Chicken Vermicelli with Mixed Vegetables

This is a recipe that can be made a various amount of ways. It's a recipe that my baby daughter loves and it blows my mind, since it is half veggies. Let's get started. When I make this dish, I never make it the same way* and never measure my sauces, so these are good estimates.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of cooked chicken (I like to oven bake mine)

- 12-16 oz package of vermicelli

- 1 clove of garlic (diced)

- 1 medium onion (diced)

- 5 or 6 mushrooms (diced)

- 2 cups of Kale (diced)

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1/3 cup of sesame oil

- 1/3 cup of soy sauce

Directions:

- Cook chicken and set aside to cool. Cook vermicelli according to the package. Set vermicelli aside to cool with chicken.

- In a large pan or wok, add vegetable oil, onions and garlic. Cook on medium heat until onions start to caramilize. 

- Add chicken, put half of soy sauce and sesame oil in the pan. Stir for 1 minute.

- Add mushrooms, kale, and vermicelli. Put rest of soy sauce and sesame oil in pan. Stir entire mixture and let cook for 7-10 minutes on medium heat, or until kale has good color and crispness.

*You can substitute kale and mushrooms with any 2 veggies you want. Snap peas, carrots, brocolli, etc.

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Lasagna

It's Friday, we're hungry for dinner already, let's make lasagna. Here is how you do it.

Ingredients: 

• Salt
• 1 pound lasagna noodle
• 1.5 pound of ground beef
• Italian Seasoning
• 1 large egg
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 2 Bottles of Italian Tomato Sauce (6 cups)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and a generous pinch of salt and cook for half as long as the package suggests. Drain and float in cold water. (Skip this step if noodles are precooked.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, fry the sausage links until cooked through, about 10 minutes. With kitchen scissors, cut the sausage into disks in the pan and continue to fry over low heat until the cut surfaces are crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain off the fat.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, ricotta, and 1/2 cup of the pecorino.
• To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 
• Drain and pat dry the noodles. Overlap one third of the noodles atop the sauce to cover the pan bottom. 
• Spread all the cooked beef over the noodles and spoon over another cup of sauce. Lay down the second third of noodles. 
• Evenly dollop all the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and flatten with the spoon to make an even layer. 
• Top with the remaining noodles to completely cover the cheese. Pour over 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce to cover. 
• Evenly lay all the mozzarella slices on top. 
• Sprinkle around the remaining 1/4 cup pecorino and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbling all over and lightly golden on top. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. 
•  Serve with grated cheese and warmed extra sauce at the table.

It seems like a lot of work, but it's worth the trouble. After you make this a few times it becomes second nature. Enjoy this with the family this weekend and wow them.

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Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Today I am going to share with you a recipe for homemade chicken enchiladas with green chile sauce and guacamole. Sounds like a lot huh? It's so easy though and so good to eat. This is also a great recipe to do for parties since the original recipe yields you about 8-10 enchiladas. So, let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 2-1/2 cups chicken broth 
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander
• 4 oz of minced green chiles
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Cook chicken first before you start anything else. This will take around 45 minutes. Once chicken is done, cut in cubes and put aside to cool off. 
• Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in coriander and half of the chilies. 
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Monterey Jack cheese and remaining chilies.  
• Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Pour sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. 

I also like to guacamole on top of it to add some greens and nutrition to it. Here is my recipe for Guac.

• Take 3 large avocados and peel the skin off and throw seed away (Yes, I know I am very white for doing that.)
• Add 2 minced tomatoes, and 1/2 of a minced onion.
• Add a good amount of garlic salt. I never measured, but it's around a tablespoon.
• Add lemon juice.
• Add a little bit of minced cilantro.
• Mix up all up until there are no chunks and it is creamy.

I was very vague because everyone varies in what they think is perfect guacamole. So I will usually make it according to everyone's preference. This recipe should help you make an awesome bowl of guacamole. Put a big spoonful on one of the enchiladas and you are good to go! Tex Mex.

