Chocolate Lava Cakes for my Birthday....

I found a recipe that I was so excited to try. What better excuse to make something so decadent than my birthday?! Well....it was a bust! Totally diappointing. My kids, of course, loved it. My father in law ate his, but the rest of us had a few bites before stopping. It wasn't very sweet and the "lava" was just gross. Oh well....we have a few birthdays coming up in our house to try out a new recipe! Ian had fun helping me make it. :)

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Although we don't eat much meat around our house, we do like to have shrimp once in awhile. When the Oregon Ducks were playing in the Rose Bowl, we had my sister in law over to watch the game. Instead of making a traditional dinner, I decided to make a bunch of appetizers. I, of course, had to find healthy versions of some family favorites. I checked out some of my "go to" recipe blogs and picked a few. The one I share here is from http://www.skinnytaste.com/


Ingredients:

• 1 lb (24) large shrimp, peeled and deviened (weight after peeled)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp panko crumbs
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour (you will only use 1 tbsp)
• 1 large egg
• pinch salt
• non-stick spray (I used my misto)

For the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves (you can use sugar free if you wish)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine coconut flakes, panko crumbs and salt in a bowl. Place the flour on a small dish. Whisk egg in another bowl.

Lightly season shrimp with salt. Dip the shrimp in the flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture.

Lay shrimp on the cookie sheet then spray the top of the shrimp with more cooking spray; bake in the middle rack for about 10 minutes. Turn shrimp over then cook another 6-7 minutes or until cooked though. Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce.

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients and place in a small bowl.

These were absolutely delicious and everyone loved them! They were nice and crunchy and the sauce was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

January Newsletter

True life is lived when tiny changes occur.

-Leo Tolstoy

New Year, New You

A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We’ve all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year’s resolutions?
Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this year:

1.     Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car.

2.     Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work?  If you don’t tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal.

3.     Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick with your plan.

4.     Share your resolutions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you.

5.     Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with a massage.

Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.
Happy New Year!

Recipe of the Month: Pineapple Basil Quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup diced pineapple

2T fresh basil leaves, chopped

Cook quinoa as directed in chicken broth. Add pineapple and basil. Presto! Now you have a quick, healthy and delicious side dish or a light meal.

Forward to a Friend

It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.