mexbride83

I love to cook, and I especially love cooking healthy (but yummy!) foods. And I'm always on the look-out for new recipes, especially those suggested by friends. So as I was preparing dinner tonight, I thought that a recipe exchange on BDW would be a great way to get more tasty, healthy recipes to try out! I'll start out by posting some of my favorite recipes for a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Then you all can join in with your favorites, and hopefully we all benefit in the end:) Bonus points if they're healthy yet taste good enough that even the men like them hahaha! Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches: This is one of my fiance's favorites. I make it healthier by skipping the butter (its really unnecessary) and using a low carb, whole wheat roll. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Buffalo-Chicken-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx Homemade Applesauce: Super easy, yummy, and includes none of the preservatives, colorings, sugars, etc that Mott's has in it! Just take 2 pounds of apples, peel and slice them, and put them in your slow-cooker. I usually add cinnamon as well. Then turn the slow-cooker on low and cook for 4-6 hours. When you stir them, they'll just melt right into a sauce... perfect snack! Peach French Toast Bake: Yum yum yum! Only adjustment is that I'd suggest you don't let it sit overnight. I think just 2 hours of sitting is plenty, or else it gets too soggy. Also, I use Splenda brown sugar. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/peach-french-toast-bake-recipe/index.html Fried Rice: I love fried rice, and this is a healthy alternative! 1 cup rice, cooked (I use brown, but it's not for everyone!) 1 cup veggies of choice (I use carrot shavings, frozen peas, and onions) 3 egg whites Cooking spray Low-sodium soy sauce Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add eggs and scramble.When eggs are cooked, remove and set aside. Spray pan again and place over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion, saute about 2-3 minutes. Stir in cooked rice, veggies and soy sauce. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Gently stir in cooked egg and voile! I've added in chicken or shrimp with great results. Also served it as a side to grilled shrimp kabobs and the fiance loved it! 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins: 1 box of Spice Cake mix 1 14 oz can of Pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!) Just mix these two together, and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. It should yield 18 muffins at 120 calories and 2 g fat per muffin. Chicken Enchiladas - Slow Cooker: I created this recipe myself after eating a very good but terrible for me Mexican meal one night and thinking of my upcoming wedding in Mexico. I thought, there must be a way to make these enchiladas in a healthy way! Drawing inspiration from shredded chicken out of the slow cooker, I came up with this. The fiance LOVES them! And I love that I eat Mexican food without the guilt:) 3-4 chicken breasts 3 10 oz cans of Enchilada sauce or 1 28 oz can (I use Spicy when I can find it, but its a personal preference) 1 can Black beans 1 small can Corn Tortillas (I love Tortilla Factory's low carb or whole wheat tortillas. Read the packages for all, there are plenty of healthy ones out there to choose from!) Low fat Mexican cheese (Weight Watchers makes one that is really good!) 2 tsp Garlic Salt Pepper Salt and Pepper your chicken breasts, then place into slow cooker. Pour 20 oz of Enchilada sauce over them. Add the garlic and toss the chicken, garlic, and enchilada sauce together. Cook on low for 6 hours. Then shred the chicken, add the black beans and corn, stir it up, and cook for another hour. (You can add other veggies too, like onions, these are just my favorites) Now preheat the over to 350 and coat a cooking dish with cooking spray. Take a tortilla and add the slow cooker mixture to the tortilla (how much you do depends on the size of your tortilla and how big you want your enchiladas to be. I do about 1 cup of the mixture, as I would prefer a "fat" enchilada so I get more of the filling and less of the tortilla in each serving. Then sprinkle the filling with the shredded cheese (I do 1 Tbsp per tortilla), roll it up, and place it in the baking dish with the seam down. Once you have your enchiladas lined up, pour the last of the enchilada sauce over them, cover the dish with foil, and bake it for 15 minutes. Another great tip for this one is that it typically makes more filling than you'll eat in a night! So what I usually do is roll a couple enchiladas for me and the fiance to eat that night. Then, while they bake I keep rolling up enchiladas, only wrapping each one in foil at the end (think Chipotle burritos). I stack them up in a container and put it into the freezer. Then for a quick meal you just have to grab a roll and pop it in the oven as is! These are all that I can think off right off the top of my head, but I'll be back with more as they come to me:) And I'd love to get some recipes from you all!

