Lean and Green

Thought I'd share my favorite snack (or breakfast, or dessert, or even lunch on "one of those days") of the moment. With the weather getting warmer, we're digging smoothies in a BIG WAY in this house! 

And not just smoothies. My husband is consuming a full cup of spinach before he even gets to work in the morning, so I'd say that's a win. And the kids are asking for spinach drinks (it's a little mind trick I've incorporated in the process), so we've got a win there, too. 

I don't tell Geoff that there is spinach in his drink, but I think he knows. We just don't speak of it. Baby steps, y'all.

The kids, however, hear me say "spinach" about a dozen times while we blend this thing up together. I want them to know greens, to not be afraid of greens, and even to LOVE greens. So they help me whip up this delicious treat, and I continue to grow their love of green. (Granted, my kids are really great eaters. We eat chef or taco salad at least once a week to use up leftover meat, eggs that need hard-boiling, etc. And they have few issues with veggies. But, the better foundation the better, and the more recipes they learn that incorporate veggies, the closer I get to mom of the year.) 

Without further ado, 

"Spinach Drinks" aka "A Smoothie"

Put 1/2 cup of Almond Milk (unsweetened, either vanilla or original) into the blender.
Add 1 full cup of spinach. Squish it in that cup. Don't skimp. Promise you can't taste (or see) it. 

Putting the milk in first will help keep it from getting all gunked up in the blades of the blender. 

Blend very well.

Let the kids watch this part, so they see that green mucus-looking stuff can actually be delicious.

Add whatever fresh fruit you like (we used 4 strawberries, but you could put in a banana, pineapple, whatev.) and blend well. 

Let them drop the berries in the top. It's exciting. 

Add 1 cup frozen blueberries. (I buy the enormous bag, cheaper and goes further) Blend well. 

Beware sticky little fingers. Oh, who am I kidding? Let them have all they want in a separate bowl. 

At this point, it's too thick to blend, so add 1/2 cup cold water, stir around a little with a spoon, then blend well. 

Covering ears is optional. 

While concoction is blending, open the top hole (or stop and take top off if you don't have that kind of blender) and add a good squeeze of honey. Only a little will do, but I probably end up using a couple Tablespoons, depending on how long I feel like squeezing the bottle.

Blend well. 

Forget Stevia or Splenda or any of that yucky stuff. Honey is your friend. 

And, viola. Sweet, dark purple, delicious healthy goodness.  Thank you, earth, for making all the good things. 

Blue tongues. Smoothies are fun. 

Happy snacking! 
J

Aaaaand, just for some added nutritional info... 

WHFoods.com is a great source of info for which foods are good, and why. That said...

Spinach is, like, THE BEST food for you. Popeye knew his stuff. It's chock full of vitamins K, A, C, and all sorts of other vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants, glycoglycerolipids (which studies are finding can help protect the lining of the digestive tract from damage — especially damage related to unwanted inflammation), beta-carotene, and pretty much all things good for you. Studies of leafy greens dubbed spinach the only one that showed "significant protection" against some cancers, namely prostate cancer (see previous link, or search sources for yourself). 

Blueberries are SUPER high in antioxidants, and studies are showing they can even improve memory. Go here to read about their straight goodness. 

Almond Milk (make sure it's the unsweet kind) is a GREAT substitute for cow's milk. It has all the good stuff, without the fat, and without the hard-to-digest proteins and lactose. Granted, it is very low in protein, unlike cow's milk, so make sure you are getting your protein in. (Most adults have difficulty digesting cow's milk. Do you realize that humans are the only mammals that drink milk after they're weened? That's weird, right?)

Honey is the perfect sugar substitute. I was all about agave nectar there for a minute a while back, but then started reading all kinds of info about how it's NOT actually very good for you... it's not a natural sweetener, contains more fructose than HFCS, and there is lots of other non-flattering crud about it. You can read a little here if you want. 

