Two hours of cooking made fun with recipe, music apps
Posted: September 3, 2012 Filed under: Cravings, Planning to Eat, Weight Loss | Tags: animal protein, balanced diet, balanced snack, cravings, diet advice, gluten-free living, healthy-living, low carb diets, low carb eating, Low carb food, music apps, nutrition, podcast apps, protein, recipe beef, recipe manager apps, weight loss 3 CommentsI get many questions from people about how I maintain my 90-pound weight loss, and even better, lose weight. It's pretty simple and a bit boring–I plan, plan, plan, then cook, cook, cook. The key to my having healthy carbs, fats, and proteins at the ready is my weekly two-hour cooking session. Here's what I made today.

Wild rice meatballs, salmon patties, healthy sloppy joes, cranberry wild rice salad, and zucchini supreme
I will use the food from these recipes to make: meals for my family, my son's lunches, my husband's snacks, and my ample snacks and meals (remember, I eat 5-6 times a day to keep my blood sugar balanced–the best way to lose weight for the long term).
How I make it fun and easy: apps, podcasts, music
Seems like a tall order–making food prep and cooking a fun activity and not a chore–since I have a long list of things I'd rather do. I use Paprika, an iPad/iPhone recipe manager app, to help me keep my recipes organized and easy to follow. I enter recipes into the app or load them from the browser, and then when I'm ready to shop I simply add the recipe to my grocery list. The app is also on my iPhone, which I use to shop and track what I buy.
I like to listen to nutrition podcasts while I cook (yes, I'm that much of a nutrition nerd). I use Downcast to download them and keep them all organized. If I'm in more of a music mood, I turn on the 70's station on Spotify.
Food planning is self care
This is what it all comes down to. When you make food that nourishes your body, you are caring for yourself and your family. I've found that unless it's fun, or at least enjoyable, I won't do it.
I hope you can use these tips and apps to inspire your self-care cooking session!
Have a favorite app that helps you plan? Share a comment now.
Dear Nell,
I sent you an email last week. Could you please respond? Thanks!
Sincerely,
Patti Thies
Dear Nell,
Could you email me your recipe for Healthy Sloppy Joes? Do you eat them with any type of bread? Thanks
Sincerely,
Patti Thies
Here it is. I eat it plain. My son has half of a gluten free bun. Enjoy !
Sloppy joes
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 large chopped green or red bell pepper (about 1 1/2 cups)
1-2 TB. CHILI 3000
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
2 TB. Dijon-style mustard
2 TB. white vinegar
hamburger buns
Directions:
In a large, deep skillet brown the ground beef and onion. Cook until the meat is brown and the onion is soft. Drain any excess fat if there is any – usually there won’t be if the ground beef is lean. Add the turkey and bell pepper and cook until the turkey has lost most of its pinkness. Sprinkle with CHILI 3000, stir for 1-2 minutes until the meat mix is well coated. Add the tomato sauce, mustard and vinegar. Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns or your favorite crusty rolls.
Source: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/recipes/r-penzeysSloppyJoes.html
Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager