Weight Watchers Brownies!!

Try this trick for brownies! This is the way they taught us to make brownies at the Weight Watchers meeting I attend. Use a can of Black Beans instead of the oil and eggs when making them. Thus, these are just two ingredients! Enjoy!

One box of brownie mix, I used a generic brand from Aldi's
One can 14 oz or so of black beans

Open black bean can, drain and rinse beans, pour them back into can and fill with water. Puree them in a blender, food processor or Magic Bullet (that's what i used), till there are no longer big pieces of beans.

Mix brownie mix and bean puree together in order to make a batter.

Spray baking dish with Pam, pour in batter. Bake at 350 for 35 mis. Yum!

Happy Fall!

Marriott Potatoes

I first learned to make these when I worked for Marriott. I had just started dating my husband and did not really know how to cook at the time. I would go down to the kitchen in the hotel and learn from the sous chef how to make certain things in order to impress him. This was one of my first recipes. They are perfect for dinner accompanying meatloaf, chicken, steak, or pork. You can eat the leftovers for breakfast with eggs and some sort of breakfast meat. Enjoy!

While baking, toss them around just once.
You could use regular idaho potatoes in you did not have red potatoes on hand.

Red potatoes, no need to boil or cook first (one for each person, and one for the pan)
Fresh herbs (Marriott uses rosemary, I used parsley this time)
Olive oil appx 3 tbsp
Montreal steak seasoning appx 1-2 tbsp
Fresh garlic finely chopped appx 2 cloves

All you do here is cut the red potatoes into large chunks, add to a large bowl. Toss in olive oil, montreal steak seasoning, and fresh garlic. Bake in a glass baking dish for 400 degrees for 1 hour. You want them to be crispy on outside, soft on inside.

I serve with greek yogurt with chopped chives mixed in (instead of sour cream).

A blast from my past...

Happy Halloween! I have decided to start a new Halloween tradition in my home, making "pancake soup" for Halloween day. Here is my story and recipe for "pancake soup".

When I was little my German grandmother whom I will call The Queen of Soups made this for me when I visited her out in Colorado. Looking back, I always requested this soup for lunch, or dinner, and always, my Grandmother would make it for me, no matter what. Now I see how labor intensive this soup is, especially when you are as meticulous as my Grandmother was about cooking, everything was chopped very very fine, and her pancake noodles were very thin, and cooked to perfection. Here is my version of her soup, very good, but clearly not as good as the real thing, enjoy!

Lots of Labor, not a lot of ingredients:

Recipe for crepes:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs beaten
dash salt
2 tsp cooking oil

Chicken broth:
6-8 cups water
leftover rotisserie chicken bones
1 bullion cube
fresh chives
thyme

First, fill pot with water, add chicken bones. Simmer for at least one hour.

After one hour, remove bones, strain well and try to remove any chicken meat left on bones. This soup has some chicken meat in it, not a lot. Really this is to be made after you have eaten most of the rotisserie chicken. Add remaining chicken meat to broth, add bullion cube, stir until dissolved, add thyme. At this point you can continue making the crepe noodles or you can refrigerate broth over night.

For crepe "noodles": Combine ingredients, stir with wire whisk to make a smooth batter. Heat small skillet and spray with cooking spray. Pour appx 1/8 cup batter into hot skillet, swirl batter around and allow to cook for appx 1-2 mins on each side until browned, remove crepe, allow to cool.

Crepes are better brown than  doughy.

Continue spraying, adding batter, swirling and flipping  crepes until batter used up. Stack appx 4 crepes and roll up. Slice them thinly with a sharp knife creating noodles.

Add a handful of noodles to a bowl, pour in broth, top with chives. We are talking super comfort food here. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup Drizzle

This is soooo yummy. I'm not kidding you will love this. Plus its perfect for fall! I made this after my mom gave me like a hundred apples from her friend's apple tree in her yard, it is a variation of my mother-in-laws apple crisp recipe that she adds everything to including the kitchen sink! These apples are very tart, perfect for baking. I made two of these for a dinner party I went to. One sans the raisins and walnuts, and one chock full of them. Enjoy!

Perfect for the Fall and company.

