Easy Bran Muffins!

I like my food to be easy. Well, if I'm preparing it that is!

I just don't have the gumption to put forth a giant effort on making a gourmet meal - though if someone wants to make me one that is a different story!

A couple of years ago, I saw a recipe for banana bran muffins and my mouth started to water. Bran muffins? Yeah, I know! But the thought of them sounded to good for words. Perhaps it was the gorgeous photo that accompanied the recipe! Either way, I wanted to make them. But I was pretty disheartened after I read the lengthy list of ingredients that included very little of what I had on had - different types of flours, wheat germ and all sorts of bizarre items.

Well, imagine my suprise when I went grocery shopping and found a package for a premixed bran muffin! Now, I usually am a "make from scratch" person when it comes to baked goods - but again, my muffin recipe was too daunting. The packaged ones were less than $2 so I decided to give them a whirl. (You got two batches out of one package as well.)

To this day, I still make these muffins - with an added squashed banana - and boy are they so good! And moist! Even my husband loves them! The banana really makes them sweet.

Here are some photos of this SUPER easy process.

Super cheap, knock-off brand Bran Muffin mix.

Gather your supplies: Mixing bowl, spatula, fork, egg

And one old banana that smells soooo good!

Dump mix into mixing bowl.

Smash your banana into another mixing bowl.

Combine egg and banana into dry mix. Stir until combined.

Spray your muffin tins with this great non-butane chemical free oil pump from Pampered Chef - or just use muffin wrappers. :)

Bake and enjoy!! EASY!

Easy Veggie Soup

Do you ever have trouble eating your veggies? Anyone with me?

Well, as much as I like to eat them is as much as I loathe to eat them. It's sort of like knowing that because they are good for me and I know I need to eat them, I don't want too. But I do. Begrudgingly.

To help myself get my veggies in, I often make this veggie soup. Oh my is it one of my favorites! It's the easiest thing ever - mainly just a dump, heat and serve kind of thing. I usually always have the ingredients on hand as most are pantry staples and a few freezer items. Here's the recipe!

• One box of chicken stock (you could use two if you prefer a more brothy soup)
• Veggies - loads of them! (I keep lots of frozen veggies on hand to dump into dishes I am making. I used half a bag of California blend veggies and half a bag of corn.)
• Potatoes - peeled and cubed (I used a combo of red and white - use whatever you have. I used about 6.)
• One can of diced tomatoes (If you only have whole tomatoes on hand, just dice yourself.)
• One onion - minced finely (Half if you're not an onion lover)
• Beans (if you feel like them. This was the first time I added beans [black eyed peas] Doens't need it if you don't like it.)
• 3 cloves of garlic - minced finely (I love the flavor it gives - add less if you want, but definatly have 1 clove)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil or non-stick cooking spray (I have the non-stick spray in my photo but I think I used EVOO)

In a large stockpot, heat oil and add onion. Cook until translucent. Add garlic. Do not burn the garlic. It will taste bitter.

Next, add your tomatoes (undrained), beans (rinsed), potatoes and chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes. Stir.

Add your frozen veggies. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Serve hot. This is also great for serving the next day. Mmm, mmm good!

Do you have any tips for getting more veggies in your diet? We'd love to hear them!

We're linking up with Angie at Angie's Healthy Living Blog. Go check out what others are up to this week!

Mandi's Foodie Update - A Change In Plans

Hi Food Friends! How is everyone? I hope you are doing great and that today finds you working hard at achieving your healthy goals. I wanted to pop in and share some news about my foodie journey.


My health and fitness goals have changed. I was having a great time doing Weight Watchers and found myself pretty focused on the program. But I had to quite near the end of April because I found out.....

(not me)

that I'm going to have a baby!


So as you can imagine, I needed to quiet WW right away. In fact, though I was loving the program, I was finding that I ate through most of points pretty quickly and often found myself VERY hungry. Well, little did I know, that this little bambino was making me want to eat much more. Dieting and Pregnancy just don't mix! All in all, I had lost about seven pounds and had been on the program for about a month. (To be honest, I may have lost a bit more or less but the first week I didn't have access to a scale.) I was really comforted to know that while doing WW I had been following their good health guidelines that ensured that I was eating 5 to 6 servings of fruits and veggies, two servings of milk, grains, lean meats, etc. So I know that I was at least eating fairly healthy for my baby.

Right now I am ten weeks along with a due date of December 13th. I've been really uping my fruit and veggie intake as well as my calcium intake and really trying hard to eat well. No wonder I was having such a food aversion to leafy greens! Normally I love them!

