Smothered Pork Chops – Slow Cooker Recipe

2 Jan

Never in a million years did I ever imagine that I would own a Crock Pot.  One lucky day in November, I wandered into Publix to buy supplies for making spiced apple cider for a cook out.  I had contemplated buying an airpot or really big thermos so that we could have it outdoors by the grill, but then my eyes fell on sadly misplaced Crock Pot in the spice aisle.  For the right price, it would be perfect.  I looked everywhere for its price or bar code or original shelf, but came up short.  After an extensive search involving multiple store employees, it was determined that no one had a clue as to where the Crock Pot came from or how much it should cost.  The manager finally came over and asked me how much I thought it should cost.  I jokingly called out “five dollars.”  Much to my surprise, I became the happy owner of a $5 Crock Pot that day.

The cider stayed piping hot that night, but the next morning I was already starting to regret my new appliance.  I’d always thought Crock Pots were so 1975, and not in a cute, retro-vintage way.  I finally decided to try out a new dinner recipe in it the other night, and the results were pretty amazing.

This little guy just might be the solution to having more home-cooked meals come January, when the Hubs and I will both be back in school full time.

This recipe is pretty simple.  I adapted a Paula Deen recipe for Smothered Pork Chops (forgive me, it didn’t even call for butter!), and just browned my pork chops for a few minutes before throwing them in the crock pot between layers of sliced onions and peppers.  You could use any veggies you want in this dish – carrots or mushrooms would be nice additions.

To make the cooking liquid, I just threw a couple cloves of garlic, a dash of worcestershire, and a cup of chicken broth into a measuring up and blended it with my Cuisinart immersion blender, which has become my new go-to kitchen gadget.  This was super quick, and I was able to avoid chopping garlic, one of my least favorite kitchen activities.

Here is the delicious result.  We ate ours with Perfect Brown Rice and steamed broccoli.

If you’ve actually made it this far, here’s the recipe.

Smothered Pork Chops

(adapted from FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients

  • 4 center-cut pork chops, 1-inch thick
  • Salt and pepper
  • Ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 medium green bell peppers, cored and membraned, cut into strips
  • 2 yellow onions, trimmed and cut lengthwise
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 to 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  1. Trim the excess fat from the chops.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne (omit the cayenne if you don’t like spice).
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Lightly roll the chops in the flour, shake off the excess, and add to the pan.  Brown about 3 minutes per side, remove from pan, and place on a baking rack or paper towel-lined plate.
  3. Put a quarter of the bell pepper and onion slices in the bottom of the crock pot, followed by one of the pork chops.  Repeat, layering peppers and onions with the chops.
  4. Mince the garlic, and mix into the cup of chicken broth.  Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  You can also cheat by adding the whole cloves of garlic to the broth and mixing with an immersion blender.
  5. Pour the broth/worcestershire sauce/garlic mixture evenly over the contents of the crock pot.
  6. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.

 

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A Holiday Splurge: Better than Sex Cake

30 Dec

I’m almost ashamed to post this cake on my “healthy” lifestyle blog.  This is the Hubs’ favorite cake, and he requests it for all special occasions and birthdays, no matter who is celebrating.  We’ve unofficially renamed it “Pineapple Cake” in our attempt to make talking about it in front of our families or our kid a little less awkward.  There’s nothing healthy or gourmet  about this cake (it’s a Paula Deen recipe, for crying out loud), but I dare you to just eat one bite of this fluffy, delicious dessert.

Go ahead, treat yourself and make this cake.  Make it this New Year’s for your family and friends.  And then run, no SPRINT, to the nearest gym and do 1000 squats.  It’s totally worth it.

Paula Deen’s Is It Really Better Than Sex? Cake

 

Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) box French vanilla pudding, plus ingredients to prepare
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup flaked, sweetened toasted coconut
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 13 by 9 inch by 2 inch pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
  3. While cake is baking, combine the pineapple and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
  4. Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into cake.  Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside until cool (I refrigerate mine for about an hour to be sure – ed. note).
  5. Prepare pudding according to package directions.  Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
  6. Whip heavy cream and remaining sugar until stiff.  Cover top of cake with whipped cream and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

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Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Turkey Bacon

29 Dec

We’ve had a few days of chilly, sweater weather here in FL.  This is the time of year when all of my Southern friends wear their peacoats with flip-flops and make me want to scream fashion disaster and avoid being seen with them in public.  This is also one of the few times of year when I can justify making a comforting, winter soup.  I celebrated by making this delicious broccoli and corn chowder.

