Homemade Hummus & Pita Chips

Yesterday, while I sat in the hair salon waiting for my 13yo to get blue streaks in her hair, I picked up a copy of Family Fun magazine, and found a recipe for homemade hummus and pita chips. I copied the main parts of it into a memo on my cell phone, and my mouth has been watering ever since.

I did a surprisingly good job interpreting my phone memo, because I tried it today and it turned out very tasty! Basically, it was just a can of chickpeas (drained & rinsed), juice from a lemon, tahini, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, a little olive oil, some water, cumin, and a sprinkling of salt - all whirred together in the food processer. Then, I guess because it looked pretty, a very small amount of olive oil drizzled on the final product.

The pita chips were made from cut up whole-wheat pita bread, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasonings - and then baked in a 400 oven for about 6 minutes. They turned out very light and crispy and tasted perfect with the hummus!

 

Edit: I found the actual Family Fun recipe online here.

How to Eat Mexican Food in Pittsburgh

It is hard to find really good Mexican, or Tex-Mex, food when you live in Pittsburgh, but I'm a Texas girl and I have my ways. It's also hard to keep Mexican food low-cal, but it is possible! How's this for today's lunch...

 Two Chicken Tacos: 335 calories

1. Go to the Strip District downtown and buy freshly made corn tortillas and a small block of chihuahua cheese at the Mexican grocery store.

 

2. Shred some boiled chicken and chop a very small onion. Grate just a little bit of the chihuahua cheese and set aside. Fry 1/3 cup shredded chicken and 2 tablespoons chopped onion in 1 teaspoon of olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small pan. Fry 2 tortillas until they start to bubble and are soft (just a few seconds).

4. Fill tortillas with the shredded chicken and onion, 2 tablespoons grated cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes, and as much cilantro as you like. Roll up and eat.

Yummy! These two tacos are only 335 calories. Believe it or not! No extra seasoning required, either - they are delicious because of the chihuahua cheese and cilantro - which means, very low sodium content also! See calorie breakdown at the bottom of the page.

5. If you have a glass of non-Mexican cabernet sauvignon with your meal, add 100 calories to the total. :)

Calorie Breakdown:

2 corn tortillas: 100
2 teaspoons olive oil: 80
1/3 cup shredded chicken breast (skinless, boiled in water): 90
2 tablespoons chopped onion: 10
2 tablespoons grated chihuahua cheese: 50
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes: 5
Cilantro: 0

Total: 335 calories

Running cold, and on empty

Bear with me. I took some pics Saturday morning, but was not able to upload them until tonight. But it is very important to note that Saturday was the FIRST REAL COLD RUN of the season for me....

I needed my Yaktrax! There were patches of ice and snow along the side of the roads, first time since March! I know what you're thinking: DORK!

Needed my ear muffs!

Oh, I am so excited to discover EAR MUFFS. These ear muffs are designed for exercising - they connect in the back of the head and don't slip! Last winter I wore a Nike headband thingie that covered my ears, and while I needed my ears covered, my head would get so hot and sweaty. (Hats are a big no-no for me - even though I was so excited when I discovered one that had a ponytail hole. But I get way too hot when I run, even when the temps are in the single digits! Luckily I have never had to run in sub-zero temps, but if I do I may need to put my hat to work blah blah blah blah, oh, caught'ya, you weren't listening were you?? Tsk, tsk, and blah, blah, blah...)

Doesn't it just LOOK cold? Well, it really was.

I didn't eat anything before heading out, and I really should have. I was sooooo sluggish. It took me 11 minutes to finish my first mile. I gained some momentum during the second mile, but remained uncharacteristically sluggish the rest of the run. Even a little bite of banana would have done me some good. By the time I got home, I was in desperate need of some good carbs and protein. (And a shower, my family informed me of - which I took care of eventually, I promise.)

I made myself a green smoothie....

On the bottom are chunks of banana, orange, pineapple, and apple, some raw almonds, ground flaxseed, and some ice cubes.  On top - a few handfuls of organic kale and baby spinach. I poured on about a cup of water, pushed the smoothie button, and....

Yay, a yummy green smoothie!!  If you have never tried a green smoothie, you must. I swear, the taste of the fruit overpowers the very mild taste of the greens. It looks green, but doesn't taste it.

I had also had an egg, and got protein, veggies, and fruit in one quick, healthy meal. Light, refreshing, and satisfying - perfect after a morning run! I like salads, but honestly, I like green smoothies even more. It's like a yummy, liquid salad that tastes like fruit!

Hooked on Green Smoothies!

This is my peach-mango green smoothie I had for breakfast this morning.

I have recently discovered the nutritious and delicious Green Smoothie, and I'm hooked! I've been hearing about green smoothies for years, but never got around to trying one myself. I enjoy eating salads and fresh vegetables, so I didn't think I needed to find a way to "sneak" in my vegetables. However, over the past few months I have been paying close attention to my daily intake, and I find that I'm not always eating enough vegetables every day like I thought - especially not the green leafy ones.

I would also like to lose a little weight before the 10K, which is coming up very soon. I have gained a few pounds since the half marathon because I had to quit running for a while when I injured my shin, and boy did that catch up with me quickly! (You can run easier and faster when you're lighter!) My vacation to Virginia Beach and Texas didn't help much (especially Texas, where I was tempted by Tex Mex food on a daily basis!).

After my 12-year-old daughter was born, I lost a lot of baby weight quickly by going on a SlimFast diet. I thought about doing that again, but it no longer appeals to me because SlimFasts are highly processed and full of sugar. Fresh, natural ingredients with no refined sugar is what my body needs. So, I decided to put myself on a Green Smoothie diet in the same manner of a SlimFast diet - I am having a green smoothie for breakfast and one for lunch, and then a "sensible dinner."  I did a little internet research on making green smoothies (since I really had no clue how to get started), went shopping for ingredients, and am pleasantly surprised at how GOOD they are! And very easy! Actually, it's much easier than putting together a salad. (And smoothies need no oils or dressings!) The greens have a very mild flavor, so what you taste is the fruit. Pretty much anything goes - you can use whatever fruit combination you like! My favorite is peach and mango - two of my favorite fruits. I've really enjoyed starting off the morning with a run and then chugging a nice, cold green smoothie when I get home. They are light and refreshing and satisfying.

Here is what I put in my green smoothie this morning:

5 cups of loosely packed spinach and kale, combined
1/2 orange
1/2 mango
1/2 peach
1/4 ripe banana
2 Tbsp. flaxseed
2 Tbsp. raw almonds
1 cup filtered water
1 cup ice cubes

Organic ingredients were used - and I cut up the fruit before adding it to blender. Fruit and nuts on bottom, spinach and kale on top. Blended on "smoothie" setting for about 1 minute, until everything was smooth.