Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuits, the Fat Free Way

I rarely get cravings so I normally give into them.  I got a craving for sausage, egg and cheese biscuits from McDonald's.

I finally got to satisfy my craving tonite.  Unfortunately I didn't remember to get a picture.

I made fat free "yogurt" biscuits.  But because I didn't have any yogurt I substituted fat free cottage cheese and sour cream.  It was really good.

I found the recipe at Circle B Kitchen

3 cups of flour
3 3/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 cups fat free cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream

1. Mix cottage cheese and sour cream into flour and baking powder until incorporated
2. Roll out to about 1 - 11/4 inch on a floured surface
3. Grease 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans
4. Cut out biscuits using a round cookie/biscuit cutter and put in pan
5. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes until golden brown

Enjoy!

Prompt:  Do you like the colour of your eyes?  If you could change them to another colour, what would it be?
Answer:  Purple.  I've wanted purple eyes since I was like 15!

A Mind Clearing Experience

I picked it up and I started shooting.  I shot Baye, I shot Wikkid and I shot Nawtee.  Then I shot the hippo and the lion sitting in my front yard.  I shoot to clear my mind.

Standing behind my camera clears my head.

Maybe I should have started with that line.  Here are some of the photos I took:

Happy Monday!

Life is like...a game of Tetris?

Sometimes it feels as if everything falls into place all at once.  Like when you play Tetris and all you finally get  the piece that allows you to get rid of hike 6 lines at once.  

There's a possibility of something big happening for me.  Even though I'm super excited about it, it feels like it's not the right time.  Right now I feel as if I'm constantly bouncing between 5 or 10 different things that need to get done.  Kids, housework, homework, errands, blog...

I decided to just work on doing something that was best for me and now there's no time for myself.  How did THAT happen?

Baked Oatmeal

Doesn't that look delicious?  It's strawberry baked oatmeal.  I had some strawberries and yogurt that I needed to use up so this is what I decided on.  It was hearty and filling and the calories were outrageous.

Strawberry Baked Oatmeal (from Snack Girl)

2 c oatmeal 
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
2 1/2 c strawberries (you can actually use any fruit you'd like)
1 cup milk
1 cup fat free greek yogurt (I used plain but next time I might try using vanilla or the same flavor as the fruit                                            I'm using)
1/2 c egg substitute
1/4 c liquid sweetener (I used sugar free syrup)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray
3. Mix all ingredients
4. Put into pan and cover with foil
5. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil then bake for another 25 minutes

Next time I make it I think I'm going to up the amount of oatmeal.  The yogurt, oatmeal ratio was too high.

What other fruit do you think would be good in this recipe?

Barbecued Eggplant

This is what it should look like while it's draining

Close up of the baked eggplant

A gloomy day like today normally calls for a hearty meal.  In my mind pulled pork is a great gloomy day hearty meal.  

But how does a fat-free pescatarian do pulled pork?

They wait until they come across a recipe for it like I did.

BBQ Pulled Eggplant
Adapted from Chubby Vegetarian

Ingredients:
3 medium to large eggplants
Pan Spray
1-2 cups of barbecue sauce

Directions

1.  Cut eggplant in half lengthwise
2. Spray it with cooking spray and place it cut side down on a greased baking sheet
3. Place it in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
4. Remove eggplant and cool.  When they are cool peel the skin off.  Put the eggplant in a strainer and let the moisture drain.
5. Put it back on a baking sheet and coat it with barbecue sauce (you can use as much or as little as you like)
6. Place it back in the oven for 20 minutes until the sauce starts to caramelize.
7. Enjoy on a nice whole wheat bun or over pasta.

  WARNING:  I found out the hard way that barbecue sauce has ALOT of sugar in it.  I'm a prediabetic and the sugar in this was a bit much for my body to handle.  So if you have sugar issues I would suggest looking for a low sugar sauce, making your own or staying away from this recipe.

This meal was healthy, filling and delicious.   I also made sauteed cabbage and baked beans.  I love meals like this because of the fact that they are so filling but they don't pack a huge caloric punch.  

