Trader Joe’s Brussels Sprout Sauté

I picked up something new to me during my last Tj’s shopping trip. Trader Joe’s Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts Sauté.

The Ingredients:
Brussels Sprouts
Cooked – Uncured Bacon
Celery Powder/Celery Juice
Red Onion
Dried Cranberries
Hazelnuts
Balsamic Glaze – Balsamic Vinegar and Sugar

Directions:

Open package, remove balsamic glaze sauce cup and set aside.

Measure out 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and pour into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Once oil is hot, carefully add all ingredients to skillet (except for the balsamic glaze). Sauté stirring regularly until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and slightly wilted (approx. 2-3 min.). Remove skillet from heat, add balsamic glaze sauce and toss well in the pan to coat.

Easy enough…

This dish tasted amazing! I made a similar Brussels sprouts dish in May with my Brussels Sprouts – Don’t be a hater post. The recipe used apples and pine nuts instead of the hazelnuts and dried cranberries – but it also took over an hour to make – compared to 5 minutes.

Servings 2.5 | Calories 170 | Fat 7g | Chol 15mg | Carb 26g | Fiber 4g | Protein 7g | Sodium 280mg

I chose to eat all 2.5 servings since it was my entire lunch. As a side, it wouldn’t be too bad, but as a main dish, it was pretty high in fat, sodium and carbs. I’m guessing leaving out the bacon would help a lot and you could probably just use 1/2 the glaze if you were really watching your sugars.

Other stuff…

I was on my own last night. Dan had a work dinner and I planned on making a leek, spinach and cheese pizza using dough from Trader Joe’s. I also planned on a little craft project. I cleaned the side of the fridge over the weekend and found my Weight Watcher 25, 50 and 75 lbs. lost magnets buried under photos, invites and coupons. Seeing those magnets brought back the same level of excitement I had when I achieved those goals. (If only I could have maintained the entire weight loss, ha!) I will never forgot getting those at my meetings – along with the weekly stickers, the 5 lb. bookmarks, the milestone charms, etc. I am a true sucker for stuff like that. I loved knowing that I’d be getting a sticker at each meeting. It didn’t matter that I was 34 or 35 years old and it doesn’t matter that I’m now 40. I knew the same “reward” concept would get me out of my current exercise/workout slump.

Off to the craft store I went. My 25 Heart Exercise Challenge was about to become more visual.

I already had the small bulletin board in my workout/guest room. I just needed the tags, stickers, pins and metal clasps. I got some great deals – heart stickers were 1/2 off because of Valentine’s Day and the tags and numbers were 40% off due to a sale on scrapbooking supplies. I spent a little over $9 and that was because the pins were so expensive. They were more industrial strength compared to everyday sewing pins.

I placed a number on one side of the tag and a heart on the other side. I then put the metal clasps on the tags and hung each one from a pin. My bulletin board had enough to do 4 rows of 7 – perfect for the month of February. I have a bigger bulletin board in the garage that I will pull out for the rest of the months. It’s the one I used for Christmas cards over the holidays.

I got my tags all lined up like little soldiers.

I then got on the treadmill for a 45 minute workout session – mostly walking, some running and hills. I watched the Biggest Loser, so it was easy to stay motivated. I then got off the treadmill – did some floor mat exercises and stretching and then…

I flipped over my Feb. 1 tag to reveal the heart.

45 minutes of heart healthy exercise. I can’t even explain how exciting this was (craft nerd alert) – I’m more motivated than ever to fill my board with hearts. I need it. I deserve it. I am worth it.

My 25 Heart Challenge is to workout for 25 of the 28 days in February. The workouts have to be over 30 minutes and can be anything I want to do. Exercise DVD’s, walking, running, biking, Wii Fit, etc.

I’m going to update my new 25 Heart Challenge page throughout the month. I copy and pasted this post (minus the Brussels sprouts) onto that page and will update with mileage, times, progress, etc.

It’s the little things.

I’ve tried iPhone apps, Lose it!, iFit, SparkPeople, WW, etc. and haven’t stuck with them. If a simple heart sticker is enough to motivate me to get in daily exercise, I’ll take it!  Each little heart is visual proof that I’m doing good things for my own heart.