::photo:of:the:day::

I love anything and everything having to do with food, so here is my photo of the day, featuring the lovely Raquel Zimmerman.

You can't go wrong when you pair food with fashion. :)



-S.*

::nom:nom::

Believe it or not I have never tried this next recipe that I am about to post. Most people have tried it and I think I will try it very soon as it looks super delicious and my mouth is watering just looking at the image that is along with the recipe.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart's website Everyday Food.

Bon Appetit!

Light Chicken Parmesan

The secret's in the breading: Only one side of the chicken has it; plus, whole-wheat bread subs in for white, and an egg white replaces a whole one.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg white
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skin mozzarella (3 ounces)
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
• 1 garlic clove minced

Directions

1. Prehead over to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, place bread, Parmesan, oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour in a second shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place egg white in a third shallow bowl, and beat with a fork until frothy.

2. Dip top side of a chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip same side in egg white, letting excess drip off, then in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. (Do not bread other side.) Repeat with remaining chicken and transfer, breaded side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake until breadcrumbs are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with mozzarella. Continue baking until chicken is opaque throughout and cheese is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, place tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve chicken with 1 generous amount of tomato sauce.

Yummy!

-S.*

::health:buff::

Decided to share with you guys a couple of fitness/health tips that I found on the wholeliving.com website.

A lot of it will make sense to some of you as it surely does to me.



Secrets to Healthy Weight Loss

Different Problems, Different Solutions

You know how weight lost works: Eat less and move more. But if it were truly that simple, two-thirds of American adults wouldn't be overweight or obese right now, with corresponding health woes ranging from diabetes to heart disease to some forms of cancer.

"The reasons we carry excess weight depend on our culture, our habits, our genese, and our psyches," says John Bagnulo, nutritionist at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. "Only by examining both the physical and psychological reasons can you find what works for you."

We spoke with several weight-loss experts to identify the most common reasons people struggle with their weight. Identify your biggest obstacle (or obstacles) on the following "slides", and use the suggested strategies to start your summer off right.

Problem: Not Enough Exercise

Considering that our bodies are designed to move, most of us spend an awful lot of time sitting -- in the car, behind a desk, on the couch. "If you sit all day and eat too much, you create a calorie surplus, which leads to weight gain," says Jillian Michaels, resident trainer on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and author of "Master Your Metabolism".

Working exercise into your routine not only burns calories but also improves mood, energy level, and sleep, all of which can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Problem: The Wrong Foods

Don't mistake your afternoon cookie habit as a mere lapse in willpower. "Physiological addiction to comfort foods is very real," says Bagnulo. The key factor involves serotonin, the neurotransmitter that plays a big role in mood.

"Foods with large amounts of refined flour and sugar trigger artificially elevated levels of serotonin," he explains. "We become dependent on these foods to feel okay."

Solution: Check In with Your Body

As you eat, pause every few bites to take a deep breath and ask yourself how the food makes you feel.

"We've become so mental about food -- how many fat grams does it have? -- that we're disconnected from what we're eating," Bagnulo says. "Checking in with how a piece of fruit makes you feel versus a cookie gives you answers about which foods improve your well-being and which detract from it."

Solution: Eat with Others (and Not the TV)

According to a 2008 study, eating quickly and until you're full triples your chances of being overweight. Sharing meals with friends or family is one of the best ways to slow down. You'll chew more slowly, feel fuller, and be less likely to stuff yourself.

To get more mindful about food, eat meals in an environment that promotes calm. Move away from the computer; turn off the TV. "Eating in a relaxed environment allows you to hear your body's cues more clearly," Bagnulo says, which makes you more likely to stop before you reach an uncomfortable fullness.

Problem: Poor Portion Control

Portions have substantially increased over recent decades -- by some estimates, as much as 200 percent -- in both restaurants and at home. While it's fine to eat your fill of nonstarchy veggies, much of what we overindulge in (simple carbs, fats, meat) affects our weight and health.

Problem: Stress and Fatigue

Stress, fatigue, and weight gain are common companions: Stress can lead to poor food choices; this can put your body on a blood-sugar roller coaster, which causes low energy. Sleep deprivation can cue your body to release stress hormones, triggering weight gain. And "the less time you have to devote to self-care," says Loring, "the harder it is to make the changes that lead to weight loss."

Solution: Think Quality, Not Quantity

Now's the time to trim the empty calories from your diet: A 2009 study at Brigham University found that middle-aged women who weren't conscious of eating less as they aged were more likely to gain weight over a three-year period.

"I counsel my patients to think of it not as curbing intake, but as choosing worthy foods with intention," says Beth Reardon, integrative nutritionist at Duke Integrative Medicine. That means less refined flour, sugar, and snacks and more vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Solution: Build More Muscle

Strength training is critical for keeping metabolism humming as you age. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, explains Reardon, and without intervention, women start losing muscle as early as their mid-30s.

To boost your muscle mass, Michaels recommends strength training four times a week. It helps you burn more calories, even at rest.

Solution: Drink More

Green tea contains antioxidants known as polyphenols that have mild metabolism-boosting properties, Reardon says. "Staying hydrated with a combination of green tea and water may counteract some of the metabolic slowdown that occurs with age."

