Low Carb Love!

The trees are finally blossoming outside my window, and the weather has been perfect for almost a whole week!  Hazel and I have spent a lot of time outside this weekend.  This particular weekend has been long, relaxing, and refreshing.

 The other day, my phone informed me that I had hit capacity in my photo albums.  I told David this, and he was shocked at how many picture I had.  To which I replied, "It isn't normal to take 10-15 pictures of your dog a day?"  To say I'm obsessed with my precious puppy, would be an understatement.  Below is the precious face she made at me that got her an afternoon walk :)

 I've mentioned another obsession of mine of the blog before, and that is any/ALL of Gina's recipes at Skinnytaste!  In fact, I have attempted to pre-order her cookbook, which I'm pretty sure hasn't even started printing yet!  As soon as she posted this recipe for Cauliflower "Fried" Rice, I knew I had to try it!  I did not vary from her recipe at all, and it turned out perfectly!  Below of some pictures of my final product.  Follow the link above for the recipe!

 To me, it tasted just like fried rice.  Now, I do love me some cauliflower, but I thought all of the flavors came together perfectly to hide it's taste.

 I can't wait to try some other "rice" recipes.  This is low carb love at it's finest!

What else do you do with cauliflower?

Have an amazing week!

Chicken Soup

The weather has definitely messed with me! What about you? Everyone at school (kids and teachers) has been coming down with a nasty flu-like cold.  I thought I had kept myself healthy and free of it, and I was even bragging that I hadn't caught it! Which was probably my mistake!  It hit me like a ton of bricks Wednesday morning.  I have truly done nothing but go to work, coach, and sleep.  I needed this weekend badly!  Fortunately, I have my trusty sidekick to keep me warm as I get some work accomplished!

I have been eating soup for supper since I got sick, and there is truly nothing better than a good chicken soup!  I turned my nose up to it for so long.  My mama would always recommend it at our local La Parillia (only the best Mexican in all of Kennesaw and maybe the world). I finally tried it out around Thanksgiving, and I have never looked back! My life was seriously changed.  Moms are always right aren't they? After I made it the first time, David requested I put it on our regular rotation!  So I must have done something right!

I promise this soup will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  It is perfect for all seasons because of its flavor and warmth!

Chicken Soup

4 cups chicken, shredded

1 large tomato, diced

1 can Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes, diced

1 1/2 cups green onions

1/2 of a zucchini, very thinly sliced

1 tsp garlic

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2-48oz boxes chicken broth, fat free

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp olive oil

Avocados

Limes

Boil a few chicken breasts for about 20-25 minutes until cooked through.  While the chicken is cooking, warm up the olive oil.  Stir in the green onions and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes.  Then stir in all tomatoes, zucchini, cumin, salt, and pepper and allow them to soften for a few more minutes. Pour chicken broth in and bring to a boil.  Then simmer for 20 minutes.

Once the chicken has finished boiling, shredd it.  Put it in the bottom of the bowls you will be serving.  Then add cilantro and diced avocado to you liking.  Pour soup over the top and ENJOY!!

gorgonzola, candied pecan, and bacon vinaigrette salad

A couple days ago during my government class, I reminded the students it was election day.  Then the following conversation occurred.  This is real life, all statements are true.

Me: Does anyone remember what type of elections are taking place in the state of Georgia today?

(Several hands go up, but I called on an extremely excited girl bouncing out of chair with hand in air.)

Student: The presidential election!  We get a new president!

(Class bursts into laughter and tears.)

Student: Oh wait, that's not right.  I think I'm confused, who is the president again?

In this little girl's defense, she has probably only been in my class a total of eight days all year.  She is frequently absent.  But still, really?

I've been scouring the internet the past few days for a fall salad.  I had a few flavors in mind and I searched for a recipe that would bring them all together.  Unfortunately, that was hard to come by.  So instead, I ended up piecing together the different flavors I wanted in my salad by pulling together different recipes I found.

The end result was amazing.  During dinner, David said he could eat it every day.  It definitely made me feel good about how this salad turned out!  We both devoured our dinners.

Gorgonzola, Candied Pecan, and Bacon Vinaigrette Salad
Serves 4

1 bag of hearts of romaine lettuce
5 oz gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup pecans
1 tsp Splenda
3 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp bacon (we used turkey bacon)
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Splenda brown sugar (or regular)
Salt
Pepper
Optional: Cranberries, blackberries, or baked chicken strips

Heat up a skillet with a little butter in it.  Add the pecans and stir around.  Next add the Splenda and stir continuously for several minutes so that the sugar does not burn.  Once the pecans are a nice brown color, put them on a paper plate or towel and let them dry.

