Happy Thursday all. Last night when I posted my recipe I promised a real blog and I am here to own up to my commitment!
Speaking of commitment...
I have hit a bit of a stalemate on my war against excess weight. I haven't been as dedicated as I need to be and I need something to work towards. I know myself well enough to know that I don't do when when I'm just hanging out and headed towards some illusive final goal. I think about losing 100 pounds and it's great and exciting but it's so far off that I just can't motivate myself to get to that point. It's depressing to admit to this but that's how it is. I've been using the website Loseit.com to help track food and activity and it's been a really big help. It was especially motivating a while ago because both Cody and Tasha were using it regularly and it was fun to have friends on there. However, because their lives are crazy right now, and always, they haven't been able to faithfully log on. Without them, I find myself less motivated to log on.
Anyway, this weekend, after two weeks of really poor eating, not a lot of physical activity and the regaining of 5 pounds, I decided that I can't let all of my hard work go to waste and I needed to get back on track. After logging in to loseit I started to read some of the forums and I came across a post titled 365 days of exercise. It piqued my interest so I went to read it. Instead of finding an article I found a time lapse video of a man who found himself on the 'pudgy' side and decided to do something about it. I've linked the video here and all I have to say is if a picture is worth 1000 words, this time lapse video of 365 days worth of pictures is worth infinity.
http://www.break.com/index/365-days-of-exercise.html
Now, obviously this man had a lot less to lose than me and was nearer the 'tone and trim' portion of fitness than I am right now. But the results are staggering. Especially the first half of the video. I can't believe how quickly he went from someone with a belly to someone with a toned, tight abs. Not only was I impressed, I was inspired. If this man can go from his starting self to the finished product in 1 year, I can certainly lose 100 pounds in 1 year. Hell, I'm already 45...well, 40 pounds into it!
Don't misunderstand me. I am not delusional and I realize that I will not go from 'Nicole right now' to 'Nicole the swimsuit model' in 1 year. Actually, I hope to God I'm never 'Nicole the swimsuit model.' What I am hoping to accomplish is creating a really healthy lifestyle where I am active by habit, not force.
I can talk the talk. The more important question is, can I walk the walk? I am going to try my damnedest! My intentions are not overly insane. My goal is to engage in at least 20-30 minutes, each day of some sort of physical activity. I have already been working with a co-worker and we're going to walk to her car every night after work, barring rain. It's about a 20 minute walk and then she'll drive me to my car. I plan to keep up with my morning workouts but I also need to find ways to get some evening exercises planned. I am really excited right now but I know that there will be days that I may have to call on you to help motivate me to get by bones moving.
Anyway, that's my big excitement right now. I hope to be successful at this and know if I can stick to it, I'll be able to accomplish my fitness goals!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Recipe: Stuffed Peppers
Happy Wednesday! I hope that you are all having a great week. Mine has been crazy but pretty good so far. I have another recipe to share and then I promise to do a real blog, probably not until tomorrow but it will happen.
My mom used to make the best stuffed peppers and I could never quite get them to come out like hers when I would make them myself. I can't ask her how she used to make hers for obvious reasons so I was looking online to see if I could find a recipe that tasted like hers. While this recipe wasn't the same, the peppers came out really well anyway.
you will need:
4 bell peppers (whatever color you want)
1.5 c. cooked rice (I used brown but you can use white if you prefer)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
2 tbs. olive or canola oil
1 clove garlic peeled and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
0.5 c. ketchup
0.5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce
Directions:
Cut off tops of peppers and remove all seeds. In a large pot, bring water to boil with 1 tbs. salt. Add peppers and cook for 3 minutes or until peppers become bright colored and tender. Remove from water and set aside to dry and cool. In pot add oil, onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Remove from heat. Mix in rice, tomatoes, ground beef, oregano, salt and pepper. Fill peppers with meat/rice mixture.
In a small bowl mix ketchup, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Spoon over top of peppers. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
My only complaint about these stuffed peppers is that they were a little drier than I am used to. I would probably add 1 c. of pasta sauce to give it a bit more moisture to the filling. Other than that, they were very tasty and quite easy to make.
My mom used to make the best stuffed peppers and I could never quite get them to come out like hers when I would make them myself. I can't ask her how she used to make hers for obvious reasons so I was looking online to see if I could find a recipe that tasted like hers. While this recipe wasn't the same, the peppers came out really well anyway.
you will need:
4 bell peppers (whatever color you want)
1.5 c. cooked rice (I used brown but you can use white if you prefer)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
2 tbs. olive or canola oil
1 clove garlic peeled and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
0.5 c. ketchup
0.5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce
Directions:
Cut off tops of peppers and remove all seeds. In a large pot, bring water to boil with 1 tbs. salt. Add peppers and cook for 3 minutes or until peppers become bright colored and tender. Remove from water and set aside to dry and cool. In pot add oil, onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Remove from heat. Mix in rice, tomatoes, ground beef, oregano, salt and pepper. Fill peppers with meat/rice mixture.
