Hungry Girl's Mac and Cheese

I made this dish this past week, I was a little skeptical about whether or not the hubs would like it. He is the mac and cheese King, and can be picky about it. The cheesier and unhealthier, the better for him. But I made it anyways because I care about his heart health, and he really enjoyed it. I made a little more cheese sauce than what the recipe calls for because I know my hubby would like it super cheesy. I also couldn't find plain frozen cauliflower, only broccoli/cauliflower mix. So I used the mix and it worked well. I saw this recipe on the Dr. Oz show; this recipe makes 4 servings (at about 2 cups per serving) for around 200 calories per serving.

Hungry Girl's Mega Mac & Cheese

3 cups frozen cauliflower florets
4 1/2 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) uncooked high-fiber elbow macaroni
2 T light sour cream
2 slices 2% american cheese
4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place frozen cauliflower in microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave for 3 minutes. Uncover, stir. Re-cover and microwave for another 2-3 minutes, until hot. Drain excess liquid. Cover to keep warm.

Mean-while, prepare pasta per package instructions. Drain pasta and stir in cauliflower. In a microwave-safe bowl mix sour cream and cheese (breaking cheese into smaller pieces). Microwave for 20 seconds, stir well. Microwave another 20 seconds or so until cheese has melted. Stir well.

Add cheese mixture to pasta and cauliflower, add salt and pepper to taste, stir well. Enjoy!

xoxo

Super Easy Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken and Stuffing

I've been relying on my slow cooker a lot since I started working again. I made this dish yesterday, and the hubby really enjoyed it. It is relatively cheap too...I found it on mydailydish.com

3 large skinless chicken breasts, fresh
6 slices of cheese, american or cheddar or whatever you want
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups of dry dressing, traditional seasoned
1 stick melted butter

Grease slow cooker and place chicken on the bottom. Lay cheese evenly on top of chicken. Mix soup with milk and pour over chicken and cheese. Sprinkle dressing evenly over top. Pour melted butter over the dressing. Cook on high 4-6 hours, or on low 7-8 hours.

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be altered any way you need. Change up the cheese, use cream of mushroom instead of chicken. I would suggest that if more than 3 pieces of chicken are being used, to increase the milk to 1/2 cup and/or add another can of soup just to make sure the chicken doesn't dry out and that there is enough sauce. Also, if more than 2 cups of dressing are being used the milk and/or soup amount should also be increased. This literally took 5 minutes to throw together in the morning before I left for work, and it smelled amazing when I got home!

xoxo

Rewards Cards

        I used to not really be into rewards cards; I hated having to keep them in my wallet and then dig around hunting for them when I needed to use it. However I reformed my ways after I got married determined to save money where I could, especially when it came to things I buy or places I go the most. It really is worth it to hang onto those punch cards or rewards cards at places you frequent. I go to Panera a lot (I think I'm kind of addicted...) and they have swipe cards that can give you rewards, like a free baked good on your birthday. I used to think that's all they were good for, but last week I got a free You-Pick-2 and a free coffee drink. To me that was incredible! A free meal (that usually costs $8-10) and a free coffee drink (usually $4-5)! I was blown away and really happy, so totally worth it to hand over the free plastic card when I hit up Panera. I also have a coffee punch card for the little place in town (3 Sisters), and frequently get a free coffee drink of my choice (usually a non-fat caramel latte). My sister frequently goes to Starbucks and has a gift card there that she registered online and reloads with more money when she needs it. The advantage to this is that when you have a re-loadable, registered gift card you get a free drink on your birthday, and get free flavor shots into drinks. This may not seem like a lot but a flavor shot is 10 cents, and if she gets a drink 4 days a week that is 40 cents saved. Over a year she would save about $20 on something she would normally already buy. My bottom-line, punch cards and free rewards cards are so totally worth it.

xoxo

Crock Pot Pizza Pasta

I came upon this recipe (from cookingwithjoey.com) last summer and was bit skeptical at first, pasta cooked in a slow cooker? Wouldn't that make the pasta soggy or gummy? But I've made it twice and have had FANTASTIC results, my hubby adores this stuff. The best part is that it's cheap, easy, and can feed a crowd (I think it makes 8-10 servings). Whatever is left over after two days I usually freeze in an air-tight glass container and bring it back out 2 or 3 weeks later ( I just thaw it in the fridge for about 36-48 hours). It can be made with whatever pizza toppings you like, just make sure that the meat is cooked before it goes into the crock pot. To make it low-fat it can be done without meat and be a veggie pizza with onions, green peppers, mushrooms, olives...whatever! I usually make it with low-fat cheese and the pepperoni is turkey to cut out the fat. Hope everyone loves it!

