Quinoa & Broccoli Casserole

I'm sure most of you have heard the recent craze about quinoa. Quinoa is a gluten free grain that has numerous health benefits. It is complex carboyhydrate which won't cause spikes in blood sugar, extremely high in protein, non fattening, along with many other nutritious factors. So I thought I would see what this amazing powerfood tasted like.

I found a recipe for a Quinoa Brocolli and Chicken Casserole:
1 1/2 Cups Quinoa
1 head brocolli (boiled)
3 tbsp. Flour
3 tbsp. butter
2 Cups Milk
1/4 tsp. garlic powder and cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to season
8 oz. Cheddar Cheese schredded
2 Cups shredded chicken

First I boiled and thawed my chicken breasts, shredding it into small pieces.

In another pot I boiled the quinoa. The box I bought says that it is pre-rinsed, however unless noted, quinoa always needs to be rinsed after boiling. Otherwise it may keep a bitter taste. I placed 3 cups of water in the pot, brought quinoa to a boil, and then simmered until it soaked up all the water.

In another pot I placed melted butter, flour, garlic and cayenne pepper, and whisked in milk until it thickened. Then I added in the cheddar cheese until it was melted.

In a large bowl I combined the cooked chicken, quinoa, brocolli, and cheese sauce mixture. I placed it in a 9x13 inch pan that was greased. Baked at 400 degree for 25 minutes.

After its cooked it looks similiar to a chicken and rice dish.  Tasted pretty similiar too, but healthier.  Its a great way to see how you like quinoa.

Easiest Homemade Pizza

Ryan and I were introduced to a great new meal idea at a friends house that we now use almost weekly in our household.   Homemade pizza is a quick, easy dinner that I think tastes so much better and healthier than fast food pizza. 

It starts with some Rhodes pizza dough or white bread rolls you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store.  If you buy the white bread rolls, you get 2 extra rolls for almost the same price.  We haven't noticed a difference in taste compared to Rhodes pizza dough rolls.

All we do it take a roll out of the freezer before we leave for work, place it in a pan and cover it with a towel to help keep the outer layer from getting crusty.   While we are at work the dough will thaw and rise and be perfect by the time we get home.

Ryan will roll the dough out with some flour to keep it from sticking.  Then place it on a pizza tray or stone. 

Yes, I will admit, at one time I was a PaPa Murphy's pizza maker and wore a cute visor.  The one thing I did learn from that job was how to twist the outer edge of the pizza, so that is always my job.  Then we put a layer of prego sauce down, mozzarella shredded cheese, and then whatever toppings we have in the house. 

Bake it at 400 degree for about 15-20 minutes.  It is delicious.  We make it all the time for guests and they love it.  The crust is my favorite part. 

Try it out and let me know what you think!

What's your favorite kind of pizza?

How do you make your homemade pizza?

Get "Raw"

I am always on the look out for quick and healthy things to eat for breakfast.  I wish I was a morning person, but if I can find anything that will give me 5 more minutes of sleep in the morning I am all for it!   

So I found RAW when I was grocery shopping the other day.  It comes in a convenient box with 5 pouches.  They had it on special for $1!  I figured even if it tasted bad, $1 won't break the bank.     

I debated over all the flavors, but went with the Pure & Simple Bare.  I've been trying to look at the ingredient labels more as I grocery shop and was really excited when I read that it contained all organic whole grain rolled oats, barley, wheat, flaxseed, quinoa, rye....all great stuff!

The next best part of this product is the convenience.  You place the oatmeal in a bowl, and then fill up this pouch with water to the water line on the packaging, mix it together and place in the microwave for 2 minutes.  You don't even need a measuring cup, which saves a dish for me to wash....and you know how I feel about that!

It also tasted great-I made it with some raspberries on top.  It made for a quick, easy breakfast before I ran out the door for work.  Definitely worth the $1 spent! 

Have you ever tried any Better Oats Raw oatmeal flavors?

