‘Jillian Michaels’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Green Beans with Crumbled Feta Cheese

April 24, 2013 · Narrative

When I’m looking for healthy recipes, I’ve found that the Biggest Loser cookbooks, and recipes from the Bigger Loser celebrities (Allison Sweeney, Jillian Michaels, and Bob Harper) are a great source. Most of the recipes are very simple to make and don’t call for any overly exotic ingredients. Combine that with a tasty and guilt-free meal? Count me in.

Unfortunately, when it comes to green beans, it’s just me. Because try as I might, the kids are still not on board with green beans. To their credit, they eat all sorts of other vegetables, so I shouldn’t complain. But it also meant I had an awful lot of green beans to eat on my own after making this recipe. #greenbeansfordays

Thank goodness I liked ’em.

I found this recipe in an old issue of People magazine, and it’s from Biggest Loser host Allison Sweeney. Although the original recipe called for chicken to be mixed in, I skipped that and served grilled chicken on the side. Crazy simple to make, definitely flavorful, and a great dish to make use of fresh produce as we start to head into farmer’s market season.

Hungry for more green bean recipes?
The feta vinaigrette on this green bean salad recipe was definitely worth making.
And if you’re feeling on being a little less virtuous, this green bean casserole was to-die-for.

Tomorrow? A quick kids craft!

Psst … still time to help me out here!

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Book Review: Believe It, Be It {by Ali Vincent}

January 5, 2013 · Narrative

One of my ongoing goals, year after year after year, is always to read more.

I loved reading as a child and teenager, and would hole myself up in my room for hours on end.

I still love reading just as much now as I did then, but as a mom to two young children, it is just more challenging to carve out the time to do so.

Because at the end of the day, sometimes all I want to do is crash with nothing more than the remote, some bad reality tv, and a big glass of iced water.

The thought of reading sentences, and fully comprehending them, is sometimes too much to bear.

But I always aim to do better.

And with that, on January 4th, I have already read my first book for the year. Notable in and of itself, but even more so because it has been sitting on my bookshelf, unread, for a good two years.

One down, many many many many more to go.

If you are a fan of The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent is no stranger to you. If you’re not, she was the first woman to win The Biggest Loser (2008). And she looks amazing.

Believe It, Be It was a quick and easy read, giving some behind-the-scenes peeks into the show, discussing her strategy, and how her weight gain all started. Although it largely is about the story of her weight loss journey, there are motivational bits throughout that can help kick start you on any journey. Ali is honest and candid as she relays her own story. Her trainers, particularly Jillian, are big advocates of getting to the root of the weight gain, because if you don’t figure out the cause of why it all happened, you might not be able to prevent it from happening again.

“Don’t go on just wanting something. Start consciously planning where you want to be.”

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Recipe: Asian Turkey Meatballs and {Eat. Live. Be.}

April 18, 2012 · Narrative

This should make Joanne very happy. Eat. Live. Be. I’m here.

As a multitude of 5ks and Zumba classes permeate my calendar and Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred dvd gets plenty of play time. I’m here. I’ve been here.

Clean eating? Yep, I’m there too. Oh how I’ve missed it. There’s just something so very satisfying about it that is sometimes hard to articulate. Unless you’re there too. But the rub? Eat good food and you feel good. I’ve noticed the shift again, as I’ve purposefully made my way back to where I’m supposed to be.

The familiar feelings of euphoria when an early weekend morning is punctuated by sweat stinging my eyeballs. Which is, I swear, the sign of an awesome work-out.

The words “No, I can’t, we’re doing a 5k that day” coming out of my mouth.

The friends that get it. To the point that we just scheduled another 5k. In September. Out of state. After we get through the three we already have on the calendar.

When I’m in the zone, I have blinders on. And I instantly remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.

For me.

For them.

Always and forever.

Amen.

Mary Fischer’s quote rings in my ears. “Tell me, what are you going to do with this wild and precious life?”

