Bountiful Loot

This weeks bountiful basket had a few new things. That's one of the many reasons why I love getting the baskets. It forces me to prepare and eat things that I would never (ever) buy. *

For example:


Brussells sprouts. I've had a few of these guys in my day, but they normally came in the frozen and boxed variety. I can honestly say I have never bought fresh brussells and I'm not even sure I have ever even seen fresh ones before now.


Persimmons. Never eaten one. Never seen one. Don't know what to do with them. So unless one of you has a suggestion then they will end up in a bowl as a center piece on my table, because they just so happen to be beautiful fall colors. Don't tell me to just eat them, because I still have a ton of pears from 2 weeks ago to eat.


Clementines. See above. Exact same description applies.


Acorn squash. Never purchased one. Never eaten one. SO excited to! Found a yummy recipe that calls for butter, cinnamon and sugar, and roasting. Should be delish!


*I've tried 4 times to post a picture of  the loot, only to have the blogger app on my phone force close and lose everything. I'm NOT typing this again so stay tuned for pics when I can get to a PC.

Meatloaf

Last Friday was the husbands night to cook. It's really been working out nice because I get a night off from preparing dinner and he gets to work on his non-existent ever improving cooking skills.


When I asked him what he was going to make so I could add it to the menu he announced "meatloaf" and as it just so happened I knew there was a yummy looking turkey meatloaf recipe on Gina's Skinny Recipes.


It turned out excellent! It was so delicious and moist! I was sad we only had it one night for dinner and the next day for lunch. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers but I could have eaten this for a week. Good job honey!


Turkey Meatloaf
This is a pretty simple low point dinner to prepare on a busy week night. Mix all the ingredients and throw it in the oven. In one hour it's done! Serve this with some garlic mashed potatoes and veggies.
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 servings • Time: 1 hour • Calories: 268 • Points: 4.5 ww points

• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1.3 lb 99% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp marjoram
• salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Saute olive oil and onion on low until translucent.
In a medium bowl mix turkey, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, salt and marjoram.Place mixture into a 9x12 loaf pan or shape into a loaf in an un-greased baking pan.
Bake uncovered for one hour at 350°. After baking let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. 

11/12/10 Weigh In

I weighed in 4 days ago and it's taken me just as long to formulate my thoughts for this post. It's still going to be all over the place, so bear with me. 


My weigh in was good and bad. I am so conflicted and I have such mixed emotions on the subject that I really can't tell you if I'm happy or not?


I lost 3.4 pounds and I hit my 10% goal, which means I got my awesome silver "10% keyring".


You're probably asking yourself why in the world isn't she happy then? Well, I also lost 3.0 the week before too. Apparently Weight Watchers works for me. But, does it work for my daughter? 


I'm still scared terrified of losing weight too fast and my breast milk supply being affected. A year and a half ago I was losing 2, 3, 4, sometimes 5 pounds a week... I couldn't get the weight off fast enough. Now, when I'm trying (like REALLY trying) to lose weight slowly, I've suddenly lost 21.6 pounds in 10 weeks. I feel INSANE for complaining about this. This is not the Brandi that has struggled for years to get the weight off only to finally succeed and then complain about it?


I'll tell you why, a year and a half ago, I wasn't a mother. I didn't have a baby to feed, whose sole source of nutrition for the first 6 months of her life have come from me and most of her nutrition will still come from me for at least the next 6 months too. Lord willing. I'm not saying I've noticed a drop in supply by any means, but it's always on my mind. 


I was so upset by my weigh in that I semi didn't count my dinner points on Saturday night. I tracked all day and I knew what I had left but I ordered a subway sandwich (with cheese!!!!!) and a bag of chips (Doritos!!!!!!!!!) and a soda (sprite!!!!!!!!) for dinner on Saturday night. I knew how much points everything was and I dipped into my extra 35 "weekly points" which I hardly ever do. So I've decided that I'm going to start using some of those from now on and see if that can slow down my weight loss. 


My brain is so messed up... I mean who loses 80 pounds then gets pregnant? It's hard. I've seen a couple interviews from previous contestants on Biggest Loser, who lost a ton of weight then got pregnant within the year. You work SO hard to lose weight then you're ecstatic to be expecting but your brain must now wrap itself around gaining weight back, then trying to lose it again after the baby comes, plus any extra you need to make it to your goal weight. 


You're probably also saying to yourself, why are you trying to lose weight now then? Why not wait until after you wean the baby from the breast? Good question. Here's why: I need to feel good in my own skin. I was done wearing maternity clothes when I was carrying around a 4 month old. Now, she's almost 6 months and I'm wearing clothes I haven't worn in YEARS. I had a taste of feeling fit and thin last year and it was very short lived. Now, I'm getting that taste again and then some, and it feels right. And I'm happy.


I truly feel like an idiot for posting this blog and complaining about it all, I just hope you understand where I'm coming from. Any advice is greatly appreciated too...

Does the number really matter?

The other day I announced to my husband that when I finally reach my goal weight I am going to post real. live. numbers. As in my actual starting weight and my actual ending weight. Do any of my readers really care about the exact numbers? Probably not. But it will be a huge monumental step for me to do so. 


You see, since starting this blog, almost 2 years ago, I've never been specific with my actual weight. By checking out my pics to the side, it's easy to see that the actual number is not pretty. I've skirted around and hinted and even posted a jean size here and there and if you really really wanted to dig around in the archives you could probably get a general idea. But since nobody probably cares I can't see that happening. :)


Posting my actual numbers will be solely for me. You're never suppose to ask a woman her age or weight. It's a deeply guarded secret. Up until a year and a half ago my own husband never even knew my weight. THAT was hard, telling him, but on the other hand it held me accountable and actually saying it out-loud was a huge wake up call. Now, having lost over 70 pounds there are few people that know where I started and the number is tossed around all the time. It's getting easier and easier to say out-loud as I get closer to my goal.


So, I have about 30 more pounds to go before I reach my ultimate goal weight. If you're still around then, I promise, I will post my starting weight and ending weight. I need however many months it's going to take me to build up the courage to do so though. And I needed to post this blog today so I can put it out there to the blogoverse. No turning back now.

Monday Menu Plan

This week is already under way and I've already prepared and eaten Monday nights dinner... it was delish!


Monday: Turkey Burgers made w/ zucchini garnished with lettuce, tomato, red onion on a Sandwich Thin bun, and tator tots


Tuesday: dinner out with husband and baby, I have a dentist appt at 6 so we're going to eat out afterward.


Wednesday: Chicken salad


Thursday: Grilled chicken, squash, red potatoes, salad


Friday: Turkey Meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn, salad (Evan's night to cook, he chose this meal too)


Like, I said, I made the turkey burgers made with zucchini already and they were moist and delicious. I grated the zucchini, garlic, and a bit of red onion into the mixture and I really think that is why they turned out so moist. The recipe says it makes 5 patties, but I actually came out with 6, so now we have 4 more left for lunches this week, yum!

Healthy Baked Apples (tastes like apple crisp!)

In last weeks Bountiful Baskets loot we got a big bunch of green apples. Now, neither me or my husband is a huge fan of green apples, as we prefer fuji, gala, pink ladies, etc. the red/yellow kinds. What to do with 6 green apples that nobody is going to eat? Gina's Skinny Recipes: Baked Apples


They were really delicious and just exactly like apple crisp, which I happen to LOVE apple crisp! I warmed one up for breakfast this morning, even though it's supposed to be a "dessert".




Delightfully Baked Apples
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/2 apple with topping • Points: 3 pts
Calories: 152.8 • Fat: 6.3 g • Protein: 1.1 g • Carb: 26.4 g • Fiber: 3.4 g  

• 2 large apples, cut in half
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp quick oats
• pinch of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º. Cut apples in half and remove core and seeds with a small pairing knife or spoon.

In a small bowl combine butter, brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Spoon on top of the apple halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with fat free whipped cream or low fat ice cream.

Before baking:

After baking:

Friday Night Dinner

Tonight, 3 out of the 4 things we had for dinner were from Bountiful Baskets. I had to change up the menu a little bit because a. I decided against sweet potato soup b. Our dinner party is Saturday night when I thought it was Friday night c. I got home late from running errands on Thursday and didn't have dinner close to started when my husband got home d. Small Arby's roast beef sandwhich sounded much more appealing on Thursday night.

SOOO, our Friday night meal became: petite filet mignon,  WW Roasted Sweet Potatoes, steamed green beans, and salad.

The sweet potatoes turned out amazing! My husband even had 2 helpings! If you know my husband in real life then  you know why I'm bragging about this. The green beans turned out good too, and man it brought back memories of my childhood by snapping the ends off of them beforehand. The steak was cooked perfectly on the grill, from the grillmaster himself.

Excellent and healthy meal! Thanks Bountiful Baskets!

11/05/10 Weigh In

Since I only lost .2 pounds last week, I knew this week had to be at least a little more. I wasn't looking for a 5 but at least my normal 2 was to be expected. I was very happy to see an even -3 on today's scale, woohoo! That makes my total so far -18.2, I'm SO close to my 10% goal and I'm excited for my silver Weight Watchers keyring! :)


I only walked once this week, but I was really diligent with not only tracking points but also eating healthy. I've mentioned it before but getting Bountiful Baskets every other week now is really beneficial for getting in essential fruits and veggies. I'm also enjoying cooking dinner every night and experimenting with new recipes and some old favorites cooked a little healthier. 


I am also planning on going to the gym more to start toning again. Last years jeans may fit but when I see pictures of myself, my arms aren't quite as toned and neither are my thighs. So that's next on the agenda!

Monday Menu Plan

This weeks menu might be weaker than last weeks menu (if that's possible) but Sunday kind of got away from me and with Halloween being last night I didn't make it to the store until after the munchkin was in bed.


I got a lot of great food from Bountiful Baskets this week and I already made a delicious fruit salad with my left over plums and pomegranate seeds from the last pick-up. This week we got: green beans, romaine lettuce, sweet potatoes, English cucumbers, yellow squash, tomatoes, red grapes, blackberries, bananas, pears, Granny Smith apples, and 1 pineapple. So, now I have to make sure we eat everything over the next couple of weeks.


Monday: Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Turkey Meatballs, Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread


Tuesday: Roast, Carrots, Potatoes in the crockpot, Salad (I have a recipe that my mom gave me that I've used every time I make this Pot Roast but I found this that is very similar so I will know how many points it is)


Wednesday: Leftover Pot Roast, Salad (we won't finish it this day, so we will have to work it into lunches too)


Thursday: Sweet Potato Soup (I got a big bunch of sweet potatoes in my Bountiful Baskets this past week)


Friday: attending a dinner party at a friends house


Saturday: Steak, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Salad, Green Beans (also, got a big bushel of green beans from Bountiful Baskets this past week)

10/29/10 Weigh In

I'm going to try really hard to not use the word "only" in today's blog post. The word "only" can sometimes imply something negative and this past week was anything but negative. At my weigh in at Weight Watchers I lost .2 pounds (you can use your imagination to determine where the word "only" would have gone). I am more than fine with .2 pounds though because it's a loss and I was convinced that I'd gained! I didn't have a bad week just made a couple bad choices and while I never once went completely off the deep end, I did let my guard down a tiny bit. It just goes to show you that what you eat and how much is all that matters at the end of the week.


Like I said though, this past week was anything BUT negative!!!


I have about 6 pairs of last years jeans, that are size 14. When I started WW I gave myself a goal to be in these jeans by Thanksgiving, and frankly they are the only jeans that I own that aren't maternity so they are all I have to wear this whole winter (I donated all my old jeans that were too big, last year). So, my goal was to be able to squeeze into them by Thanksgiving...


I have been terrified to try them on. You know the feeling folks... you slip one leg in, then the other, only to realize there is no way they are going to budge one inch further and you still have your butt and hips to cover? Well, like I said I was terrified. I know that I have lost 15 pounds since WW but if my calculations are correct I still have about 10 more to go to reach what I was last winter. 


I told myself to just try them on already and was looking forward to the harsh realization that they didn't fit so I can use that as a motivator to keep on truckin.


So, I slipped one leg in... then the other, then slid them up past my butt and around my hips! They fit perfectly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I being the eternal optimist (ha!) decided that this pair was just made different and any of the others won't fit too. Well, low and behold they all fit! 


If slipping on the only size jeans that you own 5 months post baby isn't a motivator then I don't know what is. I've been wearing these jeans everyday, and I smile every. single. time. I put them on. The even more awesome part?? They are even a little loose! My husband said that at this rate I'll probably be in 12's or even 10's by the end of winter. 


Anybody want to donate some hand me downs to me?? :)