Back on the Wagon... Miss Me?

Not that I ever technically left the wagon. I just didn't pay as much attention as I usually do to how much I ate. So, I didn't lose any weight but more importantly I didn't really gain any either -- a couple ounces. I'm not worried about it.

I had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I ate what I wanted, how much I wanted, and whenever I wanted. I had some of everything. But I have to tattle on myself and confess it just wasn't Thursday. I also ate what I wanted, how much I wanted, whenever I wanted of leftovers til Sunday.

With the holiday, 3ft out of school, and my husband having nearly a week off of work my routine got all sorts of jacked up. So instead of stressing, I just let it go. I'm living. Life does that. So now it's Monday and the world is running the way it should: 3ft went to school and husband went to work. I was able to jog this morning, which was awesome. And tonight after I get the kids in bed I plan on playing some Wii, either Just Dance 2 or The Michael Jackson Experience (which is like Just Dance just with MJ songs -- old school, oh yeah).

I also returned to my normal eating habits and feel better for having done so. I ate a lot of chips and other things not quite fabulous for me and it's amazing the difference it makes in the way I feel. No chips today, no baked treats today, just lots of veggies, fruits, and a Turkey Pot Pie creation for dinner.

I took about 2 cups of chopped leftover turkey, with 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/4 chopped onion, and about 3 cloves of chopped garlic. Sauteed them in a pan and then added a cup of leftover turkey gravy. Cooked it until simmering and then put it in a square baking dish. Topped it with about a cup of leftover mashed potatoes mixed with 1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese and then tossed it in the oven at 350 until it was all bubbly and the potatoes were crusty. Turned out so good. Serves about 4 and around 300 calories a serving. It was a great and healthy use of leftovers. Tomorrow I'm making Turkey Noodle Soup and then the turkey will be all used up.

What are some of your favorite ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 173

Total Pounds Lost - 58.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Leftover Challah Roast Beef Sandwich, cucumbers, carrots, and grapes
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 a banana
Dinner - Turkey Pot Pie creation

Thanksgiving Insanity

I'm on a roll.

This morning I did over 3000 steps on Wii Fit Free Step while watching Rachel Rae impress and amaze me with Shnitzle. (I have no idea if that's spelled right) and I also had no idea what it was. She made a beef broth and mushroom soup over egg omelet crepe noodle thingies. She called them something but I don't remember what. While the shnitzel doesn't seem to be anything but breaded and fried meat with anchovies on top (shudders over the anchovies) the soup looked pretty amazing. I also went for a walk with Grumpybutt (taking advantage of the nice weather while we have it) and then took 3ft to the park for a playdate. Not too mention all the trips lugging things up and down my stairs -- so all and all a busy day activity wise.

I did breakfast for dinner tonight for 3ft. Once a week I make him whatever breakfast food he wants for dinner. He opted for Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes. Now before anyone gets all excited about how fancy that sounds -- it's not. It's Krusteaux's Pancake Mix with a little water, cinnamon, and vanilla mixed in before cooking it. Super easy but super delicious. He smothered those bad boys in syrup and went to town. I didn't even look longingly at his plate (I love pancakes) because I had my Asian Chicken Salad again for dinner. I've got one more serving of it after tonight which will be for dinner tomorrow then I'll have to move on to something else.

I've been watching shows on Food Network about Thanksgiving -- something I really shouldn't do because now I'm adding a Brussel Sprout dish that looked absolutely divine to my list of things I'm cooking on Thanksgiving as well as being reminded about the pumpkin roll I make that I'm going to serve as an appetizer along with marbled banana chocolate bread, finger sandwiches, fancy olives, fancy pickles, layer dip, veggie tray w/ ranch, and chips.

I have mentioned I'm going to be eating all freaking day, right? I can't wait! I figure I can't undo the months of progress I've made in one day. Besides, all my dishes are healthier versions so while I'm saying right now I know I'm going to eat WAY TOO MANY CALORIES (look at my "I don't care" face) it could be worse! So since I've clearly gone insane over this Thanksgiving and can't seem to make enough food to graze on all day, what are your go to Thanksgiving dishes that I can't live without?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 162

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, dill pickle, and Chicken and Stars Soup
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner - Asian Chicken salad with toasted almonds on Napa cabbage.

Feels Used.

My legs are a little sore today. I guess the 4.5 miles wasn't quite the cake walk I thought it was. Or it could've been all the trips up and down the stairs or the Wii Free Step. Regardless, my legs feel like they've been used.

That didn't stop me from working out today, though. I jogged for 30 minutes while I watched Chopped. I would never make anything from the baskets, probably, but I like watching how creative real chefs get with sometimes gross ingredients. Then the Grumpybutt and I took a half hour walk before picking up 3ft. Oh yeah, and I also did 50 push ups and 180 crunches incorporating leg lifts so I can really feel them in my abdomen which is cool.

I had Asian Chicken Salad w/ toasted almonds again for dinner. I've been on a kick for it so I'll probably be eating it for the rest of the week or until I run out of the ingredients. Do you guys ever do that -- get a craving for something and then just eat it for four days to a week straight? Or am I the only weird one?

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. I'm already planning the food I'm going to make. I'm going a little overboard this year, I know. I'm making a homemade healthier eggnog, 3ft's pumpkin pizza, a healthier pecan tart instead of a pie, then some homemade cheese and herb challah bread to do roast beef and ham finger sandwiches for an appetizer along with the standard turkey, stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, and good lord I don't know what else. I can't wait. A whole day dedicated to eating. Luckily, all my dishes are going to be healthier versions so I can eat a little more guilt free.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 161

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich and carrots w/ranch
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner - Asian Chicken salad with toasted almonds on Napa cabbage.

