FMM: Have You Ever?

1. …traveled outside of your home country? If so, where? Mexico, Italy, England, France, Australia, Bahamas, Aruba, St. Maarten, Curacao, Barbados, and St. Lucia

2. …performed on stage in front of at least 1,000 people? If so, share some details! I don’t know the exact number, I don’t think it was quite 1,000 but close. It was for Teen Show in Ocean Grove.

3. …watched an episode of Jersey Shore? Yes

4. …baked a cake from scratch? If so, what’s your specialty? No, mostly breads

5. …worked in a grocery store? Nope

6. …dated someone who was your best friend first? Nope

7. …made a difference in someone’s life during Christmas? Nothing that I can think of

8. …been on TV? Yep

9. …had cosmetic surgery? Lasik

10. …learned a second language? If so, what else do you speak? I learned Italian in high school, and it’s really rusty right now. I can understand it a lot more than I can speak it. I would like to brush up on it somehow so I can be more proficient and speak with my family.

Friend Makin' Monday!! (a day late!)

FMM: I am…

1. I am good at... organizing, purging, and planning.

2. I am happy when...things go my way.

3. I am working on...several projects at work.

4. I am interested in...cooking and baking, but nothing crazy or too involved.

5. I am always...trying to find a coupon so I don't have to pay full price for stuff.

6. I am enjoying...the Christmas decorations and holiday music on the radio.

7. I am in...my office right now but will be at the gym later for an intense training session!

8. I am reading...a book by Brenda Jackson right now. I'm just about done so I'm thinking a James Patterson book will be next. I need the mindless, fast-paced books right now.

9. I am concerned about...how my cake pops will turn out for Christmas. I just bought the new pan and I hope it's not too good to be true!

10. I am looking forward to...my cruise to the Bahamas, moving to our new office and time off between Christmas and New Year's!

Friend Makin’ Mondays: Holiday Shopping

1. Do you like to shop? Yes
2. Have you started shopping for Christmas gifts yet? Surprisingly yes. I never start before December 1st, but shopped online starting Saturday!
3. Did you shop on Black Friday?  NEVER. I don't like dealing with the mobs.
4. List a few of your favorite stores. NY & Company, Kohls, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macys
5. What is the last thing you purchased for yourself (food and drinks excluded?) A manicure
6. Do you prefer to shop in-store or online?  I have no preference. I like both.
7. If you could purchase one thing that you don’t need at all for yourself today, what would it be?  An ice cream maker
8. Does your significant other shop with you? Do they love it/hate it? He hates shopping period. I rarely have him come with me.
9. Do you shop at thrift stores? Not really.
10. When you’re holiday shopping, do you make lists?  I have a list of who to buy for so I don't forget anyone. I don't make lists of what to buy people, I ask what people want!

Thanksgiving Plans

It's my most favorite time of the year! It's Thanksgiving Week! As much as the retailers like to rush Christmas on us right after Halloween, this is one holiday that does not get passed over in our household. I have always been a big fan of this holiday and will continue it. Naturally I enjoy having a 4-day weekend as well in addition to any overtime my husband has over this break. I also love the food! I mean, what's not to love about it?

FMM: Thanksgiving Plans

What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year? Does your family have traditions? If so, share them…(I know that some of you live outside of the US so feel free to fill us in on other holiday traditions!)

Our plans this year is hosting the holiday at our house. It will be 8 of us total - me, Ken, my mom, dad, sister, mother-in-law and grandfather. I don't really know if we have traditions, but it's something my mom always did and now when we host we do the same in our house. I always have the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV while I'm cooking. We also have food to nibble on set up on the dining room table so we can graze while the other stuff is still cooking. We usually eat aroun 1-2pm and then have plenty of leftovers for the evening.

I have always been the one to bake a pumpkin pie (since it's my favorite) and this is a tradition I think I won't ever give up!

Giving Thanks

I've been seeing a few people on my Facebook newsfeed giving daily thanks this month. Given Thanksgiving is this month, I'm sure I'll see plenty more of this next week as well. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to share what and who I am thankful for and why. Of course I am thankful for things like my job, my home and other material items, but there are people that deserve a big thank you.

Thank you God for giving me this life full of great friends and family. I know there have been some rough times, but you have brought me through them. Thank you for being there.

Thank you to my husband. He is amazing. He knows me very well. He has this unconditional love for me no matter what. We have built an amazing life together and I really can't imagine where I would be right now without him.

I am thankful for my family. My parents are people that I just can't express many words about. They have shown me how to live life and guided me down the right path. My sister is one of my best friends. We look out for each other. We have each other's backs (sometimes haha) and we are partners in crime. And yes, I brought her to get her first tattoo. What are big sisters for?

My extended family. We have such wonderful memories and I love continuing to make them. Thank you for making me laugh and enjoy being together. I wish we did it more often.

My husband's family. Without you crazy drama-filled folks I wouldn't feel like I'm watching a sitcom. Thank you for making me feel like part of your family when you met me 10 years ago. You are awesome and I love you all very much and thrilled to have you part of my life.

My friends. Without my friends I don't know where I would be. Sure many have come and gone throughout the last 32 years, and for the most part I am still connected to many, but without meeting each and everyone of you, my life would be so different. For the girls I talk to on a daily basis, thank you for making my days fly by, for making me laugh, for making me think, for making me consider a different opinion on things. I'm forever thankful for having you in my life.

I am thankful for my dog. He does everything to make me smile and shows me so much love. You are my little fur baby and I don't know what I would do without you. I love you Shea!

So this is my thank you. Something I mean everyday. Thank you!!

Purging

I like to purge about 2-3 times a year. My purging consists of clothing, books, kitchen gadgets, and other household chockies. I have been wanting to purge my closet for a bit and finally had the opportunity to do it last night. I had so many articles of clothing that I hadn't worn in a long time as well as items I purchased with the hope I would fit into it by a particular season. Yeah, that didn't happen. It was time to get rid of them. I am still working on my weight loss and the reason I kept so many articles of clothing was because I thought when I would wear them I wouldn't have to buy new clothes. I decided last night that holding on to them wasn't doing anything to help my progress so I eliminated them from my drawers and closet. I have a lot more space in my summer bottoms drawer and lots of space in my closet. I have a bunch of hangers that I can use for new items I get for my birthday (which is Saturday, by the way). I'm excited to add new items to my closet. I plan to donate my purged items to the Salvation Army and Vietnam Veteran's of America.

Sometimes you need to purge people from your life too. It's good for your soul!

Next up is organization of 3 closets. I hope to conquer this over the next few weekends.

Weekend Cooking

My husband has told me on numerous occassions that there is nothing to eat in the house, meanwhile we have cabinets and a pantry full of food. Not to mention a fruit bowl on the table and plenty of things to eat in the fridge. But I finally understand what he is saying, because many times I open the fridge to find something prepared and there is nothing, just stuff that will take a lot of work. So this weekend I cooked and baked and roasted.

Last week I had Sauerbraten for dinner at one of our local favorite pubs, Connolly Station,  and thought it was heavenly so I looked up a recipe and found one by one of my favorite Food Network hosts, Alton Brown. I had a round bottom roast in the freezer so I took it out to defrost and on Thursday night I made the marinade, browned the meat and then set the meat into the marinade to sit for the next 3 days.

On Saturday I peeled a large butternut squash, chopped it up and roasted it. When it was soft, I added it to the blender with chicken stock and salt and pepper and made a roasted butternut squash soup.

On Sunday I got up and began my heavy cooking. I first made blueberry muffins, followed by tuna salad, egg salad, roasted asparagus and baked chicken cutlets. I also chopped up chicken breast into tenderloin size pieces and have them marinating in a hawaiian flavored marinade. I plan to grill these tonight. At about 4pm I took the Sauerbraten out of the fridge and put it in the crockpot to cook. I had it cook for 3 hours on high and it came out so tender and juicy. It really was a great recipe to follow. I posted the link to it above but here it is the way I made it.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for seasoning meat
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) bottom round
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

In a large saucepan over high heat combine the water, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Pat the bottom round dry and rub with vegetable oil and salt on all sides. Heat a large saute pan over high heat; add the meat and brown on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.

When the marinade has cooled to a point where you can stick your finger in it and not be burned, place the meat in a non-reactive vessel and pour over the marinade. Place into the refrigerator for 3 days. If the meat is not completely submerged in the liquid, turn it over once a day.

After 3 days of marinating, place the roast and marinade into the slowcooker and turn it on high.

Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover and cook until tender, approximately 3-`4 hours.

Remove the meat from the vessel and keep warm. Strain the liquid to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in the cornstarch and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.  

End of Vacation

We're sitting in the airport waiting for our flight. I'm glad I brought my computer with me. I'm able to upload the final 2 days of our vacation while we're sitting here. We have about 2 hours to go so this will help fill my time. We had a great time here in Orlando and can't believe how fast the week went. We really had no off time since our days were spent at the parks.

The last two days we spent at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Neither of us had been to Epcot and we had a great time. Unfortunately we didn't get to go on 2 of the main attractions but we did everything else. We started at Mission Space and did the green team (non spinning per my request) then another ride then went straight into Mexico. From there we ate and drank our way around the park. Anyone planning a trip to Epcot, make sure you go during the Food and Wine festival. There are little stations at each location with foods and drinks from the region. It was heaven on little plates! (and drinks in small cups!) The Illumination show at the end was excellent! Make sure you stick around for this show at the end of the night!

Our last day we spent over 12 hours in Magic Kingdom. I hadn't been since I was 21 and Ken since he was 3. Needless to say everything had changed. One thing I noticed about Magic Kingdom (aside from no booze) was that practically all the rides are slow rides. There are only a few that are fast, coaster types. The park was pretty packed. We made our way from Main Street USA into Adventureland followed by Frontierland and worked our way around that way. Of course we did Space Mountain and "it's a small word" and many of the new rides. Of all the Disney parks we went to, we didn't take our picture with any characters. Many of them were from movies that weren't from our childhood so it wasn't a big deal, but if Piglet was around somewhere, I was going to find him! There was a show that started at the castle at 8:45 then the Wishes fireworks show started at 9pm. Both were great. The park didn't close until 11pm and our feet and legs were screaming by then. We finally left and made it back to our resort.

Overall we had a great time and so glad we had the opportunity to visit Disney World as adults without kids. Things will be different the next time we're here (because hopefully God willing we'll be blessed with a kid or 2). I'm sure we'll be on the Dumbo and Aladdin flying carpets! HA!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Well, it's here! Our 3rd wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been 3 years already. Life does whiz by. Happy birthday to my BFF Kristi! I hope you're enjoying your day!


