I am switching it up a bit!
i moved over to http://mariposa-whatdoieatnow.blogspot.com
come and check it out!
Hip Hop Abs- Day 10 & 11 OH NO I Didn’t January 14, 2008
Oh no! I didn’t! No pics. No measurements. No nothing.
I was on a frosting kick. With EnviroKids animal crackers. At 2 am this morning. With a tupperware container filled with gooey and smooth chocolate frosting in one hand and a box of crackers in the other. Surfing the web and not being able to sleep. I suddenly looked down at what I was eating and realized why I had not lost any inches at all in my 10 Day game plan. Do I feel any different? Do I look different? How is my energy? Oh no, no, no. Cut me one small piece of slack it is that time of month and I’ve been an emotional wreck this weekend. So I felt I was justified in demolishing chocolate soy pudding and animal crackers on Friday, 4 (yes I counted) cupcakes with the most amazing frosting on Saturday, and then whatever horrific dessert I allowed myself last night.
But at least I worked out?
I try to keep myself upbeat and happy most of the time, due to the fact that my amazing boyfriend pushes me to keep thinking positive, keep looking at the sun, don’t let anything bring me down. I would say about 75% of the time, this works. The other 25% of the time I do exactly what I did this weekend, sabatoge my own efforts with unhealthy eating and binging. Then coupled with this my own self image dwindles down to shaky at best and I self conciously cover my stomach at all costs. Hoodies, tunic tops, big coats, were all my friend this weekend.
As I was sadly dumping the remains of my frosting in the trash can I remembered my commitment that I made to myself to be the healthiest person I could be and that meant changing the way I thought about food and how I dealt with my food cravings.
My promise today is to renew my commitment to HHA and healthy eating. Just because frosting is gluten and dairy free doesnt mean it’s healhty. And just becuase it’s in front of me, doesn’t mean I have to eat it.
I’ll pump it up for the next three days and see what my results are then. And every time I have a craving for something sweet, I’ll be strapping on my iPod and dancing until the craving goes away. I have plenty of practice to do anyway! I have dance practice on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Yesterday when I did HHA my knee did not bother me at all, so I am looking foward to a pain free dance party tonight.
Hip Hop Abs Day 9- Building Balance with Foxtrot January 11, 2008
Last night I had to go practice for the upcoming show in February. Foxtrot is my demon! But I am bound and determined to learn it! So instead of doing a long workout I opted to stick with simply the Ab Sculpt and some Pilates after that. The Ab Sculpt I think is the hardest toning video in the HHA collection. There is one move that last for three minutes that gets me every time I do the video! The Flava Flav! Sounds like a bad actor, but it does kill the abs and legs, hiking your knees up and down for three minutes. You are pretty much running across the floor, hoping you don’t trip and fall! Shaun T says you WON’T fall because you are building strong abs and I believe him but only because I haven’t fallen yet. It was tough to do only for the sake of my knee, but I had my brace on and I think that helped again.
Later on in the night it was time to really dance. When I first envisioned doing the foxtrot I thought it would be easier than what it is. I have seen countless competition performances of foxtrot. Love Dancing with the Stars. Foxtrot is a beautiful graceful way to skim around the dance floor. The dress swirling around the feet, the natural rise and fall of the dance. It’s amazing! No such luck learning it when your partner’s favorite smooth dance is the foxtrot! He is really cracking down on every technique for the dance. My posture, my knees, my weight being centered. He adjusts my head my neck, I feel like a mannequin and even joked about attaching puppet strings to my legs and hands to make it easier on him and me! But his eyes light up when he is dancing foxtrot and I know he is only being picky because he loves it. And wants me to look great doing it. What is the hardest for me to stomach is as much as I love dancing, it isn’t completely natural yet. And I am terrified that it will not be natural ever. I knew I should have stuck with dance classes when I was younger. Learning to follow is one of my big challenges as well as spinning. I am scared to fall when I spin- or lose my balance. So I have to work harder than probably most people he has dealt with for performing.
