And so it begins

My dinner was better than yours.

Let the days of no sugar commence.

Today my hubby and I began our sugar detox. So far so good. I figured that I would write a little something every day about it because I'm sure it will be fascinating. But really, I'm doing this for two reasons; 1. To keep me accountable. If I have to report to my millions of fans, then surely I can't cheat. 2. So maybe I can inspire someone or assuage someones fears of trying.

I'm going to be honest about it all. No "sugar" coating, this is a sugar detox after all. (bu dum ching)

Now, not every blog I write for the next 21 days is going to be be detox centric, some may just have a blurb if theres not much to report. I still plan on being my hilariously, sarcastic self, for the most part.

Here's what my food looked like today (this is riveting stuff here, folks):

• Breakfast
• Coffee with half & half (missed my flavored creamer)
• 2 Mini egg quiches (pretty good, but I made it a tad too salty and hubby didn't like the "squish" of the tomatoes)
• Babybell cheese (I'm doing the version that allows full fat dairy)
• Snack
• Homemade trail mix (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pepitas, almonds)
• Lunch
• Tuna salad made with homemade mayo in lettuce cups
• Snack
• Green apple
• More trail mix (my go-to, cause its convenient)
• Dinner
• Shephard's Pie (pictured above) with cauliflower mash (recipe from detox book) DELISH!
• Brussel sprouts, asparagus, onions, mushrooms sauteed in bacon fat & coconut oil with balsamic vinegar (pictured below) So good!
• Coffee with half & half (still miss my flavored creamer, but it's better than nothing)

I did drink a few seltzer waters today, but water is clearly where I am lacking. Why can't I hydrate with coffee?? I swear, I am probably perpetually dehydrated. It's sad really, but honestly, I don't drink a lot in general. It's not just water, it's anything really. I may drink a coke zero or two and obviously coffee, but that's really it. Definitely need to work on that.

Anyway, like I said, so far so good. I do have a headache as I write this, but I'm also a mom, business owner, wife, homemaker... so really that could be a number of things.

to the moon and back,

Carrot Pumpkin Muffins or are they?

These are not the muffins, just a prep pic.

Today consisted of more prep. Now I don't want to scare you away from trying this detox because it seems like too much work. I'm putting this much time in so I have no excuses because I tend to be the queen of excuses when it comes to quitting. I prepared mini bacon (yes, bacon!) tomato spinach quiches, homemade mayonaise (second attempt), tuna salad and carrot pumpkin muffins.

Yes, you heard me right, carrot pumpkin muffins! I'm on a "diet" that allows carrot pumpkin muffins! I quickly envisioned this glorious carrot cake/pumpkin muffin hybrid, moist and decadent but probably "lightened up" with applesauce or something of the like. I mean, not only can I have bacon, I'm encouraged to have it on this diet, so a delicious muffin didn't seem far fetched. I thought "man, this will be a great pick-me-up when I'm craving something a little sweet after a few days. Ok, let's be honest, I'll be craving something about 8:45 tomorrow am.

I figure, I better make up some of these so as not to be tempted by the tasty treats I drive by on a daily basis. I quickly start gathering up the ingredients (I'm totally a gatherer, not a hunter). I make it about 4 ingredients in and low and behold, what do my wandering eyes come upon? 1 Banana mashed....

Ummm... excuse me? In what universe does a BANANA ever belong in either (pronounced eye-ther in this sentence) a scrumptious pumpkin muffin or a cinnamony carrot cake? A banana is the devils fruit. There are no two ways about it and anyone who likes them isn't right in the head. Mind you, I'm including my entire family in that sweeping generalization.

Blah... there go my dreams.

But I made them anyway. Blah.... Hubby and Moose liked them and Junior SCARFED them down. So, I guess it's a win.

I'm pretty sure I'll resort to trying to gag down one later this week.

It starts tomorrow...

to the moon and back,

Basking in my food coma

Here I sit, bloated, uncomfortable and semi-motionless due to crashing from my carb laden sugar-high, but with no regrets. 

Did I eat too much? Absolutely.

Did I consume enough calories to feed a small nation? Quite possibly

Would I do it again? Most definitely!

Food and coma aside, I love Thanksgiving. I'm a nostalgic person (in case you haven't noticed here and here and here) so having a day steeped in tradition is a-ok in my book.

The smells, the sounds, the sites. 

Watching my mom prepare a meal that I used to watch my granny prepare makes me happy. Being able to help out, is something that I was looking forward to all week. It seems silly to spend days and hours preparing a meal that will be eaten in about 20 minutes (and munched on off and on for the next few days) but that time preparing is quality time spent with family. 

I remember being at my granny's house watching her work feverishly at getting everything done in time. My papa sitting on the couch pretending he doesn't want to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I remember all of my aunts, uncles and cousins accumulating at Granny's and chowing down. I remember the laughter, the love, the sarcasm, the feuds, the good and the bad. The point is we were together every year. I miss that. I love what we had today, but I miss the days of everyone coming together.

As such, today I am thankful for memories. New memories, old memories, memories yet to be made. 

