Big Booty Betty

ON BLOGGER.

Beer Battered Tofu Tacos w/ Pineappple Pico de Gallo! You can find the tofu battering instructions here.

This dish is good for splurge or reward, it isn’t in any way a diet dish (with the exception of the pineapple salsa).

So here it is:

The Pampered Chef ® Fresh Pineapple Salsa Recipe

2 plum tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
1 4-in. piece seedless cucumber
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño pepper
1 medium pineapple
1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

Hull and remove seeds from tomatoes using Core & More. Dice tomatoes,
onion and cucumber using Santoku Knife. Chop cilantro. Combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber and cilantro in Classic Batter Bowl. Cut jalapeño in half lengthwise with Utility Knife and remove seeds using Core & More.

Finely chop jalapeño using Food Chopper; add to batter bowl.
Slice top and bottom off of pineapple using Santoku Knife, creating a flat
base. Stand pineapple upright; use Pineapple Wedger to core and peel.
Set aside half of the pineapple for another use. Dice pineapple flesh.
Juice lime using Juicer to measure about 2 tbsp juice. Add pineapple, lime
juice and salt to batter bowl. Mix thoroughly until combined.

Yield: 16 servings (3 cups)

Nutrients per serving: Light (3 tbsp): Calories 20, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 0 g, Sodium 75 mg, Fiber 1 g

Here is what mine looks like. The longer the salsa sits, the more the flavors mix together! It compliments the tacos greatly, but is wonderful with tortilla chips! Enjoy!

Feeling Spicy,

<3 BB Betty

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FOOD FACTS: One cup of pineapple has about 135 calories. Pineapple is a good source of manganese (91 %DV in a 1 cup serving), as well as containing significant amounts of Vitamin C (94 %DV in a 1 cup serving) and Vitamin B1 (8 %DV in a 1 cup serving).      ^{Wikipedia.com}

Apologies on top of apologies for the temporary abandonment of my (almost) daily writing. There are many reasons for why I was gone. The main reason being that I spent most of the summer at my mother’s house (which is internet-free & quite calming).

So let me start where I left off last blog (just to not leave you hanging). My art show went great! The Sunday Social printed an article about the event, which included them interviewing my mother. This brought a smile to my face, to see her name in the newspaper because of my accomplishments. Everything I do, I do with her in mind. She raised me as a single mother & it is because of her determination that I am so strong.

Pick up day for art is in a few days & sadly I haven’t sold a single thing. On the opposite end, Brian sold a piece in the Dallas show. He is most likely to get commissioned for more. That is pleasant news! Times were difficult for artists before the economy crashed, but let me just say…they really are VERY bad now.

My back. Feels worse. Than ever. It brings fear to my mind because my career dreams were built on large scale sculpture. Which obviously can no longer happen. When my back pain occurs, I get depressed thinking about it all. It becomes a downward spiral until there is no more room for sinking. I then use all of my knowledge & research in various subjects to rebuild myself. The good news is that when I do rebuild, I am stronger than the previous rebuilding of self. I always learn something new about me.

Spirituality is making me sane. I have immersed myself in Eastern practices on my road back to health. My heart is open to the sunlight. My mind is alert. Meditation is my medication. There is so much power in listening to your own breath.

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Something else that cheered me up? My mom’s Jack Chi had puppies! The day I got to mother’s house (she was at work), I went straight to the kennel to check on Scarlet because she had been showing & was close to her due date. To my shock & delight were seven hamster-sized babies all curled up. It just so happened that the day I arrived to visit was the day Scarlet had become a mother. Happy day, indeed!

Aren’t they cute? Puppy breath & all!

There are so many things I can’t wait to share with you. Also, I will be catching up tonight by reading about YOUR summer adventures.

<3, B.B. Betty

Be happy & Be free by learning to respect yourself!

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

If someone in your life talked to you the way you talk to yourself, you would have left them long ago.

                                                                                                                                  -Carla Gordon

Today is the day. My art opening happens at 5pm and I am just wanting to get it over with. These openings become kind of impossible to go to sometimes. Same people, same art, different drink.  The part that I cannot wait for is when it is over & I am eating sushi for a reward.

