recipe

Peanut Butter Bacon Bombs (Keto Recipe)

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Just starting day 5 of my #KetoDiet and so far so good!  I have had a few “sweet” cravings, but so far really the #KetoFlu has been beyond manageable.  I am honestly surprised at how well it’s been going.

If I feel a little bit of a headache or nausea coming on, I just sip some Bouillon Broth and BOOM, gone. It’s all about getting that sodium in.

I’ve had more sodium in the last 4 days then i probably have in the last month, and I have ZERO inflammation and water retention.  what?  What IS this sorcery!?

So, as I dive head first into this #KetoLifestyle, I’ve been scouring for new recipe options.  One of the recipes I found, that I’m obsessing over is for 3 Ingredient Keto Peanut Cookies.  When I have the Stevia/Splenda crystals, it’s gonna be on like Donkey Kong.

I’ve been intrigued by the #FatBombs that everyone raves about, so I took to my own variation from a couple recipes I’ve seen.

Peanut Butter BACON Bombs!

Oh. Mylanta.  Yes.

I hope you like them as much as I do!  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bacon Bombs

(Ketogenic Diet Fat Source)

Peanut Butter Bacon Bomb

12 Servings (macros below)
3/4 C.  Coconut Oil (Melted)
9 1/2 T Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter
2 Packets Splenda
8T  Salted Butter (Melted)
6 Strips Farmland Applewood Thick Cut Bacon (crispy & chopped up small)

 

1.  In a Bowl, Mix together the Coconut Oil, Peanut Butter, Splenda and Butter

2.  Pour mixture into a large measuring cup or other dish for easier pouring.

3.  Line a Muffin Tin with Paper Cups

4.  Evenly distribute the mixture between all 12 cups.

5.  Sprinkle the tops with chopped bacon

6.  Freeze until solid.

7.  Transfer to container or ziploc and store in fridge.

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Day 3 of 21 – First Workout & Random Acts of Swearing

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legdaytoilet

Whew. Day 3. Helloooo Day 3.  Today was my first session with my new trainer, Tyler.  When I walked into the gym, I saw my Mestie, Ben.  We hugged, high-fived and warmed up together on the treadmill.  Ok, let’s clarify that.  I warmed up. He took a break from lifting weights the size of me.

Tyler, much like Ben, is all about form.  I love this.  Bad Form = not just potential injuries, but the possibility of being “that guy”.  You know..the dude that everyone looks at like, “What in the hell is he doing?” Note: you don’t want to be that guy.

Bent over Row, Lunges, Leg Lifts.  Sounds pretty easy right?  Well, tell that to my legs.  I have the most restless legs in the world tonight.  Stairs and I are fighting and I’m purchasing a parachute on Amazon Prime for my free falls to the toilet seat.  Oh Leg Day, you son-of-a-bitch..you ol’ sailor you…I LOVE YOU.

Words cannot express how great I feel after a workout like that.  My form was on point. Tyler mentioned on more than one occasion that he was excited to see I was not just practicing good form, but that I was strong.

Strong is what I want to be.  Not skinny, not great in a bathing suit.  I just want to be Strong, Healthy and Fit.
I made a new recipe tonight, Egg Roll in a Bowl.  Pretty much all the good stuff from the inside of an egg roll.  Find the Recipe here

Tomorrow’s goal?  Power through another session, especially if it’s upper body. I’m gettin’ my hair did…so this girl won’t have to even try to wash her own!  Oh, and drink more water.  This one is big.

I’m off to bed, swearing with every step down the stairs as if calling my legs dirty names will make them hurt less.  Nope.  Magnesium will though.  (yes I supplement)

Labor Day is PREP Day..and Leg Day..and I need a Nap already day.

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Things have been really up and down over the past  few months.  From festivals just about every weekend the first 2/3 of the summer, to big changes at work, the least I can tell you is that I’m tired and have been for more than a month.

