Pancake Pitas

Remember the Almond Blueberry Banana Pancakes?? Well I this is what I came up with to use the left over pancakes for! Take the pancakes out of the fridge and apply a thin layer, a will stress the word THIN layer of peanut butter on the pancakes. Remember you just want a little of the flavor, the more you use the more calories you make this breakfast delight.

Next add whatever topping you want! I added raisins, blueberries, bananas, and strawberries. Then I topped it off with a little drizzle of honey and some cinnamon!

Close up!
YUMMY!Next step is to roll them in plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to help you hold it together because trust me it will try and break!

Its a great breakfast to eat on the go. This works great for the kids too. Just roll these bad boys up and hand the pancake pitas to your kids as they are running out the door. They are a hell of a lot healthier than pop tarts and because of the complex carbohydrates and fiber they will keep them full and ready for the challenge of school!

Fiesta Time!

Tonight I was in the mood for something different! So I decided I wanted a burrito. Now burritos get a bad rep but they can actually be extremely nutritious if done right, however, places like Moe's Southwestern Grill, Baja Fresh, and Chipotle, take it to the extreme by creating burritos that are literally the size of my head. It is really all about the toppings when it comes to a burrito. Start with a lean meat, add beans (black beans are best), lots of vegetables, pico de gallo, and avocado (or even guacamole), and easy on the cheese.

Or you can make your own at home! I made burritos with my very own corn pico de gallo. First start off by boiling some water (for the corn and brown rice) and heating up a pan (for the chicken!)

Then take some tomatoes. I used vine tomatoes and dice them up. I am a horrible dicer so all of mine come out large but if you can make them into small chunks.

Dice up a jalapeño. Remember that the heat comes from the seeds so if you want it mild just omit the seeds. Want it spicy? Through the whole thing in there!

Now just add some salt and pepper. If you have cilantro feel free to add some, however I am not a big fan so I omit it!

Now when the water is at a boil, throw in the corn and brown rice. You can cook them together and neither will harm the other. Plus saves you from having to do extra dishes.

Now I love these flat breads. They are called Flat Out and their are high in fiber and protein and very low in calories for a wrap. I use them to make pizzas too!

Add a little avocado. Avocado is a good fat, however, in moderation that is. Don't splurge too much because it does contain a lot of saturated fat.

Once the corn is done add it to the pico de gallo

Then put all your toppings to the side. I did about 1/8 cup reduced fat Mexican shredded cheese, avocado, romaine lettuce, black beans, orange peppers, and brown rice. When the chicken is finished cooking thinly slice it!

Add all of the fillings onto the burrito and then top it off with the corn pico de gallo. I filled mine so much I am surprised I was able to actually roll it!

Then roll the wrap and cut it in half! Looks delicious!

Then I add a nice hunk of watermelon as my side. It compliments the dish along with helps cool down the heat from the jalapeño.

The awesome part about this dish is having leftovers. Just toss all your leftovers into a bowl, add some more lettuce, and BOOM southwestern salad for lunch.

Remember that cooking is easy, fun, and cost effective! Plus you can control the portions not some kid behind a glass divider!

Blueberry Banana Almond Pancakes

Just reading the title should make your mouth water! When I don't have to work in the morning I love to cook myself a hardy breakfast. During the week I eat mostly cereal, sometimes eggs, but on my days off I have the time to experiment with food! Nothing says breakfast like a steaming hot stack of delicious PANCAKES! Pancakes can be extremely nutritional when they aren't doused in mounds upon mounds of butter and slathered in heavy syrup (YEA I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU, IHOP!) The fact is pancakes have gotten a bad rap due to restaurants who want to give you the "best bang for your buck" so you know what restaurants??? I'M TAKING PANCAKES BACK! That's right! I am going to reclaim the once nutritional glory that pancakes had! How you may ask??? My creating a delicious and nutritional pancake that will have restaurants around the world shaking in their boots!

Below are all of the ingredients you will need to make my delicious pancakes. Yes I know vegetable oil is in the list of ingredients (it is all I had) so please substitute vegetable oil for its healthier parts (canola.)

First step is to follow the pancake mix directions on how to make it. I use Aunt Jamima Whole Wheat Pancake Mix. You can do it from scratch if you'd like, in fact more power to you, but I am hungry now, have the pancake mix and need to use it up! The pancake batter should have a smooth consistency, if it looks a little thin just add a little more batter.

