No Sew Shirt Skirts

Losing weight is a great thing...until none of your clothes fit anymore. I have had a really hard time keeping my wardrobe kept up with my current size. So I am always looking for simple ways to "expand" my current wardrobe. I came across this on Pinterest, and had my doubts. The men's dress shirt did NOT work out very well at all. However, it gave me the idea to try my other shirts that are too big on me, or that I don't wear anymore. They turned out great! 

No Sew Shirt Skirt...in 5 seconds!

1. Step into the top of the shirt, pull up to the waist
2. Take one arm, and wrap around to the other side of your waist (picture
3. Tuck into the shirt collar
4. Repeat the other side to add the twist, twist the arms before wrapping and tucking. For a larger twist, twist the arms twice.

I tried it with a lot of difference styles of shirts. It was fun to make a whole new wardrobe with old clothes! (Sorry for the poor quality of pictures!)

For shirt sleeves and tank tops, tuck in the sleeves

One of my favorites!

Zucchini...Fun to say, yummy to eat!

Zucchini is great to use in delicious breads and muffins! I wanted to try something new, and healthy, with this delicious vegetable! Below is for  must-try zucchini pizza bites and delicious zucchini pasta.

 

Delicious Zucchini Pizza Bites

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 for a meal

• One large zucchini, sliced
• One jar pizza sauce (or save money and make your own!)
• Any toppings you like (we used onion, olives, banana peppers, and turkey pepperoni and made a variety)
• Low-fat mozzarella cheese
• Low-fat parmesan cheese

1. Slice zucchini about 1/4 inch each.

2. Lay sliced zucchini on baking sheet. Cover with pizza sauce and toppings. Top with a dab of mozzarella cheese, and a dash of parmesan cheese.

3. Turn on broiler to low, place zucchini in oven. Bake until cheese is melted. 

These are incredibly delicious...possibly even better than regular pizza!

Amazing Zucchini Pasta Dishes
Serves 4
There are a lot of variations for this dish, here is what I started with, and variations are listed below. The zucchini can also be blanched instead of sauteed And again, I never really measure anything, so go by your taste!

• Two large zucchini
• 1-2 T olive oil
• Garlic
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt and pepper

Light Zucchini Pasta

• Add any of your favorite veggies (I used onions)
• Parmesan cheese

1. Using a potato peeler or julienne slicer, shred zucchini into strips. 
2. Place oil in a pan, saute veggies to desired tenderness
3. Add shredded zucchini, saute for 2 minutes (if you want it really soft, saute until desired tenderness)
4. Drain out extra liquid--if you do not drain it, it will be very watery!
5. Add seasonings listed above
   
6. Sprinkle cheese, and enjoy!

Pesto Zucchini Pasta (pictured)

• 3 T. Pesto
• Diced onions, and any other veggies you like
• Parmesan cheese

1. Using a potato peeler or julienne slicer, shred zucchini into strips. 
2. Place oil in a pan, sautee onions until slightly carmelized.
3. Add shredded zucchini, sautee for 2 minutes (if you want it really soft, sautee until desired tenderness)
4. Drain out extra liquid--if you do not drain it, it will be very watery!
5. Add pesto and other seasoning, stir thoroughly
6. Sprinkle parmesean, and enjoy!

Alfredo Zucchini Pasta

•  1 Jar of low-fat alfredo sauce (or use the packets)
• Any desired veggies (broccoli is good, and adding chicken is delicious, too!)
• Mozzarella and/or parmesean cheese

1. Using a potato peeler or julienne slicer, shred zucchini into strips. 
2. Place oil in a pan, saute veggies and meat to cook.
3. Add shredded zucchini, saute for 2 minutes (if you want it really soft, saute until desired tenderness)
4. Drain out extra liquid--if you do not drain it, it will be very watery!
5. Add desired amount of sauce (I like mine very lightly sauced, so I used 1/3 to 1/2 a jar), and add additional seasoning listed above
6. Sprinkle cheese, and enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta with Marinara

• 1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara (I use my homeade sauce)
• Mozzarella and/or parmesean cheese

1. Using a potato peeler or julienne slicer, shred zucchini into strips. .
2. Place oil in skillet, add shredded zucchini, saute for 2 minutes (if you want it really soft, saute until desired tenderness)
3. Drain out extra liquid--if you do not drain it, it will be very watery!
4. Add desired amount of sauce (I like mine very lightly sauced, so I used 1/3 to 1/2 a jar), and add additional seasoning listed above
   
5. Sprinkle cheese, and enjoy!

Opa! Experimenting with Greek Yogurt

So, I tried Greek yogurt a few years ago, and I honestly thought it tasted like sour cream. Lately I have heard about how good it is for you, and that it is better than regular yogurt. It is packed full of protein--which is good since I am not good at getting my daily amount. I thought I would give this super-food another try, and I bought some the other day to experiment with it. I have learned that Greek yogurt can replace a lot of other ingredients in recipes, and it is a lot healthier. I have used it in place of mayo and oil, and it works well. Below are a few yummy recipes!

 

Greek Yogurt Fruit Smoothie

 Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 C. Greek Yogurt (I used Fage)
• 1/2 C. Low-fat or skim milk (add more if you want to change the consistency)
• 2 T. Honey
• Lots of yummy fruit! (about 1 C. total, but you can never have too much! I used strawberries and blueberries)
• Ice (I used 4 cubes)
• Splenda (if needed)

Put all ingredients in a blender, and mix! Since Greek yogurt has a more sour taste than other yogurt, it takes some getting used to. The honey and fruit gives it a sweet taste. If it is still too sour, you can add more honey, and a pinch of Splenda. I made this for breakfast the other day--which made for a very filing and easy breakfast! I put everything in the blender container, and put it in the fridge. All I had to do in the morning is add ice and turn it on.  A healthy, high protein breakfast was ready in 2 minutes!

Greek Yogurt Cake

No oil. No eggs. 100% delicious!

• 1 box Devil's Food cake mix
• 1 C. 0% plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 1/3 C. Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl

3. Spoon mix into cake pan. Follow directions on back of box for baking times. 

I made it into S'mores cake (yes, that does take away from the" healthy" component, and the cake it good by itself). I melted marshmallows and placed on top after it was done baking. Crumble graham crackers on top, place under broiler until golden brown.