This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.
Hey y’all! It’s me again! I wanted to keep everyone updated on Josh and I’s results! If you haven’t been following along, we have been taking my readers on our weight loss journey. Click here and here for my previous two posts about our journey.
We are both feeling great and have lost inches and our clothes are fitting better as the weeks go on! We are loving the easy meal planning, dinners together and some of the yummiest dessert recipes that we have indulged in while sticking to this diet.
We have both noticed that we feel less hungry throughout the day and when we do eat, we are eating healthier options. Our favorite quote that has proved to be true is this one:
“Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.”
We are enjoying all of the meal options and our entire family is loving when we make the Cheesy Ground Beef skillet and the fruit tarts. The dessert options are fabulous and we are loving this program so much that we can already tell that this will be a lifestyle change that we will be able to stick to.
We are also sleeping better, as we were hoping would happen. One of my favorite quotes in the book is this one: “A research paper published in Sports Medicine in 2014 showed that people who eat the majority of their carbs at dinner actually sleep better. Carb-induced, quality sleep decreases cortisol (a fat-storing hormone) and ramps up the production of your sleep hormones, serotonin and melatonin. Restorative sleep increases fat-burning hormones—the main one being growth hormone—overnight.”
This is proving true for the both of us and we are so excited that we have both been sleeping better as well as burning fat and haven’t felt this good in a long time!
If you are interested, Learn more about the book and how to purchase here. Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.
This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.
When it comes to dieting, I am always looking forward to the result but hate feeling constricted and restricted when it comes to food. I can go all week without being tempted by eating a candy bar or a cookie, but tell me that I absolutely cannot eat those foods and I will crave it all day everyday. This usually results in me cheating on said plan and blowing my progress to smithereens!
I chose this book and this plan specifically because it already fits into our lifestyle and is so easy for both my husband and I to follow. We can still sit down and have a larger dinner together, have date nights and eat dessert without feeling restricted and we are still burning fat and losing inches.
I was recently able to ask Joel a few questions and I absolutely loved what he had to say.
Joel Marion
How long did it take for you to develop the diet?
It actually took several years of researching for me to discover the real science of eating late night. After a few years of tweaking and refining, I finally came up with a rapid fat loss solution that overcomes all the pitfalls of traditional diets.
How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 PM plan to follow?
It’s not. And that’s exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our bodies natural instincts.
What inspired you to write the book?
After authoring 6 best selling books it was glaringly obvious there were 2 huge misconceptions about dieting that needed to be exposed. The first is that you can’t eat late at night or before bed, which science now shows is NOT true. And second, you can’t eat large portions that satisfy your natural instinct. This book solves both these problems by providing an evidence-based, enjoyable approach to dieting that can be used by any person to quickly achieve their weight loss goals.
My husband and I are both hugely impressed with this diet. Not only are we seeing results, I do not feel restricted when it comes to enjoying my sweets and he can still eat his big portions that he needs in order to feel full. He has always been a big eater, I mean he is 6’2” and a former football player and competitive powerlifter. He needs a bigger portion that the conventional diets suggest. We both allow ourselves to eat a big dinner and enjoy the carbs and fats and are eating the majority of our calories at night. This is why we both agree that Joel is on point when it comes to the science behind Always Eat After 7pm. If you are just starting to follow our journey, don’t forget to check out my previous post (link here). Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.
This post is sponsored by “Always Eat After 7PM,” but the opinions expressed below are my own.
I have been wanting to find a diet plan that both Josh and I can easily follow. We both want to shed some weight but were wanting something that could work for the both of us so that we weren’t stuck preparing ten different meals a day. Click here to check out this video that discusses the science behind the diet.
What really grabbed our attention was that this diet was based around a bigger meal at dinner time and indulging in desserts while still burning fat! It is not too far off from our usually eating habits, so we are anxious to get started and start burning fat overnight. What better way to get started, than during a time when we are all home and can keep each other motivated and get into these new eating habits, together!
One quote in the book really stood out to us was this one: “A research paper published in Sports Medicine in 2014 showed that people who eat the majority of their carbs at dinner actually sleep better. Carb-induced, quality sleep decreases cortisol (a fat-storing hormone) and ramps up the production of your sleep hormones, serotonin and melatonin. Restorative sleep increases fat-burning hormones—the main one being growth hormone—overnight.” We have both been having terrible sleep patterns lately, and we are hoping that with these new changes, that we will both begin to sleep better, again!
We also want to make sustainable changes to our diet while still being able to have cheat meals and not feeling guilty for eating the chocolate chip cookie or the indulgent date night meal. We cannot wait to implement Joel’s methods and get back on track. We both have goals and we cannot wait to share our results with you! Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.
