Chilling

I figured it out! I was able to send a photo from my mobile to the blog so I can share what I'm doing right now! Welcome to the view from here... just chilling at the coffee shop with Mom. She's doing bills while I surf Pinterest and check my Google+ posts. :)

Having a raspberry truffle latte... yummy! What are you up to right now?

Sweet Memories

N. is away for the week at J.'s, so Mom and I are having girl time all to ourselves. I set aside all dieting rules today and we had a blast... I'm surprised I don't have a stomachache from all the goodies I ate! We made coffee in the French press and poured it into huge mugs from Valentine's day. 

(Proof! Tolkien would be proud - lol)

Mom pulled out the Keebler cookies, double-stuffed fudge and chocolate covered graham crackers. If that wasn't bad enough... she had gigantic marshmallows to boot!

We did a little creative brainstorming and decided to toast them in the toaster oven until perfect golden done-ness (I was all for making a mini fire in the kitchen, but Mom said no...).

Purely delicious. This was not a dessert for campfire vagabonds, nor the fainthearted. It was a masterpiece of golden chocolate marshmallowy goodness that cannot be forgotten. It was a success, and a lovely memory... One I hope we will repeat again. Often. Those things were good!

Frigid 5K FINISHED!

I am still alive! Sorry I didn't post sooner... this girl had to take a nap. But, the main point is, I finished! My number was 26 & J's was 25, so that was kind of cool. We were running in the same age category, which doesn't happen very often! I think there were about 150-200 participants of all ages. The super serious runners were out there in slimline leggings and under armor shirts, while the rest of us varied from yoga pants to sweatshirts. Since we were "walkers" we were in the back of the line with most of the sweatshirt wearers. I wore a pair of gray leggings under my exercise sweats and I stayed perfectly warm in my lovely Columbia jacket from Aunt P. 

When the start gun went off, everybody cheered and even the slowpokes got off to a jogging, jostling start. There was about a three block run down town before we turned off into the residential area, and J. was encouraging me to run as far as the turn. I thought I was going to have to quit the race right there! I breathed in  too deeply and it made my lungs cold, so I had to spend some serious time breathing into my scarf to catch my breath again. I decided right there that I wasn't going to do any more of that, so I stayed at a steady walk for the rest of the way. 

At the 1 mile marker I groaned at the thought of walking another step. I had taped my arches for support, but my calves were pulsing and I still wasn't sure if my throat was OK. J wanted to jog ahead, so I waved her on and set a comfortable pace. I had noticed that two ladies ahead of me kept turning around and encouraging someone behind me to hurry up, but she had the same mindset of not wanting to slip and get hurt. When she caught up to me, we started talking and spent the last two miles walking and discussing how crazy we were to be doing what we were doing. 

Just before the finish line, I saw J. standing there waiting for me so we could cross the finish line together. I felt bad, because she would have had a much better time, but she started with me, and wanted to finish our first 5K together! Getting across that finish line was such a great feeling - I didn't care what my time was, I had actually made it without falling apart! When Mom checked the time charts, J & I had crossed the finish line at 53:07. N. made it at 36:30 and Mom clocked 40:07. 

Mile marker accomplished! Coming up we have the Shamwalk 5K in two weeks... hopefully it will be warmer and I can shave a few minutes off my time. :)

Frigid 5K

Well folks, this is probably the earliest I will ever post something on My Inner Piece of Mind! I don't do mornings...

We are about to head off to the Frigid 5K, my first ever! The temperature right now is 23F and a light snow. The snow isn't great, but the temperature is very good compared to feeling like 16 yesterday! As long as the course isn't slippery, I'm happy.

Here goes - I would totally do mobile uploads, but I haven't figured that one out yet, or even if I can do posts from my "dumb" phone. So you'll just have to wait for pictures!

Au Revoir!

Good Ol' Green Super Juice

Remember a while back when my computer crashed while I was saving the world as Agent Tanya? Even though I still haven't pinpointed the reason why my computer went kerphlooey, I think I may have unlocked the secret to being a great superhero! It's not the suit or the good looks or the money... it's the green juice! Look!

Tony Stark aka Iron Man

Bruce Wayne aka Batman

Alfred isn't a superhero, but he's awesome, so here is a bonus pic.