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Fit & Photo Friday

So... it was TIME for a change.  I have been going back and forth about this decision for months now.  This is a picture of me around the time when Ryan and I first met almost 3 years ago.  (Don't we look so young!?)

At the time of this picture was the last time I have gotten a haircut.  Here is a picture of what my hair looks like now after growing it out almost three years!

So I took the plunge.  I got it cut.

It's always a tough decision for me after working so hard to grow it out, but I know it's only hair and it'll grow back!  I do love how light it feels and my curls are so much easier to work with....and my husband LOVES it.  Feels like he has a brand new wife all over again.  haha. 

WORKOUT:

Sunday: Indoor soccer
Monday: Ran 3.5 miles at the gym
Tuesday: 45  min Turbo Fire
Wednsday: Ran 2.0 miles at gym
Thursday: work ran late :(

Hope you have a great weekend! 

Fit & Photo Friday

Happy Friday!  Here's a couple pictures from my week. 

While driving through Riverside Park in Neenah I snapped this shot.  It amazes me the beauty in our own backyard sometimes!

Here's a little preview for our Christmas card this year.   During my families thanksgiving my sister set up a little photo shoot downstairs.  We had a lot of fun goofing around and came up with some fun shots.

Workout This Week:

Sunday: Indoor Soccer

Tuesday: 3 mile treadmill run 26:40

Wednesday: Turbo Fire 45 min

Thursday: 4 mile treadmill 35:46 (ran back and forth between an 8:45 and 9:13 min pace)

Since we like to spend most of our summer outdoors, this was our first week getting back to the gym.  I always hate the feeling of being the newby at the gym after not going awhile, but I know it doesn't take long to get back into the swing of things. 

I had a couple nice easy runs this week.  I used to focus so much on my time and would get frustrated if I didn't match or beat my previous time.  But with the goal of a first marathon I realize I need to put that behind me and focus on running for the enjoyment I get out of it instead and keep moving to just to finish.

The past few years have been rough as far as running for me.  Two years ago I got sick right before a half I was signed up for which messed up my training.  Last year I got engaged and planned a wedding in 5 months while working and going to school full-time.  I showed up to the half marathon I had signed up for having not run at all in over 2 months with all that had been going on.  Obviously not a personal record run for me there!  Trying to get back into it this summer I developed IT band pain which hurt before even reaching 1 mile! 

I am finally on the road to recovery and have been running without pain now.  Needless to say I am ready and motivated to meet some new running goals and focus on staying injury free.  I'm planning on following the Hal Higdon Novice Training Guide with some little modifications along the way.  It seems like a great program for beginning runners starting with low mileage and working your way up. 

Are you like me and need a goal to stay motivated?  For some it may be a goal to get fit for a wedding, or to wear a bikini on a upcoming vacation.  Maybe you need a workout partner to help stay committed, or to start writing a blog!  Whatever it may be, find your goal and motivation to complete it- I know you can do it!

Have a great weekend!

Natural Ways to Boost Immune System

With the winter season on its way the sniffles and colds will be in full force soon!  So what are some natural ways to keep healthy and boost your immune system?  Research shows that these are all natural immune boosters, so try to get your fill of these things to stay healthy this winter!

1.  Vitamin D- Taking Vitamin D during the winter is essential to your health.  The amount of sun exposure we get during the dark winter months decreases our levels of Vitamin D which in turn lowers our bodies ability to fight viruses.
2.  Aloe Vera- Aloe Vera juice not only fights viruses and bacteria, but also aids in digestion.
3. Reduce Sugar Consumption- Whenever you eat alot of high fructose corn syrup it will weaken your immune system. 

4.  Vitamin C- Contains antioxidants that fight cold and flus.  Eat lots of fruits or vitamin C supplements.

5. Garlic- It contains antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.  Add 2 cloves to your ingredients while cooking and it will help keep you healthy all winter!

6. Zinc-Can help shorten the duration of a cold.  In over the counter items like Zicam and Coldeeze drops.
7. Rest- Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night to let your body fight off anything and recover! 
8. Drink lots of water- help flush anything out of your body by staying hydrated. 