Hey y’all! How are ya’ll surviving quarantine? My husband and I have been tackling things around the house in-between work and homeschooling. I started off by painting our breakfast nook which has now expanded into the dining room and we are currently awaiting scaffolding so that we can tackle our main living space! I’ve learned so much about the paint color selection process that I will be sharing a blog post on it soon!
Okay, so on to the fettucini! If you are a purist and love to cook authentic Italian dishes, you will have to step outside of the box for this recipe. I love a good fettucini alfredo (my favorite cheat meal), but you cannot put both of these dishes in the same category. Us Cajuns love to step outside of the box and use things that we already have around the house to help us feed an army. Because, in the Cajun culture, you are born and bred to feed the masses. Can I just say that I miss block parties and feeding all of our Cajun Corner neighbors?!
Before I go on to the recipe, I wanted to mention that this dish is wonderful to seperate out and stick into the freezer for up to 6-ish months? Just prepare it and stick it into the freezer instead of the oven. When ready to use, thaw and bake according to the directions below. It also makes a wonderful meal for meal trains, I deliver it with the baking/freezing instructions so that they have the option to bake now or freeze for later.
Crawfish Fettucini
1 1/2 sticks of butter
Chopped Cajun Seasoning ( I use one large container of it. If you cannot find precut Cajun/Creole seasoning; 1 medium white onion, 1 bell pepper, 1-2 stalks of celery.
2-3 tsp Minced Garlic
1/8 c. All- Purpose Flour
1lb of Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 quart half and half cream
2 lbs of crawfish tails or raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 12 oz package of fettuccini noodles or egg noodles. We actually prefer the “spiraly” egg noodles. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and then toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Cajun Seasoning to taste, I usually use crawfish tails from our boils so I usually don’t have to add much. If I use shrimp or packs of Louisiana crawfish, I usually have to add more.
1/4 to 1/2c. Shredded Parmesan cheese
Lasagna pan 10×14 (link to the one that I use here and here, I have both)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 5qt pot (I like to use this one), melt your butter. Add your onions, bell pepper and celery and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, then stir in the flour and cook over low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in half and half cream, when cream is heated through, add your cubed Velveeta. This is where I like to turn my fire down low as this can turn into a burnt mess, really fast! You will need to stir with lots of TLC until melted. Once melted, add your crawfish or shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. You don’t want your cheese to stick and burn! Believe me, I’ve learned this mistake the hard way! Turn off your heat and add in the parmesan cheese. Throw your pasta into the pan and add in the cheese mixture. I like to stir the sauce and pasta in the pan to make sure everything is equally distributed. It will seem watery! No worries, I promise! Once it is all combined, top pan with foil and bake covered for 45 minutes! Let rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Will feed 8-10 people.
Fettuccini right before sticking it into the oven. I was in such a rush to get this cooked that I forgot to take more pictures! My people were hangry, haha!
I love to serve the fettuccini with a side salad and garlic bread. Yes, I know that is a lot of carbs, but that is just the way we serve it where I am from.
I know that everyone has seen, or executed the painters tape/sidewalk chalk project that is all over the web right now. We decided to do something similar, but with a little twist! I wanted to incorporate a religion lesson into it as well. I started with painters tape (I suggest using a more narrow tape if you have it). I eyeballed and marked out my cross in the middle of my window. Then I branched off from there, creating different shape triangles until my window was all taped off. Tip: use sissors to cut the tape to maintain clean lines. I messed up in a few places and quickly learned my lesson!
Next, we took Crayola Washable Paint and a wide paintbrush and started painting our area! We used the same paintbrush and I just washed and dried the brush with a paper towel in between colors.
I have busy boys who have never been much into coloring or arts and crafts, so they each painted a few areas, listened to their religion lesson and then mom got to have her fun! I have to say that I really enjoyed this craft and want to decorate all of my windows during our quarantine!
Ok, ya’ll! I did a 3 day juice cleanse and here is what happened! I am going to be honest with ya, I was skeptical about this whole thing. My husband came home over the course of a few weeks talking about this juice cleanse that he kept following along with and how he wanted to try it. Hold up, swole up… nah homeboy, remember that time you tried that body builder program to get cut when you were competing for a power lifting competition and I threatened to go stay at my parents until you finished because you were so grouchy? Yea Hulk smash, I will take one for the team, be your test dummy and try it out before you do. So here’s how it went!
Let me preface by saying that I had the genius idea to do the cleanse right after getting home from Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I indulged in lots of fresh and fried seafood and begniets. All of the things that I miss about not living in Louisiana and always let myself indulge in when we visit. I wanted to get my body somewhat on the right track before Rodeo Houston festivities started the following weekend. In hindsight, I would probably eat cleaner for several days prior to doing another cleanse.
