WoW - Week 1

I've decided to join the Regina & the group by participating in Weight on Wednesday's. If you'd like to know more about it, check it out here.

The Coach and I both need to lose weight so began a 'low-carb lifestyle' last week. The first few days were AWFUL for me. I have such an addiction to sugar, caffeine & carbohydrates that I was in a definite detox for 2 or 3 days. I had headaches and cravings and felt a little sluggish. It was not fun! But I must say that I'm feeling great today (Day 6). The weight is coming off and I'm feeling good.

Goals for Week 2 -
:: stay away from sugar!
:: 2 cup/day of leafy greens
:: walk 1 mile 3x/week

Weight loss for Week 1 - 8 lbs !! :)



ps - I just took our Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake out of the oven. This will be dessert for Friday's celebration of The Queenship of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Here's the recipe for any of you who are just dying to have it! :)

3 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup splenda or other artificial sweetner
2 pkgs cream cheese
2 eggs
10 mini SUGAR-FREE Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Mix egg whites & cream of tartar on high until very thick (this is important)...usually takes me 3 minutes or so. Add heavy cream and mix - again until very thick. Blend in sweetner and then add cream cheese. Mix on low speed until completely smooth. Last, add the 2 whole eggs and blend. (this will be the binder and will help to thin out the thick batter you've created)

Chop the peanut butter cups until the size you'd like to have them. Fold into the batter.

Spoon batter into a 9" PAM sprayed pie pan (or spring form pan if you have it). Bake 20-25 minutes until brown around the edges.

Cool for about 1 hour on the countertop then cool overnight in refrigerator. Yummmm.

Frugal Friday Tip

I am a member of our local Freecycle group and last summer a lady posted that she had a box of old gourmet cooking magazines. I love to be in the kitchen so I knew I could put those to good use. I was dreaming of all the fabulous recipes I'd be trying out in my new kitchen. I knew that I would tear out the 'good ones' and create a notebook of my new found favorites. What I didn't expect I'd receive was this...

Kitchen decor! The Cook's Country magazines have beautiful full-color photo's on the front. I cut out 6 of my favorites (trying to vary the colors utilized) and took myself to the nearest Dollar Tree. I found this burgundy wood frames and they happened to have 6! Bingo!

Now I have unique & colorful wall decor in my kitchen for a whoppin' $6!!

Check out more Frugal Friday tips at Biblical Womanhood.

Resurrection Cookies

Several years ago I found a recipe for "Resurrection Cookies" in an Easter issue of Faith & Family. I thought it was a fabulous idea and resolved to make them with the kids. Yea. Ok. So. Ummmm.... 2 years later, I'm REALLY making them on Saturday. I promise. Really. Even told the kids. (do you believe me??)

You will need:

1 cup whole nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc)
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt

1 cup sugar

a zipper baggy

1 wooden spoon

scotch tape

Bible

Instructions:

These are to be made the evening before Easter.

Preheat oven to 300F before you do anything else.

Place nuts in baggie and beat them with the wooden spoon until they are broken and in small pieces. Read JOHN 19:1-3 and talk about how Jesus was scourged (another word for beaten) by the soldiers.

Put one teaspoon of vinegar into the large mixing bowl. Read JOHN 19:28-30. Have children smell and taste the vinegar and explain that when Jesus was thirsty, the soldiers offered Him vinegar to drink.

Stir egg whites into the vinegar. Read JOHN 10:10-11. Discuss how eggs are a sign of life and explain how Jesus gave his life so that we could have brand new life.

Sprinkle a little salt into the bowl. Read LUKE 23:27. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers.

Now add 1 cup sugar. Read PSALM 34:8 and JOHN 3:16. Explain that Jesus' love for us sweetens the sorrow of His death. Mix on high speed until stiff peaks are formed (about 15 minutes). Read ISAIAH 1:18 and JOHN 3:1-3 and explain that the white peaks represent our souls when sins have been forgiven by Jesus.