Flu shot or termination....You Decide!

The Center for Disease Control announced its goal for 100% of healthcare employees to be flu vaccinated each year.  Many healthcare facilities and states like Rhode Island, have rallied together to not only encourage the flu vaccination, but also require it for all healthcare employees.  Failure to do so would mean termination of employment. 

Healthcare workers pledge to a code of ethics which states the primary commitment is to the health, well being and safety of the patient.  While accepting the job of providing care to patients ultimately requires us to do everything we can with their best interest in mind, where is the line drawn for personal opinion, conviction, and informed consent as individuals to make our own healthcare decisions?   Should this commitment to our patients also include whatever can be injected or given to us as employees to keep them safe?  

The CDC goal is to reduce the amount of patient deaths caused by healthcare workers that are either symptomatic or asymptomatic for the flu, and are passing it on to patients with compromised immune systems.   

While the CDC data indicates 60% effectiveness for the flu shot, it also states that there are many varied outcomes each year from their randomized testing and that scientists are working on creating a better way to conduct and evaluate the effectiveness.  While OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is for the encouragement of the flu shot, interestingly their stance is also against making it mandatory for employees.  OSHA states there is insufficient evidence as to the benefits of the flu shot to require it and possibly result in termination. 

There are many others that are concerned with this new policy that is spreading.  In an article from PBS.org, Barbara Fisher who is the president of the National Vaccine Information Center stated, “In America shouldn’t it be the right to make informed voluntary choices of preventative healthcare, especially when there are risks involved?”  A nurses association in Denver, Colorado is also signing a petition against the new policy, saying that as healthcare professionals they are offended to be forced into a decision.  A facebook fan page was also created titled People against mandatory flu shots for healthcare workers.

While these two ethical principles battle against one another, one being, what is the best choice for our patients, and two, should any individual be forced into a preventable healthcare decision;  the other big question is are we even educated as to what is in this vaccination?  How many of us go to the office, fill out a form, get stuck with a needle and walk out the door hoping that it keeps us from getting sick for another year.  Whew, at least it’s over we think!  I mean, who likes needles?

If only we would take responsibility for our own healthcare, instead of lining up to get something because were forced to do it and not care.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we were educated with real statistics as to the benefits of receiving this vaccination and as to what ingredients are actually in it?  Or are we just pigs to the slaughter that line up for something we know nothing about?

The FDA Fluvirin guide on page 14 states that it has not been evaluated for carcinogenic (cancerous) or mutagenic potential.  It is also not known if the vaccine can cause fetal harm.  It is only recommended to a pregnant woman if clearly needed.

It also states it contains the following ingredients:

Thimerosal- Traces of thimserosal, a toxic, mercury derivative chemical and larger amounts in multiuse vials to prevent contamination in between vials.  Mercury is a poisonous element and once ingested, injected, or inhaled will stay within the body and accumulate.  Some theory that because of the flu shot your chances for Alzheimer's are increased due to the mercury which can cause memory loss along with many other disorders.

Ovalbumin- derived from traces of egg white proteins which is why they ask questions regarding egg allergies.

Formaldehyde- According to the CDC it also contains formaldehyde, which is an embalming fluid and a known carcinogen (cancerous agent). 

So what do you think?  What do you know about the flu shot-has it helped you?  Do you think that the code of ethics to keep our patients safety a priority and the statistics with the effectiveness of the flu shot are enough to make it mandatory? 

Detox Results

Day 1:

• 2 glasses of lemon water upon rising in the morning
• I drank at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day
• Lunch: Smoothie with orange juice, strawberries, mango, pineapple, banana, avacado, and flaxseed
• Snack: Juice with apple, spinach, and lemon 
• Dinner: Smoothie with orange juice, flaxseed, and mixed fruit, cooked brocolli

The first day was pretty easy until it got to dinner time.  Of course Ryan ate pizza and ice cream for dinner, so I ate a smoothie and brocolli to help cure my hunger so I didn't cave in. 

