Weigh In Milestone!

Hi Ideal Fam!!

Today was a very big day for me because at weigh in I reached my 40 pound mark!!

That is right! I have lost 40.8 pounds and couldn't be happier!!! I only have 13.8 left to go!! Getting close!!!

Keep up the good work, my peeps!

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

Baked Eggs in Mushroom Caps

So this was amazing. Tonight's dinner was definitely a WIN. 

Baked eggs in portobello mushroom caps. 

Tonight's Players: 

2 eggs

2 mushroom caps 3 oz each 

olive oil cooking spray 

seasoning to taste 

Preheat oven to 375. Wash and gut each mushroom cap until there is a small rift for the egg. Grease the bottom of each mushroom with cooking spray so they do not stick to the pan and cook evenly. Carefully crack 1 egg into each mushroom. Season each mushroom. I used garlic and a little fresh rosemary. Bake for 20-30 minutes. 

The result was amazeballs. SO good. I paired my caps with a side salad of arugula and shrimp - recipe in the post below! 

I LOVE when experiments yield WONDERFUL results. Yay!! 

In Health and Happiness, 

Stacy 

Arugula and Shrimp Salad!

Happy Saturday, Loves! 

Last night I went over to a friends house to watch a movie but had to prepare my dinner beforehand to take with me. What I came up with was pretty dang tasty! I am also having a love affair with Arugula right now.  I was in a hurry so I didn't take pictures but here is the recipe! 

Dijon Arugula with Baked Garlic and Rosemary Shrimp 

Ingredients: 

8 oz raw shrimp 

2 cups arugula 

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 

1/2 Tbsp champagne vinegar 

1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard 

1 Tbsp minced garlic 

1 Tbsp rosemary

salt to season  

Preheat the oven to 350 

Line a baking sheet with foil 

In a bowl, toss 8 oz raw shrimp, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp rosemary, salt to taste 

Bake shrimp for 15 min 

In a separate bowl toss 2 cups arugula, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp champagne vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard

Combine salad with shrimp and Voila! 

I have problems eating lettuce that isn't evenly coated. I know, I am a weirdo, so after I combined the salad with the shrimp, I covered the bowl and shook until evenly coated. 

An easy recipe to take on the go! 

In Health and Happiness, 

Stacy 

Cajun Shrimp!

I tried a new recipe for Cajun Shrimp last night and they were fantastic! A little spicy (I'm not a huge spicy girl) but pretty yum. And easy. As you can tell, I AM a fan of easy :)

Tonight's Players:
8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1 packet stevia
2 shakes hot sauce
salt and pepper for seasoning

Recipe:
Toss shrimp with olive oil, cajun seasoning, stevia, hot sauce - let marinate for 30-60 minutes
Preheat oven to 350. Spread marinated shrimp on a foil lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until shrimp curl up and turn pink - about 10-15 minutes.

Something a little different! Cajun seasoning is pretty awesome.

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

Rosemary Garlic Vegetable Soup

Hi Team!

I hope everyone is doing well! Today was weigh in day for this girl and after a week of lots of "oops" and "uh-oh"s -- donut holes,  hot apple cider, and haunted houses may have been involved -- I still managed to drop .6 pounds and my body fat went down! I am completely back on track and looking forward to being 100 percent this week!! It also has gotten a little chilly here in New York so I decided to make some veggie soup!!

Today's Players:
4 Cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 Cups chopped Mushrooms
1 Cup diced Red Onion
2.5 Cups chopped Celery
2 Cups Cauliflower Pieces
1.25 Cups diced Jicama
6 Cups Spinach
2.5 Cups diced Peppers
4 Cloves Garlic minced
1 Bunch fresh Rosemary
Spices to season: I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin

Recipe: Start by sauteing minced garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add Celery, Peppers, Mushrooms - let cook 2 minutes - Add Onion, Jicama, Cauliflower - let cook another 5 minutes - Add the Spinach,  Vegetable Broth and seasonings. Cover. Let cook for 10 minutes. Enjoy!!

This recipe Yields 11 cups.
Per Cup: 35 calories, 7.1 carbs*

*estimated through My Fitness Pal

A really easy way to get your veggies in when you are in a hurry. I portioned mine out so I can take 1 serving to work with me for lunch for the week!

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

Chocolate Butterscotch Bread!

To be honest, these past 2 weeks have been a little hard for me IP wise. Lots of festive events, friend outings... you know - so I am getting back on track, getting back into ketosis and trying LOTS of new recipes.

Starting with Chocolate Butterscotch Bread! Yum.

Today's players:
1 Chocolate Drink Mix
1 Butterscotch Pudding Mix
1 oz Almond Milk - Or Nonfat Milk
2 Egg Whites
2 Tsp EVOO
2 Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tsp Walden Farms Chocolate Dip
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Recipe: Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Don't forget this counts as TWO IP servings!!

  It was quite tasty! I had mine with my morning coffee. Yum!

 In Health and Happiness, 

 Stacy

Turnip and Arugula Salad!

Happy Wednesday!

Today for lunch I decided to get creative - turnip and arugula salad with Go Veggie mozz!

 

1. Saute 1 cup of cubed turnips in some Pam or EVOO - I added a little salt and poultry seasoning
2. Add 1 cup of chopped arugula and wilt slightly
3. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle 1/4 cup of Go Veggie mozzarella cheese on top!
4. ENJOY your tasty and simple salad!

 

I know that some don't approve of veggie cheese but I only use it occasionally and the carb count is low :) It adds a lot of flavor without a lot of consequence!

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

Weigh In Day!

Today was weigh in day! I lost 3 pounds this week for a total of 38.2 lost! I also had a momentous day because I went to Banana Republic and fit into size 6 - dresses and pants! Holla!

In Health and Happiness (and size 6),
Stacy

Breakfast Tacos!

The Texan in me just can't live without her breakfast tacos, y'all. Good thing there is an awesome recipe for cauliflower tortillas!

The tortillas are a little more labor intensive than what I usually make, but... so worth it.

Tonight's players: cauliflower, eggs, arugula, garlic powder, dried cilantro, go veggie cheese (didn't end up using after all because I bought the rice vegan kind and not the lactose free and it was... not tasty)









Now to the good stuff!
HOW TO MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER TORTILLAS!
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Grate 1.5 cups of cauliflower using a cheese grater
2. Microwave the cauliflower rice for 1 min. Stir. Another 1 min. Some say microwaving takes some of the nutritional value out so another option is steaming.






3. This step is very important: You need to wring out all of the excess water from the cauliflower - you can use a dish towel, cheese cloth or paper towels.
The more water you remove the better the tortillas will turn out.
4. After wringing out the water, put the cauliflower back into a bowl and add 1 egg, a couple shakes of garlic powder, a little salt,  and a tbsp of cilantro. Mix it all together.

5. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and form the cauliflower mixture into tortillas, making them as big or small as you would like.
6. Put in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip. Another 20 min.

7. When they are done, crisp them in a frying pan in a little olive oil or pam.
8. Move to a plate and make whatever tacos you desire!







I decided to make delicious Breakfast Tacos! Huevos Rancheros I guess is the correct term as I cooked my eggs over medium and not scrambled but whatever. On top of my tortillas I placed eggs, arugula and a spoonful of salsa - tomato day for you IPers!

The finished product!

This Texan is a happy girl :)

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

My Favorite Coffee!

When I get to spend mornings at home, I love to make my delicious coffee and enjoy an episode of some guilty pleasure TV show on the apple TV. Currently... It's Gossip Girl. Season 2 if you must know :)

Sometimes my heart feels sad because it is fall and we Ideal Proteiners cannot enjoy the love that is the Pumpkin Spice Latte, or Raspberry Hot Chocolate - oh yes... that exists. But with some syrup, spice and almond milk... it is ALMOST as fulfilling!

 

Today I used Walden Farms Caramel Dip with some Pumpkin Spice.
Warm and Happy! What do YOU like to put in your coffee?

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

An Ideal Fail

One of my favorite things to make is muffins (or cupcakes) using the ideal protein drink mixes! I have used the chocolate drink mix, orange drink mix and vanilla drink mix and they all turned out great! They used to be super dry but I have found that adding a spoonful of Walden Farms chocolate or caramel dip makes them very moist!

I decided to make a batch yesterday using the orange mix and for fun, tried the blueberry cran-granata... 

This is the batter: 1 drink mix, 1 egg, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of baking powder, a tiny bit of water and 1 spoonful of Walden Farms caramel dip. 

The orange turned out great! After about 10 additional minutes of baking the cran granata and having zero baking success I had a light bulb moment. The blueberry cran-granata mix has COLLAGEN in it! AND I think that made the difference. SO in case you thought you would get creative with the granata drink... don't ;) 

But DO try the other drink mixes as muffins! It really helps curb the "I can't have real muffins but I want them so badly" craving. 

In Health and Happiness, 

Stacy 

Tilapia, Cups and Mash!

Hi, y'all!

Here is what I made a couple nights ago - easy peasy and quite delicious!

The players in the game: Tilapia, garlic, cauliflower, dijon mustard, adobo spice and cage free eggs 

                                                                                        

I started with the mash - the monster mash - I steamed 2 cups of cauliflower until tender and tossed it in my bullet o magic with 1 chopped clove of garlic and a spoonful of dijon mustard. Blended a bit then added a tiny bit of water to smooth out the rest.

Next I created a sauce of sorts using more garlic (3 more cloves) and dijon. Heated 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and sautéed the garlic. When that was ready I added a spoonful of mustard and mixed it all up. 

I sliced the tilapia up into chunks and once the sauce was hot enough, added the fish to the pan. 

I let the fish and sauce cook together, flipping the tilapia halfway through. 

While that was cooking I cracked 2 eggs in a muffin tin and added the oh so magical adobo spice - like I said - it makes everything better. I put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 350. Remember 1 egg counts as 2 ounces of protein! 

My finished photo collage below. I had a pretty rotten day Tuesday so that explains the face. AND I broke my favorite measuring cup - it was an owl - that I used twice daily. Bad day but great dinner! 

This meal only took 20 minutes to make! Healthy, easy AND fast! I will leave you with this... every choice builds the person you become - choose wisely, fight hard and never give up - you CAN do it! 

In Health and Happiness,
Stacy

The Go-To List

Hey Team! 

Soooo, I've been debating what my first post should be about since I have been on IP for awhile - should I start fresh and just document what I am making from this point forward? Should I go back in time and post about what I had first made when I started? After much consideration, I thought the most "ideal" first blog post (get it?) should be about what I LOVE to make - my go-to dishes, spices, and gadgets! So here we go! 

• Cauliflower Rice
• Y'all. It turns out... I freaking love cauliflower. It is so diverse and pretty much takes on whatever flavor you add to it. Baller. The first magical cauliflower item  I will share is the rice product. Since starting IP I have pretty much made Amazon by be-otch. I order stuff ALL the time. One of my most prized items is my cheese grater. All you have to do is grate the raw cauliflower into "rice" and then saute it with a little olive oil - BAM. So easy and SO amazing. I love to add soy sauce and make a stir fry. Or rosemary. You can add cilantro and lime juice and it gives it a mexican flavor. Try it. Even my skinny mini roommates love it! 
• Cauliflower Mash
• My other obsession. Steam the cauliflower for about 4 minutes until relatively soft and throw it in a food processor - I use the Magic Bullet because it's small and I live in New York :) I add a little water to smooth it out. Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch is a delicious add-in, as is Dijon mustard -- sounds weird I KNOW but it's oh so good. I make cauliflower mash probably 5 times a week. Never get's old. 
• Adobo Spice
• In our apartment we refer to Adobo Spice as the spice that makes everything taste better. Seriously. We add it to everything. It's amazing. Everything. 
• Torani Sugar Free syrups
• Use in moderation. These syrups are fantastic in coffee, or as a flavor enhancer when I make cookies or mug cake with the chocolate drink mix. I especially like pumpkin, vanilla, hazelnut, cookie dough. Not a fan of the gingerbread or peanut butter but you might be! I hear smores is pretty tasty too. They have 35 different flavors. Yes. 35. 
• GEFU Spiral Cutter
• Thanks, Amazon! This little gadget is what I make my zucchini noodles with. It runs about 30 bucks but it is also SO worth it. 
• Egg Cups
• Egg cups are an apartment favorite as well. Pretty much the easiest egg dish ever. Spray a muffin pan with pam and crack 1 egg in each hole. Season as desired and pop them in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes. They turn out over medium and as a bonus: they are too cute. 
• Turnip Fries
• I could eat these every day. I had never had a turnip before I started Ideal and, surprise! I love them. Slice a turnip into "fries" or cubes if you wanted to make a sort of hash - either spray with olive oil spray or coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil and set on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes - flip - another 20 minutes. This will be shocking but I add adobo spice on mine and they are BANGIN! Yum. 

Those are pretty much my if I don't want to think about it dishes. So yummy you don't even feel like you're on a "diet." Here are some pictures of the items described for your viewing pleasure :) 

In Happiness and Health, 

Stacy 

 Turnip Fries with a pepper omelet 

 Zucchini Noodles!  

 Cauliflower mash with shrimp and kale chips 

 Egg cups with rosemary
 Cauliflower Rice with Tilapia