Motivation 3

Since there have been so few post, and I've made a few motivation pictures for Instagram, I figured I would share a few. It doesn't have to be Monday to get motivated! 

Lemon Bars

Sorry, for not posting for a bit. Life and work have been a bit hectic. So awhile back I said I would post the recipe for lemon bars, that are oh, so delicious, and here it is! This is one of my favorite treats. My mom made them this way when I was growing up and I recently saw on Pinterest someone added the zest of the lemon to the crust. It makes it even better.

Makes 24

Around 160 calories

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

Filling:

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Use a 8X11 inches glass baking pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl put the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Mix together, before adding the butter. Use an electric mixer to blend together until it turns into crumbles. 

3. Pour in the pan and press with a fork to even it out. Cook for 20 minutes. 

4. While crust cooks, start the filling. In a mixing bowl add eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat with an electric mixer.

5. When the crust is done, take it out and add the filling right away. Put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

6. Let them cool before cutting them to serve. Powdered sugar is optional. 

7. Enjoy!

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Last day of Soup Week! It's been really fun and my little sisters have enjoyed coming over and eating all my leftover soup! Broccoli-Cheddar is a classic, so I thought it would be a great one to end with. I made the croutons. Cut up a piece of bread, dip it in olive oil, and cook at 400 degrees, until golden.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 potato

2 tbsp olive oil

2 celery stalks

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups cream

1 cup water

2 cups cooked broccoli

1 cup cheddar cheese

croutons (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop the onion and celery stalks. Saute in the oil in a pot. 

2. Chop the potato. Add the potato, chicken broth, cream, and water. Bring to a boil, than simmer 10 minutes. 

3. Puree the soup in a blender. Return it back to the pot and bring it to a simmer again.

4. Stir in the broccoli and cheddar cheese. Once melted it is ready to serve.

5. Enjoy.

Butternut Squash Soup

Day six of Soup Week! I love fall and squash is delicious! Butternut squash is also a great source for fiber, vitamin C, A, and E. This was actually one of the fastest and easiest soups to make so far.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 onion

2 tbsp butter

2 lbs butternut squash

1 tbsp thyme

3 cups vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes. Cut the onion.

2. Add the onion, thyme, and butter to the pan, and saute until soft.

3. Add squash and broth. Let simmer until the squash is tender (about 10-15 minutes). 

4. Put in a blender and puree.

5. Pour back into the pan. Once cooled, dish into bowls and serve. 

6. Enjoy!

 

Sausage-Bean Soup

Day five of Soup Week! 

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients: 

4 garlic cloves

1/2 onion

pinch of red pepper flakes

3 sweet Italian sausage links

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups baby spinach

1 can white beans

1 Parmesan rind

extra Parmesan

Directions: 

1. Cook the sausage than cut into thin slices.

2. Chop the garlic and onion, and put in a pan with the red pepper flakes and olive oil. 

3. Add the broth, spinach, beans, and Parmesan rind.

4. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Pour in a bowl and had the desired amount of Parmesan to soup. 

6. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Day four of Soup Week! This is a recipe my mom used to make me a lot when I was younger and I still love it. It was the only time we had Frito's in the house. It has no meat, so it is vegetarian friendly. I usually add a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese.

Makes 8 servings

217 calories

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1/3 can tomato paste

1 can corn kernel

1 can pinto beans

1/2 pkg taco seasoning

(optional: Cheese, Avocados, Frito's, etc.)

Directions: 

1. In a large pot, pour all of the contents of the cans, except the black beans. Drain the black beans and put only the beans in the mixture.

2. Add the taco seasoning and tomato paste. 

3. Add two can's worth of water. 

4. Bring to a boil. Let simmer on a lower heat for 25 minutes.

5. Pour into a bowl and put on desired toppings. 

6. Enjoy. 

Greek Egg-Lemon Soup

I enjoy Greek food and the local place I go to has a delicious soup. I found a recipe (from Women's Health Magazine) that matches almost perfectly. Day three of Soup Week!

Makes 2 servings

190 calories

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1/4 cup orzo

1 egg

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup baby spinach leaves. 

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, than add the orzo. Lower heat and let it simmer until it's tender (about 8 minutes).

