Art and Food

Elijah made "Flax-Banana Muffins"

Remy made mouse pancakes with dates. :)

Elijah's seals and walrus:

Remy's Balloon man, he came up with this all on his own. I kept watching him to see what he would do. He brought the balloon home from Taylor's that day when we made the solar system with her.

I am caught up to the point now that I can show photos of our trip to Florida! :)

WEEK 11!!!! At this for almost 3 months now!

Yes, my sweet bloggy pals, it is time for the weigh in.

Week 11! Can you believe that? I knew I would get to this point when I started. Staying with something isn't hard for me. If I want to do it, I can. I did try to lose weight with just excercise for almost 3 months with NO results. But now I know why. :)

As soon as I lose the first 20 pounds I am writing up a whole "how I am doing it" post. PROMISE!

Okay! I now weigh in from 194 down to 177.2!!!!!!!!!!

That is 16.8 pounds lost! OH MY GOSH!

I was wondering where the weight was coming off as I stepped on the scale this week. I did my regular arm, thigh, bust, waist, and hips measurements. And no inch loss in those areas. Which only left me with my HIGH and LOW belly fats!

So I measured.

High Belly Fat: last week 35 - to now 34!

Low Belly Fat: last week 44.5 - to now 44!

High BF started out at 37 and Low BF at 47!!!! That is alot of fat off of the tires folks!!!

Now after I measured this morning I noticed something in the huge mirror in my bathroom. My love handles on my side and back at my waist are almost GONE! I mean it! Almost gone!

I have to lose 3.5 pounds I think to be at that 20 pound mark. I can so see that my the end of October. Which has been my mini goal for a while.

I would love to be 150 by Christmas. But I know I will be above that. But hey 160 would be fun!

Now let's talk about this week. Oh my gosh! I was craving things like a mad woman. I know I am close to my time of the month. And this happened last month the same way. It is like a mini pregnancy. I want to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat. What I did was to save about 200-300 calories two different nights for the cravings. I ate those "treats" early in the evening, as to burn off more of them. I had the smallest slice of cake with a glass of milk one night. The other night I had an ice cream bar. Ice cream bars are better. Why? Because who wants to measure out the little half or 1 cup they allow you for the calories on the panel? It looks so sad, so small, and alone in that bowl. *LAUGH* The bar is ready to go. You know what it contains. And you can ravish it like the beautiful woman you are! And I did! *laugh* I ate that ice cream bar up! I laid back and savored each bite. I let it melt and actually took the time to taste it.

That is also something that is now a habit. I am hungry for my meals. But now I take my time to chew them. To enjoy them. It is what eating should be. Food is supposed to taste good. To make you feel good all over. But I know this was gone. Yes, I thought food was good. But I would stuff it in and then forget about it. Now I am planning those meals. I put even more love into them when I eat them. I make them pretty.

I hear so many people say how nothing is good. How eating out is no longer good. But they continue to eat out and to eat the same things. This is because their body is addicted to the fleeting stuffed feeling they get. Being over full is an addiction! I realized this at about week 8-10 if I remember right.

My sporty friend Myka and I talked about this and she was like YEA, you have to have a little hunger pain before you eat. She is right!

I also have a sneeking suspicion that when you have that small naw (the hungry feeling) before a meal that you will digest that meal more throughly. Just hear me out. There is nothing else in there. I have eaten 90% of the time healthy whole foods. It doesn't have manufactured crap that is still hanging out. I am not just eating cause it is time. Or because I am emotionally at need to feel full to the brim. I just think the digestive juices are flowing better. Of course, I will research this. :)

But I really feel that my lower amount of food is being used better. I can seriously feel the nutrition absorbing into me as I eat. I have always been super aware of my body inside and out. But I had lost that art with my belly.

Now at a meal I am full. But not stuffed. There is a difference. I have eaten until the hunger has left. I eat slowly and enjoy every single bite on my plate. I don't crave for anything else. How many times have I ate a crappy heavy food that was more than half my caloric need for the day and still felt like I needed something? Even though I felt like I might throw up from the meal? So many!

So at week 11 I can say the biggest thing is that I am losing my love handles. I can see it! And I am enjoying my meals, allowing them to nourish me, and dealing with my emotions with excercise and actually letting out my fustrations.

I can't wait to fill my buggy with lots of yummy veggies today. It is again a love affair I have found again. Shopping for the pretty foods that will nourish my family.

