Where's my Beachbody?

So many times this week I've had a blog posting in my head, but never made my way to the computer. tsktsk.

Change ain't easy ya know? I mean, change for the better. Change to the lazy, that's always been easy. Like, if I'm eating really well and happen to stumble upon a delightful looking stack of pancakes..



Darn it all they call my name. They mock me. They belittle my existence and call me a sissy and enter my nasal passages and won't let go until I cry mercy.

And change has come painfully easily.

But man! To change for the better? You have to let it consume you completely. Live it breathe it do it dream it. It's exhausting! You have to think, which would I prefer:


Delicious stack of melt in your mouth, sweet goodness that is chocolate chip cookies with cute wee m&m's in them. OR:


Frolicking on the beach in a cheeky bikini!!

Sigh. I still wish I could have both. Alas it is not so, and bikini season is t-minus 5 months and counting.. too darn close for a gal with a good chunka rump to lose.

Continuing my resolution to finish what I start, I have now started P90X. Today was day 2. Day 1 was chest/back and Day 2 was plyometrics. I admit, my form sucks and I can't do the whole thing start to finish nonstop, but I'm giving it all I got. Oh yeah, it's already been broughten.

Slow Cooker Sunday: Game Day Chili

Whenever I make chili, I never follow a recipe, never measure, so feel free to adjust seasonings to taste.

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 onion, diced
3 cans beans - 1 pinto, 1 light red kidney, 1 chili bean
2 cans tomatoes - 1 can diced with garlic and onion, 1 can chili tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 tbsp chili powder, plus more to taste
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp All Purpose seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat and onion, put in crock pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high power for 6 hours. Garnish with shredded cheddar and green onion.

My Favorite Things

I've been pining after these wall decor prints from Ballard Designs.





In fact, this entire company makes me want to buy another house to decorate.

Cleanse Day 21!

Woohoo, warriors! I made it!

I gotta say, whew, man. That was a tough one, I almost didn't make it. The first week was rough, real rough ya hear? My head was pounding out of control, screaming Dear Lord, let me have a cuppa coffee! PLEASE! But I battled forth and it got so much easier!



Week 2 was also rough, because of outside stresses and the battle of emotional eating. I slipped a little, but not too bad. The worst I had was a tuna sandwich from subway, with apples and a diet coke. A wee bit of forbidden caffeine, but then I was back on track. The Rosti casserole was AWESOME, one of the best things I've made recently, but proooobably not the best for me. But altogether not bad either.

Week 3 has had some of it's own complications. It just happens to be "that time" when cravings get out of control. Yesterday I was dying for a cup of coffee and a big plate of mac n cheese, with a piece of chocolate. Pure comfort food, give it to me and give it to me now. :) I'm happy to report, I resisted, hard as it was.

I keep remembering this saying, which has been popping up all over the place lately..by good ol Albert Einstein - "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results" It's really kept me going.

So now, I've just done a 21 day cleanse, what will I do next? Nope, not going to Disney World, but that would be nice. Hubby and I are talking about starting P90X. I'm a little nervous, about doing it together, because he is so hardcore but I think it will go well. I'm trying my darndest to keep my resolution to finish what I start. So if we are to do P90X, we're in, 90 days, full on. 90 days is a much longer commitment than 21!! I'm not going to lie, I'm scared to take this on (Why, I don't know?) But I'm ready, it's very necessary, and I can do it!

Speaking of finishing what I start, I was putting this bookcase together last year and never finished, I think I will go do that now.

Oh yeah, one last word. Tonight I discovered if you are craving mac n cheese like crazy, make some spaghetti squash, and then mix in a little butter and Parmesan and it really satisfies that craving - MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmM!


Photo from photobucket

Oh yeah, AND another thing! Altogether I've lost 5 pounds so far... I'd like to lose another 55. But I'm not going to mention that number again, it will psych me out.

Now, to that bookcase.

Strawberry Salsa

I was looking for a healthy treat for hubby and I to munch on during football last weekend. I ended up taking this recipe as a starting point but made a few adjustments. Turns out, it wasn't really "football" food so much, kinda light, kinda feminine too if I must admit, hubby prefered the cinnamon pita chips. Still, it was very yummy. For girl's night!

