Breakfast for Dinner? Why not!

 

One of my favorite meals consist of food that is normally served at breakfast. I have found out that my lifestyle changes were more effective if I ate a healthy lighter breakfast and saved this scrumptious meal for dinner. With just a little variation I have turned a "heart attack waiting to happen" into a meal that reflects my goals for a fitter fifty. This is Fabulous Fifties Dining at its finest!
We do a Sam's Club  run for groceries once a month. This helps us manage our food budget so much better. We only shop locally for produce and necessities.


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 Bountiful Garden Omelet, Whole Wheat Pancakes With Blueberries,Turkey Bacon , And Fresh Tomatoes


Bountiful Garden Omelet

Cooking Time:Prep/15 min/ cook 15 min


Ingredients

4 eggs (allow to reach room temperature)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
A pinch of parsley
1/2 cup fresh or frozen broccoli
1/2 cup green peppers
1 6oz can drained mushrooms
1 cup diced sweet vidalia onion
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup cheddar cheese ( my husbands choice)
Healthy Way Canola Cooking Spray
1 Omelet Pan ( can pick up for around 10 dollars and easier to use)


Directions

 1. Spray a small frying pan with the cooking spray.
2. Saute the mushrooms, broccoli, green peppers, and onions until brown. Set aside.

3. Crack the eggs in a mixing bowl.
 4. Beat well with a whisk.
5. Add your herbs and seasonings.
6. Have all your filling ingredients near your stove.
7.  Spray your pan and heat on medium.
8. Add the egg mixture eventually to both sides of the pan.
 9. When the eggs are set and doesn't jiggle in the pan it is time to add all the the fillings,
      except for the cheese. Add the cheese right before you flip the two sides together.
10. Remove from heat and transfer to your serving plate.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberries

These are simply the best!
http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/whole-wheat-pancakes/
 We add a teaspoon of honey, or a sugar-free jelly, or a  sugar substitute to our fruit as a topping. 



Turkey Bacon. 

Cook as directed.

Garnish with slices of vine-ripe tomatoes sprinkled with pepper, thyme, and parsley. If you must, add just a dash of salt.



Tomorrow's Blog: Lets Start Drinking!

Lets Start Drinking: Let not your body be filled completely with empty calories.

Glenn sends his son, Evan to bed. Five minutes later, Evan screams downstairs, “Dad! Can you get me a glass of water?” Glenn says, “No. You had your chance.”

After a minute Evan screams again, “Dad! Can you get me a glass of water?” Glenn says, “No. I told you, you had your chance. If you ask one more time, I’ll come up there and spank you.”
After a short silence, the father hears, “Dad! When you come up to spank me, can you bring me a glass of water?”

 Let water be your guide as you become a fitter fifty.

 Why is water not the first thing many of us grab when we are thirsty? Flavor or lack of could be a factor. I tried this fruit water at a upscale hotel on one of my trips. It has become a staple at our house. 

Fruit Water

2 Kiwi
5 Strawberries halved
2 Lemons sliced
2 sprigs of mint
2sprigs of lemon basil
2 quarts of water
1 pretty pitcher
Keep chilled and enjoy

Let's talk about thighs....oops... I mean fries.

Life can be so unfair sometimes. We have worked hard our whole lives and we should be able to eat what we want and when we want to and there should not be a limit to the amount we eat. Right? Life can be so unfair sometimes.Well, I am assuming  if you are as fed up with weight gain as I am you have figured out that this is not the case for most of us in our fifties.That is why I created my blog, Fabulous Fifties Dining.  I had to find healthier alternatives  to replace my luxury foods.  I will still eat from my luxury foods list but I will do it sparely as and not as a way of life. If it is broke it is time to fix it.

LUXURY LIST FOODS

French Fries that are not baked
Potato Chips that are not baked
Crackers that are not baked
Chocolate
White Breads
Ice Cream
Cookies
Red Meat
Hot dogs
Processed foods that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, salt, and sugar. We could write a book just from this alone.
Fried foods
Candy..candy...candy....
Okay, I will stop for now this list could probably continue ad infinitum.







 I will help you out. Here are some healthy alternates to replace some of the items on your luxury list.

