The Best Pizza Picks for Dieters

My dieting experience isn't what I would call vast, but I have tried more than a few: Adkins, Southbeach, some cabbage soup diet in High School that was ghastly. What I've learned is this: life style changes and exercise work best. Part of that success for me is realizing I will go out to eat and abiding by basic rules. I let myself eat fast food once in a while and when I do, I don't feel so bad if I know what my better options are.

Pizza is arguably the most popular fast food. Besides Chinese, pizza is the only food you can have delivered and it includes many of the four food groups.  I can eat anything on my pizza although I don't prefer meat. My favorites are Pizza Hut's thin and crispy with anchovies, Dominos Fiery Hawaiian (includes jalapenos, bacon, and hot sauce), and a plain mushroom pizza from PaPa Johns (and I eat the pepper). Most of my friends think these pizzas are gross. I say it could be worse--some of the more popular toppings in Japan are squid and Mayo Jaga (mayo, potato, and bacon).

These choices would be a splurge, but there are other options that aren't that bad. Woman's Day falsely stated that the thin crust is always the best option--it's not. Dominos pizza's thin has extra butter, making it higher in both calories and fat. There are a few choices that won't make you go home guilty:

1. Two slices of a  medium Pizza Hut Thin and Crispy Ham and Pineapple have 360 calories and 12 grams of fat. The elliptical for half an hour should burn that off.

2. Two slices of a small, hand tossed, Pacific Veggie American Legends Dominos pizza is 460 calories. You can burn that off by playing an hour and a half of bowling.

 (people at Forest Dominos hate making this btw)

3. Two medium slices of PaPa John's Tuscan Six Cheese is 460 calories. You'll have to play an hour of tennis to get that off but it's fun and there are plenty of courts around the city.


What is your favorite pizza and where does it come from?

Be Quick to Be Slow

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." James 1:19

In the edition that confronts the different facets of caregiving, I can't think of a more appropriate verse. Most women become a caregiver at some point in their lives for an individual or individuals that fit into one of two categories: child or elderly.

This week I watched a nurse walk our 95-year-old neighbor down the street at 8 a.m. I learned that a coworker is pregnant for the first time. I heard a new friend discuss taking action in defending an elderly acquaintance who was forced from her home.

Every day I help my grandmother with one small task or another and wonder when the bigger tasks will arrive. I am often too quick to snap, raise my voice, roll my eyes. I am proud of the moments I listen and really hear what she is saying. When she admonishes me,"Your dog really needs you to spend more time with her," I know that sometimes she is projecting her own feelings of need on the dog because her pride won't let her say otherwise.

It is the hardest task to be kind to those who may need us most. Without being slow to anger and seeking diligence in listening, the most important people in our lives can suffer. And we suffer too. Guilt is a huge agent in defeat and discouragement.

This month I hope to familiarize myself about what support is available in our area for those either weary from caretaking or people just in need of encouragement and support. I hope the journey will lead me to the smallest and greatest pleasures in life.

I hope you'll join me--my dog needs you.

Five Ingredients or Less: West Virginia Jalepno Poppers

I got this recipe from Woman's Day and thought I would add my own twist!

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese

2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

12 small jalepnos

2 large egg whites

3/4 cup corn meal

3/4 cup groundhog meat (if you cannot find road kill, sausage will do)


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, groundhog and cheddar. Spoon into a resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner. Cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise, then remove and discard the seeds. Pipe the cheese mixture into the pepper halves.
3. In a second bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Place the cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Dip each pepper half in the egg whites, then in the cornmeal, turning and pressing gently to help it adhere. Place the halves cheese-side up on the baking sheet.
4. Bake until the peppers are just tender and the cornmeal is a light golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

 SLAP YO PAPPY!

It's a matter of Preception

"The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart." --Psalms 19:8

February is National Heart Month. What a fitting description of a month the celebrates love. This month Woman's day goes in depth about heart disease with risk factors you may or may not realize.

I have already broken some of my resolutions (including writing every day--where does the time go, seriously?) but one that I have kept so far is not smoking. As of today, I am 33 days clean, since I quit on New Year's Eve. I am going to focus on that positive before disclosing (to you and myself) the other risk factors.

It's pretty commonly known that wine, in moderation, is good for your heart. Is it ironic that for smokers, drinking it often a foyer into smoking? The good news is, I have had wine this entire month and I have not succumbed to temptation.

Often we think of God's commandments as a burden. I lived through my twenties ignoring most of the Bible's wisdom. Today, I was sick and stressed, and above of physically drained. I decided to stay in bed and let the day pass by.

Then I thought again. I was tired physically but even more tired of not pushing myself to improve and move forward. I decided the first step was to get up; the second step would be to put makeup on and to perform a few basic errands. By the end of the day, I felt good about myself. I felt good about myself because I did the right thing.

I grow weary of our nation's emphasis on happiness. The banner waved is so often "whatever makes you happy." Whatever happened to "do what's right and eventually the joy in your life will replace old habits and desires?"

Life is hard. The pay off for making good choices is not as immediate. Instant gratification is easier.

I look back at the list of avoiding heart disease: eat right, stop smoking, exercise, use restraint. I think of the Lord's precepts: be honest, work hard, love your enemies, persevere.

I would like 2012 to be a year where my heart, all around, is the strongest ever.