Since we got to Orlando we've been on the move. I have to say I'm very much enjoying the resort. Although a few years ago we hated the idea of having a timeshare, I have to say that I am really glad we have it. Our unit is essentially a one bedroom apartment and it includes a washer/dryer as well. It's really comfortable. Anyone that is going on vacation at any point, make sure you look into timeshare rentals. We are also saving money because we're not eating breakfast out every morning. This is the layout of our unit.

On Monday we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios. I hadn't been there in about 19 years and this was Ken's first time. Pretty much everything was different aside from the Indiana Jones stunt show. We had a blast. Some of our favorites were Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Rock n' Roller Coaster, and the Lights, Motor, Action stunt show. The park was pretty busy probably because a lot of people were off for the holiday.

On Tuesday we went to Universal Studios. It wasn't very busy, but 2 attractions we wanted to see were closed, which was annoying. I like theme parks, but had my fill of Universal for the next 15 years. Ken was thrilled there was a Simpson's ride and we got to meet some of the characters!

Today we went to Animal Kingdom and had a blast. Some of our favorite attractions were Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, It's Tough to be a Bug (awesome 3-D show!), and Festival of the Lion King. Animal Kingdom is pretty small and since we are here during off season we breezed through it and were done by 3pm. 

Tonight we plan to celebrate our anniversary with dinner some place in Downtown Disney. I tried making a reservation at Gloria Estefan's restaurant Bongo's but they didn't have anything available. Hopefully we'll be able to just get seated when we show up!

Enter Fall

It's quite a while since my last blog entry. I'd like to say that life has gotten in the way, and it has to some extent, but for the most part I had no idea what to write about or I just forgot. Sure I can do the traditional monthly goals and my food, but I didn't create my blog just for that. My blog was created as a way for me to write a journal in some aspect, just not write down a lot of personal details. I'm hoping this will kick start into me writing more entries going forward. We're on vacation this week and of course the alarm was set for 6:30am from the previous guest. Needless to say, it woke me up and I couldn't fall back asleep for over an hour so I just got up.

There has been quite a lot that has happened in the last several months and one of them was having to put down my mother-in-law's 17 year old dog. It was heartbreaking to say the least. We also completed our backyard. It looks absolutely fabulous and so inviting. It really created a great extension of our living and entertaining space.

Now that it's October 10th (Happy Anniversary Lorraine and Joe! and Happy Birthday Hilary!) we're on our anniversary trip here in sunny Florida. We had always talked about coming here for vacation so we can enjoy the parks before we had any children. The last time I went to Magic Kingdom was over 10 years ago and the other parks were when I was a preteen and teenager, so a lot has changed. Animal Kingdom wasn't even around. The last time Ken was here was over 30 years ago! Needless to say we're both excited for our inner child to come out. He's been singing "When you Wish Upon a Star" all week. Orlando has had some tropical weather the past few days (lots of rain and gusty winds) and it sure made for quite an approach and landing last night! But we made it and we're staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort (which is part of our timeshare) and it is absolutely gorgeous!! It's a huge property and located right amongst the Disney resorts so it's easy to get to all the parks. Today we're planning to go to Disney's Hollywood Studios, formerly MGM Studios. I'll make sure to do a review on it!

My Guilty Pleasures

I feel for the most part, people have guilty pleasures. Whether it's a tv show, an author, a type of food or beverage, we all have them. Here are some of mine!

Cream - it's vodka infused whipped cream. I've only had the chocolate flavor, but wow what a great thing to add on top of your iced cream!

Flip Flop Wine - I enjoy a nice glass of wine and was excited to see brand that is dedicated to summer. They make a nice array of wines. My favorites are the Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Try a bottle. You won't be disappointed.

Since summer began, I have been grilling just about every food in our house. If you like pineapple, you will love grilled pineapple. I buy a pineapple every week and grill it to perfection.

I don't really have many shows that I watch but I do watch Real Housewives of New Jersey. I think it's great to see people make fools of themselves for a national audience. Now I can't wait for Orange County to come back!

Friend Makin' Monday!!

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Ten Random Questions

1) What do you like most about yourself? I love my eyes. They're a beautiful shade of blue!
2) List three characteristics that you like to have in your friends. Honesty, compassion, and humor
3) How often do you brush your teeth? 1-2x a day
4) If you could travel anywhere today, where would you go? Alaska. Would be the perfect time of year to see the natural beauty of the state!
5) Have you ever met anyone from the blog world in person? Yes. In a previous job I connected with some and met them.
6) What is the last show you watched on TV? Good Morning America while I was getting ready for work.
7) What kind of perfume/cologne do you wear? I don't wear it regularly but when I do it's usually a version of Estee Lauder Pleasures. I love them all!
8) How long ago did you complete your last workout? My last workout was Thursday, but I'll be at spin class tonight!
9) What will you eat for dinner tonight? I haven't decided yet, but possibly a piece of chicken and grilled veggies.
10) Share something fun that you did over the weekend. My husband and I watched the Women's World Cup final. Although the US didn't win, it was fun to watch!

Best Snack Ever

As someone that is trying to lose weight and keep it off, you have to be creative with your foods. You want the same taste but in lower calorie, carb and fat form. It's definitely not easy but with some innovative ideas you can accomplish just that.

We always keep a light, no sugar added ice cream in the house because it's a tasty treat and low in PP value. About 2 weeks ago I picked up some bottles of soda that were on sale (since we never have it to offer to people when they come over) and grabbed a Fanta Zero because orange soda is just yummy.

