Tasty Tuesday - Peanut Sauce - includes Daniel Fast approved version

Peanut sauce is traditionally used in asian cuisine. It is used with meat dishes, like chicken skewers, with noodle dishes or even on top of vegetables. Peanut sauce uses a combination of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors to add to it's unique taste. Because this recipe uses peanut butter and coconut milk it is not really a low calorie sauce, but when it is used sparingly over vegetables it can add some life to your otherwise bland veggies and (whole wheat or tofu) noodles. I am planning to make this over some tofu shiratake noodles (I found these in the organic and vegetarian section at Meijer btw! If you decide to use these be sure to rinse them very, very well and pat them with a paper towel until they are super dry.) and some steamed broccoli.


Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter - chunky or creamy.
2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1/3 cup coconut milk - this is sometimes hard to find so you can substitute this with vanilla soymilk or just plain water.

Place all ingredients for sauce together in a small saucepan over medium to low heat. Whisk until smooth. Stir gently until sauce begins to thicken. Add water if needed to get desired consistency. Serve immediately.

I am still following the fast but not as strictly as before because I've added a few more ingredients to my diet like tofu and some canned items that have minimal oil or sugar in them. Here is an alternative version to this recipe that I will be using to stick to my fast:

(Daniel Fast Version)

1/4 cup all natural organic peanut butter or almond butter.
2 teaspoons agave nectar (I may make an acception to this and allow honey for this recipe because the agave nectar is very expensive.)
2 tablespoons all natural low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup all natural coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk.

Instructions same as above.

Monday Motivation & Joy Update - Guest Author

Yes it's a real life posting on the actual day it's supposed to be here lol. I almost didn't make it in time but here it is anyway :-)

(A little reminder to the J.O.Y. women - Tomorrow is the last Tuesday of the month which means that we have a meeting tomorrow night. Hope to see you all there!)

This week's post comes from a friend of mine named Rachel who has set out on a quest to get healthy with the help of the Lord. She has lost quite a bit of weight and I am very impressed by her progress. Go give her some props for a job well done here at her myspace page and don't forget to leave her some awesome comments about how you love this blog posting!

Here is what Rachel has to say:

Maintaining Motivation in a Self-Pleasing World…

“Today is the day! Today is the day! Today is the day I begin my diet!” I’ve told this to myself a thousand times. A thousand times I’ve tried, and I’ve probably lost half myself over my lifetime, only to find more and more of me along the way.

I am overweight.

And, even though I’ve said it before…today is the day to begin my diet. Finding motivation was easy…I simply stood in front of a mirror and sized myself up. It took a while. I am definitely overweight. I turn from side to side. Yup. Overweight and at risk for health problems later on in life. That’s all the motivation I needed!

But, the day rolls on and life is running a hundred miles an hour. Slowly the plans I had made at 6am are fading away as I jump in the truck and think to myself, “Oh, I’ll just grab drive-thru on the way. Tonight I’ll eat a healthy dinner and make up for it.” For the thousandth time I’ve started out with good intentions and so easily gave in to easier and quicker choices.

But, not today. Today I began to really think about motivation and what it takes to set, make and achieve a goal. I think to myself of the lifestyle that we life. We fear the Lord, we honor him and his word. There are dozens of temptations out there and we bypass every single one of them. Why should dieting be any different? I didn’t go crazy, lose my mind or start condemning doughnuts back to wherever it was they came from…I simply decided to focus on the good things that God gave us, and let these things be what gives me life.

I had to decide to “eat to live” and not “live to eat.” I’d heard it before. It’s good advice. I think I’ll practice that today. Sure, it’s a self-pleasing world, and it’s so very easy to reach for things that are quick (and taste so very, very yummy), but that’s not what my body needs. I need vitamins and minerals. I need fresh fruits, veggies and a whole lot less grease and fats!

I started at the fast food restaurant where it seems that every greasy choice is set to doom my newly-adapted healthy lifestyle. I found a grilled chicken sandwich. I ordered it without the honey mustard and just put on a little bit of bbq sauce (½ the container). I got a side salad instead of fries, and used ½ a packet of dressing. Healthier choices, better for my body, better for me. It wasn’t so hard after all. Do I need french fries? Nope. I don’t need the calories or the grease. I think about my poor little heart and what I’m trying to feed myself. I think about the size of my little stomach in there and suddenly an entire plate of food seems overwhelming for my body to try and process. I cut back, I push away, I trim down what I consume.

And, it works.