Strawberry Salsa


1.5 cups strawberries, chopped
2 kiwi, chopped
1/3 cup raspberries, chopped
1/4 cup blueberries, chopped
1/2 tbsp strawberry jam
1 tsp raw sugar

Mix all together and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Rosti Casserole with Baked Eggs

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 + 1/8 cup fat free Greek syle yogurt
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup grated zucchini
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
1/8 cup chopped fresh chives
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 (20 oz pkg) frozen shredded hash browns (thawed)
cooking spray
4 large eggs
chopped fresh chives, black pepper (garnish)

Preheat oven to 400. Combine yogurt and flour in a large bowl, stirring well. Add zucchini, Gruyere cheese, butter, chives, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and potatoes to yogurt mixture. Spread mixture in a 9x9 in pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Your kitchen smells goooood right now.
Remove from oven. With the back of a spoon, make 4 indentations in top of potato mixture. Crack 1 egg into each of the 4 indentations. Return to oven. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes more or until egg whites are firm and yolks barely move when pan is touched. Cut into 4 pieces, garnish with additional chives and black pepper, if desired. Dig in.

This is only 1/2 the original recipe which was for 8. They used turnip instead of zucchini.

Pants on the ground

Guess what's on tonight???!!!!


YAHOO! The Runway is back. Best reality show on tv, right in front of American Idol, also back which means my dvr is going to be working these next couple months, because I'll be a monkey's banana butt if I don't get an A in anatomy this semester!!

It's cracking me up how many people are signing "Pants on the ground, Pants on the ground, lookin like a fool with your pants on the ground"

But thank goodness, I've been waiting for someone to put that out there. Truly people, you are looking like a fool with your pants on the ground. Get a belt for crying out loud.

Or suspenders for that matter, suspenders can be very becoming as long as your pants don't sit at your nipples.

Here's something I've discovered about myself.. I am completely an emotional eater. The cleanse was going perfectly and then I got stressed and hit a little snag. Not complete derailment, just a hiccup if you will. Nevertheless, I am back on track now, I am keeping below red velvet deliciousness for an after cleanse treat. I know I know it's not the purpose of a cleanse, to fill yourself with crap after cleaning all that out, it's a small treat for moderation and merriment. We all deserve a bit of merriment, no?

I weighed myself on Monday and I was down 2 of the ol' lb's! That also encouraged me to keep going.

A word about the Brazil Butt Lift: OW!!

I couldn't walk for 2 days after doing it and then switched to treadmill but I'm determined to pass the pencil test by summer. Nay, this bumbum will not be able to grab a pencil!

My favorite things

"Sumptuous ice cream with spirals of cream cheese icing, rich red velvet cake pieces, and roasted pecans. It's the perfect accessory to a well dressed dessert dish."

YES PLEASE!

Haiti

I've seen several images from Haiti that are prefaced with "The images you are about to see may be disturbing to some people." 2 things: 1) I would like to think they are disturbing to all people and 2) can you just imagine? Going through something so horrific that the rest of the world has a hard time seeing a photo of what's happening to you?

There is so much to say and so much I'm feeling about this, but overwhelmingly it's just a feeling of helplessness. All I can do is pray that all my in-laws are safe, that the survivors remain helpful toward each other and don't turn against each other, that they find food and water, and find peace, somewhere, somehow amongst the chaos.

Slightly Askew

That was me today - for some reason, I kept veering to the right, walking, driving, everything slightly askew. I must need some V8. Does that have sugar?

Thank goodness I started this cleanse on the 1st, otherwise I'd have no idea what day I'm on! So there it is, Twenty Ten day Ocho!

I'm happy to report, no cravings AT ALL! Also gone, the Fatter Fatter another Cheeseburger won't Matter attitude. Haha, homegirl is getting healthy! Today I even looked at a few food blogs, great looking food, didn't even salivate. While before? I would totally drool over all the yummy looking food. (Drooling? That's so last year.)

I haven't lost any weight in the past couple days since braving the scale, but have come across some fabulous new finds, inspiring me even more to lose weight, because of all these delicious clothing websites out there! I am picking what I want to wear when I'm skinny again.

Here's an example or three.

#1 - from Anthropologie:

For when my shoulders and arms are all buff and toned.

#2 from Shabby Apple: This one's my favorite!

And the red shoes!! I am in love. le sigh.

#3 from Stop Staring:
Well I can't seem to put the picture up but if you want to see a nice eggplant 40's glamour lula dress check out this link.

We all know I'm a Target shopper, so usually my clothes cost $30-$40 roughly. These dresses are a bit more than I typically spend, but well worth it, once I'm fit. A nice swanky night on the town with my motorcycle man, Oohlala tres bien!

See how worldly this cleanse has made me?

