Gourmet Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
• 1-1/2 tsp fresh marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• 1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• salt and ground pepper
• 1-1/2 lb chuck (ground beef)
• 1-1/2 lb (ground pork)
• 1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (not dried - makes a difference)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1-1/2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 In a skillet over moderate heat, add the oil. Heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

3 In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, and hot sauce together. Add marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper.In a large mixing bowl, combine the meats, egg-milk mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, and the cooked onion mixture.

4 In a small bowl stir together ketchup, sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.

5 Time to transfer the meat mixture.  Take a large baking sheet and line it with foil.  Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.  Cut a piece of foil to be larger than a the individual meatloaves.  Using a metal skewer, poke holes along the foil…usually every other hole.  This helps the juices to drain away from the meat.  The below picture shows a whole-large meatloaf, but you get the idea:

Brush each meatloaf with ketchup glaze.Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, until glaze has set.

6 Brush meat loaf with remaining glaze and bake for 15 minutes more; glaze again.

My oven took about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but times will vary, so allow for that! You want to make sure the internal temperature of each loaf is 160 degrees F.

Homemade Fajita Seasoning & Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Got hooked on the Chipotle Burrito Bowl recently.  I thought it would be fun to make a homemade version of this for my family, so I went in search of a recipe on-line.  I found the below recipe, along with a homemade recipe for the fajita seasoning that is used.  Hope you enjoy!

First - the homemade fajita seasoning.  This is much healthier than store-bought seasoning - most of these ingredients should already be in your cupboard:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon crushed chicken bouillon cube (optional)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Now for the homemade chipotle burrito bowl recipe:

For the Cilantro-Lime Rice:

2 Cups of organic Jasmine Rice
4 Cups of water
1 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons of low-fat butter
1/2 to 1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup of onion, chopped
1 lime, squeeze out fresh juice
dash of cumin
1/2 tsp of pepper

For the Chicken:

1 package fajita seasoning mix (2 Tbsp of homemade seasoning equals one store-bought packet)
3 cups of lean chicken, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion

Other ingredients that go into the burrito bowl:

2 cups frozen Corn
1 can black beans, low sodium
a bag of low-fat shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Salsa, if desired
Pico de gallo, if desired
baked tortilla chips, highly recommended
lettuce, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
1 small container of low-fat sour cream
guacamole (see recipe for homemade below)

For the Guacamole:

1 avocado
1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup of onion
1 tablespoon of salsa or tomato
pepper to taste

Directions:

For Rice:

1. Start by making the rice first (be sure to follow the directions on the bag of any jasmine rice you’re using).


2. The only difference will be that you’re adding salt, butter, lime juice, onion, cumin and cilantro. Add these after the boiling stage but before the simmering stage. Mix well and keep covered. Keep in mind one of the key ingredients to making this like the rice at Chipotle is the lime and cilantro, that flavor is important!


3. While the rice is cooking… steam the corn in a separate pot and keep warming on the side. Also put entire can of black beans into separate pot and heat on low, stirring often, until hot.

To Make the Chicken:

1. Add some oil of chose to a frying pan and toss chicken in. Heat chicken on medium heat, stirring often to get chicken cooking evenly.
2. Add 1/4 cup of water and entire package of fajita seasoning (you can also just follow the directions on that packet). Add more water if necessary.
3. Toss and stir chicken until evenly coated, turn heat to low-med and simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes.

For the Guacamole:

1. Remove peel and core from avocado and chop up into pieces. Add to a medium bowl.
2. Chop and blend avocado until it’s the desired texture.
3. Add chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup of onions, lime juice, salsa or tomatoes and mix well.
4. Add pepper to taste.

Now that everything’s complete you can get large bowls for each person eating. Follow the below order of things if you want it to resemble Chipotle the most:

1. First add rice to bowl
2. Then add black beans
3. Then add chicken (remember I used chicken but you could substitute for pork, beef or go veggie!)
4. Add desired amount of corn.
5. Add toppings (like cheese, then add salsa or pico de gallo, tomatoes, add sour cream and guacamole).
6. Finally top that off with desired amount of chopped lettuce.

I hope you all enjoyed my little restaurant copycat cooking adventure! If you make your own attempt be sure to let me know how it goes with comments below.

Homemade Bourbon Chicken Recipe

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons no sugar added ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice and ENJOY

Bulgolgi Recipe

I have a wonderful friend, Sukay, who prepared an authentic Korean dish for a bunch of us ladies at her get-together just a couple weeks ago.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I could not stop eating it.  I have been craving it since her party and asked her for the recipe.  This is just a fabulous, tasty and pretty simple authentic Korean dish to make.  Thanks Sukay for the recipe and I hope all of you enjoy it.



1 lb. Lean Beef (like sirloin)
2 Tbsp Sugar
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Ground Sesame Seeds
4 Tbsp Green Onion (white & green)
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
White Rice

Optional Ingredients:
Shredded Carrots, Extra Onion, Extra Garlic

Combine all the ingredients except the meat into a large Ziploc bag.  Slice the beef very thin and add it to the marinade.  Marinate the mixture for at least 24 hours (I did mine for 48-72 hours).  Cook your rice just before you're ready to prepare the meat.

Add a little coconut oil to your frying pan.  Cook on med/high heat until the meat is done to your liking and it caramelizes a little.   Serve hot over the rice.

Note: If you slice the beef partially thawed, it's easier to cut into thin slices.  Cut the beef against the grain.

Note: I multiplied my recipe x4 so I had lots of it for leftovers.  I just don't think a pound would go very far with the four of us (me especially - I love this stuff).

Marinade for Flank Steak

Ingredients:

3lbs of flank steak (Costco sells them with two steaks in a package, generally 3-4 lbs).  Adjust marinade if you have more or less meat.
Season with coarse Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Marinade for Flank Steak

Juice of 6 limes
Juice of 3 tangerines/clementines
3T Balsamic Vinegar
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Manuka Honey
1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Place steaks and marinade in a zip top bag and let marinate for at least an hour or up to 3 if you have the time.

Let meat come to room temperature by removing from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to grill it. Start your grill for high heat. You will cook the meat over direct heat.

Cook meat until your desired temperature (best if it's medium-rare for this cut of meat). Remove from grill and let rest for about 10 minutes, transfer to a cutting board and cut AGAINST THE GRAIN of the meat and on a bias in thin strips. This is critical for a flank steak. It is not that tender on its own. Cutting against the grain helps break down the muscle fibers and makes chew time a lot less.

Clean Eating Pumpkin Bread

Clean Eating Pumpkin Bread

1 whole pumpkin, cut in half

1-1/2 cups almond meal/flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp vanilla paste
3 Tbsps ground flax seeds
2 Tbsp molasses
3 Tbsps coconut oil
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs, whisked
¼ cup raw honey
¾ cup pumpkin flesh
1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

What to do:

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

·         Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

·         Cut pumpkin in half.  Bake pumpkin in oven until soft – approx. 45 minutes

·         Scoop out the seeds of the pumpkin and discard (or bake).

·         Measure out ¾ cups of pumpkin flesh for this recipe

·         Grease a loaf pan (or two or four based on the size of your loaf pans) with coconut oil & dust with almond four

·         Place all ingredients in the food processor and mix until well combined

·         Scoop out mixture into the loaf pans

·         Bake for 35-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick into the center comes out clean.

·         Let cook for 30 minutes & enjoy.

NOTE: if you are using the pumpkin seeds as garnish, be sure to layer them on the bread ten minutes before removing from the oven.

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries (TIP: Look for unsweetened or naturally sweetened varieties.)
• 1 cup raw unsalted chopped pecans
• 4 to 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool completely.
2. Prepare dressing: In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar and maple syrup.
3. Add 3/4 cup dressing to quinoa. Stir in cranberries, pecans, scallions and salt. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature; just before serving, stir in remaining 1/4 cup dressing and season with salt.

Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb red or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch wedges
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 oz finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place potatoes on baking sheet, drizzle evenly with oil and toss to coat lightly. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin and garlic powder. Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly over both sides of potatoes, then arrange potatoes in a single layer. Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes, then flip and stir, and bake for 7 minutes or until lightly golden and tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with salt, cheese and pepper. Bake for 2 minutes more or until cheese has melted slightly. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately for peak flavor.

