Damage control

Sadie and Ellie were quieter than usual so we figured something must be up. I entered the room only to find two culprits amidst a floor covered in stuffing and hollow toys. Clearly they had a little too much fun playing tug.

 

Oh so innocent.

Didn't miss a spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This doesn't do it justice.

All that fun took a toll.

 

 

 

Swollen eyes

So I won’t be having breakfast today considering I’m a bloated goat, and that’s okay. I always read about “The Green Monster” on Angela’s blog, Oh She lows. It’s a smoothie made with spinach or Kale and other things. Supposedly it’s the most amazing way to start your day. The thought of spinach or kale in a blender makes me sick but I want to give it a try this week. Has anyone ever tasted kale? To me it seems more like a garnish than something one should eat. What gives?

Tonight is my 10 year high school reunion. Although there are lots of people I want to see, it seemed that many people weren’t planning on going. I missed the deadline to actually get my money in so I won’t be attending. I’ll probably regret this decision later but for today when I’m bloated and full, I’m fine with it.

Heffer-ville.

 

x2

Dessert came so I made myself a plate with a piece of chocolate cake, pecan pie, and more jello salad. Holy hell did I have a lot of jello mold. I ate the plate pictured below but then helped myself to another serving of pecan pie. Hours passed when I decided to make another dish of sides that included: my hodgepodge salad, green bean casserole. MORE  jello and a roll. Whoa cowboy, reign this fat stallion in.

I definitely am full and tired. We just watched Dan in Real Life and now it’s time to roll myself to bed. I feel like a big fat jelly stick.

Goodnight and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Stuffed but feeling good.

Thank god I went for a 4.5 mile walk/jog because I ate my face off. With that said, I’ve had worse days for sure. We all just stuffed our faces and boy was it good. Since I haven’t posted any meals I’ll start with breakfast:

 

Oat bran with Justin's maple peanut butter and pom seeds.

Then came appetizers: spinach dip in a bread bowl (didn’t have any) and shrimp (I ate five of them.) Every year they have a pickle, olive and beet platter which is my FAVE! Yum. I ate three napkins of various things.

 

Then came the main course! I made a last-minute change to the quinoa and only added about half cup to the dish. The veggies, chick peas and craisins stole the show; surprisingly it was a hit. Nice. I piled my plate high and tried everything that I wanted. I only had about 2 tablespoons of the really fattening items but somehow my plate was super high.

I had squash, diabetic sweet potatoes, green bean casserole. cranberry sauce, my dish, green salad topped with pom seeds (see, I can’t let em go,) asparagus, and a big roll that’s not pictured. I filled it with jello mold and called it a jelly doughnut. Twas’ good.

After I licked the plate clean, I went back for some jello mold. There were 2 varieties so I ate them both.  I usually think gelatin is gross but these molds had enough other ingredients to mask it.

 

Not a great pic but here's the jello mold piles.

 

 

Here are some random pics of my family and Len’s family.

 

My babies

Nan chillin in the recliner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom with Len's ma in the background.

 

Len's sister Amy with her hubby Tim (in his hunting attire.)

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving blogettes (I’m pretty sure not many dudes read this so pardon the one sided gender reference)

Good morning! I’m out of bed with the hope of fitting in a short run or walk. I was up late because Len’s mom and my mom suddenly turned into teenagers and  chatted away till the crack of dawn.

On Thanksgiving, why is it that we must take a perfectly delicious sweet potato and turn it into a bowl of diabetes. WHY???? I know there will be about 4 different forms of potatoes here, none of which in their natural state. I’m confident that my dish is going to bomb. I picked up the final ingredients last night: Red quinoa (should have gone with couscous since it’s a little safer), can chick peas, dried cranberries, reduced fat feta, mushrooms, onions and peppers. I still don’t know what to use for dressing. I’m thinking just olive oil with salt and pepper, oil and balsamic vinegar, or just balsamic. Anyone have any ideas–it’s crunch time and I’m still clueless. Len told me that only he and I would be eating it. (Keep in mind there will be about 25 people here) but he hates feta so that just leaves me. Too bad so sad.

Erin sent me a link to what looks like a good workshop by a Dr.Christiane Northrup. She wrote the book,  Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. It’s a live public taping in Portsmouth NH. Here the link:

http://www.themusichall.org/calendar/Event_Detail.asp?EventID=884

Here’s the recap that I just cut and paste  ”Dr. Christiane Northrup’s vision of mind-body wellness has received an extraordinary response from women all over the world. Her groundbreaking classic, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, newly updated to be released in 2010, powerfully demonstrates that when women change the basic conditions of their lives, they heal their health problems faster, more completely, and with far fewer medical interventions.”

I’ll be posting throughout the day. Have a great holiday with friends and family. xo

2 slices please.

I had two big slices of mushroom pizza tonight for dinner. Not the most balanced day but I’m okay with it. We’re having a great time here in Vermont. The boys went to hunting camp for the night. I’m definitely not a fan of hunting but Lens family loves it. With that said, it’s an environmentally friendly way to eat meat in some ways. They put every part of the deer to good use; eating all the meat and making gloves,etc from the skin. I think it’s terrible when people bait deer or put a salt lick out because that’s just not fair. If you’re going to kill a deer, you better work for it. Len goes along for the ride but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t shoot anything if he ever got the chance. (At least that’s what I tell myself.)