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Pasta Carbonara

Today I will show you how to make my popular Pasta Carbonara. It's a big hit with people of all ages and is pretty easy to make. Let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked penne
• 8-10 bacon strips, diced
• 5 oz fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup half-and-half cream 
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 6 to 8 drops hot pepper sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions 

Directions:

• Put penne in boiling water with tablespoon of salt for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Brown mushrooms in drippings; remove to paper towels. Drain drippings from pan into a container that can handle hot temperature. Put the grease in the fridge for an hour before discarding.
• Add the cream, butter, parsley, garlic, pepper sauce and salt to the skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Drain penne; add to cream mixture. Stir in the bacon, mushrooms and cheese; heat through. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with green onions. Done

This takes about 30 minutes to do and is great for families of 4. Enjoy.

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Natural Painkillers

 

Here is another picture from the great people at PositiveMed.com. It's good to be knowledgeable on herbs, spices, and foods that can help heal you in some way. Personally I hate going to the doctor and taking prescriptions. I always find a way to natural heal myself. The only time it becomes dire is if my life is on the line, then I might consider man-made medication.

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Correct Way to Peel a Banana

Here is my first video! I didn't want to do anything too long or complicated since it's my first one. They will get more involved and detailed over time. Enjoy!

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Natural Foods to Cleanse the Colon

I'm sorry I have to do this, but this post is about your colon. Gross or not, this is a very important thing to think about, especially as we get older. I found this on a website called PositiveMed.com. I love this website because it shares a lot of natural ways to heal your body. Check their website out daily for new tips. If you are having problems reading this picture, click on it and it will open up a window with a larger size or click on the source link below to go directly to their website.

Source: http://positivemed.com/2013/04/09/natural-foods-to-cleanse-the-colon/

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The Working Person's Lunch

I work a day job at an IT company 5 days a week from 8:30am to 5:30pm. Most of my life is spent there. I have been working there for the last 6 years and every day I come across the same problem. What's for lunch? I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way with your job. Sometimes it can really be a burden when trying to stay on budget and healthy. Let me share my experiences with you and see if it helps you out this week.

The hardest thing to avoid during lunch is fast food. It's fast, it's cheap, and you have a fairly wide selection to choose from (especially me being near Westheimer). I could just go to McDonald's or Taco Bell and get a few small items low in calories and I should be good. Well, I eat lunch at noon and if I was to only eat a few small calorie items, I would be starving by the time I got home at 6:30pm and would eat a feast for dinner. The other option is to go to a restaurant and get something a little more fresh, but a lot more money plus tip. It seems that the food industry is making us fat by offering these horrible choices, knowing that most of us sit at our desk for 8 hours a day and can't afford to eat high fat and calories.

Here are a few things that I have learned to do. The best option is to make a dinner the night before, and make enough so you have leftovers for lunch. No matter what you cook for dinner, it is most likely healthier for you than fast food or restaurants, and it cost a whole lot less. I also might bring a fruit with me for when 4pm hits and my tummy rumbles a little bit. You don't want to get home and be starving so that you eat your face off for dinner.

Another option is to research all the restaurants and fast food around you and figure out what has the best bang for your buck. I go to a place called Shawarma King when I don't have leftovers. There I get a chicken sandwich that is made fresh daily and much more healthy than any hamburger or taco place. It has about 500 calories, 30g of protein, and maybe about 30g of carbs from the pita. Fat content is low and sodium level is acceptable. It is also only $5 and is enough food to hold me over. When you find a meal that works, it can really save you. I try to find 3 or 4 places that I can go and eat a good lunch for a low price and won't make me bloat up.

Don't make the mistake some people do, and not eat lunch. Doing this is just wrong. You can't go a full 8 hours working with no fuel for your body. At the very least, eat a fruit bowl from the grocery store or small salad. You also don't want to overeat because you will head back to work wanting to take a nap. A good rule I follow is don't go over 500 calories for lunch. This leaves you enough to have a good breakfast, dinner, and snacks in between.

In conclusion, eating lunch during the work week is something that is tricky to do when staying healthy, but it is far from impossible. Research, cook your own meals, or go light and you will have more energy the rest of the day and will stay on track with your diet.

