Running (or Dancing) like the Wind

Just watching the Britney episode of Glee. Loving the dancing in it. Doesn't it make you feel like dancing, too? OK, would probably throw out my back with those moves, but it gets you thinking about moving! That's a lot about what I love about step class (gotta get the club going at school again!)- the music! I like a dancy choreography and when it comes together in a fun 32 count pattern.

Working out goes hand in hand for me with eating more sensibly. I feel more active, I want to eat better foods...I sleep better...I've been a little negligent with my workouts lately, though, and want to get back on track with more regular workouts. Boot camp after school was very intense: we were doing sprinting drills. They're a bit uncomfortable, but it's still fun to see how far you can push yourself. Part of me holds back. I'll admit it. It's freeing to push through that fear. It also makes me want to challenge myself further- see if I can get back to some running.

...and I did get that new running holder for my iPhone, so there WILL be music. ;)

Surviving our Birthday Party Season with Cake and Lasagna

(The best way to survive birthday season, imho.)

Both of my girls have September birthdays, and with the start up of school and extracurricular activities starting up, it always makes September a little crazy and not very low fat. Soooooo...it's good that I joined Weight Watchers in September, right? To at least make me try to stay on track. (Although at this point I still need to track Saturday and Sunday! Right after this!)

Today we had the family birthday. I made 2 desserts and 2 lasagnas: a Cooking Light version for each. The lasagna, Butternut Squash Lasagna (5pts), I found on the Cooking Light website and the Classic Angel Food Cake (3pts) from my Cooking Light Recipe binder.

The lasagna was good. You make two in 8x8 pans, with directions to freeze one. I cooked both, just in case we needed extra. I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow (when we are eating leftovers), as I forgot to today! I used the organic squash from our organic delivery and a ton of the small onions that keep piling up. (yeah! love using up stuff that sometimes gets wasted.)

The angel food cake was a hit. I served it with sliced strawberries and the choice of frozen yogurt (more ww friendly) and regular vanilla icecream.

My weigh-in was not as good this week- I was up .2! I wasn't too surprised because though I hadn't gone over flex or anything, my workouts were down due to party prep and I had had salt (popcorn) the night before during dd10's sleepover party. I can't beat myself up though since I didn't have the icecream cake OR the chips. I was down this week earlier, so I think it will show up on the scale next time. Unless I eat some of the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes dd10 and I made from the Martha Stewart cupcake recipe book this morning (dessert #2). So far, I'm holding strong. :)

Here comes the birthdays...

First salad...


Later, cake! Wish me luck! (and my dd happy bday)!




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Chicks like Steak and Key Lime Pie

I click on my pictures icon to upload food pictures and what do I see? This:



Gotta love my soon to be double digits girl: she loves taking pictures and editing them. Many make me laugh.

Ok, on to my actual weekend food pics.







I tried a couple recipes from the new (September 2010) Cooking Light this weekend: their Key Lime Pie (7 pts) and Grilled Steak with Mango Salsa (5pts) I enjoyed both or as my new group leader would say, they were point worthy.

Speaking of points, I was down a big 4.6 pounds! Woo Hoo! Gotta love week one on the program. Just saying.

Ok back to the recipes. I really enjoyed the steak. I bought the flank steak at the local butcher's where I always feel like I'm getting good quality meats. The rub in this recipe has an Indian spice flavour and the mango salsa works well with it: refreshing and fresh. I didn't let dh cook the steak way after the recommended time (he likes his steak super well done) so we all enjoyed it off the grill while I popped his piece into the microwave to brown up.

I didn't have the suggested Naan bread side- until tonight ironically (with grilled chicken) I love Naan bread, but we had some organic delivery potatoes to use up, so I made fries with my 1 tbsp using French fry maker- yeah! They were the best batch yet according to dh. Love my Mother's Day present.

The Key Lime pie recipe was pretty easy until I got to the meringue part! The recipe calls for a temp of 250 on a candy thermometer. I think it was a misprint cause mine just blackened right before reaching it. I tried turning down the burner the next time, but just couldn't get the temp up without the sugar water getting chunky. It turned out ok with the chunks getting whipped up into meringue but then the broiler was too hot after all that preheating and the tips got a little browned. Oops. lol.

I'd looked online for recipe reviews at the site, but the only one had no meringue issues. (Maybe they lacked a candy thermometer and didn't stress the 250?)

The pie was good in the end. To save points you could cut it into smaller pieces than the called for eight. It held together well in the cutting. 10 would be easy to do.






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Midnight Snacks

Ok, not really- just posting this late. I'm actually a mixture of super tired and hungry this late on day 7 of my first week of WW. I should be sleeping as I have an 8am appt at the gym, followed by a meeting and weigh in.

I had a good week foodwise, though I only had 3 workouts: one gym trip and 2 boot camps. I need more cardio in my life again. This week I'll work on that!

Pictured:
one old recipe and one new: both from Cooking Light. The chocolate chip cookies are from the CL binder cookbook (One of their All Time Favorite recipes) and the soup I found online at the CL site. I will link them both tomorrow.

We all liked the cookies, though we agree that they are best hot from the oven when the chocolate is all melty. (2pts for one; 3 pts for 2) The soup was good, also- dd9 was the biggest fan with two bowls. I read the soup reviews before making and therefore added a 1/4 c of diced carrot. I also used lots of tomatoes from our garden. Yeah! Our tomatoes have had a very good year. I loved the creamy flavour added in with the tbsp of yogurt, too. (1 pt per serving)

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At least I get 25 points!

I've never had so many WW points before. (So there is an upside to letting oneself go! ;))

No food pictures to share, I neglected to take a picture of my last batch of CL pumpkin muffins and they were quickly eaten, so I thought I share a pic of new 3 Month (yes, committing to a chunk of time- go me!) Journal holder. Our leader showed us hers saying that people won't be as curious about the journal, being covered up in the holder, so you can freely leave it about your workplace, or wherever. My friend and I were both thinking that this funky cover is totally eye-catching and does the opposite: drawing people's attention to it! LOL

But I like it and it makes me happy and sometimes little stuff like this makes you stay on track, right? At least that's what I tell myself. (and my husband when he's looking at the Visa bill. ;))


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You Know What I Ate this Summer...

... The Sequel!

(pictured: some of our good summer eating. My 9yr. old edited the last and it made me laugh, so I included it. One of our friends went to Italy this summer and brought back noodles at the request of my 12 yr. old.)

Hello long lost blogging friends! Hope everyone had a nice summer!

I had a nice summer, and a nice spring, and a nice winter, etc. etc. stretching way back through lots of food and drinks consumed with little tracking, overly large portions and poor food choices. I know how to do this, but for some reason, I stopped and gradually gained and gained! And now I don't like looking at my summer none food pics! I look huge in them! :P (when did that happen?!)

So, I got a couple of friends to join me at Weight Watchers and I signed up on Saturday. We went to the gym first and then headed to the 10am WW meeting. I'm excited! I feel committed! I'm going to stay until goal this time (50 pounds- yikes!!) and try to earn lifetime. If you care to do it again with me, I'll be here.

The muffin is back. Time to crumble.

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