Food and Exercise

So Pat and I have been trying to make an effort to eat healthier and I have been really trying to incorporate time in my schedule to work out.  It is hard because I don't get home until 5:30 each night and once home I have to wash bottles, start dinner, feed and let the dog out, and PRAY that Lucy stays asleep in her car seat (as she falls asleep almost every night on the short 5 minute drive home from the sitters)  so I can get stuff done.

Weeknights tend to be a blur of activity, chores playing with Lucy so I wasn't sure how I was ever going to find time...or let's be honest, the energy to work out.  One of my friends told me about Jillian Michael's new Ripped in 30 dvd and so I gave it a try.  The work-outs are quick and only last roughly 30 minutes which is nice.  They are tough but the 30 minutes flies by!  Hopefully I can get this body back in shape as summer is quickly approaching!


 As part of our effort to eat a bit healthier too I made this awesome recipe last night.  It was SOOO good!  I made some couscous to go with it as well as some kale chips, which were delish, and so good for you! I didn't take any pictures as I totally forgot, but here is the link to the recipe I followed for the fish.  I followed it exactly except I used tilapia instead of cod which is just what I happened to have at home.

Panko-Crusted Cod

The Washington Post, January 14, 2009

Nourish

• Course: Main Course
• Features: Fast, Healthy, Kid-Friendly

Summary:

Panko, or Japanese-style breading, goes a long way in low-fat recipes that re-create the crunch of fried, breaded fish. Here, lemon zest and parsley boost the panko punch. Instead of dipping the fish first in egg and flour, slathering mustard on each fillet provides enough sticking power to keep the fish coated and moist inside.
The fillets are baked and then run under the broiler for a final crisping.
To bring even more flavor to the dish, the finished fillets are served on a plate moistened with lemon juice. With the juice beneath the fish, their coating stays crisp.
If you can afford a few extra calories, drizzle a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil on the plates with the lemon juice. That little bit of "good" oil will boost the flavor even more.
Cod is the traditional fish choice here, but any firm, white-fleshed fish would work. Serve with steamed broccoli.
4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• Freshly grated zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 4- to 6-ounce skinless cod fillets, preferably at least 1 inch thick (may substitute any firm, white-fleshed fish fillets)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard, or more to taste
• Nonstick cooking oil spray, for coating the crumb topping
• Juice of 2 large lemons (about 4 tablespoons), for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Use aluminum foil to line the bottom of a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the fish fillets in a single layer.
Combine the panko, lemon zest and parsley in a shallow baking dish; mix well.
Use paper towels to pat the fillets dry. Place them skinned (darker) side down on the lined baking dish or sheet, then sprinkle lightly with salt.
Use the mustard to evenly coat the tops of the fillets.
Working with one fillet at a time, invert each one onto the panko mixture, pushing down gently so the crumbs adhere to the mustard coating. Return the fillet to the baking dish or sheet and repeat with the remaining fillets. Use nonstick cooking oil spray to lightly coat the fillets' crumb topping.
Bake for about 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through (based on a guideline of 10 to 12 minutes' cooking per inch of thickness). Transfer to the stove top (off the heat) while you preheat the broiler.
Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the top broiling element; preheat the broiler.
Broil the fillets for 1 to 2 minutes, just to brown the crumb topping.
Meanwhile, spoon about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice across each individual plate, then lay a fillet on top of each portion. Serve immediately.

Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale, stems discarded and leaves torn
2 tbs olive oil
Sea Salt

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Put foil on a baking sheet and then toss together the kale pieces with the olive oil, make sure each leaf is coated.  Sprinkle sea salt on top and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until very lightly browned and crispy.
3.  Gobble up like potato chips, only without the guilt!




Last Bite:  Very quick and easy to make, and SO good!  I will probably make this once a week!

Updates....

It is clear I may be one of the worlds worst bloggers!  The funny thing is that I regularly think about blogging.  Anytime I take a picture, make a meal or watch Lucy do something oh-so-cute, I immediately start drafting my blog in my head.  And then, well, life just gets in the way....

At any rate, big news....we started Lucy on cereal!  This was a big decision for me to start her as she has a sensitive tummy and I don't want to agitate it again.  However...she has been showing so many signs that she is ready for food, so I thought it was time to give it a try.  Initially I was going to make her cereal as I plan on making the rest of her food so I could insure that it was made from quality organic ingredients.  But then I learned that when making baby cereal on your own, you have to cook it each time you feed your baby, unlike regular food (carrots, peas, etc.) where you can make a big batch and freeze it.  So I finally settled on Earth's Best Organic Cereal.  I have been really happy with it so far!  And the best part...Lucy LOVES it!

The first feeding I didn't really know what to expect, but she did great.  She opened her mouth wide and ate the whole (teeny, tiny) bowl!  Then she licked up the spoon!  It was hilarious!  Some nights when she is tired she doesn't do as well with her feedings...but so far, so good!

We also recently celebrated Easter too and had a great day with our family!  Here is a not so great picture of us on Easter morning.  I insisted we take pictures outside which was clearly a poor decision as we are all squinting and poor Lucy's headband had slid down and was right above her eyebrows...woops!

And, just cause I think my gal is so cute....a couple of extra pictures......

This was/is her favorite game to play.  She rolled over from belly to back about a month or so ago but has been working SO hard to get from back to belly.  So she will lay like this on the floor with almost her entire body rolled over except for her head!  She did FINALLY roll over back to belly 2 weeks ago and I even caught it on video!  I was so proud of her!

Can't believe she is 5 months old already!  She is growing and changing so much every single day!  What a blessing she is!