In a small bowl mix ketchup, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Spoon over top of peppers. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
My only complaint about these stuffed peppers is that they were a little drier than I am used to. I would probably add 1 c. of pasta sauce to give it a bit more moisture to the filling. Other than that, they were very tasty and quite easy to make.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A surprising and angering realization
Hey ladies:
Well...I went to the mall yesterday to return a pair of jeans to Lane Bryant. THEY CLOSED THE AMES LOCATION! I'm so mad that I'll have to drive to Des Moines to enjoy that store. Grrr.
I had good results at the midway point in my weight loss study. I've lost 5 pounds. I wanted to lose more than that of course but in theory I followed their rule of 1 pound per week. My BMI, body fat %, and waist circumference have decreased too.
My retreat through church was pretty decent. I was happy that I contributed to the organization. I made food for the "meet and greet" portion of the evening on Friday. I wantd to provide something warm to eat since the other women were bring desserts, meat & crackers, and cheese. I made cocktail meatballs in a sweet glaze. I cheated though because I knew I couldn't make uniform, tiny meatballs. Plus making them from scratch would add up in $$$. I bought frozen meatballs at Walmart and worked with those instead. It worked out nice because one specific brand had 130 meatballs in a bag and that was the perfect quantity. I used my Mom's sauce for Little Smokies and it worked well (thank God). I took a jar of grape jelly, a few large squirts of BBQ sauce, a tad bit of mustard, and about 4-5 tablespoons of brown sugar. A couple of the ladies want the recipe so I'm sure they'll like my quantities for the sauce portion of the recipe.
The theme of the retreat was "Treasures of Hope". The speaker spent a lot of time on Friday talking about Eve and how she typically has a bad wrap when it comes to the whole banishment from the Garden of Eden deal. She focused on the good of Eve and related it to the qualities we need to possess as women, wives, mothers, etc. I had never thought about the fact that she was the first woman to lose a child to death, lose a child due to poor decisions (Cain was banished after he killed Abel), etc. At first she was quite heavy on the marriage side of things so I was worried that it would turn into a "how to be a good wife" retreat. I wasn't the only unmarried attendee but the majority of women were hitched. She did a good job reminding us that God is our first husband because he's the ultimate protector and should come first in our lives.
Saturday focused heavily on the 7 Christian Virtues: Virtue (moral excellence), Knowledge, Self Control, Steadfastness (patience), Godliness, Brotherly Kindness, and Christian Love. I admit I'm often in a moral conflict now a days when I do things with my church. I have the strong gut feeling that Jon and I will most likely live together prior to marriage and church keeps reiterating that it's a big no-no.
I need to set up some pretty big appointments for Gavin in April. In my opinion, he needs to get his eyes checked out by an optomitrist. He also needs to do a follow-up with the orthodontist. He saw the orthodontist in 2008 or 2009 and now that I have the proper dental insurance, we better start the retainer process. He was receptive to the idea of taking an art class in May since it's his off-season for sports. He's taking an intermediate cartooning class.
Well that's enough randomness for now.
Well...I went to the mall yesterday to return a pair of jeans to Lane Bryant. THEY CLOSED THE AMES LOCATION! I'm so mad that I'll have to drive to Des Moines to enjoy that store. Grrr.
I had good results at the midway point in my weight loss study. I've lost 5 pounds. I wanted to lose more than that of course but in theory I followed their rule of 1 pound per week. My BMI, body fat %, and waist circumference have decreased too.
My retreat through church was pretty decent. I was happy that I contributed to the organization. I made food for the "meet and greet" portion of the evening on Friday. I wantd to provide something warm to eat since the other women were bring desserts, meat & crackers, and cheese. I made cocktail meatballs in a sweet glaze. I cheated though because I knew I couldn't make uniform, tiny meatballs. Plus making them from scratch would add up in $$$. I bought frozen meatballs at Walmart and worked with those instead. It worked out nice because one specific brand had 130 meatballs in a bag and that was the perfect quantity. I used my Mom's sauce for Little Smokies and it worked well (thank God). I took a jar of grape jelly, a few large squirts of BBQ sauce, a tad bit of mustard, and about 4-5 tablespoons of brown sugar. A couple of the ladies want the recipe so I'm sure they'll like my quantities for the sauce portion of the recipe.
The theme of the retreat was "Treasures of Hope". The speaker spent a lot of time on Friday talking about Eve and how she typically has a bad wrap when it comes to the whole banishment from the Garden of Eden deal. She focused on the good of Eve and related it to the qualities we need to possess as women, wives, mothers, etc. I had never thought about the fact that she was the first woman to lose a child to death, lose a child due to poor decisions (Cain was banished after he killed Abel), etc. At first she was quite heavy on the marriage side of things so I was worried that it would turn into a "how to be a good wife" retreat. I wasn't the only unmarried attendee but the majority of women were hitched. She did a good job reminding us that God is our first husband because he's the ultimate protector and should come first in our lives.
Saturday focused heavily on the 7 Christian Virtues: Virtue (moral excellence), Knowledge, Self Control, Steadfastness (patience), Godliness, Brotherly Kindness, and Christian Love. I admit I'm often in a moral conflict now a days when I do things with my church. I have the strong gut feeling that Jon and I will most likely live together prior to marriage and church keeps reiterating that it's a big no-no.
I need to set up some pretty big appointments for Gavin in April. In my opinion, he needs to get his eyes checked out by an optomitrist. He also needs to do a follow-up with the orthodontist. He saw the orthodontist in 2008 or 2009 and now that I have the proper dental insurance, we better start the retainer process. He was receptive to the idea of taking an art class in May since it's his off-season for sports. He's taking an intermediate cartooning class.
Well that's enough randomness for now.
Recipe: Apple Turkey Salad
When my lovely friend Jenny was in Michigan she brought me a turkey cookbook that she received at a basketball game. There are a lot of really tasty looking recipes in this collection of turkey dishes and I decided I'd try one of the turkey salads and have it for lunch this week. If I make this again, which I think I will, I would omit the cinnamon and nutmeg, it's almost like eating turkey dessert with those 2 ingredients in there... Anywho, a good recipe on the whole, thanks Jenny!
you will need:
2.5 c cooked turkey or chicken (chopped up)
1 medium granny smith apple, chopped
0.25 c raisins or craisins
1 rib celery diced
2 tbs. light mayo
2 tbs. plain, fat free yogurt (you could also use sour cream)
0.25 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
0.5 tsp. curry powder (I left this out b/c I know I don't like it)
salt and pepper to taste
directions:
throw it all in a bowl and mix until combined. The book suggests serving it on lettuce leaves but I'm eating mine with the olive oil and rosemary Triscuits. It's quite good and very quick and easy and a nice change from my usual sandwich. The perfect lunch!!
you will need:
2.5 c cooked turkey or chicken (chopped up)
1 medium granny smith apple, chopped
0.25 c raisins or craisins
1 rib celery diced
2 tbs. light mayo
2 tbs. plain, fat free yogurt (you could also use sour cream)
0.25 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
0.5 tsp. curry powder (I left this out b/c I know I don't like it)
salt and pepper to taste
directions:
throw it all in a bowl and mix until combined. The book suggests serving it on lettuce leaves but I'm eating mine with the olive oil and rosemary Triscuits. It's quite good and very quick and easy and a nice change from my usual sandwich. The perfect lunch!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Recipe: Cheesey bacon pull-aparts
If you like bacon and breakfast food then this recipe is a must for you to try. They always say that you shouldn't try new recipes when you're entertaining but I totally ignored that rule and made this tasty dish when Jenny was out in Michigan with me. It's not only really good, it's also incredibly easy to make and, at the end of the day not that bad for you when compared to other breakfast dishes...why oh why does breakfast food have to be so stinkin' bad for a person?!?!
You will need:
1 tube reduced fat Grands biscuits
4 sliced bacon, cut up and cooked
2 eggs
1 c. shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
2 tbs. milk
2 scallions (green onion tops)
salt and pepper to taste (I also threw in some garlic powder, oregano, thyme and basil because I forgot to buy the green onion and wanted a little flavor added)
Cut biscuits into 6 pieces and place in a mixing bowl. In another bowl whisk the eggs and milk. Then add bacon, cheese, scallions and desired seasonings. Pour over biscuits and mix gently until well coated. Pour into a casserole dish and cover with tinfoil. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes, remove foil and cook another 10-15 minutes or until the center biscuit pieces are done.
In a lot of the comments people suggested that you pour syrup over this. I tried dunking it in syrup and it was very tasty (only if you like the sweet and salty thing). With or without this dish is very good!
