News and Reviews June 2022
- Today is Father’s Day! Hope all you dads to human babies, fur babies and especially those who step up and step in for those who don’t have a dad enjoyed an amazing day!
- Update: In our area there is still “plenty” of Sriracha but you have to look in the Mexican, Asian or International Food Section of the grocery or go to an actual international grocery store. I know it’s coming…but at least it hasn’t hit our area yet 🙂 (from last week: This may be actual news…I’m not one to create a crisis but some of y’all need to head to the store. The makers of the world’s most popular hot sauce “Sriracha Sauce” is experiencing a triple blow crushing epidemic which leaves them not taking any new orders and anything due to ship before Labor Day will ship in the fall. Say what? For more info check out this article at https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/09/business-food/sriracha-shortage/index.html)
- If you were thinking about making the TikTok Cinnamon Rolls…DON’T! I just calculated the points and you really don’t want to know. Just save up and go to Cinnabon and get ONE rather than making an entire batch. For those of you saying “but how many points? Just the stick of butter alone is 47 – don’t do it!
- You can now post anonymously in the IYHAE closed group! For those of you who would rather ask a question or make a comment without anyone knowing it is you (only admins will know so that we can monitor group rules) I have opened up Anonymous Posting over in the closed group. Check it out and let me know what you think!
The month’s theme is “Drop an Anchor” and we will spend the entire month discussing tried and true strategies that really do work!
Last week during Chat #276: How To Find Your Perfect Portion, I realized it’s been almost two years since we last chatted about portions…I guess it IS time we checked in on this important anchor in our journey again! (the last time we chatted was Chat #197, check it out here: http://www.ifyouhaveanegg.com/chat-197-find-your-perfect-portion/ )
Didn’t realize there was a difference between a serving and a portion? You are not alone, stay tuned for more info!
What is a “serving”?
A serving is a measurement of food but in our case we are talking about a serving “size”. The FDA has a system in place which appears on all packaged foods to designate a quantity of food or drink based on what someone “typically” eats versus what someone “should” eat. (see this article from the FDA titled Understanding Serving Sizes: “By law, serving sizes must be based on the amount of food people typically consume, rather than how much they should consume”)
What is a “portion”?
A portion on the other hand is the amount of a food or drink that it takes to normally satisfy you or that you would serve yourself. It is important to know that the amount you portion is the same amount you need to record on your tracker. Example: If you eat 1 Tbsp of peanut butter that is a ½ of a serving. Make sense?
So what is YOUR perfect portion?
- Set out, spoon out, or pour out a normal amount of some food
- Now measure that same food and compare it to the actual serving size
- Calculate the points for the portion and decide if you want more, less, or it’s just enough
- Pro Tip: some foods (like pasta, avocado, and certain meats) are better weighed than measured to get a true picture of how much is there
Your homework for last week was #AnchorYourPortion
Your homework for this week was #AnchorYourPortion. I want to see your portions! Let’s all do this week’s homework by following the “So what is YOUR perfect portion?” section of tonight’s chat. You get bonus bravos for weighing something and showing us in a picture what that looks like versus trying to measure it….and then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!
Let’s see how you did!
- Sylvia’s perfect portion experiment was an eye opener to me. I don’t use creamer in my coffee so I never really considered this but…her creamer this week showed a serving size of ¾ tsp. Three. Fourths. Of. A. Teaspoon. What on earth? Luckily her perfect portion of 1 ½ tsp didn’t change the points at all!
- Lynn went allllll the way on her homework this week! She measured out 1 cup and 1/2 cup of her cereal into individual bowls. She usually eats 1 cup mixed in a container of fat free yogurt for 8 PP. Ate it with only the 1/2 cup of cereal this morning for 6 points and was satisfied. Turns out that was just the right portion for Lynn!
- Sandra took pictures of her meals featuring similar items and noticed that her perfect portion changes with what else she is eating and how hungry she is. Rather than just eat the same amount every meal because that’s what she’s always done, Sandra thought to mix it up a little depending on the meal!
Bravo, you did it!
This Week’s Topic: Anchors – How To Build a Morning Routine
Raise your little virtual hand if you are like me and had a perfectly good morning routine (or any time routine for that matter) and then stupid Covid messed it up?
Ok even if you didn’t raise your hand, successfully starting your day can make a huge difference on how you handle the rest of those hours awake. Check it out!
