Cheez-It Chicken - A Tad Lighter Version

Since it is a new year I would like to start sharing some of my favorite recipes and cooking tips.  If you know me personally, you know that I am a Cheez-It addict.  We literally can’t have them in the house because I will eat the whole box and that is a very, very bad thing!!  I am pretty good at eating portion size and in moderation on EVERYTHING else BUT Cheez-Its… I can’t explain it, I can’t change it or get over it, I just have to accept it and try not to buy them.  With that said, the rare chance I do screw up and buy them I have to get rid of them in other ways and one of my favorite ways is with Cheez-It Chicken.  There are several different variations out there, some call for flour and egg, Dijon or honey mustard, sour cream, mayonnaise and so on.  I was so ready to make it for dinner tonight using the “Hellmann’s Chicken” method by using mayonnaise and cheddar cheese and sprinkle the Cheez-Its on top.  That method didn’t fit into my Spark People meal plan for the day so I had to lighten it up a bit.  I then remembered I had some plain Greek yogurt in the fridge that I needed to use up soon so I decided to use that.  These came out so tender, juicy and flavorful and the “breading” stayed on perfectly.  I was so impressed by this method, I will surely be adding this to my arsenal.

If you try this recipe, let me know how you liked by leaving a comment!

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ to 2 cups Cheez-It or like brand crackers (could use reduced fat too!)

Black pepper, to taste

1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

½ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

2 to 3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.            Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a foil-covered baking sheet with cooking spray.

2.            Crush the Cheez-It crackers and mix in pepper.  Place mixture in bowl.

3.            In another bowl, mix the Greek yogurt and the shredded cheddar cheese.

4.            Working with one chicken strip at a time, first roll strip in yogurt and cheese mixture until it is evenly covered.  Next roll the strip in the Cheez-It mixture and place it on the baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining chicken strips.

5.            Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

6.            ENJOY!

NUTRITION FACTS (APPROX.):  5 Servings; Calories:  215.4; Total Fat:  6.7 g; Cholesterol:  71.9 mg; Sodium:  168.7 mg; Potassium:  233.8 mg; Total Carbohydrate:  7.8 g; Fiber:  0.3 g; Sugar:  1.0 g; and Protein:  29.3 g.

SALAD JAR

MOVE OVER SALAD BAR THERE'S A NEW KID IN TOWN, THE SALAD JAR!

I have been quite obsessed with making salads in a jar lately.  I call them "Salad Jar" like salad bar... haha… get it?  Salad jar… right.  Well, these things are amazing!  I started making them about a month ago and I am hooked and now making them every week.  Since I am chopping and stuffing everything into the jars on one day and putting them into the fridge to use over the next 7 days, I am saving a ton of time!  HOLD UP!  Did you just say 7 days?  YEP! I did!  I have stretched these little gems out for 7 days of lunches or dinners!  If you follow the layering guide they are still UNBELIEVABLY fresh on day 7!  I am still so shocked about it and I have had several of these so far.

Before when I would buy lettuce for salads, I would buy my head of romaine and chop it, rinse it, spin it in the salad spinner to dry and place it in a large zip lock container with a paper towel to absorb moisture.  I would then grab from this container over the next week when I wanted to have a salad.  Truth is by day 4 the lettuce would already be starting to brown and wilt and it would never make it to day 7 and would ultimately end up in the trash!  With this jar method I can't even begin to rave about how fresh the lettuce is STILL on day 7!  It literally is like I just cut, washed and spun it.  I have read several blogs about this and the claim that these salads in a jar will stay fresh for up to 7 days and I have always been like yeah… right… until I finally decided to try it.  I am a believer and you can be a believer too, just follow the simple building directions outlined below!  ENJOY!

LAYERING GUIDE

I love big entrée salads so I use a 1 quart wide mouth mason jar to make these salads.  You can use any size and any ingredients as long as you follow this simple layering guide.

