Valentines Fun!

I'm going to take a break from sharing recipes with you today and instead quickly share a little bit of fun that I've been having so far this month.  For some reason I really felt like getting into Valentine's Day this year, which is a little unusual for me, mostly because I've never been a huge fan.  So, for the 14 days leading up to the so called "holiday", I've been leaving my husband Jeff, little gifts around the house.  The gifts are nothing really elaborate, just small sentiments to show him that I care and am always thinking of him.

Being an ex language arts teacher I always appreciate a good pun.  Therefore, I went out and purchased, or thought up, little gifts that I could create cute romantic puns for.  Please keep in mind that there are so many different sayings and wonderful gift ideas that you could create on your own, I'm just sharing mine to help get you started.

Everyday, since February 1st, I've been leaving one of these small items around the house for Jeff to find.

Day 1:  You're such a "Catch"!
(I forgot to take pictures, but the saying was stuck on a package of goldfish crackers)

Day 2: I "chew"s you, Valentine!
(Once again, I forgot to take a picture, but it was stuck to Jeff's favorite flavor of gum)

Day 3: I'm "nuts" about you!

Day 4: Thanks for "stick"ing by my side!

Day 5: You have o"Fish"ally stolen my heart!

Day 6: You and I are the perfect "mix"!

Day 7: Life would be un"bear"able without you!

Day 8: You are one "Hot Tamale"!

Day 9: You were "mint" for me!

Day 10: "Honey", you are the sweetest!

Day 11: I love you to "Pieces"!

Obviously these are not all of the gifts because it only goes to day 11.  There are still a few more days to go, but I can't post what I plan to give him quite yet, because I know he'll read this blog entry, and I want the remainder of the days to be a surprise.  I promise to update after the 14th.  That way, if you want to do something like this in the future, for someone you know, then you'll have some ideas.  Most importantly though, feel free to be creative and please share some of your ideas.  Like I said, I always enjoy a good pun!

Spinach, Feta, and Egg Frittata

Before I get to today's recipe I just need to take a moment and express how much I absolutely love the phases of determination that I go through.  I just wish that I could pin down exactly why I'm so motivated at certain times, and not at others.  So far this month, I've been doing really well and sticking to all the challenges that I set for myself.

At the start of the new year, I created some goals and told you that they'd most likely change a little on a monthly basis; which they have.  I still plan to stick to the ones that I originally came up with back in January, but this month I've also decided to add a little more to my workout and eating calendar.  And when I say I added a little more, that's in addition to the calendar that I posted at the end of last month.  I'm definitely seeing changes too, especially in my inches.  It always amazes me the difference that a few pounds can make.

So here are my additions.....This month, I once again decided to take part in the "No junk food challenge".  I've done this challenge once in the past and absolutely loved how I felt after it was over.  The challenge basically just outlines specific foods that you are not allowed to consume for 21 days, but seeing that February is a short month, I'm going for 28.

Honestly though, I don't find this to be too difficult of a challenge, or at least not for me; mostly because I don't really eat what's on the list anyway, except for peanut butter.  I LOVE peanut butter!  And Chips.  Not potato chips, but I have to admit that I love those mutli-grain scoops, so I'm making them count in place of regular chips.  This is going to take a lot of will power, because we always have 2 bags in our pantry due to Jeff loving them too.  So far so good.  Overall though, I think this is a great challenge because it holds me accountable, which is why I decided to do it again.

In addition to the food challenge, I've also added a 30 day beach body challenge to my normal workout routine.  It's nothing that's incredibly time consuming, just 2 workout activities a day, that are high reps.  For example, today's 2 activities were 100 knee highs and 75 Russian twists.  That's much better than the other day though, when I had to do 50 burpees and 50 drop down crunches, or leg lifts.  Anyone who has ever done a burpee feels my pain and knows exactly how much they suck.

Ok, enough rambling for now; let's move on to today's recipe.

