An Italian Tradition: food, food, and oh wait, more food

Like most big Italian families, my family likes to eat, especially around the holidays. Don't get me wrong: we are equal opportunity eaters. We don't require some holiday to get together and pounds delciousness...nope, not us. We'll use any excuse really--from a birthday to a holiday to a Sunday. In fact, growing up, I went to my Grandmother Yola's house every single Sunday for a huge family dinner. There were 16 of us that gathered around the table every week. The usual meal was pasta topped with my Grandmother's gravy. And what feast could be complete without a bowl of steaming hot meatballs and a loaf of Italian bread?

These days, we don't eat as many huge pasta Sunday dinners, but we sure know how to do it up (aka waaay over do it) for a holiday. To give you an idea, this past Thanksgiving we started with a ton of picky appetizer type foods, before we moved on to the traditional Italian antipasto (and by traditional I mean best to ever exist) and then indulged in the full turkey dinner. The real disgustingness occurred during dessert when we had 9 pies! After all of that eating, we did not have room for one of my most favorite holiday traditions: the stuffed artichoke. I don't know why we eat the artichokes last, but I know that for as long as I've been alive, that is just what we have done. So, like every year, no one could fit the artichokes at the end of the meal, so we all take them home and enjoy them the next day.

Usually, my Grandmother makes the artichokes but because she is getting a bit older and I am the world's best Granddaughter, I decided to make them this year. And, because I am so proud of myself and because they turned out peeerfect, I am going to be nice and share the awesome recipe with all of you! And, good news, these artichokes are a tasty treat that are good for you!

Start by rinsing the artichokes. Then, cut the bottoms (leave a little stem) and a bit of the tops off of the artichokes. They should look like this:

Next, combine breadcrumbs, evoo, parsley (dried) salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Mix ingredients together. (And, if you're really hardcore like Yola and I, you'll use your hands to mix). Your mixture should look like this (without the shadow of your iphone):

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Next, grab an artichoke and use your fingers to open it up a bit. Hold artichoke over bowl and grab a handful of breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the artichoke, ensuring that the breadcrumbs fill in the space between the leaves. Stuff all of your artichokes and put them in a pan. Make sure you pack the artichokes tightly into the pan, so that they are all standing up and not leaning. Fill the pan about halfway with water. At this point, your artichokes should look amazing like this:

Put the pan with the water and artichokes on the stove and cook until the leaves are tender and you can easily break them off. While the artichokes are cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. When the leaves on the artichoke are tender, remove the pan from the stove and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They should now look like this:

Note: you can serve your artichokes right away or keep them overnight. If you choose to keep them overnight, wait to bake them until before being served. If you like leftovers, they can also be heated up in the microwave.

Your mouth is probably watering by now looking at the pictures of my masterpieces (and if it isn't I don't know what is wrong with you). Now for the good news...these tasty little treats are good for you! Sure the huge bowl of breadcrumbs looks like trouble, but when you think about how many breadcrumbs end up in one artichoke, it's not much. I would estimate that in one artichoke, there is probably 1 tsp of evoo (1 WW pt) and 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs (2 WW pts). Combine that with the artichoke (1 WW pt) and you have a phenomenal 4 point meal.

Finally, I leave you with a warning and a secret.

Warning: These suckers are a HUGE hit. If you bring them somewhere, they will all get eaten and you will become known for them and then you'll always have to make them.

Secret: They are not that hard to make! You'll be famous for your artichokes and people will think you slaved for hours and hours to make the Italian tradition when you really didn't!

Just wait until I post pictures of my Grandmother's famous Christmas Cookies (15 types). Sorry though, you won't be getting those recipes...they are a secret (and also don't go with the whole healthygirl theme)!

Enjoying Sports Socially, Without Ending Up Looking Like A Linebacker

Being from Boston, naturally, I'm a sports fan. My Dad is a huge Celtics and Patriots fan. I grew up watching the great Boston sports teams and stuck with them through their "rough" patches (86 years of Red Sox pain. Last night's Patriots loss to the Colts...the list goes on). I worked at a bar next to Fenway Park for 6 years. My boyfriend, like many out there, rarely turns off ESPN and automatically looks for a sports game to put on whenever he turns the TV on. We have a fantasy football team so we must watch football all day on Sundays, and Monday nights, and sometimes Thursdays. (And by we, I mean HE has a fantasy team. I just pretend to have say so I can be cool and in the know).