I add in a little bit of exercise to strengthen my muscles and increase my metabolism. A walk with a friend, playing with my niece and nephew in the yard, a game of racquetball with my cousin. I check the scales a few weeks later…wow…it’s working! Right then and there I set myself on a course of better choices. Why? Because it works!

It’s been 3 ½ months and my scale says I’ve lost 32 lbs. My clothes fit better, I’ve gotten a few compliments and I feel a whole lot better about myself. I need to lose more, so I’ll continue to count every little calorie and work on strengthening myself along the way with some exercise. I am thankful for every day the Lord gives us, for every blessing he sends, and every meal he provides. I’ll try not to be ungrateful and I’ll try not to be selfish and self-pleasing. I’ll try to take care of my body and feed it all the good things he gave us. It’s not a glamorous plan, and the weight isn’t going to come off like magic. But, with a little bit of perseverance, I’m becoming a better, more healthier me.

(Recipe recommendation: Use applesauce instead of oil in your baked goodies.
It tastes just as well and saves on the fat and calories!)

Tasty Tuesday & Joy Announcement

Wow I can't believe it's July already! I haven't posted in almost a month, but thankfully we are finally finished with school over here so I will hopefully have a little more time to post. For those of you that don't know, I homeschool my children and we were in the last few weeks of crunch time trying to get everything finished. I now have a little breathing room in my stress level but I am still extremely frustrated right now with a lot of things going on. Please keep my family in your prayers!

Anyway I just wanted to remind all of you that we will be meeting at the park tonight for Tennis and Badminton. Hope to see you all there!

Tasty Tuesday - Easy Biscuit Recipe


(Note: This photo is not mine but these are pretty much how the biscuits look. I "borrowed" this one from this site: http://www.yumsugar.com/774382 - Looks like a pretty interesting site. Go check them out!)

Ok I realize that biscuits are not exactly a great food when you're on a diet but sometimes there's a need for those little puffy bread creations - like when you're making low fat gravy and biscuits. I discovered this recipe last week and made them twice for my family and they absolutely loved them. They said they tasted a lot like the biscuits from a local chicken place (Churches). I think this recipe could easily be made using whole wheat flour, liquid egg substitute and skim milk and still turn out just as good.

Dry Ingredients:
2 Cups all purpose flour (for healthier whole grain biscuits substitute whole wheat flour instead)
3 Tsp. Baking powder
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Sugar (This is very minimal in the recipe so I would not worry about it. An alternative sweetener would probably work just as well or you could leave it off all together. I used honey in mine, I like as much natural ingredients as possible.)

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Oil (Corn or canola oils are healthiest. I would not recommend using olive oil as it may alter the taste of the biscuits or even give them an odd taste.)
1 Beaten Egg (Or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute)

Blend the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir together lightly.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a 450° oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Makes 12 to 14 biscuits

I put a little melted butter and honey over the tops of mine. You could also coat them with a few sprays of the parkay margarine spray or I can't believe it's not butter spray. You could also add some low fat cheese and onions, or just about anything to make unique biscuits. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - An Interesting Link

For today's recipe I'm sending you to the Ladies Home Journal website. The link is an article that includes a shopping list for 10 fresh ingredients and 6 meals to make with the ingredients. I thought everything looked good and sounded yummy (all except the shrimp of course - I would think that you could substitute salmon, tuna or chicken for the shrimp recipe.) so I decided to share it with you all - happy Reading:
Ladies Home Journal - 10 Fresh Ingredients, 6 Sensational Meals

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken Soup for a Cold

I have a bad head cold right now with probably the worst sore throat I've had in years. So in honor of that I've decided to post a nice soothing chicken soup recipe with a little kick. This recipe takes advantage of leftovers or you can start from completely fresh ingredients. I usually make this when I have leftover roasted chicken. I've also found an article that discusses foods to help a cold - http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/hl/nutrition/article/0,13803,734808,00.html

Chicken Soup for a Cold

4 cans 98% fat free chicken broth
4 - 6 cans water (depending on how much broth you like in your soup)
2 Tbsp. Parsley
1 tbsp black pepper
1 - 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 - 2 cups chopped, diced or shredded chicken (I usually debone the remainder of a roasted chicken that we've had the night before)
1 can carrots (do not drain liquid)
1 can green beans (do not drain)
1 can corn (do not drain)
1 - 2 stalks celery diced (this is optional and I really do not like celery so I usually leave this out)
1/2 bag egg noodles

Put all ingredients except for egg noodles into a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil and then add the egg noodles. Cook just until noodles are tender and immediately remove from heat. Noodles must be added last or they will get very soft and mushy. The chicken broth combined with the hot pepper makes for a great food for a cold. More or less pepper can be used. I like mine very spicy!