I made a few tiny adjustments to this Martha Stewart recipe for Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon.  I substituted regular bacon for turkey bacon, I used 4 ears of fresh corn instead of frozen, and I used red new potatoes instead of russet (I was just working with what I had in the pantry on this one).  We all loved this chowder – even the 1 year old.  She gobbled up a bowl for dinner that night and lunch the next day.  I served it with a sprinkle of sharp aged cheddar cheese, which brought out the sweetness of the corn.

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Turkey Bacon

(adapted from MarthaStewart.com)

Ingredients

  • 4 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
  • 6 red new potatoes (or 1 large baking potato), peeled and diced into one inch chunks
  • 1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets
  • 4 ears of corn, just the kernels (or 10 oz frozen corn kernels)
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. In a large pot (you’ll be making the chowder in it, choose wisely), fry bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally until crisp (about 8 to 10 minutes).  Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate.  Add onion to the pot with the fat rendered from the bacon (my turkey bacon left very little fat, so I drizzled in a teaspoon or two of olive oil).  Cook the onion, stirring, until it softens (about 8 minutes).
  2. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir constantly for 30 seconds.  Add the broth and the potato, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk.  Simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until broccoli is tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve topped with the reserved turkey bacon and shredded cheese, if desired.

 

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Christmas, Chucks, and Cardio

28 Dec

December is my new favorite month.  I used to hate the holidays, and I was convinced that 8 years of working in retail had made me a totally cynical, joyless shell of a person about all things Santa.   It’s amazing what not worrying about labor VTI, sales goals, or supply/logistics issues does for the holidays.  (I’m looking at you, Starbucks supply chain – thanks for dropping 800 square feet of product into my mall store the size of a walk-in closet on Black Friday 2010 and jumpstarting my 3rd trimester preeclampsia.  No, I have not forgotten.)

This was the first year that I really got excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Even though the Mini is really too little to understand what all the fuss is about, I think she could feel the heightened excitement and love.  The Hubs, PopPop, and my Mini are all December babies, and my Mini had so much fun baking cakes and cupcakes, wrapping (and unwrapping!) presents, and just enjoying the company of her very attentive family.

After the past few weeks of celebrations, all of which included ample amounts of delicious food, the Hubs and I have been working out extra hard to keep the holiday pounds away.  Since we don’t often have the opportunity to go to the gym together anymore, we decided to start going to one of the local high schools to work out on their track.   It ended up being the perfect set-up for us:  Tom and I took turns jogging/sprinting around the track, while Audrey enjoyed her new found outdoor freedom on the football field.  And it gave her a chance to try out her cute, new Chucks.

All three of us got in a great workout, and it was a fun (and free!) way to spend a gorgeous afternoon with our family.  I totally recommend that anyone with little kids try it out sometime – it’s an awesome way to get the kiddos out of the house.  Next time, we plan on bring some tennis balls or a beach ball for the Mini to chase around, and I might bring along a kettlebell to get some strength/cardio circuits in.  I’ll post some fat-burning track interval workouts later this week for you to try out.

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Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach & Bacon Pasta

10 Nov

One of Audrey’s favorite foods is butternut squash.  I shouldn’t be all that surprised since squash and I had a pretty intense love/hate relationship during my last trimester of pregnancy.  It’s rich in vitamins and beta carotene, and it is supposed to be helpful with water retention (i.e. bloating).  So I ate a lot of steamed squash while pregnant…not the most delicious way to cook it, but it was quick and easy.

When I woke up yesterday to a rather gray and dreary morning, I started searching for a healthy comfort food recipe to try out.  I found lots of yummy looking butternut squash mac & cheese recipes, but the thought of eating mushy squash brought back memories of swollen ankles and heartburn.

Then I stumbled upon a recipe for creamy pasta topped with roasted butternut squash and bacon.  This peaked my interest, and I decided to try it out with a few adjustments.

The results were divine.  And Audrey approved – she happily munched on the roasted squash while I finished making dinner.  This is the perfect, comforting dish for a rainy fall day.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach & Bacon Pasta

It’s a little time intensive, mostly because you have to wash a lot of pots and pans, but it is definitely worth the effort.  This was delicious by itself as a main course, but it would also make an impressive side dish at Thanksgiving.

The original recipe calls for sharp provolone, which I thought I’d have a hard time finding.  Surprisingly, I stumbled across it as soon as I walked into the store, but you could substitute sharp white cheddar.  Gruyere would be yummy too.

Here’s the recipe.  Make this for dinner tonight – and don’t be afraid of the bacon and cheese.  One serving (the whole pan is 5) has just 460 calories, 14 grams of fat, 30 grams of protein, and 60 carbs.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach & Bacon Pasta

(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

  • 3/4 tsp salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (my squash weighed about 2 pounds)
  • Cooking spray
  • 6 slices sweet hickory smoked bacon
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup (a handful or two) spinach leaves, chopped
  • 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta (I used Barilla Plus)
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups nonfat milk
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
  • 3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded sharp provolone cheese
  • 1/3 cup (1.5 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
  3. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, spinach, and shallots; set aside.
  4. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
  5. Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add nutmeg, thyme, freshly ground black pepper to taste, and provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

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My favorite lunch date.

8 Nov

My little mini is turning 1 year old next month, and I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how much our lives have changed over a few short months.

One of my favorite highlights:  I have a standing lunch date (at least for the next two years) with the cutest kid on the planet.

If I could just get her rather discriminating palette to move past cheerios and sweet potatoes…

Someone recommended a couple of fairly popular mommy-blogs to me a few days ago.  I browsed some of the recent posts and was a little surprised at the negative undertones in these mommies’ writing.  One of the ongoing features of one of the blogs is a top ten list of various things you give up as a mom, or annoying things that kids do.  There was a lot of discussion about how much we  give up when we become mothers, and a sort of begrudging conclusion that its all worth it even if it means we don’t get to wear Jimmy Choos or drink martinis every night.  Another blog made jokes about substance abuse and medicating yourself to get through motherhood.  I had a hard time seeing the humor.

I understand the ‘Sex and the City,’ fabulousity, single girl lifestyle.  I have a closet full of stilettos and mini-dresses that have gone untouched (except for the occasional date night) for nearly 2 years now.  I wasn’t the girl who picked out baby names or fantasized about a poofy, white wedding dress.  I was a very reluctant mommy.

But now, there is not a single part of my life that I would ever trade for a new pair of Louboutins, or a girls’ night, or an awkward first date.  There is nothing better in this world than rocking my mini to sleep, or splashing with her at the pool, or having her feed me soggy cheerios.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am by no means the patron saint of motherhood, and I’m fully expecting some negative comments about how I should get off my high horse.  The point of this post is not to chastise frazzled moms, but rather to remind everyone to stop and take a moment to enjoy their beautiful children and to love them back just as fervently as they love us in their own (sometimes crazy) little ways.

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On memory cards, dealing with failure, and booty workouts…

30 Oct

Yesterday, I did a terrible, terrible thing….

I formatted the wrong SD card in my camera.  The good news and the bad news is that it just contained recipe photos from the past few weeks.  I’ve been cooking when I have time, but I’ve been pretty awful about posting recipes.  I was thankful that at the very least, it didn’t contain any precious family memories.  My mini has had a lot of firsts lately…first teeth, first steps, first attempted crib escape.  It’s been pretty eventful around here.

Something I’ve struggled with for awhile (almost as long as I can remember) is the inability to accept failure.  I’m the type of person who would rather not do something at all if I’m not 100% certain that I can do it perfectly.  I focus so much on doing these technically perfect rather than just enjoying the process.  And if one little thing goes wrong, or if I veer off course…well, the whole thing is obviously ruined.  After my last month of blogging failure, I was ready to just scrap this whole thing.  And then I realized that I enjoy this – it’s an excellent creative outlet, and there are a few of you out there who seem to enjoy following along.  And there are many of you who just stumble upon this site while searching for a recipe or a workout.

I realized that part of what makes it difficult for me to sit down and blog sometimes is the fact that I’ve been trying too hard to come across as someone who is perfect at eating healthy and working out.  But the truth of the matter is that I skip workouts occasionally.  Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking and we eat take out.  Once in awhile, I cook a Paula Deen recipe, and I use all the butter.  And last week, the hubs and I ate an entire crack pie in 48 hours.

I’ve come to the conclusion that these confessions don’t make me a terrible role model or an unhealthy person.  They make me as close to normal and balanced as I could ever hope to become.  Life doesn’t have to be about living in extremes.  I think that this makes me an even better example of someone who lives a healthy, happy lifestyle.  If I can eat cake and still wear my skinny jeans, then I’m obviously doing something right, right?

So if I post a cobbler or cookie recipe now and then, please don’t send me hate mail.  If we can’t have a cookie or two, what’s there to live for anyway?  We can’t all eat carrot sticks and broccoli every day.

