Last night we went to the Hollywood Bowl and saw "The Producers" which,if you like Mel Brooks, was hysterical! Husband and I went I bought new clothes, we took yummy goodies and had an awesome night! I finally broke through a huge plateau in my weight loss this week and after bouncing back and forth for 3 weeks. I have lost 86 pounds now...still trips me out. I was wearing the smallest pair of Hudson black skinny jeans that I ever thought I would ever wear. I looked and felt amazing it was one of those outfits that just made me so aware of my body and how much it has changed. I hate spending money on expensive clothes midway through my journey but I know how important it is to see and feel my success to know how great my progress has been. I plan on going down one last size at least so I try to buy limited new size clothes as I go.
So, for the Bowl if your not familiar it's a large outdoor amphitheater. The best part about seeing a show there is you can bring your own food and drink including wine. I packed cucumber slices with mango salsa,fresh guacamole and carrot sticks, almond cranberry bites and a gigantic container of fresh strawberries. We had an amazing bottle of Cabernet and I was in heaven feasting on these treats. The best part was it seemed completely unplanned it was just stuff I picked up there was no like. "ugh I HAVE to pack healthy stuff!" (here is where the change part starts) I was eating stuff that tasted good to me and I was enjoying every minute of it. I never felt deprived or that I was missing out on something. Husband turned to me at intermission and said "this is a lot
different than the last time we were here!" at first thoughts came through my head I was about 8 weeks pregnant the last time we were there and I weighed about 60lbs more than I did last night. He also mentioned the change in our menu. It was fried chicken and a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Haha, not that you can't have that stuff. But, I realized even more how much I have changed. The rest of my strawberries were just as sweet as the success that I felt sitting in my overpriced jeans.
Progress will not happen unless you make changes. Of course this is not easy and it will be difficult at first but before you know it things will have changed and it will be just a part of you!
Mahalo
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Friday Recipe Recap
This week I made some yummy light meals and thought I would share some for inspiration. My culinary background allows me to play with food and flavors maybe more freely than I should. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't and that's fine by me! I have come up with some interesting ideas and mostly love all of them. I was on pinterest earlier in the week and got some inspiration for some meatless dishes as well as my typical "lc"(low carb,low calorie) ideas!
My first inspiration was playing with fruit in sweet and savory dishes. I made a grilled peach portabello burger. I really have been playing with flavors and really just saying would I put this on a meat burger? Sure,let's try on a meatless option! I grilled a portobello cap in george foremen grill. I then grilled sliced peaches and topped my "burger" with them. The combination of the 2 were awesome!
My next creation was a skinny eggplant Parmesan with Caprese chicken (mozzarella,tomato and basil). I made the eggplant by whisking some eggwhites and Dredging eggplant slices in egg then whole wheat flour. I pan fried in Pam and seriously I could eat this all day!! I sprinkled with parmesan and popped in toaster over while I grilled a butterflied chicken breast then topped with sliced tomato,basil and mozzarella again browning in oven to melt cheese! I served with salad and made a yummy lunch.
Yesterday I also tried some zucchini fritters! These are great snacks or side item. These consist of shredded 2 zucchini,1 egg white,3 tbsp of whole wheat flour. I pan fried with Pam and made little Fritters and I let brown on each side about 5 mins.
Hope you have a great weekend! Play with some flavors and happy cooking, and eating,haha!
Mahalo!
My first inspiration was playing with fruit in sweet and savory dishes. I made a grilled peach portabello burger. I really have been playing with flavors and really just saying would I put this on a meat burger? Sure,let's try on a meatless option! I grilled a portobello cap in george foremen grill. I then grilled sliced peaches and topped my "burger" with them. The combination of the 2 were awesome!
My next creation was a skinny eggplant Parmesan with Caprese chicken (mozzarella,tomato and basil). I made the eggplant by whisking some eggwhites and Dredging eggplant slices in egg then whole wheat flour. I pan fried in Pam and seriously I could eat this all day!! I sprinkled with parmesan and popped in toaster over while I grilled a butterflied chicken breast then topped with sliced tomato,basil and mozzarella again browning in oven to melt cheese! I served with salad and made a yummy lunch.
Yesterday I also tried some zucchini fritters! These are great snacks or side item. These consist of shredded 2 zucchini,1 egg white,3 tbsp of whole wheat flour. I pan fried with Pam and made little Fritters and I let brown on each side about 5 mins.
Hope you have a great weekend! Play with some flavors and happy cooking, and eating,haha!
