6 10 2012 The 5 Bite Diet Day 27

Top of the day. My Spirits are great. My Energy levels are good.

Yet another short post. Things are fine. I am feeling good about all that has happened. I have to keep thinking about the prize. Yes, the prize at the end of all of this. There is so much other work that I need to do about my health I am not happy with my over all "state of being". I have a few improvements to tend to sooner or later. I just need to knock them down one at a time. That works for me. When I try too many things at once it gets bogged up and I dont finish what I start, well at least for the most part.




Results thus far:

(Please let me know if I mess up on my math below, I might add or subtract incorrectly)

Day 01 = (0.0) = 00.0 lbs loss current weight: 190.0 lbs (just starting)
Day 02 = (2.0) = 02.0 lbs loss current weight: 188.0 lbs (nice)
Day 03 = (1.6) = 03.6 lbs loss current weight: 186.4 lbs (this is how we do it)
Day 04 = (1.8) = 05.4 lbs loss current weight: 184.6 lbs (lovely)
Day 05 = (1.2) = 06.6 lbs loss current weight: 183.4 lbs (interesting)
Day 06 = (1.8) = 08.4 lbs loss current weight: 181.6 lbs (oh, yeah)
Day 07 = (1.2) = 09.6 lbs loss current weight: 180.4 lbs (keep it coming)
Day 08 = (0.4) =  10.0 lbs loss current weight: 180.0 lbs (Battle On!!!)
Day 09 = (0.8) =  10.8 lbs loss current weight: 179.2 lbs (Yo!)
Day 10 = (0.8) =  11.6 lbs loss current weight: 178.4 lbs (OK?)
Day 11 = (1.0) =  12.6 lbs loss current weight: 177.4 lbs (OK part 2)
Day 12 = (1.2) =  13.8 lbs loss current weight: 176.2 lbs (OK part 3)
Day 13 = (0.8) =  14.6 lbs loss current weight: 175.4 lbs (Jeez)
Day 14 =(+4.0) = 10.6 lbs loss current weight: 179.4 lbs (Just Shoot Me)
Day 15 =(+0.4) = 10.2 lbs loss current weight: 179.8 lbs (Hold the Line!!!)
Day 16 =  (1.0) = 11.2 lbs loss current weight: 178.8 lbs (Fighting Back)
Day 17 = (1.4) =  12.6 lbs loss current weight: 177.4 lbs (brig it on!)
Day 18 = (1.2) =  13.8 lbs loss current weight: 176.2 lbs (this is how we do it)
Day 19 = (1.0) =  14.8 lbs loss current weight: 175.2 lbs (talk to me)
Day 20 = (0.8) =  15.6 lbs loss current weight: 174.4 lbs (Oh my, my)
Day 21 = (1.0) =  16.6 lbs loss current weight: 173.4 lbs (all time LOW!)
Day 22 = (0.8) =  17.4 lbs loss current weight: 172.6 lbs (how low can you go?)
Day 23 = (1.0) =  18.4 lbs loss current weight: 171.6 lbs (My eyes have seen the glory)
Day 24 = (1.2) =  19.6 lbs loss current weight: 170.4 lbs (down, down, do your thing)
Day 25 = (0.8) =  20.4 lbs loss current weight: 169.6 lbs (Keep the Faith!!!)
Day 26 = (0.6) =  21.0 lbs loss current weight: 169.0 lbs (Keep On Keeping On!!!)
Day 27 = (1.0) =  22.0 lbs loss current weight: 168.0 lbs (No Surrender, No Retreat!!!)

Three more days yall. Three more days. I almost sound like I am getting out of prison. HA! No it has not been that bad..........well........... OK no, it has not been that bad. HA!!!

Have a Healthy Day my Friends and Family. Battle On!!!


Todays Menu: Black coffee, H20, Seltzer Water, Beef Patty and Smoked Chicken.

Breakthrough

Cheers,

Dave

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Some Small Talk

Hello, this is a little update since its been a few weeks!

Im due in eight weeks, which just seems still like a long way away. Today is Saturday and the temperature hit 60 degrees. I love this spring weather! But that also means I have to pull out some short- sleeved maternity clothes.

I havent been working out. Im tossing around the idea of doing some home work-outs. But Im realizing that this pregnancy is just one of those where Im simply not as in shape as I was in the last pregnancy. Ive had those pregnancies before, and once Ive had the baby, I simply put my nose to the grindstone and start making goals. One of those will be a half marathon in September. I figure that Ill be able to start running by July which will give me 12 weeks to train for it. Im due on May 6th.

Speaking of this little baby. This girl is very active. Now all of her movements feel big and when she moves you can literally see it happen on the surface of my belly. The kids think its great!

I havent gone all out on clothes shopping for her yet. Im waiting to score some really good deals on garage sales first. But Im very excited about all of the cute little girl clothes out there. And when the time is right, this little lady will have a nice wardrobe.

Hope youre all enjoying your weekend!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

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Stiches and movements

Good evening!

As Ive been sitting here reading over some blogs, Ive been having what I call "stitches" on my belly. Usually I have to stand up and stretch for several minutes before the pain abates.

Ok, Im better now.

The baby is really moving right now. I keep imagining what he looks like...like how big he is. I find it difficult to imagine his actual size while looking at my belly. Its truly an amazing concept to think that I have a living human being moving around in me. Sometime when I feel really large movements inside of me, I imagine that hes probably just doing what we outside are doing...normal everyday things like stretching or well...just the natural movements you make when your living every day life....but for him...inside of me, its magnified because I can feel it all and because there is so little room for him to move.

Then, I think about what it will be like when were doing home school after hes born, and hes hanging out sleeping nearby. All of his little movements that he made inside of me suddenly wont seem so big. But, then when he moves or yawns or stretches, we get to watch him.

Like I told you all a few days ago, there is a lot going on the next two weeks. But after that, there is not much planned except for the regular schedule.

From October 18th and on...I will have two weeks till Im due. In my mind, I view that as the "waiting period". You know...like any day could be the day. Ha, Ha! Because Im not sure I want him to come before then, because I want to make sure hes "in" as long as he needs to be. That sounds funny to me too...as if I can control that.

But today was a good eating day. I havent had time to dig up any new recipes. But I did "make up" something different that Ive been really enjoying. I started adding 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to my protein shakes.

So, its like this: 6 oz of water, 4 to 5 ice cubes, 4 ounce banana, chocolate protein powder (about one ounce), and 1 tbl of natural peanut butter.

Wow! It is so tasty, thick and makes me feel like Im have a chocolate-y, peanut butter treat.

Well, I hope you all have a good Wednesday. I see a midwife tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama

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2014 The 5 Bite Diet Day 1

Hello everybody, my name is Connor and I am really glad to have the opportunity to be here and journal my experiences with the 5 Bite Diet. Dave has given me lots of support in the past. I have had some success and failures with dieting in general because I cant let go of the past and just get with the program. I can be my own worst enemy at times. Dave has given me some guidelines to follow concerning the way he wants me to document my progress during this challenge. I dont know how long I will be on it. It will take way more than thirty days to get me to a normal weight. Currently I am at 250 lbs. I understand that this diet is copying Lap Band surgery way of eating and the way people eat under doctors orders. So if it is safe for them it should be safe for me. I can only try and find out.

Dave wants me to list an everyday weigh-in and a menu for the day. I put my goal weight at 180 lbs. So this challenge will last that long. I think it will be much longer than 30 days. I eat zero carb foods. I know the regular diet calls for snicker bars, but I want to also start eating zero carb and I feel that type of food will hold down the hunger better and is more nutritious for my body. Dave tried to talk me into a regular zero carb diet, but he went along with my wishes if I followed his instructions and did not deviate from them. Also I know that a snickers bar is about 2 oz. I have elected to eat at least 3 oz of protein. I can adjust as I see needed. I wont have long posts other than to report weight loss or gain, my menu, and any noticeable concerns. Wish me luck and ask any questions that may come to your mind.


Start/Current/Goal
 250/    250   /180

Day 01 250 lbs

Menu
B black coffee & water
L 3 oz meatloaf
D 3 oz meatloaf

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Green Goddess Dressing For all the strong goddesses I know

To all my fellow women who fight the good fight for their children and families - you are amazing.

Its been a tough week for the women in my life these past few months.  I have a friend in hospice after a short but frenzied battle with cancer.  She lives for two young children who will soon suffer an anguish that is like no other.  She battles on to spend any additional day with her kids.

I have another friend who fights to get the best education for her autistic child, who is currently not being served in his school.  She battles daily to get what her child needs, often times being defeated by the system, but she herself, never gives up fighting for more.

Still another friend deals with a child recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  This means that for the immediate future, every carbohydrate, every bit of food has to be measured, calculated, and balanced with insulin. There is an incredible amount of math involved in every single meal (mostly addition and division) and nothing food wise is just picked up and consumed on a whim.  The entire family is on standby and she still calculates, measures, weighs all the food that will go into her child.

There are those moms who daily battle with food allergies.  Im currently trying to figure out how to keep #2 safe in a classroom where no one seems to have gotten the memo that she is allergic to peanuts without offended or upsetting anyone elses food choices.

There are my friends who have to take care of aging parents while taking care of young children.  They do it with a smile on their face, sweat on their brow, while the burden of two generations weighs on their shoulder.

I have dozens more stories of the amazing women in my immediate circle who are going through great lengths for their families.  They sacrifice and push themselves for they can.  They are the better for it on the other side of the challenge, but the road through the challenge is not easy.

Women - we are doing it all.  We are doing the best we can.  The road has been hard and the battle has been unpredictable.  But we still go at it, strong, fierce and determined to do what needs to be done.  And for these women, Im so very proud to be their friend and to be a fellow woman.

These women, these goddesses if you will, I offer salad.  Delicious salad with a dressing aptly named - green goddess.  The dressing is creamy, sophisticated, vibrant and fresh.  It enhances almost anything it touches.  (Im partial to it with carrot sticks and cucumbers.)  The dressing is almost as good as a good woman.

Green Goddess Dressing

Serves 6 

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (7 or 8  scallions)

1 ½  cups chopped fresh basil leaves

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)

2 teaspoons anchovy paste (near the canned meat section of your local grocery store)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup sour cream

Method

In a blender add all ingredients except sour cream.  Blend until just smooth.  Add sour cream and blend just a bit more.  Use immediately over salad your choice of salad (I like romaine with cucumbers and tomatoes), or refrigerate if not using immediately.  

Printable recipe

With cucumbers, tomatoes and romaine, the perfect salad to go with any meal.

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9 4 2012 Bonus Round

Howdy Yall!! My Spirits and Energy Levels are GREAT!!!

