Melissa D'Arabians Shrimp Recipe and Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo!

Wow.  Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you completely hit the nail on the head with a meal, and it is also healthy?  That was tonight - DELICIOUS!  Thank you Melissa D'Arabian for an AMAZING shrimp recipe tonight!  I paired it with a brand new endeavour using Tofu Shirataki Fettucine noodles...and when you can eat Fettucine Alfredo with no guilt, it makes it just better and better!  A simple side salad, and here was my delicious and healthy plate for the evening!

I am still learning how to take these pictures so that they look more inviting, but let's just say that Melissa's shrimp over this HEALTHY fettucine alfredo with a side salad was just DELISH.

Let me post her shrimp recipe first.  The ONLY thing I would have changed would have been to use 2 tbsp instead of one of the pesto mixture when stirring in the shrimp b/c it would give it more of a crispy sear with the delicious elements it included.  But it was super delicious as is!  Here are the ingredients, minus the pecans because I accidentally left them off my grocery list so sweet hubby was at the store buying them.

I did want to share a "trick" when you are peeling and deveining the shrimp to save on extra plates etc.  I kept the peeled shrimp in the middle of the white paper it came on.  I then did the peeling and put those parts to the right of the shrimp, and put the peeled shrimp to the left.  Once complete, I could take the peeled shrimp off and do any deveining needed.  And just simply roll up the white paper with the shells and put in the plastic bag it came in so that it won't stink up your garbage can!  Just a tip :)

Ingredients

Pesto:

• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (I used about a cup to make sure it wasn't too overpowering)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp:

• 3/4 pound raw medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

Directions

Pesto: Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lime and juice the entire lime for about 2 tablespoons of juice. (P.S.  go ahead and zest the whole lime so that you will have 1-2 tsp of zest for future!  Just set it aside in a separate container.)  Combine the zest and juice with the cilantro, green onions, chopped pecans, chopped garlic, sugar, vegetable oil, and extra-virgin olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until well-combined, but still slightly chunky. Season the pesto with salt, and pepper, to taste.

Shrimp: In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the pesto. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp until just opaque and pink, about 3 minutes. Put a generous spoonful of pesto into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Serve the remaining pesto on the side or freeze for another use.

I have decided that Melissa must be my long lost sister.  Her choice of ingredients is SO similar to mine and I feel lucky to use her as a base and make teeny tiny adjustments.

Fettucine Alfredo Using Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Noodles

My sister and niece had told me about these during their recent visit.  Okay - who doesn't LOVE pasta?  But who hates the carbs and calories that come with them?  For an 8 oz package of these beauties, there are 40 calories total with .5 grams of fat and 3 carbs, although there are 2 grams of fiber, so basically that's 1 net carb.  NO sugar and 1 gram of protein with a few trace vitamins.  I was doubtful until I made the recipe on the bag which is from Hungry Girl - I have to go check out her site b/c this was seriously rock star!

HG's Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo

1 package of the noodles
2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (okay - ours was low fat)
2 tsp reduced fat Parmesan grated topping
1 tsp fat free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the Tofu noodles thoroughly.  Parboil for 2-3 minutes, then dry very well.  Add cream cheese, parmesan and sour cream.   Mix well.  Microwave for 1 additional minute and then mix again.  Add salt and pepper. 

This recipe is approximately 95 calories with 2 grams of fat for the whole thing!  Hubby and I split it so b/c my Parmesan was not reduced fat and cream cheese was low fat (not fat free) I would guesstimate that total was maybe 180 calories - so that is 90 calories a piece!!! 

I definitely had my doubts - but no longer!  It is much more expensive than regular pasta, but if you like your carbs like we do, it is SO worth it so enjoy it without the guilt!

Paired it all with a side salad

and the meal was filling, healthy and if I had to guesstimate calorie wise, less than 500 calories!

For those who are following my fitness journey, I had an AWESOME walk on the treadmill at 4 mph with incline between 4 and 6.  At times, my calves and shin splints were a little mega sore, so I went back and forth.  Burned 540 calories and felt GREAT! 

