FitBit

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you have recently been bombarded with my FitBit love! It is such a small and simple thing but it has made a big impact in my life.

The road to FitBit started about four months ago. I had just started on my journey and was feverishly downloading calorie and step counting apps. I had used a few calorie counting apps prior but none of them stuck. I decided to give MFP a real try and wanted something to keep track of my daily steps in addition. I downloaded a few pedometer apps for my phone yet quickly realized that was not the way go! They would either drain my battery or be complete JUNK! Now my phone isn't brand new, but without the pedometer program running I have no problem with the battery lasting all day.

So, after many disappointments, I started looking into stand alone pedometers. You would not believe the number of pedometers out there. They all claim to be the best, which do I choose? By this time I was well engrossed in MFP and decided to read some of the message boards to gather some opinions. I was surprised to see an overwhelming number of FitBit users! Don't get me wrong there were WW pedometer users and Fuel Band users but the majority were faithful FitBit users. I took this info and started asking the health conscious friends and dfamily their opinion and found even more FitBit users.

Finally, after all my research I settled on a FitBit One. Three months of contemplating and gathering information had my heart set on a FitBit One and then my head got involved. Why would I spend that amount of money on a STEP COUNTER?!? It seemed frivolous. I really wanted one but I just couldn't justify the expense. Enter Brian in the guise of Santa! The best husband ever supplied the perfect Christmas gift this year!

After some initial problems - the original FitBit I got had some hardware issues so it had to be swapped out for a new one - I am a faithful FitBit user. I am sure that I am still in the novelty period, but I can't wait to check my One at strategic intervals throughout the day.

I use it as a guideline for daily activity. After we put Stinkles to bed I take a gander at my step count and miles traveled for the day, if they are below my goal I need to get my butt in gear! It is actually a great motivational tool. Seeing a low number makes me want to bring it up, and seeing a high number makes me want to beat a previous high! In hindsight, I am kicking myself for waiting as long as I did to get one.

The FitBit itself is small. It comes with a bluetooth dongle, a charging cable, a sleep wrist band, and a carrying clip. It can bluetooth sync with an iphone, ipad or any computer with the required bluetooth technology. It charges completely in about 2 hours and seems to last for about 1.5 - 2 weeks on one charge.

The software for the One keeps track of steps taken,

floors climbed, miles traveled, calories burnt, and your activity level (which is a really cool flower). The One can also track your sleep- I have done this a few times and it seems pretty accurate! FitBit can also sync in with MFP and update my calorie count based on my actual acitvity for each day.

I know it doesn't sound like much but it is great to me! I have decided that the amount of motivation I get from my One was definitely worth the price.

Do any of you have a pedometer or heart rate monitor? If so which ones and why did you choose that one?! I am always curious even though I am thrilled with my One.

Pizza Crescents

Brian's "Work from Home" lunch!

If you have perused all my recipes on here you have probably noticed a reoccurring theme:  pizza.  We like pizza in this house.  We are willing to try any incarnation if the title says "Pizza" and thus pizza crescents were born.

Today I was looking for something to make for lunch.  Brian was working from home and I figured a nice hot lunch is just what we could use.  Looking in the fridge made me drag my feet in making anything super involved.  I was originally thinking pizza muffins but they can be oily at times and I wasn't in the mood for all that pepperoni.  I then contemplated zucchini bites, but I wanted Brian to be happy about lunch so that was vetoed at well.  Finally I settled on something "new".  This is probably the easiest and least thought inducing menu item I have ever made.

Pizza Crescents

• 1 can Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
• 16 slices of Pepperoni
• 4 Light String Cheese Sticks
• Italian Seasoning
• Parmesan Cheese for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Unroll the crescent rolls and place 2 pepperoni slices and half a string cheese on each wedge. 
3. Roll the crescent rolls up like you normally would.  Be sure to pinch all the edges closed to keep the cheese from melting out.
4. Place the crescents on your baking dish.  Sprinkle them with italian seasoning and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
5. Bake until the crescents are golden brown.
6. Serve with pizza dipping sauce and veggies.  ENJOY!

