Plate it Up! Kentucky Proud

One of my favorite things at work to do is help others gain access to nutrition foods by sharing information about fresh produce through new recipes, techniques, and tips. When producers and consumers are aware of the food around them then they will increase their fruit and vegetable purchasing, preparation, consumption and preservation. Today I went to the Monroe County Farmers Market to Plate it Up! Kentucky Proud with this recipe.

A little prep-work went into my appearance today at the farmers market. I took a few photos yesterday afternoon when I prepared the recipe samples. So here are step by step directions to make this yummy recipe:

Assemble ingredients.

Salad

• 3 ears sweet corn, shucked and washed


• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth


• 1 cup uncooked couscous


• 1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed


• 1 medium cucumber, washed, quartered and diced


• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, washed and halved


• 1/2 cup feta cheese


• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion


• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive oil


• 3 tablespoons lemon juice


• 1 teaspoon dried oregano


• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin


• ½ teaspoon each, salt and pepper

 

Boil corn for 6-9 minutes or until tender. In a separate saucepan, bring broth to a boil and stir in couscous. Remove couscous from heat, cover and let stand 5-10 minutes.

Drain corn and immediately place in ice water. Drain ice water and pat corn dry; using a sharp knife cut the corn kernels from the cobs.

At some point you will need to cut up your veggies.

Fluff couscous with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, onion, and parsley. Add couscous and corn to the vegetables.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Pour over the couscous mixture; toss to coat. Serve chilled.

Here is the finished product at the market today! It got rave reviews from those who tried it with the exception of one picky kid who didn't like "salads" he claimed.

Yield 9, 1 cup servings

Nutrition Analysis 200 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol,250 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate,4 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 7 g protein.  

Source: Plate it Up! Kentucky Proud Project Recipe Card

Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Project

smALL Things!

The past few weeks and days have been super busy, but that's the Savage Life! This week the Monroe County Fair is going on, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is visiting Tompkinsville today, and my Weight the Reality Series program started yesterday. Needless to say life is full speed ahead, so here is a quick update on the Savage Girl... 

• I've tracked my DAILY food and physical activity since my last posting using my WW app on my mobile device! 
• I've made a point to MOVE more and DIG deeper. So far this week I've moved 60+ minutes each day since the last posting and I've spent the majority of that time letting His word talk to me while I've been moving at the gym. I'm a couple of weeks behind on my daily bible reading because I've been super busy and my daily devotional email reminder stopped coming (sad), BUT I think I'm about caught back up to where I should be if I was still within the plan to read the Bible in a year. According to my Kindle app I'm 50% through the Bible now! My goal is to read it cover to cover this year... Tomorrow I'm going to try to get back in my daily DIG routine of letting His word talk to me before my feet hit the ground. If only I could get motivated to get up early and MOVE before work. I'm still working on this one, but for now my MOVEment comes after work!  
• I've not ate anything after 8:00 p.m. since the last posting! I'm a sucker for late night snacks, so this has been hard! 
• 35 people signed up for the WTRS program I'm conducting, 30 showed up the first night...and collectively lost 35.6 pounds since they registered last week! 
• The only 3 beverages I've consumed in the last few days have been water, coffee, and green tea. I cut out carbonated beverages (my Diet Coke addiction) something like 6 months ago! I read somewhere that green tea helps with weight loss, diabetes control, heart disease prevention and much more, so maybe my consumption will help ward off my extra baggage and prevent diabetes & heart disease from entering my life.
• I'm currently caught up with my daily work record keeping...thanks to a co-worker's advice on a new book idea to record my statisticals prior to my end of the month reports.

Everyone should celebrate ALL the smALL successes in life no matter the size...right? This has been my motivation for the last 6+ months...smALL life things hence the blog!    

Anyways this is enough ramblings for one day! Now off to my day job...please pray that I can get my creative juices flowing quickly this morning because I'm going to need them! 

Sources of graphics: 

http://media-cache-ak1.pinimg.com/originals/e6/98/e5/e698e54e7b073a44a6b65938cc680f13.jpg

http://pinterest.com/pin/383509724488814649/

http://living4zachary.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

The Savage Girl Challenge

I have chosen TODAY the 21st day of July 2013 to reevaluate my healthy living goals, create a new game plan and challenge myself more in order to take off the last 25 pounds off so I can meet my goal weight.

