Someone posted the following video on facespace today. It is so awesome. The message is a great one: you may fall... over and over and over. Your friends may be able to do something easily and with no problem, but sometimes it is more difficult for you. Your true friends will never leave you behind. They will stand by, encouraging you, trying to guide you. It is OK to accept help to achieve your goals. Last, but certainly not least, NEVER EVER EVER give up.
The week has been a pretty good one. Ive eaten well and enjoyed great company and have just been loving life. I find weight loss is so much easier for me when I have a good attitude about it. When I approach it as a part of my life rather than as something I "have" to do and get over with. It is a race, but its NOT a race. Even if I don't get to my weight goal by April 4 any progress I make getting there IS PROGRESS!
I juiced today... in fact I had a HUGE glass of carrot, green apple, cucumber, celery and ginger juice. I feel amazing by the way. We def. need a new juicer though, ours is getting seriously bogged down and putting just a hair too much pulp in.
In addition to the video, I want to share an article today :
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/you-stopping-you/
It goes along with the "just do it" theme that I've talked about before from Johnny Waite (check it out!)
Thanks for reading! Im off to work it out!! The PERFECT way to spend my Saturday evening! <3
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Weigh in!
We had our departmental weigh-in today. It went well! We got everyone weighed, we went over the rules and gave everyone some tips and info to get them started. A definite win. I also feel so SO motivated and sure I am going to win. I NEED to win.
I weighed in at 169.4. I weigh in at the house around 166 daily without clothes, so I wasn't surprised that in the middle of the day with clothes on I was closer to 170. That gives me 30 lbs. to lose. 140 is my goal.
I could use a little bit of help though - we have a couple of people in the department (and I am SO sad to say it is only a few) who are already within a good weight range etc... and have no need to participate in the challenge. We'd like to give them the opportunity to earn a "grand prize" too - what can we do to have them earn it or compete for it?
As far as my resolutions go, they are coming along great! I have taken time to meditate every night so far and it feels great and although yoga didn't start today like I had planned, we are going to start Monday. (my MIL had some other pressing issues that had to be taken care of and I didn't want to start without her. :) So, Ill be doing TRX tonight instead. And, it will definitely be worth the wait to start.
The last thing I wanted to talk about is my trip to the chiropractor yesterday. (I will actually put worth-while information in my next blog! sorry this is all about me!)
Anyways, I was hurting pretty bad so I went to see Julie, our chiro friend. I was in desperate need... she said my hips were completely out of whack, and I was just kind of "off" all over. But, when she got to the top of my back/neck she said "OMG does that hurt?" I said... "YES, always!" anyways, she explained that my neck was "flattening" which is "tractioning" my nerves (thus, causing the tingling in my arms etc..) and it is NOT reversible. The only thing I can hope to do is stop it from happening and hope the damage is minimal.
Kind of a tough blow to be honest. Ill be ok- but I just wish I was in a better place physically at my age. I feel like i've just NEVER been where I want to be. Most people look back into their teens and their 20s and feel like they want to be back there and here I am hoping that when I look back I can say "ill never go back there."
It is a bummer... but it is something I know I can do. I just need to stay on track and commit myself fully. (I have by the way!)
Thanks for reading! Next time ill start sharing my recipes, foods, inspiration and info! <3
I weighed in at 169.4. I weigh in at the house around 166 daily without clothes, so I wasn't surprised that in the middle of the day with clothes on I was closer to 170. That gives me 30 lbs. to lose. 140 is my goal.
I could use a little bit of help though - we have a couple of people in the department (and I am SO sad to say it is only a few) who are already within a good weight range etc... and have no need to participate in the challenge. We'd like to give them the opportunity to earn a "grand prize" too - what can we do to have them earn it or compete for it?
As far as my resolutions go, they are coming along great! I have taken time to meditate every night so far and it feels great and although yoga didn't start today like I had planned, we are going to start Monday. (my MIL had some other pressing issues that had to be taken care of and I didn't want to start without her. :) So, Ill be doing TRX tonight instead. And, it will definitely be worth the wait to start.
The last thing I wanted to talk about is my trip to the chiropractor yesterday. (I will actually put worth-while information in my next blog! sorry this is all about me!)
Anyways, I was hurting pretty bad so I went to see Julie, our chiro friend. I was in desperate need... she said my hips were completely out of whack, and I was just kind of "off" all over. But, when she got to the top of my back/neck she said "OMG does that hurt?" I said... "YES, always!" anyways, she explained that my neck was "flattening" which is "tractioning" my nerves (thus, causing the tingling in my arms etc..) and it is NOT reversible. The only thing I can hope to do is stop it from happening and hope the damage is minimal.
