Lasagna Roll-Up's

Picture from Classy Cooking 

I have another delicious recipe I want to share. I found this recipe for Lasagna Roll-up's on Pinterest which linked me to a blog called Cooking Classy. You can find the recipe, here. They were really tasty and easy to make. What I LOVED about this recipe was the "roll-up" part. You pretty much make twelve separate servings of lasagna in a baking dish. You cook the noodles, lay them flat, pile on the cheeses, sauce, and meat and then you roll them up and put them in a 9x13 baking dish. After you have them all in the baking dish, you put more sauce and cheese on top. When they are done baking you sprinkle fresh Italian Parsley over the top.

I love it because they are portion controlled and just the right amount. I have a favorite lasagna recipe I have made for years that I can't wait to make into roll-up's. I honestly don't think I can go back to baking lasagna the "traditional" way.

Crazy Sexy Diet

A couple of weeks ago Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Diet, was on one of my new favorite shows, The Revolution. She was talking to the "hero of the week" about cancer. The hero, Jennifer Cahalan, was a survivor. Kris talked about how she was diagnosed with a rare, untreatable cancer back in 2003 and what she has done to fight it. She went home from the Doctor's office the day she was diagnosed and started researching longevity diets, she took nutrition classes, and pretty much tried to find any information on completely changing her diet and lifestyle. This young, thin actress from New York went from partying, dieting, and not sleeping to healthy, vibrant, and thriving with cancer.

The reason I picked up this book is not because I am looking to start a new diet. This book suggests a vegetarian/vegan diet that is gluten free. That is a little extreme for me right now. But, I was interested on what things she did to rid the toxins from her body and her life. She talks about everything from eating clean, to spirituality, to sleeping, to supplements, to eating organic and supporting local farms, to getting rid of all the toxic cleaners and chemicals in your home. As I read it, I will share some fun facts along the way.

You can find out more about Kris Carr, here.

Fabulous Food Find: Laughing Cow Cream Cheese

I love bagels and cream cheese but they are so high in calories. So, when I find an healthy low-calorie alternative I get really excited! May I introduce you to The Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread. It comes in Classic Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Garden Vegetable, and Cinnamon Cream. 

Just like The Laughing Cow's Wedges (spreadable cheeses), they come in a convenient, pre-measured little wedge. The Laughing Cow is genius! And the best part is, they are only 45 calories and they taste delicious.

Paired with a Thomas' Bagel Thins at 110 calories, it makes a really low-calorie breakfast or snack.

Resolution 1: Eat Even More Healthy

"The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." - Ann Wigmore

You probably already know that I love fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. I try and buy all of these foods all-natural or organic and make most meals from scratch. I crave healthy food. But the reason I am not a size six is because I still have some pretty bad habits holding me back. My worst habit is my insatiable sweet tooth. I love cake, cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, etc. 

One of my 2012 resolutions is to eat even more healthy less-processed and organic foods. Before I start working on my other resolutions I am going to focus the next month on getting my bad eating habits and emotional eating under control. I am really going to work on cutting back on portion sizes, cutting back on sweets and learning to have them in moderation, and continue to keep fried and processed foods out of our diet. I have also picked up a pretty bad habit at work - I have a Venti Raspberry White Chocolate Mocha (640 calories) that I will now replace with a Grande Non-fat Latte (130 calories). 

One of the main reasons I have to become the healthiest version of myself is for my little girl. Of course I want her to love healthy foods and have an active lifestyle, but I don't want her to ever have a bad body image because of me. I need to be the best role model I can be. I have seen so many young girls pick up on their Moms bad habits of never ending dieting or self-destructive criticism (calling themselves fat or worthless). They don't need to see/hear that from the person they look up to the most. Am I right? 

If we eat healthy as a family and stay active as a family I am hoping that will not be another thing for her to deal with in the future. I want to teach her that diets are only temporary and that a healthy lifestyle is forever.