Egg 'n' Baked Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed (I prefer Yukon Gold Potatoes myself)
• 2 slices all-natural turkey bacon (no nitrites or nitrates added)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 lightly packed cups baby spinach
• 1/4 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground 
black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp chopped scallions or chives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Prick potatoes with a fork 
and transfer to tray. Bake for 50 minutes, turning once, until tender. Set aside to cool for 
20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F.
2. Meanwhile, mist a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-low. 
Add bacon and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. When cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.
3. To skillet on medium-low, add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add spinach and sauté for 
3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted. Remove from heat.
4. If needed, cut a thin slice from long side of each potato so they sit flat on sheet. Cut an oval into the top of each potato and scoop out flesh using a spoon or a melon baller, leaving a shell about 1/3-inch thick. Reserve potato flesh for future use. 
(MAKE AHEAD: Potatoes can be baked, cooled and scooped up to 2 days in 
advance. Cover and refrigerate.)
5. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper. Divide spinach mixture and bacon evenly among potatoes. Carefully crack 1 egg into each potato and top with cheese, dividing evenly. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, to desired doneness of egg. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and scallions and serve with potatoes.

Clean Eating Italian Style Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. frozen, pre-cooked shrimp
• 1 Tbs dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbs tomato paste, no sugar added
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Place everything, but the shrimp, in a skillet and heat just enough to it's all blended together.  Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are warmed through, stirring regularly.  Do not overcook the shrimp.

Good Carbs

You don't have to say goodbye to sandwiches, French toast, and stuffing to lose weight & keep it off.  As long as you read your bread labels, you should be good.  Many labels say "whole grain" or "whole wheat" but only contain 51 percent whole grains. Only buy loaves with "100 percent whole wheat" on the package, are 80 to 90 calories, have at least 2 grams of fiber, and less than 1 gram of sugars per slice.

Suggestion: 2 slices of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Gran Bread:  160 calories, 30g carbs, 8g fiber.  It's my favorite clean-eating bread.  I also love the Ezekiel English Muffins with a little Sunflower butter - great with my eggs, banana & coffee on a Saturday morning!

Provolone Chicken Melt

Ingredients:

(4) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

4 tsp EVOO, divided

4 slices multigrain bread (I use Ezekiel bread)

1 clove of garlic, halved

1 roasted red pepper, quartered

4 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese

 

What to do:

* Turn your oven broiler on

* Lightly pound out each chicken breast to help even out the thickness and then season with the salt & pepper (to taste)

* Heat 2 Tsp EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until thoroughly cooked (approx. 5 minutes per side).

* Place your bread on a cookie sheet and brush with remaining EVOO.  Rub with the cut sides of the garlic

* Place the bread under the broiler just until toasted (maybe 1 minute).  Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.

* Remove and top each piece of bread with a pepper piece, a chicken breast, and a slice of cheese.

* Place back under the broiler just until the cheese has melted (1-2 minutes)

* Enjoy!

Invasion of the "Superbug"

Our family is members of Lifetime Fitness - have been for many years.  Every month we receive their Experience Life Magazine.  One of the articles in this last month's magazine really got my attention - well actually it made me really sick to my stomach.  It made me think twice about what I'm eating.  Foods I eat that I thought were safe for me.  Turns out, not much out there is safe for me to eat.  Things that are being allowed into our foods and those foods that we are consuming every day are slowly hurting each and every one of us.  How can this be?  Why isn't the FDA doing something about this?  Why aren't they protecting us?  Isn't that what the FDA is supposed to be doing?  It turns out NO!

If you haven't taken the time or you don't know anything about it, I encourage to read-up on the subject of "Superbugs".  It will blow your mind.  As I read the article in my Experience Life Magazine, I became more and more shocked with each line I read.  The antibiotics & hormones that are pumped into the food that we consume every day is off the chart.  Antibiotics are in so many foods that we eat, that our bodies are becoming immune to them (they become less potent).  "Bacteria are smart, and over the years, thanks to constant exposure to certain drugs, a handful of the strongest bugs have figured out how to outmaneuver standard antibiotics", say Drlica, coauthor of  Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis (FT Press, 2011).

In 2010 the FDA began to publish details about the amount of antibiotics sold for humans vs. animals.  Can you believe that 80% of all antibiotics sold went to animals and 20% were for humans.  Farmers have been using low-doses of antibiotics and adding it to the animal feed since the 50's.  It was initially supposed to be administered to just the sick animals, but Farmers soon discovered that if they have low-doses on a daily basis, they would have less sick animals and the conditions in which they kept the animals didn't have to be as properly maintained as before.

It's not only about the meat that you eat.  Runoff and groundwater carry superbugs from manure-filled farms into fruit orchards and vegetable fields. So the threat is in everything we eat.