Since I have a not-so-secret desire to be a superhero, and because losing weight and working out open up all sorts of opportunities... I teamed up with my awesome sidekick, Mom, and made my own green juice:

This, my friends, is kale, turnip greens, carrots, apples, and celery. I've been having a glass every morning for breakfast. I haven't noticed any superhuman strength yet, but I know it's coming. One of these days, something will flash by your window, and when you get up to see what it is, there will be a single kale leaf sitting on the sill with a message written on it: Sleep safe tonight... Super Green Girl is watching over you. If that doesn't creep you out, I don't know what will. Maybe the headline "Celery Stalker Remains Anonymous Terror" will make you turn to me for help. One can hope.

Go, Go, Granola!

When I first tried these, I couldn't believe they were sugar free! There was a pan of them in the refrigerator and I kept taking "just one more." This is a recipe my sister made and modified, and we are going to be taking them with us as snacks for our 5K on Saturday (which is so soon!). 

Picky Girl's Healthy Granola Bars:

(This is a great base to experiment with. Mix & make them your own!)

Ingredients:

1/2 C peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

1/3 C honey

1/4 C coconut oil

1 1/2 C quick oats or old fashioned oats

2 T wheat germ (we substitute with ground pecans)

1/2 C flax meal

2 T cocoa powder

1/4 C mixed in, like dark chocolate chips, coconut, peanuts, etc. (optional)

Directions:

1. Line an 8x8 in. pan with wax paper & set aside.

2. Mix the oats, wheat germ, flax, and any add-ins in a large bowl. Set to the side.

3. In a sauce pan, heat peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey, constantly stirring until just beginning to bubble. Add cocoa powder and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture over your dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Dump mixture into the 8x8 and press down with a spatula. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or if you are impatient like we are, put them in the freezer for 15 minutes! Cut with a knife and store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Enjoy! What are some of your favorite things to add into granola bars?

Cleaning My Clock

I did it! I tried coconut oil pulling! It really wasn't that bad; since it's my first time, I just swished it for five minutes. I will eventually work myself up to the full twenty minutes, but I wanted to just see what it was like this time. The flavor wasn't bad, and after reading all the benefits that are supposed to result (cavities healing, toxin cleansing, drainage reducing, etc.), I felt like I was dumb to not try it!

I also took some apple cider vinegar, because that has a whole slough of benefits as well, one of which is helping rid your body of cellulite - awesome!

Then, I filled up my arsenal of water bottles... It's convincing myself to drink them that is the challenge! But I am trying to be better. I've also been sipping down herbal teas, like green tea and yogi detox tea. 

In other news, I touched the top burner element on the toaster oven and cooked my hand. Seriously, it  turned my skin brown, and you could smell it burn... way gross. Today it's just red, and sore. I keep showing it to N, so now I will share it with you:

Yesterday, I got a lovely surprise in the mail, by way of a package from my friend Judy! I don't get snail mail often, even though I love it, and I was so happy! 

She sent me a copy of the magazine, Artful Blogging, which had beautiful photos inside:

It inspired me to do a little more in keeping track of how my posts are organized and tagged, so I've been at work updating all my earlier posts with labels to help with searches. Anyone else have a tip on how to get my blog out there and set up in a way that folks want to stop and stay awhile? I would love to hear feedback!

Digit Dangers

Left-Hand Army was looking for some coffee in the drawer, and Right-Hand Army decided to declare war. This is how it went:

LH Army: Ok, troops, we're on a mission to find the mocha light roast. Anybody see it? (Thumb and Forefinger bend back the labels on the coffee). Nope? Huh...

RH Army: No way! Left -hand army is doing something without us. That is not cool! We are totally just as good as they are! We need to prove our dominance! Quick! Shut the drawer! 

At this point, All Powerful Brain should have stepped in, but he has been taking a deistic approach to motor skills...

LH Army: Guess it isn't here. Hey, you guys hear something? Oh, hey, Right Hand Army! Wait... no! Troops! Abort mission! Abort! Move! Thumb, hurry! THUMB! 

