This is the year…it’s already happened!

I feel amazing! 

 

Last night I set up a workout that would get me to the point of exhaustion.  I knew I needed to step it up because the numbers just weren’t coming off the scale like they use to.  I got my Wii Fit Plus set up, so as soon as I was done with my cardio I could go right into some circuit training.  I then got on my Marcy recumbent stationary bike and decided that I could do better. 

Marcy stationary bike 

My previous goal was to do 8.5 miles in 30 minutes.  I had recently accomplished 8 miles in 30 minutes, and for me that was difficult enough.  This time I pushed it to 10 miles in 30 minutes.  I began steady and strong for the first 10 minutes, but at that point I knew that I would have to go faster to reach my goal.  This is when I realized I had changed, that I had really changed, and that my life was never going to be the same.  Instead of thinking to myself, “it’s too much” or “I can’t do it” or “I’ll just get as close as I can because the goal is just too hard,” instead I said and thought and believed, “I can do this!”  As I peddled at a speed of 21.1mph sometimes even reaching 28.6mph I pushed as fast as I could.  I had sweat pouring off of me.  I kept telling myself, “I can do this.  I’m going to do this.”  It wasn’t even a question of doing it.  In my mind I’d already done it.  In my mind I’d already lost the weight I wanted to this week, and I’d already reached my weight loss and fitness goals. 

 

As time ticked down I pushed harder and harder.  I did not let my labored breathing stop me or aching muscles get in my way.  I just kept going.  There were times when my body would give out, but I’d tell myself again, “I’m going to do this.”  The clock was now down to 28:26 minutes and I pushed my speed up to 28.6mph and just kept peddling as fast as I possibly could, all the while saying out loud, “I’ve got this.”  I didn’t ease up as I kept looking at the time waiting for the machine to switch to show me how far I had gone.  It was going to be close.  I saw the time count up from 29:55 minutes to exactly 30:00 minutes and as the screen switched over to distance I saw that I had over 10 miles.  I had done it!  Thats all I could think of as I did my circut training on the Wii Fit to wrap up my workout. This girl who was fat, and ignored, and hurt, this girl who thought she couldn’t push herself to anything better or to have anything better, this girl who was teased and told she wasn’t good enough for so long did it. 

 

I’m not that girl anymore.  I’m stronger, fitter, and healthier.  I’ve pushed past the things that I thought stood in my way and last night as I was peddling my hardest I was also starting a new era in my life.  I have lost a lot of weight, but now I’m going to reach my goal and become fitter then I ever thought possible.  I’m not thinking, “oh I’ll just go as far as I can” or “it’s too much” or “I can’t do it.”  Not anymore.  That’s what that old me use to think.  Now I know I can do it.  Now I’m telling myself, “I can do this.”  “I’ve got this.”  And in my mind; it’s like it’s already done.

 

Keep cooking, writing, and being healthy!  

 

Valentine Sweet Vanilla Sugar Cookies

There is nothing like a sweet satisfying sugar cookie on Valentine’s Day to let your sweetheart know that you love them.  This melt-in-your-mouth vanilla sugar cookie recipe is just the thing to make the most delicious and soft sugar cookies.  Homemade icing seals the deal that these sugar cookies will become a Valentine’s Day tradition for you and your loved one.     

The best part about making this cookie was getting to decorate them.  Instead of piping the frosting on and then making royal icing as I had done at Christmas time I decided to try a new technique and use a paint brush to paint on the frosting.  This is my new way of frosting cookies.  I loved “painting” my cookies.  Here is one of the designs I was able to create using this method.             Sweet Vanilla Sugar Cookies

1          c butter, softened 

(To soften place butter in-between a folded over wax paper sheet and press down and roll out slightly using a rolling pin.)

1          c sugar

1          teaspoon baking powder

¼         teaspoon salt

1          egg

1          teaspoon vanilla

2 ¼      cups all-purpose flour

Sweet Vanilla & Strawberry Cream icing optional

   Other Items used:  Wilson’s heart shaped cookie cutters, Wilson’s heart shaped press cookie cutter, and Wilson’s tiny heart sprinkles.  Also used was a cooking paint brush, and various colored sugar sprinkles.  These items can be found at Target, WalMart, and various grocery stores.      

  

1.         Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 to 3 hours or until easy to handle.     2.         Preheat oven to 375 °F.  Roll each half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.  *SECRET—Roll the dough out to almost an ½-inch thickness.  This way the cookie will be thick and not thin.*  Cut dough with a floured Wilson’s heart shaped cookie cutter or Wilson’s cookie press.  Place cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.       

3.         Bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes or until edges are set.  *SECRET—The recipe calls for 8 minutes, but bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Your cookies will come out super soft this way.*  Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool.  If desired, spread with home made sweet vanilla & strawberry cream icing.  Let cookies stand until slightly set; paint icing onto cookies as desired.  Let cookies stand until icing sets.  Makes 36.
Sweet Vanilla & Strawberry Cream Icing    Stir together 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, *SECRET—Use Whole Milk to make the frosting taste creamy.  I like to use Shamrock Farms Vitamin D Milk.  I use Shamrock Farms milk because they do not use rBST and are local to our area.  I put in 4 tablespoons of milk.*  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla for the sweet vanilla icing; or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon strawberry extract for the strawberry cream.  In a medium bowl mix these ingredients until they are smooth enough to paint on.  You may wish to add more milk to make the consistency of the icing easier to spread on.  Divide icing and tint portions with desired food coloring.  Make about 2 cups.
     To Store:  Place un-iced cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  
Keep cooking, writing, and being healthy!  

 

A Man’s Favorite Cookie

You’ve heard the old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through food”.  Well if that is true, this is the cookie he’ll be dying to have for desert.

Why this cookie is favored by men I’ll never know.  It started out being my husband’s favorite cookie that I made just for him.  Then during the holidays he asked me to make cookies for his office.  I decided to make cookies at my office as well.  To add to the selection I added the Chocolate Chip Apple Spice Cookie. 

In both office’s we noticed that men, young and old, enjoyed this cookie.  I had men at my office coming to me days after to tell me how good this particular cookie was.  I even had men asking for the recipe.  For you single ladies this cookie is a male magnet and for us married gals it’s a great cookie to make for Valentine’s Day or just to say thank you to our special fella.

Chocolate Chip Apple Spice Cookie  (a.k.a A Man’s Favorite Cookie)

½         cup butter, softened

½         cup shortening

¾         cup granulated sugar

¾         cup packed brown sugar

1          teaspoon apple pie spice

1          teaspoon baking soda

1          teaspoon salt

2          eggs

1          teaspoon vanilla

2          cups all-purpose flour

2          cups semisweet chocolate pieces

1          cup chopped walnuts

¾         cup rolled oats

 

Ingredients I used

1.         Preheat oven to 375 °F.  In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening; beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt; beat until mixture is combined.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour, the chocolate pieces, and walnuts.

2.         Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.  Makes about 48.

 

*Secret-only bake for 10 minutes and take out immediately when timer goes off.  The cookies will be super soft this way.

How the cookie will look after baking

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Of all the things in the world, the simple pleasure of a soft chocolate chip cookie, is my absolute weakness.  In heaven I will have a bowl of cookie dough that I can eat to my hearts content and not gain a pound from.  Believe me this little temptation has foiled many a diet plan.

Let’s not be too hard on the Chocolate Chip Cookie; however, it can’t help that it’s perfection.  ;)

 

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie 

 

2/3       cup shortening

2/3       cup butter

1          cup granulated sugar

1          cup packed brown sugar

2          eggs

2          teaspoons vanilla

3          cup flour

1          teaspoon baking soda

1          teaspoon salt

2          packages (6oz. each) semisweet chocolate chips 

1.         Heat oven to 375 °F.  In a large bowl, combine shortening and butter; beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until mixture is combined.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined.  Beat in 1 cup of flour.