My mother may make a trip to see me at the opening or she may not. Yesterday, as she was driving here her car broke down in the middle of the 100+ degree heat. Thankfully she  wasn’t too far from her home otherwise she would have been a 60 yr. old lady, stranded under the raging sun. My father was supposed to grace me with his presence as well, but he got dehydrated while doing housework. He says he feels like he is battling a major hangover now. It is times like these that I wish I could be around to help them out.

On the flip-side, I made some really cool fresh soap yesterday. Found a partner for my business & she happens to be a very trustworthy buddy. We have a good feeling about this! Between my Psych & Art Degrees & her Science focus in Botanicals…we have a strong vision! So the kitchen is full of yummy handmade experiments that smell & look majorly delicious. You think this will help satisfy my cravings for sweet food? The banana & cinnamon flavored soap bar is so creamy with butters and organic bananas in it…omg I cannot stop sneaking whiffs. This calls for a pic post, don’t you think?

The next pics are of the lemon/lime peel soap. Lots of citrus smells!

 They are all in the curing process & I cannot wait to see what they feel/smell like in the shower.

Well, I volunteered to make the veggie tray for the opening, so I can have all the healthy foods I like! Must go chop up all the stuff now. I’ll let you know how the opening went & show you the dress I bought.

Love,

BB Betty &  my bars of soap !

DAILY MOTIVATION:

The poem that inspired my work that I will be showing tonight-

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Robert Frost

205. 200. 196. 194. 190. 188. 185. 183. 180. 178. 176.5. 175. and here I stand 173.4. How in the world did I do the thing that many people fail at? Also, I have failed at it too, why is it so different this time? Why is it working? Never give up. That is something I was told numerous times as a child. Sadly, this phrase had lost its magic for a long time.

I’ve tried pills, diet fads, as a teen I even jumped on the bandwagon of girls with unhealthy eating habits. Not cool at all, and might I mention that all was a horrible, big fat F-A-I-L.

The difference, this time, was as simple as flushing out everything bad & making everything good.

GOOD ATTITUDE, GOOD EATING HABITS, GOOD EXERCISE, & GREAT FRIENDS.

 BEFORE

  MIDDLE

 NOW

I know I haven’t met my main goal yet, but I feel so proud to say that I am kicking my fat in the ass! Ladies, let’s get this done! 

DAILY MOTIVATION:

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow -
You might succeed with another blow.

My elliptical was dusty. Stored & lonely. I was on the verge of selling it on Craigslist for an extra buck. Thank goodness I came to my senses and started using the thing again.  It is one of the most simple, low-impact workouts to do. Plus, I always sweat while using it. Great stuff.

Why did I almost sell the darn thing? It was nothing against the machine. Being on the elliptical made me easily bored. My attention span is ridiculously short everytime I would start working out, I would want to do something else. Over the past week I have been Ms. Experimentation.

Here is what happened:

1) Elliptical during television

2) Elliptical with music

3) Elliptical in b/w household chores

Of course everyone is different…BUT when I was working out during my favorite TV Shows, like Scrubs or LN w/ Jimmy Fallon, time flew by. Good to know. However, I read that working out too close to bedtime makes you lack sleep. So, I’ll probably only workout during my fave daytime shows from this point on.

Also, I started working out in front of a mirror.  As much as I hated to see my belly bounce around, it was something I needed to see.  Just looking at the hideous blob of fat pushed me to do extra exercise.

Some important facts about this type of workout:

 * 30 mins. @ a high speed= 400 calories gone/ burn 8-12 cals. per min!

* 30 mins a day can seriously speed up metabolism

* Hardly a risk for an injury

* Recommended for people with a joint/knee/back injury rather than running or treadmill

* Upper + Lower body workout.

So now, I share stats:

Created by MyFitnessPal - Online Calorie Counter

That’s all I got for now. Will post pics of dinner tonight!

DAILY MOTIVATION:

One should eat to live, not live to eat.  ~Cicero, Rhetoricorum LV

Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.  ~Author Unknown

Don’t dig your own grave with a knife & a fork. ~ English Proverb

The two things I’d like to discuss today are ACTIVITY & TEMPTATION. Why?  As lovely dieters, we should be in control of quantity of time we spend living doing each. Personally, I have been going crazy trying to weed out temptation and intake more activity! Would you like to hear how I help myself achieve this?