Tasty Tuesday Recipe - Meringue Cookies

This recipe is a bit labor intensive but is well worth the effort. These little melt in your mouth goodies are only about 30 calories each! You can mix in any number of ingredients to have a different cookie each time. Try crushed peppermint instead of chocolate chips, or toffee bits, crushed butterscotch candies, or you can even try different extracts for an entirely different flavor. One tip is to place the batter into a cake icing bag and squeeze these out onto the pan in a "kiss" shape.


Meringue Cookies

4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups baker's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups of mini chocolate chips

Cover 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they hold very stiff peaks. Add the salt. While beating at a high speed gradually add the sugar in a stream to incorporate. Add the vanilla. Fold the mini chocolate chips in very gently by hand. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Because this is a stiff batter they do not need a lot of space between them - they have already done their rising. Bake them in a 170 degree oven for about two hours, or more. Cool on racks before storing. For added sweetness you can dust the tops of these with a little powder sugar. Can be stored in the fridge (in an air tight container) for up to two weeks or store them in the freezer for 3 months.

Tasty Tuesday - Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is a super easy cake recipe and is about 130 calories per piece. The pieces are actually pretty large. Just divide the cake into 12 squares.

1 box 1 step angel food cake mix
1 large can crushed pineapple (12 oz or larger) do not drain!

Preheat oven to 350. This is very important - completely ignore all instructions on the cake mix. Mix angel food cake with undrained pineapple - do NOT add anything else like water or eggs. Lightly coat a cake pan with cooking spray. (I usually use a 9x13 pan but you could use a bundt pan or any pan you choose. Just remember that the smaller the pan you use, the thicker the cake will be and it will divide into less pieces.) Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until it is golden brown and slightly crispy on top. You can top this with fat free sugar free pudding, low calorie vanilla ice cream or my personal favorite fat free cool whip.

Tasty Tuesday - Pot Roast and Cabbage

This is a recipe I am well known for among my friends and family. My family used to make this when I was a child and I started making it for my own family a few years back. Nothing says love like a good home cooked meal of pot roast and vegetables. Yummy! Nutritionally this isn't the best for you but it is certainly much better for you than a big mac or processed food. We don't eat this all the time in my house because of the price of beef and also the fact that beef is not something you should indulge in all that often because it is high in fat and cholesterol. If we use the bible as our example then we would save the "fatted calf" only for special occasions.

Pot Roast with Cabbage and Vegetables

1 5-8 pound roast - choose the leanest possible, the less marbling (white streaks) the better
1 small head cabbage
1 medium - large onion
1 small bag baby carrots
1 can green beans
1 can corn (frozen corn is good also)
8-10 red potatoes (these are also called new or russet potatoes)
Seasoned Salt and Pepper to taste

In order for this to turn out right you have to have patience. This can also be cooked in the crock-pot but I personally prefer the oven method. Preheat your oven to 350. Place the roast in a casserole dish that is approximately 9x13 (I use a glass pyrex pan). Put about 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of the pan and then cover with foil. Bake the roast for about 2 hours. While the roast is cooking go ahead and chop the cabbage and onion into large pieces. It really doesn't matter how large you chop the cabbage and onions because they will get softer and mushier as they cook. I usually just quarter them. Chop the potatoes into halves, or quarters if needed. After about 2 hours of cooking take the roast out of the oven and remove the foil. Layer the onion and cabbage pieces all around and on top of the roast. Be sure to get some of the onions close to the roast because this will help to add flavor to it and make it more tender. Add the potatoes, corn, carrots and green beans. If you are using canned vegetables it is ok to add the liquid as well - this will help add flavor and keep it [the roast] from becoming too dry. Sprinkle seasoned salt and pepper all over the top. Cover the pan again with foil and put back into the oven for another 2-3 hours. The longer you let this cook the more tender it will be. You will know it is done when the vegetables are nearly wilted, and the roast literally falls apart when you try to pick it up with a fork.

Tasty Tuesday - Breakfast Egg Bake

This is a recipe that I kind of came up with myself but you could in some ways just call it a crustless quiche. This is great for making ahead and keeping in your fridge for breakfast all week.


Breakfast Egg Bake
1 8oz. carton liquid eggs like egg beaters
4 - 6 strips turkey bacon cooked and crumbled
half of a small onion chopped
2 tbsp. flour (preferrably whole wheat)
1/4 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
1/4 cup regular shredded cheese
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. parsley
1 - 2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl mix together all ingredients. Pour into a pie pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until this has risen and is golden brown. This will rise a lot while cooking but it will come back down to a normal size while it cools. This makes 8 slices at about 200 calories each. For variation you could also try peppers and diced turkey ham, or even broccoli and chicken instead of spinach and bacon.

Tasty Tuesday - Baked Oatmeal

On cold wintry mornings like today it's nice to have a hot bowl of cereal to warm you up but sometimes we do not have time to make or even eat hot cereal like oatmeal. This recipe is great because you can make it ahead of time and keep it stored in the fridge. Just pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and you have oatmeal on the go! This is far healthier, tastier and more inexpensive than the granola or cereal bars you get in the grocery store.

Baked Oatmeal
2 c. uncooked oats
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. fat-free or lowfat milk (To add richness I sometimes substitute the milk with low-fat buttermilk.)
1/2 c. Egg Beaters (or 2 eggs)
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce (can substitute low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt, or mashed banana)
1/4 c. Brown sugar (or sugar free sweetener like splenda)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8" pan with cooking spray. Combine wet ingredients and then add in dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour mixture into pan, and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This divides up into 6-8 servings or bars.

This recipe is very versatile - Try adding raisins, chopped apples, nuts or even canned pumpkin.

Tasty Tuesday - Oven "Fried" Chicken

Oven "Fried" Chicken
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 oz buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces

Preheat oven to 365ºF. Lightly coat an 8 X 8 X 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Combine flour, salt and cayenne pepper together in a medium-size bowl. Place buttermilk and corn flakes crumbs in 2 separate shallow bowls.
Roll chicken breast halves in flour mixture and evenly coat each side. Next dip chicken into buttermilk and then corn flakes crumbs.
Place coated chicken breasts in prepared baking dish. Bake until chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 25 to 30 minutes (there is no need to flip the chicken during baking). Yields 1 breast per serving.

Tasty Tuesday - Sausage, Cornbread & Apple Stuffing

I plan on making this for Thanksgiving:


Sausage, Cornbread & Apple Stuffing

8 oz raw turkey sausage
2 Tbsp apple juice
1 tsp butter
1 medium onion(s), chopped
2 medium celery, chopped
2 medium apple(s), cored and diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
8 oz cornbread stuffing dry mix
1 1/2 cup canned chicken broth, hot
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat.
Remove sausage from casing; add sausage to skillet and cook, breaking up into small pieces until no pink remains. Add apple juice and simmer, stirring constantly, until liquid evaporates. Remove sausage to large bowl; set aside.
Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and celery; saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in apples, parsley, thyme and poultry seasoning; cook about 3 minutes.
Add stuffing to skillet; stir in enough chicken stock to moisten stuffing as you like it. Add to bowl with sausage; stir in enough chicken stock to moisten stuffing. Season to taste. Yields 3/4 cup per serving.

**One extra step I plan to add to this is that I will probably bake this in the oven @ 350 for about 20 minutes or so just to give it a little bit of crispiness.**

Tasty Tuesday Recipe - Pistachio Fruit Salad

It's a fun new meme - Tasty Tuesday! I plan to post new healthy or low cal/fat/carb recipes every tuesday if possible. Today's recipe is my own personal fruit salad recipe. Many people have been salivating over getting this recipe from me so here's your chance lol (I'm making this tonight so I'll try to snap a pic of it):

This makes enough for a party sized bowl so the servings may vary. All in all it's about 130-160 calories per cup serving.

Pistachio Fruit Salad

4 8oz. containers Fat Free Cool Whip thawed
1 16oz. container Breakstones Fat Free Sourcream
4 packages instant sugar free fat free pistachio pudding mix
3-4 cans tropical fruit salad in juice or light syrup drained
2 small jars maraschino cherries also drained

In a large bowl mix together the cool whip and sour cream. Make sure the cool whip is not frozen. Next dump the DRY (do NOT add anything to the pudding like milk or water) pudding mix into the cool whip and sour cream. Stir completely until you see no more of the pudding mix powder and your cool whip/sour cream is taking on a green hue (yes this is normal). Making sure that all of the cans of fruit and cherries are drained well stir them in. You can serve this immediately or wait until it's chilled.