Tomorrow we get to SLEEP in as late as we want!!!  We plan on taking a nice long walk in our hilly neighborhood and get some much needed Vitamin D.

Thanks again Sue and Sarah for the turn on to the noodles!  Will definitely be playing around with those quite a bit in the near future!!!  Not gonna even tell Julia of the substitution!!!

Short Term vs. Long Term Goals...

So when we last left our she-ra, there was contemplation about the 10K that has already been registered for on Monday.  Should I run or should I stay home?  Please be sure to sing that like the Clash would.  And I wanted to make that decision during today's training run...and let's just say that it's been made.

After a VERY introspective run that quickly turned into a walk, I have decided that I need some more miles under my feet before I will feel comfortable doing a 10K in public.  Do I think I *could* run it?  Abso-flipping-lutely.  But as I pondered listening to great tunes, I realized that there are more cons than pros to running it.

In a fairy tale scenario, I would run it in a 6 mph pace and cross the finish line looking fresh faced and breathing lightly.  But in what I'm pretty sure would happen, I would be a hot, sweaty red-faced panting mess if my last few runs are any indication of my performance in a 10K.  And you know what?  I'm PROUD of my decision.

I am typically a very optimistic person, but I had to look at all possibilities, and what helped most was when I looked at my long term goals vs. short term goals.  And what would make ME proud?  What if I had run out of steam at the halfway point and walked the remainder, coming in dead last?  Would not be a proud moment.  What if I ran the whole thing but with a really crappy time?  Another un-proud thought.  Finally, I went to the dark (but realistic) side - what if I actually injured myself during the run, which would put most fitness activities on hold for awhile?  Bam - that was it.  I was not trying to talk myself out of it, but this whole time I've been trying to talk myself into it, for all the wrong reasons.

I wanted to casually throw it out there in a conversation.  Friend:  What did you do over  Labor Day weekend?  Me:  Oh (with a flip of the hair), I ran a 10K on Monday morning.  Friend:  Wow - that's impressive.  And I thought, WOW, that is really taking caring what people think of you to the next level. 

I'm 40+ and that sometimes means saying what I want to say and doing what I want to do.  If I don't want to do something, I just say no thank you - no excuses because none should be needed unless it is truly something I *should* do - and then I just do it, no excuses.  Life is just too short to do things we don't want to do!  As I babble along, I keep thinking that this post sounded so much better and made more sense when I was writing it out in my head on the treadmill.

So...bottom line.  I have been on a fitness ROLL for two weeks straight.  I've even lost a couple of pounds.  And if I have an embarrassing time or don't finish or worse yet, get injured, I'm afraid that's gonna set me back.  And I need to look at my long term goal...living a happy, healthy life.  There will be plenty more 10Ks to choose from.  But until I can run where my legs don't feel like cement bags the entire time, it's just not for me.  I hope it is for me soon, and I will continue to throw some runs into my training here and there.  I will probably even find a 10K to truly train for.

Like I said yesterday, if they ever have an event of walking on the treadmill at a 4 mph pace with an incline of 6, sign me up.  Until then, I'll still go get my t-shirt tomorrow, though I won't wear it in public.  But I will wear it when I run sometimes, to remind myself of long term vs. short term goals.
So that's that.  Now this hot, sweaty mess needs a shower before getting together with some girlfriends later today.  And THAT is something I WANT to do :)

So...Is It for Me Or Am I Trying to Prove Something?

I have to giggle to a certain extent because this blog was supposed to be all about food - no getting personal or anything.  But I found that my life is NOT all about food - so neither should this blog be.  Yes, I TOTALLY enjoy cooking, especially learning new things, but I am so much more complex than that.  I love to read, play tennis, listen to music, watch reality TV (both "good and bad), spend time with my family, be with girlfriends, and walk.  And I'm *trying* to learn to love running...but so far, it's just not really happening.

