Wishing you a Wonderful New Year! May the New Year ahead bring you new opportunities, better understanding of yourself and others and the chance to become your healthiest self!
Monday Motivational Meal—Mediterranean Pasta With Heirloom Tomatoes
Monday, December 28, 2020
I have been revisiting old favorites recently. Especially those that are lighter and healthier. When you have been cooking for a family as long as I have there are many of them! Fresh tomato pasta is one such family favorite. Ever since I read the article about how store bought tomatoes have had the taste bred out of them I have been hunting down heirloom tomatoes. It is like Christmas everyday for me. This vegetarian tomato pasta, served up on Vivente, is a must try!
Try this recipe here.
Monday Motivational Meal—Roasted Tomato Soup
Monday, December 21, 2020
Here is a Tomato Soup to warm up your spirits and your insides.There is nothing better than a simple homemade soup on a cold night.This soup is as simple as it gets and delivers a heartwarming satisfaction thanks to a little @CookingLight inspiration. We served ours up with Celebrate!
Click here for the recipe.
Roasted Tomato Soup--big in flavor yet low in carbs!
Friday, December 18, 2020
It is that time of year when a hot soup for dinner sounds devine. Soups are so good for our soul, health and weight management! They tend to be budget-friendly as well.
During the summer months we have a vegetable garden with a number of tomato plants. Typically we have more tomatoes than we can use so not only do we can them but we also freeze whole cherry and roma tomatoes. These can be used during the winter months to make soups and sauces.
Here is a Tomato Soup to warm up your spirits and your insides. There is nothing better than a simple homemade soup on a cold night. This soup is as simple as it gets and delivers a heartwarming satisfaction thanks to a little @CookingLight inspiration. We served ours up with Celebrate!
Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 8 medium tomatoes, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 1 cup torn basil leaves (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Toss together tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 425ºF until tomatoes are softened and browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and caramelized, about 20 minutes, adding water if necessary if mixture becomes too dry.
- Transfer roasted tomato mixture and onions to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Transfer tomato mixture back to pot. Stir in 2 cups vegetable stock; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Top soup with basil leaves, if desired, and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
Serves 4. Serving size: about 1½ cups. Calories 187; Fat 11g; Protein 5g; Carb 21g; Fiber 5g; Sugars 11g (no added sugars); Sodium 620mg.
To make it a meal: serve this luscious soup with a homemade muffin like Maple Squash or Apple N'Spice.
Monday Motivational Meal—Senational Sweet Potato Casserole
Monday, December 14, 2020
It is wonderful when you can find recipes that are easy, tasty and memorable. These are particularly important to find when planning for holiday meals. Sweet potato casseroles are a favorite for many families. A few years ago I discovered a wonderful, simple recipe for a sweet potato casserole that has a heavenly taste and is worthy of a holiday celebration. We baked and served our casserole up in the Aveq Serving Bowl...perfect for holiday entertaining!
Try this recipe out here.
Sensational Sweet Potato Casserole
Friday, December 11, 2020
A Wonderful Recipe for a Holiday Meal
It is wonderful when you can find recipes that are easy, tasty and memorable. These are particularly important to find when planning for holiday meals. Sweet potato casseroles are a favorite for many families. There are many recipes that have been handed down over the generations. The challenge with these recipes is that many have a lot of butter, sugar, cream and salt. These ingredients pack in the calories, fat and carbs.
A few years ago I discovered a wonderful, simple recipe for a sweet potato casserole that has a heavenly taste and is worthy of a holiday celebration. It originated with Ann Louise Gittelman author of the Fat Flush Diet. This recipe is bariatric-friendly, diabetes friendly, kid-friendly and budget-friendly. It is a wonderful addition to our holiday spread and goes so well with roasted turkey. Everyone in the family loves it. We baked and served our casserole up in the Aveq Serving Bowl...perfect for holiday entertaining!
Sensational Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 small/medium sweet potatoes, baked
- ⅓ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes (optional)
- Cooking Spray
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Peel cooked sweet potatoes and mash them.
- Blend in the pineapple juice. Add in the egg and spices and beat until light and foamy.
- Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 35 minutes
- Once out of the oven sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes. Serve hot.
Nutritional Information
Servings: 5. Calories per serving: 119; Fat 1.6g; Sodium 71mg; Carb 23.6g; Dietary Fiber 3.5g; Protein 3.4g.
Perfect Gift Idea! Healthy Lifestyle Holiday Gift Set!
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
*This bundle, because it is already priced at a significant discount, is not eligible for additional discounts.
Making Happy and Healthy Memories for Every Holiday
Friday, December 4, 2020
So many of our happy memories are wrapped around the holidays. We remember special conversations, gifts that were given, an activity unique to the occasion and, of course, the smells of delicious foods from the kitchen, the wonder of the dishes presented and the tastes of our favorites bringing smiles to our faces. These memories compel us to want to repeat them and make those memories into traditions we can look forward to year after year.
The challenge comes when we want to live a healthy lifestyle and know that some of the traditions, particularly around food, need some changing. We are afraid of the resistance we might get from others, including ourselves, when the time honored family recipe is updated (like my beloved poppy seed bread) or the holiday fudge doesn’t appear. The reality is we can’t be afraid to change things up, make new traditions, and share our desire for healthy living with others, even during the holidays.
Making happy and healthy memories does not mean giving up those special foods only made during the holidays or giving up being with the ones you love or throwing away that ugly Christmas sweater you get a kick out of wearing to the family gathering.
What it does mean is creating an environment setting you up for success. It also means being fully present at each occasion. Additionally, we need to consciously make choices and be mindful as we drink and eat, purposefully choosing. And who says we can’t make the slices of poppy seed bread a little thinner?…who will even notice? And maybe instead of making that extra sweet potato casserole so everyone can have second and third helpings, we make just enough for everyone to enjoy.
Then consider the possibility of adding a healthy new tradition into the mix. What about a new festive drink that is tasty and lighter in alcohol and calories like a Rosemary Tequila Lime Smash? Or provide FitVine wine that is lower in calories and healthier for you. Another fun tradition is to participate in a local holiday Walk/Run or go to your local YMCA to join in on a free Zumba class (they offer free workout classes from kickboxing to spinning to Zumba each Thanksgiving). There are amny virtual options as well to stay safe.
These are simple examples of how we can add “healthy” into our holiday traditions still focusing on making happy memories and holding on to the importance of traditions…just making them ones we can enjoy long term, as healthy and happy people.
Wishing you the happiest and healthiest of holidays!
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