Cooking and Pinterest and Workouts…Oh My!

October 7th, 2012 No Comments

It feels so good to be blogging again! It’s been longer than I wanted and today I planned to write no matter what! 

As you can see from my blog name, I’ve been a busy little bee. It’s been a very good busy though. Apparently I’ve been hit by some creative mojo, which comes in waves, so I went with it and got a bunch of decorating done. In a previous post I mentioned that I want to make our house our home. I’ve slowly been accomplishing some of those goals and I love love love the results! 

The biggest project was/is my kitchen. It’s not completely done but all the big things are finished. It desperately needed a make-over so that’s what we did. Unfortunately, I don’t have before/after pics yet but I will post them soon. The cabinets and walls were repainted, new cabinet hardware was installed, pictures were repositioned, new appliances and flooring were installed (!), and curtains were hung! The last little bit on my “to-do list”: buy more art, install crown molding, and buy an island. In “My Life is Colorful,” I mentioned that I’ve been obsessed with roman shades. I have a board on Pinterest dedicated to window treatments and planned to make them myself. I checked out the price of “real” ones and almost fainted at how expensive they are to buy. So, I enlisted my mom’s help and was determined to make my own. I went to a quilt store to get the fabric and found the most fabulous pattern! It’s called Prince Charming. (Side note: I recently fell in love with the show “Once Upon a Time” and when I chose the fabric, I had no idea that’s what it was called!) Here are the 2 websites I used to make the curtains:

365 Days to Simplicity and involving color.com 

And here are the results…

Obviously I took this picture at night so the colors in the fabric aren’t as bright as they look in the daytime. I am so happy with them and they were easy to do.

Not only have I been trying out window treatment ideas from Pinterest, I’ve also been trying recipes. Here they are:

Pumpkin Pie Roasted Almonds

Oven-Baked Chicken Fajitas

Pumpkin Mousse

Zucchini Lasagna 

All were delicious and I will make again!

The last thing to address: workouts. I’ve been back to the gym consistently for the past 2 weeks and it feels so good! I am going to give myself one more week and then I’m going to begin Ryan Hughes’ Blast Training System. 

          

Things have been going well, projects are getting done, and studying has been happening. Remember to make goals for yourself and be fabulous as you accomplish them ;)

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Moving Right Along

September 1st, 2012 2 Comments

This was my last full week at home before school starts again. I managed to make the most of it by giving my kitchen a much-needed facelift. There are a few things left to complete so I’ll save my “before/after” pics for when it’s all done.

This week was certainly more relaxed than last week and even though it was crazy, it was full of good things. The first one was my drag-queen experience  but the best one happened on Wednesday when Jason was in the hospital. Again.

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A Boy in a Dress

August 26th, 2012 No Comments

You are in for a treat with this blog post! I have to admit that this story tops my Vanilla Ice story. For those of you who don’t know it, let me know if you’re interested and perhaps I’ll share ;)

I thought that my last two weeks of summer vacation would be nice and relaxing. Nope! Last week was insane but so much fun! Monday was when I experienced my “better than Vanilla Ice” day and I’m not really sure where to begin. Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start (if you know where those lines are from, you rock)!

As you know, I like Dick Van Dyke and roman shades. What you may not know is that I also like drag queens. A lot. I’m sure you’re wondering how I can go from Vanilla Ice, to DVD, to roman shades, and finally to drag queens. Bear with me; it’ll make sense. My love began when I saw the movie,” Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.” I saw it in the theater with my late best friend (which could explain why I love it so much- it reminds me of her) and since then I’ve seen it countless times. When I saw that RuPaul was coming out with a Drag Queen reality show (RuPaul’s Drag Race), I was beyond excited. I watched the first few seasons (loved them) and then my cable provider discontinued Logo and I was unable to finish this past season. Boo! They re-air the show on VH1 but I haven’t caught up with it yet since they wait several months after it’s on Logo. 

