Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap

Hey Guys!  So lunch today was delicious as well!  I live wraps, sandwiches, soups  and salads for lunch because I can make them ahead of time, wrap them up, and have them waiting in the fridge for Michael the next day when he goes to work.  It also ensures that his meals can stay in the fridge all day and maintain (most of) their structural integrity until lunch time comes around and he gets a chance to eat it.  This recipe said it made 6 wraps  but it ended up being 7, so for us the nutrition information won't be perfect, but since we don't count calories exactly, it shouldn't be any big deal.

Michael and I both gave this recipe 2 stars, for a total of 4!  Another winning recipe!  The picture isn't much to look at since it's all wrapped up already.  I forgot to snap pictures along the way while I was assembling them.  My apologies.  I didn't use as much dressing as the recipe called for.  It said 1/2 cup dressing, I used closer to 1/4 cup.  Because it was sopping wet with dressing, the tortilla stayed in tact and didn't get wet down and fall apart.  I liked that!  More veggies would be great in this mixture, but I stuck to the recipe for now.  ;)  If you want an easy and delicious lunch recipe, this one is a winner!

Banana Berry Smoothie Bowl

Good morning, Friends and family!  Boy, do I have a breakfast for you today!  So, I was on Pinterest looking for new recipes last week.  One of the ones I came across was this Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl.  In the blog the author talks about how she likes smoothies as a snack, but not for a meal, because she needs to eat food, not just drink her meal.  As a girl who's done slim fast as well as plenty of other shake based weight loss programs, I totally understand where she's coming from and feel the same way.  It's hard to convince my brain I'm getting plenty when I'm limited to an 8-16 oz drink.  :\  Just another reason this recipe looked so appealing.  This recipe makes a smoothie, puts it in bowl, and puts a slew of toppings on it to give it crunch, texture, and substance.  It was delicious! 

I made the recipe for one person, including the following toppings:
1/2 banana
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup strawberries
2 tbsp granola
2 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp sweetened coconut (Thought I bought unsweetened, but noticed this morning I was wrong.  Whoops!  Oh well!)
1 tsp Chai seeds

All the toppings alone are quite the mixture, but add it to the top of a Banana Berry Smoothie (with a cup of spinach snuck in for a serving of veggies) and you've got a healthy filling meal!  And, as it turns out, a decent number of calories...  Whoops again!

So after I made one of these bowls for Michael and one for me, I plugged in the nutrition facts to MyFitnessPal.  Turns out, my breakfast cost me 500 calories!  The recipe had the smoothie recipe as 1-2 servings, but my eyes are always bigger than my stomach.  I think next time I make this recipe I'll probably split the smoothie between Michael and me and give us each our own helping of toppings.  ;)  Not because I'm worried about the calories, this recipe is seriously packed with all sorts of great stuff, but because it was a LOT of food and now I'm REALLY full!  :P  That being said, it was delicious and I recommend you try it!

If you're wanting new recipes, this is definitely a week you'll want to stay tuned to the blog.  This week will reflect what the first couple months looked like when Michael and I started dieting.  3 new meals per day, lots of new recipes, and a 0-4 star scoring system on how we liked each recipe. 

So, without further ado, here's the score:
Michael - 2 stars - He liked the crunch of the granola and didn't notice/mind the coconut (I considered leaving out this component, but decided to keep it and see what we thought)
Jen - 2 stars - Yum!  I liked the crunch of the granola and almonds.  I also love putting chai seeds in things because they help you feel full for a long time!

Total: 4 star recipe!  That's as big of an endorsement as you'll get out of us, Folks!  Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as well!  If you do, definitely let me know what you thought of it!  :D

Love you, Guys!  See you at lunch time for Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps!  :)

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 15 - Casual Daytime Outfit

Hello, again!  One more outfit for today, then I'm off to bed to watch TV with my awesome hubby to end his Father's Day celebration.  :)  I didn't want to wear my dress all day, so I threw on a comfy outfit after church to bum around the house, get groceries, and make lunch for the week.  Here's what I wore, although, I'm sure you have a good idea what's coming if you've been keeping track up until now...

