Water Water Water!!

Good Morning, Friends!  I am pleasantly surprised to announce that I am at a new low for my weight this morning!  And I owe it all to WATER!  To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to weighing myself this morning.  While I ate good meals yesterday (roasted green pepper and tomato egg casserole, fish and "chips", and pulled BBQ chicken sandwich) I also snacked (several cups of coffee with creamer, leftover Chinese food, cheese curls, and chips).  I was afraid the snacks were going to outweigh my good habits and my weight was going to be up this morning, that's what I'd prepared myself for.  But what I failed to mention about my day, was that I drank A LOT of water!  Each day I aim for 5-16 oz glasses of water.  When I first read the rule of half your body weight in ounces of water I weighed 160 lbs, so I needed 80 oz each day.  As my weight had gone down I've kept that goal, knowing if I fall a little short I could still hit my actual goal.  Yesterday I weighed 142.8, so I technically needed about 72 ounces.  I ended up drinking 112 ounces!  Needless to say, I was peeing constantly.  Especially because I had the first 48 oz down before 8:30am!  So despite the fact that I didn't feel like I made the best food choices yesterday, I drank plenty of water and it seemed to make up for it!  This morning I was at 141.6, a full 1.2 lbs down from yesterday and 0.8 down from my low this month!  I'm pretty excited!  I still have 11.6 lbs to go and only 6 short weeks to get it done before my 30th birthday, but I'm continuing to go down and I'm keeping a good pace, so even if I don't make it for my birthday, I'm proud of the progress I've made and am sure it won't be long after my birthday that I hit that ever elusive 130 lbs.  ;)  Oh yeah, and if you didn't guess already, I'm drinking lots of water today too!  Let's put this water theory to the test!  ;)  It's currently 7:43am and I've already drank 32 ounces and have refilled cup #3.  :)  One day at a time, I'm going to get these stubborn fall, winter, and holiday pounds back off!  And well before swimsuit season!!  :D  Have a great day, Friends!  I have lots more recipes and updates on life to post, get ready for another busy blog day!

Zoodle Chicken Lo Mein

Yum!  Zoodles are so fun and tasty!  The kids ate them just like noodles.  Be aware that they release a lot of liquid when cooking, so keep your sauce thick and the liquid from the zoodles will thin it.  I liked this recipe a lot.  Michael enjoyed it as well add he does most Chinese esque recipes.  The kids enjoyed it too!  Tasty!

Zoodle Chicken Lo Mein

Skinny French Onion Soup

I messed up when making this recipe.  It called for a teaspoon of sugar or other sweetener.  I used a teaspoon of Stevia, it sweetens a lot more than regular sugar.  It ended up making my soup sweet, which was weird when I was expecting savory.  :\  I'll have to try again.  I may omit the sugar all together.  Liked good, tasted weird.  If you made it correctly I'm sure it would be good.  I'll let you know next time I try.

Skinny French Onion Soup

Valentine's Day Dinner

Michael and I decided not to eat out in the month of February for our health and finance goal.  That meant Valentine's Day dinner would be at home this year.  I didn't want Valentine's Day ruining our diets, so I made healthy recipes.  I also didn't want it breaking the budget, so I worked with what I had on hand.  Our steaks were compliments of my in-laws who gave us a big assortment of Omaha steak products for Christmas.  Our baked potatoes were from that same gift (and we're nice because I didn't have to do anything, although they weren't as great as I would have liked, tasted a little freezery).  I had Brussel Sprouts in the fridge already so I made Brussel Sprouts Gratin for our veggie side.  They were delicious!  As if the steak weren't fancy enough, I wanted shrimp too.  ;)  So I made Healthy Shrimp Scampi.  It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.  But it was still ok.  I also tried making a dessert, but it didn't work out.  :\  Can't win them all.  Overall, it was a nice dinner and a great night with my favorite guy!

