FOOD FOR THE BODY

HEALTHY FRUIT RAINBOW

(adapted from http://www.sistersstuff.blogspot.com/)

*** All the fruit is 0 points+

*** "March" mellows are 3 points+ per 1/2 c.

This would go great as dessert with yesterday's SHAMROCK MINI PIZZAS, don't you think?

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT (NEW BLOGGING CHALLENGE)

Day Six: What is your favorite holiday?

I absolutely ADORE Halloween! I love to dress up and dress my sweet little kiddos up. I love the smell of the crisp autumn air and the crunch of leaves under my feet. I love traipsing aound the neighborhood with my children in tow, in the pursuit of yummy treats. I love homemade donuts and apple cider. I love going to my family's annual grown-ups only costume party. I love visiting my children's elementary school to watch the kindergartner's costume parade. I love everything, simply everything about Halloween!

FOOD FOR THE BODY

SHAMROCK MINI PIZZAS

(adapted from and photo courtesy of http://www.familyfun.com/)

Serves: 8

Points+: 4 per mini pizza

Jarred pizza sauce

4 English muffins

Sliced 2% milk cheddar cheese

Green bell peppers

Half each English muffin. Slice green peppers horizontally to get "shamrocks". Top each muffin half with pizza sauce, then cheese, then green peppers. Cut stem-shaped pieces from unused portion of peppers and add these to the pizzas. Broil until cheese is melted and green pepper is slightly tender. Enjoy with a big leafy green salad and steamed yellow carrots (these look just like golden coins!)

I will post dessert tomorrow!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"The greatest work we will ever do will be within the walls of our home." --David O. McKay

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT (NEW BLOGGING CHALLENGE)

Day 5: Something you hope to do in life ...

As I mentioned a few days back, I tend to dream big. I have so many dreams, but ultimately my main objective in life is to be a good mommy and wifey. I love my family so much. I also want to be an author and a chef and a photographer and a medical-something-or-other and an artist and an interior designer and a singer and a healthy, beautiful gal. But, even as I dream of all these possibilities, I constantly come back to a little quote that is evermore floating around in my head: "No success can compensate for failure in the home." (President David O. McKay) I have had requests for more pictures of my darling family, so I will plug in a few for you.

What do you want in life?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Hope

by Emily Dickinson


Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm,
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT--Hope and Desire

I have been thinking about hope lately. Before I got serious about losing weight back in January, I thought about my obesity every day ... in a bad way. I obsessed over my body, feeling ugly, unmotivated, tired, depressed, overwhelmed, etc. You get the picture. Now, even though I've lost 30 POUNDS (!), I am still quite overweight. I still wear the same size. Not many people have noticed yet that I've even lost any weight at all. So what is the difference between now and before? Now that I'm on the right track with my goals, I have HOPE. I feel an inner drive that propels me forward. I think about my body still, but now, in a good way. I appreciate my increase in energy. I like the way my pants snap easily. I love being able to go up and down the stairs with ease instead of huffing and puffing. Everything about my life is better, fresher, and more joyous. The difference stemmed from my ability to do SOMETHING about it. And that simple decision is blessing my life. Gone are the feelings of self-doubt and frustration. In their place, are feelings of optimism and brightness. Hope and fear cannot coexist. I would therefore put forth the theory that hope comes as the fruits of hard work and spiritual direction.

I thank the Lord for granting me the desire to work hard at losing weight, for giving me this body, and for guiding me as I strive to make better use of it and treat it with more kindness. I truly have hope that things will continue to get better healthwise and otherwise as I put in the hours: planning meals, working out, learning to deal with stress and cope in a healthy way. Thank you all for offering words of hope to me. I love each of you!

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT (NEW BLOGGING CHALLENGE)

Day 4: A picture of something that makes me smile ...

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT (NEW BLOGGING CHALLENGE)

DAY 3: What is your favorite indulgence?

I have always loved food, but my love for it got me into a lot of trouble. Now, I am learning to control myself, allowing for occasional indulgence, but not allowing food to control me. One thing that I still love though, is watching Food Network, which is totally calorie free. You would think that watching these programs would cause me to crave food, but it's actually very theraputic to enjoy the sights of gourmet food and the vision of the chefs who prepare them with love. So I indulge away, In the process, I've become a better cook and can look at food with thoughtfulness and objectivity. My husband also loves to cook and we often dream of opening our own restaraunt.

