Fish Tacos for Friday

 

This week has been a mixed bag. I want to start off with my high/lows.

Highs

• I cooked some good food, had some good work outs.

• I got my husband to walk on the beach with me, at night for the first time ever. He’s been promising me he would since before our very first date! It only lasted for 5 minutes, but it happened!Terrible picture of the moment:

• I managed to spend some time on the blog and made some time to catch up on blog reading.
• I enjoyed a great day on the beach Sunday, even though I was on-call for work.
• I have maintained my weight for 3 weeks. It’s not a loss, but at least it’s not a gain.

Lows

• I have allowed work to stress me out tremendously and I’ve been bringing it home with me.
• Also, because of my job, I am missing my sister’s birthday celebration at the lake (about 5 hours away) with all of my family and some of my friends. This has me VERY down in the dumps.
• I still am having a hard time keeping my stress eating in check. I’ve not been tracking my food very well at all. 
• I am absolutely exhausted 99% of the time.

All in all, an OK week. This weekend will be tough knowing my family is having a blast and I can’t be there, and the husband will be working, but I am planning a special date night for myself after work on Saturday. I am going to watch a movie, maybe make a pizza and give myself a pedicure. It’s all about the little things after all.

Ok, onto the Fish Tacos with Peach & Mango Rice!

Fish Tacos – Tilapia Filet pan seared with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Break apart into pieces. 1 filet=2 tacos=1 serving. Easy. I top mine with a little fat free yogurt mixed with a little chili powder and lettuce.

Peach & Mango Rice (this is really complicated, are you ready?)

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

3 Tbsp Store bought Peach & Mango Salsa

1/4 cup frozen sweet corn, cooked

Mix all together and serve.

An easy, healthy meal is always just minutes away and it doesn’t have to be boring! This meal is full of flavor and spice, used little ingredients and took literally 10 minutes to throw together. This makes 1 serving, it’s easily doubled or tripled.

That’s all I have for today. I hope all had great weeks and have fun weekend plans! I have a 5 mile run scheduled for Sunday, I changed up training schedule a bit to allow for more time with the husband on our day off Thursday…but more on that Monday. :)

What's your high and low for the week?

The proof is in the pudding!

 

I was at Wal-Mart the other day and they have the most amazing selection of Sugar Free, Fat Free Instant Pudding. Have you seen it? It’s like a Jell-O Mecca! I was so excited, I bought 5 different kinds as visions of pudding pops, pudding pudding and possibly even pudding pies popped into my head. All made healthy because I had a secret weapon at home!

I rushed home with my goodies and immediately headed into the kitchen to whip together some white chocolate pudding. I look at the box to find out how much Vanilla Soy Milk I need to add, because that is what I have at home and I see this:

What’s the French, Toast? Are you KIDDING me? “Pudding will not set if made with soy milk.” How am I supposed to make pudding now? I don’t have regular milk. I rarely have regular milk.

Random tangent ahead, beware…

I feel bad for the milk cows. Have you ever heard the phrase “God Bless a Milk Cow!” uttered (haha) out of frustration? Well, I believe it! I don’t think it’s fair that they have to live in post partum state just so I can drink cow milk when I can drink soy milk. Do I still eat cheese? Yes. All the time. Does this make sense? No. Not at all. I love cheese and I will not give it up for any reason…but milk, that is something that I will usually pass on. I guess not, not anymore, because Instant Pudding is MILKIST! It’s Anti-Soy Milk!

/end random tangent.

Not one to give up on my dreams. I did some reading on the subject and found that if you attempt to make pudding with soy milk, which trust me, I almost did because I tend not to believe what packaging tells me…you get pudding flavored soy milk. Eww.

But, guess what? Upon even more research (I gave up quite easily the first time I looked into it) I found a LOOP HOLE! You just use 1 – 1 1/2 cups of soy milk per package of instant pudding instead of 2 cups of regular milk as called for. I like a thicker pudding, so I used 1 cup and 2 Tbsp of Light Vanilla Soy Milk mixed with the Cheesecake flavored Sugar Free, Fat Free Instant Pudding mix. The end result was a very smooth, luscious cheesecake pudding that was the perfect consistency (for me). So perfect in fact, I served it in a fancy glass, cause that’s how I roll!

