Aaaaand she's back!

Planning menus and girding my loins for another battle of the bulge! I have started the "Made to Crave 21 Day Challenge" and on January 19 I'll begin the "Made to Crave Online Bible Study" over at Proverbs 31 Ministries. I gained about 10 pounds when my dad was so sick and passed away. Then Christmas added another 10 so I'm ready to get back to the battle!  Low Carb has always worked for me. I have been doing it on and off for about 30 years. It helps Marty keep his sugar under control so that is what we will be doing. I'm hoping that I can discipline myself to post inspiration, recipes, reviews and maybe some pictures here. Mainly to keep myself on track as well as maybe help someone else.

Cabbage and Collards in a Creamy Mustard Sauce

All is well in Vanessaland. Just got back from our vacation in Daytona Beach. Lots of fun in the sun and seafood! Gained 6 pounds but since being back I'm back on the wagon and working my plan. I'm 30 pounds down now. Slow and steady wins the race. looking forward to a skinnier me for my Hawaiian vacation next summer.

I made an awesome side dish last night that I just have to share! My inspiration was this soup recipe: Creamy Cabbage and Double Smoked Bacon Soup from Closet Cooking. 

Cabbage and Collards in a Creamy Mustard Sauce 
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter

1/4 pound double smoked bacon (about 2 inches of a package I just sliced off the end)
1 cup onion (diced)
¾  cup carrot (diced)
¾  cup celery (diced)
4 cloves garlic (sliced)

1 small bunch collard greens (stems removed and chopped)
1 32 oz box chicken stock
1/2 small head cabbage (chopped)
½  teaspoon oregano
2  bay leaves
½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard

Directions: 

1. Render the fat from the bacon and cook until crisp. 
2. Add the butter, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute until soft. 
3. Add the collard greens, half of the stock, oregano, bay leaves, and pepper. 
4. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. 
5. Add the cabbage, the rest of the stock, and the salt, and simmer till the stock is almost gone and the cabbage is tender (about 30 minutes). 
6. Add mustard and cream and serve.

Time flies when you're having fun!

Much has happened since I last posted. Lets see if I can catch myself up.

Rachel graduated from college. She found a great job as an engineer and is now back in college at night getting her masters degree. She bought a house in Baltimore and she and her boyfriend seem very happy. She is really enjoying making her little house a home.

Bailey is getting ready to start her 3 year of college. She plans to be a high school biology teacher once she finishes. She is really looking froward to receiving her car. She is working 2 jobs this summer to make sure she can afford the gas for it once she gets it.

Marty is working his butt off as always. He is also very busy at church. When he has tome he is working on the house and yard, playing chess, and golfing with his buddies.

Now me! I'm still directing the choir, singing in the praise team with Marty, cooking new recipes, decluttering and decorating our home, traveling and geocaching when we can, and losing weight! The losing weight part is taking a lot of my energy these days. I'm 13 weeks in and have lost (as of today) 22 pounds. I have much more to go but it is a great start!

So...In the future I would like to blog about anything and everything that is going on in my life. My diet, my kids, house cleaning and decorating, cooking, trips and geocaching, my friends and family. Anything I have on my mind.

HUGE day here at our house! Bailey is finally getting her braces off! She has been wearing them for 4 long years. A quarter of her short life!!!! She is over the moon! I'm a little excited too :)

This calls for a special dinner! (Actually as you will soon see I jump at the chance to have a special dinner!) Tonight will be "foods hard to eat or not allowed with braces". Ribs and corn on the cob! We will have some other things too but those two for sure. She also wants Milk Duds! The poor girl hasn't had a dud in 4 years....lol We will pick those up on the way home from the dentist I think.

Foodie Stuff:
I found a wonderful foodie blog Closet Cooking. I have been checking out his amazing food pics and recipes for a few weeks now. Last week I tried a salad recipe from there.....OH MAN! The dressing is my new favorite! It was fantastic! I think I will keep a bottle of it in my fridge from now on!

Another blog that I check out daily is The Pioneer Woman. I'm a real sucker for beautiful food pics and man does she have them! I tried the black bean soup from there last week. The recipe made enough to feed our entire county but it was very tasty! Now what can I make with all this leftover soup?

my menu blog

Want to know what we're having for dinner tonight?

a new leaf

Nothing like a few health issues in the family to shake things up. So "we" will be turning over a new leaf and eating more healthy. I guess, as I find really awesome healthy recipes I will plop them here for safe keeping. Out with the bad and in with the good! Perhaps I will try my hand at Foodie Photography as well. I'm not sure if I want this to become a "Foodie Blog", or a "Diet Blog", or maybe a Random Thoughts Blog. I think I will just let it evolve into whatever it will be.

Speaking of recipes I found an awesome salad recipe on one of my favorite blogs. The recipe makes enough to feed an army but it really is good. It's an Asian Salad with TONS of veggies in it. I think I may make it for the next church potluck. She also has a killer sandwich recipe there. YUM!

Until next time...

Three for Three

Tried a few new recipes last night. ALL of them were perfect!

The first was a cheap and dirty Crock Pot Chicken Gravy and Stuffing. It was easy to throw together and cooked in the crock pot. Chicken on the bottom stuffing on top both came out perfectly cooked. I used boneless chicken thighs and 2 cans of cream of chicken soup but other then that I followed the recipe. Great comfort food.

The second was Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes. Delicious but simple sauce.

Lastly dark chocolate cream pie. Not just any chocolate pie but the FIRST chocolate pie not to come out runny!!!! It came out in the most beautiful pie wedge you ever want to see and it was awesome with whipped cream.

Dark Chocolate Cream Pie

1 Deep Dish Pie Shell - baked
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/2 c Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
1/2 t salt
3 c whole milk
1 T butter
1 1/2 t vanilla

In a large saucepan, cream together egg yolks and sugar. Mix in cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Add milk and stir gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture comes to a full boil, continue boiling for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Mix well. Cool slightly then pour into pie shell. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate cream to keep from creating a skin. Chill at least 4 hours. Just before serving, top with whipped topping. Store in refrigerator.