Nummy Pork Chops, Weight Watchers, and Getting Back To Running

Well, the title basically says it all.  My husband has maybe decided to join the Air Force, (more on that later) and so is trying to get into shape so he can meet the physical requirements.  This means a couple of different things for us, including eating healthy, (something I am awful at) and lots of exercise.  

Though, it turns out eating healthy isn't as hard, nor nearly as bad as I would have thought.  For anyone who doesn't know, which is probably most of you reading this blog, we've started using a meal planning program called e-mealz.  If you are interested, you can find the information at www.mealtimemakeover.com.  **Shout out to our friends Donny and Liz here, they introduced us to the program, and it is fabulous**  Anyway, I won't go into all of the details now, but there is a meal plan option that works with the WW points program, and it's working out just peachilly for John and I.  I will share one of the recipes with you from this week that was super easy to make, and really tasty.  And by super easy, I mean really, really easy.  I didn't even mess it up, so anyone else reading this should be in the clear.  

***CROCK POT PORK CHOPS***

Ingredients:

10 Oz. Can of fat free cream of chicken soup

1 Pkg. Onion soup mix

1/2 C. Fat free sour cream

1 Lb. Boneless pork loins (trim all fat)

Directions:

Combine soups and sour cream; coat chops with mixture.  Place chops in crock pot, 

pour remaining soup mixture over the top of chops, and cook on low 7 - 8 hours.

Seriously.  That's it.  I love my crock pot.  Just chuck food in there, let it cook all day, and then - BAM! - dinner.  It's fabulously easy, and these pork chops were so tasty.  The meal plan had a recipe for potatoes to go with it, but we didn't use it, because I don't like gross, mushy boiled potatoes, so I improvised.  Normally that turns out poorly for me... But maybe I'm getting better at cooking, because it actually turned out this time around.  They were pretty good, (if I do say so myself) and not very difficult to make.

***BROILED PARSLEY POTATOES***

Ingredients:

1/2 Lb. Small red potatoes

2 - 3 Tbsp. Olive oil

1/4 C. Fresh parsley, chopped

Salt, pepper, and other seasonings - to taste

Directions:

Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces, toss with parsley.  In large separate bowl, combine 

olive oil and other seasonings.  Add potatoes to olive oil mix, toss/stir until all potatoes are 

coated with mixture.  Lay out on a baking sheet, broil on low for 15 - 20 minutes, or

until potatoes are tender.

Yep, pretty easy little meal.  I think we had the whole thing ready to go in about 30 minutes.  Note on the potatoes - We used a Tupperware container to mix the olive oil and seasonings with, and then added the potatoes and parsley in, closed the lid, and shook it up.  It was a lot easier than trying to stir everything together.   The other spices we used (I think) were marjoram, basil, salt, pepper, fennel, and oregano.  Use your own discretion; whatever smells nice together normally tastes good together, in my experience.  Anyway, they tasted really good with the sauce from the pork chops, and all in all it was a simple, fantastically delicious meal.  On the WW scale, I think the pork chops made four servings at five pts. each serving, and I think the potatoes made four servings as well, and they were something like four pts. each.

Now for the rest of my blog this week - Running!  (Fantastic segue, wasn't it?)

I haven't been running much since before my nose surgery.  The wedding took up around 157% of my time, and I got totally lazy and I haven't run much since.  I am so out of shape at this point, but I discovered this fantastic little tool I've been using called the Couch to 5K running program.  Basically it gives you a running program that builds up to you full on running a 5K.  John and I will probably start today, if the weather clears up a bit, and my goal is to be able to run a 5K at the end of the summer with my dad.  Hopefully I don't cheese out on this one, John and my dad will hopefully keep honest enough to do it.  I've mostly met my weight loss goals, but I need to tone up a little bit - I've got all sorts of flabby, lose bits that you don't want to hear about that I want to tone up.  So, yeah.  Running.  We'll see how that goes.

     

Adventures in cooking... One year later

Well folks, back on my cooking kick.  Maybe sticking with it this time; it's been almost three weeks!  Hahahaha.  I've also gotten back on the writing/letting everyone know what's going on in my life kick, and decided to start the blaaaag back up.  So lets do this.  (Starting out with my most disastrous meal, of course.  Makes for good reading.)

*****BREAKFAST DINNER PIZZA*****

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz prepared pizza crust
2 oz pkg bacon pieces 
1/2 lrg tomato, sliced thin
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded 
1 lrg egg 
1 c milk 
1/8 t basil 


DIRECTIONS:
Place pizza crist on pizza pan.  Layer bacon, tomato, then cheese on a crust.  
Whisk egg, milk, basil.  Drizzle evenly over pizza.  Bake at 425, 25 min, or until egg mixture is completely set.

I know what you're saying, and trust me. There is PLENTY to mess up here, and I messed it up royally. First off, if you are going to make this, please remember to use an uncooked crust. Obvious, maybe, but hind sight is 20/20, and maybe if I hadn't pointed it out you would have made the same mistake. I guess we'll never know. Anyway, even if you get one that's pre-made from the store... If you cook an already cooked crust at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, you will burn it. Just so you are aware.

Secondly, use a pizza pan. This probably would have been more obvious to me had I thought about getting an uncooked pizza crust... But I figured if it was already cooked, why would I need a pizza pan? Well, this is why, ladies and gentlemen - eggs run. A lot. Especially when you put them on a flat, already cooked pizza crust, in an apparently tilted oven/kitchen. Given my apartment complex, I wouldn't be surprised if it was truthfully the kitchen. (John has already discovered that the bathroom, at very least, is tilted... Ask me about it if you want the details.) Anyway, back to the point. Eggs will run all over the place, even more so when they're mixed up with milk. I still have not cleaned the milk/egg mix off the bottom of the oven completely, and am reminded of my epic failure every time I turn the oven on to cook anything. A lesson I will not soon forget, let me tell you.

John thought the very middle was really good, given that it was the least burned area of the crust, but I suspect he was just sparing my feelings. He was a good sport, and ate it anyway, which I only did out of principle... I was still denying at this point any wrong doing or mishap on my part, and trying desperately to blame the recipe/tilted kitchen/physics/acts of God for my destroyed pizza. But I have come to terms, and there it is.

TL;DR - Please remember, when cooking pizzas that have raw eggs on them and will need to cook longer than 5-10 minutes, use an uncooked pizza crust. Also, strongly consider using a pizza pan for the dough, and giving it an actual crust. I can't actually rate this recipe, as I obviously ruined it, but if I come across it again, I will let you know.