Beef! It's what's for dinner!

Get ready you guys! This blog is a double feature! Yep, you read that right, you're getting TWO recipes today!

I don't really eat a lot of beef, mostly because it's not a lean source of protein. But sometimes, you just need a little something different, you know what I mean? I had Wednesday off from work, so I went to good ole Walmart to find me some dinner. I ended up leaving with not one, but two packages of beef. One package of Chuck Eye Steaks and one Eye of Round Roast. I also got them each a few dollars off because they had to be sold by Thursday! I also made sure that the steaks were graded Prime. Not the highest grade by any means, but when you're buying a cut because of flavor like a steak, you want to know you're getting something good. 

A quick visual for those of you who still have no idea  what cuts I bought.

 I knew immediately what I was going to do with that roast: Pot Roast. I already had carrots and celery at home so all I had to do was grab some potatoes and I was set. The steaks however...I wasn't so sure. Once I got home I decided I would marinate them and set to work scouring the internet for a recipe that I liked. This was way more difficult than it should have been. It seemed like everyone either called for ingredients I didn't have or it just didn't sound good. Finally, I just made my own! Don't worry, the recipe will follow.


I let the steaks marinate for two hours before turning them and allowing another two hours. Once I was ready to cook the steaks I took them out and let them rest at room temperature. This is a very important step. You don't want to take your steaks straight from the fridge to the heat, it's no good! To cook my steaks I set my oven to broil and moved the top rack about 6 inches away from the heat. I placed my steaks on a foil-lined pan and cooked them for 5 minutes on one side and 3 on the other. After removing them from the oven I let them rest for 10 minutes, to allow all the juices to settle. This is crucial to the flavor! I did a pretty good job getting the bigger steak cooked to rare, but the smaller one could have used a little less time I think.

Lauren's Amazin' Steak Glazin'

That's pretty catchy huh? ; )

1/4 cup low sodium/light soy sauce

1/4 cup honey - I used imitation

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp ground Ginger

Whisk together all wet ingredients. Once mixed, add in the ginger. All done! Pretty amazin' huh?! 

This morning I got up EVEN earlier than usual to get my pot roast going! In order to keep the juices locked in to the meat, I needed to sear it on each side in a frying pan before adding it to the crock pot.

Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients:

Roast of your choice

Veggies - I used carrots, celery and red potatoes but you could also use onions, mushrooms, whatever you like really. Chop them to your liking.

Can of Pepsi - I used Pepsi Max

Ranch Dressing Dry Mix Packet

            Salt, Pepper and Olive Oil

            Additional water - I used 1 cup

1. Rub your roast with salt and pepper and place into a hot frying pan coated with 1 Tbsp of Olive oil. Allow to sear for approximately 5 minutes on each side. 

2. While roast is searing, add all the veggies to your crock pot. 

3. Once roast is done, add to crock pot. Pour in ranch mix and can of Pepsi. If at this point, you feel there is not enough liquid in the pot, add some water. Ultimately, I think I could have done without the extra water. Set the crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours!    

This came out deliciously! I portioned the beef out first (by weight) to see how many meals it would make and then portioned my veggies from there. Thankfully, I had enough meat for four meals and I cut all my potatoes into fourths, so each meal has the same number of potatoes! I did put one meals worth in a freezer bag and in the freezer. I think it should hold up all right, but if not, I'll let you know!

I hope by reading this, I made your mouth water because I know mine did! Let me know if you try them for yourself!

Until next time,

Lauren 

Stroke of Genius!

You guys! Today I had an AMAZING idea! Today I opened a second checking account only to be used for gas money. Alright, I know you have no idea why this idea is so amazing, but stay with me! First you're going to need a little back story.

My Budget

As you know, I graduated from Purdue University (boilers.) in May and immediately started working full-time, on salary. What you may not know, is that i am terrible with money. I knew that the only way I was going to be able to have money for everything I needed was to create a hardcore budget. I also knew that I need to be paying off my credit cards and student loans as much as I can now, while I just have me to support. first, I used excel to create a killer budget where I can see every paycheck I'm getting for the year and plan out when I'll be able to pay for what. I'm really terrible with excel so what ever you're picturing is probably giving me too much credit. My second step was switching to a system where I use cash to pay for nearly everything. I got this idea from Dave Ramsey but I didn't actually read his book. I just read enough reviews to get the picture! I even bought this sweet wallet on Etsy that has separate pockets for each category (like gas, groceries, spending money, etc.) allowing me to keep my cash on me but still separated. Specifically to this post, every paycheck I set aside at least $125 for gas. I say at least because if I know that I'll be traveling, like to Indy or Cinci, I budget a little more. 

