A Few Good Men(us)

Hi Friends and Family! It has been forever since I have posted. I have since graduated from grad school with my Master's in Social Work and our family has relocated to Jacksonville, Florida. Now that we are on a more predictable schedule, I have been experimenting with our eating habits and have found that what works best for us is purchasing fresh fruits and veggies the beginning of the week and some type of poultry. In addition, we stock up on rice, quinoa, etc. for sides. We mix and match what we have and end up using up most of the food without much waste! Here is one of my favorite meals from the past week:

Guilt Free Lasagna (from the blog, Hautepnk) 1 yellow onion, chopped 7-8 garlic cloves Portobello mushrooms 1.5 pounds extra lean turkey 1.5 cans clean tomato sauce (I used Amy's basil) Dried herbs (such as oregano, thyme, basil) 1.5 bags baby spinach (you can also use a box of frozen, thawed of course) 4 cups non-fat cottage cheese 6 small zucchini (yellow or green) Fresh lasagna noodles (I got the green, wheat kind from Native Sun or Whole Foods) 1. Peel and chop onion and garlic, saute in good quality olive oil 2. Chop mushrooms while the above simmers on low 3. When veggies are tender, add turkey until browned 4. Add sauce, mushrooms and herbs and simmer on very low 5. Steam or thaw your spinach and drain, mix with the cottage cheese (drained as well) in a medium bowl, add a little salt 6. Slice zucchini lengthwise or in large slices to act as noodles 7. Make light layer of sauce on bottom of pan 8. Layer of zucchini 9. Cottage cheese, spinach mixture, fresh lasagna layer, meat layer, zucchini layer, cheese layer, zucchini layer, meat layer Cover with foil and bake for 45 mins. at 400 degrees F, then uncover for an additional 15 to darken the top a bit. This is a very versatile recipe and can be spiced up, cheese can be added, other veggies, meats, etc. Just a basic healthy lasagna recipe but certainly a good one. I made this one evening and we ate off of it for the entire rest of the week for lunches, etc. Enjoy!!

Getting Organized

Hi friends! The husband and I seemingly caught a little belly bug and I seemingly caught up on A LOT of sleep. After I awoke from my slumber, it was time to do something productive. As I am on a mini-break from grad school right now, I have treated myself to a few beauty magazines as well as gotten caught up on my regularly delivered ones such as Food Network and Rachael Ray. Today I decided to do something with all of the torn out pages of interest growing in piles next to my side of the bed.

First, I sorted through the beauty stack of torn out pages with various "likes" or inspiration for Spring fashion such as pastel colors, a list of Spring "must haves", and hairstyles to try. I decided to create an inspiration board and simply tacked up the pages I had saved, and hung the board next to my closet. I hope to simply switch out pages once I have tried them or the seasons/trends change. I also do not believe in throwing out a magazine just because you've looked at it (though I also do not believe in hoarding them!), so a few of my sweet friends will luck out :)

Next, I was long overdue in the recipe organization department. I already have a recipe box, a shelf for my cookbooks, and a binder for hole-punched magazine recipes. However, the binder was a disaster area full of loose, dog-eared, random recipes. Not any longer! I hole punched until my fingers hurt and here is how I organized the binder:

1) Misc. Food plan ideas or meal planning ideas remain in the front and back pockets
2) Desserts
3) Pastas/Italian (deserves its own category as this seems to be our fave)
4) Dinner Ideas (most of these are meat dishes)
5) International Dinner Ideas (Mexican, Chinese, casseroles, etc)
6) Party Ideas/Special occasions (Dips, meatballs, etc)

This is quite adaptable as I have a few more section dividers and Lord knows I will find more recipes to add. Hope this helps you organize your prized recipes or new ones to try!

xoxo,
Emily

Applesauce 'n Cinnamon Cupcakes (Mupcakes?)

Uh..yummm! I have a quick recipe to share with y'all. With the cable/internet out and the washing machine dead, what's a girl to do?...Bake, duh. I used my new mini cupcake maker again, and decided to try a more savory cupcake..or so I thought. The cupcakes actually seemed more like a moist muffin than a cupcake as I decided not to frost them. I opted out of icing, as the mupcakes (muffin/cupcakes?) themselves were quite sweet. I chose to top them with a little pinch of granulated sugar, and they were delicious. The fun part about these is that they can be adapted greatly. I considered adding things such as chocolate chips, craisins instead of raisins, coconut, etc. Play around and see what you think. Enjoy! :)

Applesauce & Cinnamon Cupcakes
(Adapted from the book 500 Cupcakes)

1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk (I used regular 2 percent and added about a tsp of white vinegar)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (not sure if mine was unsweetened or not)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 small red eating apple, thinly sliced for topping (optional)
granulated sugar for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or your mini cupcake maker!). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Place butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, and buttermilk in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients inlucing applesauce, cinnamon, pecans, raisins, and any other mix-ins you want to try.

Spoon batter into the cups. Lay the apple slices if using on top and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake for 25-27 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes and cool on a rack. Serve warm.

xoxo,
Emily

Change of Plans...

Let me preface this post by sharing my deepest sympathy with those of you who are in the "back to school" boat (or bus?) with me. Eww. I must say, I simply adored spending time with my furbabies and hubby, as well as the visits from family and just overall slower pace of Christmas break. However...this is my...final semester of grad school and I am happy to be nearing the end.

With that said, those of you who were following my blog last semester know that I was a big fan of freezer crockpot meals. While I am still a huge advocate for crockpotting/prepping/freezing and continue to use my beautiful crockpot frequently, I have to admit that I have missed cooking!! I still have a few frozen crockpot meals in the fridge for especially busy weeks, but I have come up with a new organizational meal planning system for this semester. I am finding it very easy, financially doable, healthy, satisfying (cooking cravings), and makes for a happy hubby. Here is what I'm doing:

I have created five weeks of meal plans, 7 days a week, 5 meals a day. Keep in mind that these meals are designed for me; my size, my appetite, etc...and that obviously my husband eats the same foods, but in different quantities. Please feel free to adjust based on your necessary caloric/nutrient intake. Below is week one. On the back of the paper, I have created categories such as Poultry, Produce, Canned Goods and created a grocery list. I also used color coded posted notes to add any household items I needed to the paper, placed the list in a plastic report cover, and to the wild world of Walmart I went (my mom will LOVE the alliteration here).

M - Light cheese and Clif bar (B1); Hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); Salad with beans, cucumbers, carrots, parm. cheese, croutons, and low-cal dressing (L); non-fat greek yogurt and a banana (S); Grilled chicken with brown rice and steamed veggies (D).

T - Vanilla Soy Chai Shake (B1); Hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); Salad with leftover grilled chicken and veggies (L); Kidney, garbanzo, and black beans with brown rice and fruit (D).

W - Green monster smoothie and light cheese stick (B1); Hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); whole wheat veggie wrap with mustard and an apple (L); pistachios (S); Grilled chicken breasts, asparagus, and baked sweet potatoes (D).

Th - Non fat greek yogurt and a banana (B1); Hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); reduced fat peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread and an apple (L); veggies (S); Chicken sausage over whole wheat penne and roasted red peppers (D).

F - Vanilla Soy Chai Shake (B1); Hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); Three bean cold salad (L); sugar snap peas and baby carrots (S); grilled chicken with sprouts and brown rice

Sa - Oatmeal with cinnamon and honey (B1); Hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); spinach salad with mushrooms, grilled chicken, veggies, balsamic vinegar (L); grapes, nonfat greek yogurt (S); eggs, center cut bacon, whole wheat toast with strawberry preserves (D).

S - Honey nut cheerios with reduced fat milk (B1); hot green tea and snack if necessary (B2); Moroccan chickpea salad (chickpeas, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers, feta, lemon, olive oil, spinach leaves) (L); apple and reduced fat peanut butter (S); Grilled chicken with black beans and salsa (D).

B1 = breakfast 1
B2 = breakfast 2
L = lunch
S = snack
D = dinner

So there you have it! A week of healthy food. I have night class on Monday and a long day on Tuesday, so I prep my dinners (and lunches since I eat leftovers) on Monday mornings. I also carefully plan how much of the snacky foods we are consuming as not to waste. As the week goes on, I keep adding leftover veggies, fruits, etc from meals to a basket in the fridge known as the "snack box". Hubby knows anything in there is up for grabs for snacking in between meals.

Hope this helps!

xoxo,
Emily

Cupcake Craze

Hi friends! I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday season. We definitely did. We thoroughly enjoyed a visit to my lovely in-laws for Thanksgiving, a visit from my cousin Derrick, followed by a lengthier one from my parents :)

I happily spent the past two days with my good friend, Audra. It was so nice to get caught up and have some girl time. How often do we, as adults, just take time to paint our nails and chat? Not often enough I'm afraid. Anyway, we spent the afternoon playing with my new favorite toy....the Babycakes Cupcake Maker!!!

Not only did my mom and dad (although I'm sure mostly my mom) get me the cupcake maker, they also gifted me a Pampered Chef cupcake display stand, cupcake storage containers, and lots of other goodies. Audra and I decided to try mini-chocolate pies called chocolate tartlettes, as well as pineapple upside-down cupcakes. Here are a few pictures from our kitchen adventure. If you are into the cupcake craze like I am, I suggest you research the Babycakes Cupcake Maker and see what you think. :)

xoxo,
Emily

A Few of my Favorite Things

Hi y'all! Today's post will deviate from the norm. The world of baking, cooking, and recipes will be temporarily replaced by a glimpse into some of my favorite beauty products. A conversation on the phone with my mom today prompted me to make a list of some (or many) of my favorite, holy grail items. I decided to share some in hopes that you will find one or two that make as big of a difference in your life as they have in mine.

Let's start with the eyes (window into the soul?)...

1. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in #60 Illuminator/Brightener

~ I love, love, love this stuff. I use the spongey applicator to apply a few swipes/dots under each eye and gently use the tip of my finger to blend before applying my eye make up. It smoothes, illuminates, and is just overall a great product.

2. Neutrogena Age Defense Under Eye Cream

~ I started using this little guy about a month ago. I felt like the skin under my eyes was beginning to look tired and dull, which was aging me a bit. I started using a few dots of this underneath my eyes and toward the outer corners, and have noticed a major decrease in fine lines, and just an overall more awake appearance.

3. Maybelline Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black

~ I have tried other mascaras time and time again, but keep coming back to this mascara. I have used it fairly religiously since high school. Plumps and lengthens.

Next for the hair...

1. Suave Dry Shampoo

~ Looove this stuff. I have gotten my hair used to only being washed about once every 5 days. I know, I know. It sounds gross. But I had been hearing how much better it is on your hair to wash it less frequently, and it's true. I gradually got my hair used to being washed less, and just spray a little of this on my roots for the "off" days and brush it through. Smells fresh, and absorbs any excess oil.

2. Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

~ Can you say, magic? I use this deep conditioning mask predominantly on my ends (from the nape of my neck down), comb it through, and let my hair naturally dry.

Skin care...

1. Neutrogena Daily Defense Moisturizer with SPF 30 for Sensitive Skin

~ I use this as my daily moisturizer under my make up on my face and neck. It works wonderfully as a primer for my make up, as well as being a light moisturizer.

2. Equate Healthy Face Lotion with Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (compare to Neutrogena Healthy Skin Lotion with SPF15)

~ This lotion is too heavy for use during the day for me. It tends to make me look oily if I use it under my make up. However, a pump of this for my neck and a pump for around my mouth and forehead a few times a week sloughs off the dull skin and replaces it with bright, younger looking skin.

3. Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Stress Control Face Wash

~ I have been a Proactiv user for years. However, as I have gotten into my twenties I have noticed my skin doesn't consistently need such a strong product, and in fact has been getting dry and flaky. I started using two pumps of this morning and night based on another blogger's recommendation, and LOVE it. It removes make up wonderfully, and cleanses skin without overdrying. I only use Proactiv face wash about twice a month (around my period) mixed in with a pump of the foaming wash for an added boost.

4. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF

~ Living in Florida, a lot of people back North think I should have a tan. Quite the contrary, as I purposely avoid much sun exposure. I would much rather get an occasional glow from a tube than succumb to premature aging or skin cancer. Rant over. I apply this daily lotion to the tops of my hands, ears, and feet if exposed.

Last but not least...make-up

1. LOreal Colour Riche Legloss - I like a lot of the colors but prefer Nude Touch

~ LOVE this gloss. Just a dab of it stays in place, moisturizes, and gives lips a subtle glow.

2. MAC Studio Fix Powder

~ This is a splurge product, but my skin honestly breaks out from most other similar products. Plus, one compact lasts me about 4-6 months. I simply apply my under eye concealer and conceal any blemishes, then put a thin layer of this powder on top.

3. MAC Blush in Pink Swoon

~ Another splurge, but totally worth it. I have tried SO many bright pink blushes that look great upon application, only to quickly disappear throughout the day. This MAC blush is a winner. I apply a small amount over my bronzer just to the apples of my cheeks for a sweet, youthful-looking glow.

That's all folks. Trust me, there are a LOT more products I could recommend, but these are the ones I have incorporated into my daily skincare routine and recommend most highly. Hope this helps someone :)

xoxo,
Emily

Caramel & Pumpkin

Caramel & Pumpkin. No, not together...although, that could be interesting. I was really in a Fall sweets mood yesterday, and did not feel like writing a paper for grad school, so here are the results:

Caramel Corn Recipe
-allrecipes.com

Ingredients
7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1.Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.
2.Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
3.Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.
4.Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

**Folks, I cannot rave about this recipe enough. Everyone who has tried it, has melted as much as the caramel in their mouths. Trust me, it's goooood.


Pumpkin Dip
- my good friend Audra, and Pinterest.com

1 15 oz can of pumpkin pie mix
1 5 oz box of instant vanilla pudding
1 16 oz container of cool whip {low fat}
1/2 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon

Hand mix well, all ingredients together except for the cinnamon. Chill for several hours in the fridge, and sprinkle with cinnamon before serving. Serve with apple slices, graham crackers, nilla wafers, whatever floats your boat. :)

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Emily