Lunch Time: Campbell's Soup and Minute Brown and Wild Rice

I haven't talked about my lunch meals in a while. I haven't been very good at meal planning recently, but I have a drawer of food in my office if I don't bring my lunch with me. 

When I get the chance to stop at the grocery store on my lunch break, I get different kinds of soups to try (and if they are on sale, I'll get a few of those!).
Today I had Campbell's Home Style Mexican-Style Tortilla Soup and I added some Minute® Ready to Serve Brown & Wild Rice. 

I am usually cautious with Campbell's soups, but I really liked the flavor of this soup. I wish there were more vegetables than rice, but it was still a good meal. They also have a Healthy Request version of this soup.

Once I added the Minute Brown and Wild Rice, the soup became thicker. Luckily I was hungry, so the soup is all gone. I love these little single serving packs. They are easy to heat up, and they fill me up. 

Another thing I like about Minute rice is the plastic containers the single serving rice comes in. They are really sturdy and can be reused for other things, like my paper clip holder. I could also decorate it with markers, if I were more creative. I might just try that.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for writing this review. This is my own personal opinion.

Finally tackling the Pinterest to-do's

One of the things that I want to accomplish this year is to recreate some of the things I have found on Pinterest, specifically the food on my YUM board:

Follow Sara @ Content in the Meantime's board YUM on Pinterest.

Look at all the amazing recipes I have found. I want to try all of them! Most of the recent posts are healthy/vegan recipes. Want to try a minimum of one recipe a week. I hope I can do at least two or three a week.

Weight Loss Challenge: Month One

It's been a difficult but exciting month. The last 2 weeks have been stressful. I found out about a prospective job opportunity doing the thing I love the most: playing worship music! I want to write a separate post about this event when I find out the results. Even though it was stressful to get all my paperwork and resume together, I completed it and I am waiting for a response. 

Food counting-wise, I haven't been on track with writing down my food intake. But I made an effort to keep foods in the fridge at work, and I can eat them whenever. The staple foods I have stuck with are:

• Mixed greens
• Tomatoes
• Tuna Fish
• Cheese
• Pepperoni
• Pita Bread

I only had tomatoes available a couple of times, but it's nice to make a fresh salad. 

I love having pita bread around! I can make two different things with it: add cheese and pepperoni for a pizza, or put mixed greens, tuna and cheese for a filling pita pocket. I calculated the mini pizza on Calorie Count, and it's about 325 calories, depending on how much pepperoni and cheese you put on it.

I was getting discouraged a couple of weeks ago, because my weight went from 204.4 to 204.8. But I weighed myself this Tuesday (8/6) and I weighted 200.8. I'll be more relieved when I get under 200 lbs.

Now for lunch!

How are you striving to eat healthier foods? Do you have an staple foods you stick with?

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Banana Bread Bundt Cake

I always made banana bread when I was younger. I found a few banana bread recipes in a company recipe book my father bought when he worked in the hospital. There were at least 6 recipes for banana bread, and each one had added ingredients or different measurements. I decided to take all these recipes and make my own. After making it for more than 10 years, I am finally writing this recipe down. It's fresh in my mind from baking a bundt cake this weekend for a friend's new home.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (margarine or oil)
• 1-1 1/2 cups sugar (white or light/dark brown or combined)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 or more bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• optional: pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips

Materials: 

source

Metal bundt cake pan. (My pan is similar to this one pictured. I figured out at a younger age that it cooks faster in a bundt cake pan instead of a loaf pan.)

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

1. Mix sugar and butter until it's creamy. (I was out of margarine this weekend, so I used vegetable oil. Glad the recipe still worked!)
2. Add eggs. (I used a mixer to get the sugar chunks out.)
3. Add one cup of flour and mix well. Add the second cup of flour and mix well. (Use the mixer if necessary.)
4. Add 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. I made the first cake without salt and 5 bananas, and it was sweeter than what I was used to.
5. Smash the bananas and add to the mix. The batter gets pretty stiff with the flour, and adding the bananas gives it a more fluid consistency. If the batter is still tough, add more bananas, or a splash of milk will work too.
6. Add any additional seasonings. I usually add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. And you can use more than 1 tsp. I think I used a tbsp of each.
7. Add your favorite nuts or chocolate pieces. The first cake I made on Sunday didn't have nuts. I found some pecan pieces after I made the cake, and I added it to yesterday's bundt cake. I really want to try this recipes with lots of semi sweet dark chocolate pieces. Yum!

