Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepper Jack Cheese & Spinach and Mushroom and Spinach Frittata With Smoked Gouda

Last week I tried two new recipes off of my pin boards. The first was Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepper Jack Cheese & Spinach.

Source: cuckooking.blogspot.ca via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Go out there and make a change!

If you've looked through my archives you know I love a good New Year's post. I am a little more late this year than I prefer but oh well. Better late than never, right?

2012 was pretty sweet. One of my proudest achievements last year was going form 169 pounds down to 145. One thing that really helped me was a "Biggest Loser" competition at work that was money motivated. I won a few weeks but ultimately I was not the overall winner. I still felt like a winner though because I went from a size 12 to a size 6. Buying a whole new wardrobe wasn't easy on my wallet, but it sure was nice to need to buy smaller clothes. It was also nice not to buy clothing based on hiding flaws. Wearing sleeveless shirts and dresses without the accompaniment of a cardigan to hide my flabby arms was exciting. Once I was even asked if I had been working out because of my new found triceps and biceps. That felt awesome. In the past few months (Freaking holidays!) I have gained back 7 pounds. That doesn't seem like much when you think about the number, but I have learned that the scale is really not my friend. A lot of times in my journey to lose weight I would get so mad because the numbers were not reflective of all the work I had put in. Conversely, my weight gain feels like more than 7 pounds because my body mass has changed. You know the phrase: muscle weighs more than fat. It kills me! When I weighed my self on January 2nd I wasn't as let down with myself as when I measured my chest, biceps, thighs, waist (the hardest area of my body to control) and hips. The amount of inches I had gained really sucked!

So, I started working out again. Last year the majority of my success was due to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I hate gyms and I hate group workouts. I chose to try videos because I can't be too self concious all by my self and I wanted to have less reasons to talk my self out of working out. I also chose 30 Day Shred because I knew that I could make myself get through thirty minutes without giving up. It was really hard at first, but as the days went by I felt stronger and stronger and I was gaining confidence. For about ten years I had been in the double digit sizes, topping out at a 12 that was beginning to feel snug. For years I wanted to lose weight, I just didn't want to take action. I am so glad that I finally did. There is a real power that I felt knowing that I, and I alone, was changing my body. It reminded me of being a kid and playing with play-doh. You can make your body look however you want to with enough effort. Unfortunately I did not reach my goal last year. My goal was to either get down to 130 pounds (which is optimal for my 5'3" frame. 120 would be awesome, but I thought that was really stretching it.) or I wanted to have a flat stomach. Whichever I reached first would make me feel satisfied. I had a much smaller belly at 145, but there was still a little pooch. For the first time in ten years I felt confident enough to wear a bikini. I felt self conscious sometimes while wearing the bikini, but I had worked hard and I felt like a bikini was part of what I had seen as a goal when this all started.

Besides working out, another tool that really helped me along the way was  MyFitnessPal. I had read many times before that keeping a food journal is a great way to be accountable for what you eat. I find that this app/website takes a huge amount of guesswork out of tracking your food, nutrition, calories, fat, etc. Also, when food was broken down in numbers for me, I began to think twice about if eating  (or drinking) a certain "bad" thing was worth it. If you work out for 30 minutes and burn off 180 calories, you begin to respect the calories and the effort it takes to reduce them.

I am still going to chase the same goal as last year. While I am not happy about gaining those seven pounds, I am very grateful that that I get to have a 17 pound head start from where I began this time last year. I am proud that I was able to at least keep 17 out of the 24 pounds I lost last year off . Before I had begun my weight loss journey washing my hair was beginning to feel like a strenuous activity. That was when I knew I could not keep on the same path I was on for the rest of my life. Through working out and making better eating choices I feel so much better, not just because I look better and have more confidence. I appreciate my body more because I know it is strong and healthy and capable of so much. I have more energy and I found that working out really helped affect my mood and stress levels.

This year one thing that I am attempting, loosely, is the Paleo Diet. If you are wondering, what is the Paleo  Diet, click here.  Last year my pin boards, Fitness Goals and Healthy Eats really helped me along the way. In that respect I started a board called Paleo. I am not going in 100% on the Paleo diet at this time, but I am following it as closely as possible. I am making the changes I can live with and if I want some greek yogurt or a few chips now and then I am going to go with it. I basically don't want to geet so rigid with it that I end up going on a binge of all the things I can't have. I plan to update once a month on my weight loss stats here. I feel confident that I will be sharing some good news with you all around a month from now! If you are on quest to lose weight I hope some of what I have shared will help you. Please feel free to comment of contact me if you have questions or need encouragement. I am not an expert, but I know how frustrating being overweight is. Hell, at my lowest weight I was still considered over weight for my height. That really sucked when I felt I had come so far. If you are having a hard time being or staying motivated, I want to share with you one thing that became my mantra last year:

Source: Uploaded by user via Tiffany on Pinterest

Happy New Year Everybody! Make 2013 a great one!

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I had to clean a microfiber couch and I ran out of Febreze!

Well, I had low expectations for blogging during the holidays, but sometimes you really need to use a pin that you know is on one of your boards. Case in point:

 That small little dog right there is a pig! She scarfs down snacks really fast so I like to get her these Rollhide Busy Bones by Purina . It takes her while to eat the whole thing which is good. What is not good is that when I am not paying attention she likes to eat these on "her" comfortable, micro fiber couch. That white crud looks nasty and I couldn't ignore it any more. The first pin I came across on my boards was this one:

Source: imperfecthomemaking.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

I followed the link to the original post and followed the directions. I was pretty pleased with the results and I only did a half way job of things. After the fact I found this pin that I also had on one of my boards:

Source: 551eastdesign.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

There were things I learned from this pin that I had not learned from the first one. Eventually I think I am going to do a more thorough cleaning of my couch, but for now I am happy with the outcome.

I tried one more thing today. I know a lot of you have pinned this one too. I was all out of Febreze. I have been waiting to run out so that I could try my hand at this:

Source: starneslifefamilylove.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

There was one difference though. I have a 16.9 Fluid Ounce bottle that I wanted to use. I read through the comments on the blog and saw some other people had the same dilemma. There were suggestions to use half the amount of liquid fabric softener and baking soda. So to help you skip a step, 1/16th cup is equivalent to 1 tablespoon. I used Snuggle Exhilarations White Lavender and Sandalwood and I am satisfied with the results. I am even more satisfied that I didn't have to go to the store to buy more Febreze!

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Fantasy Fudge Update

I wrote about Fantasy Fudge in December of 2009 here.

I recently made a pin for it:

Source: kraftrecipes.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

So, what I should have said in the previous post

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A few homemade cleaning duds & Paula Deen's Pumkin Gooey Butter Cakes

It's the most wonderful time of the year right? I don't know about you all, but the holidays have me running. You have to decorate, shop for gifts, plan for Christmas parties, wrap gifts, send out Christmas cards, pick up packages at the post office because they wouldn't fit in your mailbox. Peace and Joy on Earth! Hurrah!

So all of that was the precursor to: I am sorry I haven't blogged in a little while. I had been feeling guilty because when I first started blogging about things I try from Pinterest, I was really amped up to try some homemade cleaning supplies and write about it here. Well, I have tried a few and I don't exactly have the best of news to share.

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Have I mentioned I love a cassarole?

Good lord, our eating has been so good in the past 12 hours. I am sure I gained a pound or two, but the dinner I made last night and the breakfast I made (last night and) this morning were amazing! Neither required a lot of effort either. I like to cook a good dinner on the Friday nights that my step-son comes to stay with us. As well I like to make a really nice breakfast for him and his daddy. My preference is to strike a balance between delicious and low maintenance. Especially when it comes to making dinner after working all day.

Last night I made BBQ Chicken Cornbread Bake . When I looked at the picture I was skeptical. Things didn't seem all that appetizing but the ingredient list made me take pause.

Source: plainchicken.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Please feel free to hold my opinions against me. :)

On November 4th of 2008 I wrote this:

I may be unpopular in my choice for president, but the one I voted for did not win. I'm not sad or mad about it. I am a little worried about our future. Maybe I shouldn't be. Obviously a lot of people have high faith in Obama and his hopes for our country.

On a more positive note, I am very happy for him. I hope that he will take our country in a new direction for the better. I have prayed about this and I never once prayed that McCain would win. I prayed that the best person for the job would win. In this case I hope that Obama is that person.

I will be praying that he will be blessed as well as his family. I'm going to support him as a president. To be completely honest, I wouldn't have been completely thrilled with McCain/Palin. I would love a pleasant surprise as to how the next four years will turn out.