Day 1: Pshhhh… okay, everything is in the fridge and ready to go, I’m going to starve for a few days…. What the heck did J get me into? I had a super busy day, mama could not be down… and a few hours into my first juice, BAM a miserable headache that even Advil won’t help. I must say that I never felt hungry or had the urge to cheat, but I was hella grouchy and would frequently snap and remind Josh that he would need to reconsider personally doing this regimen. He was thoughtful enough to cook supper for the boys so that I would not be tempted by food and so that I could go to bed early because I still had that headache.
Day 2: I woke up feeling fine, but within the first hour of being up, I went downhill. Sweet baby Jesus, I felt terrible. Given that it was Ash Wednesday, I accepted my penance and fast and gave it all to the man upstairs. The headache was back, I had chills, I felt flu-ish and I wanted to throw in the towel. I’m pretty sure boss baby had 10 lbs of candy and cookies just so he would sit near me and watch movies so that I could curl up under 3,000 blankets and rest when I wasn’t drinking my nutrients. I slept more throughout that day than I had in the longest time. Josh came home and I know that I took a 4 hour nap, woke up for less than 2 hours so that we could have a little family time and went straight to bed and slept straight through the night. This was by far the worst day for me.
Day 3: I woke up feeling ok. No headache and chills, but I was ready to finish the cleanse! Mama needs her energy back and has stuff to do, especially since I was useless the previous day. I was also worried that my energy would crash and I had an event that night as well as a long day on Friday! I did feel OK, I didn’t have to rely on the Cashew milk much to fill me up and had 1/4 bottle left at bedtime. And I had a date with coffee and Avocado toast as my reward in the morning and I am not doing this again…
Post cleanse opinions, I felt amazing post cleanse. I made healthier choices and I crave healthier choices. I didn’t notice much weight loss, my jeans were a little looser but I was not expecting to lose a ton. I discovered that I love ginger in food and Moscow mules, but I don’t really like it cold pressed. Five drinks plus Cashew milk is doable and I did not starve myself. I still consumed the same amount of calories per day as I do any other day. Here is the biggest kicker, Big boy was right… Yes, my husband was right! I am 3 days post cleanse and still craving healthier options. I went to the store and walked out with triple the amount of fruits and veggies that we usually consume and I am actually craving ALL. OF. IT! It may be a little pricey ($80-120) for a 3-4 day cleanse, but I actually want to do it again and take back everything that I said when I was grouchy and detoxing!
There are so many different juicing programs out there. I decided to go with a local company who delivered to my door. Click here for the link. I would suggest doing your research and staying with a local company so that you know it is super fresh and made just for you! Also, while my symptoms that I experienced are common, your journey may be totally different than mine.
Here is a photo of me on day 4 with all of the healthy cravings and the realization that it really wasn’t so bad!
Also, props to my husband for putting up with my grouchy self, cooking supper so I wouldn’t be tempted and when I didn’t feel well. I would do the same for him if he wanted to do the cleanse. Although, if he loses 10 lbs in 3 days (because, men), I may not be so sympathetic to his man-flu symptoms! HAHAHAHA! Just kidding, well maybe…
Growing up in South Louisiana was amazing. I was lucky enough to be born into the Cajun culture and for that, I am forever thankful. We are born with a spice for life, family is everything, there is a festival every weekend and we love any excuse to make a huge meal and celebrate. A huge part of our culture is Mardi Gras, a huge celebration that runs from the Epiphany until Ash Wednesday. It wasn’t until I moved to the Houston area almost 9 years ago, did I realize that everywhere else, it really is just Tuesday.
I also found myself explaining to strangers that I do bring my children to Mardi Gras and that the celebration is not at all what they were thinking. Yes, you do have some debaucheries associated with the celebration, but to South Louisianans, it is So. Much. More.
It’s taking turns bringing King Cakes to dinners and the excitement of seeing who ends up with the baby (they get to bring the next cake). It’s getting to the parade route bright and early to grab a good spot and tailgating until the parade makes its way to you. It’s dancing to all of the music around you, cooking out, and eating more king cake. It’s watching your kids throw their hands up for more beads and getting so excited when they catch a football, or a fancy light up toy, or a huge bag of beads. It’s searching for the “good parades” and making the short drive to experience them. The goal for every parade being who can collect the most beads. Seriously, each kid brings a massive shopping bag or garbage bag and we almost always accomplish our goal and fill them to the brim.