Too Tired, Completely Forgot.

Darn it. I was so tired last night I completely forgot to blog.

Had a pretty good day yesterday. I jogged for a half an hour while I watched cooking shows. Is it wrong that I watch Tyler's Ultimate just to watch Tyler Florence? His food looks yummy too, though, so it's not JUST for him. I was able to jog the whole time and it really flew by. I love being in better shape.

I also did 180 crunches yesterday that incorporated the lower abs by doing leg lifts at the same time and 50 push ups. I was going to do another couple reps of both after having put the kids to bed last night but I was too tired. It was a long day and I'm still recouping from being sick. I can't quite seem to shake this cold completely. It's annoying.

I also did the standard chase the baby and baby lifts. Now that's he's about 20lbs and 10 months old it's actually quite a workout. And let's not forget the torturing of 3ft although yesterday I think it was him torturing me.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 159

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich, carrots w/ranch, and cucumbers w/ Italian dressing
Mid-Afternoon Snack - chocolate banana bread and crackers w/ tuna salad
Dinner - (not hungry)

Baked Goods and Cinderella

I felt better today, but not completely back to normal so I took it easy again.

Well, kind of.

I mopped my kitchen floor, the bathroom floor, wrestled with children, baked...twice, and did 3 loads of laundry. No wonder I'm so tired. I was a busy girl.

I had bananas that were practically dead and begging to be put out of their misery on my counter, so this morning I made Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread. It turned out so delicious. The best bananas for baking are the ones that are practically disintegrated they're so ripe (which would be the state of the bananas I used today). So I made 4 mini loaves (I love mini loaves, they're so cute and you can trick your mind that you're having a lot by having multiple slices for the same calories as one full sized loaf slice). I had to take a picture because I love the way the marbled looks and I'm still all proud of the epiphany about how to do it that I had.

I'm also working on a Gingerbread Sleigh Project. I made gingerbread dough after the kids went to bed and did a single sleigh cutout to see how well it'll put together before I do an assembly line sort of thing. So I made a ka-ton (it's a word, I just made it up) of gingerbread dough, rolled out some and shoved the rest in the fridge for another night. I already designed and cut out the sleigh pieces (I geeked out on that yesterday). I set my shapes on the dough, got a sharp knife, and cut them out. In retrospect, I'm going to bake the dough about halfway next time and cut it out then. The cookies had some expansion, which I didn't even think about (I did mention I was tired) so I can negate that from the final shape by cutting it out after it's expanded but not fully cooked yet.

As you can see, I got distracted and let the cookies get a little more "done" than I had wanted. My husband keeps telling me he'll eat them (he's weird and likes his cookies a little on the burnt side anyway). Normally I'd fret, but this was just an experiment which makes me extra glad I did it as such, because I'd already do things different in the baking process. I'm assured the dough is delicious and tastes like gingerbread (I haven't had any since I don't eat after 8pm). So tomorrow I'll make the "glue" and frost that bad boy together and see how it turns out.

Naturally, my mixer went nuts and spewed dough all over my freshly mopped floor. I didn't have a clean floor for even a freaking hour so after I got all the dishes washed (I cannot stand having dirty dishes in my sink) I got on my hands and knees with a washrag and cleaned my floor again. I felt like Cinderella. Except I already have my "prince". Do you suppose she ever mopped the floors after she "lived happily ever after"?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 156

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - (early lunch)
Lunch - Chicken Salad w/ ranch
Mid-Afternoon Snack - Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Dinner - Mc Donalds Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/out mayo

Getting Better... Hopefully.

I think I'm starting to feel a little better. My throat isn't hurting quite so bad and my nose quit running. Here's hoping I feel normal again tomorrow so I can do some exercising. I wasn't completely without any today. I walked to pick 3ft up from school pushing the Grumpy's heavy butt in his stroller. Then, after lunch we walked over to the park to play with our friends and then back home.

Then Mr. Grumpybutt thought he'd help in the weigh lifting department and insisted on getting into the electronics constantly. No sooner would I pick him up, tell him no, and then try to distract him with his toys, he'd roll back over and get right back into it. There was absolutely no distracting him. So after doing that "game" for about an hour I did the unthinkable. I set up the playpen and popped his ornery butt in it just to give me a little break. He hates it. Maybe he'll have learned his lesson (not bloody likely).

I tried out a new recipe invention tonight: Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. I chopped up a couple cloves of garlic and threw it in a 1/4 cup hot sauce with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I mixed it all up and marinated chicken tenders in it for 24 hours (I was originally going to cook it yesterday -- I don't ever marinate for 24 hours intentionally, I never think that far in advance) and then threw it on a grill pan and popped it in the broiler for 5 minutes. After it was done cooking, I slapped it on a whole wheat orowheat sandwich thin with a slice of provolone and then threw it back in the broiler to melt the cheese. Topped it with a couple tomatoes and ranch sauce (a packet of ranch mix and a tub of fat free sour cream) then ate it. Super delicious. A spicy sweet chicken that is a lot better for you than bar food hot wings. I served it with 3ft's favorite veggie, broccoli, and homemade french fries. It's definitely a keeper and super easy to make.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 155

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich with provolone and cucumber chips with Italian Dressing
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 5 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers with a teaspoon of tuna salad on each and a dill pickle
Dinner - Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with provolone and ranch sauce, broccoli, and french fries

Cake Invention and Castle Defense

What are these you ask? These are Mini Cinnamon Coffee Cakes and another creation of yours truly. It's a cinnamon infused cupcake with a brown sugar, cinnamon, and oat crumble topping. I filled the cupcake wrappers too full so the crumble isn't solid like I'd wanted it. Next time I'll only fill them half as much and that way it'll "look" more like a coffee cake than just taste like one.

