Chicken Pesto Roll Ups

I’m not a meat eater, but I will often cook it. 

This was so super easy to make.

1. 2 organic chicken breast – I pounded them so they were around a 1/4 inch thick 
2. Added 2 tablespoons in each breast, spread all over 
3. Then roll them up
4. Bake in the oven at 350° degrees for about 25 minutes 
5. Then Enjoy!!!

Berry Yogurt Salad

By LeeBakers.Com

The easiest thing ever, pair it with your morning breakfast or brunch for an easy side.

 

I got all of these berries because the store had a sale. So naturally I just had to make a quiche and serve this alongside. With a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Fruit overload. Not really, I love berries as a snack. What is your favorite berry? Mine must be raspberries, when a store has a sale I stock up.

Say whhhhaaaaaatttttt?????

Berry Yogurt Salad

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 10 min

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 cup (8 oz) raspberries, washed

2/3 cup blueberries, washed

1/2 cup strawberry or vanilla yogurt (or a bit more if needed)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Gently toss.
2. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Source: Berry Yogurt Salad ‹ leebakers.com ‹ Reader — WordPress.com

Kula Sushi Bar, Laguna Hills, California

Kula Sushi Bar

Address: 24155 Laguna Hills Mall Space 1080A, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: 949-273-1080
Sun.-Thu. 11:30am-9:30pm
(Last Seating, Last Order 9:15pm)
Fri.-Sat. 11:30am-10:00pm
(Last Seating, Last Order 9:45pm)

LINK TO KULA SUSHI BAR MENU

I go for the variety.

Storefront of the Laguna Hills Restaurant in Southern California

Crispy Shrimp

Popcorn Shrimp

Eel roll

Spider Handroll

Can’t remember this roll

Tofu Taste Good!

This is one of my favorite recipes to make.  Fresh ingredients, lots of color and super tasty.

The portabellas really make this stand out.  It’s meaty and delicious.  Definitely a great recipe for Meatless Monday’s.

Revised *** I actually cook up the tofu first with a little bit of cooking spray or light oil, then remove and set aside.  Follow the steps in order and then add the cooked tofu.  Pour over a cup of rice and you’re good to go.

If you get a chance to cook this or thinking of making this please let me know.  Happy Cooking!

One Pot Pasta with zucchini and other veggies – Homemade by Me :)

There’s nothing like cooking with fresh ingredients.  It taste healthier and adds a lot of color.   This is a vegetable pasta, but feel free to add some chicken if you’d like.  Please comment you’ll  be making this dish.  Happy Cooking!

Ingredients:

1 lb. of spaghetti

1 lb. of mushrooms – sliced (your choice)

2-3 zucchini’s sliced 1 inch thickness

1 cup of frozen peas

1 lb of cherry tomatoes

I tbsp. oregano, basil and garlic salt

Sprig of thyme

4 cups of spinach

2 cloves garlic (optional)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup of Parmesan cheese

Road tripping to Zion National Park

 Summer, August 2016

Welcome to Utah!  Here are just a few pictures from Zion!  The water was pretty cold and the stream was moving pretty fast as we got further down the Narrows.  The rocks are slippery underneath, so we did see a lot of twisted ankles and people hobbling though the river.  All in all it was great fun!  And looking forward to going back!

    This canyon is HUGE!

We backpacked through the East Rim Trail in Zion for about 6 miles until we found a flat spot on the trail.  It was cold and it took a couple hours, with each of us holding packs over 45 lbs.  We ended up pitching out tent around 8:00 PM in the drizzle.  But all worth it.  Still slept great and this pic was actually taken the day after.

Still haven’t showered!  I figured I’d get cleaned up once we hit the Narrows.

Yep!  All cleaned up now!

This is where I marked my footprints in Zion.   Made my temple and a wish and was on my merry way to venture to the end of this river.

The Narrows took my NIke’s 

  For half of this trek through the Narrows, I was basically walking with no soles.  It was tough to get any kind of footing on these rocks and you can imagine some rocks were pretty sharp.

5 Min Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Ganache

December 26, 2016 leebakers

5 minute ganache is incredibly easy to whip up, perfect for topping anything!

Chocolate ganache is my latest obsession. I pour it over ice cream, cake, brownies, and basically anything sweet I have in the house. It only takes 5 minutes so it’s a win win all around.

And I have these cute little jars so I naturally filled them up and gave them to friends and neighbors. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.

I used bittersweet chocolate for this particular batch because I don’t like milk chocolate, and bittersweet is what I had on hand. But you can change it to milk or semisweet chocolate.

I used this to top a flourless chocolate cake, it was amazing.

