Saving Time

Not enough Time?
Time, it seems like we never have enough.  Although invisible, we feel it passing us by and the weight of those passing moments seems to grow stronger when we feel deadline after deadline approaching.  This week I was reading an article called, "American Women Crushed for Time: Have themselves to Blame?"  Normally, I would've passed this article over, but the "Have themselves to Blame?" part caught my attention.  It began to dawn on me, that in some ways I guess we do.  Before I go any further, I want to vouch for all the guys I know and say that I know you are crazy busy too.  I think women and men deal with day to day demands differently, and I also think that we ladies can learn from guys.  Guys are magnificent at compartmentalizing different aspects of their lives and for the most part have the ability to separate work from play.  The book, "Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti" explains it like this:  "Men process life in boxes.  If you look down at a waffle, you see a collection of boxes separated by walls.  The boxes are separate from each other and make convenient holding places.  That is typically how men process life.  Women process life more like a plate of pasta.  If you look at a plate of spaghetti, you notice there are lots of individual noodles that all touch on another.  Women face life in this way.  Every thought and issue is connected to every other thought and issue in some way.  Life is much more of a process for women."  A study of 3,000 women showed that 50% of women say they don't have enough free time and more than 60% feel guilty spending what they do have on themselves instead they spend their "leisure time" multitasking a weird mix of work and play which they referred to as "contaminated free time."  I think the difference that I've noticed in myself and other women that I know is that we do feel guilt when we don't multitask.  The article went on to say, women compare themselves to other women entirely too much, and "they can always find an example of someone succeeding in ways that they aren't."  So, how can we force ourselves to free up some time?  The suggestions the article gave were: 1) Delegate; and when you do, don't worry if things aren't done exactly as you would do them.  2) Focus on being "Good Enough," not perfect.  3) Don't Dwell on things, it's a waste of time.  4) Change the way you see life.  It's not a race.  After working hard, rest and recover.

Hot Brown Panini

Time-Saving Recipes:
Here are some great recipes that are just as delicious as they are quick to prepare.

French Dip Roast Beef
Grilled Chicken Tacos
Hot Brown Panini
Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken

Daylight Savings Begins:
Today is Daylight Savings Time.  Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour tonight.

Wrapping Up Heart Month

Good Morning Muffins
(Recipe Below)

Good morning!  It is turning out to be a lovely day.  Looking out the window, I am so tempted to go for a quick walk.  The birds are singing amazing little songs.  It is pretty chilly out there though, so I may just sit here and enjoy the view over my cup of coffee.  Speaking of coffee,  I feel ashamed to be writing this, but I want to be honest.  I did have to temporarily postpone my 40 Days of Water Challenge.  It wasn't working with all of the Share-a-thon prep we've been doing this week.  I will complete a full 40 Days of Water as I promised, but I have to postpone it by a week.  I hate that I am having to postpone it, but there is no way I can get through the long days of Share-a-thon uncaffeinated and be able to do my job well.

Wrapping Up Heart Month:  OATMEAL
I love feeling healthy; I'm sure you do too.  However, I don't necessarily love the effort it takes to be healthy. I try to make healthy choices with food and to make sure that I keep moving, but it's not always easy or convenient.  Since it is the final Saturday of February I am posting some heart-friendly Oatmeal recipes.  Oatmeal is so versatile, and best of all it's unbelievably good for your heart.  Here's some nerdy-girl Oat Facts for you from CookingattheCottage.com most of the recipes come from this fabulous site as well.  PS.. if the images are too small, you can enlarge them by clicking on them.

Preparing Traditional Oatmeal:
There are so many lovely things that you can do with oats.  If you want to prepare traditional oatmeal, keep in mind the best oat to water ration is 1:2, basically measure your oats and then double that amount for your water (ie 1/2 cu oats: 1 cu water, etc).

More than just Oatmeal:
Oats are a great way to add extra fiber to other recipes.  Here are some other recipes that I think you will enjoy as well.  And don't forget about the Oatmeal Pancake Recipe I posted [here].

Good Morning Muffins: 
Makes 12 Muffins
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup hot water

1 small zucchini, grated (about 1-1/2 cups packed)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped, toasted
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 cu)
2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin, coat with nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, stir together the wheat bran and hot water until the bran is completely moistened. Add the zucchini, raisins, pecans, coconut, and apple and stir until well mixed.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and lightens. (If you use a handheld mixer, this same step will take 6 to 8 minutes). On low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil and then the vanilla. Don’t pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn’t deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding it should take about 1 minute. When the oil and vanilla are incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer stand. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well mixed. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold carefully just until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined. Then add the bran mixture and fold again just until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly and filling the cups to the rim (almost overflowing). Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned on top and spring back when pressed in the middle with a fingertip. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. The muffins taste best the day you bake them, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you keep them for longer than 1 day, refresh them in a 300 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Granola: 
Makes about 10 cups
2-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)

1-1/2 cups wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats, wheat germ, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and salt and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until the dry ingredients are evenly coated. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir the granola with a spatula or wooden spoon several times during baking to ensure even browning. Let cool completely, then add the cranberries and mix to distribute them evenly. The granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Oatmeal Maple Scones:

Makes 8 Scones

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
1/3 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cold egg

Maple Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans, and raisins on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds, or until combined. Scatter the butter over the top and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are still visible. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup, and egg until thoroughly mixed. On low speed, pour the cream mixture into the flour-butter mixture and beat for 20 to 30 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. It will be fairly wet. Remove the bowl form the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the dry ingredients are mixed into the dough. Using a 1/3-cup dry-measuring cup, drop mounded scoops of the dough onto a baking sheet, forming 8 scones and spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. (At this point, the unbaked scones can be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 1 week. Proceed as directed, baking directly from the freezer and adding 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time).Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. To make the maple glaze: While the scones are cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and enough of the water to make a smooth, pourable glaze. You should have about 1/2 cup. (The glaze can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week). When the scones have cooled for 30 minutes, brush the tops evenly with the maple glaze, then serve. The scones taste best on the day they are baked, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you keep them for longer than 1 day, refresh them in a 300-degree-F oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Or, you can freeze them, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 1 week; reheat, directly from the freezer, in a 300-degree-F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Almost Forgot... 
Heart-Healthy Super Foods
I also mentioned that I would post a list of heart-healthy superfoods, but since this quickly turned into the world's longest blog post I will just share the link.  Click [here]

Heart Health: Reducing Stress

Multitasking: Should we, really?
This morning we've continuing our chat on how to keep your heart healthy.  If you read articles or talk to your doctor about heart health one of the main suggestions that you will receive is to reduce or eliminate your stress. For most of us, I think that would seem impossible.  For me personally, I have a lot of strong and hard-working women in my family.  I think we all seem to take pride in our ability to multitask.  While it is still impressive that we can, I'm not so sure that we should.  All of that multi-tasking really piles on the stress and endangers our hearts.

Hit Pause:  One suggestion I was reading today, was that we should be hitting the pause button.  It's tempting to feel guilty for taking a break when you have a lot to do, but taking that 5-10 minute breather just for yourself will not only reduce your stress.  You will be more productive in the long run.  Life Coach Robert Mack said, "Feeling stressed out means you're not focusing.  When you slow down and regain peace of mind, you'll be happier and more efficient."

Skip your to-do list... or some of it:
Don't be afraid to scale back on some of your to-do list.  Go through all that you need to do (chores, work, etc) and mark off one or two of those off your list that aren't necessary.  Instead of spending your time on those, do one or two activities that you really love.  You will feel less burned out, and it takes some of the drudge out of the rest of your day.  Your heart will thank you.

Get Your Coffee To-Go:
I'm not suggesting you always grab the travel mug.  If you are like me, when you are stressed you up the caffeine in-take.  When you refill your coffee cup, do you take it back to your desk and keep working?  If so, try taking your coffee break outside or at least in a more relaxing area of your home or office.  When your day starts to get stressful and you need a break, take one.  Head outside with your coffee or your tunes and walk around for a few minutes.  It will boost your mood, and relax your mind.

Chicken Quesadillas w Avocado Tomato Salsa

Heart-Smart Tex-Mex:
Just in time for lunch.  Here are two great recipes I found for a really tasty and heart healthy meal.

Chicken Quesadillas w/ Avocado Tomato Salsa:
This recipe has lower-fat tortillas and cheese.  The splurge is the avocado; however, though it's high in fat it's mostly the heart healthy kind that your body needs.  Plus, bonus points for the avocado as they have a natural cholesterol reducer.

