Hello and Meal Prepping

(Isn't that an exciting way to wake up a sleepy comatose blog)

Well, I will try to make this short, and make it make sense.

I just quit blogging, and I wish that I hadn't done that. Not that it is a great resource that has helped thousands, but that it is a great journal for me...because I quit scrapbooking too. :)

So, I would like to jump back in a share a little about our days.

In the span of time of that this blog really went inactive I have graduated my first child from our homeschool, and whoa..... let me tell you....that is a big thing for a mom's heart. Perhaps I can blog about that later.


For this post I would like to share something that is so simple, but it really is so helpful to running a smooth household.


Who thinks it is a fun thing to stay in the kitchen most of the day on Saturday? (Goodbye to a lot of you, right?)  Well, I happen to really enjoy meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping. It makes me feel more in control. I have 5 people asking me several times a day the eternal question: "What is there to eat?" By spending a little productive time in the kitchen I have really made my entire week easier.  Will I have the luxury of doing this every Saturday? Who knows, but I hope that I can most of the time.

This week here is what I did, and  I can already see what I will do different next week.

1) Sliced fruit. So easy, but gosh it is so good to have it in the fridge. We will stare at a cantaloupe on the countertop until it goes bad, but when I sliced it up the thing was gone by Monday morning. So, next week I will buy more fruit.

2) Waffles. Jessie was reading a book in which the characters eat a lot of waffles. Naturally, she decided she needed waffles. So, we made the Bread Beckers pancake/waffle recipe from the Red Book that you can find here: Bread Beckers  We put them in a Ziploc bag, and just heat them up in the toaster oven.

3) Egg Muffins: There are so many variations of these on the Internet and mine aren't anything new, but they are so good!  Basically this is what I did:

PREHEAT oven to 350

6 Eggs

1 Cup of Egg Whites

Diced Red Bell Pepper (about a 1/4 of the pepper)

Shredded Zucchini squash (1/2 of a squash)

Green Onion (sliced thinly, one onion)

1/2 C or more Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

1 pound lean pork or turkey sausage, browned

Mix it all together, pour into a muffin pan (this one is the BEST.  NO OIL NEEDED)

Bake for 12-15 min, or until firmly set and not jiggly at all.

If you'd like a real recipe to go by check this one out: SkinnyTaste Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins

4) I made a basic recipe from the Bread Beckers book (Zojirushi recipe) and shaped them into buns. On Sunday we had the buns with chicken salad. Do you have a pressure cooker? My Instapot makes chicken tender, and easy to shred, in 30 minutes. I use it several times a week. 

So, there you go. A way to kick the week off feeling like you are one step ahead.

For your convenience, I have put links in where I mention products I use. (Some of the links are affiliate links)

Sorry for the plain photo....as I get back to blogging I will make them look better. :) 

Have a blessed day. I am going to listen to a Podcast featuring Cindy Rollins and organize my school area.  :)

Luscious Lavender Lip Balm {DIY}

Are you in love with that creamy lip balm in the yellow tubes with the cute little bee on it? Yeah, me too. But, this is better. I promise.

 Here is a picture heavy (because I live with a photographer and I like her work) blog post that will take the mystery out of how they get that wonderful balm in that little tube.



 I am calling this Luscious Lavender Lip Balm because, well, that is exactly what it is.

      Luscious Lavender Lip Balm  1 oz beeswax (This what I used Beeswax Organic Pastilles) 1 Tbsp jojoba oil (or sweet almond)
2 Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil
1/2 oz Organic cocoa butter 20 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil  24 Lip Balm Tubes 1 funnel (click the link, this funnel fits the tubes perfectly)

 

 Finally, a good use for that food scale.  *big wink*


















Melt them together gently in a double boiler. 

Once is it all melted, remove from heat and use a toothpick to stir in the Young Living essential oil of choice. 

I used Lavender, of course.
Line your little containers up.

 Then pour into containers.

 Allow the balm to harden. 

Then you can make some really cute labels, if you have the patience for that sort of thing. ;) I may work on that later.


So, there you have it. Easy as pie! By the way, I didn't come up with this lovely recipe all by myself. My friend, Michelle, shared it on Facebook cause she is just wonderful like that. 



Now, you may think that all of that yummy, organic stuff cost a lot. Let me tell you, I have made 4 batches of lip balm and I haven't made a dent in my supply, except for the tubes. It all goes a very long way!

