Today is day one.
I have joined Weight Watchers.
I am dead set on not losing the quality of food and life I have been enjoying, but there has to be a healthier way to live.
I lost 60 pounds several years ago on Weight Watchers, but never reached my goal.
I am hopeful.
I am excited.
Wish me luck!!
This past Christmas I decided that I wanted to make all my gifts. It was a grand undertaking, I know, but it felt like the right thing to do.
I had grown to hate Christmas because of all the shopping. There is so much tension, anger and stress involved with the crowds. It’s so messy!
So say hello to my little cat toy friend!!!
These little guys are so simple to make, and almost too cute to give to the cat! Here is what you need:
Sheets of felt in multiple colors
Polyester batting
Yarn
Catnip
Thread
Scissors
Sharpie marker in black
The process is simple. On sturdy paper draw a heart and cut it out. This is the body of the mouse. I made mine about 3-4 inches tall and about 2 inches wide. Choose your color felt and cut out your heart. Cut 3 pieces of yarn into equal lengths and braid. This will be the tail.
Now put the pieces together! Fold the heart in half, sew together adding in the tail. Before you sew it shut, stuff with batting and a pinch of cat nip. Cut out tiny circles in a different color than the body, and sew to the body. Don’t forget to use a sharpie to add the eyes!
And there you have it! A lovely little toy for one of the most important parts of your life!
Meeee-ow!
On Saturday I am meeting my favorite girl for some sushi.
Not just any sushi.
All.You.Can.Eat.Sushi.
They are so in for it.
I can eat A LOT of sushi!
So we’re left with one simple question…
Is it Saturday yet???
During the work week I have my morning routine stream-lined.
Alarm goes off…snooze.
Alarm goes off again…snooze.
Alarm goes off again…curse and get up.
Shower, and make myself look pretty (although most days I simply aim to not scare the neighbors children).
Walk Emma.
Coffee.
Pack lunch.
More coffee.
Breakfast!
My breakfast has been the same since I began working at the hospital. I needed to find a meal that would hold me over for the longest stretch of time. I eat breakfast around 8:30 am, and don’t take my lunch until around 3:30 pm. I needed a breakfast that would keep me energized and full so that I wouldn’t be sitting in the break room at noon stuffing saltines down my throat. That’s when this simple meal came to be:
Kim’s Champion Breakfast
1/4 cup Old Fashion Oats
1/4 cup Light Soy Milk
1/4 cup water
Raisins
Mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
When the oatmeal is finished cooking I add a spoonful (or so) of plain soy yogurt, pumpkin puree and a few chocolate chips. Along with the oatmeal I always like to have fruit of some sort. Usually it’s a citrus fruit. This week oranges happened to be on sale (8 pounds for $5…I have oranges coming out my ears), so oranges it is! And the final piece, which I tend to think is most important, raw almonds. I only have about 10 with my meal, but they are so filling! Dr. Oz isn’t kidding when he says almonds are the key to staying fuller, longer!
So that is it! Nothing fancy. Nothing extravagant.
Simple. Delicious. Filling.
Now it’s time to go scare the neighborhood children…um…I mean, walk Emma!
I love substitutions in recipes.
I love to be able to have the things I like, but in a healthier fashion.
I love that my mother e-mails me every recipe she thinks I’ll like.
I love that this was one of those recipes.
I love chocolate.
I love that the substitutions made were my idea…
Chocolate Pumpkin Surprise
1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
19 oz. Canned Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup Organic Granulated White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 cup Canned 100% Pumpkin
Powdered Sugar for dusting
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan, and set aside. Using a food processor, puree the chickpeas. Add the pumpkin, granulated sugar and baking powder and pulse until blended. The mixture will be a bit dry and flakey, don’t worry!
In a microwave safe dish, microwave the chocolate chips in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Add the chocolate to the chickpea pumpkin mixture and blend until it becomes a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan you set aside earlier, and place it in the oven. Bake the cake for 40 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted into the center of the cake and come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve!
This cake is fudgie, chocolatey and just delicious. I also won’t ruin the moment by mentioning that the chickpeas add a ton of fiber, and the pumpkin a ton of nutrients. The cake is also a gluten-free alternative.
So please, step outside of your comfort-zone and try this cake. Ignore the beans, but enjoy their benefits! Trust me, and maybe I’ll share my brownie recipe with you!
Eat.More.Cake.
I’ve never been one to eat normal meals at normal times. Perfect example was ceviche for breakfast this morning!
Back in March I went home to Pennsylvania to visit family and friends for a week. My friend, Jodi, made her ceviche for me. I had worked once at an oyster bar in Texas so it wasn’t my first experience with having ceviche, but hers made a lasting impression. It was delicious!
Naturally, when I went home for Christmas last month, I wanted more. Sadly we ran short on time, so she sent me home with the knowledge on how to make it myself. I cut a few corners, but it was delicious all the same!
Almost Jodi’s Ceviche
24 oz. White fish of choice (or raw shrimp)
1 Cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, chopped
A bunch of limes (or lime juice if you cheat like I do)
Salt, Pepper, Cilantro and Tabasco to taste
Chips for serving (I used Baked Tostitos with Lime)
First you want to clean the fish (or shrimp), making sure it’s free of bones, skin, shells and tails. Dice it up and put it into a large storage container that has a fitted lid. Jodi told me you could use a food processor to chop it if you’d like. Once all the fish is diced up add the lime juice, enough to completely cover the fish. Put the lid on the container and set it in the refrigerator to “cook”. This step will take several hours. I let my fish sit in the lime juice for about 8 hours total. You want the color of the fish to be completely opaque.
Once the fish is finished “cooking”, drain all the lime juice. I pressed the fish out in a spider strainer. The fish should be soft enough to break apart with your fingers. Add the cucumber, tomatoes and some carrot if you’d like. Now you can add your seasonings. I added salt, pepper and a HEALTHY portion of cilantro. Mmmm…cilantro.
And there you have it! A refreshing, healthy and delicious snack, dinner or breakfast!
Buen Apetito!
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