tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51447638200321022542024-02-20T10:05:44.127-08:00Hungry LolitaDonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-85570165967243315442013-04-23T11:27:00.000-07:002013-04-23T11:40:16.601-07:00Two Weeks DownHere's the recipe for the Quinoa Salad I made last night. You can use any amount of veggies. Add your favorites. Next time I will double the recipe and add halved cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumber. Steph, we missed you and prayed for you! <br />
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2 cups cooked quinoa</div>
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1 can black beans</div>
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1/2 diced avocado</div>
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1 diced red pepper</div>
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1 diced green onion<br />
1 finely diced jalapeno</div>
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1 handful chopped cilantro</div>
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2 big handfuls chopped spinach</div>
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1/2 chopped grapefruit w/o pith (try to collect all the juice)</div>
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Add all ingredients to big bowl and gently toss</div>
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Dressing</div>
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Approx. 2 tbls. Grapefruit juice </div>
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2 tbls. White wine vinegar</div>
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3 tbls. Olive Oil</div>
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2 tsp Agave </div>
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Salt and Pepper</div>
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Shake, pour over salad, and toss again<br />
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Serve at room temperature with grilled or baked chicken on top.</div>
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I'm so glad you enjoyed it! </div>
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Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-3565706847071990132013-04-16T20:45:00.002-07:002013-04-16T20:46:22.084-07:00One Week DownWell, we did it! We made it through a whole week on the Daniel Plan. The four of us lost almost fourteen pounds. That's totally awesome! Now on to Week 2. We can do it! Thanks to Anita for making us our goal charts. Those are very cool. We are going to Phoenix tomorrow and will be gone until Saturday. Pray that I will rely on God's strength to stick with the plan. I will be praying for you guys and will try to blog while I am there. Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-78333350446491254802013-04-12T22:47:00.002-07:002013-04-12T22:51:49.327-07:00Prepping for Next WeekAnita has a delicious chicken chili recipe that she will hopefully share with us. :-) We should make it sometime this weekend and then portion it out in containers and freeze some for midweek so it stays fresh. The chicken salad I ate today did not taste very fresh at all. We should also get all of our salad stuff ready too. That means we should wash, dry, tear, slice, and dice, all of our lettuce and veggies into separate ziplock bags or containers. It is a pain to make a salad. Might as well do all the prep at once and then just throw the salad together at lunch or dinner. I would also recommend making a large container of salad dressing for the week. We should also bake or grill the chicken or beef that will be going on the salads. Unless you like to make it fresh every day. I think I will grill all of it on Monday or Tuesday. Then I will slice it up and put it in baggies in the fridge and freezer. I really loved having all my meals prepared at the beginning of this week. It made mealtime way less stressful. I wasn't thinking of food all day because I knew what I was going to eat, and it was already prepared. This week if you get sick of chili or salad, you could always have veggie patties or black bean burgers. Or you could make any meals from week one if you'd like. I'm excited to see you on Monday and hear how Week 1 went. Praying for you and love you!Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-29240416007282712782013-04-11T22:41:00.001-07:002013-04-11T22:50:55.239-07:00Lunch, Dinner, and a SnackSo far Dominick and I have eaten the Chicken Salad every day for lunch this week except one day when I had it for dinner. We also ate our Chicken/Roasted Veggies/Brown Rice Combo every night except for one night when I substituted Black Bean Burgers for the chicken. I didn't mind eating the same thing and I loved not having to think about what I was going to make for dinner every night. Here are a couple of ideas for next week. We could make a big crockpot of Turkey or Chicken Chili. I know beans and lentils are really good for us and a big part of the Daniel Plan. The chili is good topped with a little Greek Yogurt. We could eat the chili for lunch or dinner. I think we should eat salad next week for one of our meals too. I love to put lettuce, halved grape tomatoes, diced cucumbers, kidney or black beans, a chopped apple, diced avocado, and grilled chicken or steak. It is easy for me to eat a whole avocado so I will have to limit the whole big family salad to half of one. A good dressing is 2-3 Tbls balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a little Dijon mustard too. Whisk it together or shake in a small container and toss with salad. The salad could be the complete meal or you could add a little quinoa to it too. It would be delicious. We could interchange the chili and salad for lunches and dinners. A delicious snack idea is to make hard boiled eggs and throw out the yolk. Fill the yolk cavity with hummus instead. It is really good. :) Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-14347272758618188002013-04-11T22:17:00.001-07:002013-04-11T22:21:32.756-07:00Daniel Plan Week 2 Meal IdeasWeek one is almost done. I'm so proud of you for sticking to the plan. I know we each modified it to fit our likes/tastes and that is good. For next week, we can stick to our protein shakes for breakfast, or we can have some delicious oatmeal instead. Dominick and Savvy love when I make this. <br />
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Vanilla Creme Protein Oatmeal <br />
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1/4 cup oats<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1 tsp. peanut or almond butter<br />
1/4 cup frozen blueberries (optional)<br />
1 scoop vanilla protein powder<br />
2 Tbls. milk<br />
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Put oats and water in a microwave safe bowl or large mug. Cook for two minutes but watch that it doesn't overflow in microwave. Once it is cooked, stir in peanut/almond butter. Next add blueberries. In a separate cup mix protein powder with milk to form a paste. Add to oatmeal. Enjoy! <br />
P.S. This is delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. :)Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-21635685356212101782013-04-11T19:53:00.001-07:002013-04-11T19:54:25.864-07:00Our Six Week Group GoalWell, how are we feeling? I know on Tuesday all four of us had headaches and were super tired all day. I felt much better yesterday and today. I think a lot has to do with eating enough of the right foods at the right time. I'm glad we are all excited about our group goal. Is fifty pounds too many for the six-week timeline? How about forty? I know we can meet either goal. What do you think? Text me or add a comment to the blog. Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-10770441954394366772013-04-09T10:04:00.001-07:002013-04-09T10:05:17.398-07:00Daniel Plan Week 1 Day 2It was so nice getting together with you three last night. I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing group of women. Let's remember to have courage like Daniel when we encounter situations with rich food. We don't have to eat it. We are committed to glorifying the Lord with our bodies and have offered ourselves to Him as living sacrifices. Even if it is uncomfortable, or we miss out on something really delicious, we need to stick to the commitment we made to ourselves, to each other and most importantly, to God. He will give us strength and will bless us for honoring our commitment to Him. Love you guys!Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-18465584493307694162013-04-06T20:39:00.001-07:002013-04-06T21:00:46.772-07:00Snacks, Desserts, and TipsI came up with some snack foods for the afternoon and evening. They can also be used for dessert. <br />
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<b><u>Snacks and Desserts</u></b><br />
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--sliced apple or pear with either a little peanut or almond butter, or a small chunk of cheese<br />
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--strawberries or blackberries and a few almonds<br />
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--red pepper slices, celery, carrots, cucumber, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes- serve with a dip made of Greek yogurt mixed with onion soup mix or ranch mix<br />
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--Greek yogurt, sliced berries, almonds, agave syrup<br />
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--strawberries dipped in Greek yogurt then a little brown sugar<br />
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--a couple of turkey or ham roll-ups with lettuce or pickle slices<br />
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--small amount of dark chocolate chips<br />
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I will come up with some more. The only thing we have to remember is not too eat too much throughout the day. Make sure your snacks and even desserts have a protein component. I know it is important to eat every few hours but let's remember not to eat too much or we will gain weight. Believe me, I know from experience. Since we will be eating snacks and dessert, make sure that your lunch and dinner portion are small. If you don't have snacks make your meal portions bigger. Try to remember not to drink any calories if you can. Let's go to bed as early as we can so we won't need that extra extra late night snack. :)Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-31823389901551910842013-04-06T11:21:00.001-07:002013-04-06T19:46:28.042-07:00Dinner<b><u>Dinner</u></b><br />
We will be having chicken or beef whichever you choose, roasted vegetables, and a grain. I like to roast all the veggies on big cookie sheets with olive oil, salt and pepper. While they are roasting, make a big pot of either brown rice, barley, or quinoa. I will use my rice cooker. Cook it with some chicken broth or a bouillon cube for extra flavor if you'd like. When it has cooled a little, transfer dinner portions into either ziplock baggies or plastic containers and freeze them all. While the veggies are roasting and the rice is cooking, prepare your chicken, beef, or both. I usually put olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them. When all three things are done, you can line up plastic containers or ziplock bags and divide the food into them. Every night just open a container or a bag and heat it all up on the stove in a big pan with a little olive oil. It is really good. Of course you can just make these dinners every night fresh if you want. I promise that when you cook it all in an afternoon and freeze the meals, they taste like you just made them. I know Dominick will want chicken a couple of nights in a row then maybe beef for a couple of days too. I might do a store bought chicken if we run out of food. Oh, I almost forgot! When you heat up your meal, add teriyaki sauce, or bbq sauce, or any other seasonings you like so the meal tastes different and delicious for your husband. :)Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-81158764270023800902013-04-06T10:37:00.002-07:002013-04-06T10:37:58.487-07:00Monday Is A Coming :)Anita texted me a very good point. Our husbands are not going to want to eat the same thing for dinner every night for a week. I just confirmed this with Dominick. He said "Nobody wants to eat the same thing every day." Glad he is so honest. :) It seems like breakfast and lunch can be the same, don't you think? But we will need to change it up for dinner. This blog is only for the four of us, so please text me or comment on the blog any other ideas or thoughts you have. <br />
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<b><u>Lunch</u></b><br />
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I was thinking of making a huge bowl of chicken salad sometime this weekend. This way lunch will be ready for the whole week. I use the canned chicken from Costco. My recipe is delicious but feel free to add or delete any ingredients.<br />
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4 cans Kirkland Chicken Breast<br />
mayo<br />
celery<br />
green onions<br />
grapes cut in half<br />
toasted slivered almonds<br />
lemon juice<br />
pepper<br />
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I usually like to eat it plain but I am going to buy the Ezekiel bread from Costco in case I want a sandwich. It is sprouted bread which is recommended on the Daniel Plan. Make sure and eat a baggy full of cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, strawberries, or other fruits and veggies to round out your meal. <br />
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I'll work on dinner next. :)<br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-58543516534842937612013-04-05T20:16:00.002-07:002013-04-05T20:35:01.513-07:00Breakfast and Morning Snack Week 1I was thinking that we would eat the same foods every day of the first week. I know this seems boring but it will make it easier to prep for the week instead of each day. Our goal is to eat and drink whole foods that are in their most natural state. The Daniel Plan also wants us to refrain from caffeine, sugar, and preservatives for the first six weeks. I think this is a good idea. I know that I am addicted to caffeine. I didn't have any today and all day have felt lousy. :-)<br />
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<b><u>Breakfast</u></b><br />
I propose that for breakfast we drink a protein shake. This can be homemade or ones you have already purchased. You can add your favorite ingredients. My favorite recipe is: <br />
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8oz milk or water<br />
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scoop protein powder </div>
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1/4 cup almonds (or a tablespoon of peanut butter)</div>
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1 envelope Splenda </div>
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a huge handful of spinach</div>
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1/2 cup frozen blueberries</div>
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(sometimes I put half a banana)</div>
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This shake is really delicious. I promise you will not taste the spinach. Savannah will drink it if I serve it in an opaque cup with a lid and a straw. She won't drink it if she sees it is green or brownish grey. At first, I really disliked the taste of Muscle Milk but after I started adding an envelope of Splenda, I decided I like it a lot. <br />
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Depending on what time you drink your shake, try to have a small snack around three hours later. Let's have a small apple or half a Costco apple with a laughing cow cheese wedge or a small chunk of your favorite cheese.</div>
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I'll post lunch and dinner next. :-)</div>
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Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-87500328902354714252013-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:002013-04-04T21:47:58.059-07:00Foods for Next Week<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look up the food list from www.DanielPlan.com. It is on the main page. These are brain foods that should make up most of our eating plan. We should buy and eat our favorite foods off this list. Don't forget to eat protein with every meal and snack but not too much fat. My mom and I will try to come up with some yummy recipes using these ingredients. Try to eat the lower glycemic fruits as much as possible. The best fruits to eat are strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and jicama. The fruits with the most sugar are bananas, oranges, mangoes, grapes, and melons. Eat those sparingly. Also, try not to eat corn, potatoes, white rice, pasta, bread, and tortillas. If you are dying for a starch, have a little brown rice or quinoa, a corn tortilla, sprouted bread like Ezekiel, or a little whole wheat pasta.</span></div>
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Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-20569960223224587042013-04-03T16:52:00.001-07:002013-04-03T17:04:30.759-07:00Daniel PlanI know its been a long long time since I've posted on my blog. I had to post because I'm so excited for Monday. On Monday at 6pm, two of my good friends, my mom, and I will be starting the Daniel Plan. What is the Daniel Plan you ask? It is a healthy eating plan developed by Saddleback Church in Orange County. Dr. Oz, Dr. Amen, and Dr. Hymen are world renowned doctors and specialists in their fields. They came up with this plan to help the congregation at Saddleback, and Rick Warren, the pastor, lose excess weight and get healthy. It is bible based and there are videos and study guides on the Daniel Plan website. It is a six week study, followed by a lifetime commitment. The Daniel Plan is not a diet. It is a healthy way of eating and living. It is a lifestyle change and a way of life. It is for the whole family. Weight loss is a natural by-product of the Daniel Plan. The basic premise is to eat whole foods, move our bodies, and glorify the Lord. <br />
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We have the rest of the week to get ready for this new life long adventure. We need to buy lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, beans, and low fat dairy. For the six week start, we will need to eliminate caffeine, sugar, and preservatives. I'm so thankful the Lord has placed the four of us together to encourage and build each other up during this new way of eating. I know we can do it! Let's make it as fun and delicious as possible. Love you guys.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-38694608211843284122009-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:002013-04-04T10:16:56.138-07:00Going Back to SchoolWednesday is my official first day back at school. I am excited to meet my new group of kids. Kindergarten students are so precious and cute. They come in so young and inexperienced and leave reading and writing and ready for first grade. At the beginning of every school year, when I do my first assessments, I am always shocked at how little many of my kids know. It is not that they aren't smart. They are. It's just that they weren't taught anything. When I say anything, I mean the colors, how to write their name, numbers 0-5, or any letters. Although they have such a long road to go, most, if not all kids make incredible progress. It is really unbelievable. I always think of how far I could have taken them, if they had come in knowing some basic skills. This is my first year teaching full-day kindergarten. Although the kids will be with me much longer than with half-day kinder, they will be missing out on my partner teacher Laura. Now she is in a room across campus with her own full-day class. I truly believe two teachers with twenty-five kids at a time, is a much better ratio, and you can teach so much more, than one teacher with twenty-five students all day. I have a lot to do to get ready for Monday. Of course the first days back are planned full of meetings and professional development. All I want to do is work in my classroom. I am going to go in tomorrow to get a head start. Goodbye summer.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-27371082838304875742009-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:002009-08-09T21:16:12.015-07:00We're BackDominick and I had an amazing time in Cancun. We stayed at the Sun Palace. It is a beautiful, all-inclusive resort that is so worth it. We highly recommend this resort and also the Aventura Spa Palace. Both are owned by Palace Resorts. Hopefully next spring we can plan a family vacation to one of these two resorts, or the Moon Palace if kids come too. I think everyone would enjoy it. Start thinking about joining us. I'll get more info and details...<br /><br />We just spent a wonderful weekend with my mom and dad in Santa Barbara. We stayed at the Blue Dolphin Inn in Cambria on Moonstone Beach. It was beautiful and our rooms were really nice. It was freezing outside. We tried walking on the beach when we arrived but were so cold we had to cut our walk short. On Friday, we went to the Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara, and after standing in line for almost forty-five minutes just to order, we were disappointed with the food. Bummer. We went to the SB Mission, and it was beautiful. On Saturday we took a walk on Moonstone beach, then we walked around Cayucos, then ate a good lunch in Morro Bay. The highlight was going to Hearst Castle. Dominick and I went on a small tour that led us to the top floors of the castle along with William Hearst's library and bedroom. Pretty spectacular. My parents were treated like VIPs. While Dominick and I were carried up the hill in a school bus, my parents were in a smaller air-conditioned vehicle with only two other people. They were transported around the grounds on a golf cart and were given a deluxe tour of the kitchen, the gardens, and the guest house. They even had their own tour guide. This was because they were on tour #6, the handicapped tour. We saw them once and they just smiled and waved as they climbed into their golf cart. We ate dinner in Cambria and went to Linn's pie shop for dessert. Delicious. Today (Sunday), we slept in and then packed up and drove home. We had a great weekend and are so glad we had the opportunity to go with my parents. They are really fun to hang out with.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-31567905446143585592009-07-27T21:22:00.000-07:002009-07-27T21:33:15.257-07:00We are getting ready to go...Tomorrow morning we fly to Cancun where we will spend the whole week relaxing, and enjoying good food. Of course, I will do my best to stick to my plan. The hardest part is the variety. Because it is an all-inclusive resort, I can choose to eat whatever I want , whenever I want, however much I want. It is difficult for a food person like myself because I like to taste everything then decide what I liked best and order more of that particular food. I am going to try not to stress out about my eating, but just enjoy myself (within limits). I wish everyone could go with us to this resort. Our whole family would have such an awesome time. It is beautiful. The beaches and the ocean are exquisite. The ocean is turquoise and warm and the resort is clean with great customer service. Maybe we can plan a trip next spring. Everyone start saving up!Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-65431368297136790902009-07-25T20:05:00.000-07:002009-07-25T20:46:09.168-07:00It's in the genesToday my mom and I went to Kimberly's house for lunch. She definitely has the Fuentes taste buds and knack for cooking delicious foods. She made us salmon, which she broiled perfectly after flavoring it with creole seasoning, pepper, and olive oil infused with grapefruit juice. It was delicious! I have never been able to make fish at home that isn't fishy, or overcooked. I love fish, but always wait for Dominick to take me out to a nice seafood restaurant. Kim has made me want to go buy salmon and try it at home. I want to duplicate her exact recipe. It was so good! Not only did we have the salmon, but she also made a quite tasty quinoa salad with halved cherry tomatoes, cilantro, pine nuts, and green onions. She tossed it with a grapefruit vinegrette that was very yummy. The quinoa is considered a "perfect" food because of its high protein content. Quinia tastes kind of like couscous but is even tastier. You make it like any grain. Make sure you rinse the quinoa before you cook it. I've made the mistake of not rinsing before cooking, and it can have a pretty bitter taste. Kimberly made the quinoa in her rice cooker and it was perfect. Great idea. I've always cooked mine on the stove. If you haven't tried quinoa before, I highly recommend it. Thanks Kimberly!Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-75015366483478482042009-07-23T19:47:00.000-07:002009-07-23T20:05:12.368-07:00Salad and SaladHow delicious is salad?! Today I went to Surf Brothers Teriyaki for lunch. I love their simple menu. You have three choices. 2 teriyaki chicken skewers, 2 teriyaki steak skewers, or one of each. Your meal is served with a cabbage salad, and brown or white rice. Simple and delicious. I had the light bite meal (one skewer) with double salad and no rice. It was so good. The chicken is marinated and grilled and tastes just right with the cabbage salad. The salad needs a little teriyaki sauce and a tiny bit of soy sauce to have perfect flavoring. I ate every bite and was satisfied. For dinner I made a salad with lots of yellow cherry tomatoes, avocado, and leftover tri-tip. It was even better than my lunch salad. There is something about avocado. It adds such a creaminess and flavor to salad. I love it!Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-80041905887303756552009-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:002009-07-21T19:39:31.740-07:00Days LaterSorry I haven't posted in a few days. I was enjoying my time with Alyssa and Josh. It was so nice that they surprised us with a visit. Dominick and I are getting ready for our vacation in Cancun. We will be gone for a week and are so looking forward to it. My eating has been pretty good. I have been on my plan since July 6th. I do feel better and have more energy. The scale does not seem to be budging but my clothes feel a little better.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-17866783428449870822009-07-17T20:39:00.000-07:002009-07-18T06:34:02.633-07:00Best Recipe!Yesterday's interview went well. Thank you so much for praying. The Lord really gave me a peace and I was able to answer the questions completely and with clarity. I felt really good afterward knowing that I did my best. I did feel unqualified when it came to the technology portion of the interview. The principal called me today to say that I was not going to be offered the job. She was very nice and complimentary of me and said I was a very strong candidate. She said she was looking for someone with a strong technology background to fill the fifth grade position. I'm so glad she called me today and didn't make me wait to find out. I know the Lord is in control of this situation and will work everything out.<br /><br />I made the most amazing discovery today. You know how sometimes you can get sick of adding protein to every meal and snack? I know I do. Sometimes I just can't eat any more chicken, ham, turkey, hard-boiled eggs etc. and just want to eat a big strawberry salad or another delicious salad by itself. I found the solution! Add Greek yogurt and feta cheese to your salad dressing! Tonight I made a huge salad for myself. I added romaine, tomato, cucumber, and kidney beans. Then, for the dressing I put at least 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, a couple tablespoons of feta, lots of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. I mixed it all up and poured it over my salad. It was thick and creamy and so so good. It was kind of like a creamy Italian, but way better. You have to try it. I'm serious. It was delicious! With the kidney beans and dressing, there were 24 grams of protein in the salad. That is like having a whole chicken breast. Please let me know what you think.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-20861490242562631582009-07-17T06:52:00.000-07:002009-07-17T07:27:13.841-07:00Thanks for prayingThank you for praying for me yesterday. The interview went well. The Lord helped me answer the questions clearly and I was calm and at peace the whole time. I'll let you know what happens. I will be fine either way. If that job doesn't work out, hopefully something else will come up.<br /><br />Yesterday I had my protein shake for breakfast then I went out to lunch with my friend Norma. We went to House Fish Via Vera Cruz. They have gone downhill. First of all, they stopped including a side salad with your meal. They won't even let you substitute the other sides for the salad. The waitress said she would have to charge me $3.50 extra. Ridiculous. They also raised their prices. I paid $17.00 for a grilled piece of calamari, steamed broccoli, and six cherry tomatoes. What a rip off. Dominick said we are boycotting them from now on. By the way, even though I wasn't going to eat any bread, they also stopped bringing a loaf of sourdough bread and gave us two little rolls instead. Last night for dinner I made Dominick my strawberry salad (He's still not tired of it), chicken, and beans with jalapeƱo slices. I had a big bowl of Greek yogurt, sliced strawberries with splenda, and some raw almonds. It was very good.<br /><br />Alyssa and Joshua drove in yesterday from Arizona. I'm so glad they are here. I am looking forward to her birthday on Sunday. I'm sure my mom will go all out. The food will be amazing. I can almost taste it.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-27705110867474450522009-07-15T21:09:00.000-07:002009-07-15T21:35:35.235-07:00Prayer PleaseI have an important prayer request. Tomorrow I have an interview for a 5th grade position at Central School. It is at 11:00 a.m. I would really appreciate your prayers for me. Please pray that I would speak clearly and confidently and not be nervous. I have never wanted to teach upper grades, especially 5th grade, but I am willing to do it if it is the Lord's will. This is the only transfer opportunity that has been posted. I know that if the Lord wants me to have the job He will empower me to do it, and do it well. Thank you for your prayers!<br /><br />I just got home from a funeral for my former student Andrew Hargis. He passed away last Thursday. He had a rare bone cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma and had been battling cancer for almost seven years. He was in remission when he started kindergarten with me, but the cancer came back midway through his kindergarten year. He turned ten last Monday. I went and visited him on his birthday. It was so sad to see him so close to death. He was loving and kind, and mature beyond his years. I will miss him. Three weeks ago, his hospice nurse helped him ask Jesus into his heart. I'm so glad that he is no longer suffering and is with the Lord in heaven.<br /><br />My eating day was fine. I had another chocolate/banana Vivanno this afternoon. My recipe tastes just right.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-58684077277892384572009-07-14T21:23:00.000-07:002009-07-15T07:59:34.731-07:00Eating OutToday I went shopping with my mom. We went to The Great Indoors in Orange County and two different Home Goods. My mom has such an eye for style and is fun to shop with. We went to Pei Wei for lunch. We did our best at sticking with the plan. We ordered the lettuce wraps and the Asian Chicken Salad. We picked out the crunchy wontons. Next time I would order the salad without them. It was a very flavorful and delicious lunch. I think it was close to my eating plan. Even though the salad dressing wasn't very sweet, I'm sure there had to be a little sugar in it. We are still moving forward one day at a time.<br /><br />Tonight I made Dominick a veggie patty with an over-medium egg on top and served it with a side of beans. It wasn't the most beautiful meal, but it was filling, high protein, and tasty. He said he enjoyed it.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-65495436633869514732009-07-13T19:42:00.000-07:002009-07-13T20:20:47.201-07:00Sweet SuccessToday was a great day. It is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">definitely</span> easier to eat the right way when I am busy and not right next to the kitchen. Have you tried the Vivanno protein/fiber shakes from Starbucks? They have 280 calories and are made with 2% milk and a whole banana. Recently Starbucks went all natural. They used to add high fructose corn syrup and artificial color and flavor to their shakes. Now the shakes have just the fruit puree or cocoa, milk, banana, and their protein powder. I have ordered them three times and have never really liked them. I knew that they could taste good and fit my eating plan if I could tweak them a little. I tried them with half a banana and skim milk. They were pretty flavorless. I tried the chocolate/banana with a shot of espresso, and half a banana. It tasted like cold bitter coffee. Today I think I did it. I ordered the chocolate/banana Vivanno with half a banana to lower the carbs and calories, skim milk instead of 2%, and two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup. It was deliciously cold, sweet, and satisfying. It has around 200 calories and 15 grams protein. A great small meal or snack. Just perfect for such a hot day.<br /><br />Dominick loved the dinner I made for him. We had flounder with homemade tarter sauce, and my strawberry salad. Half way through his meal, his mouth full and a grin on his face, he gave me a look that said it was so good he couldn't stop to talk. He just grunted a couple of times and gave me a thumbs up. I'm so glad he likes my cooking.Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144763820032102254.post-90532104744007346722009-07-12T20:14:00.000-07:002009-07-12T20:54:02.661-07:00End of Week 1Well, I got through the weekend without falling off the wagon. It was hard though. I just got up and ate some Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries. I did have to put a package of Splenda on the strawberries because the yogurt was so tart. Now I just ate a few dark chocolate chips. I am done. I was going to go exercise around 2pm. I am still wearing my workout clothes and tennis shoes. I couldn't get myself to actually drive there. Now it is 8:30 p.m. and it is too late. I will go tomorrow. It is easier for me to exercise Monday through Friday and not on the weekends. Next weekend I will exercise one of the days.<br /><br />Sandi's recipe for Lobster Rolls is in the comment section for yesterday's post. They sound so delicious and fresh. I have never cooked lobster either. I want to try making those for dinner this week. I think Dominick would really enjoy them.<br /><br />This weekend I had oatmeal for breakfast. Not regular oatmeal, but protein oatmeal. 1/4 cup dry oats has only 13 carbs. I put my oats in an extra large mug and cover them with approx. 2 inches water. Then, I put it in the microwave for two minutes. You can make it on the stove if you like. I just don't want to wash the pan. When you take it out of the microwave if should look cooked and kind of creamy. Then I stir in a little peanut butter. In a separate cup, I mix one large scoop protein powder with approx. 1/2 cup water. Then I add the "shake" to the oatmeal. It is delicious, filling, and satisfying. I like it just like that, but you could also add a small handful of fresh blueberries. It is even better!Donnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16215657741662887126noreply@blogger.com0