day forty-four...take my life, take all that I am

Today I want to keep it short and sweet. I went to church tonight and the worship leader sang a song that really spoke to me. Here is the youtube video which subtitles the lyrics...it is called "Like an Avalanche" by Hillsong United.

Powerful words, right? I encourage you to make that your prayer today..."Take my life, take all that I am, with all that I am, I will love you. Take my heart, take all that I have, Jesus how I adore you."

Breakfast
My lovely cats decided to wake me up around 5am this morning, but I was able to get back to bed and sleep in until 10. Sleep is a wonderful thing. Once I woke up, I made myself a dark chocolate shake.

Morning Snack
After I drank breakfast and read my Bible, I started to clean the kitchen and the kitchen floor. In the middle of my cleaning, it was time to eat my morning snack...or really an afternoon snack. Instead of having my lean and green meal (since it was lunchtime) I decided to have the honey mustard pretzel bites so I could easily stick one in my mouth while continuing to clean.

Lunch
After I finished cleaning, I headed over to Trader Joe's and did a little food shopping for the week. I bought some lettuce, shredded Parmesan cheese, and chicken burgers, as well as some probiotic pills. Once I got back home, I made a salad with romaine lettuce, a pizza burger, shredded Parmesan cheese, and light chipotle ranch dressing. Delish!

Afternoon Snack
A few hours later, I made myself a calorie-burn cappuccino. Instead of mixing it with water, I tried mixing it with black coffee. I have no idea why I haven't been doing this the whole time. The cappuccino was so good! I will be probably be doing this all the time now. Maybe I will try it with the chai latte...or add some espresso shots to it.

Dinner
A little while later, I went to church and wasn't able to eat until after. I was a tad past three hours, but by only about 15 minutes. Saturday nights at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa are so amazing. If you ever have time on a Saturday night, I highly encourage you to come. I wasn't going to come tonight actually, but the Lord put it on my heart to go and I am so happy I listened to Him. Click here to listen or watch past messages. After the study I drove home and while waiting for a parking spot, I snacked on a s'mores crunch bar (thankfully I packed it in my purse).

Dessert
I was up for a while, so when it was time to eat dessert, I was kind of hungry and thankful I had one more meal to eat. I sipped on a coffee milkshake and then called it a night. I just love these milkshakes and can't get enough of them. Really feels like you are "being bad".

Oh and a little side note...you may have noticed that I didn't post a weight update yesterday, and well, that is because I didn't bring my scale with me on the road trip. So...I will just wait until next Friday to weigh myself and update you all.

My kitties also say hello and goodnight!

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-three...thanksgiving road trip day three

Woke up this morning to this weather report. Ummm...just a little cold. It didn't end up snowing, but it was still bundle-up weather. And bundle-up we did.

Breakfast
Before we headed out for some adventure, I made a chai latte using some hot water provided by the hotel. While drinking my chai, my parents and I read a few chapters of the Bible and prayed. Lovely start to the day.

Morning Snack
After our mini Bible study we headed out. We walked around the shops in Mammoth and then decided to go back to Bishop and attempt to hike up the snowy hills to the mine shafts. I made a egg nog shake (french vanilla shake packet mixed with some egg nog capella drops) before we left the hotel and it stayed cold for two hours easy...it was 30 degrees outside after all. PS...this is the best shake I have had to date. Perfect start to the Christmas season.

On our way back to Bishop, we stopped at Convict Lake. Story behind the lake is that back in the 1800's, a bunch of convicts escaped from prison and the chase ended at this lake with a big shootout. Bummer story, but beautiful lake. This is a picture of my mom and I with the lake and the snowy Sierra Mountains in the background.

We finally made it to Bishop, and we drove back to the hiking spot to attempt the climb. Here is the starting point. The end point is about the middle of the picture where the cluster of trees are.

Let me tell you...walking through fluffy snow is not easy...especially when it is about knee deep. It was quite the challenge and workout. Near the middle of the hike, we had to cross a bridge covered in snow. You couldn't see what you were walking on, so I was just waiting for my foot to go through some hole. Thankfully, that didn't happen and we made it across safely. Do you notice how the snow glistens? So beautiful.

After about 40 minutes, we finally made it to the mines. These mines were used back in 1879 during the gold rush. That little creek in the picture above is a part of where they would sift their pans in search of gold. I love history, so this was pretty neat to see. The wooden structure is connected to the mountain, where you can also see holes where the miners used dynamite to blow up the sides of the mountain.

On the way back from the mines, I took these pictures of the aspen trees...they are just so pretty against all the white snow.

Here is another portion of our path with the aspens on either side of us.

Lunch
After we got back into the truck, we headed back to town to find something to eat. There isn't a lot, so we just went to Carl's Jr. We never eat here, but the options were extremely limited for me. I looked up what I could have, and Take Shape for Life suggested I order the grilled chicken salad. Honestly, this salad wasn't that great...not TSFL's fault, but Carl's Jr's fault. The only thing that was okay, was the chicken. I won't be ordering this again.