And on that note…here’s a super-intense booty-kicking workout (plus a variation) that I’ve been doing lately.  It’s my go-to workout on busy weeks when I might only have time for one or two workouts.  The 10 sets of 10 split squats make this literally a booty-kicking workout.  I do my split squats by placing one foot on a flat bench behind me and focusing my weight on the heel that’s on the floor.  I add weight by holding a dumbbell at chest level in front of me with both hands.  When I say do a set of 10 split squats, I really mean that you will be doing 20 total.  10 on your left leg first, then 10 on your right.  If that doesn’t make sense, shoot me an email or comment, and I’ll try to explain a little better.

Booty-Kicking Workout #1

For this circuit, we are going to begin with a set of 10 Split Squats (10 left + 10 right) @ 20 lbs.  And between each set of exercises, do a set of 10 split squats.  Altogether, you’ll be doing 10 sets of split squats between 10 sets of other exercises.  I usually just grab a sip of water and take a deep breath between sets – try to take as little rest as possible.

  • Begin with 10 Split Squats (10L + 10R) @ 20 lbs
  • 10 Close Grip Pull-ups (30% bodyweight assistance if needed…if you weigh 100 lbs, use 30 lbs of assistance)
  • 8 Close Grip Pull-ups (20% bodyweight assistance if needed)
  • 10 Wide Grip Pull-ups (30% bodyweight assistance if needed)
  • 8 Wide Grip Pull-ups (20% bodyweight assistance if needed)
  • 10 Single Arm Rows (10L + 10R) @ 25 lbs
  • 8 Single Arm Rows @ 30 lbs
  • 15 Tricep Dips (or until failure…I just do these by holding onto the edge of a flat bench.  You can use parallel bars or do them assisted with a machine as well)
  • 15 Tricep Dips
  • Standing Bicep Curl 21′s @ 15 lbs in each hand
  • Standing Bicep Curl 21′s @ 15 lbs in each hand

Lately, I’ve been adding an extra set or two of tricep extension 21′s at the end of this workout if I have a little energy left.

I love this workout because it focuses on areas that we girls have a tendency to ignore, especially during the winter when we’re all covered up.  The split squats will tone up and lift your booty, and the pull-ups and rows will give you a sexy back.  The tricep dips will tighten up the backs/undersides of your arms and eliminate arm jiggle…you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Later this week, I’ll post a second variation on this workout that focuses on some different muscle groups.

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Latest workouts, new ideas, updates to come…

26 Oct

So I took an impromptu hiatus for a few weeks there.  Midterms happened, and the Hubs started the toughest academic portion of his school so far, and my little Mini has been learning to walk.  Life has been a little hectic lately.

It’s been hit or miss some weeks on getting to the gym.  I had been on a fairly regular schedule over the summer and was able to focus on specific muscle groups on different days.  Now that I’m only getting around 2 to 3 hours a week to work out, I’ve had to get even smarter and more efficient.  I’ll post some of the new workouts I’ve been doing soon.  Scout’s honor.

With the Holidays (and all of their glorious feasts and cookies) just around the corner, I’ve decided to challenge myself and set a new goal…all I want for Christmas this year are six-pack abs.  It’s so easy to get lazy during the fall and winter when there isn’t the constant threat of having to put on a bikini at the pool/beach.   While I’m pretty happy with the current, flat state of my tummy, I want to make it to the new year looking better than ever.

While I’m a firm believer in the fact that abs are truly made in the kitchen, I also believe that smart workouts are paramount to success.  Lately, I’ve been focusing on my abs/core as much as possible during my workouts.

Here are some easy ways to alter current exercises to strengthen your core:

1.  Use dumbbells.

  • When using a dumbbells instead of a bar for exercises such as rows or shoulder presses, you are ensuring that both sides of your body are working equally hard to perform the exercise.  It also requires more core stabilization to keep you steady throughout the exercise.

2.  Get unstable.

  • Performing exercises with a bosu or exercise ball forces your core to engage more throughout the movement.  Try using an exercise ball instead of a bench when doing dumbbell chest flies or presses.  Stand on a bosu while doing squats, or hold onto it for planks.
  • Another easy alternative is just to get on one leg.  Single leg rows and deadlifts can be very challenging, and single leg squats (either by propping a foot behind you on a bench or going for the more intense pistol) will challenge your legs and core.

