SECRETS TO MY SUCCESSES SO FAR 2013

Things have been busy so far in 2013 and thanks to my 2013 New Year Resolutions I have been busy and it has been great!  I have lost 10 llbs., I have lost inches, I have regained friendships, made new ones and strengthened others.  2013 has been fun so far and I believe if I keep up with the habits I have created for myself, it will only continue to get better. People are often looking for the quick fix to life or the miracle solution to problems, I do not have that. Although, I am happy to share what has worked for me and hope you can use some of my tips or be inspired to create your own habits for 2013!

Health & Fitness
Mike bought me a Fitbit.  Such a small gadget has made a huge difference in my choices.  The Fitbit makes you aware of how many steps you take in a day.  I set a goal of 10,000 steps per day.  Some days I achieve this goal, some days I take more than 10,000 steps and some less.  Just wearing the Fitbit and knowing it is counting my steps has helped me notice how many lazy choices I make in a day.  From driving to my office (I presently live on campus), taking the elevator (to the 3rd floor), not gong for an errand or to visit someone or do a chore because I am relaxing.  These choices add up.  Since January, I walk to my office every day and do not take the elevator.  I take opportunities I would have skipped to see people or run an errand.  And I do chores when they need to be done and I no longer say "I will do this later".  The Fitbit has been the key to 2 of my resolutions - stopping me from making excuses for myself and MOOOOVing!

The other key to my health & fitness success is barre class!  At the end of 2012 beginning of 2013 I bought a Groupon to Barre N9ne and it has been life changing for me.  As a former dancer who is 10 years away from my fit dancer days, this class has been perfect for me.  And I have introduced it to 5 or 6 of my friends already who also love it.  The class is perfect for women, it tones the hard to reach areas and you will very quickly see inches melt off with just 2 classes a week.  I have made a personal goal to go to barre two times a week and I have been able to achieve that.  My coworker also goes twice a week and we both feel empowered every time we leave class and cannot miss a session. After a month of going my wedding dress is already too big!  And I hope by the beginning of summer I will have to exchange it for two sizes down, and based on how well barre class has gone already I think that will be easy to do.

Lifestyle
Taking things as they come and trying to look at things positively is easy to say and not always easy to do.  This year I have really focused on taking my time when faced with different situations and have tried to think them through before reacting.  I have had some success here and work has been much better for me with that attitude. I am not 100% at this but I have noticed what a difference this attitude can have in a day.

My trucker mouth has not been cured yet but I do notice when I curse and have good friends who call me out on it.  This is one that will be brought to the front of the list now that the others seem to be going so smoothly for me!

Reaching out to friends and letting them know I am thinking of them or making plans to see them has also been a huge source of positive energy for me.  Even the smallest interaction such as, a Facebook posting has helped me feel closer to my friends and led to making plans with one another. I would not say I am channeling Yes Man but, if I do not have a reason not to try something new or go out with a friend I no longer say no just to veg at home, unless I really need to.

Crafts
It has only been one month but I have gone over my goal with 2!  I made a gift for a very close friend of mine who moved to Texas for her job.  It meant a lot to me to do something nice for her as she has been a very important person in my life for a long time now.  Giving something you have made and put a lot of thought into to someone is an amazing experience and was exciting to give and I could see in her eyes how much it meant to her.  Make Pinterest your best friend and try to do a couple of things from there every few weeks!

If I can do it, you can too!   Feel free to share my blog with others in hopes it inspired you and hopefully others.

Happy Nemo Storm 2013

2013 Resolutions!

I am very excited for all that 2013 will bring! And in looking forward to the new year I have begun to determine my New Years resolutions. Now, I have had resolutions before and some I was able to stick to and most I failed miserably at. Why? Because some were unrealistic and others were easy to make excuses for.

One step I am taking to assist myself in keeping my 2013 resolutions is writing this post so it is written in a semi-public forum and in a space I can return to in the event I forget what resolutions I believe I can keep. Another step is making them attainable and setting realistic and measurable goals for myself and not making sweeping resolutions such as; "I will be healthier" "I will workout more" or "I will think positively all of the time"

With these steps set in place here we go!

My 2013 New Years Resolutions:

1. Cut down on making excuses for myself - ex. I am carrying a bag, therefore I can take the elevator to my 3rd floor office or everyone else is eaton French fries...if I choose to do these things I need to own it and not rationalize. My mantra for this will be "no excuses".

2. Stop talking like a trucker! I will swear, I know that but I don't need to use a 4 letter word in the middle of my sentences, I need to cut back and use them for real emphasis. Ex. When I stub my toe or when I stub my toe again.

