Moroccan Dinner

• 2 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon(s) tandoori or garam masala spice blend
• Kosher salt
• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lb), peeled and cut into 1-in. pieces
• 2 red bell peppers, cut in 1-in pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 3/4 pound(s) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-in. pieces (I used a boneless pork roast..you could really use any kind of meat or chicken)
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh cilantro, chopped

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 500ºF. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick foil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, oil, spice blend, and ½ tsp salt. On one of the prepared baking sheets toss the squash, peppers, onion and 1 Tbsp of the garlic-spice mixture. Roast on the upper rack for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, on the second baking sheet toss the lamb with the remaining garlic-spice mixture. Move the vegetables to the bottom rack and place the lamb on the top rack. Roast until the lamb is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
4. Gently toss the vegetables, lamb and cilantro together before serving.

Read more: Moroccan Lamb Recipe at Woman's Day - Woman's Day

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork

This was a really great and easy recipe.  A good way to use those pork roasts that are always on sale :0)  I served with instant mashed potatoes and steamed peas.  YUM
Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) boneless rolled pork loin roast, halved
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 3/4 cup sugar (I would cut this to 1/3 cup next time)
• 3/4 cup cranberry juice (I didn't have any so I used chicken broth)
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, brown roast in oil on all sides over medium-high heat. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the cranberry sauce, sugar, cranberry juice, mustard, pepper and cloves; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Remove roast and keep warm.
2. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, water and salt until smooth; stir in cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with roast.

Mushroom, Carrot and Turkey Meat Loaf muffins ($)(*)

This is a recipe that I got from Womansday.com/menus and tweaked a bit.

They have this great monthly calendar for dinners.  The recipies are all pretty healthy and easy to prepare.  I tweaked the recipe a bit and here it is.  One adjustment I made to the recipe that I really loved is putting it into muffin tins instead of forming a loaf.  That way it is so much easier to measure out an individual portion; you just plop a couple of "Meat Loaf Muffins" on your plate and don't have to worry about slicing it up in equal portions.  I thought it was really good.  Chris didn't think it was awesome, but he ate it all, so he couldn't have thought it was that bad.  I used ground chicken instead of turkey because it was on sale. 

Mushroom, Carrot and Turkey Meat Loaf Muffins

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 slice(s) whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
• 8 ounce(s) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot, minced (you could use onion)
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1.75 pound(s) ground turkey or chicken

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Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mustard, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; stir in the bread. Add the mushrooms, scallions and carrot, and mix to combine (some of the mushrooms will break).
3. Add the turkey and mix just until incorporated.  If desired, lightly spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Fill muffin tins with mixture and press down with the back of a spoon.  Tins should be filled almost all the way. Bake until the internal temperature registers 160°F (180 for Chicken), 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 7 servings (2 "Muffins" per serving)
We served with plain couscous and a large salad.  Next time I'll try the whole wheat couscous.

Back on the Health wagon

I'm baaack!  I haven't had any time for posting with all the Christmas stuff going on.  We had a wonderful holiday; got to see my family and Mia had an absolute ball.  She was so excited about the gifts and Santa.  And I love that she knows and remembers that it is really one big birthday party for Jesus. 

Unfortunately, I gained about four pounds over the holidays.  I had maintained my marathon weight up until around Thanksgiving, even though I wasn't doing much running at all.  But I'm back up to a weight that I'm just not comfortable with.  Also, we have our Disney vacation (!!!) coming up in a few weeks, so I want to make sure I've shed these extra pounds by then. 

So I'm back on the diet wagon full force.  It's not so much about dieting as it is about eating healthy foods that make you feel good and provide your body with the proper fuel it needs to function properly. 

I'll be cutting out pretty much all processed sugars.  I know that sugar affects me horribly, almost like an allergy.  I get itchy, swollen, and really irritable when I eat high-sugar foods.  Today I cut out refined sugar altogether (with the exception of a teaspoon in my coffee) and I feel soo much better already. 

Lots of vegetables, lots of running and other excercise.  I went out for three miles with Chris today.  My first run in at least a week.  I definitely could feel those extra four pounds.  It was a tough run and my thighs are killing me tonight.  But all in all I'm feeling awesome.  So much better than yesterday.  So we're off to a good start!  The best part is that after eating healthy all day, I'm having no cravings and I don't feel hungry at all!

Kids Christmas Craft Idea

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/holiday-seasonal-crafts/christmas-gifts-cards-decorations/christmas-character-crafts/christmas-crew-663694/

Chicken or Turkey Soup

Chicken or Turkey Soup

• 1 leftover turkey carcass
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Place turkey carcass in a soup kettle or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove carcass; cool. Set aside 3 qt. broth. Remove turkey from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside.
2. In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute the onions, carrots and celery in butter until tender. Reduce heat; stir in flour until blended. Gradually add 1 qt. of reserved broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Add cream, rice, salt, bouillon, pepper, remaining broth and reserved turkey. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 dash salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the buttermilk. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet, roll into a 6x6 inch square, and cut into 12 even sections. Do not separate.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center of the square comes out clean. Separate into biscuits, and serve hot.