Vegetarian Stuffed Shells

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
9 oz fresh baby spinach
15 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground sea salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
14 1/2 oz canned Italian style stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
12 cooked jumbo shells

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sautee onion in olive oil until trnslucent. Add spinach in batches until wilted. Combine mixture with salt, pepper, italian seasoning and rocotta nad mix well. Cook 12 jumbo pasta shells according to package directions. Stuff shells with spinach/ricotta mixture . Puree italian style diced tomatoes, and sprad 1/2 cup of pureed tomatoes in 9×9 baking dish. Place stuffed shells in single layer in baking dish, and cover within remaning tomato puree and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins. or until shells are heated through and cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings (3 shells per person) at 7 WW pts. per serving

TRX Suspension Training

TRX Suspension training is a training system that, using suspension cables and your own body weight, allows you to increase muscle tone and flexibility while boosting your metabolism. It’s not anything I had ever even heard of before until I took a training session using it. Evidently it is the training system that Navy SEALS use. On a military ship there is very limited space, but they still have to train to stay in shape.

This workout was fun and challenging. My trainer remarked about how tight my muscles were at the start, despite having done cardio right before. By the end of a 40 minute session, I was more flexible and my muscles markedly looser. The next day, muscles I forgot I even had were tender, but in a good way. I feel amazing.

I have a serious leg issue, and told the trainer specifically that I CAN’T physically do conventional lunges, nor the type of abdominal exercises where you lay on your back and pull your knees into your chest. My left leg will not make that movement. Yes, I used the “c” word… and ate it! This system allowed me to do lunges, crunches, and more. Every exercise I specifically said I “CAN’T” do, I did! It was exhilarating!!!

I “can’t” wait to go back and do it again now. What’s even better is that, after researching, I discovered that the system is portable and is available to own. If you want to learn more, check out TRX Training. You can search their website to find certified instructors in your area if you want to give it a try.

Shrimp Scampi

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 medium finely sliced shallot
1/4 c. white wine
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch black pepper
10 oz cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp
6 oz uncooked whole wheat linguine

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, place olive oil and butter in 12″ skillet and heat on low heat until butter incorporates. Add garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add shrimp, lemon juice, white wine, salt and black pepper to taste, and simmer 5-10 mins until wine has mostly cooked off. Add cooked linguine to pan, combine thoroughly and serve immediately.

Makes 3 WW Servings at 9 pts. ea.

Garden Fresh Salsa

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
4 lg. ripe tomatoes diced
4 scallions sliced thin (including greens)
1 lg. clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 lime
1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 sm. minced pepperocini (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Thoroughly mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl, and squeeze juice from lime over the mixture. Add remaining ingredients and thoroughly combine. Refirgerate covered for 2 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.

Serves 4-6 at 0 WW pts. per serving

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with blue and yellow corn chips. Also makes a delicious bruschetta.

No Excuses!!

Right hip is normal, left shows severe hip dysplasia.

There is a lot I cannot do physically, but there is a lot I can do. I was born with a congenital hip. Thanks to perceptive and wonderful doctors who caught the problem immediately upon my birth, I have lived a pretty normal life up until a few years ago. I now have periodic “episodes” where the pain in my hip and lower back is so bad that I’ve been completely incapacitated for about a week, then transitioned from crutches, to one crutch, to being able to walk again over a period of weeks. Evidently, my case is so complicated that there isn’t a doctor yet who said they are willing to take me on – it’s far from a “routine” hip replacement. I won’t even get into the ugly shoes I’m stuck with due to the limitations of needing an external orthopaedic adjustment on ALL my shoes – ugh!

I recently had another episode…

“I’ve been gung-ho with my health, eating right and exercising, and now here we go… the beginning of the end,” I thought. I begrudgingly cancelled an appointment with the trainer at the gym, took a week off, and focused on paying attention to my body and continuing to eat right. The episode lasted less than a week, soup to nuts. That’s less than ¼ of the time I was down and out last time! I credit shedding a few pounds and exercising.   

Why am I telling you this? Because it is a miracle that I can walk, not to mention do exercise. If you have a sore lower extremity, you can lift arm weights. If you have a sore arm, you can walk or bike. Whatever your medical issue is, there exists something you can do to stay in shape. Consult with your doctor, then a fitness expert. Together they can help you find something that works for you.

Welcome to Happy Healthy Chick!

NEW **VEGGIE PEANUT CURRY** NUTRITARIAN RECIPE!

I developed this website/blog after spending my entire life on a quest for health and happiness (which go much more hand-in-hand than you might think). I thought this would be a great way to share what I’ve learned along the way with other people. I will share with you articles and tips on diet/nutrition, exercise/fitness, beauty, and motivation, as well as healthy recipes, favorite books and helpful online resources.

They key to everything is YOU! This is about YOU and ONLY YOU. You are the ONLY person who is responsible for your health and happiness. When you work on being healthy, you become happier and everything else falls into place. In Outwitting the Devil, Napoleon Hill states, “The first duty of every human is to himself. Every person owes himself the duty of finding how to live a full and happy life.” 

Oprah Winfrey took this one step further when she said, “you can’t take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself.” No truer words were ever spoken. We’ve been conditioned to think that taking care of self=selfish, nonsense! My husband will be the first one to attest, when I am eating healthy and exercising regularly I am a much happier person, therefore a much better wife and mother.

Read my Eat to Live diary as I followed Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live plan fr six weeks. Very exciting stuff!!!

Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp olive oil
12 oz. 97% lean ground turkey (3% fat)
1/3 c diced onion
1c fat free salsa
1/3 c brown Minute Rice
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 c mexican style shredded cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, in 10-12 inch skillet, sautee onion in olive oil until softened. Add ground turkey and cook until no pink remains. Drain off liquid. Add all remainine ingredients EXCEPT cheese. Simmer covered on low for 15 mins. Stir in cheese until well combined, the fill each pepper half with 1/4 of the mixture. Place stuffed peppers in 9″ square baker andcover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Let stand 1 minute before serving.

Serves 4 at 6 WW pts. ea.

NOTE: I love Pace Picante sauce in Medium in this recipe. However, it is considerably more liquid than traditional salsa. If you are using a Pace Picante or a similar more liquid salsa, decrese the water to 1/3 cup.

Chicken Sausage Jambalaya

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp olive oil
1 large chopped onion
1 medium chopped green pepper
2 stalks chopped celery
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. raw chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1⁄4-inch slices
1 1/2 c uncooked brown rice,
28 oz Peeled Whole Tomatoes, broken up
14 1/2 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7–8 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, 3 minutes longer. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, the broth, thyme, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6, 8 WW pts.

Breakfast Rice

INGREDIENTS:

2 c whole grain brown rice, cooked & cooled
4 oz. non-fat vanilla soymilk
2 tsp honey
1 medium chopped apple
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine rice with all other ingredients. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

 

Makes 4 servings – 6 WW pts.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium sliced carrots
2 stalks chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large chopped onion
1 head chopped fresh cauliflower
2 cubes vegetable bouillon
6 c water
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground sage

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sautee carrots, celery, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes on olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until cauliflower is soft and bouillon is dissolved. Transfer into blender in batches to liquify.

Makes (8) 1.5 cup servings at 2 WW points