Easter Menu Post

 
 Happy Easter!  Yesterday was the community Easter egg hunt and the girls had a blast!  They came away with a ton of candy!  Here are all my Easter recipes for today.  I was hoping to have these up before today so y'all  would have ideas.  But, due to school and kids being so time consuming I couldn't. 


Oven Poached Salmon
2 lb salmon 
2 cups water
any herbs and spices you like

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Grease baking dish
3. Place salmon in baking dish and season
4. Pour water around salmon
5. Poach for 12-15 minutes until done

Peas w/onions and mushrooms
16 oz bag of peas
1 bag pearl onions
16 oz mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 shallot
1 T minced garlic

Directions

1. Diced onions, and shallots
2. Slice mushrooms
3. Sautee mushrooms, onions, garlic and shallots until slightly brown
4. Boil peas and onions according to package directions, drain
5. Mix together peas, pearl onions, and your mushroom mixture

Asparagus
Directions

1. Steam for approximately 15 minutes until done to your liking

Banana Dream Mousse

2 envelopes Dream Whip
2.75 cups skim milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla
2 small packages Fat Free Sugar Free Banana Cream Jello Pudding mix  (you honestly can you whatever flavor jello you'd like.  I've made chocolate,vanilla, and cookies and cream before
2 bananas, sliced

Instructions

1. Beat together Dream Whip, 1 cup milk and vanilla until soft peaks form
2. Add remaining milk and pudding mixes.  Beat on low until combined then beat on high for about 2 minutes (make sure to scrape your bowl occasionally)
3. Pour filling ontop of bananas and refrigerate for 4 hours.

 And here's a link to last year's recipes:  Easter Recipes 2012

Happy One Year Anniversary!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Fat Free Queen!  Happy birthday to you!

 
Today makes 1 year since I started the blog!  Have many people seen it?  No.  Do I think it's as good as I planned it to be?  No.  But, I'm very happy that I have kept it up and progressed it since the beginning. I originally planned this blog to be an outlet for my idea.  {Even though I also hoped it would be an overnight success}  But that obviously didn't happen.

Here are my top posts from the past year:

 

DIY Workout Shirt

 

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert 

 

National Donut Day (Cake Mix Donuts) 

I wonder what my top posts from this next year will be.  I just wanted to thank everybody for taking this journey with me and I hope you stick around for the next year, I have some big plans and hopes.

Take 2.....Just as Delicious as the First

Doesn't that look yummy? Like a big piece of french toast.  

A normal slice of bread pudding has around 300 calories and 10 grams of fat depending on the flavorings.What if I told you that the bread pudding I made tonite had Under 100 calories and .7 grams of fat?  That's cutting out 66% of the calories and 90% of the fat!  

It was still creamy, rich and a bit crunchy.  Reminiscent of french toast.  After the success of the savory one on Sunday I decided to give a sweet one a go.  You can top this one with additional berries, syrup, powdered sugar, melted jam/jelly,   chocolate syrup, or even melted peanut butter.  This could also double as a dessert, just top it with some whipped cream.

Mixed Berry Bread Pudding
20 servings (2 personally filled me up)
Calories: 86
Fat: 0.7 grams
Carbs: 15.9 grams
Sugar: 5.7 grams
Protein: 6.23 grams

Ingredients
1 loaf reduced calorie wheat bread
1.5 c egg substitute (6 eggs)
4 c skim milk
2 T sugar 
1 c sliced strawberries
1 c blackberries
.25 c blueberries
1 c raspberries

Directions 

1. Cube bread
2. Whisk together egg substitute, milk and sugar
3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with pan spray
4. Put half of the bread in the dish
5. Sprinkle half of the berries on top of the bread.  Do another layer of bread then finish off with the berries
6. Pour milk mix ontop and make sure that all the bread is wet
7. Put in the fridge for atleast an hour or overnight (I actually did it last nite)
8. Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan on baking it (this will prevent the dish from shattering in the oven)
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes (60 minutes covered 15 minutes uncovered).  If the top isn't brown enough for you then turn on your broiler and broil until brown (I put my broiler on high and leave the pan on the lower rack)

 I think this is going to be a new revolving recipe in the house.  There are so many variations I want to try to this.  Cocoa powder, different fruits, the possibilities are endless!  

What do you think would be good in a bread pudding?  

Veggies Invade My Breakfast

I took a big risk on this recipe.  This was either going to be a dinner that the girls would love or hate.  Luckily they loved it.  I edited a recipe for bread pudding and made it lighter and healthier. I threw a bunch of leftovers in it.  According to Kaylee it tasted like veggie burgers.  Which I could totally understand.  It kind of does have a burger-y type taste.  Kaylee is one of the main reasons I made this.  She's been bugging me for bread pudding for a while now.  I decided to start off with a savory one.  She loves stuffing and this is basically a stuffing with milk instead of vegetable broth.  This type of recipe is really versatile.  You can throw in whatever you have on hand.  Squash?  SURE!  Mushrooms?  Onions?  Spinach?  Yes, yes and yes. 

Almost Fat Free Strata
Serves 5 (Mine was cut into 15 pieces so that's 3 pieces per person each slice has 75 calories and 0.3 grams of fat )
Calories: 222
Fat: 0.8 gram
Protein: 23.5 grams

10 slices of reduced calorie whole wheat bread, cubed
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
6 medium mushroom diced, (2 cups)
10 baby carrots, sliced paper thin
1/2 of a butternut squash
1 1/4 c egg substitute (approx 6 eggs)
1 1/2 c skim milk
1 cup fat free mozzarella
1/4 c fat free feta
1/2 c lima beans
1/4 cup soy crumbles

Directions

1. Sautee mushrooms, onions, and carrots until soft.  At the end add the squash, soy crumbles and lima beans until warm, cool slightly
2. In a separate bowl whisk together egg substitute, milk, and cheeses.
3. Spray a 13 x 9 pan and put the bread half the bread evenly along the bottom
4. Spread vegetable mixture, and ontop of that the rest of the bread
5. Pour egg, milk and cheese over the bread and vegetables.  Press down to make sure that all the bread soaks up some liquid.  Put in the fridge for atleast 2 hours.  
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. 

What vegetables would/do you put in your strata?

Raising an Athlete

For the past couple Saturdays I've watched Kaylee transform from my little girl to an athlete.  The moment that her cleats hit the field she is a different child.

I love the fact that my kids want to play sports.  In high school I considered playing field hockey.  I was also on the swim team for a season.  But, because I wanted to be like my sister and do what my sister did in high school, I quit the swim team and tossed the idea of playing field hockey.  Following in my sister's footsteps failed miserably for me though. 

As of right now all 3 of my girls have very different opinions in what they want to excel in athletically.  Sunny wants to be a ballerina, Mantha wants to be the next Gabby Douglas, and Kaylee wants to score the winning kick on the Olympic Soccer team.  

As a parent I'm happy Kaylee's found something that she loves.  As a future health and fitness professional it's an exciting thing.  It gives me a new area of my profession to explore.  What do I feed a future Olympian?  What extra nutrients does she need?  What types of exercises should I do with her to help her condition?

These questions would be a hell of alot easier to answer if she was atleast 4 or 5 years older.  

Let's start with nutrition. I am personally on a fat-free diet.  The rest of my family is not.  They eat the full fat version of things and I allow the to eat meat.     Fat is a nutrient that bodies need.  It is also a very important  part of a person's diet, especially children's.  It is the only way that your body can absorb vitamins A (growth and development, vision, and immune system), D (absorption of calcium and phosphate), E (muscle growth, tissue repair and brain function), and K (blood clotting, bone and cell growth).  There is no need to restrict your child's fat intake below the RDA (recommended daily allowance)  The RDA for a 9 year old is between 41-58 grams a day.

Listed below are some of the nutrients that athletes need and what foods are good sources of them.

Vitamins and Minerals -- Calcium and iron are the two most important.  Calcium helps bone strength and iron helps with blood supply.  Calcium is found, of course, in dairy products, but also in leafy greens and okra.  Iron is found in salmon, eggs, lean proteins, and dried fruits.

Protein -- Protein builds muscles.  Fish, meat, dairy products, soy products, nuts and seeds are high in protein.

Carbohydrates -- Carbs = Fuel.  You need to pick the right carbs though.  Whole grains, brown rice, beans and sweet potatoes are good carbs.

And always make sure that they stay well hydrated.

As I watch Kaylee play I notice the small things she needs to work on.  Speed, dribbling, ball control, minor things.  But how do you condition and train an (almost) 10 year old?  Definitely not like an adult, not even like a teenager.  I've decided I'm going to start out slow.  Take her outside and kick the ball around with her and give her pointers. "Tighten your dribble", "don't be afraid of the ball" {Bonus: I get a workout, too!}  After we've done that for a while I'll start working on her conditioning.  I found a few websites with drills I can use with her.  Take a look at the links:

Region IV Girls ODP Pre-event Fitness Program

Sample Youth Soccer Conditioning Program 

I've talked about how I plan on helping Kaylee reach her Olympic goals.  And Mantha's Olympic dream plan will be coming in a few months.  Does your child have Olympic (or sports related) goals?  How do you help them?

Note:  Please do not tell me that I'm pushing her.  This post was only meant as informational.  I love Kaylee no matter how good (or bad) she is.  As a parent I am just doing what I can to help her reach her goals.  I know that she is still a kid.  I still treat her like one.  If she doesn't want to practice at home, fine.  I am only trying to help her reach her goals, doing something that at this moment she loves.  


{Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor or nutrition professional.  The advice and information I am giving you is based on my own experience and research.}

Muffin Monday {March 18}

Happy Muffin Monday everybody!  Okay, I totally lied, today I'm not making muffins.  I'm giving you a cupcake recipe.  I'm testing a few cupcake recipes on my guinea pigs Ken's coworkers.  This one was so loved a few people asked for my recipe.  So, I decided to give it to you guys. 

I made the frosting green for St. Patrick's Day.  My frosting skills still need a bit of work.  This cupcake is special because honestly it is the best damn fat free cupcake I've made to date.  It will be taken for the Easter party for the community.  These are also better for you because they have vegetables baked right in.  So, give them to the picky eater in your house and they'll never know.

Puree Recipe
1 zucchini, peeled (it is VERY important that you peel the zucchini.  You want your puree white-ish, not green)
4 medium carrots

1) Steam vegetables until soft
2) Drain and puree in a food processor

Vanilla Cupcake
118 calories
0.2 grams of fat
25.6 grams of carbs
13.1 grams of sugar

Ingredients
1 cup vegetable puree (recipe above)
1 cup sugar (you can possibly reduce the sugar.  These cupcakes are very sweet)
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup + 3 T egg substitute (equal to 4 eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients together
3. Spoon mixture into a greased muffin pan (it makes between 16 and 18 cupcakes so you'll need to pans)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes
5. Cool for 5 minutes then cool cupcakes on a rack.
6. Store in the refrigerator

Meringue Frosting (a.k.a 7 Minute Frosting)
39 calories
0 grams fat
9.4 grams of carbs
9.4 grams of sugar

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Put sugar and water in a medium saucepan.  Clip on your candy thermometer
2. Over medium heat bring mixture to a boil and let it get to 245 degrees (DO NOT STIR DURING THE HEATING!)
3. While the sugar is boiling whip egg whites until they form soft peaks
4. Turn your mixer to low and slowly pour in the sugar syrup
5. Turn your mixer back up and whip egg whites and sugar mixture on high for about 7 minutes, until the bowl of your mixer cools
6. Stir in vanilla (this is also the time where you'd mix in your food coloring)

I really need to play around with the meringue frosting and see how it holds up to flavorings.  I think that this frosting will be a good host for a variety of different flavors.  

Most people have a definite opinion about hiding vegetables in kids' food.  I think that it's perfectly fine.  How do you feel about it?  

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yesterday I made green cupcakes, [the recipe is coming for you tomorrow] today I made potatoes, cabbage and corned beef.  

I love oven roasted food.  Partially because my stove looks like this:  

Yep, that's right.  I do all my cooking on one burner.  And it's been like this for a few years.  So, I love doing things in the oven because I can cook 2 or 3 things at once.  Plus, the oven is a "set-it-and-forget-it" way to cook. 

I found the recipe on Pinterest for the cabbage.  It comes from a blog called Green Lite Bites. 

Pardon the sad plate.  I was starving so I snapped a quick picture

Packet Oven Roasted Cabbage

Ingredients
1 head of cabbage
Pan Spray
herbs and spices of your choice

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Rinse the cabbage and remove the bad leaves
3. Quarter the cabbage (cut in half and then cut the halves in half, along the core)
4. Lay each quarter on a piece of aluminum foil
5. Wrap and bake for 20-30 minutes (if you like it softer then bake longer.  I actually baked mine for close to an hour)

Roasted Creamer Potatoes

Ingredients
Creamer potatoes (I didn't weigh mine)
Pan Spray 
Herbs and spices

Directions

1. Clean and scrub potatoes
2. Put them in a large pot and cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes
4. Preheat oven to 425 while potatoes are boiling
5. Drain and put potatoes on a large baking sheet
6. Spray again with pan spray and then sprinkle on herbs and spices
7. Roast for 20-30 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

 I ate almost a whole head of cabbage I think.  Luckily cabbage is pretty low in calories.  What did you have for dinner?  The traditional corned beef and cabbage or something unique?  

Oh, and by the way, I'll have a cabbage soup coming for you....I made WAY too much cabbage tonite.