Not your mother's crock pot

Mr Right and I pretty much never eat red meat. The two times a year we do: a steak on the grill at the beginning of summer and a roast {beef} in the crock pot at the beginning of fall.

This year we'll have roast twice. Because a few years ago, I mastered the art of EASY meals with slow cookers.

The secret:
1) make ahead
2) slow cooker liner bags (no scrubbing, soaking -- barely have to wash!

Yesterday, I put liners in two slower cookers. Chopped the veggies, threw in the roast, put a few miscellaneous seasonings and herbs in. Then I put one in the cooker and plugged it in for dinner.
The other one I tied up with a twistie and put in the fridge. Later in the week, it'll be easy. I'll grab the baggie on my way out the door to work, put it in the crock, put it in the cooker and plug it in.
And clean up (which I HATE) -- is easy!

22 Meals in 120 Minutes - Part Two

My earlier post on making meals ahead of time talked about how much stress you can save by setting aside two hours on the weekend.

Here is a step-by-step guide to what I did on Sunday:

1) After Sunday coffee and breakfast, headed to grocery store rather early (8:00am). Purchased the following: fresh produce - beets, leeks, brussel sprouts, carrots (both baby and real), small potatoes, a couple onions, arugula. At the salad bar, I put my fave salad toppings into one small container. I usually make another one for Mr Right. He likes peas, eggs, carrots. I like broccoli, mushrooms, etc. So two are necessary.

Arm roast {beef} was on sale so I bought two small ones.

Picked up six containers of low-fat flavored yogurt and a large non-fat plain yogurt.
{A note on yogurt: I need low-sugar but I don't want the baby girl to have Splenda. So I buy a large container of plain yogurt and mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with the flavored version.
My preference is to mix the plain yogurt with real fruit, but sometimes I need a quick snack for her, and mixing the two is a good solution.}

Already had at home from earlier shopping: two containers of ground turkey, five pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, brown rice.

2) I put two pots of water on to boil. Then I put a colander in one side of the sink and filled the other with water, grabbed a couple of veggie peelers and a big towel. Everybody (the veggies) went into the sink of water.

3) Washing ten pounds of fresh vegetables takes only a couple minutes longer than washing one pound of vegetables. I'm a big believer in doing it all at once. All the veggies I did not cook on Sunday (some celery and carrots) were washed, trimmed, dried and put in containers READY TO EAT. Makes all the difference in whether you grab them to eat in a couple days OR throw them out rotten ten days later.

4) I chopped the beets into quarters and threw them in one pot to par-boil.

5) I threw the brussel sprouts into the other pot of boiling water.

6) I took the chicken thighs out of the fridge and put them in a bowl, then put some Roasted Garlic-flavored Rice Wine Vinegar on them. Flavored vinegars make nice instant marinades -- they don't add fat and they tenderize the meat a bit.
While the the chicken sat about five minutes, I took the brussel sprouts out of the water. I took the chicken out and put it on the grill.

7) I put aluminum foil on a large baking sheet. I sliced the leeks and put them on the sheet. As I took the beets (and later carrots) out of the boiling water, I set them right on the baking sheet.

8) I chopped the peeled carrots into rough pieces and threw them into the beet pan (right into the red water, didn't hurt them a bit). After the carrots were done, I threw this water out but set the pan right back on the stove to use again.



9) I took the pot that had boiled the beets and carrots (didn't waste time washing it) and put a little olive oil in the bottom. I sliced the brussel sprouts in halves, then added them to the oil. Then I added a sprinkle of the Litehouse Freeze-dried red onion. {Love this product. I'm not typically a fan of dried herbs, but this is terrific.}
I only sauted these brussel sprouts a couple minutes, then turned them off. {this is really tasty if you saute a couple strips of prosciutto, then add brussel sprouts, but I didn't have any}

10) Veggies on the baking sheet get a sprinkle of olive oil, then into HOT oven. At least 400 degrees. Put half of the small potatoes on a second sheet and put them into oven too. (The other half of the potatoes go in the crock pot meals.)

11) Chicken comes off grill. Bring it in to cool.

12) Put a line of Gladware containers (any brand, but buy ONLY TWO SIZES, this way you don't spend all your time looking for lids!) in a row.
Put a chicken thigh or two into each container. Top with a few brussel sprouts.
{NOTE: Mr Right loves beets, hates brussel sprouts. The containers with brussel sprouts will be my lunches.}

13) While veggies roast, put together two crock pot meals. Details on this project coming in next post. THIS IS SUPER EASY. It doesn't take any time to do (actually will take me longer to type it!).

