Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

   Is there some kind of surgery that turns taste buds off? If so, sign me up! I know I said I'd be back on track on Tuesday but it never happened. I'm still a bit sick so I can blame some of it on that, but really I'm just so lazy right now. I have no desire to cook - it's currently much more appealing to order in or eat whatever my Husband makes (Which is usually not low carb and seriously lacking in the greenery department).
     I wish I could say I'm fat because "X" happened or because I eat when I'm angry/sad/glad etc. because then maybe I could address it and move on. But isn't it possible that I'm fat because I just love the way unhealthy stuff tastes? I mean, I know all the health benefits of eating healthy I even feel better physically when I do, but I sometimes find the whole process of preparing and consuming said meals quite daunting. My brain is constantly telling me what I'd rather be having...That little voice is usually very convincing. Even my usual modes of motivation: blogging, thrifting, crafting are feeling like chores to me. I hate it! I need to get out of this funk!! I'm not sure how to move on from here but I don't plan on giving up just yet.

Holy Shit Maurice Sendak is still Alive!

I will admit before I saw him on Colbert last night I just assumed he died a long time ago...Come on you did too, right!?! Not only is he still alive, he's a total nut! I LOVE it...check out the video below.

Peeking out of my shell for a bit...

  I’ve been in such a funk this past week - quite literally, luckily you all can’t smell me. I’ve had no motivation to eat on plan let alone get out of bed. Without fail every time there is a major shift in the weather I get sick and this past week was no different. I’m much better today but now my little one is sick so we’re housebound together. I need to get my ass back in gear - Reaching my goal weight by my Birthday is pretty much a pipe dream now, but I’ll forge ahead (Starting tomorrow, ha!)  For today I’ll be crawling back into bed with my warm chocolate chip cookies and re-runs of Designing Women and Golden Girls…Good times.

On a good note I ordered a VitaMix blender from QVC and it arrives today!! Looking forward to consuming at least some of my meals through a straw. Anyone else have a vitamix?!

Low Carb Sugar Free Paletas de Coco!

    No other dessert evokes more memories of childhood for me than Paletas de Coco. I can clearly remember the sound of the bells as they inched closer to my house - the old man pushing the ice cream cart was the highlight of my day during the hot summers. I'm not a cook/baker by any means, but being on a low carb diet kind of forces you to get creative in the kitchen. I've been trying out different dessert recipes - most failures, until it dawned on me that I should try and makeover my all time favorite ice cream bar. The original recipe is super simple just three ingredients, but the main component was sweetened condensed milk which is basically a sugar BOMB. Then I remembered a post by Beeb over on Lowcarbfriends where she made SCM from table cream. Once that part was figured out the rest was easy peasy. Thanks, Beeb!

~*~*~Low Carb Paletas de Coco ~*~*~

What you'll need:

1 can Media Crema Table Cream (Threw the can out before I got the measurement, pretty standard though)

2/3 Cup Sweetener (I used Swerve which is basically Erythritol but measures cup for cup like sugar)

2 Tb Unflavored Whey Protein powder (I only had vanilla on hand so that's what I used)

1/2 Tb Vanilla

1 can 13.5-15oz can Coconut milk 

Unsweetened coconut shreds (optional)

*Optional add ins - Mango, Pineapple, Guava

Combine the first 4 ingredients and simmer over medium heat until it thickens - Takes a few minutes. To this mixture add the can of coconut milk, again simmer until slightly thicker another few minutes (It doesn't get super thick so don't go on thinking you need to cook it for a long time) Remove from heat and allow to cool about 10 minutes. Add as much or as little of the coconut shreds to the mixture as you like. Pour into molds and freeze.

These are very rich and creamy. Next time I will try the "Light" coconut milk from Trader Joes and see how I like them. That will shave off about 10 carbs from the total count.

Approximately 4.75 net carbs per bar

Right after I added the coconut milk

I was able to fill 4 traditional molds and 3 Rockets!

A Workout Story in Pictures and Words...

  Once upon a time there lived a family of "Losers". Mother loser despised all conventional forms of exercise and searched high and low for unconventional ways to enjoy time with her family and get their bodies moving. Then, she discovered Sky High. A magical place of many, many connected trampolines.

Lots of fun was had by the entire Loser family and their friends.

 

 

 Looking for further enjoyment the Loser family headed to "The Pit". The pit is also a magical place - a place where you can run, jump and fly through the air. But beware, the pit is also a dangerous place with many rules that if not followed will leave you in regret. The littlest Loser tried with all of his might to do a flip, but always came up short.

Mr. Loser was determined to teach his little one this awesome move. But, Mr. Loser didn't think he needed to follow any stinkin' rules so he jumped and flew how he saw fit.

In went Mr. Loser like an arrow through the wind straight to the bottom of the HARD pit floor...CLUNK! BANG! BOINK!

Don't worry folks, Mr. Loser is just fine. No broken bones. Just really, really sore. Leaving the pit bruised and battered but with humility in tact.

Pit 1 - Mr. Loser 0.

Tag, I'm IT!

   I was tagged by the Lovely Leigh from Poonapalooza. This is my first time being tagged, but I'm already going to have to break the rules - Yeah, I'm a rule breaker - Since I don't have a ton of followers, and I'm pretty sure most of them have already been tagged (according to my Google Reader at least) I'm going to go ahead and call out any of my follower/readers that have not yet done one. Consider yourself TAGGED YO!

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things yourself.
3. Answer the questions the tag­ger set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ blah blah blah, you legitimately have to tag 11 peeps!

~*~*~*~*~ 11 Random Things ~*~*~*~*~

1. I was in a movie with Brad Pitt! Ok, not exactly. Hubs and I were extras in Moneyball. We saw Brad, Jonah, Phillip and the dude from Parks & Rec. Brad Pitt and Jonah hill are SUPER nice and Brad looks BETTER in person.

2. I use to be on a rescue team for the Federal Government. Husband still is.

3. Relating to number two, I repelled off of Dumbarton Bridge (Local Bridge kind of near San Francisco) as part of training.

4. I hate olives

5. I’ve never seen Titanic

6. In elementary school I was part of a PBS special about African drums, but I’ve Never seen it!

7. In junior high our school won a performance by then unknown Backstreet Boys. Kids who sold a ton of fundraiser crap were given backstage passes to get autographs – they were tickets with special cougar paw (mascot) stamps on the back. I faked mine and drew one on the back and met them, Ha! Naughty, I know…

8.  Lakes freak me out - I’m always afraid something’s going to bite me. Oceans I love though, go figure!

9. I cannot watch 3D movies. They make me sick as a dog – Avatar put me down for a day.

10. I'm "Married" to a Skateboarder. He doesn't skate nearly as much as he use to, but it's definitely his first love (I've come to terms with that) You can see him in old Tilt Mode Army videos.

11. I’m super competitive when it comes to Board Games –Bring it!

~*~*~*~*~ Here were my questions/Answers  ~*~*~*~*~

What was your favourite food when you were a child?

I had a crazy, crazy obsession with butterfingers at one point in my childhood. I somehow managed to not only get like 10 of them at once, but ate them all in one sitting. I majorly upchucked shortly after and have NOT had one since, the thought of them actually makes me sick now.

What is one of your favourite quotes?  

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says "I'm possible"!" ~ Audrey Hepburn 

What is your favourite body part? 

I think I’d have to say my lips - I just need to start being braver with my lip color  

If you could stay a certain age forever, what age would it be and why?

Though I’m not quite there, I’d probably say 30. You’ve had enough life experience by this age to actually have an opinion on some things ;p 

If you could chose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

Oh man these questions are tough! But if I could sit down and pick the brain of someone the first person that comes to mind would be Leonardo Da Vinci. 

If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be?

So many! But since I just mentioned him I’ll stick with Leo – such a brilliant human being. But the girly girl in me really wants to say Johnny Depp, ‘cause well HELLO it’s Johnny Depp! 

What celebrity do you get mistaken for?

Is there a celebrity named Nobody? ‘cause that’s who it would be. As a child though I did actually get mistaken once for Tatyana Ali – Remember her? the youngster from “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”  The lady swore up and down I was her.

What would you name the autobiography of your life?

A life well thrifted! 

What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

A little portable cassette player with speakers that I would take to school and my Friends and I would listen to Color Me Bad, Digital Underground and Bell Biv Devoe. We thought we were the shiznit, lol.

What was the last experience that made you a better person.

