Happy Friday!

What are y’all doing this weekend? It’s going to be a Starbucks weekend for me. School legit started last Wednesday and we already have our first test and first clinical case study due next week. Wah.

Anyway, earlier this week I admitted I’m re-dedicating myself to my fashion now that I’m back in school and down into new sizes. So let’s look at some outfits huh??

The one I have for you today I wore this week when I was volunteering for my Cooking Matters class. Since it was the first class, I wanted to look nicer and slightly professional because I was presenting to 15 adult students, but not formal. After all, our class is at a mission with residents who live there. I didn’t want to undermine anyone by dressing too serious.

As I mentioned, I’ve been shopping at different stores and have come across some great deals. Here’s the outfit I put together. Sorry we only have cell phone pictures this week!

I actually took pictures of this outfit in two different ways – I wore it with the cardigan tied, but you can also wear it with the cardigan loose. I love this cardigan and will definitely wear it loose with skinny jeans at some point!

(shoes worn without the moleskin – they are broken in now)

I was SO comfortable in this outfit the entire time I was running around, studying and at my volunteer class. This is definitely an outfit I plan to wear again.

Not to mention I love it because those are size 14 pants from Banana Republic and a size medium cardigan!

Here’s where everything is from:

• Cream colored shirt: Old Navy $7.50 (purchased this summer)
• Blue cardigan: TJ Maxx (great find!) $20
• Grey corduroy trousers: Banana republic $23
• Necklace: Charming Charlie $10
• Shoes BOC Caron Flower Flat: DSW $24

I actually posted the very first photo from this post on facebook this week and had an overwhelming response from people. I guess maybe I should post more photos there? My friends were all pretty shocked, so I guess I’m looking different! I’m definitely going to print that photo out and hang it on my inspiration board.

Anyway, there you have it, one outfit in my new sizes that left me feeling great all day! I can’t wait to show you another one next week!

Did anyone else post a Feel Good Fashion post today? If so, link up in the comments!

Tell me about an outfit you wore recently that gave you a ton of confidence.

Howdy!! Today, let’s talk books.

In 2011, I re-discovered reading and fell in love with it. Most of this was due to Goodreads and finding book suggestions from people on the site. Since everyone has asked me for book recommendations this year and which books I’ve been reading – I have posted the books I’ve read here on the blog.

I finished the year reading 42 books. I covered books 1-15 here and 16-24 here. Today it’s time to cover books 25-42.

These are just a quick blurb with my thoughts on the book and whether or not I liked it or would recommend it. If you want a synopsis or plot for any of these books, I’ve linked to Goodreads so you can see that.

I’m also putting MY goodreads rating, out of 5 stars.

Here’s my standard scoring scale:

1 star – couldn’t finish
2 stars – finished, but suffered
3 stars – it was just okay
4 stars – great book, but missing something
5 stars – amazing!

#25 Girls Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky. 3/5 This was a book club read, but I had also wanted to read it because it sounded like a unique series. A girl turns unsurprisingly into a witch. Cute characters and a quick, mindless read – but nothing too special. There were some laugh out loud moments, which made it worth reading.

#26 Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin. 4/5 I listened to this on audiobook and I was definitely really nervous to start it. Had I not listened to it on audiobook, it’s really likely I would have never started it because the plot and everything I had heard about the book made me that nervous. I have a very short tolerance when it comes to infidelity.

I’m a HUGE Emily Giffin fan and this book didn’t disappoint, but it was a hard read. It evoked a lot of emotion out of me and was a difficult topic to read about. However, if you like Giffin’s books – I’d recommend reading it!

#27 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. (Hunger Games #2) 4/5 I loved the first book in this series so much, I was really excited to read the second and get along with the series. I have to say, I didn’t like this book nearly as much as the first. I literally couldn’t put down the first book and I did not feel the same way with Catching Fire. However, it’s necessary to the series and the series itself is worth it.

I still haven’t read Mockingjay – so I should get on that.

#28 Ugley Business by Kate Johnson. (Sophie Green #2) 3/5 This is the sequel to I Spy? Again, a disappointment compared to the first book, which was fantastic. Compared to the first book, I feel like this had a loose mystery. But, it’s part of the series and if you liked I Spy? you should read this as well.

#29 Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean. 4/5 This was a book club read and I’m so glad I read it! Not a book I would normally choose, I really liked it. It’s based on the blog, A Dress a Day and is a unique and fresh story about family and fashion. If you like vintage fashion or dresses – you should read this!

#30 A is For Apple by Kate Johnson. (Sophie Green #3) 4/5 The series picked back up with this book, which was hilarious. I thought this book was just so funny – Sophie finds herself pretending to be a high school student to solve a mystery. I still think I Spy was the best book in this series, but I liked this one second. If you like British books with mystery, romance and humor – this is a great book to read.

