Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Together Again
It's been a long long time since I blogged. Sigh. A lot has happened. We moved, bought a new house, hubby got a new job... Life got crazy. The good news is that I have an actual desk now. A place to write. No longer do I have to drag the laptop out on the couch (because it's so much easier to write on the actual laptop than it is on my iPad.), I can just flip it open and sit down and write. I'm hoping this will inspire me to do so more often. I often have so much to write about and no time to do it in. Anyone else ever feel that way? So for now, I will leave it at this: look for me more often! I am going to try my hardest to get over here and write more :)
Monday, February 10, 2014
Coconut Curry Chicken Tacos
I had a couple of requests for the recipe for the dinner I made tonight. I don't blame them. This food was KICKIN'! Ok, it's a little complicated and it took me over an hour to prepare this, so make sure you have a lot of time, this is not a short and sweet weeknight dinner, but if you have the time it's worth it!
Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
-In a mixing bowl pour about 2 cups of milk (for light version use skim milk)
-In another bowl pour enough Panko bread crumbs to cover the bottom of the bowl
-Dip each chicken breast into the milk, and then into the Panko crumbs making sure the chicken is covered completely by the Panko crumbs.
-Spray a baking dish with no stick spray and place both chicken breasts in the dish
-Bake at 350* until crumbs are golden and chicken is white all the way through
-Cube breasts
Curry Sauce:
-2 tbsp Olive Oil
-1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
-2 cloves of fresh Garlic, minced
-1 tbsp Mild Curry Powder
-1/2 tbsp Hot Curry Powder (or another 1/2 tbsp of mild curry powder if you don't like spice)
-1 1/4 cups of Coconut Milk (for light version use light coconut milk)
-2 tbsp Soy Sauce (for light version use low sodium soy sauce)
-2 tsp sugar (for light version use Truvia)
-1/2 tsp Salt
-In a bowl combine salt, sugar (Truvia), soy sauce, and coconut milk and mix
-In a sauce pan heat olive oil for 30 seconds. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and curry powder and heat 15 seconds
-Add coconut milk mixture and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens
Yogurt Sauce:
-1/2 cup plain yogurt (for light version use light or fat free yogurt)
-1/2 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tbsp cumin
-Pinch of paprika
-1/2 tbsp cilantro
-Pinch of salt
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl
Refrigerate until needed
I made the light version of this. I also used corn tortillas for the taco shells and I baked them in my oven to crisp them up. We chopped up red pepper, jalapeños, and cilantro to top the tacos, and also topped with snow pea pods. To build your curry taco, take your shell, put some cubed crusted chicken in it, spoon curry sauce in. Top with veggies (could also use cabbage and shaved carrots all raw), and finish with yogurt sauce. Yum!!!!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Time for an update!
How are we in mid April already??? My goodness time flies by! I thought I would post a weight loss update for those interested! (Yes, I'm still doing that!) I struggled big time in January and February. I wasn't sure how to start the weight loss process, and, although I was serious about it, I started small. Healthier meals and snacks, and walking on a treadmill. After two months and only a 3lb weight loss, I decided it was time to up the ante a little. At the beginning of March I bought Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD and started doing it every morning. After one mont of doing that DVD every morning 5 mornings a week (you're supposed to take two rest days), I am proud to report I have now lost 8lbs total!! That means I'm only 2lbs away from my first ten!! It's taken me a while to get going, but now I'm hopefully on a roll! Besides 30 Day Shred, I'm also keeping very very careful track of my calorie intake with the help of My Fitness Pal, and of course taking the ItWorks Thermofit and Fat Fighters. Hoping to take 5 more lbs off in the coming month!
Friday, February 15, 2013
On an Adventure
I'm on an adventure this weekend. I am traveling with my sister to visit my grandparents and I DON'T have my kids!!!! Truthfully, I'm kind of lost without them right now. I'm so used to being "mommy" and for the next 4 days I'm not going to be operating in "mommy" mode. It's a bit unsettling at first. They're in good hands with Daddy at home, but I'm missing them like crazy. I'm not sure how to put "mommy" aside right now and enjoy this weekend. I'm sure once it gets going I will figure it out. I am kind of enjoying my posh seat in the international concourse of the airport right now. Super slick tables with iPads available for use (although I'm using my own), a nice view of the runway... Very enjoyable. I'm waiting for my sister to pick me after she gets done with work. :) I will update on my adventure as it unfolds!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
No Weigh In February
I made a new goal for myself. I'm not going to weigh in or measure myself the entire month of February. I was starting to obsess a little bit over the numbers on the scale. My hubby reminded me over and over that I wasn't going to see a drastic change on a day to day basis, but what was depressing me was the yo yo effect. One day I'd step on the scale and be a pound lighter and think "victory! I lost a pound!" The next day I'd step on and "what? I gained two pounds??" Then, right when I was finally seeing a steady number (6 pounds below my starting weight by the way) I went up 3 pounds all of a sudden and have been stuck there for a week. Now, common sense tells me "Sarah, you are retaining water because its coming up on 'that time'." But my emotions tell me "look you gained three pounds you are failing." The last time I went through "that time" I gained 5 pounds that vanished the day after it was over. But even that logic wasn't helping me. So, I made a decision. No more weigh ins for the rest of th smooth. In fact, my next weigh in and measurement won't be until March 4th. I am excited to see what this brings. I'm really hoping it brings a lot less dependence on numbers on the scale and more confidence in the fact that I am working hard, and I will eventually see results. It didn't take two weeks to put on forty extra pounds, it won't take two weeks to take it off.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Recipe: Fiesta Lime Chicken Tacos
We had these for dinner last night. Ohhhhh they were soooo good! And very low sodium too!! These were seriously so much better than the tacos I'm used to making. Because of a time crunch I didn't make my own tortillas this time, but that's on the docket for next time!!
Rub the chicken in spices and let sit. I used Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime mix because its salt free. You can also use McCormick's fiesta lime spice mix package, or create your own concoction.
Once it has sat for a little bit cook the chicken. I used my electric skillet, but I think it would taste fantastic if done on the grill!
Slice fajita style and serve with taco toppings!
I made a sauce for the tacos using equal parts Mexican Crema and Ortega taco sauce. (My garden isn't planted yet obviously, but when we do I plan to make my own sauces like this with our tomatoes!)
Seriously, we had amazing dinner last night! I'm hoping tonight's coconut curry chicken turns out as nicely.
Rub the chicken in spices and let sit. I used Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime mix because its salt free. You can also use McCormick's fiesta lime spice mix package, or create your own concoction.
Once it has sat for a little bit cook the chicken. I used my electric skillet, but I think it would taste fantastic if done on the grill!
Slice fajita style and serve with taco toppings!
I made a sauce for the tacos using equal parts Mexican Crema and Ortega taco sauce. (My garden isn't planted yet obviously, but when we do I plan to make my own sauces like this with our tomatoes!)
Seriously, we had amazing dinner last night! I'm hoping tonight's coconut curry chicken turns out as nicely.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Why Diets Don't Work
If you read this blog, you know I'm on a "diet". The thing is, I've been doing a lot of thing about dieting and health recently. It all started with me looking for a motivation picture. A picture of me when I used to weigh my goal weight. That would have been when I was in college. As I was looking through pictures of me in college, I realized I didn't want to look like that. See, I may have only weighed 125 in those pictures, but I didn't look good. I was "skinny fat"! "Skinny fat" describes a person who appears skinny, but is still has an unhealthy body fat percentage. That was me. I ate crap, and didn't exercise and I didn't care. I thought I was fine because I looked skinny. But looking at those pictures I can see the unhealthy body fat percentage as easily as I can see it on me now. So, I started thinking about how a diet to lose weight may be all well and good, but once I got down to 125 again what was I going to do to keep that weight off? I came to the sudden realization that I needed a lifestyle change, not a diet. This is part of what fueled my quest for eating real food. If I eat healthy things with ingredients my body can properly digest, I will be a lot healthier than if I eat only diet food for 3 months, then resume crap eating habits after. This is why people gain back everything they lose plus some after they go off a diet. They haven't really changed their lifestyle. So, I'm three weeks into this huge lifestyle change. The first week I craved fatty foods all the time. 24/7. I dreamt about pizza, thought constantly about a bacon cheeseburger, and was haunted by a small Baggie of goodies I use as rewards for my kids. It took all my will power not to cave and eat them. Week two I allowed myself a piece of pizza at the end of the week. I felt awful afterwards, but my brain still wanted more. By yesterday, the thought of pizza was no longer appetizing, and I actually ate some pizza yesterday and I felt so terrible afterwards, it was like, that was it. The have been no more cravings for things like pizza, hot dogs, processed foods, and breads. I do however crave real foods. Like seasoned chicken, raw carrots, whole grains, which I allow myself in small amounts since they are good in small amounts for you. I even love how I feel because I'm not snacking. I LOVE working out. I love how I feel when I'm exercising, and I love how I feel all day afterwards. See, these are the types of things that have changed for me. If you aren't willing to put the work into changing your mindset toward food, then you will always fail on a diet. Diets are temporary. Healthy is for life!!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Recipie- Homemade Whole Wheat Goat Cheese Ravioli
Well, I said yesterday I would post the recipe if it turned out well, and it did!! So here it is!
Pasta:
3 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour1
cup white flour
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pinches of salt
What To Do
1 In a food processor*, combine all of the ingredients. Process the dough for about 30 seconds until a ball forms. If a ball doesn’t form, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the ball forms. Be careful that you don’t make it too wet.
2 Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute until smooth. The whole wheat flour makes this dough fairly tough, but it should be smooth and moist. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
3 Roll the dough out using a pasta machine, or by hand with a rolling pin. It can be die-cut with a machine (shown above), hand cut, or made into ravioli.To roll the dough with a pasta machine:– Take about 1/5 of the dough (smaller amounts are easier to work with) and flatten it with your hand. Run it though the pasta rollers at their widest setting. Fold the dough in half and run it through again at the same setting. Repeat this until the pasta runs through smoothly (2 to 4 times). If the pasta becomes sticky at any point, sprinkle a small amount of flour on the sheet of dough and rub it in.– Narrow the rollers one notch and run the pasta through the rollers; fold it in half and run it through again at the same setting. Keep narrowing the rollers one notch at a time and running the dough through once or twice. For the narrower settings, you don’t need to fold the dough in half if it runs through smoothly.– When you get to the desired thickness (third lowest setting on our machine), lay the sheet out flat and rub a little flour onto both sides. Cut the sheet to the length of pasta you want.–Switch the pasta machine to the die-cut side and run your pasta through to cut it (again, shorter amounts of dough are easier to work with).– Lay the pasta out flat until it is ready to boil. If you stack or nest the pasta, make sure it is well floured.– Don’t wash the pasta machine with soap and water. Wait for the pasta to dry and then wipe it with a towel and try to get all of the little bits out. I usually shake it around upside down, run the rollers backwards, and poke at it with a chopstick!
4 When ready to serve, drop the pasta in salted boiling water and cook for only 2 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. It doesn’t take long, so be sure that you don’t overcook!*If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a stand mixer or just knead by hand for several minutes.
Filling:
3/4 tube of goat cheese
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
Add Basil, Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to taste
Stir together
Sauce:
Ingredients:
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. sage
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated or freshly shaved)
Ravioli (or pasta of choice)
Directions:
1- Bring a pot of water to boil, add the pasta, and cook according to packaging directions.
2- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan add the butter and melt until it begins to brown in the shallowest places. Watch it closely- you don't want to burn your butter.
3- Add sage, remove from the heat.
4- Add lemon and parmesan, stirring well.
5- Pour the sauce over the ravioli, or pasta of choice, and serve hot.
My modifications:
I had to hand tool the pasta dough because I don't own a roller. It was a lot of work and time but it worked out.
