I'm not a Fat-Free-Sugar-Free-junkie for more than one reason. First, it's usually more expensive than the real stuff. Second, it's not good for you. Who wants to give their kids something they can't even pronounce, let alone an entire list of non-pronounceable things? If I wouldn't feed it to my toddler, I try not to buy it.
I say try because I have two things I keep for moments of desperation (usually at night) when I feel myself going over the edge of food control: diet soda and Jell-O. I hate that I use these things sometimes, but they sure have saved my butt (literally). I want to stop and I will someday...but probably not today. I don't want that junk clouding my kids' brains when they're trying to learn and grow, and I don't like having special Mommy Food. It's like doing fun things after your kids are in bed -- it's fine when they're younger, but the day they discover you ordering pizza, inviting friends over, and playing games after they're in bed it's all over.
While exploring my new Inspiration blog, I may have stumbled upon a healthy craving fix. It's not calorie-free (although nothing is really without consequences), but it is WAY better than diet soda or Jell-O. It's microwave popcorn!! No, I'm not talking about the stuff that comes chemically processed in a cellophane bag ~ I'm talking whole grain, all-natural, food storage popcorn!
I know there are many healthy ways to pop popcorn. I have a Whirly Pop and my mom had an air popper. But, if you know me, you know that I am an appliance minimalist. If I collected all the gadgets and gizmos As Seen On TV, where would I put the food!
Of course I immediately tried it out and...it worked! Since then I'm popping non-stop ~ really! Someone should probably stop me before my house overflows with popcorn! Can you tell how excited I am? Just look at how many exclamation points I have used in this post. I rarely use them and now they're all over the place!
Now, brace yourself. This is not the most delicious popcorn you have ever tasted (Brady's gooey caramel popcorn is the best, but you'd hate me if I posted that recipe!). BUT, it is healthy (my favorite), fast (the kids' favorite), and cheap (Brady's favorite) -- a real family pleaser!
So, here it is:
Put a few handfuls of popcorn in a brown lunch bag.
Fold it down a few times.
Place in microwave and...POP!
There are a few little things you can do, like season it or whatever. But, I'll let you figure that out as you explore THE BEST SNACK EVER!
Pop on, my friends. Pop on.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
How Do I Look?
Alisa reminded me about something I tried to do a while back. Now that we have a faster internet connection, I can finally post my pics. (Sorry the Before Pic is so bad. Genevieve's quick snap of me was my only clear head shot).
So, which should I be -- Cameron, Jessica, Olsen, or Paltrow?
Or, try it for yourself.
I Didn't Deserve It...PERIOD
Note: Contains discussion of feminine issues.
So, this past week did NOT go well. While I exercised, the only calories I counted were guesstimates and not recorded anywhere but my fuzzy head. Sunday's Ward Potluck, Monday's Family Home Evening Treats, and this morning's hangover eating didn't help much, either. Needless to say, my eating has been less than stellar.
To make matters worse, I started my pseudo-period on Sunday. After having a baby it usually takes about a year-and-a-half before I have a period and even then it's irregular and light for a while. Lucky, I know (except when I want to be pregnant). With Kelsey I worried all the time that I was pregnant, with Genevieve I worried less, and with Shelley I've been enjoying it entirely. I've probably had less than 20 cycles since getting married almost 11 years ago. It's a good thing, too, because I make a VERY cranky PMS-er. Still, it sure does make getting pregnant a whole lot easier ;)
While this explains the weekend cravings, it does not excuse them. AND, it lead to Monday Munching Madness and already Totally Terrible Tuesday. I've eaten everything in our house and have tried to lay Shelley down for a nap three times so I can exercise (or so I say), but to no avail.
I want to quit. I want to give in. Actually, it's too late -- I already have.
So, now what?
Well, I need to write down what I eat, at least for a while. I don't know if this will be a lifetime practice, but it is essential for me to reach my goals. I need to detox for the rest of today and tomorrow. Most importantly, I need to relax. If I have one good day of eating, I usually feel better. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this (instead of clicking my heels three times, I'm smacking my lips...where's Glinda when I need her?).
As for my weigh-in, I really didn't deserve the number. I waited until after I exercised because I just couldn't face the scale. After the feeding frenzy of yesterday and today, next week will be harsh without better eating the rest of the week. Anyway, here it is:
Current Weight: 148.0
Current BMI: 23.0
PS Sorry about the delay in posting ~ Brady did our taxes last night. Go Brady!
So, this past week did NOT go well. While I exercised, the only calories I counted were guesstimates and not recorded anywhere but my fuzzy head. Sunday's Ward Potluck, Monday's Family Home Evening Treats, and this morning's hangover eating didn't help much, either. Needless to say, my eating has been less than stellar.
To make matters worse, I started my pseudo-period on Sunday. After having a baby it usually takes about a year-and-a-half before I have a period and even then it's irregular and light for a while. Lucky, I know (except when I want to be pregnant). With Kelsey I worried all the time that I was pregnant, with Genevieve I worried less, and with Shelley I've been enjoying it entirely. I've probably had less than 20 cycles since getting married almost 11 years ago. It's a good thing, too, because I make a VERY cranky PMS-er. Still, it sure does make getting pregnant a whole lot easier ;)
While this explains the weekend cravings, it does not excuse them. AND, it lead to Monday Munching Madness and already Totally Terrible Tuesday. I've eaten everything in our house and have tried to lay Shelley down for a nap three times so I can exercise (or so I say), but to no avail.
I want to quit. I want to give in. Actually, it's too late -- I already have.
So, now what?
Well, I need to write down what I eat, at least for a while. I don't know if this will be a lifetime practice, but it is essential for me to reach my goals. I need to detox for the rest of today and tomorrow. Most importantly, I need to relax. If I have one good day of eating, I usually feel better. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this (instead of clicking my heels three times, I'm smacking my lips...where's Glinda when I need her?).
As for my weigh-in, I really didn't deserve the number. I waited until after I exercised because I just couldn't face the scale. After the feeding frenzy of yesterday and today, next week will be harsh without better eating the rest of the week. Anyway, here it is:
Current Weight: 148.0
Current BMI: 23.0
PS Sorry about the delay in posting ~ Brady did our taxes last night. Go Brady!
Friday, January 11, 2008
A Date With Ice Cream On Top
...and I'm not talking about the fruit! Brady and I went on a date tonight, which we haven't done in a while.
Now, when I say a while, I mean a few weeks before our vacation. I am one of those girls who likes to be taken out -- and regularly. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to happen. After I have a baby, there's a small window where we can't go out for a few months, so we counter this by stocking up at the end of my pregnancies. Once the baby is on a good nighttime schedule, we hit the town. I just love being with my husband in that way. I also enjoy the time to be Me - Kids. Me - Kids still = Me, just another side. I get to walk slower, think more, and EAT SLOWLY! Love it.
Tonight I was a little nervous about going out to dinner, so I persuaded Brady to just take me to a movie instead. I had been at the park all afternoon with friends and we even ate dinner there. We planned ahead and all brought food to share so when we went home it would just be get-ready-for-bed time. Aaaah.
I made some calzones with white/wheat dough, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, and olives (I'm still trying to use up the giant box of mushrooms I bought from Sam's Club this week, can you tell?). I love making fresh bread and I have a super easy recipe for pizza dough (thanks, April). Now that I have a Kitchen Aid, too, (thanks, Tara) this process is much easier and surprisingly still enjoyable. After years of hand mixing and kneading, my wrists were getting quite sore, but nothing could stop me from my sweet bread (Alisa, I have come a LONG way since our college Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat experimentations).
The good news is, the calzones were great, especially dipped in my favorite chunky marinara. Even though Brady gripped a bit about the cottage cheese instead of ricotta, he still ate two and seemed satisfied. Maybe I'll try pureeing it next time to get a less chunky texture. The bad news, I think I ate 3. I say "think" because with so many nibbles, who really knows the exact amount.
So, when Brady mentioned dinner AND a movie (which usually means dessert, too) I was a little hesitant. He understood, so we skipped dinner and just went to see National Treasure 2. (If you've seen the first, you've seen the second. I do think the movie is well-made and entertaining, though).
