This week has been pretty good overall. I definitely feel better than I did last week and when I forgot to take the pills, I felt noticably more tired. I had a difficult week this week. I get the winter time blues in January. It's just a fact of my life! I just want to curl up in bed and never come out until it's warm outside again. Hibernate like a grizzly bear. And if you try to wake me up before spring there will be some beheadings going on! At least, that's how I normally feel this time of year.
Vitality has been taking the edge off of that feeling. No, it doesn't get rid of the feeling entirely but it does make it manageable. Without it this week would have been a whole lot worse than it was. I wouldn't have gotten ANYTHING done. Instead, I can look at this week and go, y'know, I didn't do to bad. I still got things checked off my list and I still managed not to bite Matt's head off about anything. Hurray!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Meal Plans Jan 29th - Feb 4th
This week I'm gonna try Indian Fry Bread. I'm so nervous. Nothing I've ever deep-fried has turned out well. I don't know if it's my stove, my pan, or me! So we'll see how this goes!
Meals
Saturday: Spaghetti, Salad, Rolls
Sunday: Roast w/Mashed Potatoes, veggies & Apple Crisp
I use a pork loin roast that's packaged in it's own marinade. I throw it in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Makes for an easy meal and great leftovers for the week. For desert I'm going to try this Betty Crocker recipe.
Monday: Indian Fry Bread
My aunt is a native american, adopted into our family. She would make this for us occasionally for dinner while we were growing up. It's great because the fry bread serves as a base for both dinner and desert.
* 1 cup Flour
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 cup milk
* Oil for frying
* 1 can chili with beans
* shredded lettuce
* chopped tomato
* shredded cheese
* sour cream
* honey
* powdered sugar
Mix flour, salt and baking powder together. Slowly pour in milk and mix until combined (don't knead!) Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Flour your hands well then stretch and spread the dough into rough disc shapes 5-7 inches in diameter. Heat oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees. Oil should be about 1 inch deep. Gently drop the dough into the pan. Press down with heat-safe tongs while it frys. 3-4 minutes per side. Set onto a plate with paper towels on it. Repeat for other pieces. Top two of the fry bread pieces with chili, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. For desert, top the other two with honey and powdered sugar.
Tuesday: Ham Fried Rice
Cook rice according to instructions. Meanwhile, in a small pan pour 1 Tbl oil and toss in some chopped green onions. Add an egg and cook until scrambled. Remove the egg mix from the pan and set aside. Now brown some cubed ham and set aside when done. Lastly cook up 2-4 slices of bacon. Let cool then crumble and set aside. When rice is done, combine all the ingredients with the rice and a dash of soy sauce or 2 Tbl of sweet'n'sour sauce.
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Shrimp & Swiss Grilled Cheese Sammich
I'm making this recipe up so we'll see how it turns out. I plan to cook it like a normal grilled cheese sammich except for the filling I'll use slices of swiss cheese and pre-cooked shrimp with tails removed.
Friday: Black Bean Soup
I'm using this recipe from Eating Well.com. Matt and I have done it before and it's delicious!
Meals
Saturday: Spaghetti, Salad, Rolls
Sunday: Roast w/Mashed Potatoes, veggies & Apple Crisp
I use a pork loin roast that's packaged in it's own marinade. I throw it in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Makes for an easy meal and great leftovers for the week. For desert I'm going to try this Betty Crocker recipe.
Monday: Indian Fry Bread
My aunt is a native american, adopted into our family. She would make this for us occasionally for dinner while we were growing up. It's great because the fry bread serves as a base for both dinner and desert.
* 1 cup Flour
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 cup milk
* Oil for frying
* 1 can chili with beans
* shredded lettuce
* chopped tomato
* shredded cheese
* sour cream
* honey
* powdered sugar
Mix flour, salt and baking powder together. Slowly pour in milk and mix until combined (don't knead!) Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Flour your hands well then stretch and spread the dough into rough disc shapes 5-7 inches in diameter. Heat oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees. Oil should be about 1 inch deep. Gently drop the dough into the pan. Press down with heat-safe tongs while it frys. 3-4 minutes per side. Set onto a plate with paper towels on it. Repeat for other pieces. Top two of the fry bread pieces with chili, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. For desert, top the other two with honey and powdered sugar.
