Japanese Chicken-Scallion Rice Bowl

Here's the quintessence of Japanese home cooking: an aromatic, protein-rich broth served over rice. Admittedly, Japanese cooking leans heavily on sugar - for a less traditional taste, you could reduce or even omit the sugar.

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READER'S COMMENT:

"Love this dish. I didn't let the eggs sit long enough so they fell apart and it wasn't pretty. Remember low-sodium! I used reduced broth but not soy sauce and it was too much salt for me. I put a touch more wine in because I love the...
INGREDIENTS 

• 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin, (see Ingredient note)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Prepare instant brown rice according to package directions.
2. Pour broth into a heavy medium saucepan, along with sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Stir egg whites and whole egg in a small bowl until just mixed. Add chicken to the simmering broth. Gently pour in the egg mixture, without stirring. Sprinkle scallions on top. When the egg starts to firm up, after about 3 minutes, stir it with chopsticks or a knife. (The chicken will be cooked by now.) Divide the rice among 4 deep soup bowls and top with the chicken mixture.

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient Note: Mirin is a low-alcohol rice wine essential to Japanese cooking. Look for it in your supermarket with the Asian or gourmet ingredients. An equal portion of sherry or white wine with a pinch of sugar may be substituted for mirin.

Nutrition

Per serving:262 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 87 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 3 g fiber; 387 mg sodium; 370 mg potassium.

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 2 1/2 very lean meat

recipe

Did you ever post that Japanese or Chinese rice recipe? I was looking forward to trying that. I love that kind of stuff.
Barb

fitness seekers

We are starting back in Fitness Seekers at church. We always have something to motivate us. This year we have to donate a quarter for every pound we gain and then the pot goes to the church to pay on  the debt. What happens if we pray for God to help us lose weight but He wants us to wipe out our debt, is that a conflict of interest? Oh well I guess the Lord will work it out. The main thing is to get fit.  Pray for me.
Barb

I've lost 6 pounds (in 2 weeks!)

Weight Watchers is really working for me.  I was such a skeptic at first.  It is so simple it is almost genius....it is all about fiber.  The higher the fiber the lower 'points value' will be.
Paula, you can have 1 glass of wine a day (or even 2 sometimes).
Tracking what I eat makes me SEE it on paper and makes the fat/calories  more real to me.  I know what is 'healthy' (I've been around Dawn enough :-), but I think this is making me be accountable for everything I put in my mouth.  I am cooking healthier, too. 
Tracking everything you eat, like Dawn mentioned a few weeks ago is very important.  REMEMBER: white bread and white flour are not our friends.
My pedometer is generic too!  I am going to upgrade also.

Beth

The glass IS half full!

by dawn

You know I think it's all about the way you look at it...
Paula you ask about fulfillment.  To be fulfilled you just have to seek out what fulfills you.  Whatever you're passionate about, have that in your life -everyday.  Paula, you love nature and it inspires you yet you spend a great deal of time in front of your computer or tv.  Get outside.  Walk on a nature trail.  Figure out what gives you joy and go after it!  Is it helping others, excersise, grandkids, travel?  Make your passions your priority!

Celebrate today but also spend time thinking about your vision of the future. What is the legacy you want to create in the world? Start planning that now. How much time would you spend planning a dream vacation - researching travel options, accommodation, shops, and sight seeing? Imagine if you spent just as much time planning your fulfilled life.

Focus on appreciating the blessings we have in life.  Be genuinly thankful for what you have.  Be a positive influence on yourself and everyone you meet each day.  You don't feel it?  Fake it until it  becomes your reality!

And food...Don't look at it as giving up everything that tastes good.  There tons of wonderfully delicious, healthy meals you can make AND ENJOY that are also good for you!  (Remember the seaweed salad you love so much?) 
Since I have have gotten away from sugars and refined carbohydrates, I feel so much better.  I'm more energetic, more positive, and I don't crave those foods anymore.  The pleasure from eating those types of foods pales in comparison to the 'side effects' that come with it.  Oh - Check out this article http://www.amenclinics.com/cybcyb/foods-recipes/the-foodmood-connection/

I think you will find the fulfillment you are looking for in life once you stop looking at what you are "giving up" and start looking at what you will be gaining!

Paula, you've got my sympathy - Barb Stephens

Although I don't drink wine, I do eat and it is one of my biggest pleasures left in life, so we can be miserable together or cheer each other on. I'm for cheering each other on. Too bad we don't live closer together but we can keep in touch with this blog , email , visits , or phone calls. I think you and I are the oldest ones in this so we have to stick together. There is a place here called the Wellness Center, I think I am going to join so I can work out. I'm definitely more active at this new job and have noticed that I am having less back and knee pain since I am walking more and less sitting. So hang in there. You dont need that wine. Just take Xanex!!!!! :)

Wine is the Enemy - Paula Jarvis

Hi y'all,

Much to my dismay, I've discovered that in order to lose any weight or inches I will have to COMPLETELY stop drinking any wine.....woe is me! Oh well, it's not the end of the world. I'm also giving up red meat, sugar, processed foods and anything that tastes good.

NOW, Does anyone have any suggestions about how to find any pleasure in this life? At my age there is no sex, no food and no wine, no purpose.....maybe I should take up smoking.

Just kidding, although any suggestions would be helpful. Hard to find any fulfillment.

Success Stories

 By dawn

Well, if you all won't publish your success stories, then I will do it for you...

Beth joined weight watchers and bought a pedometer.  She has already lost over 4 pounds!!

Jen R. is training for the Indy mini!  (Well technically I am supposed to be training along with her - but haven't started a formal training program yet)  Jen is running/walking 1-3 miles a day!

Jen A. is sticking to her 2-3 days a week at the gym + doing active things with the kids to help burn calories and stay fit.  She doesn't weigh herself but is loosing inches!!

I am down 3.5 pounds!  I do great through the week but the weekends kill me.  I can't seem to keep on track over the weekends.  Especially when traveling or out of town - which seems to be most weekends.

I want us to start getting together for walks or something similar a couple times a month.  Lets start with this Saturday morning.  We'll meet for a walk in geist area.  I will let you know more details tomorrow.  I'm thinking meeting with you guys on a Saturday will help keep me motivated over the weekend.

Well - kickboxing kicked my butt tonight so I am headed to bed!

Here is an exercise for you... try to go the next 24 hours without dwelling on any negative thoughts.  What you focus on you get more of.... so focus on the positive!  Lets all really give it a try and report back how it goes.  Good luck all!

What a week!

By Dawn

I hope your week is going a little better than mine.  Due to the timing of the month it has been a rough week.  I am hungrier than normal, more tired than normal and grouchier than normal :-)

Thank God for the gym - Atleast I have been enjoying my workouts lately!!

Here is a good recipe - we had for dinner last night... along with salad, homemade salsa and guacamole!!

Black Bean Quesadillas

From EatingWell:

In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. We like them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. If you like a little heat, be sure to use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. Serve with: A little sour cream and a mixed green salad.

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Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, preferably pepper Jack
• 1/2 cup prepared fresh salsa (see Tip), divided
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 ripe avocado, diced

Preparation

1. Combine beans, cheese and 1/4 cup salsa in a medium bowl. Place tortillas on a work surface. Spread 1/2 cup filling on half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently to flatten.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 quesadillas and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and quesadillas. Serve the quesadillas with avocado and the remaining salsa.

Nutrition

Per serving: 377 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 8 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 10 g fiber; 679 mg sodium; 581 mg potassium.Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (25% daily value), Folate (23% dv), Iron (19% dv), Potassium (17% dv).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat

I love that http://www.eatingwell.com/ website Jen R. reccomended!

More soon - gotta take the kiddos to a birthday party!

On the menu...

By Dawn

Made another delicious soup today.  This one is loaded with fiber...

Red Lentil Soup with Spicy Sizzle

Ingredients


• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 2 onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth

• 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed (see Tip)

• 1/3 cup bulgur

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook for 1 minute. Add broth, lentils, bulgur, tomato paste and bay leaf; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook over low heat until the lentils and bulgur are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

2. Ladle about 4 cups of the soup into a food processor and puree. Return the pureed soup to the soup pot and heat through. Stir in lemon juice and season with pepper.

3. Just before serving, ladle the soup into bowls. Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons oil in a small skillet and stir in paprika and cayenne. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of the sizzling spice mixture over each bowlful and serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

• Tip: You can replace red lentils with brown lentils; add 1/2 cup water and simmer 40 to 45 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 218 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 15 g protein; 7 g fiber; 151 mg sodium; 406 mg potassium.

Good news and Bad news

By Dawn

Well the good news is... I made the minestrone soup last night and it was delicious!  Ella ate 3 bowls!  And it was EXTREMELY QUICK AND EASY!    If you haven't made it yet, you must!

More good news... I've lost 1.5 lbs! Yae!!

Bad news... The cheap ass pedometer is cheap for a reason - it doesn't work!  I felt like it wasn't measuring accurately yesterday so when Brent got home I wore his and mine both for the rest of the night.  (His is a nice $20 one).  Mine was so off by the end of the night.  (by thousands!)  So I'm taking it back!  Megan if I have any trouble I'll call for Norm :-)  (for those of you that don't know Norm, he can talk anyone into anything!)  So if you have one that I bought and you don't feel it is accurate, just give it back to me.

Have a great day everyone!  Get outside - weather doesn't get any nicer than this!!  Btw, Jen Rumbaoa and I will be at the Brpl Park with the kids around 4 if you want to join us.

Friends Don't Let Friends....

By Robin Jessogne

In case any of you think that Dawn is the perfect fit minded person, let me be the first to reassure you she is not!  Which is really good considering the level of competitiveness I feel with her when it comes to eating right, so any chance I get to make her look bad I'm all for it (heehee).  Here's the story:

On Monday, a few of us were sitting around her patio table snacking on veggies and trying to be good (diet-wise).  The kids needed to eat dinner early, so Dawn whipped up some food for them, including some mac and cheese.  Grant didn't finish his so she took it outside to give to Ella - who really didn't want any part of it; strangely enough considering she's a mac and cheese eating fool.  Anyway, I guess after staring at the bowl long enough Dawn lost all sense of willpower and reached for it.  Immediately, as if I had been possessed by some diet mafia personality, I grabbed it out of her hands and scolded her for her actions.  The poor girl hadn't even gotten a bite in when I came flying out of nowhere to stop her from her own tempestuous fate. 

I guess you could say that while I'm competitive and like to win, I certainly am not going to let a sister down when she is being called by the mac and cheese right there in front of me.  What kind of friend would I be if I had let her eat that?  ...especially after all the wine she had!!!

Every Day is Hard By Paula Jarvis

I put on my pedometer today around noon and by 5:30 P.M. had gone a whopping 169 steps. I guess it's official....I'm sedentary. I ate well today and did half of a kickboxing class which kicked my "cl-ass". I'll not say what I drank other than it was very little water and more wine...but didn't Jesus turn the water into wine? I was just getting a headstart.

Anyway, this is fun. I did try the broccoli salad recipe and it was great. Even Greg liked it.

Weekends are hard!

By Dawn
I'm glad to be back to a normal routine today.  It's harder for me to stay on track over the weekend - especially a holiday weekend - with bbq's, picnics,  etc.... All the food and drink calling my name.  :-)  Even though I ate healthy things - the portion control is hard for me at those events.  I simply eat too much!
Back on track today though!  And I'm going for 10,000 steps on my pedometer.  I'll let you know how I do :-)
I found the recipe for the minestrone at Olive Garden (which I love) so I will make this for dinner this week.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small minced white onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans
1/2 stalk minced celery
4 cloves minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz) great northern or small white beans, drained
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta
Measure olive oil into a large stock pot and heat on medium.
Put the onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini into the pot and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions become see-through.
Add the vegetable broth, drained tomatoes, beans, carrots, hot water and spices to the pot.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach leaves and the pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Also here are some links that some of you might find helpful.  Jennifer Rumbaoa shared this one http://www.eatingwell.com/

And Robin shared this one http://www.relishrelish.com/

Feelin' Good

By Dawn

Went for my morning walk/jog.  About 25 minutes.  Felt good today!!  Going to a picnic this afternoon at my Dad's.  Taking a healthier version of my broccoli salad. 
1 bunch of broccoli
1 bunch of cauliflower
about 1/2 c of shredded carrots
1 small onion
1 c raisens
1 c sunflower seeds
1 c light mayo
1/4 c sugar
3 T vinegar
YUMMY!

I bough y pedometer (3500 steps already today!)  Lmk if you need one (I bought 5).

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND GIRLS!

Well I'm not starting until Tuesday (Paula Jarvis)

I guess I'm going to die soon. My waist did not fit into Dr. Oz's formula. Ok .... I'm 57, a relatively self indulgent couch potato. I have a lot of work to do.