You'll need:
Filling:
Tons of peeled, cored, sliced tart apples. (Adjust to size of dessert, I used about 4 pounds)
2 tbsp brown sugar
dash cinnamon/ nutmeg/ salt

Topping:
1/2 stick butter
1 cup old- fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans
1tbsp flour
dash of cinnamon/ salt/ and nutmeg
2 tblsp maple syrup

Mix apples, brown sugar, and seasonings for filling. Spread apples in baking dish.
Mix oats, brown sugar, flour and spices. Cut in cold butter with a pastry tool, until small crumbles form. Stir in nuts and raisins. Spread topping over apples. Drizzle syrup over topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Check after 50 minutes. You may need to cover dish after 50 minutes if raisins get too dark while cooking.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Italian clean out the fridge (and pantry) dinner.

Here is what I made for dinner tonight. I was looking for something pretty healthy, and wanted to clean out the fridge and pantry at the same time. Its not gourmet, but its good.

Don't mind the Christmas dishes, in October. 

1 1lb. package ground turkey very lean
1 12 oz package whole wheat pasta (I have rotini)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (low sodium or heart smart is best)
1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
2-3 cups fresh spinach
1 small can diced black olives
1/4 cup diced frozen onions
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated or whatever you have)
2 tbsp bread crumbs

Brown turkey and diced onions together. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and olives. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Add fresh spinach to pasta while steaming, this will wilt the leaves. Add pasta mixture to sauce mixture. Combine parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Pour pasta and sauce in lasagna pan, shake cheese and breadcrumbs over top of dish.

Pasta before it was baked. 

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Guiltless BBQ sandwiches

Like the taste of pulled pork BBQ sandwiches but hate the fat and calories that comes along with it? I did some experimenting and created this. My husband loved them, and it really satisfies a BBQ craving without the guilt. It was super easy too. I used a crock pot, but only for 45 mins or so. It did not have to cook all day.

2-3 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup diced onions and/or diced green or red peppers
Whole Wheat buns
Cabbage cole slaw mix, no dressing needed

Boil chicken breasts in water until fully cooked. Pull chicken apart using two forks shredding them completely. Add Chicken, BBQ sauce, peppers, onions to crock pot, combine. Turn on high and cook 45 mins. Serve on whole wheat bun, and top with cabbage slaw. You will not miss the coleslaw dressing as the BBQ sauce is saucy enough.

A few good recipes.

Since school has started I have been so busy! Today I am catching up by posting a few recipes we have made the past few weeks. We have not been fasting, just running here and there. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Any apples will do with this recipe, except maybe red apples. 

This one is quick and easy, just a little prep and a little cooking and dinner is done. Husbands love this recipe.

2 sliced apples
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans chopped
4 pork chops, boneless or bone in
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 T. EVOO
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of salt and pepper
1 T. Butter

Salt and pepper pork chops and sear on a hot skillet covered in the EVOO. Cook pork about 3/4 done approximately 5 mins on each side. Add sliced apples, brown sugar, nuts, butter and spices. Cook for 5 minutes or until pork completely done on medium heat until sugar becomes the consistency of caramel, and to allow flavors to combine nicely.

Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa

This is a great little dish you can serve with chicken, fish, pork, or as a salsa. Also very good on eggs or served with warm tortillas. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa:

1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/4 onion diced
1 or 2 stalks green onion sliced, green and white parts
1/4 cup frozen corn, or a small can corn, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle red pepper seasoning
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste


Roughly run knife through pineapple chunks, and add all other ingredients, combine. Chill at least one hour for juices to blend and corn to thaw.

The Best Fajitas Ever!

I made up this recipe after having such a reaction to packaged fajita seasonings and the loads of MSG they put in them. I taught my hubby how to do this recipe, and he can do it no problem on his own now. We have made these with chicken and steak, but this is the pork version.

Fajitas:
1 lb pork loin chops sliced thin into strips
1 red bell pepper julianned (sliced into thin strips)
1 yellow bell pepper julianned
1/2 sweet white onion julianned
1/2 package white mushrooms sliced
tortilla wraps
fresh cilantro as garnish
other toppings: cheese, tomatoes, greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)

For seasoning:
2 tbsp brown sugar
1tsp cumin
1tbsp chili powder
dashes of salt and pepper

Heat skillet with a few turns of olive oil. Add vegetables. Stir together seasonings and divide in half. Pour half of the seasonings into veggies, cook appx 5 minutes until veggies are cooked but still a little crisp. Remove veggies from pan. Add another turn of olive oil to same skillet, add pork and cook appx 2 mins. Add rest of seasonings to pork and cook until meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Add fresh cilantro on top for garnish.

You can use pork, chicken, shrimp or steak.

Serve with tortilla wraps and toppings.

Chicken Salad Lightened Up

Here is one of my faves. I created this after being inspired by the yummiest chicken salad ever that I ate in Canada on a fishing trip. I lightened it up some. I make this about every other week and keep in fridge for lunch for a few days, or when I need a high protein snack. Enjoy!

Served with a high fiber wrap. 

Chicken Salad:
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup each of diced onion, cubed apples (ok to leave skin on), grapes cut 2-3 ways each, dried cranberries, walnuts or pecans or both.
1 tblsp light mayo
1 small container 3 oz or so of 0% fat greek yogurt*
1 tsp dried tarragon
dash of salt and pepper

Cook chicken in boiling water until cooked through, once cooled, roughly chop through chicken until large cubes are formed.
Add in all other ingredients, stir together with chicken. Refrigerate about an hour.

Serve on top of lettuce or in a high fiber wrap, or with crackers, or whole grain bread.

* You will not miss chicken salad made with a ton of mayo.

Mediterranean Orzo

Sorry it has taken so long to add a post, this week has been super busy with the start of school and getting used to waking up early and going to bed early. Here is a great recipe for potluck dinners or as a side dish. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Orzo

1 cup dry orzo, wheat or regular cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup halved kalamata olives
1/4 cup feta cheese (can use reduced fat too)
One tomato cut into small cubes
One cucumber partially peeled (peel every other stripe on skin) cut into cubes
1/4 red onion diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/4 cup light caesar dressing
1 garlic clove chopped

Cook orzo according to package, place in refrigerator to cool for one hour, add all other ingredients including dressing, chill one more hour. Serve.

Leftover idea-
Use a few scoops of orzo and add a can of chunk white tuna for added protein, its a great on the go lunch.

Parmesan Yellow Squash and Zucchini

This side dish recipe came from my mom who always grows loads of zucchini and squash in her garden. Its super quick and easy, I can make it in 15 mins easy.

You will need:
One zucchini squash sliced into discs
One yellow squash sliced into discs
One small tomato sliced into large pieces
1/4 sweet onion
1/4 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, either italian or plain
dash of garlic salt and pepper

Sautee veggies in skillet with olive oil and seasonings until veggies become soft about 8 mins.













Sprinkle in cheese and breadcrumbs. Toss. Serve.

Kabobs Done Lite

Here is how we do kabobs in our house. They are super easy to make. Sometimes I even get my 3 year old to help assemble them. Once they are assembled just pass them off to the Hubby to grill them.

Kielbasa freezes nicely and thaws super quickly in warm water.
 Plus they are pre cooked, just reheat.

You'll need:
One large tomato
One yellow squash
One zucchini squash
1/2 sweet onion like vidalia
One package lite kielbasa, or turkey kielbasa
One can of white new potatoes
One yellow or red or green pepper
Kabob skewers
Garlic salt
Olive Oil

Simply chop up veggies and kielbasa into large pieces and alternate on wooden skewers, new potatoes slide on easily no need to cut potatoes, they surprisingly do not break apart on skewer. Stack on a plate. Spray or lightly brush with olive oil. Shake on garlic salt. Grill until veggies become a little tender, appx 6-8 mins per side.

Tip: In order for skewers not to burn you can soak them in water for 30 mins prior to assembling.

Baked Brie with Fig Jam

Here is a super easy, super yummy, four step appetizer. A large wheel is great to take to a party.

1. Remve large brie wheel from wrapper.
2. Slice skin off of top of cheese gently, this creates a "shelf" where the jam will sit.
3. Spread fig jam on cheese.
4. Bake at 375 for 15 mins until cheese is bubbly.
5. Serve with multigrain or wholegrain crackers.

This cheese is a flavorful indulgence. It is great eaten in moderation.

Variations to this recipe:
~Use a different type of jam, apricot, strawberry, raspberry, or for a spicy version use jalapeno jelly.
~Serve with apples or spread on pears.
~Top with walnuts before baking.
~For brie wrapped with pastry, after step 3, turn cheese over onto phyllo sheets, or refrigerated crescent roll dough. Invert,  and tuck ends under and bake until pastry is golden brown.

BBQ Rubbed Salmon

Here is a fantastic recipe originally found by my sister-in-law. After I got this recipe, I never made salmon any other way. Enjoy!

Fresh Salmon 1-3 lbs

For Marinade:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice

For Rub:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp chili powder
zest of one lemon
zest of one lime
dash salt

Marinade salmon in a plastic zip top bag with orange and pineapple juices for at appx. 15 mins in the refrigerator. If you let the salmon marinade for too long the acids will break down the fish and make it mushy.

Keep skin on fish,  this can be removed after cooking.

Remove salmon from bag. Lay out two pieces of foil lengthwise and place salmon on foil.

Combine ingredients for rub in a bowl. Cover the salmon with the dry rub.

Close foil around salmon creating almost a packet.

Can be grilled or baked.

You can either grill salmon on grill (appx 15 mins for big filet's) or bake in oven 350 ( 4-6 mins per 1/2 inch thickness).

This meal is great served with broccoli, although tonite we are having asparagus with the salmon.

As for the veggies, a different sister-in-law taught me this one, directions are below.

To cook perfect asparagus (can also cook fresh green beans, or snow peas this way):
Place cut asparagus in a large skillet.
Add one clove chopped garlic, one tbsp olive oil, a few shakes of garlic salt and pepper, a few shakes of dried parsley.
Add appx 2-3 tbsp water.
Cover skillet with a lid that fits tight. Turn on burner high.
Let veggies "steam"in skillet, and shake skillet periodically until they turn bright green, but not yet an army green.
 It is important NOT to open lid on skillet, if you do you are letting the steam out, and the veggies will not turn out tender.

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

I love this one its very light, but has tons of flavor. The inspiration came from Cooking Light Magazine.

3 or 4 chicken breasts
1 red pepper cut into thin strips
1/2 vidalia onion or some other sweet onion cut into thin strips
2 carrots sliced into strips
a few sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 cup low sodium fat free chicken broth
1 clove garlic chopped

For rub:
1/2 tsp each of
oregano
fennel seeds
dried basil
garlic salt
ground pepper
1/4 tsp thyme

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
olive oil appx 2 tbsp total
dash salt and pepper

1. Rub chicken breasts with dry rub and place immediately in heated skillet coated in olive oil (or olive oil spray) cook 3 minutes on first side, then turn over, then cook one minute more.
2. Remove chicken from skillet, place in baking pan and bake at 400 in oven for about 20 minutes* until cooked through.
3. Meanwhile add a little more olive oil to skillet, add all veggies, cook 5 minutes, add broth and garlic.
4. Cook 3 more minutes.
5. Add balsamic vinegar. Add a dash of salt and pepper to veggies.
6. Serve chicken with balsamic vegetables on top.

I baked sweet potatoes to go with this meal. I just put three sweet potatoes in the oven on the rack. I did not wash them or poke them or wrap them in foil. You just have to put them on the rack and bake at 400 for one hour. We slice them open and eat directly out of the skin with some brown sugar and pecans.

* I put the chicken in the oven when the sweet potatoes had 20 mins left to go.

Comments from my household:

Pumpkin said:
"Its good" (then held two thumbs up)

Bubbs said:
"The chicken is cooked perfectly. Is there rosemary in this?"
Me: "No"
Bubbs: "Are you sure? I taste rosemary. You know I don't like rosemary".

Steel cut oats, The other oatmeal

One other go to breakfast of mine is steel cut oatmeal. I love it. Actually now, I prefer the steel cut over regular rolled oats. If you have never tried it before it tastes like well, oatmeal. The differences lie in the taste and texture, steel cut oats are crunchier than regular oatmeal and have a nuttier taste. Steel cut oats versus rolled or old-fasioned oats nutritionally are almost the same, the difference lies in the processing. Steel cut oats are not processed like the rolled oats, or pre cooked like rolled oats. So, cooking time for steel cut oats is much longer, at least 15 minutes. 

Here is an idea: I have a friend who puts her steel cut oats and water in a crock pot at night on a timer. At midnight the crockpot starts and cooks the oats till 6am when her large family gets up. They have ready made healthy breakfast! I love that idea, leave it to a mom to come up with that time saver!

