Did you know.....

Did you my dog eats poop? Yep! He's not even partial to his own, he even eats Lucy's poop!!

Ugh he's such a boy dog! He likes all things stinky and gross. Thank goodness he is unusually adorable, smart and hilarious!

Anyway this is not a becoming habit and something had to be done.

I did some research and wanted to try something natural if possible.

My reading and research brought me to puréed pumpkin as a solution. I spoke to my vet and she said it was totally safe and has worked.

So for the past 10 days I have been putting a heaping tablespoon of puréed pumpkin in their food each day and guess what....

It worked!!! 

My darling Charlie B. has passing up the poop!!

So if your 4 legged friend is munching on their own poo this might help!!

See he's totally embarrassed!!

Watermelon Lime Sorbet

OK first my June Fish Taco challenge didn't go over so well so I'm just going to pretend it was awesome. So awesome I cannot reveal the top secret recipe. Yeah that's it! Top secret ahaha!

July's challenge to myself will be better. Yup it will.

And nowww for sorbet!

So what do you do when your super cool Mommie Dearest gives you HALF a watermelon that's the size of the moon. This thing was seriously huge. Even after I ate a chunk of it there was still 100 pounds left. Ahaha! I kept asking this question what am I going to do with this melon.

I had a taste for sorbet so sorbet it became.

I don't know where I saw this recipe or if it's exact but this is what I used and how I made it....

Ingredients:
5-7 cups of watermelon
1/2 of lime juice
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of sugar or less. I wanted to use Agave but I was out.

Directions:
Boil the water add the sugar to make a simple syrup add the lime juice. Let this cool while you cut up your watermelon.
Put the watermelon in a blender or food processor whichever you have is fine.
I pulsed it a few times to give it a rough chop. Now pour in your simple syrup with lime juice and puree the melon until it's the consistency you like.

Once this is done pour your mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the normal freezing instructions. I have a Cuisinart model and all I have to do is pour all my ingredients in and turn it on.

So about 25 mins later I had the most perfect watermelon lime sorbet ever. The consistency is fantastic. It still has a little chunky quality from the watermelon. SO GOOD!

I imagine if I added some tequila this would be the perfect summer margarita.

Oh I did add a little more lime juice as it was churning because I wanted more citrus.

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!

Best beef and broc I've ever had!!

Oh Pinterest you did it again! You showed me right to the best beef and broc recipe ever!

What's funny is I didn't have any broc so I just used a boat load of peppers and onions. This my friends was brilliant! More like a pepper steak with this twist.

I followed the recipe exactly in terms of the marinade. I didn't have any sherry on hand for the sauce so I left that out. Made no diff it was so amazing without! Oh and if course I used different veg because if our lack of broc!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!!

Here is the recipe link. 

http://rainydaygal.com/2011/02/03/beef-with-broccoli/

Don't forget your fuzzy leopard print slippers, chopsticks and some Anthony Bourdain on the DVR while you eat this bowl of awesome!!!

May was a mushroom challenge

So I am a tad late on this update.

For May my gal pal from the mean streets of Pacific Heights, MO sent me this recipe. Jan and I exchange food stories and ideas all the time. She's pretty much the MO version of me but about 6 inches shorter. Trust me though this does not make her any less awesome!!

She chose the May challenge of a portabella recipe. So I did a little of my own modification and it came out so good!

Let's get right to it!

What you'll need....
2 medium sweet onions
4 portabella caps
2-4 cups of fresh spinach
1 10oz jar of roasted red peppers
2 cups of shredded cheese (your choice, I used havarti)
3 cups of shredded chicken (I roasted a chicken the night before but you can just grab a rotisserie chicken from your local grocer)
1/4 olive oil (I add this to the pan gradually as I sauté the vegg as needed)

How to....
Heat some of the olive oil in a large skillet
Slice and toss in your onions and sauté until translucent
Gradually add your spinach to wilt
I chopped up the roasted red peppers to more bite size pieces before I added to the pan.
Let simmer and hang out for a few until everything has had a chance to shake hands and say their hellos
While this is happening clean and scrape out your port caps and give them a little rub down with some olive oil to keep them from getting burnt.
Put on a foil lined baking sheet.

Now all your veg have said hello add the chicken give it a little stir.

I didn't do this with any grace I just piled the vegg and chicken mix on the caps as evenly as possible. Pile it on sky high!

Put this awesome creation in the oven at 350 for about 15-20 mins. Before you take it out add your cheese if you want cheese.

And voila! Yummy shroomy veggie awesomeness! If you are a vegetarian omit the chicken and this is just as freaking great!!

I love this it's a fav in my house!

Challenge yourself!

I decided each month I am going to challenge myself and make, bake, cook and or do something I have never done before.

I should have started this in January to be all official 2013 but whatever. April will do.

This month my cooking challenge was QUICHE. Crust less quiche to be exact because nobody needs more carbs in their life. Well maybe someone does but not in my house we don't. Yummy delicious warm golden crusty carbs! OK I'm done! My wonder twin in St. Louis also joined my challenge and made the quiche and what's weird is she sent me a pic of her quiche and I thought why is Jan sending me my quiche pic back. WONDER QUICHE POWERS! Ahaha!

My do something challenge is to run as much of a 5k as possible on the street and beat my walking time. I will be doing that this Saturday 4/27/13 on Belle Isle for this 5k. http://detroitsynergy.org/register-7th-annual-belle-isle-5k-runwalk/
I have my music all ready to go to keep me going. I'll be the one working her inner Beyonce while she's running. WORK IT!! You have to make it fun so why not do a little booty shaking. Still time to sign up and join in on the fun!

The site I found the quiche recipe is fantastic! Here is the link:
http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/11/spinach-mushroom-feta-crustless-quiche.html

For the same meal I made a 7 layer salad with the normal salad fixings, but instead of the gross mayo topping I just gave different light options. It was delish! Look at the pic of my table, those peas were so fresh and green!

Then it was topped off with Chocolate Lasagna! Yes I said it! Chocolate Lasagna! Make it, eat it, love it, threaten to slap anyone's hand who touches it without your permission! Ahaha! I omitted the chips from the top. I mean c'mon I've already packed enough cals into this dish. Let's be realistic ahaha!
http://centercutcook.com/chocolate-lasagna/

My Mommie Dearest and her new hubby Steve enjoyed this feast with me!!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!!

xoxox
Barbie

Crockin' some lasagna!

SO lately I have been using the Blogger app to update my blog. The options are limited but it works for doing entries on the fly. I cannot chose picture placement or anything fancy, or maybe I can and just haven't figured it out. Anyway that's why my recent entries have been a bit wonky.

Moving on!

I love my crock pot(s). I have 2. What a great invention!! I decided why not try lasagna in the crock. It's the same concept as the oven pretty much.

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!

Crock Pot Turkey Lasagna

Ingredients (amounts will vary on the size of your crock)

2 pounds ground turkey or beef
1 can of diced tomatoes
3-4 cups of tomato sauce
2 small white onions
2 cups of chopped mushrooms
1 box of lasagna noodles
3-4 cups of ricotta or cottage cheese
3 cups of shredded mozzarella
Minced garlic (as much as you like)
Random seasoning (I'm a spice a season kind of gal so I m always tossing in random stuff into my food)

*note* if you don't have just plain old tomato sauce use your fav spaghetti sauce that will work just fine.

Directions
Rough chop the onions and mushrooms. Sautee in a large pan. (large because you'll be added the meat and sauce to it)
Add the turkey or meat of choice in the pan with the onions and mushrooms and brown. (if you used beef be sure to drain off the excess grease)
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, and seasoning to the meat mixture, give it a good stir.

I sprayed the inside of my crock with a little olive oil to help prevent sticking.

The next part I just eyeballed there was no real measuring going on. Sorry.

Scoop enough of your sauce to cover the bottom of the crock. Not thick but just enough.
Add a couple scoops of ricotta on top of that. Don't worry if it doesn't spread, it will as it cooks.
Sprinkle a little mozzarella on the ricotta
Grab a couple lasagna noodles. I had to break mine in different sizes to get coverage. See pictures below. Cover your sauce cheese layers with the noodles and give it a little press.
Repeat the above steps until your crock is about full or you have used all your ingredients.

I cooked mine on high for 2 hours and then put it on warm and let it cook for another 4. This part will depend on your crock and the time you have.

Once it was done I sprinkled a little more mozzarella on top and let it get melty. OH YEAH!!

SUPER DUPER EASY and it was so good. Even better the next day as it usually goes with pasta and sauce.

I did not follow a recipe for this I pretty much winged it. So add or subtract what you like. Have fun that's what cooking is about. Oh and happy bellies!!

Potato...Potatoe

I really really cannot stand food that is 100% prepared in the microwave. It's never hot or heated through properly. It's just gross. Take the time and use the oven.

