From Men’s Health magazine, here is a list of 10 ways you can get your metabolism moving. Check out all the details of and the reasoning behind each tip here. And I am taking the liberty of adding one more… incorporate interval training into your workouts.
1. Don’t Diet!
2. Go to Bed Earlier
3. Eat More Protein
4. Go Organic When You Can
5. Get Up, Stand Up
6. Drink Cold Water
7. Eat the Heat
8. Rev Up in the Morning
9. Drink Coffee or Tea
10. Fight Fat With Fiber
Posted by M. Terry on December 14, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/14/get-your-motor-running-i-e-your-metabolism/
I believe most people have a large breakfast on Christmas morning because the traditional bowl of cereal is passed by on the way to the tree, and so we end up with a growling tummy at the end of the wrapping paper war. Here are some of our favorite big-meal morning recipes.
This was a recipe in my Clean Eating magazine, and it sat opened on my counter for over a month before I finally got to it. It looked so good that I just knew I had to try it! Pears would also be a great substitute for the apples in this cake. The original recipe called for a 45 minute baking time, but I baked it longer than that because the center was still doughy at the 45 minute mark.
Scott really loves this casserole. Since it requires hard-boiled eggs, it is easy to do a make-ahead breakfast by having the eggs boiled and peeled, and also having the sausage browned. The remaining steps are just simply layering the ingredients. Want to lighten it even more? Use 4 whole eggs and 4-5 egg whites.
Preheat oven to 350. Lay sliced eggs in the bottom of an 8X8″ pan. Top with the browned sausage, then the sour cream, and followed by the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve warm.
Hard Boiled Egg Casserole
Posted by M. Terry on December 12, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/12/christmas-morning-coffee-cake-and-egg-casserole/
‘Tis the season for parties! This weekend, I have three different Christmas parties that I will be attending. The holiday food table is a struggle for many, and keeping up with a hectic schedule is also a hurdle we must overcome during this time of year. I love Florida Hospital and their focus on healthy living. Their website is full of great information and resources. For tips on keeping on track with your eating, exercise, and mental health, check out Nutritionist Sheeri Flynt’s power point presentation for the seminar that she presents during this month.
Posted by M. Terry on December 7, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/07/the-christmas-party-hop/
Posted by M. Terry on December 4, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/04/7-foods-to-avoid/
Last week, I posted my recipe for sweet potato home fries. I have made this a couple of times since then, and it has become one of my new favorite go-to mini meals. My snacks always contain a protein with my carbs, so what I am loving right now is topping some cold, 2% cottage cheese (I use Friendship or Organic Valley- both are all-natural) with the warm sweet potatoes and a dash of hot sauce. Make this a complete meal by adding a green salad with an all-natural dressing.
Posted by M. Terry on November 29, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/11/29/my-new-favorite-mini-meal/
I made this for lunch today, and I loved it so much I made it again for dinner and paired it with our grilled pork, grilled veggies, and Giada’s Parmesan Frittata.
Posted by M. Terry on November 22, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/11/22/sweet-potato-home-fries/
I would venture to bet that we all have some vegetables in our crisper drawer that have seen better days. Rather than just tossing out all those well-intended vegetables, I like to throw them in a large pot of water with salt, pepper, garlic, and other herbs and seasonings to make a vegetable broth. I bring everything to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for an hour or so. After it cools completely, I store my broth in 4 cup increments in large ziploc bags. I lay the bags flat and freeze them that way so they take up minimal space. If you need the broth in a hurry, just cut the bag straight down the middle and place the block of frozen broth in a pot to heat on the stove or a glass bowl to nuke in the microwave.
So rather than tossing all your leftover Thanksgiving vegetables in the trash, put them to good use and make broth for all your winter soups like my Black and Orange Chili or Stonyfiled’s Vegetable and Chicken Curry.
Posted by M. Terry on November 15, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/11/15/wilted-celery-asparagus-tips-and-dry-carrots/
Thank you to my sweet Anna for helping me cut the celery, squash, and zucchini for our soup! She’s always happy to help and I am thankful for the company!
This soup was made extra tasty with my newly ripened ponderosa lemon and fresh rosemary.Fresh ingredients add so much flavor to a dish. 
If you use my vegetable broth tip and saute twice the veggies needed you’ll be able to make two big pots of soup- one for dinner, and one to freeze.
Sausage and Tortellini Vegetable Soup
*On sale this week (Nov. 17-23) at Publix
In a large pot, cook tortellini according to package. Drain and drizzle with just a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, place pan over medium high heat. Place the sausage links into the pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan, cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In the same pan, reduce to medium heat and add garlic and onion and stir occasionally for 5 minutes or so. Add in carrots and celery and saute for an additional few minutes. Stir in squash and zucchini, turn stove to medium-low and allow vegetables to cook for about 10 minutes.
Add broth to the pasta pot. Place in sausage and vegetables. Pour in lemon juice and rosemary needles. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add in tortellini and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Posted by M. Terry on November 15, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/11/15/eating-clean-in-the-cheap-sausage-and-tortellini-vegetable-soup/
I’ve been a little quiet this week on my blog. This has been out of necessity rather than choice. And unfortunately next week is even busier for me. However, I did managed to make time with the kids to create these turkey treats. We had fun putting them together, and these snacks were gobbled up!
Apple and Pear Turkey
Spread peanut butter on half of the wrap and then fold over. Use peanut butter to “glue” the pear as the body, the apple slices for the tail, the dried cranberry for the gobbler, and the mini chocolate chips for the eyes.
To eat this turkey, I removed the pear, and then simply sliced it between the apple slices. It made the perfect-sized slice for small hands and mouths.
Potato and Pepper Turkey
Place cheese on one half of the wrap, fold over, and place in microwave 30-45 seconds to melt cheese. Use hummus to “glue” the sweet potato as the body, the pepper slices for the tail, a small red pepper sliver for the gobbler, and the pepper seeds for the eyes.
You could use carrot sticks, celery sticks, or whatever veggies you have to make the colorful tail.
Anna's Turkey
Posted by M. Terry on November 11, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/11/11/turkey-fun-around-our-kitchen-table/
This is a Publix recipe (Sweet Potato Pecan Bars) that I have tweeked just a bit in order to appease everyone’s tastes and my whole foods emphasis. The first time I made these, Aleyah loved them but Anna didn’t care much for them. The original recipe called just for sweet potatoes but I know that Anna likes pumpkin so I replaced half of the sweet potatoes with canned pumpkin. I also left off the pecans and used toasted raw almonds instead since they are a favorite nut here in our home.
The girls each have a square in their lunch box today, which means they will have a very healthy dose of Vitamin A so they can maintain healthy eyes and vision and a good dose of Vitamin C to ward off all those school germs!
Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl stir together cracker crumbs and oil. Press onto bottom of a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For filling, in a medium bowl stir together egg, mashed sweet potatoes , pumpkin, and yogurt. Stir in the 1/4 cup sugar, the flour and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Stir in milk. Pour mixture evenly over crust. Bake at 350° about 25 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts; press lightly into filling. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; chill. Cut into bars. Cover ans store in refrigerator up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Check back later this week for my spiced fig and pear bars! Click the FB ‘like’ button the right to have it posted on your wall.
Posted by M. Terry on November 7, 2011
https://wholetothecore.com/2011/11/07/sweet-potumpkin-squares/
Whole to the Core Blog 