Recharge Time...

Lost in an absolute flurry of e-mails these days.  No less than 40 per day! OH MY!  That's about 30 past my preferred limits, lol.  The things we do for love...

Desperate to recharge my batteries, this baby packed a punch!

Pack-A-Punch

Blend:
1 cup spinach with 1 cup almond milk
Get out all the bumps and lumps and blend until smooth.

Add:
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup strawberries (I used frozen but fresh is fine)
2 Tbsp flaxseed
1 tsp sweetener of your choice

Blend, enjoy, recharge! 

Or no purpose at all...

Insomnia, my evil, evil mistress.  Maybe you have no purpose at all.  Other than to keep me awake.  And CRANKY. OY.

Edgy Mommy here today I say.  On edge all weekend letting things that should not bother me get to me. Ack.  We sure are hard on ourselves.

Scale was down again this week (ok, that's a plus!) but I'm also seeing the fruit and veggie prices go back up.  C'MON!! It's not even August yet!  Alas, I am following the sales and buying only what I need, when I need it. Waste not, want not.

Raspberry Banana
Seems simple enough, doesn't it?  The combination tickles the senses!

1 cup raspberries
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk
100g raspberry Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp flax seed
Ice as needed  Blend, blend, blend

Blend on my friends and I DO hope you are resting well.  An important part of weight loss, lost on me!!  Sweet dreams!

It Would Appear Insomnia Has A Purpose....

1:26am - head is swimming with things-to-do, things-to-see, things-to-sort.  Ack.  Do you suffer from insomnia?  It's a really troublesome affliction of mine that comes (too often) and goes (not often enough) without rhyme of reason.  Not fun.

Will get a head start I suppose at planning my day tomorrow and of course, my meals.  I made a delicious veggie lasagna last night but sadly forgot to photograph it!  I KNOW!  Bad me!  The ENTIRE PAN was around 6 points!  Umm..yeah!

Veggie Lasagna

1 small eggplant
1 large zucchini
2 fresh tomatoes
1 med onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
4 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 large can tomato sauce

1. Start by slicing eggplant and zucchini into thin slices (I used my mandolin)
2. Fry onions and mushroom in cooking spray until soft
3. Slice tomatoes

Layer in a lasagna pan in the following order;

a) Coat bottom with thin layer of tomato sauce
b) 1 layer  eggplant
c) 1 layer zucchini
d) 1 layer tomatoes
e) 1 layer tomato sauce
f) 1 layer of cottage cheese
g) Top with mushroom/onion mixture
h) 1 layer  eggplant
i) 1 layer zucchini
j) 1 layer tomatoes
k) 1 layer tomato sauce

Top off with parmesan cheese, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40-60 minutes.  GREAT reheated and hits the spot!  Eat it without feeling guilty.  Enjoy!

On The Fly!

What a bad blogger I have been!  CRAZY busy times and absolutely LOVING it!  I long for these types of days/weeks, I cannot lie.  Nothing I love more than decorating the world!

But since I have been so neglectful with the blog I will post two recipes today!

Spinach Dip.  I LOVE spinach dip.  But the recipes we often find online or have been making for years are full of nasty fats.  Well no more!

Low Fat Spinach Dip

Ingredients needed:

1-10 oz container of frozen chopped spinach – defrost and squeeze out all the juice

1- 5 oz cans of sliced water chestnuts – dice into small pieces

1 -  8 oz container of 1% cottage cheese – blend with a handheld blender or in a traditional blender until smooth and creamy

1 packet ranch dressing

After completing the above tasks, mix well, eat, and enjoy! No baking or cooking needed.


Watermelon Frost
 

1/2 cup frozen watermelon (in large diced cubes for easy blending)
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup coconut water (or plain water)
*add slowly as needed to get blender moving – add more if needed
1/2 banana
1/2 lime, squeezed
1-2 tsp honey (to taste)
ice optional

Blend in high speed blender – add ice for a frostier sip. Serve.


That may be as good as I get today :-)  Be healthy and be kind.  Take care xo

Baby It's....

Hot outside!  I've always disliked it when people state the obvious but I'm making an exception today cause "BABY!  It's hot outside!"  Which is also a good thing cause it's perfect smoothie weather! 

It's been an emotional week.  Very emotional and I won't get into it out of respect for the person who went through it but I am THRILLED to say everything is going to be JUST FINE.  HUGE sigh of relief.