Mahalo!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Never Say Never
Oh sweet, sweet Jesus! Yup, I have been kind of keeping a secret and no... I'm not pregnant nor have any intention to ever become pregnant again,haha! Okay, so, my secret is I am running a marathon! Like a fuuuuuuuulllll marathon, what!?! I KNOW!
So, when I look back at the moment I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon and how I fully recollect standing in the lobby of my hotel saying "I have NO intention,none, zilch to ever run a full marathon!" hahaha! I ran my first half in Long Beach and I did not properly train, I mean, I trained but I didn't as well as I should have, and I got worked! I finished and it was magical but it could have been way better. The next race I did was the Orange County half and I trained and did beyond amazing, I loved every minute of it! So, after doing that one I have a couple blogger friends who were all gung-ho to do a full and dreams of Boston are thrown around as if we are already qualified and then begins the contemplating "hmmm, I may actually consider this."
A couple of weeks ago I decided that if I was going to ACTUALLY do this I was gonna DO it. So, I already knew which one I wanted to run and of course its Hawaii related,haha! I also wanted to run for a cause other than myself. I looked into some fundraising programs and came across the Team 2 End Aids LA and knew this was a program I could not only compete in but also raise money and awareness for a great cause!
I have already started training and have joked with other members of the team as to weather which will prove to be more challenging raising $3200.00 or running 26.2 miles! Haha, I had one friend tell me she will pay me $3200.00 to never have to run 1 mile let alone 26.2 :-)
I am so very looking forward to first of all contributing and being apart of something bigger than myself. Second, challenging myself to doing something that even last year I never imagined I would be doing and of course going to Hawaii to do that!
I hope that you can join me in my efforts and help me to be able to accomplish some great things for a great organization and in return I promise to run 26.2 miles so that you don't have to! If you would like to donate any amount would be GREATLY appreciated. You can do that on my fundraising page, HERE!!!
Mahalo!
So, when I look back at the moment I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon and how I fully recollect standing in the lobby of my hotel saying "I have NO intention,none, zilch to ever run a full marathon!" hahaha! I ran my first half in Long Beach and I did not properly train, I mean, I trained but I didn't as well as I should have, and I got worked! I finished and it was magical but it could have been way better. The next race I did was the Orange County half and I trained and did beyond amazing, I loved every minute of it! So, after doing that one I have a couple blogger friends who were all gung-ho to do a full and dreams of Boston are thrown around as if we are already qualified and then begins the contemplating "hmmm, I may actually consider this."
A couple of weeks ago I decided that if I was going to ACTUALLY do this I was gonna DO it. So, I already knew which one I wanted to run and of course its Hawaii related,haha! I also wanted to run for a cause other than myself. I looked into some fundraising programs and came across the Team 2 End Aids LA and knew this was a program I could not only compete in but also raise money and awareness for a great cause!
I have already started training and have joked with other members of the team as to weather which will prove to be more challenging raising $3200.00 or running 26.2 miles! Haha, I had one friend tell me she will pay me $3200.00 to never have to run 1 mile let alone 26.2 :-)
I am so very looking forward to first of all contributing and being apart of something bigger than myself. Second, challenging myself to doing something that even last year I never imagined I would be doing and of course going to Hawaii to do that!
I hope that you can join me in my efforts and help me to be able to accomplish some great things for a great organization and in return I promise to run 26.2 miles so that you don't have to! If you would like to donate any amount would be GREATLY appreciated. You can do that on my fundraising page, HERE!!!
Mahalo!
Post workout treats
Today's run was gorgeous!!!! The girls and I ran 5 miles and it was seriously delightful! Before we left I whipped up a batch of no bake protein bites!
These things are all over pinterest and there is so many different kinds. I made some last week and used a yummy recipe with pure clover honey,oats,nut butters and protein powder. Today I did a little variation with what I had on hand.
I used
3/4 quick oats
2 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp better n peanut butter
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 ripe banana,mashed
Mix together, fridge for 30 mins, roll into balls. This yielded about 20 bites. 1ww ppv per bite.
Last night I also assembled some yummy fruit pops with straight fresh chopped fruit and watermelon juice! Sooo good!
I used
4 strawberries cut in half
6 raspberries
1 peach chopped small
Chopped water melon mashed to juice
Next time I will add mint leaves would b so good!
These are so fast and so delish! Whip up some yummy treats and stop eating so much processed stuff!
Mahalo!
These things are all over pinterest and there is so many different kinds. I made some last week and used a yummy recipe with pure clover honey,oats,nut butters and protein powder. Today I did a little variation with what I had on hand.
