I have been on a personal quest over the last 8 years to really dive into cooking. I have learned so much. I have cooked a wide variety of foods and grown to love many new produce items that I would usually avoid. It has been quite the experience. One arena I haven't really "conquered" is making sure that I am keeping my cooking totally healthy. Many of my recipes are very healthy, some kinda healthy, and some total indulgences. As of late I have noticed myself diving further into the "indulgence" end of the spectrum. Who could blame me with all the millions of seductive cookies, cakes and treats swirling around the Internet world like a curse (a good one of course). I have noticed that the more I look at pinterest the more food cravings I have. Isn't that interesting? I have avoided pinterest food pages for just that reason. As I look at many of the food blogs I have grow to love, I began feeling like I have to keep up with all that decadence. In reality, I shouldn't be making all that good stuff filled with chocolate, caramel and heavy cream on a regular basis for my family. It's just straight up unnatural to consume stuff like that on the regular. (Not that it isn't absolutely delicious...)
My husband and I have taken some serious stock of our lives lately and decided it is officially time for a change. What we care about most is family, and we feel that to best serve our family we need to keep ourselves physically and mentally and emotionally healthy. We have not been doing as great of a job at that as we could. It has taken some time to come to this conclusion. We were at a catch 22 it seemed. My job (other than Mommy) was to provide recipes. So, what kind of recipes will I supply if I really want to change how we live and eat? Ho-hum. I was bummed out thinking about not whipping up a batch of cookies on Sunday, or forgetting the artisan bread for a while. But ya know what? Drastic times call for drastic changes. And that is what is about to happen.
For the next unforeseen amount of time, my blog is going to be centered around HEATHY (low carb) (sugar-free) food. Yes, you heard me right. NO SUGAR OR BREAD!!! This may sound crazy, but it is what it is.
I know it is January and many of you are working on building a healthier 2014 yourselves, so maybe our big-healthy adventure will help you too! I sure hope so. Now this might sound absolutely shocking, but Mike and I started MediFast 5 days ago. It might seem nuts, since I cook for a living, but let me tell you, it was been so awesome so far! We eat 5 MediFast meals a day, then I get to cook a fabulously delicious {Lean & Green} meal for dinner. I have been loving this new cooking challenge! It has forced me to look outside the box and abandon heavy cream, sugar, butter and bread. It is so fun to think of new {Lean & Green} ideas. So please come along with me on my journey towards a new way of living and eating. It's bound to be rewarding if I can stay strong and make it happen!
Hopefully this will be the last goodbye to this version of ourselves!
If I can find one I will post a motivation picture on here to show you what I'm working towards! Woo-hoo!
We are feeling good, staying hydrated, eating well and losing weight too! Mike is down 6.5 pounds and I am down 5. Ya baby! How's that for a whopping 5 days of work? So stay tuned for some healthy food, Lean & Green meals, MediFast cooking tricks and healthy living!
{Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Pepper Cream Chicken}
This meal was so incredibly easy to prepare, and was so flavorful and warm. It is filling and has a little zing! We loved it! Start out by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Chop 1/2 head cauliflower into chunks. Slice peppers and mushrooms. If you want it extra spicy, add 1 jalapeno sliced thin. (I did this and it was yummy!) If you can't handle that kind of heat, omit them. Place all chopped vegetables on a lined baking sheet. Spray veggies with chili olive oil spray (or lightly drizzle with olive oil of your choice). Drizzle with lime juice. Season with Muir Gourmet Roasted Garlic Pepper blend, paprika and pepper. Toss well and place on the center rack of the oven. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
Cut 1 pound of chicken tenderloins into cubes. Heat
a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken pieces in skillet
and spritz with chili olive oil spray. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until done.
Meanwhile, mix together fat free sour cream, Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese, water, chicken bouillon granules and roasted garlic pepper seasoning mix in a small pot. Allow sauce to
simmer for 10 minutes to reduce. When chicken and sauce are both done, pour
sauce over chicken. Plate 1-½ cups of roasted vegetables per person. Top with ½
of the chicken and sauce. Chop up parsley and cilantro. Garnish each serving with ½ of the fresh herbs.
Enjoy!
This is a great example of how good you can cook using only Lean Meats and Low Carb Vegetables! I am thrilled with how this dish came together. Even my kids were loving it!
CLICK ON RECIPE TO VIEW A PRINTABLE JPG
Happy 2014 everyone!
xoxo
Laura
Awesome job Laura! I am rooting for you!! Thanks for the yummy recipe as well. I am going to whip it up one of these nights.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you! I am super happy about the whole program so far! I feel so much better. I am not craving sugar, breads or treats at all. I never feel overly hungry either! It is amazing. I love the challenge of cooking so healthy too. I am drinking WAY less diet coke and WAY more water. It has made me feel like a whole new person. :) So, stay tuned throughout the year to see the amazing disappearing Muir Family! He he.
DeletePlease keep the Lean & Green ideas coming - the ones you've posted so far look GREAT!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I will definitely keep them coming. :) I have been having such a good time thinking up new ways to cook healthy lean and green meals. I have a wonderful salmon dish coming your way soon! Thanks for stopping by my site. Have a happy day!
Delete