Hi friends!  Happy FRIDAY!! Woot woot!

I can’t remember the last time I was able to write a post on a Friday! But I wanted to get this one to you in time for the weekend, especially if you are hosting a happy hour anytime soon.  Allow me to explain…

There is a restaurant in Denver called the Samba Room that has THE best mojitos.  My favorite is the Pineapple Mojito.  Unfortunately they taste SO good because they are so sugary and aren’t very friendly to the waistline!  (And usually after I have a couple I might have the tendency to not give a hoot about apps either and consume way too many food calories to boot!)

Over the 4th of July weekend I was at the library (because we all know I do not need is MORE books…!) and I happened to see this great little gem:

Super-Charged Smoothies by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford.

And what do I find in the section for Grown Up Smoothies?  A Pineapple Mojito Slush!  Oh my!  You can bet I ran right on down to the store for some club soda, mint and frozen pineapples.  I had the all the rest.  (I’ve contacted the publisher for permission to reprint the recipe and am awaiting a reply.  In the meantime, I’ve found it at Scribd, click here and scroll down to page 7.)

In the words of my cousin Kevin:  GOSH. DARN. DELICIOUS.

MSP thought it could be lighter on the mint, so for our second batch I only added half of the mint leaves and it was still amazing.  And in future batches I’ll experiment with stevia in lieu of agave.

I’ll be serving this to guests in the future.  It’s a cocktail I can feel good about!

But wait … there’s more!!

So while I was sitting at my desk yesterday afternoon, I was craving one.  And I’m not really in the habit of mixing up frozen alcoholic drinks when I’m home alone and working.    (No really!)  So I figured why not take this one step further and tweak this into a MOJITO protein shake (or as I like to call it, a PROJITO)?

Into the blender went:

• 3/4 cup frozen pineapple (about 140g)
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder of your choice (for me it’s Jay Robb sprouted brown rice – half a scoop gives me about 12g protein)
• 4 fresh mint leaves
• squeeze of lime juice
• 1/2 packet of stevia (or to taste, optional)
• 8 oz can club soda + 4 oz water

Mmmm.  150 calories, 12g protein, 25g carbs and 0.25 of a gram of fat.  Can be enjoyed anytime of day without the stigma of “drinking alone”! 

Let me know if you try either version!

Have a FABULOUS FRIDAY friends!

– Shari B. =)

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Hi blog buds!

Is the holiday weekend really over?  It FLEW by for me!  Did it for you as well?  I hope that you all had an amazing weekend.  Ours was great!

Thank you for posting comments about what you chose to free yourselves of for Independence Day!  I really enjoyed reading them!  They were all great!  There were two that especially resonated with me:  the one from Joan about weighing words more carefully (that is DEFINITELY something I should work on) and Kalli wanting to break free from the all or nothing mentality (another one I could add to my own list!)  Thank you so much for sharing.

One thing MSP and I decided to free ourselves of is the HIGH COST of satellite TV.    I know, it’s not ‘really’ related to fit living per se but it can be when you factor in how many hours are wasted on the couch in front of the TV!  We decided we spend too much time AND money on it, so we thought we’d give it a try without it at all, and hopefully spend more time doing other things like eating at our actual dinner table instead of the coffee table.  Or walking the dogs after dinner.  So far I think it’s just translated into watching more PBS.

Something else I’ve been freed of and NOT BY CHOICE is my beloved BUBBLY (kombucha tea).  In June, Whole Foods first removed all brands of kombucha from their shelves.  Have you guys read about this?  At the time I noticed our local Vitamin Cottage and Safeway still had them on the shelves.  So I bought 5 then and didn’t think much of it.  Yesterday we drove all over town and it is gone from EVERY store that we tried.  I’m so bummed.    I hope it comes back soon.  I wish that I’d kept just one bottle so that I’d have some mother to start a batch of my own.

