Recipe Wednesday - BBQ Burger Biscuits

I don't know about you, but the times that I eat the least healthy are the times that I'm pressed for something, be it money, time, ingredients, etc. It's those pressed times that it's just more convenient to swing by a drive-thru somewhere and pick up fast food. It's also those times that I think every home cook should have an arsenal of recipes at their disposal that are quick, easy, cheap and healthier than fast food. This is one of those recipes.

My friend Alison came up with this recipe (or maybe she saw it somewhere) when she was in college, and now that time has passed and we all have our own little families, it's been resurrected. Not only is it easy, cheap and made of basic fridge staples, but it's a favorite with our husbands and kids.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken. I like 90/10 ground beef)
1/2 bottle bbq sauce (any kind, but the lower in sugar, the better)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of biscuit dough (any kind)
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to whatever temp your biscuit directions require. In a skillet, brown ground beef. When beef is cooked through, drain off any excess grease. Season with a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Pour in 1/2 bottle of bbq sauce and stir together. Remove from heat.

Spray a muffin tin (12 ct, not mini muffin), with nonstick spray. Open the can of biscuits and press each biscuit down into the cups of the muffin tin, creating little "biscuit bowls". Spoon hamburger mixture into the biscuit bowls and top with shredded cheese.

Place the muffin tin on top of a baking sheet to catch any bbq sauce that may run off, and bake according to biscuit directions.

That's it. Serve one of your little bbq burger biscuits with a salad or steamed veggie, and you have a quick meal that's healthier and cheaper than a drive-thru burger, and your family will love it. This recipe's also great for bachelors and college kids. Our mom circle has had plenty of requests for the recipe from both!

P.S. - If you want to try another variation, swap out the bbq sauce for taco seasoning and a little water. You can also swap out the beef for any leftover meat that you need to use up - pulled pork, fajita meat, ham or turkey. It's a great recipe for those end-of-the-week days when you just haven't made it to the grocery store yet.

21 Days to Healthier You

Have you heard the old saying, "It takes 21 days to break a habit"? I'm pretty sure I've used it before on this blog, but if you haven't, it's true. Not only does it take 21 days to break a habit, but that's also how long it takes to make a habit. Therefore, in 3 weeks, you could feasibly break your bad habits and start make some good ones.

21 days... that's it. I know a lot of us have a tendency to say, "I'm giving up sweets!" or "I'm giving up caffeine!" Then, a week into it, the idea of forever starts to look really daunting and we just give up. Trust me when I tell you, telling yourself that you'll give something up for 21 days is a LOT easier than telling yourself you'll give it up forever. And the really great thing, is that by the time the 21 days is over, your cravings are gone, your body's gotten used to not having it and you don't want it anymore. It's a glorious thing. And you only have to struggle through 21 days. 

The 21 day plan is what I use any time I need to make a change. I usually get out a piece of posterboard, draw a calendar and tape it to the fridge, where I can cross off every day as it passes, but it can be cumbersome, and if you're like most people, you probably don't have room on your fridge for a poster. That's why I created a 21 day pocket guide. It's a 46-page pocket guide, that you can order in soft cover or hardcover, with daily inspirational quotes and lined pages to write down what you eat, how much exercise you get and whatever else you do to improve yourself. And each day is numbered, so you know where you are in your commitment. Of course, the icing on the cake is a little congratulations letter from me when you finish logging your 21 days. You can get it from blurb.com starting at $15.00 + shipping and handling. 

21 Days to Healthier You by Courtesy of stupiddonuts.blogspot.com | Make Your Own Book

New Years is fast approaching, and what better way to stick to your resolutions that a log of accountability? :)

My "I'm not going out there. It's cold!" Workout

I'm a giant baby when it comes to the cold, and the heat for that matter, and I combat both by just refusing to leave my house. Were I less industrious, that plan would really throw a wrench in my workout routine, but lucky for me, the same determination that keeps me hermitted in my house for the winter helped me develop a workout routine that I can do from my living room.

I've said before that I haven't had a gym membership for years, but that doesn't stop me from exercising. I rage internally when I hear people use the excuse that they can't lose weight and workout because they can't afford or don't have time for a gym. Gyms are great, provided you know what you're doing there, but they are by no means essential. Unless you live in the ghetto, anyone can get out and go for a walk or a run, and if you do live in the ghetto, then the workout I'm about to share can be done inside locked doors.

When the weather's nice, I usually walk a couple miles a day, but while walking burns calories and helps strengthen your heart, it really doesn't do much for muscle tone, and, if you remember my post "Strength Training - the Necessary Evil", you'll remember that muscle burns more calories than fat. So, I still have to find a way to strengthen my muscles. Back in the day, I would go out to the garage and use our power rack to bench press and do barbell squats and lat-pulldowns, but we sold it, so that's no longer an option. Plus, I'm betting most people don't have a power rack in their garage. So, I developed this routine for myself that uses your own body weight and requires nothing but your body and a floor.

Typically, you should focus on one body part per workout when strength training, like your arms, or your legs, or your back, to give each muscle group time to recover before you stress them again, but this routine doesn't put too much strain on them, so it's a full-body workout. I still recommend waiting a day between workouts if you're sore.

The system is easy. It consists of 7 exercises, and for each exercise (except the last one), you do 4 sets of 25 reps. So, basically, you're doing 100 reps of each exercise. The final exercise is holding a pose, so you only do 3 reps. I know it sounds like a lot, but you don't have to do it all together. You can spread it out however you like throughout the day, but the more you do at one time, the more you'll get your heart rate up, and the more beneficial the workout will be. If I do them all together, it takes about 20 minutes.

EXERCISE 1: Kneeling Push-ups (works your arms).  4 sets, 25 reps/set

If you're strong enough to do them correctly, you can do real push-ups, but I stick with kneeling, or girly-style of you prefer. I'm hoping that by the time I'm strong enough to do 200 kneeling push-ups, I'll be strong enough to do 1 real push-up.

To do a kneeling pushing, get on the ground on your hands and knees. With your arms straight, lengthen your body, so that your legs and back form a straight line, and your arms are straight out under your chest, perpendicular to the floor. Lift your toes off the ground and balance your lower body on your knees. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your arms form a 90 degree angle and your chest almost touches the ground. Pause, push yourself back up and re-straighten your arms. That's one rep. Continue to 25 reps to complete your first set.

EXERCISE 2: Crunches (works your core) 4 sets, 25 rep/set

Lie on the ground on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head. This is your starting position. To perform a crunch, using your abdominal muscles, lift your head and neck until your shoulder blades are off the ground. Pause, then lower back down to the starting position. This is one rep. Continue to 25 reps to complete a set.

EXERCISE 3: Oblique Crunches (works your core and helps tone up your love-handles) 4 sets, 25 reps/set

Lie on the ground in the crunch starting position.Perform a crunch, but as you raise up, bring your left knee and right elbow as close together as you can. Lower back to start and repeat with right knee and left elbow. That's one rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.

EXERCISE 4: Reverse Crunches (works core, specifically lower abs) 4 sets, 25 reps/set

To perform a reverse crunch, lie on the ground on your back. Place hands behind your head. Rather than putting your feet on the floor, bend your legs at a 90 degree angle, so that your calves are parallel to the floor. This is your start position. To do the crunch, keep your shoulders on the ground and pull your legs into your chest as much as you can. Return to start. This is one rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.

EXERCISE 5: Body Weight Squats (works thighs and gluts, a must-have exercise if you want a curvy booty) 4 sets, 25 reps/set

To perform a squat, stand straight up with your feet planted firmly below you, shoulder-width apart. Put your hands on your hips. Stick out your butt and arch your back. Keeping your chest straight and staring straight ahead, bend your knees and lower your body until your knees form a 90 degree angle. Be careful not to push your knees out past your toes. Push your hips forward to stand back up. (This puts less strain on your knees.) That's 1 rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.

EXERCISE 6: Body Weight Close Squats (works your thighs and calves) 4 sets, 25 reps/set

To perform a closed body weight squat, stand straight with your heels together and your toes angled slightly away from each other, like the ballet stance. With your back straight, bend your knees and lower your body until the backs of your thighs almost touch your calves. Use your hips to push forward and stand back up. This is 1 rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.

EXERCISE 7: Planks (works your core) 3 reps, try for 30 seconds/rep

Planks are rough, but they strengthen your core like nothing else. For this exercise, you're holding a position for a designated amount of time, so you're only going to do it 3 times. For each rep, try to hold it for 30 seconds. To perform a plank, lie on the ground on your stomach. Plant your toes into the ground, like you're bracing to do a real push-up, but rather than straightening your arms, you want to brace yourself on your elbows with your hands under your chin. Dig your toes in and lift your body off the ground, so that your back is perfectly flat and all of your weight is balanced between your toes and your elbows, tighten your abs and start counting. Since all of your weight is being held up by your core, your abs should be on fire and your whole body should start shaking as you go on. This is normal! Count to 30, then lower back to the ground. That's one rep. Rest and do this two more times.

So, there it is - my full-body "I'm not leaving the house" workout. I hope you use it and I hope you like it. If you do it a couple times a week, you should notice a difference in your tone pretty quickly. As you get stronger, add more sets or more weight. You can hold dumbbells or a barbell during squats or place a medicine ball on your stomach during crunches.