TEMPTATION defined: A large fudge brownie a la mode w/ chocolate syrup on top. OK..so not really. But, you get the point I am trying to make. 

For me, the food temptation comes any time  I am around food that is prohibited + delicious.  There are several reasons I gained weight in the first place. One of them, I must constantly remind myself, is from eating the tempting junk. I tell myself:

1) I must remember that a food temptation is only tempting because it is prohibited + delicious.

2) If something is prohibited, and I am on a diet, then that means it is A) high in fat, B) junk, C) both.

3) Another thing I try to remember is that I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN THE FOOD. It doesn’t jump into my mouth. I put it there.

4) If I want to put junk in my mouth I must take a couple of bites and stop eating it. That is it. I take a second to assess my own reaction. If I don’t think I can stop munching after 2-3 bites, then I don’t eat it at all.

ACTIVITY:

My biggest fear is to be inactive. A few months ago, this fear became a reality when I found myself w/ a health issue. Stuck in bed. Unfortunately, my health issue could reoccur at any moment so I remind myself about this as a form of motivation.

1) From one day to the next I went from fine to immobile. So I must live life fully while I can.

2) I don’t have to work-out constantly. But, I should 3-5 days a week. Since I hate working out, I find a way around it. For those who know me, you know I swim. Sometimes (okay a lot of times) I goof off in the pool. I’m there & that is what counts.

3) When I am not exercising, I am moving! Dog walking, social walking, walking into traffic…jk. There are things to get done and I will not put them off until tomorrow.

When all else fails, I remind myself of how my future is determined by my health. I remind myself how one day, I will be a skinny, energetic mother. When I do wear a wedding dress, I want to feel happy with my body. If there were only a single sentence I was allowed to give a friend for motivation on a weight loss journey, it would be this: REMEMBER THE TRUE REASON WHY YOU ARE DIETING & REMIND YOURSELF OF IT WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH.

Feeling Fierce,<3 BB Betty

 **Daily Motivation:

“Good habits result from resisting temptation” -Unknown

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time  for illness” -Edward Stanley

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states”  -Carol Welch

Hello, Hello!

It feels so good to finally have a chance to sit down and update.  Yesterday was crazy hectic! Brian & I went to the gallery to drop off all of my work.  It is out of my hands. You know how when somethings done (since it is one less thing to do), you should feel stress free?  I don’t. Not until the show happens.

That is the only thing that is bothering me. My physical body is so energized since I made it a point to take a daily vitamin. For some reason, I stopped for awhile until I realized what a difference it makes.

Another great change has occurred in my workout routine: Two swimming days, two yoga days. I’ve moved to land!!! As it turns out, the swimming has made my abs strong, which helps me take pressure off my back.

Note to those with back problems: try using your ab muscles more while doing things that the back muscles would normally do. It truly helps.

Today is a mass cleaning day. So before I go, let me sum up my progress.

I was .2 lbs away from my mini-goal of 175 by Friday and has remained that way. Didn’t quite hit it or miss it. The mass cleaning + workout will (hopefully) help me lose that extra .2 lbs.

My heart, back, body are feeling happy for the most part. Check out this pic of my swimmers tan:

Gotta run.

Have a relaxing Sunday ladies!

Thinking about 175, <3BB Betty

Daily Motivation:

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they’ll ease
Your will they’ll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

Brief explanation of my day:

• Weight stayed the same. Knew it was going to happen eventually. As the saying goes no gain, no pain (ha. switched it on ya!).
• Did some AM yoga (40 mins). Elena Brower started following me on Twitter after I called her a yoga goddess. Nice!
• Tried self-hypnosis for weight loss on Youtube. It was strange, but I watched the video first in case  there were odd suggestions. Nothing really happened, however, those videos are great motivators. Full of positive messages.
• The humidity here is an artists worst nightmare. All of my show had to be re-framed due to slumpage. All the plans I had in mind for the day had to be canceled.

 More in the mood to read than write. Off to your blog land!

VEGETARIAN CHICKEN FAJITAS, GUACAMOLE, SIDE SALAD & CORN TORTILLAS…

 (we had leftovers for tomorrow).

Half of everything you see would be an WW 8.5 pt dinner. Amazing!