Thanksgiving Tips and a Recipe!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey everyone! This is my FIRST ever attempt at my mother in law's famous Apple Pie! And it turned out AWESOME! My husband is one happy camper, it is his favorite! 

This is our first Thanksgiving on our own without family :( 

I consider this pie somewhat healthy, and somewhat clean! Come on it's a holiday, i can cheat a little! ;) 

The super easy recipe is at the bottom of this post, you can thank me later!

What are some healthy weight loss tricks you follow in order to survive Thanksgiving? These are some of mine!

1. Wear something super cute, and on the small side as a reminder not to overeat. If you are wearing a sweatshirt and "fat" jeans you wont even notice your pants getting tight! I am wearing my skinny jeans today! 

2. Drink a huge glass of water before and during your meal. You will feel full faster, all while still enjoying family and food.

3. Its all about prioritizing, eat your favorites, don't fill up on green beans and stuffing just because they are thanksgiving tradition. If there are items you don't care for all that much, don't eat them!

4. Go back for seconds, but not thirds, fourths, fifths.

5. Have your pie and eat it too. haha there are sooo many pies to choose from. Instead of having a whole slice of each, get a sliver of each. It will satisfy your cravings and wont make you sick.

6. Don't turn Thanksgiving into a 24 hour brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and midnight snack. Eat your big meal and then store the rest. The food will still be there tomorrow.

And two most important tricks of all...

7. Enjoy yourself!! Don't feel guilty, one Thanksgiving meal isn't going to undo all your hard work! Just pick back up tomorrow! You don't lose all your weight in one day, nor will you gain it all in one meal either. Losing weight is about consistency.

8. Enjoy the people around you!!! I think sometimes people get so focused on the food, that they forget the simple joy of getting to be with the people you love. Don't take it for granted, its sad to spend our Thanksgiving 1200 miles away from both of ours.

Cinda's Amazing Apple Pie

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees*

Crust:

3/4 cup melted butter (one and a half sticks)

2 Tablespoons milk

1/4 cup water

2 cups flour (i used white whole wheat)

Mix everything together by hand, in one bowl. There will be enough dough for the bottom and the top of one whole pie. You may need up to another 1/2 cup flour if it is too sticky. Just add some and stir until it sticks together rather than sticking to you. Throw down some parchment/wax paper with a bit of flour, then divide the dough into two balls. Using another piece on top flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pin! Carry the parchment paper, with the dough on it, over to your pan, flip it over and lay it in! It's as simple as that! Repeat with the top piece (after the apples are in of course)!

Apple Filling:

Peel and slice 5 or 6 Apples for a 10 in pie pan

Stir in

 3/4 cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Flour (again i used white whole wheat)

After the filling is in the pan put 5 small dollops of butter on top! 

Cover with the top piece and bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins, or until top is golden brown!

Enjoy!!

Also make sure you head over to www.cupcakesandkickboxing.blogspot.com she is awesome and is doing a super cute cupcake themed giveaway!

Busy

It's been two weeks since my last blog post!! SAD! A lot has gone on in this life of mine!

I started my new job! I am officially the store manager at Cosmo Prof beauty supply! Last week i went five hours away to Lincoln Nebraska for training! I learned a lot and gained confidence for my role as manager. This is my first experience in management. This job is really going to stretch me as a person, I think i will get a lot of life experience from it. Which will be good for giving advice as a mother one day.

 

 I ate out all 3 meals for 5 days people! Luckily I worked out in the hotel gym three of the days. I think that is what saved me! I did try and order healthyish meals. I tried to stick to Panera instead of hitting up McDonald's for every meal. I am proud to still be weighing in at 153lbs!

 

This past week was my first week on the job as manager. Oh and guess what, the auditor showed up. On my SECOND day people!! Luckily the auditor was a late 20's something year old boy/man carrying a monster energy drink and all. Thank Goodness!!! I'd like to think it was my amazing good looks that helped my unorganized store get such a high score! He went easy on me this time! I'm so glad it wasn't some never been married 50 year old feminist woman who hates life that showed up for the audit! I have never been as stressed as i have been the past 3 weeks. I feel bad for my husband. He is amazing for being so sweet and helpful. I think once i get the store running smoothly that i will enjoy it. Wish me luck!

Anyway.......Guess how many times I've worked out in the past 3 weeks since starting my new job? 3!!

