Easter Cake (ok ok I know not low calorie!)

So today is Easter!! Happy Easter to everyone!! Sorry I haven't been blogging much things have just been so inane!! My mom had told me last weekend that she was planning on making a carrot cake for Easter and was wondering if my sister and I wanted to decorate it. I love to decorate cakes! such a stress reviler! So I jumped on the opportunity and immediately came up with a plan to have the cake look like a basket and that I would attempt a rice krispy bunny to put on top to make it look like it was peaking out over. Now last year for my mom's b-day my sister and I did a basket with flowers in it, and I had taught her how to do the basket weave. So she did that part of the cake while I worked on frosting the bunny. The day before is when I made the actual structure of the bunny and then it sat over night. So with doing all of this I decided that I would blog about how to make one! Once again I know that they aren't low calorie but oh well! haha!

Rice Krispy Bunny

6 cups rice krispies
4 cups mini marshmallows
3 T butter
1 tsp vanilla

Take and melt the butter over medium heat and add vanilla.  After melted all the way add the mini marshmallows and melt over medium heat until they are a smooth constancy.

Then turn off heat and add rice krispies and mix all together.  Then take and put in a pan lined with foil and sprayed with non stick spray. 

Now for the molding portion.  I put on two pairs on non-laytex gloves and sprayed the palms of my hand with non-stick spray.  Then I took and molded the head of the bunny, the ears, the torso, and two paws.  I placed skewers in the ears, and paws for assembly later.

This is all the pieces of the Bunny.                                                             This is the Bunny assembled

Then I took a small tip and with white frosting added the eyes, and for the pupils I used a small chocolate chip.  As far as the frosting goes my mom actually already had some made so that worked nicely!  You can use really any kind! As long as it's a good frosting that holds shape.  Then I also added the nose and insides of the ears.  After I did this I took a large star tip and covered the rest of the bunny!

Then skewer it into your cake!!  We colored some coconut with green food coloring to make an Easter grass look that was edible!!  This was just so much fun to make and such a stress reviler that now I think I'm ready to get going again for this week and hope to have some good recipes for all of you!

No I didn't forget about this!

Hey everyone sorry, I haven't forgotten about my blog I promise!! Ive just been extremely busy, and actually haven't been home much! So how's the weight loss going?? I'm some how stuck right now...NO FUN!!! It seems like maybe things calm down some here in the next few weeks, so hopefully I can jump back on the bandwagon! Anyways I"m out for today to run around....see you all later!

Biggest Looser

So tonight was the first night I've actually watched this show...I know I know where have I been?? haha. And it was actually a really good show. It's kinda inspiring I must say haha.
Anyways, I'm back from Spring Break! Over break i wasn't too good....but I didn't gain any weight so that's a plus! Watching this show reminded me that I made a pledge in the pound for pound challenge! I pledged to loose 30 lbs so I must do that!!!!!! I really do need to get on working out! No more excuses! Another thing that is inspiring me to loose weight is that I got accepted into the Disney College Program!!! WOOO!!!! I"ll be going to Florida for 6 months starting the end of May! I"m so excited!! I do want to loose weight for it! Another thing is that I got the victoria's secret catalog the other day and I love their summer clothing!! I know that they come in my size, but I want to loose weight and look absolutely fabulous if I am to get them!
So the weather here is insane!! it was near 70 degrease yesterday and now there's 8" of snow of the ground and still going! Gotta love spring time in Colorado!!! The biggest problem with our spring snows is how heavy it is! But it's also good becasue it means a lot of moisture!
So I have two recipes for you all tonight, but no pictures of either. Both meals were kinda bland looking so I didn't take the pics haha. :-) Trust me though they were both delicious!!!

Ranch chicken nuggets

chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces and skinned)
1 cup corn flakes
1 T ranch powder mix
1 egg (white only)

Heat oven to 425
crush cornflakes and mix with ranch dressing
whip up egg white slightly
Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then in cornflak mixture.
Place on cookie sheet that is prepared with foil and a cooling rack.
Place chicken on cooling rack and spray with cooking spray (this makes them crunchy)
Bake for 20 minutes
enjoy

Everyone loves chicken nuggets!! and these were really good! There was about 252 calories in these and I paired them with some mashed potatos that were about 100 calories. So there's a 352 calorie meal not bad! Now I would have done green beans or something like that as well but I"m working on cleaning out my fridge and pantry before I move out in less than 2 months!!

Basil Salmon and Rice

Salmon filet

4 T butter (I use I can't believe it's not butter fat free)
2 T basil (can use fresh as well)
2 T lemon juice
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 C rice (uncooked)
1/2 C water

Turn broiler on. Combine water, 1 T butter, 1 T basil and 1 T of lemon juice in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, add rice, cover, and turn on low - cook for 15 minutes
Melt remaining butter, add rest of basil, and lemon juice. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to mixture.
Lay salmon in a small baking dish (just big enough for the salmon) and cover with the butter mixture. Broil for 10 minutes.
Place salmon on top of rice mixture.
enjoy!!

