Injuries, farmers market, and NSVs

Ok everyone, I've had my first sports-related-injury since I began this journey in March...

It's pretty serious, but I want you to know that I have been carrying on with my workouts even with this debilitating injury.

The picture of this gruesome injury is not for the faint of heart.  If the sight of blog makes you weak, turn away now.

Here it is...

I know! How did I push on!?! And how did this horrendous injury occur?

I was doing my 300s and managed to slice into that figure with my own fingernail, from the other hand, while doing jumping jacks. Who manages that one?


All kidding aside, I had a great day today. My mom helped me take the kiddos to the farmer's market. We walked and walked and come away with a ton of goodies!

We got about 2-3 hours of walking in and, after the kiddos napped, we went down to walk some more at a car show.

I think my Non-Scale Victories for the week would be:
1) Persevering with an injury - kidding, kidding....
2) Planning my day around ways to get some activity in. I loved walking all day today!
3) Even my new workout clothes are getting big - ahhhh!! :)
4) My health is at the forefront of my mind, I think about it all day, and I'm trying to figure out how to harness my excitement and help others find the fun in fitness.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Introducing: Tips and Tricks Tuesday

Ok, guys. I'm about to enter a totally foreign territory for me...

I'm thinking about starting a Linky Party on Tuesdays, specifically for everyone to share tips and tricks AND for people to link up looking for advice. I think it would be great to get this all in one place.

I know when I was looking for advice on fitness trackers and food scales (still am, but the way), it would have been great to have a place to put it out there right in front of people so they could weigh-in. (Oh the corny pun jokes I could make.)

It would also be a great place for others to share tips and tricks they have. Post a new recipe or workout, share a new product you found, or spread some inspiration and motivation.

I'd love to get an idea of how many of you would find this useful and join in the party - asking for advice, or sharing your own bits of genius. I'll grab the free, boring text version of inlinks first, but if y'all show some interest I'll spring for the pretty thumbnails!

I think it would also be helpful to feature the most clicked links for the week, so we can see what everyone is struggling with or what kinds of tips and tricks others are looking for.

Whatdya think?

Buddies and Goals

I was so lucky the last two days to have a workout buddy! That is the biggest thing missing from my plan right now. The eating has been good and I get a little bit of exercise with walks with the kiddos, but I need to get a little more hardcore with the exercise.

I did so well with this is grad school and I got in the best shape of my life. I had so many supportive women around me all in one place. I went to kickboxing with a few, early morning spin with another, and Core Circuit (my favorite) with the more hard-core of the bunch. It was so much fun and incredibly motivating.

I've tried to re-create that at home by getting a group of girls together for some circuit training, but things are so different now. My friends are spread all over the country, those that are nearby are all moving on to new stages of their lives and don't live right in town anyway, and I have a difficult time with my own schedule after the two babies.

*sigh*

This weekend my cousin was at the cabin and I had a workout buddy again. What a difference that makes! We did our 300s and got a great mile run in each day! In fact, I'm astounded at our mile time on the first day and we pushed each other to perfect our form with our 300s the second day.

How great is that support?! And it's fun. I'd much rather get together with a group of ladies and workout than go out for another dinner or some drinks.

My goals this week:
1. Keep up with those quick and easy workouts, I have no excuse for not fitting them in.
2. Make an effort again to organize a fitness social event.
3. Create a plan for said fitness social event - circuit workout, healthy snack and drink, something to make it fun and more than just a workout. Feel free to let me know if you want a copy sent to you - it would keep me accountable for this goal!


Do you have a workout buddy you can count on? Do you prefer to workout with someone? Would you pick working out socially with a group over heading out to dinner or something?

Trying something new and linking up here too.

WW and KK's Salsa Turkey Burger

A while back I tried a delicious Weight Watchers recipe for Salsa Burgers.  They were fantastic, made from beef, and used a couple ingredients we didn't have.  I knew they would make awesome turkey burgers because the green chilis add a lot of moisture; hence, these Salsa Turkey Burgers were born.

Salsa Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground lean turkey
• 1 lg. Egg
• 1 small onion diced
• 3 tbl Seasoned dried bread crumbs
• 3 tbl Flaxseed Meal
• 2 1/2 tbl Canned chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Dried basil
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 
  
• 4 Multi grain sandwich thins
• 
  
• 1/2 c Fat free salsa/ Rotel/ homemade salsa (tomatoes, onions, garlic, green chilis)
• 
  
• Instructions 
• 
  
• Combine first 11 ingredients in a medium bowl. With damp hands, form the mixture into 4 (1/2 inch thick) patties.
  (Ok, these are huge - go for it if you want, they're still pretty low-cal, but they could easily make 6 decent-sized patties.)
• 
  
  
  
  
• Spray a medium nonstick skillet w/ nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until an instant-read themometer inserted in the side of each patty registers 160 (about 5-6 min each side for medium). We also covered with a piece of foil and added a bit of water to stem them a bit and keep them juicy - worked like a charm.)
• 
  
• Place the burger in the buns w/salsa. (The WW recipe called for salsa, last time we made it we did Rotel which was great, and this time we combined diced tomatoes, the rest of the green chilis, onion, and garlic - also good. Whatever you prefer.)

Yum! These were 1/4 pounders - HUGE and super filling! They calculated out to about just over 330 cals and 18g of fat. Like I said, these would be equally as filling at a smaller size. I think I will split the recipe to serve 6, instead of 4, next time around.

**Along with these awesome burgers, I also got in an amazing workout today! 100 squats, 100 wall push-ups, 100 jumping jacks, and a 9.5-minute-mile run after! I shaved almost 5 minutes off my time when I take the kids in the stroller!**

Linking up at some of these great parties

Running with a Fish

While the rest of you were sweating at the gym, pounding the pavement, or flipping on a workout tape, I got my exercise in the form of chasing my 2-year-old with a giant fish!

Meet the obnoxiously huge Sunfish I just had to have back when 2YO was about 6 months old.  He's the reason we changed the entire theme of his cabin bedroom.

It rained on and off today, so I never made it out for my run like I had planned.  After I indulged in the tastiest 8oz steak ever, I realized I had to do something to work some of that off.

Enter my never-tiring little boy and the giant fish.

We ran around with that thing for about 10 minutes before switching to bear crawling and crab walking.  All of it ended up getting my heart rate going and a bit of a sweat starting, which was the goal.

Tomorrow should be better with working out.  I've already pre-committed to spending some time doing 300s with my cousin, so that and a run should make it a good day!

I almost forgot.  Today was my weigh-in day and I was up 1.6 lbs from last week.  I'm not stressing at all.  I'm pretty sure my number from last Friday was a bit off.  

I lost about 8lbs that week, which wouldn't be completely out of the blue because of my gain the week before.  Although, I think going out the night before may have left me a little dehydrated for my weigh-in.  When I weighed myself Monday for Fit Camp I was back up another 3 pounds, and I was spot-on with my eating that weekend.  So, I'm calling it a 2lb loss this week anyway.  

Next week will be the real judge.  Have a good weeken all!

Not feeling too good about getting all my calories {Garlic Shrimp andPotatoes Tapas}

Well, I'm not having the problem of consuming too-few calories anymore. I'm staying within my calories but it's making me feel like I'm slipping into more and more snacking. I don't like that feeling much...

I made sure to fit some egg whites into a busy morning and I made myself a good sandwich for lunch. Then I felt like snacking, although, I give myself a bit of a pat on the back for passing up with garlic pita chips when I knew I'd still be craving a Snickers bar. I did have two fun sized snickers, but the calories weren't much different than the chips.

Later, I found myself reaching for two Cool Ranch Doritos because they were there. I hightailed it to the kitchen and cleaned up some grapes instead.