Next, I wanted my pancakes to have a nutritional punch! What could I add to pancakes to make them even better??? ALMONDS! Adding any type of nut to pancakes will give them a nice crunchy consistency, plus almonds will fill you up faster (because of the fiber) which makes you eat less. To make the almonds easier to chew I decide to break them up. Usually you can use a food processor (if you have one) to chop these bad boys up. However, if you don't (like me) I just used my blender. Make sure to hold the lid on because the nuts will freaking fly! Don't have a blender?? Easy, put the almonds in a ziplock bag, take a frying pan, and beat the hell out of them! Think of it this way you are getting crushed almonds, you are burning calories while doing it, and reliving a little bit of built up anger (IHOP!!)

Before

After

Next step is to add the almonds and a little bit of cinnamon into the batter and stir! Make sure you have a pan preheating on the stove or griddle! Once the pan is hot spray it with some nonstick cooking spray, such as Pam, and put about 1/4 cup batter into the pan. Wait until the pancake begins to form bubbles on one side and then its time to flip!

Before

After (FLIPPING TIME)

Pancake is done!

While the pancakes cook I cut up 1/2 a banana and wash off my blueberries and set them to the side.

Now this recipe made about five pancakes. I put three on my plate (they came out really thin this time. Probably screwed up the batter a little. Oh well, mistakes happen) and add the blueberries and bananas on top. I take a little of Aunt Jamima's Low Calorie Syrup (2 tbsp) and drizzle it on the pancake.

Dress the pancakes.....

Drizzle the syrup....but remember it's not about the syrup. The syrup is supposed to be the back note that just adds a little bit of sweetness and moisture into the pancakes. Do not go hog wild on the syrup even low calorie syrup packs some calories and a hefty amount of sugar.

Now just cut up everything and swirl it all together so that all the flavors combine and ENJOY!

You may be asking? What am I going to do with the left over pancakes??? Sooo simple. Refrigerate them! Why? Easy, because it will give you a quick to-go breakfast in the morning when you have to work. What you do is take a pancake, throw about 1/2 tbsp peanut butter on it with some fruit and cinnamon, then roll it like a tortilla!!! VIOLA breakfast for people on the run. This is especially a good trick to use if you have kids!!! They will love the idea and the taste! Its much better than stopping at McDonalds!!!

How to Get Into Running

I used to HATE running. Not hate LOATHE its very existence. When I was in high school I used to play Varsity Soccer. I love soccer, but we started every practice off with a mile run around the tracks up at what we called "the big field." Every morning I'd wake up dreading that mile. The track was one of those large round ones that 4 laps=1 mile and I would count down every lap in my head just begging for the end to come near.

In order to really get into running you can't look at it like a chore. You need to step back and look at running in a new light. Running is a way to clear your mind and it is the BEST way to get your body into shape. Running works EVERY muscle in your body! If you don't want to join a gym or can't afford to then try running! Running doesn't cost much. Really the only things you need for running are comfortable clothes, a water bottle, and good shoes. Running shoes can sometimes be a little expensive (mine were $100) but its ok to spend a little of money on really good running shoes. This will be your only splurge so why not? Go to a store specialized in running, not a Dicks Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, etc. but an actual store that is all about running. I got my showers at a store called Pacers (find a location near you http://www.runpacers.com/) and I couldn't be happier.

The reason you want to go to a store that specializes in running is because they won't just sell you any old shoe. When I went to pacers they made me try on 8 different pairs of shoes, 8! Then with every shoe they put me in they made me jog down the block half way and jog back. They actually study your pace, the position of your feet, etc and find the perfect shoe for you. They ask about any injuries (I have horrible ankles) and find you a shoe that will support your body!

Anyway, back to getting into running. I always say never force yourself to run. I don't run often, but when I do I enjoy it because I am in the mood to run. If you are not in the mood to run and force yourself to do it anyway it will make the run agonizing. You will be counting down the seconds until you are finished and running is supposed to relax you, not torture you!

When I first decided to try running it was on a treadmill. It was in the middle of summer and I didn't want to deal with the heat and also I was embarrassed to run outside, why, because I didn't want people looking at me while I ran. Stupid, I know, but hey everyone has weird phobias and there is nothing wrong with that!

