Randomness From a Crazy Week

Wow, has it really been three days since I blogged???

Oh yeah.... it's because I've been in a WHIRLWIND of STRESS all week.  Let me assure you, my bloggie friends, I would have SOOOOOO rather been here with you as compared to what I was doing.  Lots of high-pressure situations, important visitors and critical meetings.  But now... it's ALLLLLLLL done.  

THANK GOODNESS!

So, in honor of a CRAZY week, I've decided to give you a few random peeks at what my days looked like.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Dorothy may have said it best, but I sure can say it, too.  

Another gorgeous Colorado sunset - - I swear, Colorado shows off some times.

Gosh, it feels SOOOOOOOO good to be home.  I sleep like an absolute rock in my bed and feel like my sheets hug me all night.  It's just SOOOOO nice.  Now, I do miss the maid service - - the fresh towels, bed magically made, and the turndown service. And, to make matters worse, I've made quite the mess at my place and I'm going to have to clean it myself tomorrow night to prep for a weekend guest!

I'm STILL Logging!

I've continued logging all of my food intake into MyFitnessPal.com.  It's been over a week now, and I really feel like it's helping.  In my head, I have a virtual checking account from which I can eat.  If there's no calories left, there's no more eating.  For the 12 days that I've logged, I've only gone over my 1200 calories ONCE.  I think that's pretty darn good!  I'm excited to weigh in on Saturday and see how I've done!  

A Weekend O' Fun Lies Ahead

My dear (and newly engaged) friend Donna is coming to town!  Donna is one of my favorite travel companions and selflessly accompanied me on my ONEderland reward trip!  Looking forward to having her visit Colorado again!

We've got a few things planned for the weekend, and though I haven't discussed it with her yet, I think we're going to go BOOT shopping as well.  But how about this for fun...

Can't WAIT to see this show and laugh my butt off!

And... I'm ready to walk 5K for a good cause!

Most of all, I'm just excited to have Double D in town.  I'll share fully censored details of our fun next week as it will likely be more fun than this blog can handle!

I've Been a Fashionista

I had several opportunities to dress up this week, and holy cow.... I really think outdid myself.  Shopping is FUN, FUN, FUN now that I'm in smaller sizes... All the looks are from New York & Company -- my current favorite shopping spot.  

WARNING:  The photography below is hideous.  I'm not sure how people take pics of themselves in mirrors.  And, Blackberry... while I love ya, your camera is a piece.


Nonetheless, check out this adorable vest look from New York & Company.

Vested up for Thursday

I already had the brown suit, but I found this great top to wear under it that was VERY fall-ish, and just right!

Brown Suit for Tuesday's Meetings

I had big meetings on Wednesday as well.  I also got this top at NY&C, and it looked so gorge under a black suit jacket with black pants! 

Getting ready to go into a meeting.  Loved this shirt!

So Cute Under a Jacket, right?

CHECK OUT THIS HAIRSTYLE
Despite all the hustle and bustle of this demanding work week, I did find time to waste spend on Pinterest, and I found awesome step-by-step instructions for this half-updo!  LOVE it!  I tried it on Tuesday night and it was EASY and looked awesome.  Now I just need to get up early enough to do it in the morning.  It's super-cute.  I do a lot of nothing with my hair on most days, so this could be a nice change.  Check out the details here.

I can't even tell you how happy I am that the week is coming to an end!  Bring on the weekend, and bring on the fun!  xoxo

New Recipe: HG's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas

I saw this recipe last year.  Last year, however, I was in no position to be going off plan and eating on my own in anyway.  I was so determined to lose the weight and nothing was going to get in my way.


BUT... now, I'm at a point where JC is actually ENCOURAGING me to start transitioning from JC food to real food. So, I pulled it out of the archives!

Do you know Hungry Girl?? 

I think she's amazing.  She's all about low-cal treats and helping the world eat what they want while losing weight.  She has a fabulous website and is even on the Food Network these days!  If you haven't had the pleasure, I definitely recommend you check out her site.


This specific recipe is a "Swap" for Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas and a MUCH healthier option for us "losers" to choose.

Buffalo Chicken Fajitas

Inspired by Hungry Girl's Buffalo Chicken Fajita recipe 

Serves 1

1/4 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
Dash garlic powder
Dash onion powder
One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet, pounded to 1/3-inch thickness
2 Tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
3/4 cup sliced bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 Tbsp. Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 tbsp. precooked real crumbled bacon (like the kind by Oscar Mayer) (optional)
1 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese (optional)

1 1/2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Place cereal in a sealable plastic bag; remove air, and seal. Using a meat mallet (or other heavy utensil), crush cereal to a breadcrumb-like consistency through the bag. Add garlic powder and onion powder. Seal and shake to mix. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Place chicken on another plate and top with egg substitute. Flip chicken to coat both sides. Gently shake chicken to remove excess egg substitute, and transfer to the plate of crumbs. Flip to coat both sides with crumbs.

Place chicken in the baking pan and bake in the oven until crispy and cooked through, about 30 minutes, carefully flipping about halfway through bake time. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add bell pepper and onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened, 6 - 8 minutes. Transfer veggies to a clean plate and set aside. 

Combine hot sauce with 1 tbsp. water in a bowl, and mix well. 

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, slice and then carefully coat both sides of cooked chicken with sauce mixture. Place over the plated veggies. Top with any remaining sauce mixture.

I served mine over a small bed of romaine with some sliced roma tomatoes.  The original HG recipe suggests topping with bacon and blue cheese.  Instead of adding the bacon and blue cheese, I drizzled the meat with light ranch dressing.  Choose the garnish you like most!

PER ENTIRE RECIPE SERVING:  CALORIES 295 FAT 6g; PROTEIN 42g; CARB 23g; 
FIBER 9.5g; SUGAR 5g; SODIUM 1,057mg  

New Recipe: Beet Chips

Have you tried Pinterest?

It's a fantastic site with beautiful pictures and tons of ideas on just anything you want to do!  You create virtual "pinboards" and can see the pins your friends have made.  It has TONS of crafty ideas, which plays to my creative side.  As I "pin" pics, I always think I'm DEFINITELY going to make whatever it is.  Recipes, a new wall hanging, fancy wrapping paper.... you name it!


Example:  If you're planning a wedding, you can get pictures of fun ideas other people have used.  If you are looking for a beef stew recipe, you could search and find a million recipes (with pics).  


I never even thought about this idea, until I saw these beautiful fuschia babies....

I'm a huge fan of beets, while most people for whatever reason aren't.  I think they are one of the tastiest pink veggies that are awesome on salads, and delish on their own (pickled or not!)  I also roast them quite a bit.  When I was a kid, I used to love eating them in my salads + adding Ranch dressing because it would make my salad PINK!  


Regardless, tonight was the night for me to try this new treat.  They are even better than I thought!!!!!! And, while I love Kale Chips, these are perhaps my new fave.

BEET CHIPS

Inspired by Martha Stewart Living.com

1 Large Beet

Pam Cooking Spray

Garlic Salt

1.  Your beet should look like this.  Remove the greens, as we don't need them for this recipe.  Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the beet.  Once you've got it peeled, preheat your oven for 350 degrees.

2.  Next, you need a mandoline slicer.  Put it on a setting that cuts the beets to a paper thin thickness.  The recipe I read recommended 1/16" of an inch.  The first few I cut were not as thin as I would have liked.  The thinner the better.  Play with your mandoline.  And, read the safety instructions on that thing... be safe.  Today was my very first day using mine!

And, expect a little stainage.  Even with washing my hands often, I'm still a little pink on the fingertips!

Look at how thin they slice up!  Paper thin! 

3.  Place the beets on a cookie sheet, sprayed with Pam cooking spray.  I also sprayed the beets on top with the cooking spray before baking.  Also, sprinkle the beets with garlic salt.  

4.  Place the beets in the oven, and set your timer for 10 minutes.  It may take more than 10 minutes to cook them, but you'll want to check on them.  The beets will get lighter in color when they're done (as you see below.)  Some of them cooked a little too long the first time around, but the brown-ness didn't stop me from eating them... the non-burnt ones were very delicious though.  Shoot for that!

