Special Day for Megs

This weekend was my future sister-in-law's bridal shower!  It was a gorgeous day, the food was tasty and everyone had a great time.  It was great to see all of her sisters and mom and family and all of her friends.  My brother showed up at the end like a good fiance should!  He is too sweet - brought her flowers and everything.

It makes my heart happy to know that he is happy and is marrying an awesome person.  Megs has become one of my closest friends.  She is sweet, kind, thoughtful and very, very pretty.  Sam has waited a long time to find someone and she has made him very happy.  I know that she is happy too and glad she has found Sam! 

Here are some pics from the shower!  Love you Megs!

Esperance Roses and Pink Gerber Daisies!

Sisters

Love you Megs!

I love presents!

Looking good Sam!

Awwww!

Mom and mother-in-law

Friends Forever!  Can you tell we get our hair done at the same salon?!

Breakfast! Ezekial "English Muffin" with Natural, Raw, Organic Peanut Butter, Sliced Bananas and Agave Nectar

Happy Summer!  Memorial Day weekend was fabulous!  Spent lots of time with friends and family and we had amazing weather here in the 'Burgh.  Got some sun at the pool with my girls, had my future sister-in-law's bridal shower, BBQ'd with family and just had a really, really awesome time! 

I am watching my cousin's two little boys (almost 4 and almost 2) this morning.  They are playing quite nicely with my girls.  I was starving this morning so this is what I ate....loaded with protein cuz I am gonna need it with four little ones under the age of four running around!  ;)

Ingredients

Easy, fast, tasty breakfast!

Summer Pasta Salad - Clean and Gluten Free

Dressing Ingredients

Gluten Free, Organic Rice Pasta (found the picture via Google because I threw away the box)

Dressing

Gluten Free Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow beans, halved
1/2 cup green beans, halved
2 sweet carrots, peeled and penny sliced
3 cups cooked pasta shape of choice, whole wheat or gluten free
1 small yellow zucchini, cut into thin strips
1 small green zucchini, cut into thin strips
1/2 red pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips
1/2 orange pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, left whole or cut in half
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
1/4 cup purple onion, finely diced
*reserve 3 Tbsp. pasta water for dressing

Dressing:
4 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. avocado, canola or olive oil
3 Tbsp. reserved pasta water
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed through garlic press
Sea Salt to taste


Instructions:

Blanch beans in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes or until beans just begin to turn color. Place them in a bowl of ice water immediately. Do the same with the carrots. Drain well and place in a large serving bowl. Use the same water to boil the noodles until they are al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 3 tbsp. of the liquid for the dressing. Rinse pasta under cold water and drain well. Place pasta in bowl with carrots and beans. Add remaining zucchini, pepper, tomato, herbs, scallion, chives and onion to the bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad. Toss until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Nutritional Value Per Serving:Calories 137, Protein 5g, Carbs 21g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Fat 3g

My Notes:

1. I prepped all of the veggies the day before which cut down the preparation time.
2. I used gluten free pasta (I am so mad, I accidentally deleted the picture I took of the pasta box).  It was the best tasting "gluten free" pasta I have made so far.  I will try to find a picture of it on the internet.
3. DO NOT OVERCOOK the pasta.  I have found that when I make gluten free, brown rice, corn flour pasta or any other gluten free pasta, it is very easy to overcook.  Trust me it does not taste good -at all.  I actually cook it for one minute less than is on the package.  
4. I made double the amount of the dressing - I was afraid the salad would be too dry with just one serving and it was.

Yoga - Do you really get anything out of it?

I get asked that question a lot.  And I am sure those of you who do yoga do too.  I know I used to ask it myself - before I started doing yoga on a regular basis.  Now, I am not a yoga expert, you won't find me doing a forearm stand in the middle of a park, but I can hold my own. 

