Truckstop Buttermilk Pancakes

Once upon a time, during the semester, my roommate decided to make brinner (breakfast + dinner).  She hit up Tasty Kitchen to find the perfect pancake recipe.  Alas, Truckstop Buttermilk Pancakes were discovered.  We thoroughly enjoyed them and gave them a nickname.  They are quite possibly the BEST buttermilk pancakes I have EVER had.  Tonight, I decided to share them with the family.  I know it's not really your classy, New Year's Eve dinner, but still tasty.  (Also, I still hadn't been to the store at this point, and all we had was stuff for the making of pancakes.)  Here they are (well, the first batch): 

Follow the link above for the recipe (and a better picture)!  I clearly like mine a little underdone...  Anyways, I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's Eve!          

Cookie Craze

Once a year, I spend a day elbow deep in cookie dough.  I usually do like 3-4 different cookies and a couple different truffles.  I've changed out different recipes during the years, but the Oreo Truffles (not pictured) always, always happen.  They are very easy to make and totally delicious.  I kept Paula's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (not pictured) from last year, and traded out a couple for Caramel Apple Cider and White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice cookies.  My mother contributed some kind of chewy molasses cookies to the mix.

 

Oreo Truffles- Delicious, chocolate-y, melt-in-your-mouth goodness

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls- Last year, I thought these were really good.  This year, I thought they were weird.  I'm not really sure what the deal was.  My family thought they were good, but I wasn't a huge fan.  

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies- Soft and LOADED with flavor.  The only thing I don't like about these is that they crumble really easily. 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies- Soft, pumpkin, wonderfulness.  I have found that pumpkin cookies are generally very soft, which I like...and I like pumpkin.  I think I'll be pulling the recipe for these out again next year!

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies- I'm a big fan of apple cider, so I was pretty excited to try these out.  They're good, but they will stick to your teeth or pull them out.  I've found it's effective to nuke them a bit before eating.  I guess you could go all out and dip them in apple cider before eating. 

You can click the links above to get the recipes!

Some Kind of Soup

You know when you come back from a long trip, and there's basically nothing in the fridge/freezer or pantry?  Yeah, that was my situation last night.  I found a pound of ground beef, a large can of diced tomatoes, and a can each of cut green beans and corn...oh, and there was plenty of beef broth.  SO, I made soup...without a recipe...without a real plan.  Fortunately, it turned out REALLY good.  Unfortunately, I will probably never be able to repeat it.  I can tell you what I put in it (ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar), but I have know I idea how much of any of it went in.  And, looking at the list of random things that went in, I think it's almost miraculous the soup was even edible, let alone fantastic.  The cornbread is just a box of Jiffy with an egg and buttermilk.  I highly recommend using buttermilk instead of regular...it's just better...tastier. 

Apologies for slacking on the updating!  I have been doing some baking for the holidays, so I will hopefully be posting a lot soon!

P90X-2 Yoga

If you didn't already know, I'm a big P90X fan...so I was SUPER EXCITED when P90X-2 arrived yesterday.  I decided to try the new yoga workout first.  Here's the deal: I do not float.  It's like fascinating to watch Ted float.  Granted, he's done yoga for 14 years, but wow.  I guess I have something to work up to now.  I mean, I thought I was doing pretty well being almost as flexible as Shawna, but what Ted does is intense.  So for the rest of break, I will be working on floating from crane to a hand stand...maybe.  X2-Yoga moves much faster and is about 30 minutes shorter than the first one.  Lots of great moves with variations for different levels of fitness.  I do like the ab section better than the first.  There is, however, a lack of the balance-posture poses, which I happen to like...because I'm really good at those.  Overall, it's a great workout, and I'm pumped to try out the others soon!    

ChaLean Extreme Review

I essentially followed the ChaLEAN Extreme workout routine this semester.  It's not bad...but it's not P90X.  Really, anything after P90X is just not as good.  It's hard to explain.  With that aside, it's really not a bad program.  In fact, I actually seriously like the "Burn Intervals" and "Burn It Off" workouts.  And if you follow "Burn It Off" with "Recharge," flexibility improves greatly.  I will say that I can definitely lift more weight now than I could at the beginning of the semester.  And I have found myself craving lean sources of protein, which is weird...mainly because that is not cake, but anyways it's good.  One thing that really bothered me was that the ab workout is only on the schedule for once a week.  It's a solid ab workout, but once a week doesn't really cut it if you're use to three times a week.  So, I supplemented with "Ab Ripper X" from P90X.  It was also weird that there were TWO whole rest days--no stretching or anything--just rest...which doesn't really work well for me either...because if you know me, you know I go crazy if I go one day without working out.  Seriously.  It puts me in a much better mood.  So, on my "rest" days I usually did some kind of yoga or stretching, but sometimes cardio.  The edge ChaLEAN Extreme has over P90X is time--it's much shorter.  Here's my breakdown:

Pros--time, "Burn Intervals," "Burn It Off," and "Recharge" workouts, training method, motivational instructor (a little annoying in a too-perky kind of way, but that's just me)

Cons--once/week ab workout, 2 rest days, no pull-ups, minimal push-ups, no "break" week (aka a week between phases that mixes things up a bit)

Obviously, the cons aren't really cons if you've never done P90X.  It's really not a bad program, and I would recommend it...if you're working your way up.

