Unstuffed Cabbage Roll recipe ...

Another really, really good recipe

and I can't believe it but I failed to take pictures as I made this

a friend of mine gave me this recipe but it originally

came from someone named Diana Rattray

I don't know you Diana but I LOVE your recipe so thanks!!

Johnny loves when I make this. It's the kind of recipe

that is great for leftovers so we both enjoy taking this to

work for our lunch

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

1 1/2 to 2 lbs lean ground beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small cabbage, chopped

 2 - 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce (also good if you use spaghetti sauce)

1 - 8 oz can of water

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is  no longer pink and onon is tender. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Johnny and I actually think this is even better the next day!

later.......

Taco seasoning recipe ...

here's the taco seasoning recipe

I wish I knew who to give credit to for this but I was given

this recipe by a friend who also doesn't know where it came from

I make this and store in a mason jar along with my other spices

and let me just tell you......once you use this, you'll never buy

the packaged taco seasoning again!

this is just so yummy!!

Loco Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup Chili Powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Use 2 tablespoons of this mix for every 1 lb of ground meat

for some Loco-Good Tacos!

Ole!



A wedding .....

Johnny and I along with Jacquelyn and Bucky went to

a wedding in May.

A little bit of a bittersweet wedding as it was our son's

ex-girlfriends wedding. I know that may sound weird to some but

Jake and Kayla were together about 4 years so naturally we became

very close to Kayla. Johnny and I always thought she would

eventually become our daughter-in-law!! But as high school

sweethearts usually end up, they both changed. They grew and matured

and their interest became different. And I'm so happy to say that they

have remained friends.

 

We felt very honored that Kayla and Aaron would invite us to

their special day. It was a little cool that day, especially for the

middle of May but what a wonderful time. The entire wedding, ceremony, dinner and dancing was all outside right along the James River.

 

 

here we are enjoying the evening..........

 

 

We wish Kayla and Aaron all of the best

and Kayla will always be an unofficial member of our family!

 

later.....



July 4th ... more pictures

Just a few more pictures from the bay

Hurricane Arthur came up the east coast while we were down there

but swerved out to sea as it left North Carolina so we

were lucky to only get a little rain on Friday morning

and then the rest of the weekend was beautiful

here's the view at their pool

 

 

and this is the view from the porch.....I never get tired of

photographing this view here. The picture below was taken with

my iPhone......the pink hue was so beautiful

here's Johnny and I out in the kayaks

 



 

this was taken the morning we had rain......and it was a little

chilly!! Here we are with our morning cocktails......Joanne and

Lois with their Mimosas and me with a Bloody Mary...yum!

 

later......



July 4th ....

We spent 4 wonderful days over the 4th of July

holiday weekend down on the Chesapeake Bay with our

family Tommy and Joanne and good friends

Gene and Lois.

Hanging out with them is so much fun, so relaxing and

you just don't ever want it to end!! We go in to the small

towns of Kilmarnack and White Stone and visit little shops.

Go boating, lounge at the pool or hang at the end of the dock

hoping to catch some fish! We eat a lot of really great food as my brother-in-law Tommy is an excellent cook and of course have a lot of adult beverages......

I also tried kayaking for the first time

and really loved it. Can't wait to go again.

 

oh look, the love of my life!!

 

later.....



A year later ....

July 9th marked my one year of clean eating

and I can honestly say it was one of my best decisions ever

Physically, I have never felt better. Clean eating has shown me that you

truly are what you eat. Eat crap, feel like crap!

I no longer have the achy arthritis pain in my fingers and knee.

yes, it's still there, I can feel it some but nothing like what it used to be.

My sinus' have never felt so clear and I rarely ever have headaches.

I sleep great and have tons of energy and pretty much just feel good every day.

 

When I started this I really thought I would not stick with it.

I thought I would miss things like cheese, crackers,

ice cream, cake, cake and cake......haha.

Cake is my weakness!

But I don't because I do allow myself to have things like that

every once in awhile. I stray from my clean eating slightly

when on vacation or during holidays. And sometimes just

because I want something. I have committed myself to eat

clean 90% of the time. I eat no grains except occasional

corn on the cob or popcorn. The only sugar I have is a Starbucks Frap or

a piece of birthday cake sometimes.  And of course my wine....but I limit wine to just weekends but some weekends

I don't even have any. And I eat no dairy. Hard to believe

but I just don't miss this stuff.....also don't miss candy.

 

My daily eating now consist of good, grass fed beef, free range, no

antibiotics added chicken, seafood, nitrate free, sugar free bacon...mmm, love bacon and lots of eggs. We also eat whatever

vegetables and fruits are in season, though I do buy some frozen

fruit for smoothies. And I load up on good fats like avocados, olive oil, olives,

cashews and almonds. I really don't try to re-create many recipes

because I enjoy the simplicity of my eating now. 