2. Whisk together the egg and lemon juice in a bowl. 

3. Remove pan from heat. Measure out 1/2 cup of the hot broth. Pour it slowly into the egg/lemon mixture. Whisk it to keep the eggs from scrambling. Pour the mixture back into the pan, continue to whisk. 

4. Add the spinach and bring up to a low heat. Let the spinach wilt, 2-4 minutes. 

5. Enjoy.

Motivation 2

Pesto-Bean Soup

Day two of Soup Week! You could switch out the chicken broth to vegetable broth to make it vegetarian friendly. For a vegan version also take out the cheese.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

5 cloves of garlic

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cans cannellini beans

1 cup of water

3 tbsp pesto

2 tbsp Parmesan

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped olives

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic. Put in a large saucepan with the red pepper flakes and olive oil. Saute. 

2. Add the cans of beans and the water. Let cook for 8 minutes. 

3. Add the pesto, Parmesan, chicken broth, and celery. Cook for 15 minutes.

4. Add the chopped olives and roasted red peppers. 

5. Enjoy. 

Carrot/Orange Soup

Today is the start of Soup Week! I will be posting a soup a day. It's going to be soup-er! This is one of my favorite soups. It's tangy and delicious; also full of vitamin C.

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs carrots

4 cloves of garlic

1 orange

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 1/4 cups of water

1 1/4 cups of orange juice

1 tbsp nutmeg

1 1/2 cups of light cream

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the carrots. Grate the zest of the orange (the skin). Peel the garlic. 

2. Put carrots, zest, garlic, orange juice, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Make sure the carrots are soft.

3. Let the soup cool. Pour into a blender and add the nutmeg. Puree the soup until smooth. 

4. Pour the soup back into the saucepan.  Stir the cream into the soup. Let it heat back up, but not boil. 

5. Enjoy!

Mini Tacos

These bite size tacos are great for parties or just a fun dinner. Easy and tasty. This was an idea from Pinterest. I just love Pinterest.

Makes 24

Ingredients: 

24 won-ton wrappers

1 can of pinto or black beans

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

1/2 pound of ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

chunky salsa 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the beef and add the taco seasoning to it. 

2. In a small muffin tin, place the won-ton wrappers. 

3. Scoop the beans and meat into the wrappers. 

4. Sprinkle cheese on the top. 

5. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Once it's out of the oven, add the salsa to the top. 

6. Enjoy!

10 Steps for Weightloss

Janae's List

Step One: Take a "Before" picture. You don't have to show anyone if you don't want to, but have it. People would tell me "Oh, you've lost so much weight!", but sometimes you can't see it on yourself. If you do this, you'll find it a great way to track progress.

Step Two: Take measurements. Just like taking a "before" picture. It's a great way to track your progress. Weighing yourself is fine, but if you gain muscle than the scale is going to trick you. Write it down in a journal or keep a note in your phone. 

Step Three: Find out healthy weight goal. You need a realistic goal and timeline, whether you are bulking up or slimming down. 

Step Four: Action Plan. Five days a week commit to at least 30 minute work outs. Walking, yoga, dancing, etc. Get that heart rate up! Move, Move, MOVE! 

Step Five: Cut out all Trans Fat and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I could list more things, but to keep it simple start with that. As Jillian Michaels says in her recent book, Master Your Metabolism, "If it doesn't have a mother or come from the ground, avoid it."

Step Six: Read the labels while shopping and check serving sizes. Knowing what is in your food and how much a serving size actually is can really help when trying to lose weight. 

Step Seven: Try to cook as many meals from scratch as possible. I know this can be tricky with how busy life can be, but still try to eat the best you can. The less processed foods, the better. Also do NOT skip meals. 

Step Eight: Drink lots of water! Cut out soda and other sugary drinks! Just do it! 

Step Nine: Let yourself have a cheat day. Fridays are my "Cravings Day". I go on a date, and eat somewhere nice, or eat a cupcake. Forgive me, I am human. Sometimes on a Monday I will be craving something really bad, but than by the time Friday rolls around I don't even want it anymore. This method can help with cravings. Plus studies have shown that when you restrict yourself from something you are more likely to pig out on it later. Moderation is key. Sorry in advance for the picture below (I am just really proud at how this cake turned out). 

Step Ten: Be kind and patient with yourself. This is a long process; Rome wasn't built in a day. You can't beat yourself up if you don't lose five pounds after two weeks. Every body is different and you have to try and have a positive attitude about it. Make a motivation board with goals and things that make you happy. Remember you need to be getting healthy for you; not because a High School Reunion is coming up. 

Chicken and Peach Kebabs

This is one of the those recipes that I just threw together so there isn't a lot of structure to it, but it's not to hard to make.

Ingredients:

2 peaches

1 onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 chicken bratwursts

fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Cook the bratwursts. 

2. Cut them into half inches pieces.

3. Cut the peaches and onion, and put in a bowl. Mix with the oil and thyme.

4. Add to Kebab sticks.

5. Broil for 10 minutes on high (my oven has only high and low).

6. Enjoy.

Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

So, I enjoy going to Olive Garden. When I go, I love getting calamari and don't even get me started on the bread sticks! When I go I love to get the Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo dish. It is so tasty, but the downside (besides how many calories it is) is that it is $16 for a plate! I decided to make it myself and it isn't to costly. It's not to hard to make either. I didn't actually track the calories on this dish, but I can try to do all the math later.

Makes 4 large

or 6 smaller servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of steak

1 1/2 cups of Italian dressing

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 cups of spinach 

1 cup of chopped green onions

15 oz Alfredo sauce 

3-4 tbsp Gorgonzola crumbles

(save some of the crumbles to sprinkle on top)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes

1 pound of fettuccine pasta

Directions:

1. Cut the steak into 1 inch cubes. In a mixing bowl or glass dish put the Italian dressing, rosemary, and lemon juice. Place the steak in the marinade and let sit in the fridge for two to three hours. Make sure to turn the meat over half way through. 

2. Once the meat is marinated you can cook it to your liking (medium, rare, etc). I used a George Forman grill. Place the cooked pieces to soak in a bowl with balsamic vinegar. 

3. Start the pasta, cook according to the package. 

4. In a sauce pan, on low heat, pour the Alfredo sauce. Once heated add the Gorgonzola crumbles so that they can melt and blend well. Next add the spinach and the chopped green onions.

5. Once the pasta is done, add it to the sauce, and stir it together. 

6. Dish the pasta and dress it with the steak, sun-dried tomatoes, and Gorgonzola crumbles. 

7. Enjoy. 

In case anyone needs visuals, here is what I bought. The meat is already cooked in this picture, so the lemon and Italian dressing aren't in the picture. I bought this all at my local grocers, Harmon's. Also if you aren't familiar with cheese, Gorgonzola is a Italian blue cheese. I love all cheese for the most part, but not blue cheese so much. Gorgonzola has just enough of a different taste for me to like it. I would say pair this with a light salad because it's a very filling/rich dish. Every once and awhile you need to treat yourself to something special, and if you cook it yourself than it will be less calories than if you ate out at a restaurant. If you have any questions let me know!

Snacks

Who doesn't love snacks!? I thought I would share a couple of snacks that I enjoy. 

Red Peppers and Hummus

Oranges Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Deviled Eggs (made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo)

Raspberry Waffles

Raspberries are the best! This recipe makes either 2 1/2 big fluffy waffles or about 8 delicious pancakes. So you can pick what to make.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 pinches of salt

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup raspberries

2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter.

2. In a separate bowl add the milk, egg, and melted butter. 

3. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients bowl and whisk together. Fold the raspberries into the mixture. 

4. Now choose to either make in a waffle iron or pancakes on a skillet. 

5. Enjoy!

Almond Joy Smoothie

Do not skip breakfast, folks. I am not going to go into all the reasons why you shouldn't skip it at the moment, but trust me I am going to find time to write an essay on it one of these days. For the time being I will settle with a delicious recipe! I got this one from the "The New Abs Diet Cookbook" by David Zinczenko. The Abs Diet is probably the only diet I get along with. I don't follow it religiously, but they do have several good recipes and ideas when trying to get back on a healthy track.

Servings: 1

Calories: About 330 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of almond butter 

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

1 banana

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon of unsweetened coconut flakes

3-5 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Simply add them all in a blender.

