Workouts

Oh, and by the way...

My sister got me into Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred recently.
It's all on YouTube for you to do. Yes, it is hard. But it feels great!
You do the workout series in 3 different "levels", about 25 minutes each - when YOU feel like level 1 is too easy, move on to level 2, then 3. I love that it's when you're ready. Obviously, it's a "30 day shred", so 10 days for each level, but even if you just stuck with the first level or two, you'd still shed pounds and tone up!
I won't lie to you, I hurt for the first 4 days after doing the FIRST DAY!, but it was truly a good hurt. Every muscle in my body had been worked, and it was wonderful.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'm ready to get back into it! Yes, I missed a few days because pie and turkey seemed more important.
But hey, I'm a human!  = ]

Here are links to J.M.'s 30-Day Shred!

Level One
Level Two
Level Three


Enjoy getting fit!

hannahvictoria

Tator Tot Hotdish // My Original Recipe!

Sorry, I didn't take a picture of my meals..... Because I was too eager to eat..

My boyfriend and I love tator tot hotdish! Everyone I work with who has tried this has asked me to make some and bring the pan in for lunch. I cannot tell you how many times I've given this recipe to others.
I just made a batch last night and we had it today for lunch and supper.. MMMmm....
Granted, it's not the most healthy dish out there, it sure is delicious and easy to make! I love it, Slade loves it, and his momma loves it so much she calls it,

Hannah's Infamous Tator-Tot Hotdish

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
1 (large) bag of tots
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons sour cream [or more if preferred, like me.. I use about 1/3 container!]
1 can corn, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese [divided]
1 1/2 can cream of chicken soup [or mushroom- both taste good]
about 1 teaspoon minced onion flakes [or to taste]
Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (375 works well, too)
Brown hamburger in large frying pan. Add all ingredients to hamburger in frying pan EXCEPT for 1 cup of cheese and tator tots. Stir all ingredients together on medium heat until thoroughly mixed and/or cheese is melting.
In 9x13 baking pan, place 1/2 bag of t-tots on bottom. (You don't need to spray the bottom!) I usually make the entire bottom of the pan into a wall of tator tots and just sprinkle the few I've got left on the top later!
Once all ingredients are well mixed together, layer over the tots in baking pan. Place the rest of the tots on top of mixture and sprinkle remainder of cheese on top!
Bake uncovered for 25-40 minutes.. I know this seems like a huge gap, but baking time varies on what kind of tator tots you are using. Basically, bake until the tots are done and heated through! (nice and soft, not crunchy/hard when chewing)

Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

I love making double batches, too! When making a double, the baking pan you use can be the same size; but be warned that it will be HEAVY and very full!!
I can never let it stand for 5 minutes.. I just pull it out and start eating right away! This hotdish is seriously one of my all-time favorites. I'm so happy with my creation! I know there are many out there similar to mine, but when I started, I never really went off of a recipe with this.. I just threw everything together and added some sour cream. The sour cream is honestly what does the trick and makes it taste so much better than other TT-Hotdishes I've ever had. After making it once, you'll be able to just guesstimate and throw in the ingredients so it's exactly how you want it to taste.

hannahvictoria

Espresso Drink!

I've had an espresso maker since I graduated in high school!, I never used it because in my apartment, I didn't have a place to keep it. Weeellll,,,,, Finally! I can use it in my home!
I am obsessed with holiday drinks of all sorts. My personal favorite is "Ho Ho Mint Mocha" from Caribou Coffee.
Just like with a frappuccino, I've been looking for a good recipe to use. Today I modified/combined a few that I've found online in the past few days. With my beautiful machine, I made a fairly decent drink.

Made enough for "two cups" of espresso
Put some white chocolate in milk and steamed it
Added about a tablespoon of Peppermint flavored syrup

Mixed it all together, put some whipped cream on top, and voila!My first barista drink!

The drink I made today was a little bland. I'm pretty sure I made too much milk for the amount of espresso I had. So when I try again, probably tomorrow, I'll try and change things up so I can have the perfect drink.

