Summer Time for Caffeine Junkies

Once upon a time I managed a coffee shop. In addition to gaining 20 lbs within a year of working there I developed a high tolerance to caffeine. I remember opening the shop at 4:30a and then driving home around 2p with 6 shots of espresso and some syrup in a cup. Right when I got home I'd take a nap to catch up on sleep.

I still love coffee but can barely put down a full cup of coffee without getting "the shakes." I usually switch my caffeine intake from coffee in the colder months, to iced tea in the summer. Most of the time I'll microwave a mug of water for 2 minutes and then add a tea bag. I let it steep for 5 minutes then pour it over ice in a big plastic cup (I've had too many glasses crack from the change in temperature). I like making it myself for a couple different reasons.

#1 It's cheaper than buying premade iced tea. I can buy a box of 16 Lipton tea bags for a dollar or if I want green tea I'm stuck on Zen green tea by Tazo brand at around $5 for 20 bags if you get it from Starbucks.

#2 I don't like how every iced tea you buy is pre-sweetened whether it be from sugar or artificial sweetener. I like my tea strong and not coated in sugar thank you!

#3 There are so many health benefits to drinking tea (especially green) They improve your immune system, reduce free radicals in your body and raises your metabolism.


To make 2 quarts of iced tea you will need
6 cups of water
8 black(or breakfast) tea bags
1/4 cup of sugar (optional)


Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil and then remove from heat. Add the tea bags and allow to steep for at least 5 minutes. You can leave them in longer, or use 2 more bags if you prefer a stronger tea. Remove tea bags. Add sugar if desired and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. This is something you can leave for a while if you're doing some house hold work or fixing a chicken marinade like I was earlier.


Pour tea into a 2 quart container and add either ice or cold water to the tea. Refrigerates well for about a week.


I found this cool container at the supermarket today and it reminded me of the type of thing my grandmother would keep milk in so it was easier to pour into her coffee. Obviously here's was only about 2 cups in volume. Enjoy those summer picnics!

Meatball drama

This first time I ever made meatballs on my own was for myself and my husband at the time. I put onions in the mix because that makes them delicious! I made up some pretty plates of spaghetti and meatballs and served it for dinner. My husband took a bite and spit it back out on the plate saying "I hate onions." He stormed off leaving this beautiful dinner. We are now divorced. I can't be with someone who won't eat good food.


Ingredients

1 1/4 lb of ground turkey
1 minced garlic clove
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
1/4 yellow bell pepper finely chopped(optional)
1 egg
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Grease a large baking sheet pan and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in a bowl.


Mix with hand till consistent.

Roll meat with hands forming 1" balls and place on baking pan 1" apart. Bake for 15-18 .

Serve with spaghetti or as an appetizer with hot sauce. Enjoy!

Pretty Salads help you say NO to dressing

Salads are the first things that people think of when they want to get healthy. They're packed with fresh ingredients that are good for our skin and digestion. Food is an experience of your senses; taste is obvious but we also get satisfaction through smelling the food as it cooks, it is also a visual experience. Taking the time to create a visually appealing presentation can add a little bit of excitement to our routines. Add some dried herbs to the top of your dinner plate before serving and experiment with different colors. Parsley springs and thin slices of lemon enhance your eating experience. Adding color to you salads is as easy as sliced tomatos topped with black pepper, oregano and a tiny bit of shredded cheese.

Your co-workers will be jealously eyeing your sensory experience while they add lbs to their waistline with their burgers and fries. While crafting your salad here's some things to keep in mind.

Here are some salad tips that will help keep your salads healthy

#1 - Skip the croutons The main ingredients are bread soaked in butter. 1/2 cup of croutons is the equivalent of an entire head of lettuce and serve less nutrition than any of the other vegetables you could potentially add. If you must have something crunchy/salty try adding pinenuts or almonds.

#2 - Skip the Dressing Salad dressings are generally two types cream based such as ranch or creamy Italian or Oil based such as vinaigrettes. Ranch will generally run you about 120 calories per 2 tablespoons and a vinaigrette will be about 80 calories per 2 tablespoons. The best alternative is using cracked red pepper with other herbs such as parsly and oregano and save yourself 200 calories! (come on...like you'd only use 2 tablespoons of salad dressing)

#3 - Never use iceberg lettuce This lettuce might be the most popular and versitile salad staple but it is also the base with the least amount of neutrients. Romane is a slighly better choice with a handfull more of vitamins than iceburg - better choices are baby spinach or mixed greens.

#4 - Grilled > Fried Who would have thought that greased soaked breading on your meats was unhealthy? Well it's an easy choice to make especially if you buy salads. Every restaurant I've been to has the choice of grilled vs. fried. Making this healthy choice will save you about 200 calories!!! That's the equivilent of a bar of chocolate (with a ton more fat). Better choices for protien would be 1 Hardboiled egg (70 calories), 2 Hardboiled egg with no yoke(30 calories), or a personal favorite chickpeas (46 calories, 2.4g of protien and 2.6g of dietary fiber per tablespoon)

#5 - What about cheese? My personal stand on cheese is all things are good in moderation. I love cheese and put it on my salads for a bit extra flavor. It's a better fat to add to a healthy dish than croutons or fried chicken. Use sparingly if at all. One oz is generally 100 calories. I'll use a hard cheese shredded small and use about 1/4-1/2 an oz. Thank god for food scales. It's acutally a lot more than you'd think when it's shedded up. Just don't mix parmesan and balsamic vinegar...it tastes aweful.

Measure Measure Measure - In closing use your best judgement and learn how much you are really eating by weighing your food first. If you want to throw chopped pepperoni and mozzerella cheese on your salad go right ahead but measure it first and figure out how many calories you can afford to cut out. Pepperoni is about 140 calories per oz but lets face facts...if you're torn between making/ordering pizza and throwing the same ingredients in a salad you're better off picking the salad.

Eat what you like - I've heard so many times "I don't like vegetables" I would like to call B S. You just haven't had ones that you like. Be adventurous and don't be afraid to ask at restaurants "What is this green thing?" I discovered a love for capers after having them in a pasta dish at a restaurant...before that in my naivity I believed that capers where small fish.

There are so many flavors out there to experience beyond the deep fried world. Just give them a try you might find something that you love.

30 Minute Breaded Tilapia

Start with vacume sealed tilapia filets thawed or use fresh filets. I buy the big bags of individual fish because it stays well in the freezer for a long time. I like to weigh my meat before cooking. This filet was 2.8oz and about 65 calories for the filet.



Mix equal parts of the mayo and dijon mustard (1 teaspoon each per filet) and mix bread crumbs and herbs on a cutting board or shallow dish. Coat each side of tilapia in mustard sauce and dip in bread crumb mixture.



Place in greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, fish will flake easily with a fork when it is done.



About 200 calories per filet. Enjoy!