I do love the challenge - the fact that I am dripping sweat after my workout.  The fact that my legs burn and I feel some new toning in my muscles.  I think I like to SAY I love to run...but I don't.  So I'm starting to get more and more nervous about this 10K on Monday.  I am not a complete novice.  I have done 3 half marathons before, although they were a few years ago.  I have run about half a dozen 5K and about as many 10K.  But none of these were within the last year or two, and I really only started training about two weeks ago.

Can I run 6.2 miles?  Yes.  Well...let me rephrase that.  I think so.  To this point, my longest run has been 5 and if you read that post, I was completely nauseous after the run because of not enough to eat during the day.  What if I get to the halfway marker and can't make it?  On the treadmill I can easily track my pace and slow down/speed up as needed.  It doesn't simulate the hills, even though this course seems relatively flat.  I have a set timeframe and/or mileage and if I want to alter it, I can.  In a 10K, I don't have that option.  Well - I can alter the time, but my pride wants a decent time.

I guess what I'm trying to say, and it helps to think out loud here, is that I sometimes wonder if I am running for myself or if I want to prove something to others.  And then I ask myself, what do I want to prove?  I am proud of myself for really getting back on the fitness track, and a lot has to do with the visit with my sister and my niece.  I enjoyed the walks we took so much...and then Sarah introduced me to My Fitness Pal.  And before you know it, I was wanting to do more than walk...I wanted to run.  And then I wanted a goal.  And now it is only 4 days away.

I know I am undertrained, but not to the extent to where I would hurt myself - more that I would embarrass myself with a terrible time and/or finish.  So I ask myself again...is this for me?  I'm still on the fence, and honestly, tomorrow will be the deciding factor.  I will be running 6 miles, and then taking Saturday and Sunday off as rest days so that I have fresh legs for Monday.  If I have a good run, I'm ready for Monday.  If it is one where I struggle, I am just going to have to re-think it and shoot for the next one. 

The reason this was so relative to post was because when I first started this blog, I kept on wondering who was reading it and why was no one commenting.  And all of a sudden, it dawned on me.  None of that mattered - I was doing this because I WANTED to.

So there.  I want to do the run if I WANT to...not because I feel I have to.  So let's see what the final decision is.  I will say that I will continue my running b/c I know I am building strength and muscle and perhaps some lbs will go bye bye.  And to a certain extent I really do enjoy it.  I would be hellacious in a contest where we all walked on treadmills at a 4 mph pace and an incline of 6.  I could walk ALL day and then some.  Just not sure if I can run 6.2 miles.  I think I can...and will keep you posted of my decision.

Food stuff lacking b/c last night was trivia (man did we suck!) and tonight was leftovers as the parts for the fridge just came in today, so it won't be fixed until tomorrow or Monday.  Sigh.  Can't wait to do my first shopping trip once the fridge is operating again!  Looking forward to some fruits and veggies and all kinds of yummies!

A 4 Mile Run...From Boredom to Guilt to Runner's High (And ADD the Entire Time)

First of all...let me just say what just got through a FOUR mile run on the treadmill!!!  YOU.  And you and you and you.  Seriously, it was almost as if I composed this post while running and it was helpful knowing how proud I would be to be able to post it.  Let me start off by saying that I LOVE walking on the treadmill at a 4 mph pace and an incline of 6.  I love it b/c I can multitask and watch TV that I have DVRed...or sometimes even a movie.  I truly think I could walk all day long.

Running...I will admit...I don't love it.  I'm frustrated b/c in the 43 minutes I ran, it only logged me as burning 380 calories whereas my walk as noted above burns 450.  And the first 10 minutes or so, I was BORED.   That quickly turned into guilt - lots of things that needed doing.  What I DID learn was that next time I will finish my to do list BEFORE my run so that my mind can slow down and I can eliminate the guilt!

I used my IPod b/c I figure I won't be able to run the half marathon I want to run while watching TV, so I'd better get used to running to music.  Yesterday, I had it on Pandora, but I am definitely a song skipper...I can tell in 3 or 4 notes if it's a song I want to run to.