So how did my extended weekend fare? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

OK, I am being a drama-queen. It was not that bad, but it could have been much better. Much better indeed!!! I did not get my gas grill put back together. I almost did, but I still have to cope with the ignition system and arrange the new cast iron burner that is not exactly designed for this grill. In retrospect I would have trashed the the gas grill, bought a new one and practice "lessons learned" on the new one. I will try to get it together maybe next Sunday as the rest of this week is too tight to fiddle with it. It is very time consuming and needs to be done right.

So, no gas grill, what is a Texan gonna do??? Heck I just busted out the coal grill, what else? So I did "Qed" up some Beef and Pork Ribs!!! YUM!!! I also "Qed" some fresh butcher made Polish Sausages. Really nice!!! Now my coal/wood grill is not very big. It is more designed for Steaks, Burgers, Dogs (Frankfurters),  um I think you get the message. So it was a challenge cooking up all those Ribs. But I did it and they came out................ Simply Fabulous!!!



I did not get to do the much needed yard work either. Thing just keep popping up. Small time consuming things. I might just get a letter from the homeowners association. YIKES!!! I promised myself come hell or high water I will do the lawn today. My DW (Dear Wife) keeps telling me just to hire a company to do scheduled maintenance. Well, I am just too stubron. I want to do it myself. I dont know at this point.

One happy note: I went to my brothers house yesterday to celebrate his daughters birthday. Now this is where it gets interesting: As I have stated in the past: Although I am a ZCer, I will cook all and any foods. I especially love to bake. I look at cooking as an ART. That being said, I made Dirty Rice and my recently famous Mandarin Orange Cake Ala Dave. I get rave reviews and it is in demand. I also make a mean Banana Pudding Ala Dave too. I dont force my way of eating or anything else on other folks. We all have free will and I exercise mine. So there you go.

This is a Special Shout Out to my fellow Texan "C-TX". Where are you darling? Please email me and let me know how you are doing or simply comment here.

What next? What next indeed!!! So I am going to attempt something new today. Actually it is something old. I am just gonna try to see if I can do it today. What is it you might ask. Well ask away. I just cant say right now, but I will report soon. It has to do with the new blog of course.

Back to the WOE (way of eating). I have come to the conclusion that (at least for now) my best bet is ZC combined with portion control. I have also concluded ( at this time) that The 5 Bite Diet is the perfect vehicle for weight loss, not just weight loss, but rapid weight loss. It also teaches a lesson or two on portion control. Let me tell you good folks something: You can gain weigh on ZC. You will not necessarily loss weight on ZC if you overeat. I know for a fact. Been there, done that. Now for the big BUT: if you follow the Zero Carb mantra to the letter, portion control will be automatic.

Zero Carb Mantra Ala Dave:

• Eat went hungry
• Stop eating when satisfied (not stuffed)
• Eat Fatty Meats (especially Beef)
• Drink plenty of fluids (water, water and water)
• Do some form of physical activity (anything: just move your butt)

That is it. Believe me you wont want to eat more that two meals a day. You also will find that a small amount of Fatty Meat, especially Beef will satisfy you completely. The key is to listen to your body. OK one more time: 

THE KEY IS TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY 

Donf force feed yourself, that is one of the biggest mistakes folks make. Serve smaller portions. Wait awhile after you eat and let the huger subside with the food you consumed. Eat when you are truly hungry. Get away from thinking "OK, its morning I must eat breakfast. NOOOO!!!!! Change the way you think. "OK, I am hungry. I will have my first meal of the day" YESSS!!!!! That first meal may be in the morning or if you are like me, it wont be until 11am or noon. I personally like to wait until my tummy has a slight rumble.

I can guarantee you that you will find yourself eating twice a day. Not only that you will break the bonds that keep you from good if not great health. Just follow the simple rules and be determined. You must break the sugar cravings.

Now if you have some kind of medical issues, well I cant help you. I am not a doctor and wont give medical advice. No Sir, No Maam. I can tell you of my own experience:

1. My Blood pressure went to normal (got off meds)
2. My borderline Diabetes Vanished
3. I dropped over 80 lbs (100 lbs total 20lbs via VLC)
4. Overall increase in Well-being 
5. All of my labs concerning HDL, LDL, VDL, Triglycerides, Blood Glucose and the rest of the stuff on a annual check up are all now in range of what is considered good health. I even did a special test on my LDLs where they measure the particle size and they were great.

So, yes my Friends and Family IMO portion control plays a vital role. I also believe in the BMI information that I have provided on this Blog and I will strive to meet it.  So then this is it for now. Have I said enough? HA!!!

Have a Healthy Day my Friends and Family. Getting started can be a challenge for some, staying the course can be a challenge for others, just remember to stay Focused. Keep your goals in mind and Always Battle On!!!

A Road Less Traveled

Cheers,

Dave

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2014 The 5 Bite Diet Day 4

I am almost two pounds down. I feel pretty good, although I am still feeling hungry between meals. Its getting a little better, but I cant wait for the hunger pangs to go away completely. I ate five small chicken wing segments that I backed. They were pretty plain. I made a batch of meatballs. just a little salt, onion powder and garlic powder. I will eat that for my dinner. I think doing this diet with zero carbs foods will help cutout all my cravings for sweets. I know some of you will do this diet with candy bars and thats OK if that is what you are looking for, but for me this will be a change for life. I feel for myself that I can not control sugar intake no matter what form it is in. Good luck for anyone else out there doing the 5 bite diet.