Kind of a tough blow to be honest. Ill be ok- but I just wish I was in a better place physically at my age. I feel like i've just NEVER been where I want to be. Most people look back into their teens and their 20s and feel like they want to be back there and here I am hoping that when I look back I can say "ill never go back there."
It is a bummer... but it is something I know I can do. I just need to stay on track and commit myself fully. (I have by the way!)
Thanks for reading! Next time ill start sharing my recipes, foods, inspiration and info! <3
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Well Hello 2012!
It has been a couple of months since I last blogged. I was doing pretty awesome on the blogging too! Oh well, it is a new day and a new year and one of my resolutions is to blog more consistently. Honestly, even if no one else reads this blog, it really is an amazing way to reflect and make myself work through what is on my mind. It also helps solidify what I've learned into my brain! :)
To start the new year, I sat down and reflected on 2011 and came up with a list of all of the things I accomplished! (I grew SO much this past year!) I also made a list of all I will accomplish in 2012 (at least the things I came up with today... I am sure there will be MUCH more!)
Here is a list of my 2011 accomplishments (the ones I remembered to include at least!)
To start the new year, I sat down and reflected on 2011 and came up with a list of all of the things I accomplished! (I grew SO much this past year!) I also made a list of all I will accomplish in 2012 (at least the things I came up with today... I am sure there will be MUCH more!)
Here is a list of my 2011 accomplishments (the ones I remembered to include at least!)
2011 –
Started the year in Ohio – at a new school, with no money. I had my husband, bulldogges and family… life was good.
Had serious anxiety due to all of the changes in life
Started cognitive therapy and meditation (NOT MEDICATION! my goal was to save my body from all sorts of nasty crap that people say will help) (awesome!)
Met GREAT people. (Kristie, Rick, Rhonda, Paul, Rhonda M, Alan, Yvonne, Kendra… just to name a few!)
Enjoyed the beer tour with JT and started it in Columbus with great friends (Landon, Lancer and Kyri!)
JT moved back to Texas so we roadtripped back on my spring-break with all of our stuff (most of it) a 26 foot uhaul with the jeep on the back and two of our bulldogges)
We put the house back together!
JT discovered and shared Johnny Waite's blog with me
Our whole life’s perspective changed
Went back to Ohio to finish school! JT, Remly and Marley stayed in Texas.
Started blogging again
Started working out seriously again
Started work at Avery Dennison and met amazing people! (Reggie, Danielle, Ashley, John, Ed, Ed, Sushant, Ray, Jason, Rick, Big Tony and many more!)
Started eating only grass-fed, free-range meat
Ran two 5Ks and PRd both
Ran the warrior dash in ohio with more awesome people! (Courtney, Jennifer!) Also finished in the top 20% out of more than 10,000 people!
Lost 12-15 lbs and got my new comfortable range into the 160s
Spent SO much time with my amazing family!
Was in Ohio to mentor Abby at a very important time in her life
JT CAME BACK!
Went camping (A lot!) with JT, Nathan and Abby (in Aunt Dianna’s back yard! The best place to do it!)
Went to Lancer and Kyri’s wedding
Went to Ashley and Mike’s wedding! (who doesn’t love seeing your friends marry their loves?)
Realized it is OK to let go of old “best friends” who sure don’t act like best friends
Started Juicing!!!!
Got a BOAT! (with out little trailer we needed to get back to Texas)
Travelled back to Texas with JT and the sweet bullies
Became Vegetarian!
Started and completed my internship
Took awesome pictures of JT at Tough Mudder (met a new friends! Rigo, Henry, Mark, Alex!)
Got my first post-Navy big-girl job (that I LOVE)
GRADUATED from College!
Ran the Super Spartan Race and FINISHED!
Really enjoyed life.
Beat/embraced Anxiety and got out of that dark, scary place without medicine
Got our first Christmas tree together!
Planned a weightless challenge for the parks department
Learned to cook (a little)
Became a better housekeeper (kind of!)
Emailed a lot more with my girls!
Started reading some awesome, inspirational blogs
Started gaining as much knowledge as possible about health and fitness!
Started using more natural and organic products
And for 2012! -
Goals 2012
Be more organized
Learn to crochet (and make an awesome scarf!)
Do something active most days
Work out most days (and try new workouts)
Start and WIN work weight-loss challenge (and get a free week of PTO)
Hit goal weight/body fat % and maintain it (by april 4, 2012)
Get personal trainer certification
Volunteer to help others (people/animals) at least once a month
Meditate
Reflect more
Do yoga
Play LOTS of disc golf!