You will need:
1 tube reduced fat Grands biscuits
4 sliced bacon, cut up and cooked
2 eggs
1 c. shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
2 tbs. milk
2 scallions (green onion tops)
salt and pepper to taste (I also threw in some garlic powder, oregano, thyme and basil because I forgot to buy the green onion and wanted a little flavor added)
Cut biscuits into 6 pieces and place in a mixing bowl. In another bowl whisk the eggs and milk. Then add bacon, cheese, scallions and desired seasonings. Pour over biscuits and mix gently until well coated. Pour into a casserole dish and cover with tinfoil. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes, remove foil and cook another 10-15 minutes or until the center biscuit pieces are done.
In a lot of the comments people suggested that you pour syrup over this. I tried dunking it in syrup and it was very tasty (only if you like the sweet and salty thing). With or without this dish is very good!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Back to life
Happy almost spring! I have to admit that I'm loving this nice weather we've been having. Yes, it's going to be in the mid 30's here most of the week but the 50's were a nice preview of things to come.
My trip home was nice, under sad circumstances, but nice none the less. My drive back on Monday was good with the exception of an overturned semi on the IN/IL border. It took me almost an hour to drive 3 miles. Once I got around the accident though it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. I pulled into Cody and Tasha's about 12:30 Iowa time.
It was nice to spend a little extra time with the Warnke side of the family. It's not often that my dad and his family all get together so it's rare to have a chance to see everyone at the same time. And, as I live so stinkin' far away that usually means I don't get a chance to see anybody. The funeral was beautiful and my Grandmother looked so wonderful and at peace it was hard to be sad for too long. My family has dealt with so much young death over the years that it's really comforting to know that someone can lead a long, wonderful life and go when they're ready too. The worst part of the whole situation was the behavior of my dad and his sister. They don't like each other. They never have and they never will. They actually got into a fight at the funeral. It was after the service before we left the church for the cemetery. The worst thing was that they did it in front of my grandpa. This is a man that they supposedly love, who just lost his wife of 60 years and they are going to have a shouting match in front of him?!?! Give me a break. I get having issues with someone but there in an appropriate time and place to deal with it and this was not it. However, the day ended without bloodshed which is apparently the best we can ask for when my dad and Janet are involved (and he thinks my mom's family is tacky...jerk).
Along with the sad there was a lot of good on this trip. Because I was back I was able to attend my aunt Judy's surprise 50th birthday party which was good fun. I also got to go with my sister and the rest of the wedding party to be fit for our bridesmaid dresses! I was just going to go somewhere here in Michigan and call my measurements in but I was there in person and it was so much fun. This is the first time the whole wedding party has been together and Karla and I are the only people who know everybody. Quite often, it's very awkward for everybody when they come together and that was so not the case yesterday. We all had an amazing time and I just know that we're going to have an amazing time this summer for the shower and bachelorette party and this fall at the wedding.
While all of us girls had a nice time, it was sort of a depressing day. After they fit us they pulled Karla aside because with the measurements they took, they don't think I'll be able to fit into the largest size of the bridesmaid dress. I couldn't believe it. The largest size of the dress is 3 sizes larger than I wear in clothes, why are dress sizes so ridiculous. And of course, this is after everybody has already fallen in love with the dress. I already have to pay $30 extra dollars because it's over a size 18, and I have to pay an extra $15 because apparently at 5' 8" I'm a giant and have to have extra length. Then they wanted me to pay an extra $125 for extra fabric...are you kidding me?!?! I would end up paying almost as much for the bridesmaid dress as my sister did for her wedding dress. I'm not that far away from the measurements that they suggest for the dress and as I've been losing I'm hoping that I'll be able to fit into it by October. I just need to get back on track with my diet and exercise...I've been slacking this last week. On a happier note, I got my shoes and they're not only cute but quite comfy!
OK, I think that's it. I need to make a list and pick up a few things at the grocery story for this week. I hope you have enjoyed your spring breaks and are refreshed and ready to head back to work!!
My trip home was nice, under sad circumstances, but nice none the less. My drive back on Monday was good with the exception of an overturned semi on the IN/IL border. It took me almost an hour to drive 3 miles. Once I got around the accident though it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. I pulled into Cody and Tasha's about 12:30 Iowa time.
It was nice to spend a little extra time with the Warnke side of the family. It's not often that my dad and his family all get together so it's rare to have a chance to see everyone at the same time. And, as I live so stinkin' far away that usually means I don't get a chance to see anybody. The funeral was beautiful and my Grandmother looked so wonderful and at peace it was hard to be sad for too long. My family has dealt with so much young death over the years that it's really comforting to know that someone can lead a long, wonderful life and go when they're ready too. The worst part of the whole situation was the behavior of my dad and his sister. They don't like each other. They never have and they never will. They actually got into a fight at the funeral. It was after the service before we left the church for the cemetery. The worst thing was that they did it in front of my grandpa. This is a man that they supposedly love, who just lost his wife of 60 years and they are going to have a shouting match in front of him?!?! Give me a break. I get having issues with someone but there in an appropriate time and place to deal with it and this was not it. However, the day ended without bloodshed which is apparently the best we can ask for when my dad and Janet are involved (and he thinks my mom's family is tacky...jerk).
Along with the sad there was a lot of good on this trip. Because I was back I was able to attend my aunt Judy's surprise 50th birthday party which was good fun. I also got to go with my sister and the rest of the wedding party to be fit for our bridesmaid dresses! I was just going to go somewhere here in Michigan and call my measurements in but I was there in person and it was so much fun. This is the first time the whole wedding party has been together and Karla and I are the only people who know everybody. Quite often, it's very awkward for everybody when they come together and that was so not the case yesterday. We all had an amazing time and I just know that we're going to have an amazing time this summer for the shower and bachelorette party and this fall at the wedding.
While all of us girls had a nice time, it was sort of a depressing day. After they fit us they pulled Karla aside because with the measurements they took, they don't think I'll be able to fit into the largest size of the bridesmaid dress. I couldn't believe it. The largest size of the dress is 3 sizes larger than I wear in clothes, why are dress sizes so ridiculous. And of course, this is after everybody has already fallen in love with the dress. I already have to pay $30 extra dollars because it's over a size 18, and I have to pay an extra $15 because apparently at 5' 8" I'm a giant and have to have extra length. Then they wanted me to pay an extra $125 for extra fabric...are you kidding me?!?! I would end up paying almost as much for the bridesmaid dress as my sister did for her wedding dress. I'm not that far away from the measurements that they suggest for the dress and as I've been losing I'm hoping that I'll be able to fit into it by October. I just need to get back on track with my diet and exercise...I've been slacking this last week. On a happier note, I got my shoes and they're not only cute but quite comfy!
OK, I think that's it. I need to make a list and pick up a few things at the grocery story for this week. I hope you have enjoyed your spring breaks and are refreshed and ready to head back to work!!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Should Have Written This a Long Time Ago.....
Hey all:
Well a lot has happened since I last wrote on here so I'll try to sum up the important things.
--had a nice time during my venture to Michigan...it was a nice break from several things back here in Iowa
--I've been able to keep up with reading (for pleasure). I'm currently on the 5th book in the "Dark Tower" series by Stephen King. The 4th book was tough to read sometimes since I found it boring at times but the 5th book is fairly decent so far.
--I've also read several of Augusten Burroughs' books too. The only book I have a criticism about is "Dry", his book about his alcoholism. I appreciate him writing about his battle but the book was not a great read for me. I'm taking a break from him for a bit.
--I'm supposed to be reading a book called "Crazy Love" for a bible study at church. I haven't really gotten into that book either. I'm probably behind with reading since I've not attended the bible study recently. It's been tough to get down to Ankeny for the 7pm meetings on Thursdays since I also have Swim & Gym those evenings too. I'm usually too tired to drive let alone pay attention.
--I'm in the half way point of the research study at ISU (weight loss). I've not been very impressed so far. My health coach is an undergraduate student in Kinesiology but she doesn't seem extremely proficient. Her people skills need some improvement since the appointments with her lack energy. The one I had today was pointless....I'm not even sure why we met.
--One of the biggest goals associated with the weight loss study is the amount of protein in my diet. I've been trying to eat more....we all know that meat isn't my favorite thing. I got some pistachios and I'm trying to eat cottage cheese too. I need to use some of the recipes on here and elsewhere for chicken since I have oodles of that in my freezer.
--I'm actually quite excited to bike outside. Gavin's bike is going to be brought back to Ames (stored in Jon's garage for the winter) and my bike needs to be serviced so I'm going to walk it to the local bike shop.
Sadly I thought I had more to say but I don't right now. It doesn't help that it's 2:30am. Until next time!
Well a lot has happened since I last wrote on here so I'll try to sum up the important things.
--had a nice time during my venture to Michigan...it was a nice break from several things back here in Iowa
--I've been able to keep up with reading (for pleasure). I'm currently on the 5th book in the "Dark Tower" series by Stephen King. The 4th book was tough to read sometimes since I found it boring at times but the 5th book is fairly decent so far.