Tonight I am listening to  the election coverage and actually hoping that Obama will win. To say that in this platform, so publicly, is not an  easy choice for me, being that  the people I love the most are hoping for the opposite outcome. I really hope politics will not polarize me from the people I love and respect. Over the past four years I have come to strongly regret my straight party vote from the last election. That was the first, and may or may not be the last time, I will choose Republican.

I have read (via social media) and heard so much of why people think I would vote for Obama. (when I use I, I assume they are thinking of me figuratively, not personally.) I must not work, because there are so many insinuations that people who support Obama don't. I must receive "hand-outs" or want them. I must not believe in God. I most likely support abortion.

Oddly, I am employed full-time. I have never received help from the government, other than a Pell Grant for college tuition.  I don't expect or want anything without working for it. I do believe in God. I also believe that God is benevolent and would be proud of us as a nation if we stopped worrying about our own personal bottom line and instead thought about the bottom line of EVERYONE as a unit OF ONE. I support Planned Parenthood because I believe that they prevent more abortions than they perform. Personally, abortion would not be a choice I could make for myself, (Thanks to Planned Parenthood I was never in that situation.) but as much as I believe that choice is not right for me, at least I can make that choice for myself. I would never judge someone for making a different decision about their own body. I would judge a man for trying to make it for me though.As well as believing in God I believe in equal rights for ALL. Black, white, Mexican, Asian, Indian,  woman, man straight, gay, atheist, christian, mentally ill, poor, rich. I don't care how you are defined. If you aren't hurting anyone I think you should have the same rights as me. I think Jesus would have felt the same way about things.

Before I read my post from 2008,  I said a prayer, exactly as I had four years ago. I prayed that God would bring us to the president that would be best for this country. Do you know how hard it is to not pray for who you think is the best man for the job to win? As hard as it was to take my self out of the prayer, I did. I want what is best. If what is best does not coincide with what I want, I will swallow it, just like I did four years ago. I do thank God though, right now as I type. What I thought would be so horrible has not been. My doubts and fears have subsided. I have had many low points when I have thought about the state of our nation since then, during President Obama's term. Honestly I would say he did much better than I thought he would. I think he should have and could have done better. I wish all of our elected officials could come together for the collective good. If he wins again I sincerely hope that our government will do a better of job of working together instead of fighting one another.

All I can think is this: Bush got his second chance.

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Slutty Brownies...

This is one of those recipes that everyone should have in their pocket. I heard Jessica Simpson talk about something similar on a late night talk show. Basically everything is the same except she used Oreos instead of peanut butter cups. You could do that if you want. So often when I run across a particular pin on Pinterest I feel dumb for never having thought of that... whatever that may be. In this case, enter the Slutty Brownie.

Source: Uploaded by user via Tiffany on Pinterest

Unfortunately this pin is the kind of pin I am not very fond of. There is no meat. The jump simply takes you to an image. I like a little back story to my pin, maybe an introduction to a blog I might peruse. You aren't gonna get that on this one. It's fine though. Slutty Brownies don't have time for that!

The beauty of the Slutty Brownie is that they are so easy! Hee Hee! Total count on ingredients is five! You will need: refrigerated  chocolate chip cookie dough, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a box of brownie mix. That is three, I know, but to make the brownies you need eggs and oil as well. I made the full size version as described in the description of the pin, but afterward I thought a mini version would be better for portion control and because these are so rich that a little goes a long way.

For my mini version I use the Toll House Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough , Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and usually a brownie mix with walnuts. That doesn't mean you have to do the same though. I think you could go crazy with all sorts of different variations of this recipe. (And if you choose that route, please comment me your modifications and results!)

I like to prep my pan with Baker's Joy even though it is a non-stick pan. (That is why there are white flecks on my pan in the picture below.) 

I also tend to over fill my muffin cups, (that just sounds slutty.) resulting in the outcome below:

Overflowing Slutty Brownies. What more would you expect? Slutty Brownies don't take up a lot of your time, they don't require a long term commitment and everyone who has tried one never complains! They only dirty up one mixing bowl, a whisk and a measuring cup. Low maintenance!

These are great when you get a short notice house guest or party where you need to supply a dessert. If you choose to take these to a church function you might spend more time thinking of an alternate name than you will making them!

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Yesterday was the perfect day to go to the pumpkin patch and pick out some pumpkins for Jack O' Lanterns. There is a pumpkin patch right next door at a local church so we took my step-son, Hayden, to go pick one out. While I am glad that the money we spent on our $8 pumpkin went to a good cause, I was less than pleased to learn that it was pretty much rotten. (after we had purchased it.) We ended up buying two more pumpkins of the same size for a little less than $8. Lesson learned. (Neither were rotten.)

