)

The weather was perfect, not too cool and not raining.
The kids rode bikes through the yard to use up some of their crazy energy while I got the rest of the evening goodies out.


Finally time for campfire!

(I still haven't mastered campfire photos with the new camera... hoping I have a couple more chances before the weather gets too yucky)

Marshmallows and hotdogs for 4 kids and 3 adults.

The kids enjoyed a couple of bottles of Clear American while the adults enjoyed the beer. We had settled on Coors Light since the prices at 7-11 were more expensive then we usually spend.

Overall the evening was a nice treat of friends, campfire and laughs.  I really hope we get more oppotunities this fall. Something about fall campfires are so much fun! Besides they are a lot cozier than summer campfires. I love having a campfire and snuggling with the boys...

I will leave you with one last photo!

 A Cat and her boy!

If you would like to see the whole adventure check out this Google+ photostory.



This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opions are my own.

Sunday Supper: Italian Tomato Chicken with Green beans

I was inspired by a couple of recipes on allrecipes.com , but wanted to put my own spin on it.
1 - 2 lbs chicken breast diced
1 medium onion large chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic
Fresh basil
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
5 - 6 italian tomatoes diced
Olive oil
Angel hair pasta

brown the diced with a little olive oil.
set chicken aside (I like to put it in a glass dish and set it in the oven at about 250 to finish cooking)
sweat onions and garlic in olive oil. I decided I didn't want them caramelized for this dish.
add back the chicken and mix together lightly.
add fresh chopped basil (you may also use oregano of thyme if you have fresh) If you don't have fresh add dry basil after you add the tomatoes
Add tomatoes pan.  gently combine the ingredients.
add green beans on top and cover.
simmer on low/ medium  heat while you cook the pasta.

I used angel hair but you could use any noodle.
I boil the water first and salt the water before I add the noodles.
Cook the noodles al dente.

Plate noodles and add the chicken with tomatoes and green beans over the noodles

Serve with parmasean cheese if you like.
Enjoy.

Sunday Supper: Loaded baked potato chowder recipe featuring #NewKnorrStock

Whats for dinner?

 That is the same question that seems to come up every evening.

Well today I decided to create as I was processing the harvest from the last week or so.

My friends over at Collective Bias recently had a social shopper insight study featuring Knorr Homestyle Stock. I was not selected for the study, but was inspired by all the various recipes I was seeing and I got 2 coupons for the stock and decided to give it a try.  I picked Chicken and Beef up at Walmart a couple of weeks ago but just now got to use them. I have to say for such a small package it sure packs a flavorful punch.

While the boys are off watching pumpkin launching at Heiser's Farms I decided to create.


Here is the recipe (the blog post was an after thought so I don't have a ton of pics this time)

8-10 small red potatoes washed and quartered
1 rutabaga washed a quartered
2 medium parsnips chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and chopped
1 packed Knorr Homestyle Stock chicken flavor
1 package turkey bacon chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli cut small
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp butter
3 1/2 cups water (to mix with the stock)

knorr Homestyle Stock set aside

boil the water and dissolve the stock.
Add potatoes, garlic, rutabaga, and parsnips to the stock. Cook until very tender.  Pour off stock and set aside.

Loosely mash (I used my kitchen aide stand mixer and whip attachment to mash the vegetables leaving chunks)

In the original pan  add butter, bacon, and green onions. Cook on medium heat until butter is melted and bacon is starting to brown.
Add back in the vegetable mash, stir together slowly adding the chicken stock back to the pan to get a thick soup or chowder consistency.
Add the broccoli and warm on medium/ low heat.

Serve with dinner roll or favorite bread.
Enjoy!

While this recipe features a recently highlighted product this post was not sponsored by Collective Bias. The recipe is my own creations.

A Verse to share from @WomenofFaith: Over the Top #wofOTT

Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

I marked this verse on my phone during the Women of Faith event last weekend.  Someday we will be able to join in that mighty chorus giving glory and honor to the Lord God.

That weekend was the most amazing and powerful event I have been blessed to attend.
I am still going through all my notes and hope to share a long more indepth look at all the amazing things I heard later this weekend.

Wordless Wednesday