Matcha Smoothie

February 1, 2012 · Filed under Shake It Up!!!, Products I can't live without, Costco, kids, Kid Tip, Vegetarian · Tagged , , , , ,

Think Green!!!

I LOVE Matcha Green Tea.  I am an addict!  My previous post on Matcha lists all the great reasons to drink it, Matcha? You Betcha!

I find around 3:30 to 4pm I need a little pick me up and this has been my go-to snack as of late. 

Matcha Smoothie

1 cup ice

1 cup Almond Milk

2 teaspoons Matcha Green Tea powder

(I mix it up with a little hot water from the microwave before dumping in the blender)

Blend and serve!   

If you don’t like the taste of Matcha…add 4 to 5 drops of agave nectar or stevia to the mixture while it is blending.  I grab a handful of pistachios (about 1/4 a cup) and I am golden!

This afternoon pick me up weighs in at 200 calories, 17 g of fat (heart-healthy fats from nuts, remember these fats do not make you fat), 7g of protein, 4g Fiber, along with Vit A, Vit C, Calcium, Iron, Vit D, Vit E, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Thiamin, Copper, & Vit B6-hard to beat this combo! (Just the smoothie is 40 calories).

And takes less than 5 minutes to make!  Easy!

The kids?  No, I don’t have them on Matcha tea…YET!  But they join me with the pistachios and sliced up pear…still green…still easy…and so GOOD for them!

We love to shell pistachios in our house, but you can also buy them shelled.  Costco sells “Wonderful Pistachios“, just make sure you measure out the 1/4 of a cup…1/2 a cup becomes closer to a meal, than a snack.

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Apple Sandwich

January 28, 2012 · Filed under Kid Tip, kids, Snacks, Sweet Treats · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Above is an apple corer.  If you do not have one, you need one.  You can get them at Safeway, or any kitchen store.  If I was handed one more wet, slopped-on, slurped-on apple core “Here Mom, I am done with this” I think my head would have exploded.  My husband brought this home a couple of months ago and it is my new favorite kitchen accessory!

So the apple corer, led to the apple sandwich, the new “Favorite” snack at our house!

1)  Core and slice apples, not too thin

2) Add peanut butter, or whatever nut butter your kids like

3) Add toppings (dried cherries, cranberries, jelly, chocolate chips, granola, sunflower seeds, whatever they will eat) I added some chocolate syrup on this one.  Listen…health food?  No.  But you have to keep it real, and fun.  A serving of chocolate syrup is 1 tbl, there is not even 1/2 a tablespoon used here…I can live with that, and it makes them feel like they got an extra somethin’ somethin’!

4) Add the top and serve

Another fun, healthy snack we all can live with!

Now that, is Good Stuff!

Chocolate Hazelnut

 

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Guiltless BBQ Chicken Salad

January 24, 2012 · Filed under Chicken, Eat this - Not that, Salads, Veggies · Tagged , ,

There is something about the tangy flavor of BBQ Sauce, and the creamy, savory flavor of ranch dressing that, when combined, make me weak.  A few days ago I set out to create a “healthy” version of a BBQ Chicken Salad, and I was really expecting a so-so lunch.   Guess what?  I was WRONG!  This was one of the best MEALS I have had in a long time!  Fast. Simple. Healthy.  AND TASTED AWESOME!  You are not even going to believe what is in this (or should I say -not in this)…but I promise you will not be disappointed! WOW!

1.  Place Kale Salad in a bowl (Have as much as you want, and whatever brand, all the stores have them now.  I still like Harvest Sensations)

2.  Place a few spoonfuls of Hannah’s Tzatziki on the kale and mix throughly covering all of the kale. (This is a Costco product that is AWESOME!  Anywhere Ranch and/or sour cream previously went…this should go)

3.  Place Trader Joe’s Chickenless Pulled Chicken in the microwave for 2 min (following directions)

3.  Dump half the bag of BBQ Chicken onto the kale salad.  Using a fork and a knife chop/mix it all up

 

4.  I added these yummy peppers, but you could add black beans, corn…any veggie you want!  Chop/mix one more time

5.  Dump into a bowl, add 6-10 Blue Corn Chips and VOILA!  Heaven in a dish! 

There will not be a disappointed taste bud in your mouth!!!

Here is the 411 on my Guiltless BBQ Chicken Salad:  Calories 260/Fat (Total 9g/Saturated 2g)/ Sodium 690mg/ Carbs 27 g (3g sugar)/ protein 21g

Just to compare here is the 411 on a HALF BBQ Salad from CPK (from their website):   Calories 709/Fat (Total 100 g/Saturate 9g)/ Sodium 896 mg/ Carbs 57 g (sugar not disclosed would guess at least 30)/ protein 26g

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Do Better

January 19, 2012 · Filed under 411, Baked Goods, kids, Organics, Recipes · Tagged , , , , , ,

A friend and I say this all the time. Usually laughing at some idiotic, dumb, or senseless thing someone has done…we will look at each other and just say “Come on, DO BETTER!” That is really my motto with the way we eat now, I am just trying to “Do Better”! I am not trying to take the fun out of eating…I am simply trying to just make what we eat real food…instead of everything being packaged, processed…over refined.

We are on our third snow day here in the Seattle area and that means lots of sledding and cozying up by the fire! It also means fun things like baking cookies and making hot cocoa! Yes, we still bake cookies and drink hot cocoa…I promise, I am fun!

Though I realized it would be a bit of experiment when I went to get the ingredients to make the cookies. The recipe would be the same…right off the bag of chips, but the quality of ingredients had changed. Would the end product be the same? Would the kids be able to tell? What the heck…we are snowed in and this is all I got!

Guess what…I think they were better! Could it be? Healthier, better ingredients=a better cookie??? YEP! And my four little helpers showed nothing but complete and utter satisfaction as they gobbled them up! I had to laugh when they asked for milk…apparently you can dip a cookie in Almond Milk and be just as happy!!!

Almond Milk and Power Flour Protein Cookies…nothing but empty glasses, happy kids, and lots of crumbs…Good Food=Good Memories=Good Stuff!

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour (so the only flour I had was a batch of protein power flour I keep ready for baking (usually muffins). Based on my results I would say any type of flour…other than white and refined, would be “Doing Better” and work just fine. Try a combo of whole wheat, almond flour…whatever! Bob’s Red Mill makes tons and they are sold pretty much everywhere now!”
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened (we use earthbalance when we need butter, worked great. 100% natural, no GMO’s, no transfats, no hydrogenated oils, or artificial ingredients of any kind)
  • 3/4 cup sugar (Whole Foods Brand, Vegan Cane Sugar…thicker granules, but didn’t seem to be an issue)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (Private Selection, Organic is what I had in the pantry…a Safeway or Kroger Brand I believe)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (we just buy the kind w/o alcohol in it)
  • 2 eggs (always get them with omega 3′s added)
  • 2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions are on the Ghirardelli Bag! Yummy!

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oldies but goodies

January 13, 2012 · Filed under Appetizers, Chicken, side dishes, Soups & Chilis · Tagged , ,

Here in the PNW we are gearing up for a long, COLD, Holiday weekend!  With the extra day off, and some fantastic football games on, we are heading to the Beach House to hunker down, bundle up and spend some fun family time!  Sitting inside by the fire is relaxing and comforting, but also leads to lots of snacking.  So besides stocking up on healthy snacks and I am pulling out some of my favorites, oldies…but goodies.

1)  Tortilla Soup http://thegoodstuff411.com/2010/10/28/tortilla-soup/

I love this because I can keep it warm in the crock pot and people can help themselves all weekend.  It is filling and tastes great!

2)  Healthy Seven-Layer Dip http://thegoodstuff411.com/2010/02/05/and-something-spicy-for-the-super-bowl/

This is a football day favorite at our house and it really is amazing how great it tastes!

Hope everyone enjoys their long weekend…stay warm, stay safe, and have fun!

