Time goes by so very fast at times, that we often forget to count the roses or smell our blessings!
Wait a minute, other way around!
We forget to smell the roses or count our blessings!
That's it!
Isn't it reassuring to know that I am one of those people shaping the minds of our youth?
Laugh as you may, or will in the case of many of the people I know! But there is something to be said about taking time for ourselves or simply taking time to think of those that are important to you. I am incredibly blessed in terms of family and friends - I can't imagine life without any of you around. There are ups and downs in my life, but the ups make up for the downs and my glass is almost always half full.
There are people that I miss having around in physical form, but the memories that I created with them are always with me. The influence that they had on me is still here and I am a better person for all thier efforts.
It's all about the people you surround yourself with and let me tell you, I am one of the luckiest people in the world to be surrounded by the people in my life!
Thank you!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Relief...
As in relief in deciding to let things go, to let myself have breathing room and time to do the things I love.
It has been a crazy year and it feels like I haven't had a moment for myself in ages or times to do the things I love. Just realized today that I have barely had a chance to do anything remotely crafty for about 7 months - no wonder I'm going nuts here! Getting stuff done has been a battle because I just want the time to sit and be still or to spend time with the people that keep me sane (which sounds crazy considering who they are). Other things have been building up around me and threatening to cave in. It's been a struggle to say no to anything that I really want to do as opposed to doing the things that I thought were important. I've even been struggling on the weight loss goals as I was getting bored with how I was going about it - hey do the same thing for a year and you would get bored too! (doesn't help that the results were moving a bit slower than I liked, but realizing I was bored helped!)
Then you add state budget issues that are impacting every aspect of education, trying to go to grad school, working and not being happy with how well I was managing things, other work related responsibilities, surgery and well, you get the picture - it's been a roller coaster.
The things keeping me going - family, friends, the furry munchkins and those crazy teenagers at work. It's amazing the impact that people and animals have in your life when you have the chance to breathe and connect with them. Over the past several months, those have felt like the stolen moments that have kept me going. Facebook is so addictive - but it has been that connection to others and the chance to keep in contact with others even if it was 11 at night and I was half-asleep. Thank you so much for that!
It's time to give my brain a break and breathe! No, I'm not giving up teaching - as if I would do anything else, silly! I'm actually taking a break from grad school and once that decision was made - it was an incredible weight off my shoulders. I hadn't realized just how much I have been craving the chance to say no to something like that or how much I have been struggling with my ability to focus. Online courses and I just don't seem to mix - I do much better given the chance to interact with people :) It also gives me the chance to focus on matters that are more pressing and immediate, like spending time with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Ruth. They are amazing people that have had a part in shaping my life since the very beginning and though I would hope that they would live forever...
Life is short and I haven't been happy with the way I have been letting it zoom past! Now it's time to actually live and enjoy it! The most important realization is re-discovering that the saying no to something is saying yes to something else. I've learned it before, so let's hope it sinks in for good this time! I'm saying yes to saying no once again!
Ahhhh...
Now if I could only get to my next weight loss goal of 60 gone, we would be all set... I know, I know - baby steps!
It has been a crazy year and it feels like I haven't had a moment for myself in ages or times to do the things I love. Just realized today that I have barely had a chance to do anything remotely crafty for about 7 months - no wonder I'm going nuts here! Getting stuff done has been a battle because I just want the time to sit and be still or to spend time with the people that keep me sane (which sounds crazy considering who they are). Other things have been building up around me and threatening to cave in. It's been a struggle to say no to anything that I really want to do as opposed to doing the things that I thought were important. I've even been struggling on the weight loss goals as I was getting bored with how I was going about it - hey do the same thing for a year and you would get bored too! (doesn't help that the results were moving a bit slower than I liked, but realizing I was bored helped!)
Then you add state budget issues that are impacting every aspect of education, trying to go to grad school, working and not being happy with how well I was managing things, other work related responsibilities, surgery and well, you get the picture - it's been a roller coaster.
The things keeping me going - family, friends, the furry munchkins and those crazy teenagers at work. It's amazing the impact that people and animals have in your life when you have the chance to breathe and connect with them. Over the past several months, those have felt like the stolen moments that have kept me going. Facebook is so addictive - but it has been that connection to others and the chance to keep in contact with others even if it was 11 at night and I was half-asleep. Thank you so much for that!
It's time to give my brain a break and breathe! No, I'm not giving up teaching - as if I would do anything else, silly! I'm actually taking a break from grad school and once that decision was made - it was an incredible weight off my shoulders. I hadn't realized just how much I have been craving the chance to say no to something like that or how much I have been struggling with my ability to focus. Online courses and I just don't seem to mix - I do much better given the chance to interact with people :) It also gives me the chance to focus on matters that are more pressing and immediate, like spending time with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Ruth. They are amazing people that have had a part in shaping my life since the very beginning and though I would hope that they would live forever...
Life is short and I haven't been happy with the way I have been letting it zoom past! Now it's time to actually live and enjoy it! The most important realization is re-discovering that the saying no to something is saying yes to something else. I've learned it before, so let's hope it sinks in for good this time! I'm saying yes to saying no once again!