Support JT in any way possible to help him succeed in finishing the death race
Be the best crew-mate EVER!
Be the best crew-mate EVER!
Be an even better wife
Be an even better friend
Be an even better person
Be a better daughter
Be a better daughter-in-law
Be a better daughter
Be a better daughter-in-law
Run a half marathon
Complete and be competitive in a Tri (which means GET A BIKE!)
Go to Ohio to visit my wonderful family
Go on cruise with my girls! (Carolyn, Vicky and Jenn! their families and JT)
Explore more of Texas
Notice others and be more aware of my surroundings (so many people are rude and oblivious!)
Complete Girls’ new year challenge
Smile as much as possible
Make a difference
Start personal training part time
Do a couple of adventure races
Go camping (a lot)
Work on high kick (and continue total domination in house-hold high kick competitions)
Do lots of fun dancing (and make up new songs and dances)
Hang out with JTs parents more
Hang out with JTs parents more
Read more
Visit Dottie (JTs grandma) more!
Visit Dottie (JTs grandma) more!
Train dogs (obedience) give them more baths!
Enjoy my BFF more than ever! (Love you Toad!)
Enjoy my BFF more than ever! (Love you Toad!)
Continue to cook and get even better
Blog more consistently (get more exposure)
Send more cards, letters etc…
See GINA! (Tony and Sara and kids, Andrea and boys)
Try to stop biting nails
Go to a concert or two
Be more appreciative and grateful
Figure out how to turn the mouse pad on my laptop off so it stops driving me insane!
ENJOY DOING ALL OF THIS!!!!
2011 was an awesome and amazing year, and 2012 will prove to be an even better year. I have a ton of lofty goals, I plan to set more every day and I will accomplish everything!!! :) <3
I hope everyone else has taken a few minute to reflect and plan - there is so much to appreciate and enjoy, but it takes recognition and action! Take control of your life and do what you've always wanted to do but have never had the courage! For me, it is FINALLY getting to my goal weight and getting my PT license!
Here is to an AWESOME year for ALL of us <3
Friday, October 7, 2011
Healthy Options
Good Morning and happy Friday! Does anyone have any big plans for the weekend? We sure do here! JT's TOUGH MUDDER! It is down in Austin and it is going to be a BLAST! After I get done with this blog I am going to pull everything together so we can leave as soon as he gets home from school.
Overall, things here are going pretty well. I missed blogging yesterday (mostly due to time constraints and not enough to talk about). The only issue I am currently having is a severe migraine. It started during my 2nd softball game last night (very lightly) and got progressively worse throughout the night. I couldn't sleep because it kept waking me up, so, I'm just trying to relax a little to get it to at least calm down to a manageable level. I haven't had one like this in a long time - I get migraines often, but this one is something I only really ever experienced at A School when I first joined the Navy, it is like a throbbing every time my heart beats. I can feel my heart beating in my head and when it does it is painful and a throbbing pain. It SUCKS. lol. I am definitely ok though - I get headaches so often I can actually work with them if need be. :)
Ok, enough with the negative crap. I have some GREAT pictures to share today. The first thing I want to share is my DELICIOUS salad recipe - I master arts like salad making because there is no cooking involved! lol! Then, I want to talk about "health options" when cooking at home, or juicing at home isn't possible. There are a TON of options!
My Salad -
The ingredients include: spinach, kale, arugula, green leaf lettuce, onion, half of a granny smith apple, sesame seeds, avocado, dehydrated organic cherries, organic garlic sticks, feta and balsamic vinegar for the dressing. :) Easy to make, affordable and 90% raw and whole foods. (the feta and garlic sticks aren't whole foods or raw.)
If you don't have time to make a gourmet salad at home, there are plenty of healthy restaurants as well as grab-and-go options at the grocery store. JT found a list the other day that I will try to dig up, but there are several restaurants that have a goal of health, sustainability and working with local farmers. Some of you who live in bigger cities might have actual "vegetarian" or "vegan" restaurant options, but for those of you who don't, there are still lots of options. One of those places is Chipotle. They offer a vegetarian option and it is not only delicious, but it is also affordable. I enjoyed it so much I didn't even snap a picture of it! So I got one on google images to give a representation of it.
This is pretty close to what I get, although I usually ask for half of a scoop of guac (they have a TON on theirs!) :) I usually get lettuce, black beans, corn salsa, peppers and onions, guac and usually another form of salsa. :) I sometimes also opt for cheese, but not always. This is a particularly good option if you have family that is not vegetarian because the meat is farm-raised in the local area (all of the ingredients are actually).
