Fancy Chart, Feel like a Pro!

Can't wait to bring Lily to the mall this afternoon. If I haven't already told you, I work for Macy's Inc. Getting me to go to the mall on my day of is a huge feat. Today they're having an event in the children's department, face painter, coloring and Easter Bunny. The best part of all this is I get to see Lily's face light up when she gets around other kids and I know who's in the bunny suit. That's what I consider a win win.

Today my exercise is going to consist mainly of chasing around an 18 month old in the mall. To fill in the rest I'll probably do some yoga stretching followed by a few crunches. I like to use crunches to warm up or down because it really gets your blood pumping. Just don't over do it with too many, you'll wear yourself out. I would even start with ten forward and ten for each side. Once I'm limber a run seems more feasible. My biggest fear as a working Mom is doing things half way.

Sometimes I feel like I can't give 100% to fitness work home or family because I'm spread too thin.

I feel pretty comfortable with that being accurate. Actually this may be a part of my abstinence speech when Lily turns 16 years old. Do you think this would scare a teenager enough? Ha ha

Ran out of groceries yet again, feels like ground hog day. Before I get a chance to make a trip to Wegman's we have some organic eggs and chives calling our name with a side of whole wheat toast. Lily and I just have to wait for Steven to wake up, its his specialty. Especially with working, and even if you don't, its important to make sure everyone can cook something. It feels good to be the taken care of every so often :)

Glass Half Full

This recent cold weather has left me exhausted and craving carbs. My body is telling me to pack on the pounds and lay in bad, come out when Winter is over. I have a strong suspicion that humans were intended to be in hibernation during these months. Of course some one along the way had to be an over achiever and say " I can get through this Winter without bundling up!" and our hibernating days were over.

On top of that, I've been giving my joints a rest with the jogging. Every time I went out something would cramp and ache, but not in a good way. Today I'm getting back on the pony, anxious and a little nervous but I do have to start training for the Home Front Run in May.

The past few days haven't been my most successful. However, today my glass is half full and I'm feeling pretty ambitious. I might even find the time to put together some other goals, like blogging 2x a day. I've really been slacking the past two days, definitely feeling a bit guilty.

Thursday Something to Think About: If you described yourself in 4 words what would they be? Are they positive?

Imaginative Strong Logical & Stubborn

Zombie

I feel like a work zombie, I'm completely exhausted. Yesterday we had an event in my department. I went in at 8am -10am came home for two hours, enough to to eat and shower. Back to work 12:30 - 11pm. There were so many guests that my associates were visibly overwhelmed. Once everything had calmed down one came up to me to vent. By the end of the conversation he was the one offering me advice, don't you just love when that happens ;)  So that got me thinking, how many people are out there waiting for this or that to do something they truly want to do? What are the excuses?

I have to come to terms that my stars will never align and no fairy godmother is going to make my dreams come true, I'm flying solo. So to start, I need a darn good realistic plan. I always enjoy planning, that's the easy part, its the follow through that crushes my goals. However, I'm stronger remember? I changed my diet which many people are still working on, I deserve some kind of pat on the back for that one. If I can accomplish one thing I of course could accomplish a second.
Most of why I was so successful with eating healthy was because I held myself accountable on this blog, if I ate a pint of ice cream I'd have to report it and no one wants to go around bragging about that.

Operation Dream Job

1. create a realistic plan
2. blog about said plan
3. hold myself accountable for every step
4. celebrate small wins
5. be happy

Let's see how this goes....

Man's Best Running Partner

Everyday I'm surprised more and more about how easy my family was to jump on my band wagon. Don't get me wrong, it was a tough first three weeks, but we've cleared the hump and are in  a happy healthy place. Dinner last night was a chicken salad, brought on by Steve's request, "How about a chicken salad? That sounds good right?" I tossed some chicken breast cutlets in the slow cooked with sugar, water, salt and onions on low for 5hrs. Lily and I took that time to play outside. Can anyone believe how gorgeous it is out there?

I read somewhere that having a bad run really makes you appreciate the good ones, how true that is! My last few jogs ended in something aching. Last night I was feeling optimistic, I took Frank with me down the pavement. He wasn't as distracted as I thought he would be so ultimately it was a success and I will definitely bring him again, man's best running partner! However, maybe it was because I didn't stretch enough or I was leaning back to keep Franklin focused, but I got insane shin splits. Whatever it was is making me think I need better shoes. Typical female, reverting everything back to shopping ;)

 Is your dog your favorite exercise buddy? Who out lasts who?

Weekly Grocery List

This List should get you through five days without having to visit the store again until the end of the week, mostly depending on the amount of produce you may eat and how quickly you eat it.

Produce:

• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Apples*
• Oranges
• Sweet Onion
• Baby Carrots
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Tomato
• Green Beans
• Broccoli
• Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic

Dairy:

• Milk
• Eggs*
• Yogurt
• Butter
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Bakery:

• Multi Grain Bagels
• Whole Grain Bread
• Whole Wheat Rolls (large enough for a burger)

Snacks:

• Unique Pretzel - Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Splits
• Kashi TLC Granola Bars
• Kashi TLC Cookies
• Kashi TLC Crackers
• Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips

Pantry

• Whole Wheat Pasta*
• Tomato Sauce*
• Brown Rice
• Sugar in the Raw Granular Sugar
• Sugar in the Raw Brown Sugar
• Olive Oil
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Chocolate Chips
• Peanut Butter*
• Whole Almonds
• Kashi Go Lean Protein Bars
• Fleischmann's Pzza Crust Yeast
• Puffins Cinnamon Cereal
• Kidney Beans
• McCormmick Taco Seasoning
• Vinaigrette Dressing

Meat:

• Ground Chicken Breast
• Chicken Breast Cutlets
• Steak

Frozen

• Frozen Strawberries
• Far East Vegetable Blend

Steven will throw in his picks, but I don't eat them. I recommend getting a one or two things people in your family enjoy if there is no substitute on the list. I started out buying a few for Steve and when he ran out he shifted to my food. Finding out that he was happy without eating junk started his transition to the health side. During our last grocery store visit all he chose to toss in the cart were sugar free popsicles, lite maple syrup and V8 Splash.
*I buy these foods organic. I haven't been able to fully adapt to organic foods because it explodes my budget but I found these don't break the bank too much and its a great place to start.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal with Bananas & Blueberries
• Bagel*
• Peanut Butter Toast with Banana
• Yogurt with Blueberries
• Scrambled Eggs with Toast*
• Fried Egg on Bagel*
• Sweet Potato Home Fries
• Pancakes*

*I don't add any butter, I find that the food tastes great without. It did take a few times to break the habit but I'm happy I did.

Lunch

• Salad
• Protein Bar
• Yogurt with Almonds, Granola and Fruit
• Chicken Sandwich
• Leftovers :)

Snack

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Almonds
• Chips
• Pretzels
• ....anything and everything

Dinner

• Chicken Burgers
• Baked Rosemary Chicken
• Chicken Chili
• Breaded Chicken Strips
• Stir Fry
• Spaghetti
• Grilled Steak
• Pizza

Sides

• Steamed/ Roasted Vegetables
• Brown Rice
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Salad
• Yam Fries

I eat when ever I get hungry. First I'll munch on some fruit or vegetables, if I'm still VERY hungry after I'll grab a protein bar. If I'm craving chips I'll eat a few, mostly because their so expensive, that definitely has helped me ration my portions. Eating out doesn't have to be traumatic when you eat home 90% of the time with natural ingredients. Be sure to read the labels of whatever brand you're buying. You'll notice I choose a lot of Kashi brands because I know their geared toward nutrients and not weight loss. I also try and stay away from anything that's hard to pronounce or I'm unsure of. Focusing on whole foods has made all the difference.

If you have any questions leave a comment. I'm new to this too so I'm sure there are a ton of other food options out there. These are some that stick with my family.

Lily munches on fruit a lot! Once I buy produce, the sooner we eat it the better because it goes bad. I feel great knowing my money isn't being wasted. Of course I'm left shopping in a few days but eventually you'll know how much is right for your family. Never run out of produce, you will start craving other foods and I'll guarantee you'll fall off track.

Food Anxiety

Yesterday when I came home from work I went for a quick jog and we hit the road again, completely skipping dinner. Steve declared it was a "cheat" day, and I panicked. What would I be able to order at McDonald's that I could feel good about? Something about food coming from a fast food restaurant made me think grease, and I wasn't liking it. What I should have done was pack some fruit and a protein bar, problem averted. Instead I was starving and was secretly craving a Big Mac. Its difficult not feeling guilty or nervous what kinds of affects restaurant food will have on you. I consider myself planned and structured. I know for a fact I feel great when I eat whole grains, fruit and vegetables. I wanted that burger but would I feel bloated and tired after?

Now I didn't get my Big Mac but we did have onion rings and steam ums. Also I should admit I ate half a pint of Ben & Jerry's Mint Chip Ice Cream (I was already heading down a bad path why slow down?) My belly was filled to the brim, all the fiber and protein I've been eating makes me fuller with less, the food I ate tonight left me craving more. Of course I'll never write off ice cream or onion rings. They're tasty and great... in moderation. As an entire unbalanced meal/dessert these are terrible, for me.

Happy News: I don't feel like I've deprived myself of any food. I eat literally all day, even when I get home at almost midnight. My struggle before with dieting was I always felt hungry, I didn't give my body what it needed and my body fought back in eating whatever it wanted. Changing my idea of a diet into a lifestyle truly made me successful. I know I promised I wouldn't talk about weight but I'm so proud that I haven't stopped eating or replaced meals to lose 5lbs. I think that's the most important thing to know when trying to drop a few.

Healthy Eating > More Energy > Exercise > Healthy Weight > Happy You

Since I didn't eat all that great last night I was seriously craving a large meal this morning. To beef up my normal cereal I went heavy on the fruit. I'm pretty sure I have a blueberry addiction now too!

16 & Pregnant Epiphany

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that my husband DVRed "16 & Pregnant: Where are They Now?" for me and I love it! He considers me a reality show junky. I am happy to report it is not that serious. HOWEVER, I do indulge in the occasional MTV show. I finally got the chance to watch this morning. Most of all I feel sad for the girls featured on the show. They're so young, some climbed out of the ditch they created and others just got buried. I'm not saying that deciding to have their child was a bad decision but it is a tough one that few are able to do successfully. The more I watch the more I feel grateful that I have the support of my husband and we're able to provide for our daughter.

On top of that, of course I would be watching everything they eat ;) I'm more of a food junky than anything. I'm still reaping the benefits of steering clear of processed food. At this point you know all about my personal triumph of a run, I mentioned I was so excited I woke up early the next day. Now I'm not quite sure that's why. These past few days since my health stars have aligned and I partnered a great work out with great food I haven't slept in. Is it possible that being healthier makes for a better in tune body?

Instead of sleeping in on days off or taking a nap, I feel more refreshed. Maybe I'm getting better sleep that leaves me more refreshed with less sleep. This reminds me of when I was in high school. Freshman year I would come home so tired that I would pretend to be sick just to take an afternoon nap. In hindsight I should have been eating better all along. I have a chance to impact Lily's life and show her a way to get the most out of her days, that's something that is not an option.

How will you affect your child's future today?

Success Aftermath

After yesterdays extremely successful run I had a surge of energy. I was so proud of myself I couldn't sleep. Today I woke up at 6am without a second thought. Thankfully I had work early so I knocked that out and had a small part of the day full of family time. We ran out of produce within four days, this seems to be a pattern. The more fruits and veggies we buy, the more me eat and are loving it. Steven made pork roll for lunch and soon regretted his decision. The more he see the reactions processed foods have on his body the more I'm winning in the health battle. I brought up a Wegman's run and he was fully on board.We got the baby together and were off. On our way to the car Lily saw her friend Dia (a 15 month old that lives near by) so we stopped for a few rides down the slide. She was in all of her glory. Lily even showed Dia how to properly play with sticks. It was by far the cutest thing I had seen all day.

Around 8pm the three of us finally got home, I started dinner. Tonight I baked chicken breast and some sweet potato fries, a family favorite. I needed to cook up the asparagus before it was too late, it was an instant match. While dinner was in the oven I had just enough time for a quick run. Really I wanted to prove to myself I could go the distance again. Unfortunately for me, I didn't stretch. Oh my goodness did I ache. Right before reaching my final few steps my side couldn't take it any more, I had to slow down. Oh well, I did pretty darn good.

Have you ever forgotten to stretch before exercising? How bad did you end up?



Yayy Me!

Woke up all groggy this morning. I've been eating pretty late at night so when morning comes I have to remind myself to eat to keep my metabolism up. Eventually my goal is to not indulge at midnight but with all this healthy food I vowed not to tell my belly no. No matter what!

I had raspberry yogurt with fresh organic raspberries and almonds for an added boost of protein. Not too shabby.



Unlike most of the country, I had work literally all day. I didn't leave the office until 8pm. I took a late lunch to eat dinner with Lily around 5 so I wasn't hungry. Lily and I played tea party for a while then she was off to bed. I finally got my chance for a run at 9pm. I was so excited. Seriously I've been envisioning myself doing a really loong trail.

