a life of sugar and spice

Testing new post

2021-12-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

Testing new post

Hello again!

2016-09-04T15:22:00.002-04:00

So it's been a year and a half since I last posted, which was my announcement that I had given birth to my first child - my son Tully - that previous February. Well here we are again! I gave birth to my second child - my son Jack - in January! Yes, that's right, my boys are 11 months and 10 days apart.

They are now 19 months and 7.5 months old!!

I can't believe how much my life has changed in the past 3 years. Married, house, 2 kids, wow. So let's talk about gluten. And dairy. And Crohn's disease. Let's back alllll the way up to when I met my husband in 2011. I was in the best shape of my life, in control of my health and rocking this lifestyle. Then I got happy and comfortable and lazy and started cheating more and more and started packing on the weight. When we struggled to get pregnant I realized I needed to check myself and cut the junk out and started losing weight and feeling better. Then I got pregnant and I did amazing through the first and second trimester of my first pregnancy. The third, I was craving pizza like it was nobody's business and I started eating it. And I wasn't getting sick. The magic of the immune system during pregnancy!! Then I had Tully and got pregnant two months later and still, magic!! So I blew through my pregnancy with Jack eating whatever I felt like eating.

And then I wasn't pregnant anymore.... yet I kept at it. It got ugly, quickly!

Oh my goodness. All of that indulging, while not making me feel sick, was NOT doing me any favors. A few months ago, tired, sluggish, stomach a complete mess, I finally decided this had to STOP! They were advertising a new round of weight watchers at work and I finally felt ready to tackle this beast so I signed myself up and haven't looked back. I have lost 14lbs and am feeling amazing. Yesterday (holiday weekends, right?!) I had a big setback eating way out of my zone and I am PAYING for it today. I get so sick now when I eat stuff I'm not supposed to eat. It's good though because I was such a cheater back in the day and I just can't do it anymore. I have to be strict or else I'm sick. And I have two little monsters running around, I cannot be sick!!

I've been thinking about writing here again, it's always been so helpful for me, plus I really need a hobby these days. It's a lot harder to find the time but I'm going to try. Anyone still with me? I'd love to hear from you!

These are the days

2015-03-10T15:23:00.003-04:00

Almost five weeks ago my life changed in the most amazing way. My most perfect, handsome, sweet, adorable son Tully was born 2/5/15 at 6:05pm after 23 hours of labor. What an incredible experience. I'm finally coming out of the fog of new mommyhood and starting to feel like myself again. I'm on maternity leave for 7.5 more weeks, the first 4.5 flew by in a haze. Thankfully the temperature is rising, the record amount of snow is melting, and I'm finally able to get out of the house and re-join the real world.

I knew this would be the case, but Bill is the most incredible Dad. He's so in love with Tully and it's such a great thing to watch him with him. Roddy is not totally sold on him yet, this baby tends to hog all of our attention these days, but he's getting there. He'll appreciate him more when he's a little older and they can play.

My pregnancy was very easy and uneventful, as was labor and delivery. I'm already back to pre-pregnancy weight, which unfortunately is still about 40lbs overweight for me. I'm not stressing about that so much, but I am feeling this need to give myself somewhat of a makeover. I've been so wrapped up in being pregnant and now being a mom that I've let the sweatpants and ponytails take over. My hair is a heinous shade and hasn't been cut since before I found out I was pregnant. I'm a sad version of my former self and I need to get the girl that went on that first date four years ago back. I know Bill would like to see her again.

I'd love to kick this blog back up to document this time in my life too. I realize I have less time than ever before to devote to this, but I know it would be something I'd love to have to look back on. It also would be a great outlet for me. I also want to cook more, read more, I have all these lofty ambitions and yet I spend most of my time feeding/holding an infant! So worth it. How could you not want to stare at this face all day every day?!

The next phase of life.

2014-08-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

This poor little neglected blog! I can't believe it still gets views, so thanks for stopping by! I thought it was high time I gave an update on what's been going on. Here we are in 2014 and I started January off strong with a few food posts but then dropped off the planet when life kicked into high gear. So what's been going on?? Let's recap!

In late January we were in full swing of wedding planning and had just a few months left before the big day, so what did we decide to do? Start house hunting! Because that makes a ton of sense... but we were tired of renting and ready to make the next move and so it began. Luckily it didn't take us long to find the perfect place for us and in mid March we signed the papers and got to moving. The same weekend that my amazing bridal party threw me a bridal shower!!

After the move and the shower it was weeks of unpacking and organizing and settling in. We love our home. But just as soon as we moved in it seems like it was time for the big day!! We had the most amazing wedding day. The weather was beautiful, the people were awesome, the love was everywhere. It was just incredible. We are so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.

We took just a few days off around the wedding festivities because we were planning to take our annual trip to the Cape later in the summer. After buying a house and throwing a wedding, a lavish honeymoon wasn't exactly in the budget, but we prefer to be closer to home and spending time with friends anyway so Dennis Port was the best option.

The rest of the spring was filled with fun weekends, another friend's wedding, many visits with friends and family. Then in June, well... this happened

YES!!! Finally!!!! After a year and half of a long road of trying, we are PREGNANT!!! I am 13w3d today and officially into the second trimester!! I'm feeling great, the first trimester was actually pretty easy for me. I haven't been sick really, just bloated, TIRED and oh my goodness the mood swings. I cry. A lot.

The doctor has been amazing about frequent visits, blood work and early ultrasounds so that we can be sure this pregnancy is progressing well and so far we've been perfectly on target. The top picture was from 7 weeks, baby was measuring 2 days ahead of schedule and had a healthy heartbeat of 170 beats per minute. The second one is from 10 weeks, the picture is not very good quality because it wasn't a formal ultrasound. The doctor has an old machine that she uses to do a quick peek during the routine monthly visit. I also borrowed a doppler so that I can hear that little heartbeat thumping away any time I want and it's been such a great thing to have. I am very lucky to be feeling so good throughout this pregnancy but sometimes it gets a little unsettling and I worry that nothing is happening in there. A quick listen on the doppler puts my mind at ease.

I had my latest monthly check in on Thursday and the nurse practitioner took a listen to the heartbeat and said it sounds perfect, no irregularities. We are not opting for any testing to check for markers of genetic issues or downs so these little check ins are all we have until the anatomy scan. I'll be just under 19 weeks when we have that ultrasound and I cannot wait!!! I'm counting the days.

So yeah, a lot has happened this year and we are so happy with how everything has worked out. We are so very lucky to be so blessed. I'm also surrounded by close friends that are also expecting and that has been so much fun! My cousin who's 9 months younger than me and more like a sister to me is expecting her second child. We have gone through so many milestones together and to be going through this with her is just incredible. Oh yeah, I'm due mid February! Can't wait!!!

Gluten Free Chicken Stir Fry

2014-01-16T20:10:00.001-05:00

I'm LOVING the Barilla Gluten Free pasta. It is so freaking good. I tried a new recipe last night so I could have some more of it. Next time I think I'm buying spaghetti. I haven't had spaghetti and meatballs in AGES. It's time. Last night's dish was a Pinterest find, as usual. It was called Chicken Yakisoba, but I just am calling it stir fry. Do you like to see the Pinterest image compared to the real life results? I do, so I'm going to keep writing my posts that way.

Here is the Pinterest image (click the photo to go to the original image/website):

And here is mine:

Pardon the terrible iPhone pic in my dimly lit kitchen. I tried to salvage it but I don't have Photoshop anymore and am using Aviary in Flickr for now. I used whatever vegetables I had in the fridge - a green pepper that was on it's last leg, yellow onion, garlic. I used ground ginger because I had no fresh on hand. It came out pretty good. I have yet to replicate the true flavor of Chinese food at home but I'm working on it. I had sesame oil on hand but it is so strong and the last time I used it I put way too much in and it ruined the dish. I decided not to risk it this time. I did however add red pepper flakes and it added a nice kick. Bill hates spicy food but he was having leftover chicken tacos so I went for it. I do not have Sriracha but I've wanted to try it.

Here is my version of this recipe:

Gluten Free Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients

4 oz dry GF Pasta of choice, I used Barilla, try it!!
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts cut into small strips
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1/4 cup GF Soy Sauce (San-J Tamari)
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce (French's)
2 Tbs Ketchup
1 Tbs Sugar
Ground Ginger
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions

Put the water on to boil for the pasta first. Depending on what type of GF pasta you're using, it might take the longest to cook. Barilla only takes 7 minutes so I put the water on to boil, and dropped the pasta in right before I put the chicken in the pan.

Before you start cooking the chicken, mix up the sauce in a bowl, slice the chicken, chop the vegetables. This dish comes together quickly so you want to have everything prepped and ready to go.

When everything is set, heat some oil of your choice in a large skillet or sautee pan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chicken and just barely cook through. If you cut the chicken thin enough, this happens quickly.

Add the peppers and onions and cook for just a couple minutes, then add the garlic and stir to combine. Pour in the sauce and stir, cooking for a few minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the chicken and vegetables. Stir to combine, and viola, ready to serve!

I had the leftovers for lunch today and it was still delicious. Next time I'd be brave and add a tiny bit of sesame oil and add more vegetables. I'd also use long noodles instead of elbows but that's all I had in the kitchen. Traditional rice noodles would be great as well. Enjoy!

Winning at Pinterest. If by winning, I mean losing.

2014-01-15T21:00:00.001-05:00

I looooove Pinterest. Who doesn't love beautiful photos promising delicious recipes and stylish fashions and a gorgeous home? Not to mention the perfect rustic wedding, am I right? I have tons of boards, mostly of recipes that I want to try. Many of them are gluten and dairy filled recipes that I need to convert, but I have plenty of GF/DF/Paleo etc recipes pinned and ready to go. I've been trying to change up our repertoire at home so I've been turning to the boards for inspiration. Here are a couple of recipes I've tried this week:

1. Mock Alfredo Sauce

The beautiful Pinterest image...

And mine...

Wow what a major fail this was. The picture on pinterest makes it look so Alfredo like. Creamy and delicious. Well let me tell you, pureed cauliflower tastes like... pureed cauliflower. The texture was way too thick to pass for a creamy sauce no matter how many times I turned the food processor on full blast. Maybe one of those super powerful blenders would work better. I ended up adding some curry powder and other random spices to try to give it some more flavor. It didn't help. I do think this recipe could be tweaked to come out better, use milk instead of water, more butter, more seasoning. I moved it to my "Needs Tweaking" board.

2. M&M Peanut Butter Bars

Oh Pinterest, how you lure me in...

The gluten free/dairy free result...

I was so excited to try these M&M Peanut Butter Bars. But since I don't eat dairy, M&Ms were out (dark M&Ms have dairy too!) so I used dairy free chocolate chips instead. I used GF Bisquick for the baking mix. One other thing to note is that I used farm fresh eggs that are a bit smaller than store bought "large" eggs. These came out so DRY. Oh I was so disappointed. They tasted like peanut butter flavored dirt. That picture looks so moist and delicious. Again, I think some tweaking would help. Maybe another egg, and take them out of the oven earlier. I ended up throwing these out. Bummer.

Don't worry, I have plenty more recipes to share with you!! With any luck, maybe I'll find a good one.

On a perfectly picturesque rustic wedding related note, I'm getting married in 100 DAYS!! I'm at a loss for what I want to do for centerpieces. I really want to do something original.. I was going to do lanterns. Meh. Over done? Probably. I just don't know. Whatever it is, it needs to be cheap!! Off to the dollar store and Christmas Tree Shops!!

Barilla Gluten Free Pasta, YES!!

2014-01-09T21:47:00.003-05:00

Which one is gluten free?? Bill got it wrong, read on to find out if you did too!

I had no idea that Barilla even had a gluten free pasta in the works. I was checking out at the grocery store the other day, when a coupon printed for $1 off any box of Barilla Gluten Free pasta. I was like... whaaaaaat? The following week while shopping for the week, I actually stopped in the pasta aisle to take a look and there it was. Boxes and boxes of the stuff. Different shapes and everything. Only $1.99 per box and I had that $1 off coupon. I couldn't decide between elbows, penne, rotini or spaghetti. I'm partial to elbows, so I grabbed a box. It even looks like normal pasta through the little window on the front. It would be easy to confuse the boxes if you weren't paying attention!

Bill bought me an electric pressure cooker for Christmas and I've been loving it. It's so fast! I am a big fan of this sausage, tomatoes, peppers and onions recipe that I found online (I'll do another post about that later) and I wanted to try it over this pasta. It even cooks just like regular pasta, 7 minutes and it's done! I was thrilled with this pasta. It looks and tastes just like the real thing. It doesn't have that thing about it. I don't know how to describe that thing.. but Tinkyada has it. Don't get me wrong, Tinkyada has been my go to for years and I still have some in the cabinet, but it's obviously gluten free. This Barilla pasta is just awesome. And cheap! And easy! I don't eat a lot of pasta because I just haven't been a huge fan of the gluten free versions. Plus we try not to eat too much of the stuff anyway. But I do crave a nice pasta dish every once in awhile and I'm so happy to have this. One thing I did notice is that it does break down easily, but that's to be expected. The texture and flavor otherwise make up for it.

I hope they come out with lasagna noodles soon!!

As far as everything else goes, things are going well. I've recently been inspired to start blogging again. Maybe it's the freshness of the new year. And who knows how long it will last, but I need some kind of hobby. We only have 3.5 months left until the wedding, so that's exciting! Maybe I'll do some wedding posts. I haven't had much to say about it but now that we're getting down to the details I'll have more to share. I hope I still have some readers left!!

Chapter 6

2013-06-27T16:11:00.000-04:00

I have started writing this post so many times. I am having a hard time putting my thoughts into words. There is just so much I want to say but I don't want to write a novel in a blog post. I like to tell a story with my writing and this story is so long. It starts over five years ago when this blog was born.

I have known all along that autoimmunity isn't something to mess with. That's why I've been writing this blog, to document my path to healing. Somewhere along the lines, the path took a sharp turn in the wrong direction. I just stopped trying. I got incredibly lazy. I caved into cravings. I ate whatever I wanted. It was a slow slide to hell. I gained so much weight. I weigh more today than I ever have. I never exercise anymore.

Why???? I wish I could answer that.

This spring I started trying again. I started working out in the mornings before work, I cut out the gluten and diary again. We were trying to get pregnant and I knew that I was in no shape for that. I struggled with that. Knowing that there was a big potential that I'd have trouble because of my health. I pushed through, making small strides each day. Five months into trying and I started to get discouraged. I started to think that maybe we should just wait until after the wedding next April. It would give me more time to get healthy. I had been spotting for a few days so I thought for sure we were out for the month. Memorial Day weekend I told B that I wanted to put it on hold. At least for now.

Three days later...

We were shocked. He was so excited. I was terrified. I wanted so badly to be happy, but I couldn't shake this terrible feeling that this was just not going to work out. It seems like as soon as I found out, the symptoms started. Nausea, cramping/pulling in the lower abdomen, fatigue, breast tenderness. I felt pregnant. It was crazy but I loved it. It was the spotting that kept me on edge. The slightest change in it and I'd panic. Surely this was it. It was over. But then it wasn't.

At my first appointment with the OB/GYN I found myself feeling so insecure. The staff at the office kept congratulating me and my reaction was to be angry at them. How could they be so positive and excited for me when this surely wasn't even going to happen? These feelings surprised me. Why couldn't I be happy about this? B was making lists of names, I wasn't even thinking about it. I felt physically pregnant, but I didn't feel any kind of connection to it. Should you that early? I don't even know.

Based on the spotting, the nurse practitioner ordered blood work to check my HCG level. At 6 weeks the level was 1993 and then 2710. Low, and slow rising. Not a good sign. But I was within the normal range and it was rising so we held on to that. That week I had my first breakdown. Sobbing to B because I just knew something was wrong. He convinced me that I was being emotional from the hormones and I'd be fine.

At 7 weeks I had my first ultrasound. The tech had a terrible bedside manor. You could just tell that she didn't have much faith in this pregnancy either. When she finally showed me what she was seeing, it was just an empty sac with a small yolk sac. What you'd expect to see in a pregnancy of roughly 5.5 weeks. I was devastated. B didn't understand what was wrong. He saw a healthy 5.5 week pregnancy. I saw an unhealthy 7 week pregnancy. I knew my dates weren't off. I feel it when I ovulate, my boobs get sore, my body changes. I knew exactly when it had happened. But I let myself believe that I could've been wrong.

The HCG level came back at 7,000. Normal for 5.5 weeks. It could go one of two ways at this point. I tried to hold onto what little hope I had left, but the spotting had changed again. It was red and heavier and I could see tiny bits of tissue. But other women had experienced the same thing and had healthy pregnancies. I clung to this. Another ultrasound was scheduled for 10 days later. I should be 8 weeks 5 days by then. Or would it be 7 weeks? I didn't know what to tell people when they asked me how far along I was.

By the weekend I was starting to relax again and was hoping beyond all hope that I would be one of those miracle women that have healthy babies after complicated first trimesters. Deep down I knew I wouldn't be. Saturday I felt great. The spotting was almost gone and I had energy. We spent the day with friends and family being excited for the baby.

Sunday I woke up to spotting again. I shrugged it off. It wasn't out of the ordinary at this point.
By late morning I was feeling a dull ache in my lower abdomen. I ignored it.
We had been talking about seeing the doctor earlier than Friday because we had so many concerns but since I'd had such a good day on Saturday we decided to leave it.
Just before bed I went up to use the bathroom. As soon as I sat down, I passed a huge blood clot. I knew immediately what was happening. I went back downstairs and told B it was starting. He nodded. We both were resigned to this by now.

The worst of it lasted about an hour. It wasn't terribly painful, just uncomfortable. Gross, really. Eventually I was able to lay down and finally around 2am I fell asleep.

This week has been a roller coaster of emotions. The first day I was relatively calm. Denial? Probably. But I had already cried so much in the weeks and days leading up to the actual miscarriage that I didn't have anything left. We took the dog to the park, watched movies, relaxed. The second day I woke up in pain. More clots passed. The nurse practitioner had warned me about this. I went back to bed, rolled into B, and just cried. He had to go to work so I stayed home alone. I spent most of the morning in tears. By the afternoon I was ready to face it head on. I felt like I had been robbed and I was determined to not let this happen again. What had gone wrong? Why did this happen to me? Why must I always have to go through things the hard way, hadn't I already dealt with enough struggle and heartache in my life? Couldn't just this one thing be easy for me? So many questions we ask when things don't work out the way we hoped.

I'm not blaming myself for this. Miscarriages happen all the time. It's so much more common than I realized. People just don't like to talk about it that much. Understandable. It sucks. However, I can't help but wonder what if I'd been taking care of myself like I know I should be? I've suspected some thyroid issues for a while not but didn't bother making the doctor's appointment to get it checked out. I suspected low progesterone when I was spotting so much right from the beginning but I was too nervous to mention it to the doctor. Another potential complication, ignored. Well, let me tell you, it's a big wake up call. I've essentially wasted 5 years of my life when I could've been building up my health but instead I let it get worse.

I will not waste another day.

I have an appointment with my primary care physician at the end of the month and I will ask her to do every single test known to woman that could be related to fertility. I'm doing my homework, just like I did before the Crohn's diagnosis. I will walk into that office armed and ready. She won't see me coming, but I promise you this, she won't forget me. I'm back in self advocate mode. I will not rest until my health is under control and I'm confident enough to start trying again. I have a little angel in heaven now to watch over me and keep me on track.

The weekend that would've been the start of my 40 weeks was my brother's wedding. While we were getting ready, my sister took out her jewelry and asked me what she should wear. There was a ring with small purple stones in the box that matched our bridesmaids dresses. I asked her if I could wear it and she just gave it to me. I'm not sure if they are real amethyst but they are close enough for me. I was due in February. I have worn this ring every day since she gave it to me and only noticed the significance just the other day. It gives me strength.

Ever since I was little, my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother would sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow with me. They say that a beautiful and bright rainbow follows a storm and gives hope of things getting better. The rainbow is more appreciated having just experienced the storm in comparison. When a pregnancy loss has happened, the storm is supposed to be over and as we continue to cope with the loss, eventually something colorful and bright will emerge from the storm clouds. They call this the rainbow baby. I can't wait for mine.

Catching Up

2013-05-01T14:55:00.003-04:00

I've just been too busy to sit down and write any posts lately. I'm finally getting around to it, so here is a re-cap of the last week or so. I've been pretty good on the eating lately. I had my one month check in after starting DDP Yoga over the weekend. I'm pretty excited to report a 2" loss in most areas, my hips however are holding on to that pear shape. Only one inch lost there for now. So far, so good. Trying to keep it rolling.

One of my favorite things to cook in the crock pot is a whole chicken. I just drop it in with a bit of water in the bottom of the pot, season with salt, pepper and paprika and let it cook for 6 hours on low. Take the chicken out, pour what's in the bottom of the pot into a sauce pan, add a couple tablespoons of better batter and stir away until you have a nice gravy. Roast some asparagus in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. Boil some butternut squash, mash with Earth Balance, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Such a delicious and EASY dinner! I made this last Wednesday. The leftovers are also nice, make another meal out of it, or chicken salad, yum!

I've been all over the place in the past week, my little brother (not really little anymore...) got married on Friday! It was a lot of fun. We had the rehearsal dinner Thursday night, then I spent Friday at a hotel getting ready with the bride and the rest of the bridal party. My new sister-in-law gave us these beautiful bracelets. That's her reflection in the heart. I love mine.

I had stocked up on snacks to have throughout the day including these Glutino bagel chips which I had never tried before. I LOVED them. So good. They don't taste gluten free at all.

Saturday night we had friends over to our place. We love to entertain and we went a little overboard with food this time. One thing about entertaining is that our friends always bring their own alcohol and anything that they don't drink, they leave with us. Neither of us drinks beer, and all of our friends DO, so it doesn't take long for our fridge to fill up with leftover beers. We need to have a "clean out our fridge" party.

I didn't get any pictures of the food we served, but it was all good stuff. I made spinach dip from scratch, it was not great, I'd try again but add more seasoning. I served it with some of those bagel chips and tortilla chips. We also had buffalo chicken dip and toasted ciabatta bread topped with tomato and mozarella (none of this was gf, nor did I eat any of it). For dessert we served a random sampling of treats from Dessert Works bakery which does offer GF options. We didn't get anything GF that day because I had bought some gf brownies that I had seen at the grocery store and hadn't tried yet. They were gross. Dry and crumbly and tasteless. How disappointing!

The rest of the weekend we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather. This week I've been in training for work so I've been away from my desk. I'm still on my quest to clean up my diet so this week I'm trying to add in fresh vegetable/fruit juice. B bought a juicer a while ago after we watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. He used it for one week and it has been collecting dust ever since. We made smoothies in the blender for a while but I couldn't quite get into those. I didn't find a combo I liked that much. I was thinking that juicing might be an easier start, plus I've seen a lot of recipes that sounded good to me lately. This morning I tried my first one - Celery, Spinach, Kale, Granny Smith Apples, Carrots and Grapes. I only got a half of the water bottle filled with juice after all of those vegetables went into the juicer, but that's ok. It was pretty delicious and I felt so good drinking it. I added a side of eggs over easy to get my protein in, otherwise I would've been starving by lunch time.

I made it until mid-day before I started to feel really hungry and then I waited too long to eat so by the time I got around to it, I was starving. I had to run to the bank so I decided to stop by b.good for a burger on a GF bun and I also went for the fries. It hit the spot. I resisted having a treat after. I've gotten into the habit of having some kind of chocolate or something sweet after lunch and I really need to break that.

You might be thinking how does a burger and fries fit into a healthy diet? Moderation folks. You'll never find me cutting hamburgers out of my diet, especially in the summer! Speaking of which, I need to start working on my pasta salad recipe...

Moving Forward

2013-04-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

This morning when I went out to take Roddy for a walk, I found these words which were drawn by my nine year old neighbor Emily. The past week has been life changing. I've lived through quite a few tragedies in my life. The earliest one I can clearly remember is the Oklahoma City bombing and then 9/11. I will never forget that day, I was in college and had gone to class that morning. My professor was a few minutes late and when she finally walked in her face was pale with shock. She said planes had flown into the world trade center and that there would be no classes today. I had to walk through the media center to get back to my car and there is a huge tv mounted high up on the wall. I stood in silence with dozens of other students watching the videos play over and over again. My parents were running their business in Boston at the time, directly behind the Massachusetts State House. I frantically called them to see if they were ok and hoped that they would get out of the city as soon as possible. Then there have been the shootings, Virginia Tech and the most devastating of all, Newtown.

But as terrible as all of those other incidents were, I was far enough removed from them that I could watch the news coverage, feel sad for a short time, and move on. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but I hope you understand what I mean. This time it was personal. I worked and played in Boston for all of my twenties. I stood on the sidelines of the Boston Marathon for years. I have walked down the sidewalks of Boylston Street countless times. I've spent many nights in Cambridge. And one of my close friends lives just a few streets away from the spot where the second suspect was hiding.

I'm not the type of person that outwardly shows my feelings when things that don't directly affect me happen. The victims were not my friends or family. None of my friends ran the marathon that day. I haven't even been into the city in months. I don't want to minimize the pain of those directly impacted in any way by feeling my own pain. But from the moment it happened until the moment suspect two was captured, I was glued to the news. I watched the bombs go off over and over again. I looked at the images of severely injured people. I stared at the haunting image of suspect two leaving his back pack on the ground right behind Martin Richard and his mother and sister. I texted my former roommate when I discovered that she was on lock down on Friday morning. Then again later that night when I realized that he was hiding just a few streets away. I saw the image of suspect one's ruined body in the morgue.

On Friday night as we watched the ambulance drive away with suspect two finally captured, we all breathed a sigh of relief. On Saturday we kept busy getting ready for and then attending my former roommate's wedding. It wasn't until Sunday that the weight of the week settled heavily on my chest. We got up and ready for the day and headed out for Bill to run a 5k in our town. It was a beautiful day, I took the dog with me.

As we waited at the starting line, we had a moment of silence, and then sang the national anthem in memory. I knew B would be done in 30 minutes or less, so I walked the grounds of the hospital school where the race was taking place. It was beautiful.

Then headed back to the finish line just in time to see him finish right at 30 minutes.

We grabbed lunch at Chipotle then headed home for the afternoon. While eating lunch, B put on some episodes of the new Hannibal show. I noticed that my misophonia was in full force and that I was reacting very strongly to what I was seeing. Hannibal is all about investigating gruesome murders. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to ask B to shut it off. I realized that this tragedy has impacted me on a much deeper level than I had thought. However, I am so proud to be from a city that is so strong and has pulled together so tightly during this difficult time.

Boston Strong

2013-04-19T11:54:00.001-04:00

Boston and surrounding towns are locked down right now while authorities try to find the second suspect in the marathon bombings. The events of this week have been incredibly sad. I've tried to keep my head clear of it since thankfully none of my friends or family have been impacted, but it just starts to weigh on you. It's everywhere, you can't avoid it. It wasn't until I was listening to President Obama speak of the three people that did not survive the bombs that I finally broke down in tears. I could not believe it this morning when I woke up to find that another man had been killed and that so much had happened overnight. I hope they catch the younger brother soon. I can't stand knowing he's running loose in Massachusetts. I'll be avoiding posting anything here until this ordeal is over. I just can't think about food right now. My friend and former roommate lives in Watertown where all of this madness is happening right now. She is getting married tomorrow and I just hope this isn't ruining any of her plans. Of course I'm also worried for her and her fiance's safety but right now they are just sitting at home on lock down. I hope tomorrow can be a little escape from all of this and we can celebrate and eat (she has gf options, yay!!) and drink and dance the night away! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. The support from around the country has been incredible. We are Boston and we are STRONG and we won't rest until this is OVER!!

Roll with it.

2013-04-17T20:35:00.001-04:00

Today is just one of those days. I was exhausted this morning and slept through my yoga time. Because I hit the snooze button so many times, I was groggy when I finally did get out of bed. It took me forever to get ready, I forgot to put blush on (I'm pasty!) and I didn't even bother blow drying my hair. Of course the last thing I wanted to do was make myself breakfast, so I went to work and let them do it for me.

The shredded potatoes were cold and tasted awful, the eggs were fine, the bacon was ok. The food I make at home is better. Oh well.

By 11am I was starving. I only fought with myself for a short time before hitting up the vending machine.

ahoy..

At lunch I went home to get the crock pot set up for dinner but I knew there wasn't much in the house for lunch, so I stopped at the grocery store. It was a beautiful day outside and I was in the mood for summer food. Hot dogs and potato salad sounded like just the ticket.

