- Monday, March 04, 2013
- 2 Comments
Reading Not much. Mostly just blogs, and some fitness magazines! I've been getting subscriptions to Self, Fitness, and Shape for a few years now. I really like them, I just wish they would give me a little more motivation sometimes! I think I've gotten desensitized to their motivating powers! I do find good information though, so when I do decide to get healthier (like I am right now) I have the right tools available.
Writing I wrote my first attempt at a funny post! I never realized how hard it would be. I usually hope that people like what I write, but if they don't that's fine too. With humor though, it was different. I was really concerned with putting it into the right words. Even the funniest story can fall flat if it's not told right! My best friend read it though, and even though she's a little biased (she was part of the story), she said she laughed so hard she cried! That's good enough for me!
Listening My coffee just beeped at me! Which means I can finally have some. Other than that, nothing right now. Just the bathroom fan I forgot to turn off. For music though, I heard a really good song earlier this week, which features my friend Molly! She sang background to her uncle, who performs under the name City Bear. The song is called "Nell" and you can listen to it here.
Thinking About some of the projects I want to do around here. I know I've mentioned before how long my list is, but I feel really optomistic that we're going to start making a dent in it this year. Dane is working on our shop right now, building shelving and organizing inside. Then it's time to paint the outside, so it matches the house! My next couple of projects will be planting my flower beds (hydreangeas are a must!) and doing the cutting in on the outside of the house. It's going on four years since we started painting, and it's still not finished!
Smelling Nothing still. I've got those left over symptoms that hang on, even when you're really not sick anymore. Blowing my nose and coughing are still here, but I feel better this weekend. Being sick really put a dent into my training schedule for my 5k! I waited until the last minute, and gave myself just enough time to fit it in before the race. Well, now I'm a week off, and I don't want to start running until my lungs are totally clear. Bleh! I may not be running it this year after all.
Wearing My pajamas, again. I think I'm going to start cutting this one out, unless I actually put on real clothes. I always write this first thing in the morning, before I shower and get ready for church. I guess I could tell you what I plan on wearing later? I just bought an adorable little summer dress, but I'm busting it out early. It's a really vibrant, burnt-ish orange (I suck at describing colors) and the top has all these little flowers of the same color and fabric sewn on. It's a subtle, but very pretty, feminine detail!
Loving Mexican food. It's one of my absolute favorites, and I like to make it on a semi-regular basis. I made chicken fajitas last night, and they were awesome! I actually didn't eat mine with a tortilla though, because I'm tyring to cut back on my carbs again. I just eat them with a fork, and a side of avacado and sour cream! Yum!
Wanting To shed a few pounds. I always want this, but I finally decided to jump on the wagon again, and start eating healthier. Eating low carb really works for me, and when I stick to it I see really good results! Plus, I always feel better, and the less sugar I eat, the less I crave it. Well, I decided to join my parents in No Dessert March, so we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!
Needing To wash my hair! It's been a few days, and it's a total grease bomb. I should have washed it last night, but my hair just will not cooperate unless it's freshly washed right before I style it. Sleeping on it does it no favors whatsoever!
Feeling Sore! I did a lot of yard work yesterday. I prepped my front flower beds, and mowed the yard. Then I swept my sidewalks off. Everything was looking pretty shabby. We just topped our tree, and there were sticks everywhere! Our beds have always been a disaster, and except for the rosebush that was already there, one of them has never had anything planted in it. Besides weeds. Curb appeal is usually lacking a lot at our house! Not anymore though. There's still nothing planted, but there are no more weeds, and everything looks nice and clean. Definitely worth the sore shoulders and back I have today.
Clicking On a lot of Jenna Marbles videos lately. I probably shouldn't admit that, because those of you that know who she is, know how raunchy and foul mouthed her videos are! She's is just so funny though! It's kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, I'll watch them once in a while. If you don't mind hearing some inappropriate stuff, you should watch this one. It's hilarious! But if that bothers you, definitely don't watch any of her stuff!
- Sunday, March 03, 2013
- 8 Comments
So, I've thought about posting a recipe for a while now, but I didn't know what I would post! I wanted to post something original, but I've just been feeling so uninspired in the kitchen lately. And by lately, I mean the last year or two! I seem to remember a time when I made a lot of good food, and I was really into trying new recipes! I don't know what happened, but now every time dinner rolls around, it just feels like a chore. I put it off because I don't know what to make, I ho and hum and mope around, and then I end up with either a boring chicken breast/side of veggie, or the always popular, but super unhealthy, meat and potatoes combo! Plus, it's eight o'clock, and Dane's been hungry for a couple hours. Housewife fail!
I did get a little more inventive a couple of months ago, when I was going through my low-carb kick. I had to be a little more creative to come up with filling, healthy veggie dishes, and I ended up coming up with a couple of low-carb soups! One in particular, the broccoli cheese, has been sounding crazy good lately (probably because I've been sick) and I decided I couldn't wait any longer, I had to make some!
Then I decided I should share it with you all!
I usually am not much of a recipe follower, so a lot of the times I make something up, I can't hardly recreate it. This soup was so easy though, I could remember pretty much all of it. I decided to actually write down everything I did this time, and then tweak it to make it turn out even better! It is so simple, and it doesn't take very long. Plus, did I mention, there's only six ingredients?