Prettypigpig - Funny enough, the one who asked if the resort had a wall surrounding it and guards on duty LIVES in NYC! And has for 20+ years. It's really ridiculous how much people are freaking out over this when its all around the border towns and drug trade routes. Arghhh. The most frustrating is that very close friends of my family (close enough that she and my mom were the two people I went dress shoppig with!) have backed out because they feel it is unsafe:( Her husband is a very wealthy, prominent person, and they claim that he is too well known to travel to such a "dangerous" area. I was very upset by this, but I know that my parents are far more hurt than I am, and I hate that:(

Is anyone else dealing with a million questions from guests about the safety of going to Mexico?? Arghhh it's definitely reaching a frustrating point! I've had people ask me if the resort is surrounded by a wall and how many security guards are there, I've had people tell us they aren't coming because they're afraid of being kidnapped, and I've even had people ask me about their safety traveling from the airport to the resort! You'd think I chose to have my wedding in Afghanistan or something! Anyone else dealing with this and frustrted?

Hi all, I'm a registered dietitian, and just popped in to read a bit through these. I wanted to recommend a great tool for those of you unsure of how many calories you should be eating per day... http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm That calculator will help you to determine how many calories your body needs, and how many to take in if you want to lose weight. Also, I want to second the suggestion for Weight Watchers. Crazy as it may seem given that I'm a dietitian, but we actually always send people to Weight Watchers! The results that WW gets can't be denied. It's that combination of accountability and support that the group offers by meeting in person weekly, and the point system is much easier to track than calories for most people. Also, don't worry so much about the numbers on the scale as you do about your measurements, if you have a lower body weight (like the woman who is 135). Your body is just converting your fat into muscle, which actually weighs more. If you really want to see the numbers coming off though, do interval workouts or try spinning. Just running at a consistent pace for 30 minutes won't burn as much as rotating between jogs, sprints, walks, etc. Keep up the good work all of you!! I loved seeing the results, you guys are awesome:)

Camille... your dress is absolutely STUNNING!!!!

I just told our wedding coordinator before we got there that we wanted to sample the menu options for the wedding while we were there. We stayed there for a couple of days, so that's how we sampled all the drinks:)

I did one in December and it was SO much fun!! Got to test all the food (and chose our menu), drinks, see Puerto Morelos, meet with people in person (huge help!), and even do a little shopping. It was just my mom and I and we had such a great time... especially testing the drinks;) Enjoy yours Nan!!

I should also add that due to the fact that he's in the Army and Hawaii is a deployable unit, we'll likely only be married a year before he deploys to Afghanistan for 12 months:( So there is a lot of distance in our future.

Hi All! I'm so glad to see I'm not alone in this. My fiance and I have always been long distance as well. We're from the same place in the DC area and first met and dated in high school (his sister is one of my best friends), then "re-met" and started dating again 7 years later. He's in the Army and was stationed in Alabama, I was in DC. After a year of dating, I moved to Alabama for grad school (WAR EAGLE!! National Champs! Had to throw that in, haha) so that we could be closer, but we're still 2 hours apart and only see each other on weekends. Which is actually pretty nice when you're swamped with grad school work, as several of you know:) I also spent 3 months in Africa this summer for an internship. Now he has orders to Hawaii, leaving at the end of February, and I'm here in Alabama until graduation in May. I'll spend my spring break in Hawaii with him, then I leave Hawaii on March 19th and we won't see each other again until he arrives in Mexico on May 24th! It's going to be so difficult... but is it crazy that what I'm most worried about isn't those 2 months apart, but the being together every day from that point on?? I just can't imagine it, because we've never done it! Not that I'm not looking forward to it, this LD has been incredibly hard and exhausting and we both count down the days until it's all over. But there is that little part of me that sometimes thinks "what if he drives me insane when he's there ALL the time??" hahaha. An adjustment for sure:)

Congrats on the new house Murmel and the new job Primavera! Sounds like everyone's 2011 is off to a great start:) Mine is also wonderful because we just won the NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!!! Woohoo Auburn... WAR EAGLE!!! (American college football, for the UK brides, haha. We live and breathe it here in the south!) And we have a day off due to some freezing rain, so I get to spend a day on the couch recovering from the celebrations.

Murmel and Barbiegirl - Yayyyy you're both so soon!!!! I bet you're super excited:) I can't wait to hear about them when you get back! Anything left to do before you go?