At this point, All Powerful Brain realized that while his laissez-fair approach took less effort, he would still have to face the consequences of PAIN. Taking in a huge gulp of air, he chose to take the laughter-is-pain-in-disguise approach, and the uncontrollable shrieking, sobbing laughter bubbled forth. Left and Right Knee buckled, the Tear Ducts began to rain, and Right Hand Army cradled the crushed form of Thumb, full of regret for their foolish actions. 

The moral of this story: Envy and revenge are best left to themselves. Also, I am stupid.

Valentine's Day (Part 2)

Outside of the wonderful package surprise this morning, the whole day was awesome. Daddy gave us chocolate and Mom had pretty cards and trail mix. Seriously, N. and I have it so rough being single... :)

Mom, Dad, and I went to Menard's because these were on sale:

(They are really that good!!)

Then, because it was wonderful day and nothing could go wrong, we found these granola bars that we fell in love with at Christmas. Santa got them for us, and after we raved about them, were unable to find again.

We also found green chili enchilada sauce for fifty cents a can. That stuff is hard to find too, and when you live over an hour from any large stores, you learn to stock up. When we got to the checkout, we had 20 cans of enchilada sauce, 12 bags of chips, and 24 boxes of granola bars. Our skinny young cashier gave us a strange look as we came up with two carts carrying our load. My mom simply looked at him and said, "We have strange parties." 

A Sister's Love

I'm not the type of person who gets depressed that I don't have a date on Valentine's, but even if I was in the lowest of low I'm-never-getting-married blues, this would have brought a smile to my heart. And it brought a huge smile to my face. Because it lets me know I'm loved, and that's all that matters. I have the most awesome sister ever. The pictures speak for themselves:

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J, I love you... I am so glad that you have found the love of your life to spend Valentine's with, and I pray that you two will be a great example of God's love to everyone you meet. I hope that I may be so blessed some day! 

Slow Lane

So I've been absent for a few days. What have I been doing? Eating, sleeping, etc. I tried showing Mom what a burpee (squat thrust) was yesterday, and I woke up this morning feeling like a mule kicked me in the gut. I have felt slightly miserable all day, so I gave in and made myself some ramen noodles - I love those more than a bachelor freshman in college does... 

Hopefully, something exciting will happen to me soon, and then you'll be the first to know!

P.S. Actually, something exciting did happen, and it is thanks to YOU!! I have reached over 2,000 views! I also have another follower (thank you Caitlin)! If you have a blog or have a Google account, please consider following me so I know you're out there! 

Make Yourself At Home?

I was going through my Youtube bookmarks and came across this old video... 

it is still one of the best ones I've ever seen!

I'm Good, I Yam!

Do you know how awesome sweet potatoes are? They are a great source of vitamin D, iron, magnesium, potassium, beta carotene, and have collagen, which keeps your skin healthy and smooth. Not to mention, they are called "sweet" potatoes for a good reason... they are tasty! They don't need to be candied or marshmallow topped to be delicious - in fact, if you are on a no sugar diet, these things are candy. 

I cook mine according to my good friend Betty C's recipe: place them in boiling, salted water and boil for 30 minutes or until they are easily pierced by a fork. Then, you can just peel the skins right off of them with your fingers. Unlike me, you should probably wait a while, otherwise they are seriously 'hot potatoes'...

Mash them with a fork, and add butter if you wish. They are most excellent when they are hot, but I have eaten them cold, and they are good that way too. I don't understand why people don't make their own baby food out of cooked veggies more often... why not make fresh, preservative-free food for your little one? Spare them the disgusting spinach apple beef with noodle mess-in-a-jar & give them warm yammy yumminess. :)

FYI, Americans use "yam" interchangeably with sweet potato, however, true yams are white, tasteless, and rarely seen in the US. But, as with many words, we have taken it and made it our own... just be prepared for the politically correct people in your life to give you a lecture on the true meaning of dioscorea rotundata.

Grumpy Pants

Non-ultra joy. That is certainly what I had today - it wasn't ultra joyous at all. Which was really just my attitude, but allow me to blame that on a long walk and no afternoon nap.

