Roughy with Orange Butter Sauce

This dish is pretty enough and fabulous enough to serve to company, tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant, and makes my 7 year old ask for seconds. It is that delish, I kid you not.
Like always, read the whole recipe through before cooking.

4 fillets of white roughy, about 1 pound (or tilapia, or any other white fish)
1 cup milk
1 cup flour with 1/2 tsp. each S&P
3 Tbs. canola

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped chives (green onions would work, too)
pinch sugar
3 Tbsp. butter

Soak the fish in milk for 10 minutes. Heat a frying pan with the canola to medium until a drop of water thrown in sizzles. Dredge the fillets in the flour mixture; add to pan. Cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 4 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from pan and if they need to wait, put them on a plate lined with a few layers of paper towels to soak up some oil.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute the garlic over medium heat in olive oil for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir in all remaining ingredients except butter.
Reduce heat to low and add butter, swirling or gently stirring until melted. Serve over fish.
This sauce would also be awesome over salmon, shrimp, scallops, it is just plain crazy good.

Serves 4

Bonus: White roughy doesn't make the house smell fishy!

Get your ZZZZZZZZZZZZ's

People trying to lose weight that slept 5.5 hours a night versus those who slept 8.5 lost 55% LESS BODY FAT!  That's major. Even if your reality means you can't do 8.5 hours, get as close as you can.
More sleep? Favorite weight lost idea ever.
Go to bed!
(Source, Annals of Internal Medicine)

Strength training and calorie burning

It's a fact that strength training increases your RMR, or resting metabolic rate. That's the amount of calories you burn at rest, basically sitting around doing nothing.
Information from Syracuse University shows that the increase is an average of 7.9%, and lasts for 72 HOURS. That's 3 days worth of burning extra calories when you are sitting on your ass! (Imagine, burning extra calories while watching TV, yippeeeee!)
I always tell my clients that cardio and strength training are important, but if you only have time for one, do the strength training. Women, especially, seem to head to the cardio machines. Remember, 72 HOURS! This should help motivate you to pick up some weights.
Strong is good.

Baked Chicken and Scallops

Sooooo good. I could eat scallops all day every day, but I may like the chicken even more in this fabulous dish. It takes a while to prepare, but it's totally worth it.
Left overs are killer, but here's a little tip: before you put it in the microwave, put a little splash of the same wine you used to make it with over the top. Damn, I am making myself hungry.

1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. each S&P
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in to bite size pieces
1/2 pound bay scallops (these are the smaller ones, not the big mama-jamas)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. cornstarch (I have used flour or Wondra in a pinch)
1/4 cup white wine (can use chicken stock)
1/4 cup fat free or low fat sour cream
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp each S&P
pinch sugar
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375. Combine flour and S&P in a large ziptop bag. Working in batches, shake chicken and scallops in flour mixture to coat. Saute in olive oil over medium-high until lightly browned. Transfer to a 13X9" baking dish (I spray it with nonstick spray first).
In pan drippings, saute onions until fragrant, it shouldn't take more than a couple minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil until reduced to about 2 Tbsp. Combine sour cream, cornstarch, tarragon, S&P and a pinch of sugar until blended; stir in to pan. Boil and stir for 1 minute, slightly thickening the sauce. Spoon over the chicken and scallops. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until chicken juices run clear.
 

Sweetie Poof

It ain't your mama's sweet potato casserole! Even people who say they don't like sweet potatoes usually reach for a second helping.
Growing up I thought I didn't like them, but that's because I had only seen them served plain or with marshmallows on top. Gag me.
Now, I love them, and if I have the time, I like to make them like this.
(Be careful giving it to toddlers, it can be like crack to them, it's so good. Some adults, too.)

3 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup low fat milk
1 egg
2 & 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar (half cinn/half sugar)

Boil sweet potatoes for 30 minutes or until tender; drain. Beat with all of the remaining ingredients except cinnamon sugar until smooth. Spray a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with nonstick spray, put in puree. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

(Some enjoy it with a small pat of butter melted on to their serving, but it's fab all on it's own too!)

How often should I exercise?

Good question. Here's what I tell my clients.
For weight/strength training, every other day is great, or 3 days a week, just never do two days in a row for the same muscle(s). There needs to be a recovery day in between; this is a must.
Cardio can be done every day, but I always suggest one day off a week for letting the body really rest and recover.
That day off never seems to be a problem for anyone.

Traveling lunges

Once you've got lunges down, you can mix it up. One way is by doing traveling lunges. Start with feet together, then take a giant step forward with your right foot, sinking in to a lunge (see "La Lunges" for proper form). Slowly raise up and take a giant step forward with your left foot and sink in to a lunge. Keep on going, you get the idea.
If you are a beginner do it wedding march style, bringing feet together between each lunge; if not, step right through.
Now travel! Go across the room, around the playground, across the field, just go. Preferably 'til your legs feel a little like jello.

10 minutes

Studies show that 10 minutes of exercise can increase your metabolism for up to two hours afterwards. To get the best results, make sure the exercise brings your heart rate up. Just 10 minutes of something, brisk walking, lifting weights, dancing your ass off, anything! Find 10 minutes, I bet you can!
Do 10 minutes more than once a day? Gold star!