Coffee. I love coffee. I drink mine black, but when I stop at a coffee shop, it’s easy to get lured into ordering something a bit more adventurous, which often means more calories, sugar, and fat. Did you know that if you drink a Grande Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino, you will be consuming 500 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 98 grams of carbs? And that’s WITHOUT the whipped cream. Oh my.

I’ve done some investigating and have come up with ten drinks that you can enjoy without feeling the guilt. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is upon us. Food, food and more food. I always vow I won’t overindulge.

And then?  The stuffing, the gravy, the mashed potatoes – they form a coalition to completely wreck my willpower. Cranberry sauce joins the party and I’m defenseless.

I wake up the next morning in a shroud of regret, doing the food walk of shame. Of course, I try to burn as much as I can hitting up the Black Friday sales, but I can’t go in on an empty stomach.

That’s where my Super Duper Smoothie comes into play. Packed with vitamin c, fiber, antioxidants and protien, it’s just the right mix to help battle the maniacs in the mall. Even if you don’t brave the Black Friday sales, whip up this smoothie for a little detox, and to help avoid eating a turkey sandwich and a slice of pie for breakfast!

Super Duper Smoothie

Combine the following in a blender:

1/2 cup plain, fat-free greek yogurt or kefir (I love kefir – it’s a like a mix between milk and yogurt)

1 cup frozen fruit – I like blueberries and mangos.

1/2 banana

2 T psyllium husks – you can find this at Trader Joe’s or a health food store

1 serving vitamin c crystals – I also find these at Trader Joe’s or the health food store

honey or agave to taste

Blend until the smoothie is your desired consistency, adding water as needed. Serves one.

Hail to Martha Stewart!

She found me a Pina Colada I don’t have to feel bad about and I tried it out in the most perfect place possible: beach vacation. I read it this week in Martha Stewart Living Magazine which I didn’t know I subscribe to but apparently I do. (Now every day can be like beach vacation!)

Of course, I had to drive around all over tarnation to find a liquor store around here, but it was well worth it! This is the simplest recipe ever and it is absolutely delicious and fresh and cool, I lurrrrve it.

I’m drinking one right now.

It is 120 calories versus the regular which is 600.  (Now I can have 5 more. Just kidding. Not really.)
Here is the recipe:

       Print This!    

Enjoy this so much like I am.

Cheers!

During my recent pregnancy, the only insatiable craving I had was watermelon. We probably went through at least three personal sized seedless watermelons per week, because my three year old son is also addicted. He actually will sneak into the fridge for watermelon.

I can’t complain. Watermelon is a great low calorie way to satisfy a sweet tooth. It’s also chock full of water (duh), so it’s super hydrating.

The bad part? Watermelon is not cheap during the winter. But right now? We’re in inexpensive watermelon season.

So I suggest you dig in!

Tomorrow is probably one of the highest watermelon consumption days of the year, so I thought I’d round up a few recipes to share.

First off? Savory watermelon. You heard me. If you haven’t tried watermelon in a salad, you must. I love it with feta – the sweet of the watermelon paired with the briny feta is amazing. I found this recipe from Paula Deen for Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves. Take note: this is probably the only Paula Deen recipe in existence without a pound of butter.

Next, I present Watermelon Mojitos courtesy of Ina Garten, a.k.a. the Barefoot Contessa. This is a classed up version of the fruit punch we used to mix up in a cooler in college. Wait. Scratch that. How embarrassing.

(A side note? I want Ina Garten to adopt me so I can go live at her fabulous house in the Hamptons, wear linen and frequent charming little shops).

Finally, Watermelon Soup. This recipe sounds amazing, using lime juice as a tart punch against the sweet of the watermelon and honey.

To everyone out there, happy early 4th of July! Stay safe and have fun.

Are you having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend? We hope so! If you’re planning on firing up the grill tomorrow, we have a couple of suggestions to help keep your meal on the lighter side. You know, so you don’t have that post holiday regret because you couldn’t walk away from the potato salad….

Lighter Side Dish Recipes

• Strawberry-Basil Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Rosemary Sweet Potato Steak Fries
• Bacon Potato Salad – From In Good Taste
• Southwestern Corn Salad
• Sauteed Zucchini, Peppers, and Tomatoes

And here’s a handy post on How To Grill Vegetables!