The next place I'd like to recommend is Jason's Deli. They are also committed to working with local farmers and providing healthy food options with no additives. Their soda's are all made with cane sugar as is their tea. They designate specific vegetarian options on their menu and they have a kick-ass salad bar! :) I have particularly been enjoying Jason's "Freshca" sandwich! :) SO yummy!!
It is focaccia bread with basil pesto (so obviously it has olive oil, which I generally try to avoid.) tomatoes, spinach and artichoke hearts. The olive oil makes it a little high in fat and calories FYI, but it is really yummy and I feel like it is a good option. If it is not for you though, they also have several other vegetarian options including a variety of vegetarian soups. The fruit is fresh too!
Now, if you're on the run and don't have time to juice, or need an afternoon pick-me-up between errands, a simple stop at the grocery store can do the trick! For juice, I usually pick one of these bad boys up at walmart for 4 dollars. It is a FULL meal replacement if you drink it all at once - so although 4 dollars sounds steep, it is definitely not.
The only downside to the odwalla is that it is flash pasteurized which takes away some of the nutrients. In terms of choices though, I think this is a practical one for most and a much better option than a drive-thru salad (with high-fructose corn syrup dressing on the side!) Naked is also an option - they are a bit more expensive and they also flash pasteurize.
The other on-the-go option I LOVE is raw food bars! I LOVE THEM! I eat them as snacks and meals. In fact, due to my headache I have felt pretty nauseous, and the raw food bar stayed down. :) There are several brands such as Raw Revolution, Lara, GOOD foodbar and a couple of others. They vary in price from 88cents (Lara on sale) to 3 dollars.
The bars are also great options for people with a sweet tooth! Some of them are like eating a candy bar!
Those are only a few of the many many options available when eating on the go. People always have excuses like "I don't have time to eat healthy" or "I don't have time to find a healthy option on my lunch break." Total bullshit. Those are excuses, there is ALWAYS time for health!
Thanks for reading! We'll have a great blog update come Monday with JT's results and a recap of our eating. We're going to find a vegan restaurant in Austin to enjoy! <3 Everyone have a great weekend!
Overall, things here are going pretty well. I missed blogging yesterday (mostly due to time constraints and not enough to talk about). The only issue I am currently having is a severe migraine. It started during my 2nd softball game last night (very lightly) and got progressively worse throughout the night. I couldn't sleep because it kept waking me up, so, I'm just trying to relax a little to get it to at least calm down to a manageable level. I haven't had one like this in a long time - I get migraines often, but this one is something I only really ever experienced at A School when I first joined the Navy, it is like a throbbing every time my heart beats. I can feel my heart beating in my head and when it does it is painful and a throbbing pain. It SUCKS. lol. I am definitely ok though - I get headaches so often I can actually work with them if need be. :)
Ok, enough with the negative crap. I have some GREAT pictures to share today. The first thing I want to share is my DELICIOUS salad recipe - I master arts like salad making because there is no cooking involved! lol! Then, I want to talk about "health options" when cooking at home, or juicing at home isn't possible. There are a TON of options!
My Salad -
If you don't have time to make a gourmet salad at home, there are plenty of healthy restaurants as well as grab-and-go options at the grocery store. JT found a list the other day that I will try to dig up, but there are several restaurants that have a goal of health, sustainability and working with local farmers. Some of you who live in bigger cities might have actual "vegetarian" or "vegan" restaurant options, but for those of you who don't, there are still lots of options. One of those places is Chipotle. They offer a vegetarian option and it is not only delicious, but it is also affordable. I enjoyed it so much I didn't even snap a picture of it! So I got one on google images to give a representation of it.
The next place I'd like to recommend is Jason's Deli. They are also committed to working with local farmers and providing healthy food options with no additives. Their soda's are all made with cane sugar as is their tea. They designate specific vegetarian options on their menu and they have a kick-ass salad bar! :) I have particularly been enjoying Jason's "Freshca" sandwich! :) SO yummy!!
Now, if you're on the run and don't have time to juice, or need an afternoon pick-me-up between errands, a simple stop at the grocery store can do the trick! For juice, I usually pick one of these bad boys up at walmart for 4 dollars. It is a FULL meal replacement if you drink it all at once - so although 4 dollars sounds steep, it is definitely not.