The other day I was in the mood for some kind of frosty beverage and saw the soda in the fridge and had the brilliant idea to make a root beer float. How can a creamiscle beverage not rock your socks? It was so delicious and only 2 PP!!

10 Things I Love About Me

If you ask anyone what they like or dislike about themselves, chances are they are going to give you more dislikes than likes. I, for one, have quite a few. But, this is about what I love about me. Here is my list.

1. My blue eyes
2. My personality
3. My blonde hair (yes my hair stylist confirmed this past weekend I am a very dark blonde!)
4. My great skin
5. My common sense
6. My inner strength
7. My cooking
8. My sense of direction
9. My drive and motivation
10. My heart

What are 10 things you love about yourself?

Friend Makin' Monday!!

Friend Makin’ Mondays is always fun, but having so much interaction last week made it awesome! Don’t you think? So let’s get creative with our answers again this week and make it even better than last week! =)

 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: http://www.alltheweigh.com/ so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

FMM: What’s in Your Fridge?

 

1. List a few common items that can always be found in your fridge. Chobani Greek yogurt, baby carrots, reduced sugar or sugar free chocolate syrup, lettuce, celery, broccoli, cheese, cold cuts and potato bread.
2. What kind of milk do you drink? Unsweetened vanilla Almond milk and 1% regular. I prefer skim, but my hubby likes it with a little fat. Since I do the shopping, I pick the type of milk.
3. Do you prefer fresh or frozen vegetables? Definitely fresh, but we have a freezer full of frozen veggies!
4. What do you currently have to drink in the fridge? Crystal Light raspberry lemonade, milk, Trop50 OJ, beer, and almond milk. We're not bit soda drinkers and we have bottled water, just don't keep it cold.
5. How often do you clean out your refrigerator? Since there's only 2 of us, we don't have that much stuff to keep in there so we don't need to really clean it out.
6. What’s the healthiest thing in it right now? I'm guessing the brussel sprouts. We have a lot of fresh veggies so nutrition wise, I think that's the healthiest.
7. What’s the most unhealthy thing in it right now? Smuckers Caramel sundae syrup
   
8. What do you wish you had in it that you don’t have now?  Chicken cutlets. I haven't had them in so long!!
9. How often do you shop for groceries? Once a week
10. What’s the weirdest thing in your fridge right now? I don't think we have any weird stuff. If I like it, I don't think it's weird!

My Latest Obsessions

It's been a few months since I last posted about my latest obsessions. I feel like they change with the seasons. New foods are in season, new colors so it's something different to enjoy. Here are some of my favorites.

I eat Greek yogurt every morning for breakfast. It's great protein and the Chobani black cherry flavor is absolutely delicious. I do prefer the 2% to the 0% since it just has a creamier taste.

Haute as Hello. A great summer color!

Although our grill is out all year long, I do more grilling in the warmer months. Have you ever had grilled fruit? It's absolutely delicious. I get a pineapple every week, cut it up and throw it on the grill. What a refreshing snack!

Now that I spend a lot of times outdoors, I make sure to always use sunscreen. To me there is no excuse not to put it on, especially given the statistics on skin cancer these days. If I'm spending several hours outdoors, I'll even throw it in my bag to reapply.



 One of my all time favorite beers. Sunset Wheat is absolutely wonderful on a hot summer day. There are several Leine's that I enjoy, but I can't get enough of this one!



June Goals - a bit late!

I have to say the reason in the lag of my posting is because I have been waiting for projects to be finished so I could show more pictures! Unfortunately they're not getting done as fast as I had hoped so I'll make sure to keep things updated on other stuff.

Now that we're over a week into June I thought it's best to post my goals for this month as well as recap how I did in May.

Goals for May

• Read 5 books. I've been very relaxed about reading and spending too much time on my phone on my commute. I also need to spend more time outside reading which I plan to do this month. Done!!
• Plant flowers in the front of the house did this after Mother's Day! The front of the house looks nice!
• Order patio furniture Naturally the set I wanted wasn't available for order but finally it showed in stock. I ordered it and when it was delivered, had it put together in a few hours! I love it!
• Donate books to library I contacted my local library and the books that I have isn't something they want a lot of copies of so I'm going to be donating them to the OG Ladies' Auxiliary Book Sale. I'll be bringing them down with me next time we go to OG.
• Clean up and organize 3 closets  - fail. I didn't even attempt this.
• Reduce grocery bill by $10 a week - fail. I didn't even try to save. I do only shop items on sale so I know I'm saving money anyway!

June Goals

• Get to the gym/workout at least 19 times
• Watch less TV and read more
• Go for walks during my lunch
• Organize hallway closets

Baby Gifts!

Last Saturday was my friend Melissa's baby shower. This was seriously the best shower I have been to in my life. Usually showers are very boring, but this one was so much fun!

It was held at Papa Joe's in Commack right on Deer Park Avenue across from the outlets. Since Melissa and her husband don't know the sex of the baby, it was a jungle themed shower. It started about noon and Melissa arrived shortly after. She said her hellos to everyone and then we started to eat. While we were eating she began to open gifts. Also during this time we had to keep watch of our bingo cards. Talk about multi-tasking! There were several games going on throughout the day which kept all the guests busy. I ended up winning a matching prize! The four hours I was there literally flew by! One could only hope all showers were like this!

Here are some pics from the fun day!

Mommy to be!

