Meal Plan Monday

I'm going all Crock Pot again this week except for yesterday (Sunday) and Saturday.

Sunday- Pioneer Women Breakfast Burritos. Yummmy. I made enough to have leftovers. I'm going to wrap them up in tortillas and freeze so we can have yummy Breakfast Burritos when ever we want!

All these recipes come from Make it Fast, Cook it slow.

Monday- Slow cooker Sloppy Joes w/ turkey, oven fries.

Tuesday- Chili, cornbread

Weds- Tamales (w/ leftover pork from last week), Spanish rice. I'm so excited to try this one!

Thurs- Chicken Parmesan, roasted asparagus. Mom's coming to visit! Sorry, Mom, it's not low fat but it will be yummy!

Friday- Sushi!!! Eli and I are going on a date (finally!) while Mom stays with the (hopefully) sleeping baby!

Saturday- Homemade Spaghetti

I made several new things last week.

PW Restaurant Salsa I have been making homemade salsa for awhile now but always use fresh ingredients so I was a little weary of this because she uses canned ingredients. Well, I was wrong to worry because this stuff is great! I will be making all my salsa like this from now on! Beware it is on the hottest side because of the whole jalapeno but if you wanted to mild it down you could just leave that out or remove the seeds. Try it, you won't regret it!

I made my first loaves of sourdough bread. The first was okay and I must say I've been getting better and better! I also made buttermilk biscuits from scratch for the first time. They weren't as soft and fluffy as my Grandmas but I'll work on it! If anyone has any suggestions on improvement let me know.

Meal Plan Monday

I really want to use my crockpot a lot this week. I was sick last week and I'm still feeling a little weak and don't really feel like doing a lot of cooking. And it's a good excuse to try out some recipes from my new cook book Make it fast, Cook it slow.



Sunday-Mustard Crusted Salmon, roasted new pototes with rosmary, brocclli made by Eli. We didn't do this on Saturday because Eli had been taking care of the baby all day and I could tell he was too tired to do a lot of cooking!

All the rest of the meals will be cooked in the slow cooker and all come from Make it fast, Cook it slow.

Monday- Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Tuesday- Hickory-Smoked Brisket, Baked Potatoes, veg

Weds- Peking Pork Chops

Thurs- Chicken Tacos

Friday- Leftovers

Saturday- Sweet and Spicy Salmon

And because it's the end of the month and I won't go to the store before next Monday, I'll go ahead and add:

Sunday- Cajun Pulled Pork Roast

Body After Baby: Week 2

Well, this week didn't go as well as last. The start of the week went well but Eli got home on Thursday night and it was pretty much all down hill from there. We ate at Dairy Queen one day and Eli cooked a Chocolate Cream Pie another day. Need I say more?



But I did manage to loose .8lbs! That brings my total weight loss to 3.6lbs. It's better then gaining, right?



I went to yoga 3 times: twice with Ethan and once by myself. I also worked the floor change at Express and that's a work out on it's own.



I have a good menu planned for this week. I'm going to be walking the mall with a friend on Tuesday and yoga on Friday and Saturday. I gotta keep moving!

Samantha at Mama Notes, our fearless leader, has posted a challenge and a question for us this week.

Challenge: How many sit ups can you do? When I was in high school I would do 200 every night. Ha!! After abdominal surgery and carrying a baby I'm pretty sure that number is way down.

Question: What is your favorite part of your work out? I would have to say the end! It takes me some effort to get motivated to exercise. Depending on what the work out is, I enjoy the act but the at the end I aways feel so good and glad that I took time for myself.



Here are some more tips on how to stay on points:

Sometimes I get pretty tired of just regular old potatoes. I love to cut them up, with the skin still on them, and bake them. Oven fries are great because you can spray them with nonstick cooking spray, add some seasonings and they aren't any more points then a regular old baked potatoes! I like to add chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

I wanted to find a recipe for chicken nuggets for Ethan so I looked in one of the cook books my Mother-In-Law gave me for Christmas. (She bought me 2 that I really wanted! The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. I love them! Thanks Vicki!) I made these nuggets in the slow cooker and they are so good! Ethan loves them and I love that I know what I'm feeding my baby.

For the crust I used ground up Cheerios and wheat germ. I used a smaller slow cooker and halved the recipe. After about 2 hours I checked on them and some of them were done and some I had to turn and cook longer in order to get the crust crispy.

