I'm still learning

All these posts and blogs about resolutions have spurred some wonderings in me.  Over my last 30 years I've gotten to know myself pretty well.  Part of me wishes I could make goals like normal people do...lose 30 pounds, go without sweets, workout 5 days a week every single week, or get pregnant and know that I will succeed in those goals.  But I know I won't.  I'm not normal.  I'm a special kind of crazy.  Yes, I know how that sounds.  There's no doubting it though.  Those above are goals I've made for myself in the past.  Many times actually.  I've even been able to stick with them for long lengths of time.  When goal setting, one issue for me lies in maintenance.  Just because a goal is set and attained, this doesn't mean the goal goes away...a new goal slides into place or it must continue.  For instance, I've lost 30 pounds five separate times in my adult life.  Yes FIVE. Now there are two ways to look at this. 1) I achieved my weight loss goal five times!  Whoo hoo!  Way to go!  2) I did five times as much work as I would have needed to and put my body through a lot of unnecessary stress. Had I maintained my goal at age 21 when I lost the weight the first time, I wouldn't have had to deal with the last 9 years of yo-yo weight loss and weight gain.    A second roadblock in goal setting is attainability.  Are the aforementioned goals attainable for me?  Well, yes I could probably lose 30 pounds, but not if I continue to weight train.  I will most likely lose fat and gain muscle, which could put me at a 10-15 pound weight loss and be healthier than if I would have not gained muscle and lost it along with the fat.  Can I go without sweets?  Yes, I did it for 7 months.  Is it a lifestyle for me?  No.  I love food and through all of my battles with food and migraines, I have come to believe that it's all about moderation.  Will I be able to attain the goal of working out five times a week every week?   Possibly.  Will I get sick?  Yes.  Will I get hurt?  Well, if my broken finger proves anything, it's that one little broken digit can put you out of the weight room for 3 weeks.  What about pregnancy?  That was my goal last year.  Silly.  Just silly.  I have absolutely no control over whether or not I can get pregnant.  So why make that a goal?  There are things I can do to help, but I can't make that happen.  Only God can.  Now, onto my biggest personal roadblock with goal setting...failure.  At one point or another I will fail.  And when I fail, I stop in my tracks and throw in the towel.  It's mental.  I know it.  When I see a goal, I want to achieve the heck out of it and the perfectionism in me just can't deal.  As I said before, I have gotten to know myself pretty well and here are some things I've learned so I CAN make attainable, achievable, maintainable goals...
>I know that just because I make a goal, it doesn't mean I'll stick with it. 
>I don't do well with group accountability...you know like running groups or workout buddies, etc.  >Comparing myself with others doesn't push me...actually it makes me want to sit down with a bag of oreos.
>People telling me what to do makes me dig in my heels (personal trainers, books, motivational speakers, etc.)
>Rewards don't do much for me.  It's all about personal pride and accomplishment.
>I do really well with a plan.  I love plans and lists and calendars.  They help me set up my days and weeks with everything from things to accomplish, things to buy, food to cook, etc.  Heck, I make lists about my lists and write things down I did yesterday just so I can cross them off my list!
>Meal prep is huge for me.  I buy what I know I will eat and I make it ahead of time so I am poised to make good choices.
>If it's not in the house, I won't eat it.  If it is I'm ALL OVER IT like white on rice.
>It's me vs. me that really pushes me to succeed. If I can make a better version of the same meal than I did the last time it's a victory.  If I can run even 5 seconds faster than I did last Tuesday, I'm on cloud 9.  If I can look at a picture of myself from this summer and see my face is thinner now, than it was before, I'm set.  If I have a deeper relationship with my friends than I did last year, then it's all good.
>Food is a comfort to me, but I've learned and my husband has learned that it doesn't matter what kind of food you give me...chocolate or cauliflower...they both have the same calming effect. 

Reading these over shows me just how stubborn, anti-social and self-absorbed I can be.  Honestly, I think it's really healthy to take an honest look at yourself every once in a while...introspection at it's finest.  But I digress...

Looking ahead and taking all these things I've learned about myself into account, I can now attempt to make some goals for 2014.  They will probably sound pretty vague to you, but I've learned that I don't do well with specific, detailed goals.  When they are vague, usually I blow them out of the water...for instance, in November my goal was to work out more days than not.  I worked out 23 days.  See?  There's a method to my madness.