Just remember "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch."  I have no clue who said this.  I found it on Pinterest, and I like it.

Whoa, It's almost Christmas!

Christmas is just around the corner!  Seriously.  Like, where has the year gone?!  Seriously.  It's hard to believe (at least for me) that this semester of school is about to wrap up, there are gifts to give, goodies to bake, and I have to figure out what I'm bringing home from school over break.  At least we have the tree up, and the stockings hung at home.  This is the first post-flood Christmas to involve decorating.  Last year, we had just gotten back into the house...meaning there were lots of boxes and no place for a tree!  With stockings and a tree, however, comes great temptation.  Not so much for me or other humans, but our four-legged friends struggle.  FYI: don't hang ornaments that smell like they might taste good...and wooden ornaments are apparently also very intriguing.  Apologies for the rambling.  

We also finally got our mantel "replaced."  More like re-covered, but same difference.  We built a box-thing to sit on top of the old mantel and attached an old piano fall (you know, the part that folds down to cover the keys) to the front.

The "skinny" tree.  I like it because it doesn't take up the whole room.  Hopefully, it won't get eaten.

If you've been procrastinating on shopping, Scentsy is promising arrival by Christmas if you order by the 19th (assuming, of course, things like the weather don't get in the way).  You can order online and have it shipped just about anywhere.  I here gifting options are even available.  Bonus: I will even send you a little Christmas gift, when you order online!  Another great idea would be to check out The Word Within! 

Well, I should probably go study for finals or something... Have a great Friday!

Thanksgiving Dinner

I'll admit, in recent years past, we have opted to buy a turkey dinner from the Target deli for Thanksgiving.  It's easy, reasonably priced, and pretty tasty.  This year, however, I was inspired to cook it all myself.  It was much more time consuming, but pretty delicious.  I particularly enjoyed the cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  Of course most of these are modified recipes from Paula Deen and The Pioneer Woman.  The links will take you to their original recipes.  

Cranberry-Orange Roasted Turkey-- Okay, this is actually from Taste of Home.  The only thing I did differently was stuffing the bird with orange quarters, instead of just the rind from one orange.   It turned out tender and moist.  It was good, but for some reason I'm just not a huge Thanksgiving-turkey fan...tastes too much like turkey, I guess.  It smelled totally delightful!

 

 

 

PW's Thanksgiving Stuffing-- I followed this recipe pretty much to the tee, and, oh my goodness, AMAZING.  I did add a little sage in addition to the herbs in the recipe, but that's really the only adjustment.  Side note(s)...according to the big shots on the Food Network, it's only "stuffing" if you cook it in the bird, otherwise it's "dressing."  Also, Rachael Ray had a great suggestion: save your bread butts!  When you polish off a loaf of bread, put the butts in the freezer, and you'll have your bread for stuffing/dressing or homemade croutons.  Brilliant.

PW's Creamy Mashed Potatoes-- SO good!  Creamy, warm, yummy goodness.  I mean, throw in almost two sticks of butter, cream cheese, and half & half, and it's got to be good, right?  I even used 1/3 reduced-fat cream cheese and fat-free half & half (just because that's what I keep on hand).  I added in some fresh chopped parsley too.  Super delicious. 

 

PW's Homemade Cranberry Sauce-- Tart, sweet, deliciousness.  Seriously, probably the best cranberry sauce I've ever had.  And I know my cranberry sauce...mostly because I use it to drown out the turkey flavor of the turkey, but whatever.  My point being, this is REALLY good stuff.  I did switch out the cup of pure maple syrup for a plain old cup of sugar just to be more cost-effective or something.  This also smells WONDERFUL when you're cooking it. 

Paula's Green Beans with Almonds and Caramelized Onions-- A wonderful substitute to the super creamy, traditional green bean casserole. 

Sweet Potato Casserole-- This is from Taste of Home too.  It's definitely a better alternative to the brown sugar and marshmallow covered variety.  WAY less sugar and fat.  It doesn't make you sick to eat it...which I like.  It yummy, creamy, and still sweet, just not "send-you-into-a-diabetic-coma" sweet.

Paula's Easy Yeast Rolls-- Easy indeed. Tasty. But, I wish they would have been bigger. 

Paula's Pumpkin Pie-- Creamy, pumpkin goodness.  I generally do not care for pumpkin pie (something about the texture), but this was good.  It has a thing of cream cheese in it (I used 1/3 reduced-fat), so I think that helped with my texture issue.  I used PW's Perfect Pie Crust recipe.  Also tasty.