I am the type of girl who likes a good, hard, intense, sweaty workout.  I am no pansy.  I played soccer my entire life - even in college at Penn State.  I was a forward and played against girls who were 6 feet, 180 pounds - ya - not fun runnin' into one of those broads, let me tell ya.

My friend Amy, whose blog is linked here - asked me to go to a "hot" yoga class 16 months ago.  I said sure!  Little did I know it would be on a Sunday morning and it was titled "Power Hour."  Yep - the hardest class offered at the studio and here I was doing "down dog" like a complete jackwagon.  Flip your dog?  Excuse me, what the hell does that mean!?  Crow?  Standing split?  Pigeon pose?  Tree pose?  Seriously - what is going on here!  No clue what I was doing, but I kept an eye on Amy and followed her.  I survived and have been hooked ever since.

I try to go at least 2 times a week maybe 3.  I love, love it!  The reason why I am posting about yoga is to tell you what happened this morning.  The 8:30 am class is titled, "power flow."  It is an hour and 15 minutes long - hot, vinyasa style yoga.  Dana, the owner, who I adore, taught the practice.  I wore my heart monitor, just to see how many calories I would burn (I have done this before).  At the end of the class, I haphazardly looked down at my watch expecting to see the usual - about 500 or so calories (which is a lot mind you).

I BURNED 868 CALORIES!  Holy sh**balls!

I about fell over!  Some of the other women could not believe it either!  I was shocked!  I felt so good, I was literally soaking wet with sweat and had an amazing workout.

So for those of you who think yoga is for sissies and you can't really get anything out of it - try again!   If you live locally - check out this yoga studio.  It is a great place.

www.yogainnovations.com

Okay....off my soap box...FOR NOW!

Summer Kick Off - Ahi Tuna on Kale Salad

Hi everyone!  It's Memorial Day weekend!  WOO-HOO!  I don't know about you, but I am super excited and happy.  I feel great, have lots of fun things planned this weekend and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous! 

Memorial Day weekend to me is the official kick off to summer.  This is my mom's favorite "holiday."  We always used to have a big picnic on Memorial Day.  She would make her famous potato salad, lots of family and just a fun day.  Ah, good times and memories.  M is playing golf with a bunch of his friends today, I am off to yoga and then to the pool with my girls.  Tomorrow is my future sister-in-law's bridal shower!  I am so excited!  I love, love, love her and could not be more happy for my brother.  They both are very lucky to have each other.

We had nothing planned last night so I made Ahi Tuna for the first time.  My latest issue of Oxygen Magazine came a couple weeks ago and had a great and easy recipe for it.  It was very quick and easy to make and it was super tasty.  Oh and of course is it CLEAN!

Fresh, Crisp, Kale Greens

Toasted Pine Nuts

Pomegranate Close Up

Searing...

Delish!

Seared Ahi Tuna

Seared Ahi Tuna on Kale Salad
(Ready in 25 minutes, Makes 2 Servings)
(Oxygen Magazine, May 2011, Vol 14, Issue 5, #142, p. 71)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp orange juice
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh coarsely ground pepper, to taste
2 cups kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
2-4 oz. ahi tuna steaks (3/4" thick)
2 tbsp canola oil

Instructions:

1. Set a non-stick skillet on medium heat.  Add pine nuts and toss until lightly brown.  Remove from heat and set aside in a small bowl.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, toss together olive oil, orange juice, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, kale and pomegranate seeds.  Add toasted pine nuts and mix to combine.
3. Season both sides of the tuna steaks with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Heat canola oil in a heavy skillet over high heat.  The pan should e as hot as you can get it.  Sear tuna on each side for 30 to 45 seconds.  Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices; they will be pink inside.  Fan out on top of kale salad.  Serve.

Nutrients per serving:
Calorie: 442, Total Fat: 31 g, Sat Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0, Cholesterol: 51 mg, Sodium: 152 mg, Total Carbs: 15 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g, Protein: 31 g, Iron: 3 mg

My Notes:

1. Buy the Ahi, if you can, at a specialty food store.  I bought mine at McGinnis on Rt. 88.  It was on special - only $14.99/pound.
2. DO NOT OVER SEAR THE TUNA!  Don't walk away from the stove as you cook it - the tuna will over cook.
3. You could definitely prepare the ingredients for this recipe ahead of time - the most time consuming part for me was plucking the seeds out of the pomegranate!
4. I added feta cheese for a little more texture and color (plus it tasted amazing).

The Master Cleanse - Final Thoughts

Thanks to all of you who supported me during this adventure!  Thanks to my BFF Laura for talking me down some pretty high buildings at times!  And of course to my hubby for his words of encouragement too.  Remember, I only did 7 days, you are supposed to do it for 10.  And of course you are not supposed to eat ANYTHING - but I noshed on whole, raw, organic almonds throughout the day as needed.  Cause I could - and I wanted to!

Here are some final thoughts.

1.  Make sure you are prepared for the cleanse.  Buy all the ingredients a few days before you begin.  If you are someone who does not have a very healthy diet, I would recommend slowly eating "clean" and light a few days before the cleanse.

2.  The first day was the hardest for me both mentally and physically - I was exhausted and very, very hungry.

3.  Drink AT THE MINIMUM 10 glasses of the lemonade a day.  This way you will not be so hungry by nightime.

4.  The hardest part of the day was from 3 pm to around 8 pm.

5.  Do the cleanse when you have NO social commitments.  Do not put yourself in situations where you are surrounded by food and drink!  It was way too hard for me to sit and watch my friends eat and drink while I sat there and sipped on freaking cayenne pepper!  ;)

6.  Give yourself ample time to poop in the morning after the SWF - cause your gonna need it!

7.  Keep a journal or some sort of notes during the cleanse.

8.  Do yoga, hot, if you can.

9.  Get a massage.

10.  Do the cleanse with someone - you will need a support person.  If I didn't have Laura I would have never finished!

11.  Use FRESH squeezed lemon juice.  Why?  Because it tastes so much better and the "live" enzymes that are released as you squeeze them are what really work on detoxifying your body.

12.  Do not make the lemonade too far ahead of time - it loses its detoxing effects the longer it sits in the fridge.

13.  Buy the book and use it as a reference.  "Lose Weight, Have More Energy and be Healthy" by Peter Glickman.  Also - refer to the website as a reference too - http://www.themastercleanse.org/.


I will think of more later!

Thanks again and good luck to anyone who does the cleanse!

MC - Day 7

I did it!  I cannot believe I actually did it.  I honestly thought I would fail.  Maybe I psyched myself out so much that it turned out to be not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  It was not easy by any means - but certain days and certain times of the day were harder than others.

Day 7 was great mainly because I knew it was ending!  Mentally I was clear and my hunger was almost non existent.  I tried to stay as busy as possible yesterday. 

I woke up and drank my last SWF (ya!).  Got the girls ready so my sitter could come and take them to the Children's Museum.  I went off to have a massage and run errands.  Massages are amazing anytime - but are really good when you are doing a cleanse.  It can help remove any toxins on the skin and is obviously very relaxing.  I figured I owe myself a little treat!  I had a zillion errands to run and then it was home to get the girls.

I drank only 8 glasses of the lemonade yesterday but I drank a ton of water.  I wanted to go to yoga - but me, being the jackass that I sometimes can be, thought the class started at 7:30 when it ACTUALLY started at 6:30.  I was so pissed when I showed up and class was already going.  Grrrrrrrrrrrr!  I looked like such a jackwagon walking in all ready and excited - the instructor was like...."ummmm Lib, the class started at 6:30."  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.  I knew that. 

So the alternative was going to GIANT EAGLE - just like yoga, right?  Um, no.  Actually it wasn't that bad - there was no one there.  And I got to buy food that I can actually eat!  I am making an Ahi Tuna/Kale salad that I found in my latest Oxygen Magazine (thanks Megs).  I am making it Friday night.  I am off to the Strip this morning to buy the Tuna!  I can't wait and will post the recipe here, I promise!

Weight on Day 7 - 147.

Mrs. Good Stuff

So my really good friend BA, who I used to sling Viagra with when we worked for Pfizer, lives in Ft. Lauderdale now.  She is and has been my inspiration for almost all of my new found eating habits and more natural living life style.  She is the ultimate "natural" mama. 

She has three sons, home schools them, grows and juices her own wheat grass, buys her almonds from an almond farm in California and makes her own almond milk, makes her own soap and this is just the very, very tip of the iceberg of all of the things she does.  She is also overall just a really cool chick, not to mention a great mom, wife and friend.

Anyhow - she just started her own blog and it is outstanding.  There is so much great information I found myself  in a panic because I couldn't read fast enough!  Check it out - you will not be disappointed!

Cheers BA!

www.mrs.goodstuff.com

MC - Day 5

Hello All!  I woke up today feeling good again.  I was very sore from Hot Yoga on Saturday.  Holy cow.  My abs and core are killing me!  I knew it was a hard class.  It was a lazy Sunday morning, my 10 year old neice had a sleepover with my girls.  It was so cute.  I am not sure who had more fun!

I drank the SWF and felt fine.  I made the girls breakfast and we were off to my niece's soccer game.  I made myself a triple lemonade to take to the game with me.  I did pretty well - it was super hot at the game so I drank quite a bit of water too.

We came home and I was exhausted - I think I felt bad from being sore from yoga and the night before.  I took a 90 minute nap and felt much better.  One thing to make sure you do on the cleanse is to sleep well.  Go to bed early, take a nap if you can too.  It helps with feeling fatigued.  At least it is for me.

The night was fine - I felt pretty good - no major cravings and I didn't eat one thing.  I drank 11 glasses today - the most so far.  I made dinner for everyone and bathed and put the girls to bed.

M and I did some new house stuff and I drank some Senna.  I was in bed by 10:30.

MC - Day 6

Woke up today at 6 am feeling very good!  Well rested, not hungry and motivated.  The girls did not get up until 8, so I peacefully drank my SWF, watched the DVR of SNL and just relaxed.  Because I drank the Senna lasts night, I was in the bathroom a little more than usual.  Nice.  :)

We have no activities today so I tidied up a little, got the girls ready and headed to the gym.  I was nervous about how I would make it through a HIIT workout.  Surprisingly I felt fine and did the workout completely.  I burned 780 calories - not bad for a 45 minute workout.  It was a good one too - heavy on the legs and lots of core work.  I felt fantastic leaving the gym!

I struggled today - mentally I am so ready to be done with this that I feel like I am checking out.  All I can focus on is eating on Wednesday.  I am salivating.  Literally.

I drank only 9 glasses of lemonade today - and I had a few almonds but not many.  I also had some carrots around dinner time.

I am drinking my Senna tea now and going to go right to bed.  I am sleepy for sure.  I am looking forward to tomorrow - I have a massage at 10.  My back is aching.

Check in tomorrow - no weight change.

MC - Day 4

WOW!  That's all I have to say.  Woke up today feeling fantastic!  I was awakened at 5:15 am by a snoring husband.  I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't.  I waited for Laura to get up and we did the SWF together.  It's getting easier and easier to drink.  We got that over with and headed to Hot Yoga at 8:30.  I was nervous about how I would feel.  I do this class quite often and love the detoxing effects of it, but was worried I would not have enough strength to do it/finish it. 

The class was overall great!  I struggled during the first few vinyasas - especially the downward dogs.  My arms were so weak!  The instructor holds poses for very long and it was quite a challenge.  But as the class went on I felt better.  I drank water and the lemonade during the class.  Immediately after I class I felt so energized and great! 

It was off to M's first dance recital (I made a triple lemonade and brought it with me to the show).  Then we had to run home to show the house to an agent and her client.  It was quite a busy afternoon.  Thank goodness because I hardly thought about food.  The show was so cute - I cried like a baby.  Weird seeing your kid on stage - it was very surreal.  She did great and had a lot of fun!

The showing went great and then we went over to our good friend's house for pizza and for our kids to play together.  It was the hardest point so far for me.  Seeing all of this food sprawled on the table.  Pizza, stuffed peppers, fresh, white Italian bread, salad, eggplant parm, strawberries.......I caved and had a bite of Mary's pizza crust, a few strawberries and some cucumbers.  I am so disappointed in myself.  I was so weak but the food was too much for me.  I just cannot put myself in that situation again!  DAMN IT!

We came home, my niece had a sleepover with my girls.  Had my peppermint tea I was asleep by 10.

No weight change.

MC - Day 3

It's Friday!  I woke up feeling pretty good again.  I felt light, does that make sense?  I drank a cup of Senna the night before instead of the Peppermint tea.  I drank my SWF in the morning and I was certainly "eliminating" well!  ;)

We had Little Gym for Abby but no school for Mary's since it ended on Wednesday.  I felt really good mentally and physically.  I slept well the night before and just overall felt great.

I drank the most of the lemonade yet.  I had 10, 8 oz. glasses.  The taste still is not that bad.  The only bad thing is I have a horrible taste in my mouth.  Laura and I keep talking about our cravings but we are doing a really good job.  Thank God I have her for support and to tell her how I am feeling!   I did nosh on almonds and cashews again which has really helped my hunger pangs!

I am finding the hardest time for me is from 2 pm to 7 pm.  I am the hungriest, my mind is the weakest and my girls are the craziest!

M had softball so Laura and I took the girls to the game for a little.  The key to this is to keep busy, keep your mind clear and try to not surround yourself with food!  As long as I am not preparing food (which is unavoidable with a family, I know) or at a social event I am fine.  Which is why I decided to do this when I had nothing on my schedule. 

Confession - I cheated and had 3 Goldfish.  Again, they were staring at me begging me to eat them!  Laura and I enjoyed a quiet night, drank a cup of Peppermint tea (delicious by the way) and were in bed by 10.

Not much weight change.  I weighed 148.

MC - Day 2

Good morning!  I feel great!  What a difference a day makes.  The first day has been the hardest for me for sure so far. 

I woke up yesterday with some cramps and a backache thanks to my period.  It continued most of the day and made me pretty miserable.  The SWF went down OK.  I was not as hungry yesterday (I did snack on raw, organic almonds through out the day).  I drank 8, 8 oz. of the lemonade throughout the day. 

The girls had no activities planned yesterday since dance ends this Saturday with M's recital.  So we went to Giant Eagle (which was torture) and got groceries for our house and for my mom who was not feeling well.  We delivered the groceries and hung out with Nunni for a little bit. 

We headed home and A took a nap, Mary has "quiet time" and I took a much needed 2 HOUR NAP!  I was very tired and not feeling well from the cramps.  I woke from the nap feeling much better.  I did take one motrin because the cramps were really bringing me down.  I felt like a million bucks after taking it!

In addition to all of this, we also put our house on the market on Monday!  So my house has to be SPOTLESS!  Talk about craziness!  But it honestly has not been THAT bad.

The evening was fine until I made dinner.  I made the girls perogies and corn on the cob.  I was SALIVATING!  I cheated and ate one perogie.  THEY WERE STARING AT ME......"EAT ME, EAT ME!"  I made Mike a delicious salad with chicken, lettuce, spinach, chick peas, sliced apples, craisins, carrots and balsamic and oil.  The corn was killing me too!  I powered through it and went on with my night.  Instead of drinking the peppermint tea, I decided to drink a cup of Senna tea.  We were in bed by 10. 

