Bacon and Egg One Skillet Hash

Oh man, this stuff is amazing! I have made it twice since we discovered it earlier this week. This whole family loves it! And it is super easy- one skillet alone and with items you probably keep around ;) Plus you can make it for breakfast, lunch, OR dinner. Can I get a heck yeah?!

So this month completely got away from me. We were on vacation (and the shoot happened!) for a week at the start of the month, then gone for a wedding, then we hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the first time ever. *snap* and like that November was over LOL

Here is a sneak peek from the shoot that week, don't have the pics all back yet!

Love getting all gussied up for dinner!

This was our view everyday! That was our room in the top left corner!

We did a lot of eating and drinking on vacation, as any good vacation should include ;) Most importantly, I got to spend a lot of quality time with my 3 BFFs- my hubby, Jenny, and Erin.

But we played a lot too! Lots of beach volleyball, gym sessions, and even some beach tennis got accomplished. We were super active for at least 2 hours a day.

After a week of scantily clad photos from all the angles, I felt it was my duty to remind you that there are bad pictures! It's OKAY! Everyone has them, even models and fitness professionals. Bad lighting or bad angles can completely distort how you look. I put all these pics in order of the dates they were taken so you can see the one that is "bad" to me. (First is on the right, last on the left, and all were taken within a few days.) Instead of thinking I look like a busted can of biscuits and throwing a fit (which I would have done in the past), I just see a bad pic and shrug it off. It didn't ruin my vacation. No pity party needed! And most importantly you see my body isn't perfect either, and it's FINE! Let's be real and honest ;)

I don't normally post before and after photos, mostly because it is hard for me to find "before" pictures. I hated how I looked and avoided the camera. I also destroyed most of them because I was so ashamed. The "before" on the right was about 2005, and I was 21. I probably weighed about 175 at 5'9" and was a size 12-14, struggling with my weight since about age 11. I transformed my life and body with Venus in 2012 and have never looked back, except to show you a before pic ;) The "after" was Nov 2016 at age 32 in Playa del Carmen with my handsome husband who always encouraged me. I am now a size 4 and weigh 148. If I can do it (and keep it) so can you!

So let's get to that recipe, shall we?

Bacon and Egg One Skillet Hash

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 large Onion, diced
4 slices, Bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 large, Eggs
1 cup, shredded, Cheese, cheddar
2 cup, Hash browns (can do dehydrated ones or fresh!)

Directions:
In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray (I like my large cast iron for this) start sauteing your onion and hash browns, When browned, sprinkle over crumbled bacon. Make 4 little holes in the hash mixture and crack your eggs inside. Cover with a lid for a few minutes until eggs are cooked to your desire. Sprinkle over cheese and enjoy! I like to serve mine over a bed of spinach and top with Sriracha ketchup :)

You can use either one, or both!

Cannot wait to eat it!

I microwaved my bacon this time; last time I cooked it in the cast iron skillet and used the dripping for the hash browns!

I just did one egg for each of the kidlets instead of two!

So great over a bed of spinach and topped with Sriracha ketchup!

Nutritional information

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 427
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24 g	37 %
Saturated Fat 11 g	54 %
Monounsaturated Fat 8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 413 mg	138 %
Sodium 490 mg	20 %
Potassium 206 mg	6 %
Total Carbohydrate 27 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	8 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 26 g	52 %
Vitamin A	17 %
Vitamin C	45 %
Calcium	30 %
Iron	16 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Kodiak Pumpkin Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin PB and Berry Syrup

That, my friends, is pumpkin kodiak cakes topped with pumpkin PB and berry syrup. And they are fantastical. Macros are as good as they taste too.

The hubs and I did our part earlier this week ✔and voted early. He wanted a picture of just his sticker on his chest though LOL good thing my Olive Marie always loves a pic ❤ and this is proof I am not always in gym clothes with my hair in a ponytail haha!

My grocery store finally got in more Halo Top Creamery flavors! My sis-in-law JUST told me that I need to try strawberry since it is her favorite; so, I go by the store last night and BOOM! She was right! Yum and love those macros, like always!

Been a bit since I broke a personal record. I am on the last week of a 12 week cutdown and some days, I try but I just don't have it in me. HOWEVER today I hit 250 lbs on my 1 rep max for hip thrust. Best yet! Photoshoot is ONE week from today and cannot wait to see my progress since last year! ✔🍑 hoping for booty-ful ;) ha!

Here is a way to ante up your lateral lunge AKA side lunge- add a weight and a bench. This makes it a weighted deficit lateral lunge, and I bet your inner thighs will be sore the next day ;)

Soooo back to the recipe... we recently bought a HUGE box of Kodiak Cakes mix. This stuff is amazing all by itself with water.

Since it is open season on pumpkin and all things pumpkin spice, I thought I would try a pumpkin bent on them! (...And then I ran out of pumpkin from all my pumpkin antics in the kitchen, need to go get more STAT because I am already needing some more of these!)

Kodiak Pumpkin Protein Pancakes with Pumpkin PB and Berry Syrup

Serves 1

Ingredients
0.25 cup Kodiak Cakes - Power Cakes mix
1 large Egg
1 tbsp  Peanut butter
0.5 cup Frozen Mixed Berries (126g)
0.75 cup Pumpkin Puree, divided
0.33 cup water
0.25 tsp pumpkin spice

Directions
In a mixing bowl, mix together the Kodiak mix, 1 egg, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and water until smooth. Put a small skillet on the stove over medium, and make 2-3 pancakes with the mix.

While the pancakes are cooking, take 0.5 cup of fresh or frozen mixed berries and heat them until they form a syrup. I did mine in the microwave for 1 minute from frozen and stirred in a little stevia to sweeten.

In a small bowl, mix 0.25 cup of pumpkin puree with the tbsp of peanut butter until smooth. I added a smidge of pumpkin spice and stevia too.

Top your pumpkin pancakes with the pumpkin PB and berry syrup. Enjoy :)

Nutritional stats per serving 

(1 serving with pumpkin PB and berry syrup)

• 372 cals
• 43 g carbs
• 16 g fat
• 19 g protein
• 339 g sodium
• 16 g sugars

No Bake Protein Pumpkin Cheesecake

Nothing says, "fall is here" quite like pumpkin does. For our first fall here on the island, it does not feel like fall at all so the pumpkin helps ;) I love that pumpkin is packed full of nutrients and is low calorie. So you know I have been experimenting in the kitchen! This recipe tastes like the real deal, decadent and rich!

Coffee- my breakfast, lunch, and snack today as I am doing an Eat Stop Eat style 24 hour fast. Regardless of whether I am doing a 24h fast or not, it is my breakfast 99% of the time. Why? Because the earlier you eat in the day, the higher your daily calorie total- almost always. It is like breaking a hunger seal. I am usually the hungriest in the evenings, so why not allocate most of my calories for then? Play it smart and do what works for you. I am 2 weeks out from my next shoot so almost back to maintenance land!

So addicted to this Superfood Stuffed Pepper recipe! I think I have made it every day all week long. I subbed 3.5 oz of leftover trimmed brisket for 4 oz lean ground beef in the recipe to keep the macros about the same. (422 cals and 35g protein) OMG! SO good! Serious flavor bomb. AND it is chock full of veggie goodness! Recipe from last week here - http://venuscrossing.blogspot.com/2016/10/superfood-stuffed-bell-peppers.html

I have learned through experimentation that I prefer to do my banded clams on a bench. It gives your lower leg more range of motion so you can really feel it in both glutes. But still swap sides, of course ;)

...So onto the recipe. I made you a video again!

No Bake Protein Pumpkin Cheesecake

serves 1

Ingredients:
1 tbsp(s), Granular Stevia (or sweetener of choice)
0.25 cup (122g), Canned Pumpkin Puree
0.25 cup, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (could sub graham cracker crumbles too)
0.25 tsp, Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 ounce, Neufchatel Cheese (can sub Greek or Low Fat Cream Cheese too)
0.50 Scoop (32g), Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
2 oz, Fage Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together softened neufchatel cheese with Greek yogurt and pumpkin puree. Stir in protein powder, stevia, and pumpkin pie spice. In a tall glass, pour in half the cereal then top with half the pumpkin cheesecake mixture. Repeat with other halves of cereal and pumpkin cheesecake mixture. Garnish with whipped topping if desired. Enjoy!

Nutritional info:

per serving

Nutrition Facts
Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 244
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g	16 %
Saturated Fat 6 g	32 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 47 mg	16 %
Sodium 243 mg	10 %
Potassium 21 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 20 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	13 %
Sugars 9 g
Protein 21 g	41 %
Vitamin A	156 %
Vitamin C	4 %
Calcium	15 %
Iron	11 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

I am thinking this would be good in a chocolate and peanut butter combination too.... off to the kitchen ;)

X-Liss

Superfood Stuffed Bell Peppers

I had a date with the camera this week to make a recipe video. Not going to lie, I had my kitchen rigged up like a redneck haha! But the recipe turned out even more amazing than I expected. Guys, this stuffed pepper is delicious and makes a huge plate full of food (and you know how I am about volume).

My 10 year old daughter made this collage for art and remarked how pretty all the parts were before she combined them and that it looked kind of ugly together. It reminded me of something that I learned from one of my Venus sisters. "You pick all the best parts from beautiful people but together they are not as beautiful as one individual the way God made them." Don't pick and compare your parts to other's best parts. Become the best version of YOU! She decided to write that down at the bottom of her art  

Here is a little twist on reverse hyperextensions for you that extends the glute areas worked 🍑Reverse Hyperextension Frog Kicks 🍑 I have a mini band around my knees! When you come down, go outward with your knees. I didn't think my bench would be high enough for these long legs, but I was pleasantly surprised!

But back to the recipe, I think you are going to love it enough to make it more than once! I also love how there are plenty of veggies packed into this recipe but it doesn't taste like a salad. And finally, it makes one pepper but it is super easy to scale up to feed a family!

Superfood Stuffed Bell Peppers

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
4 oz lean ground beef
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp diced chili pepper
1/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/4 cup shredded kale
1/4 cup spinach
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup rice, cooked
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions: Take the top and seeds off the bell pepper and microwave for 5 minutes. In a cast iron skillet over med-high heat, add your ground beef and taco seasoning. Then add your onion and chili pepper. Stir frequently until meat is browned. Stir in the broccoli, kale, and spinach. Then stir in the tomato paste, rice, and half the cheese until incorporated. Plate the mixture in the skillet over the cooked bell pepper and top with remaining cheese.

Nutritional info for 1 serving: 

422 cals, 18.2 g fat, 30.1 g carbs, 35.4 g protein