Stacy's Blueberry-Banana Pancakes

AUNT JEMIMA TIME! Mmmmm. Pancakes for dinner is all I needed. We added all the ingredients we wanted to make this as delicious as possible. We were just going to have banana pancakes but then Mike surprised me with fresh blueberries...so I had to put that in as well. YUM.

First we added in all the dry ingredients and made a nice well.
Second we put in the soy milk and eggs and then the melted butter.
Third we added the fresh blueberries and the chopped pieces of banana and cinnamon.

Then we sprayed the pan with lowfat Canola Oil spray and went to town.

2 c of flour
3 1/2 teaspoons of baking bowder
1/4 c malted milk
1/2 c of vanilla soy milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of butter (melted)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 c of fresh blueberries
1 banana, chopped

We lightly added powder sugar and lots and lots of Aunt Jemima Syrup.

Stacy's Interesting Findings from THE DIET CURE

THE DIET DOWNFALL? I have been reading the THE DIET CURE by Julia Ross off and on for a while. I got it from Borders when I was home in Chicago over Winter Break. I decided to begin reading it again because I felt myself going into DIET mode and trying to DIET again...and I think this book has lots of interesting facts to keep me out of the desire to restrict. I know for some people, my friend Margaux included, dieting works and does not make her go crazy. Whereas my other friend Lisa, does not diet but she eats only healthy foods. I think I am a cross between both of them. I like watching what I eat and indulging at times like Margaux and I love eating healthy foods and cooking healthy foods like Lisa...who knows. No matter what, it's always important to do what is right for you. I just think this book raises some interesting points which might help the in-betweens like myself.

A section that I thought was interesting to share was
HOW TO UNDIET
according to THE DIET CURE by Julia Cross

1. Do not Skip Meals. Eat three substantial, balanced meals (containing protein, fat, and carbs) per day. Skipping breakfast automatically slows the metab and induces afternoon and evening food cravings...as well as overeating.

2. Eat at least 25% of the day's cals at breakfast. Breakfast is the only meal that spees up calorie burning. You may be able to stop all compulsive eating simply by adding a solid breakfast that emphasizes protien, at least 20 grams. I was shocked by this. WOW.

3. Do not undereat. A study done by Dr. Wayne Calloway, an expert in Third World malnutrition as well as eating disorders discovered that people actually gained weight when eating a diet of 700 calories per day. And when he raised their intake above 1,500 calories (with 25% taken in at breakfast) they finally began to loose weith. WOW.

4. Start your meals with plenty of protein. (fish, chicken, beef, tofu, turkey, eegs, etc.) 20 grams or more of protien will reduce your interest in empty carbs making you alert and strong.

5. Eat unlimited amounts of green veggies with your protein. Eat some red adn yellow ones too.

6. For snacking, eat fruit or veggies with protein. For example, nuts, seeds, or cheese.

7. Be sure to include some good fats in each meal for optimal health and to trigger your appetite to turn off. Eat nuts, seeds, salad oil, olives, and avocados.

8. Stop counting calories and fat grams. You don't have to worry about crunching numbers to be healthy.

I thought this was interesting...and valuable information. I think I'm going to try to do more variety in the morning rather than just breakfast cereals because I am hungry at night most of the time and that is when I have an extra bowl of cereal or desire cookies or chips. Hmm...we will see.

Stacy's Banana Cereal Delight

Cereal Combinations are splendid. My dad was always adding five different cereals when my sister and I were little and we thought he was gross. Of course, parents are always right. And I'm proud to say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. YUM.

I was starving this morning because I took a nice run along the Hudson River last night and then wetn back out at 12 in the morning for a nice walk and quick sprint race with my roommate...she won.

1/4 c of Trader Joe's High Fiber O's
1 small banana
1/3 c of Cinnamon Puffins
1/2 c of vanilla soy milk
1 tbsp of raisins and dried cranberries
1 generous drizzle of honey

To be honest, I don't really like this Cinnamon Puffins cereal. But I wanted to try a high fiber cereal that was wheat free because wheat makes me really tired when I have too much of it, which I always do because I love cereal. Why the Puffins cereal is a miss for me is because it just has too much cinnamon and not other spices. But when I add it in a mix, and it can soak in the soy milk, I forget all about the mistakes...YUMMY.

