Weight Loss Journey: What I Eat In A Day

After my last few blogs were pretty negative in tone, I thought I would brighten things up.  I started on a low dose thyroid medication on Saturday April 2nd.  That next week I dropped 5 lbs and then I put the scale away.  I didn't want to be checking it every single day.  I won't weigh in again until May 1st.  I am doing really well at keeping under 2,000 calories so I thought I would share with you all what I eat in a day.

BREAKFAST 8:00 am
Breakfast is the same every work day.  I make an egg scramble.  I meal prep the meat on Sunday and portion it out into 4 ozs or whatever the serving is.  I weigh everything out in order to track things accurately.  This keeps me full until around noon.  I also have a 24 oz coffee with almond milk (32 cals) and about 40 ozs of water.

142 grams Isernio's Chicken Breakfast Sausage (160 cals)

7 ozs sliced Zucchini (34 cals)

5 ozs sliced Button Mushrooms (30 cals)

8 ozs Liquid Eggs (123 cals)

Total:  347 Cals, 15 carbs, 6 fat and 37 protein

PRE-WORKOUT 12:00 pm
I try to keep pre-workout light but with some protein and carbs.  I have been really liking cottage cheese and berries.

8 oz Cottage Cheese (180 Cals)

3 ozs Black Berries (32 cals)

3 ozs Raspberries (17 cals)

Total:  229 Cals, 28 carbs, 6 fat and 25 protein

POST WORKOUT 2:45 pm
I use my lunch break to go to the gym.  I either do Cardio or weight lifting for 35 minutes, then come back to work and eat.  Post Workout is always a salad.

4 cups Spring Salad Mix (40 cals)
4 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (166 cals)
2 tbsp Litehouse Opa Greek Yogurt Feta Dill Dressing (50 cals)
Total:  256 cals, 10 carbs, 15 fat and 23 protein

DINNER 6:00ish pm
Dinner can vary but we stick to about 10 or 15 dishes pretty consistently.   Here are a few.

6 oz Beef Chuck Steak (240 cals)

150 grams Yukon Gold Potato (120 cals)

2 cups Spring Salad Mix (20 cals)

2 tbsp Litehouse Opa Greek Yogurt Feta Dill Dressing (50 cals)

Totals:  430 cals, 32 carbs, 14 fat and 41 protein

Enchilada Filling:  20 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, 1 can of Low Sodium Black Beans, 1 large can of La Victoria Mild Red Enchilada Sauce.  Makes 10 Servings, 168 calories each.

3 La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas (80 cals each)

1.5 oz Mexican Cheese Blend

Totals:  745 cals, 87 carbs, 26 fat and 78 protein

7 ozs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh (245 cals)

8 ozs Yukon Gold Potato (138 cals)

6 ozs Birdseye Steamfresh Broccoli (60 cals)

Totals:  443 cals, 38 carbs, 11 fat and 46 protein

Beef Enchilada Bake

16 oz Grassfed Extra Lean Ground Beef

2 cups Instant White Rice

1 can Sweet Corn

1 can Low Sodium Black Beans

1 large can Enchilada Sauce

8 ozs Mexican Cheese Blend

Makes 4 large servings.  Can serve on a tortilla or eat in a bowl.

662 cals, 74 carbs, 18 fat and 51 protein

We also go out to eat maybe once or twice a month.  The above meal is from Ichi Teriyaki here in Longview.  I get no sauce on my chicken to keep the calories in check.  I look at MyFitnessPal for close matches when I eat out.  This meal came out to be 603 calories, 38 carbs, 16 fat and 68 protein.

In the evening I can have anywhere from 100 to 500 calories left.  I like to indulge in ice cream, popcorn or other simple snacks.  I found a really good diet ice cream called Halo Top.  It is hard to find and a bit expensive but well worth the effort.  The pint below is only 280 calories for the entire thing.  There is 60 carbs, 8 fat and 24 protein.  Compare that to regular ice cream and you will be blown away!

