That's a crock!

You are probably wondering "What the heck is this girl thinking?" as you see this post limited to a lasagna recipe. Well, to be perfectly honest, this is the easiest way for me to share this recipe with friends and with my avid Fluffy followers that like to eat and need an easy dinner. This is my traditional oven-baked recipe that has been adjusted to fit the Crock-Pot since who really has time to let dinner cook 60-90 minutes on top of the prep after working all day. I fixed it for a potluck retirement lunch at work this week, and it ended up being a hit. So...here goes...

 

Crock-Pot Lasagna

 

1-2 pounds (1 package) of ground Italian Sausage

1-2 pounds of ground beef

½ medium onion (chopped finely)

2 large cans of Crushed Tomatoes

2 small cans of Tomato Paste

2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tbsp crushed Basil

1 tbsp crushed oregano

Garlic Salt/pepper taste

1 -24 ounce container of cottage cheese (small curd)

1 -16 ounce container of cottage cheese (small curd)

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

6 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese

3 large eggs (lightly beaten)

1 box of No-Bake (Oven Ready) lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown Italian Sausage, ground beef, and onion in skillet. Drain. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes. Mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese together with eggs. Layer Crock-Pot with meat mixture (approx. 1 cup) followed by uncooked pasta (broken in pieces to fit in crock to cover), cheese (approx. ¾ cup) mixture, and a small handful of mozzarella. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Be sure to reserve enough of the Mozzarella to make the top layer. Cover Crock-pot and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2-4 hours (or LOW for 7-8 hours). Hint: I put this recipe together the night before and store in fridge until the next morning. It will cook while you work the next day. J

Watcha been doing?

Today's post is geared toward a little bit of this and that. Probably not the best statement to lead with in a new blog post but needed to warn you in case you needed to turn back now...hehehe. 

In all the busy of life in the last few weeks, I have failed to share a couple of races that I have participated in.

The first was on September 28th with a few of my girlfriends from work. We knocked out 3.1 miles in the Women's Running Series in Nashville as others took the long road ahead for the half marathon. 

The most recent was the Booby Bolt 5K in my home town. My hot, bald man and I completed it on October 12th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. I actually hit a PR on that race with just under 33 minutes. My Garmin measured the distance at not quite 3 miles so I have my doubts on whether I really improved my run by 3+ minutes in just a couple of weeks so I have been really working on getting faster since this race. Notice that he wore a pink tutu in this race instead of a purple one as before. Even better...he made it himself. :) That's my guy!

Next on the race calendar is the Mayor's Challenge 5K in Nashville on November 17th. This will be my 2nd time competing in this one. The best part...my man is competing with me this go round. In fact, he has committed to me that he will do each and every one of them with me moving forward. True LOVE people :)

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have tried several new recipes and wanted to share a few of them with you all. The first being this pasta dish that I ran across on the web that I have tweeked into a little more of a healthier version. I used whole wheat pasta and substituted pork sausage with chicken sausage as well as Half and Half instead of Heavy Cream. It was pretty scrumptious, I must add. Not to mention easy, peasy for that quick after-work one dish meal.

Spicy Sausage Pasta Dish

1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil, if you prefer)
4-5 links of Chicken Sausage (Got mine from Costco, Brand- Casual Gourmet: Roasted Red Pepper)
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 rounded tsp. crushed garlic (or 2 cloves, minced)
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (original)- do not drain
1/2 cup Half and Half Cream
8 ounces uncooked Rotini pasta, whole wheat

Saute onion and chicken sausage in coconut oil over med high heat until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add broth, Ro-Tel, Half and Half and pasta. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce to medium low heat. Simmer until pasta is tender (about 15 minutes).
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Another creation that I have managed to fall in love with is the Broccoli Slaw Pre-Mix mixed with dried cranberries, pumpkins seeds, and poppy seed dressing.

If you enjoy salads, it's worth you throwing this together. I get my Pre-mix at the local grocery along with the cranberries but the pumpkin seeds are a Whole Foods find.
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Finally, I want to give you all a little snapshot into what is occupying my occasional down time. I completed Jon Acuff's Best Selling book, START. Now...on to another of his great works, Quitter. If you want (or need, like me) a little motivation toward finding your awesome and not being a quitter when life gets tough, these are must reads for even the not-so-avid reader like myself. I started reading Quitter as I left town on a short business trip last Friday and struggled to put it down. I still have about 35 pages to read and won't delay wrapping it up. If you want to find out more about Jon, you can track him down on his blog or on his Facebook page.

Later gators...