I used
3/4 quick oats
2 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp better n peanut butter
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 ripe banana,mashed
Mix together, fridge for 30 mins, roll into balls. This yielded about 20 bites. 1ww ppv per bite.
Last night I also assembled some yummy fruit pops with straight fresh chopped fruit and watermelon juice! Sooo good!
I used
4 strawberries cut in half
6 raspberries
1 peach chopped small
Chopped water melon mashed to juice
Next time I will add mint leaves would b so good!
These are so fast and so delish! Whip up some yummy treats and stop eating so much processed stuff!
Mahalo!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Accidental Vegetarian
I have been playing around a lot more with vegetarian dishes and really have always loved meatless dishes. Most recently I made some veggie burgers and they turned out to be delicious!!!
Sweet Potato Fajita Burgers
1 small sweet potato, cut into chunks (steamed microwave 2 minutes and rough mash)
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
pinch of cayenne
a pinch salt
1/2 cup black beans (rough mash)
1 ear of fresh roasted over fire corn off cob
4 tablespoons rolled oats blended into flour-halfway in blender leave some oats to provide texture
Mahalo!
Sweet Potato Fajita Burgers
- Combine ingredients and form patties I grilled on grill pan 8 Min's on each side over medium heat.
- Served on Pita with grilled peppers and avocado
Mahalo!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
New Creations
This weekend I was so wanting eggplant! I stayed with my parents Saturday night and decided to make dinner there and take advantage of being creative in the kitchen. I really wanted to use eggplant as mentioned so I had seen a great recipe for an eggplant involtini which is sorta like a canoli shell made of the eggplant instead of pasta. The recipe I found was here... http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/09/29/eggplant-involtini/
So, I made a couple of changes to lighten these up. Instead of full fat ricotta I used fat free and I omitted the cream and just used a canned tomato sauce. To bulk these up I also chopped a cup of mushrooms and lightly grilled them. I also added chopped parsley because I used parsley with my fish that I served with. It's important when you are cooking to stick with your herbs throughout the dishes to keep your theme and tastes the same otherwise they can clash and it may not be a great combo. Then I finished with light mozzarella cheese!
This morning I was wanting waffles (always) so I was looking through my recipes and came across a yummy Greek yogurt oatmeal waffle here...
http://edibleliving.blogspot.com/2012/03/motherhood-mondays-and-pancakes-parties.html?m=1
Of course I altered here is my version...
{Pancakes or Waffles}
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon pure clover honey
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1cup dairy beverage I used coconut milk
1/2 cup egg substitute which =2 eggs
1 scoop protein powder
Whisk together flour, oats,baking powder, baking soda/bicarbonate of soda,salt and protein powder in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, dairy,honey and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and whisk in the wet ingredients until well incorporated. The batter should be thick if needed thin with dairy beverage.
Heat waffle iron or griddle for pancakes and cook like normal.
I stacked my waffles with fruit and even used a 1/2 tablespoon of nutella between the layers equals Ahhhhmazing!!
Enjoy and Mahalo!
So, I made a couple of changes to lighten these up. Instead of full fat ricotta I used fat free and I omitted the cream and just used a canned tomato sauce. To bulk these up I also chopped a cup of mushrooms and lightly grilled them. I also added chopped parsley because I used parsley with my fish that I served with. It's important when you are cooking to stick with your herbs throughout the dishes to keep your theme and tastes the same otherwise they can clash and it may not be a great combo. Then I finished with light mozzarella cheese!
This morning I was wanting waffles (always) so I was looking through my recipes and came across a yummy Greek yogurt oatmeal waffle here...
http://edibleliving.blogspot.com/2012/03/motherhood-mondays-and-pancakes-parties.html?m=1
Of course I altered here is my version...
{Pancakes or Waffles}
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon pure clover honey
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1cup dairy beverage I used coconut milk
1/2 cup egg substitute which =2 eggs
1 scoop protein powder
Whisk together flour, oats,baking powder, baking soda/bicarbonate of soda,salt and protein powder in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, dairy,honey and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and whisk in the wet ingredients until well incorporated. The batter should be thick if needed thin with dairy beverage.
Heat waffle iron or griddle for pancakes and cook like normal.
I stacked my waffles with fruit and even used a 1/2 tablespoon of nutella between the layers equals Ahhhhmazing!!
