Tuesday, April 29, 2014

BREAKING NEWS

It seems like news breaks at the most inconvenient times. Whether you are halfway down the stairs of a bus (Which is where I found myself when Elizabeth Smart was found) or on your way out the door to something "important." The newscaster interrupts the typical programming and says, 'Listen to this it will make everything else in your life menial. Those other "important" things no longer matter.'

As with Breaking News - this discovery is also at an inconvenient time. But it is so BIG that these other things can wait. Rather than cleaning, organizing, packing, and doing all other things associated with moving/long trip preparations I am here sharing a few of my new favorite discoveries from my health journey.

"Why is this so important?" , you ask. I just had the most wonderful lunch. Zoodles (which I am newly addicted to) and Cauliflower Alfredo.

First let me explain zoodles and why I love them. For years people have been using Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta, but a new age has come and people are spiral cutting and julienning all kinds of fruits and vegetables for use in low carb diets. Zucchini is probably the most common (Hence the ZZZZoodle). Despite all the Z's I just typed zoodles are not something to sleep on. If you love pasta as much as I do (which is probably not possible) you should try this out! I tried my first zoodles yesterday and couldn't wait to have them again today for lunch. One small zucchini is only 23 calories opposed to the 100+ in a small serving of pasta. Plus- it's a vegetable, who isn't looking for a way to add more vegetables into their diet?

As for the Cauliflower Alfredo - even Mr. Sam said that it was good and couldn't even guess what it was made of. If he put his stamp of approval on something low cal and healthy then you know it's good.

Recipe I used for a guide found on Tastefully Crafted - obviously I did things a little differently because I didn't use pasta and I also only used about 3 cups of water and since I don't keep Italian seasoning on hand I used about 1 Tbs of Basil and 2 tsp of Oregano. With some sautéed zoodles and a chicken breast it made for a healthy, filling lunch. And the sauce is so creamy I could eat it all day!

I loved this so much that I haven't even cleaning it up yet - it is still warm on the stove while I write this. Hence the Breaking News.

Other happy discoveries on my healthy journey this last month have been:
-Oatmeal with blueberries (frozen) with a little brown sugar and if I have toast I make it whole wheat and substitute coconut oil for butter (I don't even notice the difference!). I have this almost everyday!
-My whole life my parents have enjoyed cottage cheese on salad and I thought it was the most disgusting thing I had ever heard of. Recently I tried it instead of ranch for a healthy fat and added protein and it was great! Just add some salt and pepper, or my favorite Salad Supreme, right on top and it is delicious.

I hope you enjoy these tips or try out zoodles. They are great! And this sauce is seriously creamy. I was actually very surprised that it was so good. And now I end this breaking news to clean my fridge and scrub my floors...fun.

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