*Secret-Add baking soda and salt with the second cup of flour.

Add the third cup of flour, combine until mixed.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

 

2.         Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches part onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

*Secret-Add more cookie dough to the teaspoons.  Drop dough onto the ungreased cookie sheet and press down on the top of the ball of cookie dough.  Make sure the dough is rounded so that as it cooks it will remain in this shape.

*Secret-Cook only 8 minutes.  The cookies will come out soft this way. 

 

The Perfect Saturday

I had a fabulous, but hectic baking weekend.  More on the hectic cookie baking later, but I want to focus on Saturday which was the perfect Saturday. 

 

I got to sleep in, which I needed after a busy work week.  When we woke up my husband took me to Pane Bianco.  It’s this fabulous little sandwich shop north of downtown Phoenix.  It isn’t like any ordinary sandwich shop though.  The dough is made fresh daily and baked right in front of you.  The mozzarella cheese is made in house.  All the ingredients are from local farmers.  The most amazing part is Chris Bianco’s signature bread.  It is soft and fluffy and at the same time crunches when you bite into it.  The wood fire stove gives it a rich earthy taste that only loved bread can have.  That’s what I’m calling it, loved bread, because when something is loved you can taste it.

 

We got our sandwiches and went to a little park downtown to eat.  We found a nice spot where there were plenty of trees and golden fallen leaves that contrasted the overcast sky.  My husband got a crème soda with his sopressata and grilled red pepper sandwich.  He let me try a bite.  It was so flavorful.  I could taste the cracked pepper and the sharp flavor of the hard aged provolone cheese.  Mixed in the sandwich were red peppers that were soft, spiced, and cooked in a rich olive oil.

 

 

I had a water, to cut down on calories, while enjoying the housemade mozzarella, local tomato & basil sandwich.  The mozzarella was the best I’d ever had.  As I savored the aroma of warm freshly baked bread I took a bite and could taste the fresh basil, tomato, and mozzarella all in perfect unison.  I could not help but think, “This is the perfect Saturday.” 

 

 

I hope all of you had a perfect Saturday too.

 

Keep cooking, writing, and being healthy!  

I can’t wait!

I’m so excited for the weekend!  Here are some things on the agenda. 

Saturday sleep in! 

Saturday morning wake up and go to Pane Bianco in downtown Phoenix for lunch.

Go to whole foods to pick up ingredients.

Make, from scratch, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip apple spice cookies, and vanilla heart shaped sugar cookies with sweet strawberry frosting and vanilla bean frosting.

 

Sandwich dough baking at Pane Bianco

 

Sunday sleep in!

Workout

Have a spa day. 

Start Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish – my husband’s family is fluent so I’ll have lots of practice.  ;)

Work on crafts

Be lazy 

Considering how busy it is at work, and its going to stay this hectic for the next 3 months, I need as much rest time as I can get!!! 

I hope everyone is as excited for their weekend as I am for mine! 

Keep cooking, writing, and being healthy!

Adventures in Today

The office was super busy today, but through the craziness I managed to find some inspiration.  Thank goodness considering its Tuesday and I didn’t write anything yesterday.  I got a page written today, which says a lot for a day like today!  I am very proud of myself.  Now if I can just continue this momentum throughout the rest of the week.

 

I have been making sure to also fit in time to play my violin.  It really helps me focus and I really enjoy it.  I keep listening to my BHAG.  It’s what I dream to play.  I’ll keep what it is and who it’s by a secret for now because it’s incredibly difficult and if I practiced it everyday for an hour I may be able to squeak out the melody by the end of the year.  At the same time it is so incredibly beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes.  It takes all the things in my life that are disorganized, chaotic, and unbalanced and realigns them.  Listening to it helps me get through the mundane things in life or busy days at work.