I've kind of been eating a lot of eggs lately, well eggs and chicken, mostly for the additional protein that they add to my diet.  Whenever I go to the store I have to laugh at myself, and wonder what the cashier must think.  This is mostly because I always have at least 4 cartons of 18 eggs, if not more, in my basket whenever I go to check out.  With all these eggs I'm buying, I'm always trying to think of new or different things to make with them.  This time I decided to make a frittata.  I've actually heard of them numerous times before now, but never attempted to make one.  It was much easier than I thought it would be and quick too.  The thing I like best is the idea that not only is it a healthy and high protein meal, but there are also so many different ingredients that you could add and subtract.  Even the leftovers are delicious!  I even went out to the store and bought some bell peppers today, so that I could make another one for later this week.

Spinach, Feta, and Egg Frittata

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Ingredients:

2 whole eggs

8 large egg whites

2 ½ links of Al Fresco Country Style Chicken Sausage (cooked and broken into pieces)

Dash of garlic powder (optional)

Dash of cayenne red pepper (optional)

1 tsp. olive oil

3-4 TBSP. red onion, chopped

2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped (measure before chopping)

2 oz. crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites.  Add in the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, baby spinach, chicken sausage, feta, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix together until combined.

In a medium size skillet, set over a medium heat, add the olive oil.  Allow the skillet to heat for about a minute and then add in the chopped onion.  Cook the onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  When done, add the onion to the egg mixture.

Spray the skillet with a little non-stick cooking spray and pour the egg mixture into the prepared skillet.  Allow the egg mixture to cook for around 5 minutes.  Here’s where it gets a little tricky….Hold a plate directly over the pan, so that it’s touching it, and flip the frittata onto the plate.  After that, slide the frittata back into the pan, so that the other side can cook.  This side might not take as long to cook, so just keep an eye on it.  Serve immediately.

Inspired by and adapted from Skinny Taste

Mexican Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust

I know I've said in the past that I'm not really fan of pizza, and that I can't even remember the last time I ordered it from a restaurant, and all that's true.  Still, I have to admit that I've been kind of curious about, and have been really wanting to make a cauliflower pizza crust.  Its just that I've been seeing so many recipes on Pinterest for cauliflower pizza crusts, breadsticks, calzones, etc. and I've ended up pinning a bunch of different versions due to the fact that each one looks absolutely scrumptious!

Now that I've actually made it, let me just tell you that my predictions were 100% correct.  This pizza crust was so incredibly delicious!

The reason I always tend to avoid pizza is because of all the empty carbohydrates that are found in the crust.  However, by choosing to make the pizzas myself and substituting cauliflower for the crust, instead of using traditional flour, I knew that it would be healthier and was therefore willing to eat it.

This recipe actually makes 2 small, round pizzas.  Each pizza, depending on how much cheese you put on it, is between 450-500 calories.  And that's for the whole pizza, which is very filling!  Keeping that in mind, think of how many calories are in an average Lean Cuisine meal, and that's something that comes frozen.  This pizza is completely fresh.  Not only that, but there are only about 25 grams of carbohydrates and around 47 grams of protein.  Once again, that's in the whole pizza, and you don't have to eat it all at once, unless of course you want to!

It's always nice when you can make a comfort food healthy!

Sorry that the pictures of this meal may not be my best, but I promise that it's delicious!

Mexican Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust

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Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1 head of cauliflower

¼ - ½ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ - 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

For the Sauce:

1 15 oz. can, no salt added tomato sauce

1 package hot and spicy taco seasoning (Old El Paso)

¼ - ½ tsp. cumin

For the Pizza:

½ cup fat free refried beans

1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Grilled chicken pieces (You don’t have to, but I seasoned mine with a little chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper)

Prepared sauce

Optional Toppings:

Black Olives

Green Onions

Red or Green Bell Peppers

Tomatoes

Directions:

For the Crust:

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drizzle on and spread out a little olive oil, and then set aside.

Rice the cauliflower florets in a food processor, make sure to not puree it.  If you are unsure how this is done, follow this link for a video.  Once the cauliflower has been riced, transfer to a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for about 8 minutes, or until cooked.  Once done, you will need to drain all the excess water out of the cauliflower.  I did this by placing paper towel in a colander, dumping in the cauliflower, and pressing down.  Be careful though, because the cauliflower is very hot.  I ended up going through quite a few pieces of paper towel, due to the fact that it’s very important to get out all the water, otherwise your crust is going to be soggy instead of crispy.  And let’s be honest…..who likes a soggy pizza crust?

