Today the kids left with grandma to go to Colorado Springs for a week. In looking back at the past almost 8 years since Carter was born Ben and I are pretty sure this is our first time without both kids for longer than one night. So at noon today grandma pulled out of the driveway with both boys and Carter's big monkey wife, Sarah.
12:00 pm - Car pulls away as we wave goodbye
12:01 pm - We realize that there is a sound in the house we haven't heard before.
12:05 pm - We eat lunch without anyone needing any help cutting meat or wanting something different to eat.
12:15 pm - I head back to work as Ben tries to figure out what the strange sound is.
4:45 pm - I get home and Ben tells me how the strange noise kept him from being able to read.
4:46 pm - I go to the bathroom and no one talks to me.
5:15 pm - Ben and I leave the house and have dinner where no one asks us to play the games on the menu.
6:15 pm - We go to Family Video where we rented movies without looking at the rating.
6:45 pm - We arrive home to find the strange noise is still happening.
8:00 pm - Big Brother starts and we were able to watch it without pausing it for bathroom breaks or due to lots of talking.
The noise is still here in the house. Perhaps tomorrow we will figure it out.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Pork Loin Panini
Tonight's dinner adventure was a pork loin Panini. This was a great let it cook all day in the crock pot and make the house smell amazing meal. This stands alone without making it into a Panini but I have found that I really like it as a Panini :)
So here goes the recipe!
Crock Pot Pork Loin Panini
3 pound pork loin
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups Organic Chicken Broth Low Sodium
Whole Wheat Bread
1 cup Jason Weibe Garlic Herb Cheese -Shredded
2 tbsp Butter
Cut the pork loin in half. In a large resealable plastic bag mix your flour, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Put half the pork loin in and coat it and then put the other half in and coat it.
In a large skillet heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Once it is good and hot put your pork loin in and brown it on all sides. Once it is nice and brown on all sides put it in the crock pot. Pour the broth over the pork loin and set it on low heat and let it go for 5 - 6 hours.
Take it out of the crock pot and slice it up. We don't have a panini press in our house so we use our George Foreman Grill. You can also make this like grilled cheese on a griddle or in a waffle maker. Butter one piece of bread on one side and place it on the grill. Put on some pork loin and some of the cheese. Butter the top of the other piece of bread and place it on top butter side up. Put the top of the grill down and press. Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
Be careful it is HOT but oh so good!!
So surely an amazing sandwich like this has to be HORRIBLE for you right? Not that bad! This only has 572 calories and 670mg of sodium. For a dinner that isn't too bad. Plus we had TONS of leftover meat for sandwiches throughout the week.
Someday I will remember to take pictures while I am cooking so you can see this great food!
So here goes the recipe!
Crock Pot Pork Loin Panini
3 pound pork loin
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups Organic Chicken Broth Low Sodium
Whole Wheat Bread
1 cup Jason Weibe Garlic Herb Cheese -Shredded
2 tbsp Butter
Cut the pork loin in half. In a large resealable plastic bag mix your flour, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Put half the pork loin in and coat it and then put the other half in and coat it.
In a large skillet heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Once it is good and hot put your pork loin in and brown it on all sides. Once it is nice and brown on all sides put it in the crock pot. Pour the broth over the pork loin and set it on low heat and let it go for 5 - 6 hours.
Take it out of the crock pot and slice it up. We don't have a panini press in our house so we use our George Foreman Grill. You can also make this like grilled cheese on a griddle or in a waffle maker. Butter one piece of bread on one side and place it on the grill. Put on some pork loin and some of the cheese. Butter the top of the other piece of bread and place it on top butter side up. Put the top of the grill down and press. Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
Be careful it is HOT but oh so good!!
So surely an amazing sandwich like this has to be HORRIBLE for you right? Not that bad! This only has 572 calories and 670mg of sodium. For a dinner that isn't too bad. Plus we had TONS of leftover meat for sandwiches throughout the week.
Someday I will remember to take pictures while I am cooking so you can see this great food!
Spaghetti and Meatballs the healthy way!
Let's talk comfort food. I'm talking that big bowl of pasta that you want to curl up with and dive in and eat the whole thing and then regret it later when you feel like you might explode. Carbs are always something I have struggled with greatly. My favorite foods have always been mac & cheese, pasta, rice and bread. So this past weekend that comfort food craving was going strong so we had spaghetti and meatballs for lunch on Sunday.
