Perpetual Healthy Eating and Fitness Rant & Rave thread

[rocketgirl]

Sub out yellow squash for the pasta in a baked macaroni and cheese recipe.

[merigayle]

quinoa or pasta salad with lots of veggies and low fat dressing?

[cgraz]

quinoa or pasta salad with lots of veggies and low fat dressing?

That would be great - heavy on the veggies. Or some kind of healthy slaw, with a lighter dressing. Or a big green salad. Salad is great with anything at a BBQ.

And wishing you the strength to resist the fried chicken and waffle combo. *sigh*

[merigayle]

And tell us wht fried corn Is

I am gettin fatter by the minute, here is to hoping next week life gets back to normal.

[bensmom243]

Okay, I need side dish ideas. A friend of mine is having a Labor Day BBQ on Sunday evening and I need a side to bring. They're doing fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fried corn (WTF? You can *fry* corn??). Someone else is bringing waffles (yes, really), possibly a cheesy something veggie casserole, and mojitos.

I'd like to do something veggie-based, but still delicious, and I'm stumped. I have a great potato salad recipe, but don't want to do that because of the mashed potatoes.

Help!

How about the Broccoli Slaw salad with crunchy ramen noodles on top?  It is one of my favorite go to summer salad, it is so easy and so yummy. 

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package broccoli coleslaw mix
2 (3 ounce) packages chicken flavored ramen noodles
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Directions

In a large salad bowl, combine the slaw, broken noodles and green onions.
Whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and ramen seasoning packets. Pour over salad and toss to evenly coat. Refrigerate until chilled; top with peanuts and sunflower seeds before serving.


I use just one package of ramen and about 1/2 the suggested sugar, delicious every time!!

[teetime]

Red cabbage slaw with carrot ginger dressing.  The dressing can be really flavorful and really low fat without coming off as low fat ... in a food processor add a few roughly chopped carrots (4 large?), a knob of ginger roughly chopped, (I like very gingery but do to taste), 1/3c rice wine vinegar, if you have miso a T or so (if not salt or soy sauce is fine), a T of sesame oil, and another few T of light olive oil or other mild oil (grapeseed), process until smooth.  Google carrot ginger dressing for more exact proportions and variations but it's hard to mess up.

Also, with that menu, I bet a pretty veggie tray with a few homemade dips (hummus, etc.) would be welcomed.

[Bolloxd]

Meri, glad the refi is done!  Now hopefully you'll all be in top health very soon. 
Deb, I usually take a couscous salad type thing that is packed full of veggies and some feta.  It's fairly healthy and something I can make ahead of time.  Something like that might work for you?
MM, hoping work calms down for you soon. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my day off today.  Caught up on my missing sleep then DH went out to work and I spent the morning with the kids.  We went on a 1.5 mile trail 'run'...they love it so much, and so do I !!  Although I think I pulled my shoulder out of joint when Rachel slid and I tried to hold her up.  I got a 3 mile run in on the treadmill too, along with my push ups. 

It's gonna be a longer than usual work day tomorrow...hopefully my back can handle it.  Diablita, your tip on stretching hamstrings has really helped!!  I think I need different shoes though.

[diablita]

Red cabbage slaw with carrot ginger dressing.  The dressing can be really flavorful and really low fat without coming off as low fat ... in a food processor add a few roughly chopped carrots (4 large?), a knob of ginger roughly chopped, (I like very gingery but do to taste), 1/3c rice wine vinegar, if you have miso a T or so (if not salt or soy sauce is fine), a T of sesame oil, and another few T of light olive oil or other mild oil (grapeseed), process until smooth.  Google carrot ginger dressing for more exact proportions and variations but it's hard to mess up.

Also, with that menu, I bet a pretty veggie tray with a few homemade dips (hummus, etc.) would be welcomed.

This sounds delicious.  Do you shred the red cabbage in the food processor as well?

[Magic Microbe]

I like to bring an asparagus, green bean, cherry tomato, and feta salad to events.

[Ice Cream]

This sounds delicious. 

That is what I was thinking, too. Am going to try this.

[teetime]

I don't.  I don't think we have a shredding blade (at least not for the really kick ass old school processor we use most often) and I actually like longer but thinner strips than you get from the processor ... but with a good knife and a large cutting board it really doens't take much time.

Here is the recipe that I followed the first time I made it.  Since then I've modified to add more ginger and sugar only if the carrots aren't super sweet (usually they add plenty sweetness).  I also double the recipe and save half for salad dressing throughout the week.

http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com/recipes/red-cabbage-slaw-carrot-ginger-dressing/detail.htm

Oh, do follow the pre-salting step.  Comes out much more tender.  And it is great the next couple days after being made.

[VP of Tea]

Teetime, that looks awesome, thanks!

[diablita]

yes!

[debbatx]

Holy cow, all of those sound fabulous! I found a recipe for a green bean, tomato, onion...something else salad, too. I'll have to see what I'm in the mood for. Thanks, everyone!!

[cgraz]

I want to host or attend a BBQ just so I can bust out some of these ideas!

[bensmom243]

I like to bring an asparagus, green bean, cherry tomato, and feta salad to events.

That sounds great, do you have a special dressing that you use?

[Magic Microbe]

That sounds great, do you have a special dressing that you use?

Not really. I normally just mix up a balsamic dressing.

[Run Amok]

So, I just weighed myself nekid on my home scale, for the first time in a few weeks. Ironically, I am the exact weight I was when I met DH. I have lost 35 lbs.

Given the choice, I'd take fat & happy over skinny and miserable any day. But, if I have to be miserable, I might as well be skinny too, right?

I am staying at the house tonight. I am supposed to be packing. But, I'm stuck. I own not a stitch of clothing that fits so I might leave just about everything and start to rebuild my wardrobe a few pieces at a time. I purged about 1/2 my shoes though. 

[Run Amok]

P.S. I guess I shoulda done the wlc after all.

[debbatx]

RA,  I am not a stress dieter. I'm a stress eater. I'd have gained 50 with everything you're dealing with.

I'm restarting tomorrow. I have my goals typed up and ready to post on the fridge.