An Old Favorite Recipe, With A Deliciously Healthy Twist!

I am in love with Shepperd's Pie.
It gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling every time sink my teeth into a fork full of this yummy comfort food! Yes, food has the ability to give me warm and fuzzy feelings, and that's never going to change.

I. Love. Food.

And in order for me to be successful on this journey to lose weight, and become healthier, I need to embrace that. I can't, and will not break up with delicious food, and I will
never stop loving the food I eat.

I hadn't had Shepperd's Pie since January, before I started this Deliciously Healthy Journey of mine (on a side note: Gosh I've grown so much since then!). Why hadn't I had my beloved Shepperd's Pie? Well, let's start with the fact that the potato layer had 1 stick of butter, and 1 cup of cream. Yes, straight up cream. On top of that, I would have veggies mixed in with greasy ground beef. On top of that went biscuit batter topped with 3/4 of a stick of melted butter. Yes, more butter. I had gotten the recipe from Paula Deen. You know how she loves her butter!

So, I had shied away from Shepperd's Pie.
Why? I freakin LOVE it!

As I said before, I will never stop loving food, and there is no reason I can't have Shepperd's Pie while on a diet. All I have to do, is make a few healthy tweaks. Sure, it's probably not the healthiest recipe I could make, but it's almost half the calories as the original, and I'm getting to enjoy something I LOVE while being on a diet.
And that folks, is priceless.

I wasn't sure if it was going to come out the same, but it is seriously DELISH! It tasted just like the recipe I used to make, with all the butter and cream! My husband, and our house guest LOVED it as well!

Deliciously Healthy Shepperd's Pie:

This is what you need:

• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 stick of smart balance butter blend or 1/2 cup regular smart balance
  
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
• salt and black pepper
• 8 to 10 medium red potatoes
• 2 cups low fat milk. Divided
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• 2 cups of instant biscuit mix
  
• 2 cups mixed vegetables

This is what you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ground Turkey Layer:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chopped onion, and ground turkey. When the turkey is cooked, add the veggies, and turn to low heat. Cover with a lid for about 5 min, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Potato Layer:

Slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mash potatoes with 1/2 cup heated milk, 1 stick smart balance butter blend, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix until it's the consistency you like.

Biscuit Layer:

Combine biscuit mix and 1 1/2 cups of milk. The mix should be thinner than that of normal biscuit mix but not runny.

Spray a 9 by 9 by 2-inch pan (or any similar casserole dish) with cooking spray. Layer mashed potatoes halfway up the sides of the dish. Next, spread a layer of turkey and mixed veggies on top of the potatoes. Then pour the biscuit batter over the turkey/veggies. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Here's what I'm thinking:

• Serves 10 and the servings are nice and big!
• Calories per serving: 425

Enjoy!

(this is less then a serving!)

It's really good with ketchup!

Besides looking a tad evil! ;D

Psst...
I posted my recipe on Smart Balance.com.
I would appreciate your vote to all those who try this yummy recipe!
Rate it HERE
Thanks!

Miss Busy Bee. Plus, I Totally Broke Up With Diet Dr. Pepper

My blogging days are Mondays and Thursdays... but these past couple days have just been too busy for me to get around to writing a post...

We're having a good friend stay with us for a couple months. We've been expecting his arrival for about a month now, and we're excited to have him here.

On Sunday, we were asked if the missionaries could live with us for a few months. You know, the young men who ride around on their bikes in a suit and tie. They've probably knocked on your door once or twice :) It's been a neat experience having them here. I have a hole new appreciation for LDS missionaries. Here are two young men who take a huge leap of faith to go on a mission, far away from their home, in an all new state or country. They dedicate themselves for the next 2 years to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. It really amazes me...
but it was a lot of work getting ready for them. I had to clear out my craft (junk) room!

I've been doing really well on the diet front!

And guess who hasn't had a single drop of Diet Dr. Pepper since Monday?
That's right, me! Here's proof.This has been in my fridge all week,
without being touched!
Wait a second. Why the heck is it even still in my fridge?
Bye. Bye.I know. I know. I'm awesome.
Stop, you're making me blush! ;D

What did I replace it with? "Fancy water", as Tina suggested.
What do you know, it worked!

And THANK YOU for all your AWESOME tips!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
I'll have a real post on Monday. Psst, it's a yummy recipe!

ADDICTED- Diet Dr. Pepper

I've been doing pretty well on the diet front these past few days. (Yay me!) Today's weigh in had me down 1 pound, putting me back at 167. It would have been nice to finally be past 167, but at least I lost the weight I had put on during my diet funk.
Brittany does in fact have her groove back...

With one small exception....

