Eat Smarter--Healthy Tips & Mini Recipes!

Before I get into my post, I want to say a big thanks to you guys for leaving such great comments. I love that we can relate to each other and I really appreciate your feedback! I must apologize for not commenting back. Though I have good intentions and start to reply while I'm at work, I never get to finish. And POOF! Another week has gone by! Please know you are appreciated =) Thanks! NO FOOLING TODAY!

Now, on to the eats! Healthy eats, that is...

Does anyone else hate deciding what to make for dinner? With so many food delivery options, eating poorly at home is easier than ever! We used to have to drive-thru to get junky fast food and pizza delivery was bad enough. Now they are all available with to-your-door service! Being the Lazy Housewife, I am sorely tempted to call once in a while, but I have resisted. My sons, on the other hand, love this service. Ugh.

And at the end of the week when there's no food in the house, the temptation is even greater to order in or eat out. What's a woman who's trying to eat healthier to do??

Well, here are some suggestions that I am trying to follow. (with some help from PREVENTION magazine, plus my own tidbits)

• Healthy Staples -- keep these on hand for quick meals and snacks:
• Frozen Fruits and Veggies - the first is great for making smoothies or replacing jelly and veg easily liven up pasta or rice (Tara's One Step Further - when fresh berries or bananas are on the verge of turning, cut and bag them up and toss them in the freezer! same for leftover veggies)
• Quick Cook Grains - quinoa was suggested, but I love having oatmeal on hand - it's great with fruit or in meatloaf
• Pass the Beans - great source of protein to substitute for meat, and you know they're good for your heart (haha) (Tara's One Step Further - refried beans are perfect for tortillas or make a great dip all on their own)
• Rotisserie Chicken - this is great fast food, one of my hub's favorites and they suggest turning leftovers into chicken salad which he is a pro at!
• Healthy Substitutes -- when you're shopping, consider these:
• Better Bread - whole grain is better for digestion with fiber, plus most have more protein, we found one the whole family likes and won't turn back to plain white bread!
• Don't Deli Deli - deli meat has a lot of sodium. Can tuna is leaner (Tara's One Step Further - can chicken is a great go to with lower sodium than my tuna! perfect for recipes, chicken salad, and tossed salads **Super easy RECIPE: Rainbow pepper salad - chop red, yellow, and green peppers and toss with a can of chicken** that's it!)
• Change up your Chips - if you need the salty crunch of chips, reach for tortilla chips made with beans (Tara's One Step Further - I've been munching on Tarot veggie chips lately, they have the taste and crunch to satisfy that craving!)
• Healthy Superfoods (bonus mini recipes!)-- for a boost after a long, dry winter!

• Mashed carrots with honey and cinnamon for a healthy, moisturizing glow (Tara's One Step Further - I've been snacking on baby carrots all winter, a great year-round veg!)
• Sweet potato pancakes - mix mashed with 2 eggs and cinnamon - rich in vitamin A to soften the sting of dry eyes. And I love sweet potato recipes. I'll be trying this soon!
• Oranges for de-stressing - Another favorite of mine to toss in my lunch bag, love those Clementine "Cuties!"

I think that's enough jam-packed healthy info for now! More fun tips and things to try next time!

Easy Bachelor Friendly Meals #Recipes

My son, Caleb ( Boy #1)  is a smart, handsome, eligible bachelor (no, I am not trying to fix him up, however, if there are any nice girls out there around age 24...) Anyhow, Caleb was spending far too much eating out and while he may not worry about his budget, I do worry about his heart plugging up from all the Chinese take out.

I sent him the Really Real Housewives recipe for pico de gallo, which he found was as easy and delicious as the post claims. He only had one complaint: that he wasn't a housewife and thought we should make a blog for young, cool bachelors who prefer to cook with speed dial more than kitchen utensils.

So, here are some easy fixings for lazy days or lazy young bachelors.

