My Plan, and my early Christmas present!!

I can't believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow! I am so excited!

After 3 days of struggling on the 17 day diet (Mon, Tues, Wed), I am back on track with my eating. I've decided to stay on the 1st cycle until the day after Christmas. I wanted to give myself a day off my diet, during this fun and joyous time of year. I just had to decide if I wanted my off day to be Christmas Eve, or Christmas. After lots of thought (lol), I've decided that on Christmas Eve I will let myself eat, and be merry (in moderation of course). That is part of the reason why I've decided to stay on the 1st cycle until after Christmas.

***

My hubby brought me home an early Christmas present while he was visiting in NY:A Goldendoodle puppy!

We've named her Bellissimo. It means lovely in Italian. This little pup has definitely been keeping me busy! But we absolutely love her! She has made this Christmas very special.

A sweet gesture, that went straight to my hips.

A marriage is:
Holding hands and flirting on Friday night dates.
Getting hit with an elbow at 3 am.
Texts with "I love you"s and, "Can you pick up eggs?"
Arguing over what movie to watch.
Playing Rock. Paper. Scissors. to decide who cleans up after dinner.
Saying cheesy things like, "I struck the lottery, the day I married you"
And buying roses for your wife, after an argument.

The roses were sweet. They brought a smile to my face, as I thought to myself, "How could I ever stay mad at this guy?" But then he pulled out the box of chocolates. One half of my brain screamed, "YAY! Chocolate!" and the other half screamed, "NOOO!"

So, I made a compromise. I didn't want to hurt my husband's feelings, after all ;) I took only one bite, out of all my favorite chocolates (which were all minus 3;). One bite of each is all you really need anyway.
I figure I cut the calories in half.Then I told my husband thank you, and to hide the rest.

What do you do when you receive a high calorie gift?

What's your favorite chocolate truffle?
Mine is chocolate buttercream. Mmm :)

I'd love to hear your, "A marriage is" quote!

Perfect evenings

This is my idea of a perfect evening at home:

First, the hubs and I go on a long walk with the doggies, at sunset.

When we get home, we make dinner together.
Twice baked broccoli potatoes:(I got the recipe from the food network, HERE. I lightened it up by using low-fat sour cream and cheese, and used less butter.)

After dinner, we watch my favorite sitcom together, The Nanny.
Reason #1,900,043 why I love my husband so much- because he walks with me, cooks with me, and watches my favorite show with me every night. I'm one lucky girl.

What's your idea of a perfect evening?

XOXO

This weekend, we threw a Valentine's Day party!
It was high in calorie, but lots of fun. No matter what diet you're on, you have to allow yourself to indulge in a fountain of chocolate, every now and then. Life's just sweeter that way.Tonight I have a hot date with my sweet hubby.

Happy Valentine's Day!
XOXO

A New Dress For my Anniversary

Thursday was Our 5th wedding anniversary.

I thought a new dress was in order for this special occasion.
I had visions of a black dress, since I've never owned a little black dress (and I've heard it's a must have:)
I went to the store, found one I liked, tried it on, and it fit. Not only did it fit, but I liked the way I looked and felt in it.
It was as simple as that.39 pounds ago, I would have had to go to multiple stores, and would have cried in multiple fitting rooms. I would have walked out of the store, sad, fat, and empty handed. For the rest of the night I would have thought about how much weight I had gained since our wedding day (as I've done on all 4 of our previous anniversaries), instead of enjoying the night with my husband, and celebrating our marriage.

Not this anniversary. This anniversary I felt beautiful all night long (as my husband kept telling me so), and I thought about what really matters....How much I LOVE my life with my husband, and how far we've come since getting married at 18 and 19, 5 years ago!

Movie Night, With Deliciously Healthy Popcorn!

Tomorrow night, I'm surprising my husband with a
movie date!
(I got this super cute idea from Love, Actually!)(Believe it or not, my husband has actually wanted to see this movie since it came out, but we've never got around to watching it!:)

I made up the movie ticket for him on the computer, and tonight I taped it to his steering wheel, so he'll see it as he's leaving for work tomorrow morning!
SHHHH! ;D


Today I had to figure out what movie type snacks we would have on our date!!
I may want to have a date with my sweetheart, but I don't want to gain any love pounds! So I've been in the kitchen experimenting with
Deliciously Healthy popcorn ideas!