I was good though and didn't succumb to the normally prevalent emotional eating so I am really, really happy about that.  Progress.  Yes. But in all honesty I would have eaten an entire cow and the whole cheesecake factory to make sure she would have been ok.  Not necessary however, all is GOOD ;-)

On the smoothie front, fell across this gem yesterday and just HAD to share:

Credit: Raw For Beauty

Sweet Summer Smoothies! For the bottom, blend 2 bananas, 2 nectarines, 1 mango, and water and ice as needed. For the top blend 1 cup Cherries and 1 cup blackberries. Toss in some chopped strawberries for added sweetness!

Isn't that beautiful?!  Off to buy nectarines to get this beauty into motion.

Enjoy your day, stay cool and be good to yourself xo

Bored. Bah!

8:46pm on a Sunday night.  What to do? Zilch, nil, nada, nothin'.  Good news: Had a fabulously relaxing weekend, stayed true to myself and the plan (woot!) but now I am chockfull of energy and have nothing to do, lol. Bah!

I must share breakfast however because it was FABULOUS!  I was on the run and not feeling overly inspired but then, it hit me!  Grab a little this, a little that, cross your fingers, blend and enjoy.  It worked out well!  Not sure what to call this gem (will DEFINITELY be doing it again) so if you can suggest a name for it, please share!

Not Sure What To Call This Gem

1/2 cup frozen mandarin oranges
1/2 cup frozen black cherries
100g Liberty Greek Lemon yogurt
1 cup coconut water

Blend & blend.  This was beyond good.  Borderline out of this world.  Really.  Try it!

My MIL brought me back all kinds of fabulous olive oils from her recent trip to Italy.  Cannot wait to try them.  AND they come with little spritzers.  Isn't that awesome?!  No chance of overusing them, spilling them or just plain old puttin' too much on.  Love it!  Truffle, fig, balsamic, berry infused GEMS.  Will post a pic tomorrow.  Sexy looking too.  WOOT!

So here's a question?  How many of you are doing the old WW plan like me?  I'm asking because if you are not and want to try it, I'll post the links to get you all the info you need.  Just let me know and I'll work on that this week. Ok?  I just love it and could never imagine switching it up at this point but that's me.  Do what works for you.

Be kind, be safe, get blendin'.  Until tomorrow....

Wake-Up Call

7:00am - Already been up 2.5 hours and I'm in coffee overload.  Another jam packed day on the design front then a basketball tournament starring my little one.  NEED BOOST.

Wake-Up Call

1/2 cup frozen pumpkin
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
100g Liberty 0% Pineapple Greek Yogurt
1 cup Coconut Dream Milk
Large dose Cinnamon
Water, to thin

Blend, blend, blend.  This is a THICK one if you are using frozen pumpkin and pineapple.  If using fresh, you'll need ice and not water to get that delicious smoothie consistency.

This is chock-full of goodness and will tide me over easily until lunch time (homemade pea soup!)

Weigh-In this morning: Lost a respectable .6lbs.  Woot!  Have a greeeeeaaat day folks!  Do something special, just for you ;-)

Wake-Up Call

 

 



Batching - 2

Batch cooking continued after I left you.  AND I realized I forgot to show you last night's dinner.

Fajita Chicken Salad

Bed of lettuce, Spanish onions and fresh tomatoes
Top with 1/2 cup of 1% cottage cheese
Add 4 oz chicken breast (cooked in salsa spices and shallots)
Add a dollop of salsa and 3 Tbsp grated cheddar.

This was very filling but more importantly, SATISFYING.  So good.  Try it, you'll love it!


I made up a large batch of "Cream" of Carrot Soup as well.  Pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to turn carrots into a creamy, light and delightful soup.  And could not be easier.  Really, I winged it.  But winged it successfully!

"Cream" of Carrot Soup

6 cups water
1 large bag of baby carrots
Boil, boil, boil.  Don't be shy.  Boil down until only 2 cups of water are left (approximately).

Add:
4 cups of chicken or vegetable bouillon
Mix

Scoop out contents a little at a time and blend.  It should be well blended with only a few pieces of carrots interspersed. 

Add:
Garlic and/or garlic powder to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1 cup Coconut Dream milk (this is what makes it creamy and delicious!)

Mix thoroughly and enjoy.  This made approximately 5 servings and I can't wait to eat each and every one of them!  DELISH!

I topped it off with a pinch of lemon dilly seasoning and orange zest to "pretty it up".
Bonus: The entire pot is only 1.2 points! LOVE it!

Cream of Carrot

 

 

In a fit of despair...(where is it? why can't I find it? I know I have it...) I also took on the dreaded top freezer.  I mean SERIOUSLY!  Why can't my family keep it clean and organized (they apparently have NOT inherited this gene)?  So we went from this:

Can't find ANYTHING!!!

 

To this:

Not perfect but I can breathe.  Check out smoothie grand central in the door, lol.  Much easier to manage.  Have a fabulous day and be safe out there!

 

Batch Day!

Batch what? Huh?  Batch cooking and prep day of course!  If you are just starting a smoothie regimen or are considering abandoning it, this may change your mind!  It's all in the prep! 

I tend to buy my frozen fruits already bagged, like this and that's a good thing! 

But not everything is readily available. It took me all of 31 minutes (yes 31, not 30) to prep and prepare the following;

1. Bananas
2. Pineapple (canned and split into 1/2 cup portions)
3. Pumpkin (canned and split into 1/2 cup portions)
4. Fat burning Dahl soup
5. Zucchini chips
6. Baked pumpkin squash
7. Chocolate Fig Smoothie
8. Lemon Ginger Smoothie Base

Zucchini Chips

 

Pumpkin and Pineapple divided into 1/2 cup servings - ready to freeze

Chocolate Fig Smoothie (recipe follows below...)

Bananas in half portions of course!

Pumpkin Squash: A funny story*

Lemon Ginger Smoothie Base


 

 

Ok, so my 12yr old takes one look at the pumpkin squash.

 

Him: What's that?

Me: Pumpkin squash.  I baked it to bring out the flavor.

Him: It looks like butt.

Me: What do you mean it looks like butt?

Him:  Just look at it.  It looks like someone's butt.

Me (trying not to laugh out loud): I can assure you that it's not anyone's butt.  It's a vegetable.

Him: I don't care what you call it.  Now that I've seen it, I 'm not eating it.  It's someone or something's butt.  I mean it.

 

Can no longer hold it in - I am laughing out loud now.

 

Me: You could be right, I may have been fooled, butt indeed.

Him: Enjoy then.

 

All righty, the butt (aka pumpkin squash) is all mine.  No complaints here.

 

So here's what I know for sure.  No eating plan or regimen is easy.  It takes work.  We all fall, we all get up, fall and get up again.  As long as you keep getting up, you are ok in my books ;-)  The key to any plan (I think) is to plan, prep, plan, prep then execute.  All the deliciousness took 31 minutes out of my day.  NOT the end of the world.  The key is to schedule the time and do it.  No excuses, no backing down, just do it!  Before you know it you have fabulous, healthy food all ready to go (and blend!)

 

Oh!  Before I forget...breakfast!  This was it!

 

Chocolate Fig Blend

 

1 cup unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk

3 Figs

Blend, blend, blend

 

Add:

1 Tbsp. flaxseed

1/2 frozen banana

6 ice cubes

Blend, blend, blend and ENJOY!

 

Now my batch cooking is not done for today.  Had to stop and order tile and stone for my next project - it's going to be a beauty!

YES!  There will be one of our famous slate accent walls - WOOT!

 

So I am off to make "Cream" Of Carrot Soup.  Catcha later!  Be kind to your body and yourself xo

 

Green Goodness!

Goodness abounds these days which means gratitude does as well!  So easy to forget just how fortunate we are sometimes.  A little gratitude goes a looooong way!  I am full of it!

Officially, officially signed a new contract this morning (WOOT!) - it was awarded yesterday but today was the formal "you're the one" - oooooh I love that feeling!

Rushed out early this morning to finalize so no breakfast for me (Bad Tracy!) but lunch is jammed packed full of goodness so I forgave myself ;-)

DON'T DON'T DON'T let the color throw you off.  It's soooo delicious!

Green Goodness

3 large handfuls spinach
1 cup coconut water

Blend until smooth.

Add:
1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 packet of Splenda (or other sweetener)
Ice
Blend until smooth and delicious.

Seriously, forget the color - get passed it, look away, do what you have to do.  This is SO GOOD.  Enjoy and be good to yourself :-)

 

Green Goodness!

 

Best Day!

