A Clean Slate

Is it just me or did 2009 go by way to fast? Literally, where did it go? I am having a hard time accepting the fact that I didn't appreciate it more and take my time to enjoy things.

When I think about it being a new year I get an overwhelming feeling for some reason. This is the first time I've felt this way about a new year. I tried to explain it to my sister the other day and couldn't find the words to explain how I was feeling.

Starting tomorrow everyone gets a clean slate for an entire year. I don't like making new years resolutions because I always break them. Plus they are usually silly. My mom used the word promises instead of resolutions. This year I am making promises to myself.

• Those last 10lbs will be gone by my birthday, March 28th.
  
• I am going to start focusing on the positive instead of dwelling on the negative.
  
• I will make 2010 my most healthy year ever by eating right and exercising.
  
• I will pay attention to our financial budget and be conscious of the money I spend.
  

2010 is definitely overwhelming for me because of the unknown. What will twenty ten bring?

The husbands first long deployment?
A new baby?
A new job?

What are your promises to yourself? Just think... You have an entire year to do anything you want to do.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today was my mom's birthday so I spent most of the day with her. No pictures of food, no good bloggable (did you know that was a word?) stories... Just some wonderful family time.

Happy birthday Mom! I love you!

Giveaway @ The Fit Bride

Such an incredible giveaway!

http://thefitbride.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/roadid-review-and-giveaway/

Blogger Award

Kelly at Healthy Living With Kelly sent me this a few days ago...

Being new to the food blogging world I was a bit shocked and honored. All you none food blogging people probably don't care or understand what it means but it's ok.

So, for blogging tradition I am supposed to give it to 7 people. However, since I'm a newbie I can only think of 5 ladies that I have faithfully followed their blogs and can deem them beautiful. I'm sure as soon as I post this I will think of the other 2.

Kelly at She Wears a Red Sox Cap
Lindsay at Mon Petit Peche Mignon
Stef at More To Life Than Lettuce
Krista at Krista’s Kravings
Katie at Faith Food and Fitness

Thank you ladies for being such an inspiration to me and to your readers.

I am also supposed to list 7 things you don't know about me but since I'm breaking the rules already I'll just do my 5.

1. I am a HUGE Harry Potter dork. I mean HUUUUUGE.

2. I used to and wish I still did ride horses.

3. I have 4 dogs, 1 cat, a baby, and a husband... Can we say overload?

4. I choked on pizza crust once. It was scary.

5. My favorite movie is While You Were sleeping

Alrighty, I think thats it! Thanks again Kelly!!!

Recipes

Breakfast
Breakfast Cookie
Greek Breakfast Sammie
Frittatas
The Ultimate Ogre
5 Minute Egg Sandwich
Overnight Oats
Spinach and Feta Breakfast Sammie
Oatmeal Banana-Nut Pancakes w/cinnamon butter

Lunch

Cucumber Toast

Dinner

Black Bean Burgers

Banana Ice Cream
Kristen's Pig Puddin'
Mocha Latte Ice Cream
Vegan Sugar Cookies Caramelized Onion Pizza
Lasagna
Peanut Butter Asian Noodles
Sara Snow Spaghetti Sauce
Veggie Pizza

Snacks

Desserts

We've Got A Pea Eater

We did a bunch of cleaning and rearranging today for all of our Christmas goodies. It was a dull day here but a good one. Sometimes it's nice to just stay home and clean. Especially after such an eventful day yesterday.

Breakfast this morning was blueberry overnight oats.

1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup plain yogurt, a splash of water, and a handful of blueberries.
Plus I got to use my new milk frother for my coffee! SO COOL!

Lunch was a multigrain tortilla with 2% cheddar and turkey. Plus some spinach and a spoonful of hummus. My turkey wrap tasted much better cut into cute pinwheels.

Finally dinner was BBQ chicken (just Bone Suckin' Sauce and chicken cooked in the crockpot), peas, and a sweet tater.

The squirrel had the same... Even the peas.

I read somewhere that it takes a child about 20 encounters with a food before they decide if they like it or not. On average parents offer it to them one time and if they turn their nose up they never try it again. Well the squirrel has definitely had more than 20 encounters with peas so I had given up on them. The husband HATES peas so I figured it was genetic. As I was eating them tonight she pointed at them and said "bite" so I gave her one. She ended up eating about 1/2 a cup of peas. Amazing how her little taste buds can change. Now I can actually say the child will eat anything.

For dessert the squirrel and I split some more Ciao Bella chocolate hazelnut gelato.

After dinner we played hide and seek. Basically I chase the squirrel and she hides from me. She just started actually "hiding" yesterday. Before she'd just squeal and run.

She actually has some pretty good hiding spots...

I've got some couponing to do for my commissary shop tomorrow. Have y'all ever couponed? There are so many neat websites that offer good coupons... I save bundles!

A Trip To Southport

This morning we had a trip to Southport planned so I made breakfast last night. Everytime I know we are driving first thing in the morning I make a breakfast cookie. It keeps me from snacking on the car ride plus it's easy to take on the go!

This guy had a whole mashed banana, 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1 tablespoon coconut, 1 teaspoon flax seeds, and 1 tablespoon pumpkin granola. Just mix it together and mash it on a plate. I've never done a mix that I can actually pick up and eat like a cookie. But they are really good and easy since it's done the night before. I just scraped it off the plate and dumped it in a cup to take in the car.

My tummy was rumbling a few hours later so I ate some of these little guys. So much for my breakfast cookie keeping me full!

We had to take a ferry to Southport. The squirrel loved it!

The main reason we went to Southport was to see a few lighthouses. We made a trip to Hatteras in May and saw quite a few. Now we have a collection of photos of the 3 of us with the light houses.

Here's us in May at the Hatteras lighthouse.
First up was Price's Creek. We couldn't get one with us because no one is allowed near it. Weird. It's a little fellow. Only 20 feet high.

The other one we saw was Oak Island.

The squirrel loved running around it.

We did eat lunch there in Southport but it wasn't even worth photographing. It was yucky... Really disappointing since we heard rave reviews. We did some shopping, had a cup of coffee, and headed home.

By the time we got home it was dinner time. Dinner was leftover fondue dippers boiled in chicken broth and seasonings. It was actually really good.

I also had beer bread with crab and artichoke cheese spread. Yum.

My day was pretty light in the food department and I'm craving yogurt so I see that in my future. Hope y'all had a happy Monday!

Christmas Gifts

Today I tried to get back on track... I weighed myself this morning and have maintained my weight of 155. I still have 10lbs to lose...

Breakfast was 1/2 cup scrambled egg whites, 2 tablespoons italian diced tomatoes (the canned kind), 1 tablespoon feta cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon dried basil. All on an EarthGrain sandwich thin. SO good.

Oh also a ginormous cup o'joe. Christmas present #1. My little sister got this for me. Obviously she goes to NC State (GOOO WOLFPACK). She said I can use it as a soup cup... No way! The perfect size cup of coffee for me!

My exercise today was an hour and a half long walk with all 4 of our mangy mutts. The poor pooches have been so neglected the past month from all the hustle and bustle. They deserved a looong walk.

By the time we got home we were all starving.

The stars of my lunch were these guys:

Amy's lentil soup and Bone Suckin' BBQ Sauce.

I made an Amy's veggie burger with BBQ sauce over spinach.

Then had about a 1/2 cup of soup.

While I was eating the squirrel finished her lunch then entertained herself with her new shopping cart. A Christmas gift from Nana and Granpa. I guess she thought it was a real shopping cart because she wanted to ride in it.



After lunch the husband mentioned trying out our new fondue pot for dinner which would be Christmas present #2... We needed groceries for it so we headed to the store.

Sabra hummus was on sale so I picked up my usual (red pepper) and a kind I've never tried (roasted garlic). It was really good. You gotta switched it up once in awhile!

We had a late afternoon snack of kashi crackers and hummus.

Of course the husband opened some new wine... Introducing Christmas presents 3 and 4.

Check out these glasses my mom got my husband...

Thats the Marine Corps emblem if ya'll didn't know... They are so pretty... She also got him this wine stopped. GO PANTHERS!

Food prep took forever for the fondue... We grated cheese, chopped veggies, sliced bread, and cup up meat.

The cheese recipe consisted of swiss and gruyere plus some of our wine and S&P. Delicious.

We did the broth method for the chicken and steak.

It consisted of chicken broth, a splash of wine, green onions, mushrooms, and seasonings.

Instead of chocolate and dippers for dessert we had a scoop of this guy...

Chocolate hazelnut gelato by Ciao Bella. It was SO good.

Check out my new little spoon... Yet another Christmas gift. I saw on someone's blog at one point that they use little appetizer spoons for things like icecream to make them eat slower and savor it more. Not sure if it worked for me but it was fun eating with it!

The squirrel is 16 months old by the way... I'm wondering if ya'll wonder what she eats. She eats everything we do unless she can't chew something. Whatever I eat she eats. She had fondue tonight for dinner. The kiddo will eat anything except peas. Broccoli, lima beans, veggie burgers, oatmeal, granola, yogurt, hummus, eggs, lentils... Ok I don't need to go on but you get the point. I'm just thankful I am able to let her try so many different foods.

She loved the chocolate hazelnut gelato obviously.

She kept pointing to the bowl and saying "BITE". Check out how serious she is...

Well I've got Ice Age 3 and the husband waiting for me. Julie and Julia was just okay last night. Amy Adams character was a little dull and whiney for me. I loved Meryl Streep though.

And oh my gosh do we have a huuuuge day planned tomorrow! Stay tuned.

Are y'all getting back on track with your eating and exercise? Did any of you maintain your healthy eating? I had such a hard time with all the cookies and comfort foods.

Christmas

I really hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was incredible. We spent Christmas morning with my parents. Check out all the presents!

The squirrel was spoiled rotten.

She was pretty good at unwrapping...

And I really think she loved every present... Especially this one that Aunt Kellee got her.

By the time we were done she was exhausted and the fun hadn't even begun.

We ate lunch with my parents and then headed down to see the husbands parents. Christmas didn't end for us until midnight.

The husband spent this morning putting toddler toys together. Check out this one that Aunt Kellee got... (I swear she knows my child better than I do).

Her very own ball pit! She knew exactly how to climb (or tumble) in and out of it.

Can you tell she's in love?

How about now?

The husband and I got a lot of neat things. I can't believe I can't even think of something we got! I'm sure I'll mention some in future blog posts. We got a bunch of cool kitchen gadgets including an avocado slicer, can strainer, milk steamer, and new cutting boards. My family is so thoughtful its incredible. I cannot even express how thankful I am for everything I got.

Our family had a great Christmas but I'm still exhausted from all the running around. Tomorrow everything goes back to normal for me. I'm planning on running or doing some type of exercise. Plus getting back to eating right. I'm not very good at focusing on exercise or nutrition during the holiday.

We are headed to watch Julie and Julia now. See y'all tomorrow!