Weight Loss Journey: The Good, the Bad and the Gain

I have been mulling over this blog for a week now.  In fact, I wasn't going to write about it at all.  Just ignore it and maybe it will go away.  But that is how I got to be over 500 lbs in the first place.  And after talking to my sister, she convinced me that this blog needs to be truthful and genuine.  She is absolutely right.  So I must say that I have gained back some weight.  About 7 pounds actually.  Here is where I could list my excuses, but for me, they are not excuses, they are mistakes.  And mistakes can be corrected and learned from.

Two weeks ago I opened an email with the subject line "Invoice and Receipt for Payment".  Thinking nothing of it I downloaded the contents.  Mistake #1.  The email turned out to be a Ransomware Virus that corrupted my computer along with my work and personal flash drives that were plugged in.  I lost every document and photo on all three devices.  I had a friend come over to see if he could save anything but he wasn't able to.  He had to wipe my computer and reload windows.  Thank goodness that it didn't touch anything in my accounting program.

I spent the next 2 days reloading all my programs.  I was so involved in it that I skipped the gym.  Mistake #2.  Instead of taking my lunch break and going to the gym to relieve some stress, I sat at my desk and ate junk.  I went to the gas station a few doors down and got chips, candy and soda.  Mistake #3.  This was an old behavior that I thought I was over but those old habits die hard.  Have I mentioned I don't handle stress very well?

I worked 17 hours overtime in those 2 weeks.  My "at home" meals suffered too. Mistake #4.  I didn't plan ahead and waited way too long to eat some days.  This meant that I didn't make dinner most nights and either ate out or I threw something together.  I had pizza, Chinese, fast food and other comfort food.  I also didn't log my food consistently.  Eating like crap and being stressed about work made me feel like crap.  That in turn made me not want to do anything.  In short, I was lazy and lackadaisical.

On Thanksgiving, I wrapped the Christmas presents while I watched the Macy's parade.  We went to a friend's house for dinner and had a wonderful time.  There was no stress.  By Saturday, I had pulled myself out of my funk.  I took a trip alone to St. Helens, OR and finished my Christmas shopping.  Then, after I got home, Roger and I went to Fred Meyer to shop for boots.  I ended up getting them at Payless.  I got two pair for a little over $50.  I weighed myself again this morning, December 1st, and I was back to 410.  Which means I am 7 lbs from my 100 lb goal.  While this is a set back, it's not going to stop me.

Weight Loss Journey: Struggling

Ugh!  I have written and rewritten this blog several times over the last month.  A few things have happened this month and I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about them.  Usually my blog is all about positivity and encouragement.  Let me tell you, this month, it has not been so easy.  I have been really struggling.  No only with my weight loss but with my emotions and my self control.  I again chose not to weigh myself until November 1st.  So, at the time I am writing this part, I have not weighed in.

I had a falling out with a friend of 13 years.  I think I finally just opened my eyes and listened to everyone who was telling me he was a bad person to be around.  I saw through the lies and decided I didn't need his negativity anymore.  I can't save him from himself.  There was no fight or screaming match, I just stopped talking to him and blocked him on all social media.  I did make a new friend through him that I am happy is a part of my life now.  A positive, uplifting person with no agenda.

Early in October I was working a lot on Fabric Pumpkins for my sister to sell for me at her craft fairs.  We made 75 total and they are now all gone.  (I did keep 2 for myself).  The extra time I needed for them took away from me making dinner every night and I got off track a bit.  My own fault for not planning accordingly.  In fact one night I was up for 26 hours and ate an entire pizza to myself.  Not one of my proudest moments.

On the 10th, I got a new tattoo.  I actually got my star covered with a cow.  If you have known me for a while, you know cows are my favorite animal.  Well, while it was healing, I didn't wear my FitBit because that's the wrist I wear it on.  I think that really hindered me.  It allowed me to do things without thinking and assume that I had burned more calories than I had.

