Freaky Food Combos...

Everybody's got them! Admit it! There is probably at least one thing that you eat/do to your food or drink that is a little cooky... I know I do!

But before I get into mine... look at my dad's!

Isn't that sick? I think so anyways....

Wait! You don't even know what it is, do you? Well if you guessed a cinnamon roll, with a piece of melty cheese on top, and then drizzled with icing you would be correct weirdly psychic somehow!

So that's my dad's biggest food habit - putting cheese on EVERYTHING! Honestly. Not just cinnamon rolls... oh no-cookies, rice krispie bars, etc. etc.

Mine? Well I probably have way too many to count...

But a few are:
-ketchup on well a lot! But especially cheetos...
-Ranch on pizza
-Cheese and peanut butter
...yes I just got done making fun of my father, and I don't eat these anymore...but when I was little I used to make myself cheese and PB sandwiches. Just two pieces of American cheese with peanut butter slathered inside. Delicious, no?
-Soggy foods. I just LOVE 'em! Like cereal of course, but also soggy bread (like in french dip sandwiches), soggy cookies (after dipped in milk for way too long!) or soggy crackers in soup.
-Frozen bread. No, not the dough, like just bread that has already been cooked and set in the freezer. Cold, wet, delectable in oh so many ways!

~If you are still reading and haven't blocked my blog from your newsfeed I'm honored. And impressed.

So now that I've poured out my deepest, darkest, weirdest food combinations, let's hear yours! Best one gets a PRIZE!

Friday's Top Five! - Pinterest Edition

We all love Pinterest... admit it! The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to accept and live with your addiction.

But there are just some things I like searching Pinterest for more than others, ya know?

So in celebration of my acceptance of being a Pinterest addict - I've decided to share with you my top five FAVORITE things to Pinterest (can it now be used as a verb? Yes? Ok, thanks!)

1. Granola
Yes, I have an addiction for granola, making it, eating it, and now-of course PINNING it!

2. Peanut Butter
It's quite fun to just search 'peanut butter' and see what comes it :)
...you're trying now, aren't you?

3. Coffee
Pretty similar to #2 - I just can't seem to ever have enough ideas of what to mix with my coffee next-because seriously, who just drinks coffee black anymore?!

4. God
Just search 'God' next time you're feeling stressed, sad, or scared. I promise you after oh..... .00923837573 seconds you will feel 1305948258% better
...and yes-those statistics are legit.

5. Fitness
Whenever I need motivation to workout, or study (since someday I want to be a personal trainer and know I must pass all my classes in order to get there) I simply Pinterest 'fitness' for a few minutes hours and then feel motivated once again!

So there we go-my top five friday list of favorite things to Pinterest!

Well, I'm off to Pinterest.... errr study??

Banana Pudding

Have you ever heard the song "Banana Pudding" by the SCOTS?
Well if you have, you know how easy it is to get stuck in your head (sorry 'bout it!), and now you probably have it stuck in your head and the ONLY way to get it out is to eat banana pudding!

Wait, you haven't heard the song? And it isn't stuck in your head? And you don't want banana pudding?

Go watch this

....I'll wait...

Ok! Now is it stuck in your head? Yes? Good.

This is seriously one of the recipes, I almost feel bad calling a recipe... more like a few instructions and you are well on your way to a happy belly!

Step 1.
Gather supplies:
Vanilla wafers
banana
Cool Whip
milk
pudding mix (can use vanilla, but best to use banana of course!)
Wine glass (if you wanna get really fancy!)

Step 2.
Mix pudding according to directions on package. If your package doesn't have directions, you are getting some sketch pudding my friend!

Step 3.
Layer!

First bananas

Then pudding

Dollop of cool whip

Bananas again

Pudding again

Then top with cool whip

And stick a 'Nilla wafer on top!

Yummy huh? 

...that would be a yes!

Chicken Pastries

Every once and a while I come across a meal I just fall in love with instantly... these Chicken Pastries would fall into that category. I recently was made this delightful little dish from a friend (who is now my best. friend.) 

So want to make some people call you their new best friend?! Of course-who doesn't want more friends!? To accomplish that you need to make them this recipe!

In a small bowl mix together:

-2 TBSP. low-fat cream cheese

-1 TBSP. butter (or margarine)

-1 TBSP. Greek yogurt

-1 TBSP. non-fat sour cream

-1 TBSP. milk

-minced garlic (to your liking, I used 1 TBSP)

-1/2 finely chopped onion

-dash of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning

...you can also get the oven pre-heating on 350* at this time

It will start looking like this!

Then add 2 cups cooked, cooled and chopped chicken (about 3-4 chicken breasts)

Then the magic starts to happen....

