Weight Challenge Update

Hey everyone! Good news on the weight loss front. I weighed in Saturday and Sunday at 215... which makes me think that is not a fluke. That is a loss of 25 pounds in less than 7 weeks! When I started I could not run a mile without stopping my run for a walk. Now, I ran 6 miles without stopping on both Saturday and Sunday. Ryan and I have a goal of both getting to 200 pounds with a milestone of 210 by Tigers opening day. We will post pictures from the Barry boys at opning day because Ryan is planning to come into town for his birthday, opening day and Easter weekend. I have heard tons of weight loss theories since starting the weight loss challenge. I am sure they are all true. :) What I have found out is that I consumed far too much bacon for the first 28 years of my life, specifically the last 6 years... I have also found out that food at restaraunts is loaded with sodium... Dr. Pepper 10 is not bad tasting... I can eat pretty much whatever I want, just not all in the same day and need to end the day with a hard workout if I do. That's it for now.

On a side note, Mikala and Matthew are doing great. Matthew starts swim lessons next weekend. He is getting so big! It really does go too fast.

Talk to you all soon!

Alex & Miriam's Play Date at the Pool

My Year in Photos - Update 1

 Feb. 16 - Sunrise

Feb. 17 - Bud Shootout Draw Party

Feb. 18 - Bud Shootout Pit Stop

Feb. 19 - View from the Condo

Feb. 20 - Epcot - Beers from Around the World

Feb. 21 - Rainy Day at the Beach

Feb. 22 - Work in the Garage

Feb. 23 - Gatorade Duel at Daytona before Driver Intros

Feb. 24 - Sunset Run on the Beach (4 miles)

Three Big Thumbs Up!

The girls and I just tried the skinny turkey tacos. Amazing, as advertised. Highly recommended for those who haven't tried them.  Also loving the three bean wonder dish, Doug.  Both so easy even I could make them.

Grilled Basil Marinated Chicken

Love, love, love this recipe. I make it often. It's so easy, healthy and flavorful.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns (slightly crushed)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

Directions

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, basil, onion, salt, peppercorns, and garlic in a bowl. Transfer the marinade to a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag with the chicken and shake to combine. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or preheat gas grill.

Remove chicken from the marinade. Grill the chicken, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with the basil sprigs.

Warm Feelings On A Cool Day

I'm sitting in my living room and decided to wander into The Kitchen and saw Ryan's sunrise picture and started reading the posts and I could swear I'm in Leland at the dining table surrounded by this remarkable clan.  What a joy to be able to connect with all of you.  Keep those healthy recipes coming.  I'm trying Doug's bean concoction and the turkey tacos this week.  Doug, Ryan, Nick, keep up the good work.  Big hugs all around.

First Morning of the Season ... Sunrise

I was walking to my car yesterday morning to head to the track for the first "official day" of the season - media day - when I looked over and saw something pretty amazing ...

I thought I'd share the first sunrise of the season.

One of my goals this year is to "enjoy the ride" - and take a second each day to try and take a picture of something that makes my day different, unique or special. Not a bad start to the project.

Happy Valentine's Day

This is something I received in my email today and thought it was good enough to share...

"The meaning of love is not to be confused with some sentimental outpouring. Love is something much deeper than emotional bosh."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
American civil rights leader

Hi, Everyone. Real love is difficult. I realize it shouldn't be but I think most of us agree that it's challenging to Love Your People on a consistent basis. And when I say "Your People" I mean those people who are important to you. Not just your family and friends but also the people you work with and for (colleagues, customers, clients, partners).

Love belongs in the workplace. Real love.

Love is getting out of the way of ourselves (Be No Ego) and making good things happen for other people. It's giving others the support and the breaks we wish they'd give us... golden rule stuff.

It's simple and it's the solution to everything. But it's fragile.

One little slip (a look, a statement) or one little missed opportunity (to encourage, to thank, to apologize, to forgive) and we get in the way of everything. I call those 1-second opportunities... 1-second opportunities that can change everything... one way or the other.

For me, it's keeping that "give others the support and the breaks I wish they'd give me" thought top-of-mind that helps most. It's simple and holds me accountable... regardless of the situation.

Remember... This whole thing is a joint effort – a joint effort between people.

