Day 2: Cook Isn't My Name For Nothing!

Second recipe of my thirty days of cooking. I decided to go with something simple, but maybe a little more high in calorie. It is still a reasonable calorie intake for a dinner meal.

2 servings. Just double recipe if you need more.

Ingredients:
    * 3 Hot dogs ( I used Jumbo Hot Dogs
    * 1/2-1 cup of pre-made mash potatoes
        (milk, butter and water or whatever needed to make mash potatoes up)
    *  2 oz of cheese ( from an 8 oz. block of cheese or already shredded cheese is good.)
    * Have a cup of mild Chunky Salsa.
    * 1/4 Cup of Sour cream ( my husband I love sou cream so we use more. It also depends on how good I am counting calories that)


Directions:
    1. while thawing your hot dogs. Follow directions on the back of the package for the mash                     potatoes.
 
     2. Cut the hot dogs long ways in half. lay the halves next to each other, In a cookie sheet or baking           pan.

     3.Once hot dogs are set next to each other, spoon mash potatoes on to the top of the hot dogs.

     4. Take shredded cheese and put it on top of the potatoes.

     5. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is all melted and potatoes and hot dogs are warm at 350                degrees.

     6. Last put your sour cream on top of the potato hot dog boats and then add salsa.: both opt,

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I made mine a little bit different. I made homemade mash potatoes. (make your homemade mash potatoes the way you like them)  I Line them up in a baking dish and bake them until they are all warm and the cheese is melted.afterwards I  add the sour cream and salsa .

  

This is a delicious meal. and is pretty filling. Today I mostly counted my calories pretty well, but my husband and I are going to Jurassic park the new movie, and we both know we want popcorn. Like I said in my previous post, We are not going to get worked up if we go over our calorie limit, because there are going to be times that it is good and necessary to switch things up. 

If you are looking for a quick, and easy meal this is the one for you. it is very salty, but the sour cream and salsa help keep that at bay.

Day 1:COOK Isn't My Last Name for Nothing!

I love to cook! Do you know what I like ever more than to cook? I love to eat it. The problem is that I love to eat so much that sometimes it becomes a problem. My husband and I have decided to be more healthy. We have started calorie counting, and being better about exercising. I would like to do a thirty day blog. I want to blog about the recipes that I try. Some being healthier, some not so much, and my experience with calorie counting during that time. We both feel that we would prefer to keep all our favorite foods and treats in our diet. Taking away those things make me feel constricted, and not in a good way. Anyone who has ever dieted knows what I mean. If you do something you hate, then its not going to stick.

First recipe: Loaded Potato and Chicken Casserole. Ladies and Gents, this was a keeper. My husband really liked this one, and it was so easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• (about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups)
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 green onions, sliced (green parts only for low-FODMAP/low-fructose)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" baking pan or casserole dish.
2. Spread half of the diced potatoes in bottom of pan. Place the diced chicken breasts evenly on top. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half the bacon crumbles, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and half the green onions.
3. Spread the remaining diced potatoes on top, followed by the remaining bacon, another 1/2 cup cheese, remaining green onions and another 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour heavy cream over top of casserole and then dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake until melted. Serve.

This one, was Actually pretty easy to count. I just added up the amount of calories per item and then divide it by how many cups of food are there. The bacon complimented the chicken and cheese. The potatoes were soft, and moist. Every bite was a burst of gooey flavor. I did add an extra half cup of  heavy cream.  If you are looking for an easy, pretty quick delicious meal, this is the one for you.

The count down

  Twenty-one more days until I get get to marry my best friend, in the Rexburg Idaho Temple. The wonderful thing is, we are being sealed together as husband and wife. This means that we are promised to have our marriage last not only here in this life, but after we pass on, for forever. That's right folks, I believe that we can have something so beautiful and pure last forever. I believe in happily ever afters.  I also believe that it isn't meant to be perfect or always easy. I believe that there will be ups and there will be downs in our marriage, but I know that there will be good times, happy times, and a life long of learning and growing together, and that those times if you let it, will triumph those hard times.