Top - Beige Leopard Print tank top, Charming Charlie's
You've seen this shirt before in the gray version.  Today was the first time I wore the beige one.  I wouldn't have bought it in two colors (unless it was solid-colored), but I needed to spend a little more to get more money off and it's a cute shirt.  ;)

Accessories - Brown belt (casual), New York and Company
This is very similar to the black belt I got from New York and Company.  It's a basic brown belt  that holds my pants (that I bought in a size too big) up.  :P  It looks nice with my boyfriend jeans (not to be confused with my boyfriend's jeans).  ;)  Your can't see it in the pictures because my shirt is too long, but it's there, keeping my pants from sagging too bad.  ;)

Bottoms - Boyfriend Jeans, New York and Company
They're too big, but what can I say?  They're comfy (not that my other clothes aren't), so I keep on wearing them.  Maybe they'll shrink up some more next time I was them.

Shoes - Black Decorative Sandals, Target
The straps of these sandals are black, but the bottom is brown, and it's the closest I had to brown sandals to match the shirt and the belt.  I suppose I should look for brown sandals to add to the list (maybe some with heels).

That's all I've got!  Onto the totals...

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress
Black dress with white flowers
Chevron Striped Dress

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace
Navy and White Striped Tank top
Gray t-shirt
Beige Leopard Print tank top

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Black belt (<---- Just realized I had this listed as brown for the passed two weeks!  Oops!  Fixed now!)
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter Dress)
Black sunglasses
Brown belt

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals
Black Pumps

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

34 Capsule Items, 4 Non-Capsule Items

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 15 - Church Clothes

Good Evening, Friends!  I had two outfits today!  Is it any wonder I'm constantly doing laundry?!  First, my church clothes.  Let's get to it!

Dress - Chevron Stripe Dress, Gordmans
I got this dress as my Easter dress this year.  I really love it!  Unfortunately, on Connor's birthday when we went out to eat for dinner, it ripped right down the back, about 18 inches long!  And, of course, right over my butt.  :\  Needless to say, it was interesting trying to get out of the restaurant.  But I sewed it back up and think it's as good as new now!

Accessories - Brown belt (that goes with my Easter Dress), Gordmans
I used this with another outfit in the last couple weeks, but this is the dress it's supposed to go with!  ;)

Shoes - Nude Wedges
What a great buy!  I love these shoes!

I've just begun week 3 of my capsule wardrobe!  Let's see how many pieces I'm up to!

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress
Black dress with white flowers
Chevron Striped Dress

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace
Navy and White Striped Tank top
Gray t-shirt

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter Dress)
Black sunglasses

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals
Black Pumps

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

32 Capsule Items, 4 Non-Capsule Items

Whole Wheat Banana Waffles

For breakfast today I made us waffles!  I've posted the recipe on facebook before, but I figured if anyone was checking in here regularly, I'd make it available here as well.  I didn't take any pictures because it was good and I was starved (the kids needed two helpings each and I made Michael his breakfast as well).  So the link will have to do.  They are delicious!  I highly recommend you try them out!

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 14

Finally!  Onto today's wardrobe!  I think I look pretty stinkin' cute today!  Michael liked my outfit today too!  Score!  :D  Not that he hasn't liked my other outfits, but he really liked this one!  Which is great, because he wasn't sure about the Chambray shirt.  I think I have won him over on it!  Here's the outfit breakdown...

Top - Chambray Shirt, Banana Republic
I was so excited to find a Chambray shirt when we were shopping a couple weeks ago that I bought it right up.  Now I'm wishing I'd waited because I found it for cheaper at several different places here in town.  Oh well, better shopping next time.  I like that I can use this shirt to layer (like I did last time) or button it up and wear it by itself (which is what I did today).  I didn't think I'd use this shirt much, but I do think it's cute and fun!  :)  I look forward to finding more ways to style it!

Bottoms - White shorts, Banana Republic
I get so nervous wearing these shorts, but air think they're so cute and they make me look super tan!  This is basically the outfit I tried on together when we were shopping in Kansas City, then I turned around and bought both items I loved it so much!  :)

Accessories - Sunglasses
I have had these for several years and can't remember for the life of me where I got them.  They are just a cheap pair from somewhere like Target, Charlotte Ruse, or anywhere else that sells cheap sunglasses.  I wear these all the time, figured I might as well add them to my accessories list.  ;)

Shoes - Gray Braided Sandals, Target
Still don't fit, wish I had a size 8.5.  Also, wish I could find some sandals with heels.

Here are the contents of my capsule wardrobe thus far...

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress
Black dress with white flowers

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace
Navy and White Striped Tank top
Gray t-shirt

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)
Black sunglasses

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals
Black Pumps

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

31 Capsule Items, 4 Non-Capsule Items

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 13

When Rhythm and I were out shopping I got a few new items (several of which will show up in the wardrobe later).  The top I wore yesterday was a part of that shopping trip.  Yesterday's outfit was just casual and comfy, I was still recovering from my long day the day before.  I didn't even take pictures of it!  I might put the pieces back on today to snap a couple pictures.  :)  Here's what it consisted of...

Top - Gray T-Shirt, Gordmans
This shirt is nice and loose and comfy.  It will be great for layering.  The dark gray color reminds me of Fall, I'm sure I'll wear it a lot with sweaters and things later in the year.  It's super light-weight which also makes it great for summer.

Bottoms - Boyfriend jeans, New York and Company
They are so slouchy and comfy!  I was super casual and comfy.  It was glorious!

Accessories - Black belt, New York and Company
To keep my pants up

Shoes - Gray Flats, Gordmans
They were handy when Michael and I went out for dinner.  I really need to clean my house so my shoes can be on purpose and not just conveniently not-lost.  :P

That's it.  Simple and casual, comfy and loungy.  I was recovering from a long day and didn't have the energy to get fancied up.  :P  I didn't even dry my hair after I got out of the shower.  I'm basically a lazy bum.  ;)

Here are the totals to date...

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress
Black dress with white flowers

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace
Navy and White Striped Tank top
Gray t-shirt

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals
Black Pumps

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

30 Capsule Items, 4 Non-Capsule Items

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 12

Hey Friends!  Sorry I'm behind!  I have just been feeling very lazy the last several days.  I probably feel wiped out because the day I wore this outfit I took the kids and Rhythm to the zoo with my mom for about 3 hours, then Rhythm and I went shopping for about 4 hours, then in the evening Michael and I went to Life Group where we were for 3 hours in the evening.  So I was exhausted that evening and yesterday as well.  I'm finally getting around to posting today, so I have a lot of catching up.  I'll keep these brief!

Top - Navy and White Striped Tank Top, Old Navy
I got this tank top the summer that Connor was born because I didn't really have any tank tops that weren't maternity or spaghetti straps.  It feels flattering no matter what my size is.

Bottoms - Cuffed Denim Shorts, The Loft
My go to summer favorites!  Nothing new.  ;)

Shoes - Black Decorative Sandals, Target
These weren't the shoes I wanted to wear, but I couldn't find my Under Armour flip flops, so they worked.

The only picture I took was a selfie while Rhythm and I were shopping, before my phone died.  The outfit wasn't anything super special, so it's ok.  ;)

Wardrobe Totals:

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress
Black dress with white flowers

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace
Navy and White Striped Tank top

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals
Black Pumps

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

29 Capsule Items
4 Non-Capsule Items

Coffee Cake in a Mug with Applesauce

Hey Guys!  As promised, I'm doing another review of the Mug Coffee Cake.  However, today instead of using melted butter in the cake or olive oil in the strudel topping, I used applesauce.  I'll make short work of this review...

If you need this recipe to be fat free for some dietary reason (because you have gallbladder disease for example, not because you want to lose weight faster by consuming fewer calories), then the applesauce substitution is fine.  However, if you're looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, something on the healthy side, reasonable portion size, and still feel like your allowing yourself some of the great things in life, like coffee cake, use the butter and oil.  I'm with Katie on this one, fat free baked goods are just not as great.  :\  Don't  get me wrong, it still tastes good, but I'm not scarfing down every bite the way I did Tuesday with the delicious butter/oil version.  I recommend if you want to give this recipe a try, try the butter/oil version first, then try the applesauce.  Because I don't want you thinking this recipe is anything less than amazing because you went the healthier/lower cal route first.  :P  It's already a low cal recipe.  Enjoy all 200 calories of buttery/oily goodness!  ;)  Love you all!  Happy Thursday!

Double Chocolate Chip Homemade "Ice Cream"

Oh my goodness, Friends!  This "Ice Cream" is soooo good!  Those of you who are on Pinterest have probably seen this or something similar before.  The reason I used quotes when I say "Ice Cream" is because this isn't your traditional ice cream (although we did make Old Fashioned Kick Can ice cream with the kids tonight).  The five ingredients are simple:

2.5 frozen bananas
1 cup milk
2 packets sweetener (It probably could have used a little more, but it was still very good, I was making it up as I went.)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips (More for topping if you desire, I didn't think it needed extra.  You could also top it with chocolate sprinkles if you desired.)

That's it!  Add it all to the blender or food processor and blend until smooth (except for the chocolate chips, which are present in each and every bite once they're blended in).  It ends up like soft serve, a little on the runny side, but add it to a Tupperware container and stick it in the freezer and it should scoop out like regular ice cream.  :)  This stuff was sooo yummy!

To make it even better, it's fairly healthy for you!  The ice cream the kids made tonight was 1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Talk about the calories!  I altered the recipe I found online a little in my version.  They used 2 bananas, I could fit 2.5 in my food processor, so I did.  They used sweetened almond milk, I used skim milk and a dash of calorie-free sweetener  (which I know should be avoided, save your lecture, use Stevia if you're concerned with the yellow packets).  They measured their chocolate, I approximated (on the heavy side).  ;)  It was great!  Looking forward to snacking on it when I get a craving for sweets over the next week (it made quite a bit and should last a while).  If you have bananas in your freezer, you should give this recipe a try as well!  Yum!

Next time I think I'll try adding peanut butter to my mixture!  That would take this awesome recipe over the top!

PS - I included pics of the kids eating their vanilla ice cream!  They're so cute!  :)

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 11

Hello again!  I'm knocking both of these out at once!  Yay!  I had a doctor's appointment today, which is not a reason to dress up, but I wanted to wear something that would be ready to get on and off (tmi, I know).  This would be a nice date night outfit as well.  Here's what it consists of...

Dress - Black dress with white flowers, Sis hand-me-downs
I don't know where Sis got this dress, but I like it and got a couple compliments on it today.  It's not as lightweight as some of the other dresses I've had in the past, but it does have pockets, which is always a plus in my opinion.  :)

Shoes - Black pumps, Target
I've had these for quite a while, I'm pretty sure I got them at Target.  I'm pretty sure I got them when I was teaching, but possibly when I was at Beldens.  They are just basic black pumps. But it's one thing I didn't have to buy for my capsule wardrobe.  Leaves money for nude pumps later!

Pretty basic outfit.  But another couple of items into the capsule wardrobe! 

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress
Black dress with white flowers

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories - 
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)

Shoes - 
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals
Black Pumps

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) - 
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

28 capsule items and 4 non-capsule items.  It's starting to look pretty complete, but I have a few more items yet to share!  :)

Wardrobe Capsule: Day 10

Sorry, guys!  Missed my wardrobe post from yesterday.  But, a day late isn't too bad, right?  Yesterday we had a meeting for the Next Generation Team at church.  Otherwise, we didn't have a lot going on.  I wanted to be casual, but also light because it was supposed to be hot yesterday, although not as hot as today.  Here's what I wore...

Top - Gray Leopard Print Racer Back Tank Top, Charming Charlie's
I've worn this top once before.  I have another one that's exactly the same, only in beige instead of gray.  I wouldn't have got two of the same shirt, but I needed to spend just a little more to get more money off the day we went shopping.  I would have worn the beige one, but I already had my black belt.  :P  Such is life.  ;)

Bottoms - Boyfriend Jeans, New York and Company
Old news.  These are nice and comfy (probably because they're a size too big).  I have decided not to return them, even though they are too big, and just wear a belt.  :P

Accessories - Black belt, New York and Company
Basic belt.  Keeps my pants up.  ;)

Shoes - Black Decorative Flip Flops, Target
Same old, same old.

