The last week has basically been like this

B (6am): Egg whites and Oatmeal with Strawberries (no sweetners anymore!!)

S (9am): 2 Bran muffins & a protein shake (this is my post workout meal)

L (12): Big salad w/ Balsamic Vinegar; Protein: chicken or a mini meatloaf; small amount fruit; ONE pb ball

S (2:30): 4 oz greek yogurt with 1/4 cup granola

D (5:30ish): Whatever! This is the only “meal” I plan for each week

S (9pm): Frozen banana ice “cream”; tablespoon of PB

I know it seems repetitive, which is why I haven’t been posting it. But I’m better knowing every day what lays ahead. Sure I deviate according to my cravings in a given day, and I do much a lot on grapes while at the pool when we go. I’m getting to where i’m only cooking dinner and to restock the fridge with meatloaves and PB balls.

PB BALLS:

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup honey

1 cup PB, natural

2 scoops any whey protein

**I have to recalculate this often depending how many balls i get 27-32 is the general range. Freeze these and it tastes like the frozen cookie dough that kids sell.

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

3 pounds Romanita tomatoes (or equal parts Roma and Cherry), cut in half
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons fresh oregano or basil leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. On a cookie tray (or roasting pan), combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil or oregano, salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes begin to carmamelize, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Place tomatoes in blender. Blend to desired consistency. If the sauce seems too thick, add a bit of water or chicken broth to achieve the desired consistency.
Use as a dipping sauce for vegetables, on toasted bread, pizza, or pasta.

Copied from Miss Kitty Cooks

EGG WHITE MUFFINS

Makes 6 jumbo muffins

3 cups egg whites

half red pepper chopped

half yellow onion chopped

ham chopped (i think it was 6 ounces)

seasoning of choice

Place 1/2 cup egg whites in each cup, about a tablespoon of the pepper and onion in each and one ounce of hame in each cup, bake for 40 min at 400*.

My calculations:

Cal 102

Fat 1

Carb 4.8

Pro 17.8

Adapted from here: SugarShop

The cookbook: “in joy: our favorite recipes prestonwood baptist church.” Published in 1981 to help aid Prestonwood in building their 4,000 seat sanctuary. Yall, do you even realize how huge this church is today?? I found this on Wikipedia that even discusses the sanctuary (i’m ignoring that the next statement is about infedility of the pastor that married mom and dad). The book makes me smile. Why? My mom is listed in this book. Part of the 14 person committee dedicated to putting together this cookbook before the age of computer word-processing. I LOVE IT!

Another reason I love this cookbook is because it is filled with recipes that my mom made for us growing up. I’ll stumble upon them all the time. Nothing like food from your childhood to make you smile, right??

The two recipes I’m sharing are not new items….but they have unique ingredients that I challenge you to try before knocking them.

Mexican Stack-Up

Meat Sauce:

2 lbs ground beef, browned

2 small onions, chopped

1 8 oz can tomatoes

4 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp oregano

6 oz can tomato puree

2 Tbs. Chili powder

1 ½ Tbs. garlic salt

8 oz cooked pinto beans

Stack-Up Toppings:

16 oz bag fritos

instant rice

shredded cheddar cheese

lettuce

tomatoes, diced

green onions

pecans, chopped

coconut, grated

salsa

guacamole

sour cream

Cook meat and onions. Add next 11 ingredients; simmer one hour. Add water if needed. Place crushed fritos on plates and begin to stack-up with meat sauce and remaining ingredients (it adds: in order listed). Serves 10

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Lasagna

(I grew up thinking this was lasagna so every time i ordered it in a restaurant I could never understand why it tasted to “bad.” I told my mom one day that I couldn’t understand why most lasagna wasn’t topped with cheddar and she let me in on the secret that our ‘lasagna’ wasn’t traditional.)