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.


Don't have the wonderful Young Living Lavender essential oil? Let me help you with that! 

Send me an email, just click the link on the sidebar. 

P.S. This blog post contains affiliate links. I can promise you, I am not getting rich off of these, but if you click them I may earn a few bucks. My hubby thanks you. :)

Bananas in a Blanket

What?

That banana has BACON wrapped around it!
 Bacon, bacon, everywhere bacon, right?

 Well, I have never heard of such a thing! I was browsing through an old cookbook that we picked up at a flea market.

 Here it is:

The Joy of Cooking.
 An old copy. We bagged it for 5 bucks! On that note, did you know that the original 1931 copy of this book is going for $5000.00 bucks on used books sites? Yeah. I know, right? The edition we have is selling for $250.00 and so that makes it pretty awesome.

 You can get a new copy here: Joy of Cooking

 So, as I was browsing this lovely treasure I found this simple recipe.

I changed it only by using crushed pineapple and not pineapple strips, as called for in the book.  I cut a little well down the length of the banana and spooned the pineapple in it. Then broiled it until the bacon was done.
 Now, was I craving something crazy like this? No. I just couldn't help myself. I mean people are crazy over bacon right now. So just for fun I did it. You know, I could see this being an awesome thing for breakfast. Add some sort of drizzle made out of the leftover pineapple. 

So here is to bringing back a dead blog with bacon. I actually had a friend in mind when I made this. She loves bacon and bananas so I am going to send her a link now. ;) 
Go eat some bacon! And a banana, bananas are good.
  (This post contains an affiliate link.)

Trim Healthy Peachy Dream~ E

I have stumbled on amazing! During my Fuel Cycle E days I realized that I was still very afraid of E meals, and basically I wasn't doing them correctly, my E was more of a FP. So.....being a Georgia girl, peaches are everywhere. On a whim I picked some up and really didn't have any plans for them. I am amazed at how good this is! My kids loved this drink! It tastes just like a milk shake. No kidding!

For this dreamy treat: (Makes 2 Servings)
 1 Cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk
 1/2 C of 1% Cottage Cheese (If you want to drink the whole batch :) use fat free cottage cheese)
 1/2 Tsp Glucomannan
 1 Tsp vanilla extract
 1 fresh peach,peeled & cut up 
1 Scoop whey powder
 6 Tsp Truvia A little dash of Nunaturals or Kal stevia extract

 Blend it all up!  Pour 1/2 if the recipe into a lovely glass and put a little fat free Rediwhip. Ah, It's a good day! 
UPDATE!!! ICE! I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE ICE! PUT SOME ICE IN THE BLENDER TOO! :))) It really makes it fantastic and more like a milk shake!! *sorry*
Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesday at Stacy Makes Cents and Gwen's Nest.

What is all of this "Trim Healthy Mama" stuff...go here:THM Home Page

A Healthy Latte....yes, it is possible (and it tastes good)

Yesterday I mentioned my new sugar free lifestyle.

All is well except for the longing in my soul for a Starbuck's White Chocolate Mocha or a Venti Pumpkin Spice latte. Really, for the first few days I almost cried. I have a Tassimo, and it brews some pretty amazing mocha and cappuccino  and lattes...oh my!

Okay, I think you get that I love some good, sweet coffee drinks.

The quest to reproduce that in a sugarless, low-fat version that actually is worth the trouble and worth drinking seemed hopeless.

Here is my new favorite, healthy drink.

Have on hand:

Gevalia espresso T-disc or strong coffee or other espresso.

Torani Sugar free syrup, I used the hazelnut flavor.

Stevia in the Raw, 1 packet

Almond milk, unsweetened. 1 Cup

I used a Froth au Lait milk frother. A hand held would probably work too.

Froth the milk, adding the packet of stevia and 2 TBS of the sugar-free syrup before the frother shuts off.

Pour it into a cup, brew your T disc or add your espresso.

Voila!

Amazing!

Wonderful!

Ahhhh....happiness in a cup!

Want more happiness?

Check this out!

Yep! 32 calories! Do you know that my usual latte would have come in at 150 calories with fat and sugar!