Put the lettuce in a bowl.  In a jar mix the remaining ingredients (EVOO, vinegar, bacon, onion, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper) together with a whisk or put on a lid and shake.  Once blended, pour over lettuce and stir.  Cover the lettuce well.  Then add pecans and gorgonzola cheese.  Toss the salad more and enjoy!

strong women and onions

Grandmas are awesome right?

I've been very fortunate to have two awesome grandmothers in my life.  Both demonstrated what strong women do when faced with tough times.  I've watched both of them live without the loves of their lives at different points, and both of them handled it with much grace.  And in my eyes, they both "can do" anything.  Seriously, anything.  Especially cook!  Maybe that's where I got my love for it?  

Now my mama's mother is the only grandparent I still have living.  Since my grandfather passed away in February 2011, I have gotten to know a whole new side of her.  Living without my grandfather has been hard, and its created challenges for her.  But she has handled it far better than anyone could have imagined.  

My Grandma and I on my wedding day!

Every time I'm with her, I learn something new.  One day, I learned that she was the first baton twirler Arizona State University, and another day, how to sew a button on.  I enjoyed my summer vacations, because I get to spend more time with her.  During the school year I live an hour and a half away from her, so we have to settle for phone calls.  She always makes a point to call and tell me when watermelons are on sale, because she knows David loves them.  She loves her family well.

This past summer, she taught me to make a few simple recipes.  We went through a cookbook that came with her first microwave oven!  One night, she took my mama and I to a huge dinner.  When we got back to her place, she said she wanted to show me how to cook an onion.  We were stuffed but also intrigued.

She took a small dish and put a whole sweet onion in it.  She sliced it down all of the sides like a blooming onion.  Then, smeared butter over it and covered it in lemon pepper.  Lastly, she covered it in saran wrap and stuck in the microwave for 5 minutes.

When it came out, I couldn't believe my eyes!  It smelled amazing.  It just fell apart!  The butter had soaked in and the onion was so tender!  When mama and I tasted it, we were impressed.  The lemon pepper flavor was not strong.  It was just perfect--melt in your mouth perfect.

Since then I have made David a couple of what we call fake "blooming onions."  And each one takes me back to that night, sitting in her kitchen.

Fake Blooming Onion

Serving 2

1 sweet onion

1 tbsp butter (or spray it down with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!)

Lemon pepper

Place onion in small microwave safe dish.  Make slices down the sides of the onion to create a petal effect.  Smear butter all over the onion.  Cover in lemon pepper (to your liking).

Microwave for 5 minutes or until onion is fall apart tender.

ENJOY the sweet goodness!

Hazel has two places she loves to lay while I'm in the kitchen.  I couldn't help but capture her latest spot on camera!

the real hunger games

We started our legislative branch unit in government this week.  Before we can really get into things, I try to lay a foundation of what the branch is about, how it functions, and its different parts.  Today, we discussed the House of Representatives.  I gave the class a map of Georgia, and we all drew the 14 districts, which led to conversations about apportionment and gerrymandering.

One of my students looked dazed.  She was obviously in deep thought.  I asked her what was wrong and she exclaimed, "Y'ALL, THE HUNGER GAMES IS REAL!!!!" Then another student screamed, "I WISH I LIVED IN THE 12th DISTRICT! THERE MIGHT BE A REAL KATNISS! AND MORE DISTRICTS!"

I cried I laughed so hard.  I literally couldn't wait to get to lunch to tell the other teachers.  I hope this little girl was showing me how she applied her new knowledge today, instead of totally dazing out as soon as I said 14 districts!

A few nights ago, I tried a new salad out for dinner!  I found the recipe in a magazine but needed to make some adjustments.  It turned out to be very good.  There was so much flavor!  I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Brussels Sprout Salad

One bag of fresh brussels sprouts

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 tbsp Splenda brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Using either a chopper, food processor, or knife, shred the brussels sprouts.  Whisk the next five ingredients together.  Pour over the shredded brussels sprouts and toss until covered.

Refrigerate until serving and ENJOY!

so I be like...

Warning: Lots of complaining about to ensue.  Through the use of New Girl gifs.

So I'm looking through my Instagram and Facebook feeds and I'm like...

WHY!! Why are all of my friends sharing all of the beautiful pumpkin and fall flavored sweets that I can not have :(  Pumpkin and chocolate chip waffles, pumpkin bread, apple bread, cameral covered apples, ciders with sugar, and non-skinny Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes... And the list goes on and on.

And I'm just like...

