Stronger by Sara Evans
I picked this song because I am trying to exercise stronger willpower to choose the healthy foods over yummy, but carb & fat filled, junk food.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Blog Assignment #4
I am sad to report that an American icon has passed away at the age of 74. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, in the little blue & orange box, passed away yesterday. Sadly, M&C was injured by a mob of mothers demanding less white flour, more whole grains and that Kraft stop adding whatever addictive drug that makes kids everywhere insist on ONLY Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and no substitute. It passed away from its injuries en route to the hospital. While there are rumors that M&C was trying to get healthier, children everywhere still have elevated blood sugar from all the white flour they have eaten during its reign as the King of dinner.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese was introduced into the world, and onto the dinner plates of children everywhere, in 1937 and has served as comfort food to millions of people. During its lifetime it has served as an unprecedented King in the dinner menu of families. That little blue box serves as an icon of carefree childhood to most Americans. During recent years, however, it has faced a bit of a decline as Americans are starting to realize that their diet of white flour & processed foods must change or they will face extinction. The mob mentality of parents uniting for the health of their children led to its demise.
M&C was friendly and outgoing and was often seen in the company of hot dogs, meatloaf and canned peas--all of whom are mourning the loss of their lifelong friend. While M&C will never be replaced in the hearts of children and adults everywhere who have swooned with happiness upon seeing a delightful pile of orange noodles on their plates, it will be replaced on dinner plates with whole grains and real dairy cheese.
Good bye, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, you are gone...but never forgotten.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese was introduced into the world, and onto the dinner plates of children everywhere, in 1937 and has served as comfort food to millions of people. During its lifetime it has served as an unprecedented King in the dinner menu of families. That little blue box serves as an icon of carefree childhood to most Americans. During recent years, however, it has faced a bit of a decline as Americans are starting to realize that their diet of white flour & processed foods must change or they will face extinction. The mob mentality of parents uniting for the health of their children led to its demise.
M&C was friendly and outgoing and was often seen in the company of hot dogs, meatloaf and canned peas--all of whom are mourning the loss of their lifelong friend. While M&C will never be replaced in the hearts of children and adults everywhere who have swooned with happiness upon seeing a delightful pile of orange noodles on their plates, it will be replaced on dinner plates with whole grains and real dairy cheese.
Good bye, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, you are gone...but never forgotten.
Blog Assignment #3 - Part 3
This part is short because there is no product we have started or stopped using that has caused any contention. I haven't tried out my new juicing techniques on my boys so there could be some contention there, but they love juice so hopefully not!
Blog Assignment #3 - Part 2
We got this juicer a long time ago and never figured out how to use it...so it sat in the cupboard. In my quest to lose some weight and get healthier I decided to get it out recently and discovered I could make some delicious fresh juice! I am excited to get experimental with some different fruits & veggies soon!
These represent two things. First, just trying to eat more fruits & vegetables. I have always tried but it's easy to busy and forget to load up on these kinds of foods. My goal is at least 3-5 fresh & raw fruits and vegetables every day in addition to other fruits & vegetables with meals. Not only will it help me lose weight but also increase fiber intake and I think give me more energy. Secondly these are great for using in the juicer!
This isn't my treadmill, but very much like it. I got out of the habit of using it when my youngest stopped taking naps (naptime is when I would walk). My treadmill is in the garage and he's not very good at staying safely in the driveway so it's hard to do anything like this. I'm hoping now that he's a little older he'll obey better and I can spend at least a little time on here every day.
While a prescription may not seem like a great way to promote health & wellness, the Phentermine keeps me from being starving all the time and allows me to focus on eating the right foods instead of grabbing whatever is quick & easy to ease the hunger. I used it for a few months awhile back and it made a big difference. I'm going to try to use it for awhile again and hopefully make more progress.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Blog Assignment #3 - Part 1
There are a lot of questions to answer today and not sure I can do it all at once so I'm breaking it into a couple of different parts.
To understand where I am today, let me tell you quickly where I've been. For much of my life "health & wellness" has centered around weight. I am overall pretty healthy but I've always struggled with weight. In my 20's I was in pretty good shape, but then I got married and gained a few pounds. Then I had kids and gained a lot with my pregnancies. When my 2nd (and last) baby was weaned I embarked on an adventure to lose the baby weight. I lost a lot over the course of a year, then it stalled out. I had a hard time staying motivated and ended up gaining some of it back. I have tried over the past year to get motivated again and just recently found the "oomph" to do it. So, as of today. While I don't have any serious health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) I do need to lose some weight & keep it off to ensure that I stay healthy and have the energy to keep up with my boys!
My philosophy on health & wellness is, generally, to not go overboard. I try to eat right plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains & lowfat protein, exercise (never enough) and get plenty of rest. I am not great about getting enough sleep but I try to catch up when I can. It just seems like there is always too much to do. I try to manage my stress, but I am a "Type A" personality so actually need a little stress to keep motivated.
One of the things I did was to go to the doctor on Tuesday for a physical and also got another prescription for an appetite suppressant that has helped me before. It helps me to not be hungry so I can focus on eating "right" instead of just eating to fill the hunger. I also got a prescription for a low dose of Wellbutrin. Part of being "healthy & well" is managing stress and I am not good at that--especially with my energetic 3-year-old. So I am taking a daily Wellbutrin to help improve my mood so I can be a better mom & wife.
I am also trying to reduce my sugar intake. Not completely go "off" sugar (which I do occasionally) but limit it as a weight loss tool. It's hard to say no to dessert but if I can avoid the snacks along the road of life, that will help a lot.
Finally, I am getting back on the treadmill. It's pretty boring but it's quick and I have one at home so I can move on to other things.
There is nothing I've really stopped doing other than reducing my intake of sweets to very little.
To understand where I am today, let me tell you quickly where I've been. For much of my life "health & wellness" has centered around weight. I am overall pretty healthy but I've always struggled with weight. In my 20's I was in pretty good shape, but then I got married and gained a few pounds. Then I had kids and gained a lot with my pregnancies. When my 2nd (and last) baby was weaned I embarked on an adventure to lose the baby weight. I lost a lot over the course of a year, then it stalled out. I had a hard time staying motivated and ended up gaining some of it back. I have tried over the past year to get motivated again and just recently found the "oomph" to do it. So, as of today. While I don't have any serious health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) I do need to lose some weight & keep it off to ensure that I stay healthy and have the energy to keep up with my boys!
My philosophy on health & wellness is, generally, to not go overboard. I try to eat right plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains & lowfat protein, exercise (never enough) and get plenty of rest. I am not great about getting enough sleep but I try to catch up when I can. It just seems like there is always too much to do. I try to manage my stress, but I am a "Type A" personality so actually need a little stress to keep motivated.
One of the things I did was to go to the doctor on Tuesday for a physical and also got another prescription for an appetite suppressant that has helped me before. It helps me to not be hungry so I can focus on eating "right" instead of just eating to fill the hunger. I also got a prescription for a low dose of Wellbutrin. Part of being "healthy & well" is managing stress and I am not good at that--especially with my energetic 3-year-old. So I am taking a daily Wellbutrin to help improve my mood so I can be a better mom & wife.
I am also trying to reduce my sugar intake. Not completely go "off" sugar (which I do occasionally) but limit it as a weight loss tool. It's hard to say no to dessert but if I can avoid the snacks along the road of life, that will help a lot.
Finally, I am getting back on the treadmill. It's pretty boring but it's quick and I have one at home so I can move on to other things.
There is nothing I've really stopped doing other than reducing my intake of sweets to very little.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Blog Assignment #2 - Part 2
We eat macaroni & cheese fairly often so I am quite familiar with making & eating it. I try to mix up what we serve as side dishes so it doesn't get old. I actually prefer to buy & prepare the whole grain version but it is so much more expensive. Ah, well, I started out by choosing to make 3 boxes since in addition to my husband & 2 kids I also have a little girl I babysit eating with us, plus my mom & her mom. It's always nice to have leftovers for lunches too!
First I got the water on the stove & boiling.
While I waited for that I decided that we would have Low Fat "Big Franks" (vegetarian hot dogs) as our protein side dish.
Once the water was boiling I added the noodles and got those cooking.