In no particular order...

Pray more.
Spend more quality time with my husband.
Call my friends and family more.
Send more cards.
Make a monthly calendar and exercise more days than not.
Make meal plans for most meals.
Avoid the chocolate/candy aisle.
Eat more veggies.
Eat more protein.
Up my weights.
Get faster at running.
Get faster at swimming.
Get faster at biking.
Keep going to counseling.
Read more.
Play with my dog more.
Stay off of my phone more.
Doubt myself less.

9 Tried & True Crock Pot Freezer Meals

Here is a collection of crock pot freezer meals that are tried and true for me.  They are easy to prepare and the ingredients are reasonably priced for the most part.  Most of them serve around 4.  The soups serve more like 6-8.  Most of the recipes can be cooked for much longer than the suggested time.  Most days it ends up cooking for about 10 hours on low just because of our schedules.  I really don't know where I found these recipes and most have been tweaked.  Enjoy!

Serrano Pork Tacos with a side of brown rice

Serrano Pork Tacos

3-4 pound pork roast or loin cut into chunks

2 onions

6 tbsp canola oil

2-4 serrano chillies

3 garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

2 c. water

Divide all ingredients into two bags, label and freeze.

Thaw in refridgerator the night before and then dump all ingredients into crock pot.  Cook on low 8 hours.  Serve in taco shells or tortillas with toppings of your choice.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
2 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes,
mashed(you can do this with a potato masher right in the bag, be careful that you don’t break the bag)
1 large can rosarita red/mild enchilada sauce
2 medium onion, chopped(about 1 cup)
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chiles
4 cloves garlic, minced or 4 tsp. minced garlic
2 cans chicken broth
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 can corn
1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can black beans
Split the above between two gallon freezer bags and remove as much air as possible seal and then double bag into another freezer bag.
Freeze
When ready to enjoy place in fridge to thaw the day before. Pour into crockpot add an additional 1 cup water to crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes 2(4-6 serving dinners)

Ingredients:

3-4 cups chicken cooked and cubed

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cups celery, sliced

2 cups onions, diced

3 tsp. poultry seasoning

4 cloves garlic, (or 4 tsp).minced

12 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cans chicken broth

Split the above between two gallon ziplock bags,remove as much air as possible and seal.

Also needed: 2 cups uncooked egg noodles

Tape one bag of uncooked egg noodles onto each filled gallon bag.  Freeze.

When ready to place in crockpot take out the soup mixture and add 6-7 cup water directly to the bag, Pour into crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours or High 3-4 hours. (Low is best and can be cooked longer than 6 hours if needed. Reserve Noddles in freezer.  Place noodles in soup 30 minutes before serving.

 

Ranch Chicken

4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 dry packet ranch dressing mix

Add ingredients to ziplock bag, label and freeze.

Preparation:  Thaw the night before in refridgerator and place in your slow cooker with about 1 C of Water or Chicken broth for 3-4 hours on High, or 4-5 Hours on Low. Serve whole or chop up for tacos or sandwiches.

 

Pulled Chicken

1 1/2 BBQ sauce

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Combine in ziplock bag, label and freeze.

Thaw the night before in refridgerator and place in your slow cooker with about 1/4 C of water for 3-4 Hours on High. Shred chicken and mix back in with sauce, serve on crusty rolls with a slice of cheese. This recipe is also pretty flexible and can be baked or grilled if you don’t want to slow cook.

 

Italian Chicken

4 whole bonless skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 c. italian dressing

Add ingredients to ziplock bag, label and freeze.

Place in refridgerator the night before and dump into your slow cooker with about 1/2 – 1 C of water or Chicken broth for 3-4 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.

 

Beef Fajitas

1-2 lbs. flank steak

1 medium onion chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 packet fajita mix

1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies

Add all ingredients to ziplock bag, label and freeze. 

Thaw the night before in refridgerator, dump in crockpot and cook 4-5 hours on low.

 

Tortellini Soup

1 Medium Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Cup Yellow Onion, Chopped
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 (8 Oz.) Can Tomato Sauce
2 (14.5 Oz.) Cans Crushed Tomatoes
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
2 (14 Oz.) Cans Chicken Broth
1 chicken boullion cube

Place above in gallon ziplock bag and remove air and seal.

Tape 1 frozen meat tortellini package to the filled gallon bag.  Freeze.