--I've also read several of Augusten Burroughs' books too. The only book I have a criticism about is "Dry", his book about his alcoholism. I appreciate him writing about his battle but the book was not a great read for me. I'm taking a break from him for a bit.
--I'm supposed to be reading a book called "Crazy Love" for a bible study at church. I haven't really gotten into that book either. I'm probably behind with reading since I've not attended the bible study recently. It's been tough to get down to Ankeny for the 7pm meetings on Thursdays since I also have Swim & Gym those evenings too. I'm usually too tired to drive let alone pay attention.
--I'm in the half way point of the research study at ISU (weight loss). I've not been very impressed so far. My health coach is an undergraduate student in Kinesiology but she doesn't seem extremely proficient. Her people skills need some improvement since the appointments with her lack energy. The one I had today was pointless....I'm not even sure why we met.
--One of the biggest goals associated with the weight loss study is the amount of protein in my diet. I've been trying to eat more....we all know that meat isn't my favorite thing. I got some pistachios and I'm trying to eat cottage cheese too. I need to use some of the recipes on here and elsewhere for chicken since I have oodles of that in my freezer.
--I'm actually quite excited to bike outside. Gavin's bike is going to be brought back to Ames (stored in Jon's garage for the winter) and my bike needs to be serviced so I'm going to walk it to the local bike shop.
Sadly I thought I had more to say but I don't right now. It doesn't help that it's 2:30am. Until next time!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Recipe: barbecue black beans and sweet potatoes
Apparently barbecue is the theme for this weeks recipes! This is another recipe that I found on the 'fix it and forget it' website. I will admit that I have not yet eaten this recipe. It takes 3-4 hours on high and 6-8 on low so I got it all put together last night and cooked it over night. My apartment smelled so amazing when I woke up this morning. I was tempted to eat sweet potatoes and beans for breakfast but I stuck with my egg, banana and coffee!
You will need:
1 can black beans (15 oz. rinsed and drained)
2 medium to large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 c. your favorite bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray Honey, which the recipe called for...yay)
Throw all of your ingredients into the crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8...until the potatoes are tender. You can eat it as is or you can mash it up. I did have a very small taste this morning and it was very good. I think I'll pair it with some leftover, roasted chicken breast that I have in the freezer.
You will need:
1 can black beans (15 oz. rinsed and drained)
2 medium to large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 c. your favorite bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray Honey, which the recipe called for...yay)
Throw all of your ingredients into the crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8...until the potatoes are tender. You can eat it as is or you can mash it up. I did have a very small taste this morning and it was very good. I think I'll pair it with some leftover, roasted chicken breast that I have in the freezer.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Recipe: barbecue pot roast
I found this recipe on the website for 'Fix It and Forget It.' This is actually an oven roasting recipe but I decided to pull out the crock pot instead and it turned out very well. I really like beef but I don't eat a lot of it at all. I got a small roast with the intentions of freezing part of it but it was so good I ate it all. After 4 days and 5 meals of pot roast, I think I need a beef break!
You will need:
3-4 lb. beef roast (I used an eye of round roast that was just under 2 lbs. and it worked just as well)
1 medium onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (I used balsamic because it's what I had at home)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbs. pepper
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
**I also threw in half a 1 lb. bag of baby carrots because there is nothing better than carrots cooked with a roast!
Combine all of the ingredients (minus the roast) in a bowl and whisk to combine. After placing the roast in the crock pot pour the sauce over the top. I cooked on high for the first 3 hours and then I set it to low for the rest of the cooking time (until the carrots were tender). It was very tasty. I served the roast and carrots with mashed potatoes and the gravy from the roast was quite tasty over the potatoes! This is a bit more sweet and tangy than your average pot roast but it was a nice change.
On the website, a lot of the comments said that this froze really well too so if you bought a bigger roast you could easily freeze part of it for a quick meal down the road!
You will need:
3-4 lb. beef roast (I used an eye of round roast that was just under 2 lbs. and it worked just as well)
1 medium onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (I used balsamic because it's what I had at home)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbs. pepper
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
**I also threw in half a 1 lb. bag of baby carrots because there is nothing better than carrots cooked with a roast!
Combine all of the ingredients (minus the roast) in a bowl and whisk to combine. After placing the roast in the crock pot pour the sauce over the top. I cooked on high for the first 3 hours and then I set it to low for the rest of the cooking time (until the carrots were tender). It was very tasty. I served the roast and carrots with mashed potatoes and the gravy from the roast was quite tasty over the potatoes! This is a bit more sweet and tangy than your average pot roast but it was a nice change.
On the website, a lot of the comments said that this froze really well too so if you bought a bigger roast you could easily freeze part of it for a quick meal down the road!
I can't believe I'm doing this...
Happy lent ladies! I can hardly believe that this time of year is upon us once again. I have been thinking about what I want to give up for lent for a while now. Last year I was very successful at not eating out but I don't want to do the same thing two years in a row. I thought about the great stand by of giving up pop but I don't really drink that much anymore so it wouldn't be much of a sacrifice. After mulling it over I had a great idea. Well, it might not be such a great idea but it was the winner. This year for lent I am giving up my snooze button.
I used to be really good about setting my alarm and just getting up. I would crawl out of bed and do my morning things. As I got older, I started to rely on that 9 extra glorious minutes of sleep after I hit the snooze button once. However, once became twice, twice became three times and then it got to the point where I was setting my alarm 30 minutes prior to when I needed to get up so I could hit the snooze a handful of times. When you think about it, that's crazy. Why not just get an extra 35 minutes of uninterrupted sleep as opposed to 35 minutes of, whens the alarm going to go off again?!?!
Anywho, because my addiction is headed towards comical levels of craziness, I decided to try and break the habit by quitting it for 40 days, or should I say 40 mornings. I don't know how well this will work out. I'm so attached to my snooze button that I had dreams about it last night...yikes! To help me out, I'm setting my alarm to the point where I have to get out of bed to get to work on time so I don't really have a choice but to get up once it goes off but I still found myself wanting to roll over for another 9 minutes this morning. However, when push came to shove I got up this morning and started my Lenten snooze button fast on the right foot.
Other than that I don't have much else to share. I did try a new recipe this week and it turned out really well. I'll have to post that for you. I'm also happy to report that in just over 48 hours Jenny will be here...yay! I hope that the start of your week was good and that it ends welll.
I used to be really good about setting my alarm and just getting up. I would crawl out of bed and do my morning things. As I got older, I started to rely on that 9 extra glorious minutes of sleep after I hit the snooze button once. However, once became twice, twice became three times and then it got to the point where I was setting my alarm 30 minutes prior to when I needed to get up so I could hit the snooze a handful of times. When you think about it, that's crazy. Why not just get an extra 35 minutes of uninterrupted sleep as opposed to 35 minutes of, whens the alarm going to go off again?!?!
Anywho, because my addiction is headed towards comical levels of craziness, I decided to try and break the habit by quitting it for 40 days, or should I say 40 mornings. I don't know how well this will work out. I'm so attached to my snooze button that I had dreams about it last night...yikes! To help me out, I'm setting my alarm to the point where I have to get out of bed to get to work on time so I don't really have a choice but to get up once it goes off but I still found myself wanting to roll over for another 9 minutes this morning. However, when push came to shove I got up this morning and started my Lenten snooze button fast on the right foot.
Other than that I don't have much else to share. I did try a new recipe this week and it turned out really well. I'll have to post that for you. I'm also happy to report that in just over 48 hours Jenny will be here...yay! I hope that the start of your week was good and that it ends welll.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Grief, frustration and fear...
Grief is funny. Well, not funny per se but it is an interesting phenomenon. Just when I feel like I have it under control a whole new facet opens up. I had a really rough day on Sunday and I can't even begin to tell you why. I don't know what it is about some days but I just wake up and everything hits me all over again. It's been almost 8 months since my mom passed away and there are times I don't feel like I'm adjusting well. After Sunday, I realize that I'm not the only one with a long road ahead.
Sunday was Hailee's birthday and the family was all in Charles City for the celebration. Tasha and Cody let Hailee have 4 friends spend a night with them in a hotel room where they got to go swimming, order pizza and watch movies. While they were doing the party thing Bob and Diane were watching the other kids at the house. At some point in the evening Taylor, the oldest, threw a fit. He didn't just have an attitude, he threw himself on the floor kicking and yelling. Now you have to understand, Taylor didn't even do this when he was little. Something was not right. Diane and Bob diffused the situation but told Tasha and Cody about it on Sunday when they showed up at the hotel for party part II. Later that night when they asked Taylor about it he confessed that the reason he was acting up is because when he sees Bob he misses my mom and it makes him so sad that it makes him mad and he doesn't know how to deal with that. He called Bob and apologized and all is well between them. Bob explained that it makes him sad to see the kids too because grandma loved them so much but we have to talk about these things and not get mad at each other. I had already been having a very emotional day and this pushed me over the edge. I was on the phone with Tasha and we were both sobbing.
We all thought the kids were doing well. Tasha and Cody told them that even though it made us sad, sometimes people had to leave and do important work for God. They understood and after the initial shock wore off they seemed to be adjusting. This situation with Taylor was unexpected. They've been having some issues with Hailee too. They had her school conference last week and while she is well behaved, she is significantly behind where she needs to be, especially if she's going to be entering kindergarten next year. They are going to set up testing for her but one of the things that was brought up was that this might also be a result of her not knowing how to deal with some of the feelings that she's having.
Cody and Tasha are really shaken right now. They feel like they are terrible parents and that they should be able to deal with these issues. When I was talking to Tasha I realized that they probably can't handle this on their own for the same reason I wouldn't be able to. We're still sad and angry and we don't understand why this happened, how can we possibly help them understand? I think they've decided to look into grief counseling for the kids, maybe the whole family which I think is a good idea. I've seen some things in Tasha and Cody over the last months that make me think they're not coping with this either.
Before this weekend I thought I was the only one still struggling on a regular basis. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone but it makes me sad that I'm so far away and can't be there for them. Then again, I don't know what my being there would accomplish. I'm really afraid that something broke inside of me and I don't know how to fix it. I don't even feel like myself anymore and I would really like to. On top of this fear, I'm so frustrated with myself for not being strong enough to deal. My mom always said that if something happened to her she wanted me to make the decisions because Karla and Cody were too soft hearted and that I was tough like her. I don't normally question my mom but sometimes I think she missed the mark on this.
Anyway, I don't want you guys worrying about me, I really am OK. I just have my days and I need to get my feelings out or I'll explode and let me tell you, it would be a bomb of snot and tears...not pretty. I talk to my family but I try not to unload too much on them because they worry about me being out here by myself. My mom was right, I am tough like her but even tough girls have their emotional moments.
Sunday was Hailee's birthday and the family was all in Charles City for the celebration. Tasha and Cody let Hailee have 4 friends spend a night with them in a hotel room where they got to go swimming, order pizza and watch movies. While they were doing the party thing Bob and Diane were watching the other kids at the house. At some point in the evening Taylor, the oldest, threw a fit. He didn't just have an attitude, he threw himself on the floor kicking and yelling. Now you have to understand, Taylor didn't even do this when he was little. Something was not right. Diane and Bob diffused the situation but told Tasha and Cody about it on Sunday when they showed up at the hotel for party part II. Later that night when they asked Taylor about it he confessed that the reason he was acting up is because when he sees Bob he misses my mom and it makes him so sad that it makes him mad and he doesn't know how to deal with that. He called Bob and apologized and all is well between them. Bob explained that it makes him sad to see the kids too because grandma loved them so much but we have to talk about these things and not get mad at each other. I had already been having a very emotional day and this pushed me over the edge. I was on the phone with Tasha and we were both sobbing.
We all thought the kids were doing well. Tasha and Cody told them that even though it made us sad, sometimes people had to leave and do important work for God. They understood and after the initial shock wore off they seemed to be adjusting. This situation with Taylor was unexpected. They've been having some issues with Hailee too. They had her school conference last week and while she is well behaved, she is significantly behind where she needs to be, especially if she's going to be entering kindergarten next year. They are going to set up testing for her but one of the things that was brought up was that this might also be a result of her not knowing how to deal with some of the feelings that she's having.
Cody and Tasha are really shaken right now. They feel like they are terrible parents and that they should be able to deal with these issues. When I was talking to Tasha I realized that they probably can't handle this on their own for the same reason I wouldn't be able to. We're still sad and angry and we don't understand why this happened, how can we possibly help them understand? I think they've decided to look into grief counseling for the kids, maybe the whole family which I think is a good idea. I've seen some things in Tasha and Cody over the last months that make me think they're not coping with this either.
Before this weekend I thought I was the only one still struggling on a regular basis. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone but it makes me sad that I'm so far away and can't be there for them. Then again, I don't know what my being there would accomplish. I'm really afraid that something broke inside of me and I don't know how to fix it. I don't even feel like myself anymore and I would really like to. On top of this fear, I'm so frustrated with myself for not being strong enough to deal. My mom always said that if something happened to her she wanted me to make the decisions because Karla and Cody were too soft hearted and that I was tough like her. I don't normally question my mom but sometimes I think she missed the mark on this.
Anyway, I don't want you guys worrying about me, I really am OK. I just have my days and I need to get my feelings out or I'll explode and let me tell you, it would be a bomb of snot and tears...not pretty. I talk to my family but I try not to unload too much on them because they worry about me being out here by myself. My mom was right, I am tough like her but even tough girls have their emotional moments.
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