Things I need to work on: grounding my feet when I am turning, reaching back and lowering the knees when I’m doing the basic foxtrot steps, and also keeping my body up and my head to the left at all times. And of course last but not least and the most important- following!
Hip Hop Abs- Day 8 and Feeling Better January 10, 2008
I strapped on my knee brace last night in hopes of making it through a workout without pain. I had taken a break from the rigors of Hip Hop Abs in order to rest my bum knee. I have a show in February so I can’t afford to blow my knee out before then. Or any other time for that matter! So last night I needed to workout, I was craving it. It’s a beautiful sickness I think, feeling the need to work out. Without that “high” I get from sweating and burning calories I would surely weigh four times as much as I do now. I have a horrible sweet tooth and can not seem to pass up chocolate for anything. So it is essential I work out to counteract all the sugar I put in myself.
I only did the Fat Burning Cardio Level 1 tonight. I could handle Shaun T’s pumped up attitude, although I am tired of hearing the same lines over and over again. I know it’s a recorded DVD but can’t I get some variety? Guess not. My knee behaved wonderfully the whole time and I barely felt a tiny twinge in it. I don’t have my new sneaks yet, it will be a couple of weeks before I can but them, but I’ll live till then I think.
After that workout was over I did two circuits of a strength training workout that I got from this month’s Women’s Health. I love this magazine because all of their models are what I want to look like. Their bodies are always wet, shiny, and sleek looking. It’s probably body oil and lighting techniques but I love how they are all cut and strong. They have great workouts, no bull-crap eating plans, and really funny headlines to their stories. I wish I could someday work there!
Tonight I will be ballroom dancing again, so I think I am only going to do the Ab Sculpt before I go. Will get some extra calorie burn in to counteract that Swiss White Chocolate bar I ate (ok- I admit it… I DID!!!). But I have my plan for a healthy dinner, so I think I will be all set.
Hip Hop Abs- Dance Till Your Knee Falls Off January 5, 2008
Well it’s finally happened. I need dance sneakers ASAP! I’ve been wearing my running sneakers that I got last year just after getting back from vacation in …. like… who knows when really. So the sneaks are probably on their last lace, and I’m hopping around like a crazy person on them. Last night I did the Fat Burning Cardio Level 2. I think that will be the last time I do that until about Monday or Tuesday. I was done and my knee felt like jello. I’ve had some problems with my left leg; a cyst on the back of my knee- which gets bigger and smaller from time to time. A hairline stress fracture on my foot. Two years ago my doctor gave me a do or die scenario, and I think I chose to die instead. I needed physical therapy for the fracture and instead I went to ballroom class. I never went to PT. My leg has also been randomly swelling up to the point where I thought I had a blood clot! But again, the doc suggested PT! So I decided to do a Hip Hop Abs challenge instead!
At any rate, my knee was toast last night and very sore when I got up today. But I really am feeling a big difference in my abs so far, and my thighs I swear are smaller! So although I am excited over that, I am worried I may do some serious damage to my knee.
This morning I had a “dance lesson”. In February I am performing a couple of dance numbers at my father’s fundraiser show. We have the mambo, foxtrot, and then a showcase number. Our showcase number is going to be A-MAZ-ING! I can not divulge any secrets to that so far because it is so good, it has to be hush hush. But my first foxtrot lesson went very well. I picked up a lot of steps right away, and some I just over think and screw up on. But learning the foxtrot was always one of my big dance goals, beside the Viennese Waltz.
But right now, as I am massaging my knee I am only thinking one thing. How to make it to February. No more HHA until Monday at least because we are going to practice again in the morning. Wish my left knee good luck!
