Sometimes, you just gotta treat yo' self. Heck, I did today when I made some yummy banana bread. That's the nice thing about changing up your lifestyle, and not going on a diet. I feel as though on diets, the individual is saddened when treating themselves. What some people tend to forget is everything is okay in moderation. Let me repeat that last word one more time you: MODERATION.
Key word, ladies and gents. You go out and make those healthy snacks. Heck, if you want, treat yourself to a nice bowl of ice cream. But don't, just don't go crying to other people when you do that every night and then wonder why you're "diet" isn't working. Don't go all hulk on a bag of Doritos and a huge bottle of soda and then stay up at night wondering why your workouts just aren't doing "what they're supposed to do."
They aren't working, because YOU aren't, that's why.
When living a better healthier lifestyle, you'll have to make some "sacrifices." I put that in quotations because they aren't even that big of a deal (at least to me.) Just stop eating crap food.
Let go of the bags of chips, the multiple sodas a day, and the processed foods that slowly eat away at your health. And pick up some fruits and vegetables. You only have one body and one life. And that body needs to last you for a looong time. Why live life slugish and not being able to do certain things? Don't you want to reach goals and be proud? Or be able to brag that "Oh my gosh, I just finished this challenge" or "ran that 5k"? Or something as small as "I walked up a flight of stairs without getting winded"?
Little goals are better than no goals. I have a few I'll share with you.
One: Lose a bunch of weight. Seriously not even kidding. I want Jason to be able to lift me up without me feeling so self conscious that I'm going to "break him."
Two: Jog 2 miles without almost dying because im so out of breath.
Three: Just generally be stronger. I'm not a weakling, but I'd love to be able to lift more.
See, not too hard. Maybe yours are a little bit more or less than mine. But once you reach them, tell everyone! It's great you reached a goal. It's an amazing feeling. Ever since changing my diet and exercise routine, I feel amazing and have a bunch of energy I'm up all the time cleaning, playing, or cooking meals. My routine is very easy.
I wake up.
Spend the morning with Jason and Kara while Jason gets ready for work, I then kiss him goodbye for work.
I get Kara breakfast.
While she eats, I do my morning workout. Lasts about an hour.
I get a shower and eat breakfast.
I clean something (usually do laundry, pick up the house, sweep, and mop.)
Then lunch.
Then some play time and Kara takes a nap.
While she naps, I pre prep dinner, and clean the kitchen (maybe try out a new recipe.)
She wakes up, and we watch a movie together.
Then I prepare dinner and Jason comes home.
We relax and eat.
Then from there it varies.
But see how I'm up quite a bit. Being a stay-at-home mom is awesome. It also keeps me going and up most of the day. Hence why I do yoga at night to kinda de-stress. Lol.
But guys, just try to be healthier overall. When you put crappy food into your body, you feel like crap. When you treat your body to the best it can be, you feel amazing. I remember when Jason and I ate very unhealthy and I was always sick. Got barely any sleep, box foods, delivery all the time, etc. And now while eating better and being very active, I feel amazing. And Jason feels a change in himself too. It's just so amazing how well I'm treating my body, and how well I feel. If you treat your body with respect, your body will remember to return the favor.
So keep up the good work! Don't give up. Reach for your goals. Make some and put them on your fridge to see everyday. Changes won't happen overnight. But it's an amazing journey.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Project number 2&3: Almond milk and Almond butter!
So since I forgot to post yesterday, I decided to talk about the two projects today. First is Almond milk!
Dairy-free, delicious, and easy to make. Who could go wrong? My husband uses it for his protein shakes, and I love making my smoothies with it. Along with having a small glass with my meal. My daughter seems to like the vanilla kind more than plain.
So step one: Soak the almonds. 1 cup of almonds, and enough water to cover it and a bit more on top. Should look a bit like this:
Change the water every 8 hours. And soak for 12. I soaked mine for 24 because I'm a rebel (and it's okay to soak for that long too!)