This week, I've been having a full on love affair with the Doctor.
Diet Dr. Pepper that is...
I know, it's bad. It's unhealthy, and it's a forbidden love.
But what can I say?
"I'm A Pepper"I always have been...
It's just so darn good!

But this seriously has to stop.
I've had more diet Dr. Pepper this week then I'd like to admit.

I need an intervention.

Any words of advice?
Do you have a guilty diet pleasure?

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been in a little bit of a diet funk since Monday.

Monday night I was tired, lazy and in pain (thank you for all your comments!). Fast food seemed to be the answer to all those problems (food comforts me when I'm in pain. But that's a post for another day...). I had fast food that night for diner, and junk food for dessert. Those poor diet decisions leaked into the next few days, and sent me into my little diet funk.
I hate those...

I asked myself what advice I would give to someone who was in my situation?

It would be to set goals, and to think of what you
enjoy doing in this weight loss journey, and focus on doing more of that.

For some that might be going to the gym and working up a sweat, running, etc...

mine is to
transform unhealthy food, into deliciously healthy food.
It's to be creative in the kitchen, experiment, and to have fun with my food, all while being healthy and losing weight!
It's a fun challenge for me.

So that's just what I did!

Have you tried these coconut M&M's? They're good all by themselves (for only 210 cal.), but they're delish inside a cookie! My husband, the cookie monster, can second that. He loved (devoured) them!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies:

This is what you need:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened (I used smart balance butter blend)
  
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 bags coconut M&M's, coarsely chopped (I didn't chop mine, but I would recommend it. That way you have little chocolaty coconut bits in every bite!)
  

This is what you do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• In a large bowl, mash together the butter and sugars with a fork until well combined. Add the oil and egg and beat until creamy. Mix in the vanilla.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the M&M's and mix well. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

To help myself not overindulge, I baked 6 cookies, and froze the rest.

Here's what I'm thinking:

• Makes 1 1/2 dozen
• Serving size: 1 cookie
• Calories per serving: 140
  

Enjoy!

I've also set a couple goals for myself (I'm still thinking of more):

#1. is to get my butt exercising again! I'm going to start back up my daily and nightly walks, starting TODAY! I'm also going to get back to the gym. My plan is to go 3 times a week.

#2. is to lose 3 pounds by the end of August (1 1/2 weeks). That would put me 165 (I've gained a pound since Mon.), which is 1 pound past my 40 pound mark! I'm DETERMINED to reach that goal by the end of August!

As it turns out, I give pretty good advice ;) as this was just what I needed!

Watch out world, cause Brittany's got her groove back!

Ouch!

I had a dentist appointment today, and my mouth hurts.

I'm having cramps...hopefully TOM is coming, since it was MIA the month of July.

I have a headache.

And this mornings weigh in had me at 167 for a 0 pound loss, yet again this week. Ouch!

That's all I've got for today folks.
Sorry for the painful post ;)

A nap and some medicine will do me some good.
I'm gonna go do that right now :)

A New Dress For my Anniversary

Thursday was Our 5th wedding anniversary.

I thought a new dress was in order for this special occasion.
I had visions of a black dress, since I've never owned a little black dress (and I've heard it's a must have:)
I went to the store, found one I liked, tried it on, and it fit. Not only did it fit, but I liked the way I looked and felt in it.
It was as simple as that.39 pounds ago, I would have had to go to multiple stores, and would have cried in multiple fitting rooms. I would have walked out of the store, sad, fat, and empty handed. For the rest of the night I would have thought about how much weight I had gained since our wedding day (as I've done on all 4 of our previous anniversaries), instead of enjoying the night with my husband, and celebrating our marriage.

Not this anniversary. This anniversary I felt beautiful all night long (as my husband kept telling me so), and I thought about what really matters....How much I LOVE my life with my husband, and how far we've come since getting married at 18 and 19, 5 years ago!

I Need Me Some Iron!

Last week I had a good old doctors appointment. At my previous appointment I had mentioned to my doc, that I was pretty tired all the time. If you hung out with me in person, you would see that I yawn like every 5 minutes. Any who, so he did some blood work, and called me back in, to have a chat with him. He said that your "iron levels can range from anywhere between 20 and 250, and mine are at like, 22." I don't know if he was using those numbers as an example, or if that's really what it is, but he told be I was borderline anemic. Figures. Now I have lupus, PCOS, low thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, blood clotting, and "borderline anemia".
Sweet.

Since I'm pretty tired of being tired (hehe) all the time, I'm excited to take action, and get those iron levels up! My doctor told me to take an iron supplement, and to eat more
iron rich foods:

• Clams (eww)
• Pork Liver (eww)
  
• Oysters (eww)
  
• Chicken Liver (eww)
• Mussles (eww)
• Beef Liver (eww)
• Beef (not a big fan)
  
• Shrimp (eh)
  
• Sardines (eww)
• Turkey (finally something I can eat!)
  
