To help shed a little light on how this blog came to be, I thought it would be helpful to tell you about Mia.
My Struggles with Weight
Throughout my adult life, I can remember struggling with weight. In fact, I have always had issues with my weight, even when I was a teen. Of course, I was never as heavy as I was in 2017. But I was always self-conscious that I was a full-bodied girl in high school. I’m sure along the way these feelings had their psychological effects on my weight. But I wish that I knew then, what I have come to learn and accept with age.
In 2017 I began my weight loss journey once again. My son was getting married and it was important for me to feel comfortable, as well as like myself in the wedding pictures. So I started Weight Watchers and followed the Blue Plan. This journey became my most successful in a long line of attempts. And I believe it had a lot to do with my new mind set.
What Changed was my Mindset
I had made my mind up that I would get to my final goal, whenever my body allowed it to happen. So many things play into the successes we have at the scale. And it’s important to allow for the ups and downs of life.
When the scale would go up, I didn’t let it throw me off course. I was determined to win this battle once and for all. Fast forward, I have lost 45 pounds and for the most part have kept it off for 5 years now. During the onset of Covid, I managed to keep my weight down for the first year, until mid 2021. But over the following 12 months, I watched my weight slowly creep up by ten pounds.
Once we were able to enjoy life again and travel, I saw myself in our vacation pictures. I became mad at myself for being so cavalier over the last year. It was then that I decided it was time to take back control.
I’m sharing this with you, because I want you to know that you are not alone in your struggles. And I hope by sharing my experience, that it will help to empower you.
About Mia’s Cucina
Mia’s Cucina came into existence about two months after I started my weight loss program. My children have been after me for a few years to start a recipe blog. I’ve always joked about writing a cookbook. But given my weight loss success, I thought it made sense to share the recipes that helped me.
About the Recipes
Recipes for Weight Loss and A Healthy Eating LIfestyle
Most of the recipes shared here are recipes that I have cooked for my family for years. Global classic dishes like Chicken Cacciatore, Pasta e Fagioli, Chicken and Dumplings. But in order to assist me in my life style changes, they underwent a transformation. To put it simply, they’ve been tweaked to make them lower in calories. For some recipes, the fats and oils were reduced. And for others it meant reducing sugars or looking for new ways to achieve the textures and tastes that I love, by using alternative ingredients. In one way or another, most of the recipes shared here have been altered to fit into a healthier eating life style.
Favorite Food Recipes
As I mentioned most of the recipes have been modified for a healthier lifestyle. But let’s get real. No one likes to eat healthy all the time. There are just too many wonderful treats and dishes that cannot be made to taste as they should using less fat. While I wish this was not true, it is a reality,
But there is no reason why these foods can’t become part of a healthy lifestyle. And I do mean part. The trick is to learn to enjoy these foods in moderation. Readers will find recipes like Oatmeal Blueberry Scones, Fig Scones, Pizzas among others. These are recipes that can only take minimal moderation without affecting the finished dish. This is especially true for baked goods. Often times, baked goods are the hardest to alter. Sugar and fats play an important role in the tenderness and flakiness of many baked goods.
Rules for Engagement
But in all honesty, I have been able to enjoy these dishes and others with two rules in mind.
- Moderation – By this I mean, don’t lose your mind. Often times, we find ourselves in this pitfall statement, “Well, I’ve already blown my diet today, so I might as well go all out.” This mind set becomes a stumbling block that is too easily repeated. Rather, think about the serving size you will allow yourself to enjoy and find other foods to help satisfy your appetite. Sometimes, I have an egg with a scone or a big bowl of fruit.
- Adjustments- When I speak of adjustments, I don’t mean those made to the actual recipe. I mean make adjustments to the rest of your day. If I have used up my whole days calories/points on breakfast. I plan the rest of the day with foods that I know are zero points. This can easily be done with chicken breast, veggies and fruits. Basically, it comes down to making a choice and taking responsibility for that choice.
There is no reason why I cannot enjoy my favorite foods, occasionally. When I began my weight loss journey five years ago, I allowed myself to follow these two rules. And it is still working for me. Except for falling back into eating whatever I wanted all the time for a year.
But here I am back to my healthier mindset, taking off the Covid-10. However this time, I plan to go a little further, which will give me a little wiggle room, during the holidays.
What About Mia the person
First of all, yes I am 100 percent Italian decent. Actually, I’m half Sicilian and half Italian with roots in Bari and Naples. I also married a wonder Sicilian man. We’ve been married for 40 years this year and are blessed with two wonderful children and a daughter-in-law who love dearly. We embrace everything about our Italian heritage from big family dinners to festive holidays, like Christmas Eve’s Feast of the Seven Fishes. And we both love to entertain and share our love for food and wine, with friends and family.
My family has been involved in food service for generations. In the 1940’s, my paternal grandparents started one of the first Italian Market and Delicatessens in Southern California. My father took over their business, and along with my mother began a very successful catering business. I began working with my parents when I was 12, learning through their success.
My maternal grandfather co-founded Gardenia Cheese Company with his brothers-in-law. Their cheese making company serviced the entire Southern California area for over 40 years with fresh ricotta, mozzarella and other fine Italian cheeses.
I have continued a lifelong involvement with food, catering small parties and events and food preparation demonstrations. As much as I love cooking and creating new recipes, I love gardening. And I love my little buddy, Gidget. She is my shadow and she loves the garden and its bounty as well.
About Mia’s Food Philosophy
My philosophy is to skip the fat-free products and artificial sweeteners. For the most part, they tend to taste terrible and ultimately have an affect on the finished product. Often times, I find that I feel unsatisfied. Or left with that feeling that I’m giving up something that I really desire. If I allow myself to eat normal foods that I love, I don’t feel like I am missing out. Therefore, I am not craving foods and binging.
Instead, my recipes are tailored to use natural whole ingredients, with modified measurements that won’t affect the end result. I’m always looking for ways to make them with fewer calories by scaling back on the quantity of high calorie ingredients such as butter, oils and sugars; these ingredients bring a lot of unnecessary calories to many dishes. But I also acknowledge that some readers have dietary restrictions. For this reason I have included sugar-free and dairy-free options, whenever possible.
All of my recipes are tried and true and approved by me. But more importantly, all recipes are tasted and approved by my family and friends before they are shared. These dishes can be served to your guests, without hesitation.
I love cooking. I love eating and I love sharing with you. So please, give a few of these recipes a try and let me know what you think. I love to hear from readers and I’m always open to new ideas. So don’t hesitate dropping me a line. Until then…….
Buon Appetito!