I have to share an amazing recipe!

 We made Garlic Shrimp and Potato Tapas for dinner. It's another Weight Watchers recipe and it is amazing! I hadn't made it in years, but it isn't hard at all so I have no idea why I waited so long.

WW Garlic Shrimp and Potato Tapas
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 minsTotal Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

1 lb red potatoes, cut in 1/2in pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled deveined and halved lengthwise
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Combine the potatoes and enough water to cover in a large saucepan bring to a boil. Cook until fork
tender about 7 minute Drain and let cool 5 minutes.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and cook shaking eh pan occasionally until browned and crisp about 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and garlic cook stirring frequently until shrimp are opaque in the center about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and pepper and salt.

Cals: 149.7
Fat: 5.3g

Yum, yum, yum!

I never would have thought to put shrimp with potatoes, but MMMmmm!!! There is something about adding the white wine vinegar at the end that makes these smell like a Chinese restaurant and taste delicious.

Although, I definitely did not adhere to the serving size and had about two and a half servings, but at least I was good for it. I could have used a few more veggies in my day, but those lovely green beans you see on the plate weren't actually consumed. We have a automatic soap dispenser right next to the purified water dispenser on the sink and I'm pretty sure those beans got soaped - yuck! I'll try to make up for it tomorrow.

Give that recipe a try - you won't regret it!

Finally some relaxation {and NSVs}

Whew!  These past few days have been crazy!  My eating definitely hasn't been right on, but it hasn't been too off either.  I have been staying under my calories, but I can't say my eating has been right on.  I've missed breakfast a few times and finally gotten dinner in between 8:00 and 10:00 a couple times.  Definitely on a crazy schedule!

I had a mini-crisis at home the other morning and high-tailed the kiddos out of there just after they finished their lunch. I was in the middle of making my lunch and shoved the salad half-made in the fridge. I spent the rest of the day frantically cleaning the house - probably burned quite a few calories that day! I think I finally ended up eating that salad around 10pm (I had some lunch when I dropped the kiddos off, don't worry).

Yesterday we got out of the house nice and early and went out to the Mall of America. First, we made a stop at IKEA for some breakfast and a little bit of shopping. We walked around the mall for a few hours before heading home. What an awful day to forget my Fitbit - I bet I would have hit my step goal without a problem! When we got back home we had a really late lunch of fresh-caught bass lightly coated in Cornflake crumbs and a big ol' serving of veggies - yum!

That night, I had the most fun I've had in a while. We went out for my cousin's birthday and played laser tag. I haven't done that since about Jr. High, but I can't wait to do it again! It was a workout! I felt a bit like a crazy person running all over in flip-flops (bad planning) with one hand holding the gun and one hand holding my pants up! I basically ran all over the place the whole time, and realized about halfway through, after taking many hits, at I should be shooting as I ran. My tactic of running like a chicken with my head cut off must have worked because I took second to Hubby (who happened to be dressed all in white, which was also bad planning for a game in blacklight).

We ended up going out to dinner with them too, mainly because the kiddos had late naps and tons of energy left to burn off. We ended up at Applebee's, after a couple places didn't pan out. I got the Lemon Parmesan Shrimp which I split with the kids - pretty decent, but it would have been better if it wasn't so late.

Today was a rush of packing and a long ride to the cabin. I finally feel like I can breath. It is so nice up here - it also helps that I have my mom to help out with the kids and I can actually get out for a run and spend the time to cook good meals.

*sigh*

So. Nice.

Finally, I'm so happy to be linking up with two of the nicest ladies I've met since starting this weight loss journey, Ashlee and Katie, to share my Non-Scale Victories.