3. Mooooooove! I want to go to the gym more and I want to eat better blah blah blah - who doesn't? But one effort I can make towards this realistically is to move my arse more. (See what I did there I didn't say...) walk to work, take the stairs, stretch when I wake up. I have a fitbit now and this has already made me more aware of how much I move. A minimum of 10,000 steps each day is what I have set for myself!

4. Saying hello! I would like to take the effort to let people know I am thinking of them. When I see something in a store, when I see a card they would like, when I like a Facebook post- I will let people know. Send it to them, tweet it at them, comment on a post not just "like" it. Once a week I need to do make sure an do this with my friends and family. I think of people a lot and its time to put this into action!

5. CRAFTS! I love crafts - looooove. But I never give myself time to do it. And with Pinterest the world knows I have plenty of craft ideas to keep me busy for approx. 5 years with no breaks or sleep. So my plan is to complete 1 craft a month. Small, large - it doesn't matter just do one!

And with that we have my 2013 resolutions! Ta da!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Mini Lasagnas!

Soooooo, my Mom offered to buy all of the ingredients if I came to her place and cooked one of my new recipes.  Okay deal!  I used this recipe for mini lasagnas and it tasted amazing but it was not shaped correctly when I was done.  

So in this recipe I have made some changes that will hopefully help in this area. One thing I dislike in recipes is feeling overwhelmed by steps or not being prepared. So I am trying, in all of my recipes I try and blog about, to give as much advice and as many extra tips as I can to help cooking come easier to anyone who also feels this way. 

Mini Lasagnas 7/20/2012

Ingredients

12oz ground turkey (raw)

salt & pepper (on hand for seasoning throughout)

1c chopped onion

1/2c chopped mushrooms

14oz diced tomatoes 

8 or 10 oz can of tomato sauce

2tbsp minced garlic

3tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1 3/4c skim ricotta cheese

1 package Nasoya All Natural Wonton Wraps

2c shredded mozzarella 

Instructions

• You will need a skillet & a muffin tray
• Prepare and measure out all ingredients in advance, this will save you time and you will be a better cook for it!
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Coat muffin tray with cooking spray
• In a skillet saute ground turkey, onion, mushrooms, salt & pepper until turkey is cooked through
• Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds 
• Add in diced tomatoes & tomato sauce 2 tsp of oregano and bring to a boil
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes
• While the ground turkey mixture is simmering: 
• Combine ricotta, 1 tsp of oregano and basil mix well, add in salt & pepper
• Place 2 wontons in each of the muffin cups (I used 1 and they ended up falling apart) 
• Place a dollop of ricotta mixture in each
• Add ground turkey mixture
• Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese

• Press wonton on top and repeat ricotta, turkey, mozzarella steps

• Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese has melted and wontons have cooked a bit (light brown)
• Do not remove from pan until cooled, doing so will also cause them to fall apart

Enjoy!

- A 

Ground Turkey, Roasted Potatoes & a Caesar Salad

Sorry sorry sorry!  I know I have not posted in a couple of days.  The week got ahead of me.  But I hope I can make up for it by posting a delicious meal with 2 recipes we enjoyed this week to make a wonderful meal!  Since most of the recipes were made up on my own with a little help from Google the portion sizes should be great for a couple!  If you need more...add more :-)  Enjoy!

Ground Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Red Potatoes and Caesar Salad

7/17/2012

Ground Turkey Meatloaf Ingredients

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1c milk

2 eggs

1c Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1Tbsp. Chopped onion

2 cloves ground garlic

3/4c cheddar cheese

1/2c ketchup

1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1Tbsp ketchup

Ground Turkey Meatloaf Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Mix ground turkey, milk, eggs, bread crumbs, onion and garlic in a medium bowl by hand
• Fold in cheese
• Mix in ketchup
• Season with salt & pepper
• Place into loaf pan
• Top with additional ketchup 
• Cook in oven for 1 hour

Roasted Red Potatoes

1-2lbs of small red potatoes, quartered

1/4c butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2Tbsp lemon juice

1tsp Salt

1-2Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Roasted Red Potatoes Instructions

• If cooking Ground Turkey Meatloaf no need to preheat oven.  Otherwise preheat to 350 degrees F
• Mix potatoes, butter, garlic, lemon juice, & salt in a mixing bowl until well blended
• Pour into 8x8 baking dish
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to your liking
• Bake covered for 30 minutes
• Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes until cooked to your liking.  Fork should easily go through potato

If you make these together, pair with a caesar salad and a glass of wine. I promise, it is delicious.  Enjoy!

- A

Grilled Tomato Mozzarella Basil & Pesto

Fancy Grilled Cheese

I was feeling inventive yesterday when deciding what to make for dinner.  And I suggested a grilled tomato, mozzarella, basil, pesto sandwich.  We both agreed it sounded delicious so I went to town and made it up as I went along.  Here is how it went!

