Trying something totally new for breakfast today—and honestly, it’s not bad at all.
Apple Barley
The move is to cook the barley the night before—roughly a 1:4 ratio (barley to water 😬) over low heat. Throw a little salt in the water. Once it’s done, which takes about 1:15 min, kill the heat, let it sit, and shove it in the fridge. In the morning, grab a handful-sized portion, top it with about half a grated apple, a bit of Stevia, and a dusting of cinnamon.
Can you guys please **bold** the recipe names? There’s this one chat I don't moderate—mostly because I actually find it useful—but let's at least make sure the recipes don't just disappear into a wall of text. Thanks 🙂
Start by whipping up some fillings using low-fat cottage cheese. Filling 1: 200g cottage cheese (Vindija, obviously—it’s the creamiest out there) + 50g chopped turkey breast + a quarter cup of peeled, diced tomatoes + salt. Filling 2: 200g cottage cheese + two hard-boiled eggs + salt + some dried or fresh chives. Filling 3: 200g cottage cheese + canned tuna in water (drained) + one crushed garlic clove + salt.
Slather a thick layer of the filling onto slices of sweet bell peppers—red, yellow, or green. Don't do them all at once, unless you're feeling ambitious. 😬 They're perfect while watching a movie. 🙏 If you're still hungry, just snack on some almonds or walnuts.
You can keep the fillings in the fridge for a couple of days—just keep them covered in a Tupperware container. 👍
Lisa Smith7 said:Where on earth did you hear that nonsense? 😕 🤣 Go run a poll with people over twenty and you'll see firsthand that it's absolutely not how the world works. 😉
God, man—honestly, I’m a completely different person than I was back in high school. Especially on the inside. 😁 The real changes started kicking in halfway through college.
boldcanyon72 said:For sure—variety is key. But my main thing isn't just dropping pounds—it’s about cutting fat while holding onto as much muscle as possible. That means sticking to a solid, diverse diet paired with regular strength training. When I mentioned whole grains, here’s what I actually mean: - Whole wheat bread (which I usually bake myself more often than not) - Brown rice - Wheat-based breakfast cereals like Weetabix - Using whole wheat flour whenever I'm cooking, and stuff like that
Look, at this stage, there’s zero reason to be cutting food out. I feel like this high-protein fitness diet we all swear by—as good as it is—isn't really built for new moms who are breastfeeding. You can eat pretty much anything, whenever you want; the only real trick is watching the quality and the portions.
Your meal plan looks solid to me, though maybe tell us what kind of cereals or grains you're grabbing?
I’ve got a bunch of young moms hanging around me lately—they’re all claiming that variety in your diet matters way more than just hitting certain calorie counts while nursing.
@Michael Rivera63/">@@Michael Rivera63, Ahahahah, poor guy, how many times have you already eaten that? 😁 Just toss some mushrooms on top—not sure if you’re avoiding them or what. Cover it up and let 'em soften. chicken with soy sauce You could try marinating them in soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Don't even bother with salt—soy sauce has enough salt for everyone. Mix two tablespoons of each ingredient, throw in some minced garlic, and let it sit overnight—or at least for a few hours. Then just toss it in a skillet.
chicken wrapped in prosciutto If you're feeling fancy, grab some high-quality prosciutto, wrap it around those turkey cutlets, and fold it over like a pancake. Pin it down with toothpicks and throw it back in the pan.
Basically, when you're searing chicken in mustard—toss some button mushrooms into the pan after about 6 or 7 minutes. Let them hit the heat fast. They'll sweat out a bit of moisture, which blends right into the mustard, creating this killer sauce... mmmm. 🙂 Oregano is all you need for seasoning.
Amanda Ward80 said:A good chunk of those postpartum pounds actually burned off just from long walks—baby strapped to me in a carrier, acting like a little 😍weight.
That sounds sooo sweet 😍
Sandibel, when did you have your baby? I’ve heard you really need to wait at least 3 or 4 months post-delivery before your body is even ready to start dropping weight seriously.
Man, look at those cookies 😍 Since you brought it up, I was just thinking about how easy it would be to whip up some actually decent, healthy treats—you know, the kind without all that flour and sugar junk. Just stick to eggs, seeds, fruit, dark chocolate, Stevia, stuff like that. Someone drop a recipe here 🙂
Lisa Turner14 said:Niko hasn't said a damn thing to me about stevia😢
Seriously, does nobody know anything more about this stuff?🤷 Come on people—my leaves are gonna arrive soon, who else is gonna be chewing them with me?🤣 🤣
Wait, you actually ordered the leaves?🤣
Anyway, I stumbled onto stevia ages ago back when I was eating the Zone diet (honestly, the best and most complete way to eat, right after our typical fitness diets) Stevia is just an extract from the plant—sweet as hell, but your body doesn't even recognize it as a carb. Why hasn't it blown up on grocery store shelves? Probably because the big manufacturers pushing aspartame have their hands in the cookie jar—you see Natreen in every pharmacy, while stevia is mostly stuck in health food stores. If I recall, stevia was banned for a while too. Nobody really knew why since there was zero proof it was harmful (unlike aspartame). Luckily, things changed, and now health shops are packed with it. Your local CVS still won't carry it though.😁
Then again, plenty of good stuff gets banned—guess that's just how it goes with stevia.
Regarding ground beef, I usually throw one egg into every half pound of meat—plus a little extra seasoning. They end up a bit firmer that way, but honestly, that’s how I like them 🤷 Maybe they turn out softer if you use sparkling water? 🤔
Here’s my take on stewed beef 🙂 It’s definitely a healthy recipe—as long as you aren't pairing it with gnocchi or whatever else 😁 You could serve it with some boiled cauliflower on the side instead.
The traditionalists from the coast might come for my head, but I don't care about "authenticity"—I just cook how I like 😍 - btw, this dish is way easier than it sounds.
Take a 7–9 lb piece of beef round, trim off the silver skin, then skewer it with about 20 cloves and maybe 20 garlic cloves (just poke little holes first). Slather the whole thing in mustard, pepper, a bit of Lawry's, and salt. Stuff it into a pot, cover it with finely chopped onions and another 15 cloves of garlic, throw in some bay leaves and peppercorns, then pour balsamic vinegar over everything until the meat is covered. Stick it in the fridge overnight.
The next day, pull the meat out and let it roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. Take it out and dump it into a big pot along with all those onions and vinegar from the bag, plus a bunch of carrots, onions, and celery. Pour in some olive oil, a splash of red wine, and enough water to cover it, then season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for about 2 hours. Then, take the meat out and blend the remaining liquid into a sauce. Slice the meat into strips, toss it back in with about 20 dried prunes for another 10 minutes. Finish it off with some bay leaf and rosemary. 🙂
Lisa Wells65 said:Almond, sesame, or peanut-crusted chicken served with a cauliflower and broccoli mash.
Slice up a chicken breast thin—keep it light. Season it with salt, pepper, paprika, and maybe a splash of olive oil if you’re feeling fancy. Beat an egg or just use the white. Dip the cutlet in the egg, then roll it in ground almonds. Throw it in a pan with just a tiny bit of oil—use a non-stick if you have one—and sear it quickly until it hits that golden color. If you want to switch things up, coat the next one in crushed peanuts, or hit a third one with sesame seeds. Mix it up.
Next, toss those steaks onto the oven rack. Slide the whole setup—rack and all—onto a baking sheet, cover the meat with some Aluminum foil, and shove it into the oven at around 350-400°F for about 20 minutes. It really depends on how thick the cuts are, though—keep an eye on them so you don't end up burning everything.
Serve it alongside some boiled broccoli and cauliflower—just mash them up with an immersion blender until they're smooth. Toss in some salt, pepper, a bit of garlic, and olive oil. If you’re feeling fancy, throw in some crushed peanuts, or if you actually care about creaminess, hit it with a splash of cream or milk. 😁
By the way—breaded some chicken in sesame seeds. 🙂 But hey—the sesame seeds actually stuck to the meat—so that's one less thing I was stressing about. 😁) And honestly, it’s just too damn beautiful. 🙂
Morgan Torres said:Nothing beats homemade buttermilk. 😁 Grab 1 liter of milk and mix in 2 light yogurts. Simple as that. You gotta heat the milk up first—just enough to get it warm—then let it sit for a minute to cool down. Once it’s lukewarm, toss in two containers of yogurt. Some people swear by adding a splash of vinegar too; I skipped that part, but honestly? The whole thing curdled overnight anyway. Total heaven for my taste buds.
Wait, this thing actually works? Where am I supposed to stash it—warm, cold, in the light, or tucked away in the dark?