Thaw in refridgerator the night before. Place soup and one cup water in crockpot cook on
low 5-6 hours. Put in tortellini 30 minutes before cooking time is complete.






Chicken Fajitas

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips

1 medium onion sliced

1 medium green pepper sliced

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies

1 packet fajita seasoning

Add all ingredients to the ziplock bag, label and freeze.  To prepare, thaw the night before in refridgerator and dump into the crockpot – cover and cook 4-5 hours on low

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Tonight I cooked a brand new recipe.  It's always a thrill (for me at least) to try out new food.  To imagine what the tastes and textures will be...the new smells filling the kitchen.  Mmmm...

Well, tonight's meal did not disappoint.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers (serves 6 hearty portions)

357 calories per serving

2 c. brown rice (cooked)
1 lb. ground turkey (cooked)
3 green peppers (cut in half, take out seeds)
1 heaping tbsp of taco seasoning
1 tbsp minced onion
16 oz. of your favorite salsa
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Boil prepped peppers for 5 min.  Prep a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Place peppers open side up in pan.  Combine cooked turkey, cooked rice, taco seasoning, salsa, minced onion, black beans, frozen corn and salsa together in pan.  (Hint: save a pan and just use the one you boiled the peppers in.)  Once thoroughly combined, spoon stuffing into peppers.  Fill the rest of the 9x13 with the rest of the stuffing. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top and bake an additional 5 minutes.

I served mine with an ear of sweet corn.  You can never have too much sweet corn in the summer, right?  For those of you, who like me have a wonderful lower retainer, I have this nifty little gadget that takes the kernels off the cob.  It's a beautiful thing.  No strings or kernels to pick out of your retainer.  YES!

Enjoy your weekend and STAY COOL!!! 

Lose it!

Happy 1st day of SUMMER!!!

 I got up at 8 and went for a 2 mile jog to beat the heat.

Maybe tonight Tom and I can go for a walk to enjoy the longest day of the year :)

How did you celebrate today? 

For the "lose a marathon" challenge, Jess requested that we submit healthy, tried and true recipes each week.  I chose to submit my chili mac recipe.  Yum yum!  If you haven't tried it yet, you can find the recipe here: One Skillet Chili Mac

It's cooking up a storm right now in my kitchen...mmm pasta!

So anyway, Jess wanted the calorie count for the meal so I looked up all the ingredients and busted out Tom's old Texas Instruments Scientific Calculator from high school.  The grand total was 456 calories per serving.  Not bad for a hearty comfort food.  Out of curiousity, I looked up the calorie count for Steak n' Shake's Chili Mac Supreme (my absolute favorite!!) and my jaw dropped...1,008 CALORIES!  No way.  Well, I definitely feel better about my homemade chili mac now.

So I got to thinking...I wonder how many calories I'm actually eating in a day??  So I signed up at http://www.loseit.com/ to start tracking.  I just started using it and I really like its user friendliness.  I can enter in my food, my goals, exercise, etc.  Just enter in the amount you would like to lose, your age, height and weight and it will tell you how many calories you need to lose that weight or how many calories you need to maintain that weight.  Pretty cool. 

I've been trying to "Pinterest" healthy dinner recipes and tend to find the same things over and over again. 

Anyone have a go-to no sugar recipe to share?

One Skillet Chili Mac

"Yes, hello!  I'll have the Chili Mac Supreme- no onion please."  Wow, I have no idea how many times I've said that phrase.  Steak n' Shake is my FAVORITE fast food sit down restaurant.  Oh baby I love that place.  Unfortunately, it always has a huge icky puddle of grease at the bottom of the bowl when you are done (unless you use enough parmesan cheese to soak it all up with and I would not suggest it...speaking from experience)  Well, the other day I was rummaging through my recipes in order to have some semblance of organization and came across a Chili Mac recipe from WW.  It sounded pretty easy so I gave it a shot tonight.  The recipe is at the bottom of this post. 
Holy guacamole! It claimed to make 8 servings, but I can never quite believe WW of what they consider a serving, but this time they were right.  Here are my leftovers!! 

Then for dessert I could have had these bad boys...

Yeah, those are my famous Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Still haven't tasted them, but no one and I mean NO ONE can stop me from SMELLING them...and oh do they smell like heaven.

So since it's a no go on the cookies I opted for this as my dessert.