I joined Twitter about 6 months ago and there was one person that started following me where I literally yelped for joy. It was Mimi Imfurst. From season 3. O.M.G. Fast forward to last Saturday. I was scrolling through my feed when I noticed that she tweeted a request for help from anyone in Philly that was available to work on her new music video for that Monday. My heart started beating fast. I wanted to jump at the chance but was nervous because I had no idea what I’d be getting myself into. I asked her a few questions about having previous experience and the details of the work. Since no experience was needed, I decided to go for it. I emailed her my contact info and JC, another band member, contacted me with the details of time, place, and what to wear. Let me back up for a minute and explain the “band” part of this story. Mimi is a part of a 3 girl group called Xelle (pronounced XL and the other two are not drag queens).  They have performed all over the country and are just fabulous! Anyway, I’m not going to lie, as excited as I was to be helping, I was just as nervous. Confession: I’ve never driven into center-city Philly by myself. And I’m the most directionally challenged person ever. Seriously, I get lost using a GPS! But I put on my big-girl pants and knew I’d be fine.

Which I was. I had to be at Woody’s (a gay bar) at 12:30 and I found it without getting lost!

Mimi arrived first and she was shorter and quieter than I thought. She has a larger-than-life personality on TV so I was surprised that she was so reserved. She was also a boy. As in, not in drag. I know she doesn’t walk around in drag all day but that was mostly how I saw her on the show. Anyway, JC, Rony, Michael (an actor), Zach (director/videographer), and the other assistants arrived not long after Mimi. Apparently, they’ve been working on this video since February! This was the last day to shoot and they seemed more than ready to be finished. The filming took place on the upper level of the bar so we brought all the equipment upstairs and immediately began to get the room ready. I helped cover exit signs with trash bags so they couldn’t be seen, removed bar stools/tables, and applied white zombie makeup to Michael. Once they got started filming, I had to hold down one side of the video camera stand because it wasn’t very good and wouldn’t stay in place. They only had to film two scenes but the first one took three hours. We took a short break (25 min) for dinner then got right back to work. The second scene didn’t take as long and I didn’t have to hold the stand so I got to watch. There were also about 2 more drag queens and 5 young gay men dressed as zombies so it was a lot of fun to watch!! When everything was done we broke down the set and returned the room back to normal and I finally left to go home around 10:00pm. I was exhausted, it was a long day, but it seemed to go really fast. Everyone that I met was so nice and it really was a pleasure to help! I didn’t get many pictures because we were all so busy and Mimi was out of her outfit and makeup as soon as the filming was done so I didn’t get a picture with her. :( I did manage to get these two shots of the set:

   

I honestly don’t know what the video is about and even if I did, I can’t say anything because it won’t be released until October. But, click here for a trailer of the video!

It was such a phenomenal day. I loved everything about it. On Tuesday I got a text from JC and she said Zach was raving about what I good job I did. I was so relieved that I was helpful when I never worked as a production assistant before! She also wants me to keep in touch so I can come to the New York premier; I can’t wait!!

A personal goal of mine is to embrace new experiences rather that shy away from them. I feel like for the past few years I’ve been reaching my goal. I think travel has helped with that but that’s for another blog ;) This was definitely a new experience that I am so happy I did! I successfully drove through center city and worked as P.A. for a music video. Now that’s diva!

What kind of new experiences have you embraced?

Have you done something you were nervous about but ended up having a great time?

I hope you get out there and try something new! Don’t forget to stay fabulous while doing it ;) xoxo

 

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My Life is Colorful

August 18th, 2012 No Comments

Since Jason has been home he’s been pretty tired. He went back to work on Monday and after a week and a half of weight loss and lying in a hospital bed, work has been exhausting. Since he has been resting during his time at home, I’ve been busy working on little projects I’ve been wanting to get done. It’s amazing how one project (big or little) turns into 5 more that need to be done!

When we looked at this townhouse for the first time, we thought it was great. We still think it’s great but now that we’ve learned more about available options and now that I’ve watched some a ton of HGTV, I feel like there is a lot that our place is lacking. Prior to living here, Jason was living in a run-down (but character- filled), two-story, and spacious apartment in University City, Philly. I was still living with my parents. So this townhouse was a huge difference from where we were used to living. Our place was only a year old when we bought it and didn’t look like anyone had lived there. After seeing other houses in our neighborhood, I’ve realized that the previous owners only sprung for one option, which was to finish the basement. Don’t get me wrong, that is a wonderful option that I’m glad we don’t have to deal with but there are many things that I wish they had done. For example: installing a fireplace, installing molding, installing recessed lighting, installing a kitchen table, and buying upgraded cabinets. These are all things that we have to do ourselves. Sigh.

I have to say that I’ve enjoyed doing some of these home projects because I feel like I’m making this house our home. On the other hand, it’s gets somewhat frustrating and I feel like the list is never-ending. Not to mention the cost to do these things after the fact. Sigh.

I want to share all my “Before/After” pictures of my home-improvements but it doesn’t quit go with the “Fit Diva” theme of fitness. That got me thinking about my site. While I have loved blogging about fitness and eating healthy, I’ve been having a hard time writing only about those topics. Exercise isn’t the only thing that makes me, well, me.

Lately I’ve found that I’m not into extremes. Well, not extremes but a single focus. I just lose interest. I haven’t been to the gym in about a month. I’m itching to get back because I know I’ve lost muscle and I miss how I feel when I’m there but I’ve also enjoyed being home and changing my routine a bit, minus the whole hospital thing. ;) I certainly don’t want to quit the gym and start eating crap food because that is definitely not a goal of mine. I just want to have a little more balance. I want to share all (or most) of the aspects that make me who I am.

I read a lot of blogs and the ones that hold my attention the most are the ones that focus on many aspect’s of a person’s life. I mostly follow fitness blogs but I have a hard time going back to them daily because I get bored reading them. But one that I especially like is www.adashofmeg.com because she is an avid healthy eater and exercises regularly but that’s not all she writes about! I love that Meg shares her travels, outings with parents and friends, and pictures of new tea. She paints a colorful picture of Meg as a whole person.  I’m bored writing about the same topic and if I”m bored I feel like I can’t express myself in a way that I want and that will come across on the screen. While I have a lot of passion for fitness and living a healthy lifestyle, I am passionate about many other things in my life.

I plan to share my passions and obsessions (like Dick Van Dyke and roman shades) with you and I hope you enjoy learning about me. For those who enjoy my fitness and healthy recipe posts, don’t worry, I will certainly continue those because they are as important to me as Dick Van Dyke and roman shades ;)

Stay fabulous xoxo

 

 

 

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Sick Boy-Part Deaux

August 11th, 2012 No Comments

What a crazy 2 1/2 weeks it has been! Jason was in the hospital for a total of 12 days and my visits to Paoli Hospital alone was 17! I hope you noticed the past tense I used…”was in the hospital.” Yep, Jason came home on Tuesday! Let me update you on what has happened since Saturday.

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Sick Boy

August 4th, 2012 1 Comment

I hope this post makes sense as I’m exhausted and not sure I’ll make any sense! For those of you who follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, you may have noticed that I’ve been checking in at the hospital and many of you have asked how my husband and I are doing. I thought I would share with you what’s been going on this past week.

Jason has been in the hospital for the past 5 days, 6 if you count today. In my last blog I mentioned that on Monday he was scheduled to have a procedure called lithotripsy (sound waves are used to blast a kidney stone) done and everything was supposed to be back to normal. NOT SO MUCH! What was intended to be a non-invasive, out-patient procedure turned into an invasive one where he is still in the hospital and could be there another week. Ugh. 

Monday: We arrive at the hospital at 6AM. Dr. says that they will do an x-ray prior to the procedure to make sure she can see the stone. If not, they can’t blast it and will have to insert a stent. Jason’s not happy. We though the possibility of a stent was nonexistent since they didn’t mention it before that morning. Oh well, he agrees because he’s ready to have the stone gone! I stayed until 7:30 when they took him back to have the x-ray and begin. I get a call from the Dr. right when I get to work (about 20 min later) saying she couldn’t see the stone so they will have put in the stent. Bummer. It’s not painful, just super uncomfortable so I was ok with Jason having to deal with it if it meant the stone would be gone. A couple of hours later I get another call from the Dr. saying that his ureter (tube from kidney to bladder) was so dilated that they had to insert a balloon and stent and because of the bleeding it was  too “risky” to get the stone so it was still in his body. Hmmmm. Risky? Bleeding? Wtf? I couldn’t talk because I was teaching and there were 10 kindergartener’s running around my room. As soon as school was over I went to the hospital. He was in the post-op recovery area when I got there and he wasn’t doing too good. He was incredibly nauseous and they had a hard time getting his pain under control. We were there for several hours and the nurses hoped that he needed some time to just sleep off the anesthesia and he’d feel better. Again, not so much. He continued to vomit and feel sick so after a while the nurse had me talk to the Dr. She said she wanted to admit him for observation since he was still sick. She said 90% of the time the patient just needs an extra night to get the anesthesia out of their system. I felt better having him stay since he was feeling so crappy and was in pain. He got to a room and I stayed as late as I could then went home. 

Tuesday: I went to visit him after work and he wasn’t any better. He said he threw up all night and didn’t get any rest. Wtf. He was still ridiculously nauseous and the meds for it weren’t working. Unfortunately he was in pain too and the pain meds made him more sick so they were trying to find something that wouldn’t make him worse but still ease his pain. Again, I stayed until late that night then went home.

Wednesday: I left work and went straight to the hospital again. I was hoping he was better by the time I got there. Nope. When I walked in I saw that the Dr. had inserted a tube in his nose that went down to his stomach to remove bile. Wtf. Nobody knew why he was still throwing up (which he had been doing every 45 min or so since Mon). They still thought that maybe it was the anesthesia not metabolizing out of his body. Unfortunately I had to leave to teach 2 classes at the gym but I went to see him again afterwards. I left late but planned on going the next day.

                                                                         

 

 

Thursday: My last day of teaching summer reading camp!! As soon as I was done I went to the hospital. Jason was feeling a little better, which I was so grateful for. The vomiting seemed to have stopped, which I was even more grateful for! But, the dr still had no idea why this was all happening. I called my best friend, Liz, who’s a doctor and she gave me some ideas of what could be wrong. I felt so much better after talking with her because I had a better idea of what could be going on. That night they gave Jason a CAT scan with contrast so they could see his organs. Unfortunately, some of the dye had to go down his tube. Apparently, he started throwing it all up so they stopped. I was hoping the CAT scan would be helpful even without the dye. 

Friday: No summer school so I took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. I still got to the hospital by early afternoon. The results from the scan showed that he had Paralytic ileus (his intestines stopped working due to all the narcotics he had been given and possibly from the surgery). That was one of the things my friend mentioned and I felt so relieved they knew what the hell was wrong. It’s a temporary condition, which also made me feel better. 

Saturday: When I went to see him this morning, he was sitting up in a chair!! Holla! He said he had also taken a walk earlier. He wanted to walk again so he did another 5 laps around the hospital floor with me!! He’s feeling better and he’s feeling hungry. He hasn’t eaten food since last Sunday. He is so ready to come home but the Dr. told him he may be there another week. Boo. He said they just cant predict when his intestines will start working again and since he’s there, they might as well take out the kidney stone. Right now I’m just taking it day by day. 

Ripley is keeping his side of the bed warm for when he gets home

I’m so grateful he is getting better. I’m also grateful that school is over so I can spend more time with him. It’s been really hard and tiring to go to work and then go right to the hospital every day. I haven’t been getting enough sleep and not eating enough (I’ve lost 6 lbs). I know I need to take care of myself so I can help Jason, especially when he comes home. It’s very difficult to watch a loved-one go through something so horrible and not be able to do anything to help. This whole thing has been so stressful. 

Lastly, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has visited and asked about him. Your well-wishes and thoughts are most appreciated and not forgotten!

I’ll be posting more updates when I can. Fingers crossed that things continue to move in a positive direction!

Stay fabulous!!! xoxox

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Zombie Me

July 29th, 2012 No Comments

 

Oh man, where do I begin? This past week has been crazy and this coming week will be the same. I just need to remember to breath and take it day by day. 

As I said in my last blog, I started a new training system. I made it through 2 days instead of the 5 I planned to do. *Sigh* Such is life. The workouts were awesome and really kicked my butt and I am excited to get back to them. I used a band for the first time to do assisted pull-ups. I’m trying to stay away from the machine and use the band instead. It was great and I will continue to use it until I don’t need it anymore ;)

I needed a LOT of recovery time because I was more sore than I had been in a very long time. It was so good! One reason I was so sore was because I did 50 deadlifts with just a bar. The bar was enough, let me tell you!

Unfortunately, soreness was not the reason for only working out for 2 days.

My husband was in the hospital again. In my last blog I also mentioned that a kidney stone was kicking his butt. Well, it wasn’t done and came back with a vengeance on Wednesday. I was teaching my Wednesday night kickboxing class when he texted me that his side was hurting again. Uh oh. I know what follows and it’s not pretty. He said he took a pain pill and was hoping that would help. I didn’t hear from him for the hour I was teaching so I figured he was in the clear and the medicine worked. Not so much. As soon as I got home we left for the ER (for the 3rd time in a week and a half). Like I said, what follows isn’t pretty so I’ll spare you the gory details. Let’s just say that someone who is suffering from kidney stone pain is truly suffering! I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Apparently Wednesday night was a popular night for emergencies because there weren’t any beds. We waited an hour and a half-2 hours when he was finally taken back for an available bed. During that wait time he was pacing up and down the hallway because he couldn’t sit down since the pain was so bad. I paced with him so at least we got some low-intensity cardio done :P It seemed like the nurses were taking their sweet old-time with getting him medication. It could have just seemed like that because I was so desperate for him to feel better. He FINALLY got anti-barf and pain meds and they both worked quickly, thank goodness! We had the fun of hanging out there for another couple of hours because it was decided that he was going to be admitted. His stone was a stubborn little b!tch and wasn’t moving out of his kidney, which was why he was in tremendous pain every couple of days. He was brought to his room around 1:30 AM and I didn’t leave until 2 AM. 

Side note: I watch a lot of ghost hunting shows. I love them. I’m totally a believer. I’ll see investigators hunt ghosts in abandoned hospitals and it seems creepy, but not that creepy. I always think that I could do that. I quickly changed my tune walking out of a working hospital at 2AM. I am much more of a scaredy cat that I thought hahaha. 

I got up the next morning around 5:30 for work and felt like a zombie. In case you don’t follow me on Instagram, here is what I felt like…

Anyway, I got a text first thing that morning from Jason saying that the doctor wanted to surgically insert a stent so there would be more room for the stone to pass through. He left out some more gory details that I will spare you as well. He was not happy and I don’t blame him. So, I went to the hospital right after work so I could be there when he went in for the operation. Well, we waited and waited and waited. All the operating rooms were full. There was a surgeon from noon-5pm waiting for Jason but no room to do the procedure. So it was pushed back until the next morning. Possibly. He got a call from Doc and he said he might be able to do a different procedure where they’ll just laser the stone into a bunch of pieces. Hell yeah! Lasers! But he wasn’t certain. I planned to hang out with him for a while that night but a big storm came in and I had to go. I hated to leave because he was so pitiful…

Permission was granted from J

but didn’t want to get stuck in the storm. The sky was scary…I thought “The Nothing” was coming…

 But I got home and had a much-needed good night’s sleep. I was up early the next day to head back to the hospital but J said that he was going to get the laser procedure done and he was discharged so I was able to pick him up and get home by late morning. I literally spent that whole afternoon sleeping. I really needed it and it felt so good! 

Fast forward to today and we missed another trip to the ER twice. The pain meds were able to stabilize him enough to stay home. Tomorrow morning he’s scheduled for the laser procedure and things should be a hell of a lot better afterwards. Between the ER visits, teaching my classes, training clients, working and taking care of the dogs, I am exhausted. But, this is the last week of teaching summer school so I can relax after Thursday!! 

Kids, stay hydrated!! I was reading up on kidney stones and not drinking enough water can cause them to form. Keep a water bottle with you at work and sip it as often as you can. Trust me, you do not want to go through what Jason did. 

I hope you have a stress-free week! If you know it’s going to be crazy, try to get outside for a walk or hit the gym afterwards or on your lunch break. Since my DOMS is gone, I will be getting to the gym to relieve my tension. So, stay hydrated and fabulous! xoxo

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Set Back vs Failure

July 23rd, 2012 No Comments


 

I did it! I got my a$$ back in the gym! I’m sure you were tired of reading about how I couldn’t get my act together and let me tell you, I was tired of writing about it! Last night I prepped my lunch of baked chicken, farro and snap pea salad. For the past two weeks I went home after work so I could eat lunch and go to the gym. That just wasn’t working for me. I always found something else to get involved in so I wouldn’t have time or energy to make it to the gym. So I decided to change my behavior and bring my lunch to work so I could eat there and then go directly to work out. That worked so much better so I’m going to continue to do that until summer reading camp is over (in two weeks). 

I also started Ryan Hughes’ Blast Training System today! I was on a roll with getting stuff done…BAM! I started with a chest workout called “Bread and Butter.” Yeah, it was an amazing workout. I am very much looking forward to continuing this program! It incorporated strength and endurance with the weights which is something I don’t focus on during the same workout. I love that this is so different from what I normally do and I need the change. 

I don’t like taking mirror pics(esp. at the gym) but notice the super sweaty shirt?!

On top of getting back to the gym and starting a new workout routine, my husband and I repainted our kitchen cabinets over the weekend. It’s a project I’ve been wanting to get to for so long! We have oak cabinets and I was tired of them and really want to change the way my kitchen looks. I painted the walls a few years ago but the color turned out more blue and less green than I was hoping. I’ve lived with it since and I’ve been itching to change that too. So, the plan is to paint the cabinets white, install new hardware, repaint the walls, buy a portable island (I have a severe lack of cabinet and pantry space), and then give it some decorative touches. That’s all. No biggie. Lol. It seemed like I didn’t have many cabinets but as we were painting it seemed like they would never end! It wasn’t a hard project, just tedious and I’m glad that part is done!! I have an idea for wall paint color and the decorative touches but I’m keeping them a secret. I love revealing before and after pics so I’ll save that for you ;)

I really hope my motivation mojo is back but at least I’m off to a good start! I was really frustrated and down on myself that I was having so many setbacks and I really did feel like a failure. The above picture reminded me that I’m not a failure. I just messed up. Everyone goes through setbacks. Life happens and everyone makes mistakes. Just remember that you are not a failure. Your health is too important to give up just because you may not be where you want to. Just acknowledge where you’re at in your life and get back on that horse!

What motivates you? I’d love to hear about it :)

As always, stay fabulous! xoxoxo

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Foodie Friday

July 20th, 2012 No Comments

For those of you who read my last blog about making mistakes, you might be wondering if i got back on track like I said I would. I wish I could report that I did. It wasn’t the case though. Oh well.  I just want to be honest. 

To be fair, I did spend 1 night and 1 afternoon in the ER with my husband who was getting his a$$ kicked by a kidney stone. Well, stones as we found out on the second trip.  For those of you have experienced trips to the ER with a loved one, you know it’s exhausting. 

Today I decided to turn things around. I wasn’t eating horribly but I was definitely not eating as well as I used to and my body could feel it. I know my diet has been part of the reason I’ve felt tired and unmotivated and just gross. So, I ate pretty well today and feel great! I was at the gym yesterday training some clients and I saw the new trainer that was hired. She is in amazing shape and that really helped my mojo! I’m anxious to get back to lifting some iron :)  

Since this is a food blog I should probably write about food stuff ;) I had two requests to share healthier versions of non-healthy food. Like I said, I’m not a chef and haven’t experimented in the kitchen too much but I can follow a recipe so I’ve tried healthier versions of recipes and usually they are pretty good. Here are the two I’m going to share with you. 

1. Pizza. “Nuff said. It’s delicious. I’m sorry to say that pizza sauce does not count as a veggie and the cheese doesn’t count as dairy. Nice try for those of you who try to convince yourself that pizza isn’t that bad. Now, I’m not saying you can NEVER have “real” pizza again. If you eat really clean 90% of the time and exercise regularly, I don’t see anything wrong in having a slice every so often. I did find a recipe for an alternative to the crust, which I tried, and it turned out pretty good. I really didn’t miss the crust. So, here it is…

Instead of store-bought crust or making it myself with flour, I used cauliflower. I found a recipe on Pinterest (where else hahah) and decided to give it a try. Click here for the recipe for Cauliflower Pizza Crust. 

Pros:

  • Tasty
  • Super low-carb
  • It’s a veggie

Cons:

  • Not crunchy like pizza crust
  • Kinda messy to handle

I followed the recipe exactly but used non-fat mozzarella cheese instead of full-fat. I would definitely make it again and try different baking methods to see if I can get it any crisper. If you find a way, let me know!