And, no, I did not have movie popcorn. I am one of those people who smuggles food into the theater. I think I'd probably pay the ridiculous prices if they just had what I wanted -- 94% fat free popcorn. Instead, I pre-popped my own bag. I have no shame when it comes to health -- really, I don't.
After the movie, instead of Cold Stone (please refer to prior posts about my love for that stuff), we opted to share a large White Chocolate Mousse/Peanut Butter swirl cup at TCBY. The employee was so nice, even though we came in 15 minutes before close. He let me sample as much as I wanted, answered all my questions, showed me the nutrition information, and even weighed our ice cream on the electric scale. While licking it up, Brady and I spent about 10 minutes in the car looking up gram to ounce conversions on his Blackberry to calculate the exact amount of calories in our treat. Oh, the things you do without kids!
While I am not entirely happy with the day, it could have been much worse. I did not eat ALL the dough or the calzones; I brought my own popcorn to a movie; and, I shared a treat with my husband. What a guy!
Speaking of great guys, mine just got even better -- he agreed to run a 5k race with me in February!! I could not be more excited if I were given a new outfit from Banana (although I'd like to test that theory). Even more, my sister's gonna run it, too! I'm all for this one because she babysits my kids while she trains. Tonight, she ran 2 miles on my treadmill while babysitting during our date. And she wants to make this a regular thing...uh, sure!
Tomorrow, I am completing the unpacking process. Although I tried to resist accepting reality, my Vacation Continuation officially ended today when I cleaned the house. While I didn't get everything done, it was still a strong effort, definitely NOT vacation quality. So, tomorrow I'll unpack the girls' suitcases, put away three baskets of laundry, transfer all of Shelley's clothes to her new room, put away her 12-18 month clothes, bring out her 18-24 month bin, organize their new toys, go to a YMCA open house, drive Kelsey and a friend to another friend's house to go to the circus, stop at the church to grind some wheat, make four loaves of wheat bread for a pot luck, and I'll plan the combined Sharing Time/Singing Time activity for Sunday.
Yeah, vacation's definitely over.
Now, when I say a while, I mean a few weeks before our vacation. I am one of those girls who likes to be taken out -- and regularly. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to happen. After I have a baby, there's a small window where we can't go out for a few months, so we counter this by stocking up at the end of my pregnancies. Once the baby is on a good nighttime schedule, we hit the town. I just love being with my husband in that way. I also enjoy the time to be Me - Kids. Me - Kids still = Me, just another side. I get to walk slower, think more, and EAT SLOWLY! Love it.
Tonight I was a little nervous about going out to dinner, so I persuaded Brady to just take me to a movie instead. I had been at the park all afternoon with friends and we even ate dinner there. We planned ahead and all brought food to share so when we went home it would just be get-ready-for-bed time. Aaaah.
I made some calzones with white/wheat dough, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, and olives (I'm still trying to use up the giant box of mushrooms I bought from Sam's Club this week, can you tell?). I love making fresh bread and I have a super easy recipe for pizza dough (thanks, April). Now that I have a Kitchen Aid, too, (thanks, Tara) this process is much easier and surprisingly still enjoyable. After years of hand mixing and kneading, my wrists were getting quite sore, but nothing could stop me from my sweet bread (Alisa, I have come a LONG way since our college Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat experimentations).
The good news is, the calzones were great, especially dipped in my favorite chunky marinara. Even though Brady gripped a bit about the cottage cheese instead of ricotta, he still ate two and seemed satisfied. Maybe I'll try pureeing it next time to get a less chunky texture. The bad news, I think I ate 3. I say "think" because with so many nibbles, who really knows the exact amount.
So, when Brady mentioned dinner AND a movie (which usually means dessert, too) I was a little hesitant. He understood, so we skipped dinner and just went to see National Treasure 2. (If you've seen the first, you've seen the second. I do think the movie is well-made and entertaining, though).
And, no, I did not have movie popcorn. I am one of those people who smuggles food into the theater. I think I'd probably pay the ridiculous prices if they just had what I wanted -- 94% fat free popcorn. Instead, I pre-popped my own bag. I have no shame when it comes to health -- really, I don't.
