Lent? What are you giving up?! COOKIES!!!

I decided to give up cookies for Lent! I haven’t given up anything in a few years, let alone even really “cared” about it in the least. BUT! I decided that since I’m working toward losing this gigantic butt of mine, I might as well give up something this year! It can only help, right?! Ugh! riiiiight! I think that this will be the most difficult. Honestly, I don’t really even like cookies that much. Here’s the thing though… My daughter, Scarlett is in Girl Scouts for the first time this year and we over-bought Girl Scout cookies because of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She sold that most in her troop and is totally proud of it! But I’m not going to let my butt pay for it!

Also, my Etsy bakery has been getting more orders! It is so hard to make a batch of delicious cookies to sell without snagging a few myself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously!? Nobody better order between now and Easter! HAHA! No… I will be okay. Because I am strong, and I can totally handle this challenge! Because… I have a goal! I am currently just over 250, and my plan is to be under 200 by New Years Day 2013! My hope is that my husband and kids will eat up all the cookies and leave none for me to consume after Lent is over. Okay… maybe they could leave me just ONE measly Samoa?! MY FAVORITES! 😀 Okay okay… enough of that!  I am NOT weak! I will not be weak!

So instead, I will be working hard on my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and keeping myself occupied with my other Etsy shop! 🙂 I am working on some new items, like headbands and burp cloths to be added soon! So excited!

Super yummy meatloaf with NO EGG! :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My youngest son is allergic to eggs, so I decided to make this without! And also, trying to get a little extra veggies in my kids diet is always hard!

They loved this, and I think it tastes even better this way!
Ingredients:

1lb LEAN ground beef

1lb ground turkey

2 slices cooked bacon(chopped into bits)

1 large carrot, shredded

1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach

1/8 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic(minced)

3 Tbsp Italian bread crumbs

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

 

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, use hands to mix all ingredients together.
Divide this evenly and fill 4 mini loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Half of a mini-loaf pan is a serving, but with all the goodness of this, you will want to eat a whole one! 😉

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes ~24 bites

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 2 stalks green onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Mix together quinoa, carrot, egg, green onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, flour, salt and pepper.
3.  Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each).
4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

I made these bites with a simple teriyaki marinated pan-cooked chicken and steamed brussel sprouts! Light or fat-free honey mustard salad dressing is a great dip for these bites!

Quinoa with Spinach and Feta Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh spinach

1 ounce feta cheese

1 cup cold water

 

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer until all of the water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic until edges turn a very light brown color, being careful not to burn it (reduce heat to low, if necessary). When the quinoa is done, add it to the skillet, along with the spinach. Stir it together until the spinach wilts. Add the crumbled feta and stir to combine.

I made this with a simple pan-cooked chicken in olive oil, but you could make this as a vegetarian meal(alone), or as a side with a variety of delicious meats!