Meatloaf

I've been dying to make my own meatloaf...
I don't really care for red meat a whole lot, but I do like meatloaf and rib-eye steak... yum.

So I did... and it was hilariously easy. O.M.G. haha

This has got to be one of THEE EASIEST MEALS EVER!!

1. Preheated the oven to 350°F
2. I took 2.25lbs of fresh ground chuck.
3. Threw it in a big ole' bowl.
4. Added one Crumbled up one package of crackers (salted) 
5. (per husband's request) I added an entire diced yellow onion (he really likes onion)
6. Poured some random amount (judgment call) of Pace chunky mild salsa on top
7. Added 2 raw egg's
8. added some random amount of garlic salt (judgment call)
9. and mixed it THOROUGHLY with my bare hands (which I despise doing.)
10. Then I formed 2 separate loves and slapped them onto 2 separate pans and through them into the oven for 60 minutes

I decided against pouring ketchup over it BEFORE baking because neither myself nor my husband like rubbery ketchup. so we dabbled some on before devouring it... and we didn't add too much because the flavor of the meatloaf its self was AWESOME!! I can't wait to make it again! ((only next time I will only be doing 3lb's and only 3/4 of an onion... because regardless of how much I like onion as well, that was still an awful lot of onion...)

Crock pot Stuff

Tis the season, right?

So I've been on the hunt for more and more and more recipe's for my crock pot.... and they have to fill my bottomless pit of a husband up. SO...

Latest was Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli. It turned out like Chicken On Sundae or Turkey on Sundae (I like both of those)

O.M.G. 

I threw a few different recipe's together. 

1. 4 fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• put on the bottom of the crock pot
2. 1 sweet yellow onion chopped (optional)
• chop and drizzle over the chicken
3. 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
4. 2 cans of Cambell's Cheddar Cheese soup
• mix the soups together 
• then pour on top of the chicken and onions
5. 1 bag of frozen broccoli florets (optional)(I should have used 2)
6. 1 can of corn (drained)
• I mixed both veggies in with the soups. but it is suggested that the broccoli gets added about 20-30 minutes before serving.

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (as much as you want because you put it over the meal on your plate)
• RICE (whatever rice you want to use. I really wanted to use Rice Pilaf, but I just used Instant White.)

last but not at all least....

• ANY SEASONINGS YOU WANT-- I used NONE. My husband likes to season his plate and I don't like many seasonings. I don't mind garlic, however this was supposed to be cheesy... not garlicy... and I get carried away with garlic... haha. 

I used 2 forks and pulled the chicken apart to a shred factor and then stirred it all up. 

Then I smothered my rice and threw some cheese on top and yummmmmmm...... I threw some in my lunch for work and forgot the cheese on top... but it was still awesome!

New Recipe's

I keep trying new recipes. Latest, Crock Pot Italian Chicken.... oh yeah baby... A friend had pinned it on Pintrest and told me about it, only calls for 4 ingredients thrown into a crock pot... so naturally I was ready to try it out! So I checked it out on Pintrest. Calls for 4 pieces of chicken, 1 packet of Italian dressing, 1 package of Cream Cheese, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup. I added a ton of minced Garlic because my husband needs tons of flavor otherwise he douses everything in salt and I find it offending. I also added sliced baby carrots. 4 hours on low on the crockpot while we were at church... when we got back I boiled up some tricolor rotini pasta... and baked some garlic bread... and served my family! A husband with a bottomless pit for food and never gains a pound, a 12 year old son with the same blessed issue, a picky 3 1/2 year old, and myself... and there was enough left over for my husband to take to work for his dinner the next night!! EVERYONE WAS FULL!! THIS in its SELF was an accomplishment! Normally there isn't enough food for everyone. OR there isn't enough flavor so half an hour after dinner my husband and son are raiding the cabinets for flavor. Always makes me feel like dirt. BUT.... now I am on a roll! THANK YOU PINTREST!!

Below is my husbands plate... yummy

Challenge Complete

     10 days of strict eating (yes I cheated a little), 6 days of a horrible sludgy fiber drink in the AM, 7 nights of horse pills, 7 mornings of tiny capsules, plus all the spark I drank (replaces coffee and soda), all the walking and biking.... I won the 10 day cleanse challenge against 7 other people! (I think it was 7, may have been 8.) I lost 2" off my thighs, I can see and feel a change on my backside as well haha, and I can see a difference in my face but my stomach, not so much. My stomach has a lot of work to go yet though. I need to do more for that area, and eating healthier and smaller meals really isn't going to do much for it for some reason... just need to put extra work into it is all.
     Thank you to my big brother for motivating me, caring about my health and worrying about me enough to provide me with the opportunity to try this out, also for providing me with a menu plan and the food for the menu. I couldn't have done it without any of it. I am super excited to continue my journey down this road. I am going to expand my menu a little bit because I really love my Special K cereal's, but those are healthy, so no worries haha. I'm sure I will have other things as well, but nothing like what I was doing before!!
     I am really enjoying my walking, I walk to Christina's in the mornings, and I am going to continue that until it is too cold to do so. I won't have a car anyhow, so it'll be easy to do haha. I will be walking to church on Sunday's plus Wednesday evenings for youth group. I need to find a partner for evening walking, maybe some afternoon walking as well. Hopefully Michelle will be up for it soon. Maybe I can get Christina to take some walks with me. I know how much exercise helps with depression, I just have to motivate her. I know it would help her sleep at night also.
     I pray I come up with the money SOON in order to purchase more products from AdvoCare to keep going in THAT direction. I mean, yes there is plenty I can do at home and on my own. BUT-- with having quit smoking there are some products that will help me keep going. They will also help me continue to boost my system in the right direction. In 3 months I am going to try another cleanse, but I don't know if I want to try the 24 day or just do the 10 day... we shall see.