Here's what I have this week:

1) Did you catch when I said I was running around holding my pants up? Um, yeah, they're getting too big!! I desperately need a new pair of capris, but I've held out because I don't really want to buy this size, especially when I won't need them for long. I did load up on pants from Target - I got two pairs of Merona jeans for a total of about $16! They are on sale for about $11 a pair and I had a buy one get one half off coupon printed from their website. That's a price I can spend for pants that hopefully won't fit for long! The best part - I grabbed size 14 and size 12 and I think I have to take back the 14s for 12s! I may even grab a 10 because they feel like they have some give and could stretch out quickly.

2) I've explained before that most of my weight gain happened after the kiddos and, since my 2YO was a honeymoon baby, I didn't end up wearing my wedding ring for long before it got too tight. Basically, I haven't worn my ring since we got married. When I got pregnant with my second kiddo I bought a replacement ring to wear until the original fit again. I am happy to say that ring is now too big to wear on my ring finger! I've been wearing it on my middle finger until my real wedding ring fits again which, hopefully, won't be long.

Anyone else have problems with jewelry fitting? Did you resize, or refuse like I did? Do you also have a problem buying new pants when hoping to get to a smaller size?

Weekly goals from a frazzled Momma

So, it's almost 1pm and I just woke up from a nap. The kids are still sleeping - thank goodness!! I'm still tired, and I haven't eaten anything yet today. We all went down for a nap around 9:30/10 am after a couple meltdowns by each of us. The fact that everyone was so off  shows we didn't get much sleep last night,

This tells you how crazy my days and nights have been lately.

Something has been in the air, because neither kid has been sleeping well. They also alternate and get up at different times, which means Momma isn't sleeping at all...

Our days have then been a little off. I'm pushing to get things done around the house and get all of us outside for some exercise and I'm not consistently eating enough. I've explained it a couple times recently when I showed my MFP read outs and when I talked about how I need to be a bit strict with my snacking and the slippery slope when I try to give a little.

Even yesterday, I could have easily ended up with under 700 calories and called it a day. I got all the kids set up with dinner and left to fit in some grocery shopping. When I got back we went downstairs to watch Hubby fly his toy helicopter and I hopped on the elliptical. By the time I was done it was bath time and bedtime for the kids. I would have been perfectly happy ending my eating for the day, but knew it wouldn't be good for my body. I also didn't like eating so late at night.

The mandarin orange couple have been my whole dinner and I would have been happy, but I made the chicken burger and then snacked the rest of the night on animal crackers and peanut butter...

All of this is adding up to some not so healthy habits on the other end. So, my goals are these:

1. Make some changes to get some sleep around here
2. Plan ahead and include healthy snacking during the day
3. More water!

By the way, if anyone has some input, I'm looking for advice on fitness trackers and food scales.
Have a great weekend!

A little slip leads to a landslide

I've written about how I haven't felt hungry. The urge to snack, or the desire for all the treats I love. I meant it, I have been going along without even thinking of those things. I even look at my calories at night and know I could snack but have no desire to have anything.

Considering that I barely had a night without a snack in bed before, this is huge.

Tonight, after a dinner of Chipolte and leaving almost half to mix with more lettuce later, I started to make up a batch of frozen bananas for the kiddos. As I made a mess with the chocolate, I started taking a lick off my finger every so often.

After that, all I could think about was snacking. After listening to what people have been saying about adding more protein to my diet, I went for a big scoop of reduced fat peanut butter. Mmm! And then I wanted more...

So strange how when I'm eating well, I don't even think of grabbing a snack or chocolate. Then, after not even being able to finish my dinner, a small lick of chocolate sends me in a tailspin looking longingly at the junk food.

I still stayed under my calories and am back to not craving anything at the moment, but it really made me think.

I am more of an all or nothing kind of "dieter." I do great when I'm really strict with my eating. If I start to add a little less healthy snack or two, I will eventually keep pushing it further and go completely overboard before too long.

It is sad to think I can't control myself, but the reality is I can control myself really well if I just keep remembering how much it works for me to stay a little strict. If I can do that, I really don't have cravings and I don't even think about food.

*sigh*
Harder than it sounds...





Just because this post needs some pictures, check out that yummy breakfast. Egg whites, shrimp, and some garlic salt - yum! - who knew? And to show you the size of my salads, check that bowl next to a can of pop - huge!

Fitness Trackers and Food Scales

I've been thinking about getting some sort of fitness tracker for a while now.

I, admittedly, haven't done that much homework on what's out there. I'm not real up-to-date with technology, so I tend to get a little overwhelmed.

A few weeks ago I actually purchased the Fitbit Zip when I got my new phone. I love what it does because it's great to have that step goal and know the calories you're burning. However, it doesn't sync up with my phone, just when I am near the computer. Also, I haven't really taken the time to figure out all the options is has or the information it can give me. The main problem has been that, with having just the clip, I never seem to wear it an entire day. I must change clothes about three times a day: sweats with the kids, change when leaving the house, and workout clothes. I seem to forget the darn thing for at least half of my day.

I have definitely come to the conclusion that an need a device I can wear on my wrist.  I am used to wearing a watch 24/7, so this would be the best for me.

I could have gotten the Fitbit Flex, but didn't want to spend twice as much, especially if I was trying to figure out if I would like this technology.  At the time, I didn't think I needed the sleep tracking but, especially after last night, I would love to see exactly how much sleep I miss because of the kids getting up because I barely remember in the morning.

I think I've realized that this would be a great tool, but still don't know if I can swing paying over $100 for something I don't need.  Although, I don't know that there are many under $100...  I'm sure they're worth it, but we're a one-income family and I try to limit spending to necessities.

That being said, I'd at least like a little help from you all!  Does anyone have a tracker they love?  Those of you with heart rate monitors, what do you like about them as well?

Here are some that I came up with after searching and would love anyone to weigh-in on them:

• Fitbit Flex - I've enjoyed the Fitbit, just need something more wearable for me.
• Nike FuelBand - $149 yikes!  But it's Nike so I'm sure it's a good one.
• Jawbone UP - looks really wearable/comfortable, but doesn't look like you can get any of your info from the device itself, just your phone.
• Timex Health and fitness monitors - lots to choose from, but some can be pretty speedy
• Polar Heart Rate Monitors - these are the cutest things ever

Those are just a couple that came up from a quick search.  I am open to more suggestions!

While we're talking about gadgets you like.  Does anyone use a food scale religiously like I do?  I used it all the time when I was on WW and it was so helpful.  It's a little harder now because MyFitnessPal doesn't always offer the measurement units I need, but I'm getting really great at all the conversions.  I've talked about my struggles to get all my calories in and I've begun wondering if my old scale is just losing it's accuracy.  It also just may need some new batteries.  I have been thinking about getting a new one - anyone have a favorite?  

Here are a couple that appeal to me:

• Taylor - I like the raised platform of the scale.  I have trouble reading mine if it is on a larger plate
• Ozeri Pronto - I love the chrome look and it says it has a larger food tray 

• Bamboo Scale - how cute is this one in bamboo!?
• Camry Scale - this looks like it would be really easy to read with the way it angles and the raised tray

Thanks all for the help here!  I really appreciate it!

I tried to eat more...

...but it didn't work out like I had hoped.

Last night was one of the only nights I've had without the kids since my son was born. One of only a handful of times since I got pregnant with him (wedding night). So, this morning when there were no kids here, I layer in bed until almost nine. Heaven!

I rushed out the door to pick them up and by the time we got home it was 10:30 and I grabbed a quick Mandarin Orange (the biggest ones I've ever sen from Sam's Club) for breakfast.

I treated myself a little for lunch with some of the kiddos leftover Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with a large serving of broccoli.

This is a cup of Mac 'n Cheese and a cup of broccoli in a very large bowl - completely filling.

