Tutus
I’ve decided a great Halloween Costume is NOT complete without a tutu!! It seems as though most of the people I work with believe the same thing! Every year our Storybook Parade is better than the last year!!
Cajun Chicken and Sausage
I’m doing the Transformation Challenge at Orange Theory, so currently really pushing myself to eat healthy. I’m tracking what I eat and trying to make good choices. First week down and I did pretty good. The key is all about being prepared. This week, I was prepared for lunch with this delicious meal!
Ingredients:
- 1 container (28 spears ea.), Asparagus Spears
- 1 container (16 oz ea.), Smoked Sausage
- 1 tablespoon, Oil – Olive
- 24 oz, Chicken
- 2 squash, Cooked
- 2 tsp, Cajun Seasoning
I used a wok, since it holds the most food of all my pans. I put a little olive oil, then threw in the squash and zucchini.
Then I threw in the asparagus and sprinkled the cajun seasoning all over it.
Then I added the (precooked frozen) chicken and Ekrich Sausage. 
This is SOOO delicious!!! Definitely going to be a staple for my meal prep.
Brighten up!
I’ve decided that this is a great year to start thinking about my skincare. In hindsight, I probably should have started thinking about it when I was 20, but 51 is as good a time to start as any! Recently, I started noticing that I was getting darker spots on my face, so I reached out to a fried of mine who sells R+F and she turned me on to one of their skincare line, REVERSE Brightening Regimen for the Appearance of Skin Dullness, Discoloration and Uneven Skin Tone. I started using it and noticed results immediately, but even more important, I fell in love with the way it makes my face FEEL!! So I decided to go ahead and join up as a consultant. R+F also offers other skincare regimens if you have different issues! If you want to check it out, click on the link!
Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Yes, I’ve jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon! I’ve been searching for easy recipes that scream, “Cook ME!” The one I kept seeing was “Crack Chicken”. Well, with a name like that, you have to expect the results to be phenomenal!! Guess what!? It is!! Here is the recipe I used:
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 packet of ranch seasoning
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup water
8 – 10 slices cooked bacon
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: Throw the chicken, water, ranch seasoning and cream cheese into the Instant Pot (IP). Set the timer on manual high for 25 minutes.
Remove the Chicken and shred it.
Pour out a little of the juice left by the chicken. Add cheese and bacon, then stir. Then add the shredded chicken back into the juice and let it cook for a little longer to get it all mixed up good.
Serve on bread, tortillas, etc. I used a low carb pita one time, but ate it with no bread too. This is a really easy good go-to recipe when you’re in a hurry to come up with something everyone will enjoy!
Low Carb Taco Bake
CRUST
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1⁄3 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
TOPPING
1 lb ground beef
3 teaspoons taco seasoning
1⁄4 cup low carb tomato sauce
4 ounces chopped green chilies
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
Crust: beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth, then add in cream and seasoning.
Spread cheese over a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper on it, then pour in the egg mixture as evenly as possible. Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes or more. Let stand 5 minutes before adding the topping.
Topping: brown the hamburger; drain fat. Stir in the seasoning, tomato sauce and chiles. Spread over the crust. Top with cheese. Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly. Serve with the toppings of your choice. I used guacamole. I think sour cream would be good too!
Click link to see original recipe!
Storybook costume parade
As you can see everyone outdid themselves this year for our annual costume parade!
Picture this
I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with this wall. I really didn’t want to put a big picture there because it leaves too much open space. I decided to do a picture wall. This is almost finished. I’ve since added two more pictures to the left, but I need one more for the bottom row, so they aren’t included in this picture. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out though. 
Low carb steak fried “rice”
As always, I’m trying to figure out what the best diet is for me to help me lose weight. I’ve always had a pretty good work out ethic, until recent years, so my new obsession with Orange Theory Fitness is really going well. I have gone 3 – 6 times a week since I started in late October. I have to do better with food though!! I think a low carb diet is probably going to work the best for me. I’ve been interested in the Keto diet, but I haven’t been able to get low enough in carbs each day. I’ve kind of decided that my diet will be lower in carbs with the majority of the carbs happening with my breakfast shake, (which has a banana in it).
One of my go-to staples in this diet is the cauliflower fried “rice” plate. It’s super easy to make, especially if you buy the cauliflower fried rice package in the vegetable section. Here is my recipe:
2 bags of cauliflower fried rice packages
5 scrambled eggs
1 carton of sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 pound of stew meat or cubed steak (or chicken)
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
soy sauce to taste
1st step: Scramble an egg then put it to the side.
Step 2: In another pan or wok, put sesame oil then add two packages of Cauliflower Crumbles “Fried Rice” Blend. (If you want to add mushrooms, I’d put the mushrooms in before you put the cauliflower crumbles.)
3rd step: Stir in soy sauce to taste and cook until semi-translucent. 
4th step: Stir in the scrambled eggs and the stew or steak meat. Add more soy sauce if you like it. 
This is seriously the best low carb meal I make. I highly recommend it to everyone doing any kind of diet. You can substitute chicken instead of meat if you like. Or you can add no meat at all and use as a side dish. There are a lot of options with this deliciousness!! This makes anywhere from 6 – 8 servings.
Fabulous at Fifty
I turned Fifty in October. I’ve decided to be Fabulous at Fifty. I began a challenging new workout by starting Orange Theory Fitness. I’m obsessed with this workout. I love being able to monitor my heart rate as I do the hardest workouts I’ve ever done in my life. Since I started at the end of October, I’ve gone 3 – 5 days a week. A lot of people I know have caught the OTF bug, so it’s been fun going with a group and pushing each other.
Unfortunately, though, I haven’t changed any of my bad eating habits, so I may be getting stronger, but I haven’t lost any weight. It’s hard to out-exercise a bad diet, especially at fifty. I seriously think I gained ten pounds the DAY I turned fifty. My metabolism seriously just STOPPED!! I’m just going to have to make some real changes soon.
I’ve been reading about the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey and Lemon. So that’s going to be the next thing I add to my lifestyle. Each morning I’m going to drink a little of that on an empty stomach and see if that will help me curb my appetite and bring about some of the other health benefits I’ve been reading about. I’m thinking I’ll commit to it for a month and see how it goes.
Recipe:
Mix together:
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
8 oz. warm water (1 glass)
I’m still not sure what diet I’m going to do. I really love how easy 21 Day Fix was, so that may be my next lifestyle change. 
Chicken Spaghetti
Whole wheat pasta broken in half
Can of mushroom soup
Big block of Velveeta 2%
Can of petite diced tomatoes
Can of Ro-Tel
Garlic to taste
4 Baked Shredded Chicken Breast
About a cup of shredded Mozzarella
Bake some chicken. I baked the chicken breast covered with some lemon pepper, woo, and some other spices I found in my cabinet. I put it on 450 for about 50 minutes. After I pulled it out of the oven, I shredded while it was still hot.
Boil some spaghetti. I like the whole wheat pasta, myself. Drain. Put back in the pot.
Add in cut up Velveeta, a can of cream of mushroom soup, chicken, can of Rotel, and a can of diced tomatoes. If you like additional spices, you can add garlic and pepper, too. Stir this up until the Velveeta is melty. I had to keep the burner on low to help with the melting.
Put all of this in a big pyrex pan. Add Mozzarella cheese on top.
Put in the oven and cook at 375 for about 35 minutes, or until your cheese gets a little burnt looking.
Serve and enjoy!!
