So long, farewell..

I have had a fabulous day of not waterboarding myself, not blogging, not searching for recipes, and eating some leftover easter candy..

I know that I should do better, but I just couldn't resist eating a peep one more minute.

This game has helped me in so many ways, even though it seems on this post that maybe I am just going to give up all of the HEALTHY stuff. I love exercising, love how I feel when I eat healthy, nutritious food, love sleeping, love trying to be a better person. I really have not learned to love the 100 ounces of water, but I could be committed to 60 ounces, which is a far cry from where I started in this game (some days, none at all!!)

Thanks for the memories! I am so glad to know that we can always come back to this game if we start sagging again..

Here's to NO MORE SAG (I am holding aloft a peep!!)

What a week! I'm starting to question my strength....but I guess having candy in the house plus having PMS don't mix very well! What I've learned most about myself from this round is that it helps me the very most to have my hubby doing it with me. Maybe I can talk him into another round just between us so I can keep trying to reach my goals. I need not give up just yet! Good job to the rest of you who were actively engaged this game! Have a fun, sunny weekend!!!

easter weekend

i stayed the same almost (gained .2 lb), but i will take that considering the easter/general conference weekend. thanks everyone for a fun, non-stressful game. it worked for me :) i think i lost a total of 4 pounds this game.

Better Result This Morning

Well, this morning was a little better weigh-in. I'm only up .8 pounds, so life is good. Thanks for a fun game -- we'll have to see if we can keep up our good healthy habits. Have a wonderful day -- love you all!

healthy cookbook

hey girls. i have compiled 91 recipes. i tried to include all the recipes from our games. the recipes are either healthy or could be made healthy with easy substitutions (i.e. fat free sour cream, less oil, etc.). i haven't tried all the recipes, so those that aren't yummy, you will have to throw out. i will send you all an email with the cookbook attached. they are not categorized, so you will have to print them out and put them in a three ring binder in the order or categories that you want. it has been a fun project, i am looking forward to trying all the recipes eventually. thanks for the fun game!

Lost My Mind

Okay, I'm for sure over the hill. I thought this morning was the final weigh-in and I logged on tonight to see how everybody did, and I'm thinking to myself, "Has everyone dropped out of the game or what?" Duhhh -- one more day to go and I have a lot of water to catch up on today. (I'll have to adjust my score in the morning.) Sorry you have a dimwitted mom! I must say, though, that I've been very distracted by work this week and my brain cells have been sorely diminished. I hope we ALL have a good report tomorrow! Love ya!

This is Sad

Our game is over -- and I feel sad about that. It's sure been fun to all be involved together in improving our health and well-being. You're all great and I seriously mean that. I do have to report that I am up 2 pounds this morning, but I'm hoping I'll be down again in the morning (Relief Society birthday dinner last night and Chinese food yesterday for lunch). I'm going to pretend that we're still playing the game, so hopefully I don't resort to my bad habits again. All of you have a great day --love you much! I'll talk to Dad about lunch at Daniels Summit this weekend -- sounds like good fun.

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

You know Matt and I and our weird love of black beans. This recipe is one of our favorites (along with Black bean burgers of course, which we ate tonight). Seriously, try it.

Cuban Black Beans and Rice (adapted from Taste of Home)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
1 cup diced, fully cooked lean ham
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ tsp pepper
1 ¼ tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp liquid smoke
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 T red wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil (I omit this)
Place first 8 ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring broth and rice to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Just before serving, add vinegar and oil. Serve over rice.

I'm a survivor!

Survived my first Insanity workout... I don't know how I am going to do today's workout-my calves (AKA my cankles) are so sore I can barely walk!

Hey, I was thinking we should get together at Daniels for lunch! Our game is ending this week.  Could anyone meet this weekend for a quick lunch??

Spaghetti Squash

Bake squash for an hour or so or until you can cut it and de-seed it. Scrape out all of the "spaghetti" and put in a casserole dish. I sprinkled some parmesan cheese and some turkey bacon bits on it and continued baking until cheese was melted and my "spaghetti" was not "al dente". I thought it would be really good with some fat-free mozzarella cheese too. Simple, but yummy side dish!

pizza

yummiest yum yum ever! (well we won't count the real pizza or easter candy or peanut butter and chocolate combinations). my latest love is this delicious 3 WW points pizza. it is so fast, easy and heaven.

Pepperoni Pizza

1 flatout wrap (i got mine at costco, but i have bought them at walmart in the past)
1/3 cup spaghetti sauce sprinkled with extra garlic powder and italian seasonings
1/4 cup fat free mozarella cheese
9-10 pieces of turkey pepperoni

I cook mine in the toaster oven or you can stick it in the oven until cheese is melted. Matt even likes these. He ate two for lunch the other day.

Holy Mother!!

Todd, Tanner & I did our Insanity Fit Test today, and let's just say, we were UNFIT!

Holy crap! It was seriously hard.

I am not joking when I say I felt like I was going to throw up after about 5 minutes.

I made a mistake and looked at tomorrow's workout.

I have serious doubts about my ability to live through this workout.

I feel a little sick just watching the people do the workout.

I am sure my butt is about to be royally kicked.

In the immortal words of Spongebob Squarepants as he finds out he is the target of the school bully...

"I have diarrhea!"

That Does It . . .

