Sunday, April 3, 2011

Wow! Long time no post!!!

Wow....i didnt realize just how long its been since I posted. Here is a short recap of whats going on with me!

I have totally stopped working out.....its been about 2 months and really I have (nor will I make any) no excuses as to why I have stopped. I guess I just need to find it in myself to get my butt up and do it! Although that will all change tomorrow when I start getting up for work. 1 week from tomorrow I start taking a little girl Ellas age in to watch. So that means I have to be up, workout, showered, dressed and fed by 7am. This week coming will be my practice run and for me to get used to getting up early again. Im not used to this 'job' thing anymore! lol
I will be doing mostly yoga for probably a month or so since a very old back injury has reared its ugly head. The month of March was mostly spent in physio and it hasnt done any good....so I wont be going back thats for sure! It got to the point that i was getting worst everyday....but now im back at the point I was when I started physio....so nothing gained and nothing lost. Tomorrow is D day for me.....so wish me luck! Yoga will become my friend....even if I have to choke it into submission!!
Its been a huge downward spiral and im done beating myself up!!! Nothing is going to change unless I change it myself. My mood sucks and everything is just a downer.......no more!! Tomorrow is the day that things change...they need to change

I have also made huge strides when it comes to Ella Bella's Bows!! I took a huge plunge and order alot of product! But you need to spend money to make money right? And so far I have done really well. Some days I make nothing and other days I make $60+ dollars! Which is pretty sweet! Im also to the point where it is all profit...just about $50 more and i will be in the black!! I took huge leaps with this business and im finally getting a little recognition!!

The family is good and everything is good! Running out of things to say...other than im tired!! lol Its been a long day and im ready to call it a night soon!! 5 am comes early and I like to get a good 8hrs before i have to get up!!

I promise I will post again soon! Its been way too long since the last one!!!

Love yourself and your family,

Until next time
Pam  xoxo

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Onion Cheese Bread and Scottish Shortbread!!!

Today I decided to try something different and made onion cheese bread! It ended up falling toward the end of the bake but the taste is amazing!!!!!!! So here is the recipe for anyone who would like to try. Sorry no pics of the bread, since its a little.....weird looking!

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup mined onion
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (i used old cheddar)
1 Tbsp yeast (I use the regular stuff and proof it)
4-6 cups flour

Whisk the sugar and salt into the warm water, then add oil and whisk lightly, add yeast and whisk lightly. Then whisk in the egg, onion and cheese. Start adding your flour 1 cup at a time and kneed it once its hard to move your spoon. Oil up your dough well and let rise in a warm place covered by a tea towel. (I use my oven with the light on). After 15 minutes punch down your dough and reform, let rise again for 15 minutes. Do this a total of 3 times, then on the last (or 4th) punch down, make your bread! Put loafs in well oiled pans and let rise a final time for 1 hour. Then bake at 350 until top and bottom are brown.

YUM!!!!!


Scottish shortbread:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter

Use a pastry cutter or a fork and mix until all blended and will stick into a rough ball. (don't worry if you have crumbs, they will get incorporated). Butter up a pie plate (I used a glass one) and press the mixture into the pie plate. Bake at 350 for about 20ish minutes. Until the edges are light brown and when you press the top with your fingertips, they remain dry without stuff stuck to them.



That's it for now! I have a huge post coming tomorrow.......stay tuned!!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Chocolate Raspberry Zucchini muffins!

Oh yum! So easy and full of goodness! Not to mention chocolate!!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (or Homo milk with 1/2 tsp vinegar
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light-colored and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the zucchini, raspberries, and chocolate chips, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.


*This recipe is courtesy of Suzanne! Thanks for such a yummy but veggie hidden recipe!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Chocolate Banana Custard Pie

mmmmmmm......this was simply amazing!!!!! Words cant describe it and pictures don't do it justice!!!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Mix together and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Don't forget to go up the sides as well. Put in fridge to harden.

Meanwhile, melt some chocolate (milk chocolate is my fave!) in a double boiler and spread onto the crust. This gives it a kick of chocolate and once its hard it provides a barrier again the custard softening the crust. I didn't measure the chocolate but it was about 1/2 to 1/3 cup melted. Put back in the fridge to get nice and hard!

Custard:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Put egg yolks, sugar, corn starch and 1/2 cup of the milk in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Take the rest of the milk (2 1/2 cups) and heat on medium heat until it just starts to bubble.

Now, take your heated milk and add it VERY slowly to the egg mixture. If you heat up the egg mixture too quickly you will have scrambled eggs! Once its all mixed in, put it back on the stove and heat on medium until it starts to thicken up! Then add the vanilla and butter. 
Once its thick, put into bowl and place plastic wrap right on top of the custard. That way there wont be a scum on top of the custard. Put bowl in fridge until it cools.

Assembly:
Pour some custard (don't stir the custard before you put it on!!) over the shell (about 1/2) then cut 2 bananas and place the banana pieces over the custard. Put the rest of the custard on top. Whip some cream and put your nice fluffy whip cream on top, shave chocolate over for a pretty effect!! To save on the sugar/fat I used margarine and I didn't add any sugar to my whip cream. It really is sweet enough with the chocolate and bananas!

As I said....yummy!!!




Oatmeal Raisin cookies! Full of banana and zucchini!

I know I have been slow at posting but I will make up for it with these next couple posts!

So these cookies were good...although they had the texture of banana bread. Next time I make them I will be adding more raisins!

This recipe is from Deceptively Delicious!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tbsp margarine
1/2 cup banana puree
1/2 cup zucchini puree
1 lg egg white
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 and coat 2 pans with cooking spray or butter (very important cause these cookies stick!)

Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together, set aside.
Beat sugar and margarine together and don't over mix. Add banana and zucchini puree, then the egg whites and stir just to blend. Add the wet to the dry and mix. Then add the raisins, never over mix this and just use a spoon not a mixer.

Drop onto the pans by the tablespoon full and bake until golden brown. This takes about 15 minutes.


Like I said these were good but weren't a cookie at all. More of a little banana bread thing!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Small changes and my success

So I guess today's post is about how I made small changes in my life and ended up so far with big success. I know from many times before that completely cutting things out of my diet that I love will not work for me. So this time instead I don't beat myself up if I have some chips or chocolate or whatever. I think of it as a treat and don't get all huffy about eating it. I see soooooo many people beating themselves up from having some fries or some chips. That my friends is just hurtful to your self esteem. Constantly analysing what you have eaten that is bad for you makes you constantly focused on food. I now look at food as fuel and that sometimes I put bad fuel in my body but that I balance it out by working out and have healthy meals.

I also have started putting healthy foods in not so healthy stuff. For example, I always put frozen corn in our Kraft Dinner. Now the kids and hubby don't even notice it there. I also mix frozen veggies in things like tuna helper and hamburger helper. I make our own bread and make burgers full of zucchini and mushrooms. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

So I guess in short, I have made small changes in our diet, hidden things among others to make it more healthy and so far its worked!! This i think for me will be the secret to my success!!! I also don't beat myself up when I miss a workout....I just say "OK your day off is over" and get right back to it! I work out every day....not 3 times a week or 5 times a week....EVERYDAY!!!!! I take usually 1 day off a week but I am trying to go for 2 weeks straight...I'm on day 4! hahaha

Until next time,

Love yourself and your family!

Pam

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Month 1 check in!!!

Wow, its been 1 month and today I got my measurements and weight done again! I knew I lost a little but didn't think I would get the numbers that I did. I only lost 3lbs....but to me the number on the scale is nothing compared to the inches lost.

So i lost a total of 9.5 inches in 30 days!! I lost 4.5 inches around my bust...which means I lost a whole lot of back fat!! 2 inches off each leg and 1 inch off my waist. My arms and hips stayed the same. I am so shocked that I lost that much. I even had to measure myself...thinking Rene was kidding with me!

i was off some days on my eating...which goes to show how much more i could have lost if I was on track everyday. Totally crazy! I'm still a little in shock and its slowly setting in. I'm that much closer to my goal!! This time....this time after all the failed attempts...this is going to be the time i get it right! I have so many people behind me which makes me feel amazing. i also have those 2 beautiful children who keep me going everyday and of course my wonderful husband who makes me keep going when I wanna quit! Today Rene finally got me my gym membership to the base gym...aqua zumba anyone? i plan on going at least 2 times a week at night, along with my morning stuff I do.

All in all its been a pretty awesome day! I'm starting to think more positive and this just helped ten fold!! I CAN and WILL do this. What a great start!

Until next time.......

Love yourself and your family!

Pam

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Today is a big day!

Today I get my haircut!! Which for me is huge!! I have had long hair for about 10 years and its been in a ponytail for 10 years!! But today I will take a great friend and get it chopped! Suzanne is a great friend and a pillar of strength for me. So it just seemed right to have her come with me.

I will be posting pics of my new hair and also of my 'old' hair. This is just one step in my transformation!!!!

Eek!! Here I go..........



and as promised...here are the pics!! I love it and its a good start to the new me!
old hair
new hair!!!!
Its a huge change and I love it!!!!! xoxoxo

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars....with Spinach!!!

These were super fast to make! I had them in the oven in about 5 minutes! They are super yummy and full of spinach! This is another great recipe from Deceptively Delicious!!


........

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup low sugar blueberry jam
1/2 spinach puree

Mix oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla together in a bowl. Then cut in the margarine until it resembles coarse meal. Margarine bits will still be visible and no not over mix! Set aside half of the mixture and press the rest in an 8X8 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Place pan in oven heated to 375 for about 10 minutes until lightly brown. Then mix blueberry jam and spinach together and spread over top of partially baked oat mixture. Then sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture on top of the blueberry/spinach layer. Place back in the oven for about 20 minutes until slightly brown. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool, then cut into 12 squares.

*I made some modifications to this! I didn't use cooking spray, since I don't like putting things like that in my kids bodies. I put a little margarine on a paper towel and greased my pan. I also think an 8X8 pan is too small. My bars are quite thick, next time i will use a 9X9 pan. i also didn't use low sugar jam...since I wasn't paying much attention at the grocery store!

These have no spinach taste in them at all! Cant wait for the kids to have one after supper!!

Until next time....

Love yourself  and your family.

Pam

Saturday, January 22, 2011

20 days....

It has now been 20 days since I started this journey. I have missed about 4 days of exercise..which is good considering my previous record! I have started to notice little changes in my body and mind. I'm much happier when I'm exercising and focusing some time on myself. The changes I see in my body are small but baby steps is the way to go! I see changes in my bootie (*happy dance) and in my waist and some toning going on in my arms.

Now, for the other aspects of my change........
The cooking is going great, fresh bread, healthy changes for my family. The swearing...ha ha..not even close! The growing of my business...that hasn't been happening either. I need to get a good schedule going so I can actually make some headway!

Last year I did a book challenge where I challenged myself to read 25 books, this year I up'd that to 50. So far I am at 4/50...not bad since we are not even out of January!

So there you have it folks...a little update 20 days in! At 30 days I get weighed and measured again....time to lay off the cookies eh?

Until next time,

Love yourself and your family!

Pam  xoxo

Friday, January 21, 2011

Spinach in chicken nuggets? Yes, I think so!!!

Hey everyone!!

So I have fallen off the wagon a little this week with some crappy eating and missing 2 workouts. But I'm back on the wagon and here is a new recipe I tried tonight. This is from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook again! These nuggets were super yummy and had a whole cup of spinach puree in them! Although next time i may cook them in the oven or on my skillet, but I did as the recipe wanted which was fry in a little bit of oil.

So here we go..............

1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup spinach puree
1 egg
1 lb chicken breasts

Take chicken out and pound it with a meat mallet until flat and thin, cut into chunks. Take all dry ingredients and mix together in a shallow pan. Take the egg and spinach and mix together in another shallow pan. Put small amount of oil into frying pan and heat on medium heat. Dip chicken in wet mixture first, then roll in dry until well covered. Fry in pan for about 4 minutes and flip, frying on the other side for about 4 minutes. Check largest piece to see if its done. Let sit for about 5 minutes to cool down some and serve!



These were so easy! And they were very good! I have lots leftover which I am going to freeze and take out when we need a quick meal!!




So there you go folks! A great way to fool your kids (and husband) into eating veggies!!! Since I'm back on the wagon my measurements will be in about 2 weeks...eek! Scary!

For now,

Love yourself and your family!

Pam!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Recipes!

So here are the recipes that I made yesterday. I have gotten alot of requests for them, so here they are!

Burgers:

1lb of ground turkey or beef
1/2lb white button mushrooms finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (any kind will do)
1/4 cup grated zucchini
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix everything together in bowl, mixture will be moist. Form into burgers and cook until no longer pink!

I made 13 burgers with this recipe and froze 8 of them! I served this with sweet potato fries!


Chocolate Chip and Chickpea Cookies:

Heat oven to 350

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Beat sugar and margarine until smooth, beat in eggs and vanilla. Then add the chickpeas and chocolate chips, mix with spoon first and then beat. Lastly add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and mix on low until a thick dough forms.
Drop dough by the teaspoon full onto greased cookie sheet, press with fork and cook until golden brown and just set. Do not over cook!

Once cooked and cooled put them in a container where they will soften up and be super yummy!!! Makes about 2 dozen cookies!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Changes

Hey peeps!

I have been making slow changes and so far so good!! Right now I'm down 6lbs (as of 2 days ago!) and that really made me feel great!! Today I actually saw a difference in my clothes! Which is huge for me!!!

Today I was looking in my Deceptively Delicious cookbook and made 2 recipes! The first is Chocolate Chip and Chickpea Cookies and I also made Mushroom and Zucchini burgers with Sweet Potato Fries!

Let me just say that our supper and dessert were delicious!! I'm still full from it! Wow, I haven't had sweet potato fries before but they were super yummy!! And I don't feel bloated from eating starches.

I will post the recipes tomorrow I think. I will also post pictures of my finished work! But for right now I'm going to go sit with my family and get the little monsters ready for bed!!

Until next time,

Love yourself and your family,
Pam!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Honesty

So today I will be totally honest about the reasons that I need/want to lose weight. I said before that I have 103lbs to lose....which brings me down to 175. Yeah do the math on that one.

I weighed myself on Jan 2nd and was shocked to see how much I weighed. It really was a low point in my life. I had a realization that if I dont do something about it, I will most likely die young leaving my kids without a mother. And THAT is the #1 reason why I WILL...not try to lose this weight. My kids mean way too much to me to just continue to get bigger and leave them early. I want to see my kids go to school, university, married and have babies! And hopefully I will see my great grandchildren before I kick the bucket!

Food has become a comfort to me and it needs to stop. Yes, food may not judge me.....but its hurting me much more than words ever could. High BP or heart disease or whatever......its not going to take me down!


So this is my honesty! The reason I will lose this weight is all about those adorable children that I love so much. They will grow up with healthy parents and with good self esteem. Will the weight come off easy? Heck no! Will it come off in a month? No way! Will it be worth it in the end? Absolutley!!!!

So thats it for now! Until next time..........

Love yourself and your family!

Pam

Monday, January 10, 2011

First Post!


Our last picture before Rene's 7.5 month deployment



Well the title says it all! This is my first post and I feel the need to explain what this blog is about.

Basically its about me! The journey I have decided that will ultimately change my life. I will post just little things about me, my family, my business and my weight loss journey.

I have set myself to lose (in hopefully a year) 103lbs. This is a huge undertaking for someone like me who lives a busy life as a military wife and mother of 2. I have also promised myself that I will become a better person. Stop the cursing (cause I have a trucker mouth!), start taking time for myself...since we all know that a happy wife is a happy life. I also want to be a better mother...you know that one we all grew up with or who lived next door. The mother who always had time for her kids, always had a spotless house and ALWAYS had fresh baked bread and yummy suppers on the table!

Then probably the last part of my transformation is to grow my little business! I make hair bows for little girls (and sometimes the older ones too!) and need to start putting hours into it so I can make it the business I know it can be!


So there you go folks! My first post! Basically my journey is about improving myself, my family and my business!

Bye for now!

Love yourself and your family,
Pam