Usually when people accuse me of being grumpy, I am simply just being quiet. My "resting face" is a little stern and the general public takes that to mean that I am in a foul mood. More often than not, however, I am simply thinking. Today though, I was grumpy. We went for a walk, which I have gotten out of the habit of, and it made me sore and tired. I didn't get my nap, because we had somewhere to be tonight and there wasn't time. Then, to add insult to injury, this little stinker got out of the living room, went upstairs and made a puddle on the white carpet:

I really wanted to stay home tonight. I felt at odds with the world and all the people in it. To show my defiance, I went (because it was necessary), but I wore my exercise pants, because there was no way I was putting on jeans. And, what do you know, I actually had an good time... even laughed once or twice. 

So, I am going to take off my grumpy pants, get some sleep, and wake up in a happier state of mind tomorrow.

Special Delivery

Mail-order boyfriend? Just add water?

Fish Oil & Goat Cheese

I have to tell you something. I started trying to eat healthier on Monday, but I didn't tell you, because I posted that recipe for Nutella cookies and I didn't want to look like a huge hypocrite... So, I'm telling you today because I feel so much better confessing. 

For my sister's wedding last year, I lost 30 pounds over the course of about six months. Then, due to laziness, and a few other uncontrollable circumstances (who plans to get depressed over boys that don't make sense?), I gained back 25 of those pounds. And I feel it. In my back, in my knees, in my pajama pants.

So, I'm taking control again - this time to keep it off for good, despite cookies and heartbreaks. In the next twelve weeks I want to cut back on portions, drink TONS more water, and eat healthier. However, I may post cookie recipes here occasionally. Please don't judge... it's therapeutic. 

I've been taking these fish oil capsules that help stave away my psoriasis, and boy, is it gross when you belch the rest of the day. Not saying that I do, that would be horribly unladylike, but if one did it would be nasty. 

We got some goat cheese from Aldi's on Sunday, and it is super, super good! Normally I shy away from any sort of goaty product, but I really can't quit craving this stuff. It still has a strange aftertaste, but it's more like you are standing fifteen feet away from the goat instead of directly licking the goat (which is what drinking bad goat milk tastes like, fyi). I made the above pita sandwich with turkey, lettuce, and the yummy cheese.

I am considering doing coconut pulling (a cleansing mouth rinse). Has anybody out there tried this? Did you get good results?

Confessions of a Klutz

I think my body is going on strike. My fine motor skills are leering at me from a safe distance, mocking every bruise and scrape I acquire from their absence. Maybe they aren't feeling appreciated enough. Fine Motor Skills, if you are out there - you are very, very fine, very appreciated, and very missed. Please come back... I promise I won't take you for granted again.

I started out this morning with a bang. I have been trying to get back into exercising, and most of that is done on my bedroom floor on a 4x8 foot strip of carpet. I got a little too enthusiastic this morning, and when I rolled back to start doing crunches *wham* I misjudged the space and my head came down on the metal rim of my mushroom chair. 

Then, I was in my parent's room talking with Mom and decided to head down stairs to make dinner. As I came around my parent's bed, the last two toes on my foot decided to get to know the wooden leg of the foot board better. The relationship ended badly. 

To finish off the night, I was trying to take a photo of my Nutella cookies, and my fingers just gave up. It was as if some muscular liberator had shouted, "Phalanges, be free!" They obeyed... I feel so betrayed. I trusted them. Thankfully, my camera didn't break, but I sure scared the cookies to death.  

Death By Nutella Cookie

One of my friends asked me, "What is with the obsession with Nutella? Why are people on Pinterest always talking about it?" So, I asked the most logical question, "Have you ever had Nutella?" She hadn't. End of argument. If you haven't tasted it, don't judge the greater population for being in love with it. It is like having little hazelnut angels come and dance on your tongue...

I found this recipe involving two of the best things ever, Nutella and cookies. They should be harder to make, for my sake - why must they be so easy to make? 

Nutella Cookies

1 C Nutella 

1C flour

1 egg

1/2 C sugar (optional, but I like sweet things)

Mix the Nutella and the egg, then add the flour. The dough is super crumbly. Roll into balls and put 2 in. apart. Squash with a glass (you could skip the sugar in the recipe and try rolling them in sugar). Bake 350 for 6-8 minutes. 

I suggest enjoying with your favorite milk product of choice, whether that be almond, goat, or bovine. Don't eat too many!