Let's get started Living better - Recipe of the Day Enclosed

Alright Fat Farmers, let's get all the hoopla out of the way and start becoming more healthy today.  We're going to start slowly, by promising to eliminate all food that has been processed or has more than 3 ingredients listed. 


Really shouldn't be that hard.  How important is your health anyway?


Now, if you are really serious and aren't going to look back, I'd go to the pantry and either finish off ("waist" not want not) or throw away all, yes ALL of the snack food you have lingering there. (potato chips, crackers, chocolate bars, candy etc, etc)


Do it!!


We are going to have 3 or even 4 meals per day and at least 2 snacks in between.  You won't starve, trust me.


Breakfast: 
Start the day by having eggs and bacon or sausage.  Really.  No toast today.  Orange or tomato juice or water and or coffee or tea.


Lunch:
Eat at Subway if you have one near by.  Have one of their salads or even a sandwich on wholewheat.  Get one the the ones rated around 500 calories.  Drink water, not soda, especially not diet anything.


If you are hungry in between meals have an apple, tomato, celery, or even a pickle.  No carbs for snacks!


What we are shooting for is protein in the morning that will stick to your ribs and not turn to sugar quickly.  This should easily hold you until lunch if you don't put sugar in your coffee.  A nice hardy lunch will maintain your energy until dinner.  If you are tired and hungry eat some fruit in between.


See, this really isn't that hard, you just have to want to.  We will get more adventurous in the near future.  Start simple, don't cheat, please.  


If you find yourself cheating a lot, you really need more help than I can give you.  Either give up and stay fat, cheating your family out of having you around in the future, or get professional consulting.


Let me also explain that our goal is NOT to lose weight, but to be HEALTH.  The weight loss will follow.



Dinner:
Try this recipe and let me know what you think.  You can have it with a simple salad and home made dressing or oil and vinegar (better yet, lemon and a little olive oil).  Drink water or the wine you cook with.  Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed.




Baked Chicken and Sun Dried Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, cut into 4 oz portions
1 oz olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, cut in half then sliced thin
1/2 c sun dried tomatoes, chopped, (not packed in oil)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock (home made if you've got it, low sodium if you don't)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry.Place an ovenproof skillet over moderate heat. Once warm add oil. When the oil is hot, add half the onions to pan and place chicken in the pan with the onions.
Cook chicken for about 8 minutes or until it will release itself easily from the pan then flip to cook the other side. Continue to cook for 4 minutes.  Stir the onions to keep from burning.

Remove the chicken from the skillet. Set aside.

Place remaining onions and tomatoes over the caramelized onions in pan. Allow the onions and tomatoes to sweat in the pan for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat and add wine. With a spoon stir the pan to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This deglazing technique will remove the flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan and release it to the vegetables.

Add chicken back to the skillet. Add stock just until the liquid level reaches halfway up the sides of the chicken. Add oregano and pepper to taste. Cover with tight fitting lid and place in oven. Bake 30 minutes.


Enjoy.


No ice cream tonight.  Promise!