2. Enjoy.

Okay, don't let the ground flaxseed or unsweetened coconut flakes scare you away. They tastes just fine when all mixed in with the smoothie. Now the calorie count depends on what type of milk you use. I personally like milk with fat in it, so I use 2%, but skim milk will work just fine. I haven't tried it with almond or soy milk, so if anyone does, please let me know how it tastes. 

Cheesecake

First I will say; everything in moderation. I love cheesecake! I don't usually eat a lot of sweets, but when I do I make them from scratch. I want to know what goes into them and therefore what I am putting into my body. This was for my mom's birthday party.

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

15-20 graham crackers

1/2 cup unsalted butter

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature

12-oz sweetened condensed milk

10-oz can mandarin oranges

5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Put the crackers in a large zip-lock bag, seal, and crush with a rolling pin until they are similar to breadcrumbs. 

2. On low heat, in a saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, remove from heat, and add the crackers. Blend together until they are all coated in butter. 

3. Spoon the crumbs into a 8-inch cake pan and put in the fridge to set for 30 minutes. 

4. While the crust is chilling; put the cream cheese, condensed milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Beat them until smoothed. 

5. Pull out the crust and add places the mandarin oranges. Pour the cream mixture over the top and place back in the fridge for another 2-3 hours. 

It is a really simple and tasty recipe. Next time I am going to try putting fresh raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo dish recipe will be up soon. Enjoy! 

Two Year Anniversary

I posted this a bit late cause life has thrown me a curve ball this week, but better late than never. On September 10, I have been married for two years! My wedding dress was made my Aunt Kendra (in less than a month...long story) and was measured to fit me exactly at the time. I was around 165 pounds, though I had stopped weighing myself cause of the blow to my self-esteem. I lied on my license and said 155 pounds. So my point being that a couple of days ago I decided to try it on to see how it fit. I was thrilled that it didn't fit, in fact it was falling off of me.

So this odd bottom picture is actually down the back of the dress. Heidi, who took the pictures for me, thought it would be good to show the inches I lost. 

Avocado Burgers

I don't make these very often, but when I do, it is awesome! With everything on it, the burger is about 535 calories (with 94% lean beef). You can always go bun-less, or minus the cheese. Even though I am a total cheese lover, avocados are a good substitute on burgers. I am not saying burgers are healthy, but every once and awhile I crave them and if I am going to eat one, you better believe I am going to eat one I make at home. You can also try ground bison or turkey for a more lean burger.

Ingredients:

Makes 7-8 Patties

For Burger Patties:

1 pound ground beef, bison, or turkey

1/2 red or yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 egg

2 tbsp honey mustard

3 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions: 

1. Mince the onion and garlic in a food processor. 

2. In a bowl add the ground meat, honey mustard, ketchup, egg, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the minced pieces of onion and garlic. Mash together with a fork until well blended together. 

3. Form a ball in your hands with the meat mixture and lightly smash it down to form a patty. 

4. Place on a cookie sheet (with some wax paper) and place the patties in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This will help them stick together better when cooking. 

5. Cook after the 30 minutes. I use a George Forman grill so that I can get more of that fat off. 

For Burger Fixings (optional):

Avocado 

Wheat Ciabatta Roll

Pepper Jack Cheese

Spicy Mustard

I also put some Frito's on in the picture because I had some laying around my kitchen from a previous meal, but I don't usually do that. I hope you enjoy!  

Motivation 1

Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Now I know some of you are going to be like "Janae, that's not healthy!" Yes, there are better things you could have for breakfast. I am of the belief that if you bake muffins from scratch at home, they will be better for you than a store bought one. Everything in moderation, people! This recipe makes 12 muffins and is 131 calories a serving. This recipe came from "DK Children's Cookbook" by Katharine Ibbs, though I added some extra things.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

1 cup milk

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup granola

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. 

2. In a separate bowl, crack the eggs and add milk and oil. Whisk together.

3. Fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture. There will be lumps, but make sure no flour is visible. Add the berries and coconut flakes.

4. Add muffin liners to the tin and spoon the mix into the liners. 

5. Sprinkle granola on the tops. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

Trust me, get unsweetened coconut flakes. They will taste just fine in the cooked muffins. You can also switch out blueberries for raspberries, etc. Or try adding chopped nuts. As always, I hope you try out the recipe and like it! 