Sam Parker (co-founder of GiveMore.com)
Sparker@GiveMore.com

Mexican Pulled Pork

Another great recipe from Skinnytaste.com used low carb tortillas and lime juice. Next time going to try it with her cilantro lime rice.

I haven't had a bad recipe from this site yet. Enjoy.


Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 4 oz (1/2 cup) • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 176 • Fat: 7.7g • Protein: 25.8 g • Carb: 1.3 g • Fiber: 0.1 g


Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed (I couldn't find a roast, so I used Ribs- worked great)
  
• 6 cloves garlic, cut into sliver ( I used minced garlic from a jar)
  
• cumin
• dry adobo seasoning
  
• garlic powder
• 3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste)
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crockpot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumalated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

The 200 Lbs. Challenge - Update No. 1

Nick Before ...

Nick Now!

So, we've really been working on The 200 lbs. Challenge for about five weeks now and I am happy to report progress! Nick, who started at 237 lbs., sent me a text yesterday morning after his workout to happily report that he weighed in at 218! That's a 19 pound difference in 5 weeks! As you can see from the before picture (taken at Thanksgiving) to the now picture (taken last night as he was celebrating his progress at a microbrew festival in Traverse City), Nick is looking and feeling great! He took his one night off to celebrate and enjoy before getting back on the wagon for the final 18-pound push to 200 lbs.

We are pushing each other every day - I've worked out seven days straight for at least 45 minutes at a time and most of the time about an hour. I've been religiously tracking what I've been eating and staying within my calorie allotment for the week. I weighed in yesterday at just a shade over 220. I'm down about six pounds, but I feel amazingly better.

Now here is where it gets tough ... Starting on Wednesday, the NASCAR season officially starts. I will be on the road for about a month straight in Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas. This will be my true test, can I keep pace while eating out for almost every meal and working out every day. It won't be easy ... but I got this. 

Creamy Rosemary Wild Rice Soup

Isy made this Monday for dinner and I liked it so much I had the leftovers tonight for dinner. Extremely healthy soup. Creamy in texture without being cream-based, this soup satisfies with veggies, wild rice and rosemary.

Start to finish: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Servings: 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed (you can sub shrimp if you prefer)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup wild rice
2 tablespoons instant flour
2 cups fat-free half-and-half
salt and ground pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the cubed chicken breast and sear until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. The meat does not need to be cooked through. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and parsnip, then cook until browned, about another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, chicken broth and wild rice. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Add the instant flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Add the half-and-half and heat, but do not boil (the half-and-half will seperate). Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition information per serving:
210 calories
40 calories from fat
4 g fat
25 mg cholestorol
27 g carbohydrates
15 g protein
3 g fiber
220 mg sodium

Skinny Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

In keeping with the theme of healthier meals, I tried these last night. Made more of a Taco salad instead of the wraps- delish! This website has a lot of great recipes: www.skinnytaste.com Enjoy!

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 taco wraps • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 134.1 • Fat: 1.7 g • Carb: 9.7 g • Fiber: 2.4 g • Protein: 21.3 g • Sugar: 4.3

Ingredients:
1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
3/4 cup water
4 oz can tomato sauce
8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce

Directions:

Brown turkey in a large skillet. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Wash and dry the lettuce. Place meat in the center of leaf and top with tomatoes, cheese and salsa or whatever you prefer. (Toppings extra points)

Happy to have you in my kitchen...

Hi everyone. Who would have guessed? I am learning to blog. I am thrilled to have us all gathered in the kitchen sharing recipes and stories. Remember to clean up when you leave. Smile. Enjoying a lazy day with Alex. Hope to hear from you soon. Love to all.

Uncle Doug Checks In!

Hey everyone,

Great to see everyone gathering here!

Love the pics of Alex, Tracy and Great Grandma. Alex is absolutely adorable! Looks like a little pistol. Grandma Marie and Tracy look great too.

Great to hear that Nick and Ryan are trimming down. I am trying as well. Started Jan 1 when I tipped the scales at 265 (embarrassingly, probably a family record). I am currently at 245 (probably still in record territory). My goal is 200LBS by year end.

I follow the Sugar Buster Diet.
Low Carb/No Sugar. All Protein and Selected Fruits and Veggies. (No Grapes Watermelon Corn) Limited Stone Ground Whole Wheat breads and Pastas.