I hope you all had a great day and made lots of new memories and are in the process of enjoying your very own food coma as you read this!

to the moon and back,

Easy Peasy Chicken Pot Pie

A few of my friends get together once a month or so and trade freezer meals. This is really nice, because if 5 people do it, then you end up with 6 (counting the one you make) homemade freezer meals to use on those hectic nights.

The last two that we have done, I have made chicken pot pies. For one, they freeze really well, and for two, they are super easy to make.

I have had a few people ask me for my recipe, so here goes, try not to get lost in the uber complicated directions... ;)

Chicken Pot Pie

2 Chicken Breasts (Boneless)
1 Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies
Self Rising Flour
Chicken Broth
Refrigerated Pie Crust
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large pot, fill halfway with chicken broth and salt & pepper to taste. Then place the chicken breasts in the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and boil until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. remove the chicken and add the mixed veggies. Cook on a low boil until veggies get tender. While they are cooking, take a fork and shred the chicken into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the pot with the veggies.

Now, in a small cup, add 2 tbsp of flour and add water and mix to make a slurry (looks like milk) and then add to the pot. Let it boil for a bit to thicken. Repeat the process until the sauce is as thick as you’d like it. Take a nine inch pie pan and place one of the pie crusts on the bottom and trim the excess off the edges. After the chicken mixture has cooled a little, begin spooning it into the crust. Don’t overfill it. Then add the other pie crust to the top and seal the edges and trim excess. Place in the oven and bake until crust browns. Enjoy! (you may have enough mixture to make 2 pies, just freeze the extra one)

See? Easy peasy lemon squeezey (as moose would say)!

to the moon and back,

Pasta-less Lasagna Recipe (sort of...)

Ok, I know I'm not the only one who loves Italian food but doesn't want the carbs from pasta. Soooo, I threw together a recipe using no pasta. I use the term "recipe" loosely because as anyone who knows me knows I never follow a recipe to the T and if I'm winging it, I don't write it down. It drives my husband crazy, because we never get the exact same meal twice.

Here's how I feel, though, food is a feeling, you just have to go with it. I find that I improvise a lot depending on 1. my mood and 2. what's in my pantry/fridge/freezer....

Anyway, I came home from work and I knew that if I didn't use the eggplant that I got the other day, then I'd be throwing it away. Jon has been asking for pizza lately, so I thought lasagna was a good compromise. This could also easily be a vegetarian meal if you omit the ground turkey.

So here it my best attempt at a recipe (this makes 4 generous servings could be 6 if served with a salad or something):

Pasta-less Lasagna

Sauce Mixture (throw it all in a skillet minus the sauce and cook until meat is cooked thoroughly, you may need to add a splash of olive oil for a little fat. Once the mixture is cooked, add the sauce and heat through.)
1/2 lb Ground Turkey
1/2 Medium Onion Chopped
4 oz (or 1/2 package) Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Chopped Frozen Spinach (or 1 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Spinach)
1/2 Chopped Broccoli Florets
1 Jar Classico Tomato Sauce
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cheese Mixture (while the above is cooking, mix all of the following ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
1 Cup Low-Fat Shredded Mozzarella (set aside about a 1/4 cup or so for the top of the lasagna)
1/2 Cup Part Skim Ricotta
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/2 Tbsp Basil (I used the stuff in the squeeze tube found in the produce section)
Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Blend, Oregano, Salt & Pepper to taste

Pasta Replacement
1 Medium Eggplant Peeled and Sliced into Faux Lasagna Noodles (not too thick)

Preheat oven to 375. Take a baking dish (I used 9x9) and add a layer of the sauce mixture, then a layer of raw eggplant "noodles", then smear a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the eggplant then another layer of sauce. Repeat until you have either filled your pan or run out of ingredients. Top with a final layer of sauce and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is nice and brown!

Ok, here's a secret, you don't want the eggplant sliced to thin because they will over-cook and be to mushy, but you downy want it sliced too thick because it won't get done. There's a fine line, but you do still want it to have a little bite so it mimics al dente pasta. It's also nice because this lasagna recipe doesn't get watery which is sometimes a problem with lasagna.

Enjoy and feel free to improvise! Live a little!!

to the moon and back,

Soy Butter Basil Baked Chicken Wings

Several years ago, I organized special events for a living. One of the events that I did was a chicken wing cooking competition. At one of those competitions, a local restaurant served up some mighty tasty wings, that I have not been able to find since (the restaurant didn't serve those on their menu).

I've never been one to cook wings, because 1. I try to refrain from fried food and 2. I do not like frying food. However, back in February, while we were on vacation, I looked up a recipe for baked wings and they turned out amazing.

Anyway, for the last week the hubby has been asking for wings, so I finally made it by the store today to get wings. When I got home, I suddenly thought "Those wings, I need to make those wings!" What kind of wings you ask? Uh... didn't you read the title of this blog? Soy butter basil baked chicken wings. Here's the recipe I came up with off the top of my head, combining the baked wings recipe with what I am guessing is the recipe for those SBB (for short) wings... Now, this is a very precise recipe, so be sure to follow it to a tee (Pshh, whatever, I say make it your own!)