The day after we went to a party.  It was a reunion of sorts for our family owned shop.  It was filled with faces that I hadn't seen in so long and it was such a great time.  My only mistake was not sitting down all night.  I am not used to standing so much and I really paid for it the next day.  Not only was I hungover, but my knees and ankles hurt so badly.  We went to the World of Speed Museum in Portland with out Car Club.  I'm afraid I was no fun.  I had to keep sitting and really felt like crap.

Then there was an entire week where I was so tired.  We had "fend for yourself" dinners 3 nights that week.  I also went to the store a few times and bought candy bars and other snacks.  Found out a few days later that it was PMS which strangely made me feel better.  I also only went to the gym twice that week.  I felt like I was eating like crap and I was spiraling.  I did grab the reins and reeled it in by the end of the month so I am anxious to see where my loss is.

The results:  So I didn't lose any weight this month.  Well, actually 0.2 lbs.  While I am disappointed in myself, I really can't rely fully on the scale.  I have come so far in the last 10 1/2 months.  I did take my measurements this month.  I lost 2 inches off my stomach, 2 inches off my arms, 1 inch off my bust and 3 inches off my thighs.  So, while I need to buckle down to meet my 100 lb goal by December 9th, I am happy with my changes.

March Goals - Week 1

It's the first of March and I am heading into another chapter on my journey.  I set myself a goal to plan and make nearly all of our meals for the week.  My plan was to spend some time Sunday morning making a menu.  Then, from that, I could make my shopping list and head to the store.  Well, I was woken up Sunday and had less than 30 minutes to shower and get dressed for breakfast so my plan went out the window.  No problem though.  I had a general idea of what I needed to buy so we went shopping anyway.  I discovered a lot of stuff in the WinCo bulk section so we may start shopping there again.  (We had a bad experience with some rotten chicken there and it really turned us off.)

Here is my menu for the week:

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Overnight Oats	Salad with Chicken	Chicken Quesadillas	Clementines
Breakfast Wraps	Salad with Tuna	Chicken Broccoli Casserole	Cheerios
Carrot Bran Muffins	Mozzarella Salad	Lime Cilantro Chicken	Greek Yogurt
Leftovers		Steak and Roasted Broccoli	Popcorn
		Shrimp Stir Fry
		Jambalaya

As you can see, I haven't assigned days for anything.  It helps me to have a general plan but some days I come home and really just don't feel like cooking.  This week, my easy, minimal cooking meals are Chicken Quesadillas and Steak with Roasted Veggies.  I have all the  ingredients on hand for all of these dishes so it makes my week easy.

Monday
Last night I made us each a jar of Blueberry Overnight Oats for breakfast.  They really were delicious.  I will include the recipe for them below.  For lunch I had my normal salad with chicken, carrots and cherry tomatoes.  When I got home, I gave Roger the option of what he wanted for dinner and he chose Chicken Quesdaillas.  He loves them.  To save myself from all the carbs I did open face ones for me.  Cherry tomatoes, chicken and a little cheese on a crispy tortilla was almost like pizza!

Tuesday
Another new breakfast item for us today.  I whipped up some Healthy Breakfast Muffins last night.  They are packed with goodness including banana, carrot, oat bran and oatmeal.  (Recipe below)  I brought 2 for breakfast and then had a salad for lunch.  Today I didn't add any meat so that I could use the leftover chicken I had for dinner.  I mentioned to my sister, that I was going meatless today, and her question was, "How are you getting protein?"  I never even thought about that.  Luckily, I had a Special K Protein Bar in my desk.  Tonight I am making Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole.(Recipe below)  It's one of my favorites.