Hip Hop Abs Day 6- I’m getting tired! January 4, 2008
Ok, so today I decided to over do it at work. How is that possible when I have a pretty nonchalant easygoing desk job? Well I overate! And all the wrong foods! Argh! I hate it when I do that! But how can I pass up full on vanilla bean ice cream from Breyer’s? And chocolate cake with butter-creme frosting? There was a baby shower for a woman in the IT department and of course there was cake, there was ice cream, and there were chips! Thankfully I stopped short at the sugar infested fruit punch, but how does the girl with Celiac and a dairy allergy manage to eat junk food and survive? I came prepared and took Claritin and Tums before I even walked into the room. So then I knew all I would have to deal with was a slight stomache later on. And I did have a small piece of cake and only a little ice cream, but the chips killed me. I was in a sweet and salty mood I think!
So when I got home I vowed to work out harder to make up for it. I popped in the Level 1 Hip Hop Abs Fat Burning Cardio to follow it up with the Level 1 Ab Sculpt. I did both and survived it! I was bouncing and bumping along to the music- which at this point, I’m a little tired of Shawn T’s voice, so I change the sound to make his voice lower than the music. And then after I worked it, I killed it again I think. I opened a bag of Garlic Plantain Chips. Sigh. And ate a piece of chocolate!
Tomorrow I will make up for it. I’ve packed a healthy lunch and will be working out again!
On day ten I will be posting up measurements and a new pic of the abs. I know you are all excited, I just want to see if doing ten workouts makes a difference!
I Need New Cookie Sheets! January 4, 2008
Another baking mix crossed my path the other day, actually right before Christmas! I have just been so busy trying to diet and not think about sweets I failed to write about these little goodies faster! I have a love for all things chocolate for sure, but I do love sugar cookies just as much. Sugary and sweet vanilla all in a little cookie set to satisfy any craving. So when I had the opportunity to try Gluten Free Essentials Sugar Cookie Mix, I jumped on it. I had a family Christmas gathering in a few days and needed some cookies!
These cookies were very simple to make with just a stick of butter (Earth Balance stick margarine thank you very much!) and a couple of eggs. Again, to make them totally vegan please see their website to get proper egg substitutes. www. gfessentials.com.
When I opened the package the familar scent of sugary vanilla cookies sprang at me and I was giddy with the thought of yummy vanilla sugar cookies. I mixed up the dry mix, eggs, and margarine and placed the cookie dough in the fridge for safe keeping. Thirty minutes later I pulled them back out with some help from the Peanut. We rolled the cookies up and placed them on the cookie sheets. I made normal size cookies and she made little pint size cookies of course because they were cute to her! The directions called for cooking them for about 9-12 minutes or until they browned on the edges. Soon the house was filled with the delicious smell of warm vanilla. YUM!
Sadly, I discovered a slight problem. I need new baking pans. I have one new one, and several older ones. The older ones did not bake the cookies too well, burning the edges and the cookies came out flat. All the cookies on the new cookie sheet were perfection. Soft and chewy, warm and gooey. Would I be able to hang on the cookies until the next day? Yes I did! I packed them up after sampling one, ok two. My Italian grandmother raved about them, asking how I made them. Was it a mix? What do they have in them? I said not much and laughed. Well she had more than one and I had a few more.
Lesson learned? I need to go shopping to get new baking pans before I make any more cookies! Another lesson learned? GF Essentials is becoming my favorite baking mix little by little…
Hip Hop Abs- Day 4 & 5 January 3, 2008
I did do Hip Hop Abs on the 31st! I swear! It was mid-afternoon on New Years Eve, we got out of work early enough for me to go home and get a workout in. So there I was at 3 pm, sweating up a storm. I am still sick, the remainders of my cold being hacked away in a rather annoying cough. But I was still kicking and bouncing along to the music. I opted to do just the Level 1 Fat Burning Cardio- which is 30 minutes long because I knew I would be dancing that evening. I was right! I was dancing for almost 2 hours straight, in high heels and a fancy outfit. Burning those food calories away! But I made it through the workout. My stomach is feeling stronger from that too!