5.   Remove the chips from the pan and move them to a wire rack to cool.

6.  Place chips in a bowl and enjoy!!!

I couldn't resist catching one extra pic of the beautiful color of these chips!  Yum!  I wish I would have cooked TWO beets instead of one!  So good!

Pumped Up Kicks

This weekend, I decided to debut my new sneakers.... and what better way to do this than to walk on my favorite trails!  It's a gorgeous fall day.  Not feeling very fall at ALL.... 82 degrees and sunny.  I.  LOVE.  IT.

I also found this shirt in my drawer.  I bought it "waaaaaay back when" at Old Navy.  You know, on those tables where every shirt is $5?  A little salute to my birthplace... it seemed like a good choice for a walking shirt!  PS... a year ago, it would have appeared in that oh-so-attractive "painted on" style.  Thank goodness that's not the case now!

My dad has been suggesting to me forever to take my camera out for my walk.  Today, I did!  Check out how GORGEOUS these trails are.  I also wonder why I don't spend more time on this beautiful walk.

Gorgeous - - These purple flowers are new!  I love them!

Pretty Pretty Bridge

Um, hello, horses????  First time I've ever seen these guys on my trails....

The duck pond is my favorite spot.  Usually the little guys are swimming, but today,
they were just lined up on the wall.

AND... today is a double-header workout day.... I've got Rejuvenation Yoga this afternoon to get me ready for the week.  Woo hoo!

New Recipe: JC Turkey Burger Chili

It's been a BUSY, BUSY morning.... because I'm on the road Mon-Fri most weeks, my weekends usually consist of errand running.  Today was no exception.  Although... today's errands were a little bit worse than normal, as I needed literally one item from multiple locations.


Here's one example of my stops:  Bed Bath and Beyond for this sexy new mandoline slicer.... wait until you see the recipe that I have in mind for this!

Ooooooo la la

I also made my stop in at Sunflower Market worthy of two items, buying myself this cute bunch of flowers.  Since I'm home for the NEXT TWO WEEKS, flowers are a sensible purchase!  I don't get to enjoy them often, but I absolutely love fresh flowers at the house.   They're a little sparse, so they may need a little more flowers added.

I also made a quick stop at Penzey's for some vanilla and saw a GREAT picture of some yummy looking chili.  That pic inspired me to mix it up a little for lunch.

JC Turkey Burger Chili

Makes 1 serving

I had one lonely JC Turkey Burger in my freezer that has been begging to get eaten.  And, how nice to get to make it a superstar in this new recipe.

1 Jenny Craig Turkey Burger Sandwich

chopped onion

chopped garlic

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion

1 1/2 - 2 tsp. Penzey's Chili 3000 Seasoning

1.  A garlic and onion lover, I sauteed about 1/3 of a large sweet onion and 3 gloves of roasted garlic, sliced.

  

I talk about my roasted garlic all the time.  Here's the tub of it that I purchase at Sunflower Market.  How delish is that?

2.  I cooked the turkey burger in the microwave on the small tray for 50 seconds.  Next I cut thin slices of the burger and then diced it up as you see above.

3.  Add 1.5 - 2 tsp. of Chili Seasoning to the pan, along with a can of tomatoes, and the turkey crumbles.  Note:  The Chili 3000 is not just chili powder, it's a blend of spices.  I recommend something like this to add more flavor.

4.  Simmer the "chili" in the pan for about 5-10 minutes until warmed through and the spices have flavored the dish. 

5.  I needed to make use of this potato bun, so of course, I made it into garlic bread.  Spray the bread with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray and top with garlic powder + a little garlic salt.  Toast lightly in a toaster.

Look how delish this chili came out.  You could probably add some beans too, but I'm not a bean person, so I didn't.  Also, not adding beans meant I only added FREE foods.

PERFECT for a cool fall day... but you won't find that here.  It's a gorgeous 80 degrees here in Denver today.  Just the same, the chili hit the spot!

ENJOY!