Mommy Meltdown: Before Photos

I know, I know. A month in to Mommy Meltdown and I am just now posting my "Before" Photos. But, I have been resistant. After all, noone wants unphotoshopped photos of themselves looking bad ..however I really do want to document the changes to my body over the 3 months.  These were taken about 2 weeks in, and already with the 9lbs gone, and muscle taking over the fat, I see a difference.


 I chose a too small pair of 7 for all Mankind jeans that still have the tags on (I want to wear them darn it) and a tight tank top that I wore when pregnant with Ana. I thought it was funny to wear the tank 8 months pregnant, then in my before photo and finally in my "After".

Without much further ado, here is what I looked like at the start of the program. Keep in mind the bad lighting, lack of a big smile and dour face. LOL...

  In this photo I am a size 10, about 155-156 and still flabby! But check back in August and that will allll be different!!

 and a very pregnant Zoe with the same tank! It stretches :))

Stay healthy,

Mommy Meltdown, who needs milk anyway??

Added:
 After I wrote this,I braved the scale and I am down another lb...phew! Will update my weight chart later :)

Dear Readers:

  Moving ahead with Mommy Meltdown, I feel a bit discouraged because my weight is plateauing, I have not lost a lb or anything in at least a week. I have not gained wither, but I really want to move ahead and added 2 extra workouts last week. This week I am also going to add 2 gym workouts. One tonight, Tues and Thursday or Friday.  I missed my Monday morning class because we were hosting the monthly playdate. Now I am not hosting again until August, so I should not miss any more Mondays, which really get me off on the right foot.

As for the Daily Diet. I am still doing great. Sticking to it. My mom had some of my family over to her house and had quite a delicious spread : bagels, lox, quiche, danish, and other goodies. All I ate were the raw veggies and dip all afternoon and then fresh fruit salad for dessert. YUM.


 Yesterday, Monday I started a milk product free week or two to see how my allergies react. So far , so good . Though, I do not see any immediate differences.

Monday Daily Diet:

Breakfast:

Egg white omelet with kale, mushrooms and fresh herbs
coffee with almond milk

Lunch:

Salad with grilled chicken, pineapple, pepper and cucumbers
balsamic on the side

Snack:

 Fruit Salad


Dinner:

Steamed Cauliflower
Lean Cuisine Pizza (something made me want some cheese and bread, I figured this was the best option so I would not "Cheat"  )



Late Night: Some tiny pretzels


Not too bad without milk , and just now I realized I had cheese, oops. Maybe I am not cut out for not eating milk products. I like yogurt and cheese way too much. Just the way they are.

Review: Pottycover, an adorable, full coverage cover!

Dear readers,

 I love love this product and found it so useful. I will continue to buy these and use them with Ana.

  Every once in a while a product comes along that is so brilliant and necessary to make your life better, easier and healthier and you are super thankful for it.  Pottycover is one of those products.

  I received a package of Pottycovers to try out with Ana, and they are going to be soooo helpful along our journey of potty training, traveling and shopping. First of all, the shape and size covers the entire toilet seat so that your skin does not touch it anywhere, and Hello, I needed this for so long. I am one of those women who pulls out the toilet paper and lines the seat with at least one layer everywhere so that I do not touch the yicky seat. Pottycover eliminates that waste of paper and time. And it comes in a cute resealable bag.

 Secondly, the pattern of the paper is adorable. I love polka dots, and the colors are super cute...so if I have one hanging out of the diaper bag, I will not be embarrassed.

 Lastly, consistency when potty training is so vital to its success, and I know that once Ana is fully sitting on the seat (she is a bit small to sit along right now), I will have to encourage her to sit every time (and not squat like mama does ).

Here are the vitals from the Pottycover website:

• Made of soft non-woven fabric on top
• Coated with a layer of plastic on the bottom, so barrier is waterproof
• Each cover is individually packed
• Largest coverage on the market

A pack of PottyCover sells for $5.99 and it is available on Amazon, Ebay, all Buy Buy Baby stores around the country and at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores.

