Turkey Oatmeal Muffins

My version of "prison loaf"  Actually, it's not mine at all, but a recipe from Jamie Eason and she calls this "Turkey Oatmeal muffins".

You are wondering what on earth would even make me want to create this dish?

My sister and I were driving down to visit my father this past weekend and I knew I would need some quick and easy meals. I needed something I could eat in between the "normal" meals, something that would provide all my nutritional needs, was fast and no mess.

Enter the muffins.

They are basically turkey meatballs with all of the complex carbs right in them, so you don't have pasta, you can eat them plain, on salad, or as I did, heated with mustard.

Here is the recipe and nutritional breakdown:

Chicken or Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

1/2 tsp. ground cumin1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

2 tsp. dry yellow mustard

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. McCormick’s Chipotle Pepper Spice (spicy, but key to the recipe)

1 tsp. salt1 cup quick cooking oats

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tbsp of garlic powder)

1 small onion, finely chopped (I get the pre chopped version or even the frozen - thawed)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped (bell peppers will work too)

3 egg whites

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground extra lean chicken or turkey breast (I use 3 packages)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a large bowl, add cumin, thyme, yellow mustard, black pepper, McCormick’s Chipotle Pepper Spice, salt, oats, garlic, onions and celery. Mix until well combined.  Next add the ground chicken and egg whites and mix with your hands until evenly distributed.  Make racquetball size portions and place in muffin tins, sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake for 40 minutes. 

Yields about18 muffins

Nutrition: 1 muffin

78 calories

2 g fat

4 g carbs

11 g protein

Servings are usually 2 for women and 4 for men.

Raw ingredients above, just before I mixed them up. Doesn't look too bad does it?

Would I make these again? Actually yes I would. Were they great and tasty? Not really. They were a great item to take while visiting someone though, it was a quick warm in the microwave, I didn't go hungry and warm food always satisfies me more than cold.

I think it can easily be changed to be a bit more tasty, changing spices, adding some vegetables. How does this compare to prison loaf? Not sure, but it keeps me in line!

Prison Loaf

I just read an article by Tovin Lapan called "Shawshank revulsion: Loaf used as punishment in jail"

It's about a form of punishment reserved only for the worst prisoners, and they are fed this loaf and apparently break down and turn into compliant pussycats after a few days on it.

What I found so interesting, is that it sounds quite similar to food I eat, voluntarily. I am wondering about the fact that I am eating the same foods as prisoners, yet I can go for months, and not break. It must be the fact that I am choosing to eat it. Or maybe it's because I am not in prison? Who knows....

I don't have enough room to post the entire article here, but just so you can get the "flavor" of it, here you go:

On Christmas Day, the inmates at Santa Cruz County Jail will get a welcome respite from their regularly scheduled, nutritious but mostly unexciting high school cafeteria-style meals -- glazed ham with sweet potatoes and ice cream for dessert.

If an inmate has been behaving poorly, however, while all his incarcerated compatriots dine on one of the few special meals of the year, he will instead be forced to feast on "the loaf."

Otherwise known as the disciplinary diet loaf, prison loaf and management loaf, when all else fails in disciplining an inmate -- be it loss of visits, free time or other privileges -- the deputies turn to this bland log of meat and vegetables to get the disruptive inmate to follow the rules.

It only happens once or twice a year, according to officials, but where other corrective measures fail, the loaf is typically successful.

"Usually, they only last a couple days on the loaf before they agree to comply with directions and are given normal meals again," said Tim Sanford, the jail's food service manager for 15 years.

The loaf -- by most accounts, a highly effective measure in getting inmates to follow rules -- is the only example of food being used as discipline in the correctional system, and has been challenged under the Eighth Amendment as cruel and unusual punishment in several U.S. states.

The loaf looks like it is constructed from layers of particle board, and little kernels of corn and slivers of carrot jut out from the insides when its is bisected. It does not taste bad, but rather is so dry and lacking in flavor as to be at best unappetizing and at worst better used mixed with milk to make a nice Spackle. It is served with two slices of wheat bread and, instead of the typical serving of milk, a cup of water.

 

CALIFORNIA RECIPE FOR DISCIPLINARY DIET LOAF

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 oz. nonfat dry milk
4 1/2 oz. raw grated potato
4 1/2 oz. raw carrots, chopped or grated fine
1 1/2 oz. tomato juice or puree
4 1/2 oz. raw cabbage, chopped fine
7 oz. lean ground beef, turkey or rehydrated, canned or frozen Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
2 1/2 fl. oz. oil
1 1/2 oz. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. raw onion, chopped
1 egg
6 oz. dry red beans, precooked before baking (or 16 oz. canned or cooked red kidney beans) 4 tsp. chili powder

DIRECTIONS
Shape into a loaf and bake at 350-375 degrees for 50-70 minutes.

SOURCE: California Code of Regulations Title 15 

Tomorrow: the recipe I am eating that is similar. Turkey Oatmeal muffins, a recipe from Jamie Eason.

