Tasty Tuesday 12/2

(SKINNY!) OATMEAL COOKIE SMOOTHIE

YIELD: ABOUT 2 CUPS

PREP: 5 MINS

TOTAL: 5 MINS 

INGREDIENTS: 

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats 

1 frozen (peeled) banana 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 

1-2 Tbsp. honey (to taste) 

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp. ground ginger 

pinch of nutmeg 

pinch of salt 

(optional: 1/4 cup raisins)

DIRECTIONS:
Add oats to blender, and pulse until finely ground. 

Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended and smooth. 

Serve immediately.

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/skinny-oatmeal-cookie-smoothie/#_a5y_p=2162043

              Spicy Blackened Chickpea Scramble Sandwich                                              

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

Blackening spice mix for 1 can of chickpeas: or use blackening or make your own:

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp cumin powder 

1/4 tsp onion powder 

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp cayenne or to taste 

a very generous dash of black pepper

1/2 tsp thyme 

1/2 tsp paprika

Scramble: 

1 15 oz can chickpeas cooked Chickpeas 

1/2 red bell pepper 

1/4 cup red onions chopped or thinly sliced 

1/3-1/2 tsp salt (depends on if the chickpeas are already salted or not) 

blackening spice from above

hummus for serving

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas. 

Toss the chickpeas in the blackening spice and let sit while you cook the peppers and onions.

In a pan, add a tsp of high smoke point oil and heat on highest heat possible. 

Add red bell pepper and onions and cook until brown on the edges. 

Add the chickpeas and all the spice and salt. 

Use a Tbsp or so water to get the spice from the bowl and add to pan. 

Cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes. 

Stir and mash frequently to avoid burning and stir until you can smell the spices smoking. 

Remove from heat. 

Add a Tbsp of water

Tbsp or more of hummus to the scramble to add some moisture. 

Serve up in a sandwich. 

Layer hummus then greens and scramble.

Variations: Use other beans like white beans or black beans in the scramble. Use tofu or tempeh. Add roasted veggies to the sandwich or avocado.



Crock Pot Honey Ginger Chicken 

Servings: 4

Serving Size: Roughly 1 cup

Calories: 315 

Fat: 3.8 g 

Carb: 39.2 g 

Fiber: 0.6 g 

Protein: 33.2 g 

Sugar: 36.2 g 

Sodium: 493.9 mg

Ingredients: 

4 Chicken Breasts (About 4.5 Oz. Each), Cut into bite size pieces! 

1/2 C. Honey 

3 Tbsp. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce 

1 Inch Fresh Ginger Root Grated 

2 Tbsp. Lime Juice 

2 Tsp. Sesame Oil 

1 Tsp. Rice Wine Vinegar 

4 Garlic Cloves Smashed 

1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced 

Salt & Pepper to Taste 

1 Tbsp. Cornstarch 

1 Tbsp. Water 

Optional Toppings: Sesame Seeds, Green Onions, Sriracha.

http://www.theskinnyfork.com/blog/crock-pot-honey-ginger-chicken

Musical Monday 12/1

Happy Monday! Happy December - I am a Christmas baby so I love winter/December it's my thing. I am pretty excited for December 2015 because if I keep at the pace I am going I'll be graduating. That would mean graduation, my birthday and christmas all within one week. How awesome would that be?

Anyway - I was hoping to find some Christmas music to list for today but you'd be surprised how few Christmas songs are upbeat enough to put you in the mood to workout. Unless you count this one....

But since you probably DON'T want to listen to Spongebob....here are a few songs I found. Some were held #1 spots on the billboard charts and others I just looked around for most played songs and came up with this. Hope you like

11.)      Rude Boy by Rihanna 2010

22.)      Tik Tok by Ke$ha 2010

33.)      Like a G6 by Far East Movement 2010

44.)      Firework by Katy Perry 2010

55.)      Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO 2011

66.)      Wild Ones by Flo Rida 2012

77.)      Locked out of Heaven by Bruno Mars 2012

88.)      Royals by Lorde 2013

99.)      Monster by Eminem ft. Rihanna 2013

110)   Thrift Shop by Macklemore 2013

111)   Roar by Katy Perry 2013

112)   Happy by Pharrell 2014

113)   Timber by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha 2013

114)   Fancy by Iggy Azalea 2014

115)   Rude by Magic! 2014

116)   One for the Money by Escape the Fate 2013

117)   Classic by MTKO 2014

118)   Really don’t care by Demi Lovato 2013

119)   Loud by T.Mills 2013

220)   Centuries by Fall Out Boy 2014

221)   Love never felt so good by Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake 2014

222)   Live while we’re young by One Direction 2012

223)   Break the Rules by Charli XCX 2014

224)   She looks so perfect by 5sos 2014

225)   Break Free by Ariana Grande 2014

Sweat Fest Sunday 11/30

Happy Sweat Fest Sunday...........how many of you need this after Thanksgiving? Did you eat a lot of great food? I made mashed potatoes, stuffing and tofurkey - complete carb overload.

I should warn you all, I am a Christmas fanatic. I absolutely love it. Starting tomorrow I will probably pull out every Christmas movie I own and start a marathon as soon as school lets out.

The reason I am telling you this is because one of the videos I am going to post is a HIIT Santa workout....you'll see below. The other is a dance video - not sure how many of you would actually be interested in learning it but I promise if you want to look at good at the choreographers then you're going to have to do the tutorial again and again and again. It will definitely be a workout.

This is the finished product - Tutorial is posted below

Step by Step Tutorial

This video here is called the Santa Claus workout and I won't lie I mainly posted it because it is Christmas related. For people new to working out it isn't all that realistic as it calls for some equipment. Mainly dumbells, rope, a duffle bag and 50lbs of sand. If you have all that go at it, or if you're like me you can improvise and  just put your pudgy cats in a bag and drag them around (not really - I don't advocate animal abuse)

Sleepy Saturday 11/29

 Wow, I just wrote a long ass post about perfectionism and the pros and cons of it etc. and then deleted it all. I want to write something happy. Something that doesn't revolve around expectations and disappointments. Something that doesn't revolve around good grades or the perfect weight. Today I want to talk about your bucket list. Yeah, I know bucket list is a list you come up with of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. A bit morbid but realistically it's just a list of things you want to do during your life. Now this isn't a 'goals' list - no dream jobs, or places you want to move or how much money you want to make. This list is simple of THINGS you want to do and PLACES you want to see. Comment below and tell me some things on your list and I will share mine.

I love to travel. It could be a Sagittarius thing, or maybe because I moved around a bit as a child. When I was 3yrs old my mother packed us up and drove from New York to Arizona. I don't remember a single bit of it, except the story I was told again and again about when we stopped in PA I beeped the horn while climbing out the truck and scared out cat and she nearly ran away.

When I was 7yrs old my mother and I took a bus from Arizona to New York for me to see my father. I spent the summer there and flew back on my own.

When I was 8yrs old my mother packed us up again and drove from Arizona to North Carolina. I don't remember much of that trip either.

I've been to Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico and back and forth to Arizona countless times to visit family. While I have never been out of the country I do like to travel.

So I don't have an actual bucket list written down - these are just places I want to see and things i want to do that have been stuck in my head for a long time.

Sierra's Bucket List

Carmen Del Playa, Mexico

Greece

Niagara Falls

Antelope Canyon/Lake Powell

Disney World

Hawaii

Skydive and/or Bungee Jump

Pole Dancing Class

So that was a pretty long list, the last one probably threw a few of you for a loop. What are some things you would include on your list?

Fitness Foodie Facts Friday 11/28

I found this article awhile back and I am not sure why I haven't used it yet but I think it is a perfect fit for Foodie Facts, I guarantee out of the 10 myths listed there will be at least one you thought to be true.

1.) Kale is our healthiest green FALSE

A 2014 study at William Patterson University ranked fruits and vegetables by their nutrient density, based on their levels of 17 different nutrients that have been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Not surprisingly, the top 16 were all leafy greens, which pack the most nutrition per calorie. (Coming in at #17 was red bell peppers.) But kale didn’t even make the top 10. In fact, simple spinach and even Romaine lettuce beat the alleged supergreen, as did parsley and chives. Even stuff you normally throw away—the greens atop beets—pack more nutrition.

