A Shower for My Besty Bride to Be...and a healthy BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

So, one of my best friends gets married this Friday. I am so excited for her. I love her. I love her fiance. I love the whole thing. It's so great. One of those weddings where you know it's going to be a good time.

 I am one of her bridesmaids, and we threw a shower for her last night. Good times people. Good times.

Lots of fun people.

 

 Some great gifts. 

 And of course, some good eats too!

 I made a fruit salsa with baked cinnamon chips that I haven't ever made before, that turned out to be quite a hit...recipe to come for that one. I also made one of my favorite Southwestern bbq Chicken Salads. It's super healthy...don't tell anyone. ;)

Benita found the cutest lil' mini cans of Diet Coke, which just happen to be Roxy's favorite beverage. We were happy to oblige. 

It was so great to get to hang out together for the night, and I am SO excited for you Roxies!! You will be a BEAUTIFUL bride! 

This BBQ Chicken Salad is SO easy to throw together, and it is really tasty.

Healthy Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 head of romaine lettuce chopped
1 head of green leaf lettuce chopped
1 small can of sweet corn
1 can of black beans rinsed and drained
2 chicken breasts cooked with bbq sauce (I cooked mine in a pan, but you could easily grill them)
Extra bbq sauce if needed
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 avocado sliced

1-2 TBS of fat free ranch (I used Low Fat Southwestern Avocado Ranch that is available at Smiths. It is the Kroger brand and it is very tasty.)

 Arrange your lettuce on a tray or in your serving dish, and top with beans, corn, tomatoes, and diced chicken. Be sure that your chicken has enough BBQ sauce on it to give the salad some BBQ flavor. Place avocado slices around the top, and drizzle with your ranch dressing. Done. Tell me that wasn't the easiest thing ever?

 What is your favorite "throw together" salad? I love anything with a little mexican flare to it. Costco's Mango Salsa is one of my favorite salad dressings!

South Western BBQ Chicken Wrap

I struggle with protein. It's a known fact. I love all fruits and veggies. I do NOT love meat. I can handle lean chicken and turkey. Not just any chicken or turkey...it has to be prepared well with virtually no fat. Picky...I know. With that being said, I'm constantly looking for new ways to pack my protein in, in forms that I can handle. My newest creation is just downright delectable, and super easy!

Southwestern BBQ Chicken Wrap

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast boiled and diced into small pieces
2 tbs bbq sauce
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup sweet corn
1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low carb Tortilla
*optional fat free ranch dressing

Directions:
Combine chicken with bbq sauce in a bowl. Add black beans and corn. Heat up in microwave for 45 seconds if you want the wrap hot. Heat up tortilla in microwave for 20 seconds. (These AMAZING tortillas are now available at Costco by the way...awesome.)
Dish out bbq contents on tortilla and drizzle with ranch if desired.
Fold up, and Voila! I promise it's divine.

Nutrition facts:
347 calories
37 grams of protein (awesome)
8 grams of fat
48 grams of carbohydrates
19 grams of fiber

Seriously...so healthy and SO freaking good for you. Try it.

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

One of my FAVORITE healthy recipes (and one of the easiest) is BBQ chicken sandwiches you make in the crock pot. Very high in protein, and low in fat.

1 (4-pound) bag of frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16 oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I hear a lot of people LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's)
1 Cup of water
2 dozen rolls (I get fresh wheat rolls and they are very good!)

Place the chicken breasts in the crock pot frozen. Cook all day over medium heat. When chicken is cooked through pour off the excess water and fat and shred the chicken in the crock pot with a fork. Pour BBQ sauce of top of chicken and stir. Put on warm until ready to serve. Serve on rolls. Enjoy!

*this is a great meal for leftovers. The chicken can be used on top of salads, with wraps, or even eaten alone.

Memorial Day Eats

Duck Beach is Beautiful...in case you were wondering. I'll definitely get some pics up. Until then, here are some healthy recipes you can include in your Memorial day celebrating. Check out THIS POST on making your Memorial Day a Healthy One.


Or, you could try some...
Healthy Mac N' Cheese
Please a crowd of different taste buds with Individual Pizzas 
use your crock pot for some Elegant Chicken or some BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
or use your chicken for a Southwestern BBQ Chicken Wrap
Make a big batch of Sweet Potato Fries 
If BBQing is what you're into check out THESE TIPS on making your BBQ a healthy one and Fire up the grill with these Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto and some Grilled Asparagus Rafts

If you're assignment is dessert
Layer Up some Low Fat Chocolately Parfaits or a delicious English Trifle 
try some light and fluffy Angel Food Cake Delight
or some Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies  
These Frosted Banana Bars serve a crowd easily. 

Most Importantly...
Enjoy yourself and be safe!
Try to get out and do something active!
And say a prayer of thanks for those who have died in our service. :)

What are your Memorial Day Plans? I plan on lying on the beach all day. :) Are you cooking for family? Friends? BBQing? Any healthy recipes you are planning on whipping up? I always have a Memorial Day BBQ, but this year we'll be out enjoying the sun!

Wrap That Salad Up

Remember the BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe from the Shower that I posted?

Well It was delicious for round one, but lucky for me there was a little bit left over. 
I went ahead and saved that for my lunch today for round two. When I went to eat it I was reminded of my Southwestern BBQ Chicken Wrap that I used to make all the time, and I decided to wrap up the remains of my salad.

BBQ Chicken Salad + La Tortilla Factory Wrap = Perfection

So, not only is the BBQ Chicken Salad recipe bomb, but it makes for some great QUICK and easy lunch leftovers!


Do you like leftovers? I love them. Yummy food in a hurry with no fuss? Yes please.

Freedom, Food, Family, Friends, and Fruit Ka-bobs

I hope everyone had an AWESOME 4th of July weekend. I most certainly did. I really loved every second of it.
I managed to...

eat lots of family dinners/meals/bbq's...

 spend a night on the town with my besties...(Yes, that is a golf cart. My friends bought one over the weekend. Totally normal, right?)

 enjoy a night at Provo's famous, Stadium of Fire; featuring Brad Paisley, David Archuletta, and a whole lotta fireworks.

 congratulate two of my favorite peeps on getting engaged...

 watch the Provo Freedom Festival Parade w/my fam...

 watch the incredible park city fireworks with my friends...

 in the rain...

and enjoyed MANY good and healthy eats along the way. I found a version of these fruit kabobs on Lemonade Making Mama on Pinterest and I just HAD to revamp them and make them festive.

Easy? yes.
Darling? Yes.
Healthy? not to shabby.

 

 4th of July Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients: 

1 angel food cake

blueberries

raspberries

strawberries

blackberries

lite whipped cream or cool whip

fat free sugar free chocolate pudding 

skewers 

Directions: 

Prepare chocolate pudding as directed. Wash and cut your fruit. Cut your angel food cake into cubes. Arrange on your skewers. Serve along side chocolate pudding and whipped cream for dipping. Easy peasy.

We served these with a side of whipped cream and a side of ff/sf chocolate pudding, and a lot of people mixed them like a chocolate mousse. I am a big fan. I served some at our family bbq and some at a bbq with friends. I was thinking of ways you could really adapt them to any holiday. Kiwi and strawberries for Christmas...strawberries and raspberries for Valentines day...blackberries and oranges or cuties for Halloween...the possibilities are endless. Such a light and healthy treat. This is a great reminder that dessert can be light and healthy and absolutely delicious too!

How was your 4th of July? I hope it was great. It's such a fun holiday!  Do you Pinterest? I am officially obessed. Just what I need...another online distraction...

Memorial Day BBQ Makeovers

Memorial Day = BBQ

It's just common knowledge, but that doesn't mean it has to be Calorie Fest '09. Here are some great ways to make your BBQ healthy and delicious!