Splurging on EPA

Part of the new year for me will be working on my health. I have a ways to go. I am a little overweight and I have been a smoker, so I really want to start repairing some of the damage I've done over the past decade.

Lean Cuisine has been really good to me, since they have no preservatives, are low priced, and offer a rewards program that allow me to shop (no shipping and their merchandise is quality). With a strict budget for food (another project for the new year--finances) I don't feel as guilty if I splurge on one item.

This supermarket trip I decided to try a product I've seen in Woman's Day several times. Jif now makes a peanut butter with DHA and EPA.

DHA and EPA are believed to help a number of issues including ADHD (check), mental health, cancer, and pregnancy (un-check). Fish oil is another supplement that adds Omega-3's to the body's system but I think you'd agree, this one tastes better. Peanut butter is also a protein that helps you feel more full for longer.

If you're a local resident and would like to try Jif Omega-3 let me know. I picked up an extra jar.

Saving money helps us to be more generous. That's my number one resolution.

Savvy Shopper: Pineapple Salsa

The holidays are over but we've all made our resolutions and if you're strange like me, you starting to buy discount gifts for next Christmas. One of the best gifts I received this year were homemade gifts. I think you can appreciate these gifts more when you attempt to bake for Christmas yourself. You realize how costly and time consuming it becomes.

I imagine most of you have made resolutions to eat more healthy. This issue of Woman's Day lent a few great tips on how to eat healthy and I couldn't wait to make the pineapple salsa (pg, 107).

We've all heard fresh is better and, although you can't buy fresh pineapple unless you live in Hawaii, fresh pineapple has an enzyme that aids digestion and a higher percentage of vitamin C (the heating process of canned pineapple reduces the quality of nutrients).

I was excited to buy my pineapple and make my salsa, because I have a special contraption specifically for slicing pineapple that I received from Tomeca Paige, Pampered Chef representative. It works really well and helps guard against cut fingers:

Here is a reiteration of Woman's Day's tips that I thought were pretty helpful:

1. Lift the pineapple and sniff. The leaves should be crisp and green and the skin should be golden yellow. Also, a ripe fruit feels heavy.

2. Pineapples last anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks refrigerated.

3. The core is tough but it makes a great syrup to drizzle over pound cake or cocktails. Pampered Chef's pineapple corer makes that easy: it slices a perfect cylinder of pineapple.

Ingredients:

• 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½-in. pieces
• 1  jalapeño, (seeded for less heat) finely chopped
• 1/2 cup(s) cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon(s) lime juice
• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

I was able to reuse a mason jar given to me as a Christmas gift (a layered cookie treat) or you could get one for a good price at your local flea market (I recommend Kemper Street Flea Market locally) and I grabbed a bag of tortilla chips (you can make those too--pg ).

The salsa was grand and I was able to give my Mom an instant post-Christmas gift AND reuse a gift at the same time! 

Dinner Tonight: Fortune Cooking

I can understand why black-eyed peas bring good luck: they are low in calories and rich with a number of nutrients including fiber, calcium, folate, vitamin A, zinc, iron, and potassium. Southern culture may not have been the author of the new year superstition but they certainly have perfected the culinary sentiment. Those of us native to the region enjoy them with greens, cornbread, or other vegetables--and feel as proud as Paula Deen.

January's edition of Woman's Day clued me into local author (he's from our neighbor North Carolina) Rick McDaniel who celebrates this very dish in his book An Irresistible History of Southern Food: Four Centuries of Black-Eyed Peas, Collard Greens and Whole Hog Barbecue. His "Hoppin' John" recipe suggests salt pork and rice for the new year. I decided to go the healthier route with turkey bacon (which does not crumble as well by the way) and spinach:

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon

2 cloves garlic

15 oz can black-eyed peas

1/4 cup water

10 oz cup spinach (stems discarded)

salt and pepper to taste


Cook 4 slices bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Break into pieces. Add 2 cloves garlic (sliced) to skillet and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes. Add a  15-oz can black-eyed peas (rinsed) and 1/4 cup water and cook until heated through. Add one 10-oz pkg spinach, season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, tossing, until beginning to wilt, 2 minutes. Toss with bacon.

This dish went well with my New Year's Day family meal which included pork chops with roasted carrots and oranges (pg 110 Woman's Day January--Easy Every Day Meals). This particular meal came out to a little more than $2.45 a serving because we made it for 6 and purchased additive and hormone free pork from Bedford Avenue Meat Market. The fillets were tender and juicy, only simply seasoned with salt and pepper:

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoon(s) honey
• ½ teaspoon(s) ground cumin
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1½ pound(s) medium carrots, cut into 2-in. pieces (halved lengthwise if large)
• 1  navel orange, cut into wedges
• 3  scallions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup(s) fresh dill, roughly chopped (optional)
• 4  1-in.-thick pork chops, trimmed (about 1¼ lb total)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, cumin, 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with the honey mixture and arrange in an even layer. Nestle the oranges among the carrots and roast until the carrots are tender and beginning to turn golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss with the scallions and dill (if using).
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with ½ tsp each salt and pepper and cook until browned and nearly cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve with the carrots and roasted orange wedges for squeezing.

You'll remember my special dishes from Kemper Street Flea Market. I love using them for special occasions like this.

I don't usually like cooked orange vegetables (the only thing I will consistently refuse is fennel) but the roasted oranges and honey added a unique, distinct flavor to the experience. 

I hope good luck and quality food will find you in the new year.