Fish and "Chips"

I made this recipe for Michael and I on Saturday.  I didn't have fresh fish from the farm, so I got some frozen Tilapia at the store.  It worked well enough, but fresh bass from the farm is better.  Michael wasn't crazy about this recipe.  I liked it.  He didn't like the parsnip "fries".  He expected potato fries and parsnips taste kinda weird.  Next time I try this recipe I'll make it with farm fresh fish and I'll make my DELICIOUS sweet potato fries.  :)  Not giving up on this recipe yet!  Also, the homemade Tartar Sauce was great, Michael and I both agreed on that one.  :)

Fish and "Chips"

Bang Bang Cauliflower

Oh my goodness!  This recipe was so good!  Michael and I ate an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting because of this recipe!  The sauce was awesome and perfect!  It was a lot of work breading the cauliflower, but worth it in the end!  The recipe says to use half the head of cauliflower, but the egg and breading mixture EASILY coated an entire head of cauliflower.  So yummy!  If you're trying to substitute cauliflower into more recipes and enjoy Chinese food, you'll like this recipe!

Bang Bang Cauliflower

One Sheet Parmesean Pork Chops, Potatoes, and Asparagus

I love one pot meals, but this was my first attempt at a one pan meal.  All your veggies and meat are on the same cookie sheet baking together.  This recipe was great!  Unfortunately, I failed to take a picture of it.  We had it Saturday with Sis and Adam when they came over to watch Fences and La La Land (Oscar nominated beat pictures, both stunk in our opinions).  Everyone cleaned their plates!!  Delish!  You know it's good when I have two picky eaters and one sensitive stomach and everyone cleaned their plates!  Plus, Michael doesn't like pork, but said he really liked this recipe!  Win again!

Parmesean Crusted Pork Chops, Asparagus, and Potatoes

Breakfast Tacos

They're like a breakfast burrito with a little more added to them!  Refried beans, eggs, potatoes, bacon, and cheese.  I'd serve with salsa on the side so your Tortillas don't get soggy with your leftovers.  :)  Good hearty meal that will leave you filled.  Plus, the recipe makes 8 servings!  So you get a couple mornings of cooking off.  ;)  Score!

Breakfast Tacos

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Egg Casserole

This is much like a Frittata, but it's in a rectangular dish instead.  Veggies, cheese, and spices with egg poured over it all.  Yum!  These also reheat really well!  Loved this recipe!  Got the kids to eat their veggies!  Woot!

Roasted Green Pepper and Tomato Egg Casserole

Shakes!

We've been making shakes a couple times a week.  They're quick and easy and the kids think they're dessert.  :P  I have Sweet Cream flavored Body By Vi powder and Chocolate Royale flavored Slim Fast powder.  We've enjoyed all the recipes we've tried so far!  I find my recipes on Pinterest.  They are technically Shakeology recipes, but it's too expensive and I already have stuff to use up.  ;)  I won't post links for this one because the recipes are in the pictures.  We tried Birthday Cake, Apple Pie, and Cookies and Cream!  Yum!  I reduced the apple to 1/2 apple in the apple pie recipe, but it still felt like too much.  I think 1/4 would be better.  Otherwise, they were all awesome!  The kids loved the birthday cake because it had sprinkles on top.  ;)  It should be easy to have a shake or smoothie a day in July with all these great recipes!  Enjoy!

Hey Jen! Where you been?!?

Hey guys!  Sorry I've been AWOL lately.  I've been making new recipes and taking pictures, but I haven't been posting stuff.  My apologies.  Also, last week was kind of crummy for me emotionally.  I felt like I wasn't getting out and every day was another chore and the same cleaning over and over and I just got sick of it.  So instead of cleaning I basically shut down and pouted for a week.  Not my finest moment, but it's the truth.  I'm an extrovert working an introvert job and it drains me not getting out except for our obligations.  Long story short, I talked to Michael about how I was feeling and he's making an effort to help change the way I'm feeling.  We went out and did some shopping for our vacation this weekend and he has helped pick up the house before bed so when I wake up in the morning it's clean and my day starts well.  I'm feeling better now (after 2 days out shopping).  Even with the kids, getting out for a few hours a couple days know a row was exactly what I needed.  So get ready!  I'm going to flood you with new recipes today!  There won't be as big of a description for each one since I've got so many to catch up on, but I hope you'll try some!  :)  Enjoy! 

Twix Shake!!!

