Summer Blog Break

I mentioned on my main blog that I'll be taking a Summer blog break.  It does mean that I'll be taking a blog break here too.  On my other blog I plan to be gone until September.  I don't plan that long of a break on this blog as I use this one for a different purpose.  I think I'll be gone for about a month here.

As I come across great healthy recipes - I do like to share them.  And I am still really working on weight loss goals through exercising and eating right.  That means I need to post here to help keep me accountable!  (By the way, though I lost 2 lbs the previous week, I gained 1 lb back last week.)

I have a Summer trip coming up soon and really want to lose weight on my trip this year instead of the usual gain!  I will be taking along healthy recipes (we stay with my Dad which means that I can cook there) and my 30 day Shred DVD (now THAT should give my Dad a good laugh!).  I will also try to do as much walking as possible during this trip.

Thanks for being here with me as I try (and try and try again) to be more healthy!  Do you have some healthy goals for the Summer?

Have a healthy June/July!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is nice for breakfast or with a cup of coffee or tea later in the day.  I'm glad I found a lighter version and I always like an excuse to bake something in a Bundt pan!  This recipe came from my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cups fat-free sour cream (I used Light)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray.

2.  Evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the pecans in the bottom of the pan.  Combine the remaining pecans, the brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

3.  With an electric mixer on med. speed, beat the butter and 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar, then beat 1 more minute.  Beat in the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.  Reduce the speed to low.  Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until blended.

4.  Spoon one-third of the batter into the pan; spread evenly.  Sprinkle evenly with half of the reserved brown sugar mixture.  Spoon half of the remaining batter on top; spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture.  Spoon the remaining batter on top; spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Per serving (1/16 of cake):  233 cal, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 5 WW pts

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You can tell that this cake is a lighter cake, but it is still very yummy!  At 5 pts per slice though, I can't eat this every day.  Since only hubs and I were eating it, I cut the cake into quarters, wrapped each quarter and froze it.  On weekends I pulled out a quarter which was enough to give us each a slice on Saturday and Sunday.  It made our treat last so much longer.  If you try it, let me know what you think!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Steakhouse Chopped Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing

Who says you can't have a salad with a creamy blue cheese dressing when you're trying to watch your weight?  I love this salad that I found in my WW Comfort Classics cookbook!

Steakhouse Chopped Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream (I used light)
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, chopped (about 4 cups)
(Can also add in 2 cups chopped Romaine for color and crunch)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped (I left it out as hubs doesn't like it)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

Stir the blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper together in a large bowl until well mixed.  Add the lettuce , celery, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, and tomato; toss well.

Per serving (1 3/4 cups): 95 cal, 4 g fat, 3 g fiber, 2 WW pts

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Now you have a new salad to try this Summer with some barbecued steaks!  Delicious!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa :)

Review: Skin MD Natural

A few months ago I received a bottle of Skin MD Natural lotion to sample and review.  I meant to review it for you before now!

This blog is where I talk about getting healthy, but mainly focus on weight, eating right, and exercise.  When I was sent the info about this lotion, it reminded me that getting healthy is about so much more than eating right and exercising.  We have to take good care of our bodies!  What about our teeth, hair, feet, and skin?  Getting healthy should mean that we improve in how we take care of ourselves inside and out.

What interested me about this lotion is (quote from Rep):

Skin MD Natural is a cruelty free and vegan product that is specially formulated using high quality natural ingredients. Our product it over 93% all natural with all ingredients being of food grade and on the FDA's most safe list. It is free of harmful fragrances, parabens, and colorants making it hypoallergenic.

 

Skin MD Natural is not like a regular lotion - it's a shielding lotion.  It bonds to the outer layer of skin, helping keep in natural oils and protecting the skin at the same time.

When I used the lotion, I could definitely feel it coating my hands.  It dried quickly and then I could feel that there was a soft protective layer on my hands.  Certainly helpful in dry weather, but also protects skin from a lot of hand-washing, dish-washing, etc.  Though I only used it on my hands, it's safe to use on your face and body also.  I did see improvement in dry skin when I used it.

To be honest, my husband tried it but didn't like the feel of it right when he put it on.  You do have to be careful not to use too much and to give it a minute to fully dry.  That didn't bother me at all.  This is a different kind of lotion, so it feels different.

You can get more information about Skin MD and order the lotion at their website:  www.skinmdnatural.com  They also have the lotion with SPF 15.  You can even send them a self-addressed stamped envelope to get 2 samples if you want to give it a try - click here for more info.

Disclosure:  I received a free full-size bottle of lotion from Skin MD Natural to sample and review.  My opinions are my own.

Have you tried this lotion?  What other ways are you trying to get healthy besides eating right and exercising?

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Oatmeal-Cranberry Classic Cookies

I love being able to whip up some healthy cookies and these are only 1 WW point per cookie!  The texture is a little different than a regular cookie, but they are yummy and smell wonderful!  My hubs loved them too and couldn't believe they were only 1 point each.  These were in my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Classic Cookies

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or substitute other dried fruit)

1.  Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2.  Whisk together the pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.  With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil, egg white, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute.  Beat in the applesauce.  Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.  Stir in the oats and cranberries.

3.  Drop the dough by level tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart, making a total of 30 cookies.  With the back of a spoon, spread the mounds to make 2-inch cookies.  Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets on racks about 2 minutes.  With a spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and let cool completely.

Per cookie:  73 cal, 2 g fat, 1 g fiber, 1 WW pt

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I need to make another batch soon.  Not only do I love the flavor, but it's like aromatherapy every time I open the container of these cookies!  Enjoy!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

A Little Update

I'm still around, just busy with Summer!  I have been focusing on diet and exercise though.  I'm still doing Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred with the support of The Shred Sisters!  I haven't been keeping it up 5 times a week like I wanted to.  This week I did it 3 times and only twice the 2 weeks before that, but I'm losing weight so that's alright with me!

I started a very restrictive anti-fungal diet this week, but only plan to do it 1 more week.  I was doing it with a friend and seeing if I could actually survive without caffeine and sugar (apparently I can)!  I was hoping it would also jump start my weight loss though I didn't lose more weight than I lost the week before *with* the caffeine and sugar - LOL!

Last week at WW I was down about 2.4 lbs for the week - yay!!  I weighed today and lost exactly 2 lbs for the week!  Woo Hoo!!  So glad to have some loss!  Now if I can keep it up, I'll be heading into some new territory with my weight which will be a nice feeling!

This week will be more of the restrictive diet and more Shred - Level 2, but hopefully with the 5-lb weights this week.  We'll see how things end up next Saturday!

How are you doing? Is Summer an easier time for you to eat right and exercise or is it more difficult?

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Fruit and Yogurt Shake

I just tried this recipe this morning and the whole family liked it!  The recipe is from Cooking Light.  It's supposed to be a good shake to have before doing a workout or even immediately after one.  I thought it was great and refreshing!

The recipe for the Fruit and Yogurt Shake (includes frozen cherries, crushed pineapple, banana, and more) can be found at the Cooking Light my recipes site.  Just click here to get it.  The only changes I made were to add some flax seed and a few ice cubes.  I'm not a big fan of bananas and don't really like the taste of them in my smoothie drinks, but I didn't have any problem with it in this one.  All the other flavors mix in and the banana isn't overwhelming, so I like that it helps me sneak in the nutrition of the banana!

I forgot to mention that this drink is only 3 WW pts per cup (142 cal, 2.1 g fat, 2 g fiber)!

Try it out - it's a wonderful Summer breakfast drink or a good pick-me-up right after an intense workout!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)