Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

Ok so for the much waited for (maybe) slow cooker mac & cheese recipe. I LOVE this recipe and I hope you will try it and love it too! Ok so here it is...

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese
-16oz bag of elbow noodles
-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
-1 can (12oz) of evaporated milk
-8 oz cream cheese
-4 cups milk

You throw this all into the crock and cook it for about 2 hours on low. The original recipe I found said 3 hours but the second time I cooked this (for 3 hours) It cooked too long and was kinda icky. I don't suggest leaving the house while cooking this like I did the second time. WATCH IT as it can over cook really easy. It is very rich and I could only eat a small amount at a time. For anyone wondering this particular recipe is 240 calories per cup so its not too bad and I found that was about how much I could eat at one time. I really hope you try it and maybe let me know what you think of it!

What I Got For Christmas!

Ok, I officially got the coolest present EVER! I am so beyond thrilled about it that I think that everyone in the world...well almost....needs to go out and buy one of these....Im sure you see the photo already but I got aaaaaaa........*drum roll*
COMPOUND BOW!!!

The Beautiful Beast!

 

Ok, so never before in my life had I thought I would want to do something like go hunting but now I cant wait! The power behind this bow is incredible! (it shoots at 310ft per second!) I am still learning but do rather well for only having shot the thing maybe 7 times. I will post two more photos of my actual shots!

First aimed shot ever!

 

 

This was the first shot I took while aiming! I shot it once at the sporting goods store so they could set the bow up for me, but they did not tell me how to aim or anything. For this being my first time though I am beyond proud!

 

First time getting all in bullseye!

 

 



This was the first time I shot in my back yard (previous photo at archery range) I hit all 5 of my arrows in the red! I cheered so loud I think my neighbors got worried haha. Well I could go on all day about this bow but I should probably stop now! haha. Logging out!

 

Ms.Jess

Worst Blogger Ever!!

Ok, So I willingly accept the title of the worst blogger ever and I apologize. Christmas season is always busy and I've had some serious electronic failures as of late but I should be back for good! For an update on my weight loss I have kind of slipped. Not too bad but it has been I think 3 or 4 days since I logged (Christmas is the first day I didn't I think). I have lost a total of 30 pounds and have fluctuated a pound or two from there but not enough to bother me too bad. I owe you all a few entries don't I! I will make a few over the course of this evening. I know I need to post that macaroni and cheese recipe still and I WILL...because it is totally bomb. I will also talk about my Christmas and what I got! Ok, on to composing my next post! Logging out!

Ms.Jess

Sorry Guys!

Sorry guys. I have been feeling really down in the dumps lately. I will post something tomorrow I promise. I have a very yummy recipe to share with you all! Logging out

Ms.Jess

Unhealthy Salad!?!?

Salads...not always the best option! I know I've always thought that salads were always hands down the option to choose over anything else. A little while back I was at ihop and was going to choose a salad because I thought it would be the best option but it wasn't. These salads were over 1000 calories and some of them were over 1550! That's my daily alloted calories! I was shocked, some of them had stuff like crispy chicken in them which would definitely up the calories but some of them did not have much aside from lettuce and it was shocking! I always look at the calories before I buy or eat anything and it is paying off! Ok logging out!

Ms.Jess

Finally Back!

It has been a while...I'm not exactly sure how many days since I last posted but it's been a few. I was having some issues with my laptop and my iPad was out for repairs...(which it was NOT fixed). My phone is just too small and complicated to write more then a small text on so I held off until things were fixed. Well I have a large victory to report from my absence. I am down to 274.2, for a total loss of 25.8 pounds. I don't know if I will be down 40 by Christmas but I think I will be close. I also want to just talk about how my mentality has changed regarding food. I still have cravings, I still eat some sweets here and there and look longingly at junk food. I however do not eat fast food anymore which is a huge deal considering that was my biggest vice. I still go out but I always have the nutrition facts up on my phone and pick the best option for myself. I am slowly starting to see teeny changes in my body. My face is a little bit thinner and my pants and shirts fit a little bit better. I plan on posting some photos soonish, I want to lose a little more first. Ok folks! Going to prep my next entry! Logging out!

