I....Have....NO....energy!...OOOOH DONUT!!!

This cold is killing me. Just as I start to get better, another monster bug attacks. My ears feel like they are going to pop and my chest feels like a pumpkin that has been scraped and carved. This is my pity party and I deserve one at least for a second. K, I'm done now.
How was your weekend? Mine was fun. I got to hang out with family and a couple of friends I haven't gotten to hang with in ages. It was a blast. We went to the haunted house down under the coliseum and stood in line forever. I am such a chicken that everyone else thought it was kinda lame but enjoyed watching me jump and scream. At one point I almost ripped my husbands finger off cause I got so frightened. All he could do was laugh at how lame I am. Me and scary don't work. LOL.
Afterwords a couple of friends, the hubby and myself went downtown to grab a bite to eat. We ate at a food cart that sold GYROS....sooooo good! I ate mine and then I finished Lisa's....cause I am that fat. No, cause I was that hungry. It was cold out and windy and I loved every second of it. Then, to top it off, we went and stood in ANOTHER line for an hour just to get donuts at VOODOO donuts. Honestly, I can't say I was that impressed. I can add a slice of bacon to the top of a maple bar and have it be just as tasty if not more...just sayin'. That was a total waste of calories for me, but now I know that a donut is a donut is a donut. I guess I was expecting something spectacular, but got average. Which brings me to today's recipe. I was going to give you the recipe for low-fat donuts, but thought I would just give you the link instead. I have something more holiday friendly since that is what I have done thus far. Here is the link for the donuts:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Low-Fat-Donuts

Not to change the subject, but I have to take my youngest daughter to get an ultrasound today on her kidneys. She keeps telling me that her tummy hurts and that it hurts to go potty. Hopefully it is nothing to worry about, but I am a mommy so I can not help it. Now that that is off my chest, I will hand over the tip of the day and your holiday recipe.
Have a wonderful day y'all. Oh, has anyone made that pumpkin bread yet? I think Im going to make some today.

Tip of the day: STAY AWAY FROM VOODOO DONUTS....LOL (KIDDING PEOPLE, don't get your panties in a wad)... :)
Keeping a food journal is helpful when trying to lose weight. It helps you keep track of everything that goes into your mouth and body and allows you to see where you need to make adjustments. If it goes in your mouth, no matter the size of the food, it gets written in your food journal. Good luck!

Recipe of the day:
Holiday snacks for the table

• 1 10 oz can of premium chunk white chicken in water. Do not drain.
• 2 8 oz pkgs Healthy Choice fat-free cream cheese - softened.
• 1/2 c fat free sour cream or yogurt if you prefer
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 c of cucumber- cubed
• 1/4 cup cold peas
• 1/4 c yellow and red pepper - chopped

For a crowd, double or triple everything.
Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients(except the vegetables) with a hand mixer on low speed for about 2 minutes or until well mixed. Make sure you added the water from the canned chicken. You could certainly use fresh chopped chicken and chicken broth. 
2. Hand mix in the veggies so you don't turn it into a bunch of mush.
3. Serve with crackers - Low Fat ( I like triscuts and the BIG wheat thins, but any of your favorite crackers will do, just watch the calories)

Cuz it's the weekend!

