A Breakthrough!

I've been struggling with staying focused on my weight loss journey for about the last 6 months. I was doing great and then something just shut off in my head. I have been self sabotaging myself. I got close to my lifetime weight and starting slacking.

Well, this morning I have great news to report! I was down 2.9 pounds from last week for a total of 28.7 since January 2. It really shouldn't take this long to lose that much, but considering I have been out of focus for the last 6 months, it's not so bad. I know the program works because this is the second time I have done it. The first time I lost 35 pounds. Right when I got to my goal weight I found out I was pregnant with Sutton. Talk about a double blessing! Of course the minute we confirmed I was pregnant the eating fest began. I threw everything I had learned out the window. Oh well, it was a fun 9 months and we have a healthy happy bundle of joy who turns 1 next week! So, now I am faced with not only Thanksgiving next week but also Sutton's 1st birthday party. Talk about some food land mines to negotiate. Yikes! I'm glad I had a great week this week because it will motivate me to stay on track. I will try to remember to report next week how it all went.

The moral of my story is don't beat yourself up for some missteps in your weight loss journey. Keep at it. You can do it. If I can, anyone can. I LOVE FOOD and am not ashamed to admit it! :)

Don't forget I am still participating in Cans for Comments through tomorrow at midnight! For each new comment and/or follower I will donate 1 item to Hunger Stoppers! Also, check out Helen's blog www.threetimesthegiggles.blogspot.com and Maeghan's blog www.greenacresinthecity.blogspot.com. They are also participating so leave them some comments, too! As a "team" we can really make a difference!

Banana Mini Muffins

So, I was wanting to make some muffins for Sutton to shake things up a little bit in her eating routine. As I have mentioned before, I want her to be an unpicky eater. I came up with this recipe this morning. I am really going to strive to feed her nutritious food as well.

Banana Mini Muffins

1 box banana cake mix
6 tbls. Egg Beaters egg whites
1/2 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 banana, mashed
2 tbls. water

Mix all ingredients and drop into muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray or lined with muffin papers. Bake for approximately 20 minutes on 350 degrees. They are done when the top springs back. Yields 36 mini muffins. You could also do these as regular sized muffins and it would most likely yield 24.

I wish I had a picture to upload with this, however, my camera is acting up. Sorry!

Grocery Bargains!

I really meant to get this posted sooner! I thought I would go ahead and still post it though to show the power of couponing and matching it with sales. I have become obsessed with learning to get better at this. My new slogan is, "Couponing is the new black". LOL!

Hy-Vee had a huge sale on Friday the 13th. With a lot of help from other bloggers about coupon match-ups, here's what I got!

Frozen peas & carrots blend $.99
3 cans green beans at $.49 each
2 cans black beans at $.77 each
2 boxes Hy-vee cereal at $.99 each
1 box Hy-Vee whole wheat spaghetti $1.18
1 5 lb. bag sugar $.99/coupon
1 bag Nestle chocolate chips $1.18 (on sale for $1.68 and matched with $.50 coupon)
6 Pillsbury cake mixes $.89 each sale price (matched with $5 off 10 Smuckers in store coupon)
2 Pillsbury brownie mixes 2 for $3.00 (part of Smuckers coupon, plus $1.00 off 2 coupon)
2 Hungry Jack maple syrup (part of Smuckers coupon plus $1.00 off 2 coupon)
2 McCormick gravy mixes on sale at .75 each paired with $.50/2 coupon
Farmland Bacon on sale for $1.88
10 bags of shredded cheese on sale $1.00 each
1 5 lb. bag russet potatoes on sale $.88
Cure 81 boneless Ham $18.96
Jennie-O turkey FREE! with purchase of ham ($13.58 value)

I got all of this for $52.17! I saved a total of $24.05 with coupons. Normally I wouldn't buy 10 bags of cheese or 6 cake mixes, however, I will use all of these things and won't have to buy any for a long time now! Plus got a ham and a turkey. We will be eating good this winter!