Lots of gifts for Baby B!

The Llamas!

The delicious cake!

April Recap and May Goals

Can you believe it's May 2nd already?! I love May though. It's so much warmer, I spend a lot of time outdoors, baseball season is in full swing and it's such a sunny month! And now that we have a new month, it's time for some new goals and a recap of how I did last month.
My goals for April:

• Make 10 dinners without processed food - this will be tough because I use a lot of cans This was a success! Not hard at all!
• Get to the gym 21 times I didn't think this would have been a problem for me, but life definitely got in the way. At the beginning of the month, my mom went into the hospital so the times I saved to go to the gym were spent seeing her. (She's okay though!) I also had LASIK and couldn't go to the gym for a few days.
• Plant herb seedlings Success! However, some of them don't seem to be doing so well. I might just have to buy the actual plant and plant it outside.
• Bring my dog to the dog park everyday I have off from work, weather permitting  I did this the first weekend and that was it. I really want to do this and will make the effort to bring him more.
• Get in touch with paving stone companies for estimates SCORE! We selected the company that will be doing our backyard the beginning of June!!

 Goals for May

• Read 5 books. I've been very relaxed about reading and spending too much time on my phone on my commute. I also need to spend more time outside reading which I plan to do this month.
• Plant flowers in the front of the house.
• Order patio furniture
• Donate books to library
• Clean up and organize 3 closets
• Reduce grocery bill by $10 a week

Food for Thought

Changing your diet to eat healthy, is not easy. Ask anyone that's tried. I do think that with support from others, whether it's friends, family, chat forums, you can be successful. What you put in, you can get out. In all that I participate in, I do my best to put in and learn from other people and avenues on ways to improve.

At my Weight Watchers meeting tonight, we talked about being bored with food. This couldn't be more true. I have been so fearful of becoming bored with what I'm eating that I'll stop my great progress and go back to old habits. A lot of people shared foods they enjoy and I was able to offer some of my ideas. One of the big topics was chicken and how it gets so boring, especially if you eat it the same way every time. I love chicken and am happy to have found Cooking Channel (thanks mom!) and watch Food Network a lot which has helped me learn how to season my chicken differently so it tastes delicious and different every time I eat it.

One of my struggles is vegetables. My husband loves the steam vegetables because he can take them to work or just throw them in a dish of pasta (his specialty is spaghetti, steamed brussels sprouts and balsamic). I, on the other hand, get so bored with them! They all end up tasting the same no matter what vegetable I'm eating! One of my favorite ways to eat vegetables is to grill them. I do this a lot, but when you have a small grill pan to work with during the winter (even though we keep our grill out all year, I'm not grilling with a foot of snow on the ground or if the weather is below freezing) I don't always do that. One thing I remember from childhood is having roast chicken with carrots, potatoes and onions. This was something that always tasted great. The other night I decided to change up the vegetables I can grab with my dinner. I took every fresh vegetable in the house, chopped them up and roasted them. Do you know how delicious roasted vegetables taste? If not, you need to do it. It really brings out wonderful flavors and you'll probably end up eating vegetables you didn't like prepared other ways. The vegetables caramelize and become so tasty! I line a cookie sheet with foil, toss the chopped veggies on, spray with olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I've also tried to limit the types of pastas and rice I'm eating and have now incorporate a lot more quinoa into my meals. This is so easy to make, has a lot of protein and fiber and if you're doing Weight Watchers, it's only 3 PointsPlus for a half cup serving. I love to add roasted or grilled vegetables into this and make it a really delicious side. I've also noticed that you can make this ahead of time and it doesn't dry out like rice or pasta.

These were just some of my ideas. I love learning new ones, so please share yours!

Carrot Cake for Easter

I followed a recipe from Weight Watchers to make this yummy cake. It was super easy and called for a lot of fresh ingredients. Can't wait to dig into it tomorrow!

My LASIK Experience

I finally did it! I have been wanting to do this for years and so glad I finally had it done. It's been about 13 hours since the procedure and it's amazing the difference in my vision. I'll start from the beginning so anyone that is interested in getting it done has some idea of what to expect.

Research your doctors. As I mentioned above, this is something that I have wanted to do for years. Definitely over a decade. I had asked questions to all my eye doctors throughout the years about it. Finally when I was ready to have the procedure done I found a doctor that was highly recommended and has offices in both Garden City and Manhattan. I ended up using Dr. James Kelly of Kelly Laser Center.

I originally met with Dr. Kelly back in December to see if I qualified for LASIK. He is the type of doctor that if there is any chance of complication then he won't recommend it for you. Lucky for me, I was the perfect candidate and was able to do either of the procedures (LASIK or Veriseye). Dr. Kelly's staff gave me materials after my consultation and went over everything with me. While LASIK is a more invasive procedure, I felt more comfortable with it since it has been around for a much longer period and technologies have been updated to make it better.

Prepping for the procedure was very easy. In the materials I had received, I had two prescriptions (eye drops) to fill which is to be used after the procedure. I dropped those off about 10 days before my appointment since Dr. Kelly had said some pharmacies might not have the one drop in stock and they would need time to order it. Sure enough when I went to CVS they only had the one and had to order the other. Also part of the prep is not wearing contact lenses for a minimum of 5 days prior. I had my contacts out for a full 6 days. This wasn't so bad since April has been such a rainy month. I didn't have to worry about the sun bothering my eyes those few days.

