Recipe of the Day

My body is aching, I'm tired, it's 51 degrees here in Florida, and my kids are never going to have enough energy to finish their homework and save the world via Xbox, if I don't cook something soon. It's time for some comfort food. A meal that is easy to make with some added heat to you warm. This version is very mild but can be made stronger if you're taste buds can handle it.

Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast sliced in half
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 (16 ounce) container low fat sour cream
1 package Tofu Shirataki noodles

Directions

1. Combine water, chicken broth, chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and paprika in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for one hour.

2. Remove the chicken and shred, making sure to save the water and broth for later.

3. Combine onion, garlic, and olive oil in a large pot and cook until slightly
browned.

4. Add in salsa, chili powder, sour cream, shredded chicken, Tofu Shirataki noodles, and reserved water and broth. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Let Them Eat Cake

On a much lighter note... Here is one of the recipes I think I'm going to submit to the Medi book. I know, I'm totally pulling a Britney Spears here, giving away a sample of my latest creative work before the finished product drops, but my bloggies and Twitter moms shouldn't have to wait.

It still needs some tweaking, (Splenda has a little bit of a weird aftertaste) but it looks like a winner. In fact, I don't think it will make it through the weekend if my boys have anything to do with it. It seems to hold up against the best cheesecake ever too - the one my mother makes every year for Thanksgiving. I put my own low carb spin on it, but failed to mention that to them just like I haven't filled them in on that whole Santa thing either... I hope, in time, they will understand.

Erin's Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust
-3/4 cup finely crushed almonds
-3/4 cup almond flour (sometimes referred to as almond meal)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
- 3 eight ounce packages of fat free cream cheese, softened
- 15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup light sour cream
- 1 1/4 cup sugar substitute
- 1/4 cup Fat Free French Vanilla Coffeemate Creamer
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Irish Cream liquor (I recommend Baileys)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping
- scant amount of sugar free strawberry topping, light whipped cream, and
strawberries


Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Spray springfoam pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3) Fill a roasting pan with about 1 inch of water and place in the center of the oven
rack.

4) Mix cream cheese in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add ricotta cheese, sour
cream, and sugar substitute one at a time on low speed until blended.

5) In a separate bowl, whisk creamer, vanilla, lemon juice, Irish cream, eggs, and
cinnamon until blended.

6) Pour the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix on medium speed until
creamy.

7) Pour the filling into the springfoam pan and place pan into the water bath for 15
minutes. Turn the temperature down to 275 degrees F and bake for 1 1/2 hours or
until the top is golden brown. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in to cool for
3 hours. Remove and refrigerate until chilled. Top it off with strawberry topping,
whipped cream, and strawberries. Lift fork to mouth and enjoy!

What's Cooking

A book! A book!!!! It's more of a colaborative cookbook than a fictional bestseller, but it's still a book. (This isn't how I imagined how my first foray into world of publishing would be but you have to start somewhere.) I, along with some others, have joined forces with the enemy, Medi Man, (just joking, we are actually FB friends) and will be submitting our stories along with a couple of favorite recipes for an inspirational/motivational cookbook. Yay! So look out Racheal Ray, there's some healthier and more "yum-oh" meals coming your way so don't be surprised if Barnes and Noble starts marking your book down. Put me and my peeps on your show and you might even get a signed copy. =)

YouTube - The Beatles-Paperback Writer

Survivng

All of those holiday treats might have tried to attach themselves directly to my belly, Fester, but to no avail. Sure, I might have injured my knee permanently, (never do lunges when you're body is still freezing cold), but that extra pound is gone. Let's see that makes a total of 115 pounds, right? Damn straight little snowman cookie with the chocolate chip eyes! Nice try Frosty, but you could never touch that.

Moreover, Medi has taken out another full page ad with that woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to me in this months Tampa Parenting magazine again. That makes two months in a row now! The only problem is that chick. She definitely stole my look. I know they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but she seriously needs get her own style.

True, it's no Time, or Vogue or even a Victoria Secret catalogue but a delivery in the mail of the latter could lead to someone possibly picking up a Parenting magazine down the road... It's just cool to be in any publication and to support something I really care about when most of my life I've never really been confident enough in my appearance to put myself out there. (And I had dreams of it being for something I wrote, for my mind...)