Start/Current/Goal
 250/   248.8  /180

Day 01 250.0 lbs
Day 02 249.0 lbs
Day 03 248.8 lbs
Day 04 248.2 lbs

Menu
B black coffee & water
L ? oz 5 small chicken wing segments
D 3 oz meatballs

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Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes When you send them out without you

Daughter #1 left the roost for two nights yesterday.  Last year, she did a one night sleepover on campus at our local day camp, which is only a 10 minute walk from our home, and she loved it.  This year, the same day camp takes the slightly older kids on a wilderness camping trip for two nights and three days.  I said good-bye to her Wednesday morning, and I will not be seeing her again until Friday afternoon.

I asked her if she wanted to go, since it would be camping, something she has only done once, and it was done with me nearby.  She was quite keen and eager to go and wouldnt be dissuaded.  I had some doubts, for Daughter #1 is a strange combination of independent and helpless.  She can figure out complex situations and work through difficult emotions and feelings but she cant get her own food in a buffet line.  I wasnt sure how she would fare on a camping trip, so once she told me she wanted to go, I decided to prepare her a bit.

How to Survive Away From Mommy

Step 1.  Learn how to pack your own essentials.
Campers were given a list of things to prepare and since I was extremely busy (I actually was), I told her to take care of it.  I gave her a bag and the list, a few ziploc bags and told her to figure things out.  She did.

Step 2.  Learn how to stuff your own sleeping bag into the appropriate bag.
This job stymied her for a bit because the bag seemed so small compared to the volume of the sleeping bag.  I told her to start slowly and keep on stuffing.  She did it and 8 minutes later, she had stuffed the sleeping bag into the bag and there was the sheen of sweat on her face.

Step 3.  Learn to take inventory and keep track of your things.
We borrowed a very nice sleeping pad from a friend and I basically instructed Daughter #1 that we COULD NOT lose it.  She had to keep track of everything that was hers - her duffel bag, her sleeping bag, her pillow, her sleeping pad.  All of it, she had to keep track of. (I did get a bit crazy with the label maker and label a bunch of stuff, but still.)

Step 4.  Learn how to get your own food.  When its time to eat, no one is going to serve you a perfectly arranged plate of food. (I know that this is partly my fault.)  Think about what a balanced meal is, what mommy would normally put on your plate (protein, starch vegetable) and try and make healthy choices for yourself.

Step 5.  Always go places with another person.  Find a partner to go to the bathroom, to go back to the campsite, to go anywhere.  Do not travel alone.

Daughter #1 survived my intense survival-away-from-mommy crash course without any tears and I breathed a sigh of relief.  Under my breath I thought that it was far easier keeping her under my own room, under my own protection, than sending her out into the wide world without me.

And thats when it struck me.  How much have I been preparing Children for their eventual leaving of the nest?  I had much hesitation about this camping trip, simply because I was worried that she wasnt ready.  Did I prepare her correctly?  Did she have the right emotional tools to deal with being without me?  Was she confident enough to handle herself on her own?  A stream of questions poured in and out of my brain, and I worried, I did not prepare her ENOUGH.

But then again, we never can, can we?  We will never prepare them enough for the outside world.  We never feel we have given them all the perfectly right tools to meet every single sticky situation.  We want to protect them from horrible things, from harsh realities, from sadness, but our desire to do so prevents them from being prepared.

Mostly from this experience, I realized that Im not prepared.  Im not prepared to let her go.  Shes only 8 after all, but two nights, three days is a long time to be without a child.  The house is way too quiet without her presence, and suddenly the days are far too empty and missing action.  The piano is being played only half of the time, there is only 1/3 the amount of fighting that normally happens, and Im even less motivated to cook since there is one fewer mouth to feed.  Id like to keep my family all together for a little longer I think.

With all of my new found free time with one gone, I decided to make these little cupcakes as I ruminated on all the ways I havent prepared Children for the real world.  Thankfully the scent of lemons, strawberry and sugar distracted me from the harsher realities of parenthood and I began to relax in the euphoric smell of sweetness.  These little strawberry lemon cakes can be enjoyed without frosting and the lightest sprinkling of powdered sugar or can get the fully pampered treatment and be topped with a delicious strawberry cream cheese frosting.  Either way, the taste is pure summer, absolute fun, and total yumminess.

Note:  Freeze dried fruit generally come with a pack of silica gel on the inside.  REMOVE this before pulverizing.

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes
Makes 30 regular cupcakes, 60 mini cupcakes

Lemon Cake
Ingredients
2 cups regular sugar
2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs (taken out of the fridge the same time as the butter)
1¼ cup buttermilk
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced fresh strawberries

Method
Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a food processor, pulverize together lemon zest and sugar. (Doing so releases the lemon oils.)

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, blend softened butter and lemon sugar until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well mixed, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is well blended.

Add half of flour mixture and mix until just combined. and add half of buttermilk and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add remaining half of flour mixture, mix until just combined and then add remaining buttermilk. Mix until just combined.again. At this stage, the less you mix the better for your cake. (too much mixing makes for a tough cake.)  Remove mixer blades, and gently fold in strawberries with a spatula.

Divide cake into prepared muffin tins. Bake for mini cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes, regular cupcakes for 22 to 24 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently pressed with fingertips. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove cake from pans and cool on wire racks until completely cool.

Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
Makes enough to frost 30 cupcakes

1 cup of butter, slightly softened (room temperature for about 20 minutes)
8 oz of cream cheese (room temperature for 5 minutes)
1.2 oz (34 grams) freeze dried strawberries, pulverized in a mini food processor (but not too far ahead of time, otherwise they will begin to absorb moisture)
5-6 cups of confectioners sugar

In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix butter until it is softened and uniform. Add cream cheese and beat together until it is uniform. Add pulverized strawberries. Add 3 cups of sugar to the mixture and mix. 2 more cups of sugar. Mix again until mixture is creamy and spreadable. Add more sugar if necessary, otherwise prepare to frost cupcakes.

You can frost with a knife, or you can using a pastry bag and a 1M Wiltons star tip to make the rosettes. Start in the middle of the cupcake, hold the tip perpendicular to the cupcake (pointing straight down) and swirl outwards.

Printable recipe

inside the cake, before I ate it.

Freeze Dried Strawberries - Trader Joes has these for $3.49 for the pack.  If you cant get there, try Target, Walmart, or Whole Foods


I got these mini cupcake liners (pictured above) at Sur La Table.


I am thinking I will get these since they are so cute for mini cupcakes.

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Down About 13 Pounds Now

Hello there!

Good new again. According to the scale I dropped another pound for a total lost of 12.8 pounds.

I completed my week of work-outs except for the ten miler tonight of course.

We only have two more weeks left in August before Labor Day. Can you believe it? Im thinking about homeschooling the kids starting this coming Monday. Ive been cleaning up and organizing the room and the materials and I think I may just launch on Monday.

That way, Ill have a few weeks to get a routine started before all the swimming, flag football, and other activities begin on the day after Labor Day.

I hope youre all doing well and enjoying these last few days of summer.

Have a good weekend!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

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6 week pregnancy weight loss program

Get Ready to Lose More Belly Fat and Inches With a NEW Way to Workout That Gives You a New Body in Get Ready to Lose More Belly Fat and Inches With a NEW Way to Workout That Gives You a New Body in Just 6 Weeks, All Without Doing Hours and Hours of Cardio Every Week.Get Started Now!

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Dry Brined Fried Chicken Wings On pushing through

Because of my work with young writers for nearly 20 years, I know how hard it can be for some students to write.  Sometimes the thought of writing overwhelms, intimidates, or causes such stress that students act out in ways that are less than attractive.  However, Im ready for such behaviors and attitudes and more often than not, I expect them.

Today I walked into another hour of volunteering with a group of 3rd graders.  The teacher is a wonderful writing instructor and appreciates that I can help students focus on their writing and she pretty much allows me to wander and help as I see fit.  Today I walked around for a bit offering some advice, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a student whose head was buried under his hands on his desk and clearly was off task.  I walked over and sat down next to him.  He moved away.  I waited patiently for him to lift his head, and when he finally did (about 3 minutes later) he said, "Go away."

     "But Im here to help you.  Let me see what you have so far," I said gently.
     "Go away.  I dont like this."
     "Come on.  At least show me what youve got," I cajoled.  I waited a bit longer and he finally sat up and glared at me.
     "Sit up straight and show me what you have," I told him.
     "Im tooooo tired!" and he proceeded to yawn like a lion ready to settle down for a long nap.

I waited some more.  After a long few minutes of struggle and cajoling and working with him, we had a basic plan for his writing.  I asked him to start.  He once again put his head under his desk.  I asked him to start again.  His body slumped more and I kept on waiting.

     "Why wont you go away?" he asked, voice muffled, from his face down position.
     "Because Im here to help you and I want to see you get your thoughts on paper," I reminded him.
     "But I dont WANT your help," he said.
     "I know.  But Im here anyways."
     "Can you PLEASE just go away?" he begged.
      "Not until youre sitting straight at your desk and you try to do what weve planned out."
      Across the desk, his classmate kept muttering under her breath, "You should give up.  Hes not going to do it. Youre making him do something he cant do.  Youre being mean to him.  Hes always like this."

Some stubborn teacher gene in me kept at the activity, despite the peanut gallery commentary across the desk.  I spent more than 20 minutes with him, and finally at the end of the 20 minutes, he began to write.  He even wrote on the three things that we had agreed upon.  He even asked me how to spell "ferris" (as in wheel) which he had misspelled "ferres."  He even managed to put in his periods and capitalize the beginning of every sentence.

Was it the worlds most deep and profound piece of writing?  Or course not.  Not in 20 minutes from a 3rd grader.  But I felt good afterwards because he finally pushed through to the end, albeit with the most protracted protests ever.  I learned a lot from my 20 minutes with him that sometimes you just have to push through.  He had to push through, if only to get rid of my annoying presence.  I had to push through to just finish something that I had started.  And sometimes, just pushing through means you get to the other side and you can look back upon what youve accomplished.

When I think about cooking chicken wings, I often find myself daunted.  There is the oil, the flour, all the dredging, the mess, the smells, the overwhelming extra of all that STUFF.  This means I dont fry often and if I do choose to fry, I like to fry for many people if Im going through the motions anyways.  I had these dry brined chicken wings in my head, ever since I saw a recipe in my BonApetit magazine that talked about dry brining fried chicken.  I finally decided to push through and go ahead and make the recipe that was sitting in my head in hopes of something great.  I was not disappointed.  The chicken was juicy, flavorful with the lightest flour coating to make things a little bit crispy.  If youre looking for a wing with a thick, super crunchy coating, this is not the wing for you.  But if you like the light, crispy, golden taste of fried chicken - well then - push on through and make these.

