An Easy Healthy Meal--Cut the Calories with this New England Clam Chowder Recipe

It's our first Friday of Lent.....oh dear what should I make for dinner?

I think most everyone enjoys a meatless meal from time to time. And if you are a seafood lover as my husband and I are, we like to change up how and what type of seafood we eat. Not only is it a great way to eliminate the fear that I used to have when preparing seafood, but it allows us to explore some of the great choices now available from the sea.

I have learned so much by chatting with the lady that works at our fish counter. For instance what is the difference between Farm Raised Fish and Wild Caught Fish?

Farm Raised- raising fish commercially in tanks, and controlled pens usually in lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans.  They live and feed in compact living situations. And they tend to have more diseases, toxins, artificial dyes, and antibiotics. They also may contain more fat then compared to wild caught.

Wild Caught - tend to be higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, and protein. They contain very low levels of disease and are free from antibiotics, pesticides & artificial dyes. They are free to roam the ocean and to find their own food ultimately helping them contain less fat than the farm raised. One issue with wild caught, is it can contain Mercury, however, this can be just as much of an issue with farm raised fish that are raised in the ocean environment. The cost is the down side with wild caught fish being significantly more than farm raised fish. 

I chose Clams to highlight today. One of husband's favorites is New England Clam Chowder. Clams are always available and are so easy to use in a recipe.

A lot of New England chowder recipes are laden with heavy cream driving up the unnecessary calories. This recipe is  from Ellie Krieger and contains 312 Calories per serving, not bad. She has lightened the amount of cream normally used and it tastes fantastic! By adding a colorful side salad of your choice, dinner is served!

Why give it a try tonight?

         http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/new-new-england-clam-chowder-recipe.html

         Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

                                                                                     Kathleen

***Thank you for visiting The Lavender Bouquet. Please feel free to comment and don't forget to visit us on Monday!

It's Foodie Friday--Delicious and Easy Seafood in Parchment & Slow-Cooked Kale

My husband told me he really likes this Foodie Friday thing. It appears that some of the recipes I am trying out on him are surprising his taste buds a bit more than he anticipated!

We just had a delish dinner that I have to share with you. This one got rave reviews from my husband so I am anxious to see what you all think about it.

The "Baked Seafood in Parchment" was so easy to prepare and in 20 minutes we were sitting down to a great healthy dinner. The "Slow Cooked Kale with Smashed Garlic & Red Onion" was such a great side dish. It was just as easy to prepare and the flavors are outstanding! 

The Baked Seafood in Parchment recipe may be found at: 
http://sandandsisal.com/2014/01/baked-seafood-in-parchment.html

Look at how juicy this is. It also makes a great presentation dish when you want to WOW your guests. And oh let's not forget the important thing....... the taste is oh soooooooo good!!

 The Slow-Cooked Kale recipe may be found at:
 http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slow-cooked-kale-recipes-from-the-kitchn

Hope you enjoyed this Foodie Friday healthy segment.....now get to the store to pick up your fish and scallops and bake away!

              I couldn't let the day slip away without wishing all of you a Happy Valentine's Day!

                                                          

                                                                            Kathleen

Life's Challenges---It's All About Attitude!

I have been trying to figure out what happened to me last year......my usual daily trips to the gym became non-existent. I used to get out of bed, get dressed for the gym, and head out the door by
7:00 a.m. rain, snow or shine!  I loved watching GMA during my workout. It always caught me
up on world events, sprinkled in some cute anchor banter, and it had the best "Deals and Steals," which my girls were always grateful for.

I just stopped going to the gym....I had quit something that I prided myself in doing to stay healthy as I aged. A routine that I started when my oldest daughter went to college. (and believe me it has been years!) We had moved to Ann Arbor, MI and I felt a need to do something for me to fill that void. Gosh, I missed that child!

Fast forward to moving again, getting ingrained in a new community, home renovations, life, life and life. I had quit going to the gym, but why? I made a promise to myself that in "2014" I was going to get back to my normal healthy morning routine.

Well I may be a month behind, but I rolled out of bed this morning, got dressed and hit the gym. As I swiped my membership card, the moths flew from the swiper machine.....Yes, I was back! I must admit I took it a bit easier than normal as I hopped on the elliptical and got moving.

I left the gym feeling great........energized and ready for that cup of coffee. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some fresh fish for dinner.  As I stood in line to pay I noticed there was a woman in front of me with what "looked like" muffins in a plastic container. While the cashier was ringing her up, she was "picking away" on the top of one of them, and I could tell she was loving every minute of it!  I had to laugh when I saw her. This was something I have been tempted to do, but never had the courage! She saw me glance at her, and in her beautiful French accent said, "these are 500 calories and I just got out of my spinning class....aren't I terrible?" I laughed and said," you look great." She said, "that's because I am French!" We both had a good chuckle and she left on her way.

Her French accent took my thoughts back to our Paris trip. One of the things Ron and I enjoyed most about Paris was being able to walk everywhere. In the mornings we would see the French with their coffee and croissant in hand, walking or riding their bikes to work. And on the way home, walking or riding, carrying the infamous baguette in hand for dinner. Exercise........lifestyle.......she was right!

I have always thought that people come in to our lives for a reason, but this morning........my little French lady friend.......with her sweet and carefree demeanor, made me think about how easy it was to turn that switch on again. Heck, she just rode her buns off for an hour and said, "you know what,

I want this muffin and I am going to eat it."  It's all about balance......anything good in life is worth working for....I'm back and I'm up for the challenge.

Are you up for a challenge?


                                                               Have a wonderful day!

                                                                       Kathleen