Showing posts with label perfect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perfect. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2015
How to Make Perfect Fudge in the Slow Cooker
I started reading about Intermittent Fasting this week which naturally got me to find a way to make fudge.
I know.
I dont understand me, either.
Dont wait until the Holiday season to make fudge again. This is SO easy a four-year-old could do it (unless her mom shoos her out of the kitchen so nobody knows how much fudge got eaten in the name of Quality Control).
The Ingredients
serves 10-20 (or Adam and Me on date night)
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon salted butter
cooking spray to spray down the crock
parchment paper or non-stick foil to line a 9 x 9 baking pan
The Directions
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a 6-quart, thats okay, but it will melt faster, so keep an eye on your chocolate.
Spray the crock well with cooking spray (if you are using a Ninja, Id still spray it down).
Dump everything into the pot. Cover, and cook on high for about 1 hour, or on low for about 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. Once the chocolate has lost its form and can be stirred into a liquid state, spread it out into a lined 9 x 9 baking pan.
Chill in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 4 hours) before cutting into bite-sized squares.
The Verdict
Its perfect. I wondered how the consistency would be without marshmallow fluff, but the condensed milk made the same sort of smooth texture with the chocolate as I wanted.
Because the mixture doesnt need to get boiled to a candy-making boiling point, this is a great recipe for kids. If youd like to, go ahead and add chopped nuts or candy canes for a peppermint version.
Long Live Fudge!!
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Monday, March 9, 2015
How to Build The Perfect Athletes Plate
One of the most basic questions we get asked as dietitians all the time is "what should I eat?". Its a fairly simple question with a complex answer. However, there are ways to simplify this question, especially when it comes to athletes. The best way to simplify it is by showing you how an athletes plate should look like based on their training regimen.
On easy training days, rest days or if I am trying to focus on weight management (probably during off season) my plate should look like the one noted above. Working less, requires less carbohydrates for energy but more produce to assist with recovery and sustaining health. It should contain:
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On easy training days, rest days or if I am trying to focus on weight management (probably during off season) my plate should look like the one noted above. Working less, requires less carbohydrates for energy but more produce to assist with recovery and sustaining health. It should contain:
- 1/4 grains, ideally whole grains such as whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, whole wheat bread, etc.
- 1/4 protein. Focus on lean protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, lean parts of the beef or pork, tofu, eggs, etc. Prefer grilled, roasted, broiled or baked over fried or pan fried.
- 1/2 vegetables and fruits. Example: green beans, roasted beets, salad, sauteed cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, etc.
- Make sure you always have healthy fats in there such as: olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, avocado.
- Hydration is always important. Continue hydrating adequately with mainly water.
- Example of a whole plate: chicken breast, brown rice with almonds and broccoli or large salad with egg, cheese, pumpkin seeds, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, carrots and cabbage.
As training increases our plate changes to accommodate more carbohydrates to assist with energy demands of the sport. Moderate training is typically when you have 1-2 training sessions a day that may include one easy workout and a second hard/moderate workout or just one hard workout.
This plate should contain:
- 1/3 grains. As noted before, prefer whole grains. A day before a game or a competition, you might want to consider limiting whole grains so they do not cause a stomach upset.
- 1/4 protein. As intensity increases we still need enough protein to help rebuild and recover.
- 1/3+ vegetables and fruits. Variety is important to help fight inflammation, assist with recovery and support a healthy immune system.
- Continue to incorporate healthy fats.
- Hydration - keep hydrating appropriately. Weigh before and after practice. For every pound lost, drink 16-20 oz liquid. Sports drinks could be incorporated. See previous post for more specific info on hydration.
Last but not least, when training intensity and duration have increased even more, we focus more on carbohydrates as that is our major source of energy. Hard training or competition day (depending on the sport) is when we have at least 2 workouts a day that are fairly high intensity or if duration is long
This plate should contain:
- 1/2 grains. The higher the intensity the more we rely on carbohydrates. This plate may need to contain more easily digestible carbohydrates such as regular rice and white pasta vs whole grain to prevent stomach issues.
- 1/4 protein. As intensity increases we still need enough protein to help rebuild and recover.
- 1/4 vegetables and fruits. Variety is important to help fight inflammation, assist with recovery and support a healthy immune system.
- Healthy fats are increased slightly to accommodate inflammation as well as being able to meet calorie goals.
- Hydration continues to be very important. See above for recommendations
As you can see, its quite simple. Whether you cook at home, eat at the dinning hall/training table or eat out, you should be able to build a healthy plate. Hopefully, these visuals have helped. You can also print out this cool education sheet the NCAA Sports Science Institute has created to building a performance plate.
** Thanks to USOC and UCCS for the great athletes plate ed material
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