The other on-the-go option I LOVE is raw food bars! I LOVE THEM! I eat them as snacks and meals. In fact, due to my headache I have felt pretty nauseous, and the raw food bar stayed down. :) There are several brands such as Raw Revolution, Lara, GOOD foodbar and a couple of others. They vary in price from 88cents (Lara on sale) to 3 dollars.
Those are only a few of the many many options available when eating on the go. People always have excuses like "I don't have time to eat healthy" or "I don't have time to find a healthy option on my lunch break." Total bullshit. Those are excuses, there is ALWAYS time for health!
Thanks for reading! We'll have a great blog update come Monday with JT's results and a recap of our eating. We're going to find a vegan restaurant in Austin to enjoy! <3 Everyone have a great weekend!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Joys of Juicing
Happy Hump Day everyone! It is another absolutely beautiful day here in Texas. <3 Lets get started with another great song today!
Im sure I've shared this before, but I LOVE this song - it makes me want to get up and dance!
This morning JT and I were dragging a bit and running late so my plan of juicing for the two of us didn't work out. After he left, however, I decided I would juice for myself! A lot of people ask how we consume so many raw fruits and veggies -- juicing is exactly how!
We jumped on the juicing bandwagon after watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." Before going out and purchasing a juicer, we did some research (Melanie also did a lot of research and shared with us!) and we found that a masticating juicer would yield the most juice. Well, masticating juicers are expensive, so we opted for a cheapo centrifugal walmart juicer just to get started and see if it was something we really wanted to do. We started with a cheaper Hamilton Beach juicer, and then after using it for a couple of weeks traded up for a black and decker big mouth juicer. The 2nd (and current) juicer works MUCH better than the other and was still pretty cheap (about 50 dollars.) The only problem we've really found is that we cannot juice greens. So, to remedy that problem, we purchased a wheat grass juicer! HERE it is.
It works GREAT! And, the two of those are still much cheaper than a quality masticating juicer. We do plan to get a masticating juicer in the future, but for now these two things works for us.
Before I even start, I just want to say that juicing is EASY. Just pick some fruits and veggies that you love and mix them! There are also lots of resources available online with recipes you can be sure taste great. We usually focus on green juice (green apples, cucumbers, celery, spinach, kale etc....) But we've made straight carrot juice, straight apple, orange juice etc... You can do anything.
This is what I started with this morning:
As you can probably see I have one cucumber, one green apple, celery and carrots. With JT I would use 2 cucumbers and 2 apples as well as a couple of extra celery stalks and carrots.
The first thing I juiced was the cucumber. I always start with the highest yielding veggies to be sure I get as much juice from them as possible. As you go through all of your ingredients, the screen gets full, so unless you wash it in the middle start with the highest yielding stuff to get the most juice possible.
A lot of people don't think they like the taste of cucumber juice, but we've found that the quality of the cucumber you get makes a huge difference. If you get cucumbers from walmart that are not organic, they aren't very tasty, but, if you get them from a farmers market (or in our case the mexican market) they are SO delicious!
And like I said, they yield SO much juice and are so cheap so they are a great base for any juice you make. Cucumbers are also nutritionally dense - they are great for the skin and have a lot of trace elements that our bodies need. :)
Here is what my cucumber yielded juice wise. As you can see, more juice is still coming out!
Next, I chopped up and added my green apple.
I don't even bother seeding them or anything, the screen takes care of that kind of thing!
Next I added the celery and finally the carrots. (no pics of the celery... but the carrot juice is SO beautiful!)
And this is what the pulp looks like:
This may have seemed like a lot of work, but it took me about 10 minutes all together (and that was with me snapping pictures after every step.) I feel great about starting my day with a nutritional and delicious juice and my energy will be up all day. Fresh juice like this is also a great way to detox your body of all of the junk you accumulate from eating processed crap.
Im sure I've shared this before, but I LOVE this song - it makes me want to get up and dance!
This morning JT and I were dragging a bit and running late so my plan of juicing for the two of us didn't work out. After he left, however, I decided I would juice for myself! A lot of people ask how we consume so many raw fruits and veggies -- juicing is exactly how!
We jumped on the juicing bandwagon after watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." Before going out and purchasing a juicer, we did some research (Melanie also did a lot of research and shared with us!) and we found that a masticating juicer would yield the most juice. Well, masticating juicers are expensive, so we opted for a cheapo centrifugal walmart juicer just to get started and see if it was something we really wanted to do. We started with a cheaper Hamilton Beach juicer, and then after using it for a couple of weeks traded up for a black and decker big mouth juicer. The 2nd (and current) juicer works MUCH better than the other and was still pretty cheap (about 50 dollars.) The only problem we've really found is that we cannot juice greens. So, to remedy that problem, we purchased a wheat grass juicer! HERE it is.
It works GREAT! And, the two of those are still much cheaper than a quality masticating juicer. We do plan to get a masticating juicer in the future, but for now these two things works for us.
Before I even start, I just want to say that juicing is EASY. Just pick some fruits and veggies that you love and mix them! There are also lots of resources available online with recipes you can be sure taste great. We usually focus on green juice (green apples, cucumbers, celery, spinach, kale etc....) But we've made straight carrot juice, straight apple, orange juice etc... You can do anything.
This is what I started with this morning:
The first thing I juiced was the cucumber. I always start with the highest yielding veggies to be sure I get as much juice from them as possible. As you go through all of your ingredients, the screen gets full, so unless you wash it in the middle start with the highest yielding stuff to get the most juice possible.
And like I said, they yield SO much juice and are so cheap so they are a great base for any juice you make. Cucumbers are also nutritionally dense - they are great for the skin and have a lot of trace elements that our bodies need. :)
Here is what my cucumber yielded juice wise. As you can see, more juice is still coming out!
Next I added the celery and finally the carrots. (no pics of the celery... but the carrot juice is SO beautiful!)
This is what the aftermath of the juicing looked like.
Another complaint I often hear is that there is SO much waste when juicing - the truth is, it is up to you how much waste you have - you have already gotten a majority of the nutrients from the vegetables or fruit anyways, and that is really the goal in my opinion, but, you can use the pulp for a variety of things. from baking (talk about some moist and delicious carrot cake!) to dog food additives! (Toss a cup into your dog food! make sure you do research about the ingredients you use though, if you are juicing grapes for example, your dog cannot have that!)
The last step to the process (before enjoying the yummy juice of course) is clean up. The most important thing about the clean up is that you do it immediately. If you do, it will literally take two minutes. I throw the pulp in the garbage or save it in a baggie if I plan to use it. Then, all I do is rinse the pulp out of the components. The hardest part is cleaning the screen, but, if you get a bristle brush cleaner (like one you'd buy to clean potatoes) it is much easier.
Once I finished all of the juicing and clean up, I poured the juices together into one glass :) I have found that a pint glass fits under our juicer the best, so I get a larger glass to pour the juices in as I go (that way I don't get overflow!) When I am making juice for JT and I both, I use a pitcher.
If you are interested in learning more about juicing, here are a couple of educational links -
http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp/health_resources
http://www.veganstreet.com/veganliving/juicing.html
I already linked this one, but here it is again - http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
I hope you found this educational and helpful. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer them myself or find the answer. :)
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
I wear my sunglasses at night....
I don't really, but that song is stuck in my head for some reason so I thought I'd get it stuck in yours too! :)
Corey Hart is a bit creepy in this video... just saying...
This morning I decided to experiment in the kitchen a little. I am really loving the Red Mill products first of all. They have affordable organic flours, flax seed, cornmeal etc... I have their hemp protein right now, their quinoa flour, pancake mix and much more. This morning, I thought I'd try to make myself a "protein" pancake with their pancake mix.
One serving is 1/3 cup. The directions call for eggs and oil and milk, but, I try to avoid oil (yes, even olive oil most of the time), I don't have eggs (we're out!) and I don't drink cows milk. SO - I improvised! I read somewhere that you can substitute chia gel for eggs and oil, I couldn't remember how much I was supposed to substitute, so I just used my best judgement and used 2 tbsp. (1 for the egg and 1 for the oil.)
The next step was the milk. Like I said, I do not drink cow's milk. I have never been a big fan anyways, but since becoming vegetarian I have completely cut it out. SO, again I improvised and used Almond Milk!
It said to use 3/4 of a cup, but I just poured what I thought it needed in (the chia seeds are pure liquid practically, so I figured 3/4 cup milk would be too much.) Next, I decided to add some flavor to the pancake! So, I added 1tsp. of cocoa powder and 1tsp. of dark chocolate peanut butter PB2. :)
I stirred that all up and added a touch more almond milk to fix the consistency and then started the cooking process.
Once I started cooking I regretted not adding vanilla extract, agave or any other sort of sweetener, so I put some cinnamon/sugar on top :) It helped.
I definitely COULD NOT have done this alone... luckily, I had my very trusty kitchen helper by my side!
He's so damn cute.
