Decisions and Pancakes

    Not too much going on with my life lately, well I take that back. I'm always busy but doing the same things Ive been doing for the past few weeks. Training! Unfortunately kickboxing is officially over. Looking into different classes to take like yoga or even another kickboxing class cause I love it so much. Its Memorial Day weekend and have an awesome way to kick it off by doing another adventure race! This one was called just that long Island adventure race, 5k and obstacles included. If only the weather held up it was a high of 50degrees and raining. Only advantage this gave was that it gave it more mud but other then that, the cold wind I could have done without. Days off from work also mean a delicious breakfast. Egg are a definite but what should I put in it. cheese yes. peppers yes. and I saw leftover steak in the fridge. never had steak and eggs before so here goes nothing. sliced it into thin strips and it was actually pretty delicious in an omelet, side of green tea and there is a great breakfast. A little bit later when that digests slightly I bring out my magic bullet to whip up a smoothie. 1 apple, 1 banana, 1/2 cup yogurt, handful of baby spinach, and a 1/2 cup of oats. Blend it all together and there you have a wonderful drink with also 2 servings of fruit and 1 vegetable! Its a meal replacement as well.
       Recently I went out a few friends and made a pretty big decision for myself, ready?.... No alcohol for a whole month. No wine after work or with dinner, no crazy ladies nights, not one drop for one month. And what happens in one month? that would be my birthday and the beginning of Bonnaroo!!! Perfect timing, so here I go. what will this accomplish. It'll help my training to slim down and be jacked, It'll put more cash in my pocket, and that's really about it besides being healthier. Its been a lot easier then I thought it would be. Not saying that I was an Alcoholic before this, I'm just saying that I loved to drink. Having a glass of wine after work was delicious. Only a couple more weeks left and feel good about it.
    So I know I said I would share the party desserts I made a few weeks ago but I really wanted to tell you about these pancakes I just made. With get this.. 3 ingredients. They came out so amazing.


Easy & Healthy Pancakes (yields 8-3'' Pancakes)

~3 Egg whites
~1/2 cup Oats
~1 Banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender and you have yourself pancake batter. Cant get easier then that.
The taste of the banana isn't over whelming either, So soft and fluffy as well. Enjoy and protein packed delicious breakfast anytime!

Survival race and Frittatas

     Race season has officially begun, Well for me anyway. Completed my first 5K Obstacle course yesterday and it was AMAZING! I recommend it to anyone. Over 10 awesome obstacles including 15 foot walls, sand beach crawls, two mud pits which was my favorite part and so many more. At the end we were covered from head to toe in mud and sweat. Was it difficult, yes. Was it treacherous, yes. But it was also awesome, thrilling, adrenaline rushing, and Id do it all over again. Which I am already signed up for Tough Mudder in October which is 3x the length and obstacles then this past race. Training is still in full force and the drive I have for this summer is out of control.
      Yesterday was also the 2nd annual Casino party held at my residence. Roulette, blackjack, and craps tables along with a DJ and full open bar had this party hopping. Learned how to play Craps which was a lot to learn but once I got the hang of it there was no stopping me!  Delicious homemade hors d'oeuvres and desserts being passed around all night was a huge hit with everyone. Not to toot my own horn but With yours truly making all the dessert of course they were delicious. What was the menu? It was mini themed so people can easily take and go. Mini Apple Turnovers, Mini Key Lime Cupcakes, Mini Chocolate Eclairs, and a Raspberry Streusel Tart. Which one am I going to tell you about, none of those actually. Not yet anyway. I will soon because there too good not to share. Today I'm going to talk about the breakfast I made for a few people who had to stay the night. One of the appetizers we had last night included a mango pepper salsa and we had a ton left. So I came up with the idea to finally try out the egg frittata. It came out really great and so easy. Helped that the salsa was already made ahead of time but you can also buy premade salsa if you want.

Salsa-
Finely chopped mango
chopped red, green, yellow peppers
finely chopped onion

Combine all salsa ingredients in a large bowl. depending on amount of people (I did 2 egg per person) for 12 eggs I added 1 cup of milk. whisk together with salsa mixture.  In a muffin tin spray with cooking oil and fill each cup about 3/4. bake in oven for 20-25 min on 375* degrees

Easier then taking individual egg orders and making omelets for each person. Enjoy!

Food truck?

Just a quick post today I got some inspiration at work today from the front cover of a magazine with an airstream rv on it. I want to start a food truck and even though I have so many things on my mind for a menu I wanted to reach out to people and see what YOU would want in a food truck. What's your favorite food. Things you crave but can't find often. Or anything else you can think if. I'm open to any and all suggestions! Please!

Set Goals, Be Happy, C'est La Vie

     I am determined to make this summer the best summer ever.. Have I said this before? maybe but i mean it. I have at least one thing planned to do every month until October. Ive mention some of the things before I know that but since then I've added in a few 5ks here and there and also the awesome, Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash races. Both are intense obstacle courses that test your mental and physical strengths. I highly recomend checking them both out. Heading up to New Paltz next weekend and then out to the Hamptons the week after that. Jam packed plans this month, Trying to stay as busy as possible. On my 5th week of kickboxing and Ive noticed a huge difference. Cant wait to see the results when all 10 weeks are over. Just in time for Bonarroo in Tennesee then onto some hard core training after that for these intense races ahead of me.
    So I have a confession to make... I cheated this morning.  I used a Muffin box mix.   I know I know  not so serious  but its cheating in my mind. I only had a few hours until work and a major needed baking session. Since I used a box mix I dont have a recipe right now to post. But I would like to share a few words of wisdom and inspiration. This week has been a long one and has dragged my mood down to the core of misery. Not a place anyone should be in. Everyone has there own way of dealing with things that hurt them. If they work for you and get back on track as quickly as possible then Im happy for you. Thats the main topic Im trying to get at. Happiness.  Dont let anything or anyone take that away from you. Your life is still yours, dont give in to the sadness. Crawling up in a ball in bed wont help anything. Stay active, keep moving, put your energy into something productive. Go out with the people that care the most about you. My favorite saying is C'est La Vie for a reason. Thats life,  it will continue with or without you so are you going to let someone ruin that or are you going to rise above it. Be the stronger person. Find a hobbie, go to your favorite place, take up a sport, set a goal and defeat it. Surprise yourself of what your capable of doing.
     Now with that said. Its Saturday! go out and enjoy it. If your like me and work weekends then put on a happy face and make someone else smile today. Doesnt happen often but making other people laugh is an awesome feeling. Laughter is the best medicine.

Training. Car troubles. and Cheesecake

       Hey Everyone. Sorry I haven't been on here in a while. Life was happening and I was living it. Not saying this blog would have been taking up my time, just haven't had much time to sit. My new life goal has been taking me in all different directions. My goal, to become a triathlete. Started training a few days ago and love every minute of it. Being more physically fit is my drive to do better , be better. I'm already on week 4 of my 10 week kickboxing class and cant get enough of it. Ive never looked forward to torturing myself before until now. If anyone likes to run or has a goal to run more then download this app MAPMYRUN  Its awesome! check it out, it'll tell you everything you wanted to know while your running, biking, walking, etc.
     Right now I'm suppose to be at work, why I'm not? My lovely car wont start. but lucky for you i now have time to sit down and write! Woke up this morning with high hopes it was going to be a good day. Room window opened for the first time since winter started and woke up to the birds chirping and a slight glow from the sun. got ready, packed lunch, right on time to leave so I can stop and grab an Ice tea. what happens next? Get in my car, turn the key and nothing. nothing happened next besides my head falling and a long sigh of the word WTF running through my already busy mind. Popped the hood and me staring into what could have been a black hole of randomness. Me looking into a engine is like a blind knife thrower. Its possible with practice but not recommended. I am convinced I'm jinx with cars. No matter what I drive something goes wrong, Often. Called work to say I'm going to be late just in case I some how found a way to get it working. Headed back inside ate my breakfast made some tea and here I am now. Not at work. Weather is suppose to be gorgeous today so I'm not complaining just not looking forward to a busy Wednesday if I cant make it to work. What I don't do today will only be left til Wednesday. But enough about my car.
       I have a few recipes I want to tell you about but one in particular is a must right now. It will change your life if your a cheesecake fan. Best homemade cheesecake I have ever made. Made it for Easter and everyone raved about it. Not many ingredients. very few directions and you come out with extremely moist decadent cake.
 


Cheesecake

Supplies
-Springform pan 9''
-Kitchen Aid mixer (works best theres a lot of mixing)

Ingredients
Cake
~ 6 large eggs
~ 1 1/2 cups sugar
~ 2 lbs Cream cheese (4-8 oz packages)
~ 1/2 pint sour cream
~1/2 Heavy cream
~ Juice of one lemon
~ 1 Tbs Vanilla
~ 2 heaping Tbs flour

Crust
~1 1/2 C crushed vanilla wafers
~ 6 Tbs melted butter
~ 1/2 C sugar

Directions

Oven 425*  note- Temp Changes within 15 min baking

Let cream cheese soften on counter for up too an hour. Crush wafers until fine. I used a food processor. set aside. beat all four cream cheese packages in mixer until smooth one at a time mix eggs in, scraping the sides of the bowl often. once combined mix in sugar, sour cream, vanilla. mixer should be on a low setting DO NOT OVER MIX or let bubbles form. you don't want air in your cake. Next pour in heavy cream and lemon juice. should not be lumpy on the bottom. while batter is mixing take crushed wafers and combine melted butter and sugar together. press firmly and evenly on bottom of pan and place in refrigerator for 5-10 min or until cool. once cake mixture is fully combined pour into pan and place in oven. *** Once the door to the oven is closed DO NOT OPEN IT!!!! until 2 hours are completed. again DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN..  OK now that you get the point.  set timer for 15 minutes. once that is done turn the oven down to 275* but don't open it!! then bake for an additional 1 hour. and turn off the oven, again. DON'T OPEN IT! lol let the cake sit in the oven for another 45 minutes while its still hot in there. its still baking. After 2 full hours in the oven take it out and place in refrigerator until cool.
ENJOY!  Its delicious. eat it plain. or with your favorite jam, I covered mine in cannoli cream, Yummm!  


I don't have any pictures of the production but here's one of the finally outcome.

Cant wait for summer and cheesy mac bites

      Plans, Plans and more plans! Too bad there mostly for summer and the fact I cant wait for it to be warm out isn't great either. First plan on the list is kickboxing, its a 5 days a week for 10 weeks program. Its going to be awesome. its also ends in may which is perfect timing for beach weather and the next plan on the list. Bonnaroo!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Even all those exclamation points can not express the excitement I have built up. June 12th cant not come fast enough, which is the day we leave and also is my birthday. If you don't know what Bonnaroo is then look it up. Its one of the best music festivals ever held in Tennessee. Next on the list is a softball league with a bunch of my friends. Use to play when I was younger and loved it. Was pretty good at it if I do say so myself. I'm just hoping summer is nice but not a sauna. Last thing I want is it to be a million degrees out when I need to be on a softball field. What else, how bout training for a triathlon! Nope I'm not joking. A few weeks into my kickboxing class I plan on starting to train for a triathlon. Have I ever done something like this before? Nope. Brand new to this whole thing but I'm sure Ill get the hang of a routine quickly. I have all the things I need right here in the complex. A pool to do laps in, a 2 mile lap around and a bike. Not a very great bike but nothing I cant eventually replace when I need it. Now all I have to do is find a race semi near by and start training.
     Today started out OK, woke up to it snowing again. Not my ideal way to wake up when summer weather is sitting in the back of my mind. But there is nothing I can do except wait or runaway until may. and the latter isn't really an option. So what do I do. Recipe experiment of course. Mac and cheese... Hmmm what do. I look in the freezer and found fillo dough. How about mac and cheese bites. Sounds delicious to me, I don't need any other excuse to try it.


Mac and Cheese Bites

`By a box of your favorite mac and cheese and make as directed. set aside
`buy pre made fillo dough, let thaw if frozen and roll out onto a flat surface
`melt 3 table spoons of butter.
`brush a small amount of butter on top of dough
`depending on size of dough place a spoon full of mac and cheese in different spots on the dough with at least 2 inches in between
`take a knife and cut in the middle of the piles so you have squares
`pull together corners and brush butter on top so it sticks together
`place on baking sheet with tin foil and place in oven at 350* for about 20 minutes or until tops are light brown

Directions are hard to explain with this recipe so here's pictures to show you how

Rain rain go away and sweet crunchy chicken cordon bleu

Reporting from Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Aka Disney! And it's raining, Again. Normally I wouldn't mind but its down pouring. Not the best conditions to be walking around in Disney. Today was Epcot day but its been postponed to later. Which isn't terrible because the nightlife has been better around here. Disney isn't just for kids. There's a lot of stuff for the 21+ crowd. Last night we went to downtown Disney and had a blast! By the end of the night we had jumped into a fountain, danced in front of a huge crowd and one of us ended up in a bush. Sounds crazy? Yea, it was but it was also awesome and that's all that matters. Great friends and smiles on our faces.

While here I've been making dinner and trying to come up with delicious food with the ingredients we have. So last night for dinner was chicken cordon bleu. Sounds a little intimidating but it's so easy. This wasnt a normal way to make cordon bleu though. I had to use what I have available. At the supermarket I picked up the key ingredients, chicken breast, sliced cold cut style ham and shredded mozzarella cheese. At the hotel we also had pretzels and syrup. How would those two things come into this dish? Crush the pretzels and you have a crunchy top coating. Spread some syrup inside and you get a sweet companion for the ham. So here's how it all comes together.

Sweet and crunchy chicken cordon bleu

~Chicken breast (medium size)
~Sliced ham (cold cut style)
~Shredded cheese (your choice)
~Maple syrup
~Pretzels
~Egg

Preheat oven 375*
>Take chicken and cut horizontally through the middle (butterfly style)
>For each slice of ham put some cheese on top and roll
>Spread a small amount of syrup in the middle of the chicken
>Place two ham/cheese rolls in the middle of each chicken breast
>In a small bowl whisk together 1 egg and a small amount of syrup
>In another small bowl take pretzels and crush until desired course.
>while holding close the filled chicken, dip and coat into the egg mixture
>Then dip and coat in pretzel
>Place on baking sheet
>Bake for approx. 35-40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside

Enjoy!