CorgiPants

Protein Powder Review #1-Designer Whey

2012-01-25T16:26:00.000-06:00

This year, I want to start a series of Protein Powder and Protein Bar reviews. This is the first one and I'll say right now that they are in no order, just whatever I pick to write about. Protein powder is SUCH a matter of personal taste. But I LOVE reading other people's reviews of them, and they give me great ideas for new flavors and brands to try. So I wanted to put my thoughts out there! (Nutritionals are for the first flavor listed, they might differ slightly for the various flavors of each brand but are generally about the same across the product line.)

Designer Whey All Natural Whey Protein-One of a handful of Stevia-sweetened powders, Designer Whey's all natural line is pretty good. I am always looking for products without chemical sugar substitutes and this fits in that category, though the ingredient list is a little long for my tastes. It's fairly low-carb and packs a good amount of protein into 100 calories. This one looks a little more granular than most powders in the canister so you might be worried it will be gritty but rest assured, it dissolves smoothly with water or milk.

Calories per scoop:100
Protein per scoop: 18g
Carbs per scoop: 3g

Vanilla Almond-I love almond anything so I was drawn to this brand specifically for this flavor. And it doesn't let me down. It tastes quite a bit like almond/cherry with a hint of vanilla, but it's VERY sweet so I usually dilute it quite a bit or use it in recipes like no-bake cookies. (It's great as a protein shake mixed with plain yogurt and a bit of water to thin it out, a tangy almond shake!

2012 Monthly Themes

2012-01-14T10:59:00.001-06:00

A I mentioned in my previous post, I like to have monthly themes so I don't get bored working on the same goal all year long! That doesn't mean I only care about gardening or trying new things one month out of the year but it means I get fired up to do the major projects pertaining to that theme and get the planning for the rest of year in that category done so that I stick with it. These are some of the activities from each month:

January-Budget Review
* Making a new 2012 budget using 31 Days to Fix your Finances
* Refinancing house to lower interest rate mortgage
* Making plan to pay off debt and build emergency fund

February-Reconnect
* Call/email a friend at least once a week
* Make our 12th wedding anniversary special

March-New Experiences
* Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
* Try a new recipe, fruit/vegetable, movie, hairstyle, outfit, breakfast food, craft, restaurant, park, running route
* Do at least 1 bucket list item

April-Create
* Create 1 thing every day
* Finish 3 works in progress
* Put quotes on basement gym walls
* Do "A Week in the Life" scrapbook

May-Outdoor/Gardening
* Stain concrete bath to match bricks
* picnic outdoors
* Bike to work at least 2 times/week
* Put up fountain in courtyard

June-Spring Cleaning
* Clean out fridge and pantry
* Line dry laundry
* Assemble 72-hour bags for Mike and I
* Get rid of at least 4 items from each room

July-Mike's birthday
* Visit Wisconsin family?
* Practice attentive listening
* Daytrip
* Mike gets to choose an activity to do each week

August-New Rules of Lifting for Women
* Start NROLFW

September-New Rules of Lifting for Women
* Continue NROLFW

October-Fall Fun
* Pick apples
* Cook a pumpkin
* Dress up for Halloween
* Do a fun fall activity for each letter of the alphabet

November-Holiday Planning and crafting
* Choose any crafted gifts/decorations and schedule crafting time
* Plan non-food themed party

December-Relax
* focus on yoga, meditation and enjoy!
* Start 2013 planning
*

Corgi Christmas

2012-01-03T19:44:00.005-06:00

Sully enjoyed his holiday, mostly because I gave him the entire month of December off from training and showing! So we were all lazy sloths. But it's January now and we start our Utility class on Wednesday nights soon so he'd better wake up and remember all those exercises from a month ago!

Our secret santa from the Corgi Blogger Gift Exchange sent us a couple of things from Rockin' Doggie.A tiny heart charm with a paw print in it (will probably be going on a charm bracelet since Sully doesn't really wear jewelry) and a tree ornament. Thanks!

Resolution Run 2012

2012-01-02T09:43:00.004-06:00

The new year found me in my basement, treadmilling for the Resolution Run put on by Run to the Finish. I did some intervals of 30 second sprints and 60 minute jogs since that's what my 12 Days of Christmas Workout called for. :) I did a little over 3 miles total and watched some Star Trek Next Generation while I was at it. We've been in a real Star Trek mood lately! We even went to Star Trek: The Exhbition at the St. Louis Science Center over Christmas vacation.

Anyway, you can't read my resolution but it's to complete my monthly theme each month this year. I have too many ideas for yearly goals so this year I broke it down into monthly themes and I'll be doing activities related to each month's theme as it comes along this year.
My themes are:
January-Budget Review
February-Reconnect
March-New Experiences
April-Create
May-Outdoor/Gardening
June-Spring Cleaning
July-Mike's birthday
August-New Rules of Lifting for Women
September-New Rules of Lifting for Women
October-Fall Fun
November-Holiday Planning and crafting
December-Relax

I will have a follow up post with some of the activities I have planned. And I also have monthly themes for Sully and our training and showing goals that I'll share. :)

HBBC

2011-12-01T10:19:00.001-06:00

Here is my workouts log (and points) for the Holiday Booty Buster Challenge from Run to the Finish!

11-19 pilates (1)
11-20 20 minutes weight lifting (1)
11-21 2.5 mile run (2.5)
11-22 cardio intervals (4)
11-23 Hip Hop Hustle class (3)
11-24 Turkey Trot 2 mile run (2)
11-25 cardio intervals with upper body weights (3)

11-26 yoga (2)
11-27 2.35 mile run (2.35)
11-28 Zumba (4)
11-29 cardio intervals with weights (2)
11-30 yoga (2)
12-1 Team Strength class (3)
12-2 2.4 mile run (2.4)

12-3 Turbokick class (4)
12-4 upper body weights (3)
12-5 HITT class (4)
12-6 Team Strength class (2)
12-7 Hip Hop Hustle (3)
12-8 2.9 mile run (2.9)
12-9 yoga (2)

12-10 Turbokick (4)
12-11 Team Strength Extreme (3)
12-12 Zumba (3)
12-13 Body Attack (4.5)
12-14 Lower body weights (2)
12-15 yoga (2)
12-16 100 burpees and tabatas on treadmill (3)

12-17 Hip Hop Hustle (3)
12-18 upper body weights (2)
12-19 Zumba (3)
12-20 lower body and abs (2) and folk dancing (1)
12-21 TRX training followed by Zumba (4)
12-22 2 mile runs and intervals for time (3)
12-23 Turbokick (4)

12-24 yoga (3)
12-25 yoga (2)
12-26 Step class (3)
12-27 Body Attack (4)
12-28 upper body (3)
12-29 nothing
12-30 Zumba (3)

12-31 yoga (3)
1-1 Resolution Run 3 miles x2, +blogged +Facebooked (8)
1-2 full body circuits (3)
1-3 Turbokick (3)
1-4 upper body and abs (2)
1-5 yoga (2)
1-6 lower body and abs (2)

101 things to do with Egg Whites

2011-11-28T16:25:00.001-06:00

Ok, not really 101. But enough to keep you from dreading eggs for a few days! As a vegetarian attempting Body for Life, I ate around 6 eggs every day and it can get VERY repetitive. But if you aren't afraid to get a little creative, eggs can really turn into a lot of different meals.

1-Egg white oatmeal-cook oatmeal as usual and whisk egg whites into hot oatmeal while it's still on the stove. It turns fluffy and lovely, delicious!

2-Egg white scramble with vegetables-I like to start off my veggies first in a skillet (onion, green pepper, tomato and zuchhini is a favorite mix of mine but even frozen veggies work in a pinch.) then pour egg whites over the sauted veggies and scramble all together.

3-Egg white souffle mini cakes-the trick with these is to cook them long enough so that the egg sets and doesn't completely deflate when you take them out of the oven.

4-Hard boiled egg whites-I eat these with just a little black pepper, or get fancy and put a little dollop of hummus into each one like deviled eggs!

5-Egg white crust pizza-LOVE the texture of the whipped egg whites!

6-Protein pancakes-I experimented with several recipes but the only one I deemed edible was the egg white, oatmeal and cottage cheese version (with NO protein powder). Whiz in blender, fry up in skillet and eat! Also good as waffles!

7-Egg tacos-I do these two ways, either add a bit of taco seasoning while you're scrambling you egg whites OR I like to make some taco-seasoned TVP, then add that the my egg whites while scrambling.

8-Scrambled egg whites in a tortilla or pita-scramble us egg whites with any veggies you like and eat it as a sammich!

9-Fluffy, creamy Egg whites recipe- Whisk 6 egg whites with 1 tablespoon of low fat cottage cheese.

10-Curried Egg Whites-Scramble up some egg whites and add curry powder and any veggies you'd like.

11-Whole wheat pasta with hard boiled egg whites and veggies-I like this cold so I use left-over pasta, add vegetables, chopped egg whites and just a splash of salad dressing or even just a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese. Kind of like a pasta cobb salad, sans meat.

12-Chocolate Peanut Butter Souffle-haven't tried this yet

13-Huevos Rancheros de Blancos-Cook up some egg whites, add salsa on top and serve on a tortilla. Layer the eggs with salsa and strips or tortilla and bake it (or just heat it in the microwave if you're like me) for chilaquiles!

14-BFL French toast

15-Zucchini and egg fritters- 1 and 1/2 cups grated zucchini (squeezed of liquid and VERY well dried), 3 egg whites, 1 Tbsp baking mix and seasonings of your choice (I like Tony Chachere's salt-free), fry up in non-stick pan and top with greek yogurt

16-Egg white Frittata made with spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti or potatoes

17-Microwave egg whites in a mug (a la Hungry Girl)(and here are a few more)

18-Crustless quiche

19-Large lettuce salad with hard boiled egg whites

20-Poached egg over brown rice

21-Protein Pumpkin Pie Mini-Souffles

22-Egg white salad-instead of mayonnaise,use plain greek yogurt, add in a little chopped pickle and onion, some black pepper and garlic powder, eat over crackers or on bread/tortilla

23-Martha's Egg White and Avocado salad

24-"fried" rice scramble-Saute some veggies, add 1/2 cup cooked rice to the pan and top with egg whites, scrambling together as the eggs cook.

25-Check out Shelly's Bites! She's got over 30 ideas for mini crustless quiche bites!

26-The famous Fudge Protein Muffin

27-BFL Spicy Scrambled Eggs

28-Eggs in a basket-place pieces of pita or tortilla in muffin tin to make little cups for eggs

29-Egg quesadilla-a cracked egg sticks to the tortilla while it cooks!

30-Polenta Egg Casserole

31-Crepes-with a filling of cottage cheese and vegetables, I don't really have a recipe for this, I just go off a regular crepe recipe and add extra egg whites and put in only a few Tablespoons of oat flour or whole wheat flour.

32-Eggs on Hash Skillet

33-Okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza)-go light on the flour, heavy on the egg whites (or call it Egg Foo Young if you'd rather go Chinese)

34-Fruity Oat Frittata-A little strange-sounding but really quite tasty!

35-Pasta Mama-I make this with one serving of pasta and 4 egg whites, SO GOOD!

Need more? Here is a SUPER post with a whole lot more ideas for eggs.

Little Thing #50

2011-11-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

The last day of 50 Days of Little Things. And I've made another list.

Little things making me smile:
-Listening to Christmas music during my runs
-Seeing Christmas movies on tv (I know, it's before Thanksgiving, but I love them ALL YEAR LONG!)
-Being busy at work
-Getting several RSVPs back for my holiday party!
-Thinking about helping plan Liz's baby shower for January
-Not gaining weight back even though Game On! is over

Little Thing #49

2011-11-22T09:54:00.003-06:00

This morning, I was smiling during this JillFit workout. I'm a sucker for an intervals pyramid workout! I loved the treadmill sprints and the last 2 minute push was....KILLER! Bicycle-Flip-Mountain Climbers-Flip-Bicycle-Flip-Mountain Climbers!

Little Thing #48

2011-11-21T09:53:00.002-06:00

I smiled when I:

played a new game with friends
heard my mom's voice, safe and sound back home after her hip replacement
finished up our 3-week Game On! challenge
got my hair trimmed (it was starting to get in my eyes!)
saw someone I hadn't seen in 8 years and catching up
spent less than $60 on groceries
finished up a large order of corgi costumes and getting them mailed out

Little Thing #47

2011-11-20T10:27:00.000-06:00

We may not have kids but I am by no means a "Childfree" nut who hates children and wishes no one in the world had them. But when you look online for advice and support for those who don't have kids, a lot of what you find are those overzealous children-haters. I really appreciate a few websites that have excellent, non-rant-filled posts about issues regarding having children or not. My favorite is: Have Children or Not? written by a lifecoach named Beth. She posts links to really great articles, talks about experiences with clients who she has helped make the decision to have children or not and offers great advice that is truly unbiased.

Little Thing #46

2011-11-19T10:24:00.001-06:00

My little thing today is a warm kitten lap warmer. Now that it's truly getting chilly, it's so nice to have a warm little body to curl up on your lap and make biscuits into the blankets! It makes up for his SUPER-crazy days when he knocks over trash cans, tries to get in the dog treats and eats flower arrangements. :)

Little Thing #45

2011-11-18T17:22:00.001-06:00

A list for today of small things that made my day brighter:
Oatmeal
Green veggies
Friendly neighbors
Zumba
Pens that write smoothly
Clean water
Tivo

Little Thing #44

2011-11-17T10:12:00.002-06:00

In grade school I did NOT enjoy being tall. I wanted to be a "normal" height, I would have even settled for shorter than average because short people can blend into a crowd. A tall girl sticks out like a sore thumb. A fat, tall girl gets more than her fair share of negative attention. Most of the time I just wanted to be left alone, so I hunched or sat or stayed to the back.

But now I LOVE my long legs! I would say it was in high school that I started to see the advantages of being taller. It's easier to disguise extra weight when you've got a longer frame to carry it. It's great to be able to reach things on high shelves. In gym you can fake being active more easily because you don't actually have to move as much to keep up with shorter people.

Nowadays, I like how athletic I can be with my long legs. (I love it when Dan calls us Athletes in Body Attack, it's something I never thought of myself as but can almost see it now.) And they don't look too bad in a skirt! But I do have trouble buying pants. I'm fortunate for my tall genes and that I drank my milk as a kid!

Little Thing #43

2011-11-16T08:36:00.004-06:00

This is a picture of the white board in the breezeway leading to our basement. I see it each time I head to our home gym and I change the saying frequently. The postcard is from Amanda at Kind Over Matter, it's such a pick-me-up!

Did you know that I have lost nearly 33% (32.64%) of my body weight in the past 6 years? And almost 3/4 of that weight was in the past 2 year! This is a HUGE little thing! This is definitely something for me to keep in mind when the my weight waffles a couple of pounds. I have come a long way, it's been hard work and I've stuck with it!

Bread-free Dressing

2011-11-15T19:07:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to show off a picture of my awesome dinner from the other night. I LOVE dressing!! I love the sage, celery and onion combo. But I wanted to translate that into a healthy meal so I created this acorn squash (steamed in the microwave) stuffed with a bread-free dressing.

It's mainly broccoli stalks (I almost never throw away the stalks, I chop them up and eat them!), celery, onion, sage, garlic, pepper, salt-free seasoning, and two vegetarian sausage patties crumbled up.

I dry roasted the veggies in my cast iron skillet on the stove, then added the sausage patties and stuffed away. Yum! It's everything I love about stuffing without the bread!

Little Thing #42

2011-11-15T14:37:00.003-06:00

Here is a list for today:

Last night, our H.I.I.T. instructor was testing out a Body Attack routine on us! Hooray for more Body Attack at our gym! (I requested more Body Attack time slots in the spring schedule.)

Trying to think up a costume for the Turkey Trot this year (I usually make a new turkey hat) I came up with a brilliant plan: Pilgrim woman! I'll post pictures after Turkey Day!

Made these awesome protein muffins last night. They are super moist and do NOT have that weird cooked-whey protein texture that I often encounter when baking with protein powder.

Tofu in the George Foreman is awesome! I can't remember where I read about this first but it's super simple and makes is wonderfully textured without frying!

Little Thing #41

2011-11-14T11:56:00.003-06:00

I tried some new tasty treats this weekend. We got these Bahlsen Contessa cookies which are soft gingerbread with Dark Chocolate on the bottom. They were quite tasty, an authentic ginger flavor with a really interesting sugar crust on top of the cookies.
And I bought a package of Stroopie Stroopwafels, which are waflle/wafer cookies sandwiched with syrup in between. They taste, to me, like pecan pie! Yum!

Little Thing #40

2011-11-14T11:19:00.002-06:00

This weekend I was super-productive and got a LOT of things marked off my to-do list. I am working on an order of four corgi costumes and this weekend I got ahead of schedule on them! They are so time-consuming that I don't have them listed in my Etsy shop regularly because I can get burnt out on them so it's awesome that I am cranking these 4 out at the same time!

Recipe Contest: Breakfast Sausage Patties

2011-11-13T14:37:00.003-06:00

This is my entry for the November Attune Foods Recipe Contest. The theme is savory dishes. I've been trying to come up with the BEST recipe for vegetarian sausage patties for a while now and I think this might be it! I've tried bulgar-based patties and wasn't really thrilled with the texture but straight seitan can make for a really chewy patty. These are a combination of TVP with just enough seitan (gluten flour) to give them a bit of chew and hold them together nicely.

Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage Patties

1/2 cup textured vegetable protein
1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup gluten flour
1/4 cup Uncle Sam Original cereal
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dry onion flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne

1 egg white
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
3 Tbsps soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup

In a large bowl, add boiling water to TVP and let stand for 5 minutes. Measure all liquid ingredients in a measuring cup and stir to blend. Measure the dry ingredients into the TVP, add liquid mixture and stir to mix, kneading slightly until strands of gluten form.

Divide into 8 equal portions and flatten into patties. You can either cook them over medium heat in an oiled skillet until brown on both sides and firm in the middle or bake them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.

Store pre-cooked patties in a plastic bag in the freezer and reheat in microwave or in skillet.

Little Thing #39

2011-11-12T14:24:00.000-06:00

After trying and LOVING the Marzipan Torte at Lutz Cafe in Chicago, I have been obsessed with marzipan ANYTHING! But just straight up marzipan hasn't been hitting it for me. So I got a slice of the Princess Cake at Mirabelle in Urbana and it might be a little dangerous to have so close by! At least Lutz is miles and miles away and I won't be making excuses to drive up there, but Urbana is just a short drive (a bike ride even!). But nevertheless, this cake made my day! (Notice how I didn't manage to take a picture of EITHER of these awesome desserts. One track mind, EAT CAKE!)

Little Thing #38

2011-11-11T08:55:00.000-06:00

Happy 11-11-11!

I'm not sure why but I'm getting really excited about the holidays! Thanksgiving will be interesting as my mom is having hip replacement surgery the week before, but my sister is hosting (as usual) and I have a few surprises up my sleeve. :) Plus the Turkey Trot that morning, cross your fingers for NO RAIN, it seems to rain every year!

We don't even have firm Christmas plans yet, other than bell ringing and working the Angel Tree table, and I have a super-secret party in the works. Here's my only hint so far-it's NOT a cookie exchange since Mike and I have been working hard to loose weight (and so far succeeding!) I am in LOVE with my decor color scheme of blue and white this year and have already made new stockings and ornaments! Any suggestions for what I can do to make our red couches blend in with a blue and white color scheme?

Little Thing #37

2011-11-10T11:24:00.000-06:00

For this round of the Game On! Diet, my old habit to break is being sedentary at work. So I wear a watch that beeps at me every hour and I get up, run some stairs or walk around our company. Before I started, I wondered if people would think I was weird, walking around for no reason. BUT! If you walk fast enough and with purpose, people don't even question it! An added bonus of the walking around is that I have been making contact with MANY more coworkers each day than when I just sat at my desk and waited for them to stop for ME! I'm making it happen!

Little Thing #36

2011-11-09T08:12:00.000-06:00

Say what you will about Daylight Saving Time (my husband thinks we should completely abolish it) but waking up and being able to walk the dog in SUNSHINE was a fantastic treat! Yes it's completely dark when I get to my car to come home from work. But it's a lot easier to loaf at home when it's dark and I'd rather do my loafing in the evening than the morning!

Little Thing #35

2011-11-08T15:49:00.002-06:00

I never knew it before but I really like dancing! Recently, I attended an English Country Dance night (and dragged Mike along with me) and had a ton of fun. This weekend I went over to the Folk and Roots Festival and did some Yiddish Dance, Polka, English Country Dancing and Folk Dancing! It was such a good time. I am not big into dancing like people do at clubs or proms or weddings but dancing as a big group is A BLAST!

