Famous mashed potato casserole

Alright, I'm back from vacation and finally back in to the swing of things again. Ready to take on what life brings. I always get asked by my family to make my famous recipe and of course it is really yummy. The only problem is, is that it takes FOREVER to make. I always tell my hubby that if we had bacon left overs it would be easier but it seems that bacon is very popular in our family and doesn't last an hour within making it. 

Here's the recipe:

I use about 8 or 9 potatoes and I usually leave the skin on. Boil them and while that is on, I start cooking 2pounds of bacon. 

After the bacon is cooked I cut it up to tiny pieces. Check the potatoes, if they are done, it's time to mash them!!! I add 3 cloves of garlic, 16ounce of cream cheese and sour cream (I use light) and some milk maybe 1/2 cup. 

I blend it all together and put it in my 9x13 pan. 

I than add some cheese to cover the potatoes and then add all the chopped bacon and of course add more cheese on top. I use about a bag and half of mixed cheese. 

Once it's all over I put it in the oven and cook for 20min on 350. And there is my yummy famous casserole. 

Enjoy it and trust me there won't be any leftovers ;) Toodles for now!

30 outfits for 30 days

The first week of June I kinda went on a shopping spree and got a lot. I felt horrible for spending so much money and I really was deciding to take them all back but I didn't and still to this day think I should've.  While I was putting them away and looking at all the other stuff I owned I decided that I could probably go a month with a new outfit a day. I started off really good then I realized that I don't have a lot of work pants and work shoes to go with all my shirts so I really just did different shirts for my 30days. I was doing really good for about a week and after a week I would forget to take a picture of my outfit that day. Since I live in house with cats the first thing I do is take off all my nice clothes so no cat hair gets on it. (Which bothers me because I hate changing and using more clothes). So that made my photo taking worse but at least I tried and got half way through which is good!!! So here are the pictures of my different outfits. My lesson learned was even if I have a very small closet I can still get clothes in there and I can't punish myself for pampering me just a little now and then or maybe now and all the time!

        

     

    

    

 

 

 

 

4 months down half way to goal!

This month has been hard to get motivated to do anything. I have had a lot going on with work and personal stuff. Of course I pushed myself through it and help from a friend to make a pack to 21 days of excerising and no days off. It was a fun month with new things to try. I have been getting a lot of "Boy I can really tell you lost weight. How much have you lost?" All I can say is well I lost 13 pounds the first 2months. So since I have been getting asked that a lot I figured hmmm I might as well see for myself. Since I don't own a scale I decided I was going to go to the store and "try-out" some scales (only stepped on one) and found out I lost another 12 pounds!!!!! Which means I have lost a total of 25POUNDS!!! I am half way towards my goal! I am so excited! My vacation is in 3 and half weeks so I guess I really need to start pushing harder. Another thing I did this month was try on my bathing suits and boy are they loose! I'm so glad I did because it gave me more confidence in myself that I didn't have before. I'm still doing the same thing like I have done before but just trying out new things to eat and really watching my calorie intake. 

       Day one                 4months

        Day one                  4months

3 months down! Healthy new me!

I am now done with 3 months of getting more healthier!! I have had a lot happen this month which means I haven't excercised as much as I should have. I wish all the stress and pain would have helped me be more focused but I couldn't. I just couldn't face to leave my little doggie alone even if it was just for 20 minutes. The only thing that I have kept going was my eating. I have gotten so stricked with it that I actually like eating healthy. 

      First day                 3months

      First day                  3months

   So now it's a new month and I'm ready to kick myself in the butt.  I have a 2 week vacation in august that I'm ready to get in shape for so now I just got to get going. Thanks for all the support! 

             Toodles for now! Em

Quilt bibs

Since I have been doing all this quilting, one of my friends (who does diaper cakes) asked me about a quilt which was not in her budget so I had in mind doing something a little different. We decided on quilting bibs! I was a little nervous of how it would turn out, but of course they turned out amazing. I bought regular and flannel fabric. I quickly googled what to use in the middle to soak up all that baby drool which of course was towel material ( you can also use burp cloths as well). I bought too much fabric of course but you never know how much you need! I sewed together my patch work first then made my own pattern for the bib and cut it out. I also used premade binding which I LOVE for the edges and I don't think I will ever go back to making my own. So here is the final pictures of the bibs 

          Same bib just reversible 

          I used a button on both sides for this one since it is reversible. Though I don't think it really needs it after I put it on oh well.

 

             Second bib

         The back is one fabric pink/hearts

I had fun making these and will def keep this in mind for baby showers and for my future children. 

       Toodles for now! Em

 

Healthy spaghetti

We often have spaghetti at our house since we love it and some are half Italian. Now that I'm getting healthier, the pasta will kill everything that I'm trying to work towards. So I found something to replace my pasta fixings, called broccoli slaw. It is pretty yummy! All I did was put some oil,garlic,onion in a pan with the slaw and cooked till soft. Afterwards I just added my famous meat sauce on top. Now since I'm not the only one eating the meat (most don't like turkey meat) I used 93% fat free ground beef. Which means I don't get a lot of it since it's not the best for me but I added some just for taste and it was AMAZING! Also added zucchini but, shhh don't tell anyone. This is my new favorite meal with the broccoli slaw. It was crunchy unlike regular pasta but at least it was almost the same and you get tons of veggies! I can't wait to try more recipes with it. 

            Toodles for now! Em

2 months down to a healthy new me!

Alright ladies and gents, Friday marked my 2months of all my hard work of changing my lifestyle! I still do the same thing I did for month one just added more strengthing skills such as weights and restistance band. Due to some unfortunate events last weekend I ended up in the er and the first thing they was weigh me!!!! At first I was a little hesitant , thinking "I'm not ready for this!  What if I didn't  loose as much as I think I did?" I finally said let it go, so I hopped on the scale and was ready for whatever came up on the scale! So I didn't weigh my self when I started, but I am going from when I was in the doctors last august and figured I was about the same which was 185. The scale this time said 172!!!! WHAT!!! I lost 13 pounds!!!!! I can't believe it! I am so proud of myself and thankful for all my friends and family pushing me through and of course my personal trainer, MY ELLIPTICAL! Here  is the pictures from my first day and now!

    First day                   2months

        First day.              2months

        First day.               2 months

                     13pounds down!!!

Will keep you updated with my progress!

Toodles for now! Em

1 Month more healthy than the last!

I know I am late in posting this by half of another month but life has been taking me on a whirl wind and I know finally have time to relax and blog!

    It has been a month of my favorite machine, The elliptical! Boy, it has been working my butt off, more than I thought possible! I try and use it every day for 30-50 mins just depending on how well I eat that day or not. My favorite app is myfitnesspal, where I can log everything I eat and spend time working out. I love seeing how much I work out my calorie count goes back up so I can eat more (I never do). Most of my family notice a difference within a week, I did not until my 4th week. Now I have tons of friends asking how much I have lost which I respond to, "I don't know, I don't own a scale and if I do I will rely on it and that is not what I want." I do have a doctors appt early May and that is when I will find out. I feel so much better now and love how I look. My elliptical is def my best and worse enemy and I love it! She is worse than a personal trainer! I feel like my shirts are looser than my pants, but I know soon that my pants will soon start falling off me or hiking up to my armpits!

WHAT AM I EATING?
   I am eating less than 1200 calories a day. I try and eat as much protein as I can. I drink muscle milk to help add to the protein that I am missing. For breakfast I eat yogurt and granola. Lunch, its a sandwich of ham or turkey with thin bread that is 100 calorie along with mustard. Also, try to have veggies with it or a healthy snack. Dinner I have either smoked turkey dogs with mustard and tons of veggies, small chicken breast and tons of veggies, or turkey taco meat with spinach as a salad or nachos. It is pretty easy and yummy!

Well here is month 1 results! I can't wait to see month 2 results and I am counting down  2 more weeks to go!

                                               First day                             1month

                                                first day                           1month

                                                   first day                         1month



                                                                     toddles for now!

Making a difference for me!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I have been busy with life, but I have now returned!

I decided that awhile ago that when I got my tax return that I would get something to help me and my health! So I got an elliptical since that is the only thing I can use with out being in pain with my shin splints. I received it about 2 weeks ago and I love it so much!

This thing is helping loose the weight I need off. My goal is to loose 50 pounds. I do not have a set date to when to loose it. All I know is that I want and need to loose this weight. I have also changed my eating habits. I am only eat 1200 calories or less a day. I am only eating healthy foods as well and trying to drink as much water as I can. This whole transformation is very hard. Every time I see/think of food, I get all these cravings but I am trying my hardest to put it away and think of how great and wonderful I will feel. So this is what I have been up to for the past two weeks and I am also still working on my second quilt. Stay in touch because I will be updating more often! Toddles!

My first quilt!

I finally finished my quilt! I love it and I am already starting my second one. It's in the middle of a twin and crib size. I could talk about it forever, but I think pictures are better! So here you go! Enjoy!

The end! I hope you like it as much as I do! Will give a tutorial later I was just so excited to show you my quilt!                                               Toddles for now- Em

Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe I made up one night while I was still living with my parents. I came home one night and every one already had something for dinner. I didn't feel like going out so I looked in the freezer to see what I could come up with. After I made this my sister and I fell in love with my recipe that even to this day she is always asking me what it is in it and how you make it. So, here it is my famous chicken stir fry! Mind you, I don't have any measurements of the spices, I just use my senses.

Here is what I put in my chicken stir fry. If you want it more spicy add some cayenne pepper to it.

 

First I cut up my 4-5 chicken breasts in slices and put them on the stove. If you don't have time to have uncooked chicken, you can also use the frozen grilled chicken strips.

I add onion and garlic and cook until chicken is done.

Then I add my first batch of spices,

Black pepper (not too much)

sesame seeds

Soy sauce

Worcestershire sauce.

and if your feeling brave cayenne pepper (not too much)

Let that simmer for a bit then add the veggies,

These are the veggies I put in since most of my family don't like the stir fry veggies but you can do any. Stir around chicken and veggies and let them cook/thaw.

 

 

Once it is all cooked then I again add my sauces to where the veggies are a little brown color.

I let it simmer till it is finished!

All done and ready to eat! I usually serve it with white rice. This night we had it with French bread. My favorite is just a bowl of this and nothing else,

Enjoy! I hope I didn't scare you with no measurements. Maybe this is the time to be brave and just use your senses! It is pretty easy and fast dinner!

Cheers to a good meal!

Toddles!