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A few more GOOD things

January 11, 2012 · Filed under Brands I Love, Products I can't live without, sauces & salad dressings · Tagged , , , ,

1.   Think Thin.  OK.  I am not a fan of the name “Think Thin”.  I think if I am honest it is because every time I stock up on these I feel like people are looking in my cart and thinking “lady, a Think Thin bar ain’t gonna make you thin!”  Or maybe I am just sure that is what I would think…lol!  I have tried every protein bar out there and these are by far the best.  Though not all Think Thin bars are equal.  Most, to me, taste like cardboard, but the White Chocolate & Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts are almost too good.  I mean sometimes I feel guilty eating one because it is so decadent.  These are processed, of course, and nothing you should eat on a daily basis…but I do rely heavily on these when we travel…literally packing one or two boxes!  Just under 200 calories, 10 g of protein and 4 g of fiber make them a choice I can live with when preparing my own food, or choosing a healthy option is not an option.  These go on sale all the time so shop them, and they are less expensive if you buy the box. 

2.  Hannah’s Tzatziki Yogurt Dip Greek Style.  I don’t know who Hannah is, but she is making my life TASTE pretty darn good!  I have to admit when I changed how I eat, and the family followed suit, I really stopped going to Costco.  When I decided to focus on fresh, local (when possible), organic (when needed, remember a lot of fruits and veggies don’t need to be organic-check the list) produce it became about quality not quantity.  Buying and using what we needed as a family, not buying too much and tossing it out.  There also just wasn’t much from Costco that we needed in bulk anymore. 

So I owe this new find to my friend Christina because I would not have discovered it on my own!  When we were together over the Holiday’s she mentioned how they could not live without Hannah’s Tzatziki Greek Yogurt Sauce.  She said it had replaced salad dressing, dips, and sour cream in their house!  She was right.  We don’t eat a lot of dairy as you all know (all milk in this house is Almond now), but there are places that just need it…and I have been a life-long sour cream fan.  I like the cold sour-ish texture, coupled with hot and spicy! No one should be eating sour cream, dips, or ranch dressing on a regular basis…but when you want it, or a recipe needs it…this is an AWESOME option to have.  (Hannah’s also makes a yummy Bruschetta Sauce that I mentioned before.)

A serving size, 1 Tbl, has o protein and 0 fiber, which is a bummer.  I don’t like to eat calories that can’t get one or both of those things in.  However it also has ZERO sugar and only 25 calories…25 CALORIES per serving.  That makes up for the lack of protein and fiber because though they are “empty” calories, there are not too many of them!

 

 

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preparedness

January 9, 2012 · Filed under Brands I Love, Costco, Fast Food Assist, Fish, grains, Trader Joe's, Veggies · Tagged ,

Preparedness refers to the state of being prepared for specific or unpredictable events or situations. Preparedness is an important quality in achieving goals and in avoiding and mitigating negative outcomes.

This my friends is the key to it all.  If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, make healthy choices, and take control of your eating the only route there is is ”preparedness”…no way around it. 

We spent a good portion of our day today in our jammies, watching football.  So around 3 we made a run to the park.  It gets dark and cold here early and when we piled in the car to head home my Husband noted it was already 5…and suggested we eat out.  I was all for it as I had planned nothing for dinner.  As we tossed possible dining destinations back and forth it occurred to me how silly it was when I have a freezer, pantry and fridge overflowing with easy, healthy choices.

Preparedness.

Dinner was 4 things:  frozen fish, quinoa, bruschetta sauce, and edamame

1st I microwaved the edamame and in 5 minutes the kids were eating a hot veggie.  Costco sells Madame Edamame and the little bags go right into the microwave.  Fast.  Hot.  Healthy.   Sprinkled with a little garlic salt and everyone is a fan. (these are also good cold in a bag on the run)

2. Fish.  I know, not everyone likes fish.  But I would encourage you to find one you can tolerate as it is an awesome lean protein, and easy to make.  If you choose non-fishy ones they are basically plain, like chicken, and will taste like whatever you put on them.  We eat a lot of Tilapia, which Costco also sells frozen, and we also enjoy Barramundi which has no fishiness at all!  Remember to check the Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch site for best choices!  I put frozen fish in cold water (still in the packaging) for about 5 min, then it is ready to go.  Most of these frozen white fish choices are good broiled on each side for 5 min.  I added a little pepper and some Galeos Miso for flavor.