Pinterest is loaded with shake and smoothie recipes.  One of the big diet fads right now is called Shakeology.  It's a nutritional supplement meal replacement shake powder.  I haven't done Shakeology before,  but I have done BodyByVi, which is similar, as well as SlimFast shakes, which have been around for some time.  This recipe for a Twix Shake caked for 1/2 scoop vanilla Shakeology powder and 1/2 scoop chocolate powder.  These powders can be pretty pricey, so I improvised.  I already had some leftover BodyByVi powder in the Sweet Cream flavor, so I used that for my vanilla powder, and I bought a canister of Chocolate Royale SlimFast powder for $6 to use as my chocolate mix (and I have plenty for my next chocolaty shake too)!  I normally don't add ice to my shakes and smoothies, but liked it in this one.  The recipe called for water but I used Almond Milk for Michael and I, and skim milk for the kids.  I even bought Caramel Extract!  This recipe was a big hit!  Avery said we could have it every day!  Win!  4 thumbs up!  Yum!

GameDay Snacks! Part 4: Salsa!

Not much to say here...  Sis turned her nose up at a lot of my healthy snack ideas, so I offered salsa, guac, and chips.  I brought the guac, I'm not ready to try making it on my own yet, and Wal-Mart has a really yummy one with no cilantro, so I took the easy route there.  My salsa is nothing special.  Grandma told me she just throws things in until it tastes right, so I do too.  1 green pepper, 1 onion, 6 tomatoes, 2 Jalepenos, salt, and garlic powder.  Some of it I chopped, some I put in the food processor because I like my salsa runnier.  And the tortilla chips were $1/bag at Aldi's.  :)  Pretty easy snack.  The salsa is plenty healthy, the chips not so much.  Oh well!  Can't have all healthy food for the Superbowl, right?  Wishing you all the best of luck on your food choices this weekend!  Love you all!  I'm out of the kitchen for the night!  Might be back later to talk about my first LuLaRoe Party, or maybe later.  Either way, have an awesome night!

GameDay Snacks! Part 3: Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

I know to what you're thinking....  Those don't sound real healthy, Jen.  And you're right, they don't sound healthy.  But when I tell you about the secret ingredient and the substitutions, you may change your mind!  ;)  I have been reading healthy eating blogs and websites for over a year and a half now.  I have seen a lot of different recipes and healthy trends and substitutions.  I have tries some and found I really enjoy several!  I love cauliflower crust pizza!  I think zoodles are an amazing alternative to pasta.  I'm still warming up to spaghetti squash, but I think I'll get there.  Whole wheat pasta doesn't give me a second thought anymore.  White bread tastes weird and dense now, and Stevia keeps my baked goods sweet but significantly lowers the calories.  One thing I hadn't tried until today was Black Bean Brownies.  You read that right.  Black Beans.  Like Thunder Cake (a story I read in First grade with a secret ingredient, tomatoes, in chocolate cake, the brownies I'm serving tomorrow have a secret.  I haven't told Sis and Adam, and I don't think they frequent my blog, so I think the secret is safe.  My Brownies have no flour and no sugar.  They have black beans, cocoa powder, oats, sugar free maple syrup, agave nectar, chocolate chips, and peanut butter (and a handful of other little things).  I know, they sound totally weird.  But, having tried the batter before they cooked, I have to say,  I think they're going to be pretty tasty!  Sis and Adam will be the real test.  I'll let you know how they go over.  ;)

GameDay Snacks! Part 2: Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn

Ok, so this snack wasn't actually planned.  After I made the strawberries I had chocolate left over.  I don't know about you, but I LOVE chocolate drizzled popcorn!  I mostly see it around Christmas time, but it is so incredibly easy to make, and since I had the chocolate melted anyway, I decided this would be a delightful, (somewhat) healthy addition to our GameDay Snacks!  Michael made me a big batch of popcorn in his Whirly Pop, I laid out wax paper, he dumped the popcorn on, and I spooned on milk and white chocolate!  Yum!  I even dipped a few individual pieces of popcorn in the chocolate for an extra treat!  I bet my kids will end up looking for those pieces and eating them first like they do Marshmallows in Lucky Charms.  :P

GameDay Snacks! Part 1: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I asked Sis what we should bring for the Superbowl.  She invited us over to watch the game and we didn't have any other plans, so that's where we're headed.  She told me I could bring some snacks, so the first thing I did was get on Pinterest.  I searched for Healthy Superbowl Snacks and was rewarded with tons of ideas.  I sent several to Sis who rolled her eyes at me over the Internet at my healthy choices.  Oh well.  I have a goal, I'm working towards it, and I'm not letting the Superbowl get in my way.  I lost ground going to Minnesota and not being careful with my calories.  I'd rather not lose ground like that again.  I will not let the Superbowl defeat me!  Anyway... I settled on 3 different snacks.  The first one is chocolate covered strawberries.  If you haven't had them before, they are absolutely delicious!  I'm hoping they'll quiet my sweet tooth for the duration of the game and keep me from over indulging too much.  I even melted some white chocolate and added laces to them to look like footballs.  Hoping Sis enjoys the whimsy and doesn't roll her eyes at me in person.  ;)

Copycat Chick-fil-A Sandwich

Yum!  No, it doesn't taste exactly like actual Chick-fil-A, but it is good and flavorful!  Michael and I give this recipe 4 thumbs up!  :D

Walmart Grocery Pick-up

Having 4 kids five days a week and 2 kids two days a week makes grocery shopping a challenge.  I don't usually take the kids by myself because wrangling all of them takes most of my brain power and I tend to forget things I'm supposed to get.  Not to mention taking all 4 is virtually impossible for me.  Most of the time Michael and I do our grocery shopping in the evenings.  Tuesday and Friday nights are free, then the weekend is wide open with the exception of church, if we don't have ANYTHING extra on our calendar that week.  Needless to say, it's a chore I don't enjoy much anymore.  But Walmart is helping me out in the grocery department!  They have this awesome grocery pick-up system!  I order my groceries online, reserve a time to pick them up (the next day or a day or two away), then just drive up and someone loads them in my car!  How cool is that?!?  Of course, I'm cheap, so I still punish myself with a trip to Aldi's each week, but being able to cut out my weekly Walmart trip is great!  Today I dropped Dayton off for school, told the Wal-Mart grocery pick-up app I was on my way, and drove to the store.  Within a couple minutes the app noted I had arrived (gps) and told me my groceries would be delivered shortly.  Then, a nice young man wheeled them outside, I signed, he loaded them up, and I was good to go.  Never had to get the 3 munchkins out of the car and I was back home by 9:05am.  That, my friends, is a win!  They even gave me a goodie bag with samples!  Awesome!  It doesn't work for things you need right away, but if you've got a day to spare, it's a dream!  I will definitely be using this convenience more in the future!  I hear Dillons is doing the same thing these days, but they are too expensive for me.  However, when they do run good sales, I may have to use their grocery pick-up service as well, then making a trip to another store won't be quite so bad.  ;)  Anyway, hope you had a good Friday and that you have a great weekend!  Enjoy the Superbowl!  I'm making some healthy snacks for Sis' house (Shh!  Don't tell, they're healthy!).  I'll share the recipes later this weekend!  :)

Applesauce Muffins!

Hey Friends!  I made muffins today because they are great for breakfast and one batch will feed us for a couple of days (so I can sleep in).  The picture looked good on Pinterest so I tried them.  Another thing I love about muffins is that I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.  These Applesauce Muffins are just delicious!  I used Stevia instead of sugar and they turned out scrumptious!  The kids each got one as a treat for finishing their lunch!  (Shh!  Don't tell them they're healthy!)  I really like the craisens in this recipe, they are a nice touch to an already great muffin.  Avery and I enjoyed our muffins hot out of the oven with some butter on them.  But Dayton and Connor just ate them plain.  They were all gobbled up, either way!  If you're looking to do some baking this weekend, give them a try!  I doubt you'll be disappointed!

Even Better Turkey Chili

Major headache going on, so I'll be short, sweet, and to the point.  I have a Chicken Chili recipe I love.  It makes me want to eat chili and I am not generally a chili eater.  I like this recipe and have won (or tied for winning) Michael's work chili cook-off two years in a row with this recipe.  We'll I found a new one today and I like it better.  This one actually calls for ground turkey instead of chicken, isn't as spicy, has 2 different kinds of beans, and (I thought) has a faint sweetness.  Michael and I both really liked it.  So try this new Healthy Turkey Chili recipe sometime.  Or try the one that was my reigning favorite until tonight, the Spicy Chicken Chili.  Both are great!  Can't go wrong.  Goodnight.