2.) High Fructose Corn Syrup is worse than table sugar. FALSE

Here’s what you need to know: In a 2014 review of five studies comparing the effects of sugar and HFCS, there was no difference found in changes in blood glucose levels, lipid levels, or appetite between table sugar consumption and HFCS consumption. In other words, your body can’t tell one from the other—they’re both just sugar. 

3.) Diet sodas help keep you slim. FALSE

One Purdue study discovered that rats took in more calories if they’d been fed artificial sweeteners prior to mealtime, and a University of Texas study found that people who consume just three diet sodas per week were more than 40 percent more likely to be obese. 

4.) Yogurt is good for the bacteria in your belly. FALSE

Lactobacillus acidophilus is the bacteria you want to look for, with yogurts that say “live active cultures.” But most yogurts are so high in sugar that they do more to promote unhealthy gut bacteria than anything else. (Unhealthy bacteria feed on sugar in your belly the same way they do around your teeth.)

5.) Foods labeled “natural” are healthier. FALSE

The FDA makes no serious effort to control the use of the word “natural” on nutrition labels. Case in point: 7UP boasts that it’s made with “100% Natural Flavors” when, in fact, the soda is sweetened with a decidedly un-natural dose of high fructose corn syrup. “Corn” is natural, but “high fructose corn syrup” is produced using a centrifuge and a series of chemical reactions. Other “natural” abusers include Natural Cheetos, which are made with maltodextrin and disodium phosphate, and “natural advantage” Post Raisin Bran, which bathes its raisins in both sugar and corn syrup. The worst part is, you’re likely paying a premium price for common junk food.

6.) Dark Chocolate is good for you. FALSE

Plenty of studies have shown that polyphenols—nutrients found in darkly colored plant foods like chocolate—can do everything from lowering blood pressure to raising our ability to burn fat. A 2013 study in the journal Diabetic Medicine even found that eating dark chocolate lessened the effects of high blood sugar in diabetic patients. Unfortunately, the more chocolate is processed, the more of the polyphenols are lost. Creating “Dutch” chocolate, in which an alkalizing agent is added to the cocoa to reduce acidity, destroys up to 77 percent of the nutrients in the cocoa. To get the health benefits that have been touted since the time of Montezeuma, look for a dark chocolate that says 70% cacao (or higher) on the label. The rest? It’s just candy.

7.) Comfort food chases away the blues. FALSE

In a 2014 study in the journal Health Psychology, aptly titled “The Myth of Comfort Food,” researchers showed participants depressing films to “induce a negative effect.” Then they gave them either comfort food, foods that weren’t considered comfort foods, or no food at all. Result: The subjects got over their bad moods in equal time, regardless of whether or not they ate. 

8.) Peanut butter is a health food. FALSE

In its best form, peanut butter actually is a health food. That’s because peanuts are packed with monounsaturated fats, the heart-healthy fat that actually helps you lose weight. Here’s what the ingredients of a healthy jar of peanut butter should read:

Peanuts.

But most peanut butter doesn’t look like that. Here’s what the label of Jif Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread reads like:

Peanuts, corn syrup solids, sugar, pea protein, salt, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides, molasses, magnesium oxide, niacinamide, ferric orthophosphate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride.

9.) “Multi-grain” and “wheat” breads are better than white bread. FALSE

“Wheat bread” is generally white bread with caramel or molasses added to make it look dark and healthy. “Multi-grain” just means that different kinds of junky refined grains may have been used. Always look for the words “100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” on the package.

10.) Nutrition bars are actually nutritious. FALSE

In a world where we really called it as it is, nutrition bars would be known by another name: calorie bars. Most of them are so polluted with additives that their ingredients list looks like Charlie Sheen’s blood test results. For example, PowerBar Vanilla Crisp touts itself as “fuel for optimum performance,” but unless you’re talking about a performance by The Chemical Brothers, we’re not sure exactly what they mean. With four different types of sugar, it packs more of the white stuff than an adult woman should eat in an entire day. If you like the idea of a snackable bar that packs in the nutrition, read the ingredients carefully: Brands like KIND, Larabar, and Clif have plenty of smart offerings. But most of what’s out there is just candy.



