Just Eat It: Low Cal Cupcakes

I've stopped posting much about my weight loss progress. For a second there I fell off the wagon, but rest assured I'm back at it. Shedding pounds, feeling better and practicing patience. It's not easy. I struggle everyday, but little things, like this recipe certainly help.

My mother-in-law gave me this Weight Watchers Cupcake recipe: "if you're ever in the mood for something sweet...wink wink" I'm always in that kind of a mood. So, obviously I went straight to the store, bought a box of chocolate cake mix, a can of pumpkin and went to town.

If you make mini-cupcakes, which I suggest for portion control, these end up being about 60 calories each. Not too shabby.

1 box of cake mix (I used chocolate)
1 15oz can of pumpkin
1/4c water (you could add an egg white or two if you'd like)
set oven for 350 and follow box directions from there. 

I can't lie, they certainly aren't the real deal, but they don't suck. And it's better for you than the alternative, so I won't complain.

For dessert tonight, I crumbled one and mixed in some chopped strawberries. Yummers.

<3 dani

Drop It Like It's Hot: Menu Monday

Well hello friends. I fell off the wagon. Well, not technically, as I've still been making a menu at home, I just haven't been posting them. Oopsies.

A week ago, the Farmer's Market that's only 1.5 miles away from my house opened for the season. My new workout plan requires me to walk three miles at least three times a week, which is the perfect distance to make several trips to the FM. How convenient.

So here goes.

Monday Dinner: Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Tuesday Dinner: Smoky Spice Rubbed Salmon -- I've had salmon in the freezer for a looooong time. I refuse to fry it because I'm trying so hard to shed this baby weight. This sounds like an amazing recipe.

Wednesday Dinner:

Thursday Dinner: Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas -- I'm using Pork Steak for this. That's what I have in the freezer.

Friday Dinner: Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

Saturday Breakfast: Slim Fast -- Say whatcha want, slim fast is a great way to kick-start weight loss. It is especially helpful for people like me who overeat even healthy foods. I buy the power at Sam's Club ($14) and mix with 8oz of Skim Milk. Boom 200 Calories.

Saturday Lunch: Leftovers (that's assuming there are leftovers)

Saturday Dinner: Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

Sunday Breakfast: Happy Father's Day!!! Going out to Breakfast!!!

Sunday Lunch: Salads...whatever's around

Sunday Dinner: Biscuits and Gravy

Enjoy.

<3 dani

Drop It Like It's Hot: Menu Monday V

Once again, we spent most of last week eating from the freezer section. Luckily for us we took home a couple meals worth of Easter leftovers. Sometimes making a menu works. Sometimes it just doesn't. Turns out the baby is the boss now.

He's a really cute boss though, right? He's also really interested in Daddy's Biscuits and Gravy.

Anyhoot, on to our menu for this week.

Monday Dinner: Breakfast Burritos

Tuesday Dinner: Crockpot Lasagna

Wednesday Dinner: Ham, Broccoli & Cheese Pasta Bake -- The Hubs doesn't like mushrooms, so I made a few little changes from the original that I linked. Still the same concept though.

Thursday Dinner: McCormick Spaghetti

Friday Dinner: In Chicago -- yay!

Saturday Lunch: Leftovers or Hotdogs or Frozen Pizza

Saturday Dinner:  whatever we didn't eat for lunch ;-)

Sunday Breakfast: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Sunday Lunch: Crescent Roll Pizzas


Sunday Dinner: Meat Loaf & Mashed Potatoes

Have a delicious week.

<3 d

Drop It Like It's Hot: Menu Monday IV

I totally skipped my menu last week. Whoops. It was the last week before spring break and things were a bit chaotic, so most of our meals were either frozen or from a box.

mmmmmm

Now that I'm on break, I can actually chill out and make some yummies this week.

Monday Dinner: Biscuits and Gravy

Tuesday Dinner: Breakfast Burritos

Wednesday Dinner: Beef Stroganoff (make it simple, just grab some meat and a package of McCormick's Beef Stroganoff mix -- done)

Thursday Dinner: Curry Chicken

Friday Dinner: Asian Chicken

Saturday Lunch: Leftovers 

Saturday Dinner: Out

Sunday Breakfast: ...not sure...something light, so we can pig out later.

Sunday Lunch/Dinner: Easter Meal

Have a delicious week!

<3 dani

Drop It Like It's Hot: Menu Monday III

Phew, what a week.

The weather was unseasonably warm, so some of the meals I had planned for last week I ended up switching out. I switched either because I didn't want to run the oven or because we were too busy enjoying the outdoors.

Lesson #1 of creating a weekly menu, be prepared for last minute changes. Always have something quick and easy on hand that anyone [ahem, The Hubs] can make in case something comes up.

This week, I prepared for warm weather. 

We're having picnics everyday!!!!!...juuust kidding.

Monday Dinner: Grilled BBQ Chicken & Potato salad

Tuesday Dinner: Slow-Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Wednesday Dinner: Slow-Cooker Chicken Soft Tacos

Thursday Dinner: Frozen Pizza 

Friday Dinner: Tater Tot Casserole 

Saturday Lunch: Leftovers 

Saturday Dinner:  Chili Hash

Sunday Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy 

Sunday Lunch: Leftovers 

Sunday Dinner: Spaghetti

Yummers.

Have a delicious week!

I'm linking up here

<3 dani

First Time for Everything! Menu Plan

As I become more lethargic and approach my 9th month of pregnancy, I've tried to maintain some of our old routine. One of my goals has been to make a home-cooked meal each night of the week, come hell or high water (or cramps and Braxton Hicks).

The only way I can mentally manage this is by doing a lot of planning. My brain literally shuts down when it's hungry. Not only do I become a ravenous b****, I get easily confused and forget where I am. It's hilarious to witness, but dreadful to live through.

I've never been a good menu planner. Mostly because I've never needed to plan for the two of us; I used to be capable of thinking whilst under pressure. Now that things have changed, I'm adapting.

Luckily for me there are some amazing foodie blogs out there that do all the thinking for me. Today I stumbled on Polish The Stars and holy yum. This girl makes stuff that I'm capable of making, while making it look like something that is way beyond my ability level. So, four of my recipes have come solely from this tightass blog. Mad props, yo.

So I started this Menu on Sunday, but didn't get around to posting about until today, oopsie poopsies.

Sunday Breakfast: Biscuits Gravy
Brown sausage. We use Tennessee Pride's Hot sausage and it's not just a clever name. Put Pillsbury Southern Style Biscuits in the oven.  Add 4-5 tbsps flour, mix. Add 2 1/4 c. milk. Heat until thickened. Done.

Sunday Lunch: Zuppa Toscana (First, I have no idea why the first letter in the recipe isn't showing up...even when I type it here "Z" it doesn't show...it's the last letter of the alphabet...oy vey, I guess I should hand out decoder rings to everyone that reads this. Second, I worked at the Olive Garden in college and this recipe is super)

Sunday Dinner: Beef and Ale Stew (in my case it was Beef and Light Beer Stew -- that's all I had -- waah waah)


Monday: Chicken & Dumplins
I used southern style biscuits, cuz that's all I had.

Tuesday: Chicken Stuffing Bake

Wednesday: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes (I'm not at liberty to divulge this top-secret family recipe, but it's seriously off the chains)

Thursday: Lasagna

Friday: Baked White Spaghetti

Saturday Breakfast: On Your Own (the Hubs is going into the office and I'll probably just have some oatmeal and juice, yums)

Saturday Lunch: Breakfast Burritos

Saturday Dinner: We'll Probably go out...I am pregnant after all.

I hope you try some of these recipes. So far, we've dug them.

<3 dani

Blooming Onion Sourdough Loaf

I cannot take credit for this delicious treat. I found it at The Changeable Table It looked easy enough for me to try.

The Hubs and I enjoy a solid appetizer. In fact, pre-pregnancy, we would have one night a week where we ate only appetizers for dinner. I called it "College Dinner Night." It was awesome.

On Sundays, it's tough for either one of us to peal ourselves off the couch long enough to make a full meal, so this served as our football snacky.

You'll need:
A large loaf of Sourdough bread (unsliced)
1lb Monterey Jack Cheese (sliced thinly)
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Start by cutting the bread. This is slightly tricky because you are cutting both ways (being sure not to slice all the way through!!), horizontally and vertically. Sourdough is pretty tough, so a little smushing shouldn't leave permanent damage.

Then slice your cheese. Thinly, both length-wise and width-wise.

Chop your green onions

Add them to your melted butter

Drizzle over your bread being sure get the melted fatty goodness in the cracks

Add cheese to every single opening

Wrap in tinfoil

Place on a baking pan and put her in the oven for 15 minutes

Take it out, uncover, put back in for another 10-15mins (I added a little olive oil at this point to give the top some extra crispiness)

nom nom nom

hope you likey.

<3 dani

Rub a Dub Dub...

...Vanilla Lemon Sugar Scrub!

I made this for all the ladies in the fam. It's pretty aswesome.

I used a combination of recipes. This one from Brandy at Gluesticks. And this one from Maggie at It's a Lunsford Thing.

I didn't take notes while I was altering the recipes, but luckily it isn't an exact science. Wing it.

I was making enough to fill the six jars above. I guesstimated the amount I'd need.

2 Cups(ish) White Sugar
2 Cups(ish) Brown Sugar
1 Cup(ish) Oil (I used olive oil)
1-2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla (or a drop of Vanilla Oil)
Mini Drop of Rosemary

I mixed the sugars first, then added the oil, lemon juice, vanilla and rosemary.

It looked a little runny at first, so I continued adding stuff until it looked 'right.' I wasn't really sure what 'right' was, but eventually it resembled something someone might use as body scrub.

Gluesticks linked me to Mean Mommy Academy, where I found the great labels I used. I added some hemp twine and a tongue depresser thingymajiggy.

They turned out pretty swell, I think.

**I used the leftovers in the shower and that taught me a few things...first I found that a lot of the sugar settles. Even after mixing it up a bit, it still helps to drain a little oil off the top. Which probably means I used too much oil to begin with. I also learned that pouring the oil out on the shower floor could make a serious slippery hazard. But, it works wonders for the skin. So super soft.

Try it.

<3 dani

Linkin' Up

Egg Nog Pie Magic

Simple & Delicious rocks my world. It's not just a clever name. If you're not familiat, I've explained it in this post. I brought this little gem to The Momma's house for Christmas Eve. Usually I end up taking a ton of goodies home from her house, but this time we did a pie trade. I left all of my pie and took three pieces of her berry pie....fair, doubtful, but she did raise me so I guess I can spare a little pie.

Here's the recipe and the outcome:

So easy and so yum. Try it. I'll be trying it again this weekend. I might want to try a homemade graham cracker crust. Anyone have a good recipe for that?

<3 dani

Linkin Up

Chocolate Cheese Ball & The Hubs

Originally, that combination scared me, but after a little guidance (and only minimal yelling) The Hubs rocked our family Tapas Party with his take on Bonnie's (at House of Grace) recipe -- If you haven't seen her blog, you are so missing out. So many great ideas and an amazing sense of style -- okay, back to The Hubs baking adventure.

Our family loves food. We are usually together at least every weekend and of course we eat a lot. We also love any reason to have a party. So, years ago my mother-in-law-in-law (no that's not a typo, that is how I refer to my sister-in-law's mother) created the concept of our Tapas Holiday Party. Each person in the fam has to bring a dish they've never made before. Consider The Hubs doesn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I usually get nervous for him a few days before the party.

I try to give him a few simple options and Bonnie's Recipe was on the short list. Considering how much he loves cheese and sweet treats, this was a clear choice.

The ingredients.

 The Hubs <3

The Pups getting a peek. Really inappropriate doggy behavior, I'm aware. But, OMG he's so stinkin' cute.

I forgot to take a photo of it during it's original presentation, so you get to see the leftovers. I'm assuming there were leftovers because we were all so full on other food because this cheese ball was uh-maze-ing.

Even if this hadn't turned out as well as it did, spending time with The Hubs in the kitchen was great.

<3 dani

Breadsticks (and soup)

The soup part of this post is nonexistent. I made it and planned on sharing and it wasn't great. I'm pretty sure I didn't like the potatoes in it, so maybe I'll try it again without them. Then, if it's any good, I'll share.

The good news is that I made the most amazing, cheap, easy breadsticks EVAH!

You'll need:

1 tube of Buttermilk Biscuits (on sale for $1 - high five)
2-3 Tblspn of Butter
Smidge of Garlic Powder
Smidge of Italian Seasoning
Smidge of Salt

(ya like my precise measuring?)
Mix the last four ingredients together and set aside.

Split biscuits apart and begin to roll each biscuit into a snake. I imagine you could split the biscuits in half and have thinner sticks, but we died for the thick ones even if you only get eight per tube.

After they're in snake form, use a basting brush and lap on the butter concoction to each snake. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 mins. I continually checked mine to make sure they didn't burn and 12 mins. seemed perfect.

I'm not sure why I didn't take an after picture, probably because we gobbled them up so fast, but here's is what they looked like going into the oven.

Maybe someday I'll make a soup that doesn't fail. If any of you lovely readers have a good soup recipe, hook a sista up!

Smoked Sausage & Beans

Yesterday, I received my October/November issue of Simple & Delicious. I made the ginormous mistake of reading it in bed on a semi-empty stomach. It ended with me eating a 100 calorie bag of popcorn and marking about half the pages of the mag.

In case you aren't familiar, S&D is similar to the Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee style of cooking. Those are my kinda girls. We most definitely can make meals from scratch, but usually it's just quicker to take help from the store.

On with the recipe.

The magazine calls it 'Zesty Sausage & Beans,' but considering I didn't follow the recipe exactly, I think I get to call it what I want. Therefore, I now introduce you to...wait for it...

Smoke Sausage & Beans (clever, I know)

1lb smoked sausage
1 can (15 oz)  black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can (15 oz) northern white beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 medium red bell pepper
6 slices of bacon (cooked  and crumbled)
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar
5 garlic cloves (pressed or finely chopped)
palm full of thyme
palm full (plus) crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

I also made some Minute brown rice to put under this concoction. Believe it or not, I'm not a huge fan of rice, but brown rice seems a little more appealing than white.

I don't usually set out all of my ingredients, but I happened to just get back from the store. Besides, I'm trying to get the feel for this camera. Taking blog worthy photos is tough.

I started by cutting the bacon into my pan and cooking it. I do this instead of crumbling after it's cooked. I really hate touching meat, no seriously. I could never touch meat again and be a happy girl, but the Hubs is the quintessential meat and potatoes kinda guy. So instead of making him become an herbivore, I suck it up and make the meat. Note the halved and sliced sausage in the background. Make sure ya do that.

Right after the bacon was finished, I wrapped it in paper towel and set it aside. Then, dropped the sausage in the grease. If Ima cook meat, Ima go all the way!

While the meat was browning, I chopped the veggies and opened the cans then dumped everything (including the sausage) in the slow cooker. Set to High.

After an hour and a half (of course you could go longer, I'd just keep the heat on low), I took the lid off for about a half hour to let it thicken up. When the rice finished (those last five minutes are agony) we topped it with the sausage and beans. De Lish!

You could definitely go Veggie with this stew(?), but be sure to add something in place of the meat. Maybe another can of beans and a can of diced tomatoes.

<3 dani

 LINKIN UP

*If you can dig it, follow JDitB. There's more where this came from...until I run out of fabulous ideas...which is, at least, another three or four days ;-)