Thursday, March 7, 2013

Getting fit for summer

I'm really determined to get in shape for summer.  I'm focusing on my arms, abs and thighs.  I've been pretty good this week to sticking to my workout for my arms.  I'm doing a lot of weight lifting but do realize I need to add some cardio if I want to lose the fat that is on my arms.  I'm going to start abs and thighs next week.  I absolutely love the Brazilian butt workout.  I got it last spring and did it religiously and it really toned my thighs and butt. Unfortunately I did get bored of it after 2 months so I'm really determined to start it again.  It has an ab workout section too which is great!

Its so hard to lose weight since  I have a "pear shape."  No matter what, I really will never look that slim on my bottom area. 

Clearly seen here.
 
And my hips and thighs really don't have much fat on them.  My frame is just so big.  I hate having such wide hips!!
 
 
 
Anyway in honor of throwback Thursday I have a picture of me and my best friend from when we rekindled our relationship. I believe this was our very first "hanging out" picture after we stopped talking. I can't believe this was 6 years ago!
 
 
And I can't get over how young I look.  I feel old after seeing the difference from then and now!


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Buffalo Chicken and Homemade French Fries

One of my absolute favorite things to make is buffalo chicken with homemade french fries.  I'm a vegetarian, but I do make this for my husband and it is probably one of his favorite meals! And I just love how easy it is to make!

For the chicken: (serving size approximately 2)
5-6 Chicken thighs (or wings, whichever is your preference)
1/2-3/4 cup Sriracha Hot chili sauce (or I sometimes use Franks red hot buffalo sauce)
1/2 stick Butter
Salt and Pepper (optional)

* Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
* Boil water in a large pot.  Once the water is rapidly boiling add the the chicken and cook for 7 minutes.
* Drain the water and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel (sometimes I choose not to do this but it will splatter on your oven if you skip this step)
* Spray a baking sheet with Pam Cooking Spray and place the chicken on the baking sheet.
* Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes turning it a few times to avoid it sticking.
* While that is cooking, melt the butter in the microwave.  Pour it into a large bowl.
* Add the Sriracha sauce and mix well.
* When the chicken is done place it in the bowl, covering it completely with the sauce and let it sit a few minutes before serving.


For the French Fries: (Serving size approximately 2)
3 Potatoes
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

* Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
* Spray a baking sheet with Pam Cooking Spray.
* Cut the potatoes into slices and place them in a large bowl.
* Drizzle the potatoes with Olive Oil (enough to coat them completely).
* Stir potatoes adding salt and pepper evenly.
* Put them on the baking sheet and add more salt and pepper if needed.
* Bake them for 20-30 minutes flipping them often to prevent sticking.


Since the chicken is boiled and then baked its a healthier version, while still being crispy! 

 

 
 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Samoa Girl Scout Cookies!

Since last week I decided to make cookies, I really want to share the experience I had making them. First off, I absolutely love sweets. I'm really starting to think one day its going to catch up on me. I'm very lazy when it comes to working out (I'm working on changing that soon though), but I LOVE sweets. Its a bad habit of mine.

Well I love the samoa girl scout cookies. I could, in fact eat the whole box in one sitting if it weren't for the fact of feeling so guilty afterwards. So I decided to try a copy cat recipe that I found.


My finished product
Well, they took me a couple hours to make but I think they came out tasting great. Would I make them again? I think I would if I had the time. Baking is a passion of mine but sometimes its so hard to find time for it.
Here is the recipe with notes added :)
(in the future I will have recipes with pictures added along the way of the steps, but I wasn't sure if I was going to follow through with this blog at the time of making them)


Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen
Prep Time: 2 hours (including chilling)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coconut topping:
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
8 ounces store-bought caramels (the ones found in a bag individually wrapped)
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces dark chocolate (I used dark chocolate chips)


Directions:
* Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

* In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

* In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In three increments, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, mixing between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the milk and vanilla extract, blending until combined and the dough begins to come together in large pieces.

* Use your hands to press the dough together into a compact disk. Wrap the disk securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (I threw mine in the freezer for 20 minutes and it works the same)

* Once the dough has chilled, roll the disk out onto a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many cookies as possible with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter. (I didn't have one so I used a circle cookie cutter and then used the screw top of a heavy cream container as the inside cutter. worked perfectly!) Place the cut-out cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

* Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through, until the cookies are pale golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Make the coconut topping:
* Spread the coconut flakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the coconut for about 10 minutes in a 350ºF oven until toasted, stirring frequently (I did every 3 minutes) to ensure even browning and so that it does not burn. Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and set it aside.

*Melt the caramels, milk and salt in a double-boiler by placing the caramels in a medium saucepan set over a large saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring, until the caramels are fully melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat and combine 3/4 of the caramel with the toasted coconut in a large bowl.

*Carefully spread the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel atop the cooled cookies then press on a portion of the coconut mixture. (this part was a PAIN. I used a spoon and left the remaining caramel over a low heat to prevent it from hardening. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes.

* Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens fully. (it also helps to put them in the fridge to harden)


So my overall review of them is they tasted amazing, but they do take quite a long time to make!
Hello all!! I've decided to start this blog to talk about different recipes I love, different outfits I find at great deals, and to just talk about things going on in my life. :)  I hope you enjoy reading my blog!