Chicken Tamale Casserole ........

I came across some great recipes on the cooking light website (http://www.cookinglight.com/). I was looking for some new dinner options. This will help cure your craving for Mexican food with fewer calories.

Ingredients:

1 cup of reduced fat Mexican blend cheese, divided

1/3 cup 2% milk or fat free

1/4 cup of egg whites or egg substitute

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or ground red pepper

1 can of cream style corn - I used reduced sodium

8.5 ounce of corn muffin mix

4 ounce can of chopped green chiles, drained

1 can red enchilada sauce

2 cups of cooked chicken breast, shredded - I used ground chicken

fat free or reduced fat sour cream for topping

Cooking spray to coat dish

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine 1/4 cup of cheese and the next 7 ingredients (through the chiles) in a bowl , stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over the top. Next top with chicken and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and top each with a dollop of sour cream.

Nutrition Information:

Calories - 354

Fat - 14.1 g

Iron - 1.7 mg

Cholesterol - 58mg

Calcium - 179mg

Carbs - 36.3g

Sodium - 620mg

Protein - 18.9g

Fiber - 2.5g

Enjoy!

Exercise update....

Well since I started tracking my meals and fitness daily on self.com I have lost a little over 5 pounds and up to at least one hour of cardio at a minimum of 5 days a week. I am starting to add in some strength training. I am tired of being flabby and need to get in shape for my health! I am going to attempt to run with my husband. Those of you who know Mark, he runs 5-6 miles at a time like it was a piece of cake! Me - not so much! I struggle to get a mile in without feeling like death! I don't understand I can go on the elliptical for an hour and feel great. I try and run and I can't breath and cramp up. I am sure there is something I am doing wrong! I missed the gym this evening but will do some crunches instead. It is not much but better than nothing! I will hit the gym for at least an hour of cardio first thing in the morning! Good night!

14 Hands Merlot - Washington State

Friday evening we went to pick up our monthly wines from WineStyles @ Friendly Center. We are members of their wine club. Benefits include 2 bottles of wine each month, discounts on everything in the store, special events, and 2 weekly wine tastings! It is a great deal for $34.99 per month. We were not able to go to the tasting on Thursday. Bummer! One of the wines they featured was the 14 Hands Merlot. We decided we would try a bottle while we were there. Great choice! You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck! With our discount, the bottle was $10.79 plus tax. I did a little research to find out more about this wine and its winemaker. Usually we do not pick wines from the Washington State region. The website says - crafted from premium grapes in the heart of Washington, 14 Hands is a special find! Indeed it is. I was curious to see how this wine gets its interesting name. While cruising through the website (http://www.14hands.com/), I stumbled upon the origin of their name. It is named after the wild horses that once made their home on the land upon which 14 hands grapes are grown, the wine retains the original spirit of its namesake. The website includes tasting notes for each of their wines. I discovered some wonderful information for the winemaker. The wine was aged in a combination of American and French oak barrels for 12 months. It is a blend of - 85% Merlot, 14% Syrah, & 1% other premium red varieties. Another interesting point is that this wine can only be purchased in specialty stores, at the vineyard, & restaurants. This cannot purchased at your local grocery store. So go support you local wine store! Happy Tasting!

Tracking Weight Loss goals in 2010

I was surfing the Internet this morning and found an interesting tool on www.self.com. On this website you will find many helpful tools to stay healthy in 2010. As I mentioned in my previous post, a huge goal of mine is to loose weight. You can set up an account online for free that will track you daily meals, exercise, goals, & water intake. This morning I put in my weight, measurements, and my goal weight. Every week you can update you weight and measurements and it will track your progress. I am going to give it whirl! I think this will be nice to have to look back on the progress I have made. My goal is to be able to say at this time next year I made it! I will keep you posted on progress. Wish me luck!

2010 Resolutions!!!!!!!!!!

Well it is that time again....... time for the infamous New Year's Resolution List! I swear every year I make a ton of resolutions that over time get put on the back burner. I hope 2010 brings wonderful things in my life as well as yours! I must say, 2009, was a hard year. There were many blessings but lots of challenges. Some I wouldn't like to experience again but I believe these challenges make you stronger.

With 2010 I plan the following:

• Finish (done by February) my CPA exam and get back into the working world (in accounting)
• Continue to grow spiritually
• Loose weight - get back to a healthy weight and continue to reduce my cholesterol/blood pressure. This has been a resolution for the last 4-5 years. I have already started to work on this resolution. Started in August 2009 when I went to my doctor and had a wake up call! Since then I have lowered my cholesterol and lost 8 POUNDS just cutting out cheese, fried food, & eating less. Next step - add in more exercise.
• Continue to grow with my husband to keep a healthy happy marriage.
• Spend time with family and friends
• Go see more live music - a little selfish but it is fun!
• Live simpler
• Read more books - I have a new found love for reading. My mom would be so proud. If you think about it we are extremely blessed to be able to read.
• Organize my house

I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year! I will keep you posted on my list as I mark them off!

Motivation where are you??????????????

I am trying to study of course. I am having a hard time today forcing myself to do it! But I know if I just get this test done I will be a happy lady and will not have to worry about it ever again! I just feel like my motivation has gone out the door today. Any suggestions?

Santa for Seniors..............

Every year I adopt a senior for Christmas. This year Mark gets to share in the joy of doing this! You can find these "Santa's for Seniors Trees" at Harris Teeter. The gifts you buy go to the Senior Resources of Guilford (www.senior-resources-guilford.org). The agency is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization eligible to receive tax deductible donations. Although I do not have a lot to give I think every little bit helps and it makes you feel good! I miss my grandparents so this is a way to give back to someone who is in need of a little assistance.

This year, while shopping at Harris Teeter, I picked out the senior I decided to adopt for Christmas 2009. All of the Christmas wishes were heart breaking. A lot of these people were asking for everyday items such as canned food, light bulbs, clothing, and toiletry items. The person we adopted wanted CVS gift cards, large print books, light bulbs, and canned vegetables. We recently completed our shopping and fulfilled everything he requested. He is getting a CVS gift card, Barnes and Noble gift card, light bulbs, and LOADS of canned vegetables. I hope he has a very Merry Christmas.

I encourage anyone to do the same or make a donation directly to the Senior Resources of Guilford in order to make sure all of the Christmas wishes are granted!