I was happy that this wasn't loaded with calories after my exhausting morning workout.   It was another video workout morning.  I found 2 heart pounding workouts on Fitness Blender.

Can you HIIT like a girl?
Lower body Tabata Workout

These 2 workouts were 50 minutes of intensity.  I'm glad I got it in though.  Today was a gloomy, stay-in-the-house type of day.  I wasn't able to go for my bike ride.  I'm trying to work up to 7 miles without being completely worn out so I can bike to school.  If I bike to school I'll save gas, money, and the Earth.  Plus I'll have a built in workout 2 times a week.

What your favorite comfort food?  Have you found a healthier way to make it?

Weeks worth of prompts
Monday -- How much of the world have you seen?
     Answer: I've been to15 states and I've never been to any other countries.  I travel the world through food though
  
Tuesday -- What was the best thing you've ever seen on a trip?
     Answer: Disney World.  Actually it was my kids' faces the first time we went to Disney World.  There's honestly nothing better than watching your daughter's face light up when she meets a princess.  (Or the look of horror when she sees the "scary" Mickey Mouse)

Thursday -- Talk about your favorite photograph

This is one of my favorite pictures.  It's my whole family on one of the happiest days of my life.  From Left to Right:  Gramma (holding Baye), Sirr, Me, Kay, Mo, Mr. Amazing, Sarie and Berto.

 

Videos and a spin workout

Today was a lazy workout morning.  Some days I decide I don't want to do my normal workout so I browse YouTube for a different workout.  

Here were the winners this morning:
Bexlife.com Fat Free Abs
BexLife.com Booty Pow Workout
Brooke Burke Butt Workout, LiveStrong Women

I also did a "spin workout" this morning.  Want to see a picture from it? 

Yep that's right.  My spin workout was a 5.5 mile bike ride around my neighborhood.  I am very opposed to the gym.  The only reason I wish I had a gym membership is for the weights. Plus, until you find me a spin class where I still get to be in sun and get fresh air I have no interest in it.  

How do you feel about the gym?

Prompt:  Do you prefer to have still photographs or videos from important moments?
Answer:  I actually prefer to have both.  I have more photos than videos though.  You can't frame a video.  

The Great Cinnamon Bun

People (family and friends) occasionally tell me that I "deprive" my children because of the fact that they eat the same way I do.  

First of all, I can name a handful or more bloggers who's children do not eat processed food, or food that isn't 100% healthy.  My children eat junk food compared to theirs.

Secondly, I still allow them to eat unhealthy food on occasion.  They are allowed to buy lunch at school and they can go to McDonald's if the time comes up.  Plus, we go out to eat once a month.  

For lunch last week I gave them Chef Boyardee.  Dinner tonite?  Ramen.  The girls were actually excited about it. 

And for dessert?

Oooey, gooey, delicious Cinnamon Buns!!!  The best part is that they're 99.5% fat free.

Cinnamon Buns (adapted from Happy Herbivore)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup vanilla soy milk 
• 1 packet active yeast
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ cup raw sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp mashed banana
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
  
• butter spray
  
  
  
  1. Heat milk to 110 degrees
  2. Sprinkle yeast into warm milk and set aside for about 10 minutes
  3. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl
  4. Add mashed banana and yeast to flour mixture and stir.  
  5. Place dough in a grease bowl and let it rise in a dark place for 1 hour until doubled in size
  6. Sprinkle flour on a cutting board and knead dough.
  7. Flour your rolling pin and roll dough out into a large rectangle
  8. In a separate bowl mix together brown sugar and cinnamon
  9. Spray dough with butter spray, making sure to cover it all
  10. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon mixture onto dough
  11. Starting at the long side, roll the dough into a log
  12. Cut the dough into 12-14 sections (each about 1" thick)
  13. Prepare a large round cake pan by spraying it with pan spray
  14. Place dough into cake pan cut side up and let rise for another 30-45 minutes
  15. Preheat oven to 350 degrees after dough has risen
  16. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Cream Cheese Icing
16 oz Fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar

1. Mix together cream cheese and sugar
2. Spread on cinnamon buns while they are still warm

Salmon Cakes

Day 3 of leftover salmon.  I had to use it up so I made salmon cakes.  I hate the ones that are filled with mayo and other unhealthy crap.  I like them when it's 97% fish. 

