29 April 2009

Meeting Shamu

I can honestly say that I never ever ever thought that I would make the following statement:

"Standing next to Shamu made ME look FAT!"


Seriously, I need one of you photoshop magicians to tell me how to change my shirt color so that I am not the one in the picture that looks like a WHALE!

Link up and share your Word-ful and Word-less Wednesday pictures!

(my google reader is being pissy this morning so I can't pull up the blogs to link up...maybe later.)



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24 April 2009

Fat Fighting Friday - W13

Okay so nothing new to report on the weight loss front. I really hope that changes soon but I am getting rather bored with my own updates so I know you have to be too!



I decided that I would share with you my favorite 3 foods right now!



Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds - Dark Chocolate Flavor

7 of these little wonders are my absolute favorite 1 point snack! These almonds have the same nutrition information as regular dry roasted almonds but they taste like real chocolate covered almonds... you know the ones my fat self used to get every single time we went to the movies (granted if you just had some "real" ones last week then you might wait a while but if you are like me and haven't had the "real" ones in several years then why are you still reading this... you should be on the way to the store!)



PB2

I have been adding a serving of PB2 (50 calories, 5 g protein) to my oatmeal every morning! Yummy! I also really like it mixed into chocolate protein smoothies.



Laughing Cow Cheese

I like laughing cow cheese on apples, I really like the way one little wedge of this stuff can make egg beaters taste so creamy and good. I also like laughing cow mixed into potatoes or polenta. My favorite use though is still my chicken recipe!



What is your favorite "healthy" product right now?



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22 April 2009

the Effects of Getting Healthy

Today is Earth Day...

I am making an effort to be greener and teach my family to be greener.
I have changed all of our light bulbs to the CFLs except the ones in the vanity.
We installed a more energy efficient heating and a/c unit (not really by choice, but it had to be done.)
We had our house weather proofed.
We use our own shopping bags.
I am gardening and growing some of our own food (my broccoli plants are looking amazing!).
We recycle.
We compost.

However, I still have plenty of inner conflict when it comes to what I prefer and what is best for my environment.
I don't plan to give up my SUV any time soon.
We just spent the weekend at amusement parks using 'unnecessary power'.I don't turn off the power strips to the entertainment centers in our house because I don't want to reset the clocks!
James wears Pampers.

During this journey that I have been on to get healthy I have inadvertently learned how to keep Mother Earth healthier too. See, since we started composting, we have been talking a lot about how the foods we need to be eating should be generating compost and not recycling or trash. This has been a very helpful tool in motivating Kirstyn to want to eat healthy. It has also helped me even more because she is like having my own 'Jimmy Cricket' on my shoulder!

For example, by eating a '100 calorie pack' of something, we generate trash; but, by eating an apple, the only waste generated is the apple core and that is composted! It gets even more convicting, by drinking a can of diet soda, recycling is generated; but, by drinking a glass of tea, the tea bag can be composted.

Taking care of myself and taking care of my planet really do go hand in hand...

And the real reasons behind all of my efforts are these two adorable faces!




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20 April 2009

Back...

Just a very quick update to let you all know that we are back home safe, sound, and sleepy!

We left Friday morning and returned tonight from a fabulous weekend in San Antonio! We spent time at Sea World, Fiesta Texas, the Alamo, and the Riverwalk. We had a great time and I took LOTS and LOTS of pictures! I will download my pictures and share some many of them in the next few days!

If you are wondering if I will be stopping by your blog, the answer is yes but right now I am over 400 posts behind in my reader and right now all I want to do is go to sleep in my own bed!

Oh and yes, I had some very yummy, probably too yummy, Mexican food... I just hope I didn't blow it too bad! Time will tell...

Oh and every night we asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was and I have to say my favorite part was all of the truly QUALITY TIME that we got to spend with each other away from the computer, tv, work, gym, school and housework! David has been working a lot and studying like crazy for his graduate class so this was a much needed getaway! I have to say, I am not looking forward to tomorrow since it will be "catch up" time and laundry day! (Have you noticed how the laundry multiplies even faster while on vacation?)