All in all a good day.  See you tomorrow!  I CAN DO THIS!

MC - Day 1

OK so here I am.  It's been one full day since I started this.  Here are my comments.

Laura and I woke up yesterday feeling pretty good (even though I started AF, aren't I lucky), we had no major "issues" during the night from the Senna Tea.  We drank our first "Saltwater Flush" together standing in my kitchen!  It was actually quite funny (everything usually is for us when we are together).  I have to say that the SWF is NOT THAT BAD!  The Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt is so mild that it goes down pretty well.

Then the waiting began.......and the two of us were in respective bathrooms on and off for the next 30 minutes.  Let's just say we both "eliminated" some things!  OK enough of that.  Don't want to gross people out with TMI.

Laura made our first morning's worth of the "lemonade."  Again, I have to say it does not taste that bad.  Maybe because I like spicy things (the cayenne is definitely a little tangy!).  She went off to work and I went off to my day with my girls.  I was fine until around 2 pm.  My hunger was really kicking in.  Thank goodness I had Laura to talk me down and encourage me to drink more juice or more water.  Which I did.  I still didn't feel that great but I powered through it.

I drank 8, 8 oz. glasses of the lemonade yesterday and a few glasses of water.  In addition, and this is against the MC rules, but I am not an idiot.  I ate some raw almonds and a 1/2 cup of organic, casein free, gluten free, brown rice pasta.  Each of those items are "simple" foods that are easily digested and often used in other cleanses in which you can actually eat.  It was worth eating a few almonds rather than being super irritable and nasty.  Remember if mom isn't happy, no one is happy! 

This cleanse is mostly for people who want to lose a significant amount of weight.  It won't say that in the book or the website, but all of the reading I did on the site, almost everyone who has a profile on there is looking to lose weight.  And A LOT of it.  Not everyone but most.  I am not looking to lose 50 pounds.  And I am really not into completely STARVING your body.  I am smarter than that.  This is why I ate a few almonds.  They are a super food for goodness sake!

As a treat I had a cup of organic peppermint tea before bed.  It was a great way to end the day. 

I will update you on Day 2 soon!  Thanks for your comments and texts of support so far!

FYI:
5/18 weight - 152.1
5/17 weight - 148.7

The Master Cleanse - God Help Me!

Hello friends and family!

So my best friend Laura and I are embarking on a physical and mental challenge.  We are starting The Master Cleanse tonight!  I don't want to type here everything that it entails because it is lengthy. Visit the website for more information.

http://www.themastercleanse.org/

Basically it is a 10 day detox and cleanse.  I am only doing it for 7 days because my schedule does not allow for 10 days (as sad as that is).  You start the night before the first day by drinking an 8 oz. cup of Senna Tea (which we are drinking right now together sitting on my couch!).  Then days 1 to 10 (or 7 in my case) you drink a concoction (about 8 to 10, 8 oz. glasses a day) of Grade B Organic Maple Syrup, pure cayenne pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice and purified water.  It also includes a daily "salt water flush."

The premise behind this cleanse is to rid your body off all toxins and refresh your body completely.

Why am I doing this you ask?  Well, I am always looking for a challenge.  I am scared sh**less let me just tell you.  I honestly don't know if I can do this, but with the support of my friend and my husband, I am hoping I can complete 7 days.  I am also looking to get my body back to "normal."  I have been trying to eat clean for the last 15 months and I feel great.  I have been consistently doing the "HIIT" workouts and hot yoga, but I still can't seem to lose those last 5-10 pounds I have hanging on me from having two amazing daughters in less than 20 months!

I digress - wish us luck!  I am certainly going to need it.  I will be journaling my progress on here. 

Viewer discretion is advised!

Cheers!

Helllloooooo!

I am such a bad blogger.  My goodness it has been a very long time since I posted last.  I am sorry!  It has been a crazy few weeks.  We are all busy and based on popular demand, I will post soon, I promise!