Livin' It Up... Merry Christmas!!!

Little Man woke up around 8am and was ready to rip into the stockings and presents. He was thrilled that Santa brought him a couple of items from his Christmas list. A few standouts being an Antonio Brown Jersey, a Star Wars DK Readers book of 100 scenes done in Legos, and numerous Star Wars Lego sets with the Millennium Falcon being the favorite gift (that did not come from Santa so I could get some love for that one!). Seeing how happy he was is the best gift I can be given. The smiles and jumping up and down were truly genuine reactions and I could feel the appreciation.

(So hard capturing reaction photos because he was so excited. Got his Antonio Brown jersey!)

(James Harden included!!!)

(Owns all of the Star Wars Episodes now... except 7 obviously)

It took about an hour to get through the unwrapping and it worked up quite an appetite. Since Little Man has to leave at noon on Christmas day I gave him the option of big breakfast or Christmas lunch.  He chose breakfast and said bacon was a must. I decided to make biscuits and gravy with hash browns and bacon. I had never made sausage gravy before and ended up with a failed attempt of runny gravy. Thankfully The Pioneer Woman was able to save my gravy with her recipe and it was incredibly easy and delicious. Go figure, all Little Man ate was a couple pieces of bacon and a glass of chocolate milk since he wasn't hungry.

I was exhausted after staying up late on Christmas Eve handling the stockings and placement of presents under the tree. Slept like crap too since I fall asleep on the couch every year so I don't miss his reaction to seeing the presents under the tree. The lights from the tree and garland are so bright but I keep them on for ambience and it just sets the mood but I cannot sleep with the lights on. Because I was so exhausted after making and cleaning up the breakfast and Little Man requested some time alone in his room to write a story in his new notebook I took advantage of that time to take a nap telling him to wake me when his needed alone time was over.

Santa gifted him the complete Star Wars movie set and he requested to watch Episode 3 while putting together a Lego Star Wars Snowspeeder. I loved hearing his "pew, pew, pew" as he flew it around the house.

Unfortunately our Christmas together came to an end quickly and I had to drop him off with his dad at noon. It feels like a punch in the gut saying goodbye to him.

But the day went on... I had every intention of making a Christmas dinner and was looking forward to honey glazed ham, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes and gravy but when I pulled out the ham I noticed that Kroger gave the item the wrong label and I ended up with a turkey breast. Gah!! Not in the mood for turkey. So I looked beyond the turkey and Plan B was presented.

I ended up spending the rest of the day watching movies, listening to Vince Guaraldi's jazz classic album, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and drinking Bloody Marys.

The night ended with a lit Mistletoe scented Yankee Candle, a Lush Bath Bomb bubble bath and listened to part of Charles Dicken's book, A Christmas Carol. Somehow candles make everything better and provide such a romantic ambiance.

Doin' Some Cookin'... Herb Crusted Pork Chops

I admit it. I have zero willpower to fully commit to losing this effin' weight I've packed on. No shit, I have packed on ten pounds every year since I got hired at my current company which is a desk job. With the weight gain has come a loss of motivation. The reason for the loss of motivation is because I feel extremely loved just the way I am. If I felt down on myself I'm sure I'd be more motivated. Word to my coworkers: Stop loving me so much! #conceited

There are days where I plan ahead... meal planning and making time for workouts.

Monday was one of those days.

I made these herb crusted pork chops for dinner with a side of roasted broccoli and potatoes. You know, a healthy well balanced meal. This dinner was also a celebration of sorts because it was my 4 year work anniversary. Little Man loved our "dinner date" (we consider it a "dinner date" anytime we light candles at the table) and he raved about how amazing this meal was. I posted a couple of photos on Facebook and had a friend request I bring leftovers to work, he too raved about it. Success!

Grown up version of Shake and Bake except... I made it and no one helped. Haha!!

Herb Crusted Pork Chops

Adapted from: Eat Yourself Skinny

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• dried thyme, to taste
• dried parsley, to taste
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Rub mustard evenly over the pork chops. Combine panko, thyme, parlsey, salt and pepper in a large bowl and dredge pork chops in panko mixture.

Heat a large nonstick oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the pork chops, saute for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Turn pork oven and place in the oven for about 8 minutes. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Gingerbread Man Shakeology

I absolutely love gingerbread men cookies and can take down an entire batch by myself. Problem is, these little guys sneak the weight on quickly. To satisfy a "Christmas" craving this shake was a treat to have to get that ginger snap bite without all the calories.

Gingerbread Man Shakeology

From: The BeachBody Blog

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup ice

And Action:

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... "Creamy" Italian Chicken

Crock Pot cooking is such a time saver. I love that you throw everything in, set it, and forget it. Minimal dishes and easy clean up. Winning!

Made this for an early dinner today and served it over a bed of brown rice and quinoa mix. This was the perfect meal for a lazy day at home.

The chicken is tender and the sauce is "creamy". Delish!

"Creamy" Italian Chicken 

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 lb chicken cutlets
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped asparagus
• 1/2 cup cherub tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

And Action:

Coat Crock Pot with olive oil and place chicken in the bottom.

Sprinkle chicken with all of the spices including the minced garlic. Toss to coat the chicken. 

In a small bowl, combine corn starch and water. Stir to dissolve. Add the almond milk and chicken broth. Pour over chicken.

Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours.

Add asparagus and tomatoes. Cook on high 30 minutes. Use this time to prepare brown rice, pasta noodles, or spaghetti squash.

Turn off heat and mix in Greek yogurt just before serving. Serve over rice, pasta, spaghetti squash. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Turkey Chili

Chili is an incredibly easy meal to make, especially when a slow cooker is involved. This recipe is features turkey that has been slowly simmered with tomatoes and fiber-filled beans. 

With the colder weather we've been having it finally feels like Winter is right around the corner. True story, I was literally wearing a tee shirt yesterday while in Lake Charles, Louisiana with temps in the mid 70s. No joke. Thankfully it was a cold day because this was perfect to come home to after a hard day at work and the smell of this having simmered all day long was divine. Monday Month Ends are rough and this was so comforting. 

You really can't go wrong with chili because it's adaptable to fit your tastes. Switch up the meat, beans, veggies, and tweak the spices. Make it your own.

(Everything into the pot the night before.)

Turkey Chili

Makes 4-6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• chipotle chili powder, to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

And Action:

Cook ground turkey in a skillet until browned. 

Pour meat into a Crockpot with the remaining ingredients stirring until combined. 

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.

Top with shredded cheese, greek yogurt, and green onions, if desired. Enjoy!

(With toppings all mixed up!)