Happy Friday

Taco Tuesday for the low carb soul

Taco shells made with melted mozzarella and almond flour, baked at 375° for 10 minutes. I cooked a pork roast with a can of El Pato sauce and a can of diced green chilies in the instant pot for 45 minutes and shredded it the day before. Heated up our spicy pork, add cheese, avocado, tomato& salsa and we’re all set for a perfect Tuesday dinner! The recipe I used for the shells came from another Low-Carb friend (Laura Fisher), here were her instructions: Recipe for keto chalupas: 2 cups of mozzarella cheese microwaved for 2 minutes then gradually add in 1/2 cup of almond flour and stir until it forms a nice dough. I made 4 dough balls from this recipe and pressed them out into really thin round mini “pizzas” (this is also my pizza crust recipe) on a parchment paper lined baking pan. Bake at 425 ° for about 8 to 10 mins.

Meal prepping for workweek success

Philly Cheesesteak bake – leftover grilled steak with peppers, onions, mushrooms, Worcestershire and mozzarella (no provolone on hand) – sautéed the veggies, added the diced, cooked steak, 1-2 TBSP Worcestershire, put into a casserole, topped with cheese and baked 15 minutes at 350°.

Crustless quiche with egg, spinach, artichoke, turkey sausage, cheddar, pepperoni and a few diced jalapeños. Baked at 350° for 30 minutes.

I separated both dishes into several individual Tupperware dishes for easy workweek breakfast and lunches. Being prepared really helps Jason and I stay on track.

Cooking up a storm, hold the carbs

Jason and I have been eating low-carb for about 10 weeks now. Tonight’s dinner:

Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo from Pinterest

Chicken spaghetti squash with Alfredo, broccoli and cherry tomatoes (from mom’s garden!). This meal was so delicious; Alyssa, Jay and I loved it. Chicken breasts and spaghetti squash cooked in the Instant Pot. I got the Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo recipe from Pinterest. I steamed the broccoli, put it all together in a 13X9 casserole dish, topped with Parmesan cheese and baked for about 10 minutes at 350°. I added the tomatoes to each individual plate, mixed and wow! Will definitely be making this one again. Counting my veggies, I calculate it just under 10 g of carbohydrates. Here is the method I followed for the spaghetti squash: link.

Low Carb Living

About six weeks ago, my husband and I started cutting our carbs. We were pretty lax about the commitment, choosing to make dinners without bread, rice, pasta or tortillas. We have had a few taco nights with just 1-2 corn tortillas, but for the most part we stopped buying sugar and starch. We both eat lunch out pretty regularly and we’ve been looking for good low carb dining options. Doing well some days and not-so-well others.

One of the biggest helpers with this way of eating has been our investment in an instant pot. There are so many wonderful recipes and I am constantly amazed with how quick and easy it is without sacrificing flavor. It is one of the best purchases I have made for my kitchen. I usually make large portions so I can pack my lunch for work, it takes the temptation out of my midday meal.

 

 

At the same time I signed up as a Beach Body coach under my daughter. We have been doing daily workout videos with Beach Body On Demand. Most videos are 30 minutes. Let me tell you, 30 minutes is enough with these crazy trainers! We did 2.5 weeks of 21 Day Fix, then we joined a group and completed a 3 week program called Shift Shop and now we are working on a 7 day program called Shaun Week. They have all kicked our butts. Near the end of Shift Shop I tweaked my knee pretty badly and I’ve had to take it easy a few days. I’m sure once I get back full-force I’ll be so sore! Knowing it’s only half an hour makes it easier to start, though.

At the beginning of the Shift Shop program I took all of my measurements and my weight. I was disappointed to learn I had only lost 3 lbs. Then I retook my measurements and I had lost 17″! That’s crazy, right? In only three weeks? I was encouraged by those numbers. I’m still a long way from my goal, but I think this is working well so far.

I’ve been listening to the audio book called, Keto Clarity, it’s basically the Atkins diet we all love to hate. The thing is, you’re supposed to have high fat, moderate protein and low carb. According to the book, it should be about 20g of carbs per day, 70g of protein and about 140g of fat. It’s so hard for me to wrap my brain around high fat foods, especially with reduced protein. (Think: avocado, coconut oil, heavy whipping cream, butter, cheese, cream cheese.) This way of eating does not allow for cheating. If you eat high fat, then cheat and eat carbs and sugar you’ll gain – big time. Do we have the discipline to give up carbs and sugar cold turkey?! People who are active can have more protein than people who are not, but they recommend adjusting in small increments so you find your personal threshold. The goal is to get my body into Ketosis (burn fat instead of sugar for energy). I ordered some testers to see whether I’ve actually made the Keto conversion. They should arrive from Amazon today. It should be interesting.

I’m so lucky to have a husband and daughter who support me and will eat whatever I eat or whatever I cook. So many of my friends have to make 2 meals and resist eating their kids’ Mac N’ Cheese or whatever. I really only have to make good decisions for me and I still struggle. I’m sure it’s even harder for those moms with families who refuse to make the switch.

I’ve got a ways to go on this journey and I realize it’s a lifestyle, not some get-thin-quick scheme. I’m honestly afraid I will fail, but determined to do my best. If you’re interested follow along with me and I’ll post updates. If you’re on your own journey, I’d love to hear about it. If you’ve been doing this for a while, tell me your tips and tricks. XOXOX

 

 

Santa Cam

These fun Santa Cams with real blinking light are a fun Christmas addition to any home, preschool or business. 

Santa Cam – Realistic Santa Cam – Santa Camera – Elf on the Shelf – Elf accessory

These dummy surveillance cameras are a great addition to your Elf on the Shelf this year! 

My kids love when this appears on the mantel with our tricky little Elf to let them know that even when he’s messing around the house getting into all sorts of things, Santa is still keeping on eye on EVERYTHING!  

It can also be easily hung from most ceilings with Command Strips for a no mess removal at the end of the season.

These cameras come with a red blinking LED light. 2AA batteries, included, required for light. 

‘Santa Cam’ which is done in white 

These cameras can be customized for an additional $2 to have your elf’s or child’s name. This will be in green or red vinyl.

They are approximately 4.75 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall.
***These are not real cameras, only a fun addition to your Elf on the Shelf game or instead of doing the complicated Elf on the Shelf daily move.***

An excellent read

Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success by Angela Duckworth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I thought the flow was excellent, the author did a wonderful job reading on the audio version I listened to. Also, there was not too much scientific jargon like some similar books. Any data presented was necessary and easy to follow. Although I rarely read books twice, I think this one deserves a second look (listen). There were very practical applications, the GRIT test, the PDF’s. It was so thorough. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down.

View all my reviews

Galligans Head East Day 4

Today is the day we arrive at Mom’s in Indiana!!

We woke up in Missouri early and ready for our 6 hour drive. By far the shortest leg of our trip. We were on the road by 8:00 ready to end the tireless driving as quickly as possible.

We saw St Louis from the freeway. We drove right by the famous arch, and the Busch stadium.

Just past this very old and interesting city we went over the Mississippi River and the Illinois state line.

Illinois had a lot of truck traffic and corn fields.
At long last, and through stop-and-go road construction, we crossed into Indiana.

I wanted to stop at every odd sight on the way. Things we missed:
World’s Largest Candy Store
World’s Largest Rocking Chair
Vacuum Cleaner Museum
Jesse James Wax Museum
(Jason assures me this is about the 1800s bank robber, not the present-day motorcycle mechanic. I googled it to be sure. Lol.)
Caves
An alarming number of adult video stores

We couldn’t stop because there was a storm headed to Heritage Lake at 5:00pm. We lost another hour, reaching our new EST time zone. We finally arrived at 3:45. Yay!

We immediately started unloading the U-Haul. 15 minutes into it we were halfway through and the storm arrived early. Torrential rains and wind came so suddenly, complete with thunder and lightening. We closed it all up as fast as we could, getting soaked in the process. We dried off and sat down. Just as quickly as it arrived, the storm passed. Back to work.

My mom and stepdad are nice enough to let us stay with them until we find our own place. Jarry got home just in time to help us unload and get our room together.

We are thankful for our own bed to sleep in and we made it across the country without a hitch. Our dog, Penny Lane, will not leave Jason’s side. She is so happy!

Thanks for following our journey. Cheers!!

Galligans Head East Day 3

Good morning Texas!!

We had a very comfortable stay in Amarillo.

 

We had a perfect start to our day with a Starbucks breakfast.

 

 

Very quickly we crossed into Oklahoma. There were 2 toll roads in OK at $9.75 each. They were kind of annoying. We were happy to get through it all with little traffic.

We passed a giant indoor waterpark, pretty cool! There were multiple dried up rivers we crossed over. Then we were reminded of Palm Springs when we passed all of the wind turbines.

 

We found the cheapest gas of our trip. $3.05 for regular!

 

There were American flags and Oklahoma pride signs everywhere.

We saw a cool AWACS plane, it was much larger in person.

 

We finally made it into Missouri. We stopped for a quick salad at Olive Garden.

We spotted a lot of water towers and hay rolls.

We finally checked into our hotel in St. Roberts, MO. It was clean and cheap. The desk clerk was friendly and said she was expecting us. It was a nice change from the last one who couldn’t find our reservation. The hot tub was down for maintenance, much to Jason’s dismay. We’re excited to get on with our last day of driving and turned in early. Goodnight.

Galligans Head East Day 2

It was exciting waking up in the Grand Canyon. It felt like a Disneyland morning. The anticipation got me up early. Jason was less enthusiastic about visiting “the big hole in the ground”. We pulled up to the park about 9am.

$25 per car was well worth it.

Of course I should have known where my real camera was packed and had it charged. I doubt it could have captured the full extent of the Canyon anyway, but still….

Even the native squirrels are mesmerized:

We stayed for an hour with a promise to return and see more. Jason was appropriately impressed and is dying to mountain bike, camp and hike the area properly. Maybe next year.
We hit the road about 10 and the drive out of the park was through a snow globe of clouds. Sort of like an airplane.

Once we hit New Mexico, the drive was less impressive. A few fuel stops, not much scenery. We got into Texas about 10pm and to our hotel in Amarillo after 11pm (we lost 2 hours in the time change.)

I had a little free time and was able to negotiate our hotel room down to $53 in Amarillo with a AAA discount. Hahaha! Very clean and super comfy. I enjoyed the down comforter and pillows and was thankful to not be allergic to those (Alzos 😘). Also, my Carolyn packed us with so many great snacks we never stopped for food. It was a very productive day. Thanks for all of the comments and support. We love being connected to everyone. Peace!