Also I am doing a boot-camp 3 mornings a week - Up at 4 - Reporting in at 5:15 - Being pushed for an hour. Feels so good when I am finished.

Anyway

Here is my Healthy recipe suggestion

3 Bean Salad

1 Can Garbonzo beans
1 Can Kidney beans
1 Can Balck Beans
Drain and Rinse all 3 cans together. Rinse real well as the canned beans have lots of salt.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup each of:
chopped green or red onion,
Chopped Celery.
Chopped Anahiem Pepper. or Pepper of Choice

Add lots of Fresh Mushrooms
1/4 cup of good Olive Oil
1/4 cup red Wine Vinegar

Mix all real well. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Refrigerate.

Great filler snack or side dish. Very filling and will fit in any diet plan.

Hope you try it and like it.

Super Bowl Sunday - Baked S'mores and Cheddar Biscuits

Ryan and I decided to take Super Bowl Sunday as our "cheat day" from February's healthy-recipe diet, which we both may be regretting today as we try to work off the additional calories! 

However, we made these Baked S'mores yesterday and they are definitely one we will make again.

Baked S'mores

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla 

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 7 full graham crackers)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 or 3 super-sized (5 oz.) chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of  8 by 8 or 11 by 7. 

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.

Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. 

4. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Two 5 oz. Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly [for 8 by 8] side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer. [use 3 Hershey's for 11 by 7 pan]

5. Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.

6. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the creme. 

7. Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely or almost completely before cutting into bars. 

Duane - below is the cheddar biscuit recipe (as Ryan posted, I believe these have about 150 calories each - probably doesn't fit with the healthy-meal theme either!). They were easy to make and went great with the pasta. We both loved your pasta recipe - thanks for posting it!

Cheddar Biscuits

(makes about 12)

1 pack buttermilk biscuit mix (I used Bisquick, about 1 1/2cups)

1 1/2cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp oregano

3/4 tsp garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray cooking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. Put biscuit mix, cheese and milk in a bowl and mix well to form a sticky dough.

3. Using spoon, drop lumps of dough onto cookie sheets 1.5 inches apart. Bake for 10 min.

4. In a bowl, melt butter and mix with oregano and garlic salt.

5. When the timer goes off, take them out, brush with butter mixture and bake an additional 5 min. at 400 F.

Enjoy! 

Pizza Fondue

Alex enjoyed a lot of "firsts" on his 8 month birthday; his first swim in a pool, his first Superbowl, and his first taste of pizza fondue.

Alex spent the afternoon swimming at the pool with mommy, daddy, Great Grandma Marie, Aunt Tracey and Uncle Javier. He LOVED the water!

Alex watched his first Superbowl with Great Grandma Marie while mommy and daddy went out. He knew being in charge of Great Grandma Marie was going to be a tall task, but he assured us he was up for it.

Alex got a taste of Great Grandma Marie's pizza fondue. He can't wait to help out in the kitchen when he gets a little older.

Pizza Fondue

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1/2 lb ground chuck

2 tbsp margarine

2 - 10.5 oz cans pizza sauce

1 tbsp corn starch

1 1/2 tsp fennel seed

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded or grated

1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded or grated

Brown onion and beef in shortening in fondue pot (or large sauce pan) on high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Mix the cornstarch and seasonings into pizza sauce and add to onion/beef mix. Stir well. When mixture thickens and bubbles, add cheeses by thirds, stirring well after each addition.

Serving: Adjust temperature to maintain simmering.

Dunkers: Garlic bread, French bread, or toasted English muffins cut into cubes.

Frank Checks In!

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to thank Ryan and everyone for making this blog wonderful and for everyone's contributions. I read it often, and living on my own now, I've had to learn how to cook (not a small feat), and these recipe's have given me a little taste of home while I've been up here in Boston.

I loved seeing everyone at the cottage in November, it just reminded how great the Petroskey clan is and how much I love each and every one of you.

Anyways, I also wanted to share an experience I had this morning.

I've been trying to find a church that I like, so I have been "church-hopping" so to speak. I got up this morning to go to a 10am service at a church I'd hadn't been to before. When I got there, I couldn't find a parking space, so instead of going home, I decided to try a different church, a little closer to my house, that had a 10:30am service, again at another church I hadn't been to before.

