BAKED WHITE FISH

2 teaspoons peanut oil    
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 small kiwis, cleaned and sliced thin
2-4 white fish, cleaned and scaled, 2 pounds each
salt & pepper to taste   
3 tablespoons white wine    
3 tablespoons CHAMPAGNE DRESSING (or substitute fish or chicken stock)  
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 lemon, sliced

• This will work with other whole lean fish and cuts or 'roasts' of halibut or pink salmon.
• Adjust the cooking time according to the thickness and density of the fish.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spray baking dish well with PURE.
• Rinse the fish well inside and out, pat dry, season lightly with salt, pepper and paprika and lay side by side in a shallow baking dish.

• Layer lemon slices loosely over fish and season again.
• Pour  the stock, dressing and ending with the butter over each filet.

• Make a loose tent of foil over the tail of the fish and place in the oven.
• Bake, rotating the pan once halfway through the cooking time, until a skewer easily enters the thickest part of the fish, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

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Mid Week Blue Plate Special/Happy Leap Day

Photo taken at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Untitled "Blue Plates".



To finish off Fitness February with a Flair, please check out how the color blue suppresses appetite at Color Matters.

Thank you so much, and Happy Leap Day, Year too!

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CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

I can't remember where I first saw this recipe, but it is soooooo good and needs to be passed around again and again!  I'm posting this just for MarthaM - ROFL

CAKE
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

• Mix everything together except for the butter. 
• Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

TOPPING
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon

• Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. 
• Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. 
• Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

GLAZE
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
4-5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. 
•  Pour over top of warm cake.

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PORTION CONTROL OR DEPRIVATION?

MarthaM and I are using a new tool, My Fitness Pal to aid in our weight loss, workouts and food monitoring.

Martha and I talked recently about posting some healthy recipes.  But, before we do that I thought I'd mention a few points that help tremendously, but don't make you feel like you're depriving yourself.

 image credit

• HYDRATION - I cannot stress how important this is.  Drinking enough water (at least 8 glasses a day) is key to weight loss and toning muscles.  The body just can't do without it.  And no soda, tea, beer, etc... DO NOT count towards that goal.  Keeping your body hydrated goes a long way making it easier for your body to give up some extra weight and tone your muscles too.
• PORTIONS - In today's world everywhere you go, they are offering bigger and bigger portions!!  By using My Fitness Pal you can see how little you really need to keep your body going and more importantly satisfied.  Overeating is really one of most people's biggest problem.
• EXERCISE - without exercise, the body just keep storing all that food and fat for a rainy day.  YOU have to train your body to use the calories for energy.  It's all about what YOU want and do.
• CHOICES - We all snack.  Anyone who says they don't is probably lying or just unaware.  They key is to make healthier choices.  Don't reach for that cookie, reach for the apple instead.  Thinking about some ice cream?  Open the other door and pull out a yogurt or even a string cheese.  There are so many other things we can satisfy our hunger with besides cookies, crackers, chips, cakes, etc...  I often buy grape tomatoes and pop a few of those or a basket of blueberries...

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Motivation Monday - Making Fitness Fun

There are lots of different ways to make fitness fun. If you have children or grandchildren go out and play! Throw the ball around, have races, ride bikes together, shoot some hoops, play Frisbee. If you like a sport of any kind, play it often. If you love nature, go on long walks. Hop, skip, jump, run! Do you have a pet? They love to run and play too you know!

(photo credit)

This week's Challenge is all about fun and games. Who doesn't like fun and games? Go ahead raise your hand. Just what I thought, we all like fun and games! :)

I came up with a few fun little things we can do when we are at home that will contribute to our quest for fitness. My boys think it's silly but are willing to go along with it for at least one week. Here's what we have so far...

1. Reach for the ceiling and hold it for 5 seconds every time we pass through a doorway.

2. Consider our desk chairs and the couch a hot seat - every time we are going to sit down we have to stand back up when our butt just barely grazes the chair (squats) 5 times.

3. Do 10 wall push ups before opening the fridge or freezer.  

4. Do tooth brushing calf raises - up on your toes, hold for 5 seconds and then back down, do these 25 times while brushing teeth.

5. Do 25 jumping jacks before using any electrical appliance in the kitchen.

These are just fun little ways to sneak in a little extra. Our rule here this week is anyone caught doing any of the things mentioned without the attached exercise has to do double!

Can you think of more? Have fun with this challenge, and let the games begin!

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R & R for Sunday, February 26th, 2012

Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. 

Thomas Dekker

R and R tip # 90:  Regroup and Restore

Rest, relax and sleep for a healthier life style.

Sleep, like food and water, is necessary for everybody because it is a time when the body is at rest and can heal. Unfortunately, in today’s frantic society sleep tends to be put on the back burner

When people mention that they want to improve their lifestyle they usually refer to two things, eating properly along with an increase in physical activities.

Though diet and exercise are critical components of healthy lifestyles, it’s also important to remember that sleep is inherently linked with how we eat and how much, how we exercise and whether or not we lose weight, and how we function on a daily basis. Getting the proper amount of sleep each night is necessary to face the world with your best foot forward.

Think about the last time that you didn't get enough sleep and how the next day played out? Perhaps your memory was a little bit off, or maybe you saw yourself getting irritated by small nuances that had occurred. 

Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles.  Sleep will improve your memory, cause you to live longer, curb inflammation, spur creativity, sharpen your attention span, and reduce levels of stress.  All very good reasons to get a good nights rest.

Take time for yourself - Outside of your exercise regime and taking better care of yourself through a healthy diet try getting more sleep, This will help relieve stress and take care of your emotional well-being.  Even small changes to diet, exercise and sleep habits can return big benefits to your health and  how you feel when you wake up each morning to face the world.

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma

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IT'S TIME TO GIT!

The idea of a GIT Challenge is to play catch up with whatever we need to get done. Just leave a comment saying you'll play along, minimize this post so you can easily come back to it throughout the day, stop what you are doing (meaning get off the computer and stop procrastinating!), take an hour right now to catch up on things you need to do and work as fast as you can!

Come back every hour or two and leave a comment with your progress. Check out what other participants have accomplished - all in the comment section, no blog hopping necessary. After updating, get back to work for another hour or so until you're done for the day. We always accomplish so much during these challenges!

Jump in anytime, there's no special time to start or finish. It's fun working together - join us!

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