Speedy Pay Card

Recently Speedway Gas Stations started offering a program where you can link your Speedway Rewards Card directly to your checking account and use your rewards card to pay for your gas. As an incentive to join this program they offer you a 12 cent rebate on gas for the first 90 days and then a 7 cent rebate on gas after that. I believe you also earn double points of fuel, the points being redeemable for merchandise. Now I know that 12 cents isn't a lot, but when gas is $3.59 like it is here, I'll take what I can get! I wanted to do this but I didn't want to leave my gas money in my Chase checking account because the only money I keep in there is for rent, my gym membership and my Chase specific payments (loan, credit card, savings acct). 

Stroke of Genius

This morning, it just hit me. I was at Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) making a payment on my credit card when I realized that if I opened a checking acct with them, I would have an account that I could link to my Speedy Rewards Card! Instead of keeping the normal $125 in cash on me for the two weeks, I just need to withdraw it from Chase and then deposit however much of it I want at PEFCU! "It's brilliant brilliant brilliant I tell you!"  

You may be thinking something along the lines of "...this sounds like a lot of work just to save 12 cents on gas..." and you're probably right. But I'm an impulsive person and once I get an idea in my head, I'm going to do it. I've already opened the checking account and I'm just waiting on Speedway to confirm my new account :) I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Side Note

This blog is my 10th for January! I cut it a little close, but I hit my target and thanks to that I get to add an additional $10 to my jar! Now I have to go stare at my budget for a little while and figure out where it's going to come from... : P

Thanks for reading!

Lauren 

Movie Night{s}!

I don't want you guys to think that the only things I do when I'm not working or sleeping are cooking and exercising. Although, those four activities are about 90% of my life...
When I need to relax, I always find my self plopped on the couch watching something on Netflix. About a week ago Netflix offered me a "free" one month trial of their one DVD out at a time rental plan. I say "free" because you have to remember to remove this plan from your account before the month is over or they'll automatically charge you for the next month. Since I'm capable of that, I jumped at the chance to see some new movies, and possibly the excuse to invite people over to watch them with me! So far I've gotten Ted, 21 Jump Street and Snow White and the Huntsman using my free trial. Seeing as how I just got Snow White today, I'll have to review that one for you another time.
On top of all those, I went out last night with my friend Steph and saw Gangster Squad. Saying that seems weird to me. I know that yesterday was Sunday, and for all you normal people, a weekend day. For me though, it was day 7 of my current 9 day work week. So to go out in the evening, it's just weird. Since I know you really don't want to read my babbling about my weird life anymore, I'm going to review these movies for you now. I'll try not to spoil any endings, but no promises.

Gangster Squad

Easily my least favorite of the three, and sadly the only one I paid for! Thankfully my ticket price was reduced thanks to my rewards card. The movie wasn't bad. I like the time that it was set in and all of the effects were great yadda yadda yadda. It just seemed like there wasn't much plot, and what there was moved slowly. Near the end of the movie I correctly predicted a twist in the plot, which makes you feel smart but also kinda ruins the movie. I wasn't too crazy about the main character but thankfully Ryan Gosling was there for me to stare at ;) I might watch it again, if someone else bought it. Overall, I say it gets a 3 out of 5.

21 Jump Street

This one was definitely my disappointment of the three. It was funny, but it was WAY more vulgar than I was expecting. If it offends me, it has to be pretty ridiculous. It followed a pretty typical story-line and all the major action happened at the end of the movie. Once again, it's a good thing there was a pretty boy, Channing Tatum this time, for me to stare at the whole time. I would definitely watch it again but I don't see myself buying this one either. Overall, 4 out of 5.