Little Thing #34

2011-11-07T10:35:00.002-06:00

Yoga can be a real workout, hot and sweaty, working all your muscles and making you breath hard and really stretch yourself. But the other night, yoga was just what I needed it to be, an exercise for my brain. It was so relaxing and I was able to clear my mind and focus on being present and putting thoughts to the side. Sometimes I have trouble with racing thoughts and it really helps when our instructors make suggestions during practice about how to move past that. Joelle uses her calm voice to suggest that if you're troubled with thoughts, just put them aside and don't worry, they'll be waiting for you later. Steve uses the mental image of a veil or curtain in your mind that you draw across those thoughts, they're still there but out of view so that you can focus on other things. I'm so thankful for these teachers and their instruction!

Game On! foods

2011-11-07T07:51:00.001-06:00

Very simply, here i what you CAN eat. But what kinds of things that you can buy at the grocery store fit into that? It's not as simple as looking for "No Sugar Added" on the label because that can mean it still has artificial sweeteners like Splenda in it! So here are some products that DO fit in. (And if you know of more, let me know and I'll add them!)

Tortillas/wraps: La Tortilla Factory tortillas, Kangaroo brand honey wheat pitas, most unflavored rice cakes, Flatout Light (these have maltitol, so depends on how strict you're being about sweeteners)

Cereal: You'd think rice krispies, right? No, sugar is the second ingredient! Here are some with no sugar: Grape Nuts, Fiber One (only the plain "twigs" kind), plain oatmeal/bulgar/brown rice/quinoa (add your own flavors), Uncle Sam Original Cereal, Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Original Cereal, Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereals Puffs, Nutletts (check your store's bulk bins), Original Shredded Wheat (unfrosted), Shredded Wheat n’ Bran, Kashi 7 Grain Pilaf (a hot cereal), Wheatena Toasted Wheat Cereal

These next few are a bit of a cheat so maybe ok when you're in between games: Nature's Path Corn Flakes (sweetened with fruit juice), Alpen no sugar added muesli (if you're ok with raisins), Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli (contains dried fruit)

Crackers/snacks: Triscuits, Wasa crispbreads (NOT the Crispn'Light type though), whole wheat matzo

Jam: Polaner fruit spreads

Peanut butter: It is SO hard to find a peanut butter without sugar, even the natural kinds almost all have sugar! Meijer Naturals brand is my favorite. Smucker's Natural is also generally available at local grocery stores. Our co-op has freshly ground in bulk, both creamy and crunchy. I wish we had Teddie brand around here. There are a couple of brands like Justin's and Fifty 50 that don't have sweeteners but I also prefer my peanut butter without OILS added! You can always make your own with peanuts and a food processor. :)

Condiments: mustard, some spicy mustards, vinegar, Thai Curry Paste, Tabasco sauce, some jarred salsas, spices (but watch for sugar in spice blends), extracts

Canned items: Most Hunt's tomato products (even seasoned varieties) are sugar-free, some soups from Health Valley, some soups from Imagine, some Ro-Tel tomato products

Other: About Time Whey (sweetened with Stevia), Jay Robb is Protein Powder is also Stevia Sweetened but it's even MORE pricey than About Time!

Little Thing #33

2011-11-06T10:32:00.003-06:00

The other day it rained ALL day! It was cold and a bit windy and the rain continued from early morning to well into the night. On my drive to work, I was expecting a dreary day but I noticed the fall leaves, even with the gray shadow over the area and rain beating down, were amazing! Each tree was a different color, orange, yellow, one was bright red! And when I looked at the leaves that the rain had knocked down into the yard, it looked like a picture someone would put on the computer desktop, such bright green grass with yellow and orange leaves dotting it. A special fall day!

Little Thing #32

2011-11-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

Christmas catalogs have started arriving! I love looking through catalogs. I also love window shopping online but it's much more cozy to curl up on the couch with a catalog then sit at the desk and shop online. So far, we've gotten some fun ones from puzzle and nick-nack places like What on Earth and Bits and Pieces. And I love making wish lists from the Athleta and L. L. Bean catalogs!

Little Thing #31

2011-11-04T12:08:00.001-05:00

image source

Last night at Team Strength Extreme (TSX) our instructor Wendy announced that we could look forward to Christmas TSX! Wow, I can't tell you how excited I am for that! And she asked when she should start, the week of Thanksgiving, the week after? Several of us said "Next week!" Hooray, a whole group of people of my own heart! I listen to my Christmas running playlist all year round. :)

Little Thing #30

2011-11-03T16:55:00.000-05:00

Challenges! I LOVE a challenge, with rules and prizes and scores! And this fall, I've got not one, not two, but THREE to challenge me to my max!

First up is the Game On! Diet Mike and I are doing with Angela and Jessica. There is $200 on the line, so we are taking that baby seriously!

I had already signed up for the Holiday Booty Buster Challenge, which I did last year as well. But then I saw Pile on the Miles posted on Run with Jess and had to sign up for that one too!

Little Thing #29

2011-11-02T16:49:00.004-05:00

I don't have any pictures from the dog show this weekend but here's one of Sully being extra cute! (yes, those toys are ALL HIS!)

Sully did a great job, but didn't win any ribbons. He made a major boo-boo on the same exercise twice and so we NQ'd in both Open classes. But I really am happy with his attitude and performance on everything else, he was in such a great mood all weekend and really did a super job! He's such a great dog to live with and train that I can't ever really be upset with him. He never tries to get out of doing what I tell him to. He's never just plain stubborn like some dogs (Corgis in particular). He honestly tries his best to do what he thinks you want from him and the only thing that gets in the way is fear. Sometimes his fear is just bigger than anything else and stops him in his tracks.

Little Thing #28

2011-11-01T10:41:00.000-05:00

Halloween! It's one of my favorite holidays, but I didn't go overboard with decorations this year since we weren't home all weekend. But I still enjoy seeing all the fun Halloween goodies in the stores and other houses all spooked up. My new haircut inspired my costume-Peter Pan! And something to celebrate-I got through Halloween without gorging myself on candy and caramel apples.

Little Thing #27

2011-10-31T11:16:00.003-05:00

Endorphins! This weekend I polished off more cookies and baked goods than I want to admit. I was dreading putting on workout clothes this morning (stretchy and tight-fitting PLUS jumping around=more jiggle than I want to see in floor to ceiling mirrors) BUT after Zumba was over and done, I felt like a million bucks! It felt SO MUCH better than the overly-full, sick feeling you get after eating too much and lasted far longer than the short-lived high that I get when eating sweets. I just have to remember that!

I gave myself permission to eat what I wanted last week since it was a week off from Game On!/BOdy for Life. But it got a LITTLE out of control. So this week Mike and I are playing as a team against another couple! With real stakes (money!) so this is serious for real! Go Team Z!

Little Things #26

2011-10-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'm not the bravest person in the world but we had a couple of family workdays where we painted the trim around our house's flat roof and I'm the ladder-climber of the family. Our house looks 100 times better now! But I couldn't have done it without my husband's cheer leading. He was the hander-upper, so he handed me paint, brushes and all that, moved the ladder and did a great job cleaning the brushes and steadying my nerves. We got it all done before the cold, wet weather rolled in and now we're set for winter!

Cookie Decorating

2011-10-29T12:16:00.000-05:00

I hosted my very first Drop In & Decorate event at my house! Usually I organize them at work, we get together in a conference room and enjoy some down time decorating cookies. But this month is CRAZY at work so I decided to host it at home and invite friends and neighbors in addition to my work buddies.
In total, we decorated over 200 cookies! We donate our cookies to the TIMES Center, which is a shelter and soup kitchen here in town.
I am always amazed at the creativity that everyone shows. I love getting a group together for anything creative because everyone has different ideas and talents!
Here's an action shot of creativity as it is happening.
We made short work of many dozens of cookies, and got them all decorated in about 2 hours.
After they dried, I stacked them up on big deli trays that I have our workplace save from company events. Thanks everyone for an awesome night, it was tons of fun and we churned out TONS of great looking cookies!

Little Thing #25

2011-10-29T11:37:00.005-05:00

I made a batch of these awesome protein granola bars to take and eat while traveling this week. They turned out perfect, one of the rare times that baking with whey has turned out well for me! Thanks to Becca over at Ridiculously Healthy for posting the recipe!

Little Thing #24

2011-10-28T17:13:00.001-05:00

Coming up on Halloween, so let me share some fun with you! If you haven't already seen this picture on Facebook, it's my very first Halloween costume. You can see nearly every costume I've ever worn in this flickr gallery. No picture of this year's costume yet, you'll have to wait for me to get back from the Corgi show. :) So, my little thing? I'm happy today to still have my fun, child-like spirit but to have gotten over caring what anyone else thinks! It makes costumes MUCH more fun! You can see in the gallery that in high school, there are no pictures because I was "too cool" for costumes AND I was worried about what everyone else thought of me. Not anymore!

Little Thing #23

2011-10-27T17:06:00.002-05:00

Hooray for Halloween! Today's little thing is Halloween goodies, but not the edible kind. I'm talking about all the fun little goodies online like the Spooky Workout at Tone It Up, the fun decorating ideas like the ones on my Pinterest board and all the awesome links to Halloween crafts over at One Pretty Thing, one of my most favorite sites ever!

Fall trip pictures

2011-10-26T12:01:00.002-05:00

Some pictures from our fall day! First we went to several church craft and bake sales around town. It seemed like Saturday was THE DAY for churches in town to have their fund raisers! I got this awesome brownie with candy skeleton parts in the frosting and cake crumb dirt!Then we went out the Pumpkin Patch. You can decide for yourself if these displays are worth the $5 admission fee (per person) just to look at.
A giant mound of pumpkins and gourds.
They had a TON of mums for sale, and a couple of these quilts made of mums set up around the place.
And of course a lot of little shops where you could buy things. You know, pay $5 to get in and then BUY MORE STUFF!

Had to take a picture of this hay bale turkey. It needed repainted badly but still, it's a turkey and I love my turkies!

Little Thing #22

2011-10-26T07:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I had a LOT to do before taking three days off from work. I wasn't sure it would all get done, but now I am really looking forward to a few days off from trying to keep things on track in my office! And I am really thankful for the people at work who are such good sports and can always be counted on to get the job done! Sometimes I need to remember to ask for help, but other times I don't even have to ask, the look on my face says it all. :)

Little Thing #21

2011-10-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

Mike took this week off and it's SO NICE to see him when I wake up in the morning AND when I come home at night! It's like one really long weekends! (He is normally in bed by the time I get home from work since he gets up very early. Then he comes home for his break and we have breakfast together (it's really his lunch, but my breakfast).)