Basically, I choose honey. It's been around since the beginning of bees, it's naturally made (how much more natural can you get than a bee sipping flowers then vomiting into a hive?), you can get local honey that will help you develop immunity to different diseases, and it's sweet, natural, and even GOOD for you. (Make sure nothing is added. Companies keep adding HFCS to EVERYTHING these days, so just check labels. Pure honey is NOT expensive or hard to come by. You might even know a beekeeper, so, score if so.) Check out this info on that golden and delicious bee puke. 

All in all, you can't go wrong with this tasty treat. Try it with those you love!

Adios!

Good Wife. Day One and a Half.

Of course, as soon as I get Husband on board with a healthy change (he got himself on board, really), life throws a curve ball. 

He got a call that he had to be at work at FIVE a.m. today, which meant that if I was going to send him with a fresh and healthy breakfast, I would have to be up at FOUR O'CLOCK. 

Last night I put together his hefty and healthy delicious lunch  (leftovers from dinner. Grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, all mixed together with a spoonful of Greek yogurt. DEEEELISH - plus a salad, and portioned out snacks of beef jerky, and a nut mix with almonds, pecans, walnuts, and cashews. Yes.). 

But this morning, when my alarm rang, I stayed in bed and gave myself every. single. reason not to get up and cook him breakfast. Mind you, he would have let me sleep. He won't wake me up in the morning, even if he knows it means the difference in taking a lunch and not eating for the entire day. Man knows I love my sleep. 

By the grace of a good and loving God, good wife conscience prevailed, and I pulled myself out of bed. Cooked up some eggs with a little sausage and this awesome onion/pepper mix I picked up in the frozen aisle yesterday, threw it in a thermos, and sent him on his way with a perfect, hot breakfast and a cold spinach (don't tell him there was spinach in it), raspberry, banana, strawberry smoothie, by 4:30 a.m. 

He has texted me a couple times today in gratitude. He wasn't hungry. And he wasn't forced to eat food that made him feel bad. I cannot believe I haven't been feeding him for so long! 

I told him that, in order for this to work in his favor, he HAS to make me get up in the morning, no matter what. I hope I can do it on my own, but prayers for this endeavor are appreciated. :)

God loves good food, and God loves you.
Peace!
J

Open the Door,

And let in NUMBER FOUR! 

February 19, 2014, I got a really surprising and exciting birthday present.

Kelly Baby number four, gracing our home later this year!

Can't wait to meet the little! <3

Probably another pregnancy blog post (or twenty) to follow. :) 

God is good! 

Dear Fat Girl, You're a Bad Wife.

Okay, so that's a LIIIIIITTLE harsh. I'm not TOTALLY fat, nor am I a bad wife. But, admittedly, I'm a little of both. 

And poor Geoffry has suffered. 

Not only because I feel fat. I mean, sure, he suffers there. Have you ever seen a girl try on thirty-five outfits, only to feel like a whale in each one, throw them all about the room, then fall into fetal position in the middle of the floor while rocking and wailing? No? Oh.... me either....................... (insert innocent whistle here. You know the one.)

I've been working on that one. I hate self-deprecation. I hate when I hear people hate on themselves, and I would NEVER want my daughter to hear a childish fit like that from her mother and think it's okay to have self-image issues. Plain and simple: it is NOT okay. And I get it. One of my many attempts at self-improvement.

I'm not obese (well, according to all the charts I am, but they're bogus. My wrist bones are as thick as a caveman's, and if I were to weigh what those stupid charts think I should, I would be emaciated). But I am, as I've dubbed it, "bigger than I'd like." I am bigger than I'd like for two reasons.
   1.  I don't exercise enough.
   2.  I eat crappy food. 

Simple.

Fact: When I eat a healthy diet (not to be confused with "when I diet." You shouldn't "diet." You should just eat healthy all the time, aka, eat a balanced and healthy diet), I lose weight. My skin clears up. My attitude improves. My self image improves.

Fact: When I eat healthy and add exercise, the sky is the limit. I pretty much rock.

Fact: When I ONLY exercise, and don't eat a healthy diet, jack crap happens. 