Wednesday
Last week, after my plateau, I reset my parameters on MyFitnessPal.com.  I brought my calories down from 2500 to 2000.  Monday of this week, I had 1536 and yesterday I ended with 1153.  A good thing about making dinner at home is that I control the ingredients, but my favorite thing is the leftovers.  I am not a huge breakfast fan.  I don't like waffles, pancakes, cereal or french toast so leftovers for breakfast are perfect for me.  My salad today is sans meat but I included some bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls) for protein.  Dinner tonight is another new recipe, Lime Cilantro Chicken Thighs.  I will probably serve it with roasted vegetables.  I am really getting into cooking again this week, which makes me happy.

Thursday
Another day of Overnight Oats and Mozzarella Salad.  The Cilantro Lime Chicken turned out ok last night but I wish there was a bit more flavor.  The lime came through but I wanted more salt or spice.  Going to have to rework that recipe before I share it.  Roger is begging for something that isn't chicken so tonight I planned on Steak and Roasted Broccoli.  However, I forgot to take steaks out of the freezer so I suggested Shrimp Stir-Fry.  Well, Roger said he was tired of vegetables so he said he would make his own dinner.  I had Stir-Fry with Quinoa and it was delicious.

Today was a rough day.  I had my Oatmeal at 7 but I was so hungry that I ended up eating my salad at 10.  That left me with only a protein bar to last me until 5 when I would have dinner.  I ate it around 1 and was fine until I got home for dinner.  I don't know why I felt so hungry.  Yesterday I was pretty hungry when I got home but my daily calorie intake was 1598.  Tonight after dinner I am up to 1386.  I will probably have popcorn later tonight.  I find it to be really filling for very few calories.

Friday
I think I figured out my hunger problem the last few days.  Besides the Chicken on Wednesday, I haven't been getting enough protein.  Tuesday I had less than half of my daily intake, I was about 25% low Wednesday and 40% low yesterday.  To combat this, I got up this morning and made myself a quick breakfast wrap with a low carb tortilla, an egg and some crumbled bacon.  It got me 24 grams of protein and only 11 carbs.  I ate that at 6:15 and then my oatmeal at 8:15.  I had a garbanzo bean, mozzarella and tomato salad for lunch and then for snack tonight.  I made Steak and Roasted Broccoli for dinner before Roger left for his Poker game.  I spent the remainder of the night cleaning out my office/craft room.

Saturday
I was in full Spring Cleaning mode today.  I woke up at 7:30 and cleaned until 4 when Roger got home from the auction.  I literally went through every scrap of paper and piece of clothing.  I got through the office/craft room, the bedroom and 3/4 of the way through the cat/storage room.  I didn't eat all day so I rewarded myself with Pizza, finally.  I limited myself to the wings and 2 slices of pizza for a total of 1228 calories.  While this isn't the best idea, I am ok with the decision. I got a lot done and I got to indulge a little.

I honestly don't know where all the energy came from.  Let's be honest, you don't get to be my size by being active.  I live a very sedentary lifestyle but I just couldn't stop today.  Every time I sat for a few minutes I had to get back up and keep moving.  My body wouldn't let me rest.  I am sure I will pay for it tomorrow.  I hope this is a positive side effect of my new lifestyle.

I think I did pretty well on my week one goal.  I basically stuck to making dinner every night and I had lunch and breakfast everyday.  I hadn't really thought at all about my week two goal until I sat down to write this tonight (7:45 on Saturday night).  I think this week I want to focus on fitness.  My goal is to do 3 different types of exercises at least 3 days this week.

Check out the recipes below for two awesome breakfast ideas and one quick weeknight meal.  Also, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram (@KristyRunyon81) if you want to follow me on a day to day basis.  Check back in next Sunday to hear how my week went.

Blueberry Overnight Oats
1/2 cup Oats
1/2 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1 container of Blueberry flavored Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp Vanilla Pudding Mix (dry)
Calories: 301   Fat: 4g    Carbs:  50g   Protein: 17g
Put the oats and pudding mix in first, then the yogurt and finally the milk.  Put the lid on and shake until combined.  Leave in the fridge overnight.  You can heat it up in the morning but I prefer it cold.
*You can add fresh fruit if you desire.  The flavors can be changed out depending on the yogurt or pudding mix you choose.

