Blueberry Zucchini Bread/Muffins

As requested, here is the recipe for my mom’s blueberry zucchini bread.  After looking at the ingredients, I knew this one was going to pack a calorie punch because of all the sugar – around 260 calories and 32 grams of sugar per slice using the recipe calculator on www.sparkrecipes.com!  I decided I would prepare the original for my bible study group on Wednesday and try my hand at a lower calorie version just for fun.

Mom’s Blueberry Zucchini Bread (the original recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 3/4 cup sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9×5 pan and dust with flour.  Grate zucchini (I used a food processor):

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in one bowl; combine zucchini, eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and sugar in another. Toss blueberries with 2 tsp flour. Add flour to zucchini mixture, stirring until just combined.  Fold in blueberries.

Bake 60-90 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center is clean. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

On a pretty platter:

Number of Servings: 12

Nutrition Stats: ~260 calories, 1 g fat, 57 g carbohydrate, 32 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein

Lightened Up Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

Same directions as the original, except I decreased the sugar to 1 cup and replaced the 2 whole eggs with 4 egg whites.   I also used a muffin tin since the loaf pan was in use and muffins = automatic portion control.  These cooked in about 45 minutes instead of 1 hour.

Nutrition Stats (per muffin): ~200 calories, 44 g carbohydrate, 20 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein

I could tell these weren’t as sweet, but they were still really good!  I froze them after they cooled so I don’t feel obligated to eat them all within a week.

July 4th Grill Fest

The husband and I had a low-key July 4th.  We did some gardening, worked out, ran some errands, grilled out, and then watched a movie.  Nothing fancy, but I must say it’s nice to wake up hungover from copious amount of alcohol.  Here was the day in food:

Pre-Workout Lunch

Chopped squash with a cheese stick and balsamic vinaigrette – weird I know (I’m trying to use up the crisper full of squash)

Workout: P90X Shoulders & Back and Ab Ripper DVDs

Post-Workout Lunch

Mexican Egg White Veggie Scramble

(2 HUGE servings)

- 2 cups egg whites

- medium squash

- medium zucchini

- medium onion

- 1/2 cup salsa

- 1/2 cup 2% cheese

- spices: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika

I sauteed the veggies & spices first (a dash of each) on medium heat.  Then I added salsa and stirred it around, followed by the egg whites:

It was a little watery, so next time I will add the salsa after the eggs are cooked.

Top with cheese and enjoy!

I also had two clementines:

One was perfectly sweet and one was just okay.

Afternoon Snack

An end slice of whole wheat tuscan pane with light cream cheese

Dinner

Grilled Tinfoil Vegetables

- medium onion

- large squash

- large zucchini

- handful baby carrots

- dash of dill

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Place a double layer of heavy duty foil on counter.  Fill with chopped vegetables; top with olive oil, lemon juice, and spices.  Close vegetables tightly into long foil package.  Grill for 30 minutes or until desired consistency, then top with Parmesan cheese.

We also grilled corn and burgers (96/4).  Jim put cheese in the middle of his, and I added onions & garlic powder to mine.  The corn was delish and super easy.  All you do is pull back the husks, remove the silk, coat with butter and salt (we used spray butter), replace the husks, and then grill for 10-20 minutes (turn regularly).  While everything was grilling, I enjoyed one of these:

Kenan might have enjoyed a few sips of Jim’s:

He’s almost 21 in dog years, so I let it slide

My plate – I finished everything but was stuffed afterward! Must be the beer appetizer!

I had another beer while we watched the movie (Pursuit of Happiness) and 1/2 cup of Edy’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream:

We opted for the “real deal” instead of the light – those 30 extra calories are worth it!

Breakfast today was the leftover Mexican Egg White Veggie Scramble…

…and a piece of whole wheat tuscan pane with almond butter & apple butter:

YUM!

I’m not sure what’s on the agenda today besides a workout and tidying up around the house.  Hope everyone else is enjoying this beautiful Sunday!  Oh, and don’t forget to check out Angie’s Trader Joe’s Giveaway! 