Ummm...in 43 minutes, I went through 225 songs.  Of course I did not LISTEN to all of those songs, but I heard a few chords and then either hit skip or let it play.  Interesting choices I made.  The Glamorous Life by Sheila E made the cut.  Bright Side of the Road by Van Morrison got almost a full listen.  Along others that I heard at least part of were Let's Get Ready to Rumble (Jock Jams), Mr. Brightside (The Killers), Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon), Keep on Growing (Sheryl Crow), Last Chance (Shooting Star), What Was I Thinking (Dierks Bentley), Pump up the Jam (Technotronic), Hero Takes a Fall (Bangles) and Glamorous (Fergie).

My original goal was 40 minutes...but b/c I slowed my pace a bit so I can run longer, I realized that I wouldn't hit 4 miles.  So the second that Ballroom Blitz came on, I somehow did the math and realized that if I cranked up my pace to 6 mph, I would only have to run a few more minutes and could hit 4 miles.  So I did it and ran FOUR miles in a ROW, in 43 minutes.  I know - super slow for many of you, but it's a start, and I will continue to keep this up and run my half marathon(s).

Gotta boogie now and shower, then get a haircut before our date night out!  Still no idea of where we are going.  But can't wait to spend an awesome evening with the love of my life.  And my anniversary present to him is for the whole family - but can't spoil it here, so will share tomorrow.

Thanks for being there to cheer me on during my run.  I hope it gets easier...and funner...and that I get faster.  But for now, I am enough.  And I am continuously practicing self improvement and doing the best I can do so I am the best I can be.

Oh...on a food note, I did find that by using My Fitness Pal I was MUCH more conscious of the appetizers at Book Club last night.  I started off with a HUGE plate of watermelon and grapes and then nibbled on a few chips and dips, but really did well. 

Promise I will get back to cooking, especially once the damn fridge is fixed.  Needs two new parts so most everything is STILL crammed into the small fridge in our garage.  NOT an ideal situation for someone who loves to cook!!

"We Are Family"

So I digress...I guess this blog will not be ALL about cooking!  I would also like to branch out a bit into fitness, health, books, and whatever else is on my mind.  Today's topic brought on by this last weekend's amazing family weekend will focus on fitness.  I can't tell you how great it was to walk with my sister and niece each day of their visit - we walked a full hour each day, and this is in our VERY hilly neighborhood.  At the end of the visit, we promised we would keep each other motivated and inspired, and one week later, I can absolutely say 100% that the visit did me a world of good.

Those who know me have seen my "all or nothing" approach to things.  If I can't get in a full hour of exercise then why bother.  If I can only read one or two chapters at a time, what is the point?  It is a flaw for sure - I will get SO gung ho on something (Boot Camp, Body Pump, Walking, Visalus Shakes) - whatever it is - and then I simply fizzle after awhile.  Now that I have my new BEST FRIEND My Fitness Pal (check it out if you haven't!!!) I have such a great way to hold myself accountable, and also take my fitness journey with others.  And now I have all of you whom I do not want to let down!

I am surprised my computer is even working right now as I am dripping sweat all over it as I type.  But I was so excited to just post my fitness accomplishments for today onto My Fitness Pal.  I barely got off the treadmill and ran to my phone to log them.  Not only did I do the 45 minute Pump and Shred (Les Mills Body Pump - a weight training DVD) but I RAN 2 and 1/2 miles on the treadmill at a 6 mph pace (a 10 minute mile - a good start).  The ironic part, hence the title, was that I had my I Phone on Pandora on the "Disco Mix" channel, and the last song to come on was "We Are Family".  Oh how many weddings have we boogied up a storm to that song, including mine, just last August 26th.

