Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower pizza...sounds gross, but let me tell you it is amazing. 

 I mean who doesn't love pizza!!?? Especially when it is guilt-free pizza.  I have tried many different recipes and this one hasn't failed me yet.

               

 

Step 1 is cut the cauliflower off the head.

               

 

Step 2 is throw the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it looks like fine rice. (My ninja does in like 15 or 20 seconds)

           

Step 3 is place cauliflower rice in the microwave and cook for 5 minutes

               

 

Next place the cooked cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel and let cool.  Then squeeze all excess water out of cauliflower until it looks like a ball. 

Next mix the Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder together with a spoon.

          

This next step is VITAL...spray PARCHMENT paper (DO NOT use aluminum foil, wax paper, or anything else) I promise it will stick to everything but parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Next spread some garlic butter on the crust and then top it with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and pizza tops and place back in the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.  You can make yours into a circle if you want to.  I just had rectangle cookie sheets.  

Cauliflower Pizza

Crust:

1 head of Cauliflower

1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

Red pepper flakes

Italian seasoning 

Garlic Powder 

2 eggs

Topping:

Toppings of your choice
1 tablespoon of real butter
garlic powder
2-3 cups of Mozzarella cheese

Cut the cauliflower off the head and place cauliflower in a food processor and blend until it becomes a rice type texture.  Dump in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 5 minutes.  Let the cauliflower cool and dump in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much water out as you can.  Combine the cheeses, eggs, and seasoning.
Then flatten the crust out on a greased sheet of parchment paper.
Then cook for 15-20 minutes on 425 degrees.
Optional: Mix one tablespoon of butter with a little garlic powder and spread on the crust
Then add as much cheese and toppings as you like and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes on 425.
Remove, slice, and cover or dip pizza in marinara sauce.

Apple Banana Quinoa Breakfast Muffins

These breakfast muffins are so easy when you are in a hurry and on the go.  I usually eat one of these with my meal replacement shakes in the morning.  These are full of fiber, vitamins and will keep you full all morning.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup mashed bananas (I used 2 bananas)

1 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/2 cup dry quinoa)

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon (or 2 or 3 but who EVER uses just 1 tsp of cinnamon)

1 apple, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with muffin tins.

Cook the quinoa.  Bring 3/4 cup of water and rinse 1/2 cup of quinoa and add to the water and reduce to a simmer until fluffy (12 minutes)

Mix applesauce, mashed bananas, almond milk, honey, and vanilla in a bowl.

Mix dry ingredients (quinoa, oats, cinnamon) in a separate bowl.  Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  

Peel, core and chop up the apple.  Mix apple chunks into the bowl. Fill each muffin cups to the top and add a banana slice or apple chunk to the top. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes 

Turkey Meatloaf

We eat a lot of Chicken around here but I like to switch it up so we don't get bored.  This week for my meal prep, I made some Turkey Meatloaf Muffins.  These are super easy and so flavorful.

Ingredients

2 lb Ground turkey 

chopped onion

2-3 stalks of celery chopped

3 egg whites

garlic powder

southwest chipotle seasoning (Mrs Dash)

Pepper

1 cup old-fashioned oats

I usually eyeball my seasoning and just add ingredients based on my mood. 

Bake for 40 minutes on 375 degrees. 

You can add some Worcestershire sauce mixed with hot sauce and little ketchup to top it off with. 

You can pair these with mashed cauliflower, sweet potatoes, brown rice, asparagus, broccoli, or just about anything.   

No Bake Chocolate Protein Cookies

These cookies are super easy and super addicting.  Cookies are like my kryptonite and to have a guilt-free cookie that I can have on the challenge makes me this girl happy.  

Ingredients:

1 cup Natural Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Coconut oil

3/4 cup honey (I used 1/2 cup because I felt 3/4 cup was too much)

2 tsp vanilla flavoring

2 1/4 cup rolled oats (oatmeal)

2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (Advocare friends you can use Muscle Gain)

2 Tbs Unsweetened Cocoa 

In a small sauce pan, on med-low heat, mix peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla flavoring until the peanut butter is melted.  Don't bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add protein powder, oatmeal, and cocoa powder.  Drop onto parchment paper and then let cool.  Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.  

All In in 2017

Soooooo who over indulged during the holidays???  Me, Me, Me....Anybody else?  Well it's time to get back on track.  Adam and I along with lots of people around the country are jumping ALL IN and doing a 24-day challenge together. 

I've got everything prepped for the first 10 days of the challenge.  They say if you fail to plan then you plan to fail.  It can be easy to make excuses but making sure you are mentally and physically prepared for the challenge then you can't fail.  The best thing about technology now a days is the support system and accountability.  There are so many groups for support while doing a challenge!!  I love it!

I like to start my week by prepping all my meals for the week.  Most of the time I do my prepping on Monday or Tuesday because I work Sundays.  It doesn't matter what day you do it on, just as long as you do it!!  The best thing is, that the meals don't have to be fancy, just healthy and on the plan!

If you need recipes I will be posting some of my favorite Advocare Cleanse and Challenge approve meals and snacks,  

This girl is loving the Sunny and 75 degrees in January...Texas girl at heart <3

Tis the season for Soup

My favorite time of year...soup time!!  Bring on every kind of soup and my crockpot

I threw some ingredients in the crockpot for Lasagna soup while we went hunting for a Christmas tree.  I will have to say this is my new favorite soup.  Here is my ingredients I used:

Lasagna Soup

1 lb lean ground beef (browned)

1 lb Italian sausage (browned)

28 oz can Crushed tomatoes

13 oz can tomato sauce

13 oz Diced tomatoes

chopped onions

minced garlic

diced green peppers

lasagna noodles (I found some thin lasagna noodles that works perfect for this soup)

Italian seasoning

garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Fennel seeds

1-2 cups beef broth

fresh basil

Combine all ingredients cook on high for a few hours and serve with some ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese on top. Serve with some grilled cheese or a salad and you have a perfect Italian dinner.

**I just made this soup up based on my lasagna recipe so I don't pay attention to how much of what I put in.  I just go by taste.  I love garlic so there is a ton of garlic in this recipe.

Turkey Trot, Family Time, and Traveling

I was feeling a little depressed this fall because I haven't been able to enjoy the beautiful falls leaves (because Texas doesn't get a gorgeous fall like NC or TN).  Going to Memphis made me ecstatic because I was gonna get to experience my favorite season.   Traveling to Memphis wasn't bad because we drove through the night, but coming back was a different story.

Had the windows down and Molly and I were enjoying the gorgeous fall trees.

Here is a collage from out Turkey Trot we did on Thanksgiving day!

So my dad signed everybody up to do this 4 mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  Adam and I definitely did NOT train to do this at all.  I try and exercise when I can but with 2 jobs I have had a hard time fitting it in.  But we finished it.  Adam and I ran/jogged with my dad because everyone else left him but we stayed behind to motivate him.  I definitely couldn't have done it without my Spark and Catalyst and O2 Gold.  I even got my dad to drink a Spark..YAY!

So on Friday we did our usual dinner at Rendezvous and Christmas pictures at The Peabody.  Afterwards we went bowling and walked around the Bass Pro Shot.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is "Small Business Saturday" so we shopped at a few boutiques.  I am the type of person that likes to be unique and have one of a kind things.  I love supporting local businesses over corporate businesses.

OMG I felt sick after eating so much junk over Thanksgiving.  I always eat more, but this time I paced myself and didn't eat because I was bored or because there was food.  I'm glad to be home and be back on track!

Mom sent me home with a little care package!  Some real southern grits, Bojangles seasoning, Bath and Body works candle, and a coffee ornament!!

We left Memphis at about 3am and arrived in Austin at 2:45pm.  It took us 12 hours to get home.  Traffic in Temple, Waco, and Austin was pretty terrible but we made a safe.  I had throw in some Snap filters from Texarkana because they made us laugh. 

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.  I was so thankful neither of us had to work! First time in 4 years that we were both off together.