This was really good and refreshing! I just love the combination of lemon and basil! Such a good taste!! This meal is prob close to only 300 calories or less. So really good for you. Not to mention the benefits that salmon has!! It's great!!

Guest Blog!

Hey everyone!! Since it's my spring break and I haven't really been writing I asked someone to write a guest blog for me and it's awesome!!  Chen has a blog on picnic ideas and so he has written an article for you all on low cal picnic ideas. So here it is!! ENJOY!

Low Calorie Picnic Food Ideas
Picnics are great, but if you are on a low calorie diet, it can be torture. All those fried foods, delicious desserts, and mouth-watering meats can wreak havoc on someone’s diet with all the calories they have in them. That can turn a good time into a dismal experience.
It doesn’t have to be that way, fortunately. You can (and should) have a low calorie picnic of your own, complete with foods that lack fat but not flavor. You can even grill out without having your entrees loaded down with calories. This article will give you three low calorie picnic ideas : one appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert.
Low Calorie Picnic Food Ideas: Spinach Artichoke Dip
For this appetizer, we are making spinach artichoke dip with low-fat tortilla chips. To make your dip, you will need:
- ½ cup of light sour cream
- 12 ounces of thawed spinach
- 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces of artichoke hearts
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 10 ounces of softened cream cheese
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the sour cream with the artichokes and the cream cheese with the sour cream. Add the Parmesan cheese and the garlic powder. Mix this into a creamy sauce and place into a baking dish that you have sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. Then, stir in the spinach (that has been squeezed dry). Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes. I’d stir every 10 minutes.
Low Calorie Picnic Food Ideas: Grilled Salmon
This dish is fairly easy to make. Just take slabs of salmon and fire up the grill to a moderate heat. Remove the skin and place on the grill. Spritz the top side with lemon juice and throw in some cracked black pepper. If you want, you can prepare a mixture of soy and brown sugar to get a salty-sweet combination going, and coat the salmon with the mixture while grilling. Cover both sides and continue to flip until the salmon is nice and grilled (about 6-8 minutes per side will work, or until the fish begins to flake.)
You can apply the soy-sugar glaze to the salmon overnight to marinate it if you would like.
Low Calorie Picnic Food Ideas: Caramelized Pear Delight
For this delightful treat, you will need:
- 2 whole pears
- Strawberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon of softened cream cheese
This dish is pretty easy to prepare. Peel, core, quarter, and slice your pears lengthwise into thin slices. Coat each side lightly with sugar, and place the slices into a sauté pan along with a ¼ cup of unsalted butter over low heat. Flip until both sides are caramelized. Once you have caramelized them, arrange the slices in an attractive pattern on a plate, with a dollop of cream cheese in the middle. Drizzle with strawberry sauce. If you want, you can place quartered strawberries on the plate for an added garnish.
You can substitute other flavors for the strawberry sauce. Raspberry sauce also works very well, as does cherry, apricot, and blueberry.
This entire three-course meal should come in right under 350 calories per person – and still taste delicious!
This article is courtesy of Chen from Picnic Food Ideas

Spring Break

Hey everyone just wanted to stop by and say hello and no I haven't forgotten about my blog haha, just have been on spring break!  Things have been going good, haven't been cooking cause I"m home and my mom does the cooking here haha!  But I haven't been too horrible for this week.  Lets just say I haven't gone above 1800 calories so I think that's pretty good haha.  I hope everyone is doing well and having a good week!!!!  Take Care!

I know, I owe you 3 recipes...

Ok ok ok, I know I haven't blogged at all this week!  SO SORRY!  I got caught up studying hard core for my ornithology exam that I have later today!  I'm ready to rock it!!  But with all of the studying I didn't forget to eat, cept this morning now that I mention it...Hold on I"m going to get some breakfast real quick.  Alrighty! I'm back! Not that you would ever know that I was gone haha!  So I did my tae bo on Monday and whew it wore me out!!  It was a good work out but I was sore on Tuesday!! haha.  Wednesday was suppose to be my second day of doing it, but I didn't because I had to go out and do my barn work which burns more calories than anything haha.  So today is suppose to be another rest day, but I think I"m going to do some ab exercises since I didn't really get that yesterday, then tomorrow is another session of Tae Bo, and I gotta go out and do a little barn work before my spring break!! 
I"m not really doing anything for spring break but going home to my parents and relaxing all week.  So not sure if I"ll be posting next week...we'll see haha.  We may be having a guest posting here soon, I'm so excited!! 
Ok I'll get onto the recipes that I missed, and keep this part short.  So here we go!

Balsamic Chicken and Couscous

1 chicken breast
2 T balsamic vinegar salad dressing
1/2 C cole slaw mix (or just a green salad)
1 serving of couscous (cooked according to package directions)

Marinate chicken breast in dressing for 5 hours.  Cook on med-hot grill, about 8-9 mins on each side.  Mix your salad with some of the dressing (not too much) and slice up chicken and place on top of salad.  Serve with side of couscous

Ok so this one is really easy, but not many people ever think of marinating their chicken in some sort of salad dressing.  You could also do Italian dressing if you want!! ENJOY Calorie count - 290

Chicken and Shrimp stuffed pita

1.5 ounces of already cooked chicken (I used my left over from the balsamic chicken)
1.5 ounces of already cooked shrimp
2 T low fat mayo (I use the olive oil mayo)
2 scallions
1 celery stock
salt and peper
2 small pitas

Finely chop chicken, shrimp, scallions, and celery.  Mix all together with mayo and salt and pepper.  Stuff pitas with mixture.  Enjoy!!

Once again another simple meal!  I wanted to use my left overs that I had in my fridge.  I had the chicken from the night before, and the shrimp was frozen from my shrimp scampi last week!  You can also do the same thing with some tuna and shrimp or what ever you want!  Once my mom had some left over lobster and we did this with lobster and shrimp!  OH so yummy!!  Calorie count - 330

Fajita Pita

3 oz steak
1 T taco seasoning
1/2 C sliced onion
1/2 C sliced bell pepper
2 T butter
splash of soy sauce
2 T sour cream
2 T salsa

Cover steak in taco seasoning and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Grill or pan sear until desired temp.  I like mine med so about 6 mins on each side.  Let sit for about 5 minutes after grilling.  Slice up thinly.
In a separate pan melt butter and add the splash of soy sauce (trust me best way to do this!) Add bell pepper and onion to pan and cover, let simmer for as long as the steak cooks. 
Smear sour cream and salsa on the inside of the pita.  Add sliced steak and veggies.  ENJOY!!

So these can also be done with chicken!  Just so good!  I love fajitas so much!  If you really want you can add some cheese to this as well, just keep in mind that will add calories.  This has 430 calories in it, prob one of my highest calorie dinners but I needed some extra calories for the day!

Whew we made it through all of those!  haha!  I will write tonight on what I'm making for tonight!!  Be ready for another mexican dish!  So until tonight!!

Lemon basil butter pasta with stuffed clams

Ok so hopefully that title drew you into today's post haha!  That's right, that's what I had for dinner and it was AMAZING!! Now your prob thinking to your self, that has to have like thousands of calories!!!! NOPE!!  One serving has *drum role please* 250 calories!!  Yeah you heard me right 250!  I think this is my lowest calorie dinner I have come up with so far!  Go me! haha!
So before I give you the recipe I shall ramble on about my day, I know you love it haha.  Today I got to sleep in and it felt amazing; I have gotten to do that in a long while!  After I finally got up I went and did my laundry at the laundry matt then got groceries for the week ahead.  At home I dusted, cleaned my fan (it was so full of dust that it needed done) cleaned my kitchen and finished my physics homework.  Wow what a productive day!!  Then I made my amazing dinner and am watching the Oscars!  I wish I had a thing to dress up for like that haha!  Wouldn't that be great?? 
So my major goal for the week: start doing my tae bo dvd that I have!   It will be a good push for my work out routine!  I really want to push my weight loss!  My best friend and I are planning a road trip to vegan then to cali at the end of May so I want to look fabulous for it! 
I weighed in this morning and I'm back down!  Remember that I gained some weight when I first started working out ( prob a result of some muscle build) so now that I got it back down I'm ready to keep dropping!!  I'm doing my second week of the Special K challenge which I have grown to love doing becasue it's so easy to do on the go!!
Ok ok ok, so on to tonight's dinner! 

Lemon butter pasta with stuffed clams

3/4 C Whole wheat pasta
3 T butter
1 T flour
1/2 C milk (low fat 2% or lower)
1 T lemon juice
2 T basil (fresh or tubed)
1/2 t salt
2 stuffed clams

Cook pasta according to directions. 
Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk together.  Let cook for a couple of minutes on a soft simmer, be sure to stir to keep from burning.  Add milk and whisk until smooth.  Wisk in lemon juice, basil and salt.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.
If you pre bought stuffed clams and need to heat them up:  Add the clams to the milk mixture and cover with lid.  Let simmer in there for 5 minutes while heating up the oven on broil.  Take clams out of sauce and place in a baking pan and broil for 5 minutes.  Your sauce will be fine during this time if you turn it down on low and just let it be. 
After clams and pasta are done, place the drained pasta in the pan with the sauce and toss.  Take out and place on plate, and place clams ontop. Enjoy!

This made enough for two serving and I can't say enough how amazing it is!!  My biggest thing I have to say is that I love tossing the pasta with the sauce then putting it on the plate, instead of pouring the sauce over the pasta.  this keeps you from using too much of it!  And trust me that you will most likely not use all of the sauce for the two servings!!  When eating it I would take out some of the stuffed clam and get some pasta and eat it all together!  The mix of the lemon and basil with the clams is just spectacular!
If you don't like stuffed clams, you can also use: shrimp, scallops, plain clams, or any type of fish.  I guess you could also do this dish with chicken if you really wanted.  Any of these choices are still really healthy and great for you!!
I hope you all enjoy this out there and I look forward to the rest of the week becasue like I've mentioned time and time again, I have an amazing menu planned out, and this is just the start of it!!