So, what did you do this weekend or what did I miss on your blog since it may be a while before I make it over there?

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17 April 2009

Fat Fighting Friday - W12

DOWN 1.8! All I have to say is.... It is ABOUT TIME! That puts me down 4 lbs in 12 weeks, not exactly record breaking but at least I am headed in the right direction!

Summer is on its way.... let's do this!

Oh and cross your fingers that I don't blow it this weekend as we will be eating out several times! I will be careful how I order but it is still not the same as controlling the calories at home!

Have a great weekend!
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15 April 2009

The Journey so far...

This is my 500th post!


So, since this is a pretty major milestone in the "life of my blog", I thought I would share with you the personal journey that I have been on during that same time. I have really been thinking about the person that I was when I had Kirstyn (about the same time I started writing on the blog) and the person that I am now. One of the reasons I have been thinking about that is because a few weeks ago at my MOPS meeting the Steering Team did a thing called Cardboard Testimonies and it was pretty powerful and moving. Anyway, for the cardboard testimony we all needed to think of a word or a few words that described us before and then that describe us now and how God worked in our lives. For example, some could say "Fear and Worry" then flipped to say "Experiencing God's Peace", another one was, "Unable to Trust" then flipped "Happy Marriage", yet another one said "Lost" and then "Found". You get the idea...





Mine said



"Lazy"





and then the other side said



"Disciplined".





So, what has changed?



  • I now exercise regularly for the first time in my life!


  • I used to just watch Kirstyn and now I PLAY!


  • I menu plan a month at a time where I used to plan dinner at 5:00 and that often meant fast food!


  • I have learned to prepare healthy meals for my family on a budget! I used to have all kinds of excuses for not trying new foods and new recipes but the real truth was that I was being too lazy to learn new recipes and spend the time to make them.


  • I am learning to grow some of our own food.


  • We are now composting, recycling, washing clothes in cold water, and doing other things to take care of our environment.

  • I am really working to continue learning all I can about "being healthy".

  • I realize that I still have a long way to go and that there is always room for improvement in the Lazy/Disciplined department.

Thanks for all of the support and encouragement. You my friends have done a lot to encourage me and help me realize that I CAN do anything I set my mind to doing...


Now, if my garden will just grow....


Thanks for reading and commenting!


Oh and if it isn't too much trouble, share with me an area of your life that you have been working to improve over the last 4 years or so...

(If you are a blog stalker**said with much love**....it would make my day today if you would de-lurk and leave me a comment!)
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12 April 2009

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!
HE IS RISEN!





This morning I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to get our traditional Easter family snapshot at home before church...well, until David let me open MY Easter present! He got me a remote for my camera and I took the above photograph with less than 5 minutes of preparation (my own tiny Easter miracle)! I am so excited and can't believe how good it turned out! James actually thought it was really funny that the camera was "getting" him with out me behind it!

For breakfast we made Resurrection Rolls (I played along but didn't eat any...I had my regular bowl of oatmeal and fruit)!

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
Melted butter, Cinnamon, and Sugar

Directions:

  • Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
  • Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ. (Kirstyn got a little frustrated with James for eating his Jesus.)
  • Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
  • Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
  • Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will “ooze” out of the seams.)
  • Bake according to package directions.
  • Cool.
  • Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!

Then I witnessed something that made my heart smile! James tore into his 'roll' and said "ohhh no no! go?" Kirstyn said, "Bubby, Jesus isn't deaded anymore. He came back to life. So your smarshmellow is not in your tomb."

So there it is, the real reason we celebrate! Jesus isn't dead-ed anymore!

And even though we know that Easter is not about hunting eggs or gifts from Easter bunnies, that part is fun too!



