MY LOVELY DAUGHTERS' ADVENTURES INTO TRIM HEALTHY TEEN COOKING!

One way to find out (or confirm if you're in denial) if you are a Type A Personality is to let your children cook and create without you. Every clatter and clang causes me to head that way, only to stop myself short...

It's crazy, but I find the teenage years harder for me than any other age! They're so much more capable than I am used to realizing. Letting go is my challenge.

My husband came home today, and knows these things are out of my comfort zone, and said: "Just pretend you're Elsa...'Let it go....let it go....'" 

You know what?  THEY NAILED IT!  And...I grew up just a little bit, too...I'm learning to Let Go...baby-steps at a time!

:

You

I PRESENT TO YOU THEIR MASTERPIECES!!!!

My 15 year old daughter invented this recipe last night when she was cooking! It was delicious!
So proud of these teenagers of mine who are learning to embrace and "own" THM now! 

ANNA'S CREAMY-CHEESY HERB CHICKEN (THM-S)
4 large whole chicken breasts
4 Tbsp melted coconut oil
****
Sauce:
4 Tbsp heavy cream
4 Tbsp almond milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (green can is fine) + more for sprinkling
1 tsp flour of choice (she used THM Baking Blend)
4 dashes Tobasco sauce
2 dashes of garlic powder
4 dashes of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute**
1/ 2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt

Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl. In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish, place chicken breasts. Brush melted coconut oil over chicken. Spread sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, according to your preference. Add a few more dashes of rosemary to the tops of chicken breasts. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes, or until juices run clear and internal temperature is 170.


**Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute is a smooth blend of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil.Jun 9, 2014

I have to "brag" on my 16 year old Katie's "Trimtastic Zucchini Cake" (S) from the new THM cookbook! It was divine!  I love her personal flair in plating! They're cooking me out of a job...and I love it!

KATIE'S THM "TRIMTASTIC ZUCCHINI CAKE" from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook

(Recipe slightly altered, in order to avoid copyright infringement)

One last share...our sweet 13 year old Gracelyn wanted to make Texas Brownies (S) tonight, and we used this recipe from Beauty and the Foodie. She rocked it (with a little guidance from Mom). The icing seemed a little bit too sweet to us, but maybe some of you will enjoy it "as is.

~Joy and Deliciousness from our Home to Yours! 

Get Your Skillet On!

Skillet meals are such a convenient way to prepare meals for busy families!  We often make several meals per week this way.  One of the healthiest, most accessible and affordable protein sources is eggs.  Our family can make meat stretch without sacrificing protein content by enjoying it as an ingredient in quiches, egg-based casseroles, and skillet scrambles like this one.  It’s budget-friendly, easy enough for your kids to prepare, and its versatility can be enjoyed for any meal!

KIELBASA –CHEESY EGG SCRAMBLE (S)

Print this recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. Butter or coconut oil

1-2 Kielbasa sausages, depending on family size

6-12 eggs, depending on family size

Splash of water or milk

Salt, pepper, seasonings to taste

½- 1 small bag frozen peppers/onions blend, depending on family size and taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat about 1 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil in 12-inch skillet on medium heat until melted and bubbly.  Slice Kielbasa sausages into bite size coins.  Add Kielbasa to sizzling skillet, stirring occasionally to brown.  

Meanwhile, crack 6-12 eggs in bowl.  (For our family of 6, I used 1 dozen eggs, which enabled us to have enough leftovers for my husband’s breakfasts for a couple days.)  Add a splash of water or milk, salt and pepper, and whisk thoroughly.  Set aside.  

Add ½-1 whole small bag of frozen peppers/onions blend (depending on your family’s taste) to the skillet.  Cook together with Kielbasa, stirring occasionally.   

When peppers and onions begin to soften, pour eggs over the top.  Allow the eggs to cook without stirring until the eggs begin to set.   

With a rubber scraper or spatula, begin to gently flip over portions of the scramble.  Turn heat to medium-low and allow it to continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are fully cooked.  Turn heat to low, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top, and cover for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Serve alongside toast, wrapped in a tortilla, or with fried potatoes.  For those following Trim Healthy Mama, this is an S meal and would be great with a low-carb wrap or a tossed salad!  Try a few dashes of Tabasco sauce or Sriracha sauce to kick it up a notch!

~Blessings and Happy New Year from our home to yours!

MENU for the week of August 9-15

WEEKLY MENU:  August 9-15, 2015

*Using the Trim Healthy Mama plan

~SUNDAY~

B:  Strawberries and hard boiled buttered egg (S)

L:  Waffles, sausage patties, eggs (off-plan)

D:  Crockpot Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps; "Pink Pasta" (Dreamfield's pasta with a pesto/alfredo & marinara combo), celery (S)

Snacks:  Celery/peanut butter; fresh berries/string cheese

~MONDAY~

B:  Leftover biscuits and gravy (off-plan)

L:  Leftover beef and salad; raw veggies/ranch dip (S)

D:  Pulled Pork, zucchini/parm. "fries" , Southwestern cauliflower (S)

Snacks:  olives; berries and Tripe Zero Oikos yogurt

~TUESDAY~

B:  Strawberry/banana smoothie with protein powder (E)

L:  Lunchables (2 Wasa Light Rye crackers, 1/3 less fat cream cheese, turkey breast); salad w/ spritzer dressing (FP)

D:  Turkey/turkey bacon/lettuce/tomato salad or low-carb wrap (S with mayo or dressing)

Snacks:  Celery/peanut butter; fresh berries/string cheese

~WEDNESDAY~

B:  Scrambled eggs with salsa & sour cream (S)

L:  Lunchables (2 Wasa Light Rye crackers, 1/3 less fat cream cheese, turkey breast); salad with spritzer dressing (FP)

D:  Taco salad (S)

Snacks:  THM chocolate pudding; Mixed nuts

~THURSDAY~

B:  Lemon/coconut MIM; coffee/cream (S)

L:  Tuna in celery or Romaine boats; raw veggies/ dip (S)

D: Mediterranean Chicken Bake; green beans (S)

Snacks: Skinny chocolate; cottage berry whip

~FRIDAY~

B:  Fat-stripping Frappe (FP)

L:  Mediterranean chicken salad on romaine (S)

D: TBA--headed camping for the weekend...will check out some ideas and more ideas

Snacks:  Skinny chocolate; THM chocolate pudding

~SATURDAY~

B: TBA

L: TBA

D: TBA

Snacks:  TBA 

Dessert options:  THM Texas Brownies (S); Cottage Berry Whip (FP); Tummy-tucking ice cream (FP); Special Agent Brownies (S); THM Lemon Bars (S)...

JULY 6 ~ Laziness and Waffles (S)

Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.

I remember our dad quoting these verses when we were growing up...especially on Saturday mornings when we might have stayed up late and were sleeping in longer. It's so weird how much more wonderful bed feels to me in the mornings when I'm supposed to get up, than when I first went to bed the night before...

Now that I'm a wife and mother, especially, I am so thankful for the way my parents trained us.  Fun has its place, but it comes after work.  I cannot imagine trying to run a household and family with these priorities reversed.  God is very clear about what He desires we women do with our lives.  

SO WHAT?  WHAT does He want me to do, so that I'm not a lazy sluggard? 

Here are a few more verses that put "women's feet" to the verses from Proverbs:

Titus 2:3-5
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Proverbs 31:17
"She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks."

BUT HOW?  I'm so tired sometimes...I'm exhausted, in fact!  How can a woman keep up with the laundry, housecleaning, a happy marriage, church/ministries, activities, Bible reading and study, finances, grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking healthy foods, child training, homeschooling, birthday remembering, hospitality, exercise, family time, organizing, de-cluttering, hygiene, and sleep?   

HOW, I ASK THEE?  Truthfully, I don't.  But I know some things about HOW God's Word tells me it can be done:

Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Philippians 4:13
^"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Matthew 11:28-30
  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 40:11
"He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young."

Galatians 6:9
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives strength to the weary 
 and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary, 
   they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 48:11-14
"The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,     
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

There are many books written on the subject of women, mothers, wives, and other similar topics, but there is ONLY ONE BOOK that has all the answers.  God's Word IS the standard...He created us, therefore, He is the ONLY ONE WHO has the solutions to our problems.  Human wisdom is simply a re-telling of God's Inspired Word.  

SO, to break it down in mathematical equations:

Laziness=bad
Too much sleep=bad
Tired and exhausted=expected
Solution=our walk with Christ

Our Job=throw off junk+run with endurance+fix eyes on Jesus+do it in His strength+don't lose heart+come to Jesus & learn from Him+hope in the Lord+seek His guidance, satisfaction, and strengthening+ keep the Sabbath a delight [a.k.a. Read the Bible, Pray, Worship & honor the Lord]

God's promises=He will give us rest for our souls+gently lead us+we will reap a harvest at the proper time+He will give us strength and increase our power+we will soar on eagle's wings, run and not be weary, walk and not faint+He will guide, satisfy, and strengthen us+we will be like a well-watered garden+repair broken walls & lives+we will find our joy in the Lord and ride in triumph, feasting on the inheritance [a.k.a Philippians 4:19 ~"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."]

WHY?  WHY on earth would God give us all we need for free when we're such weak and struggling and fickle creatures?  The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, sums it up beautifully!

Ephesians 3:14-21
¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Amen, indeed!

*******************************************

Okay, since we're talking about laziness today, I think I can confess that laziness is one of the reasons for my recent weight stall, then beginning to gain.  Sad, I know.  Especially because I have the science and tools at my fingertips.  Thank goodness each day is a new day!  I resolved to eat healthfully for all of July, and since that was kind of a flop for the past few days, I decided to try my best for the rest of the month.  One of the things we did was to make these delicious, lovely "Healthified Protein Waffles"  from Keto Adapted by Maria Mind Body Health.  This is a Trim Healthy Mama S meal, which is served here with grass-fed butter and sugar free syrup.

Print this recipe 

INGREDIENTS you'll need:

The batter:

 In the waffle iron--don't fill it too full, even though it's thick:

 Set the timer for 4 minutes:

 And there you have delicious Belgian waffles!  We ate them for lunch while watching "Leave it to Beaver," and it was awesome!

TIP: Make sure your waffle iron is hot hot hot before adding any batter or it will stick.

“HEALTHIFIED” PROTEIN WAFFLES from http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/new-protein-waffle/

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup JAY ROBB vanilla egg white or 1 cup THM whey protein powder
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 eggs
4 TBS butter or coconut oil, melted
Preheat waffle iron to high. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bake according to your waffle iron directions (I spray my waffle iron with THIS Coconut oil spray). Enjoy! Serve with on-plan maple syrup or Nature’s Hollow Xylitol syrup.  Makes 10 waffles.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per waffle)
Traditional Waffle = 223 calories, 8.5g fat, 5g protein, 27 carbs, 0.7g fiber (26.3 effective)
“Healthified” Waffle = 144 calories, 8g fat, 12.2g protein, 4g carbs, 2.1g fiber (1.9 effective)


~Blessings and Peace from our Home to Yours!

OH JOY! {Almond Joy MIM} (S)

When I was in college, there was an awesomely delicious bistro that we went to once in a blue moon on special occasions...when we had $8 to spend on a slab of cake...and we didn't know we were  making ourselves more insulin resistant by the bite (and by "we," I mean me).  There were so many gorgeous, gourmet cakes in the glass case just waiting...

One dark night, I met one in particular and fell in love...Mounds Cake.  (I don't know why they called it that, actually, because it had almonds on it, and that is really an Almond Joy instead.  We all know "Peter Paul Almond Joy's got nuts--Mounds don't," right?)

Anyway, it was layer upon layer of dark, dense chocolate cake, with coconut creamy filling, almonds, ganache...{swoon}...

SO, after starting Trim Healthy Mama, we got to go back to our old college stomping grounds for a friend's wedding...and there it was...THE PLACE.  I wanted to eat a piece just like the old days...so we stopped and I went in.  But then I just couldn't...you know...I JUST COULD-ENT!

I've been thinking of it off and on since then and finally decided to try my hand at making a Mounds {Almond Joy} Muffin in a Mug!  And it was Awesome.  And I'm stuffed.  For all you THMs out there, this is definitely an S (satisfying)!

The cast of characters

Plus the almond extract I forgot in the first picture...

Print This Recipe




INGREDIENTS:
"MIM"
1 egg
2 Tbsp. golden flax
1 Tbsp. almond meal
1 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. almond milk
dash of salt
5-ish dashes of Kal pure white stevia extract (only 3 little holes open)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
5 almonds (cut in half)
Coconut oil (or other) spray, optional

"Frosting/Topping"
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut
a splash of almond milk
a couple shakes of stevia
3 almonds (cut in half)

DIRECTIONS:
"MIM"
Spritz coffee mug (or other heat-safe dish) with cooking spray (opt.).  It's not "purist," but neither is the microwave we're about to cook it in.  Crack egg, whisk with fork.  Add all other MIM ingredients and stir, stir, stir until well blended.  Pop into your microwave and cook for 1 minute. (If you have a lower-wattage micro, you'll have to watch it and maybe go longer, like 1 minute + 30-40 seconds).  Take it out, put on plate, and cut in half...now for the topping!

"Frosting/Topping"
In a bowl, mix everything except the almonds together until well combined.  Spread on top of hot, lovely, beautiful muffins, and sprinkle each half with 3 almond pieces.

Give Thanks and Enjoy your Almond JOY MIM!

Almond Joy MIM

See the yumminess?

All that's left is a full & happy tummy and a little iced coffee...Ahh!

Blessings and Peace from our home to yours~