Spray the pan with cooking spray and pour the mixture in the cake pan. Bake the cake for 30 minutes (Told you it was fast). Check to make sure it's cooked thoroughly by inserting a butter knife in the cake. If it's still wet, cook for a maximum 15 minutes. If it comes out clean, the cake is done!

I also realized if you use white sugar, the cake bakes lighter. For the second cake I only had a little less than 1 cup of sugar, so I added some light brown sugar. The cake cooked darker (the way I like it!).

Do you make banana bread/cake? Let me know if you try this recipe!

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Weight Loss Struggles, and My Weight Loss Plan

I don't really write much about weight loss. I've been doing a variety of things, I just don't think I have been consistent with them all. I still have the monthly gym membership, and I need to try to use it daily. I have C25K, but running lately has given me knee problems. Not to mention I've also had pain on my left foot from my Achilles tendon. I don't want to break anything. So I've been feeling more sluggish lately. The Florida rain hasn't helped out either. At least I am able to use the machines at the gym, and I swam 2 times last week. After spending the last weekend in the water, I couldn't wait to jump in the gym pool.

So this is my "weight loss plan". I need to combine the things I have been doing into one package to get the results I want. I haven't been losing weight, and I am afraid it might be something that I'd have to talk to a doctor about. I don't want to waste my money on things I can try to fix myself. So here is a list of my plans for here on out. *raises right hand* I promise to write an update next month to show my progress. It's only fair!

• I will be using the Calorie Count app on my phone to keep track of my food, activity, weight and water intake. I have to admit, I have not been following a great food regiment. I used to use My Fitness Pal, but I think Calorie Count is more visually pleasing. The app is not only colorful, but they show all the options you use on the main page, including posts from other users about their progress. I get an email from Calorie Count as well, with other success stories and struggles.
• The best part of this app is that it is always showing on the top bar of my phone, so I can remember to always log in my food intake. That's always the most difficult think for me. I remember doing weight watchers 10 years ago, and it did benefit to write down the food you eat (or were thinking of eating). I may even try to use both apps to see which one is more beneficial.

• With this app, I will track my food intake, drink A LOT (at least a gallon) of water, calculate my exercises, and occasionally check my weight. The biggest thing about weight loss and muscle building is that weight doesn't matter. If you are losing inches, the weight part doesn't matter. That's a big struggle for me to understand.
• Since I am tracking what exercises I do, it will be easier for me to remember to change my exercises every week. I love swimming, but I can't do it every day (I wish!). Imagine what would happen to my hair?! Knowing how many calories I burn will help me know how many extra I need to burn for any special dinner party coming up.
• In the beginning of the year, I tried being a raw vegan. It wasn't a bad plan, and buying only fruits and veggies is not as expensive as one may think. I am still bringing fruits with me to work. I just have to up the amount of raw foods and cut out sugars, wheat, dairy, etc. If my weight is a result of these things, I need to stop eating them!! (I keep telling this to myself all the time). 
• I got to get back on my 100 squats a day workouts!

Following Sunny With A Chance of Sprinkles' post, I decide to post my before picture. It was taken last month, but I still look the same:

Today's weight: 209.4

It's ALL in the stomach area (and no I have not had a baby).

Goodbye weight! Time to eat my homemade salad with tuna and get some workout in!

(FYI, I was not given any compensation for writing about My Fitness Pal, Calorie Count, or C25K.)

How to Save Money and Reduce Waste

I was reading a few blogs this morning, and I came across this Food Waste Challenge from the United States Department of Agriculture. Although this challenge is more for organizations, I did find some good Resources for Consumers (plus I love the World War I Era poster!). This information is especially good for times like these.

World War I Era Poster, Committee of Public Safety,
Department of Food Supply, South Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA

EPA's Suggestions for Reducing Food Waste

1. Shop your refrigerator first! It's always a good idea to know what you have and what you need to buy. You don't want to have extra produce because you forgot you had bananas in the fridge (It's happened to us a lot. At least we love eating them!)
2. Make of list of things to buy and ONLY BUY THOSE THINGS. Sometimes it's so difficult to do this with those BOGO deals. Making a list is a great way to save money because you will know how much you will spend.
3. Buy only what you realistically need and will use. This point depends on what you are buying. If you know you eat so much of a specific canned good every month, it could be cheaper and beneficial to buy them in bulk. But when you buy what you need, you should not get any spoiled food.
4. Be creative! If safe and healthy, use the edible parts of food that you normally do not eat. Their examples were stale bread for croutons and sauteed beet tops. My mom loves to make what she calls "mystery soup" or "casserole surprise". She will take whatever vegetables and meat we have in the fridge, and she throws it together to make a delicious soup or casserole. Last month she made a casserole with potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, celery, and cheese!
5. Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables - especially abundant seasonal produce. Have too many peaches, apples, cherries or mangoes growing in your area? Can them! Just purchase some mason jars and air tight lids.
   You could also make jams. Here's a website with instructions on how to make homemade jam. I read the apricot jam directions, and they even give you specific instructions on what materials you will need and exactly how to preserve the fruit.
6. At restaurants, order only what you can finish. I usually share my meal with a friend or I split my food in half to take home.
7. At all-you-can-eat buffets, take only what you can eat. I don't usually take home food when I go to a buffet, anyways.

Also on the USDA website, there are more links on canning, food safety with meats, fresh produce, frozen foods, and general information on food keeping.

You can also try your hand at gardening. It is fun for the whole family and a good way to teach children to enjoy eating their fruits and veggies! From what I've heard from parents with gardens, if the children grow the food they will most likely eat it. Plus, fresh fruits and vegetables have a more pleasing taste than some store-bought produce.

For any new gardeners out there, try making a compost pile or vermicomposting with your leftover fruit and vegetable scraps. In Hillsborough County (where I live), you can take a free composting class and receive a free compost bin and thermometer, as well as free rain barrels for rainwater harvesting if you take the Rainwater Harvesting Workshop. Check with your county to see if they offer these free classes as well.

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Eating Healthy...again

So it's back to the eating again. I've been trying different things over the years, like different exercises and diets. I just have to be more consistent with what I am doing.

I made a smoothie for breakfast today, similar to the greenie morning smoothie. I added strawberries and blueberries to the mix. It was more of a purple then a greenie. I wish I added another banana though, because I'm so hungry right now! At least it's time for lunch. I didn't bring food today, but I'm going to get the biggest salad I can find with everything on it!

I'm using the my fitness pal app on my phone again, to keep track of the things I eat...even if I shouldn't have eaten them (like the small handful of reece's pieces I threw in my mouth a few minutes ago!)

BAD!

But it's a daily process. And I can't put myself down for it. I've been walking more every day, and that makes me feel better.

Recipe: Greenie morning smoothie

This year I started incorporating more fruits and vegetables in my diet. I try to make a green yummy drink every morning to start my day. It's very simple to make. All you need is:

• Orange juice (1 cup or more, depending on how many people you are serving)
• One handful of spinach (more to make it super green!)
• Bananas ( I usually put 1 or 2 whole bananas)
• 1 cup or water (optional)

You can add additional fruits or veggies, like kale, cucumber or tomato. You can also add nutritional yeast or protein powder. As long as you have enough orange juice (or any of your favorite juice) and water, you will not taste the spinach. You will only taste the juice, I promise you! Blend these yummies together and you get a great green breakfast drink!

The best thing about this greenie is that you can drink as much of it as you want, until you get full!

Let me know if you try this out or what you mix to make a morning smoothie. :)

This year's garden

It's been a year since I talked about my garden. Most All of the plants in the post from last year have passed away. The cherry tomato plant and the strings beans produced vegetables. The other plants eventually withered away from the summer heat last year.   This year, I grew new plants from the seed (with help from my parents, of course). Here are some pictures:

This is a tomato plant I grew from the seed.

These plants are lemon and grapefruit, I think. I don't know which ones are which.

And these beauties are garlic cloves. I planted them in origami paper cups made out of newspaper. I was surprised to see how they grow. You just plant them, and I hear they grow in any type of dirt/soil.

There's a certain awe and feeling of accomplishment when I see seeds I plant grow. I am amazed at what God has given our hands to do.

Have you been growing anything? Do you plan to this year?