Having A Daily Treat

Eating healthier or eating healthier AND dieting are both difficult changes.  I didn't have a ton of weight to lose, but I'd been eating WAY too much junk and prepackaged foods as I completed my last book (while working full time with a family) and my health was suffering from it with blood sugar swings and decreased energy.

Back eating more healthy foods I DO feel better and sleep better and I've lost 5 pounds in the last six weeks, without counting calories (except those I include for readers).  I do use "My Fitness Pal" to track carbs and fat and sodium though as well as get a general idea of average calories in a week.  I noticed also, since I started working out again, my weight loss about doubled over just healthier food choices, doing an hour workout of cardio and light weights twice a week with three power walks (except for the last couple of weeks when I sprained my knee on a slippery surface).

But I found I had better luck with my eating when I allowed one little treat a day.

I'm not talking a big bowl of ice cream or a giant cheeseburger and fries. Just a small portion of food I really liked, and could nibble on for between 90 and 175 calories.

Depending on whether I wanted sweet, salty or savory, here are some of my favorites.

10 baked tortilla chips with  1/3 cup salsa.

fig newton and small glass unsweetened almond milk

raw veggies with 1/4 cup hummus, a pickle spear and a few olives

frozen grapes (a couple dozen)

half a frozen banana dipped in two tablespoons of melted dark chocolate

Low fat  coconut yogurt with a teaspoon of granola

3 dates stuffed with vegan ricotta cheese  (the recipe at The Simple Vegenista blog) and sprinkled with cinnamon

1 cup berries

2 teaspoons raisins mixed with 3 tablespoons of salted almonds

English "biscuit" or a couple of vanilla wafers with tea and honey

What are YOUR favorite low cal treats?

Thai Spring Rolls - Light Spring Lunches

Thai Spring rolls are a tasty way to get your veggies in, and once you've had them you'll not go back to the fried egg rolls again. They're made with rice paper (gluten free) and are not fried, filled with fresh crisp vegetables and served cold. My husband and I regularly eat a plate of these with a small bowl of coconut Thai soup for Saturday lunch after fresh fruit for breakfast when we've had pizza or something heavy on Friday night..

For the rolls:

8 rice paper wrappers (available in Asian markets and some high end grocers)
a few pieces of torn greens
1 english cucumber (the seedless ones)
1/2 small red pepper
2 medium carrots
a handful of fresh cilantro and/or fresh mint
green onion (garnish, optional)

Cut the veggies into small matchstick pices, leaving a few larger strips of pepper for garnish if you like.  Sometimes I add bean sprouts but since bean sprouts have a higher salmonella risk then other veggies, I make my own when I do so.

Soak the rice paper one at a time in a bowl of very warm (but not hot) water for about 10 seconds, to soften, than place on a clean, damp towel.  The rice paper is fragile so don't soak them longer than that or they will fall apart.  Keep them covered as you finish soaking the remaining ones.
When they are all softened, uncover and pat dry.

Dry your hands and place a few of the veggies and herbs in the center of the wrapper horizontally, starting with the greens.  Fold the left and right sides towards the middle, fold the top flap over the veggies, tucking everything in, and tightly roll it up.  The wrapper will be pretty stick and they are fragile, so work carefully.

Cut in half and put on serving platter topped with additional pepper, carrot strips and onion (if you eat onion).

Typically this is served with a peanut dipping sauce, but I ate so m any packs of peanuts as an airline pilot I gag at the smell of them, so I use another spicy/sweet dipping sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon
1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee
dash of crushed red pepper
Optional:  dash of fish sauce and/or dash of lime juice

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Crockpot Cornbread

We had an unseasonably warm day this weekend and I really didn't want to turn on the oven to bake, but I really wanted some cornbread.  This was a little experiment that worked.  The cornbread WAS a little darker on the bottom and sides but was not burned in any way and was very moist.

Paired with some homemade white bean soup in chicken stock with caramelized onion, some chopped leftover pork tenderloin (you can omit pork for a veggie version with vegetable stock) and Braggs Sprinkle seasoning and a Bay leaf, it made a low fat and nourishing dinner

The overhead fixture was out for some plaster work, so the low light  photos aren't that great, but you get the idea.

CrockPot Cornbread

In one bowl mix:

1 cup flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon EACH:
baking powder
baking soda
salt
3 Tablespoons sugar

In another bowl whisk:

1 cup Kefir or buttermilk at room temperature
1/4 cup lowfat milk or almond milk (room temperature)
(note - if you don't do dairy, substitute 1 cup soy yogurt and 1/4 cup soy milk).
1 egg (also at room temperature) or egg substitute
drop or two of vanilla

Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter or Vegan spread and whisk into milk mixture.

Combine wet and dry and pour into a pan coated with non stick spray that you placed in the crockpot before turning to high.  (note:  I let crockpot and pan preheat for about 10 minutes while I mixed my batter).

Make sure your liquids aren't cold or it will take too long to come to temperature and the crust might get too brown before the inside is done.

Bake on high, covered an hour and a half to an hour to two hours (crock pots vary, cook until it's starting to brown and  looks done and a knife comes out clean).

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Pancakes

How to get a perfect rise on homemade bread in a cold house - heating pad on low!

I've been having fun making a loaf or two of homemade wild yeast bread each weekend (my husband packs a sandwich lunch to work every day.)  Made with 100% whole wheat, no oil (salt optional) or sugar - it's about as healthy as it gets.

