Update Post, Grilled Cheese Dunkers with Tomato Soup, Cardio, Banana Bites.

*Quick Updates*

1. I'm falling behind in blogging I know. 
2. My Biology class and lab is stressful, but I know I'll get through it.  
3. My Aunt (Mom's Sister) just found out she has cancer, possible stage 4. We'll know all the details tomorrow after their appointment with the oncologist. I'm guessing we'll get a good idea of what is going to happen and possibly how long she has to live. Its really hurting my whole family, we could use a little prayer or two.
4.  I've been at my mom's house, upstate, for a week. I just got back yesterday. 
5.  Weight loss has been going good, except when I was at my mom's house. I probably gained a little bit. Travis and I had an agreement that when I get back home we are going to change the boy's bedtime to 8 at night instead of 9, so that we can work out together. (We have work out gear in our shed outside.) 
6. I've decided not to weigh myself religiously anymore. It isn't about weight to me anymore but about being healthy. And getting to a point to where I feel good (and look good). In other word as long as I feel as if I look good then I'll be okay. 

So I'll leave you with a few fun things. 

A little something, something to get your blood pumping!

These are so amazingly awesome, freeze banana slices then add peanut butter.

Liam helping mommy make grilled cheese dunkers.

 Grilled Cheese Dunkers and Tomato Soup 

Tomato Soup Recipe (click here). 
Grilled Cheese Dunkers:
Slices of bread
Slices of Cheese 
1 tbsp Butter 

All you need to do is flatten the bread with a rolling pin, add a slice of cheese, then roll it up. Repeat! Add to a pan with melted butter and cook on each side until brown, and cheese has melted.

Note:
The number of slices depends on how many you want to make. You could also take the crusts off and they would most likely look prettier. But I love the crust on a grilled cheese.
 

Day 7

 

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with a Diced Gala Apple and extra Cinnamon on top

Lunch: Chicken and Zucchini Bake and 2 cups Sauteed Cabbage 

Snack: Granny Smith Apple Slices with 2 tbsp Creamy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter (I'm in an apple mood today.)

Dinner: 4 oz Salmon Fillet and 1 yellow Squash cooked in the pan with 1 slice of bacon, Mrs. Dash Original Blend Seasoning and Salt.

I came up with the Chicken and Zucchini Bake on a whim. (Recipe at the end of this post!) And I submitted to the Sparkpeople's Sparkrecipes. :)

Quick Work out for the night. I didn't feel like doing too much, but wanted to burn at least 100 calories. 

	Chicken and Zucchini Bake
	Ingredients 2 zucchinis, sliced length wise 2 banana peppers sliced 2 baby bell peppers 3 cooked chicken breast, diced 3 med tomatoes, and 4 plum tomatoes pureed in a food processor for sauce with 1tsp basil 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese Nutritional Info Fat: 3.1g Carbohydrates: 12.7g Calories:169.3 Protein: 23.6g Layer zucchini, chicken, peppers and sauce ending with sauce. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, then top with cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serving Size: Serves 4 Number of Servings: 4

Two-fer Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwhiches for Dinner, and a Buffalo Ranch Salad for Lunch.

I've talked about making buffalo chicken egg rolls, and buffalo chicken in wraps. But not buffalo ranch chicken on buns, followed by buffalo chicken salad. It's delicious, and easy! I usually make this for just Travis and I. Then I'll make the boys something different. I can't wait until the boys go in to the boy-guy-man phase of liking spicy things. When I make this for just Travis and I we usually have it for dinner and lunch the next day.

This is a slow cooker meal, so drag out your crock pot.
Ingredients for Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup Frank's Buffalo Sauce
1 dry package hidden valley ranch mix
1/2 cup of water

Mix everything together, and cook on lo for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with fork and serve on toasted buns with a little ranch dressing on top.

Salad ingredients:
1 cup romaine chopped
1 celery stick shredded
1 carrot stick shredded 
1 summer squash shredded
1 small tomato diced
2 tbsp shredded cheese
1/2 cup shredded buffalo chicken mixture
Light Ranch dressing 

Day 6

 

Breakfast: Voskos Wild Strawberry Greek Yogurt with 5 medium sized strawberries sliced and mixed in. 

Lunch: Chicken Salad (Containing- Romaine, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, zesty Italian dressing, and a baked chicken breast. )

Dinner: Summer Fajitas (recipe follows below) 

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Tonight I was making tacos, and as I'm browning the meat...I'm feeling really grossed out by it. Sometimes I'm very anti-red meat. Plus I wanted to have some leftover meat so that Travis could have Tacos for lunch tomorrow at work. So, I thought to myself no problem I'll just make myself some chicken fajitas with my leftover chicken...except I didn't have any peppers. Then, I was like...who needs chicken? Or peppers? With all the squash and zucchini I have from the Summer crop this makes an easy simple meal. I'm always trying to come up with new ways to use my squash and zucchini. I love it sauteed as a side, but sometimes that gets boring and old. If you're like me, and you have so many tomatoes, squash, and zucchini either from relatives or your garden..(mine are from my relatives). This is an awesome recipe to use some of your Summer veggies. 

I ended up not adding my chicken to this because I checked out  my tortillas, then my veggies and realized nothing else was going to fit in them! But this would be delicious with chicken, or shrimp!

Summer Fajitas 

Serves Two. 

Ingredients:
1 cup diced squash
1 cup diced zucchini
1 yellow onion sliced
1 small tomato sliced
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chili poweder
1/2 tsp cumin 
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp light sour cream
2 flour tortillas (100 cals each or less)

 

Directions: Heat olive oil over medium heat, prepare your veggies while your pan heats up. Swirl the oil around in the pan, then add your veggies to the hot oil. Mix your veggies around with a spatula to coat with oil, then stir in seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until veggies have softened.  Add 1 tbsp of sour cream to each tortilla and top each tortilla with an even amount of veggies. Enjoy.

I like to look through magazine for recipes, workouts, house plans, garden plans, things to do with the kids, or for the kids. Here is an awesome work out I got from Redbook Magazine for your booty. I have a paper copy in a folder BUT I looked on the internet and found it for any readers I may have. Also for my own keeping. :)

Redbook's 15 Minute Best Booty Workout!!!

For Instructions Click Here! 

Day 5

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Belgian Waffle topped with frozen bananas blended in the food processor.

Lunch: Caesar Salad with chopped tomatoes, black olives, Parmesan cheese, and mixed deluxe nuts. 

Dinner: Sautéed Cabbage with Zucchini Cakes.


Just bleeeeeeh on today. We lost a goose , Winifred. So I'm a little sad about it. I would've cried though had it been my Alfred, he's my favorite out of our geese.

Also I keep trying to upload my recipe for homemade tomato sauce, and it isn't working. Promise to get that up soon though!

Day4

Breakfast: zucchini hash browns (recipe coming as soon as I perfect them)

Lunch: squash sliced thinly to act as noodles (sautéed) with one large tomato I put through my new food processor with oregano, basil, garlic, pepper , and red pepper flakes . Sprinkled with Parmesan.

Dinner: 1 slice of sausage pie, and a side salad.

Plus taste tests of waffles and waffle batter lol

I pretty much ate veggies all day so that I could have a slice of sausage pie for dinner. :) Not complaining!

For my sausage pie recipe click here! 

Pizza Stuffed Squash Gourd

They look a little beat up from my fridge but you get the point. Set them out in this position.

Cut a Hole in the Bottom. Then Nuke in microwave for 5 minutes.

Cut up pepperonis with kitchen scissors

Add a spoon full of tomato sauce.

Then some pepperonis.

Then some cheese, but use a spoon to stuff everything inside further down.

Nuke in Microwave 1-2 more minutes.

Eat up!!

Serve with a cucumber salad, just a little bit of olive oil, a little bit of red wine vinegar, and pepper.

Cheesy Baked Green Tomatoes with Sweet Onion Dip

Pre-baked

Cheesy Baked Green Tomatoes 

Ingredients:
4 green tomatoes, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs or panko
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Shredded Cheese
Cooking spray

Directions: Sprinkle your tomato slices with salt and pepper. Dredge them in the beaten egg then coat evenly with bread crumbs.  Place on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake on bottom rack at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn over, top with a pinch of shredded cheese then bake on the top rack for 10 minutes.

Sweet Onion Dip

 Ingredients:
1 medium-large sweet onion
1 tablespoon butter
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2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
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1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
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1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt or light olive oil based mayo

in the blender

Directions: Begin by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium pan on medium heat. Add the sliced onion and begin caramelizing them.  Once softened add them in to a blender or food processor with the honey, cider vinegar, and mustard. Puree then pour in to a smaller bowl, mix in the remaining ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator then serve! :) This dip is awesome on everything!

Happy Friday!

I feel as if I haven't blogged in forever. I know it has been awhile. I'd like to say I've been busy, but that isn't very true. haha We have the boys back, so maybe its just me trying to get use to a routine again.

