Ways to Stretch or Save Calories (and Money)!

Hello fellow readers,

I have wanted to do a blog post for some time, however I can't for the life of me think of much to say. Money's extremely tight at the moment, I haven't been working, I've only volunteered a couple of times at an animal shelter, and the only exciting place we've gone to has been Boston, which was actually pretty uneventful. (Note to all Bostonian drivers: Patience is a good thing! Not everyone knows where they're going!) I've had to forebear all of my students loans except for one, which won't be due for a while yet, and I hopefully will be starting school in September at the University of Maine for a degree in Human Nutrition (I already got accepted).

I'll admit I've been depressed lately; not going to Costa Rica was really a damper in my spirits. In order to not depress everyone else, and to give myself a bit of fun too, I am compiling a list of ways to stretch or save calories for health and money's sake. I will also give you all with a small window of my world in the great state of Maine (by providing pictures of course). So, here it is:

Holly's List of Ways to Stretch or Save Calories!

1. Instead of butter on bread, try olive oil! It technically has more calories, but with the amount of healthy fats and omega oils (not to mention flavor), this is definitely a winner. *Pro tip: try mixing a bit of balsamic with it, or even some salt and pepper!

2. Juice is delicious, as we all know. But all too often it is too sweet, too concentrated, or just could use a flavor lift (this is especially the case with organic whole fruit juices). What to do? Sparkling water! Naturally sourced and often with great mineral content, sparkling water is only water and carbon dioxide, nothing else! Calorie free! Try mixing a bit of your juice with some sparkling water and watch the fun explode! *Pro tip: I'm not a huge fan of soda/pop/carbonated beverages, so you could use tap... and a squeeze of lemon juice! Genius! Huge flavor lift. (I use a LOT of lemon juice in my drinks... I even make my own lemonade by pouring about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, mix in about a tablespoon of maple syrup, and then filling with sparkling water to taste! Yum!)

3. This may be a more commonly used tip but it still works: plain Greek yogurt! What about it? Use it in place of sour cream (I bet you'll never know the difference), throw fruit on it for a healthy twist, or mix some olive oil, parsley, minced garlic, and salt in it to create an awesome dip and more! (I can't take credit for that mini recipe, but I can't remember where I got it.) *Pro tip: Whipped cream lover? Here's one for you! Take a cup of plain Greek yogurt, a shot of vanilla, and powdered sugar, agave, or maple syrup to taste, throw it in a bowl and take a hand mixer to it! Will it be exact? No. Will it be tasty? Yes! Will it save on calories? Absolutely!

4. Okay here's a weird one for you: condiments! Whoever decided that condiments are HUGE junk foods was horribly wrong. Read the back of your condiment jar (excluding mayo, duh). Mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, relish... all less than 20 calories per serving. Hot sauce nine out of ten times has zero calories! Throw mustard on carrots (it's delicious, don't knock what you haven't tried), ketchup on eggs, horseradish on sandwiches and more. Condiments provide huge flavor lifts to bland veggies or less than exciting meals. *Pro tip: Really want to stretch your condiments? Try mixing! Ketchup and hot sauce is awesome. Ketchup and mustard, surprising and pleasant. Also, watch out for fillers and chemicals. Nothing is healthy with high fructose corn syrup. Try all natural and organic.

5. So you're a hot dog person. Or better yet a BACON person. Or, or, maybe you're a hamburger person. I gotta really neat tip for you people out there: have you tried turkey? I'm not kidding. Turkey dogs, turkey bacon, ground turkey! (I promote organic, of course.) Beef hot dogs: ~110 calories. Turkey hot dogs ~60 calories. Applegate Farms is my personal choice. I'm not knocking beef, which actually can provide some essential nutrients, but only in small, occasional portions. But if you're trying to stretch your calories, turkey is the way to go. Plus it's tasty! *Pro tip: Got a gas stove? Take off the grate of one of the burners. Kick the flame on high, perforate a hot dog and place it on a long metal skewer or another long flameproof instrument. In five minutes or less, you'll have yourself a roasted hot dog of perfection! No gas stove? Kick on your broiler, but be sure to watch it very carefully and turn often. (Note: Chicken does work as a substitute as well, but I find the flavor is weaker in comparison.)

6. Here's one that can save your diet and wallet at the same time. Everyone's all about local now right? Well here's the thing: you buy local and in season and guess what happens? It's cheaper and better for you! What's hot right now? Asparagus! In season and delicious, asparagus is chock full of goodness, whether steamed and served with feta cheese or raw with a salad. *Pro tip: I figured this one out last night. Kick on your broiler to high. Break off the dry ends (not the flower ends) of your asparagus and arrange them in a line on a baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil on them and toss slightly, being sure to place them back in an even line. Then mince a large clove of garlic and sprinkle that on top of them along with a touch of salt. Throw in the oven and check on them every 30 seconds or so, rotating them for an even char or letting just one side get a bit roasty. Should be done within three minutes or so. So good.

7. Speaking of roasty, did you know it's a great way to get a calorie free flavor addition? Broiling, roasting, grilling... they're all ways to get flavor without necessarily adding oils or butter. In the case of burgers, there is already enough fat in the meat (turkey or otherwise) to grill or roast without "flavor additions." Potatoes work the same way. Grill a potato! Sounds delicious. Or, take the concept of a "twice baked potato" and instead of throwing a ridiculous amount of toppings on it, try some parsley, olive oil, garlic, and Greek yogurt, mix into mashed potatoes, fill potato shell add a bit of colby cheese on top, and broil until "golden brown and delicious." Add some hot sauce for serving! *Super pro tip: Boil some carrots until just fork tender. Drain thoroughly, toss in a bit of honey and roast them. So, so good.