Tuesday: Ham Fried Rice
Cook rice according to instructions. Meanwhile, in a small pan pour 1 Tbl oil and toss in some chopped green onions. Add an egg and cook until scrambled. Remove the egg mix from the pan and set aside. Now brown some cubed ham and set aside when done. Lastly cook up 2-4 slices of bacon. Let cool then crumble and set aside. When rice is done, combine all the ingredients with the rice and a dash of soy sauce or 2 Tbl of sweet'n'sour sauce.
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Shrimp & Swiss Grilled Cheese Sammich
I'm making this recipe up so we'll see how it turns out. I plan to cook it like a normal grilled cheese sammich except for the filling I'll use slices of swiss cheese and pre-cooked shrimp with tails removed.
Friday: Black Bean Soup
I'm using this recipe from Eating Well.com. Matt and I have done it before and it's delicious!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Vitality 3-4
Saturday I didn't notice much of a difference than Friday. But Sunday I definitely did. Sundays are generally difficult for me to stay awake because I've usually been up late the night before for one reason or another. And getting up an hour earlier than I usually do also adds to the problem. I was looking forward to taking Vitality and seeing if it made a difference to me on Sunday.
Well....I forgot to take them in the morning. By the time I got home I was slap-me-down ready for a long nap. But I couldn't take a nap. I had to get lunch ready then after lunch I had to get dinner in the crockpot so it would be ready at a decent time. And that involved removing the skin from several pieces of chicken thighs. Then, since a World Event began in World of Warcraft and there were some changes to it in the expansion I had to get to work updating the info we had on the website so people would know what changed and be easily able to adjust. That was going to take a few hours at least. Blarg!
So I popped my lunchtime pills and, I kid you not, within an hour and a half or so I was feeling like I had plenty of sleep and plenty of energy to keep tearing through my to do list. I even stayed up until almost midnight just chatting with the hubby and writing. I knew how my day was going to go. It was going to be awful. It was going to take some mighty effort to get anything on my list done. But instead, because of these pills, I was able to have a pretty normal and productive day!
Well....I forgot to take them in the morning. By the time I got home I was slap-me-down ready for a long nap. But I couldn't take a nap. I had to get lunch ready then after lunch I had to get dinner in the crockpot so it would be ready at a decent time. And that involved removing the skin from several pieces of chicken thighs. Then, since a World Event began in World of Warcraft and there were some changes to it in the expansion I had to get to work updating the info we had on the website so people would know what changed and be easily able to adjust. That was going to take a few hours at least. Blarg!
So I popped my lunchtime pills and, I kid you not, within an hour and a half or so I was feeling like I had plenty of sleep and plenty of energy to keep tearing through my to do list. I even stayed up until almost midnight just chatting with the hubby and writing. I knew how my day was going to go. It was going to be awful. It was going to take some mighty effort to get anything on my list done. But instead, because of these pills, I was able to have a pretty normal and productive day!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Vitality Day 2
Yesterday I definitely felt a difference. I was physically tired but despite that I felt more alert and awake then I normally would have. Usually by this point, after a couple days of restless sleep, I just want to do nothing and think about nothing except maybe getting some sleep. But I managed to get work done and at least a good chunk of my to-do list done yesterday.
Then, without a nap, I managed to go to book group and follow the conversations without my mind wandering too much. And I stayed up with my hubby after I got home too. So here goes with taking pills on Day 2!
Then, without a nap, I managed to go to book group and follow the conversations without my mind wandering too much. And I stayed up with my hubby after I got home too. So here goes with taking pills on Day 2!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Meal Plans 21st-27th
I figured I might as well start this up again too. I won't have calories attached since I haven't been tracking them for a while but I hope to pick that back up again soon too.
Meals
Friday
Ranch Noodles
2 Servings | Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
* 4 oz Spaghetti noodles
* 1/2 cup mixed frozen vegetables (corn, peas, carrots etc.)
