200th Post!

Heeey!!!!! How has everyone's week gone so far? I personally, haven't been up to too much (again), but I've definitely been able to get things accomplished.

Soo, this is  my 200th post, and I thought I'd quote my first post here, just for the heck of it! It's pretty short, but just sort of fun to look back on.

November 18th, 2010

Well, first of all, welcome to the blog.

I'm first and foremost, a Christian. That doesn't mean that I'm perfect, far from it, actually. It also doesn't mean that I always "walk my talk" and live out the gospel. I try to, but there are definitely times when it gets pretty hard.

As you can probably tell, I have a bit of a chocolate problem. Actually, I don't. I have a problem without chocolate. I  also absolutely loooove to cook, so you can bet on seeing some recipes on here!!! I also enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes I can take it to extremes, which is very, very bad. Really. I've even gone days without eating chocolate, or really much of anything. I'm working on that though, and while I still have some "not so good" (read:really, really bad) days, my family is always with me, praying with me, and just helping me in general.

I'm thinking about either becoming a dietitian or a journalist (which are actually nothing alike), but I don't have any major college plans yet.

Sorry about the random topics in this post, I'm just trying to put all the basic information out there!

Anyway, I'm super excited about starting this blog and I hope that I'll actually get followers! =D

Well that was fun!!!! Actually, I haven't changed too much during the past almost-year. At that point though, I didn't have a camera at all, so there were even less pictures on the blog than there are today! hahaha That's definitely something that I need to work on, blogwise......I always, always forget to take pictures of things to post them! Is there something that you didn't know about blogging when you first started it?

Well, that's it for today's super random post! See ya'll later! 

Nutella is Good.

Heeey!!!  What's up??

I have one final down and 5 to go! I basically took the easiest one yesterday because I figured that I should get it out of the way so that I wouldn't worry about it while studying for my other, more difficult tests. It was nice to be able to check something off of the list so early in the week, though!!!! Now, all I have to do is take the other 5 finals, and then order 6 challenge exams and take them! Then, I'll officially be done with my sophomore year of high school!!!!!!!

Now, you all know by now that I love me a good circuit style workout, so when I found this one a couple of weeks ago on Jessica's site, I couldn't wait to try it out. Wow!!!! It was pretty stinkin' tough!!!!!! Which means I get to bake some of her recipes and its ok if I eat an entire batch!!! :D Seriously though, if you're looking for a good strength/cardio combo workout, check this one out!!!

So, by now you're probably wondering about the title of this post, especially since I haven't even mentioned Nutella yet. While we were in the States, a couple of our friends lived in our apartment, and apparently  one of them bought some Nutella. I have absolutely no idea why it took me so long to try it out, given my love of both chocolate and nut butters, but last night I finally did and LOVED it!!! Now I know there are probably a TON of chemicals and sugar in this stuff, but it was AMAZING!!!! Don't worry Dark Chocolate Dreams  or even just plain ol' peanut butter, I haven't forgotten you and your place in my heart has not been taken. I'm sure there is room enough for everyone!!! hahaha

new love. :D

What is your favorite "flavored" nut butter????? Don't make me choose between nutella or dark chocolate dreams, because I can't!!!! I'd also love to try Mighty Maple someday soon!!!!! :D

Well, I had better get to studyin'......

See ya'll later!

What I Learned Yesterday

Hey!!!! Hope ya'll are all having a good week!!!!!!

Guess what? Our coffee pot reservoir sprung a leak, so we can't exactly make coffee the traditional way. Well, coffee pots are expensive here, so this is what we're doing:

Step 1. Boil water



Step 2. Pour boiling water into filter w/coffee:



And there ya have it! What to do when your coffee machine is broken but you still want some coffee!! :D

Yesterday, I went to my first ever spin class and LOVED it!!!! Made me think of this blogger and this one, too! I will say this though, it was TOUGH! hahaha I'll definitely be taking more spin classes in the future.

Yesterday was also a day of lessons (some goofy, some not-so-goofy), so I thought that I'd share some of them with you(mostly goofy hahaha, you know me!! :D).

Lesson #1

Ignore the creepy old man at the gym who tells you to lift more weight. You're already lifting twice the amount that he is, and plus, he's like 70 years old.

Lesson #2

Don't be afraid to try out new recipes. Sometimes, you'll have flops, but others will turn out really well (homemade pasta and cashew butter!)!!!!

Lesson #3

Push yourself, but don't overdo it. Most likely you will have the opportunity to redo whatever it is, and you don't want to burn out completely.

Lesson #4

Eat chocolate. It helps with virtually anything. I promise. :D

So, there ya go! I hope I haven't scared anyone away.....hahahaha! I am who I am, I suppose, and apparently I like to make random lists!

I really can't believe that its already Thursday!!! After Friday, I'll only have one more week of school until I'm DONE! This entire year is just flying by!!!

I guess I had better get goin'......I do actually have school to do! :P

See ya later!

Girl Night!!!!

My sister and I are havin' a girl's night at home!!!! Whooo! We rented a girly movie (When in Rome) and I'm making popcorn!! Sooo excited! It makes it that much harder to sit through my classwork all day long, though....=P I do happen to have 4 tests this week, so I should probably start studying soon.

So today I did the FitSugar circuit workout that kicked my butt last week! Guess what? It kicked my butt again. =D In a good way though. I hate strength training so circuits work really work for me and my ADD, strength training hating self.

The other day, my family was talking about all the random times that I've fallen down and busted something (yes, its happened enough to fuel an entire conversation). I have matching knee scars. One is from when I fell in some wet cement at a construction site, right when all the construction workers were leaving, so there were at least 20 of them standing right there. The other is from when I tripped and fell on the sidewalk while walking with my dad. I also have jammed a pencil through a pair of jeans into my knee and have a tiny lead spot there. Oh and I ran into a pay phone. Not fun. Anyway, all of these accidents come from me not paying attention to my surroundings....and I have some pretty cool/funny stories to tell now! There was a time when I probably would have gotten super-embarrassed if anyone mentioned my numerous falls, but as a part of "letting go" and being comfortable with who I am, klutziness and all, I can laugh at them now. =D

What something that you've learned to laugh at about yourself or about something that's happened to you?

Oh I sort of fixed my protein powder problem. I made banana soft serve and mixed in the powder so that I wouldn't be drinking it and it wouldn't taste as grainy. Strawberry Banana Soft Serve is pretty tasty, if you ask me! =D

Well, sorry for what has got to be the most random post ever.....just a little info about me! =P

See ya tomorrow!

I'm a Crazy Person

At least that seems to be the general opinion of me. =P

Here's an example:

Our fridge was fixed yesterday, and last night, the power went out. The only thing running through my mind was: "Oh crap. We just got everything back in the fridge and now the power's out! How am I going to make smoothies?".So I proceeded to jump out of bed (I sleep on the top bunk in my sister's room because she has an air conditioning unit and my room does not) go out in the hallway and stand there because I realize that there's nothing I can do about it. The power did come back on eventually though, and my smoothie bananas are frozen! =P

This morning has been full of this:

[caption id="attachment_294" align="alignnone" width="455" caption="Algebra!"][/caption]

Because I didn't understand my crappy algebra book, and needed my dad's assistance, I started on my Algebra at 8 AM. Which is early for homeschool. Now I'm supposedly writing a US History essay (I really am, just took a quick break! =P). And to top it all off, guess who's asleep about 2 feet away from me? Him:

[caption id="attachment_295" align="alignnone" width="455" caption="He's got a hard life. "][/caption]

Its been a hard day's work for this critter. He woke up, had an extra-large Friday breakfast,bit me, and went to sleep. He's exhausted. =P

Oh and another reason I'm crazy? I can't wait to finish school so that I can get into the kitchen and bake something!!! =D

Honestly, though, I'd much rather be me and slightly crazy than be a normal person.I have lots of fun!!! =D

How's your friday going?

What's a characteristic that makes you different (in a good way, of course =D)?

Well, I love to bake. I'm pretty sure my whole family appreciates that one! =P

Also, I love to wake up early and get stuff done, which helps me not feel overwhelmed.

TGIF!!!!

I Improvised

This morning, I decided to do the second circuit workout. I've done it before, but I was working out in my parents'  room and had access to a stool to do the step-ups. Today, I chose to do it in my room and had no such thing. So what did I do? I improvised. Here's what I came up with:



Yup! Its a bunch of my books stacked on top of each other! I actually probably got a bit of a core workout, since I was trying to balance myself on my "step"! =P I did get a pretty great workout in, though!!!!

Here's a cool tradition of ours. Every year that I've been in school, my mom has saved a yearbook picture, and we have this frame with a slot for each year.



So now I have all of my school pictures together!!! Isn't it neat? My sister has one, too!!!!

Well, hopefully someone will be coming to actually fix the fridge this afternoon. The repairman came yesterday to figure out the problem but couldn't actually fix it because he needed to go back to the office, figure out the cost, and we had to approve it yesterday. My mom wasn't here when they called with the price, but I was instructed to approve WHATEVER they asked of us! =P

I'm hoping that the repairman comes early so that I can bake later on! We've been having the same thing for breakfast the past couple of days and I really want to get in the kitchen. With my mom's approval, of course. =P Not complaining about the breakfasts....we have fresh, homemade bread every day from our local bread store. It is sooooo good!!!!! Sort of looks like a mini french loaf, but tastes sweeter.And its not like I don't get in breakfast ruts anyway. Oats and grits! =D

What's your favorite thing to have for breakfast?

We're going to church tonight and I'm already thinking about what to wear. Only doing this because I usually wear gym clothes.....sometimes I'll even sleep in them so that I can get up and get my day started! =P I'm actually going to have to wear jeans! hahahahahahaha

Do you have a go-to outfit?

Well, I do have some school to do, so I guess this is it for today! =D

Sunday Relaxation

I had a wonderful day yesterday! We hung out at home for a little while, and in the afternoon, headed over to a park that's close by and then to an acai place. Ya'll might have seen Acai in the States in bottled juice form, but here, we have it fresh and there are snack places that will take the acai pulp, freeze it, and blend it up so that its slushy. They then serve it with sliced banana and granola. Usually we order some strawberries or condensed milk as well. The acai is almost chocolatey and super-filling! I don't have a picture from this visit, but will try to take one next time!

I actually wasn't feeling up to a 500 mL bowl of acai (which is the smallest size, I believe!) so I ordered something that wasn't on their menu 6 months ago: fresh fruit salad with pineapple, kiwi, guava, strawberries, banana and mango. I had mine plain, but you can get yogurt, condensed milk, honey or ice cream on the side. I was expecting a small sized bowl of the salad, but ended up with a fruit salad in a bowl as big as my face! Once again, it was tasty, but I didn't get a pic! =( Oh well. Just another excuse to go get some more!

After our afternoon out, we came back home and watched some movies. One was pretty entertaining and one we didn't like at all! The entertaining one was RED. It was about a retired CIA agent who is attacked by assassins and decides to get his old team together. Nothing life-changing, but still pretty good! The one we didn't like was The Box, which was about an average family who receives a box and is told that if they push a button on the box, someone will die and they will receive a million dollars. We figured it would be unbelievable, but it was even crazier than we expected! =P

Our biggest task today is to finish up the food in our fridge. Here's what the inside looks like:



We've got leftover Chinese (veggie stir fry w/ cabbage, onion, carrot, lentils, and bell pepper in a little bit of soy sauce and chicken stir fry with peanuts), rice, pasta, loads of condiments(seriously, 3 yellow mustards? who needs that much =P), juices, oatmeal (which was my breakfast the other day), peach iced tea, caramel, cookies, and of course, aloe vera sun burn gunk (the green stuff).

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

Procrastinating

Let's face it. We've all had days where we just felt like lying around and avoiding responsibility. I'm actually having one of those moments right now. Not that the title of this post gave that away or anything... =P

Before I get going, I would like to say that if you're looking for a great 20 minute workout that works your ENTIRE body, try this one out:

FitSugar Circuit 2:

http://www.fitsugar.com/FitSugar-Circuit-Workout-2440899

Obviously, you can modify any of the exercises. For example, I like to do the squat jumps with a light dumbbell in each hand.  Or, instead of doing the one minute rest between each circuit, you could do some light cardio for one minute. Anyway, its a great workout, especially for rainy days!

Back to the procrastination. I have to finish watching Julius Caesar today. I don't really like it that much seeing as the version that I have to watch is older than I am. Actually its older than my age plus my sister's age. Then I have Algebra. So I'm doing the logical thing and taking a break from it all to blog. Mom, if you're reading this, I promise to do ALL of my schoolwork....really!!!! =D

So last night I ate the most AMAZING peppercorn burger....and now its not agreeing with me. But it was worth it. Is there such a thing as an allergic reaction to beef? Or is it just that I'm not used to eating fattier meat? Because I really enjoy a good burger. But I avoid them because I feel like crap the next day. Also, anyone have a good veggie burger recipe? I want to make some and freeze them! =D

Oh and remember that caramel that I screwed up? Well apparently everyone likes it, as that first batch is practically gone and I was asked to make a second batch yesterday. The HC family likes caramel gunk, I suppose. Easier to dip stuff into gunk than to melt caramel candies. Like for dessert, we've been getting those chocolate sandwich cookies with the chocolate filling and topping them with caramel. And my dad keeps saying that it would be good on ice cream, so we'll probably get some of that soon. =P

Well, I think that I should probably actually do my schoolwork....

See ya'll tomorrow! =D

 

Green Monster!

First of all, I want to thank ya'll for your awesome support! It really means a whole lot to me!!!! =D Ya'll are awesome!

I just drank my first-ever green monster smoothie!!!! If you've never had one, Angela from OhSheGlows started them! Basically, its just a regular smoothie with greens (usually spinach or kale) added in. Here's what went into mine:

1/3 cup kale (I wanted to just put a little bit of kale in because it was my first!)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 banana (frozen!)

Instant coffee

Sugar (usually I use honey, but sugar is faster and I was THIRSTY!)

I threw all of this in the blender and a little while later, had a delicious, creamy smoothie!!!!

[caption id="attachment_255" align="alignnone" width="455" caption="Not too green....=P"][/caption]

Its not very green at all in the picture, but I promise that in real life it was!! And it tasted sooo good! You couldn't really taste the kale at all....just the coffee and the banana!

The best part was that this hit the spot after a super-sweaty circuit bootcamp workout! I used one of the FitSugar ones located on my workout page, and I was one sweaty monster afterwards!!!! =P Which is a good thing!

So now, I'm sitting here doing school/blog! Mostly school so far, but I'm being lazy and trying to put off Algebra II and US History. I actually like Algebra, but its tough!! And for some reason I decided to take Algebra II and Chemistry in the same year! Not the smartest decision ever! =P And I plain don't like History......can never remember people's names or important dates....

Now, in honor of Janae, I'm going to do a Three Tangent Tuesday!

1. I read cookbooks at night before I go to sleep. Usually dessert ones.....like my mom's Cheesecake Extraordinaire! I've got issues... =P

 

2. My mom must have an infinite amount of patience, because I take FOREVER to make a decision! Like once, in the second grade, I spent an hour trying to choose between two backpacks and ended up picking a totally different one!!!!

 

3. I have secret food stashes all over. Hidden chocolate bar in the fridge (which no one else will eat because its dark...muahahaha)......candy and saltines in my purse.......random goodies in the pantry.....you get the picture!

So there you have it, three random facts about yours truly!

I really had better get back to school.....

oh and I might just be baking today....still trying to decide what to make!

Happy Tuesday!

 

Caramel Catastrophe

I want to apologize in advance for the lack of pictures in yesterday's and today's posts....I keep forgetting to take them! =D

Anyway, I wanted to take a break from bread-baking. My dad wants to make nut brittle, but we weren't sure if the corn syrup we have here (sort of halfway between light and dark) would work. So I decided that I would find a recipe that specifically called for light corn syrup, use ours, and see if it worked. If it did, I figured that we would also be able to make brittle. So, in my search, I found a caramel recipe. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm not a huge caramel fan....unless its salted, but everyone else in my family enjoys it. So I thought that I'd halve the recipe and try it out. Before I continue with my story, I'll post the recipe, because it does taste pretty good:

Soft n' Chewy Caramels (copied from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar


• 1 cup light corn syrup


• 2 cups half-and-half cream, divided


• 1 cup butter, cubed


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Line a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with foil; butter the foil. Set aside. In a Dutch oven, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in remaining cream. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage), stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla until well mixed, about 5 minutes.


• Pour into prepared pan. Cool. Remove foil from pan; cut candy into 1-in. squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends. Yield: 2 pounds.

Well, I got started, and realized that I could not, for the life of me find my mom's candy thermometer. So I figured that I'd use the cold water test and guesstimate when the candy was done. Have I mentioned that I've never actually made candy before? Because I haven't. And I didn't cook it long enough. So now we have caramel goo....tastes fine, but it cannot be wrapped up in cute little wax paper squares. Its sitting in the fridge, and my sister eats it with a spoon. =D So maybe I'll just stick with non-candy related recipes for a while......

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that today we're going to hang out at home for a while....which is just fine by me!

Hope you all have a wonderful, restful weekend!

Can't make up my mind....

I'm feeling a little indecisive.............baking those bagels the other day made me want to bake even MORE bread-y carb-y goodness, but I cannot decide what to make. I have my great aunt's top-secret delicious dinner roll recipe, but it scares me, so I'm saving it for when I've had a little more bread-making practice. So, here are my options for now:

Lindsay Cotter from Cotter Crunch emailed me these two recipes:

GF english muffins from Clean Eating Chelsey:

http://cleaneatingchelsey.com/2010/12/28/incessant-english-muffins/

And Nutty Biscuits from Cotter Crunch:

http://cottercrunch.blogspot.com/2010/11/defeated-i-think-not.html

Also, yesterday, Erica from Itzy's Kichen informed me that on the Favorites page of her blog, she has more yummy bread recipes, so of course I checked it out, and these jumped out at me:

http://www.itzyskitchen.com/2008/04/brown-bread-and-french-fry-substitute.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oatmeal-Whole-Wheat-Quick-Bread/Detail.aspx

So, as you can see, I have a bit of a dilemma here.....of course, not all of the recipes on my to-bake list have to do with bread....actually, they're mostly entrees or desserts.....I'm just in carb-loaded heaven right now! =D

Which of these looks good to you?Do you have a faaavorite bread recipe?

I desperately need something to cook, because otherwise, I'll be stuck doing this all day:



AAAAAAAAAH!

While my cat does this:



Whatcha' doin? You gonna bake me some cat food or something?

Speaking of my cat....the other day I was eating some Dark Chocolate Dreams and he walked up, so of course I gave him a little bit. Now he runs into the kitchen whenever I open the jar. I've created a monster. But, what else was to be expected from the cat who jumps on the table to eat peanuts and likes chocolate glaze (he licked it out of the pot when no one was looking)? Clearly, he had to like the stuff. =D

So, I guess I had better go finish up my algebra before lunch....ah and before I forget, today's workout was awesome! I did the fitsugar circuit that I think I posted last week and can be found on my Workin' It page, but I made sure that I had correct form, and did a minute of jump ropes/jumping jacks between each circuit. The supermans killed me at the end!!!!! I followed it up with some light cardio, because all I want to do now is exercise to maintain my fitness level and because I love it....definitely not to lose weight!

Gotta run!

Happy Thursday! =D




 

 

 

Randomness

So hopefully we're on our way to warm n' sunny Brazil right about now! =D

Just so that there would be something on the ol' blog today I went ahead and pre-wrote a post for ya'll.

Since not much has happened between now and my last post, I'm going to share a little bit of random info about me. My only hope is that I don't scare anyone away in the process of writing this! =P

So one thing about me that only my closest friends and family know is that I have issues with odd numbers. As in I dislike them greatly. OCD, much? hahahaha Its pretty bad though. I mean, I count steps, ice cubes, split my food in half to ensure evenness and set the TV volume to an even number. The only odd numbers that I even tolerate are 1 and multiples of 5 that end in 5.

Next, I have a slightly more normal fact about myself to share.One of my absolute favorite things to do is to read. I'm constantly looking for new books, and once I find one that I like, I'll probably read it 10 times until I have memorized it and its falling apart.

So, that's about it for now.......

What is something that you like or that you do that is different from most other people????

 

Girls Night Out!

Last night was sooo much fun!!!!!

My mom, sister, and I joined our best friends for a fun night out! We had dinner at Olive Garden(hello, Venetian Apricot Chicken......my fav!). The OG salad is too acidic for moi, so I had the Minestrone as an appetizer! Delish! =D

Then, we went to Target just to goof off! Here is a pic of my friend and me rockin' the fedoras (I'm the white one. She's the cute oriental one! =D):



Its fun to shop at Target late at night! =D

So today, we went to visit with my grandmother for the last time before we head out. My aunt, cousin and her husband came as well. My cousin gave me the sweetest birthday gift! Apparently when my mom turned 16, my aunt gave her a ring. My mom then had that ring made into a necklace and gave it to my cousin for her 16th birthday. Now that I'm 16, my cousin gave me that necklace plus matching earrings!!!! I'm pretty sure that everyone in the room teared up! =D

Because she knew that it would be the last time that we would see her before we leave, my grandmother made a big ol' lunch! Chicken and dumplings, butter beans, rolls and brussels sprouts! Deeeelicious! Seriously, my grandmomma makes the best chicken n' dumplings in the entire world! =D

The only downside to the day has been that I haven't gained any weight in the past couple of weeks. For those of you who are new to this blog, I've been trying to gain back the weight that I lost while struggling with an eating disorder. I really tried to put an effort into enjoying everything that I ate and eating  more of what I wanted to. I guess my body has finally caught up in the nutrient department, which means that I'll just have to work harder to gain the remaining 10 lbs that I have to go.

Hope ya'll have an awesome Saturday!

 

 

 

 

Birthday Workout

Good morning!!!!

Yes, I'm working out on my birthday. Wanna know why? It is Tuesday. I workout on Tuesdays. Creature of habit and all. I probably need to work on the whole flexibility thing.

Well, anyway, in honor of my birthday, I chose some new vids, so here are the links:

Booty Burn: (its Cindy Whitmarsh, and I have loved all of her workouts so far)

http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/body-sculpting/booty-burn-s9799

Sculpt and Burn:

http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/cardio/cardio-sculpt-and-burn-9880

And one of the 10 minute cardio workouts....I haven't decided yet.

So I really have no idea what I'm going to be doing today....except go out to eat........and eat ice cream. I've never been a big fan of birthday cake....I mean, I'll eat it, but I was the one with the giant chocolate chip cookie instead of a cake. Or fondue. Or in today's case, ice cream. And maybe some chocolate something or another...because surprisingly, my ice cream has absolutely NO chocolate in it. But it's Apple Pie ice cream, which sounded good.

ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!

Do you like birthday cake, or do you eat some other sweet on your birthday?

I've already had my party, so today's just going to be relaxed, I think. I might even read the driver's manual at some point (ack!). I have to take that test before January 11th....so I'll probably just end up spending the day in my pjs studying. Fun stuff. I honestly have no idea why anyone even reads this blog, seeing as I'm so incredibly boring. But you do, and as long as someone reads this, I'll be here. =D

Well, I should probably get going.....what with my busy schedule, I just don't know what to do first today! =D

Happy Tuesday!

Birthday Coupon

I had signed up for the "DeliGrams" McAlister's email thing a while back in hopes of getting a coupon at the time. Well, yesterday, I checked my email and there was one from McAlister's. I got $5 off our next meal there!!So guess where we had dinner last night???????? Hello, Chicken Tortilla Soup! =D Oh and because I had signed up for the On The Border email club back when we took my sister there, also hoping to get a coupon then, I also have a free brownie sundae from there!

    So yesterday we visited with my grandmother. She's out of the hospital now and doing better! We had a fun time!

    Today my sister and I are going to our church to work on a video thing that the youth leader is shooting. We're going to be filming separately, and each video will take 30 minutes to an hour. So we'll be at the church from 1 to 3, more or less. I don't know what the videos are about yet, but when I do, I'll let you know.

    I really haven't been able to bake even half as much as I wanted to. And now, there are even more recipes that I have bookmarked! I guess that's the way it works when you don't actually have any money and a lot of your recipes call for special ingredients that your parents have never heard of. Oh well. I'll probably still bake a little bit. =P

 =D

    Oh guess what? I made Erika's Single Lady Sugar Cookie, inspired by Katie's recipe, for my sister!!! Actually, I've made both versions for her! =D Of course, I always come up with the idea to make one right after I've had a snack, but that doesn't mean that a few bites trip and fall into my mouth. Stupid cookie. =D Anyway, I've actually made these in the microwave, and they turned out pretty good. I just combined all of the ingredients and nuked for about a minute. That, my friends, is the lazy version of this cookie, because I didn't feel like turning the oven on. Oh and in the chocolate chip one, I added some melted pb in place of about 1/3 of the oil, and it turned out really tasty!!!!