Just by chance, this particular week, Grace Episcopal had a guest Pastor, Nicholas Gilbert, who has worked as a Chaplin at a Rhode Island Hospital for the past 5 years deliver the sermon. Part of his sermon today was describing a woman who was extremely nervous about an upcoming surgery and asked to spend some extra time with Pastor Gilbert leading up to it. After the surgery was over, she had some severe complications, where she even went into cardiac arrest and had to undergo an additional 6-hour emergency surgery.

A few days into her recovery from the second surgery, she asked to speak privately to Pastor Gilbert, and she proceeded to describe what she felt when she was experiencing the extreme complications. She told him she had died and been brought back to life. Remembering what this state felt like, she described seeing all the wonderful people that had touched her life and passed on before her. This group even included the adult version of her own infant child that had died from SIDS many years before.

While listening to the Pastor tell this story, I couldn't help but remember Grandpa and the stories he recounted from times when he faced similar complications during various surgeries, and his eerily similar recounts of seeing "so many old friends." I was thinking deep and hard about how much I missed Grandpa and how he was such a special person. And at that moment, I felt a deep warmth come over my body like some was engulfing me in a big bear-hug. Much like the "big squeeze" Grandpa always demanded anytime we came into a room that he was in. I can't help but believe that it was Grandpa's way of letting us know he was doing just fine up in Heaven.

I believe God works in mysterious ways, and I can't help but think that it was not a coincidence that led me to this Church on this particular Sunday.

I love and miss you all very deeply and I hope this note finds everyone doing well.

Thanks again for the great recipes.

Love,

Frank

P.S. I couldn''t seem to figure out how to post this story to the blog (aka the Dale "lack of technology knowledge" gene coming out in me), so feel free to copy and paste it there if you want too.

Roggeros Chicken Marsala

Although this recipe doesn't necessarily fit the healthy choices theme for February, this is one of my favorite dishes and one that I have gotten pretty good at over the past few years.

- Start w/ Thin Chicken Breast (pound or cut in half)
- Coat w/ flour lightly & fry on stove in pan w/ olive oil (brown it)
- Drain oil, add Marsala wine & mushrooms w/ salt/pepper/garlic
- Cook on high 10-15 minutes & reduce
- Serve with pasta ( I prefer Angel Hair)

* You can make Chicken Piccata the same way, just replace the Marsala wine and mushrooms w/ White wine, artichokes, and chicken broth.

Pasta with Crabmeat Fra Diavolo

 The Sauce

The Completed Meal with Cheddar Biscuits (Caitlin is posting the cheddar biscuit recipe soon - Delicious!)

Uncle Duane was the first to recommend a healthy choice dish for February, but since he is living in a hotel and unable to locate the recipe, I looked it up for him and it is posted below.

Pasta with Crabmeat Fra Diavolo

Ingredients
- 3 cups canned Italian tomatoes (with liquid), chopped
- 4 teaspoons olive or canola oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste)
- 4 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash pepper
- 4-6 ounces fresh crabmeat
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 box cooked angel hair pasta, thin spaghetti or linguine

Preparation

Heat oil in a 2-3 qt sauce pan over med heat; saute onion, garlic and red pepper 2-3 mins. Add sherry and simmer 1 min. Stir in tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes. Add crabmeat and half-and-half, stir. Heat 3-4 more minutes. Serve over pasta.

I'm pretty excited to try this one!

The 200 Lbs. Challenge

While at home over the holidays, Nick and I got to talking about trying to lose some weight. We were both tipping the scales at a number higher than we wanted and so we decided that we'd challenge each other to get down to 200 pounds.

I sent Nick a text on Jan. 3 telling him I was at 226 lbs. and the challenge is on.

Nick called me last week and told me that he initially weighed in at 237 lbs. and that he was down to 230 lbs.

I sent Nick a text last night with a picture of me drenched in sweat (below) following a 4-mile run/walk - I'm now down to 222. Down only four pounds so far.

Nick sent me a text back this morning to tell me that he is down to 224. He has dropped 13 pounds in a month!

With weight-loss and healthier living in mind, we would like to make February a healthy recipe month! If you have a weight watchers recipe or a healthy recipe of some sort - fill us in!

Also, anyone that would like to join us in losing a few pounds - please do! And let us know how you are doing throughout the month. At the end of February we can post an update and see where we are.