“You have exactly one life in which to do everything you’ll ever do. Act accordingly.” Colin Wright

“…to know there is a better story for your life and to choose something other is like choosing to die.” Donald Miller

A co-worker and I were talking about that last week. Tomorrow being guaranteed to no one. I worry that I won’t have time enough to do everything I want to do. For me. Or with my kids. And I’ll be darned if we’re just going to laze our days away turning into zombies in front of the tv.

Sure there is tv time.

Down time.

Chill time.

But it’s dotted by play time. Spring Bucket Lists. Playgrounds. Activities. Adventures. Memory making. In our backyard. And in the great outdoors.

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Eat. Live. Be. #13: My Go-To Lunch

March 28, 2011 · Clean Eating

Thank goodness this week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is a piece of cake, because my To-Do List for the night is ridiculous. And I really just want to go lie down with my remote in one hand, and a smoothie in the other and call it a night.

This week’s topic is all about our go-to lunch. Although I work at an office until noon, I work from home in the afternoon, which gives me a little more flexibility with my lunches (unless I’m meeting a friend, of course). Truth be told, I can be a little like a 17-year-old in a new hot and heavy romance with my lunch patterns. I grasp onto a lunch idea and fixate on it until I’m sick of it. You know, like when you couldn’t get enough of your new, first boyfriend? And then, like that flushed high schooler, I’m done and I’ve moved onto the newest flavor of the week. Such are my lunches.

Lately, my lunches have been fish sandwiches. I honestly am a terrible Catholic when it comes to no meat on Friday. I can go several months without eating meat, but then tell me I can’t and I can’t remember that darn fact until a piece of bacon is in my mouth. I was so proud that I went all day Friday, safely making it through breakfast and lunch without accidentally eating meat. Until we went to the movie theater. And the kids wanted dinner there. And I gave in because once in awhile, it’s ok to throw them a curve ball like eating dinner at the movie theater. So I ordered them chicken fingers. And, of course, it was the next morning as my hand is finding its way to smacking my forehead that I remember … chicken fingers … meat … on meatless Fridays during Lent. I digress. So I have been having fish A LOT lately hoping to just have it enough that it slips into the routine on Fridays too and I forget about my meat issue. Well you can clearly see that theory was flawed.

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Eat. Live. Be. #10: Listening to the Experts

March 7, 2011 · Narrative

This week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is all about the experts… who do we listen from? Whose tips do we like? Who should we be listening to?

Honestly, this week’s topic comes at a good time for me, as I’m currently in the spot where I’m shaking things up a bit, fighting through any rut that I and my body might be in. A task that is much easier said than done. Last week, I bumped my average work-out totals from 7 hours to topping out at just under 11. And my body responded. I also added a Spinning class to my schedule. And I can’t put into words how much I hate spinning. I swapped out one of my weekend Zumba classes for a three mile hike instead. Little tweaks here and there to change up my regular regime and get things uncomfortable.

As for the experts, I listen to different experts for different things. I’m an ardent follower of Dr. Mehmet Oz. Such practical, easy to apply advice for the general health and well-being of your body. I like Jillian Michaels and Bob Greene for work-out tips. When it comes to food, I lean more and more on Michael Pollan. What about you? What experts do you glean the most from?

One small suggestion for you, as you make your way through your “get healthy” journey, go and “like” your favorite experts on facebook. Most of the ones I follow post regularly, and you’ll get all sorts of new ideas and motivation from seeing their updates. I know I do. From Jillian, particularly. While you’re at it, go “like” our Eat. Live. Be. page and come interact with us too. I also follow all of my instructors (Zumba, Spinning, etc.) … seeing them on facebook are like little subtle reminders of what I’m doing, what my goals are. I’m lucky in that I’ve sought out instructors that are personally invested in their students; they care about me meeting my goals and are quick to offer countless ideas and suggestions when I need help. And my (new) Spin instructor, in particular, gently guilts me into showing up at his class. It works. And I’m grateful for it.

To find out which experts my fellow ELBers turn to, please visit them at the below links:

Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Chris Arpante – Melecotte
Faith – Blog Appetit
Casey – The Starnes Family
Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
Claire – Cooking is Medicine
Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

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Recipe: Baked Turkey Taquitos

January 18, 2011 · Narrative

Nick was helping me cook dinner tonight because I was way behind after an unexpected trip to the doctor for Madeline this afternoon. Double ear infection, my poor little baby. Luckily our dinner guests were late, so with Nick’s help we actually got everything done before they arrived.

As we were cooking, he was asking me questions about why I do certain things in the kitchen and said that he doesn’t cook with The Ex’s Girlfriend because she does a lot of “knife cooking.” Then he went on to tell me that she uses oil and it’s one of the groups in the food pyramid (they’re studying it a bit in Health class in school now). And that’s when I told him to stop stirring the rice and to go Google “food pyramid,” print out the picture he finds and bring it to me.

Yes, indeed, “good” oils are marginally represented on the food pyramid by that tiny thin yellow line on the right, but it is definitely not one of the major food groups like he was thinking. Not that I had any doubts, but I thought it was important for him to see a visual and that we talk about it. I explained about good fats and bad fats and then we talked about which of the major food groups our dinner would be hitting. With tonight’s Mexican feast, we managed to hit grains, meats and fruits, and then added dairy on the side. Not bad, and a healthy, well-rounded meal that fed two adults and five kids for under fifteen bucks. I’ll take it.

The main course was a recipe I found on The Creative Mama’s website for Baked Turkey Taquitos, and everyone at the table inhaled them. Well, except for my sick little. She pushed the food around on her plate and ate a bowl of strawberries, chased down by applesauce and carrots. She feels so out of it, I can’t blame her.

The recipe could not be simpler, is full of flavor, inexpensive to make and can be on your table in under 30 minutes. Add a side of Mexican Rice (I used brown), homemade guacamole and salsa, and a bowl of fresh fruit, and dinner is done. Aside from the browning of the ground turkey, Nick made the Turkey Taquitos completely on his own, so this is a perfect recipe when your little helpers are clamoring to assist.

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Recipe: Healthy Cobb Salad

December 16, 2010 · Clean Eating, Narrative

I think after sharing the Pumpkin Bread recipewith you yesterday, I should probably follow it up with something uber-healthy. I’m sure it’s in some Food Blogger Code of Conduct Manual somewhere, even though I’ve never been a rule follower. Just ask my parents.

I’m a big fan of Jillian Michaels, she of Biggest Loser fame. Oh yeah, and all her books and DVDs. Not so much a fan of her barking boot camp onscreen personality, but more so the results that she exacts from her ardent followers. So it seems only reasonable that when I saw her recipe for a Healthy Cobb Salad, I should tear it out of the magazine and make it. After catching up on celebrity gossip and the latest divorce, wedding and baby news. It was, after all, in People magazine. Priorities, people, priorities.

One of the things I love about these types of salads is that it’s a great way to please everyone at your table. Jamie doesn’t like hard-boiled eggs, so she gave her share to Nick. He happily took the eggs in turn for being able to give up his cherry tomatoes to her and Madeline. And avocado slices? Sign me up. The crispy turkey bacon? More for all, please.

Clean eating, for sure. Delicious salad, no doubt. And guilt-free all the way, baby. Now, who wants more pumpkin bread?

Project 365
December 16, 2010, Photos #280-284
This morning while I was waiting for Nick to get picked up for school, I sat down to shoot off a quick e-mail. Madeline happened to be up early for once, and just as I clicked “send,” she came over and shoved half a cupcake in the garbage can. I followed her back to the living room, namely the cupcake crumbs too. If the trail of crumbs, her green-frosting’d face or the crumbs on the couch weren’t clues, the cupcake wrapper on the floor in the living room would have done her in. Little weasel. Pushed a chair to the counter, and stole a cupcake from the plate that I was taking to the office.

Some mornings, my breakfast just doesn’t make it into the nice insulated bag.

A couple of our front steps are crumbling, and in the crumbling pieces, I spotted a little love. I know Sarah will appreciate this one.

Love this bracelet. The picture makes it look like it has tiny silver studs, but they’re sparkly stones instead. Picked it up at Joyce Leslie on Black Friday for under five bucks. A little bit of sparkle. A little bit of badass. A whole lot of me.

Folks, I’m outta here until Sunday. Have an awesome, belly laughter-filled weekend!

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