 Three stinking times! I'm having a hard time fitting it in. I have been working 7:30-4:00 and then cutting hair at night every night this week. Did you know that the week before Thanksgiving is one of a hair stylist's busiest times of the year? Random fact for you! The first time i lost my weight i did it while working 40 hour weeks. I just need to do it no excuses! How do you working ladies fit in your workouts? XOXO Meg

 

 



My favorite "clean" eats!!

Eating clean isn't as hard as I thought it would be! I would say i eat clean 90% of the time. Most ingredients that i use for my home cooked meals are clean. All my meat, cheese, fruits,nuts, and veggies are clean. As well as my whole wheat breads, pastas, etc.. 

The hardest part for me was finding clean pre packaged items! But you know what!? They are everywhere!! You just need to know what to look for! My #1 rule of thumb is first read the list of ingredients. If there is BHT, BHA, or Monosodium Glutamate(MSG), put it back. These are the three most common preservatives. You will find them in frozen dinners, most cereals, granola bars, crackers, etc.. 

Rule #2, typically if you can pronounce/recognize everything on the ingredient list then its safe. If there is an ingredient that you're not sure of, google it!! 

Rule #3, try and look for short ingredient lists. Have you ever seen the lists that take up an entire side of the box of food? yuck! 

My local grocery stores have great health foods sections, that's where i find most of my snacks! But I've also found a lot of great items in regular isles as well! Like Triscuits, Stacy's pita chips, Mama's Best cereal, Kashi, luna bars etc...

Here are some of my clean favorites right now, they are all SOOO good i guarantee that you won't miss the processed crap.....

Oh Annie's......I LOVE anything they make!! I have yet to find something that i don't! Their grahams are way better then Teddy Grahams, and their Cheddar Bunnies are way better then Goldfish! And how CUTE is their bunny logo! On the top of the boxes they have a bunny bum!! CUTEST BUNNY BUM ever...

 Back To Nature has amazing Granola! Super short ingredient list too!

I really like Kashi anything as well! I like their cereal, breakfast bars, etc..

Mom's Best Brand cereal, it tastes amazing, is made with whole grains, and super cheap! I can normally get a box for $2.50!! 

You will be so mad i told you about this one!! Stacy's Pita Chips!! I am OBSESSED with the cinnamon sugar ones!!!! They are divine!! Heaven in a bag!!!

Full Circle has a lot of great products! I love these fruit strips! They give me a sugar fix for only 45cals a strip!

And LaraBar, don't eat one expecting something super sweet. Eat one expecting nuts and dates and they won't be disappointing! These are a great source of protein for on the go meals!

There you have it!! What are your favorite clean foods??!! And please let me know if you try any!!! I hope you guys are doing great! I am soo thankful for every single follower i have! You guys give me such motivation, i hope i can return the favor!

XOXO

Meggan

Hey!!

 It's my 4 year Anniversary people!!! I can't wait to relax and get in some good one on one time with my honey this weekend! We are heading to Des Moines! Hello french food, shopping, movies, and kissing!

 I'm nervous to buy new clothes when i'm not at my goal weight, but you know what?? I don't care. I want to feel beautiful and stylish now! Sometimes i hold back buying new clothes not because of the money but because i think,

 only skinny girls look great in that trend, maybe once im "skinny" i'll buy those jeans/leggings/dresses/boots/ etc.....

I've decided not anymore! When you have confidence you are less likely to fall into poor eating, and excisise habits. Here is an example haha....You feel like you look smoking hot in your tight buckle jeans and sexy riding boots, and your coworker brings in cookies and you think to yourself,

no thanks im feeling sexy in my jeans today.

Dumb reasoning? I don't know maybe others don't think this way but i do! I am stronger and more able to stick to my goals when i feel like i am on top of the world. And fasion does that to me. It's my industry, it's who i am. I need to embrace it at any size. So there you have it girls, i'm going to start loving my body, and dressing in a way that makes me confident and HAPPY! Curves and all! I'm so excited to shop!!! My poor husband! haha

Anyway....I am finished with my 10 days of the South Beach Dietish eating plan. And.....