I want to lose 30 pounds so I need to do a MEGA diet and do some MEGA exercise. I'm a member of the "Y" so I do have a place to work out. I also have a treadmill with dust on it and various other fitness equipment.

I attended a Kick Boxing class at the "Y" and also have been attending water aerobics. I mainly need to adjust my diet drastically. I also need to NOT drink wine because it makes me want to eat more. I will need a lot of encouragement. I am going to do a log of everything I eat and all exercise I get. Maybe this way I can begin tweaking diet and exercise.

Day 2

So I decided I'd go for a walk/jog with my kids tonight.  Ella in the jog stroller, Grant on his bike and me desperately trying to keep up with him.  As if that wasn't hard enough, when I'd stop running and walk for a while Ella would say "Go fast, mama!"  LOL!  Most of the time my legs felt like bricks but I eventually got a little bit of a rythym and felt strong...  for about 45 seconds at a time.  :-)  All in all I did about 30 min's.  It was rough and it made me realize this is going to be harder than I thought. Normally I just walk or bike but I really wanted to do something to get my heart rate up.  That it did!
I would love to do a step contest.  Of course everyone knows I'm competitive.  (Although I think Beth and Robin may be more so than I)... Do we want the winner to get a monetary reward?  If so we could all chip in $10 to a "kitty" and the winner would get about $80!  (She'll need it to buy new clothes for her new fit bod).  LMK what you think. 
I've been thinking about getting a "pretty tumbler" for my water consumption too, Megan.  I think I will go look for one tomorrow.  Isn't it funny the little things that keep us on track? 
I just read this today so I thought I'd leave you with this final piece of inspiration...
"After just 25 minutes of exercise, your mood improves, you are less stressed, you have more energy - and you'll be motivated to exercise again tomorrow."  Go girls!

And so it begins...

By Megan Wain

I thought I'd try blogging my progress.  I just started yesterday, September 1.  I gave myself a week to mentally prepare for the change that was coming (and indulge in a few bad habits I know I need to kick!).  I have to say, so far, so good.  I have been encouraged by everyone's emails this afternoon.  It's nice to know I'm not the only one with these struggles.  I made goals very similar to Dawn's. I am keeping a food journal and I agree that it really helps me to not overeat if I write everything down.  I'm also drinking lots of water.  Normally I'm not a water drinker.  I prefer Diet Coke and I'm not giving that up, but I am committed to increasing my water intake.  To help accomplish this I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and bought a jumbo sized (24 oz.) Tervis Tumbler with a lid and some straws.  It looks like this:

I've been trying to refill it 3 times each day.  It's really cute, too, which is a bonus!  :)  As for meals, I'm going back to the Weight Watchers points system because that's what has really worked for me in the past.  I have never actually joined WW because I'm too cheap, but I figured how many points I was allowed by searching for the formula online and I have one of their sliding points calculators that my mom gave me.  I like their system because you truly can eat anything as long as you budget your points wisely.  If I thought I had to live my life without chocolate, I'm not sure I could handle that!  :)  Anyway, I try to have a Slim-Fast for breakfast (canned if I'm in a hurry and powder if I'm at home), a Lean Cuisine or yogurt and fruit for lunch and Subway or Taco Bell (the Chicken Burrito-no avocado sauce-is not too unhealthy) if I'm out and need something quick, and a small portion of whatever I make my family for dinner.  I also dug my pedometer out and dusted it off.  I asked for it for Christmas two years ago and never used it.  It's kind of a fancy one and I have to read the manual to get it set up and figure out how it works, but I think a step contest would be fun.  Where I struggle is the exercise component.  I HATE EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I mean I really hate it.  Some people say it makes them feel so good and blah, blah, blah.  First of all, I don't have any equipment at home to exercise on, I don't belong to a club (and don't really want to), and I ALWAYS have my kids with me (especially my 1 year old), so finding the time is difficult.  I'm also just not sure what to do that would be the most effective.  Since the weather should be cooling off soon, I do plan to walk but I wonder if that's enough.  I really need to lose weight in my mid-section.  After 3 c-sections, I can hardly look at that area and I doubt if walking is going to do enough for me.  I haven't watched the video Dawn sent yet, so maybe that will be helpful and give me some suggestions of ways to begin working on this area.

When does everyone want to meet?  I'm looking forward to meeting you all!  :)