Yay! It's friday! That means its the beginning of a great weekend to come.
Before I get into my plans, I have to tell you what my son said to me last night. I came home from school and he was laying on the couch almost asleep so I went and sat next to him to give him a kiss and he said "Momma, I don't want you to leave but I want you to go away"..........my heart sank and I was crushed. My baby, my little man...MY BABY no longer wanted me to comfort him as he fell asleep. He wanted to be left alone. Sniff sniff. At first I just sat there with my bottom lip out as I took another seat farther away from him, but then I actually felt my eyes start to well up. I really felt sad. He wasn't being mean, he said it so gently and kind, but I felt really crushed. That's it. Im pushing the "stop getting older" button!
K, now that I got that off my chest. So, now I can tell you about my oldest daughters excitement this morning. Today is her very first field trip and they are going to a pumpkin patch. She was so excited that she wouldnt stop bouncing this morning. While I was cleaning up dog crap (FRIGGIN BINDI), she was talking about 2000 miles a minute and I was gagging and she was still bouncing and talking about the pumpkin patch. She is so cute, but man...when your trying to hold in your stomach and you cant see cause your eyes are full of water from gagging...its just too much to have little miss sunshine directly behind you. But here is the funniest thing...Dakota asked me how she would know she got the perfect pumpkin. I told her she would know when she saw it that it wouldnt be rotten and she could carry it. Without skipping a beat she said "So, as long as it doesn't smell like Bindi's butt- I could drag it"...I nearly died laughing. now if you don't know already...Bindi is out Beagle. This girl has more gas than shell. As im typing, it doesnt seem as funny as it was this morning but that is cause you couldnt see the look on her face. It was almost pure seriousness. Too cute. I love my kids.

Moving on...........................
I ended the day on a good note with food. I had a licorice snack at school and some wheat thins and was good to go. Those veggie wheat thins are yumm-o, in case you didnt know that. When I came home I had 60 calorie pudding snacks...two of them. It was so good!
I really want to make some of that pumkin bread that was on the post for yesterday. Since tomorrow is family pumpkin patch day...I will get a pumpkin and make some this weekend...I hope. That being said, I think our plans are to go to the patch during the morning afternoon sometime...it has to be after dance class....and then we are coming back and doing the adult time with the maze. Can not wait. Anyone wanna join us? Sauvies Island haunted corn maze...Bwaaaaaahhhhaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaa
Have a spectacular weekend people!
Lots of love,
Malisa

Tip of the day:
You can cut the calories of your favorite foods by 50% without changing anything about them -- just eat half. For example, if you usually eat a deli sandwich at lunch, eat half it, but replace your chips with carrot sticks. Still hungry? Before you reach for the rest of your sandwich, munch on a piece of fruit. Produce takes longer to eat and digest than other foods, which means you'll have more time to notice you're getting full. Plus, the added fiber in both the carrots and fruit will help you feel more satisfied, for much longer, than chips would have.

(You can not tell me that this does not look like heaven on a plate....I can not wait to try this!)

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Traditionally, a slice of cheesecake averages about 50 grams of fat per serving, but this one has a fraction of that amount, weighing in at just 5.3 grams per serving.That is a huge difference!

Yield: Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3  cup  (about 3 oz.) reduced-fat chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  melted butter or margarine
• 3  packages (8 oz. each) nonfat cream cheese
• 1  can (14 oz.) nonfat sweetened condensed milk
• 3  large egg whites
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla
• 1/2  cup  miniature chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Combine crumbs and melted butter. Pat evenly over bottom and about 3/4 inch up the side of a removable-rim 8-inch cheesecake or cake pan (at least 1 3/4 in. deep).
2. In a food processor or bowl, whirl or beat cream cheese, milk, egg whites, and vanilla until very smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
3. Scrape batter into pan. Evenly sprinkle batter with remaining chocolate chips.
4. Bake in a 350° oven until cake jiggles only slightly in the center when gently shaken, about 30 minutes.
5. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and pan rim. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, until cool, at least 2 1/2 hours. Serve, or if making ahead, wrap airtight when cool and chill up to 2 days. Remove pan rim and cut cake into wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:283