BUTTTTTT.......

In my countless hours pinning things on Pinterest I came upon this recipe several times for homemade potato chips cooked in the microwave. The reviews for the recipe were all great.

I have potatoes, I have a mandolin, I have a microwave! Let's give it a whirl.

First of all if you don't have a mandolin or something to get your taters sliced thin don't try this recipe. You need those slices thin people!

Let's get right down to business!
Here is a link right to the recipe
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-crispy-potato-chips-in-the-microwave-166718

The chips I made were super crispy and toasty tasting. My husband and I could not stop eating them.
If I had kids around this would be something fun for them to do. Make their own personal little bowl of chips! HECK YES!!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!

How To Make Microwave Potato Chips

What You Need
Ingredients
1 or more potatoes or other root vegetable, scrubbed clean
Salt and other seasonings, optional
Olive oil, optional

Equipment
Mandoline
Bowl of cold water
Microwave-safe plate
Paper towels

Instructions
1. Thinly Slice the Potato - Cut the potato in half. Slice one half on a mandoline, aiming for slices 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Immediately put the slices in cold water. Repeat with the other half of the potato and any other potatoes you are preparing.

2. Soak and Rinse the Slices - Rinse the slices in cold water until the water stays clear. If you have time, let them soak for a few extra minutes before rinsing.

3. Dry the Slices - Dry the slices between two clean dish cloths or spin them in a salad spinner.

4. Season the Slices - Arrange as many slices as will fit in a single layer on a dinner plate lines with a few paper towels. Make sure the slices do not touch or else they stick together. If desired, sprinkle with salt or other spices. For richer-tasting chips, brush the slices with olive oil first.

5. Microwave the Slices - Microwave the slices at 100% power for 3 minutes. Flip them over and microwave at 50% power for another 3 minutes. Remove any chips that are starting to crisp and brown. Continue cooking the remaining chips at 50% power in 1 minute intervals until they are all crispy and golden.

6. Repeat with Remaining Batches - Transfer cooked chips to a bowl and repeat microwaving with the remaining slices of potato.

Just loafing around

You know I've always been sort of scared of baking bread. Not the easy stuff like banana bread or pumpkin bread. The hard stuff with yeast that has to bubble then the dough needs to rise several times and then its rolled out.

That bread has always taunted me. I have no idea why.

I finally just did it. I have had this easy to make French bread recipe for awhile now. It kept coming up in my to make shuffle and I would just add it back to the bottom of the pile.

Sadly I do not know where I found the recipe. You guys know I always give proper credit. So if I got this from your blog I will edit this entry to reflect that if I ever find you! Ahaha!

Anyway I put on my big girl apron and got my mixer ready and took a deep breath! Guess what happened??? AMAZINGLY EASY BREAD HAPPENED!!! EASY AND HOLY SMOKES DELISCIOUS!!!

So here is it the mystery recipe I had saved in a word doc on my computer for about 2 years.

Go make yourself some bread people!!! Don't be scared!! It's not as bad as I psyched myself into thinking!!

We may or may not have eaten a entire loaf on our own while it was still warm. I mean it was warm and soft what's a girl supposed to do! Ahahaha!

Enjoy and Keep on Making Stuff!!

French Bread recipe (this amount makes 3 small loaves or 2 large):
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbls. yeast
3 Tbls. sugar
2 Tbls. white vinegar
Add the above ingredients together and let sit until bubbly (about 3-5 minutes). Then add:
1 Tbls. salt
1/3 c. oil (I use Canola)
6-7 c. flour (or a little more if it's too soft), one cup at a time--add enough until the dough is soft, but firm enough to mold into dough loaves

Knead for 2-5 minutes and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. The water will keep the dough moist. Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this every time it gets to the top of the bowl, as long as you have time to babysit it (2-5 times). Put the dough on a greased countertop and divide into 3 sections. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Roll the dough balls into rectangle/long French bread shapes. Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg. Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled)on the counter, or you can put them in your oven at 170 and wait until they are the size you want to cook them at. Once they are to the right size, turn up your stove to 375 (without opening the door!) and let them bake until done. Or, just raise on the counter and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy! Dough--can be a little soft, if too sticky, add a little more flour. Put the boiling water in the oven with your bowl of dough to help it rise faster. Cut the dough into two equal parts (or three if you are making smaller loaves). --pictures are of a doubled batch. Slice the dough diagonally and white wash with 1 beaten egg. Bake and serve warm out of the oven!

I've got a little itty bitty secret

Let’s go back to early 2008 shall we….

 

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired!

I was extremely overweight with a list of health problems, ashort list but still a list. I mean who wants a list of health issues. You wantlists for things like what I will spend my lotto winnings on, or a list ofplaces you will visit while traveling the world. Not a list of things like, myknees always hurt, my back hurts, I have sleep apnea, I’m always tired, and I’malways getting sick. Blah blah!

Oh I was also on meds for a very under active Thyroid.

I never let being overweight be who I was. If you know mepersonally you know this!

Inside I felt like I was dying most of the time. I had awfuleating habits. By awful I mean double whopper with cheese king size meal everyday, sometimes more than once. I fully admit to having a problem.

So let me skip to the heavy part of this entry….

My doc basically said keep this up and you will die young,probably of a heart attack from one or several things.  What person at 32 wants to hear they aregoing to die when they really truly do love life? No really I did feel like Iwas dying inside because of my habits and weight, but on the other hand I lovedlife. I loved being social and dancing until my legs felt like noodles at thebar with my friends. I loved laughing and being silly, shopping and doinggirlie things.

I would lie in bed and dream about being healthy and notfeel trapped in this giant shell that I lived in.

I argued with myself about this for a very long time and Ieven said out loud to friends that I would never consider this because I wastough and didn’t need anyone or anything to help me.

But I needed help. I need someone or something or both tohelp me. I tried lots of things and honestly Weight Watchers was a step in theright direction. I lost nearly 100 pounds following their program and I ameternally grateful for the lessons I learned and the good habits I picked up.

BUT I needed more. I needed a tool that would really put mein my place. Something that would stick with me for a lifetime and help merealize my dreams!

So I did it. After a year of research and seminars andmeeting many doctors I made my choice.

On May 20, 2008 I got the call at work that I had beenapproved by my insurance company to receive a Lap Band and I could call thesurgeons office to schedule my surgery anytime and it would be fully covered.HOLY CRAP!! I sat in the conference room in my office and cried for about 20mins.  I don’t know who I told first someof that is a blur.

Skipping to the good stuff…

I called Dr. Hawasli’s office and scheduled my surgery. June11, 2008. That would be my new birthday so to speak. A new me would leave thathospital!

Dr. Hawasli saved my life. At the seminar he stood there andtold me/us it wasn’t going to be easy. We had a journey ahead of us and itwould require work on our part. He made me feel safe choosing him. He looked mein the eye at the end of the seminar when I shook his hand and said it was apleasure to meet me and I knew he was my guy. Little did I know he wouldsilently become my hero over the next 4.5 years.

 

Look having weight loss surgery was the best personal choiceI have ever made. I would never change it and I DO NOT regret one singlemoment.

Let me get this out of the way ….

I eat right
I exercise
I take vitamins
I have to follow rules
having surgery was not and is not an easy way out.

You can fail. You can gain weight and eat poorly and notexercise.

The only thing I have is something that keeps me on track.There are many types of weight loss surgery. I am happy to explain thedifference between what I have and the others. A tiny bit of education the labband does not cut the stomach. I did not have anything like that done. What Ihave is a device that can be adjusted through a port under my skin to increasethe size or decrease the size of my stomach. It’s pretty freaking cool.  I’m kind of bionic!! NEAT!!!

For those of you who know me personally know I haveliterally worked my butt off and have never ever taken the easy road. This crapisn’t easy!!! WHAT THE HECK!!

I know many of you reading this will judge me and I knowmany of you will support me or commend me for sharing this.

Ultimately what I’m doing this for is to help. To be asupport for those of you who need it. To be a friend on hard days. To educateyou on my choice and maybe see if it’s the right choice for you. Either way Iam going to support your journey, surgery or not!!

At this point it’s been somewhat of a secret I had surgeryto those who do not know me. HA! Actually nobody in my family knew except mymom. So HI FAMILY I HAD WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY ALMOST 5 YEARS AGO.  

So you can judge me, hate me, love me, congratulate me. I’lltake it. Sock it to me.

Here’s what I know….

My knees don’t hurt. My back doesn’t hurt. I haven’t beensick in 5 years. I don’t take thyroid meds anymore. I don’t have sleep apnea.

I’m not 400+ pounds. I’m healthy. I work at it every day. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes.

I’M NOT DEAD!!!!

So at the end of the day I’m happy,  and healthy as can be and very much alive!!!