Woven Dimensions

Hearts to End Hunger 2012

2012-01-09T11:53:00.012-05:00

Hearts to End Hunger 2012

Here are some samples of my charity knitting project for 2012.

These are my felted heart ornaments that I am making to sell with all proceeds going to charity...the first group up is for the Drive to End Hunger..so those will be available in colors similar to those on Jeff Gordon's DTEH race car (red with black center and black with red center). I am in the process of making 85 to sell...(one for each career win to this point)

Colors available:

TOP: Red with black center

BOTTOM: Black with red center

For order form and pricing information, click this link: Hearts to End Hunger

Thanks for your support!!

Looking Ahead to 2012

2011-12-22T12:37:00.004-05:00

Glowing Snowmen

Hello All!!!

Sorry to be so sporadic with updates on the blog...Ever since I started my Facebook page, I have done most of my updating there as opposed to here...It is easier to update and interact there, that's why it has happened...

Nonetheless, I will be updating my links on here to the Facebook page Photo Albums and will try to update those much more often!!! They will always be on the right hand column and just a click away!! And remember, the FB page is accessible to everyone...you don't need a FB acct to see all the information there including pictures, notes, comments, etc.!

And if you do visit that page and have an account, feel free to LIKE the page and post pictures and comments! I love seeing what happens when my creations find new homes!!

New things coming up....

I have a few ideas that are swirling around in my head...just need to get the ideas on paper and then get the prototypes done...I did make a couple Looney Birds this morning...they need to be felted and detailed, but if they work, I think they will be cool. I always wanted to make some kind of wacky birds and I think I hit on something that suits me!

Also on the list are a Fox Ornament, Raccoon Ornament, and some new monster ideas...

One group of things I really want to get off the ground in 2012 are my finger puppets for classic stories and poems...I have a lot of the protoypes done for The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Owl and the Pussycat, Little Red Riding Hood, Mary had a Little Lamb and the The Three Billy Goats Gruff....Now it's just a matter of getting some ready to sell!

Other new things in my line since I last updated here...(I will probably miss a few too)

Owls, Moosies, Elephants (redesigned and much cooler now), Mini Snowman Cozies, Glowing Snowmen, Mini Treetop Angels, Piggy with a Purse, Puppy with a Pouch, all sorts of fall/Halloween things (witches, skeletons, candy corn bandits), Stink Bugs, Monster Cozies in 3 sizes....and many more!!

Monster Cozies

To see more pictures, go to my Woven Dimensions page!

Fall craft shows will be starting soon!!!

2011-08-03T07:53:00.003-04:00

Will post a listing of all my Fall shows this weekend...Most of the ones I did last year I am doing again...There is a date change for the Artisan Marketplace in Adams County...that one starts in a few weeks and runs thru the end of September.

New items at all shows too!!

*** Still finalizing my dates for some shows....

My Apologies...

2011-08-02T09:45:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: Links all working again....seems that the FB geeks changed the access rules and never told us...all fixed now...sorry for the inconvenience....I don't want people to have to have a FB acct to see all the info I post...there are LOTS of new pictures there too...Will update with more Album links when I get a chance, but just click the home page and then PHOTOS and you will be able to see them! Thanks again...

Seems that the FB geeks are at it again...the links to my PUBLIC facebook pages aren't working right now...so unless you have a FB acct, you can't even see the pages...don't know how long it has been this way, but I do apologize...will post on here once they fix it (of if I have to reset something to fix it). Again - I am really sorry about this...

Jenny

New for 2011

2011-02-17T09:04:00.004-05:00

Cow Ornament

Pig Cozies

Brown Cheesy Cat Ornament

Giraffe Ornament

Sorry it has been so long since the last update....LOTS of new things in the works for 2011!!

I am also working on my booth display for the Indiana Artisan's Marketplace in April and also a gallery display for the PCCA Gallery in Newport, PA.

Click the links in the right had column for more pictures that are posted on my Woven Dimensions Facebook page....accessible to anyone, not just those on Facebook! I add pictures there as I get things finished and sometimes before I am finished, so check them often!!

Show Updates October 2010

2010-10-25T10:21:00.007-04:00

One Eyed Fluffy Monster Ornament

Wild Thing Monster Ornament

This is the last week to visit the Gunnar Gallery in Gettysburg, PA for the Artisan's Marketplace...Next up is the Artisan's Marketplace at the PCCA Gallery in Newport, PA.

The first weekend in November is Christmas at the Guild in York, PA..just mailed my box of things for that show this morning! Some of the monsters I recently posted pics of on Facebook are in that box! Plus lots of other neat things!

Some of these Shows start TOMORROW!!

2010-09-22T07:05:00.002-04:00

The following is a list of shows where my felted items will be available for purchase. It will be updated as more information becomes available.

Most of these shows are in Central Pennsylvania and Northern Virgina.

October 1-3: Waterford Homes Tour and Craft Exhibit, Waterford, Virginia

Hours: Friday October 1 - 10 am - 5 pm

Saturday October 2 - 10 am - 5 pm

Sunday October 3 - 10 am - 5 pm

For more info: http://www.waterfordfoundation.org/fair/index.html

October 1 - October 30, 2010: Artisan's Marketplace - Adams County, Gettysburg, PA

Located in the Gunnar Gallery, 26 West Fourth Street, Gettysburg, PA

Hours: Wed - Fri 10 am - 6 pm

Sat. Noon - 6 pm

Meet the Artists!! October 1 - Noon - 9 pm and October 2 - Noon - 3 pm (I will not be there in person, but come and meet the others who are exhibiting!!)

November 4th - 7th, 2010: Christmas at the Guild - York, PA

Located at the Friendship Craft Center, 639 North Franklin Street, York, PA

Hours: Thur Nov 4 12-7

Fri Nov 5 12-7

Sat Nov 6 10-5

Sun Nov 7 10-5

November 6, 2010 - December 23, 2010 : Artisan's Marketplace - Perry County, Newport, PA*

Located at PCCA Gallery, One South Second Street, Newport, PA

Hours:

November 20, 2010 - January 8, 2011 : Artisan's Marketplace - York County, York, PA

Located at YorkArts @CityArt Gallery, 118 West Philadelphia Street, York, PA

Hours: Mon - Fri 10-3

Sat 10-2

*My items are on display year round in this gallery. Dates listed here are for the special exhibit during the Artisan's Marketplace.

Fall and Halloween Items

2010-09-01T09:34:00.004-04:00

I have been busy working on new things...pictures of my latest things are on my Woven Dimensions Facebook page. There are several new albums there also.
Here are some of the Fall/Halloween items I am working on...

Jolly Jack

Silly Scarecrow...still a work in progress..needs a hat yet..

There are new Monsters posted too...

Click this link to see the rest...Woven Dimensions
And remember...this page and all the information contained there can be viewed by anyone..even those without Facebook accounts!

I will also be posting a list of places where all of these items can be purchased..especially those in the Central PA and Northern Virginia areas...

Mermaids and More - Updated August 16, 2010

2010-04-27T16:42:00.009-04:00

Doggies

'Mopar'

My Mermaids

Here are a few of my latest things...to see the rest, visit my Facebook page:

Woven Dimensions

**UPDATE**
I have added some new pictures and albums on my Facebook page. Click the link above and scroll through the albums to see the latest items I am working on...penguins, horsey heads, froggy longlegs and more to come!!

On a sad note, the doggies pictured above were based on (NASCAR driver) Ryan and Krissie Newman's dogs..I just found out that Digger (top photo, center doggie with 3 legs) died last week. So sorry for the loss of their pet...She was a great dog and also made a great model for me to make a felted version of her...

Hand Dyeing and Felting Results!

2010-02-26T07:19:00.004-05:00

Here are the things I made with my first group of hand dyed wool!

Monsters!
Tomato Monster, Celery Monster, Piggy Monster, and Jake

Tropical Fish Ornaments

Orange Tiger Kitty Cat Ornament

More to come in the days ahead..
I also added a bunch of my new Fluffy Monsters like this one:

Love the toothy grin!

Links to all my latest items are on the column on the right....

New Fan Page for Woven Dimensions!

2010-02-22T08:29:00.006-05:00

Frog Prince

For those of you on Facebook, I now have a Fan page for Woven Dimensions!

Woven Dimensions

This is a public page, so you can view pictures and information there even if you don't have (or want) a Facebook account!! If you don't have an account, you can't leave comments there, but you can always leave comments here on the blog!

I have added some new links on the right hand sidebar for more pictures of my current items and new stuff I am working on...My latest thing...hand dyed wool!!! I have dyed lots of basket reed over the years for my baskets, but had never done yarn...until Saturday! Click the Yarn Dyeing link to see my first attempts!! They came out pretty good considering I did them all with food coloring and/or Kool Aid!! This is VERY addictive...I want to do more.....

Day #1

Day #2

Can't wait to see what these look like after they have been felted!

Enjoy!

Spring Things Pictures!

2010-01-21T11:53:00.003-05:00

Basket of Charity Knits for
Riley's Hospital for Children
My niece and I made these over Christmas Break.

Spring Preview of Chickies, Bunnies and piglets!!

Horsey head ornament...prototype for my
larger hobby horses I am designing.

Kissing Monsters for Valentine's Day!!

More pictures are in the links on the right hand column!

Spring Things for 2010!!

2010-01-12T08:26:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

While we are in the deep freeze here in Indiana, I am busy working on Spring things for Valentine's Day, Easter and Mother's Day! Bunnies and chicks for your Easter basket are on my list along with all of my Pocket Pals from last year! I also am working on a new doll and hobby horses. Also thrown in has been some charity knitting for Riley's Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. My niece and I made 15 dolls that I will be delivering to them in the near future!

I am also happy to announce that for those of you who live in Central Pennsylvania, my ornaments and dolls and other new items will be on display and available for purchase at the Perry County Council for the Arts in Newport, PA. Look for my Spring things in mid-February. In the meantime, my Christmas and winter items are still there! If you are in the area, stop by and check them out along with other great handmade work by local artisans. Buy Handmade - support your local crafters!!

Pictures coming later today....

Thanks for your Support!!

2009-12-28T15:15:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who visited the Artisan's Marketplace in Newport and York, and also the Christmas at the Guild and CVC Holiday Studio Tour the last few months!!

And good news...my things will be available year round at the PCCA Gallery in Newport!! I will post more about this in the new year when they reopen!
So if you missed out getting there before Christmas...you can still stop by and check things out in January!!

New Spring things from me will be coming there soon!!! (OK...probably in February) Lots of felted Easter Basket goodies!!

Hope the rest of your holidays are filled with fun!!!

:-)

Craft Show Listings for Pennsylvania - Updated!

2009-11-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

Tiger Ornament

Even though I (personally) won't be at any of these shows, my fiber creations will!! All events are free admission and there are LOTS of great fine art and crafts available for purchase at each one! Buy Handmade this year!!!

Newport, PA
November 2 thru January 31, 2010 – “Holiday Exhibit”
Ph: 717.567.7023
www.perrycountyarts.org

Member artists exhibit at the PCCA Gallery throughout the holiday season and beyond. Gallery opens Mon. – Fri. 9 to 4 and Sat. 9 to 1. Free and open to the public.
In December, we will be open until 6pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and until 3pm on Saturdays. We are closed on Sundays. Free and open to the public.
Email: pcca@perrycountyarts.org

York, PA
Monday November 30, 2009 - Wednesday December 23, 2009
Artisan Marketplace
York Art Association
220 South Marshall Street
York, PA 17402
(717)755-0028

Tentative Hours: (if these change, I will update!)
Mondays - Fridays 9 am - 3 pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays 6 pm - 8 pm
Saturdays 10 am - 2 pm

Meet the artist (I won't be there though) on December 5, 2009 10 am - 2 pm

LA Project!!! - Update for 2009!!

2009-11-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Infomercial on a TV near you NOW!! Go here to read all about it!

2009 Infomercial Appearance

Who's that girl and what have you done with Jenny?
And where did you get those earrings?

Ta da!!
(I was really saying that, too!!)

Check out those 4" heels!!

"Mr. Thurmond, I'm ready for my close-up!"

I was chosen to be part of the next infomercial for Michael Thurmond's Six Week Body Makeover!!

I spent 4 days in Los Angeles shooting my testimonial and still shots and also meeting 17 others who are also Success Stories!! Hair, makeup and wardrobe by professionals really makes a difference, too. I clean up pretty well for someone who really doesn't like to spend much time primping!!

A few of us even had lunch with Micheal Thurmond himself!! What a treat that was!! Two hours of good ON PLAN food and conversation!!!

Michael and Me after lunch!!
(What happened to the great hair from yesterday???)

Dee and Me!!

Thanks to everyone who made this happen for me!! It was a really great experience!!

I will post an update when the infomercial is airing!! Probably in the Spring of 2008!!!

New Items!!!

2009-10-02T08:55:00.003-04:00

Some of my latest felted creations.....

Pumpkin Pouches on the tree..
Fill them with treats for Halloween!

All are unique and a great way to use my odd buttons!

Reindeer Ornament
(he's a chubbie!!)

Button Eyed Bugs!

Becca's Piggies and Friends

2009-09-07T11:22:00.003-04:00

Becca's Piggie
(side view)

Becca's Piggie
(front view)

White Rhino

Bennie - Winner of the Best Puppy Award!

Ziva and Cooper
(My kitties - Winners of the Best Pet Award)

Purple Hippo
(side view)

Purple Hippo
(front view)

'Knitany' Lion
(for this Penn State Grad!)

Kitty
(semi-profile view)

Kitty
(front view)

I have about 10 other colors of kitties made and felted...just have to do the details, then I will post pics of my litter!!

Prelim Yarnstorm - UPDATED 9-2-09

2009-08-28T11:42:00.009-04:00

My first Yarnstorm (technically I am calling it my Prelim Yarnstorm) commensed this morning at 5:45 am....After Tekkie and friend finished their photoshoot in my office, we grabbed the camera and cell phone and took off on my bike...

