Hot! Hot! Hot!

Moving to Missouri from Las Vegas you wouldn't think that 95 degree weather would be a big deal, now add humidity just under 70% and it becomes a big deal.  This is the first time in over a year that I'm actually feeling the humidity here.  You walk out the door and you start sweating and it's not that easy to take a deep breath and when I got out of the car with the air conditioning on my glasses fogged up.  Wow it sounds like I'm complaining but I'm not, I mean we're talking about one day in the last 450 being a little uncomfortable, not the end of the world.  After all I wouldn't trade this easy going living in for anything else, and did I mention the four distinct seasons, beautiful!

We didn't do much this week as Jan has been under the weather for most of the week, but seems to be feeling a little better today.  We were having the missionaries over for dinner tonight but with Jan not up to par I'm going to take them out for Mexican food.  We have a couple of Mexican restaurants in town , however, one of them serves Missouri Mexican which means everything is covered in a white cheese sauce, YUCK, the other is a more traditional Mexican restaurant which Jan and I frequent often.

Even Abby didn't do much this week!

One of the neighbor kids came over to show us some firefly's that she caught and Jan was able to get a picture of one lighting up.

A jar full of firefly's

A Firefly lit up

I want to shout out to the newest blog readers from Venezuela, Chile, Israel, Netherlands and Portugal, that's means it is now being read in 23 countries.  Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, I hope you get a little something out of it. 

Weigh-in this week was good for Jan as she lost again this week and is closing in on a milestone.  As for me I'm still having trouble with maintenance, I lost another 2.2 pounds this week which is the lowest I've been since the early 60's.  It feels like I'm eating everything in sight and after taking a good look at my tracker it seems that I have been really focused on fruits and vegetables, I'm going to watch that this week and make an effort to eat a few more carbs and see how that works.

I read a great article on The Dailyburn website the other day and I want to share it with you, it has to do with exercise water and the heat.

Beat the heat during your summer workout

Did you know that on a regular day, the human body’s core temperature can go above 104 degrees Fahrenheit while working out due to heat produced by muscle contractions? Just imagine how hot your body can get on a summer day.  

There are certain precautions that we all have to take to protect against the heat while working out in the summer. However, whether we choose to run at dusk or high noon, during this time of year it’s hard to avoid the hot, unbearable weather. The Dailyburn offers the following tips to ensure you stay healthy and active this season:

 

Know the symptoms of dehydration - According to the American College of Sports Medicine, warning signs of dehydration include: thirst, irritability, headache, dizziness, muscle cramping, unusual fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hyperventilation, confusion or problems walking.
 

Drink water - If you plan on exercising outdoors, make sure to wear a water belt and add salt tablets to your running pack. Nuun brand electrolyte tablets come in a variety of flavors, and they come in an easy to pack tube dispenser.

Begin your workout fully hydrated - Drink 16 oz. of fluid 2 hours before your workout to start your exercise session fully hydrated. You’ll only want to replace what you lose, not the additional hydration deficit.

 

Cut out alcohol and caffeine in the heat - If you know that a heatwave is on its way, don’t drink coffee the morning of or have cocktails the night before. Caffeine and alcohol will suck water out of your system.

Know when it’s just too hot - Once temperatures creep above 90 degrees, you want to start taking even more precautions while working out. Instead of taking a run outside, move your workout indoors. At-home fitness programs still provide the intense workout you are looking for through online streaming videos and with an added bonus of having a certified fitness trainer guiding you along and keeping you motivated.

Calculate your sweat rate - It’s easier than you think to calculate your sweat rate. Simply calculate weight lost in one hour of exercise plus amount of fluid consumed during the hour of exercise. By knowing your sweat rate, you’ll be able to accurately measure how much fluid you need to replace your water lost without over hydrating.

The food find this week is Sweet Potato Fries, I wanted to get the Alexia brand (I think the're the best) but they were all out so I settled for Great Value.  They are a nice change and make a great side dish.

This weeks recipe is great tasting, enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Calories: 169 • Fat: 1 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 21 g • Fiber: 2.5 g

Ingredients:

·         1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)

·         2 cups water 

·         4 cups fat free milk

·         1 large celery stalk, chopped

·         1/2 medium chopped onion

·         8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms 

·         2 chicken bouillons

·         fresh ground pepper

·         pinch of thyme

·         10 oz frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

·         2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small

·         16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small

·         salt

Directions:

Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bouillon, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve

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Great Entertainment

Our friends (family) from California were here and we kept busy all week:

Day one - We spent most of the day in Dunnegan, an Amish community and visited several of their businesses, a discount grocery store, bulk surplus store, variety store, greenhouse, cabinet maker and of course a bakery.  We did come home with donuts and peanut butter cookies, after all I did need to put a little weight on.

Day two - I had three WW meetings that day so Jan took Steve and Reva to Independence Missouri, it's only about 120 miles from us and toured the Truman Presidential Library, the Truman home and several other historical sites,  They all came home extremely tired but had a great time.