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Mighty Mud Dash made a Mighty Mess of my washing machine!

This past Saturday we participated in the Mighty Mud Dash here in Houston. It was a 5k with many obstacles, most of which involved a lot of mud! I have to be perfectly honest with you guys... I used to love playing in the dirt and mud as a kid and after the race I realized we don't do that often enough as adults. This race basically made me feel like a little kid again. Quite a few times I mentioned that it would be really cool if they opened the area we were racing in for ATV's. Mudding on a four wheeler is really fun. If there were a "gym" that offered an obstacle course for workouts I would sign up in a minute. A lot of people made a big deal out of the obstacles, but I was shocked that I was able to get through most of them without a huge struggle. The Mud Mougles were the hardest, in my opinion. They were hills about four feet up, that dropped into water about 3 feet deep only to lead to another fout foot hill. There were 3 hills and three water pits and because of the water and mud there was no traction. I had to crawl out at  the side of the second water pit, which was still hard. I attempted the mougles but they got the best of me. I loved this race. The night before I kept waking up because I was so anxious and worried about whether or not it would kill us. Once we got started though, all those fears just slipped my mind because I was too busy laughing my butt off and having fun. I am so thankful that my husband and my friend Bebe participated with me. I think we made a great team.

As you can see in the pictures above, we were covered in filth! Brandon suggested that I get in the shower with my clothes on to try to get the mud off before we washed our clothes. If I could have taken a picture of the filth in the shower I would have. It was bad. Still, I thought I had gotten a lot of the mud out of the three articles of clothing I wore. Today I put all our race clothes in the washer. After the whole wash and extra rinse cycle was done  I was shocked to see this: (The stuff on the drum is muddy soap suds. I think.)

 

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At Home Manicure Tips. This one is a twofer!

I do my nails at home, usually about once a week. Before I found this pin:

Source: gingerbreadmanne.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Slow Cooker French Onion Pot Roast

I know I may seem like a one trick pony with all these crock pot recipes but I really can't help myself. I love food that tastes good and the easier the better. Nothing says easy like a crock pot recipe. When I was a kid, if my mom made a roast I would be so grossed out. Don't ask me why because I can't tell you. As an adult I really enjoy a great roast. Pork or Beef is fine by me.  We don't eat a lot of red meat in our home, but every once in a while I get a craving.

I saw this Pin a few days ago and I got the urge to make a roast and in the process, try out a new recipe.

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Crock Pot Taco Soup

I love Taco Soup because all you have to do is brown your meat, open up a few cans of beans and vegetables, throw in your seasoning and you have a delicious, hearty soup.  I had never made my Taco Soup in the crock pot, but there is nothing I love more than walking through the door after a full day of work, and smelling a delicious meal that is already ready for me to eat. (Already! I couldn't resist.)

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Bacon, Egg & Cheese Ring

If I had a favorite pin, based on the amount of times I have used it, it would be this one:

Source: navywifecook.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

I can't even tell you how many times I have made this. I do remember the very first time I made this was on a Saturday and we were so impressed with it, that I made it again on Sunday. I love this recipe because on a weekend morning I may have time to make a complex recipe, but that does not meant I want to spend an hour or two in the kitchen.

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Crock Pot Chicken and Noodle Soup

I love Pinterest! When I think of life before Pinterest I could almost break out in hives. In a social setting I am the person talking about something I saw on Pinterest. My husband finds it super annoying. I am sure it doesn't help that quite frequently, I tell him he should thank God for Pinterest. At first he asked me why. I explained that all these great tasty morsels  coming from the kitchen were Pinterest treasures.

When I pin recipes I sometimes become skeptical. Will this really be the most awesome recipe for baked chicken? Will theses cupcakes live up to the hype?  All these questions in my mind have spawned the new subject matter here at Trivial Tiffairs. That and the fact that when I post pictures of my yummy Pinterest meals and desserts people want the recipes. I don't blame them! Not only will this be a space for the original pins, but I also plan to critique what I have already made so that you might be able to avoid a sub-par recipe or idea.

I am especially excited to to take y'all on my journey with home-made cleaning supplies and DIY beauty remedies. I don't want to get ahead of myself though. To kick things off I want to give you all my review of Crock Pot Chicken and Noodle Soup.