I'm not trying to scare people, although I am a little scared myself and angry to be honest.  I want everyone to be aware of this.  I myself can't afford to buy everything hormone & antibiotic free.  Grass fed meats, hormone free & antibiotic free products are unbelievably expensive.  I guess my question is why we, the Consumers, have to go through such greats lengths & expense to make sure we aren't eating things that are harmful to our bodies and our families, when the FDA is supposed to be doing that for us?  What are they here for?  We have been trusting them for years to regulate & maintain the health & safety of anyone that buys a product off the store shelf.  They are hurting us instead of protecting us.  Why isn't something being done about this?

Again, I really encourage people to educate themselves on this subject and spread the awareness.  That's what I'm doing.....

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 Tsp garlic powder
1/4 Tsp onion powder
1/4 Tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 Tsp dried oregano
1/2 Tsp paprika
1-1/2 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tsp kosher salt
1 Tsp ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an air tight container.  Enjoy!

Brown Rice Pilaf

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion (or green onion), chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long grain brown rice (not instant)
2-1-2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
Salt & pepper, to taste



Directions:

* In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-heat.  Add onion & garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is gold.  About 5 minutes

* Add the rice & sauté for about 1 minute

* Add the broth, and season with the sale & pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Cover & reduce heat to simmer.

* Simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is gone (around 45 minutes).  Be sure to check the rice on occasion & add water if necessary.

* When the rice is done, uncover and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: This rice will go wonderful with the grilled fish used in the fish taco recipe.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

1 pound firm white fish (I use Tilapia/biggest fillets I can find)
Fresh lime juice
1/4 Tsp garlic powder
1/4 Tsp chili powder
1/4 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
EVOO cooking spray
Whole wheat tortillas

NOTE: I double my recipe so I have leftovers for the week.

Directions:

* Place the fish in a baking dish and squeeze lime juice over it (equal to 1/2 a lime)

* In a small dish, combine the garlic powder, cumin, chili power, kosher salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp EVOO.  Pour this mixture over the fish.  Turn the fish over a few times in the marinade to evenly coat it.

* Cover and refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes

* Preheat your grill (low heat).  Spray your grill with the cooking spray or brush the grates with EVOO just before you are about to grill the fish.

* Place the fish on the grill and cook without moving the fish until the underside of the fish is white & opaque on the bottom (about 3-5 minutes).  Pick your fish up with a spatula, recoat the grill with your cooking spray/EVOO, and then flip your fish over to cook the other side.

* Transfer the fish to a plate and use two forks to shred it apart while it's still hot

* I warm each taco shell in the microwave for about 20 seconds, place a scoop of the seasoned fish in shell, and then top with  your favorite toppings (mine is cilantro, crumbled feta & a squeeze of lime)

NOTE #1: I have also taken the leftover fish and made little fish taco bowls to take to work.  I leave out the tortilla and just put some shredded fish in a bowl and top with my normal fixings.  Makes a great lunch at work.

NOTE #2: This grilled fish is also wonderful all on its own as an entry.  Pair it with the brown rice pilaf (also posted) and you've got yourself a wonderful & healthy meal.

Who Is Satan?

Question: "Who is Satan?"

Answer: People's beliefs concerning Satan range from the silly to the abstract—from a little red guy with horns who sits on your shoulder urging you to sin, to an expression used to describe the personification of evil. The Bible, however, gives us a clear portrait of who Satan is and how he affects our lives. Put simply, the Bible defines Satan as an angelic being who fell from his position in heaven due to sin and is now completely opposed to God, doing all in his power to thwart God's purposes.

Satan was created as a holy angel. Isaiah 14:12 possibly gives Satan’s pre-fall name as Lucifer. Ezekiel 28:12-14 describes Satan as having been created a cherubim, apparently the highest created angel. He became arrogant in his beauty and status and decided he wanted to sit on a throne above that of God (Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:15; 1 Timothy 3:6). Satan’s pride led to his fall. Notice the many “I will” statements in Isaiah 14:12-15. Because of his sin, God barred Satan from heaven.

Satan became the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). He is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), a tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), and a deceiver (Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:3). His very name means “adversary” or “one who opposes.” Another of his titles, the devil, means “slanderer.”

Even though he was cast out of heaven, he still seeks to elevate his throne above God. He counterfeits all that God does, hoping to gain the worship of the world and encourage opposition to God's kingdom. Satan is the ultimate source behind every false cult and world religion. Satan will do anything and everything in his power to oppose God and those who follow God. However, Satan’s destiny is sealed—an eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

Provided by: GotQuestions.org?

