Fit For Wellness

W.I.N.O.s

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Kasey

Last night to celebrate my mother’s birthday, my sister and I treated her (and ourselves ) to a Wine & Cheese Pairing class at W.I.N.O.s (aka the Wine Institute of New Orleans). Since wine and cheese are two of my favorite things, I had a wonderful time! I’m usually a red wine drinker but I do enjoy a few varieties of white wine during the warmer months. Over the last year, I’ve been in love with Santa Christina’s Sangiovese which Cory & I discovered over our honeymoon that was ironically in St. Lucia (not Italy).

During the class, I learned that sheep milk cheese pairs well with a soft wine like a Sangiovese or a Pinot Noir. Bolder red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbecs (which I’ve also been loving lately) pair well with parmesan and cheddar cheeses. We also sampled a type of goat cheese which paired wonderfully with a clean, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. I’m pretty confident that if Cory would have tried the goat cheese/Sauvignon Blanc combo, he may rescind his declared hatred of goat cheese!

Our overall favorite wine and cheese pairing of the night was a Spanish cheese and a Spanish wine… Manchego paired with a Tempranillo wine. The cheese had a nutty/aged taste which complimented the wine’s sweet spicy flavor! I’ve bought a few different types of Tempranillo in the past at home and have really enjoyed them.

The final lesson of the night was that I’m still not a fan of blue cheese!

Have you ever attended a wine class?

What’s your favorite type of wine?

Thanks so much for all the sweet comments about our photography side business! It has definitely been keeping us busy Smile

Hope everyone is having an awesome week!

Kasey

Posted in Alcohol | Tagged Everyday, Wine | 7 Comments

Let Me Explain…

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Kasey

Hey everyone! Some of you may be wondering where the heck I’ve been over the few weeks. Most of my waking hours involve- work, photography (more on that in a bit), and balancing my personal life with work and photography! I have a couple more weeks of night classes so posting should resume back to normal soon

I have some exciting news… My sister and I are starting our own Photography business on the side! We plan to focus on taking pictures of newborns, children, and families. Currently, we are ironing out all the business plan details. But we have been getting some practice in with photographing some family and close friends! Here’s a sneak peek of some of my favorite pictures we have taken over the last couple of months…

Have you ever turned a hobby into a fun side business?

Till next time,

Kasey

Posted in Photography | Tagged Everyday | 8 Comments

Chicken Quesadillas

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Kasey

To make Cory happy at dinner time, my “go to” choice of cuisine is Mexican. Not only is it a crowd pleaser but it’s also super quick to cook. Plus, with a few recipe modifications (whole wheat tortillas, low-fat cheeses, etc.) you can make healthier versions of your Mexican restaurant favorites.

The other night, I used up the leftover rotisserie chicken to make chicken quesadillas.

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

-grilled chicken, shredded (I used ~8 ounces of rotisserie chicken)

-1/4 tsp. garlic powder

-1/4 tsp. onion powder

-1/4 tsp. chili powder

-1/4 tsp. paprika

-1/4 tsp. black pepper

-1/4 tsp. oregano

-1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

-whole wheat tortillas

-salsa

-low-fat shredded cheese

-olive oil cooking spray (I used a Misto)

Directions

-Season shredded chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

-To assemble the quesadillas, first layer the tortilla with salsa. I used Whole Food’s Black Bean & Corn Salsa which was perfect for quesadillas!

-Next, layer on the shredded, seasoned chicken.

-Then, layer on the low-fat shredded cheese.

-Top each with another tortilla. Spray olive oil onto a heated skillet and cook each quesadilla on medium for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.

Let cool and cut each quesadilla into 4 slices. I served with guacamole and salsa.

It turned out delicious and was very quick to prepare!

Have you ever made quesadillas at home?

What’s your favorite Mexican dish?

In other wellness news, I have finally persuaded Cory to practice yoga with me at home. He had been mentioning for the last few months that he wanted to try it out for the benefit of stretching and core strengthening. So far, we have done a couple beginner videos from On Demand. We are planning on trying a more challenging routine this week!

Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!

Kasey

Posted in Meal Planning, Recipes | Tagged Everyday, Health | 5 Comments

Rotisserie Chicken Pitas

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Kasey

Aside from the Mardi Gras madness in New Orleans over the last couple of weeks, I have been crazy busy with out-of-town guests, my brother-in-law’s wedding, and being short-staffed at work. (Any RD’s looking for a clinical position in Nola contact me!).

With limited free time at home, my strategy for healthy dinners has been quick and easy meals. The other night I threw together dinner in less than ten minutes thanks to the help of a store bought rotisserie chicken. According to the nutrition label, 3 ounces of the rotisserie chicken has 120 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

First, I toasted whole wheat pitas in the oven on low broil for a couple minutes. I placed a toothpick in the center of the pita prior to broiling so that I could easily stuff the pita with chicken and toppings afterward.

Once toasted, I spread a layer of hummus inside the pitas followed by some fresh spinach leaves. Next, I added the chicken and topped with some low-fat shredded cheese.

I knew this dinner was a winner when Cory proclaimed “This is really good!” after his first bite. An added bonus is now we have leftover rotisserie chicken to use in other quick and healthy dishes (salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, etc) all week.

What’s your favorite way to eat rotisserie chicken?

What’s your “go to” quick and easy meal?

Kasey

Posted in Meal Planning | Tagged Everyday, Health | 3 Comments

Spring Fever

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Kasey

Over the last couple of weeks, the weather in New Orleans has been perfect. Most of the days has been breezy with a high around the mid-seventies. This weekend I finally got to take advantage of the fabulous weather and enjoy some time outdoors. I’m a huge fan of “gym-free exercise” and always enjoy outdoor physical activity.

I’ve been practicing my photog skills and have been planning on taking Easter Pics for some family and friends. On Saturday, my sister and I took her boys to Audubon Park so that we can find good “Easter locations” and take some pictures of my nephews. For about an hour, we walked around the park trying to find a good spot for pictures with two boys, camera equipment, an Easter basket, and a bunny in tow. Yes, you read that correctly- we had a real bunny named Foo Foo with us that my sister borrowed from a friend! Unlike the nursery rhyme, this rabbit was very well behaved and did not harass any field mice Smile

We had such a great time and came out with some adorable pictures of my nephews. Some of my favorites…

On Sunday, Cory and I decided we couldn’t be inside on such a beautiful day and headed to New Orleans City Park. We walked around for a couple hours enjoying the beautiful scenery, ducks, and early blooms!

How was you weekend?

Did you enjoy any outdoor physical activity?

Hope everyone has a great week!

Kasey

Posted in Exercise, Photography | Tagged Everyday, Family | 7 Comments

Healthy Spotlight on Almonds

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Kasey

Hello friends! Thanks everyone for sharing their time-saving tips and strategies for eating healthy. I got a lot of great ideas from your comments Smile

Today is National Almond Day! If you’ve been a reader of Fit For Wellness for a while, you probably already know how much I heart almonds and almond butter! Almonds + Fresh Fruit = My Favorite Snack!

Why do almonds deserve a day of celebration? Almonds are a great source of protein, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Specifically, almonds are very high in vitamin E which may protect against cardiovascular disease. Almonds are also high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. An interesting tidbit I read today… Almonds contain a natural form of the same drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

One serving of almonds equals 1 ounce or 23 almonds which is approximately a small handful. A serving contains 160 calories, 14 grams fat (only 1 gram of saturated fat), 6 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber.

I pretty much eat almonds (or another type of nut) everyday for my mid-morning snack. I also frequently enjoy almond butter & jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread.

Do you eat almonds (or any other nut) regularly?

What’s your favorite way to eat almonds? With fruit? Almond butter? Added to side dishes, cereals, or salads?

Hope you are having a great week!

Kasey

Posted in Meal Planning, Nutrition, Snacks | Tagged Health | 7 Comments

Time Saving Strategies

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Kasey

Between working 40 hours a week and taking photography classes 6 hours a week, my spare time as been limited. Usually, Cory and I are pretty good about sharing household responsibilities; for example- when I cook, he does the dishes. When one of us is super busy the other picks up the slack. The last couple weeks however, have been challenging because he has also been crazy busy at work logging in an average of 70 hours a week on top of going to school part-time!

As a dietitian, I hear a lot of excuses on why people don’t eat healthy. The most popular are “I’m too busy to eat healthy” or “I don’t have time to cook”. I truly believe that everyone has enough time to eat healthy and/or cook with proper planning and time saving strategies.

The first thing I do once I get home from the grocery is wash and cut all the fresh fruit and portion them out into portable containers for Cory and I to take to work as healthy snacks throughout the week.

Another snack favorite in our house lately is honey Greek yogurt. I always have plenty containers on hand for a grab and go snack.

Because I’m not getting home until after 9pm two nights out of the week, I cook twice as much as I normally do when I have a free night to cook. For example, Tuesday I knew I would be getting home too late to cook on Wednesday. I planned ahead and prepared two dinners, Spinach & Shrimp Pasta (recipe coming soon!) and Shrimp Tacos, on Tuesday night that gave us plenty of home-cooked food as leftovers which is always better than the fast food option!

If you live with someone, how do you divide the household responsibilities?

Do you have any time saving tips or strategies related to eating healthy?

I hope everyone is having a great week. Thanks for reading

Kasey

Posted in Meal Planning, Nutrition, Time Management | Tagged Everyday, Family, Health, Home | 10 Comments

Pesto with Spinach

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Kasey

Today, I finally have a day off of work after working 9 days straight! Work has been pretty busy lately. I’m looking forward to drinking a pot of green tea, catching up on my favorite food and fashion blogs, and finalizing plans for Cory’s birthday this weekend. I must wrap his present that has been hiding in the trunk of my car!

Also, I have photography class this evening. My biggest milestone in the world of photography is that I have learned to shoot everything in Manual Mode without flash (including all the pictures in this post) by controlling the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed depending on the lighting situation.

(Photo taken for my first Photography Assignment)

The other day, I had a package of spinach whose days were numbered. I decided to make homemade pesto with spinach (instead of basil).

Ingredients

1 package spinach

3/4 cup almonds

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

salt & pepper, to taste

First, toast almonds over medium heat on a dry skillet (about 3-5 minutes).

In a food processor or blender, blend the spinach, almonds, cheese, garlic, broth, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

I served a couple tablespoons mixed with whole wheat pasta with grated parmesan as a topping. Turned out great!!!

I stored the rest of the pesto in a mason jar to use throughout the week for different things such as a sandwich/wrap spread and pizza/pasta toppings.

I bought a few mason jars over the holidays and I’m in love!!! I’ve been using them to store foods that I buy from the bulk bins at Whole Foods such as nuts and grains. Cory likes to use them as drinking glasses.

Do you have any storage tips in your kitchen?

What’s you favorite pasta topping?

Hope everyone is having a great week and staying warm Smile

Kasey

Posted in Organization, Photography, Recipes | 10 Comments

Prescription for Nutritional Healing- Book Review

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Kasey

A representative from Avery books contacted me and sent me a copy of the latest edition of Prescription for Nutritional Healing to review on the blog.

The title of the book immediately got my attention. Also, I was impressed that one of the authors was a Registered Dietitian experienced in nutritional research. When the 856 page book arrived at my doorstep, I knew there was a wealth of information inside on health and wellness. The book is described as a “comprehensive source of dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, and herbs.” There is an A to Z reference to illnesses with explanations of the disease/disorder, remedies, and holistic treatments.

The book contains three parts:

Part One reviews basic principles of nutrition and health, and explains various types of nutrients, supplements, antioxidants, and herbs.

Part Two contains sections on common disorders (listed in alphabetical order), anything from the common cold to cancer to urinary tract infections. Each section reviews symptoms of the disease/disorder and provides suggestions to treat the disorder/illness with dietary intervention and supplementation.

Part Three reviews alternative therapy approaches, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage therapy.

Immediately, I was a bit concerned that the book may “over-encourage” the use of vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements. I was relieved to find that at the end of each disease-related chapter, there was a list of other things to consider such as concerns/questions on the latest research. Also, it was stressed several times in the book that “the suggestions offered in this book are not intended to replace appropriate medical investigation and treatment. The supplements and medications recommended for a particular disorder should be approved and monitored by your medical doctor or trained health care professional.”

Overall, I think this book is a wonderful home resource to better understand nutrition, health, and disease processes along with multiple treatment options. I believe in combining the use of conventional medicine along with complementary and alternative treatments- this book does a great job of bridging the gap between conventional and alternative treatments with a user-friendly book layout.

What resources do you utilize for nutrition and health information?

How’s your week going so far?

My first photography class has begun and is in full swing! Working full time and taking photography night classes two nights a week has definitely been keeping me busy.

Kasey

Posted in Book Review | 7 Comments

Mini Broiled Burgers

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Kasey

What to do when it’s too cold to grill outside and/or you don’t own a grill to begin with? Broil indoors!!! An added benefit to turning your broiler on (other than the delicious food) is helping to warm up the house during the winter months! I think that’s one of the reason I enjoy baking so much during the winter.

I decided to put our broiler into use the other day and treat Cory to hamburgers. I’m very cautious about how often I cook red meat each week because high consumption of red meat increases the risk of heart disease. Because Cory is a beef lover, I usually cook extra lean beef once a week.

Mini Broiled Burgers

1 pound 95% lean ground beef

1 egg, well beaten

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1. Heat broiler with rack in top position. Mix all ingredients very well (works best when you use your hands to mix). Divide beef into 8 balls and press lightly to form patties.

2. Broil patties for about 8-10 minutes (less if you would like medium-rare burgers).

Nutrition Info: 1 burger (~2 ounces)- Calories: 119, Fat: 4.6g, Saturate Fat: 1.7g, Sodium: 77 mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Protein: 16g

I topped our mini burgers with low-fat cheddar cheese and served on whole wheat dinner rolls with a spinach, red bell pepper, and artichoke salad as a side. It was delicious!