And a half a handful of mini chips.

I worked my way through the rest of the afternoon while also keeping up on the latest news of the marathon bombings. I can't wait until they have the scum bag that did this in custody. They are getting close and there was even a point today where it was reported that the suspect was in custody but that turned out not to be true. Then a bomb threat was called into the Federal Court building which put a bit of a kink in the day.

After work I headed over to the gym. Wednesday night is ZUMBA night! As soon as Jyl turns on that music and I feel that beat I am so happy. But for some reason I was still just not filled with energy so I kind of fumbled my way through the workout. I even considered just giving up a few times, but I stuck it out and finished the hour. I'm definitely glad I did.

When I got home the aroma of taco chicken greeted me at the door (along with Roddy). I can't tell you how much I LOVE my crock pot. Coming home to dinner already made is the best thing ever. We dove right in.

I wish I had bought some avocados for guacamole. Next time.

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my Great Grandmother's passing. My GiGi. I actually dreamed about her last night. Maybe that's what's weighing on me today. She was so awesome. She had a good life and was almost 93 (94?) when she passed, and had lived life to the fullest. I just wanted to recognize her today. She's one of the most inspirational people in my life.

Full Disclosure

2013-04-16T20:31:00.003-04:00

Whenever I'm thinking of eating something I shouldn't, the thought "would you post that on the blog?" always pops into my head. Usually I just push that thought right out of the way and go on with my indulgence. Since I'm still struggling to get back on track, I thought why not use that as a tool to push me to STOP eating things I'm not supposed to eat! So with that, I decided to go with a Full Disclosure policy on the blog. Everything I eat is going up. I'm shaming myself into eating properly. Now when I find myself thinking of eating something that's bad for my health, I will ask myself "Is it really worth it?" and no matter what, it'll be posted here.

This morning started off with a lame attempt at DDP Yoga - Energy workout. I was tired, and my knees hurt, and I just wasn't into it. Plus I had takeout and frozen yogurt last night which I'm sure contributed to my exhaustion. After yoga I made breakfast. The usual for this week - two eggs over easy, chicken and apple sausage, sauteed with baby spinach.

I forgot to grab a snack for mid-morning and by 11am I was starving. I wanted so badly to go to the vending machine and get a package of mini chips ahoy cookies. SO BADLY!! I resisted. By 1pm I was losing my mind but thankfully it was finally time for lunch. I had chicken salad on a Rudi's wrap with baby spinach and a side of leftover mashed potatoes.

While I was in the kitchen getting my lunch out of the fridge, I saw a tupperware container with a note on top...

I would have been LIVID if someone ate half of my lunch and put it back in the fridge. I wonder who's lunch this is though, it would be nice to have a GF buddy on my floor.

I made it through the afternoon without getting hungry again which is good because I had to go grocery shopping on my way home. And after that I grabbed some sushi for us. Spicy tuna and a specialty roll for me. So delicious.

And for dessert:

I would say that's not a terrible day, right? The only thing I ate that had gluten is the soy sauce that came with the sushi. I didn't have any gf soy sauce left in the house. Oh well. It's a step in the right direction! On to tomorrow!

Marathon Monday

2013-04-15T19:53:00.000-04:00

If I had written this post as planned this morning, it would be a very different post. Unfortunately, now it's taking a sad turn as we reflect on the events today at the Boston Marathon. I have witness a handful of friends cross the finish line over the years, most recently, my former roommate just a couple of years ago. My cousin and I waited right in the spot where the bombs went off today to see her finish the race. I can't even imagine being there today. Marathon Monday is usually such a fun day here in Boston and this is just incredibly tragic.

The thing that I keep seeing on the news that gives me hope is all of the people that stayed to help after the bombs went off. It is so wonderful to see how people will pull together.

On a lighter note...

This weekend was very low key. B had been traveling for work for two weeks and just wanted to relax and that's exactly what we did. We made dinner for friends on Saturday night. This is the second time I've made this recipe that I found on Pinterest but I have yet to take a picture for you guys. It's pretty delicious though!

On the side I made red bliss garlic mashed potatoes, and sauteed zucchini and summer squash. So yummy.

Sunday I got up and did my DDP Yoga while B took Roddy to the park. Then it was a long afternoon of being lazy and watching movies/tv. Even Roddy was into it.

And checking up on blogs/twitter/facebook...

Today started my first week of working from home on Mondays. In the morning it was really exciting, I got to take my time doing my yoga, getting ready, walking the dog and making breakfast.

Two eggs over easy, Aidell's chicken and apple sausage sauteed with baby spinach. My go-to breakfast.

The thing I was most excited for was being able to do the laundry while working instead of doing it on the weekends. Then I spent the first half of the day working away. At lunch time B had asked me to go to the bank for him. So I did, because I completely forgot that it's a holiday here and the banks are closed. Then I drove around figuring out what to have for lunch. I ended up back at home with chicken salad on a Rudi's plain wrap with baby spinach and tomato. I also had a little bit of leftover mashed potatoes.

Then it was more work, more laundry and realizing the working at home is kinda boring and lonely. But waking up on Monday after the weekend and knowing you don't have to put on work clothes and go to the office is still pretty sweet. I definitely need to get some sort of desk setup. Working from the couch is just not going to be good.

Along with DDP Yoga comes a nutrition guide. It's not far from what I already eat so I'll be trying to stick to that protocol for awhile. It's basically a balanced diet of the right kind of carbs, protein, healthy fats, no gluten, no dairy. You know the drill. Ok, that's all for now. Still can't stop thinking about the bombings today and my thoughts and prayers are going out to the victims and their families. It's just unbelievable.

Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places

2013-04-12T10:48:00.001-04:00

2007 - Lowest weight as an adult 2013 - Highest weight EVER

It wasn't until college that I started having issues with my weight. I've gained and lost the same 20 pounds over and over again. But since moving in with B, I've not only gained that 20 pounds back, I packed on another THIRTY-FIVE to go with it!! Holy crap. How did that happen??? Takeout. Lots of it. And wine. And cider. French Fries. Ice cream - the real kind. Gluten. Yes. I admit it. Ugh. If you've been a long time reader of this blog you know I've been trying (and failing) to lose weight for a while now. But I'm really in a crunch, I refuse to be unhappy with myself on my wedding day and I only have a few months left before I HAVE to start dress shopping. We both decided it's time to really buckle down and get healthy.

I've mentioned a couple of times that I've been doing DDP Yoga lately. I was excited to give it a try after I'd seen this incredible video about how it changed this war veteran's life. I've been trying to do it first thing in the morning before work every day. I haven't been successful at dragging my ass out of bed early every morning, but I'm getting better at it. The workouts are great, it's not just traditional yoga and is helping me get stronger. I kid you not, a month ago every time I walked up the stairs both of my knees would make this loud clicking/popping noise. I've had trouble with my knees for years! This week I've noticed that going up stairs I can't hear anything! I thought I noticed it the other day but today I really did. So far I've lost 7 lbs as well! I also joined Team DDP Yoga to help keep me motivated and found even more inspiration there. DDP talks a lot about taking charge of your life by understanding that 10% of it is stuff that happens to you and the other 90% is all about how you react. I love this and it's something that I've really needed to hear lately. And he's a huge supporter of the GF/DF lifestyle. I can't say enough about it, really.

In addition to the yoga I'm really focusing on cleaning up my diet again. I had let it slide down a very slippery slope. I'm feeling much better after a couple of weeks back on track. I plan to use this blog as a way to track my progress, post what I'm eating, how I'm feeling, etc. This blog has always been about my journey to health and this is just the next chapter. I'm excited to share it with all of you!

Yesterday was my first day back to work after my mini-vacation. Every other Thursday I'm supposed to work in a different office but I didn't even think of that as I drove to work. Of course the minute I pulled into a parking spot I realized I was not in the right place. I hadn't eaten yet since I was running late and planned to eat at the office, so I ran in, grabbed a quick breakfast of eggs and bacon, and headed off to the other office.

As soon as I arrived I was greeted by this:

They call them munchkins, which makes them sound cute, but really they are evil little bites of poison!

Every time we're in this other building, one of the other programmers brings in a box of munchkins from Dunkin Donuts. I will admit that I have indulged in the past, but now that I'm back on the wagon, I managed to steer clear of these all day. I didn't even look at the box until late in the afternoon just so I could take a picture for the blog. Obviously the rest of the group wasted no time taking care of these.

I had forgotten to pack my lunch in the morning so I decided that I would try out a local restaurant that I heard had a gluten free menu. I looked it up online and they had a ton of options. It was a tough choice but I ended up going with the pulled pork tacos.

When I arrived my order was ready but when I checked the container the tacos were smothered with cheese! I had specifically noted on my online order NO CHEESE or SOUR CREAM! But apparently that message didn't show up on the order at the restaurant? They were really nice about it and made me a fresh batch, no cheese, no sour cream.

The tacos were decent, not the best pulled pork I've ever had, the seemingly homemade salsa on the side was pretty delicious. I would definitely go back and try something else the next time I'm at that office and find myself without a packed lunch. We have cafeterias in all of our buildings, but GF options are sparse. There is a salad bar but it's kind of slim pickings. I'm trying to be better about packing a lunch from home so I know exactly what's going into it, and it's often healthier and better tasting anyway.

Since B's been traveling this week I've been trying to come up with easy dinners for one. Last night I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and wandered aimlessly trying to decide what to have. I walked past the meat cases and there were Aidell's sausages which reminded me of a Carrots N Cake recipe that I wanted to try. I grabbed a package of chicken and apple sausage, some fresh brussels sprouts and some goat cheese and was on my way. I subbed goat cheese for the laughing cow cheese since I seem to tolerate goat cheese pretty well. I added my own herbs and spices to get that garlic and herb flavor. Unfortunately, my pan was too hot and I didn't use enough oil so the dish didn't come out exactly as I'd hoped. But it wasn't bad. I might try this again tonight with less heat, more oil, and see how it goes.

Oops... super blurry, sorry!

After dinner I enjoyed a square of dark chocolate while watching Wife Swap. I don't know why I love that show so much.

And watched some inspiring DDP videos with my pup.

And then he started doing this in his sleep:

It's scary and hilarious at the same time.

B comes home tonight!! I can't wait! Happy Friday everyone!!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with DDP Yoga in any way. All opinions posted here are completely my own. Having said that, I definitely recommend you check it out for yourself!

Blog Party 2013

2013-04-10T18:14:00.002-04:00

I was just checking in on my girl Angela and saw she's taking part in this Blog Party and it sounded like fun so I joined the party myself! Here's my "about me" intro post for my new friends!

My name is Jen and I'm 32 years old (33 next month.. eek). I'm engaged to my wonderful fiance Bill and we live in a small town 20 minutes southeast of Boston, Mass with our 4.5 year old Greyhound Roddy:

I started this blog 5 years ago this month as a way to talk about my tummy troubles. A month after I started this blog I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and thus began my journey to healing through diet. It's been a rough road but I'm very thankful for a huge online community where I find a ton of information and support.

The past year or two posting hasn't been as frequent, I changed jobs which meant less time for blogging and taking photos. I also started slacking on my gluten and dairy free diet and didn't want to admit it here and let down my readers, so I just stayed quiet. In the past year I've gained a bunch of weight and my stomach is getting bad again and it's time to get back on track so I'm hoping to get this blog back in shape this year as well as get MYSELF back in shape. I have a wedding dress to buy afterall!

The thing I've been looking for lately is new blogs to read so I'm pretty excited for this blog party since there are tons of new links to explore. I hope you find my site useful, if not mildly entertaining, and I'm glad you stopped by!!

Wrestlemania FanAxxess and Wrestlecon

2013-04-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

Friday morning I packed my bag and waited for A&J to arrive and then we were off on a 3.5 hour drive to fabulous New Jersey for Wrestlemania weekend! I was looking forward to the trip, despite the fact that I'm not a huge wrestling fan. I've watched it on and off over the years, my brother used to watch it back in the day as well as an old bf a long time ago so I know who many of the guys are. Plus I just started DDP Yoga so I was really looking forward to seeing DDP. I heard he was charging a pretty penny for a photo op at Wrestlecon so I figured I'd see him from afar, but I also heard there was going to be a DDP Yoga session for free on Saturday afternoon so I was excited to try and attend.

When we arrived in NJ and met up with B at the hotel (he was already there for work) the banner above was in the lobby. We did not have tickets for the actual Wrestlemania event but we planned to go to a restaurant that was showing it to have some drinks and watch it on Sunday night. But Friday we had planned to just check in, relax and get a nice dinner. The hotel gave us a list of local restaurants and after some yelping and google mapping we decided on Wee Willie's Sports Bar & Grill. The directions from the hotel took us to a residential neighborhood but we eventually found it around the corner and quickly realized that this was not the place for us. We were looking for good food and conversation, this place was for drinking, and maybe pool, and there may have been a few leather jackets involved. Don't get me wrong, I can hang at a dive bar with the best of them, but this is not what we had in mind for a nice dinner.

So we drove around aimlessly and as we stopped at a stop light, we noticed Michael's Riverside restaurant right next to us. We quickly yelped it and read that the services is not great but the food is delicious so we decided to go for it.

Reisling? Yes, please!

I was excited to see a few gluten free options on the menu. I ended up getting the seabass/crabmeat special (not gluten or dairy free... sigh, I know) and it was so delicious. I didn't even take a picture of it because I felt so guilty about eating it.. I figured I wouldn't share it here. But might as well go for full disclosure, right?

Anyway, the salad that came prior to the dinner was awesome. It had a homemade olive oil based dressing that was very subtle but sooooo fresh and delicious. I practically licked the plate.

Saturday morning we got up bright and early to get to the Izod Center for Wrestlemania Fan Axxess. The plan was to meet as many personalities as possible. B is more a fan of the old school guys so we stuck to the Legends whereas A&J are fans of old and new WWE so they met the current Superstars. From 8-10 was the first round of signings where we got to meet Billy Gunn, Jim Ross, Tamera and Pat Patterson. At 10 there was a shift change so we started another lap around the arena to see who was on deck. They were keeping it a secret so we had no idea who we'd find. The first meeting was Sika and then we moved on to the next Legends table. As we rounded the corner we could see a long line and all of a sudden I heard Bill say... "It's DDP..." and I was like WHAT?!!! OHHHH YEAH!!! We raced ahead to get in line. While we waited, DDP would stop every now and then to talk to the crowd and was really nice and engaging, just like in his yoga videos. It wasn't too long before we were next for photos and signatures.

Since this weekend was mostly B's thing, and I was just along for the ride, he did most of the meeting and greeting, but he knew this was a big one for me so he said it was up to me to do the talking. Of course I immediately told DDP that we just started doing the yoga and he jumped up to take a picture with both of us, he had been staying behind the table and doing the lean over for single photos, but we got this gem:

Then he gave us a signature:

Jen & Bill, Do your DDP Yoga, Or Else... BANG! Diamond Dallas Page

I was so pumped!!!

After that it was time to head over to Wrestlecon to meet more legends of wrestling. This was the part B was most looking forward to since he is such a big fan of the old school wrestling. The one he really wanted to meet was Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. When we arrived, Bobby's flag was up to mark his spot but he hadn't arrived yet. They said he was supposed to be there at 2pm and it was getting close, a line was starting to form so we got in line and waited. Shortly after, Bobby and his wife appeared and got setup. Unfortunately, Bobby has had some major health setbacks and is not looking like his old self, but it was still so awesome for B to get to meet him and he got a signed copy of his new book. We both got a little choked up, it was very bittersweet, but I was so happy that B got to meet one of his wrestling heroes.

After that we wandered around and had a bunch more photo ops. DDP was there with Jake "The Snake" Robert and I was lucky enough to get this...

You know it's a party when you're grabbing Jake The Snake's ass..

and I was super excited to meet the one and only ROB VAN DAM complete with thumb moves and holding the championship belt (it's heavy!!)

We also met Kevin Nash. B had planned to talk to him about some wrestling thing but I quickly jumped in and told him how much I enjoyed his performance in Magic Mike.

Unfortunately by 3pm I was EXHAUSTED from being on my feet all day and didn't want to wait until 4:30 for DDP Yoga. I regret that now, but what can you do? I'm still pumped that I got to meet DDP. I expected to have fun this weekend, but I didn't expect it to be such an amazing time. My friend J got to meet her #1 - Christian and it was probably one of the best moments of her life, it was pretty great.

Lovin' Blogs

2013-04-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

From the responses I received on yesterday's post, as well as some googling, it looks like Bloglovin' is my new blog reader of choice. I signed up yesterday and the first thing it asks is if you want to pull your google reader feed. Yes, please! I'm liking it so far, I like the image previews and how you can click on the post, it takes you to the actual post, but keeps the reader post active and you can go back and mark it as unread if you like. I also downloaded the iphone app and I like that as well. I'm one of those "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of people so change isn't always good for me, but I think I will grow to love this. It's prettier than google reader and I love pretty things.

Thanks also for the blog recs. I do love The Bloggess, who doesn't? Keep 'em coming though, I need more!!

On a slightly more exciting note, tomorrow I'm headed off to fabulous New Jersey for a weekend of awesomeness at Wrestlecon and Wrestlemania Fan Axxess. Bet you didn't know I'm a huge fan of 80's wrestling, did you? Well I'm not, but B is, and our friends A&J are and the four of us are in for 2 days of magic. The thing I'm looking forward to the most? A live, in person session of DDP yoga with none other than Diamond Dallas Page himself. That is going to be amazing. Unfortunately The Rock is off doing movies and being too cool for school so I don't think he's in the lineup. So sad. I'm just looking forward to a mini vacation and a few days away!

When in doubt, eat bacon!

2013-04-03T09:43:00.002-04:00

yes I drink my OJ in a wine glass.. I like to keep it classy

I FINALLY upgraded my old 3GS iPhone to a 4S and I am loving it!!! My old phone was sooooo slow, everything was broken, the screen was all messed up from that time I threw it across the room, the volume button had fallen out, it was just a mess. I tried putting it off as long as possible but I'm so glad I finally just did it. The best thing about the new phone is the camera! I have to admit, one of the biggest reasons I never blog anymore is because I have no photos to add to my posts and I hate posting without photos. But I don't have the time or patience to break out my real camera anymore and the photo quality of the old phone was embarrassing. This phone takes awesome pictures and I've found a couple of camera apps that make the pics even better. This one was taken this morning in low light with no post processing and I love it.

My breakfast just about every day includes eggs over easy and bacon. Should I be eating bacon every day? Probably not, but whatever. I also have a little bit of OJ if there is any in the house. I drink mostly water all day every day and it's nice to change it up a bit in the morning. B and I have started yet another weight loss journey but we're taking it seriously this time. I have yet to try on a single wedding dress and refuse to until I've taken off a few of the many pounds I've gained over the past year. He doesn't have much to lose but he just wants to tighten up and get in better shape. We're logging, tracking, photographing, weighing, measuring, doing it for real.

I've started going DDP Yoga in the mornings and I'm loving it, I also go to zumba once a week and we started going to a pickup volleyball league on Friday evenings. I'm hoping as the weather warms up we'll be able to start hiking the Blue Hills more often which is something we really enjoy as does Roddy because he gets to go with us!

Best dog ever..

As far as what I'm eating, I'm trying to keep away from the gf alternatives and stick with meats, veggies, fruits, eggs, fish, etc. Keep it clean. I do have Rudi's wraps in the freezer for the occasional tuna or roast beef sandwich. And I eat a lot of bacon. It's Paleo, right?

On a side note - I need to do some blog housekeeping. 1. I need to find a great blog reader since Google is getting rid of theirs soon and 2. I need some fresh material to add to this new reader. What great blogs do you read? GF blogs, general healthy eating blogs, funny blogs, just interesting reads? What do you use for a blog reader? I want to hear about it!!

In celebration of Cider

2013-01-25T16:22:00.001-05:00

After going GF, I started to turn to hard cider since beer was no longer an option. Of course there are a few GF beers on the market, but honestly, after giving up the beers I love, I don't particularly care for the GF versions either.

Back in 2008 there were very few ciders on the market and many of them were just disgusting. In the past year, all of a sudden, there have been a ton of new ciders on the shelves and they are so delicious. My current favorite is Angry Orchard, but I recently found a new one - Hornsby's and I love that one too.

I received an email the other day about this graphic that covers the history of cider and I thought it was pretty cool so I figured I'd share. What's your favorite GF adult beverage??

Created by: HackCollege.com

GIVEAWAY!! Rudi's Gluten Free Breads - Winner!

2013-01-22T09:46:00.003-05:00

Rudi’s Gluten-Free is hosting a giveaway on their facebook page to introduce a new softer and fluffier recipe for its Sandwich Breads! Fans can see, taste and feel the difference in the full line of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Sandwich Breads, including Rudi’s Gluten-Free Original, Multigrain, and Cinnamon Raisin.

To enter in to the contest, just click over to their Facebook page here! BUT FIRST, check out this fun giveaway Rudi’s is offering to A Life of Sugar and Spice readers!

The giveaway includes:

A sandwich press
Reusable sandwich bags
Colorful ceramic plates
Gluten Free cookbook with sandwich recipes

To win:

Just leave a comment here on the blog! I'll randomly select a winner on Friday morning (1/25/13).

And the winner is comment number 6 - Carolsue!!

Big News....

2012-12-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!

Can you believe it?? Neither can I!! I'm sooooooo excited. Although not entirely surprised... you see B is not exactly the best keeper of secrets. Not that I'm complaining, a man that can't lie?? Perfect. But when he started throwing out random marriage related questions a few weeks ago I started getting the hint. And then he took my car for the day and accidentally left my Dad's work address in my car. I found it on Thanksgiving and although I had been trying to keep my suspicions quiet, I couldn't help it. When I asked him about the address he caved and admitted he'd been shopping and went to ask my Dad's permission(!). I was SO excited, but then he tried to put me off and make me wait for the actual proposal. I've always been an "I want it NOW" kind of person and first thing in the morning on Black Friday you bet your ass I was online pinning away into my secret "My Wedding!!!!" board. And calling my sister to tell her. But I couldn't tell anyone else! I couldn't openly talk about planning or getting engaged or ANYTHING and by Sunday I was so depressed.

My Mom called me to talk about venues and after we hung up I just sat there and cried. B couldn't understand why I was so upset and I told him "You're not a girl! You would never be able to understand what I'm feeling right now! I'm so excited and happy and I want to TELL THE WORLD!!" So we agreed later that day that when he actually picked up the ring from the jeweler, we'd go to dinner and make it official. He was upset that he'd ruined the surprise and wanted to make it special for me.

The very next day, after his lunch break, he emailed me at work to say "How do you feel about going for sushi tonight?" which I knew was code word for I've got the ring.... and I almost fell out of my chair with excitement. But later in the day he tried to throw me off by talking about going to the gym, and telling me not to get my hopes up. I was so MAD at him for messing with my head!! But I knew that he was just trying as hard as he could to make a last ditch effort to surprise me.

On the way home he called to say that the gym was out of the question and that we had 7 o'clock reservations at the sushi restaurant. So we go and we're sitting up at the sushi bar and we're waiting for our food and the waiter comes up to me with the restaurant phone in his hand and he's trying to tell me in broken English that it's for me. I am SO confused, but I take the phone anyway, and on the other end is B's 10 (11?) year old niece and she says "I was just wondering if you want to be my Aunt?" Oh. My. Gosh.... how cute is that??? I cried a little and said "Of course I would love to be your Aunt!!" and as I'm talking to her B is pulling out the ring and putting it on for me. I wish I could say that there was big fanfare at the restaurant like in the movies, but I don't think a single other person in the restaurant even noticed, and the staff didn't speak English so it was just between us. I couldn't stop staring at the new sparkly on my hand! I love it.

We left the restaurant and I called all of our family members to spread the good news. It was so much fun. Then it was back to the internet to look at venues and Pinterest and Wedding Bee and The Knot... it never ends. I can't stop myself! I'm insane! Today I got the contracts for the venue that we've chosen, or rather that my Mom and I have chosen, B was not all that interested in venue shopping with us. I'm very excited to have that big get out of the way so I can focus on the details.

We have less than a year and a half to go before the big day so I have plenty of time to make it my dream day. (I mean OUR dream day.... right, ours, yeah) You wait your whole life for this and then all of a sudden it's here and it doesn't feel real and you catch a glance at the ring that says IT'S FOR REAL and it's so exciting. I don't want to rush the next 15 months, but at the same time, I can't wait for the big day!!!!

Pinterest Finds: Sheperd's Pie

2012-11-16T10:57:00.004-05:00

Source: thedomesticman.com via Jen on Pinterest

My latest Pinterest dinner was this Shepherd's Pie from The Domestic Man. I stuck to the recipe pretty strictly for the meat mixture and made my own dairy free mashed potatoes using Earth Balance and chicken stock (instead of milk, so good, try it!). I have to say, the meat mixture didn't have a ton of flavor and was kind of dry. Growing up my mom used to make her own version of Shepherd's Pie. Honestly I never even heard the name Shepherd's Pie until I saw it on a menu as an adult. My mom's was called "corn, hamburg and potato" and was literally corn, hamburg, and potato - browned ground beef, creamed corn, and topped with mashed potatoes, baked until the top of the potatoes were browned. I loved it! But as an adult I'm trying to step it up and make it more flavorful and a little healthier if possible. We've been eating a lot of ground beef lately because it's cheap and easy but now that I'm counting calories I'm starting to realize how high in cals it is. From a paleo perspective it's fine, but right now, from a calorie counting perspective, it's a little bit much. I can't even believe I'm going to say this, but I'm getting sick of Carol Fenster's meatloaf... B LOVES it and requests it weekly. I need to find some lighter recipes for dinners, I'm off to PIN! If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments!

Progress

2012-11-13T11:18:00.002-05:00

Calorie counting is going well so far, it really helps that B is doing it with me. If he wasn't, I probably already would've given up. But we bought a scale (remember when I threw mine away?) and I'm weighing myself only once a week. Otherwise I become a raging lunatic and eating disorder behavior ensues (hello binge eating and food hiding!). In my first week I've lost about 5 lbs which I know is the typical week one bloat loss. The thing I like about MyFitnessPal is that when you complete your day it tells you "If every day were like today, you would weigh XXX pounds in 5 weeks!" When we had our cheat dinner on Sunday and I logged it all, it told me if every day was like today, I'd gain 4 lbs over the next 5 weeks. Really helped to shed some light on how I got this heavy! Not that I didn't know... but it really spells it out for you. I've been getting my workouts in using the WOD Genius app which provides customized crossfit style workouts. I love it, they can be very challenging if you push yourself. You also can get rather easy workouts like the one I did on Sunday. I was lazy...

The rest of the weekend was pretty decent. My friend's nephew was in the playoffs with his high school varsity soccer team. He plays sometimes with B on his indoor soccer team so we wanted to go out and support him. Friday night they fought into overtime to win 3-2. Unfortunately Sunday they lost 2-1 but it was a lot of fun to go and watch. We even made some signs for him:

Weekend mornings are when B takes Roddy to the dog park and he is most definitely a creature of habit. He loves to go to the park and when B went to the gym first on Sunday morning Roddy was very sad. B came home from the gym to take a shower and there Roddy sat, at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for him to come back down and take him out.

He is the funniest dog. Off they went to the park and he was very happy.

Yesterday I had the day off so I got a bunch of laundry and cleaning done then went over to my friend's house to have a Twilight marathon before we go see the last Breaking Dawn when it comes out. Yes, we are 30-something year old women that love Twilight! Unfortunately, I could feel I was coming down with a cold, I had a scratchy throat and by the end of the first movie my nose started running really bad, so I had to cut the marathon short and head home. Today I'm at work, but my nose is a faucet and I can't stop sneezing. I feel bad for the guy sitting in front of me. Hopefully it will move quickly, lots of fluids and healthy foods! That's all for now, see ya later!

Calories... AHHHHHH!

2012-11-07T16:19:00.000-05:00

Well, B has convinced me to start counting calories again. Don't take that the wrong way, he loves me and all of my back fat, it's just that he's going to be counting calories for himself, and I want to lose weight too, and he's going to want to know how many calories are in the dinners I make every night. I figured if I'm going to be calculating cals for him, might as well track them for myself as well. I have a love/hate relationship with calorie counting and am not sure I'm going to be able to stand it for too long, but I also know that if I want to see any real progress on this weight loss journey, it might be my best chance. So here goes. Again. yay. ;)

Seriously though.. my chin is starting to resemble Junie-Boo-Boo's. It's unattractive.