Getting up on the wrong (or right!) side of the bed
Have you ever heard anyone say that? Have you considered what it means? If you didn’t get your day started on a good note, chances are you will be grumpy, late, behind, stressed, or a myriad of other things. The wrong side of the bed may be as simple as not getting a good night’s sleep for something out of your control. But it might also mean hitting the snooze one too many times, forgetting to put your clothes in the dryer the night before, being in such a rush that you skip breakfast. That’s a recipe for a steady decline in attitude and your wellness efforts for the rest of the day
Pen to paper time!
- Get out your favorite way to record some notes: white board, post it notes, index cards, whatever it is
- Jot down everything you did this morning (or start tomorrow morning if you’re like me and can’t remember anything past drank coffee and ran out the door) and estimate the time it took. Example: Brushed Teeth = 2 minutes. Hunted for keys = 10 minutes
- On a larger note (or at the top of the board / paper) write down how many minutes you should have between getting out of bed and getting out the door (or whatever you do) each morning. Example: 45 minutes
Post It / Plan It
- Now take those notes and calculate how much total time they took. Be honest. If scrolling through cute cat videos took 11 minutes you better write down 11 minutes LOL
- Now start weeding out some things that took you over your allotted amount of time and just set them to the side for now (and that folks is why I like post it notes)
- Put a check mark on the ones you know you need to have a successful start to an even more successful day (like showering or eating breakfast) and an X on the ones that really don’t contribute to your good morning game plan (sorry cute kittens!)
This Week’s Homework: #AnchorYourMorning
Your homework for this week is #AnchorYourMorning. This one’s in the top 10 easiest homework assignments EVER. Do the steps I listed but then tell us ONE thing you will make sure you include in your morning success plan (and the minutes) and ONE thing you are going to skip from now on….and then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!
Don’t forget to do your homework #AnchorYourMorning and tag me when you share on social media!
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on Instagram
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on our Facebook Page
- Tag @Kelly Green Milligan in our Facebook Group
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on WW Connect
Extra Credit: 3 Summer Produce Pro Tips!
If you all remember, one of my goals for the year was to create less food waste. Part of that means finding ways to use up all of the fresh produce I harvest or buy before it goes bad. So today we’re going to talk about my tips for using your produce at its peak and saving it for later if needed!
Short Shelf Life Produce
- This includes things like asparagus, leafy greens, herbs, ripe strawberries and peaches
- These should be used within 2 days of purchasing or frozen / preserved
- If you aren’t going to use it right away, find creative ways to save your produce for later (fermenting, pickling, making preserves, etc.)
- Asparagus is perfect grilled, made into soup, my recipe Air Fryer Asparagus is a family favorite, or this Quick Pickled Asparagus was a delicious way to use it up before it got limp
- Leafy greens aren’t just for salads! Use them in stir fries, wilted kale, and bok choy is delicious with scrambled eggs, or look for cool ways to ferment them using something like the ChouAmi fermenting system!
- Strawberries and Peaches are perfect in things like Strawberry Compote, Peach Freezer Jam or Salsas!
Capture The Best Flavor for Later Produce
- Some fresh in season produce actually tastes better when you “capture” the flavor or color (or both) right at the peak of freshness and save it for later!
- Green beans are actually better after they have been pressure canned in my opinion. My grandmother, my mom and now I will be using my new Nesco Digital Pressure Canner to pressure can them at the peak of freshness. My Church Lady Green Beans would make any grandma proud and my entire family loves them!
- Alyssa and I harvested green peas out of our garden earlier this month. Peas are obviously green but did you know if you blanch them for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and then put them immediately in ice water they are an even more bright green? This blanch and cool method literally seals in the fresh pea flavor while giving them a burst of brightness. Then pat dry and freeze for use later!
- Corn is the perfect enjoy now and enjoy even more later in season produce. And husking / silking fresh from the farmer’s market corn on the cob is fun and rewarding for even the littles to help with. Blanch fresh corn on the cob for 3-4 minutes in boiling water and then cut from the cob for freezing, enjoy on the grill or make my Air Fryer Candy Corn or Crazy Corn. And if there happens to be any left, use that for my Crazy Corn fan favorite recipe!
Multipurpose Masterpiece Produce
- These fruits and vegetables can be used in a variety of ways – eaten fresh, saved for later, and so much more!
- Includes jalapenos (grilled, stuffed and charred, or in salsas), peppers (sauteed, stir fried or stuffed!), zucchini (grilled, stuffed, baked, or in delicious muffins or breads), and even watermelon (eaten alone, grilled, in a fruit salad, frozen into ice cubes or a quick and easy watermelon salad with balsamic vinegar dressing and feta cheese)
Quick Links:
Don’t forget to celebrate your Bravos with our downloadable stickers!
Need to know where to get something I mentioned? Check out the recommendations section to get all my favorite goodies.
