America’s Pastime

It’s about time we got to go to a baseball game. And on dollar beer night. Even better.

But, since we’re being honest, I’m not a huge beer drinker. I drink bourbon and wine. So I drank a lot of diet cokes. I picked a grilled chicken sandwich! Oh man, but I wanted these perfect nachos I saw this skinny girl eating. Story of my life.

Mike had two hot dogs and we shared fries. I also got a snack size of crack.
A.k.a. roasted almonds.

Oh, ballpark food. My mistress.
I’ll be back soon, love.

This is jake the diamond dog. He carries a basket of water bottles to the umps in between innings. And he also runs out and grabs the bats and brings them back to the dugout. He’s perfect.

This is Jake after the game. What a baby doll.

My momma, Joe and Mike.

I’m so proud of myself for not eating nachos, hot dogs and funnel cakes.

See you tomorrow!

Xo

Hump Day and Bourbon Baked Chicken

Very busy but awesome day!

I have an amazing recipe for you at the end of the post. Boyfriend and myself approved. And I’m my harshest critic. It’s PERFECT and light. So excited to share!

Today was art day at work. A gallery in town brings tons of local artist’s work and we pick what we like for the office. It’s a really cool program to get local artists known and also makes our office look lovely!

So, basically from 9-11am, I felt like I was at an art show. Pretty rad.

I highly recommend the TJ’s wonton soup. Very delicious and only 220 calories! Yum!

I also had ANOTHER piece of perfect German chocolate cake from a perfect local bakery.

Don’t worry. I worked off my piece of cake at Zumba. With my best girls.

Now. The best bourbon chicken in the world!

Bold statement, I know. But let me tell you. It’s as good as at home bourbon chicken can get.

There’s actual bourbon in it y’all. I’m a Kentucky girl. Nothing bothers me more than recipes claiming to be bourbon when there isn’t any in it. Bourbon tastes delicious! USE IT IN YOUR FOOD.

You will need:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenderloins (thawed, fresh)
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup bourbon (Jim Beam is my bourbon of choice for cooking!)
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of garlic powder

Whisk EVERYTHING but the chicken together in a bowl. (A bowl that has a lid is even better!) Whisk it good!

Put all of the tenderloins into the marinade. Soak em up good! Now, I marinated mine overnight and all day at work. And I’m sure that had a lot to do with how juicy mine came out. Put a lid on the bowl of chicken and marinade and let those babies sit all night. Trust me.

When it’s time for dinner, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour chicken and marinade into a deep baking dish so juices can continue to soak chicken. I used a deep glass baking dish!

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn chicken tenders over and bake another 15 minutes. I then turned my broiler on high for about 2 minutes to make them beautiful.

I’d say it worked. This is by far the most gorgeous chicken I’ve ever made at home.

I recommend eating with some rice. Rice soaks up all of the perfect flavors involved but I wanted to watch my carbs tonight so I whipped up some frozen stir fry veggies. The beauty of this dish is you have so much extra sauce, you can douse the chicken AND the veggies in it!

This is Asian persuasion at it’s finest. The smell in my house made my mouth water. And this dish delivers! I hope you all enjoy this as much as we did!

Lay Off Me

I would say it’s been a rough week. But really, all things considered, I held up on my promise to myself.

Oh, but there were times…

And reactions to burgers on T.V…

And that time I ate maybe 50 tortilla chips with our fish tacos and I got so mad at myself that I literally THREW the bag to the other side of the table with great force…

And that time that I ate the giant yeast roll with butter and let it melt in my mouth for way too long…

But, if the worst thing I did this week was eat a buttery yeast roll and too many tortilla chips one night, I think I’m pretty solid.

Honestly, the only thing I’m “mentally” struggling with right now, is I DON’T WANT A SALAD FOR LUNCH TOMORROW. But you know me, always figuring it out. Which I will.

Oh, and I’ve dreamed up 4 new recipes to try/master next week to share with you guys! Sorry for another weird week! Dad is okay! No worries!

 

WEIGH IN TOMORROW. See ya there!

