Tag Archives: healthy

Guilt-free Street Food ~ Sidewalk Cart Sausage & Peppers Hero

Here I go again…..abandoning my blog! Life needs to S-L-O-W down.

I wanted to pop in and share a healthy recipe that I discovered in Shape Magazine {September 2012}.

Rocco Dispirito’s take on healthifying Italian favorites ~ this one caught my attention….

: Sausage and Peppers:

A typical sausage and pepper hero from a Chicago or New York street corner is delish, but can pack almost a day’s worth of calories {approx. 1150 cals}. Rocco’s guilt-free version has just around 290 calories.

Here is what you need:

Turkey or chicken sausages {I used TJ’s chicken sausages ~ sweet Italian pepper}

Whole wheat hot dog buns {I used TJ’s honey wheat hot dog buns}

7 cloves garlic, thinly sliced {I used like a dozen}

1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips

1 red pepper, sliced {I used the trio of peppers from TJ’s ~ red, orange and yellow}

1 sweet cubanelle pepper, sliced {I used 2 anaheim chili peppers…Google said this is an equivalent}

1/4 cup no-sodium, no-sugar-added canned chopped tomatoes

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Here is what you do:

Heat your sausages on a grill pan {they are already fully cooked}. Set aside. Spray a pan with Pam and sauté garlic, onions and peppers for about 8 minutes. Add in tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Place the sausages into the pan with the veggies and heat for a few more minutes. Season lightly with salt & pepper and turn off heat.

Lightly toast your buns and add mustard of choice {optional} and a sausage link and then top with a heaping pile of peppers and onions. Serve immediately.

These make great football grub and you don’t have to worry about all those extra calories on game day.

Enjoy!

P.S. Are you going to watch the Chargers strike the Raiders’ to the ground tonight?

Feeling Independent ~ A Festive & Fit Fourth

This year we’re attempting a more healthified Fourth of July. Lately I’ve been feeling a little {off} and am hoping that dedicating July to establishing a healthier lifestyle will alleviate some feelings and anxiety I’ve been having about my well being lately.

I have decided to bow out of a Cupcake Wars that I was invited to attend…for now, I need to step away from some cooking and baking things that I love and start focusing on lighter, less sugar meals and snacks. I’m making little tweaks with the daily eating habits, but not being unrealistic and saying that I will {never} eat ice cream again. Or cutting carbs out once and for all. Forever. No, just making better choices…fresh choices…and taking the time to prepare them and the time to sit down and ENJOY them. Eat to live, not live it eat, I guess you could say.

Yes, I will still bake indulgent goodies, but certainly not as often as I was. But I know that I also need to learn that just because I make or bake something, I do not need to eat it, but I think we all know that it’s easier said than done! For now, I am just better off not making these sweet treats at all until I can get some good focus and momentum with this new lifestyle change.

I am proud to say that I hit just over 40 miles in June and am shooting for over 45 in July. Join me on Instagram {@aaspiras} or just start your own daily log ~ it’s equals out to a little less than 1.5 miles a day. Last night alone I started the month off with 4.75 miles and wasn’t even feeling 100% so I know I got this 45 mile thing wrapped up. YOU do, too. I prefer getting out there at night when it cools off rather than an early morning outing. C’mon, let’s go!

All that said…..

Tomorrow we’re planning on hooking up the bike trailer and going for early morning Starbucks {for Jay and me} and donuts {for the kids} to kick off our Fourth.

A couple breakfast options are:

Red, White & Blue steel cut oats ~ Oats topped with raspberries, blueberries & coconut

R, W & B smoothie ~ Ice, 1/2 cup almond coconut milk, 1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt, raspberries, banana & blueberries {with a festive straw, of course!}

The Fourth isn’t complete without some burgers and fresh sweet corn…

R, W & B Turkey Burgers {protein style} ~ Fresh summer tomatoes, sweet vidalia onion and blue cheese wrapped in big lettuce leaves

Fun Grilled Corn Disks

{via}

To wash it all down a little drink that was inspired by an IG post from {@baxtronlife}:

Pseudo Mojito

Add some fresh muddled mint, raspberries, a splash of sparkling water and some rocks and hopefully you won’t miss the rum!

For dessert I thought some individual angel food trifles with fresh berries would finish off the day before fireworks…

{via}

And I can’t wait to wear my new chevron skirt from Old Navy that I picked up for about $10!

 

Just pairing it with a simple navy tank and red rosette!

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I’m actually looking forward to not overindulging this year. It’s definitely time for a change.

How are you celebrating Independence Day?

XO

The Easter Bunny Is Making Healthier Choices These Days

The {Easter Bunny} is not one to talk.

E.B. has a sweet tooth like no other, loves to bake and can go through a box of Chewy Lemonheads in no time flat.

But, when it comes to filling baskets E.B. tries to make some better choices than just Peeps, Cadbury Creme Eggs, jelly beans, speckled robin’s egg malt balls, chocolate bunnies and bubble gum.

Generally, our Easter baskets are filled with useful goodies rather than a boatload of candy and little unnecessary toys.

Here are some suggestions for Easter basket stuffers with less sugar and less likely to end up on the floor after a day…..

Sunglasses for the upcoming summer months

Flip flops

Tooth brushes

Band-aids {our household goes through these like they’re goin’ out of style!}

Summer jammies

{both from oldnavy.com}

 

Reusable water bottles

Sugarless gum

{Washable} crayons or markers

Coloring books

Bubble bath {we don’t use this regularly so it’s a treat}

Of course, it’s OK to throw in a few Dum Dum lollipops or some chocolate eggs. We don’t want the Easter Bunny to be a total buzz kill.

After all, that’s why he put a new toothbrush in the basket!

{our baskets from last year}

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Happy Hopping!