But I REALLY like my  Sunday pancakes.  But pancakes made with the 100% whole wheat flour were just too thick for my personal liking.  I like my pancakes to be light and fluffy.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Pancakes

So I read about using whole wheat PASTRY flour instead.  Ground finer, it lends a texture similar to white flour without the grainier texture. Even better, it contains all of the  wonderful oil from the wheat germ, fiber from the wheat bran and protein from the inner endosperm - nothing is added or removed so it's much healthier than bleached white flour. I make my pancakes with kefir - a fermented yogurt drink loaded with probiotics (I can't digest regular milk at all) which makes them really light, moist, and fluffy.

I replaced 2/3 of the flour in my regular recipe with whole wheat pastry flour and the results were VERY good.  You might have to go to a larger store or health food store (or order online) to find, but I love the Bob's Red Mill products, especially this one.

Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes

In one bowl mix:

1/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder (check your date - near expiration powder makes for flat pancakes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

In another bowl mix:

1 cup nonfat kefir
1 egg  (try and have milk and egg at room temperature for best results)
Whisk egg and kefir, then, in a very thin and slow stream, whisk in
2 Tablespoons butter (melted)

Mix wet and dry, just until combined then cook on an oiled griddle on medium heat.  (note:  I've made this basic recipe with non dairy milk which I've soured with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon, egg substitute and vegan butter for a vegan friend and they were still really good.)

In a Pickle - Making Fermented Foods

I've always been a firm believer in keeping the refrigerator stocked with healthy food.  This picture was taken at the crash pad before I moved. (for new reader - I sold my house in Indiana before I got married in 2013 but had to commute a while until I could transfer to Chicago where my husband was).  With a major kitchen remodel going on now, our fridge is at "bare minimum".  But this gives you an example of what I normally keep on hand..

What's in here?  The usual -milk for my husband because I can't drink milk :-(    Free range eggs from a friend's chickens, chicken breasts, Amish bacon, organic butter, lots of veggies, Greek yogurt and some gluten-free muffin tops (which I got to see if I could replicate a recipe for them for a friend with Celiac).  Then the staples - whole wheat flour, stone-ground cornmeal, Riehles Indiana popcorn, Lard (for the occasional biscuit treat so much more healthy than Crisco), mineral and bottled water (the tap water in crashpadville was horrible) and cheap "I just mowed the lawn" beer, Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, Kombucha (fermented tea), almond butter, Miso and a bottle of 25 year old balsamic.  There's a jar in there with some home-brewed mead as well as an assortment of olive oils and flavored balsamics for dips and homemade dressings for the veggies. And the inevitable jar of orange marmalade for my morning homemade sourdough whole wheat bread and large sriracha (Thai chili sauce) for stir fry nights. The freezer has lots of veggies, lean meats, and leftover veggie soups and stews.

Refrigerators are a good indicator of many things - the size of your family, whether you like to cook or not, whether you're a college student (Dad visited my roommates and I once and all he found in the fridge was a stick of butter and a case of Olympia beer). It can show the status of both your wallet and your general nutrition.

I try and keep healthy and fresh stuff on hand, (please do not look in the freezer, that's where I hide at least two rolls of  McVities Digestive biscuits, Tater Tots and Home Run Pizzas).  Even so, I make sure I buy things when they are on sale, taking advantage of managers mark downs on items I can use immediately  Recently when I hit the store,, there was fresh baby dill at the store for 80 cents (manager special due to the sell by date) for a huge bundle

What to do with it?  I have cucumbers.  I'll make pickles with some of the fresh dill and dry the rest for seasoning other things.

You don't need "canning equipment" and these will keep for several weeks in the fridge (like they're going to last that long). You just need a small sauce pan, a big bowl, a spoon and a big glass jar.

Wash thoroughly 2  large cucumbers and cut as you wish (I went for fairly large Spears), place in large bowl and toss in 1/4 cup gently diced baby dill (you want fresh dill, not dried)

In a small saucepan mix:
1 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar (do not use the heated treated cheap acv)
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon raw sugar (or table sugar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
2 heaping teaspoons of jarred minced garlic (optional for those that don't do garlic)

Bring to a simmer on the stove and remove from heat.  Let cool a minute or two then pour warm liquid over cucumbers and dill, stirring with a big spoon every 10 minutes or so, until it comes down to room temperature.  Place in tightly sealed jar, and shake every 15 minutes or so while it cools further, then put in fridge overnight.  You can eat them immediately, but they're much better the next day, and after that, they get even better.  I used a squarish glass jar (I ran over to big box mart and got it for $3) so I could rotate the jar on it's side each day to keep all of the cucumbers brined.

These are fresh, clean and crisp, with just the right amount of pickle taste for those of us that prefer a garlicy dill to the overly sweet bread and butter pickles and crisp over any limp store pickles. And fermented food isn't just tasty, it's good for you.  I try and have 2-3 servings of fermented food a day, pickled veggies, yogurt, goat milk kefir, kombucha, miso, and homemade sourdough bread and rolls.

The kefir ferments in the redneck wine glass

(moved here from it's shadowy home for a photo)

Try the pickles.  They are easy to make, and like the Kefir I now have going daily in my home, I simply had to say "I could  make that!" And I  (and my wallet) was so glad I did.

Garlicy, not too sweet and super crunchy.  Honestly, dinner one night when I was "bacheloring" it was several of these and a handful of raw almonds. And yes, I know, that's not a "French manicure", that's the Swiss Army manicure.