If we meet the challenge for that week, we get a badge (graphic of a flower or whatever). At least, that's my understanding. You have to get 15 badges to compete to win that exercise challenge.

Since crock pots came up, does anyone have recommendations for a good, small, one person crockpot with a detachable inside pot that you can wash separate from the unit? I really want to try crock pot cooking but I want to make small 1 - 2 person meals and I don't like the idea of having to wash the entire unit after use.

I am from there. I also taught English for about 2 years. Where in Korea did you teach? =)

Yesterday I made rice and red beans
I don't like creamy meals so I just cooked the rice and beans separately and mixed it together. it was a bit dry so I had a glass of yoghurt with it and it was a very satiating meal

sorry I don't have any good recipes, I'm a noob in all this healthy cooking

Only 3.5 hours of sleep last night...
I wish I had a computer at home because I probably would have been on this all night :-P

You can use any beans I'm sure. I'm grocery shopping today and will look at the dry beans and see if I can find what is in the frozen one, it's like a smaller sized red bean, not sure what it is. I would have never thought to put sour cream on beans, but it is SO good, I just don't like all the sodium in their version. Let me know how you do it and how it comes out. I think I will cook the beans overnight in water and some seasoning, and then add rice in the AM so it doesn't get too soggy, the maybe whip up sour cream/cheese somehow make it saucy and just mix it in before eating. Not sure how else to do this

Mornin ladies
Well I guess I missed the post on the "BL Exercise Challenge" but I start my day 3 am with "Turbo Jam 20 minute workout and after 9-5 either turbo sculpt(40 min) or Learn & Burn(25min) I do this M-F and on the weekends I try to walk my dogs(if time permits)

Happy Birthday Blueeyedlvrgirl Im late sorry hope you had a great day!!!

Smurf how I wish I could give up my 9-5 my company offered a 2nd round of buyouts and I really thought about taking it but my business is still new, getting better everyday but not enough for me to walk away from my job of 14yrs someday tho'!!!! Im off this week but have managed to have shoots everyday so far but I dont mind because I love being a photographer more than building cars lol. My best friends nickname is Smurf

Ok all Im off to set up for todays shoot its prom season here (yeah). Have a productive day!!!!!!!

Preggers was my first thought I have never had implentation spotting but have read enough about it to wonder. I am pretty positive that I am not preg. It is reasuring to know that I am not the only one. BTW the spotting has stopped this morning.

One day soon enough you will be able to! I quit after 9 years and it was scary at first, especially when Jan-March proved once again to be SLOW months (they always have been, but I always had something to fall back on)

Funny that there is someone else with the nickname smurf, was/is she short too?


Good morning everyone!! Yesterday was my light day, oh and did I mention that I lost .5 lbs which isn't a lot, but considering the busy weekend I had I am very glad for any loss!

Today I plan to do yoga for 40 min. instead of the usual 20 min. and then I will go for a walk/run tonight (granted the wind has died down from last night). I am not sure what I am eating today I need to go shopping later, and will be taking along some of these YUMMY ideas you all are so kind enough to share.

Have a GREAT day and I will pop in as I can.

Heres a tip from me a girl who grew up on red beans & rice
If you cook your beans on the stovetop rapid boil at first then go to simmer (it takes longer for the beans to cook but well worth it) your beans will create their own gravy, if its not thick enough for you when the beans are almost ready throw in about a 1t of flour (mix flour w/water then add to beans)also add a bay leaf to beans while they are cooking mmmm and for a spin on your rice try Jasmine rice its full of flavor. We(my family) have never cooked the rice & beans together we always make in seperate pots then add together when we eat. Im 41 this is the way my mom taught me and the way her mom taught her and so on and they have never been dry or unflavorful. Hope this helps

orthodiva: I am sooooooo making these burgers next week, or this weekend. I already told my hubby. They sound fabulous! The only thing is that I will probably have to use ground turkey, as that is more available where I shop. I'm sure it will be delicious. Yum! The lasagna: I didn't really miss the noodles because the lasagna taste is still there, just not the noodles. Give it a shot this summer for sure! Another thing someone can try is using eggplant. I'm not sure, but you would probably have to cook the eggplant some before you used it in place of the zucchini.

re: Red Beans & Rice: I have an excellent recipe for what the author says is "authentic", it could probably be made in the crockpot. Let me know if you want it and I'd be happy to share it. I've made it and it is delicious. Also, don't salt your beans until the end because salting them can cause them to toughen.

I'm up much earlier than I need to be. I am drinking my coffee and trying to psyche myself up for resistence training. After my semi-disaster on Tuesday, my hubby has helped me out by making me a routine. I am also going to try to do some cardio today, but I don't know how well that will go because I have papers to do today. I am sure I can find some time, squeeze 10 mins here, 10 mins there. Have a good day everyone!

Good morning ladies!! (and gents . . . do we have any this challenge?)

Purchased a new exercise DVD yesterday at Ross. Billy Blank's Ultimate Bootcamp. Can hardly wait to sweat myself into a puddle.

Purplefly and RealCdn are kicking my tushie in the exercise challenge and I'm NOT used to losing!!!

I hope everybody gets on board for the black team challenge and for the beach hopping challenge. It's a really wonderful way to make exercise fun.

morning ladies: Can't keep up with the thread!!! AHHHH lol. I am excited I have started planning my reward trip my husband promised me for september as long as I stay dieting and exercising. We are going to Hartford CT for 4 nights. One of the days we are spending in NYC which I am SOOO excited about I have never been there and it and cali are the two places in the states I promised myself I would visit. One of the other days we are going to spend in Boston which I am excited about also my great aunt lives there and I would love to see her I have never been to boston either. I am super excited abou this trip and the best thing is my in laws may come so we only have to pay half the gas and half the hotel cost!!!! also they can babysit if we want to go out at night.

also I seen people on here were talking about being photgraphers that is my dream job!!!! I am waiting ot have the money to go to school for it I have no idea how to get into it otherwise.

well off to bank some money!!!! trampoline here I come!!!!

I haven't taken a single class for photography and business is great! I started out with a point and shoot camera and upgraded to an SLR when I had the funds. It has always been my dream job too-I love it. I am a self taught photographer (well self taught in that I did not go to school) I spent a lot of time online and at ilovephotography.com.

Trampolines make me have to pee gotta work on those kegals

A half hour inside my head this morning:

"I can skip Jillian today. I need a day off."

**put in DVD and started anyway, ignoring myself**

"I'll just do half. That'll count, since I at least tried. I'm just low energy today."

"Okay, there's half. I can stop. well, this next move is not to hard. I'll stop after it."

"Oh, I like this next move actually, I'll stop after it."

"Well, I'm already into the second half. Might as well finish. As Jillian says, no quitting at the end."

"Gosh, I did the whole thing. i feel so good. I am glad I didn't quit."

I think I learned something this morning. Instead of just not doing it and calling it a day off, I should make myself start and be allowed not to finish it all, because once i get into it I end up pushing myself to the end. I have to make myself at least start, that's a requirement from now on

You'll have a chance to catch me on the weekends. I usually take Sat and Sun as rest days. Although my competitive nature may kick in and find me doing a little more just in case...

(btw - I've already done 30 mins this morning and heading back for another 30....)