Meatballs
Cage Free Natural Brown Eggs - 2
Italian Seasoning (From grinder) - 3/4 tsp.
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Italian Style Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup
Ground Beef 85/15 - 1 pound
I do use 85/15 for my meatballs and any grilling we do. The extra fat content adds the moisture needed to both burgers on the grill and meatballs.
Mix all of that up in a bowl real good. I am talking get in there with your hands and make them messy!!
After they are all mixed well we roll and have about 15 meatballs from 1 pound of ground beef. Put them on a jelly roll pan that has foil on it and is lightly oiled and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
I serve this with whole wheat penne pasta. It is less mess for the kids and a lot less mess for their clothes! One serving of the pasta and one serving of the meatballs is only 492 calories and only 27 carbs.
The weekend before last I made my own marinara sauce which we divided into containers and froze. I served this with the spaghetti and meatballs. The recipe is below:
Marinara Sauce
12 medium Roma tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 springs fresh oregano, stems removed
8 basil leaves
1 tbsp raw honey
Bring a large stock pot of water to boil on stove. Use a small knife to put a small x in the bottom of each tomato. Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes until the skin begins to come off. Remove the tomatoes and put them into an ice bath until they are cool enough to work with.
Once they are cooled remove the skins by peeling them back from the x in the bottom. Slice the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Then coarsely chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl.
In a medium sauce pan heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, onion, carrots and celery and saute until the onion becomes translucent. Put in the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and basil. Cook while stirring it frequently until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove from the heat and blend either with a hand blender or food processor. I used my blender and it came out perfect. Add the honey and salt and pepper to taste.
I put the finished product into small freezable containers. Let it cool to room temp and then put it in the freezer or the refrigerator. In the refrigerator it will last about 5 days and in the freezer 2 months.
For a half cup serving this will only run you 63 calories!!
This is perfect to put in the refrigerator on a Sunday night with some meatballs already cooked and some whole wheat pasta that is already cooked for a quick easy lunch throughout the week!
Meatballs
Cage Free Natural Brown Eggs - 2
Italian Seasoning (From grinder) - 3/4 tsp.
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Italian Style Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup
Ground Beef 85/15 - 1 pound
I do use 85/15 for my meatballs and any grilling we do. The extra fat content adds the moisture needed to both burgers on the grill and meatballs.
Mix all of that up in a bowl real good. I am talking get in there with your hands and make them messy!!
After they are all mixed well we roll and have about 15 meatballs from 1 pound of ground beef. Put them on a jelly roll pan that has foil on it and is lightly oiled and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
I serve this with whole wheat penne pasta. It is less mess for the kids and a lot less mess for their clothes! One serving of the pasta and one serving of the meatballs is only 492 calories and only 27 carbs.
The weekend before last I made my own marinara sauce which we divided into containers and froze. I served this with the spaghetti and meatballs. The recipe is below:
Marinara Sauce
12 medium Roma tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 springs fresh oregano, stems removed
8 basil leaves
1 tbsp raw honey
Bring a large stock pot of water to boil on stove. Use a small knife to put a small x in the bottom of each tomato. Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes until the skin begins to come off. Remove the tomatoes and put them into an ice bath until they are cool enough to work with.
Once they are cooled remove the skins by peeling them back from the x in the bottom. Slice the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Then coarsely chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl.
In a medium sauce pan heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, onion, carrots and celery and saute until the onion becomes translucent. Put in the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and basil. Cook while stirring it frequently until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove from the heat and blend either with a hand blender or food processor. I used my blender and it came out perfect. Add the honey and salt and pepper to taste.
I put the finished product into small freezable containers. Let it cool to room temp and then put it in the freezer or the refrigerator. In the refrigerator it will last about 5 days and in the freezer 2 months.
For a half cup serving this will only run you 63 calories!!
This is perfect to put in the refrigerator on a Sunday night with some meatballs already cooked and some whole wheat pasta that is already cooked for a quick easy lunch throughout the week!
Parmesan Garlic Crusted Chicken
We are officially two weeks into our new eating habits. I would venture to say we are at 85% clean eating. I am down 13 pounds in those two weeks. I will take it!! I wanted to share a few recipes that I have been making that have kept everyone happy in our house!
This first one I have made using chicken or pork chops. It only has 312 calories per serving so it is a great go to dinner.