Source: creativelydomestic.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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On the agenda

We are planning to go hangout poolside with the Hudson Family later this afternoon and all I have been thinking about since my Friday trip to the grocery store is what I am going to make to take over to The Hudson Hippy Hollow.

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On the agenda this weekend.

Dinner will be a rotisserie chicken and "better than potatoes" cheesy cauliflower. You have no idea how excited the thought of this cauliflower makes me. I haven't had much pasta or potatoes in the last 3 months. Or even much bread for that matter. The perfection of the picture that I saw on Pinterest is what really sold me.

Source: ibreatheimhungry.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Our dinner for the night

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Source: whitsamusebouche.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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The Oscars are on tonight! I am so ready.

I am going to have company and thanks to Pinterest I will be having...

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Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

What a whirlwind year this has been.

• My Uncle David married a wonderful lady, Jacque and through their marriage we gained a new cousin, Colt. The wedding was so romantic and beautiful that we were inspired to decide to get married  a month and nine days later.

• We chose to have a small ceremony on May 25th, 2011. We had unsuccessfully tried to plan a wedding numerous times. I knew I never wanted a big wedding and my closest friends and I had promised never to ask each other to be in a wedding party. I am not much of a romantic, probably because I am too pragmatic for my own good. Some of my friends questioned my choice to not only have a small wedding, but also why I would want to get married on a Wednesday. My explanation: I have been a near lifelong fan of Oprah and I wanted to see her last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show as it aired. I realize that some people think that this is ridiculous and kooky. I see it like this; That Brandon would agree on this date, and know the reasoning behind it, agree to a mid-morning ceremony so that I could be home and on my couch with tissues by four o'clock is a testament to the man I married. He was willing to share his day with a woman that he doesn't really like, because it was a big deal to me. He is the most unselfish, loving, intelligent, adorable man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Our anniversary is exactly six months, to the day, from my birthday. I relish the thought of our future together. It only gets better after the first four years we shared together. We worked really hard to get here and I can truthfully say that it has been very much worth it.

• On June 22 we had to say goodbye to my Grandfather. My mom, Uncle David, Aunt Lori and Mimaw were there to help him transition from life to death. It was probably the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. I prayed so fervently that night and my prayer was answered. I told him that I loved him. I told him we would miss him but that it was okay to leave. I wanted so desperately for him to not struggle or be in pain for any longer. It has been hard to watch those around me in their grief. He is missed. I had a habit of gifting him books that I thought he would like for Christmas. I asked that I could have those books back. I wanted to read them and try to enjoy them as he had. One was titled: No Angel by James Dobyn   and when he had unwrapped it, he asked me what I was trying to say. He had a sharp humor about him the whole time I knew him. I like to believe that he is in a better place now.

• Brandon and I were able to prove that we could survive 948 miles with a four year old and teenager. Granted, we kind of cheated by only making our trips at night. I really enjoyed the time we spent in Brandon's home town. His Mamaw is such a hoot and I really enjoy her spirit. I hope that we will be able to make more trips, more often, in the future. I am also hoping that his family will be able to spend some time with us, here in Texas, one day.
  
  
  

• In early August we took off to Ft. Worth for the 2011 Scentsy convention and boy, was that an experience. We had a "quirky" hotel that had little, to no, air conditioning during a record breaking heat wave. We managed to get through all the chaos and heat and were never so happy to arrive home. We did have a good time though.

• Later that same month I managed to wreck our car. It was rainy and a girl hydroplaned into me. Luckily, I wasn't badly injured and neither was the other driver. The car was totaled and I was so sad over that. C'est la vie. 

• We added to our family in October. We were blessed to adopt our perfect puppy, Lexie from her first parents. For me, it was love at first sight. She can make me laugh like no other and no one is ever more happy to see me than her. I never knew a dog would make me as happy as she has. I guess that is why I love her so.

2011 was the year I turned 30. It was a year that I made new friends. People that I care a great deal for. At times this year has been hectic, hard or great all at different times and so randomly. Our world is so chaotic, but there have been moments that I look deep down into my soul and wonder how did I get so lucky. What did I do to deserve such moments of happiness, joy and contentment?  Ten years ago, I never would have thought of this as a life for myself. I couldn't have imagined that it would be so good. Sitting down and looking back on it all makes me appreciate it even more. 

Happy New Year! May it be all that you wish for.

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