Confessions of a sweet tooth

Ever since my Dad had his surgery, the way I see food is a little different than the way I saw it before. I'm my Dad's daughter...genes and all...so I know that what has happened to him could be me several years down the road.

I have always been conscience of my weight and a desire to "keep it down" but I have truly never been a "healthy eater". For instance, when I was on Weight Watchers, I would eat as little as possible throughout the day so that I could have a big ice cream cone at the end of the day!:) Ice cream, chocolate and just about anything sweet would be my pick over a meal any day of the week...unless, of course, you wanted to throw in some yummy bread and butter and a bunch of cheese!:) I put smiley faces at the end of the sentences but it really is all true...and I'm not really that pleased with myself.

At this point, some of you may be thinking I'm from another planet, others of you may actually find some delight in the fact that we hold these things in common :) and, some of you that see me on a regular basis will start watching me at potlucks and dinner's to see if I am really changing at all!:) And, you know what, I welcome the accountability...I really do!

Anyway, back to seeing food a little bit differently....it's not just about calories...but what kind of calories I am putting into my body. I've been looking at saturated fat content and sugar content and reading up on what carbs, protein, fiber, fat and sugar does to and for our bodies. It's super amazing how God has made our bodies to work and how, what we put into it, really does determine how well our bodies will be able to do the job they've been given to do by God.

So, we've begun to make some changes in the Pichura home...nothing drastic...but everything in moderation! And yes...once mom is on board, everyone gets to get on board!:) Poor Faith asked me yesterday when our "diet" is going to be over :)...I'm not sure she liked hearing that this was the way we were going to be LIVING!:)

The junk addict in me is not liking this whole thing too much either. In fact, I have noticed myself struggling with being irritable and not being joyful. With a disposition of "cranky" instead of a disposition of rejoicing. And I think food is at the heart of it.

There are so many ways people in our world seek to be satisfied, to be happy. Of course, we know that apart from Jesus, nothing will satisfy...but there are still many ways others look to find happiness that we, as believers, cannot and do not take part in because they are sinful. Not so with food. Food, in and of itself, is not sin...so it has always felt very "safe" for me. I spend much of my time "denying self" as I take care of 6 kids and homeschool, etc... and (junk)food has been one area that I don't deny myself...that I can enjoy and not have it taken away from me no matter what is going on that day. And, if you have ever had a "Friendly's" Reece's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae than you know that food CAN make you happy...at least for a while!:)

The ability to eat junk food whenever I wanted (and as much as I wanted) really had become an idol to me without me even realizing it. And the reason I can recognize it now is because as I am seeking to deny my cravings and desires in the area of food, I find myself losing joy and growing irritated. A sure sign that an idol is lurking nearby!

I guess what I am learning is that there is no such thing as a "safe" affection. Everything, no matter how good it is, can still become an idol when we want it more than God. Anyone, no matter how dear they are to us, can still become an idol when we love them more than God. It's a daily battle to fight against the idols that so quickly creep up...and it's a fight in which the battle cry must be that of Lamentations 3:24:

"THE LORD IS MY PORTION"

That is my prayer, that is my goal...that is the truthful confession from a "sweet tooth"!

Blog Name

Hi, all! We need to come up with a fun and creative title for our blog. I just threw the title "Parker Recipe Exchange" up there, because I didn't know what else to call it (the creative juices just aren't there). So far the suggestions are:

• The Parker Family Bunch: No Fruits, 1 Vegetable (Dad), and Lots of
  Nuts(The Rest of Us)
• No Sugar Added
• No Coal: Ethanol ! No, Cholesterol!
• High on HDL
• HealthNUTSforlife

Throw in your suggestions and then we'll vote on the name. Thanks to my CRAZY husband for most of those. :P WARNING: If there are no more suggestions, one of the above suggestions WILL be the name of our blog. :) Kristin, maybe your dad and/or Bryan can put their "health humor" to work and put in some suggestions. Hehe.

Also, feel free to write about things other than food, i.e. exercise, helpful websites, etc. I look forward to seeing what you all have to share!!!

Turkey Burgers

My friend introduced me to this recipe, and I think it's absolutely delicious! Even my formerly only-beef-burger-eating husband eats it. :) The recipe is actually for Greek Turkey Burgers, but if you leave out the feta and the olives, they're closer to just normal turkey burgers (which is how I make James's). You can find the original recipe here, but I'm also going to put the whole recipe here so that it's all in one place. Enjoy!

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup olive, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Form into 4 patties, then grill.
3. I have served this on regular burger buns with tomatoes and mayo, and on pita with tahini, tomatoes and lettuce.

**Notes: I usually use kalamata olives, because I personally think they're delicious! To cut back on fat, you can leave out the feta or reduce it (I think the feta adds a wonderful flavor). I put red onions and lettuce on mine. James dresses his as he would a normal burger. I also want to try making pitas and putting them in a pita instead of a bun.

Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes

Well, I first of all want to say I am super excited about this blog! Aaron and I have been trying to eat healthy for almost a month now, so I am definitely on the hunt for new healthy recipes!

Mmmmm....my mouth is salivating even as I get ready to post this recipe. These were sooo yummy (well...don't take my word for it...that is of course my personal opinion)! BUT The amount in the original recipe is not even enough for two people, so you would probably want to double or triple it (or more if you want leftovers....especially you Pichuras! :)) Here is the recipe tripled.

• 4-6 plum tomatoes, cored (I used Roma...harder to char, but it worked!)
  
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped white onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (I chop up jarred peppers)
  
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (I sprinkled dried flakes in there)
  
• 6 scallions, chopped (about 2 bunches)
• small corn tortillas, heated (see Tip) We used large whole wheat flour tortillas

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add tomatoes and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise; squeeze to discard seeds. Remove cores and chop the remaining pulp and skin.
   
2. Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to the pan and heat over high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lime juice, the chicken and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Divide the chicken mixture among tortillas. (Serve with lime wedges.)

Tips & Notes

• Tip: Wrap tortillas in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds. (Not as long for flour tortillas...I'm assuming)
• May want to leave out jalapenos and add them to the individual tacos (not sure if that would taste as good), as I'm sure it would be too spicy for some, especially the kiddos.
  

Nutrition

Per serving: 297 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 2 g fiber; 415 mg sodium; 463 mg potassium. (This is with the corn tortillas)

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium & Vitamin C (30% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 very lean meat, 1 fat

This recipe is from the website EatingWell.com, under healthy chicken recipes...I will defintiely be trying more from this site. Hopefully I can find some more yummy ones!

Garlic Chicken with Bow-Tie Pasta

Well, I guess I'll be the first to post on here so it's not just a blank blog. :) I made this recipe last week, and both James and I enjoyed it. You can find the recipe here.

The recipe was great as is. I didn't have bow-tie pasta, so I used rotini. I also used parsley instead of the cilantro, simply because we don't like cilantro. Just a warning for those who don't like spicy foods or who are feeding kids - the red pepper flakes do add quite a bit of spice, so you might want to leave them out or decrease them. And of course, to make it healthier, you can use low sodium tomatoes, low sodium chicken broth, and whole wheat pasta.

Oh, and I made it in my cast iron skillet for a little more iron content (which I can always use). James thought I was weird and making stuff up until I showed him my nutrition book. :)