Now let's look at some of the things I have eaten this past week. As you can tell I haven't starved. And yes, my kids eat the same things.

This is the Mozzarella and Baby Bella mushroom quesadilla with a LIGHT salad.

Now that is really a lot of food. But I know what is in this! I know how it was cooked. It doesn't have the hidden fats and that mess in it from a restuarant. And I was very mindful to make this healthy. I was happy full but not stuffed. I even had a glass of soymilk and some vanilla wafers for dessert that day.

This is the Oven-Roasted Vegetables with yum-o bread!

Here it is with all that pesto and lemon juice coating it. All ready on it's foil bundle.

But add some feta and YUM-O!

This is really alot of food! But it is food that is used well and that repair and nourishes you. It feels good going down. :)

Ta- Da!

Now all you have to do is ENJOY! The juices are YUMMY on that bread. You can even add in some chicken or tofu, whatever. I would just grill or sear it first.

And this was my cheat meal of the week!

Cashew Tofu. Made just the way a little place in my hometown makes it. But a lot better for you!

This is of course a cheat because the tofu is FRIED and the yummy white rice. You can't imagine how good this is.

Okay, that is my 11th week! As you can see I am EATING. I know you had your doubts. HA HA! I may even have a healthy dinner out tonight if Mattmos feels so inclined. :)

See you all next week!

OH! About 2 weeks ago I fit into a size 14. Started at a tight 18! The thing is this. Before at 194ish the pants wouldn't have fit over my thighs! You wouldn't believe how slim and good I looked! I almost bought them. But darnit, I don't want to stay in them long. I know I will have to buy things soon because nothing is fitting. But I will wait as long as possible. :)

Bowling, a Swim Party, and a Day to Ourselves.

On the 27th:

Sabrina and I took the kids to bowling. Sherri we missed you! :(

Eli doing a victory dance.

Tucker is the easiest baby. He can go and enjoy a whole day with the big boys. Love you sweet boy! You will always be special in Aunt Eha's heart!

The 28th:

Brought my small get together for my birthday. Sabrina will not be here for my birthday on the 10th so she gave me a small party where I was surrounded by all of my children I love and adore! Some were missing...but we had a house full!

Silly String is a blast!

Mikey has really gotten into the water the past few swim days. :)

And he always makes this unsure face. Cracks me up!

Mikey and I started playing this game he made up and now he has everyone play it with him. He jumps to you from the steps and you must take him down to the ladder. He will then climb up the ladder and you have to swim as fast as you can to the steps because he is coming FAST to jump in. And you better be there!

I love this photo of Sabrina with her boys. Her face looks so sweet. What a dear woman she is to me. We just have so much fun and she knows my heart inside and out! She even puts up with my fits! HEE HEE! And I had a major blowup before the party over a cake with Matthew. LONG STORY! Anyway, it is nice when you have someone who knows you and they love you any way! It is a perfect example of Christ's love in my opinion. :) And he makes only a few of these people for you in a lifetime. Enjoy them when you find them. Treat them with lots of love and respect. And never take them for granted. They make up for the crap others may put you through. They make life sweeter!

Matthew shot this of me by the pool...not HALF bad!

Sabrina had went to nap with Tucker, the baby. I had Mikey with me swimming. The little fella fell asleep in the pool with me walking him around! We took his swim trunks off in the water, wrapped him in a towel, and I laid him with his mama for a long nap.

Matthew and the kids had fireworks.

We even had 15 glowsticks in the pool! PRETTY!

My crazy silly boy Eli had all the kids making "cuppy's" which were cups with faces pressed into them with a fingernail. They then floated these in the water and played a strange game. I love kids!

Matthew took me to another movie. I saw the movie "Wanted" and we loved it! This is me with my party hat right before we left. Hee hee...

Sunday the 29th:

We just enjoyed a slow paced day. We had a light summery meal that ended with this!

We also started our puzzle and had a movie night with the boys.

Today the started with me finding this critter in the baby plants we had planted. He had almost eaten them all! YIKES!

The boys made this...they are getting GOOD!

We worked on the puzzle. I only have to start working on it for them to join me. :)

We then made vegan corn dogs. :)

First you cut them up and stick toothpicks in them.

Then you roll them in cornstarch so the batter will stick.

You make up a mixture of:

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1 TBs sugar

1 Ts salt

1 1/2 cups soymilk

And then you dip!

You need enough HOT HOT HOT oil to cover the baby corndogs and then you fry until golden brown!

Who said that vegetarians couldn't have junk food??? I plan on making these to take to the fair this year. My boys can never have a corn dog but now they can!

All day today we heard a cat making horrible noises. I found the source. A ferile cat trying to eat baby birds and birds pecking the mess out of him! He is a juvenile cat and so pretty! I have tamed so many cats...wonder if he could be?

Looks like someone dropped him off and he is hungry! Ticks me off so bad! Guess we will set out food at night!

Brina is gone now...back home...and we should be back to normal. If you have called or emailed I am getting back to you. It has been a busy 2 weeks! ;)

Remy has had 4 days off of school...don't ask me how I managed that. He cried and told me he wanted it today, so I guess he will be back at it tomorrow. Eli finished his 3rd week (lesson 15) on Friday and today he started his 4th week. He has almost been at it for a month and it still rocks! YAY!

Finishing up Abraham & Joseph and Empanaditas

We had a really good weekend. On Saturday the kids had some friends over to swim. And I didn't get photos because I was one of the wild and crazy kiddos. *blush*

Sunday daddy was off of work and we had the weekly shopping trip to do. I am pretty excited about some of the things I have planned to make and eat for dinner. Dinner, or as some would correct me, supper is fun for me. I love to prepare it and eat it. :) I have been taking photos of meals lately, but I run out of time to post them. And then Matthew clears my memory card so I can take more photos. *laugh*

A few weeks ago we had our annual used book fair with our local homeschool group. We went and I found a few things. We spent $7.

I am excited about reading the REAL wizard of Oz story. We read a little bit of it in a reader Eli had in 2nd grade. We all looked at each other with shock! It was so good and so much better. The used book we bought was from someone who used it for sonlight in kinder. And it make me think of my friend Heather who uses Sonlight with her children. :)

We also got:

*Little house on the Prairie comprehension questions

*bedtime bible

*book about a bunny

*folk medicine

*2 abeka K books

I always like to go to this because I can walk around and see what everyone is using. And it is funny how when I see a friend's booth I know for sure it is theirs by what is on it. The neat homeschool moms are indeed the neat teachers. :)

We had our map work today. It shows Abraham's journey from Ur to Canaan, and Joseph from Canaan to Egypt.

Remy's:

Eli's:

I am noticing Eli's work becoming neater and more thought out everyday. His growth is just so visual for his father and I.

Eli read a book about Joseph and Abraham to Remy today. I have taken to allowing this special time between them lately. Eli reads just as well, if not better than I do now. And Remy loves to cuddle next to him and hear the story. He aspires to being a good reader like everyone in his family. And he works hard at it. This reading time also allows for free conversation between them without me and Eli is passing on knowledge which is good for him to learn so he can pass on this giving of knowledge to his family and learn leadership skills in a family context.

They liked this map in the back of the Joseph book. It is neat to Eli to be able to look at things and know them because he has studied it. :)

We had our snack time. Remy found these Indiana Jones PopTarts at Target on Sunday. I think PopTarts are gross and unnatural...but what do I know...

Remy and Eli did this with shells while I was on the phone at some point.

The kids finished up reptiles and moved on to birds today.

Remy colored his bird like a "parrot". And Elijah said his was a Cardinal, but a Cardinal would be taller than the picture was and it would have more of a mockingbird shape instead of the sparrowish shape on the picture.

UH - Okay! *laugh*

I didn't know he had been paying that much attention to the birds lately. I love it.

Eli has been BEGGING for Empanaditas lately. So here for your viewing pleasure is the process by which I make them. They are quick and kid friendly. We make them vegetarian but you could easily make them for the meat eater.

Start with a couple of green onions.

Cut them up into small Slices and cook them with your "meat" in some olive oil. I didn't have my usual "meat" so I used Fantastic's boxed kind. If you use crumbles or real meat add a package of taco seasoning.

It will look like this when done.

Transfer it to a bowl and add a 1/2 cup of cheese, 2-4 TBS. of salsa, and as much cilantro as you want. Matthew hates cilantro, I love it. *Hee hee*

Next you take JUMBO biscuits in a can and roll them out on light flour into 6 inch circles.

Add some of your "meat" mixture.

Have a small bowl of water within reach and use it to close and crimp the edges with a fork.

Now they are Ready for the oven. Cook them according to the biscuit package in temp and time.

They are done!

I always serve with a salad as they need something fresh to go with them.

Now watch them become invisible!

It was a great day...I thought I would leave you with a ready for bedtime Remy. :)