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This should become one of your "emergency meals" because it's only 5 ingredients   and you could easily have everything on hand that you need! Maybe not the parsley...but he's okay to be left behind once in a while! (You could sub him for green onion or basil). Enjoy!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened

1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup (or light if you prefer!  If you don't prefer, use regular, and if you're a maple-syrup purist and want to sap your own tree, go for it!)

2 Tablespoons sugar-free/low-sugar orange marmalade

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1.) Heat a skillet over medium-high and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2.) Season chicken breasts with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and add to skillet. Give chicken time to sear on each side, about 5 - 7 minutes.

3.) Remove chicken breasts and place on serving platter. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

4.) Add maple syrup, orange marmalade, and lemon juice to skillet. Stir together and simmer until slightly thickened, just a few minutes.

5.) Pour sauce over chicken, and sprinkle on chopped parsley. Delicious!

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 chicken breast. Serves: 4. Calories: 160. Cals from fat: 15. Total fat: 1.5. Sat fat: 0 Trans Fat: 0. Cholesterol: 70. Sodium: 350. Total Carb: 8. Fiber: 0 Sugars: 3 Protein: 27.

Watch video of this being made with Butternut Squash Fries!

Question of the Week:  

Annessa, 
Do you have the nutrition facts of your Cheesalicious Chicken Enchiladas & the Chocolate Entice Cream??  Would love to know how to count these.  Thanks! 
Nutrition-Fact Needer :) 

Of course! Sometimes when I create recipes, it takes me a while to get them perfectly organized and get the nutrition facts properly attached.  It is a very "exact" process, so I like to put some effort into doing it gingerly!   BTW, the enchiladas are very large servings and VERY filling, so many of you would probably be full on 1/2 of what the serving size is.  

Here they are and hope this helps!  Let me know if you have any questions about these recipes!  I'm personally addicted to the Chocolate ice Cream - can't stop making it and "wowing" people with it. 

Also, the Flourish Your Journey Video II plus cookbook is now on SALE!  Over 30 yummy recipes, grocery tours, weight-lifting workouts, etc!  
Use this code to get 30% off at checkout:  QUINOA   (if you don't know what quinoa is, stick with me and you'll find out!) 
Find the Flourish site here! 

May all your nutrition facts bring you happy information, 

Annessa 
Facebook: Flourish! 
www.flourishyourlife.com 


Cheesaclicious Chicken Enchiladas: 

Serving Size 1 (about 1 1/2 enchiladas) 
Recipe makes 10 servings Calories 310 Calories from Fat 0  

Total Fat 9g

Saturated Fat 4g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 50g

Sodium 780g

Total Carbohydrate 23g

Dietary Fiber 8g

Sugars 4g

Protein 33g

Chocolate Entice Cream: 

Serving Size 1/2 cup 
Recipe makes 2 servings  Calories 90 Calories from Fat 30  

Total Fat 4g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0g

Sodium 30g

Total Carbohydrate 15g

Dietary Fiber 3g

Sugars 7g

Protein 2g

So the next few posts will be dedicated to fighting the cause of childhood unhealthiness.  What I've learned as a (relatively) new mom:  I am outraged at the junk that exists in kid's products, that adults would never eat! (Well, most of us wouldn't :)  This is more than about childhood obesity.  None of our kids need the junk that is in these products.  "If you eat junk, you'll feel like junk."  -that's what I say!  If they're not suffering from intense weight gain, they may be suffering from headaches, short attention span, moodiness, lack of energy, etc.  Most of us as patients want to create a better path for the children in our lives, so I figured some posting on this was very relevant!  We remember what it was like! 

Check it out:  I spent several minutes over in the LUNCHABLE department (which is bustin at the seams with new products, so they must be popular).  Of my favorites were:  the Oscar Mayer Cheese Dip + Salsa Nachos, which features the afore mentioned as well as Capri Sun and an AIR HEAD.  The ingredients list (which is a novel) tells me that Capri Sun is mostly water + sugar. The nacho cheese is a mix of uncheesy things including dried corn syrup, and the air head: sugar, corn syrup (sugar), maltodextrin (sugar), dextrose (sugar), modified food starch (corn), partially hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fat), water (thank goodness!), citric acid (used as a preservative; also exists in trace amounts in oranges....although note that they didn't extract it from oranges:), and artificial flavor.