Yes, I know.  Definitely not the same, but still pretty tasty. 

So tomorrow I'm going to a running/jogging/walking club with my friend from work.  I've never been a runner.  NEVER.  Not kidding.  Who was always the very last kid to finish running the mile in high school??  This girl.  I was even on varsity tennis sophmore through senior year and I STILL came in last. 

 Anyway, that was before I knew the absolute freedom of an inhaler.  I was diagnosed with "Exercise Induced Asthma" last year and wow, one dose of that inhaler really makes a difference.  So I'm going to give this club a shot.  I mean they accept walkers and I can certainly walk...maybe we'll even try a jog ;)

The Great Migraine Battle Rages On.....

Jan. 4
Feb. 4
Mar. 12
Apr. 5
May 0

Pounds lost : 19.4
Inches lost : 20.5

No refined sugar, no nuts, no MSG, no high fructose corn syrup, no cane juice <----this is SUGAR silly health food makers!  You can't fool me! 

I was finally able to do my saliva test.  It wasn't bad at all.  Remembering not to eat or drink anything 2 hours before each test was the tricky part.  Also, I couldn't wear chapstick.  But it's all good and it's now flying off to the lab.  I'm really eager to get my results!!!  Maybe this is the next piece to the migraine curing puzzle!

Chili Mac Recipe
Serves : 8
Old Points Value : 5

1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
29 oz. diced tomatoes
4 oz. canned green chilis
2 tsp chili powder
2 1/2 c. canned tomato juice
1 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni
31 oz. canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Spray large skillet with cooking spray.  Brown turkey and onions until fully cooked.  Stir in diced tomatoes, green chilis, chili powder, and canned tomato juice.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in uncooked macaroni and pinto beans.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Mmm.....mmm good!

Cheesy Stuffed Pretzels, Rolo Cookies & a Smoked Sausage Bake

Happy Saturday!  It's been an afternoon of kitchen appliance craziness at our house.  First I used my Kitchen Aid mixer to make up some dough for Rolo Stuffed Cookies to take to Easter and to feed my husband.  He claimed he needed all 4 dozen, but finally agreed to share and bring some to Easter lunch tomorrow...hehe ;)  I've shared this recipe before and let me tell you this is some crazy thick dough and it was a lot easier this time using the Kitchen Aid mixer instead of arm muscle.  Here's the recipe again in case you missed it last time.

Then Tom unpacked and assembled my Cuisinart Food Processor for me (b-day present from my mom...yes!!!!!) so I could make Cheesy Stuffed Pretzels.  This was my first best shot at using yeast and my first time using the food processor so I was a bit nervous.  It took me only 3 tries to mix the yeast with the water.  I know what you are thinking...Laura you are mixing two ingredients.  How can you possibly mess this up??  Well, I cut the recipe in half, and cut the amount of yeast in half, but failed to cut the amount of water in half.  So I waited the ten minutes for it to get "frothy" and then looked at my recipe again suddenly remembering I didn't halve the water.  Dump and start again.  This time I forgot to warm the water before putting the yeast in.  Dump and try again.  Third time's a charm because I successfully measured the correct amount of water, warmed said water and added in the appropriate amount of yeast!  Success!!  Then I found out that I definitely need a big cutting/rolling board surface.  I tried to roll out the dough using wax paper as a base, but it moved with the dough and the dough got sticky and ripped the wax paper.  Next, it was time to twist the dough into a pretzel shape.  Mind went completely blank.  WHAT DOES A PRETZEL LOOK LIKE AGAIN??  Thankfully, my husband frequented Auntie Anne's a lot during his long hours working at the mall so he worked the dough into very impressive pretzel shapes.  Go Tom!  So the pretzels turned out beautifully and the food processor was a snap to use.  If I hadn't messed up with the yeast and had been able to think about the shape of a pretzel it would have been a really simple recipe.  They taste more like cheese sticks (think Godfather's Pizza cheese sticks) than pretzels, but regardless, they are GOOD! Oh and I put about 1/4 of the sugar it called for and I halved this recipe when I actually made it. 

