Ritz Cracker Baked Cod

My family isn't big on Seafood but I do like to get them to eat some of the lighter fish meals. There are a few they actually love to eat and they are not fried!

Ritz Cracker Baked Cod

2lbs Fresh/Dry Ice Cod from Fish Market (Never Packaged)

Rub with softened butter

&

Coat with crushed Ritz Crackers 

Heat your oven to 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on how thick the cut of fish.

Serve with a long grain brown rice & quinoa and mixed vegetables! You can take your fish with or without lemon/tartar sauce.

I have to have a really good coleslaw with fish. It is more than a side dish for me, it is a necessity!

Cole Slaw

8 cups cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons onions, minced

1/3 cup sugar

salt and pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cabbage and carrots must be finely shredded. Combine in a bowl with rest of ingredients thoroughly. Cover bowl and refrigerate before serving. 

For dessert one of my Father's favorites, 

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

4 cups milk

1 cup long grain rice

1/4 cup raisins 

1 farm fresh egg, beaten

1 package vanilla or coconut cream pudding 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine ingredients in saucepan until it boils, cool 5 minutes and sprinkle with

cinnamon & nutmeg. 

I hope you enjoy the recipes!

~Eat4Self

Alfredo Sauce - Updated

Good Afternoon!

Is anyone else starting to feel like winter is never ending? 

I can't help but crave pasta when it's cold outside. Today I'm really dying for a great Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo. It took me awhile to find a decent recipe because I'm very picky, I love really good food! We have 3 teenage girls 15, 17 and 18! Plus another 18-year-old friend we may as well say is adopted so pleasing 4 females is a pretty tall order and a tremendous amount of patience.

I have grown pretty thick skin when it comes to cooking and baking for the family since I love to try new recipes often and they are my guinea pigs! Did I mention there are typically 4 teenage girls? Yeah, they don't politely eat what's in front of them! If it's not good, they say it, loud and clear! This has been the case with Alfredo Sauce. I think we went through a few until we found one that everyone liked, and I have to laugh remembering their faces everytime I said we were having it for dinner....HA!

Now here is the kicker, I think this is the correct recipe!

Update...It is amazing Alfredo Sauce & I doubled most ingredients :)

Enjoy~Eat4Self

Alfredo Sauce

1/2 Cup Butter (1 Cup)

2 Cups Heavy Cream (4 Cups)

4 Ounces Cream Cheese (8 Ounces)

1 1/2 Tsp Minced Garlic (3 cloves chopped)

1 Tsp Italian Seasoning (1 1/2 Tsp)

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Pepper

1 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese (2 Cups - Not shaker imitation cheese blends)

Melt butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Whisk until smooth. Add the parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Toss with grilled chicken, broccoli & favorite pasta!

Don't forget the Dessert!

Banana Split Sundae with Extra Spoons

2 bananas, sliced lengthwise 

2 scoops chocolate ice cream

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

2 scoops strawberry ice cream

Hot fudge sauce

Strawberry sauce

Whipped cream

Chopped nuts

Sprinkles

Maraschino cherries

In a large bowl, lay out the sliced bananas. Cover with the scoops of ice cream and drizzle hot fudge and strawberry sauce. Top with whipped cream, sprinkles and nuts. Place a few maraschino cherries on top. Add a couple spoons for sharing!

Quick Recipe

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Loin

2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin

1 teaspoon ground sage

salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water 

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mix together the sage, salt, pepper, garlic and rub over the tenderloin.

Place water in the crock pot with tenderloin and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

1 hour before the roast is finished, mix together brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water and soy sauce. Heat until mixture thickens.

Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. 

Optional: Cut slices in the pork and put apple slices into the pork. This helps to keep the pork juicy and more flavorful. Red potatoes and baby carrots are always a nice addition.

Coconut Custard Pie

1 package coconut cream pudding

2 cups milk

1 farm fresh egg, beaten

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flaked coconut

8-inch pie crust

Mix pudding, milk and egg in a saucepan until full boil. Remove from heat, add butter and coconut. Cool a few minutes before pouring into pie crust. Chill 4 hours and top with whipped topping.

~Eat4Self

Giveaway

Giveaway

As a thank you for leaving your email I'm going to give away 3 free copies of my Recipe Book on February 1st and 15th to random subscribers. I'll post the winners here on those dates! Your email address will only ever be used for a monthly update or seasonal recipe tips!

Thanks again!

~Eat4Self

Stress Free Goals

Stress Free

I have been reading and planning and over planning! I'm trying to put everything we eat into one clean habit and it's a very difficult and unrealistic goal for our family. So I'm going to stick with the great recipes we love but I'm going to stay as true as I can to some healthy goals. Food is one area of our lives stress doesn't belong!

Avoiding processed foods is a huge one for me. Cooking or baking from scratch with fresh ingredients is by far healthier, safer and in my opinion tastier! In my opinion, this one choice minimizes the exposure to the damaging effects of toxins, artificial ingredients, and preservatives.

Choosing lean meats, balancing vegetables & fruits throughout the day and maintaining healthy eating times are also goals I think are important for my family.

Please enjoy the recipes!

~Eat4Self

Steak & Veggies

10-12 ounces of sirloin steak, sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 red bell pepper, sliced

1-2 green bell pepper, sliced

1-2 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 1/2 fresh green beans

Worcestershire sauce

Chipotle sauce

Sauté steak in a skillet with oil. Add in vegetables (optional vegetables) and cover. Let simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain excess oil. Shake in Worcestershire & Chipotle along with salt and pepper. Let simmer additional 5 minutes to mix flavor. Serve over desired rice.

Creating Meal Options

We are still in January, so I am finding recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm intrigued, to say the least by clean eating but I'm hoping to be able to get through a week worth of recipes without my family disappearing at meal times! In the long run, I think this will be very rewarding and a healthy lifestyle change, but we all know how the word "change" makes everyone feel. 

It's my job to come up with interesting and appetizing meals so the "change" will be fun. I don't even mind some eye rolling, which I'm expecting as long as the meals are enjoyed. 

I am definitely going to have to add some fun and worthy snack options!

~Eat4Self

Breakfast Recipe

Spinach Quinoa Egg Scramble

2 large eggs

1 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

seasonings

Begin cooking eggs over medium heat in a skillet. Add in spinach (other greens) and quinoa. Mix together and cook until fluffy. Add seasonings.

Lunch Recipe

Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

(4 servings)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 cups romaine lettuce

1 large cucumber, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

1/3 cup black olives

lemon wedges

Dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons parsley

2 teaspoons basil

2 teaspoons garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Dinner Recipe

Baked Cod 

2 pounds Cod

2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

1 egg 

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon onion, minced

sea salt & pepper

olive oil or coconut oil

Apply Olive oil/Coconut oil to baking dish. Beat egg in a small bowl. Mix Panko and seasonings in another small bowl. Dip fish into egg, then into Panko (firmly coating the fish), then place into baking dish. Heat oven to 450 and cook for 15-20 minutes or until coating is lightly browned and fish is flaky. Serve with rice and vegetable.

Snack

Celery & Natural Peanut Butter

Planning Day 1

Here we go!

I started out today with some basic shopping list ideas and a day one meal plan. I think once I have about two weeks planned out, I'll begin! I'm pretty excited to start eating better for myself and my body. I'm also eager to see the results of how I feel overall. I am trying to keep my family in mind as I make out these lists since they live and eat here as well, this should be an easy transition! (haha)

Clean Eating Shopping List

Meats/Protein

Chicken
Fish
Lean Steak
Ground Turkey
Beans (black, pinto, kidney)
Nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)
Protein Powder

Dairy/Calcium

Unsweetened Almond Milk
Cottage Cheese
Greek Yogurt
Mozzarella Cheese

Farm Fresh Eggs

Whole Grains

Old-fashioned or Steel Cut Oats

Organic Bread or Tortilla's

Quinoa

Fruits & Veggies

In Season

Fresh

Frozen

(never canned)

Miscellaneous

Organic Tomato Sauce

Sea Salt

Organic Honey

Natural Maple Syrup

Black Pepper

Coconut Oil (for cooking)

Tea

Coffee

75% cacao or Dark Chocolate

Breakfast Recipe

1/2 cup steel cut oats

2 cups water

1 small apple, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Honey to taste

• Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until fully cooked.

Lunch Recipe

Egg Salad Sandwich on Organic Wheat Bread

INGREDIENTS:

8 large eggs

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp dried dill

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Romaine lettuce

Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Cover eggs with cold water and set aside for 8-10 minutes. Drain well and let cool before peeling and dicing. If eggs are very fresh crack while cooling in water.