My little brother GRADUATED high school. I'm so proud of him. He has a Life Scholarship and got in to a certain program at USC. I really don't think that there are words to describe how proud EVERYONE is of him.

I am a FUR-Baby grandma. :) *Kitty's Birth Story* Last Friday before we left to go to my brother's graduation upstate she was bleeding a little. I assumed that she was going in to labor and figured she would have the kittens when we were gone, even though I felt like it was too soon. She wasn't very big at all. But no kittens, until a few days later. We were all in our living room, kitchen, dining room area after dinner, this is the room we have our black couch that folds out in to a bed. During the bath-time bed-time madness it is dark in that room and she blended in to the couch. So while I was walking in and out of that area I didn't see her at all. After I got the boys to bed I thought to myself, "Hmmm where is the cat?" Mainly because every night I have to bring her in to our den area which has a door that closes it off from the rest of the house, otherwise she will go in to Blake's room in the morning or in the middle of the night and bother him. I turn on the light and notice she's halfway under the blanket I keep on the couch. It is still pretty dim in that room even with the light on. I reach down to grab her and notice it's wet. At first I think, dernit Liam must've peed on the couch. Then I noticed something wriggling, almost have a heart attack. And then I grab a flash light to look closer. Yep, one little all black kitten. I moved them in to a safer place ans cleaned the couch up. At least it is a black couch, no stains. Last night she seemed to think the safe place isn't safe anymore and now keeps moving her baby around..but there are only so many spots in our small house she can move the little guy/gal..whatever it is.

I've been pretty down this week and I think because it has been both hot and wet. I can't go for a run outside because it is so wet, and the treadmill in Travis's shed is just so depressing. It's hot and gross in there. I'm really  hoping I can talk him in to moving it in to the house. I'm thinking I'll run around that house on the days Travis works and I can't really leave and run down the road. On the days he doesn't have to work I may ride my mountain bike because that KILLS my arms, especially my triceps...which is what I want to be killed. I'm just in a serious rut and I need to dig myself out.

In other news, summer veggies are coming in from Papa's garden. I'm going to start calling him Papa Claus..most morning I wake up to him bringing us grocery bags of squash, cucumbers, potatoes, and green beans...today he brought that plus some green tomatoes. He told me I could sit them on the windowsill and they would turn....yeah maybe one or two will get there, I LOVE ME SOME FAUX FRIED GREEN TOMATOES and last year I created the BEST recipe using panko and cheese. I've been dying to try an onion dip..I think I will make that as well. Needless to say, you know what I'm having for lunch today! :)

I'll try to come back tonight with some recipes and a picture of the kitty!

Leg Workout and an Easy Dinner

This is an amazing leg work out combo that I've put together. Prepare to be sore!

 

Heinz 57 Chicken with Smashed Reds and Green Beans

 And this is something really quick and easy I put together on lazy nights that I don't feel like putting much effort in to dinner. This chicken is versatile enough you can grill it, bake it, or slow cook it in the crock pot. I use baby reds because I actually like eating the skins on those.

Chicken: 
1bottle of Heinz 57 sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper, place chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with heinz sauce, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. Or grill or slow cooker on Lo 6-8 hours. :)

Smashed Red Potatoes: 
Baby Red Potatoes  
Shredded Cheese
Bacon Bits

The quantity depends on your family. Cover the bottom of a medium to large glass baking dish with just enough water to cover the bottom. Add baby reds whole in to the glass baking dish, and bake until they are soft along with your chicken. Smash all the potatoes while they are still in the glass baking dish and leave them as is. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with extra light olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese, real bacon bits, and green onions.

Easy Salmon Caesar Salad

I think my favorite thing about Caesar salad is that it doesn't take much work to whip together. It doesn't really require a lot of chopped vegetables, so it's quick and easy.

I've been on such a kick lately and the thing that has really been taking my salads over the edge is sprinkling them with creole or Cajun seasoning. This salad is Delish!


1 skinless salmon fillet
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2-4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
2-4 tablespoons Ken's Lite Creamy Caesar dressing
1-2 teaspoon creole or Cajun seasoning

Sweet Sloppy Joe Sauce with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

This recipe is SOOOO simple, and my husband went CRAZY for this cornbread.

First, make my homemade sloppy joes (click here for the recipe)!

Just use a sweet onion and a sweet bell pepper.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread box mix
2 eggs and milk for the mix
2-3 tablespoons of diced jalapenos
2 cups of shredded cheddar

Prepare the cornbread according to the box directions and add in the jalapenos and cheddar. Grease a large pan and bake according to the box directions.