Today I warmed up my workout with some Pilates and stretching. When I build muscle, the muscles can get tight so it is always good to stretch so you make them long and lean. Pilates also works the core just a bit more- so it’s like extra help for those tummy muscles!
One thing I did notice after I started doing the jumping jacks was my problem with jumping jacks was back! No matter when I’ve gone pee, how many times I’ve gone pee; the second I start doing jumping jacks, I’ve got to pee again! No lie! I could have gone through the whole workout if I didn’t do jumping jacks! But instead, I stopped twice. Somehow it makes me think of shaking a coke can to get every last drop.
Day 5 is over. My stomach is feeling stronger already. I am turning over a new leaf with my eating habits. The days of over eating are GONE. I am committing myself to be healthy again. Join me in saying, “eat your veggies! not your chocolate!”
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice December 31, 2007
The day before New Years is always a glutinous day I think, where people binge on the last of their holiday candy and chocolates, and are writing their resolutions for the coming New Year. It was no exception at my house where we all have a serious sweet tooth that begs for brownies and chocolates, sweet frostings and candies. I was horrified when I found out I had celiac and a dairy allergy, for life without sweets was life without meaning. I’ve slowly been discovering even if I can’t have certain flours and dairy products I can still eat fairly normal. So when I found the Spice Cake mix from Gluten Free Essentials, I was excited. It would be perfect with the GF Essentials Lemon Glaze for a sweet treat for a last night of foolish eating with my entire family. I am a big lover of pumpkin spice, ginger, cinnamon, or anything to remind me of Christmas holidays.
The recipe calls for the dry mix, 2/3 cup applesauce, 1 stick of butter, and 2 eggs. However in the recipe directions it says to add 1 cup of applesauce?? I shrugged my shoulders too at the typo. I melted the butter (I use Earth Balance “butter”) added it to the eggs and applesauce and whirred away with my mixer. Then I poured in the heavenly dry mix. The smell of pumpkin pie spices wafted up to my nose (which although is still severely stuffy from a very convenient New Years cold) and I took a deep breath. This was Christmas. I was mixing away and stopped when it seemed all blended together. Yes, I tasted the batter and NO, I did not double dip with my sniffles! I used two clean spoons! Satisfied, I poured it into a 9×13 pan and was surprised that it covered the whole bottom of the pan plus some. My usual beef with other gluten and dairy free mixes is that it makes SMALL cakes (8×8 or a pretty flat 9×13), but this was not the case here. I tossed it into the oven and hoping it wouldn’t overcook, I set the timer for the bare minimum time- 25 minutes. My mother drifted through the kitchen several times wondering when the spice cake would be done. She too wanted dessert although we had all just eaten enough to last two days. While the spice cake was baking I whipped up the lemon glaze. It called for melted butter and water only, very simple to mix up! Normally I do not like lemon glazes because they are too lemony and overpowering. I don’t like foods that twist my face or make my lips pucker, so I was nervous about this and planned on tasting only what I had to reivew and leaving the rest for my mother who loves anything lemon. I sampled the frosting (with a clean spoon!) and was totally taken back. The lemon flavor was light and sweet, not heavy and sour. The lemon was not overpowering enough to make me want to hand the bowl over to my mother. When the spice cake was done (I left it in for 28 minutes and it was perfectly done, slightly brown on top and moist in the middle!) I cut up three pieces for my parents to share for dessert. I drizzled the lemon glaze on top and handed it over. I cut myself a small piece and drizzled the glaze over it and took my first bite. The light lemon glaze expertly complimented the sweet and pumpkin-spicy cake underneath it. It was so good I needed a second piece! My parents both raved over it, my mother saying, “you would never know this is free from everything!” Mission complete! This was a hit and will be purchased again for tasting delights!
the ice skating pond was made by the Peanut turned Picasso!