***

I’ve been having some fun in the kitchen again recently.  Below is my recent “pasta” dish and while you may not think of spaghetti as 4th of July fare, there are two things at play here.  One is that it was a chilly 4th for us this year (weather in the 60s and a lot of rain) as evidenced by this pic from our attempts to watch fireworks:

And two is that this is a combo of hot and cold, as you know I am prone to do with my food often.

Here is my RED, WHITE, and GREEN PASTA:

This one was a keeper in my book.  I’d been craving something that tasted a little like sausage (without the actual sausage of course).  So I picked up some Gimme Lean ground ‘sausage style’ veggie protein:

And some Bertolli tomato sauce:

I ground up some mushrooms and broccoli slaw in the food processor (in hopes of hiding some extra veggies from MSP):

I lightly sauteed the veggies in a pan before adding in the “soysage”:

Add the Gimme Lean to brown and heat.  Once heated through, add the spaghetti sauce and simmer (covered) until you are ready to serve:

In the meantime cook up your pasta of choice.  This time I wanted to try BROWN RICE pasta which is wheat-free/gluten-free.  After this I will definitely be using more brown rice ‘pasta’ products.  It was really good!

My other favorite “pasta” of choice (spiralized raw zucchini):

Top the cold zucchini with the hot pasta and sauce, sprinkle on a little Daiya vegan mozzarella and garnish with some basil.  Voila!

This is one I’ll be making again for sure – works great on cool OR warm evenings!  And you wouldn’t even know that the mushrooms and broccoli were there.  MSP actually ate this AND the leftovers!   It’s one to try if you are aiming to get your veggie-phobic family to eat them more often!

Have a TERRIFIC Tuesday friends!

– Shari B. =)

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Here is the last of the recipes from the Beat the Heat Mexi-Que menu, Grilled Blackstrap Caramelized Pineapple.

Blackstrap molasses is a gold mine of minerals.  High in iron, manganese, copper, calcium and more,  I try to use this as a sweetener whenever I can, provided the licorice flavor doesn’t overpower a dish.  It’s really great in oatmeal.

So when I needed something to caramelize my grilled pineapple, the first thing I turned to was my jar of blackstrap.

You will need:

• one whole pineapple
• a sharp knife
• blackstrap molasses
• raw agave nectar (honey will do too)
• no more than a TBSP Earth Balance vegan butter, melted (or regular butter, or even a little coconut oil, also melted)
• a small squeeze bottle or basting brush

This pineapple couldn’t be easier and doesn’t really even qualify as a recipe in my book.   (that’s the best kind of cooking, right?)

Preheat your grill to high.  Cut MOST of the top leaves off of the whole pineapple but leave a short stub for ‘decorative effect’.  Cut the pineapple into quarters from top to bottom (yes, the skin /rind is still on.)  Don’t you feel like you are in the tropics now?

Squeeze a tablespoon or two of the molasses into the squeeze bottle, then drizzle about half that in agave nectar and about the same amount of your butter/oil.  (Measuring is not important.  Basically you are just making a thick basting liquid that will give color and allow the pineapple to caramelize a bit on the grill.)  Cap the bottle and shake until mixed.

Coat your grill with nonstick spray or coconut oil.  Lay the quarters on the grill and squeeze along one side of the pineapple then place that side face down on the grill.  5 minutes on one side, then drizzle the next ‘bare’ side of the pineapple and now place that side facedown so it can caramelize.  Another 5-7 minutes on this side will do the trick.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before eating.  Serve with a knife and fork and cut pieces off the rind as you go.

If you want to be extra fancy, serve it a la mode with a small scoop of something cold:  Coconut Bliss dairy-free vanilla ice cream or maybe a lemon sorbet.  Perfect for a HOT summer evening!

Enjoy!

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Hi again friends!  Have some more time in front of the computer so getting the recipe out there for the cilantro lime rice from the Mexi-Que menu!

This is one that I have tried a number of different ways because it is one of MSP’s favorites. (He’s a big Chipotle fan and they have Cilantro Lime rice.)  I’ve tried white rice, brown rice, basmati rice, chicken broth, veggie broth, etc.  Here is the way that I think it turns out the best.

