Breakfast: Started my day with a protein shake.
Shelly's Chocolate Candy Cane Protein Shake 1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (or Regular Milk)
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar-Free Peppermint Torani Syrup
3-4 cubes of Ice
Whiz in blender till smooth. Top with a squirt Homemade No Sugar Added Whipped Cream and a teaspoon of Sugar-Free Candy Cane, crushed, optional.
Lunch: Filled my super cool bento box with some protein-packed finger foods and took it on the patio with the laptop in an attempt to get some much-needed computer-related stuff done. It was 83°F I wanted to take advantage of the nice weather and get some fresh air and sun before possible rain and chillier temps come in by the end of the week.
Pink Box (top left): Shelly's Bacon & Cheese Deviled EggsGreen Box (top right): Shelly's Nutty Trail Mix (Walnuts, Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Kay's Naturals Protein Cereal)
Blue Box (bottom left): Salami and Provolone Rounds
Orange Box (bottom right): Sliced Cucumber "Crackers"
I adapted my Bacon & Egg Salad Recipe (kept the whites intact, added 1/4 cup shredded cheese) and instead of spooning it on to cucumber crackers I spooned the mixture back into the whites to make Shelly's Bacon & Cheese Deviled Eggs
How I hard cook eggs: Place eggs in pot. Fill pot with cold water till 1" over eggs. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Pour off hot water and cover eggs with very cold water. This is an extremely important step that prevents the greenish ring you sometimes see on yolks. When eggs are cool enough to handle. Crack & peel away shell. Chill.
Dinner: Sicilian Stuffed Mushrooms. Mmmm these are so good. I served them with a simple salad just butter lettuce, a little crumbled queso fresco, a drizzle of olive oil & balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. They would also be great with a hot veggie like spinach or peas. I shamefully ate them in front of the TV watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills... why do I watch?! Did you see the screaming previews next week... eeek. LOL it's a train wreck you just can't look away from.
Shelly's Sicilian Stuffed Mushrooms6-8 Large Mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup Cooked Sausage Meat, crumbled
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 Tablespoon fresh Basil, chopped
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese (+ a little for top)
pinch of Red Pepper flakes
dash Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Saute onion till golden. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Set aside to cool. Blend remaining ingredients together including cooled onion mixture. Carefully remove stems from mushrooms. with a mini ice cream scoop or teaspoon fill mushroom caps with mixture.
They should be piled high. Place in a Pam sprayed Pyrex dish or baking pan. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.
This is a great use for leftover cooked sausage if using links remove meat from casings. I love Jimmy Dean's Cooked Sausage crumbles. I always have a bag in the freezer so I can take out a cup full, nuke it and use it for oodles of recipes like my Sausage Pancake Bites, Tortilla Pizzas or toss in scrambled eggs, omelets, or my Eggy Bites (crustless quiches.)Snacks: Too much coffee and a hunk of fresh Mango (Costco precut (aka lazy), I love it)
More Day in my pouch posts