 

Dead beat blogger

I forgot to take pictures of my breakfast sandwich and my subway lunch. The sandwich was the same as yesterdays lunch and the sub was a 6 inch veggie delight with honey mustard. So sorry! Anyways, we are Len’s parents house and the most stressful part is my dog and their dog constantly rough housing. Since they are both under 1.5 years they don’t know when to call it quits. Ellie is such a diva so she’s being territorial of Sadie’s toys. Bitch! (No pun intended.)

Hopefully by now you all will be getting out of work for the holiday weekend. I’ve already spotted cinnamon buns on the counter top. Shizzz.  I promise I’ll picture tonight’s dinner; sorry about being a slacker.

Helpful reminders for the holiday

I caught up on the November issue of Self magazine at the gym yesterday and I’m so glad I did. There’s a great article, “Relax and Dig In” that really hit home. It spoke of the many mindsets I have going into the holiday season:” I’m doomed to gain weight, I overeat at parties, I’ll eat leftovers for days, I can’t say no to Aunt Trudy, and I’ve got to indulge now.”

I am VERY familiar with all these beliefs. “I’m doomed to gain weight”— Unfortunately I do gain weight every holiday season but this year can be different. Self-magazine reports that this thought sets us up for failure. “If you convince yourself you are going to pack on the pounds, you’ll give up and binge or stress eat.” So true. Why fight it if it’s bound to happen anyway, right? Wrong. We are advised to make a simple rule to follow- such as adding time to our exercise routine or picking one treat. For me, picking one treat may not be feasible since I’m a dessert junkie. I can however, make it a point to sneak in a workout before the indulging begins. This will help set the stage for a relatively healthy day.

“I’ll eat leftovers for days.” I am legitimately freaked out by this idea. Self-magazine says, keep enough food to make one healthy meals and give away the rest. Since I will be a guest, I cannot exactly give away the food but I can opt for the healthier leftovers. I have a feeling that my healthy dishes will be the last to go, which means I’ll have guilt free leftovers to rely on.

“I can’t say no to Aunt Trudy.” Let’s face it; we all have food pushers in the family. Hell, maybe you’re the one’s pushing the pies and stuffing. Judith Beck, of Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy says to stick to your guns and soon enough the pusher will move on. Personally, I push enough food on myself to worry about others doing it. I have no qualms saying no.

“I’ve got to indulge now.” Well isn’t this the story of my life. How many people make a resolution to eat healthy starting January first? Have you seen the lines at Weight Watchers in January? I do this Every. Single. Year. Choosing intuitive eating has eliminated the belief that a diet starts tomorrow. “Aim for balance now and look forward to 2010 as a fresh start and the beginning of a peaceful time when you can map out healthful meals.” Setting a diet date in the future allows for binging in the now. This mindset has failed me time and time again.

At the end of the day, WE make our own choices and are accountable for ourselves. I am making the choice to not feel bloated and ashamed tomorrow. I want to be healthy today.

Wild, wild West

My mom told me that over the past couple of nights she has heard coyotes. This had made me very paranoid to let the dogs out. I would crap my pants if there were coyotes lurking around my little lady. I just got back from my run and I swear rabid coyotes were hiding behind every tree. Then there were black vultures in the trees. Where the hell am I?

For breakfast I had some pom seeds. I ate about 1/4 of the container below. I’m already getting sick of them though so I should cool it on the seeds. I tend to get a little carried away when I find things I like. My moms been making me put place mats down whenever I take a picture so that’s why they’ve been prettier lately. Before we hit the road (to VT) I will probably make something else–maybe a hummus and cheese sandwich again. Weird breakfast but it’s what I’m in the mood for. I am also hoping to make a pit stop at Subway at some point. That place is my heaven. I am also posting last nights dessert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so excited for my family to meet Len’s today but I’m also a little nervous. Three days together is a long time so let’s hope everyone meshes. Safe travels today and Happy Almost Thanksgiving.

 

Last picture montage

It feels like a Saturday to me even though it’s only Tuesday. Now that’s awesome. Tomorrow morning we are heading to VT but I hope to fit in a quick run before hand. Even the shortest amount of exercise can boost my mood for the whole day. I am currently eating the cutest dessert, made by Mama Perrone. She scooped out some pineapple Yoplait and cool whip into a small graham cracker crumb pie crust. It’s petite, low cal and amazingly tasty. This could become a staple in my house.

Roasted edamame, 2 poms and a 120 calorie fig bar.

Pre-dinner dark chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner was spaghetti squash and broccoli with olive oil and parm, a boca burger topped with honey mustard and relish.

My mom bought me my very first casserole dish! Sad but true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both my grandma and mother are single and ready for the taking. Check out how hot they are then send me pictures of any hot available men who are looking for a special lady. No married men or scum bags.

 

88 and ready to rumble.

Roar--Cougar in the house.