On the grill:
-go for lean meats or fish instead of beef which tends to be higher in fat and calories
-make kebabs with meat and veggies
-use Boca burgers or veggie patties instead of hamburgers
-use 97% fat free hot dogs
-when choosing chicken go with the skinless option to cut out unwanted calories
-use low cal salsa's (click here for a great recipe), try new spices, or marinades that aren't fat based to flavor
-Grill your veggies too! Try THIS recipe for Grilled Asparagus Rafts.
-use wheat buns instead of white
-wrap your meat in large lettuce leaves instead of using buns if you're going low-carb

On the side:
-fruit and veggie trays are ALWAYS popular. Who doesn't love cold, crisp, cut up watermelon?
-make a fresh green salad...use whatever veggies or fruits you can get your hands on and make a fresh balsamic dressing to top it off
-buy baked chips instead of regular chips
-hummus and pita bread/pita chips make a great side dish and veggies dipped in hummus is divine as well!
-avoid mayo-based salads (you know the type...grandma's potato salad...prime culprit) they tend to be high in fat and calories
-corn on the cob.....enough said. (p.s. it's on sale 10 ears for $2 @ my fave Sunflower Market right now)
-try some delicious oven baked sweet potato french fries (I love em!)
-take advantage of the fresh fruits and veggies in season!

On the sweet side: meaning dessert of course...
-go for Dreyer's Grand Light Ice Cream/or a nonfat frozen yogurt, instead of the full fat kind
-try a fruity sorbet topped with fresh raspberries and blackberries
-if you're baking a cake or cookies use healthy substitutions
-Fruit! always a good dessert!
-find a lower fat options such as strawberry shortcake or a pudding parfait
-make rootbeer floats with diet root beer and nonfat frozen yogurt
-get creative!

Do something active! Take the time to go for a bike ride, hike, or walk. Involve the whole family in a game of football or steal the flag. Make it fun :)

Just remember Holiday doesn't mean Hay-day. Make smart healthy choices! Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and be safe!

BBQ Blues

Ok...so i don't post this to make you sad about the summertime BBQ's we all love. BUT I just want to make you aware. Knowledge is power right? With summertime comes the outdoor eats that are an American Pastime. But you may want to rethink the menu. Here are some BBQ nutrition facts...

• A grilled cheeseburger (4 ounces) weighs in at a hefty 14 grams of fat for 300 calories with a whopping 610 mg count of sodium.
• A hot dog (3.5 ounce) clocks in at 15 grams of fat, 240 calories and 480 grams of sodium.
• Sides of coleslaw (1/2 cup) have 11 grams of fat and 114 calories.
• Potato chips have 12 grams of fat per 1 ounce.

So now that you feel like I've destroyed all your favorite foods, don't get too down. There are so many other great options that can make your summer eats delicious and nutritious.

• Marinate! The best way to infuse your meals with flavor is to spice up some lean meats with marinades and throw them on the grill.
  
• Instead of slathering too sweet barbeque sauce on everything, use citrus juices, broths, small amounts of good quality oils, vinegars, low sodium soy sauces, herbs and spices to marinate poultry, meat and seafood. Meats and poultry should marinate for at least 1 to 2 hours while fish and veggies need only 1 hour.
  
• Cook with lower fat cuts of beef, poultry and seafood. Swap that steak for salmon! Make a burger from lean ground beef mixed with some ground turkey to lower the fat content.
  Grill lots of vegetables. Almost every vegetable can be grilled! All that you'll need is a light marinade or a light brush of oil as you grill.
  
• Prepare more fresh salads than mayonnaise drenched slaws and potato salads. Lighten creamy salads with lower fat mayonnaise and by substituting vinegars for the mayonnaise.
• Start your meal out with a fresh fruit or veggie tray so you don't fill up on the more fattening foods!
  

Quick and Easy Dinner

I love to cook, but I'm all about the quick and easy! Here is a dinner that is delicious and healthy, and won't keep you in the kitchen all afternoon.


BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 can of reduced fat pizza crust (the kind your pop open and roll out)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup red onion, slivered
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup grated cheese (part skim mozzarella works great!)
1-2 cups of boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked and shredded)

Roll out pizza crust. Pour over BBQ sauce and spread evenly. Add cheese, chicken, pineapple and red onion. Bake at 400 for 15-20 min. This makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: (1 serving) 296 cals, 7 gm fat, 41 gm carbs, 18 gm protein.

