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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Daylight Savings Time

For a literal person like myself, there is a difference between CST and CDT, especially since I work and know people who live in states that do not acknowledge daylight savings. During the summer, when you're setting up a meeting with me, use the appropriate initials: PDT (Pacific Daylight Savings Time), MDT (Mountain Daylight Savings Time), CDT (Central Daylight Savings Time), and EDT (Eastern Daylight Savings Time). During the winter, we're back to standard time which would be PST, MST, CST, and EST respectively. It's amazing how many people don't get this simple difference, but it is an hour and some states (like Arizona) stay on standard time all year. That's my rant for the day.
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Monday, May 09, 2011

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Recipe: Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

This recipe is from the American Heart Association (originally in their 4th edition low-fat, low-cholesterol cookbook).  I received it at a conference where they were a vendor.

Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp dried basil, crumbled
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
- 1 14.5 oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 9 oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (I used canned artichoke hearts)
- 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions
1.  Discard all visible fat from the chicken.  Sprinkle both sides with the basil and oregano.  Put the chicken in a 3.5-4 quart slow cooker.
2.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Cook, covered, on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Nutrition (per serving, serves 8)
- Calories:  162
- Total Fat:  2.5 g
   Saturated:  0.5 g
   Trans:  0.0 g
   Poly:  0.5 g
   Mono:  1.0 g
- Cholesterol:  65 mg
- Sodium:  334 mg
- Carbohydrates:  6 g
   Fiber:  4 g
   Sugar:  2 g
- Protein:  28 g

Dietary Exchanges:  1 Vegetable, 3 Very Lean Meat

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Avoid Boredom Eating

How can you avoid boredom eating?  Here are a few thoughts and ideas that may be able to help.

1.  What do you like to do?  For me, I missed reading books, so if I pick up a book to read, I will not eat out of boredom.  Maybe someday I'll get an iPadKindle, or Nook.  The Kindle that has free 3G looks rather impressive (hint hint to those who love me)!!!  I'm blogging again too!
2.  Tackle that "to do" list.  Not only does it make you feel accomplished, but things actually get done!
3.  Get out of the house!  Try something new or go somewhere you have never been to.

Any other ideas?

Monday, May 02, 2011

From the iPod: Right Round by Flo Rida

One of my favorite running songs for the trails down at Town Lake (aka Lady Bird Lake)!  What are your favorite workout songs?

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Recipe: Balsamic Chicken Pasta

I'm not sure where I first got this recipe, but I've made it my own over the years and get rave reviews whenever I make it.  I love having this recipe during the summer with vegetables from the garden.

Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Chicken
- Fresh vegetables (typically I use garlic, broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, and green onions)
- Basil and/or oregano
- Pasta (I recommend Great Value Whole Wheat Pasta because it only has one ingredient - durum whole wheat flour.  I find mine at Walmart.)
- Feta cheese
- Fresh tomatoes (cherry tomatoes cut in half work great!)

Steps
1.  Cook chicken and garlic in a little bit of olive oil on stove.
2.  At the same time that the chicken is cooking, cut fresh vegetables (broccoli, yellow squash, and zucchini), and add to cooked chicken and garlic (or if you choose to remove the chicken, just add to pan).  Also, have the pasta cooking at the same time.
3.  When vegetables, chicken, and pasta are cooked, combine and toss in balsamic vinegar (if you choose to, you can add a little more olive oil at this time).  Add basil/oregano, green onions, fresh chopped tomatoes, and a bit of feta cheese.
4.  Eat cold or warm.  Typically I eat it warm on the first day and cold on the others.

Sunday Football! The NFL Draft...

I am a HUGE football fan, and even though I live in Texas, I mainly follow the NFL rather than college (but I do cheer for my Spartans and Longhorns!).  Since I grew up in New England, I am a die-hard Patriots fan.  I also cheer for the Giants because I had the opportunity to be on the field with them one summer while they practiced at the school I went to, but I follow, live, and breathe the Patriots, so of course I was watching the draft closely, praying that they select a quarterback that could be molded for when Tom Brady retires.  Let's face facts, Brady's getting older and he's been suffering from more injuries.  He still impresses me, though.  Ryan Mallett is a great choice for the Patriots, and I hope Brady molds Mallett sort of like how Bledsoe mentored Brady.  Although in this case, Brady's not going anywhere unlike Bledsoe at the time.  Other areas of need were definitely offensive linemen and running backs, in which we scored two of each.  Here's to hoping each follows through on all the hype!

(Is it weird that I'm such a Tom Brady fan, but I cheer for the Spartans?  And don't get me started on when the Patriots played the Giants in the SuperBowl!)