Blue Cheese Burger

Everyone loves a good burger, whether it's beef, chicken, turkey or veggie. Over the past year I have tried to limit the amount of beef I eat, and go for more lean meets like turkey and chicken. However, when I was at the store yesterday I saw this beautiful 95% lean ground beef on sale and just couldn't resist. I had been craving a good burger for days and decided that if I wanted to save the pennies in the piggy bank, the fat from landing on my thighs (had I gone out to get a burger) and still get what I want, this was the way to go. I also found sesame buns that were freshly made (still warm!) and some amish blue cheese that was way cheaper than any other blue cheese in the store. I got home and threw together a basic yet delicious burger, and with the right toppings had a great lunch.

Grilled Avocado, Cheese, and Tomato

I love grilled cheese. It is so simple, yet so good. However, it is not always the healthiest choice for a Saturday lunch. With an avocado on hand, getting a bit too ripe, and a tomato almost past its 'good' stage, I decided to kick up the grilled cheese sandwich. I have posted my grilled cheese recipe, along with it's nutritional information (from CalorieCount). Don't be fooled by the extremely high numbers. Some of those are very good, like the fiber. And the fat from the avocado is much better for you than fat from butter or whole fat cheese. So don't be alarmed. Then, to give you a good comparison, I also have the nutritional facts for a simple white-bread-american-cheese-cooked-with-butter grilled cheese. You'll be amazed!

*©ApronStringstoDiamondRings All Rights Reserved

Perfectly Poached

Have you ever gone to a restaurant, ordered poached eggs, and out comes the most beautiful, soft, pillow-like egg, dainty yet solid, and just so perfect? Then thought, 'Why can't I do that?'. You're not alone...

(Yes! This picture was taken by me!)

Tortilla Chili

Sixty degree weather doesn't usually call for chili, but today I was in the mood for comfort food. My mother had posted a chili recipe on my Facebook page the other day (yes, my mom has Facebook and we are friends!) and it looked like a great recipe to try. A One-Pot One-der, all you need is a crock-pot (and some time)! Prep for this is super easy and quick, and the outcome will make your company think you spent hours in the kitchen! I added a few extra ingredients, but use what you have.

Mini S'mores

I was craving something sweet tonight, so into the cupboard I went. I couldn't find anything to easily grab. Then had a thought: "Marshmallows!" I had stocked up on marshmallows during the holiday season and had yet to use them up. With some extra melting chocolates from a Pretzel Chocolate kit I bought, and some older (almost stale but not yet) crackers, I pulled out a fork, started up the gas stove and created a Mini S'more.

For those of you without a gas stove, my deepest apologies. However you could recreate this using a candle (one that has no scent), the broiler (be careful!!!) or a microwave and just nuke it.

This was the perfect little snack and I'm sure it came in under 100 calories, since one marshmallow is about 25 calories, and the crackers are about the same (or lower) and the chocolate, well it's chocolate! Happy Recreating and Enjoy!

*©ApronStringstoDiamondRings All Rights Reserved 

Banana Protein Muffins

In my battle to drop the fat, gain the muscle and get into better shape, I have been reading a lot of Once-Was-Fat-Now-Am-Skinny blogs. Real people, real stories. I started picking up on common denominators that helped these people lose their weight. It all has to do with Diet and Exercise, not like you haven't heard that a billion times already. But here are some specifics about just how your diet and exercise should be. You want (a) high protein, (b) little to no sugar, white sugar especially, (c) heavy on the vegetables (d) 5-6 small meals a day (e) a budget that allows for purchasing the healthier food (f) exercising 30-120 minutes a day. I struggle with (a) and (e), and a tad of (f), which I know many of you might. But, it takes baby steps, each and every day to completely battle the urges to down a bag of potato chips, or eat a whole pint of homemade ice cream from the family run ice cream parlor at the corner of the street... (Guilty!)