• 2 tsp oil of choice (just enough to barely coat the bottom of the pan you’ll be using)
• 1 tsp minced garlic (I used the pre-minced jarred kind; 1 tsp is about 2 cloves)
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 3/4 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth) preferably low sodium
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 oz fresh lime juice (or jarred not-from-concentrate)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• lime zest
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped (rinsed and thoroughly dried first)

Add the oil to your pot over medium to low heat.  Add the garlic and rice, then stir around to coat the rice well for about 2 minutes.  Keep the rice moving.

Add the broth, water, lime juice and salt.

Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.   Then cover, reduce heat to a low simmer for 20 minutes.  CAREFULLY remove the lid (open away from your face) after 20 minutes to the check the rice.  If you like the “doneness” level (I like fluffy rice) set the lid aside and turn off the heat.

Zest one lime right into the pot, using care not to zest too far into the white (pith).

NOTE: when zesting, aim to use organic fruit so that you aren’t grating pesticides right into your food.  If you can’t find organic, at the very least wash your fruit well.  WF didn’t have organic limes the day I was shopping, so this lime was washed with soap and warm water the same way I wash my hands.

Add your finally chopped cilantro to the pot.

Stir until the cilantro is evenly distributed.  You can serve this immediately OR you can make it ahead, refrigerate it and reheat when  you are ready for it.  I also like this rice served cold too.  You can eat it on the side, or you can stuff it into a burrito.

The finished product:

You can play around with the levels of lime in this.  I LOVE lime so I add a lot of zest and a lot of the juice.  However, if you would prefer to tone it down you may want to cut the lime juice in half or not even add the zest.  Totally up to you!  Make it your own!

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Hi FitFeat Friends!  Here is the first of the series of recipes that go with the Beat the Heat Mexi-Que menu.

• 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the marinade:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tequila (use your cheap stuff here and save the expensive stuff for the drinking!)
• 1 tsp minced garlic (I use the jarred kind)
• 2 tbsp lime juice (either fresh or not-from-concentrate juice)
• 3 large pinches of fresh cilantro, finely chopped (approx 3-4 tbsp)
• 2 to 3 shakes of red pepper flakes
• 2 easy shakes of sea salt

Mix all marinade ingredients into a sealable bowl so that you can shake it and turn it upside down.  I made shrimp for me and chicken for the hubs so two bowls were in order:

Add your shrimp, give it a good shake and place in the fridge to marinate for about an hour.  Flip the tupperware upside down halfway through marinating to redistribute. (Don’t marinate the shrimp too long or the lime juice will start to ‘cook’ the shrimp ceviche-style.  Chicken was placed in the marinade the day prior.)

While the shrimp are marinating, be sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes if you are eating them kabob style.

When marinating is complete and you ready to start skewering the shrimp, start preheating your grill on high.

Skewer your shrimp lollipop style at the top of the stick – this way you can leave a bit of the end hanging out of the grill and you won’t burn  your fingers when you turn them.

Spray your grill with some non-stick spray or wipe it with coconut oil to keep the shrimp from sticking.  Grill on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Plate ‘em up and DEVOUR with cilantro lime rice and grilled veggies!

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Hey there blog buds!

Have you seen this new “cheese” anywhere?  I just discovered it recently and had to share it with you.  It’s called “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” by Wayfare. So far I’ve only tried the cheddar-style spread and I’m in love!

It is completely dairy free and there is no casein snuck into it either.  The main ingredient is OATMEAL!!!

I’ve been using it in wraps and on crackers mostly.  Here is my new favorite low-cal snack that has a nice little kick to it for when you feel the need to shove your face into a bag of salty chips.  (Don’t do it!  Step away from the chips!)

Take one Wasa Cracker (I use Light Rye)

Smear with 1 tbsp (or less) “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese” and then sprinkle with some Mrs Dash Salt Free Fiesta Lime seasoning.