 

I know I will never go back to eating the way I used to eat and

I'm perfectly fine with that. I just really enjoy feeling so great more than

I enjoyed that food I used to eat!!

 

later.....

 



Recipe ....

here's an easy, quick zucchini recipe

and is really great as an appetizer

 

slice your zucchini in half, then half again

then cut in to spears

 

drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and fresh

chopped parsley

then cover with shredded parmesan cheese

the picture below is before I added the cheese

place a rack over a cookie sheet.....I use my cookie cooling racks

 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes

then place under the broiler for just a few minutes to slightly crisp up the cheese.

 

 

the recipe did not call for a dipping sauce but Johnny suggested

that would be good. I always have homemade tomato sauce

in the freezer so I thawed some out for dipping

very, very good and like I said, very quick and easy.

 

later.......



 



A little Sunday cooking ....

Today I didn't really have any plans

thought about raking up the massive amount of pine tags that

are falling in the backyard

but first, I needed to go get some groceries for the week

So I made my menu plan and from that, made my grocery list

 

When I got there, right as I got inside I heard a familiar voice

yell "mom".........haha! It was Jacquelyn, Bucky and Declan

and right away Declan threw his arms out for me to pick him up

then gave me the biggest hug....love that boy!!

 

 

Get home and it's just too hot to be raking in the yard so I decided to

go ahead and cut up my veggies and fruit for the week.

which then lead to other cooking.......and holy moly, you just won't believe

what all I did!!! It's so much I'm going to bullet point the list!!

• I cut up green, yellow and orange peppers for snacking
• Cut up cucumbers for snacking
• Boiled a dozen eggs for our breakfast this week
• Roasted squash, zucchini, onions and smoked sausage
• Made 4 containers of homemade taco seasoning.....one for me and then one for each of the kids. They love it!
• Roasted broccoli and cauliflower
• Baked chicken
• Baked pork chops
• Cut up a pineapple
• Made mint pesto (for the chicken)
• Made a large pot of unstuffed cabbage rolls
• Made a cucumber salad
• Cut up 2 watermelons
• sliced up some Hanover tomatoes!!
• Made a jug of lime, lemon water for the fridge

 

So basically I have no cooking or chopping to do this week

I have enough cooked for dinner and lunches

 

right before going in the oven.....yumm, one of our favorites

 

 

Once you have this homemade taco seasoning, you'll never buy the

packaged again.....so good!!

I cut up the chicken that I cooked and put in to individual containers

so that we can just grab these for lunch

the reddish color on the chicken is paprika....mmmmm

 



 

Cold watermelon ... one of my favorite things about summer!!

 

I bought a new BBQ rub at Trader Joes and tried it out on

these pork chops. Very good.....and that is what we had for dinner tonight

 

I just bought this new jug on Saturday at Home Goods. I have a large

one but needed a smaller one that would fit on the fridge shelf...this one is perfect. I love just cold water with squeezed lemons and limes

it's very refreshing

 

here's the mint pesto.....can't wait to have tomorrow

with my chicken

this makes me so happy! It means I can grab my breakfast and lunch quick in

the morning. And after Jazzercise there is no guessing on dinner, everything

is already ready. Sure makes the week easier

 

No onions left for my cucumber salad.......ughh!!

Used them in other dishes and forgot to buy more at the store

 

I don't do this every week.......I wish I did but sometimes there

is just more fun things to do on Sundays!

I'll be putting the recipes up on some other post

 

later.......



July ....

well here I am, halfway through July and finally getting

a blog post up!

Between work, Jazzercise, yard and house work and spending time and

having fun with family, I just don't

have the time to blog.

And I really need to make the time as I have always said, this

is my family journal.

 

here's my July chalkboard......

I know...not much on it this month and not very creative! haha...

 

middle of summer and I'm enjoying all of the fresh fruit

 

 

We've also been grilling a lot this summer

here's the new corn holder for grilling and it works perfect

drizzle a little olive oil, add some Pegs Salt and yum!!

 

 

Declan picked the first cherry tomatoes this year

 

 

And we've really been enjoying watermelon this summer

I think I cut up at least 2 every week!

 

What we have not had much of is rain!! Johnny and I added

5 azaleas and 5 hydrangeas to our yard and they are

suffering pretty bad. Watering with a hose or sprinkler is just

not the same as a good soaking rain. It looks like a summer

cold front will be coming in this week so we're hoping for

a good rain.

that's about all for now.......later