Cauliflower Crust Pizza

So last night I tried something new! Cauliflower pizza!!

I have to say, it shows promise.

I tried this recipe that I found on Pinterest.

It turned out pretty well but there are a few things I will be doing differently next time. But before I get ahead of myself, let's start and step one.

First, I had to 'rice' a cup of cauliflower, which means to grate it (or chop it) very finely and cook it in the microwave till it is extremely soft.

I realized after I cooked my cup of cauliflower, that I was supposed to measure a cup of cooked cauliflower. My cup cooked down to less than half a cup, so I started grating once again!!

Of course, there were the inevitable sacrifices.

I don't think I ever use my grater without scraping myself up a bit in the process.

Then I mixed my cup of cooked, riced cauliflower with one cup of cheese and one egg. It didn't look very appealing, but I soldiered on! I held out hope!!

Then I pressed in out onto a oiled pizza pan.

Then I placed in a preheated oven and baked at 450* for ten minutes. The recipe said to bake for fifteen but I was glad I checked after ten cause it was already getting quite burned. Next time my plan is to try 375*.

Then I topped with sauce, Italian sausage, peppers, and mozzarella cheese. Then I placed it back in the oven on broil until everything was good and melted.

It got a little more burned under the broiler. But it was only on the outer edges, not the bottom.

See??

But it did stick to the pan a lot more than I expected it to. I used olive oil so I really didn't see that one coming. But maybe it was due to the high heat. I will definitely be trying again at a lower heat.

The taste was fantastic!! I couldn't taste cauliflower at all! I love cauliflower but even I thought cauliflower on pizza would be way weird!! But it was really good. It didn't taste like pizza crust but it was still really tasty! I finished the whole thing by myself.



Ever tried cauliflower crust pizza?? What is something new you have tried lately?? 

Crazy legs

Okay so I did this workout last weekend and all I can say is ouch.....

It was rough.

I did 15 reps of each exercise (15 on each side when applicable) and did each pair of exercises twice before moving on.

I think next time I will do 15 reps of each exercise and then do the whole workout for two rounds.


So anyway, if you don't want to be able to walk for a few days, give this a try

Be sure to warm up with active stretches (anything that gets blood pumping and your muscles warm).
Then do stationary stretching to cool down.

Trying my Hardest

I really like working out with other people. I know I push myself harder with others around, especially if they are able to do more than me. The company makes the time go by faster and for me, it helps take my mind off of the fact that my muscles fell like jello and I may in fact drop this dumbbell right on my face (skull crushers kill my arms!!).

But not all workout partners provide this kind of company. I have recently learned that there are certain people I should not work out with.

Not everyone is encouraging. Not everyone is motivating. And some people just don't understand that even if they think they are helping you by telling you everything that you are doing 'wrong' that they are really just giving you one more reason to walk out  the gym doors and not come back in. As if I needed any more reasons......

There are 1000 ways to skin a cat and there are a million different ways to work out. Sure, some are better than others, but they are all better than sitting on the couch eating potato chips.

The bottom line is, I have gone from a size 18 to a size 8. I got my first gym membership at 15 years old (with my mom's signature), and I have gone from 250+lbs to 169lbs. I know how to workout. And I know what works for my body.

I don't want to be able to bench press a truck, I don't care how much I can lift. I just want to get a good sweat, feel my muscles working, and feel sore in the morning. That is what works for me.

I just think everyone who steps into a gym should respect the fact that every body is different and everyone is at different points on their fitness journey. And believe it or not, not everyone has the same goals that you do. I work DIFFERENTLY to achieve DIFFERENT goals. Not better, not worse, just DIFFERENT.

Just because I am not trying YOUR hardest does not mean I am not trying MY hardest.

Please excuse the curse word, but this says it all!!

Please don't tell me I can lift more. Please don't tell me to do my push-ups faster. Please do not call me a wimp. Please don't look disappointed when I finish my reps. Please don't scoff when I ask for a lighter weight. Please don't make me feel like I am not pushing myself.

I understand this kind of 'encouragement' may work for some people (especially guys), but when I tell you repeatedly that it does not help me, respect that.

Be encouraging. Be positive. Be supportive.

So if anyone reading this works out with a partner, take time to ask them what motivates them. Tell them what motivates you. And then, just do that. A great workout partner is like gold!! But what makes a workout partner 'great' will be different for different people. Make sure you know how to be one.


What do you need from a workout partner??

Mean Green

You may not think it based on all of the cakes I love to make so much, but I actually try very hard to be live a healthy lifestyle. And let's just be honest, no sugar canNOT be healthy. I just won't believe it.

So I do only enjoy it in small amounts and infrequently.

I recently watched a documentary called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. In it, a man does nothing but drink juiced fruits and vegetables for 60 days. It was his last hope to get rid of his extra weight and a disease that had him on numerous prescriptions.

I was so shocked by his results that I tried my own juice fast.

You see, I was significantly overweight for most of my childhood. I never weighed myself but I know that in the eighth grade I wore a woman's size 18. That's too big for a Jr. High School student. But since high school I have done very well to maintain balance in my diet and engage in an active lifestyle. On my wedding day I wore a size eight dress.

But I do still have a few pounds here and there that have been EXTREMELY stubborn!! At one point in time I did a Daniel Fast for 30 days (fruits, veggies, and nuts ONLY) while running a mile at least three times a week and did not loose a pound. So I knew in order to shed these last few I would have to do something dramatic.

After watching this documentary, I decided to give it a try. I got me a juicer and a cart full of fruits and veggies. I stayed on it for 10 days and lost 10 pounds. (Praise the LORD!!)

Many people told me that this was unhealthy, but I have NEVER felt so good on a diet in my life. I had so much more energy and even saw improvement in many other areas that I didn't even think would be effected. I was never hungry. In fact I had to start making smaller juices because I had trouble finishing them!!

I went off of the fast and jumped back to my old eating habits. Not that I have terrible eating habits, but I do love meat and dairy products. And a weak spot for breads too. But I didn't gain anything back! In fact I have eaten normally for about a month now and no gain!!

I AM SOLD!!

Now I have a wedding to be in at the end of the week, so I thought I would start it up again for the next five days.



Here is my favorite.....

I call it Mean Green Juice.....

It is

2 Stalks of celery
1/2 a cucumber
2 bunches of Kale
1 or 2 apples (depending on size)
And sometimes a few green grapes or half a pear.


It is a lot better than it looks. The flavor of the fruit overpowers the veggies.


And seeing a lower number on the scale EVERY DAY makes it super easy to stick with.

Let me know what you think if you try it!!=)

*UPDATE*

Well I have juiced for the last four days. I have not been very strict about it. There were a couple birthday parties this week and a bridal shower and I live by the 'when in Rome' rule of dieting. When I am at these celebrations, I allow myself to indulge in small quantities of the yummies. So almost every day I had something a little extra: pizza, cake and punch, but in small quantities. I also have not been doing my regular exercises.

I still have lost four pounds. =)

If you are looking for a healthy way to loose weight, there is nothing that I would recommend more strongly. I have tried every weight lose scam under the sun. Nothing beats adding fruits and veggies (in large quantities) and cutting back on everything else. And since it is not realistic to think that I would gnaw on celery all day (love celery juice, hate celery), what better way to eat them than to drown out their flavor with some apples and grapes!!=)

I hope you give it a try and let me know how it works for you!!