During my initial consultation I was told my eyes will need to rest because they will be in protective mode and tear like crazy and I should expect discomfort. It was recommended to take a Tylenol PM after to help me just fall asleep. My appointment was set for 6pm and I brought my Advil PM with me to take after.

The procedure itself was so weird. I laid down on a table (which was almost like a dentist's chair that full reclined down) and my hair was in one of those bouffant caps. The nurse put two types of drops in my eyes. One was bacterial to cleanse my eye and the other was to numb my eye. I didn't feel any type of numbness in my eye, but when the doctor did the procedure it sure was! Dr. Kelly explained everything to me as he was completing the surgery. He put this machine with a laser in it over my face (not right in front since he needed room for his hands) that had a flashing orange light in it. We started with my left eye. He put a clamp like device in my eye to keep my eyelids open. This was uncomfortable. It wasn't painful, I just wanted it off my face. Then he used the device to slice the front flap. (There is no blood or anything like that and there is no pain because your eye is numb.) When he did this there was pressure. (Close your eye and stick your finger on your eyelid and push. This was the pressure I felt.) During this time he said I would see black. I did and then he removed the device and I saw that flashing orange light again. He pulled back the flap and started the laser up. This took several seconds to a minute. I felt absolutely nothing but saw the flashing orange light. When that was done he put the flap back over, which I thought was so weird because I could see him using these little instruments on my eye but couldn't feel a thing! He removed the clamp and tada! Done! He put a piece of black paper over my eye and went on to the next. Everything was done within a matter of minutes.

When I got up, I could actually see better, but it was as if I had a big smudge on my contact that made it foggy. I sat in a "recovery room" for a few minutes and then it was time to go. I put on the glasses they gave me and we headed home. I expected the tearing to start right away but that didn't happen until later.

We got home and I started to feel the numbness come off my eyes. It felt like pins and needles, just not as severe as when your hand falls asleep. Nothing painful, but that was the sensation I felt. I had my eyes closed most of the time because opening made them tear due to any light. I started to feel uncomfortable so I popped two Advil PM and just put my head back. I was beginning to get really uncomfortable so I went to bed. I couldn't fall asleep since I wasn't really tired and the Advil PM wasn't kicking in. Any time I opened my eyes tears would just gush out. At some point I just fell asleep. I woke up at 5:15 and my eyes were no longer tearing. You know how I knew it was 5:15? Because I could see the clock!!! I went back to sleep and woke up about 7:30.

It's amazing that I can see without anything. It feels like I slept with my contacts in. I can see very well but it's still a little foggy, not 100% clear. I go back to see Dr. Kelly today to make sure everything is okay.  Right now my eyelids are very swollen and my eyes are red. (They went through a trauma so this is expected.) I'm sure as the day goes on my eyes will feel better and my vision with become clearer. I'm so happy I finally did this procedure and recommend it to anyone that is considering it!!

Great Meal on a Cold, Rainy Night

One of my non-processed dinners of the month! It's roast chicken with carrots, red potatoes, and sweet onion. I flavored it with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, lemon zest and fresh chopped tarragon.

Friendships: What do they really mean?

Growing up, I feel as though everyone has a best friend. It could be your next door neighbor, someone from school or little league. I have thought a lot lately about the friendships I have made over the years. In my adult life, I've had a lot of people come and go. At first I was angry or upset about the outcome but realized that those people were only supposed to be part of my life for that time. I've accepted that and as my adult life developed further, I've made new friends. It's pretty much a cycle, but some people have stuck around with me for the ride.

Have you ever looked at your past relationships of those you are no longer friends with? Why aren't you friends with them anymore? For me it was that we outgrew each other, or we went in different directions or I just didn't agree with their lifestyle choices anymore. Not drama related, but if you don't have the same morales as me, I'm sorry, but I can't call you a friend.

I like to think I have a great group of friends. I have friends that I'm very close with that I talk to on a regular basis. I have my best of friends that haven't seen each other in a long time but we can pick up the phone and start talking as if we just hung up minutes earlier, and I have friends that we aren't close but I keep in touch with because it's such an enjoyment to have them in my lives. We may not talk very often or see each other at all, but knowing I can reach out to them with the push of a button or by Facebook is always great.

What is friendship to you? Is it all or nothing? Do you have a variety of friendships? I'm curious, so let me know!

Farewell Contact Lenses

For the last 18 years, I must give much thanks to my contact lenses. They've been a part of me for most of my life and I am grateful for them. Why am I saying goodbye to them? Well next Wednesday I'm finally getting LASIK. I have been wanting to do this procedure since it first came out. I cannot be more excited for it. Before the procedure I'm not supposed to wear my contact lenses for a at least 5 days before. Today is my last day in them. It's going to be weird wearing my glasses for the next few days, but being able to see the clock in the middle of the night without squinting trumps this. Ta-ta contacts! It's been great!

It's Planting Season!

Ever since I have been watching more of Food Network and Cooking Channel, I enjoy using a lot of fresh herbs to flavor my foods. Unfortunately my local supermarket doesn't always have the herbs I want or sometimes I'll forget to pick some up. But that's about to change. Now that it's warmer, the home improvement stores have their kits available. We went to Lowe's yesterday and I picked up 3 kits and extra seeds. One kit had catnip, lemon basil and mint; another had sweet basil, chives and parsley; and the other kit was cherry tomatoes. Extra seeds I bought were tarragon and cilantro.