Now, I do not advocate using artificial sweeteners other than stevia or xylitol. But it was a matter of sanity for me. (The syrup is sweetened with Splenda) I have to have coffee that taste good. Period. :) Just out of curiosity I checked the nutrition facts for my beloved pumpkin spice latte. Hold on to your seat: 410 Calories, 17 fat grams, no fiber and 48 grams of sugar! Whoa! I think I will try some of Torani's sugar free Pumpkin syrup next!

Enjoy!

P.S.

Blue Diamond Breeze froths better than Silk. But, I think it has 10 more calories.

UPDATE 7-17-2013 Since I am now trying to follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan I have revisited this recipe during a Fuel Cycle, FP day. Don't have a Tassimo? Just brew some really strong espresso to counter all of the almond milk. It works just as well with KAL stevia extract,  sweetened to taste. A little vanilla extract added, and some Fat Free Redi-whip will make you feel all special. :) A Fuel Pull Latte! Happy, Happy, Happy!

Linking up at Stacy Makes Cents and Gwen's Nest for Trim Healthy Tuesday.

Cooking Experiment

I haven't said anything about my health goals lately. I'm just waiting for the right time. You know, the time I feel like I can do it and not quit....

Anyway, I've been at a new eating plan (I don't like the D word) for the last three weeks.

It requires that I eat tons of veggies and lean protein, low fat and no sugar. I know, your thinking I'm crazy. Well, that may be true but we won't go there. This is really like clean eating and that is something I've been really wanting to try but never had the courage.

I'll tell you more about the plan later. Right now I wanted to share a recipe. I felt like one of those happy chefs on the Food Network. I was just cooking and tossing in ingredients like I knew what I was doing. Boy, it turned out awesome!




I've come to love vinegar and spices. They add so much to the food. I don't miss the fat and sugar at all. This started with two chicken breast and a hungry momma.

Here is the list, as best as I can remember. I didn't measure a thing.

-Two boneless, skinless chicken
breast, sliced or cubed
-Extra virgin olive oil, 1 TBS
-white wine vinegar
-chicken broth, fat free, low sodium, no MSG
-lemon juice
-pepper, to taste
-a tad bit of kosher salt
-baby spinach, raw, about two cups
- sliced raw mushrooms, 1 cup
-onion & garlic powder , 1 TBS each
- Parmesan cheese, 1/4 c

Start with EVOO. Add chicken to hot pan with oil. Begin to cook. At this point I added the spices, vinegar (1/4 cup?) and poured in some broth, 1/2 cup maybe. When chicken is no longer pink add mushrooms. Pour in some lemon juice, again I just poured, perhaps about 1/8- 1/4 cup, maybe less. After mushrooms are cooked down toss in the spinach. Just let it wilt a little. Remove from heat and sprinkle with 1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese. (If you can find lemon pepper seasoning that does not have MSG then that would be good too.) Serves 2
Yum!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lunch Break~ Mini Deep Dish Pizza

What's for lunch? That question usually comes before I am ready to answer and fix it! I love, love, love fast and easy lunch. However, I don't like to settle for processed food if I can help it. The down side of this tasty treat are the canned biscuits. But, it was a hit!

 Here we go: Mini Deep Dish Pizza

 Enough Can Biscuits to feed your family. (We use a full 12 serving muffin tin.)
1 packet of Turkey Pepperoni
Pizza Sauce
Your choice of shredded cheese
Other pizza fillings you like. (Next time we are going to do black olives)
Italian Seasoning {optional}
Cooking Spray


 I start by spraying the muffin tin, then patting out the biscuit dough while incorporating the Italian seasoning. Then press it into the pan. Add a dollop of pizza sauce and other fillings (olives, sausage, veggies). Then top with cheese and pepperoni.

Bake at 450 until the edges are brown and the top is bubbly. I baked them in my new convection oven that the kiddos picked out . You just wouldn't believe how often I use it. {we are trying to get rid of the microwave} It has also come in handy when the big oven is baking and I need to bake something else.

Here they are! They were a huge hit here!







