Campfire Pizza Sandwich

As some of you know, I've been under a great deal of stress the last year. So perhaps we should talk about stress and MS?
Many people experience bodily woes when under stress. Things like headaches, nausea and general aches are considered normal reactions to internal stressors. People with MS don't have any escape from this human ailment. Some even argue that their symptoms of MS get worse when the are stressed out. The thing is...while I completely agree with that theory... deep down I also know that there isn't any real evidence proving MS is made worse by stress alone.

It's hard to remember that sometimes.

It's also hard not to stress about current stress levels. You know that circle right? You worry about being sick even though you are not sick which sometimes manages to make you sick.  UGH!

Shortly after my diagnosis I received a long-winded letter from a family member saying that I had given myself MS because of the stress I put myself through. While I know that is not true, it's hard not to wonder if I could have done things differently.

Did I GIVE myself MS?

There is a great article that I found through the MS Society website that I recommend you read. Even if you don't have MS, my guess is that you either know someone (or will one day) and they'll benefit from your wisdom, or at least your kindness.
And for heavens sake, take this lesson to heart: Even if you are 200% certain that someone caused themselves to have a serious illness, do not rub that in their face. I don't care if you know for a fact that the reason they grew a tiny baby arm out of their back is because of the summer the spent swimming in the glowing pond. Do NOT write them a letter about how it is so clearly their fault.

{le sigh}

So back to why you are here...

I knew (as did EVERYONE around me) that it was time for a break. And thanks to the generous friends in my life I was able to run away for the weekend. No kid. No dog. No grown up worries.

It was glorious!! I love camping, and the feeling of freedom that comes with it. Without proper planning it can be difficult to eat responsibly while away from home. Here is one of my favorite camping recipes that can be adjusted for everyone in your group.

Campfire Pizza Sandwich

Take your whole wheat sandwich thins or whole wheat English muffins (or similar vessel that meets your health needs), split it in half and place on heavy duty tinfoil. Apply a layer of marinara or spaghetti sauce to each side.

Add your toppings. We chose turkey pepperoni and reduce fat mozzarella.

Fold together....like a sandwich.

Wrap in tinfoil.

Place away from the flames on some hot coals or on a grill grate. Flip occasionally and cook until too hot to handle. USE YOUR TONGS to remove it. PLEASE!

Peel apart and enjoy.... or eat like a sandwich.

This picture here is with a regular English muffin because I INHALED my whole wheat one.  I left it to show how easy it is to modify this dish for the whole family. After all, when on vacation stressing about food is simply not allowed.

By the way, my favorite way to de-stress is to spend some time by the water. I love how it helps me slow down and re-prioritize.

Regardless of the connection between MS and stress, we should all be doing things to help us cope better under pressure.
 What do you do to de-stress?

Fish Taco Salad

Anyone else out there seem to be unbearably busy lately?
My severe Type A personality makes me want to be the perfect mom and cook everything from scratch ALL THE TIME.
Unfortunately there just aren't enough hours in the day for that to be a reality. That's why I love looking for products that allow me to trade my time in the kitchen for time with my daughter. These Van de Kamps 90 Calorie Fish Fillets are a great weeknight option for when we are super stressed. And no, I'm not being bribed by the Van de Kamp's rulers... they are just a quick and tasty option for when I am short on time.

I learned about Fish Tacos when I moved to the Seattle area about 6 years ago. A friend ordered them at a restaurant, and since she was from California, it was obvious that she was nuts and her taste buds were broken. That same meal, she proved me wrong...very, very wrong.
(Moral of the story...most Californians are not nuts... except when it comes to your driving... your driving is nuts.)

Now Fish Tacos are among the top 5 foods I can not live without.
In my house we make these 2 ways... into a Fish Taco Salad or Fish Tacos.

BOTH of these are delicious, and I'm not kidding when I say I could eat these every day.