1lb rigatoni or mostaccioli noodles, uncooked
2-3 jars of whatever tomato sauce you enjoy
1 T. dried oregano
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey!)
1 lb fresh ground italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package sliced pepperoni

Brown beef (or turkey) and italian sausage in a large skillet, drain excess fat. Mix tomato sauce and uncooked pasta in a large bowel with oregano until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray. Make layers with half of each ingredient in this order: pasta with sauce, cooked meat mixture, onions, peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, cheese. Then again: pasta with sauce, cooked meat mixture, onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheese, and pepperoni on top. Sprinkle with a little more oregano or italian spice blend. Cook on low for 4 hours.

The original recipe I found instructed to cook on low for 6 hours, but the pasta has been perfectly done at 4 hours for me. Note: most crock pots will switch to "warm" setting once the time has elapsed, don't let it sit on "warm" setting for too long because it will continue to cook the pasta and may become gooey.

xoxo

Rachel Ray's spicy tomato sauce

This tomato sauce is amazing for several reasons...it's super homemade, it had vegetables in it (onion, pepper, tomato), it tastes like Italian sausage even though it's vegetarian, and it's made by Rachel Ray! I made this last night to go over spaghetti, it was incredible. And it's healthy!!

Rachel Ray's (super healthy) Spicy Tomato Sauce with Fennel, Peppers and Onions

1/4  cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped (these are a sweet, light green Italian pepper)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste (but I put the entire tiny can in)
1 cup dry white wine (like a Riesling)
28-32 oz chopped tomatoes

Heath olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add fennel seed, pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until fragrant. Add chopped onion, peppers, and salt. Stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste for about a minute. Add wine and reduce for a minute. Then add chopped tomatoes. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Can add starchy pasta water to sauce to help thicken it once pasta is done cooking.

xoxo

Taco Dip/Soup - Slow Cooker

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home slow cooker magazine, tried it over the weekend, and loved it! It's vegetarian, virtually fat-free, and full of vegetables. It's super tasty without meat, but to make it more hearty ground hamburger, chicken, or turkey could be browned and added to this. I used it has a dip with baked tortilla chips, but I'm using the left-overs as soup tomorrow by adding a can of tomato juice and some extra chili powder!

16 oz. kidney beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz. corn, drained
16 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz stewed tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
4 oz. chopped green chilies, drained
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion

Throw it all in a slow cooker on low for 5-7 hours, stirring occasionally.
Makes about 7 cups
About 50 calories per 1/4 cup

Kettle Bell Class

     For the past few weeks I've been taking a kettle bell workout class at the local park district with my mom. I've been intrigued by kettle bell workouts for a while because I keep reading about how fabulous they are for you. Though whenever I was in the free-weights area of the gym I was too intimidated to actually pick one up and use it, because well I had no freaking clue what to do. So, a class where I could learn some technique and exercises twice a week sounded fabulous. Now I consider myself to be in relatively good shape, lifting weights twice a week, running 5 miles three times a week, and other cardio exercises 3 times a week as well as doing the Brazilian Butt Workout (by BeachBody) - let me tell you that kettle bell class kicks my ass. We do a different routine each week, and some are thankfully easier than others, but besides doing BeachBody's Insanity program I've never done anything more challenging in my life. But after a month of going to the class, both my mom and I are seeing results so it's worth the effort.
     Bottom line: if you are plateauing with your workouts, add kettle bells. I know that different companies make DVDs and you can buy a kettle bell at Walmart or Target. So get "kettle-belling" people!

xoxo

Think ahead

Today I went to breakfast with my good friend here in town, I love friend dates that involve food because well I love friends and I love food. Before heading to meet her I ran through the usual restaurant breakfast items trying to discern what healthy options I have so that way I would have a “plan of attack” to avoid getting biscuits and gravy. I knew I should have eggs because they have protein and are healthy, but to avoid egg options with tons of cheese. When I got there I was scanning the egg area of the menu (avoiding the pancakes and waffles topped with all sorts of sugar, lest I be tempted) and voila! A spinach and veggie skillet was spotted. It did have potatoes and come with toast but I overcame these obstacles. I stayed very conscious of eating slowly, and not stuffing it all in my mouth in 5 minutes. So I was able to stop eating after eating just one piece of toast, and 3/4s of the skillet. When I got home and calculated the two eggs (140 calories), veggies (about 25-35 calories) and potatoes (100ish calories), plus cheese (100ish calories) and then figured out that eating only 3/4s of it was about 275 calories; leaving me very please with myself. I often have trouble eating out and not being a member of “the clean plate club”, so this was a success for me. Thinking ahead about what I was going to order, adding veggies to my meal, and eating slowly helped me conquer the seeming impossible mountain.