• Cooked beans
  
• Lentils
  
• Spinach (so that's why Popeye eats it!;)
  
• Almonds
  
• Dark green leafy vegetables
  
• Dried fruit
  
• Iron-enriched cereals (eh)
  
• Chickpeas
  
• Soybeans
  
• Artichokes
  
• Broccoli (dang!)

In an effort to eat all my iron ;) I'm trying to incorporate more of these foods into my diet. Except the ones that have "eww" next to them. Those foods go against my deliciously healthy beliefs (not that there's anything wrong with them. They just don't get along with my taste buds, and that's a must for me;).

My friend told me about a yummy recipe she got from the Cancer Project, that I had to try! It seemed like an iron rich recipe, so tonight I gave it a go!

Easy 3 Bean Salad:It was delish! Plus it was very quick and easy to make!
And you know how I love that ;)

Aside from being deliciously healthy, it's really quite pretty, wouldn't you say?

Here's what you need:

• light Italian salad dressing
• 1-2 10 ounce bags of spinach
  
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked peas
• 1 10-ounce package frozen lima beans, thawed. or 1 1/2 cups cooked lima beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked green soybeans (shelled edamame)
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed, or chilled cooked fresh corn.
  
• 1 large diced red bell pepper
  
• 1/2 medium diced red onion
  
• salt and pepper to taste

This is what you do:

• In a bowl, mix kidney beans and next 7 ingredients.
• Serve 1 cup of bean mixture onto individual beds of spinach.
• Drizzle Italian dressing over top.

Here's what I'm thinking:

• Serving size: 10
• Calories per serving: 210

Love it!

***

Today's weigh in had me at 167. That's a 0 pound loss this week. Of course my body is going to play games with me, and stop 1 pound short of me losing 40 pounds! Just to drive me crazy of course. Hopefully next week I can say that I'm 40 pounds lighter!

Rewarding Myself (Homemade face mask/scrub and a treat!)

Lately I feel like I've been on a roll!
It dawned on me the other day, that
I'm actually doing this!

I feel so good inside, and I'm really quite proud of myself!
I'm taking care of myself for the first time in like...EVER!!

Last night I decided I wanted to reward myself, by doing something fun, and pampering myself!

What did I do?
I made a homemade face scrub and mask!

Honey Almond Face Scrub:4 tsp milk
4 tsp honey
4 tbsp ground almonds
mix and apply (makes 4)

Oatmeal Face Mask/Scrub:4 Tbsp. ground oatmeal (not instant)
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
8 tsp. yogurt
Mix and apply (makes 4)
*This can be a scrub or a mask! (I used it as a mask)It was fun to make, and my skin felt so soft after!
Like seriously soft :D

Today I wanted to reward myself by making a
deliciously healthy treat for me and the hubs.
(I heart baking)

I made the hubs' favorite dessert, with a chocolate twist on it this time! (Because I also heart chocolate.)
Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cupcakes!I did the same recipe as before, only this time I used chocolate cake mix instead of white!It's oh so good!!
And only 220 calories!

It felt good to take a little time out to reward myself, and give myself a little high 5!
I have almost lost 40 pounds you know ;)
(I can't wait to take the "almost" out of that sentence! I'm gettin' there:)

Tomorrow I'm going to announce the GIVEAWAY winner on the original giveaway post!
You can still enter until midnight tonight!
Be sure to check it out tomorrow to see if you won!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! ;D

100% Random

I like crossing my legs. It's something I couldn't do when I was 206.
It's a sweet little victory for me each and every time, and I'm reminded of how far I've come!

Last night I had a dream that some little kid was throwing rocks at me. Every rock would hit one of my joints, and I was annoyed at how good the kids aim was. When I woke up my joints were killing me! Now the dream makes sense, lol. I think I'm going to have to get my remicade infusion every month, instead of every two months... nerds.

This mornings weigh in had me at 167 for a 2 pound loss this week!

Where the heck is TOM?! I thought it was coming, but it must have taken a wrong turn somewhere...

I was awarded the versatile blog award again. This time by Deb and Kelly. Thank you ladies!!

I'm LOVIN' these ring pops!! They're seriously the perfect snack!
Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win them!

I have baby fever like no ones business! It comes in waves... and I'm in the middle of a huge title wave!

That's about it. I hope you survived the trip into my head. If you're a little dizzy or disoriented, don't worry, it should pass within the next few minutes
(If symptoms last longer, seek medical help. Deliciously Healthy is not responsible for any long term effects;)

Thank you. Come again.
(Channeling Apu from The Simpsons)