It’s getting invited to a ball, spending all day getting your hair and makeup done and getting to wear a beautiful ball gown. Enjoying the Krewe’s presentation, mingling with your friends and watching the performance/parade. It’s the suspense of getting to your table to see what sussies will be sprinkled around for you. Dancing until your feet hurt and then taking your shoes off and dancing some more.
It’s waking up at the crack of dawn to load your beads on a float and make sure your daquiri is iced down. Its throwing beads out to the crowds, tossing footballs and stuffed animals to little boys and girls. Its hopping off of the float at the end and enjoying the after party and listening to a live band play. It’s the music, listening to songs such as La Danse de Mardi Gras and Mardi Gras mambo and feeling it in your soul. Mardi Gras music is an experience and we listen to it every evening throughout the season and have dance parties in our kitchen.
My fondest memory as a little girl was watching the parade with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and my mom and grandmother teaching me how to throw both hands in the air, wave them and yell “throw me something mista” until I lost my voice. So, while everywhere else is just Tuesday, I will always choose to celebrate the season and always make sure that my babies know the joie de vivre of the season and their culture. And on Wednesday, we will go to mass to receive our ashes and make our Lenten promises in preparation for the Easter season.
… and my sweet Mardi Gras baby will always have an authentic King Cake every year for his birthday, even if his MaMa has to overnight it from Louisiana.
After parade fun celebrating G’s birthday and H taking his first bite of king cake. And my sweet mama in the background making sure that everyone had the perfect slice.
Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll!
I’ve gone back and forth about writing this post, I even journaled some of this even before my site went live. As I am sitting here looking at the paperwork and preparing to test another son, ironically during ADHD awareness month, I am deciding to bare it all and open up about how it affects our family.
When our second born turned three, we were absolutely puzzled at his new behavior. Imagine “threenager” but times 20! Our usually quiet, loving, self soothing child was giving us a run for our money. At first, we thought that it was due to baby #3 making his entrance… except he didn’t outgrow it and he just got worse. When he turned 4, my mom and sister suggested that I ask our pediatrician if we could start our road to a possible diagnosis as ADHD runs on our side of the family and it is genetic. Our pediatrician said that she wouldn’t entertain the idea of doing any testing until he was at least 6. We endured two long and hard years of impulsiveness and hyperactive behavior. A trip to the store turned into a stressful meltdown of trying to keep my child contained and still so that I could pick up the things that we needed. Defiance was at an all time high with him and I wanted to cry inside because people stared and made ugly/snide comments.
Nothing about our first experience with ADHD has been what we would think is typical. We thought, we have exhausted all homeopathic options, they will just prescribe us something and we will be on our merry way. Boy were we dead wrong! Medication that helped him get through the school day made him full of anger and rage. Tweaking one medication means that there is a possibility of him having to start at the beginning and find a new medication route. We walk a tightrope when it comes to tweaking his medication and trying new supplements. Only one family of medication works for us. The second that we turn a huge corner, ADHD throws us a curveball. We go through times where it seems as if we are on a roller coaster of defiance and anxiety… yep lets add anxiety to our list because he was with me when our home was struck by lightening and we now have to get ahead of situations before that spirals during bad weather.
Parenting a child with ADHD is not easy, especially when you have neurotypical children as well. Boundaries are being pushed on both ends, discipline proves hard because what may be an uncontrolled impulsive behavior with one is intentional with the other. Tears! The tears! I cannot tell you how many tears that I have shed on this journey. From judging eyes watching your child impulsively melt down in the middle of a grocery store because he is overstimulated and his medication has worn off. New sensitivities that pop up now that he is medicated, tags… yeah those now have to be cut out of every piece of clothing. Watching him struggle for friendships because he is slightly more immature than the neurotypical child and struggle because he knows that something is off with his brain and he just wants to be a “regular kid.” I still get anxiety when I am approached and asked if I am his mom. My first reaction is “what did he do,” and “I’m sorry if he did anything.” I still have that walking on eggshells feeling and I don’t want him to be “that kid.” Because, at one time we were and hopefully we never are in that situation again. Please, I’m begging you, the next time you want to shoot ugly eyes at a mom who has a child melting down in her buggy, grant her grace. Grant her grace, because you don’t know the why behind that behavior. Not every child who acts that way is being naughty on purpose and she is doing the best that she can.
