just live it!

I want to encourage you to "just live it". You children are only this little once. Man, I am starting to sound like my grandma here! All I know is that I looked at my baby boy laying snugged next to me tonight and his body was soooooo big! It hit me hard! He turned 7 a few weeks ago!

Life is hard to manage at any age. The problems you have now with lack of sleep and budgeting for diapers just change to busy nights at soccer practice and playing tag team with your husband for alone time.

Love the place you are in!!! Love those little ones!!!

Healthy Pizza!! YUM

My kids (and me!) LOVE pizza, but I never thought pizza could still be good even healthy. Oh, but it CAN! Here is what I do.

I make homemade crust (always) but now I use whole wheat crust. I then get a low sodium pizza sauce and put it lightly on my crust. The ingredients I use are simple. You can use whatever you want, but I use different kinds of veggies, peppers, all kinds (red/yellow/green), mushrooms, onions, sometimes a small amount of ground turkey. Here is where I change it up. I sometimes don't put any cheese on it (unless light Parmesan after it's baked) and slice tomatoes thinly and make that my cheese. I layer that on top of everything and baking it. The tomatoes actually will bind it like cheese as well. It's very good and light!

You can make any meal healthy. I have others too. Like make a portabello mushroom your bun when you have turkey burgers. Takes the carbs out!

Enjoy!!!

Recipe Sharing

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sausage-and-Vegetable-Skillet/Detail.aspx

OK, here is the recipe I started with. To make it healthier, I delete the vegetable oil and add a bag of frozen, organic tri-color bell peppers and a box of button mushrooms, quartered. We prefer zucchini, so I use three whole zucchini, instead of the squash but both might be good too. I also add some cumin, Tabasco, oregano and whatever else tastes good. You could (and we should) also use Italian turkey sausage, but we really like the chili cheese bratwurst from Parker Farms and have had them in the freezer, so I have used those. This makes enough for two adults for two dinners and another lunch. You could also throw in a bunch of cabbage. My husband eats his over brown rice, which extends it even further. Simple and fast and not so much of a splurge since the amount of bratwurst/sausage is divided up so much.

Black bean and Tomato Quinoa

This was delicious! Per Mendy's request, here is the link to the recipe. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Tomato-Quinoa-238939 It's a little high in calories, so I'd say it's a main dish and not a side. Especially since the black beans and quinoa both have protein so you don't need meat alongside.

Seriously, make this recipe, it's scrumptious.

My "Crutch"

Please bare with me, while being new at this, I thought I would give it a try and contribute to the blog. First, if you don't know me, I'm the "rule follower". If there aren't a set of rules for me follow, then I just do whatever. Hence, where I am today. There is no set of rules to say that we (all of society) needs to be healthy and/or fit. I have never had to worry about my health or being fit at any time in my life before child number two. Since I never worried about it, no need for rules! Little did I know, my body needed a set of rules to follow and I have to be the one to set them. So one of my "crutches" is no rules, no outline, no way of life. I struggle with how people see me, not necessary physically, but as a person. If I have laid down the law how I should be in my life and other people come along and say they have done more and done better, it brings me way down. Not that I'm not happy for them by any means! But because I feel, I haven't pushed myself hard enough. Did I do the workout right? Did I follow the "plan" right? What did I do wrong?? How can I plan better?
For the first time in my life I have found what I needed. Healthy/fit friends that help me through those times. I have to say a huge thank you to the group, for without their words of encouragement, I would be (as my new good friend said) curled up crying in my bed. So thank you friends! Thank you for being healthy and fit with me and reassuring me that there would be days like this. I need that, and I need you! :)

One for the girls

One for the girls


Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my shape to keep.


Please no wrinkles, Please no bags
And please lift my butt before it sags.


Please no age spots, Please no gray
And as for my belly, Please take it
away.



Please keep me healthy, Please
keep me young,


And thank you Dear Lord,

For all that you've done.

What is you crutch?

I love to run, but I don't want it to define me. I get injured lots, but I don't want it to define me. I often use children as an excuse to not workout on a busy day, but i don't want that to define me. I love to have a snack at night, but fight it almost every night....but I don't want that to define me. Tell me, of all the things that prevent you from living that dreamy healthy lifestyle you really say you want.....what it that one thing that you let hold you back? I could say that I get hurt too much and I can't run, but I keep going! I could say that since I have 3 boys in 3 different sports and running 3 different places that I do not have time for exercise. BUT I DON'T!!! What is it for you? What keeps pulling you back away from you goals? Please share with us....SO THE REST OF US CAN SEE JUST HOW UTTERLY HUMAN WE ARE TOO!