A challenge for myself- 30 days

I really would like to reach the goal weight soon, so I have decided to take a break from the internet.
Other than checking my email and doing my blog. NO facebook, no chat boards.
Something I would like to do. On October 11, willl  be 30 days
I guess you could say I will be living like the Amish,,,,, with electricity. ;)

I will miss all of my facebook friends, but I need to reach the goal weight soon. And the time I spend on the computer could be more time working out.

I strive to be a diamond... with my weight loss goal

Each day I have to remind myself a diamond was once a piece of coal. And the more work i put into it the better the outcome.

Postitive thinking

We are all human and there will be days of sadness, and days we seem defeated but I have to admit positive thinking determines how your day will go. Instead of seeing my pitcher of water as half empty today i chose to see it as half full. Truly when i take time to Praise God and be thankful for the blessings i have been given it makes the day go better. I have noticed when I show a happy attitude around my children they are more willing to do what I ask. This morning i am going for my 4 mile walk and be happy about it. No grumbling here, I should be thankful for the nice day and the ability to be able to go and walk, some people are confined to a bed. Today is a blessing, I hope you have a very blessed day.

In our times of growth we may not see it But we are always held by Gods Love. This little plant that I purchased Patience reminded me of that today.
It was sitting in the window and the thought came to mind.
Growing takes time in no matter what you do whether it be losing weight, growing spirtitually, gettting through a difficult time. No matter what God watches over you and loves you.

They are a pair....

These two are really a pair, Patience is a Mommas girl at times however she loves her daddy very much.

Some  of the photo's are before the weight loss or in the process of losing the weight.

Patience almost reaching 100 pounds last Sept.

Jerry  Last Sept.

Sept. 2010

I Know sometimes it may seem like I am bragging, the whole process is a emotional journey, One in which I am so thankful for that we were given the chance. Would there be these happy smiles in the photos today if we had not went down this road?

We sometimes have to look back to know we never want to go down old roads again.

Todays National Food Holiday day is Cheese Pizza!!!

OK I would be lieing if our family vowed to never eat pizza again. If we vowed to do that we would be setting our self up. Kids will be kids, and while it would just be easier to just call Domino's  than have our fresh homemade pizza, or domion's with all the ooey gooey taste. I have to consider Patience. And what it does to her body and how it would be so easy to fall back into the food trap.
So we occasionally have pizza night a couple nights  month, but we try to make it our self. If we did order from Domino's it would be a medium for the whole family and  salads on the side. Besides making your pizza is fun.It is a shame how Kaplin's high school offers pizza daily on the menu. He is a great kid, and of course he picks the pizza.

Whole Wheat Crust Pizza
1 pkg of Hodgson Mill Active dry yeast

1cup of warm water

11/2 cups of Wheat flour

1/2 tsp. of salt

2 Tsp. olive oil

11/2 cups of unbleached white flour

Disvovle yeast in warm water Allow to rest for 5 minutes Stir in whole wheat, salt,olive oil, and white unbleached flour. by hand about 5 minutes. Dough will be smooth and elestic

Spray meduim bowl with cooking no stick spray place pizza dough in bown and turn cover and allow to rise in warm draft free bowl for 15 minutes spray one 14 inch pizza or two  10 inch pans. Bake till cheese is melted and crust is brown.

We make sure the kids experience the joy of cooking, adding the different veggies and spices And sauces. Pizza night just isn't about vegging out in front of the TV it is becoming a chef and spending time with family.

Hope today on your journeys you have a taste of Italy. After all its national cheese pizza day.

Patience loves Banana peppers on her pizza with cheese.

Simplicity's favorite is cheese and Turkey pepperoni

Kaplin loves turkey pepperoni with banana peppers

I love tons of veggies

And Jerry loves black olives

Another healthier alternative would be whole wheat tortilla's for the crust.

Grocery Haul with Jerry- a few words about lettuce

I am very sorry when I recorded the video I had the camera sideways....lol  These are typical items we know to purchase weekly. To be honest we rarely purchase dairy, but if we did it is always soy, or rice milk.
I forgot to include our fruits at a later time I will include that. And if we were to purchase bread very whole wheat or the wheat wraps.

Today is National Trail mix day or Eat outside day

And also the day I first met my husband in real life.



We met online and had spoken for 6 months then finally decided to meet. At the time meeting online was kind of a new thing. My parents were little weary, but I trusted my heart and we were married 8 months later. :)
So August 31 holds a special place in my heart. When Jerry met Simplicity a few weeks later he gave her the cutest Halloween barbie.Who knows where the barbie is now but its the little things you never forget.

Today we go work out with the trainer Zane, so it might just be little trail mix on the way to the gym for the kids.
http://www.ezhealthydiet.com/healthy-trail-mix-recipe.html

The barbie was close to this but it had the cutest orange polka  dot skirt with black dots. I thought that was so sweet of Jerry. It held alittle pumpkin. It is the little things :)

This is how little my Simplicity was when Jerry and I met. Kaplin and Simplicity both captured his heart.

.

This song Hero, was very popular when we had met, and as were talking each night it would play on the radio, so the song Hero holds a special place in my heart.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDzi3NvQ5Vw

It takes a very special hero to have a blended family and never think twice. 8 years ago today we met.

A newer updated photo of Jerry he is now 174 down from 330!!! He has cut his hair since this photo but I am so proud of Jerry and his weight loss. I surely hope the Dr. does not wish for him to lose more. :) These are Kaplin's clothing.

And it also blows my mind how last year at this time my sweet Patience was almost 100 pounds.

How can the photo here be the same girl in the upper right hand corner. If it seems like I am bragging...I guess I may-be alittle. :) I plan to post photo's of myself when I have reached the goal weight.

Everyone should have a happily ever after....My princess

This is Simplicity's and Patience's all time favorite song from Taylor Swift. Patience was so delighted to be able to wear the outfit. Sadly enough there were a few years we could not Play dress up. This Halloween she plans to be A Queen, a Gypsy or a princess. So we will see. She plans on wearing the outfit.

Today is National Eat more Herbs/spices less Salt Day

For our family Jerry uses
2 Tablespoons of  paprika
1 Tablespoon of  onion powder
1 Tablespoon of Garlic powder
1 Tablespoon thyme
1 Tablespoon of oregano

We use this seasoning on most items instead of salt. This mixture was found in a Amish cookbook.

If we did use salt it would be sea salt- but at this time we are not using any salt. Remember sea salt is more powerful than regular salt. - And always season after cooking not during.

I plan to purchase a herb garden for our kitchen so Patience can have fun watching the herbs grow and taste the different flavors.

As far as herbs cilantro is my favorite. I love it on almost anything.

Below is a simple link to the different herbs and their purpose

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food/Tools-Tips/Cooking-101-Herbs-Spices.html

I hope in your journey today you discover a new flavor with a herb you have never used. Remeber apperance and taste make a meal.

Finding ways to fit excerise in, with your normal workouts

When I park at  a store I always park at the end of the parking lot...If  I could find a photo of it  It reminds me of when Chevy Chase and his family park at  the end of the parking lot on their trip to Wally world. At first the kids complained but now they see it as fun. We actually race...:)

Also I will walk to pay bills...this morning I walked four miles to pay my water bill. I knew that if I didn't walk to pay it we would have no water....lol - Jerry had the car today. Unfortunately our electric company is 17 miles away and that would not be possible . But I am sure you get the point.
Or if we are going home from some where I will have Jerry drop me off and left me walk the reminder of the way. In order to get my fitness in. After my four mile walk at the end I felt like hey that wasnt so bad.

I Can hear The Moose now, Sorry Folks were closed!!!! LOL I watched this movie as a kid. And everytime we park at the end of the parking lot I think of this movie :)

Today is National Sponge Cake Day

A Healthy option to this is Angel food cake. Which is in the sponge cake family. Don't worry all of the  whole cake would last awhile for our family now...lol
We would add more berries than the cake.For Patience we always get the sugar free kind.
On her birthday that is the cake she would have. This is not  a every week thing she would receive only on Big days.

I hope on your journeys  today if you  walk past a doughnut shop- you might consider a slice of sugar free angel food cake with lots of  berries. :)

D-Life has A recipe for http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/diabetic-recipes/Heavenly-Angel-Food-Cake/r3078465.html

Today is National Eat A Peach Day

Peaches are a great source of Vitamin A and C.

I'm not going to post a desert today instead I wanted to share a Peach salsa recipe.

2 cups of chopped peeled peaches
1/4 cup of chopped sweet onion
3 Tablespoon of lime juice
2 Tablespoon of jalapeno pepper
1 clove of garlic
 1 Tablespoon of cilantro
1/25 Tsp. of Stevia
Chill in fridge for 1- 2 hours covered with plastic wrap

You would not have to use this with just chips, it would go well over a salad, or black beans. Or over veggies or  Fish. The possibilities are endless. It gives things Little Tangy, sweet flavor. Pita chips are good but who needs the fat?
  

Patience and Simplicity love peaches they take them in their lunches quite abit.


I thought it would be fun to start posting low sugar recipes of whatever National holiday it is.
And start to do cooking videos. Maybe Patience can help in the video.

Soon we will be doing a food haul and Jerry is going to show you the typical things we buy for the kids lunches and our normal grocery list :) Remembering the shopping trip can take half the time when you work your way through the outside of the store. The center is where all the bad, junk food is going to be. I hope in your journeys today if you visit the store you enjoy a peach!!!


Peach Skin Cream
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed peach juice
3 Tablespoon of Sour cream
1/2 Teaspoon of  Lemon juice
Apply to face and Wash after 5 minutes

Avocado Spread

1/2 cup of nonfat plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon low fat mayo
1Tablespoon of lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 Avocado

Open the Avocado and scoop out all the avocado and place all in food processor. Refrigerate up to two days in air container or freeze for one month.

Could be used as a dip with carrot sticks or celery, or place in a lettuce wrap.

Eating healthy fats reduces the amount of unhealthy fats in the blood stream.

Dr. Sears Guilt Free Soft Serve Ice cream

2 Frozen Bananas cut up
Splash of soy milk

Remove Frozen Bananas from the freezer and allow them to thaw for two minutes. Put them in food processor and process into a nice thick cream. Scoop into a cup and serve.
Special Additions
Frozen berries
Kale or Spinach or Vanilla.  The kale or fresh Spinach makes it a nice green color and the taste of the veggie cannot be detected.
As I have said before we always tell Patience, not all ice cream is OK and we let her help make the recipes. Not a everyday thing- just a treat for when they have to have their ice cream. Thinking of that they haven't been to Mickey Dees in a year. :)

Sunday Morning Steel Cut Oatmeal

1 Cup of Steel cut Oatmeal, 4and 1/2 cup of water and one apple chopped. And cinnamon if you like a sprinkle. Spray crock pot with non stick no fat spray. Cook on low for 6 and half to eight hours. And breakfast will be ready. You could add a alittle agava nectar or a tiny bit of stevia before you eat.

No doughnuts at church, for the children. And a breakfast I can feel very good about for them. Little effort it cooked while we were sleeping.

I Love making cupcakes... cupcake hair clips that is!!!

The girls have hair clips to match almost every outfit. By now I believe the lady at Walmart in the craft dept knows me .I'm really looking forward to the Holidays to make sweet little hair clips with ghosts, candy apple, and pumpkins. I'm not a craft er this is just something I do for fun for my girls. And so glad they "go along with it" They steal my heart. And of course Kaplin does also!!! :) I encourage any mother of girls to learn to make their own little clips instead of buying from a boutique. You can do it.

Blt

One of Simplicity's Faves is BLT, OK lets be for real if i served that all the time Jerry, Patience nor I would lose the weight. However we cannot ask Simplicity to give up everything. One thing we will do is let Simplicity have what she likes and let Patience have it also.

Turkey Bacon
Tomato
Red leaf lettuce
And a small amount of Kraft cheese (  not always)

Patience doesn't ask for the bread, she doesn't miss it.
Protein/veggie- Perfectly safe.
We seldom purchase cheese- Patience has grown fond of  feta- and all it takes is a small sprinkle.

I was a vegetarian for many years- so in reality this feels like it is cheating. However Simplicity is not a vegetarian and she really needs to eat!!! So it is what it is. Jerry and I diet is mostly veggies or fish or Chicken. ( At this point I'm not to crazzy about chicken)

Bless my Simplicitys heart at age 11 she is only a size 7, so course Im going to make her Blt for her every now and then.

Black Bean Brownies

My children no longer ask for the typical treats, Although the temptations are everywhere. Patience is selling candy for her Girl Scout troop right now.Her class received pixie sticks for good behavior!!! She handles it all with Grace.My sweet girl.
So what did I do I made them a treat, your probably thinking how can black bean brownies be good.
They are. And the good thing about them is Patience ate the one Brownie, the fiber in it made her brain believe OK you have had enough. She liked it, the chocolate was rich.

4  eggs
1tsp of vanilla (sugar free if you can find it) if not its OK
2 Tsp of oil
15 oz can of Black beans( no added flavors- try to get no sodium beans)
3Tsp of  Baking coca
1/2 cup of splenda or other sweetener we used stevia - quarter of a cup
1 tsp of baking powder
Grease8x8 pan with baking spray, Heat oven to 375
Drain and Rinse the can of  beans very well
In processor put eggs, vanilla and oil and mix
Add Baking powder and sweetener
Mix
Then coca
Then your Black beans make sure you mix until all lumps are out of the beans.
Bake for35 minutes or till it comes out clean using a toothpick.

I promise the kids loved these, didn't even know about the beans. OK what does Dr. G say about this?
He said every now and then but we do not want Patience thinking all Brownies are OK. We have explained to her unless Momma And Daddy say they are OK then they are not. Because the rest of  Brownies out there have to much sugar in them and will make her sick.
She understands.- It is amazing her attitude on this. I have to remember I do not want her to have full blown diabetes in  a couple years, so it is very important to help her now. Thankfully Patience understands.
Sometimes I believe Jerry and I are not saving her, but she saved us.
I made her Tacos on Friday and the cashier said oh your having tacos. I laughed to myself and thought If you only knew, Tacos was a TREAT. And I thought what average family serves all the creamy rich food a few times a week. ( of course the Tacos we made were with Turkey, and whole wheat wraps) And our own seasoning not the packet. Anyway we are aiming to be the typical family that choses to be healthy. Sometimes I will not use the wrap at all and just serve Taco salad. ( A real salad without any shells)
Still Learning.
* A key note to remember when we make a recipe such as this we want Patience to enjoy the taste but not crave the sugar.
 When they are faced in siutuations and offered this sort of thing in the world she will know the item she is being offered is way to sweet. We are trying to get Patience used to the idea now, Treats taste healthy- they do not taste like a big bowl of sugar. - Because trust me there will be times a stranger will think they are doing a good thing by offering your child this type of thing and it have all the fat and sugar.
I never want to go back to Our old life.

She's my butterfly