After the movie, instead of Cold Stone (please refer to prior posts about my love for that stuff), we opted to share a large White Chocolate Mousse/Peanut Butter swirl cup at TCBY. The employee was so nice, even though we came in 15 minutes before close. He let me sample as much as I wanted, answered all my questions, showed me the nutrition information, and even weighed our ice cream on the electric scale. While licking it up, Brady and I spent about 10 minutes in the car looking up gram to ounce conversions on his Blackberry to calculate the exact amount of calories in our treat. Oh, the things you do without kids!
While I am not entirely happy with the day, it could have been much worse. I did not eat ALL the dough or the calzones; I brought my own popcorn to a movie; and, I shared a treat with my husband. What a guy!
Speaking of great guys, mine just got even better -- he agreed to run a 5k race with me in February!! I could not be more excited if I were given a new outfit from Banana (although I'd like to test that theory). Even more, my sister's gonna run it, too! I'm all for this one because she babysits my kids while she trains. Tonight, she ran 2 miles on my treadmill while babysitting during our date. And she wants to make this a regular thing...uh, sure!
Tomorrow, I am completing the unpacking process. Although I tried to resist accepting reality, my Vacation Continuation officially ended today when I cleaned the house. While I didn't get everything done, it was still a strong effort, definitely NOT vacation quality. So, tomorrow I'll unpack the girls' suitcases, put away three baskets of laundry, transfer all of Shelley's clothes to her new room, put away her 12-18 month clothes, bring out her 18-24 month bin, organize their new toys, go to a YMCA open house, drive Kelsey and a friend to another friend's house to go to the circus, stop at the church to grind some wheat, make four loaves of wheat bread for a pot luck, and I'll plan the combined Sharing Time/Singing Time activity for Sunday.
Yeah, vacation's definitely over.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Leftover Dinner Omelet
Disclaimer: I am NOT an experienced cook and I like to make things up. The combination can sometimes be disastrous and can definitely be improved. Suggestions are welcome.
For dinner last night we had potato buildups. I don't know if I made that word up or what, but they're basically potatoes with anything piled on top. Last night we used shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a bit of sour cream. When Brady came home he wasn't very hungry (late lunch out), so he just ate his carrots and grapes. This left two potatoes, shredded cheese, and chopped green onions unused.
Not wanting to waste food (a trait I sometimes wish I didn't have), I decided to use the leftovers to make a breakfast omelet. The result was cheap, fast, and tasty (my favorite combination), so I thought I'd share.
Leftover Dinner Omelet
1 cooked potato, diced
2 Tbsp. EVOO (thanks, Rachel Ray)
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms (not leftover, but sounded good)
7 egg whites
2 eggs
3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. chopped green onion
Heat oil medium-high. Add potato and mushrooms. Brown. Beat eggs and whites. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add eggs. Cover and cook until mostly done. Add cheese and green onion.
For hungry husbands (or for dinner!), add salsa, black beans, and sour cream and serve in a tortilla.
This morning, I wasn't as attentive as I should have been to the eggs and a slight crust formed on the bottom of the omelet from cooking the eggs at too high of temperature. I didn't mind because I cut and served the omelet like pizza. If you like it softer, cook it low and maybe stir the first minute or so.
Didn't even think to snap a pic. Sorry.
In other news, I tried a palates DVD this morning for some cross-training. I never do anything but run and when I do it's usually long and slow, so I am almost never sore. Let's just say I'll remember real quick what soreness feels like tomorrow! I couldn't even do half the moves and they certainly weren't pretty. Now, a Before Pic of that would be REALLY funny!
Or not.
For dinner last night we had potato buildups. I don't know if I made that word up or what, but they're basically potatoes with anything piled on top. Last night we used shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a bit of sour cream. When Brady came home he wasn't very hungry (late lunch out), so he just ate his carrots and grapes. This left two potatoes, shredded cheese, and chopped green onions unused.
Not wanting to waste food (a trait I sometimes wish I didn't have), I decided to use the leftovers to make a breakfast omelet. The result was cheap, fast, and tasty (my favorite combination), so I thought I'd share.
Leftover Dinner Omelet
1 cooked potato, diced
2 Tbsp. EVOO (thanks, Rachel Ray)
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms (not leftover, but sounded good)
7 egg whites
2 eggs
3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. chopped green onion
Heat oil medium-high. Add potato and mushrooms. Brown. Beat eggs and whites. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add eggs. Cover and cook until mostly done. Add cheese and green onion.
For hungry husbands (or for dinner!), add salsa, black beans, and sour cream and serve in a tortilla.
This morning, I wasn't as attentive as I should have been to the eggs and a slight crust formed on the bottom of the omelet from cooking the eggs at too high of temperature. I didn't mind because I cut and served the omelet like pizza. If you like it softer, cook it low and maybe stir the first minute or so.
Didn't even think to snap a pic. Sorry.
In other news, I tried a palates DVD this morning for some cross-training. I never do anything but run and when I do it's usually long and slow, so I am almost never sore. Let's just say I'll remember real quick what soreness feels like tomorrow! I couldn't even do half the moves and they certainly weren't pretty. Now, a Before Pic of that would be REALLY funny!
Or not.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Half-Naked Truth
Well, here goes everything.
Current Weight: 149.8 (pre-run, post-poop)
Current BMI: 23.3
Goal Weight: 130
Goal BMI: 20.2
Goal Date: April 23, 2008 (my 11 year wedding anniversary -- it sounded good)
Now for the pics.
I like the last side view because it actually looks like I have a booty! Do not be deceived, however. It's all smoke and mirrors.
Anyway, there it is: My Half-Naked Truth.
Anyone else up for some extra Monday Motivation? Post your half-naked truths here!
Current Weight: 149.8 (pre-run, post-poop)
Current BMI: 23.3
Goal Weight: 130
Goal BMI: 20.2
Goal Date: April 23, 2008 (my 11 year wedding anniversary -- it sounded good)
Now for the pics.
I like the last side view because it actually looks like I have a booty! Do not be deceived, however. It's all smoke and mirrors.
Anyway, there it is: My Half-Naked Truth.
Anyone else up for some extra Monday Motivation? Post your half-naked truths here!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Uh-Oh
OK, so I just took my Before Pics and I am seriously embarrassed. Maybe I should have taken the pictures BEFORE I said I would do this crazy thing, so at least I could see what I was getting myself into!
We just got back to Florida tonight and I was planning tomorrow (like I always do) and realized if I waited until tomorrow to take my pics, I would have to take the pictures myself. While the embarrassment would be only slightly less during the process, the outcome would probably be much worse with my camera balanced across the room on a chair or something. Instead, I decided to have Brady snap a few tonight.
Ugh.
If you ever need motivation to lose weight, have someone take a half-naked picture of you! The camera does not lie (thanks a lot everyone else for telling me I looked good -- now I KNOW you were lying). There is no "flattering angle" when you're hardly wearing any clothes. I have gained a new respect for the Biggest Loser competitors. They are very brave. Try it and see for yourself.
Despite my run-in with reality, there is some good news: I am totally motivated and I think we're getting a high-speed internet connection in a week or so (yes, we still have dial-up), which means I'll be able to upload more pictures. The bad news: My connection will be slow until then (fewer pics) and you may need to wear sunglasses (do I really live in Florida??).
The Plan:
I'll post my weight once a week, with blogs in between. If I can bare it (pun intended), I'll post pics once a month. Initially I thought I'd take pictures once a week, but I really want to see results and not just embarrass myself needlessly.
Thanks to everyone for being supportive of my goals. To those of you with similar goals, thanks for sharing the embarrassment!
Despite my run-in with reality, there is some good news: I am totally motivated and I think we're getting a high-speed internet connection in a week or so (yes, we still have dial-up), which means I'll be able to upload more pictures. The bad news: My connection will be slow until then (fewer pics) and you may need to wear sunglasses (do I really live in Florida??).
The Plan:
I'll post my weight once a week, with blogs in between. If I can bare it (pun intended), I'll post pics once a month. Initially I thought I'd take pictures once a week, but I really want to see results and not just embarrass myself needlessly.
Thanks to everyone for being supportive of my goals. To those of you with similar goals, thanks for sharing the embarrassment!
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