Happy Summer....it's almost at an end!

I know I often talk about food, weight and finding yourself on here but today is a little different. Do you ever step back from you life and look at it from afar and think "Man, my life is amazing!" This summer has done that for me and I'd like to share with you why.....

Some of my closest - and most favorite girl friends.

I was having a really great hair night this night and had no idea until the pictures showed up!

I love bangs and have been obsessed with having my own for almost a year....it's not as easy as you'd think!

I love manicured toes in all shades: reds, pinks, silvers, french. I love a good pedicure!

I love peanut butter on apples, cheese folded into lunch meat and a good glass of wine. I really love mustard - of all kinds - but you already knew that.

I love this guy....he and I grow closer with each passing year - and it makes me sad he's growing into a man so quickly.
We have made some wonderful memories over the years....Sunday's are our favorite day together.

I love our new addition, Penny.....no home is a home without a cat. Somehow we've ended up with two! The black one is Skyy, the tabby is Penny. They're besties.


Ignore the fur on the floor around them. They love this spot. Clearly.

I love the water in all forms:

I'm the whitey in the family so I had to finally put a t-shirt on....I was red as a lobster underneath!

I love our loyal family pet, Twister. I think he has cancer so I just do what I can to keep him comfortable. I'm sad about it a lot though.

I love my Dad. He's an amazing man who has overcome a lot in the last several years - and has great taste in music (David Gray concert here)

Last but not least, I love my best friend. He's an awesome supporter, provider, husband, father and friend.

Thank goodness he lost the full beard....it was not my favorite look.


So, that's my summer in a nut-shell. All the things and people I love. Learn to step back and take your life in. If you don't pause on occasion, you'll miss the really good parts.

Be true to you and your life,
Heather

New Food Obsession

There are several things I love in this world....several food things, that is.

1 - Triscuits topped with hummus. The more garlic in the hummus, the better.



2 - A crisp, cold glass of Pinot Grigio, especially when shared over good conversation with a close friend.


3 - Strong coffee with cream, no sweetener, please.



4 - Chocolate and peanut butter. Is there any better pairing of foods?

5 - And this one is important as it goes hand-in-hand with my current food obsession: mustard.



Yep, I said it. I - love - mustard! Why, I have no idea. It's been a long love affair for me and mustard.

I'm not prejudiced against one mustard over the other. I love plain ol' yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, fancy-man Grey Poupon mustard....you name it, I love it!

Know what I love mustard on these days? Sandwiches!!! I have no idea why I am so obsessed with sandwiches these days, but I truly am. They're not fancy.....they don't even have sliced tomato on them. And the bonus of these sammies? I've lost 9 pounds in the last 10 days or so I've been indulging in these little mustard holders.

Strange. Bizarre. I love the sweet, white bread, the tang of the mustard and the salty of the ham or turkey. I even added some chips to a couple of them for crunch....I know.....am I 12? I wish!

Do you have a new food obsession? Or even an old food obsession that's ongoing?

We have some friends coming over tomorrow for dinner so here's the important part on the menu.....my latest and greatest find:


Hello, food obsession #4 - Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate frosting by Joy the Baker
Cannot wait to see how delish these are!!! And I have everything for them except the chocolate!

Here is the recipe, in case you're interested:

Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting

makes one dozen big brownies in a 9×13-inch pan

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 5 cubes

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 cup smooth and natural peanut butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan, line with parchment paper if you have it on hand, then grease the parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, these blondies will be just fine.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sugar together until the butter is just melted. Remove from the burner and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add the peanut butter. Stir until incorporated. Allow to cool for 5 minutes more, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. You want the sugar, butter and peanut butter mixture to be cool enough that the eggs won’t begin to cook when they’re added in.

Whisk together salt, flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients. Stir until just incorporated. Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth out. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Milk Chocolate Frosting

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons milk

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, cocoa powder and salt. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar followed by 1 tablespoon milk. Beat well. Add another cup of powdered sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons of milk. Melt milk chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Add melted and slightly cooked milk chocolate the frosting and beat to incorporate. Add the final 1/2 cup of powdered sugar if you need a bit more thickness. Spread evenly over peanut butter blondies.

Enjoy your food obsession and always be true to YOU!
Hugs,
Heather

What makes you think?

While watching the Matt Damon movie The Adjustment Bureau, it makes me think and wonder "do we have free will or is there a stronger force in our lives that have already chosen our paths?" I know....pretty deep for a casual Sunday but it does make you wonder! I think the thought is interesting. Hubby knows we have free will because "the Bible clearly says we do". That's just the beginning of differences in how we were raised! HA!

Hubby is off to pick up the Boy, who - in one month - sounds like a very large man on the phone! He's so ready to be home and we're ready too! I've made my Strawberry Upside-down Cardamom cake (recipe compliments of Joy the Baker), sweet tea, potato salad and I'll be cooking some steaks shortly.

I've realized because food makes me happy, I want to make and give good food to others to make them happy. Weird....I know.

My cake looks like crap as the upside-down stuff stuck to my dish when I flipped it so had to neatly scrape and reassemble on the cake. Makes me quite irritated.

My Sunday insomnia crept into last night (Saturday) so I will surely be taking a Lunesta tonight! I can't take another Sunday like I've been having.

Things I wonder about.....
Why good people die before bad people?

Why we eat white potato skins but not sweet potato skins?

Are ghosts are all around us, unbeknown to us?

Why do people want to put olives in or on top of all foods (btw - I detest olives)?

If there was a tornado barreling toward my house, what items would I try to grab and take with me to shelter?

Why do I like broccoli but not cauliflower, when they look identical other than color?

What makes you think? What do you wonder about?

Try to answer, honestly, one of your questions this week!

Be true to you,
Heather

Do you remember.....

A time from your past that is so vivid, it's as if it happened yesterday?

With strawberries being at their peak at this time of year, it makes me remember playing hookie from work (back in my 20's) to go to a strawberry picking farm with my Mom she had found. We were so excited about the whole thing - we were making a whole day of it! We get there and pay our $3 for our bucket and off we go, only to realize picking strawberries only takes about 5-10 minutes!! HA! What did we do? Paid another $3 each and filled another bucket, only to wonder later what the heck we were going to do with all our strawberries!!

It's funny the simple things you remember at the most peculiar times, isn't it?

I'm seeing some family friends this coming Sunday - Father's Day - to help them with some things around their house (they're older).....I know, I know...you're wondering "but what about your Dad on Father's Day??" Me and my dad are going to the David Gray concert in 2 weeks (yippee!!) and I think that would be a PERFECT day to celebrate him (and I have the BEST gift ever for him - and he's not easy to buy for!)!!

Anywho....I found this recipe on a blog I love and thought I'd share it....I think I'll make this for our Sunday visit with friends:

Strawberry Upside-Down Cake with Cardamom
by Joy The Baker
www.joythebaker.com

makes: one 8-inch cake

For the Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup sliced strawberries

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

I used an 8-inch round with 3-inch tall sides. You can also use a 9-inch round with 2-inch sides.

Place butter in the cake pan and place in the oven. When butter is melted, remove pan from the oven. Using two pot holders, tilt the pan around and around, coating the sides of the pan with butter. Once sides are coated, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed. Cream until slightly pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop mixer, scrape down the bowl with a spatula, and add egg and vanilla extract. Beat for 1 minute.

Turn the mixer off, scrape the bowl, and add the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed while adding the sour cream. Beat until the batter just comes together. Batter will be pretty thick. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish incorporating ingredients with a spatula.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar into the melted butter in the cake pan. Sprinkle strawberry slices over the butter and sugar in a single layer. Spoon batter over the strawberries and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake rest for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cake and inverting the cake onto a cake plate. Serve warm with sweetened sour or whipped cream.

YUM-O!!! I'll keep you posted on how delish it is!!

Make some of your own memories this week with those you love!

Be true to you,

Heather

Who Controls Your Life?

I've been wondering what to write all weekend. I've got to get better at this blogging thing. I truly enjoy it and I am becoming a blog addict....it's my own version of reading the "news".

So many things are going on in our life right now - all good, thank goodness! 2010 was the hardest year of my life, since the death of my mother in 2007. I questioned so many things in my life: who my true friends are, God, the strength of my will, the strength of my marriage. It's because of my marriage that I got through the hard times and sadness of the last two years. Last year was the hardest year of grieving for my Mother. Last year was the year I was really angry about everything that had to do with her death so I abused myself. With food.

I know....food isn't bad like alcohol, drugs, cigarettes (kicked that bad habit!). But it really is as bad, if not worse. Why? Because it's readily available. It's at every store, every corner. We use food for nourishment, celebration, solace. I used it to drowned my sadness and anger. I would cook the most elaborate meals you've ever seen - for a family of 2 or 3 - and I would eat more than anyone and then go back for more! I topped out at 253 lbs. and realized it was time to fix some things. It was time to fix me.

I've now lost 30 lbs. (I gained some back but I'm working on it), I've quit smoking, I've become an "outdoorsy" kinda girl and I have found the best relationship with God, my husband and myself that I think I've ever had. I've come to terms with my Mother's death, 4 years later, and I no longer feel angry about it. I feel sadness at times that she's not with me to laugh with, enjoy a libation with, and act silly with. I feel sad that she's not here with my Dad, as I always took for granted she would be. I'm sad that she was never a Grandmother. I feel sadness that she never met my husband.