I will be a very loyal customer for the next few months as we embark on our toilet training journey.  Thanks Pottycovers!!

***I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Mommy Meltdown Update, Daily Diet and Loco Scale situation...

Hey readers:
So I am moving ahead with my Mommy Meltdown Program, enduring great but tiring classes in this extreme 90s heat. The workout on Wednesday was really tough as it was the first in the 90s and the heat index had it over 100,phew! Today it was a bit cooler, but most of our exercises are done in the grass, in the shade avoiding the severe sun so it works out. We are doing mostly circuit training with the bands interspersed with running the track. I always feel so great after class is over, my clothes are totally soaked and I am tiiiirrrreeeed. As for my weight loss, it seems to be at a stand still at 8 lbs. It has not gone up, down, or much of anything and I have to figure out a way to kickstart it again. I have added an extra workout or two a week, and will likely continue to take at least 2 classes a week at the gym besides Stroller Strides.

My new and improved eating is pretty smooth. Pretty much the same old same old..sushi, Kashi, yogurt and lots of salads with fresh fruit snacks. Also today, I made a delicious take on pasta and sauce with Shiritaki noodles, tofu meatballs and spicy sauce. YUM! I hope to lose 2 more lbs before June is over and make it a cool 10 lbs gone and lost forever before July and August set in an I can work on the 2nd 10.

Stay healthy and let me know if you have any tips on losing more weight faster and consistently. I could use them.

Mommy Meltdown: Challenges and Catching up

Hello!
 My mommy meltdown posts have fallen behind as I post great giveaways and sponsored reviews. I have decide to kick up my social media network and blog giveaways and I fear that I am losing my personalized touch.  I promise you I am here. And I am still pursuing weight loss avidly. I have been sticking to my diet wholeheartedly, with my usual breakfast of Kashi and skim or homemade WW cheese danish (recipe up soon, I promise).  A lot of fish, veggies and fruit. No ice cream. No desserts. Less carbs, very little bread and pasta.

The hardest day recently was Father's Day. I went out to brunch with my Dad and his family and we went to a local restaurant on the Hudson River (gorgeous with great food) that has a big breakfast/brunch buffet with all the trimmings. Soup to nuts and a lot of amazing looking goodies like homemade waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Carrot cake. Cheesecake. Chocolate Mousse. Pastas and seafood. SO what did I order?  A salad with ahi tuna, hold the dressing. I was SOOOOO good. Believe me I would have loved to have a cheat day and dig into a nice slice of carrot cake, but it wasnt worth it to me and could have set off a downward spiral of cheating on eating. So I feel good for making that choice.

This week was an off week. Since I take Stroller Strides 3x a week , usually Mon, Wed and Fri or Sat.every other week, I take Ana to her playdate so I miss Mondays. And since I went to class on Fri, I skipped Sat. So I did not workout Sat, Sunday or Monday.  Today, I had to do something about that so the weight does not come back on. Also, I wanted to add 2 days in on the gym this week , so better sooner than later.  I decided to give Pilates another try, and it was a good , tough class. I just may take it again next Tuesday.  After class, and picking Ana up from the babysitting, we went for a good long walk/jog on the rail trail. It was gorgeous out, not too hot...and a breeze on the trail. Lovely.

Tomorrow it is back to business as usual and hopefully I will be weighed so I can find out if I am losing, gaining or keeping it even.

Until then, stay healthy.

Review: Hot Vampire Costume, like True Blood, Vampire Diaries, etc.

Hello dear readers:

I received a really cool red and black hooded vampire costume from Wholesale Halloween Costumes online and I was really impressed with it. First of all it shipped quickly and arrived wrapped nicely in its own reusable bag with a great photo of the costume on the front of it. I took the costume out, tried it on right away and it fit like a glove. I love that you can adjust the ribbon to tighten it in your waist, and tied mine until it emphasized my small waist.

I also love the lining in the red, and how it makes my pale skin pop.The long sleeves hanging over my wrists made me feel elegant and sexy. A true female Dracula. My own personal blood sucking sexy beast. LOL.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock recently, you will know that vampires in the media  are so super hot right now. With mainstream shows like True Blood on HBO and The Vampire Diaries on CW, a  vampire costume like this can make you feel sexy, glamourous and chic.

I have made a few horror films in my time, and I always get to wear great costumes. This cool hooded robe will be put into my costume box and worn over and over for parties, and fun times. I cannot wait for Halloween, and finding some great Vampire teeth to complement this great find.

Check out all of the great photos of the costume below. I wish I had spookier lighting, but wanted you to see all of the great details. I will add more photos then next time I dress up :) 

**I received a complimentary costume to facilitate this review, the opinion expressed within is my own.***

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Triple Review: Smiley Couture Ring, Necklace by Zenanigans & Headband by Lovely Bands

It had been so rainy and grey out, I had to do something colorful and fun , so since I am desperately behind on my reviews and thank yous to great sponsors for giveaways, I thought I would do some catching up. Here are three amazing wins from a recent blog giveaway, facebook comment album and celebration and I love all three pieces already. Let me tell you all about them!

1. Gorgeous handmade beaded ring from Smiley Couture on Facebook. I had a choice of bead color and wire color and fell in love with this bright green, perfect with my hair and eye color. The ring fits perfectly and  I love that it is handmade and one of a kind.

Isnt the green pretty?

2. A beautiful tree of life necklace from  Zenanigans. Again, I could choose the color of the beads, or stones and I chose these gorgeous turquoise/green stones. I think they make the tree pop. Gorgeous coloring. 

3. And to top it all off:  A beautiful headband sponsored by : A life in the fashion lane
made by Lovely Bands.

those are little rhinestones along each piece :) pretty!

I really love entering (and winning fashion blog giveaways) and have won some great ones this month...photos to follow soon! Please check out these great sponsors!!!



Have a wonderful Father's Day weekend!!

and stay healthy!! 

Mommy Meltdown Daily Diet Thursday (and adding the Gym)

I have to make this a bit of a quick post since it is almost 8 am , and I do have class this morning. I decided to kick the weight loss up a bit (hopefully) and am going to start going to the gym as well as class 3 times a week. I started last night with a wonderful high intensity Zumba class. This was my third or fourth time taking class and I knew right away something was different. I did not get winded during class. Oh sure , I got sweaty and definitely worked out out my muscles but my lungs felt fine after class!!! What a great improvement.

Anywho, here is my daily diet from yesterday and this weekend I will have some new recipes for you. I am going to start adding several weekly features and have fewer big giveaways that I join in on. Try to keep it 50/50 .

 Thursday Diet:

Breakfast:
 Kashi and skim
Coffee and skim

Lunch:

Strawberry non fat Greek Yogurt
Slice of Melon


Dinner:

Thai Chicken Burger and amazing Grilled Veggies
Salad with homemade balsamic dressing

Late Night Snack:
 a handful of pretzels
orange


I added more water yesterday too, so hopefully between the water and the added workouts I will drop more weight consistently. I might have a weigh in today, so I will let you know. Cross fingers I am closer to 151. That is my goal :)


Stay healthy,

Review & Giveaway: Copy Kids DVD, real kids eat veggies & fruit! Adorable!

Hello dear readers:
  Recently I received a copy of the DVD Copy Kids Eat Fruit and Vegetables, and it is so super adorable. This video encourages healthy eating in young children and  is divided into 12 chapters that focus on a different fruit or vegetable. These include: Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Carrots, Avocados, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Oranges, Bananas, Raspberries, Strawberries, Apples and Blueberries.

I thought the best way to test out the video was to sit Ana down and watch her reaction. And truthfully, she loved it! And I did too. Anything that encourages her to eat healthy is a-ok with me Halfway through watching , she wanted to chow down on a snack of fruit herself, so I obliged and cut up some apple and put blueberries on her plate too. She loved watching the adorable, fun kids and eating her fruit with them. I made videos of Ana's reactions, so you can see for yourself. Feel free to watch some or all of her reactions. My fave is broccoli is spicy, because she loves to call everything that she likes spicy lately. I really enjoyed the different reactions of all of the cute kids, they seemed so organic and natural on camera. Authentic.  I love this idea, and they should branch out and do fiber and meat because Ana will not touch any animal products except cheese and yogurt!

Want to hear more great news:

  Here is more info and some great reviews :  Copy Kids Press.  Plus, they have recently won 2 Children's Excellence Awards:

One from Dr. Toy: http://www.drtoy.com/product-view/?productid=119

One from MACT:  http://www.award-winning-healthy-child-products.com/2012/03/19/copy-kids-wins-the-prestigious-mact-excellence-award/


And....they were approved by the USDA and added to their Education and Training Materials Database for pre-school nutrition:

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/schoolmeals/Resource_Cafe/Resource_Details.php?ID=2226


The running time of the dvd  is: 115 minutes, and the way it is set up you can play by individual fruit or veggie of your choice, which I loved.

 Find them on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/CopyKids

and 

 Twitter:

 https://twitter.com/#!/CopyKids
 



 Here are my videos that I made with Ana while she was watching the dvd:




Broccoli, one of Ana's fave veggies.




Broccoli is spicy? Ana thinks so.....CUTE!!!




Peppers, another of Ana's faves. She will eat a bowl of red peppers with dinner.



Apples, yum! Now she wants a snack for sure.....




Ana eats Apples..and watches Copy Kids.



Bye Bye,time to watch more fruits and vegetables being eaten by cute kids.



Want to buy your own copy?? You can pick one up here:

http://copy-kids.com/buy-dvd/

Want to win one??? Check out the rafflecopter easy entry form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I received a complimentary copy of this dvd to review, all opinions expressed within are my own.***

Mommy Meltdown Workout 11 and Daily Diet: Tues and Wed

Hello readers:

   Even though it was raining out today, we still had a great Stroller Strides Workout in the Mall, and I felt great after. I feel like I am catching up and getting back into my workout groove.

   We did not do a weigh in (no scale) so I will have to update my weight on Friday. I am sure it will be down a lb or two or even as I have been sticking to a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Also, I am adding in extra workouts starting on Thursday, in between classes. This will help boost my metabolism and help with muscle confusion. I will tell you more about that later.. I have a zillion reviews to write and even a few great giveaways, so I will be here but busy!

Here are my daily diet posts from today and yesterday, just to prove I am still on track and eating healthy.

Tuesday

Breakfast:
Kashi /skim
Coffee/skim

Lunch:
 Salad with thai chicken (dressing on side) lettuce, chicken etc veggies at Panera Bread with D and A

Dinner:
 Salmon with asparagus

Snack: No fat greek yogurt (honey)


Wed:
 Breakfast:
 Kashi/skim
Coffee/skim

Lunch:
Salad with grilled chicken, low fat feta, veggies
Homemade dressing
Hummus/carrots

Dinner:
 Corn on the Cob
Homemade Thai Chicken Burgers (recipe coming soon)
Salad

Snack:
??? not sure...

Mommy Meltown Workout 10 and Daily Diet : Monday

I admit it. I am one of those people that dreads Mondays. I am not sure why.  I think it has been embedded in me since going to school and not wanting to get up so early for school after a great weekend. Now, all of my days are early and they all pretty much blend together, so I am not sure why I dislike Mondays. But, I do. So there.