Stacy's Banana Blonde Smoothies

SMOOTH. I love smoothies. And I got up yesterday morning and decided to make a fun combination. I wanted to make it citrusy and add orange juice...but after the look my roommate Danielle gave me, I decided to just stick with the basics. And it came out as smooth and creamy as a wedding cake.

First I put in all the ingredients, the bananas and yogurt first, and the honey and soy milk last. And then after trying a little I realized it could have been a little colder...so I added to cubes of ice. And it was so nice. I'm a pro now. YES and YUM.

2 large bananas
1 light and fit vanilla small yogurt
1/2 c of vanilla soy milk
2 squirts of honey
2 large cubes of ice


These were quite delicious and it kept me full for a couple of hours! Definitely going to try this again...but with the orange juice...it'll be like a dreamsicle !

Sophia's Tofu and Hummus Stuffed Soy Pita LUNCH

Yesterday I went to Trader Joe's and found SOY PITA!!! I was really excited. I also purchased some Firm Tofu and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.


So for lunch I really wanted, hummus, tofu and some pita...creating the Tofu and Hummus Stuffed Soy Pita!!


I cooked my tofu in olive oil and put a little Cesar vinaigrette dressing on it (I'm out of liquid amino's) then I threw some onions in the skillet with the tofu.

INSIDE THE SOY PITA!!

~Lettuce~

~Onions~

~Spicy Mustard~

~Red Pepper Hummus~

~Tofu~

~Avocado~

now I wish I'd added tomatoes, but next time!!

~All From Trader Joe's~

*Soy Pita
*Tofu- Firm and Organic
*Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dip

Stacy's PBJ and B Lunch

HERE. WE. GO. I have a long day tomorrow. I have class from noon to three...and I normally do not get hungry until about one...right in the middle of my teacher's main argument. Then after class I'm working out and then going straight to THE NEW GROUP theater to help out with the new show. So I decided to create a very fun and filling lunch. I am so excited! And there is nothing like being excited to eat a lunch you've prepared the night before...



2 tbsp of crunchy trader joe's PB, 9 g of protein, 2 grams of fiber
2 slices of Pepperidge Farm Carb Style Bread, 10 g of protein, 6 g of fiber
2 tbsp of grape jelly
1 large ripe banana, about 11 g of fiber
1 tbsp of raisins and cranberries, I topped the jelly side of the bread with these...
2 tsp of honey, I decided to drizzle some honey on the bread....devine!




From this meal, I get 19 g of protein and 19 g of fiber. GO ME!


Just to have something living (besides my beautiful banana), I'm going to pair this sandwich with some baby carrots. Which will be nice and crunchy and help me forget my tortilla chips for a while.

This new bread that I finally decided to get (I was under the weird impression that having bread in the house would make me gain weight...a weird diet myth that I decided to DEBUNK...because I'm not on a diet) is so delicious. AND ONLY 60 CALORIES A SLICE! YES and YUM.



Healthy facts about Bananas from www.whfoods.com

Stacy's PB&J Lunch

I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER. And I'm sooo glad it's back in my life. I was afraid to eat any but when I went to trader joe's they told me they had tested all their products, so I got some crunchy peanut butter and had it on soft whole-wheat bread.


I decided to pair it with some crunched up tortilla chips and carrots...YUM.

Stacy's Teriyaki Stir-fryi

I LOVE TERIYAKI! When I came home I was starving but decided I had to be patient to make myself a delicious dinner. (I ate it a little to fast but...it was so packed with flavor I didn't care.)

1/3 c of Trader Joe's tofu
2 soy chicken nuggets, chopped
1/4 c of brown rice
1/4 c of vegetable medley rice
3 tbsp of Teriyaki sauce
1 c of spinach
1/2 c of grape tomatoes

This was the most delicious meal I had ever had. I'm so glad I added two different types of protein in this meal because the soy nuggets added alot of crunch to it. YUM!

Stacy's Blue-Banana Smoothies and Banana Bread

DON'T BE BLUE! YUM. Late night my friend Dominique and I decided to make some low-fat smoothies. I had already made the banana bread the night before. It was very interesting...as a friend of mine said...it was afraid to touch the edges of the pan...but not my mouth! It was delicious!