I will try to continue to post deals and savings as I get them. It is really fun so far! Don't forget to take your reusable bags in, too! Most stores will give you $.05 off your bill per bag. :)

I like to feed myself!

We have reached the stage where Sutton wants to feed herself. It is usually a messy adventure but definitely a fun one! I am always trying to find new "finger foods" for her. So far we have had cheese, pears, apples, bananas, avocado, soft cereal bars, waffles, pancakes, grilled cheese, deli ham and chicken, ground beef, peas, carrots, and of course Cheerios! That hits the main ones anyway. To anyone out there with young little ones, I can't stress enough the importance of letting them taste things you may not think they will like. One of Sutton's favorite baby foods in the jar is broccoli with carrots and cheese. It smells horrible! Neither Sean or myself really care for broccoli. She scarfed it down! Who knew?!

My goal is to not raise a picky eater like I was. God Bless my mom. She was a good cook, but never used many spices or made anything out of the ordinary. I never knew I liked Chinese, Mexican or even alfredo sauce until college! I am amazed at the things Sutton will eat that I have cooked. She's had lasagna, southwestern chicken barley chili, turkey burgers, potato soup, oven fries, homemade pizza and more. We are almost out of the first food allergy window and I am grateful for that! We will try to hold off on peanut butter until age 2. We'll see how long we make it.

I also want her to eat healthy. I realize we aren't always going to be able to do it, but that's my goal. If anyone has any other suggestions of good finger foods, please let me know.

Cans for Comments

                                         

I was inspired to do this by my fellow blogger, Helen. Since I have also pledged to the church that I would donate items each month through the Hunger Stoppers program this is a great way to help this month! :)

    The way it works is for each new comment I get my on blog this week from now until Saturday at    
    midnight, I will donate 1 non-perishable item to a local food pantry. I am also going to step it up a  
    notch and donate one item for each new follower!

I think this is a pretty simple and easy way to donate. Please help me by leaving comments and/or becoming a new follower. I would love to be loaded down when I go to leave my items! This is a time when food pantries really need excess. Most are struggling right now, so let's help them out!

I would also love for fellow bloggers to jump on board! If you think you can spare the extra cash to donate some items, please join us. As a bonus, you will see your comments and perhaps number of followers jump significantly over the week. Just by doing what you love (reading and commenting on blogs) you can help make an impact at food banks across the country! If you want to join in, click on the button below. It will take you to Helen's blog, www.threetimesthegiggles.blogspot.com. There you can find the html code to add it to yours. You can also put the name of your blog on the Mr. Linky at the bottom!

                                                          

Honesty

Wow! I just received my very first blog award from Helen! Please check out her blog at www.threetimesthegiggles.blogspot.com. She has the most adorable identical triplet boys you've ever seen! I'm not kidding! All parents of 2 year old girls better watch out. ;) I don't know that I have 7 people to pass it to, but I'll do my best!

Alright, onto the award... Here are the rules.

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog.

2. Share 10 honest things about yourself.

3. Present this award to 7 other whose blogs you find brilliant in design or content.

4. Tell those 7 people they have been awarded.

Honesty about me...

1. I went to school at Iowa State University for Fashion Merchandising. About the only thing I did with my degree was retail management. I will say that I sometimes miss it. Around back to school time and Christmas is when it hits me the most. A bit ironic because I hated the hours I had to work during Christmas time. I liked how busy it was as well as interacting with all of the people.

2. I like to sleep in. There, I said it. I don't get to do it very often anymore. Many times my body doesn't even let me. Let alone the new little "boss" in my life. :)

3. I don't like coffee, tea and wine. You may think I'm weird. Most do. I get my caffeine fix from Diet Mt. Dew most days.

4. I never had a weight problem until my 30's. I am doing Weight Watchers for the 2nd time. The first time I made it to lifetime status right when I found out I was pregnant with Sutton. This time is not going as well. I just can't seem to stay motivated with it.

5. I am an only child. I think that is why friends are so important to me. I feel like they are extended family.

6. I lost my mom about 2 1/2 years ago. We didn't have a very good relationship. She did get to spend her last Christmas here in KC with us and I cherish that. I can't tell you how many of her friends told me how much she said she enjoyed that. She was stubborn and wouldn't have admitted it to me, but they made sure I knew. She wanted more than anything for me to have a baby. She passed away the Wednesday before Easter. The next year, the Wednesday before Easter, I found out I was pregnant. Talk about a guardian angel. :)

7. I'm addicted to tv. I love it. I don't miss a day of Young and the Restless.

8. The best thing I ever did was become a mom! It really is the best job in the world!

9. I love to cook and bake. It's no wonder I have to go to Weight Watchers! LOL!

10. Shopping is my favorite pastime. I even love grocery shopping. I've often thought I should start some kind of personal grocery shopping service. However, Sutton probably wouldn't enjoy it very much. She doesn't like to sit still!

My awards go to...

www.threetimesthegiggles.blogspot.com ~ Helen, right back at you! I love love love reading your blog!

www.greenacresinthecity.blogspot.com ~ Maeghan, I love your wholesome approach to raising your boys and love your recipes!

www.hungrypoodle.com ~ Anne is my WW leader. She posts wonderful recipes and hilarious stories about her dogs. Love it!

www.kansascitymamas.com ~ These ladies spoke at one of my BBM meetings. They've inspired me to try my hand at couponing! Great info!

www.mommysavers.com ~ These ladies know how to find a bargain! I love the constant updates I get on Facebook about deals they have found.

So, I guess I only have 5 to pass it along to for now. Please check out these blogs. They really are fun and informative! :)

Turkey Burgers with Cider Gravy & Potato Gratins

• This is the dinner I made tonight. We had our friend, Sush, over for dinner and he even had seconds. He said himself that he never goes back for seconds. It was really good! The burgers were adapted from Donald Trumps resort recipe. The gravy is Rachael Ray's recipe and the potato gratins are adapted from Melissa D'Arabian from Food Network. Delish! :) It is a must try!
• 
  
• 
  
• Turkey Burgers
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
• 1/8 cup canola oil
• 4 pounds ground turkey breast
• 2 Tbsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
• 1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
• 1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Cider Gravy

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and ground black pepper

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in the cider and stock. Let thicken, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Individual Potato Gratins

• 2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fat free half and half

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of half and half. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate.

A Random Act of Kindness

Ok, so today I came home from a walk to the park with Sutton and there was a package from Amazon outside my door. Just last night I had ordered some plates, napkins, etc for her birthday party. I was thinking...wow...what a fast turnaround! I opened it and to my surprise, there was the Wilton flat cupcake pan I wanted to use to make Sutton's birthday cake. I was wondering to myself if I had accidentally ordered it. So, I went to good old Facebook and posted a message about it. The reason I did this was because about a week or so ago, I posted a question if anybody actually already had it. About a minute later, I got a message from my cousin, Jean, in Oregon and she had said the mystery was solved! How sweet is that?! No wonder she needed my address! Haha!

I immediately called Sean to tell him about her random act of kindness. He thought it was a very nice thing, too! I am hoping this will inspire everyone to do a random act of kindness sometime in the near future. It's kind of like getting a warm fuzzy! I just love it! :) Thanks, Jean, for making my day!

Buffalo Chicken Baseballs

Here's another great WW friendly recipe that I have been meaning to post. We tried it last week and it was yummy! If you don't like hot sauce, the original recipe leaves it out. Enjoy! :)

BUFFALO CHICKEN BASEBALLS

Serves 4 –

2 cups cooked chicken

3 oz. light cream cheese

2 Tbls. Frank's Red Hot sauce

2 Tbls. Chopped onion

1 stalk celery, diced

2 Tbls. Light margarine – (Or you can used 2 tsps. olive oil instead)

salt and pepper to taste

1 container Light Crescent Rolls

Bread Crumbs

Mix together until smooth the cream cheese, butter, onion, celery, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add 2 cups cooked chicken and mix. Separate the crescent rolls into four rectangles, pressing the seams together. Put about ½ cup of the mixture in the center of each of the rectangles and fold the corners to the top to seal. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.