Time to break out that food processor. Depending on how big yours is, you can add all the almonds and 5 cups of water. However, mine is kinda small, so I had to do 4 separate batches. Which mine consisted of one cup almonds, and one cup-one and a half cups water. I learned the hard way to never add more water than your processor can handle when all 4 cups of water soaked my kitchen counters /:
After you process it for a minute or two, get a medium sized bowl, and your nut milk bag. And then just strain the milk through the bag.
Bad housewife with messy counters. Now just squeeeeeeeeeze until the very last drop.
Save the pulp! I put mine in a different bowl.
Now, just keep doing that until you're done! (:
Container of milk. Makes about one quart depending on how much water you use. Also: the Mason jars weren't here yet so I had to improvise.
All the extra pulp. Stored that in an airtight container and put it in the freezer.
Viola! Almond milk, and pulp to make almond flour!
Onto Almond butter! All you need is almonds, food processor, and about 20 minutes. No pain, no gain. Start with about 3 cups of almonds and put it on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
When they're out of the oven and cooled a bit, put them in your food processor.
And just whirl those suckers around! These almonds have no chance. They WILL turn into almond butter!
After a little bit, it'll look like this:
But don't stop.
You'll have to scrape the sides multiple times.
Have faith, friends. It won't happen as quickly as you want. It'll take lots of time, and lots of scraping the sides to make sure it's mixed enough.
And before you know it, you'll have creamy almond butter!
I got big Mason jars for the milk, so I just put the almond butter in them. These are about 32 oz jars. You could probably put the almond butter in a 16 oz jar.
Yay! So much yumminess! The milk will last about a week in the fridge. Although, mine barely lasted 4 days before it was all gone (: And the almond butter should last about 2 weeks.
Thinking I might make some jam next! Hope you like the post today, and I hope to see you soon.
Dairy-free, delicious, and easy to make. Who could go wrong? My husband uses it for his protein shakes, and I love making my smoothies with it. Along with having a small glass with my meal. My daughter seems to like the vanilla kind more than plain.
So step one: Soak the almonds. 1 cup of almonds, and enough water to cover it and a bit more on top. Should look a bit like this:
Change the water every 8 hours. And soak for 12. I soaked mine for 24 because I'm a rebel (and it's okay to soak for that long too!)
Time to break out that food processor. Depending on how big yours is, you can add all the almonds and 5 cups of water. However, mine is kinda small, so I had to do 4 separate batches. Which mine consisted of one cup almonds, and one cup-one and a half cups water. I learned the hard way to never add more water than your processor can handle when all 4 cups of water soaked my kitchen counters /:
Bad housewife with messy counters. Now just squeeeeeeeeeze until the very last drop.
Save the pulp! I put mine in a different bowl.
Container of milk. Makes about one quart depending on how much water you use. Also: the Mason jars weren't here yet so I had to improvise.
Viola! Almond milk, and pulp to make almond flour!
Onto Almond butter! All you need is almonds, food processor, and about 20 minutes. No pain, no gain. Start with about 3 cups of almonds and put it on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
When they're out of the oven and cooled a bit, put them in your food processor.
And just whirl those suckers around! These almonds have no chance. They WILL turn into almond butter!
After a little bit, it'll look like this:
But don't stop.
You'll have to scrape the sides multiple times.
Have faith, friends. It won't happen as quickly as you want. It'll take lots of time, and lots of scraping the sides to make sure it's mixed enough.
And before you know it, you'll have creamy almond butter!
I got big Mason jars for the milk, so I just put the almond butter in them. These are about 32 oz jars. You could probably put the almond butter in a 16 oz jar.
Thinking I might make some jam next! Hope you like the post today, and I hope to see you soon.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Project number 1: Kara's birthday tutu!
For the longest time I've been wanting to put my awesome talents to work. I decided to make my daughter her birthday outfit. It's going to be a green tutu, with a brown crochet top, and some awesome colorful flowers too! (: Her birthday theme is Luau, mainly with a secondary theme of Lilo and Stitch since she loves the movie.