DON'T BE BLUE SMOOTHIES

1c of frozen blueberries for Trader Joes
1 very, very ripe and lonely banana
1/2 c of Trader Joes regular soy milk
1/4 c of Trader Joes honey

YUM.



BARELY THERE BANANA BREAD

1 1/2 c of all purpose flour
2 very ripe bananas
1 dash of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 c of brown sugar
1/4 c of honey
1 c of trail mix: cranberries, raisins, cinnamon sugar almonds, raw almonds

We heated up the bread and added just a touch of butter. HEAVEN.

Stacy's Packed Veggie Creation

CHICK PEAS AND SPINACH MAKE LOVE. So I was at my internship all day and I wanted something healthy...loaded with veggies but delicious. So I put it all the veggies I could find in one container and added some Balsamic Vinegar for juiciness. The night before my roommate made a chick pea, tomato, spinach, and feta creation...so of course being greedy I added that ontop of my already loaded lunch. I had this with a side of trail mix for a sweet dessert treat.

1/2 c of chick pea, tomato, spinach and feta salad
2 cups of spinach
1/2 c of grape tomatoes
2 tbsp of Balsamic Vingegar
1 trader joes Italian soy Sausage

I added in the soy Sausage for more protein and they are so delicious! I was sooo happy and satisfied. YUM.

From this lunch, I got 3 servings of veggies and 12 grams of protein...not even counting the chick peas. YES.

Sophia's "OUT TO EAT AT A BURGER JOINT??? What To Order???!!!

IM STILL A VEGETARIAN!!!

- So I went to Red Robins with my boyfriend because he's been wanting to taste their burgers for sooo long. But when I looked at the menu everything was for carnivorous monsters.

Fortunately our sever told us we could substitute any burger with a BOCA patty (vegetarian) So that is exactly what I did!!!

I was munching on some of my guys garlic fries and tortilla chips earlier so I knew I had to be easy on the carbohydrates for my actually mean, which is why I chose the Lettuce Wrap Boca Burger and Side Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.

Lettuce Wrap Boca Burger

SIDE SALAD W/ Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

When I got home I went to the restaurants website which provides the nutritional value for my entire meal!!

CALORIES- 508

TOTAL FAT- 26 g

SODIUM- 1247g (way too high- but at least I know now)

Carbohydrates- 31 g

DIETARY FIBER- 12g

PROTEIN- 44g

Sophia's Veggie Packed Salad and Cheese Pizza

PIZZA

Now Pizza is my guilty pleasure- I seriously believe I could enter a pizza contest and come pretty close to first place if not first, lol. I've been wanting to make a pizza from scratch for the longest time and unfortunately this is still now my own creation. Just a four cheese pizza you pop in the oven. But it was delicious!!

Veggie Packed SALAD STEP I

I started with a simple salad, added Tomatoes and Avocados. YUM



Yet I was craving a lot of veggies today so I steamed some mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots) and threw them on top of the salad.

Veggie Packed Salad STEP II

I love vegetables on a salad. Once you start adding exciting things to a salad you never want to eat a plain one again!!

Sophia- Snacks are not just for kids!!!

!!!SNACK TIME IS HERE!!!

I LOVE SMOOTHIES!!! I never try anything exciting when it comes to smoothies, i always stick with the classic banana and strawberry mix, lol. I got this one from Sunrise Health Food Market. Its all natural, just a banana, strawberry's and apple juice!! i love how sometimes at the bottom there are chunks of fruit, it reminds me its all natural and its a fun little surprise. !!

When Days get busy you need snacks to keep you going, but healthy snacks!!

I had an all natural Vegan Mixed Nut Bar- they are really good!! and they provide a good amount of protein and are under 200 calories. Then i had a banana to go along with that!!

Yes i had two bananas today but i love bananas. Alot of people don't like to have to many in one day because they are high in calories, but this will not affect me in anyway today!!!

Stacy's Lowfat Nachos

FIESTA? I really love Nachos but it's always difficult to get ones that aren't loaded with cheese and beef. And since I'm not crazy about either I decided to make my own low-fat nachos. It was pretty simple. The only thing I realized was I could have had more veggies and less chips. But who am I kidding? What's nachos without chips. This was the best thing I've made in a while.