I started at a very slow jog (around 4.0-5.0) on the treadmill. I NEVER paid attention to the distance I was running. I would always just say, ok 15 minutes of jogging, and then I would do 15 minutes. My problem with running in high school was that I was so focused on the distance which made the run seem that much longer. So I would pop in my ipod and listen to my favorite songs while on a 15 minute jog, or I would say ok I'm going to run for 5 songs straight, and then stop after the song. The trick is to listen to your body and to make running FUN! Make it your stress reliever!

If you hate treadmills then run outside. Once I started running outside I couldn't go back to a treadmill. The nice thing about running outside is the scenery and the fresh air. With the treadmill I would always look down on the screen and watch as the seconds slowly went by, when I run outside I throw my phone in my pocket and just run. It makes the time go by a lot faster and you enjoy it a lot more! To start running outside I would take my dog, Lola, with me. She is a pomapoo (part Pomeranian, part Poodle) who has the most energy I have EVER seen in a dog. Walks were not draining her energy so I started taking her for slow runs. It was great because it caused me to keep a steady pace when I ran instead of running fast for 5 minutes then needing to slow down because I thought I was going to DIE! It also helped Lola burn some energy off and she loves running with me!

Below is a 8-week training program for Beginning Runners that I found on www.runnersworld.com

8-Week Running Training Plan

THE RUNNER'S WORLD 8-WEEK BEGINNING RUNNER'S TRAINING PROGRAM

Follow this plan to become a runner.

By Amby Burfoot

From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World

Here are 4 key points to consider before you begin the 8-Week Program.

1. If you are over 40, not accustomed to any exercise, or more than 20 pounds overweight, consult with your physician. Unless you have a known health risk, your doctor will probably encourage you to begin a run-walk program, but it's always wise to check.

2. Schedule your workouts. You won't find time for them unless you make time for them. Put them in your PDA, computer, daily appointment planner, on the front of your refrigerator, or wherever else you keep your schedule.

3. Expect bad days. Everyone has them, but they pass quickly, and the next workout is often better than the previous one. So stick with the program.

4. Don't rush. In the fitness world, rushing leads to injuries and discouragement. Be patient, and go slow. The goal is to reach 30 minutes of continuous running, not to set any records getting there.

Week 1

"Sit as little as possible. Give no credence to any thought that was not born outdoors while moving about freely."

--Friedrich Nietzsche

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Run & Walk Run 1 min Walk 2 min Repeat 10X	Rest

Training tip:
To fuel up for your workout, have a piece of fruit or an energy bar about 2 hours before you lace up your shoes. An hour later, drink 8 ounces of a sports drink. The drink will ensure that you are fully hydrated, and also that you have sufficient sodium and potassium for a healthy workout.

Week 2

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."

--William Faulkner

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
2	Run & Walk Run 2 min Walk 1 min Repeat 10X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 3 min Walk 1 min Repeat 7X Run 2 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 4 min Walk 1 min Repeat 6X	Run & Walk Run 4 min Walk 1 min Repeat 6X	Rest

Training tip:
Always walk 2 to 3 minutes for a warmup before you begin your workout, and walk another 2 to 3 minutes as a cooldown afterward. Don't stretch before running. Save it for after your workout or in the evening while you're watching TV.

Week 3

"Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals."

--Henry Ford

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
3	Run & Walk Run 5 min Walk 1 min Repeat 5X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 5 min Walk 1 min Repeat 5X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run6 min Walk 1 min Repeat 4X Run 2 min	Run & Walk Run 6 min Walk 1 min Repeat 4X Run 2 min	Rest

Training tip:
Hold your arms comfortably at your sides while running, aiming for maximum relaxation. Bend them 90 degrees at the elbows, and move them forward and back at your waist. Bend your fingers into a relaxed grasp, and don't let your hands sway back and forth across the middle of your torso.

Week 4

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

--Theodore Roosevelt

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
4	Run & Walk Run 8 min Walk 1 min Repeat 3X Run 3 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 9 min Walk 1 min Repeat 3X	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 10 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 8 min	Run & Walk Run 11 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 6 min	Rest

Training tip:
In hot, sunny weather, wear sunscreen, sunglasses (to relax your facial muscles), and a visor or cap to keep the sun off your face. Expect to run slower in particularly hot, humid weather, and take more walking breaks as necessary. Run in the early morning or late evening if you can.