#31 There’s Cake in My Future by Kim Gruenenfelder. 4/5 This was another book club read that I also had on my to-read list. I have liked other books by this author and was excited about this book. It’s told from three different author’s standpoints and was a really cute book. It talks about friendship, life, romance and growing up. All three story lines kept my attention and I really enjoyed how the stories intertwined into one another.

#32 Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella. 5/5 This was an audiobook and it was fantastic. I’ve become a true Sophie Kinsella fan this year. Her books are super cute, light-hearted and often really hilarious. This was no exception. Plus, if you listen to her books in audiobook version – they are read in a British accent Definitely recommend this, one of the best books I read this year!

This book is all about secrets and what happens when you tell other’s secrets. It’s also a great story about standing up for yourself and getting what you want!

#33 Two For the Dough by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum #2). 3/5 Earlier in the year I read the first book and liked it enough to read the second. Both of these books started out really slow, and typically I would want the story and characters to have developed more by the time I get to the end of the 2nd book. Since this series has 18 books, it’s a little intimidating to keep going!

If you like light-hearted mysteries that have a nice girl side, this is a great book! I’ll eventually keep working my way through this series – but I’m not going to do it like Sarah or Kristina, who have been reading all the books back to back.

#34 The Beach House by Jane Green. 4/5 I’ve seen a lot of praise and recommendations for Jane Green books from the book clubs and circles I read in. When I saw this book was available in my libraries audiobook section, I downloaded it and threw it on my mp3 player.

This was a really great and different book. There are roughly 5 different narrators (all in the 3rd person) who all start out with completely separate and independent stories, that weave together by the end. There’s also a really big twist in the story that I personally never saw coming and definitely gasped at while listening! This was a surprisingly great book and I would recommend it to anyone!

#35 Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews. 3/5 A book club read for a Southern Writer theme, this book was different than the typical books I read – but I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed. There was basically no character development. I’ll admit the plot was really fresh and original, but ultimately, it was pretty shallow and unrealistic. If you’re looking for a super fast entertaining read you won’t have to put much thought in – pick up this book. Or if you love cooking and cooking shows, read this book.

#36 Perfect Blend by Sue Margolis. 3/5 Again, a book club read that was a fresh and different plot than what I generally read. I loved the characters in this book, their stories and the romantic scenes (um they were seriously hott with two ts). This book was a great reminder about the self sacrifice of motherhood and even had a really interesting story twist. Where I ended up lost was the ending – too fluffy and unrealistic.

#37 My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair (sequel to the Kitchen Witch). 3/5 The first book in this series seemed really interesting – a romantic story about a witch? Um yes please. But the first book was painful to get through. I was nervous this book would be the same, but it was completely different! Much more sexual chemistry between the characters and definitely kept me entertained while reading. However, pretty cheesy and pretty over the top at times. If you’re a romance reader – I’d read this over the first book in the series any day!

#38 Still Waters by Kate Johnson (Sophie Green #4). 2/5 As sad as I am to not read anymore Sophie and Luke stories, I’m SO glad this series is over. This book was a complete miss for me. Uninteresting/messy mystery component, no closure on the future of the relationship with Sophie and Luke. The mystery had way too many suspects and I felt like I would read several pages without really understanding what was going on, especially in the action scenes. I was not a fan, at all.

#39 Kiss Me if You Can by Carly Phillips. 2/5 Before I discovered Chick Lit and Cozy Mysteries, I loved romance novels and Carly Phillips was my favorite author.  I started this book actually in 2010, but never finished it. I picked it back up finally and finished it in 2011. Carly is really good about having fresh plots, and this was no different. The book even had a little mystery component. But, it wasn’t good to keep my attention the first time I tried to read it and not good enough to keep it the second time. It was way way too cheesy for me.

I think I’m finally coming away from the romance novels at this point, because I’m starting to find them not as enjoyable.

#40 Baby It’s Cold Outside by Addison Fox (Alaskan Nights #1). 4/5 Y’all, I just loved this book. It is fairly new, which makes it a strange book club pick – as we generally only pick older books. Another romance read, this was typical romance with many different plots going on at once. There was more than one romantic relationship going at a time, which kept my interest. I also loved that it was set in Alaska, in a super small town. I’m just really bummed the second book in this series doesn’t come out until next year. I’ll be reading it as soon as it’s released!

#41 The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. 4/5 I LOVE Sophie Kinsella, just love her. This book did not disappoint. I read this while traveling and it was the perfect book for a light quick read. While I think all of the other Kinsella books I’ve read have been laugh out loud funny, I didn’t find myself laughing during this book. However – I actually read this (vs. the other Kinsella books I’ve listened to on my mp3 player), so that could be part of the reason.