* 1/2 cup ham, fully cooked, cubed
* 1 cup Ranch dressing
* 1 Roma tomato, chopped
Instructions: Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook veggies according to package instructions. Place cubed ham in a small skillet on medium heat and cook until browned slightly. Strain the noodles and run cold water over them until the noodles are no longer warm. In a large bowl, mix noodles, vegetables (including tomato), ham, and Ranch dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later.
Saturday
Stuffed Crust Pizza
4 Servings | Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
* Refrigerated Pizza Dough
* 1 package Turkey Pepperoni
* 2 cups Part-Skim Mozzarella
* 1/2 cup Pizza or Spaghetti sauce
* 8-10 Mozzarella sticks (aka string cheese)
Instructions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface. Place Mozzarella sticks along the edges of the dough and roll the edges of the dough over the sticks and then pinch closed. Spread sauce, cheese and pepperoni over the rest of the dough. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Sunday
Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Potatoes
4 Servings | Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 6 hours
Ingredients:
* 1 medium onion
* 4 medium potatoes
* 2 cups baby carrots
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 cup white cooking wine
* 1 tsp minced garlic
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1-1/4 tsp salt, divided
* 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
* 1 tsp paprika
* 4 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs
Instructions: Slice the onion and potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and place in a medium-large slow cooker. Toss in the baby carrots. Combine broth, white wine, garlic, thyme, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Combine paprika with remaining salt and pepper and rub over the chicken thighs. Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Monday
Pancakes, eggs & bacon
Follow instructions on Bisquick box for pancakes. :P
Tuesday
Shrimp Noodle Bowl
2 Servings | Total Time: 15 min
Ingredients:
* 2 (3 oz) packages Oriental-flavored ramen noodle soup mix
* 1 green onion, chopped
* 4 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 cup fresh, trimmed snow peas
* 12 peeled and deveined medium size raw shrimp (26/30 count)
* 1/4 cup shredded napa cabbage
* 2 Tbl chopped peanuts
Instructions: Stir together flavor packet from the soup mix, 4 cups of water, green onion and cilantro in a medium-large pot. Bring to a boil then add noodles and snow peas. Cook 1 minute then add shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes more or until shrimp turns pink and noodles are tender. Transfer to two bowls and top with cabbage and peanuts.
Wednesday
Hoppin' John Stew with Grits
2 Servings | Total Time: 50 min
Ingredients:
* 1/2 Tbl butter
* 1/2 cup chopped, smoked ham
* 2 Tbl Onion powder
* 1 15oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
* 1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
* 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* White Cheddar Cheese Grits
Instructions: Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add ham and onion powder and saute 2 minutes. Stir in black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, corn and sugar. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook grits according to package instructions. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve immediately over grits.
Thursday
Taco Salad
4 Servings | Total Time: 20 min
Ingredients:
* 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
* 1 package taco seasoning
* 1 bag of Fritos chips
* 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
* 2 bags of salad of your choice
* Ranch Dressing
* Salsa
* Sour Cream
Instructions: Cook and crumble ground beef/turkey in a pan. Drain fat and add taco seasoning. In 4 bowls, divide and layer chips, ground beef, cheese, salad and your choice of topping: salad dressing, salsa, sour cream.
Meals
Friday
Ranch Noodles
2 Servings | Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
* 4 oz Spaghetti noodles
* 1/2 cup mixed frozen vegetables (corn, peas, carrots etc.)
* 1/2 cup ham, fully cooked, cubed
* 1 cup Ranch dressing
* 1 Roma tomato, chopped
Instructions: Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook veggies according to package instructions. Place cubed ham in a small skillet on medium heat and cook until browned slightly. Strain the noodles and run cold water over them until the noodles are no longer warm. In a large bowl, mix noodles, vegetables (including tomato), ham, and Ranch dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve later.