Getting up and going gets tougher and tougher the longer and longer you wait.  I always asked myself how people got into their situations of being confined to a couch and living a lifestyle that is a one-way ticket to heartattack-ville.  Well, if they are anything like me, they might have just allowed themselves to ride the trolley right down the path of lazy. Then got lost and didn’t even remember where they were going originally.

I’ve learned a lot in the last few months about myself and how a simple daily outlook can change our paths for the better.  I had a coworker who would tell me the two following statements:

 

  1.  “Did you Die?”  Ok. When you’re upset about something, NO ONE wants to hear this. We want to clang pots and pans together, march around like a one-man band screaming “pay attention to me, agree with me!”  Well, 9 times out of 10, we DIDN’T die.  We ARE overreacting AND we just learned a solid lesson in the act of “choosing our battles”.  This statement has helped me to take the emotion out of so many of the situations where passion outweighs our brains at first.  Solid advice, bro.
  2. “Don’t let ONE negative thing, unravel your ENTIRE day.”  Simple Right? Well, not always.  Sometimes, we don’t even see ourselves on the red eye to “Negative Nancyville”.   Remembering this concept has helped me to cope with the really bad, and really focus on the joy of the day.  Sometimes, it’s just looking at the horizon and noticing how beautiful the colors are and taking it in.  The little positive things add up to a lot if you let them!

Whew..that bit of philosophy out of the way, I’m trying to dive back into the amazing world of fitness, meal planning and me-time.  Three things that add up to amazing positivity in my life.  And three things that ..well, when one went down in flames..I would say F it to the other two.  (see above Trolley to Lazy Land)

So after a killer BACK workout last night and Leg Day in the books today thanks to my Mestie (man bestie for the layman), Ben, I’m off to a sore and yet successful start.  I have a killer treadmill in my basement that calls to me to get off my arse and use it.  I have the skills to create the culinary version of love and awesome in the kitchen. So now..what’s holding me back?  Me.  …well it WAS me..two days ago..and the 30 days before that…and before that.  It’s not about never having to restart…I think it’s about restarting as soon as you can and only resting…not quitting.  big difference there.

I wanted to share one of the recipes I’ve created for this week.  It is also saved in MyFitnessPal account  and it’s slightly adjusted from the original recipe I found on Pinterest.

 

Happy Noshing!

xo Babs

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Baked Raspberry Oatmeal

9 Ingredients / 8 servings

  • 3 cup (40g dry), Old Fashioned Oats
  • 2 tsp, Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon, Salt
  • 1 cup(s), Organic Sucanat
  • 1.00 cup, 1% Milk
  • 1 tsp(s), Vanilla extract
  • 2 large, Egg
  • 1 Packet, No Sugar Added Applesauce
  • 1 cup, Raspberries – Raw
    Mix Oats, Baking Powder, Salt together. Then mix in wet ingredients. Finally Fold in the berries and bake in an 8×8 Square pan (spray with Non-Stick first) for up to 35mins at 350 or until nice and golden brown. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 264
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4 g 6 %
Saturated Fat 1 g 6 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 49 mg 16 %
Sodium 354 mg 15 %
Potassium 41 mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrate 51 g 17 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 16 %
Sugars 29 g
Protein 8 g 16 %
Vitamin A 4 %
Vitamin C 8 %
Calcium 10 %
Iron 9 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Food Porn – Tuesday Lunch Edition

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Grilled Italian Chicken with shaved fresh Parmesan & fresh basil on 100% Whole Wheat Toast (420 Calories)

Chicken with Balsamic Tomatoes & Artichokes

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2013-12-30 19.54.01Alright. First off I’d like to thank the Academy.  Ok. Not really, but I would like to thank my mother for always making things from scratch.  After years of peering over the counter watching her chop veggies and try new recipes, I can officially say that I’ve inherited the kitchen bug.