Nibble away!

One cracker snack is:

• 60 calories
• 8.5g carbs
• 2g protein
• 2g fiber
• 2.5g fat

You could have 3 of them and still come in at only 180 calories.  This is one of my new favorites for when I’m craving something a little savory or salty.  Or when I just walk in the door from work and want something RIGHT NOW that will hold me over until dinner is ready.  The healthy fat and the fiber will fill you up in a jiffy.  (I make a similar snack using Tofutti ‘Better Than Cream Cheese’ spread and Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil seasoning too…. also very tasty!)

The Wayfare website talks about how they started their line of products because they were bothered by the fact that so many non-dairy products also included a lot of fake stuff.  And they didn’t want fake stuff in their food!  (Me either!)  So next time you are at the health food store, keep an eye out and give this brand a try.  Let me know what you think if you try it!

The more we purchase and support products that don’t have garbage (additives, chemicals, artificial sweeteners, carcinogens) in them, then more companies will hop on the bandwagon and continue to develop great things for us to use, making healthy eating even easier!

Hope you are having an amazing day!  Make it great!

– Shari B. =)

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Is it really Monday?  Why yes, yes it is.  In that case how about a little coffee jump-start?

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I love love love Starbucks.  I love sitting in a Starbucks to catch up with friends, I love eating one of their Petite Vanilla Scones because it’s just the right size for a decadent treat, and I love decaf soy no-foam lattes.

You’ve seen a few of these types of photos on the ol’ blog:

What I don’t love that their soy milk is sweetened vanilla, because it adds a fair of amount of added sugar.  (I also don’t love that they charge an extra 50 cents for SOY milk in lieu of regular, but that’s a whole other soap box right there.)

A few months back I had a friend over for some yoga, followed by some chat time.  Normally this friend and I would have met up at Starbucks.  So I decided to make us some homemade lattes (sans cool espresso machine or frother, neither of which I own.)

Enter my 40 calorie homemade latte:

Step 1:

Select fun (and tall) mug.

Step 2:

Mix up a packet of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew (aka instant) coffee in your fun mug.  I use one packet to about 7 oz water.

Step 3:

Heat up 3/4 to 1 cup of unsweetened original Almond Breeze Almond Milk (40 calories per cup).  I usd the microwave, for about 90 seconds.  Check it at a minute to make sure it’s not overheated since microwaves vary.  If you are someone who avoids the microwave (for which I commend you), feel free to use the stovetop.  Stir well to “bubble-ify” it. 

Step 4:

Add heated almond milk to your VIA and stir.  For sweetness, I like to add 1/2 a packet of Stevia and a few drops of natural vanilla extract.

Step 5:

Enjoy!  And if you have extra wiggle room in your “calorie budget” for the day, add in a piece of pie*. 

*Pecan Pie Larabar not included in the 40 calories.  

Do you have any favorite foods/snacks that you make yourself in order to “lighten them up” from the original? Do tell!  Drop me a comment!

Have a MAGNIFICENT day everyone!  Make it great!

– Shari B. =)

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Good morning friends!

Welcome to Wednesday, where winter is in full swing in Colorado.

Crab cakes make me think of beachy, summery weather – which I am DEFINITELY CRAVING at the moment.  I adore crab cakes, especially crab cake benedicts for breakfast when we eat out.  When I saw this photo and recipe in this month’s House Beautiful it inspired me to get bring some summer into my kitchen.

The original recipe is by Dawn Welch (Dollars to Donuts). These are the salmon version of crab cakes and I just happened to have two cans of salmon in my pantry that have been there forever.

Here is my adapted version, which has been substantially changed from the original.