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Frontier Potato Salad

TGIF! I decided this week that I was going to share my potato salad recipe that I created for my Mom's restaurant. When making this, I had certain requests I needed to follow. The first, was no egg. Whoa, potato salad with no eggs? OK. Also they wanted to use red potatoes instead of Yukon, which is no big deal really. They also weren't really a fan of traditional potato salad, so I needed to spice it up some, literally. It turned out great and they loved it. They eventually added bacon to it, but I think that's up to you. I'm going to share the non-bacon recipe but you can add bacon if you want. So here you go, try it out next time you BBQ.

Ingredients:

• 8 medium red potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups of real mayo
• 2-3 tablespoons regular mustard (depends if you want less mustard or not)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 green onions (3 bulbs)
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/2 of a large onion
• 2 teaspoons of dill weed
• 1 teaspoon salt (kosher if you have it)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes into quarters, leave skin on.
2. Boil water and cook potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until skin starts to peel a little. Leave skin on though!
3. Chop green onions into small pieces.
4. Chop up dill weed, if needed.
5. Mince onions, use food processor if you need to get it that small.
6. Cut jalapeno open and de-seed it. Chop into small pieces, but not too small.
7. Get your 1.5 cups of mayo and 3 tablespoons of mustard ready
8. When potatoes are done, place in a big bowl.
9. Slightly mash up potatoes so there are no large chunks, but not so much that it turns into mashed potatoes.
10. Throw in mustard, mayo, green onions, onions, and jalapeno.
11. Add the salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dill weed.
12. Slowly and carefully start to mix up everything, don't let it get too mashed potato like.
13. Add paprika and dijon mustard.
14. Mix one more time very gently.
15. Throw one teaspoon of dill on top to garnish.

And there you have it! A unique and yummy recipe that I created on my own. Make this at your next party and I'm sure people will love it. For my vegan friends, substitute the mayo with vegan mayo and you should be good to go.

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Natural Cures

I found this poster on a Facebook page and thought it was something everyone should know. We don't always need medicine from the doctor to heal ourselves. Mother Nature made it to where we can heal ourselves with items grown from the soil. Taking care of our bodies should be the number one thing we do in our life.

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Black Bean Sliders

I think over the weekend I am going to make some black bean sliders in respect to my vegetarian friends. If you're reading this Moe, come over. I got this recipe from a page on Facebook. Check them out... https://www.facebook.com/VegetarianRecipes247

The burgers:

• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp canola oil, divided
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium chipotle pepper, seeded & minced
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp minced cilantro

The sauce: 

• 1 California avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 2 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small chipotle pepper, seeded & minced
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 whole wheat dinner rolls, but in half
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Instructions 

The burgers:

• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute for additional 2 minutes.
• Scrape the mixture into the food processor. Add black beans, brown rice and lime juice. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.
• Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and the cilantro. Stir the mixture until combined.
• Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each) and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs.
• Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes per side. If the skillet is not large enough to fit all of the patties, cook them in two batches.

The sauce:

• While the patties are resting in the fridge, make the sauce.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper and salt. Puree until smooth.

Assembling: 

• Divide the avocado sauce between the rolls (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sauce per roll). Top each with one black bean patty and one slice of tomato. Serve.

Sounds like a lot of work but really it's just a bunch of ingredients to give the burger texture and flavor due to lack of beef. Comment below if you give this a try and I will do the same!

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Why Losing Fat is Important.

Found this picture on Facebook and had to share. This does not mean if you are real skinny that you need to lose more fat. This is for people who are above their BMI and need to lose fat.

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Smoothie's False Identity

We have all had smoothies before. There are several places to go to get them like Smoothie King, Smoothie Factory, and Jamba Juice. They promise good health and the perfect drink before or after a workout. Packed full of vitamins and minerals, smoothies seem to be a very tasty way to stay healthy. Today I am going to tell you why I think smoothies are overrated and why you should be more careful when choosing one to supplement your diet or workout.

I have been a big fan of smoothies for a long time. They taste great and you feel like you are being supercharged. I never would of thought something that seemed so healthy could actually be worse for you than the products they try to replace. For this post, I will use Smoothie Kings drinks for my examples.

Sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. That is what you get when you order almost anything off the menu. Yes, a lot of it does come from real fruit and that is great and all, but the amount of sugar is mind blowing in some of these drinks. They still use syrups and other liquids in these drinks that are not natural fruit. The protein shakes like Gladiator and The Shredder have fairly low amounts of carbs and sugar, so that's good. They also pack a lot of protein so I can safely say they are good for after workouts. Although, when you add the two fruits to it, they do get a little bit of sugar added. The rest of the drinks, start at around 30 grams of sugar for a small drink and can go up to 200 grams for a Hulk large. The Hulk large also has 60 grams of fat. That is like eating 3 hamburgers from McDonalds with 4 large cokes to chug it down with. Granted, the McDonalds meal has tons more sodium than the Hulk large, but I still don't think it's a "healthy" drink.

Another thing I hate about smoothies is that they are so expensive. For a medium, plus the tip they make you feel guilty about, it is around $8-9. Wow! For around that much I could go to Le Peep and have an egg and ham breakfast with fruit and a tall glass of water and it would be miles healthier and delicious. I could think of a dozen more options I could spend that money on that would get me a better meal than a smoothie.

The last thing I will say about smoothies is that you need to make sure you research them before you make it a habit and become overweight all of a sudden by being "healthy". Get a smoothie if it makes sense, otherwise pass and get something better.

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Diet Trends

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I'm sure we all pigged out more than we wanted to, and it's OK! Life is about choice and enjoying what the world has to offer. It's OK to eat hamburgers and fries on occasion with a tall glass of vodka and Redbull. As long as you don't let your cheats be a way back into an unhealthy lifestyle, I see no problem with it. Today on Trendy Tuesdays, I want to discuss why I am such a disbeliever in most diet trends.

We have all heard about diet trends that pop up every year or so. One of the most popular I can remember is the Atkins Diet. This was a diet that made you scared of any kind of carbs. It was real popular because people would lose weight by avoiding carbs. Well, what ended up happening is a lot of people got sick or got even fatter once they got off the diet. Another one that I tried before was the Anabolic Diet. This diet was similar to Atkins. It made you not eat carbs for 12 days, then after 12 days you eat carbs for 2 days, then continue a cycle of shocking your body pretty much. I will say, my wife and I lost a lot of weight when we tried this 5 years ago. The problem was that you had to eat all the time. After a couple of weeks I was tired of cooking 4-5 meals a day and really didn't have the time to. Our grocery bill was real high too because of all the meat we had to consume. The most recent one is the Paleo Diet, which I talked about last week. This is again the same ole story about avoiding carbs and eating only meat, veggies, and fruit for the most part. Check out my post from earlier last week to see what I say about the Paleo Diet.

So why the hate? These diets work for some people, I will admit that. For the average person though, I think they are a little too much. I think someone can achieve weight loss and good health by just being smart about what they eat and not over consume. By being on a fad diet, there is a little part of everybody that knows that this may not work, so when crunch time comes, it is easy to just give up. By eating what you want, but being smart about it, you can enjoy life more and not have to be the guy at dinners who refuses to eat a roll or goes for a bunless hamburger.

In conclusion, I will say that some diets are extremely beneficiary to people who have health concerns. If a doctor tells you to stay away from wheat, red meat, or dairy, then I suggest you follow orders. If you got fat because you have gotten lazy and eat way too much fast food, then a fad diet is probably not going to work. You need to get moving, educate yourself on what your body really needs, and watch your calorie intake. We eat more than we do anything, so don't take the fun out of it, just be smart.

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Ten Food Additives to Avoid

TGIF everybody! Today I'm not going to share a recipe. Instead, I am going to tell you about 10 food additives that you should avoid. Check for these when you grocery shop and it will help you in deciding what brand to buy.

Aspartame – found in foods that are diet or sugar free; neurotoxin and carcinogen

High Fructose Corn Syrup – found in everything; number one source of calories in U.S.

