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Here is a low calorie high fiber recipe I wanted to share. If you want to increase the protein, just add some sliced chicken breast on top. Enjoy!

Southwestern Salad

·                 2 cups cooked brown rice or other whole grain

·                 1 15-oz. black beans, drained and rinsed

·                 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

·                 1 red bell pepper, chopped

·                 1 small onion, chopped

·                 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, or to taste

·                 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

·                 1 jalapeño chili, minced, or cayenne pepper to taste

·                 1 tsp. mild chili powder

Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend. Makes 6-8 servings.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 162

Protein: n/a

Fiber: 6 g

Carbs: n/a

Fat Total: 1 g

Saturated Fat: n/a

Here is a good recipe for those times when you must have a treat (especially if the temperature dips like today where it is damp and rainy).  I could not find the nutrition information for this recipe but the big factor is whether you add any sweetener. Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

·                 2/3 cup steel-cut oats

·                 1/2 cup blueberries

·                 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds

·                 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

·                 1/2 cup water

·                 Optional: sweetener, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish. Bake in conventional oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or microwave on High for one and a half minutes. Makes one generous serving.

Healthier Apple Pie

Let’s face it…..I can cook some delicious meals when I am naughty. If I can add an unlimited amount of butter or sugar to anything….I will taste yummy. This is the case with my Brown Apple Betty and Apple Pie. One slice of Apple Pie can easily top 450 calories and 35 grams of fat (and not the healthy kind of fat).

I wanted to share this recipe with you because it emphasizes the most important ingredient…the apples. So…..you can have your pie and eat it too!

Ingredients:

• 3 large apples (Pink Lady or Gala), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup crystallized ginger
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 trans-fat-free piecrust (such as Whole Foods’ or homemade, enough for a 9-inch pie)
• Vegetable oil cooking spray

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss apples with walnuts, ginger, 2 tbsp sugar, flour and cinnamon. Roll piecrust into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; place piecrust on sheet. (It is OK if the piecrust hangs over the sides). Arrange apple slices in one layer to form a circle about 3 inches from the edge of the piecrust; fill in circle with more slices. Scrape any remaining walnuts and ginger from bowl onto apples. Gently fold edges of piecrust over outer edge of apples filling to form a thick crust. Spray outer rim of crust with cooking spray; sprinkle crust with remaining 2 tsp sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and apples are soft, 35 minutes. Cut into 8 slices and serve.

The skinny:

178 calories per slice, 8 grams of fat (2 saturated), 27 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein

Enjoy!

Here is a meal that you could have for lunch or dinner. Great combination of protein from the meat and fiber from the veggies. Enjoy!

Steak Salad with Lemon Caesar

·                 Nonstick cooking spray

·                 2 lbs. Yukon gold or red bliss potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

·                 1-1/2 cup olive oil, divided

·                 2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried

·                 Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

·                 1 lb. flank steak

·                 12 cups chopped romaine hearts

·                 12 plum tomatoes, diced

·                 3 tsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine potatoes, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Scatter on baking sheet. Roast for 50 minutes or until potatoes are golden.

Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak in oil for 8 minutes on each side, or until cooked as desired. Then, transfer steak to a cutting board.

Add 1/4 cup water to skillet and stir over low heat for 1 1/2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Cut steak on a diagonal into thin slices. Keep warm.

Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add skillet juices and pulse to combine.

Place romaine in a large salad bowl. Add tomatoes, potatoes and dressing; toss to combine. Portion salad among 6 large plates. Top with an equal amount of steak and Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings.

We recommend this recipe with Creamy Lemon Caesar Dressing.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 411

Protein: 28 g

Fiber: n/a

Carbs: 56 g

Fat Total: 9 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Are your best days ahead of you or behind you? That may seem like a strange thing to ask since none of us can predict the future. That said, it is an important thing to ask yourself as it hold the keys to what mindset you are currently possessing. You can probably guess that I feel my best days are still ahead or I would not take the leap and write on this subject.

It would be easy to think at age 42 that my best years ARE behind me. Gone are the carefree days of my teenage years...where we sometimes made poor choices without thoughts of their consequences. Gone is the innocence of a life not yet jaded by the realization that what you planned your life to be and what it has become are two different things. Gone are the days of eating naughty foods with little thought of the effect they will have on my waistline or my health. Gone are the days when I could sustain a serious sports injury and bounce back in little time at all. No chronic back, shoulder and foot pains needling me day after day.

Yet, I do believe the best is yet to come. With the experiences of life, I have gained wisdom and, I hope, some discernment. I have learned that sometimes Plan B may lead you to something you never dreamed was even possible. And I have learned that each day, instead of aging my body, I can be stronger and more flexible than ever.

While we need to respect our bodies, finding the balance between knowing when to push and when to pull back, I can improve my performance each and every day. I have learned (the hard way) how to listen to my body. I have so many workout options to choose from now that allows me to rest if a body part needs it and focus on the others. I have learned the value of cross training instead of overtraining. Instead of focusing on what foods I have to give up in order to stay healthy, I think about how healthy foods nourish my body and give it the nutrients it needs.

I have learned to finally listen to my heart and pursue the things that interest me the most with little thought as to whom may approve. I have no fear of a career change, a relocation or taking a risk. I have learned to ignore the naysayers and spend time with those people who celebrate me and encourage me. I know that God created me to achieve great things in my life and I know He is not finished with me yet.

So..enough about me. What about you? Do you believe you can get healthier and stronger each day? Are you ready to make life changes when they present themselves? What dreams do you have? And do you believe they can come true?

Remember...the best way to predict your future is to create it!!!!