I’m Back October 28, 2008

I know that I haven’t post a message in a few days but  I have a good reason.  My son pulled the cord from the keyboard and broke it.  I went to Walmart to purchase another one and when I connected it to the computer it didn’t work.  Thankfully they allowed me to exchange it and now I’m back in blogland;)   A few things to report:

1.  I lost 4.2 lbs this week (Thanks to Weight Watchers and alot of will power)

2. My husband gave the message on Sunday morning (Youth and Young Adult service) and I will be lying if I didn’t tell you that I was utterly amazed and shocked.  Now, I’ve seen my husband give speeches and I even heard him on radio stations but I was in absolute awe in how God used him.  He didn’t want me to hear his message but I seen with my own eyes how he sought God for a word to preach day in and day out so I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised.  All I can say is glory to God.  His sermon was about having a relationship  with God.  He challenged the congregation to look at their motives for doing things.  Are we saved because we are afraid of going to hell or are we saved because we love God?  I can’t do it any justice right now because I’ve been processing it since I heard it.  To sum it up God used him to deliever a message that will pull on the heart strings of the listeners and challenge us to have a SINCERE relationship with God.  Praise God

3.  Update on the crockpot….IT WORKS:)  I wanted to throw it out the first day when I took it out of the dishwasher but decided to wait just to see what would happen if I allowed the inside to dry.  I plugged it in this morning and it works….heehee…I’m so happy…happy enough to change  my menu for today so that my crockpot can do its thing:)

4.  Have you ever had a moment of thankfulness.  I mean deep down appreciation for what you have and what the Lord has blessed you with.  Well I get these moments often.  The other day I was cooking and my husband and kids were sitting at the table waiting for the food to be done so we started having a small Bible study with our kids( something we started doing a few weeks ago and will continue to do).  Below is a picture of my family after they just finished our family Bible Study. 

 

I just watched as my husband and children played and sung songs.  I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to have a family and not just any kind of family but a loving family. 

I’m a blessed girl!

Tree

What happened to Food Commando? August 15, 2008

First let me begin by saying, “I LOVE THE FOOD NETWORK!”  My favorite show right now is Down Home With The Neelys.  Although their food isn’t the healthiest and a thorn in a dieter’s side they are very entertaining and their recipes make since and are really tasty…Ask me how I know

A few years ago I use to love this show called Food Commando with Chef Juan Carlos Cruz.  He literally loss weight by changing the ingredients in high calorie food to their low calorie or low fat counterpart.  He took recipes like lasagna, meatloaf, cheesecake and made them healthy.  It was a great show.  On his show he compared the calorie and fat difference between the original unhealthy recipe and the new and improved healthier version.

Many of you know that I am on Weight Watcher (don’t ask lets just say vacationing wasn’t good for my diet but I am back on the band wagon) and I’m using the points system.  So I’m trying to squeeze as much food in my day by using lowfat and fat free items such as milk.  Whole milk is 4pts  versus skim milk which is 2 pts.  With those extra 2 points I can have an apple and a WW peanut butter bar which is only 1 pt.  So do I drink that 1 cup of whole milk for 4pts or do I drink 1 cup of skim milk and still have room for two other snacks.

I really wish Chef Cruz’s show was still on because there are so many recipes out there that needs to be revamped.

Here is the recipe for his low calorie lasagna:

Meat and Cheese Lasagna Recipe courtesy Juan-Carlos Cruz Show:  Calorie Commando Episode:  Comfort Zone

1/2 pound turkey Italian sausage 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 2 (14-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, diced 1 cup chopped red onion 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves 12 medium button mushrooms (about 1 cup), store bought and pre-sliced (from produce aisle) 1 large zucchini, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 4 lasagna pasta noodles, cooked al dente per directions on noodle box  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Remove the casing from turkey sausage and discard. Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and brown until thoroughly cooked, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain and discard any grease in the pan. Remove sausage from heat and add the ricotta and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Stir until well blended. Set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small, non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and chopped basil and saute until the garlic just begins to soften, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, oregano, parsley, and thyme and saute until onions are just soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and continue sauteing until the vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add half of the tomato sauce to the sauteed vegetables. To assemble, line the bottom of a lasagna pan (roughly 13 by 9 inches) with 1/4 of the tomato sauce. Top with 2 lasagna noodles. Then spread half of the sausage mixture on top of the pasta. Cover the sausage layer with about half of the vegetable mixture. Top the vegetable layer with the remaining sausage mixture. Then top that layer with the remaining lasagna noodles and add the remaining tomato sauce over top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.   Serves 8 Nutrition Information Nutritional Analysis per serving Calories 254 Fat 14 grams Saturated Fat 5 grams Carbohydrates 20 grams Fiber 2 grams

I did it! July 16, 2008

I lost 2.8 pounds this week!!!!!!!!!  YES!  My goal was to lose at least 2lbs this week.  Thank you Jesus.  I on the path to successful weight loss.  I love this quote:

Ralph Marston
Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.