This little box contains 490 calories, 21 grams fat, 4.5 saturated, and 67 grams of carb, oh, and only 7 grams of protein.  Probably because there are no protein powered ingredients in it, such as meat, beans, yogurt, real cheese, etc.

Another box was a Pizza "LunchMakers" from Armour.  It features pepperoni-flavored sausage (what?  Is that like orange-flavored cranberries?), Hawaiian Punch, and SKITTLES!  I guess I should stop being surprised at the included candy.  Just remember that when you let your kid take candy in their lunch to school, what gets eaten first?  The skittles!  Then the chips or cheetos, they may take a bite of their sandwich, and the apple is left to fend for its lonesome. Okay, so in this "LunchMaker," I notice that the punch is 98% water and high fructose corn syrup.  The 3rd ingredient in the pizza sauce? HFCS.  The 3rd ingredient of our pepperoni-flavored sausage friend? corn syrup, right after pork and mechanically separated turkey (more on that later:) Skittles? Sugar, corn syrup, & hydrogenated palm kernel oil.  YUM!

What makes our kids so crazy over processed food???  THE BRIGHT, FUN PACKAGING!  How do those marketing people sleep at night?? They're so deceiving!  Ultimately, the parents make the decisions for their kids, but even as I was walking down the aisles with my almost 2-year-old, she was picking up boxes that looked appealing to her and putting them on the cart.  (Tinkerbell Fruit Chews, anyone?)  Of course they were right at her level.

Tip #1 for nourishing your kids:  DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY CREATIVE MARKETING!  ...or FLASHY PACKAGING!

Looking at the Fruit Roll-Ups or Fruit Chews, and you'd almost believe it was like giving your kids a serving of fruit.  The packages boast of "made with real fruit" or "7 vitamins & minerals" on the front.  Don't believe it!  Remember, CLAIMS ARE LAME!   Pumping vitamins or minerals into processed foods does not make them any better for our kids.

If you are under the belief that "a calorie is a calorie" and it doesn't matter where the source comes from, I've got many stories for you I'll be sharing of kid's lives that were completely changed in major ways once they started eating "God made, not man made."  Food DOES affect our children!  Attention spans, headaches, hyperactivity, moods, weight, body image, confidence....food majorly affects all these categories, and it can solve them!

So, what to do instead of lunchables or fruit roll ups?  Watch the video, I've got some tips for us!  There are many of you parents who have conquered this problem LONG before me, and I would love for you to share your solutions.  Were all fighting the same battle!  ....trying to provide healthy habits for our children.

Instead of Luchables, try:

*Making your own mini-pizzas at home!  Would be hard to take to school lunch, but a fun idea for a lunch at home or family dinner!

*Schoolbox Sushi!  Find recipe here!

*Make your own "lunchable" for your kids to take to school! (Got this great idea from a friend, Amy Murray, who even puts the pieces in a separated plate. ....and the kids think they're getting something BETTER than Lunchables!  It's all about presentation, huh?)

Instead of Fruit Roll-Ups or Chews, try:  (for kids!) 

*Archer Farms (Target Brand) Fruit Strip: made with purees and juices, no added sugars.

*Archer Farms (Target Brand) Real Fruit Bar in Cranberry-Raspberry: This product is ingenious. I have been taking it with me everywhere I travel. It apples combined with oat fiber, cranberry & raspberry flavor, and vegetable juice for color (from black carrots and red cabbage...I lOVE that!)  Eat has 110 calories and 4 grams of fiber, which is AWESOME!

*Funky Monkey: read about it here.  My new favorite (and my daughter's favorite) fruit snack!  We love the Applemon and Bananamon!

*Uh, how about just fruit!  Does it get any better than a fresh, perfectly ripe peach? 

(Watch a video on this segment as well as how to make a yummy peanut butter dip, and triple protein powerballs!  Click here!) 
 

Take care of those kids in your sphere of influence!  
Annessa 

www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook: Flourish! 
Youtube: Flourishable 

Posted from Facebook because it was requested so often... Enjoy!

These enchiladas have two secret ingredients: yogurt and beans. Believe me, I've tried this out on the pickiest of eaters, and they've had NO idea they were eating white bean puree, AND they LOVED it. (Might I also add they said it was their favorite enchiladas;). If you wanted to sneak more veggies in, cube up a yellow squash to stuff into the enchiladas. Serve with a fresh pineapple salad. YUM!

