Foodie Friday: Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza

Weird, right? I mean, who puts cauliflower in their pizza? I do! I do!

I saw this first on Pinterest and immediately thought it was weird. But then I saw THIS picture, and I knew I needed that in my belly!

Travis was on board, but Zach was unsure when he heard the word cauliflower.
But the next time I went to the grocery store I bought cauliflower so I could test this out and see for myself.

Here is how you can make this too. (From Recipe Girl)

CRUST:
1/2 LARGE head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (or try another kind!)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)
1/2 teaspoon onion saltTOPPINGS:
1/2 cup tomato-basil marinara sauce (or pizza sauce)
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
3 slices Canadian bacon, cut into strips
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits

Directions:

1. Shred the cauliflower into small crumbles. (I just used my grater) Then put the cauliflower in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes (see Tips below if you do not have a microwave). Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.

2. Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles (about 1 1/2 cups since they shrink after cooking) with the remaining crust ingredients. Shape the crust into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes (or until golden). Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.

3. Prepare the pizza: Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top. Add the bacon and pineapple, spreading it out around the pizza. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately.

From Eat, Drink, Smile (tip from Beth): For those who don’t have a microwave: You can steam the florets just until they are tender (not mushy) on the stove and then let them cool before grating them. The texture/consistency won’t be the same (It will be more like a puree) but it still works fine once you mix all the ingredients together.

Lori also shares nutrition info on her page too, so go check that out!

And finally, my thoughts: I thought it was delicious! It had a really great flavor and you couldn't taste cauliflower. (Like, at all) My entire family thought this was delicious and I am interested in making this again with other toppings!

Weigh in Wednesday, errr, Thursday: 60 day update

(I took measurements yesterday on day 59 because today we are headed to Montana to visit family for a few days before we jump back into school on Tuesday!!)

Well, well, my friends. Here I am, 60 days into my new lifestyle and I am happy to report that things are good.

Not everyday is good. I mean, some days I want to eat an entire bag of chocolate chips. But overall, things are good! One thing that I have found that helps me is using My Fitness Pal. Even though I am not "counting calories" it helps me to track at least a few days each week to make sure the foods I am choosing are good choices. I would love for you to add me on MFP so we can keep each other motivated!

In my last post I told you how I am have been doing the Bikini Body Mommy Challenge. Now, if you are not a mom, don't let that name fool you! This is a great plan for anyone who wants to get in shape! Briana is getting ready to start a walk through guide on September 2, so if you are looking to jump on the bandwagon this is a great time! Even though I am going to continue onto my 90 days, I am also going to start at day 1 again because it'll be a great support! And, I will be doing it with a girlfriend and it's so nice to have that extra motivation.

And speaking of motivation, remember how I told you my husband was working out too? Well, he is kicking butt and taking names! And has lost 49 pounds! Want to see his before and after?

Here he is in June:

And here he is now:

Pretty amazing huh? I am so proud of him!

Recently I had someone ask me what kind of diet I am on. My response: I am not on a diet! 
For real! I don't consider myself to be on a diet. I am working hard to change my lifestyle! I am still eating normal food, I am just flat out eating less! And drinking more water. Making healthier choices.

                                                                        (Source)

Also I had someone ask me what I eat when I go out. And the answer is: I don't go out to eat. 

Since July 1st when I started this I have ate out one time and it was while we were on our Oregon vacation. Chevy's is my favorite place to eat and they closed the one in my town years ago. So when I have a chance to eat there, I don't pass it up! Like I said, it was our one meal out, and I ate what I wanted, without stuffing myself, and I enjoyed every bite! We took all the food for our other meals in a cooler and grabbed little things here and there at grocery stores along the way if we needed something else. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat out, you just need to make good choices. For me, it's easier to not eat out at this point, then try to make good choices! I'm still building up my will power!

Last time I promised I was going to start sharing the meals we have been eating and so far, I haven't shared much. Mainly because they are nothing glamorous! And the pictures never turn out as well as I'd like! But if you are okay with that, than so am I, and I'll start sharing more! (Check back tomorrow for Foodie Friday!)

So, with all that being said, here are my current weight and measurements! (check out previous measurements HERE!)

Weight as of 8/28/2013: 181

Measurements:

Bust: 36
Waist (at belly button): 41
Hips: 43
Thigh- R: 25  L: 24 1/2
Calf- R: 15  L: 15 1/2 
Bicep- R: 12  L: 11 1/2

So that's 5 inches off my bust, 5 3/4 inches off my waist, and 4 inches off my hips! The other areas have changed too, but in smaller amounts!

And last but certainly not least, photos!

So there you have it. I was going for 20 pounds by my 60 day mark but you know what? I've lost 19 and I am PROUD!

I appreciate everyone following along, and the super nice comments! It is really motivating! 

And let me know if you have any questions about what I am doing, or if you just plain need help getting yourself started!

Foodie Friday: Easy Healthy Pizza

Yay, It's Foodie Friday and I have a great quick and easy meal for you to make.

Several weeks ago Travis and I were wondering through the store getting our groceries and we came across Flat Outs. I had tried them before, but not ones like these. These are flat breads and the flavor is Rosemary and Olive oil. After looking over the nutrition label we tossed them in our basket so we could make pizzas.

I can't even stress to you how easy this is! Here is how you make them!

1 flatout flat bread
Ragu pizza sauce
fat free shredded cheese
Turkey pepperoni
onions and peppers

I cut my flat bread in half to make 2 mini pizzas
Add a little sauce (It's 30 calories for 1/4, and there is no way you'd use even close to that!)
I use 5 pepperonis on each pizza
top it with some shredded cheese
Add the onion and pepper

Then bake it on 350 for about 10-12 minutes

And there you have it! A super Yummy mini pizza! And it's about 210 calories for 2 halves! (Calculated using My Fitness Pal) As you can see I added some fruit and veggies to my plate and even had a little ranch for dip.

For my ranch I use the Hidden Valley dip packet and mixed it with fat free sour cream. If you don't go crazy and eat a lot, it's not so terrible!

Oregon trip Pt. 2

Finally getting around to sharing the second half of our Oregon trip! With only 13 days until school starts and one more little mini vacation to go, along with planning a first birthday party, oh, and taking care of a house, husband and three kids, I've been sort of busy!

So here we go!

This sweet polar bear was doing a little dance for everyone. He was shaking his head while he'd take a few steps forward. And then shake his head and take a few steps back. And he did this multiple times.

I love, love, love elephants. They are my favorite animal to roam the planet and I always watch them in awe when I see them at the zoo. As you can see, this little guy enjoyed watching them as well!

We're just hanging out waiting for the bird show to start. This was a big step for me as I have myself a little bird phobia. It's taken a lot of years to get to the point of watching birds for enjoyment.

The giraffes are another favorite of mine, and Tyler also really enjoyed them! We hung around in hopes that one would come up closer but no such luck.

Summer wasn't really impressed with the zoo. I sure didn't expect her to be, but she was crabby most of the day. She didn't want to be in her stroller, and she didn't want to see me unless I was holding her. So most of the time I either walked in front of Travis so she couldn't see me, or else I carried her. It was tiring, but she didn't want to sleep either. Finally when we left and were walking to the car she crashed in my arms. Little stinker finally passed out after about 5 hours at the zoo!

On our last day before heading out of Portland, this was my last request. I wanted to go to VooDoo Doughnut so bad to see what the hype was about. The maple bar with bacon has been talked about for a long time and I wanted a go at it! The verdict? It was delicious!

And our last scheduled stop was Multnomah Falls. If you've followed my blog for very long you already know that I stop here every time I drive by. It always looks the same as the last time, but it's too beautiful to pass up. Plus, it was Summer's first time!

Another great trip in the books! The Oregon Coast and Multnomah Falls is probably one of my favorite places I've ever been. Can't wait to get back there!

Summer @ 11 months

Shut the front door people! Summer is 11 months old today!

I can't keep a headband on this girl to save her life these days. Which makes me sad because she did so well for the first 10-ish months. I try to put her hair in a top pony tail because her bangs are all the way past her nose, but even that is a fight that most days I don't care to have!

Summer is still about 17 pounds. And even though she is still breastfeeding and eating everything in sight her weight doesn't seem to change. After her last Dr. visit my worries were put to rest, but they are creeping back up again and I am anxious for her next appt to see what they say.

She is not only walking around furniture (Whaaat?) but she lets go and tries to take steps. She stands up by herself without holding on to anything and will stand for a moment before plopping back to the floor.
 
About to rip off her 11 month sticker- Like she does every month!

Summer is eating everything! I mean, just about everything. Breastfeeding is still chugging along, though I'm secretly hoping she'll wean herself shortly after her 1st birthday like her big brother did. (But that's a whole other topic!) She is eating any baby food except meat, unless it's mixed in with something else. She is even eating sweet potatoes, though she still doesn't like them. Peas still seem to rank number 1 with her.  And if you don't feed her fast enough she lets out a blood curdling scream! Sometimes it's just a squawk, but usually it's a scream!

She loves being tickled and has an infectious little laugh.
She loves getting into the dogs water way more than Tyler ever did.
And I spend my days cleaning up messes like this one:

She loves being outside
She loves playing with toys (especially ones she can't have)
She loves the water. Bath time, lake, pool, it doesn't matter

Summer still has 4 teeth. 2 top 2 bottom and if more are on their way they don't seem to bother her.

One thing that has been a challenge is getting her into her shared room with Tyler. After we came home from vacation we thought that since the past few nights haven't been normal (sleeping in a cabin and hotel) that we'd try to put her in her crib. We did, and she's been sleeping there ever since. (Thank goodness!) She is still getting up 2-3 times per night to nurse (sometimes more, sometimes less) but it's going good and I have my bed back!

This girl loves her big brothers like crazy. And they love her back!

Next month is the big day! And we'll have a 1 year old! She is growing so fast and I am eating up every minute I have left of this little baby. Before I know it she is going to be a little girl rather than this baby that lets me snuggle next to her. So bittersweet....

Oregon Vacation part 1

We've been home for 2 weeks now and I'm just finally getting to sharing. We've had such a fun, busy summer and I dread it coming to an end... (Less thank 3 weeks until I have a 6th grader!)

So get ready for picture overload!

These two couldn't look more alike if they tried!

My 3 guys enjoying the sand on their toes

Love my family! And I love that we squeezed Haystack Rock in the background!

Me and my sweet girl!

Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock is my favorite place to see the ocean. It might not be overly warm on a regular basis. You might get chilled to the bone when you get in the water, but it is amazingly beautiful!

Headed to Tillamook to go to the cheese factory! You love Tillamook cheese too? Then you better head here! Not only do they have the best cheese and ice cream ever, but you get samples! And you can tour the factory and see them making, cutting and packaging the cheese!

Sandcastle time!

After Tyler wrecked his first one I helped him make this. Don't be jealous of our mad sand castle making skills!

Me and missy pants

We had a super cute little cabin that was less than a mile from the beach and was a great little walk. There was a picnic bench outside with a fire pit and we made sure to roast hot dogs and make s'mores!

I look at this picture and know that I am so blessed to have this amazing family. These 4 have made my life complete!

Zach is a great little poser. This stems from many days of me posing him for the "perfect" picture

Hopefully next week I will share the second half of our trip! Stay tuned!

DIY: Home made Laundry Soap

I have been wanting to make my own laundry soap for a long time! I have found several recipes but I finally found one that I really wanted to try out!

I love Love, Pomegranate House and last year she shared how she made her laundry soap and I've finally made it. I had an opportunity where I received a free box of Borax and I knew immediately what I was going to make with it!

And can I just tell you how easy it is to make, and how delicious this soap smells? And you hardly use any! 
You want to make your own now, right? Here's how:

1 c. Borax
1 c. Washing Soda
1 bar of Laundry Soap, grated
1/4 c. scented laundry crystals

Grate your soap bar {this will not hurt your grater}

Then mix all ingredients and you are done!

Give your soap a little shake before using and use just 1 TABLESPOON per load!

Talitha says this will make enough for 32-64 loads of laundry depending on how much you use. I've done quite a few loads and so far so good! Also the 1 box of Borax and the 1 box of Washing Soda will get you about 8 batches of this laundry soap!

**This container I have my soap in is HUGE. I bought it before I made my soap thinking it would fill it a lot further than it did. And this is actually about 1 1/2 batches. But I think I am just going to make more to add to it and then I won't have to make more for a long time. I figured that with one box of Borax, one box of washing soap, 1 container of crystals 5 Fels-Naptha bars (or 2 Zote bars- because they are 3 times the size of the fels-naptha) will make our laundry soap for a year. I'm keeping track because I want to see if it really does!**

Weigh In Wednesday: Update

I haven't weighed in on the blog for quite some time. And the truth is, it's because I was going no where. I have literally stayed the same weight since my 6 week post partum Dr. appt.

But last October I told you about my journey I was starting on. I told you how I was going to weigh in weekly and give you the good with the bad. But I haven't. Mainly because life is busy! And because I hadn't done much to make the scale change either way.

In May I decided I was going to start doing the Bikini Body Mommy Challenge. I was going to start June 1st, but I never did. It's so hard to get motivated sometimes! And so instead of just starting, I decided to start July 1st, and I DID IT!

I took down my weight and measurements on July 1st, and I did the first days exercise. And they kicked my butt. But I did them. And day 2 I did the seconds days, and so on. I won't lie, there are a few of the exercises that I am just plain not coordinated enough to do and so I don't do them and instead a do a few extras of each of the others. And we've been walking in the evenings a few times a week.

One more thing that has helped is that my husband jumped on the bandwagon with me. He helps keep me motivated because he is super motivated and has already lost 3 times what I've lost. Guys lose weight so much faster, and it's not fair! (I just stomped my foot too!) But I really wanted to start slow because I was worried about my milk supply decreasing, but so far, that has not happened!

Now for the good part, numbers and pictures!

On July 1st I weighed 200 even. And on August 1st I weighed 190.

Yep, 10 pounds! And guess what? I worked hard for every pound of that and I am excited!
My measurements on July 1 vs. August 1:

Bust: 41
Waist (at belly button): 46 3/4 
Hips: 47 
Thigh- R: 26 1/2  L: 26 1/4 
Calf- R: 15 1/4  L: 15 1/2 
Bicep- R: 12 1/2  L: 12


Bust: 39
Waist (at belly button): 44
Hips: 45
Thigh- R: 25 1/2  L: 25
Calf- R: 15  L: 15 1/2
Bicep- R: 12  L: 11 1/2

 

So I've lost 10 pounds and a total of 10 1/4 inches! I'm pretty proud of that! And how have I lost it? I'm not counting points or calories. I'm not wrapping myself in shrink wrap and I'm not taking drops, drinking drinks, or any other "lose weight quick" thing you can do. I flat out started exercising and I have changed what I eat. Soda? Nope, it's not even in the house. Candy? Chips? No and no! We've been filling our plates with veggies and other healthy options! We been making pizzas on flat outs, sandwiches with Laughing cow cheese, drinking water like no other and eating rice cakes or almonds for snacks. We have found so many great food combinations and new things and I plans to start sharing them! So stay tuned for that!

I probably won't check in until day 60 or just after and right now I'm on day 38!