I get a lot of emails for products to try and promote on my blog.  Something when I first started out thought would never happen in a million years.  I take each email seriously, and think if its someting I actually want to try or promote.

I get on average about 30 emails regarding the blog each day – sometimes it can be overwhelming to keep up with my family, cooking and a full time job.  So much so that it took this company two emails to see if I was interested in trying their product.

Lauren’s Hope is a medical i.d. bracelet company, but unlike anything I’d ever seen.  I already have a Road I.D. for when I exercise outside, but its got a velcro tab and isn’t very fashionable to wear on a normal basis.  Barb from the company asked if I wanted to try out a bracelet, and after seeing some of their products I jumped at the chance.

She sent me one of their most popular bracelets (this one retails for $59!).  I love it!

I love that its black, because it goes with just about anything.  Best part is the medical i.d. part stays on the underside of my wrist, so it really does just look like a fashion bracelet from the outside.

While I wish I had the $$ to do a giveaway, the company has agreed to give My Bizzy Kitchen readers a 10% discount if you put “BIZZY” in the discount code during check out.  If you know of someone who has a medical condition, it would make a great holiday gift – they even do men’s bracelets and kids bracelets!  Thanks again Barb for my bracelet – I’ve worn it every day since I got it! 😀

I have to say that I am getting a bit tired of my egg breakfasts and every time I see french toast or waffles my mouth starts to water!  I thought “I’ll make my crustless quiche!”  Until I realized, um, no dairy!  Well, I made an almost Paleo version (I snuck in 1 ounce of shredded mozzarella!)

Makes 4 servings – each one is 170 calories, 8.2 fat

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup egg whites
  • 1.5 cups chopped spinach
  • 2 ounces turkey kielbasa
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 ounce shredded mozzarella
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • paprika sprinled over the top

Heat the oven to 425.  Lay the spinach and the kielbasa in your pie pan.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together except paprika, pour over spinach and kielbasa, then sprinkle with paprika and bake for 35-45 minutes or until browned.  I threw this in the oven before I started exercising, so it went the full 45 minutes – almost too far, but delicious.

It was still warm by the time I made it to work, so I just cut myself a piece and had some kiwi on the side.  Breakfast comes in at 263 calories, 9 fat, 24 carbs, 5 fiber and 20 protein, or 6 WW points.

My store had pork stew meat on sale, so I decided to make another version of pumpkin chili using pork stew meat, ground beef and Italian sausage (can you tell I cleaned out some stuff from my freezer??!!)

I based the recipe off of this one, but of course, made my changes.  They had an avocado cream on theirs too that I skipped.

FortheChili – makes six, 1.5 cup servings:  366 calories, 20 at, 22 carbs, 6.8 fiber and 26 protein – or 9 WW points.

2 lbs ground beef (mine was a 1.5 combo of pork stew, ground beef and Italian sausage)
1 large yellow onion, diced (nope)
6 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 sugar pumpkin, diced (about 3 cups) or 1 ½ c canned pumpkin (I use one 15 ounce can of pumpkin)
1 (28 oz) can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (7 oz) can diced, roasted green chilies (left out because I didn’t have)
1 c chicken or beef stock (I used beef stock)
S&P

ChiliSpiceMixture

2 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1 T paprika
2 t salt
2 t coriander
2 t cinnamon
2 t cocoa powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne

I put all the meat in a large stock pot and cooked just until no longer pink.  I drained the fat, and then added the rest of the ingredients to the pot, stirred and let simmer on low for 60 minutes.

I served my 1.5 cup over steamed broccoli and added sliced jalapeno peppers to the bowl.  Lunch comes in at 397 calories, 20 fat, 28 carbs, 9.2 fiber and 29 protein, or 10 WW points.

OMG, this was so filling!  I made the mistake of adding tomato paste to this recipe and it made it REALLY tomatoey, so I left it out of the recipe above, still delicious though. 😀

It was 62 degrees yesterday so even though I got my strength training and cardio in yesterday morning, it was just too nice not to take a walk.  I ended up taking a brisk 50 minute walk – such a nice break to get away from my desk.  Some of the leaves are still hanging on!

I had planned pork chops and cauliflower gratin for dinner, and try as I might, I just couldn’t figure out how to Paleo a gratin without milk or any dairy.  So I didn’t! 😀

Makes Four, One Cup Servings:  120 calories, 3.7 fat, 15 carbsw, 2.5 fiber and 6.5 protein, or 3 WW Points.

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 1/8 cup flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 ounces fat free cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs tossed with 1 teaspoon melted butter for the topping
  • salt and pepper to taste

I just tossed my cauliflower head in the microwave and put “fresh vegetable.”  Then I melted the 1 tsp. of butter and tossed it with panko bread crumbs.  In a large pan I melted the butter, added the flour and cooked for 1 minute.  Slowly I added the heavy cream to make a thick sauce, and at the end added the cream cheese and stirred until the cream cheese melted.

Once the cauliflower was cool enough to touch, I chopped it up, tossed it with the cream mixture, then topped the casserole with the buttered panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Just a couple minutes under the broiler to toast the top.  Tony declared this delicious!

I lightly breaded our chops with 2 tablespoons of panko bread crumbs, about a teaspoon of flour and egg whites – first dip in flour, then egg white, then bread crumbs.  I cooked it in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat – I cook for about 3 minutes a side, then put a lid on and take it off the heat until dinner was ready to plate.

It’s okay to eat your pork pink! 😀  This was perfectly cooked – tender and juicy.

Dinner comes in at 510 claories, 21 fat, 36 carbs, 2.9 fiber and 40 protein, or 12 WW points.

Stats for the Day

  • 1344 calories (includes pistachios eaten while watching t.v.)
  • 57 fat, 118 carbs, 21 fiber and 45 protein
  • 34 WW points
  • 15 minute strength training, 20 minutes hard cardio, 50 minute walk
  • average blood sugar 144

Off to get ready for work – hope you have a great day! 😀