Take one small package of crescent rolls (one that makes 8 rolls) and pinch the edges of all 8 little triangles together to create one big sheet (you could also just buy the crescent roll in sheet form, or a sheet of puff pastry dough)

Roll out and cut into 6 equal sized squares

Place 1/6 of the chicken mixture to each square of dough and place onto a greased baking sheet.

Pinch up the sides of the pastries to create a little package (package full of deliciousness!), like so:

No you can leave them un-adulterated, or spray with a little cooking spray and sprinkle with:

-parmesan cheese

-bread crumbs

-Italian seasoning

-mixture of all three!

Then just place in oven and bake for about 25 minutes

Viola-an easy, 30-minute-meal that is sure to impress!

Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Want some amazingly delicious lemon-poppyseed bread?

Ok!

Take lemons...

Cut in half...

Throw in some other random stuff...

Eat bread!

Ok, ok, so maybe it isn't that easy-but it is pretty darn simple and quick (it is quick bread afterall :D hehe)

So now for the real recipe!

Ingredients: 

-1 cup yogurt (just regular, not Greek this time*) 

~could be any flavor you're feeling, I recommend vanilla, plain or lemon though

-3 eggs

-juice of 1 lemon (reserve 1 tsp. if making glaze)

-1/2 cup applesauce (can be sugar free)

-1/3 cup sugar (or any sugar substitute)

-1 pinch salt

-1 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. baking soda

-1 TBSP. poppy seeds

-1 1/2 cups flour (I like to use white whole wheat, but 1/2 white & 1/2 whole wheat works well too!)

1. Preheat oven to 350* Cream all up to salt

2. Add salt through flour

3. Pour into a small loaf pan that has been greased and floured

4. Bake until golden (about 45 minutes)

5. Remove from oven and let cool in pan at least ten minutes

6. While cooling-you can make the glaze!

Glaze:

-powdered sugar (or powdered sugar substitute)

-splash of milk

-1 tsp. lemon juice reserved from earlier

-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

-lemon zest grated from lemons used earlier

~Mix all liquids together and slowly whisk in powdered sugar until a glaze consistency you're happy with forms!

~Pour glaze over semi-cooled bread (if you want the glaze to really seep into the bread and infuse it with flavor-poke the bread with a toothpick before pouring glaze over bread)

Yummy-yummy-yummy! Enjoy my friends :)

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

If you are reading my blog, you are probably interested in health/fitness... if you are interested in health/fitness, you may be at least the tiniest bit concerned about your outward appearance (or if you are just a woman in general) and chances are if you have any of these aforementioned qualities- more often than not, you have thought negative thoughts about your body.

Unfortunately, these statistics are completely true-
    ~90% of all women wish they could change at least one part of their outward appearance
    ~1 out of 4 college-aged women have an eating disorder
    ~Only 2% of all women think they are beautiful
How sad is this? How did it come to this? Why are our female minds so ready to be hard on ourselves?
It is as if we play a game with our other female friends, "Who Can Bash Themselves the Best!"
It is perfectly acceptable to degrade yourself with negative comments like, "I feel huge" "Ugh-I hate my flabby arms!" or the ever popular: "My butt is soooo big!" - yet - it would be awkward to hear someone say, "Wow- I feel beautiful today, I am grateful the Lord gave me the body He did."

WHY!?

If we wouldn't say these comments to a friend why we would say them to ourselves?
If we think guys should treat ladies better, why do we talk to ourselves like we're dirt?
God made us. Would you blatantly tell an artist that their piece of art was out of whack? Too colorful here, too wide there? no! So why do we tell God that His piece of work (our bodies) are designed wrong?

Who am I to say that the Lord of the Universe, the Man who created the stars above, sea below and ice cream for goodness sake - created trash when He made me?

I challenge you all (as well as myself!) to start tomorrow right now fresh. Try to love yourself just a little more each day. I'm not saying you have to think you are perfect because none of us are. I'm not saying to forget about diet and exercise because we still need to take care of ourselves. But love yourself. Love yourself for the amazing and beautiful creature God created you to be. Love yourself for all your qualities (even the ones you think are "bad")

Just LOVE yourself! God does - and if He can after all we've done to try and loose that love, I think we owe it to Him (and ourselves) to respect His creation for all it was meant to be.

Cinnamon Rolls

Is there anything more comforting in this world than a warm carb-product. No. No there is not and if anyone would like to argue with me, well then... ok-I'd probably just ignore it because I am very un-confrontational 

But nonetheless! Just look at this....

Mmmmm, right? 

These amazing, soft, gooey and oh-so delicious cinnamon rolls are the absolute BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever had in my life. But, unfortunately I cannot claim them- my sister made these creations. 

The best part? (ok, aside from the taste) is the fact that they are ubber easy to make- she makes them in a bread machine! Sweet huh?!

To get this recipe (and a bunch of other great recipes) go to her website here. She's awesome. And I know-she is my sister after all! :)