After the cauliflower has been drained of all the water and appears dry, place it in a bowl.  Add in the egg, cheese, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  Mix well.  I used my clean hands to just knead it all together and it worked well.  Once it’s been combined, break the “dough” into two pieces and work it into small round circles on the prepared baking sheet, by pressing it down, and shaping it with your hands.  After my pizza crust was shaped and ready, I ended up placing a paper towel over the top of each prepared circle, just to absorb some of the extra liquid.  After that, place the pan in the oven for exactly 10 minutes.

While the pizza is cooking, prepare the sauce.

For the Sauce:

In a microwave safe bowl, pour in the can of tomato sauce.  After that, add in the packet of taco seasoning and the cumin; then stir around until combined.  Microwave the sauce until just warm to the touch.  This should take 45 seconds to a minute.  Set aside. (You will definitely have leftover sauce, but it’s great to dip things in, and you can store it in the fridge)

Hint:  You might want to warm up the refried beans as well, to make them easier to spread.

To Assemble:

Once the 10 minutes is up and the crust is done, remove the pan from the oven. 

Now, spread on some of the refried beans (if you don’t use them all, it’s ok).  After that, top the beans with some of the sauce, followed by pieces of chicken and then the cheese.  Feel free to add on any additional toppings as well, after all, it’s your pizza.  Once the pizza(s) are assembled, place the pan back into the oven and let cook for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted to your liking.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.  After that, transfer the pizza(s) to a plate and enjoy!

Source: Crust adapted from The Iron You

Beer Cheese Dip

Super Bowl Sunday is officially here, and it's never too late to run out and get some last minute ingredients for those tasty party snacks.  For those of you having people over, I know exactly how it goes, because this is the first Super Bowl in the past few years, that we've not thrown a party.  To be honest, I'm kind of excited about it, although I also find it to be bittersweet.  I really do enjoy having friends over because it's always a good time, but with being out of town this week, and then coming home to make a cake, I'm pretty beat and am actually looking forward to a quiet and relaxing Sunday.

However, if I were hosting a party, I'd definitely be making this addicting and delicious beer cheese dip.  Not only is it a quick and easy recipe to follow, but it's also flavorful and is guaranteed to be a hit.  This dip went very quickly when I originally made it back in December (for our ugly sweater Christmas party) and I even ended up passing out the recipe to a few friends.

It goes great with mini pretzels, but you could also dip chips in it as well, or spread it on crackers.

Beer Cheese Dip

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Ingredients:

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4-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat and it was still delicious)

2/3 cup beer (I used Yuengling)

2 envelopes Hidden Valley Original Ranch packets

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

To Dip:

Pretzels

Crackers

Chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, beer, and ranch packets until smooth and creamy in appearance.

After that, stir in the cheese.  I turned the hand held mixer to a lower speed and combined it that way.

You could serve the dip right away, but its best if you cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.  That way the flavors have time to combine.  You could also make this dip a day or so ahead of time.

Source: Lady Behind the Curtain

Slow Cooked Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Once again, I've been keeping myself busy.  This time, I spent the weekend painting our upstairs guest bathroom, which meant that I didn't have a lot of time to cook.  For me, this is just one reason I think that crock pot meals are the absolute best!  I love that all you have to do is toss the ingredients into the pot and then walk away to do other things, but you'll still always end up with a great meal!



I was excited too, to finally use my crock pot again; mostly because I just discovered these easy clean up liners. 

How did I never know that such a product existed until now?  The liners definitely would have saved me a lot of time and energy scraping the sides of my pot to get it clean.  They really did make cleaning up a snap.  I highly recommend picking up a pack or two for yourself!



Now, back to the recipe.  This pork tenderloin is so easy to prepare and comes out both sweet and delicious.  By the time the pork's finished cooking, the meat's so tender that it literally just falls apart with your fork; meaning no knife is needed to eat it.



Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

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Ingredients:

2 lb. pork tenderloin

1 tsp. rosemary

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup water

½ cup light brown sugar (could use splenda brown sugar)

1 TBSP. cornstarch

¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup water

2 TBSP. reduced sodium soy sauce

Directions:

In a small dish, mix together the seasonings to form a rub; rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Prepare the slow cooker by placing in the liner, or spraying the sides with a non-stick cooking spray.  Add in ½ cup of water.

Rub the spices over the pork tenderloin, and place it in the slow cooker with the ½ cup of water.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-5. (I cooked mine for a little over 4 hours and it was perfect)

About an hour before the tenderloin is done cooking, prepare the glaze.

In a small sauce pan set over a medium heat, combine the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce.  Let heat up until the ingredients are well combined and the sauce begins to thicken.  DO NOT let it boil; reduce the heat if needed.

Once the sauce thickens, brush it over the tenderloin 2-3 times during the last hour of cooking.

When the tenderloin is done, place it on a baking sheet, spread on a little more glaze and place it in the oven, set to broil.  This will help give the glaze that caramelized texture.  Keep an eye on the tenderloin during this process; it may take 3-5 minutes.  When it’s done, place the pork on a serving tray and pour over the remainder of the glaze.

Source: Laura's Sweet Spot

I almost forgot that I have one more thing to add to today's post......So I decided today that I'm going to drive down to Disney World to visit my sister Shannon for a few days before she gets back on her cruise ship.  Before I go though, I wanted to share with you all the workout calendar I created for February.  I'm sorry that January's calendar never made it up, but feel free to join me this upcoming month!

Stuffed Spinach and Mozzarella Chicken

Well, it's official!  I'm finally able to run outdoors again!!!  (And yes, that statement, without a doubt, earns those 3 exclamation points; I'm that excited about it!)

For me, it's been many agonizing months off.  If you're a runner yourself, you most likely get where I'm coming from.  However, I'm sure that some of you non-runners might be thinking, 'I don't get it, what's the big deal?'  So here it is.....when I go for a run, that's my way to release stress or just escape from everything around me, at least for a little while.  And when I can actually go outside and run (meaning not on the treadmill where people can still get hold of me), I know that it's just me, my music, and the road, and I love that uninterrupted alone time.

Being able to get back to my routine means that I now have two things working for me again when it comes to the "health" area of my life.

1. I'm eating healthy

2. I'm able to workout like I want to and am feeling good

Is it just me, or does anyone else believe that there's something about being able to workout that makes you want to stick to eating healthy?  I know that many of my friends feel the same way, but does anyone else?  If so, here's a quick and healthy recipe that's high in protein and low in carbs.  The best part is, that it's also tasty and delicious!  Feel free to leave out the Italian bread crumbs if you want to (I left them off my pieces of chicken, but put them on Jeff's).

Without the bread crumbs, the nutrition looks something like this: 1 serving=1 piece

Cal: 140  carbs: 4 grams  fat: 5 grams  pro: 16 grams

Stuffed Spinach and Mozzarella Chicken

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Ingredients:

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (butterflied to make 6 pieces)

1 cup Italian style bread crumbs (optional)

6 TBSP. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

4-5 oz. fresh baby spinach

1 garlic clove, minced

2-3 tsp. olive oil

½ cup part-skim Ricotta cheese

2 egg whites, beaten

Mozzarella cheese, shredded (just a little on each piece, I used about 1/2 a cup total)

Marinara sauce

Fresh basil, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray the bottom of a baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

For the Chicken:

Butterfly the 3 original large pieces of chicken so that you’re now left with 6 thinner pieces.  After that, pound the pieces flatter, so that the surface area expands some more.  Place the bread crumbs and 3 TBSP. of Parmesan cheese into a shallow dish; set aside.  In another shallow dish, whisk together the egg whites.

For the Filling:

Chop the spinach into small pieces and place into a skillet with the olive oil and the garlic.  Sauté the ingredients together, over a medium heat, until the spinach leaves begin to wilt.