While the noodles cooked I tried to do some other things but had to keep going back and stirring so they wouldn't stick--they still stuck to the bottom a little bit. While they cooked I got our bag of salad out & open and ready to serve.
To be honest, although my kids love Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, I don't really think it's the healthiest product. I much prefer whole wheat/whole grain breads & pastas and use very little plain white pasta. I do appreciate that Kraft has put out other options and go that way occasionally. I figure the noodles do have some nutrition and by adding a dark green leafy salad with shredded carrots on top and lowfat vegetable protein plus fortified 100% fruit juice I am putting together a reasonably healthy meal that my kids will enjoy. I also make it with olive oil-based margarine & skim milk so it's not high fat. With the obesity problem in our society, and weight problems in my family, I try very hard to keep meals reasonably "midfat" for the kids.
And let's face it! I like mac n cheese too! When I was pregnant with my oldest son (now 6) I craved macaroni & cheese like CRAZY! I remember going to a nice restaurant at the beach when I was about 4 months pregnant and ordering macaroni & cheese off of the kids menu to eat at our romantic dinner by the fire. It's no surprise to me that Sammy LOVES mac n cheese!
The kids were thrilled to pieces and all 3 had seconds. Our little friend Ellie even had thirds!
I don't know what it is about Kraft macaroni & cheese but it is always a hit! And it can't be any other kind. Nothing else can be added. A couple of times my husband grated some Tillamook cheddar cheese into it and my youngest wouldn't even touch it!
Overall macaroni & cheese is a staple in our house. When it's on a REALLY good sale it is not uncommon for me to buy 20-30 boxes. When I make it for dinner at home it's a MINIMUM of 2 boxes, often 3. At the beginning of the school year I think I bought 70-80 boxes. I'm very glad it's on sale now because I was starting to get low!
Kids enjoy the dinner and I enjoy the easy prep!
First I got the water on the stove & boiling.
While I waited for that I decided that we would have Low Fat "Big Franks" (vegetarian hot dogs) as our protein side dish.
Once the water was boiling I added the noodles and got those cooking.
While the noodles cooked I tried to do some other things but had to keep going back and stirring so they wouldn't stick--they still stuck to the bottom a little bit. While they cooked I got our bag of salad out & open and ready to serve.
To be honest, although my kids love Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, I don't really think it's the healthiest product. I much prefer whole wheat/whole grain breads & pastas and use very little plain white pasta. I do appreciate that Kraft has put out other options and go that way occasionally. I figure the noodles do have some nutrition and by adding a dark green leafy salad with shredded carrots on top and lowfat vegetable protein plus fortified 100% fruit juice I am putting together a reasonably healthy meal that my kids will enjoy. I also make it with olive oil-based margarine & skim milk so it's not high fat. With the obesity problem in our society, and weight problems in my family, I try very hard to keep meals reasonably "midfat" for the kids.
And let's face it! I like mac n cheese too! When I was pregnant with my oldest son (now 6) I craved macaroni & cheese like CRAZY! I remember going to a nice restaurant at the beach when I was about 4 months pregnant and ordering macaroni & cheese off of the kids menu to eat at our romantic dinner by the fire. It's no surprise to me that Sammy LOVES mac n cheese!
The kids were thrilled to pieces and all 3 had seconds. Our little friend Ellie even had thirds!
I don't know what it is about Kraft macaroni & cheese but it is always a hit! And it can't be any other kind. Nothing else can be added. A couple of times my husband grated some Tillamook cheddar cheese into it and my youngest wouldn't even touch it!
Overall macaroni & cheese is a staple in our house. When it's on a REALLY good sale it is not uncommon for me to buy 20-30 boxes. When I make it for dinner at home it's a MINIMUM of 2 boxes, often 3. At the beginning of the school year I think I bought 70-80 boxes. I'm very glad it's on sale now because I was starting to get low!
Kids enjoy the dinner and I enjoy the easy prep!
Blog Assignment #2 - Part 1
The first thing I thought about when I read today's assignment was how much macaroni & cheese I already have - lol.
No problem, though, because we eat a lot of it so buying more, when it's a good deal, makes sense. We'll certainly use it! The second thing I thought about was where I would go to buy it. I live in an area that is pretty densely populated with grocery stores so I have a lot of choices nearby. I know that Fred Meyer usually has the best price on mac n cheese if there's not a sale, but I remembered that Safeway has Kraft Macaroni & Cheese as part of a special deal where they are only $.59 if I buy 8 or more so I figured I would head there. It was starting to rain and I didn't really feel like going to the store, but I figured if I shopped quick it wouldn't be too bad.
I got to Safeway and parked, got some coupons for a couple of items out of the back of my van and headed in to the store.
I walked in and saw the sign for the "Buy 8 and get $.50 off each item) right away.
I headed straight to the pasta and boxed dinners aisle because I knew that's where I'd find the mac n cheese.
I walked down the aisle and the first thing that caught my eye was a big empty space on the shelf.
It only took a second to confirm that was indeed the type I was looking for. They had other Kraft Macaroni & Cheese options like twists & other shapes, but I was pretty sure "regular" was the kind I was "supposed" to by for this project, plus I'm also quite sure that's the only one my 3 year old will eat! Besides, it was the only one that was $.59 when you buy at least 8! I knew it was a good deal and would probably sell out quickly several times but I thought I had more time than this! Fortunately Safeway is good about having endcaps of their best deals so I headed to the back of the store to check out the "popular" spots before asking them to look in the back. Thankfully I found a shelf full!!!
I didn't really consider any other pasta options, but mainly the only other pasta like that I choose is boxed fettuccini. We don't ever buy any other mac n cheese because it's just not as good!
I thought about what veggie I would serve with it and since I have unusual small children who love salad I decided to get a bag of salad. There were lots of choices & none on sale, but thankfully I have a $1/$5 produce purchase so that helped a little bit.
I briefly contemplated the slightly cheaper iceberg lettuce but the nutrition value is just not there so I went for a Spring Mix with lots of dark leafy greens. I quickly headed up to the register to pay.
After paying I headed home and got out a couple of vegetarian meat options for a side to go with the mac n cheese. Which one will I choose? That will be in my next post about actually making & eating dinner!
No problem, though, because we eat a lot of it so buying more, when it's a good deal, makes sense. We'll certainly use it! The second thing I thought about was where I would go to buy it. I live in an area that is pretty densely populated with grocery stores so I have a lot of choices nearby. I know that Fred Meyer usually has the best price on mac n cheese if there's not a sale, but I remembered that Safeway has Kraft Macaroni & Cheese as part of a special deal where they are only $.59 if I buy 8 or more so I figured I would head there. It was starting to rain and I didn't really feel like going to the store, but I figured if I shopped quick it wouldn't be too bad.
I got to Safeway and parked, got some coupons for a couple of items out of the back of my van and headed in to the store.
I walked in and saw the sign for the "Buy 8 and get $.50 off each item) right away.
I headed straight to the pasta and boxed dinners aisle because I knew that's where I'd find the mac n cheese.
I walked down the aisle and the first thing that caught my eye was a big empty space on the shelf.
It only took a second to confirm that was indeed the type I was looking for. They had other Kraft Macaroni & Cheese options like twists & other shapes, but I was pretty sure "regular" was the kind I was "supposed" to by for this project, plus I'm also quite sure that's the only one my 3 year old will eat! Besides, it was the only one that was $.59 when you buy at least 8! I knew it was a good deal and would probably sell out quickly several times but I thought I had more time than this! Fortunately Safeway is good about having endcaps of their best deals so I headed to the back of the store to check out the "popular" spots before asking them to look in the back. Thankfully I found a shelf full!!!
I didn't really consider any other pasta options, but mainly the only other pasta like that I choose is boxed fettuccini. We don't ever buy any other mac n cheese because it's just not as good!
I thought about what veggie I would serve with it and since I have unusual small children who love salad I decided to get a bag of salad. There were lots of choices & none on sale, but thankfully I have a $1/$5 produce purchase so that helped a little bit.
I briefly contemplated the slightly cheaper iceberg lettuce but the nutrition value is just not there so I went for a Spring Mix with lots of dark leafy greens. I quickly headed up to the register to pay.
After paying I headed home and got out a couple of vegetarian meat options for a side to go with the mac n cheese. Which one will I choose? That will be in my next post about actually making & eating dinner!
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