But I can't have soft pretzels.  And I can't have sugar.  And I can't have all of the yummy fall treats that exist in the world.

So then I'm like...

Don't you people know that it makes things so much harder to look at your beautiful sweet treats?

But then I'm like...

And after all of my complaining, I realize that I really don't mind being insulin resistant.  I love finding new healthy recipes and I love exercise.  

So then I'm like...

So you enjoy your yummy fall treats and feel free to...

Because I'm not really in that much pain and one day, I'll treat myself to something sugary and sweet.

So now I be like...

Happy Hump Day!

spinach stuffed portobello mushrooms

Today, my 3rd period class (of upperclassmen) decided to play a trick on my 4th period class (of underclassmen).  They turned the desks upside down.  It was truly hilarious.  They continually play pranks on my 4th period, and I get just as much joy out of it as they do!

After being under-the-weather last week, and only feeding David soup, I decided it was time to get back to cooking.  I went to Aldi yesterday, and very randomly grabbed a pack of two portobello mushrooms.  I brainstormed all day about what to do with them.  I desperately wanted to incorporate some tomatoes into our dinner.  I came up with something so delicious.  And I think there are so many other possibilities for the future!

Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 large portobello mushrooms

1 package of frozen spinach

1 large tomato

1/3 cup 0% Fage greek yogurt

1/2 tbsp minced garlic (or 4 garlic cloves)

1/4 garlic powder

1 tbsp parmesan

Mozzarella to top

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.

Cook spinach as package directs and add in minced garlic.

Once it cooks down, drain, and pat out water.  Mix the spinach, greek yogurt, garlic powder, parmesan, and salt.  Place the spinach mixture inside of the mushrooms.

Thinly slice the tomato and lay a few slices on top of the spinach.

Cover with mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy :)

Let me know what you think!  Do you stuff portobello mushrooms?  

pesto zoodles with shrimp

Last tennis season, I brought my bag inside.  It's a rather large bag, and the boys I coach had stuffed it full of tennis balls one day.  (Funny aren't they?)  Unfortunately for the boys, Hazel destroyed a few tennis balls that night.  She sniffed them out and pulled about 15 balls out.  She then scattered them across the house.  A couple of them became hers, and the rest were hidden in my car.  The only problem with Hazel's love of tennis balls is that, she also loves to push them under the couch.  I needed a solution that wasn't getting under the couch with a yard stick every 10 minutes.

Today I went out with one mission, find a giant tennis ball. I was successful! Hazel loves her new toy, and best of all, it can't roll under the couch!  One of the best things about Hazel is that she can play by herself.  She doesn't need me or the hubs to help entertain her.  She will even toss the ball herself, and go get it!  We love this little bundle of joy!

Now on to the yummy stuff!  Today, I'm linking up with Recipe Sharing Monday on Jam Hands!

It's no secret that I love using vegetables as fake starches.  One of my favorites is zucchini noodles or zoodles.  I saw a recipe on Pinterest for a pasta dish that looked amazing.  So I had to recreate it carb-free!  It turned out so good.  I know always I've done something right when halfway through supper David murmurs how good it is while still putting more in his mouth.

Zoodles are extremely easy to make with my handy veggie slicer! I would highly recommend it.  I use it quite often.  It has so many uses!  Now, the best part about the zoodles is that they are extremely filling and mostly water!  It doesn't take much to feel full.

Pesto Zoodles with Shrimp

3 zucchini (spiraled)

1 bag of frozen medium raw shrimp

3 tbsp Classico Basil Pesto

1 tbsp of minced garlic

1 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Spiral zucchini and set it aside.

Heat up oil, garlic and salt in skillet.

Add zucchini and pesto.  Toss and stir until zoodles are warm and soft (like noodles).  Usually takes about 10 minutes.  In the last few minutes, boil shrimp for 3-4 minutes.

Once the zucchini has cooked, drain it before plating it. (A lot of moisture will come out of the zucchini while it cooks.)

Plate noodles and add shrimp to the top.  Or if you like, throw the shrimp in the skillet and toss them around first!

ENJOY!

version 2.0

Today was my day to eat lunch in the cafeteria.  There is something about watching kids eat that is not that appetizing, but nonetheless, I made it through.  Well that is until I went to throw my trash away.  As I made my way to the trash cans with a coworker, I made the greatest save of all time.  Unfortunately, everyone in the cafeteria was there to witness.  What was this great save you might ask?  Not touching the floor when my ankle gave way to my body, and I almost completely crashed into the ground.  It was painful.

And embarrassing.

Just imagine millions of high schoolers laughing at you.  So fun.