We'll be taking off on Thursday to the Lakeshore Pembroke Welsh Corgi specialty and will be back Saturday. So he decided to take a week of well-earned vacation.

Little Thing #20

2011-10-24T15:13:00.002-05:00

I love fall and this weekend was particularly lovely fall weather! We went to The Great Pumpkin Patch and my suggestion for you is DO NOT waste your time on that place. The pumpkin patch is a rip-off at $5 a person to get in! And the only thing to do there is spend money!

The best part about it was the giant sugar cookie I got at the bakery and that was OUTSIDE the farm, so I didn't even have to pay admission to get in there! I was most excited about seeing their 300+ varieties of pumpkins and gourds and sell the seeds but they come in TINY bottles for $5 a pop! I did NOT end up buying any. They may have been featured on Martha Stewart, but we will NOT be making this a yearly tradition. There are so many great pumpkin patches that don't charge admission, why would you pay to go here?

So, what's my little thing? The awesome Family Health Foods Store just up the road from the pumpkin patch. They had all SORTS of odd things from flours and sugars, flavorings, tons of organic and gluten free products, supplements and cures and even produce and frozen items. I picked up bargain-priced oats, protein shake packets, sea salt and mejool dates.

Little Thing #19

2011-10-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, this little thing is from a few weeks ago but it made me smile. And it made me think. I was at an outing and had brought my own lunch. The group I was with asked me about my meal (kale and butter bean skillet toss with 2 string cheese sticks and some celery/cucumber/carrots with hummus). Of course they asked if I was vegetarian and I said yes, since I was in high school. One of the ladies said "So, you've always been thin then." And I looked at her, stunned. And I asked if she thought I was thin. I realize now that was a dumb question but I couldn't really believe that she thought that, that she didn't see the old me or even the new me AS the new me, a prior fat person. And it made me think that there are now people I know that did not ever know me at a 200+ pound person.

Sometimes at the gym I still feel the need to mention that I was quite a bit larger, that I've lost a lot and am working on loosing more. Usually I say this to other larger ladies, so they don't see me as "the other". I'm one of you! I was fat, and sometimes I still feel fat inside!

But in normal everyday situations, I realized that people probably have no real clue. It's not written on my shirt that I was fat. It was freeing to think that there are now people I know that have no reason to say "You look great, how much have you lost?" Because sometimes it's nice to hear how great you look and talk about your weight loss, but sometimes it just makes you think "Boy, was I a super ugly fatty for a long time and NO ONE SAID A WORD!??"

Little Thing #18

2011-10-22T10:51:00.000-05:00

I LOVE Music Choice channels! I've been trying to watch less tv and have the tv on less as background noise so I've started turning it to the music channels. (Yes, somehow this IS better than just having the tv on! It just feels better! And it leads to me sitting down and zoning out MUCH less, so I get things done, like reading books, cleaning the shower and getting birthday cards mailed out!) My favorite for working out is Party Favorites. That channel rocks, such a great mix of eras and styles! My favorites for chilling are Singers and Swing, Stage and Screen and (don't laugh) Soundscapes. Yes, soothing yoga class music!

Little Thing #17

2011-10-21T10:48:00.001-05:00

We have a walnut tree in our backyard. It's a nice enough tree, very old and tall and gives good shade. But then there are the walnuts! Well, the past two years have been very bad years for the tree's walnut production. This is a good thing! A very good thing! One year we had to rake and bag over 10 bags of walnuts. I remember I was out there past dark for several nights, trying to get them all raked up before the last yard waste pick-up day! This year we are at around 3 and it looks like it's almost done shedding it's big, green gifts. :) Thanks walnut tree and near-drought conditions this summer!

Little Thing #16

2011-10-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

Our Body Attack instructor, Dan, is a machine! I tend to think of him as more than human, which helps me not compare my version of the moves with his. If I needed to get something impossible done, I think I'd want him there coaching me. But just one "get those knees higher" or "push it, this is for YOU!" and I'm nearly puking and sprinting across the room and back. But don't get me wrong, I'm not at all attracted to him, he's more like a peppy fitness robot who I'm afraid to disappoint. And for that, I thank him!

Little Thing #15

2011-10-19T08:36:00.002-05:00

The Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Broad Ripple, IN posts their trivia questions each week and I print them out (when I remember) and Mike and I have trivia night. I've been saving them up for a few weeks so we can have trivia in the car on the way to and from the Lakeshore Specialty coming up. I'm not sure why I keep going back to theirs (other than that place is AWESOME!) but it always has a good mix of different topics, so check it out if you like trivia!

Little Thing #13

2011-10-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." -Albert Schweitzer

This was the Unison Chalise Lighting group reading at church on Sunday and it really spoke to me. I'm keeping it in my purse and trying to remember to not only be grateful for these people but also to let them KNOW I'm grateful!

Little Thing #14

2011-10-18T08:12:00.000-05:00

I'll start by saying I LOVE getting up and working out in the morning. It gets me going, gets the blood flowing and makes me feel like I'm accomplished even before 7 am! But today I really enjoyed not getting up and rushing around to feed the pets, get dressed, take the dog out and get to the gym by 6. Sometimes taking an evening class is fun in two ways-the class itself and the morning off it gives me. :)

Little Thing #12

2011-10-17T09:41:00.002-05:00

Size 10 jeans! Yes, they are Simply Vera with a touch of spandex. Yes, they are from a garage sale and are pre-worn in. Yes, I'm a modern woman and jean size should not even factor in to my mood. But it does! And it's making me happy today!

Little Thing #11

2011-10-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

Today I got that "special day" feeling. Some days I wake up, take the dog out into the yard and I'm hit with the feeling that today is a special day. The moon hits the bushes with a special glittering (yes, the sun isn't up yet when I get up). Sounds are especially clear and soothing. I'm reminded of years ago, waking early to prepare for a horse show. Or my muggy, moonlit morning runs of last year's Disney vacation. And even though today isn't particularly important, it feels like I have places to be or things to do that are exciting and this one calm moment in the morning moonlight is my sanctuary! Does this ever happen to you? Maybe it's just me, it only happens every once in a while but it's nice when it does, when the world takes on a special glow and hum and your normal surroundings seem new and special like a vacation retreat or Christmas morning!

Little Thing #10

2011-10-15T12:14:00.001-05:00

I am so happy for my tenacity in my garden this year. Usually I slack off around mid-July and my garden suffers but this year I stuck to it and watered a bit and kept it going. I harvested EVERYTHING, nothing went to waste! My garden is still putting out some red tomatoes, and Kale out the wazoo. I love kale! I particularly like dinosaur kale (more then the standard red Russian). I've been going out to pick handfuls and sticking it in everything from curry to butter bean bake to salads. I still have carrots and kohlrabi and even a few yellow squash waiting to be picked at just the right moment. And the herb garden needs to be cleaned out before frost comes, so I'll have dried herbs to use this winter. :)

Little Thing #9

2011-10-14T23:39:00.000-05:00

I just discovered the newest flavor of La Croix sparkling water-coconut! It is SO TASTY! There's a coupon on their facebook page for 75 cents off a twelve pack so go pick some up! (I think coconut might be "the next thing" in response to my other post. After Mars came out with Coconut M&M’s and Coconut Twix, they're now bringing out a 3 Musketeers Coconut bar.)

Little Thing #8

2011-10-13T12:19:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Originally uploaded by Corgipants

I've heard there was a good pumpkin harvest this year. So there will NOT be a shortage of pumpkin as in previous years! No more stocking up and hoarding cans of pumpkin while we can. This probably explains why every store and their MOTHER is jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon and bringing out pumpkin smoothies, lattes, baked goods, lip gloss, donuts and who knows what else. Can you tell I'm a little tired of all the pumpkin hype? It's time to move on to the next thing. (I'd better move on myself before this post about Little Things that Make Me Happy turns into a Pet Peeve post) Anway, I'm glad to have a ready supply to eat in pumpkin oatmeal and mix into protein muffins!

Little Thing #7

2011-10-12T07:27:00.000-05:00

Do you ever shop at Big Lots? I most often find myself there around the holidays, looking for gifts. But sometimes I stop in randomly and find a good deal or two. Recently, they've had a really large selection of Bob's Red Mill products! On my most recent trip I picked up Wasa crackers, whole wheat pasta, edamame snacks, and puffed brown rice and puffed wheat cereals (hooray for cereals with NO SUGAR!). Whole grains at bargain prices! You just have to avoid the candy and cookies at bargain prices while you're there. :)

Little Thing #6

2011-10-11T08:25:00.001-05:00

Microwave Potato Chips! We made these this weekend and they are SO GOOD! Nothing but a potato, sliced super thin (I used our food processor) and then nuked until they're brown and crisp. I used this website for basic instructions, but it's mainly just turning the microwave on, flipping them a couple of times and watching closely.

Little Thing #5

2011-10-10T15:11:00.001-05:00

Yaris
Originally uploaded by Corgipants

I LOVE that my car only needs filled up with gas every 3 or 4 weeks! I find standing at the pump tedious so I thankful that it doesn't require me to always be monitoring gas levels and filling it up.

Little Things #4

2011-10-10T15:09:00.001-05:00

Moss and little feet
Originally uploaded by Corgipants

Sully has been really excellent lately! We are gearing up for fall shows where we'll be entering Open and during our practice sessions he has been SPOT ON! And he's even been doing well on the car ride to and from the training club!

Little Thing #3

2011-10-10T11:45:00.001-05:00

Stewart
Originally uploaded by Corgipants

We picked up a new cat toy for Stewart and all weekend he's been looking less like this picture and more like a wild animal! He plays so well by himself, he volleys it around and has yet to get it stuck somewhere he can't get it himself. His favorite thing is to drop it into a shoe and then bat the shoe around until it pops out!

The Little Things

2011-10-07T16:11:00.004-05:00

Savvy Eats has invited everyone to post one little thing in your life that made your day better every day for 50 days, ending on Thanksgiving. We'll see if I can remember to post here each and every day.

Since I missed the very first day yesterday, today I'll be posting two!

Little Thing #1-All the hair love at work. Everyone keeps telling me they love the new 'do! A surprising number of people thought I was a new employee!

Little Thing #2-I did an awesome shoulder stand this morning during my stretch/yoga session after my workout. It was all tight abs-straight legs and pretty stable! An accomplishment!