Protein:14g

Fat:5.3g

Carbohydrate:44g

Old habits die hard...or don't die at all

Doe the Taco bell drive thru call to any of you like it does to me? I had an early morning and two doctors appointments for the girls that seemed to last forever. I didnt get anything in me and was starting to feel sick...good thing my "Auto Pilot" on my Yukon decided to feed me Taco Bell...Ha ha ha Can I help it that my car knows what I like?! :) 210 calories for the single Taco Supreme I had and 400 calories for the chalupa I ate. I also ate some chips and cheese so add 320 calories to that...man it adds up and it added up quickly to a whopping 930 calories, good thing I opted for the DIET soda...lmfao.....Baaaaahaaaa haaaa
Seriously though, I did well considering what I ate and the fact that I ate what I love the most it was worth all the calories in the world. Normally I wouldnt have had a chalupa but it sounded good...wasnt all that good to be honest and I wouldnt splurge another 400 calories on one again. I always feel strange ordering a diet soda with my fast food though because I used to work in the food industry and we always commented about people ordering the most fattening foods and then topping it off with a diet soda... I finally understand why they do that....order the diet soda, not eat the most fattening food. I'm a diabetic now and I haven't drank regular soda in years. It started about 8 years ago when I went on the Atkins diet...and I got used to it. Now, regular soda grosses me out and is far too sugary.
So, even though I ate Taco bell I controlled my impulse to over-eat, although I would have been satisfied with just the taco and chips and cheese, I think I'm going to chalk this up as a win for me. Technically I still have two snacks and dinner to eat and I still have 1070 calories for the day(or 1000 if you round them like I do). I can make a calorie friendly dinner like I did last night and keep it under 300 calories and even if it is 500 I still have enough for my snack...Yup. I'd say this is going to be a wonderful day....even with the Taco Bell. I think I may even take a walk with my son. :) I feel good today and I feel really happy for some reason...maybe its the Prozac, maybe its the sunshine and crisp air...maybe its cause I have the best kids in the world and the greatest friends, maybe its all of those reasons...I dont know, "but the sky is blue and the sun is shinning, I feel like a bum with a pocket full of diamonds...." I am going to enjoy the day with a smile. Hope you enjoy your day too. Much love...
Malisa

Tip of the day:

Old habits die hard but making the effort to dish up will go a long way toward changing your eating habits and preventing overeating. It's virtually impossible to practice portion control when you eat straight out of a package or container. Plus, the experience of eating the food in and of itself will be different, and more pleasant, if you use a dish.

OMG this sounds so tasty! This makes a total of 16 servings at 72 calories per serving and only 0.6 grams of FAT....that's it folks

When Fall is in the air, nothing quite hits the spot like a slice of fresh baked pumpkin bread. Also, the ready availability of fresh pumpkin makes it hard to come up with a reason NOT to have a back-up loaf. This version virtually fat-free but still retains the moist gooyness that you typically get from quick breads. Fresh pumpkin also has a natural sweetness to it. Rather than covering it up with too much excess sugar, I opted to try and enhance the interesting flavor it provides. If you can't get a hold of a real pumpkin, you can substitute the canned stuff (Using fresh pumpkin is very easy and pretty fun, too. Not only can you taste the freshness, but you get some tasty pumpkin seeds for roasting or adding to the recipe.)

Ingredients

1	c. All-Purpose Flour
1/2	c. Rolled Oats
1	tsp. Baking Soda
1/2	c. Brown Sugar
1	c. Pumpkin, Prepared
1/2	c. Apples, Peeled and Roughly Chopped
1/2	c. Applesauce, Unsweetened
1	large Egg
1	Egg White
1	tsp. Cinnamon
1/4	tsp. Allspice
3/4	tsp. Salt

Directions

1. To prepare pumpkin: First of all, use a smaller variety of pumpkin (about the size of a bag of popped popcorn). The lighter the skin, the sweeter the taste. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Save the seeds for drying or roasting (trust me.) Put both halves cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet, loosely cover them with foil, and pop them in the oven for about an hour at 375. When they're done, scoop the flesh from the skin with a spoon and mush up the yummy pumpkin goodness. It should keep in a refrigerator for about a week or so. If you've decided to just go with canned pumpkin: Open the can.
   
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and ready a 9x5 inch loaf pan (cooking spray or oil work just fine.)
   
3. In one bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, allspice, and cinnamon.
   
4. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, pumpkin, egg, egg white, and apple sauce until the mixture looks like bright orange mush.
   
5. Stir the dry stuff into the wet stuff just until you don't see dry stuff anymore.
   
6. Fold in the chopped apples. At this point, you can also add any solid ingredients (nuts, berries, the like) that you think would taste good inside of a loaf of pumpkin bread. Pour the batter into your loaf pan and sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on top.
   
7. Bake in the middle oven position at 350 degrees for about an hour, turning once or twice throughout the process. It will look and smell done - just check it with a toothpick. As a precautionary measure, I recommend putting a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below the bread so it doesn't get so much direct heat from the bottom heating element.
   
8. When you decide that the baking process has completed, cool the bread for about 10 minutes. Flip the loaf out of the pan and let it cool or you can eat it hot!
   
9. Enjoy your surprisingly easy to make pumpkin bread and give yourself a hug for a job well done.

Yo Yo Yo Yo......Cream, cookies, pies and THUNDER THIGHS...:)

How many of you crave Ice Cream? I do. I would have to say it is currently my biggest weakness. I think I have found a healthier substitute though...well, I know I have. We have this frozen yogurt place next to walmart called Green Apple Yogurt that sells tons of different flavors of frozen yumminess. For 90-150 calories per 4 oz. you can enjoy all kinds of different flavors. White chocolate macadamia nut, chocolate peanut butter, butter cream,  NY cheesecake, triple Berry, red velvet cake, raspberry, dolce caramel, irish mint and more.............of course the no sugar added flavors are a better choice for me and they dont make me feel....sticky icky. I think I have found my favorite. No sugar Added Raspberry with fresh raspberries....can you say O-M-G? It tastes so sweet and tangy and it gets me right where I need to be without all of the guilt. This one is only 90 calories per 4 oz so I splurge and get 8 oz total with the fresh berries. PERFECTION!
Another item that has me all twisted up in its yumminess it the chocolate peanut butter icecream sandwiches by Skinny Cow. They are 150 calories but are worth every tasteful bite and are a guilt free pleasure for me. I love peanut butter, but the calories kill me. It's nothing for me to slap on a ton of PB on a piece of toast or eat it directly from the jar. Although it has tons of protein, it is high in fat and calories as well as carbs. Friggin deliciousness...it just teases me. I have been avoiding it like the plague but the other day when i hopped off the wagon...my son had a pb sandwich that he didnt want anymore so what did I do.........yup...I ate it. Every spectacular bite of it...and I wanted more. Thankfully I did not because I would have really been in trouble...lol
That reminds me, I was thinking about Christmas and thanksgiving the other day and couldnt help but day dream about my lemon chiffon pie that I adore that my gram makes every year...so......
I know that the holiday season is approaching us quickly and If you are anything like me, you bake and make all kinds of goodies and EAT them all too.... I want to enjoy this season and not feel like a complete cow. So, along with my tip of the day I will post healthier versions of our favorite holiday goodies...If you have any....please share! Again, I thank you for following me and I hope I can be of some help to some of you, just as you are to me. Me Ruv U rong tine! :)
~Malisa

 WEIGHT-LOSS TIP OF THE DAY:

If you find your will power is overpowered by a full bag of potato chips sitting in the pantry, avoid buying the full-size bags altogether. Get the single-serving bags (just be sure to buy one at a time, not the variety box) to head off binges.

This recipe is for  lower fat and lower calorie chocolate chip cookies! Super yummy and you can make even more adjustments if you like.   Prep Time:50 min

Start to Finish:50 min

makes:3 1/2 dozen cookies

3/4

cup granulated sugar ( use SPLENDA instead and save on calories and sugar)

3/4

cup packed brown sugar

1/2

cup butter, softened

1/2

cup canola oil

1

teaspoon vanilla

1

egg

2

cups Gold Medal whole wheat flour

1

teaspoon baking soda

1/4

teaspoon salt

3/4

cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1.	Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat sugars, butter, oil, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
2.	On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
3.	Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until very light golden brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

This is what my lasagna looked like

Have you ever grabbed the wrong item at the store and didnt notice it was wrong until you had already put it in with what you were cooking? I did just that this past weekend with my veggi lasagna. I grabbed a lowfat cottage cheese container because it was the small one. I didnt even pay attention to what kind it was. I didnt even know they made it, to be honest. I grabbed cottage cheese with chunks of pineapple. To be completely truthful...i loved it in the lasagna. It added a little sweetness and not the taste of pineapple. I also am in love with my mustard beans. It is so yummy. If you like green beans (fresh) then boil (about 1/4 pound or more) them for about 3-5 minutes on a full boil...be sure to leave a little crunch. Strain them and in a frying pan or wok, add 4 tablespoons of I cant believe its not butter light (its 25 calories per tablespoon) add three to four tablespoons of regular french's mustard, 1 tablespoon garlic powder and black pecker to taste.....um I mean Pepper...ha ha ha There I go thinking about black pecker...um I mean black pepper....oh i give up... :)

Melt the ICBINBL on a medium heat add the mustard and mix well, stirring constantly. Add your seasonings- garlic powder and black pepper. This smell is amazing. Now add your cooked greens and stir them into the sauce and cover for a few minutes then stir again so that they are covered in the sauce. This has got to be the simplest and tastiest sauce I have made and it was just something that I created to be low calorie and flavorful on my fresh beans. I love it and it is surely a special taste. Now, you could go for some extra calories and add the frenches crunchy onions to them for a lovely flavor addition or serve them just like you see in my picture. Either way, they are glorious. You have to at least try it.

So , yesterday did not go so well for me. I turned into the human disposal. Most of the time I didnt even think about what I was doing and that is what brings me to be so honest with you all. I found myself being bored and going to the kitchen to find something to eat. I did not make great choices all day. As if being sick is a reason to fall off the wagon. It is not! I ate that stupid pancake...then I had....crap I cant even remember exactly what I ate yesterday. I can tell you that I ate pizza and fruit roll ups and a garden burger patty and soup and fruit snacks and a peanut butter sandwich...all poor choices. Oh wait, I managed to eat an entire cucumber with ranch...lol it tasted so good too. These are the days that get me to give up. THese are the reasons that I am where I am. Because I keep turning to food for comfort in all ways. Not just when I am bored, but when I am sick too....WTH? I pledge that today is going to be different. It already is. I made the kids pancakes with fresh bananas mixed in......BLAH...me no likey the Nannas.......but it smelled good and it kept me from eating a pancake...lol

 I am going to eat some chicken soup that I made last night for dinner here in a minute because I took my meds and need something on my tummy before I toss my tummy. Ya know.

The only way I am going to get through this is to know that you all are holding me accountable by reading my fumbles and such. I dont want to let my friends down anymore than I want to let myself down. Honestly, I dont want to let you all down more than I give a rip about letting myself down and I should be more focused on getting healthy for me.

So today I am going to end with a weighloss tip. I plan on adding them every day in hopes that I can and will incorporate them into my eating routines....maybe they can help you as well.

I love you all for sticking with me and not judging me in a negative way. Smooches! Its time for me to go fine my place back on the couch with some hot tea and some soup.

Weightloss tip of the day: Don't forget the fiber folks! We need 25 grams of it daily. If you can add more, that works too. Good luck!

Malisa

Day? Does anyone really care what day it is?

I did not post this weekend...in case you didnt notice. My house seems to be a breeding ground for germs and illness at this moment. We all were down for the count yesterday and I didnt feel like peeling my body off the couch to post. I did eat well though. I made a yummy veggie and turkey lasagna on friday and ended up eating it on saturday for brunch and dinner. I know what you are thinking...where is your breakfast...? Saturday mornings are kind of busy and my three year old daughter has tap and ballet class so the morning is busy and we fly out the door. Starting this coming saturday, my 5 year old daughter will join her and begin tap and ballet as well. I tried getting Hayden to go, but he wouldnt do it. Bummer. As for yesterday...I caved. I ate what the kids were eating because I didnt feel like standing up any longer to make a better choice for myself. I ate Mac-n-cheese and pizza for dinner. Not a great day for me, but I tried to redeem myself by making a better decision for today. SO far, so good. I did eat a pancake...just one cause that sucker has over 200 calories in it...WTF? Really? (shaking head in astonishment)