I've been trying to avoid Easter candy all day and now I want popcorn. Thanks to Stacy's momentous fall off the wagon, I'm going for the popcorn and I'm not even going to feel guilty (hmmm . . . butter or canola oil, butter or canola oil, can't decide). I hope you're all having a wonder Easter/Conference weekend -- I love it! Here's a recipe Sara asked me to post:
Oriental Stir Fry
1/2 pound chicken breast, cut in 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup water
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
2 T. lemon juice
4 T. white wine
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp. nutmeg
black pepper, freshly ground
1. Heat large, non-stick skillet over high heat. Mix together lemon juice, wine and spices in bowl. Set aside.
2. Add chicken, stirring frequently until chicken is browned on all sides.
3. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to boil.
4. Stir in broccoli, cooking 1 minute.
5. Stir in snow peas, mushrooms and water chestnuts, cooking 2 minutes.
6. Stir in wine mixture and continue cooking 2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Serve over rice.
For variety, try Thai Stir Fry. Use shredded cabbage, onion, celery, and carrots for vegetable mixture, adding all at once. In place of wine and spice mixture use 1/8 cup lemon juice, 1/8 cup lime juice, 1/2 tsp. grated ginger, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 T. chopped parsley.
Can also try Szechwan Stir Fry. In place of wine and spice mixture, use 4 T. white wine, 2 T. rice vinegar, 1 T. grated fresh ginger, 3 cloves minced ginger and 1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper. This is great with lean beef.
Happy Easter and Love to You All!

Stolen or Borrowed Recipe from Belly Bustin

Penne Pasta with Veggies

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 10

"Penne is baked with asparagus, broccoli, red bell pepper, zucchini, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan for a colorful, flavorful hot dish."

Ingredients:
1 pound penne pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil **I use Smart Taste brand (high in fiber)
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut
into 1 inch pieces
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped zucchini
3/4 cup butter **I use chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 ounces prosciutto, diced **I use 1/2 lb of shrimp or chicken
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil **I only use about 1 cup, or use fresh or canned diced tomatoes
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss with olive oil.
3.In a large skillet over medium-high heat, roast asparagus, broccoli, bell pepper and zucchini until flecked with dark brown. Set aside.
4.In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic with prosciutto and sun-dried tomatoes until heated through. Toss with penne, roasted vegetables and Parmesan. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
5.Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, until hot.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

What NOT to eat

Easter + General Conference Weekend + FREE DAY = Holy Freak! What have I done???

I'll tell you what I have done..
robin eggs of various colors
butterfinger bites
baby ruth bites
jelly beans
peeps
MUDDY BUDDIES (it's a tradition now, both on Conference weekend and free day)
pizza
chips and salsa (also a tradition)
sugary cereal
cheese-its


AND THAT IS JUST BREAKFAST AND LUNCH!

For dinner, I will be eating pon pon chicken and honey walnut shrimp.

I WILL BE PAYING FOR THIS, I KNOW, HOWEVER I AM ENJOYING MY FABULOUS HOLIDAY WEEKEND WITH ALL MY FAVORITE TREATS!

It's been a busy week

I love having my family come....not only because I love and miss them dearly, but because it always kicks my booty in gear to clean and organize my house. Thanks to that I reached my goals this week. As far as loosing weight...I'm kind of just maintaining right now and can't break the mark that I've been at since the end of the last game. I guess it's better than gaining. Funny how I feel so guilty if I miss my water or exercise one day. Hope these habits last a lifetime. HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

Would be so good with some low-carb tortilla strips, baked with cinnamon and truvia

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 diced fresh mango
• 2 pints strawberries, diced

Directions

1. Stir together the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice in a large bowl. Gently fold in the mango and strawberries until blended. Allow the mixture to rest at least 20 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 50 | Total Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Oh Happy Day

In spite of being very nervous to do so, I hopped out of bed and got on the scales and lo and behold I lost 2 pounds (in spite of eating 2 pieces of Brett's pizza last night). I also had a better week overall (guess that's why I lost a little) -- a perfect score of 700. I'm also very excited this morning about my laundry room. When I got home from work last night Brett had been here and torn out my old cabinets and put in beautiful new hickory ones, with a bench to match. I am one happy woman! You all have a good day -- sure love you all.

Glorious Morning Muffins

Another muffin recipe. I saw this and thought that it looked good. I wonder about substituting some fiber one for some of the flour???

Glorious Morning Muffins

Ingredients:
2 eggs (or try egg whites)
¾ c. canola oil
¼ c. skim milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 c. wheat flour
1 c. packed brown sugar (or try splenda brown sugar)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ c. shredded carrots
1 c. shredded, peeled apple
½ c. coconut
½ c. raisins (or craisins)
¾ c. sliced almonds

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 18 muffin tins. In large bowl, beat eggs, oil, milk and vanilla with wire whisk until well blended. Add flours, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. With spoon, stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins and ½ cup of the almonds.
2. Fill each muffin cup ¾ full. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup almonds over batter.
3. Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. These muffins freeze well.

nervous...

is anyone else a little nervous about the impending weekend of chocolate combinations...chocolate with peanut butter, chocolate with candy shell (cadbury mini eggs of course), chocolate with chocolate...etc.?? even the jelly beans sound good. stacy, why don't you come out for an easter egg hunt?

New Workout..

This is Todd's early birthday present and the punishment I get for all of the sins of my life. You must pray for me.

Check out this link and feel my pain.