(FROM BOTTOM OF THE JAR TO TOP)

1.            DRESSING/SAUCE

2.            HEARTY VEGETABLES (i.e. tomatoes, onions, peppers, broccoli, carrots, celery)

3.            LESS HEARTY VEGETABLES AND BEANS (i.e. mushrooms, zucchini, corn)

4.            PASTA AND GRAIN (i.e. pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa)

5.            PROTEIN AND CHEESE (i.e. meat, eggs, cheese, shrimp, chicken)

6.            LETTUCE (and anything else that would get soft or soggy such as nuts or seeds, possibly croutons or chips but I always just add those when I am ready to eat it)

When you are ready to eat your salad jar just shake it up and dump it out into a bowel to enjoy.

SALAD JAR RECIPES THAT I HAVE CREATED AND TRIED (with Weight Watchers Points Plus values)

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD JAR

Ken's Lite Blue Cheese Dressing (2tbs) – 2pp

Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (1tbs) – 0pp

Cherry Tomatoes – 0pp

Red Onions – 0pp

Bell Peppers – 0pp

Broccoli – 0pp

Grilled Chicken (3oz) – 3pp

Crumbled Blue Cheese (1/8c) – 1pp

Romaine Lettuce – 0pp

TOTAL POINTS PLUS – 6pp

GREEK CHICKEN SALAD JAR

Drew's Greek Salad Dressing (1tbs) – 2pp

Cherry Tomatoes – 0pp

Red Onions – 0pp

Bell Peppers – 0pp

Black Olives (5) – 1pp

Grilled Chicken (3oz) – 3pp

Crumbled Feta Cheese (1/4c) – 3pp

Romaine Lettuce – 0pp

TOTAL POINTS PLUS – 9pp

TACO SALAD JAR

Medium Salsa (2tbs) – 0pp

Ken's Lite Ranch (1tbs) – 1pp

Cherry Tomatoes – 0pp

Red Onions – 0pp

Bell Peppers – 0pp

Canned Corn, No Salt Added (2tbs) – 0pp

Canned Black Beans, Low Sodium (2tbs) – 1pp

Ground Turkey Taco Meat (3oz) – 3pp

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (1/2 oz) – 2pp

Romaine Lettuce – 0pp

TOTAL POINTS PLUS – 7pp

*Optional Topper:  Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (4) – 1pp

ITALIAN PASTA SALAD JAR

Ken's Lite Italian Dressing (2tbs) – 2pp

Cherry Tomatoes – 0pp

Red Onions – 0pp

Bell Peppers – 0pp

Garbanzo Beans (1/4c) – 1pp

Whole Grain Pasta (1/2c) – 3pp

Grilled Chicken (3oz) – 3pp

Cubed Cheddar Cheese (1oz) – 3pp

Romaine Lettuce – 0pp

TOTAL POINTS PLUS – 12pp

CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD JAR

Ken's Lite Caesar Dressing (2tbs) – 2pp

Cherry Tomatoes – 0pp

Red Onions – 0pp

Bell Peppers – 0pp

Grilled Chicken (3oz) – 3pp

Grated Parmesan Cheese (2tbs) – 1pp

Romaine Lettuce – 0pp

TOTAL POINTS PLUS – 6pp

*Optional Toppers:  Seasoned Croutons (4tbs) – 1pp

Weight Loss, Dreaded Plateau and More...

I'M BACK!

I have been away from this blog for over two years.  Over that time I had completely took control of my life and started on a journey to a healthy lifestyle.  I had lost 70 pounds, went from a size 22+ to a 12/14, and learned a whole lot about my body and what I put into it in the process.

June 2014

Mom and I May 2012

Losing weight is not easy, it is hard and you have to have it on your mind every single second of the day.  Losing weight is a HUGE commitment to yourself.  It is easy to give up, easy to fail.  Even now, 70 pounds down, I still can slip up majorly on the drop of a dime.  It is way too easy to fall back into your old habits so that is why it has to be on your mind all of the time.