 

xo

 

*It should be pretty obvious that the above photos are not mine. They are from google search of things like “hungry” “fat” and “funny”. I do not own 3 cats and a Chris Farley. So I’m sure you knew that but I wanted to be safe!

 

Beauty tips and signature lipsticks.

Growing up, my mom always wore the same lipstick. I mean, I’m sure after the 90’s to 2004, at some point in there it changed with the times. (Let’s be honest, the 90’s didn’t end until at least 2003.) I have memories of stealing her red lipstick and trying to use it. Way outside the lines. I couldn’t wait to be like mommy. To be a classy lady who caries around her bullet lipstick. Like a weapon. It was her color. Everyone associated her with her color.

I’ve never grown up. I still use Chapstick and colored lip balms. My best friend and I discussed this. And how we think it’s time to find our signature lip stick. Thus, the hunt began about a month ago.

$30 later, I feel like I’ve finally found it. For now. Until 2020 maybe, when the times change. I’m in love. It makes my lips feel so soft. Look so soft.

Revlon Super-lustrous Lipstick in Primrose. $4.50. It’s basically a perfect dupe for MAC’s Angel. If not better.

It makes me feel ready to take on the night. And that’s all I wanted. Does anyone want the 10 other lipsticks I’ve bought in this process that didn’t turn out? Haha

I want to touch on skin. I have terrible skin. Everywhere but my face. Now that I’ve reached 25, I have realized that I am very lucky to have balanced facial skin. But it takes a lot of work to keep it that way. ESPECIALLY in the winter. I want to share with you products that I literally couldn’t live without.

Olay Regenerist cream cleanser is perfect. It’s creamy but also has exfoliating beads so I truly feel clean after I use it. I only wash my face every other day. If I’m desperate, for instance I have makeup all over my face, I use aloe sensitive skin baby wipes. It doesn’t dry my face out and gets the job done. For an every day,
Pre-makeup moisturizer, I use Olay Complete for sensitive skin. I cake it out pretty good, all over my face and down my neck to my chest. But my most favorite product of all. Is the St. Ives Timeless Skin moisturizer. I put it on every night before bed. It’s very potent and VERY moisturizing, a little goes a long way. I knew I wanted a little bit of anti aging when I noticed my forehead started to get a little wrinkly when I made different faces. And I swear, they’re practically gone. The answer to youthful skin is moisturized skin.

Remember, I have dry skin. So if you have very oily, acne prone skin, I wouldn’t moisturize as much as I do. And I know you hate it now, but when we start aging and your face looks 20 and mine looks 40, you’ll be okay with those pimples you got when you were 25!

Be back soon with this weeks menu!

Xo

Wild Eggs and a Weigh In

HAPPY FRIDAY!! woop woop!

I truly was nervous about today’s weigh in. It’s mother nature time of the month for me. And that usually does disastrous things to your body’s physical weight. And mind. And diet.

But wow. I am so proud of myself. I’m tooting my own horn.

I LOST 3 POUNDS THIS WEEK!!

So, onward, I’d just love to be able to, at the very least, lose every time. Even if it is just a pound, I’ll take it!

I treated myself with a healthy version of my Wild Eggs favorite. Kalamity Katie’s Border Benedict.

It usually comes with queso. I said no to queso. It was hard as hell to do that. I also got just egg whites. It also usually comes with potatoes. Which I switched out for fruit. Like I said, I’m in the zone!

we’ll touch base this weekend!

Have a good one!

 

xo

Baked Tilapia with POW POW Sauce

POW POW Sauce is my special Asian sauce that is my at home version of BANG BANG sauce from Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp. If you haven’t had Bang Bang Shrimp, stop what you are doing, get in your car, and go wait at Bonefish Grill’s door until they open. You think I’m kidding…

This is a really quick and easy recipe that tastes difficult. My favorite kind.

And because it’s baked, you can have the yummy breaded fish taste without breaking the bank.

 

 

You know me and my rough guesstimates of measurements. Another dish that’s hard to mess up though, I promise!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a big bowl, combine one cup of Panko Breadcrumbs with a half of a cup of whole wheat flour, or the flour of your choice. Sprinkle in a little garlic powder and red pepper.