#42 I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #1). 5/5 I had heard wonderful things about this series and had read The Single Girl’s To-Do List by Kelk earlier in the year. I really LOVED this book. I think Kelk perfectly captured what it’s like to go through a horrible break-up and left me laughing while reading. Angela completely picks up her life in London and moves to NYC, so it’s hilarious to see some of the culture shock and her recovering from her horrific breakup. Angela is a likeable character and you really find yourself relating with her during this book.

However, I’ll give you a disclaimer – I’ve now read the 2nd and 3rd books in this series and they were disappointing. Still have #4 to read and a #5 is coming out this (or next) year. Hopefully the series picks back up.

So there’s the books I’ve read this year. What were the best books you ask?

Well, the best overall Chick Lit book I read is a tie actually.

Something Borrowed (4/5) and Scot on the Rocks (5/5) were the best Chick Lit for my age group. Something Borrowed was gripping (I could NOT put it down) and Scot on the Rocks was hilarious. I laughed the entire time.

The Accidental Bestseller (5/5) is the best for the older age groups, but I still loved it. It’s a great look at friendship and the book publishing industry.

The best Cozy Mystery I read:

Sex, Murder and a Double Latte (5/5) – amazing book, could not put it down. It mixes mystery, romance and chick lit all together – plus has a major hot Russian guy in it

The best Romance book I read:

Baby It’s Cold Outside (4/5) I’ve already gushed enough about this book!

The best British book I read:

Twenties Girl (5/5) and Can You Keep A Secret? (5/5) both take the cake here. AMAZING books! Hilarious and wonderful on audiobook. I actually bought both of these books after finishing the audiobooks!

The best Fiction & Mainstream book I read:

The Hunger Games (5/5) – I don’t think anyone can argue with this one!

Has anyone read any of these books? Anyone have a book recommendation for me?

Helloooo friends! Happy Wednesday.

I have my first Medical Terminology quiz today, which [of course] means I typed this blog post last night while procrastinating

Not really…. okay, yes really.

Anyway – I realize today is not a Friday, but I wanted to do a little fashion talking today. We’re going to resume with my weekly posts this Friday showing y’all an outfit from the week. But today I wanted to talk about my re-dedication to fashion since 2012 started.

Also, before I start my story – I need to admit something. I cut my hair!!!

I definitely did not intend to withhold this information. I just have been really lazy about actually doing it since cutting it, so I’ve been wearing it like this most days.

I’m sort of obsessed with it pulled back like this.. anyway.

Back to fashion – I’m sure you noticed, but my Feel Good Fashion posts disappeared somewhere around November. It definitely wasn’t intentional, but it just sort of happened. Also, completely independently (yeah right) around this time, I started slacking on what I was wearing. By the time I hit finals week in Mid December, I was wearing yoga pants to school every day.

I would have good days and bad days, but the “come to jesus” (if you will) moment really hit me when I attended a Childhood Obesity Conference a few weeks ago in business causal dress. I was wearing business casual pants that were literally falling off me, a cardigan with absolutely no shape, and no accessories to be seen.

I felt like I was wearing a sack all day.

These were my size 18 dress pants, which is now what my size 16s look like.

That night, I finally admitted to myself that I have shrunk out of size 16 pants and needed to move down to 14s. Even though 14s are a bit tight, I knew I had to make the big switch. I also can’t wear size large cardigans anymore, and officially am a medium there.

I did a little shopping and went home to watch What Not to Wear. While watching, I reviewed the rules Rachel taught me during our August shopping trip and remembered that I only need to buy things I LOVE. On WNTW, Stacy and Clinton urged their girl to push herself out of her comfort zone, trying stores and styles she usually turned her nose to. 

I took all these lessons to heart and the next day I hit the stores again. I challenged myself to break out of my normal stores and visit some new (to me) stores, now that I’m in a size 14 and a lot more stores carry that size.

First I went to Banana Republic and I shuddered grabbing pants to try on, thinking they would never fit. I’ve never tried on a single thing at Banana Republic before. Imagine my absolute shock when I tried a pair of grey corduroy trousers, size 14, and they fit PERFECTLY.

Plus they were on sale for $23!

This gave me so much confidence that I visited a ton of other stores and found MORE pants that were also on sale!

I realized a huge problem I was having when I was in 16s is that all my pants were the same. Aside from my skinny jeans, I was wearing dark bootcut jeans every day. They were baggy, so I didn’t feel like I could wear a baggier shirt on top. My options were so limited!

Now I have pants in different washes, different colors, different styles. I feel like I have SO many more options than I used to have!

Since then, I’ve been wearing all size 14 jeans and wearing a slightly bulkier or loose covering on top to cover the little muffin top I’m still getting with these 14s. I think another 5 pounds and they’ll fit perfectly!