Lasagna Rolls

Sorry, I am a bit late on this post. I have been a bit busier now that school started. I found this recipe in the "Cook this, Not that" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. It was an alternative recipe to Olive Garden's lasagna. Less calories and less money equals a win! If you haven't checked any of those books out, think about it, they are helpful when eating at restaurants or fast food.

Ingredients: 

10-12 wheat lasagna noodles

6 oz Italian-style sausage

1/2 bag of baby spinach

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese

2 cups of marinara

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella (if you can get fresh mozzarella--do it)

Directions:

1. Boil water in a large pot and add some salt to it. Add the lasagna noodles. Cook to al dente. Drain, toss, and coat with a little bit of oil so they wont stick.

2. Brown sausage (I used my George Forman grill). In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, baby spinach, pepper flakes, nutmeg, chopped sausage, salt and pepper. 

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the noodles in half.

4. Put a spoonful of the mixture on to the end of each noodle and roll up. Place them in a glass baking dish (13x9). This will make about 20 rolls.

5. Spoon the marinara sauce on top of the rolls and sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. 

6. Cover the top with tin foil and cook for 15 minutes. Take the tin foil off and cook for another 10 minutes. 

This make 6 servings and is about 380 calories a serving. I hope you enjoy it! 

Favorite Hiking Trips this Summer

Normally on my days off I love to go hiking, but today it is raining. Whenever I hike I love to take about 50 billion pictures, so I thought I would share some of my favorites.

1. Angel's Landing: I finally did this hike and it was fantastic, but not for the faint of heart. This is at the very top and if you are afraid of heights you may want to think about not doing this one. It's about a four hour hike and very much uphill. For those who don't know, this is located in Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah. It's about an hour from where I live. I was really lucky because it was cloudy, but didn't actually rain much on us. Also if you don't feel like packing lunches with you Springdale has lots of really cute places to eat. They are a little more pricey, but oh, so delicious! 

My favorite so far has been Oscars Cafe. Super tasty! My meal was about $11, but I didn't even eat the whole thing cause it was huge! Sweet Potato fries are the way to go.  

2. Santa Clara Petroglyphs hike: This one is awesome and great for taking pictures. It is harder to find though. The trail is called "Tempi'po'op" which translates to "rock writing" in Southern Paiute. It takes about three hours round trip (including when I stop and take my 50 billion pictures). This hike is moderate, but does have a little bit of an incline and no shade. When you go don't forget to be respectful of the petroglyphs. It is crazy to me that every time I go I see parents letting their kids climb all over them. The link below has directions to the trail, but if you have questions let me know.   

 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george/recreation/trails/santa_clara_river/tempi_po_op.html 

I also see a lot of people trail running out in this area, so if you are into that, there you go. Just remember, no shade!

3. Kanarraville Falls: This is a beautiful hike--very picturesque. The entrance is in the small town of Kanarraville, about 10 minutes away from Cedar City, Utah (exit 51 on I-15). At the parking lot you have to pay $10 because they do not want people parking on the sides of the roads, but if you park down by the Town Hall it is free. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the parking lot from there and worth it if you aren't feeling lazy. This hike is fun and you will get wet. So put your cell phones in plastic bags or don't bring them at all. 

There are three waterfalls on this hike. It takes about four hours to do and the nice thing about this hike is if you go later in the day it's better because the first time I went my legs froze. The water is really cold in the mornings even in the hot summers of Southern Utah! Don't forget to bring water and snacks! 

4. Red Cliffs: This is probably one of my favorites places because I hiked and camped here a lot in my childhood. It is a great example of all the beautiful red rock that we have here in the Saint George area. The trails here are all very easy and not that long. There are even some dinosaur tracks.

The cost is $5 per car or $15 for a campground. There is also a picnic/fire pit area for day use with lots of trees for shade. This is a great place to take younger kids hiking. It can be hard to find this one sometimes so here are some directions.

 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george/recreation/camping/red_cliffs_campground.html

5. Bryce Canyon National Park: Gorgeous rock formations and coloring. This is 3 hours from Saint George, but worth the drive. We went up for a family reunion and this was just a hike I went on near our campsite (which I sadly can't remember the name of). 

If anyone is ever up for a hike, let me know! Or if you know of any hiking trails that I might like feel free to tell me about them. I am always looking for new adventures.