Who knows, I might even make to the January issue. Yeah, they should totally do a new shoot every month with free clothes and a whole glam squad just to change it up. I could be their very first calendar girl and any residual profits could be used to throw parties for all the clients and staff. Like the Cafe Disco on The Office, only in a medical clinic and without Dwight. There's plenty more ideas where that came from but they have to hire me before I divulge anymore. :)

But until that happens, all I can offer is a song. This goes out to everyone who got through 2010 but especially to all my sisters. To the women who still manage to reach out to others despite being sick. The women who made it through the season despite having shotty metabolisms that don't enable them to consume as many calories as those skinny bitches. And to the women who succeeded despite having to wear tacky stage outfits designed by their mother. Here's to you and an even better new year!

The Skinny on Carbs

It's not just about counting calories when losing weight that matters. The amount of carbohydrates you consume are important too. Scientists now saying carbs, not fat, are to blame for America's ills - latimes.com

Jingle All the Way

Tis the season to be jolly with, (among other things), extra helpings, extra drinks, desserts, and cookies - all things that put on the pounds. Exercise is probably you're best line of defense against that pumpkin pie but, if you're like me, you need a little motivation to tie those sneakers on.

This is exactly why my family and I have decided to sign up for a run. The annual Jingle Bell for Arthritis run takes place December 4th at International Plaza in Tampa and is not only a great way to keep your weight down but help a charity as well. Moreover, it's one of the funner races out there with jingle bells provided for your shoelaces, Christmas music, and Santa himself cheering you on. There are serious runners participating but also a big group of people with their dogs and baby strollers who are just trying to be active. You can choose either a 5K (3.2 miles) or a 1 mile "race" and walk, run, or walk/run to the finish line. Whatever works best for you. Get your family involved too and make a memorable event out of it, you'll be glad you did.

More specifically, if any Medi Weight Loss patients would like to join me on that day and form a group to further support and celebrate the healthier changes we've made, please contact me. (Just post a comment and it will directly be forwarded to my email.) For more information go to - 2010 Jingle Bell Run/Walk - Tampa - Home

Don't Walk This Way

Let's face it, not many people enjoy feeling the burn while doing countless repetitions of toning exercises, so when football hall of famer JOE MONTANA says the new Skechers Shape-Ups really work, I started to wonder. Could these expensive sneakers really be the answer to shapely leg prayers of the masses everywhere or has the ex quarterback blown through his retirement fund and extremely hard up for cash? It just seems very unlikely that he would have to worry about that problem. First of all, he was known for his arm throwing abilities and secondly, I highly doubt he has any cellulite or would ever be caught dead wearing a pair off camera. Upon doing some research, I found the following article from ivillage. It's not the most sought after health and fitness source but the findings were based on real study,(with no details given), and the writer's own personal experience. That's seems fairly reliable,right?

www.ivillage.com/toning-shoes-don-t-walk-walk/4-a-229566

(Speaking of walking...Did I mention the Aerosmith concert coming up this Saturday? Well they're going to be at the 1-800 Ask Gary Amphitheater, so be there or be square. And don't forget which way to walk. Steven Tyler knows.

Found

I'm still standing or as June, the 80 year old receptionist at the clinic put it, "They're bringing you back Miss. Sexy!" Now that's more like it, although I do think they should use my latest photo. It's more dramatic and would probably be more motivating to a potential patient. Yeah, and it should be blown up to true billboard size too with a big x covering up most of the before picture... :) And no they wouldn't have to fix that bright spot on my uterus. I don't have any super powers. It was just the way the light was reflecting off the canvas although I have been told that I do radiate a certain light from within...

The sign police tried to bring me down but Medi proved too strong for them and promptly renewed their permit with plans to put it up again as soon as humanly possible. Nurse B. (aka mother hen) made damn sure of it the moment they tried to cart it away like it was nothing.

Next time they better watch who their ordering around with their inane rules. They oughta know that you just can't keep a good woman down.

Song of the day: #1. YouTube - Chumbawamba - Tubthumping AND #2. YouTube - Hall And Oates - You Make My Dreams Come True (Music Video) (1980) (because you just can't get enough Hall and Oates)

Casulaties of Maintenance

Argghhh!!! The holidays suck. Getting ready for the Jingle Bell 5k race and having Halloween candy within a 20 foot radius of me is slowly draining my strength. My brain hurts from trying not to figure out where the fun size snickers are hidden, I smell as rancid as a basket of dirty socks, and I'm too weary to move. It's no piece of cake being healthy. Mmmm, frosting. Must... regenerate... energy... now...need water...must never surrender

YouTube - Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop