Chicken Casserole #3! MMMmmmMMM

Ok so this is sort-of a repost, but I went all mad scientist on this recipe... and its WAY better than it was! I had put up the recipe for Beef Casserole #2, but I think it was named that because it made you go #2. LOL Well, I had gotten all the ingredients for it, but we ended up eating the beef on another night, and all I had left was chicken. The green onions had gone bad too, so they didn't get included, but otherwise it was very similar... but far more delicious! I present Chicken Casserole #3! teehee!

Chicken Casserole #3

1-2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut up and sauteed in olive oil (then I broke it up further into little pieces)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 16oz can diced tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 pkg wide egg noodles, cooked

1 cup sour cream

6 green onions, chopped (optional)

1 3oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine chicken, salt, sugar, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, and pepper in pot or skillet. Cook on low 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine noodles and sour cream, softened cream cheese, and green onions. Layer 1/2 the noodles, then all the chicken mixture, then 1/2 the noodles in greased or 9”x13” pan. Top with cheese. Bake for 35 minutes.

Day 7 The saga continues!

GO GO GO I'm doing it baby! Man today is a skinnier day than ever! People are really noticing that I'm losing weight... and it feels GOOOOD!!

On the forums today (loseit.com), I responded to a post asking what my "Thinspiration" is... I didn't realize how many reasons I had for doing this! Here's what I answered:

My Thinspiration (in no particular order):

1. Getting healthy! I'm already insulin resistant... Dr. said it isn't a question of "IF" I get diabetes, it's "WHEN." I want to make that when a "NEVER!"

2. I want to look good for my wedding... Back in 2000 when I was planning my last wedding, I saw this beautiful cake topper that I loved... of the groom carrying the bride like they do over the threshold of the new home. My mom's response to that was "Well, that's not very realistic, is it Sheila?" That still brings me to tears to think about. Anyway... that marriage ended several years ago (amicably) and now I'm looking forward to getting married to my boyfriend, and I want him to be able to carry me across the threshold! I WANT THAT DANG CAKE TOPPER THIS TIME!!!

3. We are looking at possibly getting custody of my bf's 2 year old daughter next month, and I'm going to need every bit of energy I can muster to keep up with her and all 3 of my jobs! (1 full time, 1 tutoring, 1 home based business (Pampered Chef))

4. We are having a "Biggest Loser" contest at work for a cash prize... and I want the $200 we have in the pot!!

5. I want my kids who haven't seen me in about 6 months to be surprised when I see them in April! I also want to see them grow up and have lives of their own, and I can't do that if I'm 6 feet under!

6. My mom is going blind from a hereditary degenerative eye disease at age 50. If I don't do this now, she won't ever know what I look like thin!

Wow... I didn't realize how many reasons I have for doing this... Thanks for asking the question... now I'm SIX times as motivated as before!!!

Not only can I do this... I WILL DO THIS!!

Day 6... sort of!

Ha! I guess I fail at my goals for Friday, considering I went over my calories, didn't blog over the weekend at all, refrained from dancing like an idiot, AND never dusted my house. I did do the laundry yesterday though =) And I stayed under my budget for Saturday and Sunday! GO ME! Weigh in was this morning too:

1/31/11: 299.4 pounds, 53.1% body fat

Those are some numbers I can be proud of! Finally broke the 300 pound mark, and lost 10.8% of my body fat! I had a "skinny" day on Sunday... didn't have to suck in at all to get my shorts buttoned and zipped =D yay!!!!

Weekend was awesome... I sat around on Saturday and relaxed ALLLLL day long! And on Sunday, we finally killed the Lich King in World of Warcraft, and I got the Kingslayer title! =D  Yeah, it's nerdspeak. But I <3 it! I also watched the movie Amelie this weekend, which was AWESOME! I really enjoyed it, even though it was in French, subtitled in English of course.

Oh! I also joined a challenge on loseit.com (the weight loss site I'm using), and I'm looking forward to kicking some butt there too! One of the conditions of the challenge is NO going over your budget for 30 days, PERIOD! We also have to exercise 30 min EVERY day with no exceptions! Sounds like a challenge to me!

Goals: Stay under budget! Already got my exercise today, sooo I guess that's it!

Day 3... the quest continues!