While I was making them it reminded me of some chicken fingers I made from a low fat recipe book my Mom gave me a long time ago. Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking is a great book with low fat recipes and tips. I think the chicken fingers are the only thing I have made out of this cook book so I'm excited to try some other recipes out.

Chicken Fingers w/Honey Mustard Sauce
3c corn flakes
1/2 t poultry seasoning
1/4t black pepper
3 T fat-free egg substitute (you can also use 1 egg+2 egg whites)
3 T skim milk
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (4 breast halves)
Nonstick cooking spray

Sauce
1/4c +2T nonfat or reduced fat mayo (I just skip the mayo all together)
3T spicy mustard
3T honey
2T lemon juice

Blend the corn flakes in a food processor until crumbs. (Before I got a food processor I put them in a ziploc bag and smashed them up!) Combine the crumbs with seasonings. Combine the egg and milk and whisk together. Cut each chicken breast into 5 long strips. Dip the strips first in the egg and then the crumb mixture, coating all sides well. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and arrange the strips in a single layer. Spray the tops of the strips lightly with the cooking spray, and bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until the strips are golden brown and no longer pink inside. For the sauce, just stir all ingredients together. These are 1 point per strip with 2t of sauce.

Put those together with some oven fries and a salad and you have yourself a meal!



Here's another Low Fat recipe we had last night with our Turkey burgers:



Tex Mex Sweet and Red Potato Salad (From Weight Watchers Turn Around Program Cookbook)

1lb each of Sweet and Red Potatoes

4 tsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

6T fat free mayonnaise

3T chopped fresh cilantro

1tsp grated lemon zest

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp cumin

1/4tsp ground coriander

1/8tsp cayenne



Cut potatoes into cubes. Toss with 2tsp olive oil and roast at 425 for 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onions in oil in skillet. Combine mayo, cilantro, lemon zest, and seasonings in small bowl. Combine potatoes, onions and sauce, mix well. Serve warm or at room temp. 2 points for 1/2 cup.


When Eli got home from work I was putting Ethan to bed so he cooked the Turkey burgers on the grill. When they were finished he asked me what kind of meat it was. He said "It almost seems like they are turkey burgers." LOL!!! I never even thought of telling him so he could make sure they were cooked all the way through. They were and with the seasoning I put in them they tasted just like hamburger meat.



I hope you all had a great week and I look forward to this one being even better! Hop over to Mama Notes to read about all the fun.

Week 1- Body After Baby

I started the Challenge on Friday 1/1. Even though it's only been 5 days (I only weigh in once a week) I went ahead and weighed this morning for our weekly update.

I lost 2.8lbs in 5 days!!!!

The first few days were hard because I always seemed to be hungry even though I had just eaten. Then I decided I was eating the wrong things. I was eating what I would normally eat, just less of it because of the points value. So on Sunday I started looking for more filling foods and things with low point value so I could eat small "snack" meals throughout the day.


Here are a few things I have found that have helped me stay on my points:



Canned Chicken. The first time I saw it on the shelf I thought "Yuck! That can't be good!". But it is if you buy a good name brand and not the Wal*mart brand! Don't get me wrong. I love Wal*mart brand stuff, just not their canned chicken. I use Canned Chicken in many ways including Chicken Salad (2oz for 3 points because of the mayo) for sandwiches or on top of lettuce and many different Chicken Soups.

Bread. I buy Nature's Own Honey Wheat Lite. It's on the cheaper side for bread and it's only 1 point for 2 pieces!!! Ethan likes it too and that's one way I can get some wheat gran into his diet. I eat it sometimes for breakfast with 1T of low fat peanut butter (2 points).



Salads. Weather I have a salad as my main meal or as a side, I try to eat it at least once a day. I use a regular iceberg lettuce with some shredded cabbage added to it for filler and fiber. Elizabeth over at Baby Signs just wrote a post Top 10 Ways to get Fit after the Holidays and #9 is Focus on Fiber. Fiber does all kinds of thing good for your body including speeding up the transit time for food to go through your body. GoAskAlice goes into more detail about the benefits of fiber. The Weight Watcher Plan is based on getting lots of fiber in your diet. I use regular dressing because I hate most of the low fat stuff. I just put a little on and count it as 2 points.



Water. I have a hard time getting in all my water. I only drank one glass on the first day and two on the second. On the 3rd, I decided when I started getting hungry, I would grab a glass of water and drink it all before getting a snack. Most of the time when you feel hungry you are really just thirsty. It's not that I'm drinking other things besides water, I'm just not drinking anything.