Ahhhh...
Now if I could only get to my next weight loss goal of 60 gone, we would be all set... I know, I know - baby steps!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Fennel and the on-going challenges
I've started considering this "project" of mine losing weight to be a bit of war - but in a good way!
Each day is a battle that needs to be won in order to win the war and reach my goal. There are the days that go really well and I feel fabulous when they are done. And then you have the days that you kick yourself for! Of course, there are also the days where you decide that you are going to take a day off from the limits and strategies (well, kind of - it is usually pretty well planned out now - like picking food over drinks or my strategic contributions when I am supposed to bring something!). Don't worry! The strategy never affects the taste! That is part of the challenge that I now welcome whenever I get the chance.
A new weapon comes about every so often that helps in the battle, like bananas in brownies or a new vegetable to try and fall in love with! The most recent addition to my arsenal is fennel in the vegetable form. I have always loved the spice, but had never realized that there was a vegetable version! The vegetable itself looks like the cross between celery and onions while having a crunchy texture that is meatier than celery. It's a similar flavor to the spice and fabulously subtle. This veggie saute is packed with goodness and super easy to throw together!
Fennel Veggie Saute
(still experimenting with other combos and this is very easy to multiply)
1 large bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 small red onion or 2 shallots, thinly sliced
8 oz. slice portabello mushrooms
8 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 t olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning mix (about 1 teaspoon or to taste)
Heat the oil up just a bit in a saute pan. Then add fennel, onions and garlic to saute for just a minute or so. Then add the rest of the veggies and saute for about 5-6 more minutes, adding the spices in the last two minutes or so. The fennel is done when it starts to get a little bit translucent around the edges.
And enjoy! It's one that fills you up!
Each day is a battle that needs to be won in order to win the war and reach my goal. There are the days that go really well and I feel fabulous when they are done. And then you have the days that you kick yourself for! Of course, there are also the days where you decide that you are going to take a day off from the limits and strategies (well, kind of - it is usually pretty well planned out now - like picking food over drinks or my strategic contributions when I am supposed to bring something!). Don't worry! The strategy never affects the taste! That is part of the challenge that I now welcome whenever I get the chance.
A new weapon comes about every so often that helps in the battle, like bananas in brownies or a new vegetable to try and fall in love with! The most recent addition to my arsenal is fennel in the vegetable form. I have always loved the spice, but had never realized that there was a vegetable version! The vegetable itself looks like the cross between celery and onions while having a crunchy texture that is meatier than celery. It's a similar flavor to the spice and fabulously subtle. This veggie saute is packed with goodness and super easy to throw together!
Fennel Veggie Saute
(still experimenting with other combos and this is very easy to multiply)
1 large bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 small red onion or 2 shallots, thinly sliced
8 oz. slice portabello mushrooms
8 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 t olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning mix (about 1 teaspoon or to taste)
Heat the oil up just a bit in a saute pan. Then add fennel, onions and garlic to saute for just a minute or so. Then add the rest of the veggies and saute for about 5-6 more minutes, adding the spices in the last two minutes or so. The fennel is done when it starts to get a little bit translucent around the edges.
And enjoy! It's one that fills you up!
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Best Brownies I have EVER created!
OK, cooking and baking is taking on a whole new meaning again! I am falling in love with the process and challenge all over again as I am trying to make the things that I see even healthier while keeping the important elements of the dish such as taste and texture.
Let me back up a bit...
I have always loved to cook and bake! Put me in a kitchen and I am a happy camper, only way to make me happier would be to have a dishwasher - a girl can dream... There are members of my family that have dietary limitations and those challenges have made things interesting. The more of a challenge the dish was, the better! The search for new recipes to try was always an adventure since you never know what you will find!
But, somewhere along the way - I got burned out on anything in the kitchen... :( I didn't want to bake anything, let alone cook dinner for one person without anyone else to enjoy it with me (I love to hear what other people thing about my cooking whether it's good or bad). Then there has been the year plus on Jenny Craig where most of my meals come from them. It has been a welcome inspiration because sometimes, just sometimes, frozen meals need to be spiced up! :)
Well, that and trying to use what I had available to me when getting ready for a Super Bowl get-together led to the newest creations - Dark Chocolate Banana Brownies!
They are actually not so bad for you, but taste absolutely decadent! I'm working on the recipe bit by bit - so if you live in the area, be prepared as I always need testers...
On another note, it seems that banana works very well as a oil/butter substitute with the only challenge being the distinct flavor of the fruit. Applesauce and/or prunes have a tendency to blend in a bit more with different flavors making them more suitable choices for other dishes.
More to follow as the recipe develops!
Let me back up a bit...
I have always loved to cook and bake! Put me in a kitchen and I am a happy camper, only way to make me happier would be to have a dishwasher - a girl can dream... There are members of my family that have dietary limitations and those challenges have made things interesting. The more of a challenge the dish was, the better! The search for new recipes to try was always an adventure since you never know what you will find!