Actual newspaper showing the wrong presidential winner

Day three, four and five - We went to Branson and had a great time, we went to 3 shows, the first one was the Hughes Brothers.  A great family show, and boy do I mean family, 5 brothers, their wife's and over 30 children are all on the stage at times singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.  The oldest brother alone has 14 children.  The second show was called Jerk, a group from Sweden that I was told did a lot of different percussion routines using everyday materials.  When they first came out they did a hard rock number and everybody looked at me like what did you get us into, they did redeem themselves and when it was over we were entertained, however, I don't think any of us would go see them again.  The third show we saw was called The 3 Redneck Tenors which I would definitely see them again as we all laughed for 2 hours straight.  We took a tour on The Duck, an amphibian vehicle that toured the Branson strip and then went into Table Rock Lake for a short cruise, a good time was had by all.  Of course we also found some pretty good eats  while we were there.

Group photo getting ready to board the Duck

The Branson Belle, dinner theater while cruising the lake we'll have to try this next time

While in Branson we went to the Fudgery to watch them make fudge, and of course have samples

Days six and seven - I don't remember exactly what we did but those days flew by, we had a great time and was sad to see them leave.  Two years was just way to long and we will do whatever is necessary to see them and spend some quality time with them  before 2 years goes by again.

So long, farewell........

My blog will be posted on Thursday evenings for now on as I have been assigned 3 meetings at Weight Watchers on Tuesday and 3 on Wednesday, only so many hours in the day.  Weigh-in this week was fine as I needed to gain a little weight and that I did, 1.4 pounds and happy about it.  Now I need to maintain that weight which I am working diligently to do.  Jan had a small gain and was happy also as we did overdo a few times last week.  What made last week work for me was tracking everything I ate even while on a short vacation, I has a great time, didn't deprive myself of anything and was satisfied with the results.  That's what we are suppose to do while on a vacation or staycation, make a plan, be prepared and enjoy yourself.

Sorry, no food find this week, no time to go shopping, however I have a recipe which will be great for the 4th of July.

Red, White, and Blue Fruit Skewers with Cheesecake Yogurt Dip

Servings: 24 • Size: 1 skewer, 1 tbsp dip • Calories: 85 • Fat: 1 g • Carb: 16 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 3 g - Makes about 24 - 28 skewers

Ingredients:

For the cheesecake dipping sauce:

·         4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

·         1 cup fat free Greek yogurt

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         1/4 cup raw sugar

For the skewers:

·         14 oz angel foods cake, cut about 1-inch cubes

·         72-84 medium strawberries (about 3.5 lbs) stems removed

·         1 pint blueberries

·         24 to 28 skewers

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese with yogurt, vanilla and sugar. Mix well until sugar dissolves; set aside.

Thread 3 strawberries and 2 cubes of cake onto each skewer, alternating between strawberries and cake. Finish each skewers with 3 blueberries. Place finished skewers on a platter and refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Friends and Rainbows

Friends and rainbows what more can you ask for.  Our dear dear friends, Steve and Reva, oh what the heck call them family are here from California and we haven't seen them in darn near two years.  We were up late last night catching up on so much and telling them what we have planned for them this week, there going to have to go home to rest!  It seems like just yesterday that we were at their house for thanksgiving and exchanging phone calls with the realtor making an offer on our new home here in Missouri.

Steve and Reva

"A real friend is one who walks in

 when the rest of the world walks out."

We went to my brothers Sunday night for dinner and an early visit and on the way home Jan snapped a couple of pictures from the car.  Have ever noticed that when someone sees a rainbow they say, there's a rainbow and most everyone stops to look at it and make some kind of remark, they are just eye catching and you really don't see them that often.  Every once in a while you might even see a double rainbow, does that mean that there are two pots of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Interesting cloud

Oh, look at the rainbow

“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, 

but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work.”

This weeks weigh-in was ok, I lost 1.6 pounds, you might say that's great but I'm suppose to be maintaining, so I need to really work on it. That's my goal this week, to gain a little or at least maintain.  Jan had another loss this week and was tickled pink.

There has been a lot of talk lately about breakfast and since it's the most important meal of the day I wanted to share a few things with you.

Break the Fast to Shed the Pounds - some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but the practice is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. Studies show that overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults are less likely to break the fast each morning than their thinner counterparts.

According to research, skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It's important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity

Kids Need Their Morning Meal - While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform their best, kids need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains rely heavily on the regular intake of food. When kids skip breakfast, they can end up going for long periods of time without food and this period of semistarvation can create a lot of physical, intellectual, and behavioral problems for them.

