Hump Day Confessional

(((tap, tap, tap)))....is this thing on?
It has been a long time friends...a very long time.  I took an unexpected, extended sabbatical this summer.  After packing and moving cross country, staying in a hotel with 3 kids for a month, subsequent unpacking, birthday celebration month combined with back-to-school craziness....I just couldn't do anything more.
But, here I am...back with a confessional!

~ For my birthday last week, I went kayaking.  I have never been before.  I never thought that would be something I could/should do until I lost weight.  I mean, would I look like...a big gal on a tiny kayak.  Could I even get on and balance?  What would people think when they saw me?  What if I got out there and didn't have the strength to get back?  Guess what?  I DID IT!  I threw all of my concerns to the wind and DID IT!  I am tired of waiting for the "as soon as I...." excuse to start living my life.  I LOVED IT!  It is something I fully intend on doing again and again. 

~ I have some serious carpool lane rage.  Seeing that I am in carpool lane for about 2 hours a day, I get to observe MUCH jackass behavior.  It is a carpool lane, not a parking lot people!  It is NOT ok for you to race and cut in front of the whole lane just because someone isn't moving up as fast as you see fit.  I see red...seriously...why do you think YOU are so much more important than the hundreds of other people trying to pick-up or drop off their kidlets?!?!  AGHH!

~ For the first time in 11 years, I am alone during the day.  This has been a MUCH harder transition than I ever thought.  I know there are some Mom's who relish the day that they actually get some time to themselves.  However, at this moment I find that I am the Mom wandering around Super Target,  going oh so slowly, murmuring to myself with employees asking every 5 minutes if I need help finding something.  My oldest baby started middle school and my youngest baby started full day kindergarten.  (((sigh)))  It has hit me HARD how quickly time goes.

~ I have taken up watching re-runs of Beverly Hills 90210 during the day.

~ And, for the biggest confession...I have completely and totally fallen off the wagon.  I have spent the entire summer eating whatever I want.  I haven't stepped on a scale to see the damage, but just based on the tightness of shorts, I would say I am back where I started.  BLAH!  I know I need to get back on it, but I have a bad case of the "I'll start tomorrows"...

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

I was looking through my food pictures lovingly this morning remembering when I used to make meals like this.  Eating has been so completely uninspired and honestly, not the healthiest lately.  One of the hardest parts of moving cross-country is not moving any food.  So, we are eating up all the random bits from the pantry and freezer.  I cannot WAIT to get moved and fill my fridge and pantry with the good stuff again!
I made this salad a while back and it was AMAZING!  Like, forget the other things in the meal and just make-out with this salad...repeatably. 

Spinach Salad
Recipe Source:  Alton Brown, he is the bomb-diggity

• 8 ounces baby spinach
• 2 large hard boiled eggs
• 8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
• 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar (or your favorite sugar substitute)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large white mushrooms, sliced
• 3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced

Wash and dry (by spinning or patting) the spinach and place into a large mixing bowl.
Slice or chop the hard boiled eggs, set aside.
Fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 TBSP of the rendered fat.  Crumble bacon and set aside.
Transfer the bacon fat into a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar, and Dijon Mustard.  Season with a small pinch of salt and black pepper.
Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss.  Add the warm dressing and bacon and toss to combine.  Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them.
Season with pepper, as desired.  Serve immediately.

Hump-Day Confessional

I confess...I will be driving to Austin with 3 kids, a cat, and my mother.  The cat scares me the most.  I have never traveled cross-country with a cat.  Any hints or advice would be greatly appreciated.  The second most scary thing is driving with my mom....she can be like adding another child to the mix...between texting her boyfriend and showing off her new-found dance moves, I may have to drink heavily at night.

I confess...While repacking some boxes in the garage this weekend, I found my old journal from college.  Oh.  My.  Hell.  I was a twit.  Like a majorly boy-crazed, self absorbed, drama queen type-twit.  I am so embarrassed for myself that I was ever like this.  I should have burned it...then buried it...then poured a cement basketball court over top.  But I didn't.  I repacked it.  Bridges of Madison County it isn't....I pity my children for having to find this hideousness one day.

I confess...I am a certified hypnotist.

I confess...In my early 20's, I went  skinny dipping in a lake and woke up the next morning with a rare strain of strep that eventually had to be cut out.  Not flesh eating, but too diseased to heal.  I should be thankful it was just my tonsils and not my lady-bits.

I confess...I want to learn how to do glass-blowing.  Dale Chihuly is my favorite artist...going to see his exhibit at the Bellagio is Las Vegas literally made me weep.  Know what?!  I switched my Groupon city to Austin and one of the first deals to come through was glass-blowing classes!  Ahhh...more signs!