To be 100% honest here lately I've been slacking in the department of physical activity, drinking more water, and portion control! We are at the peak of the summer and the humidity & heat are killers to my will power. I've used the excuses of having the lack of time and the extreme weather when in reality I've had a lack of will power A LOT here lately. This has become a road block in my weight loss success and today this has to STOP. So I'm challenging myself to reevaluate and set a few new goals for myself! My Weight the Reality Series (Take 2) program at work starts on Tuesday and I expect my participants to help hold me accountable to my goals and I will do the same for you...If you want to join my program the information is located in the post called "Upcoming program the Savage Girl is hosting through work...WTRS!"

So here are my new goals:

1. Measure my portion sizes. 
2. Start tracking my daily food intake (again) including my water intake. 
3. Aim for 4 to 5 days of 30-60 minutes of exercise a week. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are my best days to achieve this because of my schedule at work...so if you see me out and about on one of these days please ASK me if I've moved yet!
4. Get back in the habit of packing a healthy lunch and snacks to work.
5. No food after 8 p.m. in the Savage Girl household. 

So you now know my new goals. I will keep you posted on my success, challenges, and failures on this blog, so stay tuned. I will try to reevaluate each week and keep you posted...

Is there anyone out there in the blogging world having the same problem as me? Or am I am the lone ranger out there with these challenges? Well join the Savage Girl Challenge and set a few new healthy living goals and game plan for yourself. If you want to join The Savage Girl Challenge "like" the post, leave me a comment, or send me a message...please tell me (and other readers of the blog) what your new goals are. I'll help keep you accountable if you replicate for me! If it takes a village to raise a child it is going to take an entire online virtual community of family and friends to help the Savage Girl meet her goal weight.

Keep in mind I am not on a diet. I'm trying to live a healthy lifestyle for a healthier body in order to prevent the onset of a family history of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. So far I've done pretty well except for the roadblock I've recently experienced. I've lost 50 pounds thus far and would love to shave 25 more pounds off. Losing 10% of your body weight can help reduce your risk factors associated the disease and hopefully delay and or indefinitely postpone the onset of the disease. Let me know if you have any questions...      

Baking with the Savage Mama

Nothing tastes better than something made out of a mother's kitchen or baking with them! Personally I think the Savage Mama is the best cook ever, but I'm sure you believe your mama or granny is better than mine...that's OK because I don't want to start any arguments! All I know is that we each grow accustomed to the taste of the one whose cooking we grew up eating and we should show our love, appreciation, and admiration to them! 

I hope your mama or granny was like mine. They both passed on the skill and love for cooking & baking and sharing food with others. I learned to cook & bake in my mama's and my granny's kitchen from the time I was old enough to stand-up in the chair beside them. From a very early age they both let my sister and I get our hands dirty and help cook & bake in their kitchens. My hope and desire is that one day they might get to continue this tradition with the next generation! Any young, single, Christian men out there reading my blog? LOL.  That's another story and post for another day...

I love the bounty the warm summer weather and garden brings to help out family meal times! My family always plants plenty of zucchini in the garden so that the Savage Mama can have enough on hand throughout the summer to make Chocolate Zucchini Brownies, grilled and/or sauteed zucchini, and these yummy delicious Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. So now I give you "Baking with the Savage Mama" guest writer and photographer Leah Savage the "Savage Mama"...in her own words...    

This is one of those recipes that’s made from basic ingredients in a kitchen and all you have to add is a zucchini- fresh from the garden.  I found the recipe on Penzeys website several years ago and have been enjoying it ever since.  The only thing I do different is to use rounded spoons of cocoa powder (I love Chocolate) and I use a pampered chef large scoop that is a size # 20 ( the # 20 is located on the vane that cleans the bowl of the scoop and means you can get 20 level scoops from a quart of batter).  I round this scoop up and it makes 30 muffins for me without running over my pan and making a mess.  I also use my kitchen aid mixer to totally mix the entire recipe.  The mixer cuts the zucchini up to the point you can’t even see that it is there.  I think this recipe will become a favorite of yours also.  Enjoy. 

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1/2 Cup milk

1/4 tsp. white vinegar

1/2 Cup room temperature butter (1 stick)

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 Cups white sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

4 TB. NATURAL COCOA POWDER

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. CINNAMON

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Cups peeled and finely grated zucchini - 3 small zucchini
1 Cup chocolate chips

1/4 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 standard muffin pans with papers. Mix together the milk and vinegar and set aside (if a recipe calls for sour milk, this is how you make it).

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil and sugar until creamy.