In a large bowl, roughly mash eggs with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, salt, and pepper.

Serve sandwiches on wheat bread with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and egg salad mixture.

Dinner Recipe

Chicken Skewers

Slices of Green Bell Peppers

Slices of Red Bell Peppers

Slices of Yellow Bell Peppers

Asparagus Stalks, Halved

Thinly Sliced Chicken Breast

Balsamic Vinegar (check label)

Wrap thinly sliced chicken around a few asparagus stalks and pepper slices, skewer through to keep together and drizzle some balsamic vinegar. Serve with choice of Quinoa Rice or Sweet Potatoes!

Fresh, In-Season or Frozen Fruits or Vegetables can be used as a snack anytime throughout the day! Honey & Cinnamon are great substitutes for sugar cravings!

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and add in some green herbal tea!

~Eat4Self

First Goal

I'm not going to put weight restrictions on myself just yet or worry about counting my calories. I want to start changing our eating habits and find ways to encourage a healthier lifestyle. The first goal I am going to set for myself and my family is cutting out processed foods. 

I do pride myself in preparing most of our meals from scratch but going to the grocery store and choosing items to buy is difficult. There are a lot of choices and labels, it is time consuming and frustrating. If I don't personally buy the products then anything goes! 

Have you looked at the ingredients in the simplest of your grocery items? Next time you are shopping just look at the labels on bread. Grab a popular brand of regular white or wheat bread and read the endless ingredients IN BREAD! Then look for a minute and grab a healthy or organic loaf with maybe three natural ingredients. WHY are you eating all of this? 

Trying to go to a local grocery store and find non processed foods, organic or gluten-free has gotten easier but its still a challenge. There is no doubt it takes more time than throwing generic on sale items into the cart. 

I don't want to waste my time, walking endlessly up and down the local grocery store. I want to have my lists ready, my meal plans prepared and the ease of having the best choices at my fingertips at wholesale prices. 

I really enjoy receiving the bulk of my groceries to my door. They are the brands I trust, they are well packaged and no plastic bags! I still have to run out for some things but Thrive Market is my first choice to help me and my family achieve our first goal in 2017.

~ Eat4Life

Tomorrow I'll be starting lists and meal planning!

New Year Challenge

Now that the New Year is here I'm going to challenge myself & my family to healthier eating and better nutrition. 

During the Month of January, I'm going to be pulling together weight and fitness goals, food planning menus and shopping lists and how we are specifically changing our eating habits.

I intend on using Thrive Market as my main source of delivered foods. I have tried them previously and loved all of their choices for organic foods, gluten-free, raw, and more. Plus my membership gets a membership for someone else who needs it. The prices are wholesale which is great and can be up to 50% off retail price! I really love their products, their story and their effort for others.

They also have great giveaways

Monthly Giveaway
Invite Friends and Win a $1000 Shopping Spree
The movement towards a healthier world starts with you. Get the most friends to join Thrive Market and win a $1000 shopping spree! A new winner is picked each month! Each of your friends gets 15% off and you'll earn $25 in Thrive Cash when they become a member. Sharing with your friends is incredibly simple. Invite your email contacts and don't forget to share on Facebook and Twitter!
Ready to spread the health?

Mom's Apple Pie

It is this cold and damp weather that makes me think of crock pot meals and my mom's epic Apple pie! I can just taste it, warm out of the oven and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! She had this large ceramic Apple pie dish that I still have and use. I'm sure some of you have seen them. I included the homemade Pir crust recipe too, I have to have the perfect crust! I don't know about anyone else but I do know what is for dessert tonight at my house 😊

Please Enjoy ~ Eat4Self

Mom's Apple Pie

3 lbs apples (Empire/Cortland)

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 farm fresh egg

Line pie pan with half crust and coat bottom with flour. Mix sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut butter into pea size pieces. Place sliced apples into large bowl and coat with sugar mixture and butter pieces. Pour all contents into pie pan and cover with the other half of pie crust. Cut slits in several places and pinch down the edges. Brush top of pie crust with beaten egg white. 

Heat oven to 375 and bake for 25 minutes

Bake another 25 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Pie Crust

3 3/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon flour

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup cold water

Mix flour, salt, and shortening.

Add water and knead into two rounds of dough. (2 pie crusts)

Add more water if dry.

Roll out on floured surface.