Ingredient gathering mission:

Summoning Summer Salmon Cakes

• (2) 7.5 oz cans Whole Foods Wild Alaska salmon (remove bones before mixing)
• 1 cup sprouted grain bread crumbs (dry your Ezekial heels and store till needed, then grind in blender or food processor) divided into 1/2 c and 1/2 c
• 1/4 cup fat free Nayonaise
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (or to taste) seafood seasoning – I used Phillips
• 1 egg white
• sprinkle of sea salt & pepper to taste
• extra virgin coconut oil for pan frying

Put salmon, 1/2 c bread crumbs, Nayonaise, onion powder, egg white, S & P together in a bowl and mix with large fork or fingers until all ingredients are well distributed and almost ‘creamy’.

Shape into small patties (my batch made 7).

Pour 1/2 c bread crumbs onto plate and press each side of patty onto crumbs to coat.

Heat a generous amount of coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat and fry your salmon cakes on each side until crispy.  You may need to add additional oil even when you flip them in order to get a good brown crisping effect.  Fry 4-5 minutes per side.

I plated mine with a side spinach salad with Goddess dressing.  If I’d had lemon wedges I’d have plated with those too.  But Realemon squeezes would have to do.

These ROCKED!!  I ate two and can’t wait to eat the leftovers today for lunch or dinner.  It felt like SUMMER inside even if it was blizzarding like mad outside.

***

Today’s weigh-in for the Spring Slimdown was unchanged from yesterday so still sitting a a loss of 1.2 lbs from the starting weight.  Feats and Eats from Day 2 have been posted.

Guess what else today is?

The 200th post on FitFeat.  Holy blog posts, Batman, I’ve practically written a book!

Thanks for making this such a great community!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading!

Today’s question:  what food summons SUMMER for you?

Have a SUPER day!  Make it great!

– Shari B. =)

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Hi friends!

An early morning post — surprise!!    Right after I get off of work today I am meeting up with my brother for our belated xmas gift exchange and then I have dinner plans directly following.  So I’m here bright and early this morning, knowing that I won’t be back in front of the PC again until LATE tonight.  Guess where I’m going for the dinner plans??  I’ll give you a hint:  my plate will most likely have GIGANDE beans on it!!

I made the BIGGEST GREEN smoothie yesterday morning after I finished my Physique 57 workout.  I almost couldn’t fit the lid on the BlendTec.  (Do you think that’s bad for a blender??)  And as I poured this 34 ouncer into a massive cup, it occurred to me that I haven’t been posting the “parts and pieces” that I throw into my smoothies these days.  I guess I figured they might be old hat to some of you who have been reading for a while.  But for the sake of new readers (and in an effort to convince the rest of you to make a green smoothie) I should consider doing that more often.  I’ll start right now!

The Über-Green Smoothie

• 9 oz water
• 1 apple (cut into chunks)
• 2 cuties/clemetines (peel removed)
• 1/2 very large cucumber (peeled)
• 1 stalk celery
• 1/2 avocado
• large fistful of spinach
• medium fistful of clover sprouts

Blend away!

Mmm avocado in a green smoothie makes it so thick and creamy!  This smoothie rocked.  It kept me full for almost 3 hours.

While we are on the subject of green smoothies, do you ever make your smoothies ahead of time to drink later? I never used to do that, but have made a few “to go smoothies” to take to work and drink later in the day while I’m there.  The idea of it used to gross me out until one of my training clients told me that she makes hers the night before, then gives it a good shake the next day when she’s ready to drink it and it still tastes great.  So I figured if she can do hers overnight, mine could sit in the fridge for a few hours.

The smoothie still TASTES fine, but I’ve learned that they don’t agree with me after they’ve been blended and held for later consumption.  Folks, I’m gonna get a little “TMI” on ya here:  I end up looking about 5 months pregnant – I’m NOT kidding!  My lower abdomen gets really distended and … uh.. ummm… well, a little gassy if you don’t mind my saying!

DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE?? I have to know if this is just me and my ridiculously sensitive ‘system’ or if others experience this.

It makes me wonder if it has to do with the enzymes, natural sugars or fiber breaking down (or something along those lines.)  There are no protein powders in my to-go shakes (I nixed those early on out of the ones I take to work, in case the protein powder was the culprit).  I can make two identical smoothies, drink one immediately with no tummy trouble, but drink the other one 2 hours later and have it cause a very unhappy belly.   Hmmm, mysterious.

So do tell if you have had this happen (if you don’t want to post that kind of info in the comments section for all to see, feel free to email me directly shari@fitfeat.com)

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Hi blog buds!  How’s your Tuesday treating ya?  I hope I’m not throwing off your reading schedule by posting in the afternoon the last couple of days.  I thought I’d play with my schedule a bit to see which I like better.  What I’m coming up with is post when it fits, instead on a SCHEDULE!   Hopefully it doesn’t matter if it’s morning or afternoon!

Well Monday turned out to be a fun exercise day.  First I did 25 minutes of intervals on the treadmill in the morning.  I really do get bored on the treadmill and have to vary my speed and/or incline constantly just to stay interested.  After a quick warm-up I did 1 minute intervals of 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5 mph running then walk one minute, then increase the incline a notch and do it again.  The time goes by so much faster that way.

Then when I pulled in the driveway after work, our street had been plowed again!  Which is good on one hand because at least they were moving all of the big ice chunks onto the sunny side of the street.  Unfortunately that also meant our ‘ice trench’ was covered up AGAIN!!!  So I put on my grubbies and some waterproof boots and went out there to dig yet another trench.  It was 50 degrees yesterday so things were just starting to melt a bit in the shaded part of our street.

This ice issue in front of our house has become the neighborhood comedy – neighbors sure like to chuckle at me every day as they drive by, thinking “Suckers!  You got stuck with the worst lot on the street!”    I appreciate that it at least provides a neverending workout, that’s for sure.

But THEN the exercise gets better … because it was so nice out, I couldn’t resist getting the dogs out for a some WOGGING!  It’s been so long I think they forgot what WOGGING is (and you readers may have as well!)  I can’t keep a steady pace with my crazy pups because they like to stop every two seconds to sniff something, then run, then sniff.   So we’re walking AND jogging:  WOGGING.  They had a blast and actually didn’t drive me insane this time.  I think it had something to do with the treats I stashed in my pocket.    It was perfect weather for a walk.  Now THIS is the Colorado winter weather I love and miss!

***

Every weekend, usually on Sunday, I sit down to come up with food ideas for the week for his dinners (mine are much easier because I always have veggies on hand and as such always have a salad, wrap, sandwich, soup, etc.)  This time MSP said he wanted me to make my mom’s chili during the week, but make it VEGETARIAN.  I’m sorry, say that again? Did you just tell me to make VEGETARIAN chili?  By George, he did!  He said he’d be fine if I used a meat substitute for the beef so that we could both eat it.  (When I made it last time, I just made two pots side by side, mine without beef, his with.) He’s the best, huh?  No wonder I love him to pieces. 

So I picked up some Gimme Lean “Ground Beef Style Veggie Protein” and used that in place of the beef.  My mom’s chili is awesome.  We love it.  And it’s very easy and we had it last night for dinner.

I always seem to change the recipe around in some way.  Here’s what I did this time:

Brown 1 package Gimme Lean “ground beef” veggie product in the bottom of  a large soup pot.  If you like onions, you can brown it with that.  I just added a little onion powder, since MSP doesn’t like onions.

After browning, add the following to the pot:

• 46 oz can of tomato juice
• 15 oz can organic azuki beans (rinsed & drained)
• 15 oz can organic kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 Tbsp chili powder

Simmer for a few hours.

I plated my helping over some spiralized zucchini (just for Cindy, since she wants a spiralizer) and then topped it with some nutritional yeast (in place of cheese).  Mmmm my mom’s home cooking, with a twist!

What are your favorite beans to use in chili?  Are you a WHITE BEAN chili lover or a RED BEAN chili lover? I like ALL chili colors!    I don’t think I could pick a favorite.  I just love BEANS, period!

– Shari B.  =)

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