We pray that you and your family had a wonderful Easter celebration and took a minute to thank Jesus for defeating death so that we can have LIFE!

(This was post #499. Any suggestions for what I should do for my next post!)
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10 April 2009

Fires, Tornados, and Allergies... Oh My!

I know this is supposed to be my Fat Fighting Friday post but I didn't go weigh in this morning because I was watching the news and lost track of time.

Last night around 10 pm my mom called me to tell me that they were okay. I actually said, "why wouldn't you be?" See, I had no idea that big storms where hitting their area of southwest Arkansas. She said that a tornado had hit several houses between her house and my sister's house (they are only about 3 miles apart) and damaged several houses. They also had hail the size of apples! Mom said their swimming pool looked like the ocean! They showed Mena, Arkansas (about 40 miles north of my hometown) on the national news this morning and there is lots of damage there.

We missed all of that excitement on our news because our local news is covering all of the wildfires that are in the counties surrounding us. The smoke around our house is thick like fog at times. This morning my allergies are driving me crazy and I know it is because of the smoke in the air.

Anyway, I weighed in on my home scale and is still stuck. I think I might get up in the morning and try out that meeting.

I am eating very clean and working out like a crazy lady... hopefully the scale will show me some results SOON! I am staying motivated because I am losing inches but I NEED the pounds to come off too so that I can get into my "healthy weight range".

Please tell me what you do to stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy. Do you have a favorite motivational saying?

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07 April 2009

Whatcha Eating?

I just had to share this one because it was a huge hit tonight with the family! I just love it when I make something new and everyone likes it.

Here is a picture of my plate:

Here is the recipe from Hungry Girl for the chicken:

Rhapsody in Bleu
Warm chicken wrapped around melted cheese and juicy ham that won't break the calorie bank!?

Ingredients:
  • One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet
  • 1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature (I used the garlic and herb flavored.)
  • 1 oz. (about 3 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham slices (I only had 3 slices in the house so I used one thin slice per chicken breast and that was enough!)
  • salt and black pepper, to taste (I added garlic and onion powder too!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put chicken in a large sealable plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal. Using a meat tenderizer or a can, carefully pound chicken through the bag until it is about 1/4-inch thick.
Remove chicken from the bag, and season to taste with salt and pepper on both sides.
Lay the chicken flat and spread the cheese wedge over it.
Evenly layer the ham slices on top of the cheese.
Starting with one of the longer sides (or any side, if it's square), tightly roll up the chicken breast cutlet, and secure with toothpicks.
Place chicken roll in a baking dish lined with foil and/or sprayed with nonstick spray, and then cover the baking dish with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil covering the dish. Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING
Serving Size: 1 chicken cordon bleu (entire recipe)
Calories: 222
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 692mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 40g
POINTS® value 5*


I served our new yummy chicken creation with some roasted cauliflower and broccoli (put light spray of olive oil pam and sprinkle w/ salt, pepper, garlic powder and put in hot oven until "toasted") and some fresh blanched asparagus that I picked in my flower bed right before dinner!

Oh and before I forget, when I posted the recipe for Mexican Lasagna, I got several questions about hominy. I hadn't thought to answer those questions until now when I watched Dr. Oz on Oprah today and there was Oprah grinding up some hominy (they just called it lye soaked corn) to make these tortillas and tamales. Good southerners love grits (ground up hominy) so when I mentioned it in my recipe, I didn't even think about it being more of a regional food. I say, if you have never tried it then get some and try it! I prefer Bush's hominy as they don't have any added fat in the can as some of the store brands appear to have.

So tell me, whatcha eating?
What is your favorite "healthy" meal or what are you fixing for dinner?


For more Wordful Wednesday head on over to Angie's place.
And this dinner definately Works For Me!

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05 April 2009

Name Gallery

Have you been following MckMamma over at My Charming Kids? If not, you need to head over there are read some of thier story and then start praying for thier youngest son Stellan.

