April 26th, 2010

Kristina’s Veggie Bean Soup

Ingredients

• Carrots, raw, 3 medium (chopped)
• Mushrooms, 8 fresh (chopped)
• Onions, raw, 2 medium (chopped)
• Garlic, 4 clove (chopped)
• Celery, raw, 1 stalk, large (chopped)
• Red Ripe Tomatoes, 2 medium (chopped)
• Swiss Chard, 3 cup, chopped (chop stems and tear leaves; keep separate)
• Leeks, 5 leek (chopped)
• Asparagus, fresh, 3 spear, medium (chopped)
• Potato, raw, 3 large (chopped)
• Beans, great northern, 1.5 cup (dry and presoaked)
• Olive Oil, Extra Virgin, 2 tbs
• Water, tap, 8 cup (64 oz)
• Sage, ground, .5 tbsp
• Thyme, ground, .5 tbsp
• Cinnamon, ground, .5 tsp
• Bay Leaf, 1 tbsp, crumbled
• Adobo Goya, 0.25 tsp
• Pepper, black, .5 tbsp

Directions

• Serving size is 2 cups. Should make 10 servings.
• Saute onion, garlic, carrots, leeks, celery. mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus in olive oil using a large stock pot or dutch oven.
• Add all remaining veggies except for the potatoes, Chard leaves. DO NOT ADD BEANS YET.
• Add enough water to just cover the veggies and add all spices/seasoning.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour.
• Add beans and potatoes and the remaining water.
• Stir and allow to simmer for 2 hours. Be sure to stir and check water level periodically . Add more water as needed. Soup should be brothy not thick.
• When soup has finished cooking add Swiss Chard leaves and cover fro 10 minutes. Serve in bowl.

Number of Servings: 10 | Serving Size 2 cups | Here is the nutrional info

April 23rd, 2010

Recipe: Garlic and Herb Pork Chops with Yams and Kale

The nice thing about being so determined to lose weight is that I am cooking more. This week alone I  made  hummus, applesauce, vegetarian chili, portobello burgers, and more. Tonight, I decided to make garlic and herb pork chops and yams with kale.What I liked about tonight’s meal is that it was quick and different. My husband and I always complained that hos family loved to make steak and salad but no other sides. This is definitely not that kind of meal

Everything was so good.
To Make the Pork Chops:

In a blender or chopper (I use the Magic Bullet), combine:

• 9 cloves of garlic
• 2 shallots
• olive oil (about .5 cup)
• sage
• fresh basil
• rosemary
• a little water or balsamic vinegar

Chop until everything is very fine. If it is too thick add more water or vinegar. Pour into a large Ziploc bag with 3 Bone-in Porkchops. Seal the bag and work the mixture until it coats the chops. Grill or oven bake on till done.

The Sweet Potato-Kale recipe is not mine, so go here to learn how to make it.

April 12th, 2010

A Weigh to Go: The Aftermath

Well by now you probably know that I am not one of the Mamavation Moms. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t highly disappointed. Of course, I am happy for the new moms, but the fact is that losing is a big blow in a long line of blows when it comes to my health. As motivated as I am to get healthy it often feels like every attempt that I make to do so fails.

At any rate, this is not about getting anyone to feel sorry for me. I am just being honest which is something I have always done while blogging.  The point of this post it to put in writing (type) that I am on a mission to fix things in my life and that nothing will stop me…

Read more at A Weigh to Go

April 11th, 2010

Mamavation Monday: The Road Ahead

I often think that I am afraid to succeed. When I start doing well I almost sabotage myself. The problem is that I find it very hard to recover from that self-defeating behavior. Take this week for example. Since February 10, 2010 I was down 12 pounds as of this past Monday. I was on a roll. My successes the previous week got me so psyched and despite the failures, I stayed mamavated!

Read the rest here at A Weight to Go!