It's funny how though I planned to keep this blog so food focused and not really share too much else, it's kind of fun to recap my days with others - some total complete strangers whom I have never even met.  Did I mention I actually have 50 or so page views in Russia?  Shout out to you guys overseas!  And a handful in Germany, the Netherlands and Costa Rica...is that you in Costa Rica, Chrissy?  I never thought I would have so much fun with this, but it is a great way to just freestyle write about whatever I want to.

Now that I have opened up my soul to those who are NOT on Fitness Pal, I feel I will hold myself accountable to myself and to you on here as well.  I won't promise miracles, but I will do what I can to keep on going on a day by day basis.  There will be some days when I need a rest day - that has been one of my mistakes in the past actually.  The Les Mills Pump program SCHEDULES for rest days and I would always skip them...and then burn out rather quickly.  So I promise to listen to my body and do the best I can to take care of it.  Hey - it's the only one I got.

I have some weight goals in my mind - did you really think I'd share numbers with you?  Hell to the no!  BUT...I do want to run another 1/2 marathon this year - maybe two.  Sarah...send me the link when you can!  I will remind you by text as well.  There is one in Athens, GA (my alma mater old stomping grounds and you actually get to run around Sanford Stadium!!!) that will be hilly, but a good test run, and then one in flat Florida in November that I would love to run with my niece.

For now, I am me and I am enough.  I am inspired by others, and I hope one day to be an inspiration to others.  I have so many good and wonderful things in my life and I have made the most of a lot of God awful things in my life.  We are who we choose to be.  So today, be yourself and have an AWESOME DAY!

Tomorrow is "date night" - my hubby has a surprise evening planned for our one year anniversary and all he has hinted is that it is dressy.  So I will take my magic pill and lose 20 pounds before tomorrow night.  Ha ha.  Wishful thinking.  I WILL take my vitamins in about 1/2 hour and then a long, HOT shower before heading to book club tonight.  And I WILL get in my exercise for tomorrow, most likely using Sunday as a rest day to relax and read on the porch.

Ciao for now!!!!


Mari

Leftovers Last Night...and My Fitness Pal, My New Best Friend

Just to at least get a picture on here to make it pretty, here was my plate of leftovers from last night. 

Notice the HEAPING pile of green beans, the fist sized chicken parm, a small portion of noodles (still trying to find the refrigerated kind in multigrain) and one piece of bread.  This all leads me to my "step it up" goal, motivated by my sister and niece when they were here.

All in all, I have always been pretty good about eating healthy, exercising and drinking water.  But once I turned 40, it feels like you have to really work at it and thankfully, this past weekend, I got just the extra inspiration and tool that I needed.

My niece introduced me to an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal.  You basically enter your starting weight (don't worry - no one sees it!) and your goal weight.  It calculates the calories you should consume each day.  You can add in food and water, and it is even smart enough to be able to scan a barcode on packaged food.  You also log any exercise you do, so obviously, those exercise minutes give you a greater allowance of food options.

It is the simplest thing I have ever used to track, and one of the bonuses of it is that you can have "fitness buddies."  So for example, if I see that my niece worked out for an hour, I can comment something like "way to go".  Because I am really focused now, I would like to invite anyone who is interested to download the app on your smartphone (it's free) and send me a friend request.  My user name is mariccarroll and this will be a fun way to have new virtual workout buddies who have common goals.  This will help me be more accountable and I'm excited about the prospect!!!

Don't be shy - if you are working on your fitness, let's do it together.  The more the merrier, and I can't wait for my first weigh in next Monday when I hope I can actually show a loss.  We are in such a great electronic age where we have access to tools that can improve our lives, so I'm ready to take advantage of it for sure!

Hope to have some new workout friends the next time I post!  And I will truly try to focus on healthy meals - well balanced and tasty!

To all - drink your water, eat healthy, exercise and take your vitamins!  I started taking my vitamins with dinner b/c they would nauseate me so much in the morning - it made a huge difference and I have actually taken them 2 days in a row.  I want to be around as long as I can for my wonderful family!

So thanks again Sue and Sarah for really jump starting me.  We can all do this!!!