Lighter Dessert Recipes

• Lemon Pudding Cake
• Neapolitan Tower Cake
• Cherry Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust – From Eating Well

Lighter Drink Recipes

• V-8 Bloody Mary
• Mellow Melon Margarita
• Pomegranate Martini

Have a safe, fun, and Shrinking Memorial Day weekend!!

It’s time to shake things up in the kitchen a little bit and introduce some tofu to your diet. Since fresh tofu is offered in so many different textures, this protein power house is a great alternative to meats in main courses, but is also a perfect addition to smoothies, eggs, dips, and soups.

This morning while I was cleaning up after breakfast catching up on Twitter, I noticed a conversation going on about protein alternatives. Karena mentioned that tofu was a great option, and Roo asked the inevitable next question…

But what do I do with it?

Karena’s sage advice warned her against eating it straight out of the container. Seriously, don’t do that. If you have never had tofu before, nothing will guarantee you NEVER having it again than eating it straight out of the package.

Tofu is made to be prepared, and it will take on the flavor of whatever you add to it. I typically cut up some extra-firm tofu and throw it into stir frys. It takes on the flavor of whatever sauce I’ve added that night.

Nasoya, a leading manufacturer of tofu has these recommendations for how to prepare the different textures…

• Stir-frying? Use Extra-Firm.
• Baked BBQ? Use Firm.
• Need a quick salad? Use Cubed.
• Making a creamy dip or soup? Use Soft.
• Blending in a smoothie? Use Silken.

The possibilities really are endless for what you can do with it. There are recipes all over the internet, too, for different ways to prepare tofu. Just try heading to Google, type in tofu recipes, and see everything that pops up! Here are a few recipes from Healthy Cooking Magazine to get you started…

• Roasted Red Pepper Bean Dip
• Strawberry Tofu Smoothies
• Vegetable Pad Thai
• Tofu Manicotti

So, who out there (besides Karena and I) are tofu eaters? What’s your favorite way to prepare it?

If you’ve never had tofu before, give it a try this week. You won’t be disappointed!

How do you round out the perfect hangover brunch? With a perfect Bloody Mary of course! Because:

1. I am reviewing the delicious array of V8 juices this week and decided that a V8 cocktail would be a great way to tie the two in and…
2. And because I’ve never even had a bloody mary before and…
3. Because I simply could not do a review of V8 Juice and not also try a recipe using it and…
4. Because I was always a V8 Vegetable Juice skeptic. I always thought vegetable juice was hardcore healthy veggie people But I was wrong. V8 Vegetable Juice is for everyone, even the spicy one.

So here is my recipe that I shared with my husband on this lazy afternoon and don’t mind me if I type all funny since I’m drinking my bloody mary right now and yes, it does have vodka in it. This recipe is adapted from the Food Network’s Ina Gartner but I used only what I had on hand at the moment.

Ingredients:

• 36 oz. V8 Spicy Vegetable Juice
• 3 stalks celery including leaves, plus more for serving
• 2 tsp prepared horseradish (didn’t have this)
• 1 tsp grated yellow onion (didn’t have this)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestireshire
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1/4  tsp. kosher salt
• 12 dashes hot sauce (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups vodka (I only used one though, one made it pretty strong.)

Directions:

Cut celery in large dice, including stems, and blend in food processor. In large pitcher, combine the V8 with the rest of the ingredients except for the vodka. With the food processor running, pour in 1/4 of the V8 mixture into the food processor and then pour the food processor contents into the remaining V8 mixture in the pitcher. Add the vodka, chill and serve over ice with celery stalks and CHEERS!

This was really, really yummy. I suspect it would have been even yummier with the ingredients I didn’t have because the recipe had gotten pretty rave reviews. So do try it! And also know that if you don’t have all the ingredients, it’s still pretty yummy. Oh, while you’re at it, go try your luck at getting some free V8 in not only Original, but in a bunch of different delicious fruit flavors! MKAY?

Yo! What is going on with all of my people, tweeps, and sisters(and brothers)?!

OK. It’s Friday! And with Friday comes one of my favorite things… HAPPY HOUR!