Healthy Breakfast Muffins

1-1/4 cups Oat Bran

1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Banana, mashed
1 Egg
1/3 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
3 tbsp Light Olive Oil
1-1/2 cups Shredded Carrot
Yields 12
Calories: 128   Fat: 5g    Carbs:  22g   Protein: 3g
Mix mashed banana, almond milk, oilive oil and egg in a bowl.  Add in the brown sugar and mix until well combined.  Add in the oat bran, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Fold together until fully incorporated.  Then add the carrots and distribute them throughout the batter.  Spoon the batter into a 12 cavity muffin pan and bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes.
*You could add in nuts or dried fruits if you so desire.
**If you substitute the Olive Oil with Unsweetened Applesauce and also add Walnuts, the nutritional information changes to Calories: 132   Fat: 5g    Carbs:  23g   Protein: 4g

Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
2 cups Water
1 lb Chicken, cubed (Rotisserie is what I used)
3 cups Broccoli Florets
2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Dry Quinoa
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese
Makes 4 servings
Calories: 338   Fat: 8g    Carbs:  48g   Protein: 22g
Mix all ingredients, except the cheese, in a large bowl.  Pour into a prepared 9x13 cake pan and bake at 400 for a total of about 45 minutes.  Check on casserole every 10 to 15 minutes and give it a stir so that the quinoa cooks evenly.  In the last 5 minutes, add the cheese to the top and cook until just bubbly.
*These are pretty generous portions so if you are serving with something else, this could yield 6-8 servings.

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I wanted to quickly share this twist on a classic Stuffed Pepper with you all.  This one includes the super grain Quinoa, ground Turkey and some Mexican flavors.

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
1 cup Quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
4-6 Large Bell Peppers (your choice of color)
1 can of Sweet Corn
1 small can of Diced Green Chiles
1 small can of Enchilada Sauce
1 lb of Ground Turkey
1 tbsp Cumin
1tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt
Place the Quinoa and water in a small pot, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Meanwhile, brown the Ground Turkey with Cumin, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder and Salt until fully cooked.  Combine all the ingredients except the Peppers and just heat for a few minutes.  Prep the Peppers by cutting off the tops and cleaning out all the membrane and seeds.  Make sure they can stand up on their own.  Place them in a greased cake pan.  (I cooked 4 but there was enough for 6) Fill each Pepper with the Turkey and Quinoa mixture.  Place any extra in the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  You could add cheese to the top if you want.

When we ate these, we both realized we didn't like the taste of Bell Peppers so they didn't go over that well but I thought the filling was really good.  Try them for yourself and let me know what tweaks you would make.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Recently I was asked to make some cupcakes for my cousin Monica's Baby Shower.  I asked her what flavors she wanted and she told me to just choose.  Her only stipulation was that they had to have Teal and Purple frosting.  I racked my brain for a while, pinning multiple ideas.  Finally, the day before, I decided I didn't want to have to go to the store again so I looked in my cupboards and inspiration hit.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups Unsweetened Apple Sauce
2 Apples, chopped
1 cup water
1 jar of Caramel Ice Cream Topping
1 batch of the frosting of your choice (or can, like I did)
Mix the Cake Mix, Applesauce, chopped Apples and water together until combined.  Portion out into cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let them cool, remove them from the pan and continue to cool them overnight or just a few hours.  Next, drizzle or spoon about a tablespoon of Caramel Sauce on each cupcake.  These cupcakes don't rise very much so you can fill them a little fuller, however, you want to leave space at the top for the Caramel Sauce.  Finally, frost and decorate as you wish.

Everyone really liked these cupcakes.  I think they were best ate with a fork though.

Comfort Food: Vegetable Soup

I love soup.  It is so comforting and with the weather we have been having, it warms you up from the inside.  A few years ago, I found a recipe for Vegetable Barley Soup and I just loved it.  It has such a unique flavor and I really think you will enjoy it.

Vegetable Barley Soup
adapted from Beaker's Vegetable Barley Soup

2 quarts vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Pour all ingredients into a large pot.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 90 minutes.  It will be quite thick.

Baking Bonanza

Every year around Christmas, my Mom, sisters Kari and Brenda and I like to get together and have a Girl's Baking day.  This last Sunday we did just that and invited our friend Shamara over to help.  My Grandma even stopped by for a bit.  It was a such a fun day and we got through 10 recipes in just a few hours.  It took some planning but it all worked out.

We made two flavors of Fudge.  The first is a traditional chocolate and the second is a peppermint.  We followed this recipe from Nestle for both except in the peppermint one, we substituted mint chips and peppermint extract.

We also made Magic Bars using the recipe on the back of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.

My favorites were these Holly Crackles.

These are my husband's favorite.  Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

These Oreo Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies sound strange but they are so delicious.

We had to make another batch of these awesome Rolo Turtles.

These Haystack cookies were requested by my sister Brenda.  The recipe is super simple.  Just melt 3/4 cup peanut butter and one bag of chocolate or butterscotch chips in a saucepan.  When melted, add a 10 oz bag of chow mein noodles.  Stir until full coated and then drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper.  Let set up for at least an hour and then enjoy the crunchy goodness.

Finally, a family favorite, Cowboy Cookies.  I will share the recipe for these at a later time.  They come from a cookbook my Mom helped put together when I was in 3rd or 4th grade at my Elementary school.  Lots of great memorable recipes in there.

Homemade Cocoa Mix

A few years ago, I was an avid Food Network fan.  I was on that channel all the time.  Now, Cooking Channel peaks my interest more often but still, most things on there, let's be honest, I will never make.  You get more than 5 ingredients and my eyes glaze over.  Anyway, one show that I will watch over and over again is Good Eats.  The other day, there was a Chocolate episode on and he made his own Cocoa mix.  I thought it would make great Christmas gifts so I gave it a try.

Homemade Cocoa Mix
2 1/2 cups Powdered Milk
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 cup Cocoa Powder
2 tsp Corn Starch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Mix thoroughly and store in an air tight container.  Will keep for up to 2 years.
To Make Cocoa, put about 3 tbsp of mix in a cup and pour boiling water over to fill the cup about half way.  Mix well and then fill the cup the rest of the way and enjoy.

My first batch, I made according to the recipe above.  The cayenne added a kick but my husband hated it.  My next batch was made without it and we both preferred it.  (A little cayenne goes a LONG way so be careful.)  I have even added the cocoa mix to my coffee and it made a great mocha.  Give this a try, you won't be sorry. 

A Week Of New Recipes

It's always a struggle to figure out what to make for dinner and what to buy at the grocery store.  If I go to the store without a list, I just feel lost and to make a list without knowing what I am going to be cooking just seems reckless to me.  Those are the days you end up with cookies, chips and a random tub of guacamole when you don't even like guacamole.

In order to keep our grocery budget in check, I usually sit down every Saturday or Sunday and make a list of dinner for the week.  My list consists of five to nine different recipes that are either new or old standbys.  Then I take those recipes and write down everything in them that I don't already have in my cupboards.  This also helps me know when my staples are running low.  After I write own the needed ingredients, I will go through the sales ad for my grocery store.  For me, I only shop at Safeway, I have my favorite checker and I really like their new Just For U program which I can put coupons directly onto my club card.  After I check the ad, I assign the recipes each a day of the week, trying to alternate proteins and ease of preparation dependent upon what we have going on that day.

Last week, I had a pretty free schedule so I decided to make five new recipes, enjoy!

Monday:  Cheesy Chicken Casserole

We really liked this recipe.  I used rotisserie chicken leftovers and left out the peas.  My picky eater of a husband even liked this and said next time the peas would actually be ok.  This will probably be on our menu about once a month.  It was so simple.

