RECIPE WEDNESDAY - Breakfast Pizzas

YUM! This simple breakfast is only 300 calories!

My daughter got us started on these easy-to-make breakfast pizzas. The recipe below makes 12. After they are baked and cooled, I loosen them from the cookie sheet then slide the cookie sheet full into the freezer. When they are frozen, I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in a rubbermaid container. Plan ahead for breakfast by placing one pizza (per person) into the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Microwave on 70% power til hot through.

You will need:
1 Jar - TOSTITOS Monterey Jack Queso cheese.
         (Bob doesn't like any level of spice so I use MISSION Cheddar Cheese for his)
1 6- pack Thomas Muffins
18 Eggs
1 16-oz bag Kraft Fiesta Shredded Cheese
1 package Hormel Maple Bacon.
           (although my daughter swears this brand works best, I've had good luck with Corn King)
Onion Powder
2 T. Butter

A extra- large cookie sheet will hold 12 pizzas easy.

Preheat Oven to 425.
Cover the cookie sheet with aluminum foil then spray with non-stick spray

Prepare the muffins by slicing them in half (sandwich style).
Mix 5 eggs with 1/4C plus 1/8 C milk in a bowl.
Dip the muffin halves in the milk wash to coat both sides and place on the cookie sheet.
Place in oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven to cool on the cookie sheet.

Make the bacon.
Get a second cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray (NO foil!)
Place the individual bacon slices on the cookie sheet in a single layer.
Bake approx. 12 minutes or until desired crispness. Be prepared for the bacon to smoke. This is the Maple in the bacon. It's fine.

While the bacon is cooking, make the eggs.
Place 12 eggs in a bowl and beat. Add a splash of cold water, salt and onion powder, mix.
In a large skillet over medium heat, place 2 Tbsp Butter and melt.
Add egg mixture and cook like normal scrambled eggs until ALMOST done. You want them about 2 minutes from being done as they will finish cooking in the oven.

Spread 2 Tbsp Cheese sauce on each muffin half.
Separate each strip of bacon into 3 pieces and place them next.
Add about 1/3 C scrambled eggs to each. (This equates out to about 1 egg per person)
Top with 2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Place back in the oven for 3 minutes... just to melt the shredded cheese.

Serve immediately with 1 C. fresh fruit or 1/2 C. canned fruit (rinsed of juice)
I prefer the fresh fruit but where we live it isn't always an option unless I plan to have these the day after we've done the weekly grocery shopping.

You can make several variations of these. You'll just want to watch your calorie swaps
We've used Canadian Bacon slices. 70 cal. per 3 slices
              I use a biscuit cutter to cut the center out - away from that rind edge.
Sausage patties. 90 cal per 1 oz pattie (Jimmy Dean)
Corn King Bacon. 45 cal per strip

You can also make a Sausage gravy variety.
Use a white pepper gravy with a slice of Jimmy Dean sausage (haven't checked cal on canned gravy)

If you plan one morning to make a batch of these, you have quick morning breakfasts that are filling.

Enjoy the Journey!

WEEKLY PLAN - Feb. 25th

Happy Monday!
Okay, it's Sunday night and I'm watching the Oscars. I have my favorites amongst the nominees this year. But primarily I watch it for the Red Carpet. I have a 2-book series I've been working on and the heroine in book 1 is one of the Top Five Fashion Designers in the world. One of the scenes takes place at the Oscars. Watching the show makes research at least relaxing.

In case you are wondering, Bob lost 6 pounds on our 3-week challenge and won the $50. I'll have to hit him up for it again when he goes back out. If nothing else, it keeps him on track during a time when eating is determined by his work schedule.

I managed to hang on to a 1-pound loss. I did determine I believe part of my loss was fluid in the tissues in the muscles in my back. Some of the swelling has gone down and I look forward to another massage by Amy Cecil. She was amazing! Although I still needed the occasional muscle relaxer as well as the combination of heat/ cold, I've been able to still work around the house. I even got back on the Wii Saturday. I only worked out for one hour and avoided the boxing for now. But it was nice to get back to my work out.

This week, my plan is to just focus on working out  without pushing the limit. Bob and I are also counting the calories carefully, keeping each other honest.

And with a tooth finally gone, I'm back to enjoying salads with spring greens, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and baby portabella mushrooms. My dressing of choice. EVOO and Red Wine Vinegar.

Speaking of Red Wine, a sweet red wine by Bella Bello has become my nightcap of choice... and yes, I'm counting the calories. Bob has his scoop of ice cream, I have my glass of wine.

Here's to a successful week as the Journey continues....

EXERCISING WITH CARE

Okay... I've been so proud of myself for getting up to two hours at least three days a week. Then I did something really stupid. I started arguing with an inanimate object.

I hope to get my sidebar updated with my Wii Fit workout routine by the end of the week but for now, here's what I'm doing.

I start out with Balance games for my twenty-minute warm up.
5 rotations each:
Volley Ball
Slolam Ski
Ski Jump
Lazy River

By this time the arms, legs and neck/ shoulders have stretched out and I'm ready to move on to Aerobics.
5 rotations each:
Basic Step
Hula Hoop
Boxing (though I've since started 1 round at 3 min and 2 rounds at 6 min for the 15 min equiv.)
Advanced Step

For cool down I do 20 Minute Step. I start out at the low setting for the first 5 min, step up 1 level for the next 5, the top level for 10 then work my way in reverse.

I end with meditation until I can get all the way through - usually takes 4 or 5 sessions to get my body down to where it will completely relax and allow this.

Everything was working fine until my Wii control decided it didn't like boxing. I've checked the battery, the meter for battery life is fine... but for some reason the right control (actual Wii bar, not the num chuck) has decided it only wants to register the hit periodically.

So, my determination to make it register overpowered my common sense. In trying to force it to register I've managed to pull something between by shoulder blades. OTC muscle relaxers (that have always worked for my back issues) and my pleasant jetted tub are not working. Stretching it out isn't working.

So in about an hour I'm getting a 30-min Swedish massage. Whether the muscle gives up or not, I'll still feel like liquid when I get off the table. Here's hoping Amy Cecil at Serenity Balance Massage can get me back on the board!

Whatever it takes to keep me on this journey!
Blessings on your journey.
Kelly

WEEKLY PLAN - Feb. 18th

Happy Monday, everyone!

So far so good. Because I had to be up and out of the house this morning, I failed to get on the scale. When I weighed on Saturday I was at 184. Hoping I can keep it there. I don't anticipate losing another pound before Thursday when Bob and I compare our weight loss for our challenge, but it would be nice.

This week I just want to keep doing what I've been doing. Well, with one modification. I had swapped out my morning cup of fluffy for a cup of hot lemon water with honey. In case you don't know, that is a great liver purifier. If you have a binge weekend with too much alcohol or soda, drink this the following morning and you'll notice a significant difference in the puffiness the next day.

By the end of Week 2 of this I realized I have developed an allergy to citrus. I thought caffeine was the culprit in aggravating my psoriasis. But apparently it is citrus and citric acid. Anyone want a couple lemons?

So now when I'm home, I start my day with a bottle of water to go with my two 100% whole wheat fig newtons before exercise. I'm saving the fluffy for when I write at night and need the little extra caffeine.

Bob comes home on Wednesday. Time to figure out the best way to keep myself on track. We eat on different schedules when he's on the boat so when he comes home, we have to figure out the best way to synchronize... or eat individually. I look forward to sharing meals with him. I think we'll sit and talk about the best way to go about this rather than me just saying this is what we need to do.

What does your Weekly Plan look like?

Enjoy the Journey!
Kelly

RECIPE WEDNESDAY

Today would normally be a Recipe share. But in looking through my pictures, I see the ones I wanted to use are missing.

So I will spend the next week working on recipes, taking pictures and be ready to share goodies with you in the coming weeks.

In the mean time, what is your favorite snack?

Around here, we have fallen in love with snack bars by either Special K, Atkins, Fiber One and SnackWells.
From Special K, we especially like the new Pastry Crisps. If you like Pop Tarts, you'll love these. And if you've never been fond of those jelly filled pastries, then I encourage you to try this anyway.

