Weekend of Finds

 

I didn't cook quite as much this week, since it was love day on Thursday my Mr. Mr. took me out to dinner. I have gotten so accustomed to cooking though, that I really prefer my own foods over anything from a restaurant. It was still so nice to get out and have a quiet dinner.

 

Here's to Love Day!

I am so very lucky!

 

Don't worry when the weekend got here I made up for not cooking during the week and I'm going to show you just what I made!

This weekend was packed full of newness!  I finally got to try out some of my new finds AND I located a jewel I've been searching for.

 I recently bought a 4 pack of chopping mats from the Sandra line by Sandra Lee. I have a few chopping boards, but I really wanted something lightweight and small for my weeknight dinners since I chop LOTS of foods now.

 This set is perfect for doing just that and it was a reasonable price of about $7 (found at K Mart)                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                             


I spent Saturday evening with some friends, but before I went to their home to cook I got to break in the mats! I made stuffed peppers for everyone so I chopped my little heart out!

I think they were a huge hit! After a great night of friends and food I went back home to bust open the wrappers on my 'get fit tools'.


Until now I have only focused on the foods I consume, but I am ready to start working out!

If you are just starting out I suggest learning your foods before jumping completely overboard.

Just put your toes in the water to see how cold the water is. ;) When you have what to eat down, then start working out. The only reason I say this is so that you don't get overwhelmed and decide to quit. Maybe even walk 15 minutes a few times a week until you are ready to work out and cook.

     I found a few deals at Wal-Mart on some DVD's and a Pedometer.  

 

I'm so excited to try all of these out!

 

 

Saturday I had this feeling to go into my local Salvation Army.

 

 When I went in I found a few new cookbooks and was quite pleased. I decided to case the store one more time before I left. I looked up and BAM there she was....the DEHYDRATOR that I have been stalking online for weeks!

 

When it comes to others I will buy things at the drop of a hat to help someone, but I am so tight when it comes to myself. I wouldn't just click 'add to cart' and be done with it....and I am so glad! The dehydrator was only $5....much cheaper than what I have been finding. I also found a Pampered Chef Veggie cooker...SO PUMPED!

 

 

I left the store with my finds and a huge smile on my face. Now I'm sure you are wondering what in the world would I need a dehydrator for?!?! My favorite snack is dehydrated okra. It is SO amazing, but it's pricey and hard to find.

 

Next weekend I am going to make my own. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

 

I didn't have time to dehydrate my okra, but I did have time to try a couple new recipes

 

First up was something that I still haven't found a name for.

 For now I will just say that it's Pizza My Way!

 

There are two kinds. The first one is a cold pizza.

 This is what I did-

Take cream cheese spread, a little ranch mix, shredded cheese, bacon bits, shrimp in a can, roasted chicken bites, veggies: jalapenos, red, yellow, orange, green bell peppers, broccoli etc, and pizza dough. I bought the mini pizzas so that I had portion control very easily.

Bake the dough for ten minutes then toss everything on top after you spread the cream cheese and ranch mix on the dough.

It's that simple and it's very yummy.

 

The next was a hot pizza.

 

Take dough, a small can of tomato paste, cheese, roasted chicken bites or canned chicken, all the veggies, and shredded cheese. Toss everything on the dough and bake for ten minutes.

 

You can make your own version...this is what I tried.

I can't decide which is better...they are both so very yummy!! Try them for yourself and let me know what you like.

 

If you are looking for a quick and easy lunch or dinner try this!

Sunday night I didn't feel much like cooking and I knew I didn't have enough protein in for the day, so I popped open a can of pineapple, added a splash of orange, Old Bay seasoning, and a bag of shrimp. It was done in under ten minutes!

 I will be making pineapple and shrimp skewers next time. I forgot to pick up some pineapple chunks when I went shopping so I came up with this instead!

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My silent weekend was coming to an end quite fast, but no weekend would be complete without a little disaster.

 

 I have four rescue animals that are all spoiled beyond belief and know it! I rescued a kitten, KiKi, from my office last year and what was a foster home until she got older is now her forever home.

My small dog, Bear thinks she is his sister from the same mister and will not let her leave.

 They cuddle together every day and fight like WWE champions every night!

 

~BACK WHEN THEY WERE BOTH LITTLE BABIES~

For a couple months KiKi has had a huge sore on her head. I took her to Dr. Jones (our AMAZING vet) a month ago when she completely scraped off her scalp. At the end of the weekend I noticed she was scratching her head again. When she came to me she was bleeding again just like last time, so I got out her nap blanket and loaded her up!

 

After a shot and some cream she seems to be feeling better, but not before the explosion of her life!

 

On the way home she had TWO accidents in my new car! It was not how I wanted to start my day that is for sure! After I cleaned my car when I got back home I cuddled with Bear and KiKi for the rest of the day with my Marketing book and new Snoozies!

 

Sometimes it's the small things in life that means so much!

 

 

                                                                        

KiKi is feeling much better now!

 

 

I'm going to work on new things this week and will be starting a new post with my recipes and pictures of all the meals I cook.
 I'm debating on making one weekly or monthly, but regardless you guys and gals will have access to the meals I create! I think the key to making our lifestyle change work is to keep new ideas coming!

Until Next Time, Be The Best You Can Be!

XOXO

Cori

 

Change Is A Good Thing

You will never hear me tell you that I am on a diet. Those words won't leave my mouth because I am NOT on a diet. I have made a choice to change my lifestyle. A healthy change makes the biggest difference in your life, and it isn't as hard as you might think.

Simple Steps Make Big Results

1. CUT OUT SUGAR

It's that simple-say goodbye to sugar.

Buy sugar free foods. There are tasty foods that are sugar free.
Change from sugar to Splenda or Truvia. They are much better choices.

Have a sweet tooth??

Try this:

**Sugar Free Chocolate Pie**

-Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding
-Fat Free Cool Whip
-Pie Shell

It has all the sweetness of a treat packed with calories and sugar, but it is actually good for you.


                                              

Some of my snacks

                                                         

2. TURN BACK THAT H20

We all need 64 oz. of water every day. This is so very important. I have noticed if I slack off on my water intake I feel slugish and I also stop loosing weight.

I have Rubbermade water bottles that are 20 oz each. You can purchase them at Walmart for around $2.50. You also might try keeping water bottles like Dasani with you if you don't want to keep something refilled.

"Cori, I don't like water". 
My response... "Oh, well do you like diabetes? If you don't learn to cut the sodas and sip the water you will have to learn to live with diabetes.....and....ain't no body got time for that. ;)

If you ARE one of the many people that tell me they can't stand the taste of water try these tips:

-Lemon Juice & Lime Juice: I keep bottles of each around and add it to my water when I want a flavor kick.

-Fresh or Frozen Fruits: Cut up a peach or kiwi and toss it right into a glass of cold ice water! You might even try cucumber if you aren't big on fruits. So many possibilities.

-Crystal Light Pure: The pure ones are aspartame FREE!!! Aspartame is that sneaky little ingredient that gives SOME people headaches...me being one of them.

-Crystal Light & Crystal Light Lemonade

-Dasani Drops

-MIO drops

All these things are ways to get some flavor without the sugar and calories.

3. PROTEIN IS POWER

Protein is one of the things that has really helped me! I aim for 60-70 grams of protein every day.

"Cori, how in the world do you get all your protein in every day?"

-Eat foods that are high in protein!

 Fish (Salmon & Tilapia are good)

 Shrimp (Wal-mart sells bags of shrimp for $5.00-4 oz. of this shrimp is 26 g of protein!!) I can also cook this shrimp within ten minutes....everyone has time for this!

 Turkey meat (Turkey burgers with ranch seasoning is very yummy)

 Lean pork chops

 Chicken salad, Weight Watchers String Cheese, Beans, etc.

~I also have a protein shake some mornings. I use Whey Protein at Walmart, it's around $15.97. One scoop and 6-8 oz of milk (I use SILK) is all you do. I literally make my shake before I walk out the door every day. The great plus to this protein mix is that one scoop is 26g.


                                    


                                     

4. BAKE DON'T FRY

I am from the south and understand all the amazing foods our families can cook. Many of those foods are fried. I don't fry anything EVER! It is not only bad for you, but it makes you feel so yucky. I bake or stir fry everything I cook. It is actually quite simple. Season it and pop it in the oven. I keep olive oil on stand by so that I am ready to start cooking when I walk into my kitchen. You might find that cooking different ways other than frying is actually tastier.

5. VEGGIES ARE YOUR ROCK

When I shop I go around the outer walls of the store....produce, dairy, meat. This way I get all of the good foods first:
A. Filling my buggy
B. It makes it so much easier to choose the better choices.

When I walk into the produce section I just walk around. I get all the veggies I know I like to cook first. Then I start looking at things I haven't cooked before. I get a few new things to try and move on. I don't eat too many fruits because some are packed with sugar, but occassionally I will grab a couple things to give myself more choices.

6. WATCH OUT FOR BREAD

I don't eat bread. Cut that out and watch your clothes start getting bigger! Some people really have to have bread in their life. If that is you try this:

Take your shopping list you made from my last post and jot down some of these ideas if you think they are choices you would like to try. I'll show you how I bring all these foods together soon with some of my own meals!

Until next time, be the best you can be!


XOXO

Cori

Welcome to Eat To Live!

Hi All!

I'm Cori, a woman on a mission! I have found such a passion for the foods I eat and really want to share my knowledge with others. This year I'm changing the way I do things and I'm hoping to help a few more people along the way.

Welcome to Eat To Live, where we are all about changing our lives and stepping up to the plate! I'm sure you are thinking, shouldn't we be stepping AWAY from the plate if we are trying to eat better...the answer is NO!

 I want you in the kitchen, I need you to spend more time in this area than ever before, this NEEDS TO BE YOUR DOMAIN! Once you learn the basics you will not have to 'live in the kitchen', but until then, turn up the radio, put on your movin' groovin' shoes, and start placing all of your food out on the counter.



If you are like most normal Americans you probably have some of this on that counter of calories... 

Don't worry there are foods to replace this sugary disaster.

Once all your food is out in front of you take a look at the things you spent your hard earned money on. I bet there is enough sugar there to make Willy Wonka blush!

Start Sorting/Purging~ Put all the foods you feel are good choices back in the fridge and cabinet. Now look at the rest....donate that stuff NOW! Run out the door and take them to someone who needs the food.

Now that your cabinets look like you are at the age of 19 again, moving in your first home...all bare and empty. Just think -that is the last time you are throwing money away! The foods you start buying will be "your friend", you can hang out with them any time you want...in moderation that is.

Go grab some paper, a pen, and meet me back at your fridge!

Recreate the image below, or email me at eattolive2013@gmail.com and I will send you the same attachment I use every week.


Create a shopping list of foods you can eat! Leave the list on your fridge so that every night as you are cooking you can add to the list. Normally when you are in "your new domain" you will notice things you are lacking.

 I will cover foods I buy in a seperate post and also how I break down the list, but for today I want you to get all your chickens in a row by getting organized.
*This doesn't cost money...just your time.*
 TIME WELL SPENT!!

As well as getting organized, I want you to step into this with a clear mind and open heart. Do not let yourself give excuses. Those excuses are road blocks stopping you from getting to your destination. A destination where your awesome new body is waiting for you to show up! Don't make him/her wait too long!

I hear a lot of the same things over and over SO.......

Let me rant now then we will all move forward with smiles on.
Pant check....do you have your big girl pants on today?
You are going to need them.

~~I do NOT want to hear, "Cori, I don't have time to cook, plan, or spend any time changing my life...I'm too busy".

My response,  "Do you have time to watch tv, do you ever sit on your couch, do you sit in your bed for ten minutes, do you dry your hair or put your makeup on in the mornings. What about a break at work, do you eat lunch, do you hit up a drive thru? What about date night, do you have those, do you visit your significant other, go to a bar, tan, talk on the phone? Do you spend time stalking people on Facebook or gossip about the latest in your home town with friends, family, or co-workers? You can not tell me you are busy 24 hours a day....I know because I used that line WAY TOO LONG! If you said yes, you have time.

 If you want a new life, if you dream of sitting in a room of people without thinking, "Is this chair strong enough for me" or "I want to have the body to wear those clothes", then you WILL make time. You will stop hanging out with friends, stay up 20 minutes longer, drive past McDonalds, tell your honey bear that you want to spend more time planning meals so that they aren't planning your funeral two decades early. If people love you they will understand and if you love YOU-well you will delete or alter the things that are taking up too much time.

"Cori, my boyfriend doesn't like healthy foods so I can't cook things that are good for me when he comes over." Hunny you WILL and CAN cook healthy foods for ANYONE that enters your home. They will eat if they are hungry...promise! After having only healthy foods and continuing to cook better choices they will come around or get lost. Leave that Hamburger Helper on the shelf all that is doing is adding more love to those handles on our belly....not attractive!

Please understand I am a full time student, have a job, four animals, a boyfriend, attend 2 Bible studies, administer a Facebook group, have homework, a huge family, and friends. I make time or disappoint someone. Ask my friends....they have been told 'NO' so many times, but I make my health a priority.

NOW THAT WE HAVE COVERED SOME OF YOUR EXCUSES LETS MOVE FORWARD. When that brain of yours tries to crank out a "but I can't..."-shut it down!

 Told you it would sting a little, but I love you and want you on that loosers bench with me!

Get organized: I plan my meals for the month...then break down my grocery list into the first two weeks and the last two. (I can also send my month of meals sheet your way) This is what it looks like.

This is simply a guideline to give yourself ideas of what you could cook. Having things written down will inspire you to try them and your brain won't come up short on ideas after that long meeting on Tuesday afternoon. I suggest always putting in a simple soup or oven bake meal on your list in case you aren't feeling like a champ one night. I will give you my ideas later and all the foods I cook are easy and quick.

Now that I have made you blush and shift in your seat a bit, go investigate your food...read the labels! Check calories, sugar, protein. You will be shocked to see what is so bad. We want to aim for foods high in protein. Work on the month of meals list. See how many healthy foods you can come up with. Have a good meal idea? Leave it in a comment or email me! I'll try it and post about it on the blog.

Next time we will cover what you should eat, drink, and aim for. I'll show you what I just bought at the store and maybe even some of my dinners.

Until next time, be the best you can be!

XOXO
Cori