To me, sports are more than just watching. I often associate sports with a eating or drinking or going out with friends to catch a game. None of which, are remotely helpful to losing weight. When I think of watching a baseball game, I think of drinking a nice cold beer on a summer day. I'm sure all you meat eaters out there are also thinking about hot dogs, and if you're a meat eater from Boston, you're probably dreaming about Fenway Franks. Football is probably the worst for me. Football reminds me of fatty appetizer type foods (think nachos, poppers, wings) and again, beer.

If I'm home watching a game, I am fine. I don't need a beer and I certainly won't be making those appetizers. No. Instead, I run into the most problems when I watch games in a social setting with friends, family or my boyfriend. So, how do you go out with others, watch sports, and resist all of the beer and fatty foods being put right in front of your face? How do you lose weight without letting diet control your whole life?

Here are some things to keep in mind:

The food:

Eat before you go. This one is for those who are lucky enough to have tickets to a sporting event. Eat before you go. There just are not healthy options from the concession stands and you know it! So, fill up before the big game and save money and calories. You don't need a fatty snack to be social and enjoy the game. No one is shoving it in your face. Just don't buy any and concentrate on your team.

Bring your own options. This one is for the house party. If you're headed to a friend's house to watch the big game, or hosting friends at your home, make sure you have a healthy option. You know there is likely to be a table full of tempting little treats. So, make sure that you add at least one option that won't pop the button on your pants. That way, you at least have a shot of sticking to your plan. You cannot use the excuse that you had no choice but to cheat because there weren't any healthy snacks. If you cheat, it's because you made the choice. (See below for some healthy snacking recipes).

The drink:

Beware the beer. If you are going to enjoy some adult beverages while watching sports, try to stick to light beer. It's not always reasonable to assume you are going to skip the beer all together. I've tried this before. Sometimes it works, other times, I am out at a bar or at a game or even someone's house and just want a beer. So, keep with the light beers and stick with bottles whenever possible. Think of the last time you were at a stadium or arena for a sports event and think of how full your draft beers were. Most places serve plastic bottles now. If you get bottles, you'll not only save from all that spilling, but won't have to deal with over-pours and extra calories in every cup. (And, there's talk that draft beer gives you nasty hangovers...)

Don't drunk eat. Let's say you go out to watch a game and end of enjoying more light beers than you had originally planned. Being a 25 year old fun loving girl who goes out a lot, this CAN (and will--Ooops!) happen. If you are like me, you might have a tendency to drunk eat. Don't. It's hard, but try to remember, it just isn't worth it. #1. Remember that whatever food you're going to shove in your drunk face, is still there in the morning. You won't be missing out on anything except extra calories if you pass. #2. You're drunk. If you're going to cheat, you should at least be sober so you can savor it! Just go home, go to bed and when you wake up, you'll be glad you didn't give in to your drunk voice telling you to eat a grilled cheese at 3 in the morning.

Don't sabotage yourself. Hangovers stink. There's not a single good thing about them. No one goes to bed thinking, "Gee, I hope I wake up tomorrow and my head is pounding, the room is spinning and I feel so nauseous, I could really throw up at any second). Though we can't totally control whether or not we are hungover, I've found that two asprin and a bottle of water to the face right before bed helps. And, if I'm still hurting in the morning, I swear by a bottle of Gatorade. If you cheated a bit the night before, you'll want to get in a good workout the next day so don't sabotage yourself by drinking so much you're sick.

And remember:

Work hard. Play hard. Here is where the balance comes in. It's ok to go out with friends and have fun and even splurge on some of those fatty appetizers and beers sometimes (just not all of the time). So, on days that I know I might run into some trouble, I work extra hard at the gym. And the next morning, I'm not disappointed or puzzled if the number on the scale hasn't exactly plummeted. Remain realistic.

The key is making sure to not fall of the wagon completely. Allow yourself a couple of bites of nachos, but don't go pounding the platter. And, if you cheat one day or one meal, don't just throw away the rest of your eating for that weekend or day. Enjoy your splurge. Don't obsess. Work extra hard at the gym and keep on track.