I gathered all my material which was: elastic, lots and lots of tulle since I wanted a long full skirt, glue gun, measuring tape, scissors, and a bit of free time.
Her stomach area measured about 19 inches, so I cut the elastic at 17.
Please don't mind the stamp marks on the kitchen counter. Completely forgot to remove them before I did this. It's a long story as to how they got there. Lol.
So after that, you just glue the ends together like so:
And yes, I know I'm in serious need of a manicure. Maybe once payday rolls around I'll ask the hubs if I can have a "girls day."
Anyway, back to business. So after that, when working with the elastic, you'll want to stretch it out. So try putting it on the back of a chair. I used one of Kara's.
Yup. I'm a lazy momma wearing sweatpants. Just got done doing Zumba, I honestly didn't even want to move. Don't judge me.
After that, you'll want to measure how long you want the tutu. I went with 12 inches. No matter how long you want it, you'll want to double up the tulle. Like I want 12 inches, so I'll cut the tulle at 24 inches. I'm pretty terrible at describing things, but you just fold the tulle then put it through the whole. I hope these pictures help!
Then do that over, and over, and over again. And soon,you'll have this:
Remember to keep stretching the elastic.
And just keep going until all the elastic is covered! Here's my beautiful model, well, modeling!
I needed to make a few adjustments, as the elastic was a bit too big!
Needless to say, she absolutely loves it! She kept patting the tulle and laughing. I can't wait to finish it. It's still crazy that she'll be 2 here in about one and a half months! <3
Stay tuned for my next project: Almond milk! Hope you enjoyed this post, and let me know what you think! It's fun, cheap, and easy!
I gathered all my material which was: elastic, lots and lots of tulle since I wanted a long full skirt, glue gun, measuring tape, scissors, and a bit of free time.
Her stomach area measured about 19 inches, so I cut the elastic at 17.
So after that, you just glue the ends together like so:
Anyway, back to business. So after that, when working with the elastic, you'll want to stretch it out. So try putting it on the back of a chair. I used one of Kara's.
After that, you'll want to measure how long you want the tutu. I went with 12 inches. No matter how long you want it, you'll want to double up the tulle. Like I want 12 inches, so I'll cut the tulle at 24 inches. I'm pretty terrible at describing things, but you just fold the tulle then put it through the whole. I hope these pictures help!
Remember to keep stretching the elastic.
And just keep going until all the elastic is covered! Here's my beautiful model, well, modeling!
I needed to make a few adjustments, as the elastic was a bit too big!
Needless to say, she absolutely loves it! She kept patting the tulle and laughing. I can't wait to finish it. It's still crazy that she'll be 2 here in about one and a half months! <3
Stay tuned for my next project: Almond milk! Hope you enjoyed this post, and let me know what you think! It's fun, cheap, and easy!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Sports!
Sports, who doesn't like 'em? I know my family does. We like to keep up with football and hockey. And my husband is a jack of all trades when it comes to playing. I swear, he can learn any sport within a matter of seconds. He plays all sorts of sports. I actually have a funny story I'll share with you.
So, while we lived in Monterey, California, I was pregnant. I can't remember exactly when the softball season had started up, but you could definitely tell I was. A few months into it, and I was 9 months pregnant. I had been having contractions a bit early on in the day, and I knew Jason had a softball game that night. He came home for lunch and asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. Seeing as how they weren't close together, I said no. He then came home after work and asked if I wanted to go then. I, again, said no even though I knew they were getting closer and closer. So we went to his softball game! Haha. I was walking around trying to fight the contractions and make it through the game. I was by the bleachers trying to stretch. Thankfully, the time seemed to go by fast. So after the game, we went home, got things together, and went to the hospital. I had my daughter the next morning.
As you can tell, we have our priorities in check. Lol.