Parmesan Garlic Crusted Chicken
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Panko
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz. Garlic Herb Natural Cheese (I use Jason Weibe which is a local dairy)
1 package of Tyson Boneless Skinless Thin Cut Chicken Breast
Shred the cheese if it isn't already. Then mix it with the Panko. Put the oil in a shallow dish and coat the chicken. Cover the chicken with the cheese/Panko mix and put on a greased jelly roll pan. Put in a 400 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes and then enjoy!
Our family loves to have fresh corn on the cob to go with this. I clean up the ears of corn and then put a small amount of butter on each ear. Then wrap each ear in aluminum foil. They go in the oven also at 400 for about 30 minutes. I serve them on the table still in the foil as this keeps them SUPER hot until you are ready to eat them. Of course I recommend the freshest corn you can get. We have found our farmer's market to have great corn on the cob this year but the best we have had by far is from Gaeddert Farms. Here is a link to their website: Gaeddert Farms. They have booths set up around Kansas to sell their amazing crops.
If you are looking for the Jason Weibe cheese you can find it in Salina at the farmer's market and also at Prairieland Market. You can also order online and have it delivered directly to you from their website: Jason Weibe Diary.
What is your go to recipe for a quick healthy dinner?
This first one I have made using chicken or pork chops. It only has 312 calories per serving so it is a great go to dinner.
Parmesan Garlic Crusted Chicken
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Panko
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz. Garlic Herb Natural Cheese (I use Jason Weibe which is a local dairy)
1 package of Tyson Boneless Skinless Thin Cut Chicken Breast
Shred the cheese if it isn't already. Then mix it with the Panko. Put the oil in a shallow dish and coat the chicken. Cover the chicken with the cheese/Panko mix and put on a greased jelly roll pan. Put in a 400 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes and then enjoy!
Our family loves to have fresh corn on the cob to go with this. I clean up the ears of corn and then put a small amount of butter on each ear. Then wrap each ear in aluminum foil. They go in the oven also at 400 for about 30 minutes. I serve them on the table still in the foil as this keeps them SUPER hot until you are ready to eat them. Of course I recommend the freshest corn you can get. We have found our farmer's market to have great corn on the cob this year but the best we have had by far is from Gaeddert Farms. Here is a link to their website: Gaeddert Farms. They have booths set up around Kansas to sell their amazing crops.
If you are looking for the Jason Weibe cheese you can find it in Salina at the farmer's market and also at Prairieland Market. You can also order online and have it delivered directly to you from their website: Jason Weibe Diary.
What is your go to recipe for a quick healthy dinner?
Friday, July 18, 2014
Clean Eating
While our world around us is changing I decided why not throw one more big change into the mix. We are now a 90% clean eating house! For those who don't know what clean eating is let me explain. You don't eat things that are processed and eat a lot more whole grain items. So gone are the crackers, boxed mac and cheese, frozen foods and pretty much anything else that comes from the center aisles at the grocery store. They have been replaced by fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lots of protein.
We have been at it for about a week and I am shocked how much better I feel already!! I am down 12 pounds (which I know is mainly water weight from the sodium I had been consuming) and I feel like I have a lot more energy than normal. Ben is down 4 pounds but hasn't stuck to it as closely as I have. What we are struggling with is what to have for lunch. I am the type of person who can eat the same thing day after day so my lunch is easy. My husband and children though are not like me in that regard. So if anyone has any suggestions please share them in the comments below.
Our first week has been great. Here is an example of what we have had so far:
Pork chops with a garlic herb cheese and bread crumb crust
BBQ chicken
Roasted chicken
Baked chicken
Nitrate free ham sandwiches
Turkey sandwiches
Natural peanut butter sandwiches
Unsalted walnuts
Corn on the cob
Fresh green beans
Whole wheat pasta
Manderan oranges
Grapes
Peaches
Strawberries
My typical day has been:
Breakfast - Whole Grain English Muffin
Lunch - Natural Peanut Butter Sandwich, String Cheese
Afternoon Snack - Unsalted Walnuts
Dinner - Chicken of some sort, whole grain pasta
Evening Snack - String Cheese or Walnuts
I track everything I do through www.myfitnesspal.com which keeps track of how many calories I have had, how much sodium, fat, carbs, sugar and many other things. It gives you the recommended amount that you should consume per day and I always try to keep my macros just below that. Last night I downloaded MapMyWalk and it even imports how far we walk in an evening plus the calories burned into MyFitnessPal. If you haven't tried either of these I highly recommend them! I wouldn't be doing near as well without them.