10,000 Before Daylight

Isn't it funny how we can go days to weeks without taking the time to sit down and create a blog post but we can't go even a day without thinking "I need to share this with the world" when something pretty awesome happens in our lives?
Well, I have had one of those moments within the last 24 hours so I am committing to sharing it with the few readers that are willing to read my bit of craziness.

Picture this....
I am working to clean out the garage yesterday which was much overdue. Honestly, the garage has been a catch-all for all of the junk that we didn't want to find a place for inside the house for several months now. The hubby and I had cleaned out the travel trailer/camper a couple of months ago and unloaded the goods into a corner of the garage for sorting through later. Well, to be perfectly honest...that stack grew and continued to take over a huge chunk of space that finally limited our walking area to a tight path to and from the refrigerator and exit door. We seem to get around to getting that space organized and tidy about twice a year. Needless to say, we were long overdue. It pretty much resembled a disaster area that needed to be just torched and written off as lesson learned but I woke with a bit of Sunday morning ambition and decided to tackle it and convinced my sweetheart to help me as well. Before we started, I had to take a before picture and share on Facebook. Yes, true to form for me, I love to share the good, the bad, and the ugly with a group of friends that can appreciate my procrastination...hehehe

Thanks to my FB post, the Bragg's felt pity on us and saved us from having to haul another man's treasure to the Goodwill on top of cleaning the garage.As we finished sorting, Bill backed up his trailer and took the load to the Lions Club since they will be having a sale to raise money for the Masons' good deeds.

Now...back to the really cool part. As I stood sorting through some books that were going to the to-be-donated pile, a smiling face crossed the street at the end of our driveway. I locked eyes with her and hollered out, "Hi, how are you doing?"
Before I knew it, she was walking up the driveway making conversation with "Do you do AdvoCare?"
How did she know?
Was it my glowing skin? (Insert giggle.)
Was it the fact that I was dressed in yoga pants and a T-Shirt? (appearing like I was thinking about health this morning)
Was it the aroma of Spark in the air?
Well, of course not. It happened to be the stickers on the back of our vehicles that she had noticed on her walks. How cool is that? Someone besides me and the tailgaters that follow too closely on the road noticed the great window decal that another Advo-friend had hooked us up with a few months ago.

Before we knew it, we were instant friends chatting about AdvoCare and the 24 Day Challenge that she and her sweetheart had started about 5-6 days ago. She has already had great success in her journey that began back in May but the 24 Day Challenge has taken it to that next level for her as she is motivated to meet her personal goals with weight loss and healthy living. She started walking in the neighborhood a couple of months ago as part of her plan. Owning your goals and letting go of the "not nows" are a couple of the first steps to wellness, and she is well on her way. Forty-five minutes later, we were making plans to meet at 4:30am this morning to walk together. Bam! Just like that...an accountability connection is made.

All total so far this AM, I have managed to knock out 10,000 steps before 6am today. Not only have I started this day off with the blood pumping a bit, I have managed to find another buddy to hold me accountable as I work to reach my next health goals. Teamwork ROCKS my world!

Testosterone, TuTus and Gym Rats

Good afternoon "Fluffy..." friends and followers.

Let me start by saying that I am super pumped about this weekend. Tonight is going to be pretty awesome all by itself. My smokin' hot, bald man is spending the evening with loads of his AdvoCare friends at the Armory Gun Range for training, food, and fellowship. Yes, I said gun range. That much testosterone in one place with loaded firearms...yikes! So...back to me. While he is out there on the town, I will be home making our tutus for the Color Me Rad Run tomorrow morning. Yes, my most awesome man will be shooting firearms tonight and wearing a purple tutu tomorrow as we race to the finish line in honor of a dear friend that lost her life way too soon to that evil C word (CANCER) as a member of Shirleena's Purple TuTus.

Never fear, he won't be the only man that is making that transition. One of our friends, Jason, will be doing just the same thing.
His girl, Sara (my precious friend), and I will be hash-tagging it #tattoosandtutus along the way :)

I will be sure to post some pics on my Facebook page (Fluffy and Figuring Out Fit)  tomorrow and in the blog post to follow soon. My smokin' hot, bald man has to make his debut as well. I love this life and the people that decorate it with me!