Check that out, folks!  A whole outfit in pieces I've used before!  Woohoo!  I probably won't be as excited when all my clothes aren't as new and shiny anymore.  :P.  But for now I'm excited!  No new items means we have the same totals, 26 wardrobe capsule items and 4 non-wardrobe items.

Single Serving Coffee Cake in a Mug!

Oh my goodness, Friends!  I have to tell you about this DELICIOUSNESS that I had for breakfast this morning!  As I recommended yesterday, you SERIOUSLY need to go check out the blog Chocolate Covered Katie!  There were so many good recipes on there that I pinned yesterday, but I'd already had breakfast by the time I found them.  So today I went right over to Pinterest for breakfast and I totally scored!  Mug Coffee Cake!  Can you say, "Amazing!!!"?  Because it was!

Now, if you're a Pinterest-er like me, you've probably tried a few of those "mug" recipes.  Chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie, brownies, there are a bunch on there.  The draw to these recipes is that they are quick and a single serving.  I myself have tried a few different ones with varying degrees of success, always coming to the conclusion that the full versions are better.  So I was reluctant to try this coffee cake, because I have just never had a ton of success in the "mug recipe" area.  Well, I am happy to FINALLY report that I have found one that works and tastes wonderful!  It was great!  I hope you'll try it and enjoy it as well!

Katie talks in her blog about using applesauce instead of oil or butter in recipes.  I have done it before and it's great!  Keeps your recipes moist without the calories.  However, Katie also mentions that she, personally uses the butter or oil because she doesn't care for the fat free baked goods.  I told you she was a woman after my own heart, right?  ;)  Today I used the butter and oil, but I may try the applesauce tomorrow and let you know which I like best.  This recipe was great and certainly worth repeating!  Here are the specifics that I used for my recipe...

3 tbsp all purpose flour (It's what I had on hand, and I don't buy a lot of crazy ingredients anymore without knowing I can use them all up - notice the prunes still sitting in my pantry...)
2 packets (yellow) zero calorie sweetener (I don't have Stevia, but I should probably buy some, and the regular sugar has more calories, so I opted for the yellow packets that I put in my coffee)
2 tsp melted butter (Like I said, I went the oil and butter route this time, and 2 tsp was approximate, as I was cutting it off a stick of butter)
1/4 tsp olive oil (Way easier than trying to melt 1/4 tsp of butter)
5 Pecan halves (I used more, nuts are healthy and tasty, and broke them up with my fingers when I added them to the topping mixture.  This ensured a bit of Pecan in every bite, which was delicious!)

Other than that, I used her recipe to the letter.  (OK, maybe I added just a little extra brown sugar...)  ;)  I cooked it in the microwave for 1 min 15 sec and it was perfect!  I don't allow myself coffee until I've had 3-16oz glasses of water, so I had to chug my 3rd glass pretty quick because it's coffee cake, you need coffee with it!  ;)  All in all, it was soooo good, Folks!  My pictures don't do it justice.  But seriously, click on the link and try this recipe!  You won't regret it!  Happy (microwave) Baking!

Capsule Wardrobe: Day 9 - Evening Outfit, Casual

Hey all!  I'm back again because I changed clothes again today   :P  Well, I wasn't going to wear white pants to Dayton's tball game!  I know it would be warm, and as much as I wanted to wear the same tank top I wore last week, I didn't.  Rhythm was dieing of heat while we were there, but I was feeling just fine.  :)

Top: Black and White Stripe Tank Top with Lace, Charming Charlie's
Have I convinced you to shop at Charming Charlie's yet?  Because you should!  I didn't actually get this top on this recent shopping trip, but I tried it on two consecutive shopping trips before and Sis and Mama insisted I get it.  :P

Bottoms: Boyfriend Jeans, New York and Company
They appear again!  I guess if I want to return  them I should stop wearing them...  Maybe I'll just keep them and keep wearing the belt.  Decisions decisions...  Then if I start gaining weight again I'll have at least one pair of 6's I can wear.

Shoes: Black Decorative Sandals, Target
You've seen these before.  I just wish I'd got them in 8.5 instead of 9.  Oh well, I'll know for next time.  :)

And here's another look at the entire wardrobe...

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse
Black and white striped tank top with lace

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

26 wardrobe items, 4 non-wardrobe items

Well there you have it, Folks!  Another day with multiple blog posts!  This is going to be my most ambitious June yet!

Wardrobe Capsule: Day 9 - Daytime Outfit

I ended up with 2 outfits today, which is surprising considering I was in my pajamas most of the day and that's not one of the two outfits I'm talking about.  We went on a tour of the Andover Kindercare facility today.  We're thinking about putting Avery in there for a few hours a few days a week to get her some socialization and some school prep.  This was the outfit I wore to our tour.

Top - Teal elbow length blouse, The Limited
This top is actually a different top than I've worn so far.  Yet it's very similar to one I got from Sis.  I got this one before I went to a dinner with our financial advisor about looking into a job with his company.

Bottoms - White Capri Pants, The Loft
I feel very beachy in this outfit.  :P  I love these pants, but I have to be careful with them being white and all (which is why I changed clothes before we went to Dayton's tball game).  I love that they fit well in the waist (another size 4), but that the legs are a little more of a relaxed fit.  They are really nice pants!  Great for summer!  Wasn't there some rule about no white after a certain holiday?  Now that I actually have white clothes I might need to learn that rule...

Shoes - Nude Wedges, Off Broadway Shoes
You've seen these several times now.  I get a lot of use out of them in the summer.  Even more now than last summer when I bought them.  Would you believe that the first night I wore them they hurt my feet so bad we had two go back to our room so I could change out of them before we even made it to dinner?!?  Glad that didn't last!  I love them!

That's it!  A fun beachy-esk outfit!  I think the white pants do it all.  :)  Here's what the whole wardrobe looks like now...

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace
Teal elbow length blouse

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans
White Capri pants

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

25 Capsule Items, 4 Non-Capsule Items

Must Read Blog! Chocolate Covered Katie

Hello again, all my favorite people!  As I mentioned earlier this morning, I'm still feeling sleepy from our movie marathon.  Because of this, I haven't been cleaning the house this morning like I should be, I've been perusing Pinterest and keeping the kids from getting too upset with one another.  ;)  Anyway, while I was on Pinterest I came across an article on Chocolate Covered Katie, 50 Vegan Breakfast Recipes.

Now let me be quite clear, I am not a vegan.  Never have been and have no intention of becoming one.  However, the pictures associated with the article looked so delicious, I had to check it out!  I pinned nearly ALL of the recipes to my Healthy Living board on Pinterest!  In one of my blogs a while back I recommended Chocolate Covered Katie for recipe ideas.  I'm doing it again!  This woman is a girl after my own heart!  She makes baked goods, breakfasts, and sweets healthy!  How awesome is that?!??!  These recipes looked so great, I think I'll print some out and try out some new recipes for you all this week!  :D  If you'd like to check out the article and try some of the recipes on your own, I'd love to hear how they turned out for you!  If you're still unconvinced by the word "vegan", I'm going to include some screenshots of the deliciouslookingness!  :D  Enjoy!  Happy cooking!

Monday Morning Breakfast - Turkey Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Good Morning, Friends!  I got about 9 hours of sleep last night, but I still woke up craving coffee.  :/  However, I have a deal with myself that I can't have coffee until I've finished 3-16oz glasses of water, so that's what I'm drinking.  *sigh*  Apparently our movie marathon and all day of junk food was not good for weight loss, so I've got work to do again.  That's ok though.  The good news is that I have no desire to eat anymore junk food today.  :P  However, I am still plenty sleepy, so my breakfast was low-key this morning.  I love having veggies in my breakfast, but this morning I didn't have the energy.  Here's what I made:

Turkey Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
1 egg
1/2 slice cheese
1 slice lunch meat
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
2 slices of bread

Put both slices of bread in the same slot in the toaster and start toasting.  The end result will be toasted on the outside and soft and warm on the inside.
Crack your egg open into a skillet heated over medium heat.  Season with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning.  I also pop the yolk so everything cooks evenly.
Once the egg is nearly cooked through, flip it to finish cooking on the other side.
Add 1/2 slice of cheese (any cheese, choose your favorite, I used swiss) to the top of the egg.  Put slice of turkey (or ham or bacon) on top of cheese.
When the egg is completely cooked through on both sides, flip the egg once more to grill the turkey slightly.
Put egg on toast, top with 2nd slice, and enjoy!

I woke up wanting cereal this morning, but it never seems to leave me feeling full and satisfied, which leads to snacking.  I've read different meal plans and tried different ones before.  However, I have the most luck when I have more calories in 3 meals and don't have snacks in between my meals.  I find that when I allow myself to snack, I tend to not stop.  This may not be the path for everyone, but it works for me.  Michael, on the other hand, needs snacks between his meals.  I have our meal plans set to accommodate my caloric needs, since he needs about 500 calories more/day than I do, he needs snacks (and gets to add more cheese and dressing to his meals).

So there you have it!  Hope you enjoy this simple and tasty breakfast sandwich!  Don't forget to drink your water!  To figure out how much you need in a day, take your weight in pounds and cut it in half, that's how many ounces you need (at least). 
For example:
I weighed 136 lbs this morning. 
136 ÷ 2 = 68
I need 68 oz of water today.

I usually aim for 80 oz, I set my goal when I was 160 lbs and it makes an even 5-16oz glasses.  But as long as I'm hitting at least 68 oz, the rest is just gravy!  ;)

Well, that's all I've got for now.  I'll get my wardrobe post up later, for now I'm still in jammies.  :P  Told you I'm tired!  Have a great, Monday, Folks!

Capsule Wardrobe - Day 8 - After Church Clothes (Casual)

Ok, this is my last post today!  I'm exhausted!  I loved the white dress I wore this morning to church, but wearing white all day around my kids is asking for trouble.  ;)  So after we got home from church I changed into this...

Top - Black Sleeveless Blouse with Lace, Charming Charlie
Another win from Charming Charlie!  This top is simple and solid in color.  Because it's sleeveless it should be even easier to layer with sweaters and such.  I love the lace work at the top.  Really pretty and feminine.

Shorts - Cuffed Denim Shorts, The Loft
You've seen these before.  They're super comfy!  Sis said she should have bought several pairs while we were there since their shorts were on sale, but I wanted to make sure I got everything before I doubled up on stuff.  Another pair would be great, but I'll just reuse these over and over.  ;)

Shoes - Black Decorative Flip Flops, Target
I got these a couple years ago.  They are like my other pair of Target sandals, size 9 when they should be 8.5.  New ones are on the list but quite a ways further down.

So what does the whole wardrobe look like now?  I'm glad you asked!

Dresses -
Green high-low dress
White eyelet dress

Tops -
Black t-shirt
Teal 3/4 sleeve blouse
Gray leopard print tank top
Blue t-shirt
White spaghetti strap top
Black sleeveless blouse with lace

Layering -
Chambray shirt

Bottoms -
Boyfriend jeans
White shorts
Denim cuffed shorts
Skinny jeans

Accessories -
Brown belt
Thin brown belt (stolen from a coral dress, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from a white skirt, no longer in wardrobe)
Thick brown belt (stolen from Chevron Easter dress, not counted in wardrobe yet)

Shoes -
Black Chucks
Nude Wedges
Gray Braided Sandals
Gray Flats
Cognac Quilted Boots
Black Decorative Sandals

Other Items (not counted towards capsule wardrobe totals) -
Racerback 4th of July Tank Top
Luke's Diner T-Shirt
K-State Yoga Pants
Black and White Boot Slippers

23 Capsule Items, 4 Other Items

Sunday Night Dinner - Kippy Burgers and Grilled Parmesean Corn

This is shaping up to 5 post kind of day!  Oh my goodness!  That's a lot!  Well, as promised, here's a spotlight blog on one of the meals I made today (although to be quite fair, Michael is The Grill Master, so he made tonight's dinner, but you know what I mean).  ;)

Kippy Burgers
This is a recipe straight out of the firestation, although I've changed it slightly over the years.  Normally I just dump stuff in, but since people are asking for recipes, I tried to quantify things.  Some adjustments will have to be made, but you'll get the idea.  ;)

1.5 lbs 80/20 Ground Beef (not nearly as healthy, but when it comes to grilled burgers Guy says 80/20 is the only way to go)
2 tbsp BBQ Sauce (this wasn't enough, probably needs to be upped to 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
1 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (not enough, probably 3/4 - 1tsp needed)
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix everything together, form into 6 patties, grill.  :)  Easy peasy!

Grilled Parmesean Corn
I changed a recipe I found on Pinterest to get this recipe.  It was good, but also needs some adjustments.

4 ears of corn
2.5 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesean cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Shuck corn, put 4 ears of corn onto a large sheet of aluminum foil.
Combine all other ingredients in bowl, spoon over corn, cover in foil to make a packet.
Cook over indirect heat 30-35 minute, approximately 400 degrees.

Michael flipped the corn and the cheese ended up sticking to the foil, I think if you don't flip it, it would turn out better.  Because of this, there wasn't much of the toppings on our corn, so I don't know if the proportions were right or not, but the corn was cooked all the way through, so that was good.  :)

Dinner was delicious tonight!  Not the healthiest meal we've ever eaten, but it tasted good and it wasn't too bad.  We love grilling and do a lot of it during the summer.  For a lighter meal try grilling chicken breast or fish.  Enjoy!

Recipes

Hello again, Everyone!  Thanks again for keeping up with our blog, checking in on the progress of my wardrobe capsule, and reading the stories and process of how Michael and I changed our lives for the healthier!  The outpouring of love and positive comments has been overwhelming.  People have said that we're great motivation and inspiration.  It's so strange for me to think of us that way.  We were just unhappy with where we were, so we made changes to make things different.  Simple as that.  :)  Glad we've had a positive influence on others.

Several people have asked me for specific recipes that we use.  I put together a list of some of our favorites, plus the websites I found them on.  I hope this gets you started with some healthy recipes to try.  When I remember to do so, I'll also try to write posts about the different meals I'm fixing along the way.  But for now, here are some great ones!

Breakfasts:
Huevos Rancheros Tacos
Peanut Butter Breakfast Pudding
Blueberry, Lemon, Maple Oatmeal Muffins
Skinny Banana French Toast Bake
Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomato Quiche
Country Breakfast Bowls
Tomato Avocado Melt
Asparagus Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomato Breakfast Tart
Oatmeal Pancakes

As I come across other great breakfast recipes (or makes my own, like my omelette a few days ago) I'll post them to the blog here (and share to facebook so people actually see them).  I love breakfast food, so I have a bunch of great breakfast recipes.  I wish I could day the same about lunch.  I tried to find sandwiches, wraps, and salads that could be made and refrigerated the night before so that Michael could take them to work.  However, I didn't find nearly as many good recipes as I wanted to.  I'll keep a look out for some, but in the meantime, here are some we did enjoy.  :)

Lunches:
Skinny Chicken Salad
Skinny Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Avocado Chicken Salad
Caprese Wraps with Chicken
Zesty Italian Meatball Wrap
Skinny 'Starbucks' Protein Bistro Box

Dinners (or Suppers) are easy for us as well.  I plan on most of these being made fresh each evening and assume I'll have plenty of time to cook them.  Some of them have leftovers, which is great when I know I have busy evenings coming up during the week.  Anything that requires much cooking and is better warm or when freshly assembled, I plan for a dinner meal.  There are lots of great recipes, and in the summer we do a bunch of grilling too.  Here is a list of our go-to favorites for dinner!

Dinners:
Turkey Wrap with Apple and Brie
Buttered Brussel Sprouts Penne
BBQ Pizza with Slaw
Creamy Spinach and Cheese Green Chile Enchiladas
Spicy Chicken Chili
Skinny Chicken Parmesean
Clean and Low Carb Gluten Fewer Cauliflower Shephard's Pie
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Cheese and Zucchini Quesadilla
Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls
Skinny Grilled Pineapple Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Zucchini Enchiladas
Healthy and Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash
Grilled Fish Tacos & Honey Dijon Cabbage Slaw
Cheesy Meatloaf Minis
Skinny Pasta Pizza Casserole

There are sooooo many delicious meals and recipes out there!  Seriously, guys, I just search Pinterest!  :P  But if you don't want to search out your own, I hope you'll enjoy these!  Let me know what you think of them!  And stay tuned as I post more meals, recipes, tip, and tricks to eating healthy, making it easy, and keeping it affordable!  Love you, Guys!