Home Made "Double Down"

Okay, so this is still fried... But my roommate had such a wonderful idea:

Cook my own "Double Down"

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, this is a KFC bacon sandwich with fried chicken as the buns. Protein, protein, protein, cheese, and grease.

I couldn't resist.

{for Two}

4 chicken tenders flattened (I used the back of my noodle spoon)

4 slices of bacon

3 TBLs olive oil (and as needed)

1 1/2 cup ground oats

2 TBLs spelt

2 tsp salt

1 tsp red crushed peppers

1 tsp garlic powder

2 eggs beaten

Slice of cheese

Sauce of choice (picante for me)

Heat oil in frying pan. Mix all the dry ingredients together. beat the eggs and keep separate. Dip chicken into oat mixture, eggs, and then back into oat mixture making sure the chicken is completely covered in oats. Place chicken into frying pan and fry both sides until brown and crispy.

Meanwhile, fry bacon and slice cheese

When the chicken is done, put one piece on bottom, two strips of bacon on top of that, cheese, and sauce. Top with final piece chicken.

Oh so good!!

Food

I think I've mentioned before how I love to cook. One reason is that I have somewhat unique diet requirements, and another reason is I know what I want to taste when I eat my food.

But there are two problem with cooking. One is that I may spend hours preparing a meal to my liking and then eat it in 1o minutes. The other is I always make a big mess.

So, to cut back on time and dishes, I never measure unless it is a brand new recipe. In fact, when I invent a new recipe for myself I only write down what I put into it, not how much.

You can imagine the inconsistency that keeps my meals interesting. Fortunately, some foods I make so often or are so simple, that I have a hard time messing them up.

I thought I might share with you a few of the simpler recipes.

Spelt Pancakes for One

I cooked a batch just to see how much I used of each ingredient for you

1/2 cup of spelt

1/4 tsp baking poder

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 TBL sugar

1/2 cup of milk (try almond milk)

2 TBLs olive oil (or as needed)

Heat olive oil in frying pan. While heating combine all dry ingredients. Add milk and stir until smooth (for the sweet tooth, add a palm full of chocolate chips!). Pour two pancakes into frying pan (half batter each). cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Rice Tortilla Chips

Super simple!!

2-3 rice flour tortillas per person

3 TBLs olive oil with extra on hand as needed

Salt and chili powder to taste

Heat up the oil in the frying pan on medium heat. While heating, cut tortillas with a sharp knife into thin triangles. Cook the cut tortillas about 2 to 3 minutes on each side (or until brown and crispy). Use tongs or spatula to remove chips from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Add salt and chili powder while hot.

Gluten/Corn Free Hush Puppies

Not quite so easy, but super good! I actually had the measurements for this already written down!

1/4 cup oats (oat flour or quick oats will work)

1 TBL spelt flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBL finely chopped onion

1/4 cup milk

small sauce pan 1/4 full of olive oil

Heat oil in sauce pan. Combine all dry ingredients including onion. Add milk slowly while stirring (you want the mixture to be sticky, NOT runny). Hand roll into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. Put rolled batter into heated oil (important to make sure the oil is hot or they may fall apart). Cook until outside is brown and crispy, about 5 minutes or less (keep an eye on them and make sure your oil isn't smoking). If the oil isn't high enough to cover the hush puppies, use tongs to turn them over when one side is crispy.

I just realized these are all fried foods! I will have to get some of my baking and grilling recipes down for next time.

Other Places

I cannot think of anyone who doesn't dream of other places. Even my ranch'en Daddy, who hates to travel, occasionally dreams of wide open ranges that are...A little up north, in the hill country, or in a whole other state.

But I don't dream of other places, I crave them. I take a little more after flight attendant Mommy, who loves airports, new cities, and different hotel rooms ever night.

Have you ever sat back with your coffee at an airport to watch all the people with places to go? They are different from the usual people you see at the mall or walking down the street.

They are going to other places.

Expectation is all over there face.

I don't actually travel a lot, but I wish I could.

A couple of weeks ago, me and the family went to the River Walk at San Antonio. Though not all that far from where I live, it was magic!

We strolled, we ate, we boated, but most of all I had such a blast taking photos!!! Everything seemed extra beautiful, and the lighting was perfect...

This is me and the family at my favorite restaurant during our trip. Super delicious, and we watched them squeeze the oranges before they served us the orange juice. Sooo good!

