Epic adventures, we be jammin'!

Sorry for the extended absence! I've been adventuring and enjoying life these past few weeks! I was able to take of a bit of time off from work and travel with Coastie! It was absolutely wonderful, being able to spend time with him, his family, and our friends. We spent our time up in northern Michigan, in places we've lived and loved before. It's always a welcome adventure, especially together.

I wanted to share a recipe that Coastie and I discovered after picking strawberries last week. We picked at Kiteley Farms in Charlevoix, MI. Definitely recommend them for berries. We picked there a few years back as well, and the strawberries were just as good as I remember. This past week, we ended up with darn near 10lb. of strawberries! 

 http://kiteleyfarms.com/

Today, my mother and I picked about 18lb. After strawberries with Coastie, I was ready for more! We were up near the crack of dawn and on our way to Middleton Berry Farm, a local place. It was our first time picking there, and holy cow...so good! 

http://www.middletonberryfarm.com/

Soul-wrenching-slack-jawed-dear-sweet-baby-Jesus-so-good Strawberry Freezer Jam (otherwise known as the recipe on the back of the Ball Freezer Jar Box...whoop whoop): 

2.5 c. crushed strawberries

1 c. sugar or sugar substitute

3 Tb. instant fruit pectin 

(recipe yields 3 half pints)

Start with fresh picked strawberries. Seriously folks, store bought 'berries' have NOTHING on fresh picked goodies. Don't even try! :

Go ahead and wash/core your berries. The farm my mother and I picked at did not use pesticides, but there is still dirt and invisible bug poop you'll want to be rid of. :

Next, crush a bowl of berries with a potato masher. Don't worry about crushing too many, leftovers can always be enjoyed...immediately. Go on and reward yourself for all that hard picking! :

In a separate bowl, mix your sugar and pectin together. :

Add 2.5 c. of crushed berries into your dry ingredient mix, and stir for 3 minutes. :

Pour, cap, and let your containers set for about half an hour to set. I ended up with 12 half pints out of 9lb. of berries. I made three of them with Splenda for my Gramps, who suffers from Diabetes. Should make for a sweet treat! It will stay good in the freezer for about a year. In the fridge? Well...I'll just guarantee you it will be gone before it even has the chance to go bad. Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp!

Took another run today. 2.2 miles in approximately 30 minutes. I'm feeling great, but very tired. I'm also continuing to move as the night goes on. I don't want to cramp up like yesterday. No waddles, no thank you.

Thought I'd share my dinner recipe today. Holy cow was it good!

Cajun Grilled Shrimp 

All mixed in one bowl and marinated for one hour (two would be better, but I'm short on time and hungry!): 

• 1 lb. shrimp- peeled and de-veined 
• 1/3 c. olive oil 
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (your choice, no matter!) 
• 1 handful parsley - chopped fine
• dash of salt and pepper

On skewers after an hour: 

• Shrimp
• Sweet onion
• Red bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper

Grill on top of aluminum foil on medium heat. Easy clean-up and fights fire that jumps up to burn your precious shrimp! Grill on each side for about 4 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink. Nice and pink, but not rubbery and overdone, makes for perfect shrimp. Don't worry about the peppers and onion, I think they're better on the crispy side. Feel free to add any veggies you like to the skewers. Mushrooms would probably be good!

Enjoy!

Breakfast: 

1 c. Just Bunches

2 tb. chia seeds

1/2 c. milk

1 banana sliced over top

Lunch: 

1 grapefruit

1 lean cuisine: Chicken Carbonara 

Dinner: 

3 skewers cajun grilled shrimp w/ bell peppers and onion

Weigh-in: 148.8 lb

Feeling the Burn

Holy-cow were my legs tight today...and still are! I woke up waddling around the house. Stretching seemed to help a bit.

Today I dominated yoga, or as my friend April puts it..."P90X Death Yoga" I'm inclined to agree. Though I feel accomplished, I'm afraid to stop moving for fear of being unable to move. All that, an object at rest tends to stay at rest hullabaloo.

I wanted to touch on rewards. I think they're essential to obtaining results and reaching your goals. Rewards can be big or small, long or short term. I remember studying and doing homework in college. Two intense hours of biological anthropology and I could order Thai food from the world's greatest restaurant. Another paper written and I was allowed to go watch the sunset on Lake Michigan.

Now that I'm trying to loose weight, I need some long term rewards. A new wardrobe is a given. Cute and sexy underthings are definitely in my future. Though these things are all wonderful and exciting, I want something else for me and just me. A tattoo. I already have several, and I've been itching to get another. But I can't justify spending the money on a body I'm not terribly proud of yet. The day I can stand on the scale and look in the mirror and say, "Holy shit, I feel good." I will march into the tattoo parlor, sketches in hand.

Breakfast:
Egg-white breakfast burrito w/ mushroom and red onion
2 Tb. Salsa
1 c. Skim milk

Lunch:
1 grapefruit
1 grilled chicken breast
2 Tb. bbq sauce

Snack:
Popcorn again. What can I say? Creature of habit.

Dinner:
Mixed greens salad w/ grilled steak strips
2 c. skim milk

Lots of water all day! 

Exercise: 1.5 hours P90X yoga

Weigh-in: 150.2 lb

Back on the Trails

Trying a new approach...

P90X worked great for awhile, but it really is time consuming. That's not normally a problem most days, but there are some days I work until 5 or later, after a very early morning. So, I'm substituting a few days here and there with running. I figure, as long as I'm out there doing SOMETHING, it will be effective. There are county parks on my commute home, and there are a few different 2-3 mile loops that I can run. These take around 40 minutes at most. I also find I can keep my motivation up if I don't step into my house (and subsequently sit on the couch) first.

Also, I have a new method of accountability. I'll be keeping up with this blog more often. I know I've totally been slacking in this regard. But in addition, my boyfriend and I are texting one another everyday: What we've eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, what exercise we've done for the day, and our daily weigh in.

I know some say you shouldn't way yourself everyday. Weight fluctuates, water weight, etc. A lot of programs out there only advocate for a once-a-week weigh-in to avoid frustration. Honestly, I disagree. As long as you are weighing yourself the same time everyday, the weigh-in will be accurate. And it is better to know and be aware of your body everyday, instead of resisting the urge to see awesome results by the end of the week. I am certainly and advocate of bodily awareness. As long as you fully understand that your body will fluctuate, you can avoid that feeling of set-back. Progress will take time, and eventually, if you keep a record of your daily routine, you will see results.

Meals for Today: 

Breakfast: 
1 cup Just Bunches with 2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup milk

Lunch: 
1 1/2 cups scalloped potatoes with onions and red peppers
Large glass water

Snack: 
1 medium bowl air-popped popcorn (no toppings)

Dinner: 
2 drumsticks grilled chicken
1 cup grilled zucchini and onions

2 liters water throughout the day

Exercise: 
2.8 mile trail run

When I was running I about peed myself. Almost came foot to fang with a Massasauga Rattlesnake. Thankfully I could side-skirt it on the trail and hightail it out of there! Hearing a rattle is a pretty chilling noise...especially when you can't see it at first.

Weigh-in: 149.3lb