{Photo credit : my daughter, Jessie}

What's Cooking {Crock Pot Cooking} Today~Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken Recipe

Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken Recipe
from SparkRecipes

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

*2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts *1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix * 1/4 cup water * 1 8oz pkg low fat cream cheese *1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup *3 cups cooked white, long grain rice

Directions

*1. Place chicken in crock pot
*2. Mix together Italian dressing mix and water. Pour over chicken.
*3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours OR low for 8 hours.
*4. Mix together cream cheese and soup in separate bowl.
*5. Carefully remove chicken from crock pot to plate.
*6. Pour cream cheese/soup mixture into crock pot and mix together with dressing in bottom.
*7. Return chicken to crock pot and mix gently to shred the chicken.
*8. Cook on LOW until heated through.
*Serve with rice or noodles.

**You may add skim or low fat milk in very small quantities to thin the sauce a little. It does not significantly affect the nutritional value if you use up to 2 tablespoons**

Makes 6 servings. Approximately 2/3 cup mixture with 1/2 cup rice.

This recipe can be made with FAT FREE cream cheese and it saves about 6 grams of fat. However, I feel that the dish benefits from the flavor of the low fat over the fat free.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ORANGECOWCAT.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 368.7

Total Fat: 10.3 g

Cholesterol: 115.5 mg

Sodium: 737.4 mg

Total Carbs: 24.1 g

Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g

Protein: 41.7 g

Yummy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bake {Thank you Shaping Little Souls}

Thank you dear Jessie for the lovely picture.

This is just too good. I found this while visiting this lovely blog : Shaping Little Souls

I didn't have Quick oats so I used Old Fashioned Oats and adjusted the recipe. The entire pan was gone in a flash, it was our dinner that day. *blush*


Here is the original recipe:

3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter

Mix all ingredients together. Spread into 9x13 greased pan.
Bake 350 for 20-25 mins. If you like a little crunchy top cook for a few minutes longer.
Serve warm with milk poured over top or dry like a breakfast bar.


I used 2 cups of Old Fashioned Oats and we did pour just a tad of milk over it. So good! And so easy and  a nice change to just a bowl of oatmeal.

Day 50 & 51 of 100 Days of Health Habit

Alright, so I will not make any more promises about blogging on time. :)

This week we  have been on "work-yourself-to-death-cation" instead of vacation. The days have been full and long. I love having the buzz around here but our routine is out the window. That will make Monday morning hard.

Okay, on to the subject. Really, there is little to say. A plateau is an ugly place. A place of learning.......patience......heaven help me....I really like instant. ☺

The workouts are getting easier however, and that means my fitness level is increasing. A good thing.

Part of this health kick is healthy eating and I have a couple of recipes to share. 

The first one is a good way to change up breakfast.

Broccoli Quiche Cups

.

So, Greg walks by the stove and says "You made broccoli cakes!" with a pitiful expression on his face.

No, he did not try one. I really like them. You will love the calorie count.

Here is the recipe

Preheat oven to 350

1 10 oz package of frozen broccoli

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup Kraft Four Cheese shredded 2%

1 cup Egg Beaters

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Shake in some paprika

Steam broccoli, pepper and onion.

Stir together Egg Beaters, cheese, flour and veggies, paprika.

Spray muffin tin. Spoon mixture into cups. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Each cup has about 57 calories, I had 3 for breakfast and that is still low calorie.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 56.8

• Total Fat: 1.8 g
• Cholesterol: 5.0 mg
• Sodium: 144.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 4.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
• Protein: 5.2 g

Next is a beautiful, delicious salad.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

black beans- 1 15oz can rinsed and drained 

corn- 1 cup of frozen or fresh kernels 

sour cream, light- 3 TBS

 salsa 1/2 C

 avocado 1 whole, peeled and diced 

1/2 Cup fresh, chopped Cilantro

 6 cups Romaine lettuce 

1 Cup Low Fat Feta Cheese, crumbled

 Apple Cider Vinegar 1 TBS

 Grape tomatoes, halved

Mix salsa, sour cream, apple cider vinegar. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and toss to coat.

Serve with baked tortilla chips. Use 1/4 cup of Feta for each serving.


Serving Size: 1  cups of bean mixture and 1 1/2 Cup of lettuce. Serve with chips (like baked tortilla)

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 277.0

• Total Fat: 10.3 g
• Cholesterol: 8.7 mg
• Sodium: 853.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 10.4 g
• Protein: 13.2 g

This is so good! Give it a try.


So Yesterday (Day 50) 9987 Steps:(
Today (Day 51) 10,800 I made up for yesterday! :)
Calories all tracked and in range.