A typical nutritional label on a container of steel cut oats are as follows:

1/4 cup of steel cut oats:
Calories – 150
Fat – 2.5g
Carbs – 27g
Fiber – 4g
Sugar – 1g
Protein – 5g

Steel Cut Oatmeal
Another way to eat oatmeal other than instantly from a packet.

You can add lots of mix ins to the oatmeal, I do.

Blueberries

Pecans

Walnuts

Cinnamon

Brown sugar- not a lot though

Milk

Apples

Strawberries

How about this fun idea for the kids:

You can use any oatmeal for this, but you will need a mini flan/ creme brulee torch.

(Perhaps you got one as a wedding present, we received two!)

Cook oatmeal according to the directions, sprinkle brown sugar on top, torch the sugar for a few seconds to create a fun, crispy shell on top that kids will love to break open with their spoon!

Ladies, your husbands will Love this one!

This is my recipe for mexican lasagna. My husband, brother and dad all love this recipe. This is healthy, I promise.

2 lbs. ground turkey 98% fat free lean (I like Jennie O)
1/4 cup chopped onions (find frozen chopped onions in the frozen veggie aisle)

Taco seasoning (I make my own because I can't handle the msg in normal taco packets)
2 tblsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
pinch of salt

1 can enchilada sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
1 small can chopped green chiles, not drained
4 large high fiber tortilla wraps or wheat tortillas
1/2 cup 2% milk cheese taco or sharp cheddar
handful of fresh cilantro
1 small can diced black olives (optional)

1. Brown turkey along with onions. You should not have grease left over because there is hardly any fat in the turkey. Add taco seasoning to meat.
2. In a bowl combine sauce, tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, and olives.
3. In a large lasagna pan layer the ingredients like you would a lasagna. Meat on bottom then two tortillas then add 1/2 of sauce on tortillas. Layer again meat, tortillas, sauce finish with 1/2 cup cheese on top.

Notice how much cheese is on top? Only 1/2 cup for the whole lasagna.

Bake at 375 for 45 mins till bubbling.

For the side:

I mix one small container of 0% fat greek yogurt and chopped chives, or green onions, or cilantro together for topping instead of sour cream. Greek yogurt has a TON of protein and is low in calories, it tastes just like sour cream.
and/or
I chop an avocado and squeeze a little lime juice on top.
and/or
I cook some fat free refried beans with a small sprinkle of cheese on top or a side dish.

Ramp up your fiber and protein at breakfast.

One thing my husband and I eat almost every morning is an omelet wrap, it is really high in fiber and protein and lasts us for hours. They are very easy to make, especially with the cool new small kitchen appliance my husband and his hunter friends turned me on to.

Drumroll please......

Not just for hunters any more.

This little red grill is the BOMB! 

A buddy of my husbands brought this grill to the farm last year so they could cook eggs in the morning after they were busy hunting all morning (read: snoozing in their tree stands, not really hunting). They would toss a few eggs in the grill, shut the lid, and in just a few minutes viola! cooked eggs! He brought it home after hunting season, so I thought I'd try it. I love it! Look out George Forman, there is a new grill in town.

Here's what we do each morning.

1. Beat two eggs in a bowl gently with a fork. 

2. Plug in grill, spray with cooking spray.

3. Pour in eggs, add thinly sliced ham, or turkey or diced turkey ham. 

4. Add spinach, onions, tomatoes, whatever you like in your eggs. 

5. Lastly add some cheese. I use light feta because it has a strong flavor with lower calories. This way I don't eat so much. 

6. Shut lid and the grill "steams" the egg. Wait about 4 mins. 

7. Fold eggs over and lay in a high fiber tortilla wrap with salsa or avocado. Yum!

This is a high fiber high protein breakfast that will keep you full. You can also wrap in foil and take on the go to class or work or whatever. 

These babies have 13g dietary fiber! No crap!

Hunting season starts I think in a week and I'll probably have to give up the grill, so I'll have to find a new one to buy. Later I'll post other recipes I make in the grill. 

Eat More Watermelon!

Today we stopped by a farmers market down the street after church and found some great produce. I am soo tired of the sad looking fruits and vegetables I find at the grocery stores.  You know that one Seinfeld episode where Kramer just loves the fruit he gets at Joe's Fruit stand but Jerry says "Fruit is a gamble, I know that going in."? Well I have to side with Kramer on that one. Finding a good source for fruit is priceless, I wish I could return half of the bad fruit I have had to toss because of flavor, texture, or quality. I feel like it is so hit and miss. Right now the great produce in season, peaches, watermelon, tomatoes, and corn are soo tasty, actually I'd rather have a really good peach than a Big Mac right now. Check out how ripe and beautiful the watermelon looks that we picked out today.