In a small bowl, fill with milk of your choice. We used whole because it’s thicker and is better for coating. You can use heavy cream, but go easy on it! 😉

Dip one tilapia filet at a time into the milk, let it drip a bit, then dunk into the breading mixture. Get it nice and covered. Then place on a greased baking sheet.

It should look like this before going into the oven!

Bake for 10 minutes. Then flip the fish filets over and bake for another 10 minutes. Baking times can vary depending on your oven. This worked perfectly for us.

While it is baking, combine Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce with Sriracha Mayo. About 2 tablespoons of each. (You can buy pre-made sriracha mayo or make your own just combining equal parts of both items) Add in one packet of Truvia or Splenda and one teaspoon of garlic powder. Whisk together.

When fish is cooked, plate it immediately and top with the POW POW Sauce.

 

Enjoy the sweet,salty, spicy crunchy fish. I ate mine so slow because I didn’t want it to be over. That’s how much I love this dish.

 

Oh, and guys, I’m doing Zumba tonight with my best friend. SO EXCITED. It’s my first time going to this specific place, so I’ll report back. Dancing is the one thing that will never ever feel like a workout to me. When we go out to bars, I usually lose a pound the next day even with the 6 whiskey diets and after bar Taco Bell. That’s how hard I dance.

It’s almost the weekend. You have no idea how happy this makes me.

 

xo

 

Let me explain.

I think you deserve all of me. I truly do. I understand blogging your weight loss journey is supposed to be about honesty and candidness.

 

I’m doing the best I can, for now.

 

I truly only started this blog as a way for my close friends and family to show their support via browsing. Do you know that feeling that you have when you’re insanely passionate about something? Something you know works and you just need this person to understand how much they would love it if they just tried? (My mind goes to explaining the AppleTV and/or iPhone to my mom for the first time.) I feel that excitement when I write here. I feel like the fact that I ate fatty quiche and Mexican food and still lost weight is the biggest. deal. ever. And I just HAVE to share that with you. For the last 10 years of my life, it was all or nothing. 2 bacon egg and cheese biscuits for breakfast or water. A quesadilla and full order of chips and queso all to myself for lunch or a juice. The chicken tender and fried shrimp combo with fries but wait, don’t forget my side salad with ranch and a croissant for dinner or carrot sticks. I either wanted to starve myself, or die of fatness. I couldn’t fathom a life where I could eat normal. And be healthy.

 

I have a long way to go in my weight loss. But, the fact that I can say I’ve found that sweet spot. The normal spot. The one that isn’t starving or “throw up” full on food, that is just very comfortable…it’s kind of my miracle. And I guess what I’m saying is, regardless of how terribly cliché it is to say this, if I found mine, I KNOW you can find yours. I’ve read blogs. “Trust me, if I can lose XXX amount of weight, so can you.” I used to think, bitch, you don’t know me! CLEARLY she can’t put away Taco Bell like me. But it’s all about finding your own groove. At your own time. Setting your own pace.

 

As time goes, I will be more forthcoming about my weight loss goals, weigh ins, progress photos, etc. I’m learning how to open up. I’m not all the way there yet. For me, while I’m extremely happy with the progress and how I feel, I can’t help but feel that this process is really “ugly.” Call it vanity, call it what you will, this is just me being honest. I used to watch The Biggest Loser with my mom.  I used to watch them sweat and struggle and weigh in with their spandex shorts, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. That all of their personal struggles were being aired on T.V. I understand they chose that. And I admire those people more than I can explain. That is just not me. I’ve opened myself up before and regretted it greatly. When I get to a place where I am ready to share, trust me. This will be where I do it. And I hope you’re there for it!

Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Burgers

I have big news.

I had a baby.

Oh, Carl.

Last nights ribeye was worth the $21 we paid. Mike was so mad that I took pictures of my chicken and my cookie and not a picture of that amazing meal so I promised him I’d post it.

Tonight we made my Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Turkey Burgers!

We would normally use ground turkey, but we went to the park so we used something quick. These frozen patties from Trader Joe’s taste just as good.

Add some olive oil and bourbon whiskey to the skillet then place the patties in the skillet.

Cover the top of the patties with garlic powder, a little salt and pepper.

