Hey guys!!!!

Guess what! I miss you all, but that wasn't my news. Zumba is starting at my studio Mondays - Fridays at 7:00. I've got two great teachers who are tons of fun. I'm really excited!!!

Follow Up Class

We had a great follow up meeting on April 6th.  There were only 3 of us there and we missed the rest of you.  We talked about a lot of things but the focus was lapse vs. relapse.  Think about it.  A lapse is a temporary setback, but a relapse is permanently returning to old habits.  So don't get discourage if you have the occasional lapse.  If there is a pattern of lapses, plan for them.  Decide now how you will handle them.  For me, I plan to focus on my food tracking.  That always helps me stay focused on healthy eating.  See you all next month.  First Tuesday in May at 7:30, same place.  We miss you teacher.

exercise dvds and videos

Out of the 10 videos/dvds I checked out from Orem Library, here are the 2 I could recommend:

1. Island Girl (Dance Fitness Workout)

2. Miss Christy's Dancin' Jazz (Hot Moves for Cool Kids)

It was great to be with all of you!

This is a big deal!

One of my biggest issues is the food we feed kids in the school system. Jaime Oliver is totally one of my heroes and he's launching a campaign to change school food lunch. If you want to sign a petition to help bring this about go to the following link: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Need More Greens?

Check out greensmoothiegirl.com. Scroll down the main page to "View My Videos" and click on that.  It will take you to a video of making green smoothies. Sandy said they were good.  Just take the spine out of the kale to remove some of the bitterness.  Give it a try.  I am!

Grains!

This is all from the book The Dietitian's Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Angela Grassi. The Publisher is Luca Publishing and the copyright is 2007.

She's got a pretty good section on herbs and supplements in her book as well but here's what she says about some of the different grains:

Amaranth. It's seeds have more protein, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium than any other grain. It also has more of the amino acids lysine, methionine, and cysteine, which tend to be limited in other grains. The seeds can be used in bread recipes or popped like popcorn and eaten as a snack. If ground into flour, amaranth can be used if mixed with other flours in baking.

Bulgar. It's considered a pseudograin that begins as a whole wheat kernel but is boiled, dried, and cracked into small pieces. It's easy to prepare as it does not need to be washed before cooking and does not require stirring. It can be used in meatloafs, soups, stews, casseroles, and baked goods.

Flaxseed provides protein, vitamins, minerals, soluble and insoluble fiber, phytoestrogens, and is an excellent source of essential fatty acids. Flaxseeds are best digested when ground (use a coffee grinder) and should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Flaxseed can be used alone or as flour and are used in breads, muffins, crackers, and cereals. Milled flaxseed can be substituted for shortening or other oils and eggs. For every egg being replaced, mix 1T milled flaxseed with 3T water.

Kamut contains 8 amino acids, making it one of the grains with the highest protein content. It is also rich in Vitamin E and B-vitamins.

Millet. There are over 6,000 varieties of millet. It contains high amounts of protein, B-vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, iron, and phosphorus and 50% of the oil it contains is polyunsaturated. It can be used instead of rice in a pilaf or in stuffing or porridge.

Quinoa provides all essential amino acids making it a complete protein food and has approximately twice as much protein as regular cereal grains. It's rich in B-vitamins, vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, fiber, calcium, and is relatively high in unsaturated fats. Quinoa is technically a fruit and not a grain. It's a fun alternative to couscous or rice. It's good in pilafs, risottos, stews, salads, or even desserts. Rinse before cooking to remove the bitter waxy coating. Cook it for breakfast with berries, nuts or cinnamon.

Spelt is rich in B-vitamins and contains 8 essential amino acids. It can be slow cooked and used in soups and stews like barley and can easily be substituted in recipes calling for rice. It can also be used in cookies, quick breads, and muffins.

Any of these grains would be a great alternative to oatmeal or mush for breakfast. The extra protein in amaranth, quinoa, flaxseed, kamut, etc gives the food staying power and will last you a little bit longer during the day. Don't forget we need 25 grams of fiber each day.

No Choc Chip Cookie for me.

I just have to share. I was so excited. The other day my daughter made chocolate chip cookies and I didn't want one!  I don't think there has ever been a time in my life that I didn't want a CC cookie.  I chose apple and almonds instead because that is what sounded good!  Go figure.  Thanks everyone in class for your support, especially you teacher!

Tomato Soup

Here is that yummy tomato soup recipe I told you about. I don't like a lot of heat and the pepper flakes are just right. Just a little after burn. Also you could make your own creme fraice by mixing 1 C whipping cream and 2 Tbs buttermilk and letting it sit on your counter for 8 hours. Or even better, just use plain yogurt. It's also delicious alone!!

Hearty Tomato Soup with Rosemary
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 onion, peeled and chopped
* 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 3 cups chicken broth
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2/3 cup creme fraiche
* Zest of one lemon

Directions

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

Puree the soup in a blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to 2/3 cup creme fraiche. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary creme fraiche. Serve immediately.

Check out these recipes:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beet_hummus/

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/curried_squash_soup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+elise%2Fsimplyrecipes+%28Simply+Recipes%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetche

What are your favorite ways to eat veggies? And what are your favorite veggies?

Frittata Recipie

I know a couple of you wanted this recipe so I thought I would add it here. All of the amounts below are "abouts" as I never measure when I cook. You can also find many different variations on www.allrecipes.com

Put veggies in a greased 9x13 pan. I usually do steamed broccoli, sauteed onions or peppers, green chilies, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes (fresh or canned). Sometimes I add cooked chicken, ham, or bacon. I add enough veggies to fill about halfway up the pan.

10 large eggs (or 12-14 med)
1/2 cup-1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion salt (if I don't add fresh onion)

Beat all together 2-3 min until fluffy and season to your taste. Pour over veggies and with a fork move everything around a bit so the egg mixture gets between everything. Bake in a preheated oven at 350. Bake about 30-40 min. until eggs are done. You can sprinkle cheese over the last 5 min or so
.

I finally did it!!! It took me long enough! (Sorry)

I want to share with you some of my favorite online databases. I love love love www.101cookbooks.com. It's brilliant! I also realy like www.recipezaar.com because all the recipes come with nutrition facts labels. www.cookinglight.com is also fun as is the healthy food section of www.foodnetwork.com.

See you next week!