 I am so blessed to have the knowledge I have obtained through trial and error. I'm blessed to have the faith that I have to keep trusting in my heavenly father and his plan for each of his children. I am blessed to be apart of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am thankful for the priesthood that allows us to be married in the temple for time and all eternity. I love my fiance so much and would not want only our love, experiences and growth to stop in this life, but to continue on to the next.

There is so much to do before we get married, and again as we move across the country to our new home, in Moberly Missouri. I look forward for these times, though it is and has been stressful. The best part is being able to do all of this with my best friend. William signed a contract with a business in Moberly. It is a recycling company. He will be starting April 20th. I can't believe that it's only a month away from tomorrow.

It's a bitter sweet moment to be having to quit my job. I am excited to have a change of paste. I am excited for the adventures to come. At the same time, I am sad to move on from the friends, family and from my job. I have enjoyed for the most part, my job working for the Madison school district. These kids have a special spot in my heart. They have taught me so much, have mad me crazy and frustrated, but have made me laugh, and feel touched by their innocent minds and spirits.

WE DID IT!!

It's me again!

    Well I am sure if you know me or you know someone who knows me, then the cat is out of the bag. Which is fine by me. You see, it is pretty wonderful news, and it would be hard to keep something so big a secret. So for those who haven't heard....drum roll please. I'M ENGAGED! Yay I did it... well actually William did it, but I did say Yes.
     I know some of you have been wondering how did he do it! So I am going to tell you just that. It was on a dark cold tuesday in January. It was the 6th of January to be exact. That night I invited Will to come over for dinner. I made homemade pizza and a green salad. As dinner was coming to an end, Will said, "I am feeling like some Soda Vine tonight." (for those who have not read or heard, Will took me to the Soda Vine on our first date.)( soda vine is a retro sock-hop cafe.) We cleaned up dinner, afterwards he drove us to Soda Vine. We sat down, with our delicious italian drinks and sugar cookie. A Peach Italian soda for Will, and a Watermelon Italian soda for me. We enjoyed one of our favorite guessing games, while sipping on our drinks. The game is to guess what date number it is for each couple we see. Depending on their body language, you can tell if they are in a serious relationship, if its a first date, or if its in between stages- "the getting to know you better, I kind of like you stage." As we sat there playing our game, it occurred to me that it was our fourth month since our first date. I didn't let myself think to much into it... just that wow we have seen each other  everyday straight for almost 4 months. After our drinks.. He asked me if I wanted to talk a walk around Smith park. Another thing we enjoy doing together. It's January, dark, cold and snowy... but we make our way to the gazebo. The whole way down, I keep asking "are you sure you want to do this", " are you okay your shaking" , and other questions like that, totally oblivious to what he really is planning. We get to the gazebo and he asks me if I want to dance. He puts on a Rascal Flats Song ( the first song we had ever danced to.) while we are dancing he looks around which put me on edge. Then he just looks at me and he says " I LOVE YOU, AND ALWAYS WILL, I THINK ITS TIME TO ASK A QUESTION.. (gets on his knees  and asks).. WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Emotion surged to my throat and eyes, and my answer came out soft but sure YES! We were so happy, and it felt so surreal. We headed back to my apartment where we shared the news with family and friends.
    We are so incredible happy, and look forward to being able to share life together for ever. We are crazy busy with planning a wedding, with him finishing up his last semester here at BYU-Idaho, and with me working. The date is set for April 9th of this year.
  That brings me to my next subject. Will is wonderful, he is such a hard worker, and is so passionate about school and about his major. I am a lucky girl to be marrying someone who loves what he is doing.  I decided after all that I was not going to continue school right now. I know I cant seem to stick with the school thing. I knew I was stressing about it.. and the day before school I found out that my petition probably wouldn't go through for financial aide. At first I felt upset and like I had failed, but something that I thought wasn't so good brought about a wonderful blessing to my life. I made and took the next step...got engaged and I plan to take the next step.. that is, to seal the deal in the Rexburg Temple. Will has been so wonderful through all of this. I worried that he wouldn't be very happy I decided to not attend, but no.. he has been so supportive and loving.. and encouraging with everything I decide to do.  He is such a wonderful guy and I am such a lucky girl to have such a great guy.

well folks sorry for the sap, and sorry about the wait... also sorry this isn't much, but I hope it's not too hard of a read and an enjoyable one at that.