3.  Combine movements.

  • Total body exercises will build core strength quickly.  Clean and presses, lunge-row variations, Turkish get-ups, squats with dumbbell presses…all of these exercises combine upper and lower body movements and require core strength to be performed properly

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My Workout Week

11 Sep

Day #1 Legs:

  • Barbell Squats  12 – 10 – 8
  • Barbell Deadlift  12 – 10 – 8
  • Walking Lunge  with Twist  16 – 16 – 16
  • Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift  12 – 12 – 12
  • Dumbbell Squats – 1 Round Legs together, 1 Round Plie 12 – 12 – 12
  • 2 Rounds without rest:  20 Box Jumps + 1 minute plank + 50 Split Squats (25 per leg) + 20 Hanging Leg Raises

Day #2 Cardio:  30 Minutes – Incline Intervals on Treadmill

Day #3 Chest and Back:

  • Flat Bench Press  12 – 10 – 8
  • Incline Dumbbell Flies  12 – 10 – 8
  • Barbell Bent Over Rows  12 – 10 – 8
  • Incline Dumbbell Press  12 – 10 – 8
  • Assisted Pull-ups or Lateral Pull-Downs  12 – 10 – 8
  • Dumbbell Bent Over Rows  12 – 10 – 8
  • Superset: Dumbbell Lateral Swing  12 – 10 – 8  with  Dumbbell Incline Lying Lateral Raise  12 – 10 – 8
  • Walking Plank with Twist  12 – 12 – 12

Day #4 Cardio:  30 Minutes – Incline Intervals on Treadmill

Day #5  Arms + Total Body Toning:

  • 3 Rounds of the Following, rest 2 minutes between rounds (no rest between individual exercises)
  1. Wall Sit with Lateral Dumbbell Raise
  2. Left Side Plank
  3. Left Static Lunge with Dumbbell Shoulder Press
  4. Right Side Plank
  5. Ride Static Lunge with Dumbbell Shoulder Press
  • Kettlebell or Dumbbell Clean and Press  20 – 20 – 20
  • 2 sets of Dumbbell 21s for Biceps
  • 2 sets of Tricep Extension 21s

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Fab Five Friday: Cookbooks

9 Sep

The two biggest challenges I face when trying to cook healthy meals for my family are definitely time and variety.  I’m always looking for recipes that are quick and simple enough to be prepared when we’re busy during the week, but are creative and flavorful enough to keep our interest in the kitchen and away from the take-out menus.

These are a few of my favorite “weekday” meal cookbooks.  These recipes are quick, healthy, and delicious.

1.  The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean – Tosca Reno

Tosca Reno went from frumpy, overweight housewife/mommy to gorgeous, fitness model in her 40s by following a clean eating lifestyle.  She’s written several books about her Eat-Clean Diet, and she definitely looks like someone who practices what she preaches.  The Eat-Clean Diet is honestly pretty tough to follow at times, and sometimes she’s a bit too extreme for me.  Some of her strict cooler meal plans are geared more towards fitness models/bodybuilders, but they will honestly produce fast fat loss if you can be strict enough to follow them.  I love her cookbooks because they are full of great meal ideas that are tasty, filling, and healthy.

2.  Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You - Terry Walters

This is a mostly vegan cookbook, but it provides so much information about sustainable eating and how to incorporate local and seasonal ingredients into your daily diet.  There’s so much to be learned from vegan/vegetarian cooking about alternative sources of protein.  Vegan cooking is full of grains, legumes, and vegetables that most people never try.  If you’re like me and will probably never give up your carnivorous ways, this cookbook is still incredibly useful.  I either add meat to the different recipes, or I serve the dishes alongside a protein of my choice.

3.  The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great - Pam Anderson

This is by far the best cookbook on this list for a new cook or someone who doesn’t really know their way around a kitchen yet.  Pam’s recipes are easy and delicious but never boring.  I also love  her philosophy about food – she encourages readers to enjoy a sweet treat or a glass of wine while enjoying healthy, flavorful meals.  This book helps to promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle instead of a diet.

4.  The Skinnygirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life – Bethenny Frankel

Whether or not you love Bethenny or her reality show, you can’t deny that she is one fit mama.  This is another great book for an amateur home cook.  Bethenny teaches readers how to “think like a chef” and creatively adapt the recipes to fit their individual tastes and the contents of their pantries.  While the recipes she provides are very basic, she does have some very handy substitution guides that help you to put a spin on everyday meals.

5.  So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week – Ellie Krieger

This book provides a ton of options for quick weeknight dinners and has some great breakfast ideas.  All of Ellie Krieger’s cookbooks are full of delicious, healthy recipes, but I love the speed and simplicity of these meals.

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