After the fact bucket list

On Monday, I did something I never thought I would do. It wasn't something that was even ever on a list of things I wish I had done. I did a stand-up routine at a local theater.

Now that I've done my first stand-up comedy, I am adding it to my bucket list (so that I can check it off!). There are some things I learned.

1. Not every audience is going to connect with the material you have. A seasoned comic can change their path, but one that is doing this for the first time has to keep on trudging through.

2. Stand up comedy is super vulnerable. You walk up to that mic and you are putting all your faith in that your audience will connect with what you are saying and find it funny. This is the most courageous thing I have ever done in my life.

3. I also realized that I have some funny things to say, but I don't know if I have enough to do stand up comedy. I'm thinking I could MC, where I have to say one or two funny things as I'm introducing the next act. However, because of the second sentence in number 1, I do think I could move into stand-up if I had enough material.

4. An act of courage can be inspiring to others. I have received several emails and messages from people who have felt empowered by my courage to get up there and try stand-up. We'll see whether all of these people actually do the things they say they feel empowered to do.

All in all, I'm very happy that I found my courage to do this. Let me tell you, it really took a lot - my introverted self would normally have backed out of this, but I purposefully told people I was doing this so that I couldn't back out.

My message in all of this? Don't let your own personal fears keep you from giving your dreams a try. The worst case scenario is that you completely bomb and nobody remembers you.

Low Carb High Protein Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I've been working on converting family favorite meals to be more friendly to my choice to maintain a high protein, low carb diet. Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole has been a big hit with my family every time I make it. It combines very flavorful, yet distinct foods and is definitely a comfort food staple.

The main things I changed were to use crushed pork rinds (I like the Bakenets brand for this) instead of crushed crackers for the topping and boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. As a result, this recipe is very low carb and very high protein, but still has all the great taste. I would even say the crust is tastier when made from pork rinds.







Here's my recipe:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb. sliced deli ham
8 oz. swiss cheese
3 oz. pork rinds
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 jar four cheese alfredo sauce
1/2 T. dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Cooking spray (original)
Cooking spray (butter)

Before Assembly:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Flatten the chicken thighs with a meat tenderizer
3. Shred the swiss cheese
4. Crush the pork rinds.
5. In a small bowl, combine the grated parmesan with the pork rinds.

Preparation:

1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with the original cooking spray.
2. Layer the chicken thighs in the bottom of the dish.
3. Cover the chicken thighs with ham slices. You may end up with enough for a double layer and that is okay.
4. Cover the ham with shredded swiss cheese.
5. Cover the swiss cheese with the pork rind/parmesan cheese mixture.
6. Spray the topping with butter cooking spray.
7. Place in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until juice runs clear and crust is browned.