Week 5

"Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach."

--Dr. George Sheehan

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
5	Run & Walk Run 12 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 4 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 13 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X Run 2 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 14 min Walk 1 min Repeat 2X	Run & Walk Run 15 min Walk 1 min Run 14 min	Rest

Training tip:
On occasion, skip your running and walking workout and do a cross-training workout instead. Bike for 30 to 40 minutes, try the elliptical trainer in a gym, or join a circuit weight-training class. The break from running will refresh you, and you'll learn new skills while developing new muscles.

Week 6

"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, if you hold that desire with singleness of purpose."

--Abraham Lincoln

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
6	Run & Walk Run 16 min Walk 1 min Run 13 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 17 min Walk 1 min Run 12 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 18 min Walk 1 min Run 11 min	Run & Walk Run 19 min Walk 1 min Run 10 min	Rest

Training tip:
Running is a great way to build strong bones, but you also need plenty of calcium--1,000 milligrams a day, or 1,500 milligrams if you're over age 50. Drink a glass or two of low-fat milk per day, or enjoy a cup or two of low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese. Dark green, leafy vegetables are another great calcium source.

Week 7

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."

--T.S. Eliot

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
7	Run & Walk Run 20 min Walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run & Walk Run 20 min Walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run & Walk Run 22 min Walk 1 min Run 7 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 24 min Walk 1 min Run 5 min	Run & Walk Run 26 min Walk 1 min Run 3 min	Rest

Training tip:
Beginning runners often develop shin splints or sore knees. These pains should pass quickly if you treat them immediately with ice packs after your workouts. Put a bag of frozen peas on your shins or knees for 15 minutes. If the pain persists, take several days off before beginning your training program again.

Week 8

"One cannot consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."

--Helen Keller

Wk	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
8	Run & Walk Run 27 min Walk 1 min Run 2 min	Walk Run 20 min Walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run & Walk Run 28 min Walk 1 min Run 1 min	Walk Walk easy 30 min	Run & Walk Run 29 min Walk 1 min	Run & Walk Run 30 min	Rest

Training tip:
For clean air and healthy lungs, try not to do your workouts at the side of a busy street or during rush-hour traffic. Find low-traffic streets where any exhaust will be dispersed quickly. Even better, as often as possible, try to run in greenbelts--in parks, on bike trails, around reservoirs, and the like.Success may come quickly to you as a beginning runner, but the race is never won. Run for life.

Remember, don't force your body to run when it does not want to, make running fun, and clear your mind!

Roasted Tomato Pasta

Today I got out of work early!!!! So excited to have the next two days off! A lot of stuff has been going on lately, with me deciding to take the GRE and get my Masters degree and trying to figure it all out, so I decided I needed a wholesome Italian dish for dinner! Now there is nothing I love more than Italian food, chicken parm, lasagna, meatballs, you can do no wrong! However, lets face it, Italian food isn't very light with its mounds of sauce and deep fried glory! Today it was 97 degrees out and the last thing I wanted was something super heavy sitting in my stomach! Therefore, I came up with a lightened Italian pasta dish.

I had a lot of grape tomatoes left in my fridge and to be quiet honest I don't eat tomatoes v ery often. I didn't want them to go bad so I decided to roast them. It's really easy, but sometimes people get intimidated with trying new things. Here are a few simple steps to learn to roast tomatoes:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Take a deep baking dish. Thinly coat the bottom with Olive Oil. Place the grape tomatoes in the pan and add some salt and pepper. Give the pan a good shake so the tomatoes get coated in the Olive Oil.

3) Place pan in oven and let roast for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes look soft and wrinkled!

Before

After

The next step was to cook the pasta and make a sauce with the tomatoes. What I did was take some chicken breast, asparagus, roasted tomatoes, and garlic and sautéed them in the pan. I wanted the juice from the roasted tomato to coat the chicken and vegetables.

Before

After

I let the tomato sauce simmer for about 10 minutes while I cooked the pasta. As soon as the pasta was finished I tossed it directly into the pan. No need to strain it! If you get some of the cooking liquid in with the tomatoes that is perfectly fine! It will help deglaze the pan!

Next I grabbed some fresh mozzarella and some fresh basil. Fresh mozzarella is higher in fat then part-skim, however, this dish is so low in fat to begin with I allowed myself an extra indulgence.