That pretty much sums up my Thanksgiving dinner.  Been grazing on leftovers all day.  Well, technically just since noon.  I do the Black Friday thing, which you can judge me for if you want.  So, I didn't go to bed until 6:30 this morning, and I think I was up by 10...apparently dogs do not like to sleep in.  Bummer.  Anyways, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Baked Sweet Potato with Warm Black Bean Salsa

We have all heard that sweet potatoes are good for you, and that's true.  However, most of us (myself included) will generally take a baked sweet potato and load on the butter and brown sugar to eat it...which basically destroys the good nutritional value.  My point being, I was super excited to come across this recipe on Eating Well for sweet potatoes with warm black bean salsa.  It was very good.  I ended up adding a little more lime juice, and I used canned chopped tomatoes (no-salt added variety).  I also went dairy-free and cilantro-free, but that's just me.  More power to you, if you actually eat the skin...I can't do it.

 

This was a really easy thing to do.  I just baked one sweet potato at a time and kept the leftover salsa in the fridge until I needed it.  If you still want a sweet sweet potato, try to use a buttery spread like the kind by Smart Balance, use cinnamon, and sparingly use brown sugar or try the kind by Ideal.  

Also, PLEASE do not forget to get your Christmas shopping done through the Zambia Mission Fundraiser on my Scentsy website.  Just click here and get to shopping!  As my way of saying "thanks," I will send you a FREE bar of Midnight Fig :) 

Time to Give & Get

The holiday shopping season is coming upon us.  Something pulls at my heart every year when I'm out shopping (usually on Black Friday)... I'm getting all this stuff for me, my friends, and family.  While it's all nice to give to those we love, most of us don't really NEED it.  However, we like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. Just consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas.  What if that $450 billion went towards a good cause?  What if we could still get gifts, yet give to someone in need at the same time?  

That is why I have opened up an online fundraiser with Scentsy to help the Zambia Mission.  This mission has been in my life for many years, and I'm actually planning to go in June 2012.  It is truly a great effort!  The mission efforts include spreading the gospel and running and maintaining 9 schools, 4 orphanages, and a health center.  So, I'm asking you to make this holiday season count.  From now until December 5th, you have the chance to make a difference by doing your holiday shopping with Scentsy.  When you order Scentsy products from my “Zambia Mission Fundraiser,” 20% of sales will be donated to the mission efforts in Zambia.

My goal is to give at least $500 to the Zambia Mission.  So please help me out and spread the word!  I know that those involved in the mission and myself greatly appreciate your support!  If you have any questions, feel free to holler at me :)

 

Enjoy the Little Things

I love in the fall when all the seasonal flavors hit the shelves at the store.  You've got your Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts (not that I recommend them nutritionally), pumpkin ice cream (such as Edy's Slow Churned), and, my favorites, pumpkin spice coffee (such as the kind by Dunkin' Donuts and Green Mountain Coffee) and creamer (such as the kind by Coffee Mate).  Anyways, I was super excited when I ran into my K-cups and coffee creamer for the fall! 

It's a great way to have my pumpkin spice latte without the cost or calories of Starbucks.  Seriously though.  I got my K-cups at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% coupon, making it $9.59/18 or $0.53/each.  The coffee mate creamer was $1.38 at a local grocery store.  I just use one serving of creamer per cup, bringing my total to about $0.57/cup (10 oz) and 35 calories.  Bonus: it still tastes like coffee and not liquid pie.  At Starbucks, you're looking at 130 calories for a short-8oz (skim milk and no whipped cream) and probably close to $4.   

What are your favorite fall season indulgences?

Pumpkin Baked Ziti

I love fall.  Or, I love the food that comes in the fall... like pumpkin, for example... it's just inappropriate to eat pumpkin in the summer, but it's delicious.  So now it is fall, and I can eat pumpkin without being inappropriate.  Better yet, it's fall break so I actually had "time" to cook.  Kind of.  Anyways, I kicked off my fall cooking season with Paula Deen's "Pumpkin Baked Ziti."  Keeping to my tradition, I mixed up the recipe just a smidgen.  I used fat-free half and half in place of the heavy cream.  Otherwise, I used the healthier options that Paula has for the recipe.  Also, I didn't mess with ramekins.  I made this a one-dish thing except for the pot I cooked the ziti in.  Brilliant, right?  I mean, who wants to mess with ramekins? And who wants to mess with cooking the sausage, taking it out, cooking the other stuff, and adding the sausage back?  Not me.  It still turned out delicious and creamy and wonderful.  Everyone enjoyed it! (But who wouldn't? Paula + pumpkin = two of the best things ever).  Here it is with steam-in-the-bag sugar snap peas on the side:

Okay, it's not much to look at...but, trust me, you want to eat it.

I think that's all I have for now!  I better start working on the homework I've been neglecting over break.  Oops.

DC*B Concert

This past Sunday evening I joined a few friends in Tulsa for a DC*B (David Crowder Band) concert.  (As far as I know, there is no relation between David Crowder and myself.  But, if you have a lot of spare time and wish to investigate, please let me know what you find).  This is my third DC*B concert (also, my third concert EVER...lame, I know) to go to. If you have never seen DC*B, I would definitely encourage you to look at the rest of the 7 tour dates and locations and see if you can make it to one of the concerts.  This is their LAST tour, so really try to make it to one...no excuses...I even had clinical on Monday and still hit up the concert Sunday night.  Totally worth it. Seriously. At least get some of their music off iTunes...my favorite albums are probably A Collision, Remedy and Church Music, but all of them have some fantastic songs.  On that note, don't ask me to tell you my favorite song...I don't think I could pick.  Here are the highlights of the evening (chronological order):

1. Dinner at Joe Mamma's Pizza. Super cute pizza place where you can actually watch them make the pizzas and put them in the oven thing. It smelled really good...I can't actually tell you how it tasted because I have been sick, so I just got to eat a salad....but everyone I was with liked it.  I think I will have to go back sometime when I can actually eat the pizza.  

2. Concert at Cain's Ballroom. I guess you could say Cain's is a historical ballroom of sorts. It's pretty decent. It's a quaint little concert hall with like no seating, but it's fun times.

3. First opener = John Mark McMillan. I wasn't a huge fan of this one. Kind of a weird cross between country and rock. Also, I could not understand like any of the lyrics. 

4. Second opener = Chris August. I didn't think I knew who this was, until he performed Starry Nights. I think I like him.  Kind of reminds me vaguely of Phil Wickham. The downer was we were kind of needing some jump around, pumped up music, which this was not. Good, but not super upbeat.

5. Third opener = Gungor. Don't make fun of the name...I may have...but don't...Gungor is actually a really decent band.  I'll definitely be getting some of their music. Check them out.

6. DC*B!!! Yeah, they finally came on at 9:30...but they were fantastic, as usual.  Played some great songs from older albums, played a couple songs from their last (not-yet-released) album, and gave us a taste of their new Christmas album. Fabulous. It's too bad this is their last tour. I mean, if I've only gone to DC*B concerts, and this is the last one, I guess that means I will not be going to any more concerts...hopefully not, but seriously.  

7. Drive home. We didn't leave Tulsa until midnight-ish. Got to Stillwater shortly after 1ish. Hopped in my car, and I'm not going to tell you when I got to Edmond by...but I was in bed at 3ish. I was blessed for some unknown reason to have a late clinical on Monday (3p-11p instead of 7a-7p). Anyways, that's pretty much it...obviously life is crazy or else I would be on here more often...

Funnel Cake

I kind of missed out on the State Fair this year.  Between rush events and nursing school, there was simply no time to run down to the fair and eat until I couldn't walk anymore.  In lieu, I made funnel cakes at home. I don't know why, but I have this incessant need to have a funnel cake once a year. You would think after the one I had two years ago killed my gallbladder I'd be over it, but no.  Conveniently, Paula Deen has a recipe for funnel cakes.  They are super easy to make, although there's always the risk of burning yourself on the hot oil...which I, of course, managed to do.  Anyways, they turned out pretty tasty, and I figure since they weren't fair-sized and made at home, they're healthy-er. (Fine, they're not really healthy...but I'm less likely to get food poisoning or infection if I make them myself, right?) 

In other news, today was the last day in my first clinical rotation! I don't have to wake up at 4 again until the 24th.  I guess, for the most part, it was a pretty good clinical. I had a WONDERFUL instructor, and I found one floor (out of 4) that I generally liked being on. Except for a couple days, the nurses I followed were pretty decent. I had some "interesting" patients a few times too. My psych rotation is up next. That should be special. 

Well, I better get back to the wonderful world of studying...two tests again this week.

Chocolate Cake From Where You Wouldn't Expect...

Chocolate. Cake. I love them both. Obviously, most chocolate cakes come from the oven... These two, however, do not.  The first one is "baked" in a crock-pot, and the other in a mug.  

Decadent Chocolate Delight (Crock-Pot Chocolate Cake)

 Mom made this for Sunday lunch.  It was pretty decent.  Moist, chocolate-y goodness.  Topped with vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled in chocolate syrup.  Probably not super healthy, but modifications could definitely be made.  Here's the recipe:

1 package chocolate cake mix

1 cup sour cream (regular or light)

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup water

4 eggs (or 1 cup egg beaters)

3/4 cup vegetable oil (or unsweetened applesauce)

1 package instant chocolate pudding (regular or sugar-free)

Spray inside of crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine cake mix, sour cream, chocolate chips, water, eggs, oil, and pudding mix in crock-pot; mix well.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Serve hot or warm with ice-cream, if desired.

Chocolate Cake In A Mug

I tried this one out today... I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen blog.  Technically, it's suppose to be a "3-Minute Microwave Brownie" but it definitely does not have a brownie texture...more like sponge cake...chocolate sponge cake.  Decent and chocolate-y (more than enough for one person, really), but if you're wanting a brownie it's a little disappointing.  Being me, I modified the recipe so it would be lactose-free and about 200 calories (including the sugar-free cool whip).  

