Easter

Easter baskets

Sometimes I think I complicate things.

   It could be so easy.  

I could go to the store and pay for a pre-prepared Easter basket.  

Right?  Most people do that.  

But... 

1.  We are Christians and therefore have more reasons to celebrate Easter than a bunny and chocolate.

2. We try not to eat anything with artificial colors or ingredients.

3. We try to limit sugar.

4. We do our very best to eat only organic

So... no peeps for us.

This makes things a little harder.

And a little more fun.

This is what the boys are getting this year for Easter.

Jack (4yo)

This is a veggie tales DVD all about the Easter bunny vs Jesus rising.

Veggie tales rock btw. 

Calvin (6yo)

Calvin is just learning how to read which make the Book perfect and he LOVES mazes.

Oscar (8yo)

Oscar is reading way above his grade level right now so I got him this awesome Heroes / Villains book (Bible Heroes and Villains)... along w/ a crossword puzzle book which I got because he loves to research stuff and each question list the verse in the Bible where the answer can be found.... it's like a clue!

And each basket has a few fake eggs too... but with quarters inside rather than junk.

And because I'm not a total spoil sport... some organic dark chocolate.  My kids are chocolate snobs anyway and would turn their noses up at those hollow milk chocolate bunnies.... so this is a win win.

Happy Easter!

What are you doing this year for Easter baskets?

Calvin's Chocolate Layer Cake

Calvin turned 6 last week.  

He requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Of course.

MMMM chocolate cake.  

If you've been following me you know I've lost 35 lbs and am now back to my pre-baby size.  I've become a Health Coach with Take Shape for Life and am loving all my new energy and enjoying a healthy lifestyle.  

I believe that part of having a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight is to live a little occasionally.   

If you never allow yourself any indulgences you will find it difficult to maintain it for life.  Which I plan to.  So I allow myself a glass of wine now and then and a piece of cake on birthdays. (if you are in a weight LOSS phase... you should do your best to hold off on indulgences until the maintenance phase)

In the past I'd make a HUGE 9" double (sometimes quad) layer cake.  It would take my family a week to get through it all. 

So here is my NEW way to indulge but keep myself on track.  

Make the cake smaller!  

I'll pause for you to grasp my genius.

Did you know a standard 9" double layer cake is supposed to serve 15-20 people? 

A 6" double layer cake serves 6-8 people.  And you can use ANY cake recipe... just half it.

So now you can indulge in home made birthday cake.  Once.  And then get back on track with out the other half of the cake staring at you each time you open the refrigerator door.

(btw:  I ordered really good 6" cake pans w/ high sides and removable bottoms on amazon.com)

Chocolate Cake

6 T unsweetened cocoa powder (the best you can afford) + extra for pans

6 T super hot water

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter (12 T) + extra for pans

1 C + 2 T sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1 T vanilla extract

1/2 C sour cream, room temp

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter & coat w/ cocoa powder 2 - 6" round cake pans. 

Mix together in small bowl cocoa powder & hot water until smooth. Set aside.

Mix together flour, soda, baking powder & salt in medium bowl.  Set aside. (I'm a big believer in getting everything lined up first)

Melt butter and sugar in saucepan over low heat. Stirring the whole time.  Remove from heat, beat in electric mixer (with whisk attachment) for 5 minutes at medium.

Add eggs, mix.  Add cocoa / water mixture, mix.  Add vanilla, mix.  Add 1/2 of flour mixture, mix.  Add sour cream, mix.  Add remainder of flour mixture, mix.

Divide between the two pans.  Tap gently.  

Bake for 40m.  Cool in pans for 10m, remove and cool completely on wire rack.  

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill over night if possible before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate

1 C +3T heavy cream

2 T corn syrup

Put chocolate in large heat-proof bowl.

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer over medium heat.  

Pour over chocolate.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir with spatula until smooth.  

Refrigerate until cool.  Using beater attachment of electric mixer... mix until light an fluffy.  This only take a few minutes.

You will use this frosting immediately.

Assembly

Get a cake plate.  Put a tiny blop of frosting in the middle (to hold the cake in place).

Now.  Cut the 2 cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 cake layers.  If you do this right out of the refrigerator it should be easy.  Then simply layer, cake, frosting, cake, frosting, etc.  Only use enough frosting between layers to very thinly cover the cake.

Then do your crumb coat (super thin layer of frosting to seal in the crumbs)

And the final frosting.  This is frosted very thinly btw.  Use an offset spatula to smooth.  For a super smooth surface dip the spatula in hot water... shake off and then smooth.

Put the rest of the frosting in a plastic bag w/ a pastry tip in one corner (you'll have to cut off a small corner for the pastry tip to go through)

Do whatever detail you want.

Now enjoy your single slice of cake!  It's a special occasion after all.  And the best part is you won't have tons of left overs to call to you tomorrow when you get back on your weight loss track!

Enjoy!

Read my Getting Healthy story.

If you are interested in learning more about getting and staying healthy please contact me!

Jennifer Z. Lewis

 Certified Health Coach

Web site: teamlewis.tsfl.com

Email: teamlewishealthcoach@gmail.com

"Like" me on Facebook

Baked Eggs

This post is about a recipe I created for a brunch I was hosting.