I just saw this and am slightly freaking out! I hired Moments That Matter for my wedding in May. They told me when I hired them that they'd be working with assistants in 2011, but they DIDN'T say that Lori wouldn't be working for them at all! Does that mean MTM is now just Lincoln??

I'm SO excited to show off my groomsmen and father's ties! I bought them all at a Vineyard Vines outlet. Also, note: our wedding is in Mexico:) The groomsmen... we have 6 and they are wearing these with khaki pants, white shirts, navy blue blazers, and brown dress shoes. Took the pics with my phone, so color is a little lighter of a pink and not as orange-y as here! My dad's... he'll wear this with a navy blue suit. I'm so excited about these!!! The groom will either wear the same as the groomsmen, only with a light blue Vineyard Vines tie, or his uniform (he's active duty Army).

After posting that I was cruising the VV website searching for a tie for my FI (I plan to buy him a tie just in case he goes that route!) and found this one which I thought was super cute and had to share for any of you that are searching for ties for the wedding:) http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__23799_____25051_13050 Though my FI is picky and I know he would refuse to wear a starfish tie, so I also fell in love with this one, which is more his style (and available in aqua, which would match my bridesmaids' dresses!) http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__109682_____25051_13050 I love tie shopping, if you can't tell haha

I attended a wedding in St. Lucia and the groom and groomsmen rented and brought tuxes from Mens Wearhouse with no problems! As another poster said, they just had to rent them for a week. I had to take this opportunity to show off my groomsmens' ties, which I absolutely LOVE! I found and bought them a couple of months ago at a Vineyard Vines outlet (just $40 each, almost 1/2 price!!). I took the pics with my phone, so they're not totally clear, and the pink is lighter in person. They're margarita glasses, limes, and shakers of salt:) I love it for a Mexico wedding! Here's my dad's tie, also bought at Vineyard Vines. He'll be wearing a navy blue suit with it. The groomsmen are going to wear khaki pants, navy blue blazers, white shirts, and brown shoes (no casual shoes or sandals) with them. I think we're going to buy their khakis also, then let them bring their own white shirts and blue blazers. Though the blazer is a point of contention with my mother at the moment, who thinks it'll look terrible if they aren't all the exact same shade of blue (I don't really care, personally). She wants to buy the blazers for all of them, and I'd really rather her not, so we'll see. My fiance is either wearing the same (with a different color tie) or his uniform (he's in the Army)... he still hasn't decided and I don't think he'll tell me when he does, though I keep bugging him to. I think he wants it to be a surprise (but I've made it clear that its the khakis and blazer or uniform, nothing else haha).

Merry Christmas everyone!!!! Hope you all have wonderful days:)

Prettypigpig - I think that, as you said, it's just good genes. You're lucky to have them, I would totally eat pizza for every meal if I had your genes:) But there is absolutely no research to prove your theory on eating breakfast as a child then as an adult, and as we say in the research world... if you can't find anything to back it up, you can't claim it! There is also overwhelming scientific proof of breakfasts effect on metabolism that would disprove the theory. But for someone as blessed as you, it wouldn't matter. So for us unlucky people who have to worry about what we eat... keep eating a breakfast of complex carbs every day:)

I can give plenty of good dieting advice, but as I write it I would be on my 30th snickerdoodle cookie of the day haha. Even nutritionists can't resist holiday treats!! My best advice during the holidays is to just work out more. I've increased my workouts to feel better about the increase in yummy food I've been taking in. Oh, and a very interesting fact for all of you... my thesis research is on breakfast, and there is overwhelming proof that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight! Your metabolism doesn't really kick in until you eat. So if you wait till noon to eat, you've missed out on hours of calorie burning that would happen if you just ate something. There is also overwhelming evidence of breakfast consumption increasing short-term memory, attention, and overall mood (note: these effects occur only if you have complex carbs for breakfast - so eat high-fiber cereal, whole wheat toast, or something along those lines). So everyone should make sure they never miss breakfast!

WOW... your mom really is phenomenal!! Absolutely gorgeous dresses!!

Haha that poor girl! I'm not too worried about my bridesmaids, they've all pretty much been the same size for all the years I've known them. Their weights don't really fluctuate. Except my MOH who is 8 months pregnant right now! But she just got a huge size and is having it altered in the spring. Malawi was an incredible experience. Though I work in international nutrition, so I've been to many developing countries and have seen the worst many times, unfortunately:( I love what I do though, and always feel a great sense of accomplishment at the end of a contract! DiamondGirl - Thank you! So do I:) I wear them around the house all the time hahaha.