Dry-Brined Fried Chicken Wings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 to 4 lbs chicken wings, wing tips removed, drummettes and wings separated

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Method 
Whisk 1 Tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over chicken wings and mix well, making sure all chicken receives some of the spicy mixture.  Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover, and chill overnight.

When ready to fry, let chicken stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour before frying.. Whisk flour, salt, pepper in a bowl.

Heat oil in a large heavy pan (or cast iron skillet if youre lucky to have one.)   Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet to allow chicken wings to drain after frying.

Dip chicken, one at a time into flour mixture, lightly coating the entire wing in flour.  Carefully add 10 to 12 wings into the hot oil and cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet/pot, allowing excess oil to drip back into pan; transfer chicken to prepared rack.

Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Printable recipe

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Pasta with Sausage Broccolini and Garlic A Year Supply of Pasta Giveaway!

The folks over at Golden Grain Pasta generously offered to send me 8 boxes of their new Hidden Veggie Pasta, and also offered to sponsor a giveaway of years supply of pasta (2 boxes of pasta a month -24 boxes total) for one lucky reader!  I couldnt turn down such an opportunity to try pasta, which is one of Familys absolute favorite meals, so I asked them to send me my sample!

Although the pasta does have some vegetables in it (carrots and squash), it isnt enough for me in terms of providing my family an adequate mix of protein, vegetables, and starch.  Time is always short in my house so I wanted to make a one pot pasta.  I decided to make one that used the vegetables that are dark green, broccolini, with some yummy Italian sausage and garlic.  The end result was a meal that everyone enjoyed and gobbled down.  The recipe has a dairy free option, which uses more chicken stock, and a dairy option which uses some heavy cream.  Both versions are very delicious.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccolini
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 box of Golden Grain Hidden Vegetable Pasta (or your choice of another pasta)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, minced or through a press
¼ chicken stock
1 lb broccolini, chopped into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup heavy cream or chicken stock (depends if you want it to be dairy free)
3 tablespoons of basil, finely chopped
¼  cup Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Method
Boil water for pasta. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the same pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and sausages. After sausages are browned, add garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chicken stock and broccolini. Cover and cook until broccolini is slightly tender and bright green about 5 minutes.

Toss in pasta, and toss together well.  Finish with cream or additional chicken stock.  Add basil and serve.  Pass Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Printable recipe

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Rice Pudding Gluten and dairy free No resolutions this new year

When I was younger, Mom and Dad would ask Brothers and me every December 31, "What are your resolutions for the coming year?"  Id stare at Parents blankly, because mostly I couldnt think of anything.  Usually Id mumble something like, "My resolutions are to study harder and practice piano more."  What else was there to say?  Maybe two weeks tops Id work on these resolutions, and then within three weeks, Id be off doing my thing, my own way.

This year, thoughtfully, deliberately, willfully I made no such resolutions.  Why should I torture myself on a day trying to figure out how Im going to make myself better when in reality - one day of thinking Im going to get better, do better, live better isnt necessarily going to end up with results.  Change, true change, comes from within, with slow deliberation, willful determination, and a lot of time.  One day to decide all of that just doesnt make sense to me.  So instead, Ive decided to throw caution to the wind and not resolve to do anything.  Im going to make it through 2013 and not accomplish, resolve, fix or do anything extra.

The lovely folks over at Stephen James Organics sent me a bag of their Carazuc, which is a sweetener made from the sap of the buds of the coconut flower.  Its dark brown in color, and the flavor is reminiscent of brown sugar with hints of molasses.  I looked at it and decided that it might be interesting to make rice pudding with it and make the rice pudding something that Son could enjoy.  Enter coconut milk.

The end result was something that Daughters and Son alike enjoyed.  Daughters preferred it warm, and Son liked it with a dollop of apricot jam on top.  I liked the fact that it was a slightly sweet dessert, but not so over the top that I felt guilty feeding it to the kids.  And so, despite my attempts to the contrary - I end up doing something - a dairy free, refined sugar free dessert that the entire family can enjoy.

Ah well.  Happy 2013 to me.

Coconut-Milk Rice Pudding
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
¾ cup sushi (short grain) rice, rinsed
¼ cup Carazuc or regular sugar (brown sugar also works)
Pinch of salt
3 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk (not the kind in cans, but the kind in cartons - So Delicious brand or Trader Joe’s brand)
1 cinnamon stick
3 or 4 whole cardamom pods
Fresh fruit or fruit preserves/jam for topping

Method
In a large saucepan, combine the rice, carazuc (sugar), salt, 1 cup of the coconut milk, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.

Cook over low heat, stirring, until coconut milk is absorbed, at least 5 minutes.

Add ½ cup of coconut milk at a time, stirring and cooking until the milk is absorbed, then repeat, adding another ½ cup again until you have added an additional 2 cups of milk and the milk is mostly absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Remove cardamom pods and cinnamon stick carefully.  Let cool and then add remaining ½ cup of coconut milk.  Serve topped with fresh fruit or jam.

Printable recipe

Heres to a year of doing less.

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Macaroni Salad When Im not prepared

Yesterday the entire family was invited to a Memorial Day barbecue pool party, only it was overcast and kind of sprinkling.  Our family chose to swim in our local indoor pool as a family and then showered and headed over to the pool party just to enjoy food and conversation.

When we arrived, quite a few children were already in the pool and jacuzzi jumping back and forth and having a blast swimming.  The clouds were grey and the water was definitely cold but they didnt seem to mind.  I thought smugly to myself that I was happy to have swum with Children earlier in a warm pool and could avoid the ice cold bath under grey skies and slightly drizzling skies.

After the meal, as I sat and relaxed and chatted with old friends, Daughter #2 and Daughter #1 came over and asked if they might dip their feet into the pool.  "Its cold.  Just be careful and dont fall in."  As both girls are strong swimmers, I didnt need to worry much and I just let them be.

After a few moments of rest however, I heard a splash, a screech from #1 yelling at #2, and I got up to investigate.  What I found was #2 fully clothed, in the water, trying to stay calm and nonchalant as #1 screeched and worried like a mother hen on the outside.  I walked over calmly, told #1 to calm down, and asked #2 to step out.  As I maintained my calm exterior, because I did not want to alarm #2 into a tantrum, I calmly walked over to a changing area, and stripped off Daughter #2s clothes.  Meanwhile Daughter #1 couldnt stop exclaiming over what had happened and I could tell Daughter #2, who is by nature sensitive and tense, was getting tenser and more upset.  I asked Daughter #1 to leave, and I sat Daughter #2 and laid out some hard facts.

"I have no clothes for you.  Your clothes right now are soaking wet.  Im not sure what Im going to be able to do, but for now, youll have to stay here in the towel until I can figure it out."

In the meanwhile, my head began whirring as I thought of what clothing I had available in the car.  Yoga mat.  Nope.  Teaching bag.  Not likely.  Reusable grocery bags.  Not helpful.  I ran to the car with the thoughts that perhaps, I had stuffed, unbeknownst to me, a pair of underwear and an extra change of clothes somewhere in my vast minivan.  My hunt in the van gave me two sweatshirt tops and a pile of cereal that Son had spilled a couple days prior. Underwear and dry appropriate clothing were nowhere to be found.

I came back holding the sweatshirts and got Daughter to wear her own sweatshirt in lieu of a shirt and whatnot, and I managed to create a fabulous skirt with two side pockets out of Sons sweatshirt, but Daughter #2 balked.  She broke down in tears and said she didnt want to wear it and wanted to go home right then and there.  A part of me was frustrated and the other part was just tired.  I asked her to stay and I walked over to my friend and asked if she might have some clothes that I could borrow.  Fortunately she did and the problem was solved.

When we got in the car to return home, with Daughter #2 wearing borrowed clothing, I asked Children what todays lesson was.  Daughter #2 piped up, "Never lean over a pool."  I added, "When going to a pool party, even if you arent going to swim, bring a change of clothing anyways."

This macaroni salad was something I had planned to bring to the party but somehow didnt get around to it and instead took Asian Quinoa Salad .  I ended up making this today to satisfy this rather strange and bizarre macaroni salad craving that Ive been fighting for a week.  It captured the exact flavors that I was looking for and made me happy to eat it.

Macaroni Salad
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 lb of macaroni
8 eggs

1 cup of celery, diced (smaller pieces are better)
1 cup of onion, diced
1 cup of dill pickles, diced
¾ to 1 cup of mayonnaise (more if you like it super creamy, less if you like it a bit lighter)

1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Make sure to salt the water.  Drain, rinse and set aside.

Cook eggs.  Place eggs in a heavy saucepan.  Cover fully with water.  Bring to boil.  Once water is boiling, cover pot, turn off heat, and set aside for 10 minutes.  Once 10 minutes have passed, rinse eggs in cold water, and peel.  Chop and set aside.

In a large bowl add drained and cooled macaroni, chopped eggs, celery, onion, and dill pickles.  Add mayonnaise and begin to toss together.  Carefully fold in all the vegetables.  Add more mayonnaise if desired.  Add paprika.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate.  Before serving, check seasoning one more time.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary and sprinkle a little paprika for color.

Printable recipe

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The 3 Week Diet Reviews

This 3 Week Diet review seeks to peel back the curtain on the diet thats caused a stir on social media and message boards and ask the simple question, "Does the 3 Week Diet work?"

This in-depth review takes a look at every aspect of the product and determines the pros and cons and makes a final unbiased recommendation so youll know for sure if its for you or not.

What Is The Product ?

To quote the website (which you can find at http://3weekdiet.com/), the 3 Week Diet is a foolproof, science-based diet thats 100% guaranteed to melt away 12 to 23 pounds of stubborn body fat in just 21 days.

Thats a bold claim indeed, especially for an internet based digital product of which there are many, some of which have no real scientific basis behind the and are all hype and no content.

Who Is The Author ?

Brian Flatt is the creator of The 3 Week Diet and he is a sports nutritionist, personal trainer and health coach - A nice well rounded skills set to create a product of this nature.

With a degree in biology from San Diego State University, Flatt has been in the fitness industry since th 90s and he is also the owner of REV Fitness which is based in Southern California.

What Is Included In The Program ?

The program consists of four key manuals which cover individual aspects of the program:

• Introduction Manual - This manual is where you start and it breaks down the science behind how the body stores and burns fat and explains what you need to do to lose fat. It also covers the supplements recommended with the diet.

• Diet Manual - This contains the information needed to ensure you have a personalized diet plan for your body. It also shows you exactly what you need to eat and which foods you need to avoid at all costs because they shut off fat burning.