Well, I have even more to share about this fitness journey that I have been on. Over the course of the last few weeks, I have tried out Cross Fit and Barry's Boot Camp plus Planet Fitness. Loved Cross Fit for sure but couldn't afford the price tag right now. However, Music City Cross Fit was nothing less than amazing and it is still on my wish list for the future. Barry's BC was a WOW sort of experience this past Monday. In fact, my biceps are still recovering. I tagged along with my friend, Denise. She has been a member for about a year and has had great things to say about the gym all the time. The truth is...IT KICKED MY BOOTIE! Arms and Abs were on the class schedule. It think I needed to sign up for a remedial class for starters. From treadmill runs/sprints to lots of bicep/tricep work...I hung in there decently well. Then...ABS truly wrecked me. I just plain couldn't perform. Obviously I need a lot of work in this area! Never the less, I survived the hour workout, paid my $22, and drug myself to the car. But that's not the best part! I couldn't drive. Why? you ask. Well, because I didn't have enough strength left in my right arm to put my standard transmission into reverse. My arm quivered and couldn't seem to muster the strength to make it happen. So.I did what any woman with half a mind and no energy would do...I sat in the car and made selfies with my camera. Anyone watching would have cracked up or thought I was nuts!

After it was all said and done, my man and I ended up joining Planet Fitness. The price is right at $20 per month/per member for the Black Card, and they have a crazy packed gym of treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, weight machines, etc. plus a few extras like HydroMassage Beds, Tanning Beds, nice showers, and much more. They are open 24/7 so that works for our crazy schedules. I feel like I just did a short commercial for them but they really are that great. In fact, the center we just joined is brand new. When you walk through the door, you can still smell the aroma of fresh rubber from the flooring.
My newest found loves are the HydroMassage Bed and the stretching "machine." It's not really a machine but I don't know what else to call something that makes you feel somewhat normal again after you have worked your bootie to the core. That bed is something wonderful! You simply lay on it and a high pressure sprayer beats all the soreness out of those legs,back and neck with warm water trapped under that black vinyl sheet.

Fast forward to Wednesday now. Bod Pod Day...or better known as "reality check." As part of this next 60 Day Challenge for myself, I agreed to get my body fat/muscle mass checked. As we all know, losing weight doesn't always equate to being fit. From the very beginning, I made my mind up that I would work on being more fit and less fluffy so this was just that next step in helping me know where I stand as of now. The great part is that Reggie is going to recheck me again in 60 days (just before Thanksgiving) to see what improvements I have made. The truth is...I wasn't real surprised at the results considering I had been in a study about 18 months-2 years ago that involved a DEXA scan. It measured my body fat at around 50%. So...any improvement would have brought a smile to my face.



The facts are in! I am still too fluffy but I have a lot of muscle to work with. Reggie said that the 37.8% body fat should be reduced to about 25% but that I needed to hold onto the 109% muscle mass. The key to that will be keeping the calories in line with about 1800 on days that I work out and still about 1500 on non-exercising days. I have a plan of action; implementation is key!

Well, that about wraps of this week. I will catch up with the world after my tutu is crafted, the race is complete, and this weekend is thoroughly enjoyed!

#STEPtember #Cleanse #CrossFit....Unbroken!

Please forgive my slacking on my posts this week as it has rolled into the weekend. On the upside, I was able to get a few thoughts on the Facebook page "Fluffy and Figuring Out Fit" but that doesn't really take the place of the blog since I love to just unfold my day in paragraphs rather than simple sentences...hehehe

Thursday and Friday seemed to be just average overall. I remained strong for Day 5 of the cleanse on Thursday with the average eats and then fajitas for dinner at the local Mexican venue. I enjoy that menu selection since I can get chicken/steak/peppers/onions all grilled up while skipping the rice, beans, and tortillas. I did enjoy a little Pico and guacamole though with my meat and veggies. FYI: You don't really need all that filler of rice, beans, and tortillas to really enjoy that meal.

Day 6 (Friday) was a work from home day. I needed to get my steps in for my #STEPtember challenge before the day started strong, so I took out to the pavement way early (around 5:15am) with my girl to get my 3 mile run in and ended up hooking up with a couple of the neighborhood ladies to complete my steps while walking another couple of miles before heading into the "office"...(aka: Kitchen table).

 When I made it back in, I threw together a smoothie. Ingredients: 1/2 frozen banana, 6-8 frozen strawberries, 4 chunks of frozen pineapple, 1 tbsp Chia seeds, 1 scoop Muscle Gain Vanilla Protein Powder, 8 oz water, 2 pkts Stevia. Simply wonderful...

I managed to get a record total of steps in on Friday...love seeing just over 9 miles logged :)

Dinner on Friday night was a bust. I had cooked up some ribs that I picked up at Costco. They were nothing less than horrible. Over-seasoned from the store, too salty, and tough as raw hide. So...instead, I ate some leftover rotisserie chicken with a ton of that yummy Sweet Kale Salad. Yes, I ate that same meal twice today...Lunch and Dinner.