First I heated the Mushroom Patty in the microwave for about 2 minutes, cut it up and let it cool
Then I put chips in the bowl, put the cheese on top, with the beans and put it the microwave to melt for about 2 minutes.
Then I added the veggies and salsa.

YUMMY.

1c of Santinos Tortilla Chips
2 pinches of part-skim Sargento shredded Cheese
4 grape tomatoes
a handful of Spinach
1 Portabella Mushroom Patty
1 tbsp of salsa
2 tbsp of black and pinto beans

The chips do have alot of calories, about 130cals for 1oz but I made sure to go easy on them as well as the cheese. I had veggies, and a low-fat veggie patty! I'm satisfied, because I ate what I wanted and made sure to make it healthy. YES. In a couple of hours I'm going to run along the Hudson River, I did it last night even though it was raining, and it was amazing. Hopefully later I can make some lowfat banana bread....yum.

Stacy's Blueberry Loaf Cake

BEAUTIFUL BLUEBERRY CAKE. My friend Dominique has been dying to do this recipe for weeks...so we finally did late last night. It had a very special name but all I can remember is that it was delicious. We added flour, sugar, 1 egg, baking powder...and just a bit of milk....and of course...lots of frozen blueberries. This was DIVINE.

BLUEBERRY BENEFITS
from msucares.com

1. Blueberries are low in calories, high in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins C and E.
2. Eating blueberries may help us fight cancer, diabetes, reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease and lower bad cholesterol levels.
3. Consumption of blueberries may also improve eyesight, sharpen memory and help prevent Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
4. These tasty berries have also been proven effective against urinary tract infections, reversing skin wrinkling and shows positive results in children with ADD.

Stacy's Tofu Stir-fry

I have been craving Stir-fry for days. So I went to Trader Joes and got some tofu...happily cheap and waiting for me. YES and YUM.

I first cooked the tofu on the stove, spraying the pan with Canola Oil.
I then added the spinach, ripping it first with my hands.
Then I added the grape tomatoes, trail mix, and beans...and the delicious teriyaki sauce.

1/3 c of tofu (chopped)
1 1/2 c of spinach
1/2 c of grape tomatoes
1/4 c of black and pinto beans
2 tbsp of trail mix (raisins, almonds, dried cranberries)
1 dollop of hummus
1/4 c of brown rice
2 tbsp of teriyaki sauce

From this meal I got 3 servings of veggies, lots of protein, and lots of fiber. I LOVE EATING HEALTHY.

Stacy's Trail Mix Breakfast

CEREAL IS MY PASSION. I wanted a big-man's breakfast this morning, so packed everything into the bowl that I could find...

1 c of Special K with berries
1 c of Cinnamon Puffins Cereal
1 tbsp of trail mix (Raisins, Almonds, Dried Cranberries)
1/2 c of Silk Soy Milk
1 spoonful of pb (not shown)

This was so delicious and filling. And full of fiber!!!

Stacy's Left-Over Pizza Lunch

ITALIAN FOOD IS THE BEST THE NEXT DAY....Since we had so much Pizza left over I had 3 slices for lunch and a nice salad.

3 pieces of left over spinach&chesse whole wheat pizza
2 c of spinach
1 handful of grape tomatoes
2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar (not shown)

And then...I had the last 3 pieces at 2am...I didn't need it...but everything tastes better at night. YUM.

Stacy's Pizza Party

I LOVE HEALTHY PIZZA. But what I don't love is the oil and grease that most times comes along with it when you deliver. So my roommate Danielle and I decided to make our own Pizza...Trader Joes style. OF COURSE. My sister and I do this all the time...it's best to thaw the dough first (we're always too hungry to do this...but luckily I had just gotten back from Trader Joes so the dough was already soft and ready to go in)

First we preheated the oven, 425, then we sprayed the pan with Canola Oil Spray, spread out the Whole Wheat dough, and put it in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes...
Then we made the sauce on the stove. Adding any spice we could find:
A dash of salt, garlic powder, onion power, Italian seasoning, pepper, thyme, oregano, and my favorite secret ingredient from good friend Dominique....2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
After the sauce was done, we took out the Whole Wheat dough and topped it with sauce, adding 3 cups of Spinach and 4 cups of part-skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese and a dash of pepper.