Cheese Stuffed Everything Pretzels
Adapted from Guy Fieri, via the Food Network

Yields: 12 pretzels

Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 110 degrees)
2 packets active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
3 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Toppings:
1 egg
2 T milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp sea salt

In a large measuring cup, heat water and sprinkle yeast over the water.  Stir to combine and let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.  Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, combine all dry ingredients and pulse to combine.  Add egg and yeast mixture and pulse in short bursts until the dough comes together.  Do not over mix, you just want the dough to come together.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times with your hands.  If dough feels sticky, add a little more flour.  Form the dough into a ball and cut in half.

Roll out 1/2 of the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 12"x17", sprinkle about 3/4 cup of the colby jack cheese down the center 1/3 of the dough.  Fold one edge over the cheese, sprinkle with another 3/4 cup cheese, and fold over the remaining 1/3.  Pinch the edges of the dough to seal the cheese inside.  Roll out the dough again into a rectangle about 11"x15".  Cut the dough into six strips approximately 1 1/2" wide.  Roll each strip into a tube and form into a pretzel shape by looping and crossing the ends over each other, then tuck back onto the loop and pinch to seal.  Transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Repeat with remaining half of dough. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine remaining egg and milk.  Whisk to combine and set aside.  In another small bowl, combine garlic, onion, and salt.  Brush the pretzels liberally with the egg wash, then sprinkle with spice mixture.  Bake 18-20 minutes until light golden brown.  Transfer pretzels to a wire rack to cool.

Last night I tried out another new recipe called Smoked Sausage Rotini Bake.  Cheesy goodness was all over this too.  Love my cheese.  Don't worry, easy recipe for all of my "I can eat whatever kind of sausage I want" friends.  It was definitely a challenge to find sausage that did not contain nitrates, nitrites, MSG, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, but I'm always up for a challenge!!  Thank the Lord for HyVee.  I love that store.  The employees are always super friendly and you can always find some poor high school kid stocking shelves to help you find some random item. :)  And they give you 10 cents off your bill when you bring in your own grocery bags.  Anyway, after scouring all of the ingredient lists in the sausages in the fresh meat section and frozen food section, I ventured over to the healthy food section.  I finally found smoked chicken sausage in the frozen health food aisle.  YAY!  Delicious, relatively healthy comfort food in the same dish.  Oh and I used that new cheese by Kraft that has a "Touch of Philadelphia" in it and boy was it tasty!  (On sale for $1.48 per 8 oz. bag at HyVee by the way.)  Here's the recipe.

Smoked Sausage Rotini Bake

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked dried rotini pasta
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package cooked smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 (14- to 15-oune) jar pizza sauce
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp melted butter 
• 4 ounces (1 cup) Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (Iused Touch of Philadelphia cheese)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions using the minimum amount of time.  Drain; set aside.

Combine all ingredients except cheese in greased 8.5 x 11 casserole dish.  Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Continue baking, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until mixture is heated through and cheese is melted.

Stuffed Chicken with Pink Poppy Blooms

It's gorgeous out!  What an amazing week for a break!  I have been keeping busy crocheting, reading, enjoying the outdoors, working in the yard, planting seeds, pilates, yoga, hiking, biking , shopping, and cooking some new recipes.  Last night we had my mom over for dinner and I combined two recipes I found online.  They both involve stuffing chicken with cheese and goodies.  You can't go wrong with that.  Because my hubby is a meat lover, I stuffed his chicken with pepperoni and swiss.  My mom and I love broccoli so I stuffed ours with swiss and broccoli.  You could get creative here and pretty much stuff these guys with any meat, veggie or cheese you want.



This is the broccoli and swiss one.  It's not the greatest picture, but you get the general idea.

 Here's what I did:

Laura's Stuffed Chicken Goodness

3 chicken breasts (cut each into 3 pieces and pound into thin cutlets)
1 egg
2 tsp water
1/2 c. bread crumbs ( I used Panko)
1 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the egg and water together in a small bowl.  Mix bread crumbs and spices in another small bowl.  Place 1/2 slice of cheese and 3 pepperoni slices or 4 small broccoli cuts on each cutlet.  Roll up and secure with toothpicks.  Dip your stuffed cutlets into the egg wash one at a time and then roll in crumb/spice mixture.  Transfer onto sprayed baking sheet.  When finished dipping all cutlets, bake for 25-30 minutes.

Today I decided to bust out the paints.  I have been seeing a lot of flowers popping out of the ground in our backyard and poppies are a popular flower in paintings so I created my own version.  I used my red acrylic paint for the blooms, but I was too impatient to let the white background dry completely, so the petals have a pink stain to them.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.  Does anybody have a room it would match?  Maybe a little girl's room?  Let me know if you are interested or know someone who might be.

