Kaylin update

Kaylin has yet another loose tooth! For those keeping track, it's both of the front bottom teeth and the front top left tooth. When they come out, I'm not sure how she will bite into things until the adult teeth grow in!

In other firsts for her, she had her first sleepover here the other night. She had her two friends Dally & Jacob spend the night. They are my friend Jennifer's two kids. Jacob is 6 and Dally is 8. Jeremy made them a pallet on the gameroom floor and they all camped out there for the night. Then, the next day Dally and Jacob headed home before Jonathan's nap, because Jonathan was having way too much fun playing with the big kids, and I knew I'd never get a nap out of him if they were here!

Later that evening we drove out to meet up with one of my childhood friends, Rayna. Rayna and I have been friends since we were in Kindergarten. She and her husband own a trucking company and he had a load to deliver to Virginia and Ray and her girls came along to stay at her aunt's here in Texas, but out in Kaufman, which is probably about a 2 hour drive from my house. To get there from California they would be passing by us on the highway so we met up for a little bit to catch up. It wasn't nearly long enough, but hopefully on their drive back we will be able to meet up again for a longer amount of time.

Where we met up with Rayna, Keith and their girls was out near where Dally and Jacob live and when Jennifer picked up the kids she had told Kaylin she could come spend the night at their house if she was good. She had a great day, so we drove out to their house and dropped her off. This is what she got to do while she was out there.


Yep, she got to ride horses! It's not the best picture, but Jennifer took it on her phone so I could see. Jennifer said she loved every minute of it and asked if they could do it again in the morning. They don't live too far from us, I guess I will have to start taking her out there to ride every once and a while. Jacob even gave her some of his old boots to wear next time they ride!

Ham and Cheese Roll ups

1 can refrigerated pizza crust dough
10 oz. deli style smoked ham
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Roll out dough into a 12 inch square shape. Top with ham and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place seam side down on a sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes @ 400. Divide into 6 portions.

6 servings @ 5 WW points (points vary with dough, ham & cheese brands)

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

New Favorite Meatballs
olive oil spray
2 egg whites
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. 96& lean ground beef

Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly coat a large nonstick baking sheet with the olive oil spray.

In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the egg whites, oats, and milk until well combined. Add the parsley, onion, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes and mix until combined. Mix in the beef until well combined.

Make 32 uniform meatballs, each about 1 1/4" diameter (use a cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons for ease). Roll the balls with your hands and arrange, not touching, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink inside.

Makes 4 (8-meatball) servings
194 calories, 26g protein, 10 g carbs, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber
source: The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

Sauce
1 can 13 oz. chunky pineapple
2 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Mix sauce ingredients together and boil for 1 minute. Add meatballs and heat for 2 minutes before serving over rice.

source: 7th grade Home Ec. (I'm not kidding, this is one of the first recipes we made in that class and I've loved it since!)

Chicken Fajitas

The way I make chicken fajitas is super easy and very yummy! I saw a friend do this and then added my own little tweaking, like I usually do with recipes.

Slice up a couple chicken breasts, combine with 1 can of rotel and sprinkle chili powder & cumin over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 400 for 35-45 minutes, until chicken is done. While that's going on I grill the onions, peppers, heat up beans, and lay everything out so we can build our own fajitas the way we want.

Super easy and quick!

Menu Plan Monday

Yes, I realize this is a day late. It completely slipped my mind!

Chicken Fajitas
Sweet & Sour meatballs (with green pepper & pineapple) over brown rice
A big salad with grilled chicken & hard boiled eggs
Baked chicken with potatoes & onions & green beans
Ham & cheese roll ups and fruit (depends on what's left at the end of the week)
Hamburger steak with caramelized onions, green beans & corn
Shredded BBQ pork sandwiches, mac n cheese & green beans

I will post the recipes later!

It's time for the tooth fairy!

Kaylin currently has two teeth that are loose. Last week, we discovered that her front tooth on the bottom left was loose. It's so loose, I am convinced it will be out by the time school starts on August 25th. And then today, she came home from lunch & swimming at Mimi & Papa's house, and showed me that the top front left tooth is also loose. She's going to look pretty silly with those two teeth missing. It's not uncommon to see the teeth beside each other out at the same time, but I can't say I've ever seen the same tooth on the top and bottom out at the same time. I will definitely be getting a picture when the first one falls out and then again when they are both out!

She's excited for the tooth fairy, but not exactly looking forward to the tooth actually coming out. She keeps telling me she can't eat anything crunchy or non-soft because it will make the tooth come out. Oh well, kid! They can't stay in there forever!

Menu Plan Monday

Marinated top round steak, salad & rolls
Chili Mac & Salad
Sandwiches/Fend for yourself (after the water park)
Pancakes, Eggs & fruit
Sloppy Joes & fruit
Leftovers

Also making a WW pie. Reduced Fat graham crust, sliced strawberries, sugar free fat free pudding & fat free cool whip.

A very simple menu due to the heat here and the fact that I'm basically making meals from cleaning out the pantry, freezer & fridge. I really dislike cooking in the summer!

Biggest Loser Beef and Broccoli

I made this for dinner tonight and it was very tasty! It's from The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. It was supposed to be a Szechuan Beef and Broccoli, but my store didn't carry the Szechuan stir fry sauce. I think that would have been a nice touch.

This cooks quickly, so be sure to start your rice first, if serving with rice, also be sure to have all your ingredients prepped before you start.

1 (1-pound) top round steak, sliced against the grain into scant 1/4" thick strips
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil spray
1 (14-ounce) bag frozen broccoli (about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup bottled Szechuan stir-fry sauce

In a large bowl, combine the steak, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss until well combined.

Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, mist with the olive oil spray. Add the broccoli and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the garlic softens and the broccoli is heated through and crisp-tender, being careful not to burn the garlic. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. When hot, add half of the steak in a single layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the steak to the bowl with the vegetables and re-cover. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and steak. Return all the steak and vegetables to the pan and remove from the heat. Add the sauce and mix well to coat. Divide among 4 bowls and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving
191 calories, 25g protein, 10 g carbs, 6g fat, 2g fiber (this does not include rice and may vary with sauces) 4 WW points