Day #10

Okay, I was going to post daily about the previous day. Here I am letting time slip by so I'm going to make up for three days right now. Day #10 was Monday, Feb. 13th. Monday mornings are when I meet with my T.E.A.M. for strength training. She had us do three rounds of each circuit instead of only two. Boy was that exhausting. I have to say by the end of this I hope I can knock out some decent pushups. Right now the only word for them is pathetic. I am doing better on my planks though so I must be getting stronger. I went into Zumba afterwards. I was excited to go to class, but was feeling tired after strength training. We were all in there waiting, waiting and waiting some more before someone came in and said the instructor had an emergency and class was canceled. My new Zumba friend who I always stand by 1. because she's really nice and 2. because if I get lost I can just follow her was an instructor in Boston. She plugged her phone and and improvised. I have to give her props. It was a really good workout. That night I went home and tried a new recipe from my Biggest Loser Cookbook

Moroccan Pork Stew with Baby Artichokes and Dried Fruit

1 lb. lean, boneless pork

1 tsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. saffron threads, crumbled

1/2 tsp. salt

1 med. carrot, diced

1/2 c. diced celery

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. pitted prunes, cut into slivers

1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed cut in quarters

1/4 c chopped cilantro, without stems

Cut the pork into 1" pieces. In a 3-quart nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring to keep from browning.

Stir in the broth, saffron, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the carrot and celery; simmer, covered, for about 2 minutes.

Add the ginger, cinnamon, prunes, and artichoke hearts and simmer until the vegetables and fruits are nearly tender, about 2 minutes.

Add the pork pieces to the stew and stir in the cilantro. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the pork is just cooked.

Makes 4 (1 1/2 cup) servings Per serving: 300 calories, 28 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates (13 g sugars), 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 75 mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 375 mg sodium

WARNING: This recipe costs an arm and a leg to make. Just the saffron costs about $19!

It smelled wonderful and my hubby loves this genre of food so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, this will be a one time make only recipe in our home. It wasn't worth the expense and the kiddos turned their noses up at it.