14) In second boiling-water-pot (again, do not wash) brown the ground turkey. I like to make "quick meat balls" by using a small scoop (Williams Sonoma #20). You can just scoop the meat right into the pot. Yes, the pot is playing saute pan, but who will know??

Two tips on browning ground turkey:
*I like to use the Litehouse red onion on the ground turkey too.
*Packages at the store are "99% lean" which is mostly white meat OR "97% lean" which is a bit more dark. I buy both. The 99% lean really requires oil to brown and the 97% lean has a bit more flavor.

15) Turkey should finish browning as veggies are done roasting. Turn everything off, let the food cool. Take a minute to catch up on clean up.

16) Back to the Gladware...put a serving of ground turkey in the bottom of the container. Add a couple carrots, beets, potatoes, whatever you like.
*The Veggies were par-boiled, which makes the roasting quicker and results in more moist veggies. They will still be crunchy, because they will cook a bit more when you re-heat them.

17) Make sure you save a couple of leeks, beets and carrots. Chop these cooked veggies even smaller and put them into a container. You can add them to brown rice for a healthy, yummy side dish for dinner later in the week.
You can even make an entree if you mix in a bit of ground turkey.

*To dress up this entree, add a tiny bit of any of the following:
Dark sesame oil
Garlic roasted flavored rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Low fat italian dressing
Tomato paste

18) Last step to have 22 complete meals...get yet MORE gladware, and fill it 2/3 full with Arugula. You can add a few of the salad bar veggies if you like. Get snack-sized Zip-a-locs (the tiniest ones) and put a piece of chicken in it. Put the baggie'd chicken right into the container on top of the Arugula, and you have a ready-to-eat healthy lunch.
I like to warm my chicken before adding it to my salad, so I take this extra step. It's worth it to have a restaurant-quality salad at my desk (that takes two minutes to put together!).

Whew.

Seriously, it only took two hours.

And my favorite meals, all healthy stuff, are ready for lunch and dinner all week long.

A terrific use of two hours on Sunday!

11 year old food wisdom

22 meals in 120 minutes - A "How To" Guide

Today I shopped, prepped and cooked oodles of groceries. Ended my two hours with 22 meals.
I LOVE doing this on the weekend. I especially love doing it before Sunday night (that should be saved for relaxing and playing with baby girl).
I can't put into words the stress saved by opening the fridge and pulling out a gladware container that has a healthy, tasty lunch.
Or coming home at 5:15 and knowing I can take my daughter for a walk because dinner simply has to be re-heated.

Here are a few ways to cheat on meal preparation:
1) Put aside two hours on the weekend to shop, clean produce and cook.
2) Go to the store after breakfast. You won't buy junk food since you're full and you'll save loads of mental energy (stress) because the store isn't crowded on Sunday morning.

There's something remarkably easier about doing all that chopping and cooking at once.

And all week long, when I ask one of my co-workers "What's for dinner at your house?" and I see a look of stress, I know I did a good thing -- because I am relaxed and READY to feed my family healthy, tasty meals with almost no kitchen time.

Phit Kitchen Shopping

Dull knives, inappropriate equipment, too much stuff that is too complicated -- all will wreck your health eating plan.

Must-haves in the Phit Chick's kitchen:

Scale
Aluminum Foil and Baggies, Glass bowls for storage
Good knife
Silicon cutting board
Non-stick skillet or sauté pan
Sea Salt
Good olive oil
Good vinegars: rice wine, champagne, balsalmic

Read here how to choose a good saute pan.

Click here to read why the Mayo Clinic says sea salt is healthier than table salt.

I'm an Ina Garten fan and I followed her advice and bought Olio Santo olive oil. Love it. We had to order online but it is now available at Williams-Sonoma.

Ideally, you'll have two Chef's knives, but start with the 8" one. Henckels is an awesome brand.

And storage is critical. I know the potential danger of plastic, so I take food out of the baggie when I warm it up. And I am careful not to overuse - I actually rinse them and turn them inside-out to dry.
Baggies are bad for the planet and need to be used mindfully. I've considered giving them up, but I know from experience that if I have a refrigerator stocked with lunches for the whole week on Monday morning, then I save running out at lunchtime (gas), overspending (money), too many calories (health) and stress (stress).

So in the end, the plastic baggies are a good trade-off.
Glass bowls with plastic lids are better, but I have left so many at the office and I'm not sure washing more dishes is really better for our planet in the end.

Minutes, Miles, Months to a leaner you.

Been slacking? The ONLY way to regain consistency with exercise:

1) Put a calendar up that you see at least twice a day; record your exercise – minutes, miles, whatever.

2) After you have done this for a month, set a weekly goal for the next month.

When I had the baby girl, I kept deciding not to exercise because I only had 20 minutes, or I didn’t have time to get the sweat-your-guts-out workout that used to be my regular routine.
But then I started walking a mile a day – AND WROTE IT DOWN on the calendar. The next month my goal was to walk 6 miles a week. I did 10. The next month my goal was to walk 12 miles a week. I did about 11.5. Three months later, seven pounds gone.

It’s yet another mind game in a weight loss battle.

But this gives you an edge. It’s amazing how it works. You see you haven’t exercised in two days and you realize you CANNOT let it become three days. The blank squares of the calendar are staring you in the face.
One last important point: put the calendar where you’ll see it at least twice a day. Somewhere near the toilet is a sure thing.

My mileage calendar is in the "loo" - the toilet room in our master bath. I'm sure to see it a couple times a day. :) Makes for bad photo lighting though - sorry 'bout that.

coolest thing I've seen in awhile...

This has been on several blogs this week, but it is so worth repeating.

Licia Ronzulli, Italian MEP, attended the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg with her newborn girl this week, in order to draw attention to women’s rights.


Licia is one of the most phit and phabulous mama's I've seen in awhile.

Mind-Body-Sole connection

Yay Abbey! She found this article on how walking improves the brain.

I left my heart in...

Wow, Jordan, you have outdone yourself.

Check out this amazing dinner party beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
Meeting planners, event managers, hostess-with-the-mostess's -- take notes!

Jennifer Aniston’s workout secrets

Jennifer Aniston was featured in the September issue of Shape magazine. She looks insanely good. At 40 - heck, at any age - she looks insanely good.

She has a spinning bike, does yoga and eats incredibly clean. She swears by Smart Water (of course, she’s the spokesperson after all) and loves a recipe for a celery, zucchini and basil salad (or something) in The Family Chef cookbook.
Looks like there are plenty of healthy, yummy recipes in this cookbook; may add it to my library.

But about that bike Jennifer has at home...
I love Spinning. Was one of the first certified teachers in 1996. But I can't decide if I would actually ride one by myself. The group class is a killer-good workout, with the music and all, but there's something to be said for that peer-pressure.
What do you think? Would you ride a spinning bike if you had one at home?

Treadmill Fantasies

That’s right -- fantasies.

Sorry to disappoint, but they don’t involve sex.

As I’ve said before, I have a severe case of Cardio-Induced ADD, and I believe everyone has their brain as their biggest obstacle in exercise adherance.

Eight minutes, one second. Eight minutes, two seconds. I am so tired.

Not really. Just bored.

There is no scenery on the treadmill, so your mind is free (and again, bored). You don’t have to watch for stoplights, traffic, curbs, puddles or dog stuff you don’t want to step in.

So if my playlist is just right, I turn my brain from BORED to JAZZED!

How? Treadmill fantasies.



My top treadmill fantasies feature moi doing the following:

• Ballroom dancing, on Dancing with the Stars of course (with me in the place of Cheryl Burke).

• Me and Mr Right singing karaoke together and the whole bar cheering like mad. (Neither of us can sing, so this is an true fantasy.)

• On one occasion in a hotel fitness center, there was a weirdo staring at me. My fantasy that day was the stuff Charlie’s Angels is made up – I was a black belt and threw his slimy butt down the stairs. (There were no stairs, but I added them; you can do that in fantasies.)

• Teaching a cardio dance workshop a la Juliane Arney.

• Crossing the finish line at the NYC Marathon with my entire family and all my friends there. I’m running FAST and I’m sweaty but not limping or in tears like I probably would be if I ever did it for real.

• Me giving a speech at the United Nations (Angelina wasn’t available).

• Calling my husband from the car on the way to the state capitol to pick up my lottery winnings. Making plans with him about where to meet me (the airport), where we’ll go (Laguna Beach Ritz Carlton) and what to take (nothing, I’m buying everything new).