You can find the entire article here

Thirsty (thanksgiving) thursday 11/27

Happy Thanksgiving all! I hope you had a great day with your families and ate a lot of good food.  I attempted a homemade tofurkey which, for my very first try, didn't come out so bad. I think I just need to work on the spices a bit but overall it was good. I also made a vegan mushroom gravy that came out perfect - I am so proud lol. I love to cook and do it often but normally I make a vegetable lasagna or something so this was new and I'd say successful.

But onto the whole point of today's blog. I promised myself I would post every day and that means even on holidays.

The two drinks I am going to post for you today is a hot toddy also known as hot totty/tottie and a traditional Puerto Rican drink called coquito which is kind of like an alcohol version of eggnog.

Hot Toddy

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 13 (4oz cups)

Ingredients:

1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup Demerara sugar

1 quart water

2 1/2 cups Scotch whiskey

Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

Combine the lemon, sugar, and water in a small, 2 to 3-quart slow cooker set to high. Cover and heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely, 20 to 30 minutes. Add the Scotch whiskey and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and serve warm with lemon slices and freshly grated nutmeg.

Coquito

There are actually a few different ways to make coquito and it really is just up to the person and their desired tastes. People use flavored rum or spiced rum, coconut cream, lemon zest, ice cream, ginger, ground nut horchata, vanilla, chocolate and evaporated milk just as different ways to change it up or add sweetness to it. However if you are looking to go the traditional route the recipe is below

Ingredients:

28 oz Coconut milk

2 cups Rum

14 ounces Condensed milk

2 egg yolks

vanilla, to taste

Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Directions:
Place ingredients into blender, blend until well mixed. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate until cold. Serve in small glasses and sprinkle top lightly with nutmeg and cinnamon.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

Wardrobe Wednesday 11/26

Do any of you workout with your dogs? Go jogging or running with them? Let them pull you when you rollerblade or skateboard? My cousin has a Belgian Shepherd, Jade, and she is roughly 85lbs. Jade goes running with the cousin and runs/walks along side my cousin's husband when he rides his bike.

My puppy can't do that, he's not technically a puppy but he has the body of one. My guy is around 8lbs full grown and anything below 80 degrees and he is freezing.....say hi to Tyson.

That made me think about how to keep our fur babies warm when we workout with them or just take them for a walk. My post last week was about layering for your body but what about theirs? So wardrobe wednesday isn't for the humans today but for our best friends/fur babies.

First on the list is a sweater or coat - I'm not talking about dressing them up like people do on halloween, this is solely to keep them warm. Tyson HATES his sweater and coats but it really is a necessity with a puppy as small as he is.

Almost everything humans have to keep warm, dogs have to:

 Scarfs 

Hats

Boots

Coats

All of the pictures and products above are from Petco and depending on the size of your pup, prices range from $7.99-$40.00. Not saying to overheat your dog or make him into a little human just keep them warm and protected - personally Tyson would bite me if I tried to put half of this on him but he always goes out in his sweater whether he likes it or not.

So there you have it - Wardrobe Wednesday for your fur baby

Tasty Tuesday 11/25

In honor of Thanksgiving I decided to post Thanksgiving themed goodies for you all today. It was NOT easy finding "healthy" Thanksgiving meals.

Fruit Turkey

How adorable is this? I thought it was so cute and while it's not a traditional meal (I am not sure if there is a such thing as a traditional breakfast with a Thanksgiving theme) it is healthy and gets us in the spirit. 

There isn't really a set recipe for this breakfast dish, its exactly what it looks like. The body of the 'turkey' is a half of a pear. The feathers are green grapes topped with blueberries and the nose and legs are matchstick carrots. 

Easy, affordable, healthy and cute. Could you ask for anything more?

Crispy Turkey Tostadas 

This is for a few days after Thanksgiving when you are just tired of the same old thing.

Makes: 4 servings, 2 tostadas each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

        1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, preferably with jalapeños
        1 medium onion, thinly sliced
       3 cups shredded cooked turkey, or chicken 
       8 corn tortillas
       Canola or olive oil cooking spray
        1 avocado, pitted
       1/4 cup prepared salsa
  2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
     2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
        1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
       1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

 Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

    Bring tomatoes and their juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes.

 Add turkey and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

      Meanwhile, coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Divide the tortillas between 2 large baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until crisped and lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

       Mash avocado in a bowl. Stir in salsa, sour cream and cilantro until combined.

     To assemble tostadas, spread each crisped tortilla with some of the avocado mixture. Top with the turkey mixture, lettuce and cheese.

Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

This one seems pretty easy, average or boring but it was my grandma's FAVORITE thing to make with leftover turkey. In memory of her.......my grandma's favorite (and incredibly easy) sandwich

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb leftover turkey meat, sliced

1/2 cup or so of leftover turkey gravy

Stock or water (to thin the gravy if needed)

4 large slices of rustic bread

Directions:

1 Heat gravy in a skillet until bubbly. If the gravy is too thick, thin with a little stock or water.

2 Add pieces of sliced cooked turkey meat to the gravy. Coat with the gravy on all sides and heat until the meat is heated through.

3 Arrange a slice of bread (rustic French or Italian loaf would work great) on a plate. Top with sliced turkey and gravy.

I hope you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving, cook a lot of great food and get to spend time with your families. While I think it is horrible, if you are going to black friday, please be careful not to get injured and do your best not to injure those around you. Material possessions aren't worth a trip to the ER or someone's life.

Musical Monday 11/24

We're winding down! Today's musical Monday is the 25 top workout songs from the 2000s. That is between 2000 and 2010. I googled, I looked at votes AND I looked over Billboards top singles from the past decade to compile this list. I hope you enjoy and get a nice blast from the past.



1.) DMX - Party Up (2000)
2.) Papa Roach - Last Resort (2000)
3.) Nelly - Country Grammar (2000)
4.) Backstreet Boys - The Call (2000)
5.) Beyonce - Crazy in Love (2003)
6.) Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love (2002)
7.) Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl (2004)
8.) Jayz ft. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (2009)
9.) Black eyed peas - I got a feeling (2009)
10.) Shaggy - It wasn't me (2001)
11.) Pink - Raise your glass (2010)
12.) Outkast - Ms. Jackson (2001)
13.) P.O.D. - Alive (2001)
14.) Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (2010)
15.) Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull - I like it (2010)
16.) Timbaland ft Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado - Give it to me (2007)
17.) Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA (2009)
18.) Eminem - Lose Yourself (2003)
19.) One Repbulic - Apologize (2007)
20.) Pussycat Dolls - Beep (2005)
21.) All American Rejects - Gives you hell (2008)
22.) Jayz ft. Kanye West & Rihanna - Run this town (2009)
23.) Nsync - Bye Bye Bye (2000)
24.) Christina Milian - AM to PM (2001)
25.)Jason Derulo - In My head (2010)

Sweat Fest Sunday 11/23

And I am back! I missed doing my sleep saturday post - I think those are my favorite because I get to talk about anything. Oh well. The important thing is my mom is home from the hospital and resting. I am still tired but with her home now I will be able to rest but not before Sweat Fest Sunday!

With Turkey day around the corner maybe you want to step up the intensity? I have never done P90x, I don't think it's any secret I'm not a fan of hardcore cardio but if you here is a 10 minute snippet of what a P90x workout is like. Maybe it will sway you to buy the dvds or possibly run for cover. You will need hand weights for this workout.

If you want an equally tough workout without the weights this one is for you. Rather than paying money to tone your muscles this uses your own body weight for resistance.

Sleepy Saturday - No post for today - 11/22

Hello all, I didn't want to skip sleepy saturday but I have been at the hospital all day and am exhausted. My mother hadn't been feeling well so I took her into the ER first thing in the AM. After running some tests they decided she needed her gallbladder out. It was a very long day and I am just too exhausted. My apologies

Fitness Foodie Facts Friday 11/21

How many of you like peanuts? Or cashews, almonds, pecans etc? I love cashews and when I was younger my grandmother always had a canister somewhere. When she would go to sleep, or go the bathroom and leave me alone I would dip into the cabinet and literally scoop out a handful. As if she wouldn't notice the huge indentation next time she went for some. I don't keep nuts in the house because I am lacking in willpower and the amount of calories for the small serving size just does not work for me. However, if you do like eating nuts, most of them are good for you, this post is for you. I came across an article that actually breaks down the best and worst nuts to eat:

BEST NUTS ON THE MARKET
The lowest-calorie nuts at 160 per ounce are almonds (23 nuts; 6 grams protein, 14 grams fat); cashews (16 to 18 nuts; 5 grams protein, 13 grams fat); and pistachios (49 nuts; 6 grams protein, 13 grams fat). Avoid nuts packaged or roasted in oil; instead, eat them raw or dry roasted, says Caplan. (Roasted nuts may have been heated in hydrogenated or omega-6 unhealthy fats, she adds, or to high temperatures that can destroy their nutrients.) 

WORST NUTS ON THE MARKETOunce for ounce, macadamia nuts (10 to 12 nuts; 2 grams protein, 21 grams fat) and pecans (18 to 20 halves; 3 grams protein, 20 grams fat) have the most calories—200 each—along with the lowest amounts of protein and the highest amounts of fats.

Best nuts to/for your.....
Heart: Walnut
Brain: Peanut
Men: Brazil nut and pecans
Prevent Disease: Almonds


http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20585485,00.html 
The link above goes in depth about why walnuts are best for your heart and how almonds help prevent disease. It also tells you the best and worth brands, health wise, to buy.

Thirsty Thursday 11/20

So no facts or about what to drink and not to drink today. Today I am going to post 3 drinks you can make at home to keep you warm in this winter weather. I will say these drinks aren't exactly in line with my healthy theme I normally have going so be warned. But holidays are a time to indulge a little right? And as long as you don't drink all 10 servings I think you should be fine. I have never tried any of these drinks but I hope you do and enjoy - I may have to give in and try the last one.

Eggnog Latte

Prep time: 5 minutes, 

Cook time: 1 minute

Serving size: 1

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup 2% milk

• 2/3 cup eggnog

• 1 shot (1.5 ounces) brewed espresso

• Nutmeg (optional)

 

Directions

1. Pour milk and eggnog into a steaming pitcher and heat to between 145-165 degrees F, using the steaming wand.

2. Brew the shot of espresso, then add to mug.

3. Pour the steamed milk and eggnog into the mug, using a spoon to hold back the foam. Spoon foam over the top. Sprinkle ground nutmeg (or grind fresh nutmeg yourself) on top of the foam. 

Hot Buttered Lemonade

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serving Size: 4

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups water

• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

• 4 cinnamon sticks (optional)

 

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer water, lemon juice, sugar and lemon peel until sugar is dissolved.

2. Pour into mugs; dot each with butter. Drop in a cinnamon stick if desired. 

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1-4 hours

Serves: 9

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup powder chocolate milk mix or powder cocoa mix

• 8 cups hot water

• 3/4 cup chocolate syrup

• 1/4 cup peanut butter

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

 

Directions

1. Pour cocoa mix in a 3-4 quart slow cooker.

2. Carefully stir in hot water.

3. Stir in chocolate syrup.

4. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or on high for 90 minutes to 2 hours.

5. Whisk in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.

6. Ladle cocoa into mugs.

Wardrobe Wednesday 11/19

It is currently 36 degrees out, and I am freezing. I am always freezing though, that's nothing new. My mom calls me a "bag lady" when I am home and not planning on going anywhere because I layer up and it isn't pretty. Usually my "bag lady" attire consist of cartoon character PJ pants, an over sized shirt that often hangs to my knees and then a sweatshirt or hoodie and the shirt hangs out from under the hoodie. Yeah I have no shame. Not like I am going out or taking a selfie to post to Facebook so as long as I am warm I am all good. So the point of the semi-embarrassing reveal of my "bag lady" layers is this awesome post I found with pictures to help us know how much to layer for the cold weather and how much is too much. You don't want to put so much on that mid run you're overheating and stripping in front of the little kiddies at the park. So, now pictures of clothes today but a helpful guide instead: