Weight Loss Wonders: Tips and Tricks

A common struggle when making a lifestyle change that requires diet and exercise alteration is, staying the course. I can’t even list the amount of times I’ve been doing great, just to have something happen to sabotage my progress. Whether it be an emotional devastation, time crunch, travel, or family parties– it felt like I was working so hard just to have one or two slip ups that resulted in, seemingly, all my progress being erased. But…  that was flawed thinking. I’ll tell you why.  This is going to be a series of several blog posts that detail how I was able to stay the course and successfully lose 125 pounds naturally in the course of a year. More than that, this first post is going to be about how to get back on track once you’ve fallen off the proverbial wagon.  Look, first things first. No one is perfect 100% all of the time. There will be months of the year that you look and feel the best you’ve ever looked and felt and there will be months where you’ve eate...

Thank you R&R BBQ for this delicious idea!! These BBQ Beef Tacos are my new FAVORITE tacos! They are made easy in the Instant Pot! The BBQ Beef is so flavorful and tender, and it's topped with a mouth watering coleslaw, all held together in a soft corn tortilla. They are to die for! Perfect for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough for a party! Make it with me! This recipe was shared with me by my Grandma B. She made this recipe for my mom all the time and it is one of her favorites. It is definitely a traditional recipe in my family. I hope you enjoy it! I use a rump roast for this recipe because it is a great cut of meat. I try to always grab one that is between 4 and 5 pounds. For Instant Pot cook time, I say to cook for 12 minutes per pound. I always round up too. With this recipe, I wanted to beef to be very tender and shreddable so I cooked it a little longer than usual. The coleslaw on top of the BBQ beef makes these tacos extra yummy! The flavors comp...

This Instant Pot Shredded Sweet Pork recipe is the best sweet pork recipe ever! I have converted the oh so popular "Cafe Rio" Sweet Pork crock pot recipe into an Instant Pot recipe and now I love it even more! The cooking process is so quick and I think it was a better flavor when made in the Instant Pot! The meat is so tender, juicy, and flavorful. This Instant Pot Shredded Sweet Pork is great for tacos, salad, burritos, quesadillas, and so much more! Make it with me! The general rule of thumb for converting crock pot recipes to instant pot recipes is this: 8 hours on low in a crock pot = 60 minutes manual pressure in the instant pot. 4 hours on high in a crock pot = 30 minutes manual pressure in the instant pot. This isn't true for every recipe, but it works as a guide when you are converting all of your classic favorites! This Shredded Sweet Pork is so YUMMY! It has such a great flavor and the whole family loves it! It is made with brown sugar, regula...

I had to put expletive’s in the title of this dish because there’s no other way to describe it. This Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp is Bomb *ss!! What I say when it comes to shrimp should carry a vast amount of weight because I am not a seafood girl. For years I avoided it altogether but when I started to cut fast food out I started branching out and exploring foods I previously thought I didn’t like. What I realized is that there aren’t many foods I truly don’t care for. I can find a method of preparation that allows me to enjoy almost any food! Granted, popcorn shrimp isn’t an easy thing to dislike but take my word. You want to make this shrimp as soon as humanly possible.  Not only is this Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp incredibly delicious but it’s dairy and grain free! That means this shrimp is not only really darn tasty it’s Whole30 compliant and paleo too! The thing that really takes this Popcorn Shrimp over the top is using a homemade Cajun Seasoning blend . You probably alread...

This Homemade Cajun Seasoning is so easy to make! You probably already have all of the ingredients inside of your spice cabinet! Store bought blends can have anti-caking agents, sugar, and MSG. Making seasonings at home is fast, can save you a bundle, and you know everything that goes into them!  This Homemade Cajun Seasoning has just the right amount of kick. I love to use it in my Cajun Goulash and Bomb *ss Popcorn Shrimp ! Use it to season chicken, seafood, or stews!  Homemade Cajun Seasoning 2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons fine ground sea salt 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes Add all of the ingredients to a small mason jar. Place the lid on tightly and shake to combine. Label and store in spice cabinet.  The post Homemade Cajun Seasoning appeared first on Instant L...

Everyone loves 7 Layer Dip, Am I Right? But have you tried it in individual cups!? Goodbye messy scooping and double dippers! Hello perfect appetizer! Their individual serving size makes these perfect for a party. Make it with me! Everything's better when you have your own individual cup of it! I love taking recipes and portioning them out into personalized sizes. This 7 Layer Dip makes such cute dip cups! Everyone loves them because they can have all 7 layers of goodness in their own dipping cup.  Make sure to use clear cups when making this recipe! People eat with their eyes and they love to see what is inside each layer! Individual Seven Layer Dip Cups  Yields 12  1 40 ounce can refried beans  1 packet taco seasoning  4 avocados  1 lime, juiced Dash of Salt  2 cups sour cream 2 cups mayo  2 cups salsa 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1 cup olives, sliced 1 bunch green onio...

One Pot Chicken, Asparagus, & Mushroom Dinner. This is the best dinner recipe and it's super simple to make! Everything is cooked in one pot making for easy cooking and easy clean up! The chicken is so flavorful and delicious! The sauce is a white wine based sauce with lemon, mushrooms, and asparagus. Then, you serve the chicken and sauce over a bed of mashed potatoes! YUM! Make it with me! One Pot Dinners are my favorite! I love how simple they make dinner and the clean up is so easy when you are done! This recipe is ready in 30 minutes or less! It's great as a weeknight dinner, or as a company worthy dish! When making chicken in a skillet, it's easier than you think! The secret is to get the pan and oil heated very hot before you add the chicken. If the chicken doesn't sizzle when you add it to the pan, it's not hot enough. You know that the chicken is cooked on each side when it is easy to flip. If the chicken sticks to the pan, it's no...

Want to make these beautiful Rose Apple Tarts? It's easier than you think! These baked apple rose tarts are made with puff pastry sheets and are a great presentation for a party. I love that they are not overly sweet, allowing the apples to really shine and be the focus. Served with powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, these Rose Apple Tarts are absolutely divine. When I first saw a picture of this apple pastry on Food Network, I thought they were the most beautiful dessert ever. They are little rose apple tarts and a wonderful alternative to traditional apple pie. Of course, I thought they must be extremely hard to make. But I’m so happy I was wrong about that! This recipe is much easier to make than they look! I bought Pepperidge Farm puffed pastries in the freezer section of the grocery store. I have seen them many times but I have never used them for any baking. There is always time for firsts. All you have to do is cut 4 apples in half from top t...

You probably knew somebody who passed away from coronary heart disease or stroke.  Such cardiovascular diseases account for 31% of deaths worldwide – more than anything else – and the frustrating thing is that most of these deaths are preventable by sticking to the fundamental tenets of a healthy lifestyle. To prevent cardiovascular diseases, it’s useful to have tests that identify people who are at high risk of them. And while assessments of health are becoming ever more sophisticated, we simply don’t know much about how to interpret and act on the outputs of many of the novel tests that have emerged recently, as I wrote about briefly in this blog . The truth is that some very crude ways of assessing health (such as self-reported health ) are probably actually much ( much! ) stronger predictors of future health outcomes than are far more costly avant-garde tests. As I’m often on the lookout for new ways of assessing health, I’m always pleased when people identify effective, ...

Hummus is one of my favorite snacks ever. A few years ago, Brady and I found a Sriracha Hummus at Whole Foods. We obsessively bought it for about a year and then it vanished, never to be found again. Frustrated, I started tinkering, like I do, and came up with a kick butt Sriracha Hummus!  I hope you enjoy this hummus as much as our family does! It has a very mild spice and is flavorful without being too full of heat. It’s also kid and Grandma approved!  I started making all of my legumes in my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker a few years ago. Not only does it save me a bundle but it also reduces waste. I make all of my chickpeas in my Instant Pot and I store what I don’t use immediately inside of my freezer. Whenever I need a cup, I just grab a cup out of the freezer, and that’s that!  To make chickpeas inside of your Instant Pot , begin by placing 1 pound of chickpeas inside a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water and let the chickpeas soak for 8 hours or overnight. Rin...