Pop Up Pancakes
So I’m posting pop-up pancakes. I don’t care if they’re healthy, theyre just easy, and great with fruit, syrup, confectioners sugar, yogurt, cream cheese blah blah blah. The best part is, if I make a whole bunch Dan can take them in his lunch for days. He likes them because they’re really easy for him to eat at work or on a job-site, and they’re good cold.
Pop-Up Pancakes
-Preheat oven to 400F
-Grease muffin pans well
-Pour in your own pancake mix (or try this one) until each cup is about 3/4 full
-Put in the oven for about 15minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked in the center.
Mine could have been cooked longer, and I could have added more to each cup, but oh well! They’re great if you pop them open put in syrup and let them cool. They syrup crystallizes. (So says Dan, I havn’t actually tried).
Lemon Feta Chicken and Roast Garlic Potatoes!
So I’m posting recipes to keep myself motivated to eat healthy! So here is another recipe I found on Gina’s Weight Watchers Blog. The potato recipe I just kind of made up/jumbled some internet recipes into something that I liked.
Lemon Feta Chicken with Oregano
8 Skinless Chicken Thighs
Juice of one lemon (or 3tbsp. of Lemon Juice)
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
3 tsp. Oregano
1/3cup. Crumbled Feta Cheese (I shredded my cheese because it was too moist to crumble)
Preheat oven to 375F. Trim fat off of chicken. Season Chicken with Salt, Pepper, Oregano and Lemon Juice. Place in roasting pan and bake 35-40 Min. (Also place in garlic if you make roasted garlic mashed potatoes). When done sprinkle with Feta Cheese and broil on low for 2-3 Minutes, until cheese is golden brown.
Servings: 4
Serving size: 2 thighs
6.5 Weight Watchers Points
Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mix the following ingredients!
1-2 Roast Garlic mashed (peel, cut off top, drizzle with oil & sea salt and place in 375-400F oven for about 45minutes)
3 Russet Potatoes cooked and mashed
1/2cup. Sour Cream
Parsley, rosemary or chives to your liking.
Zesty Chicken!
So I tried a new recipe last night and it was delicious! I did substitute some ingredients though.
Zesty Chicken and Rice Skillet
1/2 cup Fat Free Italian Dressing *(I used 1/2 package of Clubhouse italian dressing mix)
1tbsp. Dijon Mustard *(You can use regular mustard)
1 lb. Boneless, Skinless chicken cubed
1 Chicken Bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 3/4cups boiling water. *(I used 1 3/4cup chicken broth instead)
2cups Red or Green peppers chopped
2cups Brown quick-cook rice, uncooked *(I used white rice, but brown is much meatier)
Mix 1/4Cup of dressing and mustard in a large skillet on Med-High heat. Add Chicken; cook until chicken is thuroughly cooked stirring occasionally.
Stir in remaining dressing, bouillon and peppers; cover. Simmer about 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in uncooked rice; cover. Simmer about 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; let stand until liquid is absorbed.
Servings: 4
217.5 Calories/serving
With the italian dressing mix you add your own vinegar, and with the vinegar, mustard and peppers it comes out a bit acidic, so it might be best to use like.. kraft italian dressing. However this was an amazing meal! Tonight I’m making another chicken dish. I have to remember to take pictures!
Hampster Aisle
Wow, it’s crazy to think that 2 years ago today was the day we got engaged. I can’t believe it’s been that long! That had to be one of the best days of my life for sure. The previous weekend we had decided to go on a date on St.Patricks day. A big date, doing whatever we wanted. Usually when that happens something happens, like.. the restaurant is crowded and loud with kids screaming, or our food is horrible. But it was great. The food was great, the service was great, everything was amazing! (Although I think they knew what was in store for me later!). I didn’t even get sneezy at Petland when we went there. It was just a fantastic day. I don’t even think I wore green.
Chicken!
We bought chicken today. I am absolutely over the moon. I might have gone a bit overboard with the chicken-buying. We bought A LOT, but hey, it’s been WEEKS since I’ve had chicken. Or real meat for that matter I think. Anyways.. CHICKEN!