Saturday
Stuffed Crust Pizza
4 Servings | Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
* Refrigerated Pizza Dough
* 1 package Turkey Pepperoni
* 2 cups Part-Skim Mozzarella
* 1/2 cup Pizza or Spaghetti sauce
* 8-10 Mozzarella sticks (aka string cheese)
Instructions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface. Place Mozzarella sticks along the edges of the dough and roll the edges of the dough over the sticks and then pinch closed. Spread sauce, cheese and pepperoni over the rest of the dough. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Sunday
Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Potatoes
4 Servings | Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 6 hours
Ingredients:
* 1 medium onion
* 4 medium potatoes
* 2 cups baby carrots
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 cup white cooking wine
* 1 tsp minced garlic
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1-1/4 tsp salt, divided
* 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
* 1 tsp paprika
* 4 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs
Instructions: Slice the onion and potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and place in a medium-large slow cooker. Toss in the baby carrots. Combine broth, white wine, garlic, thyme, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Combine paprika with remaining salt and pepper and rub over the chicken thighs. Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Monday
Pancakes, eggs & bacon
Follow instructions on Bisquick box for pancakes. :P
Tuesday
Shrimp Noodle Bowl
2 Servings | Total Time: 15 min
Ingredients:
* 2 (3 oz) packages Oriental-flavored ramen noodle soup mix
* 1 green onion, chopped
* 4 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 cup fresh, trimmed snow peas
* 12 peeled and deveined medium size raw shrimp (26/30 count)
* 1/4 cup shredded napa cabbage
* 2 Tbl chopped peanuts
Instructions: Stir together flavor packet from the soup mix, 4 cups of water, green onion and cilantro in a medium-large pot. Bring to a boil then add noodles and snow peas. Cook 1 minute then add shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes more or until shrimp turns pink and noodles are tender. Transfer to two bowls and top with cabbage and peanuts.
Wednesday
Hoppin' John Stew with Grits
2 Servings | Total Time: 50 min
Ingredients:
* 1/2 Tbl butter
* 1/2 cup chopped, smoked ham
* 2 Tbl Onion powder
* 1 15oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
* 1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
* 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* White Cheddar Cheese Grits
Instructions: Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add ham and onion powder and saute 2 minutes. Stir in black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, corn and sugar. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook grits according to package instructions. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve immediately over grits.
Thursday
Taco Salad
4 Servings | Total Time: 20 min
Ingredients:
* 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
* 1 package taco seasoning
* 1 bag of Fritos chips
* 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
* 2 bags of salad of your choice
* Ranch Dressing
* Salsa
* Sour Cream
Instructions: Cook and crumble ground beef/turkey in a pan. Drain fat and add taco seasoning. In 4 bowls, divide and layer chips, ground beef, cheese, salad and your choice of topping: salad dressing, salsa, sour cream.
Vitality
When I had gallbladder surgery just a few weeks ago my mom came out to help a bit which was really awesome of her. She and my Dad are reps for NuSkin so while she was here she showed me this new product they have called ageLoc Vitality. It's a dietary suppliment that improves physical vigor, mental acuity, and sexual desire. While I have no problems with the third part the first two I feel I could use a little help with. Especially trying to get back on a healthy track after surgery and the months of craziness before that.
My mom gave me a bottle to try for free. You're supposed to take 3 pills with breakfast and 3 with lunch. So here goes! I took my first three this morning! In order to keep track of how well it works for me, I've decided to pick up my blog again and write down how I'm feeling every once in a while.
This morning I felt tired. A couple restless nights are likely the cause but I had been fighting the 'tired' feeling before that too. You know those mid-winter blues that make you just want to curl up in your warm bed and never leave it until spring? Yeah I don't really want to be a grizzly bear this winter. I want to DO things! But I just don't feel like I have the motivation to because I just feel tired and sluggish. So maybe vitality will help. We'll see!
There are so many stories associated with these pills. Good stories, great stories! My dad, for example, has suffered from severe (and that word is terribly inadequate) migraines for the past 5 years. NOTHING worked to get rid of these headaches. It was always just pop migraine medicine and drink a diet coke and hope the caffine punch would turn the headache down to a bearable level. His headaches were an almost daily occurrence. My dad has been taking Vitality since October and hasn't had a single headache since. It was simply miraculous.
My mom told me the story of a secretary who was chatting with my dad and she mentioned being tired all the time. Dad gave her a bottle of Vitality to try. The secretary had some mandatory bloodwork that needed to be done every few months. She was positive she was going to totally bomb it because this was in December and the holidays were hectic and she hadn't been eating right or exercising for a while. She figured she'd give Vitality a try. She took it for a week and then went and had her bloodwork done. The doctor who compared the bloodwork results called her and asked her what she was doing because her bloodwork was the most perfect of all the people who had their bloodwork done and it was, in fact, the most perfect and healthy he'd every seen. She called my dad back and told him about it and ordered another bottle of Vitality.