Ted

Definitely my favorite of the three, and also, the one that surprised me the most! Seeing the previews, I was expecting something more of a 21 Jump Street caliber. I was wrong about that! While it does have it's share of awkward moments, it's story-line was pretty good. I would easily watch this again and probably buy it, especially if it makes it's way to Walmart's $5 bin. 5 out of 5, no doubt in my mind. 

Thanks for reading!

Lauren 

Gluten Free, A Diet Fad?

As I'm sure you know, if you know me at all, I try to eat healthy 95% percent of the time. So, naturally, I'm always reading articles with titles like 10 Diet Splurges and 7 Supplements That Melt Fat. Recently I've been coming across blogs that feature gluten-free recipes, this intrigued me. I like the recipes because, for most of them, aside from being gluten free they're recipes using non-processed, healthy ingredients. What got me wondering was the emphasis the bloggers placed on the recipe being gluten-free. What is so special about gluten?

What is gluten?

Gluten, a combination of gliadin and glutenin, is a protein found in wheat and is what gives elasticity to dough. Gluten can be found in flour, bran, bread crumbs, couscous, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat flour and more.

Why would you avoid gluten in the first place?

The biggest reason people avoid consuming gluten is that they suffer from Celiac Disease. When people with CD consume gluten their immune system damages their small intestine. More specifically, the villi(tiny finger-like protrusions lining the intestine, picture a sea anemone) which normally allow nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi an person will become malnourished no matter what or how much they eat.

Others may suffer from gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. Gluten intolerance is not an immune mediated response. Sufferers may experience cramping, bloating, diarrhea and flatulence. Gluten sensitivity is a less severe form of intolerance and does not cause damage to the intestinal villi. 

But won't I lose weight if I cut out gluten products?

Sure, at first. However this is not solely because you are riding your diet of gluten. Think about some major products that contain gluten, like pasta or bread. These products usually have a high calorie count for a small portion size. So cutting them completely from your diet is going to reduce the number of calories you consume daily. Combine that with general healthy eating and exercise and it's easy to see how one could lose weight. Like I said though, the weight loss will not be because of excluding gluten but rather from trimming out calories. 

It's also important to note that quitting products like bread and pasta cold turkey often results in intense cravings and ultimately when the cravings are too intense, binge eating. My suggestion? Switch to whole wheat products and if you consume breads and pastas daily or even every other day, try to replace a few of those meals with a healthier option. This way you still get the smaller calorie intake and you're not depriving your body of the things it likes. 

All in all, I firmly believe that gluten free diets should be left to those who truly suffer from eating gluten-containing products. As for the rest of us? We should count ourselves lucky and enjoy what we can. 

That being said, I still can't wait to tear into these bad boys ASAP.  

I hope you found this both educational and as interesting as I did! I love reading about all the latest health trends. If you want to read more, I based most of my blog on these articles: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/18/should-go-gluten-free/ and http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Allergies/gluten-free/story?id=17832435

Thanks for reading!

Lauren 

Motivation!

It is amazing what we can do with just a little motivation.

I have been struggling ever since the holidays to get back on track with my eating habits. So this week, I made myself a deal. If I eat right everyday, Monday through Friday, Friday and Saturday nights I could have ice cream. Not just any ice cream either, but my addiction, Blue Bell pints. Sounds simple, right? Well let me tell you, if it were that simple, I wouldn't need to bribe myself. So, to help me stay on track, I printed myself a little contract, signed it and stuck it on my bathroom mirror. Now, not only did I promise myself to eat right, but I have to see that promise every day. Let me tell you, it worked! Seriously, I'm like a three year old. Every time I caught myself thinking "oh, just a little bit won't be that bad" I would just look at that contract and remind myself that my reward would be way sweeter(literally!) than what I wanted in the moment.

It's so basic and yet, I think I'm going to start making deals like this with myself on a weekly basis. New goals every week, switch up the rewards a little bit, it should take me a while to get bored with the system. Although, a pint of Blue Bell is totally worth it, and yes, I do plan to eat an entire pint each night!

Hopefully reading this motivated you in some way! No matter what you're working towards, finding what motivates you makes the whole thing seem simple!

Until next time,
Lauren

Chalkboard Paint Adventure, Part 1!