There is a lot more to the article, such facts as the states which have banned the loaf! You can find it here.

127 and holding

It's Friday, I am heading to the gym for cardio after work. It's also one week before Christmas...

I say "holding" only to make sure I have the right mindset, you see, I am trying to gain muscle, but it will be way too easy to gain a lot of fat in the next couple weeks , so I tell myself to "hold".

It's easy to let go and say "it's the holidays", I mean there are parties, celebrations, wine and champagne tastings, and all sorts of good things to eat. Even today at work a co-worker wanted me to try the fudge he made, I was trying to be polite, I didn't want it, if I am going to eat calories, it wont be fudge, it will be something good (I am not really a fudge fan). So he gave me a homemade biscotti instead and said it was healthier....right....

So while the average Joe will definitely gain weight over the holiday season, this average "Kristy" doesn't plan to...

I will maintain where I am, I will stay focused or I will only get frustrated with  myself, I don't want to deal with a set back. I have worked hard to gain this much weight and still look good. I am 7 pounds over competition weight, and it looks like a pretty solid seven pounds to me, a little fat here and there but that is to be expected. I can get rid of it easily when I start my diet.

I will enjoy some great food, and have a good time. But I will keep my goal in mind, which right now is "127 and holding"

So, each time I am presented with some goodies, I will say to myself "127 and holding, 127 and holding" and some treats I will bypass, some I will not. I am sure I may gain a little more fat than I would like, but this way I will gain less than I could...

Till January, then it's "get bigger" a little bit longer...these legs still need some work!

Pasture Fed Meat

I am reading two books right now, The Paleo Diet Solution by Robb Wolf and The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain, PhD (author of The Paleo Diet).

These two books hold much interest for me, not that I necessarily want to go on a paleo diet, but because I want to learn as much as possible about the effects of different foods on my body.

I am thinking of incorporating some of the philosophy and thought I would be ready by now, but things just are not moving along as quickly as I had anticipated, mainly because I have too much going on and haven't finished reading them yet!

I did find the information regarding free range or pasture fed meats quite interesting so decided to look into it further. I have always enjoyed meats from Prather Ranch, they are at the Campbell Farmers market and San Francisco Ferry Plaza market.

I know pasture fed is better, although more expensive. I don't mind, I figure I should treat my body like the prized possession it is, and be kind, only giving it the good things. I mean, I pump premium gas into my car, why should I pump regular food into my body? It's worth a hell of a lot more than my BMW and costs more to repair!

I poked around the Internet and found an article on Trusted.MD, the author is Vreni Gurd, and he has several interesting articles on the subject. I have an excerpt of it here, I think it does a good job of explaining why we should all eat pasture raised meats instead of feed lot.

It may be a no brainer that organic is better than conventional when it comes to meat, poultry, eggs and dairy, but why is pasture-fed important? 

Conventional meat and poultry are fed conventional food, that usually being grain (such as GMO soy), as carbohydrates are just as effective at fattening animals as humans. The pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers in the grain are then stored as toxins in the fat of the animals.



Because conventionally raised animals and poultry are often kept in very confined quarters day and night, and are not given space to roam, they do not get the exercise needed to keep them healthy.  Between the poor quality food, the lack of exercise and the close quarters between animals, sickness is very common and spreads like wildfire through the barns.


Consequently, antibiotics and other drugs are used on an ongoing basis in an attempt to keep the animals healthy. In the United States, recombinant bovine somatrotropin (rbst) under the drug name "Prosilac" is used in dairy cattle in order to increase milk production.  This drug often results in very large, infected udders and consequently pus gets into the milk.  Prosilac is banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the EU and in Japan.


In meat cattle, five growth promoting hormones are used in Canada and the US, three of which occur naturally (estradiol, testosterone and progesterone) and two of which are synthetic (zeranol and trenbolone acetate).  These hormones were banned in the Europe in 1989.  For a fun look at the world of factory farming, see the short videos, The Meatrix, and The Meatrix Revolting.


Certified organic meat, poultry, dairy and eggs have been fed certified organic food, and are not medicated.  This immediately eliminates the risk of consuming the consolidated toxins found in the fat of the animals, and ingesting the residues of the antibiotics and steroid hormones that become a part of conventional meats, poultry, dairy and eggs. But "certified organic" does not mean that the animals were allowed to exercise, nor does it tell you what the animals were fed.


Ask any five-year old what a cow is supposed to eat, and they will reply "grass", not grain. Ruminants get digestive distress on grain as their digestive systems are not meant to handle it, and they don't get the nutrition they need from grain. Look for "free-range" poultry, eggs, meat or dairy, or "pasture-fed" meats. Pasture-fed poultry and ruminants are healthier, happier, and have far more omega 3 and less omega 6 in their  meat, dairy and eggs, which improves our omega 3/6 balance as well.


