First Day of Winter



Picture was taken by Me, Kay, Boxing day 2011

 So I was coming home the day after Christmas when everyone else was out there trying to out-shop each other, I was at work. The someone freaked out because it was snowing. I could not believe it! It didn't snow on Christmas and then boxing day?? I was mortified.  Anways, I tried not to panic, like I usually do when stuff like this happen and I finished worked.  Then I had to go outside.  This first picture was taking at about five forty five in the evening. 

The streetlights were all on, and there was fog everywhere. I didn't get it. It was so early and already it was getting dark. That's another thing I hate about winter aside from the cold--we all lose daylight.  But anywtays, this was taken and I found myself snappy-happy and taking more pictures. As I walked home,  I was stunned at home cold it had gotte. I mean it was freezing before but boxing day was like a freezer.





Taken by Kay, Boxing day 2011



Christmas is HERE!!!



Taken December 21, by Kay

 Some of my favorite Christmas Movies::

Trading Places - Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis

Home Alone (1, 2, 3)

Robin Hood: Men in Tights: Carey Elwes, Isaac Hayes, Dave Chappelle

A Christmas Carol (1951): Alistair Simm

Sound of Music: Christopher Plumber & Julie Andrews



Migrain and chocolate

Every time I look that countdown on the side of this blog is giving me heart palpitations. 

Anyways, so after six weeks of not having chocolate, my mom said that I shouldn't just completely cut it out. She said once in a while, like ONCE IN A WHILE I can eat just a bit of chocolate. Not OVERDO it but just a bit. So, I ate one of those Bailey's filled chocolate candy. You know the delicious ones with the baileys in the middle?  Oh good heavens who told me to do that? I had the migraine from hell after.

I was in so much pain! I had to close my eyes, turn off all the lights, TV, Computer, Cell phone and pull the drapes to block out the light. My head was pounding something horrible. At first I thought it was because I hadn't had enough water and I drank a bottle of water through my trip with my mom to the mall, and went into Bath and Body Works, the Body Shop and Crabtree and Evelyn....the smells were so strong and it was because of the headache because normally I live in the first two of those stores.  But I was agitated and in pain and my mom kept saying "you're no fun. You can't shop."

My reply was "I hate malls...I've always HATED malls. I don't do crowds."  I really do hate malls. That is why my xmas shopping was done a MONTH ago. Crowds make me mad, they crash into you--go out of their way to bounce into you. I mean I was standing under the arch of the Santa Planet and this chick still bounced into me. I mean I was UNDER the arch...*sigh* anyways....that's my vent.

Kay

Today's the Day!

Before my good news.  Some bad news--fell off the wagon the other day--well not completely.  But at work, the evening one (that ended yesterday)...so they ordered us food. They asked what kind of pizza we wanted and though I ordered the veggie pizza.  No meat or anything but I probably shouldn't have eaten two slices.

So this morning, I woke up but I was tired I went back to sleep for an extra five minutes.  Then, when I was able to peel myself out of bed, I waddled, eyes closed, hair standing straight up I felt my way to the bathroom, closed the door, open the cupboard and pulled out the scale.  Taking a breath, I stood on it, held that breath and prayed.  After a while, I looked down and Tadaa!! After six weeks of Zumba at 1am in the morning, I've lost five pounds...FIVE pounds!  It doesn't look like I lost it to me but the scale, I checked it on two different ones!!

And I bought this coat last christmas for the winter, but when it came it wasn't warm enough so I wore it at the beginning of winter. It's a grey coat that was supposed to overlap and button up.  I could BARELY get it to overlap. Yesterday, I found it in my closet because anything does in that place goes into a void. Technically I hid it because I didn't like the way I looked in it. My bulges sticking out every where. So I came across the coat. Fear gripped me but I took a breath and slipped it on.  When it wrapped around me I couldn't help flailing and screaming and doing a zumba chop, and pelvic thrusting...I'm so glad there was no one there to video tape it.   When I got dressed in it and came down the stairs to show my mom at about one AM this morning, her eyes bulged it was awesome!

Also I love these black pants and they fit but were so tight I couldn't bend over in them or it would be ripped. They were THAT tight. Yesterday I couldn't help but bend over to show my mom just how well they fit now. And this morning I speed walk across the parking lot and I wasn't winded.  This is a little victory for me--I am very proud and happy I started this journey, though sometimes I feel like I'm torturing myself.

Doomsday and food!

December 16, will make one month since I start all of this. Sure my blogs doesn't reflect that but the blog idea didn't come until well after. So I have to weigh myself on December 16th.  I get butterflies every time I think about it. Even now as I write this I'm light headed.  But it has to be done. I think my greatest acheivement was when I started and weighed myself. I was shocked. I knew it would be bad but DAYUM!


Anyways so that's what December 16th is.  I know I lost some inches and people said they see a difference in my face. I personally don't see it but as long as someone is seeing it I will keep at it. My clothes are fitting better. Jeans that were tight around the hips are now a loose. I tested it, by machine washing them and toss them into the dryer to shrink and as soon as they came out I tossed them on.  They are still loose.  A shirt I bought thinking it would fit but couldn't get my arms through, now I can actually get my arms through the sleeves but they are tight so that's something.


It's getting easier for me to do Zumba now without huffing and puffing right away so that's good. I'm almost at Zumba Exhilerate! It looks good too! I am now going back and forth between Ripped and Activate. I HATE activate, it feels like excercise. Except the last like twenty minutes when we do Cumbia! lol. But it has to be done before I can go to the next.


Now for food.

Grapefruit Salmon w/Broccoli and Couscous and Sauted Tomato



This was so easy to make. Let me tell you what you what you need.

Ingredients

Half grapefruit

Broccoli

Salmon slices

Couscous

mixed vegetables

Tomato

Garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How to Prepare Salmon

• In a bowl, wash the salmon pieces in lemon water (you can also use vinegar).
• Put your non-stick skillet on (I know but we use this for everything). Add a little extra virgin olive oil
• Sprinke your Salmon the black pepper (ground pepper) and let them sit.
• Crush or beat your garlic and once the oil is hot, add your garlic.
• Add your salmon pieces (gently).  You want your salmon to get a nice brown colour on both sides.
• Then get a foil tin (you know those ones you buy at the dollar store for family get togethers?) and once your salmon has had a chance to get a nice colour on both sides, place them in the foil tin - or a deep baking tin and sprinkle with a little more ground pepper before adding your grapefruit juice. You don't need a lot of the grapefuit juice. Just the juice from a half. Squeeze it in a bowl first and remove any major pulp or seeds before using.
• Preheat oven at 350 and then put it in. After about ten minutes it should be finished.

While you wait for your salmon to soak it he grapefuit juice and cook on the inside, you must make your couscous. It doesn't take long to make so if you want it to be hot when you're eating don't start it until well into the cooking of your salmon. 

I like my couscous to have some colour so I added some frozen mixed vegetables.  So in a small put, add water, about a cup of water along with your frozen vegetable because you you want these to thaw and get soft.  Wait about two minutes after the pot begins to boil. 

• Once its boiling for a little bit, ad 1/4 cup couscous, stirr it and turn the stove off. Leave the pot on the hot burner and just let it sit there and soak up the water.

While this is happening you want to sautee your tomato, you don't have to add oil to your skillet. Just let it hot and toss the chunks of tomato in. Move them around so they don't burn or stick. After a couple of minutes you're ready to eat.

Recipe: Avocado Wrap w/ Lean ground beef and Spinach

 Avocado Wrap w/ Lean ground beef and Spinach

Ingredients:

2 cups LEAN ground beef

Half Red Pepper (sliced in chunks)

Spinach

One medium sized tomato

One tbsp Olive Oil (preferred extra virgin)

Two pegs from an avocado

Ground Pepper

Goat Cheese

1 small whole wheat tortilla

How to make:

First, rince your ground beef off in cold water. You can add a little lime juice to the water.  Then let it sit for a bit in a strainer to drain.

In a non stick Skillet, add the olive oil and spin the pot so it coats the bottom somewhat.  When heated, add ground beef.  Be careful it doesn't burn, so keep moving the meat around in the pot with a plastic spatula.

**Never use metal in a non stick pot

**Lean ground beef tends to generate a lot of water. If you find this is the case, use a strainer to get rid of the excess water.

Once you're sure the ground beef is cook, add your peppers and tomato. From time to time stir this to make everything mix in.

**If you find it is getting too dry, you can add about three tbsp of water

Next, add your spinach at the top. Do not stir it yet. Let the spinach cook from the heat and once that happens, stir it in.

Add pepper.

On top of all that, add your goat cheese. Do NOT mix it in. Just let it melt with the heat on top and turn the stove off.

In a bowl, add your two pegs of avocado. Using a cork you want to smoosh it so that it looks like a spread. Once that's done, get your small whole wheat tortilla and lay it on a dry surface. You want to coat your tortilla with the avocado.

Add some of your ground beef and roll it like they do in the diners.  To keep it rolled before you eat it, use a tooth pick to hold it in place.

Add a little of your ground beef on the side of your plate and voila!

This can serve as a dinner or lunch.