Things That Will Change Your Life

 

Things That Will Change Your Life

•    Invest in a skill that brings you income – or side income.  Always bet on yourself.

•    Get dressed as soon as you wake up and watch how you’ll feel ready to take on the day.

•    Get morning sunlight instead of a morning scroll. Step outside for 10 minutes or use 10,000 lux light if you wake before sunrise (or live in a sun-deficient region)

•    Eat protein and fat before any carbs to balance blood sugar. Avoid naked carbs.

•    Swap “I have to” with “I get to”. Gratitude shifts your entire energy.

•    Start meal planning to avoid an overwhelming “what shall I make for dinner” loop that helps you to actually stick to healthy eating.

•    Front load your water intake in the mooring before your day gets busy.

•    Go to bed at the same time for 14 nights straight and watch your energy levels reset.

•    If you struggle with insomnia, drink tart cherry juice 2 hours before bed. Do this every day to build a solid sleep routine.

•    Contrast breathing 2x/week to reset your nervous system.

•    Do the “hard” thing before mid-day.

•    Launch the thing you’ve been sitting on. Done is ALWAYS better than perfect. (or “to-do”)

•    Track your screen time. Measure it to manage it.

•    Do one thing a week that intimidates you to expand your comfort zone.

•    Spend 20-30 minutes every day learning something you’ve been avoiding.

•    Unfollow people who make you compare yourself.

•    Set a recurring “CEO Session” every Sunday to steer your week with intention.

•    Build a 3-step system to calm yourself when triggered.

•    Stop chasing closure. Give it a rest and gift yourself peace.

•    Ask “What is this emotion really telling me?” Self-awareness is free therapy.

•    Try 7 days alcohol free and rate your clarity.

•    Make decisions faster. Overthinking drains more energy than failure with action ever will.

•    Move daily – even 15 minutes counts.

•    Create more than you consume. For every hour of mindless scrolling, do 2 hours of deep work (whatever that means to you)

May is Mental Health Month

 

Mental Health Counseling is for people navigating life.

 

 

smashy chicken burger taco thingy #cookingwithD

Messing in the kitchen one day, I decided to try a smash-up recipe to indulge in my love of burgers AND tacos. This one features a gluten free flour tortilla and is made with ground chicken, but any combo of your liking will work. The possibilities are endless! Taco seasoning on the burger and taco toppings, chicken Caesar salad toppings, mushroom and Swiss (or grilled onion) burger, pizza toppings, Big Mac-ish, bacon burger, Cali burger, Cuban sammie - and so on and so on and so on...

What would you create?

                                          Delish!

Where has D been?

 good golly miss molly! 

It's been a m i n u t e since I've seen this space!

Well, well, well.

I'm baaaaaaaack!

dang, I'm disappointed for not using this page 

ALL

THESE 

YEARS

no use crying over spilled milk - or unspilled tea for that matter. 

hold on tight, there WILL  be content here - probably more than you'd like :)

D

Southern Fried Shrimp

Who doesn't love a crispy fried snack from the sea?

These delicious golden nuggets are so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.  

All you’ll need is flour (either regular wheat flour or your favorite gluten free mix), cornmeal, Cajun or Creole seasoning, shrimp (raw peeled and deveined, medium or large), eggs, canola oil, and whatever your dipping sauce heart desires (tartar, seafood / cocktail or pepper jelly)

You can even change the seasoning if you’d like. Cajun and Creole seasonings are a spicy mix of cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and thyme.

They taste slightly different than Old Bay, which has celery salt (salt, celery seed), red pepper, black pepper and paprika, but any of these would work in this recipe.

It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish if you fry the shrimp right after you bread them. For added crunch and to ensure the breading sticks to the shrimp, I recommend refrigerating the breaded shrimp on a wax paper-lined tray for 30 minutes before frying.

These crispy delights go great with hushpuppies, grits, coleslaw or red beans and rice.

Or pile them on oblong French rolls with zesty rémoulade sauce, crunchy shredded lettuce, pickles, and sliced tomatoes to create classic po' boys.

1/4 C flour

1/4 C cornmeal

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1 pound raw peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp

2 beaten eggs

canola oil 

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and Cajun seasoning.

Dip raw shrimp into a bowl of beaten eggs, then coat in the cornmeal mixture.

In a skillet, cook the shrimp in 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium-high heat until golden and brown, 4 minutes total flipping once after 2 minutes.

Work in batches that allow the shrimp plenty of room in your skillet - don’t overcrowd the skillet or the shrimp will steam more than fry. Transfer cooked shrimp to paper towel-line or paper bag-lined plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Serve with tartar sauce and seafood cocktail sauce if desired.  Makes 4 servings.

These little lovelies can be cooked in an air fryer if desired. Preheat air fryer at 400* for about 3 minutes. Lightly spray basket with cooking spray. Add about half the shrimp. You want them in one layer and not crowded. Spray shrimp with cooking spray.

Air fry for about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining shrimp.

Bonus Recipe!

Zesty Rémoulade Sauce

3/4 C mayonnaise

1/4 C minced dill pickles

2 T drained prepared horseradish

1 T hot sauce

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Zucchini & Corn Tacos

Super easy. Super Quick. Super Delicious.  These tacos are the perfect solution for a simple and fast Meatless Monday dinner (or any day of the week!) These would also be excellent to take to work for a Not Sad Desk Lunch.

All you need to do is::
Add about 1 C diced fresh zucchini to frozen “fiesta corn mix” 
(corn, black beans, onions, peppers – such as Birdseye C&W Ultimate Southwest Blend) 

Heat and stir in a hot skillet with a little oil or butter for about 5 minutes until heated through. Top warmed corn tortillas with the mixture. Top as desired (Jack cheese, tomato, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, etc.)
Ole' & Enjoy!

Simply Delicious Broccoli Cheddar Soup

It's getting a bit chilly outside and that means it's time for soup for dinner (and for lunch and possibly even breakfast!)
I created this simple, satisfying and ultra-cheesy broccoli soup to warm me up.

4 C chicken or vegetable broth
4 C chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 tsp olive, canola or other light tasting oil
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 (15 oz.) can evaporated milk
4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese (*see note below)
1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, pressed
a few generous pinches of Old Bay or Cajun seasoning

In a large pot, cook diced onion in olive or canola oil over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the butter and melt over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk until combined.
Add the chicken broth and stir until combined. Add the broccoli and heat over medium high heat until it comes to a low boil.
Reduce heat to medium and continue simmering for about 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in the evaporated milk and continue cooking for 3 minutes, returning to a simmer.
At this point, you can mash the broccoli with a potato masher, if desired. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

* I used 2 cups of Tillamook Medium Cheddar AND 2 cups of Tillamook Sharp White Cheddar (Farm Style Cut). Some brands of shredded cheese melt more easily than others. I recommend buying a block of cheddar and shredding it yourself and adding it to the hot soup, off the heat and stir until melted, to avoid curdling the cheese.
The Farm Style Cut Sharp White Cheddar really punched up the flavor of this soup.  If you prefer a less sharp result, use cheddar only.