Chocolate. Chicken. Pastrami. A Blog of Epic Proportions?

Ahoy, fellow adventurers! I realize that it has been months since I posted last time. I know you're tired of excuses so lets get down to the brass tacks! 

Lately, I've been really focusing more on myself than food. I have also been cut back to part-time hours at my new job. I am no longer at Noonan's because it is seasonal. I started working at Jezebel Gourmet Bistro in November as a prep chef. I just prep things as I need to. Chopping lettuce, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. Plucking spinach. Slicing lemons. All the necessary preparations to keep the chefs on the line, ready. I really do like it. I also get to jump on the line sometimes and I really like that. It also helps that I like everyone I work with. Everyone works very well as a team. And in a kitchen, teamwork is everything. 

Since I have been focusing more on myself, I started a new blog called "The Path I Travel" which is  more about fitness and just my everyday life. Kind of like my diary but online. It's pretty personal but it's cool. If you want to get to know me, here is the link to my first blog entry.

Click here for:  The Path I Travel

I have been cooking but nothing too crazy or unusual. I really wanted to make a duck for either Thanksgiving or Christmas but those ducks are expensive! Almost $20 for a duck that I'm not sure if it will even turn out. I don't have the $20 to blow like I used to. I have made something that you may all like to try.

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Homemade Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon

Fill whatever mug you want to use with milk. Whatever kind of milk you want. 2%, whole, skim, etc. Pour that into a saucepan to fit your milk. Turn the heat in between low and medium. You don't want scalded milk. Next add 2-3 heaping TBS of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk it really good to make sure that the cocoa is incorporated thoroughly. Get all of the clumps worked out of there. Next give it a nice squirt of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Next add sugar to taste. You either like it sweet or you don't. So you be the judge of sugar. Next add a tsp. of ground cinnamon. Keep on whisking. If you want a little kick of caffeine, add a tsp. of instant espresso powder. Once everything is mixed together and you've got your ingredients all working together and nice and hot, pour your hot chocolate and enjoy it! I was pretty impressed with the result of this hot chocolate. Hints of cinnamon and rich chocolatey goodness. 

What else have I made... hmmm.. I tried making homemade chicken fried rice with brown rice. That was a mushy mess. 

You know what is really simple though? Chicken breast cooked in Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. We also had leftover steamed broccoli so I added that to it. Put it on top of brown rice and you've got an awesome meal that is a little healthy and fills you up. Cream of Mushroom soup is awesome especially when you add it to things like casseroles. Who doesn't like a nice casserole? 

OXO Good Grips Flexible Turner, Green (Google Affiliate Ad) 

(I have one of these spatula's and I love OXO brand)

 Great stuff.

Another favorite chicken dish is 

Almond Crusted Chicken with Curry Risotto. 

To make the crust, you grind up a handful of almonds and coarsely chop them in the food processor. Put the chopped almonds on a plate and add some breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Put your chicken breast in it and press the mixture onto the chicken to give is a nice crust. Fry it up and if you want, finish it in the oven. 

Curry risotto is just like any other risotto. 1 cup of risotto to 4 cups cream, 4 cups water, OR 4 cups chicken broth. If you look up one of my blogs about risotto, you'll see what to do. Just do the basic risotto and add a couple spoons of curry paste and you have some awesome curry risotto to go with your chicken. 

NEW FOOD ALERT!

I tried shawarma for the first time a month or so ago! (I'm sorry if I spelled that wrong.) I really liked it. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. It was diced chicken in a pita pocket with tomatoes and onions with a yellowish oily sauce. It was messy to eat but it was different. I really liked it. I definitely recommend that you try it at some point. The restaurant I had it at was the Mediterranean restaurant next to the Valli Produce on E.State. 

 Another great food I had was what I thought was a mexican hot pocket. It was a roll that tasted like french bread but inside, there was ham, cream cheese, and a slice or two of jalapeño. It was REALLY good! Michaels mom picked them up at the mexican bakery in Belvidere and it was awesome. I think if you got one and warmed it up a tad in the microwave or maybe on a panini press, it would be a tasty treat when you bite into it.

You can see the ham and cream cheese but not too much jalapeño.  Perfection. 

The same night I had the bread pocket of sunshine Michaels mom made us tacos. They were pork tacos and I let Michael doctor them up the way he likes. He put chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and some fresh squeeed lime on them with avocado. Best tacos ever. I forgot what the pork is called but it's spicy and red. I loved those tacos. Finish them off with a perfectly frosted bottle or two of MGD and you've got yourself a perfect dinner.

I'm starting to realize that I love mexican food. But no mexican food can compare to Michaels moms. Everything I have had of hers has been amazing. She makes the best chicken tomatillo tamales. Great posole. Great Rozca. I've had a lot of mexican food the past couple of days and I just love it. No other mexican food can compare to hers. You have no idea.

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(One of the best knives I have ever used. Pricey but worth every penny.)

A few nights ago on a Saturday, Michael and I decided to have a Fry Night. Usually we have them on Fridays but it was Saturday. A fry night is where we fry whatever we want. We had one months ago when we lived at our apartment. That time we fried fresh chicken strips, mushrooms, pickles, olives, cheese, jalapeño poppers. Everything that was fryable in our fridge. This last time, we fried catfish nuggets, chicken drumlets, our homemade jalapeño poppers, and even oreos! Everything was good except we didn't really like the catfish. We make the best jalapeño poppers. Get a can of jalapeño's and  cream cheese. Slice a jalapeño down the middle and stuff it with cream cheese. Dunk it in your batter (we made beer batter) and fry it up. They don't take long and they taste phenomenal! We love them.

And last but not least, on this past Friday, we wanted a Pastrami sandwich. We almost went to Chicago in search of a pastrami sandwich. Turns out, we didn't have to go far. In Rockford, there is a deli that has pastrami. It is called Brooklyn Deli and they are located on E. Riverside in between Alpine and Mulford. By Charter Fitness and Cookies by Design. 

Their french fries are awesome and crunchy. We had the Rockefeller. It is Pastrami, Corned Beef, Onions, and Spicy Mustard on a Toasted Bun. SUPER GOOD! We went two days in a row. Our second day we had the Hot Pastrami. I liked the Rockefeller better. I definitely recommend this place though. Here's a nice picture to ease your thoughts. 

 Thanks for reading. I can see that people are reading every day and I do appreciate it! 

Baked Coconut Chicken and Brown Rice with Lime

Well, as usual, it's been far too long since I've given you all something tasty to read. My apologies. I've been busy and my blogs are usually so long. But this one is going to get right straight to it. 

Baked Coconut Chicken

You will need:

Maybe 4 Chicken breasts

1 can of coconut milk

Sweetened coconut flakes

Bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. You take your boneless chicken breasts and make sure they are thawed out. About an hour or two before you want to start cooking, marinade your chicken breasts in coconut milk. It is brown and white can and the milk (if I remember correctly) is from Thailand. Make sure you shake the can before opening.

 Let the chicken soak in the milk for an hour and a half to 2 hours. Once your chicken has soaked for however long, mix together a 1/2 cup of coconut flakes and a little bit of bread crumbs on a plate. Mix it so that the flakes and crumbs are about even amounts. Take your chicken and take off the excess milk that is still sticking to the meat. Now get a nice coat of the flake/crumb mixture on the chicken and place your chicken on a baking sheet. Repeat until all of your chicken is coated. If you happen to run out of coconut and crumbs, just add more to the plate of each. I had to do that. Make sure you wash your hands first because you don't want to get salmonella.

Place your baking sheet in the oven and depending on the thickness of the chicken breast it may take up to an hour to bake. Mine were pretty thin so I baked mine for about 50 minutes. If you aren't sure how long, just keep checking your chicken without getting burned. 

When making the brown rice, follow the instructions on the bag depending on the amount of servings you want to make. When it is finished, plate your chicken and your rice. Add a squeeze of a half of a lime to your rice and a little on your chicken if you'd like. I think you get the best taste when you mix a bite of chicken with some of the rice. 

Very very good! 

And healthy!

I also had a nice chopped romaine salad with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, avocado, and mushrooms. This meal filled me right up and I didn't feel bad for eating it! 

I mean of course if you wanted a crunchier crust, you could always fry it up in a pan too. That sounds pretty tasty! Just a suggestion. 

Enjoy!

How I Feel About Organics

Even though I'm not an executive chef or anyone prominent in Rockford, IL. I still feel as if I play some part when it comes to the Rockford Culinary Community. 

We have a lot of great places to eat in Rockford but at the same time, we don't. 

I think that kind of sucks.

But there is one place that I went in April that kind of made an impact on my life. Why? Because the food was the best food I have ever had in Rockford. This place is called Social Urban Bar & Restaurant. From the outside, it looks small and cozy with cool lighting. On the inside, you feel like you are in a sexy restaurant in downtown Chicago. I've wanted to try this place for quite sometime and I finally was able to for my friend Jasmines birthday. I saw that we'd be going to Social on the wall of the Facebook invite that she sent us. I knew a little about this place. And the little that I knew, I loved.

This restaurant gets a lot of their ingredients from local farmers and growers in the Midwest. I love that. The fact that they don't have food solely shipped from California or from Sysco is pretty damn awesome to me. I love the sense of community. I love that they utilize what they have. I don't know much but as a food lover I know that this place was awesome when we ate here. The food was a little pricey so I mean, I can't go every weekend but if or when you have the money, you need to try it. 

I had the braised pork shoulder and it was simply amazing. I loved it. I ate just about everything on the plate. It came with jasmine rice and that was great. The pork shoulder was tender, juicy, and delicious. I'm usually someone who doesn't eat fat. I cut my fat off. I think it's kind of gross. But the fat from this pork shoulder was so good I couldn't believe it! 

I also had I think it was called something like the Pot de' creme or something like that. It was a little pot of creme brulee or something. That was just as good as dinner. I figured, I don't get to eat like this very often and I tend to live by the motto, "Go Big or Go Home" and so that is how I lived that night. 

I hope that someday when I own a restaurant, that it is half of the restaurant that Social is today. 

On another note:

 Do you know what they put in our meat? Places that put hormones into our chicken and beef corn and other plants to make them grow 2x bigger in the little amount of time that they are given. They don't grow naturally. They are fed corn and other by-products. It just isn't right. I hate that we have to buy this meat. We have to buy the hamburger that has amonia in it. I say we "have" to buy it because people such as myself that are on the lower part of the social strata, can't afford organic foods! The reason they use hormones to grow are food is because we think that "bigger is better" when it comes to food and other things in life. So they subject our poultry to terrible things. If the Obama campaign wants to start telling everyone what to eat, then maybe he should start with the farmers of America that use pesticides, hormones, and anti-biotics! Maybe we could eat better if hormones were illegal in our foods. It should all be natural. Not just some. Maybe we could eat healthier if it wasn't so damn expensive. Maybe our nation wouldn't be known as the "Fattest" Nation if they didn't mass produce our food with additives and other terrible things. 

Think about it. 

After watch the movie "Food, Inc." this really got my gears turning. I feel like there is nothing I can do to stop it. If you are interested, watch that movie. It'll change the way you think about your food.

This link explains more about what I'm saying.

Additives and Hormones in Our Food

Beautiful, Beautiful Food

I know I only update about once a month and that sucks. I'm sure I'd write more if I actually wanted to become a writer someday or maybe if I knew people were reading this. I only know of a few people that read this and to you all, I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my long blogs. I think blogs are supposed to just be short and to the point but that isn't how mine are. Some people blog and all they write is a paragraph or two. I don't know what the point of that is but if it works for them, then that's awesome. 

I've made a few things lately. Burgers. Tacos. A bunch of other stuff but i'll write about the ones I can remember off the top of my head. 

First let me tell you about these burgers I made. I was gonna be grilling for Me, Michael, Gina and Conor.  Two burgers a piece. Not just a regular old burger. 

This was about a month ago and I'm trying to remember what was put in them. 

I had about 2 lbs of burger meat.

 fresh squeezed lime juice

 fresh chopped parsley

salt

pepper

garlic powder

onion powder 

and I think that's it. 

I mixed it all up and made each patty about the same size. (I know from watching Rachael Ray that you don't want to mix up your burger too much or else it'll get tough.) I let them sit for about a half an hour in the fridge so that way all the flavors can sink into the meat. 

I popped them on the grill over direct heat. I cooked them until they reached 160 degrees F. because we like our burgers well done. I like my burger well done and juicy. A lot of people think "Well done? You don't get any flavor that way!" or, "You want to be a chef and you like your burgers well done? What the hell?" 

That's just how I like it! And you know what? They were awesome! Juicy burgers and put colby jack on some (my favorite) and muenster on some others. I also made a spicy mayo mixing

lime mayo 

(Michael loves that stuff)

cayenne pepper

lime juice

and Melinda's Original Habanero Pepper Sauce (Extra Hot)

salt and pepper

I also sauteed some onions to go on top. So you have 

The parsley lime burger

Muenster or Colby Jack cheese

Cooked onions

spicy mayo

and a bun. 

I haven't found a better burger in town than my own burger creations. Michael agrees. There are no good burger places in Rockford. And that is the truth. 

The other night, we had Mexican Night (well, sorta) at our apartment. Michael tried to make his moms mexican rice and I cooked the meat for tacos. My dad gets meat from Utah where the cows are grass fed with no hormones and they kill the cows naturally. The meat from this place tastes great and fresh and it's got beautiful marbling and color. The tenderloins are to die for! But anyways, we had two sirloin steaks left so I cut them into thin strips and cooked them on the stove in some olive oil, shallots, garlic, onions, and red wine. The meat cooked for about 40-45 min on medium and it came out full of flavor and tender too. I was worried about the meat being tender because usually you have to cook meat on the stove a little longer. But for me 40-45 min did the trick. We had tortillas with a little sour cream and the beef and onions.

SO SO GOOD!

We had a little trouble with the mexican rice. :/ It was good, but not as good as I've had before. I think it was missing flavor and we also needed chicken broth or stock. Next time, we'll have the broth and stock and it'll be much better. Still good though. 

Here are a few pictures:

I think this picture is beautiful.

Oh! And let me tell you about some beer brats! 

The other night me and Michael's friends Kevin and Taylor had dinner with us. It was a "B.Y.O.M" (Bring Your Own Meat) night and Taylor brought steak for herself, Kevin brought brats or italian sausage for himself, and Michael and I had Ribs. I also made garlic herb mashed potatoes for everyone. Me, Michael, and Kevin all shared our food. We had beer brats. Made with MGD beer!

Boiled the brats in the beer for about 15-20 min. 

Then put them on the grill for another 10-15 and BOOM! 

Those were some good ass brats! 

The guys told me to poke holes in the brats so that way the beer could infuse into the meat! It really worked! They were really good and you could actually taste the beer in them. Pretty darn good. 

Taylor also said I make a pretty damn good steak too. 

At the end of the night, we were all full of good food and happy!

Mmm beer!

Even though my ribs don't fall off the bone, they are still tender and juicy!

Chicken Alfredo From Scratch!

I've got another good one for you. Chicken alfredo! 

Who doesn't like a good hearty alfredo sauce? 

Communists? 

Maybe.

But then again there may be a family of communists out there that actually LOVE alfredo sauce and if there isn't a family like that out there, well then after they read this blog, we might have found our first..

 Alfredo Lovin' Communist Family!

:)

Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours

                Yield: 4-5 servings

So what you will need for the sauce is:

Half a stick of butter

A shallot (chopped)

A few cloves of garlic (chopped)

2 quarts of heavy whipping cream

1 cup of white wine

fresh chopped mushrooms (if desired)

Salt

Pepper

and for the chicken:

Olive oil

1 or 2 chopped garlic cloves

Chicken Breasts cleaned and deveined and cut into chunks or strips

Salt and pepper

and pasta, of course:

1 box of Fettuccine pasta 

or if you have the luxury, fresh pasta would be amazing.

The SAUCE:

Start by melting your half stick of butter. Once it's melted add your chopped shallots and garlic. Let that cook for about a minute on medium heat. Add your cream and your wine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Quite a bit of salt. Like three or four good pinches. Keep stirring every now and then, and watch it closely so it doesn't boil over and you don't want it to burn either. You want to see a slow rolling boil. You need your cream to reduce so that way the cream can thicken up and to not be runny like milk. You'll know it has reduced once it can coat a spoon. Once it has been cooking for about 15 minutes, add the mushrooms. This way the mushrooms can absorb the flavor. Let this keep cooking and stirring every 5 minutes or so.

Once you've been cooking the sauce for about a half an hour, get your frying pan ready and hot. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Keep stirring your sauce!

The CHICKEN:

Salt and pepper the chicken with a little bit of garlic powder.

Get a frying pan ready with a splash of hot extra virgin olive oil and some chopped garlic.

Once the garlic is in there and the oil is bubbling around the garlic, STIR YOUR SAUCE! put in your chicken. Once the chicken is cooked about half way, (white on both sides and still pink in the middle) transfer to a oven safe dish or a pie pan. Something oven proof. Transfer your chicken to the oven safe pan and put in the oven for about a half an hour. Make sure that your chicken IS NOT pink in the middle when it comes out of the oven. 

Stir the sauce some more!

Now start boiling your water in a big enough pot for pasta. STIR THE SAUCE! Throw some salt in the water to flavor your pasta. Not oil. I don't think oil helps anything. 

Is your sauce thickening? If not, don't add the pasta just yet.

 Once you see a change in sauce, it's ok to add your pasta to the water, but only if your water is boiling, of course.

You should cook your pasta to al dente (to the tooth) and then drain your pasta. By the time your pasta is done, your sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. 

Take your chicken out of the oven. Turn off the oven but only if your chicken is cooked through which it should be. 

Turn down your sauce to low and add your noodles still cooking for maybe 3 to 5 minutes in the sauce. 

Once all of your noodles are coated in the sauce, 

Eat and Enjoy!

or as the Italians like to say,

mangiare e godere!

This is my own little creation. I haven't made alfredo sauce many times before but it is one of the sauces I am trying to perfect and this time it came out really well. It could've used a little salt but besides that, it was hearty and rich with great flavor. I've been watching at work because sometimes they make chicken alfredo for dinner and the 4 main things you need are: 

shallots, garlic, cream, and wine.

One great thing about this is that if you're a vegetarian, you don't need the chicken. Just the sauce and noodles would be a great dish for anyone who doesn't eat meat. Or maybe even eat it as a dish for the Lenten season. It's up to you.

So i've been working on this one and I think it would be cool to throw a couple splashes of tobasco to give it a little kick or maybe even some fresh basil to give it more of a unique flavor. I just love making this and everyone enjoyed it. 

Let me know what you think of it if you try it! 

And if you have any questions, leave me a comment. 

Oh and by the way, I'm sorry there aren't any pictures for this one. I was so hungry last night I didn't want to take any more time to take a picture. I'm sorry but if you make it, send me your pictures! And I can add them to the blog as my viewers pictures! That would be awesome! Please do it! That'd be so much more rewarding for me than money! 

Thanks for reading!

Ribs and Sauerkraut (Crock Pot friendly)

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's taken me so long to write again. :( NO TIME! It's been a crazy month! April 1st I started a new job which I've been working during the day and Josef's has been busy at night so I haven't had many days  off. I put in my 2 weeks at Josef's but now I wish I hadn't. I've come to realize this past weekend that I really like the people at Josef's. The servers and the guys in the kitchen. Although it gets really crazy sometimes, I've been having a lot of fun because I finally feel like I'm part of a team. So I want to ask Josef if I can just work weekends and then the other job during the day. That way I'll still have time to work out. Sadly, I haven't been working out as much as I've wanted to. I was doing really well for a few weeks then I got another job. And after working all day and all night. From 10am to 10pm, I don't have much left in me plus my feet are killing me. So that's why I'm getting my work stuff together so I can start working out again and eating healthier. 

I was doing so well!

 I was feeling so good!

What happened?!!?!

I'd tell you about it but, that'd be a long blog and I don't think you wanna read a long ass blog. 

So first I'll tell you about my ribs and sauerkraut. It's a crock pot recipe or put it in a roaster in the oven. I thought the crock pot tasted just fine but my parents say the oven is better. So you choose.

-Just grab a rack of beef baby back ribs

-A jar (not a can) of franks sauerkraut

-A few potatoes or a lot depending if you like potatoes or not (red or yellow or russet)

This is all you have to do:

1. 

Take the membrane off of the ribs which is on the bone side. It's that white film stuff. You don't have to but I would suggest you do it. Tastes better.

If you don't know what i'm talking about, here's a link where you can see a video. 

He'll explain why too.

Don't be shy! Take that membrane off!

2. 

Cut the ribs up into chunks. Cut them at every 3rd bone.

3. 

Empty your jar of sauerkraut into the crock pot or roasting pan.

4. 

Cut your potatoes into 4th's or 6th's depending on the size of your potato.

Put your potatoes in the crock pot or roaster over the sauerkraut.

5.

Put your chunks of ribs in on top

6. 

Fill your empty sauerkraut jar up 3/4's of the way with water. 

Empty into the roaster or crock pot.

7. 

Add your salt and pepper to taste.

Maybe like a Tablespoon of salt or more if you're using kosher.

And however much pepper you want to add.

8.

Cook on high in your crock pot or 375 degrees in your roaster for about 5 hours. Or until the rib meat falls off the bone. 

Sorry the picture is so big, I just want you to be able to see it in all of it's glory.

I hope you enjoy this one! 

Nutritious and Delicious

Hey everyone! So I wanted to give an update on what's been going on. I've been trying to eat healthier and have been exercising 5 out of 7 days a week. Today is Day 8 for me and in 8 days, I have already seen improvement. I've read that you should give your body what it needs and what it deserves so I asked my body what it wanted. 

I said, "Body?" 

Body said, "Yes, Jennifer?" 

I said, "Are you happy?"

Body said, "Meh. I'm alright but I could be better." 

I said, "Well, what should I do?"

Body said, "You know what you have to do. What we have to do."

I said, "So is that a challenge???"

Body said, "If it were a challenge, you wouldn't be able to handle it."

I said, "Oh, I can handle it."

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Challenge Accepted!

2 or 3 weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were talking before bed and he told me he wanted to eat healthier. Since moving into our apartment we haven't been eating very well. Little money means little nutrition. At least that's my excuse. But when we were talking, he said that basically we need to be on the same page. I wasn't on the same page. I want to eat things with great flavor and fat = flavor. But then he said that I said that I don't believe in diet or nutrition. Or some balogna. So after a great day, before bed there was tension. I laid there for a while and I said, it's hard to eat healthy because healthy food isn't full of flavor. But then I thought again, sure there is! We started talking and I asked what he wanted to eat. I told him that tomorrow while he's at work, I was going to find a bunch of recipes and foods that were healthy, and full of flavor. He got me jump started. I found maybe 10 things and made a list. Being the little chef that I am, I wrote all of the things down that sounded tasty and that way, I could use these things to kick start the ideas of healthy meals. 

The things I found at SparkRecipes.com:

-Ratatouille 

(all veggies with part skim mozzarella)

-Marinaded Chicken Breast

(marinaded in orange juice, lemon juice, spices, etc. for 3 hours or overnight)

-Fajitas or tacos

-Stuffed Mushrooms

-Chicken Salads

(chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, low-fat cottage cheese, avocado, and a tasty vinegar and oil dressing)

-Baked Chicken Tenders 

(marinade with a dressing then put some bread crumbs on it.)

-Chicken and Rice

(flavor your chicken, add a veggie, brown rice, easy.)

-Crockpot Garlic Lime Chicken

-Make a whole chicken in a crockpot

-Stuffed Bell Peppers or tomatoes

(stuffed with a mix of ground turkey, garlic, onion, diced tomatoes, seasoning)

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These are just a few options. Yes, there is a lot you can do with chicken. Ground turkey is also an option but I really don't like ground turkey. I've never really had it where it has tasted good or worth it. Michael says he can make good turkey burgers but i'll be the judge of that. 

I haven't tried any of those recipes but I have been eating healthier. I've given up pasta, ice cream, eating out, potatoes (I LOVE POTATOES, PASTA, AND ICE CREAM). I have been snacking on bananas and instead of drinking 2% milk, I now just started drinking skim. It isn't that bad. I have been eating so much chicken. I gave up pop/soda for lent. Giving up pop and cutting out sugary juices is definitely a good way to start getting healthy. One year I gave up pop for lent and by the end of the 40 days, I had lost 10 pounds. But I was younger and more active back then. I also have not been drinking a beer or two every couple nights and i've cut out all of my usual eating habits. I haven't been going out for $3 pizzas either. This kinda sucks because I haven't seen my friends in what feels like forever. 

This is my new routine:

Wake up at 10 a.m.

Drink a cup of coffee

Poop

Pack my bag and go to the gym 

Work out for a good hour, maybe a little longer

Come home and drink a protein shake

Eat a banana or two

Make a healthy lunch, drink water

Michael comes home, I go to work 

Drink tea or lemon/lime water at work

Come home eat something small or more chicken with a veggie

Sleep

~Repeat~

It may seem boring, but this has been consistent just about every day. I wanted you to know that I have been pooping regularly now for the past week. I read that the average person poops 2-3 times a day. TMI: I am lucky if I poop every other day. I am a very irregular person. Well I was. You may relate, you may not. But if you aren't pooping regularly, that isn't a good thing. 

