My GSU days...

I graduated from Georgia Southern in 2008. My major was Family and Consumer Sciences Education. I am now going on my 6th year teaching high school post college...scary! This past year I taught Culinary Arts for the first time ever. It has definitely been a huge learning experience but I now love it. 

Best Alumni around!!

In my opinion GSU has the best education program around. By the time you graduate you have been in a public school classroom for 3 semesters. My last semester I student taught in Screven county with Mrs. Ayers. I adore her and she's the reason I survived my first year teaching.

Last summer I became certified to teach Culinary Arts through the Culinary Institute of America. Let me just tell you those were some long days but OMG at everything I learned! Our Chef instructor was
from New York and got such a kick out my southern bell accent. For our final test grade we had to teach knife skills in the form of a presentation. I rewrote the lyrics to "Teach me how to Dougie" into
"Teach me howda Cuttie". It was pretty dang hilarious seeing those teachers faces when I started white girl rapping. 

So long story short, teaching Culinary I am ALWAYS around food and if I'm not around it I'm talking about it. But ya know what, I'm determined to not let that get in my way. I am actually going to use

it to my advantage and experiment with healthy recipes/healthy substitutions. By the end of this weight loss journey I'm going to be lookin like Giada de Laurentiis...haha 

I have an easy but yummy recipe to share for a stuffed pork loin. You can always add or take away to make it your own. Serve with rice pilaf or risotto, a veg and you're set. One 1/2 inch slice is around 270 calories vs. 350 calories without the low cal substitutions. This is delicious and soooooo worth the calories!!

Stuffed Pork Loin
-Pork Loin
-1 pack frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed)
-1 package light or reduced fat cream cheese (softened)
-1 cup lite mayo
-2 cups Italian bread crumbs
-Plastic wrap (to place over meat when pounding with meat mallet)
-Salt and pepper
-Meat mallet (or go all redneck on it and use a hammer if you don't have one)
-Butcher's twine

Split pork loin down the side like a sub roll (not all the way through), open and
cover with plastic wrap, pound with meat mallet until around 1/2 inch thick
and lightly salt/pepper both sides (take it easy on the salt because pork is naturally salty).
Mix spinach and cream cheese in a bowl. Then spread evenly over meat. 

Carefully roll pork loin and tie with butcher's twine.
Rub the outside with mayo (keeps meat from drying out). 

Roll in bread crumbs, wrap in tin foil and bake on
350 for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.