DIY Wood Photo Ornament

Every year I like to add a new ornament to our tree and this year I decided to make them and they turned out better than anything I could have ever bought! 

Our beloved angel Gigi!

To make your own photo transfer wood ornaments, you will need:

- A photo printed on basic computer paper with a laser printer 

- Branch slices about a 1/2 inch thick (I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby)
- Mod Podge
- Drill
- Small ribbon (I used some striped ribbon I had on hand, but color is up to you!)
- Small paintbrush
- Washcloth


Directions:

Cut out your photo to fit the wooden disc. Coat the wood slice with a thin coat of mod podge and place the photo face-down onto the disc. Carefully smooth out all the bubbles, and let it sit overnight. 

The next morning, use a wet washcloth to dampen the photo, rubbing it VERY gently until the paper starts to come off -- and you start to see the image on the wood underneath! Continue to do this until all the paper is gone, but be careful -- if you rub too hard, the image can come off too.

Once you've rubbed off the paper, paint a coat of Mod Podge and let it dry completely. Drill a hole, string it with your ribbon, and hang it on the tree!

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Step 4

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Healthy BBQ Chicken Pizza

with Sweet Potato Crust

Let me tell you something...pizza is like my spirit animal..its the one thing that I CANNOT live without and I'm telling you...this is the BEST pizza that I have ever made AND it's healthy...say what?!?! You have to add this to your MUST TRY list of healthy recipes that taste like they shouldn't be!! #theresnoweinpizza

Ingredients :

•3 medium sweet potatoes

•1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

•1 cup spinach, chopped

•1 cup pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded

•1 egg 

•1 cup almond flour

•1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

•1 teaspoon dried basil

•1 teaspoon garlic powder

•1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

•1/2 cup barbecue sauce 

•1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

Prep time..about 20 minutes Cook time..about 40 minutes total

STEP ONE: pre-heat oven to 400 F degree

STEP TWO: cook sweet potatoes in microwave until soft

STEP THREE: peel sweet potatoes ( i just cut them & scoop out guts) and add to large mixing bowl with : 1 cup almond flour, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar. ( for an extra kick I add a pinch of chili powder.) mash ingredients until well combined and the mixture take on a doughy consistency.

STEP FOUR: use rubber spatula to spread on a pizza stone. You want the crust to be evenly distributed about 1/3 in. I used my Demarle at Home silpat instead of pizza stone. You could use either if you have them.

STEP FIVE: cook dough at 400 F degree for 30 minutes.

STEP SIX: while pizza dough is baking: shred 1 cup of pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, chop 1 cup spinach, and sauté on thinly sliced medium red onion until soft. I added a little mozzarella cheese.

STEP SEVEN: remove pizza dough from oven. Once you take it out let it cool about 20 min to let the crust harden a bit and then spread 1/2 cup bbq sauce and 1/2 cup tomato sauce on top.

STEP EIGHT: cover pizza with shredded rotisserie chicken, chopped spinach, and red onions. Drizzle with BBQ sauce.

STEP NINE: return pizza to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

SLICE & ENJOY!

Cloud Bread-How To Make

Let me tell you about Cloud Bread!!! This low carb bread has been all the rage and I had to try it out myself! It looked so good, but it also sounded too good to be true! Cloud bread makes you feel like you're eating actual bread, minus the carbs. It's mostly protein, it is light and fluffy, but crispy enough to form a sandwich or eat like toast. And here's the part that sounded too good to be true...WAIT FOR IT...it's only 47 calories per slice!!! 

EPIC FAIL

Most cloud bread recipes call for eggs, cream of tartar (a natural thickener), and cream cheese, which despite being delicious, is not very good for you. The recipe I followed used Greek Yogurt which I'm a huge fan of because I sub EVERYTHING with greek yogurt from "mayo" to "sour cream"! The sandwich-sized rounds came out of the oven with a crisp exterior and fluffy – you guessed it – cloud-like interior. When stored overnight, they become soft and chewy.

Cloud bread tastes a little like egg so I added some fresh oregano from my garden, paprika, and himalayan salt and it made it taste more like bread. You can adjust the flavor to your pallet! My first go around with this recipe was an EPIC FAIL. It resulted in one big, flat, cloud! 

TIP: your mixture should flop on the baking sheet just like cool whip would! I followed the recipe exact so I couldn't quite figure it out, but the second go around went perfect so I switched up the recipe a bit for people like me who somehow suck at following instructions and end up making things twice. Hopefully it will save you from having to do it a second time! HAHA!

Cloud Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Cloud bread is light, fluffy, low carb, high protein (well, for bread) and is just 47 calories per slice!

Foodie Source: Beachbody

Serves: 3 servings, 2 pieces each

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray (Unless you're using a Demarle Silpat like me) 
• 3 large eggs
• 1 dash cream of tartar
• 1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt) (to taste, optional)
• ⅓ cup reduced-fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Fage brand)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 300° F.
2. Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray. Set aside.
3. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Place whites in a medium bowl. Place yolks in a separate medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with a mixer on high until stiff peaks form. TIP: you should be able to hold your mixing bowl upside down and it won't fall out, roughly 4-8 minutes! Set aside.
5. Add salt (and any other seasoning of choice) and yogurt to egg yolks. Beat with a mixer on medium until blended.
6. Gently fold ⅓ of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture. Fold in the remaining egg white mixture until just incorporated. TIP: Be careful not to overmix.
7. Using a spoon, transfer a scoop of egg mixture onto prepared baking sheet, gently spreading into a thick pancake shape about 3 inches in diameter. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and exterior is crispy to the touch. Immediately loosen cloud breads with a spatula; allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container.

ENJOY!!!