Drink your Oats! 2 more variations of Warm Cream of Oat Pudding

2011-09-27T10:20:00.004-05:00

More porridgey pudding goodness! And this time with varying protein sources! You can vary the consistency of your pudding based on your "splash" of milk. If you want to eat with a spoon more like pudding then go with 1-2 Tbsp. If you want to drinkable oatmeal, go for about 1/4 cup.

Please note that I realize I am the blogosphere WORST food photographer. These taste WAY better than my photos! (And yes, this is my really trying to take nice photos! With the tools I have at hand: no natural light, my point and shoot camera and positively no http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifphotography skills.)

Don't miss the original Chocolate Peanut Butter recipe here.

Maple Pecan Cream of Oat Pudding (with egg whites)

1/3 cup oats (either quick or old fashioned, nutritionally they are exactly the same)
1 1/3 cup water
2-3 egg whites
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp chopped pecans
a splash of skim milk

The night before:
Combine oats and water in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute, then stick it in the fridge overnight so the oats soak up the water.

At breakfast:
Take out your bowl of oats and microwave for 2 minutes until the oats get creamy and gloppy, then quickly stir in the egg whites and microwave for another minute. Plop into blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend smooth. Serve warm in a mug or bowl, you're choice!

I left out the stevia because the maple syrup is already sweet enough.

Cinn-a-Spice Cream of Oat Pudding

1/3 cup oats (either quick or old fashioned, nutritionally they are exactly the same)
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 package silken tofu (4 ounces of firm, soft, whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp cinnamon (I like this roasted cinnamon)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend (or 6-8 drops of liquid stevia)
a splash of skim milk**

The night before:
Combine oats and water in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute, then stick it in the fridge overnight so the oats soak up the water.

At breakfast:
Take out your bowl of oats and microwave for 2-3 minutes until the oats get creamy and gloppy. Plop into blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend smooth. Serve warm in a mug or bowl, you're choice!

** Replace the milk with water and this one is Vegan Cream of Oat Pudding.

Warm Cream of Oat Pudding

2011-09-23T09:21:00.010-05:00

I swear, no one else remembers this but me but maybe 6 or 7 years ago Smoothie King used to have hot oat-based smoothies called Heaterz. The manager of the one by my house gave me the ingredient list (for the chocolate peanut butter cup variety, the one I was most addicted to): water, oat bran, peanut butter, non fat milk, Turbinado, chocolate protein blend (egg, soy, & whey) and chocolate whey protein. They also came in Banana Nut, Blueberry Muffin, Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin, and Coconut. Did I mention I was sort of addicted? They were so tasty! I always had in my mind to try and replicate them but I was nervous that it wouldn't be any good and I'd waste perfectly good oats! (I know, OATS, they're just sooooo expensive, the caviar of breakfast. NOT! Like I couldn't spare 1/3 cup oats on an experiment this important?!) So I took Katie's Voluminous Oats idea and combined it with her idea of adding tofu to oatmeal. I used tofu because I have NEVER had good luck adding protein powder to oats, every time it turns out INEDIBLE! The tofu made it super creamy. I learned all about guar gum and xantham gum from Deb and now I use my little secret ingredient* whenever I blend up a creamy delight.So here it is! My version of the chocolate peanut butter cup Heaterz. And it is DELISH! And so creamy and warm and satisfying! I think I'm going to call it Cream of Oat Pudding though, because Heaterz is kind of a dumb name. Eat it with a spoon, drink it from a mug or with a straw! It's a smoothie, it's a bowl of oats, it's like hot chocolate but more filling!Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream of Oat Pudding

1/3 cup oats (either quick or old fashioned, nutritionally they are exactly the same)
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 package silken tofu (4 ounces of firm, soft, whatever you have on hand)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tsp MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend* (or 6-8 drops of liquid stevia)
a splash of skim milk**

The night before:
Combine oats and water in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute, then stick it in the fridge overnight so the oats soak up the water.

At breakfast:
Take out your bowl of oats and microwave for 2-3 minutes until the oats get creamy and gloppy. Plop into blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend smooth. Serve warm in a mug or bowl, you're choice!

*This is my little smoothie helper, it functions as both sweetener AND the guar gum and xantham gum to make it smoothie-like. But it would be just as tasty with plain stevia (or whatever sweetener you like).

** Replace the milk with water and it's Vegan Cream of Oat Pudding.

Serving Size: the whole thang

Calories 310
Calories from Fat 125

Total Fat 13.9g

Saturated Fat 3.1g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 59mg

Total Carbohydrates 35.6g

Dietary Fiber 10g

Sugars 3.5g

Protein 16.0g

Note: For those who don't plan ahead the night before, you CAN just use quick oats, add the amount of water given in the recipe and microwave as instructed but the oats won't be quite as creamy. So no worries if you just can't be bothered to overthink your breakfast. :)

Come back next week for a post with a few more variations! Don't like tofu? One of them is made with egg whites.

Body for Life Wrap-Up

2011-09-15T17:10:00.000-05:00

12 weeks is up and my first Body for Life Challenge is coming to an end. I am the exact same weight I started at (168.8), my before and after pictures look exactly the same (I'm sparing you pictures of my in my underwear), but I definitely have increased upper body strength. I'm not yet doing a full chin-up, which was one of my goals but I'm going to keep working on that. I won't be going right into another 12 weeks but there are things I'll be keeping and things I'll be dropping from the program.

Keeping:

small meals throughout the day-I really liked this approach and it seems to be what ALL the articles and websites tell you to do!

protein at each meal-This was a struggle with 6 vegetarian meals a day, but I think it's really helped my muscle retention.

more veggies at each meal, and whole grains-BFL made me focus on the composition of each of those 6 meals so I really concentrated on getting in those whole grains and veggies. Now I'm doing it without even thinking!

increased water intake-This is another thing that almost EVERYONE says is good for you so I'll be keeping up my water bottle habit.

planning meals for the week every Sunday-LOVED pre-planning. No thinking at meals means no bad choices!

weight lifting-I'll definitely be keeping 2-3 days of strength training each week, just not strict BFL style (because those workouts were getting BORING!)

nighttime "snack" meal before bed-I used to live by the "no food after dark" rule. But this experiment proved to me that a bedtime snack (high protein, low fat) will NOT pile on the pounds!

New recipes-I fell in love with several new foods that I never would have tried before BFL (egg white oatmeal, overnight greek yogurt oats, egg muffin cakes)

Not Keeping:

strict limit on cardio-I love my classes at the gym and I missed them terribly. I've already gone back!

SO much protein (especially dairy) at every meal-I'm ok with a protein/carb like beans and soy foods so I'll be a little more relaxed with what I consider acceptable protein.

6 meals- I'm dropping down to 5 per the Game On Diet. I'm keeping my afternoon snack and my bedtime snack!

1 splurge day per week-I put way too much pressure to get it all in. I tended to go overboard, trying to fit in everything that I had wanted that week into one day/meal, leading to horrible food hangovers and that's probably why I weight the exact same, I lost and gained the same 2 pounds for 12 weeks! I'm going to splurge a LITTLE when I want to and not put so much stock in one "cheat" meal.

Scrapbooking Software Giveaway

2011-09-12T20:15:00.004-05:00

If you're a scrapbooker (paper or digital), you'll want to check out my review and giveaway blog! I just posted a really awesome giveaway!

Garden structures at Conner Prairie

2011-09-12T16:01:00.000-05:00

We visited Conner Prairie a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it! I loved all the gardens best of all, each house in this historic reenactment village has a garden with plants that reflect the owner's heritage and occupation and each one has a different design. There was a four-square garden like mine, as well as more rustic designs and some that were very tidy rows. Some had flowers and herbs as well as vegetables, most of them had a great variety of different items and each had at least a couple of the heritage varieties that they sell seeds for at the gift shop. Next year I want to grow Mouse Melons and ground cherries! I was really taken with this garden structure, which is located in the garden of the loom house. Isn't it a lovely shape?
It's all tied together with twine. I'm sure they have to reconstruct it each year.
I loved how tidy the corners were!
And here are some of their trellises, made in the same fashion. I love twig structures in a garden!

Haircut

2011-09-08T20:02:00.002-05:00

See that? I got a rather drastic haircut! It's the shortest hair I've EVER had and I'm loving it! So quick to dry, so fast to fix up with a little bit of pomade! I was going for Gennifer Goodwin but my hair has so much flippy wave that I ended up more Tamsin Greig. Which is fine by me!

This haircut is part of my Fall 2011 Take Back the Year plan! I just made that up but I really am taking back 2011, which has been all sorts of crappy so far. But THIS is going to be my season! I WILL do a chin-up! And the dog and I WILL proceed in competing in Open level obedience! And our family WILL get the trim on our house repainted before it snows!

Here's a before and after side-by-side:

And today I think I'm giving off a distinctly Peter Pan vibe. In a good way, though.

Failed yogurt=Yum!

2011-08-16T12:04:00.001-05:00

So, my last batch of yogurt failed. And for good reason, I totally had a brain fart and added my starter yogurt WAY before the milk had cooled down to 110 degrees. So fooey! I knew I could do something with it (no wasting a whole 1/2 gallon of milk for me!) so I put it all in the fridge to think it over. The next day I took it out, heated it in the microwave again and it started to curdle. Perfect! Paneer! I made delicious paneer makhani with help from this recipe.

BFL TMI (Too much info about Body for Life)

2011-08-11T11:41:00.001-05:00

I am going to be dreadfully honest here. Maybe too honest! (This post reminds me of something Charlotte would write! Which is not a knock at all, I wish I was as awesome a blogger as she is! She cracks up!) But this post is for anyone who found themselves googling things like "Body for Life betwetting" or "Body for Life bowel movements". (Please don't make fun of me, I am taking one for the team here! My confidence was bolstered by Nicole's post about her issue with #2. )

Will she or won't she?
First up, vomit! This is a two-parter. First of all, during my 20MAS interval workouts, I almost always feel like I'm going to puke at intensity level 10. Perhaps that's how you know you're at level 10?! Haven't puked yet, though! Knock on wood!

Secondly, my body seems to HATE free day! Week one I ate a large dinner and some sweets and that night I was seriously hurting. I had really bad pain just below my ribcage and was nauseous. Week two I ate a big (nasty) mexican food dinner and some sweets and the next day I was nauseous and had some bad gas pains. I had a couple of good weeks without feeling my stomach contents in my throat and then BOOM, it was back to nearly heaving after eating a lovely pizza and cupcake splurge meal.