Ms.Jess

Hindsight is 20/20

And hindsight is telling me to quit whining about not loosing weight! I weighed myself this morning and I was down to 278.5 that is .3 lower then a few days ago before I went back up to 280. I understand that there are so many other factors besides just plain and simple weight loss that contribute to weight loss etc. Well I KNOW this when I am NOT looking at a number on the scale that is larger then the one from the previous day. When I see a higher number I FREAK out inside and start feeling like crap about myself and it is just ridiculous. It is stupid because I know better, I really do. Also, I am sorry, I forgot to do wishful Wednesday. This isn't really a surprise seeing as how I would forget my head if it wasn't attached to my body! So all that being said I will post my wishful Wednesday NOW

I LOVE this dress and I WISH I could wear it NOW! Logging out!

Ms.Jess

Already!?!?

I fell off the wagon already...This is ridiculous. I was prepping the quiche and scalloped potatoes and ate my preps. I always put a little bit of bacon in my quiche and potatoes but today I put a big bit in my mouth. Ugh, I tried cooking the bacon in the oven for the first time instead of a pan and when it was done I tasted it....big mistake. THE FLOODGATES WERE OPENED! I could NOT stop putting the damn bacon in my mouth! I honestly feel like puking at this point I am so disgusted with myself. I mean, I probably ate like 1 piece, maybe a little more but still... I was trying to cut it up and put it in the bowl but my self control went to crap and I just kept eating. I wont be surprised if I gain like 5 pounds today. I failed...ugh, I'm afraid I'm loosing steam now on this diet and I can NOT do that! I need a serious pep talk. Help Logging out!

Ms.Jess

Getting into Gear

So I've been really out of wack the last few days and I haven't been as motivated as usual. I've gone over calories each day (not a lot but still...) I was at I believe 278.2 and I'm back up to 280 but I'm wondering if it is partially because I am not drinking very much water either and I'm sure that doesn't help. I ate some candy yesterday and I am not proud. I am trying to kick my butt into gear today, hopefully I can be successful! Hopefully I can at least get the dishes into the dishwasher and dinner prepped for tonight (quiche and scalloped potatoes yum) Anyway, The other day my husband and I went out to Ihop (yes, yes I know...BAD) well anyway, I was like "I'm going to get a salad that's healthy!" Here is my lesson to YOU, just because it is a salad it doesn't make it healthy! Their salads had over 1,000 calories in them...in a SALAD! I was beyond shocked. I ended up choosing a philly cheesesteak with 800 calories in it and had a small bowl of fruit. I only ate half the sandwich and so I feel good about that trip. I still though, can not believe that these salads had so many calories in them even though they are portrayed as the healthy option. I try to calculate the calories in the food I want to eat BEFORE I serve it or eat it that way I know how much I can have or what to not have. Anyway, I need to get off the couch, quit watching Pocahontas with my daughter and do the darn dishes! Logging out!

Ms.Jess

Christmas Presents Project! (DIY)

I have managed to lose a 1.2 pounds since Thanksgiving and I consider that a success! I have also started a new art project (Christmas presents in the making) and I'm having a lot of fun with that! I am going to post a photo of my test run with directions on how I did it and what you need. Here we go!

Ok, I am not sure how easy it is to see what's going on but I will tell you. This is a two by four with photos transferred to it. Yes TRANSFERED...I did NOT just glue some photos to the wood either. Here is how YOU can do it yourself!

DIY Transferring Photos to Wood

You will need
-Liquitex Gel Meduim
-Mod Podge (Original)
-A photo printed on a LASER PRINTER (yes this is important) I just went to Office Depot and had them print my photos
-The wood you wish to transfer the photo to



Step 1: make sure your wood is smooth and clean
Step 2.Apply the gel medium to either the photo or the wood an then press photo onto the wood an press firmly smoothing out any bubbles
Step 3: Let this dry overnight (or all day depending on when you do it)
Step 4: Once dry take a wet rag and saturate the paper. Once it is completely wet start to rub the paper off, it should come off at this point leaving the photo on the wood. Once you have removed all the paper cover the photo with a layer (or more) of the mod podge and you're good to go!

I LOVE this project and am making customized presents for my parents and sisters. A google search revealed that it may be possible to use this method on glass, cloth and canvas but I have yet to test this yet. I will be very excited it this works on glass though as that could be really neat!



I will post my favorite instructional photo transfer YouTube video HERE so you can watch it for a better idea! Ok folks! It is late and I have to be up early to take the kids to school! Logging out!

Ms.Jess