4 large cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 cups)
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 (10 ¾ ounce) can low-fat cream of chicken condensed soup
10 ounces (about 2 cups) reduced-fat 2% shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can mild green chopped chilies, drained
about 10 high-protein, high-fiber flour tortillas (such as Flat-Outs)

Cheesy Topping:
1 (14 ounce) can great northern beans, drained
8 ounces plain yogurt or light sour cream
1 ½ cups 2% reduced fat shredded Mexican shredded cheese blend
¼ cup sliced green onions (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Mix together the chicken, yogurt, condensed soup, shredded cheddar cheese, and green chilies. Stuff each tortilla with ½ cup of chicken mixture, and roll up. Place each rolled up tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Set aside.
3. In a blender, combine beans with plain yogurt (or sour cream). Process until smooth (may need to add a splash of milk or chicken broth to reach a smooth consistency). Add shredded cheese and pulse blender once just to combine. Spread cheesy topping evenly over the enchiladas.
4. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until toasty and bubbly.
5. Sprinkle chopped green onions over enchiladas and serve!

May all your enchiladas be covered in a bean sauce blanket, 
Annessa 
www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook: Flourish! 
Youtube:  Flourishable 

Today I'm speaking at Pacific Bariatric Reunion in San Diego....this year I decided to do a presentation I'm calling "The Supplement Jungle..."    It is very eye-opening (and was for me while I was writing it!)  The human body is amazing, and I'm sure we will continue to discover new ways in which vitamins and minerals work for us, and possibly even NEW ones that have yet to be uncovered!  Our body was created with such amazing design that we know more about drugs (because they're man-made) and how they work and interact within the body than we do about vitamins and minerals and antioxidants!  

One of the things that is really intriguing is the fact that all of these nutrients can have a domino effect.  For example, did you know you need vitamin A to be able to convert the iron you take in through food into hemoglobin (the iron that is put on the cell to carry around oxygen)?  Confusing, I know, but basically if you're anemic, it could be because you're vitamin A is low, not just because you're not getting in appropriate iron!  Or, did you know that insulin release is calcium-dependent?  Vitamin D is made from healthy cholesterol and sunshine?  Or that iron and calcium like to battle it out for absorption, but iron and vitamin C are best friends?    I could go on and on, but you'll just have to attend this presentation someday, because it's interactive and fun, and you'll walk away NEVER forgetting EXACTLY what nutrients you need, and the awesome things they do in your body.  You'll be able to navigate your way through the supplement jungle. 

Remember, not all supplements are created equal!  Get a kind that your doctor approves of:)  I personally like a few choice companies that have patented absorption processes, but there are many to choose from! 

So make it happen today.....take those SUPPLEMENTS!  And don't get lost in the jungle.....ask for directions!  (aka, help:) 

May all your iron be non-constipating, 

Annessa 
www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook: Flourish! 
Youtube:  Flourishable 

This was one of the great pumpkin recipes I was somehow able to preform at my Farmer's Market Cooking Demonstration despite the fact that there was no pumpkin in sight two weeks ago!  Read the full pumpkin-conundrum here.

Notice that there is not any oil in this granola!  It's also SO much less expensive to make your own granola rather than buying store-bought (and has MUCH less sugar in it!)  This one has this warm, vanilla, pumpkin-spicy flavor that is perfect for the fall. Store in an airtight container and use one-the-go!  Get your fiber and your vitamin A in one shot!

Pumpkin Granola: 
2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin mixed with 2 Tablespoons 1% milk (or almond milk)

1/2 cup sugar-free maple syrup  

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 1/2 cup whole rolled oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) No pkin seeds? Use walnuts or pecans! Or even pistachios!

1/3 cup Stevia-in-the-Raw or Splenda

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

1.) In a medium bowl, mix: pumpkin, milk, sugar-free maple syrup, vanilla, and seasonings. Whisk together well.

2.) Add oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and stevia.  Mix until oats and nuts are evenly coated.

3.) Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread granola out in a thin layer over the baking sheet.  Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cook a little longer for more crunchy granola, or a little shorter for chewy granola.  Stir in raisins after granola comes out of oven.  Keep in airtight container!

Here's to Libby's, 
Annessa 
www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook: Flourish! 

