Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies

Have I mentioned that I have a major sweet tooth? I can thank my mom for that one. It was wasn't unusual to see her eating left over birthday cake or cookies with her morning coffee.
She would say "hey....I've got all day to burn in it off!"

Well, as Sara B Consulting principle #4 goes....Schedule snack times. Do not restrict, rather manage!

Muesli Chocolate Chip Cookies
on the back of Bob's Red Mill Muesli package

Abby suggested we make this recipe as it is a fav in her family
I believe it is a fav in mine now too!

Ingredients:
1 cup Muesli-Old Country Style
3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup applesauce (original calls for butter)
1/3ish cups Brown Sugar (half of what original recipe calls for...you can also use honey, Splenda brown sugar, or regular....your choice)
1- 6oz. pkg. dark chocolate chips (I bought some at New Pioneer Coop in the bulk section)
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Watkins vanilla
1 Egg

Instructions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Blend applesauce, sugar, and vanilla.

Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and mix. Stir in Muesli and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 24 delicious cookies.

Nutritional Information:
2 Cookies contain 260 Calories, 120 Calories from Fat, 13g Total Fat, 7g Saturated Fat, 40mg Cholesterol, 160mg Sodium, 35g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 23g Sugars, 4g Protein.

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good...

www.sarabconsulting.com

Minestrone Soup with Quinoa

Looky here...another soup!
It's still windy, snowy, and cold here in Iowa so until I see the 50's roll around I will keep myself all warm and fuzzy feeling with healthy soups!
This one is a must try (I say that about all of them, but I really mean it).

Minestrone Soup with Quinoa
from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch dices
1 cup fennel, cut into 1/2 inch dices
1 cup red or white onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped OR dried thyme
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (I just kinda crushed them under my knife as you would with garlic)
1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

I doubled the recipe so for my second 1 1/2 cups I used red kidney beans for more color
2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1/3 cup uncooked but rinsed quinoa
sea salt and ground pepper
1 cup spinach, cut chiffonade
go here to learn how to chiffonade:
http://localfoods.about.com/od/basics/ss/Chiffonade.htm
3 T basil (fresh or dried)
2 oz Parmesan, grated, optional

Instructions:
In large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and fennel seeds. Cook and stir often until veggies are soft (8 minutes). Add 6 cups water, beans, tomatoes (in juice if using canned), and quinoa. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Stir in spinach and basil just before serving. Garnish with cheese if desired.

Abby trying to figure out how to cut the fennel!?
go here to learn how:
http://www.cookthink.com/reference/129/How_to_prep_fennel


mmmm....yum
so many colors=so many nutrients!

Viola! Enjoy!
nutrients per 8 oz with cheese: 137 cals, 5g fat, 19g carbs, 5g prot

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com

Super Sundays- Nurition Bites #6

Sara B Consulting principle #8 Plan Ahead

Super sized Sundays!

Prepare food for the week on your free day so you are not tempted with quick, "not so nutrient dense," foods throughout the week.

J and I's super sized day is Sunday so today we:

1. boiled eggs for a quick grab snack or egg salad sandwiches

2. boiled chicken for topping salads or chicken salad sandwiches

3. pot roasted a large round roast and roasted lots veggies for dinner and leftovers

4. prepared a green lentil salad (recipe to come)

5. peeled carrots for a crunchy snack while viewing the Olympics lunches

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

www.sarabconsulting.com

Chicken Parmesan

I cooked up this Parmesan Chicken recipe for J and I the other night. It was so satisfying and yummy that I can't wait to have a dinner party to knock some socks off! Any takers?

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta
and Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 c white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or buy the jars of already minced garlic in oil...convenience rules)
2 tsp dried oregano, divided
1-28oz jar or 2-15oz cans of diced tomatoes (various flavors)
1 T tomato paste
1/2 C Kashi crackers, crushed OR whole wheat bread crumbs

1 T Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded into 1 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap

1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 C 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz cooked whole wheat penne

1/4 c fresh or dried basil, chopped
Instructions:
preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with olive oil. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat, add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, until veggies are soft. Add 1 tsp oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and partially cover for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix with fork to combine. Brush both side of chicken breasts with mustard. Place chicken breast in the dish of crumbs and coat each side. Place chicken in pan and coat with cooking spray. Cook for 20 minutes.
Top each chicken breast with 2-3 Ts of tomato sauce and 2 Ts of mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes. Crust should be golden brown and cheese melted and bubbling away.

Place chicken on serving platter, top pasta with tomato sauce. Sprinkle basil over chicken and pasta. ENJOY!
Nutrition (4 oz chicken and 4 oz pasta): 439cals, 12g fat, 43g carbs, 34.5g protein

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Montrose and Telluride, Colorado

Jeremy and I just returned from a fabulous filled vacay to Montrose, CO to visit my brother Matt and his wife Dorcha.

They definitely know us well and planned are days full of physical activities and delish food.

Day 1: J and I went snow shoeing in Black Canyon National Park.

the nice thing about snow in Colorado is that it has sunshine to go with it

J's my junior ranger

Harley catching some rays

CrossFit Agoge

where Matt and Dorcha get their WOD's in

the first night they prepared a wonderful dinner for us...

fine wine and coffee/spice rub for the elk....yes ELK! Matt's knew passion is elk hunting with his bow.

VERY TASTY and LEAN!

Dorcha prepare Borsch (a beet soup from Poland) SO GOOD! Sad that I don't have a pic :(

we were really spoiled

love the dogs...Harley and Maggie...J can we pleeeaaaseee get one?

Day 2: Cross Country skiing at Grand Mesa...North America's largest mesa

Matt, J, Harley, Maggie, Bell and I

we almost lost the dogs in the snow

look at all that snow! Can you see the stop sign?

after 12 miles of CC skiing, a greasy spoon diner was just what we were looking for

LOOK: you can even get your wedding cakes there...sweeet, a one stop shop!

man did it hit the spot

Matt made pork ribs for a guy's night of poker at his friend's house.

Day 3:Feeding the bees and back country snow shoeing

Matt raises his own bees and gives us jars full of sweet nectar!

Next he wants to raise a grass fed cow and pigs....we'll start calling him Old McDonald

while snow shoeing the back country we came upon an old abandoned mining town

a storm rolled in and things got a little sketchy, so we decided it was time to head home

good thing J built me this snow cave to stay warm :)

Day 4: Skiing in Telluride and a Valentine's Dinner

Matt and Dorcha treated us to a Valentine's dinner at La Marmotte in Telluride

delish!

tuna and lamb...can't remember the fancy menu descriptions

Dessert: Berry Cheesecake and Warm Molten Chocolate Cake with espresso ice cream... YUM

Day 4: more skiing in Telluride

a bright and sunny day brought awesome views

the gang....J, Me, Dorcha and Matt

the town of Telluride

Matt and J enjoying a bloody mary around the fire pit

Telluride=Breathtaking (and I'm not just talking about the altitude)

Matt, Jeremy, and Dorcha hiked Bald Mountain to get to some good powder

then it was dinner at the Stryker's (Matt and Dorcha's pals)

carpaccio with fresh grated parmesean

tuna tartar salsa and spring rolls...did I mention the food was out of this world!?

boiling oil for fondue

the dippers: chicken, beef, seasoned shrimp

more ribs and more amazing cuts of beef

all in all we have much to be thankful for...

wonderful family, new friends, good memories, and full bellies

until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

www.sarabconsulting.com