Chocolate Ganache

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 5-10 min
• Print

Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1-1/4 cups milk, semisweet, or bittersweet chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan bring cream to a heavy simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
2. Pull of heat. Add chocolate chips, making sure they are all submerged in the cream. DO NOT STIR. Wait 2 minutes and then stir until smooth.
3. Use immediately by topping cakes, ice cream, or brownies, or store In a jar or container for up to 1-1/2 weeks in the fridge. To reheat microwave it. Small amounts 5-10 seconds, larger amounts up to 25 seconds. Makes about 1-3/4 cups.

Source: Chocolate Ganache
-Eva

How to Cope With Anxiety and Depression | Everyday Health

By Diana Rodriguez

Medically Reviewed by Pat F. Bass, III, MD, MPH

Many people with anxiety will also develop depression, and it’s important to treat both conditions. Learn how to get help for both anxiety and depression.

People with anxiety disorders — social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder — or phobias spend most of their lives in an agitated state.

After a while, that can take a huge emotional toll, and depression often sets in. There’s no conclusive explanation as to why anxiety and depression so often co-exist, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, but you can find relief from both with the right treatment.

Why Anxiety Leads to Depression

Anxiety disorders are much more than just nervousness and worrying. They can cause terrifying fear about things that other people wouldn’t give a second thought to. Many people with anxiety disorders understand that their thoughts are irrational, but they still can’t stop them.

RELATED: What It’s Like to Have an Anxiety Attack

“It’s a cycle,” says Sally R. Connolly, LCSW, a therapist at Couples Counseling of Louisville in Kentucky. “When you get anxious, you tend to have this pervasive thinking about some worry or some problem and you feel bad about it. Then you feel like you’ve failed, and you move to depression.”

The two conditions have a complicated relationship:

• The incidence of developing depression in addition to an anxiety disorder is high — almost half of all people with major depression also suffer from severe and persistent anxiety, Connolly notes.
• “People who are depressed often feel anxious and worried, so one can trigger the other,” she says. “Anxiety often comes before depression.”
• There may be a biological predisposition to both depression and other anxiety disorders.
• People who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder, are particularly likely to also develop depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

“Especially with anxiety, more so than depression, there often is some family history, and so therefore we think that there may be some genetic predisposition to this,” Connolly explains. “Some people are just worriers and pass it down.”

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

These are signs that a person may suffer from both anxiety disorder and depression:

• Constant, irrational fear and worry
• Physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, fatigue, headaches, hot flashes, sweating, abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing
• Insomnia
• Changes in eating, either too much or too little
• Difficulty with memory, decision making, and concentration
• Constant feelings of sadness or worthlessness
• Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
• Feeling tired and cranky
• Inability to relax
• Panic attacks

The Road to Recovery

Both anxiety and depression should be treated together. Effective treatment strategies include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is often used to treat anxiety disorder with depression. CBT can teach people to manage their fears, anxieties, and depressive symptoms by figuring out what’s really causing them; people also learn how to take control of their emotions.
• Antidepressant medications, which may be prescribed to help treat both conditions. These drugs are often used in conjunction with CBT. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are newer, commonly used antidepressants that offer fewer side effects than older antidepressants, according to the NIMH.
• Exercise, which can also help both depression and anxiety disorders. Exercise releases chemicals in the body that make you feel good, and it can help you relax. Taking just a 10-minute walk may alleviate symptoms for several hours, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America states.
• Relaxation techniques, which include practicing meditation and mindfulness. Both can ease symptoms of both anxiety and depression and improve your quality of life, according to a large research review published in the March 2014 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
• Organizations offering mental health services, which can include a hospital or support group in your community. Check out the National Institute of Mental Health or the Anxiety and Depression Association of America for more resources.

Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Loved ones of those struggling with anxiety and depression should be on the lookout for these warning signs of a mental health crisis:

• Poor daily self-care, such as refusing to perform personal hygiene habits, get out of bed, or eat
• Sudden and extreme changes in mood
• Becoming violent, threatening, or aggressive
• Abusing substances
• Appearing confused or having hallucinations
• Talking about suicide or about not having a reason to live

Treatment for anxiety disorders and depression needs to be administered and managed by a psychiatrist, Connolly says. “It’s really crucial for people with both [anxiety and depression] to have a good assessment to rule out bipolar disorder,” she says. Bipolar disorder, a condition in which emotions can swing from very low to very high levels of mania and depression, is treated much differently than anxiety disorder with depression.

No one has to suffer from anxiety disorder or depression, and certainly not both. People with anxiety disorder should speak with a psychiatrist, therapist, or other healthcare professional about their symptoms, and start treatment before depression has a chance to set in.