I'll post when I figure it out with the best recipe for you to use!!


hannahvictoria

Frappuccino // Pinterest

I am a total coffee addict. Really, I am.
I could drink Caribou coffee all day long.. BOGO days are what I go to bed at 8p for, just so I can get up and be the first one in line.

Photo credit to original pinner.   = ]

I've been looking for good recipes to try online for making a delicious cooler or frappuccino. I found this recipe via Pinterest.

Ingredients:
-1 cup double-strength Starbucks coffee OR 3/4 cup fresh espresso (cold)
-3/4 cup milk (your preference!)
-3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste)
-2 cups ice
-Secret ingredient: Pinch of xanthan gum OR 1 teaspoon dry pectin (keeps Frapp from separating)

Mix all ingredients together and blend. Add toppings of choice and enjoy!

I didn't have any of the xanthaniumonium gum or whatever, but it was still good.
Next time I make one, which will more than likely be today, I won't add so much sugar. I failed a little and tried cutting the recipe in half because I didn't believe all the stuff would fit in the bullet! Those are deceivingly spacious! I'm pretty sure that when I tried to add more, it just went wrong and I over-did it. I changed it a little by adding vanilla syrup. I didn't have any toppings, but maybe it'll be a good excuse to keep whipped cream in the house! Like I said, I used the magic bullet, which I found out is amazing! It's my roommates, so I had never used it before. It took only a few seconds to make. I felt so proud. I put my drink in my Sonic the Hedgehog tumbler and left the house happily!

hannahvictoria

Workouts // Pinterest

I woke up 10:33a cuddling with my kitty and decided that I was going get my coffee started (while going up the steps, I either run or walk on my tip-toes! Every bit helps!) and workout while I wait. I have to take a shower today, so this is perfect reason to work up a sweat - I have no excuse!

Quick Background Fact --- I used to run all the time, but honestly, the last time I worked out at all was in like... July or August..

I started up my computer and headed to Pinterest, where I went to my fitness board and found some workouts to do. I stretched for a few minutes before, then I got serious and went to bodyrock.tv. This website has some serious workouts for any person! They have 30-day plans, 90-day plans, anything! It's amazing how conditioned you can get your body to feel in the 7-12 minutes they're coaching you. I broke a sweat and was panting/heart pounding almost immediately. I love the song Pound the Alarm, so I got pretty excited to see this workout.
Now, the thing about bodyrock is they DO have equipment, which I'm too cheap and broke to buy. You usually can do all the workouts even without equipment. For example, when I needed to jump out of their equalizer, I just imagine a line on my floor.
I love Rigby, but every time I tried to stand up from a push-up (which I can't do yet...) he would run in front of me.
After that, I decided to do some improvised working out. I love dubstep, especially when I workout. I pulled up the song "Whiskers" by Feed Me & Gemini to listen to. I put my feet under my couch and did as many sit-ups as I could. I counted to 30, before literally having to stop. My abs would not let me pull myself up anymore. I learned that for me, the hardest sit-up is when I'm close to the couch and my arms are holding my collar-bones.
I then tried to do a few butt-raise crunches. But again, no matter how hard I tried, I literally couldn't. I got up and did high-knees until the 'big drop' in the song; when that started, I ran in place as fast as I could and stretched for the remainder of the song.
I'm sitting here now and I won't lie, my abs hurt already and a nap has run through my mind. Sad, I know.

All together, my workout was about 20 minutes... and I'm wiped from just that.

Hopefully I can stay motivated to workout even those 20 minutes. Any bit helps.


hannahvictoria

Jewelry Holder // Pinterest

So! One of my first official Pinterest projects that doesn't include food!
My very own jewelry holder. = ]
I got my 'pinspiration' from these posts.. one, two, three.
This whole thing cost me under $6.00!

I went to the thrift store looking for a frame, hopefully with corkboard attached to the back of it! I found exactly that!!! It was kind of an.. ugly perwinkle-y blue color. Frame and corkboard were both painted. Best part? It was only a dollar!!!! I headed over to Hobby Lobby and found some fabric - 30% off!! A full yard was $4.86! 

I had some clear pushpins lying around, which is exactly what I wanted to use anyway. To put the fabric on over the cork, I would've rather been able to pull it out from the frame, but instead I just pinned it down in the 4 corners. I cut it down to size and folded the edges in so you couldn't see my messy cut-lines. I used a yard stick to keep the pins straight.
I counted out how many shorter necklaces I had, how many long, and what bracelets I wanted to hang. I'm going to make another jewelry older for my earrings eventually with the extra fabric I have. 

I haven't had a chance to hang it up in my room yet, but that's because Slade hasn't had time to help me lol.

I put shorter necklaces on top, bracelets in the middle, and long necklaces on the bottom row. That way, they can hang off the lower edge.
I'm so excited to hang it up and put it to use! It's going to go next to my scarves. Which I have 40+ of, because I'm obsessed with them.

This was an easy, fun, and completely affordable project to make! Once it's hanging up, it's not even noticeable that I just pinned it.
If you're going to make one for yourself, or even as a gift, I'll break it down for you!

Supplies:
-Frame/Cork board
-Fabric of Choice
-Pushpins or Nails
-Jewelry, of course!

Steps:
-If you need to paint your frame, do this first and let dry overnight.
-Measure and cut fabric
-Pin or staple to board
-Make row(s) of pins for hanging
-Hang jewelry

Seriously. It's that easy - my steps are almost too simple.

Thanks for reading! I hope you've been 'pinspired' to go out and make one for yourself!

hannahvictoria

Cheesy Chicken Bake

I have about 130+ recipes pinned under my Favorite Recipes board on Pinterest and I FINALLY tried one that wasn't sugary.

<< Cheesy Chicken Bake
(photo from original pin post)

Quick Background Fact for You --- My boyfriend, Slade, doesn't live with me, but he is at my house every day for almost every meal, so when I cook, I definitely am trying to cook for the both of us. 

I saw this recipe on Pinterest a month or two ago and constantly thought about making it. I called my mom for some help with it, being I'm a beginner cook. I made a few subtractions and substitutions for this recipe, but it was still delicious! It lasted my bf and I 3 meal sittings. (we devour big serving sizes for each meal, so it may last you longer!)
Here's the recipe! I'll put the original things next to what I used.



2 Whole, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 box Spanish Rice (about 4 cups cooked) [original: brown rice]
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can Corn, drained --- 15 oz is about 1 Cup
1 Cup Sour Cream [original: plain greek yogurt]
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2-3/4 Cup Salsa (choose your favorite!)
[original: 4 ounces, fluid Can Green Chilies & 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro For Garnish]


Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients //except for cilantro// and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the sour cream and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. //Garnish with chopped cilantro//

Enjoy!


My personal tidbits to add:
I didn't use cilantro or chilies, just because I didn't have any. I used spanish rice instead of brown rice. I had thick chicken breasts, but forgot to pull it out for use before work, so I had to defrost it via microwave, and to keep it from cooking while in there, I cut off chunks as they thawed. I had 6-8 pieces of chicken when I was all done. 
With the chicken being uncooked, I had to bake the entire dish for about 15 minutes longer.
I cooked the rice according to how the box instructed, but I didn't add tomatoes. Using medium salsa, it didn't have a spicy kick, but still tasted delicious.. Plus, I can't handle much spice. = [
I put a bunch of cheddar cheese on the top of it, too! I LOVE CHEESE.

All said and done, Slade and I enjoyed this dish. It's easy, fairly quick, and affordable.
I loved to eat the leftovers; Slade said that it was almost better reheated the next day! I know I will be making this delish-dish much more often!


Thanks for reading my first entry! I can't promise I'll be updating too often, but hopefully this will inspire me to cook more and craft more around the house so I have something to look forward to!; Sharing it all!
Thanks again!

hannahvictoria