I believe I WILL lose this weight.  I have a made up mind.  Thank the Lord for the desire to be healthy.

Check out my weight loss page weekly (Wednesdays) I chart my weight loss.

Okay I gotta go…VBS is tonight! God Bless

Weight Watchers July 9, 2008

Greetings!

I know yesterday I said that I was going to post pictures of my house to everyone but I really didn’t have the time yesterday because it was hubby’s birthday.   One of my gifts was a day of pampering so I ordered his favorite from the pizzeria around the corner (buffalo wings and salad) and when he came home I sneaked  him upstairs before the kids knew he was home because if they knew he was home they would want him to play with them.  So I had our bathroom deck out like a spa: tea candles, white towels and washcloth, hot bubble bath prepared, and a nice hot cup of coffee.  So while he soaked himself in the tub I kept the kids occupied so that daddy could unwind.  His pajamas was laid out for him and he was so relaxed when he came downstairs to eat.  So I said all that to say that I didn’t have time to take pics I will probably do it tomorrow the latest Saturday.

I guess I should talk about weight watchers since its my title.  So I decided after much reading and diet research to go back to weight watchers.  As it stand right now I’m not strong enough to do it on my own.  I realize that I need that accountability.  I will start documenting my weight loss weekly.  Keep me in your prayers.  Thanks

Weight Watcher’s Key Lime Pie June 26, 2008

This pie is absolutely delicious!  Although my mom is no longer on Weight Watchers she still makes this pie for the holidays.  I believe its 3 points per serving.  Now I know that its not organic but it is a delicious sweet that is low in calories and its quite refreshing:)

Ingredients

• 1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
• 1 (1/16 ounce) package sugar-free lime gelatin
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 (8 ounce) container fat-free whipped topping
• 2 (6 ounce)  key lime pie yogurt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
2. Stir in yogurt with wire whisk.
3. Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon.
4. Spread in crust.
5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Professional Dieter…And Tired Of It May 23, 2008

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?  For the life of me I can’t seem to be consistent with any diet regimen.  I use to work with dietitians so I know how to allot certain calories for each meal, I know what’s good for me and what’s not but for some reason when it comes to dieting or should I say eating the correct portions…I fail everytime.  Well not everytime…the times I seem to do real well and lose say 15-20 pounds I end up pregnant…heehee:)

Seriously, why is it that I know exactly what to do, but fail to do what I know.  Yes I want to lose weight to look good (people can say they want to lose to be healthier yeah that could be part of it but we all want to be happy with the person we see in the mirror), I want to be healther, I want to be fit and energetic, I want to stay diabetes free and high blood pressure free.  I tried Christian Diets, Weight Watchers, Diet Pills, Eating Right and Exercise, etc…but I realized that its not the diet its me.  For some reason I lack the drive to go and run the track and I lack the self control to put that cookie down.  Its ashame.  I think I’m glutton:( Not in the sense of sitting eating a profound amount of junk in one sitting but using food as a crutch.  You know when you are sad, bored, entertaining (Something I LOVE to do). 

Lay It Down

I need to lay down this SIN yes sin that so easily besets me. 

Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

What is that thing that bogs you down? That stops you for being the best You that You can be.  For me I believe its my weight.  And from meditating on the scripture above I see that it not a lack of knowledge but a lack of patience.  I’m don’t consider myself to be a patient person.  I’m a “Go-Getter.”  That Go Getter mentality caused me to not give up on losing weight but it does make me restless in a process that requires patience and endurance.  The scripture says to, “…run with patience the race that is set before us.” Whew that’s some heavy stuff.  How many of us don’t attain our goals whether it is mentally, physically, or spiritually due to a lack of patience. Well we need to ask the Father for some help:)

Almighty Father I pray for all of us that want to do right and try to do right but at times stumble and find it difficult to stand again.  Give us the patience and endurance to run this race.  Let us not become weary in doing good but encourage us that at the proper time we will reap the harvest of that which we labored for if we do not give up.  Father as Your children we come humbly before you asking for forgiveness of that sin that so easily besets us because according to 2 Chronicles 7:14  You said, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. So that you can forgive our sins and heal our land (our thinking, our mindset).  You are worthy of all the Glory and we thank you in advance, for Your Word never comes back to You void.  So thank you Father in Your Son Jesus Christ name. Amen