Day Thirteen: Minestrone

Another copycat Olive Garden soup. This is one is from Sparkpeople so feel at ease knowing that its low cal. Enjoy!

Minutes to Prepare: 15
Minutes to Cook: 45
Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced white onions
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup frozen cut italian green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce)can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained
1 /2 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup macaroni

Directions

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings.

Because Its Fall

I bought broccoli last week and couldn't decide what to do with it. I thought about just eating raw or steaming it with some fish; the usual. Then I remembered I had a recipe for cream of broccoli soup from last fall. Since the weather is getting cooler I thought it would be perfect. Again I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and tweaked it.

Ingredients

4-5 cups of chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom, cream of celery, or cheddar soup
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 or 2 stalks of chopped celery (depending on your taste or leave it out if you use the soup)
1 pinch ground white pepper
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 crowns of fresh broccoli
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Directions

In large saucepan, combine broth, cream of mushroom soup, onion, celery and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add milk and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add mixture to soup, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add broccoli and cheeses, mixing until melted.

                           

 

Last Meal

Well it obviously wasn't really my last meal, but its the last chicken box I'll eat for a while. A few years ago, after college, I gave up pork and beef (with the exception of Thanksgiving ham) and began a journey to healthier eating. I moved to Atlanta with no car just public transportation and my feet to get me anywhere I needed to be, so I immediately started losing weight and of course lead a less sedentary lifestyle. I lost between 30 and 40 pounds (not totally sure because I was always told the scale is not my friend). In 2010, a coworker and friend coerced me into joining her on her new year's resolution to workout. I was totally not into it and I never did believe in resolutions because people rarely stick to them. Anyway I reluctantly begin working out with her and another friend at the fitness center of her apartment. 

The first week was hard. After that it got easy and I felt like a different person. After only a few weeks I felt stronger, like I had more endurance. I was drinking tons of water, my sleeping habits had gotten better (probably because I was exhausted from working out), and I had more energy. Eventually my friend gave me the key to the fitness center (she had given up the resolution). I continued working out without her. Soon after that she needed to key back (it was also the key to the laundry room lol). I loved they way I felt when I worked out so I decided to utilize OnDemand ExcerciseTv at home. I went on runs, did aerobic, interval training, and stretching videos, and swam in the summer months. I wasn't dieting so I can't say that I lost weight (again no scale to be certain), but everything was tight and right, so to speak and I maintained the same size but my clothes fit better. But time passes and without that accountability buddy or just a person to encourage you to "just do it, " I lost motivation. By July, I went from working out 4 times a week to only once or twice. By August, working out and how it made me feel was a distant memory. 

I haven't been eating as well as I know I can and I've been feeling sluggish and drained. Since I've moved to Baltimore I've gotten lax on my healthy eating habits. One reason is the shear sticker shock from the cost of food. The first time I went to the grocery store I couldn't believe they wanted me to pay dollars (not cents) more for the same food I got at the grocery store in Atlanta. Its hard to find fruits and vegetables for less than $2 a pound even with sales. Ground turkey is hard to find and when I do find it its $2 more than I'm used to paying. I can always find a sale on chicken wings, legs, thighs, or leg quarters (not skinless), but struggle to get boneless, skinless chicken breast. I can buy two pounds of ground beef for $5 or a pound and a half of ground pork for about a $1.50. Another reason availability of the junk food. I had never seen so many 7 Elevens until I moved here only to be outnumbered by fried chicken and fish joints or Chinese food places (that also sell fried chicken). 

To Baltimore's credit, there are public markets and farmers' markets that have fresh local meat and produce but the prices are the same as a local chain grocer. Also to their credit most of the markets accept EBT cards (food stamps) which is great for those needing to feed their families healthy meals but where does that leave people like me who are fortunate enough to not need assistance or qualify for it for that matter, but are struggling to get affordable healthy meals on the table, even for one person. But I digress, and today I decided enough of excuses, I can make it happen. So no more chicken boxes (wings and fries), no more beef and pork just because its cheap, and no more slacking. I found my motivation and today with lettuce wrap and Jillian Michaels dvd in hand, I start anew. Now if I could just find an accountability partner . . .