Day 2:

• 2 glasses of lemon water
• Drank 8 glasses of water throughout the day
• Breakfast: Smoothie with flaxseed, mixed fruit, and orange juice
• Snack: Had an apple, orange, and pear throughout the day as a snacks when hungry
• Lunch: Juice with carrots, spinach, apple, and lemon
• Dinner: cooked brocolli, baked chicken

Around dinner was the hardest part of the cleanse for me.  Some cleanses are a mix of proteins and fiber, so I decided to add in 1 serving of baked chicken (palm size) which really helped cure my hunger cravings and gave me more energy.

Day 3:

• 2 glasses lemon water upon rising
• 6 glasses of water throughout the day
• Lunch: Smoothie of orange juice, fruit, and flaxseed
• Snack: raw apple and pear
• Dinner: baked chicken, sweet potatoe

Weight Loss: 4 lbs

Results:  I found that the cleanse did help calm my daily stomach digestion problems.  On the second day I really noticed my sinuses clearing out.  They say that your sense of smell can heighten, which is really true.  I don't think I would ever do a cleanse more that a few days.  I recommend doing a cleanse for anyone trying to figure out if you have food allergies, by slowly adding those foods back into your diet afterwards and seeing if side effects occur.  Also for me it was a good way of gaining control over sugar cravings.  You can become so dependant on sugar.  If you are motivated to do the cleanse, I think its a great way to gain control over those cravings and your appetite.

There are warnings and bad effects from cleanses, especially if done the wrong way.  Make sure you are not doing more harm than good by not giving your body the right nutrients for a long period of time.  Also going right from a cleanse to eating tons of sugar would probably not agree with your system very much.  There are cleanses like the The New Detox Diet that include proteins like fish, chicken, or beans and grains like quinoa or steel oats, along with large amounts of fruits and vegetables.  This seems like the healthiest cleanse because it is giving you all the nutrients your body needs, and helps give you guidelines to follow for a whole/nonprocessed, high fiber diet. 

Stalker!

First off, my husband is AmAzInG!  Being the generous man that he is, he let me use some gift cards we had to purchase a running watch I've had my eyes on.  The newest and most affordable Garmin Forerunner 10.  This is a basic gps watch for those runners who are just wanting to know their pace, distance and calories.  I like its small size, and am excited to do some trail running with it!

 

Second, for those of you who don't know, I am a stalker.......of blogs!!  I have been obsessed with blogs like the Skinny Runner and The Hungry Runner Girl.  I am so inspired by them and their dedication to fitness...the girl from hungry runner was running throughout her pregnancy!  Wow! Now I admit, I read these blogs and my first thought is, "what do they do for a living?"  I mean, it seems like running and the blog has to BE their job...how else could they stay in such great shape?!

 Since I love sports, exercise/fitness has always been such a big part of my life growing up that I never had to think twice about my weight throughout the years.  But man, you can sure tell that 30 is right around the corner!  Yikes!  It seems like the older I get the harder it is to stay motivated and to find the time.  Then I think, maybe its time to stop with the excuses about how busy life is and how I have no time and just suck it up.  I am a pretty determined person, (just ask my husband!) and I truly believe that whatever I put my mind too I can accomplish.  I am a normal everyday girl, with a job that has the same crazy hours like everyone else.  Will it take dedication...yes.  Will it take sacrifice....absolutely.   But if these bloggers can do it, why can't I?  Why can't I dedicate myself to being fit, and through the process inspire other people to do the same? 

My goal has always been to run a full marathon before I am 30.  I would also like to keep up this lifestyle so that when I do have children, I can hopefully keep doing it throughout my pregnancy.  I truly believe that if I am happy, confident, and healthy, I will be a better wife and mother someday because of it.  I think both physical and spiritual health are very important, and I want to strive to be both in this life.

 So thank you readers for joining me on this journey!

Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27