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients
10 oz cooked salmon
1/2 jalepeno, minced
1/2 tsp dill
3 slices of whole wheat bread, dried and crushed
1/4 cup egg whites

1. Mix everything together. (If it's too wet add more breadcrumbs, if it's too dry add some more egg white)
2. Form into patties (I used a jar lid covered in plastic wrap)
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through flipping once (mine took about 10 minutes)

Yummy!

A note to my past self.

Oh.My.Gawd!!

I'm appalled at my past self.  I would love to go back and yell at me.  

While doing a project for my nutrition class I was forced to look at the nutritional information of a meal that my past self would have eaten.  Actually I did eat it, more often then I'd like to admit.

The restaurant I chose was Outback Steakhouse.  My meal?  A Bloomin' Onion (which was split between the whole family), a 20 oz Porterhouse, side Caesar salad, and a loaded baked potato.

Wow!  Those are the only words to describe my feelings towards the fact that I actually allowed myself to eat that stuff.

That meal contained 2056 calories, 145 grams of fat, 56 grams of saturated fat, and 2859 grams of sodium.  

If I knew then what I know now I probably would have reached my goal weight alot quicker.  With dinners like that why was I surprised my weight wasn't dropping?

But as Bender said on Futurama, "Every decision we make opens up a universe of possibilities."

What's the unhealthiest meal you've ever eaten?

Wacky Workout Wednesday and Forgotten Stirfry

Aren't these chopsticks great???  They were given to the girls by my in-laws.

Somehow I managed to forget to add my stirfry recipe from last nite.  Well, Mr. Amazing did an excellent job of executing my vision.  Originally I had planned on doing a mushroom shepard's pie but, Kay asked for stirfry so I switched it up.  Can I also say that I love stirfry?  It's awesome.  You can alter it to fit your mood.  It's so versitile.

Mr. Amazing's AMAZING Stirfry
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green onion, sliced diagonally
1 head of broccoli cut into florets
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1. Spray and heat a large skillet over med-high heat
2. Saute onions, garlic and carrots until soft
3. Add broccoli and half of the teriyaki sauce.  Cook until broccoli is tender.
4. Add mushrooms and the other half of the teriyaki sauce.  Cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve over rice.

I have to say that the sodium in the teriyaki sauce is killing my body.  I woke up 2 lbs heavier and an inch thicker around the middle.  Try and drink extra water when your sodium intake is especially high.  The extra water will start to flush out the salt.

So what did I do today?  

Well, I'll let you know.  If you've read previous blog posts you know that I love my unique, nontraditional workouts.  Such as, carrying a cinderblock or fence sprints.  

Yesterday Mr. Amazing and I were in a super silly mood so our play fighting turned into us giving each other piggy back rides up and down the driveway.  He made it up and down, I only made it down.  

Kay was playing outside at the same time and I realized she was lighter and easier to carry than he was.  I carried her around the whole block. 

 Isn't she pretty?  I'm so lucky to have pretty girls.  I really don't think there is a "standard" beauty.  One person's beautiful is another person's ugly.  But that's besides the point....

Did you do an untraditional workout today?  How do you feel about stirfry and beauty?

Holy Cow! (And Chicken)

This is something I was going to talk about last week but, I didn't get around to posting about it.  

Source Monday I bought meat.

*GASP* I know right???!!!???

Mr. Amazing was grilling on Labor Day and he wanted some steak and chicken so I gave in and bought it for him when I went to the store.  Before Monday I hadn't bough meat since...I actually can't remember the last time I bought raw meat.  

Guess how much a package of chicken and a package of steak cost me!  

$30!!!

I have to admit I didn't buy it on sale but STILL, that 1 dinner (not including sides) cost me the same amount as 7-14 days worth of vegetables from the farmers market.  

Prompt Answer
I wish I could have unseen that price. But honestly, if I had to choose whether to lose my vision or hearing I'd chose to lose my hearing.  Personally I value being able to see more.  I want to be able to see my daughters get married, I want to see my grandchildren someday.  To me hearing is not enough.  Mr. Amazing feels the exact opposite though.  He would rather hear a baby's laugh, listen to his wife's voice, and hear music.  

Past Week Prompts

Tuesday

Prompt:  When you are speaking with someone, do you prefer to look them in the eye or talk over the phone?

Answer:  I actually prefer to text.  With 3 kids, talking on the phone is difficult.  Heck, talking in person is hard too.  Texting gives me the freedom to talk all day but still take care of what I need to.

Wensday

Prompt:  Bob Marley asked: "Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?"  How would you answer him?

Answer:  I love my life!!  A few more zeros in the bank and a new truck in my driveway and life would be picture perfect.  (But honestly,most people would wish for more money and a new car, right?)

Thursday

Prompt:  Are you okay with letting people see you cry?

Answer:  I think it's funny that this was my question for the day because I was actually talking about this with my friend, Stewie.  There are only a few select people that I allow to see me cry. I have become quite good at finding my "happy place"  until I'm alone.  This has actually caused people to call me cold, heartless, and uncaring.

Friday

Prompt:  What is the coolest thing you ever saw?

Answer:  I don't know if most people would call this "cool" but to me the coolest and most amazing thing I've ever seen is each of my daughters for the first time.  It's just amazing.  It completely changes your heart and your world.

Monday

Prompt:  Wordsworth called memory the "inward eye."  Are your memories more sight-based, or do they concern sound, taste, touch, or smell?

Answer:  My memories include all 5 senses.  I can remember how things looked, sounded, felt, smelt, and tasted.  I have one of these amazing memories that cause me to remember things from as far back as the time I was about 2 or 3.  It's crazy.  

Now, some pictures from the past week:

 Playing in the waves.  I actually did my workout while they were playing around.

 She loves her photo taken

 Walking home from the beach.  We walked ALOT while they were here.  When you have 7 people and a car that seats 5, you hoof it everywhere.

 Me and my "little brother" Mouze

 Me and Mr. Amazing

 Stewie and I

Me and Baye

 

 Photo op!

 Stretching on the beach

 The crab we found on the beach

 He let her do his nails and he actually kept it on for a few days!

A week away

This past week I had a few of my best friends from Virginia in town.  Before they arrived I was CERTAIN I could juggle school, my kids, my blog and my friends.  Turns out I could only juggle school and my friends.  My kids barely acknowledged my existence while my friends were here.  But I'm now back and in full force.  

The next 10 days are supposed to be filled with rain.  No fun.  Guess I'll have to squeeze Baye's outside playtime in between rain showers.

Friday I made tomato soup from scratch.  It was A.MA.ZING!  And this is coming from a person who HATES tomato soup.

The only thing that kills me is that making something from scratch is more expensive than buying it premade in a can.  I probably spent $4 on my homemade soup when I could have spent $1.50 on a can of soup.  
On the upside though there was very little sodium, no preservatives and no ingredients I couldn't pronounce.  

Easy Tomato Soup
6 cups diced tomatoes (approx 7 small)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 small onion
1.5 cups vegetable broth

1. Spray pot with cooking spray and heat over med-high
2. Saute onions and garlic until soft
3. Add tomatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil for about 15 minute
4. Working in batches put tomato mixture in a blender and blend until smooth.  {You can also blend with an immersion blender or a food processor}
5. Enjoy!!

Looks can be Decieving

The NaBloPoMo theme this month is "EYE".  I thought this would be a suitable post for the day.  

I was at the grocery store today and I saw an older gentleman in well-worn jeans and a flannel shirt.  This man was the type of guy that you assume would be driving a beat up pickup.  

I thought nothing more of this man until I was loading my groceries into my car.  Guess what he was driving.

Go ahead, take a guess.

Source

Yep, that's right.  A Porshe.  I was slightly taken aback.  It really just goes to show that you can't really judge a person by the clothes they wear.  

Have you ever judged a person before getting to know them?  Has anyone ever judged you?