Monday, April 27th

Alright, it's almost May and we haven't made much progress as a team...although, there has been a lot of good information passed around, we all need to make some progress.

I have torn 6 pieces of papers and written each of our names on a piece. It's time to buddy-up!!!! Below are your new buddies:

Aunt Kate & Mary Annie
Aunt Susie & Crista
Katie & Grandma L

Here's the plan: For the next 2 weeks, you will be partnered up with the person above. I know everyone is extremely busy, but if we don't have someone pushing us, we will never take the time to better our health. We have to push each other! I want to encourage all the teams to talk to each other via email today and say hello, wish them a good day and make a plan to talk either on your lunch hour (haha) or tonight. Here's what I want you to talk about:

• How often you will talk (this is mandatory! Everyone MUST talk to their buddy at least once a day! I know I sound pushy, but no one wants a slacker for a buddy! At least once a day and you need to talk to one another to see if it's better in the morning, afternoon or evening.
• Talk about what you want your goal to be for the next two weeks (even if it's small)
• Talk about your weaknesses. It's important that your buddy know when you need help

Okay, I'm serious here. I want you to be glued to your buddy's behind like the extra 10 pounds they can't get rid of. I'm going to check up on each team and Grandma L-beware! Unfortunately, you got stuck with me.... =) Sorry in advance!

Okay, everyone have a great day and I WILL be checking up on all of you tomorrow morning to make sure you all talked today. If you say that you don't have time for this, I want you to read the below motto:

TAKE 'ME' TIME: THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WILL THANK ME FOR IT

If we are happy about ourselves, we are a joy to be around. Do this for YOURSELF and you'll be amazed at what else changes in your life.

Make a plan with your buddy and you have 2 weeks! We'll be switching buddies on May 11th.

Good luck everyone and I'M COUNTING ON US ALL.

LITTLE GIFT ON THE WAY

OK, I'm at LEAST a week or two behind when I said I would do it, but I am finally sending off to everyone my mix for Multi-Grain Pancakes/Waffles to each of you.

I have it in a quart sized ziplock bag with the VERY EASY instructions written on the label on the front of the ziplock bag. A couple of very important things:

1. AS SOON AS YOU GET IT, please put it in your freezer. It was freshly ground tonight and so it will keep better if you put it in the freezer. After you use one batch of it, put the rest of the mix in the freezer until you make the second batch.
2. I have given you enough mix for two batches (Crista -- you will want to do a double recipe because you have a bigger family -- in other words the entire bag and double the ingredients on the front of the ziplock bag).
3. My kids love it with Kuznicki syrup but I ADORE it all by itself -- I just sit there at my computer and nibble at it all instead of putting all that sugar on my pancakes or waffles.
4. This is my gift to you -- freshly ground. I only ask for two things in return -- (1) that you make them -- you will LOVE them; and, (2) that you will let me know TRUTH if you love them as much as we do. You won't hurt my feelings if you don't like them, but my guess is they will become one of your favorite breakfast treats from now on.

So, now that I have written this post and I have ground the grains for the mix, this will MAKE me go to the post office tomorrow morning and get them on their way to you. You should be expecting them probably Monday or Tuesday. NOW, if the temperatures out there are really hot, you might want to ask someone to take it inside for you until you get home from work, if that's possible. I would think it would still be good, but I know it is best kept in the freezer, so I would imagine HEAT would have just the opposite effect.

Have a great day everyone -- and Katie -- your sprouting trays will also be on their way, along with some sprouting seeds.

Love, SuWheat!

It's Thursday, so it must be MY TURN!

I am SO upset -- I just spent the last hour putting together a post for you on sprouting and how easy it is and I just lost it all!!!!! I don't have another hour to put it back together, so I will (for now) just leave you with a link that I had put at the bottom of the other post I did and then I promise that sometime this week or weekend I will recompose the original post -- it had so much good information about sprouts!

AARGH!!! I am so upset!

Anyway, for now, check this out:

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/19/how-to-grow-sprouts/

Sorry, ladies -- I will be back in touch with you!!!!!

Susan

Monday, April 20th Daily post

Hi fellow lunch-boxers!  I'm doing my post on Sunday night in fear that I won't be able to post something tomorrow morning and I know how important it is to get started for the week so I didn't want to delay the post.  While planning our meals for the week this morning, I picked up my book by Ellie Krieger from the food network and saw a section that I thought was very helpful.  I feel like I eat very well and incorporate a lot of grains and fresh vegetables and fruit, but when I read this section, I was wondering if I was actually eating well or if I just thought I was.  I've never counted my daily servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, protein and fats before but after reading this, I thought I should.  This is long, but hopefully it will help at least one person this week:

She first starts out by saying that you need to multiply your weight by 15 and that's roughly how many calories you should have in one day (now remember that you need to cut your caloric intake by 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week).  I'm going to only list the servings for 1800-2100 calories, 2100-2600 calories and 2600-3000 calories per day, assuming that we would all fall in one of those three ranges (for our weight loss range).

How much should you eat?