But, somewhere along the way - I got burned out on anything in the kitchen... :( I didn't want to bake anything, let alone cook dinner for one person without anyone else to enjoy it with me (I love to hear what other people thing about my cooking whether it's good or bad). Then there has been the year plus on Jenny Craig where most of my meals come from them. It has been a welcome inspiration because sometimes, just sometimes, frozen meals need to be spiced up! :)
Well, that and trying to use what I had available to me when getting ready for a Super Bowl get-together led to the newest creations - Dark Chocolate Banana Brownies!
They are actually not so bad for you, but taste absolutely decadent! I'm working on the recipe bit by bit - so if you live in the area, be prepared as I always need testers...
On another note, it seems that banana works very well as a oil/butter substitute with the only challenge being the distinct flavor of the fruit. Applesauce and/or prunes have a tendency to blend in a bit more with different flavors making them more suitable choices for other dishes.
More to follow as the recipe develops!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Is there something wrong...
If I find myself liking fat free ice cream more than the regular stuff? Put that on a brownie (jenny craig style), add fat free reddi whip and a bit of chocolate syrup... Absolutely Fabulous! A treat with no guilt attached :)
Tonight was one to celebrate - I went from a "cranktastic" mood this morning to an absolutely fabulous mood this evening! And the week will actually get even better when I'm able to brush all of my teeth on Thursday! (It's so easy to impress a person who just had oral surgery!)
Why the celebration? I broke a goal, finally! I have been trying to get past the 55 pounds lost mark for weeks and today I blew past it. Go me! The total lost is now 57.8 and counting... It was perfect timing, because just this morning I was getting really, really discouraged about the whole process and reading all those headlines/hearing those commercials about losing weight quickly. Started thinking about going that route since things have been moving so slowly and then I stepped on the scale this afternoon.
Losing weight is not an easy process despite what some may think - heck it's more of a lifestyle change than anything else! Taking the time to do this is ultimately going to help me stay at my desired weight because I will know how long the whole process takes and I won't want to go through it again :) And my cravings have changed as bizarre as it may sound...
Right now, I can't wait for for the periodontist to tell me that I can have raw vegetables again!!! I'm going through withdrawal...
In the meantime - this vegetable soup is helping take care of the veggie craving -
Garlic Vegetable Soup
Prep Time:20 Min
Cook Time:1 Hr 15 Min
Ready In:1 Hr 35 Min
Servings 8-10 2 cup servings
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 medium head cabbage, shredded (or 1 bag coleslaw mix found in the produce section with no dressing)
7 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 medium onion
2 leeks
mushrooms
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
spices to taste (I use about a tablespoon of assorted italian spices and season to taste. Considering trying it with mexican mixtures etc...)
bay leaf
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the carrots, celery and cabbage in the oil for about 8 minutes, stirring well.
Raise heat to high and pour in the broth, tomatoes and rest of ingrediants. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove from heat and stir in the garlic and ground black pepper.
(orriginal recipe at allrecipes.com - Garlic Vegetable Soup - and altered to be a bit healthier and from advice given by other reviewers)
Tonight was one to celebrate - I went from a "cranktastic" mood this morning to an absolutely fabulous mood this evening! And the week will actually get even better when I'm able to brush all of my teeth on Thursday! (It's so easy to impress a person who just had oral surgery!)
Why the celebration? I broke a goal, finally! I have been trying to get past the 55 pounds lost mark for weeks and today I blew past it. Go me! The total lost is now 57.8 and counting... It was perfect timing, because just this morning I was getting really, really discouraged about the whole process and reading all those headlines/hearing those commercials about losing weight quickly. Started thinking about going that route since things have been moving so slowly and then I stepped on the scale this afternoon.
Losing weight is not an easy process despite what some may think - heck it's more of a lifestyle change than anything else! Taking the time to do this is ultimately going to help me stay at my desired weight because I will know how long the whole process takes and I won't want to go through it again :) And my cravings have changed as bizarre as it may sound...
Right now, I can't wait for for the periodontist to tell me that I can have raw vegetables again!!! I'm going through withdrawal...
In the meantime - this vegetable soup is helping take care of the veggie craving -
Garlic Vegetable Soup
Prep Time:20 Min
Cook Time:1 Hr 15 Min
Ready In:1 Hr 35 Min
Servings 8-10 2 cup servings
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 medium head cabbage, shredded (or 1 bag coleslaw mix found in the produce section with no dressing)
7 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 medium onion
2 leeks
mushrooms
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
spices to taste (I use about a tablespoon of assorted italian spices and season to taste. Considering trying it with mexican mixtures etc...)
bay leaf
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the carrots, celery and cabbage in the oil for about 8 minutes, stirring well.
Raise heat to high and pour in the broth, tomatoes and rest of ingrediants. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove from heat and stir in the garlic and ground black pepper.
(orriginal recipe at allrecipes.com - Garlic Vegetable Soup - and altered to be a bit healthier and from advice given by other reviewers)
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