I doubled the sauce recipe for two people. It was not enough otherwise. I also added fresh garlic to the sauce.
Pasta:
3 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour1
cup white flour
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pinches of salt
What To Do
1 In a food processor*, combine all of the ingredients. Process the dough for about 30 seconds until a ball forms. If a ball doesn’t form, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the ball forms. Be careful that you don’t make it too wet.
2 Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute until smooth. The whole wheat flour makes this dough fairly tough, but it should be smooth and moist. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
3 Roll the dough out using a pasta machine, or by hand with a rolling pin. It can be die-cut with a machine (shown above), hand cut, or made into ravioli.To roll the dough with a pasta machine:– Take about 1/5 of the dough (smaller amounts are easier to work with) and flatten it with your hand. Run it though the pasta rollers at their widest setting. Fold the dough in half and run it through again at the same setting. Repeat this until the pasta runs through smoothly (2 to 4 times). If the pasta becomes sticky at any point, sprinkle a small amount of flour on the sheet of dough and rub it in.– Narrow the rollers one notch and run the pasta through the rollers; fold it in half and run it through again at the same setting. Keep narrowing the rollers one notch at a time and running the dough through once or twice. For the narrower settings, you don’t need to fold the dough in half if it runs through smoothly.– When you get to the desired thickness (third lowest setting on our machine), lay the sheet out flat and rub a little flour onto both sides. Cut the sheet to the length of pasta you want.–Switch the pasta machine to the die-cut side and run your pasta through to cut it (again, shorter amounts of dough are easier to work with).– Lay the pasta out flat until it is ready to boil. If you stack or nest the pasta, make sure it is well floured.– Don’t wash the pasta machine with soap and water. Wait for the pasta to dry and then wipe it with a towel and try to get all of the little bits out. I usually shake it around upside down, run the rollers backwards, and poke at it with a chopstick!
4 When ready to serve, drop the pasta in salted boiling water and cook for only 2 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. It doesn’t take long, so be sure that you don’t overcook!*If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a stand mixer or just knead by hand for several minutes.
Filling:
3/4 tube of goat cheese
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
Add Basil, Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to taste
Stir together
Sauce:
Ingredients:
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. sage
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated or freshly shaved)
Ravioli (or pasta of choice)
Directions:
1- Bring a pot of water to boil, add the pasta, and cook according to packaging directions.
2- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan add the butter and melt until it begins to brown in the shallowest places. Watch it closely- you don't want to burn your butter.
3- Add sage, remove from the heat.
4- Add lemon and parmesan, stirring well.
5- Pour the sauce over the ravioli, or pasta of choice, and serve hot.
My modifications:
I had to hand tool the pasta dough because I don't own a roller. It was a lot of work and time but it worked out.
I doubled the sauce recipe for two people. It was not enough otherwise. I also added fresh garlic to the sauce.
Eating Real Food
One of the lifestyle changes my family is making is the transition to eating what I'm (rather crudely) calling "real" food. This pretty much translates to food that is made by me from scratch. I'm trying my darndest not to use anything that comes out of a box, frozen package, or can. Of course, this is not set in stone. My kids still have boxed mac and cheese from time to time, and there are days when I'm out of time, so I use a jar of spaghetti sauce instead of making my own. These exceptions don't bother me. I'm not a "set in stone" person where nothing can be subject to exceptions. But I am happy that I am able to start making more food for my family from scratch. I love being able to control what I'm putting into the food. Since Derek and Owen are a little more self sufficient now I am able to start on dinner as early as I need to in order to get "real" food on my table. I am so excited! I do not have a recipe to post today because I am trying something new tonight. If it works I will post a Whole Wheat Goat Cheese Ravioli recipe for you all tomorrow. If it doesn't work, I will dig out an old standby for you :)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
25 days later....
Well, I guess it's time to update on my progress! 25 days later, I've lost 5 lbs. Now, this was not my goal my goal was 12 lbs. but, I've gotta admit, sticking to a diet is a lot harder than I always give credit for. I've allowed myself a lot of meals that don't conform to my diet plan. And, since Nathan was gone for two weeks, I didn't work out a whole ton during that time. I was busy with the kids, and constantly tired. I went back to the gym today and it felt great! So, I'm congratulating myself on my 5 lbs. lost. Now for the next 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40!!!!!!!!!!
Recipe for this week (not 17 day diet approved):
Chicken Pasta Salad:
3 chicken breasts rubbed in Jamaican jerk seasoning
Bacon
1 lb pasta (mostaccoli, or penne work best, or spiral pasta)
Tomato chopped or sliced
Red, orange and yellow pepper sliced
2 carrot sticks chopped
Fat free Italian dressing
Boil noodles, then run under cold water to cool them
Place in bowl and toss with the Italian dressing
Cook bacon until very crispy, wrap in paper towel, crush into bits, add to bowl
Add vegetables to bowl
Cook chicken, cube, allow it to cool a bit, and add to bowl
Toss together
Chill in fridge until cold
Serve!