My boyfriend has always been the one to research things. He googles what he doesn't know. It's what he does. He learns and retains info like no other. And so lately i've been reading up on healthy living as well. Looking at Yahoo articles and researching what I want to know. Such as whether to go with whey or casein. I wanna know if bananas are good for me or how good they actually are. I wanna know about the 9 bad habits that are actually not that bad at all. I wanna know if a high protein diet is okay. So these next couple articles have helped me and I hope you let them help you. 

Another reason I started working out and eating healthy is because lately i've been feeling down in the dumps. I thought it was because my seratonin levels were down. What is seratonin?

From Seratonin: The Chemistry of Well-Being

"Certain aminos cause you to have better feeling of well being. Serotonin is a chemical that helps maintain a "happy feeling," and seems to help keep our moods under control by helping with sleep, calming anxiety, and relieving depression."

"It has been discovered that some foods influence the brain's behavior, and the brain's neurotransmitters, which regulate our behavior, can be affected by what we eat. Research is showing that some foods such as bananas and turkey have proteins that help to create the chemical seratonin. So, diet may contribute to depression, especially poor eating habits and constant snacking on junk foods."

I don't know but I think that my new diet has been helping me a lot. I've been feeling a lot better. Not 100% but in good time, it is possible. 

I want you to know how great bananas are for you and I found this little gem online

Are Bananas Good for You?

I thought this was pretty interesting:

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas, Box of 10 (Google Affiliate Ad)

"When compared to apples though bananas have 4 times the protein, 2 times the carbohydrates, 3 times the phosphorous, 5 times the vitamin A and Iron and much more vitamins and minerals than apples do."

They've always talked up apples. Apples, apples, apples! Well what about bananas???? Read that article and you might feel the same way

I have a few more things to add:

I want you to know that at the beginning of the week when I started I went to the store after my workout. I bought veggies, fruits, and a package of chicken breast. I divided up my package of chicken breast into portions so I'd have some for lunch every day. I also got a head of boston lettuce. Just wanted to try it. 

The one lunch I made that was really good was a salad with chicken breast and sauteed onions. I mixed up a salad with roasted garlic red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. I sliced a whole avocado. And then because it was windy out I didn't want to start the grill. So I got my frying pan out and made magic. I started with extra virgin olive oil (a Tablespoon), 1 clove of chopped garlic, half of an onion- sliced. Cooked the onions until translucent. Then added the chicken that was seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cooked until done. Cut the chicken into thin strips. Put the sliced chicken back into the frying pan, turned the heat to low and added a small bit of shredded colby jack mixed with parsely. Let that melt and you've got yourself a tasty salad. It was awesome. I'm not a big fan of salads but DAMN! I impressed myself and I had enough so Michael could have his own too. I made a nice, healthy lunch. And I was full throughout work. 

For breakfast, sometimes I'll eat an egg or 2 with toast. Other times, a bowl of some Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds will do. 

The Gourmet's Vinaigrettes and Salads Cookbook: Superb Nouvelle Salads (Google Affiliate Ad)

Really my diet has consisted of a lot of protein. Chicken, eggs, protein shakes, fish. You know the deal.  But I do know there are pro's and con's to a lot of protein. That's why you need calcium and vitamins and all of the other things that make up a happy body. 

And the last article or slide show I want you to see is the pro's and con's of high protein. I just figured if this blog has maybe changed your views on some things maybe you'll wanna check it out.

High-Protein- Good or Bad?

I haven't cut out all bad things but I have cut back. I don't use as much butter. I don't use as much sugar or creamer in my coffee. I haven't cut out beer completely but I have cut back and have refused beer and have replaced it with water. Alcohol has a lot of calories and it just seems like, "I am on a good path, why mess up now?" 

I have to confess something though, last night,

 I....

I.. 

ummm... 

well ya see..

I was craving wings. I wanted them. It was late when I got off of work and I didn't have time to cook and if I did cook, I wouldn't have eaten until midnight. So I got them. 15 wings. Spicy garlic and ranch. I always take off the skin but still. I just wanted some. I won't be doing that again for a while. I know it wasn't a good decision but I made it and it's done. I can only move forward and that is what I will do.

I'd like your input on healthy recipes and any other tips from you healthy people out there!

So please share. :)