Food Group 1800-2100 2100-2600  2600-3000

Vegetables 5 5-6 6

Fruit 3 3-4 4

Grains and 

Starchy veggies 6-7 7-8 8-9

Meat,poultry,

fish & eggs 4-6oz 5-6oz 5-6oz

Nuts, seeds, 

beans and soy 2 2 2-3

Dairy 2-3 2-3 3

Fats & oils 3-4 3-4 4

Serving Sizes

Vegetables: 1/2 cup cooked or raw chopped vegetable; 1 cup raw leafy vegetable; 6 ounces (3/4) cup vegetable juice

Fruits:  1 medium fruit (apple, orange, peach, pear, etc); 1/3 cantaloupe, honeydew or other melon (1 cup cubed); 1/2 grapefruit; 1/2 banana; 1/2 cup canned fruit; 1 cup fresh berries; 3/4 cup fruit juice; 1/4 cup dried fruit

Grains and Starchy Veggies:  1 slice bread; 1/2 cup cooked grain (bulgur, oats, etc) rice or pasta; 1/2 cup cooked hot cereal; 3/4 cup cold cereal; 1/2 pita pocket; 1 medium potato; 1 small potato or yam; 1 ear corn or 1/2 cup corn

Meat, Fish, Poultry and Eggs:  1 ounce cooked meat, poultry or fish; 2 egg whites; 1 whole egg

Beans, Soy, Nuts and Seeds:  1/2 cup cooked beans, peas or lentils; 1/2 cup tofu, tempeh or soy beans; 1 cup soy milk; 1/3 cup nuts; 1/4 cup seeds; 2 Tablespoons peanut butter or other nut butter

Dairy:  1 cup milk; 1 cup yogurt; 1/2 cup cottage cheese; 1 1/2 ounces cheese

Fats and Oils:  2 teaspoons oil, margarine, butter or mayo; 2 Tablespoons regular dressing; 4 Tablespoons reduced fat dressing

Visual Aids to serving sizes:

This serving: Is about the size of:

3 ounces of meat, poultry or fish a deck of playing cards

1 medium fruit a baseball

1/2 cup cooked vegetables, fruit,

pasta, rice or other grain Half of a baseball

1 medium potato a computer mouse

1 cup leafy greens 4 lettuce leaves

1 1/2 ounces cheese 4 dice or 1 ice cube

2 Tablespoons peanut butter a golf ball

1 teaspoon fat the tip of your thumb

Happy Snowy Thursday to Everyone!

Well, we woke up to about 6 inches of fresh snow this morning -- mind you, it was 70 degrees 3 days ago. Don't you just love spring weather? Well, I think this is our last snowfall of the season (it better be) and by Saturday it is supposed to be in the high 60s again and all next week should be sunny and 60s/70s, so I guess I can put up with it one more time. Besides, the clouds have parted and we have gorgeous bright blue skies and that, with the freshly fallen snow - well, I have to admit it is simply BREATHTAKING! Still, I long for my garden and springtime weather.

I digress.... Since we just talked about the benefits of spinach, I found this recipe and have heard nothing but rave reviews about it -- if you can get past the name of it, I think it would be a fun experiment to try when the weather is nice and warm (not on a day like today here in snowy Utah).... They say that you can't taste the spinach at all -- VERY cool. I am going to try it soon.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH POPSICLES
Pint of very ripe strawberries (overripe is okay)
2-3 cups of carefully washed spinach leaves
1 Tbsp. honey (or more, to taste)

Place the strawberries in the blender and fill the remainder of the blender with spinach leaves. Add honey and puree until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays. Yields 2 cups liquid.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1-1/2 cups flour (try also experimenting with a little wheat flour as part of this)
1-3/4 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup choc chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in separate bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add half the flour mixture, mix and then add the banana and mix. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips (but not too many).

Drop onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes (remember to take them out earlier if you want soft, not crunchy cookies)
Makes about 3-1/2 dozen cookies

CHICKEN A LA KING RECIPE (I tried it and I loved it)
3 Tbsp butter
4-8 oz of fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups evaporated milk
2 cups chicken broth (boil the chicken -- below -- and then you have the broth)
3 cups cooked diced chicken
Celery, chopped

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushrooms, green pepper, and green onion. Cook for five minutes, until tender. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add evaporated milk and the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low to medium-low heat, stirring until mixture is hot and thickened. Add chicken and heat thoroughly. Serve over toast (if you are of the Kuznicki family) or rice or QUINOA!!!!! Serves 8 and is VERY yummy! I also add frozen peas (already cooked) at end just before serving.

One other thing -- I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and she says that she "hides" vegetables in different foods that she makes and the kids don't even notice it, so if you have kids that are picky eaters, this might be an idea. They take the veggies (like broccoli or carrots, etc) and puree them in the blender. Then freeze them in baggies (much like I do my quinoa) and when they are cooking, they add the veggies to the food that they are making. Thought it sounded like a good idea even for grown-ups that don't eat enough veggies.

That reminded me of what I do with my peppers (green, red, orange, yellow -- doesn't matter the color) and my onions (green, yellow, red -- doesn't matter either). I cut them all up one day and freeze them as well. I put them in small ziplock bags and then inside of a larger tupperware / rubbermaid type container and that helps keep them for a long time. When I need onion or pepper in my recipe, I simply break off a piece or two and throw them in. VERY easy. Very fast.