Tonight, for dinner I made a new summer salad!  I have had a small obsession with chickpeas for awhile now, seriously, I love those little things.  And I have seriously made the most delicious salad ever!!  Really, I had to literally put the salad away to quit eating it.  YUM!  I definitely don't want you to miss out, so here is the recipe!

What recipes do you make with chickpeas?

Chickpea and Cucumber Summer Salad

3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1-15 ounce can of chickpeas

2 roma tomatoes

1 large cucumber

1/8 cup diced sweet onion

Pepper to taste

Mix everything together well and refrigerate! 

Hope you enjoy!

cauliflower fritters

Last night was miserable.

Honestly, since we've had Hazel, she had not once kept us up at night.

She was a wonderful puppy,, and has graduated from sleeping in her kennel at night to sleeping peacefully in her bed next to my side of the room.

Well that was until last night, when she conveniently decided to keep me up.  She apparently decided she was going to sleep in our bed...in the middle of the night!  Around 1am she began jumping in, only to be abruptly kicked out.  Hazel even got so bold as to bring her bone into the bed around 2am when she was immediately put in her kennel in another room. She then whined and cried until 4am.  I couldn't take it anymore, so I took her outside, and when she came back in she RACED to the bed.  At this point she woke David up who firmly told her to get in her bed.  She obeyed and didn't move again until I had to get up at 5am.

Needless to say, it was a long day today.  But she has made up for her crazy night with lots of cuddles since I've been home from work. And napping.

Now that I have vented all about my sleepless night, let me tell you about something wonderful.  I talk about cauliflower a lot, and we frequently have it in different forms for dinner.  While scouring Pinterest for healthy recipes, I came across some cauliflower fritters.  They included bread crumbs, which I can't eat, so I just left them out and added a few other things!

They turned out so good!  Definitely a new addition to our rotating menu of side items.  To be honest, I was a little skeptical, but they were seriously delicious.

Cauliflower Fritters

1 bag frozen cauliflower

1 egg

1 egg white

1/4 tsp parsley

1/4 cup colby jack shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together.  Heat up skillet and cover with cooking spray.  Make cauliflower patties and place in skillet.  Cook until each side browns.  About 3 minutes per side!

Serve warm and enjoy!

gluten free vs. low carb

I read a lot of blogs.  One of the things I consistently read about are people going on gluten free diets to lose weight.  As a person with a very special diet, I have had to read lots of books to truly understand what I can and can't eat.  When I first started this journey, I decided I would just go gluten free.  That's a diet right?

Unfortunately, it's not.  In fact, if you do not have celiac's, it's probably not a good idea.

What most people don't realize when they buy something gluten free, in hopes of dieting, is that it's actually made with rice flour!  And well, that means it actually has on average 10-15 more grams of carbs that regular flour.  So if you are doing the math, when I decided to try a gluten free diet, I actually GAINED WEIGHT.

Truthfully, the best diet is NO carb.  I turned to a no carb diet shortly after the gaining weight by accident, on a gluten free plan.  My dad recommended a book to me.  In fact, if you want a reason to steer clear from carbs forever, try reading Wheat Belly.  Trust me, it'll do the trick.  I read one subtitle and suddenly everything clicked "Be gluten-free but don't eat gluten-free."  It's amazing the adverse affects flour and even WHEAT flour can have on your body!  Wheat will make you tired, increase your blood sugar, slow your metabolism, make you hungrier, and make your belly fat!  Now I am not completely no carb, I eat limited fruit and very rarely a piece of bread (maybe at a restaurant or something).  Not too long ago I made the decision not to refer to this as a diet any longer.  This is a lifestyle for me.  And it has changed me.  I have lost weight and gained energy. It has motivated me to keep on going and continue living this way.

I have come up with ten tips to help anyone be successful on a low carb lifestyle.  I hope that if you are interested you will give it a try.

1. Use alternatives.

When you are cooking, it is very easy to use healthier alternatives in recipes.

For peanut butter cookies, use peanut or almond flour.  For "fried" or baked breading, use a nut based flour to coat.  Or make changes to your favorites!  Last Easter, I made a squash casserole.  I traded out the mayonnaise with 0% Fage Greek yogurt, used VERY few whole wheat Ritz cracker rounds, and Smart Balance butter.

2. Use vegetables.

Vegetables can be used in more ways than I ever imagined.  Three of the best examples I have are mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, and cauliflower sauce.  They are so yummy and satisfying.  When I use vegetables to replace starches, I actually feel full faster and longer.  I would also encourage someone looking to participate in a low carb diet to try new vegetables, like spaghetti squash and acorn squash.