Ingredients: (Makes 4 Servings)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1  green onion, thinly sliced

1  lime

1 pound skinless, boneless thin-sliced chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips

4  burrito-size low-fat flour tortillas

1 cup reduced-fat (2%) shredded Mexican cheese blend

1/2  avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup(s) salsa

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Directions:  

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add green onion and cook about 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, from lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. Evenly season chicken on both sides with lime peel, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.  Add chicken to green onion in skillet; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Transfer to bowl; stir in lime juice.  Evenly divide chicken mixture and cheese on half of each tortilla; fold over to make 4 quesadillas.  In same skillet, cook quesadillas on medium, in 2 batches, 8 minutes per batch or until browned on both sides and heated through. Cut each quesadilla into thirds. Stir avocado into salsa; serve with quesadillas.

Nutrition: (per Serving) Cal 400, Total Fat 14g, Sat Fat 5g, Cholesterol 86mg, Sodium 970mg, Total Carb 31g, Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugar 0, Protein 38g, Calcium 0

Sauteed Shrimp on Warm Black Bean Salad:
While shrimp has more cholesterol than other seafood, according to the article it's still heart smart because it is so low in fat and other calories.  This recipe is also fiber-packed, because of the black beans which also happen to outscore all other beans in antioxidants.

Ingredients: (Makes 4 Servings)

1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 teaspoons olive oil

1  lime

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (15- to 19-ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

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Directions:

Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil on medium 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook about 6 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque throughout, stirring frequently.  Meanwhile, from lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice; set aside.  Transfer shrimp to small bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion and red pepper, and cook 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cumin; cook 1 minute. Add black beans, lime peel and juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until heated through. Spoon black bean mixture onto 4 dinner plates. Top with shrimp and any liquid in bowl; sprinkle with chopped cilantro 

Nutrition: (per Serving) Cal 240, Total Fat 5g, Sat Fat 1g, Cholesterol 172mg, Sodium 740mg, Total Carb 24g, Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugars 0, Protein 16g, Calcium 0

Spontaneous Joy

Spontaneous Joy: One of my favorite things in the world is pure and simple joy.  I love to laugh and be random and goofy with all of my favorite people.  Obviously randomness by nature isn't something that you can plan, but you can practice living in the moment and letting yourself enjoy your family, friends, and all of the things you love about life.  Give yourself permission to whole heartedly indulge in moments of joy withouth worrying about deadlines or to-do lists.

Don't worry about what they think: Life is more fun when you stop caring about what other people think.  It's not easy, but after a while it does get easier.  I will admit that I definitely began to enjoy life a whole lot more when I stopped taking myself so seriously.  Trust me, I still have my self-conscious overly perfectionistic moments - especially when it comes to something like my work.  However, the more I practice letting people's opinions dictate how I feel about myself the happier I am.  For instance, I am naturally clumsy.  It's pretty much guaranteed that I will trip at least once at some point this month, but it's a whole lot more fun to curtsy and laugh at myself than to worry about how I looked when I landed.  Don't worry about what everyone thinks.  What's really important is that you live, love, and enjoy the blessings that God has given you.

Renewal

Renew Your Mind:
This morning as I was reading a quick devotional for the day, it really meant a lot to me.  It spoke about making sure that we keep our thoughts in check.  It's easy to allow our stress or worries to consume us and then before you know it you are thinking more about what might go wrong than about what God has promised in the Bible for those who love Him.  So the next time you're thoughts are running away with you, remind yourself of things that God has done for you in the past and remind yourself of all of the promises that He has given you for the future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Renewed Wellness: Here are a couple of key things to make sure you keep yourself and your family well all winter long.  Keep in mind germs from coughing with uncovered mouths travel 6 to 8 feet!

• Eat Bright Colors: Eat the brightest and most colorful fruits and veggies.  They are packed with the most vitamins and nutrients that boost your immune system.  Add as much color and variety to your meals as you can.
• Sleep Deep: Research suggests that only about a third of Americans get the seven to nine hours of shut-eye required to help keep their immune systems operating at full throttle.  Those who averaged fewer than seven hours a night were three times more likely to catch a cold than those who clocked eight or more regularly. We produce the hormone melatonin during nighttime sleep, which prompts a key type of immune cells to destroy infected ones. Over time, less sleep leads to  a subpar immune system.
• Eliminate Stress: Our immune systems are highly sensitive to stress. A study in Health Psychology suggests that chronic stress, or intense pressure lasting a month or longer, can make you more than two times as likely to get sick when you’re exposed to a cold virus compared with someone who isn’t overstressed.
• Scrub and Sanitize: Common knowledge, but the CDC says that in order to kill germs, you’ve got to be thorough. Lather up and scrub every crevice, including between your fingers and under your nails. Take your time, at least 20 seconds before you rinse and dry.  Wash your hands, door knobs, phones, counters, and anything else that could be contaminated by cold germs. 
• Travel Wisely: Confined space, lots of people, and dry air.  Cold viruses thrive in this environment.  According to a study from the University of Nottingham in England, those who took public transportation were six times more likely to suffer from respiratory infections than those who didn't.
• Turn off the Heat: Finishing a warm shower with a blast of chilly water may create a reflex action that supports immunity by stimulating lymphatic circulation.     Article Referenced

