mmmmm taco soup

Alright - how about a simple, fast healthy soup to warm up these chilly autumn days - I've got the perfect thing, it's simple, hearty and uses up those pantry items...

3 alarm Taco Soup

1 vidalia onion diced
2 cans corn (un-drained) or green beans, whatever you've got
2 cans black beans (drained) or whatever beans you like
2 can chili - you favorite kind
1 large can of crushed tomato's (I like organic)
1 cup of your favorite salsa
handful of taco seasoning (or 1 packet)

I usually saute the onions a bit with some olive oil and salt/pepper then when they're getting nicely browned add all the other ingredients.

optional add-ons:
a squeeze of honey (to cut the acid)
mole (careful it's hot)
green chili's
jalapenos
shredded chicken
spinach (don't laugh it's good)

then top it with sour cream, tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro, green onions .... and the kitchen sink :)

todays update:

sleep: almost 7 hours!!!

exercise: rest day

water: 50 oz

food:

8:30 peanut butter and honey sandwich
1:30 southwest chicken salad with jalapeno ranch

5:00 taco soup 2 bowls

8:00 1 more bowl of taco soup with a dollop of sour cream

I LOVE this on a night where we're thinking of ordering out - it's so easy and just tastes amazing no matter what we have to toss into it! Try it, you won't be disappointed!!!

Food porn

Oh Food Network - why do I love thee so? I think I should totally send the food network a bill for every gym membership I have ever had, not to mention every work out video :)

Whilst waiting for kashi hubby to come home last night, I surfed over to a channel I have been avoiding ever since the Hot 100 started - why? you ask... well I can't take it!

Truth be told, every time I watch one of those food shows (mostly triple D) I just want to run out and buy the biggest, greasiest plate of whatever they're featuring that episode. I swear it's porn for fat people. The worst part is I never get to watch tv until late at night when my kids are all in bed so my beloved Food Network works against me, luring me back into a life of plus sizes and broken patio furniture (oh yeah-there's a story there, maybe another time)

... curse you food network

today's goals:

Sleep: um only about 5 hours

BUT I snatched and 1 ish hour nap and man did I feel good:)

exercise: a little upper body routine (see workouts in older posts)

water: 50 oz

food:

8:30 2 silver dollar pancakes plain

11:30 spinach pasta

and 2 cups homemade salsa and 15 tortilla chips

7:00 Carls Jr - yikes this could've been bad but I got the teriyaki burger on lettuce (no bun) with jalapenos and only 10 bites of fries*

*I have this weird habit when I eat french fries, I will only take one bite and then discard the rest of the fry - it makes me eat a lot less and I still feel like I've had a bunch :)

comfort food

I think as the days get colder and the nights get longer I have the tendency to turn to comfort food to 'warm' me heart and soul... what comfort food do you guys like?

I grew up in Maine with big warm bowls of clam chowder and whoopie pies.

Then we moved to Utah and I enjoyed classic hearty meals of roast and funeral potatoes.

Now that I'm a mother and get to make my own meals we tend to lean toward mexican meals enchiladas and asada tacos...and salsa - mmm my favorite!

Because things have been kinda sucky lately (no house yet) I want some 'good for you' comfort food - any thoughts?

todays report:

sleep: 4 hours (don't ask)

exercise: rest day

water: about 80oz!!!!! getting there

food:

2:00pm Kashi Vegetable Bake

6:30 pm asada tacos with homemade salsa, salad, feta and yummy lime juice loads of cilantro

11:00 pm popcorn

hmmm... think I fell off the wagon, I guess I need to work harder on handling stress :)

bad news sends kashi girl over the edge

Let's just say, today was a rough one. But despite hearing some really terrible news (we lost the house we wanted to buy) I still managed to keep my emotional eating under control...well somewhat.

Of course when my sweet friend heard the news (she knows how long we've been waiting for this) she rushed over with a sweet card and my favorite treat, a mint chocolate truffle bar. SOOO GOOD. I put it aside, but later when my usual comfort food of chips and salsa didn't perk me up, I indulged and ate the whole bar (they're 3 inches long). Even though I know I shouldn't have eaten it, I am happy to see that I nursed it for a good half hour instead of eating the whole thing in 4 great, big, gooey, bites. I guess that's a step in the right direction... right:)?

Things are a little chaotic here, we have a 5 people in a 600sq.ft. apartment including 1 very demanding newborn. The whole country has cheap houses for sale EXCEPT in the one town we're looking, there are bidding wars! yesh
However, I am a deeply religious person and I DO believe this didn't work out for a reason, I just wish that we could finally settle down somewhere and move past this crazy transitional stage... oh well, onward and upward. :)

So here's the breakdown:
Sleep:
6 hours got to bed at 2pm (my hubby had a really hard day at work and needed me when he got off his swing shift)
exercise:
I did the 500 calorie burn workout from sunday - wasn't dying this time...good sign
water:
honestly I don't know - it's been a rough day... at least 30 oz
food:
9am Kashi Autumn Harvest cereal
12pm Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake with jalapenos mmmm.
2 pm cheese stick and 3 sunsweet prunes
3:20pm a little comfort food snacking including 2 cups homemade salsa and who knows how many totilla chips
4:00 mint truffle bar
6:00pm Kashi Pesto Pasta Primavera
8:00 pm 2 sunsweet pitted prunes

eh - could've been worse, could've been better

a little caloric meltdown

In light of my new goals of working out better I thought it was time for another video...

as usual I've been scouring the net for a new workout to change up the routine and I found a good one for ya, it claims to burn 500 calories in just one circuit workout... and I have to say I was spent (I hate... I mean love mountain climbers)

check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIOVx4MS8oU#watch-main-area

the best calorie burning workout! try and tell me if you were dying too - if not then I guess I'd better work on that whole endurance thing...

my first week update...The Hot 100 - Going out with a BANG!!!

My first week (or so) update:

Sleep: Only went to bed once this week past midnight (trust me - this was a feat!)

Exercise: ok, I suck! this week's workouts were a bit unorthodox - but this will be my new focus next week, an area for growth

Water: around 50 oz average/day (there's room for growth there)

Food: pretty good actually, not only am I eating every 3 hours, but I am not eating late... feeling good about that one. So all in all I'm getting there.

... and as an added bonus I have started taking muti-vitamins for the first time in my whole life, I think they will be a possitive bonus to my whole new health outlook :)

kids make you young, or old...depends on the day :)

I think a pre-requisite for having kids is being a bit 'out of your mind'. Let's be honest, why would anyone give up disposable income, sleeping in late, afternoon quickies, and setting your own schedule (we won't even discuss the damage to your body - that's a whole other post:) to be ruled by a midget who usually doesn't appreciate your sacrifice?

I DO love my kids but after waiting 1 hour in line to get into the zoo today, and then another 2 hours waiting in lines for Halloween games and prizes - you start to wonder "where did my sanity go?" You'd NEVER have done that for yourself; but here you are, surrounded by other, equally crazy, parents all trudging around for the fleeting satisfaction of your your little ones, the elusive "thank you, mom."

Whether it's the macho tough guy coochie cooing his newborn daughter, dad's jello wrestling in blond wigs for Hannah Montana tickets (don't laugh I saw it with my own eyes), or the busy working mom staying up till the wee hours of the dawn sewing a costume for their tot...

I ask you, why do we do things, buy things, say things, make complete 'you know what's' of ourselves, all for the sake of our kids?

today's update:

sleep: 8 hours (in bed by 11:15)

exercise: hiking around the zoo - and an ab set

water: 50 oz (I have got to find a way to up this!)

food:

8:45 am - Banana

11:30am - homemade potato soup

1:45pm - apple juice
5:15 - Green salad with honey mustard, 4oz steak, small baked pot. with 1/8 cup ranch (went to dinner after the zoo)
8:15pm - apple and 3 mini peanut butter reeses (no - make that 4)