Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

1 lb italian sausage
2 large russent potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup of bacon bits
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
16 ounces chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

     Brown sausage links in pan or cook in oven at 350 for 25 minutes or until done.  Cut links in half lengthwise, then dice into 1/2 inch slices.  Place cooked sausage, broth, water, garlic, potatoes, and onion in slow cooker.       Cover.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours until potatoes are cooked and soft.  Optional, Mash potatoes a bit with a potato masher for texture.
     Add the Kale.  Return the lid for 10 minutes and then add the whipping cream.  May need to add salt and pepper to taste.

This was delicious with a slice of baked bread or by itself!

I froze half of this mixture for another meal:
Directions for freezing:

add all ingredients execpt potatoes, whipping cream and bacon bits.

Freeze for 3-4 months in a ziplock bag.

Defrost in fridge the night before serving.  Add to crock pot the contents in bag and potatoes for 3-4 hours then add kale.  For the last 10 minutes add whipping cream and then serve with bread or by itself.  This was amazing!!!

The babes...September 2012

Well my children are getting way too big way too fast!  I don't know where the time goes.  Cash is going to be 3 in January and Camdyn will be 2 in April.  We decided to put Cash in preschool at a nearby church.  It is only two days a week for 2.5 hours.  I am happy and excited for him but I'm also nervous.  I'm so afraid he will hit another kid or that another kid will bully him.  He is used to playing with his sister and a couple of cousins, but he isn't used to playing with new kids.  The teachers seem wonderful and the are very reassuring.  I know Cash will have a wonderful time once he gets used to it.  Cash is also talking really well now.  He knows all kinds of equipment names like backhoe, bulldozer, big truck, tractor, school bus and train.  He also copies everything other people say...even bad words.  Camdyn talks too.  She says bow, momma, dada, nana, pawpaw, ba, baba, papa, cheese, bite (vitamins), choo choo.  They both love riding in anything with dada, pawpaw or granddaddy whether its a mower bulldozer or dump truck.  They fight all the time over toys food just about anything. 

We went to the museum of life and sciences the week before school started and the kids loved it.  They played in the sand, dug for dinosaur bones, rode the train, played music with the pots and hanging metal, and played in the mist.  I definitely want to take then back soon. Todd and I went in a trip to Indianapolis Indiana for his Dixie Chopper meeting. We have had a great time so far. We stayed at the marriott in downtown. I've enjoyed getting to meet other dealers that Todd knows and a few new people. We toured the factory today and believe it it not it was very interesting. We are on our way back to the airport and depending on how much time we have left we may get to do some shopping. I know I am ready to get back home to my babies that is for sure!

Beach Trip 2012

Oh my I think this was the best beach trip year to date!  We (Our Family, Bama, Pawpaw, Matt, Jake, and Kaitlyn) went to Carolina beach July 14 and stayed for a week.  We've never stayed that long and I thought for sure it would be long enough.  Unfortunately it wasn't.  I think it was because we had so much fun!  The first day we didnt get in until 3:00.  We unpacked then ate dinner that Bama brought along with her and took a short trip to the beach then to the pool.  At first Camdyn Cate didn't really like the beach, she was really afraid of the water and didnt want to get very close to it.  I pretty much ignored her and held her while I went in to my waist and a little lower for a little bit.  After the first and second day she loved the beach.  Both kids loved the sand and eventually Camdyn liked the water as well.  Once on her own she would go close the the water's edge or wherever the waves got to on the surf and then she would run back...she was very smart in that she wanted someone with her if she was to reach the surf!  Cash on the other hand wasn't as scared.  On the second night we had been on the beach for about an hour.  Everyone was out of the water and my brother Matt went running to the surf.  Well Cash followed him trying to fill his bucket up with water for our sandcastle.  My dad yelled at Matt to let him know Cash was following well as soon as Matt turned around Cash stopped.  We all thought Matt had Cash and turned our heads.  Well once Matt realized Cash had stopped he went on into the surf.  We after Cash saw Matt keep going he decided to go in after him.  I saw Cash hit the water and then fall down and I started running then I saw him be completely covered in a wave right before I got to him and I fell into the surf and scooped him up!  I thought for sure the wave that covered him would take him out into the ocean and I would never see my baby boy again!  Thank God I got to him in time and of course Pawpaw was right beside me.  Cash man was really shaken up but after some TLC from Momma he ended up going back in the water right after that.  He kept his distance from the ocean the next few days knowing that he couldnt go in unless a grown up was with him.  You mothers out there know how scared I was and how thankful I was that my son was safe...how many lives do mother's have?  Hopefully more than one because I definitely used one at that moment. 

The next few days we usually woke up around 8 or 9 then went to the beach then to the pool then we would come in for naps (Daddy and the kids, maybe a few others) after that we would eat dinner in the room or go out.  Bama cooked the first night then we had pizza the second night.  We also took a trip to Dicks and Walmart to get some supplies.  We went out to eat at Michaels and we also ate at Gulfstream restaurant the last night but we got it to go so that we could finish packing.  We went to the boardwalk the third night and let Cash ride some of the rides.  Camdyn Cate rode some rides too and I am the proud mother of two "Dare Devil" children.  Good thing I like adventures too.  Daddy not so much!  Haha.  Then on wednesday I decided we should go get some ice cream at Krazy Kones and our banana split was delish!  We had a very upset child on our hands (Cash) because we weren't riding rides that night but planned on coming back the next night.  We also indulged in some Britt's donuts and if you can believe it I had forgotten how good they were!  So thursday we went to the boardwalk and rodes tons of rides and watched the awesome fireworks!  Our time was almost over so once we put the kids to bed Todd and I met my brother's and Kaitlyn at the Shuckin' Shack for a couple of drinks and great food.  The drinks, food, and company were wonderful and we had a lot of fun.  On friday we went to the beach and pool again and got dinner to go.  I think Cash knew we were leaving the next day so he wanted to hit up the beach and pool again.  Thank goodness for uncles and (almost) aunts Jake and Kaitlyn took Cash to the beach and then to the pool while I cleaned the condo a little then we met up with them later and had to force Cash back to the room and to bed.  Needless to say he didnt go to bed until late and even then he woke up a couple of hours later and gave us all a hard time trying to put him to bed again! 

Overall it was a great trip...one to be remembered forever!

Cash Man finally speaks!

Finally after waiting over a year my little boy speaks.  Unfortunately one if the first things he mimicked was "oh shit" from me one evening of watching Americas funniest home videos.  From then on he's been saying colors numbers and other random words not in his vocabulary until now.  He also mimicks all the TV shows he watches...including the fresh beat band and bubble guppies!  He loves to dance around the house and hopefully Todd won't mind me putting Cash in dance classes with his baby sister next year!  I've taught him shuffles and stomps from tap, but he can mimick just about anything he sees!  He and baby sister can do a plie when I ask them to.  It us very cute...for those of you that don't know what a plie is it is a bend of the nite.  Thats all I have to share right now but I'm sure I will remember something later to add.

Healthy Chicken Parmesan!

1 lb chicken breast sliced thinly
1/2-1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 egg
6 Roma tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon cilantro
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese

Beat egg with a little bit of water set aside.  In a plastic zip bag mix Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Dredge chicken in egg mixture then cheese mixture and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with canola oil.  Bake at 400°for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Mix tomatoes cilantro oil and salt and pepper to your taste.  You can also add a little bit of packaged marinara sauce to add a little more flavor. Remove chicken from oven and top each chicken breast with tomato mixture then mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with more veggies or a big healthy salad!

Healthy Cheesy Chicken Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup finely minced carrots (I micro zested them)
1 small onion finely minced
Handful of fresh spinach finely minced
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons skim or 2% milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients except chicken or turkey together until well combined.  Add in ground meat and mix with hands.  Shape into balls or patties and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with canola oil or olive oil. 

Topping
1 tablespoon light mayo (I prefer dukes)
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Put mayo in the corner of a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off (make sure its tiny)
Squirt a small amount of mayo on each meatball or patty.  Mix cheeses together and put a small amount on each meatball.  (depending how healthy you want your meatballs will determine how much of the topping you put on each meatball)

Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are done.

Enjoy!

Cash and Camdyn 5/20/2012

Camdyn likes to throw rocks.  Cash loves to push his toys around like his dump truck and his bubble blower.  Camdyn pulls up her shirt and shows her belly.  She also knows where her head, tongue, hair, ears and nose are.  She can also touch her toes and feet when asked to. When you ask her where her nose is she sniffs and scrunches her face so her nose sticks out.  We went to eat last night at longhorn then we went to the bounce houses in the mall.  The kids had so much fun and so did the big kids, Matt Jake Bama Paw Paw and Kaitlyn went too.  We all played in the bounce houses with the kids and by ourselves.  We will definitely go back soon.  We are playing outside today because it is beautiful.  The kids have already been swinging on their swing set.  Cash has been pushing his toys around while Camdyn follows him around.  Cash also likes to fill his tractor bucket up with dirt, mulch, sand, and rocks then dump them all over the yard.  Camdyn loves to slide she can even get herself going on her own.  I just have to guide her so she doesn't fall off.  Both kids like to play in the sand box even though there isn't much sand left since Cash likes to dump it everywhere. 

School

I did an assignment this week with dance I using the poem I Am Me by Virginia Satir. This poem is about understanding that you control your feelings and thoughts and no one else does.  No one can provoke you into fighting or doing something you don't want to do.  I always have headstrong freshmen in dance I so this is a great assignment for them.  I had a few students really upset me with the assignment.  After students read the poem I told them to journal about a time when they disappointed their family or themselves.  Then they were expected to choreograph a three 8 count dance using some specific dance terminology in their dances. It wasn't so much their dances but their written journal that upset me.  Some students wrote about their struggles with cutting or other types of destruction.  Others just wrote that their parents are always dissapointed in them...they have never felt as though they did some thing their family was proud of.  These realizations upset me as a parent and a teacher.  I hope that I remember to let my children know everyday how much I love them and that I'm proud of them.

New diet day 4

Ive done pretty well so far this week.  I've completely cut out starches like rice and potatoes.  I've also stopped snacking on chips and bad for me snacks.  According to the scale today around 4 I've lost about 4-5 pounds this week.  I did cheat once or twice throughout the week.  I already had the supplies to make hamburgers so I had to make those this week.  But I was good and only ate veggies with it.  I also weNT to a dinner and had to eat fried chicken, but I pulled to skin off and only had green beans with it.  I did jave a piece of pecan pie too.  It was too good to resist.  Hopefully I can keep up the good work on this diet.  At least enough too lose my goal of 50 lbs.  I did get my book in the mail this week.  Very informative and you definitely need it to do your very best on this diet.  Will update again in a couple of dayson my progress.

17 Day Diet

So I have decided I must do something about my weight.  I'm tired if taking photos and being unhappy with myself.My mother in law showed me her information on the 17 day diet and it sounded interesting and like something that I could commit to.  I did weight watchers a few years ago but all my books are out of date and I don't want to reinvest.  I lost some weight with weight watchers but I think I need something a little more drastic this time around.  I got pregnant with my son in 2009 and gained more than I should around 45 lbs.  Which put me at 200 lbs at the end of my pregnancy.  After I had my son I dropped to about 185 I think.  Then 6 months later I got pregnant with my daughter.  I was nursing my son so I hadnt had a chance to really diet and lose weight.  I only gained about 30 lbs with my daughter...but I havent been able to lose any of that weight.  Right now I weigh 196 lbs which is ridiculous...I'm 5'5".  According to the 17 day diet my target weight is 144 lbs.  Before I decided to get on this diet I was really trying to lose weight.  I started cutting out sweets except the occasional nutella on a graham cracker which really isn't that bad. I also started running three times a week along with my regular dance teaching exercises. I thought I was doing a good job but I was just maintaining my weight.  I've been looking for a new way to lose weight and my mother in law told me about this diet and lets be real...all diets work if the person sticks to them. So I decided to try this diet and first and foremost I want to say I'm no expert.

Here is a little bit about the diet.
This diet consists of four cycles.  The first cycle consists of eating lean proteins, cleansing vegetables, low sugar fruits, probiotics, some friendly fats like olive oil and flaxseed oil and then you get some condiments like salsa, anything no fat or low carb like marinara sauce, or sour cream.  You can also have truvia sweeteners, sugar free jams and jellies, fat free cheeses, and fat free salad dressings and a few other condiments. Then you gradually add back in more foods for each cycle. You can eventually eat carbs but good carbs like whole wheat and grains like quinoa. I'm a little worried about sticking completely to this diet because seriously sometimes you just want a cookie! I think I will just have one if I want it...if I cut out all that other junk having one cookie one day isnt going to reverse all the work I've done...right?  I sure hope not.  My birthday is also wednesday and I'm sure I will get taken out one night this week so the hell with it that meal!  But seriously I will lose the weight and I will get healthy and then...I think I will call up my life insurance guy and get re-evaluated for a lower rate! Thats some motivation right?  We shall see.

If you are interested in trying this plan do know that it also requires that you exercise 17 minutes a day at a minimum of 6 days a week..this could be just walking or specific exercises that keep your heart rate up. Because I teach dance I will get at least that. Once summer begins though I will have to find some more exercise options.

Also just wanted to let you know I have only skimmed the pages my mother in law had copied from the book which were basically just the cycle's food plans; I have no idea what else is in the book. I have done some research over the internet for more information but this research came from other blogs mostly.  I ordered the book but until it comes in I will be following the first cycle which is called the Accelerate Cycle.  You should also know (if interested in doing yourself) you cant eat as many as want of the foods listed above.You can have as many lean fats as you want with the exception of eggs (2 eggs a day or 4 egg whites). You can eat as many cleansing veggies a day, but you may only eat 2 servings of low sugar fruit each day.  You can also have 2 servings of probiotics a day (yogurt, etc).  Everything else that you see yourself missing...bread, cheese, milk, etc you cant eat during this cycle.

I will update tomorrow with my progress.

easy macaroni and cheese

My husband loves homemade macaroni and cheese and my son and I love kraft macaroni and cheese so I tried and tried until I created a recipe that we all really enjoy.

Ingredients
1 pound macaroni noodles
half a cup of shredded swiss cheese<br>
1 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese
half a cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon of butter (optional)
Extra cheese for topping
Potato chips or bread crumbs for topping

Cook noodles according to the package instructions.  Put cheeses in a glass making dish that has been lightly greased.  Microwave whipping cream and butter until warm and poor over cheeses.  Stir until combined and cheeses are slightly melted.  Add noodles and combine well.  If you desire a cheesy topping you can have some extra cheese to top it with.  Crumble potato chips or bread crumbs on top of cheese.  Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.  My husband likes his really crusty so I cook it a little longer for him.

You can alter this recipe any way you want.  The cheese s especially are great to change up until you find the right combo for your family.  I like the cheddar and the swiss gives it a really nice bite.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Since it's so cold outside I thought I'd post this soup recipe which is one of my favs.

1 lb chicken (I cover with olive oil and S and P and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until cooked through and then shred)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
Egg noodles (I use abt 3/4 of the bag)
6 cups water
3 to 4 T chicken base

This recipe is defintely a judgement and whatever you like kind of recipe.  I begin by putting veges water and chicken base in a large stock pot.  You want the broth to have flavor but not be too salty because it will redue throughout cooking.  I usually fill the pot up with water and then add chicken base until I like the flavor.

Boil veges until they are tender then add your shredded chicken and noodles. You may need to add more water if yours has reduced too much...also dont forget you will need plenty of water for the noodles to absorb.  Make sure you taste broth to make sure it has lots of flavor.  Boil for about 15 minutes or until noodles are tender.  I serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.  This is a great way to get kids to eat their veges too.  The chicken base gives them a really nice taste.

sn: if youd like a thicker sauce right before serving mix a small amount of cold water with about 1to 2 T of cornstarch then add to soup and stir over medium heat until you reach the thickness you desire.

For the Kids

I regularly see things on pinterest that I try to pin but if I dont like everything on the link I wont pin it. So here are a few things that I saw and only wanted to remember 1 or 2 things:

Have you and your child gather soft outdoor items such as leaves, twigs, grass, and other things a bird might want to build its nest with. Put all the items in your backyard near a window so that you can bird watch to see what the birds pick. Over time the birds will use most of the items if you pick the right things. This would be a great time to get some pictures of birds too!

Create an outdoor scavenger hunt for your kids by drawing a picture or taking a picture or using the actual item on a sheet of paper and the kids have to hunt outside to find the item. I plan on doing this with my kids when its safe for them to be outdoors and get out of my sight. I want them to look for oak leaves, worms, pine cones, etc. Whatever is in the backyard. Even if you dont have a backyard this would work if you went to a park or nature trail as well so it works for everyone!