The kit had pods that you add water to then plant the seeds. There were barely any seeds in the mint and tarragon pouches so I was only able to fill one tiny pot with them. I didn't plant the chives, catnip, parsley or lemon basil seeds. I might do the chives and parsley later on. Here are my little green houses to start the germination!

They need a lot of sunlight so I hope the sun comes out tomorrow otherwise I need to put them under a light!

Light Louisiana Gumbo - a Yummy Recipe to Share

I made this about a month ago, but wanted to share. I had found the recipe in SELF, and I have to say it's quite delicious. I'll share the recipe which you can also find here and also mention what I did differently.

 

Light Louisiana Gumbo

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 chicken sausages, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 3 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup cored, seeded and chopped green bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 15 oz diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)
• 16 oz frozen sliced okra
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

PREPARATION
Sprinkle chicken with Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Brown chicken and sausage, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook until vegetables start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp water if vegetables stick. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle flour over meat-vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, juice and broth. Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and okra; simmer, covered, until shrimp is cooked through and okra is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
THE SKINNY
276 calories per 2 cups, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 26 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 27 g protein

 

What I did differently:
I chopped up 5 long stalks of celery, 1 large green bell pepper, used one can of low sodium 99% fat free chicken broth, and I forgot to add the parsley. One thing I do recommend doing is seasoning your shrimp with the cajun seasoning. The recipe only says to season the chicken, but I feel like it needed a bit more flavor so next time I make it, I'll be adding the seasoning to the shrimp as well. It was absolutely phenomenal. And it's only 6 PointsPlus Value on Weight Watchers for 2 cups!!

April Goals and March Recap

Now that we are into our second day of April, I've had a good time to think about what goals I'd like to attain this month. I've come up with quite a few good ones that I feel fit into my new WW lifestyle as well. Before I start on April's goals, I wanted to recap how I did for March:

• Make 3 new recipes this month (I made 2, but I also made a lot of fresh marinades this month so it should count for something!)
• Finish Water for Elephants (Great book! Looking forward to the movie!)
• Go to 5 Spin Classes (I believe I made it to 7 classes!)
• Get a massage (Got this, but only because I was in pain from my shoulder through my neck. Wasn't as enjoyable as I had wanted it to be.)

My goals for April:

• Make 10 dinners without processed food - this will be tough because I use a lot of cans
• Get to the gym 21 times 
• Plant herb seedlings
• Bring my dog to the dog park everyday I have off from work, weather permitting
• Get in touch with paving stone companies for estimates

Reaching a Milestone

I consider myself a private person, especially when it comes to my weight. However, I've been following the new Weight Watchers program and happy to report I have hit an important milestone- I have lost over 10 pounds. From here, 15 pounds doesn't seem to far away. I'm more than confident I'll reach that mid-April.

When you think about what I lost, it's kind of amazing and it was only 10 pounds. That's 2 bags of potatoes or a 2 month old. That's what has disappeared from me! This will be a long journey, but I'm getting back to what I used to be and I'm excited for that!

Made in America

I’m not sure how many of you caught the special series on ABC News, Made in America, but it focused on how we as Americans own more products that are made outside of this country. The article actually states that “Economists say that if every one of us spent an extra $3.33 on U.S.-made goods every year, it would create nearly 10,000 new jobs in this country.” You know what? I can do that.

Watching this series really put into perspective the items that I use on a daily basis and what is currently in my home. Thinking about the big ticket items, most of the stuff we have is not made in USA. Of course, you won’t be able to find certain items, like electronics, that are made in USA. It just doesn’t exist. However, there are many products and other big ticket items, like appliances, that are made here.

While there isn’t anything I can do about the products we currently have in our home, going forward my husband and I have made a conscious effort to purchase American made products. We can help do our part to help strengthen our economy, we will. There might be many reasons as to why others buy American made only as it is – child labor, poor wages, import/exports, non-regulated chemicals being used, etc., but my reason is to help the US economy. This is where I live and I will do what I can to help out.

Here is another article from the story that gives you websites on where to find made in USA products.

Friend Making Monday!

Thanks for the reminder from Kim!

Come and join Kenz over at All The Weigh for Friend Making Monday! Answer the questions on your blog and link your blog to hers!

FMM: A Few More Gender-Friendly Questions

1) What is your favorite physical feature?
My eyes and smile

2) List three adjectives that describe you.
Outgoing, Friendly, Beautiful

3) How old were you when you had your first kiss?
I don't think my parents should be privy to such information!

4) Do you believe in God?
Very much so. We talk all the time!

5) How often do you watch the news?
Every morning while getting ready for work.

My 4 Obsessions

I like to think of my obsessions as trends. I don't always have the same ones for very long. (I do think my longest was Farmville, although I wouldn't say I was obsessed with it to the point where it was interfering with my life. I haven't played that game in over 2 months now!) Right now there are 4 things I can't get enough of.
1. Words with Friends - If you play, my SN is MCardinal79
2. Manicures - I hope this becomes more permanent and not just a trend
3. Spinning - A love I had many many months ago and I'm so glad you've returned to my life
4. White Chocolate Infused with Pretzels Peanut Spread - I thank Tyler Florence for this obsession

What is trending with you right now?

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I had my corned beef and cabbage, did you?

Many people talk about the luck of the Irish and the more I think about luck, I have to say I'm pretty lucky myself. I have a wonderful husband and family, great friends, a nice house, a job that I enjoy and just so many other things I feel so lucky to have.