I haven't tasted one yet, but I'm assured they're fabulous by the husband. I made them last night after the boys went to bed and it was too late to eat one. But you can bet your bahooka that I'm going to have one today for a snack. Is it 10 am yet. Cuz that's snack time! Wahooo. I actually made them for my friend, Riana's, birthday. It's on Sunday and she's coming over with her munchkins for a playdate today so since I'm going to be out of town on her birthday she's getting her baked goods today. I gave her a chance to put in an order and she said, "Whatever. Surprise me."

So, that naturally means that I threw caution to the wind, saw the cinnamon oil extract in the cupboard which started calling me. I thought a cinnamon cake would be delicious and then it sort of morphed into the mini coffee cakes. They're a little higher in calories than I usually do, but I blame that entirely on my over filling the cupcake wrappers. I'd have gotten 2 dozen cupcakes if I hadn't been so heavy with the scooper and then they'd have been around 100 calories per cake instead of the 200 these are. Oh well. I'm still having one.

Took the boys to the playground yesterday and met up with Riana and her boys. While her baby girl slept in her stroller she played with the Grumpybutt and I chased around 3 active boys (one of which was 3ft). I got up on the playground structure and defended my castle from the boys' onslaught. I owned them, guarded my castle, and I got a lot of running around in. It was fun and naturally the kids thought it was hilarious and an awesome game to play. I still love, Love, LOVE, that I have the energy to do that with the kids, especially my own. 3ft absolutely adores when I play tag, chase, and rough house with him and I love having the energy and the flexibility to do so. When it comes down to it, I'm doing it for him, the Grumpybutt, and the husband so I can be around a LONG time to torment and torture...er.. I mean love and nurture them.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, chasing three active boys around a playground, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 150

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Lunch - Tuna Sandwich, pickle spear, and organic yellow corn tortilla chips
Mid-Afternoon Snack - apple chips and a triple chocolate brownie
Dinner - Spaghetti and eggs (it's a family tradition thing)

Chocolate Victory.

I did it. No sweat. Not even a blip on my radar.

I'm, of course, talking about the ginormous candy bowl filled with Halloween treats -- more importantly all the chocolate (I'm a sucker for chocolate). I had no desire whatsoever to have any candy yesterday even though 3ft had it right in front of me. I even had to open some of them for him and even the delicious smell of the chocolate didn't tempt me. Letting myself have it on Monday seems to have worked quell the chocolate allure. I don't want any today either.

We had another playdate yesterday with 3ft's best friend from school. This one included lunch as well. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it is to have someone else make lunch for me but better still how great it feels to not tweak on what it is they're going to make because of "dieting". I had a delicious roast beef sandwich made even more so because I didn't have to make it and apple slices. Now my friend (because it's not just 3ft's best friend), she knows about my healthy lifestyle (how can she not, I talk about it cuz I'm passionate and she sees me daily) so it could be she caters to that a bit -- I don't know -- but it wouldn't matter what she made, I'd eat it and just balance out the rest of the day with healthier eating guilt-free.

I also made Shepherds Pie last night for dinner. Underneath that delicious layer of cheesy mashed potatoes is ground turkey and lean ground beef, a rich gravy made with low fat beef broth and tomato paste, onions, garlic, lots of mushrooms -- cremini and baby portabella, carrots, and seasoned with fresh parsley and thyme.

It serves 6 and 1 serving has approximately 288 calories and about 6 grams of fat.

It was a huge hit. 3ft absolutely loved it and cleaned his plate. I mean it's basically meat and potatoes with gravy, what's not to love? It's also a great recipe for leftover mashed potatoes with the holidays coming up. I made the mashed potatoes specifically for the dish but I know when I have leftovers this is definitely going to be a go to recipe. I'm already thinking of making one with a turkey twist -- like a pot pie but made in the style of Shepherds pie. It'll be a nice change to the turkey noodle soup that's usually made. Who am I kidding -- I'll end up making both.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, chased after multiple kids at the playground, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 148

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich and hot tea
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich and apple slices
Mid-Afternoon Snack - craisins
Dinner - Shepherd's Pie

Siren's Call.

I know I said the candy wasn't calling me in yesterday's blog, but the siren's call was loud and clear yesterday and...well, I might have done a small overkill on it. But the upside -- because I let myself have it, all I that wanted of it with no guilt, I don't want any today. So while I might have eaten more than I should've, I think it balances out because I'm done with it. The bowl is sitting not a foot away from me and I couldn't care less. By making it something not forbidden I took away the allure. And the best part I don't feel guilty. I enjoyed my candy day yesterday and now I'm over it.

I took 3ft to the playground to have a play date with one of his friends yesterday afternoon. I ended up chasing him, his friend, and his friends little brother all over the park/field next to the play structure. I'd catch them, toss them up, tickle them, and then release them. And then do it all over again. They had fun and I was totally enjoying the fact that I was chasing after some pretty fast runners and catching them -- loving that I had the energy to do it and had the stamina to keep it up.

I upped my push ups and crunches again yesterday. I'm up to 400 crunches and 90 push ups. Now I'm trying to figure how high do I go before it's ridiculous? I figure I might stop at the 400 crunches for awhile and stop raising the push ups when I hit 100. I'll cruise with that a bit and see what happens. They seem like nice round numbers.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, chased after multiple kids at the playground, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 147

Only Water - Day 141

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - candy (couldn't resist the siren's call)
Lunch - Tuna sandwich, a pickle, and homemade french fries
Mid-Afternoon Snack - more candy and 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner - wasn't hungry

They're Heeeeeeeere...

The holiday season is officially here. The fattest time of the year with four holidays that focus on parties, eating, food, eating, family, and...eating. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve. Am I the only one that thinks that it was poor planning on our forefathers to put them bam, bam, bam instead of spacing them out better over the year?

Normally I'd be worried, but so far I've survived Halloween unscathed. I spent the evening carting around 20 extra pounds, Mr. Grumpybutt the Skeleton, as we walked around the neighborhood trick or treating. I had one Payday fun sized candy bar the whole night. The bowl of candy isn't really beckoning to me too much -- not like it is for 3ft who stands over it, stroking the bowl, and murmuring, "We wants candy, my precious. Yes we wants it. Lots of it, don't we my precious?" Apparently we have the one "bowl" that rules them all. 3ft started off as a ninja but morphed into Gollum once his bucket was filled with candy.

I'm just going to hold on to my key word this holiday season: Moderation. I can have the candy, if I want it, in MODERATION. I can have the cakes, the pies, the food, the treats, all the deliciousness, if I want them, in MODERATION. Plus, I'll make sure that I have a lot of healthy snacks and better for you food around so that I can enjoy it in MODERATION and not have to worry about my waistline as much.

Now that I've achieved my goal of getting down to my prepregnancy weight (GO ME, I even surpassed it). I want to lose another 15 pounds by Christmas. Seems like a reasonable goal -- I have a little over 10 pounds to go (10.1 lbs to be exact). I'm making sure I have a goal so I don't get complacent over the holidays and just promise myself I'll start back up diligently after my birthday (January 1st). A lot of damage can be done with complacency so I'm doing my best to ignore it. Besides if I start thinking, "I can start back up after my birthday" well then that becomes a diet and not a lifestyle, doesn't it? Which goes against everything I believe in. So, I shall put up the good fight this holiday season, I shall lose another 15 pounds, and I shall do it while LIVING!

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, carrying the Grumpybutt around while Trick or Treating, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 146

Only Water - Day 140

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - Slice of Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Lunch - Soup and Salad at Olive Garden
Mid-Afternoon Snack - didn't need
Dinner -Tuna sandwich, pickle, and a fun sized Payday

Weekend Report #1

With the holidays coming on and my seemingly increasing busy weekends, I've noticed a trend of me missing Saturday's blog. So from here on out until I say otherwise (It's good to be boss) I'm going to just do a two day blog on Sundays. We'll see how that goes and then maybe I'll quit feeling guilty for completely spacing Saturday's blog because I was so busy.

I tried out a few new recipes:

Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread

I had an baking epiphany. I'd been trying to swirl melted chocolate within banana bread batter forever trying to get this effect. As I was stirring the melted chocolate this time, I happened to look at my banana bread batter and though what if I just mixed the chocolate in and make chocolate banana bread -- it'd be easier. Then it hit me. Why didn't I mix the chocolate into half the batter and then plop the two different batters into my mini loaves pan and then swirl it. It turned out BEAUTIFUL! And it's super delicious too. So I'm all sorts of proud of myself. I'm such a simple creature -- it really is the little things.

Pumpkin Pizza

3ft also wanted to get in on the recipe inventing action so he decided he wanted to invent a recipe for Pumpkin Pizza. He came up with the toppings -- which were chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and whipped cream and it was my job to figure out the pumpkin "sauce" and the crust. This was our first attempt. It was really good. Of course when I cut into it I thought, "How pretty would it look if I had drizzled melted chocolate over the marshmallows instead of having chip clumps?" Well, the next one I make I'm going to do drizzled chocolate and check it out. 3ft did the toppings himself this time which explains the chip clumps. The marshmallows were pretty forgiving of the clumping because they melted and oozed over the pumpkin "sauce". He ran around the rest of the night calling himself a genius and telling the husband and I how lucky we were to have such an awesome kid. Yes, we're so proud of his modest demeanor.

As you know, I'm a huge cooking show whore. I can't get enough of Food Network. Well I was watching Rachel Rae the other night while doing Wii Step and she made Lasagna Bowls. They looked super good. She made it with a Bechamel Sauce, which is a base white sauce that french cuisine uses a lot, and she added Parmesan to it. She mixed it in with a short pasta, I used Rotini, and then she made a hearty meat sauce that she spooned into the center of the pasta and while you eat it you mix the meaty sauce into the white sauced noodles and it tastes like lasagna without all the lasagna effort. Well I thought, how awesome would that be? I bet the Bechamel sauce would be healthier than all the melted cheese in an actual lasagna and if it tasted as good a total win!

So last night I made my version of Lasagna bowls. I used almond milk for the cream, I simmered it with onion, a big clove of garlic, some nutmeg, and a bay leaf. Then after it set and I strained it I did the Roue (I think that's how that's spelled) which is melted butter and flour cooked for a minute and then you slowly add in the cream. It totally thickened with the almond milk then I threw in a half cup of grated Parmesan. I mixed it with whole wheat Rotini. Then I made my favorite hearty meat sauce with half ground turkey and half lean hamburger and spooned it into the center. It was a total win!!! The boys totally loved it. The cheesy Bechamel sauce would also go great on Fettuccine as an Alfredo sauce. And with the almond milk and using only a little butter and little flour it's so much better for you and it tastes decadent. Sorry, I don't have a picture to torture you with. We were hungry and I forgot.

I'm also happy to report that I lost another pound this week. It might be only a pound but I'll take it because think I gained some muscle -- my jeans are a little looser and my shirts are too.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, rocking out on Rock Band 3, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 145

Only Water - Day 139

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Wake Me Up...

Before you go-go.

Third day in a row of Just Dance 2. Still loving it. I shook it to the Beetle Juice song -- you know the one at the end that Winona Ryder dances to because she like got an A on a test or something? Yeah that one and then you probably figured out I Go-go'd with Wham! I love the eclectic mix of music on it.

I also busted out my push ups and crunches and since the weather was nice the Grumpybutt and I went for a walk before we walked over to pick up 3ft. It's funny, other than the bane of my existence (the push ups) and the crunches, I don't really feel like I'm working out. I know I am because I'm losing weight, and working up a sweat, but I'm mostly just having fun. When the weather turns I'm hoping to get back into the gym to battle it out with "The Walker" and "Sweaty Guy on the Bike" but right now I'm just enjoying goofing around.

I surprised 3ft last night with hamburgers and french fries for dinner. Well he had a cheeseburger. I perfected my patty. I used 1/4lb ground turkey and a 1/4lb lean beef. I added some Worcestershire Sauce, ketchup, sauteed onions and chopped garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and some grill seasoning. I made four patties and then stuck them on parchment paper and stuck them in the freezer (I do all my dinner prep work during Grumpybutt's afternoon nap so I can just quickly throw dinner together at dinnertime). The patties had a lot of moisture and they were thin so I figured freezing them would help them keep their shape while they started cooking. It totally worked out perfectly. 3ft inhaled his cheeseburger like it was ambrosia. And was super excited about the homemade french fries.

The fries were super easy because I got a Chef's Envy for an early Christmas present. It's basically a mandolin (which I really really wanted). So it cut those fries up in no time and they were all the same size and perfect. I was so proud of them. But the camera's battery was dead so I couldn't take any pictures and 3ft was circling like a vulture so I couldn't wait for them to charge. Next time.

I also made another batch of cranberry chocolate granola bars yesterday. I cut way back on the chocolate and made a more caramel type sauce to mix into the oats and it turned out super delicious. I sprinkled a little kosher salt on the top so it's a sweet and salty type of deal and it was all I could do not to eat the whole pan. We'll see how it is the second day because I'm looking forward to horking down a bar for snack today.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute power walk, 30 minutes of Just Dance 2, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 143

Only Water - Day 137

Total Pounds Lost - 52.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Ham sandwich, carrots w/ hummus, and sweet pickles. Split a sugar free pudding with the Grumpybutt and 3ft.
Mid-Afternoon Snack - homemade cranberry chocolate granola bar
Dinner -Hamburger and homemade french fries.

Jump Jump

I forgot to mention it but I made homemade granola bars on Monday with cranberries and chocolate chips. They were good but too chocolatey. *gasp* I know!! I've never said too chocolatey in my life but they were. I sent them to work with my husband in individually wrapped bars in festive saran wrap. He sent out an e-mail calling them the Too Chocolatey Granola bars and they were all gone before lunch. One of his coworkers told him to tell me they were fabulous but my husband agreed with me they had too much chocolate. So I'm going to make some more today and I'm going to cut the chocolate WAY back. Hopefully they turn out better.

I also made Orange Chipotle Glazed pork last night (forgot to take a picture). I took a small 10 oz jar of orange marmalade Simply Fruit, two chipotle peppers diced up, and a teaspoon of adobe sauce (it's what the chipotles are canned in) and after searing some pork chops I dumped the sauce on and cooked it until it glazed up. Oh wow, was it spicy. Good, but spicy. I was glad I made Cream Corn Quinoa to go with it. The mild creamy taste of the quinoa really cut through the spice, thank goodness.Next time I make it, I'm going to only use one chipotle pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of adobe sauce and see what happens. The husband is taking it to work today for lunch. He loves spicy so we'll see what he thinks of it. Needless to say, 3ft had chicken nugget dinosaurs and quinoa for dinner. If it was too spicy for me it was way too spicy for him.

I did Just Dance 2 again last night. I "jumped jumped" with Criss Cross. Remember those guys who wore their pants backwards in the early 90's? Mac Daddy make you wanna jump jump. It was pretty awesome. I hated them and that song then and now I just laughed my butt off as I danced to it. That followed by Proud Mary by Ike and Tina. What a combination, right? I love vintage music. The game is seriously so fun. I know I dance like a spasmodic epileptic chicken with white girl rhythm but I'm having too much fun to care.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute power walk, 30 minutes of Just Dance 2, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 142

Only Water - Day 136

Total Pounds Lost - 52.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Ham sandwich, carrots w/ hummus, and cucumbers w/ fat free Italian dressing and split a sugar free pudding with the Grumpybutt
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner -Orange Chipotle Glazed Pork and Cream Corn Quinoa

Dancing Queen.

The stars finally aligned and 3ft and I played Just Dance 2 yesterday for all of 9 minutes. Then he decided he was done, turned off his Wii mote, which turned off the entire game. He has a bit of his father in him and is a little competitive and the game keeps score giving a "crown" to the one with the higher score. I was rocking it so he didn't want to play cuz he wasn't getting the crown. Lame, right? Oh well, he likes Dance Dance Revolution better because he gets to flail around on the dance pad where Just Dance using the Wii mote and you just dance holding it.

It wasn't a complete waste of time because it reminded me how much fun it really is so after the kids went to bed last night I got it back out and danced for 1/2 hour on it and set up a workout counter on it to keep track of what I'm doing weekly. So I shall be dancing again tonight.

I tried out a recipe for Orange Chicken yesterday. It was pretty good. It needed more sauce though, so the next time I make it (if there is a next time) I'll double the sauce. I think most of the problem was I was expecting it to be like Panda Express Orange Chicken and it soooo wasn't. So I was disappointed from the get go, you know? However 3ft inhaled it and said it was his "favorite" chicken ever. He says that a lot so I don't get too giddy. I'm just happy when the little brat eats it with a smile.

Orange Chicken


I did make an awesome garlic chicken brown rice though. Which for me, really saved the chicken. I used boil in bag rice and cooked it in equal parts chicken stock and water then when it was done cooking I drained it, then added garlic salt and pepper and mixed it up. It sounds really simple but it really really made a difference in the flavor. Even 3ft, who doesn't really like rice much, ate all of his.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute power walk, 39 minutes of Just Dance 2, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 141

Only Water - Day 135

Total Pounds Lost - 52.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Tuscan Chicken w/ beans
Mid-Afternoon Snack - homemade cranberry chocolate granola bar and cucumbers dipped in Italian dressing
Dinner -Orange chicken, garlic chicken brown rice, and broccoli

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...

By and far the best beans I've ever eaten came out of the recipe I made for dinner last night.

Tuscan Chicken


The chicken was good, but the Italian style beans made this dish a total winner and it will be in my culinary line up from now on. It's basically cannellini beans, petite diced tomatoes, fresh rosemary, fresh spinach, bacon, onion, and fresh garlic with some salt and pepper. To. Die. For. And once you get all the prep done (which involved massacring a whole chicken with my dull knives) it's really easy to throw together. The hardest part was cutting up the bird and really, if I weren't so cheap, I'd have just bought one already cut up!

I got the base of the recipe from the October Issue of Cooking Light and then jazzed it up from there and made it more my family friendly. It was a huge success and both the husband and 3ft inhaled their food. And just so there is no confusion, you read it right, it has BACON! I love bacon. Mmmmm *drooling*. Oh, sorry. Got lost there for a second in bacony goodness.

I love trying new foods and new recipes. It helps me avoid food boredom. And that is something I've learned can be very detrimental to a healthy lifestyle. To be honest it wasn't only getting pregnant with the Grumpybutt that helped me gain nearly half the weight I lost he was the excuse I used to eat the foods I was missing in mass quantities. I've found with all the new things I'm trying, I'm not bored and not craving empty calories and junk food which, let me tell you, makes it easier to control the portions when I do eat something less than stellar for me. Plus I'd never have known how delicious quinoa is or cannellini beans.

I've upped my push ups and crunches again. I'm now up to 80 push ups (40 twice a day) and 350 crunches (175 twice a day). And then I've been throwing in the "plank" (which I hate more than push ups) and some scissor kicks and whatnot for my lower abdomen (which I hate more than the "plank"). The things I do to maintain my healthy lifestyle.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute power walk, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 140

Only Water - Day 134

Total Pounds Lost - 52.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich and grapes
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner -Tuscan Chicken

Chocolate and Jeans.

I totally forgot to blog yesterday. So this is going to be a two day blog.

On Friday, I tried out a new recipe for Triple Chocolate Brownies. Let me just tell you they could be death by chocolate and they're so rich and chocolatey, you really only want to eat one. But you savor every chocolatey delicious bite while you have it. You'd never know they were "healthier". I fed them to a friend who came over for a play date and she had no idea. She just kept raving how delicious they were.

Yesterday, I tried out a new recipe for chocolate dipped coconut macaroons. OMG! They're so delicious. They actually aren't that bad for you either. I've been on a huge baking kick because the holidays are coming up and I give a lot of "baked good" gifts (I have a big extended family that I can't afford presents for). So we buy for the kids and then exchange yummy goodies with the adults. So since I'm doing the healthy lifestyle thing I'm changing up my old recipes for healthier versions and then testing out to see how they compare. You wouldn't know the triple chocolate brownies were "healthier" and the same could be said for the macaroons.

Naturally I have to taste the new recipes. So, instead of my normal snack yesterday I had a macaroon and then one dipped in chocolate to see which is better. I couldn't decide but I'm proud to say that I didn't keep eating them until the answer presented itself. I was able to stop at just 2. And that never gets old to brag about -- it's still so new and awesome that I have control when it comes to stuff like that

I 'm so excited to say that I've moved out of the Women's Plus Sized section and into regular sized clothes! Nunan, the girl that tortured me all through 8th grade and beyond (although she'd try to tell you I tortured her -- don't listen, she's a liar and a cheat), sent me the most awesome card on the planet. Not only did she hand make it (which is awesome she's so creative) but included in it was a shopping spree at Target. I started trying on pants and decided to grab a size 18 off the regular rack instead of a plus sized woman's 18 (they're different, the regular one is cut smaller) and it totally FIT!!! The sweater and jeans I got were out of the regular section!!!! I'll try to get a picture later today of me wearing them. I couldn't be more excited!! *bouncing*

I'm also excited to report that I've lost another 2.7 lbs last week and that makes the grand total 52.9! I'm hoping to drop another 15lbs before Christmas which is basically 2 months away. I don't think it's unattainable but if I don't make it to a total of 75lbs lost by then, I'm not going to cry about it. I'm enjoying the journey as much as I'm enjoying the rewards.