Then I garnished the dish and TAHHHH DAHHHH!

Accompanied by a salad with romaine lettuce, organic spring mix, a little parmesan cheese and olive and vinegar dressing. You can not go wrong!

And look! I even have left overs for lunch!

Chicken Stir Fry

I was sitting outside on my work area (cute right) around 5:30 and decide I should go inside and start cooking something for dinner. Plus, it has been hotter than hell out so being able to stay outside for an extended amount of time require some serious skill.
I didn't know exactly what I wanted so I searched around my apartment. I took a chicken breast out of the freezer this morning so I knew that my dinner was going to consist of something with chicken, that is about all I knew! So I contemplated lots of different things in my head, pasta and chicken (nah), chicken pizza (had it for lunch yesterday.) So I glanced in my fridge and pushed some food around to see what I could come up with. I noticed all of the vegetables in my crisper were looking on their last leg so I knew I had to use them up. So I thought to myself...STIR FRY TIME!

I rummaged through my cabinets and found some brown rice, soy sauce, crushed red peppers, and ginger.

First step to making this stir fry is to heat a pan with Olive Oil (about 1 tbsp) and to fill a saucer pan with water for the rice.
Then while the pan was heating up, I chopped up my vegetables which consisted of mushrooms, asparagus, onions, red bell pepper, and some black beans!Once the pan was heated I took my chicken breast (lightly salted/peppered) and browned it on each side (about 4 min.) I then removed the chicken breast from the pan and let it rest on a plate (it will continue to cook through.) Next, I threw all of my veggies (minus the black beans) into the sauté pan.

I let them cook for about 2 minutes and then threw in some garlic! You want the vegetables to soften, but I like mine to still have a little bit of a bite so I cook them for about 5 minutes (or when the onions become translucent.) Then I added the chicken (which I diced up while the vegetables were cooking! If you under cook the chicken a little don't worry it will cut through once you add it back to the vegetable mixture) and black beans to the pan. The longer you cook beans the musher they will get so make sure to add them last!
Then I added just a little bit of soy sauce (be careful here, soy sauce is EXTREMELY high in sodium so only use a little) some crushed red pepper (I like it spicy) and some ground ginger. I let everything get nice and cozy with each other for about 3 more minutes. Then I take my brown rice and place it on the plate and add my delicious chicken stir fry to the top!
Now ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I am a DESSERT FANATIC. I am that person who will have a salad for dinner just so I can get a piece of chocolate cake, tiramsu, etc. At my brothers rehearsal dinner last weekend I had a half a slice of tiramsu AND a half a slice of devils food chocolate chip cheesecake (sound heavenly??? oh it was!) Therefore, I am always looking at new ways to create sweet desserts that will get rid of my cravings and yet at the same time be nutritional. Behold the concoction I made below!
What the hell is that? It is one of the best desserts I have EVER had! What I did was take a 1/2 of a banana and some blueberries and threw them into the bowl. Then I remembered that I had some left over trail mix left over from the last time my boyfriend brought it from New Orleans. The trail mix called California Naturals Yogurt Nut Mix which consists of raisins, peanuts, dried dates, almonds, cashews, and yogurt chips. I sprinkled around a 1/4 cup over the bananas and blueberries. Then I took the new delicious creation by M&Ms (the new pretzels ones) and added four of them to the mix. What is great about the new M&M pretzel bite is that they are lower in calories than their counterparts and give you a great salty sweet complex.

Then the kicker. Looks like vanilla ice cream doesn't it?? ITS NOT??? No, its cool whip free. This is a trick my mother taught me, take cool whip free (fat free version) and keep it in your freezer. Whenever you have a craving for ice cream have a scoop of Cool Whip Free instead. When Cool Whip is frozen it has the exact some consistency as ice cream and yet 1/2 of the calories and fat! Then I sprinkled some cinnamon on top of the cool whip to make it look pretty!

The dessert I made probably has around the same calories as a scoop of light ice cream yet pack double if not triple the nutrition! It gives a great salty, sweet, chocolate, creamy taste then will practically have you licking the bowl (I was soo close.)

It seems like a weird combination, but it was delicious. Never be afraid to experiment with food. Throw things together that you wouldn't normally think of. I mean what is the worse that could happen? If you don't like it, feed it to your dog! (I always give my dog leftovers!)