H2O Overload
Body for Life made me pee the bed! Let me set up the situation. After drinking a TON of water with my two evening meals, I made my way toward the bathroom to do the usual pee and brush my teeth. It was chilly and I wasn't quite ready to drop my drawers so I brushed my teeth first, and out of habit I walked to the bedroom and got into bed. Yes, I FORGOT to pee. Next thing I know I'm dreaming that I'm in the bathroom and woke to find myself, yes, wetting the bed! Just a little bit! Please don't think I'm some sort of 30 year old bet-wetter! But now the rule is no water after 9:30!! If you enjoyed that story, don't miss this entire post about pee over at The Great Fitness Experiment!

Are you Human or Rodent?
So while I'm on the toilet about 6-8 times a day to pee, the other side of the coin is a dramatic reduction in number two production. Since the very first week, my "number twos" have been like rabbit droppings. (scaled up for a human-sized body, of course) I'm pooping pellets here! I'm not constipated or in pain, I've just upped my protein and eat less fluffy carbs, leading to a more succinct "end product". Now that I think about it, not only rodents poo like that. Sheep and goats and deer also have nice little BB-shaped poos (chocolate chips, as we called them on the farm).

So there you have it. Way too much information about Bodily Functions on Body for Life. If you want more bodily function talk, check out one of Charlotte's best poop-related post here!

3 Mile Virtual Race

2011-08-10T12:49:00.001-05:00

For Amanda's birthday, she hosted a 3 mile virtual race. I turned 30 this year too! It had been so long since I ran outdoors, but it was so nice and chilly out that I had no trouble deciding outdoor or treadmill. I ran this Body for Life interval style for the first 20 minutes, then just ran it at my normal pace to finish it up. It was HARD, since I'd been treadmilling it quite a bit. But it was so nice outside that it was great to get outside and breathe in some fresh air and sunlight!

Eating the Garden

2011-08-08T07:03:00.000-05:00

This year I was to try and document the use of all my garden produce. Well, so much for ALL of it, I've eaten a lot and not taken pictures. But here are some that I've managed to remember to snap. But where are all the pictures of the many salads I've eaten?! A stir-fry of veggies, including this mutant squash!
They were completely fused!
Tofu and vegetable stir-fry and a pretty cucumber and tomato salad.
Zucchini fritters (basically just egg whites and shredded zucchini, seasoned with black pepper and salt-free cajun seasoning) with feta cheese crumbles on top.
These are the overwintered carrots along with kohlrabi greens. I needed to thin the kohlrabi and couldn't bear to dump the big handful of greens in the compost so I washed them up and ate them. First I tried sauteed with garlic and they were a bit chewy. They are much better steamed!

2011 Goals Review-nearly halfway through the year

2011-08-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

#1 Add 1 deep cleaning task each week to my cleaning schedule. This is such a boring goal. But as long as I schedule them on the calendar, they get done. Laundered all the window coverings, cleaned the light fixtures, cleaned the fridge and microwave.

#2 Remember to send birthday cards. Nope, not doing so hot. I let this go last month and I think I might just be giving up. I meant to send my brother one of my cake postcards, then his birthday came and went.

~~#3 Start recycling.~~ Done! Every week we stick out paper, metal, plastic and glass out by the crub.

#4 Add strength training to break my weight plateau. Female Body Breakthrough DONE. Now I've moved on to Body for Life!

#5 Volunteer once a month. May-Food Bank re-pack and donation to Humane Society, June-Gave blood (I made my 2 gallon milestone!) July-4-H Project Expo and Food Bank repack

#6 Pay off the credit card. DONE. Well, sort of. The credit card is paid off by refinancing the car, which is saving us a LOT of money!

How are your goals for 2011 going?

Making Greek yogurt!

2011-07-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

I eat a LOT of yogurt! On Body for Life Greek yogurt is a protein (15-20 grams protein per serving) while most other non-fat yogurts are considered a carb (5 grams protein per serving). But Greek yogurt is PRICEY! So I made my own and plan to do so again and again! There are lots of recipes online and they all basically consist of the same things:

Mix your milk with any other ingredients you're using (like dry milk powder)
Heat it to about 180 F
Let it cool down to about 110 F
Mix in yogurt starter (yogurt culture or just plain yogurt from the store)
Keep it warm

I heated my milk in a glass bowl in the microwave. I didn't have to stand over a hot stove and make sure it didn't burn and using my instant-read thermometer I knew exactly when it was done!

While the milk was cooling (which took about 1/2 an hour) I turned on my crockpot (on low) and once it was heated, I turned it off with the lid on and my instant-read thermometer inside. When it was the right temperature I put my milk in and wrapped it in a blanket a la Year of Slow Cooking. With the instant-read thermometer inside, I could tell when it started to dip below 110 degrees, I'd turn the crockpot on for a few minutes and then turn it back off.

I incubated mine for 6 hours, strained it through coffee filters and made 7 containers of Greek-style yogurt from a 1/2 gallon of milk and one container of yogurt. Want to know the cost break down?

I usually pay around $1 per 5.3-ounce container of Greek yogurt (around 19 cents/ounce). Sometimes on sale and with a coupon I can get it for 50 cents but not very often.

I paid $2.19 for a half gallon of skim milk, 75 cents for the 1/5 cups of dry milk powder and $1 for my starter yogurt. Total: $3.94 for 34 ounces or around 12 cents/ounce of homemade yogurt.

What makes it an even better deal is that I no longer have to buy a starter yogurt so my next batch will only cost $2.94 which is less than 9 cents per ounce!

2011 County Fair

2011-07-26T20:27:00.010-05:00

This year's fair is in full swing and all the crafts have been judged! I'll start off with the best! My doily for this year won 1st place Crochet Tablecloth or Table Dressing and went on to win Champion Crochet Project! The judge's comments were on how even the tension was, the good use of variegated yarn and how well blocked it was. After years of completing a doily every year, I must have learned enough to get all the steps right! This is my VERY FIRST Champion in the open division so this is pretty special.
My other crochet projects included 4th place in Any Other Crochet Item with this ring toy.Bothoth 3rd place Crochet Wearable Item purple (purple baby sweater) and 4th place Crochet Wearable Item (green shawl).
And 3rd place Crochet Baby Afghan (the cream one with blue trim).
In quilted items I placed 4th in Large machine pieced and machine quilted with my Play Ball quilt (far right).
3rd place in Wall Hanging, Table Runner or Mini Quilt with the table runner on the far right
And got 4th place Any Other Quilted Item (large or small) with my brown and blue pillowcase (far right)
My nautical Santa got 1st place Holiday Ornament.
I got a 2nd place Throw or Pillow with my crochet-edged fleece throw that I learned to do at Make-A-Blanket-Day!
The judges liked my card basket made from old Christmas cards and gave it 1st place Item Made From Recycled Materials.

But so that you don't think I stole the show, I also took 9 items that failed to place at all, including my plastic canvas turkey, painted glitter holiday house, framed cross stitch picture, and cake postcard. It's a lot of skill but it's also a gamble when you exhibit at the fair. You have to guess at what the judges will like and what else will be there.

2011 IL Marathon 10K

2011-07-20T06:53:00.000-05:00

A very belated post about the 10K in April! I shaved 10 seconds off my previous 10K time! 1:05:24 It was a gorgeous day, overcast in the morning and then the sun came out. I worked the 24th mile water station for the marathon after I showered and got a touch of sunburn on my cheeks and nose, the first of the season! It's so much fun to cheer everyone on and I'm always really inspired when the day is done.

Body for Life

2011-07-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

30 days ago, I started doing the 13-week Body for Life plan. I got the book on PaperBack Swap, read it and found it sensible enough. Eat smaller meals more often, a balance of carbs and protein, mostly whole grains and plenty of vegetables! Combine that with a regimen of weight training three days a week and high intensity interval cardio sessions three times a week and it sounds like a livable plan! For the most part, it has been. One day a week is a rest day from exercise and another day is a free eats day, more then enough freedom to have some treats and pizza! I'm not going to bored you with my daily meal plans and exercise updates on his blog but I've been blogging them on SparkPeople if you want to see samples.

Reasons Body For Life is relatively easy for me:
1-I love cottage cheese!
2- I love veggies! I can't think of a veggie I don't like. (But then again, it's very hard for me to come up with a FOOD I don't like or won't eat, other than meat products.)
3-I love the control and planning! Each Sunday I write my meal plans for the whole week. I take inventory of items needing to be used up and how many meals worth are left, then I make meal plans and note items needed for grocery list. Makes it easy to shop and use up what I already have!

The workout plan is pretty much spelled out for you. I can work it around gym classes I like and fit yoga into my rest day. And I can get creative on my cardio days and either run or bike, jump rope, do an interval session from bodyrock.tv or take Zumba or Body Attack at the gym!

Reasons it is a little difficult at times:
1-As a vegetarian, my protein sources can get rather repetitive. Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, string cheese, tofu, seitan/fake meat, eggs, repeat. Sometimes it would make it quite easy if I ate grilled chicken or shrimp or lean beef, especially at restaurants.

2-I really like fruit. And BFL counts fruit as a carb, so for each meal you can have your carby item (bread, rice, etc.) OR fruit. Normally I would eat both in a "complete" meal. Of course, I'm eating twice as many meals as normal so I'm still getting all my fruit in for the day, just not alongside other carbs. So it all works out.

3-The great GOB of water you drink every day. I try really hard to drink the massive quantities requested of me. I try to fill up my 20 ounce water bottle twice in the morning and once in the afternoon. Plus water with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes I don't get in as much as I'm supposed, and SOMETIMES I drink a little too much and have to sprint to the bathroom cross-legged!

Easter Basket

2011-07-15T07:04:00.000-05:00

Before Easter I took a flower arranging class. We made a colorful Easter basket arrangement. I've never been very good at arranging flowers, I suppose because I never really learned the basics. Our instructor for the evening looked very familiar and I found out she was a fellow 4-H leader! So I told her this sad story of why I never learned much about flowers:
One year I signed up for flower arranging in 4-H. I read my project manual and decided on a wildflower arrangement in a mason jar, surrounded by driftwood and a swath of homespun fabric. Very Little House! I picked black-eyed susans and coneflowers and queen anne's lace and all sorts of lovely things. On my way to the competition I stopped when I saw some more gorgeous flowers along the roadside and added them to my collection. But when I got the flower-arranging competition, EVERY other competitor had their flowers delivered by a florist. Roses, carnations, irises, and exotic flowers were wrapped in cellophane, ready and waiting. My wildflowers were wilting already and looked homely in comparison. In 4-H flower arranging, you create your arrangement while the judges watch so I couldn't place my arrangement and run. I would have to stand there while everyone watched me try and create something out of my bundle of roadside flowers. And I just couldn't do it. I picked up my mason jar and went home. And I never tried it again. Until this year!

