I'm doing it!

So I've been a bit slack in posting recipes over the last 10 days. It's been a busy 10 days to say the least! I do have so great news though! Since starting this journey, I've lost 4.4 pounds. I know it doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I'm of the mind that slow and steady wins the race. If I lose more than a pound a week (which I've been averaging about 1.5 lbs a week), that's AWESOME. But my goal is to lose just a single pound a week. That way I know it'll stay off. :-)

On Monday, my crazy husband and I are going to start a program by Beachbody called Insanity. The name should speak for itself because it really is an insane program. But he wants to do it, so I'm going to join him. Actually, the only way my husband will do it is if I do it with him. So I'm off to buy new shoes this weekend and start Monday! If you haven't seen it, here's a promo clip for Insanity:

Crazy, right? I'm scared to do it. But as long as I start slow, I know I can do it!

Oil and Vinegar Dressing

This dressing HAS to be one of my all time favorites. It's low enough in calories that it won't totally disrupt your diet yet it has all the good fats that you need in order to feel full. Plus it's totally delicious.

Ingredients
1 tbs Olive Oil
3 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Garlic
1/4 tsp Salt

Mix and pour over salad!

This is obviously meant for a single serving, but you can (as always) adjust it to your own personal needs.

Oven Baked Salmon

Sadly, I don't have a picture to go with this recipe. Hectic evening + really delicious food = no picture. But the fish is super yummy.

Ingredients:
1 4 oz. Salmon filet
1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic

Directions:
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
While you're waiting for your oven to heat, pour the soy sauce over the fish, followed by the ginger and garlic.
Once oven is preheated, bake for about 10 minutes or until fish starts to flake.

Enjoy!!

Best served with brown rice or quinoa.

Zumba!!

Today has been a bit of a slow day in terms of food (I've eaten things that I've already made and posted), but I did do Zumba today. Can I just say that, while doing it at home isn't quite the same as with a group of people, I adore it?!? Seriously. It's beyond tons of fun. It's not just the music and the steps, but the fact that I can get an AMAZING workout.

Just doing it makes me happy. And can you believe the calorie burn? Today, I burned 430 calories in 30 minutes. Of course, that will be lower the smaller you get, but still. STILL!! Amazing burn. Tons of fun. It'll make you happy! You'll feel great, and you'll learn to dance. At least a little. :-)

Fried Rice

My husband is a huge Chinese food fan. The problem is that not only is Americanized Chinese food TERRIBLE for you, but it's very difficult to get the right flavors at home without tons of MSG. So I've come up with a recipe of my own to hopefully fill that void. Now, this is a vegetarian dish, but you can add any meat or tofu that you would like.

Ingredients:

½ bag of frozen broccoli florets or 1 crown of fresh broccoli

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

3 tsp low sodium soy sauce (more or less to taste)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 eggs

Directions:

1.      Make your rice according to directions (boil 2 ½ cups of water, add 1 cup uncooked brown rice, let simmer for 35 to 45 minutes).

2.      Once rice is done cooking, put the oil in your frying pan to warm. Once oil is warmed, add your broccoli, spices, and sauces and cook until broccoli is warm.

3.      Add rice, and cook until rice is browning, then add eggs one at a time, stirring thoroughly to incorporate.

4.      Add more soy sauce, if desired.

Enjoy!

4 Bean Chili

Tonight, I'm making a new recipe. It is FRIGIDLY cold outside, so I figured tonight would be a good chili night. This is a simple recipe, and it's VERY cheap. I bought enough all at once to make two dinners, so my total cost per meal was $5.64. This meal will feed 4 adults easily with some left over. It can be served with brown rice, couscous, quinoa or any grain of your choice, but on it's own it's very filling.

Ingredients

1 cup Kidney Beans

1 cup Pinto Beans

1 cup Black Beans

1 cup Lima Beans

1 ½ Whole Tomatoes, diced

1 Whole Tomato, mashed in the food processor

2 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp Onion powder

2 tsp Basil

1/3 cup Chili Powder

¼ cup Ground Cumin

Enough water to cover beans (more or less depending on how soupy you like your chili)

Directions

1.      If you’re using dried beans, make sure to soak them over night.

2.      Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and stir WELL.

3.      Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

4.      If desired, you can top with sour cream and/or grated cheese.

Enjoy!

My Budget

I have searched high and low for cheap, easy, healthy recipes, and I keep coming up empty handed. I've been able to find recipes that are cheap and easy or easy and healthy, but never cheap and healthy or cheap, easy and healthy. So here we are. Not only is this blog dedicated to healthy living, but to living healthy on a budget.

You see, I have three children, a husband, and I stay home. We are a single income family, and it gets TIGHT. But I have become determined to be healthy within my budget. On a normal week, I spend $100 on groceries (usually slightly less). I combine shopping buy one get one free sales (usually for my meat), and finding the lowest prices possible on everything else. Some weeks, I have to go to three or four different stores to get the lowest price, but I make it work. I have fruits and veggies with most meals, sometimes one or the other. But I promise you, eating healthy foods (and no packaged foods) on a budget is doable.