• Workout Manual - Whilst optional, Flatt states that including the workouts helps you double your results so it is recommended. They consist of home based workouts but there is also a gym based version.

        In total it takes 20 minutes 3-4 days per week which is great because it doesnt

        require youto spend hours strapped to a treadmill.

        The manual also includes a killer ab workout called the Midsection Miracle Workout

        which has two ab exercises that are all you need to chisel a washboard stomach.

• Mindset & Motivation Manual - This is an important addition and one that not many other diet programs include. This is where results starts. Our results are tied to our actions and our actions are driven by our habits, our habits are driven by our thoughts and our thoughts are driven by our feelings.

For this reason this manual helps you rewire your brain and gets you to think about fat loss in a different way. By doing this it ensures that your thoughts and feelings about your 21 day challenge action which generates the results.

Click Here To Download The 3 Week Diet

How Does It Work ?

Getting started is incredibly easy. Once youve made payment you download the manuals instantly and then start calculating your personalized diet plan which is easy to do.

Youll then read through the four manuals and youll then have a full nutrition and workout plan within an hour and youll have everything you need to start tomorrow.

Who Is The Ideal Candidate For The Product ?

The good thing about this diet is that it is accessible to everyone regardless of your age, body type or ethnicity.

Similarly, it also works regardless of your style of eating so even vegetarians and vegans can try the diet.

The people this diet will be best suited to are people who are sick of trying multiple diets and not getting the results your effort deserves. If youre determined and commit to sticking to the plan as laid out for 21 days and you want to lose 12-23 pounds in that period then you are a good candidate provided you can commit to four twenty minute workouts per week.

On the flip side, if you think its magic pill which you can buy and then sit around waiting for it to work its "magic" then this isnt for you. As with all diets there is a requirement for you to change your habits as the habits that got you where you are today wont enable you to get to where you want to go.

For that happen you have dedicate yourself to forming new habits that will take you to the promised land.

Pros

• Fast 12-23 pound reduction in bodyweight and 2-3 dress size drops
• Excellent health benefits including descreased cellulite, increased energy and improved cholesterol levels
• Instantly downloadable
• Short, home based workouts
• Motivation manual
• 60 day guarantee

Cons

• Some additional costs as some supplements are recommended
• No hard copies of the products available
• Topics could be covered in more depth
• More scientific references could be included

Does The Product Work ?

The product has a "Doctor Trusted" seal of a approval, though when you consider that most doctor receive less than 3 weeks of mutritional training you may wish to take that with a pinch of salt.

There are a number of testimonials on the homepage from people with impressive results such as 17 pounds lost in 12 days, 23 pounds list in 21 days and 11 pounds lost in one week amongst others. We have to take it that these are genuine testimonials and if they really are then the results are impressive.

The biggest indicator of the program actually working is the 60 day "Lose Weight or its FREE" guarantee which offers a full refund within 60 days if you dont lose the weight promised. This is a nice factor which provides comfort for the on the fence.

Finally, the homepage contains a Facebook recommended counter with over 7000 recomendations.

Recommendation

Overall there is a mixed view here given the fact that the manuals themselves are light on science (despite the author being a Biology graduate), however, we accept that this may have been done to keep if actionable for the people who buy it.

The fact that it is instantly downloadble and has an extensive guarantee is positive and based on that we suggest that anyone who fits the target profile should fell comfortable trying it out as they truly have nothing to lose.

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Carob Peanut Butter Cups Yum Yum!!

Happy Thursday and Friday folks!

Thanks for all your birthday wishes for Daddy Rainmaker and my dad. When I told you all that I was making something for my dad that involved carob chips, I didnt know what I was going to make yet. Ha!

But I found this recipe in a cook book given to me by my mother called "The Ten Talents."

This recipe is super easy and literally only took me like five minutes to whip up.

Here is the finished product...16 peanut butter bars.

Carob chips in natural lighting on the back of my couch.

First you mix 1 cup of natural crunchy peanut butter and 1/3 cup of honey on the stove over medium. It takes a few minutes...

Then, after its combined you mix in 1/2 cup of carob chips (still over medium) until they are melted and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla ...another few minutes...

It looks like this.

Then, the recipe actually asks for you to put them in small paper cups to chill or freeze.

Since I didnt have that, I just pressed them into a pan for bars.

Here they are up close.

My opinion?

Theyre great!

They have this wonderful chewy texture,

the flavor seems to change the more you chew it.

You can taste the honey. It has an almost rich taste to it.

Total calories per bar is 141.

BUT...they are completely sugar free...aka...guilt free.

But they are higher calorie so you have to watch your intake.

But how wonderful to be able to eat something so rich and yummy.

Oh, here are some shots of the birthday boys.

My dad...looking great!

Daddy Rainmaker after the kids surprised him

with snakes and a tarantula for some of his gifts.
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Well, I took off from the gym yesterday to cook, clean and prepare for last nights fun. I had a few more calories than I wanted, around 1,900 last night.

Then, I actually went up a pound this morning, so Im now at 5 pounds in 18 days. So, apparently, my body is fluctuating and adjusting. Its annoying, but I hold to the idea that by the end of 10 weeks, I will usually average out to a two pound a week loss. So, if I can be down at least six pounds by Monday...that six pounds in three weeks.

Today I made it to the gym for a 55 minute leg work-out, a 2 1/2 mile bike ride, a 1.25 mile run, and abs.

For calories Im estimating that I consumed around 1,700.

Hope you you all have a good Friday!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

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