Migraine Update!

January :4
February: 4
March: 12
April: 0

I haven't reintroduced anything this month since March was completely out of hand.  It's interesting that I haven't had a migraine since I've been on Spring Break.  Hmmm....possibly stress related??  Just might be.  No matter what the reason, I'm thankful.

So to recap...here's what I've changed about my eating since the beginning of 2012...

No sugars (nothing that ends with an "ose" ) or sweeteners unless it's in fruits or honey. 
No nuts. (I think I have a food intolerance to them).
No nitrites or nitrates (found in deli meats, bacon, sausage).
No MSG.
Red meats sparingly (1 to 2 times/month).
Preservatives sparingly (trying for less than 5 ingredients in foods).
No alcohol.

I'm getting a saliva test at the beginning of May, which is supposed to test my hormone and cortisol levels.  It's not covered by insurance, but I think it will be worth it to know if hormones are an issue.  We'll see!!

Happy Easter ya'll.  Enjoy the bunnies, eggs and family dinners, but remember the real reason we celebrate.  Jesus is risen and has paid the penalty for our sins so we could have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him.  Praise God for this amazing thing he did for all humanity.

Cozy Homemade Mac 'n Cheese

It's been a great week :)  I won't lie, while it has been really stressful, but I can't help but think about the truth.  I am so blessed.  The issues I had this week were so paltry compared to the struggles of so many. 

Yeah I have a cold and have had a couple of migraines but Jesus loves me, I'm still healthy, been blessed with a rewarding job, a cozy house to come home to, a supportive husband, caring family and loving friends.  I think I'm going to try really hard to start waking up everyday in prayer thanking God for 5 specific things instead of groaning and smacking the snooze.  I tend to get caught up in the negative so easily and eventually all that focusing on the negative becomes a habit. 

Instead, I want to get caught up in thinking about all the blessings in my life.  Here we go... 

So tonight I am definitely thankful for my family recipe for cozy homemade macaroni & cheese. 

Comfort food to the extreme.  Oh yeah. 

Looks like quite a bit of work, right? Nah.  It's easy. Really easy.

No secrets.

Boil shells for half the regular cooking time.  Strain.  Return to pan on medium flame.  Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk.  Add 7 kraft singles.  Add 2 tbsp. butter.  Bring to a boil stirring frequently.  Salt/pepper to taste.

DONE and YUM!

The Great Migraine Battle:

January: 4

February: 4

March: 4

Prior to sugar free: 8-10 migraines per month so I've avoided at least 10 migraines since the beginning of the year.

Sugar free: 69 days

Pounds lost: 16

Gonna keep on keeping on and I think it's about time to invest in some new pants! :)

Lemon Pepper Salmon & Stuffed Peppers

Tonight I made two anti-inflammatory meals in tandem!  Was a little stressful, but glad I did it.  I was really craving some sugar during the few minutes of stress, but thanks to my amazing enourager of a husband it was all good. 

So here's what went down in my kitchen tonight...I made salmon for dinner with Tom's parents and now we have 3 lunches for the rest of this week.  Sweet!

Recipe #1 Dinner: Lemon Pepper Salmon

Season 2 salmon filets with lemon pepper and olive oil.  Bake at 425 for 14 minutes.
Cook 1 c. brown rice while salmon is baking.

Drizzle baked fish and rice with squeeze of lemon.
Serve with veggie of your choice...I like asparagus or a spinach salad.


Yumm!!

Recipe #2-Lunch for tomorrow: Stuffed Turkey Peppers
(This is a variation of my mom's stuffed peppers-she makes them perfectly!)

3 green or red peppers
3/4 lb. ground turkey
1 c. brown rice
2 tsp. Worchesershire Sauce
1 can low sodium tomato soup
dash of pepper
dash of salt

De-stem peppers and take out seeds.
Boil peppers in salt water for 5 minutes.
Cook brown rice while peppers are boiling.
Brown turkey and strain fat.
Place peppers in greased 8x8 pan.

Mix browned turkey, cooked rice, tomato soup, Worchestershire, pepper, salt together and stuff into peppers.

Bake for 25 min. at 350.

Top with your favorite cheese and enjoy!



Delish!