RD crazy!
Every month we get our Readers Digest. Every month I read pretty much the whole thing from cover to cover (bad me, I almost always skip the political sections..). I always pause at the recipe’s and wish. Today I read a recipe that made my mouth water. I want to make it asap, but damn if it wasn’t ingredients I uh.. never ever have. Portobello Mushrooms, frozen spinach, whole garlic.. onions, swiss cheese, fresh thyme, fresh dill, olive oil. I never have these or any of the ingredients on any of these recipes, it’s also hard to go out and buy all of these just for one meal, it’s expensive!
Well I’ve decided I’m going to try. Maybe start with one fantastic meal a week. (Probably substituting everything on the list for their cheaper counterparts!) Then see how much we can afford from there! I’m inspired! I clipped a million recipes this morning. I think I’ve gone a little nutty too. Did you know that each time they have recipes they all have a common theme? This month was eggs last month was legumes. They also have a ton of information about eggs, so there’s me filling page after page out of nutritional information etc about eggs, legumes (pulses actually), calcium, protein etc! I feel like I’m in school taking notes, and I kind of like it! It also makes me crave food like crazy.. mmm.. hollandaise sauce.. mmmm…
Dry Brain
I’m not exactly sure what qualifies as a Migraine. I have to admit that. But I’m guessing intense pain with sensitivity to sounds and light and umm.. wanting to stab yourself in the head is a good guess.
We were watching a movie last night and I started getting a headache, by the time we went to bed it was pretty bad. However (I have no idea why this worked), I layed on my side and Dan rested his hand on the side of my head above my temple and the pressure of that either made it so I couldn’t feel the pain, or it took away the pain. Quite nice relief! However, I woke up this morning and BAM! Major..something going on in there. To me if feels like the inside of my skull is dry. Like I have no moisture left in there. Like a bad hangover headache.
I have never had a migraine before January. Not A Single One. Now I’ve had like 4 this year already.. or three. Something like that. It feels like a lot. Not to mention this week has been plauged with headaches, backaches, neck aches. I think I’m calling the hospital tonight and looking for a doctor who’s taking patients. I need my brains examined I think!
BTW, anyone who’s ever had migraines… I get it now. I totally get it.
Old Woman
I’ve kind of had a crappy few days.. or maybe weird few days. I dunno. I’m not exactly sure what I did, but the muscles in my lower back, around my hips ache sooo much. Sometimes when I’m walking or moving they like to spasm too and send me lurching forward or upward.. or really in any direction but the one I was going in. To compensate for not using my back so much, I’ve been using more of my arms and feet, ankles.. really, it feels like I’m using every other muscle in my body more so now they ache like crazy. Thus I feel like an old woman this morning, with aching hips so I cant sit, so I must sit propped up in bed to feel much relief. Major headaches too I’ve been getting, probably from my neck being so tense and achy. I can’t wait until friday payday. I am bying Advil. Lots of Advil.
Hmm…
So right after I wrote that blog post I got a call. I’m going for an interview tomorrow afternoon! If all goes well, then I’ll be putting in my two weeks notice tomorrow night. If not, then oh well, there are other things out there for me! 
edit—-
As a side note that I MUST mention.. do NOT, I repeat do NOT wash heavy knit sweaters in the sink. It may save me laundry money, but it’s taking forever to dry! I mean.. almost 24 hours! sheesh!
Grateful, utterly grateful
I’m grateful this week for the ability to buy food. I really am. I found it extremely hard to go to work, and to help people buy hundreds of dollars of clothes for their winter get-aways to warmer places. I want to point at them and then point at the poor people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Seriously, I had one customer spend $800+ on underwear one day, and the next day another lady bought THREE bathing suits ($100 each!!). Why would you need three is beyond me.
Every day this week I have thanked the Lord for the roof above me and the food in the cupboard, because I never know when they might not be there anymore.
Now if only I could find a better job… heh heh heh.