Enjoy and Mahalo!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Spread the Love :-)
Ahhhh, what a delightful day! I am very sore but the good kinda sore that make you go "I work out!" lol! I did a double work out today and I must say I love that my 3 mile runs are now a warm up for my actual workout(insert huge smile!). I am at the 10 pound plateau(uuugggggghhhhh!!!) Every 10 pounds I loose, I plateau!! This can be very frustrating but also okay because I know in another week or so I will start loosing again. This has gone on EVERY 10 pounds,grrr! But, that's okay because this next week I have exciting plans and am really going to focus on just being strong, maintaining my healthy lifestyle and not on the number that's on the scale that will just be a byproduct of my hard work and dedication annnnnd always remember this.......
I will be completely honest and say that every night I cannot wait to run, like, seriously cannot wait! Then there is the wake up and I'm in bed with my babies and its so comfy and cozy and I will tell you at the moment most days = absolutely no desire to do any physical activity AT ALL! After I get babas change the baby and get re cuddled(that's prob the main problem, exiting the bed and then re entering the said "cozy bed") I smooch and love on my little dumplings for a bit and check the Facebook feed. This is the moment where my excuses and my procrastination seem to suddenly fade away.
I have 4 or 5 or maybe more,haha, that I followall day long regularly. I love that I can pull strength from their amazing efforts and determination to attain their goals EVERYDAY! These women have become so much a part of my life, my journey and my overall well being. Hanna over at BouffeeBambini has been so amazing in maintaining her dreams of running even through multiple obstacles. She has been so amazingly inspiring everyday and just want to tell her thank you so much for being such a strong and courageous woman and for helping me along the way in my journey.
I am so blessed that God put them in my path and that I am able to power up and find strength to keep moving forward.
Another positive person in my life is my husband. He and I do a lot together and I am so grateful for our marriage and our friendship. One of the things we get to do is carpool to work and I love this time to just sit and reflect on our lives together and we are able to talk about dreams and goals and make plans together. My husband is an amazing man and I am so very thankful that the Lord put him in my path also. He has done so much for me and our family but also for this free country that he continues to serve in the US Army. He is so very supportive of everything that I do and encourages me daily.
I will be completely honest and say that every night I cannot wait to run, like, seriously cannot wait! Then there is the wake up and I'm in bed with my babies and its so comfy and cozy and I will tell you at the moment most days = absolutely no desire to do any physical activity AT ALL! After I get babas change the baby and get re cuddled(that's prob the main problem, exiting the bed and then re entering the said "cozy bed") I smooch and love on my little dumplings for a bit and check the Facebook feed. This is the moment where my excuses and my procrastination seem to suddenly fade away.
I have 4 or 5 or maybe more,haha, that I follow
I am so blessed that God put them in my path and that I am able to power up and find strength to keep moving forward.
Another positive person in my life is my husband. He and I do a lot together and I am so grateful for our marriage and our friendship. One of the things we get to do is carpool to work and I love this time to just sit and reflect on our lives together and we are able to talk about dreams and goals and make plans together. My husband is an amazing man and I am so very thankful that the Lord put him in my path also. He has done so much for me and our family but also for this free country that he continues to serve in the US Army. He is so very supportive of everything that I do and encourages me daily.
Hot soldier husband ;-)
Last but certainly not least..Other than my husband my mom is so very amazing and always has been at telling me I could do/be anything that I want. She continues to nurture my creativity and adventurous nature and always has my back in everything that I do. She watches our dumplings when we cant and is so beyond generous with her time and love for us and our little babies!
Nana with me and brothers babies :-)
I'm just thankful today for so much and just want to remind you that if you surround yourself with positive people and only let the ones in that will lift you up and be in your life you will accomplish your goals no matter what they are. Draw strength from those when your weak and lift others up when you are strong!
Mahalo
Sunday, July 1, 2012
How many layers?
Welcome to July! I am so excited this week for so much fun festivities to celebrate our Independence day! We are having our first BBQ today and I made a yummy layered dip. Typically there are 7 layers but this one I think I ended up wih 9! The point is use fresh yummy ingrediants and just be creative!
I used shredded lettuce,teardrop tomatoes,hummus mixed with some taco seasoning, black beans, fresh guacamole, pico de gallo,olives,fat free sour cream and light mexican blend cheese!!! YUM!!!
I will serve this with fresh veggie sticks and Pop Chips , my favorite low cal chips!
Mahalo!
I used shredded lettuce,teardrop tomatoes,hummus mixed with some taco seasoning, black beans, fresh guacamole, pico de gallo,olives,fat free sour cream and light mexican blend cheese!!! YUM!!!
I will serve this with fresh veggie sticks and Pop Chips , my favorite low cal chips!
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