Favorite Friday

I am loving my Weber Grill! This is my first Weber. For years I could not justify spending all that extra money on one! Well, in the spring my Charbroil was needing updates...like new grates, new starter button, new gas chambers, and a couple other things. All added up, it was about the cost of what I paid for the darn thing!
Well, lo and behold, we had a strong wind come through...It blew my grill all the way across my back porch, about 20 feet and smashed in my flower garden! Yay!
I remember my friend, The Treat Girl, saying that she bought a Weber and loved it! So I talked my hubby, and we bought one! Wow what a difference a grill makes! Trust me, it's wonderful!

"The greatest thing you have is the 24 hours in front
of you.
The past is gone; the future is distant.
Today you CAN succeed.
Set a goal you can achieve in the next 24 hours."

My Latest Favorite Side Dish!

I am loving this salad lately! It wouldn't be because I have fresh tomatoes and basil growing in my garden would it?? Nah...
I used 2 English cucumbers cut in quarters
2 large tomatoes chopped
a bunch of basil chopped
a quarter cup of Fat free Feta (maybe a bit more)
and a quarter cup of Red Bull Italian Dressing or your favorite lite version
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste.
Throw it all together in a bowl and pop it in the fridge for a bit to let the flavors marry.
Perfect light side salad!

"There are two choices really.
You can either surrender to the pressures of life and the struggles of this particular battle....
or you continue the fight...and do so with even more vengence and determination to reach your goals then you did before."

Nutrition Tips

Yes I know this ad is from 3 years ago! However... I get a monthly nutritional news letter and they always have an article called "Xtereme Eating".

The Ultimate Red Velvet Cheese Cake was one of the features.

 Listen to this...The Cheesecake Factory Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake has two cheesecake wedges alternated with two wedges of red velvet cake, each of which probably contains a cupcake's worth of cake.

So now you're up to two slices of cheesecake plus two cupcakes...plus cream cheese frosting plus white chocolate shavings plus a small silo of whipped cream!

Each hefty slice averages close to three-quarters of a pound! Brings 1540 calories and 54 grams of saturated fat (three days worth!) to your desert plate. Only the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake has more calories (1610) though it's saturated fat falls 18 grams short of the Ultimates!

It would take two servings of the restaurant's generous Original Cheesecake to equal one Ultimate Red Velvet. An entire tub 1 1/2 quarts of Breyers All  Natural  Homemade Vanilla ice cream has 1680 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat, for Pete's sake!

Who's fat cells have room for 1540 calories after dinner? They oughta rename the place The Cheesecake FATTERY!

And what you can imagine will lead to what you can be.
-- Ralph Marston

Exercise Habits

I think I've seen her in one of my classes! ;)

Do you fall off the exercise wagon in the summer? Because of your kids? On Vacation? Because of the families that you travel with or your hubby says..."Really Honey?!"

Well you would feel so much better moving your body for one hour (Gosh even 30 minutes for Pete's sake!) than if you didn't!

Exercise raises the serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is the stuff that makes you happy naturally! Like a runners high! Exercise makes you a calmer Mom, a happier wife, a better friend...Don't you ALWAYS feel better after your workout that before?

So come on! Get those kids moving, get to the Y, or your facility of choice, or your home, the beach house...where ever you are! Move your body, you'll not only feel better,  you'll look better too!! ;)

Be specific in what you want, and use specific words. Empower yourself, and become the person you dream about!

Sorry...internet problems up here on the hill!!

Oh jeez! It's wonderful living in the country! I wouldn't give it up for the world...unfortunately our Internet connection is not the best! If there is a storm cloud in a 50 mile radius, our connection goes down! Sorry for the lax in posts!!!

Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub

This recipe was given to me by my friend Kelly. I usually make fish at least once a week for my family, my husband says..."I hate Fish!" But this, he actually said, it was really good! I think it is fantastic! Let me know what you think!!

• Misto (or cooking spray)
• 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar (organic or regular)
• 1 Tablespoon Chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (can omit)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 6- 6oz salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used my misto)

Preheat your grill to a medium heat. Coat your grill basket with the misto. While grill is heating, combine brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Spray (or brush) olive oil on one side of the salmon, rub the spice mixture on one side and spray and rub it on the other side. Place the salmon on your grill basket, repeat with the other 5 fillets.
Grill the salmon until charred, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.
Nutritional information: Calories 280, total fat 13g, Protein 34 grams.
Super good! You'll love it and so will your hubby ;)

I can do this...I know I can. It's just going to take time & patience.



15 Fat Loss Foods

First let me say, some good for you foods in large quantities are not so good for you. Like; nuts, avocados, olives, cheese and coconut they have "healthy" fat and you know what fat does...Someone said to me once "Eat fat, Gain Fat"! Ouch.. that stuck!!

Egg Whites: High in protein and low in sugar. A whole large egg has about 70 calories and 6-7 grams of protein. An egg white has 17 calories and 3 grams of protein. Give me a 4 egg white omelet any day for 68 calories!

Bison or Grass fed Beef: Containing less saturated fat than its conventionally raised counterparts, lean cuts of grass fed beef and bison have a nutrition profile similar to that of fish.

Chicken breasts: Lean protein with very little fat.

Lean turkey (ground or breasts): similar to that of chicken, get lean turkey in a 93 or 99 percent variety.

White Fish (halibut, cod, tuna, etc..) Some of the leanest protein sources around, fish provide a good volume of food for relatively few calories.

Shrimp ( along with other shellfish) Contain high amounts of the amino acid taurine, supplementation of which has been implicated in research to potentially facilitate weight loss in obese people.

Pea or rice protein powder: Because of their hypoallergenic properties, these protein powder varieties are preferred for fat loss over dairy based whey and casein, yet contain the same low sugar content.

Spinach and all other leafy greens: Some of the most obvious fat burning foods, packed with  fiber and water with very little carbohydrate. contain B vitamins, important for energy metabolism.

Asparagus: A natural diuretic, this fat loss staple offers quality with little sugar.

Broccoli: Helps detoxify estrogen in the liver, creating a more favorable estrogen to progesterone ratio, conductive to fat loss.

Oat bran: Mostly gluten free oat bran contains higher fiber and higher protein that its oatmeal counterpart.

Sweet potato: Hypoallergenic and have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes.

Berries: Choosing lower glycemic index fruits like berries are important foe obtaining vitamins, minerals, and fiber without the fast acting carbohydrates.

Grapefruit: This fat loss fruit contains over 90% of water by volume, less than 100 calories, with low glycemic index score.

Apple: Full of satiating fiber, apples are a great fat loss food when paired with protein from nuts or nut butters. Remember to always add a protein source when eating fruit.

Unsweetened cocoa powder: This extra lo calorie treat is all fiber with zero impact carbohydrate. It contains important alkaline minerals like magnesium, and is involved in the dopamine production process, boosting motivation and mood.

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every
time we fall"~ confucious

Myth Number 2...

Repetitive high impact activities like, running, will eventually cause joint degeneration.

Contrary to popular belief, high impact activities will not cause damage in a healthy joint, but will exacerbate the wearing away of cartilage in an abnormal joint. People who have osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, suffer a gradual thinning and wearing away of cartilage, which leads to bone on bone movement. Vulnerable areas include the hips, knees, feet, and spine, as well as hands. Age is a risk factor for osteoarthritis, but so is a previous injury to the area, which changes the stress distribution on a joint's cartilage during physical activity.

So keep running!

Make your self~

Motivation Monday

Motivation...everyone needs some from time to time. Motivation comes in different forms...A word, a sentence, a quote.

Motivation is a goal. A goal is motivation.

Motivation is a great fitting pair of jeans! Motivation is feeling good about yourself and where you are in your life. Motivation comes from a friend who encourages you. Motivation is positive affirmations you say to yourself every morning as you see your reflection in the mirror.

Motivation is eating clean and feeling satisfied with your choices. Motivation is committing to run a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, full marathon, triathlon, sprint, Olympic, 1/2 Iron man, full Iron man. Motivation is lifting more weight that you ever had before with ease.

 Motivation comes from our children and spouses when they tell you how great you are.

 Motivation comes from within. I think that is my favorite way of getting motivated, it comes from within, I CAN do what ever I set my mind to do. You have the power to do that as well! You HAVE the power! Set your goal, and get motivated!

What would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?

Favorite Friday...My Garden

My Garden sits up on the far corner of our upper yard. It gets a ton of sun, which makes it GROW like crazy! Of course we are watering every night. (I hate to say this, but we need more rain!) I have cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, cilantro, basil, and 2 strawberry plants not bearing fruit :(

I am amazed with myself that everything is doing so well! Next year, I think we may expand!
(Note to self...don't plant 16 squash plants in front of the gate! Who knew spaghetti squash grows OVER everything!!) So, you will be seeing recipes for the previous vegetables coming soon! Maybe something on...do I dare say...canning!

"Things that seem hard are not always that hard. Put one foot in
front of the other, and you'll get to the end."

Lovin' Zucchini

I am loving my Zucchini "Latkes"! I came across a recipe for Carrot Latkes (have you ever had potato pancakes? Kind of the same thing...) Since I did not plant carrots and I have a TON of zucchini, I thought I'd try out the recipe...My version, any way ;)



1 Zucchini, grated

1/2 onion, grated (wrap in a paper towel and squeeze out liquid)

2 finely diced celery stalks

1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

3 egg whites

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp Mrs Dash Garlic and herb mix

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat griddle over medium heat. Mix all ingredients. Place a spoonful of the zucchini mixture onto the griddle ( or 4). Cook patties until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

You can top them with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Or...I made turkey tacos and topped them with turkey, spring mix, fresh salsa. black beans and Greek yogurt! Fantastic!

Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer. ~Marcia Weider

When was the last time you changed up your exercise regimen? Have you noticed that you've stayed the same in your strength, endurance and body shape? If so, then you need to change something! If you are a runner, try swimming,or biking. A diehard Spinner? Try a kickboxing class. Steper? Really?! Bootcamp could be just what you need! Are you even strength training? If you have no clue what you are doing in the weight room, hire a personal trainer for a few sessions! Or go to a strength class. Do something different and change your body! For the sake of your sanity and body....change up your regimen! The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race!

Throw a curve ball to your body!

Monday Motivation

OK...So my Mom was in over the weekend. Our time spent together now is much, MUCH different that all of those years ago when I was a child. That is a good thing! (Thank you...Lord!)

Anyhoo...The person that I am now compared to the person I was then,are completely different. If you've read any of my blog, you know that I've struggled with weight my whole life. But not only was the weight an issue for me, it played a huge part in my confidence level. I was a VERY insecure, shy girl. I never felt that I could accomplish much in my life. Not that I had much support either, but I do feel that the weight I carried and the way people responded to me did have an effect on my life. I commonly got..."Your just big boned!" "Go outside and move your body!" "Stop eating!" Mind you, I wasn't lazy! I played Softball, Basketball and was on the track team, however, I threw javelin, discus and shot put! Not a lot of running there! I had an eating problem...I ate too much! We had to clean our plates because there were starving kids in China! We had pasta... a LOT!(it was cheap) Our serving size was enough to feed a family of four! I'm not kidding! With bread (my comfort food) and a salad, with home made ranch dressing! Have you ever had *hit on a shingle? That is caned beef in a cream sauce on toast....yes, it did look like *hit! I could go on and on about the casseroles   made with mayonnaise and such the like...but I've got to stick to the point!

Being a child in a house without the knowledge of serving sizes, nutritional information, and basically trying to feed a family of 6 with out much money or time didn't help my over weight body! So I carried that way of eating into my 20's and early 30's. As my body started to change for the better, so did my self confidence level, I  now am OK in my body. I don't try to hide in big shirts. I wear a bikini now, something my Mother wouldn't let me wear as a teen because I looked horrible! One piece old lady suits! The pictures are awful to see! Am I still a bit salty over my child hood? Sometimes...But it is a reminder for me how not to treat my boys as they change into teenagers. If you ever met Cole and Dane they are very confident in their own skin!

So my point is, be comfortable in your own skin! You don't have to be a twig to be healthy! Isn't that the point? Health? To feel good in your own skin and be confident with yourself, FOR yourself! If you have some weight to loose, choose to loose it! Choose to teach your  children about serving sizes and the difference between "real" food and "processed" food. Make healthy food  for your family and you! Learn together! Be confident with yourself! You are worth it :)

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.~

Favorite Friday...

These are my absolutely most favorite comfortable shoes I've ever owned! Asics fit my feet perfectly. I have deviated every once in a while because of a good deal or they were cute...but I always go back to what feels good on my high arched foot! I even had a pink and silver metallic pair once! Uuuggg...not me, but I was in need of a pair to run in and my current pair was "run-out"! You do know you have to change your running shoes often, right? Depending on how many miles are on them, just like tires on your car! So if you are unsatisfied in your current shoe, try my favorites. Oh and they are not just for running! They make cross trainers and studio shoes too! Just saying...Asics company, throw the girl a bone :)

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream;
not only plan, but also believe.
- Anatole France

Home made Jam

I was concerned about the amount of sugar I was feeding my boys. Namely...Jam. So I bought sugar free jam. First I was concerned with only the sugar content, which was 0. However after I brought it home I looked at the ingredients...Polydextrose, Maltodextrin, locust bean gum, potassium sorbate, sucralose, calcium chloride, and red 40. Really?! No sugar but what the heck is all that junk?  I came across a recipe for jam, it called for sugar, but I substituted Stevia instead! I had a bunch of strawberries from Costco, I rinsed and halved them in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Added some lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1/4 cup of stevia. Mashed it all up with a potato masher and walla....Strawberry Jam! I also had blueberries in the fridge too. So I thought what the heck...I did the same thing. They were both so good! The jam will last a month in the fridge and a year in the freezer. Not that you'll have it that long! The boys loved it! In fact that is the second jar of strawberry jam in the picture.

So, we were having dinner tonight and were talking about our trip to Mexico a few years ago. Dane and I had banana crepes. Yummmmm! My husband thought that the blueberry jam would be a great addition to the banana crepe. As I mixed the crepe batter (1/2 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 cup fat free milk, and 2 eggs slightly beaten) and fried them in a fry pan, he grilled bananas! I have to say they were terrific! And low in calories! Each crepe is 58 calories, he halved the bananas (about 50 calories) and the blueberry jam was maybe like 20 calories... for a grand total of 128 calories! Wonderful flavor and not laden with sugar! Perfect! Try them out the next time you have a ton of strawberries or blueberries...Or blackberries, raspberries...I could go on and on!!! Think about your kids :)



"Don't sacrifice your future for a momentary pleasure"

Chicken!

Chicken, a "go to" protein source for me!
Four ounces of skinless chicken delivers a whopping 121 percent of your daily value of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that promotes nitrogen balance in adults. A positive nitrogen balance ensures continued muscle growth and repair. Moreover, with more than 70 percent of your daily value in niacin (vitamin B3), a four-ounce chicken breasts helps your body to fight DNA damage. Niacin is also essential for converting food into energy.

Avoid eating chicken with the skin in place. It may taste great, but will double the portion's fat content, which will slow the absorption of protein by the body, as well as adding calories and unhealthy fat!

Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. ~ Deepak Chopra ~

Myth number 1

Myth number one: Low intensity exercise puts you in the fat burning zone and is ideal for weight loss.
Not  really. It all comes out of the same calorie pot and boils down to burning off more calories than you take in. Depending on what is available for fuel, how much fat and how much carbohydrate, you burn a little more of one than the other, but  you are always burning off both. It doesn't matter if you are burning off more of one that the other at any particular time. The bottom line for weight loss is how many calories are you taking in and how many are you burning.

"The greatest thing you have is the 24 hours in front
of you.
The past is gone; the future is distant.
Today you CAN succeed.
Set a goal you can achieve in the next 24 hours."