how do you season?

Recently, the news has included talk about the excessive amount of sodium that Americans consume in restaurant meals and processed foods.  This has lead me to think about the amount of salt I use in my kitchen. I do use salt and pepper but I also rely on other ingredients in my cooking to provide flavor -- a few include onion, garlic, green peppers, salsa, and spices.

I've been known to reach for the salt shaker before taking a bite of my food. Especially when it comes to vegetables.  I think I need salt on my potatoes, corn, green beans, asparagus, etc. I can do without adding salt to my entree but I don't seem to eat the veggies without a little shake, shake, shake. Why is that? Simple in my mind...salt enhances the flavor.

Considering that a large percentage of the population eat out on a daily basis and/or consume processed foods, I imagine folks would be surprised to learn the amount of sodium they consume in a day if they were to track it. It's in more than just the salt shaker. It's in canned vegetables, seasoning packets such as those used for taco and chili, pickles, mayonnaise, and yes, even my beloved Diet Coke.

I've been thinking about challenging myself to eliminate the shake, shake, shake for a week. I'd still use it in cooking but not at the table.  Think I could do it? Could you?

January Heat Wave

The calendar says January but our thermometer said it felt more like May. The mercury said it was 73 degrees today. I couldn't stay in the house. I told Madison to call a friend and we were going for a hike.

We went to the Oregon Trail Nature Park and got some exercise, fresh air and plenty of sun.

New Year | New Faves

Now that the holidays are over, there are a few thousand of us who have in some way, shape or form vowed, resolved or set a goal that has to do with healthy eating or shedding the extra pounds that have found a home on our bums. I'm one of them.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I did this last year too. And probably the year before that.

I did manage to lose a few pounds in the early part of last year and I've managed to keep most of them off. Here are a few of my newly found faves and I've re-stocked my arsenal with them so I'm ready once again.

• 100 calorie mini bags of microwave popcorn :: perfect for an afternoon snack at work or home w/out feeling like you've given up anything


• York Mint Patties :: just enough sweet to satisfy yet has a minty taste :: one serving size is 3 patties but I find one patty to be sufficient at only 47 calories


• A&W Root Beer :: Yes, it has sugar but once in a while a girl's gotta have a treat :: Only 120 calories for the mini (8 oz) can and it's sweet enough that it cures my craving for a snack at 3pm


• Wheat Thins Fiber Selects :: 15 crackers for 120 calories and very tasty :: add string cheese and it's a complete snack


• Measuring Cup :: this tool has taught me more about portion size which has been more helpful than anything else


• CalorieKing :: a very useful resource for calorie counts, especially for restaurant foods :: also available in book form


• Almonds :: 1/4 c. with string cheese is a great snack :: yes the calorie count is high but you may find that you don't need to eat the entire 1/4 c. and they're good for you


• String Cheese :: need I say more


• Ice Cream and Fruit Bars :: we love our ice cream in this house but if we eat an ice cream bar we eat one serving vs. 2+ when we scoop it out of the container :: have you ever measured your ice cream? you might be surprised


• Exercise :: I know it's cold outside and it gets dark early but you can burn calories in your house :: put in an exercise video, do some crunches, sit-ups, push-ups, stairs (yes, on your stairway) or jump rope in your garage :: better yet, get your kids to join you and make a game of it

Have you discovered any faves or tips that have worked for you? Want to share?