I had finally reached "ONEderland" sometime around March 2014 and since then I have been gaining and losing the same 5-7 pounds continuously.  I like to call this period in my journey the DREADED PLATEAU.  Everyone talks about it, some people get there, some claim they are there when really they just in the process of giving up, some people are really there and stuck there a very long time, and some people take that plateau and kick its ass!  I want to kick its ass.  I WILL kick its ass.

So, this plateau is no laughing matter.  I remember hitting a small one when I was hit 220 but I managed to get out of that one within a month or so.  This one is insane.  No matter what I do, no matter what I eat, I am stuck.  Some people will say, "Well, that's just your body trying to tell you you don't need to lose any more weight."  Well, those people are wrong.  Please, let me be the judge of where I am and where I want to be.  I am currently 195 and my BMI is 28, which is overweight.  (*Note:  I don't really give a crap about my BMI because BMI is a terrible measure of health and should be discontinued by all healthcare professionals, but for informational reasons I will mention mine as it used to be like 38….)  So, no, I am not done.  My body is not done.  Let me be the judge of where I want MY body to go and where MY body is capable of going!  Actually, my goal is to lose 100 pounds.  That would bring me to around 162 pounds.  When I get to 162 pounds I might like, I might not.  I might want to lose more, I might want to gain a little back.  That's my decision.

I even joined Weight Watchers (WW) online a couple months ago to try to see if it was my eating that was throwing me off track, but that wasn't the case.  I have not had any success yet with WW, just the same up and down that's been going on for months.  I hit 190 and I can't get past it and then I will give up for a fleeting moment, eat too much or sit around too much and then think crap… 195 again….

I have not done a lot of research into plateaus or how to break through them because what works for one person may not work for every person.  I know they say a simple change in routine will help most of the time.  I've tried new activities and pulled out some old ones and nothing seems to make me budge the right way.

MY PLAN TO BREAK THAT 190 WALL

That little newborn you see in my very first (and only *sorry*) blog posts is now a 3 year old little boy who just started preschool last week.  We chose a very unique preschool that my brothers and future brother-in-law attended, because it's an amazing school, but it happens to be 30 minutes from our home.  He goes three days a week for 2.5 hours.  I won't be driving back and forth, it's not worth it.  Instead I will use that 2.5 hours to break my plateau into pieces.  My plan is to start going to the walking trail near the school and doing C25K, something I tried years ago and quit very early on.  Then when the weather gets too cold I will take it inside at a nearby gym.  I have never been much of a runner because I thought I couldn't do it.  I am still not very good at it (for now) but the feeling it gives me makes me crave it and want it more.  Hopefully by adding running to my routine it will give my metabolism the boost it needs to beat this plateau!!!!!!!!!

Chris and I with our son August 2012

Chris & I Nov. 2013

MY GOAL

Last fall, my fiance, Chris, and I completed a Great Pumpkin Race 5K.  Chris won a bronze medal for coming in third in his age group.  I came in second to last out of EVERYONE!  BUT I came in just under 45 minutes and I set out to finish in less than 45 minutes, even if it was 44:59, I was going to do it and I did.  It was hard.  I was still getting over a terrible cough left over from a terrible two week cold, so that held me back a little.  Also, I wasn't in as good of shape as I am now.  But I am still not a great runner (yet).  ANYWAYS…. I just signed up for that race again for this October 26th.  I have seven weeks to get to where I can run for the majority of the race so that is why I chose C25K to help train me.  My goal is to win a medal at this year's race, or at the very least beat last year's score.  But I am dreaming big, I want that medal!!!!

I am writing this for accountability.  If there is someone out there reading this, I want you to know I am doing this and am changing my life!  If you are reading this and want to begin your journey or need to begin your journey, I am here for you.  I support you.  I want to inspire you and motivate you.  Whatever it is you want to do, YOU CAN!  And don't ever forget that.