Grilled Tomato Mozzarella Basil & Pesto 

7/16/2012

Pesto Ingredients

1/3c finely chopped basil leaves

1tbsp. Parmesan cheese

3 finely chopped garlic cloves 

1/2c olive oil (you probably won't use it all)

Ingredients

4 pieces of whole grain bread

butter

pesto

4-6 slices of fresh mozzarella (slice it thin so it melts quicker)

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 basil leaves

Pesto Instructions

• Place all of the dry ingredients into a medium bowl
• Slowly add oil and mix with a hand mixer (I do not have a food processor if you do use that)
• Add oil and mix until the texture is what you'd like it to be and voila!

Sandwich Instructions

• Take 4 slices of bread and spread butter on one side of each (think grilled cheese)
• Place 2 slices face down on frying pan over medium heat
• Spread pesto to your liking on non buttered sides
• Place 2-3 slices of mozzarella on each slice of bread on top of pesto (this depends on how you sliced it)
• Place halved cherry tomatoes on top of cheese
• Next, add 2 basil leaves to each half
• Top each half with other slice of bread buttered side out
• Using spatula flatten sandwich  
• Flip occasionally until both sides of each sandwich looked grilled and cheese has melted

Tip

I suggest you try toasting the bread lightly before beginning sandwich instructions to give it a crunchier texture

ENJOY!

-A

Travel Map

Memories & Inspiration!

Our travel map 

created 7/12/2012

For those of you that know us, you know Mike and I love adventure in trying new things and traveling.  Even if you don't know us the description of my blog should have given that away.  We have talked for awhile now about creating a travel map for ourselves. My Nana & Papa had on their wall and it inspired me as a child to travel as much as they did and create my own map. The idea behind it is to highlight/showcase where we have lived or traveled and also to remind us to visit new locations.

We finally created it this week and I am very excited by it. You'll want to find a very large map so you can be more specific with where you have been.  (As a New Englander, I have accepted I cannot mark everywhere I have been regardless of the map size)  You'll need a larger than the map cork bord and colored pins.  I have provided links below to the items we bought.

We use ours as follows:

Green - Places Mike has lived

Black - Places I have lived

White - Places we have lived

Red- Places Mike has visited

Yellow - Places I have visited

Blue - places we have traveled to together

As we travel more, places we have been individually, we will change to blue when we have gone with one another  It is fun to see where we have been and how many places we would still like to go.  It's also a nice feature to hang in a family room or den for guests to look at.  Who knows maybe we will inspire someone else to make one.  We look forward to filling our map with colors! Overtime mostly blue and white pins will fill the map :-)

Shopping List

Board

Map

Pins

- A

Chopped Chicken Taco Salad

OMGosh Chopped Chicken Taco Salad with Chipotle Dressing DELICIOUS

This recipe is an adaptation from one of my favorite magazine's recipe found here!

Chopped Chicken Taco Salad with Chipotle Dressing

7/11/2012

Ingredients (this makes a VERY large portion so feel free to cut amounts down to what works for you, we are still eating leftovers today 4 days later)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tsp. olive oil

salt & pepper

frozen corn (All You recipe calls for fresh corn chucked and grilled but we couldn't and this worked great!)

1 Tbsp.unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 canned chipotle in adobo

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (smells so incredibly good)

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Romaine lettuce 8 cups (I used the stalks you can get from Market Basket, I used 1.5 Foxy brand stalks)

1 cup cherry tomatos, halved

1 avocado (I used a medium sized one because I LOVE avocado)

1/2 med. red onion, chopped

1 15-oz. can black beans

tortilla chips

Instructions

Make sure all of your veggies are prepped and ready according to the ingredients list

Grill the chicken in a skillet on your oven (if you are like us and don't have a grill, Foreman doesn't work well here since you need to season as you go)

Brush chicken with oil, season with salt & pepper

While grilling the chicken, cook corn in pot on the oven according to package instructions

Grill chicken until cooked through (approx 10 min)

Cut chicken into cubes and place to the side

Drain and place corn off to the side as well

In a bowl blend (I used a handmixer) buttermilk, chipotle in adobo, cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/4 tsp. salt until smooth - this will serve as your dressing!

In a separate large bowl place lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, avocado, red onion, corn, and beans.

Mix in dressing as much as you prefer and season with salt and pepper

Serve with chips on the side to eat salad like a dip if you'd like - I recommend it

Leftovers

We covered the leftovers with foil & plastic wrap in the fridge and 4 days later its still tasting great and the lettuce still has a crunch which is impressive!

Calorie information can be found here.

ENJOY!

- A