CS Lewis Quote I found

I was just preparing my lesson to teach to my beehives for tomorrow on Service, and I found this AMAZING quote by C.S.Lewis. It really shed new light on the fall for me and made so much sense but I had never thought about before. So I just wanted to share it with people.


C. S. Lewis explained this teaching of the Savior: “The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. … What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come … the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”8

Don't Cry For Me Sweet Tomatoes

My last day at Sweet Tomatoes is tomorrow!!!! YEAH my 6 year career as a waitress is ending!!!! So happy, I cannot even tell you. I begin my student teaching on the 17th of August at Bennion, and I am so stoked. Going to, and paying for school has been hard, but so worth it to know that hopefully I will never have to work in food again!

Also, I found another new book that I could literally not put down. It was referred to me by my cousin Brooke, and it was freaking amazing. It is called "Hunger Games". It is a post apocalyptic story about a boy and a girl who have to compete in gladiator type games set up by the government. It was awesome and the sequel comes out in September.

Anyways, just haven't been on here in a while so I thought I would give an update on life. Not much going on though. Girls camp is next week at a water contaminated, tick infested camp site, so that should be REALLY fun. But the week after it is San Diego in a Marriot Hotel room with Josh. :)


Chelsea and I are interested in starting a book club. If you are interested in joining please let me know.

HCG update: I have been off the diet for a month and am still at my goal weight! It works man, and I am even eating normal food:)

Want to read a book with me?

Well we just got back yesterday from a trip which I will write about later, but I have been reading a really interesting book called the "Time Traveler's Wife". It is actually coming out as a movie this August. I will be in Cali again when it comes out on the 14th of August, but if anyone else wants to read it too and go see the movie with me sometime near the end of August, I would love it. And we could even get together and talk about the book before we see the movie too. The book is so good! But I will warn, there is some language, and married sex talk, but It has made me so thankful for every moment I get with Josh. And I am so excited for our life that we get to spend together. Here is the link for the trailer on IMDB.com.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2784428569/

So as I was looking up some recipes today I found one that contained coconut flour??? I had no idea that there was such a thing and so I read into it. I found a good site that some of my fellow HCG people may find interesting too since we cannot have carbs.

http://www.mercola.com/products/coconut_flour.htm

We also found a recipe for Black Bean brownies that is AMAZING so I will put that on here along with the crepe recipe.

Here are some recipes that I am gonna try and if you are coming to Cami's shower we will have carb free sugar free crepes available. :)

Oven Baked Cheese Chips (no carbs)
These are an oven-baked version of the Italian frico. It's just basically thin rounds of baked cheese. One of the cool things about it is that they are moldable when still warm. If you drape them over an upturned glass, they will form a cup that you can fill with anything you like. It makes a really nice presentation for a party.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup grated hard cheese (such as Parmesean) - NOT the dried powdery stuff
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Note on type of cheese: You can use any kind, really, but the results will be different. Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, Romano, Asagio, etc, will make a crisp "shell," whereas cheddar will be more chewy and "lacey" (the fat separates out), though still firm. Softer cheeses such as mozzerella will not work well.

Toss cheese with any seasonings you'd like -- garlic powder (about half a teaspoon for a cup of cheese), hot pepper powder, even cinnamon. Or leave plain.

Pile 1 to 4 Tablespoons of cheese (depending on the size you want) on a baking sheet covered with a silicone mat or parchment paper oiled on both sides. Flatten the tops so they are in more or less an even pile. There should be at least two inches between smaller mounds, 4 inches between larger ones.

Bake 5 to 6 minutes until they are a light golden brown (they will be a little darker at the edges). It happens fast, so watch carefully.

If you want to mold them into a shape, you want to "drape" them while still warm. You can make cups over an upturned glass, or "taco shell" shapes by draping over any cylindrical object that is at hand (rolling pin, side of glass)

Serving Suggestions: Fill with fruit, dip, salad. Spread flat ones with sugar-free jam (I'm not kidding), or any spread you want, or eat plain.

Make sugar-free lime Jello with part coconut milk -- For a large package, dissolve the powder in a cup of boiling water, add a can of coconut milk, and then add the rest of the water. Stir well.
Mushrooms with cheese spread inside (or other spreads or dips)
Spinach Dip
Store-bought spinach dip often has sugar or other additives. You can whip up this easy spinach dip recipe yourself, and it tastes better too. You don't have to use a food processor, but it does break the spinach down more for a smoother dip. If you want to further reduce the carbs, you can replace up to half of the sour cream with regular mayonnaise. Any "fat level" of sour cream can be used (but watch for added sugar).
Ingredients:
• 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2 cup of sour cream (see note above)
• Seasoning:
• Either 4 teaspoons of a salad seasoning such as Penzey's Buttermilk Ranch (see below)
• OR
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon some kind of powdered herb, such as Greek seasoning
Preparation:
If you're using a food processor, pulse the spinach alone a few times. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend well. If not using a food processor, stir to combine the ingredients in a bowl.

Sugar Free Chocolate Coconut Cookies
I was going for kind of an Almond Joy flavor with these. You can put almonds or macadamia nuts on the top, but I found out I actually like the macadamias a little better. Macadamia Joy?
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
• 5 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup cream
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ~1 cup sugar equivalent in sugar substitute (I like erythritol and Splenda, but can use any)
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup coconut flour (I used Aloha Nu brand in analysis)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut
• 36 almond or macadamia nut halves
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
1) Melt butter in bowl or 1 quart measuring cup -- you can make the whole recipe in the same container that way.
2) Whisk in cocoa powder until blended. Whisk in cream, salt, vanilla, and sweetener.
3)Taste. This is the point where you want to get the right amount of sweetener for your taste. I tried this recipe with two different cocoa powders -- Hershey and Ghirardelli. I found that I needed more sweetener for the darker Ghirardelli. Also I liked a combination of liquid Splenda and erythritol, but the Splenda alone worked well, too.
4) Whisk the eggs in and beat until they are well-blended. Add coconut flour and blend well, and finish with the dried coconut. Combine well, and let sit for 5 minutes. The coconut will absorb most of the liquid.
5) Prepare cookie sheets, either by greasing well, covering with parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat.
6) Drop batter by rounded teaspoons (batter will be about 1½ inches across). Put half an almond or macadamia nut on the top of each, and push slightly to "anchor."
7) Bake for about 12 minutes, until cookies are set and just beginning to brown on bottom.
8) Let cool on pan for about 10 minutes. Remove. When fully cool, store in airtight container.
Makes three dozen cookies.

Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake Ingredients:
½ cup Fresh Shores coconut oil
¼ cup Dagoba cocoa powder
¼ cup coconut milk
9 eggs
1 ½ cups Steviva Blend
¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sifted coconut flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
• Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat or place jar in pan of warm water. (note coconut oil easily melts and will congeal as it cools)
• Add Dagoba cocoa powder and coconut milk and mix together. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla.
• Stir in cocoa mixture.
• Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps.
• Pour batter into greased 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.
• Cool and cover with frosting, (optional) of your choice.

Bad idea

When I wrote the last blog I was like,

"oooo those veggie chips are still downstairs..... a few won't hurt. yum chomp, chomp chomp.

So I am almost to my "girl time" and just while I have been sitting here I polished off that bag of veggie chips. They are good, but that was a bad idea. Be careful.

:)

Portobello Mini Pizzas (no bread)

So I have been craving pizza and decided to try something that I saw on Rachel Ray a long time ago. They were really good, filling, quick, and low fat.

2 portobello mushroom caps with stems cut off (Harmons had these for 2 for $3)

marinara sauce (sugar free for HCG)

canadian bacon slices (can be found by the pepperoni at any grocery store)

thin slices of tomato

1 mozerella string cheese

Line a shallow cookie sheet with tin foil and preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse the porobellos and dry with a paper towel or napkin. Place the caps on the cookie sheet and spoon marinara sauce onto the top. Place tomato slices and canadian bacon on the tops. Peel the string cheese into thin strips and place over other toppings.

Heat in oven until cheese is melted.

These are delicious!!!! I haven't tried making them upside down, where you would fill the mushroom bottom but I bet it might be good too. You could also try using different toppings these were just my favorite.

Other findings: I found some vegitable chips at Target that are so good! I have missed that crunch sensation from crackers and chips and that worked well.

If any one knows where to get cocoanut oil for really cheap, please let me know.

Thanks, Alies

Fitness Test

Well today was sort of a downer. Since I am now on phase 2 of the HCG diet I decided that I am going to start working out more to tone up and manage my weight until I go on another round of the HCG diet in July.

PS. I went from 211 down to 174 from April 3 to May 23. That is 37 lbs in less than 2 months!!!!

So I joined Lifetime Fitness in Riverton and went in for my fitness test today. It was pretty discouraging. Even with losing almost 40 lbs I am still considered obese and am "not fit" according to every standard. GRRR. I mean at least I am eating so much better, but I have a long road ahead of me until I am considered "healthy".

I feel like I was a food aholic and now I am paying the toll of 24 years of binge drinking or something. Anytime I am around food I look at it like it is heroin or something that if I even take one bite of that, I might go back to where I started. They really need to have like a food-aholics meeting group or something for those of us who are changing our ways.

I just wish that the food market would come out and tell us exactly how unhealthy the food that they are promoting is. I mean even Sweet Tomatoes or Subway is like TERRIBLE unless you are only eating the vegitables, fruit, and whole wheat bread. And I was eathing out all the time, chips, soda, snacks, pastries, pasta. CRAP. And not exercising like at all. So now I am paying my dues I guess.

You eat crap, you will feel and look like crap. Unless you are Josh..... That boy could eat a crap 24/7 and look like a Rock Star.

Anyways so new goals aside from eating better:
1. Go to the gym Mon-Fri for at least 45min.
2. Stretch/ yoga every morning and every night.
3. Lift weights twice a week.

I have been reading a new book about doing hard things called
DO HARD THINGS

And it is really great. I can DO this if I make it a priority in my life.
So I will keep this updated and let you all know how it is going.
:) Alies

Other recipes and life

So the diet is going great. I didn't loose that much weight last week, but after another apple day I have lost 3 more pounds. So the total so far is 33. Yeah!!!! So that is way cool. I feel a lot cuter, and Josh couldn't be happier... :)

I even went shopping for some teacher clothes cuz target had five 75% off racks today. And I got 2 really cute shirts for under $10. And they were medium and small, not EXTRA LARGE. So that felt really nice too.

Chlesea asked me the other day "Wouldn't it suck if this were all a dream, and we woke up tomorrow and were all chubby again?" It just is so fast! I have lost 33 pounds in a little over a month!!!!! It almost does seem like a dream. And I never want to be that big again. It is scary to even imagine gaining all of it back. I am even reading a diet book I got at the DI a while back called, "I'll Never Be Fat Again" by Carole Livingston-Stuart. It has some great ideas in it and reccomend it to anyone who is doing a major diet, especially the HCG. She gives a life change approach to keeping the weight off and tells it how it is... HARD.

One quote that I really liked from the book was, "Knowing you are thin is like knowing you have had an orgasm. You either know you did or you didn't. If you hope or think that you did, you didn't. When you are thin you know you are thin." HA HA! Oh man, I about fell out of my bed I was laughing so hard. Sorry if that was a big graphic for some readers. :)

Well here are a few more recipes.....

Bunless Burger

3 0z of extra lean ground beef

1/2 red onion

iceberg/ bib lettuce

1 Tomato

Grill the hamburger as a patty, and serve with the vegetables.
Here are some types hamburgers you can create:

Phase 2 options

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Sprinkle of Worstichire sauce

Minced onion

blue cheese crumbles

Salt and Pepper

Mix the meat with the onion, sauce and salt and pepper. Then stuff the blue cheese crumbles inside of the patty when you are molding the meat into patties. (This sounds so freakin' amazing, I can't wait to be on phase 2)

Another idea Carmalize yellow onion cut into rings in your frying pan and top them on your burger.

So it isn't letting me copy paste on here and I am tired, but if you look at Rachel Ray's site in Recipes under burgers she has a lot of great ideas for spices, and other ingreadients that you can add to your burger to make it aweome. http://http//www.rachaelray.com/food_results.php?kID=38

One great idea I saw was to make a spinich artichoke burger with spinich in the patty topped with artichoke hearts and a slice of melted provalone???? Can you say yum? oha man

Well then there is the idea that came from work. I was watching a girl make the Bruscetta pasta and decided that I am going to try to make my own bruscetta tomorrow and put it on the melba toast crusted yogurt chicken that I put on here a while back. If it is good I will post that recipe.

But today I tried making some battered baked Zucchini with the same melba toast/ yogurt idea and it was really good. So here you go

Battered Baked Zuchini

1 small Zucchini

2 Tablespoons of plain fat free yogurt

1 Melba Toast ( you can find these at Harmons, or Smiths, Albertsons too.)

Salt and Pepper

Slice the zucchini into lengthwise strips or coins and coat in yogurt. Place on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Melba toast crumbs and Salt and pepper. Bake at 375 F until the zuchini is tender.

I used to go to Astro burger all the time and get the deep fried battered zucchini. So this was a nice way to satisfy that craving.

I will be posting the phase 2 cocoanut oil ideas I found probablly tomorrow or sunday.

Question: has anyone tried making a cake or brownies out of black beans? I am thinking of trying it? Any ideas or recipes would be great. Thanks

Alies

Mock mayo waldorf, and strawberry shake

Allright so I have been reading up on a few things and really experimenting to try and make some of the things I miss. It hasn't worked out as well as I hoped on some recipes but on others I canot believe how good things can taste without any fat, oil, or sugar.

So here are a few attempts from the past few days....

I went to a wedding shower a few weeks ago and they had that waldorf chicken salad in croissants and I about died watching people go back for 2-3 sandwhiches while I sat there eating my cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and raw califlower with no dip. Then they only had a sugary punch to drink and no filtered water. grrrr... anyways, so I decided to try something a little bit different to make a waldorf salad.

I was talking to Mellie and she said that a girl she knows substitutes ground up califlower as mayo on her husband's sandwiches so that he eats some vegitables without realizing it.

So I decided to try to make some mock mayo out of califlower.







Waldorf Salad
1 long stem of celelry
1 granny smith apple
Iceberg lettcue (as a mock croissant)
3 oz chicken

Mock mayo
About a handful of califlower, steamed
garlic salt
paprika
lemon juice
apple cider vinegar
spash of milk
salt
pepper
chopped up fresh chives about 1 tsp
chopped up green onions about 2 tsp

So first I put the chicken in to bake on 375 F for about 30 minutes. I but it in a baking dish that was covered with waxpaper so that the chicken won't stick.

Cut up your califlower and steam it or boil it until it is tender.

Chop up the chives, and green onions.

In a bullet or a blender (my mom just got a Bullet for mother's Day and I love that thing, you can blend ANYTHING.) combine the mayo ingredients and add the seasonings to taste.

This didn't taste perfect and I think that I am definately going to work on it a bit for flavor, but it worked pretty well. My mom ate it up in minutes so I am guessing it was good, and she said it was good.????

Place the dressing in the fridge to cool. (it will look a litttle bit green because of the chives)

When the chicken is done separate it into pieces with a fork and place it in the freezer on a plate to cool. Chop up the apple and the clelery and place in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and dressing to coat. Roll into the lettuce if you want a kind of sandwhich, or just eat it out of the bowl.


This recipe needs some work, but if you try it and find a different spice or mix it differently let me know. You can also add some stevia to the dressing to make it sweeter if you want.

In my next phase I want nuts in this and some grapes.

The ground up califlower with milk would really make a great base for other dressings because it is really creamy. When I am in my next phase and I can have cheese I am going to try some blue cheese crumbles in this for sure. Maybe even add a ranch packet to it if I can and make some ranch dressing.

Also in researching for the next phase I found another mock mayo recipe that I am going to try with cocoanut oil. ??? I will let you know how that goes.

Fat free strawberry shake:

This was soooo good.

I was craving ice cream really bad, and so I whipped this up for fun.

Handful of frozen strawberries, lime juice, crushed ice, stevia, spash of skim milk.

I didn't really measure the ingredients just added them to taste, and it tasted awesome. I put this in that bullet of my mom's and it worked great. But I believe that a blender would be just fine.

New FATFREE /HCG precipes

So now that I have been out of school for a week I have had some time to whip up some new things in the kitchen. It seriously is one of my favorite things to do. And I love making things that I really liked before the diet all dieted and fat freed out:)

So here are a few that I have made.

Chile Rellenos/ Stuffed red Peppers

One Red Bell Pepper

3 oz. of Extra Lean Ground Beef

1/2 of a yellow onion sliced into cubes

1/2 tsp of minced garlic

1 tsp of tomato paste

1 TB of beef stock

Salt and Pepper

sprinkle of cumin

sprinkle of smoked paprika

sprinkle of ground cinnamon

Turn on your oven broiler on high.

Cut the bell pepper in half lenthwise and remove seeds.

Place the pepper halves on a baking sheet and place in the oven under the broiler flipping them so that both sides get charred and black spotted. (most Recipes have them all the way black, but I liked it not very black, just kinda charred.)

Brown your beef on medium high. once browned add the onion, garlic, and other seasonings.

When the pan starts to get sticky add the beef sock and let simmer on medium until the stock is evaporated and cooked in to the beef mix.

Remove pepper from oven and fill with the beef mixture. Serve hot!

This is sooooo good and if you like it a little less spicy, you can add more cinnamon to make it a little bit sweet. Super yummy if you are craving some mexican.

And you can bet y our bottom that when I am in phase 2 that cheese is gonna be on this too. :)

String Bean Chicken

3 oz of chicken

1/2 of a yellow onion sliced into cubes

1 TB of chicken stock

1/2 tsp of minced garlic

handful of fresh green beans snapped in halfs

Fill a small frying pan bottom with about 1/2 in of water and bring to a rolling boil.

Place your beans in the pan and add salt boil these until they are still crisp but really green.

In another frying pan brown your chicken with the chicken stock and add the garlic and onion.

When the pan starts to get brown, drain and add your beans.

Brown this for about another minute. Serve with salt.

I took this idea from when I worked at Panda Express. You are supposed to cook it in a diffferent sauce, but this tasted pretty similar. Just don't over cook the beans or else it looks like this...

Well that is all I have time for now. But I will post some more soon. :)

So happy and excited to let you know that I am going to be Student Teaching this fall at Bennion Elementary!!!! It is in Taylorsville, so I am glad that I won't have to Drive too far. I will find out and meet my teacher I will be working with on the 21st of May. So, yeah. Can a person be this excited? I feel so elated. Anyways...

Diet news. I have lost 30 lbs now and the diet is still going great.

So I haven't lost a pound in 2 days so I am doing an apple day. This is when I eat only 6 apples throughout the day to get off of the plateau I am on. So I will let you all know how it goes.
I bought galas, granny smiths, and golden delicious. mmmm yummy. No new recipes of note, I have been focused on finals, and studying. But you can count on it that next week I will be in the kitchen mixing up some great stuff.

Ok I really need to get working. I have been playing on here forever.
PS. Emily I have you on my page now :)

HCG diet day 20

So I am down 25 lbs since the 7th of April. It is the 27th, so 25 lbs in 20 days. HECK YES! Things are going great, I didn't lose any lbs the past 2 days I think cuz I ate yogurt with my fruit, so I am trying not eating that to see if I need an apple day. But I fit into some pants yesterday that haven't fit me since forever, it was great.


Funny Story: one girl looked at me in math and said, "Your face is really thinning out. You are actually really pretty."????? that was a little wierd.





I only really miss BREAD! I can eat a few crackers every day, but I miss my mom's rolls and grandma sycamore's bread. MMMMM, at work it just kills me to see all of these people eating bread and muffins drenched in butter. mmm. Anyways, it is cool. I can do without bread to loose weight like this.



Bubbles... I can't find you, let me know where you are so that I can add you to my blog. :)

If anyone has questions about the HCG diet, just let me know.

Awesome Fat Free delicious recipes

So I really hate eating the same thing all the time on the diet so I have to come up with some recipes to switch things up a bit. So here are a few that I have come up with that are completely fat free and taste awesome. They are all HCG diet approved.

Chelsea's Chocolate Mint tea
(Mock Mint Hot chocolate)

Bengal spice tea bag
Peppermint tea bag
Hot water
Vanilla Liquid stevia

Place both tea bags into hot water. Steep and add stevia to taste. You can also use these tea bags again to make a second cup because you will want one for sure.This tastes like Mint hot chocolate. Great for when you are on your period and craving.


Lemon yogurt

Fat Free Plain yogurt
Lemon juice
Stevia

Scoop some fat free plain yogurt into a bowl and mix it up so that it is creamy.
Add lemon juice and mix it in. If you do not stir the yogurt before you add the lemon juice it will curdle, so do it.
Add stevia to taste.
I think this would be good on strawberries, and I want to try it with lime juice or orange juice to make lime or orange yogurt. :)

I am also working on a salad dressing from this same idea so if you have some tips on some herbs or spices that might be good, let me know.


Lemon Yogurt Chicken Bake

Fat Free Plain Yogurt
Chicken (3 1/2) oz
Lemon juice
Melba Toast

Preheat oven to 350'. Spoon about two spoonfuls of plain yogurt into a bowl and stir it until creamy.
Add lemon juice mix together. In a separate bowl break up your melba toast into crumbs.
Defrost chicken and rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
Line an oven safe baking dish with some wax paper so that your chicken will not stick while baking.
Coat chicken in lemon yogurt mix and then roll in the melba toast crumbs.
Place chicken on wax paper and sprinkle some salt and pepper over the chicken.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is white when cut into.

This chicken is THE BOMB!!! While eating it I felt like I was on cloud 9. So delicious....mmmm Did not taste like Fat free :)


Lime Cilantro Shrimp

Lime Juice
Green onion
cilantro flakes or fresh
about 10-12 pre-cooked shrimp

In a small frying pan heat up about a teaspoon of lime juice.
Cut up about an inch and 1/2 of a green onion and add to heated lime juice.
When onions are soft, add shrimp. Season with cilantro while still cooking.
If you want juicy shrimp don't cook for long in juices.
If you like your shrimp dry drain juices and let the shrimp fry a bit in the pan.

Mom loves this. She has me make it like 3 times a week.

Mock fajitas

3 oz Chicken
Lime juice
Green onion
Cilantro flakes or fresh
one red bell pepper
Crisp lettuce

In a small frying pan heat up about 1 1/2 tsp of lime juice.
Cut up about an inch and 1/2 of a green onion and add to heated lime juice.
Defrost chicken and cut up into strips.
When onions are soft add chicken and season with cilantro.
When the chicken begins to brown remove from pan.
Cut up bell pepper into lengthwise strips and grill in uncleaned chicken pan.
When the pepper starts really smelling great and looking good and juicy, add the chicken until the chicken and peppers brown up a bit.
Wrap the chicken and peppers in crispy lettuce and enjoy. It is even good without the lettuce with diced tomatoes too. :)

Shrimp Paprika

Paprika
10-12 pre-cooked Shrimp
Water
Garlic salt

Boil up a little bit of water in a small frying pan. Add shrimp until heated. Once hot drain most of the water from the pan.
Return pan to stove and season shrimp with paprika and garlic salt. Fry them until they are dry and shrink a bit. Enjoy.

Baked Apple

Green apple
cinnamon
stevia

Heat oven to about 450' Slice up a green apple into about 1/2 inch wide pieces. Pour some ground cinnamon onto a plate.
Coat apples slices in cinnamon, and place in a non stick baking dish on some tin foil for easier clean up.
Bake about 10 minutes or until they are a little bit tender. Sprinkle on a little bit of stevia to taste and enjoy.

Lemon Lime Crush

6 lemons
6 limes
1 large stick lemon grass
4 lime leaves , optional
stevia

Zest 2 of the lemons and 2 of the limes. Juice all the fruits and keep the empty shells to serve the granita. Tip the juice, zest, lemongrass, lime leaf (if using), and sugar into a bowl. Pour over 500ml boiling water. Stir everything together until the stevia has dissolved, then leave to cool and infuse. Strain the lemon syrup into a tray and freeze as stated. Place the lemon and lime halves in the freezer and fill with granita to serve.




A few Eating out Tips

Applebees has a really good grilled chicken breast without any oil, just ask. And order the broccoli and steamed mixed vegetables because there is zucchini in the mixed veggies you can eat.

Chelsea and I went to Village Baker on redwood and 90th south and had an awesome salad for $7. Ask for the chef's salad with iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, and roast beef. This was delicious even with out dressing because the iceberg and tomatoes make it not so dry. I actually got full. But they do put 4 oz of meat on it so don't eat the whole thing. But get the whole salad not the half.

Most drive through coffee places will serve you a cup of hot water for about 50 cents, so keep some tea on you and if you are feeling hungry, have a fresh cup of hot tea on the go.

Kneaders has an awesome TAZO tea called passion that is really good with only a small tap of stevia.



Love you guys. Keep at it and I hope that these make the diet a little bit easier.
- Leese

PS. As of today I have lost 20 lbs!!!! 20 lbs in 13 days. This is just awesome and I feel great.

Lost 15 Ibs week 1

So this whole diet isn't so bad. After the three eat all you can days I weighed 211 lbs!!! I am now down to 196 today, one week later. :)

Therefore: This is really working. It is a little weird giving myself a shot, but not at all as bad as I imagined. Yesterday I wore a skirt to church that I haven't fit into since July of last year. So that was awesome. Pants are fitting better, I feel better, and my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is like it doesn't even exist. You see the results fast and so do other people. So that is motivating. I really like it. I am not hungry, I really don't have an appetite, and it is going great.

Down sides:
-You are drinking A LOT of water and so you have to pee a lot. Like at least 8-10 times a day.
-Eating around people who are eating really good food is hard. Easter was killer in that area. I wanted some chocolate cake so bad. Josh was eating Icecream yesterday and it was so hard to see it, smell it, and stuff, uhh.
-It takes discipline to eat like this. But at I hope that I am forming habits that I can keep throughout my life. :)

I will keep you updated.

News

Well so I am starting a new diet this week. It is that whole HCG thing where you take shots of a hormone from pregnant women's pee? Anyways, I have seen the results in others and have researched it a lot, so I decided to give it a shot. (he he, oh man am I funny.) I will keep this blog updated on the status of how it goes and if it works for me. My mom lost about 40 lbs on it in 40 days. So maybe I will do the same. I just want to feel healthy again, and with school and not having much time to exercise, this seemed like a good option to get on track.

Other news...

I got in to the Elementary Ed. Program at the U and will begin my student teaching this fall. I find out where on april 24th. I hope it will be in Jordan District but ??? School is going great, and I really am loving all of my classes this semester.

Josh got an X Box and he is just in heaven. He is still looking for a job with his degree, but I am just glad he has a job at all with how the economy is.

General Conference was RAD this year. Favorite talks had to be Oaks, Hales, and Holland for sure. I am so glad that I have the gospel in my life. I love where I am and what I am doing, and I owe all that I have to the decisions I have made that were influenced by my beliefs.

My mom showed this to me and I thought I would put it on here for others to read:

Benjamin Franklin had this to say about choice:
“We stand at the crossroads, each minute, each hour, each day, making choices. We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we’ve selected to govern our lives. In selecting that value system, we are, in a very real way, making the most important choice we will ever make.
Those who believe there is one God who made all things and who governs the world by his Providence will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who hold in reverence that being who gave them life and worship Him through adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe that mankind are all of a family and that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe in a future state in which all that is wrong here will be made right will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who subscribe to the morals of Jesus will make many choices different from those who do not.”
Franklin concludes:
“Since the foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly, and since correct action is dependent on correct opinion, we cannot be too careful in choosing the value system we allow to govern our thoughts and actions.
“And to know that God governs in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, is indeed, a powerful regulator of human conduct.”

I am grateful for the value system that I have chosen for my life.

Love you mom,

Leasie

Get of your Ath let's do some math

Yeah I loved these. Just thought I would share.

Glad I am gonna be a teacher

Perhaps most significant of all classrooms is the classroom of the home. It is in the home that we form our attitudes, our deeply held beliefs. It is in the home that hope is fostered or destroyed. Our homes are the laboratories of our lives. What we do there determines the course of our lives when we leave home.
Ensign, Nov. 1991,

V-Day for ur guy idea

So Valentines is awesome when you have some good ideas. Guys don't normally want flowers but I got an idea the other day to make him a bouquet out of chocolate covered strawberries. Here is waht you do.

Go to local grocery store and buy a package of strawberries, BBQ scewers, tooth picks,and styraphome cups, bakers dipping chocolate (this come in a little plastic bowl that you just put in the Microwave, look at pic to the left.) A red vase or something to put them in (I bought a cheap plastic cup) and those clear pebbles that you can put inside of a vase to keep the flowers in place.

Rinse the strawberries and then pat dry with a paper towel so that the chocolate will stick. If they are wet the chocolate won't stick to the strawberry. Melt the chocolate according to directions on box. Stick a toothpick into the green bottom of the strawberry so that you have something to hold while you dip them. Let excess chocolate drip off and then turn over and place the toothpick into the styraphome cup so that the chocolate can dry all pretty with out having to set it down on wax paper or something. But if you are just dipping the strawberries for the heck of it, wax paper is best.

Stick the styraphome cups or you could also se a styraphome to go box etc.. in the fridge for the chocolate to harden.

Place the pebbles in your vase. and cut BBQ scewers into different lengths so that there is some height variety to your "flowers".

Once chocolate is hardened, remove toothpicks and place the BBQ scewers into the green end of the strawberries, then arrange then in the vase, and wala. A strawberry bouquet. :)

Also, cool idea I got from a friend. most guys at one time or another have dreamed of flying a plane. And you can buy these Discovery Flights from Airport #2 out in West Jordan where your man will get to actually fly a plany for like a half hour! It is a little bit pricey like about $120 but I think the experinece would be worth it. (Josh LOVED it!) If you want more info give me a call or just type in Discovery flights on google and look in utah.

7 Random things about Alies

I was tagged to tell 7 random things about myself by chelsea. So here you go chelz...

1. Cheese is the most amazing thing. I love it, all kinds. Gouda, mizithra, swiss, cheddar, sharp cheddar, smoked, mozerella, parmigiano reggiano, asiago, blue cheese, Koleby jack, cream cheese, fondue, cheese sauces, cheese spreads, easy cheese, CHEESE. But what is so depressing about cheese, is that it makes me so so so so sick when I eat it. but I don't care, I can eat cheese all day, and be sick as a dog, but still will ask for more.

2. I love the internet, but I hate remebering all of my usernames and passwords!!! There is my Umail for school, yahoo, myspace, blogger, gmail, class webpages, teacher sites, ETC ETC ETC. And I really just can't remember all of that stuff. You know how there is a universal control for all of your television/vcr/surroundsound/dvd needs? There needs to be a universal username and password created for me.

3. I love to read in the bathroom. I have a stack of various books in my bathroom ALL the time. I read pretty much evertime I am using my bathroom, even if it is the directions on my toothpaste, but books are prefferrable. And I love to read in the tub. A nice hot bubble bath and a good book is like the best thing ever. I can stay in there for hours.



4. I have an obession with grooming myself. I love to shave my legs, pluck my eyebrows (Almost to the point of not having any), clip my toenails and finger nails, using a special file for my feet calusses( I don't think I spelled that right), using lotion, chapstick, popping zits, brushing my teeth, even flossing. I can't help it, but I love to do it.

5. I love to get lost. I used to not have a cell phone,and no way of anyone knowing where I was or what I was doing andI loved that feeling. I used to go to book stores for hours and read or take myself out to dinner and thrift shopping and I would revel in the fact that I was completely alone and no one could find me? I still will do this sometimes. I will leave my phone at home and just take off for a few hours. Josh gets really mad when I do this though, and I have like 8 missed calls from family when I get back to my phone ????

6. When I read books, I feel like I am making new friends with certain characters. It is sometimes so hard for me to finish a book or a series because I feel like I am losing a good friend and we have been through so much together!!! Anyways, I still haven't finished the last chapters of some books because I didn't want it to end.

7. I really hate confrontation and competition. I am so passive it is just sad. And I hate to play cards, or board games, or anything competitive. I want everyone to win, and I hate being mean or deliberately screwing people over like you have to do in so many games. For example, when playing phase 10, I will skip myself after I have laid down so that other people will have the chance to get into their next phase. Or in Monoploly, I will lend people money, and let people owe me money, or pretend that I didn't see them land on my Green property where I have a hotel. I just don't like it. And it drives Josh crazy too.

Ok there you go, I tag Bree, Scooby, Becky, Katie, mel, and who ever else wants to do it.

Ginger Bread Houses Dec. 08'

So these are the ginger bread houses that me and Chels and my mom did during December. We decided to gowith a beach theme this year. It is a Christmas Tradition of ours to make a monstrous ginger bread house but we each made our own and put them together this year. The Light house is made around a lamp and that was how we got the light inside. We had a blast, and can't wait to start on the one for this year. Just thought I would share some of those pics with you guys. BTW the sand is brown sugar, and instead of making mine only out of candy I tried to do a cracker theme and dried bananas. The Charcoal in the fire pit is crushed up oreos and the stoops around it are reeses. The palm tree is made of cocoanut coated marshmallows and the leaves are an apple fruit roll up. Anyways, it is way fun.

Updates

So school is already stressful and a bore. But I am looking forward to a few of my classes. So that is nice. Not much going on though, I just feel like I haven't put anything on here in a while. So here are a few updates.

Josh: He finished his bachelors in Decmeber. YAY! So he is applying for jobs all over the country. We are praying to stay here, but we will go wherever the lord wants us, so we will see where we will end up. He is enjoying just hanging out and only working instead of school and work.

Alies: I took the praxis this past week and I am applying for the Elementary Ed program at the U for this fall. I want to be student teaching this fall, but with the whole not knowing where I am going to be has me up in the air about everything. But I am figuring to just keep doing things as I had planned incase we do stay here. Still waitressing and hating it, I can't wait to be a teacher.

Family: Mom and mike and andrea are moving home from Australia in March. So that should be fun. We are taking over the basement because we don't want to get stuck in a lease incase we are moving. We might keep the basement while I am student teaching and Josh is getting his masters this fall just so that we won't have to worry so much about money.

Koleby: that dog can't stay out of the freakin' garbage no matter what kind of negative reinforcement that I give him. If you have any ideas for punishment besides killing him Please let me know.

Life: Life is good. I want babies, and I can't wait for my mom to come home.