I want this baby to be healthy! So I plan to still share my foodie journey - just this time, I'm not trying to loose weight. I'm also going to keep exercise into my daily routine and am anxious to share with you what I will be doing to stay healthy. First I must meet with my midwife and see what she recommends is best for me. In the meantime, I'll just be walking.

Thanks for sharing in this news. It's been a busy month for each of us Foodies. I can't wait to get to your blogs and see how you all have been doing. To be honest, once I found out I was pregnant all I've wanted to do is read some pregnancy books. My nose has been buried in them! I hope everyone has a great day - and just want to send some encouragement to do your best today. You can do it!

Getting Some Goals Together

Hi ya'll! Can I just say that this weight loss thing is h-a-r-d?  I mean, it can be such a struggle sometimes. The last thing I want to eat is anything involving lettuce or green or full of fibre. Give me a slice of pizza, a Pepsi and call me satisfied. But I know I won't be satisfied. This weight loss thing is a journey and one that I know I need to be on.

This week I have a few goals I'm setting for myself:

#1. Drink more water! I've truly been slacking in this area and have now decided that I'll keep a full glass of water with me throughout the day to encourage myself to stay hydrated. It's been working so far! I may also get some sugar-free Crystal light packets because if I'm honest, I love the taste of flavored water far more than just regular H2O.

#2. Get creative with my veggies. As I mentioned above, I just loathe the idea of eating a salad right now. I know, I know, call me crazy. But lettuce (and spinach) just aren't doing it for me right now. So instead I'm going to get my veggie intake in other ways. Tonight's dinner consisted of a hamburger but instead of the fries, I opted for green beans. Score one for me. :)

#3. Start using weights. I've been trying to get more exercise into my daily life. Last week, my sister Foodies and I, went to a neighboring town to visit our grandma. I suggested that we all bring our sneakers and walk after the visit. And we did just that! We walked all over town and it was a great workout - but these arms of mine need some defination. I plan to start using weights to tone them up. I may even use them while watching some of my favorite tv shows. Multitasking. :)

So those are some of my goals for the week. How about you? How are you doing on your health and fitness journey? Any tips you can pass along? I'd love to hear them!

Oh yeah! I'm also excited to read this new magazine! I bought it tonight while at Walmart. It looks like a great issue!

And one more thing. I've lost 5 pounds so far!!

25 Ways To Incorporate Healthy Oils Into Your Diet

Are you having trouble incorporating healthy oils into your diet? Getting enough oil into your diet has many wonderful benefits including the fact that it may help lower risk for heart disease and stroke. Healthy oils contain vitamin E and essential fatty acids - great things that your body needs to run efficiently. According to the Weight Watchers Good Health Guidlines, you only need to eat 2 teaspoons of oil per day. 1 teaspoon = 1 serving.

Healthy oils in Weight Watchers are:

• Olive Oil
• Canola Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Flaxseed Oil

Fish Oils, Oil Capsules, Avocados, Peanut Butter and Nuts do not count towards Weight Watchers healthy oils requirements. Only pourable oils count towards your daily serving of oil while participating with Weight Watchers.

So just how do you get that oil into your diet? Here is a list of 25 different ways to get that healthy goodness into your body.

1. Use it in cooking. Many recipes call for sauting in some sort of oil.
2. Mix up a marinade for meats and/or veggies.
3. Mix it with meat sauces or most sauces.
4. Drizzle over pasta.
5. Drizzle over popcorn.
6. Drizzle over veggies.
7. Drizzle over corn on the cob.
8. Drizzle some over fat free cheese, It helps it to melt better.
9. Mix up some salad dressing. For instance: Equal parts olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a squirt of lemon juice.
10. Rub it on poultry or fish before baking it.
11. Rub it on steaks before grilling.
12. Rub it on meats for the spices and/or rubs have something to stick to.
13. Rub some on a baked potato.
14. Stir-fry veggies.
15. Coat some homemade baked fries.
16. Make garlic toast. For instance: Spread oil and garlic on bread. Broil until toasty.
17. Add some to soups.
18. Add to smoothies.
19. Mix 2 tsps olive oil into fat-free salad dressing to stretch it further.
20. Add to anything that is fat-free. Instead of the fat you're replacing it with healthy oils.
21. Roast veggies with oil and your favorite spices.
22. Mix into homemade salsa.
23. If you eat frozen dinners, drizzle some over it.
24. Make some Herb or Spice Infused Oil for dipping or cooking.
25. Mix in some Butter Buds or Molly McButter, you'll have butter flavored oils.

Some of this information is courtesy of the Weight Watchers Message Boards.

