Saturday, December 22, 2012

Smoothie-licious

It's almost Christmas, the apocalypse didnt occur, and I still havent found my holiday cheer. I've looked everywhere for it. I even searched the twinkle in my kids' eyes and nothing! Bah humbug! Ok, it really isnt that bad. I just miss the holidays with my immediate and extended family. We'd all be together eating yummy foods my mom spent all night cooking. Somehow we'd end up at my grandmother's house laughing and laughing until nightfall. If my sister is in town we'd catch a movie at the theater :) the good ol' days. This year, though we are still in Germany, we are blessed to be able to spend it together. This is our 3rd Christmas here! Wow, does time fly.

So, this morning while making the family a delicious breakfast of homemade pancakes, hash browns, eggs and sausage...whew... I whipped up an egg white omelete and a smoothie. Yep, I know you're jealous! I wanted to show you how amazing my fake bullet blender is. I posted on facebook awhile back about how to turn an ordinary mason jar and your blender into your own magic bullet. You simply find a glass mason jar, unscrew the base of your blender where the blade is and screw it onto the  jar. Of course fill it with your yumminess before screwing the blade on the top then flip it onto the blender. Viola! My mason jars are actually Classico pasta sauce jars from the grocery store. Be sure to find ones that fit your blender. The only ones that worked for me are the ones with the tin lids. These are actual mason jars that say mason on them under the label. Here are the pics of the progress and the recipe for my newest combination.














Fruity Tooty Nice and Smoothy Recipe

1 banana
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup frozen fruit
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
handful of fresh spinach*
1/2 c V8 juice*

*not in the smoothie pictured, but normally added to my smoothies

Sometimes I have to take the jar off and give it a good shake and then finish blending. Also, remember to add the liquid ingredients last so they end up at the bottom of the jar after you've flipped it.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Be safe and kiss your loved ones a couple of extra times...why? Because they arent zombies... YET!

CIAO!







Monday, December 3, 2012

determination & motivation

Im determined and motivated to do so much in my life. I've accomplished more than I thought possible... except... why they hell can't I finish this damn book?! HA! Why can't I finish an entire pan of brownies? Ok, I can, but I dont. I want to, but I know it's not the smart thing to do. I'm on this weight watchers kick. I downloaded the app onto my iPhone so I can scan products and track my points on the go. I've been doing a decent job. I'm back to the weight I was before I got knocked up with my last kiddo. I've got about 25-30 more to go before I reach my pre-twin pregnancy weight.

It's not always easy to get in a workout chasing the twins and juggling a baby. Yes, that may seem like a workout in itself, but that's just my sanity running on a treadmill. Luckily, I've been able to workout on a pretty consistent basis. Kathy Smith and that crazy lady from Turbo Jam have been my DVD saviors; kicking my fat ass into gear and motivating me with their tight abs. Abs I wont see again without surgery...thanks to those twin demons! I do believe that getting a good workout can happen unexpectedly. After baking that delicious pineapple upside down cake my oven began smoking due to some of the cake dripping over to the bottom. Germany homes aren't known for their ventilation systems. Once the smoke started filling the room it was only seconds before the smoke detectors began blaring. I opened the windows and turned on all of the fans, but they just kept going. So for 25 straight minutes I fanned the 3 smoke detectors using my big couch pillows. Gabby tried to help with her baby blanket, but I dont think it worked. Finally, my husband came to my rescue and made it all stop. The next day I couldn't figure out why my shoulders, back and triceps were in such agonizing pain. Felt like I had been hit by a bus! Then it hit me (not the bus, the answer) I was fanning those detectors with such ferocity that I actually grabbed a quick workout!

I am very thankful for the friends I've met here in Germany. Not only do they cook great delicious foods, but they invite me over all the time to tease me with them. They mock my flab with their tantalizing delicacies. Their names will be protected, but not because they are innocent! The reality is, without them I wouldn't have the motivation to get up on Saturday morning and fight the freezing Germany weather just to hop on a spin bike. Without them, I wouldn't have anyone to complain to about my lack of weight loss. Ok, enough talk of me losing weight. It's time to start dinner :)

Ciao!