Cheesy Bacon McMuffins

Who needs McDonald's when you can make these?!  Hellllloooo delicious!  I know there are lots of variations on these little things out there, but this is the version I came up with.  My hubby actually made these while I supervised (that's how you do it ladies!).  :)  This is how you make them:

First, get all your ingredients together:  24 egg whites, a bag of part-skim mozzarella cheese, and a bag of turkey bacon.  

Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Get your muffin tin out and spray each one with some non-stick spray.

Crack two egg whites into each section.  Try not to get any yolks in there, but if you do - no biggie!

Next, slice up your bacon and cook it in a pan until it's done.

Put the cooked bacon onto some paper towels to drain any excess fat off.  Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then distribute evenly among your egg whites.

Top with 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes.  If you are unsure about whether or not they are done, just cut into one and see if any juices come out.  When they aren't jiggly and juicy, they are done!  I know, I'm so technical with my cooking terms.

Just look at these little guys!  So good and easy to make!  They taste great right out of the oven, leftover and microwaved, and even cold.

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 12 servings):

• Calories: 115

• Protein: 17g

• Carbs: 3g

• Fat: 5g

There are tons of ways you could change up this recipe...use liquid egg whites instead of real eggs, add in veggies, use a different type of turkey bacon, use turkey sausage instead, etc.

Take THAT McDonald's!  My version has WAY less fat, calories, and carbs!  :)  

  

Git R Done!

When's the last time you did something that scared you?  Are you the type of person who sits back and lets life go by, or do you take the bull by the horns?  Do you feel like you are missing out on accomplishing things because you are afraid of failure?

I would like to sit here and say that I have always been a "git er dun" type of person, but I haven't been...until now!  I have gone after things to a certain extent in the past, but not like I do now.  When I want something, I GO FOR IT.  Sometimes the ideas I come up with in my head scare the everlovin heck outta me, so I try to push them to the side and forget them...but they always come back.  When I wake myself up in the middle of the night thinking about it, then I just have to pursue it.  Like running a half-marathon.  Why in the world did I up and decide that I needed to sign up for one of those?  The thought of running 13.1 miles scares me, for real.  But, I have faith that I can do it.  I have gone from not being able to run a mile a year ago, to running two 5k's, and now I am up to 9 miles on the weekend.  So, I WILL do it! ...in 22 days, not that I'm counting.  :)

I am also in the process of pursuing a HUGE dream of mine that I have had for YEARS!  No, I am still not telling yet - you'll just have to wait and see!  What I will tell you is that it involves me starting my own business, and it's not related to health and fitness.  What scares me most is that I don't know what the outcome will be...will it be successful or will it just crash and burn?  I have no idea, but what I DO know is that I haven't stopped thinking about it in years, I have the knowledge, the guts, and the determination.  The only way I will ever know if I can do this is to try.  I actually met with someone today to talk business with me, and she said, "If you can run a half-marathon, then you can do this.  It shows that you have the discipline to put one foot in front of the other." <----Totally made my day!

Big dreams start small.  Just like my journey of getting healthy and fit.  My success with where I am today is all due to baby steps, patience, and determination.  Losing fluff doesn't happen overnight and neither does getting in shape.  If you think you can and believe in yourself, you are halfway there.

Don't spend your life wishing things were different and daydreaming about how life could be, if you want something...

Perseverance

Yup, that's me.  Sitting at a table playing a game during Christmas of 2011.  I was fat, insecure, hated who I was, uncomfortable in my own skin, and always wanted to hide.  For some reason, eating more and adding on more layers of fluff made me feel like I could hide better.

This is me now.  I am more confident, comfortable with who I have become, and I don't want to hide behind my fat anymore.  No, I am not 100% secure just yet, but I am getting there.  

My journey has had its ups and downs, struggles and successes, failure and challenges...but through it all, I have persevered.  

I have a mission:  get fit and get healthy.  On the days I think I just need a break, I just want to quit, or I just don't feel like it...I remember how I used to feel, and I keep going.  

Changing your lifestyle is not easy, and it takes time.  But I have goals that I am determined to achieve!  Come hell or high water, I am wearing a bikini WITHOUT shorts this summer.  It's going to happen!  

Looking back on the past year and seeing what I have achieved so far is still crazy to me, but it just goes to show that when you put your mind to it, you can do anything.  There will be super easy days, and there will be days that make you want to pull your hair out, but you CAN do it.  If you give up, the only person you're quitting is YOU.  God only knows how long we are all going to be on this earth, so while you're here - why don't you make the most of it and be who you really want to be?  That's the way I see it anyway.  

If you really want to achieve your goals, you have to be able to persevere through anything that comes your way.  Remember why you started, don't give up on yourself, trust the process, and stick with it.  If I can do it, you can do it!

Beef Tips & Gravy

I don't know about yall, but I love me some meat and gravy.  I used to make this with a packaged gravy mix, but after reading the long list of ingredients on the back - I decided to make my own mix.  It does not turn out as thick as normal brown gravy, but it's so good!!!  Here's how I made it:

First, get all your ingredients together.

Next, get your crockpot ready.  I use a liner in mine, total time saver when it comes to cleaning up!  Go ahead and chop up your garlic.

Put your chopped garlic, 4 tbsp. coconut flour, and 2 cups beef broth into your crockpot and mix well.  Try to get rid of all the clumps of flour if you can.  Toss in some spices you like - I used sea salt, black pepper, and garlic salt.

Once that is mixed, chop your roast into cubes.  They don't all have to be perfect, just try to get them all relatively the same size.  Toss em in your crockpot.

Cook on low for 8 hours...

...and then you have this! :)

Here's the nutritional breakdown (per serving - makes 8 servings):

• Calories:  193

• Protein:  27g

• Carbs:  2g

• Fat:  8g

The possibilities are endless when it comes to this one!  You could eat it with brown rice and green veggies...you could make tacos with it...you could eat it over scrambled egg whites...

However you choose to eat it, I hope you like it!  :)

Not Yo Mama's Meat N' Tater Breakfast Casserole

My husband leaves for work before I do every morning, so I am always trying to think of ways to have an easy breakfast ready for him.  I used to make him a breakfast casserole...NOT the healthy way!  It had frozen hash browns, lots of eggs, pork sausage, cheddar cheese, and sometimes bacon in it.  So last night I decided to experiment and see if I could make him a healthier version.  It turned out great, and he loved it!  He even said, "Are you sure that's turkey sausage?"  :)  Here's how I made it:

First, you need to get your ingredients together:

Once you have all your ingredients, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While it's preheating, peel and wash your sweet potatoes.  Stab them with a knife a few times (helps steam escape so they don't explode), wrap them in a couple paper towels, and microwave them for about 4 minutes.

While the potatoes are microwaving, you can get your baking pan ready.  I used a 9x13 size.  Put 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in the bottom, then smear it all over the bottom and up the sides with your fingers.  This will help keep everything from sticking.

By now, the potatoes should be done in the microwave.  You want them to be just a little soft, but not completely mushy!  Take them out, and then cut up into chunks.  Don't worry, they don't have to be perfect!  Spread the chunks out evenly onto the baking sheet.  Next, it's time to cook up your lean turkey breakfast sausage!  Just get out a skillet, put your heat on medium, and add 1 1/2 packages of the links.  Toss them around and flip over often to make sure they cook evenly - mine took about 15 minutes.  Once they are done, put them on a paper towel to drain off excess fat, and cut into rough chunks.

Let them sit for a couple of minutes to drain, then throw them in your baking sheet with the sweet potatoes. 

 Next, sprinkle a handful of cheese all over your potatoes and sausage.  Then, measure out 2 1/2 cups liquid egg whites and mix in some salt and pepper with them.  Pour all over your meat and taters.  Then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of everything.

Pop it in the oven, and let her rip for about 45 minutes.  This time may vary depending on your oven.  You will know it's done when it's not jiggly in the middle, and no liquid comes out when you cut into it.  It should look something like this: 

Cut into 12 squares, and that's it!  

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 12 servings):

•  Calories:  150

•  Protein:  16g

•  Carbs:  4g

•  Fat:  8g

Things I love about this recipe:

•  You can get it ready the night before, cover it in saran wrap, and then put it in the oven when you wake up.  By the time you are done getting ready, it will be ready to eat.
•  It tastes great leftover.
•  It's super easy to make.

•  It's hubby approved!  :)