We're linking up with Angie at Watch My Weight Wednesdays. Hope over to see what other healthy tips are on her blog!

Lucious Brown Bag Lunches

Having busy schedules, we know the drudge of packing a brown bag lunch.  Same old bologna and ketchup sandwich gets boring (we actually ate those when we were kids!  Ick!)  Anyway... we wanted to put together some easy ideas for brown bag lunches to help you break out of any lunchtime ruts.  Here are some of our favorites.

• 
  
  One of my favorite new products are Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Burgers.  You microwave one for a few minutes which I then put on an Arnold Sandwich Thin and add a piece of cheese,  lettuce and ketchup.  A-MA-ZING. ~ Jenn

• 
  
  I love tuna. Oh do I love it! Here are a few ways I enjoy tuna - and none of them involve mayo! I put together a great salad full of veggies and then top it with light canned tuna packed in water (drained first of course). I then drizzle the salad with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Sooo good! I also like to add tuna (no mayo!) and arugula or spinach to a pita. Another way to enjoy this fish is to add the tuna, white beans, 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix together and enjoy! If you've never tried tuna without mayo, give it a try! ~ Mandi

• 
  
  Eating your leftovers is a great way to keep the fridge clean.  I portion things out the night before when I'm cleaning up the kitchen from dinner, so everything is ready to go in the morning.  I also like to bake off a piece of chicken the night before added to a salad with mandarin oranges and honey mustard dressing. ~ Mary

• 
  
  I love spring mix salad with dried cranberries, a few walnuts or pecans, feta cheese and fat-free raspberry vinegarette dressing.  Sometimes I will add some cooked chicken or turkey for added protein or even strawberries or raspberries. ~ Jenn

                                         

This day I had skipped breakfast so I added low fat rice cakes and homemade Weight Watcher muffins.

• 
  
   I love a big fruit salad for lunch. Fruit is full of fiber and is incredibly filling. I like to mix orange sections, pineapple chunks, kiwi, grapes, berries and bananas in a bowl. I toss and then enjoy! Add a piece of grain bread or rice cakes and you've got such a yummy lunch. ~ Mandi

• 
  
  How about this idea? Take your normal sandwhich fixin's and make a kabob out of it! Skewer chunks of chicken or ham, cherry tomatoes, squares of light cheese, cucumbers, and pineapple. Enjoy cold or lightly warmed in a microwave. What a fun way to enjoy your meal. ~ Mandi

How do you spice up your brown bag lunch? 

Mandi's Journey

Enjoying my last milkshake.

I've never been a skinny minnie. Ever. I love to eat. And when I hear the word "pizza" I just can't seem to say "no". I come from a long line of great cooks and definatly love to eat. I love to find new recipes and on Saturdays I love to plop down on the couch and watch The Food Network. I love puttering around the kitchen, making up new recipes, and feeding my hubby great food.

Through the years the pounds have piled on and I'm just not too impressed with the way I look. I love clothes and find myself really missing out on some of the trends. Leggings anyone? Haha, not really - but I'd love to just be able to pop into any store and scoop up a cute outfit instead of making sure they have a big size.

Last year I did Weight Watchers for a few months. I lost about twenty pounds and was exercising regularly. I found my body craving all of the movement I was getting from the exercise. My clothes were fitting great - in fact, I needed to buy some new clothes! But two months into my weight loss, I injured my knee and it totally sidelined me. I let those pounds creep back on and abandoned Weight Watchers. To be honest, I was just doing it at home - nothing formal - and there was so little accountability in doing it that way. My hubby was great at encouraging me but I needed accountability. This time around, I am signing up for Weight Watchers Online and am super excited about it. I mean, honestly, I'm downright giddy. I think I'm mainly excited about the possibility of this new body. I'm anxious to get going. I start tomorrow!

Recently, I've been slowly removing over processed and packaged food from our (me and my hubby) diet. I find myself craving fruits and veggies and we can't seem to get enough of salmon. I hadn't eaten a potato chip in about two months when I finally broke down and had some during a family movie night. Stearing clear of over processed items is going to be a big part of this journey. Whole foods in - processed out. We'll see how this goes - but my first week eating that way, I felt amazing! Full of life and energy. It's really a journey though and I'm nowhere near perfect! I've got a long way to go!

An embarrassing before.

I'm not brave enough like, Jenn, to post my weight in actual numbers but I will be sharing with you the pounds I have lost and any inches and percentages. I've got my ten year high school reunion coming up at the end of June so I have a few goals in mind. I'd love to be able to wear a tank top! In the meantime, let me know if anyone else out there is doing Weight Watchers. I'd love to hear your weightloss tips!