This Monday however, was a great day. Ana and I headed over to the park and it was overcast, but looking like the sun might win out and peek through the clouds. The Stroller Strides class was pretty full and I am always pumped when there are more people in class, I dont know why but I run faster and push myself. I was chatting with one of the nice ladies in class and found out she is 19. Being almost twice her age, I joked that I would try and keep up with her. Wow, I feel old. Anyway, I had a great class. We did less running and more jogging, and squats. My body is definitely acclimating to being pushed again and sweating hard, which feels great. I am usually soaked at the end of class, and today was no exception. It was a good one.

 When I got home and changed my clothes into a dry outfit, I sneaked onto the scale and lo and behold, I am down another lb. 152!!  2 more and I never have to see the 50s again. Good bye, good riddance and so long. So long 8s and 10s and hello 6s ( I hope.)  Most of my pre-Ana clothes are 4s and 6s , so I am looking forward to wearing them again someday.  The way my body is built (and I promise before photos are coming now that hubby can take some photos), I am really busty and curvy, so even though I weigh more than the size should be, as long as it stretches on top, it will fit. 

So 152. I am ok with that. And 150 will be even better.


Daily Diet for Sunday

Breakfast:

Homemade WW inspired cheese danish (recipe coming soon)
Coffee /skim

Lunch:

Raw Veggies with Chipotle Hummus
Water

Snack:
 Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Blueberry

DInner: (9pm by the time I got to have dinner)
 Did not feel like making anything so threw in a WW meal: pasta with shrimp

Will try and eat better this week.  Goal: 151 by weeks end!

Mommy Meltdown Workout 8 and 9 and Daily Diet

Sorry I am slightly behind. What can I say , I have been out running around and having fun! Happy Weekend.  This is a bit of a catch up post from this past week, but I have so much good news! I stepped on the scale a bit worried after 2 meals out of the house yesterday, but I am down another pound!! Woohoo...I am down 7 lbs since I went on the "diet" and 6  since I was weighed in for Mommy Meltdown. Wooohoooo.  Of course the fact that we walked everywhere yesterday (garage sailing in the rain) in Beacon, and then I did a little dancing last night probably helped!  I am hoping that adding 2 gym workouts with arm weights will help too. I am adding in the gym for reals this week.

Friday and Saturday we were back to the park, after having to workout in the mall a couple of times due to the wet weather lately.   I really like working out outside and am starting to get used to the humidity. My lungs seem to be holding steady and my asthma has been under control even when running. I feel pretty healthy all in all.   Friday and Saturday we jogged laps, used the bands for resistance training and did some muscle confusion type exercises. Saturday it started raining halfway through the workout so we moved to the pavilion and used the picnic table for planks, and lunges. My legs are hurting a bit today, Sunday, which feels great!

I am going to make a separate page on here so you can follow this journey from the beginning, I even made a cute little button. Also, I will find a weight loss meter to let you know how far from my goal I am.

As for my daily diet, I seem to have that under control as well. Although the hard part for me is knowing what to eat when I am out at a restaurant or running errands all day. For example. I knew that I would be out for lunch AND dinner on Saturday, so I tried to eat a small breakfast and then salad with little on it for lunch. Then, I had a bigger salad for dinner. It worked out well.

Saturday Daily Diet:

Breakfast:
Coffee/skim
Kashi/Skim

Lunch:
Salad with cranberries, goat cheese,tomatoes, cucumbers, candied walnuts. Fork dipping into lemon vinagrette dressing at cafe in Beacon

Snack:
 coffee with skim and cinnamon (yum)

Dinner:
 Salad of mesclun greens, grilled salmon, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions
Fork dipped into balsamic vin.

I skipped dessert, and instead stayed at the bar part of the restaurant and danced. It was fun. I felt young again.