1 box lasagna noodle, cooked

1 lb ground beef, browned

6 oz of Ragu Old World Style

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

dash garlic salt

Monterrey Jack, sliced

8 oz sour cream

3 oz cream cheese

onion power

cheddar cheese, 1.5 cups

Place noodles in bottom of 9 X 13 pan. Mix next 5 ingredients and pour over noodles. Add Monterrey jack cheese on top of sauce. Mix next 3 ingredients and spread over cheese. Top with Cheddar. Bake 45 min @350.

1 cup whole pecans

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer

duct tape or packing tape

Bible

Preheat oven to 300*F. You must do this FIRST!!!!

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl.

Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.

Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.

Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’s followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’s body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.

Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Leave the kitchen. If you’ve been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!

Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they’ve worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus’ followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!

Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

I have successfully botched MANY MANY MANY pot roasts since EP & I got married. So much so that at one point we both agreed I should stop buying the meat as it just wasn’t working. I always made my pot roast in the Crock Pot using the exact recipe that both my mom and sister use. I have no idea why, but that thing NEVER turned out good. Always dry and tough. BAH!

I think its been at least three years because I think the last roast I bought was in my couponing days. Anyway, I saw the Pioneer Woman’s Pot Roast one day on her site….then, as luck (well, if I believed in luck) would have it, I caught her on the Good Morning America the very next day making the pot roast. Seriously, that woman makes everything look so simple. I watched and thought, “i really can do this.” I think her biggest tip was if your pot roast is too tough, put it back in the oven. Uh, what?? I would think I had over cooked it and your saying put it back in?? Ok, clearly this woman knows what she’s doing as her pot roast is actually edible, so I’ll give it a whirl.

Today, I decided, was the day. I was a little nervous. I reread the entire recipe. Headed to the store. Scored an AWESOME 3lb chuck (her cut of choice) for $5.95 (originally $15) — see, clearly I was supposed to make this roast. Dollar something respectively for each the carrots carrots, potatoes (which do not go in with the roast- gasp!!) and onions and I basically had everything for under $10. My kind of meal.

I followed the recipe to the T. Looking at her step-by-step photos all along the way. I placed my roast in the oven, said a prayer and walked away vowing not to check on it for three hours. THREE HOURS YALL!!

By six this evening the house smelled SO good. I was very excited, but not too excited because even my past bad roasts smelled good. Stunt Boy and I stood in front of the oven counting down the seconds. {{Clearly, he didn’t realize what he was counting down to because his dinner is still sitting on the table.}} And then it was time….

I open the lid and the aroma came flying out. I look in. Looks like a good roast, but loks can be deceiving. I hesitantly take my fork to the meat and it literally fell apart. YAY!! Okay, smell: check. Falling apart: check. Taste….. okay…. ready…. Y-U-M!!! THIS is how its supposed to taste. Wow. Ah-mazing!!!

So, I embraced the pot roast and won!

Now go here and try for yourself.

Egg White/Oatmeal Waffles

6 egg whites

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup low fat (or fat free) cottage cheese

dash cinnamon

Mix just just a second in the blender….seriously, not very long at all or it will fluff up too much. Pour 1/2 cup into waffle iron. Serve with low cal/low sugar syrup. This 333 calories, 4.8 fat, 31.3 carb, 49g protein. Yes, almost 50 grams of protein. That rocks!

I know, I KNOW, you are thinking how gross, but I promise these turn out excellent and what a great way to eat the boring old “egg white and oatmeal” breakfast.

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While eating our wonderful waffles this morning SB did the weirdest thing. It was one of those, “did you really just do that?” moments. He’s just sitting there eating his breakfast when suddenly he blows his nose…..WITH NO TISSUE! Not only was there no tissue, there were no hands….seriously. He basically blew a snot rocket at the table. While I was mortified I was also trying hard not to laugh it was just the most random thing. It was as though he completely did not realize he was doing it until it was done and he’s looking at me like, “i could really use a tissue mom.”

Way to kick off the day, huh?