Seedless is always better! Less work. 

Eating watermelon is a diuretic (read: it makes you pee), its filling, its sweet, and its low in calories, all helping you to loose weight and not retain water. I have learned that watermelon, or any melons, are more convenient if you actually cut them up instead of just looking at the big melon sitting on the counter. You are more likely to eat fruit when it is cut into tiny bite-sized pieces. I love my watermelon slice then cut into strips or little squares...not sure why... I guess it is just more fun to eat that way. As a matter of fact...ill be right back I am going to go get me a big bowl of watermelon instead of eating a bowl of ice cream.

Sunday morning breakfast before church

Our first attempt at poached eggs.

Bubbs and I did this for the first time ever today. It worked pretty well. We actually did three, then four at a time, they all came out pretty close to perfect. Here is how we did it.

How to poach an egg:

1. Boil 6 or 7 cups of water in a medium size pot.
2. Add one tsp white vinegar per cup of water in pot.
3. Slow boil to a simmer.
4. Crack egg into a teacup and lower cup into water.
5. Slowly pour egg into water, carefully not breaking yolk.

We poached three eggs together in one pot.

6. Its ok if egg sinks to bottom, it will release.
7. Allow to cook for 4 or 5 minutes.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Poached egg on a breakfast sandwich. Thanks mom for the Lenox plates. I love them!

I ate mine on a high fiber toasted english muffin, with, two slices avocado, a handful of spinach, and a spoonful of salsa. We also had 3 slices of turkey bacon and coffee.

Comments from my household:

Pumpkin:
"No way, I like cheesy eggs."
She is always the optimist.

Bubbs-
" Very good. They turned out pretty damn good."

First Recipe: Red Beans and Rice with Lite Kielbasa

Red beans and rice served with steamed green beans.

The Red Beans and Rice with Lite Kielbasa is one dinner I just made up with ingredients I had on hand. 


For Red Beans and Rice w/ Lite Kielbasa:
1 package-14 oz-  Hillshire Farms LIte Kielbasa sliced diagonally into small pieces
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 bag Success Rice brown rice, boil in bag
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
7 slices of turkey pepperoni
1/4 fresh red pepper, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
Dash if garlic salt
handful of fresh cilantro quickly chopped
Spray of olive oil cooking spray


Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions. Remove from water, save water in pan for steaming veggies later. 


2. Spray a large skillet and cook kielbasa and red peppers for appx 7 minutes. Add rice, tomatoes, kidney beans and turkey pepperoni. Cook 3 mins more. Add all spices. Add cilantro. Cook 1 minute. Serve immediately.


3. Steam veggies of choice, today I used green beans, in same pot of water as rice was cooked in. 




Comments from my household:


Pumpkin-
"I thought the flavors were yucky". 
She only ate the green beans...tough that means more for me!


Bubbs-
"It was hot, but it was awesome!"

In the beginning...

 I have never created anything like this before, actually I am really just doing a blog to record a "food diary", something I have wanted to do for a long time now.  A food diary is just a running journal of what I have cooked, created, or have eaten for the day.


Currently, my husband, we will call him Bubbs, and I are in the middle of loosing weight, together. Bubbs has lost over 30 pounds (not sure of today's daily weigh in number) and I have lost 37 pounds since the day my son, we will call him Gunnar, was born a few months ago. How did we do it? Well, I, Crusie (pronounced cruu-see, not cruise as in the boat ride, it's just an old highschool nickname) am following the Weight Watchers program, and am working out daily. Mostly, I do the elliptical for at least 20 minutes, it takes a lot of Shakira in order to motivate me to get through the workout. Bubbs is mostly just eating what I cook, and lifts weights, or does cardio daily. Together, in terms of pounds lost, we have lost a small child's worth of weight. I gotta say... it feels really good to remove the weight, I feel like a different person. To be honest, I really don't have time to create or maintain a blog. In fact most of my posts will be submitted while I hold my baby in my lap and type with one hand, while the other is cleaning up baby throw up.


Each day, I will post what I have lovingly cooked at home, hopefully with a picture as a visual and exactly what my little family each thought of my meal.