I found a recipe similar to this one last night on Pinterest and totally forgot to actually pin it…what does this mean?  Well it means I’ll never find it again. It’s now lost in an abyss of recipes and handicrafts.  Thankfully, I read the recipe well a couple of times and had already done the shopping for it.  Now, it’s time to put my own twist on it.

The original recipe only called for around 5 ingredients:  Roma Tomatoes, Jarred Artichokes, Flour, Sugar and Chicken.  That’s it. yup.  It was a Clean Eating Recipe and well, I guess they didn’t realize that white flour and white granulated sugar are both no-no’s in the Clean Eating world.

I also am a HUGE fan of Fresh Herbs and food with a bit of a tang to it:  Insert Balsamic Vinegar.  Oh B-Vin you ol’ dog you!  You always know how to make a girl feel sophisticated.

I also forgot the temp on the oven and how long to cook it…so we winged it…and well..it worked!

My husband gladly ate his over angel hair pasta and said he liked it enough for me to make it again, but not enough to eat leftovers.  I still consider this a victory since my husbands idea of pantry staples are Manwich, Suddenly Salad, Frozen Pizza and Pierogies.

You can use any 9×13 cake pan or roaster…I have a Le Creuset 3qt Au Gratin that I used for this recipe.

If you are super new to cooking..don’t be afraid this is NOT a difficult recipe 🙂

Materials I used:

So I started out by cutting each Roma Tomato into 4, then coring them, then chopping them up from there.  I drained a small jar of Artichoke hearts and added them to the bowl.  This is where I start to get creative because the original recipe only called for two more ingredients, white flour and sugar. Nope Not using those.  So instead I add Balsamic Vinegar, Honey, Chopped Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped Fresh Basil, minced garlic, salt & pepper, grated Parmesan and whole wheat flour.  I generously Salted & Peppered my Chicken breasts and then popped it in the oven! BOOM that easy!

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I baked it, covered in tin foil, at 350 degrees until the chicken was almost done, then took off the foil, stirred it up a bit, basted the chicken, sprinkled on some Parm/Asiago mix and fresh parsley and popped it back into the oven until bubbly and the chicken/cheese mix was slightly browned.

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Served it over Quinoa for me and Angel hair pasta for my husband. it was delish 🙂

2013-12-30 20.12.06Chicken with Balsamic Tomatoes & Artichokes

Easy / Serves 4-6 depending on portions

      • 2.5 lb pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed/fresh)
      • 6-8 Ripe Roma Tomatoes
      • 1 small jar of Artichoke Hearts
      • 1 heaping TBL of Whole Wheat Flour
      • 1 clove garlic minced
      • 2 Tbl grated Parmesan Cheese
      • 2 Tbl to 1/4 c Shredded Parmesan, Asiago or blend Cheese
      • 1 tsp honey
      • 1-2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar
      • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (reserve 1/4c for end of baking & garnish)
      • 2-3 large Basil Leaves Chopped
      • Kosher Salt
      • Pepper
    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
    2. Wash then Quarter, core and chop up Roma Tomatoes and put them in a large mixing bowl
    3. Drain and add Artichoke hearts to the bowl
    4. Add Garlic, 1/4 cup of the Parsley, Basil, Honey, Balsamic Vinegar, Grated parmesan cheese, Whole Wheat Flour and mix together.
    5. Pour into a greased baking dish
    6. wash and pat dry the Chicken breasts, then generously salt and pepper them.
    7. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the tomato mixtures
    8. Cover with Foil and back until chicken is almost finished, approx 50 mins.
    9. Take the foil off, stir it up, baste the chicken and sprinkle shredded cheese onto chicken.
    10. Place back in oven and bake until bubbly and the chicken/cheese turns a golden brown.

Resolving to Not Resolve (plus Lemon Mint Cucumber Water)

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So, it’s be come obvious to me that I have to make things an obsession if it’s going to work.  What does this mean?  Well, it means that I have to keep up on the Social Media side of things to keep myself in check.  I’m not starting a New Year’s Resolution this year, but I am starting my new journey to babyville.

There. I said it. My husband and I are ready to have another, but I refuse to put my body through that again until it’s healthy..again.  I lost 75+ lbs to get ready for baby number one and then lived the life of a dairy queen who loved cheese, milk, ice cream and tacos.  What?. nevermind, but seriously.  I ate tacos probably 2x/week and ice cream almost daily.  Oh and my friend Mr. Exercise.  I broke up with him.

Let’s just say that Mama was nesting more than in a nursery.  My waistline turned into a large eagles nest and I’ve hung onto it like it’s on the endangered species items of necessity list.

So, I told my husband that we’ll try again once we’re through with our ACM Award / Las Vegas Trip this April with the Radio Station.  So I’m counting down the days til my health deadline, he’s counting down the days til…well, you do the math.

Needless to say, we’re both motivated. ha!

Last night we arrived home after a full week in North Dakota visiting family.  The fridge? Empty.  The Cupboards? Empty.  My Blood Sugar?  Drastically falling like a bad day on Wall Street since I’m officially 8 hours off the “High Fructose Family” diet.  I will admit that my eating was FAR SUPERIOR to most holidays where I graze like a Guernsey on Chocolate, Chex, Meat, Potatoes, Bread, more bread and well anything that resembles anything edible.  This time I watched that I mostly only ate at dinner times and portioned out things if I snacked. Not great, but better than before.

I did a quick Pinterest Search or two and made a list for restocking. This time, with Clean Eating in mind and items that wouldn’t break my bank.

I kinda became addicted to MIO.  In the end, it was just artificial sugar and flavor, not doing much for me.  I still love it, but opted for something new.  Here is one of the water recipes (if you can call it a recipe) that I will drink this week.  I will try to post/try a new one each week!

Detox WaterLemon Mint Cucumber Water (Detox)

  • 1/2 Lemon Sliced
  • Mint Leaves (torn)
  • 1 small/med cucumber sliced

Wash everything, slice em up and add them to a pitcher of water.  let them meld overnight. Then enjoy.  I will continue to refill the pitcher for a day or two til I need to change out the Lemon/Cucumber/Mint.  tada! it’s that easy!

**Note**  the acid in the lemon kinda ate away at my plastic container (i suppose it depends on the container), but I use a glass pitcher now just in case. 🙂
Thanks to FitSugar.com, here’s why you want to add these to your water:

  • Lemon: Lemon water makes for a powerful detox drink; lemon juice helps to cleanse and alkalize the body. Add one thinly sliced lemon to a large pitcher, or squeeze fresh lemon juice into your glass.

  • Mint: Mint adds a touch of sweetness without the sugar to your water, and it also helps settle your stomach and aids in digestion as well.

  • Cucumber: Cucumber water isn’t just for spas. Adding a few slices of cucumber to your water makes for excellent rehydration, and cucumber contains anti-inflammatory properties, as well.

Hockey & Nuts..two of my favorite things (Chile Lime Almond Recipe included)

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Just outside the Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks, ND.

Just outside the Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks, ND.

So it was another balmy weekend in Grand Forks, ND.  Known as Home of the Fighting Sioux and constant potato ass smell from the Simplot Factory.   Sorry, that was offensive.  The NCAA says I have to say “North Dakota Athletics”.  I digress.

My husband and I are proud supporters of UND especially the hockey program. We, along with my Mother and Father In-Law and Brother In-law and his wife, have season tickets to Men’s hockey at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.  It’s a great way to get me home to see my mom and family back in North Dakota that I wouldn’t see half as much and we absolutely love hockey.  So it’s a win-win.  Then there’s weekend’s like this last one.  -16 Degrees TEMP.  Icicles have icicles at this point.  balls.