Merry Christmas Cake December 30, 2007
The week before Christmas I was busy preparing for the upcoming holiday, wrapping presents and writing cards, and being my general busy self. I was trying to think of what to make for desserts for the following week when a box arrived on my doorstep. It was a baker’s delight, filled with baking mixes of all kinds. There was frosting, there was vanilla cake, spice cake, pancake mix. I was in my mix glory! Somehow no matter how much I cook from scratch, I love to fall back on the old brownie mix – grab some eggs and run with it. My girlfriends and I were having a little holiday get together to exchange presents and so I decided to experiment and for the sake of science, make a cake!
I picked the Pamela’s Yellow Cake Mix with Chocolate Frosting. Both were very easy to make; one needed only eggs, oil, and water and the frosting only butter and water. I started with the cake. I opened the mix and was immediately struck by a sweet vanilla scent. This was going to be good. My favorite pint sized helper cracked the eggs (it states on the package can only be used with eggs, I didn’t want to try an egg re-placer to veganize it) and I poured the ingredients all together. I blended away while the peanut watched to make sure I did not make a mess. When it was all mixed together I pulled out the beaters from the mixer. It was a scene out of a commercial next as Olivia and I both stuck our heads in the bowl at the same time and took a deep breath. Mmmmm!! It was delicious and we hadn’t even licked the bowl yet. I quickly got the pans out (I was making a layer cake and used 2 8×8 pans) and sprayed them with Canola Oil spray. I spooned and poured the batter in while Olivia waited patiently with her spoon to eat the leftovers. The package also says not to overcook the cake or it will be dry, so to err on the side of moisture I set the timer for two minutes below the recommended time of 25 minutes. Then we both dug in. If you are like me and grew up eating cake batter and cookie dough before lunch while cooking with your mother, you will appreciate the subtle sweet vanilla flavor. It did not have a funny aftertaste like other gluten-free baking mixes I have used (yes I eat a lot of cake batter and cookie dough! Some people think it’s gross, I think it’s dessert!). And it did not taste like the non-gluten variety either as it did not have a “fake” sweetness to it due to the level of hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavors. While the cake was baking and filling my house with a dreamy cake smell, I started on the dark chocolate frosting. This was incredibly easy to make only mixing the Earth Balance margarine, frosting mix, and water. I whipped it up in about one minute. Then because I also eat frosting out of the bowl (it’s really a wonder people that I don’t weigh four hundred pounds…) I grabbed a spoon and tasted a bit of it. Well Merry Christmas to me, I was done! Perfectly smooth and chocolaty. NOTHING like canned frosting. It had the right amount of sugar and sweet with this amazing chocolate flavor that rolled right into the back of my mouth. My stomach took over my brain and forced my hand with the spoon back into the bowl for another taste. Stop it!!!! I had to leave some for the cake after all. I paced the house waiting for the cake to be done so I could frost the cake and eat the leftover frosting. Nothing like priorities right?
I agonized over the cake over laundry and cleaning and putting the monkey to bed; and as soon as I was able to I frosted the cake. The frosting spread easily over the cake and there was lots leftover, so before I decorated it, I ate the leftovers. It was a good thing I hadn’t eaten dinner yet. First I used the gel decorating pens to write Merry Christmas on the cake. Then I thoroughly doused the cake with shiny red and green sprinkles. It was simply adorable. I took the cake to the party the next day and we all cut into it. It was perfect. The ultimate family friendly dessert that was unsuspectingly gluten and dairy-free. The cake had the light “yellow cake” vanilla flavor and didn’t taste fake sweet and luscious like other cake mixes. It was a tad bit on the dry side, so perhaps I should have taken it out even sooner from the oven. The frosting was the best part however the right amount of chocolate flavor without tasting too sugary and gross. All the girls agreed that it was a yummy cake, but yes take it out of the oven sooner.
I took half the cake home that night and slowly made my way through it. I ate it for breakfast, snack, and dinner. OK it wasn’t the best diet for a weekend, but it sure was delicious! These two baking mixes come highly recommended. Just make sure you leave room to eat them!