We arrived at our location about 10 minutes later..lucky for me no coyotes, foxes or other humans were around to witness this...I helped them pick a pole to investigate, secured them, snapped a few pictures in the dark (thank goodness for digital cameras w/ flash that can make this even possible in the pitch black darkness!) and bid them 'adeiu'... I would be passing by 2 more times yet this morning and would check on their status with each trip past...Still there 45 minutes later...but it was still dark out (darn Eastern time here in Indiana...if we were still on Central time, it would be light out at this hour in the summer..but I digress..)

A few hours later..I had to make a trip to drop something off here in town. I decided to ride my bike on this errand and check on the 'techno bugs.' I took my camera along to snap a few more pictures (in the daylight this time), but the local trash collector just happened to be dumping the trash can at that exact spot when I came by...they were still there, but if on my return trip they are gone, I was planning on chasing that truck up the trail to retreive my 'friends' from a certain death by stench (and mega doggie doo!!)

Lucky for him (the trash collector guy) and them (Tekkie and friend), they were still there upon my return trip past!! Happily waving to all the passersby (and there were LOTS of them at that hour too!)...

I hope Tekkie and friend make a few folks smile as they pass by....only time will tell...I will be passing by that spot again on Sunday morning..Maybe Tekkie will have some exciting stories to tell!!

UPDATE: 8-30-09 - Tekkie and friend were still on the original post..so I changed their location this morning..not under the shroud of darkness and of course several people witnessed this...but 90 minutes after I moved them..they were still there...will check again tomorrow morning...

Update: 8-31-09 - Looks like Tekkie ventured off on his own...only 'Friend' was still on the sign post this morning when I passed by...Adios Tekkie - wherever you are..may need to make 'friend' a buddy..

Update: 9-1-09 - TEKKIE HAS RETURNED!! Looks like he was just off on a side trip...He and 'friend' were both there this morning!! Thanks to the kind sole who helped him back!!

Update 9-2-09 - Looks like Tekkie was scouting new territory when he was gone the other day...both he and 'friend' were nowhere to be seen this morning...will keep checking to see if they return, but I doubt it! Happy Landings Techno Bugs!!!

Tekkie and friend in their photo shoot at 5:30 am this morning!
(Tekkie has the white eyes)

Investigating the sign post...
"Please yield to Technicolor bugs - Thank you!"

More Knitted Stuff ...

2009-08-05T09:31:00.000-04:00

Angel Onament

Fuzzy Bug Ornament

Tooth Fairy Assistants

'Skinny Minnie' Ornament

Gingerbread Man Ornament

Felted Snowman Stocking Ornament

Snowman Racer Ornament
'Fire & Flames' edition

Pictures of my Spring Stuff!!

2009-08-05T09:26:00.000-04:00

Here are my new Spring things!!

I've got to do something about that duck!

Bunnies Galore!!

Piggie Pouch

Black sheep of the family!

Mini Bunnie in an Easter Egg Pouch!

Lambykins!!

Duckie in an Easter Egg Pouch!

More Monster Mania and Felted Fish Too!!

2009-07-01T14:00:00.012-04:00

More of my Monsters!!

(Click pictures to enlarge!)

Group A-2

Group B-2

Group C-2

Group D-2

And my Felted Fish Ornaments!
(Cut off the hanger and they make great cat toys too!)

Group Shot

Closeup!

Even Closer!

Feel free to leave comments..Which one is your favorite?

Monster Mania!!

2009-06-23T14:49:00.006-04:00

Here they are...my Monsters!!
Need opinions on what you like and don't like and any other suggestions!!
(Click pictures to enlarge!)

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

I will name these later...Thanks for your help!!

More new stuff!

2009-06-17T11:19:00.000-04:00

Click pictures to enlarge!

Pocket Pal Dolls and Aliens

Froggie and 'Elmer'

'Bennie' and 'Monkeyshines'

Lion

'Alfie' Aphids

Group Shot!
(Everybody say 'cheeserock'!)

My 'Kids'

2009-06-08T08:37:00.005-04:00

Here are some pictures of my three 'fur children'.

This is my oldest - 'Kit'
Almost 16 years old and not impressed with his new brother and sister!!
Note: Kit went to heaven on Tuesday June 9, 2009. He is now chasing mice (real and fake) with no pain! We miss him so much!

'Ziva' being cute and then yawning!
She is such a little model!

Cooper lounging and playing with his bunnie fur!
He is my cuddle bug!

Ziva and Cooper 'hugging', a typical occurance!!

Spring Things for Easter!

2009-04-03T16:01:00.003-04:00

Spring is here...but you would be hard pressed to believe it considering how cold it still is!!

Yesterday I popped my bike off the trainer and rode OUTSIDE for only the second time in 2009.
Riding outside is still the best training for my Metric Century ride in June at the Tour De Cure in Indianapolis!! I still need donations and remember you can do this online thru my Tour page.

My Tour Page

Well...my cookbook plans have been put on hold...just not the right time to do this...Most of it is written, so if I decide to move forward in the future, I won't have to start from scratch...

Now for the fun stuff....

Since I put the cookbook project on the back burner, my creative side has taken over again! I love when this happens!! My knitting and craft projects are my stress relievers...they are my passion! They always have been since I was 10 years old...

I have all sorts of VERY cool felted Easter items...Basket Bunnies, Mini Bunnies, Duckies, Easter Egg Pouches of all sorts and styles, Pocket Pal Dolls, Piggie Pouches, and Sheep and Lambs in (3) different colors! I will post pictures of all of these tomorrow...and all are for sale too! The Cute Meter is over the top on these! I never really made Easter items before except for my woven baskets, so this is something completely new for me to have felted items that aren't ornaments this time of year. All of these items are for decorative purposes only and ARE NOT TOYS!

I have more ideas I want to try too! So stay tuned!!
Pictures coming tomorrow plus maybe a recipe or two!!!

Comments are always welcome!!

Jenny

Mint Chocolate Chip 'Ice Cream'

2009-03-22T08:37:00.002-04:00

I just made some really great 'ice cream' that really hit the spot.

It was the Mint Chocolate Chip version of my "Strawberry 'Ice Cream' recipe.

Here are both recipes with a few revisions from the previous version posted on my blog. Take note...the Sugar Free Davinci Syrups ALL contain a little Splenda. This is about the only exception to my 'no Splenda' thoughts. Very little is in the syrup to begin with and I only use a small amount in each serving...If I ever find a natural substitute for these flavors, I will use that..until then..it is what it is!!

I also have several other 'ice cream' flavor variations..like Strawberry Lemon, Strawberry Banana, Pineapple, and Orange Pineapple versions...Some of which I will post here and most all will be in my cookbook!

Enjoy!!

Strawberry 'Ice Cream' – (6WBM style)

This is really a frozen smoothie that came out so creamy, it tastes like Strawberry Ice Cream only without the cream and fat!!

Make these first:

Vanilla Puffs

I make these 6 at a time in my 6-loaf silicon baking dish.

12 egg whites
6 squirts clear vanilla (about 3 tsp.)
6 tsp. Splenda OR 1 Tablespoon Honey if you don't want to use the Splenda

Preheat oven to 400^oF. In medium mixing bowl, beat together all ingredients with hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Divide evenly into 6 loaf silicon baking dish. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes and then remove from pan. They should slip right out. Set aside and allow to cool. These can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
Makes (6) puffs.

Each puff is : 2 oz. Protein A

Strawberry 'Ice Cream'

For each serving , use the following:
½ cup slightly thawed or fresh strawberries
½ tsp. clear vanilla OR Vanilla Sugar Free DaVinci Syrup
1 tsp. Torani White Chocolate Sugar Free Syrup
1 Vanilla Puff, torn into about 4-5 pieces

Using the Tall cup of the Magic Bullet (or blender), add ingredients in order given.
Using the whipping blade, whip until large chunks are all gone and mixture is smooth.
You may need to shake the cup while whipping to get everything blended together, but it will eventually all blend and get smooth! Whip for about 10 - 15 seconds more and then pour into plastic container with lid and freeze overnight. Repeat with remaining puffs if desired.

These taste better once they are completely set up and frozen. When you are ready to eat, allow to thaw slightly for easier scooping. I put mine in the fridge to thaw for a few hours and enjoy this as my PM snack! Comes out like soft serve strawberry ice cream!

Each serving is: 2 oz. Protein A
½ c. Fruit A

Mint Chocolate Chip 'Ice Cream'
(Living Lean version)

For each serving , use the following:
1/4 cup NSA applesauce
a splash of clear vanilla OR Vanilla Sugar Free DaVinci Syrup
7 Ghiardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate chips

1 tsp. Davinci Sugar Free Creme de Menthe Syrup

a splash of Davinci Sugar Free Peppermint Pattie Syrup

1 Vanilla Puff, torn into about 4-5 pieces

Using the Tall cup of the Magic Bullet (or blender), add ingredients in order given.
Using the whipping blade, whip until mixture is smooth.
You may need to shake the cup while whipping to get everything blended together, but it will eventually all blend and get smooth! Whip for about 10 - 15 seconds more and then pour into plastic container with lid and freeze overnight. Repeat with remaining puffs if desired.

These taste better once they are completely set up and frozen. When you are ready to eat, allow to thaw slightly for easier scooping. I put mine in the fridge to thaw for a few hours. Comes out like soft serve mint chocolate chip ice cream! Very refreshing snack for about 110 calories!!

It's March!!!

2009-03-02T16:25:00.003-05:00

Well....
It's March!! Warm temperatures are just around the corner and they can't come soon enough for me!!

I am sooo ready to pop my bike off the trainer and get outside in the fresh air again! But until the temperature stays above 40 degrees day and night, I am riding indoors and walk/jogging outside when I can.

I have been busy working on my cookbook of my best fat burning recipes!! I have a few new ones that aren't posted on the blog yet. Oatmeal Cookies and Molasses Spice Cookies!!! The latter taste like my Gingersnap Muffins except in cookie form! They make great portable snacks!!

I am also including lots of other information in my cookbook so you can eat like me!! Healthy, nutritious AND delicious!!

Recipe revisions to eliminate all artificial sweeteners are progressing well....My applesauce recipe is just as yummy with a little bit of honey as it is with Splenda or regular sugar! And the Smokey Ketchup recipe works fine with that same substitution!!

And if I haven't said it lately - PLANKS ROCK!!
Once you start doing them, you will never do a regular ab crunch again!! You can absolutely see the difference after you do them for just a few weeks. But be advised....they really aren't for beginner exercisers or the severely overweight...But if you have been weight training for a while and haven't tried them, give them a shot!! They are harder then they look!!

I still need sponsors for my Tour de Cure ride in June. You can do this online at my Tour page.
My Tour Page - Thanks for your support!!

JG is leading the points after the first three NASCAR races!!! I see him in victory lane at Atlanta next Sunday...sooo close these past 2 weeks....gonna happen SOON!!! I can feel it!!!

And finally....
I have been thinking of my mom today...She would have been 72 years young today....still hard to believe she has been gone for over 15 years...I miss her every day...

Comments are always welcome!!!
Thanks for visiting!!

Jenny

February Notes

2009-02-15T12:00:00.004-05:00

Recipes....

After much research and personal experience, I have decided that the use of artificial sweeteners is not the best idea for long term success...In the past year I have cut my use of them (Splenda and Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar) dramatically...now I am working on eliminating them almost completely. I have tried Stevia and Truvia and my body can't tolerate either of them. I developed nasty headaches that just aren't worth the trouble...

So, I am experimenting with substituting natural sweeteners like NSA applesauce, agava nectar, honey, sucanant and black strap molasses...I will update my recipes with these changes as I figure out the best combinations...So far so good on them all!! (My Peanut Butter Muffins rock with honey and sucanat instead of the artificial stuff!!)

The use of all of these products is a personal decision...Some people experience no problems and others view anything artificial as 'poison'. The natural sweeteners I am using do add calories, but in the long run, I feel this is the best way to clean up my food choices even more than they are now.

Tour de Cure 2009...

I am officially registered for my third Tour de Cure at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 13, 2009!!! This year my goal is to do a Metric Century ride on the speedway - that is 100KM!!

If you would like to support my cause with a donation, you can visit my Tour Page here: Tour De Cure 2009

All donations are tax deductable too!! Thanks for your support!!

Workouts and Menus....

I hopefully will be posting an updated menu and workout plan for what I am currently doing in my quest to get to 20% body fat...So far after 4 weeks, I am LOVIN' my weight training...really starting to see progress albeit slow, but in a POSITIVE direction!! I can now hold my planks for over 60 seconds at a time and a month ago I couldn't stay up 20 seconds!!

If you haven't checked out Tom Venuto's The Body Fat Solution book yet, do so today!! (Link is posted on the sidebar) That is the weight training program I am following along with my healthy nutrition of clean eating!!! I sure do feel better today than I did a year ago thanks to him...

Rant of the week...

WEIGHT TRAINING IS NOT OPTIONAL IF YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT THE RIGHT WAY AND THEN KEEP IT OFF FOR GOOD!! And if you make it FUN, you actually start to look forward to it!!! Lift heavy and you will look great!! Think positive and that will help too!! Challenge your mind and your body to do this!! You will be glad you did!

And one final thought....

NASCAR racing season officially starts today with the Daytona 500 (weather permitting!!)..
I just have to say.........

GO JEFF GORDON!!! :-)

More recipes!!!

2009-01-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

A few new recipes for your enjoyment.....
[UPDATED 1-23-09]

Apple Crumble
(a new fan favorite!!)

Topping-
In medium mixing bowl, combine the following:
2 ¼ cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice
¼ cup Splenda
¼ cup Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar*
2 Tablespoons oat bran
¼ cup flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon clear vanilla (with no sodium or corn syrup)
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon butter extract
Set aside.

Bottom layer:
6 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced
¼ - 1/3 cup water

Slice apples into 10 x 10 silicon baking dish and sprinkle with water.
Spread topping evenly over apples.
Bake at 360 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
Allow to cool.
Keep refrigerated.

*If you don't have this ingredient, you can substitute with 1/4 cup Splenda and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract for a similar flavor.

A good HEALTHY substitute for my regular Apple Crisp that I can enjoy!
(Recipe of which is elsewhere on this blog!!!)

Quick and Healthy Applesauce

12 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1 cup water
¼ cup Splenda*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about the juice from one small lemon)
1 teaspoon clear vanilla (with no sodium or corn syrup)

Place water and peeled apples in medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until apples are mushy. Remove from heat. Whisk with a fork until apples get to a consistency you like (will be a little chunky). Add Splenda. Mix thoroughly with fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Allow to cool. Refrigerate in tightly sealed container. Makes about 4 cups.

*If you don’t have Splenda, you can use granulated white sugar instead, but it is not as healthy that way!

For a special treat (and also not as healthy), add about 10 large marshmallows to the hot/warm applesauce. Allow them to melt slightly, stir carefully, then chill. Yummy!!

Turkey Saute with Tomatoes and Basil

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 green pepper, diced
2 onions, diced
2 jalepeno peppers, diced
Saute above ingredients in large sauce pan until onions are clear.
Add 2 pounds of ground turkey breast and black pepper to taste.
Cook until browned.
Stir in:
2 t. crushed garlic
1 - 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with basil, NSA (I chop these up into smaller pieces)
1 Tablespoon dry basil
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Serve over brown jasmine rice.

Living Lean Peanut Butter Muffins
(Not recommended for reducers, save for Living Lean)
[Updated December 2008]

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup steel cut oats
6 Tablespoons 100% peanuts chunky peanut butter, NSA
(I used Crazy Richard’s brand smooth or Krema brand) [I have been using about 1/2 cup in recent batches...adds a few fat calories, but a nice change]
2 Tablespoons Diabeti Sweet brown sugar substitute
1/4 cup Splenda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
¼ teaspoon butter extract
1/2 cup water
12 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients and peanut butter. In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients except egg whites. Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat eggs for about 15 secs with hand mixer. Stir into oat mixture and combine well with mixer. Will be really runny so don’t worry.
Allow to sit for 15 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.
Spray and wipe out a large capacity 6 muffin pan. Divide batter evenly into each section.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Freeze.

Makes (6) Servings of
2 oz. Protein A
½ cup Carb B
1-1 1/2 T. Peanut butter (healthy fat)

[about than 325 calories per muffin too!]
I like to bag and freeze these while still slightly warm. That helps to retain a little moisture when they thaw.
You can also add about 6-10 Ghiradelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chocolate chips to each muffin before baking...adds a few calories, but yummy!

Other Healthy Recipes on my blog are here:

Healthy Recipes I
Healthy Recipes II

New Look for 2009

2009-01-23T14:45:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to update the old blog to a fresher look for 2009.

I celebrated 4 years of healthy living on Monday January 19, 2009!!! One of my goals for year #4 of Living Lean is to shed body fat until I am at 20% LBM!!! I am also using the winter to work on my strength training...lifting heavy - well, heavy for me which isn't much yet...
Cardio is secondary, but I do ride my bike on the trainer for at least 60 minutes a day (average intensity) or walk/jog outside for 60-75 minutes a day as the weather permits. I am trying to keep in good biking shape so when I get back outside on my bike, I can really train hard for the Tour De Cure in June. I want to do a metric century ride for that - 100 KM or about 68 miles (I think). That is about 3 laps more than I did last year when I did 60 miles (24 laps).

Still hard to believe I haven't eaten real pizza in over 4 years!! Don't miss it a bit either! I did have one piece of Pizza Marguerite at Boca de Beppo last summer, but that wasn't real pizza with all the toppings and cheese.

I added my Apple Crumble recipe to the blog...It is what I am having for my birthday treat this year. Tasty not only for healthy eaters, but for everyone!! Good plain or warm over vanilla ice cream!!! (if you eat that...I don't!)

Want to lose FAT and keep it off for good....The BEST book you can buy for permanent fat loss is The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto!!! Best $17.00 (from Amazon) that you will EVER spend!! Easy to read and great advice...He knows his stuff about permanent, SAFE, fat loss and how to KEEP IT OFF!! Check it out!!

That's all for now...more updates to follow....

New Plan for a New Me!!

2009-01-23T14:30:00.003-05:00

[I bumped this post up just so it is easier to find...edits are in bold]

After over 2 years of Living Lean following the weight loss program I used to lose over half of my body weight, I have had to revise my Living Lean program from this point forward. It seems that I was seriously undereating for the amount of activity I now do and I was also not consuming enough healthy fats. My body finally said enough and would no longer shed fat or gain muscle. As a matter of fact, I gained fat because I was UNDEREATING! I did lots of research and when I discovered what I was doing, I decided it was time to GET IT RIGHT!!! You must FEED your muscles and burn off fat, NOT STARVE IT OFF like I was doing staying 100% Perfect on plan even Living Lean…..

Although I no longer strictly follow the previous program I used, I do use most of the same principles now. Eating clean and often (6 times a day), drinking water (120+ oz. daily), no added salt, sugar, processed foods or bad fats and lots of cardio and strength training. I am mindful of my daily caloric needs, check my bodyfat percentage and not worry about scale weight anymore and also use a variety of workouts of keep my body guessing. I try to maintain my Protein/Carb/Fat ratio to 30/50/20 per day.

The healthy fats I have added include unsalted nuts, nut butters (100% nuts - nothing else), olive oil, flaxseed, and fish oil supplements – all in measured and controlled portions to keep my calories in check. You need healthy fats for long term health.

Since I started my new healthier lifestyle adjustments, I feel much better. I know what I am doing is right for me. Now I just have to be patient while my body adjusts to actually getting everything it needs….

I also cycle my calories. Every 4^th day, I eat closer to my maintenance level of calories. These are my high days. The other 3 days I eat at about a 500 calorie deficit of my burn number. This is still a lot of good, healthy food for me!!!

Here is a typical day of my meals: [Slightly different now since my training routine is different and I am working on getting the fat off again..]

Breakfast (Preworkout most days):
2-3 oz. turkey sausage or egg whites
1 cup oatmeal with flaxseed meal - [now about 1/2 cup oatmeal with some kind of healthy fat either peanut butter or flaxseed meal]
1/2 - 1 cup of fruit [depending on the type of muffin I am eating that day and how much cardio I am doing after breakfast]

Post workout meal (I eat this as soon as I finish my bike rides or strength training. If no workout, then no post workout meal for me):
1 egg white
½ cup fruit (like pineapple or grapes) [I have been skipping this lately since my morning workouts are not as intense...may add this back in when I am training hard for my bike ride]

AM snack:
2 egg whites or other lean protein
1 cup veggie soup or fruit

Lunch:
3 oz. lean protein
1/2 -¾ cup starchy carbs
Salad or hot veggies of the week

PM snack:
2-3 oz. lean protein [usually egg whites]
Veggie soup or fruit
1 oz. almonds [some days - not every day lately though]

Dinner:
2-3 oz. lean protein
½ cup starchy carbs
Salad or hot veggies of the week

Evening Snack:
2 egg whites
Small salad or 1 cup veggies or fruit [depends on what type of workout I do after dinner]

On High calorie days, I have both the salad and hot veggies for lunch and dinner and also have fruit instead of veggies for my evening snack. If I need more calories, I may add a little protein to lunch and/or dinner.

On days I workout after dinner, I also substitute fruit for the veggies at my evening snack.

[Daily Calorie goal is approximately 1800 calories per day...I will adjust this number as necessary to reach my goals, but at no time will this number be less than my BMR - which is about 1600 calories per day - just to be alive!! I want to minimize my LBM losses while shedding the excess fat! And there is NOTHING wrong with keeping track of calories...actually, you should always be aware of how many you are consuming each day...just another tool in the box to help you reach your goals!]

My goal is to get to 20% body fat no matter what the scale number is. I am concentrating on FAT loss, not just weight loss. There is a difference and now I know what needs to be done and am doing it!

For more interesting reading, check out these links:
Burn the fat blog

Good Fats

Is-your-goal-really-weight-loss?

Year Three of Living Lean

2008-12-19T15:15:00.007-05:00

Three years ago today I officially hit my size 10 goal…And now three years later I am still at my goal size!!

In the past year, I have gone through even more changes and have learned a lot about how to stay a size 10 and still enjoy life. I actually gained a few pounds and inches even though I was still eating clean and exercising regularly. How could this happen? Well, what I learned was that my body finally had had enough of me ‘starving’ it of what it needed and wasn’t going to take it anymore. What was missing you may ask? Healthy fats and not enough clean calories to support my workouts.

After extensive research and a complete physical, which I passed with flying colors, I realized that eating ‘perfectly on plan’ 100% of the time was not going to work for me long term. I was burning too many calories and not eating enough to support my activity level which included cardio workouts 5-6 days per week and also weights on 2-3 days per week. Even though I was eating clean, I wasn’t eating enough of them or of the right kind. I also learned that healthy fats ARE NECESSARY for cell health and that eating practically fat free is NOT HEALTHY longterm… So I added heathy fats in controlled portions back into my daily meals. These include almonds, peanut butter from 100% peanuts, olive oil, fish oil, and flaxseed. Since adding them back into my meals, I feel better, sleep better and look better too! And eating these did not make me fat either! The key here is controlled portions. I learned to control these just like I did all the other things I eat and that has cut my urge to binge on these things. Since I know it is good for me to eat them, I do and feel no guilt.

I also learned a lot about the exercise program I was doing and how it was affecting my body…some of which was not good. I learned about the value of strength training and lifting heavy. You need to do this to maintain your lean body mass and keep the fat off. Too much cardio, if done in a severe caloric deficit and by people who don’t have that much fat to lose is NOT GOOD. It can be a huge muscle wasting activity and that is NOT what I needed….Variety is what was required as well.

I added more strength training with heavier weight and scaled back on my cardio a bit. I still love riding my bike, so I just changed the intensity of my rides. I also added intervals and long, slow rides as well. I also started power walking again on days when biking was out of the question. I added small intervals of jogging in my walks too, but only as my knee allows. Love my walk/jogs almost as much as my bike rides! I like the results too!

My original reward to myself for maintaining my size for 3 years was going to be another trip to the Jeff Gordon Driving School. But I decided to save that for 5 years at goal instead…gives me 2 more years to save up for a whole day there! I don’t have any extra money to buy myself anything, so my reward for year 3 is just that I am healthier and happier than I have been in my life. And I am also feeling better about the changes I have made in my life in the past 4 years. I am still learning more about burning off fat instead of starving it off so it stays gone for good and enjoying life at the same time (and a few of my Killer Peanut Butter cookies too!)

Other Year 3 highlights:
Got contacts that I wear occasionally…more so recently though…

Finally got my leather jacket…actually got 2 of them… one on sale and one at a consignment store for only $35!!

Completed 24 laps (60 miles) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Tour de Cure in June. Next year I am thinking about trying for the metric century, 100 KM which is about 28 laps….

Had my first ever massage on my birthday!!! May do that again next year!

Got a trainer for my bike so I can ride year round. Really helpful with all the ice we have had this winter which makes outdoor walking/jogging rather tricky! Plus it did wonders for lifting my butt!!!

Got my Bare Essentials makeup too!! I wear that for special occasions or just when I feel like glamming up!!!

Not nearly as many exciting events this year as last…but I learned some very valuable lessons that will help me maintain and improve the new me! And for that I am very grateful!

New pictures will be posted when I take them!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

2008-12-07T09:58:00.006-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

Just received a great link to a blog entry by Tom Venuto that is definitely a must read for everyone who is worried about getting through the holidays without adding a few pounds!!!

Staying Trim through the Holidays

My third year of successfully keeping my weight off is coming up on the December 19th and after reading Tom's Challenge I think I am up for it too! I have learned how to travel and enjoy the holidays without making major sacrifices to my new lifestyle. It does take planning, but staying thin is more important than fretting about not having lots of food that I don't need and have learned that I really don't want anymore. A few bites here and there seem to satisfy, but even those are becoming fewer and further between.

My body is FINALLY ready to lose fat again and I am NOT GOING TO REVERSE THIS at this point...so workouts and close attention to food are continuing...I still plan on having a few treats, but healthier choices for 95% of the time will keep me on track!!

There are no excuses to not maintain a healthy lifestyle....even during the holidays!!!

Updated recipes will hopefully get posted in the next week or so .... and Year 3 of Living Lean is coming up as well....and a few pictures.....

Here is the updated Peanut Butter Muffin Recipe I promised..... [I linked it!]

Halloween Update!!!

2008-10-30T20:39:00.007-04:00

Just an update to let everyone know I am alive and well!!!

I have been buried under a pile of yarn for the last few months and this is what I have been working on...

Lots of new stuff for 2008 and I have lots of other ideas I haven't even gotten to make yet!!
Here are a few more pictures of my new stuff....

Tassels

Fuzzy Bugs

More later.....and recipe updates too...I have perfected my Peanut Butter Muffins.....

Tour De Cure 2008 - UPDATED!!!!

2008-06-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

Ready to ride

Tour de Cure 2007

Again this year I am planning on riding in the Tour De Cure for Diabetes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 14, 2008.

Last year I rode 12 laps or 30 miles. This year my goal is 24 laps or 60 miles!!

If you would like to sponsor me, you can do so online (using a credit card) thru my webpage on
the Tour De Cure website.

My Tour Page

Thanks for your support!!!

UPDATE!!!!!