I told myself I was going to be productive tonight...and yes, I am counting blogging as being productive : P

This past weekend I embarked on what I consider to be a very big adventure: painting in my apartment. Yep, you read that right! Per my lease I am allowed to paint whatever I want, so long as I paint it back to white before I move out. It seems the latest craze in painting is Chalkboard Paint. Basically, you paint your surface with this mixture and it becomes a chalkboard. The possibilities with this are seemingly endless! I have seen so many crafts on Pinterest involving chalkboard paint that I finally decided to jump on the band wagon.

What I really want to do is paint the wall in my entryway to be a gigantic chalkboard. However I actually thought things through for once and decided it would be smart to do a trial run first. Luckily for me I have this small little patch of wall in my room that is the perfect place to turn into a chalkboard/picture area. So, my next step was to gather my supplies! Now friends, the recipe for chalkboard paint appears to be pretty cheap, but don't be fooled! I think I ended up spending about $35 on supplies once I added in things like a paint roller, drop cloth, etc. However, it does make a lot of paint! So, my suggestion would be to pick a big project, like my wall, or to do a bunch of small projects all at once.

All in all the process was really easy. I taped off my area with painters tape, mixed my paint and painted two coats. The longest part was waiting the hour in-between each coat! Once everything was dry, I was a little unsure that I had mixed correctly because honestly, the area just looked like I had applied black paint. But thankfully, a little chalk quickly proved me wrong!  

Now that I know what I'm doing, I'm ready to tackle the entryway! Sadly, this project will not be done in a day like the small one was. Probably going to be working on it for a while...

 

As always, thanks for reading! 

Lauren

Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Yesterday we established that I love food. Don't worry, nothing has changed. As anyone who loves food can understand, I hate to waste food. Last week, my roommate threw out perfectly good bananas and it took everything in me not to fish them out of the trash. I mean, they were still in their peels... I should clarify. By perfectly good, I mean perfectly ripe for making banana bread! I can understand that they were too ripe to eat, but making bread is half the reason I buy bananas! So this week when I noticed her current batch of bananas quickly ripening, I asked her for them! Luckily for me, she didn't think twice before handing them over. Now, since I'm trying to be healthy, I knew a typical banana bread recipe wouldn't work for me. I set to searching and found the basis for my recipe here. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with this recipe, I wanted to make it my own, and customize it to my dietary wants. 

For instance, I substituted the oil for applesauce and the whole eggs for egg whites to cut out fats. In my recipe, each mini loaf has a total of 2 grams of fat. Not too shabby if you ask me! I also substituted half of the honey for sugar-free imitation honey. I really like this recipe because it doesn't call for any extra sugar, but bananas are at the top of the list for sugar in fruits, so I didn't mind the honey swap. I'm a little sad to say that I got so into what I was doing that I forgot to swap a 1/4 cup of the flour for flax. Flax is full of Omega-3's (a heart-healthy fat) and great to sneak into your baked goods! I guess there is always next time. Another great thing about banana bread is that it is easily customize-able! You could definitely add in some chopped pecans or walnuts or maybe throw in some blueberries (although I would cut out more of the honey due to the sugar in the berries)! I think next time I may go with some walnuts. 

The following is my version of Honey Whole Wheat Banana Bread. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

What you'll need:

1/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened applesauce but you could also use oil)

1/2 cup honey (I used 1/4 cup regular honey and 1/4 cup imitation honey, which is sugar-free)

4 egg whites (or you could use 2 whole eggs)

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed (or just another 1/4 cup whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup hot water

Optional: Chopped nuts, other fruits...

Step 1

Pre-heat your oven to 325F and grease your baking dish of choice. I used a 4 loaf, mini loaf pan.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat applesauce and honey together. Add eggs and beat well.

Step 3 

Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in the salt and half the cinnamon. Lastly, stir in the flour, until just combined.

Step 4 

Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter. Spread batter into the greased baking vessel.

Step 5

Sprinkle top with remaining cinnamon and swirl with a knife or toothpick to create and marbled effect.

Step 6

Bake for 50-65 minutes depending on your baking dish. Check bread for doneness and let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

I would love to know if anyone tried my recipe! Please share with me if you do :)

Until next time,

Lauren