With all this sadness, good things have come as well. I have learned to go out on a limb and trust myself and my decisions, without my Mother's opinion. I've branched out and made new friends and reached out to old ones. I dated online and met my husband through the web. I've gained a new relationship with my Father, which is still growing and changing. I've rid my life of my Mother's toxic family and only surround myself with happy, loving people.

You ask, what is the point of all of this? I don't know. It's just things I've been thinking about (as I avoid studying for Accounting!). This is also how I ended up loving HCG and starting my blog. Don't let life define who you are. Define your purpose in life. Don't let food hold you down and control your life. Free yourself of all negativity and take control of your life!

As Always, Be True to YOU!
Hugs,
Heather

Our new addition, Penny:

Dijon Chicken & Strawberry Salad

3-4 oz. chicken cut into bite size pieces
5-6 strawberries, topped and sliced
2 T Dijon mustard
1 packet/1 t sweetener
1/4 head of lettuce
salt and pepper to taste
water

Put just enough water in your non-stick skillet to cover the bottom of the skillet. Add your chicken pieces, salt and pepper. While cooking, cut your lettuce into bite-size pieces, top and slice your strawberries.

Once the chicken is almost completely cooked, add your Dijon mustard (and more water if you need some). The Dijon mustard will thin out with the water and make a "dressing" for your salad. Add a packet of sweetener (I prefer Splenda), stir and heat through.

Pour your chicken, Dijon mixture over your lettuce and strawberries.
Enjoy!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Day 16 of this 21 day round and I've lost a total of 15.6 lbs! My plan to be prepared went off without a hitch!! It certainly helped with my success this past week. It's amazing to think that this time last year I was 40 lbs heavier!

I'm looking forward to a great day today with my guys....we're planning on going to a local state park that has a "beach", disc golf, putt-putt and more! What more could you ask for and for only $3/car!?! We will bring our own food, grill out while there and make it even more fun....and no clean up in the kitchen! HA!

I'm posting some recipes today that could be super helpful for anyone who is a clean eater, on HCG, low-carb and/or low calorie. If you try any of them I'd love your feed back!!

Have a safe and happy holiday!!!
Be true to you,
Heather

Day 3 and losing!!

Happy Friday!!!
I'm finally sitting down after a long day, taking T to a party and spending a lovely evening with hubby. Whew....it's been a good day but I'm tired!

Well, I'm on my 3rd day of HCG (R3P2D3) and I'm already down 9.6 pounds! Whoo-hoo! I'm still mad at myself for gaining this weight back but c'est la vie!

I had a delicious lunch today: grilled herbed chicken (with brown mustard - a weakness of mine), cherry tomatoes and a granny smith apple.


This week I'm working on being prepared, food-wise. I start summer classes on Monday so I'm trying to figure out how to stay on the straight and narrow while being away from the house for long periods of time. This is going to boil down to one small thing: being armed with water and a snack!

Here are some pics from Mother's Day weekend at Guntersville Lake that really opened my eyes and made me realize my weight was starting to spin out of control:

Me on a bluff at Lake Guntersville


Me at T at Little River Canyon

OK....I've got more to do before I have to pick up T from his party. I hope to have more pics and some recipes posted tomorrow!!

Be true to you!!

I'm Baaaaccck!!!

Hope everyone is having a great Spring! So much time has passed since my last blog and for that I truly apologize! What is new with you? Are you happy? Content? Uncomfortable with where you are in your life?

I have gained 20 of my 43 pounds lost on HCG and I'm soooo mad at myself! Today is day 2 of Phase 2, Round 3. Hubby is doing it with me, which actually helps a lot!! We're doing a 21 day round, 14 days off to stabilize and then we will start again.

Once I get completely comfortable with where I am in my skin, I will post before pics!

I'm finding more and more people who are on the HCG program. Some follow the tried and true version (my preference) of Dr. Simeon, others follow revamped versions of local doctors. Whatever your preference, make a success of it! If you decide you're sick and tired of carrying around extra weight, not being your healthiest, fighting your clothing every morning - whatever your reason - consider HCG!!! I'm not trying to sound like a commercial but I am very open to talking to anyone and everyone about the HCG program. It's proven - I'm proof!!!

Now, I'm off my soap box....what are your plans for this summer? What are you looking forward to? I'm looking forward to Six Flags with my family, possibly a long weekend at Tybee and relaxing by my pool with a libation and a good book!

I want to congratulate my friend, Kelly, on her recent nuptials!!! I'm so happy for you and hope we can get together soon to catch up - and have our hubbys meet!!!

Do something just for you this week!!

And remember....always be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather