Day 23:

Rylinn's Crock Pot Pasta Sauce:

1 pound ground beef, at least 70% lean
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 8oz can Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes, NOT drained
1 8oz can tomato soup, condensed
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup water

1. In large pan, mix ground beef with Worcester sauce and brown, drain. Transfer to Crock Pot.
2. In the same pan, sauté diced onion, shallot, and garlic until softened. Transfer to Crock Pot.
3. In the Crock Pot, mix in the tomatoes, soup, and all spices. Mix well with onion mix and meat.
4. Stir in brown sugar and water.
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Makes from as many servings as you like :) Depends on how much sauce you like!

Can be keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days OR frozen for up to 3 months.

Day 4:

Woke up around 10:00am.
Had 2 eggs and sausage for breakfast.
Read Scriptures.
Worked out Belly, Buns, and Thighs with Jessica Smith.
Watching "Secret Life of Pets" Gidget totally reminds me of my friend Sam Barrios.
Going to have Dill Mustard Salmon, Quinoa, and Grilled Asparagus for lunch:

This was really good, although, way too much Quinoa, need to adjust the measurements.

Just Really Good Soup

I was inspired by my friend Sarah, I had the most incredible soup yesterday for 

Sunday lunch at hers and I thought I would come up with my own concoction. 

Here is a recipe I created today. 

Just Really Good Soup:

3 cups broth (low-sodium)

2 cans (14 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup soybean, frozen or fresh

3 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1 small onion

2 cloves minced garlic

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups fresh or frozen green beans

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1 tsp cayenne pepper

• In a large crockpot, add broth, tomato sauce, beans, and herbs.
• In a large frying pan, melt coconut oil and sauté garlic, onions, green beans, zucchini, squash, and carrots for about 5 minutes or until al dente.
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper and cover pan allowing the cayenne to steep the veggies for 1 minute.
• Combine sautéed vegetables with the ingredients in the crockpot.
• Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are cooked.

NOTE: This makes a large batch of soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won't take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat.

Healthy Infused Waters

1. Green tea, mint, and lime - For fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion and breath freshener.

2. Strawberry and kiwi - For cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, digestion.

3. Cucumber, lime, and lemon - For water weight management, bloating, appetite control, hydration, digestion

4. Lemon, lime, and orange - For digestion vitamin C, immune defense, heartburn, (Drink this one at room temperature)

Infused waters are good for detoxification energy and hydration. Put as much fruit in water as you like and let the water sit for at least 30 minutes before drinking.

Share if you care!

Homemade Ice Cream Making 101

So today I uploaded my very first YouTube video!! It's very exciting for me! 

I did a tutorial for making Homemade Ice Cream. If you know me at all - you know I don't really like being on camera or having my picture taken unless it's under my own parameters. However, for my Church calling, I was put in charge of a Christmas Recipe Exchange for our Christmas Faire. So I bit the bullet and created a video.
Here it is ... please be kind. It's grainy, fuzzy, and out of focus at times, but it's my first effort and I'm really proud of it!

Video

Here is the recipe if you feel so inclined to actually make the ice cream now that you know the basic:

Peppermint Ice Cream

8 Large Egg Yolks             2½ cup Heavy Cream

1 ½ cup Whole Milk         2 tsp. Peppermint Oil Extract, Real Stuff

¾ cup White Sugar           ½ cup Crushed Candy Canes

1 tsp. Salt

                 

*      In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Set aside.

*      Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and put a smaller bowl on top with a mesh strainer on top. Set in the fridge to keep cold.

*      On the stove, warm the milk, sugar, salt, and peppermint extract in a medium saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

*      To make the custard, slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks a Tablespoon at a time to temper the eggs until all eggs are incorporated.

*      Whisk constantly to avoid curdling, then scrape back into the saucepan.

*      Heat over medium heat, while stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir in a figure Eight motion.

*      Continue to heat and stir until the mixture thickens into a custard and coats the back of the spatula.

*      Retrieve the Ice Bowl from the fridge and pour the cream into the top bowl.

*      Strain the custard through the mesh strainer and stir it into the cream.

*      Stir until cool over the ice bath.

*      Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

*      When ready to churn then freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

*      Once the ice cream has frozen to a soft ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and mix in the candy cane pieces.

*      Freeze for at least 4 hours.