When my Son was born. I learned to be a much more patient person

What was the last movie, tv show or book that made you cry or tear up?

 

What’s sad about this is that it wasn’t even a movie, but a trailer for a movie! Sandra Bullock’s new movie “Extremely loud and Incredibly Close” makes me tear up EVERY time I see it. I will NOT be watching it in the theaters because I will be a blubbering fool.

------------------------------------------------

Now should you choose to take on this mission here are my questions for you. Be sure to come back and let me know if you answer these!

1) What was your favorite cartoon growing up
2) If you had a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
3) Which one of the seven dwarfs do you relate to most? (Dopey, Grumpy, Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy, Sleepy)
4) What if your favorite Holiday and why?
5) What annoys you?
6) What was your first job?
7) What is your current favorite TV Show?
8) What do you love about yourself?
9) What was your first car?
10) Ocean, Lake, River or Pool where would you prefer to spend a hot day?
11) Does expecting the unexpected make the unexpected become the expected? (Thank you Philosoraptor for that mindfuck)

Peace out, Peeps! That was a lot of work!

~Christina

I got weighed today...

    Today I stepped on the scale and lost 8lbs! Before your head explodes, let me explain. I GAINED 6lbs during my two week eat-whatever-passes-within-grabbing-distance Holiday binge. I didn't really know what to expect but I'm thoroughly pleased. Not to mention I'm FINALLY under 190 - clocked in at 188. The two weeks prior to the break I was gaining and losing the same pound never breaking that 190 threshold. So, yeah. I'm stoked today.

   If anyone is wondering the only thing I did differently besides eating my usual low carb stuff is I really didn't snack much. Mostly because I was super busy with work, and because I wasn't really hungry. The first few days were definitely tough getting back on track but I was rocking along again by Wednesday. Drank lots of water and got as much sleep as possible. Those two things are really important for me in regards to weight loss - I consistently lose if I drink lots of water and get lots of sleep.

28lbs to go!

Ladies Who Lunch

    A friend invited me to lunch today - I haven't seen her in months. Funny how that works out; I live less than 5 miles from her but we manage to only see each other sporadically. We both lead pretty busy lives and I will admit I'm really bad about keeping up with people. The fact that I am not on Facebook surely doesn't help. The nice thing is whenever we see each other it's like we just hung out. We went to Specialty's. I had a chicken cobb salad. It was good.

The title of this post makes me giggle; I called myself a lady. If you all only knew...

I decided to dress up so please ignore my fat legs - I'm working on it!

Yes another headless photo- had no makeup on, bleh. On another note I've been living in this sweater since I got it. So cozy.

~Banana Republic Merino Wool Sweater, Thrifted $8

~Target Dress by way of Goodwill, Thrifted $6

~Tights, Ross

~Vince Camuto Oxford Wedges, HSN

Weigh in tomorrow....ruh-roh!

Apparently I'm color blind

    So...um, yeah I left my house wearing two different shoes today. Not two that were kinda similar in color, but one black and one bright pink. How I managed to make it out of my door and all the way to work before I noticed - I have no clue. Luckily, I work less than 2 miles from my house so I didn't endure any extra cockeyed looks before I made it back home to remedy the situation.

  I've mentioned before that my Boss takes us all to my FAVORITE Indian place for lunch every Friday. The fact that it's also a buffet on Friday's is super yummy cream cheesy icing on top. Yes, having naan inches away from my hands is a bit torturous - I have NO self control with the stuff so I don't even dare touch it. Someone asked me once what I eat when we go (I'm a low-carber) so I managed to snap a pic with my phone before I devoured the plate.

Salad with yogurt dressing/Steamed Veggies/Tandoori Chicken/Paneer Masala/Aloo Palak (Minus the Aloo)/and a teeny bit of Daal

Going to a Luau?

  So in keeping with my resolutions I decided to "dress up" today. You may look at my outfit and think that's dressed up? Yes, for me this is more put together. I wasn't lying when I said my daily wear is t-shirt and jeans. Quite literally jeans, converse and a a top usually made of cotton. When I walked into the office today my lovely boss remarks "Going to a Luau?" Apparently he thought I was really colorful today. I work with a bunch of dudes and I think that was his way of saying I look nice; at least that's how I'm choosing to take it.

My pup Colt decided he wanted to be in the pic too.

~Shirt, Thrifted $3

~Jeans, Ross $10

~Shoes Target $8 on sale

~Necklace, gift

 This top is a perfect example of my thrifting clothes golden rule: If you like anything about an item on the hanger - try it on. I passed this top up twice because 1) it's 2 sizes to big and 2) because I thought it looked a little bridesmaidish/matronly. I finally decided to try it on and I'm glad I did: It's comfy, hides my gut and I love the color. So many times I've passed on items because there was something I didn't like about it on the hanger. So now if I like anything about an item, and I can get into it I will try it on. This is a good  tip to keep in mind when clothes shopping in general. I did take this in a bit on the sides and the fit is much better now.

  Sorry about the decapitated look. It's been a long day; I have no make-up on and my hair's a mess so yeah not gonna see my face today.

Bleh

  The last few days have been ROUGH. The brain in my belly has been trying to convince the rest of my body to eat anything and everything. The mountain of motivation I had going into the Holiday break has apparently been packed away with the rest of the Christmas decorations. The fact that I've been so busy with work the last few days doesn't help either - I seem to be grazing through the day instead of having proper meals. Don't get me wrong; I'm not grazing on the bad stuff, but the act of eating what I'm eating seems to feel like such a chore because I can't eat what I really want. I hate complaining. I really do - So, I'll stop now because in the grand scheme of things food is just so not important. Ok, yes it's important - you need it to live and all that jazz, but obsessing about what I can and cannot eat just seems so inconsequential. I hate it.

  I was watching some show the other day (local news maybe?) anywho - they were giving out tips on how to make certain food items last longer. I found the tips online and thought I'd share them. Some of them I knew, but others I didn't. Hopefully someone else finds these useful as well.

Herbs

Herbs tend to be expensive, and you usually have to buy more than you need for one dish, so you want to make them last as long as possible. The best way to keep herbs fresh is to by storing them in whole bunches. First wash them, then seal them in zip lock bags and place them in the freezer. Storing them this way should keep them at peak freshness for up to a month. That's more than double them time they would last in the fridge. And when you are ready to use them, you'll find they are actually easier to chop frozen - and they'll defrost in a hurry once you toss them into a hot pan.

Flour, Rice, Pasta

Flour, rice and pasta aren't foods you typically have to worry about going bad anytime soon. Flour keeps for 6-12 months and pasta up to two years. But these foods are susceptible to little bugs called weevils. To help ward off the weevils try slipping a bay leaf into your storage container. The scent of the bay leave will help repel the bugs. Other items bay leaves will protect are barley, cornmeal and oatmeal. Most cereal products will be just fine for months with the bay leaves to protect them. Also consider scattering a few leaves on your pantry shelves to repel moths, roaches and mice.

Cheese

You probably never thought about putting butter on your cheese, but that's the key to keeping it moist when storing it in the refrigerator. Simple spread butter or margarine on the cut sides and you help seal in the moisture. This trick works best on hard cheeses sealed in wax.

Veggies

The reason these veggies wilt is due to water loss. The best way to re-crisp them is by putting them in ice water. You can let them soak in the ice water for up to a half hour. The ice water penetrates their cells and helps restore the crunch. Some foodies also suggest that tossing in a few slices of raw potato with the wilted veggies helps speed things up the re-crisping.

Salt

The key here is to keep the salt dry and keep it from clumping together. Anybody that lives down south where the humidity is particularly high probably has had their salt shakers clog up. If you put a little bit of dry rice in the shaker it will stop the salt from hardening. The rice works like a sponge, absorbing condensation that can cause clumps.

Stock up on butter

One staple you can stock up on when it's on sale is butter. If you shop in warehouse stores, such as Costco, don't be afraid to buy it in bulk. Butter will keep in your freezer for up to six months. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container or you run the risk of it taking on the flavor of other items in your freezer.

Cottage cheese

This tip goes for both cottage cheese and sour cream - neither have a very long shelf life, so here a way to make them last longer. Simply place the cottage cheese or sour cream container in the fridge upside down. What does that do? By inverting the tub it creates a vacuum effect that stifles the growth of bacteria that can cause the food to spoil.

Honey

This a great "did you know" for today: What is the only food that doesn't spoil? The answer: honey. The sugar in honey is itself a preservative. Honey is also acidic, which helps to keep bacteria out. While it doesn't go bad, all honey will crystallize at some point. But don't toss it out. The crystals are just sugar and with a little gentle warming you can make the honey clear again. Try microwaving it on medium heat for 30 seconds at a time.

Eggs

If you ever unsure of the freshness of your eggs -- maybe you don't quite trust the date on the carton -- there's a simple way to test the freshness. Fill up a container with water and place the eggs in it. Fresh eggs will sink; bad or spoiled eggs will float. According to the USDA website, an egg can float in water when its air cell has enlarged sufficiently to keep it buoyant. This means the egg is old, but it may be perfectly safe to use. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for an off-odor or unusual appearance before deciding to use or discard it. A spoiled egg will have an unpleasant odor when you break open the shell, either when raw or cooked. 

Full article here 

Resolución

     Here I am jumping on the resolution bandwagon. I never usually make these because, well obviously I tend to break them (Hello, that’s why I’m fat!) But since I’ve started blogging, and there’s that whole accountability aspect of it that I keep bringing up – I’m going to go ahead and make a list:

1.     Lose weight. Well, it’s a given but since it’s the main motivation behind this blog it does belong on my list. 
2. Start an Etsy store to hawk my wares. This is MAJOR. I’m running out of space in my house and there is simply no reason for me to hold onto vintage clothing items that are size 2 – I will never be a size 2. Plus, I’ve been thrifting like crazy lately and I need to support my habit.
3. Get serious about saving money. I work for a small start-up so I get a paycheck and nothing else. Thank Jeebus for my live-in lover Husband’s union or I wouldn’t even have health care.
4. Learn how to properly use my DSLR camera. I think I’ve taken auto mode as far as it can go. 
5.  Be More active outdoors. Notice, I didn’t say exercise more ;p
6.  ...And last but not least; Dress up more. This is a weird one for me. Day to day I tend to be t-shirt and jeans. Not because I don’t have a desire to dress up (and by dress up I mean be little more put together) At my current weight I have no desire to draw attention to myself. I flat out refuse to even buy clothing at this size because I feel like I’m giving in to this weight – so I end up recycling the same old tired outfits all the time. I’m definitely not one of those “I’m fat and I’m proud!” chicks that are embracing every roll and curve. I am starting to not care as much about what other people think – I even wore a dress for New Years which I NEVER do, but I’m much more comfortable in my skin at a lower weight; That I know for sure.

Well, I think there is enough here to keep me pretty busy. If the World doesn't swallow us all up - I think I might have a good shot at powering through these. Here's to 2012 and hoping we all reach at least one of our goals this year!

I found this pic online and I think it pretty much sums up blogging to a tee, ha!

Well Hello There 2012!

  Happy New Year, Folks! I hope everyone rang in the new year exactly how they wanted. We had a little get together at our house, mostly family and a few friends. It was nice because we so rarely get a chance to get the whole lot of us together (From my Dad’s side – immediate family.) We all have such busy day to day lives that we hardly ever get a chance to sync up, so yeah that made New Year’s that much more special. We busted out the old fire pit, hooked the kids up with long pointy sticks and marshmallows and let them go to town – The adults got to wash it all down with plenty of booze…Good times.

  My diet for the last two weeks was pretty much an EPIC fail. I had planned on just indulging on the two Holidays, but about two days into my vacation I said ‘Fuck it’ and ate like I was in a competitive eating contest every day – Yeah, pretty bad. I’m pretty sure I’ve gained about 5 or 6 pounds back. Oh well - Back on track today, right?!

In between boozin’ I took some pics ;p

My little nut.

 

 

Hubs and my Uncle

Aunt and Uncle

My Little Bro and my Step-Dad

Me and Laurence Fishburne my Dad, he really does look like LB in person not so much here.

 

Yes, this is my little brother with a pack of Fireworks in one hand and another one inching closer to his face. He's Autistic and tends to 'zero in' on objects, anyone with an autistic relative knows what that means.  I probably should have stepped in at this moment instead of worrying about getting a good pic, LOL. FYI he's fine the sparkler didn't get any closer than that.

This pic pretty much sums up the night, lots of empty booze cups and plenty of munchies. This is CA and we do have an unusually high amount of Medical Marijuana scrips in our family so munchies are a must hehe.