FOOD FOR THE BODY

BAKED POTATO SOUP (from http://www.skinnytaste.com/)

Serves: 5
PointsPlus: 5

2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, (florets only)
1 1/2 c. fat-free chicken broth
1 1/2 c. 1% milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 c. light sour cream
10 T. reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 T. chopped chives, divided
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for five minutes, turn over and microwave another 3-5 minutes, until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower until very tender. Drain and return to pot. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper, and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Ladle soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 T. cheese, remaining chives, and bacon.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Only as high as I reach, can I grow. Only as far as I seek, can I go. Only as deep as I look, can I see. Only as much as I dream, can I be." --Karen Ravn

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT (NEW BLOGGING CHALLENGE)

Day Two: Something you love about yourself

One thing I love about myself is that I dream big. I'm always planning for the day I will get my first book published, try out for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, wear a size 10, or go to India to work in a mobile medical unit. I love to think big. I feel that this particular strength of mine helps me to be a more optimistic person because I always have hope for a better, bigger tomorrow. Besides, I know that all things are possible for the one who loves God!

What do you love about yourself? What are some of your big dreams?

FOOD FOR THE BODY

HERBED PARMESAN CRISPS (from http://www.weightwatchers.com/)

Use on your next soup or salad-YUMMY!

Serves: 12 (2 per serving)

PointsPlus: 1

4 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 1 1/2 c.)

2 T. fresh chives, minced

2 T. fresh parsley, minced

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 425*. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Place scant tablespoons of cheese on prepared pans, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Flatten out each pile of cheee into an oval shape; sprinkle with herbs and pepper. Bake until cheese crisps turn golden and rssemble lace cookies, about 5 to 6 minutes. Cool on pan until set and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Never let a spiritual prompting slip through your grasp. I challenge you to either act on each prompting or write it down for later action within TEN SECONDS of receiving it." --My Stake President, Ron Frandsen

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT (NEW BLOGGING CHALLENGE)

Day One: Something You Hate About Yourself

After years and years of hating so many things about myself, I respectfully refuse to answer this question. Instead, I will address a few things that I consider to be weaknesses ... or better yet, we'll call them FUTURE STRENGTHS!

1) I am a very disorganized person. It seems to be my lot in life that the harder I try to get a handle on my housekeeping, laundry, paperwork, etc., the more they seem to take over! I keep working at it though, and I try to be gentle with myself, because I realize that it can be very difficult to organize with four young children. In the meantime, I practice the art of selective neglect, always trying to make time to keep at least one area neat and tidy at any given time.

2) I am ALWAYS tired. My energy level, even now that I eat healthily and exercise often is always low. I think I'm going to go talk to a doc about this again.

3) Chocolate. Come on, I'm only human after all. Thank you, Weight Watchers, for teaching me that I can have my cake and eat it too ... occasionally. :)

What are your "future strengths"?

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT--Miracles Still Happen

Whew! Yesterday (Sunday) was a whirlwind, but such a wonderful, uplifting day. First, I was the visiting speaker to another ward in my stake. The other speaker was a high council member and he spoke about the power of prayer and how to recognize answers as we receive them. He made a good point when he noted that many of us pray like we're putting coins into a vending machine. We wait for the answer to instantaneously fall into the tray, like it's a candy bar or something. But usually, prayers come after much study, reflection, and time has passed by. It was an excellent visual and a helpful reminder to me.

Then, I had the opportunity to "visit" my own ward for our ward conference. It was such a spiritual day!

One of our dear ward family members fell into a diabetic coma several months ago and was lifeflighted to Ogden Regional Hospital. There, her family members were told that she likely would not be able to pull through. Still, a week later, she was taken off her ventilator because she was able to breathe on her own. She continued to improve, but was still not expected to live long. After several weeks, she was moved to a nursing home, still in critical, but stable condition. The nurses there all reaffirmed to her family members that it was only a matter of days or weeks until she would be gone. About this time, she received a priesthood blessing from our stake president. He didn't feel prommpted one way or the other about whether or not she would be healed, but after the blessing he looked at her, saw how sick she appeared, and called the relief society president of our ward and told her to expect a funeral in the next few weeks. Miraculously, the next day she woke up. Not only that, but she began talking coherently to the nurses, asking for family members, recognizing visitors. By the end of the day, she was asking for food and able to walk to the bathroom herself. That was about two weeks ago. Yesterday, she walked into sacrament meeting with her husband, who has been inactive for years. As ward members saw her, they could not deny that a true miracle had taken place.

During sacrament meeting, our stake president (who is a member of our ward), told us of yet another miracle that happened during the week. His daughter and son-in-law and their five sweet children have been living with him for about a year because the son-in-law was battling stage four sarcoma. The cancer had already metasticized, and he too, had been dealt a death sentence. Countless doctors had told him that with all the tumors that riddled his insides, there was absolutely no way he would pull through. Still, to buy him as much time with his beautiful family, they commenced with chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation. At each appointment, with each specialist, he was told the same thing: "Get things in order. Spend as much time with your family as you are able. You will not live long."

