Goals

I know I just posted two days ago - sorry!

What do we think about goals?  Do you shoot for the stars or keep things closer/super obtainable?  I appear to have a double standard.  In most things I advocate the shoot for the stars.  I am a firm believer that attitude goes a long way in helping natural ability - if you aim to make your dreams come true and believe that you can I think you just might do it!  (And be extremely proud of what you accomplish in the process!)

That being said, I seem to be creating small,  highly obtainable goals for my journey.  I gave myself a month to lose 5 pounds, when I knew full well that I had been losing at least 10/month up to this point. Now that I have achieved that goal I am rethinking that goal.  Was it too small?  Should I have pushed farther?  I immediately form another goal upon the completion of one, but normally it is another small one.

I think I keep my journey goals small so that I am almost guaranteed to reach them.  There is nothing more aggravating/depressing than working hard at something like this and not meeting your goal.  But is it the right way to go about things?

Now that I have reached my goal of "45 pounds down by the end of the year", I have decided to turn it into "47.5 pounds down by the end of the year".  Is that too small?  Should have I aimed higher?

I suppose I will stick with what is working, but I can't help but feeling the double standard in my goal settings.  Any thoughts?

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am on a banana kick - in case you haven't noticed!  Well at least we are all getting our potassium - no leg cramps for us!  These cookies don't have that "crunch" of a cookie so if you are looking for that these aren't for you.  They are actually very fluffy and more cake-like.  Actually the consistency reminds me a LOT of the pumpkin spice cookies from earlier this year.

They are SUPER yummy despite the lack of crunch!  I enjoy oatmeal cookies - I just love the texture the oatmeal gives to the cookie - add in some bananas and chocolate chips and you have a keeper!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 c Flour
• 1/2 t Baking Soda
• 3/4 c Butter or Margarine, softened
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 1/2 c Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 t Vanilla
• 1/2 c Mashed Banana - about 1 large banana
• 1 c Oats
• 1/2 - 1 c Chocolate Morsels

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Cream your butter or margarine with the sugars and egg. 
3. Add in the vanilla, soda, and banana.  Mix well.
4. Slowly add in the flour and oats. Mix until well combined.
5. Finally add the chocolate morsels - I like to mix them in by hand so they don't break up too much.
6. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake until risen and slightly golden.
7. Allow cookies to rest on the sheet for a minute or two before removing to a cooling rack.
8. ENJOY

Just as simple as a chocolate chip cookie recipe!  This recipe made 4 dozen cookies - I can't tell you the last time I actually got 4 dozen cookies out of a dough, normally I eat at least 3-5 cookies worth!  They come in at about 70 calories per cookie - COMPLETELY WORTH IT!  In continuing my banana/peanut butter/chocolate obsession, the only way these could get better would be if they had peanut butter!  (Of course it could be as simple as adding in peanut butter morsels with the chocolate ones!)

Try them out and let me know your thoughts - I need to pick a couple cookies for our annual cookie swap and I just can't decide!

12/12/12

So I am breaking with tradition and posting on a nice rounded day of my journey - day 115 - but who could resist posting on 12/12/12?!

I am not as happy with my progress since my last post, but at least I am still inching in the right direction.  I supposed it could be worse and I could have been gaining.  In the 115 days since starting my journey I have lost a total of 44.5 pounds.  (It would have been wonderful to be able to say 45 pounds but the scale was just not cooperating with me.)  The numbers break down as follows:  2.71 pounds lost per week.  0.39 pounds per day.  I am one week away from my four month mark - so as of right now I have lost an average of 11.41 pounds per month.  Definitely slowing down.  I hope to keep up the 2 pounds per week average, but I guess I should say right now that I will be happy as long as I don't drop below 1 pound per week.

Now for some good points - my "pregnancy jeans" are officially LOOSE!  I am actually only half a pound away from my lowest pregnancy weight!!! (Go me for only gaining back 45 of the 60 pounds I lost during pregnancy - hey I have to celebrate the little things, and those 45 pounds are almost gone!)  I just keep thinking that in 10-15 more pounds I will be the weight I was when I started college!  It all keeps me going.   I am keeping my eye on the short term goal - .5 more pounds till I hit 45 down by the end of the year!!!  (I, of course, am shooting for 50 by the end of the year but we will see...)

OK I think that is all for now.  I will probably be back in a week at the 4 month mark for another quick update.

Zucchini and Mozzarella Chicken Roll Ups

YUM!  I don't think this needs any more description than that, but of course I am wordy so I will give it one. :-D

As I am sure you have noticed: I love zucchini, cheese and chicken.  Put all three of them together and I am thrilled.  Add a good dose of garlic and I am ecstatic!  This recipe is the perfect amount of everything wonderful.  Even Brian liked it.  Makes me want to make kiev - yet I am thinking the calorie count would go up with that butter.