Isn't that the simplest thing you have ever read?  They took NO TIME to make and were pretty yummy.  The only issue with these is that they aren't exactly calorie friendly if you have a BIG appetite.  I was content with eating 2 rolls and a bunch of cucumbers but if 2 rolls isn't going to do it for you then the calories count could add up!  Seeing there are eight crescent rolls in a pack, I decided that 2 rolls would be a serving size.  The pizza crescents come in at about 265 calories per serving (see what I mean about big appetites having a higher calorie count?!)  I can honestly say that my 2 rolls filled me up plenty though and they weren't oily or overly pepperoni flavored like the pizza muffins can be.

Day 143

Annoyed and slightly discouraged are the words for today.  It has been one day shy of two weeks since I last updated on my journey and I have lost all of 1.3 pounds in two weeks... not an accomplishment at all in my opinion.  I am super thrilled for everyone around me that is losing and making it all work, but this week has been nothing but frustration for me.  

I am regularly putting in 4-5 miles of walking/running a day and I have taken up with my yoga and wii fit again.  I think I am in a rut.  I am going to take my Doc's advice and give myself a free day.  Maybe I will have that popcorn I have been craving.  

The numbers as they are:  48.7 pounds down in 143 days.  That is about 0.34 pounds per day, 2.38 pounds per week, and 10.82 pounds per month.  I am not impressed with those numbers.  

That being said - I have to bring my mindset around to realize that I have lost 48 pounds in 4.5 months and that is good.  I need to remember that I am not looking for a quick fix but a lasting change and I am doing it properly.  Time to remind myself of all the positives instead of focusing on the negatives!  I have a lot more energy, I feel GREAT, I get to buy a new wardrobe, I can regularly jog a mile without passing out, I have brought my step count per day up to at least 10,000 in the hopes of leading a healthier lifestyle.  All these are great accomplishments!  Snap out of it Amy and keep plugging!

When I started this journey I decided to share all in the hopes that it would help others like me.  In keeping with that philosophy I have decided to share a tidbit that I normally NEVER would - my actual size.  At the beginning of this journey I was wearing a size 24 (not my proudest moment obviously).  I need to interject that I have NO hopes of being a size 2.  I am just not built that way - as a matter of fact I am pretty sure I would have to really harm myself to make it that small.  I am hoping for a 10/12 when all is said and done.  I have not been a size 10/12 since I was in junior high, and I am not 100% sure it is attainable but I am going to try.  In all my discouragement these past few days I have slowly become aware of something astonishing - I have dropped FOUR sizes.  While trying on clothes yesterday, I fit into a size 16 (snugly).  I didn't purchase the 16 - it was too snug for my liking and just cause I am dropping weight doesn't mean I will abandon wearing clothes a size or so too big.  The 18 fit - with a little breathing room to spare - but I was still astonished that I was not only able to fit into a 16 but pull them up and button them.  In keeping with this trend I grabbed some old dresses last week that I had left at my parents house.  They were from junior and senior year of high school - THEY FIT ME!  I also have to say that I fill them out a HECK of a lot nicer now then I ever did in high school - tip for teenaged Amy: curves are your friend stop fighting them!!  I could not get over the fact that I not only wear, but look respectable in my junior prom and senior supper dresses.  I guess I do still have a reason to be happy/proud.  

So why is it that I am dropping sizes yet my weight isn't going anywhere?  I think I need to reevaluate my relationship with my scale!

Pita Bread

Don't mind the Penguin Mug Collection in
the background!

I am starting to think that I need a section just for breads.... I will have to look into that!

Our new bread discover is homemade pita bread.  I should clarify that I like to roll mine super thin so they are more like baked naan than pita but boy are they yummy!  The reason that pita bread has that delicious pocket is that the heat at which it is baked, and the heat of the stone it is baked on, is so high that it turns the moisture in the dough to steam and causes air pockets.  Thus a pita pocket!  Now if you roll your dough to less than a quarter inch - yes it is very easy to do that - you get more of a bubbly naan like bread instead of a puffed pocket.  Both are super yummy and SUPER easy to make!

I am also going to throw out there that these can be made in a fry pan ON the stove as well!

Pita Bread

• 2 1/2 c Flour
• 2 t Salt
• 2 t Yeast
• 1 c Warm Water
• Oil for the bowl

1. Mix together your salt and flour in a large bowl.
2. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl and let sit for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Combine the yeast water and flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.  Add a little more flour is your dough is too sticky.
4. Lightly flour a work surface (the less flour you use the better) and knead the dough for at least 5 minutes but no more than 10.  The dough will lose it's stickiness and knead up well - it isn't that hard to knead either.
5. Oil the mix bowl and place the kneaded dough ball back in the oiled bowl and roll around to oil the dough.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free place to allow the dough to rise.
7. Once the dough has doubled in size (1-2 hours) punch it down and divide into 10 pieces.
8. Preheat your oven to 450 F and place your baking stone or baking sheet in the oven while it is preheating.
9. Roll out three of the dough pieces into circles about 1/4 inch thick.  Keep the remaining dough pieces under the plastic wrap while you are rolling out your circles.
10. Once the oven and stone are preheated place your three pita circles on the stone in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes.  They won't stick to the stone.  If they are thick enough they will puff up like a pita, even if yours do not puff they are still DELICIOUS!!  You can top the flat pitas with sauce and cheese to make a very yummy pizza!
11. While the first three are baking roll out another three pieces of dough into circles.  Once the first three are done baking, remove them from the stone and place them on cooling racks.  Immediately place the next three circles on the stone to bake for 3-5 minutes.  Continue this until all the dough is used.
12. Store the un-eaten pitas - if there are any - in an air tight container at room temp.  I can't really tell you how long they will last seeing there have never been any left after the second day in my house.
13. ENJOY

I cannot stress how WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS and east to make these pitas are.  I have found myself making batches just to make pita chips.  They really do make a wonderful personal pizza base and at 125 calories per pita you can afford to eat it as a pizza shell.  (That is 125 calories per pita if you divide your dough into 10 pieces.)

What are you favorite things to do with pita bread?  Mine is peanut butter but that isn't really a surprise - peanut butter goes with everything!

Gingerbread Bars

My new obsession!

Forget those gingerbread men, I am all about gingerbread bars!  They are moist, they full of flavor and they do NOT require rolling and cutting prior to baking - woo hoo.  Now I am a fan of molasses cookies (what some others might call ginger snap cookies - though I don't get why seeing there is more molasses than ginger but, I digress) and these bars have all the best parts of a molasses cookie!  They are super simple to make, the only draw back is they are just as simple to eat!  They aren't exactly the most calorie friendly food I have made - everything in moderation!  I prefer mine without frosting, but I am going to give you everything and let you decide!

Gingerbread Bars (or Molasses Bars as I am going to take to calling them)

• 1 c Sugar
• 3/4 c Butter or Margarine, melted
• 1/4 c Molasses
• 2 c Flour
• 1 Egg
• 2 t Baking Soda
• 1 t Cinnamon
• 1/2 t Ginger, ground
• 1/2 t Cloves, ground
• dash of Salt
• 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 T Butter or Margarine, softened
• 2 c Confectioner's Sugar
• 1/2 t Vanilla
• 1-2 T Milk

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Grease a 9x9, 11x7, or 9-inch pie plate and set aside.  You can also make these in a jelly roll pan, just be sure to grease whatever pan you choose.
2. Combine the melted butter, molasses, and sugar.  
3. Add in the egg and mix well.
4. Finally add in the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and dash of salt.  
5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.  **It seems that every time I make these bars it takes a different amount of time to cook.  You want to cook the bars until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  The bars climb the sides of your pan and the sides will be done before the middle.  Also do NOT be alarmed if they "sink" if you are not using a jelly roll pan.  They still taste wonderful!!
6. Set the bars aside to cool slightly.  Once cool to the touch place in the refrigerator.
7. To make the frosting combine the cream cheese, 2 T of butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and milk.  Mix well until fluffy.  Spread over the bars and return the bars to the fridge.  
8. Allow the bars to cool completely in the refrigerator before cutting.  They also need to be stored in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting.
9. Enjoy!

I have to say that they so sink.  I bake them in my 10 inch stoneware pie dish.  The middle is never gooey and oozing, but they do sink down when you remove them from the fridge.  No worries, you can frost the middle and serve like a pie!