Nicy - I definitely think it's fine to have different color bands! I actually think it looks cooler in the pictures, seeing the contrasting colors:) For as long as I've known him, my fiance has wanted a yellow gold band, but now he's decided on white just because his watch is silver and he thought they'd clash. I think he's over-thinking it hahaha. Michelle - Thank you! I could only post the pic because I'd just had a pedicure at Ceiba, so my feet were in good shape

Hi All! Wow, I haven't been on here in about 6 months!!!! Lots to catch up on, and I doubt that I ever really will:) I spent my summer in Malawi, working for the World Food Programme, and since returning I've been busily working on my thesis research and writing. So there's been very little time for wedding planning until now, my winter break! I just returned from a site visit at Ceiba del Mar with my mom. It was SO amazing - I couldn't be happier with the resort and the vendors! I've basically gotten all of the decor/flowers planned out now, which is a relief:) Hmmm, let's see what else.... My dress came in last month and I went for the first fitting! I'll do the final fitting until much closer to the wedding. My bridesmaids all have their dresses, I bought them during a J.Crew sale! I got lucky, I have 6 BMs and let them choose, and 3 chose one, 3 chose the other:) I'm still shopping for my reception dress (I want something short and fun and haven't been happy with anything I've found yet). I DO have my wedding shoes and I'm sooooooo incredibly obsessed with them!!!! The hardest thing right now is stopping myself from wearing them! I bought them while in NYC over Thanksgiving break:) I had my mind set on a pair of Jimmy Choos but we stopped at Manolo first and as soon as I walked in I saw these and said I was done! Now I have something old, something new, and something blue. Just need to borrow something! We have my wedding band (band: http://www.pennypreville.com/collection/bridal-collection/bands/thin-stacking-band which matches my engagement ring (mine's white gold, not rose gold): http://www.pennypreville.com/collection/bridal-collection/engagement-rings/liat... click on the picture to see the side pics, the "crown" that the diamond sits in is my favorite part!!). Still shopping for my fiance's band, but he wants just a simple white gold or platinum band so should be easy. Also, my friend who designed our Save the Dates is in the process of designing our invites now. Her shop on Etsy is http://www.etsy.com/shop/KaraCorrespondence if any of you are looking for someone to design yours! She's awesome - I'll post pics when she's done:) Hmm... I think that's about it! I'll hopefully get more done during my break. Only one more semester till I have my Masters and my MRS Woohooo!! I hope wedding planning is going well for all of you too, and I'm excited to read back through posts the last couple of months and see what I've missed:)

Quote: Originally Posted by prettypigpig Ok ladies... about excursions, I did snorkeling..dive...chichen Itza..Tulum...and this time I went for swimimg with Whale Sharks. Unless u are used to pregnant nausea, or wanna lose 10 lbs by puking urself inside out...don't go! but the creatures are majestic and amazing! I guess it is a once in a lifetime experience..as u won't go for a 2nd time! LOL Bonnie - What do you mean about the puking/nausea? Was it the smell of them?? Also, who did you do the excursion through? It looks like something my fiance would LOVE!

Quote: Originally Posted by tracy.clements I think most of our guests are staying at the hotel- so far I haven't heard too many complaints about the prices. I just gave everyone the Travel Agent info, so people are starting to book. Very exciting!! I was just worried because right now they have really good prices on the hotels (for this year), and the rates i got thru our TA are actually more expensive. HOwever, they say rates are going up in 2011 so it is better to lock ourselves into rates now (which they say will be cheaper than anything people could book on line for that time). I guess time will tell--- Tracy Tracy - I'm very concerned about this as well, not because I think my guests won't stay at Ceiba, but because I'm worried that they'll end up booking it online instead of through our room block. We negotiated for awhile, and the prices that they gave us are still higher than the prices were for May of this year online. They say that the prices go up next year, and I hope this is true, because if not, I'm sure our guests won't want to book in our room block when it's cheaper online!

Quote: Originally Posted by tracy.clements Hello! Quick question for Ceiba brides~ Are you using Travel Agents for group rates or booking directly with the hotel? I really just want to make sure I have the best rates for our guests and was curious what you have all done. Thanks! Tracy - I did use a local travel agent, just to deal with the negotiations for me.