Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

• Two 14 oz. bags of frozen broccoli florets
• One 10.75 oz. can of 25% less sodium cream of mushroom soup
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup of reduced-fat cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 cup of crushed reduced-fat wheat thins  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli florets. Once the broccoli is in the boiled water turn the heat down to low and let them cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the broccoli once it is finished cooking and place it back into the pot.

2. Season the broccoli with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the can of cream of mushroom soup and shredded cheddar cheese and mix all of the ingredients together. Place the broccoli mixture in a medium sized baking dish.

3. Add the wheat thins to a large ziplock storage bag and crush them with a pounder. Once they are a bread crumb consistency add them to the top of the broccoli. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is lightly brown on top and bubbly. Enjoy!!

Beef Tostadas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean (93/7) ground beef
• 1 package of whole wheat tortillas, such as Mission Life Balance Tortillas
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of yellow corn, drained and rinsed
• 4 small roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 4 oz. can of green chilies
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh lime juice using 1/2 of a lime
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 medium avocado, sliced
• 1 bag of baby spinach, chopped in small pieces (or you can use shredded lettuce)
• 8 oz. bag of reduced-fat shredded mexican cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortillas on a greased cookie sheet (if you are cooking for more than 2 you may need more than 1 cookie sheet). Once the oven is preheated, put the tortillas in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, flipping them half way through (they should get lightly brown and crispy - an air bubble may form in the middle but it will go down).

2. In a large non-stick skillet add the ground beef, chopped green bell pepper and onion. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and vegetables are translucent. Season the beef/vegetable mixture with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and cumin. Let it simmer on low heat.

3. In a small-medium sized bowl, add the full can of drained & rinsed corn, 1 cup of black beans (reserve the other half of the black beans), chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and can of green chilies. Stir the ingredients together and season wtih 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, add the remaining black beans and smash them with a potato masher or a fork until they are a smooth but sticky consistency.

5. Assemble the tostada by spreading the smashed black beans on the toasted tortilla and topping it off with the chopped spinach or shredded lettuce, beef mixture, corn/bean mixture, sliced avocado, and shredded cheese. Enjoy!!

The HCG Diet: Does It Work?

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone that is produced by the placenta when a woman becomes pregnant. It is the hormone that shows up on a pregnancy test when the test is positive. This hormone increases each trimester a woman is pregnant.

To everyone out there who thinks the HCG hormone aids in weight loss, it's most likely the 500 calorie diet you are on that is making you lose weight, not HCG. If you normally eat approximately 2,000 calories a day and then all of a sudden start eating only 500 calories a day your body will start quickly shedding the pounds off. It takes eating 500 calories less per day to lose 1 pound per week, 1,000 calories less per day to lose 2 pounds per week, and 1,500 calories less per day to lose 3 pounds per week. So 1,500 calories less per week for 6 weeks will give you a 18 pound weight loss over the course of 6 weeks. Don't inject something you don't need to inject!

If you want to lose weight the best thing to do is eat a healthy, well balanced diet, exercise for at least 20-30 minutes a day for 5-6 days a week (incorporating both cardio and weight training), and eat less than you normally do (500-800 calories less). Taking the weight off slowly will help you better maintain your weight loss in the future.

A great article posted on the ADA's website: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/0310/hcg-diet-controversy-strikes-again.aspx

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 package of white button mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese & Herb flavor)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 pound of lean turkey sausage
• 6 whole wheat pitas
• 8 oz. bag of reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• Salsa (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large non-stick skillet, crumble and cook the turkey sausage until it is no longer pink. When the sausage is finished cooking, place it in a small bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, add the diced pepper, onion, mushroom, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper and saute on medium-high heat until the mixture is soft and carmelized. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the cooking cream. Stir in the cooking cream until it is well incorporated with the vegetable mixture and simmer on low. While the veggies are simmering, in a medium non-stick skillet, add the eggs and scramble (the eggs can be slightly under cooked because they continue to cook in the oven at a later point). Add the scrambled eggs and cooked turkey sausage to the veggies and stir all the ingredients together. Place all 6 of the pitas on a baking sheet and top each pita with the sausage, egg, and veggies mixture. Sprinkle the top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Once they are finished cooking you can top it off with a tablespoon of salsa if desired. Enjoy!

Asian Coleslaw Salad

Ingredients:

• Salad
• 1 1/2 (24 oz.) bags of coleslaw mix
• 1 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
• 1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 3/4 cup of chowmein noodles
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup of peanuts, chopped
• Dressing
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons of canola oil
• 1/3 cup of rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons of Splenda
• 1 Tablespoon of reduced-fat peanut butter or PB2
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Then, in a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together until they are well incorporated. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss. Enjoy!

*Recipe inspired by http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/*

Recipe for Life!

Ingredients:

• GOD

Directions:

• PRAY

Dear Lord:

For now, I know everything that I go through here on Earth is worth it if in the end I am granted the Kingdom of Heaven. Every thought, worry, fear, frusteration, hurt, pain, battle, and temptation is worth what Christ will unveil in Heaven.

"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." 1 Cor 13:9-10

"Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev 7:16-17

I have to continually preach to myself, "God is my hope, my hope is in you, my hope does not lie in my accomplishments, what I look like, what people think about me, etc." So I pray, " Lord help me to place my hope ONLY in You, and help me to know in my heart You are all that matters in the end."

"Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you." Psalm 25:20

Thank you Lord that you hear the prayers of the righteous!

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:18

"The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears from the prayers of the righteous." Proverbs 15:29

Listen: Your Great Name

"No Carb" Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 20 oz. of lean ground turkey meat
• 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 cup of marinara sauce (I used a tomato basil flavor)
• 2 large purple eggplants, sliced (about a 1/4 inch thick)
• 4 yellow squash, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 package of white button mushrooms
• 12 oz. jar of roasted red bell pepper, diced  
• 1 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
• 8 oz. package of reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Pinch of paprika
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the ground turkey meat and cook until it is no longer pink. While the turkey is cooking, heat a large, non-stick grill pan and place about 6-7 eggplant slices on the grill at a time. Grill the eggplant in batches for about 3-4 minutes on each side (medium to medium-high heat). Once the turkey is finished cooking transfer it to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
2.  In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, diced onion, and mushrooms. Saute for about 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat. Season onions and mushrooms with a dash of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Add the onion and mushroom mixture to the ground turkey in the medium sized bowl and stir until well incorporated.
3.  Next, add the sliced yellow squash in the same skillet where you cooked the turkey, onion, and mushrooms. Saute the sqaush on medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes or until it is soft and lightly browned. Reduce heat to low once they are finished cooking. In a small bowl, add the ricotta, fresh basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir until well incorporated. Place the diced roasted red bell pepper in a small bowl so it is ready to add to the assembly.
4.  In a 9x13 in. casserole dish add about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce to line the bottom of the baking dish. Next add half of the grilled eggplant slices, sauteed squash, roasted red bell pepper, and turkey, mushroom, and onion mixture. Spread all of the ricotta cheese mixture and half of the mozarella cheese over the top of the first half of veggies. Lastly, add another 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, the other half of all of the veggies, and top with the remaining half of mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let it set for about 10 minutes to cool and set. Enjoy!