Brunch: 
Eggs are now diet friendly. I've always been an egg fan. Fried, scrambled, hard boiled...any way you cook them, they're a cheap, tasty source of vitamins and protein.

To make the plate more interesting...add zesty potatoes.

These ones were made with Tator Tots (or their generic version, the Tator Puff) To make a healthier version, dice whole potatoes, cleaned with skins on.

Tator Tot version: Sprinkle tots with cayenne pepper and garlic salt and bake as directed.
Potato version: Dice a potato and put it in a bowl. Add a tsp. of canola oil (or olive oil), a tsp each of garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Mix and bake in oven until crispy.

Lunch or Dinner:

Easy Fajitas. 

 Using the pico de gallo  idea. I added a packet of dry taco seasoning to strips of beef like a rub. I allowed the mix to absorb into the meat, then added the peppers and onion.

I prepped the mix on aluminum foil, so I could make the foil into a cooking pouch by crimping the edges. (I always place the aluminum pouch on a cookie sheet, because it often leaks juice.)

The result? A fajita mix you could eat over rice or wrap in a tortilla. We wrapped these in low-carb tortillas and made enough to have plenty left over for lunches and snacks.

Snack Time:

And lastly, a quick, healthy snack. When my boys were little, they loved "ants on a log". They still enjoy this sweet, crunchy snack. 

Add peanut butter and raisins to a stalk of celery. It's that easy!

Clean and store the celery in a bowl lined with a 

napkin or paper towel to keep them fresher longer. 

Easy Lo-Cal #Latte #Recipes!

I love pumpkin season, aka FALL!

I also love a good pumpkin spice latte. But I don't like the price or the calories or the waiting in line... So if you agree, save your time and money and try one of these lower calorie, easy to make...

FALL LATTE RECIPES!

Pumpkin Spice Latte
Fill cup 2/3 full of coffee
Add milk and sugar to taste
Stir in 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Top with whip cream and a dash of spice

Easier still, use pumpkin spice creamer

Apple Cinnamon Latte
Fill cup 2/3 full of coffee
Add equal amounts of milk and apple cider
Add sugar to taste
Top with whip cream and a dash of cinnamon

Candy Corn Latte
Fill cup 2/3 full of coffee
Add milk to taste
Stir in 1/4 tsp sugar
Stir in 1/4 tsp vanilla
Top with whip cream and a splatter of vanilla

Notice what ingredient is in each of these (besides coffee & milk): a spritz of whip cream. Whip cream is awesome for sweetness on a diet--it's low calorie, low carb, and adds loads of fun and flavor!

And just for fun, I tried another experiment and video taped it for you! Check it out =)

Happy, cozy, Fall sipping!

And don't forget to enter the contest for the words of wisdom!

What's for Dinner? #Recipes!

Food blogger, Jo Wake, sent me a pico de gallo baked chicken recipe that she promised would be easy enough even for me. Add the extra benefit of it also being smothered in cheese, and this was a recipe I put on the top of my try-it menu. 

From Jo: 

1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I used a whole bag of frozen breasts)
2 tsp taco seasoning (I used the whole packet)
2 cups pico de gallo
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used mozzarella, because it's what I had)

Season the chicken with the seasoning, place in a large baking pan, (I allowed the seasoning to soak in and "marinate") top with pico de gallo (I left it as a garnish to please my picky eaters) , and cheese (I added the cheese after the chicken baked so it stayed gooey) and bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes (I did 45-60 minutes...some of my breasts were pretty thick.)

Now, for the recipe in real life, the Elizabeth Seckman variety of life where cutting corners and spending as little time in the kitchen is always the goal.

First things first. I needed a pico de gallo recipe. I didn't have any in the house and driving to the grocery store was more work than plucking tomatoes out of the garden. During my quest for a recipe, I found this interesting little tidbit...

Did you know pico de gallo translates to rooster beak? Some say it's for the color. Others because it's not a sauce so much as a garnish that can be eaten with your fingers, primarily the forefinger and the thumb, which resembles a rooster's beak.  