3.  Quinoa.  6 minutes in the microwave.  The main reason I like to make quinoa is it is fast and light.  You don’t feel all weighed down like you do after eating rice.  Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa is cheap, and can you beat a 4- 6 minute microwave option?

 

4.  Bruschetta.  I always have bruschetta sauce in the house.  It is easy to dip things into, and dump onto dishes to spice them up!  Actually right now I have the Costco option (Hannah’s) and the Trader Joe’s kind. Tonight I added it to the quinoa and it was so YUMMY!  I actually just made more to have for lunch tomorrow.  Quinoa has a lot of protein so it makes a perfect mini-meal on the run, and tastes great cold!

So 30 minutes after walking into the house we had a dinner that was pretty healthy, easy to make, and relatively cheap…all things I am sure we would not have accomplished if we had gone out. Not one thing I made took over 6 minutes…hard to argue with that!

Preparedness=Good Stuff!

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Take The Pledge

January 5, 2012 · Filed under 411 · Tagged , , , ,

This is a super easy New Year’s Resolution…one you can definitely hit out of the park…and the whole family wins!!!

http://timeatthetable.org/pledge/

You all know how strongly I feel about not only preparing healthy, real, whole foods for your family…but eating with them!  I LOVE this challenge and can’t think of an easier goal the family can set, and achieve…TOGETHER!  When I stopped dieting, and started living a healthy lifestyle my goals were all completely self-involved.  I was all about me.  The family, well…they were just along for the ride.  I had no idea how much throwing out the processed foods, making healthy choices, giving up fast food and take-out would benefit my entire family.  It has been amazing, and such a source of pride to watch my kids make awesome food choices, and get excited about picking out fruit, veggies and even growing some of our own foods.  When you dump the junk, it makes room for so much more fun, energy, health and happiness in your home.  Food is fuel, fuel is energy, and when you load up on good energy…good things happen!  I promise!

That said, I hope if nothing else, I have helped people see that you can eat healthy, make great meals and do it in not a lot of time.  I think I have been pretty honest about loving my new lifestyle, but not always loving time in the kitchen.  That hasn’t changed…when you battle a food addiction your whole life…it is hard to want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen…cooking.  The two just don’t go together.  So this year I promise to keep the easy, healthy..QUICK ideas and recipes coming…all you have to do is promise to get everyone to the table! 

Good Stuff=Good Life!

BON APPETIT !

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New Year, Know Your Numbers

January 5, 2012 · Filed under 411, Advice from the Experts · Tagged , , ,

Assessing your health is easy.  If you want to really know where you stand know your numbers.  This would be the best gift you could give yourself in the New Year.  Know them, and if they need work, then you can set goals for 2012 and work on improving them.

1)  BMI

Calculate here:

Body Mass Index, is much more important to know than your weight.  Yet most women know their weight but have no idea what their BMI is.  Why?  Because weight does not take into consideration factors like your height or where the weight is distributed.  Here is the BMI Scale we should all be focusing on:

Healthy BMI Range: 18.5 – 24.9 My goal for 2012 is to get my BMI into the healthy range!

Overweight BMI Range: 25 – 29.9  My BMI is 25.1, I am overweight (Gotta own it people!!!)

Obese BMI Range: 30+  My BMI when I started this journey was 31.3, I was obese

2)  Blood Pressure

Read more about what constitutes a Healthy BP here!

I have rocked a pretty healthy blood pressure my whole life, I am proud of my 117/68.  BUT I watch it.  Your BP can change, especially as you age, and be an important indicator of a bigger problem.  Walgreens and Safeway have free BP checkers back by the pharmacy….use them!  It’s free and takes less than 5 minutes!

I think even more worrisome than the weight is a high BP means you are aging at an accelerated rate!  Ick, who wants to speed that up?  No Bueno!

4. Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. (I can’t find my print out from last year, but when I get my new ones I will share them, I do know I was in the normal range, but the higher end on my triglycerides, so I expect that to be way down)

  • To test your cholesterol levels, you need to see a doctor or someone in the health care field who can administer a simple blood test.
  • Don’t worry about memorizing your total cholesterol number, which can be misleading. Instead, memorize the 2 forms it’s carried in: HDL and LDL. Your HDL, the healthy cholesterol, needs to be 50 or better; your LDL, the unhealthy cholesterol, should be under 100. If your numbers do not fall in this range, discuss strategies for lowering your LDL and increasing your HDL with a health care professional. Click here for more on cholesterol.

5. Fasting Blood Sugar

Testing your fasting blood sugar (FBS) measures your risk for diabetes, a chronic disease that can lead to blindness, cardiac disease, kidney failure, nerve problems and an impaired immune system. Diabetes is particularly high in the African American community.

  • Your fasting blood sugar number must be measured after an 8-hour fast. Fasting is key since ingesting food—say, a banana an hour beforehand—would raise blood sugar levels and could create a false pre-diabetic or diabetic reading. Your FBS can be determined with a simple blood test or a finger stick test.
  • A fasting blood sugar number above 100 is considered pre-diabetic; treatment measures should be discussed with a physician.

6. Vitamin D If you live in the Northern part of the hemisphere I think knowing your Vitamin D is ESSENTIAL!  So much new information is coming about about Vitamin D, and all of it seems to point to low levels being a culprit in everything from insomnia and weight-gain, to cancer and debilitating diseases like MS.  They want to see your Vit D levels between a 32 and 100.  I went in and tested a little over a year ago and was a 24.  After a year of taking Vit D supplements and many sunny vacations I re-tested…are you ready for this…at a 27!  UGH!  That is how hard it can be to maintain a healthy Vit D level in a place where the sun rarely shines.  I have just completed 12 weeks on a MASSIVE Vit D dosing of 50K IU once a week…topped off by two weeks in Maui.  I will let you know my results when I get them!  Fingers crossed!

So seems like a pretty easy New Year’s Resolution to me!  Learn your numbers, and if you don’t like them…or they scare you…then fix them!  I think our health, being around for our kids, and setting a good example for them can AND SHOULD be a much bigger motivating force than what size jeans you dream of one day zipping up!

OK, back to the fun stuff, more to come!

Happy New Year!

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The Good Stuff 411~ A Few of My Favorite Things

December 12, 2011 · Filed under Brands I Love · Tagged , , , , , ,

My whole life December was a month I dreaded.  I know that sounds odd…parties, friends, presents!!! But when you are a compulsive over-eater, and you medicate with food, December means unlimited access to all kinds of foods you would otherwise not eat, or have to work really hard to get your hands on. (Oh, Look, Peppermint ice-cream, limited edition, I better get that!!! Egg nog, hot-buttered rum…you get the point!)

 It also is a good cover because no one really thinks twice when you are noshing on cookies, candy,  leftover casseroles and dips, or over-indulging at a Holiday party because even those who don’t struggle with food tend to dive-in come December!  December was the worst month of the year for me.  I would enjoy the high of food and friends, and then have the lowest of lows as I would gain weight, and feel disgusted with myself  and food I had stuffed myself with.  Only to repeat, within a day or two.   

December now marks a new beginning for me each year.   This December 6th was 3 years since my last diet coke (or diet soda of any kind). I have had a few sprites/ginger ales when my tummy has felt off, but otherwise no soda.  As those of you who have followed TheGoodStuff411 know, that was where my journey began.  It started with cutting out just one thing.  When I was successful at that I added the next thing.  The power I felt in making these lifestyle changes was immense.  It still is.  To have control over the one thing that previously controlled me  is empowering.