In addition to being a size 14 on bottom, I’m finding I need more and more size LONG shirts on top to cover my long torso. Now that I’m wearing a medium half the time, it’s been a struggle with certain types of shirts to not expose my stomach when I raise my arms.

Therefore, I also went to the Nike Factory outlet and bought some new workout clothes that are my new sizes. I feel like I can finally focus on my workout instead of tugging my pants up and pulling my shirts down.

I’ve found so many great sales lately and I’ve felt so much more confident in my new clothing sizes. I’ve even felt more confident shopping and grabbing things to try on that normally I would pass up because I never thought they’d look good before.

I’m finding just shopping to gain experience in picking clothes for myself has been a really big lesson. Even if I don’t buy anything, at least I’m in new stores, trying on new styles, and focusing on finding pieces that I LOVE versus pieces that are “okay” because I need them.

I’ve found some amazing deals lately and I can’t wait to share them with all of you!

Anyone else struggling with their clothes and confidence while losing weight?

Happy Monday!

I’m here to share my meal plan and groceries again this week. I have to say, posting these this month has helped me A) Stick to them B) Be innovative and C) save money by using what I have in the house rather than buying a ton of stuff (less to photograph!).

So thanks everyone for that help!

The past two weeks I’ve really focused on my pantry and using up ingredients I had leftover there. This week I’m adding focus on the fridge and the freezer to the pantry. Each one of these meals has some ingredient left over that I have in the house currently.

meal plan 1/23/12

This week, I again, looked for a few meals that are make-ahead for Monday and Wednesday when I have class all day and know I won’t be in the mood to make a big meal. I also opted for pork one day per Matt’s request and beef one day, per my request (it’s all I’ve been craving lately).

Each week I try to plan a vegetarian main meal, but for some reason, it didn’t happen this week considering all the other factors.

Breakfast/Lunches:

I had the quinoa muffins available last week, but didn’t even eat them for whatever reason! I’m going to make the Happy Herbivore Apple Muffins this week for grab and go breakfast. I also want to eat some of the oatmeal from my freezer, and as always I have cereal as an option.

Matt eats breakfast at work every day, so I never have to worry about him.

For lunches, Matt will take leftovers as his usual MO. He really liked the vegetable casserole I made him last week, so I’ll make him a half batch for this week that he can take. For my lunches – I realized last week just how fast my meals have to be to eat Monday-Wednesday. I had about 10 minutes to eat all three days. Looks like more hummus wraps this week. I also have some leftover pesto and chickpeas and will probably make a little pasta salad to take too.

Sunday:

As I mentioned yesterday, we were invited to dinner at a friend’s house last night, so we ate there!

Monday:

I’m making my Chicken Enchilada Chili. The chili from last week was a flop (Matt didn’t like it) so I’m going to make up for it with this chili this week. I have leftover enchilada sauce in my freezer from making lentil enchiladas two weeks ago, so that works well! I prepped everything last night so I can throw it in the crock pot this morning. That way it’s all ready for us to eat tonight when we get home!

Tuesday:

Pulled pork sandwiches with Alexa frozen fries (for him) and kale chips (for me). These will be put on top of the leftover hamburger buns we bought for our date night IN Saturday. We have the fries already in the freezer, so that’s good too!

I’m using this recipe, except I’m swapping the chicken thighs with a lean pork tenderloin. Again, I’m not a huge fan of pork but I can handle it when it’s shredded like this.

Wednesday:

I’m going to make bacon wrapped chicken tenders and bake them. There really is no recipe here, just season chicken with salt and pepper, wrap bacon around and drizzle a little oil on top. Bake on a rack on a cookie sheet until done!

On the side, I’m making this broccoli cheese casserole, but I’m making several changes – namely using brown rice, whole wheat bread and frozen broccoli.

Also on the side, I’m making these parmesan tomatoes.

Thursday:

We’re having this homemade(ish) version of hamburger helper from Eating Well. I’ve made this several times in the past, with both beef and turkey, and it’s really good! I always swap the sour cream with plain 0% greek yogurt.

I already have the greek yogurt, whole wheat elbows and a few of the other basics in the house already, making this a pretty cheap meal!

Friday:

Matt will be at school, so I’ll be on my own. I’ll just make whatever is leftover in the fridge!

Saturday:

Out for Date Night.

That’s the plan for the week. I have to admit, I’m not that excited about all these meals, but not every week can be Rockstar, you know? I think maybe I just know I’m going to be really busy with everything else going on, so I’m not that excited about the meals? Regardless, last week had a few flops, so it’s good for us to try some new recipes this week!

Here’s our groceries:

I only went to sprouts this week, though they were missing one ingredient I needed, so I’ll have to stop somewhere tonight on the way home to pick up the one thing I need. Grrr.

Countertop veggies/fruit: Bananas, onions, garlic, cara cara blood oranges, jalapeno, sweet potato, avocado and tomatoes

Fridge fruits and veggies: Parsley, kale, baby carrots (for the pups), green and red bell pepper, grapes, pears and baby cucumbers.

Pantry items: Low sodium beef broth, canned tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, canned chick peas, clif Z bars, ancho chili powder and lime juice

Fridge items: Milk, beer and wine we took to our friend’s for dinner last night, orange juice, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded asiago cheese, grated parmesan cheese, yogurts

Meats: Chicken sausage (was supposed to be chicken chorizo, but I grabbed the wrong thing), pork tenderloin, thinly sliced chicken breasts and super lean ground beef.

We came out on the cheap side this week, especially when you take out the alcohol we bought to take to our friend’s house for dinner last night! I like it! I’m definitely holding my meal plan much tighter and trying to use as much stuff as I can from home and it’s definitely making a difference!

What’s on your meal plan this week?

Hi everyone!

Things have been busy the last few days. I seem to be avoiding the fact that school has started, and continue working on all the other things in my life – namely my internship applications, cooking and trying to get some good deals on new clothes in my new sizes (more details this next Fashion Friday!)

Yesterday I started the day with an impromptu 5K – The Shed2Shack 5K. Matt noticed this on a local running store’s facebook page on Thursday and we decided to run. The premise? It was a very casual, group run, that went from a brand new restaurant in Fort Worth right on the Trinity Trails – The Woodshed to another restaurant off the trail by the same Chef – Love Shack.

Tim Love is the chef in question and he’s well known in Fort Worth. He also was on Iron Chef (and won!) and was the special judge on Game Meats for Top Chef Dallas.

Anyway, it was a great time. For only $10, you got a shirt, a 5K or 5 mile run, beer, tacos and live music.

It was a great time! My cousin Jennifer joined Matt and myself. I ran the 5K, while they both ran the 5 miler. The turn around for the 5 mile was at Love Shack and they had beer for people to enjoy before they ran back the rest of the way! ha!

It was unseasonably cold as well, so I was FREEZING the first part of the race when I was walking. When we started the race at 9am, it was 31 degrees! The disgusting thing is the day before it was a beautiful 70 degrees all day. That’s Texas weather for ya!

I actually ran a 5K last weekend, so I was really happy to see my time was the same as last week – 44 minutes and change. Considering I’ve been walking the first 1.25-1.5 mile of these races, then doing run/walking intervals the last half of the race – I was REALLY happy with this time!

I’m finding when I run, my time is really fast (for me). I’m running in the 10:30-11 minute pace and my hip is no longer holding me back, it’s simply my cardio and lung capacity. After yesterday’s race, I decided I’m going to start my own version of C25K and build my running stamina back up.

After the race there was plenty of beer and tacos – an asian beef taco (which tasted like fish to me. Ick) and barbeque pork tacos. I had one of each, but skipped the beer and left it to everyone else while I sipped water.

It was SO much fun. They apparently had this same race last month and are talking about doing it once a month. If they do, I definitely think we’ll be going again!

The rest of the day was spent working on internship applications, a few errands and buying ingredients for a special dinner IN. I know we planned to go out for dinner last night, but I think both of us preferred to stay in and save a little money. We went out last week and had a great time, so we felt okay with staying home this week for our date night!

Instead we had a fancy burger night at home. We decided to go out all out and make some splurge burgers, since we would be saving money and calories by making everything ourselves. It ended up working in our favor, as we were invited to dinner at someone’s house tonight!

We stopped by target for a few essentials:

• Whole wheat buns
• Crispy onions
• Alexa frozen waffle fries
• Bacon
• Ground beef
• Tomato
• Hummus (we were out and I buy it at target)
• Bananas (we were out)

If you exclude the price of the hummus and bananas that I picked up because we were out, we spent $15 on this night in! Talk about a deal and we still have some of this food leftover to eat this week!

Matt made barbeque burgers with onion and garlic inside and grilled them on our grill. We also toasted our buns and cooked up some bacon to put on top!

My burger had two slices of bacon, tomatoes, crispy onions, pickles and mustard. With the fries on the side.

And I made the fries in my brand new counter top convection oven I got for Christmas. Robin goes on and on in the cooking classes we teach about how convenient, versatile and amazing cooking in a toaster oven/convection oven is and I now have to agree! I even made my cinnamon toast in it this morning for breakfast!

It was such a great day. I ended up eating less points than I would when we go out for our date nights, but I felt TOTALLY satisfied by this dinner. We also saved money and played it relaxed and low-key. I was able to meal plan and make a grocery list that night too, saving me time today (so I can blog! ha).

We ended the night watching The A-Team, because I had not seen it yet. I enjoyed one beer and then went to bed.

SUCH a great weekend day!!! What did y’all do this weekend?

Hi friends!

Yesterday was the first day of my last semester of u-grad. I laughed yesterday when I said that because I feel like I’ve said that before…. hmm.

This semester is going to be one for the books. I’m applying for my dietetic internships (due by Feb 15), I’ll know where I’m going by April 1st and I’ll graduate May 11-12th!

In addition to these landmark events, I also have, you know, classes. Plus my internship with Robin, weekly volunteering at the food bank with Cooking Matters and the other various volunteering projects I work on. Oh and that lovely thing known as my personal life.

I’m really lucky I’m only taking 9 hours this semester, and only have class on Mondays and Wednesdays. So I have a little bit more time to do other things because I’m not commuting and on campus 4-5 days a week like I have been in the past (every) semester since I’ve been back.

(source)

Which classes am I taking?

• Medical Nutrition Therapy II: How to treat medical conditions with nutrition. In addition to more medical terminology, we’re covering liver diseases, pancreatic diseases, diabetes and other conditions this semester.
• Literature in Nutrition: This is all about reading scholarly articles and research, understanding them, writing about them and presenting on them. I have one big paper, a group presentation and an individual presentation.
• Micronutrient metabolism: This is my elective. I took advanced nutrition/human metabolism last year. Since I’ve taken it, they have split the class into macro and micro nutrients. I decided to take the micro class as an elective because we didn’t cover micronutrients in my class and I need to know about them! This is all about vitamin and mineral metabolism in the body.
• Nutrition Therapy and Education: We’re going to learn how to write nutrition education, present nutrition education, design media for nutrition education, practice nutrition therapy and learn how to counsel people nutritionally. I have a huge presentation for National Nutrition Month in March and have to find someone to nutritionally counsel, among other projects and practicums.

The ONE big thing I’m going to work on this semester (well, in addition to my grades) is a little life balance. I feel like I had absolutely no life balance last semester. It was understandable, with as busy as I was. But since I have some more time this semester, I want to really work on making balance a priority.

(source)

Here are some of the areas I’m really focusing on when it comes to balance:

1. Giving more time/attention to Matt and my friends. I’m really really guilty of not giving my undivided attention to Matt at times. I’m especially really guilty of always always trying to do work. And even when I’m trying to give someone my undivided attention, a lot of times my mind is in 7 different places at once time instead of listening 100% to them.

With my friends, a lot of times we don’t make plans ahead of time and when I’m asked in the heat of the moment if I can hang out that week, I usually say no. And generally because I can’t, I’ve already planned other things (mainly work) to do instead.

Is this something that I can just turn off? No, but it’s a matter of always being aware of it and working on it every day! It’s really not fair that I’m not giving people as much attention as I need to be. It’s also a matter of planning ahead of time and making plans in advance with people to make sure I’m spending time.

2. Training my dogs. I love my dogs, but they can be hellions. Especially Cary. And it’s totally my fault because I’ve never taken the time to actually train them and I don’t spend enough time with them every day. So I’ve already enrolled Cary in a training class (we start in February!) and we’ll be trying the techniques with Lexi at home. Then after a few months with Cary, we’ll access if Lexi is a good candidate for training and go from there. Since she’s so shy and scared of people, she may no be able to attend the same in store classes that Cary is going to.

Just giving more time to them in the form of training should (hopefully) make them less disruptive at home. At least, that’s the hope!

3. Working on my blogging. In addition to consistency, I’m working on (as always) sharing more of my personal life on the blog. I’m not a journal-er, so it’s always been hard to show what I’m doing every day. Plus my days are super boring. I’ve got a few ideas for some new posts that are a little more personal, so look for those. Blogging is so important to me and I need to make it a priority again!

I’m also hoping to return to the #fitblog chats schedule, as I didn’t have time last semester. I miss my fitblog pals!

And of course, tying #1 with this, giving more time to my blog friends. I’m trying to comment more, send more snail mail and be as supportive as I can for my blog friends!

4. Taking more time for myself. A big part of this is getting back in my fitness routine. But also taking time for my fashion (and fashion posts), reading, relaxing, cooking and meal planning. And definitely more sleep. This is really about setting myself up for the best possible environment for being healthy.

So we’ll see how I do with maintaining some life balance this semester! Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions for me? How do y’all maintain life balance?

Hi friends!

I’m popping in really quickly to share my meal plan and groceries for the week. A lot of people seemed to really like the post I put up last week, so I’m going to try sharing more of these type of posts with y’all.

This week I didn’t get to meal plan or shop until Tuesday, which is not normal at all. I was out of town in San Antonio Sunday and Monday, so yesterday was my first opportunity! It ended up working out well, as school starts for me TODAY!

meal plan 1/17/12

This week I looked for recipes that suited my schedule and my cravings. I had really been craving veggies – specifically butternut squash, kale and brussel sprouts. I’ve also been thinking about some delicious healthier baked ziti and of course, beans. Here’s what I came up with:

Breakfasts/Lunches:

Honestly, it’s looking the same as last week here! I made the maple almond quinoa muffins last week and froze half, so I’ll be eating those for breakfast this week. I also have cereal and oatmeal I can heat up and take with me. Matt will stick to his usual oatmeal at work.

This weekend I’m planning to make the apple muffins I hoped to make last week and possibly test another batch of whole wheat cinnamon raisin swirl bread in my machine!

For lunches, I’m rolling mostly with sandwiches and wraps. I’ve got a hummus wrap for today and can make a peanut butter and jelly for other days if I want to switch it up. Matt will most likely be taking leftovers again, but I did make him a vegetable casserole he can take on the side with turkey sandwiches if he wants something different.

Tuesday

Last night I made a smoky almond chicken from a cookbook I have. The premise was dipping chicken breasts in a mixture of sour cream greek yogurt mixed with barbeque sauce and rolling in a almond and bread mixture then baking.

On the side I made roasted vegetables for myself, and Matt had his vegetable casserole on the side.

In theory, this was a good chicken recipe. In practice, it needed some definite tweaking for next time. Oh well.

Wednesday

First day of school and I’m not getting home until 5, so I’m making the SparkPeople cookbook White Bean Chicken Chili in my crockpot. I’ve had this recipe before and it’s REALLY good!

Thursday

Trying a weight watchers recipe for quinoa stuffed bell peppers. I plan to swap the olives for artichokes, and swap the feta for an italian blend. We’ll have the Alexa potato wedges I bought last week on the side (they are actually really good!)

Friday

My baked ziti recipe with chicken sausage instead of turkey and added zucchini.

Saturday

Out for Date Night

And here’s our groceries:

I feel like this week is probably a better representation of our normal groceries. I went to both Target and Sprouts this week (at two different times during the day.) It’s always a much cheaper trip when I go to Target and pick up some of the basics and veggies I know that Sprouts won’t have (they are generally very seasonal, so things may not look good or be in the store.) There are definitely things I buy at Target that are only for Matt, but I’ll let you figure out for yourself which ones those are

I had stopped at the store last week to pick up more milk and eggs, so we didn’t need those yet.

Meats for the week from Sprouts: value pack of chicken breasts (3 pounds for $7) and a pound of hot italian chicken sausage (made in house)

Dairy/Refrigerated from Target: sugar free jello chocolate pudding, part skim ricotta cheese, turkey deli meat, shredded cheddar and italian blend cheese, babybels and string cheese

Pantry items from target: Whole wheat penne, unsweetened applesauce, no salt added tomato sauce and v8 fusion light juice

Pantry items from Sprouts: whole wheat bread, organic maple syrup, canned artichokes, two clif Z bars, bulk quinoa, bulk smoke almonds, bulk almond slices, bulk dry white beans

Fruits/veggies from Target: frozen steamer bags, bananas, kale, squash, potatoes, skinny baby carrots (for me), cantaloupe, frozen peas and corn

Fruits/Veg from Sprouts: Baby carrots (for the dogs), red bell peppers, apples, lemon, celery, baby spinach, zucchini, ginger and broccoli

The rest of the ingredients for everything I already have in the house. Fresh items we have in the house to use: brussel sprouts, butternut squash (used last night though), grapefruits, kiwis, tortillas, eggs and milk.

What’s on y’alls meal plan this week?

Good afternoon!

It’s a two post day. Weird huh?

I needed to come back to share this amazingly simple and delicious dessert that I’ve been enjoying this week.

Broiled Grapefruit.

Yeah, you heard me. I broiled a grapefruit. It was delicious. You should definitely try it!

Broiling the grapefruit makes it warm, melts the truvia/sugar you put on top and separates the pith/membrane from the peel. After you eat the grapefruit sections, you can pull the membrane and pith out and eat it. It will be sweet, chewy and super delicious after broiling.

Best thing about this recipe? If you use truvia, this is a 0 points plus recipe! I actually prefer sugar to truvia in all situations, except on grapefruit. In fact the only reason I buy truvia is for grapefruit.

Another great thing about this recipe? Grapefruits are in season right now and they are super cheap!

Broiled Grapefruit

Serves 1
Print this recipe

Enjoy!

Hi everyone!

If you are a Weight Watchers member and have online access, I want to invite you to a Weight Watchers Community Challenge started by my bestie Kristina.

