Can Gluten Free Really Be Yummy?

Instead of posting a blog this afternoon, I thought that I'd post a recipe. My cousin posted this on her facebook and it sounds delicious. She can't handle eating gluten and is always in the kitchen trying to find new ways to make her favorite foods gluten free.

In the beginning, I thought it sounded odd. Then, I took a look at the ingredients and completely changed my mind. :) I hope that all of you will enjoy this too. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Gluten free Caramel -Pecan Apple Crumble

1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
12 oz of sliced granny smith apples
12 oz of fuji (or whatever red they use in those pre-sliced bags)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger (I like fresh ground ginger)


Spay bottom of in a 9x13 pan with Pam spray. Place sliced apple in bottom of pan. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. In a saucepan melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat until mixture begins to boil, forming the caramel sauce. Pour mixture over apples in pan. Sprinkle with topping.

topping
1 stick of melted butter
1 cup pecan meal
1 cup cup almond meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cups chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients until a crumbly texture forms. Sprinkle over apples. The pecan and almond meal together kind of have an oatmeal-ish rustic taste so you're not missing the flour and oats.

Bake at 350 for about 45 mins.

Yum.

I may post a little later if I have time. :)

The Snacking Showdown

It's that time of night again. You know the one I'm talking about. You've had your dinner, it's late, and you're "hungry". What to do, what to do? While some of have the willpower to stay on track, others, including myself at times, feel the need to eat.

Some eat out of boredom, others eat for comfort. Some just continue their late night snacking habits because it's become part of his/her nightly routine.

So here's the big question: If you MUST eat, what do you eat this late?

Cookies? Potato Chips? Leftover pasta salad? I don't know if there is a true "healthy alternative" that overweight individuals can fit into a diet where it won't come back to bite them in the rear end.

My tip for snacking is try drinking a glass of water or a small 8 oz glass of cold milk. Sometimes drinking something is all you need to curve your appetite and knock out those cravings. :)

" You Ate What?!" Ginger Makes Dinner

At the moment, I'm currently cooking my dinner for the evening: Beef Stroganoff. Now, I know what you're thinking. "How can you eat that? It's loaded with fat!" If I were sitting down with an entire plateful, it would be awful for me, you're right. However, one key to success when dieting is to enjoy the foods you love in moderation. Chocolate cream pie may not be the best thing for you, but I guarantee if you have a tiny slice as a reward for all of your good work instead of depriving yourself the chocolatey goodness, you'll be less likely to cheat later down the road.

I'm making my stroganoff tonight using Wholesome Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff Mix.
























I'm also using very lean ground beef as well as skim milk in my cooking. Along with my dinner, I'm having corn and green beans. (The corn may seem starchy, but it's actually a grain!)





















My lunch consisted of 1 Ham and Cheddar Lunchable, complete with 2 vanilla sandwich cookies, equaling 410 calories.

(Detailed information: Serving Size: 1 package; Calories: 410, Total Fat: 21g, Carbs: 39g, Protein: 16g)

Those things may be little (and for kids), but they're actually a great dieting tool. You get the food you want and need and you also get a dessert item. (As small as those are, they're still amazingly filling.) Another benefit of the lunchable is the how they're already preportioned. True, they're not the greatest source of nutrition, but they're easy, affordable, and taste great.
For some, it's also a nice way to relive your childhood. Don't knock it until you try it!

Off to check on dinner! I'll blog a little more in a bit. Feel free to post comments and tell me what you do to make your dinners more healthy! :)

Sweet Tweets!

Hey everybody. I just wanted to share my excitement with you guys. I've joined Twitter. I'll be tweeting in addition to my blogging now. :)

Something new I'll be introducing is a tip of the day. I may keep those solely for Twitter only, but in the beginning, for those of you who don't have an account, I'll post them on the blog as well.

Have a happy day!


Today's Tip Of The Day: Don't eat in front of the television. Turn that bad boy off! Eating in front of the TV = eating past being full. :(

IF YOU DO TWEET, ADD ME ON TWITTER!
http://twitter.com/adventureginger

Conquering The Midnight Munchies

So after careful thought and consideration, I decided not to cheat and snack that late at night. It was far too late to eat and I sat at my computer content with my water. I began to have a chat with my friend Jason. He and I began discussing how we'd both like to lose weight, etc. It was all fine and dandy until our conversation took a turn for the worse. It went a little something like this:

"I love carbs a lot".

"Oh my God! Bread is so good!"

"Yes it is. Spaghetti is too."

"Yeah it is."

It all basically went downhill from there. While the conversation itself was hilarious, I'm pretty sure all we did was make ourselves hungry. The night went on as we continued to talk about food, telling each other periodically "DON'T DO IT!" when tempted to take the long walk down the hallway to the kitchen.

One thing that I know about myself also rings true of several people battling the bulge: We eat out of boredom.

It's not a nice realization, but it is something that we have to face head on. Grabbing a bottle of water instead of the big grab bag of Cheetos is not always the easiest option for some people. I know that this may sound silly to a few of you, but not everyone has the will power to take control, straighten up and fly right.

This may be the hardest thing I have to do. I'm going to give up my late night snacking. All that contributes to is empty calories and extra pounds. I'm quitting today. How about you?

Not Just Late Night TV

Apparently when Conan, Craig, and Jimmy start coming on late at night, they're not the only things lurking in the dark. It's this time of night when those pesky little late night cravings sneak up on you. Why is it that your body chooses to make you feel those cravings? Why must we have to rationalize whether or not we're actually hungry, just thirsty, or bored? Why can't our body work WITH us rather than against us?

Look bod, tell me when you need to eat. Don't play with my head. This is not what I need right now. What I need is some motivation.

Motivation. Motivation. Motivation.




























Okay self: You're not going to look anything close to this if you waltz into the kitchen and pick up a ding dong.

You're not going to look fabulous if you stick your hand into that bag of chips. (Fun sized my ass. There's nothing fun about extra pounds.)

I'm going to sit here and fight the temptation and merrily sip on my bottle of water.

I'm winning the battle...here's to hoping I win the war.

(Photo Courtesy Of Curtis Brown)

Shine Like The Sun

When trying to lose weight, everyone needs to first set a weight loss goal. At the moment, I'm still afraid to step on that scale. I'm not sure how much I want to know exactly how much I weigh. In addition to setting a goal, some people (myself included), choose an individual that they look up to for weight loss inspiration. My inspiration is Broadway performer, Megan Hilty. Ms. Hilty has been in numerous shows Broadway shows, one of them being a person favorite of mine, Wicked.

Currently, Ms. Hilty is playing the role of "Doralee" in the musical version of 9 to 5. I recently wrote to her to tell her how I feel that she is a great role model for a positive body image and also mentioned my struggle with weight loss. She was kind enough to send me an autographed photo for motivation and also enclosed a small note.

























































I look at this note when I need motivation and I know that it will help me along my journey.

If any of you reading are in the NYC area, I really recommend going to see the show. It's amazing. Ms. Janney, Ms. Block, and Ms. Hilty all give outstanding performances.

And So It Begins....

Hello world. I'm very excited to start blogging. FINALLY! I had an old blog before where I would just post silly things and I let that one go. I'm going to try to be posting daily. This blog is here to help me motivate myself to lose weight. I've been heavy all of my life and I'm ready for a change.

While I do love myself, I'd love to see myself in a smaller size and I know that no one can change that other than me. If I can take the time to blog, I can take the time to change my life. I'm ready for the new me. I've tried different diets and they all seem to be the same. The weight comes back and then some. While my girlfriends talk about their "skinny jeans" and their "fat jeans", I sit back, listen to them ramble on and just wish that I OWNED a pair of "skinny jeans".

It's time for Big Mama to change her ways. I'm ready to bust out of this body and reveal the true, sexy me that's hiding underneath. I hope that you'll be here along the way. :)