Whew!!

 Well I have already had quite the productive day, and I haven't even gone to work yet!

  One of the areas of my life that I am blessed is that fact that I don't actually start work until 1pm on Wednesdays. I love having this morning off to run errands or get things done around the house. Wednesday is also one of my "run days". (Ryan and I are currently working our way through the Couch 2 5K program). Needless to say, there is no sleeping in for me even on mornings off. So I got up this morning and for breakfast made turkey sausage omelettes.


Turkey Sausage Omelette:
3tbsp liquid egg whites
1 turkey sausage patty, diced
1tbsp fat free shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp homemade tomato salsa

 After breakfast it's time to get Ryan off to work! A few minutes later I am back at the house and head straight downstairs and hop on the elliptical. I'm into week 6 now of the Couch 2 5K program and it's definitely more of a challenge, but one that I'm still enjoying. I find that the mornings I dread running the most are the also the days that I feel most rewarded once I complete the run. I was definitely not feeling it today, and I am normally really looking forward to my runs. And I definitely felt over minute of today's run, but like I said, that makes finishing it so much more worth it.
 Once I'm done with the run, it's back into the kitchen for this little housewife! Lunch has already been prepared by my wonderful husband, and since I won't be at home for dinner tonight I want to make sure he's got something waiting for him! While it is nice to have to morning off, the turnaround is that I work until 7pm. Also at the same time I am working on a batch of carrot cake cupcakes! (I know, I know, I'm crazy). Now, I have never claimed to be Betty Crocker, but I do use her stuff! Yep! Cake mix right out of the box. In my opinion it's not "how" you do it, it's just that you do it! My one little secret weapon that I have for making cupcakes is this:

 Not only are these little bottles totally cheap, they are great for salad dressing and also cake mixes! Because we are on a diet in our house, I don't like keeping a lot of treats lying around, so this is a great way to store it (I never store it longer than a week as there are raw eggs in it), and make a cupcake or two at a time. Ryan also recently purchased me a mini muffin tin, and so the bottle is also perfect for filling the little spaces without dripping the batter everywhere! Now I must warn, that while I was smart enough to think this up, I was not smart enough to think about that fact that the tip is very narrow and carrot cake mix has little pieces of carrot in it which like to get stuck in there and completely block it up, but a quick snip to the end and we're back in business!
 While the cupcakes are in the oven I start on dinner. (I'm getting tired all over again just listing out everything I do in a day!!) Part of the diet we are on is protein at every meal and portioning everything! So to make it a little easier on ourselves and our busy schedule, at the beginning of the week we create a menu and then cook up and portion off the meat that we'll be using. It's so easy and convenient to be able to grab a portion and go! So tonight for dinner, even though we won't be together, we'll both be having Tex-Mex Turkey!

Tex-Mex Turkey:

4 oz lean ground turkey 

1/4 green bell pepper, diced

1/3 can whole kernal corn (no salt added)

1/3 can black beans (50% less sodium)

1/2 cup homemade tomato salsa

And I've mentioned my homemade salsa a few times, so I guess I should give you the recipe for that too. Now, I want you to keep in mind that I am somewhat of an addict when it comes to salsa, I pretty much put it on or in everything that I make. I'm pretty sure that Ryan has never had so much salsa in his life. But this, my friends, is THE BEST SALSA I've ever had (and so incredibly easy to make)! You can thank me later.

Best Salsa EVER:
1-10oz can Rotel (I use the one with green chilies)
1-14oz can diced tomatoes (or I use fresh ones)
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 tsp honey (this is the magic ingredient!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
handful of cilantro (I would put more if Ryan let me)
juice of 1 lime (I do about half of that since I don't really like a bold lime flavor)
Then just throw all of it in a blender and give it a few really good pulses to bring it all together, and I promise you will not be disappointed.

  Most of the recipes that I give will be one person's portion, because that's how I have them all written out. And I also wanted to let you know that while there will be a cupcake waiting for my husband for when he gets home, this first batch of treats is already promised to the girls that I work with. But I will be reaching out to others on the next batch of treats as I continue my way through the world that is baking, as I really don't like the treats in my house (they will be eaten with a vengeance!) So if you're interested in any homemade goodies, just let me know in the comments below and I'll see what we can do about making it happen!

  Well now that I've given you some of my best secrets, I better jump in the shower and get ready for work! I hope you are all enjoying this as much as I am! Have a great day!