Sports can really get your blood flowing. I remember being in cheer leading (my favorite year of high school, might I add!) and I was a base, one of the ladies who held up the flying girl. And wow, that could really wear on you. Lifting someone is no easy task. But the best part is that, I was relatively in shape back then. Pretty much every day after school before and during the season, we were exercising. Trying new lifts, dancing, cheering, stretching, etc.
You can exercise without even thinking about it. I know when I play sports, I can easily break a sweat. One of my favorites is volleyball. Swimming is also an awesome heart pumper, if done right. Water aerobics, anyone?
Even kicking a ball around in the backyard can be fun, AND get your heart rate up. Especially if you have an over excited dog and toddler. Haha. I think everyone should have a special sport they try to work on. I know I need to get back into volleyball. Or try out soccer. Anything that gets you out in the nice weather and is fun. Not to mention, playing sports can higher your self-esteem. Set a goal, possibly even an easy one, and when you achieve it, you'll feel awesome! And you'll know that if you can achieve that, you can achieve any (:
So go get out and play! Pick up a ball, or a bat, or anything. There's tons of sports to play, there has to be one that sparks an interest. If not, try to do anything active today. I (tried to) did the HIIT exercise today. It kicked my butt. But it got me moving. Now I'm going to go clean the kitchen and clean since it looks like a mess and I may get more boxes today, hopefully full of almonds.
So what sport are you into? Let me know! Tomorrow, I'll hopefully have all the things to make almond milk. If so, look forward to pictures, and an overview! (:
So, while we lived in Monterey, California, I was pregnant. I can't remember exactly when the softball season had started up, but you could definitely tell I was. A few months into it, and I was 9 months pregnant. I had been having contractions a bit early on in the day, and I knew Jason had a softball game that night. He came home for lunch and asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. Seeing as how they weren't close together, I said no. He then came home after work and asked if I wanted to go then. I, again, said no even though I knew they were getting closer and closer. So we went to his softball game! Haha. I was walking around trying to fight the contractions and make it through the game. I was by the bleachers trying to stretch. Thankfully, the time seemed to go by fast. So after the game, we went home, got things together, and went to the hospital. I had my daughter the next morning.
As you can tell, we have our priorities in check. Lol.
Sports can really get your blood flowing. I remember being in cheer leading (my favorite year of high school, might I add!) and I was a base, one of the ladies who held up the flying girl. And wow, that could really wear on you. Lifting someone is no easy task. But the best part is that, I was relatively in shape back then. Pretty much every day after school before and during the season, we were exercising. Trying new lifts, dancing, cheering, stretching, etc.
You can exercise without even thinking about it. I know when I play sports, I can easily break a sweat. One of my favorites is volleyball. Swimming is also an awesome heart pumper, if done right. Water aerobics, anyone?
Even kicking a ball around in the backyard can be fun, AND get your heart rate up. Especially if you have an over excited dog and toddler. Haha. I think everyone should have a special sport they try to work on. I know I need to get back into volleyball. Or try out soccer. Anything that gets you out in the nice weather and is fun. Not to mention, playing sports can higher your self-esteem. Set a goal, possibly even an easy one, and when you achieve it, you'll feel awesome! And you'll know that if you can achieve that, you can achieve any (:
So go get out and play! Pick up a ball, or a bat, or anything. There's tons of sports to play, there has to be one that sparks an interest. If not, try to do anything active today. I (tried to) did the HIIT exercise today. It kicked my butt. But it got me moving. Now I'm going to go clean the kitchen and clean since it looks like a mess and I may get more boxes today, hopefully full of almonds.
So what sport are you into? Let me know! Tomorrow, I'll hopefully have all the things to make almond milk. If so, look forward to pictures, and an overview! (:
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Some future plans.