 

Love Spell Retro Chic Black Dress

Love Spell Retro Chic Dress, $150, Stop Staring

 

Speaking of things that help me get through busy days at work I found something gorgeous today!  This chic little black dress!  After I lose enough weight I totally want to own it, or something like it.  I’ve got curves so hopefully I’ll be able to pull it off!  ;)   As long as I keep my portions down and cook healthy meals I should be able to continue to lose weight!

 

I’m not sure which day my husband and I will make our first recipe, but hopefully sometime soon!  This weekend I’m making cookies for my husband’s work, at his request  :), so I know it won’t be this weekend.  Oh and I plan to not eat even a chocolate chip of those cookies!!!  Will power all the way!!!  

 

Well time to escape the office. 

 

Keep cooking, writing, and being healthy!

24 Recipes

24 recipes is the minimum number of recipes I plan to try out this year from my Personal Trainer Cooking DS game.  I got the inspiration while sitting outside the famous Pizzeria Bianco while waiting to get a table.  My fabulous husband decided we should go there!  :)   While waiting I had him pick out some favorites and together we came up with 24 recipes we both liked.  Now I can’t wait to try them out!!! 

 

The list is focused on French, Italian, and Chinese cuisine.  Here is a list of the recipes from each different country. 

 

France 

 

·          Beef-and-Potato Gratin

·          Steak with Herb Butter

·          Ratatouille

·          Cheese Soufflé

·          Quiche Lorraine

·          Sugar Crepes

 

Italy

 

·          Caprese Salad

·          Bucatini with Tomato and Pancetta

·          Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms

·          Lasagna

·          Linguine with Pesto

·          Pizza Margherita

·          Spinach Cannelloni

·          Tagliatelle with Meat Sauce

·          Tomato Bruschetta

·          Italian Stuffed Peppers

·          Roasted Chicken with Herbs

·          Eggplant Parmesan

·          Zucchini Frittata

·          Chocolate Bonet

 

China

 

·          Chow Mein

·          Fried Rice Noodles

·          Lemon Chicken

·          Sweet-and-Sour Chicken 

 

Our first recipe we decided to make is Pizza Margherita in honor of Pizzeria Bianco!  :)   We are going to even make the dough from scratch.  I can’t wait to try it out.  If only we had a wood fire stove…sigh. 

 

A great thing about the game is it gives you the calories for the item you plan on cooking.  For the Pizza Margherita it’s 360 calories for the entire dish.  I can’t wait to try it out!  I’ll keep you posted on how it comes out.  Until then here is a picture to get your mouth watering compliments of Pizzeria Bianco of course!  ;)  

 

Margherita Pizza from Pizzeria Bianco

It starts now!

Why writing, weight loss, & 24 recipes?  Well, for starters, I love to write.  I’ve written a few novels and am currently working on one that I plan to publish or at least put out into the market, (more on that after I’ve finished writing it & had it professionally edited).  Its tough some days to find the inspiration to write so I decided to start a blog to help me stay motivated.  I want to finish writing the book by July 31st.  Or at least before the end of the year, but I really want to try for July 31st.  To write 400 pages by then I figure I need to write 13-14 pages a week to meet that goal.  I’ve already written 70 pages.  So there it is…my writing goal for the world to see. 
Weight loss…what girl isn’t trying to maintain or lose weight?  There was a time in my life that I got really overweight, and though I’ve come a long way and lost a lot of weight I still have some more to lose before I reach my goal weight.  More importantly I’m trying to get fit.  That may be what I blog about more is how much weight I lost or did not lose and what my exercise routine was for the week.  :D  This year I’m determined to lose the weight because my husband and I want to start a family sometime next year and I want to be in good health and be a good example to my children. 
I think I’ll explain the recipes in a separate post.  :) So here I am beginning a new chapter in my life!  I hope you enjoy reading about it.