This pizza is really good and is really easy to make! Add a side of a fruit and a veggie and you have yourself a meal. Enjoy :)

Post Thanksgiving Survival Tips

I decided today that shopping is good exercise. You walk and walk and walk and you are happy about it. In fact, you are glad to do it. H&M is on the third floor of this mall? Sure thing. I'm on my way. Forever 21 is back downstairs? You better believe that is not a problem...and so on. It's great. I hope your Thanksgiving meals were not to detrimental to your awesome regimen you have going for you; and if it wasn't do like Aliyah says and brush yourself off and try again. Hopefully these tips will help you get back on your feet, both literally and figuratively. 

Survival Tip #1: Use your holiday leftovers to your benefit. Use your turkey to make healthy recipes. It's a great form of protein that is already prepared for you. Make a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread chalked full of veggies, a Southwestern BBQ Wrap, put it in a whole wheat pita with some hummus and grilled veggies, dice it up and makes some enchiladas, wrap it up with some spinach and fresh veggies in a La Tortilla Factory Tortilla, make some bbq turkey sandwiches, or shred it and top off one of your favorite pizza's.

Survival Tip #2: Make a game plan for December. This is when the holiday parties begin to get crazy. Reaaal crazy. The desserts with be coming at you like hot cakes. Set some goals for yourself. Only eat dessert on the weekends, or one or two days a week. Decide you are only going to have one portion of dessert when that time comes. If you have made up your mind ahead of time you will be more likely to stick to your plan of action when the decision comes to you. If you are wishy washy about what you want to do when that warm plate of fresh cookies arrives at your doorstep you are a lot more likely to succumb to the temptation. It's all about moderation. 

Survival Tip #3: Be party smart. Be the guest that brings the healthy salad, veggie tray, or fruit slices to the party. You'll notice that your healthy dish will almost always be gobbled up completely. People appreciate healthy food. If you are pretty sure the food options at the party are going to be less than stellar, eat before hand. If you are starving when you get there you will be a lot more likely to eat everything in sight. We make bad decisions when we are hungry. If you have to eat there load your plate up the smart way, and pay attention to your portions.

Survival Tip #4: Watch your Sugar intake. As I mentioned before sugar is a big down fall for a lot of us. Think of how many plates of goodies and treats you come in contact with from now until the end of December. It's frightening. Now think of what will happen if you partake of all of those treats...even more frightening. Be smart. Don't just leave all your gifted treats on your counter where you can freely graze on them without thinking about it all day. Re-gift them (yes, i just suggested that), throw them away (appalling...I know), send them with your husband or boyfriend to work, give them to your kids friend to take home, or freeze them. Whatever you do...DON'T leave them sitting out. You're asking for it if you do. 

Survival Tip #5: Stay Active. You'll be more likely to consume more this time of year, so be smart and move more. Don't skip your workouts, even though it's the easiest thing to drop off your to do list when things get busy. Add some fun active outdoor activities into your holiday traditions. Go ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, build a snowman, take a walk around the neighborhood to see the lights, have a snowball fight, go sledding, or shovel your walk. All of these things can be fun and make being active part of your lifestyle, not just forced exercise. 

Survival Tip #6: Be Merry and Bright. Cherish this time of year. Laugh a lot. Get outside when you can. Your body needs that sunshine and Vitamin D. Don't forget to smile and enjoy this fun time of year...and bundle up. It's cold out there!

Also, a reader asked what the nutrition facts were for THIS whole wheat bread recipe. I calculate that one loaf makes 24 servings. I cut the loaf in half and then cut 12 slices from each half. Well, technically we take it right out of the oven and eat it then and there, but the serving amount is still the same. Here are the stats: 

What's a Wafflini?

Today for lunch I wanted something different. I like to eat mainly the same things most of the time, but every now and again I get creative and branch out.
I knew I wanted my lunch to be something with chicken, so I ventured through the fridge for something to make it a little different than the usual.
I decided to grill up my chicken on the george foreman with some BBQ sauce. I chopped that up and put it on a La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortilla.
It looked a little something like this.

 I then decided I wished it was a yummy hot panini-ish sandwhich...but I am panini maker-less. So, use the next best thing, right? The waffle iron, of course.