3 tablespoons Unsweetened Applesauce

3 tablespoons Silk Original Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Egg Beaters Original

4 tablespoons Splenda for Baking

4 tablespoons Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Use a REALLY large mug...maybe a bowl...Spray with non-stick spray.  Put all the ingredients in and thoroughly mix.  Pop it in the microwave on 700 watts probably for just 2 1/2 minutes.  Top it off with some sugar-free/fat-free/light cool whip and sugar free chocolate syrup, if you like.  

Well, obviously it's been super crazy between school, clinicals, club, and Scentsy! Maybe at some point in my life I will have more time to cook and/or bake and blog more. But let's be real, I have yet to finish decorating my apartment. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Whoa! Who knew it would be forever before I could update my blog?! I mean, I figured like a week, but seriously.  Obviously, I have not had time to cook or anything.  I'm definitely back on the college-kid diet...peanut butter, lean cuisine, soup, cereal, etc.  REALLY exciting...  I've been fortunate enough, between club events, church events, and going home, to still get some real food.  Anyways, school is nuts.  I'm only in 12 hours, technically, but that doesn't include being in the hospital from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays...(or the fact I have to wake up at 4 on those days).  But, I'm loving it...at least that's what I'm telling myself.  Thursdays are my days "off" (no class, no clinical)...but lots of reading and homework.  Naturally, to avoid that, I did some cleaning and baked!  I made some Sopapilla Cheesecake...probably the most easiest yummy goodness ever.  One day, I will make an equally delicious, lighter version, but here's the full-on sugar and fat version, drizzled with local honey:

 

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I made these sweet treats to take on my most recent trip to Stillwater.  They turned out really well, and everyone enjoyed them! I really liked the frosting because it was light, fluffy, and not too sweet.    I was kind of hesitant to make all of the "modifications" and test it out on people not in my immediate family.  However, I figured the friends I was going to see are basically family, and they like to be healthy too, so it was okay.  

The cupcake (inspired by Bobby Deen):

1 cup of sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)

3 tablespoons sugar-free strawberry jam

1 (18.25 oz) box white cake mix

1 (0.30 oz) box sugar-free strawberry gelatin

3 large egg whites 

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup water

Puree strawberries and jam in food processor.  Set aside. 

Combine the cake mix and gelatin in large mixing bowl.  Beat in the strawberry puree, egg white, applesauce, and water until thickened.  Do not over beat.  

Bake at 350 for 15ish minutes.  Makes 24 cupcakes.

The frosting:

1 package sugar-free cheesecake pudding

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup 1% or skim milk

1 (8 oz) tub of lite, fat-free, or sugar-free Cool Whip

Whisk pudding mix, powdered sugar, and milk together until thickened (about 2 minutes).  Stir in the whipped topping.  Makes more than enough for 24 cupcakes.

Well, I start off tomorrow bright and early with hospital orientation! I am so not prepared to be awake that early in the morning.  And I'm not sure when I'm getting to bed tonight because I'm wired.  Can I get a portable Keurig?  Maybe a Camelbak that I can wear on my back and keep my coffee warm... Oh well. Crazy week ahead!

PBB Bagel Thins

Alright, so this is actually what I had for breakfast. (I didn't cook tonight.) I wasn't really planning on taking a picture of my breakfast or blogging about it...But, after I put it together, I thought it was decent enough to share.  I suppose it's a fairly well-balanced breakfast...maybe should have added some turkey bacon, but it is what it is.  It was very delicious too, if you're in to peanut butter and bananas.  I'm kind of obsessed with peanut butter.  I started eating Thomas Whole Grain Bagel Thins last spring.  I like them because (1) actual bagels are too big and have at least twice as many calories, (2) mini bagels are too small and generally have the same amount of calories, and (3) they are lactose free.  So, what's the damage? 110 calories...not bad.  Thomas has a variety of bagel thins; today I used the cinnamon raisin.  Next up: natural peanut butter.  By natural, I mean less than 5 ingredients--the fewer the better.  I know you're thinking, "But natural peanut butter has the same amount of calories as regular peanut butter, and it costs more..." Oh, but natural peanut butter has less sodium, sugar, and other things.  Maybe you don't eat as much PB as I do, but that stuff adds up.  I sliced up half a banana to top it off.  A delicious breakfast in a snap!

 

Chilled Cucumber Soup & Lemon Pepper Chicken

I have moved on from German fare to Greek...sort of.  The Chilled Cucumber Soup for tonight's meal was suggest by a friend...for which I am very grateful because I was running out of ideas and didn't much want to go hunting.  Anyways, the soup was lovely, though the brother thought it was to "girl-y."  It was nice to have the cool, crisp soup along side the lemon pepper chicken because that stuff has a kick. 

You can click here for the soup recipe.  I used regular cucumbers instead of Persian; I did seed them, however.  I used celery leaves and plain all-natural yogurt because that's what I had on hand. (I am all about plain Greek yogurt though!)  I also ended up using EVOO instead of grapeseed oil.  That's cool, right?  Sure.  Anyways, it was very refreshing.  All that's involved in the chicken is sprinkling some McCormick's Grill Mates Lemon Pepper With Herbs seasoning on before popping in the George Foreman grill.  Super easy.  I just threw the lemon slice on top for fun...it doesn't really do anything.

Got another load of stuff to OC today.  I haven't done any unpacking or anything though, so my room still looks pretty stinking dismal.  No worries though...by the end of this coming weekend, it will be pinkified...every last inch.  Should be smelling good too with all the Scentsy :)    

Turkey Bierocks

Apparently I am on a German food kick this week...German pot roast yesterday...Bierocks today (ground meat, cabbage, and seasonings, all wrapped up).  Anyways, this was kind of more of a production than I was anticipating on.  I could not find the recipe my mom had used before, so I was kind of winging it between the ones I found.  As usual, I changed some things up.  I'm a turkey girl, so the ground beef went out the door.  I'm also into using whole wheat flour, so I did half and half.  While I did enjoy the sweetness of the dough, I would probably use less sugar next time.  Actually, to save time, I will probably buy whole wheat frozen or refrigerated dough from the store.  I got the "filling" done and the dough rising before mom got home.  She was kind enough to handle the dough and stuff the bierocks because I didn't want to get my hands all sticky and gross.  We had some yummy, juicy cantaloupe on the side.  And while the food lacks some color tonight, I assure you, it didn't lack taste.

German Pot Roast

Before yesterday afternoon, I had planned on doing a German pot roast along with some orange marmalade carrots for lunch today.  Yesterday afternoon, I found out we were having company over for dinner...thus the addition of potatoes and a dessert (they brought the salad and bread).  My final spread consisted of the German pot roast, orange marmalade carrots, mashed red potatoes, and applesauce bars. 

The German pot roast.  I used a cow's arm, which sounds kind of gross, but is tasty.  I'm not sure what the Germans were thinking when they came up with this.  Seriously though, random stuff.  Obviously there's the meat and an onion.  Not as obvious: bay leaves, cloves, peppercorn, a slice of bread, gingersnaps, molasses, and cider vinegar.  Weird, but delicious.  It cooked overnight in the crock-pot and was super tender and juicy for lunch.

Orange marmalade carrots.  Being me, I used the reduced-sugar marmalade and light margarine.  In line with being a diva, I did NOT peel and slice a bunch of carrots...I steamed frozen ones that were already peeled and sliced.  I think they could have used a little more marmalade, but I like steamed carrots so it wasn't too tragic.

The red mashed potatoes with parsley.  Fortunately, we got the potatoes scrubbed, cleaned, and sliced last night (or REALLY early this morning, depending on how you look at things).  Even though they were sliced pretty thin, they took their sweet time cooking.  Then, they were jumping out of the mixing bowl when we were trying to mash them with the mixer.  SO, they ended up hand-mashed (with a hand-masher thing...not my hand).  They weren't perfectly smooth by any means, but they were still good. 

The applesauce bars.  Don't let the name fool you.  While I did use unsweetened applesauce instead of sweetened (like the recipe calls for), there is still PLENTY of sugar...mostly in the icing.  There is, however, no oil, which I like.  Granted this is not the prettiest dessert on the face of the earth, but it is SO GOOD.  Moist, sweet, yummy goodness.  I guess if you made them "naked" they could be healthier.  Maybe I will try that sometime.  They are also lactose-free when they're naked, which is a huge bonus for me. 

If you want to read a soapbox:

Well, yesterday was kind of nuts.  I got like 5ish hours of sleep, got some Scentsy stuff together and hung out at the Nowlin Center at OC while some people checked in.  It smelled really good while I was there...just saying.  Then, I caught the last part of a birthday party (the cake was my lunch).  Then, I had to drive my mom and brother out to El Reno (LONG drive) so my brother could get his truck.  Next, I scarfed some dinner, started cleaning up the kitchen, and made the applesauce bars.  Then, it was off to Kohl's because we had Kohl's cash that was going to expire.  Then, we went to Wal-Mart to get the rest of the stuff we needed for lunch today.  After we got back, we had to finish cleaning the kitchen and get stuff ready for lunch.  Long story short, I didn't get in the shower until after 1.  My friend Julie can do the math for you, and let you know when I got to bed.  When I got to Bible class this morning, my friend Megan says, "You looked stressed-out."  So I told her about my adventures.  She instantly recognizes that I did not get to workout, which is bad news.  My instructions from her for today were to take a nap and workout...I must say I feel much better now.  So that's my soapbox for now. 

Trip to the Zoo

This past Wednesday, I took the kiddos I watch to the zoo.  Why would I go to the zoo when it's 100 degrees outside? (1) I like the zoo. (2) Kids like the zoo.  (3) Admission was $1.  (4) I still hadn't seen the new elephant exhibit or the baby elephant.  Anyways, we packed up and went to the zoo along with my brother...it was very nice of him to come too.

  

My thoughts:

• The new elephant exhibit is legit, and the baby elephant is cute...for a baby elephant, I guess.  
• I wish the two dead ends at the back of the zoo connected to each other, so you could walk in a loop and not have to back track to get to the other side.  
• I don't like the herpetorium in general, but especially when cute baby mice are in the food dish.
• The old shark tank and dolphin tank still creep me out.
• The zoo needs LOTS of Scentsy because the buildings STINK.
• Having a water playground in the Children's Zoo is genius.
• I was disappointed in the lack of big cats, especially TIGERS.  Did they kill those off like the dolphins, or did they just go on holiday to the north until it cools off?   

Here we are on a baby elephant statue, which is apparently in the middle of an elephant graveyard: 

I obviously haven't done any cooking or baking since Wednesday.  However, tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday look promising for some yummy stuff! Have a great Saturday!

BBQ Pork Roast Sandwiches

Today I modified Paula Deen's Barbecue Pork Roast recipe for the crock-pot.  Technically, it's marinated and then roasted...but I like the crock-pot.  So I put the pork loin in the crock-pot on low this morning with the "marinade" and enough barbecue sauce to cover it (I use Head Country).  It was done by the time I got home at 5:30, but I seriously just finished eating my dinner five minutes ago.  This makes Wednesday #2 for eating dinner after 9.  Crazy stuff.  Back to the pork... it was totally delicious!  I had some fresh sliced peaches sprinkled with cinnamon and Splenda on the side.  The bun is a Wonder whole wheat 80 calorie bun, in case you were wondering.     

Lots of exciting stuff going on right now, especially with Scentsy.  In the last two days, I've gotten three great opportunities!  Speaking of which, I better go whip up some samples!  Have a good night!

To the Maker of Scrubs:

Whoever designed scrubs needs to be fired.  The end.  Seriously, why do they think health care professionals are shaped like boxes?  They also do not seem to understand that you can be tall AND slim.  Seriously.  The ONLY pair of scrub pants I have found that fit well were some Grey's Anatomy scrubs by Barco in some "missy tall fit" thing.  I know you're thinking, "she just likes them because they're 'Grey's Anatomy'."  True, I'm a fan, but if I ever find another pant that works, I'll take it.  Let's not even go in to tops.  So why am I hung up on scrubs right now?  Well, the OC nursing department provides its students with scrubs for clinicals, which I start in the near future.  These scrubs, like most, do not fit me whatsoever.  The pants have a drawstring, which kind of holds them up.  The top?  Oi.  See for yourself:

I call the second picture, "Where's Catherine?" It's like the top ate me.  Definitely not my best look...or color.  Thankfully, I have a mother who can sew...because I don't do that.  My domestic divaness doesn't involve sewing.  Anyway, she took the top in a bit, and it's better...more so in real life than the picture.  Unfortunately, the color is the same.

 
I guess I will figure out how to get some PINK in there and work it!

Insider Scentsy Tip

For quite some time, Scentsy has been trying to avoid a price increase on their warmers.  However, the cost of materials and manufacturing have gone up too much.  Scentsy is addressing the issue in a fair way: warmers that cost more to manufacture will cost more than those that are more easily produced.  Starting September 1st, Scentsy will introduce a "premium" warmer line for full-size and mid-size warmers that take extra time, materials, and care to produce.  The adorable, first three-piece warmer, "Cupcake" will be upgraded to a premium warmer.  This month, it is $22.50, but it will go up to $30.  If you have been thinking about getting a warmer, now is definitely the time to do it...especially if it's going to be in the new premium line!  Here is a complete list:

Mid-size warmers: ABCs, Cupcake, and the Nursery Collection


Full-size warmers: The Imperial Collection, Baby's Breath, Bamboo Trail, Casbah, Celtic Love Knot, Cherry Blossom, Dotty, Fossil Fern, Heavenly, Heirloom, Margot, Nature's Heaven, Paws, Pinecone, Star Spangled, Wrangler, and Yukon

All of these warmers, plus some NEW ones will be $5 more than a standard mid-size or full-size warmer.  However, they are 10% OFF this month (as is most everything else)!  Please feel free to holler at me if you're interested or have questions about the new pricing.   www.catchic.scentsy.us

Oh, I KNOW you were wondering about this...just kidding.  I have discovered that our dog Teddy is a Scentsy fan too.  How do I know this?  I let her sniff my samples with me.  Her favorite is Happy Birthday.  She doesn't like Just Breathe at all, and she's intrigued by Vanilla Cream.  Also, she really likes "Penny the Pig," one of the buddies.  It's pretty entertaining to see her reacting to all the scents!  So begins my campaign to sell Scentsy to dogs...just kidding. 

I think I'm going to check-out for the night because I need to get to grouting bright and early in the morning.  What are you doing this weekend?  

I'm So Glad This Is Not My Real Job...

I realize I am behind schedule, very far behind schedule.  I got, oh, five hours of sleep last night.  Spent, I guess now, yesterday morning laying out all the tile so we could make cuts ahead of time...then, when it was time to do the adhesive, it would all go smoothly...like the DIY lady says...right.  Who knows why, but for some reason the perfect layout didn't end up so perfectly going on the wall, so it took longer than expected.  It looks pretty good now, but, oh my goodness, it took FOREVER.  Now it's suppose to sit for 24 hours before grouting...I don't think I want to start that at midnight.  Here is a before pic and after (so far):

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but there's two rows of subway tiles, then a pencil liner, then the mosaic.  Kudos to people who do this for real.  I will stick with Scentsy, nursing, and nannying.  I like the creative part of doing a back splash...not so much the actual work.  I don't like my hands to be dirty...so this was a challenge.  Probably, I could have saved some time if I hadn't washed my hands every time after I put a piece up.  And, yes, I tried gloves for a while, but I have small hands and gloves are awkward.  Oh well.  I think I'm going to bed.  I'm even going to skip the workout today. Whoa.  Goodnight! 

Inside-Out Turkey Tamale Pie

This morning I threw a bunch of stuff in the crock-pot, resulting in tonight's "Inside-Out Turkey Tamale Pie."  This is another Hungry Girl recipe from 300 under 300.  I did add a little extra here and there, though.  The recipe doesn't call for whole cans of things, but, really, what am I going to do with part of a can of sweet corn and part of a can of red kidney beans?  Yeah, I couldn't think of anything...so I just put all of it in.  I also used two cans of Rotel because the recipe calls for 14oz and all I could find was 10oz cans.  I suppose all this business may have changed the calories from 230/serving, but it also stretched the recipe to make more servings.  It all works out, right?  Regardless, it was a success.  Even the brother thought it was manly enough to eat.  I actually have only had a spoonful because that's the kind of day I've had.  I think I will eat a bowlful while I watch the DIY video on tiling again... So, this picture is my mother's bowl...I will be going the dairy-free route, unfortunately.  

Big project underway tomorrow!  I'll have before and after picks...hopefully! 

Chicken & Asparagus Crepes

Today I made Bobby's Lighter Chicken and Asparagus Crepes--a little something I found on Paul Deen's website.  I cooked the chicken in the skillet ahead of time because I knew things would be a little crazy this evening.  I used a little salt, pepper, oregano, sage, and garlic for flavor because, you know, I don't like "chicken" taste.  It was a milestone for me to cook chunks of chicken, though I made them very small...(I prefer it shredded...something about eating chunks of meat grosses me out.)  Anyways, with that done, everything came together quite simply.  The recipe says to steam fresh asparagus, but I took the liberty of using the Pictsweet frozen steam-in-a-bag asparagus because it's quicker.  WARNING before you look at the picture: I couldn't get it to come out of the baking dish in "crepe form" so it's more like a pile.  Yes, I sprayed the baking dish, but crepes are very thin...very thin.  It was still totally delicious!

Sorry for the posting delay...we even had dinner early tonight!  However, I hurried along to meet up with a great friend who is thinking about joining my Scentsy team!  Exciting stuff!  Seriously, I just got back because we were having so much fun talking about it and smelling testers.  Right now is a really cool time to sign-up too!  There's no monthly sales requirement, you get fall/winter AND spring/summer catalogs and testers, and you have lots of time to rack up points for a trip to the Dominican Republic!  Does it take a lot of work?  That depends on your goals.  Is it fun?  Obviously!  

Okay, that's my Scentsy soapbox for the day... I've got a crazy day tomorrow...well, like everyday, but maybe especially tomorrow.  Have a good night! 

Spaghetti Squash with Sweet Italian Sausage

Tonight I made "Spaghetti Squash with Sweet Italian Sausage," which was inspired by a recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen.  It is delicious and comes in around 200 calories/serving, give or take a few, depending on how you alter the recipe.  I particularly love that it is dairy-free because I'm lactose intolerant...and that's a whole other story.  Anyways, it's simple and yummy!

 

Here is the recipe for my version:

1-2 whole spaghetti squash (I used one big one, about 4.5 pounds)

1 bag Pictsweet frozen baby spinach (12 oz)

16-20 oz sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 4-5 links, if using Honeysuckle) 

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced (I just use the garlic press thing)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup white wine or white cooking wine

1 cup 99% fat-free chicken broth

EVOO or just plain old olive oil for cooking

Cut the squash in half (length-wise) and place on a pan in the oven at 375; bake for about 40 minutes.  While that's going, take the sausage out of the casing, slice, and brown in a skillet with a little EVOO; set aside.  Put red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and seasonings in the skillet with a little EVOO; cook until tender.  Pour in white wine to deglaze.  Add chicken broth.  This is a decent time to steam the spinach in the microwave (about five minutes).  Add the sausage back to the skillet and let simmer until the "sauce" has reduced some.  Add in spinach.  Let everything simmer for a while to soak up the flavor of the "sauce."  Once the squash is out of the oven, scoop it out with a fork (separate the seeds out).  Put squash on plate with sausage and stuff on top.  Eat.  I think that's pretty much it.

Well, it's time to go to Lowe's...I might be living there this week.