All of the trials and tribulations above are part of our family journey. I don’t know what is ahead for us with another possible diagnosis, but I can tell you that this journey has been emotional, yet amazing. You see ADHD may be a challenge but it is also a superpower. I’m so proud because I see my child look at a problem and watch the gears start turning. He put his first four cylinder engine kit together with his dad at the age of 7. Those million little Lego pieces scattered around the table, he’s going to create something amazing with it. Give him cardboard boxes and duct tape and what he creates is nothing short of spectacular. Hand that boy a bat and pitch him the ball and he is totally focused on getting that hit. He works hard and loves even harder. We always speak of the day that he overcomes his adversities and how one day he may be medication free. I also have to give him all of the credit for making us stronger parents. We are a team when it comes to fighting for his needs, we hold each other up when we feel like crumpling to the floor after a bad day and we take advantage of our date nights so that we can keep our relationship strong in order to face what may be ahead.
So to all of you in the trenches, hang in there. You are not alone. I think about those who are in and have been in our shoes constantly. I am a huge advocate for more knowledge when it comes to this disorder. I don’t think that people really know everything that ADD/ADHD could possibly entail. Heck, we have been on this journey for 4 years and I am still educating myself. My favorite go-to is Additude Magazine. It has been a wealth of information when it comes to ADHD and all of the other secondary diagnoses that may come with this disorder. And if your child needs a little pick me up, this book of affirmations is a wonderful tool to help pick them back up!
I’m sure you are thinking, “really Mitzi, three recipe posts in a row?!” The answer is yes! You see, I thought that this recipe was gone for good and I need it readily available for the fall. Krusteaz has changed their packaging and no longer include this AMAZING recipe on the box. I am not a huge pumpkin spice fan, but my husband and boys crave everything pumpkin this time of year. I just happened to come across this mix several years ago, and well, we don’t make bread with it because these cookies are to die for!
Now when shopping for the mix, it has to be the Krusteaz Quick Bread Mix, Pumpkin Spice Coffeehouse style. I have found it at Sam’s, Costco, HEB and Target in the past. Do not buy the cookie mix, its not the same. Also, please note that you must use margarine if you want a chewy cookie. If you use butter, the texture will be fluffy and much like a cake cookie (and it isn’t as good). The ingredients are as follows:
Preheat oven to 350° and combine your ingredients. I usually combine everything with my stand mixer so that I can whip the margarine up a little before I add the boxed mix and the egg. Mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookies and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Centers may seem to be a little undercooked but that’s ok. As long as 3/4 of the cookie looks cooked and edges are golden. I pull the cookies out of the oven and place the cookie sheet on a trivet to cool. Once they are cooled to room temperature, ENJOY!
These cookies don’t last long in our home, nor when I bring them to a party. I often find myself baking double and triple batches from September to November, They are THAT GOOD!!!
Believe it or not, there are two southern staples that I have been trying to love for as long as I can remember. The first thing is sweet tea (or any tea for that matter). I have seriously been sipping on tea for years and while I have come to like some teas, I just can’t get my taste buds on board on liking sweet tea. The second thing is beans! Any sort of beans! My mom always had a rule and that was to taste a spoonful of everything on my plate before I could move on to something else. It is still a rule in my home, and I have to say that after almost 34 years, I finally eat beans! The recipe below is not your typical made from scratch recipe, and I typically wont eat any Cajun food that is made from a mix or a can, but this recipe works. We all love it and is the perfect fast and easy comfort food for cold and rainy nights. Now I’m handing my keyboard over to my husband so he can tell y’all exactly how to make it, because the Texan perfected it before the Cajun! Ha!
The recipe is pretty simple and doesn’t take long to make (30 min or so). You will need the following ingredients:
1/2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
tsp cooking oil
1 bay leaf
1 lb smoked sausage (your preference) sliced and halved
4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped creole seasoning (aka holy trinity). We buy the precut seasoning from HEB
1 cup chicken broth
3- 16 oz cans Trappey’s red kidney beans with chili gravy
1- 27 oz can Blue Runner creole cream style red beans
Cooked rice (amount depends on how many people, but at least 3 cups)
Heat the oil in medium size pot (preferably cast iron or Magnalite) and cook the chopped creole seasoning (vegetables) until soft and translucent. Once the vegetables are soft, add in the cut up sausage, bacon, Cajun seasoning, basil and black pepper, and cook until lightly browned and bacon is soft. This is the key to the flavor, you will want to make sure the sausage is cooked enough to release the juices and bacon is soft and not cooked too long. You don’t want crispy bacon for this recipe.
You then add the cans of beans and how ever much stock you prefer to get the consistency you want. I prefer mine thicker and not too runny. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. You will want to taste at this point as I usually add more Cajun seasoning or salt to preference. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with fresh cut green onions if you like.
*** please note that if you like creamier beans, use 2 cans of Blue Runner beans and 1 can of the Trappeys. We have made this recipe both ways but prefer a creamier style. It still yields the same amount. It is quick, easy and Ca c’est bon!!