Atypical dinner – smoothie and cereal

Do you ever wake up in total confusion, struggling to remember what day it is?  Today was one of those mornings, and I was sorely disappointed when I realized it was Tuesday instead of Thursday (my day off).  I got over it pretty quick though and moved on to breakfast by 6:30:

Overnight oatmeal (1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 1/4 cup almond breeze, 1/3 cup oats) topped with 1/2 oz almonds, 1/4 cup Kashi GOLEAN, and a drizzle of agave nectar AND some protein:

1/2 cup egg substitute and 1/2 oz low fat mozzarella

I had a cup of coffee at work around 7:30 with a splash of 1% milk (unpictured) to get me going.  Unfortunately, I felt the caffeine crash a few hours later, but gotta love that buzz while it lasts!

I snacked on a cheese stick at 10:00 and decided to have an early lunch at 11:45:

LEFTOVERS!

- 4 oz extra lean ground beef with 1 packet ketchup I “stole” from the break room

- 1/2 cup couscous with pat of Earth Balance margarine

- a pile of green beans with balsamic vinegar

Nothing spectacular, but it did the job and I knew it needed to be eaten before it went bad.  Waste not, want not…or something like that.

Dessert was perfectly sweet though….

…the last of the fresh pineapple. YUM!

One of my patients canceled, so I went for a 30 minute walk around 1pm.  Nothing like fresh air to perk you up, even if it is 90 degree air!

By 4 I was started to feel a little headach-y and hunger was starting to grow, so I had a piece of rye bread with almond butter and agave nectar.  I left work around 4:30 and then had some carrots when I walked in the door.  I debated running, but didn’t really feel up to it; Kenan and I settled for a walk in the park instead.  There were tons of geese and ducks out today!  He loved it – watching his excitement makes me beam like a proud parent…I can’t imagine what being a REAL parent will feel like if a dog brings out this much emotion in me.  Not that I’m planning on becoming a parent anytime soon…just sayin’.

I didn’t feel up to a hot dinner tonight for 3 reasons:

#1 – It’s hot outside!

#2 – Jim is out of town for work so I don’t feel compelled to cook.

#3 – I already had a hot meal at lunch.

Irregardless of the reason, I decided to make a big smoothie and a bowl of cereal:

Pineapple-Strawberry Dream Smoothie

- handful frozen pineapple &- handful frozen strawberries

- 1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice

- water to preferred consistency (I think I used 6 oz???)

- 1 scoop unflavored whey protein

- few drops vanilla extract

- small chunk of brown sugar (?1 tsp)

BLEND AND ENJOY!

I was trying to recreate the sorbet consistency of the glaze I made Sunday night, but it didn’t turn out as thick.  I think I should have used less water and a food processor.  It was still really good though; a perfect summer “treat”!

My cereal bowl contained about 1 cup total – it was a mixture of Kashi Mighty Bites, Kashi GOLEAN, and the last of my Peanut Butter Bumpers (!!!) in skim milk.  I’m going to have to buy another box this weekend for sure.

This may not be typical dinner fare, but I was very pleased and am feeling quite content at the moment.  Now I just have to figure out what to do with the rest of my night. 

Cleaning Marathon!

I ate lunch around 1:30 – a combo of leftovers that needed to be eaten up:

Romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, tomato & cucumber from the Farmer’s Market, small apple, hard-boiled egg, and about 2 oz of chicken breast with TJ’s balsamic vinaigrette.  I tried to eat the chicken, but it just didn’t taste good so I pushed it aside – I think I’m getting to that burn out point with chicken breast.

Added a cheese stick at the end since I was a little shy on protein.

After lunch, I worked out for an hour and change – finished 45 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes of core strength training and 5 minutes of arms.  I’m excited because Jim wants to buy the P90X DVD series; it will be nice to do something different for a change.  I think it should be here in a week or so!

Post-workout I tried out the apple butter from Earthfare:

whole wheat bread with fresh ground almond butter and apple butter – YUM!

The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning – 2 or 3 hours worth!  I swept & mopped the kitchen/bathroom floors (first time in a month for mopping!), swept the den/foyer, vacuumed the bedroom, dusted, and finished two or three loads of laundry.  I used the vacuum attachment to hit all the hidden spots  in our bedroom- I even moved the bed to get the baseboards.  I now  realize why my allergies are worse at night – total dust/feather party back there!  A clean house makes me feel so productive and happy – does cleaning bring anyone else joy or am I the only weirdo out there? I asked Jim to mop the den/foyer, but we’ll see if that happens…

While cleaning, I munched on a few carrots here and there (unpictured) to tide me over until dinner.  We grilled cheeseburgers (96/4 ground beef with 2% colby jack) for Father’s Day – Jim isn’t a father in the technical sense, but we treat Kenan like a child so I got him a card anyways.  I tried to make potato wedges, but I think we didn’t grill them long enough because they turned out crunchy!

I had one of the potato slices and chucked the rest.  Good thing I had a big-old salad to fill up:

romaine, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and TJ’s reduced fat cilantro dressing

Dessert was grilled peaches with a homemade strawberry glaze:

I didn’t measure any of the ingredients so these are estimates:  2 big handfuls of frozen strawberries, dash ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp Earth Balance margarine.

Everything blended together in the food processor:

I had a bite straight – it tasted like sorbet!

I filled each peach half with the glaze and then Jim used a rack on grill for about 10 minutes.

The finished product – they were delish!

Dinner was followed by clean-up and then lunch prep for the next few days.  I finished the night with a bowl of cereal:

1/2 cup each Peanut Butter Bumpers, Kashi Mighty Bites, and skim milk

Okay, better go call my Dad and wish him a Happy Father’s Day.  He’s in Atlanta with my mother and her parents for the weekend; otherwise, I would have made a trip home.  We’re going flying next Sunday, so I’ll have to give him a late hug then.

Cheesy Tofu/Egg Panini with Green Beans

It is HOTTTT today – went for a jog/walk around 11am and I think it was at least 90 degrees!  I was gone for about an hour and covered a little over 4 miles – I alternated jogging and walking and made sure to stop at every water fountain along the way.  My route is blessed with three, thank goodness!  Forgot to wear sunscreen, so my face has natural blush now…I’ve got to get better about that!

I had a later lunch around 1:30, and tried something new after being inspired by the tofu/egg sandwich on Trying for a Tri’s blog today.  Here’s my version:

Cheesy Tofu/Egg Panini

- 1/4 block extra firm tofu

- drizzle low sodium soy sauce

- 1 egg

- 1 slice Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane bread

- smear of Earth Balance margarine

- sprinkle of light mozzarella cheese

Saute tofu with soy sauce on medium heat (this is 1/2 block – I cooked extra for later).  While tofu is cooking, fry egg in separate pan using nonstick cooking spray.  Cut bread in half and spread margarine.

Assemble panini and place on heated panini-maker

I received this as a wedding gift, but this is the first time I’ve used it in at least a year.  Glad I remembered I had it!

The finished product

The cheese was perfectly melty and I liked the combo of egg and tofu.  Now that I’ve remembered my panini maker, expect to see a few more sandwiches.   I also had a side of sauteed green beans with olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Simple but delish!

After lunch, I messed around online for a bit and then showered!  Yeah for clean hair and shaved legs…haha.  I’m going to run a few errands, but had a quick smoothie to keep my energy up and beat the heat:

It’s a lower calorie version of my peanut butter banana smoothie recipe.  I used 70 g frozen banana, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond breeze, 10 g peanut butter, and 1/4 scoop protein powder.    Perfect for this hot day!