 New Hope:  With just a couple of days left of 2011, it's a good time for reflection, but it's also a good time to build up a great expectation for what God has for you in this New Year.  If this has been a great year, give God praise.  If it's been a difficult year for your family.  Hang in there. God has a good plan for your life, and always completes in us what He has started.  Phillippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Lets look forward to good things together! 

Get Fit Trends for 2012

Fitness Trends for 2012

This morning I mentioned that those who have added Fitness to their New Year's Resolution lists can expect some new trends in 2012.  It looks as if health and fitness experts will be working hard in the New Year to make getting fit easy & affordable for everyone. 

Here's some things that will be Trending in 2012:

• Lower Cost Health Clubs & Gyms:  Expect some quality low-cost gyms monthly fees to dip as low as $10 a month.
• High Intensity At-Home Programs:  Specialized circuit-trainint programs will be more readily available for seasoned excercisers who want to work out at home or on the go.
• Streaming Workout Videos:  More workout content providers are starting to offer subscription-based streaming of their workout videos offering fitness lovers more variety for their workout.
• Unique Training Tools: like TRX suspension training systems are becoming more popular gym features.
• Use of Technology:  Fitness apps, Nike+ Pedometers/Running Technology, Online food journals, Social Networking sites, and emails.  Technological advances make it easier that ever to track your progress, keep food journals, and seek motivation on your fitness journey. 
• Small Group Training: Jam-packed fitness classes leave beginners feeling lost and everyone else feeling like you aren't getting enough personal attention to spurn your maximum progress.  Small Group Sessions of around 6 so that everyone gets attention they need.
• New Approach to Goal Setting: Strong is the new skinny.  Fitness goals are being set with strength in mind instead of focusing solely on losing weight.  Article Referenced

Mirror Mirror
In the image driven world we live in, it is easy to lose perspective of who we really are.  More people than ever seem to be dealing with problems with their self esteem.  Yesterday, I was reading a story written by a lady named Noelle and she was describing an encounter that she had with a friend of hers.  She noticed over tea that her friend had a photo of her on her bulletin board in her kitchen for everyone to see.  When she saw the photo she found herself cringing.  She thought that the image was horrible, and felt humiliated to have it displayed.  Noelle told how she began making negative comments about her appearance.  She thought her face was too round, her smile was all wrong, and she hated her nose crinkles.  Her friend then began to explain why she loved the picture.  She told her that she has a way of laughing that makes her whole face light up, and that she loves that about her.  Noelle described how her other friends all had similar photos of her laughing posted in their homes.  She went on to talk about how her friends showed her some things about herself that she'd never seen before.  Next time you are tempted to look at part of your image or personality negatively, remember that like Noelle you aren't seeing all of the wonderful things about you that everyone else finds so very special.  You are valuable.  (Psalm 139:14).

Optimism and other Boosts for your Mood:

Optimism and other Boosts for your Mood:

As we transition from Christmas to the New Year, here are some tips for staying Optimistic and keeping your spirit up throughout the season and into the New Year.

• Quiet Optimism: Did you know that taking time for yourself is linked to having a more optimistic outlook? If one of your goals is to be more optimistic this year, then studies show that you should spend time in quiet thought or prayer. Even if you only have a few minutes spent in quiet contemplation you will see noticeable benefits. The group of adults studied spent an average of six hours and 13 minutes over the course of five weeks  which translates to a couple of minutes a day.  The study showed patterns of brain activity typically associated with positive moods increased. 
• Breathe Easy: The short, shallow gulps of air most of us take when we're tense make us light-headed and even edgier. That's why Robin Ehrlich, director of New York City's Eastside Massage Therapy Center (and just about every other stress expert interviewed), suggests that when you're feeling frantic you should stop, close your eyes and refocus your breathing pattern. "Shifting to deep breathing will soothe your nerves, send oxygen to your brain and refresh your mind," she explains. Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of eight. Fill your belly—not your chest—with air. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 10 to 16. Repeat five to ten times, until you feel calmer.