I also made sure to get an afternoon snack in, and had some baby carrots and a tablespoon of light ranch. I wasn't hungry, but I figured we had a while before Hubby got home for our delicious dinner of steak and corn.

I usually eat off of small plates but this is on a large dinner plate - 4 ounces of steak is a lot!

Yum! We grilled two flank steaks so I can have a ton of great salads. I was hooked on them when I was at the cabin. Something about the large filling salad with 4oz of steak and Italian dressing... Mmm...

I had planned to eat two ears of corn and some of the potatoes, but I seriously wasn't hungry. I've never had this problem before. I'm just going to keep aware of it, but I'm not going to worry much unless this keeps up and I consistently end up with 700-800 calorie days. I'm going to aim for fitting in even more fruits and veggies instead of a number.

Friday Weigh-In: Back on track in a big way!

After a week and a half of "vacation" eating and a 4lb gain, I got back on track and my motivation and drive has been great!  I've been fitting exercise in and eating like a champ (sometimes not enough but we'll get to that in a minute).

What was my total this week?

6.8 POUNDS!!!

So happy with that!  This is exactly what happened the last time I committed myself by entering DietBets.  I know there are a lot of factors, but I loved that big number after really getting down to business after some time off.  Such great motivation to continue.

Like I said, I want to talk about my food intake.  My problem right now is that I'm consuming too few calories.  I am staying away from unhealthy snacks during the day and nighttime snacking.  I have been pretty busy with the kids and haven't missed it at all.  I'll finish tracking for the day and know I am under but, late at night, I'm not wishing for any sort of snack and don't think it is worth snacking just because of some number of calories I need to reach.

I'm not concerned too much because I really only engage is light exercise tight now.  I'm not burning 400 calories at a time.  If I was, I know I would need that extra fuel.  My activity is pretty much limited to pushing a double stroller for an hour a day and hitting just over 2 miles.  I've been striving for a bit more, but I figure that will come in time as I slowly increase it a bit.

I also have completely felt satisfied.  I'm not ignoring any hunger signals. I haven't felt like snacking, because I have no problem making it to my meals.  I also feel like my meals have been a great size.  I wish I would have snapped some meal pics this week so I could show how nicely proportioned they are.  I think I'm going to make it my goal to get some more fruits and veggies in during the day, but I also feel like my meals have been pretty well-rounded.

I've begun sharing my food diary on MyFitnessPal because I'd love some input.  I was really surprised one day when I felt like I ate great and noticed I had only eaten under 700 calories.  That's not good either.

Cut off above are two of my Healthier Egg Breakfast Muffins

I know I will likely begin to eat more naturally, but I am actually struggling to eat enough.  I'd like to think I'm just making healthy enough choices that I am able to feel satisfied with less calories.  I don't think I could make my meals much bigger because they seem huge, but I might have to force myself to snack even when I'm not hungry.

Alright.... That probably could have been summed up a bit quicker, but I'm asking for advice!  Any help would be appreciated!

I just have to add that last night was pretty much one of the first nights I've had out since getting pregnant with my first kiddo. It was a friend's 30th and drinks were had. I had a nice big salad to start and tried to make healthy drink choices with Captain and Diet over the pitchers of beer. Unfortunately, a friend who wanted to celebrate ordered me a Bulldog with Captain substituted for Vodka even though I told her I didn't want a drink with cream. I would never normally order a drink like that, even when not watching my weight, somI gave it to Bubby and took some drinks for show. Aren't we at least impressed that I tracked everything?

NSV: eating right and showin' some skin

Hotter than Hades - at least for this Minnesota girl - but we got out for a walk.  I even ended up running a bit.  The little one was in the front instead of the back and didn't have shoes on so I got paranoid about the sun so I ran the sunny spots and walked the shady spots.  Luckily there was a lot of shade - for her and for me!  I had the added motivation of 2YO saying, "more running, Momma" and "go faster."  A big "thank you" for those in the neighborhood with sprinklers running!

Another "thank you" to Ashlee for introducing me to the best tank ever!  I got my Old Navy active tank yesterday and thought maybe I could wear it in public.  Then I put it on and fell in love!  It has the best, flattering shape!  It is loose around the belly and has the great razor back and a cut perfect for hiding armpit pudge, such a a great top and I even wore it out of the house today when I took the kids for a walk/run.  What a great feeling to wear something so light instead of sweating my tush off in an oversized, hot t-shirt!!!

Feeling so good I even added a picture!?! Unheard of!

I was a little aware of my arms, but didn't really feel self-conscious.  To quote Phoebe,

 "...you don't care if people are staring, it's just for a second cause then you're gone!"

Maybe they laugh at my large, slow butt, but they won't be laughing when they see me a few months from now. I think I'm also more secure now because I'm a mom pushing a stroller with two young babies. I have an excuse on display, and nobody is really looking at this mom of two anyway.

At least I got out there is the heat today. Yesterday was a busy one and I didn't get much in. My eating has been pretty fantastic, though. I was probably a little too low today, but I ate great! I had two Egg Breakfast Muffins, 1/3 banana, 4oz chicken on a salad with flax seeds and Asian sesame dressing, 1/2 cup of applesauce with the kids, and a yummy dinner of 4oz tilapia, and potatoes. I was looking at everything thinking I needed to get in more, but it's a little late now and I'm not hungry. I might grab a glass of vanilla soy milk and call it a night.

Pretty good start to the week! I took a peek at the scale and my gain from the week and a half off is gone and then some. I know I can do this, I just wish I felt confident I could keep it up longer than a month.

{Healthier} Egg Breakfast Muffins

I've shared my Egg Breakfast Muffins before (on my other blog Exploring Domesticity), and I love how easy they are to make, freeze, and reheat whenever I need a quick breakfast.  The last ones included regular breakfast sausage, bacon, and cheese.  They are delicious.

However, it is time to cut cals wherever I can, so I decided to make these a little more on the healthy side.  

I love how easy they are and that you can customize them however you'd like.  Here's how I made them this time around.

Ingredients:
1 sandwich thin, cut into 12 pieces
1 cup egg whites
1 cup egg substitute
1 spear of asparagus, chopped
2 turkey sausage patties, cut into 12 pieces
Salt
Pepper


Makes 12 muffins. Each serving is two muffins.

While I was making these I grabbed my trusty food scale so I could eyeball amounts and know exactly what I was eating.

I eyeballed the eggs to what I thought would fill each muffin. When all was said and done, it came out to a nice 1 cup of each egg whites and egg substitute. They are the same nutritionally, so 2 cups of whichever you prefer would work.

My last egg muffins used quartered bread slices, and I could have omitted them but they add such a great sweetness to the muffins, almost like a french toast bottom. This time I cut a sandwich thin into 12 pieces, which reduced the calories a bit.

I also omitted regular full-fat breakfast sausage and bacon bits in favor of two turkey sausage patties cut into 12 pieces.

Here's the fun part. Add anything you'd like. My original muffins had cheese and green onions. This time, I added a veggie kick with some pieces of asparagus I had in the freezer for just this reason.

The last time I prepared asparagus for the family I used the snapping trick to quickly find where to trim the spears. Once I had some time while they were cooking, I went back and individually snapped each spear and chopped the good parts and put them in the freezer.

Into the oven they go. I cooked mine at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

They didn't turn out quite as picture-perfect as I was hoping. The bread and sausage came to the top, but I think that looks pretty nice too.

There you have it! Two of these babies for a nice and filling 91 calories.

I like to let them cool and place them in the freezer for an easy breakfast. Letting them cool is the most important piece. If they are still warm when they are bagged and frozen they will end up very wet when they are reheated.

Yum! A quick and easy, healthy breakfast to fill you up and give you energy for the day. Enjoy!