I just got my food processor today, along with my nut milk bag, and food storage containers. And I'm way more excited than I probably should be. Now, I'm just waiting on the mason jars and almonds. I really hope the Almond Milk turns out as well as I know it will! I have found an awesome recipe to make a very creamy milk. And with the almond pulp, I can make almond flour! No more regular flour for us (:
All you need for Almond Milk is almonds (about a cup) and water (about 5 cups). You need to soak the almonds for at least 8 hours in 1-2 cups of water, I plan to soak mine for 12-14. Then you dump that water when it's done being soaked. Put the almonds in the food processor with 5 cups of water, and pulse it until all the almonds are broken down. Over a medium sized bowl, strain the milk through the nut bag. And you'll want to squeeze, squeeze, squeeze the bag to get all the milk out. Put that in an air tight container and it should last about one week, though, it probably won't last that long (:
With the pulp, you can freeze it and wait to make another batch to add to it, OR you can stick it in the oven at the lowest your oven will go. Keep it in for a few hours (check every hour or half hour), and when it's done let it cool, and then stick it in the food processor. Grind it all up, and viola, you have homemade almond flour!
And with that you can make bread, crackers, nut butter, and pretty much anything you would use regular flour for. Not to mention, it's very good for you. Almonds lower "bad" cholesterol, reduce heart attack risk, and many other things. See benefits: here and here and here.
I bought mine in bulk. I bought 4 pounds of whole, raw almonds. I also got about 6 pounds of whole flax seeds. And this house constantly has rolled oats, and steel cut oats.
There's so many things to do with flax seeds. I plan to make my husband energy bars that he can take to work and the gym with him. I'm sure he'd also like them before/after hockey. I found a great recipe with raisins, flax seeds, oatmeal, coconut oil, and a few other add ins.
And again, with these, you can make a very VERY big variety of things.
Just imagine more more having to buy bread, nut butter, flour, etc.
Benefits of flax seeds? Here. Got a man in your life? Read this and see the benefits are good for him too. Also some can apply to you. Here are some more.
Oh, and I have enough strawberries to make some jam! Yum yum yum! I cant wait to be eating homemade nut butter and jam sandwiches.
I'm super excited for the things I'll be making. Hopefully on Thursday I'll be getting the rest of the necessities and that night I'll be soaking the almonds to make Almond Milk on Friday!
Remember to keep checking in as I have new ideas, test out recipes, and let me know what you think! The husband is happy for obvious reasons, he likes homemade things. Also, it'll keep me even more busy during the day! I really can't wait. Come back tomorrow and I'll be talking about some awesome sports, and the reason we should all be in one, or at least exercising like we're in one! (:
All you need for Almond Milk is almonds (about a cup) and water (about 5 cups). You need to soak the almonds for at least 8 hours in 1-2 cups of water, I plan to soak mine for 12-14. Then you dump that water when it's done being soaked. Put the almonds in the food processor with 5 cups of water, and pulse it until all the almonds are broken down. Over a medium sized bowl, strain the milk through the nut bag. And you'll want to squeeze, squeeze, squeeze the bag to get all the milk out. Put that in an air tight container and it should last about one week, though, it probably won't last that long (:
With the pulp, you can freeze it and wait to make another batch to add to it, OR you can stick it in the oven at the lowest your oven will go. Keep it in for a few hours (check every hour or half hour), and when it's done let it cool, and then stick it in the food processor. Grind it all up, and viola, you have homemade almond flour!
And with that you can make bread, crackers, nut butter, and pretty much anything you would use regular flour for. Not to mention, it's very good for you. Almonds lower "bad" cholesterol, reduce heart attack risk, and many other things. See benefits: here and here and here.
I bought mine in bulk. I bought 4 pounds of whole, raw almonds. I also got about 6 pounds of whole flax seeds. And this house constantly has rolled oats, and steel cut oats.
There's so many things to do with flax seeds. I plan to make my husband energy bars that he can take to work and the gym with him. I'm sure he'd also like them before/after hockey. I found a great recipe with raisins, flax seeds, oatmeal, coconut oil, and a few other add ins.
And again, with these, you can make a very VERY big variety of things.
Just imagine more more having to buy bread, nut butter, flour, etc.
Benefits of flax seeds? Here. Got a man in your life? Read this and see the benefits are good for him too. Also some can apply to you. Here are some more.
Oh, and I have enough strawberries to make some jam! Yum yum yum! I cant wait to be eating homemade nut butter and jam sandwiches.
I'm super excited for the things I'll be making. Hopefully on Thursday I'll be getting the rest of the necessities and that night I'll be soaking the almonds to make Almond Milk on Friday!
Remember to keep checking in as I have new ideas, test out recipes, and let me know what you think! The husband is happy for obvious reasons, he likes homemade things. Also, it'll keep me even more busy during the day! I really can't wait. Come back tomorrow and I'll be talking about some awesome sports, and the reason we should all be in one, or at least exercising like we're in one! (:
Monday, June 23, 2014
Why talk about health?
This can't be a serious question, really. Because why not talk about health? With good nutrition and exercise, we can live a happy HEALTHY long life.
I just got into a discussion with my husband last night. We were talking about how cutting certain things out of our lives and changing our lifestyle wasn't all that hard. Cutting sugar? Not too bad. We still drink one soda (if that) a day. Oops, but other than that, it's quite easy. Cutting carbs? Not too bad either. I have to admit that I love bread, and pasta, and all that Italian goodness. Working out? I know for a fact that we can spare 10 minutes AT LEAST out of our day to get a good exercise routine in. I usually try to exercise for an hour while my toddler is napping, or being good and not all over me. And I can sometimes even do more.
And I get it. Sometimes money can be tight. But eating healthier isn't all that more expensive. Really, it isn't. Just check this study out. And let's be honest, even if it was a little more expensive, wouldn't you want to fork out a little more knowing that you're putting good things into your body instead of crap? A healthy diet is a colorful one. Let me tell you, those box dinners are FAR from healthy and colorful. I also understand that sometimes it's just easier. And who doesn't like easier? I know I do. That's why you can prep and freeze dinners and meals to use later on if you're in a bit of a time crunch. Prep and freeze instead of breaking out that delivery number or getting out the dreadful box dinner.
More than 1/3rd of Americans are overweight and obese. MORE THAT ONE-THIRD. And they are predicting it will rise even more within the next 20 years. How does that not ring the "Holy crap, we need to fix this" bell?! I'm far from a healthy weight and I know that, and not ashamed to admit it. But you know what, I'm working on it. I'm working on being healthier. And I hope to lose a lot of this weight within the next year. Having a daughter, and living in a country with such a high obesity rate, makes me want to change. I don't want to die prematurely because of my diet/weight. I want my daughter to grow up in a healthy house, with healthy habits.
And guess what. I do love my body. I really do. That's why I'm making a change. I have a bit of extra weight, I always have. But, I want my body to be healthy. I want to be able to run for miles. I want to be able to play lots of sports. I want to be able to be completely comfortable. It's so politically incorrect to say, but NO obese person is healthy. I'm sorry, but no. Sure, you can have good cholestrol, blood pressure, etc. But all that weight is dangerous, especially on all your amazing organs. That weight can, literally, be the death of you. So why not try to fix it? And obesity can cause a lot of problems many don't think weight can affect, such as: Sleep Apnea, Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Read this. And there's a lot more problems it can cause.
You can love and accept your body, and still realize that things need to change.
I hope to make a change. A big one. One that can change my whole life, and outlook on it. And I think a lot of Americans should too. We, as a country, need to eat better and exercise more. If not for ourselves, at least for the future generations who are relying on us to set a good example.
For other good articles read: this and this.
Tune in for the next post and I'll be sharing some of the awesome things I plan to start making (:
I just got into a discussion with my husband last night. We were talking about how cutting certain things out of our lives and changing our lifestyle wasn't all that hard. Cutting sugar? Not too bad. We still drink one soda (if that) a day. Oops, but other than that, it's quite easy. Cutting carbs? Not too bad either. I have to admit that I love bread, and pasta, and all that Italian goodness. Working out? I know for a fact that we can spare 10 minutes AT LEAST out of our day to get a good exercise routine in. I usually try to exercise for an hour while my toddler is napping, or being good and not all over me. And I can sometimes even do more.
And I get it. Sometimes money can be tight. But eating healthier isn't all that more expensive. Really, it isn't. Just check this study out. And let's be honest, even if it was a little more expensive, wouldn't you want to fork out a little more knowing that you're putting good things into your body instead of crap? A healthy diet is a colorful one. Let me tell you, those box dinners are FAR from healthy and colorful. I also understand that sometimes it's just easier. And who doesn't like easier? I know I do. That's why you can prep and freeze dinners and meals to use later on if you're in a bit of a time crunch. Prep and freeze instead of breaking out that delivery number or getting out the dreadful box dinner.
More than 1/3rd of Americans are overweight and obese. MORE THAT ONE-THIRD. And they are predicting it will rise even more within the next 20 years. How does that not ring the "Holy crap, we need to fix this" bell?! I'm far from a healthy weight and I know that, and not ashamed to admit it. But you know what, I'm working on it. I'm working on being healthier. And I hope to lose a lot of this weight within the next year. Having a daughter, and living in a country with such a high obesity rate, makes me want to change. I don't want to die prematurely because of my diet/weight. I want my daughter to grow up in a healthy house, with healthy habits.
And guess what. I do love my body. I really do. That's why I'm making a change. I have a bit of extra weight, I always have. But, I want my body to be healthy. I want to be able to run for miles. I want to be able to play lots of sports. I want to be able to be completely comfortable. It's so politically incorrect to say, but NO obese person is healthy. I'm sorry, but no. Sure, you can have good cholestrol, blood pressure, etc. But all that weight is dangerous, especially on all your amazing organs. That weight can, literally, be the death of you. So why not try to fix it? And obesity can cause a lot of problems many don't think weight can affect, such as: Sleep Apnea, Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Read this. And there's a lot more problems it can cause.
You can love and accept your body, and still realize that things need to change.
I hope to make a change. A big one. One that can change my whole life, and outlook on it. And I think a lot of Americans should too. We, as a country, need to eat better and exercise more. If not for ourselves, at least for the future generations who are relying on us to set a good example.
For other good articles read: this and this.
Tune in for the next post and I'll be sharing some of the awesome things I plan to start making (:
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Baked Flounder fillets and Vegetables!
Now, I've been talking about making foil packets for a long time. So much so, that when I brought up that I was going to make fish and veggies in a packet, my husband said "You really want to do those packets, huh?"
Yes, yes dear I do. It's so easy! And it's your own personal packet all to yourself. Who wouldn't like that?
Now onto the recipe. Remember everyone's taste buds are different, and don't be afraid to switch up the recipe to your own liking! Use as many different vegetables as you like and any seasonings you think would go great with it. Then remember to let me know what you did, because I'd love to try it! I used Flounder because my husband and I don't really like Salmon, so we mainly eat Flounder and Talapia. And baked fish is SO much better than fried. Really, anything is better than fried. Haha. Oh, and I also had some vegetables leftover that I froze for future use (probably tomorrows lunch.)
Ingredients:
3 Flounder fillets (or any other fish fillet)
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small Squash
1 Red Bell Pepper
1-2 big Carrots (mainly because my husband LOVES carrots)
1 Broccoli floret
A few mushrooms
1 handful of Spinach
Dash of Garlic
Aluminum foil (I used 12 inch x 12 inch squares, my aluminum foil is already pre cut)
And little dashes of salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 Degrees
Cut, dash, or slice all the vegetables listed above and add to a small to medium sized bowl.
Add the 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Olive oil, and a dash of garlic, salt, and pepper.
After doing that, get your aluminum foil out, and put one fillet on each square. Then season with 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil (1 tablespoon for all 3 fillets), and a dash of salt and pepper.
