I'm Jumping for... my Health

It's here, 2010 has hit the calendars.

Personally, I'm not very big into making "New Yrs Resolutions" because, well, lets face it.. most only last for 3 months tops -OR- We make ourselves promises in diets that turn into excuses eventually and then parish at the sight of a chocolate bar! So what's the point?

I've decided to give it a try with something new, since this tradition is truly made more for a personal goal.

The two dreaded words: Health and Weight loss has never become a concern of mine until now. I recently was going through a few photos of last year and the year before, and saw that my weight had fluctuated visually. Soon to be 25, has everyone saying "your still a youngin" but I'm no longer as physically active. I've never been one of those gals to be all hyped up on their looks or to be in a size 3, but I have always been self-conscious. I'm no supermodel nor do I want to be, but I would like to see myself healthier and more fit. I have seen a difference in my skin, my hair and my emotions when I eat like crap-o-la and feel like crap-o-la! It's hard to justify going to the grocery to buy for two separate grocery lists, (when one person in the house is super picky and limits to a small menu) and your only cooking for two! Cooking for him and cooking for me isn't the problem but spending twice as much at the grocery is. I need to find a solution for this.

His Menu: red meats, chicken, hamburger helper, potatoes, green beans, corn, chips and cheese, pepperoni, lasagna, pasta, pizza, sugar cereals, waffles and kool aid/ Gatorade. (and he gains 0 lbs)

My Menu:(I miss these things) Chicken, fish, turkey, occasional steak, sushi, soy beans, green beans, beats, carrots, celery, broccoli, Romaine and spinach lettuce, raspberry vinaigrette, feta cheese, brown rice, all fruits, nuts, raisins and cranberries. I could go on and on.

Unfortunately, he turns his nose at these things. I need suggestions.

In the meantime, I have been reading up and discovered that Jump Roping is going to be a new fad for me. I'm no Rocky Balboa preparing for my next fight.. but this workout can kick butt! After a couple of days my calves were tight, my legs like jello and I felt like I had ran a mile. I couldn't believe how fast my heart was pounding after 15 min! Curious again, I did some more reading and found that 10 min of jump roping equals a half mile run. Wow! I am happy with this because I do not like to run on freewill. Total cost for happiness = $6

Meet My Motives:

Meet my friend above on the left. I despise her! (in a good way of course) She is the instructor off of my Turbo Jam dvd's. One of the most energetic people I have ever seen! She is lit up with a great personality to work out to, and of course I want my body to look like that at 40 after 2 kids! Then there's my friend above on the right. Kelly Ripa. Hilarious to watch, perceptive and yet on the verge of too skinny. I despise her also!

I posted these two due to their interesting qualities and for the fact that they are getting posted in my closet as well. Super fun people and they are going to keep reminding me of my goal. Work work work but yet don't go over board!

Wish me luck!

Edible Play Dough Cookies

So much fun this was! Chicken Little and I had just enough time before our festivities began to make these colorful treats. Thanks to Make It & Love It's link to this fun recipe.

Note: I used neon food coloring and the colors came out very bright.

http://sitsgirlsrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/09/somewhere-over-rainbow-by-little-momma.html

Play Dough Cookies
3/4 C butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
assorted food coloring (gel or paste works best)
...

1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide dough into Fourths. Tint each with a different food coloring. Wrap in plastic and chill for two hours. (I stuck it in the freezer for 15 minutes because I hate to wait!)

3. Preheat oven to 350. Shape colors into 3/4 inch balls. For each cookie place one pink, one orange, one green, and one blue ball together and roll to make one giant ball. Roll into a 12 inch long snake, and then starting at one end coil roll to make a cookie. Place cookies 2 to 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet to allow for spreading.

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday!

Bought two sweaters from the local consignment shop.. total cost= simply under $5

It's a start. First dress I have ever made and it's for a little birthday girl.

This Old Door.

Unique and Antique.

Purchased this old door from one of my favorite country stores. Suggs Farm

Eaton, OH

A talented carpenter took an old farm door, heavy and imperfect the way it is, and built a shallow bench ledge to the front with a small storage unit underneath. He added some simple details to the design and painted it roughly. I would have to say this is one of my favorite "primitive" pieces in our home. As the seasons change I dress it up with odds and ends and every time I walk by I get the whiff of an old rustic home.

Thanksgiving Leftovers are on their way...

lol! I love this title.

Thanksgiving is 3 weeks away and we all know what that means... Leftovers! Enough for the entire week is what my family sends home and we usually end up tired of it before then... so.. I have a recipe to prevent the "groundhog day" of leftovers. :)

You will need:

Leftover Turkey (shredded into moderate size)

Chicken broth

Chopped Celery

Chopped Carrot

Barley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Throw all into a Stew pot, set to medium heat and let it go until Barley and vegetables are tender.

Momma's Easy Chicken Potpie

Easy to do in a quick amount of time...

2 to 3 chicken breasts fully cooked

your choice of vegetables (use frozen, thawed)

1 to 2 cans cream of chicken

(depending on size of dish)

Bisquick biscuit mix (fix according to package)

In a deep dish, layer chicken, vegetables and cream of chicken, salt and pepper to taste. After preparing the biscuit mix, spread dough over top. I only use half the biscuit dough for smaller dishes.

Preheat to 350*

Bake 15 minutes

Raise temperature to 400*

Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until top is golden and biscuit is done.

Simple and yummy!

The best reward! Girl Scout cookies!

The end of the year is on its way and I have been contemplating a few goals for the new year. Resolutions are resolutions that last for 3 months. I'm trying out a different approach this year.

Who doesn't love to see that table at the grocery store set up with all those boxes of Girl Scout cookies? (um we are all guilty even though we say we aren't going to eat the whole box) So this coming year I have decided to volunteer as a Girl Scout leader. Our chicken lil is seven and has struggled with her interests in extra activities. We have tried cheerleading and came out with a broken arm and anything else is down hill from there.. :) She loves making friends and talking.. so I have decided that we can put these "skills" to great educational use. With her being an only child and mostly hanging out with adults majority of the time gives her little exposure to being a kid and doing kid things. My goal/resolution is to give this back to her. Including all the other little girls for whatever "skills" they may share.