SBB Wings

20 wings (give or take)
1 Stick of Melted Butter (or the equivalent in margarine)
3 Cloves of minced Garlic
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Basil (or the equivalent in the squeeze basil that you get in the produce section)
Soy sauce to taste
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large pot, fill half way with water and salt to taste. Add the wings and bring them to a boil. Boil them until they are almost done. While those are cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients together (minus the salt). Keep tasting until you get the soy to mixture ratio to your liking. When the wings are almost done, but still a little pink, pull them out of the water and add them to the marinade. Mix it up until all the wings are coated. let sit for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the wings on a baking sheet and brush with extra marinade. Bake until the wings brown and the skin crisps. Turn halfway through.

I think you'll agree that you will never go back to take out wings! Plus these are much healthier because the boiling removes a good deal of fat plus there is no frying! If you want to save more calories, remove the skin, just be careful not to over cook them in the oven, they will dry out quickly.

to the moon and back,

Low-Cal Enchiladas

So, in an effort to save money and calories, I have been cooking more. I really do love to cook, especially when I can make stuff up off the cuff. My hubby says I have a knack for it. I love the challenge of looking into my fridge/cabinet and coming up with something unique and tasty with stuff I have on hand.

Tonight, I decided on my version of enchiladas, which were of the venison persuasion. Now, if you aren’t a fan of bambi (as my hubby calls it), you can substitute extra lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken.  I choose venison, one because it’s a lean meat and two because my brother-in-law blesses us with a ton of meat every hunting season. I have a very southern upbringing and come from a family of hunters, so I am not fazed by it. In fact, my mom raises a cow every year and takes it to market so she has a freezer full of fresh, hormone free and antibiotic free beef (all cuts-ribeye, ground beef, roast, stew meat, etc…)

Anyway, on to dinner…

4 Huge Servings (Less than 400 Calories Each)!

Venison Enchiladas

1 Can Low Sodium Black Beans (15 oz)
4 Cups Stewed Tomatoes
½ Cup Chopped Onions
1 Can Ro-Tel - Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (if you aren’t a fan of heat, skip these)
1 Cup Frozen Spinach
8 oz Ground Venison
4 Ole High Fiber Low Carb Tortillas
2 Oz Cabot - Cheddar Cheese 50% Reduced Fat
1 tbsp Argo - Cornstarch
2 tsp Chili powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre heat the oven to 350. In a skillet brown the ground meat with the onions, salt and pepper. In a separate pot, heat the stewed tomatoes, Ro-Tel tomatoes, spinach and chili powder until boiling. Once the meat is browned, drain any grease and then add the black beans. Now that the tomato mixture is boiling, mix the cornstarch with a little water until it's blended. Slowly stir the cornstarch into the tomato mixture.  Take half of the tomato mixture and add it to the meat mixture. In a 9x13 pan spoon in a layer of the tomato mixture to cover the bottom. Divide the meat mixture in to four and fill each tortilla shell equally then place in the pan. Pour the remaining tomato mixture over the enchiladas and then top with the cheese. Bake until cheese is browned.

Super yummy! I added a little guacamole to mine. I served mine with a side of veggies, you could also top it with some shredded lettuce and a few chopped raw onions.

Enjoy! I shall now relax and enjoy my peppermint mocha flavored coffee.... Ahhhh....

To the moon and back,

Breakfast Muffins

So, I have been MIA lately. I know, get off my back...

But now I'm back, from outer space, I just walked in to find you here, with that sad look upon your face... Oh wait, that's not right.

Anyway, I'm back baby! We have had quite a lot going on what with moving, holidays, ER visits, renovations, working, and so on, and so on...

It's now a new year and I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. Hubby, Moose and I are back to healthy. I am training for a 5K in February and hubby has been biking and running and we have all been eating better.

I am always looking for healthy meal ideas and can across an interesting on one Pinterest. I am horrible about breakfast and when I saw a recipe for a sort of breakfast muffin, I thought, "I can do that!" So... here is my creation. It is mighty tasting and less than 200 calories!

Breakfast Muffins
1 Can Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
8 Egg Whites
8 Precooked Turkey Sausage Patties
1 Cup Diced Onions
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
3oz 50% Reduced Fat Cabot Cheese (Finely Shredded) Save a little to top each muffin
Black Pepper
Red Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin pan (not a cupcake pan) with one crescent roll per muffin hole. In a bowl, scramble the egg whites, milk, onions, peppers, and cheese. Once it is mixed well, pour equal amounts of the mixture in each muffin hole. Dice the turkey sausage patties and top each muffin with equal portions. Finish off by topping each muffin with the reserved shredded cheddar and then bake until the cheese on the top begins to brown.

Feel free to add more veggies (spinach, mushrooms, green peppers, broccoli, etc...)

They are great reheated for a quick breakfast or good for a brunch get together! Enjoy!

To the moon and back,