Source: www.eat-drink-smile.com

2. Chicken and Dumplings. Classic home-cooking. I’m embarrassed to say that the closest to chicken and dumplings I’ve had was in soup form from Wegmans. I don’t know why I’ve never had it. It sounds wonderful, especially on a cold winter night. Minus the dumplings, it doesn’t seem too unhealthy. I would probably make it without cream (just chicken broth and arrowroot to thicken it), lots of veggies, and skinless chicken breasts. I found a recipe that seems pretty decent. It had the least amount of flour than all the other recipes I found for a “healthy” version. This one used 1 cup of whole wheat flour. I might even try to substitute that out for a different kind of flour. There is a hug variety in the grocery stores now. I have garbanzo bean flour that’s good for thickening soups and it’s high in fiber and low in carbs. See what’s out there, read some labels and see what you can come up with! Anyway, click here for the recipe for Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings. 

Source: www.eatingwell.com

I can’t give you a pros and cons list because I have not tried this recipe. My only con would be that it isn’t gluten-free so if you have a sensitivity, this wouldn’t work. But, play around with the different gluten-free flours out there! I’ll try it this fall/winter and see how it turns out :)  

I hope you give these two recipes a try! Let me know what you think As always, stay fabulous! xoxoxo

 

 

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Motivation Monday

July 16th, 2012 No Comments

I loved this phrase when I saw it! It’s so true! I can be am a perfectionist. It’s actually really annoying and I wish I wasn’t. I am trying really hard NOT to be so hard on myself. I can really beat myself up over making a mistake. I know it’s not healthy but it’s who I am and it’s something I’m working on to change. I’m not saying that making goals and doing your best to achieve them is wrong but getting down on yourself because you make a mistake (or 2 or 3) on the way to your achievements IS wrong! I have to remind myself that I’m human and that everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. I’ve been trying to tell myself that mistakes are a way to learn about yourself. Mistakes teach you what works and what doesn’t work. It also tells you that you are TRYING! You are taking action! 

I’m sure you’re wondering what mistakes I’ve made to inspire a whole blog about them. I’m sorry to say that it’s nothing that juicy ;) I’ve just been slightly off the wagon when it comes to eating clean and exercising. There are a number of reasons for my “slacking” but honestly, it’s not worth going into detail. Basically, I’ve been kicking myself  because I feel like there are people who are busier, more tired, more dedicated (etc.) than me that don’t miss a workout or don’t eat the ice cream sandwich on their birthday so I should have my act together. While to some degree it’s true and I could be using my reasons as “excuses”, the point is, it’s not helping me to feel that way. The more I dwell on what I didn’t do, the harder it is to get started again. 

I’ve been trying to find a way to get motivated and get back into my routine and I found it through a new workout routine! It’s called the “Blast Training System” created by IFBB Pro Ryan Hughes. I am really excited to start tomorrow! Ryan incorporated many aspects of lifting into one system. I will take measurements and pictures “before” and “after.” I think I’m going to do it for 10 weeks since Ryan hosted a 10 week challenge. Stay tuned…

Another motivation for me was actually getting to the grocery store and buying some good eats! I kinda get giddy in the fruit department. Really. It’s a little embarrassing. When I got there I noticed they changed the whole produce department around again. I’m beginning to think they do it on purpose so you spend more time wandering around looking for what you need and then stumble across something new to buy. Well, it’s a great strategy because it works. At least for me, but I can be a sucker hahaha. I came across a fruit I’ve never heard of but sounded and looked so yummy. I bought 5. It was called “Black Velvet Apricot.” How could you not buy something with a sexy name like that?! They look just as sexy as they sound…

Along with the sexy fruit, I got some of my usuals…

I can’t leave Wegman’s without buying berries!! Hot tip: get the blueberries that are from Hammonton, NJ. It’s the Blueberry Capital of the World. Seriously. There was a sign on Boardwalk Empire for it. Plus my mom is from Hammonton so she knows ;)  

I also bought a delicious watermelon I used for a salad that I will be blogging about on Friday. :)

So, between my new workout routine and food, I am motivated to get back to the gym! Remember to stay fabulous xoxo

 

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