Friend Makin' Mondays: Ten Questions

What a week! I celebrated my birthday (and 7 month Surgiversary) this past week and I had so much fun that I'm sorry to see it end. I'll make sure to post lots of pictures later in the week, but for now we will jump right into this weeks topic:

 

 



If you've take part in FMM before then you know the routine. If you're new, simply take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at All The Weigh - encourage your readers to do the same and we can all connect.

 

 

 Ten Questions

 

1. Describe the kind of home you would live in if money were no object.  An old English-style home with lots of history - nooks, crannies and secret passageways are a must!

Image courtesy Google.com

2. Are you more conservative in your actions or more rebellious? Rebellious. If you tell me I can't do something I will show you I can...twice.

3. Would you go to Mars even if it meant you could never return to Earth?  Only if Mars didn't allow stupid people. Or the Slutdashians.

4. Name one song that makes you want to dance every time you hear it. Shake by the Ying Yang Twins & Pitbull - booty shaking at its finest!

5. Share one thing that you wish you could go back and do differently in your life.  I would have taken my health and weight more seriously when I was a size 16 instead of waiting until I was a size 26. Better late than never, right?

6. Share at least one accomplishment that people wouldn’t expect you to be proud of.  I've been celibate for 3 years now. I am proud of the discipline and reserve I've shown in a society that embraces and exploits non-committal sex.

7. Describe one delicious thing that you’ve eaten lately.  Lots of Southwest Breakfast Burritos, I'm finding I like them for snacks too! Great for protein and low-carb too.

8. If you had a theme song that would play every time you entered a room, which song would you choose?  Now I'm That B*tch by Livvi Franc

9. Had technology enhanced your life, or has it over complicated your life?  Both. I love my gadgets and without the technology I wouldn't be writing this post or connecting with so many great people. Downside to that is the 'anti-social' behaviors that tend to manifest, not to mention the time I spend playing Scramble With Friends. My iPhone and iPad are never more than 3 feet from me at all times - I need therapy! LOL

10. If you could get paid to do any job, which job would you choose?  A professional shopper. I'd search far and wide for the best clearance selections! Target, anyone?

Image courtesy Google.com

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions!  Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments. Have a great week!!



Southwest Breakfast Burritos

I'm lazy in the mornings. I'll wake up at 9am, walk the dogs and go back to sleep until the very last minute - living less than 10 minutes from work is a plus I tell you. I have time to shower, beautify and go - making breakfast is not happening. It doesn't help that I'm not a fan of cereal or oatmeal for breakfast; too many carbs and no nutritional value. I am however, a big fan of these breakfast burritos. I make them on Sunday and have enough to last me the entire week - simply grab and go - right up my alley!!!

 

 

 



Calories: 181  |  Protein: 10  |  Carbs: 7    |  Fat: 7

Serves: 7  |  Serving size: 1 burrito

 

 

 

You'll need:

 

4 eggs, large (scrambled)

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup frozen southern style diced potatoes

1 ounce Trader Joe's fat free feta cheese crumbles

1/4 package Trader Joe's Soyrizo

1/4 cup Trader Joe's Cowboy Caviar**

7 Mission Carb-Balance Whole Wheat tortillas, small 

 

** any black bean/corn salsa will work

 

 

Then you'll:

 

In a large skillet, heat oil and add onions and frozen potatoes - cook until halfway done. Add Soyrizo, cook until heated and crumbled (potatoes will be orange). Push potato mixture to one side of skillet and add eggs in the other half, cooking thoroughly. Stir together and add salsa, mixing well. Scoop into tortillas, add crumbled feta, roll, and wrap in foil.

 

Happy Cooking!

 

 

Friend Makin' Mondays: Pondering Personal Thoughts

This is my first FMM for March and I'm really going to try to keep up with this! I held a survey a while back and you guys said you wanted to me a bit more personal in my posts and this is a perfect way to do it. Hopefully I can do better with this than the #fmsphotoaday challenges on Instagram ;) Speaking of which, feel free to follow me on IG - my username is ShoeVixen - I post tons of food, progress pictures and of course nail polish.

 

 

If you've take part in FMM before then you know the routine. If you're new, simply take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at All The Weigh - encourage your readers to do the same and we can all connect. Now for this week's topic!

 

 

 

Pondering Personal Thoughts

 

1. How old would you feel if you didn’t know how old you are? Given my birthday is in 2 days I'm not quite sure how to answer that. I definitely don't feel my age (trust me I'm ALOT older than you guys think lol) but I also don't feel like I do (or have done) all the things people my age are "supposed" to do. I'm a young old person in a middle age body!


2. Are you the kind of friend you’d want to have as a friend?  I have to piggyback off Kenlie's answer on this one...I haven't always been but its something I continually work toward. We all have flaws and I am thankful for the people who have stuck around while I figure it all out =)


3. Look back at the last year.  When did you feel most excited about something in your life? Surgery, of course. Actually I take that back - I was just ready for the surgery to be over. I've been excited every day since! I am planning a family vacation to Harry Potter World in October so that's keeping me full of excitement as well. I'll be going hang-gliding!