Ana loves her veggies, but.... Recipe for homemade Spanakopita

Hello fair readers:

 My dear sweet Ana loves her veggies and for an almost 2 year old she is quite a good eater. But, we do have trouble getting her to eat chicken, fish and turkey.  I am always looking for new recipes that provide healthy proteins that taste delicious. She will not eat chicken nuggets, turkey burgers, chicken with sauce or turkey meatballs.  Believe me, we have tried all of those tricks. So I continue to hunt for great recipes that I think she would enjoy. And, I found another great one. This is from a book my mom brought me, "One Bite Won't Kill You", by Ann Hodgman. The recipe is on page 194, Spanakopita, but it is made with broccoli instead of spinach.  It is a little tricky to work with the filo dough if it is completely thawed, but other than that, super easy and super yummy!

Spanakopita as a Main course:

Ingredients:

  2 cups cooked chopped broccoli, well drained
 1 large egg (i used whites)
 3/4 cup crumbled feta (about 3 oz)
 8 ounces ricotta cheese
 1/2 cup grated Parmesean (about 2 oz)
 1/4 tsp pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick ) unsalted butter, melted
4-6 sheets filo dough (read box to defrost)





Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet. Stir together everything except the butter and filo in a bowl. Spread out a sheet of filo on a cutting board and brush it lavishly with melted butter.  Keep the remaining filo covered.  Put another sheet of filo on top and lavishly butter that one. With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle of double filo into 4 squares. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of broccoli mixture at one end of each square.

(see photo on left)




 Roll the dough over the filling,folding the ends in like an egg roll. As you finish each egg roll, put it on the buttered cookie sheet seam side down and brush it with more butter. Repeat this until filling is all used up.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until they are brown and crisp. These are best served HOT!  Makes 8 or more pastries...Yum!!

Ana seemed to love them. Daddy approved and I tried half of one of Ana's and it was delish! I might even use spinach and broccoli next time :)











 Tell me if you try this! Stay well and healthy,

Mommy Meltdown Workout 7, Weigh In 2 Down 5!!

Hello readers:
 The good news is, the workouts are getting easier. The bad news is, the diet is getting repetitive. I am looking forward to chatting with Dina this morning and finding out some healthy hints for the diet part of this program. When I am trying to lose weight, I tend to eat the same foods over and over and get myself in somewhat of a food rut.

 More good news? I am down 5 lbs now. Technically , it is 6 since I started the diet and 5 since I started the Mommy Meltdown weigh ins.  I feel so excited.  5 down, 15 to go for summer.  And then  a few more to celebrate my 20th year high school reunion and fit into a hot, little black dress!

Yesterday's workout seems to be easier to me to follow. I feel stronger and my lungs felt ok running, jogging and walking.  I am looking forward to the day when I can run around the whole track without getting winded and breathing heavy.  I really like the exercises that we do with the rubber bands, strength training I guess it is. I feel like my arms are getting stronger , and they do hurt after concentrating on them.

Today, I am adding in a gym class at Gold's Gym, I will be taking a Zumba class this afternoon! I cannot wait!


Stay healthy, and I will let you know what Dina says.

Mommy Meltdown Daily Diet Tuesday, 6/5

This is going to be a quick post as it is getting late and I have to be at my Stroller Strides workout tomorrow morning at 9:30.  I feel weird changing my class from Monday to Saturday this week, and felt like I missed something, even though I had a great playdate with Ana.  I think I am ready to add days at the gym in now that my allergies are better and my legs are getting used to running.

My daily diet for today, Tuesday:

 Breakfast:
 Egg white omelet with feta and spinach
2 slices turkey bacon
Coffee/skim

Lunch:
Raw veggies
Chipotle Hummus

Dinner:
2 turkey dogs, one bun
mustard
2 pieces of corn on the cob, no butter
salad with homemde dressing

Snack:
Air popped popcorn
water

Phew, I get so tired, I forget what I ate.LOL..until tomorrow. Stay Healthy,

Mommy Meltdown: Sun & Mon and a Salmon Recipe.

So Mommy Meltdown is going great so far. I sneaked on the scale and my numbers were down again, but I will wait until my official weigh in on Wed to find out my progress. I have yet to hear from the nutritionist , so I am winging it and hope I am doing it right. Here is what I ate Sunday and today:

Sunday

Breakfast:

Kashi/skim
Coffee w skim

Lunch:

Grilled Chicken
Salad
Veggies cooked, no sauce
Rice 1 cup
Shrimp cocktail, no sauce

Dinner:
Leftovers from lunch

NO dessert or snacking. I figure I will leave that for a cheat day.


Monday:

Breakfast:

 Kashi/skim
Coffee skim

Snack:
Coffee

Lunch: Leftovers from yesterday
It was one meal that I split into 3 servings.

Dinner:
Salmon and Asparagus with Citrus Gremolata (see recipe below)
Salad (homemade dressing)

Snack: Air popped popcorn, no butter


Here is the yummy recipe for the Salmon and Asparagus...perfect for a summer night!

                             level: Basic  prep: 10 minutes  roast: 10 minutes  serves: 4
Ingredients:

1 lb fresh thin asparagus, trimmed   
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped  fresh tarragon
1 garlic clove, minced
lemon wedges


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Combine asparagus, oil, 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1/8 tsp of the pepper in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Spread asparagus in a single layer on one side of a prepared baking sheet. (in my case I put them on their own sheet)  Sprinkle salmon with remaining salt and pepper. Place salmon on other side of baking sheet. Roast, turning asparagus once,  until they are crisp tender an salmon is opaque in center. About 10-12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to make gremolata, stir together parsley, orange zest, lemon zest, tarragon, and garlic in a small bowl. Divide salmon and asparagus among 4 plates , sprinkle salmon evenly with gremolata. Serve with lemon wedges.  Enjoy!!

I found this easy to make and super delicious...

 Let me know if you try it.  Have fun!

Mommy Meltdown: A grumpy day! Daily Diet Friday & Sat (so far)

Ever have one of those days where you should probably roll over and go back to bed, call off whatever you have planned and sit home and sulk, or clean the house, or do something equally NOT fun??


    Well, I should have. I am super grumpy.  I am sure it is a combination of the rain, my time of month, and being on a pretty strict diet and exercise regime all at once. Add to it Ana's sudden 2 year old behaviour, and it makes Mama pretty grumps.  We got to class on time (despite the rain and packing a bunch of stuff to be out all day) and Ana was relentless about the snacks.  I try and pack her healthy things to eat when we are working out and running with the stroller, but she always wants snacks i.e crackers, cookies (animal crackers) etc.  I packed her blueberries (a staple), and Goldfish crackers.  Of course she didn't want the blueberries and wanted to start with the crackers, ugh.  So finally I relented because she kept asking for them over and over while we were doing our circuit.  Now, I am a pretty calm Mama and I do not really raise my voice to her, tell her "NO" or the like, but she was really pushing my buttons and I got short with her and told her she was driving me crazy. LOL. The ladies in the class heard me , and probably think I am mean to her (which I am not), but really, she was very annoying asking for the snack over and over and starting to whine.  I made it through the whole class and tried to give it 100%, but I was just in a terrible mood and did not have fun.   After I gave her the crackers, Ana was quiet and well behaved, but really this food thing is not great. I hope she grows out of this mode soon.

Anyhow, I feel better now. But what a grumps I was.  I hope Monday is a better day and I can redeem my workout.

Daily Diet Friday

Breakfast :
Kashi / skim
Coffee/skim

Lunch:
Salad with grilled chicken, tiny bit of feta...lots of lettuce  homemade dressing

Dinner:
Sushi: 2 rolls
Miso
1/4 cup noodles
a tiny scoop of red bean ice cream (shared with A).. My cheat night!!


Sat:

Breakfast:

Kashi/skim
Coffee skim

Snack:
'Leftover nonfat greek yogurt (ana's)

Lunch
 Ahi tuna
Salad with peppers, olives and onions
Balsamic on side

Non sweetened Iced tea