Add eggs, VANILLA EXTRACT and milk/vinegar mix. Blend well.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, COCOA POWDER, baking soda, CINNAMON and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir by hand or mixer to combine.

Add grated zucchini and half the chocolate chips and stir well.

Spoon the batter evenly into the pans, filling each paper 2/3 full.

Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate chips and nuts (if using), on top and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the muffins spring back when lightly touched (don't touch the melted chocolate, though).

Prep. time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 24 muffins

(Penzey’s spice company recipe taken from their website.)

So get off the computer now...go find some zucchini and make these yummy muffins. They are too delicious to just look at! Try your hand at making them today. If you need any help let the Savage Girl know and she or her mama can help. We're both good at giving tips and pointers when it comes to cooking & baking. The Savage Mama is more of an expert though since she is the Culinary Arts Instructor at the Tri-County Extension Campus of Tennessee College of Applied Technology Hartsville! Happy Baking...

Links & More Savage Girl Connections!

This week marked 6 months of blogging for the Savage Girl!

The 6 Most Visited Posts within the last 6 months:

1. The Bull and Thistle on March 31, 2013
2. My thoughts on "Muscle and a Shovel" by Michael Shank on March 16, 2013
3. Work + Life = ME on January 15, 2013
4. Life's Bumps and Signs on March 4, 2013
5. Projects versus Partners on April 17, 2013
6. Life's Bump and Signs Take 2 on March 10, 2013

6 articles you don't want to miss out reading within the last 6 months:

1. My Family Legacy on March 18, 2013
2. Country Living on May 27, 2013
3. 3 Things I Know for Sure (That You Should Too!) on July 6, 2013
4. Life is Good on June 23, 2013
5. Spring Cleaning on April 9, 2013
6. Making Whoopie Pies on June 6, 2013

Ella Mae's Top 3 Tips for Living a Long Successful Life

Today I got the privilege of celebrating Ella Mae's birthday after morning worship services. Ella Mae is 98 years young this week and she is such an inspiration to so many. I first got to meet Ella Mae at church almost four years ago and since then I have enjoyed many meals at her house on Sunday afternoons. She loves sweets, so when I get in a baking mood she gets a few treats from my kitchen. If she had her way she would eat dessert first and skip all the vegetables. In hopes of gaining a little knowledge and wisdom from Ella Mae I asked her for her secret to living a long life. I know the Savage Girl could use a little knowledge and wisdom so I listened carefully to her talk and reminisce about the secrets to living a long life. So to summarize her tips and pointers for all of us "younger generations", here are Ella Mae's Top 3 Tips for Living a Long Successful Life:

1. Enjoy life.
2. Keep going no matter what.
3. Word hard.

 

Her tips were simple and sweet but so true and from the heart! A little food for thought...Ella Mae grew up in the country, then she married a farmer, and she claims that she never really went anywhere or did anything but farm, enjoy the simple things in life, and work hard laboring in the fields until she was in her later years. In her later years she moved to town and began to travel seeing places, people, and things around the community, county, state, and occasionally outside of Kentucky. When Ella Mae said everyone should "keep going" she was meaning that we should keep traveling and seeing places, but I also believe that she meant that we should never give up no matter what adversity or challenges that we might come across in life. Ella Mae is a "go getter" with lots of fire and spunk within her small frame and she is not afraid to speak the truth whenever needed.

 

We all could use a little Ella Mae in our life! I challenge you to find your own Ella Mae. Stop and ask questions about his or her life. Listen to the stories. Then be open and willingly apply something you learn within your daily life. There is wisdom and knowledge out there, but we need to seek it out and find it amongst the golden diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald generations who are waiting to tell us a few stories when we give them a little of our precious time. Unplug from your crazy life and go visit your own Ella Mae today, because a little dose might be the best medicine you receive all day!   

Upcoming program the Savage Girl is hosting through work...WTRS!

Yep, it is a blog post about work, so bare with me! Remember I love my job so PLEASE help the Savage Girl spread the word about this upcoming program.

It is hot outside and I am sure you want to feel and look hot too! I know this is a racy comment, but on the series note if you are in search of a program to help you think about your body in a real way instead of how the media wants you to think, then look no further! The Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service is offering the Weight the Reality Series again this Summer! In the Spring, the group of participants lost a total of 140.4 pounds in eight short weeks. 

Weight ~ The Reality Series is an 10-week series we will offer on Tuesdays July 23-September 24. If you were in the last group, come back because I’ll be presenting new information! For new participants we will explore an aspect of weight control through healthy eating and living, share healthy recipes and ideas, weigh in, and engage in learning about the human body. Based on the latest research, this program gives you more options to create a plan that will work for you. Program participants will be encouraged to try a variety of ways to eat differently, including counting carbohydrates, controlling portions, and using a plate method. Whether you’re interested in learning some new ways to eat and be active, or exploring how your clothes influence the way you see your body, Weight ~ The Reality Series offers many choices. There has to be a better way to achieve a healthy weight than the latest fad diet! You’ll learn how to make your plan flexible and to keep it working overtime.

Personally my goal is to be healthier and reduce my body size. I have been on this journey for the last year and a half. My goal is to lose about 15-20 more pounds and then maintain my loss. It is a lifestyle change, not a diet. Therefore, if you want to reduce your body size like me, then this series might be for you! Your concern might also be your health, but you might also be thinking about looking better in clothes, having more energy, enjoying new and favorite foods, being able to move more easily, and feeling better about yourself. Whatever your case may be, consider joining us with our new series called Weight ~ The Reality Series.

The series dates are July 23 ~ July 30~ August 6 ~ August 13 ~ August 20 ~ August 27 ~ September 3 ~ September 10 ~ September 17 ~ September 24. The series is open to anyone and will be held at the Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service. We will weigh-in each week from 4:30 p.m.—5:30 p.m. and then we will have a short program at 5:30 p.m. We are signing people up for the program Monday July 15 and Tuesday July 16 from 8:00-4:30 p.m. 

If you divide $10.00 by the 10 weeks that is just $1 each week! At the end of the 10-weeks the participant losing the most percentage of weight will win 50% of the “money pot” for males and females. The remaining 50% of the “money pot” will go towards costs associated with running the program and for door prizes that will be given away throughout the series each week. The winner will be announced on September 24.

If you’re ready, so are we at the Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service. Stop by today and register for this series. It is a better way to a healthier you. For more information contact 487-5504 or lara.savage@uky.edu. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Don't forget to share the program info with your friends! (Hint....share it on Facebook)

3 Things I Know for Sure (That You Should Too!)

For the Savage Girl the past few days have been in rewind. I have been doing a little reflecting over the past four years since my anniversary being a FCS County Extension Agent is today. I would not be where I am today without a little heartache, the exhilarating experiences, the tough moments, and the daily grind. What keeps playing in my mind is that the past is to make you better not bitter!

One of my goals this past year has been to be positive since I am so richly blessed! I am so thankful for the intervention of the man upstairs in my life and the challenges He has tested me with when things were tough and hard to bare at the moment. I would not be where I am today if not for Him! I would not have gotten to meet such great new people that have made an impact in my life and have helped me grown into the young woman I am today! I do not know what the future holds, but as I hit play on my life again I am going to try to remember the following things since these are three things that I know for sure and I think you should know them too!

1. Our goal should be eternal happiness. Yes, worldly happiness and physical happiness are awesome and great but sometimes we can be too caught up in the moment that we forget what our real prize in life should be. We should keep our eye on the prize <<<getting to heaven one day>>>! If we have God on our side then everything else will fall into place. We will make it to heaven one day if we follow His will and direction for us. If we choose man’s will and the temptation of the world then we might fall short of our goal and true success in life.
2. We all need encouragement, pats on the back, and genuine appreciation from others. As a Christian, young professional, daughter, and sister sometimes I still need advice, help, teaching, corrective criticism, and positive reinforcement! In addition, I am sure you do too! If we are honest with ourselves, we should admit that we cannot do it all and that we do not know it all. Sometimes we need others to help us see our strengths and weaknesses and then give us encouragement on how to be better instead of bitter on the curves we have been given. So if you are reading this post then be an encouragement to someone else and build relationships instead of breaking them up. If you are on the receiving end of this encouragement willingly accept it and be thankful that person is willing to make your business their business. God told older women in Titus 2 to be teachers to younger women. All it takes is one kind word and advice from a respected individual to change ones outlook in life. If you are on the hearing end of the advice...even though you might not want to hear it at that moment...LISTEN, mull over what was said, and try to take what you heard in a positive manner since the other party is doing this act out of LOVE for you.        
3. Ok, so you might have failed, now what? First, keep in mind you might fail again! But don’t let this discourage you, because we all do. Keep the words of Zig Ziglar in mind, “Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker”. You can always ask for forgiveness and learn from past mistakes, but you have to turn from that mistake and try not to commit it again. Jesus blood continuously washes us white as snow once we take him on in baptism for the remission of our sins, but we have to ask for forgiveness and continue in God's word walking in the light and being faithful unto death since the truth will set us free (John 8:31-32, Hebrews 10:23-39, Revelation 3:3, 19-22). If you want to change your ways there is an easy plan to follow...God's plan. 

In conclusion, use your past experiences and memories of yesterday to make you a better person that is not bitter. Learn from your past and do better in the future as you walk throughout your journey. Let your hair down, wear no make-up, and be you for a moment! Who knows the end result might just be a beautiful snapshot in time capturing the true essence of who you truly are?

A Savage Girl's Reflection

Recently I attended a once of a lifetime opportunity through a professional association that I am a member of. This association that I'm referring to is the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. I've been a member since August of 2004 when I started Tennessee Tech University. We had a wonderful advisor and department head, Dr. Sue Bailey, that encouraged students to join and become part of the association. That's where I got my start with AAFCS. I later became my student unit chapter President and the state student unit Treasurer. This association has always provided me with guidance, new learning opportunities, leadership opportunities, and professional development from my very entrance into the profession of family and consumer sciences. I moved on to becoming a 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent when I graduated college in 2006, but I stayed on as a member of the association since I loved FCS and still wanted to have ties within the field. I moved jobs in the summer of 2009 and finally became a Family and Consumer Science County Agent. This was my "dream job" in the right location area and the right field...who would have thought that at age 24 I would have this opportunity?!? July 6th marks my 4th year being a FCS Extension Agent! Time has flown by!

This year the Director of the School of Human Environmental Sciences, Dr. Ann Vail, at the University of Kentucky encouraged me to apply for the Inaugural Class of the AAFCS Leadership Academy. A little scared and skeptical that I wasn't the "right" fit for the academy....I thought to myself "Why not apply and learn more skills!". I am a leader everyday in my community so this opportunity I thought would be able to help me daily achieve more within myself and the people I serve! My application was selected and  I got into the academy! I recently attended the AAFCS Annual Conference and the Leadership Academy...I just got back yesterday. A little tired but also ready to start blogging I started reflecting and this post evolved very quick.

Boy, did I learn a ton of information in the five days I was at this conference! Here are 5 things I want to share with you that I learned while attending the Leadership Academy and the AAFCS Conference. These are 5 things that anyone can do in their life:

• We should all STRIVE to THRIVE within whatever we choose to do in life. Maybe you don't want to be a member of a professional association like me, but choose something and do it well. Be need to be BRAVE and BOLD and take a stance for our beliefs in order to share our vision.        
• Sometimes in life you may need to change things up a bit, so Consider all your options and opportunities, Communicate your vision and dreams to others to gain a shared outlook, and Collaborate with others around you to reach your fullest potential and to achieve great things with the awesome potential of those on your team since together be are stronger!
• The difference in a Vision and a Hallucination is the number of people who see the dream, so don't forget to Consider, Communicate, and Collaborate with teammates.
• Kouzes & Posner via The Leadership Challenge (2012) say to LOVE what you do in life in order to:  

1. Model the Way
2. Inspire a Shared Vision
3. Challenge the Process
4. Enable Others to Act
5. Encourage the Heart   

• Be the FUTURE. Don't wait for others to lead the way...start now with yourself! "A leader's job is to look into the future and see the organization not as it is, but as it can be." 

While at the Leadership Academy I got the opportunity to do an activity called "speed-mentoring", kinda like speed-dating, in order to find a mentor to help me discover my next adventure within my career and with AAFCS. After many questions and a few short minutes with each potential mentor I narrowed down my list and Joyce Miles became my newest mentor in my collection of awesome leaders for the Savage Girl. I'm super excited about getting to know this lady and having her guidance within A Savage Girl's Life...

  

Last but not least if you are ever in the Houston, TX area you have to try out a restaurant while you are there called The Breakfast Klub. It has awesome southern soul food with great customer service that this Savage Girl highly recommends! It came highly recommended from anyone and everyone I asked while in Houston. "Katfish & Grits" and "Wings & Waffles" are their specialty and a trip to Houston would not be complete without eating breakfast here.

There is always a line at the restaurant, so come early to avoid a long wait if you are in a rush to get back to a meeting like we were. 

Wings and Waffles...breakfast of champions! FYI these are the first deep fried chicken wings/chicken that Savage Girl has eaten in over a year! Yes, they were worth the extra points! 

Some of the Leadership crew that escaped the conference with me for a few hours.