I have started programs before and stopped after not long but this I actually feel like I can do. Sure there are times when we eat something that isn't "clean" which is why I say we are 90%. Even if we were at 10% in our house that would be an improvement from where we were. I hope to blog more on our favorite recipes and share our progress along the way. If you have recipes that you would like to share please do!!
We have been at it for about a week and I am shocked how much better I feel already!! I am down 12 pounds (which I know is mainly water weight from the sodium I had been consuming) and I feel like I have a lot more energy than normal. Ben is down 4 pounds but hasn't stuck to it as closely as I have. What we are struggling with is what to have for lunch. I am the type of person who can eat the same thing day after day so my lunch is easy. My husband and children though are not like me in that regard. So if anyone has any suggestions please share them in the comments below.
Our first week has been great. Here is an example of what we have had so far:
Pork chops with a garlic herb cheese and bread crumb crust
BBQ chicken
Roasted chicken
Baked chicken
Nitrate free ham sandwiches
Turkey sandwiches
Natural peanut butter sandwiches
Unsalted walnuts
Corn on the cob
Fresh green beans
Whole wheat pasta
Manderan oranges
Grapes
Peaches
Strawberries
My typical day has been:
Breakfast - Whole Grain English Muffin
Lunch - Natural Peanut Butter Sandwich, String Cheese
Afternoon Snack - Unsalted Walnuts
Dinner - Chicken of some sort, whole grain pasta
Evening Snack - String Cheese or Walnuts
I track everything I do through www.myfitnesspal.com which keeps track of how many calories I have had, how much sodium, fat, carbs, sugar and many other things. It gives you the recommended amount that you should consume per day and I always try to keep my macros just below that. Last night I downloaded MapMyWalk and it even imports how far we walk in an evening plus the calories burned into MyFitnessPal. If you haven't tried either of these I highly recommend them! I wouldn't be doing near as well without them.
I have started programs before and stopped after not long but this I actually feel like I can do. Sure there are times when we eat something that isn't "clean" which is why I say we are 90%. Even if we were at 10% in our house that would be an improvement from where we were. I hope to blog more on our favorite recipes and share our progress along the way. If you have recipes that you would like to share please do!!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
We begin again
The past few months have been an adventure all on their own. I think it best to break down the adventure by the explorers involved.
Gage
Gage had ear surgery in June. He had a hole where his tube never healed. The surgery was rather painless but a recent visit to the doctor showed that his body may be rejecting the skin graft. He goes back in a few weeks to find out for sure.
He turned 14 on July 10 and got his first set of golf clubs. He has really enjoyed going out to the driving range and hitting balls and is improving. This week has been spent at football camp in the mornings.
Gage also applied for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program in February. He made it through the first few phases of the application process and just had his hour long phone interview. We will find out in September or October if he made the cut!
Carter
Carter has had a great summer. He has taken many art classes at the Art Center. Also, classes through Rolling Hills, Lakewood Discovery Center and enjoyed the summer movies at the movie theater.
We have continued to patch his eye in hopes his vision will continue to improve. He goes back for a doctors visit in a few weeks and hopefully will get to start 2nd grade without a patch. While he doesn't mind wearing it it would be great to start a new school year without it.
He continues to love to draw and make up plays. His love for life is such a beautiful thing to see.
Ben
Perhaps the biggest change for anyone in the last few months is Ben. He has been dismissed from the Creighton Pharmacy School program. While it is really hard to see a dream end like this I know he will get back up on his feet and move on to bigger and better things. So for now we start the adjustment period. We figure out what our next steps are and we continue to put one foot in front of the other and move on. Right now he is spending time with the kids while I am at work during the week and catching up on all of my "honey do" items. After the kids come back from a vacation with Grandma he will begin his job hunt.
Mollie
I continue to work. In October there will be some job changes coming that I will bring to light in the future. They are all good!! In April at our Midwest Circulation Management Association (MCMA) conference I was elected 3rd Vice President. I am so excited to help others learn about what they can do in the newspaper industry to continue to grow circulation.
I also made the decision a week or so ago to change the way my family eats. We have started eating clean. Whole foods, nothing processed (with the exception of whole grain bread and whole grain pasta) and lots of protein. So far it has been great!! I feel so much better than I did with all of that processed foods and I have a feeling the other benefits are going to be very rewarding.
So we continue in flux for now. Stay tuned...this is an adventure that you won't want to miss!
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