Now, here are some recipes and ideas for healthier options you can bring to a sports party at a friends house or serve up to your guests:

Veggies with hummus or another healthy dip. This is the easiest option by far. You don't need any cooking skills to chop up some fresh veggies and buy a container of hummus. You also don't need much time to prepare this one either. Sometimes, all we want to do while watching TV is snack, even when we aren't really hungry. Well, snack away on crunchy, fresh veggies. You can pop carrots, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, really any veggie you want into your mouth without feeling guilty. Just be careful with the dips. Hummus is an excellent dipping option. Trader Joes also has a delicious spicy black bean dip that is very low in calories and has no fat. If you want to make your own healthy dip, you can buy the dip packet and substitute fat-free sour cream to save calories and fat. Don't go eating creamy, fatty dips, like french onion dip, spinach artichoke dip etc. You'll ruin the nutritional value of your veggies. Here's a swap for a layered Mexican dip from Weight Watchers that's just as tasty as the original. Click here for it.

Portabello skins. Yes potato skins are yummy. No they aren't going to make you any skinnier. At all. Try swapping out the potato for a portabello mushroom cap. You can still stuff it with yummy goodness. I like stuffing mine with chopped broccoli and fat-free or low-fat cheddar. If I'm feeling Italian, I'll go with chopped tomatoes, fat free mozzarella and drizzle with a bit of evoo. Bake them and enjoy the gooey cheesiness without extra calories and fat. Oh and if you want bacon, try substituting turkey bacon--I'm told it's just as good on these skins.

Shrimp Cocktail. It's simple. Shrimp and cocktail sauce. Not too hard. You don't even have to cook anything if you buy cooked shrimp. Serve on a bed of lettuce and enjoy! (Tip: Buy a bag of frozen cooked shrimp from your local supermarket. They are very tasty and cheaper than buying from the seafood counter. Defrost and your friends won't know the difference).

Popper Swap. Check out this recipe for jalapeno poppers from Hungry Girl (I love her!). These are not only delicious, but nutritious. HG even proves it by showing the damage regular poppers can do to your diet. Click here to get see the comparison and get the recipe.

Chicken Wings. And for you meat eaters, here's a Weight Watchers recipe for buffalo wings that won't ruin your diet. I know a friend who has made these and she highly recommends them. Click here for the recipe.


Hopefully, I can follow my own advice tonight. I am headed to a Bruin's game. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Rainy Day Soup Review

Today is a cold, rainy, absolutely disgusting day. Rainy days don't exactly inspire people to get up and go to the gym. But, we can't let a little rain stop us on the way to achieving our goals. Though sitting on the couch all day watching TV seems like the best way to beat a rainy day, you will feel so much better after you get up and get your workout in.

One rainy day tradition that we can all enjoy is eating a bowl of delicious hot soup. Soup is one of my favorite meals in winter and can be a healthy way to fill up and stay warm when it's cold outside. But, not all soups are created equal. People often make the mistake of assuming soups are a healthy option, but in reality, many soups are full of fat, high in calories, and contain an obscene amount of sodium.

To avoid soups that aren't diet friendly, keep away from anything with the word "chowder" or "bisque." Cream based soups are also a quick way to pack in tons of fat and calories. So, no "cream of __FILL IN BLANK__. "

One challenge I face when finding a healthy soup is that most soups are made with a beef or chicken broth. I'm a vegetarian, so these don't really work for me. So, how did I find a soup that was vegetarian, low-in fat, calories and sodium? I tried lots and lots of options.

Canned Soups:
Progresso has a line of "0 point per serving" weight watchers soups. There is one vegetarian option. The Light "Italian-Style Vegetable" soup tastes pretty good, but is ridiculously high in sodium. In one can, there is 1640 mg of sodium. That is too much for me so I rarely eat Progresso. (Note: Out of the major players in the soup isle, Campbells, HealthyChoice etc., I do enjoy Progresso the most).

My favorite brand of canned soups is Health Valley. Usually, these soups are located in the health food section of your grocery store and are also available in stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I love these soups. They offer low-sodium options and a large variety of vegetarian options. My favorite is the "No-Salt Added Vegetable Barley." They also have delicious vegetarian chili options. For a full list of their soups, click here. If I had to pick a negative about these soups, I would say they are pricier than brands like Progresso.

