Sassy Black Friend

Northward, ho

The boyfriend and I are heading up to Philly on Wednesday for a mini vacation. We’re excited to spend St. Patty’s day with J and her man. She promised to post her menu, too.

On Friday the four of us are going on to New York for the weekend. Insane amounts of fun will be had.

Not the same

The boyfriend and I were talking this morning about vitamins. He’s taking a bunch now, and they seem to be working well. He’s got more energy and his skin looks great.

I usually just take a multivitamin, but I’ve been looking into the best vitamins for women, and have found a couple I think I’ll try.

It’s funny how we basically eat the same things but need different vitamins. Not just because he’s a man and I’m not, but because we’re different people, and everyone’s body reacts differently. There’s no perfect solution that will work for everyone. You just have to find out what’s best for you.

Turkey Burgers my way

As i’v been mentioning, the boyfriend and I are trying to eat healthy (er) lately. One of our favorite things to have for a quick dinner (especially after a few beers) is burgers and fries. Not remotely healthy.

But he loves my turkey burgers, so last night I decided to make them with oven “fried” potatoes to see if they’d fill the same craving. I’m happy to say they really did. And neither of us went to bed feeling like we were going to explode. This recipe makes 4-8 burgers depending on how big you want them. I usually go for 6, a good balance between a burger that feels substantial, but is small enough to cook fast – that’s the secret the keeping them moist.

Turkey Burgers Recipe

1.3 lbs ground turkey (don’t use just white meat, the burgers will be flavorless and dry – trust me)

3/4 cup of green peppers – deiced (great color contrast)

3/4 cup of onion – diced (yellow or white, red is better served on top of the burger)

1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I like closer to 2 – umami out the wazoo)

1 tbsp vegetable oil (anything with a mild taste will work – not olive oil!)

1/2 tbsp dried parsley

2 cloves of garlic – minced

1-2 tsp paprika

salt & pepper to taste Read more »

Pills, pills, pills

You’ll get the joke after my next post, I promise.

Anyway, the get healthy kick at our house continues. I have to say, I’m very proud of us. The boyfriend and I have been doing a really good job lately. We’re eating better, exercising more, getting good sleep, and taking our new vitamin supplements every day, instead of when we remember to.

Go team, go! He’s talking about training for a marathon. That’s going too far, I think.

Bowl of delicious

I found a big package of ground beef in the freezer that needed to be used, so I decided to make chili. Amounts are approximate and pretty much all of the ingredients are optional/substitution friendly.

Yummy Chili Recipe

2-3 lbs ground beef (turkey or chicken would work too)

2 chili peppers (whichever you like, remove the seeds and ribs to control heat)

2 large onions (or 3 medium)

8 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup chili powder + more to taste (use the best kind you can afford, it matters)

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 26 oz can plum tomatoes

2-3 cups low sodium beef broth (you can substitute beer for some of the broth, but we don’t waste beer in food at my house)

2 15 oz cans of beans, rinsed and drained (I like a mix of pinto and red, but any combo will work)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions Read more »

Eat more of these

One of the problems with a focus on weight is it ignores a lot of other indicators of health. I’ve always been on the low side of “optimal” weight for my height. But that doesn’t mean I’ve always been healthy.

On the contrary, the worse I eat, the thinner I get. When I’m eating crap I feel bad and am not active.

I also had high cholesterol for a few years until I started cooking again.

Everyone needs to control their intake of high calorie high fat foods. But you can offset some of the “bad things” you like with good things that taste good, without starving.

There are a lot of yummy foods that burn fat. Garlic is one. I eat it as often as possible. There are others…