I've never liked Pop Tarts. There seemed to me more pastry than goo and I like goo. Pastry Crisps come 2 waver-thin 'pop tarts' to a pouch. You can eat them cold, but I like to pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds. They come in Strawberry, Blueberry, Chocolate and new Brown Sugar/ Cinnamon. YUM! I thought the chocolate ones would be my favorite but I've found I prefer the strawberry or the brown/ sugar cinnamon. They are 100 Calories per pouch.

When you need chocolaty goodness, reach for Fiber One 90 calorie Brownies by General Mills. They come in Chocolate Fudge as well as Chocolate/ Peanut Butter.

I'm not a big candy person, but when I want a candy bar of some type, I usually grab a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. The calorie count in those is too high to even contemplate. But Atkins has answered the craving with their Peanut Butter Cups. At 160 calories per serving (2) they are definitely a treat, but a better choice of the two. I also love their salted nut rolls at 140 calories each.

Sometimes you just need something sweet and it's nice to have the calories figured for you. It's like you can indulge without guilt leaving a nasty after-taste.

Fluffy Coffee

NOTE: I've had multiple request about my 'fluffy coffee' so I have bumped this post up from it's original place of February 2012. The content has not been edited.

Okay... so yesterday's weigh-in, not so good. I'm up 4 pounds! I'm trying to figure out how that happened as what I can eat has been limited. I have a wisdom tooth pushing against a molar. It's loose. I also have 2 cavities. Yes, I see dental work in my immediate future. But I already know he won't do anything unless I let him do the full X-rays. That isn't happening until the wood splitter is paid off. So a couple more months at least. In the mean time, I eat what I can. This means I'm not eating the salads and fresh vegies I would like to be eating.

However, I have surmised that it might not be so much of what I'm eating as 'how little' I'm eating. My body may very well be in starvation mode since all the stuff I have a taste for, my teeth don't want to endure so I'm not eating a lot.

On the upside - I still haven't been drinking soda! I am so proud of myself for this one. I'm down to 2 of my fluffy coffee's a day - most of the time. One in the morning and one in the evening if I have a late writing night. I'm also using the standard 9 oz. pedestal coffee mugs - not a huge cup.

My Fluffy Coffee is truly the 'necessity is the mother of invention'. I knew I was going to miss my Borders Caramel Mocha coffee during my writing sessions when we moved to the wilderness. So I set about creating my own. I do have to add, THIS version is a lot lower in caffeine and in sugar than Borders' version. I don't use 'espresso' at all - let alone 2 shots for a medium coffee. I use Folgers Caramel Drizzle coffee for a drip coffee maker. I also drink it the 'lightness' of tea as my husband refers to it. I don' t like my coffee to eat a hole in my stomach. I like to enjoy the flavor.

The Mocha base recipe comes from an old homemade Hot Chocolate mix my mother-in-law shared - minus 1 VERY SWEET ingredient. My Hot Chocolate base does not have Confectioner's Sugar. In fact, the ONLY sugar is in the Nestle Quick 'No Sugar Added' cocoa mix and the non-dairy creamer. One cup of my Fluffy Coffee contains less than 8 grams of sugar. Granted, that's one half of a daily allotment, but when I consider the big picture, it isn't so bad. When I think of what I've saved by not drinking soda, I'm way ahead of where I used to be.

Fluffy Coffee:

Cocoa Mix:

6 C. Nestle Quick 'No Sugar Added' Cocoa

3 C. Powdered non-dairy creamer

Mix this all up really well. Store in an airtight container.

Make a pot of the Folgers Caramel Drizzle coffee to your strength preference.

You may use whatever beverage cup size you choose. The size will determine the amount of Cocoa Mix. Fill your mug approx. 1/4 to 1/3 cup of mix. (the more cocoa, the creamer your coffee)

If you're used to a sweet coffee, add 1 Splenda or Truvia packet

Fill the rest of the way with fresh brewed coffee.

Decorate the top with a dollop of Sugar-Free Cool Whip, scant drizzle of Hershey's Lite or sugar free Syrup and Hershey's Caramel Syrup (sorry, no sugar free available for this one)

Enjoy!

There you have it. The recipe so many of you have asked for :-) And a picture to entice you to try it.

Continuing the journey