The recipe is very simple - there are a few steps but they are easy - and of course it is made with all ingredients that are staples.  It is also one of those recipes that fills the house with such the best aroma while cooking that your mouth actually waters!

Zucchini and Mozzarella Chicken Roll Ups

• 12 oz boneless skinless Chicken Breast, flattened to uniform size
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 medium Zucchini, shredded
• 1/4 c Parmesan Cheese, shredded and divided
• 2-3 oz Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/4 c Bread Crumbs
• 1 T Oil
• 1/2 c Lemon Juice

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.  Lightly spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a fry pan sauté garlic with zucchini and half the parmesan cheese until heated through.  Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Wash and dry the chicken breasts ( I make 3-4 roll ups out of 12 oz but it all depends on how your breasts are cut.)  Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Divide the mozzarella cheese between the flattened chicken breasts.  Top the cheese with the zucchini mixture and roll up the chicken.  
5. In a small bowl combine the oil and the lemon juice. 
6. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining parmesan cheese. 
7. Dip the chicken rolls into the lemon juice mixture and roll them in the bread crumb mixture.  Place the rolls seam down in the prepared dish.
8. Bake for 25-35 minutes.
9. ENJOY

I know it seems like a lot of work but it really isn't!  Even if it was, the result is worth the effort.  I divide the dish into three servings.  The calorie count comes in at about 290 calories per serving (which is normally one roll up and a portion of another).  I ate mine with some peasant bread and cucumbers.  All in all a very filling and scrumptious meal!

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

As evidenced previously I am a fan of banana bread.  It is yummy, filling and super easy to make.  There are a bunch of different recipes out there that can require a variety of ingredients, ranging from sour cream to cream cheese.  This recipe doesn't require anything random - all in house ingredients for this one.

Stinks call this his "chocolate cake bread" - I don't think he even realizes that it has bananas in it!

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Check out that chocolatey goodness with peanut butter!

• 1 c Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1/3 c Oil
• 1 t Vanilla
• 1 1/2 c Flour
• 1/2 c Cocoa
• 1 t Baking Soda
• 3-4 Bananas, mashed
• Salt - just a dash
• 1/2 c Chocolate Morsels

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease 2* loaf pans.
2. Combine the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and bananas.  Mix well.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the banana mix and blend well.
4. Divide between the prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean
5. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes before transferring the breads to a cooling rack.
6. ENJOY

This recipe produces a very fudge-y like bread.  I choose to create two "short" loaves instead of one giant loaf.  The recipe allows for either so it really is up to your discretion.  I choose two short loaves to cut down on the calories - I am able to cut the loaves into 24 equal slices which brings the calorie count to about 130 calories per slice.  All in all that isn't all that bad.  Now if I made one loaf I would cut the loaf into about 14 slices which would make the calorie count about 225 per slice.  I know the slices are technically "shorter" but my head gets just as full on a short slice as it does a larger one so I would prefer the 130 calorie slice.

This bread tastes AMAZING with a serving of peanut butter!  I am working towards blending my peanut butter banana bread and this chocolate one - to make a superior banana bread of course!  I will keep you posted.

Chicken Penne Pesto

Pasta, the bane of my journey existence.  I love it so, but it is really just not calorically friendly.  To get my fix I try to think of super yummy pasta dishes that will make the taste worth the calorie intake.  I think I hit right on that concept with this recipe.

This is actually a lot thicker of a sauce than I was originally intending.  I might tweak it down the road to make the sauce thinner, but for right now I am perfectly content to eat this dish as is!!

Chicken Penne Pesto

• 12 oz Penne
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cubed
• 3/4 c Chicken Broth
• 3/4 c Milk
• 1 T Cornstarch
• 1/3 c Pesto
• 4 c Broccoli, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 T Butter
• 1/2 c Parmesan Cheese, divided

1. In a large pot cook your penne per package directions. 
2. While your penne is cooking, spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add in the chicken and garlic and sauté till the chicken is cooked through.  
3. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch, broth and milk.  Add the mixture to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium - low, stirring occasionally while the sauce thickens.
4. Once the sauce has thickened slightly add the pesto and half the cheese to the chicken and sauce. Cook over medium heat, mix well to combine.
5. Once the pesto is combine add the broccoli to the skillet and cook through.  
6. When the broccoli has reached the desired tenderness pour the contents of the skillet over the cooked and drained penne.  Toss to coat.  
7. Top with the remaining cheese and ENJOY!

The recipe makes about 12-13 cups of pasta.  I divided it into 6 servings of 2 cups.  Obviously, looking at the ingredients, you shouldn't be expecting a dish of 100 calories.  This comes in at about 435 calories per serving.  In my opinion it is completely worth every single one of them!  The dish is quick to make and has all things I love - pasta, broccoli, chicken, and pesto - what more could I want?

As you can see I cleaned my plate!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

Adventure Suites

Have you ever been?!

We love it here.  The staff is amazing - friendly and very helpful.  The rooms are great - clean and perfect.  And best of all, they allow dogs.  Not just little under 50 pound dogs, but our gorgeous 100+ pound Selphie was welcomed with open arms!

We have stayed at the hotel 3 times now.  The experience just keeps getting better.  We have stayed in three rooms so far:  The Jungle, The Cave and The Treehouse.

The backyard

The very first room we stayed in was The Jungle.  This one I think is my favorite.  They each have wonderful points, but the shower in this room is probably the best thing I have ever experienced.  I also really enjoyed the shooting stars while relaxing in the hot tub.  The back doors are GORGEOUS and open to your own little porch over looking the beautiful back yard.  The views are breathtaking and also include the great Elephant Family that Adventure suites has out back.

Moving back in the room, it has a round king bed - not my favorite but it was comfortable.  It also has a breakfast bar with fun animal butt stools.  There is a black-lit "Gorilla Villa" that Stinks hung out in, but he was still young and not as rambunctious when we stayed in this room so it was a perfect size for him.  (Now that he is older I would have to choose one of the other two for him due to the many exploration spots - but that is ok things are allowed to be all about Stinks!!)
I mentioned it earlier but the SHOWER in this room is the best!  It has three shower heads - one on the left, one on the right and one directly above you - in a marble enclosed shower.  I think in the two days we were in this room I took 5 showers!
The hot tub was sunken into the decor - a nice touch in my opinion and there are many "jungle" animal statues spotted about the room.  My favorite decorative piece in this room is the branch light over the bar.  If I ever have a bar I want a light EXACTLY like that one!

The second time we stayed in The Cave.  Stinks LOVED this room.  There are two cave off-shoots for exploring in addition to the many stalactites and animals.  The cave off-shoots even have windows that open into the main cavern.

The Cave also has a hot tub (versus a whirlpool - each room at Adventure suites has one or the other), yet it wasn't as incorporated in the room design as in the jungle.  They did paint the walls to make it seem as if the section where the hot tub stood was underwater though.  This room also had an interesting shower - a waterfall.  Though it was nice, it wasn't anything compared to the multiple heads of the jungle.  The bathroom door, on the other hand, was a masterpiece in an of itself.

The Cave has a loft that contains a king bed and the two off-shoot caves are padded for kids to sleep.
We stayed in The Cave during the summer months so we didn't get to experience the heated floors or gas fireplace, but it does have those amenities as well!  All in all the Cave has some wonderful eye candy.  Unlike the Jungle, however, the room opens to the front side of the hotel so it lacks the breathtaking views and private porch.



Our last visit brought us to the Treehouse.  Stinks loves this as well, though he had to warm up to the idea.  He was so taken with the Cave that he was insisting that was where we would be staying.  Unlike the Jungle and Cave, the Treehouse is home to a whirlpool bath on the "Front Porch".  I was thinking this would take away from the room however Stinks spent a good 40 minutes "swimming" in the bath so I guess it was still wonderful.
The Treehouse is a visual feast.  There is a giant hollowed out tree that "holds up" the house portion of the room.  Inside the tree there is a small picnic table and kid sized chairs.  Stinks insisted on having all of his meals "picnic style" inside the tree.  On the outside of the tree there is the "front yard" which has a couple of lounge chairs and a carousel horse.  I don't know where the horse fits in to a "treehouse" but it was fun so we will go with it.
The house itself contains a king bedroom with a sticker plastered ceiling and a fun license plate collection.  There is a cool bridge that brings you over to Mr Squirrel's Nut Hut which Stinks called his room.  It is a padded room with a sky light - perfect for a three year old boy!
The bathroom in the Treehouse isn't as exciting as the other two rooms, in my opinion.  It did have a gorgeous hand crafted glass sink (local) and a fun glass block wall for the shower.  The shower itself had to jets about mid level that you could switch on, but they weren't super impressive to me.  Now the DOOR to the bathroom was another thing.  Like the Cave, the bathroom door was imported.  It was one of those multiple doors that have two smaller doors inside the large main door.  Stinks loved that!

The hill in the backyard is PERFECT for rolling!

All in all we have always been very happy with our Adventure Suites stays.  There is a nice fireplace out back for good weather as well as a grand fireplace in the lobby for bad weather.  They have a pool table if you are so inclined and their movie selection rivals ours!  They supply popcorn and cookies in the evening and a breakfast in the mornings that consists of waffles, eggs, sausage, bagels, cereal, muffins, fruit etc.  I will agree that they are a little on the pricey side, however where else can you spend that and get an experience such as these?!  If you are just looking for a room to lay your head then this isn't the place for you.  If, however, you are looking for an experience that your child will talk about for years I strongly suggest you check them out!