Pinky Promise

So it has been 15 days since I have blogged. FIFTEEN. And this is me, pinky promising that I will never let it happen again!

So I'm looking forward to more recipie sharing, story telling, and fellowship again after this much needed Memorial Day weekend! So, on that note, have a FABULOUS Memorial Day weekend filled with JOY!

"Be joyful always!"

1 Thessilonians 5:16

Praise You in this Storm

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:6-7

So, I had my tonsils taken out. And it has been just as awful, terrible as they say it would be. I actually had a bit of a setback with mine to top it off, where I had severe nausea from the medicine I was on and the little amount of food I could eat, and I ended up dehydrated, and in need of a super-strong nausea medicine that they typically provide to chemo patients. During this 3 hour stint of dehydrated misery, I prayed and I prayed for God to take the pain away. And it didn't disappear. I was yelling (in my head because I can't talk), "God, where ARE you?" And a song popped in my head, Praise You in this Storm, by Casting Crowns. Lyrics:

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

[Chorus:]

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

So, rather than complain about how awful, terrible I have felt the past 2 weeks, and how awful I felt in those 3 hours, I will do just that. I will praise Him.

Praise God for:

1.5 weeks off of work

The fantastic outpouring of love from my dear family and friends

Popsicles and ice cream

Losing 6 lbs in one week

Bonding time with my hubby who has been an AMAZING nurse

Having quiet time to read 2 books

Healing, one day at a time. 

Banana Ice Cream

So, I have a chemistry experiment for you. Prepare to be wow-ed! Thanks to the fact that I had my tonsils removed, I have been seeking anything cold, creamy and soft to eat this week.  And my lil sis,who has spent many a month as a vegan in her life over at Olive it All, suggested I make my own banana ice cream.

Whaaat?

After she promised it was easy, I promised I would consider it. And I did.

Step 1: Freeze un-peeled banana.
Step 2: When banana is frozen, chop up into chunks.
Step 3: Put chunks in food processor.
Step 4: Whirl away until it magically turns into the consistency of ice cream!!
Step 5: Be amazed!
Step 6: Top with anything you'd like--I chose caramel.
Step 7: Eat the delicious, creamy, banana-y goodness.

Greek Tzatziki dip

So, I made up this dip for our small group this week to go with veggies--since I'm a Ranch-o-holic and my butt is not. It's healthy, it's easy to make, and it's super tasty!!

Greek Tzatziki Dip

1 cup Greek, nonfat yogurt

1/2 cucumber, seeded and finely diced

1 tsp dill

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 lemon

1 tsp EVOO

Mix together ingredients, and taste to make sure the balance makes your taste buds happy. This will make a chunky and delicious (almost Ranch-like) tzatziki dip! Serve with toasted pita chips and veggies for dipping. 

**If you want a smoother consistency for the dip like I did, you can whirl it through the food processor to make it nice and creamy (but slightly more liquidy, thanks to the cucumber).**

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I also HAVE to share a favorite verse from last night, that is sure to help bring me peace in this week before my tonsillectomy! (Eek!) And maybe it's exactly what you needed to hear today too...

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment."

1 John 4:18

Printable Recipe

Cinch! Final Review

So it really was a Cinch! I completed Day 1-5 and only found myself stumbling on Day 5. It was Friday. And I was at the beach. So you'll just have to forgive me.

All in all, I lost a total of 6 lbs!! (Cheating included). The plan boasts up to 8lbs, so I count myself pretty lucky and figure that those 2 glasses of wine I had on Friday night cancelled out my last 2 pounds. Thanks to Cinch!, this was me, bathing suit-ready, at the beach on Saturday:

You didn’t know I could jump that high, did you!

All in all, I thought the Cinch! Diet was a success. ( A girl can do anything for 5 days! ) And it totally re-shaped my outlook on a few things.

1)      Caffeine. I now know I only need 1 cup a day. I had a migraine during the plan and I took Excedrin Migraine one afternoon (which contains caffeine), and I noticed I got the shaky feeling I used to get before Cinch, and i started to nibble on almonds to try and get the shakiness to go away. So, therefore, my afternoon Cup-o-Joe was essentially doing the same thing to me. Goodbye unnecessary calories and caffeine.

2)      I need to eat more fruit and veggies!! The Cinch! Plan goes on for 30 days and she recommends a cup of fruit or veggies with every meal, including snack. I usually eat about 2 servings of fruit& veggies a day, not 4. I do love fruit and veggies though, so I will be hanging around the produce aisle more frequently now.

3)      I don’t need to graze anymore. This weekend it was great to have all of the food around me and not feel like I needed to munch away with everyone else. I had my 4 meals and was satisfied, not needing to munch—and I even had an in-law-cousin comment that I didn’t eat very much at dinner. (This is a great thing to hear, bc I used to chow down!!) I feel like my portions are now accurate and able to satiate me.

Thank you Cinch! for my flat belly and a new outlook on my eating habits. I will continue to use the recipes in the rest of the plan, which look super tasty and I cannot wait to try them and share!

Cinch! Day 5

Yep, you heard me, DAY 5, and I still haven’t quit! I think blogging helped to hold myself accountable to my 5 day plan. And the great news, I’m down another 1.0 lb today!!  

**I do have to admit to you that the severe amount of healthy food in my system made my math fuzzy yesterday, and while I thought I was down 4.8 lbs, I did a recalc and realized I was down 4.2 lbs. So, this extra 1.0lb loss brings my REAL total to 5.2 lbs, which I am still ecstatic with!!**

 I will have my day 5 weight tomorrow morning...eee!

Now, on to my confessions for the 5 day, 5 food fast:

Confessions of a Cinch!-a-holic

I thought I hated spinach. Now I just mostly dislike it.

I thought I loved raspberries!! Nope, not when you eat 4 cups a day, 4 times a day.

I still love eggs, in any form.

I thought I hated plain almonds, but they have grown on me.

I thought I could never stick to a strict healthy eating plan. Well, I sure did prove myself wrong.

I feel great, and I LOOK 5 lbs lighter!

I cannot wait to eat pasta, and cheese, but instead of craving creamy, fatty cheesy pasta, I am craving healthier forms like whole wheat pasta and  lowfat feta.

I’m considering buying a scale like this, the next time I go on a diet:

Am I more a pig or a duck?

Cinch! Day 4

So far, so good. I’m definitely ready for this portion to be over. No lies here. I looked up the recipes in the rest of the book to incorporate later to keep my new flat tummy (eeee!) the way it is. And boy, did that make me start craving things!! I haven’t had any cravings yet this week, and suddenly last night Jack decided to re-heat Mexican from this weekend, and Mexican is like, my most absolute, fav, and I swear he ate that thing as super slow as humanly possible. (Mostly because it was piping hot, but I was seriously yelling "eat it faster!!" haha.)

Alas, I only have 1.5 days left to go! WooHoo, que the cheerleaders! AND I woke up this morning and was down another 1.8 lbs, down a total of 4.8 lbs in 3 days!! So, it’s super motivational to keep going.

The little temptation that is waiting in my desk for me for Monday:

By Good Karmal. (Only 60 calories!)

Today’s Cinch Fast Forward Recipe is The Parfait:

6 oz. Nonfat Yogurt
1 cup Raspberries
2 tablespoons Almonds

Layer Yogurt, sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice, raspberries, covered in tangerine juice, then repeat. They reccomend putting mint in it as well, but I'm not a mint-in-food-lover. (Just a mint-in-food-picturetaker.)

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;  but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”  Romans 8:5