Let’s talk about this for a few minutes, shall we?

If you are like me, almost nothing is better than a good happy hour. You leave work on Friday, you get to hang out with friends, and enjoy a few beverages… BUT! You’re losing weight! And you don’t want to “ruin” your week by having some drinks, right? Right?!

Well, I am here for you! I’m going to give you a few tips so that you can enjoy happy hour, but not go too crazy!

1. Don’t go too crazy! There is nothing wrong with having fun and letting loose, but just remember that the calories you are drinking will add up! So, just be mindful of how much you are drinking!
2. Beers: Light beers are always better than dark beers. Your average light beer has between 80-100 calories in it. Your average dark beer has at least 120 calories. In terms of calories in vs. calories out, which one would YOU choose?
3. Liquors: If you’re not a beer girl or guy and would rather drink liquor, that is fine! BUT. Let’s think about this… Any type of drink with sweet and sour mixes have tons and tons of calories (think 600+ calories for a medium margarita). Your best bet is to ask for your liquor on the rocks. If you absolutely cannot drink your liquor straight, then go home. JUST KIDDING! Even though diet soda is bad, bad, bad for you, I will give you permission to have a drink or two with diet soda.

I know this may sound like a downer. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good margarita. But would I rather have a margarita for 600+ calories or a light beer for around 100 calories? I think the choice is obvious.

Besides, isn’t the point of going to happy hour to have fun with friends and/or co-workers? To de-stress about the week and to blow off a little steam? So, really? Is it THAT big of a deal if you modify how you de-stress about your week?

I once walked into a class my senior year in college. It was test day, and I didn’t study. A classmate asked, “How much did you study?”

“Not really at all,” I replied.

She seemed so shocked that I didn’t study for a test in our senior year. Her jaw literally dropped to her desk.

I explained to her that I had an opportunity to hang out with friends the night before. We were in our senior year and opportunities may not happen for much longer, so I decided to live in the moment.

The moment was not about drinking. It was not about calories. It was about people. I was about friends.

So. If you’re afraid that cutting your calories during happy hour will “hurt” your good time, just remember: good times are all about the people. Enjoy life. Enjoy your friends.

When you do that, things like cutting calories on your favorite drinks just doesn’t seem as important as they once may have.

And when you do that, the phrase, “Live life to its fullest” takes on a whole new meaning.

So, “live life,” my friends. :)

As the weather warms up, I inevitably start getting a taste for smoothies. Also, my goals for the 21 Days Challenge are to eat fruits regularly and to have more yogurt during the day. Smoothies definitely fit that bill!  Here are a few recipes that I am dying to try…

The Carb-o-nator Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yogurt (any flavor, but vanilla is a good base)
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 small banana
• 2 cups of ice

Blend and drink

Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 Banana
• 1 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (substitute with fat free)
• 3/4 cup frozen peaches
• 8 oz. whole frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

Place all ingredients in blender, add ice to fill blender and blend.

Cranberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cranberries
• 2/3 cup cran-raspberry juice (less, if this is too sweet for you, but I like it sweeter)
• 1 cup raspberries
• 8 oz of yogurt, preferabbly Raspberry
• 1 1/2 cups of ice

Blend until smooth, give it a taste and decide if you need more ice or juice.

All recipes found on Smoothie Web.

Welcome to today’s Sisterhood Bash Happy Hour! What’s the Sisterhood Bash? Go check it out – we’re raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and there are MANY chances to win fabulous prizes…and cash. Yes, cash.

This recipe is brought to you by Tiffany S, one of our members of Team Shrinking Jeans.  I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds delicious and I am only missing one ingredient on this list, which means that I must hit the grocery store for that item because did I tell you how yummy this sounds to me right now and could this sentence be any more of a run-on than it already is?!

Clementine Creamsicle Smoothie (source:  Eating Light magazine, Volume XVIII, Number 3)

Serves: 3
Prep: 5 min

2 clementines, peeled and sectioned
1 ripe banana
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup orange juice
3 to 4 ice cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Place ingredients in a blender.  Process until smooth.
2.  Strain, if desired, then pour into glasses.

Per Serving:  164 calories, 5g protein, 34g carbs, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 8% of calories from fat, 6mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium