A Crazy Woman's Idea Recipe

Redneck Turtle Burgers raw.

Red Neck Turtle Burgers cooked.

Red Neck Turtle Burgers Recipe.

Now this recipe idea is not mine. No, a friend of mine on Facebook found it on the internet. There are a lot of dangerous things you can find on the internet these days. Recipes that your cardiologist would cringe at are just one of them.

So the recipe that she had was very basic. Take hamburger, form it into a patties, cover with cheddar, basket weave bacon around it, stick in some hot dogs for a head, tail, and feet, cook, eat.

Of course I had to add a few modifications to make this a bit healthier. And I never would just slab hamburger meat together and call it a burger. That's just wrong. Might as well eat it raw.

So, for the burgers I added: garlic, worchestershire, pepper, onion powder, no salt seasoning, and a dash of barbecue sauce. Mixed it all together and made my patties.
I also used low-sodium bacon, and Hebrew National hotdogs.  I checked the sodium and fat count on these to make sure they were okay. I also used reduced fat cheese.

Once you get these puppies together you bake them in the oven on 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Now, a neat trick I learned from my insane Facebook friend is that if you want the bacon a bit brown turn on the broiler for a few minutes.

Scarily enough there were several of us that made these yesterday. It was like a mini fad going on. Each of us varied our recipes and took pictures. Involved countries included Canada, USA, and the Netherlands. Hillbilly cooking is not just for the Southern States any longer. My daddy was a hillbilly from Tennessee. I remember him making cornbread and a big pot of beans that smelled the entire house to high heaven. I would sneak out the window to avoid that scent. But Southern cooking is not staying put, evidently. They now have a following all over the world. Be afraid, people, they are expanding, and as they do so will your caloric intake.

I only made two of them, because even with the modifications to the recipe it just seemed so darn hard to justify eating them. However, my 17 year old son was in heaven. I think the word "Meat!" was all he had to say when he saw them and "Delicious!" came out of his mouth before he trudged off to his hermit cave we fondly call his room.

Continuing On with Excitement

Okay, so I missed about a week of treatments at True Essence. It was Easter week, after all, and everyone has different schedules and places to go. However, I did go back on Sunday and had an amazing experience once again. This time I took my daughter with me because after having a child she really wanted to see if it would help her get rid of some of her baby weight. She was amazed. She burned off over 400 calories in one sitting. She had a totally different experience than I did because she did the weight loss program in the capsule which is red and orange and I did the body wrap option which is blue and red.

Even after cheating on myself (yes, when you go off your plan and don't do what you say you are going to do you are cheating yourself) I still not only managed t maintain my inch loss but I lost more! I was shocked. My tummy still went down another half inch from where I had left off. Now I did gain some back before I went into the capsule, but that is because I had been a very bad girl. (Don't beat me.) But being able to see that I can return and be good to my body was awesome!

I think what really makes a difference for me is my husband saying, "Wow, honey. I can really see and feel a difference!" Now that makes it all worth while. I just need to have the fortitude to continue on and not cheat myself.

One of the best things about this, I do believe, is the energized feeling when you get done with your treatment.

Now one of the things I love here is that color therapy has been used for generations. We use color therapy when we go to paint a room and consider how it is going to make us feel in the long run. So I was curious and wanted to know what the difference in the colors of the capsule were helping obtain.

For my daughter, Sarah Knoke, who is also a nursing mother:

"Healing properties: Orange is warm, cheering, non-constricting. Orange has a freeing action upon the body and mind, relieving repressions. Orange shows new possibilities and other options in life. Stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm, and helps assimilate new ideas.It is also helpful in dealing with excess sexual expression.

Orange stimulates the lungs, the respiration and the digestion. Increases the activity of the thyroid. Reliefs muscle cramps and spasms. Increases the amount of mother milk.

Healing properties: Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and the mind. It helps awaken mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent color for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles. Dark yellow soothes pains in the nerves (shooting pains)

Yellow can be used for conditions of the stomach, liver, and intestines. Speeds up the digestion and assimilation, and the stool.

It helps the pores of the skin and aids scarred tissue in healing itself.

Yellow links with and stimulates the solar plexus, or psychic center. It can be used for psychic burnout or other psychic-related conditions or ailments. Activates and cheers up depressed and melancholic people. Gives lust for life."

Adventure recipes 2

Low fat cheese cake
Pay no attention to the blue swirls.
My husband was feeling creative and
used some food coloring to be festive.

Today's recipe is for cheesecake! Yum. Okay, the thing about cheesecake is that it teaches you patience. It has to chill for a while before eating. This cheese cake recipe calls for a spring form pan. Since cheesecake is about the only thing that you bake in a spring form pan most people might not have one. That's okay. What I did was take an 8 or 9 inch graham cracker crust and used that. If you do that you will not have just one cheese cake but two! Now how cool is that?