Last Updated: 8/27/2015

Source: How to Cope With Anxiety and Depression | Everyday Health

Gluten Free Cut Out Sugar Cookies

I can’t think of anything more Christmassy than a snowflake sugar cookie. Something about it just makes me feel like I need to make them and bring them to every one of my neighbors houses. Luckily, these are super easy, making that possible. The hardest part (for me) is getting the unbaked cookies to stop sticking to the counter. But that’s only because I seem to have an aversion to flouring the surface with the large bag sitting next to me every time I bake. It’s really hard. Don’t judge.

One of the great things about these cookies is how forgiving they are. I have made them with different kinds of flour, melted butter instead of softened, rolled them out thin or thick, and they always taste delicious. The dough also freezes wonderfully. I just wrap it in saran wrap and freeze it for up to six months. A few hours before I am planning to make the cookies, I just take it out and leave it  on the counter. It thaws in as little as an hour, depending on the quantity.

Recipe:

Start by creaming together 1 cup sugar and 1 cup butter. When the mixture is smooth, add in an egg and continue mix. I don’t have a picture. Add in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Roll the dough out into a thin layer, and cut the shapes.

Transfer them onto lined cookie sheet and bake for twelve to fourteen minutes, depending on the thickness of your cookies.

Remove the cookies from the oven, cool, and decorate!

 

Gluten Free Cut Out Sugar Cookies

• Servings: 36 cookies
• Time: 30 minutes
• Print

Ingredients

1. Sugar cookie cut out
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 cup softened butter
4. 1 egg
5. 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix + 1/4-1/2 cup for rolling
6. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
7. 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
8. 2/3 cup powdered sugar for each color of icing
9. 2-3 drops food coloring for each color of icing
10. 1-3 teaspoons of water for each color of icing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat the sugar and egg till smooth
3. Add egg, stir.
4. Add flour and baking powder.
5. Roll the dough on a floured surface and cut out the cookies.
6. Bake for 8-12 minutes.
7. For the icing, mix 2/3 cup powdered sugar with 1 tsp of water, adding more as needed. when it has reached the desired consistency, add the food coloring. Repeat the process for each color of icing.
8. Decorate the cookies!

Source: Gluten Free Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Calorie Calculator | Calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure

To create your own personal fat loss program you need to calculate your daily calorie requirements. In other words, you need to know how many calories you require per day to simply maintain your current weight and how many calories you need to lose weight. The calorie intake calculator provides you with 3 different calorie intakes, the first for weight maintenance and the other two for weight loss. Aim to use the “weight loss” daily level of calories, which is 20% less calories than maintenance. The “extreme weight loss” is 40% below maintenance. This level essentially represents the lowest level, i.e. you should not lower your calorie intake below this point. When you hit a weight loss plateau or find you are unsuccessful in losing weight with a 20% calorie reduction, you can reduce your level to 30% below maintenance. However, you should reserve a severe calorie restriction of 40% below maintenance for exceptional circumstances, such as unsuccessful weight loss despite moderate calorie restriction in conjunction with at least 3 exercise sessions a week.

Do not start with a massive drop in calories. Firstly, this sends your body into panic, triggering a starvation response. Secondly, if you hit a weight loss plateau, you have nowhere to go from there, i.e. you can’t lower your calorie intake further without some serious risks to your health. Therefore, you should aim for gradual calorie reduction.

ZIG-ZAGGING/ CALORIE ROTATION

A great method of keeping the weight loss going, especially after you’ve hit a weight loss plateau or are simply struggling to lose weight, is zig-zagging your calorie intake. Zig-zagging (aka calorie cycling) involves having “high” and “low” calorie days, while providing the same amount of calories per week. Calorie cycling can help keep your body from catching on to your weight loss efforts and is a great alternative to further decreasing your total weekly calorie intake. These numbers are only a guideline/ example of calorie cycling.

Calorie Guideline

A general rule of thumb is that you should not lower your calorie intake below 1200 calories for women and 1800 calories for men. This rule will apply to all of you who have read the rest of the website and have made exercise part of your weight loss strategy. A second tenet is not to decrease your calorie intake by more than 1000 calories below maintenance.

Remember, you want to burn the fat (exercise with moderate calorie restriction), not starve the fat (severe calorie restriction without exercise). These methods yield entirely different results. However, those of you who are entirely sedentary will have very low calorie requirements just to maintain your current weight. Your calorie requirements will be close to your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – the level of calorie your body requires while at rest. Therefore, even a reasonable 500-calorie restriction could push you below the 1200-/ 1800-calorie mark.

Calories needed on average

	Women	Men
Maintain Weight	2000 – 2100	2700 – 2900
Lose Weight	1400 – 1800	2200 – 2700

CHECK OUT THE CALORIE CALCULATOR HERE

Source: Calorie Calculator | Calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure