Menu Monday

You know how menu Monday runs...in no particular order here is what is on the menu this week.

Eggs & English Bangers

Pork loin & Stir Fry

Steaks & Yellow Garlic Beans

Pork Chops & Zucchini

I really love to have red onion & tomatoes with my steak. mmmmm I love the flavors together.

I am going to make a breakfast bake with fresh tomatoes from our garden, jalepenos, onion and spinach.

Retaining Wall

We started working on the retaining wall.  Once the retaining wall is completed then we will finish the rest of the back yard.  We are on our way to completing the project.  It has been sooooo much work!!!!

More to come........

Organizational Pinterest

I am always looking for great ideas on how to be organized.  I love to have things in their place & unique ways to keep things that way.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!! Who decided to try this?  GENIUS!!!

I like this idea for the craft room!  A couple pie tins and candle sticks.

I love this basket of recipe books on the kitchen counter.  How often do you put recipe books in the cupboard & forget about them?

I like this idea to keep cords in their place behind the desk.

6 ideas to organize 6 spaces

Isn't this an adorable idea for mail, school work and other paper items!

Super cute!

Creamy Eggplant Soup

I received 4 eggplants in my vegetable box and I had no idea what I was going to do with them.  I wasn't sure if I really liked eggplant very much.  I decided to do a search on Pinterest to see if I could find any recipes for eggplant.  Here is the link for the recipe from  Deliciously Organic.  I made a few changes to the recipe.  This is also an approved soup for HCG Diet Phase 3.

1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained - I actually used diced tomates

1 tablespoon Stevia - I forgot this part & it still tasted delish

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 small onion, quartered

6 cloves garlic, not peeled - I peeled mine

1 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated - I omitted the cheese on accident. It also made the recipe a lot less calories

basil, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. I put the 9x13 pan on the bottom shelf of the oven.  I poured all the tomatoes on the bottom of a 9x13 pan, layered the eggplant,  onion & garlic over the tomatoes. If you were going to use the sugar you should sprinkle it at this point over everything.I drizzled the olive oil over the eggplant and onions.  Season everything with salt & pepper.  Toast the veggies for 45 minutes. When the veggies have roasted for 45 minutes, take them out of the over & put them in a large stock pot. Pour in the chicken broth and thyme.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes until veggies are super tender. Place all the veggies in a blender along with the milk and puree.  Garnish with parmesan cheese, thyme & basil. 

If you leave out the cheese each 1 cup serving is 75 calories. I love this recipe because you just let it could & you don't have watch it continuously.

Body Image

What a great video!  I think every young person starting at 10 needs to see this video through the end of your life yearly.  Self esteem should not be based on what size you are or if you have a wrinkle.

Guest Blogger Storm from CulinaryStorm!

Hello everyone! My name is Storm and I blog over at culinarystorm

I feel very lucky to be able to guest blog here at "Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant", through a 20sb (www.20somethingbloggers.com) blog swap, and say hello to Becky’s lovely readers.

I wanted to share my summer break experience this year with you all. I live in New Delhi, India where it gets super sweltering in the months between April and August. A common summer escape is the hills, where it is cool and breezy and wonderful.

Last week I made my third trip this summer to Nainital, a small town in the state of Uttarakhand (in Northern India). A beautiful place, with a lake in the centre of the town, Nainital is a popular tourist spot for its stunning natural sights and rather romantic weather.

There are dreamy, misty mountains.

Gloriously blue skies. 

Flowers that instantly improve your mood.

Old churches, steeped in history.

The smell of fresh bread baking.

The beautiful lake, studded with colourful boats.

I spent three whole days doing the following:

Drinking hot, steaming, sweet tea every couple of hours.

Eating delicious baked goodies, fresh from the oven.

Wondering how my appetite expands when I’m in the hills.

Sleeping at odd hours of the day and not feeling guilty.

Staring at the sheer beauty of nature in the rain, clouds, mist, and mountains.

As you can see, I had a rather wonderful time :)

What do you usually do in the summer? I’d love to hear about it!

 

 

 

I am guest blogging today!

Hey I am guest blogging over at Culinary Storm today.  Check it out.  My first guest blog ever!

Shopping Days until Christmas

Do you know how many days you have left to get your shopping done before Christmas?

The Journey Continues

I started my weight loss journey around the first of May 2011.  The goal I set in July was to lose 60 pounds by the end of the year. I thought it was a goal that probably could not be reached, but I was going to do my best to reach my goal! 

On July 3 I started Phase 1 of the HCG diet.  I had hoped to lose 15-20 pounds in 21 days.  July 5 I started Phase 2.  I had prepared myself mentally for a couple weeks that this diet would be hard core. I kept in my mind it is only 21 days of my life, which is a blip in my lifetime.  

I lost 10.9 pounds between May 1 and July 4.  I then lost 21 pounds between July 5-25.  I was ecstatic that I had lost 32 pounds total.  I didn't anticipating to lose anymore weight during Phase 3.  My goal was just to maintain my weight loss and not gain any weight back.  The first couple days of Phase 3 was nerve wracking.  I was scared if I ate too many calories that the pounds would find their way back.  I stuck to what I had learned on Phase 2.  Slowly added additional calories and dairy.  The pounds were staying off.

We then took our vacation to Vegas during Phase 3.  I was determined I would stick to Phase 3 eating plan.  I did it!  I didn't cheat one time.  We walked a million miles while we were in Vegas! Vegas was the start of my exercising again.  I came back from Vegas and have exercised daily except Sundays.  Sundays are my rest days.  The pounds have continued to come off during Phase 3. 

I have finished 2 months of counting calories, 21 days on Phase 2 and 21 days on Phase 3 with a GRAND total weight loss of 38.2 pounds total.  My goal is to lose 35 pounds by the end of the year.

I feel I have a new outlook on what I eat and what my body can handle.  My body does not process sugar or carbs well at all.  I have learned that I have to watch the amount of sugar/carbs I take in for the rest of my life. Water is essential!  I have more energy that I have ever had. The best part is I can go shopping from the racks clothing stores.  I am not forced to only shop in plus size stores. I tried on a pair of pants at Old Navy & they were too big. WHAT?!?! I was skipping out to the rack to get a smaller size!

The journey continues!

Menu Monday

I will be traveling for work this week, so our menu is super short.

1. Chicken Taco Salad - we didn't eat this last week
2. Talipia, organic broccoli
3. Eggplant pizzas - I can't wait to try these!  Everything will be sugar/carb freeeee!!

Love You Mom

The first time I heard this song I cried and now every time I hear it I still cry.  I <3 it because it is about my  mom & me!  Love ya mom!

Fashion Pinterest

TEN things that made me laugh

1.  When I walk down the street in SF I do not make eye contact or smile with homeless people.  I just want to get past them & avoid their GIVE ME SOME MONEY begs.  I was going about my stern business and this homeless guy says...at which point does the smile catch up with you?  I just busted up laughing!  The smile caught up with me!

2. A friend is having her second & last baby.  I mentioned baby #3 and her response was....we are two and through for sure. Hubby will be sitting with me with frozen peas on his balls by the time my 6 week appt rolls around.

3.  I have always been a big pusher of drinking water!  My parents stock up on bottled water when I come to visit because I drink so much.  I was encouraging one of my friends to drink more water because it helps flush out all those calories.  She responded with well it flushing like a public toilet at a beer tent!

4. As I was decorating the dining room for Sammy's Party Art says I can only imagine what our future child birthday party will be like.  I respond back with bounce house, clowns, 100's of balloons and decorations everywhere.  Then I realized how silly this whole birthday party for a dog is...but I kept decorating.


5. While we were at the Bellagio a guy was walking by upset and said the following - it is 10pm and this place is still packed.  I couldn't stop laughing.  Where in the World did he think he was? 


6. Art said while in Vegas - I haven't seen this many camel toes since I was in Iraq


7.  Vegas was selling a pair of underwear that said Farting is my way of saying I love you.  Art & I were sitting on the aisle seats on the plane coming home.  Art leans over & says "someone just said I love you as they walked by".


8. Art gets VERY annoyed with the amount of stuff people bring on the plane as carry on luggage.  Little does he know when he isn't traveling with me I am one of those "annoying" people! 


9. I watched the Marriage Ref on Sunday.  I laughed through the entire show!  The couple with the women who has 460 blouses & tops cracked me up!  The woman said she loved BLING.  Cedric said I wonder if that woman owns a bedazzler & blings up plain clothing.


10. Giving your husband the silence treatment is NOT a punishment.  If you want to punish your husband KEEP TALKING.

Sugar Free Smoothie

I wanted to make a fruit smoothie, but I knew I couldn't make it with any type of juice.  I decided to make an approved HCG smoothie!  It was super tasty and very low cal.  Delish!!!  This is a great way to get in some fruit & veggies!

2 cups spinach

1 peach

4 oz Greek Yogurt

1 cup strawberries

1 cup peach green tea

Mix all together in a blender and pour in a glass.  The recipe above serves 2 and is 86 calories per serving.

Wordless Wednesday

Attack of Big Foot!

Mr. Samster likes to attack our feet.  Earlier in the night I was working out & he thought it was play time!  He came charging after my feet as I am trying to do a DVD.  He was growling & chasing after my feet.  Finally Art came to get him, so I could finish.  Then I went to relax on the recliner.  I tried to get him to come lay on my lap...no such luck!  He wanted to attack my feet again.  Sorry for the poor lighting.....we had to work with a cell phone.  

Blue Blue & More Blue!!!!

Blue M&M's are my VERY favorite!!!!  I will share M&M's EXCEPT the blue ones.  If someone takes some of my M&M's I take the blue ones back. Art tries to tell me the blue ones taste just like the other colors...Ummmm pleaseeeee blue taste the best!!!

My plan while at the M&M store was to buy a few of just the blue ones to take back for a couple weeks down the road.  Well I bought a baggie full & they are safely stored away until August 20.  I will then enjoy my bag of blue M&M's. Art keeps teasing me that he is going to eat them.  Someone could die if they eat my blue M&M's!

The M&M store in Vegas has FOUR levels! I am happy to say we went through every one & on the top floor guess who was there???  Mr. Blue M&M himself.  I saw Mr. Blue M&M come out of the back room & ran over to him.  I acted like a 2 yr old & pushed a child out of the way to get a picture. LOL  Seriously all these little rug rats were pushing & shoving to get a picture.  Listen here BRATS I was here first now get to the side!  One day I will be pissed when someone does that to my kid and would probably yell at the adult. lol