Kristina and I started talking about how we missed the community and group feeling of the Spark People of years ago (it was very different back then) and we both agreed we should start a Weight Watchers challenge group to re-gain this team feeling.

While this is technically a challenge, it’s also more of a community group where we can all talk and support each other (in a more formal setting than twitter).

If you are interested in joining, please do. If you can’t find the challenge, add me as a friend and I will invite you. My screen name is LLBean75 – so just look me up!

If you have any questions or ideas for the challenge, please just let me or Kristina know! I hope to see some of you there.

Hi peeps.

People seemed to like the meal plan/grocery post I put up on Monday! In fact, my good friend Kelly had a GREAT question on the post. It was such a great question that I thought I’d post it for all of you, along with my response – because it is definitely something that I’ve been wanting to write about and something that may help some of you!

Okay – the short answer to this question is: Yes, I switch up what meals we eat every single week. But, I thought I should explain how/why I switch things up. It’s not hard for me at all to plan different things for us to eat each week.

First – I plan my meals based on three priorities, in this order:

1. What is our household schedule: Our schedule dictates everything. Admittedly, this week’s meal plan is not a typical one for us. I’m home this whole week with limited plans, so I’m cooking involved meals every day. During busy weeks, I do a lot of casseroles/make ahead meals (that Matt can throw into the oven or on the grill), crock pot meals or pre-made meals. So based on what our schedule is, it dictates the types of dishes I plan.

2. What fresh foods/large pantry supply of foods do I have to use? I plan next around what foods I have to use. Sometimes I might have extra ingredients that I wouldn’t necessarily keep on hand (right now I have a ton of cans of beans for some reason) so I’ll plan meals using these ingredients to save money and take back space.

3. What foods are we craving/recipes I want to try/feedback from Matt: Finally, I look at this factor and plan around that last.

At the end, if I need more meal ideas I turn to my cookbooks and recipe binder for inspiration.

As for not making the same things over and over again – here’s my solution for that. I should first say, I’m not a big recipe follower. I typically look at a recipe, adapt it myself, then either write down my variation (which I typically blog for y’all) or just make a different variation the next time. Sometimes I do follow other people’s recipes to the T, but not often.

I subscribe to the Rachel Ray philosophy of “Learn a method, not a recipe”. What does this mean? In short, it means I’ve learned to make a risotto/burger/meatball/soup/whatever I want to make, and make a different variation every time. It also means that I like to take the same ingredients and just morph them into different dishes. There is actually little variety when it comes to the ingredients I buy every week, yet I make different dishes every day.

For example, this week we had Lentil Enchiladas. The last time I made those enchiladas was in September. However, we’ve eaten Tex-Mex food at least once a week for every week since then. How? Here’s a list of different foods we may have each week that are all Tex-Mex, all using the same (basic) ingredients, and all delicious:

• Tacos: could be turkey, bean, chicken chorizo, beef, veggie, hard, soft, on a salad
• Tostadas: corn shells, wheat shells, just beans, beans and shredded chicken, beans and turkey meat
• Burritos: again bean, turkey, beef, baked, with or without rice, in a bowl
• Quesadillas: corn tortilla, wheat tortilla, cheese, cheese and bean, cheese and chicken, with/without bell peppers and onions
• Enchiladas: lentil, chicken, cheese and onion, in a casserole
• Fajitas – you get the point

Right there we have 15+ different variations of Tex-Mex food. Many of these share the same recipe (if you’re making meat), which all give you variety – yet not the stress of finding new recipes, buying foreign ingredients, or checking with your spouse if they’ll eat it.

Same thing with the meatballs I made this week. I make meatballs maybe once a month, but every time they are different.

Some recent variations I made:

• Beef
• Turkey
• Turkey with spinach inside
• Chicken
• Chicken Sausage
• Asian style (pictured above)

You can put these meatballs on:

• wheat pasta
• spaghetti squash
• italian bread as meatball sandwiches
• plain with sides

These meatballs can be eaten with many different sauces. These are our main four:

• Jarred spaghetti sauce
• Homemade spaghetti sauce with veggies
• Tomato & chickpea sauce
• Plain pasta with olive oil, parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper

Or you could skip the meatballs all together and put chicken parmesan cutlets, or just throw random roasted veggies and chickpeas on top of the pasta for an entrée or a side dish.

And this is just for main dishes, I haven’t even mentioned sides or vegetables. Alas, I could go on, but I’ll stop unless people want more ideas. Hopefully this method of meal planning helps some of you when you are stumped for new recipes or not sure what to make.

If you are a dedicated recipe follower, just try switching out one or two ingredients in your favorite recipes. I’m the queen of this, so if you ever need help – please just email me, I’d love to help!

Let me know if this helps you Kelly and if any of you have more questions! If you’d like me to continue posting my meal plans, just let me know. I’d be happy to!