Homemade Soups
Whenever possible, I make my own soup. There are so many benefits to making your own soup. If you make a big batch of soup on a Sunday night, you'll have lunch or dinner for the week. If you make your own soup, you can use low-sodium broth or even make your own broth. If you make your own soup, you can save money. And, if you make your own soup, you can customize and fill it with your favorite veggies and leave out what you don't like.

Sold yet? After you taste this recipe you will be!

Very Veggie Soup

Ingredients:
Veggie Broth (you can customize and use chicken or beef broth)
Carrots
Celery
Mushrooms
Garlic
Canned Tomatoes
Cabbage

Optional Add Ins:
Brown Rice
Beans
Chicken
Whole Wheat Pasta

Chop carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic into chunks. On stove, heat up large saucepot. Spray bottom of pot with Pam Spray. When pot is hot, add chopped carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Stir occasionally until vegetables become soft. While vegetables are cooking, chop and cabbage and tomatoes. After vegetables are soft, add broth to pot. (I like to use Trader Joe's Savory Vegetable Broth, which are packets added to water.)

After you add broth, put cabbage and tomatoes into the pot. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you choose, add any of the optional items: brown rice, beans, chicken, or whole wheat pasta.

This soup is 0 WW points. However, if you choose to add any of the additional items, the points value will increase. TIP: Don't add extras to the whole batch of soup. Make extra and add each time you have a serving. That way, you can measure out how much you are eating and have a more accurate idea of how many points you are eating.

Feel free to customize this soup to your tastes and preferences. If you don't like cabbage, try using escarole.

Here are some other favorites you can make at home:

Tuscan Pumpkin White Bean Soup (WW Recipe)

Broccoli Cheese Soup (WW Recipe)

Click here for three recipes for other 0 points soups

Rise and Shine: Breakfast

The most important meal of the day. Never ever skip breakfast. Sound familiar? Pretty much any fitness expert you talk to will stress how eating breakfast is a key factor in weight-loss, so I've decided to dedicate this post to our first meal of the day (that's you breakfast).

There are tons of reasons why eating breakfast is so important, (boosts your metabolism, gives you energy, keeps you on track for healthy eating all day) but you've probably heard them all before. So, here are two reasons that you may not have thought about:

1. If you are reading this blog, you, like me, probably are on a diet, which probably means...you like food! Why would you pass up a chance to eat food? It's not too good to be true people. There's no scam. You can and should eat this meal and it will help you lose weight. DON'T go off the deep end though. I'm not telling you to go out and eat some fatty greasy plate full of crap. (See below for some tasty, filling options.)

2. This one's a shocker, so prepare yourself. You should eat breakfast because... you're hungry! It's a pretty crazy concept, but, if you're hungry, you should eat. Cutting-edge, I know.

Here are some of my breakfast staples and their Weight Watchers points:

Egg whites with veggies and reduced-fat cheese (3 WW pts)
Whole wheat english muffin with reduced fat peanut butter (3 WW pts)
Fat-free vanilla yogurt with 1 cup of berries (2 WW pts)
1 cup "healthy" cereal -- my fav is Kashi Strawberry Fields (2 WW pts)

Recipe: Healthygirl French Toast (3 WW pts w/o syrup. 4 WW pts w syrup)

2 slices of light whole wheat bread
3 egg whites
cinnamon
splenda
fat free maple syrup (optional)

Combine egg whites, cinnamon and splenda in a bowl. Dip slices of bread into bowl. At the same time, heat up skillet or pan on stove and coat pan with Pam spray. Place slices of bread onto hot pan and brown. Enjoy your healthygirl french toast with syrup if desired. Eat. Feel satisfied and full. YUM!

Recipe: Healthygirl Egg Sandwich (4 WW pts)

1 whole wheat english muffin
2 egg whites
1 tbsp reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 tbsp whipped cream cheese
Franks Red Hot sauce

Toast english muffin. While toasting, cook egg whites one at a time in a hot pan. (Use Pam spray so that they egg whites don't stick). Put cheese on each egg white while cooking. Spread cream cheese on the english muffin. Sprinkle Franks Red Hot on top of the cream cheese. Put one egg white on each half of the english. Eat. Feel satisfied and full. YUM!

OK. I started writing this post while I was eating my breakfast this morning (kashi cereal). I've been writing so long, it's almost time for lunch! Maybe it would be a good time to actually do some work...being that I am at work and all. Ooops.