Next week I am both applying to grad school and finishing up my last semester in the land of the undergrad, let's see how my energy holds up.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
Recipe from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
One 15.5 oz can cannellini beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, more to taste
4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 oz baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, mash half the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.
Serve topped with the Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Add a nice salad:


And a Brazil Butt Lift:


A long hot shower

and

A good book

And you're ready for bed, no guilt!!

Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Feels good.

Brazilian booty

Today I went to Target and I did NOT rearrange the store!! How bout that, Target can take my picture off their breakroom wall, Look out for this girl, "Store Rearranger"

Now why didn't I think to make a new year's resolution about staying away from Target?


flickr photo from S.Britt

Ah well. Too late now. Looks like another year of Target for me!

It is now Twenty Ten day Six! The cleanse is still going along.. I still don't think I'm doing it perfectly because I don't know what all contains gluten, but I can say I've been eating really well.

Take today at Target, for example, I usually check out and pine after the cafe popcorn or a kid's hot dog. I didn't even think about it! The caffeine headaches have gone away. I have had certain cravings at different times of the day when I suppose previously I ate absent-mindedly. Like, after lunch and dinner I want a little something something sweet. Or right before lunch and dinner I want bread. The caffeine, alcohol, and meat have been no problem to give up (I can say now that the headaches are gone) but I'm still struggling with those sweet and bread cravings!

The other day I made Smitten Kitchen's

mushroom marsala pasta with artichokes

It was very very tasty, although I didn't take any pictures. I used whole wheat pasta and fat free half and half, which maybe weren't cleanse friendly but certainly not horrible. For me, this cleanse is about switching my bad habits to good, for that, I am succeeding.



Also, I faced the ugly and got on the scale. Of course I am horrified by what it told me, but it wasn't higher than I anticipated. Baby steps! I was recently in front of a full length mirror at work and realized, oh holy crap! I must not have one of these mirrors at home - this is what I look like?! Can this be?! Maybe if I had such a mirror I would not have gotten this way.

Now that I'm nearly done with one week of eating healthy, it's time to add in the exercise. A lot of my weight went straight to the booty, so I want to work on that the most. I'll be doing cardio, 45 min of walk/running on the treadmill 5 days a week, and THIS!!



Haha! I will soon have a Brazilian booty, watch out now! The funny thing is, I haven't seen an infomercial for this yet, I think it just came out around Christmas, but there is a "pencil test." They actually sent a pencil with the program that says pencil test on it. You're meant to put the pencil under your butt, if it sticks, it's not a good thing. You're not supposed to be able to grab a pencil with your butt, who knew??

I've seen other weight loss blogs and they chart their progress week by week, what they lost. I'd really like to do that but still haven't come to terms with the "number" so while maybe one day I'll work the nerve up to do that, it's not today friends.

Tonight I am making Tuscan Vegetable soup, I'll post recipe and picture later!

Beans Beans Beans!

My New Years? It was glorious!, thanks, how was yours?

As previously mentioned, our fare for the evening:





I am now on day 2 of the cleanse. Yesterday was spent sick in bed all day, so it wasn't too difficult to avoid anything sugary or caffeiney. Today I had to work 12 hours and it was a ROUGH morning with no coffee. AYAyguynigravy it was ugly.

On a normal morning when I have to work see, I don't care to speak or be spoken to until after I have my coffee and quiet time. That's just the way it is. This taking away of the caffeine business is not nice. It's not pretty, nor is it fun. Neither is it painless. Nor happy.

Just plain uuuu-gly.

That said. I haven't been doing too bad, once I woke up in the afternoon. Then actually I found myself with energy. Am I killing it? Not completely, tonight for dinner I had a cup of rice, while if it were brown would have been perfect with my beans and veggies, but instead I made saffron. Nevertheless, today I did really well on the eating front. Please observe my dinner.



The beans were really yummy indeed, and I made a pot that will last a couple days. I sauteed up some onion, green pepper, and garlic and then added 1 can each of black and pinto beans. Add a can of tomatoes with the chilies, then 1/2 tbsp cumin, a little dash of garlic powder, and a dash of greek seasoning. Really easy and fabulously tasty stuff.

Almost makes up for lack of coffee. But not quite.

Here's something I've been avoiding like the pig flu. My scale. I am terrified to step on and see what number rings up. I know I should for weight loss purposes. But I just don't wanna. Well. Maybe one day soon I will work up the nerve.

Twenty ten day 2, so far, so good!