A question many of us might be wondering: 

Hi Annessa! What is toasted wheat germ and what does it do for you? I'm wanting to include it in my intake but have no idea how, nor what it does for me!  Can you help? 
Thanks, 
Wheat germ-wanderer 

Great question! Wheat germ has probably always been in the cereal aisle for most of us, we've just never noticed him.  Remember, the sneaky people who put together the cereal aisle:  all of the sugary cereals with bright creepy characters are at eye level and below, then the more healthful items - such as wheat germ or steel cut oats and such - are typically WAY up high.  You can buy "toasted wheat germ" in a jar, and after you open it you need to keep it in the fridge. 

So, what exactly IS it? Well, it's the baby heart (so to speak) of a wheat berry.  When white flour is made, the outside BRAN of the wheatberry and the inside GERM are both removed.  --leaving us with the starchy white portion, and almost no nutrients, and NO FIBER!  (Truly a crime!)  Well, they've bottled that "germ"- packed with nutrients, vitamin E, folic acid, and healthy fats.  You would basically use a Tablespoon or so at a time.  It can be sprinkled on top of oatmeal or into smoothies (gives them that nice gritty texture I LOVE).  I use it on top of my healthy casseroles, or in a sugar-free warm maple apple crisp recipe I've created (there's an entire 1/2 cup in that!  You'll have to get that recipe through the second Flourish video & recipebook www.flourishyourlife.com :)  I also use it even on salads at times!  ...or sprinkled into yogurt.   Just another way to get in some GREAT nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats.  Gives a good shiny coat!  

Vitamin E is good for the skin!  One stroll down the cosmetic aisle, and you'd know that because it's in every product!  Works on the inside, as well as the outside.... Although, I'd recommend keeping wheat germ to the inside:) 

Mission for the week:  pick up some wheat germ, bring home, and USE IT!  Then, let Annessa know what you came up with so she can share it with others!  

May all your white flour turn into wheat germ, 
Annessa 

Facebook:  Flourish! Fanpage 
www.flourishyourlife.com 

Did you realize that when you slightly process (in blender) frozen bananas they taste just like ice cream??  Ice cream is my vice...I could eat it after every dinner, every night. But I don't, because moderation doesn't exist for me when it comes to ice cream.  The problem is we grew up eating it -- only humongous versions we call "Beltz Bowls" which includes vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, and sometimes if we were lucky, a squirt of Reddi Whip (and then one in our mouths!)  But the ice cream/chocolate syrup ratio had to be perfect, and if it wasn't you went back to get more of the dwindling party (which usually meant more ice cream to help out the syrup...you know what I'm talking about! We've all done it!)

Anyways, last week I tried my own version of this recipe and LOVED it!  A couple of things: the bananas must be completely frozen (not in their peel), and it helps if the almond milk is partially frozen, too.  When you begin to blend it, just pulse a few times and drizzle in the almond milk until an ice-cream consistency is achieved!  If you add too much milk, you'll end up with a smoothie (which is not ice cream).

Chocolate Entice Cream:

1 banana, FROZEN!  (at the exact ripeness you like it! ...don't use the overly ripe bananas you have in your freezer for banana bread:)

1/3 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze

2 teaspoons natural almond butter (no almond butter? use peanut butter) BTW, keep almond butter in the refrigerator.  Warning: you'll become addicted to it!

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1.) In a blender, combine all ingredients. Process with 3 - 4 pulses.  Mixture will clump up and resemble ice cream.  If you need it sweeter, add some stevia, agave nectar or splenda.  Easy to double this recipe!  Makes a smooth and creamy treat that tastes JUST LIKE ICE CREAM!

*Try using milk if you don't have the Almond Breeze, but the Breeze is worth trying in this recipe, as is the almond butter!

*I also had the Unsweetened Almond Breeze in the freezer for about a hour to get it chilled and icy.   I adapted this recipe from Whole Foods, and it's my new addiction!

Ahem, I'm going to be trying different versions of this....sans chocolate, and adding chai tea instead of almond milk.  I had come black tea gelato in Washing DC a couple of weeks ago, and I'm going to try to duplicate a more healthful non-sugar version!

For those of you who are timid about this recipe, just know I served it last night to one of my college buddies, who, is a dentist that loves oreos (gross).....let's just put it that way.  He loved the "ice cream" and asked for more!

Before anyone says that bananas are high-glycemic, let me remind you that this is meant to be a replacer for ICE CREAM, not a grilled chicken salad. 

May all your potential bowls of ice cream turn into bananas....