Looks like I'm taking the day off from school today too. Im staying home with my sick kids and recuperating myself.
I promise to make a better choice in food today but I can not promise any activity because I feel like my spine is about to crumble with the achenes and I just wanna lay on the couch and reign control of the remote while I have it. I am going to drink hot tea again today and pray that it helps as it did yesterday. I have given up coffee altogether. I like it with too much creamer and sugars...tea is a nice tasty replacement and it has ZERO calories people! Coffee alone is calorie free as well, but I do not know anyone who drinks it black...eeew. Honestly, I forgot how much I love tea. Mint tea, raspberry, chamomile, apple cinnamon,....mmmm its tasty. Actually, It sounds pretty intriguing and I think I will have some and find my place on the couch with my kiddos. Tomorrows post will be better...I hope. I have lots to say and somehow when I get on here I forget everything I wanted to.
Meanwhile, I posted a link on FB about McDonalds that I think we should all watch. Here is the link again:
http://www.disgustingmcdsmovie.com/
Malisa

day 9: Set your fork down and take your time

Can you spot the carrot that Hayden wanted me to eat...lol
I told him I couldnt eat it and he insisted..
This is my 450 calorie dinner. It was fabuloso. I baked a turkey breast (gresham wal-mart has them and they are pre-cooked and a tad bit spendy (about $9-$10) for a small turkey roast, but no fat and super flavorful) and it was only 70 calories for 2 ounces of meat. Because I needed the protein, I had four ounces...and yes, I weighed it.
 I only had 3/4 cup of carrots because when they are cooked it brings out the sugars and I have to watch veggies and fruit with natural sugars too, because of the diabetes. The couscous was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. for 1 cup prepared, it was around 220 calories. Yes, I put it in a measuring cup and then fluffed it with a fork for the picture. I saved calories by using fat free calorie free crisco butter flavored cooking spray instead of oil or butter so it was actually less, but I always round my calories in case I go over on accident; then I have a little breathing room. I enjoyed a nice sugar free raspberry drink in a large wine glass with some ice and ate dinner with my kiddos. One thing I tried to do in between bites was to set my fork down until I was done chewing what I had in my mouth. I read somewhere, some time ago that this was a good tip. It made me eat slower and really take the time to chew my food. I am going to give this a thumbs up for a workable tip. Try it. I recommend trying it when you have the time to sit down and actually take the time to eat at a regular pace and not have to scarf your food and run. This is a problem that a lot of us have. No time to sit and eat. We go through the drive through because we dont have time to cook or it takes too much time away from our families or job.....blah blah blah...you know what I mean. We all have our reasons or 'excuses' and as long as we are hanging on to those we can not be honest with ourselves. Myself included. Don't get me wrong, I have had and USED every excuse or reason I know of to avoid eating properly. Truth-be-told...I was too lazy to put out a little bit of effort. It was exhausting just thinking about it. I tried avoiding being honest with myself about how I look and how I feel. If I ignore it, it will go away...right? WRONG...WRONG....WRONG....
I am still fat. In fact, I am a lot fatter than I was two years ago and twice the size I was when I married my husband 5 years ago. This is me, being honest with myself and with anyone who chooses to read this. I am one of those people that cracks jokes about herself before anyone else can because it stings a lot less to hear the truth come out of your own mouth rather than having someone else beat you to it. I really don't hate myself, I hate the way I look. I have no one to blame but myself, so this is me....taking control over the one thing I never had control over before...my weight. There were people that I thought were my friends beginning way back in elementary school that started putting me down and then it became a public humiliation thing...I dont want to put my kids throught that by having the fat mom. I went through enough ridicule and self torture, im not going to put it on my kids too. I hope my honesty and maybe even my tips can help someone else who might be having the same struggles as I have. I love you all!
Thank you for all of you who have been following my blog.
Tonight I am going to make a low-fat lasagna with whole wheat noodles....mmmm I can not wait to eat it! LOL
Have a good weekend people! My weekend will be full of runny noses, cough medicine, barf bags, vicks vapor rub and PJ's...its great to be a mom. :)
Sorry I had to miss the craft day Kim...I really was looking forward to it. Next time!
Malisa