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.

Coq Au Vin

For Sunday lunch, we enjoyed Hungry Girl's Coq Au Vin.  This is an easy crock-pot recipe from her newest book, 300 Under 300.  I've never had real Coq Au Vin, so I have nothing to compare HG's version to.  Either way, the family thought it was good!  I liked how easy it was to throw everything into the crock-pot last night before bed, so when we got back from worship, it was ready to eat!  (Yes, there's chicken under the pile of baby carrots, onions, and mushrooms!)

 
Since the main course was super low-cal, I thought dessert was appropriate.  Mom had been wanting some Peach Float, so that's what I made.  I used 1% milk and Splenda, so that cut down on the calories some.  It turned out really well!  The brother has no idea I used Splenda...Mom, however, has some freak-ish Splenda-tasting-radar, so she figured it out.  Of course, I served it with sugar-free Cool Whip! 

STAMPEDE!

After a few very exciting (and exhausting) days, I am back from "Stampede," Scentsy's 2011 Convention.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I have so much exciting news, I don't even know where to begin!  We spent the first evening hanging out at the Stockyards, and enjoyed concerts by Gloriana and Clint Black (okay, country is not my thing, but Gloriana was decent).  The second day, we got to here Connie Podesta speak; she is great.  We also got a bunch of FREEBIES!  On Friday, we heard speeches from John C. Maxwell (good speech, not my favorite presentation), Shawn Achor (reminds me of Ryan P. on the "Bachelorette"), and three Scentsy consultants.  Friday evening was awards night, and we found out where the incentive trip and next year's convention will be....THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and VEGAS, respectively.  Now, how about some pictures?

This group, "Vocal Trash," provided entertainment between speeches on Friday.

Orville & Heidi Thompson, the wonderful CEO and President of Scentsy.  Really, you NEED to hear their story!

Comedian Anita Renfroe at the Awards Ceremony.  Hilarious.

Does your executive team look like this?  I didn't think so! I love Scentsy :)

Three of the new warmers that will be released on September 1, 2011.

The special "Stampede" warmer along with a bar of the new "Weathered Leather."

Returning and NEW scents for the Fall/Winter 2011 Catalog.

Two NEW Scentsy Buddies AND a charitable cause Buddy.

The NEW "Heroes" line! Thanks to our fire fighters and police officers!

A couple new unique warmers, "Flint" and "Shale"

Now it's easier to see if your favorite scent is available in a Travel Tin, Fragrance Foam, or Scent Pak.

NEW Scentsy solid perfume!  It's amazing!

It is a very exciting time as a Scentsy consultant!  Scentsy is a dynamic company with three important values: authenticity, generosity, and simplicity.  Scentsy believes in giving back more than you take.  I feel blessed to be a part of such a company!  Now is a great time to join, too.  No, I'm not just saying that.  I'm serious.  Seriously.  For just $99 (wonderful start-up kit included) you can have your own business and work on YOUR terms.  Whatever the reason may be... Maybe you're in college, like me, and can't have a "normal" job because of classes.  Perhaps, you want to be a stay-at-home mom.  Maybe you are a stay at home mom, but want some extra cash.  My favorite reason?  You want to be able to give back more!  Joining now will get you off to a great start with the busiest season right around the corner!  Plus, you will have plenty of time to earn an all-inclusive trip to the Dominican Republic.  Best of all, Orville and Heidi announced at convention that it's going to be easier than ever before to remain an active consultant!  Also, you know you want to be livin' it up in VEGAS next year!  Seriously, contact me if you are interested at all!  I'd love to talk with you!    

Don't forget that most of Scentsy's Spring/Summer 2011 catalog is 10% OFF this month!  Who doesn't love a SALE?  Make sure to stock up on retiring favorites before they're gone too!  Go online or holler at me!   

Well, I need to workout and get tomorrow's lunch in the crock-pot!  Have a great night!

Chicken Fajita Foil Packets

I'm probably crazy for turning the oven on when it's like 120 degrees outside.  I mean, I might as well sit it out on the back porch and let it cook that way, right?  Crazy or not, I made chicken fajita foil packets tonight for dinner.  This is a very easy "one-dish" kind of meal.  The original recipe is from Kraft's "Healthy Living" collection, but, as usual, a changed a thing here and there.  I used brown rice instead of white and used sharp cheddar cheese.  I also used the "leftover" seasoning from the packet (mixed with some other seasons of my choice) to rub the chicken with; I don't like chicken that tastes really chicken-y.  Of course, you don't have to bother using the brands specifically mentioned in the recipe.  It was totally delicious!

Well, I am headed to Fort Worth for Scentsy Convention tomorrow!  I've heard many great things about convention, so I'm super excited to see what Scentsy has in store!  I'm expecting some pretty great new product reveals...  Also, I'm looking forward to some quality time with my amazing team!  I'm so blessed to be a part of the "Scent with a Purpose" team.  Wonderful, hard-working, God-loving women.  Scents I'm talking about my team (haha, "scents" instead of "sense"...get it?) now is a really great time to join, if you've been thinking about it.  Why?  Because the starter kits have both the Spring/Summer AND Fall/Winter samples and such!  Yea for more stuff to smell! 

Hopefully, the family will not starve in my absence.  I got a bunch of frozen meals, either for the oven or skillet.  I think they will make it.  Be looking for an update Saturday or Sunday!