Annessa
inspirational & motivational blog at: www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook:  Flourish! 

Since starting my website and joining the OH team, I've gotten MANY questions each week. Most of them are so good, I decided to post one each week (anonymously), since many times we are all thinking the same thing, the question just never gets asked!  So, for future reference, if you have a question that's been plaguing your brain, please don't hesitate to ask!  


"Hi! I attended the ObesityHelp conference in Cincinnati and really enjoyed your talk! I learned a lot and even though I'm only 5 weeks out from RNY surgery I used a lot of your ideas at the grocery store yesterday for my family. I even had my two 3 year olds help me. But I do have a couple of questions. First, I got some greek yogurt and my son loved it but my daughter (who has some sensory issues) didn't like the texture. I got the Yoplait brand. Is there a greek yogurt that has a more smooth texture? I've tried two types and both have like a little gritty texture to it. "

Sincerely, 
a wonderful woman with a Greek-yogurt conundrum 


GREAT question.  First, Greek yogurt is simple super-strained plain yogurt (nothing else is added).  This makes it almost double high in protein (and calcium).  The kicker is that you can purchase fat-free, and it is still super-rich and creamy.  You may have noticed Greek yogurt's sudden popularity.  It's always been around (one can even easily home-make it), but, once the public takes interest in a product, brands that never before manufactured the stuff start getting to work, such as the ones you mentioned above.  (When you start to notice this, you'll find it comical.  Did you notice fiber is popping up in Poptarts because FiberOne decided to make their own brand of those little poison pockets?) 

Here's my take: FAGE (pronounced fay-eh) is by far the BEST Greek-yogurt brand and has been making this wonderful stuff since before people were jumping on the Greek yo bandwagon.  There is DEFINITELY a difference between brands.  Like you, I tried the Yoplait, and I felt the same way about it!  Kinda gritty for some reason.  That's exactly what I love about FAGE...it's smooth and creamy.  Plus, there's 16 grams of protein to 1 cup of Yoplait while FAGE has 20 grams of protein to 1 cup.  

Greek yogurt is tangy and can easily live a double life as sour cream.  I use it in place of sour cream in casseroles (healthy, of course;), potato topper, tzatziki sauce, on chili, shell-less tacos, etc.  If you try it plain, you'll probably ask yourself why anyone likes the stuff.  Don't be surprised because it's not at all sweet like fruit-flavored yogurt!  I OFTEN eat it for breakfast with a little agave nectar or Stevia-in-the-raw, and walnuts or blueberries mixed in. YUM!  

I'm sure some of our OH friends have their own ways to use our new little Greek yogurt.  What do you do with Greek yogurt? 

Hope this helps! 

Annessa 
www.flourishyourlife.com 
Facebook:  Flourish! Fanpage 

While I typically don't recommend protein bars for my patients (I prefer they eat real food!), I know sometimes we need a quick on-the-go option.  Also, those a protein bar can have a place in your life if you're a traveler, or you begin a crazy work-out regimen.  Honestly, I've never been big on the OTC (over the counter) protein bars, because they typically have a lot of sugar alcohols.  So....I'm constantly trying to create my own!

One of my patients took this recipe and added a teaspoon of almond extract...and it was dynamite!  Then he made a chocolate version using chocolate protein powder, and a little cocoa powder. VERY GOOD!  I know I've done my job when my patients (who never before liked to cook, nevertheless healthful foods), start creating in their own kitchen.

Bariatric Energy Bars

½ cup light vanilla yogurt

1 egg

3/4 cup Splenda OR Stevia in the Raw

1 ½ cup quick cooking oats

2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a medium bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, and Splenda until smooth.

2. Stir in oats and flaxseed. Fold in the peanut butter, protein powder, and walnuts.

3. Spread mixture into an 8-inch square pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 - 30 minutes.

4. Let cool and cut into 10 - 12 bars!

*Where will you find the ground flaxseed?  It's in your grocery, you've probably just never noticed it!  It should either be in the cereal aisle, or the baking aisle.  Many times it comes in a package by Bob's Red Mill.  After opening, keep it in your freezer for further use, because you'll only use a couple of Tablespoons at a time.  And about the protein powder...my favorite kinds are Vanilla Ice Cream by Gold Standard Whey (we eat a scoop every morning in our oatmeal), or Jay Robb's Vanilla.

Each bar = 9 grams of protein.  Add another scoop protein powder = 12 grams protein