Here's what I came up with:

Cheesy Popcorn:

Here's What You Need:

• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
• 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt

This is What You Do:

• Add 3-4 popcorn kernels to 2 TBLS oil.
  
• Heat on stove top with pot covered
• Wait for those 3-4 kernels to pop (The reason for the test kernels is to have your oil hot enough to pop all the kernels. This method helps to reduce the chance of burning your popcorn.)
• Pour 1/3 cup kernels in the pot
• Once you pour the 1/3 cup kernels in the pot, cover pot again and shake the pot so the popcorn doesn't burn. I shook the pot about every 5-10 seconds. The kernels will soon start popping all at once. Be sure to leave lid on! Those things pop pretty high with out it!
• When the popping starts slowing down, remove from heat.
• Gently stir in cheese and salt.
  

Here's what I'm thinking:

• Servings: 8
• Serving size: 1 cup
• Calories per serving: 109
  

Coconut Popcorn:

Here's What You Need:

• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
• 2 TBS coconut oil
• Salt
  

**Note: I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would be super good if you added shreds of coconut to the mix, to add a little more coconut flavor.

This is what you Do:

• Add 3-4 popcorn kernels to 2 TBLS coconut oil.
  
• Heat on stove top with pot covered
• Wait for those 3-4 kernels to pop (The reason for the test kernels is to have your oil hot enough to pop all the kernels. This method helps to reduce the chance of burning your popcorn.)
• Pour 1/3 cup kernels in the pot
• Once you pour the 1/3 cup kernels in the pot, cover pot again and shake the pot so the popcorn doesn't burn. I shook the pot about every 5-10 seconds. The kernels will soon start popping all at once. Be sure to leave lid on! Those things pop pretty high with out it!
• When the popping starts slowing down, remove from heat
• Add salt to taste
  

Here's What I'm Thinking:

• Servings: 8
• Serving size: 1 cup
• Calories per serving: 59

Kettle Corn:

Here's What You Need:

• 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
• 4 TBS sugar
• Salt

This is What You do:

• Add 3-4 popcorn kernels to 2 TBLS oil.
  
• Heat on stove top with pot covered
• Wait for those 3-4 kernels to pop (The reason for the test kernels is to have your oil hot enough to pop all the kernels. This method helps to reduce the chance of burning your popcorn.)
• Pour 1/3 cup kernels in the pot, and the 1/2 cup of sugar.
  
• Once you pour the 1/3 cup kernels and the sugar in the pot, cover pot again and shake the pot so the popcorn doesn't burn. I shook the pot about every 5-10 seconds. The kernels will soon start popping all at once. Be sure to leave lid on! Those things pop pretty high with out it!
• When the popping starts slowing down, remove from heat.

Here's What I'm Thinking:

• Servings: 8
• Serving size: 1 cup
• Calories per serving: 81

Making the popcorn is really quite fun!! It would be a great activity to do together, or a fun family activity!

Along with the popcorn, I also got some candy that you might see at the theater!
Mike and Ike for the hubs, and Junior Mints for Moi! I know, I know, not the healthiest thing in the world. Out of the all the (chocolate) candy that's out there, I think York Peppermint Patties, and Junior Mints, are a couple of the lower calorie options. I'm excited!

Psst... If there are any guys out there reading this post, you will simply melt your lady's heart if you do this for her, and she'll love you for ever and ever!
I guarantee it! ;D

I Enjoy Being Deliciously Healthy

Hello!(I'm a nerd;)

I'm still being a complete blog slacker aren't I?
I'll do better, I promise ;D

Tuesday was my weigh in (is it Friday already?). It had me at 182. What do you know, I'm down 2 pounds from last weeks weigh in. It's like clock work!! Because of the (crazy) goals I set for myself a while ago, this 2 pound loss every week, may have caused steam to shoot out of my ears by now, but it hasn't (I promise;). I'm happy with it. I'm at peace with it.

This week, I think something finally clicked:
I'm not on a diet!
Seriously. I'm not. LOL!
I'm simply making healthy choices, and living a healthier lifestyle. This week, the majority of my focus has been on putting Deliciously Healthy fuel into my body, and figuring out how I can eat cleaner, by making simple changes. Eating healthy, and being healthy, came way before thinking about calories, and weigh-ins. This week, it's been a lifestyle, NOT a diet! I'm eating Deliciously Healthy, and I'm loving it!