There is a name gallery over there where people who are praying for Stellan submit pictures of places where they have "taken" Stellan. There is an amazing collection of pictures in Stellan's Name Gallery.

These pictures were taken on Saturday when David and Kirstyn went to the last pre-season Texas Ranger's Baseball game at the Ballpark in Arlington. They went all the way up to the top and took this picture with the new Jerry Jones expensive mother ship Dallas Cowboy's stadium in the background.

Then when they went down to their seats they took this picture overlooking the baseball diamond. Kirstyn enjoyed telling people that Stellan is a little boy with a sick heart that we are praying for.

Please take a minute right now and say a prayer for Stellan, his mom and dad and their 3 other children.

So, tell me, where would you take Stellan?

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03 April 2009

Fat Fighting Friday - W10

So, I visited a Church of Christ and was enjoying the worship time until I noticed a huge buddha over to the right of the stage. Then we were told to evacuate. When we got outside the flood waters were so bad that we had to get into boats and row away. That would have been fine until we realized that we were being followed by men with guns. At first I wasn't sure if they were there to protect us or hurt us. Then I panicked because I realized they were enemies and then the tallest one aimed his gun at me and pulled the trigger.

Good thing I woke up! Holy Crap....I should not sleep after taking hydrocodone! And I woke up with a headache.

I went to weigh in this morning and I was down 0.2. Yeah. (Can you hear the heavy sarcasm?) This week I plan to track every single bite and lower my points by 2 like I said I was going to do last week and then didn't. Cheer me on... I have to get out of this rut!

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01 April 2009

It's a miracle that I can walk...

Today began like any other day with coffee, breakfast, laundry, dishes, getting everyone dressed and off to the gym for my morning workout. I managed to complete my workout in spite of the fact that my entire hand was throbbing.

See, last night while fixing dinner I learned why they put all of those warnings on the mandolin. I was fixing my family a yummy dinner of baked fish, green beans, and sweet potato "fries". I had pealed the sweet potatoes and was running them through the juliane attachment on my mandolin. And yes, I was using the guard. Well, apparently that particular sweet potato had a knot in the middle that I caught just right on the blade, the guard flew out of my hand and I sent my innocent pinky finger into the blade.

I poured hydrogen peroxide over it, bandaged it up and finished dinner.

A few hours later I called a nurse friend of mine to find out what I could do to stop the bleeding. Jennifer gave me a quick tutorial on a pressure dressing and I did that. When I got home from the gym today after my shower I removed the bandage from last night and realized that it was STILL bleeding. So, I gave in and called the doctor to make an appointment.

I knew it wasn't good when the doctor even cringed and promised pain meds before she even touched me! She had to cauterize my finger to get the bleeding to slow down (no, they couldn't even get it to stop completely) so that they could do a pressure wrap on it that I have to leave on until at least Friday morning. Bonus, I also got a tetanus shot that has made the rest of my arm sore!

David has been super dad tonight and taken care of dinner and the kids and is letting me rest.

I have to say, this is the worst kitchen injury that I have ever experienced! My finger will eventually heal but I'm sure I will have a reminder scar. My mother in law called to check on me and told me that she was going to get me one of those cut proof gloves to wear the next time the kids want sweet potato fries! I have often thought about buying one but thought that I was safe since I was using the guard. Wrong. I have always showed a preference to learning things the hard way. I am hard headed like that.

When I first told David that I had cut my pinky finger on my right hand... his response was, I don't think you have ever injured that one before! Seriously, I am always burning my hand or my arm while baking. Getting steam burns and basic knife injuries are common place with me and my cooking. I'm sure that it has nothing to do with the fact that dinner time is also prime time for whining and fighting at my house!

But this injury has effected more than just my cooking.... my typing is almost impossible! So if I get behind on commenting on your blogs the next couple of days, I blame my injury and the pain meds!

Please tell me that I am not the only kitchen klutz!

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