I am beyond proud to report I ran the ENTIRE time! That has never happened. I usually slow down and take a walk in between, something just clicked tonight. Maybe it was because I wasn't worried about anyone being around to hear me wheeze, or maybe I just stopped making excuses. Any way it happened it made me feel like a million bucks.

What was your first success in training?

Early Whine Session

Two things happened already this morning,

1. I was going to write this adorable post about Franklin and how well behaved he's been 
2. The news said its going to be 60 degrees, perfect running weather

Well Frank then started running around chewing up things, barking and its not 60 degrees now so I stayed curled up in my pjs before getting ready for the nine to five. Until I can brag about my dog and how he is the best running partner ever  I'll whine about how I'm never eating ham and cheese again!



Source / territu (I ate it too fast to take a pic)

Last night I got home from work around 11pm, I was starving. I had a all natural whole wheat pretzel then switched to a protein bar. I'm sad to report, I was derailed. Steven had made a grilled ham cheese with mustard (processed everything)  It stared at me every time I walked through the kitchen. But it was on whole wheat! Steve really knows the way to this girls heart, through butter soaked whole wheat. I caved, I ate it!

I truly could not help myself. I also haven't had a "cheat" day so this was my version of a reward. I'm here to tell you never again. I'm not sure whether it was because I've been eating so well or it just happened to be the perfect storm with everything that was in my belly already but it was not good. 

When did you realize there was no turning back when it came to all natural or organic foods?

I don't know that there has been anyone who switched to a healthy lifestyle and said "you know, this really doesn't make me feel good at all, I'm going to stop this" On the contrary you will hear me saying "this makes me feel too good, I can't believe I functioned before on processed food"

Guilt Stricken

Steven actually woke up before I did this morning, that almost never happens. He headed off to the shower while I took Franklin out and fed him his breakfast. Next was Lily's turn. She was chatting up a storm before I got the chance to sweep her out of her crib. I was still half sleep as all this was going on so I pulled together any kind of breakfast that would be under 2 minutes prep & cook time. Lily and I settled for a fresh multi grain bagel we picked up yesterday with some organic pb. After the caffeine set in I remembered why Steve had woken up so early.

I feel just awful, today he says goodbye to his childhood lab. One thing my husband and I have in common is we don't know how to deal with other people's emotions. I never know what is appropriate or protocol for these types of situations. I also have a high level of empathy. When ever I watch movies I feel the exact emotions the character does. Steve on the other hand gets quiet.

Today my empathy has not taken a holiday, Steve went to his parents house this morning before the appointment. I'm home and feel so guilty. I should have gone! Instead I'm home with Lily and my husband, while not alone, doesn't have us by his side. I'm having another awkward emotions moment. Should I have gone? My original thought was that this was their time to reflect as immediate family, but now I don't know. I've had my childhood dog pass and I remember it didn't sink in until about a day later when my Mom had to calm me down from tears. Maybe he will come to me when he needs me and I'm right where I need to be? This kind of thing never gets easy.

I need a nice lloooonnnggg run to clear my head. Lately whenever I'm stressed or over thinking something my jaw tightens up, I get a head ache and I can't stop obsessing over it. Well, my jaw aches and I miss Steven. Not the brightest of mornings.

Cookie Cutter Dream in a Jello Kind of Life

Jean Jacket on and Ready to Go to Wegman's

Still not used to this twice a week visit to Wegman's. I spent the entire day slaving away at work, come home to pick up the rugrat because I love her so and want to spend every minute I can with her, then back on the road. Not so great for us they didn't have blueberries in stock so I opted for raspberries. Then the next decision, organic or conventional? I was so proud of myself, I purchased those organic along with some other must haves like eggs and pasta. I'll really have accomplished something when I convince Steve that brown eggs aren't tainted.



Whole Grain Pasta Tomato Sauce Chicken Ricotta Cheese & Broccoli

Made some pasta with chicken and broccoli for dinner and now its baking time! If anyone says eating whole foods, staying away from processed meals and exercise doesn't give you more energy is delusional! I can't believe its 9:30pm and I went to work for 9hrs. went grocery shopping, made a home cooked meal, baking homemade cookies and still have time for one on one with my husband (after blogging of course ;)




"Are they done yet?"

There are few moments when a mother feels like she's doing in all and doing it pretty darn well, I may have had my moment people. Tomorrow afternoon when I'm leaving a crying toddler at the door to go to work then am asked to do a million different things not stated in my job description I'll look back, just to keep my sanity. In the mean time I'll continue to expect too much from myself. For instance, I now want Lily to grow up in a home that has homemade cookies in a jar. When they all start to disappear I'll get right back to baking.  Realistic? Probably not, must be the Mommy in me.