Side note: I love meat as much as the next person, but breakfast meat is notorious for being greasy and overly fatty. So unless the restaurant serves chicken or turkey sausage, stay away from it. It’ll only add unnecessary fat and calories.

xoxo 

Don't be afraid to Substitute!

I've been cooking a lot, like a lot a lot, since my husband came back from Hawaii in last May. Before I didn't have much motivation to cook just for myself, but since he'd rather have a home-cooked meal than go out I've been cooking out the wazoo. The biggest lesson I've learned so far is to not be afraid to substitute ingredients for lower fat/calorie options. While there are of course some recipes that should be kept sacred (the amazing from-scratch cookies you only make a couple times a year, great-grandma's famous pie), most everyday recipes can and SHOULD have low-fat ingredients in them. It's a simple and easy way to make food healthier. 


Examples anyone?
~ dip call for cream cheese or sour cream? use fat-free! still creamy and delicious
~ casserole need ground beef? use ground turkey! it's cheaper in most cases and low-fat
~ baked good use oil and/or butter? use applesauce! it's sweet and still yummy
~ using milk in your recipe? use skim! even if you don't drink skim, you won't be able to tell in a recipe that it's fat-free
~ making taco meat? add a can of black beans after cooking the meat and before adding the seasoning. it won't change the taste, secretly add a vegetable serving (plus fiber!), and stretch the taco filling further for only a dollar. 


My husband was raised and still is a "meat and potatoes" man, and generally called my "diet food" that he recognizes "tasteless". But the substitutions I listed above, well he can never tell that it's low-fat/fat-free and that I added a vegetable serving.  Voila ~ healthy hubby ;-)


xoxo  

Danielle's (now famous) Low-fat Taco Soup

Us military wives have a knack for swapping great recipes. To save money we often host themed potluck parties at our houses to have some fun on a budget. This is Danielle's yummy low-fat crock-pot taco soup!

2 lbs ground turkey
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 can mild chili beans
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
2 can diced tomatoes with green chili
1 envelope ranch salad dressing seasoning
1 jar salsa
2 T taco sauce
1/2 diced onion

Brown turkey and add taco seasoning mix. Then add in crock-pot to all other ingredients. Stir well. Heat through. I usually put mine on low heat for 8 hours or so. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it is! I usually serve with cornbread as well :-)

xoxo

Birthday Eve

Today I went with my hubby, parents, and sister to Woodfield mall for some shopping and lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. A special request for my 23rd! I don't know what it is about that restaurant....the rain noise, the decor, or the food but I can't get enough if that place - I turn into an 8 year old every time. Even if it means getting run over by strollers and angry suburb wives. I also got to visit a few favorite stores - Nordstrom, Victoria's Secret, Gilly Hicks, and Sephora! Found some good deals and some super fabulous finds. Sephora even gave me a free birthday gift!

Xoxo

Birthday nails

Did my own manicure last night (to save some money!) and I must say it is quite fitting for my birthday weekend.

Sugar Plum Fairies Gone Wild by Sephoria OPI

Healthy Taco Salad

Fat-free, vegetarian taco salad for lunch today! I adore salads and Mexican food, so I make this quick salad for lunch often when the hubs is at work.

2 cups lettuce
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons chunky salsa
1 tablespoon fat-free cheddar cheese
1 handful crushed baked tortilla chips
1/2 chopped tomato

Enjoy!
xoxo

The Begining

Today is the day I decided to start blogging...I've heard its the hip, new thing to do..."everyone has a blog these days!" So why not me? This way I can share my cooking adventures, workout ideas, and love to be small-town fabulous with the world. 


My husband (Thomas) and I recently moved back to my childhood home town in Byron. He recently got out of active duty in the United States Marine Corps, and I quit my ICU job in Peoria. We are renting a cute little white house in town that is almost three times as big as our apartment in Peoria. I'm currently looking for a new job while the hubs works for my family and figures out what to do without the Marines in his (our) life. 


I cook a ton since we are desperately trying to save money and home-cooking is way cheaper than eating out. I get bored very easily, so I'm constantly trying new recipes. In fact, I think I've only ever made the same thing one time...other than that its a new recipe everyday. 


I love exercising and trying to be as healthy as possible while living a fabulous life to look back on when I'm 85. I've always enjoyed trying to live healthily, but being a nurse has given me new inspiration and determination. My lovely husband gets the "brunt" of my health-nut side, bless his heart. He's always getting my speeches about being heart healthy and adding antioxidants! 


However, I do love obnoxiously fabulous things...dark chocolate, exotic travel, expensive hair accessories (preferably Juicy Couture), aged cheese, and of course tequila! The realization that a lifestyle like that does not exactly line up with my need to have a healthy, money-smart life has given me more reason to find ways to be fit, fabulous, and frugal!


xoxo