long time,no update

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, just alot going on lately.  Nothing exciting, just the norm....work. :(  I'm in need of some help.   I'm running out of meals to make for a picky 5 y.o. who closely examines all of her food before it goes in her mouth.  So as you can imagine this makes sneaking the healthy stuff in realllllllly complicated!

She never gives me a challenge though.  I ask what she wants for dinner, buttered noodles or something so simple pops out, it drives me nuts sometimes!

Hap-V-Day :)

Good morning and happy valentines day lovers!  Hope everyone treats themselves to some chocolate today, diet or no diet!  I have some great news!  Actually let me just show you...

YAY! :)  I am one very happy person today!  My boyfriend however, is not.  I did not make him breakfast... 

But I will surprise him with a gift (which he doesn't think he's getting anything considering he told me V-day is a "girls" holiday) and perhaps I'll get into making something delish today.  I was going to make dinner but one of my good friends is going through a divorce so I'm taking her out tonight to help get her mind off of it all.


We celebrated our V-day last night with a trip to Olive Garden, mmmmm chicken parm!  I also recieved a beautiful necklace.

You  can't go wrong with jewelry and a kitchenaid mixer!  Now all I'm expecting are some chocolate covered strawberries!

I have a really awesome Orange Pound Cake recipe to share with you guys!

 

Orange Pound Cake

 

1 1/2 c. AP flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. orange zest

1/2 c. softened butter/margarine

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk
3 tsp. Orange juice

 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour loaf pan.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest.

In a medium bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (about 2 minutes).

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one.

Add flour mixture alternately with milk until blended.

Stir in OJ.

Pour batter in loaf pan and bake 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.

 

Orange glaze

Combine 2 tbsp. granulated sugar and 2 tsp. OJ, brush over loaf after removed from oven and pan, cool on wire rack.

 

 

Keep me updated on what you guys give/recieve/would want to recieve! 

 

And remember, keep it real today and everyday.

 

Hershey's giveaway

Hershey's giveaway 2013
Oh how i'd love to win this!!! This post gets me 25 chances!
 Imagine the things I could make!!! wish me luck! 
I mean it's no kitchenaid mixer, but i'm definately into these giveaways on blogs!

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Straw-nana Bread

OH MY GOSH...If I had smell-o-vision I would totally share the amazing aroma filling my house right now!  It's a mix between banana bread and french toast (along with my morning coffee!).  I'm making Strawberry banana bread, which I decided to call Straw-nana bread...I'm feeling rather inventive today.   I can just tell its going to be a pretty fabolous day.  Considering I'm off today and actually get to see my boyfriend for a little before he has to go into work all day/night. :(

Anyways, this recipe only uses one bowl (yay less dishes!!) and it's super easy!



Straw-nana Bread (Adapted from Lets Dish)
(serves 10)

3/4 c. Whole Wheat flour
3/4 c. AP flour

1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 medium bananas mashed
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. diced strawberries, reserve some for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F, and lightly grease loaf pan, set aside.

In a large bowl combine flours, sugars, baking soda and cinnamon.

Add bananas and stir.

Add applesauce, egg and vanilla.  Stir until "just" combined. (you don't want to over stir!)

Fold in strawberries.

Pour batter into loaf pan, top with sliced strawberries.

Bake for 30-40 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

 

 

 

Seriously, it was so simple that I woke up and made it this morning...and its extremely moist!  That's my favorite kind!

 

I'm really not sure why I've been on this bread kick lately...maybe because I have more confidence that my banana bread turned out?   Perhaps the fact that I keep buying fresh fruit and not eating it fast enough?  who knows.

 

By the way my boyfriends daughter accidently told me what my valentines day gift is... and its not a kitchenaid mixer or a new oven.  darn. I actually got into a small not so major argument with my boyfriend over that fact that he won't get me anything I ask for.  His reason being, they're household appliances and it's not right to get someone appliances for holidays, even if I beg for them.  Guess I'm going to start saving up some money then huh?

100 Cal banana bread/ Blueberry Orange bread

So I mentioned this "100 calorie banana bread" last blog.   Basically what happened was I made it last night and was going to take a picture of it today/post the recipe, however theres none left to take a picture of!  Yes, it actually turned out! As my boyfriend stated "This is the first banana bread you made thats actually good!"  well smartass it was only the 2nd time I made banana bread.   Ohhhhhhhh well, I still love him :)  Speaking of which, Valentines Day is coming up, I have nooo idea what to get my boyfriend.  I mean I already got him the watch he's been madly in love with for a while,  I also got him Burberry cologne, I have no idea what else there is to get him.  I need some help here! It'd be greatly appreciated.  Even better, guys, what would you like to recieve this year?  I'll let you guys in on a not so big secret of what I would love to recieve...  ready?

A hot pink kitchenaid mixer, which i spotted at Target for $300.  And ready....???  A new oven, so I can quit "baking" on broil.  It's tricky but I'm finally getting it down, it's just I can't come up with the right amount of baking time for things without them burning or not being done.  It really is a pain.  Plus we finally broke down and bought a new washer, FINALLY!! :)  I explained to my boyfriend how I would not AT ALL, WHATSOEVER, be disappointed if I recieved either or both of these as a Valentines day, anniversary, etc. gift.  I even asked for them for Christmas.  I don't know how much more upfront I can be about it!!! I'm sure it's less expensive and more productive to purchase either of these things than it is for sparkly pretty jewlery (that I wear only because I don't have a kitchenaid mixer or new oven to preoccupy me).  Just saying.
 

100 Calorie Banana Bread (Adapted from About.com)
10 servings, 100 calories each.


1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. butter/margarine, softened
1 large egg
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. ripe bananas (I used 2 medium)
3/4 c. AP flour
1/2 c. Whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl combine butter and sugar, beat for about 2 minutes.  Add egg and applesauce, beat for another 2 minutes. 

Fold in bananas.

In a seperate large bowl whisk together flours, baking soda and salt.

Add flour mixture to banana mixture 1/2 c. at a time, mixing after each addition until moist.

Coat loaf pan (sides and bottom) with cooking spray and add batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Mine only took 40 minutes.)

Allow bread to cool in loaf pan for 5 minutes.  Then remove bread from pan and place on cooling rack to allow to cool rest of the way.

I am currently waiting on this awesome Blueberry Orange bread.  It's definately filling the house with the most amazing smell from the orange in it!

 
Blueberry Orange Bread (Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny!)
10 servings, 168.9 calories each.


3/4 c. AP flour
3/4 c. Whole Wheat flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
6 tbsp. butter/margarine, room temp.
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. orange zest
1 1/2 c. blueberries
1 6 oz. container organic blueberry (or plain) yogurt

 

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Spray loaf pan (sides and bottom).

Whisk together flours, baking powder and salt.

With electric mixer beat together butter and sugar. 

Add eggs 1 at a time.

Add vanilla and zest.

Add flour 1/3 of flour mixture, blend well.  Add 1/2 yogurt, blend well.  Alternate starting and ending with flour.

Fold in blueberries, carefully!

Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan about 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to complete cooling.

 

 

***You can substitute AP flour for WW or whichever, just so theres 1 1/2 c. of flour.

***You can substitute sugar for 6 tbsp. Splenda.

***You can susbstitute yogurt for 1/2 c. low fat milk.

 

Blueberry Orange Bread Nutrition Facts

 

 

Ladies and Gents...We have a finished product!!!

 

I'm going to have to give myself a pat on the back for this one :)

I'm a tad bit disappointed that its 170 cals a slice but, I suppose thats more encouragement to work out so I can eat more!

 



Post- Superbowl

Hello readers, fellow bloggers, etc.  How is everyone doing today?  Me? I'm in need of a nice long workout at the gym...I have super bowl belly and i'm not digging it, at all. 

However, judging by the 3 "ripe" bananas (as my grandma would call them, i'd call them rotten), I've been looking for a low cal banana bread recipe, and I found one!  Therefore after I hit the gym (very shortly) I will be stopping by the store for unsweetened applesauce and whole wheat flour to give this banana bread a try.  It's only 100 cals per a slice and one loaf is 10 servings.   I'm excited and scared at the same time considering the first and last time I attempted to make banana bread it turned out hard as a rock.  The boyfriends grandmother tells me I stirred it too long... I think it's because I didn't go exactly by the recipe and skipped ahead like I knew what I was doing.  Either way I will be attempting banana bread once again.  I shall let everyone know how it turns out and post pictures/recipe for it!


Have a great Tuesday :)

p.s. what are you guys doing today?  It's finally my day off work and I'm awake early and sitting here on stumbleupon.  And theres currently a dusting of snow on the ground.


AND!!!! it's offically been 17 days since I quit smoking :D

It's that time of the year

Ya know, the post-holiday season, valentines, income taxes.  That fun stuff, not!  I actually decided to go get my taxes done "early" this year, rather than wait until the last minute as usual.  Anyways, I'm getting the normal amount back as always... even with buying a house this year has not helped and apparently will not help until next year. :(

Anyways, I was at walmart finishing up my taxes after I went to the gym and I was feeling rather hungry, which I'm not sure why after I all but crashed my diet at lunch time with grands biscuts filled with turkey burger and cheese (it was really the biscuits that did it!).  Anywho,  I decided i'd get a premade salad, something easy, nope of course they did not have in my desperate time of need.  So I checked out the frozen section...yeah I was that desperate!  I found some "lean pockets" with a pretzel crust, how could you turn that down? Plus they were filled with bbq chicken.  So I finally get home and microwave it, I was practically drooling from the smell of it, the taste not so much.  How in the heck did they get something so bland to smell sooooooooooooo amazing...the house still smells of it!

I seriously cannot wait to get off this diet...or at least expand my horizons of food.  Spinach and boiled chicken just aren't cutting it anymore.  I could really use a nice brownie or something super fat right now...or at least something that tastes like it'd be super fattening.   However I've never felt better or more in shape than I do now.  And on Saturday I will offically be 14 days without a cigarette!!! :)  Even better news, I only have 13 lbs. to lose until I'm at my goal weight!!  This week hasn't turned out to be too bad, so far, I still have to make it past the weekend.   Which by the way I filled out a job application last night for a facility literally 5 minutes away from my house rather than 30 minutes away.  Keep your fingers crossed that I get a job offer! I will be calling tomorrow afternoon to make sure they recieved my application.

I've got some frozen yogurt popsicles calling my name :)

Have a great weekend everybody!