3. Get full on protein.

Tuna, eggs, chicken, almonds, and ground turkey are some of the staples in my life.  I usually make tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad for my 20 minute lunch.  I try to make it the main part of my lunch.  I always eat it first and then the rest of my lunch.  My goal is to get full on the protein first.  I give myself more leeway at supper time.  I don't necessarily eat the protein first, because there are usually so many delicious veggies on the plate too :)

4. Cook with seeds.

There are two seeds I currently could not live without--flaxseed and chia seed.  You can put them in anything, and they only add to your meal.  I especially love chia seeds and make several fruit flavored chia puddings for breakfast during the week.  There are so many benefits to these wonderful little seeds.

5. Use fruit.

If you are going to eat a carb, this is the way to do it!  Some of the best fruits you can eat on a low carb diet include--blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit, apples and pears.  Sometimes after you have been eating protein and vegetables, just having a piece of fruit feels indulgent. Yum :)

6. Know what you are consuming.

Read labels!  Turn that package around and look at the ingredients.  Are they mostly real?  How many carbohydrates are in the product?  You would be surprised what products you assume are low in sugar or carbs.  While the Atkins program has some great options (breakfast bars and frozen meals!!!), they have something even better and FREE!  If you sign up for information, they will send you 3 free bars, coupons, and the best part--a Carb Counter book.  It lists the carbs in the most popular foods and some options at restaurants.  I highly recommend signing up!

7. Get creative.

Use blogs, recipe books, and just your general knowledge in the kitchen and get creative with how you eat.  Eating well is most of the fight when it comes to weight loss, so do it right!  Some blogs I use to help inspire me in the kitchen include--Skinnytaste, Steamy Kitchen, skinnyms.,and Eat Yourself Skinny.

8. Find things you love!

Eating healthy foods you love and having fun exercising are the perfect combination for success. When I make things that the hubs and I both love, I make it over and over again.  We enjoy eating healthy and it only makes it better when it tastes amazing.  Exercise can be difficult if you do the same thing over and over again.  Find something you are really into.  This summer I fell in love with Zumba, it was different and fun.  It gave me something to really look forward too!

Find what you love!

9. Do your research.

Read books, blogs, and health magazines.  Become informed about the decisions you are making. The best part is that several of them include lots of recipes and eating plans!  Here are a few really good ones--Wheat Belly, The Metabolism Miracle Cookbook, The PCOS Plan, and Why We Get Fat.

10. Make it a lifestyle choice, not a diet.

Living no carb/low carb can be a diet.  However, as soon as its over and you bring those carbs back into your life, you will inevitably gain a little bit of weight back.  Every day I have to choose all over again to make this a way of living, but it is and will be worth it.

How do you live a healthy lifestyle?

chia seeds? yes please!

With school just right around the corner, I've been thinking more and more about how to make easy healthy meals for me and the hubs, continue exercising, and balance my daily schedule.  Let's be serious, sometimes it can be difficult to manage work, relationships, healthy eating, exercise, and anything else you might want to do!  So I'm all about finding ways to make things easier.

During the school year, I wake up at 5am every morning.  I have found that it is really difficult to eat breakfast this early in the morning.  Often times, I take my breakfast with me to work.  Another problem I run into is hunger.  When I eat so early and then teach all morning, I'm starving for my 20 minute lunch break.  

Well I have found a solution for my breakfast dilemma... CHIA SEEDS!

Have you heard of them?  ABC has deemed them the "It" food of 2013.

If you haven't, you need too! Chia seeds have MANY benefits.  One of the most important benefits for me is that it helps control blood sugar!  They are extremely beneficial for diabetics!  Other benefits include weight loss, reduced appetite, feeling fuller faster, increased hydration, boosting energy, and lowering cholesterol.  Chia seeds do not add any flavoring to a dish, so they could be added to anything!  I promise you will start seeing them a little more around this blog.

I cannot take credit for this amazing recipe, it all goes to Gina over at Skinnytaste (her blog is amazing).  I just made a few changes to make it something I would enjoy even more!

My family was skeptical, but it tasted amazing.

I doubled the recipe and will continue doing that in the future.  I may even start packing them in containers to take to work! YUM!

 Berry Chia Breakfast Pudding

Serves 4, Serving Size 1 cup

2 cups of unsweetened Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla

1 tbsp Splenda

3/4 cup blueberries

3/4 cup sliced strawberries

4 tbsp chia seeds

Put all ingredients into a container that can be covered and stir them together.

Cover container and shake.

Wait 15 minutes and shake again.

Refrigerate overnight and ENJOY!