In a small bowl, add the ricotta cheese, the remaining Parmesan cheese, and the prepared spinach.  Now, stir the ingredients around until well combined.

To Prepare the Chicken:

Place a piece of chicken onto a flat work surface and add on a spoonful of the ricotta mixture.  Make sure to place it in the center of the chicken piece.  After that step is complete, roll up the chicken so that the edges meet and form a seam.  (A toothpick might be helpful to keep the chicken closed)  Now, dip the chicken in the egg whites and then roll in the bread crumbs.  (Remember, this step is optional.  If you would rather not have the bread crumbs, just skip this step.)  Once the chicken roll is ready, place it into the prepared baking dish and repeat the process with the remaining pieces.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Once the chicken is done baking, meaning that it looks a little brown on the top, and white in the middle, it’s time to remove the dish from the oven.  Add on some marinara sauce and a little mozzarella cheese and then place back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.  Once ready, remove from the oven and garnish with a little basil.  Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Pinch of Yum!

The Best of Breakfast: Pancake Egg Sandwich

This post may be a little overdue, but it's definitely worth me going back to. I actually made this recipe for breakfast over the holidays, to serve to my husband and in-laws.  I'd have to say that it was definitely a hit and something I can easily see myself making again; probably very soon.  That way, Jeff can have a decent breakfast during the hectic work week. 

You see, I typically don't get a chance to cook breakfast a lot, and Jeff usually just ends up having Pop Tarts.  The reason for this is because I go to the gym every morning at 5:20, before Jeff gets up, and then he heads into work before I'm home.  We seem to just miss one another on the weekdays.  That's really why I want to make something that Jeff can heat up on his own, and I feel that these breakfast sandwiches would be the perfect, make-ahead and freeze meal.  Once I know for sure how they turn out when frozen, and how long to microwave them, I'll update the post.  Until then, serve fresh and enjoy!

(Hint: Next time, I was going to try to add on a slice or two of Canadian Bacon for a little more protein.  You can never have enough protein!)

The Best of Breakfast: Pancake Egg Sandwich
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Ingredients:
For Pancakes:
2 ½ cups self-rising flour
Dash of salt
2 cups skim milk
2 eggs
¼ cup vegetable/canola oil, or healthy substitute
Butter for skillet

For Eggs:
8 large eggs, or substitute egg whites for healthier version (use more eggs)
1 TBSP. skim milk
4-5 crumbled cooked sausage patties (I use turkey sausage)
¼ tsp. black pepper
Dash of salt

For Assembly:
Canadian Bacon/Bacon
American cheese slices
Maple syrup

Directions:
For the Pancakes:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Combine the milk, oil, and eggs in a small bowl.  I always whisk the eggs together first, and then mix in the other ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour and mix together.  It may appear a little lumpy, which is fine.

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat, for a few 4-5 minutes.  Once ready, pour ¼ cup of batter (I used my ¼ cup measuring cup) onto the prepared griddle and let cook.  The bottoms of the pancakes should cook in about 2 minutes time but keep an eye on the bubbles that appear, that will help you monitor.  Once ready, flip the pancake over and let the other side cook.  When the pancakes are done cooking, place them on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to help keep them warm until serving (or place them in an oven, preheated to 200 degrees)

For the Eggs:
In a medium bowl, crack and add the eggs.  Now, whisk the eggs together until the whites and yolk are well combined.  Add in the milk, crumbled sausage patties, black pepper, and dash of salt.  Whisk the ingredients around a little more until everything is combined.

Spray a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray (such as PAM) and preheat it over a medium heat.  Once ready, pour in the egg mixture.  Scramble together until the eggs are cooked through.

To Assemble:
Place a slice of cheese on top of a pancake.  If you plan to add Canadian bacon or regular bacon, add it now.  Next, add on some of the scrambled egg/sausage mixture.  If you would like, feel free to add on another piece of cheese.  Top with a pancake and then add on some maple syrup.

We stuck the prepared sandwich in the microwave for about 15 seconds, just long enough to help the cheese melt a little.

Source: Slightly adapted from Paula Deen