I Really Am Back

Everytime I think my adorable little Dylan is better something else happens. She ended up with a horrible cough and then hives covering her little body. She has not been healthy one day in the last month and it has been tough on my sanity and ability to do what I want, but she is my baby and she definitely comes before other things.

I lost 1 1/2 pounds since yesterday and am feeling great again. I really do love how much better I feel when I drink TAIslim and will not forget this matter again. Like Boyd says it only takes a couple of minutes but when your mind is focused on sick kids you don't think straight.

My mom has lost another 3 1/2 pounds and my bff Haylee is looking amazing. She is a rockstar. She is my inspiration. She looks better than well... I have ever seen her. WOW, Hay, you are amazing.

Today is a rainy cold day, and I am going to figure out a fun exercise routine to make the house a little more lively. I am also going to go to my parents to get my running in. I have been slacking with that but I do truely want to run the half marathon with Haylee so I need to get my bum in gear.

Yesterday I rollerbladed for the first time in .... lets not say since it will really age me ;) I still don't know how to stop (I grew up in the rollerskating era where the stoppers are on the toes not on the back of one foot) so I would try and hit a grassy spot whenever I came to a hill. Let's just say my accomplishment of the day was that I did not fall. It actually was a lot of fun so next time I am going to go to a flat track that I can just go around in circles. It is a great workout and it goes a lot faster than walking as far as distance goes and I would imagine it burns about the same number of calories.

Well, I am off to wash laundry, get a workout in, and start getting ready for the move. Hope everyone has a great day.... Keep smiling it makes people wonder.

Sunny Sunday

Good Morning. It is such an amazing day and I am so excited to get a start on the new week. It has been so crazy here and I know I need to get on here more often, but I just don't seem to have enough time in the day these days.

For those of you that don't know we are moving next month and I forget how much work is involved in this every time. This is it.... I do not want to move again and the new house is perfect so we shouldn't have to again. I can't wait to get cooking in my new kitchen. It is huge, the cooks dream kitchen. I am ready to throw some amazing dinner parties.

Well, I am on track to start losing weight again now that I have taken a break from exercising and eatting well... not by choice but with Dylan being sick for so long it just throw my good habits that I had begun to build go down the drain. I do still feel amazing and have been off of my meds for a month without it affecting me in the negative. This is great because I didn't want to feel like I depended on something like that to be a good mom.

My bff Haylee is reaching her goals quickly since she started taking TAIslim and I am ready to catch up to her. She looks amazing and is just a little away from her goal. I am ready to look amazing and be just shy of my goals so here it goes. I am taking a pledge and writing it down for all to see that starting today I am back to making the best habits possible. Once we move I will just have to walk up and down my stairs several times a day and I will get a good workout ;) I will also have to start mowing our half acre and that will help with making good changes also. Crazy to think that we will have such a huge yard after having nothing for so long. I guess there are advantages to moving up on the hills in Bountiful. We will also be super close to Mueller Park and my girls love to hike so we will be doing hiking trips once to twice a week.

Until the move, however, I will start taking advantages of the area around me. I will start walking the dog daily with the girls, I will start eatting healthy, I will start drinking my water. Watch out here I come I can't wait to update you on my weight loss next week.

Have a great day and see you soon.

It's Been A While and I Apologize....

Well, things have been super crazy with Dylan not getting better. She is still not doing so well, but I am ready to start putting on recipes again and updating on a daily basis.

Things are going well. My mom has lost 5 pounds on TAIslim and is feeling a lot better as well.

I am excited today Boyd and I get to go on our first date in .... well, let's just say I don't remember the last time we went on a date. We go on family dates regularly but not just the two of us together. It is amazing to find time to devote to one another.

Well, I will put a recipe this morning and for an added bonus I will add one tonight after my date. It is time to start having some fun with getting my day off of my chest.

Chinese Five-spice Steak with Rice Noodles

· 4 ounces uncooked wide rice stick noodles (banh pho)
· 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
· 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
· 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch strips
· 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
· 2 tablespoons minced green onions
· 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
· 2 medium tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
· 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Cook noodles according to package directions.
While noodles cook, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and steak in a large bowl. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced green onions and garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add beef mixture; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato wedges, green onion pieces, and chopped basil; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Getting Through the Misery of Sick Kids... and Sick Mom

Well, yesterday Emma and I came down with a milder version of what Dylan had. We were sick all last night but this morning both of us feel close to normal. Boyd will be home tonight so atleast I will have him around to help out with our dear little Dylan who is still not doing well at all.

So tonight I have decided to make another one of Kalani's recipes because it is super easy and that is what I can handle right now. I don't like cheese enchilada and loved these.

Kalani's Awesome Cheese Enchiladas

Corn Tortillas
Quesadilla Cheese (Shredded)
Targets Green Enchilada Sauce

Put the cheese in the center of the tortillas, cover with enchilada sauce. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

And there you have it it doesn't get much simplier than that and they are great. The cheese and sauce are what make this taste so good.

Well, back to disinfecting everything in this house. I am determined to bleach away the germs on the toys that can be put in water and wash every stuffed animal, item of bedding and anything else that this little princess of mine might have spread her germs to. I will get focused again on more exciting endeavors but for now this is the life of the underpaid mother.

Have a great one and enjoy the enchiladas.

Monday Morning, Let the Week Begin

Well, I am back. Dylan has lost 4 1/2 pounds since Friday. Not good when you start at 32 pounds. Now if it was me, I would be jumping for joy at this minute. Unfortunately, I have put myself on hold for the last few days. I haven't been taking my TAIslim, which I haven't figured out why I would do that as I woke up sleepy and then took it and have energy again. I also ate really badly and didn't work out so prior to drinking TAIslim this morning I felt bluh, but now my energy is back and I am not going to let three bad days hold me back. Today is a new and improved day.

I am so sorry I promised some recipes and haven't gotten them down. I will be much better this week. Boyd is in Anaheim at manager training so I will figure out simple things that you can make for one.

Crockpot Enchiladas

3 tablespoons diced green chiles, divided
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11-ounce) can corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 (8 1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix
2 tablespoons chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh cilantro

1. Place 2 tablespoons green chiles and next 6 ingredients (through enchilada sauce) in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting 4 hours.
2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon green chiles, egg substitute, muffin mix, and roasted bell peppers in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over bean mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour or until corn bread is done.
3. Sprinkle cheese over corn bread. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top each serving with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

Make sure on this meal that you don't keep the food in the crockpot longer than the four hours or not much longer. I overcooked it and it still tasted fine it was just really dry.

A Long Weekend

Sorry, I have been slacking. My cute little Dylan has been super sick the last few days so I have not been able to do anything. I still have to go in and take care of her now but I wanted to let you all know that I will get on tomorrow and update you on my progress and put some new recipes on here. Have a great Sunday.

It's Sunny and Friday....

Well, hopefully the sun will stay out because I really do enjoy the sunshine much more than the grey smog we have had most days as of late. It is raining but now that it is spring I definitely prefer rain to snow. Now let the temps get higher as my weight gets lower. I am down another 1/2 pound today. So 5 pounds in 6 days, let's just do the weight loss dance. (ok, dance complete.)

Yesterday I didn't get a recipe on here because I was enjoying having Boyd home for a change. It was great. I got my workout in early and made a healthy crockpot meal (Crockpot Enchiladas) which I will add with the soup recipe tonight. They were really good and a serving was only 345 cals and it took beans instead of meat so it was a great alternative protein. It is fun trying to find new healthy meals that I can try. I am the queen of trying new things. I guess it comes with loving to cook.

Today is day five of my first week of 1/2 marathon training and it is a mile again. Crazy to think that I am excited about this mile because on Wednesday the first mile was an absolute breeze. Whodathunk? After the training I can tell you that I will start running daily because I can see how it could become addictive, ecspecially if you do it outside in the sunshine.

Have a great day. I am going to go run outside before Boyd goes to work so I feel amazing for the rest of my day.