I was so busy yesterday, I didn't eat as healthy as I would've liked. We ended up at Costco around dinner time and the family was hungry so we ate there. I had a hot dog. But with living, things like that happen, and I enjoyed that hot dog without guilt because I'm NOT dieting! And I'd say that saying right there is one of the biggest reasons for my success. "I'm NOT dieting!"

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute walk, 300 crunches, and 70 push ups.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 138

Only Water - Day 132

Total Pounds Lost - 52.9

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - chocolate dipped coconut macaroons (had to taste test a new recipe)
Lunch - McDonald's Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad
Mid-Afternoon Snack - none
Dinner - Coscto Hot Dog

Orange Zest and Pumpkin.

I've been baking.

I perfected my cranberry scones recipe. They turned out so delicious. I added some orange zest because on one of my cooking shows they said that orange zest really brings out the flavor of cranberries. So, I threw some in and voila, it was absolutely the best cranberry scone I ever ate. See how my cooking show addiction has paid off. I also had some pumpkin in the fridge leftover from the pumpkin pie muffins that I didn't want to go bad so I threw together a quick off the cuff pumpkin scones recipe. They actually turned out really good.

I have two scone lovers in my life: my friend Nunan (who I owe scones too because her mailperson ate her birthday present *grr face* since she never got her original batch) and my friend Gini Koch, author of the Alien Series, and since Alien Tango (the second book in the series) is releasing soon (December 7th, btw -- buy her book it's GREAT!) I thought I'd send them both some cranberry and pumpkin scones. I certainly don't want them living at my house and trying their siren's call on me. I love the baking, I think, more than I love the eating. Weird, right?

I've also got all the ingredients for Honey Cinnamon Swirled Cinnamon Bread which the Bajaffe (Amy Mullis) won in the giveaway so I shall be baking bread today to ship off to the lucky winner tomorrow. The Zebra (Angie Mansfield), the other winner, is waiting until she can torment some children with baked goods before placing her order. I knew I loved that girl!

This new trend of Mr. Grumpybutt not taking his naps has got to stop. He's only 9 months old for crying out loud and he still needs them. Not to mention I NEED them so I can get my workouts in at a decent hour. It doesn't really affect my push ups (mores the pity) and crunches but I think I'm going to have to start to get creative on the Wii stuff. I guess it'll be a HUGE workout to hold his 20+ pounds while I do the Wii Fit Free Step (my back is already groaning in protest). I don't know, I'm going to have to figure something out. Anyone got any ideas? Other than working out after the kids go to bed which, I guess, if another solution doesn't present itself is going to have to be my go to plan.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute walk, 300 crunches, and 70 push ups.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 136

Only Water - Day 131

Total Pounds Lost - 50.2

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - scallops and cream corn quinoa
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter sandwich and cranberry scone
Dinner - scrambled eggs, hash browns, and a pumpkin scone

Winners and Chutney!

I made homemade Cranberry Chutney yesterday. And wow, did it turn out so good. I dolloped some on a garlic seared pork medallion and served it with some Parmesan pasta, and steamed broccoli. Even 3ft and the husband liked the chutney and neither of them are huge cranberry fans. I'm so proud.



I still didn't get to Just Dance 2 yesterday. Had a crazy stressful day, starting with Mr. Grumpybutt not taking his morning nap and then gracing me with only an hour nap in the afternoon. Both naps are NORMALLY 1 1/2 to 2 hours long. So I didn't get a lot of no children down time. 3ft just wanted to watch cartoons and I had a ton of stuff to get done in a short amount of time. So I made sure I got my walking, crunches, push ups, and the new crunches I'm doing with leg lifts incorporated done. By the time dinner, baths, homework, reading, and both the kids were in bed I was too frazzled, drained, tired, and didn't want to do anything but veg on my couch. So that's just what I did. Just Dance 2 might have been neglected but my couch appreciated the love.

So for those of you tuned into the giveaway, today is the day and the lucky winners of the 50 Pounds Lost Giveaway are: Amy Mullis and Angie Mansfield! So ladies let me know what you want baked and shipped to you from the Baked Deliciousness List.

Baked Deliciousness List

Pumpkin Pie Muffins (or mini loaves)
Cranberry Scones
Snowy Brownies
Double Chocolate Brownies (new recipe)
Cinnamon Honey Swirled Cinnamon Bread (w/ or w/out cranberries)
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies (better than a snickerdoodle)
Cookie S'mores
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (if you want to wait until my bananas are ripe)

Thank you all for celebrating my 50-pound-loss with me. And don't worry, giveaways are fun and I'll have another one at 75lbs lost or 200 days -- whichever one comes first. (Who am I kidding? We'll have a giveaway for both!)

Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic chopped
1 scallion chopped
2 tbs yellow onion
1 cup Craisins
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbs dijon mustard
1/4 cup toasted pecans chopped
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Directions
saute garlic, scallions, and onions in olive oil until tender in a medium saucepan

toast pecans in a dry non stick pan until browned and you can smell them. then chop them up.

throw pecans and all the rest of the ingredients in the saucepan, bring to a boil, and then turn down heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Serve warm or cold. It's good either way. Makes quite a bit, I filled a couple small canning jars with it to save for Thanksgiving. I figured it'd go super well with turkey!