I wanted a fancy dish worthy of a "BRUNCH"... if you know what I mean.

The scones and lemon curd kind of brunch.   

Now everyone coming to my "BRUNCH" wasn't doing Take Shape for Life so I also made scones, fruit salad, etc.  But for those of us working hard to burn off our extra fat....I came up with this.

Baked Eggs

2 eggs

1/2 c diced ham

1 T 1/2 & 1/2

1T freshly grated Parmasan *

Salt & Pepper

Chives

*Let's have a quick chat about ingredients   I am a big believer in buying the REAL thing.  

Don't skimp... I know it is more expensive but here is the ticket.  

Are you ready?  

Eat less of it.

Revolutionary I know.

Also.  

IF you are doing the 5+1 this is considered a special occasion meal.  Ham is pretty high in sodium and shouldn't be eaten regularly as the lean.  You could substitute diced chicken.  And for your daily lean of the Lean and Green 2 eggs with out additional meat is sufficient.   But as I said above... I was hosting a "BRUNCH".

Back to the recipe.  

Spray a ramekin with oil.  

Throw in the ham & gently crack the eggs over the ham.  

Pepper heavily (or lightly if you like)

Grate the cheese over the top.

Now.. the secret is the 1/2 and 1/2.  Pour it right in there.

Bake at 350 until the eggs are how you like them.  Probably about 20 minutes.

Serve with a green salad and you are good to go!

Enjoy!

Read my Getting Healthy story.

If you are interested in learning more about getting and staying healthy please contact me!

Jennifer Z. Lewis

 Certified Health Coach

Web site: teamlewis.tsfl.com

Email: teamlewishealthcoach@gmail.com
"Like" me on Facebook

It's all math baby

How is your New Years Resolution of losing weight going?

Mind is going great.  Because I am good at math.  Let me teach you.

I think we make this weight loss thing WAY too complicated.

Here is what it boils down to.   

Are you ready?

If the calories in EXCEEDS the calories out you GAIN.

If the calories out EXCEEDS the calories in you lose.

See the teal & green columns?

See.  That isn't hard.

Now.

Look yourself up on this chart (from WebMD)

Gender	Age	Sedentary*	Moderately Active*	Active*
Females	19-30 31-50 51+	1800-2000 1800 1600	2000-2200 2000 1800	2400 2200 2000-2200
Males	19-30 31-50 51+	2400-2600 2200-2400 2000-2200	2600-2800 2400-2600 2200-2400	3000 2800-3000 2400-2800

 I use about 2000 calories a day.  So if I want to lose 1 pound a week I need to keep my calories at 1500 / day.  If I want to lose 2 pounds a week I eat 1000 calories a day.  The problem here is any "diet" that goes below 1200 calories a day for a woman can get dangerous.  

Which is where Take Shape for Life comes in. Our parent company Medifast has developed Medically Designed Meal Replacements.  They give your body everything it needs to thrive during a calorie reduced weight lose program.

With my clients I use the 5+1.  You eat 5 Medifast meals and one regular meal.... a Lean and Green.  It doesn't get simpler than that.  No appetite suppressants.  No extra vitamins.  Just 5 Medifast meals & 1 meal you cook.  

Done.  

And suddenly you find your calories out EXCEED your calories IN and BOOM... you are losing weight!

The beauty of TSFL is you learn portion control.  

You lean to eat small frequent meals.  

You learn the Habits of Health.

And I help you get from your fat loss stage through the purple transition and on to the dark blue which is your personal Optimal Health.

On the 5+1 Take Shape for Life I get about 1000.  And boom... there is my 2 pounds a week weight loss.  

Now... go & do your math. 

Let me know if you want my help in getting yourself healthy!  That is what I do!

Read my Getting Healthy story.
If you are interested in learning more about getting and staying healthy please contact me!

Jennifer Z. Lewis

 Certified Health Coach

Web site: teamlewis.tsfl.com

Email: teamlewishealthcoach@gmail.com
"Like" me on Facebook

Meatballs

One of the things we Americans love is our pasta.  

I know I do.  

But lots of carbohydrates don't support our weight loss efforts. 

When I have a craving for spaghetti and meatballs I opt out of the spaghetti part and make this:

Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

1 T mustard

2 t reduced sodium soy sauce

2 t Worcestershire sauce

2 t hot sauce

1 clove garlic

1 egg

Mix everything in a bowl except the meat.

Add the meat. Work as little as possible to get it all mixed. up.

Now I have tried 2 method of cooking these.

The mini muffin pan... bake in the oven way.  (350 deg for about 15 m btw)

And the brown in a pan way.

I MUCH prefer the pan way. The browning is better.

See?

Don't forget to weigh your portion size.  If you are doing the 5+1 with me you need to keep it at 5 ounces.

Now all you have to do is add your "green".  I picked steamed broccoli.  1 1/2 cups of it to be exact.

Enjoy!

Read my Getting Healthy story.

If you are interested in learning more about getting and staying healthy please contact me!

Jennifer Z. Lewis

 Certified Health Coach

Web site: teamlewis.tsfl.com

Email: teamlewishealthcoach@gmail.com
"Like" me on Facebook