healthy = hard and unhealthy = easy

Why does it have to be this way? Why can't it be easy to stay healthy and hard to be unhealthy?? Ugh!

Finding healthy (tasty) recipes has been challenging, but little by little I am building a new set of "go-to" recipes that are delicious! Did I mention I haven't had butter in over 2 weeks? OMG! Everything is better with butter though.... Oh, well....life goes on:-)

I have completely replaced beef with turkey....and so far so good. Spaghetti is just as good with turkey....tacos are too. I changed the tacos a bit because of all the cheese and sour cream that we would normally put on them. I found this recipe and Joel and I both love them! You won't even miss the sour cream and cheese....ok, maybe you will a little, but these are great tacos!

Here is the recipe: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2013/02/ground-turkey-green-chile-tacos.html?m=1

I think the hardest part so far is staying on track. I will do great for a few days.....then I get lazy and don't stay prepared with the food needed to cook a healthy meal. I need to work on that!

Joel went to the doc the other day and we are waiting on results to confirm that pancreatitis is really what he has. There are a number of other things it could be.....we won't know until all the results come back. He has been feeling a lot better since we have been eating better though...amazing how that works, huh? lol

My neck is doing great! It's been a few weeks since my flare up and I am ready to start working out. Doc said I need to take it slow....no running....or yoga, but I can walk and lift light weights. I plan on starting to walk at my school after class....and to do some light weight training at home.

My journey to get me and my husband healthy:-)

Joel and I have lived our lives pretty much doing and eating what we want. I was always told smoking would catch up with me...and eating unhealthy would catch up with me. Ugh...wish I would have listened. At 35 and 36 Joel and I should be at the prime of our lives enjoying every second of it, not worrying about our health:-( I am truly ready to make a lifestyle change so that we can enjoy the rest of our lives together, healthy and happy!
   I finally quit smoking. It's been almost 5 months and I already feel so much better than I did 5 months ago:-) The first few weeks were really hard, but now I rarely think about smoking. That was one of many battles I face getting healthy. One down and many to go!
   I have already had a fusion done on my lower back and just recently found out I have two herniated discs in my neck, ouch! I have really done some damage to my bones and hope that I can get healthy and get my bones were they need to be (as much as possible considering I can't go back in time). I have gained about 30 pounds and it's time to get it off! I don't like the way I look or feel. I love to eat and I love to cook, so now I just need to learn how to eat and cook the right way! Butter does make everything better, but it also makes everything fatter and more unhealthy...lol!
   Joel is still smoking, but I am hoping he will quit very soon. He has always had digestion problems since I met him. For year we thought he had gastritis and just recently found out he has pancreatitis, after spending a few hours in the ER with severe stomach pain. We are getting him in to see a GI doc so we can both learn how to control his pancreatitis. I have already started to do some research and it looks like a low fat/sugar diet is going to be best for him. Obviously it's really best for both of us anyways:-)
   This journey is about learning to change our lifestyle so that we can still enjoy to cook and eat like we always have, just doing it in a healthy way. I am looking forward to seeing our progress and living many more years with the man of my dreams!!!!
   I started out today with a low fat, healthy breakfast and it was delicious. I was raised in the south and the thought of putting salsa on eggs was outrageous, but, it has NO fat and gives great flavor! Breakfast was delicious!!! Ready to get this journey on the road....so excited!!!
   I will post all of the new recipes that I try on my food blog. I am hoping to be able to completely (almost) replace all of my previous recipes with new versions that are just as tasty without all the fat! I know this will be trial and error....and there will be many things that we hate...lol......but I know there are lots of tasty healthy recipes out there!!!
   Wish me luck y'all!!!!
 

Best Burgers in Town!

Joel and I are foodies....and we LOVE trying new places until we find the best of all different foods! Burgers are one of our favorite things to eat. We have tried many places in and close to the town we live in and hadn't found a place that really swept us off our feet. We love Twisted Root Burger for a different type of burger, but hadn't found a good ole' down home, freshly grilled, greasy, messy burger......until last night.

We had heard that a little hole in the wall bar down the street from where we live had great burgers. We decided to check it out:-) The place sits right off 1187 in Rendon (Burleson.Mansfield area). It's in a small metal building...nothing special. It use to be called The Ferocious Ambush....lol. It was a biker bar. The name recently changed to MacGyver's, but the look stayed the same.

Last night we decided we would give it a shot. We walked in to a dark, smoke smelling, typical "bar". After waiting at our table for more than a few minutes and not getting any service....we became a little frustrated. We decided to hang in there and still give it a shot, so Joel walked up to bar and placed our drink order and asked for menus. The bar tender brought us menus and a few minutes later we ordered our burgers. After the first initial bad impression....the bar tender was very friendly and took good care of us.

The burgers came out and looked ok....nothing too fancy, just your typical burger. Oh, and the fries with FRESH CUT...yum!

We both took our first bite and looked at each other immediately.....yes......this was a damn good burger. Oh my goodness!!! I am not sure what was so special about them.....but they were sooooo juicy and delicious! They had homemade pickles, and were on a french bread bun.

If you are ever in the area, it's a must try! They also have a nice sized back patio with a stage for live music. We will be back to check it out:-) 

https://www.facebook.com/macgyvers.bar

I've Been Doing It All Wrong!!!

This might be natural to some of you.....but not me:-)

Joel and I bought a new home:-) We are moving next week and so excited to have a home of our own to start building great memories in!!

While packing I decided I was going to use EVERYTHING in the kitchen so I don't have to move a bunch of refrigerated foods etc... We are having some strange dinners, but it's working on the fridge and pantry are almost empty...YAY! During this process I realized I have been writing my grocery list ALL WRONG.

In the past I have written a grocery list every week by writing out what we will have for dinner and then putting a list with it. Moving forward I am going to do it differently. My first list is going to be things I already have in the kitchen....THEN I will build my weekly menu off of things we already have. This way I didn't end of with tons of extra stuff that I don't use:-)

I know this might be very simple to most of you....and you probably already write your lists this way, but I am just figuring it out and and super excited to run a more efficient kitchen!

Cooking helps with my stress!!

I haven't been cooking as much as I usually do with the stress of school this semester:-( I just want to go out to eat and not have to cook. That's NOT like me....ugh. Monday will be the last day of this semester and I am really looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen. I have printed out a few recipes that I am going to try out and we will see if I will be able to add them to the weekly rotation. Here are a few that I am going to try.

Crock Pot Lasagna
Smothered Pork Chops
Angel Chicken
Crock Pot Pepper Steak
Tamale Pie

Oh, and did I mention none of them are healthy recipes....it's all about portion control ladies!!! Like I would know...ha!

Coconut Oil

I have been hearing a lot about how good coconut oils for your body...inside and out. I haven't cooked with it yet, but I did start rubbing it all over my body after I get out of the shower:-)

It makes my skin feel amazing! I have only been using it for 3 days and I can already tell a big difference. I was blessed with the "dry skin" curse....and no matter what I try it doesn't help! This might be my answer:-)

I did some research and could only find good things about it....so hopefully I didn't miss anything:-) I don't really see how it could hurt me....so I am not too worried.

If you have dry skin....or just want your skin to feel amazing, I would say try it out!!

Oh my aching back......

Well, my back is still feeling great since the surgery about 4 years ago, but my hip is now starting to bother me:-( I went to the doc the other day and we are going to start over with a new bone density scan and go from there. She seems concerned that I have osteoporosis at such a young age and is determined to figure out what's going on!

Once again, it's an eye opener that I need to work on my health. Ugh.....a battle I seem to face often! I have put on about 30 pounds since my surgery and have NO reason other than my own laziness. I make excuses each week as to why I don't have time to work out.....school....Thomas....I am too tired....I deserve a break...etc.... My sister said something to me today that made a lot of sense. I need to put my health 1st on my priority list....and all of my other "to-do's" will still get done. That's so true.

Starting today, I am going to make an effort to get back on track.

Blogging helps me with my reliability. I can look back and see how I have done, etc...

I hope that the doctor comes back with good news....and that nothing is terribly wrong with me. I would hate for it to be too late:-(

I will get back into blogging and post my progress:-)

Wish me luck!