Well, it's day 3, and even with a bit of a brownie indulgence last night (homemade with pecans! How could I resist?!) I still managed to be under my calorie budget, mainly due to dancing around like an idiot for about 20 minutes and burning some calories! I love the song "Freak the Freak Out" by the Victorious cast (a show on Nickelodeon)!!! It makes me get up and move!
Goal 2: I did the dishes last night too! Got the kitchen cleaned up, then made Chicken Pie for dinner (added broccoli at bf's suggestion, which was AMAZING! Great thinking, honey!) and brownies for dessert because I had a friend and her kids over. So, moral of the story is I got the icky dishes done, but made new ones =) lol
Goal 3: Obviously I have succeeded in this goal as well, because I'm here again today! I still think I might have only 1 follower, and no readers, but that's ok! I'm not doing this for anyone for me, so if people actually read it, it's just gravy =)

I'm looking forward to this weekend very much... get my Pampered Chef stuff together, get ready for my first few shows, and relax. LOTS of relaxing. I'm looking into something called Zumba, which is basically dance party fitness or something. According to the website its HUGE, but I've just heard of it, mainly because I live in a cave and don't watch TV. =) It looks like a lot of fun, so I might get the game for Xbox (since bf has one).

Goals for today: stay under the calorie budget as usual, dance like an idiot for at least 15 min this afternoon, blog again tomorrow, and dust my house this afternoon (maybe even laundry!).

Yay! Blogging day 2!

WOO HOO! I met my goals yesterday... I stayed beneath my calorie limit, AND I'm blogging about it right now! Lol... I ate a banana nut muffin for breakfast, a 1/2 fried chicken salad for lunch (SKIPPED the brownie!), and a chicken quesadilla for dinner. I didn't eat any snacks at all yesterday, and I didn't wither away! lol
Note to all drivers of LA HWY 316, also known as Bayou Blue Road: SLOW THE HELL DOWN!!!  I almost got killed in front of my own freaking house AGAIN yesterday... this time I had my blinker on LONG before I was turning into my driveway... I start to slow down... and I hear tires squealing in protest behind me! I look in the rear view mirror and the Mustang that's been behind me for a few minutes is SLIDING SIDEWAYS towards me! I hit the gas and scooted into the oncoming lane (no one in sight thank goodness!) and he NARROWLY missed me as he whizzed by! WTF, CHUCK?! This street is KNOWN as a very dangerous road (one lane in each direction, with bayous and ditches along the sides) and damn near everyone feels the need to speed at 60-90 mph down it and then they wonder "ZOMG how did I end up dead in the ditch?!" ARGH!

Ok. I'm done now. lol... Had a nice dinner last night with the BF celebrating 6 marvelous months together... at Hooters! lol I had never been there, and the food was decent/good, but I felt uncomfortably outnumbered. I was one of three female patrons in the restaurant, and it was definitely intimidating being surrounded by hot chicks! =/ Our waitress kept calling me "hon" and the bf "sir"... kinda funny lol but annoying... and their tagline "Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined" makes NO sense!!! The usage of the word "yet" means the terms on either side should be OPPOSITES, not words with meanings along the same lines! Yes, I am the Grammar Nazi. (no offense intended)

In other news, I got my Pampered Chef Kit yesterday!!! I'm sooooo excited to get started again... I already have FIVE shows scheduled! =D I know this time I'm gonna get rolling with it again, and be successful again! I've done it once, I can do it again!

My motto has been for quite some time now: "Everything happens for a reason"... but now, to help keep myself motivated, I'm going to start using another one... "Celebrate EVERY victory, no matter how small!"

Goals for today: Stay under my calories for the day, blog tomorrow, and get the dishes done when I get home!

Looking forward in the New Year

Happy New Year! Well, I'm a little late, but better late than never, right?

This year has started off kinda wacky so far... family in and out of the hospital, I had bacterial bronchitis for about a month, and life is crazier than ever! I need a vacation lol

We've tried a couple of new recipes over the last few weeks... the first one is a variation of a Pampered Chef recipe, the Chicken Club ring. We switched it up a little and created the Chicken Bacon Ranch ring! I'll get that recipe posted in the next few days... basically we used the same recipe as the Chicken Club ring, but left out the tomatoes, used mozzerella cheese, added bacon bits, and used ranch dressing powder for the seasoning. It was SOOOO good!