It was delicious. This little number rang in at 250 calories 7 grams of fat 31 grams of protein 14 grams of fiber. I had it along side some yummy oven roasted veggies. As I was eating it I was already thinking of ways I could spice it up a bit, some thinly sliced red onions or green peppers, pineapple tidbits, or even give is some of the same ingredients as my southwestern bbq chicken wrap.
Easy and delicious!

I mentioned yesterday that my sweet friend Janae wasn't sure if she was going to be able to run the Boston Marathon that she has been training for. She found out today that she has a stress fracture in her femur, and won't be able to run :( My heart is broken for her! She has been working so hard for this! Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and stop by her blog to give her some love!

Quick and Healthy Chicken Kabobs

One thing I miss about being home is the grill. My family loves to bbq. While I was home this week we had a meal that made me wish I had a grill of my own. We made delicious chicken kabobs with roasted veggies and they were so easy and delicious.

Chicken Kabobs:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up into one inch pieces
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- mushrooms
- onions
- red, yellow, and green peppers
- whatever other veggies you'd like to skewer.

Fire up your grill. Stack your veggies and meat on a skewer stick. Place them on the grill and season away. My brother in law seasoned ours with olive oil, salt, pepper, lowry's, and garlic salt. 
Allow your kabobs to cook for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

 

So tasty!

We had a greek salad on the side. Lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, red onion, yellow tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Topped with a dressing made of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper. SO tasty. 

 

As the weather warms up and the bbq's come out, this is the perfect healthy go to meal. You can whip these up in moments, and it always hits the spot! You really can use any meat and vegetables that you like. Kabobs are also a fun meal for kids to help with because they will love helping to build their skewers!

What is your favorite quick way to fix up your meat?

BBQ it up

Sometimes you feel like blogging...and sometimes you don't. :)
I didn't realize I'd gone so long without posting. Sometimes life just get's crazy, right? With summer finally coming into fruition, I decided it was time for a healthy & tasty BBQ recipe.
This is one I found on Eatingwell.com

Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto

Makes 4 Servings

(Photo from eatingwell.com)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, (1-2 bunches)
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (Sesame seeds can be purchased already toasted. Look for them near other Asian ingredients. Or toast your own in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.)

Directions:

1. Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, oil and chili powder in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. Add chicken to the remaining marinade; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Meanwhile, place cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and the reserved marinade in a food processor and process until fairly smooth.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 2 minutes per side. Serve the chicken with the cilantro-sesame pesto.

Nutrition Facts (per one serving)
152 calories; 4 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 290 mg sodium; 105 mg potassium.

Confirmed. I like it green.

When in Rome. Isn't that the phrase they say about doing all the things that make the area what it is when you visit? Well, here in Austin the BBQ is apparently a big deal. If you know me at all, you know I'm not a huge meat person. I like turkey and chicken and that is about it...however, my dad was STOKED on getting some good BBQ in, and the rest of the fam was happy to oblige.

So...to The Salt Lick it was for din din tonight.

 I looked at the menu and was a little bit at a loss...

 Straight up meat. Ummmmm. If you know me you get the struggle there.
My mom, sis and I decided that we'd share the "vegetable plate" and some sliced smoked turkey.

 The vegetable plate was potato salad, cole slaw, and pinto beans. I guess we all define vegetables a little differently.

 

We had a great time, and my dad thought it was money. 

And so did this lil' guy...

 

 As we were walking out I made my fam stop to take pics in front of the meat pit. The worker quickly stopped me and asked if we wanted a better picture. Of course, we did.

Little did we know that they were going to lead us back through the kitchen to stand with all of the cooks. Right in the middle of the action. 

 

Would you look at that meat? Yowza. I think it would make most people's mouths water. I am not one of those people. 

 

I left confirmed that I am a definite veggies girl. Remember how hard it is for me to get my protein in? I was wishing I could pile my Pizza Factory salad to the ceiling.

Isn't my mom a babe? Love her. My fam is just so much fun.

Are you a meat eater or a veggie person? I don't think I could give you a vegetable that I won't eat, but do you want the list of meats I won't eat? Maybe I should just give you the short list of the ones that I do? Yikes.