That last story is a hope I hold for myself. Because of my PCOS, I'm borderline diabetic and my body treats foods a little differently. That's why it's difficult for me to loose weight, even when I was on my 1100-calories-a-day diet. I've also got borderline high cholesterol. So I'm hoping that Vitality can help me in those areas of my health too like they've helped other people.
My mom gave me a bottle to try for free. You're supposed to take 3 pills with breakfast and 3 with lunch. So here goes! I took my first three this morning! In order to keep track of how well it works for me, I've decided to pick up my blog again and write down how I'm feeling every once in a while.
This morning I felt tired. A couple restless nights are likely the cause but I had been fighting the 'tired' feeling before that too. You know those mid-winter blues that make you just want to curl up in your warm bed and never leave it until spring? Yeah I don't really want to be a grizzly bear this winter. I want to DO things! But I just don't feel like I have the motivation to because I just feel tired and sluggish. So maybe vitality will help. We'll see!
There are so many stories associated with these pills. Good stories, great stories! My dad, for example, has suffered from severe (and that word is terribly inadequate) migraines for the past 5 years. NOTHING worked to get rid of these headaches. It was always just pop migraine medicine and drink a diet coke and hope the caffine punch would turn the headache down to a bearable level. His headaches were an almost daily occurrence. My dad has been taking Vitality since October and hasn't had a single headache since. It was simply miraculous.
My mom told me the story of a secretary who was chatting with my dad and she mentioned being tired all the time. Dad gave her a bottle of Vitality to try. The secretary had some mandatory bloodwork that needed to be done every few months. She was positive she was going to totally bomb it because this was in December and the holidays were hectic and she hadn't been eating right or exercising for a while. She figured she'd give Vitality a try. She took it for a week and then went and had her bloodwork done. The doctor who compared the bloodwork results called her and asked her what she was doing because her bloodwork was the most perfect of all the people who had their bloodwork done and it was, in fact, the most perfect and healthy he'd every seen. She called my dad back and told him about it and ordered another bottle of Vitality.
That last story is a hope I hold for myself. Because of my PCOS, I'm borderline diabetic and my body treats foods a little differently. That's why it's difficult for me to loose weight, even when I was on my 1100-calories-a-day diet. I've also got borderline high cholesterol. So I'm hoping that Vitality can help me in those areas of my health too like they've helped other people.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Homemade Lunchables
I haven't had a ton of extra time the past month but I'm going to try and update when I can and post meal lists when I can. ^_^
Lately, Matt and I have been trying to do something different for lunches. Sandwiches get really boring after doing them every day for months on end. And since we're now also trying to watch our sodium (thanks for the suggestion julie!) we've cut out mac & cheese and chili. So this week we experimented with homemade Lunchables. It actually works out really well! It's like a meat, cheese, and fruit tray for lunch! It's also great because you can use leftovers or whatever meat and/or cheese is currently in your fridge. For example, we have a half a bag of turkey pepperoni and some hotdogs. So that got added to our lunchables plate. We also added some diced lunch meat. For cheeses we had some cheddar slices and a bit of cream cheese. Put all that on one plate with some grapes, kiwi, and strawberries and it's a nice alternative meal to the usual sammich.
Lately, Matt and I have been trying to do something different for lunches. Sandwiches get really boring after doing them every day for months on end. And since we're now also trying to watch our sodium (thanks for the suggestion julie!) we've cut out mac & cheese and chili. So this week we experimented with homemade Lunchables. It actually works out really well! It's like a meat, cheese, and fruit tray for lunch! It's also great because you can use leftovers or whatever meat and/or cheese is currently in your fridge. For example, we have a half a bag of turkey pepperoni and some hotdogs. So that got added to our lunchables plate. We also added some diced lunch meat. For cheeses we had some cheddar slices and a bit of cream cheese. Put all that on one plate with some grapes, kiwi, and strawberries and it's a nice alternative meal to the usual sammich.
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