Happy Easter

Hoppy Easter my friends!
Hugs and Sugar-Free Kisses to you all - xoxo

Hump-Day Confessional

I confess...My Mom is dating.  It is weird.  At least she hasn't asked me if condoms come in different sizes.

I confess...I used to have a pet duck named Quackers.  He was leash trained.  I hatched him in an incubator.  He was eaten by a fox.  The end.

I confess...I can sing.  While I have sung in front of thousands of people doing PR for my college, I have never had the desire to sing professionally.  I love to sing loud and proud....unless it is in front of my husband or family (except my kiddos)...then I have SERIOUS stage fright.  This bugs my husband to no end. 

I confess...I have an irrational fear of serial killers.  Sure, they are something to be scared of, but they seriously FREAK me out!  Though I am pretty sure there hasn't been a serial killer that has targeted overweight suburban stay at home mamas....(((shudder)))

I confess...I somehow tweaked my lower back/sciatic last week and have been a total slug since.  I have been to the massage therapist and chiropractor, I have applied ice and heat, I have been taking Advil like it was candy and applying Bengay like it was going out of style.  I am not nearly as far on my packing as I should be.  I am getting so very frustrated.  Ever since I started doing the BFC, I have either been sick or hurting, which is definitely NOT the norm for me.  I have been in bed more the last 2 1/2 months than I have the last 5 years combined.  I am not sure what to make of it.  I have relaxed the reigns on my eating.  My head is not there right now. 

Deconstructed Eggroll Stir-Fry

...or Poor Man's Stir-Fry...or Exploded Eggrolls....I couldn't make up my mind as to what to name this dish.  Whatever the name, it is DELICIOUS!  Not only is it delicious, it is super flexible.  Not only is it super flexible, it is pretty dang healthy.  That makes it a winner, winner, chicken, ...err I mean stir-fry(?) dinner in my book!

Poor Man's Stir Fry

Recipe Source:  Kitchen of Siggy Spice

• 1 pound of Ground Beef (you could also use Ground Turkey, Chicken, or Pork)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 5 Green Onions, white and green parts sliced
• 14 ounces Coleslaw Mix (or finely shredded cabbage)
• 4 TBSP Low Sodium Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino (more to taste)
• 1 tsp Sriracha Sauce (more to taste)
• 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, paste or grated.  (more to taste)
• 2 packets Truvia (or sweetener of your choice)
• 2 tsp White Vinegar
• 1 bag (14-16 ounces) Frozen Stir-Fry Veggies.  I use the Trader Joe's Hodgepodge Harvest, but feel free to use what you like
• 2 cups cooked Brown Rice.  Trader Joe's makes a handy dandy pre-cooked frozen brown rice that is wonderful here, you could also make cauliflower rice to go carb free.  

Brown Ground Beef with Salt and Pepper to taste.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat up Sesame Oil in pan and saute Garlic, Green Onions, Coleslaw, and Stir Fry Veggies until desired tenderness.

Stir in the Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Ginger, Truvia, and White Vinegar

Add the Ground Beef and Brown Rice into the veggies and mix well.  Taste it and make sure it is seasoned well for your tastes, adding more Soy Sauce, Sriracha, Ginger to taste.

Enjoy!



Hump-Day Confessional

photo courtesy of photo x.chng

I thought I would kick off this week sharing another live-stock fiasco...I have lots of those up my sleeve, lol!

I confess...When I was 15, I was riding in the car with my Mom.  It was a black night on a black road in the country.  We hit a black cow.  Hard.  It was like hitting a freaking brick wall going 55 mph.   It rolled up into the windshield, exploding it all over us.  Once I got out of the car, the cow started chasing me.  Let me just repeat that....The cow.  Was.  Freaking.  Chasing.  Me.  It wasn't dead, and it was pissed.  You can only imagine the cow jokes I had to endure for the remainder of my high school life.

I confess...The night we got into the cow accident, we were driving to my Mom's bakery.  My Mom owned the small town bakery, the Sweet Shop.  The decor was disgustingly pink, pink, and more pink.  I literally was the girl who had to get up and "Make the donuts".  I hated that job.  I think that is why I LOVE sleeping in and napping now.  Way too many early mornings in my childhood. 

I confess...I was a band geek.  Complete with 8 years of band camp (camper then counselor),  and flute playing, lol!  I played through college, but sold my instruments after.  I never thought that I would want to play again once I didn't have an audience to play for.  I was wrong.  I intend to get another instrument and play again once we get moved...of course, it has been 15 years, so we will see if I can still play.

I confess...I can't draw...at all.  Even my stick people look wonky.  It is a talent I desperately want though.  If I could draw, I would totally become a tattoo artist!

I confess...I look at the clock everyday at 11:11. 

Well, that's it for me this week  ;)