Watermelon Salsa

Image from here.

Ok, don't be scared. My aunt introduced this recipe to me.  This salsa is incredible. It is sweet but has a little kick to it too. This is great for keeping it healthy and it isn't as acidic as tomatoes. Light and refreshing, you will LOVE IT. 

I have made this recipe many times now, and most people are stunned after trying it to find out that the "red" they see aren't tomatoes! This is a sure crowd-pleaser! 

I hope you find this is a fun alternative to regular salsa and enjoy changing things up for your summer cook outs!






Watermelon Salsa

2.-3 cups diced seedless watermelon
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (I used red)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons brown sugar 
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix and serve chilled with tortilla chips!

Enjoy!

~AMK

The Break Up Update

So a few weeks ago, I declared that I was going to make some changes. Some healthy changes. Eat healthier, stop drinking soda, exercise more. Here's an update on breaking up with old habits and the new habits I am trying to start.

Eating. My eating has gone up and down. I use the calorie counter and it helps, but sometimes it is hard to remember to enter everything or find what I am looking for in the searches. But, I am finding that even if it is a "close enough" search to what I have been eating, it makes me much more aware of how much and what I am consuming.

Moving into our house has made eating healthy much more difficult. When your trips to the grocery store become few and far between, it makes keeping fresh ingredients at home difficult. I am glad we are getting settled in and will be able to unpack all our cooking stuff so I can start making meals at home. Pizza and hot dogs for several days in a row are not exactly part of my eating-healthy plan. But, I have been able to make a couple quick trips to the store to get some fruit and salad stuff so I am making it happen the best I can in the interim.

One of my biggest things I am trying to work on is not to give up on this goal. It is discouraging when you can't eat healthy because of time constraints or because you don't want to overbuy right before/during/after a move while you are getting settled. It is so much easier to eat out or get something quick, like pizza. So, I am trying to keep a mindset of not getting frustrated. It is ok and it is only for a time. I am trying to monitor my portions, but if my current meal isn't ideal, don't worry, and don't fall off the bandwagon. You got this. I will try again the next time. I find that if I can't do something fully and completely, I tend to push it to the wayside. So I am working on that.

Soda Drinking. It is funny because I used to not be a big soda drinker at all. Times change, but I am doing pretty well with it. I have had some soda, especially with moving, etc., but kinda like with my eating, I am not going to fret over a soda I may have. Because I haven't been eating as healthy and the stress of moving and still going to work every day, my stomach has been giving me issues. Sometimes, you just need to drink a soda. Sugar and carbonation can help sometimes. So, what I decided was I should try and not have soda as much as possible, but if I am really craving one or am feeling not-to-great, try to just have 1 soda for the week. This goes back to the don't-fret-and-don't-fall-off-the-bandwagon mantra. Just have to keep plugging along and do the best you can.

Exercising. Packing boxes. Moving boxes. Unpacking boxes. This totally classifies as a workout. So the gym can wait. :)


So there's the low-down and update of my big declarations. I haven't found the scale yet in unpacking, so I guess that's probably a good thing for now.

:)

Here is to breaking up with old habits and keeping up with your new goals and sticking with them...but not fretting if you slip up now and then!

~AMK

Crock Pot Meatloaf

This recipe is probably one of the easiest things to do...ever. honestly, making a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato is about the same amount of work once you spread some mayo, slice the tomato, wash the lettuce and assemble.  AND the best part, it is unbelievably delicious!

So easy and delicious, what's the catch? NOTHING. It is cheap too!

Here is the goodness:

Meatloaf served with a veggie and potato.
Original recipe found here.

Ok, stop drooling all over yourself and let's get started:)

Crock Pot Meatloaf

What you'll need:
Aluminum foil
2 lbs round turkey or beef
1 packet of dry onion soup mix or savory herbs soup mix
3/4 c. milk
2 eggs (I left out eggs and used 1c. milk and it worked great too!)
3/4 c. bread crumbs (I use Italian style)

Crock Pot Setup:
Unroll some aluminum foil so that it is one long strip, and put into your crock pot so it comes up the edges and forms down into the dish so it makes like a harness shape or "U" shape. It should be going from one side of the crock pot, down the edge, along the bottom, and back up the other edge. You will use the foil to lift out your finished meatloaf later and having the foil come all the way up the sides (one long strip under the meatloaf) makes for easy removal.

Meatloaf & Cooking:
Mix all ingredients together until all the turkey has seasoning on it. Then dump your mix into the crock pot and form the meatloaf into a brick shape so no sides of the meat touch the edge of the crock pot (If you have an oval crock pot, it will be in rectangular brick shape. If in a round crock, make into a circle). The key is the edges shouldn't touch the sides of the crock pot. Then, cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with baked potatoes and asparagus for a hardy meal!

Enjoy!

~AMK

Maple Turkey Cutlets

Calling all cooks, cook-wanna-be, or just those just in need of something different to make!!

This recipe was unbelievably easy. Like, if you are not a cook or you are just starting out, this will work for you. It is cheap and your taste buds will be happy. 

Whatcha Need Is...

1 pack turkey cutlets (about 4-5 in a pack)

1-2 cups baby carrots, rinsed

maple syrup (YUP, the kind you use for pancakes!)

olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic-pepper salt

Whatcha Gotta Do Is...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 13x9 baking pan, place cutlets and scatter baby carrots. Drizzle maple syrup over everything and lightly sprinkle with garlic-pepper salt. Flip cutlets and stir around carrots. Drizzle with more syrup and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle more garlic-pepper salt again. The syrup and seasoning is not to saturate them, just to give a thin coating to everything. Place in oven uncovered and bake for about 15 minutes then flip chops and stir carrots. Continue baking for another 15 minutes or until cutlets are completely cooked through (no longer pink). 

This is the drizzle....

Ready to bake!

Serve with a plain side like simple mashed potatoes or a salad to keep things light.

Put in cute serving dish and eat it up! :)

Enjoy!

~AMK

Because you asked for it! (Chx Enchilada Dip!)

Are you ready for it?! So each year, my classic dish to bring to parties is chicken enchilada dip. It is a crowd-pleaser for sure...Never any leftovers! That's how I like it! :)

So if you are in need of a new recipe for this holiday season, new year's party, or super bowl party, this will definitely work for you. It isn't expensive, and it is so simple.

 Enjoy!


Chicken Enchilada Dip

What You'll Need:
8 oz block cream cheese (I get the 1/3 less fat)
1/2 c. miracle whip (you can add more if you want it creamier)
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded or cubed)
2 large cans of chicken (they are about 12 oz cans), drained
4 oz can of diced green chili peppers (not drained)
1 small onion diced
1 glove garlic, minced (or you can use garlic powder)
southwest seasoning (I mix chili powder, crushed red pepper, and a little garlic salt)

Whatcha Gotta Do is:
Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for about 3-4 hours. When you season with southwest seasoning, start with less and add more to taste before serving. Stir frequently, if possible.  Serve directly out of the crock pot while on warm with regular or lime tortilla chips.  Enjoy!

Hint: I tried cooking it on high for shorter time, and it didn't turn out quite as good. So cooking it on low for about 4 hours, while stirring occasionally, makes it taste best in my opinion. 

~AMK

Yup, I'm THAT girl.

I am that person. The one you go to a restaurant with and you change one or everything about an option on the menu to make it what you want or need it to be. I feel bad for the waiters and waitresses that have to wait on me. And I feel bad for my friends who sit there and have to listen to me say...once again..."I have a question about {this food item}".  Thankfully, they are all really good sports and just give a good chuckle because I did it again.

When KGK and I went on our first date, we decided on the restaurant beforehand. In hindsight, I am very grateful for this simple fact. Many times, you may not know where the date may be, but for me, this was great.

KGK asked me to dinner. We went to this great spot that had a wide variety of food items to chose from: steak, chicken, salads, seafood..really a very large selection. For this, I am so glad. You see, when I go out to eat, I have these crazy food allergies and intolerances. And unfortunately, the list is quite extensive.  So, before our date, I looked up the menu online (of which I am also very grateful for!) and scanned what I wanted ahead of time, so I didn't have to ask a thousand questions or take FOREVER to order. Don't want to come across as high maintenance or anything on our first time out! :)  So on our date, I was able to order with no difficulty, made the impression I can scan a menu, order quickly, and don't get to know the waiter faster than the person you are on a date with because of all the crazy load of questions. Online menu= goal accomplished! I was one happy chick.

Thankfully, KGK is very helpful with checking to make sure all my allergies and intolerances are taken into account, now that we have been together and had many meals together. And our families and friends are also so wonderful to always check ahead of time to ask what I can or can't have. This is especially nice around the holidays were every type of dish under the sun is resurrected from the years past and feasted upon and about 80% of them have something in them I can't eat.  I always say, please, don't plan around me. I will find something! But, they always check and they always make sure there is more than carrot sticks that I will be able to enjoy.

So today, in the spirit of thanks as Thanksgiving is upon us and food is ever-present on our minds, stomachs, and waistlines, I want to say THANK YOU to all my friends and family who constantly keep me in your thoughts when it comes to food. For many, this isn't even a glimmer of a thought. For me, it is every trip to the grocery store, every meal out, and every party where you feel like a goober for not trying the famous dish of the night. It can be embarrassing to say "no, I can't, but thanks anyways!". So thank y'all for being gracious and so thoughtful towards me! I appreciate it more than most people realize!

~AMK