4. Have you ever been with someone and not spoken a word, only to walk away thinking that was the best conversation ever?  I remember thinking I had but I cant recall with whom so maybe not lol


5. If you won 100 million dollars Monday, would you continue doing whatever you usually do on Tuesdays? If you mean sleeping in, yes. Going to work, no. I would definitely take early retirement from corporate America but I've always wanted to start an inner city program that teaches disadvantaged youth real world skills; balancing a checkbook, credit cards/management, insurance, ect. After taking a worldly vacation with the sole purpose of buying every bottle of nail polish I could get my hands on ;)


6. What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you?  Dance. Once I gained all my weight I stopped going out and socializing, now that Im feeling more confident and going out more I want to dance but am too afraid I forgot how and lost my rhythm.


7. Share something you do differently than most people.  Eat my pizza with extra sauce and no cheese, well I used to anyways.


8. What’s one thing that you really want to do that you’ve never done?  Travel abroad. Italy, England, and Ireland are all on my list.


9. If you had to move out of state right now, where would you move?  Texas, there's no place like home!


10.  What is the one thing that you’d like to change most about the world?  I would make everyone in the world happy. Happy people don't kill, or bully, or judge. They smile. Make sure you smile today!

Have a great week!

 

Golden Snitches

I love two things in this world; Harry Potter and Martha Stewart. Needless to say it made me incredibly happy to run across this recipe from Martha and they just happen to look like the Golden Snitch that's used in Harry's Quidditch matches - hence the new name, sorry Martha.

 

Calories: 238  |  Protein: 12  |  Carbs: 18    |  Fat: 14

Serves: 6  |  Serving size: 1 Snitch


You'll need:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 whole-wheat sandwich bread

6 slices turkey bacon

6 large eggs

Coarse salt and ground pepper

 

 

Then you'll:

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter (I still had some left over and that's ok if you do too)

 

2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes (I would start checking after 18). Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

 

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Staycation 2013 {photo heavy}

Today is officially the last day of Staycation 2013. It wasn't nearly long enough but it was nice to not have to do anything for 9 days. It was pretty uneventful but I had a few NSV's so I thought I'd share.

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I probably did the most on Monday (03/04) as it was Chicago's 176th birthday and to celebrate they were giving free admission to the Chicago History Museum so I took full advantage of my time in the city. I viewed every section they had open and spent quite a bit of time in the Shalom Exhibit; if you're in the Chicago area this is a great (and inexpensive) day trip! NSV #1: being able to walk/stand all day with no pain or discomfort in back/feet!

 

This is the souvenir I picked out, does this REALLY surprise anyone?

 

 

 

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I spent the majority of Tuesday around the house doing some deep spring cleaning and organizing. I did discover my new favorite snack! Okra chips!

 

 

 

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Wednesday I took my pup, Pugsly, to the vet so he could get a shot for his arthritis.

 

Photo property of SleevedInTheCity

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Thursday evening I went to a friend's album release party and had a TON of fun! This was the first time I've dressed up and gone out since surgery. NSV# 2: the dress (and no sleeves)!

 

NSV#3: being able to stand/dance in these shoes for 4 hours with no back pain!

 

 

 

NSV#4: not being afraid of group pictures anymore!

 

Photo property of SleevedInTheCity

 

 

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Friday was a lazy, recoup day. Bella says hi.

 

Photo property of SleevedInTheCity

 

 

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Saturday was a shopping day. I went to Nordstrom Rack to have a pair of pants altered and I picked up this awesome studded iPhone case. I found this Torani syrup at World Market and it's my favorite yet. I mix 2 tbsps. with my Pure Protein chocolate shake and add some instant coffee granules...woah! 

 

 

 

My last stop was TJMaxx and I ran across a pair of NYMJ on clearance for $20! These things retail for $120 - and the best part? NSV#5....drumroll please.....

 

 

 

IM OFFICIALLY A SIZE 20!! Less than 6 months ago I was a 28 (tight). Not only do I look great, I feel great and I'm getting my health back. Nothing like seeing your hard work pay off =)

 

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That pretty much sums up Staycation 2013. I know Im missing an entry for last weekend and today but since I didn't do anything here is a picture of this weeks polish changes, Im partial to #3 myself.

 

 

 

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Until next time!

Besos xo

 



Bleu Cheese Chipotle Bacon Burger

One of my favorite places to eat pre-op was Chili's and several years ago they made a Bleu Cheese Chipotle Burger that was to die for. Unfortunately, they stopped making it and I ultimately stopped eating there - even if they brought it back the fat and calories alone would keep me from indulging (1090 calories/71g of fat). I decided to come up with my own version, it doesn't do Chili's justice but it was enough to satisfy my craving, a fraction of the calories and its mighty tasty if I say so myself!