Recipe for this week (not 17 day diet approved):
Chicken Pasta Salad:
3 chicken breasts rubbed in Jamaican jerk seasoning
Bacon
1 lb pasta (mostaccoli, or penne work best, or spiral pasta)
Tomato chopped or sliced
Red, orange and yellow pepper sliced
2 carrot sticks chopped
Fat free Italian dressing
Boil noodles, then run under cold water to cool them
Place in bowl and toss with the Italian dressing
Cook bacon until very crispy, wrap in paper towel, crush into bits, add to bowl
Add vegetables to bowl
Cook chicken, cube, allow it to cool a bit, and add to bowl
Toss together
Chill in fridge until cold
Serve!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Back At It
After a two month hiatus on all my health and weight loss goals, I'm back at it. I'm gonna be honest... I really really wanted to just eat whatever I wanted. So, as a result of all that loveliness my 30lb goal has turned into a 40lb goal. YIKES!! It's enough to make me realize, it isn't worth it. Pizza isn't worth looking terrible in all my clothes. I went shopping after Christmas with my gift cards and I looked awful in nearly everything I tried on. It was a huge kick in the pants. When I got home and saw that I had gained 10 lbs I freaked out. That is NOT the direction I wanted to be moving. So, armed with a new year and a fresh outlook on things, I am back at it. Yesterday I started the 17 Day Diet again, and I am keeping a careful journal this time to help me stay on task. Pizza doesn't seem as awesome when I know I'm going to have to write it down for posterity. :)
So, here is my regimen for the forseeable future:
17 Day Diet- Cycle 1
ItWorks Thermofit 2x per day
ItWorks Fat Fighters as needed
ItWorks Greens 1x per day
ItWorks Body Wraps 1x per week
ItWorks Defining Gel 1x per day
I'm really hoping to lose 12 lbs in the first 17 days. It may seem like an unattainable goal, but that is what I lost in the first 17 days back in September, so I think I can do it again. Wish me luck everyone!!!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
17 (ok, 20) days later....
I'm down 12 pounds!!!!! Yay! I haven't lost this much in well, ever. Two years ago I tried hard to lose some weight, but I only lost about 5 lbs, got discouraged and stopped trying. I guess I lost 12 lbs after both pregnancies, but when you're throwing up after every meal what do you expect. Nope, I did this all on my own. No growing baby inside my body to help! Woot!!
Here are some awesome cycle one recipes I used:
Chicken Marinara:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Low carb (or light) marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese
Fat free Mozzarella cheese
Fat free Italian dressing (optional)
Basil, garlic, salt, onion (or onion powder)
Optional: peppers, tomatoes, other veggies
Put your chicken breasts in the crock pot. The first time I made this I put fat free Italian dressing in it, the second time I didn't. I like both ways, but Nathan liked it better without.
Add the marinara sauce and spices (and veggies) and turn on high for 4-5 hrs (you may need longer if your chicken is frozen) then turn to low until you serve.
To serve take chicken out of the crock pot and put it into a casserole dish. Top with marinara, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese, warm in the oven until the cheese melts. Then serve! Yummmmmm!
Enchilada Chicken:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Low sodium enchilada sauce
Cumin, garlic powder, onion (or onion powder)
Optional: peppers, tomatoes, cilantro
Queso Fresco
Put your chicken in the crock pot with the enchilada sauce, and spices (and optional ingredients). Cook on high for 4-5 hrs (longer if your chicken is frozen), then low until you serve.
To serve, dish up chicken, cover with leftover enchilada sauce and Queso Fresco! Double yummmmm!
Salsa Chicken:
Same ingredients as the enchilada chicken but instead of enchilada sauce use salsa.
Cook on high for 4-5 hrs (longer if your chicken is frozen of course), then low until you serve.
To serve dish up the chicken and put more salsa, and/or pico de gallo, fat free sour cream, and fat free cheddar cheese on it! Triple yummmmmmmmm!
And you can totally do these recipes full fat if you want. They'll probably taste better. :)
Stay tuned for more weight loss updates and yummy recipes!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
What I would say if I could...
Dear sisters in Christ,
Oh how we failed this morning. It breaks my heart. Our purpose in meeting together is to enrich our souls, edify our walks with Christ, fellowship together, and learn from the Word. Today, I am sad at the way a sister was treated as she walked in the door this morning.
This morning, a new mother woke up exhausted from a very long night with an infant. She got herself ready to be at this conference early this morning. Her husband stayed up too late last night, so he woke up crabby. They had an argument. The baby woke up,crabby and cried all morning. She still came. And as she struggled to get her stroller in the door because women standing around her would not help her with the door, a coordinator appeared and scolded her for not wearing her name tag. She appeared at my breakfast table looking utterly defeated this morning. She was expecting to come here after a difficult morning and get her should fed and cared for and instead she was scolded about something has stupid as a name tag. If you think something so small can't cause someone to stumble, you are wrong. Sisters, we do not know what each woman coming into this conference this morning has endured. We need to extend grace and mercy towards each other. Let's do better for the rest of the day, ok?
Oh how we failed this morning. It breaks my heart. Our purpose in meeting together is to enrich our souls, edify our walks with Christ, fellowship together, and learn from the Word. Today, I am sad at the way a sister was treated as she walked in the door this morning.
This morning, a new mother woke up exhausted from a very long night with an infant. She got herself ready to be at this conference early this morning. Her husband stayed up too late last night, so he woke up crabby. They had an argument. The baby woke up,crabby and cried all morning. She still came. And as she struggled to get her stroller in the door because women standing around her would not help her with the door, a coordinator appeared and scolded her for not wearing her name tag. She appeared at my breakfast table looking utterly defeated this morning. She was expecting to come here after a difficult morning and get her should fed and cared for and instead she was scolded about something has stupid as a name tag. If you think something so small can't cause someone to stumble, you are wrong. Sisters, we do not know what each woman coming into this conference this morning has endured. We need to extend grace and mercy towards each other. Let's do better for the rest of the day, ok?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
30lbs.... Is it possible?
Ok, this is not turning into a weight loss blog or anything like that (cuz that's one of my pet peeves. I don't care that you just did 30 crunches!!) but, I am going to journal my way to shedding these 30lbs that have been hanging on to me the past, oh, 5 years or so. I am (thankfully) lighter now than I was when I got pregnant with Derek, but the pregnancies have left me... Different in the tummy area than I used to be. So, I am going back to the way I was when I got married. So, here we go. I've been walking 4 miles for 3 weeks, and carefully watching my calorie intake, making sure I don't take in more than what I need for Breastfeeding. I'm also using a system called ItWorks. Maybe some of you have heard of it before. Ok, I'm about to make a shameless advertising plug for my friend!! ItWorks has served me well so far. The best part of it are the Ultimate Body Applicators (wraps), the defining gel, and the Fat Fighters. Ok, the wraps you wear anywhere on your body for at least 45 minutes, and they help detoxify your fat cells and you actually lose inches!! It's pretty cool. The defining gel helps tighten and tone your skin, and the fat fighters are all natural botanical pills that you take after you eat to absorb some of the fat you consumed and prevent it from eing stored by your body. Now, before you say you can't lose weight with a body wrap, let me assure you, you're right. You can lose inches by allowing the wraps to shrink your fat cells, but you can't actually lose weight unless you diet and excersise. That's what I'm doing. ItWorks is a system to help. If you are at all interested in ItWorks, here's the website you need to go to: ambereaton.myitworks.com.
Anyway, I'm already down 4lbs, so yay me! Here's to another 4 or 5 soon!
Anyway, I'm already down 4lbs, so yay me! Here's to another 4 or 5 soon!
Monday, April 2, 2012
April????
How in the world is it April already?? Oh my have I lapsed big time on my blog. It's not that I haven't had anything to update about, it's just that time has flown by!!! I will try my hardest to update you all very soon with pictures!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Great Healer
On Christmas morning Pastor David recited the fighter verse, "He restores my soul, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:3-4) Verse 4 seemed to some to be pretty inappropriate for Christmas, until he said "because death happens at Christmas too." Oh how this touched me. One of my closest friends miscarried just a few days before Christmas. While the rest of us were rejoicing in a birth, she is mourning a birth that will never happen. My heart hurts for her. My soul aches for her. She lives too far away now for me to comfort her in person, but I wish I could. Death is awful no matter which way you cut it, but the death of a child, even an unborn child is devastating. Death was never meant to be. It is because of sin that death entered the world. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they ruined God's perfect creation. Romans 5:12 says "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned..." We all have sin natures, even precious tiny babies, and so we are all susceptible to death. But God, in His perfect will had a plan to save us from death. Romans 5:18 says "Therefore as one trespass led to condemnation for all men ,so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men." That one act of righteousness was Jesus' death on the cross. He died to take the sin of mankind so that all who believe in Him may have eternal life. John 1:12 says "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God." How amazing is it that all we have to do to receive eternal life is to believe in the name of Jesus? Acts 16:31 says "believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved..." Oh how wonderful to believe in a God who is victorious over death. "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces..." (Isaiah 25:8) "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55) So, take heart my dear friend. Death is not forever. We serve a victorious God. One day there will be no more grieving, no more tears. One day you will be with your precious Noah in heaven. Until then rest in the fact that Jesus holds him in his arms. This pain is temporary. And if just one person reads this and is touched by the Gospel, then Noah's short life and tragic death are not in vain. You are loved, my friend, and prayed for.
If you want to follow her healing process you may visit her blog:
www.learningfromthegreatteacher.blogspot.com
(for some reason I cannot link to it, so you'll have to do it the old fashioned way and type it into your url)
If you want to follow her healing process you may visit her blog:
www.learningfromthegreatteacher.blogspot.com
(for some reason I cannot link to it, so you'll have to do it the old fashioned way and type it into your url)
Sunday, December 25, 2011
2011 Year End...
As 2011 comes to a close I feel compelled to write a Christmas letter, even though most people who read this probably already know everything anyway. So, here goes!
2011 has been an eventful year in the Metcalf house. Our beloved Derek turned 2 in February. It was really hard to believe he was that old, and now we are staring down the barrel at 3!! He was in his first wedding in March when he was one of the ring bearers in his Aunt Jessica's wedding. He did so well, and was the only one who did not cry going down the aisle! Go Derek!!! He has loved being a big brother since May. He loves his baby brother so much. Every night before brother goes to bed Derek has to give him a hug and a kiss and tell him that he loves him. It's adorable! In August he got another opportunity to be a ring bearer in his Aunt Rebekah's wedding. He walked down the aisle so nicely, and made everybody laugh when he was aghast that the flower girl was throwing the flower petals on the floor. he kept saying "no, no! Don't spill the flowers!" Right after the wedding we tackled potty training, and he accomplished that in less than a week. Christmas this year was a blast! He loved opening his gifts, and even loved helping his little brother open his gifts to. He would open them and then go show him what each thing was. Derek speaks in full sentences now, and there are not many things he cannot say. He's growing up before our eyes. We are so proud of how much he has learned in the past year.
On May 27th we were ecstatic to welcome Owen Michael into our family. He was born at about 4:30pm after a 5 hour labor. This was my first natural birth, and it was amazing! I am so proud to have been able to accomplish it. Owen is not the greatest sleeper, but he makes up for it in sparkling personality. He brings a big baby smile into the room whenever he enters. He has cut two teeth in the past month, and is eating solids very well after being exclusively nursed for the first 5 months. He still prefers to nurse over any other form of food, but he is enjoying trying new tastes of fruit and veggies as well. He crawls everywhere, and is into everything! It is so fun watching him grow and develop!
Nathan continues his job as a youth pastor at our local church. We just passed the two year mark at this church in September and things are really amping up there. This past year Nathan went on two ski trips, a Colorado camping trip, a service project trip to Wisconsin, and a few other trips with the youth group. He stays very busy to say the least. He is also a substitute school bus driver for our school district. It's a great chance for him to meet new kids.
I continue my work with the transitional home for women. I have moved from just being a relief staff member to being the relief staff manager. It is a big change so far as I take over the tasks of scheduling and managing the staff. So far so good though. My primary role is still at home with the kiddos. Derek and Owen are the lights of my days! They are a lot of fun. I am doing a lot of pre-preschool things with Derek to prepare him for starting preschool in the fall. Owen and I are the best of friends. Anywhere I am, he has to be too. I love it!
Our cats, Calvin and Piper are doing well too for those curious. They still don't get along very well, but they have established the pecking order and they have calmed down about it a little.
We wish you all the best in the coming year. We rejoice that the Son of God was incarnated as a tiny baby so that he might grow to be the perfect Lamb of God, a sacrifice for our sins that we might be reconciled to God. We thank Jesus for the precious gift of salvation. And we praise God for His perfect plan to send his Son as a baby. Amen! May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all this holiday!!!
Soli Deo Gloria,
The Metcalf family,
Nathan, Sarah, Derek and Owen
2011 has been an eventful year in the Metcalf house. Our beloved Derek turned 2 in February. It was really hard to believe he was that old, and now we are staring down the barrel at 3!! He was in his first wedding in March when he was one of the ring bearers in his Aunt Jessica's wedding. He did so well, and was the only one who did not cry going down the aisle! Go Derek!!! He has loved being a big brother since May. He loves his baby brother so much. Every night before brother goes to bed Derek has to give him a hug and a kiss and tell him that he loves him. It's adorable! In August he got another opportunity to be a ring bearer in his Aunt Rebekah's wedding. He walked down the aisle so nicely, and made everybody laugh when he was aghast that the flower girl was throwing the flower petals on the floor. he kept saying "no, no! Don't spill the flowers!" Right after the wedding we tackled potty training, and he accomplished that in less than a week. Christmas this year was a blast! He loved opening his gifts, and even loved helping his little brother open his gifts to. He would open them and then go show him what each thing was. Derek speaks in full sentences now, and there are not many things he cannot say. He's growing up before our eyes. We are so proud of how much he has learned in the past year.
On May 27th we were ecstatic to welcome Owen Michael into our family. He was born at about 4:30pm after a 5 hour labor. This was my first natural birth, and it was amazing! I am so proud to have been able to accomplish it. Owen is not the greatest sleeper, but he makes up for it in sparkling personality. He brings a big baby smile into the room whenever he enters. He has cut two teeth in the past month, and is eating solids very well after being exclusively nursed for the first 5 months. He still prefers to nurse over any other form of food, but he is enjoying trying new tastes of fruit and veggies as well. He crawls everywhere, and is into everything! It is so fun watching him grow and develop!
Nathan continues his job as a youth pastor at our local church. We just passed the two year mark at this church in September and things are really amping up there. This past year Nathan went on two ski trips, a Colorado camping trip, a service project trip to Wisconsin, and a few other trips with the youth group. He stays very busy to say the least. He is also a substitute school bus driver for our school district. It's a great chance for him to meet new kids.
I continue my work with the transitional home for women. I have moved from just being a relief staff member to being the relief staff manager. It is a big change so far as I take over the tasks of scheduling and managing the staff. So far so good though. My primary role is still at home with the kiddos. Derek and Owen are the lights of my days! They are a lot of fun. I am doing a lot of pre-preschool things with Derek to prepare him for starting preschool in the fall. Owen and I are the best of friends. Anywhere I am, he has to be too. I love it!
Our cats, Calvin and Piper are doing well too for those curious. They still don't get along very well, but they have established the pecking order and they have calmed down about it a little.
We wish you all the best in the coming year. We rejoice that the Son of God was incarnated as a tiny baby so that he might grow to be the perfect Lamb of God, a sacrifice for our sins that we might be reconciled to God. We thank Jesus for the precious gift of salvation. And we praise God for His perfect plan to send his Son as a baby. Amen! May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all this holiday!!!
Soli Deo Gloria,
The Metcalf family,
Nathan, Sarah, Derek and Owen
Friday, October 28, 2011
Taco Casserole
Even my toddler ate this taco casserole! If the toddler eats it, you know it tastes good! :)
-Brown off 1 lb. ground beef and add 1 packet of taco seasoning
-make spanish rice (I used a box)
-Add 1 can of black beans (drain, but don't rinse them)
-Mix it all together in a pan or pot
-cover bottom of casserole dish with tostada shells or taco shells broken in half
-add layer of meat/rice/bean mixture, cover layer with cheese, cover with enchilada sauce
-repeat until the top layer of meat/rice/bean mixture, cheese and sauce
-cover with foil and bake at 375 for 25 minutes
Yum!! Enjoy!
-Brown off 1 lb. ground beef and add 1 packet of taco seasoning
-make spanish rice (I used a box)
-Add 1 can of black beans (drain, but don't rinse them)
-Mix it all together in a pan or pot
-cover bottom of casserole dish with tostada shells or taco shells broken in half
-add layer of meat/rice/bean mixture, cover layer with cheese, cover with enchilada sauce
-repeat until the top layer of meat/rice/bean mixture, cheese and sauce
-cover with foil and bake at 375 for 25 minutes
Yum!! Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Slow Cooked Carnitas
Yesterday I made slow cooked carnitas for dinner. It was fabulously good! I had a bunch of people ask me for the recipe, so I'm posting it here for whoever wants it!
Slow Cooked Carnitas
Serves 12
-1 boneless prok shoulder butt roast (3-4lbs)
-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
-2 tsp Olive Oil
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1 1/2 cups minced fresh cilantro
-1 cup salsa
-1/2 cup chicken broth
-1/2 cup tequila (or substitute 1/2 cup additional chicken broth)
-8 oz chopped green chilies
1. Cut roast in half; place in slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Add cilantro, salsa, broth, tequila, and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
2. Remove meat, shred, and return to slow cooker to cook through.
See how easy it is?? It was the easiest thing I've ever done for dinner, and tasted awesome. I did not use the tequila because I didn't have any on hand. I wish I had used it though. It would have given some depth to the flavor. I also forgot to add the chilies, so the meat was not spicy at all. Next time I will use the chilies, but it tasted fine without them if you're not a fan of spice.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
10 Years...
It was a normal school day for me. I woke up at five thirty, showered, got dressed, left my house at six thirty. I picked up my friend Sarah. I can’t remember what we talked about as we drove to Eastview High School, but I’m pretty sure that it was normal teenage stuff. As we drove we listened to the morning show on the local top forty radio station. School starts at seven thirty. It was no different that day. Funny, I can’t even remember what my first hour class was. None of those details were important to me then, they are lost in the fog of time.
It’s interesting how some things are burned into our minds. There are moments when time slows down and you have all the time in the world to log each detail away so that you can remember it all your life. Those who remember Pearl Harbor know what I’m talking about. Those who remember President Kennedy’s assassination know what I’m talking about. During those moments you rarely know that your mind is actually locking those things into your memory. Usually the moment happens and you remember it forever without even realizing why.
I remember that my second hour class was AP Literature and Composition. I remember that my teacher’s name was Mr. Bayer and that he had a really casual teaching style that made his English class the most enjoyable English class I had ever taken in high school. I remember that the girl who sat next to me was named Katie, and that she was in color guard for the marching band. I remember that her boyfriend’s name was Cody because she talked about him all the time. I remember that I sat in the second row on the left hand side of the classroom as you look at it from the back. I remember that we were supposed to watch “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.”
My dad is an airline pilot. That has always made my life a little different. He was gone a lot when I was younger. People always looked at me with the same look that you would give a kid whose dad is in the military.
“Oh, that must have been hard for you.” People would say to me as I got older. The truth is that I never really thought about it. My dad was a pilot before I was born. I have never known anything different. Northwest Airlines, whom my father flies for, has their world headquarters in Eagan Minnesota which is, not coincidentally, where I grew up. That whole area is chuck full of airline families. All my friends in high school with the exception of two were from airline families. When I went off to college people would say things like “Oh wow, your dad’s a pilot?! That’s so cool! So do you, like get to fly for free?” Nobody said things like that in high school. They were all in the same boat as me. There was a mutual understanding among us. We talked smack about Northwest management when the pilots went on strike in 1998, and every time the mechanics went on strike we griped about how the CEO really didn’t know anything about his company. We talked about a lot of things having to do with the airline industry, but we never, ever talked about plane crashes. There is a solidarity among airline families. The same kind of solidarity you find among military families, and NASA families. The thing that airline families have in common with military families and NASA families is that we all know that at any moment, tragedy can strike. It never matters how safe flying is supposed to be, or how few accidents they’ve actually had in the space program, or whether your spouse was supposed to be a non combatant, there is always the knowledge in the back of your head that there is a possibility that when your family member leaves for work, he or she may not come home. You never talk about that possibility. You never think about that possibility. When I was in tenth grade I really, really liked this boy. I was convinced that I was going to marry him someday, as soon as he realized he loved me back. There was nothing that boy could do to make me stop liking him. At least, so I thought. When we were discussing flight plans for our summer missions trip with church, I asked what airline we would be flying. He cracked a joke about flying on Egypt Air. Earlier that month an Egypt Air flight had crashed shortly after take off. It was determined that it was pilot suicide. I hated that boy. I hated him with everything I had for that moment. (And for a while afterwards, until he finally apologized to me.) When TWA flight 800 blew up over the Atlantic, we were glued to the television. The reason is simple, we are a community, and we feel it when we lose a member of that community. The thing about the airline community is that when a plane goes down we don’t just lose one member of the community, we lose several. After it leaves the news, we never talk about it again. It’s not something we want to remember over and over again.
Everything that happened after that second hour class is vivid in my memory. I remember third hour Spanish and calling my mom and telling her that I wanted to go home. I remember Eastview High School going on lock down. I remember a girl named Maggie hysterically telling people that her mom was being forced to evacuate the IDS tower in downtown Minneapolis because “it was next.” I remember a fellow pilot’s daughter huddling next to her locker and telling me that her father was flying that day. I remember there being so much we didn’t know. I remember going home.
I wrote a poem for a scholarship about it. It was really good. It was too good. I never submitted it. I think I wanted to keep it especially for me. Every person had something about that day that they kept to themselves. I think everyone had to keep at least one thing to themselves because there were so many things we shared. American flags lined the streets of suburbia and every car had a “united we stand” bumper sticker. There were candlelight vigils and tributes to the heroic firefighters and police force members. There were bulletin boards covered in pictures of missing people and pictures on the news of their families crying as they pleaded for information about their loved one.
I remember Mr. Bayer turning on the television and turning off the lights in the classroom. I remember that in the split second it took for the video tape to register in the VCR we caught a glimpse of two buildings on fire. I remember thinking it was just a made for TV movie. Then, I remember seeing the CNN logo in the bottom corner. I remember the class shouting in unison, the same two words “GO BACK!!” I remember Mr. Bayer sinking into his chair as we watched unbelieving what was unfolding on the TV in front of us. I remember seeing the buildings fall. I remember the principal talking over the loudspeaker saying that school would remain in session, although teachers would be free to abandon their lessons and just watch the news all day. I remember the airline kids shooting terrified glances at each other. I remember thinking where is my dad? Is he flying? I remember calling my mom and finding out that he was safe at home. I remember waiting anxiously for the newscasters to tell us what airlines had been involved.
There were tributes to the pilots and flight attendants that died that day. But not until later. They seemed to us to be the forgotten victims. Then, we received stickers in the mail from the Airline Pilot Association. They said “we will not forget.” They are right. We won’t forget. I read in the newspaper about the husband of one of the flight attendants and how he rode his bike across the country to commemorate the life of his wife and the lives of her co-workers. There was a memorial put up to venerate the crew of United flight 93.
And me? I joined the ranks of those who would go on to be called the 9/11 generation. We now know what it’s like to be someone who remembers Pearl Harbor, or the Kennedy assassination. We know what it is to have a single moment in history burned into our eyes and ears, and for some of us, our noses as well. We know what it is to suddenly worry about our safety when we’ve never had to before. And, like two generations before us we know what it is like to feel overwhelmed with uncertainty about the future. We all know that someday, our children will ask us about that Tuesday morning, and we will help them write their history papers and projects about it. We will show them newspapers and video tapes of CNN and NBC broadcasts. They will ask us how it feels to remember such a pivotal event in our nation’s history. We will respond that we are not the first to experience it, and we will not be the last. Because, after all, history has a way of repeating itself.
It’s interesting how some things are burned into our minds. There are moments when time slows down and you have all the time in the world to log each detail away so that you can remember it all your life. Those who remember Pearl Harbor know what I’m talking about. Those who remember President Kennedy’s assassination know what I’m talking about. During those moments you rarely know that your mind is actually locking those things into your memory. Usually the moment happens and you remember it forever without even realizing why.
I remember that my second hour class was AP Literature and Composition. I remember that my teacher’s name was Mr. Bayer and that he had a really casual teaching style that made his English class the most enjoyable English class I had ever taken in high school. I remember that the girl who sat next to me was named Katie, and that she was in color guard for the marching band. I remember that her boyfriend’s name was Cody because she talked about him all the time. I remember that I sat in the second row on the left hand side of the classroom as you look at it from the back. I remember that we were supposed to watch “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.”
My dad is an airline pilot. That has always made my life a little different. He was gone a lot when I was younger. People always looked at me with the same look that you would give a kid whose dad is in the military.
“Oh, that must have been hard for you.” People would say to me as I got older. The truth is that I never really thought about it. My dad was a pilot before I was born. I have never known anything different. Northwest Airlines, whom my father flies for, has their world headquarters in Eagan Minnesota which is, not coincidentally, where I grew up. That whole area is chuck full of airline families. All my friends in high school with the exception of two were from airline families. When I went off to college people would say things like “Oh wow, your dad’s a pilot?! That’s so cool! So do you, like get to fly for free?” Nobody said things like that in high school. They were all in the same boat as me. There was a mutual understanding among us. We talked smack about Northwest management when the pilots went on strike in 1998, and every time the mechanics went on strike we griped about how the CEO really didn’t know anything about his company. We talked about a lot of things having to do with the airline industry, but we never, ever talked about plane crashes. There is a solidarity among airline families. The same kind of solidarity you find among military families, and NASA families. The thing that airline families have in common with military families and NASA families is that we all know that at any moment, tragedy can strike. It never matters how safe flying is supposed to be, or how few accidents they’ve actually had in the space program, or whether your spouse was supposed to be a non combatant, there is always the knowledge in the back of your head that there is a possibility that when your family member leaves for work, he or she may not come home. You never talk about that possibility. You never think about that possibility. When I was in tenth grade I really, really liked this boy. I was convinced that I was going to marry him someday, as soon as he realized he loved me back. There was nothing that boy could do to make me stop liking him. At least, so I thought. When we were discussing flight plans for our summer missions trip with church, I asked what airline we would be flying. He cracked a joke about flying on Egypt Air. Earlier that month an Egypt Air flight had crashed shortly after take off. It was determined that it was pilot suicide. I hated that boy. I hated him with everything I had for that moment. (And for a while afterwards, until he finally apologized to me.) When TWA flight 800 blew up over the Atlantic, we were glued to the television. The reason is simple, we are a community, and we feel it when we lose a member of that community. The thing about the airline community is that when a plane goes down we don’t just lose one member of the community, we lose several. After it leaves the news, we never talk about it again. It’s not something we want to remember over and over again.
Everything that happened after that second hour class is vivid in my memory. I remember third hour Spanish and calling my mom and telling her that I wanted to go home. I remember Eastview High School going on lock down. I remember a girl named Maggie hysterically telling people that her mom was being forced to evacuate the IDS tower in downtown Minneapolis because “it was next.” I remember a fellow pilot’s daughter huddling next to her locker and telling me that her father was flying that day. I remember there being so much we didn’t know. I remember going home.
I wrote a poem for a scholarship about it. It was really good. It was too good. I never submitted it. I think I wanted to keep it especially for me. Every person had something about that day that they kept to themselves. I think everyone had to keep at least one thing to themselves because there were so many things we shared. American flags lined the streets of suburbia and every car had a “united we stand” bumper sticker. There were candlelight vigils and tributes to the heroic firefighters and police force members. There were bulletin boards covered in pictures of missing people and pictures on the news of their families crying as they pleaded for information about their loved one.
I remember Mr. Bayer turning on the television and turning off the lights in the classroom. I remember that in the split second it took for the video tape to register in the VCR we caught a glimpse of two buildings on fire. I remember thinking it was just a made for TV movie. Then, I remember seeing the CNN logo in the bottom corner. I remember the class shouting in unison, the same two words “GO BACK!!” I remember Mr. Bayer sinking into his chair as we watched unbelieving what was unfolding on the TV in front of us. I remember seeing the buildings fall. I remember the principal talking over the loudspeaker saying that school would remain in session, although teachers would be free to abandon their lessons and just watch the news all day. I remember the airline kids shooting terrified glances at each other. I remember thinking where is my dad? Is he flying? I remember calling my mom and finding out that he was safe at home. I remember waiting anxiously for the newscasters to tell us what airlines had been involved.
There were tributes to the pilots and flight attendants that died that day. But not until later. They seemed to us to be the forgotten victims. Then, we received stickers in the mail from the Airline Pilot Association. They said “we will not forget.” They are right. We won’t forget. I read in the newspaper about the husband of one of the flight attendants and how he rode his bike across the country to commemorate the life of his wife and the lives of her co-workers. There was a memorial put up to venerate the crew of United flight 93.
And me? I joined the ranks of those who would go on to be called the 9/11 generation. We now know what it’s like to be someone who remembers Pearl Harbor, or the Kennedy assassination. We know what it is to have a single moment in history burned into our eyes and ears, and for some of us, our noses as well. We know what it is to suddenly worry about our safety when we’ve never had to before. And, like two generations before us we know what it is like to feel overwhelmed with uncertainty about the future. We all know that someday, our children will ask us about that Tuesday morning, and we will help them write their history papers and projects about it. We will show them newspapers and video tapes of CNN and NBC broadcasts. They will ask us how it feels to remember such a pivotal event in our nation’s history. We will respond that we are not the first to experience it, and we will not be the last. Because, after all, history has a way of repeating itself.
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