Today I weigh 45 pounds less than the year I got married -10 years ago.  I weigh 35 pounds less than the day I quit diet coke.  So basically it took me 7 years to lose 10 pounds doing what I had always done, and 3 years to lose 35 pounds by doing nothing more than cleaning up my eating.  Amazing.  Now for many of you 35lbs in three years may not sound that impressive.  I have lost 30lbs before….in 3 or 4 months…and I gained it right back because the minute I went back to eating the way I had always eaten I got fat again.  This weight will never come back, and has come off while I have traveled, gone to parties, and lived my life the way I want to live it.  Food is no longer a reward for me, it is simply energy/fuel.

I have been so busy with work, and travel that this blog has taken a back-seat, but don’t think for one minute my clean-eating has, or my constant scouting for new products, and recipes.  I still want my energy sources to taste good, and be good for me!

So in the spirit of giving here are some of my current “Favorite Things”:

1) Galeos Salad Dressings

I have ABSOLUTELY no idea how they make these taste so good, and so decadent!  I find myself time and time again reading the ingredients trying to figure it out.  Low calorie, low fat, and low sodium.  My kids love it as much as I do and ask for salad so they can have this dressing.  Our favorite is the Galeos Caesar!!!  

2) Harvest Sensations Kale Salad

I posted a recipe using this salad a few posts ago.  When my friends left that weekend I took the leftover salad and put some Galeos on it…HEAVEN!  When you are on the run (and trust me I live in my car this year) this is a life-saver.  I just make it in the morning, throw it in some glade ware, and then add tuna (see number 3).

3)  Tuna Creation Sweet & Spicy

Listen, you could eat this (and I have) right out of the pouch.  Just add a plastic fork.  But throwing it into the kale salad with the Galeos Dressing…you will think you are eating lunch in a restaurant!  YUMMERS!

4)  So Delicious Ice Cream

One of the things I took out of our home is/was ice cream.  Listen, I have no control over this one.  If you leave a pint of ice cream in my freezer I will pick at it until it vanishes, usually within 24 hours.  Sad, but my one true TRUE downfall.  But a few months ago a girlfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to ice cream when we got dinner at Whole Foods.  We saw this and were shocked to see half the fat and half the calories so we got a few different flavors to try.  If you want to indudlge without over-induldging try this.  You will be AMAZED.  The sugar free ones are ok, and I have some in my fridge…if that tells ya anything there is still some in my fridge.  But the regular ones, I promise, taste just like ice cream!  Try the Cherry Amaretto.  ***It sure isn’t health food, but it is darn better than the alternative!

5) Seaweed.  No kidding.

 

Trader Joes sells this for .99c.  I am not at Trader Joes often so I buy Annie Chuns  at the PCC or Whole Foods.  If you eat a whole bag you are at 60 calories, and yes there are 5g of fat, but if you eat a diet low in fat this is not much.  I promise there is no better way to cure a salt craving.  Both my kids love these and they are high in vitamin A and Vitamin C.

6) Ground Smart Mexican Style

So I am kind of off meat.  I eat it when we go out, and I will cook it occassionally because my Husband likes meat, and has made it clear that is a train he does not intend to get on!  But he is gone a lot with work these days and I cook no meat when he is not home.  (We do eat a lot of fish)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product.  Anywhere you would use ground beef you can use this.  Added bonus it does not go bad in two days so you can always have it on hand.  I have added it to vegetarian chili, mac n cheese, and made soft tacos and tostadas with it.  The kids love it and I love having another meat free meal! ***If you want this to be successful just serve it, do not give the family a big spiel about how it is not meat, it won’t stand a chance.

7) Shirataki Noodles

These have been marketed as miracle noodles.  I think they are.  Like the Galeos I read and reread the ingredients because I just don’t understand how they are made and have no sugar.  That is the problem with pasta, not the calories…pasta is low-cal, not the fat, most have none…it is the white flour and sugar that make it so often times it would be more beneficial to just have a Snickers Bar.  Really.

These babies let me have my pasta FIX while consuming almost no calories, no sugar….not much of anything.  They do have an odd odor when you open the bag, but once you rinse them you are all good!  I sauté them in a skillet with a little EVOO and garlic, then add c rushed tomatoes or tomato sauce!  So good!

So these are the products I have wanted to tell you about for the last few months!  I really do not know what I would do without any of them!

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