 I weighed in at 155lbs!!! I was SUPER mad. I mean what the freak is wrong with me!?? I didn't eat carbs and stuck to my 1200cal limit and didn't lose ONE single lbs! Last time i did this i lost 8! I had weighed four days into the diet (even though i said i wouldn't ha) and was down to 152lbs! And now back up to 155lbs? I pouted about it for a couple hours, but then started to wonder....what if my body is in starvation mode? So I decided I would up my calories to 1500 and see what happens! It's only been two days of eating 1500 and look what happened!!!! Maybe its a coincidence, maybe its not. Only time will tell! So take that 154lbs! I hope I've busted through that platoue(sp)?! Next week I'm going to post an intro to clean eating! I'll share some of my favorite clean packaged foods!! I hope you all have a great weekend! I know I will ;)

Zucchini Boats

Here is one of my favorite healthy meals that i make! My mom is the one that told me to do this, so i give her all the credit. First things first. Take your zucchini and slice them in half. Then carve out a little of the middle of each half. Carve out enough to be able to hold the meat, but not so much that you don't have any zucchini left. ;) Then put them face down in a half inch of water and cook at 350 degrees for around 10-15 mins. Cook them long enough to make them pretty soft, but not mushy.

While the zucchini cook in the oven, have your super sweet husband brown your meat. I used 97% lean ground beef, but ground turkey is really good in these as well. We seasoned the meat with garlic salt, basil, and pepper.You can season it anyway you want! I've also added in diced onion which rocked!

Once the meat and the zucchini are done place the boats on another pan and fill them full of meat, cheese and sauce! Then broil them at 400 degrees until the cheese browns. Approx 3-5 mins.

My FAVORITE sauce is Hunts pasta sauce No Sugar Added. It blows regular Hunts out of the water. It makes me wonder why they add the sugar in the first place. Try is seriously!!

Here is a picture of the finished product!! Yummy!!! If it need extra sauce you can dump some more on top, that's what i do!

Let me know what you think if you try it!! I hope you are having a great weekend!

XOXO

Meggan 

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls  (*Almost Completely Clean)

Dough:                                                        
2 Packets Yeast
1 tsp. Sugar
2 C. Warm Water, Divided
3/4 C. Oil (Vegetable, Olive, or applesauce)
2/3 C. Honey
1/4 C. 100% Maple Syrup
Splash of Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
Dash of Nutmeg
6-7 C. Whole Wheat Flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup of warm water. In a separate bowl add oil, honey, maple syrup,vanilla, salt,eggs, remaining 1 cup of warm water. Mix together. Add yeast mixture, and mix again. Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Mix for approx. 5 minutes on med. speed. Add remaining flour and 2 dashes of Nutmeg and mix for 5 more mins. Cover and place in a sunny/warm place for 1-2 hrs (or until dough doubles in size)

Filling: (the non-clean part)
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Butter
1/4 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Tbs. Cinnamon (My husband isn't a fan of cinnamon so we used less and it was still amazing)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Roll out dough in a rectangle and cover with filling mixture. Roll up and cut into 1" rolls. Place in greased baking pan (we use 2- 9x13 and 1- 8x8 pans) Bake for 20-25 mins *We use convection for 17 mins. Makes approx. 20 rolls

We made frosting to go with it, but they are sooo good alone. They also freeze great.

New

Hey Ladies!!

 

I'm happy to report that my little "diet" is going great! I haven't weighed yet. I'm waiting until next Wed. I even had my husband hide the scale from me, haha, I wanted to weigh yesterday soooo bad! Even though it had only been 3 days! I think i can tell a difference in my ribcage! There is more of a difference between my boobies and my body, haha.

 

You know this diet isn't as hard as i thought it would be! I think its because for the past 6 months i've really tried to make my eating a "lifestyle" change. I've tried to naturally limit my carbs, and i have 100% switched to whole wheat for everything! Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Pasta, Bread you name it! I've been eating clean/all natural products. So the only difference is after these 10 days i will incorporate a little more carbs into my day. Yay!

 

I made the most delish taco boats the other night for dinner, and took step by step pictures! I'll post the recipe soon!

 

In other news......i got a new JOB! I just got offered the Store Manager position at CosmoProf!!

(a professional beauty supply)

I am soooo excited! I worked full time for them back in Salt Lake City and really enjoyed it! Getting to be the Manager is going to ROCK! I love the daycare, and will miss the kids a ton, but it will be so nice to be back in my industry! Not to mention getting my discount and free product again! YES! I will be working 40hrs a week, so i'm a little nervous. This past year i averaged 30hrs a week and loved it, i had time to cook and clean and workout, and grocery shop. Hopefully i will just enjoy myself so much that i wont even notice the 10hr difference. Plus i lost more weight working full time then i have working part time! whats up with that? It will be awesome to make like 3times as much mula as well. Maybe i can start saving up for a baby?? I've heard they're expensive. ;)

 

Anyway I hope you all have had a great week! I'll post the Taco Boats recipe this weekend!

XOXO

Meggan