Eat.Live.Be. - Healthy Changes are a Good Thing

 I can't believe we are already at the end of January!  As much as I am not fond of wishing time to go faster, this Winter weather has me looking forward to the snow melting and seeing the leaves appear on trees and the grass turning green.  With all of that to look forward to, sticking to my Eat.Live.Be. goals should be simple, right?

 As with anything, some days are better than others... and those are the one's I am going to focus on today.  This week we are all sharing what our favorite healthy change has been during the challenge.

For me, I think making exercise a priority has resulted in feeling physically better and sleeping more soundly.  This is even the case when I get my exercise done in the evening, which I was afraid would end up keeping me up later at night.   In spite of a bad week with planning my workouts, I actually missed them.  So, I'm putting them on my calendar so as not to miss a single one... if it's scheduled, I have the time set aside no matter what!

Another healthy change that is making me feel good is really thinking about how I am eating.  Rather than just grabbing whatever is nearby, I'm taking a moment to think about it and whether that is what I really want.  For example, we had a school event on Saturday and they were selling hot dogs... which I'm not a huge fan of to begin with, and while I was hungry I didn't have one.  Why?  Because I didn't want to take in calories on something I knew I wouldn't enjoy in the end.  Yes, it would have filled the need to eat something, but I would have still be craving something that tasted good later.  I waited and came home and had one of my new favorites - Chobani Greek Yogurt.  Surprisingly, that totally satisfied me and I didn't waste calories (or points) on something that wouldn't have satisfied me.

If you are making healthy changes, what are your favorite changes so far?

Check in with the other bloggers in the Eat.Live.Be. challenge and see what they have found to be their favorite changes so far:


● Sarah - Sarah's Cucina Bella
● Cate - Sweetnicks 
● Maris - In Good Taste
● Chris - Mele Cotte
● Faith - Blog Appetit
● Kristen - Dine & Dish
● Emily - Three Boys and a Little Lady
● Jenna - FireMom
● Joanne - Eats Well With Others
● Casey - The Starnes Family
● Tri-Fit Mom -Trying to be Fit Mom
● Claire - Cooking is Medicine
● Allison - Sweet Flours
● Jen - NJ Epicurean

Next week, we'll be blogging about "Rut Rescue 101"... how we each find ways to bust out of a exercise or healthy eating rut.  


Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Shoprite Potluck Post: Pumpkin Spice Muffins

 I'm so excited to share my first post for the Shoprite Potluck Blog!  The new blog has gone live and there are a variety of posts to inspire you to use the ShopRite products.

My first post is all about the infamous 2 point WW muffins!  I received a big can of Pumpkin and decided it was time to test out this recipe to see if it was as good as everyone has told me....

 To see what I thought, head on over to my 1st blog post for Shoprite and leave a comment!

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Cookbook Review: Recipes Every Man Should Know

 Back in December I received a copy of Recipes Every Man Should Know to review.  As you can tell by the current date, I'm a bit behind in sharing this cute little book.  Uh-oh... I shouldn't refer to a men's cookbook as cute, should I?  Oops!


This is a no nonsense pocket sized cookbook that would be a perfect gift to a guy going off to college or moving into his first apartment.  The book includes suggestions on what basic cookware and utensils a guy needs to be able to make just about anything.  It also has a glossary that explains even the most basic of cooking terms.   For the guy who only has a VERY basic knowledge of cooking, this pocket guide will help them gain confidence in the kitchen.

The recipes range from the most basic of how to cook eggs and how to make cocktails to manly fare like bacon wrapped meatloaf and Mom's All-Purpose Chocolate Cake.  While this cookbook is a bit too basic for my needs, I will be sharing the tips and suggestions with my boys as I teach them the skills they need in the kitchen.  It's a great starting point, but is not for the guy who is already experienced in the kitchen.

If you are looking for "guy" food, there are some interesting suggestions in this book such as the section on Beer, Bacon and Bar Food that will certainly appeal to the "manly men".  There you will find Beer Margarita's, Buffalo Wings and Beer Battered Onion Rings.   This is not a cookbook for the faint of heart (or those with high cholesterol!), but for those occasional indulgences it's something to have in your stash.  It's inexpensive and pocket sized so the guys won't be embarrassed to say the own a cookbook!
 

Note:  I received a review copy of the cookbook and was not told how to review it.  The opinions shared here are my own and no one else's.  The links shared here will take you to Amazon where you can purchase the book, and if you do I will receive a very small referral fee.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies from Stephanie's Kitchen

 The snowiest winter ever continued this week.  Wednesday night Mother Nature dumped another 12 or so inches on us, so the kids had another snow day on Thursday.  Fortunately, my office closed and I was able to get the essential work done from home.  For someone who hates driving in the muck and guck of this season, that worked to my advantage.

The boys couldn't wait to get out into the piles of snow that we got this time around... snow forts were built and hot chocolate was ready for them when they came inside.

 Being home on a day like this makes me want to bake.  Cookies were calling to me, but then I needed to decide on which one to bake today.  I remembered seeing a recipe posted by Stephanie's Kitchen recently, and I had flagged it in my reader so I wouldn't forget about it.  I was intrigued by the addition of pudding mix in the recipe and how that would affect the cookie.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts = Irresistable!

 It's Winter... unmistakably Winter right now.  We've had snow on the ground since the blizzard that hit the last week of December.  As a matter of fact, I think we've had some amount of snowfall at least once a week since then.  Once we get past one big snow (or even one small one), I'm ready for the temperatures to warm back up and get rid of the coats.  Unfortunately, I don't live where that is possible.

One of the things about this time of year that I find rather difficult is shopping for produce.  While I enjoy the occasional potato or Winter squash... I long for the veggies of summer!  Salads are not as appealing this time of year because, well... it's cold outside and salads appeal to me more in the wamer months.  So, as I wander the produce aisle, I search for items that will add variety to what I'm serving.  Recently, a wonderful little container of Brussels sprouts caught my eye.

I've made Brussels sprouts before and enjoyed them.   But, this time I wanted to try something different.  Something ridiculously simple, but I just had a feeling it would be a perfect way of preparing these cute veggies... I roasted them!

 I really love when a simple preparation results in a side dish that would be worthy of sharing with guests.  Of course, this is so good that you may want to just keep it to yourself!  My Boys were not fans of them this time... but, sssshhhhh, that's ok... more for me and My Husband!  We were ok with keeping these melt-in-your-mouth bits of goodness to ourselves.  In one bite you had the softened roasted Brussels sprouts... in the next, a nice crispy bit that had a touch of Kosher salt on it.

Want to make this for yourself?  Preheat your oven to 425.   While it's preheating cut off the stem end of the sprouts and then cut in half.  Toss with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, some Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add to a baking dish and roast for 20 minutes.  Give it a stir, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 and allow to roast another 20 minutes.

So simple and perfect way to enjoy a Winter vegetable!




Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Eat.Live.Be. - Facing Challenges

 The last week went by and I didn't get another post up to share something wonderful we ate or even something we did for that matter.  So, here we are and it's Monday and time for another check in with the Eat.Live.Be. For a Better 2011.

This week, we are sharing what we find challenging in working toward our goals.  My goals are a combination of working out and improving my running and losing the pounds I lost when I made Lifetime on Weight Watchers a few years ago... they didn't stay lost as I wanted them to, which leads me to my biggest challenge.  Eating Mindfully.

Eat.Live.Be. - It's so cold outside!

It's Monday and that means it's time to check in with the Eat.Live.Be. challenge.

I had a pretty good week, I managed to run and increase my time slightly.  That is something that has been very difficult for me to do in the past.  I did have some pain in my shins, but taking a rest day seemed to resolve that problem.  I'm going to be hitting the treadmill again later today so I can stay right on track.  I'm actually starting to look forward to my runs.  I tune into my iPod and listen to some heart-pumping music and tune out the stresses of the day.

Who IS the Tooth Fairy (and Petite Turkey Meatloaves)

 A couple weeks ago, My Oldest was determined to try to find the truth behind who really is the Tooth Fairy.  He tried leaving a note for the Tooth Fairy, which was never responded to... because, well, the Tooth Fairy is very busy every night and doesn't have time to respond to questions like "Are you real?".  His goal was to try to compare the handwriting to mine and My Husband's to determine if one of us was doing the Tooth Fairy duties.  Soon after that note, he lost another tooth... yes, the Tooth Fairy has been visiting our house a lot the last month or two.

So, with this next tooth he spent some time that evening really questioning things.  I told him that if he doesn't want to believe anymore, that's his choice but the Tooth Fairy doesn't visit kids who don't believe.  He still wasn't convinced.  That night, something unthinkable happened... the Tooth Fairy NEVER came!  Picture an 8 year old boy marching into his parent's bedroom at 5 a.m. in the morning and literally shaking the "tooth pillow" in his mom's face and stating: "The Tooth Fairy didn't come!"  Yikes!  How do we correct this one?

Need a Nibble? Try Spinach Pinwheels

 Last week, I promised that I'd share another quick and easy appetizer idea.  It seems whenever I want to make an appetizer, I am pulled toward recipes that call for frozen chopped spinach.  I always have several packages in the freezer, so that does help.  This time I wanted something that would be served warm, but still tasty at room temperature.

I found the original recipe at Allrecipes.com  and ended up changing it slightly because I used puff pastry instead of crescent rolls.  This is so quick and easy to make, and from the comments I received at Bunco... several people thought it was labor intensive!  Not the case at all!

Eat. Live. Be. - Finding Support

One week into the Eat. Live. Be. and I'm consistently working out and getting in plenty of fruits and veggies each day.  I'm feeling good, and that's keeping me motivated.

This week, we are each talking about our support with this challenge.  Support can come in so many different forms and I find that I get it from places I never would have expected.

I've been sharing my running progress on my personal Facebook account and I'm finding that there are many people there encouraging me to keep going.  Those comments and virtual pats on the back are huge and provide that extra bit of motivation for me.  Since I'm publicly talking about my running, it makes me feel more committed to it.

I mentioned that I was back to running after a break and was thinking that I needed to find a local 5k to run to have a goal to work toward.  Within a short time, I had a bunch of suggestions on 5k's and even a 1/2 marathon that I should sign up for... the 1/2 marathon is a bit more than I'm ready for, but I did decide on a 5k at the end of March to benefit a very sick local little girl.

I'm also finding that the Eat.Live.Be. Facebook page is a great source of support.   Sarah or Cate often post a quick question during the day to see how everyone is doing or post their most recent healthy meal.  The group has grown since the launch last week, and just seeing posts about others who are working toward their own goals has a positive effect on me working toward mine.

One other place that I find support is via text messages with a girlfriend.  She lives back in Kansas City and we both have been trying to get back into shape and eat better.  So, we'll send each other a text every few days to check in and see how we are both doing.  She's known me forever and we both can be very honest with each other, and that helps so much when leaning on someone when that vending machine is calling your name... loudly!

This first week has had some challenging moments, and I found that when things were a bit stressful... I actually wanted to get my run in sooner.  That wasn't always possible, but that is a whole new mindset for me.  A good one even though it surprises me.

Where do you find support? Be sure to share a link to your own post in the comments.  I'm having a bit of trouble with Mr. Linky, so hopefully next week I'll get it figured out.

Please visit the other bloggers who are going to be posting and sharing their goals today for Eat. Live. Be.


● Sarah - Sarah's Cucina Bella

● Cate - Sweetnicks

● Maris - In Good Taste

● Chris - Mele Cotte

● Faith - Blog Appetit

● Kristen - Dine & Dish

● Emily - Three Boys and a Little Lady

● Jenna - FireMom

● Joanne - Eats Well With Others

● Casey - The Starnes Family

● Tri-Fit Mom -Trying to be Fit Mom

● Claire - Cooking is Medicine

● Allison - Sweet Flours

● Jen - NJ Epicurean





Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Bunco Night with the Girls (Brie Bites in Phyllo Cups)

 Last night I hosted our montly Bunco game and as always, it was a ton of fun!  We always start the night with appies, wine and desserts ... no one bothers to eat dinner before they come.  It's always a night of catching up with each other because with the colder months we don't run into each other outside in the neighborhood quite as often.

I've read several blogs lately where women have said that one of their resolutions is to make time for themselves.  I wholeheartedly agree with that, which is why I very rarely miss my night with the girls each month.  It's good to hang out and talk about anything and everything and have some laughs along the way.  It's a way of recharging and being able to come back to the normal routine.  As they say, if Mama ain't happy, the no one is gonna be happy.  So, if you don't already have time set aside for yourself each month, make a date for lunch or an afternoon of shopping with a good friend.  You will be happy you did!

Wordless Wednesday: The Homework Box

Wordless Wednesday... a peek at our "homework box".  The box that hold everything that could be needed for completed homework assignments each day.

What do you do to help make homework time easier each day? 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Eat. Live. Be. - a Healthy Living Challenge for 2011

 It's a new year and that often means it is an opportune time to make some changes.  For me, those changes are more related to being healthier and exercising more.  When Cate of Sweetnicks contacted me about joining in a challenge that she and Sarah of Sarah's Cucina Bella had thought up, I jumped in... with both feet!  They came up with Eat. Live. Be. For a Better 2011.

So, every Monday a fantastic group of bloggers will be posting on specific topics related to their own personal journey to a healthier 2011.  Our first post is a chance for us to publicly declare our goals and how we plan to reach them.