New Ideas and New Recipes!

I have this entirely new idea for you today. This will explain my lack of putting new recipes on my blog as of late. I have hesitated writing this lest you think that I go through dietary changes as quickly as I go through paint colors. But I have used this idea in the past and it has always worked extremely well for me and my parents. For the past month and a half, we have been Sommersizing. Ever heard of it? Well allow me to explain. This is not a diet but simply a healthy, smart way of eating that allows you to have most of your favorite things and not feel deprived or hungry. The trick is not deprivation but combination. You can have all the proteins that you want as well as most of the whole grain carbs you love. You simply cannot combine the two together. Sound to good to be true? I am living proof that it is not. I have stuck with this many times and always had amazing results. My main problem is continuing to stick with it. There is level one for those wanting to actually lose weight, and level two for those simply trying to maintain their weight.

I will briefly explain the rules to you, but I highly recommend buying the books. There are three of them but the first one is really all you need. It is by Suzanne Somers and is called "Eat Great, Lose Weight".

The hardest part of this for me, is that you are not allowed any sugar. Not even potatoes, corn, carrots, or bananas. But the wonderful part is that when you go out to eat, you don't have to order the dry salmon on a bed of unflavorful rice with a side of unseasoned broccoli. You can order steak with sauteed onion and a large side salad with Ranch dressing. The salad can have meat, cheese, eggs, and veggies on it. You can also order a juicy cheeseburger without the bun, top it with bacon and order veggies on the side.

It is very important to eat your carbs because they are what give you energy and keep your metabolism going. That is one reason I love this way of eating in comparison to "low carbing".

She also has a list of "funky foods" that include: olives, caffeine, avocados, nuts, peanut butter, and a few others. These are foods that have too many proteins and carbs at the same time. You may find that you can eat some of these and still lose weight. I allow myself nuts and they have never hindered my weight loss at all.

Another rule is that you cannot combine fruit with any other foods. This is not just from a weight loss stand, but also common sense. Have you ever tried to top off your meal with a bowl of strawberries? Your fruit tries to go down much quicker than your other foods and can cause a nasty upset stomach. You are however allowed to eat any fruit you want (excluding bananas) just eat it by itself.

The time rules are as follows: Wait three hours between protein meal and carb meals. Wait thirty minutes after eating fruit before you eat carbs and wait one hour after fruits to eat protein. Wait two hours after protein or carbs before you at fruit.

Some of my favorite foods to eat are: Proteins; turkey, sausages with melted cheese, sharp cheddar, grilled chicken, hamburgers with pickles and tomato, eggplant dipped in parmesan and fried, lasagana made with eggplant instead of pasta, broccoli with cheese sauce, roast with onions, grilled chicken salad with boiled eggs. Carbs; whole grain bagels, beans and brown rice, whole grain spaghetti with homemade (no meat) sauce, whole grain toast with no fat cottage cheese. Dessert; fresh pineapple, strawberries with Splenda, purple grapes, grapefruit with Splenda.

This way of eating has not only helped me to lose weight, but has also helped my girls to learn to eat healthier and has kept my little ones allergy problems to a minimum. I highly recommend giving it a try. I guarantee you that you will like it better than dieting!

I will be posting recipes for this way of eating along with regular recipes too for those of you who are not interested in trying this. Feel free to ask any questions you think of and because I have borrowed all three books from my Mom, I will probably be able to answer them.

Now onto a couple of recipes that I don't claim to be good for you, just mighty good to you!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (by Melahnie Rogers)
1 cup parkay (very important to use only Parkay)
1 package inst. vanilla pudding
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
Mix together

2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Add to first mixture

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

These cookies are soooo amazingly moist and different from regular cookies.

Never Fail Pie Crust (Robyn Knight)
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
3 Tbsp water
Put flour in bowl, take out 1/6 of flour and mix with water to make smooth paste. Cut shortening and salt into flour, add paste. Mix with fork until ball is formed. Roll out between wax paper. The less played with the better.

Now this recipe being written, I no longer make my own pie crust after discovering Pillsbury ready made crust. I think it is delicious and ridiculously easy. But for those of you who have always wanted to tackle your own pie crust, this one is a hit!

Sour Cream Enchiladas
I thought that I had already posted this one, but when I checked back, I couldn't find it anywhere. This is another one that I have no recipe for so have fun experimenting!
I boil a three pound bag of chicken then cool and shred. Then in a large bowl I combine equal parts of sour cream and cream of chicken soup. I always make alot so I use about two large cans of soup and two medium containers of sour cream. Then I put in a can or two of chopped green chilies. Depending on if your cooking for kids. Add the chicken, then put in a cup or two of shredded cheddar cheese. Then I put a scoop or two in about ten or twelve tortilla shells and fold them up and line them in a large casserole dish. Next I pour the rest of the cream mixture over the top and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is nice and bubbly.
Very easy and one of my families favorites! This is one of my favorite dishes to take to people because it is so easy to double and so far everyone has loved it.

Hope you enjoy todays post! Have a great day!!