Clean Alfredo Sauce

I found this recipe over at Gracious Pantry's blog (<--original recipe and directions).  Chicken and/or shrimp Alfredo were weekly meals in this place.  Once I started my weight loss journey, of course there were some foods I had to cut back on because even 1 serving size was too much.  Needless to say, I was happy to find this recipe to once again be able to enjoy chicken alfredo minus the feeling of "fat-ness" afterwards.

These are some of the ingredients used, minus the garlic powder.

Chopped chicken chicken breasts to add to the pasta

"Bootleg" double boiler

Gracious Pantry's recipe update suggested using a double boiler when cooking the sauce.  This is my "bootleg" version.  All that matters is that it worked! 

Con: scratched my pot, but it's time for new ones anyway :)

As soon as the mixture warmed enough, I used the hand mixer to do most of the work just as the original recipe suggested.

The consistency

Voila!

This sauce recipe makes about 8 servings - 111 per serving.

The total meal came out to 349 calories per serving (a serving size is a cup).  It could have been less calories if I used whole wheat pasta (which I normally do).  Oddly, the store I shopped at did not have any wheat fettuccine and I didn't want to drive from store to store looking for 1 item.

My verdict on the sauce was that it tasted like the store brand, but my husband did not think so.  Chicken Alfredo is near the top of his favorite meals list.  I think if I didn't tell him this was a recipe, he would've eaten it and loved it.  I probably won't be trying this recipe again for a while.

Race Recap: HBCU Alumni Alliance 5K

I participated in my second race ever this past weekend. The race was organized by the HBCU (historically Black college & university) Alumni Alliance organization to raise money for scholarship.  Although I did not attend an HBCU, I still wanted to show support.  This was a good beginner 5K race and a lot of the women in the group I run with participated.  

I didn't finish at the time I hoped for.  It was actually worst than my first 5K, but I think had there not been a few minor, but major glitches related to organization of the race itself (ahem!), I probably could have gotten a way better time.  For starters, walkers lined up first which slowed me down in the beginning just trying to maneuver my way to the front of the line.  Secondly, I don't really know what time the race started because I didn't hear a horn, whistle, flute, or anything that would let me know the race is officially starting.  

I don't consider this my official finish time, considering all of the shenanigans I mentioned above.  The route was hilly.  I definitely want to return for a re-match because I KNOW I can do better than this sucky time!

HBCU Alumni Alliance 5K Run/Walk - 6/25/2011

The one great thing I can say about the race is that I got this really cute shirt to commemorate and met some amazing women from my running club.  

I burned 339 calories.

Spinach Salad

I needed a "clean" lunch and had some of the ingredients leftover from the Turkey Wrap.  So instead of them going to waste, here's what I concocted.  ...didn't taste bad at all.

128 calories

**Add a large hard boiled egg (w/o the yolk) for protein - 181 calories.**

Turkey Wrap

I found this recipe at Thin Thighs & Sweet Potato Fries.

It tasted SO much better than expected.  It ended up being my favorite new recipe of the week and WILL definitely be a lunch staple.

273 calories per wrap

Clean Chicken Salad

I found this recipe at Thin Thighs and Sweet Potato Fries.  Here's my version...

This is what it looks like before I added the Greek yogurt and Light mayo.

 

 ...and this is what it looks like afterwards...

...on a whole wheat tortilla.

162 calories per wrap

Vegetable Quesadilla

I found this recipe at A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss.  Here's my version...

I didn't have any reduced fat sour cream OR fat free cheese (the cheese especially increased the calorie count), but ordinarily that's what I would've used.

Total Calories for 1 serving (4 wedges) = 834 

**So word to the wise, eat half of what's pictured or only what's pictured. OR use a lot less cheese and olive oil to reduce the calorie count.**

Drinks for a Snack

I would drink the Berry Boost smoothie for an in-between meal snack and the Protein Plus right after a workout.  Each of these contains two 8 oz servings.  From the bottle, you may think it's okay to knock back the whole bottle randomly because it "looks" healthy, but you have to pay attention to the numbers.

Berry Boost - 260 calories in the entire bottle

Protein Plus Chocolate shake - 380 calories in the entire bottle

*These were buy one get one free at Kroger!

Moving Forward with Eating Cleaner

I got this recipe for Thai Curry Chicken Stir-Fry from the blog Thin Thighs & Sweet Potato Fries

The main ingredients included: 

- 3 cups of brown rice

- 6 chicken breasts tenderloins

-1 cup of Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce

- Trader Joe's Asparagus Saute (4 servings in the package)

I sauteed the asparagus stir-fry in 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, cooked the rice and chicken separately, and combined all with the sauce last.

The entire dish resulted in about 6 servings (1 serving = 360 calories)

Race Recap: My 1st Race

Atlanta Children's Shelter 5K -  6/11/11 - Piedmont Park

I chose the ACS 5K (3.1 mi) race to support the stabilization of homeless families with young children.  Kids shouldn't have to suffer.

I started my Nike+ GPS app a little early, so technically I ran 3.4 mi in 31:47 (9:20 pace).  I had no prior knowledge of the exact route, so this wasn't bad considering it was very hilly!  Hopefully I'll meet my time goal of finishing a 5K in under 30 min. at the next race in two weeks (HBCU Alumni Alliance 5K).

I RUN to maintain my weight loss and it's a challenge I've always wanted to conquer.

Calories burned = 230 calories in 31 minutes

Grocery Trip & Typical Shopping List

I went to Aldi's, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Trader Joe's

This picture was taken after my most recent grocery store trip.  The items pictured aren't typical purchases (see below) because I'm trying all new recipes this week (Moving Forward with Eating Cleaner).  

I try not to buy the "bad" processed foods, but considering the costs, that's not always the case.  I make substitutions wherever possible and watch the serving size carefully.  Example: If I buy hot dogs for that week (which is rare anyway), I eat ONE and not THREE!

Good processed foods: milk, some orange juice, oatmeal, frozen fish, frozen fruits and vegetables, and 100% whole-grain bread. (About.com: What Are Processed Foods?)

Bad processed foods: frozen pizza with meat, canned foods, breads/pastas made with refined white flour, chips, candy, frozen fish sticks, frozen dinners, packaged cakes and cookies (not homemade), boxed meals (i.e. Hamburger Helper), sugary breakfast cereals, and processed meats (i.e. hot dogs, bacon, sausage, sandwich meat, etc.) (About.com: What Are Processed Foods?)

These are just the main items.  We eat mostly chicken and fish.  When I buy beef or pork, it's the leaner cuts.  When I DO by the "bad" processed foods (because I don't live ALONE and I DON'T deprive myself :-)), I make sure I don't go overboard by sticking to 1 serving.