Cauliflower Fried Rice

Last week I was honored to be able to speak again to the biggest loser group I am apart of about healthy eating. That night I tried to focus on healthier swap outs. Because in all of my weight loss journey I have not deprived myself of anything I love food and I knew that if I was going to change it wasn't going to be by changing everything about what I ate! 

The night I spoke I had several options for them to try. Spiced Chickpeas as a healthy alternative for afternoon snacking. Avocado Ranch Dip instead of your typical ranch. I gave samples of Turkey Sausage to show how to cut out some calories without losing taste. I also made an alternative to ice cream, with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bites. As I was preparing for this little class I knew I wanted to prepare a main dish that had and easy swap out and lately I have been needing lots of Chinese Food. That is where my love for fried rice met my dislike for cooked cauliflower. Boy oh boy am I glad I gave this a try. Plus one of the pickiest people in the group was amazed by it and thought it was rice!!! Winner! 

This dish could be served alone for a meat free meal or paired with some awesome crock pot pineapple chicken like I did in the picture above. Note if you have been avoiding trying these recipes because you don't own a food processor NO WORRIES!!! I found in my local Wal-Mart near the bagged lettuce Cauliflower Crumbles!!! Yup that's that right just open the bag and they are ready to use!!! 

Give this a try for a great healthy option to your typical fried rice!!! Oh and someone mentioned to me the other day that I hadn't posted a before and now (not after because I will always be a work in progress) picture in a long time! Well below the recipe there is one, I feel pretty dang great about how far I have come! 

   

Cauliflower Fried Rice 

INGREIDENTS

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 cup frozen peas and carrots 

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp light brown sugar

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp green onions, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop head of cauliflower into florets and place in food processor. Pulse until it starts to resemble rice; set aside.

Heat a large wok (or skillet) over medium heat and drizzle in sesame oil. Add onion, peas and carrots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes; set aside.

Slide veggie mixture to one side of the wok and add in the beaten eggs, scrambling until cooked through and then incorporate with the veggies.

Stir in cauliflower "rice" and pour the soy sauce over top, mixing well. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until cauliflower is soft and tender.

Top with green onions, serve and enjoy!

The Left is in January of 2014 the right January of 2016

My First Color Run...

I have been wanting to do a color run for quite some time but haven't really found one I wanted to do or haven't found anyone to do one with me. Early in September a friend of mind posted about a color run in our local community that the proceeds would benefit the local hospitals mammography department. I thought it was an awesome cause and I thought it would be a fun event that Charlot and I could do together. Then I thought maybe I would ask the ladies I work with if they'd like to do it with me.

I was kind of expecting that they might just laugh at me and say nope. But as soon as I said it was for Pink Week and that the proceeds benefited the Mammography department they were all on board. Though some were a little apprehensive and made it clear they were not running and were walking at their own pace. I thought this just awesome!

The first two picture were our before and afters! I think we are a pretty good looking group. I am proud to say that we all finished and were not the last done. These ladies are absolutely the best co-workers I could ever ask for, whatever I need done or any crazy idea I come up with they are all on board.

Charlot had a ball two of her buddies from school were there as well. They ran they got sprayed with paint they rode in the strollers the hugged and played it was the perfect afternoon of fun.

The verdict is we will for sure do this run again!!!

I run for her...

In just a few short weeks I am going to be running the second annual Slater’s Biggest Loser 5k. Last year I ran this 5k and it was the first one I had ever ran, I did it for me. It was amazing I was so proud and I didn’t finish last! Hooray! It was seriously one of the best feelings of my life, I had started a journey to change so much about my life not just losing weight but becoming a healthier person overall. And this 5k was kind of like the signing the contract on the dotted line it wasn’t the end of the journey but sealed the deal that I had seriously changed.

Now I am running this again, not for me though I am running for her. This years 5k is hopefully going to benefit one family in our local community greatly. This family has been through so much over the past year and a half. Their precious little girl was born with many congenital heart defects. Too many for me to remember or even try to explain.  I do know that this little CHD warrior has endured several procedures and hospital stays which is not only trying on her little body but for her mommy and daddy as well. Not only emotionally but financially, her mom has had to quit her job to stay home and care for this precious little girl. Now you may ask if you are running for her then why the picture of my little girl?

Well this is exactly why I am running, because I have never had to endure the pain and choices these parents have to make on a daily basis. I was blessed from God with a perfectly healthy child. Never have I had to sit in a waiting room while doctors operate on her heart , never has she had to spend a night in the hospital, never has she had to endure the pain that this little pumpkin has. And for that I am so so thankful. I cannot imagine going through what they have and the road they have ahead of them. I’m running because my precious one is healthy and another child isn’t and that isn’t fair but I can help and so can you. 

She is so sweet, how could we not help her!

If you are local and would like to register please fill out the form and send it in! All Proceeds will go directly to this family. If you are not local and would like to help please feel free to contact me I will point you in the right direction. 

Thank you advance for all who run, donate, help and pray. And Thank you God for my child’s health and please help bless this little one with a life of health in the near future! 

New Year’s Resolutions…

I would say I have never really been one to have New Year’s Resolutions…but…that wouldn’t exactly be true. I every single year since high school probably would tell myself in my head that I was going to lose a crud ton of weight and have a bikini body by summer. Hardy har har!!! What a joke! And because I never actually said it out loud it didn’t really matter if it never came true. Guess what! It never did and probably never will! Me and the word bikini just aren’t meant to be together and guess what I really don’t care. But I do think that starting new habits is awesome and having resolutions really helps with this you just have to have a plan. I found these picture in this post really funny and so true of most resolutions, but the last one that is my plan for this year!!!

Last year in 2014 I decided to quit drinking pop and to really focus on a healthier lifestyle. I feel that I have accomplished this I have not drank a coke since January 3^rd 2014, sometimes I still just have to smell them when the hubs is drinking one. And I know that the healthier lifestyle is a forever change that some days are going to be better than others and that is ok. Yes I have lost weight, yes I would still like to lose more but more than anything I feel better.

So this year I have decided to in addition to continuing to strive for a healthier life I am going to do a few other things. See I am saying (well blogging) them out loud so the whole world will know! I am going to be a better meal planner/grocery shopper. The next one sounds so simple and I stole it from a friend, when I get something out I am going to put it up. Third and final one is to eat out less often this one is a goal of the hubs and I both.

The being a better meal planner/grocery shopper has been something I have been working on for quite some time but now I am really buckling down and I am doing this!  I hate seeing food go to waste; I buy something it rots in my fridge, leftovers that never get eaten. I also hate not being semi-prepared when it comes to meals. So I have cleaned out the fridge and organized the pantry, made a three week meal plan with an organized grocery list. I feel I really can do so much better at this than I have in the past!

The if I get something out I put it up. This really just comes from a simple philosophy that we were taught as kids, put your things away. Hopefully this helps keep my home more organized a clutter free. Plus with this the hubs and I are renovating several rooms in our home so I am decluttering as we go and this will help things stay that way!

Lastly going out to eat less! I am really guilty of not knowing what I am going to fix (see #1) and just saying let’s go out or just grabbing lunch in town while grocery shopping. Yes I LOVE going out to eat but I know it is terribly expensive and if I am cooking the meal I can control what I am eating as well!  The hubs and I would like to in the near future purchase or build a new home so saving money for this is really important. And the small changes really can add up! Our goal is to keep it once a month, now we are aware that there will be times this isn't possible but we are committed!!!

How about you guys? Any advice on my resolutions? Are you making resolutions? What are they? Happy Tuesday!

Oh Deer...Mule Deer that is...

Ok I must preface this story with a few things… 1. I am not the swiftest (is that a word) runner in the world actually I am more like a turtle striding through peanut butter than a gazelle but I enjoy running so I really don’t care. 2. Yes I grew up around livestock I am not afraid of hard work or getting dirty but becoming one with the wilderness really isn’t my cup of tea, I need a warm shower and an electric blanket. 3. Grace is not my middle name; actually I am pretty sure that my 85 year old papa has more coordination in his left big toe than I. With all these things said you should have a bit more mercy for me and this story. Or maybe you will just laugh harder.

I was really trying to prevent my double chin from showing in most of these pics. 

When we checked in to the house we were staying in outside Estes Park we were warned that there had been some bear sightings in the area. Nothing to really be concerned about but they just wanted us to be aware. Alright fine and dandy. On Thanksgiving morning I got up extra early to head out for a run, grabbed my cell phone for protection (no clue why it had zero service), slapped on my headband and told my brother-in-law I would see them in a little while (he was the only one up).

Tuck and roll option!

I get on the path and get a good pace going, my lungs are burning and I think I might faint due to the elevation (possibly 8,000 feet or more) but I was determined to finish. I push through the initial thoughts of dying and make the first few turns up the MOUTAIN. As I am running all alone (reminder I am SLOW) there is a steep up part of the mountain on one side and a possible plummet to my death on the other, I hear something rustling in the trees next to me. My initial thought dear lord if that is a bear please let my child and husband know how much I love them, because if that truly is a bear I am tucking and rolling down this mountain.

Not my deer but one I had saw earlier now do you understand why I was a bit startled. 

Luckily (HA) it wasn’t a bear, just a mule deer buck, with sharp looking horns. This deer proceeds to come on to the road; I stop so it can go where it pleases plus I needed to regain my composure because I nearly fell down the mountain at that point. So with in feet of me it crosses into the yard next to me.  I figure he’s off to his next adventure I’ll continue to run. I start back up and what to I hear but a deer running behind me. Lovely this guy is going to stab me with his antlers and I will again die here from puncture wounds, bear or no bear I’m not making it out alive. So again I stop and he continues to come closer to me, with in feet like three of them! If my darn phone hadn’t died I would have taken a picture (great protection device right?). I just kept thinking what in the world am I going to do dive down the mountain and what the heck does this guy want? So what did I do, no I didn’t assume the fetal position like I wanted, I just stood there. And eventually he lost interest and trotted off. I swear that was the longest 2 minutes of my life from moment of meeting all the way through the standoff. Lord of Mercy.

I think my phone finally turned back on and I am breathing a sigh of relief, and trying to keep the double chin under control as well!

I do believe the good Lord was trying to tell me something, I guess he tried at first making me think my lungs were going to implode but I didn’t listen. So he needed a bigger scarier option, oh deer. Man I am glad he didn’t choose a bear. But I did finish the run that morning, then chose to sleep in the remainder of the mornings on the trip.

Motivational Monday…

Today I am going to share a little more with you about my journey to become a healthier person. I have talked about it a few times on here but not much and now it has been almost a year and I truly can see a change in me so I think it is time.

Let me first start by saying that my weight has been a struggle of mine most my life and I have never had any dreams of being a skinny mini. I just want to look nice in clothes and be healthy for me and my family. Last year in early September I was at the park one beautiful day with my amazing child and she was playing like most kids her age do. She had asked me a couple times to come and see her do this or to push her on that. Each time she asked I had the same response “Sweetie can you wait just a minute momma’s tired.” I guess the Lord knew I needed a wakeup call, because suddenly I was looking at what was happening through different eyes.

I saw me sitting down barely able to focus on my kid, wasting that precious moment. I was that mom the one who had let herself get so out of control of her health that I was missing out on my kids’ childhood. Oh I was so so sad. I had always dreamed of playing with my kid and running and screaming with them and there I was missing out. Why had I let this happen? I knew I had to do something, what I was going to do I had no clue.

Seriously the Lord knew I needed help with this because just a week or two later I was getting my nails done by the lovely lady who always does them and she started talking about this group that was forming called “Slater’s Biggest Loser.” She told me that yes it was going to be a weight loss competition but much more. Including a support group, weekly weigh-ins, group exercise, and nutrition classes, to support overall health not just weight loss. To say the minimum I was hooked and was ready to sign up, just tell me where and when.

This group truly has been a God send. I am so so blessed to be a part of this group. Simply the accountability I feel to this group has me making better decisions for my family and I each and every day. Because of the tools this group has given me, I have become a more health conscious cook, I have found a love for exercise, and I am just making overall better decisions about my life and where I want to see it go.

Speaking of exercise…the first group introduced me to Zumba and then in January a wonderful group of ladies started teaching Zumba classes right there in town. They call their group N.E.W You Crew. The group meets twice per week for Zumba classes and also provides nutritional and weight loss support. They are such a blessing to our little community I am so glad they have come to provide a much needed workout spot for us.

Now my journey is nowhere near over as we say this is a lifestyle change not a diet. But I am proud to say that to date I have lost over 60 pounds and without the support of both of these groups I know I would not be where I am today. So to my “Losers” and” Zumba Ladies” thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have not judged and been supportive of me from thick to not as thick I cannot thank you enough, we have laughed and cried together and sometimes groaned (Zumba) together but you were always there for me. Yes I still have a way to go, I have some lofty goal and I know I can achieve them. I also have to say thank you to a few more people. The ladies I work with have been amazing cheerleaders, and one even jumped on board with me on the workout train, she is my motivator! The hubs says I loved you in every shape and size, but he has been a great supporter and now is adding exercise into his life. Also to my parents and brother, you guys are awesome and have been so amazing, let’s keep it up! Lastly just THANK YOU to anyone who has helped me on this journey you know who you are! Ok finally here it is my before and now picture, I am not calling it my after because I am still going!!! Thank you for sticking it out through this post!

Jan-2013                                      Sept-2014