• Shaking hands with Regina Benjamin.

• Telling Oprah how I became so successful and why I’m giving all my money away a la Warren Buffet.

image via Landice Treadmills

Stress-less meals for weight loss

The key is to prepare AHEAD OF TIME.

Mark out two hours on a Saturday or Sunday to shop, prep and cook.

Buy 10 – 12 Glad or Ziploc containers ALL THE SAME SIZE. (Do not add stress to your life looking for the right lid for the container; get them all in the same size. Once a year, throw them all away and get new ones.)

Take a list with you to the grocery store and EAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE. Buy 6, 8 or 10 boneless chicken breasts, a few pieces of fish and ground turkey.

Back home in the kitchen, do the following: put the chicken and fish on baking sheets and put in the oven (sometimes Mr Right will grill them for me); put the ground turkey with some seasonings in a skillet; cook some brown rice or Barilla
Plus pasta or quinoa; and steam some veggies until they are half-done (the microwave will finish cooking them when you reheat them).

See my next post on my healthy meal prep on Sunday morning.

two of the Phit-est chicks ever

This is our Phabulous Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, posing with the uber-Phit and Phabulous Juliane Arney.

You must try Julz Cardio Dance DVDs. As Tina Turner says, Julz is Simply the Best.

perfect skirt

Athleta really nailed it with this Narsara skirt.

Soft, comfy and easy to dress up. I love the fold-over top and the fabric is wonderful.

And it's on sale!

my loot from J Crew

Let me just say that the J Crew crew are merchandising geniuses. An innocent walk past their store on my way to a lunch meeting led to an unplanned (and unbudgeted) shopping spree.

I LOVE to find trendy clothing that is office-acceptable and over-40 acceptable.

I love my new J Crew jackets in particular. Updated but classic enough for "big girl" meetings and travel. And they don't "bind" my arms the way suit jackets sometimes do.

Cardigans are my favorite fall wardrobe item, but I am having second thoughts on the "Burnished Olive" cardigan. It was a beautiful gold in the store and I was just smitten. Now I'm not sure, it looks a bit dull.





My favorite purchase was (as usual) the least practical one -- the gold flower pin. Can't wait to put it on a black cardigan over a funky t-shirt.

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messy side braid

Shape magazine has an online story up now about the hair styles at Fashion Week.

Ilove the braids that are popular right now, but this "mess it up" trend just confuses me. When my hair is a mess, I am embarrassed to go anywhere. Why would I put effort into messing it up?

If you're going out with messy hair, shouldn't the benefit be that you had to do absolutely nothing?

major creativity boost in Salt Lake

These classes look wonderful!
Wouldn't you love to learn Illustrator and Party Planning in the same weekend?
Salt Lake a bit far to go right now. Maybe you'll come to Kansas City, Nicole?

image via www.Nicolesclasses.blogspot.com

Apples in season!

Apples are at their peak, and it will soon be time for my favorite: honeycrisps.


When the weather turns cold and you are craving that sweet, baked yummy {insert here: cookie, cinnamon roll, pie}, here's an alternative...

Get an apple slicer and cut your apple into wedges. It'll be one apple per serving so make as many as you like.
Line a muffin pan with aluminum foil (this step is only necessary if you hate cleaning pans like I do)
Place the sliced, cored apple wedges in one of the muffin "holes"
Stir up a quick mix of chopped walnuts, oatmeal, a tiny bit of Agave sweetner and a tablespoon of water. Cinnamon, nutmeg and all apple pie spices are nice additions. Put a couple tablespoons of the mixture on top of each sliced apple.
Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes. Less for crisper apples, more for softer.

Serve. Ice cream will kill the healthy part of this recipe, but it's better than ice cream with pie. :)

The house will smell amazing.

image via honeycrips.org

more bad news for American's health status

If you're Phit, you may still be fat.

Ugh.

From Harris Poll:
For many Americans, fat is the new "norm."

In other words, we are being way too kind to ourselves.

• 30% of overweight think they are fine
• 70% of obese think they are just overweight
• 39% of morbidly obese think they are just overweight not obese

For the record, "morbidly obese" means you are so fat you may die from it.

Read entire press release here.

curling iron guru -- circa 1984

This may be better than the Felicity Shagwell 'do.

Above: me and Carly, who is now an awesome Orange County photographer.