 8. Sauteed onions. Need I say more? Okay, so sauteing chopped onions in a bit of olive oil until golden brown caramelizes the sugars in the onion and provides a rich flavor compound. Works with about any onion but my favorite is the yellow sweet onion (or Vidalias). Use it to top... anything! Hot dogs, potatoes, pasta, roasted veggies, hamburgers, some soups will take it nicely... and anything else that could use a bit of extra flavor! *Pro tip: A hot turkey sandwich just got a whole lot better with roasted turkey, horseradish, and sauteed onions. Don't forget the optional provolone.

9. I've spoken about this one before but I feel like it's warranted. Non-sugar sweeteners. I have a love-hate relationship with sugar. On one hand, it's delicious. But it can cause some health problems in high doses and I find that after I switched my diet to healthier foods, I can't tolerate much sugar in a day. Cane juice and syrup are better in my opinion, but if you really want to stretch calories and get better flavor try something native to the area you live in. Like the United States. Sugarcane is not from the U.S. originally, but rather from south and southeast Asia. Agave is from Mexico. What is indigenous? Honey and maple syrup. Yes, they will be more expensive, which is surprising because the come from our home turf. (Why is everything from Asia and Mexico cheaper than from our own homeland? I know the answer but I don't like it.) Honey and maple syrup are fabulous additions to foods and are fantastic substitutes to sugar. Ever have maple sugar? Oh man. Honey or maple syrup in coffee? Watch out. They are worth the minor price exchange because they are healthier and they last longer than you think. Living in Maine at the moment, maple syrup is like the best thing ever. (Except lobster in the summer. OH MAN.) Seriously. Pick up some 100% maple syrup and/or honey (organic) and give it a shot in place of your normal sugar usage. I think you'll be surprised. *Pro tip: Uh, ever have maple candy? If you can't buy it (it is a bit expensive, even in season) make it if you can! Recipe here. (Not exactly a calorie saver, but can help reduce your craving for crazy amounts of sweets.) Or drizzle either sweetener over fruits. Amazing.

10. My last tip is not that new. In fact, I'm sure thousands of people who are older than my generation are already doing this at home. Chicken broth. Ten calories per serving. Great nutritional benefit (low sodium and organic please). And downright tasty. Want to make polenta? Use broth instead of water. Couscous? Same thing. How about risotto? You can even try steaming some of your veggies in a bit of chicken broth for added flavor. Making a light gravy even. The possibilities are endless. *Pro tip: End your day with a hot mug of broth. Cleans out your system and tastes great. Add some salt and pepper if you wish.

Now on with the pictures!

My outside world during the winter. Nice and grey and brown.

Sunset over the White Mountains in North Conway, NH. They do train rides too as you can see.

There is a reason I added this picture. Behind me as I was standing here, there was a snow drift so high I could easily climb onto the roof without any other assistance. This building is as tall as a regular ranch-style house. Yeah, there was some snowfall.

I was talking to my dad the other day and he told me he had been watching something where he noticed some of the roads here in Maine are literally carved out of the forest. Uh, yes. Yes they are. Nearest grocery store to where I am: 20-25 minutes. Nearest major city: 1 1/2 hours. (Portland, ME.) Nearest Barnes and Noble: about 2 1/2 hours. Boston: 3 hours. NYC: 6 hours. We take the good with the bad.

This is our (my fiance's and mine) purebred Turkish Angora rescue kitty named Luna. I couldn't bring Colette with me because she had been sick but I'm happy to have Luna in the meantime. She has a bit of a sad story just like Colette: She was part of a cat colony for the first year and a half or so of her life. She gave birth to two kittens, one passed away. She had about seven teeth extractions, although I can't remember if it was before or after her giving birth to her kittens. She's missing the teeth on the bottom in-between her incisors so sometimes her tongue sticks out, which is cute. She had her ear tipped because they weren't sure if she would be able to be domesticated and then was placed in a foster home for five years with many other cats. Five years. She was well taken care of and her picture was placed on Petfinder with other cats from the cat shelter I volunteered at before coming to Maine. She was adopted by a couple, who returned her after two days because the wife said she wasn't ready for another cat after the death of her previous cat. She was put in one of the cages at the shelter instead of returned to her foster home. She hid in her litter box before I moved her into a taller cat condo where she sat on a blanket and didn't move. I discovered she really enjoyed being petted but when contact stopped she withdrew and sat fairly motionless. Well, when my fiance came to visit me and saw her, he couldn't stop petting her. Luna was licking his hand and playing with him and he had to bring her home. (Luna knew he was her owner.) We took her back to the hotel and then he carried her for nine hours on his lap back to Maine. After he had her for a week, I came out here and have spent more time with her since my fiance's been working. For the first few weeks, she was hiding a lot and not really willing to be loved on. Now, after about three months, you'd never guess she was the same cat. She follows my fiance downstairs in the morning when he gets ready for work, she stays by my side during the day and will demand playtime, attention, and food. As a matter of fact, she has been sleeping about a foot away from me the whole time I've written this blog post. We love her dearly.

Spring is just around the corner... wait... it's spring already... sorry Denver and parts of the Midwest! Here in Maine we still have some snow on the ground too and tomorrow there is supposed to be some snow/rain mix. Yuck. Anyway, many of us are still waiting for real signs of spring. I'll be sure to take plenty of spring-y pictures when that happens!

Sometimes you have to look on the bright side with sunglasses. (Copyright 2013, Holly.)

I'll write again when something interesting happens!