Anyhooo, 

The garnish was easy. 

The online recipe 5 roma tomatoes, 1/2 cup onion, 1 jalepeno (seeded and chopped), 1/2 cup cilantro, salt to taste, cumin or sometimes lime juice

I didn't have roma tomatoes, so I used regular tomatoes from the garden, diced small. And chopped red onion. I also didn't have any jalepenos. I worried the garnish would be bland without the jalepeno, so to flavor it up, I added a quarter cup of the baked chicken juice and a bit of garlic salt.

Now, for the chicken. 

This was super easy. Just like Jo promised. (I apologize for the bad pictures!)

I laid out the chicken breast in the pan and covered it with the taco seasoning.

Once the seasoning soaked in a bit. I covered and baked, like the recipe said.

I let the seasoning get gooey and soaked in before baking.

To go along with the chicken. I made a package of seasoned rice. Also, super easy. Just mix with water, stick in the rice steamer, and dinner is almost finished!

The finished product... 

Delicious! 

Once the chicken was done. I sprinkled it with cheese, popped it back into the oven for a few minutes, then served after garnishing with the pico de gallo.

The picture doesn't do it justice...this was a quick, tasty meal. It got the highest thumb's up from my guys- a request for seconds!

Lower the Carbs in Mashed Potatoes

To use in mashed potatoes, I peeled the thicker skinned squash, but the smaller,
thinner skinned ones, I simply removed the seeds and cut into cubes. 

My little garden must be the perfect soil for squash because we are being overrun with the veggie.* The basket of squash above was one afternoon's bounty. There is that much more every day.

I've added it to soups and fried it, but still there is more and more coming.

Soo, when I peeled potatoes the other night for mashed potatoes for dinner, I chopped up a couple of squash (removing the seeds!) and threw them in the pot. I cooked them together in salted water until both were tender, then drained and mashed them.

Since the squash must have a higher moisture content, I didn't add any milk. I did add my regular amount of butter for flavor.

No complaint potatoes with less carbs!

Boom. Skinnier mashed potatoes. They tasted great. My picky potato connoisseurs couldn't tell the difference. There was also the added bonus of the yellow veggie giving the potatoes a very buttery look thus fooling my husband into thinking I added extra butter, which stopped him from adding his usual extra dollop of butter. Another win!

*I know that squash is botanically a fruit, but my philosophy that if it it isn't in a fruit salad and tastes best with butter, it's a veggie!

Smoothies and snacks!

You know if I’m talking about food, it’s got to be easy to make.

As I’m counting my calories, I have to make easy to grab-and-go snacks. For me, fruits and veg are free. This encourages me to eat better too.

So here’s my process:

1. Buy a bunch of produce that’s good raw: berries, kiwi, grapes, cherries, oranges, apples, melons, bananas, celery, mini peppers, broccoli, carrots, etc
2. Each day, I pick one or two and cut them up then put them in snack-size baggies. Don’t cut it all at once! They will go bad faster. And I suggest doing rasp-/black-berries first, since they go bad quickest.
3. These snack size sacks also encourage my boys to eat more fruits and veg! When they open the fridge looking for something to eat and see the ready to eat baggies, they grab-and-go. And they can tell me they had something healthy, since I do nag them about that...

   

   yes, eating while I write!

4. Now these snack sacks aren’t just for plain snacking. You can eat them so many ways!
• with dips - veg goes with lots of dips or just some light ranch dressing
• in eggs - those mini peppers are awesome in scrambled eggs esp with some cheese, if you haven’t tried it, you should! salsa works too.
• with peanut butter - skip the jelly, use berries, apples, or bananas for sandwiches; and my boys love celery with some pb
• nutella nom noms - I spread this sinful goodness on waffles with any fruit
• in parfaits - any fruit makes the perfect parfait mixed with yogurt and any topping you like, from granola to crushed cereal to cookie crumbs
• with whip cream - whip cream is one of the best things on a diet, low cal and no carbs = no guilt!
• SMOOTHIES - cool off this summer with a fresh fruit smoothie. Take a few of the fruit baggies - and cut up bananas, especially just before they go bad - and toss them in the freezer. When they’re ready, here’s my recipe for awesome, low-cal smoothies:

Sweet Summer Smoothies:

• 2-3 baggies of frozen fruit
• 1 cup lite yogurt
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup lite juice

You can use some ice if you can't wait for fruit to freeze and use fresh. (a little tasty tongue twister!)

