If you are what you eat...

then I must be crap! 
For whatever reason(s), in recent years, I've developed a very unhealthy relationship with food, but I'm trying to change that. I read an eye-opening article the other day about food myths and other good-to-know facts.  The part that stuck out most in my mind is this little tid-bit for you to chew on...

For a healthy and well balanced diet your plate should be half fruits &/or veggies (yes that's right I said HALF!), one quarter lean protein and one quarter complex carbs.  That is like a complete 180 for my family, and Americans in general.  I mean, I knew we needed to eat more fruits and veggies, but I didn't fully understand just how far off the mark we were.
STOP!....
...and think about this for a minute! When you go out to eat that is not the way your plate looks at all!!! It's more like half meat/half carbs (both of which are equal to two servings or more and likely not lean or complex to boot) and then an extra 1/8 - 1/4 veggies as an after thought. The vegetable is more like a garnish! Unless, or course, you order a vegetarian dish or a salad and even then there's probably ten times the amount of fat (dressing) you should eat.

So I am making a vow to meet this goal for my family as often as possible.

I have to say that I did this for myself yesterday and felt better than I have in a  l  o  n  g  time. I eat a bunch of fruits & veggies at each meal and for snacks. Though it was my lost calorie day (other than the day I had a stomach flu and didn't eat at all) I felt fuller longer all day. I was never starving. I felt the way I am supposed to feel and it felt good!

Wish us luck and I hope you and yours have the same success in healthy eating. ;D

Skillet BBQ Pork Chops

This is a classic from my childhood and oh so good! It's one of the first recipes I put in my recipe box when I moved out of the house; one of the first dishes I learned to prepare. It's pretty simple.  I'm not really sure why it's been so long since I last made it? Anyway, it was delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The kids protested at first but once they had a taste of the sweet & tangy sauce they ate it up without complaint. Andrew loved it, but then he's the best eater in this house anyway. ;-)

Ingredients:
6 Pork Chops (I use boneless)
1 Tbs. Oil
1/3 C. Celery, chopped
2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
salt & pepper to taste
2 cans Tomato sauce (8oz. each)

1 can Diced Tomatoes (15oz) optional, see tips below.

How To:
Brown chops in the oil over med heat for about 3-5 minutes per side. Set aside and add remaining ingredients to pan, stir to mix and return chops to the pan. Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hr. stirring occasionally.

Serve over whole wheat egg noodles or brown rice alongside your favorite veggie. My kids like steamed broccoli, green beans or baby carrots.

Tips:
Brown rice is a great choice as it takes almost as long to simmer.  Also, I love this sauce so much that I usually make 1.5 - 2 times the recipe and I like to add a can of diced tomatoes for a bit more texture but the main recipe listed above is the way my mother always made it.