Conclusion: I should eat a healthy, balanced diet. All the time. And I should exercise. Then, I won't feel like crap, physically or mentally.

I know what you're thinking (because I'm not only bigger than I'd like, I'm also psychic): "How does this make Fat Girl a bad wife?"

Simple. I stay home, and Husband works. He doesn't just work, he WO-ORKS. He leaves every day at about six in the morning, and MIGHT be home for dinner, if we're lucky. But this "home for dinner" thing is a new development since we decided we're moving back to our home town (another post later). For the last, oh, year, my children were lucky to see their dad once a week, and hopefully on Sundays.

He would leave for work in the middle of the night, or early morning, and not come home until midnight. He was working 80 to 90-hour weeks, in a piece of equipment, with no refrigerator or microwave.

For some time I was sending him with AT LEAST a sandwich, chips, and an apple for the day. But then, he started leaving earlier, and coming home later, and somewhere along the way, I stopped waking up at five a.m. or four a.m. or two a.m. to make sure he had food. I didn't make it the night before, either, because, well, I was lazy? I was tired?

I was both. Lazy and tired. I was taking care of two toddlers and a nine year old on my own, and I was tired. But I was also catching up on Revenge and any other given crapTV, being a lazy lonely loser, waiting for him to come home, stuffing my face with Thin Mints and Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream (OMG it's good). Lazy.

And he started living off Mountain Dew and Allsups fried burritos.

Dear Fat Girl,
You're a bad wife.
Sincerely,
Your Conscience.

(All you haters and feminazis, NO, he should not have to make his own lunch. I am more than a stay-at-home-mom. I am a HOME MAKER. His food is part of my job. A big part. Part of making a home. How can Husband be a good provider if he's fueled by three hours of sleep, Mountain Dew, and a Fried Apple Pie? If you'd like to discuss this further, go ahead and comment, and I'll blow your mind with homemaker philosophy.)

Husband has suffered physically because of my lack of spousal support, and today, that changes. Mind you, I've tried to get him to eat healthy before, to no avail. I think he thinks eating right means no good food, and nothing but dry spinach and roasted asparagus and brussel sprouts and kale chips (the thought of any of those things makes him want to gag). Probably because I really like that stuff and always work it in to my diet when I'm on a health kick, and even when I'm not. He will always eat what I serve him at dinner, but on work hours, it's quick and convenient, and sugar, sugar, sugar.

Poor guy has packed on a few around the middle, and, though I love him through "thick and thin"  (I don't think we really knew what that meant until we started getting older and packing on a few here and there), he's not so happy about it.

And I feel TERRIBLE!

Alas, today is a new day!

Husband is ready to make a healthy change, and I am really, really happy about it! It means a household change, and I could not be more excited. 

Before, when I was very diligent about my eating habits, I felt like I was in it alone. And I'm kind of a group-effort and accountability kind of girl. So, I failed, again, and again, and again. I need a partner, or at least someone to take care of and hold accountable, in order to make this whole healthy lifestyle work. I'm lame like that. I have always been good about keeping my kids healthy and on a balanced diet, but when it comes to filling or limiting myself with the good or the bad, I have no one to tell me NO! Now, perhaps with my partner on board, we'll see true progress.

I told the man that in order for this whole thing to work, he's going to have to eat vegetables, and he AGREED! This is HUGE, people! From here I solemnly swear not to serve him brussel sprouts, asparagus, or cooked spinach (that is not hidden into his food), but truly, I am terribly excited about this development.

I cooked a delicious and healthy meal tonight, and we're off to a healthy start. 

Wish us luck!

Sincerely,
Fat Girl (trying to be a better wife!)

Why Can't I Finish What I Sta...

I have a problem.
I don't follow through.

I start things, GREAT THINGS, and then.... rarely finish them. Refer to my first post about my A.D.D. if you must. I think that plays in, in a significant way. Now, I've never been clinically diagnosed, and if I were diagnosed, it would probably read something more like "Scatterbrained with ADHD Tendencies." But, fact is, I just... can't. finish.