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

- 1 scoop unflavored whey protein

- 80 g frozen banana slices (very small banana)

- 2 tsp natural peanut butter

- 4 oz unsweetened Almond Breeze

Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Nutrition Stats: ~230 calories, 7 g fat, 23 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 24 g protein

*The bag of frozen bananas contains about 3 bananas, but I only used a fourth or so.  You really need to freeze them for the ice cream consistency; it tastes more like a watery milkshake with fresh bananas.  You can substitute any other milk product for the Almond Breeze, but it will increase the total calories.

The finished product complete with straw for easy sipping on-the-go!

Tuesday Bites & Curried Tuna Salad

Needed a caffeine jolt once I got to work:

~6 oz coffee with 2 oz 1% milk

Morning Snack

1 oz mozzarella cheese – quick and easy

Lunch

Curried Tuna Salad

- 1 can ( 6 oz) chunk light tuna

- 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise

- 1 mini box raisins

- curry powder to taste

Mix and enjoy.  How easy is that?

Nutrition Stats:  ~ 225 calories, 5 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 33 g protein

I had some veggies on the side:

fresh zucchini and mushrooms with TJ’s balsamic vinaigrette

Afternoon Snack(s):

Kashi chewy bar around 2 – lunch didn’t quite fill me up.  Went for a quick 25 minute walk with Arielle and Renee at 2:30 since I had a patient cancellation.  I’m really enjoying getting out for a bit during the day, instead of staying holed up in my office.

~1 Tbsp of freshly ground almond butter at 3:30

…and a handful of carrots on the drive home around 6pm.  I find this helps me make better choices at dinner instead of walking through the door ravenous.

Dinner:

Random “Chef Salad”

- 85 g extra firm tofu

- 1 hard boiled egg

- 1/2 oz shredded 2% colby jack

- mixed greens & carrots

- 1.5 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

I usually don’t like un-marinated tofu, but this was pretty decent mixed with the salad dressing.

…and a slice of my homemade pizza.  Still tasted great, but I may have freeze the rest so I’m forced to cook something different before the end of the week.

Spontaneous Run and Homemade Pizza!

I took Kenan on a walk around 6pm, and it turned out to be a run instead… We were about 10 minutes down the road when Jim drove up – Kenan went crazy and wanted in the car, so I let him go home.  Decided I would run instead and surprisingly, it was my best run in a few weeks – I think I ran for about 40-45 and walked for 15-20 total.   Not sure about the distance since I didn’t have my GPS.  My shin splints felt fine and I was able to pick up the pace a bit near the end.  Gotta love the endorphin rush!

Finished up running around 7 and made up my mind on dinner – Jim ate earlier, so I was on my own.  I wanted pizza but realized I didn’t have a roller!  I’ve never used fresh dough and I”m not a big baker, so there was never a need for one before.  I grabbed 4 or 5 baby carrots to stave off hunger (unpictured) and made a quick run to Harris Teeter for the roller.  I got caught up in the produce section and also remembered I needed to pick up a cookie cake for a coworker’s birthday on Wednesday, so my quick trip turned out to be about 40 minutes instead of 20.

Finally home, I got to work on my masterpiece.  I used Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough:

Per package directions, I let this sit at room temp for 20 minutes or so, floured some parchment paper, and then rolled away until it was about 12 inches in diameter.

I topped it with 1/2 jar of TJ’s fat free pizza sauce, about 2 cups (?) light mozzarella cheese, 1 serving of Ciao pepperoni, about 2/3 of a chopped zucchini, 1 small chopped onion, and a handful of fresh mushrooms.  I stole a few pepperoni slices while I was chopping up the veggies.

Ready for the oven – 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Out of the oven and sliced into 8 servings – I didn’t do the nutrition calculations since I eyeballed the ingredients this time, but I think each slice has 225-250 calories.  Not too bad for a really tasty piece of pizza!

YUM!

On my plate: one slice of homemade pizza, handful of mushrooms and zucchini dipped in pizza sauce.  The crust was fabulous, and the veggies added so much flavor.  I didn’t really taste the pepperoni, so next time I’ll probably leave it out completely.  This will definitely be making some repeat appearances over the next week, but I’m not complaining one bit!

Glazed Lemon Tofu, Vegetables, & Pasta

I felt like pasta this afternoon, but didn’t want a heavy sauce.  This is what I came up with:

Glazed Lemon Tofu, Vegetables, & Pasta

- 1.5 cups frozen vegetable blend

- 2 oz whole wheat pasta

- 85 g extra firm tofu (1/4 block)

- 1 tsp olive oil

For Glaze: 1 tsp olive oil,  1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp agave nectar, dash garlic powder

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain in colander and set aside.  Saute vegetables and tofu in a skillet on medium with 1 tsp oil.  Let tofu brown for several minutes on each side. Mix glaze ingredients in a small bowl and pour over vegetables & tofu.  Let the liquid evaporate; add reserved pasta and voila!

Nutrition Info: ~475 calories, 17 g fat, 60 g carbohydrate, 11 g fiber, 21 g protein

Tofu browning

Adding the glaze

Almost ready…

I added a bit of sea salt.  It was super lemon-y; fresh orange segments would have been a nice touch.

…I’m starting to feel the effects of last night.  A headache is emerging and I’m starting to feel really tired.   I might need a nap today, but I’m brewing some coffee now to see if I can make do without.

Monday Eats

Physical Activity:  Woke up earlier today so I could fit in some strength training before work – spent 20 minutes with upper body weights and then one round of the Carolina workout from my husband.  I had planned on running after work, but it is roasting outside today!  I’ll probably stay indoors with my elliptical (and DVR’d episodes of So You Think You Can Dance) instead.

Breakfast

- Veggie-rific Egg Substitute Casserole

- Overnight Oatmeal Base topped with Kashi Go Lean Crunch & fresh blueberries

I was super pleased with the casserole – plain eggs get old after awhile, plus I enjoy knowing I’ve already eaten vegetables by 8am.    The only down side was that I didn’t microwave it long enough, so the middle bites were a bit cold.

The oatmeal mixture was excellent.  I love the crunchy sweetness of the Kashi, and it’s so much lower calorie than granola.

This combo kept me full until lunch, which is a great thing since I ran over with a few patients today and didn’t have time for a snack.

Lunch

- 1/2 can chunk light tuna with 1/2 Tbsp light mayo

- Creamy Low Fat Cole Slaw

- baby carrots

- cheese stick

- Kashi Original 7 Grain crackers

- kiwi

I’m pumped about my new plate from Target – I got sick of eating my lunch out of  Rubbermaid containers and plastic baggies.  It’s amazing how much more satisfying a meal can be when it’s plated in a decorative manner!

Afternoon Snack:  1 Tbsp freshly ground almond butter on 1 slice sunflower nut bread

You’ll have to use your imagination on this one – still getting used to this whole picture-taking thing and completely forgot.  I didn’t get around to this until 5pm, so really it was more of an appetizer.

Dinner

I have random leftovers in the fridge right now that need to be used – fresh pizza sauce from Earthfare, cooked red kidney beans/black beans, polenta, turkey breast.  Decided the four of those together didn’t sound very appetizer, but I was able to come up with something for two of the four:

Turkey & Pasta Pizzaz – I’m not going to post this on the recipe page because it’s a bit odd…unless other people like weird combos, too.

- 2 oz whole wheat pasta

- 1/2 can diced tomatoes

- about 1/4 cup pizza sauce

- handful frozen asparagus

- 3 oz turkey breast

Boil pasta in salted water.  While pasta is boiled, saute frozen asparagus in skillet sprayed with Pam.  Add tomatoes, pizza sauce, and turkey breast once asparagus has thawed.  Drain pasta; mix all ingredients.

I topped the dish with some grated Parmesan.  This would have been really pizza-ish with turkey pepperoni instead of turkey breast and some mozzarella cheese as well.

My eyes were bigger than my stomach – I left some of the pasta so I could have room for fresh pineapple!

Okay, off for my date with the elliptical…