Saturday...can't wait to share this! My smokin' hot, bald man and I went to our first Cross Fit class at Cross Fit Music City. In all honesty, I was a bit nervous. Not knowing what to expect mixed with knowing I was going to be sore...Yes, I was a bit anxious but excited all the same.
Our friend, Loren, had invited me a month ago but I needed to recuperate from a simple dermatology surgery on my back so had to decline. She was kind enough to think of me again and messaged me on Friday to ask if I wanted to meet her at the class on Saturday AM. Of course, I was quick to take her up on that offer. Turns out...David and I could try it out for free at the Community Class so I talked him into going with me. Sucker!

I Sparked it up with Mango Strawberry and added some pre-workout Arginine Extreme. Turns out...that was a perfect combination for energy and fueling my muscles.

A little history on Loren is that she started with this Cross Fit group about 6 months ago. I have watched her grow inside and out as she has found a true passion for toning up and formed friendships with folks that have similar interests and goals. I have seen pictures of her lifting ability; needless to say, I wouldn't want to challenge her with a dead lift.. This cutie is a mother, a wife, a professional in the workplace...and last but not least...a woman that desires to be better. If for no other reason other than that desire to be better...we are connected!

Despite being a little bit sore today, I can wholeheartedly tell you that WE ARE HOOKED! Yes, that smokin' hot, bald man in that pic loved it too. The CrossFit community is a different breed. They don't scowl at you because you are slow and holding up the group. Instead, they lift you up and cheer you on as you are dragging in for the last set of the 200 meter run carrying a 14 pound med ball, 25 situps with the med ball, 200 meter run without the ball, and 25 squats with that same 400 pound med ball (at least it felt that heavy by the end).

After a quick stop at the church for a baby shower, we headed home for a quick shower of our own. Protein was much needed after that kind of workout so we headed to a late date lunch :) Saturdays have really been nice since I am not routinely working away from home any longer. AM workouts rolling into impromptu dates with my man...loving life...thank you AdvoCare :)

After lunch and a quick stop back home, we hit the road again to a Pampered Chef party. Oh how I love me some Pampered Chef! Back home by about 8ish and had to get those #STEPtember challenge steps in so my girl and I walked the neighborhood together...walkin', talkin', makin' memories.

ChaChing..got those 10,000 steps in with some to spare:

Sunday (Today)... Spent the day with my sweet little boy for 12 hours. He was not feeling completely up to par but we still enjoyed the day together. Lunch was a bed of spinach with a mound of rotisserie chicken and 1/4 cup of cashews plus a small handful of grapes sliced of nicely. I drizzled balsamic vinegarette on it. Yum! Dinner... The chili was on the stove and the fire was in the pit waiting on me when I arrived home. We enjoyed a bowl of chili while sitting out by the fire and laughing as David shared a childhood memory of his. Take home lesson..."Don't pour gasoline on a fire." It will end up burning up your dad's work truck along with leaving you with singed eyebrows. Sharing time with the family was far more important than getting those steps in this evening. So... 

Unfortunately, I didn't meet my 10,000 #STEPtember goal today...but I will definitely make it a point to get to goal and then some tomorrow.

Well, it's bedtime so sweet dreams friends. Day 8 of my cleanse is behind me! I will be weighing in on Wednesday to see where I am after the Cleanse Phase of the Challenge as I am heading in to the Max Phase. My workout clothes are looser so maybe that's a good indication that I am less fluffy.

Eat Your Veggies...and a Chicken Leg

Today's blog post is all about making good clean choices for those lunches and dinners. Yesterday (Day 3 of my Cleanse) and today (Day 4) have been successful salad days from beginning to end. Let me put a disclaimer on what you are about to read....Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged!! I have been known to do some pretty crazy stuff when it comes to foods that I really enjoy.

I sucked down the Meal Replacement Shakes for breakfast both days and more or less snacked on fresh fruit and a handful of pistachios or almonds both days. Moment of truth...I am craving salt right now! In fact, I pretty well over did it with the pistachios yesterday before I even realized what had hit me. One handful led to ..oh well...way too many. I'll just leave it at that :(   But...back on track today with no crazy binges to report.

Tuesday Lunch: Included a Mandarin Orange cut into bite-size pieces, a Pluot, and a fresh veggie salad with 4 ounces of grilled chicken. I drizzled some Balsamic Dressing over the salad for a tangy flavor mixed with the sweetness of the fruit. It was a WIN! For those not familiar with pluots...they are a hybrid fruit that is a cross between a plum and an apricot. Yummy!

Tuesday Dinner: Leftover Pork Roast (6 ounces) with Salsa Verde...my Mexican creation.