Like I said earlier I prefer mine without the cream cheese frosting, just a light sprinkle of confectioner's sugar and I am all set.  They are super addicting!!  When I cut them into bars I can get about 24 bars out one recipe.  With frosting that gives you a calorie count of 165 per bar.  I warned you they weren't the most calorie friendly things in the world!  If you omit the frosting you are looking at about 110 calories per bar.  Make them to share with some friends so you aren't stuck eating them all and you will be good!

Sugar Scrubs and Whipped Body Butter

Fall and Winter are my two favorite seasons, yet I always seem to turn into a scaly itchy mess due to dry skin.  Between the cold, our forced hot air heat, holiday dish washing and my lack of swimming my skin seems to revolt by the time Christmas rolls around.

--Ok so I added the lack of swimming, that really wouldn't help all that much with my dry skin.  Any dermatologist worth their weight will tell you the very first thing you need to do to ensure you help your skin retain moisture is to drink the proper amount of water/fluids each day!--

Either way I seem to crack out the lotion ingredients every winter to make some skin nourishing body butter, lotion bars or sugar scrubs.  I should point out that I am an avid user of Cocoa Butter lotions.  I am partial to Palmers but will try any of them.  Even THOSE don't seem to help me in the winter months.  

The only problem with making your own lotions etc is that you need to purchase the ingredients.  You can make some lotions with Crisco and olive oil, but I am more of a shea butter and coconut oil girl.  The following recipes will be made with those types of ingredients.  (If you want to make something but don't feel like buying those ingredients please keep in mind that you can substitute a solid for a solid and a liquid for a liquid - Crisco for coconut oil and olive oil for jojoba oil etc.  I would not suggest using dairy butter in place of she butter, but I suppose it might be possible.) 

Sugar Scrub

This is a basic recipe.  You can so all sorts of fun things with it, see the examples under the recipe.  A sugar scrub should always be two parts sugar to one part oil, I also add in aloe with Vitamin E to all my sugar scrubs but it isn't necessary.  Here is my basic recipe:

• 1 c Sugar (can be brown or white, I use natural in the raw sugar)
• 1/2 c Coconut Oil 
• 1 Squirt Aloe with Vitamin E
• Essential Oil/fragrance of your choice

1. Melt the coconut oil
2. Mix together the sugar, oil, aloe and essential oils.
3. Place in an air tight container
4. Use on hands, face and body to rid yourself of dead skin and moisturize.

It looks like applesauce to me!
I know it isn't super pretty,
but it works phenomenally well!

Some fun concoctions of the basic sugar scrub are:

• Pumpkin Pie Scrub - instead of essential oils add in 1 t of Pumpkin Pie Spice.  Mix as normal.
• Vanilla Bean - Add in 1t of Vanilla extract in place of the essential oil.  Mix as normal.
• Citrus Mixer - combine lemon and orange essential oils. This one is very fragrant and a PERFECT scrub for the summer months. 

Try them out, this one is easy to make at home.  You can use olive oil or crisco in place of the coconut oil.  Your hands will thank you!

Boddy Butter

Shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut
oil

Boddy butter is a wonderful wonderful creation.  It has the ability to turn a scaly mess of an Amy into a normal human again! (OK so maybe "normal" is pushing it, but it removes the scales!) I am not so sure what you can use as an every day in house substitution for shea or cocoa butter, but I will research that and get back to you.  For those of you that WILL purchase shea and cocoa like butters here is the basic recipe that I use:

• 1 c Shea Butter
• 1/2 c Coconut Oil
• 1/2 c Jojoba Oil
• 1 T Cocoa Butter



Out in the cold to solidify

• Essential Oils/Fragrance of your choice

1. Melt the shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil until liquid.  Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Slowly stir in the jojoba oil and fragrance.  
3. Set the mixture aside until it starts to re-solidify.  You want it to be semi soft, but no longer liquid.  
4. Once the mixture reaches the appropriate solidification, transfer it to a mixer and whip it as you would if you were making butter.  This should only take a few minutes.
5. Transfer the whipped butter into air tight containers and use as needed/wanted.

What a beautiful whipped body butter!
(chocolate scented!)

How simple is that?!  It is oil intensive so I find that it is best to put it on after a shower and let it soak in as you brush your teeth and whatnot before you get dressed.  It isn't too bad though and it really hydrates your skin!  

Some of my lotion etc supplies - there is sugar, beeswax,
coconut oil, and shea butter in this tote.
In others there is citric acid, stearic acid, baking soda,
aloe, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, essential oils,
and various molds and pots!
It is a very addicting hobby! 

**If those wondering I buy my lotion etc products from Brambleberry and Camden Grey.  I know there are cheaper sources out there, but I have always received top notch products and service from these two and therefore they have earned my loyalty.

English Muffin Bread

As I am sure you can tell, I LOVE bread!  All sorts of breads.  I have always had a special love of english muffin bread.  I am not a fan of english muffins - I don't know what it is but that little muffin does nothing for me.  Now a slice of english muffin bread, toasted, HEAVENLY!  I tried not to buy it too often for fear of eating the whole loaf in one sitting.

A few years ago I came across a recipe for english muffin bread.  Of course, being me, I had to try it out.  It was perfection in FOUR LOAVES.  Now years ago I would have just contentedly made my way through all four loaves, now-a-days I am pretty sure that would not only be EXTREMELY detrimental to my journey, but make my stomach go on strike as well.  It is for that reason that I haven't made the bread in a while.  I stumbled across the recipe again a few days ago and the craving hit.  I decided to make the four loaves and hopefully find homes for the three I shouldn't eat :-D.

English Muffin Bread

• 1 1/2 c Boiling water
• 3 1/2 c Cool Water
• 6 3/4 t Rapid Rise Yeast*
• 2 T Salt
• 3 T Sugar
• 11 c Flour - I use all purpose but I am pretty sure the original recipe called for Bread Flour.
• Butter or Margarine

1. Prepare your four loaf pans by liberally greasing them and set them aside.
2. Coming the boiling water and the cool water in your bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.  IT WILL BE STICKY.  
4. Divide the dough between your 4 loaf pans and set aside in a warm draft free area until the dough has risen to the top of the loaf pans.  (This takes about an hour or two.  I always cover my rising dough with a towel, but it isn't needed if there is no draft.)
5. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
6. Once the dough has risen bake it for about 35 minutes.  It should start to brown.  
7. Once the dough starts to get a golden brown color, baste the top with a little melted butter and cook until a nice golden brown color - about 10 minutes more.
8. Remove from the oven and place the pans on their sides.  (This is so that the bottom of the bread won't stick to the bottom of the pain - I do this will all my loaf breads, it isn't necessary but it does make a difference.)
9. Allow to cool completely before cutting - if you can do this you are stronger than I am!!
10. ENJOY

Sorry I have no "in process" pictures - I made the bread in between shoveling the foot deep snow out of the driveway.

This bread makes the BEST toast!  I am personally a peanut butter fan, however jelly/jam or just butter taste wonderful as well.  I like my english muffin toast to be thinner sliced so I can normally get about 15 - 20 slices out of one loaf (20 of thinner sliced and only AFTER it has completely cooled).  That is 60 - 80 slices of bread - I would say that the 11 cups of flour is about 2-3 pounds worth and the yeast is the equivalent of three packages (if you don't buy in bulk).  Yeast has been on sale lately for about $1 - $1.50/3 pack and you can get a 5 pound bag of flour on sale for $2 - $2.50.  So let's say that you would spend $4 (maximum) on this recipe, in the grocery store that would get you 4 packs of english muffins (on sale for $1 each).  That is only 24 english muffins, this bread gives you SIXTY - EIGHTY slices.

The calorie  breakdown is like this:  if you slice thin like I do and get 20 slices per loaf then you are looking at about 58-60 calories per slice.  A thicker slice (15 per loaf) would probably bring you in around 78-80 per slice and you can always go even thicker for about 100-108 - but those are really thick.  All in all a winner in my book!!

*You can use regular yeast in this recipe, you just have to add a step.  If you choose to use regular yeast instead of rapid, you have to allow the dough to rise in the mix bowl until it reaches the top and then divide into the four loaf pans.  You will then have to allow the dough to rise again in the loaf pans.  Not a horrible thing, just more time consuming.