 

Calories: 286  |  Protein: 28  |  Carbs: 3   |  Fat: 18

Serves: 6  |  Serving size: 1 burger patty

 

 

You'll need:

 

1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin (I used 90/10)

1 cup bleu cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup bacon pieces (I used Hormel red label)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 chipotle chile pepper

2 tbsp. coarsely ground peppercorns

 

 

 

 

Then you'll:

 

Combine everything (except peppercorns) in a medium bowl, mix well and form into 6 patties. Spread peppercorns on a plate and press one side of each patty into pepper (I like spice so I did both sides). You can choose your own method of cooking, I used my Calphalon griddle pan on the stove top and cooked until medium-well (160 degrees internally).

 

 

 

 

Happy Cooking!

 

Baked Chicken Burrito with Greek Yogurt-Poblano Sauce

Long name, seriously good burrito. I first came across this recipe on Pinterest; the original recipe is here - I've adapted it slightly but you can't go wrong with either version.

 

 

 

 

Calories: 315  |  Protein: 31  |  Carbs: 34   |  Fat: 16

Serves: 8  |  Serving size: 1 burrito with sauce

 

 

For the burritos you'll need:

 

2 tsp canola oil

1 large onion, diced

1 lb ground chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 chicken broth, fat free reduced sodium

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp cayenne

1 tsp brown sugar

Kosher salt

1 cup shredded Mexican Blend 2% Reduced Fat Cheese

8 La Tortilla Factory - Low Carb/High Fiber Whole Wheat Tortillas (large sized)

Cooking spray

For the sauce you'll need:

2 poblano peppers**

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2/3 cup chicken broth at room temperature

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (I used Fage)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

**you could always use canned green chilies if you need to save on time or don't want to bother with roasting the poblanos

Then you'll:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. To make the burritos: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and then add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Place the ground chicken in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned.  (At this point, drain any excess fat if necessary/desired).  Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30-60 seconds before adding in the beans. Add the broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, brown sugar and salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon). Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese at the end of each tortilla (depending on size) and then spoon some of the beef and bean mixture over the top. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla in, and then roll the tortilla up, from the end closest to you, to the top. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and lightly spray the tops of the burritos with cooking spray.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Place the poblanos directly over a gas burner. Using tongs, turn occasionally until skin is blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and top with plastic wrap or a clean towel, until cook enough to handle. (Alternatively, you can roast the peppers under the broiler until all sides are well-charred.)  Peel the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, and dice them.
5. Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat and melt the butter; stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and then the diced poblano; continue to simmer, whisking frequently, until thickened.  Stir in the Greek yogurt and warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve the sauce over the baked burritos.

Happy Cooking!

 

PV Body and YOU!

I'm very excited to share this post with you. I've recently shifted my focus away from the scale and into the gym; I'm spending up to 5 days a week doing cardio, circuit training and even venturing into some body sculpting. I've found one of the things that helps make a workout great is feeling great and that's where PV Body and their awesome Ellie Collection come into play. What better way to feel great than with comfortable, stylish workout clothes? I don't know about you guys but I don't have $100 to spend on quality workout gear and I'm going down a size about each month!

 

When I was first approached by PV Body I was disappointed that they don't have a plus-size selection at this time but I know in a short time they should be able to fit so I gave them a try. Seriously glad I did. The fabrics are great, the colors vibrant and the material does have some give so I can wear some of their pieces now! For me, this is a brilliant concept since I'm able to change my size, preference and don't have to spend a fortune replacing workout clothing that has become worn out or too big.

PV Body is a monthly subscription box; each month you will receive one top and one bottom based on your style profile. Current pricing is $49.95 a month and shipping is always free - but as an Ellie Ambassador I'm able to offer you guys 20% off! That brings your box to about $40 (shipping is still free!) and gives you a way to try some great workout gear without spending a fortune. You'll easily spend $50 or more on Target fitness apparel...so try it, it's a win-win for sure!

Simply click on the graphic below (or to the right), fill out your style profile and wait for your box to arrive!

 

 

I've heard there have been a few issues with using the links, if you receive an error while trying to use mine please let me know so I can address the issue and ensure you get your 20% off!

 

Disclaimer: I received free clothing in exchange for this review, all opinions expressed here are my own. Due to my personal like and belief in this company I have joined their promotional team and will continue to give honest, unbiased reviews.

 

Pause, Rewind

I haven't felt like blogging. The thoughts, ideas and posts have been there but sitting down in front of the computer and writing has felt like a chore. Truth be told, I've been struggling to find a happy medium between work, home and all the other responsibilities I have. I took a week off of work just to chill out and still found myself stressing over all the things I "need" to do and started feeling anxious over everything that has been piling up (ie blog posts, meeting personal monthly goals). It was at that point I had to put my foot down and take a step back. So for now I'm not making any more monthly goals, I'm going back to the basics and making sure they're cemented before trying to add on anything else. If I feel like blogging I will blog, if not then I wont. I would much rather churn out a genuine post once a week then try and force 3 crappy ones out.

I just wanted to touch base with you guys and acknowledge that I know I'm behind on responding to emails, blog posts, and everything in between. I've gotten all of your lovely responses and words and for that I'm grateful and so very appreciative - I just needed a moment to pause, rewind before pressing play again.


Besos -