So, here it is. Low-fat cheesecake that doesn't taste low-fat. This recipe was also found from Good Housekeeping. Now remember, if you use the pre-made crust or press your own graham crackers then you can make two pies! Also, for a little zing, you can put in a tad of fresh lemon juice. If you are trying to cut back on sugar you can also use a sugar substitute or natural sugar.


3 4 cup(s) graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoon(s) trans-fat free vegetable oil spread, melted
3 package(s) (8-ounce) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup(s) sugar
1 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
1 1 2 pint(s) fat-free sour cream
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In 9-inch springform pan, stir
crumbs with spread until moistened. With hand, firmly press
mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake crust 15 minutes or until deep
golden. Cool 5 minutes on wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat
cream cheese until smooth. Combine sugar and cornstarch. Slowly
beat sugar mixture into cream cheese. On low speed, beat in sour
cream and vanilla. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, until
blended.
3. Pour batter over crust in pan. Bake cheesecake 1 hour. Edge will be
set, but center will still jiggle. Turn oven off; let cheesecake remain
in oven 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack. Run thin knife around edge of
cheesecake to prevent cracking during cooling. Cool in pan, about 2
hours. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Remove side of
pan to serve.
________________

Calories	255
Total Fat	13g
Saturated Fat	7g
Cholesterol	59mg
Sodium	250mg
Total Carbohydrate	26g
Dietary Fiber	0
Sugars	--
Protein	8g
Calcium	0

** Note ** Next dessert recipe to share will be Key Lime pie. It will be made in an effort to help convince Mother Nature that we need warmer weather.

Adventure Recipes 1!

As promised I am putting on recipes that are low fat and low sodium, but hopefully high in flavor. I don't know about anyone else, but I sometimes crave chocolate. Also, holidays are big food days. So, today I wanted to be a bit clever as well as keep in line with tradition.
Today we had our glazed ham, potato salad, green beans, home-made wheat bread, and for dessert - brownies!
It was all good, but let's get to the dessert. I'm a rebel after all. (Perhaps on another day I'll share my ham glaze recipe with you.)

Our chewy brownie with a cherry on top

This low fat brownie is courtesy of "Good Houskeeping." We made one slight variation of the recipe, which we will share below.


Yields: 16 servings
Total Time: 35 min
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min




1/2 cup(s) flour
2 tablespoon(s) (unsweetened) cocoa
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
2 ounce(s) (unsweetened ) chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon(s) (unsalted) butter
1 cup(s) (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
6 tablespoon(s) (unsweetened) applesauce
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon(s) confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and
line with aluminum foil, allowing foil to drape over two sides.
Grease foil.
2. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.

Combine chocolate and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook,
stirring, over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat;
let cool for 2 minutes. Add sugar, egg, egg white, applesauce and
vanilla; stir until smooth. Add dry ingredients, stirring until evenly
combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until the

brownies pull away from the sides of the pan (do not overbake).
Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Using the foil flaps, lift the
brownies from the pan; cut into 16 bars. Sift -confectioners' sugar
over brownies to decorate, if desired.
-----------------------------------

Calories	102
Total Fat	3g
Saturated Fat	2g
Cholesterol	15mg
Sodium	77mg
Total Carbohydrate	18g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Sugars	--
Protein	2g
Calcium	--

------------------------------

We used almond extract in place of the vanilla. This gave the brownie a super rich taste. Plus we used the generic egg whites that come in the container from the store. We did not use the sugar on top, instead I garnished the serving with a cherry and for the no-fat ice cream (made palatable because of the low fat brownie, which was super chewy good) we scooped it with a coffee scooper to make the scoop small but just enough so I didn't feel I was being cheated.

Journey Results of Session 2

You know when you are in a high tech society when your weight loss program puts you in what looks like a space capsule. Then when you put on a white body suit (and believe me, I never thought I would ever be caught dead in a body suit), it just kind of completes the entire picture. I don't know if you could really see through the body suit, but I had decided to enter the capsule au naturale and didn't want to let anyone see any naughty parts, so I blurred it. (You are welcome, by the way. I know you didn't want to see naughty parts either.)

So before getting into the capsule we did our measurements and I did a spray down with the pore opener. I had used the products and showered before I went to True Essence. (I finally got smart and put the link there for you to visit their web page.) I then donned the body suit and was ready for my next session in the capsule instead of in the infra red blanket.

Slime line products

(I apologize for the pictures coming on sideways. I have no idea why they are doing that. Just rotate your monitor if you want the panoramic view to end.)

So, the capsule is amazing. I have experienced it one time before when I wanted to relax and de-stress. It was a very nice experience. I wasn't sure if it would be at that time because I do have trouble with feeling closed in. However, I didn't with this. Perhaps it was because my head was in the open, or maybe it was the aroma therapy. Whatever it is, I didn't feel the least bit worried. So, this time I knew what to expect a bit, even though this treatment was for a different purpose.

 The capsule is very comfortable. It has a wavy design inside that the body fits on and lying down feels more natural than lying in my own bed. Before putting on the lights (red and blue, which is why it looks purple), Margaret West, the owner, puts on the goggles because the lights are super bright.

She tells me everything to expect and what she is doing as we go along. It was very comforting. She put on the lavender aroma to help me relax. The heat was set to go to 150 for me because of my condition and medical history. For others the heat can go as high as 170 degrees.

Unlike the blanket, which I was in for an hour, the spa capsule is set for 30 minutes. Also, the spa capsule monitors certain things going on such as the amount of calories being burned during the session.

The program that we used also had the vibration which felt like a massage going while I baked. I could feel my body starting to get warm, but I was never once uncomfortable. This I found to be very odd because I really don't like hot weather. I don't know if it didn't bother me because I was more focused on the purpose, or if it's because it is a different kind of heat.

Margaret told me that the spa capsule and the SlimLine program was not only moisturizing my skin, contouring my body, getting rid of toxins, but that it also was helping to boost my metabolism. That was music to my ears. I think my metabolism has been on strike since I had my first son thirty years ago.

I have to admit that I did feel energized when the session ended. It was like I had just exercised at the gym. I was not the least bit tired or worn out, something else that surprised me considering I had just been in such a hot place.

The program I am using I get to keep the body suit (it's washable), the creams and lotions come with my package, and the goggles. (My friend Jenny wants my goggles. She's going to have to get her own.)

So, the results of the second day? Did I lose inches?
Yes, I did.
I lost 3/4 of an inch in my neck.
I lost 2 inches in my stomach
I lost 1/2 inch in my thighs.
I lost 1/4 inch in my upper arm.
I lost 1 inch in my chest (by the way, my old bras fit again now. Yippee!)
I lost 1/5 inch in my wrist
I lost 3/4 inches in my buttocks.

It's not over yet. Now I will continue to watch what I eat, continue the chi machine, and start trying to do more exercise to help keep the momentum.

I will, over the next couple of days, make some desserts and put the recipes and results up here until I go to my next treatment next week.

I do have occasionally have a sweet tooth and want to make better choices in that area too.

Next week my daughter is going to start the SlimLine program too. She thinks she can beat my losses. She is younger, but I'm determined. We'll see how it goes.

New Adventure Second Day!

Okay, I survived my first body wrap visit at True Essence on Mason Street in Green Bay! Hoorah!!! Honestly, I hate making videos and taking pictures of myself. I am so not comfortable in front of a camera, but I think it's important for me to do it because it keeps me focused on my goals and maybe will help other people as well.
So, here are the results of the first visit:

Stomach loss - 3 inches
Thighs - 1 inch
Upper arm - no change
Lower arm - no change
calf - no change
feet - no change
neck - 1/4 inches
wrist - 1/4 inches
chest (under breasts) - 1 inch
buttocks - 3.5 inches

Now, this is not a diet. I have to watch what I eat and make sure to drink plenty of fluids or I'm wasting my time and money. This is a choice that I have made for myself to change my lifestyle. I have also started doing the chi machine daily to help get me started on my exercise program and plan on adding more to my routine.

What I want to start doing with this is adding some recipes and such that are tasty, healthy, and work with what I am doing. If anyone has any to share please do! I love to try new things.

Here are pictures of the first visit so you can see how easy it was.

The bag that I used the first time. It's very large.

Laying down and getting positioned on the massage table.

Being covered by the Infrared blanket.

I chose the aroma therapy option. I fell asleep. The music was soothing.

This is the control pad they have. I just had the heat mainly on my middle section.

Afterward you remove the bag and dry off.

Then you apply the Slender Serum again. I forgot mine, but they were kind enough to let me use some of theirs.

My New Adventure

Yes. It's been a while since I've blogged. I truly intend to be more diligent in what I put on. I also want to write on something that I find important and can help others. For me right now it is my health and body. So, I am starting a new venture I want to share with everyone. I HATE the way I look right now. Over the past few years with the troubles I have had health wise I want to do something about it. Going to the gym is not an option for me. I had a gym membership and was going religiously before all the rest of my health issues kicked in. So, here we go. Here is a little video explaining my new adventure. I hope you join me and cheer me on. I am heavier now than I have ever been. I have been through menopause, had 4 ceasarian sections, had a heart attack, and had to have both of my knees replaced.

Now be nice too. I just woke up and haven't even brushed my hair. (P.S. If you like my skin and lack of serious wrinkles... thank Avon! Ask me and I will tell you which products I use.)