3 YouTube at home workouts by Fitness Blender

Few video choices for an at home workout. I just don't feel like driving to the gym today. That and I am posting the vids so that I can just search and find them again while on my trip coming up! Yep. I am lazy like that and I don't know how to make YouTube bookmark a video....so 2 birds with one stone. 

Fat Burning Cardio Workout

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultimate Workout for Belly Fat Loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Body Toning Low Impact Cardio Workout

 

 



S4E9 and 10 and a Great video for Lifelong success after WLS by Dr. Matthew Weiner

Well couldn't sleep. After WLS this seems to happen more often then I am used to. Gave me some time to be awake and make the hubby lunch as I forgot yesterday and get him off to work. It's kind of nice seeing him first thing in the morning. Usually I am still in bed asleep when he leaves. I may vaguely wake enough to feel him kiss me before he goes. Even though I don't always wake for my morning kiss I have to say there is something wonderful waking every morning knowing I got one. So while I write this I will sip some coffee and watch some Dr. Who. David Tennant is my favorite from the new docs.

I had a coffee date yesterday with one of my super duper awesome friends V. She has graciously said yes to watering my plants during my visit with my family. So thank you V if you are reading this! I appreciate you tons.

I was going to have either a success or failure story for you about a tilapia tot recipe but during my masterful preparation I dropped and shattered a dessert dish. So it became hey lets go out for dinner as I didn't have anything thawed to make. My hubby and I love Japanese so we went to a local place called Mikotos. Left overs for days! So no cooking tonight wooo!

I was scrolling around and found an amazing video about life after the first year of WLS and how to help fight regain by Dr. Matthew Weiner. It really was an eye opener and I think I am now going to change up my work out routine. I want this new life of healthfulness to be just that lifelong.

Zuccini Noodle Slicer

Admit it. You watch an infomercial and think I NEED THAT! But thankfully commonsense and better judgment get a hold of you and you resist the temptation. Well almost. Because then you are walking down an aisle at Walmart and see it. Your zucchini noodle slicer. Your ticket to pasta! Somehow it ends itself up in your cart. Well it did mine. The whole time I am thinking please work just like that infomercial. Please. Work.

Well luck would have it that it does work! And marvelously! Leading to my spaghetti fix!

Body Love in motion.



What better way to learn to love yourself than to learn to love your jiggly bits while they wiggle while you waggle! I am determined to love the skin I am in and this video I thought was a perfect way to start! And it will be a great change from the same ol same ol! SO LETS Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy!

 

 

 

Also. YouTube was being a stinker and wouldn't let me put this bit up. Who knows why. I am technically challenged ha! But Ozma basically says some wonderful feel good stuff about how belly dancing lets you learn to love yourself no matter what you look like and how to enhance your womanness. I want to enhance my womanliness! hehe. . Here is her link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plth1nT0noE

Mil Spouse Perks and Road Trip Planning

Occasionally as a mil spouse you get an unexpected perk from out of the blue. I along with several other military spouses were given a 10.00 dollar voucher at a local farmers market if we picked up a broacher for a college. No strings attached just pick up a broacher and boom free 10 bucks. Well I jumped on that since who doesn't like fresh local produce! My whole bill after the 10 dollar voucher was 5 dollars and change. Yes please...It came at the best time possible as well. We have to pre pay for the hubs trip to school and that is at least a 2 night 3 day trip so anyway we can skim a little off a bill to save for the trip the better! I also found that another local farmers market was having a buy 2 get one free on fresh strawberries either buy the flat or bucket. Each little white basket held 2.7-3 pounds of berries. They were 7 bucks a bucket. What a deal! I love great deals. I left half of one bucket out and froze the rest.

Another great deal I found while looking for hotels for the Texas road trip was with Best Western. They have a 10% discount for military. Yes! We love Best Western. Super great hotel chain. We have taken several road trips to Washington and they were by far the nicest pet friendly hotels we had stayed in. Here is the link to check it out. http://www.bestwestern.com/deals-offers/special-rates/government-hotel-discounts.asp

I am a planner. I started planning our trip to Serbia over a year in advance. Lists are my bread and butter. I get excited just thinking about it. I plan everything even down to the tasty treats we are going to eat on a trip. On a road trip we try to limit how much junk and crap we eat out so I always pack a cooler and this trip I am toying with the idea of bringing a little 2 quart crockpot for a warm lunch. I know that trip is still a while off but I am starting some of my pre baking tasties that will keep for the trip and stay fresh. So today it's going to be granola granola granola! 2 different kinds. My vacuum sealer will be my trick for freshness for these.  The first is a crumbly granola great for a yogurt topping and the second will be a granola bar kind of like the crunchy nature valley ones that are so expensive and IF I still have some juice in me to bake I will be making homemade chocolate protein bars.

Peanut Butter Granola (Crumbly):

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbs packed light-brown sugar

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour oats into a mixing bowl, set aside. In a microwave safe mixing bowl (or it can also be melted in a saucepan), combine peanut butter, honey and brown sugar and heat mixture in microwave until runny and smooth, about 25 seconds. Pour mixture over oats in mixing bowl and toss mixture with a spatula until evenly coated.

 

Spread mixture onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet into an even layer and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 18 - 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely (it wont be crunchy until it cools) and store in an airtight container.

Granola Bars:

4 cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup natural peanut butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
chocolate chips
*dried fruit (optional)(craisins are my favorite)
*coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine oats, flax, and peanuts. Add honey and mix to combine. Add melted peanut butter and mix until moistened. Add in the chocolate chips and any other add ins you want such as the dried fruit or coconut. If dough is still too dry (this can depend on your ingredients) add more peanut butter or syrup (or honey) 1 tablespoon at a time until moistened.

Press dough in a greased (non-stick spray) 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Homemade Chocolate Protein Bars:

7 Scoops chocolate protein powder (Isopure low carb Dutch chocolate is my favorite)
2 c quick oats
5 Tbs sliced almonds
1/4 c choc chips
3 Tbs honey
3 Tbs natural Peanut Butter
* dried fruit like craisins (optional)
water

Mix  all ingredients and add drizzles of water until a moist consistency & press into sprayed baking dish. Bake at 350 for approx 15 min. Depending on size of bars cut they will be about about 170 cal and 32 g protein per serving!

Well off I go!

Maleficient

Yesterday the hubs and I  went to see Maleficent but when we arrived it was announced that the next 2 show times were already sold out...Well with that idea gone we went for some Sweet Frog. Mmm SF Raspberry frozen yogurt. 1/4 cup and I am in frozen heaven. Cool thing about this place they have tons of flavors at least 2 of which are SF (sugar free) and the toppings bar is HUGE! everything from candy to fresh fruit. Well after the creamy goodness it was food coma for me and the pups as you can see...That is Nana just relaxing like she owns the place. Butterbean was up on top of me. She must have gotten tired from all her stick chewing. Silly thing.

 

 Since I missed getting to see the movie yesterday and the hubs was going just so I didn't have to go alone on Sunday afternoon I thought I would catch the first showing after the gym today. Holy cow! If you have not seen Maleficent you need to go run right now to the theater to see it! What a cool original different way to look at the classic Disney tale. I cannot wait for it to come to DVD. It was that good. After I thought hey some Chinese would be tasty hmm. This little Chinese place next to our house has the best hot and sour soup ever and teriyaki chicken skewers. I am really sensitive to greasy stuff makes me terribly sick so most Chinese food I can't have. These two things though oh yum. The soup is full of protein with the egg and tofu and vegies and the chicken skewers are lean and delish! I can make it last a few meals which is great. for 7 bucks and 3-4 meals you can't go wrong really.

And let me tell you. I needed the protein so I could get on with my busy day. We had a run in with fleas! Our babies have never had fleas before. We are really careful about that. But somehow they came home with the baddies. We got rid of them completely by day 2 which is great. And I figure for the next couple weeks I will deep clean EVERYTHING every other day incase there was something we missed. It's been a few days and no baddies have been spotted in the house or on the pups. Poor things didn't know what was wrong. Nana and Butter would just let me go through their fur over and over to comb through to get the fleas out. When I was done they would look at me with this sad face like I itch! Help me! So glad everything is back to normal. They seem much happier now. Here they are helping "Dad" put some tie down hooks on the truck.  (Top is Butter and Bottom is Nana)

 





Faux Tater Salad

I know I know messing with your tater salad. But I told you I was gong to give you a heads up to the salad I made for the BBQ. Oh my gosh. It is delicious! Yes you know it's not potatoes I don't care what anybody says. Yes I did mess with the recipe a bit because I was out of dill pickle relish and I left the onion out since I am weird about raw onion. And yes cauliflower is an awesome substitute for the taters. The link to the original recipe is here: http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/09/they-call-it-tater-salad.html?m=1

My version of the salad I will list down below with suggestions if I was to make it again.

Mindy's Modified Version of Faux Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 large head fresh cauliflower

5-6 large eggs, hard boiled & diced up

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Light mayonnaise (next time I will use light miracle whip I like the tang!)

1/4 cup Prepared yellow mustard 

1/2-3/4 cup Chopped baby kosher dills w/ a drizzle of the pickle juice (Niks recipe called for  1/4 cup pickle relish which I would try next time)

1/4 tsp dried dill 

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Vinegar if using mayo (I used apple cider)

 

Directions:

Steam or cook the cauliflower until fork tender. I put mine in a pot of cold water with some salt and simmered until done. Meanwhile Chop up the eggs and pickles. Set aside. Mix the yogurt, splash of pickle juice, mayo, mustard, dill, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. For the salt through onion powder just sprinkle to taste.

 

Mash the cauliflower in a bowl and fold the eggs, pickles, and mayo mix all together in a lovely bowl and let sit overnight in the fridge. The next day take a taste. I tested it this morning and the cauliflower soaked up a lot of the mayo mix so I added a splash of vinegar, a bit more salt, and an extra spoon full of mayo about eh I'd say 2-3 tbs of light mayo. My hubby likes it creamy.

 

I will definitely be making this again! Especially for the summer BBQ's we have with my family back home. Oh I can't wait! OOO I just had a thought. Just before serving sprinkle some crispy bacon on top. Oh my gosh that sounds so amazing.