The other new thing we tried was a slow cooker recipe: Beef and Bean Tamale Pie... YUM! I'll get that recipe posted soon too, but its basically beef and onions browned together, then mixed with kidney beans and enchilada sauce, then topped with cornbread batter that has green chiles and cheddar cheese mixed into it. Then you slow cook it for 6 hours or so, and voila! Served with sour cream and green onions, it was DELICIOUS!

I think I'm going to start writing a little bit every day... I'm participating in a "Biggest Loser" contest at work, and was very motivated at first, but I'm losing steam. Seems like every time I have a little success at weight loss (and I mean a very little success... 2 pounds lost) I start to sabotage myself and get all down and stop caring about losing weight. Maybe blogging about how I feel will help... I hope so. So here goes:

Starting weight: 303.2 pounds on January 10, 2011

Current weight: 301.2 pounds on January 24, 2011

Yowch. That's hard to type... hard to admit... hard to face. Makes me want to cry. Which makes me sad, and makes me want to eat. I had a banana nut muffin (Otis Spunkmeyer) for breakfast... YUM but 440 calories. I'm not doing TERRIBLE at staying at my allotted calorie limit, but I'm not making the right choices food-wise. I could be saving even more calories and such... but that will have to wait for payday on Friday to go shopping. The good news is I drink plenty of water already =D lol

The girls at work say that I've been crabby the last few days, and I don't think I have been, but I am definitely not feeling like myself. I was really down on Monday... about to burst into tears at any moment. I'm not enjoying things like I used to, and I don't know why... I haven't felt like this in a long time (which is awesome, cause it used to be all the time), but I really want to feel better. Hmm. There are so many things going on right now... from money, to losing weight, to a custody battle (my bf's daughter), to having just moved, and such. Well I think I'm just rambling now, but that's ok too.

OMG I just figured out what's wrong with me! (This will probably be TMI for any guys out there) When I gain weight, I stop having a monthly cycle... but since I've been on the diet for a couple weeks now, it may be stablizing my hormones, and that means I could be PMS'ing! That would be good to get back on track in that area, although not having a cycle is pretty damn nice! LOL Figuring out what is making me feel bad is definitely a boost to my mood! YAY! =D

Goal for today: Stay under my calorie budget of 2021 Calories, and blog about it tomorrow. Just two little goals today.. I CAN DO IT!

Julie & Julia Love Chicken Pie

So I just got finished watching Julie & Julia, and I loved it! This sounds ridiculous, but I spent probably a quarter of the movie crying... it was so moving! I feel so inspired by it... funny how movies speak to you sometimes!

Anyway, tonight I will be cooking my Nana's Chicken Pie for dinner! This is a VERY simple recipe, but OH so delicious!!

Chicken Pie

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of Veg-all, drained
1 clove of garlic
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg of deep dish pie crusts (2 in the pkg)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until you can smell its deliciousness. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until done. Remove from heat, let cool briefly, and transfer the warm chicken to a cutting board. Chop the chicken up, then combine in a large mixing bowl with the chicken soup and the drained Veg-all. Put the mixture into one of the pie crusts, and take the other out of the pie pan and flatten it on top of the filled crust. (This isn't a fashion show, it's a chicken pie. Make it as ugly or as pretty as you like!) Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Makes 3-4 servings.

BON APPETIT!

Have you ever loved someone?

I've never felt this way before. I've never looked at someone while they slept so soundly and peacefully beside me and been so content... So thoroughly convinced that this is the man I've been looking for and waiting for my whole life! So comfortable with him, and so secure in the knowledge that he loves me in the same way: deeply, completely, and unconditionally. He is SO worth all the heartache I had to go through to find him... And I will hold him close to me and breathe in his scent forever... And never take him for granted!
I told him I had started a blog, but I haven't shown it to him or given him the address because he thinks blogs are stupid lol... That no one cares about the minutiae of anyone else's life, and he's probably right. Chances are he'll never read this... But that's ok... That's not why I wrote it. I like blogs because you can express your thoughts and feelings and perhaps put something into words for a complete stranger that has felt the same way but couldn't express it. I think blogs are about finding commonalities... Finding camaraderie with others, and feeling more connected to the world around you. The world we live in is one of oversharing but unprecedented loneliness. Status updates, tweets, blogs, etc... Share what you think online and everyone will know, but does that mean they know YOU? No. Call your friends... Hear their voices, and keep alive those personal connections...
My life the last few years has been consumed with living online and struggling to feel like I was a part of something. But the last two months with this man have made me realize that the only way to belong is to do it in real life. Cyberspace is no substitute for the real thing!! And all of a sudden, I feel like I belong again... Life is good!

/jumps off soapbox lol

Bistro Chicken Twist

So, a few years ago I was a consultant for a certain kitchen tools company, and I fell in love with many of their recipes. I love how easy they are to make, and how amazingly good they are to eat... my friends ask for me to make those recipes the most, and mmm I'm getting hungry just thinking about this one!

When I'm making this, I have been known to skip the rolling pin part and just form the well with my fingers. When closing the loaves, its REALLY IMPORTANT to use DRY fingers to pinch the loaves shut, otherwise they wont stick. I try to have one wet finger (pushing the filling down) while bringing the sides of the loaf up with my dry fingers and pinching closed. Also, it is not necessary to use a baking stone, I have used a cookie sheet and it was just fine. I usually skip the egg white on top of the loaf, since the bread browns nicely anyway.

Bistro Chicken Twist

1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh
Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 (11 ounce) packages refrigerated French bread dough
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop chicken. Dice bell pepper. Snip basil with kitchen shears.

In a bowl combine the chicken, bell pepper, basil, Parmesan, mozzarella, mayonnaise and garlic.

Place bread dough, seam sides up, on cutting board. Using a serrated bread knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough. With rolling pin roll dough crosswise a four-inch width, creating a well down the center of each loaf.

Spoon half of the chicken mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an 'X' pattern on a baking stone. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure 8, keeping ends of dough one inch from edge of stone and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

In a small bowl, combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut a three-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf.

Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Serves eight.

Nutrition values per serving: 130 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein, 28 mg cholesterol, 189 mg sodium

Best. Brownies. EVER.

This recipe is a true gem... I just made it again last night, and the brownies were soooooo yummy!! I got it off the side of the Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa box many years ago, and they have since stopped printing it on the side! I don't know why they would use a different recipe, as this one would probably sell a gazillion boxes of unsweetened cocoa! Anyway, I usually leave the nuts out (as I am surrounded by a bunch of nuts that don't like nuts... what is WRONG with people?!) Last night 30 minutes in the oven was spot on for just cooked, chewy, melt in your mouth delicious, slap-ya-mama cause they're so good brownies!

Best. Brownies. Ever.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13”x9”x2” pan. Microwave butter on HIGH 2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; beat until well blended. Stir in nuts. Pour into pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely. About 36 brownies.

Beef Casserole #2.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, my ex-husband and I (when we were still married) were researching new recipes, and he came across this one. It's really delicious, but was kind of.... vague... about some of the directions.  For instance... sugar in a beef casserole?! Weird. But good! We had to figure out where to add it in (as it was included on the ingredients list but not in the directions themselves!) and I think it came out great. There's no need to go crazy on the "layers," as just one or two alternating layers of noodles and beef works fine.

Beef Casserole #2

1 ½ lbs ground beef, browned

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 16oz can diced tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 pkg wide egg noodles, cooked

1 cup sour cream

6 green onions, chopped

1 3oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine beef, salt, sugar, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, and pepper in skillet. Cook on low 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine noodles and sour cream, softened cream cheese, and green onions. Arrange beef and noodle mixtures in layers in greased 3 quart casserole or 9”x13” pan. Top with cheese. Bake for 35 minutes.

Ahhhh... my own space on the web!

I've always thought about starting a blog, and I guess the time has finally come to do it! I don't know that I have much of anything interesting to say, but I'll be posting various things that go on in my life, and what-not. Any suggestions on topics are greatly appreciated!!

I love to take pictures, and will probably post some of the more artistic looking ones here. I also dabble in graphic design, and am always looking for inspiration and work! I'll put up a couple of things I've done in that regard as well.

I also wanted a space to post some of my favorite recipes so I have access to them wherever I may be... you never know when you'll have the opportunity to volunteer to cook and get caught without your go-to recipe! I am pretty good about remembering ingredients, but I stink at remembering amounts, and little details... like what temp the oven should be set to!

So, if any of you out there in cyberspace give my recipes a try, please let me know, and include notes as to any variations... I love changing things up a bit! I'll separate the recipes into different posts, so they can be commented on individually.

And away we goooooo!!!!