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute walk, 300 crunches, 60 new fangled crunches, and 70 push ups.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 135

Only Water - Day 130

Total Pounds Lost - 50.2

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - scallops and cream corn quinoa
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter sandwich
Dinner - pork medallion w/ homemade cranberry chutney, parmesan pasta, and broccoli

Foiled Again.

3ft is a brat. I can call him this because I'm his mother. Some would say he comes by it honestly and I'd agree if you meant he got it from his dad. Anyway, I digress, back to why he's a brat. We got Lego Harry Potter in the mail from Blockbuster.com. And as you can very well imagine he'd rather play that then flail around to music he doesn't even know with his mom. It's sacrilege I tell you.

So I ended up doing Wii Free Step again yesterday. It's alright, really, because then I get to feed my foodie addiction by watching cooking shows. I watched Tyler's Ultimate and his Ultimate Orecchiette and he made some Panna Cotta that I definitely want to try. Then I moved on to Rachel Rae and watched her do a Kaiser Roll Calzone that I'm all over healthifying (yeah, it's a word. I just made it up) with a pan roasted garlic dressing that looked pretty amazing for salads.

It's so funny now that I watch the quality of calories and fat I put into my body and not just eat what's handy whether it's delicious or not, I've totally become obsessed with food and cooking and inventing recipes. I've always liked to cook but not to this extent before. My Christmas list has a few books (cooking books) and the rest is cooking gadgets.

Garlic Seared Scallops and Cream Corn Quinoa


So this was dinner last night. For those of you who don't know what Quinoa is, it's a small whole grain that is packed full of nutrients. You can use it like rice. OMG. It was so delicious. It's definitely a keeper and paired with the scallops (which I love) it was an amazing dinner. I got the idea for the Quinoa from a Clean Eating Magazine and then I changed it up to fit my tastes a little better and made it my own.

Ingredients for Cream Corn Quinoa
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tbs chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed under cold running water
1 cup chicken broth
2 cobs of corn, kernels removed (about 1 cup), hold onto one naked cob
1/2 cup chopped baby spinach leaves
garlic salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs nonfat sour cream

Directions
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, celery, and green onion and saute until garlic is golden and celery is soft.

Add quinoa and cook until quinoa is dry and toasted.

Add chicken broth and naked corncob. Bring to a boil and cover. Then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until quinoa is soft and the center of the grains are translucent. (most if not all the liquid should be absorbed into the grain)

Turn off burner, remove corncob and add corn, chopped spinach, some garlic salt and pepper, and the nonfat sour cream. Stir it all up and be ready for heaven. It's so delicious.

Makes 4, 1/2 cup servings
Calories 146.8
Total Fat 3.6g
Carbs 24.9g
Fiber 2.9g
Protein 5.1g

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute walk, 30 minutes Free Step on the Wii, 300 crunches, and 70 push ups.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 134

Only Water - Day 129

Total Pounds Lost - 50.2

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Ham Sandwich, dill pickle, cucumbers and fat free Italian dressing
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter sandwich
Dinner - Garlic Seared Scallops and Cream Corn Quinoa
Dessert - Pumpkin Pie Muffin with Cream Cheese Marshmallow frosting

Change of Plan.

So, we didn't do Just Dance 2 yesterday. Apparently 3ft thought Scooby Doo and the Curse of the Lake Monster was way more important than dancing. *gasp* It's scandalous I know. So we're going to try and do it today.

However, I did bust out Wii Fit last night and do 30 minutes of Free Step while watching a couple episodes of Giada at Home (a cooking show -- I'm addicted). I made cream cheese marshmallow frosting last night for the pumpkin pie muffins and of course I had to taste the frosting and lick the spoon. Then naturally I had to eat a muffin with the frosting on it to make sure they tasted good together, right? Right. So, I made the wise choice to throw in a little 8pm workout to make up for the muffin and frosting consumption. I also am proud to say that while I wanted to eat a lot of muffins with frosting (they really were off the hook), I only ate the one. Go me.

The frosting is super easy: 1 8oz package of cream cheese (room temp), 8oz of marshmallow creme, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, 1 tbs Brummel and Brown yogurt spread. Whip it all together and there you go. It's creamy but runny so it works really well to pipe into muffins or cupcakes and then use a little to cover the top. You don't need a lot on the top when its in the center as well.

I've upped my crunches and push ups again. I'm now doing 150 crunches and 35 push ups twice a day. Have I mentioned how much I hate push ups? But did you notice how fat my arms are? That is why I keep doing them even though I completely loathe them. The things we do in the name of health. I'm also going to implement another crunch exercise that I found in my Clean Eating Magazine. It not only has you "crunch" but it has you include your legs and lifting them, trying to touch your toes and whatnot while you're crunching. I really want to tighten my tummy and hopefully negate a lot of excess skin. I figure I'm going to end up with some. You don't go from 350lbs (which was my highest original weight), having your skin stretched to it's absolute limit, to 150lbs and not have some skin issues -- but I'm hoping to minimalize them.

The giveaway is still going. Make sure if you want to be included you let me know. I'm going to make the Husband draw two names out of a hat on Wednesday night. Don't miss out on a chance to win the delicious baked goods!

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minutes Free Step on the Wii, 300 crunches, and 70 push ups.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 133

Only Water - Day 128

Total Pounds Lost - 50.2

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - (early lunch)
Lunch - McDonalds Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/out mayo and apple dippers
Mid-Afternoon Snack - (was busy and forgot it)
Dinner - Cider Glazed Pork w/ fettuccine alfredo and broccoli
Dessert - Pumpkin Pie Muffin with Cream Cheese Marshmallow frosting