So, look for certified organic, free-range meat, poultry, dairy and eggs, and you will know the animals were more humanely treated, and the food products are more healthy. 

Full article: Conventional vs. organic vs. free-range meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy | Trusted.MD Network http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2006/12/01/conventional_vs_organic_vs_free_range_meat_poultry_eggs_and_dairy#ixzz18F9XbJ6w
Visit Our Health Blogging Network Trusted.MD

Motivation

I look for motivation every where. And, as I always say, the mind is the strongest muscle, so I know that I need to get my head around whatever I am trying to do. I need to push forward, never relent, and never stop, no matter what.

We can talk ourselves into something just as easy as we can talk ourselves out of something. You have probably seen many of these before, but maybe you never thought about them. It's easy just to glance at something and not really contemplate what it may mean, or how it may change you.

Challenge

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.
`Vince Lombardi


Dedication

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
`Theodore Roosevelt

Optimism

Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done.
`Bo Bennett

Spirit

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion. The potential for greatness lives within each of us.
`Wilma Rudolph

Determination

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential...these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.
`Confucius

Perseverance

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
`John Quincy Adams

Power

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom...mastering yourself is true power.
`Tao Te Ching


Possibility

When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
`Helen Keller

Kabocha Squash

One of my new favorites, Kabocha squash!  I brought it home, it was dark green, knobby, scarred up and squat, my husband thought it looked like it was garbage.

I tried to explain how delicious it would be and explained that it is that wonderful, creamy textured squash that they use when you get tempura. He laughed and said "well of course it's good, it's breaded in panko and deep fried!"

That would not be the case in this house I am afraid!

Kabocha is commonly called Japanese pumpkin, especially in Australia and New Zealand. In Thailand, it is called Fak Thong and is also called kabocha squash in North America. In Japan, the word kabocha may refer to either this squash or to the Western-style pumpkin.Some consider it an aphrodisiac.


Today many of the kabocha in the market are of the type called Kuri kabocha, which was created based on Seiyo kabocha (buttercup squash). It's popular for its strong yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture, which is like chestnuts. It's found in the market under such brand names as Miyako, Ebisu, Kurokawa, Akazukin, etc.

Kabocha is hard, has knobbly-looking skin, is shaped like a squatty pumpkin, and has a dull finished deep green skin with some celadon-to-white stripes and an intense yellow-orange color on the inside. In many respects it is similar to the Buttercup squash, but without the characteristic cup on the blossom end. It is a member of the species Cucurbita maxima, along with the Hubbard and Buttercup squashes.

An average kabocha weighs 2-3 pounds but can weigh as much as 8 pounds.


It has an exceptional naturally sweet flavor, even sweeter than butternut squash. It is similar in texture and flavor to a pumpkin and a sweet potato combined. Some can taste like Russet potatoes.

I cut mine into wedges and roasted it in a 400 oven for about 30 minutes, until it was very tender when pricked with a knife.

You can eat the skin if you like, it's a little too much for me, so I cut it out of the tough skin after it has cooled a bit, it only takes a few minutes.

So what makes this squash so special besides its flavor and texture? The nutrient content! Check this out:

3/4 cup (85 grams)

30 calories

7 grams carbs

3 grams sugars

1 gram fiber

1 gram protein

It is also very high in vitamins A and C

So if you are in competition prep, and shooting for a great deal of fat loss, the sugars in this would not be a good idea, but if you are not, then this is a super good food, the mouth feel of a starch with the carbs of a vegetable!

I found an amazing looking recipe for Sweet and Spicy Kabocha from a food blog called JustHungry, which I plan to make in a couple weeks. I think it will go great with chicken....

Arnold

I got this book as a Christmas gift last year, I haven't finished reading it yet, there is a lot of information!

I like the way it is laid out, he has many pictures (mostly of himself naturally), talks you through the exercises and then has a section that covers each muscle group, so I can quickly flip through and pick out some things to incorporate into my written plan when I need to write it up every month.

It's important to vary your exercises, not only to keep the body guessing and work all the different muscles, but to keep from getting bored!

Something as simple as hand grip can make a difference, or the number of reps.

Here is my binder, I keep all my training logs here and can go back and see what I was doing (they don't all fit, I have all those on excel). I also record weight here too.

It's big, I carry it everywhere in the gym, but it has my Gymboss, mouthguard, cut up tube socks for kettlebell snatches, lifting straps, and some business cards...

In the last week I have tried two new things out of Arnolds book, and I am feeling both quite a bit.

For biceps, he talks about using an "arm blaster", he says it isolates the biceps and is a great tool, but rare in gyms. Well, guess what we have hanging on the wall at Courtside Club? An arm blaster! Here is Arnold using one:

The other trick for side delts is something called "Burns" after performing each set of lateral raises: Take very heavy dummbells and hold them out with totally straight arms about 10 inches from your thighs for as long as possible- but at least 30 seconds.

My biceps and shoulders were crying for days!