"Fat isn't bad; Stupid is Bad"

My Aunt recently shared this Washington Post article on Facebook. It describes the difficulty in making smart food choices, due to the confusion surrounding word usage.

I. Loved. It.

My favorite part is the end -- make your food choices purposefully, with full knowledge of why and what you are purchasing.

Knowledge is power.

YES!!

Food Pyramid

Click Image for Source

This is very educational . . . health and geometry! haha!

Step 2: "Hello Dessert, it's nice to meet you!"

In my goal for Breaking My Sugar Addiction I mentioned the steps that I planned to take in order to accomplish said goal. I deemed step 1 a success (going off desserts and treats completely for 4 weeks). Overall I felt more energized, I was sick to my stomach less, my skin became clearer (that could be attributed to the changing hormones of pregnancy too), and my mood improved. My cravings went up and down. Some days they were non-existent, other days I was tearing my hair out wanting a cookie. However, I did feel like it got better the longer I went without desserts.

Unfortunately, following my four week break, Mitch and I went on vacation to Utah--and basically it all fell to pieces. It was hard not having control over what I ate for meals, and (to be honest) I really wanted to just relax and have a good time with my family. I guess I still need to learn the art of celebrating without completely relying on sugar. After returning home to AZ though, I've just kinda jumped right back in (minus my Ben and Jerry's misstep) and I'm ready to continue in this goal.

Well, I am happy to say that I am moving on to Step 2: Reintroducing desserts as TREATS. Here's the game plan. I present to you:

I get to plan a dessert or special treat for Sunday EVENINGS. I emphasize the evening part because I don't want Sundays to turn into a splurging 24 hours where I make myself sick gorging on all the treats I wanted to eat throughout the week.

My whole hope with these goals is to redefine my relationship with sugar. I don't want to label sugar as something BAD and off-limits, because that will only cause guilt and shame when I do indulge. My new relationship with sugar needs to be one of . . .  well mutual respect, where I can enjoy my sweets in moderation, and continue to have a healthy well-balanced diet.

I can't reach these relationship goals if I continue in a restrict-and-then-binge pattern. So I'm gonna start with a moderate sized dessert on my Sweet Sunday Evenings and start training my body to really enjoy and savor the ONE cookie, or half a cup of ice cream, instead of going overboard. Eventually, my hope is to not have to worry about limiting my sweets at all, that it will just be natural for me to eat them moderately and occasionally (because what's life without cookie dough every once in a while?). 

Wish me luck!

Chicken Enchilada Bake

There is something so incredibly satisfying in finding a new recipe, trying it, and LOVING it! It's like you have made a new friend. Well, at least once during the week I make a point to try a recipe I've never made before. This week it was this amazing Chicken Enchilada Bake.

Sometimes things don't go as planned....

Mitch and I recently returned from our vacation visiting family in Utah. During this time I was more lenient on my sugar rule.... Okay so it was kinda a sugar disaster. I would eat dessert to my heart's content most nights, followed by the disgusted guilty phase of "I'll never do that again," and then I would continue to eat the same way the following day. It was a bad cycle, but I survived.

Upon my return I stocked up on fruits and veggies and prepared for PHASE 2 of "breaking my sugar addiction" goal. I would now only eat moderate amounts of desserts on Sundays (my SWEET SUNDAYS--pretty good, right?). Well I did good for about 5 days, and then THIS happened:

Which resulted in this:

Heaven help me. . . . 

Strawberry Blueberry Syrup

Yesterday I had some MAJOR cravings for some fresh berries. Oh man, I was wanting them so bad, so of COURSE the grocery store I was shopping at was fresh out of them. I was disappointed, but doing okay. Well, while walking through Costco I had the brilliant idea to go check out the produce. Then, in a fit of insanity, I decided to buy a Costco pack of strawberries AND blueberries (WHAT WAS I THINKING??). I walked out with 5 lbs of fruit and not a care in the world--until I woke up this morning and realized that there was no chance on earth that I was gonna be able to eat all of these fresh berries. I was preparing myself to freeze them for smoothies when I got the idea to ask around for some ideas on what to make. Well, lots of friends suggested Jam! That sounded WONDERFUL, however I would have to go to the store again for some missing ingredients. So...I adapted. Behold Strawberry Blueberry Syrup of my own making (which isn't saying much because it is just a simple syrup recipe). Super yummy on my waffles, and tomorrow I'm gonna try it in some plain yogurt!

Donut Fact #18

Click Image For Source

Saw this on Facebook today. I guess perspective really is everything!

Heath Bar Chocolate Poke Cake

The Finished Product -- My bother-in-law is allergic to tree nuts, hence the Heath bars only covering part of the cake.

I saw this recipe on Facebook a few months ago and ever since I've been dying to try it! However, I've also simultaneously been trying to not eat desserts, sweets, cookies etc. So this recipe went on the back burner along with my entire Desserts Board on Pinterest (so many yummy looking treats I'd love to try some day *sigh*).

Try Everything!

This song is from Zootopia (or maybe you noticed from the music video). For those who haven't seen it, DO! I loved it! This song though.....I had it on repeat until my husband finally kindly hinted that it was getting old. Haha! It's just such a good message to anyone who's feeling defeated, or who is scared to go for their dreams.  My favorite line is "I wanna try even though I could fail." That just totally speaks to me!! I won't let the possibility of failure keep me from trying! I've posted the lyrics below (because sometimes Shakira isn't the easiest to understand). I've highlighted the lines I think most important.

Recipes

My goal with this Recipes section, is to document and share my own recipes and creations, as well as those that I try from Pinterest, the internet, friends and family (with their permission) etc. Sometimes this means I will post the recipe in its entirety--other times it will just be a link to the recipe (especially if I haven't made any/many changes).

My hope is that this section will be a place for me to share my passion for cooking and trying new things. Along the way, if I can introduce others to new recipes they can try, well then that's just a lucky bonus. I'm definitely not a professional food blogger. Sometimes I'll get a little creative with my photos and plating, other times you're just gonna get photos of a makeupless Nora cooking in her PJ's. But I promise I'll still have a big smile on my face if that makes up for anything! :) 

For me, cooking is about the experience. I like to cook with my husband, and I think the eating portion is just as enjoyable to document as the preparing. So there you have it, I'll try to make it interesting, but you never know what's gonna come out of my mouth--or I guess my fingers. 

Happy Eating!

Banana Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes

So you know when you're about to leave on vacation, or when you're at the end of the shopping week and you have to play your own version of Chopped in order to use up the ingredients that are gonna go bad? Yeah....well that was us tonight. My ingredients: an overripe banana, buttermilk that expired today, and 1 egg (what a great basket, huh?).

Anxiety Troubles

So a little bit about me. I like to pretend that nothing scares me and that I am invincible, but in reality all it takes is me having to make a phone call to someone other than my family to turn me into a mess of nerves and tears.

Fairy Tales

Okay, for reals. This has been one of my favorite quotes for some time now, and here's why:

• It's a reminder to me that no matter how tiny, or outmatched I may feel....I CAN BEAT MY DRAGON!
• It's a great analogy for kids---and I'm pretty much a kid at heart.
• It makes the whimsical world of fairies and dragons seem that much more real, and who doesn't want that?

Now excuse me while I go binge-watch Disney movies!

Chasing the Sun - Sara Bareilles

Here's the actual song from the quote I posted earlier. 

"All we can do it try!" Can I get an AMEN!

Chase The Sun

This is from the song Chasing the Sun by Sara Bareilles, and I've been listening to it almost non-stop today. Sometimes I want to just GET THROUGH THE DAY. But I think it's a good reminder for me that life shouldn't be wasted, and the my life is made up of hours and days just like today. So instead of vegging in front of a screen for hours on end, I can chase my sun and become better! 

Lifetime Health Goal #1: Breaking my Sugar Addiction

Hello, my name is Nora, and it has been 24 days since I last had a dessert, cookie, candy, etc.

Now this is HUGE! I am a sugarholic--I live for the hot cookies right out of the oven. And I don't just enjoy one, or two, or three....I will seriously eat half a dozen homemade cookies in a sitting, and then maybe a few before bed time. It's a problem--not because having the occasional cookie, or piece of cake is so bad. It won't wreck my life, or really impact my overall health. But my problem is WAY past having the occasional cookie. I was at a point where after each meal I was looking for a sugar fix. I was munching on candy for my afternoon snack, and THEN after dinner when it became "real" dessert time, my husband and I would talk about what sounded good (ice cream sundaes, doughnuts, chocolate cake, no-bake cookies) and then we'd gorge ourselves on our decision once we bought/made it. I would eat that dessert until I was physically sick, and I had a pretty high tolerance, so you know I was eating a LOT. I would go to bed feeling icky and telling myself I wouldn't do that again, and then the next day I'd repeat my same addictive pattern. 

It's MAY!!

Well, 10 months is a long time....and unfortunately that's how long it's been since I've written. OH BOY! Or should I say GIRL.....it may not be a surprise to some, but I am expecting my first baby (a baby girl) in August, and here's a picture to prove it!

I am 23 weeks along, and feeling pretty good! Mitch and I struggled to get pregnant for over two years, so this little Miss inside of me was actually a BIG surprise. That being said, she's shaken up our lives a little bit, but only for good. I quit my job about a month and a half ago (I was a CNA.....and my duties did not mix well with morning sickness), and now I'm a full time homemaker. You may think "Then what's with the radio silence on the blog??" Well, I have no excuses except that I was sick, and then I was lazy, and now I am bored--so I'm finally getting back to it. I've got a lot of hopes, dreams, and goals for my health during (and after) this pregnancy...some have been easy some have been hard, but all of them are worth it.

So I guess this post is just to say, HAPPY MAY!!! I'm Back!