Smooth it up!

Happy Healthy Eating!

PS - even with all the travel days, I'm down 5 pounds. Hope this trend continues cause the travel ain't over!

Weight for It...

A couple of months ago, I mentioned I wanted to lose weight. I wanted to "obsess smarter" and make healthy changes that would lead to lasting results. Tara was like-minded, so we decided we'd make our goals public and band together to get smart about out weight and our health. Tara checked in last week with her update and some great tips, now it's my turn! 

Since we started, I've lost 6 pounds. That's not exactly an impressive amount of weight to lose in two months, but as a friend said, it's 6 pounds down, not up. So that's a good thing!

After that post, I got wonderful feedback from you guys. Some great ideas I wanted to share.

Sandy suggested buying ready-made rotisserie baked chickens from the grocery store deli for quick snack and meal fixes. My son loved this idea. Ever since I told him, he's been bringing home chickens for himself. Tasty, healthy...total win.

One of my favorite snacks to make with the chicken comes from my sister who told me to use a lettuce leaf as a wrap. Fill the inside with chicken and a bit of low-fat cheese, roll, and eat.

Another quick and tasty recipe, also from Sandy, is chocolate oatmeal. When boiling the cook and serve oats, add a little cocoa powder. This is actually tasty, even without adding sugar, but a bit added wouldn't hurt...unless you want to lose more than a few pounds a month. LOL

Fellow blogger, Jo Wake, was kind enough to share a healthy recipe with us. Jo  posts tasty recipes and life anecdotes on her blog, which you can read here.

Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowl

Do not cook broccoli too soon, difficult to reheat

3 cups small broccoli florets

1 (8.8-ounce) pouch precooked brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's) I cooked 1/2 cup basmati up for both of us

1 Tbs olive oil

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3 oz light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light), cut into 1-inch pieces, I used a regular cheese which was spicy.

2 Tbs sliced almonds, toasted

1. Steam broccoli 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

2. Heat rice according to directions.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add onions and cheese, stirring until cheese begins to melt. Stir in rice; fold in broccoli. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with almonds.

Servings: 3

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/3 of a recipe (1 ounces).

Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 4 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 79.89

Calories From Fat (82%) 65.5

% Daily Value

Total Fat 7.58g 12%

Saturated Fat 0.85g 4%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 159.6mg 7%

Potassium 91.14mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 2.45g <1%

Fiber 1.16g 5%

Sugar 0.67g

Protein 1.59g 3%

Source

Source: Cooking Light

Graduation

My baby, boy #4 Conner, graduated from high school on Thursday. A storm moved the ceremony indoors, so it was miserably hot and a bit crowded. It was a moment I'll remember as fondly as the day he was born, which I'm pretty sure was only a few months ago. 

I've decided there is some sort of hiccup in the time continuum. Perhaps time is shaped like a bell curve. The whole growing up and becoming an adult portion of life seems to take forever. Once you reach that top, it sets off a free fall of days. 

I don't have any scientific research to back up my claim, but 9 out of 10 moms agree with me, so it has to be a truth. 

Conner Adam Seckman

To celebrate, we had Conner's graduation party this Saturday. Nothing fancy, just a backyard BBQ. I was tired of the usual potato salad and pasta salad, so I made mozzarella potatoes. They turned out good enough for Mr. Seckman to hide himself a bowl in the fridge for an after-party snack. 

These were super easy, of course, because you all know I only do easy!

Mozzarella Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 bags frozen, shredded hash browns

16 oz. shredded mozzarella

2 large cans of cream of chicken soup

8 ounces sour cream

2 sticks of butter

2 tsp. onion powder

Preheat oven at 350 degrees
Pour the hash browns into a large baking pan (I used a large disposable roasting pan)
Slice butter on top of the hash browns and stick in the oven to melt butter
Mix together the soup, cheese, sour cream, and onion powder
Stir the cheesy mix into the potatoes
Bake for about an hour or until bubbly and a crispy crust forms on top

*This is the crowd-sized version of this recipe. To make a smaller batch, simply cut the recipe in half.

Welcome 2018!

It's time to welcome in another new year!!

Tara and I are doing that by revamping the Really Real Housewives blog. We're changing things up and planning some extra fun and surprises, so stay tuned!

Since we're both busy writing books and raising boys, we're always trying to find the quickest and easiest ways to get the house stuff done, And we'll be sharing those cheats and maybe a few rants and whines here. Here's to 2018 being a year of blessings!

Now, for the official post:

                                                18 quick and easy tips for 2018

1. Got a leather purse that is losing its luster? Clean it with leather furniture wipes. You can buy them in the cleaning aisle of the grocery store.

2. Ink stain on your shirt? Spray it down with hair spray and wash in cold water.

3. Accidentally throw a red sock in the white wash and have a lot of pink clothes? Rewash in cold water adding a bottle of hairspray to the wash (empty a pump bottle, not an aerosol can...to save time  and the ozone layer ;)

4. A dash of vinegar in your pancake batter will make super fluffy pancakes without changing the flavor.

5. Tired of frying bacon? Bake it. Lay it out on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven on about 350 degrees. Turn every 8-10 minutes until desired crispiness.

6. Dirty, stinky microwave? Heat up a cup of lemon water. Wipe down immediately. The steam from the water will loosen the crusty stuff and help eliminate odors.

7. Smelly hands after cutting onions and such? Wash hands in salty water or shake some salt on your hands and use it like a scrub.

8. Plastic drinking bottles smelling a little funky? Fill with water, vinegar, and salt...allow to sit over night then rinse.

9. Hard water building up in your tea kettle or coffee pot? Add a few ice cubes and salt, swirl around the bottom a bit then wash.

10. If you ever leave the men home alone for a few days and return to a kitchen with what appears to be dried up pancake batter on the counter tops...wet a paper towel and lay it over the spot. Allow to soften, wipe, and toss. Works well on upchucked fur balls too.

11. Tis the season for snow on the windshield. I drive a van and I'm also short, so reaching across the whole thing can be a pain, so my broom is the perfect snow removal tool.

12. Need a quick and easy heat pack? Make a pouch for rice out of a washcloth or a sock and secure with a rubber band. Throw it in a the microwave for 30 seconds and you now have a heat pack.

13. Food, blood, or grass stains on clothes? Pre-treat with dish detergent. Just squeeze a little on the spot and scrub it in and then wash.

14. To best get pre-treater or soap into the fabric, keep a hand held scrubber near the wash. Give stains a little scrub before washing and the stains come out easier.

15. Is your stain still there after a wash? Don't throw it in the dryer! Treat it again and toss back in the wash.

16. Winter static on your clothes? Rub them with a dryer sheet.

17. Getting static from your hairbrush? Hit it with a spritz of hairspray and the problem is solved.

18. I saved the best for last....a quick and easy recipe!

Pan Cookies

Grab a premade cookie mix. Follow the instructions, all but the butter...where it says to soften and add butter...melt the butter before adding it. This will make the batter a little moister. Pour it into a cake pan and spread it out. Bake for 15-20 minutes and you have a batch of pan cookies.

Cut, serve, and enjoy without any fuss.

Souper Easy

I love Italian wedding soup, you know the spinach-loaded soup with meatballs and tiny bits of pasta? Delicious. I especially love it when I can get it from an Italian restaurant, because to make it at home can be a lot of work. The meatballs alone can take an hour, not to mention chopping the onions and garlic for the broth.

But I have an easy cheat for a soup that is very much like Italian wedding soup. Maybe we could call this cheater version American Live-Together-Avoid-the-Hassle soup.

At the grocery store, grab the following:

Add the whole bag of spinach to a pot with enough water to cover all the leaves. Add a packet of the onion soup. Mix then cook on low on the stove top.

Bake the meatballs in the oven on a cookie sheet and set aside.

Once the spinach is softened, probably about an hour, add a half cup of the orzo. Boil for approximately 10 minutes or until it is softened.

Once the orzo is softened, add the cooked meatballs and serve.

So easy and delicious.

Pair that with Ashley's Boozy Beer Bread and you have a dinner your family will think you broke a sweat over, but only took minutes to prep.

Key Lime Pie, Cheesecakes, & Cupcakes - A Love Story

Today, I'm saying to heck and hades with my diet. I've been craving key lime like nobody's business. When my cravings get this serious, it's time for me to cave (if only to prevent any potential homicides, I swear.).

And when I want key lime, the hardest decision to make is key lime pie vs key lime cheesecake. And then, do I make a whole pie? I really don't need to eat the whole thing. And I totally will. So enter my favorite solution to my favorite craving:

KEY LIME CHEESY CUPCAKES!

We love key lime pie so much we
had it for our wedding cake :-)

These bad boys have been a hit every time I've made them, AND it gives me an excuse to keep just a few for myself and get the rest of them out of my greedy, grubby hands.

---------------------------------------------------
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

1 muffin pan (with 12 cupcake liners)

1 box vanilla wafers

2 limes

2 8oz packages philly cream cheese(softened)

3/4 Cups granulated sugar

1 8oz tub cool whip

1 can Reddi-whip

• Prep the muffin pan by placing 1 liner in each muffin cup and then add 1 vanilla wafer to the bottom. Set aside.
• Squeeze the juice from 1 lime
• Mix softened cream cheese, sugar and fresh lime together w/hand mixer on low, until well blended. Taste the mixture to determine if there is enough lime flavor to your liking. If you desire a stronger lime flavor, add more fresh lime juice 1 tsp at a time.
• Gently with a cake spatula fold in the 8oz tub of cool whip until all mixed in.
• Fill the lined muffin cups to the top with the mixture, then refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Serve chilled with a dollop of reddi-whip and garnish with a thin slice of lime curled on top (optional).

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Now go forth and make cupcakes! And send me pictures so I can drool over them :-)

Addicting, Soft Gingersnaps!

Are you craving that wonderful cinnamon scent that makes your home smell like a gingerbread house this season? Look no further. These gingersnap cookies are my very favorite treat this time of year.

Now I'm not a hard cookie fan, and gingersnaps tend to be...well...hard. So, the good news? These are SOFT! And so delicious. And addicting. Like seriously, I can't eat just one. My kids love them too and love to help me roll the dough into balls and into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Perfect Christmas cookies to give neighbors or to eat yourself. Trust me. Your house and your family will love you forever if you make these.

The Best Gingersnap Cookies Ever

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir together. Place the butter into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add the white sugar. Beat in the egg and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Break off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie/baking sheet.

Bake until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. (I check on them before the full ten minutes and if they are slightly cracked, I take them out.) Let cool.

Enjoy! And don't blame me if the whole batch gets eaten before you can give them away to neighbors.

Chantele Sedgwick is a YA author, harpist, wife to one and mom to four. She loves fairy tales, happy endings, Kit Kats and (judging by her bookshelves), buying way too many books. She lives in Utah with her family and can usually be found reading, or talking her husband’s ear off with her endless supply of book ideas. She’s the author of Not Your Average Fairy Tale, Not Your Average Happy Ending, Love, Lucas, Switching Gears (Feb 2017) and Interlude (2018).