My Whole Wheat Masterpiece!

Does anyone else have a cookie cutter dream in a jello kind of life?

Run = Carbs = Good

After this afternoon's run, I was craving carbs like you wouldn't believe. Anything with dough I would have devoured in 5.4 seconds flat, but I waited. Steven took Franklin out for some training while Lily and myself held down the fort. He came back and flopped right on the sofa, poor pup.

Us women folk made our first whole wheat pizza pie. I've made dough from white flour however you never know what might happen when you switch up a recipe, now matter how slightly. I must say, it was quite yummy, just what I needed.

I fought every urge to chow down on some Kashi cookies for dessert. I don't know why but I placed them in the new Martha Stewart glass canisters I got from Macy's. Now I'm forced to look at them every single day, I must really like to torture myself. Instead I shifted into wine gear with a glass of white merlot.                                                  Off to spend some quiet time with Steve, we have a quite household Can You Believe It?

Family Picnic in Pictures

Frank hoping food would appear if he opened his mouth wide enough.

Chowing down on some sandwiches.

Lily and Mommy eating in the sun.

Lady Bug!

Taking a stroll in the field.

Yayy Daddy!

Adventure here I come...




Why Organic?

I have a very real obsession with Puffins Cinnamon Cereal and Blueberries. It's even better than it is with bananas!

Last night my husband said something quite possibly for the books. "I don't like organic apples because there might be worms in them, thats what pesticides are for" My response of course was "You'll eat chemicals but not worms?" Steve always knows how to keep it interesting.

That promted me to get some solid evidence for my own knowledge and if possible to prove my husband wrong (because that's really all we want to be able to do right?) So I started my hunt like every other person on the internet, Google. I tried to find the most accreditted, well-known resources to lessen the risk of finding faulty information.

Does It Pay to Buy Organic? -Business Week
Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century -Organic.org
Organic What's the Big Deal? -Princeton University
Health Check Up: Who Needs Organic Food? -Time Magazine

I also tried to research articles that were against the organic movement, or found no benefits to going organic. A common flaw in any of these were they didn't have supporting facts either way. Most of the articles that said there were no differences in organic vs. conventional food stated the research done pro organic were not substantial enough to use as proof.

Organic 'Has No Health Benefits' -BBC News

After all of that, I won't be buying organic 100% of the time because I get anxious when spending more money on groceries. I've already started eating healthier which has drastically increased my Grocery List budget. Eventually I will be making the switch. I will probably even buy organic bananas and oranges just to simply support a healthier habit, if not for its environmental benefits. In the mean time, I stressed myself out in the begining about not cleaning out my pantry, I didn't have the funds, I still haven't found the funds. Its ok to make a gradual transition to organic. Trading conventional apples to organic apples may not change your life but its a start.

We truly don't know the long term hazards in chemical consumption, making sure I know what goes into my daughters belly is of utmost importance to me as a mother.

Less Work More Lily

I cut out of work two hours early today after a late morning meeting. So glad I did because it turned out to be an beautiful day.



Lily and I took a trip to Target in need of wipes. We walked out with a new bouncy ball ingredients for Sweet Chili. 

Later the two of us headed to the play ground to try out her new toy. So eventful, Lily even found a new friend in a 15 month old just around the corner. We watched the ball go up the slide and waited as it barreled back down. I'm amazed every day at what she can do. Lily pad has no fear and fled down the slide on her belly giggling up a storm while I was below with open arms.

What a beautiful day.

Sweet Chili

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup soaked red kidney beans
• 1/2 lb. ground chicken
• 1/2 jar Newman's organic tomato basil sauce
• 1 plum tomato chopped
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/2 packet McCormick original taco seasoning

sweat onion in pan

once translucent add ground chicken and brown

add kidney beans, tomato, sauce, seasoning, onion and chicken to crock pot

let sit 30 minutes

boil 2 cups of water

add one cup of rice to water and leave on medium heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally

spoon rice into bowl, top with chili and desired toppings (sour cream & cheese)

enjoy!

Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1lb. ground chicken
• 3 tbsp. bread crumbs
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. worchestire sauce
• 4 whole grain rolls
• 1 large yam
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• lettuce
• tomato or whatever toppings you deam necessary

preheat oven to 450 degrees

slice yams into fry size, toss in oil salt and pepper

on baking sheet place in oven for 40 minutes, flip half way through

in a large bowl combine chicken, egg, bread crumbs & worchestire sauce

when evenly blended form into four patties

grill on medium heat 10 minutes each side

slice bun add burger and your favorite toppings

plate & serve

Best Part of My Day

I'll make this short sweet and to the point. We had a fantastic dinner tonight along with the best conversations and babbling a Mom could ask for.

Daylight savings really kicked my butt last night. I woke up just about every half hour because my sleepy head couldn't remember if I had turned the clock back. Eventually I'd remember I had and that it was ok to sleep longer, but then I would fall asleep and yet again wake up to wonder, "did I set the clocks back". This was literally my entire night, not fun. Work was not fun either. I missed my baby, snuggling on the massive sectional that consumes our living room, and that's ok because it's where we do our living.
Instead I was running 5 minutes late just to find out I was in charge of the entire store today. Under normal circumstances not too bad, I mean I wouldn't be able to get anything done but so be it. So there I go minding my own business, I'm walking around groups of my associates and wouldn't you know, my pants split and I didn't even know it. Yes I was living my middle school nightmare. That was my day... until I got home.

Ahh I love my family. Its amazing to be surrounded by people that will love you no matter what your flaws, I have quite a few....

• little bit of a slob (more than I'd like to admit)
• have a new business idea every other week and swear its the one
• make health food concoctions that don't always taste good
• obsessed with blogging
• have to be right... most of the time

Needless to say its not all sunshine over here. Tonight on the other hand was one of those moments you'll remember. Steven, Lily and I sat around the kitchen table and ate Chicken Burgers with Fries. I took it all in and relaxed, talked about my day, laughed at Steve's failed attempt to tease the begging dog. 
If you can do family dinners make the extra effort to sit around the table. It truly was the best part of my day.

Breakfast for Dinner

Originally I had planned on ground chicken burgers and sweet potato fries, until I found that I hadn't grabbed any rolls last time I stopped by Wegman's. So in a desperate attempt not to spend too much time deciding what to make I told Steven it was chicken burgers on bagels!! Yayy!! However I didn't get the same enthusiasm back. He recommended... or should I say demanded, and egg sandwich instead. I got all ready to persuade him otherwise and then I thought about... and egg sandwich is easier to make. I gave Steven the win and headed into the kitchen. That's when our New New Favorite was born.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yam

2 eggs

1 slice of cheese (optional and for Steven)

2 whole grain flax seed bagels

serves 2

peel and slice yam, think thick potato chip sized

add to boiling water with a sprinkle of salt

in the mean time add onion with a tbsp. of oil in frying pan on medium heat

when yams are fork tender drain

1 tbsp of oil in frying pan and toss in sweet potatoes flip every 5 - 10 minutes

they will break and that's ok

in a separate pan fry eggs

toast bagels to your liking, egg inside bagel cheese if you'd like

and there you have it, plate and serve

Really enjoy the sweet potatoes, its an instant staple in our house hold breakfasts. Tell me what you think

Easy like a Sunday Morning

And so the house hunt continues... Last night we had dinner with Steven's parents. It finally is hitting us that we only have 2 months until our lease is up and we'll be moving out, but to where?? Thank goodness we have the option to stay with them until we find our perfect place. I'm starting to think the perfect place is going to take a lot longer to find then we had originally planned. We've already put an offer in for a home that I absolutely love everything about, the price I could reduce but otherwise my perfect match.... until the sellers claimed bankruptcy. Now we have just about decided we're going to be looking elsewhere. No more short sales or foreclosures for us, that eliminates 70% of our options... ughh.

Its hard not getting excited every time you see something you think may be the one. I feel like a women with her biological clock ticking, whenever something has the resemblance of potential I jump ahead 50 steps and picture the future. I'd really love to hear some stories from other people on their house hunt so we're not alone on this crazy ride... In the mean time I'm going frantic on Realtor.com.

Drove by a fixer upper this afternoon on our way to train the pup. I love spending time with Steve, Lily and Frank outside. We blew bubbles and ran around getting rid of some pent up energy. The rest of the night we're relaxing. Plan on making egg sandwiches and sweet potato home fries. I'll update with pictures and a recipe. I'm finding it easier to make meals with all natural ingredients and whole grain. Steven objects to all the fiber, causing him to be more regular. Trying to convince him you're supposed to be using the bathroom more has been the biggest challenge. I must say, did not think THAT'S what he'd need convincing on haha.