The lesson in this pudding story? Never give up on your dreams. I dreamt of a cow milk-less instant pudding and with a little help of the interwebs, I made my dream a reality, so can you!

Ratatouille and Our Amazingness

 

Last night for dinner I made another recipe from Better Homes and Garden’s Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy. It was super easy, and pretty tasty.

I didn’t use the bread they suggested, instead I used just light wheat bread and it it into triangles. It’s 5 ww points per serving. For me, it was a perfect lunch portion today, but last night for dinner I was left a little hungry. I wish I would have beefed it up with a little pasta or rice.

So far this week, I feel great. I’ve been eating well. I’ve exercised. Work has been exhausting, but I am officially over the summer hump (as we call it) and have less than 50 days until Labor Day and my life turns back into something, somewhat, resembling normal.

I’ve had a few questions in comments lately about how my knees are holding up during training. They are doing pretty well. I just have to be sure to stretch them out and ice them at the beginning of any soreness. They are holding up better than I thought they would! Especially the one that was hurt awhile back.

There is so much stuff going on in the blog world these days:

Ryan of No More Bacon is celebrating his 1 year “healthiversary”!

Caitlin of Healthy Tipping Point and Operation Beautiful got some very exciting news!

Seth of Fit with a Purpose is hosting another challenge!

Lindsay at Healthy Stride completed her first cycling event!

I know I’ve said it before, but I am so happy to be a part of the blogging community. I get really excited for all of you when you achieve something amazing. It motivates me to get out there and do more!

We are all amazing.

For the first time in my life, I feel comfortable saying “We” instead of “You”. We are all amazing. We are proof that healthy living is achievable and fun. We didn’t go to a fancy ranch, we aren’t popping pills or crash dieting. We are just doing it.

Good for us! Let’s give us all a round of applause! Own your amazingness. I am finally owning mine and it feels pretty good.

Leave me a comment and tell me something AMAZING that you have done. It could be something as simple as cooking a healthy dinner to running a marathon. I know you have all done something…let’s hear about it. Let’s celebrate our amazingness together! :)

I’ll start: I ran a 10k when even at the starting line I was doubting my ability to finish. I ran it, had a great time running it and was very proud of myself at the end.

Plan-a-rana-ding-dong

 

It’s Monday. You know what that means, a plan to tackle the next 5 days. A plan to keep my ass in check. A plan that I am relaying to you so that you will give me a swift kick in the butt if I happen to tweet that I an lounging around in a hammock being fed chocolates by Greek God replicas. I’m helping you, help me. After all, that’s what’s important here. Me. :)   

Meal Plan!

Monday – Crock Pot Ratatouille with Parmesan Toast

Tuesday – Corn & Basil Cakes with a side dish of veg

Wednesday – Jerk Fish Tacos with Peach & Mango Rice (way easier than it sounds, I’ll show you the way)

Thursday – Crock Pot Chicken with Rice & Peas (a WW recipe I can’t link for some reason? Don’t worry, I will still share it, if it’s any good)

Friday – Surely there will be leftover food and I will eat it.

Work Out Plan!

Monday – 30 Minute Run (Boo-yah already done! My legs felt like lead, and the whole run was hard, but I did it.)

Tuesday – Weights or DVD

Wednesday – Rest

Thursday – 5 Mile Run (I am 1/2 Marathon training, let’s not forget!)

Friday – Yoga

Saturday – 30 Minute Run

Sunday – Rest

If I happen to get a little golf in there too…BONUS!

So there it is people. That is this week’s plan. I am going to do my best to stick to it. Because if you know you are doing your best, there is no need for excuses.

This post, like my run this morning, is brought to you by one my favorites:  Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Watch me cook up some time!