As much as I dread the “Tundra Shuffle”, the shuffling of feet while you pull all other appendages into your body like a turtle with your freezing breath barreling out of you like a factory on overtime, once you step in to the wonder of “The Ralph” you forget about the rest of the world.  You are standing a midst legends in the College Hockey World.  From the memorabilia on the walls, to the smell of Bavarian Roasted Almonds and Prime Rib Sandwiches, you are here.  This isn’t just a hockey game, it’s like a family reunion with 11,000 of your closest friends.  You fork over your 50/50 ticket cash, take your seat and it’s on!  I wouldn’t change it for the world.  However, when you’re trying to eat clean and lose weight, prime rib sandwiches, Dippin’ Dots, beer, beer and more beer don’t help matters.

BLOG_HOCKEY 2I settled for a Diet Coke that night while my husband partook in the customary silver bullet.  It was the first sweep at home for the Sioux this season and we were so happy to be there.

All weekend long it was holiday baking, eating out, late nights and luckily a few naps.  This is great, but again eating clean and fitness were nowhere to be found.  I’m getting ready to be spending a full week out at the lake and I’m going to have to get a gameplan together to keep my goals on track.  Let’s be honest, staying on a clean eating and fitness track when everyone is singing songs about figgy pudding isn’t easy.  I don’t even know what figgy pudding is, but if it’s Christmas, I’ll eat it.  herein lies the problem.  I’m like the 100 lb Labrador that thinks it’s a Chihuahua, only instead of sitting on people’s laps, I will eat just about anything in sight at such speed I myself might even question it’s happening.

oy.

So, I’ve started putting together a few projects like the Arm-Knitting Scarf Pin, Zippered-Wristlet Tutorial, PJ Pants for Timothy, and even finish my Strip Quilt I started.  There will inevitably be a few culinary adventures as well.  I really want to try this Hearty Roasted Vegetable Recipe 🙂

Last night I made a bunch of Oreo Cookie Balls…you know the Crushed Oreos mixed with Cream Cheese then dipped in chocolate confectionery balls of heaven.  Yeah..about that.  I’m not going to lie, I ate a few whilst creating my masterpieces, but I decided to also partake in a Pin I saw a week or so ago.  Chile Lime Roasted Almonds. BOOM!  I like them alot, but I shouldn’t have tried to eat them right after the Oreo balls…nothing tastes as good as skinny fee….shut up. Oreo balls taste amazing.

So I spent my night making balls and nuts. (insert laughter and random joke here)

Now you can too…enjoy!

Chile Lime Roasted Almonds

Note: I think I was short a few almonds..so I wound up with a little too much mixture on them…I may look to decrease in the future.  I also maybe could have roasted them longer!

Ritz Sandwich Crackers, Tow Trucks and 50 Shades of Menards.

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I don’t really know why certain things happen to me, they just do.  Maybe it’s because my quirky sense of humor can handle it so God sends these situations my way, and maybe it’s because I’m just as whacked as everyone else, who knows.

My weekend consisted of a little bit of work, lots of family time (aka drill sargeant husband and his list of cleaning duties will had to get done) and a good amount of shopping.

First off, Saturday I end up getting the bill for my unpaid parking tickets.  Yeah Bout that.  Not a good starter to 48 hours straight in the house with your husband.

Next came the task of dinner.  I had been planning this dinner for 3 days at this point.  Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken with Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.  Oh the joy of the smell of potatoes and Chicken roasting.  They looked amazing.  So, after approx an hour, I checked and the juices were clear.  Took the bird from the oven, covered it and let it rest while the potatoes finished.

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Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken

Now at this point, the baby was in bed.  We were having a late dinner and a movie at the house.  I’m all excited to get this Beautiful and CLEAN meal out to us and it happens.  Once slice near the thigh and BAM there is was. Uncooked Chicken.  Lord Save the Queen.  Of course, like any normal human being we panic like we’ve just poisoned the waterhole and start scrambling to save any and all livestock.  I start looking around the kitchen.  Right then left.  Left then Right. Then it dawns on me.  The oven is STILL on.  The Bird is STILL hot.  Just put it back in.  Ok.  The birds in the oven (disaster averted…kinda)

This is the point where the potatoes need to come out of the oven.  They look amazing. Then I realize that it will be quite awhile for the chicken still.  ugh.  so they go back in the oven as well.  We did finally eat.  45 mins later.  It still tasted good, nothing was burnt, but my pride was a bit bruised.

