Catch up Catchup but no Ketchup
So I am learning to do cut's in my posts. It has been a week since I posted so I figured I would post a few recipes I have made this week. First let me tell you why I haven't been posting..I started working out!! Getting fit and into shape has been a goal of mine since 2004. Before I became pregnant with my first child (my 5 year old daughter) I was a size 10. Now to a lot of people that may not seem slim but for me it looked slim and I felt healthy and sexy. I gained a substantial amount of weight during my first pregnancy (59 lbs eep!!) and ended up having a c-section due to her size (she grew larger from gestational diabetes and I gained a lot of weight from that complication as well). My daughter was born a healthy 9 lbs 15 oz. And I left the hospital a size 20 :( In the years leading up until my second pregnancy (with my 5 1/2 month old son) I tried to lose the weight and eat a healthy diet but never really commited to it and didn't make that big of an effort. Right before I found out I was pregnant with my son in winter of 2008 I had gotten down to size 16 and was headed down to a 14. I only gained 35 lbs with my son but still left the hospital a size 20 again after another c-section left me with a large skin flap on my stomach. When I dieted in the past I would cut calories down to 1200 and exercise with gusto for a few days before over doing it and getting sore and not having enough calories to sustain movement lol...Now with the fact that I am breastfeeding my son still I am learning that I have to take in more calories to support that and still even more since I am exercising..but guess what..I learned that if you don't eat enough you gain weight too. I always thought your body wouldnt go into starvation mode unless it was getting less than 1200 calories..well think again. I found out that based on my resting metabolic rate that I would have to take in 1740 calories just to survive..that is what they would put through a tube if I was in a coma...So with me exercising now I am actually losing weight and finding that even with nonfat milk based protein shakes and healthy meals that I am having to force myself to eat more snacks and occasionally treats just to keep up with the calories I need..and the weight is coming off nicely!!! Anyways here are the recipes for this week..some are healthy some are not so healthy but in moderation are not that bad :)
Ingredients need for "My beans"
*1 lb bag of dry beans (pintos, mayacoba, red beans, kidney beans, etc you get the drift)
*A nice ham bone you saved in the freezer or a nice chunk of ham diced up..or bacon..
*Water
*Salt, pepper, garlic, spices you like
*1 T. Liquid smoke (optional)
*Bacon grease (optional)
*Diced/chopped onions, cornbread, etc..whatever you want to serve up with your beans
A lot of recipes say to soak your beans overnight,drain the water, and then cook..I don't do that...
"Tump" (thats my spiffy word I have used since I was knee high to a grasshopper) the beans out on a cookie sheet and "look" them..This means spread them out and look for rocks (it happens sometimes) and any "icky" looking beans. When you are satisfied that you are not adding any teeth breaking mineral bits into your pot tump the beans out into a soup pot. Fill the pot with water enough to be about an inch from the top of the pot. Turn the flame on high or your electric burner (really if you can get gas stove but if are stuck with electric I guess it will do). Toss in your bone or ham bits, some pepper, some garlic (optional), bacon grease (optional but delicious). Cook on high until the water cooks down a lot, you want the broth on the beans to be kinda cloudy from the beans exploding a little...when the beans are soft, your house is very fragrant and the beans taste good to you, they are done :) Eat with cornbread, chopped onions on top..whatever you want..or you could make chili with them now..but thats for another day :)
Now corn bread is a bit of a debate in my house. I like regular plain cornbread..my husband and daughter like sweet cornbread..hopefully my son will toss his lot in with me when he is old enough lol. When I make beans I make a compromise and make it 'kinda' sweet...so here is my cornbread recipe.
*1 1/2 cups of cornmeal (I like yellow not the white but its personal preference)
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*1 T. baking powder (not banking soda!!! i made that mistake one time..)
*2 eggs
*1 tsp salt
*3 T butter, oil or bacon fat/drippings
*1 cup of milk
*1/3 to 1 cup of sugar...(optional!!!) here lies the compromise..I put in 1/3 cup of sugar to make it slightly sweet but just barely..I think sweet cornbread is more like dessert and not for my beans lol...
Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cake pan or cast iron skillet and put into the oven while it heats. In a large mixing bowl mix together your dry ingredients and blend well. Then stir in eggs, milk and your oil/butter/drippings. Use a pot holder and /carefully/ take out the pan. Pour batter into hot pan. Put pan into oven and set timer for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes is up take your pan out carefully with a pot holder and take a fork and poke into middle of bread. If it comes out clean it is done. If not put back in for 5 minutes and repeat until there is no doughy stuffy on the fork. Turn pan out onto a wire rack or plate. Let cool until you can touch it comfortably. Cut in half lengthwise or cut into wedges and butter if you want.
Shrimp tacos are super easy.
*1 lb bag of medium or large frozen pre-cooked shrimp with no shells (can have tails, we'll take care of that).
*1 package of lawrys (or generic) taco seasoning or fajita seasoning
*1 yellow or red onion, chopped
*1-2 bell peppers, chopped up
*1 T. olive oil or vegetable oil
*chili powder
*1/4 cup water
*Soft taco size (8inch) flour tortillas
*taco fixin's: sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, cilantro, salsa or hot sauce..whatever you want..
Pour frozen shrimp into a colander/strainer and thaw by turning on water to cold and sitting the strainer under the faucet..toss the shrimp now and then to make sure they are evenly thawing. Gently rotate the tails of the shrimp and pull away from the meat of the shrimp. Heat a saute pan on medium heat with the oil in it..toss in the bell pepper and onion. While you are cooking this take the shrimp and toss with half a package of taco/fajita seasoning. Add this to the pan and saute until the shrimp is heated through and the bell pepper and onion are soft. Take off heat and set ahead. Take your tortillas and put between two damp paper towels and heat for 30 seconds to warm. Fill tortillas with shrimp mixture and taco fixin's..
I like to enjoy this with a serving of refried beans topped with a little bit of cheese. You can also make this recipe substituting chopped leftover meat such as chicken or beef or even pork for carnitas tacos.
My husband and I are big fans of Tilapia. It is a mild tasting fish that is farmed and is one of America's favorite types of fish these days. It is very inexpensive and is a good source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Protein.
*4 oz Tilapia (thawed weight) for each person eating, I recommend making extra its good...
*Margarine or butter
*Salt & Pepper, thyme
*Half a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon or your favorite red wine
Defrost the tilapia fillets and set aside. Pat dry with paper towels and make sure they arent sitting in fishy water. Heat a saute pan on medium heat with a little butter or margarine. Season fillets lightly with thyme. Saute the tilapia until the flesh is cooked through (white and slightly firm). When the fish is cooked through take your half cup of wine and toss it in the pan with the fish. Let this bubble down until it has reduced by half and serve with a nice serving of grain such as couscous or brown rice.
I am sure I will have more lately..now I get to figure out how to add my foodie blog roll widget onto my blog..thats right I was accepted to be part of foodie blog roll!!! Next stop the elusive foodbuzz.com featured publisher and taste makers program!!!
Ingredients need for "My beans"
*1 lb bag of dry beans (pintos, mayacoba, red beans, kidney beans, etc you get the drift)
*A nice ham bone you saved in the freezer or a nice chunk of ham diced up..or bacon..
*Water
*Salt, pepper, garlic, spices you like
*1 T. Liquid smoke (optional)
*Bacon grease (optional)
*Diced/chopped onions, cornbread, etc..whatever you want to serve up with your beans
A lot of recipes say to soak your beans overnight,drain the water, and then cook..I don't do that...
"Tump" (thats my spiffy word I have used since I was knee high to a grasshopper) the beans out on a cookie sheet and "look" them..This means spread them out and look for rocks (it happens sometimes) and any "icky" looking beans. When you are satisfied that you are not adding any teeth breaking mineral bits into your pot tump the beans out into a soup pot. Fill the pot with water enough to be about an inch from the top of the pot. Turn the flame on high or your electric burner (really if you can get gas stove but if are stuck with electric I guess it will do). Toss in your bone or ham bits, some pepper, some garlic (optional), bacon grease (optional but delicious). Cook on high until the water cooks down a lot, you want the broth on the beans to be kinda cloudy from the beans exploding a little...when the beans are soft, your house is very fragrant and the beans taste good to you, they are done :) Eat with cornbread, chopped onions on top..whatever you want..or you could make chili with them now..but thats for another day :)
Now corn bread is a bit of a debate in my house. I like regular plain cornbread..my husband and daughter like sweet cornbread..hopefully my son will toss his lot in with me when he is old enough lol. When I make beans I make a compromise and make it 'kinda' sweet...so here is my cornbread recipe.
*1 1/2 cups of cornmeal (I like yellow not the white but its personal preference)
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*1 T. baking powder (not banking soda!!! i made that mistake one time..)
*2 eggs
*1 tsp salt
*3 T butter, oil or bacon fat/drippings
*1 cup of milk
*1/3 to 1 cup of sugar...(optional!!!) here lies the compromise..I put in 1/3 cup of sugar to make it slightly sweet but just barely..I think sweet cornbread is more like dessert and not for my beans lol...
Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cake pan or cast iron skillet and put into the oven while it heats. In a large mixing bowl mix together your dry ingredients and blend well. Then stir in eggs, milk and your oil/butter/drippings. Use a pot holder and /carefully/ take out the pan. Pour batter into hot pan. Put pan into oven and set timer for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes is up take your pan out carefully with a pot holder and take a fork and poke into middle of bread. If it comes out clean it is done. If not put back in for 5 minutes and repeat until there is no doughy stuffy on the fork. Turn pan out onto a wire rack or plate. Let cool until you can touch it comfortably. Cut in half lengthwise or cut into wedges and butter if you want.
Shrimp tacos are super easy.
*1 lb bag of medium or large frozen pre-cooked shrimp with no shells (can have tails, we'll take care of that).
*1 package of lawrys (or generic) taco seasoning or fajita seasoning
*1 yellow or red onion, chopped
*1-2 bell peppers, chopped up
*1 T. olive oil or vegetable oil
*chili powder
*1/4 cup water
*Soft taco size (8inch) flour tortillas
*taco fixin's: sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, cilantro, salsa or hot sauce..whatever you want..
Pour frozen shrimp into a colander/strainer and thaw by turning on water to cold and sitting the strainer under the faucet..toss the shrimp now and then to make sure they are evenly thawing. Gently rotate the tails of the shrimp and pull away from the meat of the shrimp. Heat a saute pan on medium heat with the oil in it..toss in the bell pepper and onion. While you are cooking this take the shrimp and toss with half a package of taco/fajita seasoning. Add this to the pan and saute until the shrimp is heated through and the bell pepper and onion are soft. Take off heat and set ahead. Take your tortillas and put between two damp paper towels and heat for 30 seconds to warm. Fill tortillas with shrimp mixture and taco fixin's..
I like to enjoy this with a serving of refried beans topped with a little bit of cheese. You can also make this recipe substituting chopped leftover meat such as chicken or beef or even pork for carnitas tacos.
My husband and I are big fans of Tilapia. It is a mild tasting fish that is farmed and is one of America's favorite types of fish these days. It is very inexpensive and is a good source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Protein.
*4 oz Tilapia (thawed weight) for each person eating, I recommend making extra its good...
*Margarine or butter
*Salt & Pepper, thyme
*Half a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon or your favorite red wine
Defrost the tilapia fillets and set aside. Pat dry with paper towels and make sure they arent sitting in fishy water. Heat a saute pan on medium heat with a little butter or margarine. Season fillets lightly with thyme. Saute the tilapia until the flesh is cooked through (white and slightly firm). When the fish is cooked through take your half cup of wine and toss it in the pan with the fish. Let this bubble down until it has reduced by half and serve with a nice serving of grain such as couscous or brown rice.
I am sure I will have more lately..now I get to figure out how to add my foodie blog roll widget onto my blog..thats right I was accepted to be part of foodie blog roll!!! Next stop the elusive foodbuzz.com featured publisher and taste makers program!!!