Ok - so disclaimer time. Although I am doing great creativity and flavor wise (most of the time), I am still working on the whole "cooking" thing. So, the following product is not properly represented. Basically, it looks like a big ol' pile of dookie on a plate, however, it DEFINITELY tasted GREAT, especially with banana!
Next time I will definitely add vanilla extract and maybe some agave to the actual batter. I put some agave on top and it was delicious, but in it would have been even better had it been incorporated. I will also add a bit more PB2 to the actual mixture (maybe a tbsp. rather than a tsp.)
I will make this for JT for breakfast one of these days and let him tell you what he thinks so you have a fair representation... I may be a bit bias because I was the creator!
Do any of you have any AWESOME and YUMMY breakfast or pastry recipes? (OMG! Do any of you have any pumpkin pancake recipes.... oh why oh why didn't I make a pumpkin pancake this morning!)
So, most of you probably saw on my facebook, but I made the paper (they quoted me about how to use a pedometer) for the fit challenge Saturday! In case you missed it, I also made the video! The video is made by newspaper personnel, so its not the BEST in the world, but it is pretty cool! Don't bother watching the whole thing, you can see me at about the 2:51 mark. :)
It was definitely a blast.
I already swept and mopped the entire house this morning and cleaned the kitchen up (even my mess from breakfast!!!) so I am going to get ready and run a few errands before taking JT some soup for lunch and going to my internship. We're going to do a serious workout tonight, so I'll try to post about that later today.
OH, and JT is reading the Rebel Running Guide and learning TONS - I started that this morning as well, so once I find some info worth sharing I'll pass it along. :)
Thanks for reading!
Corey Hart is a bit creepy in this video... just saying...
This morning I decided to experiment in the kitchen a little. I am really loving the Red Mill products first of all. They have affordable organic flours, flax seed, cornmeal etc... I have their hemp protein right now, their quinoa flour, pancake mix and much more. This morning, I thought I'd try to make myself a "protein" pancake with their pancake mix.
I definitely COULD NOT have done this alone... luckily, I had my very trusty kitchen helper by my side!
Ok - so disclaimer time. Although I am doing great creativity and flavor wise (most of the time), I am still working on the whole "cooking" thing. So, the following product is not properly represented. Basically, it looks like a big ol' pile of dookie on a plate, however, it DEFINITELY tasted GREAT, especially with banana!
I will make this for JT for breakfast one of these days and let him tell you what he thinks so you have a fair representation... I may be a bit bias because I was the creator!
Do any of you have any AWESOME and YUMMY breakfast or pastry recipes? (OMG! Do any of you have any pumpkin pancake recipes.... oh why oh why didn't I make a pumpkin pancake this morning!)
So, most of you probably saw on my facebook, but I made the paper (they quoted me about how to use a pedometer) for the fit challenge Saturday! In case you missed it, I also made the video! The video is made by newspaper personnel, so its not the BEST in the world, but it is pretty cool! Don't bother watching the whole thing, you can see me at about the 2:51 mark. :)
It was definitely a blast.
I already swept and mopped the entire house this morning and cleaned the kitchen up (even my mess from breakfast!!!) so I am going to get ready and run a few errands before taking JT some soup for lunch and going to my internship. We're going to do a serious workout tonight, so I'll try to post about that later today.
OH, and JT is reading the Rebel Running Guide and learning TONS - I started that this morning as well, so once I find some info worth sharing I'll pass it along. :)
Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Learning to Run
Happy Monday All! It is another beautiful fall day here in Texas, so I am enjoying the breeze through my front door and the aroma from my pumpkin spice candle! I am DEFINITELY making pumpkin muffins sometime this week!
Before I start my weekend recap and explain the purpose of my blog title, I want to share my lunch from Thursday last week, which JT and I also ate for lunch Saturday and yesterday! lol! YES it is THAT delicious!
It is an Ole tortilla with feta and olive hummus smeared on it, arugula, avocado, onions, millet with black beans and rotel and obviously about 6-7 carrots. It is delicious. When we were eating it yesterday JT kept going on and on about how amazing it was and told me it rivaled our vegetarians bowls at Chipoltle (which were SO delicious!!) What a compliment!
We are both enjoying not eating meat. The next big and important step is moving to completely organic produce. It is hard to get here affordably, but we have a plan! We are going to start going to Dallas' farmers market at least once a month, maybe twice. We both feel like a four hour round trip is worth it to get delicious, locally grown organic food. Oh, and even better, we don't actually have to start that until November, because we're going to Austin TWICE this month, which means we can do our produce shopping while we're down there! (And of course I'll hit up World Market (best store ever) too!)