Herb garden and berries

2011-07-12T08:47:00.001-05:00

My herb garden is looking quite lovely, thanks to that new ring of rocks and the ample rain this spring. This is the side that faces the house, the low stuff is over here. From left to right, thyme, basil, sage, parsley, golden oregano and the tall cilantro behind that. The pot has some dill but not much, I HATE when it takes over the garden.

Then the back side, left to right:chives, green onion, catnip, and walking onions.
Next to the herb garden, along the fence, are my berries. I've already picked a handful of raspberries (this is the first year for these, I planted them last summer) and it looks like we'll have a huge crop of blackberries just like last year!The weird thing is there doesn't seem to be a lot of new canes coming up for next year! I'll be sad if I have to prune these back to near nothing because there aren't very many new canes. The raspberries on the other hand are sending up canes left and right, everywhere within a 10 foot radius! The blackberries have never been much for sending out far-reaching runners but they have always at least sent up replacements for the old, spent canes!

The sunny side of the house

2011-07-05T07:41:00.000-05:00

The sunny side of the house, the west side, is the street side. It's mainly just lawn with a Hawthorne tree in the middle. This is the side of the house where I get to change it up every year with annuals! I choose something new to plant along the driveway every year, this year it's purple alyssum. And I plant the pots on my brick patio with different color combos. These two bowls are new for this year. No one ever sits on the bench so I decided to sit these there instead! This pot, on the step to the front door, is a houseplant that I bring outdoors each summer and added some petunias to.
These pots are full of sedum and they stay outside all year long. I added petunias, sweet potato vine and fiber optic grass this year. And that tall thing is an eggplant! I had to find places to put all the seedlings I had left over so here is one of them!
Near the driveway is the birdbath and beside it is my sunny sedum patch and a couple of hen and chicks. And you can just see the purple alyssum behind the birdbath that lines the driveway.

My ultimate home gym!

2011-07-01T07:42:00.001-05:00

I love seeing people's home gym set-ups. And I've shown you mine before when it went from this to this. But it's gone another step to becoming the ultimate basement fitness center and I think it might almost be complete!

But first, we'll start the tour where workouts start, my table and chalkboard. This is where I keep my workout plans, where I put my clipboard, Gymboss, watch, lifting gloves and water bottle. I also keep some weights and kettlebell over here.This is the floor area, where I keep my bar for squats and such, where I do any type of floor exercises and I usually keep my yoga ball in the corner but it's escaped in this photo!
One of the new additions!!! My new weight bench that I got off craigslist for $25. That's right, complete with bar, weights and 2 dumbbell bars! I need a few more plates but for now this is getting the job done.
And the second big addition, also from craigslist! Our new tv! Now I have my choice of watching squirrels outside OR watching the news.
There is one more new addition that I forgot to take a picture of. It's not in the basement, because my basement has no doorways. My pull-up bar is upstairs in a doorway. We'll round out our tour with a picture of the staircase, because I actually do quite a few exercises on the stairs! You can also see where I hang my resistance bands and keep my yoga blocks. And used to use that table as my bench, back before I got my super-bargain!
Here's the whole room. Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to add a horizontal stripe to that orange wall and I feel like I could better utilize that pegboard wall for more storage than just one resistance band and my ball pump. But I can't really think of what to hang there.

June vegetable garden

2011-06-29T20:48:00.000-05:00

As I said in a previous post, I've been spending a lot of time out in the garden! Unlike some years, this year I've been keeping up with successive plantings. I replanted spinach and as long as it stays cool for a few more weeks I should get another harvest in! I planted another round of peas, transplanted some more broccoli and cauliflower, and soon I'll plant the warm-weather lettuces. Here's the kale and lettuce bed now:The soybeans and ornamental pumpkins. (These have sprouted since then.)
Tomatoes, peppers and the lone tolatillo that is HUGE! All of these plants are now really taking off, much bigger than shown here. The first round of peas are on the fence around this bed.
The squash and cucumber bed. There are zuchhini and yellow summer squash, blue hubbard, neck pumpkins and waltham butternut. All my tasty edibles! I don't like to mix my ornamental and edibles in the same bed because I've had them cross pollinate before and make NASTY TASTING squash!
Here's an overview of the whole shebang.
An my poo misfit leftovers. I had so many seedlings left over that I put them in whatever containers I could find that were big enough. So I've got eggplant, tomatoes and peppers in the courtyard, mixed in with flowers. Vegetables can be decorative.

Lilac tree!

2011-06-27T10:46:00.001-05:00

This tree in our backyard has gone misidentified too long. When we first moved in, it was frozen February and we really couldn't tell what was in the yard. But we wanted to start planning the yard and garden so I had a landscape person come out and identify the trees, shrubs and such so we could decide what to keep and what to sack. In the dead of winter, he told us this was an ornamental cherry tree. No, I realized this summer, it is a quite fragrant Japanese tree lilac! How long did I lament that the old lilac to the side of the house did not bloom once spring came around. "I wish I had a lilac!" I would say. You'd also think the smell would have given it away!Now, once it bloomed, I really should have realized that is was NOT an ornamental cherry tree. But that hasn't stopped me from calling it that for the past couple of years! Now does this look like a cherry tree to you?I planted this little bed of hostas and ribbon grass around it's base and it looks quite nice. Now I'll celebrate it, the lilac that I wanted for so long and it was staring me in the face each spring!

lincoln

2011-06-25T10:51:00.000-05:00

We took a little trip to Springfield, IL to see Lincoln's home, and the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. That place was awesome! I was worried it might be a bit boring but it was really well-designed and really, very interesting. This is me in front of Lincoln's home.

Making seitan

2011-06-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

With encouragement from a friend, I made my first batch of homemade seitan! It was so easy and so tasty! My next batch will be breakfast sausage flavored, for tasty breakfast sandwiches AND I love using sausage in my pasta dishes!
First you mush the wet ingredients with the wheat gluten. When it's all mixed together (takes 1 minute, tops) it looks like this, a spongey blob.
Then you wrap it in foil, like so. I am going to make some of the breakfast sausage into little links, wrapped up in foil individually.
After steaming and then baking, it comes out all nice and brown and meat-y!
And here it is sliced up. I like it really thinly sliced. Or chunked up like steak tip-sized pieces for salads and such.

What do you do when your dad dies?

2011-06-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

My dad passed away last week. It was both sudden and expected. It was sudden because he had just been diagnosed with lung cancer that spread to his brain about a month ago. But things were already looking grim and progressed rapidly, before long he was in hospice care at home. So now what do I do? The day he died, a very good friend told me to do whatever felt right, what ever I needed to do for me. Not what I thought was normal (cry in bed all day? wear black?) or what someone else told me would help. And that has been invaluable advice. I did a lot of my crying while he was still alive, adjusting to the idea that this was happening. I am thankful for the days when he was still coherent and said what he needed to say and was reassured that he had done his best and that we would be ok. Now that his journey has ended and things have quieted down, what have I been doing?

Whistling-I remember my dad whistling every day. When he was getting ready for work, when he was working in the garage or walking to get the mail. So I'll always whistle and think of Pop.

Eating-Not the best way to cope but I'll admit it, for a few days I ate as a comfort. Dougnuts, pizza, mac and cheese, ice cream. But since then I've been eating more rounded meals. A dear friend brought us a complete summery picnic meal that really brightened up the day!

Eating rhubarb jam-My dad loved rhubarb. Rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb jam. So I'll always grow rhubarb.

Gardening-I remember my dad seemed to be able to take sweltering temperatures, maybe because he was skinnier than my mom and I it was easier on him. He greatly preferred to be outside even when it seemed FAR too hot to me. So I've been gardening, despite the high temps, not only to stay busy but to experience the heat and remember. The heat and humidity outside is like a comforting blanket. Generally, I'd be sitting in the shade but working up a sweat seems to be what feels best right now. My vegetable garden looks better than it has in years with all the weeding I've been doing. I'll take some pictures to post sometime.

Working-My dad was a hard worker, at home and at his job. I didn't want to take days off from work because I knew I wouldn't know what to do with myself at home. Dad liked to stay busy and so do I. I'm sure to some people it seemed odd to come back so soon but those who know me were not surprised, they knew I would want to keep active and engaged.

Working out-I took a couple of days off from exercise because I got a tetanus shot that made lifting my arm nearly impossible but after that I got back into my routine. I've been known to spontaneously burst into tears during a workout when otherwise my life is peachy. (Endorphins? Stress?) So it wasn't odd for me when in the middle of challenging set of Front Planks With Alternate Reach I burst out into tears. And it felt good.

Sharing corny jokes on Facebook-Some of you might have seen Monday's tribute posts, full of hilarious bad jokes! And lots of my friends shared their own terrible jokes as well. Dad was funny, he had a quirky sense of humor and recited limericks and funny little songs.

Being silent-I've been finding comfort in quiet, mainly outside in the yard or at a park. I can't say I've really been doing any deep thinking, just enjoying scenery and resting my mind. The past few weeks we had SO much to think about, it's nice to just NOT think.

Talking to others about their experiences-I felt so lonely at first because I couldn't think of any of my friends who had lost a parent. One thing that really comforted me early on was when people would share their own experience loosing a parent or just mention that they had. It's terrible to think about but everyone has parents and goes through this at some point. Keeping that in mind (I know, though, what a horrid thought.) really helped me.

Spring Garden

2011-05-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was kind of chilly here in central IL, but the gardens are taking it in stride. The vegetable garden is shaping up, though the rain this weekend kept me from getting a few tasks done. The shade garden in the courtyard is looking lovely. All the hostas that I divided last fall are filling out. The allium is blooming. The clematis is just starting to bloom, and there a TON of buds on it, it will be a show-stopper this year!
My all-time favorite flower, the irises are blooming. This clump needs divided, but I'll wait until their done blooming so as not to disturb them.
New this spring, the rock border around the herb garden came from my parent's farm. When you live in the country, rocks are SUCH a nuisance and there are always a pile of them that have been picked out of the ground. But when you live in town, it seems rocks are few and far between. And I'll be darned if I'm going to BUY rocks at a garden center!My newest project was a prayer flag banner for the veggie garden! I made the prayer flags and sewed them together into a vertical banner that I tied onto a pole. Here's a better view of the flags.And here's what it looks like fluttering in the garden. You can see the lettuce, spinach, kale and kohlrabi in the SE corner behind it.
I've joined this Prayer Flag Swap and I think I'll string those up and swag them on the fence that the peas grow up!

