A Belated TOOT TOOT Tuesday w/ SUMMER YUMMIES for your TUMMY!

WELCOME...to  "TOOT TOOT TUESDAY" created by me, Me So Hongry! I developed TOOT TOOT TUESDAY as a means for others to toot their own horn! So, take this opportunity to boast your most recent weight loss triumphs. Or help others by leaving nuggets of wisdom that work for you! Today I want to TOOT about my yummy summer eats and treats!

Just call me the GRILL MASTER!

Last week I grilled leg quarters, corn, peaches, and chicken breast:

I used my succulent chicken to create these colorful but yet tasty tacos: 2 corn tortillas (1 pt), 3 oz chicken breast (3 pts), 1 oz of avocado (1 pt), grilled corn (1.5 pts), tomatoes & bell pepper (0 pts)...a very satisfying and appetizing meal for 6.5 pts!!!

This week I grilled some Hebrew National hot dogs for the boys, Tony Chachere Chicken Sausage (2 oz...2 pts), zucchini, onions, and Southwestern turkey burgers from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook.

 

Southwestern Turkey Burgers
1 lb Ground Turkey Breast
1 can green chilies
salt
pepper

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and then mold the patties.  Make sure you minimize your meat handling. You want to leave air pockets in the meat so your patties retain their juiciness!

I decided  to forgo the pepper jack cheese for avocado. The Cook Yourself Thin ladies suggest using avocado if your like to cover your food in sauces.

*Extra added bonus tip. Cut Calories and WW points by serving your burger on Arnold Bread Sandwich thins! Only 1 PT....1 POINT!

Sweet Potato Baked Fries (1 serving) from Cook Yourself Thin

4 oz Sweet Potatoes

1/2 TBSP Olive Oil

Chili Powder

Garlic Powder

Cut your sweet potatoes into strips. Next, I brushed my sweet potatoes with olive oil and then sprinkled them with garlic and chili powder. I only used 1/2 of a potato so I baked my fries for about 20 minutes. I made fries for one, so you will need to adjust the amount of ingredients used and baking time.

And last but not least...dessert! HEB finally started carrying VitaTops. The tweeple on Twitter constantly rave about the VitaTops, so I decided to give them a try. By themselves, the VitaTops let me down, but after I hooked them up...BOOYAH...chocolatey deliciousness!

VitaTop (1pt), cool whip (1pt), walnuts (2 pts). I received many ideas at my WW meeting on how to hook up future VitaTops.

Can you do me favor? Spread the word about "TOOT TOOT TUESDAY" via twitter using the the hashtag #toottoottuesday

Okay, so TOOT TOOT TUESDAY works like this:

1. Leave a comment tooting your own horn or share some weight loss or exercise tips that may benefit other blog readers.
   
   
2. Link up below so others can follow your thumbnail to your fabulous blog!
   
   
3. Return to your blog and spread the word about toot toot Tuesday by writing a post and linking it back to my blog. Be sure to grab the code below to let you readers know you toot! If you prefer, you can also copy&paste the image below instead of grabbing the code.
 

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Okay link-up time:

Thanks for participating and GET YA TOOT ON! I know...I know...it's Wednesday...toot away!

Things I learned from a one-legged stripper. . .

In a previous post I revealed to the world several of my guilty pleasures. Today I decided to share the guiltiest of them all...I religiously watch Maury. Nothing pleases me more than yelling, "YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER!" from the comfy confines of my couch. I know, I should be doing something more constructive with my time.

One day while watching I caught a glimpse of a preview for an upcoming EXTREME NERD MAKEOVER show! The show planned to feature a one-legged stripper, Amber, wanting to surprise a former crush. Needless to say, I tuned in the next day! Surprisingly I learned a lesson or two...

#1 Follow Your Dreams/Weight loss Goals

Despite a disability, Amber never let one leg get in the way of her dream to become an exotic dancer (DON'T JUDGE...lol). This chic jumped on the pole and rocked it, one leg and all. I am blessed with two legs and complain about working out...ALL THE TIME. I need to shut my pie hole, stop complaining and handle my business in order to reach my health & wellness goals. Like Amber, I need to  jump on the stripper pole of life and ride (what a colorful metaphor)!

#2 Love Your Body 

Amber obviously loves her body as evident by her profession of choice. As I continue to lose weight, I notice some body parts require more attention than others (e.g. arms, stomach, thighs, etc). Instead of focusing on my wings (arms), extra stomach, and turkey drumstick legs, I now prefer to focus on the positives like my sexy collarbone and coke bottle figure with my new-found waist.

(planning on shortening this dress...soon)

#3 Stop Complaining

I posses two legs, two arms, a somewhat semi-normal functioning brain, two eyes to see, two ears to hear...

I basically arrived in this world with all working standard factory functions. So with that being said written, I need to STOP the complaining & "USE WHAT I GOT TO GET WHAT I WANT" (prolific quote from the movie Player's Club). What I want...what I believe most of my blog readers want IS lifelong health & wellness. So my advice to you...USE WHAT YOU GOT & jump on the stripper pole of life and ride!

HALLELUYER! SUMMER STAYCATION FINALLY ARRIVED!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, my second year as a Special Education teacher finally came to a close...and not soon enough.

 I enjoy my job, coworkers, and the school, but I needed a break! I knew I needed a break when...

• I knew I needed a break when...I  descended down the stairs one morning dressed for work and my kids asked, " Are you going to work today?" I took that as ...DANG, you look like crap today Mom. As the end of the year neared my clothes got bigger and bigger. So, most of the time I went to work wearing my baggy old big girl clothes.

• I knew I needed a break when...most of my morning ritual, such as eating breakfast and moisturizing my face started to occur in the car (not while driving of course). One morning I moisturized my face before rolling through the toll...business as usual. When I reached the next red light I pulled the visor down to shield my eyes from the sun. I happened to glance at my reflection in the mirror and noticed a huge glob of lotion on my face. The toll lady said nothing!

• I knew I needed a break when...it took 3 alarms to wake me up in the morning: my alarm clock, my cell phone, and an iTouch alarm clock app. Every time each  alarm sounded I hit the snooze button. For next year I might purchase Clocky, an alarm clock my Mom told me about. Check out Clocky...for the morning impaired!

So now that staycation arrived...now what? What's the plan Stan? *blank stare...crickets chirping*  After much consideration, I plan to use the summer as a jumping off point for getting back and staying on track. So first things first I think I need to make some summer goals:

Food

• Cook 80% of my meals and try at least 3 new recipes each week. I found several new recipes I want to try in one of my favorite cookbooks.

 You can find some of the recipes in the book online. One of my favorites...Stuffed French Toast Sundaes. Next time I make these I might use yogurt instead of ricotta cheese. Want the recipe...click here.

• Another summer food goal, incorporate a fruit and veggie with every meal.

Exercise

• I want to exercise everyday, but realistically 30 minutes of something daily will suffice.
• Continue to train for my next 5K by running @ least 3 days a week.
• Weight train @ least 2 days weekly

Okay, I just spent the last 30 minutes fighting & yelling at the AT&T troubleshooting computer. I loathe talking to computers. Can I speak to a real person please? For whatever reason my Internet keeps malfunctioning, AND I lost part of this post. So with that being said...well written, I am wrapping up this bad boy. Okay, so back to the post...

I decided to set only a few goals; whereas, too many goals overwhelm me. BUT, first things first I need  must plan a weekly menu to serve as my guide. I find in life, I need guidance or disaster follows. After menu planning...grocery shopping. I found some great deals in the sales paper this week: cherries $1.88, strawberries $1.38,  and peaches $.87. Once again, why is there no cents key on the keyboard? 

Anyway, HELLO SUMMA STAYCATION...I am so  looking forward to spending more time cooking and in the gym...not really.

What is your favorite summer recipe?

Memorable Memorial Munchies

Okay, Monday I logged on to Blogger with the intentions of publishing this post and catching up on reading blogs, and to my chagrin...NO BLOGGER due to some system malfunction. So without further adieu, I present my Memorial Day post...yes Memorial Day. I need to catch up on blogging. 

I started my Memorial Day weekend festivities with a trip to my weekly weigh in and Weight Watchers meeting. You caught me...I confess. I missed two consecutive weigh ins and meetings due to a lack of motivation. Yes, I continue to struggle on my journey, but I refuse to give up!

I refuse to set another foot in Layne Bryant. Speaking of Layne, a couple of months ago I received a Layne Bryant catalog in the mail. I grabbed the catalog and slam dunked that bad boy into the trash can! Oops, I digressed a bit when I thought about Layne Bryant. I refuse to trade in my new "runner" status for my old sedentary lifestyle. So...onward despite the "bumps" in this proverbial road we call life.

O, my weigh in results...1.4 lbs removed. The digital devil decided to grant me mercy despite my wicked ways. I decided to take the 1.4 and run. I plan to use the momentum from my  last weigh in to propel myself back on track.

After my weigh the Duke Boys and I got gussied up and rolled on over to MiMi's for some Memorial Day eats and treats. Since I weigh in on Saturdays at 12:00 PM, I eat super duper light. By the time we arrived at Mimi's, the word hongry failed to describe the rumbling in my tummy.

I started with some fruit from the melon bowl.

Next, I set my meal off with one of Mimi's Mouthwatering Sensational Salads topped with blackberries:

Mimi christened her new grill by creating the most delectable delights.  For the main course I devoured a  plate of  asparagus, pineapple, chicken, zucchini, etc:

To round out my fabulous meal I served myself a slice of waistline friendly Sassy Strawberry Pie:

Crust

Low-fat Cookie Crust found in the baking section of the grocery store.

Filling

1 C Cool Whip

1 Box of FF Cream Cheese Pudding

Top with fresh strawberries and BAM...Sassy Strawberry Pie!

For future reference, should you receive an invite to my Mom's for dinner be prepared to take home leftovers.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, so I went to the $ Store and purchased these TO-GO containers the day before.

My TO-GO eats and treats:

The following week, my TO-GO goodies helped me stay on track. With a busy end-of-the-school-year looming, not much time remained for cooking, so I used my Memorial munchies to create the following meals:

grilled chicken (3 pts) + Mimi's sensational salad (0 pts) = SATISFACTION

2 oz Tony Chachere's Chicken Sausage (2pts), hot dog bun (3 pts...way too may pts for a bun.), cherries (1pt), BBQ sauce (0 pts)

What are your favorite grilled fruits and/or veggies? What's your favorite grilled entree? Mine...kabobs!

1 DAY & COUNTING!

1 MORE DAY UNTIL SUMMER STAYCATION!! I teach, so I usually spend the last few days of school closing out the year and packing up my classroom. Packing up means storing all equipment and materials and pushing the big ticket items to one side of the room. 

 (pics from last year)

Tonight, I utilized my blogging time to complete forms as well as other paperwork. I just wanted to check in and thank those of you who participated in TOOT TOOT Tuesday. I tried to respond to all comments before my Blackberry malfunctioned and erased all unsaved emails. I plan to resume a regular posting schedule on Monday. Why Monday you ask:

• Thursday: complete remaining paperwork
• Friday: END OF THE YEAR HAPPY HOUR
• Saturday: WW Meeting, Kid's Rehearsal, Graduation Party
• Sunday: Weight Watchers 5K Walk
• Monday: Shopping with Mom and God Mother

Phew...just writing down all of those events and festivities made me tired. Until then, I bid you adieu...

Any teachers out there...When is your last day? To all bloggers, tell me about your plans for the summer.

TOOT TOOT Tuesday!

WELCOME...to my second installment of "TOOT TOOT TUESDAY" created by me, Me So Hongry! I developed TOOT TOOT TUESDAY as a means for others to toot their own horn! So, take this opportunity to boast your most recent weight loss triumphs. Or help others by leaving nuggets of wisdom that work for you!

Can you do me favor? Spread the word about "TOOT TOOT TUESDAY" via twitter using the the hashtag #toottoottuesday

Okay, so TOOT TOOT TUESDAY works like this:

1. Leave a comment tooting your own horn or share some weight loss or exercise tips that may benefit other blog readers.
   
   
2. Link up below so others can follow your thumbnail to your fabulous blog!
   
   
3. Return to your blog and spread the word about toot toot Tuesday by writing a post and linking it back to my blog. Be sure to grab the code below to let you readers know you toot! If you prefer, you can also copy&paste the image below instead of grabbing the code.
 

<a href="http://s588.photobucket.com/albums/ss324/Nonames765/?action=view&current=TOOTTOOT.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss324/Nonames765/TOOTTOOT.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Okay link-up time:

Thanks for participating and GET YA TOOT ON!

No Longer a 5K Virgin (Pt. 1)!

So, let me start by saying, I refuse to waste an entire post explaining my brief hiatus. In short, the thought of blogging started to illicit the feeling I get when I wait until the last minute to complete my grad school assignments.  Blogging started to feel like an assignment or a chore, no longer exciting or fun. BUT, as of late, I started to miss blogging and my bloggy buddies.  In addition, I let a few people ruin the experience of blogging for me. With that being said...on with the show!

A few post ago I suggested that my blog readers "stay tuned"  for an exciting announcement.

*CUE DRUM ROLL*

Ladies & gentlemen, I ran my 1st 5K on May 8th! My mom, cousin and myself ran the Summer Kick-Off Fun Run.

 On Thursday before the race, I picked up my participant's packet from the local ON-THE-RUN running store. Retrieving my packet made the experience surreal. When I pulled my bib from the bag, a plethora of emotions flooded my body: anxiety, trepidations, excitement, just to name a few. After I checked out my race swag I headed home and  dressed for my last day of training.

So how did I train for my first 5K? I chose the Couch to 5K (C25K)approach to prepare. Truth be told, I started the C25K program last summer, but for whatever reason I quit  during the middle of week 6...go figure. This time around I COMPLETED the program and now stand before you a C25K graduate. I AM PROUD to say write I CAN run for 30 consecutive minutes!