Also loved the fact that we ate out doors most every meal. Though we occasionally worried about the over head birds, we all managed to avoid any catastrophes.

The city was beautiful, but now I am home again...Wishing for another adventure. Maybe soon.

60's Tomorrow

This weekend it is supposed to be in the 60's. In fact, tomorrow after we will not be below 60. Thank You Lord!!

I do not know HOW you people Red River and up handle so much cold. I just can't do it. Despite the fact that I have worked a grand total of 4 days so far this month thanks to the cold weather, I am ready to walk out my door tomorrow and make it to my car without losing feeling in my hands and nose.

In fact I am ready to for the beach!

But I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself.

New Years Resolve Kept

You know you are not doing well when you attempt the resolve you made on January 1st on February 3rd, but better late than never: I am finally posting!

I'm going to kick off blogging again by reviewing the first New Year's Resolution I have ever kept a whole year through. Again, kinda late being that it is February and all. But, if you are starting to waiver in your resolution, perhaps this will inspire you.

My new year's resolution last year was the same as most Americans: lose weight! Normally I have always been kinda chubby, but last year I was REALLY chunky. Even my fat pants were tight. I couldn't bare to weigh myself, but I started running on my lunch breaks at work.

In three months of hard work, I was finally able to

get into my jeans without muffin topping...a lot of work, but I have never been one to lose wait easily, so I was proud of myself. I even bought a scale from Ikea and weighed.

169 lbs

I couldn't believe it. At 5' 8" that is not good. Three months of working out, and I was still the heaviest I had ever weighed myself. So, it was time to take the next step.

I chose the Eat Right 4 Your Type diet for two reasons: 1) I didn't have to buy anything special or subscribe to anything, and 2) supposably a couple weeks after you start you would be hooked. The diet bases what you eat off of your blood type. I'm type O, so that meant NO flour, potato, or corn products of any kind (among other things). This may sound kind of strict, but what I could eat I didn't regulate-I ATE! (happy for me this included chocolate)

Sure enough, after two weeks the donuts at work where not the least bit tempting. But beyond that, I was shedding pounds for the first time in my life. Over the next 4 and a half months I lost 29 pounds making it to my ultimate goal wait of 140 lbs!!

But turns out that wasn't the end. Without trying (i.e. a pitifully spotty workout regime) I lost another 5 pounds.

Currently I am 135 lbs

And now, I am proud to present my Before and After!

{before}

{AFTER!!}

Note that my "before" was after nearly two months of running 4-5 days a week. I'm not really trying to lose weight now, but I am trying to weight lift and get toned...ugh, we'll see how that goes. Also, if anyone is interested in the Eat Right 4 Your type diet, just let me know. I would love to help you out :).

I love friends. I especially love friends who make really cool tags. You see, I'm a paper product girl: I love cards (I have a huge box of nothing but cards), I love cute envelopes, I love stationeries, and now I love these tags!

The last time I met Sarah, I think, we where passing each other on a staircase at college...maybe...its been so long since I've actually seen her. And, that is why I'm so thankful for facebook! Thanks to facebook, no matter what crazy different directions life takes us, a friend can still tell me when she is making awesome tags.

{Terrific Teal Tag}

{Happy Hope Tag}

{Polka Dot Party Tag}

Check out her blog at http://piecefuljoy.wordpress.com/

And also see her etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/piecefuljoy

Panther Creek

This weekend {August 21st} my family is opening up a shop called Panther Creek! We will be selling all kinds of wonderful items including antiques, home made soaps {thank you Erin!}, and....Puppies!!!

My little Beowulf is a daddy, and his pups are absolutely adorable! Before you think on stopping by and picking up a lil guy for your one bedroom apartment, let me warn you that that they can get up to 150 lbs or more being that their mama is a Great Pyrenees and their papa is an Anatolian Shepherd. But they are supper sweet and will love and protect any human and animal they are raised with.

Here are few of the antiques we will be selling. There will be a whole lot more on the day of the sell.

I LOVE this rocking horse!!! If I had any room in my apartment at all, I would buy that before any of you could come out and see it, haha!

Please come and have a look around; my parents property is a lovely place. I also think Erin is bringing fresh cut flowers , jalapeno sea salt, and some veggies {I'm pretty excited for her soap!}.