A Good Investment - If you and your kids regularly skip breakfast in the interest of saving time, calories, or getting a few more minutes of sleep, remember that eating a wholesome, nutritious morning meal will probably save you time in the long run. By recharging the brain and body, you'll be more efficient in just about everything you do. Interestingly, studies show that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more often than children who eat breakfast on a regular basis. Preparing a good breakfast can be as quick and easy as splashing some milk over cereal. Time invested in breakfast is much more valuable than the few extra minutes of sleep you might get by bypassing the morning meal. If you and your kids seem unable to make time for breakfast, consider enrolling your children in a school breakfast program, if possible, or pack a breakfast brown-bag or smoothie the night before that can be eaten on the way to school and work.

Feedback is the breakfast of champions.

This weeks food find is a great tasting and quick fix for a speedy meal.

Serving size 2 oz.,  Fat 1g, Carb 1g, Protein 9g, Fiber 0g

The recipe this week is one of my favorites.

Crock Pot Chicken Salsa Verde

Servings: 6 • Size: 1/2 cup • Calories: 145 • Fat: 2 g • Carb: 5 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 26 g

Ingredients:

·         1 1/2 lbs raw skinless chicken tenders

·         1/4 tsp garlic powder

·         1/8 tsp oregano

·         1/8 tsp ground cumin

·         salt, to taste

·         16 oz salsa verde

Directions:

Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, cumin and salt and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with salsa verde, cover and cook HIGH 2 hours.

Remove chicken, shred with 2 forks. Remove 2/3 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and discard (unless you want it over rice). Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot with remaining salsa, adjust seasoning to taste if needed and keep warm.

Put over rice or on a tostada or taco shell, don’t forget to add the nutritional information for these.  Add some jalapenos for heat if you like.

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Beautiful Flowers

We had extreme weather again last week which changed some of our plans.  On Thursday evening we were going to the zoo as it was Friends of the Zoo Night and since Jan and I are members we invited some friends to join us.  As the day went on the weather kept getting worse and by the time it was ready to go it was so bad that we thought better and didn't chance it.  Our friends, Chad and Michelle, who live a few blocks away thought it would be a great pizza and movie night so we went to their place instead of the zoo.  The pizza was great, the company was wonderful and the movie was so so, Frank and the Robot, at least I got a nap when it was movie time. 

Friday, Horses of Hope had a Spirit Horse program for women at their Baxter Springs, Kansas facility so Jan picked up Holly and Julie and drove to Kansas (2 hours away) in the morning.  The weather turned bad mid afternoon and the end of the program was cut a little short so everyone could get home safely.  The ladies loaded up and headed home and by the time Jan made it to Holly's house it was so bad that she had to take shelter at Holly's for about 4 hours.  It was raining so hard there Jan said that you could hardly see in front of you and then it started hailing quarter size hail.  While that was taking place here at home the tornado sirens were going off and Abby and I were sitting in the hallway for a while until it stopped.  By the way there was no tornado and Jan finally got home safely. 

With all the rain it seems like I have to mow the lawn twice a week, but there is one benefit I want to share with you, flowers.  Isn't it amazing how our Heavenly Father can bring us such beauty after such a scary time for some, these are some flowers in our back yard.

Green thumb, NOT! just mother nature at her best

I was a happy camper at weigh-in this week as I was down .4. I think I have maintenance worked out and it never felt like I was missing anything this week.  Jan was down well over a pound and was excited to see her success for her efforts this week.

Never sacrifice what you want most,

for what you want in the moment

Since summer is right around the corner, hydration is very important! I know many of you have a very hard time drinking just plain water, so here are a few different recipes for you to try out to jazz up your water!!  Try and make these the day before so you can leave them in the refrigerator overnight.

1) Lemon/Cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced + 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped basil leaf + 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves.

2) Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 6 strawberries / or Raspberries and one thinly sliced lime + 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves.

3) Fennel/Citrus
First: infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.  Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) + a small thinly sliced orange + 12 fresh chopped mint leaves + the infusion of fennel seeds.

4) Blackberry/Sage
Note that apart from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.  Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed + 3-4 sage leaves.

5) Watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems.

6) Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes + 12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped.

7) Apple/Cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cup of apple cut into cubes + 2 cinnamon sticks + 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

8.) Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.  Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea + 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes.


For something nice and easy just freeze fruit juice in your ice cube trays and use as ice cubes in your water.

I love this weeks food find for just a quick sweet treat, I get these at Walmart.

Here is this weeks recipe, enjoy.

Grilled Pesto Shrimp Skewers

Servings: 7  Serving Size: 1 skewer • Calories: 180 • Fat: 8.5 g • Protein: 25 g • Carb: 0.5 g • Fiber: 0 g

Ingredients:

·         1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

·         1 clove garlic

·         1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         3 tbsp olive oil

·         1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (weight after       peeled)

·         kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

·         7 wooden skewers 

Directions:

In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing.

Combine raw shrimp with pesto and marinate a few hours in a bowl. Soak wooden skewers in water at least 20 minutes (or use metal ones to avoid this step). Thread shrimp onto 7 skewers

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-low heat until hot. Be sure the grates are clean and spray lightly with oil. Place the shrimp on the hot grill and cook until shrimp turns pink on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes; turn and continue cooking until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes

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