Herbs are my friend.... Herbs are my friend....... they really are!  We do not have to be a rocket scientist to know that salt is not user friendly. It is one of our most overused condiments and it can be detrimental for our health. Do we really want to be "worth our weight in salt"?  Herbs are easy to grow and there is a abundant variety of herbs sold at most of our local grocery stores. Almost all bridal registries list a spice rack . Just like anything else it is important to know how to use your herbs. That is why I am adding my much used and much loved chart for using your spices, herbs, and seasonings. I keep this chart taped to the inside of the cabinet over my stove for easy referencing while cooking!
                Let's get serious about our fabulous fifties dining! It is time to start creating! I am ready if you are!

Whew... I know cleaning out the pantry  was a major job, but now it is over and our next step is preparing our garden or pots to grow some herbs and vegetables. As we get older we may feel better doing a raised bed garden. I actually can water my garden standing on the deck. Also, if you are lacking space using pots will yield the same results.....and pots require no weeding.....  Also if you are living in an apartment and just have a deck you can use deck rail pots to plant your herbs. You can also buy them in jars but fresh is always better. You can also freeze your herbs in ice trays to use later. HERBS are an important part of your new lifestyle changes. When you start to prepare your foods with less sodium, herbs are a good way to replace the flavor... If you don't like it you won't eat it.....you have to find a way to make healthy taste good and this is possible with a little creativity on your part..........

 These  few strawberry plants yielded enough strawberries to put in my baby spinach and strawberry salad all summer long. My husband built me the flower boxes in the picture below. They are also filled with all the wonderful herbs that I cooked with this summer.

You may now be thinking... I just don't want to garden anymore... it is not part of my retirement plans.... Beyond getting produce free from your family and friends gardens, the next economically way to get the best fruits and vegetables is at a farmer's market. Almost all cities and towns have farmers markets. You can visit local farmer's market and also stop by markets while traveling. Here are a few that I used this summer to help me along my journey to eating healthier:

 

1) https://www.facebook.com/SuffolkFarmersMarketVirginia

2) http://gsofarmersmarket.org/

3) http://www.ybormarket.com/

4) https://www.facebook.com/edentonfarmersmarket

5) http://www.downtownwaterfrontmarket.com/

6) https://www.facebook.com/WncFarmersMarket

Welcome to my blog

Hello, and welcome to my blog, Fabulous Fifties Dining.

This blog is about finding a way to get fitter in your fifties in order to fully enjoy your retirement. The recipes are budget-friendly, and I will talk more about life changes instead of dieting. 

Same old, same old. Every year I tell myself the same old thing. I am not going to gain ten lbs. or more. I am going to the gym. Then life gets in the way. Or I let life get in the way. 

My name is Lucille Clarke and I am 56 years young. I am a student at East Carolina University. Every year since I had children 26 years ago, I have battled losing between 10 lbs to 30 lbs. I have tried every diet known to man. Some were successful temporarily, and some were disasters. Cabbage soup diet? Who was I kidding?! You may be thinking that 10 lbs. is not a big deal, but I am 4'11" and 10 lbs. can look like 30 extra lbs on my small frame. 

Do you ever get on the scales at the mall and debate lying about your frame size? Once I punch in small frame and my weight it ruins my shopping trip. It makes me want to go down to the coffee shop and drown my sorrows in a raspberry mocha hold the skinny and a cookie. 

If I select medium frame, the scales give me a number that gives me wiggle room, and I mean that literally. That number is a lie. This is a bad cycle and I'm tired of it. 

What to do, what to do. Woe is me who can't eat all the high fructose, salt laden, sugar drenched food that everyone else does. What is stopping me? A family history of high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and feeling sluggish and tired all the time. The biggie for me is that I want to enjoy my retirement years. I have earned the right and it is up to me to make those changes. If you are reading this and you are 20, 30, or 40 go ahead and do something about it now. It doesn't get any easier. 

Don't have much time to exercise read on....

Don't have much money and on a budget read on....

Just tired of being overweight and tired read on.....

It does take some work to do what my husband and I started back in July of this year. The good news is I am down 13 lbs and he is down 21 lbs.