My Clean Eating Grocery List

Today's Menu

Here is today's menu (at least while I'm at work).  I like to break mine down by mini-meals.  Since the concept is eating every 2-3 hours, it just makes more sense for me.  Each of my mini-meals (except "breakfast") usually consist of a healthy carb & protein:

Mini-Meal #1: 3/4 Cup Oatmeal with agave nectar, ground flaxseed & coconut milk

Mini-Meal #2: Slider size turkey burger w/ mustard & fresh pineapple

Mini-Meal #3: Mixture of romaine & red leaf lettuce, dried cranberries, feta cheese, and 2 Tbsp. of my own dressing

Mini-Meal #4: Slider size turkey burger w/ mustard & sweet corn

I still have (2) mini-meals to go today.  I'm thinking grilled salmon & pea pods and maybe some popcorn for my end of the day snack (see popcorn recipe here on my blog)

Dressing Recipe:
1/2 Cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Clove of Garlic (sliced up)
1/4 Tsp. Ground Pepper
1 Tsp. Agave Nectar

Mix all the above ingredients and let sit for an hour or so (to infuse the garlic).  Then strain the garlic out (as you don't want to leave whole garlic sitting in foods - it can cause botulism).  Place the dressing in your favorite dispenser and use all week on your salads.

"DIET".....the scarey word

Let's face it.   When we all hear the word "Diet" we think of deprivation, hunger, starvation, miserable, tasteless, boring, and on, and on.....Why is this?  Over the years, the word "Diet" went from its true meaning to what I just described.

Here's the real definition of "Diet" per www.Dictionary.com: "food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health".

I'd like to change the way we think about the word "Diet".  How do we do that?  Go back to its true meaning and focus on what that means.

There is no magic pill, powder, drink, bar, or machine that is going to take the weight off and keep it off.  You can go on any fad diet out there and lose weight, but does it really teach you how to eat.  So many of these diets out there teach restriction & deprivation.  They say they offer great meal plans for you - meals already made for you, but what you don't realize is how processed these foods are & just loaded with sodium (which is so unhealthy for you).  Sure they are low calorie meals and they can help you count your calories, but are they REALLY healthy for you?  Are you really eating nutritious foods.  I say NO.

Back in 2007 when I decided to stop smoking (had been a smoker for 20 years) and was at my heaviest weight ever, I knew I had to get a grip on myself.  I just started searching the web, reading, and developed a desire to do better by myself.  I had seen commercials for the 6-Week Body Makeover and it was also used on a TV show and the logistics of it all really made sense to me.  I didn't fully agree with the workout program, but I agreed with the eating program.  I went to my local library and picked up another version of this called the 6-Day Body Makeover.  I read the book, figured out my body blueprint, and started eating.  I got teased like you wouldn't believe at work about how much food I was eating every day (my cooler wasn't your average "bring to work" size).  Shortly after I started that, my neighbor told me about a book called The Eat-Clean Diet.  I read that book from cover-to-cover very quickly (as it was a easy read) and the concept was very similar to the first book I had read.  What both of these books boiled down to, was EAT THE WAY YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO EAT and the weight will come off.  Within 2 months, I was down 15 lbs.  When I started to add exercise to it, another 15 lbs. came off.  Within 4 months, I was down a total of 30 lbs.  The key was I did it the right way.  I didn't starve myself, I ate healthy, and I exercised.

The key to a healthy diet is eating the right foods for you, eat in smaller quantities more often (5-6 small meals a day), and exercise 3-4 times a week.  Exercise doesn't mean you have to kill yourself by spending hours in the gym.  30-40 minutes, 3-4 times a week is all you need.  I'm not the type of person that likes to workout with a buddy or go to aerobics classes.  I like to fly solo.  There are so many awesome new ways to exercise now days.  The "web" is just full of ideas so you can never get bored.  My latest thing is HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training).  Check it out.

My advice to you is to stop "Dieting".  Stop hoping there is something magical out there in the form of a pill or powder that is going to make you lose weight & be healthy.  Sure these fad diets & weight management programs might help you lose weight, but will you be able to keep that weight off?  Have you truly learned about eating healthier foods?  Have you really developed a new lifestyle for yourself that you can maintain?  I'll be the first to admit that eating healthy all the time is not easy, it's not going to be 100%, but I can strive to do my best most of the days.  And when I do slip & fall, I always know how to get back up.