MSG – Asian food, some canned soups, chips, snacks, frozen foods; neurotoxin

Trans Fat - margarine, chips, baked goods, fast foods; increases LDL, lowers HDL

Common Food Dyes incl. blue #1, blue #2, red #3, red #40, yellow #6, and yellow tartrazine – candy, sports drinks, soda, cherry products, cheese; can cause ADD, ADHD

Sodium Sulphite (sulfite) – wine, cheese; 1 in 100 people are sensitive to this chemical, can cause illness, rashes, among other things

Sodium Nitrite or Nitrate – hot dogs, bacon, ham, lunchmeat, smoked fish, many processed foods; carcinogen

BHA and BHT – potato chips, gum, lard, shortening, jello; affects neurological center of brain, can cause cancer, alters behavior

Sulphur Dioxide – beer, soda, juice, wine, dried fruit, vinegars; sulphur additives are toxic, can cause asthma, bronchial and respiratory problems, destroy Vitamin E and B1, should never be given to children

Potassium Bromate – found in most bread and rolls; known to cause cancer in animals, even small amounts can cause problems in humans.

So there you have it. Check for these on food labels and try to avoid them as much as you can. Come back next week and I will share a delicious recipe.

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Paleo Diet

Today on Trendy Tuesday, I will be talking about a new diet I have heard about called the Paleo Diet. The Paleo diet is a modern day version of our ancestors’ diet from the Paleolithic era and focuses on food that can be hunted or gathered: Vegetables, fruit, seafood, grass-fed meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, and poultry. While it seems like it could be a very healthy alternative to your regular diet, it does raise questions on a few things.

No one can argue that eating only vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and nuts is bad for you. Most diets actually follow the same guideline. Processed foods are a big no-no in this diet and that's a good thing. This diet is rich in soluble fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, low-glycemic carbs, and the good kind of fat. I have read stories of people losing an easy 15 lbs and feeling great while on this diet. This diet is also extremely low in sodium which is something I really like about it. So why is this diet not practiced by everyone in the world?

The one thing that I thought of when I heard about this diet is, "A caveman's life span was only 20 years or so, does that mean you will be fit but die sooner than other people in today's time?" Another thing to think about is the animal's meat from a long time ago is much different than the commercial farm animals we have nowadays, even if they are grass fed. The meat is not as lean and they are still pumped with chemicals even at the most organic farms. Also, without milk and cheese, it is almost impossible to get calcium and vitamin D in your diet. You also lose valuable nutrients by taking away grains. This diet is also very similar to a low carb diet which I am not a fan of. I actually see nothing wrong with carbs if they are the good kind. I also love bread so I might be a little biased. The last thing that made me not a fan was that your grocery bill will most likely be much larger than before.

After saying that, this does not mean this diet is bad for you. There are supplements you can take to get the missing nutrients, and as long as you stay active, like cavemen did, you should have no problem eating all the fat and protein you want. It is also recommended that you eat more fish than red meat. If all you eat is red meat from today's farm animals, you will most likely develop cardiovascular problems.

In conclusion, the Paleo Diet is a new approach to a low carb diet. I personally would never do it but that is my personal choice and I do not feel it accompanies my lifestyle. If you have the wallet, the patience, and the drive to do this diet, I say go for it. Make sure to check with your doctor or health care professional before trying this if you have medical issues. My advice is just to eat normal foods and stay away from as much processed foods as you can without driving yourself crazy.

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Sweet and Spicy Chicken

TGIF! At this point, I'm going to stop apologizing for not posting everyday, my readers know I'm busy and can't post everyday, so there I said it. On to the food! Today on Foodie Fridays I am going to share a recipe I made this week called Sweet & Spicy Chicken. The family loved it and I think you will too. Let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (Get low sodium if you can find it)
• 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 jar of chunky salsa (11 oz)
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

• Place taco seasoning in a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken and toss to coat.
• In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil until no longer pink. Combine salsa and preserves; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve on top of cooked hot rice.

Tell me that is not the easiest recipe ever?! It is also very delicious and you can double the ingredients and feed a ton of people. So next time you feel like some Chinese take out, opt for this healthier version instead and save some money. Hope you all have a great weekend! 

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Gatorade is Old News

We all know the drink. The thirst quenching sports drink that has been around since most of us have been alive. Gatorade has been helping athletes for decades and is still a big seller in the stores. What if I told you that it is not that good for you? What if I said it can actually make you gain weight? These questions are topics I will be talking about in this post on Trendy Tuesdays. The trend that sports drinks after working out is a way to refresh yourself, is not entirely true.