How lucky do you feel? Think about all you have and realize that you are a lucky person.

I leave you with this Irish Blessing.
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow. And may trouble avoid you, wherever you go.

Goal Halfway Mark Check-in

Today is the halfway point of March (can't believe it's half over and we're almost through Q1!) so I thought I'd recap to see how my goals are going so far. What I listed at the beginning of the month:

1. Make 3 new recipes this month
2. Finish Water for Elephants (I should since I'm more than halfway through, ha!)
3. Go to 5 Spin Classes
4. Get a massage

So far, I've made one new recipe (this is following a recipe I never used before, not one I concocted), I finished the book, I took one spin class and I got a massage (although it wasn't because it was a treat but because I couldn't move my neck). Not bad for goal completions and looks like I'm on par to for reaching all of them. Next month I'll have to do things a little more challenging for myself!

A Day of Firsts in the Outdoors

The almost Spring weather has been giving me the "be outdoorsy" bug! We have been really fortunate to have all of our snow gone and just really gorgeous weather to enjoy, especially this passed weekend.

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous and I started my day early with a trip to the gym, then followed that with physical therapy and then got my highlights, adding in some extra blonde! (Yes, folks, my hair is not naturally bleach blonde anymore.) Sunday was a bit cooler, but a beautiful sunny day and also the start of Daylight Savings. My husband and I took our first bike ride of the year at the Bethpage Bike Trail. I was a bit apprehensive of how I would do due to my shoulder. Once I started riding, I was actually okay. It was a little sore at the end of the ride because of how I was putting weight on my arms and shoulders, but overall was a good ride. I'm definitely looking forward to longer rides, especially with the 5 Borough Bike Tour coming up in 2 months! That's 42 miles I need to ride and we only did 8 yesterday!

We also lit our firepit for the first time this season as well as had our first BBQ! It was a great day overall and we're really looking forward to more great weather to enjoy the outdoors!

Celebrate Women!

It's International Women's Day! It's actually the 100th celebration! This is a special day where women around the world are being celebrated. (There is a lot of info on the history of this special day.) So go ahead and celebrate the women in your life! Just remember, don't do it today only, but everyday!

5 Things I Can't Live Without

I just updated my Fitness magazine profile and one of the questions listed is: What are 5 things you can't live without? I had to stop and think about this because there could be a lot of things I think might be difficult to live without, but what were the things I absolutely needed in my life? These were the 5 I came up with:

1. Sunshine
2. My dog
3. Pasta
4. Flip flops
5. Music

(Yes, my hubby, family and friends should be a given which is why I didn't take up 3 numbers to list them.) What are 5 things you can't live without?

New Month and a Fresh Beginning

Not only is the snow melting, but we're starting to have some lovely days here in NY! What is the old saying, March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb?

It's March 1st. It means winter is almost over. It means nature is beginning to bloom. It means more time to spend outdoors. It means we change our clocks and get more daylight in 12 days! It's also the very beginning of a new month and a great time to reflect on the last 2 months and maybe refocus some goals and ideas.

When 2011 started, I didn't really have many goals in mind. Of course there is always the usual, lose weight, spend less time watching tv, be more active, cook healthier, yada yada, but I think I need to make more of an effort on specific goals so that I can stick with them. They don't have to be something that I need to do throughout the year, but just the month. I don't think they need to be so crazy that my life is dependent on a schedule because I do enjoy spontaniety.

My friend Kim is someone I admire greatly and she was the motivation behind this post. She sets great goals for herself and I'm going to follow in her footsteps and create attainable and fun goals for me for March. I'll recap at the beginning of April to see how far I came.

1. Make 3 new recipes this month
2. Finish Water for Elephants (I should since I'm more than halfway through, ha!)
3. Go to 5 Spin Classes
4. Get a massage

Simple easy goals I can attain. I don't think they sound too simple since lately I haven't been one to want to read a book on my commute to and from work AND I've just recently started going back to the gym since my shoulder surgery. The massage is a perk!

Purging at It's Finest

As the weather starts to get nicer, it's pretty common to start to purge - although mostly people purge their closets. We've lived in this house for almost 3 years and I can't believe how much stuff we have and a lot of it we don't use. Some of the stuff is from our childhood that we don't want to part with, which I'm okay with, but other things such as clothing, dishes, just stuff that we don't use that we can eliminate and de-clutter from our lives. As much as I want to finish projects in the house, I feel as thought de-cluttering is just as important. When I have my garage sale this year, I'll have so much extra stuff for people to buy. Whatever people don't buy, I'll donate to the Ocean Grove Ladies' Auxiliary Annual Bazaar and I'm sure that will be a ton.

I like purging. It makes me feel as though I'm freshening up while eliminating waste in my life. It's also a great calorie burner!

Where have all the flowers gone?

I can't believe it's almost been a year since my last post! I have done housework, but nothing I wanted to share just yet. I had hoped to share the work I did to our tub, but it has been peeling, so to me, it isn't worth it. Very disappointed in this product. I just didn't want a pink tub anymore! Is that too much to ask?

The backsplash went up on our kitchen walls and now we have to remove the wallpaper and paint the kitchen followed by removing that ugly linoleum floor.

I had shoulder surgery one month ago today (wow, time flew!) so I can't really do much housework, let alone kitchen projects. Perhaps I should start to use the stuff to peel off the wallpaper so it looks a bit better than the ugly pink flowered crap we have now!