I completed my goal of 24 laps (60 miles) in the 2008 Tour de Cure in Indianapolis. My friends Larry and Sharon rode with me. Larry did 24 laps as well and Sharon did 12 laps on her recumbant 3-wheel bike. We had a beautiful day to ride!! NO Rain and cool temperatures!!
Although I was tired afterwards, this long ride really energized me for my week of riding!! My daily 12 -14 mile rides seemed easier, plus I did them faster than before!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped support my cause and I am going to do it again next year!! Goal for 2009 is to do 50 miles, but faster!!
(And if I am up to it, I might just do those extra 4 laps again!!!)

I do love my bike!!!!

New Recipes for 2008!!

2008-04-27T13:44:00.000-04:00

The following recipes are given in good faith.
If you don't follow them as written, results aren't guaranteed.
This is how I do it and it works for me!!!

Also...some of these recipes call for Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar substitute - If you don't have that,
DO NOT USE SUGAR TWIN BROWN SUGAR SUBSTITUTE!!!
That leaves a nasty aftertaste that you will NOT like!!

Instead, use Splenda in the same quantity and
1/2 - 1 teaspoon maple extract - this will give you a similar flavor
and no nasty aftertaste.

Happy Cooking!

Part I of my Plan Friendly recipes are here: Healthy Recipes for Living Lean (and most are reducer friendly too!)

Banana Caramel Muffins

3/4 cup rolled oats
¼ cup steel cut oats
1 cup mashed banana
6 Tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional**Reducers use best judgment)
½ cup Splenda
1 Tablespoon Spice Mix II (see recipe below)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
2 T. Caramel SF Davinci Syrup
12 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients and bananas. In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients except egg whites. Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat eggs for about 15 secs with hand mixer. Stir into oat mixture and combine well with mixer.

Allow to sit for 15 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.
Spray and wipe out a large capacity 6 muffin pan. Divide batter into each section.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in pan. Freeze.

Makes (6) Servings of
2 oz. Protein A
½ cup Carb B

I like to bag and freeze these while still slightly warm. That helps to retain a little moisture when they thaw.

Living Lean Peanut Butter Muffins
(Not recommended for reducers, save for Living Lean)

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup steel cut oats
6 Tablespoons 100% peanuts chunky peanut butter, NSA
(I used Crazy Richard’s brand or Krema brand)
¼ cup Diabeti Sweet brown sugar substitute
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
¼ teaspoon butter extract
¼ cup water
12 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients and peanut butter. In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients except egg whites. Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat eggs for about 15 secs with hand mixer. Stir into oat mixture and combine well with mixer. Will be really runny so don’t worry.

Allow to sit for 15 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.

Spray and wipe out a large capacity 6 muffin pan. Divide batter evenly into each section.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Freeze.

Makes (6) Servings of
2 oz. Protein A
½ cup Carb B
1 T. Peanut butter (healthy fat)

I like to bag and freeze these while still slightly warm. That helps to retain a little moisture when they thaw.

Smokey Top Secret Heinz Ketchup
Variation of a ketchup recipe from Lionstar

One 12-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup Splenda
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 capful (about 1 teaspoon) Wright’s Hickory Smoke Flavoring, NSA

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth.
When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Remove pan from heat and cover until cool. Chill and store in a covered container.
Makes 3 cups.

Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs
A healthier version of the Ham Ball recipe elsewhere on my blog.

3 lbs. ground turkey (93/7 or 99/1 or a combination)
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon dry minced onions
4 egg whites, slightly beaten with fork
Black pepper to taste

Topping:
¼ cup Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar substitute
2 cups Ketchup, NSA (see recipe above)
2 t. dry mustard
3/8 cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine first 5 ingredients and form into 18 balls. Place in sprayed and wiped large glass pyrex baking dish.

In small mixing bowl, combine all topping ingredients and pour over meatballs.

Bake for 1 hour.

Makes: (18) 2-3 oz. Servings Protein B
Free veggies

Rhubarb Sauce
A few bites of this make your mouth taste good!!

¾ lb of fresh rhubarb, cleaned and cut into 1” pieces
1 cup water
½ cup strawberries
¼ cup Splenda or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons arrowroot

In medium sauce pan over medium heat, cook together water, rhubarb, Splenda and strawberries. Bring to boil and add vanilla. Cook for 15 minutes or until mushy. Stir with a fork and then stir in the arrowroot. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes longer or until desired thickness. Stir occasionally.

Cool. Refrigerate.

Rhubarb is a Veggie ‘A’ – not a freebie. While reducing, eat only at meals where veggie ‘A’ is permitted and then monitor closely.

I enjoy 3 or 4 bites of this after lunch and dinner. Like a treat!!

Real Banana Bread
Moist and smooth!!

2 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked (quick oats work ok, too)
1 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
12 egg whites (large eggs – no yolks), beaten until soft peaks form
3/4 cup Splenda
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
3 cups sliced frozen bananas, completely thawed (will be very runny, that is OK)
1 teaspoon maple extract
2 teaspoons clear vanilla

Preheat oven to 350^oF.

In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (oats, splenda, and cinnamon). Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients thoroughly except for egg whites. Pour this over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes while you separate and beat the egg whites.

Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.

Lightly spray and wipe a 6 loaf silicon baking pan or (6) 2-cup loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store in Ziploc bags. Makes 6 PWO servings. (2 oz. – Protein; 1 cup Carb B, ½ cup fruit; You will need to add ½ cup fruit to make a complete PWO meal.)

To serve, cover and heat in microwave oven for 30 - 45 seconds. If frozen, cooking time may have to be increased a few seconds.
These taste best the next day. They freeze well, too! A healthy breakfast for anyone on-the-go!
My extra ½ cup fruit is either fresh apple or ½ cup of my homemade applesauce

Living Lean variation – Add ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate bits to batter before baking.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie
A Lakescape experiment that tasted great!

4 egg whites (large eggs – no yolks)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons Splenda
1 teaspoon clear vanilla
½ cup pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In medium mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients.
Beat with mixer until well blended (about 3 minutes)

Lightly spray and wipe a 2-cup loaf pan. Spread batter evenly bake for 24 – 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Allow to cool. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Full recipe makes: 4 – Protein A and ½ cup Carb B. Supplement as required.

Vegetable Soup II

1 small can NSA tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes (NSA)
1 can water [I rinse out the diced tomato can twice]
1 small can water [I rinse out the tomato paste can]
1 large onion, chopped
½ t. black pepper
1 -2 stalks celery diced fine OR 1 tablespoon celery flakes
3 cups NSA turkey or chicken broth (homemade works the best)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 t. California garlic powder
1 – 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Pasta Seasoning (NSA) from Trader Joe’s
1 small bag frozen green beans
1 small bag baby carrots
½ very large bag of mixed vegetables [I use the king size bag of Bird’s Eye Normandy blend from Wal-mart – broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash]

In large stock pot, sauté onions and celery in about ¼ cup White Balsamic vinegar for about 5-10 minutes. Stir in tomato products and water. Turn heat to medium, add flavorings and bring to small boil. Add vegetables and bring to boil again. Cover and reduce heat to very low and simmer for 60 - 90 minutes.

Better the next day! And it freezes well, too!

I use mostly free veggies and just eyeball the carrot content of each bowl.

Pumpkin Muffins

3/4 cup rolled oats
¼ cup steel cut oats
1 cup pumpkin
¼ cup flaxseed meal (optional**Reducers use best judgment)
½ cup Splenda
1 Tablespoon Spice Mix II (see recipe for this here: Spice Mix II)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional) OR 2 Tablespoons of Sugar Free Davinci Caramel Syrup
12 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients and pumpkin. In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients except egg whites). Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist, but not sopping wet. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat eggs for about 5 secs with hand mixer. Stir into oat mixture and combine well with mixer.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.

Spray and wipe out a large capacity 6 muffin pan. Divide batter into each section. It is OK if it fills above the rim.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan. Freeze.

Makes (6) Servings of
2 oz. Protein A
½ cup Carb B

I like to bag and freeze these while still slightly warm. That helps to retain a little moisture when they thaw.

Pickled Eggs and Beets

18 – 24 hardboiled eggs, peeled
2 – cans NSA sliced red beets
3/4 cup Splenda
½ cup water
1 cup Heinz white vinegar

In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except eggs. Over medium heat, bring to boil and boil for 5 – 10 minutes.

Pour over peeled eggs and refrigerate overnight.

**Beets are a Carb A - NOT a freebie!!! Measure them if you are eating them!!

Grilled Mahi-Mahi and other Marinades
My favorite way to make fish!!

3 lbs. Mahi Mahi fillets (or any type of firm, mild fish)
1 bottle Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar from Trader Joe’s**
** Reducers use best judgment – contains a small amount of sugar
1 teaspoon crushed garlic, or to taste
Black pepper to taste
Minced Onion (about ¼ cup or to taste)

Combine all ingredients in marinating pan adding fish last. Coat each side with marinate, cover tightly and allow to sit at least 2 hours or overnight. Grill until opaque and flaky. Pour extra marinate over fish while grilling.

I do mine on my gas grill for about 6 – 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fish.

Best the next day and freezes well.

Reducer Friendly variation – as a substitute for the Orange Muscat vinegar, use this instead to make it a POP meal:

¾ - 1 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
Zest from 1 orange
Small amount (about 1-2 tablespoons) juice from the orange (optional)

Herb de Provence marinade:

¾ - 1 cup Raspberry Zinfandel Table wine (or other fruit flavored wine)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic, or to taste
Black pepper to taste
Minced Onion (about ¼ cup or to taste)
Herb de Provence herb blend from Whole Foods (about 1 tablespoon or
to taste)

Sautés

I serve these either plain or mixed into my rice,
barley or steamed squash!!
Also great served with any meal as is since they only use Free Veggies!!

Sauté in about ¼ cup of white balsamic vinegar in medium saucepan over medium heat until transparent or to taste: (amount of each ingredient used is up to you!!)

Mix #1: sweet and/or yellow onions, sliced portabella mushrooms,
green peppers, hot peppers to taste (optional)

Mix #2: celery**, onions, fresh or dried parsley, hot peppers (optional)

Mix #3: green onions (greens and all), sweet onions, bell peppers (mix of red, green, yellow, and orange), mushrooms, hot peppers to taste (optional)

I dice all of my veggies on the larger size, not too small.
All free veggies – good at any meal!!

**Celery isn't a free veggie, but the amount you will get with each serving is minimal.

Mushrooms Italiano
Tastes like pizza and makes your house smell like it too!!
Actual quantities of each ingredient will vary depending on the amount of
mushrooms and tomatoes and size of baking dish.

24 oz (or more) Cleaned mini Portabella Mushrooms (White Mushrooms work fine too) (I slice the bigger ones in half)
6-10 Grape tomatoes
Good white balsamic vinegar (I use Trader Joe’s)
Dry or fresh basil to taste
Dry or fresh oregano to taste
Italian Seasoning to taste
Onion powder to taste
Garlic powder to taste (I use Trader Joe’s California Garlic Powder)

Preheat oven to 400^oF. Pour enough vinegar in baking dish to just over the bottom. Wash mushrooms and tomatoes (ok to leave wet). Place in single layer in glass baking dish (9 x 13 or whatever size they will fit into). Fill in gaps with grape tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with white balsamic vinegar making sure each piece is wet, but not submerged. Sprinkle generously (to taste) with onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, Italian seasoning and basil in that order. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, and then remove to storage container. Scrape any juice/brownings into container, too. Don’t worry if it bakes dry, just allow pan to soak before washing! Allow to cool and then refrigerate overnight for best results. Tomatoes will form a juice when allowed to cool. Serve cold or reheat. Use juice as topping for potatoes, rice, chicken, beef, or as salad dressing! Also great as topping for On Plan Pizza!

Contains all FREE veggies, so reducers can enjoy this at any meal!!

Tuna Salad
Yummy served over a bed of baby mixed greens and a few grape tomatoes!
(And this coming from someone who hated tuna!!)

2 cans NSA canned Tuna (I used Tongol Tuna from Whole Foods)
1-2 tablespoons finely diced onion
1-2 tablespoons finely diced celery
Black pepper to taste
2/3 cup cucumber juice**

In small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well.
Divide into appropriate portions and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Stir before eating.

Makes : (4)- 2 oz. servings Protein A

**Cucumber Juice is the juice from my Sweet and Sour Cucumbers, which is just apple cider vinegar, water, Splenda and sliced cucumbers. I have this on hand all the time, so I just use some of the seasoned juice from this in my Tuna Salad.

Basil-Tomato Herb Muffins

Delicious and portable when served with a Big Salad for a Lite Lunch!

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup steel cut oats
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
¼ cup flaxseed meal, optional
1 T. basil
1 T. Oregano
1 T. Italian Seasoning, nsa
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. minced dry onion
1 t. onion powder
¼ cup water
1 cup zucchini, mashed (measure after mashing)
12 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks

Preheat oven to 350^o.
In large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and then remaining wet ingredients except for egg whites. Set aside.

Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes while you separate and beat the egg whites.

Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.

Lightly spray and wipe an extra large (Texas sized) 6 muffin baking pan. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store in Ziploc bags. These freeze well.

Makes 6 servings containing 2 oz. – Protein; ½ cup Carb B

Tomato Herb Breadsticks
Enjoy these with your favorite marinara or
toasted and served with Vegetable Soup!

2 cups rolled or quick oats
1 cup steel cut oats
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced (3 oz package)
¼ cup flaxseed meal, optional
¼ cup oat bran, optional
1 T. basil
1 T. Oregano
1 T. Italian Seasoning, nsa
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
2 ½ cups water
4 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks

Preheat oven to 350^o.
In large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and then remaining ingredients except for egg whites. Set aside.

Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes while you separate and beat the egg whites.

Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.

Lightly spray and wipe (2) 5 x 9 loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 30-45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Cut each loaf into 6 equal pieces. Store in Ziploc bags. These freeze well.

Makes 12 servings containing : ½ cup Carb B, minimal protein (freebie!)