At one point, a radiologist looking at his x-rays, said that it looked like there was a "hail storm of tumors" inside his body. There were tens of thousands of them.

Two weeks ago, in one last-ditch attempt to remove some of the largest tumors, he had another major surgery. A day or two later, he and his wife met with their doctor to go over the results of the surgery. The doctor was visibly moved as he tried to explain the unexplainable: according to new tests and scans, the cancer cells were dying. This was medically impossible, but it was still happening. The doctor began crying as he told the couple that a miracle had happened. There was no other word.

So yesterday our stake president announced with tears in his eyes, that his son-in-law is cancer free.

I wish each of you could know this family. They are so sweet and special. They are remarkably strong in the gospel. I've never met a family quite like them. I can't think of anyone more deserving. There was not a dry eye in the congregation.

So my testimony to you is this: miracles still happen. All. The. Time ...

WEIGH-IN RESULTS

It's now been a month since I went back to Weight Watchers and I'm pleased to announce that I hit my 15 pounds mark tonight at my weigh in. I also got my 5% award. I'm so pleased. I haven't had much time to post lately, but I wanted to make sure I thanked my blog readers for your love and support. As always, I also must thank my loving Heavenly Father. With Him, I know nothing is impossible. :)

FOOD FOR THE BODY

BLUEBERRY OAT MUFFINS
(from my own recipe box)

(Sorry, no pictures this time!)

Serves: 12
PointsPlus: 4 (per muffin)

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. oats
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. oil (I use canola)
1 c. fresh or frozen, unthawed blueberries or mixed berries

In a bowl, combine firt six ingedients. In another bowl, beat together egg whites, water and oil. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in bleberries. Fill paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400* for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. ***These freeze well.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." --Eleanor Roosevelt

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT-Inspired and NieNie

My life lately has been AWESOME! I feel renewed, motivated, and InSPiReD like I haven't in months. On the weight loss front, I have been working SO hard ... still doing the elliptical machine six days a week, Zumba twice a week, and sticking to plan with WeightWatchers new PointsPlus system (which is amazing!) I lost ten pounds on my own before heading to WW's and since joining three weeks ago, I've lost another 11.5. Yay! I feel amazing, strong, vibrant, confident, beautiful, and hopeful. I've decided to make the 16 Principles from Alma 57-58 that I mentioned in my last FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT post, my guidelines for this battle against weight. I know I just called it a battle, but truly, I am finding a lot of joy. Who knew I could Zumba for an hour straight or do two miles of elliptical machine training? Who knew I could lose 22 pounds in six weeks? Who knew? I know now that nothing is impossible with God. And I feel him with me. I also can feel angels "round about" me as I work. I pray that God will continue to magnify my efforts and maximize my results.

I am also LOVING being an at-home mommy again. It has been an adjustment though. I think I'd forgotten how much work it is. But such blessed work. I want to share something with you that helps me remember what is means to be a mommy ... my favorite blog. I hope you'll go visit this amazing woman's website and read all about her family and about her life. She has quite the story to tell. Her perspective on motherhood reminds me of its sweetness and meaning. Here is a little quote from one of her posts. I have this passage printed and up on my refrigerator ... just to remind me to have fun with my mommyhood:

"I made dinner. It was calming. I fed my children, fulled their tummies, bathed them, combed hair, rubbed lotion on sweet fingers and cheeks. And we happily cleaned up the kitchen and then I put them in their cozy little beds. I kissed freshly brushed mouths, played their lullabies, and quietly shut the door."

Idyllic? Maybe, but believe me ... there is nothing idyllic about the adversity that Stephanie Nielson has faced in order to gain this perspective. You can visit her blog at http://www.nieniedialogues.com/ Also be sure to check out the video the LDS church made about her experience. It's called "My New Life." You can find it in the side bar on her website or search for it on YouTube. Once you meet this amazing woman, you'll fall in love with her and her family. I know she'll change your life too.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Even when, from a purely human perspective, perfection can appear an impossible challenge to achieve, I testify that our Father and our Savior have made known to us that it is possible to achieve the impossible. Yes, it is possible to achieve eternal life. Yes, it is possible to be happy now and forever." (Jorge F. Zaballos, "Attempting the Impossible," Ensign, November 2009, 34)

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT--16 Key Principles for Overcoming Obstacles (Courtesy of the 2000 Stripling Warriors)

This morning, I was tempted to read a magazine while I ate breakfast, but the spirit reminded me of my commitment to start each morning off with meaningful scripture study and prayer, so I noshed on some yummy oatmeal while reading in Alma 57 and 58. I read about the stripling warriors--what courage, determination, and faith they had! As I was reading, I started to really see modern-day connections to how we can all deal with adversity and overcome great obstacles. Here is a list of lessons from these two chapters. I highly suggest you grab your scriptures and read along with me. It's pretty powerful stuff. Yup, you heard me. Stop reading this and go get them. I'll wait ...

Are you back? OK. Here's my list:

16 Key Principles for Overcoming Obstacles
(Courtesy of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors)

1. Recognize your desire. (Alma 57:7)
2. Beware of the enemy. (Alma 57:9)
3. Be persistent. (Alma 57:11-12)
4. Unite with others. (Alma 57:13)
5. Fight with all your strength. (Alma 57:19)
6. Live righteously. (Alma 57:21)
7. Thank God for successes. (Alma 57:26)
8. Trust God to show the way and open doors. (Alma 57:27)
9. Be patient. (Alma 58:7)
10. Pray! (Alma 58:10)
11. Take courage. (Alma 58:12)
12. Go forth with all your might. (Alma 8:13)
13. Keep on moving. (Alma 58:26)
14. Be prepared. (Alma 58:29)
15. Recognize God's help. (Alma 58:39)
16. Always remember what God has done. (Alma 58:40)


I hope that I can take these steps and APPLY, APPLY, APPLY! I am so thankful for these valiant men! Like the stripling warriors, if faithful, we may be injured in our many battles in life, but with God on our side, we will not suffer spiritual death. We will win.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"No matter the size of the issue, how we respond can reset the course of our life." (Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, "Turn to the Lord," Ensign, May 2010, 78-80)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Just do it." --Ezra Taft Benson

FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT--It's Time to Change

Tonight I did two things: 1. I visited a ward New Beginnings night (I am in the Stake YW Presidency) and 2. I watched The Biggest Loser.

At the New Beginnings meeting (which was lovely), I noticed three things that upset me. First, my tailbone hurt immensely, second, my posterior end no longer fits comfortably in the standard Relief Society room chairs, and third, because of the pain of my tailbone and the pain of the metal bars of the chair, I had a very hard time paying attention to the meeting. (Mom, please forgive me for the personal and self-degrading nature of this post).

As I watched The Biggest Loser, I noticed a few things as well. I noticed that I cannot sit on the couch comfortably because my tummy feels squished. I cannot sit on the floor comfortably either because I have to lean to one side or the other to avoid putting pressure on my sore tailbone. As I lean to the side, my hips start aching after several minutes. While, watching the show, however, I did NOT have a hard time paying attention. I paid attention to the way the contestants stood and walked and sat. They, too, seemed uncomfortable. They were in physical pain as well. Though most of them outweigh me, I found myself in the same boat. And like them, I want to bail ship!

I love Biggest Loser, not necessarily for the diet and exercise programs exhibited, but for the chance I get to see someone's journey. I love watching the small breakthrough moments, the individual stories and the AHA! moments of each contestant. Today, my not being able to concentrate in the New Beginnings meeting was an AHA! moment. How on earth, can I dedicate myself to serving the Lord in this, and other callings, including motherhood, if I can't even concentrate? How can I give life my best effort if I am uncomfortable and not feeling well? I need to lose this weight. That's all there is to it. I need to start now. I need to be deliberate and to set forth with all the determination I possess. And I need the Lord to help me and guide me allong the way. As Sheri Dew said: "He knows the way because He is the way."

So (now here's the part I'm proud of), following the episode, I calmly went into my room, got my running shoes on, and went downstairs and immediately got to work. I did the elliptical machine for a mile and did some cool down walking. I felt much stronger than I expected I would, and felt that I could have even gone further but I do have a bad cough right now and didn't want to be up all night, so I quit.

Here's the plan: I'm going to keep doing this each night, excluding Sundays. It'll be a little experiment: Can I stick with it? Can I get better at it? Can I see results from it? In addition to exercising, I'm going to return to a specific prompting I received a few weeks ago, to stop eating after 8:30 pm each night. (This is the time I feel most tempted to binge). I'll probably set additional goals down the line, but for now, I'm going to focus on these small steps. In essence, I'll be experimenting, just like Alma taught us to do. I'm having thoughts that these are good things I can do to lose weight, and I'm planting those thoughts, turning them into actions. We'll see if they grow from seeds of thought into plants of results.

I'll keep you posted!