So...you thinking about running now? For novice runners, like myself, I recommend this iTunes C25K app.

 Why choose this app? Well for starters, the ability to use my favorite songs for my running play-list appealed to me.

 For last summer's first attempt, I downloaded a podcast , which utilizes the podcast creator's music of choice. Some songs I enjoyed, while other grated on my nerves. Each week you run to the same podcast for 3 days, so on the third day  those nerve graters make you want to run into oncoming traffic, or hurl your iPod  through someone's windshield. For me, music makes a world of difference in my workouts. Quite frequently, the right song brings me from the brink of throwing in the towel.

If you own an older generation iPod, download the C25K podcasts here. Other podcasts, 5K programs, and apps exist; so, you need to find what works for you.

Stay tuned for more pics, race info, AND a wacky vlog detailing my first 5K experience. My mom "lost" my  race card, so when she finds my card, I can provide you with more race info..like the fact that I probably finished 599 out of 600...lol.

Before I wrote this post about my 5K adventure, I revisted an older post, titled...In honor of my 50th post. In a nutshell, I celebrated my 50th post by making a list of 50 reasons why I want to remove this weight forever. #35 on my list...run a 5K! Well now, that's one more "achievement" I can cross of my 50 Reasons List!

ABANDON SHIP!

*wiping cobwebs off keyboard* Rather than waste time with excuses, let me reassure you I plan to get some posts up real soon...for those that care (lol).  I confess, I feel slightly frustrated or annoyed or maybe both by the fickleness of social networking and blogging;-)

Field Trip: Running Shoe Shopping

So a couple of Saturdays ago, my Mom and I went of a field trip in search of new running, well in my case jogging shoes. We ventured to Sports Authority to make our purchases, and in less than 30 minutes we departed the store with running shoes in hand. Believe it or not, hunger tends to encourage quick decisions.

After our brief shopping excursion, we decided to try a new restaurant...Mimi's Cafe!

Okay, so a new restaurant...and of course my first priority entails searching the menu for healthier choices. Now a days, most restaurants tailor their menus to meet the needs of those seeking a healthier lifestyle. And sure enough, Mimi's serves healthy lifestyle friendly meals found in the Just Enough section of the menu. Even better, the menu also lists the nutrition facts for the Just Enough meals!

I started my meal with a most delicious salad:

For my main course I chose the Sweet and Sour Chicken entree. The low level of sodium heavily influenced my decision:

My mom ordered the Chicken Piccata:

After devouring our meals my Mom and I burned off our lunch calories by power shopping.

We wrapped up our power shopping in order for me to pick the boys up from dance rehearsal. Unfortunately, I headed home to late to squeeze in a run and try out my new kicks.

 Kicks: shoes that are ill. Ill meaning tha bomb.

The next day, my kicks and I hit the pavement running at the park. My new shoes made a world of difference and I kicked some asphalt. Truth be told, I needed new shoes months ago. According to my mom runners should replace their shoes ever 300 to 400 miles or every 6 months. Wearing shoes toe up from the floor up increases your chance of running related injuries.

Toe up from the floor up: to be bad looking or messed up.

Signs of that your running shoes may be Toe Up From the Floor Up:

• Painful runs that cause your knees or shins to hurt.
• High shoe mileage
• Just plain worn out!

To prevent my new kicks from wearing out before their time, I plan to buy an additional pair of running shoes and rotate the two.

Did you know you can donate your old running shoes to Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe and Soles for Souls? You learn something new everyday.

What kind of shoes do you wear for your workouts or runs?

"TOOT TOOT TUESDAY!!"

WELCOME...to my first installment of "TOOT TOOT TUESDAY" created by me, Me So Hongry! I developed TOOT TOOT TUESDAY as a means for others to toot their own horn! So, take this opportunity to boast your most recent weight loss triumphs. Or help others by leaving nuggets of wisdom that work for you!

Can you do me favor? Spread the word about "TOOT TOOT TUESDAY" via twitter using the the hashtag #toottoottuesday

Okay, so TOOT TOOT TUESDAY works like this:

1. Leave a comment tooting your own horn or share some weight loss or exercise tips that may benefit other blog readers.
   
   
2. Link up below so others can follow your thumbnail to read your toots!
   
   
3. Return to your blog and spread the word about toot toot Tuesday by writing a post and linking it back to my blog. Be sure to grab the code below to let you readers know you toot! If you prefer, grab the code you can also copy&paste the image below instead of grabbing the code.
 

<a href="http://s588.photobucket.com/albums/ss324/Nonames765/?action=view&current=TOOTTOOT.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss324/Nonames765/TOOTTOOT.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Okay link-up time:

Thanks for participating and GET YA TOOT ON!

Did you miss my post announcing the what a CROCK giveaway? Click here to enter! Okay...get ta tooting!