Beans. Did you know that 1/2 cup of cooked beans is only 2 points? They are a filling food because of all the fiber. I made a bean chili (just beans and seasonings) in the crock pot and ate on these all week. I smushed them up and made bean burritos with salsa, ate them as dip with pita chip (homemade) and even ate them on top of my baked potatoes. You could use canned but it's so easy to make beans in the crock pot.

One of the soups I made was a Low Fat Chicken Tortilla Soup. I'm not sure where I found this at but I kinda made it up as I went along.

Low Fat Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans Chicken Broth

1 can of water

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 can 12.5oz Chicken

1 can corn (I used frozen. Remember all that corn I cooked and froze (here and here)? I still have it, a lot of it! I don't think I'll have to buy corn until the summer when I can get the good deals on fresh corn again.)

1 can Black Beans (I cooked my own.)

1tsp cumin

1/2tsp chili powder

1/2tsp garlic powder

1/2tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

I was just thinking about it and you could also add a can of Rotel (tomatoes and chilies) to it.

Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover until rice is done. Add everything else and boil on med with lid off until the liquid has reduced a bit. This is really yummy! I counted it as 3 points for 1 1/2 cups.

The best thing about WW is that you don't have to deprive yourself of anything. Eli and I went to Sonic on Saturday and I got a Peppermint Blast and ate 1 cup (4 points) of it every day for 3 days! As long as you have the points you can eat what ever you want.

I hope you all had a good week on your Body After Baby Challenge! Don't forget to check out all the other Mama's @ Mama Notes.

Garage Sale, Homeade Yogurt and Ethan's Surprise

Unfortunately this post will be photoless. My camera's batteries are down and I don't have anymore AA in the house. Well, I do but they're the cheap kind and they don't work in the camera. But they work great in Ethan's toys. The next camera we get will plug in to recharge!
I am getting ready to have my last garage sale for this year. We still have a ton of things left over from last time and I have found many more things around the house I want to get rid of. I'm hoping to make some extra $ for our trips this month!
We are going to a dinner with Eli's co-workers tomorrow night and he just told me we are suppose to bring something! I'm thinking about my Aunt Linda's broccoli cornbread. I have won an award with this recipe:)

Broccoli Cornbread
1 10oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread muffin mix
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 8oz carton sm curd cottage cheese
1 med chopped onion

Mix all together and bake in 9'X13' greased pan @350 for 35-40 minutes. This freezes well and make sure to put it in the fridge because it will go bad if you don't! It took me awhile to figure out where that smell was coming from.

Do you know how easy it is to make your own yogurt?And in your crock pot??? Are you excited yet? I got this off of A Year of Slow Cooking. Where else, right?
All you need is 1/2 gal of whole milk (sometimes I use 2%) and a 1/2 cup of plain natural yogurt. After you make it once, you can use your homemade as your "starter".
Eli loves yogurt and I wanted Ethan to start eating it with his fruit (he loves it too!). But it's rather expensive if you eat as much as Eli does! I just couldn't see adding another $10 or so to our grocery bill each month just for a treat. But making my own we can save so much!

Crockpot Yogurt
Pour 1/2 gal milk into crockpot on low. Leave for 2 1/2 hours. Turn off and leave for another 3 hours. After 3 hours have passed, remove 2 cups of the warm milk and whisk in 1/2 cup of room temp yogurt. Add to crockpot, mix and replace lid. Wrap the whole thing in a big bath towel and leave over night (6-8 hours). I don't open the lid until I'm adding the starter yogurt so the crockpot stays warm. When you get up in the morning you will have yummy yogurt!
I have done this twice now. The first time I got up in the middle of the night to put it in the fridge after the recommended 6-8 hours. It was good but a little too runny. I made it again last night and left it all night until 8ish this morning. It was much thicker. I also think it helps to have the starter yogurt at room temp.
Just add a little sugar or splenda and some fruit an you have a very cheap, good for you breakfast or snack!

As for Ethan's surprise, you will just have to wait till I get some batteries in my camera!

Meal Plan Monday

Sunday- Spaghetti made by Eli:)


Monday- Crockpot Roast, potatoes and carrots. I'm also going to attempt Grandma's Cake with buttermilk this time! I need to make Ethan some more cookies, too.


Tuesday- Charro Beans



Wednesday- Chicken and Dumplings Cooking the chicken on Tuesday and finishing it up on Wednesday. This is the first time I've ever made chicken and dumplings. When I was looking for a recipe, I kept finding ones that had celery and carrots in it. My grandma and mom made them for me when I was little and they never had celery and carrots! So I found one without.

Thursday- Beef Stew. I got a great deal on stew meat at Target on Sunday. Sometimes they put $off stickers on their meat. I found 2 packages of stew beef with $3 off stickers on them. It was like getting them Buy one/get one Free!
Cut the beef into bit size pieces. Brown outside in pot with olive oil salt and pepper, adding cut up onion about half way through. When it is brown on all sides add a bit of flour and mix. Pour in 2 cans of beef broth and scrap the bottom of the pan to get all the good stuff. Add cut up potatoes and carrots. Cook low until all is tender. Add corn and green beans. Remove lid for last 15 mins to reduce liquid and thicken.

Friday- Leftovers

Saturday- ?????

Meal Plan Monday

It has been 100+ here for the past few weeks. It's hot. Outside and in. So I will be using my crockpots as much as possible.

Sunday: Chicken cooked on the grill...Thanks Eli. Broccoli, black eyed peas
Monday: Crockpot- Cowboy Beans- This recipe comes from "A year of Slow Cooking" I have found so many great recipes there. When I began looking for recipes for a slow cooker they all seemed to have the same few ingredients: Cream of something (chicken, mushroom, celery), Chicken or beef, and a packet of some over salted chemicals. Stephanie has brought a new life to slow cooking! She uses fresh, natural ingredients that are tested on her own family. So you know they have got to be good! I will be using a lot of her recipes over the next few weeks. Or at least until it cools off.
1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins, made in the USA is gluten free)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1(10-ounce) can Rotel, or traditional chopped tomatoes, your choice
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
7 cups water
sliced jalapenos, optional
The Directions.
Serves 8-10 as a side dish, or 5 as a main course. Sort pinto beans, and soak overnight in lots of fresh water. If you live in a climate where the house gets terribly hot overnight, put the beans in the refrigerator to soak to keep icky bacteria from accumulating.In the morning, drain your beans, and pick out any that have split open, or look discolored and shrively.Pour into a 6 quart slow cooker. Brown hamburger and onion on the stove, and drain fat. While the meat is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Start with 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add the meat, and top with 7 cups of fresh water. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for about 6. My beans took 6 hours on high to tenderize, and then they sat on warm for another 3 hours. We're at sea level. If you live in a higher altitude, your beans will take longer to soften.Taste the beans. If you'd like your beans to have more of a tang, add some more Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Top with sliced jalapenos, if desired.

Tuesday: Pork loin Crockpot
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup (a 24oz bottle seems to be exactly 2 cups. weird.)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
The Directions.Use a 6 quart crockpot. Trim meat, and place into your crockpot. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour 1/2 cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. Pour the ketchup-y water into your crock. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt.Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.Serve over rice, or make sandwiches on rolls or sliced bread.

I got a great deal on Pork Loin at HEB ($1/1 lb) I've never cooked Pork Loin before. Eli is going to cut it for me. I couldn't handle it :~(. I found this recipe on A year of slow cooking. I'm going back today to get more pork! Eli says it is the best cut of pork and we have already eaten 4 pieces of it. For this recipe I will be halfing it because I don't want to use all my pork at one time.
Wednesday- Charro Beans made in the crockpot, cornbread- I love Jiffy! It's just the right amount and just the right sweetness.




Thursday- Crockpot Chicken Adobo- from A year of slow cooking

--3 to 5 pounds of chicken meat

--1/4 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are gluten free)

--4 cloves garlic, chopped

--1 tsp black pepper

--1/2 tsp salt

--1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (can use regular white)

--4 bay leaves

--1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

--1 yellow onion, sliced in rings

The Directions.

If you have the time to assemble the chicken in a plastic zipper bag with the salt, pepper, soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar the night before, do so. The chicken will be much more flavorful if left to marinate overnight. Then dump out in the morning on top of the vegetables.I used a 6.5 quart crockpot. If you use 3 pounds of chicken, everything will fit in a 4 quart or larger.


Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Set aside. Slice the onion in rings and place the rings at the bottom of the crockpot. Add in the shredded carrot. Put the chicken on top. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness.





Friday- Leftovers





Saturday- Homemade Pizza.......For the last 2 weeks I have been planning to make homemade pizza. I still haven't done it. So this week, I will plan on doing it on a weekend day and maybe I'll do it this week!