Well, that's about all I've got for now!

Cookin' and Workin' Out

Morning everyone!! Thanks for all your fun comments about being short! I loved reading them!!!!

So I'm going to do some new workouts this morning, and the 10 minut bootcamp that's on my workout page already.

Here are the links to the new vids:

Cardio Sculpting:

http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/cardio/cardio-sculpting-7197

Cardio Core:

http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/cardio/cardio-core-5621

As ya'll can probably see, my workout is going to be a little more cardio than usual, but I think that both of these videos incorporate strength training, which is good. Especially the Cardio Sculpting one. I read the reviews and apparently I've got a lot of squats and lunges in my near future. I'll tell ya'll how it went tomorrow!

Seeing as today is a workout day, I have an exercise-related question for ya'll: What do you eat before and after a workout?

Personally, I always workout in the mornings, but I don't like working out on an empty stomach. So I'll have a filling but lighter breakfast, like today I had instant grits (butter flavor), orange juice and coffee with 1 scoop of Aria protein powder. Afterwards, I'll have a nice sized snack, usually something with plenty of protein. But I want ya'll's opinions on the matter! =D

I cooked last niiiight (with my mom!)!!! We made turkey burgers, with baked fries, and steam-in-the bag veggies in cheese sauce. Doesn't sound like a whole lot of food, but believe me, it was filling!!! We had never made turkey burgers before, but I had read that they need extra seasoning, so we used pepper, seasoning salt, and diced onions in the patties to add flavor to them. They turned out delicious!!!!!  Later, I also tried my new favorite yogurt (besides greek yogurt!). It was the Archer Farms Honey Almond Yogurt, and it was really tasty. I was surprised that the ingredient list was relatively short as well, and had actual honey listed.

Here's where I bought it! =D

Well, I did take one of the tests that I had yesterday, and will take the other one today and tomorrow, and then I'll be done with school! =D

Have a wonderful Thursday!!!!

I Got Tricked.

Guess what? I've got two more tests, which I found out I was going to take yesterday. Not talking about it any more. =D

So, anyway, I'm still having a pretty great time just vegging around but I can already tell its gonna get old. fast. I need stuff to do!!!!!! =D Hence the baking extravaganza that will begin as soon as my tests are taken and I have the necessary ingredients. Because baking for other people is therapy for me. I also like to cook meals, which I might do tonight!!!! Yipee! Another boredom-buster is reading all of you're awesome blogs! =D

Well, I ended up working out to two of my already posted videos: the tried and true 10-minute jump rope video, and the Exercise tv Total Body Bootcamp. It was a pretty dang awesome workout, if you ask me...especially for a 30 minute one!

Oh good news! I'm halfway to my weight goal! Yipeee!!!! 10 pounds down, 10 to go! Then I'll be at 115, which is a great weight for my height....especially since I'm 5'3 and have a smallish build anyway. Oh, and my sister, who is three years younger than I am is almost as tall as me. People think that we're either twins or that she's older. Being short stinks, if you ask me. At least I'll never have to worry about being taller in heels than my date. =P

Random...sorry.

So, I'm sorry that I'm putting ya'll through all of my random nothingness...this is what really goes on inside my mind. I swear, I'll be listening to a conversation, and someone will say something that will make me think about something else that's completely random, and I'm not even able to contribute to the conversation because my mind is ping-ponging back and forth between different topics.

So basically, I just type out all of the ping-ponging going on, and you poor people end up with a big, long post on nothing, really. =D

Well, guess I had better go study....

happy Wednesday!

How Time Flies

Can you believe that it is mid-December? I know I can't!!!!! We're headed home(South America) in less than 1 month, and it honestly doesn't seem like its been 5 months since we arrived! I've really enjoyed being able to see all of my family and friends in the States, and I will definitely miss them when we leave, but in truth, my whole family is a little homesick!

Well, thanks everyone for wishing me good luck on my exams...I offically finished them yesterday!!! Chemistry and World Lit. So now I don't have anything to do but sit around and read all of your blogs, bake, and just hang out. Which is definitely not a bad thing! =D

I'm about to workout because its Tuesday and that's what I do on Tuesdays and Thursdays (hopefully I'll be able to workout more often in the future!) Probably just do two of the videos that are already on my workout page. I really don't know yet.....if I do anything different, I'll let you know!!!!

I really can't wait till we get home and I can join a gym! There is one within a 3 minute walk from our apartment, and they offer tons of cool classes, which would be nice if I wanted to switch thing up sometimes! Now, I love the videos that I do, but still, being in a class is just different, don't you think????

How do you prefer to workout? In a class or at home, alone?

That's really all I've got for now....but beware, I don't have any school to do, so I might just post again later! =D

Byee

I Found It!!!!!!!

Good morning!!!!!! Hope you are all doing well today! =D

Last night I had every intention of making myself protein pancakes from Peanut Butter Fingers. But this morning, I wanted breakfast and I wanted it now. So I turned to something I only use in dire food emergencies: instant oats. They taste nothing like old-fashioned, but I mixed in enough PB and cinnamon that they were alright! Plus I had my usual coffee protein drink with it. So now, I'm fueled for my workout this morning!!!!

I'm doing two brand-new videos, so here are the links:

10 minute Jump Start Cardio Workout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M38HDCGmhm4

Major Metabolism Booster:

http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/body-sculpting/major-metabolism-booster-0464

Well by now, you are probably asking yourself what the heck did I  find that was so important that I called this post: "I Found It", and then didn't mention finding anything until halfway through the post. So, here it is, I found the PEPPERMINT EXTRACT!!!!! Whoo! Now I can make thin mints, peppermint bark, oooh a peppermint mocha like from starbucks and lots of other Christmas-y things!!!! =D I'm pretty excited about it, if you can tell.

[caption id="attachment_110" align="alignnone" width="259" caption="I'll be making these soon!!!! =D"][/caption]

Now I want to thank everyone who commented yesterday. Your input on both a serious thing (my aunt's idea) and a goofy one (to eat or not to eat the bread bowl) was wonderful!!!!! I think that one of my favorite things about having a blog is getting to know other people out there who have similar interests, i.e. baking, eating, and oh yeah, exercising!

As for my disordered eating, I feel that, for the most part, my relationship with food is better. Its the emotional side of things that caused it in the first place that I really need to work on now!

Well, I don't think that I've got much else to say right now....shocker, huh? Usually, I can go on much longer than this, but only in written stuff. When I have to actually talk, I'm a two-words-at-a-time kind of girl! =D

Oh, I do have some exciting news!!! Very,very soon, Ann Claire from The Flourishing Foodie will be writing a guest post on my blog, and I will write one for hers!!!! Neat, huh?

So, now I think I've really said everything there is for today! Byee

An Inspiring Phone Conversation

Morning, all!!!!! Thanks for all of your comments on my mom's friend!!!! She is in recovery right now, and mom and dad will visit her later on today. I also want to thank ya'll for the tips on where to get the peppermint extract!!!! Depending on how school goes, I'll be out shopping for it today! =D

    So Thursday we're going to Texarkana to meet up with my aunt, and yesterday she called to confirm everything. Well, my parents weren't here, so I ended up being the one to answer the phone. We chatted for a little while, and then she asked me what I was planning on doing in college. I told her that I want to be a dietitian or major in kinesiology and specialize in nutrition and wellness. Anyway, she is really interested in all of that, and told me that if she were my age again, that she would want to major in the same area. She also told me a wonderful idea of hers: to start a fitness/healthy living camp, to get people away from processed foods and teach them how to live a healthful life, with the occasional indulgence, but also to minister to them. So you would be helping someone both physically and spiritually. I thought that it was an awesome idea!!!!!!

Last night, my mom went to spend the night with my grandmother, who is out of the hospital but still having a hard time getting around. So, my dad took my sister and me out to McAlister's for dinner. I've already mentioned the Chicken Tortilla Soup that I love there, right? Well they didn't have it. So, I tried their Country Vegetable Soup, and it was really very tasty!!!! I got it in a bread bowl, too. =D I do actually have a bread bowl-related question:

Is it weird to eat the whole bread bowl? Are you just supposed to eat the cut out center parts?

Of course, I go for the whole dang thing, and probably still will no matter what you're supposed to do. The McAlister's bowls aren't ginormous, so I don't feel stuffed after eating them, but they do keep me full longer than just eating soup does. =D Plus they taste amazing!

Well, I had better be off.....another day full of studying to look forward to!