I am part of a team...

It is a great feeling when you belong and are accepted. I have struggled very much along my journey, but there are many others like me that I didn't know of. I finally found what I needed to get my butt into gear, support. Yes, I have SparkPeople and all that but that just wasn't working for me this time.

I am thankful that I was a part of the What to Expect When You're Expecting - June 2011 Mom's group which lead me to the WTE June 2011 Momma's Facebook group and I gained 300 new friends. These are friends who have been there from the beginning and they have an answer to every question I have and they are the support I need.

This group decided to hold a Biggest Loser Competition and that is where we are now. We broke up into groups. I am on the Blue Team with 9 other lovely ladies who voted for me to be the team leader; which was such a kind gesture. We hold each other accountable as we log our weights week by week. We at the tail end of week 4 now and I couldn't be happier with my team, we have lost well over 40 lbs together and we are not stopping! I am so happy to finally have found something to get me moving and make me happy! It's definitely showing!!

GO BLUE!!!

Not Enough Time in the World...

So this is my third post and not much has changed. My weight went down about three pounds but goes up and down from there each day. My little one is taking better to breast feeding and I try to nurse him for each feeding before giving a bottle. I feel that my supply is going down. I don't know if I am not drinking enough water or if I'm doing something else wrong. I am going to try to drink more and if that doesn't help I will bring out the fenugreek again. It figures now that he has got the hang of the breast I will lose my supply.... ugh.

I have been feeling better. My back doesn't seem to be bothering me as much as it used to, I give credit to either the fact that I am moving more or for my fiance cracking my back; things have been feeling good ever since. I have started with regular walks and even started using Your Shape Fitness Evolved and Dance Central for Kinect. I was surprised by how much energy I seemed to have after working out, it might be a plus to keep it up.

Last week I went for my six week postpartum check up and I found out I had lost 23 pounds since the day before my Marcus was born. I already knew this was about where I stood in the weight loss area, slow and steady will get the last 20 pounds and more off. Unfortunately, my doctor had an emergency and had to leave the office before seeing me. I had to reschedule till yesterday. She made it yesterday and she said I am all back to normal.

Last week I also had the ... pleasure to go shopping to try and find bridesmaid dresses for my friends wedding in May 2012. The first store we went to was very awkward. The clerk asked me my size and I had no clue, I was embarrassed as I told her I had s baby 6 weeks ago and I have no idea where I stand today. She brought me a range of sizes. The smallest was a size 18 and the largest was a size 32! Was this lady crazy? A 32!?!?! Really? Anyways... the 18 fit the best but I was stuck trying the other dresses on and clamping them... which you really cannot get a feel for a dress that is many sizes too big. The second store we went to I was able to tell the girl size 18 or 20 and she brought me those sizes only. This clerk was very helpful and made the already difficult fitting a lot more pleasurable. We didn't settle on a dress yet, the only thing I worry about is if it can easily be taken in or let out.

I started school back up this week again which ads a ton more to juggle with my little one. It is going to take a while to get used to all of this. This is a new and exciting time in my life which can also be rather stressful as you know. I don't want the stress to hinder my weight loss success. Who's still with me??!?!?!

This is going to be a lot harder than I had thought.

So, if there is anyone out there actually reading my blog you will notice I haven't even found the time to write a second entry. It's been over a week since I started my blog and I had wanted to write every Friday and update on how I am doing, truth is; it's Monday and I am not doing too well.

It is very difficult to find the time to exercise let alone do anything else for myself. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I love every second with my son and I wouldn't change a thing, I just think that I am going to have to set off a lot slower than I had thought. The first problem is that it is so very hot outside and by the time it cools off enough to take my little one out for a walk I am way too exhausted, or some how the day just slips away from me and it too late. I know this is completely understandable considering the circumstances.

This past week I had gotten two walks around the neighborhood in, and a few short stints of playing Dance Central on Kinect. If you haven't tried Kinect I highly recommend it! The Dance Central game sure gets the blood pumping and it is crazy fun! My fiance downloaded some extras for the Your Shape Fitness Evolved and it has a post baby work out which I can't wait to try.

I have some road blocks already though. First off, my fiance started a second job today and he will be gone a lot more now and I will be alone with Marcus for most of the time. Second, my legs and back are feeling awful! It is hard to get up and down and hard to walk at times. I am hoping with more movement that all of that will fix it's self. I developed a sciatica problem during pregnancy and.... Well see right there... Now it's Monday, I couldn't even finish my blog in one sitting. Where was I? oh yes, a sciatica problem, it seems to still be present and that slows me down a lot. I am hoping with movement that I can overcome this issue and it won't be a big problem.

To make the ending to this short and sweet, I am going to try and get moving more this week, and of course I am going to try and cook meals again so I don't settle for fast food, take out, or ever frozen processed junk. It's going to be hard, but I can do it!

Take care!

I Gained the World.... and Then Some

This is my world!

He is my everything! All 9 pounds 2 ounces of him! This is my son Marcus, born June 24, 2011 at 7:33am. He weighed 9lbs 2oz (which he is over 10lbs now) and was 21 inches long. I was lucky with my labor and delivery. I labored for under 5 hours all natural until the last possible second when I got an epidural. No sooner than when I laid down from getting the epidural my legs were up in the air and I was pushing (it's a long story about a short birth) and 15 mins later Marcus was here. I couldn't be happier with my beautiful baby boy, he has brought so much joy to my life.

...And then some...

I feel that I was at somewhat of a disadvantage going into my pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy I had lost over 35 pounds by changing my diet and exercising a ton. My highest weight at that point was 235 pounds and around July 2010 I had hit 199 pounds on the scale and I was so ecstatic! Then I went on vacation and kind of lost my motivation for a while and in the fall I ended up around 209 pounds. November 6, 2010 my world changed when I found out that I was pregnant. It was such an amazing feeling knowing that there was a life growing inside of me.

As soon as I knew I found out I had it in my mind that I could eat more food! Food that I had been depriving myself from for over a year. I didn't go too crazy though because my first trimester and part of my second was filled with horrible morning sickness. I couldn't eat veggies but I could eat fruit, especially citrus; until I ate a grapefruit and threw up - that was the end of the citrus craze. My lifeline was McNuggets and grapes, they soothed my tummy.

After the morning sickness subsided around week 17, I ate pretty well for awhile. Once I hit week 24 I was so hungry all the time. They say when it's a boy that you eat like a teenage boy. I gained 10 pounds in one month, and my weight gain was pretty high at every appointment. During the end I couldn't stop eating! I was constantly hungry! My 39 week appointment was June 23, 2011, and I had gained 7 pounds from the last week, I weighed 268 pounds. 7 POUNDS IN 1 WEEK!! How embarrassing it was when my doctor mentioned that I gained 43 pounds the whole pregnancy. I thought 43 was a decent number, after all I enjoyed myself. However, it was still embarrassing that she called me out like that. 

Little did we both know, that the next morning I would be losing at least 9 pounds 2 ounces. When I returned home from the hospital I weighed myself and I was at 256 pounds. I was a little disappointed by only losing 12 pounds. However, about 2 or 3 days later I weighed myself again and was at 245 lbs, I lost 23 pounds, and that is where I am now.

I am 4 weeks postpartum today and I am ready to start this journey to a healthier life. I had done it before which means I can do it, and I sure as hell am not going to waste all my previous hard work losing all that weight just to be up there again. My hope is by writing this blog I can be held accountable and be more credible for what I am doing. I also hope that I can motivate other women out there who are in the same boat. So come on and join me! After all, we have already proven ourselves capable of surviving those 9 or 10 months of pregnancy AND childbirth, so what else do we have to lose except a bunch of baby weight? We can do this, and we will do this!