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed-paper covered cookie sheet. Read MATTHEW 27:57-60 and talk about how each cookie represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was placed after his death.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and TURN OFF THE OVEN (this is very important). Give each person a piece of tape and seal the door to the oven. Read MATTHEW 27:65-66 and talk about the sealed tomb.

Read JOHN 16:20-22 and talk about the sadness Jesus' followers felt when they left Him in the tomb. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight.

On Easter morning, break the tape seals, open the oven and look at the cookies. Read MATTHEW 28:1-9. See how the cookies are cracked like the empty tomb. Have everyone take a bite of a cookie. Notice that they are hollow. Explain that on the first Easter, the women were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Give thanks for the gift of Jesus and the Resurrection!

Menu Planning

Stranger-Friends: "Two weeks in a row? What? "

Me: "I know. It seems a bit out of character. I'm doing something - dare I say it? - consistently."

Monday - Chicken & Rice w/Green Beans
Tuesday - Spicy Beans & cornbread
Wednesday -Chicken Quesdadillas
Thursday - BBQ Baked Potatoes
Friday - Homemade Pizza

Be sure you check out the other great menus at Org Junkie!

Makin' My Menu

I've not participated in Menu Plan Monday in quite a while. I'd love to say that it had nothing to do with the fact that I wasn't actually menu planning, but.....Here's to gettin' back on track!

Here's what The Coach & kiddos will be munching on this week.

MONDAY

Breakfast...Blueberry Pancakes

Dinner...Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce, salad & garlic bread sticks

TUESDAY

Breakfast...Banana Bread

Dinner...Hamburger Pinwheels, green beans & steamed carrots

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast...Oatmeal Muffins

Dinner...Red Beans & Rice and corn muffins

THURSDAY

Breakfast...French Toast

Dinner...Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, edamame & corn

FRIDAY

Breakfast...Cereal

Dinner...Homemade Pizza

Be sure to stop by I'm An Organizing Junkie for other great menus.

Making My Home A Haven

I've decided to join Crystal in one of her new year challenges. Mondays will be "Making My Home A Haven" day! Crystal will post a challenge each Monday intended to help us make our homes the haven we desire. An accountability system of sorts!

My day started by making my to-do list. I'm trying to keep it do-able. Lots of times I have grand plans for the day and it doesn't allow for any interruptions or down time. So in the spirit of simplicity I'm keeping it short.

Here's the coat closet before... (don't make fun!)

After spending a few minutes cleaning and organizing, I'm pleased with the clean result!

Yea! Off to item 2! I've been using the tortilla recipe at Hillbilly Housewife and my family loves it. When I make the batch I usually get about 2 dz tortillas so it's more than enough. We had a neighborhood mexican-themed potluck and I tried them out there. I came home with a empty bag so I assume they were well received (in addition to the fact that there were 3 pkgs of store-bought tortillas which did NOT get finished off) :-)

During the fall semester I really struggled to get up early and get everything done before 8am that is necessary around here. My biggest problem was procrastinating at night. I really should pre-prepare (is that a word? lol) breakfast and iron the night before, BUT it seems I never get it done. So now that The Coach is back to school I'm trying to do better. Ironing today what he will wear tomorrow should help me tremendously!

Veggie Boy decided he wanted to do my pilates video with me. I pulled out an extra band for him to use and we got set up in the spare room upstairs - plenty of space. He lasted 5 minutes! What a weenie! Oh well, maybe he'll stick it out a little longer today.

Alright, stranger-friends quit looking all my messy spaces and get out there and Make Your Home A Haven!

Be sure to check out the others participating over at Biblical Womanhood.

Last week was just crazy around here. We had plans every day and were even away from the house several days during school hours. We're are getting back on schedule tomorrow morning, though!

The Coach and I are enjoying the Cowboy game and Chocolate Shakes and I thought I'd post our menu for the week - be assured it will include another batch of these shakes!

Monday - Italian Chicken over Rice*

Tuesday - Cheeseburger Rolls

Wednesday - Fettuccine Alfredo

Thursday - Pizza

Friday - Baked Potatoes

Saturday - Burritos

Italian Chicken over Rice

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped

2 TBS EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

2 lg boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced (or sliced...your choice)

14.5 oz can of Italian style diced tomatoes w/basil & oregano

Parmesan cheese

Saute' first 2 ingredients in EVOO until soft; add chicken and cook until white on the outside. Add tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes on low; sprinkle cheese on top, cover and continue simmering another 5 minutes or so. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Stop by I'm An Organizing Junkie for more menu motivation!

Frugal Olive Garden Dinner

I don't know about you but I love going out to dinner. The prices, though, can be steep to feed the entire family. One of the kids favorite places is Olive Garden so I've come up with a few recipes to re-create the Olive Garden experience at a fraction of the price!

Pasta e Fagioli
1lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 sm (1cup) onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg (1cup) carrot, julienned
3 stalks (1cup) celery, diced
15oz can of tomato sauce

12oz can of V-8

2-14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
15 oz can kidney beans
15 oz can great northern beans (or navy beans)
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 pkg Datali pasta (or any other small tubular pasta), cooked and drained

Sweat onion, garlic, carrot and celery in large soup pot for 10 minutes. Add beef and simmer 3-5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients (EXCEPT PASTA) and simmer for 1 hour. During the last 10 minutes add cooked pasta.

Serve with garlic butter bread sticks (I buy a box of 6 or 8 at Wal-Mart for less than $2) and Caesar salad.

If that's not enough to satisfy you or if you're entertaining, try adding Spaghetti or Lasagna or Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.

Quick Alfredo Sauce (from my favorite...The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook)
1/2 cup butter (I wouldn't substitute margarine...hey, I didn't say this was the 'healthy' version)
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Cook butter and whipping cream over low heat until butter has melted. Add cheese and next 3 ingredients; add nutmeg if desired. Pour over pasta and toss well.

(one note - this sauce will separate as it cools; it is best eaten the same day it is made as in my experience it does not reheat well)

For more Frugal Friday tips head over to Biblical Womanhood!

Recipe Update

Last week I tried out a new recipe for Spicy Beans and they were GOOD. I had to separate out a couple of servings into a small crock pot for Veggie Boy and the kids enjoyed their version.

Here's the recipe...roughly anyway...I'm not very good about measuring stuff out.

One pound of pinto beans into the crock pot (with plenty of water) on high

Add jalapenos (I used half a jar of the nacho-style with juice)

Add a chopped onion

Add chili powder (maybe a tablespoon?)

Add salt & pepper to taste

Add a splash or two (or three) of Worcestershire sauce

Brown one pound (more or less) of ground beef and drain. Add to beans.

Add any other meat you'd like :-)...you could add in ground sausage or smoked sausage...I added about 7 strips of raw center-cut bacon (I cut them into bite size pieces)

Cook on high for 6+ hours - the longer the better

Top with grated cheese and serve with cornbread (and sweet tea, of course!)

Happy Eating!

Okay. I know I've been away from the blogshere for a while, but keeping with up daily life and a blog can sometimes get a little hairy. I truly enjoy writing my thoughts and sharing the on-goings of our life, but sometimes I need to just direct my attention elsewhere. Thanks for sticking around!

This week's menu will be pretty normal. I am trying to add a new recipe each week, so I'll let you know how they turn out.

MONDAY - Spicy Beans (*New Recipe*), Rice (for the kids), Cornbread

TUESDAY - Ritzy Chicken & Fresh Spinach

WEDNESDAY - Pasta (this is a busy afternoon/evening full of dance so we eat a light dinner between classes)

THURSDAY - Southwest Chicken (Crock-Pot) over rice or in a tortilla

FRIDAY - Dinner at the Fieldhouse...The Coach's game is Saturday night, so he is hosting "Dinner & A Movie" for the players on Friday night (he likes to know where they are...you know, "It's 10pm...do you know where you're football team is?" He will.)

Be sure to check out the other menu's at I'm An Organizing Junkie!