Five Meal Friday

Welcome to Five Meal Friday...... I hope you enjoy the selections..... and don't forget to add a comment if you try one of the meals!

Turkey Chili Burgers with Spiced Ketchup

2 cup(s) marinara sauce
1 package(s) (1 1/4-ounce) chili seasoning, such as McCormick
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pound(s) ground white-meat turkey
4 ounce(s) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup(s) bread crumbs, packaged
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
8 hamburger-style rolls

1.Make the ketchup: Combine 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, 3 tablespoons chili seasoning, and chipotles in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes and keep warm.

2.Make the burgers: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the turkey, 2 ounces cream cheese, bread crumbs, and remaining chili seasoning and marinara sauce in a large bowl. Shape into 8 patties.

3.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the burgers, 4 at a time, for 3 minutes on a side. Transfer to a baking pan. Place in the oven and cook for 8 more minutes. Serve each burger on a roll with 1 tablespoon cream cheese and ketchup.

Serves: 8

Nutrition Facts: Calories 362, Total Fat 20g, Saturated Fat--, Cholesterol 85mg, Sodium 594mg, Total Carbohydrate 27g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars --, Protein 21g, Calcium --

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 cup(s) multigrain pancake mix, such as Up Country Organics
1 large egg
1/2 cup(s) all-natural peanut butter
1 cup(s) milk
1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 cup(s) semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Stir the pancake mix, egg, peanut butter, milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl. Melt about 1 teaspoon butter in large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour three to four 1/4-cupfuls of batter on the heated skillet to form pancakes and cook until the tops bubble and the edges begin to crisp. Turn and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Transfer pancakes to a baking pan and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serves: 4

Nutrition: Calories 164, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat --, Cholesterol 23mg, Sodium 48mg, Total Carbohydrate 13g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars --, Protein 4g, Calcium --

Marilyn's Mac and Cheese

2 cup(s) shell macaroni
1/4 cup(s)grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup(s) grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup(s) grated provolone cheese
1/2 cup(s) sour cream
1 can(s) (15-ounce) diced stewed tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
2 teaspoon(s) fresh oregano

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook macaroni according to package instructions, drain, and transfer to a 4-cup casserole dish. Stir in remaining ingredients and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Serves: 6

Nutrition: Calories 255, Total Fat 12g, Saturated Fat --, Cholesterol 28mg, Sodium 283mg, Total Carbohydrate 28g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars --, Protein 10g, Calcium --

Avocado and Ham Sandwiches

2 loaf(s) (about 18 inches each) ficelle
1/4 cup(s)butter, softened
2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon(s) coarse black pepper
3/4 pound(s) Virginia ham, sliced
3 large avocados, peeled and sliced

1.Cut each ficelle loaf into 3 equal pieces, and split each horizontally along one side, leaving the other side intact. Open the pieces so they lie flat.

2.Stir the butter, mustard, and pepper together until smooth, and spread on both sides of the bread. Layer with the ham and avocado, and sprinkle with the sea salt.

3. Wrap the sandwiches with parchment, and tie with a string to secure. Keep chilled and serve within 3 hours.

Serves 6

Nutrition: Calories 400, Total Fat 24g, Saturated Fat --, Cholesterol 45mg, Sodium 820mg, Total Carbohydrate 31g, Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars --, Protein 15g, Calcium --

Cashew Chicken

1 10.75-oz. can condensed golden mushroom soup
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
1-1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1 16-oz. pkg. frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
1 4-oz. can (drained weight) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup cashews
Hot cooked brown rice* (optional)

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine mushroom soup, soy sauce, and ginger. Stir in chicken, stir-fry vegetables, and mushrooms.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.

3. Stir cashews into chicken mixture. If desired, serve over hot cooked rice. Makes 6 servings.
*For really fast rice, use two 8.8-ounce pouches cooked whole grain brown rice and heat them in the microwave according to package directions.

Servings: 6

Nutrition: Calories 256, Total Fat (g) 8, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 68, Sodium (mg) 1026, Carbohydrate (g) 13,
Total Sugar (g) 4, Fiber (g) 3, Protein (g) 31, Vitamin C (DV%) 29, Calcium (DV%) 2,
Iron (DV%) 9



~Ciao

Snack Time Tuesday

Ok...... here is our first snack time Tuesday!!! I think it is important, if you want to lose weight, to get on a regular routine of eating. For me, it was eating 3 small meals and 3 snacks a day. I usually ate these around the same time a day as well. Snacks were a hard thing for me to get a handle on. I hated eating the same thing all the time. I will, hopefully, throughout the weeks to come be able to give you some different options. However, it is up to you to try them out! The hardest part I know!

