Sneaky Attempt #1: Pumpkin & Spelt

The picky eater—he loves banana muffins. And I happened to have canned pumpkin in my pantry. And some spelt flour in my fridge. So, I gave pumpkin bread, in the form of muffins of course, a go.

Problem was I had never made pumpkin bread in my life. Crazy I know. What’s a girl to do when she wants to make something she has no recipe for? Why go to allrecipes.com for sure. I do love that site as you will soon see. Here’s the recipe I used:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/downeast-maine-pumpkin-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=pumpkin%20bread&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Here’s the part I always love about the comments in recipes on this site (and I’m sure on other recipe sites). The people NEVER make the recipe as is and you end up with this laundry list of changes. Well, folks, I am not exception. Here’s what I did a little differently:

• Used 3 eggs because all I had were jumbo eggs and I thought 3 would be plenty
• Cut the oil in half and added 1/2 cup of natural applesauce to make them a little healthier
• Only used 2 cups of sugar because oh my goodness 3 cups freaked me out
• Cut the flour to 2 cups and added 1 1/2 cups of spelt flour to add some protein and fiber
• Added 1 teaspoon of vanilla because that’s how I roll
• Omitted the ground cloves only because I didn’t have any and I wasn’t making a trip to the store to get it
• Baked them for 20 minutes because I made muffins instead of loaves of bread

I know, I know the sugar. It’s a lot even cutting it by a cup, but in my mind I balance it out with the extra fiber, protein, and vitamin A he is getting. Maybe I’m delusional but whatever.

The verdict? Both boys loved them and so did hubby and I. I froze several of them too. I’m a big fan of freezing bread. Definitely making this again. I think I’ll try to sneak in some pureed sweet potato next time too. Think I could get away with that?

I’m Back! And I’m on a Mission

Let’s not even discuss the fact that it has been FOR.EV.ER. since I last blogged. Or maybe we should. I’m pretty sure I can sum it up by saying two things. 1.) I’m pretty sure 24 hours is not actually 24 hours anymore. You know, the way a half gallon of ice cream isn’t really a true half gallon anymore? And time, it’s just moving faster the older I get and the older these munchkins get. 2.) The other reason I quit got sidetracked with the blogging thing? I felt like I had nothing else to say. I ran out of words. But now I am on a mission. And I have a lot to say.

My mission? To get my family and I eating healthier.

Now, this eating healthier thing isn’t a huge problem for my husband and me. We both like to try new things and don’t mind experimenting. In fact I already have a couple of new favorite recipes that we LOVE that I’ll be sharing. We are really working on lifestyle eating changes. Like turkey burgers or teriyaki chicken sandwiches instead of hamburgers. More veggies and less meat kinds of things.

Now getting the boys to eat healthier? That’s a-WHOLE-nother story.

***insert hilarious, uncontrollable, rolling on the floor cackling here***

Sweetie Pie will sometimes try new things with a little lot of coaxing. The hubs gave him a talk about using his “open-mind” to try new food and to my amazement it actually worked. Go figure. If I had been the one talking, it would have gone in one ear and out the other. All hail kind dad! But I digress.

Boogaboo—where do I even start? He is my picky eater. And that is the understatement of the century. Let me list what he’ll eat. It’s okay. You can keep reading. It is a VERY short list.

Yogurt
Bananas
Crackers
Pizza
Cheese
Corn Dogs
PB & J
Pancakes
Cereal
Pop Tarts
Chicken Nuggets
Hot Dogs
Baked Beans
Spaghetti (Apparently not anymore)

That’s it. We make sure he gets his vitamins because, hello? Not a whole lot of nutrients there. So, I made a decision. I’m going to hide yummy, nutritious veggies and fruits in food. Deceptive? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely. (See the above list.)

Here’s my plan. I am going to try new recipes and share the results with you guys. Surely I am not the only parent out there who has picky eaters at home. If the result is good, I’ll even share the recipe. I’m helpful that way. Sometimes these will be recipes I have “hidden” fruits and veggies in, and other times they’ll just be recipes that the hubs and I (and maybe Sweetie Pie—fingers crossed) are eating to be more healthy. and recipe might be a term I’m using loosely. Sometimes “instructions” might be a better word.

It’s going to be a journey folks. Probably an imperfect one. And I’m starting now.

Jami

PS—Boogaboo just ate pumpkin muffins made with spelt flour! Hello Vitamin A and fiber.

Shrinky Dink

Apparently I have been focusing too much on the wrong numbers…the scale. Which hasn’t been all that encouraging.

I was getting dangerously close to popping out of my size 16 pants when I first started this journey back in May. According to the scales I’ve lost a total of 17 pounds; however, I knew my clothes where getting looser. I didn’t realize just how loose until I broke down and went to buy some new jeans today since nothing fit anymore.

Look what size I bought!

Yes. Those are a size 12! This is the number I should be paying attention to apparently. So, even when the scales aren’t moving, the muscle building is totally paying off. And just to show you they really do fit…

What have I learned from this? While I will still be looking at the scale, I have learned to focus on the way my clothes are fitting.  I do want to lose weight, but one of  my new goals is to be in 10 by the end of the summer.

McFatty Monday—1/17/11

Last Monday was the day for me. The day I woke up and told myself I was really getting back on the wagon to being healthy. And this time I meant it. Unlike the 13 other times I told myself that during the holidays. So, without much planning, I got up, started South Beach, & went to the gym. And I have been faithful for a whole week, which, sadly, is good for me.

Really? This right here is how I still feel. In addition to all of that info, I have since found out my cholesterol & triglycerides are high. Not so high that I have to be on medicine, but still too high. So, we’ll now add that to the list of goals. Get those lowered.

Big Picture Goals: 

1) Lose 40 pounds
2) Run a 10k in April
3) Bike 50 miles with hubs by the end of June
4) Make healthy eating my lifestyle.
5) Get my cholesterol & triglycerides to a normal range without medicine.

This weeks tabs:

1) Weight Loss/Gain: –7.0 pounds. 33 more to go.

Next week’s goal: Loss as much as I can because once I start phase 2 the weight loss will decrease.

2) Exercise: I ran this week, & it felt awesome! I hadn’t really run since the holidays. I had been to the gym & worked out, but I had been doing aerobics classes for the most part. This week I really ran again. I forgot how much I love it. Man, I got in the zone on the treadmill Friday and did 3.2 miles before I knew it. This week I ran a total of 8 1/2 miles. I did pilates once & lifted weights once.

Next week’s goal: Complete a long run of 3 1/2 miles. Pilates twice. Weights 3 times.

3) Diet: I started back on phase 1 (which only lasts 2 weeks) of South Beach last Monday. After losing 15 pounds last fall, I gained 6 back over the holidays. Prior to that I was somewhat following South Beach & doing well. So, I jumped back on the wagon. I started on phase 1 because of the amount of weight I need to lose. And, just as importantly, phase 1 gets rid of the the cravings for sweets and bad carbs. Added bonus of phase 1? You lose a crap-ton of weight in the first couple of weeks. It  gives you a jump start. That being said, I have been eating a lot of lean meat & veggies this week. A lot. No carbs. No fruit. (Those come back in phase 2.) Results? I feel great. Cravings for sweets & bread are greatly diminishing.  I even resisted pizza tonight!

Next week’s goal: Continue phase 1 for 1 more week.

4) Beverages: I have probably tripled my water consumption this week. I’d say I drink a minimum of 64 oz each day. But, the TRULY AMAZING THING??? I have ONE, yes ONE Diet Dr. Pepper this ENTIRE week. And that was in lieu of the wine I really needed that afternoon. Besides water, I have had tea—both hot & iced—and coffee with Splenda & a splash of milk.

 Next week’s goal: No cokes. None. Cut them out completely.

So, week 1? Let’s just say I am very pleased. I want to kick it in the rear again this next week to get the most out of this jump start. That’s what is motivating me right now—getting the most bang for my buck before the weight loss slows down like I know it will & as it should.

Wish me luck! Who else is doing this McFatty Monday thing too? Let’s cheer each other on!

In Which I Get Back on the Horse

I will begin linking up with McFatty Monday posts all over the world of blogging as I get back on the horse to get healthy & comfortable in a bathing suit.

And, yes, I realize today isn’t Monday, but I wanted to post a Happy Birthday to my Sweetie Pie this past Monday. So, here I am doing my McFatty Monday post on a Thursday. I’m cool with that & I think you guys are too. If it helps, I wrote this on Monday; just posting it a little late.

I started this mission back in July, lost about 15 pounds, & really started getting in the workout habit. Then the holidays & colder weather happened. I’m still down 10 pounds from my original weight, but I have gained 5 back. And now had to my post back in July that I now know my cholesterol & triglycerides are too high. I need to lose weight & get healthy.

So, here we go. Back on the horse starting today.  I WILL be swimsuit—not swimsuit model—ready this summer.

• I will workout at least 4 times a week.
  
• I will run at least a 5k this year. (I’d really like to run a half marathon, but that seems like such a stretch right now.)
  
• I will only eat ONE cupcake at Sweetie Pie’s birthday party Saturday.
  
• I will drink 64 ounces of water each day.
  
• I will eat no more than 1300 calories each day.

Please hold me accountable. I need it. I’ll post every week (Yes, usually on Mondays) about my progress.