Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

This is a healthy recipe my whole family loves.  Its from Lifetime's show Cook Yourself Thin.
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/cook-yourself-thin  The recipe was originally for Sweet and Sour Pork, but I used Chicken.  It is absolutely delicious.

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops
Serves 4
Calories per serving, pork chops: 290
Calories per serving, brown rice: 175

For the pork chops:

1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound 1-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of any fat, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 red onion, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 red (or 1 red and 1 green) bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

For the brown rice:

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock

1. To make the pork chops: Combine sherry, pepper, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar in a medium bowl. Add pork and gently toss until well coated. Let marinate in the refrigerator.

2. Stir together pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, and remaining teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl until well combined.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but still a little crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large dish. Heat another tablespoon of the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but still a little crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the same dish.

4. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the pork cubes, arranging in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn the cubes over and cook until a golden-brown crust forms on the other side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Return onion and peppers to the pan and toss to combine. Add pineapple juice mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce evenly coats everything and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

5. To make the brown rice: In a saucepan, bring the stock to a boil and add the rice. Cover with a lid and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the grains and serve.

Y water

In my search for healthy alternatives for my family, I've come across this product called "Y Water".  It claims to be organic, nutrient rich, and low caloric.  The containers are a unique shape that can be used as creative building materials, or it can be recycled.  You can check it out for yourself and see if it's available in your area. http://www.ywater.us/  Y not?

Sparkpeople

There is a wonderful FREE resource for people who are trying to live a healthy lifestyle. The website is http://www.sparkpeople.com/ . Our family is on a strict budget so it's nice to find something that is this useful for free. When you join this site (which is free), you have access to their nutrition tracker. You search for the food that you eat and it will put it on your plan and will include calories, carbs., fat, and protein. You can also keep track of your water consumption here. They offer meal plans and a fitness tracker. Using the fitness tracker you can keep track of strength training and cardio. as well as view the exercise demos. You have the ability to keep track of your weight and measurement if you so chose and it will give you a time line for your goals. There is also a place where teens can keep track. You have the ability to join groups based on your age, interests, weight lose goals, health issues and so much more.