It baked for about 10 minutes in the oven, or until the cheese bubbled.



1 package of Trader Joes Whole Wheat Dough
1/2 jar of Trader Joes fat-free Pizza Sauce
3 c of Trader Joes organic Spinach
4 c of Sargento Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

After about 4 pieces, I was happily full. DE-LIC-IOUS

Stacy's Mushroom Indulgence

Mushrooms may be a fungus...but they taste good to me!!!
I bought some delicious Portabella Mushroom Patties and topped it with beans, raisins, and of course...hummus. I decided it would be nice to have it with mushrooms as well. Yummy.

First I heated the Mushroom Patty on the Stove, first spraying the pan with some Canola Oil Spray (no added ingredients, no fat....) instead of Olive Oil to save calories.
Then I added black beans, raisins, and cranberries to the Patty on the Stove.
Finally I put all of this on top 2 c of Spinach...I was going to cook the Spinach but I try to eat at least 5 servings of raw veggies a week.

1 Garden Burger Portabella Mushroom Patty (6 grams of Protein...5 grams of Fiber...who knew)
2 c of Spinach
1/2 c of Mushrooms (sliced)
1 dollop of hummus
1 tbsp of raisins
1 tbsp of cranberries
2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar

From this meal, I got 3 servings of veggies and 6 grams of Protein to keep me nice and full.

Interesting Facts About Mushrooms
from 5 Foods that should have a place in your diet on CNN.COM

"Most people might be surprised to learn that while orange juice is touted as one of the highest potassium foods, one medium portobello mushroom actually has more potassium. And five white button mushrooms have more potassium than an orange," says Clare Hasler, Ph.D

-Compounds in mushrooms may do everything from bolster immune function to suppress breast and prostate cancers to decrease tumor size.

Sophia's HEALHY TAKE OUT!!!

One word...

PF CHANG'S!!! (ok two words) .
I love PF Chang's because their Chinese food is a little bit healthier than the average Chinese food restaurant.


Tonight I had my favorite meal from PF's... MA PO TOFU with BROWN RICE and SICHUAN STYLE ASPARAGUS!!


What I also like about PF Chang's is you can go on their website and look at the nutritional facts.

I split everything with my mom, but here are the nutrition facts from the website.


Brown Rice- 1/2 cup = 109 calories
Ma Po Tofu (with Broccoli) - 8oz (2.5 servings) 391 calories
Sichuan Style Asparagus (spicy) - 107 calories.

Stacy's Meatless Chicken Dinner

Hmmmm. If you want it done right...you better do it yourself. I have been craving meatless chicken nuggets for the past two weeks. And I finally got some by Morning Star. Umm...they weren't too yummy. They were a little too buttery, oily, and just tasted weird. I have had delicious meatless nuggets from Morning Star before...but these were not up to my standards. And when I looked in the ingredients section, it looked like the next American novel....YUCK! Oh well, now I know. I paired this with some sauteed spinach and cucumbers and had a few Tortilla chips...with a hint of lime.

5 meatless chicken nuggets
2 tbsp of ketchup
8 Tortilla chips with a hint of lime (not shown)
1 c of Spinach
some cumcumbers with teriyaki sauce

At least the spincah was good...that's because it wasn't prepacked though. This makes me sad...

Stacy's VEG-Packed Lunch

BUSY. BUSY. I had to take my lunch today so I packed it full of protein and vegetables. I used a Vegetable from Trader Joes....of course and added in some almonds for crunchiness and raisins for sweetness.

1 Vegetable Patty
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1 c of Spinach
1 tbsp of almonds
1 tbsp of raisins
1 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar for a juicy kick
From this meal, I get 3 servings of veggies! Lite and healthy even if I'm on the go!

Stacy's Veggie Masala Patty with Hummus

LITE LUNCH. Because I was so busy today and my breakfast filled me up so fine...I decided on a lite lunch. Just a veggie patty with hummus and a few tomatoes....I was still hungry after this...Obviously enough. So I had some trail mix and a handful of strawberry oat bites for dessert.

1 Veggie Masala Patty
1 dollop of Humus
5 grape tomatoes, I love my tomatoes!