Since tacos are one of those "build your own" kinda things, I'll give you the basic guide here and trust that you'll  follow the diabetic guidelines for portions ;)


Fish Taco Salad
Bag of shredded coleslaw mix
Box of 90 Calorie Van de Kamps
Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing
Finely diced onion
Salsa
Reduced fat shredded cheese
Spinach (for salads)
Whole wheat tortilla (for tacos)
The instructions are simple. Cook fish filets, then assemble salads or tacos.

How's that for an easy weeknight idea? Plus, a taco will set you back about 280 calories, and a salad only 170. With those numbers I can relax, and devote more time to my family.  After all, we only have 24 hours in a day, and sometimes stressing over dinner is just a bad use of that time.

What meals do you revert to on your crazy nights?

Low-Fat Cornbread Crab Cakes

I feel like this is a poor girl recipe for crab cakes.. and it kinda is...but it's so good. It's right up there on the comfort wagon with Mac and Cheese for me. Let's face it, sometimes you need quick, cheap comfort (go ahead you dirty birds, insert your inappropriate commentary here__ )

Now that you got that outta your system....

Low-Fat Cornbread Crab Cakes
1 package corn bread stuffing mix
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1 can crab meat, drained with juice reserved
1/2 package imitation crab meat, chopped
3 egg whites
Saute celery and onion in olive oil until the onion is translucent and the celery is tender. Stir in water according to package directions and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl mix together the stuffing mix, parsley, dry mustard, paprika and 3 tbs of the crab juice.
Pour the boiling water mixture evenly over the top of the stuffing, cover it and walk away. Seriously... go! Leave it. If you don't, you might be tempted to touch it and check on it, and that will lead to burning the S#!t out of your hands.
Set your timer for 5 minutes. After that you can remove the cover and mix in both of the crab meats.
Then walk away again.  I mean it!
You need it to cool down before adding the egg whites.
So once it has reached a temperature that is nearly lukewarm, add in your eggs. Preheat your skillet, you want it at a medium heat. Once it is there, spray the pan with olive oil, shape that gooey crab cake mixture into a...well...a cake...duh. Plop it in the pan and repeat a few times. They'll need about 5 minutes per side, but the best way to tell is by touch. When they are gooey you probably noticed how soft the cake was, right?  Well they will firm up when they are done (again with the inappropriate commentary____ ).

Each crab cake is under 80 calories, and it's a quick weeknight meal (when paired with a simple spinach salad) that always makes me feel special. Oh yeah, and if you aren't a poor girl on a poor girl budget feel free to use real crab. ;)

Falling off the Wagon

It's been a long time since I wrote for you,
It's been a long time since I paid my due.
Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back,
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from.
It's been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Yes it has.

I feel like the long lost friend who didn't return your phone calls.
And... well... I'm sorry.
I've missed you I promise...
I just got wrapped up in life for a bit there. Forgive me?
It happens to the best of us I'm sure, and so I thought I'd take a moment today to talk about what happens when you fall off the wagon.
Changing lifestyles isn't easy, and often times we will find ourselves slipping into old habits when stressful situations arise. One or two "I'll just grab some fast food on my way up" doesn't always stop at one or two visits.
In my case... it hasn't.
While I'm pretty damn proud of my ability to stay away from beef or pork (and I honestly don't think I will go back to them), I haven't tracked, monitored or minimized my food intake in more than a month.

{ insert giant sigh of disappointment here }

So where do we go from here?
Honestly, we have to just start over. We force ourselves to relive that initial diagnosis. We remind ourselves over and over that we are doing this for everyone that cares about us. We forgive ourselves for not playing by the rules. And the tough one... we make ourselves a priority again.
Just like the airlines dictate "secure your own air mask before helping others" we must also help ourselves so we can better help others.
This blog, and all you crazy readers help me stay accountable to that. So here I am with my foot on the doorstep ready to start again.
To go through the awful detox period, to fight the cravings with both fists flailing like a scrawny pubescent teen.
We go.
We fight.
We win.
Together.