Cook on medium-high heat for about 7-8 minutes on each side, until center is no longer pink.

In a separate skillet, brown some onion with some olive oil. Add a little bit of bourbon whiskey to these too! 😉

When the patties are close to finished, top them with your favorite cheddar cheese to start melting it.

Build your burger with 100% whole wheat burger buns. Add the onions. Top off with your favorite bbq sauce. In our house, Sweet Baby Ray’s is the only way to go.

Freaking yum.

Enjoy your buzzed burger.

Xo

Mother’s Day, chicken and this week’s menu.

My mom. The incredible super mom. The so young and fabulous she gets mistaken for my sister. (Because I too am young and fabulous. Duh.) The founder of me. The strongest woman on the planet.

Also, my downfall. Bringing my favorite iced cookies to grandma’s today! What was she thinking?!

These are my girls. Better than Beyoncé. And we all know that’s saying a lot.

I figured out a way to enjoy a cookie without going overboard. I shared it with my “step brother”*, Jack!

*Mom’s boyfriend Joe has two kids, Chase and Jack. They are 7 and 4. Mom and Joe may as well be married. So from here on, they will be referred to my step brothers.

Mike kept them entertained. They love him. And we love them.

Then we came home and cleaned like mad people. Our house just accumulates crap, I don’t even know how. So every Sunday, we clean like crazy. I EXERCIIIIISED THE DEMONS. This house is clean.

Every Sunday, I bake enough chicken for salads and other odds and ends to make life easier. I have a fool proof method to do so for not dry, yummy chicken.

Grab a big bowl. Put one tbsp of olive oil in it. Layer in the chicken breasts. (We use trader Joe’s individually frozen chicken breasts, but I thaw them) Then add one more tbsp of olive oil on top. Shake in your favorite seasoning. I use some blackening seasoning and oregano. And of course, garlic powder.

Bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes on a bake sheet.

And voila.

This week’s menu includes:

Monday: Bourbon Turkey Burgers

Tuesday: Orange chicken and veggie stir fry

Wednesday: Grilled tilapia with Green Beans

Thursday: Greek chicken and vegetables

Friday: OUT!

I’ll be weighing in again Friday. Actually, I’ll be weighing in every Friday from now on. Good or bad.

Pictures and recipes to come!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Xo

Lotta salads. Lotta rain. Lotta AppleTV.

Hey guys! I hope you’re having a great weekend. I’m having a lazy one. But it’s been great. I got super sickly to my stomach Friday so we just hung low. It was strange, all I had that day was a Zoe’s Kitchen Greek salad. I dunno what happened.

I’m the QUEEN of salads lately. It’s an easy go to meal for me to not ruin my goals.

I’m a little obsessed with Jason’s Deli. I wish we had one closer to our house but it’s right by Trader Joe’s, so it works out a lot for us.

I’ve felt really great this weekend.
Not bloated and gross like I used to feel daily. Eating salads and cutting back on fried foods and sugar is just what I needed. And I’m in the zone.

We tried out the New Albany farmer’s market this weekend. What a bust. I don’t know if it was just because it was the first weekend or what, but there was not a single booth with fruits OR veggies. Only candles and soaps. One small booth with leftover salad items for $6. And a meat booth that we paid $21 for two ribeyes. Oh, and a small block of cheese for $10. I fully support locally owned and grown, but it just seemed kind of insane. So we ended up at Trader Joe’s to buy everything else we needed. Including more salad, meat and cheese. Better luck next time!

We’re cooking up the ribeyes tonight with small salads. I just whisk together some honey, olive oil and apple cider vinegar for the dressing. Mom made ribs for my grandma for Mother’s Day, so I have to at least taste test them. 🙂

It has stormed every day this weekend and looks like it plans to until about Thursday this week. I hate it because I love going to walk the trails!

But let’s be real, I love watching movies and tv as much. (If not more.)

Last night we watched the new adaptation of The Fog. I’ve never been so pissed off. They should have never re-made it. The Fog was perfect the way it was. So tonight, we’re watching a movie I already know I love.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’m sorry it’s almost over. Be back soon with this week’s menu!!

Xo