Know What Youre Drinking & a Sunday Funny!

What we drink can really pack a punch of extra calories, fat, & sugar- dont let those sneak up on you! Heres some info that can help keep us in the know and help us limit those liquid calories!

I found both of these images on Pinterest.....heres a funny for your Sunday

What's Cookin' Wednesday: Rutabaga Fries!

Image via Planet Thrive

Okay... so before you totally flip out on me... hear me out! I know... Rutabagas... weird! At least that is what I though at first... but on my mission to reduce carbohydrate consumption in our household I have resorted to some out-of-the-box recipes... and this is one of them!

Rutabagas have roughly one THIRD the calories as the same sized white potato... and one FOURTH the carb count! WOW!

This recipe is from Affairs of Living... they have a boat load of recipes for new and exciting ways to use vegetables and cook Vegan or Gluten-free... I would definitely suggest you spend some time there browsing.

Ingredients
1 Rutabaga
olive oil to taste
seasoning of your choice - Salt/Pepper/Garlic/Italian Herbs ... etc

Preparation
1. peel and slice your Rutabaga into 1/2" by 1/2" strips
2. coat in olive oil and seasonings
3. place on cookie sheet in a single layer
4. bake for 40-45 minutes at 425

Make sure to flip them 3-4 times while they cook... you can also broil them at the last minute to brown them up a bit faster if need be...

The key to reducing the calorie content of this dish is the amount of olive oil used... Olive oil has roughly 119 calories per tablespoon... so 1 Rutabaga and 2 tbsp of Olive Oil will be less than 300 calories and 8 grams of carbs... less depending on how much oil...

Try it out... let me know what you think!

Tummy Tuesday : Cauliflower 'Mashed Potatoes'

{Image via Crossfit East Village}

So I have decided to cut way back on my carb intake lately... Both me and my fiance could stant to control our eating habits much more than we are currently... For me that means low-carb... So I am ditching the starches like rice, potatoes, pasta and bread until I can balance my diet a bit better.... My fiance being a Meat and Potatoes kinda guy is completely on board with uping our protein but will probably not do too well if I do not make an effort keep things 'normal' for him... my solution? Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes of course!

Ingredients
1 medium head of Cauliflower ~20oz
1/4 cup of Butter/Cream/Milk --> whatever you normally use to make mashed potatoes
Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder to taste
Optional: 1/4 cup of low-carb instant potatoes to adjust texture

Preparation

1. Cook/Steam Cauliflower by whatever method you choose... Cauliflower is ready when it can be easily pierced by a fork.

2. Add additional ingredients as you so choose - blend together with a hand blender or in a food processor.

This is a pretty quick and easy alternative to real mashed potatoes.... If you add 1/4 cup of butter and cream and a clove of garlic, this recipe will yield roughly 4 servings with 188 calories and 4.3 net carbs each .... not too shabby!

Tummy Tuesday : Fettuccine Alfredo

{Image Via FoodNetwork.com}

So... Pasta and Healthy usually do not go together... tons of creamy and buttery goodness just cannot be healthy... can they? Well, the folks at Food Network have found a pretty awesome way to 'fake' it... you have to try this!

Ingredients
2 cups cauliflower florets, about 8-ounces
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces whole grain fettuccine pasta
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup low-fat evaporated milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup frozen petite peas, thawed, (4 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Preparation
1. Put the cauliflower, broth, and 1 cup water in a small pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool 5 minutes. Carefully puree cauliflower and all the liquid in a blender until very smooth; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, 8 minutes. Drain well, reserving about 1 cup pasta cooking water.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower puree and evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the peas until heated through, 2 minutes. Toss in the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese and about 1/2 cup of pasta water until the noodles are coated but the sauce is still loose. Remove from the heat and toss in the butter, chopped parsley and lemon zest. (If the sauce seems thick, adjust the consistency with the remaining pasta water). Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped parsley.

This recipe takes a little longer than the ones I typically recommend (35mins), but for 325 calories a serving it might just be worth it!

Food Network surprised me with their selection of healthy meal options... they might surprise you too!

Tummy Tuesday: Three-Bean Chili

{Image Via CookingLight.com}

This recipe comes to us from CookingLight.com... another great resource for healthy meals for those of us short on time!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup pre-chopped onion

1/2 cup pre-chopped green bell pepper

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup water and next 9 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

This is the perfect recipe for a cold winter day! This recipe will make 6 servings with only 180 calories each! Cooking Light has a whole slew of great 'comfort food' recipes like this one... you should check if your favorites are on the list and see if you can shave some calories off your favorite meals!

Tummy Tuesday : Southwestern Pizza

{Image Via Fitnessmagazine.com}

Fitness Magazine has found a fun way to make one of my favorite dishes, Pizza, a little bit more healthy! They have loads of dinner ideas that take less than 20 minutes to make... I'd suggest this one:

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 12-inch 100% whole wheat pizza crust

1 cup prepared tomato salsa

1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat 2 percent mozzarella

1 1/3 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small sweet red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place crust on sheet and top with salsa, 1 cup mozzarella, beans, sliced red pepper, and scallions. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

2. Place pizza in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until mozzarella is melted. Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro if desired. Cut into six slices and serve.

The whole Pizza has less than 1500 calories! Compared to a Large Veggie Lovers pizza from Pizza Hut you're saving more than 1000 calories!

And of course you can mix up the toppings and share with friends!

Tummy Tuesday : Grilled Chicken with Chipotle-Orange Glaze

{Image via EatingWell.com}

Here is a great recipe from the folks at Eatingwell.com - they have a TON of quick, easy, and most importantly HEALTHY recipes! You should definitely check them out!

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it makes 2 servings... perfect for dinner and lunch leftovers for one... or dinner for two... no wasted food here!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, thawed
1.5 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, (see Note)
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat (8 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat grill or broiler to high. Lightly oil the rack.

2. Whisk orange juice concentrate, chiles, vinegar, molasses and mustard in a small bowl.

3. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Grill or broil the chicken for 2 minutes. Turn the chicken, brush with the chipotle-orange glaze, and cook, brushing occasionally with more of the glaze, 4 minutes more. Turn the chicken again, brush with the glaze, and cook until no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 5 minutes more.

Eatingwell.com also lists the nutrition content of all their recipes... one serving of this recipe only contains 152 calories! crazy!!