One more thing -- I freeze my bananas -- without the peel. I buy bananas when they are very inexpensive and a local store will sell them a case at a time and I buy the case, let them ripen until you wouldn't normally eat them, then I peel them all and put them in ziplock bags for smoothie use later on -- last for a very long time. They look awful, but for smoothies and banana bread, they don't need to look good. As you can tell, I keep ziplock in business!

Also, I would like to know how many of you eat sprouts -- I need to know to see if there is a reason to write my post next week. Also, I need to know if any of you are planting a veggie garden this year --

Strange post today, but didn't have time to go searching for some good tips. Hope these are recipes that you will try. I love them!

Susan (SuWheat)

20 Little Ways

It's Wednesday - here are my tips for the day...20 Litttle Ways to Drop the Pounds and Keep Them Off !

1. Order two appetizers - the average hamburger is 23 percent larger today than n 1977. Choose a pasta dish and salad/soup from the appetizer column instead.

2. Visit the vending machine - nibbling on single servings is better than digging your way to the bottom of a megabag of chips.

3. Start with salad - and eat less during the rest of the meal. When salads were topped with low-fat mozz and low-calorie Italian dressing instead of high fat alternatives, women ate 10 percent fewer calories over the course of the day.

4. Stick a fork in it - dip your fork into salad dressings before eating greens - that little maneuver could cut hundrds of calories.

5. Watch coffee calories - fancy coffee concoctions can contain as many calories as an entire lunch.

6. Walk and talk - when your cell phone rings, stroll the halls at work or at home - it you did this for 10 minutes every workday at a moderate pace, you'd burn about 1,000 calories a month and lose 3 pounds a year - WOW! I need to try that!

7. Crack a nut - dieters who ate a handful of peanuts or mixed nuts daily were more likely to keep weight off than those who didn't include the high fat snacks.

8. Don't just sit there - the average person burns 100 calories/hour sitting and 140/hour standing. Get on your feet 2 hours a day while you work and you could drop an extra 6 pounds over the year.

9. Sleep well and lose more - too little sleep could keep your body from burning carbs, which translates to more body fat.

10. Double your protein - the amino acid found in beef, dairy, poultry, fish and eggs may help preserve muscle tissue.

11. Keep an exercise journal - track your progress and maintain focus on your goals.

12. Eat dairy daily - cheese, cup of milk or yogurt. Those who cut 500 calories a day from their diets while eating yogurt 3 times a day, lost 13 lbs over 1 weeks.

13. Have an apple before dinner - the typical apple has 5 grams of fiber, which makes you feel fuller.

14. Be wary of white foods - that is the color of most high calories carbs - bagels, potatoes, brads, rice, creamed corn, etc.

15. Drink water (and I am the worst one for that!) - your body mistakes thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated means you'll also stay satiated.

16. Act like a kid - expand your definition of exercise to include shaking your booty (especially if you have kids) - it's a welcome break from "regular" exercise and can burn as many calories as 120 every 20 minutes.

17. Munch a handful of M&Ms - just under half a pack of plain candies adds only 100 calories to your calorie tally and can satisfy your sweet tooth.

18. Be picky about bread - select loaves with whole grain listed as the first ingredient - make sure each slice contains at least 2 grams of fiber.

19. Eat breakfast - cuts your chances of becoming obese and developing diabetes by 35 to 50%. With our family history, that is a HUGE reason to eat breakfast.

20. Brush your teeth after every meal - brushing serves as a physical and psychological cue to stop eating. If you are on the go, a few Altoids or a breath strip can have the same effect.

Spinach

Okay, I'm running really late today, but at least I am here -- on my brief lunch break today, the first page I turned to in a magazine had an article on spinach in it that caught my eye. Did you know?

1. Spinach is full of magnesium and potassium -- magnesium fleshes fatigue-inducing sodium from cells and ushers in potassium, which is essential for converting blood sugar into energy. Studies show 1 cup of cooked spinach daily could double your energy levels in as little as one week.
2. Also it reduces the frequency and severity of chronic headaches by an astonishing 50 percent. It creates an enzyme that makes the brain more resistant to headache triggers (like stress) by enhancing the organi's oxygen metabolism and stabilizing its cellular-energy output.
3. It is only 41 calories per cup, and includes calcium which binds to fats in the intestines and shuttles them out of the body before they can be absorbed. It also suppresses the body's output of calcitriol, a hormone that promotes fat storage in the belly. So, pounds melt off at twice the usual rate.
4. 1 cup of raw spinach packs 200 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, reducing existing calcification of the arteries by 95% in 3 weeks. The vitamin A and C in spinach thwarts the oxidization of LDL (bad) cholesterol, preventing it from accumulating on blood vessel walls.

Anyone for spinach? 1 pound (about 12 cups) of raw baby spinach yields 2 cups cooked.

I like mine with a little vinegar on it.

By the way the name of the magazine I was looking at is FIRST, all about healthy living ideas. Looked interesting.