Dee’s Turkey Burger Mix
This mixture really makes turkey burgers come alive!!
Thanks Dee!!

2 pounds ground turkey or chicken breast
4 tablespoons minced dry onion
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons dry Basil
2 Tablespoons oregano
3 oz. package DRY sun dried tomatoes, ground to powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

In small mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

In large mixing bowl, combine meat and dry mix until well blended.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Form into patties and grill.

Apple Caramel Flaxseed Muffins
Due to the nature of the ingredients, save this recipe for Living Lean!!

1 ¼ cup flaxseed meal
½ cup Splenda
2 T. Caramel SF Davinci Syrup
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup water
1 Tablespoon clear vanilla
4 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
1 medium apple, finely diced (with peel) or shredded

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients except egg whites. Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Will be moist, but not sopping wet. Set aside.

In separate bowl, beat eggs until soft peaks form. Stir into flax mixture and combine well with mixer.

Allow to sit for 20 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.

Spray and wipe out a regular sized 12 muffin pan. Divide batter into each section. It is OK if it fills above the rim.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan. Freeze.

Makes (12) Servings of 1¼ Tablespoons flaxseed meal, minimal fruit and protein.

I like to bag and freeze these while still slightly warm. That helps to retain a little moisture when they thaw.

Use as a supplement if you suffer from dry skin or constipation!
Recommended serving = 1 muffin per day as needed.

Spicy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

This recipe is my take on one from the Provida Recipe Exchange.

Meatballs:
2.2 pounds ground turkey breast (or half breast/half 93/7 turkey)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
½ Tablespoon crushed garlic
½ Tablespoon NSA Chili Powder (I use Spice Hunters Chili Blend)
Black pepper to taste

Mix garlic and chili powder in small bowl, then mix with meat thoroughly. Sprinkle black pepper and mix again. Set aside.

Sauce:
1 small bunch green onions, diced (greens and all)
White balsamic vinegar (enough to cover the bottom of the pot)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 pound sliced portabella mushrooms
1 green pepper, diced
3 jalepeno peppers, diced fine with seeds
2 stalks celery, diced fine

Saute above ingredients in large pot until onions are transparent.
Add:
3 cans NSA diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano (or more if you like)
½ Tablespoon crushed garlic
½ Tablespoon NSA Chili Powder (I use Spice Hunters Chili Blend)

Simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.

While sauce is simmering, form turkey mix into meatballs and brown in a small amount of white balsamic vinegar in small nonstick frying pan. Add more vinegar as needed. Brown on all sides and add to sauce.

Cover and simmer on low for 2-3 hours.

Recipe contains: Protein and Free Veggies (the small amount of celery is negligible)

Size of meatballs will determine the number of servings. I made 12 meatballs for serving size after cooking of about 2.5 oz. each.

Yummy served over Brown Jasmine Rice mixed with Saute #1!!

Other Recipes are here: Healthy Recipes for Living Lean (and most are reducer friendly too!)

My Tips for Living Lean

2008-04-05T06:34:00.000-04:00

My Tips for Living Lean and Healthy…

(updated 2008)

- Cardio in your THR is still important!! Monitor it closely. No slacking. And change it up once in a while!! I do biking and power walking.
[It is good to change up the routine - I am now alternating my bike cardio sessions with powerwalking]

- Toning is still important, too! No slacking here either!! The more you do, the better you look!!
[Rest and recovery periods are important. I now do my upper body toning every third day and have moved to a reverse pyramid plan. I will alternate this with a regular pryamid plan a few times a week.]

- Weigh yourself EVERY DAY to look for trends and red flags. Just don’t panic when the scale jumps around even if you are POP. Analyze your food and exercise program and see where the problem is.
[Since writing this, I have learned a LOT more about my body and it's needs and also what I want it to look like. SCALE WEIGHT IS JUST A TOOL. NOT THE BE ALL END ALL!!! I have decided that being fit and having a healthy body fat percentage is more important to me than a number on the scale. Hence, I only weigh occassionally and go more by my body fat calipers and how my clothes fit. Both are better indicators than the scale number!!]
[
- Limit off plan meals/foods as much as possible. I know I feel better when I eat clean. Too much, too soon can cause problems. Crazy days aren’t an option. Maybe a crazy meal, once a month – OR LESS!!!
[Another recent revelation was that once I fired up that old metabolism, I NEEDED TO EAT EVEN MORE!! Staying POP, I was not consuming enough calories and I got myself back into starvation mode!! And considering how much I ate already, this was a real shock!!! But, since adding the required calories (thru healthy nutrient dense foods - NOT ICK) and also some healthy fats and EFA supplements, I feel a LOT better and am working on reducing my BF% to 18-20%. I am currently at 23.5%. You really do need to eat to lose!!]

- Add things back in SLOWLY. Again, too much, too soon causes problems.
[Monitor but be brave - More is better (see comment above)]

- Try new healthy foods. Search out new flavors now that your taste buds are finely tuned!! You will be surprised at what appeals and doesn’t appeal to you anymore. (Pizza – YUCK; Cauliflower – YUMMMMM)
[Still applies....latest addition to my favorites is rhubarb!!]

- Keep drinking plain water, 100+ ounces per day!!!
[Never goes out of favor!!!]

- Always be prepared!! Keep plenty of healthy on plan foods on hand and take your cooler and water jug with you!! No reason to stop now!!
[Again, definately a must!!!]

- Keep eating 5-6 meals per day and journaling your food and exercise. Helps you see trends and head off problems before they get out of hand. Also keep track of other things in your life. TOM, stress issues, physical ailments, lack of sleep, cardio, and toning can all impact your weight almost overnight!
[Sounds like a lot of work, but by doing this, I figured out my recent problems with staying POP and gaining!!!]

- Recheck your bodytype once in a while. If you start gaining while remaining POP (including cardio and toning), maybe you are not eating what your body needs [probably NOT ENOUGH!!!!!]. Snacks are the key. Too many carbs, even healthy ones, can cause problems.
[But the addition of some healthy fats and nutrient dense food is definately a necessity in a healthier lifestyle!! Nuts are not the enemy!!!]

All you learned while reducing should help you live lean for the rest of your life! Don’t let life get in the way. YOU are important FIRST – then everything else. Be selfish. Keep healthy food and exercise as priorities! Their importance has not changed just because you lost all the weight. Habits – both good and bad - can be hard to break and/or relearn. Why go back? Don’t let Easy Street tempt you!! The longer you stay in a healthy mindset, the easier it ALL gets. It does become your lifestyle – make it work for you!! Finding the balance is the key. And this doesn’t happen overnight. Just because you are Living Lean doesn’t mean you can eat/do anything you want. If you do, you will be right back where you started and that should NOT be an option. It’s NOT FOR ME!!

[And also rethink your goals once you have been Living Lean for a while...your body and you are worth it!!]

Healthy Recipes for Living Lean!

2008-01-28T12:24:00.000-05:00

These recipes are almost all reducer friendly too.
Please take note of Living Lean options.

Granola II
It is carb only!!
Tastes great mixed with applesauce or my Strawberry 'Ice Cream'

3 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked
3 cups puffed brown rice
¼ cup Splenda
½ cup Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar Substitute
¼ cup flaxseed meal (optional)
¼ cup oat bran (optional)
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350^o F.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Set aside.
In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients thoroughly. Pour this over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist, but not sopping wet.
Spread out evenly on silpat on large baking sheet. (Could use non –stick Reynolds foil or parchment, too.) Bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overcook! Cool on pan. Keep in airtight container or portion out to Ziploc bags.

Makes about 9 – 10 - ½ cup servings of granola. (All carbs)
If measuring for use during the reduction phase, please be advised that even though this is technically cooked, your portions would measure as follows:
¼ cup granola = ½ cup carb
½ cup granola = 1 cup carb

Living Lean version – You could add or sub in any other dried fruit like raisins, apricots, or banana chips or almonds and walnuts.

Variation - If you don't have the Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar, use 3/4 cup Splenda total and 1 teaspoon of maple extract.

Christmas 2007 version - Add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/2 cup slivered almonds to mixture before baking. After it has cooled, stir in 3/4 cup raisins and/or 1 cup of dried apple slices.
(This is my gift version for non plan eaters!!)

Gingersnap Muffins
(updated 4-2008)

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup steel cut oats
6 T. flaxseed meal (optional)
½ cup Diabeti Sweet Brown Sugar Substitute*
(*If you don't have this, you can sub 1/2 cup Splenda and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract for a similar flavor)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
½ teaspoon maple extract
¼ teaspoon butter extract
½ cup water
orange zest (about 2 teaspoons), optional
12 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350^o F.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients except egg whites). Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist, but not sopping wet. Set aside.
In separate bowl, beat eggs for about 15 secs with hand mixer. Stir into oat mixture and combine well with mixer.
Allow to sit for 5 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.
Spray and wipe out a large capacity 6 muffin pan. Divide batter into each section. It is OK if it fills above the rim.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan. Freeze.

Makes (6) Servings of 2 oz. Protein A and ½ cup Carb B

Basil Tomatoes

Have too many tomatoes? I did and I wanted to make something quick and easy to use them up! Here’s what I came up with!!
Note: Actual quantities of each ingredient will vary depending on the amount of tomatoes and size of baking dish.

Ripe tomatoes – qty – as many as you want (Any and all kinds will work. I have used grape, cherry, Roma, vine, and beefsteak all with great results!)
Good white balsamic vinegar (I use Trader Joe’s)
Dry or fresh basil to taste
Onion powder to taste
Garlic powder to taste (I use Trader Joe’s California Garlic Powder)

Preheat oven to 400^oF. Wash tomatoes (ok to leave wet). Slice large tomatoes into ½ inch slices and place in single layer in glass baking dish (9 x 13 or whatever size your tomatoes will fit into). Fill in gaps with grape tomatoes, if available. Sprinkle generously with white balsamic vinegar making sure each piece is wet, but not submerged. Sprinkle generously (to taste) with onion powder, garlic powder, and basil in that order. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, and then remove to storage container. Scrape any juice/brownings into container, too. Don’t worry if it bakes dry, just allow pan to soak before washing! Allow to cool and then refrigerate overnight for best results. Tomatoes will form a juice when allowed to cool. Serve cold or reheat. Use juice as topping for potatoes, rice, chicken, beef, or as salad dressing! Also great as topping for On Plan Pizza!

Variation – Before adding vinegar and spices, add sliced Vidalia onions and/or sliced peppers (any color) on top of tomatoes. Cut back on onion powder slightly or omit. Baking time may need to increase a few minutes, too. Bake until onions/peppers are tender crisp.

Variation II – (A Living Lean option) – Add a little (about 1 - 2 tsp. per slice) of finely grated low fat/part skim mozzarella cheese after about 30 minutes of baking. Bake until slightly browned.

Variation III – (Sweet and Sour version) – Before adding vinegar and spices, add thinly sliced fresh pineapple on top of tomatoes. Continue as written. Baking time may need to increase a few minutes. Bake until pineapple is slightly browned.

Lakescape Variation – Add sliced summer squash and whole or sliced portabella mushrooms before seasoning. Bake for 1 hour. My new favorite variation!!

Jenny’s Zucchini Spice Muffins
These make a great portable snack!

½ cup steel cut oats
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup Brown Sugar Substitute (Diabeti Sweet)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Spice Mix II (see below)
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 cup grated zucchini (measure after grating)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons DaVinci Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
12 egg whites, beaten about 15 secs (don’t get these too puffy)

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (oats, flaxseed meal, brown sugar sub., spice mix and cinnamon). In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine zucchini, vanilla, coconut extract and Davinci syrup). Stir into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist, but not sopping wet. Set aside.
In separate bowl, beat eggs for about 15 secs with hand mixer. Stir into oat mixture and combine well with mixer.
Allow to sit for 5 minutes while oven heats and you prepare the baking pan.
Spray and wipe out a large capacity 6 muffin pan. Divide batter into each section. It is OK if it fills above the rim.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until knofe comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan. These freeze well.

Makes (6) Servings
Each serving contains:
2 oz. Protein A
½ cup Carb B
Free veggies

Spice Mix II

Combine the following ingredients in an old large cinnamon container and shake well:

4 Tablespoons Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Nutmeg
3 Tablespoons Coriander
3 Tablespoons Ginger
3 Tablespoons Allspice

Shake before measuring.

Strawberry Ice Cream – 6WBM style

This is really a frozen smoothie that came out so creamy, it tastes like Strawberry Ice Cream only without the cream and fat!!

Make these first:

Vanilla Puffs

I make these 6 at a time in my 6-loaf silicon baking dish.

12 egg whites
6 squirts clear vanilla (about 3 tsp.)
6 tsp. Splenda

Each puff is : 2 oz. Protein A

Strawberry Ice Cream – 6WBM style

For each serving , use the following:
½ cup slightly thawed or fresh strawberries
½ tsp. clear vanilla
Splenda to taste (I use about ½ - 1 tsp. depending on the sweetness of my strawberries. You may not need any sweetener!)
1 tsp. Torani White Chocolate Sugar Free Syrup
1 Vanilla Puff, torn into about 4-5 pieces

Each serving is: 2 oz. Protein A
½ c. Fruit A

Mock Banana Bread II
A new variation that is better than the original!

2 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked (quick oats work ok, too)
1 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
12 egg whites (large eggs – no yolks), beaten until soft peaks form
3/4 cup Splenda
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons banana extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
3 cups NSA Mott’s applesauce

Preheat oven to 350^oF.

Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.

Lightly spray and wipe a 6 loaf silicon baking pan or (6) 2-cup loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store in Ziploc bags. Makes 6 PWO servings. (2 oz. – Protein; 1 cup Carb B, ½ cup fruit; You will need to add ½ cup fruit to make a complete PWO meal.)

Living Lean variation – Add ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate bits to batter before baking.

Cranberry-Orange Oat Bread
My variation of the original recipe I got from Liz Maxson!
(My favorite breakfast!)

2 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked (quick oats work ok, too)
1 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
12 egg whites (large eggs – no yolks), beaten until soft peaks form
3/4 cup Splenda
1 heaping Tablespoon cinnamon
Zest and juice from 1 large or (2) small oranges
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
3 cups frozen cranberries, chopped to desired texture [I use a whole 12 oz. bag]
3 cups NSA Mott’s applesauce

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (oats, splenda, and cinnamon). Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients thoroughly except for cranberries and egg whites. Pour this over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in cranberries. Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes while you separate and beat the egg whites.
Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.
Lightly spray and wipe a 6 loaf silicon baking pan or (6) 2-cup loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 30 - 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store in Ziploc bags.

Makes 6 PWO servings. (2 oz. – Protein; 1 cup Carb B, 1 cup fruit)
To serve, cover and heat in microwave oven for 30 - 45 seconds. If frozen, cooking time may have to be increased a few seconds.
These taste best the next day. They freeze well, too! A healthy breakfast for anyone on-the-go!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Healthy and plan friendly version of an old favorite!

2 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked (quick oats work ok, too)
1 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
12 egg whites (large eggs – no yolks), beaten until soft peaks form
3/4 cup Splenda
1 Tablespoon black poppy seeds**
Zest and juice from (2) lemons
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
3 cups NSA Mott’s applesauce

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (oats, Splenda, and poppy seeds). Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients thoroughly except for egg whites. Pour this over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes while you separate and beat the egg whites.
Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.
Lightly spray and wipe a 6 loaf silicon baking pan or (6) 2-cup loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 24 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store in Ziploc bags.

Makes 6 PWO servings. (2 oz. – Protein; 1 cup Carb B,½ cup fruit; You will need to add ½ cup fruit to make a complete PWO meal.)
To serve, cover and heat in microwave oven for 30 - 45 seconds. If frozen, cooking time may have to be increased a few seconds.

**Not a recommended ingredient for the reducing phase. Use your best judgment.

Spice Oat Bars
I love Spice Cake and I wanted to figure out a plan friendly and healthier version.

2 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked (quick oats work ok, too)
1 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
12 egg whites (large eggs – no yolks), beaten until soft peaks form
3/4 cup Splenda
1 heaping Tablespoon regular cinnamon
1 heaping Tablespoon Spice Mix**
1 teaspoon maple extract
2 teaspoons clear vanilla
3 cups NSA Mott’s applesauce

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (oats, splenda, spice mix and cinnamon). Set aside.
In medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients thoroughly except for egg whites. Pour this over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Allow to sit for 20 – 30 minutes while you separate and beat the egg whites.
Fold in the beaten egg whites and stir until all the egg foam disappears.
Lightly spray and wipe a 6 loaf silicon baking pan or (6) 2-cup loaf pans. Divide batter evenly into each and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Store in Ziploc bags.

Makes 6 PWO servings. (2 oz. – Protein; 1 cup Carb B, ½ cup fruit; You will need to add ½ cup fruit to make a complete PWO meal.)
To serve, cover and heat in microwave oven for 30 - 45 seconds. If frozen, cooking time may have to be increased a few seconds.
My extra ½ cup fruit is either fresh apple or ½ cup of my homemade applesauce.

**To make my Spice Mix, combine the following spices in an old, large cinnamon container:

2 Tablespoons Siagon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons ground ginger
2 Tablespoons allspice
2 Tablespoons coriander
2 Tablespoons nutmeg
Shake well to combine. Use 1-2 Tablespoons in Spice Oat Bars and save the rest for the next batch!

Chewy Honey Grain Bars
I think these are better than Rice Krispie Treats and they are healthier, too!!

This recipe is DEFINITELY for LIVING LEAN!!
Reducers - save it for then!!

2/3 cup honey
½ cup peanut butter (Crazy Richard’s works best – it’s just crushed peanuts with nothing else added!!)
1 teaspoon clear vanilla
4 cups Kashi 7 Whole Grain puffed cereal**
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

In medium saucepan, combine honey and peanut butter. Cook over low heat for about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and then chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Add in cereal. Stir until well coated. Turn into 10 x 10 baking dish (no non-stick spray needed!) and smooth top with spoon. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour. Turn out onto cutting board and cut into squares.

Makes about 24 – 36 pieces, depending how you cut it!!

**If you don’t have this particular cereal, you could use 4 cups of plain puffed brown rice cereal.

Cilantro and Salt-free Salsa

I have been trying to get a good salsa recipe with no added salt or oil. I don't really like cilantro either, but you could add a little if you want. I came up with this!

3lbs. Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 – jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 – Banana pepper, finely diced
3 – mild peppers, diced
1 each green, yellow and red peppers, diced
2 medium sweet onions, diced (I used Vidalias)[or use 1 bunch green onions (stem and all) and (1) sweet onion]
1 small can Contadina Tomato paste
½ cup Heinz apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Splenda [or sugar]
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. onion powder
¼ cup water (to rinse can)
juice from ½ of medium lime

In large mixing bowl, combine all peppers, onions and tomatoes. In small mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients thoroughly. Stir into tomato mixture until well combined. Refrigerate overnight to let flavors blend. This tastes better after a few days. I dice the hot peppers very fine, but everything else, I leave in larger chunks.

Vegetable Soup

1 small can NSA tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes (NSA)
2 cans water [I rinse out the diced tomato can twice]
1 sm can water [I rinse out the tomato paste can]
1 large onion, chopped
½ t. black pepper
1 tablespoon celery flakes (or 2 stalks of regular celery, diced fine)
2 t. salt free chicken bouillion (or 3 cups homemade chicken, turkey or beef broth)
1 – 2 t. onion powder
1 t. California garlic powder
1 – 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 small bag frozen green beans
1 small bag baby carrots
½ very large bag of mixed vegetables [I use the king size bag of Bird’s Eye Norwegian blend from Wal-mart – broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash]

In medium stock pot, whisk together tomato products and water. Turn on heat to medium and add onions and flavorings and bring to small boil. Add vegetables and bring to boil again. Cover and reduce heat to very low and simmer for 45 – 60 minutes.

Better the next day! And it freezes well, too!

I use mostly free veggies and just eyeball the carrot content of each bowl. I sometimes saute the onions and celery in about a tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar for about 5 - 10 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Sweet and Sour Baked Pork Chops

12 lean pork chops, thin with extra fat trimmed
pepper to taste
1-6 oz. can Contadina tomato paste
1 cup splenda
½ t. maple extract
1 t. dry mustard
¾ cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Trim extra fat from pork chops and lay on NS foil lined baking pan. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth. Spread over pork chops and bake for 1 hour.

Balsamic Chicken and Onions

10 - 12 chicken breasts with no additives or enhanced broth
½ - ¾ cup balsamic vinegar (no salt added – I use Trader Joe’s big jug kind)
Onions, peeled and sliced about 3/8 – ½” thick (vidalias work the best, but any sweet or yellow onions will work!) Keep in ring slices as much as possible!!
1 teaspoon (approximate) crushed garlic (I use the kind in the jar that has only garlic and citric acid – no sodium!)
black pepper to taste

In 13 x 15 glass baking dish, pour balsamic vinegar to cover bottom. Add garlic and black pepper, distributing evenly. Add chicken breasts and coat both side with the juice. Place sliced onions on top of chicken and coat both sides with the marinate. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 6 – 8 hours or overnight. Grill chicken and onion slices on medium high heat for 5 – 8 minutes per side depending on your grill and size of chicken breasts. Don’t overcook the chicken. Remove from grill and finish cooking in microwave if necessary. Chicken stays moist and juicy that way! Onions may be done before chicken. Grill them until they are tender crisp and outside is caramelized slightly. Watch that they don’t burn!! Serve onions with chicken. I portion all my chicken into 2 – 3 oz. servings and place a few onion rings in each baggie.

I love onions marinated in this so much, lately I have been marinating and grilling just onions and I eat them with every meal because they are free food!! Vidalia onions work the best, but any sweet or even yellow onions work fine, too!!

Enjoy!

Living Lean Apple Oat Muffins

½ cup steel cut oats
1 cup rolled oats or rolled multigrain cereal
1 apple, peeled and diced fine
¼ c Splenda, heaping
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
¼ - ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 - 1 cup water
2 t. vanilla
½ t. maple extract

In medium mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients, coating apples evenly. Stir in applesauce and set aside. In 2 cup measuring cup, stir together water, vanilla and maple extract. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well blended. Allow to sit and absorb moisture while oven preheats.

Preheat convection oven to 375 F. Prepare large capacity 6-muffin pan. (I spray and wipe.) Stir the batter and divide evenly into the pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.

Very moist!! And freeze well, too.

I make these to have with my dinner as each one is about ½ c. carb and a little fruit. Since the fruit is in this, some may need to use this as part of a preworkout meal if not LL.

Apple Cinnamon Granola
This is a recipe I tweaked from the forums. It is carb only and a little fruit.

1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats, uncooked
1/2 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
1/4 heaping cup Splenda
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
2 medium golden delicious apples, peeled and very finely diced
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon clear vanilla
3/8 cup water

Preheat oven to 275^oF.
In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (oats, splenda, and cinnamon). Set aside.
In small mixing bowl (or oversize measuring cup), combine all wet ingredients thoroughly (water, vanilla, and extract). Pour this over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined and all oats are covered. Will be moist, but not sopping wet.
Stir in apples.
Spread out evenly on silpat on large baking sheet. (Could use non –stick Reynolds foil, too.) Bake for 45 – 60 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overcook! Cool on pan. Keep in airtight container or portion out to Ziploc bags.

Makes about 3 cups of granola. (All carbs)
If measuring for use during the reduction phase, please be advised that even though this is technically cooked, your portions would measure as follows:
¼ cup granola = ½ cup carb
½ cup granola = 1 cup carb

Living Lean version – You could add or sub in any other dried fruit like raisins, apricots, or banana chips.

Chunky Spaghetti Sauce

½ cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup water
2 sweet onions, coarsely chopped [I use Vidalias in season, otherwise, yellow onions work ok]
1 each green, red, orange and yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
1 8-oz. container sliced portbella mushrooms, rinsed
1 medium can NSA diced tomatoes
1 6-oz. can Contadina tomato paste
1 large can NSA crushed tomatoes
Water to rinse cans (about ½ cup)
4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
2 T. Splenda (or to taste)
1 T. Italian Seasoning
½ T. basil
1 t. oregano
½ t. black pepper

In large soup pot, in medum heat, sauté onions, peppers, and mushrooms in vinegar and water until onions are opaque. Add tomato products and rinse the cans. Add garlic, Splenda, and herbs and stir well. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 30 – 40 minutes. Stir this every so often so it doesn’t stick!
Allow to cool and refrigerate. Makes about 12 cups of sauce.

All free veggies, so all body types can eat this at any meal!
This recipe freezes well, too. It also tastes better the next day, but it is good freshly made, too!

Variation for salsa – Add finely chopped hot peppers when sautéing other peppers (I used about 5 mildly hot peppers and it was not too hot for me!) Serve hot or cold with plan chips or veggie dippers!

Pumpkin Bread

½ cup steel cut oats, uncooked
1 ½ cups rolled or quick oats, uncooked
1 cup NSA applesauce
2 cups pumpkin [I used Libby’s]
¾ cup Splenda
2 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
¼ t. allspice
12 egg whites
2 t. clear vanilla
1 t. maple extract

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (oats, Splenda, spices). Stir in applesauce and pumpkin and combine well. Set aside.

In medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla and maple extract until very light and frothy. [I beat it until it almost comes over the top of my mixing bowl – no liquid left, very meringuelike] Fold into oat mixture and stir until eggs are well blended.

Baking options:

I use my 6-loaf silicon pan to make these, but you could use regular muffin pans and check them after 15 minutes. Divide evenly into your baking pans. I bake my 6 loaves at 375 F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes. Turn onto cooling rack to finish cooling, then refrigerate or freeze.

Makes 6 servings containing 2 Protein, 1 cup Carb, and minimal fruit. Add a banana and all body types can use this as preworkout a meal. If you make muffins, make a multiple of 6 so your portions come out equal.

Peachy Sweet Potatoes
(Based on a recipe from The Spirit of Christmas Recipes)

3 large sweet potatoes
2 T. Splenda
½ t. maple extract
½ t. ground cloves
2 t. cinnamon
1 large can No Sugar Added peach halves, drained

Wash and wrap sweet potatoes in foil and bake at 350 F until very soft (about 25 – 30 minutes). Remove from oven. Allow to cool slightly. Remove foil and skin. Place sweet potatoes in medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in Splenda, maple extract, cloves, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

Using a nonstick 12 muffin pan, place 1 peach half in each cup, pit side up. (There should be about 12 of these in the can or if not, cut the largest one in half so there is a peach in each cup.) Scoop about ¼ - 1/3 cup of sweet potato mixture into each peach. Sprinkle top of each with a little Cinnamon and/or Splenda (about a dash will do).

Bake at 350 F for 30 – 35 minutes.

Living Lean variation – Add a half of a large marshmallow to each peach before adding the sweet potato mixture.

Each cup makes about ¼ - 1/3 cup carb and a small amount of fruit.

Roast Turkey Breast with Jasmine Rice Stuffing

1 turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup Apple Wine
1 cup water
2 T. onion powder
1 T. garlic powder
Black Pepper

Stuffing Ingredients:
2 cups Jasmine Rice, rinsed [I used a mixture of brown Jasmine and white Jasmine]
2 cups plain water
2 cups hot water with 2 t. no sodium chicken boullion, dissolved
2 stalks celery with leaves, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Parsley flakes to taste
Black pepper to taste
White balsamic vinegar

In large saucepan, sauté onion and celery in white balsamic vinegar until soft. Add all the water, parsley, and black pepper and stir. Stir in the rice and cook over low to medium heat until done (about 30 minutes for me – check often) All the broth should be absorbed.

Allow to cool while you fix the turkey breast.

In roaster pan, combine wine and water. Set aside.
In small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Rub this on the breast (under the skin) and in the cavity. Set turkey breast cavity side up in the roaster pan. Fill cavity with rice mixture and secure flap. Any extra rice can be saved in the fridge.

Cover and bake stuffed turkey breast per instructions on the wrapper. [My 6 pound breast took about 2 hrs at 350 F.] Allow to rest for 30 – 45 minutes before slicing. Remove stuffing to separate bowl before slicing. Also remove the skin.

Cooking this meat side down keeps it nice and moist.
You can pour some of the drippings in the pan over the meat to add moisture, too.

This recipe includes carbs and protein. You will need to measure and weigh as required for your bodytype.

Happy Anniversary!!!

2008-01-19T14:59:00.000-05:00

Three years ago today I started my Six Week Body Makeover!! Has it really been that long since I have eaten REAL pizza the kind with all the dough and cheese!? Yes it has and I don't miss it one bit either! My how things have changed and for the better I must say!!

My daily cooking and eating routine now matches my new healthier lifestyle! Gone are the high fat, high calorie desserts and entres that made and kept me fat. Now a multitude of fruit, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy carbs fill my daily meal requirements and desires! (And also LOTS of water!!) I still eat the occasional 'ICK' but that is the exception and not the norm. Most of that doesn't appeal to me anymore! I feel much better when I eat clean and I like that feeling!!

Exercise is also looked upon with anticipation as opposed to dread like in my previous life. What am I saying....exercise was non-existent then!! I LOVE my bike rides and the way I feel when I finish them. Refreshed and ready for my day!! I also enjoy the results of the toning exercises!! I have been making a concerted effort to work on my toning at least 2-3 days per week and am seeing the results of it too!! I can actually see muscles now!!!

To celebrate the day I am adding a few new recipes that are all Six Week Body Makeover plan friendly for Reducers and those who are Living Lean. Heck, even others might like them too!!
To go to the recipes, click here: Recipes for 2008

Enjoy!!

My 'Mermaid' Shot
Never thought three years ago that I would ever be able to fit
BOTH legs into ONE leg of my 'before' pants!!

Post Options Today is also my uncle's birthday!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Lynn!!

Reflections of Year Two of Living Lean

2007-12-19T07:01:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe it has been two years since I reached my goal size!! Still wearing my size 8/10 pants and my size 10 tops! I even have a few pairs of men’s SMALL sweatpants that I wear to mow the lawn!! I never thought when I was wearing Men’s XXL shirts that I couldn’t button all the way down that I would ever be able to wear anything that was a SMALL (men’s or women’s size!)

I have discovered in the past year that to maintain this new size 10 body, cardio fat burning exercise is VERY IMPORTANT!! Gotta get my heart rate in the 60 – 65% zone and walking just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore! So, in May I bought myself a bike!! I LOVE my bike! Once I got a comfortable bike seat and got my backside ‘broken in’, I road 6 days a week for about 12-13 miles per day from June until November! I averaged about 62%THR for 60 of the 65 minutes I was riding each day. Very exhilarating and also a great fat burning activity that was fun! I even participated in the Tour de Cure at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. I rode 12 laps on the speedway in about 2½ hours. That’s 30 miles! I had so much fun, I am doing it again in 2008. This time I want to do 24 laps! (that’s 60 miles!)

Victory Lane at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway!!

In year two of Living Lean, I also cashed in on my 1 year at goal reward of going to the Jeff Gordon Racing School for a day! I made 28 laps and my top speed was over 134 MPH!! I am DEFINITELY doing this again and that will be my Three years of Living Lean present to myself! And the next time, I want to go faster than I weigh. Hopefully, I can do that at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, too. Just think, one year from today is when I will make my reservation!!

Goal Achieved!!
Read more about it on my blog from June!

That's my nephew Sam cheering me on.

He also took all the great shots of my racing experience!!
Thanks Sam!!

In September I spent a wonderful week with seven other Skinny Minnies at Annie’s lake house in New Hampshire. In spite of a dead refrigerator full of food, broken car locks, broken bones, attempted self-drowning (by me!), kidney stone attack, and (2) trips to the emergency room, we all had a great time. We even ate mostly on plan (except for some KPBC!!) and most of us even dropped a few pounds while there!! Mary and I attended the first Race in the Chase for the Nextel Cup (NASCAR). My guy Jeff Gordon finished a strong second in the race too!! It was great meeting other success stories of the Six Week Body Makeover plan and sharing all of our experiences and trials of Living Lean. I am proud to call them my friends!

The Skinny Minnies at Lakescape 2007
(This group lost over 650 lbs!)

I attended my 25^th high school class reunion in October. Of course, being half the size that I was in high school AND being 25 years older, NO ONE recognized me without at least one clue. Lots of surprised looks, too. I still love it when people I have known ‘before’ don’t recognize me now! I always say it is like walking around in disguise in plain view!!

But the biggest highlight of the year came in November when I was chosen to participate in the filming of the next infomercial for the Six Week Body Makeover!! I spent four fabulous days in warm and sunny (and a little bit foggy at times, too!) California! First trip west of Missouri and my first flight longer than 2 ½ hours. Needless to say it was also my first time using an airplane rest room, too!! Roomier than I thought it would be but I was glad I am the size I am now verses before!! Don’t know if I would have fit then!

I arrived early Saturday morning and spent most of the day looking around the hotel while trying to avoid the onslaught of teenagers that were staying there, too. Lucky for us, they all left Sunday morning, much to the delight of the hotel staff and guests! I also walked through a craft show that was being held on the grounds of the hotel! I bought myself a kaleidoscope made by a California craftsman!! My first souvenir of my trip! Later in the afternoon, I finally got to meet up with more of the 6WBMO infomercial participants which included two of my fellow Skinny Minnies (Mary and Karen) who were also at Lakescape in September and Leslie, another Skinny Minnie who I had chatted with online, but had never met face to face!

'Skinny Minnies in LA'
Leslie, Karen, Mary and Jenny

All 18 of us plus Dolores and her husband enjoyed dinner together and sharing autographs, pictures, and stories! We nicknamed our group the ‘Ton of Fun Gang’ because the total weight loss for us including Dee’s, was over 2000 lbs.!! Divided by 19 people, that is an average loss of over 100 pounds PER PERSON!!! WOW!!!

Ton of Fun!!

Sunday was my filming and testimonial day. I had a late call, so I slept in until 6 am (that is late for me!!), did 60 minutes on the bikes in the fitness room of the hotel, and waited anxiously for my ride to the studio. I didn’t know what to expect, even after talking with those who did their filming on Saturday.

We were called to the shoot an hour early and it was a whopping 10 minute ride to the studio (I thought it would be farther). I went into wardrobe first. David, our fashion coordinator, picked out the two outfits I would need for the day. The first one was for my ’on air’ shots. (Purple shirt, black cammy and black pants) The second one was for my stills (teal shirt, black cammy and black pants). I also needed to wear high heels for my stills (makes your legs look thinner!!). Being a barefoot and sneakers kind of gal, this was a new experience for me! I could barely walk in them, but they did make my legs look great!! And the only jewelry I wore were diamond stud clip on earrings. I got to keep the clothes, but not the shoes (Ha) or the earrings!! (Bummer)

My next stop was make-up and hair and the first thing I had to do there was take off my glasses! I couldn’t put them back on until I was finished for the day, too!! From that point on, I never really saw anything in focus, including myself and my lunch! But I survived!!

While I was in the make-up chair, I just sat back, closed my eyes and let Don do his magic on me! He even ‘fixed’ my eyebrows! (plucked them actually, another first for me!) When I sat up and opened my eyes, even out of focus I could see a huge difference! Lots of Wow’s from the other people in the trailer at the time, too! I started my hair styling to give Don a feel for how I do it, and then he finished it off – PERFECTLY!! I wish I could get it to look that good when I do it every day! I guess I just don’t have enough arms or hands. I need more hair spray, too!!

In the chair!!

We had to break for lunch (I was starving too) before my hair and make-up were finished. Even with only half of the job completed, a couple of the others didn’t recognize me at first and Dee had to do a double take!! Lunch was yummy, even though I was eating blind. I even brought a doggie bag of food back to the hotel with me!

After lunch, it was back to make-up and hair for Don to put the final touches on my make-up and finish my hair. Once I was done there, I went back to wardrobe and got into my ‘on air’ outfit, had one last hair/make-up check, then it was off to the filming studio! I was introduced to the production crew, they miked me up, showed me where to stand, and then they just asked me questions about my weight loss journey! And NO SCRIPT for me! All I had to do was answer the questions that were asked! And since I love to talk about this subject, after some initial nervous jitters, I got more comfortable and the time just flew! Before I knew it, I was done!

Lights, Camera, Action!!

Six Week Body Makeover Infomercial Filming in November!

Now it was back to wardrobe to change clothes, have one last stop at hair/make-up for a quick check, and then I was off to my stills shoot! Walking in high heels and with no glasses!! Double Trouble!! Just had to walk really slow!!

Again, after introductions to the photographer and crew, I just posed as directed and just like that (and about 40 pictures later) I was finished!! Bonnie snapped a quick shot of Don and I before I ditched the heels!!! That picture is my favorite candid picture from my trip!! I just loved how I looked in that shot!!

After filling out the obligatory paperwork (releases and such), I returned the shoes and earrings to wardrobe and headed back to the hotel. Once everyone returned to the hotel from the studio, we all had dinner together.

Monday was supposed to be another day of filming for me, but unfortunately, four of us did not get to go (luck of the draw). Instead, we were treated to lunch the Michael Thurmond at P.F. Chang’s!! It was great! We had good food made to order (plan friendly!) and great conversation with Michael, Matt and Paul!! It was a pleasure and a thrill meeting them all!! After our two hour lunch, we all had our pictures taken with Michael and got autographs and then he was off to visit the crew on location and we returned to the hotel.

I just relaxed in the hotel for a while and went for a walk around the mall across the street. I also had the best oatmeal cookie I have ever had from The Corner Bakery. NOT ON PLAN, but delicious!!

Tuesday morning it was an early departure for the airport thru the fog! And I did get to see the Pacific Ocean as my plane took off!! So in 2007, I saw the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans!! (Another first for me!) I even made $30 on the plan ride home!! (Sold some of my ornaments I had with me!!)

The final leg of my LA trip was a treat for myself – A shared ride car service home from the airport! It just so happened that my flight was late arriving from Detroit, and the only car available once I got back to Indy was a black stretch limo!! And I was the only one in it!! The perfect end to a fabulous four days!! Now all I had to do was wait for my professional stills to arrive. Little did I know that the USPS would decide that I needed a lesson in patience!! What took only a few days to get delivered to most everyone else took almost 2 weeks to get to me!!

But boy were they worth the wait!! I looked at them and couldn’t believe that was me! What started out as a body makeover has now (3 years later) turned into a complete makeover!

All the credit goes to Michael Thurmond, Dolores, and everyone at Provida for providing me with the tools to makeover my life! I plan on using them every day and sharing my success story with anyone who wants to listen (and even some who don't!)

And a special THANK YOU goes to Don – my makeup and hair wizard! You will never know how much you have changed my life! All it took was a little make-up and hair styling by you for me to see what I have never seen before! You are the best!!

My 1 year of Living Lean gift to myself was my day at the Jeff Gordon Racing School. My 2 years of Living Lean gift to myself is ME! I am actually going to try the whole make-up and hair thing, even if only occasionally. It is amazing what a difference it made in the way I see myself.

What will year #3 bring?

Besides the infomercial debut sometime in the Spring of 2008, who knows?

I am really going to concentrate on my toning and my winter cardio program because riding my bike in the cold and snow is not an option and I need to keep up my fat burning routine! I also want and need to work on my stress reliever activities aka my knitting and felting business. My body does NOT handle stress well as it seems to add 5 lbs literally overnight when I am feeling stressed. I do not like that and I am going to eliminate that as much as I can!! Knitting is my best remedy for that, too!!

New recipes are also on the agenda….on plan and healthy of course!

Here’s to year #3 – It’s gonna be the best one yet!!

To see more pictures from the infomercial shoot,
see the LA Story blog entry

To read my weight loss story from the beginning,
see My Body Makeover blog entry

Makeup!!!

2007-12-19T06:38:00.001-05:00

The making of Glamorous Jenny!

Finished Product!!

Not bad, Huh?!

Thanks Don!!

Goal Achieved!!!

2007-06-30T18:51:00.000-04:00

Back in 2004 when I weighed over 300 lbs., doing something like driving a race car was an impossibility. I was simply too fat to squeeze through the window of the car. And even if I could get in, I don’t know how I would have gotten out! (Pry bar maybe?)

Then in 2005, I changed my body and my life! Using a great weight loss program, (Thanks again Michael!) I lost over 160 lbs. in 11 months. Now I was small enough to fit in size 10 clothes and a race car sans pry bar!

But just reaching my goal of a size 10 body wasn’t enough of an achievement to reward myself with such a special gift. I needed to MAINTAIN that weight loss for a year and then I would cash in on my reward.

Well, one year later in December 2006, I was still in my size 10’s, so I called and ordered my Jeff Gordon Racing School package! I decided to make it worthwhile, so I ordered the Ultimate Winner’s Circle package – 28 Laps!! Later in the Spring I booked my date at the Kentucky Speedway. And on June 30, 2007, I cashed in on my reward!!

Winner’s Circle

My first thrill was fitting in the driver’s suit comfortably. My next thrill was sliding through the window rather easily (helmet made it a little tricky, but not too bad).

Going through the window!

Waiting to go!!

Heading out on the track!!

Me at speed on the track!!

And my final thrill was driving the race car over 134 MPH!!! It was awesome!!

The guys and gals running the school were very friendly and helpful!! (Thanks!!)

The longer I drove, the more confident I felt! Now I wish I had opted for the 40 lap package! Oh well, that’s for the next time!! Maybe after 3 years of Living Lean! (which is actually only 18 months from now if I can even wait that long!!)

Next time, I want to exceed my weight in speed!! (140 – 150 MPH!)

I DID IT!!!
(Helmet hair and all!!)

Update for March 2007

2007-03-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I have updated my blog. I just added a few more recipes in the Healthy Recipes for Living Lean section!! They are 6WBM friendly, but mostly for Living Lean. The Honey Grain Bars are definately NOT plan friendly unless you are not reducing.
Hope you enjoy the recipes! If anyone tries them, leave a comment!!

Have a great day!!
:-)

Recipes - Some of my favorites!!

2006-10-27T12:56:00.000-04:00

**NOTE TO SIX WEEK BODY MAKEOVER READERS:
The recipes in this section are NOT plan friendly!!!
They are a few of my favorite NON PLAN ones from the past!!

Here is the recipe for my 'Killer' Peanut Butter Cookies! These are my favorite non plan cookies!!

‘Killer’ Peanut Butter Cookies
(For best results, use exact ingredients as listed)

1 C. Reese’s smooth peanut butter
1 C. Parkay margarine, softened (or unsalted butter works OK too!)
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. Domino Light Brown Sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2½ C. all-purpose flour
1½ t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
dash of salt (optional - I don't use it!)

In large mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter, margarine, sugars, and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir with fork until blended. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture. Stir until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (If you are in a hurry, chill in the freezer for 1 – 2 hours before baking).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375^oF. (I bake with a convection oven.) Cover baking sheets with aluminum foil and DO NOT SPRAY. Roll dough into 1” balls and place about 3” – 4” apart on cookie sheet. Criss Cross each ball with a fork dipped in flour. Bake for 7 minutes or until light brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 1 – 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Keep in sealed container. I keep them in the freezer.

Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Apple Crisp

11 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I use Red Delicious or McIntosh apples – Granny Smith are too firm)
½ cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cup flour
½ cup margarine or butter (1 stick)

Preheat oven to 350^oF.

Peel and slice apples. Put in 9 x 13 inch baking dish and sprinkle with water. Mix dry ingredients together in small mixing bowl. Cut in butter until all ingredients are well combined. (I mix this with my hands so there are no large chunks of butter.) Sprinkle evenly over top of apples.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

This is even better if eaten the next day and warmed in the microwave!

Apple Dumplings

6 medium baking apples peeled, cored and sliced (I use McIntosh apples)
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For dough:
2 cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup butter or margarine
½ cup milk

For sauce:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375^oF.

Sift the flour and baking powder together in medium mixing bowl, then cut in butter until the mixture is fine and crumbly (I mix this with my hands so there are no large chunks of butter.) Sprinkle the milk over this and press lightly, working the dough only enough to hold it together. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll out each ball into a 6 inch square. Place a peeled and cored apple on each square. In separate bowl, mix the 1 cup white sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Fill the cored center of each apple with this mixture, Bring dough up around apple and cover it completely. Moisten top edges with water and fasten securely to top of apple.
Place dumplings 1 inch apart in greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
Combine the brown sugar, 2 cups water, and rest of spices in medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter until it melts completely. Pour this mixture over the dumplings.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve hot with milk or vanilla ice cream!

A Pennsylvania Dutch treat!

Ham Balls
This recipe can be made for dinner or as appetizers – Thanks Lucy!

3 lbs. ground ham loaf mix (have your butcher grind together 1½ lbs. smoked boneless ham and 1½ lbs. boneless pork roast if ‘ham loaf mix’ is not available)
1½ C. honey graham crackers, crushed to crumbs (I use 1 pack in the box)
1 C. milk
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine ham loaf mix and graham crackers together until blended. Add milk and eggs and mix thoroughly. (You may need to use your hands for this!)
For dinner size portions: Form into about 12, 3” diameter balls and place in baking dish.
For appetizer size portions: Form into about 30 – 40, 1-1½” diameter balls and place in baking dish.

Topping: Stir together the following ingredients in order given:

¾ C. brown sugar
3/8 C. vinegar
1 t. dry mustard
1 10¾ oz. can condensed tomato soup (generic brand works fine)

Cover ham balls with topping and bake for 1 hour. (Appetizer size may not take quite 1 hour – check after 45 minutes)
Spread topping over each ham ball when serving.

For appetizers: Remove from baking dish and arrange on platter. Pour topping over all and serve with toothpicks.

This recipe can be doubled if making for a crowd. You will probably need several baking dishes to bake them in, especially when making appetizer size.

Pizza Dip

1 8 oz. package light cream cheese, softened
1 16 oz. container light sour cream
oregano to taste ( 1/2 t.)
dried crushed hot pepper to taste
1 regular size jar Prego Chunky Garden w/ mushrooms spaghetti sauce
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 12 oz. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large bag Bite Size Tostitos and/or other ‘dippers’

Preheat oven to 425^oF.
Spray a large shallow baking dish with non-stick spray. (I use a 12” diameter spaghetti dish). Beat together cream cheese, sour cream, and spices until smooth. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish. Spread jar of Prego over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle diced onion and green pepper over sauce. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with Bite Size Tostitos and/or other ‘dippers’.

About my baskets.....

2006-10-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

Amish Arrows Round Basket

- all baskets are designed and woven by me
- wooden handles are either oak, ash, or hickory
- wrapped handles are wrapped with common cane
- all rims are double lashed with common cane
- rectangular shaped baskets have filled bases (no holes) using a unique filling technique (I adapted one I learned from Grace Kabel)
- round baskets have twined round reed bases
- painting strips are made from ash
- colored reeds are dyed using Rit dye
- all baskets are overstained with black walnut hull stain made from real black walnuts and water
- painted baskets are stained after they are painted
- all baskets are signed and dated by the artist
- Limited Edition baskets are signed, dated, and numbered by the artist and include a special “Limited Edition” seal on the tag

About the artist...ME!

2006-10-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

- self-taught basketmaker since 1984
- studied basketry techniques with Grace Kabel and John McGuire, nationally known basketmakers
- juried member of the Cumberland Valley Craftsmen since 1988
- state juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen since 1990
- demonstrated basketweaving techniques for various civic groups, elementary schools and Vacation Bible School groups
- participated in the WITF (PBS) Gallery 33 auction
- hosted “Baskets at the Studio” in 1995 with several basketmaking friends
- participated in Pennsylvania Designer Craftsmen shows and other juried craft shows throughout Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Maryland

My Body Makeover

2006-09-22T16:44:00.000-04:00

My 'Before' Picture

Did Someone Say ‘Half Price Sale?’

I had been fat my whole life, In grade school I was plump, but athletic and when puberty hit, my activity level went down and my weight went up! All through middle school, junior high school, and high school I tried many different types of diets, but I couldn’t stick with them for more than a few weeks. I usually didn’t lose much and when I stopped, I ended up heavier than when I started. When I was in high school, my dad even offered to buy me a new car if I could get my weight down to 150 pounds (from about 240 at the time) and even that wasn’t incentive enough. I had resigned myself to always being ‘heavy or large, whatever meant big!

Fast forward through 23 years of being fat and not doing much about it. When I tried to eat less (in number of meals and quantity), the weight still was there or increased. I had about given up any hope and surgery was not an option.

Then in 2004, I saw the 6WBM infomercial and thought that this plan looks interesting. Eat more, exercise less, sounds good to me! But at about $150, I just couldn’t justify the cost for a probable failure even with the money back guarantee. But my interest in this ‘diet’ was still there because every time I would catch the infomercial I would watch and listen.

Rock bottom hit in December 2004. I had become very bored with food. Nothing sounded good, tasted good, and I was tired of trying to think of something to make to eat. I just ate to because I had to. Easy and fast, nutritious? Not really. I needed someone or something to tell me what to eat!

Then in January 2005, I was channel surfing and I saw Michael Thurmond on HSN selling his program and discussing the benefits. I listened. The price from HSN was about $50 less that the infomercial and had free shipping! I decided that I was never going to see it for less, so I called and ordered the plan. I had finally taken the plunge! I figured that if this eating plan worked as advertised, not only would it tell me what to eat, but I would also lose weight at the same time. Perfect!

My box arrived on January 17^th. I put the binder together that night, typed my body and did my blueprint. I was a type A with over 100 lbs. to lose. I made a grocery list and went shopping the next day. I started on Wednesday January 19, 2005 and I haven’t looked back since! I didn’t have a scale to get a start weight, but from reading my book, body measurements are more important anyway, so I got my trusty tape measure out and recorded my measurements. I used the full 60 inches to reach around my ‘gut’. That was an eye opening experience. I couldn’t believe I was that big, but the tape didn’t lie! My highest recorded weight at last check was 311 lbs. so I used that as my start weight. My current clothes were size 26/28. I set my original goal size to be size 12. The actual weight number at that size would take care of itself. I figured that might be about 160 lbs. I don’t remember ever being that weight, even in junior high school. If I made it to a size 12, I would be thrilled.

Since I had so much weight to lose, I knew I wouldn’t be done after 6 weeks, so I decided to simplify my life. I concentrated on the food part during the first six weeks. I collected and developed some recipes that I liked and were tasty. The online forums and recipes were a godsend! I got most of my recipes from there. I wouldn’t have made it without these resources. In March, I bought the cookbook for more recipes and ideas. And my clothes were getting looser!

I started my actual cardio workouts during my second 6-weeks. I started at 2 – 3 times per week of about 45 – 60 minutes. (I did get some cardio in every day from the beginning because I walk to work, but that was only about 20 minutes total per day.) My clothes were getting really big now, but I kept wearing them. I did buy a new smaller belt to help keep my pants up! That worked for a while, but I eventually had to buy a few new clothing items to wear to work. In May, I finally couldn’t keep my pants on any longer, even with the smaller belt, so I retired my 26/28 jeans and bought some size 20’s! I had never owned a pair of size 20 jeans! I had also bought a pair of size 18’s at the same time and when I tried them on to see how close I was to that size, I was stunned! These 18’s almost fit me now! So I upped my cardio to 4 days a week for 60 minutes each day and within 4 weeks, I was in those 18’s, comfortably. I figured at the rate I was losing, I might make my size 12 goal by Christmas!

But as my body changed, so did my goal size and rewards. In July, I decided that maybe a size 10 would be my ultimate goal size and maybe I could reach that by my 42^nd birthday in February 2006. So I upped my cardio to 60 minutes, 5 – 6 days a week and added some toning. The weight really started to drop fast! I was losing about one size every six weeks.

In August, I was a size 16 and by the end of September, I was a size 14! This is when I reevaluated again. When I looked at my ‘new’ body, I didn’t think I was an ‘A’ anymore. I was still losing but I had no muscles! So I retyped my body and now it came out as an ‘E’. I couldn’t believe it! I took the online test 5 times, the kit test 3 times and even call the Provida help line twice just to make sure. I figured I would try the ‘E’ plan for a few weeks to see if it made a difference. (I also got a scale at this point to keep track.) As an ‘E’ I was now eating even more food than before and I was still losing weight! I dropped about 3 pounds each week! I even had strangers stop me on my way to work and tell me that I looked great!

I made my size 12 goal before Thanksgiving! When I visited friends and family in Pennsylvania, there were a lot of dropped jaws and puzzled looks! I had relatives and close friends not even recognize me! What a feeling!

In early December 2005, I was wearing some of my size 10 clothes and by Christmas I was in all of them! In 11 months, I had gone from a size 26/28 to a size 10! I had lost 128” from my body and my ‘gut’ measurement was now 37”! My waist was now smaller than my thighs when I started. Unbelievable!

When I started back in January, I had a bag of Mint Hershey Kisses in my clear glass cookie jar on my kitchen counter. And guess what…. It is still there! I did eat one when I reached my size 10 goal and then I was going to throw them away. But instead, I kept them there as a reminder that I control what I eat!

I like my new lifestyle now. I really enjoy my 60 minute cardio walk each day and the toning exercises aren’t bad either! I like my food and I only miss some off plan foods occasionally. Added salt is a real problem for me. A little is OK, but too much and I blow up like a balloon. Not a good feeling at all! And the clothes…..all of my ‘fat’ clothes are gone except for a few ‘fun ones’ I kept to share with my niece. She and I can wear them – both of us at the same time! I am having fun buying all new size 10’s. I even have a few size 8 pants and when I flatten my tummy and thighs a bit more, those 8’s will fit perfectly! Most of my new clothes have been purchased on half price racks, which is fitting because when people ask me how much weight I have lost, I say I am half price because I have lost over half of my body weight!

2005 was about losing the weight. 2006 (and beyond) is about toning it up and keeping it off! My next goal is to maintain this size 10 body. When I have maintained for one year, I am treating myself to the Jeff Gordon Racing School. And my biggest thrill there won’t be going 150 MPH, it will be sliding in the car thru the window! (They don’t have doors!) I couldn’t do this when I weighed over 300 lbs.!

I started out bored with food, but not anymore! When people ask me how I lost all the weight, their first thought is surgery. Nope, I tell them it’s Michael Thurmond’s Six Week Body Makeover, now in its fabulous 88th week!

Thank you Michael! Your plan rocks! (Are they a carb or a protein?) ;-)

For more info about this plan, check out this website: www.provida.com

If you look up the Success Stories, I was the Chat Forums Success Story of the month for June 2006! Here is the link - My Success Story

My Goal Picture! Size 10!!!

First day!!

2006-09-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog!!

I will be adding lots of stuff over the next few days, so keep checking back! I have lots of great recipes both healthy and some that are not as healthy, but just plain good! My baskets and handknits will also be featured!
I am new at this! Learning as I go!

Have a great day!

:-)