Day 240 - How to Boil an Egg 101

This is not as simple as it seems. At least not if you like perfectly yellow yolks every time--none of that greenish/grayish outside. A few simple steps observed religiously each time you need a hard boiled egg will give you fail-proof results. (This is the prelude to Cauliflower Polonaise, tomorrow's recipe feature!)

How to Boil an Egg 101

• Begin with a cold egg and a pot. Place the cold egg into the empty pot and cover with cold water by at least one inch. Just trust me. 

•  Add 1 tsp white vinegar and bring to a rolling boil.

• Allow to boil for only 1 minute.

•  Remove from the heat, cover the pot, and set a timer for 20 minutes.

• When your timer tells you 20 minutes  have passed, remove the egg to an ice water bath and allow to cool there (about 10 minutes).

Voila! Perfect egg every time! And this beautifully boiled egg will come in handy for tomorrow's dinner side dish--Cauliflower Polonaise.

Day 153 - Late Breakfast

If you are a regular visitor to my blog and stalk my Sunday weigh in posts you'll notice that I was significantly later than usual yesterday... Life likes to drop BIG obstacles in your path some days. I eat after I weigh in so my breakfast was also significantly delayed. Around 11am is when I finally ate breakfast, which is a bit late to get the furnace burning, so I had to go with a bigger breakfast/brunch than usual for a weekend morning. Let's review, shall we?

So this yum-o omelet consisted of the following...

• 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
• a splash of non-fat milk
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 2 oz. lean deli ham
• 1/8 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

I sautee the pico de gallo with the olive oil first till the onions caramelize and are a delicious golden brown color. Then I pour my beaten eggs and milk and cook untill it's ready to flip. Then I add the ham and cheese and flip it over onto itself.

I can't resist sour cream with my ham and cheese omelets so a 2 Tbsp. portion will do on the side. And of course, what would breakfast be without some fresh fruit? Here I had 1.5 cups of grapes, cherries and strawberries. Yum : )  I gotta tell ya, the pico de gallo take omelets to a different place. *drooling on myself slightly*

This breakfast provides: 4 servings fruits/veggies, 1 serving heart healthy oil, and lean protein.
8 Points Plus for my Weight Watcher's buddies. 

Tomorrow: More of my pantry.

Day 126 - Up and At 'Em!

For most of my life I never really made time for breakfast. I'm not a high maintenance kind of gal, so rolling out of bed, brushing my hair and teeth, and a wrinkle free outfit was all that I required in a matter of about 15 minutes in the mornings. I also thought I was doing my figure a favor by skipping a meal. Turns out these behaviors and beliefs are completely counter-intuitive. Breakfast gets your metabolism churning first thing in the morning and sets your body up for a more energized day, meaning: clearer thoughts, more energy to move, better motivation to get things accomplished. All this with the added bonus of feeling less ravenous for that next snack/meal throughout the day.

3 egg whites cooked in safflower oil, wilted spinach, tomato

 My typical breakfast includes:

• 3 egg whites pan 'fried' with 2 tsps. safflower oil (flavorless so it doesn't alter the final taste)
• 1/2 cup garden fresh tomatoes and 1 cup of wilted spinach added to the eggs
• Bob's Steel Cut Oats oatmeal (made with fat free milk) with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• coffee with fat free milk
• 1/2 cup fresh fruit (berries, banana, plum, grapes, apple...)

 The nutrients this provides me with: 3 servings of fruit/veggies; 2 servings heart healthy oils; lean and yummy protein; 1 serving fat free/lowfat dairy; heart healthy whole grains; lots of dietary fiber.

This breakfast leaves me satisfied and much less hungry throughout the day. If you want a lighter version (this version is 11 PP for those readers from Weight Watchers) I would go with the egg and veggies and substitute a plain or vanilla yogurt cup for fill in for some dairy and extra protein (which would be 5/6 PP). What is your power breakfast?

Tomorrows topic: My (selfish) Weight Loss Goals