Wednesday Lunch: A 4 ounce can of Albacore Tuna (drained) mixed with a single serving size of Guacamole (Costco), fresh salad, 1/2 peach, and a pluot. I didn't even need dressing this time since the tuna was so creamy.

Wednesday Dinner: Sweet Kale Salad and Rotisserie Chicken (5 ounces). I found this Kale Salad mix at Costco a couple of weeks ago, and it is simply amazing. I made a special trip to Costco tonight after work to pick up another bag. Well, of course, I had to get one of those fantastic chickens as well. Those at Costco are huge for $4.99. I priced the Walmart birds a couple of days ago...they think a lot of theirs now...priced at a whopping $8.99. Yes...that's ridiculous if you ask me. Now..another moment of truth. I made it to the parking lot and loaded the box of goodies into the back of the Xterra. Then...that chicken leg was calling my name. I could hear it whisper from under the plastic dome that was housing it. So...what other choice did I have but to open it up and grab a bite off of that doggone chicken. Yes, I was eating a piece of the chicken leg while standing in the Costco parking lot all alone with the hatchback of the vehicle hanging in the air. I have been threatening to do this time after time. I mean..come on...have you ever had to ride 35 miles with one of those amazing smelling birds all hot and roasted up? The good news is...I did have ample handi-wipes in the car glove box since my hands were some kind of sticky. Well, it's behind me now. That's all I've got to say about that..hehehe

Back to the salad talk... It comes with all these nutrient-rich superfoods/veggies plus the dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and poppyseed vinegarette dressing. Rumor has it that this salad mix can be found at Publix as well. Also, it is even better the next day so plan to make it a day ahead and enjoy for at least 2 days after.

These last few days have been pretty amazing with getting in my steps. Participating in the STEPtember challenge with my #START Weight Loss and Healthy Living group has been quite encouraging for the accountability. I have made my goal of 10,000 steps daily since September 2nd...3 days and counting now.  Today's steps: 11,203 and this is without a morning workout logged for the day. 

Well, guessing I better close for today. Days 1-4 behind me of the 10 day Cleanse. I am feeling less fluffy around the mid section despite Mother Nature getting ready to whip my bootie in a few days. I will be weighing in again on Day 11 as I jump to the MAX phase of the 24 Day Challenge. I wished that I had measured again at the beginning of this challenge. However, I will be sure to measure at the end and do a little comparison with the first 24 DC that I completed back in Feb/March 2013.

Later gators!

Day 2...Not Labor Intensive...just Labor Day

This day has been nothing less than awesome from the time my feet hit the floor.
I sparked it up and headed out to the pavement to remind myself that heat and sweat are no barrier to a good workout. I really believe the humidity was upwards of 110% by the time we finally made it out there at around 7:30am. You know that feeling you get when you open the front door and the heat wave smacks you in the face. Yep...it was that kind of morning.
Before we headed out for the "real" run, I ran with the neighbor's dog, Chrysler, for about 1/3 mile. That dog is one of the most precious creatures that ever took a breath (besides my sweet canine and feline, of course).

When I made it back in about 9am, I sucked down a little Rehydrate along with my Meal Replacement Shake.

While I cooled off, I had the opportunity to share my AdvoCare journey with a couple of dear friends on the phone. Times like those are what makes this journey so worth it...sharing and helping others find their fit with top-notch products to nourish the body.
Then...off to the shower I went.

My sweetheart took me to eat a nice lunch at Kabutos Japanese Restaurant. WOW! I had some yummy Mahi Mahi and veggies prepared on the Hibachi grill.

We made a pit stop and visited with my grandmother in the late afternoon. She turned 89 years old last week so we had to celebrate at the local Shake 'n Shake per her request. She pigged out on a bowl of chili while I enjoyed a bowl of vegetable soup. After all, there is not much on the SnS menu that is Cleanse friendly but I wasn't going to just not eat while we sat there chatting. My sweetheart tackled a chocolate shake, 2 Chocolate Chip cookies, and a plate a fries like a Champion. :) Amazed how those men can eat like that and hold their own on the scales the next morning. He paid the price with a yucky belly the rest of the afternoon though :(.

Managed to get back home after a very full day and plug in my UPband. My smile just got bigger...I completed at least one big task today. I had set out to get at least 10,000 steps in today considering yesterday was a rather slow day with about 1/2 of that. Plus...I have committed to this challenge with the #START group in celebration of STEPtember. SUCCESS!

With those final thoughts...I am heading to bed for a little pillow time since 4am comes early. Yikes! That only leaves me about 5 hours to get 8 hours of rest. I have downed my Herbal Tablets as part of the Day 2 regimen on the cleanse. Later gators.