Next weekend's Austin trip is for JT's Tough Mudder. (If you don't know what that is click on it.) He is SO excited and I can't wait to watch him and cheer him on with the help of our good friends Jennifer, Eric and Nick! Should be a blast! No doubt JT will do great.
This past weekend our city had a Fit Fair at the park and I worked the Mayor's Fit Walk Challenge booth. It was a blast! JT came down and we walked around for a few minutes and made tons of contacts with the fitness people of our town. What an awesome thing for a community to put on! We had about 500 people sign up for the Mayor's challenge and there were even more than that there. The only bummer of the whole thing was that they had an AWESOME hybrid commuter bike they were raffling off and a little kid won it :( I wanted it BAD! haha. I need a bike! It was a great time though and a great way to spend our morning.
So, on to the explanation of my title today. This past week (last Wednesday I think) I purchased the Deluxe Rebel Running Guide. It is book written by two guys named Jason and Steve from Nerd Fitness. It is basically everything you need to know about running, how to run etc... JT and I have been talking about getting me a running coach for a while now, so this seemed like a cheap alternative until we can afford it, and maybe, after going through their techniques and advice I won't even need a coach! The book so far is awesome, there is a guide to shoes, form, technique and everything else you could possibly think about in regards to running and nutrition. They are paleo guys, so I can't really use the food portion, good news though, Matt from No Meat Athlete said he would send his vegetarian training book to anyone who bought the running guide through his link! So I did and now I have the food and running side! JT has already gotten SO much out of the running guide in regards to his knees and how to avoid injury and we've both learned a lot about our shoe choices.
As I go through the book I will definitely share any must know info!
Quick shout out to my sister-in-law Sara! She finished her FIRST half marathon this past weekend and her time was 2:16! That is an AWESOME time in general, especially for her very first one! GREAT JOB SARA! I hope you'll sign up for another one! <3 SO proud of you!
Alright, off to my internship! We're turning Tyler PINK for breast cancer awareness!!!!!
Before I start my weekend recap and explain the purpose of my blog title, I want to share my lunch from Thursday last week, which JT and I also ate for lunch Saturday and yesterday! lol! YES it is THAT delicious!
We are both enjoying not eating meat. The next big and important step is moving to completely organic produce. It is hard to get here affordably, but we have a plan! We are going to start going to Dallas' farmers market at least once a month, maybe twice. We both feel like a four hour round trip is worth it to get delicious, locally grown organic food. Oh, and even better, we don't actually have to start that until November, because we're going to Austin TWICE this month, which means we can do our produce shopping while we're down there! (And of course I'll hit up World Market (best store ever) too!)
Next weekend's Austin trip is for JT's Tough Mudder. (If you don't know what that is click on it.) He is SO excited and I can't wait to watch him and cheer him on with the help of our good friends Jennifer, Eric and Nick! Should be a blast! No doubt JT will do great.
This past weekend our city had a Fit Fair at the park and I worked the Mayor's Fit Walk Challenge booth. It was a blast! JT came down and we walked around for a few minutes and made tons of contacts with the fitness people of our town. What an awesome thing for a community to put on! We had about 500 people sign up for the Mayor's challenge and there were even more than that there. The only bummer of the whole thing was that they had an AWESOME hybrid commuter bike they were raffling off and a little kid won it :( I wanted it BAD! haha. I need a bike! It was a great time though and a great way to spend our morning.
So, on to the explanation of my title today. This past week (last Wednesday I think) I purchased the Deluxe Rebel Running Guide. It is book written by two guys named Jason and Steve from Nerd Fitness. It is basically everything you need to know about running, how to run etc... JT and I have been talking about getting me a running coach for a while now, so this seemed like a cheap alternative until we can afford it, and maybe, after going through their techniques and advice I won't even need a coach! The book so far is awesome, there is a guide to shoes, form, technique and everything else you could possibly think about in regards to running and nutrition. They are paleo guys, so I can't really use the food portion, good news though, Matt from No Meat Athlete said he would send his vegetarian training book to anyone who bought the running guide through his link! So I did and now I have the food and running side! JT has already gotten SO much out of the running guide in regards to his knees and how to avoid injury and we've both learned a lot about our shoe choices.
As I go through the book I will definitely share any must know info!
Quick shout out to my sister-in-law Sara! She finished her FIRST half marathon this past weekend and her time was 2:16! That is an AWESOME time in general, especially for her very first one! GREAT JOB SARA! I hope you'll sign up for another one! <3 SO proud of you!
Alright, off to my internship! We're turning Tyler PINK for breast cancer awareness!!!!!
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