It is physical. It is mental. It is situational. I get blocked. Like writer's block, but with life. (Unless I'm talking about writing, in which case it is, sometimes, writer's block.)

This ails me. 

Thirty Day Whole 30 challenge? I lasted 21 days. 

Blog? Speaks for itself.

House Cleaning Challenge I created for myself? I cleaned doorknobs, light switches, and trash cans.

My book? Halfway finished. 

Lent? I failed my promise on day one. And day two. 

I've lasted in the important things: marriage, childbearing, etc. But all the rest? Not even close. I suppose it is most important to do those things that matter most. And, when it comes to work, I always, always make deadlines and carry out tasks I begin.

But the things I do to better myself: write, read (I don't even start books anymore, because those I actually DO finish, but I neglect every other responsibility in my life), eat clean, exercise, fast, pray... I always start out with gusto, and then, little by little, I whimper away, into nothingness.

I have an exercise dance studio begun. In my head, and in a handful of routines I written out.
I have a daycare opened, theoretically. 
I have a book written, somewhere. And it's really, pretty good!
I started a business, and haven't even done anything with THAT. And I LOVE that.

I try to convince myself that it is because job number one is Mom. And that all the rest will fall into place when and where it is supposed to. Today, I'll rest with that, not beat myself up... and pick up on one of these many deserted things - my blog. :)

Love and all that jazz.
J

Confessions.

Welp, I'm on day 19 of my Whole30. But really, I'm on day One. Because yesterday, I ate like a king. A poor king with little time, but a king.

Here is the story.

I. Was. Exhausted. I know it's no excuse, but I was soooo tired! After getting the kids home after Mass, cleaning up dishes from the night before, and preparing their lunch, I was HUNGRY, and TIRED, Y'ALL!

For the last two+ weeks I have been making myself a modified, if not completely different, meal than my kids. My husband, too, you say? No, not my husband. Because he has not been here. In a week. I have only seen him late at night, and in the morning he is gone before I awake. And yesterday, he got called in to work before Mass. He came with us, but then I had to zip him home to get his truck, then zip back to the church to finish out my Sunday School class.

This single mom of toddlers thing ain't for wussies. Even when you get to stay at home.

Soooo, wah, wah, wah, I ate a half a quesadilla for lunch. Which, really, is quite good, considering I usually could scarf an entire one, no problem.

For dinner, Husband was actually home at a reasonable hour and, to treat me to not having to cook or wash dishes, and to get me out of the house (I have been cooped up with not an ounce of adult conversation all week), he took us out to eat. And eat, I did. I ate a sushi roll, rice and all, dipped in soy sauce. And I don't regret it one bit.

I needed to get out of the house as much as I wanted that sushi roll. It was delicious.

Repercussions? Today my gut was LIVID! I woke up with heartburn and, um, other issues. I messed up my day 18, but today I've been on point. In fact, eating a bit rotten yesterday (not rotten considering my old standards, just not clean like I have been) gave me the urge to work it off, so I even exercised! I threw in a P90X Cardio DVD that I mysteriously had (I seriously have no idea where it came from. If it is yours, I will mail it to you), and completed it.

I almost threw up toward the end, and for about an hour and a half afterward, and I was unable to eat lunch. I also found myself halfway through asking my 4 year-old son if he knows what to do if Momma passes out and doesn't wake up. Scary? Yeah, imagine how I felt. I told him to just call Daddy if I'm out.

So, back on track. Day 19. Or one, depending on how you look at it. I think I'll just go with day 19, and do 31 days. It completely defeats the point of the Whole30 (which is to completely clean out the system), but I still feel good about it.

And that is my confession. Now, to sit with my children and hug them.

Live well, eat well.
J

Twenty-One and Done: Twenty-One Steps to Your Better Home!

TWENTY-ONE and DONE:
twenty-one steps to your better home!

a cleaning and organizing challenge

Welcome to the challenge! First things first, these are separated into TASKS, not DAYS. Why? Because we all have different schedules, house sizes, and dependents. Lots of little boys in the house? Might take you a couple days to accomplish some of these. Toddlers? Same thing. Your work load intense? Might have to do one every other day or so. Big house? Might take longer. Clean freak? Some of these will just be touch-ups for you. 

Whatever your situation, do them as you can, but make sure you do some of one task every single day, or set aside a chunk of time on a down day or a Saturday! If you start one, finish it. Even if it takes you a week. Don’t move on to the next until the one you started is done! And, most importantly, don’t neglect your other responsibilities (husband, children, work, daily tasks like cooking, dishes, laundry, etc.). 

Next, don’t let this task list freak you out. Don’t read it all at once. Just take it one task at a time. It’s totally do-able. 

IMPORTANT: Sing, whistle, or blare music while you are cleaning. Every time. 

YOU CAN DO IT! THIS is NOT hard, and there is NO TIME LIMIT. Just devote a little time, maybe 30 minutes or an hour a day… or a few hours on Saturday. Why wait until Spring Cleaning to get all of it done? Just do a little here and there, and you’ll never have to spend days and days trying to shove it all in. Get it done before Spring Break and just ENJOY your break! 

Tasks are labeled by intensity on a level of 1 – 5.  If it is labeled (1), it should only take about an hour or so (without interruptions). The higher the number, the bigger the task. Skip around the task list if necessary. Just make sure you see whatever task you’re on to completion before starting the next! (That way you don’t go scattered like I do, and end up never finishing ANY of them!) Ones that are labeled with a hyphen (2-4) depend on house size, household size, number of rooms, etc. Bigger house or more people, expect it to be on the higher end of the scale. 

Before you start, you will need:
an old toothbrush,
glass cleaner (I suggest the foaming one in the white can with the little blue maid on it),
wood soap (like Murphy’s Oil Soap or another gentle wood cleanser),
a strong cleaner (I use Pine Sol and bleach. If you don’t like chemicals, get a natural cleaner but make sure it is good!),
Lysol spray,
carpet cleaner (409 or SpotShot or something of the sort. You can also just use vinegar and water!),
ten little plastic baskets from Dollar Tree for organizing drawers or cabinets (can get varied sizes, shapes, colors. How exciting!). 

Note: Vinegar and water makes an EXCELLENT cleaning agent for almost anything. It just stinks. But don’t worry, the smell will go away.

IMPORTANT: Do ONE task at a time, until completion! If you notice something that needs to be done along the way, make a list for yourself! Or, after you finish the task you're on, insert your new task, finish it, then get back to the list!  (But the task you're on might be on the list already, so make sure you mark it off if you do it!)

Heeeere weeeee gooooo!

Task One (1): Clean all the doorknobs in the house. Clean around them. If the doors need a good scrub, might as well do that while you’re there. Spray them with Lysol as you finish cleaning each one. 

Task Two (1): Clean all the trash cans. Scrub the outside of them, and let some PineSol or Bleach or whatever cleaner you use sit in the bottom of them before rinsing them out, drying them off, and putting them back where they belong and putting a bag in! (No letting them sit outside until tomorrow!) Wash the walls and floor around the kitchen trash, especially. You know it gets gross.

 

Task Three (1): Dining room chairs. If you have small children, this may require you to use a toothpick or toothbrush to scrub a little. Remember to clean each crevice, and the seats. Use soap that will not damage the wood or metal! 

Task Four (1): Kitchen cabinet doors. Again, a toothpick or toothbrush might be in order. Use wood soap so you don’t damage them! 

Task Five (3): Those spots on the carpet? Scrub them out. Step on them with a dry towel until they are dry! (Otherwise they’ll come back!) 

Task Six (3): Bathroom drawers. Organize them! Wipe them down, inside and out. (This one might have to be split into two days, depending on how many bathrooms, and people, you have in your house!)

Task Seven (3): Bathroom cabinets. Organize them! Get RID of the trash and loose items. Put all the gross, tattered towels into a special drawer for rags (laundry room, under the kitchen sink…. if you don’t already have a “rag” drawer, make one. Ain’t nobody got space for those embarrassing towels to be in the bathroom.)

Task Eight (5): Laundry Room. Enough said. Don’t cut corners, and make. it. perfect. (Again, two or three days might be in order. This task requires that all laundry be cleaned, folded, hung up, and distributed. This task includes organizing laundry room drawers and cabinets. Might actually be an all-week task if your laundry room is a “catch all.”)

Task Nine (2): Kitchen counters. Get all the crap that accumulates on the counters, and put it in its place. It doesn’t have a place? Make one, or THROW IT AWAY! If you need to get a couple small plastic baskets from Dollar Tree, and put your chapstick and odds n ends in one, your medicine in another, pens and pencils in another. These baskets can go in your cabinet, or in a drawer. All that paper? Put it in manila folders or your filing cabinet, display it on the fridge, or THROW IT AWAY!

Task Ten (2-3): Kitchen cabinets (inside). Organize them. Clean them. Wipe down shelves inside (the outsides are already clean from task four! Score!). Get rid of expired food/cans/pasta noodles. 

Task Eleven (3): Entertainment center. Inside and out. Clean, dust, organize. Put movies in their correct case. Get rid of the uber-scratched ones. 

Task Twelve (1-2): Junk drawers! Time to go through and organize and throw away! Only one junk drawer? Good for you. This will be easy. More than one? Get after it. (Again, those little baskets from Dollar Tree are a cheap and exceptional organizing tool!)

Task Thirteen (2-4): Kitchen baseboards, and under cabinets. Pull out the fridge and stove, if applicable. Hands. Knees. Toothbrush. Cleaner in a bowl. Scrub all around the bottom of those cabinets. And under the fridge and stove? Yes. You will be glad you did. 

Task Fourteen (?): THAT place. Choose that place in your house that is constantly the catch-all for bills, schoolwork, paperwork. (Bookshelf, table, desk, etc.). Organize it. Dust it/Clean it. 

Task Fifteen (2-4): Vents and fans. Dust all the vents, and wipe down the blades on all fans in the house. Standing, box, ceiling, you name it. 

Task Sixteen (3): Light fixtures. Take off the cover on all your ceiling or standing light fixtures. Wash them. Put them back on! (Please be careful to not electrocute yourself.)

Task Seventeen (2-5): Baseboards. This will count as your workout for the day. Hands and knees, vacuum cleaner, rag and bowl ‘o’ soap. Tackle the baseboards. For the ENTIRE HOUSE. 

Task Eighteen (2-5): Windows and mirrors! All of them. Yes, you heard me. Inside, and out! You can do it! (You KNOW it needs to be done!) Open the windows and vacuum. (If you live in West Texas, this might up this one's intensity to a five!) Clean the inside and outside of the windows. (Again, if you live in West Texas, DO NOT do this on a windy day.)

Task Nineteen (1): Blinds. Dust them. If you need to wipe them, do it. (Like, for instance, if they have fly or moth guts all over them from this summer.) If you want to intensify this one (2-4), take down really dirty blinds and soak them in the tub with a little bleach for a couple hours. Clean blinds make more of a difference than you realize!

Task Twenty (2): Couch. Take off cushions and wash them if this is an option and if it is necessary. If not, spot clean seats and arm rests (make sure you have the right cleaner. Or just use a little vinegar and water.). Vacuum under the cushions!

Task Twenty-One (3): Clean your washer and dryer. Wash the lint trap (make sure it’s dry before you put it back), wipe them down, inside and out. Pull them out and sweep/mop under them. 

Congratulations! You’re done! Enjoy your super clean and organized house!
Or, if you feel the need, start over. Happy housekeeping!

USE THIS SPACE!
List other things that need attention that you notice along the way! Need to clean out your closet or bedroom drawers? Kids’ closets and drawers? Shoes? Jewelry box? Toy chest? Storage room? Write it down, and when these 21 are done, DO IT!