Drink three to five cups of green tea a day for its calorie-burning potential, suggests Reardon, and at least 48 ounces of water to support the body's metabolic processes.

Solution: Set Smart Goals

Michaels uses a pyramid to help the time-strapped make goal-setting as effective as possible. Draw a pyramid on a piece of paper, and at the top, write done your ulitmate goal in as much detail as possible -- total numer of pounds to lose, yes, but also what the number will empower you to do (run a race, embark on a job search). For the next row, break that larger goal into monthly goals. From there, you can set weekly and daily goals.

Solution: Learn from Your Lapses

Michaels says that the biggest obstacle to changing your habits is an all-or-nothing attitude. "It's a foregone conclusion that dietary lapses will happen. The trick is to see them as lessons and not as a confirmation that you're a failure." If you know you tend to eat too much cake at an office birthday party, for example, bring in a healthier snack of your own next time.

-S.*

{Source: WholeLiving.Com}

::recipes::

I have two recipes to share with you guys today; both from the website Coastal Living.

And of course, when you think of the Coast what kind of food do you think of?

Of course; seafood!

I couldn't decide which one to post so I am going to post both of them up. One a shrimp recipe and one a fish recipe. They both look and sound delicious and I will definitely be trying these soon. Hope you guys enjoy when and if you try.

Actually, you better try and then share! Let us know what you thought of the recipes.

Bon Appetit!

Grilled Shrimp Gazpacho

Yield: Makes 2 entree or 4 side dish servings

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into pieces

1/2 English cucumber, cut into pieces

1/2 small sweet onion, cut into pieces

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil

1 tablespoon seafood seasoning

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 yellow tomatoes, seeded and cut into pieces

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine garlic and next 7 ingredients in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add tomatoes to food processor, and process until almost smooth. Stir tomatoes into vegetable mixture. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Toss shrimp in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until done. Pour soup into bowls; top with shrimp.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Roast Cod with Garlic Butter
Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons minced shallots

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tablespoons minced prosciutto di Parma

1 tablespoon almond, rice, or all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 (7-ounce) skinless cod fillets
Garnish: Lemon Wedges

Preparation
1. Stir together first 10 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a wide, deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper, and cook for 4 minutes. Turn fillets over; cook 1 minute.

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon butter mixture over the top of each fillet; transfer skillet to oven, and bake at 450° for 2 minutes or until fish is just cooked through and opaque in the center.

4. Add any remaining butter to pan, and let melt, stirring with juices in pan; spoon over fish, and garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.

That's it, that's all guys.

Sounds insanely easy to make either and I am excited to give it a try...especially with my new healthy eating attitude {no, not a diet, a new lifestyle!}.

If you guys give it a shot before I do then make sure to tell me what it was like and if you would change anything!

-S.*

::monday:blues::

Okay; first of all, I can't contain my excitement. I decided to start my own Tumblr! Woohoo! If you guys are interested in checking it out it's called Sugar Jar {so follow this link: http://www.sugar-jar.tumblr.com/}. :D I am excited to start posting like a maniac. Since I love all things beautiful and inspirational and not only do blogs inspire me to post but it's just so easy to reblog photo's from tumblr. Anyways, don't you guys worry, I will still post on here on a regular basis. This tumblr will also give me the chance to share my weight loss story since I am trying to lose 30+lbs by the Summer...or at least by the Fall, and I am going to do this the healthiest possible way. So that I don't gain everything back all over again. I am at my highest weight that I have ever been in my life and I just don't feel that good about myself. So anyways, if you guys are interested then check out my tumblr...mind you, I just started so there isn't much on there at the moment. :)

On another note, it is a dreary rainy day. And it's Monday. What a combo.

If I could, I would have taken today off to just relax and stay in bed all day while it rained and thundered out. Yes, I am not joking.

Yesterday we got a bunch of snow and then around midnight it started to thunderstorm. This Canadian weather is been it's weirdest yet.

Alas, I had to drag my butt to work because I have been sick on and off the past month and I can't afford to not be there.

So yea!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! It went by soooo fast. But we are already in the month of April and Spring is just around the corner {supposed to get +16C here in Ontario}. But I am very excited for the Summer. :)

                 

  

-S.*

::recipe::

Soooo, I found this recipe on a blog called Handle The Heat {www.handletheheat.com} and first off I just want to say that it is a great blog with a tun of recipes and it's easy to read and I love how she writes as well.

Second, on to the recipe; WOWZA! This looks absolutely delightfully delicious!

See for yourselves. ;)

Bon Appetit!

Lightened Loaded Potato Soup

Yield: 4 servings

From Cooking Light October 2010

Ingredients

4 {6-ounce} red potatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1-1/4 cups lower sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 bacon slices, halved

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 teaspoons thinly sliced green onions

Directions

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave on HIGH 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.

2. While potatoes cook, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk im measuring cup; add to pan then add the remaining 1-1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stir often, being careful to not let the milk boil over. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.

3. Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon.

4. Scoop potato into soup and discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup using a potato masher. Ladle soup into four bowls and top with cheese, green onions, and bacon.

-S.*