Tuesday:  Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

This was pretty good.  We left out the onion.  I have adored Golden Mushroom soup since I discovered it about a year ago.  It is my favorite condensed soup to use.  I prefer my regular old Beef Stroganoff to this but I would make it again.

Wednesday:  Skinny Coconut Shrimp

I had a horrible day this day so I think my bad attitude tainted the recipe.  I bought the wrong shrimp, I waited too long to make it and we didn't eat until almost 8, which is really late for us.  I should have taken more time with this recipe and I think it would have been delicious.  I got irritated with breading each shrimp.  As it was we both liked it and I will make it again.

Thursday:  Swedish Meatballs

This recipe was a jumping off point for me, I kinda went out on my own.  I left out the allspice, celery and onion in the meatballs.  I did follow the meatball cooking instructions though and I thought it gave them a really great texture and flavor.  I enjoyed this recipe and was a little peeved we only had enough leftovers for one of us to take for lunch the next day, so next time I will make a slightly larger batch.

Friday:  Wing It!
We had some cat issues this week and we had to go to the vet on Friday.  We were supposed to try a baked Sweet and Sour Chicken but didn't have time for it so we picked up KFC.  That's what I love about having a plan, it can always change and its no big deal.  That recipe is now on for next week.

I am off to make my menu and see what I can make before payday/grocery day.  Have a great week and thanks for reading.

Ultimate Comfort Food: Tater Tot Casserole

My favorite dish as a kid was Tater Tot Casserole.  Someone always made it for family functions.  I hadn't had it in a very long time so I decided to throw it together and share it with you.

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Green Beans

1 can Corn

1 bag Tater Tots

1 lb Ground Beef

1 cup Shredded Cheese

Brown the beef, drain and cool.  In a bowl, mix everything but the tater tots and pour into a greased casserole dish.

Layer the tater tots on top

Top with the shredded cheese and cook for 45 minutes to an hour at 350.

Grandma Biscuits

I have fond memories from my childhood of traveling to Oregon to visit my Great Grandparents.  I remember every corner of that house.  Including the Moose or Elk head that was at the top of the stairs.  I remember my Uncle Cecil telling me it was a haunted head and always thinking it was watching me as I ran past it.

I always remember my Grandpa sitting in his chair with his spittoon next to him, watching Hee Haw.  The kitchen was the heart of the home and I'm not sure I ever saw my Grandma anywhere but in there.  The  giant table in the middle of the room always had food on it.  She was always asking if we were hungry or if she could fix us something.  They were amazing people and I miss them dearly.  I feel bad for my younger cousins that never got to meet or know them.

I called them my Biscuit Grandpa and Grandma because that is what I remember most.  Thin, crisp biscuits.  I've been wanting to try to make them but they will never live up to the memories.  Here is my attempt and the recipe I made up.  I don't think the recipe was ever written down, or did she ever measure anything.  She just knew how to make them.

Grandma Biscuits
2 cups All Purpose Flour  (I was told to use Self Rising Flour but I didn't have any.  If you use self rising, do not at the Baking Powder)
2 1/2 tsps Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Buttermilk
Bacon Drippings

Bake some bacon on a sheet pan.  I baked mine at 400 for 25 or so minutes.  Mmmmm Bacon!

Sift the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Baking Soda into a bowl.  Add the buttermilk and mix with wooden spoon until it comes together.  Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for just a few minutes.

Roll the dough out as thin or as thick as you like.  I like mine thin and crispy so I rolled mine pretty thin, probably 1/4 of an inch.

I used a drinking glass to cut out my biscuits.

Remove the bacon from the pan and use the drippings to coat both sides of the biscuits.

For these thin ones, I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes.  I ate my first one straight out of the oven and as it burned my fingers I was in heaven.  So crispy and really tasted a lot like I remembered.