Who knew you could live and be healthy, love what you eat, AND lose weight? Being healthier is gratifying and worth it, all by itself! Losing 2 pounds a week on top of that, feels like a little extra bonus. I'll take that little extra bonus with a smile on my face, and be grateful for it! :)

I'm not saying that this journey isn't hard for me, and that I don't still day dream about cupcakes, and chocolate donuts with pink sprinkles (MMM).
This is my new lifestyle. A lifestyle that is healthy, and has more meaning, then simply the numbers on the scale. I see the bigger picture now, and seeing the big picture, gives me the strength, knowledge and motivation, to eat Deliciously Healthy, and enjoy doing it.

So, that's where I am this week. 182, happy, healthy, grateful, and content!
I'm not making any promises for next week! I kid. I kid ;D

Now, it's time for a Deliciously Healthy recipe!
Are you ready for this? Because it's awesome!

I had a few things in my fridge, that were going to go bad if I didn't use them soon. I had low-fat ricotta cheese left over from my stuffed shells, spinach, mushrooms a friend gave me, and 1lb of turkey my husband put in the fridge for some reason, so I had to cook it soon. Hmmm.... What can I make, that uses all of those ingredients?

(Light bulb moment)

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna!!It was delish! My husband loved it! My husband always says he doesn't like "diet food". His taste buds are my Deliciously Healthy, gauge. If it's healthy enough for me, and delicious enough for him, it can make it onto my little blog. He licked his plate (it's sad, but I'm not kidding), so it passed the test!

Here's What You Need:

~8 ounce package whole wheat lasagna noodles
~1 pound lean ground turkey
~1 cup chopped onion
~1 1/4 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
~4 egg whites
~1 cup chopped mushrooms
~1 package of spinach, cooked. Or you can use 1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained.
~3/4 teaspoon salt
~1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
~1 14 ounce jar of low-sodium spaghetti sauce
~3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

This is What You Do:

Heat oven to 35o. Cook noodles according to package. While noodles are cooking, cook turkey, and add the chopped onion to the turkey. Mix together in a bowl, the ricotta cheese, and next 5 ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce, in a 11X7X1 1/2 baking dish. Lay 4 of the cooked noodles on top, overlapping each other. Spoon out half the mushroom mixture, and spread over noodle layer. Poor half the turkey and onion mixture, over the top. Lay down 3 noodles, to create a new layer. Spoon out remaining mushroom mixture, and spread over the noodles. Pour the remaining turkey and onion over the top. Lay down 3 noodles, and pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top. Cover loosely, and bake for 50min. Uncover, and bake for an additional 10min.

Here's What I'm Thinking:
6 servings
~About 390 calories, per serving.

****

Deliciously Healthy Tip:Since I've been cooking healthy, I've noticed that I seem to be getting rid of a lot of egg yolks! It seriously pained me to dump them down the drain! That was until I learned you can give them to your dog! Egg yolks are easy on their stomachs, helps their metabolism and muscles, and it makes their coats nice and shiny! We have 3 dogs: A Cairn terrier, Lab, and a Greyhound. I read that egg yolks are especially good for Greyhounds, so I give the majority of them to her. I would check to make sure that it's okay for your specific breed, but if you have a dog, and hate wasting egg yolks, this can be a great alternative! :D
(Note: It's not healthy however, to give your dog only the egg whites. You either want to give them the egg yolks, or a whole egg.)

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC weekend!!
And remember: It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.
Whoever came up with that phrase, is a genius. Probably a skinny genius ;D

Our Deliciously Healthy Valentine's Day

We had a GREAT valentine's day!Making a valentine's dinner at home, was WAY more fun then simply going out to eat! We spent about 2hrs in the kitchen making dinner and dessert. Those 2hrs had lots of laughter, good convo, and team work! Cooking with Joe, was my favorite part about valentines day! (to read about the rest of our valentine's day, you can go to my other little blog, HERE) Joe and I have decided that we're definitely going to have cooking dinner at home together, as an option on special occasions, way more often!For dinner, we made chicken enchiladas with green chili sauce!For dessert, we made ooey-gooey peanut butter chocolate brownies! (I scratched the cheesecake brownies, because they had coffee in them, and I didn't know what to substitute it with). These brownies we're DIVINE! Definitely ooey-gooey! They were slightly complicated to make, but for Joe and I, that made it more fun!Our brownies looked more like a chocolaty, marshmellowy, peanut buttery, pile of mess then a brownie, but I assure you, it was a delicious pile of mess! ;)

Sometimes I get my recipes from other places, but I change it up so much, that I think they're safe to call my own. Then I calculate the calorie difference between mine and the original. Because I change the recipes, I don't worry about copyright issues. BUT, I followed these 2 recipes pretty precisely ( I only changed 1 or 2 things). So to be on the safe side, I'm going to keep these recipes my little secret, so that a guy in a uniform won't show up at my door ;) They're in the, Best of Cooking Light cookbook, if you want to pick it up! Although...I have LOTS of changes in mind, for both of these recipes, so I may have my own version in the near future!

It was truly a great, and Deliciously Healthy valentine's day! I learned that you can still have fun, and enjoy special occasions without loading your body up with unhealthy goodness. You can have just as much fun, if not more, eating Deliciously Healthy! I love the peace of mind I had yesterday. I got to enjoy time with my husband, without obsessing, and worrying about calories, and fat, and how it was all going to show up on the scale! Those thoughts didn't even enter my mind! I went to bed satisfied, happy, and healthy!
Now I ask you- What could be better?! Seriously?
Oh, and we only spent $30 on the entire thing, instead of $60+!
LOVE IT!

The only thing that didn't quite compare to going out to eat, was not being able to leave the mess to waiters...
The not so fun aftermath: ;)
My calorie intake for the day, was about 1,400! Sweet!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day!
xoxo

I'm off to catch up on all of you!

New Books, and a New Motivation!

These past few days, I've been feeling a little discouraged, because I can't workout much, due to my RA. What I'd give to be able to go running, even just for 10 minutes. Or workout long enough to be drenched in sweet, and really feel my heart pumping. I try to workout, but the pain is just too much to work through, and I can't stand the feeling of it. A lot of my joints are almost completely bone on bone, and in some areas, they are bone on bone. The joints that are the most damaged are: Both my knees, my right shoulder, and both my wrist. When I try to work out, I can feel my joints cracking and grinding in the areas that it's bone on bone. Not only is this very painful, but it's a lot like nails going down a chalk board. It grosses me out, and it's hard to work through. It just feels wrong!

How in the world am I going to lose 75lbs, when I can barley workout? I know losing weight seems like a huge mountain to climb for anyone, but for me, I sometimes feel like I'm trying to climb a mountain without any tools or gear. Sometimes I feel like it's hopeless, impossible, not fair, and just too dang difficult. Sometimes it makes me just want to give up.

Then, my darling husband, who I'm convinced Heavenly Father sent to this earth just for me, came home from work last night. He walked in the door, and said, "Close your eyes!" I was thinking, "Please tell my your not about to hand me my favorite temptation, because I've been crying all day, and I'm just not strong enough right now to turn any kind of chocolate away. I will most likely swallow it whole, like nobodies business!" I opened my eyes, bracing myself, and I saw this:My husband did not come home with a delicious, chocolaty temptation for me to sink my teeth into, when I'm trying to lose weight (He's been known to do this). Instead, he came home with the Bethenny Frankle (I seriously love her), "Naturally Thin" book that I've been wanting, AND her, "The Skinny Girl DISH" book, to help me on this journey. He came home with a tool, and piece of gear, to help me climb this mountain.
I heart him...

As I looked down at the books, I thought to myself, "This is what I CAN do."

I can't change the fact that I have RA. It's the cards I've been dealt. I can't change the fact that I can't go jogging, or even go walking for a long period of time. But I know whining about it isn't going to make me any thinner, and getting discouraged is only going to send me on a completely different path, going the WRONG direction! I don't have control over the things my body simply can't do, but I do have control over what I put into my body. I have to do what I CAN do, and stop focusing on what I CAN'T do!
I can eat healthy. I can be positive. I can be grateful. I can educate myself, by reading books on how to live a healthy life.
"This is what I CAN do."
And this is what I'm going to do.

I'm ready to conquer another weekend!
This weekend, I'm going to have my head in my new book, and not in the fridge saying, "Hmmm. I wonder what I can eat in here?" I'm going to try some new recipes this weekend, and I'm going to do lots of research on things I CAN do with my RA.

Happy weekend everyone!