Get started
From Healthwise

A big part of healthy eating is eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk products. Healthy snacks are a great way to make sure that you get plenty of these nutritious foods every day. Use these ideas to get started.

Make smart snack choices
Find healthier substitutes for high-fat snacks. If your favorite high-fat snack is potato chips and dip, try baked tortilla chips with bean dip or hummus instead.
Make snacks interesting. If the idea of a plain piece of fruit doesn't appeal to you, try dipping fruit slices in low-fat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg.

Be prepared.

Have snacks ready for when you get hungry. For example, keep healthy snacks with you at work or school, in your car, and at home. If you have a healthy snack easily available, it's less likely that you'll pick a candy bar or bag of chips instead.

Foods that make quick, healthy snacks:
Yogurt
String cheese
Low-fat microwave popcorn
Canned fruit or applesauce in single-serving containers
Raisins and other dried fruit
Whole wheat crackers
Pretzels
Flavored rice cakes
Unsalted nuts
Baby carrots
Cherry tomatoes

Snack ideas:
Combine honey and peanut butter or almond butter for a protein-rich dip for raw apples, carrots, celery, and pretzel sticks. This spread also tastes great on bagels, rice cakes, and whole-grain crackers.
Mix fresh or frozen berries with low-fat yogurt. Top with sliced almonds or granola to make a fruit parfait.
Top whole-grain crackers with low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese and sliced tomatoes or red pepper strips.
Make your own healthy trail mix with high fiber cereal, dried fruit (such as cranberries, blueberries, and dates), and nuts such as almonds. This mix also makes a great topping for yogurt.
Spread low-fat cream cheese on a whole-grain bagel. Sprinkle sunflower seeds and raisins on top of the cream cheese for extra flavor.
Dip colorful sliced vegetables in low-fat salad dressing or hummus. Try red, yellow, and orange bell peppers; broccoli; cauliflower; and cherry tomatoes.

I hope that this works as a starting off point for you!!! If you have any questions you know where to find me!

~Ciao

Fun Fun Fundraiser

Hey Ya'll..... There will be a fun

Zumba Party to benefit The Utah Down Syndrome Foundation.

Here is the 411:

Date: Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Place: The Apollo, American Fork (50 N. Church Street)
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Cost: $10/preregister, $12 at door (preregister with Laura Vanderhoff)
Attire: workout wear and COSTUMES!!! Yeah BABY!
Instructors: Laura Vanderhoff, Jessica Crook, Shannon Robinson, Desree Bennett
There will be free giveaways, food, fun, and laughter. Come for the whole time or just a little.

Unless you come to MY Thursday night class, I hope you are able to go!! Hee Hee Hee.......

Five Meal Friday

Welcome to our first ever Five Meal Friday. The goal is to help you find yummy meals that are easy to prepare and low in calories. If you are trying to lose weight, it is important that you count your calories each and every day. A PAIN I know!!! However, to lose weight it is very important that you consume less calories than you are burning in a day.

Posted are five very scrumptious recipes that are around 400 calories and very very yummy.... that's the most important part right???? If you try any of the following recipes, please post a comment and let us know how it turned out!!!

Raviloi Skillet Lasagna

2 Cups purchased pasta sauce
1/3 Cup water
1 9-ounce package refrigerated or frozen cheese or meat filled ravioli
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 150ounce carton ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

1. In a 10 inch skillet combine pasta sauce and the water. Bring to boiling; stir in ravioli. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, over medium heat about 5 minutes or until ravioli are nearly tender, stirring once to prevent sticking.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together egg, ricotta cheese, and the 1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese. Top ravioli with spinach. Spoon ricotta mixture on top of spinach. Cook, covered, over low heat about 10 minutes or until ricotta layer is set and ravioli are tender. Sprinkle each serving with additional Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Yields: 4 Main dish servings

Nutrition: Calories 433, Total Fat (g) 14, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg)131, Sodium (mg) 501, Carbohydrates (g) 49, FIber (g) 3, Protein (g) 36, Vitamin C (DV%) 15, Calcium (DV%) 32, Iron (DV%) 8.

Fast Chicken and Rice

1 8.8-ounce package cooked brown or white rice
1/2 Cup frozen peas
1 pound chicken breast tenders, halved crosswise
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1/4 Cup bottled stir-fry sauce
Packaged oven-roasted sliced almonds

1. Stir peas into rice pouch. Heat in microwave according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and stir chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir rice mixture into skillet. Stir in stir-fry sauce; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with almonds.

Yields: 4 Servings

Nutrition: Calories 311, Total Fat (g) 9, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 66, Sodium (mg) 453, Carbohydrates (g) 25, FIber (g) 2, Sugar (g) 1, Protein (g) 31, Vitamin C (DV%) 5, Calcium (DV%) 3, Iron (DV%) 8.

Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce

1 2 1/2 to 3 pound pork sirloin roast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
1 Cup root beer (do not substitute with diet root beer)
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Cups root beer (2 12-ounce cans or bottles, do not substitute with diet root beer)
1 Cup bottled chili sauce (I recommend starting with 1 Tbsp!!! We added 1 Cup and it was WWAAAYYY too spicy!!!! We canned the sauce all together and just used BBQ sauce and they were delicious!)
8-10 hamburger buns, split (toasted, if desired)
Lettuce and Tomato for garnish

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut roast to fit into a 3 1/2 to 5 quart crock pot. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Transfer meat to cooker. Add onions, the 1 Cup root beer, and garlic.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 - 10 hours or on high setting for 4 to 5 hours.

3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan combine the 3 cups of root beer and the chili sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups.

4. Transfer roast to a cutting board or serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from cooking juices and place on serving platter. Discard juices. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. To serve, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Add meat and onions; spoon on sauce.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Nutrition: Calories 356, Total Fat (g) 10, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 59, Sodium (mg) 786, Carbohydrates (g) 44, FIber (g) 1, Protein (g) 22, Vitamin C (DV%) 9, Vitamin A (DV%) 4, Calcium (DV%) 4, Iron (DV%) 13.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 Cups torn fresh spinach or 1/2 of one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and
well drained
1 8-ounce carton light dairy sour cream
1/4 Cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Cup fat-free milk
1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained
6 7-in flour tortillas
1/3 Cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Chopped tomato or salsa (optional)
1/4 Cup thinly sliced green onions

1. In a 3-quart saucepan place chicken in enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. remove chicken from saucepan. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred chicken into bite size pieces. (You should have about 1 1/2 Cups) Set aside.

2. If using fresh spinach, place spinach in a steamer basket over boiling water. Reduce heat. Steam, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. (Or, cook in a small amount of boiling water, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes.) Drain well.

3. In a large bowl combine chicken, spinach, and green onions; set aside. In a bowl combine sour cream, yogurt, flour, cumin, and salt. Stir in milk and chili peppers. Divide sauce in half. Set one portion aside.

4. For filling, combine one portion of the sauce and the chicken-spinach mixture. Divide the filling among the tortillas. Roll up tortillas. Place, seam side down, in an ungreased 2 quart rectangular baking dish.

5. Spoon rserved portion of sauce over tortillas. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven, about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. To serve, if desired, garnish with chopped tomato or salse.

Yields: 6 Enchiladas

Nutrition: Calories 428, Total Fat (g) 16, Saturated Fat (g) 7, Cholesterol (mg) 58, Sodium (mg) 640, Carbohydrates (g) 45, Protein (g) 24, Vitamin C (DV%) 31, Vitamin A (DV%) 15, Calcium (DV%) 22, Iron (DV%) 14.

Slithering Snakewich

1 16-ounce loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
4 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese, diagonally cut in half
4 ounces sliced cheddar cheese, diagonally cut in half
1 3.5-ounce package sliced pepperoni
1 8-ounce can pizza sauce
1/2 cup red, green, and/or yellow sweet pepper strips
1 strip roasted red sweet pepper
2 pimiento-stuffed olives

1. Place thawed bread dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 22-inch long rope. Place on a large greased baking sheet forming a "snaky S" shape. Let rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until double in size. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.

2. Hollow out the center portion of the loaf about 1-inch deep and 1-1/2-inches wide, leaving about 2-inches on each end of the loaf. Layer cheeses down the center of loaf, pressing cheese slices down into the hollowed portion of the loaf. In a medium bowl, stir together the pepperoni and pizza sauce. Spoon atop the cheese. Top with the strips of sweet pepper. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

3. Make a slit in the front of the loaf and insert a roasted red pepper strip for a tongue; insert two pimento stuffed olives with toothpicks for eyes.

Yields: 8 Servings

Nutrition: Eat it for Halloween and don't worry about it!!!! CELEBRATE!

I hope you enjoy your week of yummy food!!! I know it's overwhelming at first. But I know you are strong and you can do it if you want to!!! Trust me, I did it, and I'm the most unmotivated person I know! :)

~Ciao

**All recipes were found on the Better Homes & Gardens website.... check them out, they're FANTASTIC!!!!!

Well Hello!!!

Hey Ya'll!!!! Welcome to Zumba Bash with Ash.... it's going to be a good time, I pinky swear! On this blog we will be talking about ways to love Zumba even more. Like that's even possible, I know! We will be talking about healthy eating and great snacky snacks! Also, this is where you want to go to find info on fun Zumba events and parties and fundraisers and stuff! SO...... please keep checking in!

Some regularly scheduled posts will be:

Snack Time Tuesday and Five Meal Friday

See ya soon!!!

~Ciao