Then add the seasoned vegetables to each packet, wrap it up, put on a cooking sheet and wait about 30 minutes for it to finish.
Unwrap that foil of deliciousness and enjoy!
Side note: I made some rice for a side.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Its a very colorful meal that (I hope!) the whole family will love (:
Did you switch up the recipe at all? What did you do? What would you change? Let me know!
So sorry I didn't get any pictures of the process. My phone was dead, and we were out earlier and we are going out again tonight, so I didn't have time to wait for it to charge.
Yes, yes dear I do. It's so easy! And it's your own personal packet all to yourself. Who wouldn't like that?
Now onto the recipe. Remember everyone's taste buds are different, and don't be afraid to switch up the recipe to your own liking! Use as many different vegetables as you like and any seasonings you think would go great with it. Then remember to let me know what you did, because I'd love to try it! I used Flounder because my husband and I don't really like Salmon, so we mainly eat Flounder and Talapia. And baked fish is SO much better than fried. Really, anything is better than fried. Haha. Oh, and I also had some vegetables leftover that I froze for future use (probably tomorrows lunch.)
Ingredients:
3 Flounder fillets (or any other fish fillet)
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small Squash
1 Red Bell Pepper
1-2 big Carrots (mainly because my husband LOVES carrots)
1 Broccoli floret
A few mushrooms
1 handful of Spinach
Dash of Garlic
Aluminum foil (I used 12 inch x 12 inch squares, my aluminum foil is already pre cut)
And little dashes of salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 Degrees
Cut, dash, or slice all the vegetables listed above and add to a small to medium sized bowl.
Add the 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Olive oil, and a dash of garlic, salt, and pepper.
After doing that, get your aluminum foil out, and put one fillet on each square. Then season with 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil (1 tablespoon for all 3 fillets), and a dash of salt and pepper.
Then add the seasoned vegetables to each packet, wrap it up, put on a cooking sheet and wait about 30 minutes for it to finish.
Unwrap that foil of deliciousness and enjoy!
Side note: I made some rice for a side.
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Its a very colorful meal that (I hope!) the whole family will love (:
Did you switch up the recipe at all? What did you do? What would you change? Let me know!
So sorry I didn't get any pictures of the process. My phone was dead, and we were out earlier and we are going out again tonight, so I didn't have time to wait for it to charge.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Here we are again.
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. You may remember my old blog that just happened to fall off the face of the Earth. Mainly because I didn't have a set topic to post on. However, now I do. My new blog is all about: HEALTH.
Yup. You'll be seeing lots of posts about health. You'll see me and my family become healthier people, and eat way WAY better things than we used to. Say "goodbye" to over-doing sugar, crappy health weekends, and tons of soda. And say "hello" to homemade meals and drinks, workouts, and lots and lots of ups and downs. The journey to a healthier life isn't always easy, but I'm here for support and a look into my journey to a better life.
Many milestones will be achieved. Many set backs will be too. But I'm going to stick to this. I'm determined. I'm ready. And I'm on my way. So here's to being a healthy wife, and having a much better life.
(You'll also see posts here and there about my amazing daughter and her milestones as she grows. I'll be sure to post about my happy awesome marriage, and how we are all doing.) I hope to see you soon! <3
Yup. You'll be seeing lots of posts about health. You'll see me and my family become healthier people, and eat way WAY better things than we used to. Say "goodbye" to over-doing sugar, crappy health weekends, and tons of soda. And say "hello" to homemade meals and drinks, workouts, and lots and lots of ups and downs. The journey to a healthier life isn't always easy, but I'm here for support and a look into my journey to a better life.
Many milestones will be achieved. Many set backs will be too. But I'm going to stick to this. I'm determined. I'm ready. And I'm on my way. So here's to being a healthy wife, and having a much better life.
(You'll also see posts here and there about my amazing daughter and her milestones as she grows. I'll be sure to post about my happy awesome marriage, and how we are all doing.) I hope to see you soon! <3
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