Here's what you're going to need:
2 tablespoons of butter or oil
1 medium onion
1 head of cauliflower
6-7 cups of chicken broth
5-6 cups of broccoli
5 cups of cheddar cheese
1 cup of milk (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
I used a six quart, enamel covered cast iron pot, but any large heavy duty pot should do the trick. Start off by chopping your onion and cauliflower. Melt your butter over medium heat, and add your onion. You want to saute it for about five to ten minutes, until it softens. They should go from something like this:
Meanwhile, rinse your cauliflower and add it to your pot. Then, add your broth.
I did get a little more inventive a couple of months ago, when I was going through my low-carb kick. I had to be a little more creative to come up with filling, healthy veggie dishes, and I ended up coming up with a couple of low-carb soups! One in particular, the broccoli cheese, has been sounding crazy good lately (probably because I've been sick) and I decided I couldn't wait any longer, I had to make some!
Then I decided I should share it with you all!
I usually am not much of a recipe follower, so a lot of the times I make something up, I can't hardly recreate it. This soup was so easy though, I could remember pretty much all of it. I decided to actually write down everything I did this time, and then tweak it to make it turn out even better! It is so simple, and it doesn't take very long. Plus, did I mention, there's only six ingredients?
Here's what you're going to need:
2 tablespoons of butter or oil
1 medium onion
1 head of cauliflower
6-7 cups of chicken broth
5-6 cups of broccoli
5 cups of cheddar cheese
1 cup of milk (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
I used a six quart, enamel covered cast iron pot, but any large heavy duty pot should do the trick. Start off by chopping your onion and cauliflower. Melt your butter over medium heat, and add your onion. You want to saute it for about five to ten minutes, until it softens. They should go from something like this:
To this:
Meanwhile, rinse your cauliflower and add it to your pot. Then, add your broth.
Bring it up to a boil, then cover and reduce your heat back to medium. Let it simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the cauliflower softens. You should be able to stick a fork into it pretty easily.
While this is happening, rinse and chop your broccoli. Keep in mind that you will want it in bite size pieces! Place your steamer basket in a pot with about an inch of water, over medium-high heat. When it starts to steam, add your broccoli. I added mine too soon, so I had to wait a little bit before my broccoli actually started cooking! It should steam for about ten to fifteen minutes. Again, you want to be able to pierce it with a fork, but it shouldn't be quite as soft as your cauliflower.
While everything else is cooking, shred your cheese. You can add more or less to your liking, but for a big pot like this, five cups is just about right. I like to garnish with cheese, so you can always do that too!
When your cauliflower is done, it's time to blend! Having an immersion blender is great for stuff like this, but unfortunately mine broke the last time I used it. I used my regular blender, and that worked just fine. I just transferred as many of the chunks as I could, and some of the broth. I was able to fit most of it in my blender, so I got it all in one go. You want to get most of it blended, because that is what's going to give you that thick and creamy texture.
Pour the blended mix back into your pot, and remove from the heat. You may want to let it sit and cool for a few minutes at this point. If your base is too hot when you add your cheese, it's going to melt funny and have kind of a grainy texture. I don't mind it too much if it turns out like that, but it's better if it just melts evenly throughout.
Once it cools for about ten minutes or so, you can add your milk if you want. This adds a nice creaminess, but if you don't want your soup to be any more runny, you can skip this. If it's a little too runny, you could try adding less broth earlier on, and then add your milk later. Once it's cool, that also means it's time to add your cheese! Just sprinkle in, and mix through. Easy, peasy!
Lastly, add your steamed broccoli, and stir. Season as needed, and voila! A delicious, comfort food, that is actually good for you! I think a lot of people would enjoy this, regardless of whether you were trying to eat low-carb or not. It's perfect for lunch or dinner. Just pair it with a salad or a sandwich, and you have a complete meal!
Mmm, you really can't have too much cheese! I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Feel free to tweak it and make it your own! Let me know if you decide to try it, and how it turns out for you. I'd love to answer any questions, or hear about any problems!
Well, I'm off for the night, have a great weekend everybody!
- Friday, March 01, 2013
- 0 Comments
- Like I mentioned before, the highlight of my week was winning my first giveaway! It was an e.l.f. deluxe starter kit hosted by Maddie, and featured by Abbey. I'm so excited, and I can't wait until it gets here!
- The weather today is supposed to be amazing. Like almost seventy degrees amazing! Of course, it's immediately going to drop ten degrees tomorrow, but that's ok. I plan on enjoying today outside, soaking it all in!
- I got a surprise with my paycheck yesterday. I was not expecting much, I thought I hadn't worked very many hours last month. Well, apparently I should pay more attention! It was a nice little surprise looking in my bank account and being like "Oh wow, I'm not totally and completely broke after all!"
Crappies
- I'm still sick. I always get a cold this time of year, but this one has really done me in! I think it's because I've been babying myself too much. I've spent most of this week on the couch, and that doesn't do me any favors when I have congestion in my sinuses! So, today I will be up and about, and hopefully I'll kick this soon!
- I bought some oreos yesterday. Oops! I haven't eaten the whole package yet, but it's only a matter of time. I'm not known for my will power!
- Friday, March 01, 2013
- 2 Comments