Cake postcards

2011-05-16T07:04:00.012-05:00

In my last post I mentioned making faux cake postcards and I'm finally getting around to blogging them! They are made from pink rigid foam (like the kind you nail up in basements for insulation), spackle, paper and paint.
First you cut the insulation into a wedge shape and glue a piece of paper to one large, flat side. Then paint the other large side the color you want your cake.
Then spackle the top and wide edge with "frosting". You can tint the spackle with paint if you want, or add glitter "sprinkles"! When it's dry you'll need to seal it. I use spray-on finish spray.The paper side will be what you write on and place your stamp on. I've successfully mailed this for around $1.50.

2011 Goal Review (a little overdue)

2011-04-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

So, it's almost May! Time to look at how those goals are coming along.

#1 Add 1 deep cleaning task each week to my cleaning schedule. I washed out all the wastebaskets one week (YUCK!), washed some more baseboards and gave the bath tub a DEEP scrub. Next up-washing windows, room by room! And some garage and porch clean-up for spring.

#2 Remember to send birthday cards. I made and sent my first faux cake slice postcard for a friend's birthday! (It's like this, but homemade.)

#3 Start recycling. Recycling is going great! Earth Day is Friday and we can celebrate relatively guilt free!

#4 Add strength training to break my weight plateau. Phase 4 (Fine-Tune) starts this week! BUT in preparation for the 10K this month I have been doing a little TOO much cardio and not enough strength training to break through the plateau. My weight hovers between 164 and 170 for each Wednesday weigh-in.

#5 Volunteer once a month. March was a little low on volunteering, I folded newspapers for the Humane Society, attended 4-H Superintendent training (which I don't really count so you know I'm searching for things to include) and gave blood. In April, I participated in that great teddy bear event, 4-H Dog Training started (every Monday until mid-July) and repacked food at the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

#6 Pay off the credit card. Since January, we have been making $1000 payments each month. That roof will be paid off within the year!

March/April Highlights

2011-04-19T17:52:00.007-05:00

What have I been up to? I'll tell you in reverse chronological order!

Last week we both took vacation time to visit Wisconsin relatives! Here's my strong man, at the Houdini exhibit at the Appleton History Museum. (Wearing a Hulk shirt, very appropriate!Before that, I volunteered at a wonderful event that helps people make teddy bears using the clothing from a lost loved one. This was my second time helping out and it is such a great experience. My first time, I was a little nervous and wasn't sure I'd want to do it again, but after we were finished I knew I'd go back! Here are two of the bears I helped make, the clothing was from a young girl who passed away in an accident and her sweet older brothers were making bears to keep and one to surprise their dad with.
Before THAT, I participated in this year's Edible Books Festival! I made a spiced plum cake and frosted it to match the cover of On the Banks of Plum Creek. I called it On the Banks of Plum Cake.I didn't win anything but there were so many fantastic-looking entries! It was fun to go see them and taste them! See them all here.And before THAT, I participated in a yarn bombing for a downtown arts festival. We all made 8"x12" blocks and then they were displayed on the fence which surrounds a pit where a building burnt down. I made two crochet blocks and forgot to take pictures of them! But here are just a few.

Penguin in the Park 2011

2011-04-10T19:05:00.009-05:00

Somehow the race photographer missed me again this year! So no triumphant happy, smiling nearing-the-finish-line photo of me from this race. But you can see me at the start! When I did make it to the finish line, I placed 240th out of 451 people!Due to a bit of a wardrobe quandary (wear gloves or no gloves?), I was running a bit behind schedule and by the time I got to the start I didn't want to butt into the front area so I got in back. So when the air horn sounded, I was stuck behind quite a few slower-moving people. In this first picture I'm stepping up the curb into the grass to cut around.I'm not afraid of running in the grass. In fact, I quite like it as long as it's not wet!Run, run, run in the grass! Uh, oh! Tree! Back onto the road. You can see here that I decided yes to the gloves! Good choice!Still behind people, what's up with that?!Eyes closed, jamming out to The Ting Tings.

Goings On

2011-04-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest picture of the quilt I posted earlier. I think it's really....ugly. My mom suggested adding appliques in the blue squares because they seem so blank. But now I think that might make it too busy, since I used a busy cheater print for the borders. Ugh!

Other than this ugly quilt, I planted peas and took the dog in to have his teeth cleaned. Poor boy had to have two teeth removed. I am glad I took him in this year, I would never have known they were infected! Did he show any signs at all, reluctant to eat? A Corgi, reluctant to eat? NO WAY! Here he is showing off his shiny teeth!
Oh and I trimmed the dogwood. I think it makes a fine addition to the dining table!

Carrots

2011-04-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

I've started prepping the garden, aerating and fertilizing, re-edging to keep the grass out and such. And I dug up the last of the overwintered carrots. I didn't think I had left very many because I did a big dig in October before the ground froze solid. But I dug up over 4 1/2 pounds! I made Baked Grated Carrots (a recipe from An Oregon Cottage, a blog I have really been enjoying lately!) and Cranberry Cashew Biryani from this cookbook which had a surprising amount of carrots in it! Hooray for gleaning! Which, as I learned from watching Lark Rise to Candleford, is also known as leasing (pronounced lee-zing).

Lark Rise

2011-03-31T09:31:00.004-05:00

I LOVE period dramas! A Sunday evening with a cup of tea, a cat on my lap and some Masterpiece Classic is my idea of heaven. I watched and loved the Cranford series, Emma, Northanger Abbey, The Diary of Anne Frank, Little Dorrit, and Downton Abbey. I even liked Any Human Heart, which is a bit of a departure for me. (And now I am obsessed with the name Land.) And now I am really enjoying Lark Rise to Candleford, but I'm on the fourth and final season! What shall I do? I tested out Tess of the d'Urbervilles and found it to have TOO MUCH drama for me! I have seen Lark Rise called "syrupy rustic hokum" and that suits me just fine. Cranford was also a marvel of scenery, costumes and fun characters without the worry of deep plots and troubling stories.

To prevent me from having some serious Lark Rise withdrawal, I have these on the Tivo waiting for me (thanks for my wonderful husband)
North and South
Wives and Daughters
The Buccaneers
The Indian Doctor
Land Girls
Perfect Strangers

And coming up on Masterpiece!
Upstairs Downstairs
South Riding

So hopefully I'll have my Sunday nights set for a while!

The Cranford series of books is available via Project Gutenberg so I think I'll take to reading it now and then as well.

I hear there is a recipe book too! I love making dishes that are featured in my favorite books and shows! Like Dorcas Lane's Plum Loaf!

Of course, I also like making crafts like the ones I see in these great shows! In Cnadleford, I kept noticing their wonderful shawls and sontags! I think I'll make this one (it reminds me of one from an episode I watched last night, with really large looping lattice on the edges) and this one (I'll be Emma Timmins, in my garden, wearing my sontag!)

Table runner

2011-03-30T19:11:00.000-05:00

Another project! This is a table runner for me. I'm to the binding now, just stitching the back by hand so it's nice and finished, I'll probably take this to the county fair. This is supposed to be the City Windows Runner but I forgot the sashing! So it's....my own take on city windows. :)

Penguin in the Park 5K

2011-03-28T19:07:00.003-05:00

What may very well be a PR (personal record) for the 5K, my time was 31:08! It was below freezing, but at least it wasn't snowing! The after-party was great, last year I skipped out but I'm glad I got to go this year. This is such a well-run 5K!

Another Ball Quilt

2011-03-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

I've finished squares for another ball quilt like the one I did for Make-A-Blanket-Day. In fact, I started this one ON MABD! I figure this one can go to the fair and then to Project Linus. It's made with left overs from the Pampered Pooch quilt. Which is one I took to the fair last year. I hope they don't get tired of the seeing the same fabrics!

Spring Planting

2011-03-19T18:30:00.000-05:00

As in past years, I started my seeds indoors! It's so nice to see little bits of green poking through, caring for them each day and knowing that we'll hopefully get a bumper crop of tomatoes with all the varieties we started this year!This year I increased my setup with another aquarium hood light! Thank you, Habit for Humanity Re-Store! Here's the breakdown of the trays:
13 x Paste Tomato from Daniel
15 x Yellow Tomato (probably Nebraska wedding but can't be certain)
18 x Red Zebra Tomato
12 x Beefsteak Tomato
27 x Red Fig Tomato
27 x Santa Fe Pepper
27 x Green Bell Pepper
12 x Basil (regular and Globe)
24 x Rosa Bianca Eggplant
4 x Brussels Sprouts
13 x Listada de Gandia Eggplant

And I'll be starting parsley, cucumber and more brussels sprouts a little later on. Do these numbers sound crazy? I sell all my extras to co-workers so no worries about wasted plants. :) I can only fit a fraction of these into my garden but if I have the space, I might as well start as many as I can!

Bunny pin

2011-03-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

Just in time for spring, this little guy is about 3 inches long and he's a pin. It's a Mill Hill beaded cross stitch kit (my favorite!) that I found at a garage sale. I finished him up in no time flat!

Crochet edge fleece

2011-03-15T18:12:00.001-05:00

A very nice woman at Project Linus Make-A-Blanket-Day taught me how to crochet an edge on a fleece blanket! I had bought the Skip-Stitch blade quite a while ago but never got the courage to use it. Make a Blanket Day gave me incentive because we had a LOT of double-layer fleece blankets donated and the hospitals won't take those. So we had to cut them apart and then do something with them! This is one of them that I put a fluffy crochet edge on, isn't the doughnut fabric adorable!!

Birthday Badges!

2011-03-10T18:18:00.004-06:00

It's a big birthday for me this Sunday, the big 3-0! I'm so excited, we're taking a trip to Indianapolis for the day! I made myself a new birthday badge to wear for the occasion.The pink on is from previous years but I wasn't feeling pink this year. I was feeling BIRTHDAY COLORS! I also made a birthday balloon wreath for the front door! I used the instructions here.

Meringues

2011-03-07T18:49:00.002-06:00

I always thought I hated meringues. I thought they were dry and bland and not worth eating. But I couldn't actually tell you what they tasted like. In fact, I don't think I'd ever tried them! I made these cocoa-almond meringues this weekend and they are FABULOUS! They melt in your mouth and are so airy and delicate! I want to shout to the world, I love meringues! (Even though they look like dog doo.)