When you live in the south, you are very passionate about BBQ. Everyone has an opinion on who has the best, and sometimes it is hard to chose because every town has at least a few places. Even where we used to live, where the town radius was like a 3 mile stretch….we had a BBQ place. And it is on the top 5 list for the whole state in my book.
But you know the one issue with eating BBQ when you are trying to lose weight?? The amount of sugar and crap in the sauce. Because lets be honest, the sauce is what you are there for!!! Enter this low carb crock pot BBQ Chicken Recipe!!!
What You Need
Chicken breast (I had just over a pound, get as much as you need. You will have extra sauce.)
15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 TBSP Swerve brown sugar (can replace with real brown sugar or completely omit)
2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
2 TBSP mustard
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP chili powder
2 TSP Liquid Smoke
1 TSP salt
1 TSP garlic powder
What You Do
Dump it all in the crock pot on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Boom! can it be any simpler than that???
I threw some green onion on ours when I plated it for a little extra something something. Chris had his with a side of green beans, I ate mine over half a sweet potato because I am not longer doing keto.
Another weekend, another round of storms here in Alabama. I could do without all the weather anxiety during this pandemic…you know??? Luckily, it never warmed up enough to become unstable in my area. But man, did a loud and angry storm wake me up yesterday morning at 5am!!! The thunder shook the entire house, so I decided to move to the couch with my book. Chris and Zoe both slept in, so I got a few hours to myself for the first time in over a month. It was fabulous. I didn’t do anything but ready and scroll my phone…but that is what I needed. Shout out to Steph and Jana’s readathon for the inspiration.
Saturday morning, Chris and I decided to give Zoe the princess cottage we have kept hidden for a few months. It only took about 15 minutes to put together, and she had so much fun coming in and out of it all weekend with different toys.
We also put together the storage bench that we purchased for our back deck to house all of Zoe’s outdoor toys that were taking over the garage! I was surprised by how much actually fit once it was together! The assembly of this thing was not my favorite, and honestly, Chris told me he is blocking Wayfair on our server so I cant buy anything else from there. LOL. We had to get creative putting together my desk we purchased from there, and my jewelry armoire I got last year came broken. This thing is together, but the quality is lacking for the price. I saw some at Walmart and a few other places that were better quality than this.
Zoe and I finished up getting the yard ready for spring/summer Saturday evening by raking up and moving a huge pile of leaves that were all along the backside of our house. Talk about a workout. One of Zoe’s favorite outdoor toys is a rake she found at Bargain Hunt that she begged us for. I will take advantage of that as long as I can. Similar one found here.
I made keto friendly crockpot BBQ chicken for dinner Saturday. I have to say, I have made a few different versions of keto friendly BBQ sauce based on what I have on hand, and they have been some of our favorite BBQ meals we have made. Much better than bottle sauce, and a lot healthier! I will try to share the recipe I did this weekend, because even Zoe approved and ate like half my chicken.
Here is a PSA, Target is offering 30% off dresses through Tuesday!!! I had to order some essentials this morning, and I also added this gorgeous dress to my order. I have been eyeing it for months now, and so glad I waited to pull the trigger. I don’t usually do longer dresses, but since this isn’t a true maxi, I might actually be able to pull it off.
I purchased this ruffle hem dress a few months ago (in leopard but all the colors/prints are pretty in person), and it is so cute! You definitely want to size down. You can score it for under $20 right now!
I think this white Wild Fable dress is adorable. but I am not sure about the fit for me. It is also under $20 right now!
I hope you all had a great weekend! Here is to another week in quarantine and our new “normal.”
Happy Friday!!!! Does it even matter that it is Friday anymore? To me I suppose it does, that means I have two days where I don’t have to juggle work into my day. But I usually end up doing some work in the mornings before Zoe wakes up on the weekends to make up for the interruptions I get during the week.
The weather here has been amazing this week. Mostly sunny and in the 60s. We have spent a lot of time outside, with Zoe riding her new bike around our driveway while I walk circles. I have gotten over an hour of “exercise” time in everyday doing that on top my normal workout.
Yesterday was a hard day. I have had zero alone time for over a month now. I cant even shower alone anymore, because I made the mistake of having Zoe jump in with me one evening and now she wants to every single time. Any other moms feeling like they might break soon??? I get about 45 minutes of a workout in by myself at 5am, but then I have to start working before Zoe wakes up to get an hour or two of uninterrupted work in. I definitely don’t count that as alone time.
Favorite Part of My Day: Burning this Tobacco Flower candle every morning while I have my coffee in my office before Zoe wakes up. It came in on Monday, and I have burned it every morning. First of all, can we talk about how gorgeous it is??? The smell is amazing!!! I burn it for an hour or two every morning…and when I come in my office late in the day…I can still smell it. LOVE!!!!!
Favorite Purchase: I dont know what it is about the tile floors in this house, but I cannot keep them clean. I have decided that I am going to have to go back to an old fashioned mop and bucket. After doing extensive research on several different ones, I chose the O-Cedar Spin Mop. It has a ton of good reviews, and it seems relatively easy to find replacement heads for it that wont break the bank. I will report back after a month or so of using it to let you know!
Speaking of cleaning, what I can recommend after about 6 months of using, is the Shark Navigator vacuum!!! I was looking into Dyson, but several people said they aren’t what they used to be. I like my shark hand held that I had for years, so I figured why not. This vacuum just feels like it is built sturdy. You can definitely tell as it maneuvers around that it was made with a lot of thought behind it. I love that the center detaches and you can easily carry it around to do the stairs, curtains, hard to reach areas, your car, etc. Plus it’s pretty.
Favorite Recipe: I found this recipe for Disney’s Dole Whip and I cant wait to try it!!! This will be perfect for a nice spring/summer treat on the weekend!
Favorite Workout: Rebecca has us doing 50 reps each in this leg workout. Basically they feel like they are going to fall off, but in a good way.
And then if you want your shoulders to hurt for two days….try this one. I didn’t feel my abs as much as my arms!! I also played Just Dance several times after doing this workout, so that might be the real issue.
One of my absolute favorites meals, is the baked pork chop recipe I shared years ago. It cooks in a delicious sauce that I LOVE to dip roasted potatoes in. Nothing makes me happier!!!
Since I still tend to eat lower carb in the evenings, and Chris is still completely Keto…I needed to find a replacement recipe. Enter these perfect oven pork chops! They cook up amazingly well, and you don’t need to light up the grill. These are also Zoe approved. In fact, she constantly requests them now!
What You Need
pork chops (I usually have a package of 4)
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
2 TBSP Swerve Brown Sugar (you could use regular if you aren’t keto)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
What You Do
Preheat oven to 375
Mix together all the seasonings and brown sugar in a small bowl
Place pork chops on a baking sheet, and rub them down with the oil on both sides.
Rub the seasoning on both sides of the pork chops
Bake for 25-30 minutes
A picture of Zoe’s plate. Pork chops and applesauce. Who remembers what show that is from???? Am I dating myself, or what??
Dani did a post last week with her top 10 songs, and I thought that was a brilliant idea! Like her, I have about 10 songs that would make this list no matter what, and a few that would be based on what mood I was in. Doing this in alphabetical order, just like Dani because you can’t possibly ask me to put them in order. Also, since today is the 15th…I am choosing 15. Do you know how hard it is to narrow these down????
All I Have to Give by Backstreet Boys
I mean come on you guys. You know that an NSYNC or Backstreet Boys song had to make it. If I have to pick only one, this is my absolute favorite.
Blackout by Tritonal
I am not sure what it was about this song, but it soothed Zoe when she was an infant, and I bounced her up and down and sang this to her in the middle of the night. The lyrics were fitting…
Yeah, it was you and me You and me Against the world It was You and me You and me Against the worldDon’t you worry, baby, there’s a fire for us No, we’re not going down in a blackout And if the stars above me Crumble into dust No, we’re not going down in a blackout
Freaking LOVE this song. Roll down the windows, turn the radio up and just drive.
Freak of the Week by Marvelous 3
I cannot tell you how many times I have seen Marvelous 3 in concert. Straight up transports me back to high school and college. Butch Walker for life!!!! I love all their songs, I love Butch Walker when he went off on his own. This song can instantly transport me to a better mood. I really love My Way too, and I have to say it was constantly on repeat in my car for a really long time after it came out.
Glycerine by Bush
I don’t think I know a single person that was born in the early 80’s and doesn’t like Bush?? This song came out when I was in middle school, and I just love it.
Hang by Matchbox 20
I love any song by Matchbox 20, but for whatever reason, this one is my favorite. They were the first band I ever saw in concert and I would go to see them again in a heartbeat. They’re supposed to come to Birmingham in August…assuming we can go in public by then. I am too old for a school night outdoor concert in the dead of summer, but I am heavily contemplating still going.
I Miss You by Blink 182
I had a really hard time picking between I Miss You and Damnit. I just knew Blink had to make the list! I love this one a little more, but Damnit is the song I think about when I think of Blink 182. It played on repeat in my Jeep for years!
Love Like Crazy by Lee Brice
This song is how you should live your life, plain and simple.
No Scrubs by TLC
Can you think of a better girl song than this? I don’t care who you are, when this song comes on, you are singing it with all your heart.
Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi
Who isn’t on the pursuit to happiness?
Sail by Awolnation
This song reminds me of the beach. Maybe because we played it a lot one of the trips we were down there. I can easily transport myself back there when the first beat drops.
Simple Man by Shinedown
I absolutely love the Shinedown version of this song. Another song to live your life by.
U Got It Bad by Usher
Freaking LOVE Usher. Ursher. I had a hard time picking which one I wanted on the list. So many good ones. Without You is one that really stands out to me too. I have run into Usher many times when I lived in Atlanta, it was pretty cool. U Got It Bad was in The Sweetest Thing movie. That movie just reminds me of college and always brings a smile to my face.
Zoe Jane by Staind
Pretty sure you know why this one is on the list! If you remember the story of how Zoe’s name came to be.
Zombies by The Cranberries
Chris and I have spent hours and hours of our lives listening to this song, and any song ever performed on The Voice, America’s Got Talent, etc version of this song.