So the next morning, as I’m watching the final minutes of “Pitch Perfect” on HBO, we start making the list of things to do.  I get the kitchen organized and clean, then we take to the laundry and the Christmas Decorations.  So of course, I’m scanning Pinterest for ideas for the outdoor decorations for the house.  I am also in the process of slowly re-fabbing (aka Re-FABULOUS’ing) my downstairs bathroom and master bedroom.  So I take off for a night of shopping and crafting! yay!

BLOG_HOME_Jute LampOne of my stops is at Menards.  You know, the Midwests version of a Lowe’s Meets Home Depot meets Fleet Farm!  I need Jute Rope.  Thick Stuff so I can Wrap a pair of lamps I have so they look similar to this lamp I found on Pinterest.

I hop in the “6 Items or Less” line with my Jute Rope and Diet Coke and here comes this man and his cart with 6 Coleman Camp Stoves Propane Tanks, two large bags of ice melt and a gallon jug of Tampico.  He looks at me and straight faced says, “So ya gonna tie your man up tonight?”

Out of sheer shock, I blurt out the only thing that will come out of my mouth, “It’s for a lamp”.  I didn’t just say this, I shouted this.  The Cashier Jumped. Lord.

Fast forward to this morning.  My car is a pit.  Between carseat in, carseat out, trips here, trips there, you can find remnants of each trip.  It’s so bad.  So as I’m driving on this -7 degree day, I realise that my car is no longer accelerating.  OMG.  I push the gas and nothing. I can’t even hear a rev.  I’m Freaking out.  It looks as though my car is shut off.  ah!  I have a push start Altima and so I step on the brake and restart it…nothing.  So as I’m dialing a tow truck, since my husband at the time was on a plane to Houston, I come to a startling realization.  Hanging up  the phone as fast as I can to avoid a pickup followed by me faking a wrong number, I look down and there is a box of Ritz Cheese Sandwich Crackers jamming my gearshift into Neutral.

So if you ask how my weekend was, It was interesting.  I had a 70 year old man get all 50 shades of Jute rope on me at Menards and a box of Ritz almost cost me a $100 Tow Truck call and a ton of embarassment.

And…it’s only 2pm.

Food Prep: Mason Jar Salads

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This is a great idea! It’s so simple, yet isn’t it always the simple things that we never seem to think of? I’m taking the Rejuv Shopping Tour to review Clean Eating & Paleo options next Wednesday, Dec 11th at 7pm. If you want to join me call Rejuv at (320) 281-5100 to sign up! I would love to have you there too! ❤

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”

Or at least in my case you do!

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I have a really hard time with cravings. It’s probably my biggest challenge when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. One thing that I recently tried is planning my meals for the week. This personally helps me tremendously. While browsing Pinterest one day I stumbled upon these adorable (and totally genius) mason jar salads. Prep all at once, and eat healthy for the week! Perfect! Here’s what I put in mine:

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Southwest Salad
-romaine
-southwest blend cheese
-southwest corn blend
-chopped green peppers
-shredded carrots
-quinoa
-ranch
-BBQ sauce

When it comes to the dressing, I found a zero calorie ranch dressing that actually looks pretty clean, and a BBQ sauce that’s low in sodium!

Summer Poppyseed Salad
-romaine
-strawberries
-pineapple
-mandarin oranges
-quinoa
-poppyseed dressing

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Tips
-Dressing first, Greens last!
-Put…

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Winter Weather calls for Winter Food and fun

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Timothy trying out his snowpants for the first time!

Timothy trying out his snowpants for the first time!