 

This time of year, my every free moment is savored. I live for each one. It’s hard for me to sit down in front of a computer when that is what I do all day every very long summer day. However, this blog is important to me. You guys are important to me. I care about your stories, your comments, your blogs…all very much. I need to make time for this. This is why my Unlikely Success Story is exactly that. Without this blog and without the wonderful blogging community I’m pretty sure the name of this blog would be “Watch Tonyne Booze and Eat herself into coma” or something equally as lame. So, that being said, while I may not have the amount of time to spend here as I do Fall-Spring, I will do my best to set aside blog time during the week where I can write and read until my little heart is content. That way I can hopefully stay an Unlikely Success Story and maybe I can give you a few hints, tips or tricks on how you can become one too.

I made another trip to the library for another cookbook, oh a whim I got  Slow Cooker Favorites made Healthy by Better Homes and Gardens. I happen to  think that the crock pot is the most underused kitchen appliance I own. It’s ridiculous. I mean, really. Do basic prep work like chopping, etc. before bed, go to sleep, wake up, dump said stuff with some more stuff in crock pot, turn it on, have dinner ready when you get home.  This is yet another way I can make time. For blogging, for running, for whatever! Be on the lookout for an increase of crock pot recipes. I’m going to search the internets for recipes like Jacques Cousteau searched for sea life because honestly, who couldn’t use more time? Think about having an hour saved because dinner cooked itself? Why do we under utilize this genius crockery so much? Also, by using the crock pot I’m not heating up my house with the oven making the A/C work twice as hard. Always a bonus.

I used the crock pot on Monday to make sesame chicken lettuce wrap.  Tonight, I made Lentil Taco Salad. A meatless wonder of a meal, chocked full of protein, vegetables and yumminess. Sorry to post a picture of the recipe, but my not retyping it…guess what I saved? TIME! :) If you click on it, it will get big and you can read it, I promise. I did take the time to punch the ingredients into WW Recipe builder to find out that if you serve this as 6 servings (that’s what I did, it says 8, but you know I like big portions) it’s 3 points per serving, without taco chips, sour cream, etc. Not bad at all! Tomorrow I plan to wrap it in a sandwich wrap like a burrito! Very tasty and all I had to do was chop and dump. Love it!

Don’t be scared to try lentils if you haven’t before. They are a wonderful meat substitute or they go great with meat! You can cook them in stews or soups, make burgers with them, anything. They are so versatile. They are also very inexpensive and go a long way, saving you a buck or two! In a meal like tacos, they work great because they have a meaty texture and consistency. They hold flavor well too, so the chili powder and garlic really stand out.

What is your favorite slow cooker/crock pot recipe?

I don’t like excuses

 

I don’t like excuses, but I seem to be full of them these days.

I’m working my ass off at work, so I’m too tired to work out after work.

I’ve had a rough week, I deserve to indulge in too much (insert sinful delight here).

I have nothing good to blog about, so why bother.

I’m EXHAUSTED. Mentally, physically and emotionally.

Those are just some of my excuses that I’ve been using lately to be unaccountable. Unaccountable for taking care of myself. I just don’t think that’s acceptable anymore. I knew this summer was going to be rough for me. I thought I had planned accordingly. I guess I was wrong.

I need to get it together. I am going to focus on the little things.

This weekend was amazing. A friend of mine from Greensboro decided to come down. I was excited to see her, but then, my sister decided to come down too and surprise me. I had no clue she was going to be here! We had a wonderful time and I am yet again thinking how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life.

Today, didn’t quite go as planned. I meant to wake up early this morning and run…I didn’t. I meant to work out after work but was late leaving the office, then got stuck at an open swing bridge and got home much later than expected. BUT, I still managed to eat a healthy lunch and dinner.

Lunch was a wrap with Asparagus, Sprouts, Granny Smith Apple, Laughing Cow Cheese, Dijon Mustard and Lettuce.

For dinner, I used my crockpot to make some Sesame Ginger Chicken (7 oz. chicken breast, Lawry’s Sesame Ginger marinade, a little water, onion, Sriracha sauce and soy sauce cooked on low for 6 hours) which I shredded and ate in lettuce wraps with some healthy fried brown rice, using leftover rice from Sunday.

 

I managed to write and post a blog entry today…ok, well, I haven’t posted it YET, but you get the point.

And finally, tonight instead of being home alone wishing I had more time to spend with my husband, I am actually going to just unplug and do exactly that since we are actually both home at the same time…at least until he goes to work shortly.

I have a good life. I have a roof over my head. I know the right choices to make. I do what I can. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the big picture seem not so big.

You just don’t need excuses if you know you are doing your best. It’s time I start doing mine.

Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil

 

I have a summer cold. They are the worst. I am exhausted. I am constantly switching between insanely cold and insanely hot. I have had to work too. So I’m miserable. I did make an awesome dinner that I wanted to share. I got it out of an old Real Simple Magazine. It’s a recipe I’ve had forever, but hadn’t tried yet.

Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil (4 servings, 6pts per serving)

Ingredients

1 cup cooked brown rice

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1 eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup fat free sour cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, eggplant, curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the eggplant is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook just until heated through, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Serve over the rice with sour cream, if using.

Recipe mostly courtesy of Real Simple Magazine

Recipe was cooked almost exactly as published with just a few changes based upon what I had on hand. I made it based on a wing and a prayer. I couldn’t remember if I even liked curry! I knew I’ve had it before, but I couldn’t remember what it tasted like. I’m glad I tried it, because I DO like curry. :)

I hope to be back up to my old tricks soon! But for now, cooking dinner and writing this post took all I had left for the day. Time for my couch and a movie.

I miss you guys! I hope you all had great holiday weekends!

I’m a nerd and proud.

 

Yesterday my friend Kelly and I had an Eclipse brunch. We are Twi-Nerds. For the first movie, my friend Katie and I went to the midnight premiere. For New Moon, Kelly joined us, we had a whole Twi-Night. We ate “Wolf Stew”, “Vampire Dip” and “Sparkle Cupcakes”, we had several cocktails and went to the midnight premiere of that as well. Here we are that night:

Katie, Kelly and Me

Katie moved to Orlando, and you all know how busy I am during the summer, so Kelly and I opted to go to a Thursday matinee of Eclipse. Katie went too, at the same time in a theater in Orlando. Because, that’s what BFFs do. We conference called after the movie! Kelly and I opted to have brunch beforehand. I made a Lemon Poppy Seed Cake and fruit salad with a yogurt drizzle. Kelly provided Mimosas. I made my stuff the night before, since I knew I was going to get up early to run.

Yes, that is a giant Edward head on my tee shirt and no I don’t wear it normally. It was a gag gift for my 30th birthday from Katie. I thought it was appropriate to wear since she wasn’t with us today. The brunch was amazing and the movie was as well.

The yogurt drizzle was the star of the show. I mixed 1 and 1/2 8oz. containers of fat free french vanilla yogurt with 1/2 of a container of fat free cool whip. Amazing. You should try it sometime! This was definitely one of the highs of my week. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life. Being around them, even talking to them on the phone brightens my day.

This brings me to my High Lows for the week!

Highs

• I worked out 5 days (if you count the driving range as a work out, and I do) this week! Totally sticking to my workout schedule for the week.
• I had my first outdoor run since my knee injury and it held up great!
• I went to the driving range with my husband. I love time we get to spend together other than sitting around because we’re both exhausted from working.
• I had the greatest meatballs of my entire life while discovering that eating at a table and not in front of the TV can be life changing.
• I didn’t let work stress get to me like it normally does.
• The Eclipse Mimosa Brunch and Movie.

Lows

• I didn’t track my food as well as I should have.

That is honestly it for my lows. I had a great week, regardless of what the scale says about it. Speaking of the scale…I am 156.4 this week, up .3 from last week. I don’t like the up part, but I know why.

I hope you all have fun and safe 4th of July weekends! I will be working tomorrow, but I will have Sunday off. I’m hoping to enjoy some fireworks on Saturday night but now that the husband’s schedule has changed and he works weekends, I have no idea what my plans will be. I guess I’ll be winging it. :)

Are you doing anything fun for the 4th? Tell me all about it! :)