Mashed Cauliflower

Have you taken the leap from mashed potatoes to mashed cauliflower yet? You've got to try it. Don't get me wrong. I love mashed potatoes. My mom makes the best ones. I also love to eat healthy and enjoy the thrill of making healthy foods taste delectable. This is one of them. Mashed cauliflower tastes sinful, but it's a guilt-free and delicious way to cut calories and lower carbs. One 2 1/2" boiled potato contains about 27g of carbs. 1 medium (5-6" dia) boiled head of cauliflower contains about 23g of carbs. Bonus-It doesn't taste like cauliflower. Your mashed potato loving kids will not know the difference.

We serve mashed cauliflower under sea scallops for a fine dining feel at home. We also serve them with steak or grilled chicken and more vegetables (try them with green beans). Serve them with anything you like having mashed potatoes with!

There are a ton of ways to make it. You can add parmesan cheese, chicken broth, cream cheese, garlic, cottage cheese, or milk. You could simply add some cooking liquid from the cauliflower to thin it out, and that's it! I like to experiment with different ingredients to change it up.

My mom's mashed potatoes have sour cream, cream cheese and butter. We replaced sour cream for plain non-fat greek yogurt many years ago. The yogurt tastes just like sour cream. Yes, we use it on tacos, too. While I absolutely love her recipe, I had to come up with a healthier compliment while achieving a similar flavor.

I share with you the way our family enjoys mashed cauliflower.

hands-on time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
makes 4 servings


2 medium cauliflower heads, cut into chunks
1/2 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt
2 tablespoons butter
kosher salt & pepper to taste


Bring water to boil. Add cauliflower. Boil cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until tender with a fork. Place in blender with yogurt, butter, salt and pepper. Blend til smooth.

I love this dish. I hope you enjoy it, too!

The Ballcap Buddy

We are a ballcap wearing family, and I finally found the best way to clean them!


We would wash our caps in the washing machine, and they would get ruined. So we either bought a new cap (and caps are not cheap) or didn't wash it (and that got gross). I went back and forth with buying a Ballcap Buddy for years. I just didn't like the idea of putting a dirty cap in the dishwasher or wasting money on water to wash it alone. I gave in when hubby so badly wanted his newest cap to be cleaned and not ruined. I bought the Ballcap Buddy, and it saved our favorite caps. It's intended for the top shelf of dishwasher or top load washing machines. It's very specific to not use in front load washing machines. I do the short cycle of dishwasher and take it out to dry by leaving it on the ball cap buddy til dry. Wish I bought it years ago. Better late than never.


This cap was my guinea pig. I figured I couldn't ruin it more than it already was. I went to town with Goop (see GOT GOOP post from 2/27/16), let it sit for 20 minutes and threw it in the dishwasher. Came out brand new. I almost cried.

before

 after



I bought my Ballcap Buddy from the LIDS store for $5.99. Amazon carries them for $7.95 with Prime shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Ballcap-Buddy-Cap-Washer/dp/B0013FGVW2


I don't know if the type of dishwasher soap makes a difference. I use Cascade Platinum ActionPacs. It is not only amazing on our dishes, it works great on the caps.
https://www.amazon.com/Cascade-Platinum-ActionPacs-Dishwasher-Detergent/dp/B00O7Y9DGW/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ie=UTF8&qid=1474997343&sr=8-1&keywords=dishwasher+detergent

How I lost my pregnancy weight

I gained 54 pounds when I was pregnant. My doctor wasn't concerned. She assured me I would be able to get it off. I didn't believe her. I was always hungry, and I was addicted to Starbuck's. I stopped on my way to work every day in the 2nd and 3rd trimester for a blueberry scone. It was my guiltest pleasure. I ate greens and ate as healthy as I could. I was just ALWAYS hungry.

This was me the night before I checked into the hospital. We went to the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show. People stared. I didn't understand why until I saw this picture after my son was born. I must have looked like I would tip over at any moment. My family had bets on how big baby boy would be. Sweet boy was an average 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

When my son was 3 months, I saw a commercial for Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis. It looked easy enough, and I might get good results. I tried some of her other videos right before I got pregnant, so I didn't get to commit to them as I had done in the past with Tae Bo, Power 90, P90, P90X and Slim in 6. I bought the Metamorphosis Glutecentric version. I was nowhere near my pre pregnancy weight and couldn't fit into any of my clothes. I was very intrigued by the commercial and so bored with the P90's of the world.

I have 2 be clear about 3 things.
1. I tried the eating plan for 2 days. It was disgusting, and I almost passed out in HEB. I decided to stick with my normal daily diet (white & green), because I already enjoyed eating well. I haven't been on a "diet" in over a decade. I consider my daily diet to be the way I normally eat.
2. I don't care what some say about her. I lost my pregnancy weight and another 15 pounds on top of that. The inches kept coming off. She keeps me motivated to move, and I feel powerful after her workout.
3. Her method is not for everyone, and that's ok! Some say they don't like it, without trying it, because they don't want to look like her. Tracy Anderson is 1 of 2 of J Lo's trainers, and J Lo looks like J Lo. The fact is - she gets you moving a way that most don't.

Just as P90 changes the workout to avoid focusing on one group of muscles, Metamorphosis changes to a new workout every 10 days. I admit it was a true dedication for 8 weeks. And it was definitely not as easy as it looked. She advises 6 days a week for 1 hour a day. I worked out 5 days a week for an hour a day for 8 weeks. I was determined. The inches and weight just fell off. I was content with fitting back in my clothes, so I backed off and did 30 minutes a day. At the end of 4 months, I weighed less than my pre pregnancy weight. I'd lost 18 pounds & 17.25 inches and continued to lose more. After another 5 months of 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, I lost another 6 pounds and more inches.

Metamorphosis comes in 3 dvd's with 90 days of workouts. Tracy Anderson has made years worth of Metamorphosis DVD's, and I still have them delivered to my door. I may be back logged on them, as I do not exercise often enough to keep up with the program...but, Metamorphosis is still the only exercise I do. I feel like a powerhouse when I finish her workouts. I average 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week with some form of physical activity. Some of those days may be kicking the soccer ball with my son for 30 minutes. Then I'll catch one of her dance or exercise clips on instagram and get excited for a 30 minute workout the next day. When I do pop in her exercise video, I pick up from wherever I left off.

Whatever you choose to do as your exercise routine, just get moving! Exercise can help or prevent health problems, improve your mood, boost your energy, promote better sleep, and can be a fun way to spend time with your family.

cilantro burgers with sriracha mayo

At the start of the new year, I decided to change things up by making 2 new recipes a week.  I wish I had kept track of all the new recipes I've made since January. This thought didn't occur to me til May.

We eat at home about 5-6 days a week. I like cooking, and we like healthy eating. We also appreciate knowing what's going in our food. While I can cook dishes without a recipe, it gets hard coming up with interesting, new and tasty on my own. It's inspiring to get new ideas. I will buy magazines, I will do research, and I will share my findings with you. A favorite magazine of mine is Cooking Light. This baby is not cheap. So, if I buy a copy, you bet I'm going to make as many recipes as I can from it.

We eat white meat or fish most days. A burger is a once a week or every other week splurge. Hubby and I love a good burger. Our version of a good burger is one with cheese. Any cheese. And sauce, from mayo to chipotle ketchup. A new favorite is Cilantro Burgers with Sriracha Mayo. Hubby works out 6 days a week. So Hercules needs more food than I do. While this recipe feeds 4, I make 3 burgers out of it. A half pounder for hubby and two 1/4 pounders.

TIPS about this recipe-
We eat a lot of cilantro, so we add more than the recipe calls for.
We use a lot of kosher salt and cracked pepper to flavor our meat.
We double the mayo recipe, because we use plenty on the top AND bottom bun to give it the sauciness. It makes up for the lack of cheese. This way, we don't miss it. Like I said, burgers are a splurge for us. You may as well do it, right.

hands-on time: 20 minute
total time: 20 minutes
makes 4 servings

1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 burger buns
3 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon sriracha
1/3 cup cilantro sprigs


Combine ground sirloin, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix just until combined. Divide sirloin mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2" thick patty.


Heat a grill to medium high heat. Add patties and grill 4 minutes. Turn patties and grill 4 more minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove patties. Add buns to grill, cut sides down. Grill 1 minute or until toasted.


Combine mayo and sriracha in a small bowl, stir. Spread mixture on bottom half of each bun; top each with 1 patty. Divide cilantro sprigs evenly among patty; top with top halves of bun.


Recipe inspiration from Cooking Light

My Not-So-Overwhelming Cleaning Schedule

People have asked me how I keep my house so clean. It actually does require a bit of organization and planning on my part, so I'm not cleaning for one whole day. A day of cleaning is exhausting, boring, and not likely to get all done when you have a child at home with you.

Hubby and I are most relaxed in a tidy home. We prefer a swept floor, toys picked up from the downstairs before bed, and a clean kitchen to wake up to every morning. By clean kitchen, I mean no dirty dishes in the sink. I keep a toy basket in the downstairs closet. It's an easy place for us to do a quick stash.

Several years ago, we decided to save money by no longer using our maid service. The only way I could get out of spending a day cleaning was to make a schedule of daily tasks that would keep the house clean. The schedule allowed me to still spend lots of time with our little guy and/or run errands, while enjoying a clean home. I don't stay home every day. I did for one year after our son was born. Then he went to a 2 day a week Kids Day Out program, and I work on those 2 days. I adjusted my cleaning schedule to have a lighter task on the days I work.

My Not-So-Overwhelming Cleaning Schedule

 

And, let's be real. I may not vacuum every Thursday. Maybe I'll let another week go by. I'm sure going to try, though, because my son and hubby have terrible allergies (some of which include dust mites).

I fell out of my routine the end of last year. I struggled getting back in the groove at the beginning of this year. I was a slacker. Then it started spiraling. I had too much to do. My head was spinning with what needed to be immediately cleaned (restrooms) to things I needed to do (dust baseboards, replace air filters, replace an outdoor floodlight that was knocked out in the hail storm). I keep a planner, but that wasn't going to work for this list in my head. I decided to just write it all down. Everything. I made a list, and it kept growing. I stuck it on the fridge knowing I could see it better there. My goal was to knock out 1 or 2 things a day. It was an accomplishment when I could mark something off the list.

The Big List

The house is almost back where it needs to be (I still need to do my annual baseboards dusting), and I am now able to go back to my daily schedule. And there you have it! Now you know the Adams family has clean sheets on Friday.

Daily To-Do's at 3

My little one is 3. He's now able to dress himself and needs reminding to brush teeth in the morning. I created this chart and used the help of superheroes stickers. Since he's already such a helper, I decided to use it on the chart.We are a family of helpers. I think it's an important quality to have in life. The chart is at his eye level at the bottom of the fridge.

 

Art is definitely not my strength, but he knows what the smile means!

 



Involve Your Child

My little guy likes helping. He likes to be involved in most everything. Is it because we've been involving him in things ever since he was 2, or is it his personality? Maybe, both.

When little buddy was 2, he saw me sorting the dirty laundry into piles. He wanted to do it. Of course, he wanted to push the buttons on the washer and dryer, too. So, I taught him what to push. He knows how to spell the word cold, because he's been seeing it for so long. It was another opportunity to talk about colors at age 2, as I handed him the item for the different stacks. He genuinely enjoys helping me in the laundry room. He actually wants to help. I'm not sure why anyone would like sorting laundry or loading the washer and dryer, but I do love his company...and his help!

My 3 year old helper

I also introduced the world of baking at 2. He loved playing with my baking bowls, so I thought it was time to teach him what we really do with those. It started with his favorite homemade blueberry muffins. I stood him on a chair at the counter. He would help me pour the ingredients in the bowl and hold my hand while I used the whisk. I began to stand him next to me while I cooked and teach more about the stove, fire and heat. I didn't put him too close, like I do now, but he wanted to learn how to cook.

I quickly realized the chair was not going to cut it. We bought a step stool from Amazon, after seeing it at a friend's house. We all love it! At 3 years old, he has made many dishes with me from beginning to end. It's more learning...the names of herbs, what garlic smells like, what letter the word basil starts with, what else starts with B, close your eyes and smell this herb, etc. There are times when he wants me to play with him when I have to cook, so I'll ask him if he wants to help me make whatever dish I'm making. Sometimes he wants to. This way, we can still be together and do something we enjoy. It may take me a little longer. That's definitely ok with me.

I purchased our stool from Amazon. It was about $118 at the time. It is definitely a large piece, but worth it. He can do puzzles, color or have a snack at the counter while I'm in the kitchen.

http://www.amazon.com/Guidecraft-Step-Up-Kitchen-Helper-White/dp/B00D5FH1V8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_75_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=31fOw8snfmL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0VGB642E9FS8ECRKWZ2D



I definitely appreciate his help, and I appreciate that he will know how to cook at a young age and know how to do his own laundry before he leaves for college.