So mother nature has decided to grace us with anywhere from 7 to 11 inches of new snow here in the next 24-28 hours.  It’s the thick, heavy & wet snow that is PERFECT for making snowballs and snowmen.  It is also perfect for getting your car stuck and socks wet.  I guess you get good with the bad and vice versa.

Growing up with my mother, food was always in abundance.  The second the Weather Guy would mention snow, she would load me up in the car and we’d be off to the grocery store.  You can only imagine the “apocalyptic style mania” that all Midwest grocery stores have during the pre-storm period. The crazy part of this whole phenomenon is that we always ended up buying MORE than what we usually would, and not just in quantity, but in variety.  I don’t think I ever ‘survived’ a Minnesota/North Dakota snowstorm without Queso & Chips, Chili, Spaghetti & meatballs, Doritos, Oreos, something home baked and a mother load of Diet Coke.  It was honestly like we were getting ready to have our last meal.  Only instead of looking like a sad depiction of a woman who’s circumstances were gruesome, it would be a young overweight woman who died with a Minh Pork Egg Roll in one hand and the remote control in the other after the storm took out the cable.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming my mother or the way we ate for my “husky” (which by the way I hate when people call me husky).   The majority of my weight came on as an adult when I was in total control of everything I ate.  I use the word ‘control’ loosely.

BEEF NOODLE SOUP_bowlHaving just restarted my journey back to health, fitness and babyville, I wanted to still get that comfort that I remember, but not kill every ounce of my work at this.  So, I decided on a Beef Noodle soup.  I know what you’re thinking, “Babs, soup really isn’t that healthy”.  Well, I would agree with you, if you’re buying it in the can, package, box, or frozen.  If you are making it, soup takes on a new role in a healthy diet.  It’s comforting, it’s tasty, it’s inexpensive per serving and it’s freezable.

So while my husband finished up the Christmas lights (this round of them) with the help of our jolly little man, Timothy, I started chopping.  6 years ago we received a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer for our wedding and the pasta attachment.  BEST. GIFT. EVER.

So I opted to make homemade Whole Wheat Egg Noodles.  They turned out great.  I watched the sodium and fat in this soup by using EVOO and Low sodium Beef Broth rather than Bouillon and added 2 FRESH Bay Leaves and about a tsp of Italian Seasoning to the mix.  Right before serving, I added fresh chopped flat leaf parsley.  It turned out great and after portioning it out into containers for my lunches, today proved it was EVEN BETTER the next day!

Here’s a quick synopsis if you want to take a crack at this Clean Eating Pot of Goodness!

BEEF NOODLE SOUP_spoon1Beef Noodle Soup (clean)

  • 1.5 lbs stew beef
  • 2 16oz containers of Low Sodium Beef Broth
  • 3 large carrots chopped
  • 3-4 stalks of celery chopped
  • 1 medium/large yellow onion chopped
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1-2 T of EVOO
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt / pepper to taste
  • Balsamic Vinegar to taste (adds a zing/tang)
  • Whole Wheat Egg Noodles (Whole Wheat Flour, 3 eggs, dash of water) Or store bought.

1.  Heat the EVOO in a Dutch Oven/French Oven ( this is mine)

2.  add the garlic and cook a few moments before adding the beef

3.  add pepper and a splash of balsamic to the beef, cook then scoop out beef in to a bowl and set aside.

4.  Using the juices left from the beef, add the carrots, onions, celery and bay leaves to the pot and cook about 5 mins ( stirring so not to burn)  If your pan is too dry, feel free to add a splash of beef stock and scrape up the bits from the bottom.

5.  Add the rest of the beef stock and beef back into the pot and bring to a light boil. then reduce heat, cover and let simmer. add a splash or two of Balsamic Vinegar if needed (to taste)

6. Add the fresh whole wheat egg noodles about 5-10 mins before you’re ready to serve, just add them, stir it around and let it continue to lightly simmer covered.

7. Stir in a good 1/2 – 3/4 cup of chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley right before serving.

Enjoy!