Let's start with the pros of Gatorade that we all know and have been taught.

• Electrolytes - This is probably the #1 reason people support and drink Gatorade. Electrolytes are very important to you especially if you have been sweating for an hour or so. They can give an athlete energy when he feels like he has none left. Good example is a basketball game. It's 4th quarter and your team is down by 10. You are the star shooter, but are dead tired from a hard game. Drinking some Gatorade in this instance will give the player more energy right away to finish the game than water or any other beverage would.
• Taste - Gatorade has a ton of flavors to please anybody's palette. My favorite is the classic Lemon-Lime.

Ok so maybe there aren't too many pros to Gatorade besides helping athletes finish games strong. Let's take a look at why it's bad for you.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup - This alone is reason enough to know that sports drinks are bad for you. Inexpensive way to sweeten and preserve a drink. This just screams bad for you.
• Citric Acid - This is used to flavor the drinks and makes it taste pretty good and leaves your mouth feeling pretty refreshed. It also can wear at your teeth enamel and can cause tooth decay after a lot of exposure to it.
• Less Water Intake - If you find yourself drinking Gatorade every time you get thirsty, this can cause a serious problem. Your body needs pure water to live and stay healthy, and if all you are giving it is water with sugar and other chemicals, it can take a toll on your body.
• Weight Gain - A lot of people look at Gatorade like they do Coke or any other soda. High amount of sugar and empty calories is a recipe for weight gain.

So there you have some pros and cons for Gatorade or any other sports drink. I am not saying that it is horrible and needs to be banned. It works great for athletes and people who do a lot of physical work for extended periods of time. But for the rest of us who may only do an hour of physical work all day, it is the same as a soft drink.

Well Chris, what can I drink after I go to the gym if Gatorade isn't that good for you? I personally go for some chocolate milk (ones without High Fructose Corn Syrup) or protein shake. These give you the protein your body needs after a work out and gives you some good carbs to boost your energy back up the rest of the day. In conclusion, stay away from sports drink and drink more water or a shake if you are trying to repair after a workout.

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Spicy Bacon Mac & Cheese

Friday, Friday! Yep it's that time of the week again. Work doesn't seem too bad, you are planning your weekend, and I am going to share a delicious recipe with you. This week I am going to talk about a dish I am going to try over the weekend. My friend Ram told me that one of his favorite foods is mac & cheese, and because he is a picky eater, I see this as a challenge to see if I can win his palette. I didn't want to just make a side dish of it, so I went for a main dish version which calls for bacon, mmmmm bacon, and some other exciting flavors. Let's see how we are going to make this bad boy.

What You Need:

• 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 pound bacon strips, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1.5 cups 2% milk
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 2 cups process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped 

 This Is How You Do It

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or big pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a tongs, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Saute jalapeno in reserved drippings. Add milk and cheeses to pot; cook and stir until blended. Stir in the onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Add the onions, cooked bacon and reserved pasta to pan; mix well.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through. 

Pretty easy huh? It will also leave you with plenty of leftovers. I have had something similar before but a few things are new to me. I think this will be a great version of a classic favorite. I will update on how it went! Have a great weekend everyone.

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Men's Health Poster

Happy Tuesday to all my readers. I had an idea for a blog post today, but it was going to require more research than I had time to do. I will post that next week! Today, I wanted to share a poster I saw a few weeks ago that is pretty helpful for men. Sorry ladies, I try to be unisex as often as I can. I know this isn't really a "trendy" topic for Trendy Tuesdays, but I felt it was important to share. Take a look at the poster for a minute and absorb what it is saying.

Do you feel like some of the organs mentioned may be in the danger zone with you personally? Go see a doctor and get a physical. I don't usually say go to the doctor for anything, but it's good to go when you know what you need checked and are already informed so you can decide whether or not to take doctor's orders.

This poster wasn't made to scare you, but to inform you of how major organs work and are affected by our daily living. The older we get, the more we realize the importance of keeping our body healthy so we can live long and prosperous lives.

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