Buffalo Chicken Salad

I recently subscribed to Eating Well Magazine.  Much to my surprise and delight my husband found a recipe that he was willing to try.  He thought it looked so good, he decided to make it himself for us to share at dinner. 

It was a hit!  I loved it and so did he.  It’s easy breezy to make, can be done in less than 30 minutes and meets our calorie goals for dinner.  I think this one is going to be part of his regular rotation.  I hope you enjoy it at your table as well.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese plus 1/4 cup, divided
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk
• 4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 large stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

PREPARATION

1. Combine 1/2 cup blue cheese in a small bowl with buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; mix well, mashing slightly with a fork. Set aside.
2. Place chicken in another bowl; sprinkle with flour and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss until coated.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in hot sauce and the remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar and cook, stirring often, until the chicken is coated, about 1 minute.
4. Combine lettuce, carrots, celery and cucumber in a large bowl; add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with an equal portion of chicken and 1 tablespoon each of the reserved blue cheese.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 291 calories; 11 g fat ( 4 g sat , 4 g mono ); 75 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 32 g protein; 5 g fiber; 607 mg sodium; 832 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (350% daily value), Folate (44% dv), Vitamin C (25% dv), Potassium (24% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat

SMART Goals!

We all have goals or something we are working towards.  I'll bet a few of us even made resolutions this past January and as we cruise into the end of February I wonder how many of us are still on track.  It's very tempting to make vague future goals such as; I'm going to lose weight, or I'm going to get into shape.  However, it's very hard to figure out how to get started achieving those goals or knowing when you've reached them.  Often people (myself included) get discouraged and will quit.

Here's a quick trick about making goals you can reach!  SMART goal setting is a very popular strategy.   Here's how I use the strategy.

SMART Goals=

S specific; answer who/what/when/why questions to get clarity on what you want to do
M measurable; Ask yourself, how will I know when this goal is accomplished?
A attainable; Identify if this goal is attainable for your current lifestyle and circumstance.
R realistic; Given your current situation are you willing and able to do what needs to be done?
T timely; What is your time line for this goal?  Is it a short or long term goal?  If it's a long term goal what are some short term goals you can meet along the way?

For example; my goal is to lose weight.  Let's use the SMART Goal method to improve my chances of sticking to it!

Is my goal to lose weight specific so that I know exactly what I'm working towards?  Well, not really.  Let's make the goal a bit more specific:  "I want to lose 10 pounds."

Is the goal measurable?  Well now that I've rewritten it, I can measure my loss in pounds so YES it is measurable!

Is my goal to lose ten pounds attainable.  Here's where some soul searching comes in.  I know that before I got married and moved to Germany I weighed 10 pounds less, and I managed to maintain that weight for quite a while.  I think losing 10 pounds is pretty attainable, so I'll say YES!

Is my goal realistic to my current lifestyle?  Well it is hard to lose weight when you travel as much as I do.  I've also been trying to lose this 10 pounds unsuccessfully for quite some time.  However, I am trying to eat right, exercise at least 5 times a week, and my husband is also trying to drop some pounds.  I think that this goal is relevant and realistic to my current lifestyle and family needs.  YES!

Is my goal timely?  Well, no I never did say how long I think it will take to lose these 10 pounds, just that I wanted to lose them.  I have a photo shoot scheduled at the end of April with my husband to celebrate our 2 year anniversary.  I think my goal will be "I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of April."  

After walking my goal through the SMART model it's changed from a vague "I want to lose weight" to "I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of April!"  Now that I have a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goal I can start figuring out how to meet that goal!

Try it with your goals to see if you can use the SMART strategy to further develop your goals.  It can be any type of goal!  Try it with professional, parenting, and relationship goals.  You'll be one step closer to becoming the person you are becoming.

Cheers,
Jen Cherry

Enjoy Your Journey Challenge!

While looking through the January inspiration ideas this morning I came across one that totally inspired me.  So here it is!

January Enjoy Your Journey Challenge!

How to play:

• Post a picture of yourself “enjoying your journey” of wellness on my Facebook page Cherry Wellness
• Your picture should show your journey & hopefully getting out of your comfort zone, or doing something non-traditional.  For example take a picture of you enjoying fitness at work!
• The more creative & inspired the better!
• The challenge will last through January & a winner will be announced Jan 31st!
• Share my page with your friends & tag yourself in photos!

This picture is of me while at cooking school in Italy!  Our tour group went to some medieval ruins.  I think I surprised all of my classmates by turning cartwheels, planking, and doing handstands!  I was just so HAPPY I needed to express it physically!

Breakfast!

Ever since I found canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) at the commissary I've been obsessed with pumpkin!  You can find the pumpkin puree in the baking aisle.  Just be careful to pick up pumpkin puree and NOT the pie filling.  Pumpkin is low calorie, fiber rich, and delicious in so many different imaginations.  I shared a pumpkin smoothie recipe with my clients a few weeks ago and thought folks might like this too! 

It's easy to make up a big batch, and put them in individual containers for a quick zap and then add toppings for a fulfilling quick morning meal.  I usually hold the granola but love to use 100% natural maple syrup for that touch of sweetness!

Enjoy!

Coach Jen 

Pumpkin Oats with Maple Syrup & Granola

Ingredients:

 2/3 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/3 cup quick cook oats

2 teaspoons chia seeds

Dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 mashed banana

1/3 cup pumpkin

2 tablespoons granola

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

 1. Bring water, milk, oats, chia seeds, spices, and vanilla extract to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, add banana and whip into oats. Cover and simmer on low, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Stir in pumpkin. Top with granola and maple syrup

Recipe found in Fitness Magazine