The Dude and I were in desperate need of a day off.  A REAL day off.  No checking for messages, not redesigning the world, no distractions.  And we needed it badly.  A day for family, a day for each other. 

There would be water involved and I needed the dreaded (horrible,terrifying) bathing suit.  Off we went as last year's was not only hideous but much too big for me now (yay!).  Found one I LOVED but they didn't have my size (of course) but 90 dreaded minutes later I hit the jackpot (if you can call it that).  I was content.

So we debated...waterpark (did I REALLY want to be seen in a bathing suit for 8 hours? Umm, no.), Parc Safari or Granby Zoo?  Granby won and what a great day it was!!  There was water involved but my fears were groundless.  I was not the most pitiful person there.  By a long shot.  If you're ever feeling bad about yourself, visit a waterpark.  All shapes and sizes in all their glory.  Beautiful, large women in APPROPRIATE bathing attire and others, not so much.  Clearly people are more daring than I am.  OY!

I also made a deal with myself before leaving.  I would NOT be THAT person.  THAT person who takes the photos but doesn't get in them.  I did NOT want to be that person.  So I wasn't.  I was silly, I was giddy, I was IN there, I was HAPPY.  So suffer through my shots...

Silly and in all my glory!

Mom, we're in public!!

Love my photo bomber babe in the back, lol!

End of day, wet and tired.  Can we leave now?

I call her Bessie.  I love Bessie.  She smiled for me in another pic.  I'm not sharing that one - it was MY smile, just for me :-P

 

 

Silly, happy and exhausted - take your pick.

 

I have to tell you that when you throw your insecurities to the wind, it's freeing!  New motto: Throw insecurities to the wind!!

 

Today's Treat!  Avocado & Pear! Woot!

 

Avocado & Pear Smoooooothie (real smooth!)

 

1/4 avocado

1 whole pear

1/2 cup Coconut Dream

3/4 cup water

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Smooth, delicious and oh so filling!

 

Enjoy and be good to yourself! xoxo

 



Well Go Figure...Again!

Registered a 1.8lb loss this week.  IT'S A MIRACLE!

Muhahhaha!  That's what a miracle looks like-->

But seriously...summer is HARD.  Hectic schedules, kid's activities, time with friends, backyard parties...seriously!!

Despite an abundance of fresh and delicious fruits and veggies, there are big, fat juicy steaks and burgers, potato salad (calls my name ALL the time!), pasta salads, desserts....what's a person to do?  Wish I had the answers.  Do you?  So far, moderation (to a degree) has been key.  Easy? Hell no!  I LOVE food.  So yeah, it's a struggle.  Being on maintenance I have been able to give myself a few liberties.  A few.  And I mean, only a few.  Want that steak? Have it.  BUT be careful with the rest of your day.  That burger? HAVE it.  But watch the rest of your day.  See?  As long as you are mostly doing it right, you'll be ok.  Watch your triggers.  Watch your intake.  Watch those binges.

Speaking of binges...have you tried these?  Dangerous but oh so good!  Dangerous only if it causes triggers.  Otherwise, a FANTASTIC treat at 1.5 each.  WOOT!

Better than a fudgesicle - better, better, better!

So breakfast was a TREAT too.  A healthy, filling, lovely treat!

Chocolate Cashew Smoothie

1 cup Silk unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/8 cup cashews
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
Ice

1. Pulverize cashews until smooth
2. Blend with chocolate almond milk and yogurt
3. Add ice and enjoy!

Enjoy the weekend my friends!  Be kind to yourselves :-)


 

Horrendum Hebdomadam

Indeed! Horrendum Hebdomadam!  In case you are wondering what that means...Horrible Week!

Hormones and body are completely out of whack!  The joys of growing old.  I'll leave it at that, lol.  In the meantime, it's definitely time to revamp my brain, my thoughts, my goals and that's what I'm going to do.  Bear with me.

It's hot and HUMID out there so this should do the trick!  Enjoy!  Not a meal replacement but you can definitely sip on this all day long and enjoy it's refreshing taste and energy boost!

Watermelon Slush

2-3 cups fresh watermelon
1/2 lemon, peeled
1 singles packet of sugar free lemonade (I use Arizona)
1/4 cup water
TONS of ice

I smush (is "smush" a word?) this as I go.  Oh so refreshing.

Enjoy, be kind to yourself (I need this advice this week).  See ya soon!