Leftover Loveliness

Two days ago I made Maple Chipotle beef short ribs. They were lip smacking good. I always cook too much food, so when my Sweetie comes home for lunch, we usually have leftovers.
I must say that I love good food, but I don't love cooking. I don't hate cooking, but there are so many other things I would rather do with my time. So I like to cook meals that are easy to prepare and don't take hours of prep work.
My husband enjoys cooking and can put a fun spin on a meal. He came up with the idea to use today's leftovers to make these tasty chipotle beef wraps for lunch.
I'm keeping this man forever!

Slow Cooking

I love my slow cooker. It feels great to throw the ingredients in the pot early in the day and know that dinner is cooking all on its own while I am busy doing other things. Like playing with my camera. Or napping.

Have you ever bought a new sauce because the bottle looked cool? Well I have. Then I put them in my pantry and forget they are there. Today I am slow cooking beef short ribs. I always use our family's favorite BBQ sauce. Until today. Yep, I am venturing out and trying something new! (never mind that this is as a result of my discovery that we are out of our favorite BBQ sauce!).

Here's what's for dinner:

I hope it turns out and my family likes the switch. Could be good, could be bad. This is me living on the edge.

UPDATE: The meat was delicious!!! So easy, so yummy. I served it with a salad and fresh bread.

Hello Autumn

I love pot roast. It is one of those dishes that I don't cook in Summer. Now that Fall is officially here in our neck of the woods, it's time to bring back the hearty, comforting meals that accompany cooler weather.

Some of the other things I love about Fall are: the colors, the routine of school, the newness of classes and excitement of learning, lighting up the fireplace and watching family members gravitate to it, knowing the holiday season isn't far away, and the cosy feeling of snuggling up with a blanket and a book and not feeling guilty about staying inside all day.

Noodle Magic

Dear Husband served his church mission in Japan. One of the many positive consequences of this is his ability to make an ordinary package of ramen noodles into a culinary delight! Mmm, mmm, good!

Skillet of Love

I was reading my favorite magazine and found a promising looking chicken recipe. I have decided to call it my skillet of love. Mostly because this meal is comfort food to me and also because making a good meal IS an act of love.

Italian Soup

This recipe was given to me recently by a friend. I made it on Tuesday and it was so quick, easy and tasty!

1 pound of ground sausage
1 small onion
2-4 cloves of chopped garlic
olive oil

Brown the above ingredients

Add
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 can green beans
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 large carrots, chopped
3 cups water
3-4 bouillon cubes

Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes


















Add a dollop of sour cream on the top.
Serve with bread and salad. ENJOY!

Nacho Night

A couple of week-ends ago we had a "Nacho Libre" night. We decided it would be fun to have a theme movie night once in awhile. The kids had a blast and the food was tasty. Three nuns and several Luchadores showed up. Esqueleto even made an appearance. "It was the best!"

Dinner heaven

I know, I know. My blog has been about food for awhile. This is a major part of my life right now. I promise I will move on...eventually!

Interested in a MONTH of yummy, pre-planned, 400 calorie dinners?

Did I mention yummy?

Pre-planned??

Only 400 calories???

Check it out here.

New Week, New Challenge

My 4 day detox is over. It was a good experience.

Now I am moving on to phase two of my plan for healthful eating & weight loss:

The Mayo Clinic Diet

This was introduced on the Martha Stewart show that also included the "Whole Body Action Plan" from Body + Soul magazine. The two plans dovetail nicely.

The Mayo Clinic Diet is the first and only diet ever created and endorsed by the Mayo Clinic. There have been a lot of fake Mayo Clinic diet plans, but this is the real deal.

Part 1 is called "Learn It!"

This is a 2 week kick start where you:

1. Add 5 Habits

2. Break 5 Habits

3. Add 5 Bonus (optional) Habits

Part 2 is called "Live It!"

This section teaches how to incorporate a healthy diet into your everyday life. I am especially interested in this. I don't believe in a plan where lasagna will be forever banished from my life. It's just not realistic. But I do feel that there is a way to find balance with healthy foods that promote wellness and the occasional treats.

I'm ready!

New Habits

I am on Day 3 of my four day detox. (details here)

This entails a liquid breakfast & dinner and a healthy solid lunch. I have found this experience to be challenging, interesting, and very gratifying.

Here is a picture of some of the juices and smoothies I have been concocting.

So far in January I have lost 5 pounds- yay!

I believe the two reasons for my success are:

1. Following a plan that is easy and laid out for me

2. Having a friend to do this with. We exercise together, talk about the ups and downs of creating new habits, and support each others efforts.

Trying this detox has been a great way for me to kick start a more healthful way of eating. I have learned that I CAN do what I set my mind to.

Remember that YOU can do whatever you set your mind to do. Set your goals. Find or create a plan. Get support. Good luck!

Tasty Leftovers

Do you still have leftovers? In case you do, here's a yummy way to fix 'em up! My friend Chris gave me this easy recipe years ago and our family loves it. Even if your turkey day food is all gobbled up, you can still make this dish- try it with chicken!

Thanksgiving Casserole

Layer:

Potatoes

Stuffing

Turkey

Gravy

Stuffing

Turkey

Potatoes

Gravy

Bake in a 350 oven for 30-40 min.

Food

Thanksgiving just wouldn't be right without:

Turkey

Kellogg's stuffing

Mashed potatoes

Sweet potatoes (no marshmallows!)

Rolls

Pumpkin pie

Coconut cream pie

Sparkling Cider

There are other foods that add to the meal each year, but these HAVE to be served or it just isn't Thanksgiving :) Hope your day was wonderful.