After lunch, we made the decision to head back home. We were going to travel to Kern Valley and stay another night, but we just wanted to get home. But before we did get back on the road, we stopped at the famous Erick Schat's Bakery. They make a delicious sheepherders bread. Walking into this bakery was tough (with the sweet smells and free samples), but I made it through without eating any of the free samples. ;)

Afternoon Snack
After our bakery visit, we hoped back in the car and made our way home. On our way back, I ate a cinnamon raisin crunch bar. These bars are delicious...it was a great snack after such a bummer lunch.

Dinner
By the time dinner rolled around, it was dark and I didn't take a picture of my nacho chili puffs. But all the other pictures I posted today can make up for that...hopefully. :)

Dessert
We finally made it back home!!! I got everything unpacked and settled in and then I made myself a brownie and called it a night.

All in all, it was a really fun and exciting road trip and even more exciting staying on plan. I could not have done it without the help of the Lord.

Pray you have a blessed night!

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-two...thanksgiving road trip day two

Today was full of driving and adventure. I took this picture above when we took a little walk to a natural hot spring that just bubbles up from the ground. It is amazing how hot that water can be even though it was about 40 degrees outside.

Breakfast
I woke up around 9am this morning and made myself a vanilla pumpkin shake. I just mixed some pumpkin flavor drops with a french vanilla shake packet. Thought the pumpkin was appropriate being Thanksgiving and all.

After breakfast we were on the road to do some exploring. My dad wanted to show us some mines, but there was just too much snow to make the trek. So instead we walked around and took some pictures.

As soon as we got to the hiking site, the sweetest "guard" dog came right up to us and joined us on our walk. He was sort of like our guide, I suppose. You think the snow would bother him, but this little guy just loved it.

After walking around, we crossed a half frozen creek and found an area to relax near the creek. There was a giant spot of fresh powdery snow, so I decided to make a snow angel. Why not, right? And in case you were wondering, yes, it was extremely cold and uncomfortable, but I definitely don't regret it.

Morning Snack
Once we got back in the car, we traveled back to check out of our hotel and started driving towards Mammoth. On the way, I ate some brown sugar cereal crunch along with a bottle of water

We stopped along the way to Mammoth to check out some natural hot springs and ran into this creek called hot creek. It is basically a scalding hot creek of water. It was really neat to see actually. The water is heated by some volcanic matter under the earth...I don't really understand how it works. All I know is that the air is freezing, but the creek still remains piping hot. Simply amazing. Those really blue pools are just some of the hot springs.

We hiked down a trail and was able to touch the water, but couldn't get too close at times because it was blocked off. I guess the water is too hot to touch. Walking back, we found this giant rock on a hill, so my dad decided he wanted to take a picture of me sitting on it. He is quite the photographer, isn't he?

Lunch
We finally made it to Mammoth when I ate my lunch for the day. I ate a s'mores crunch bar while we looked around.

We then decided to head back up north to check out what was up there. We found out that there is nothing really past Mammoth. But we did find this gorgeous, giant lake. It was lightly iced over and just a beautiful sight to see.

Afternoon Snack
After getting tired of seeing nothing, we decided to head back to Mammoth where we got a hotel room for the night. My parents then grabbed some dinner while I heated up my dinner in the microwave (thankfully provided in the room). I ate the green bean casserole I made yesterday...such a delicious Thanksgiving meal! And even after sitting around for a day, it still tasted pretty good! Click here for the recipe.

Dinner
After we ate our Thanksgiving meal, we headed out to see a movie. I heated up a calorie burn cappuccino and brought it with me to drink about 30 minutes into the movie. I tried to make it scalding hot so by the time I drank it, it would be drinkable hot...but...it cooled down to a more of a warm temperature. Not my favorite temp, but still delicious! I wasn't able to snap a picture because...well, it was dark in the theater.

Dessert
We came back to the hotel room right after the movie and I made my last meal of the day. I blended up a peanut butter milkshake and enjoyed every last sip. Great ending to my Thanksgiving day. And you know, it feels pretty great going to bed slightly hungry on the most food-centered day of the year.

Well, I am off to bed. I hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed one!

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-one...thanksgiving road trip day one

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Can you believe it? This year has flown by. It seems like the older I get, the more quickly time moves. Weird, isn't it? I also posted a Thanksgiving recipe for a green bean casserole today...you can check it out here.

Anyways, my parents and I left on a road trip this afternoon to Bishop, CA. So I got up this morning and started my food preparations for the next couple of days. I started making my Thanksgiving dinner so I would have something "special" to eat tomorrow. As far as my other lean and green meals go, I figured I would find something along the way...even if it means I only get lettuce and a lean meat.

There were many temptations on the way to Bishop...I had to say no to chips, sandwiches, popcorn, fries, burgers, and worst of all, a cinnabon cinnamon roll. I won't lie, the smell of it was brutal. I actually had to chew a piece of gum just to keep my mouth moving and my mind occupied. It actually worked too...I made it through the day and stuck to my health plan. And as a bonus, the hotel we are staying at has a mini fridge and a microwave! So now I am able to cook and eat all my meals! The Lord is good!

Breakfast
I woke up this morning and made myself a strawberry shake while I planned out what I would need to pack for the next few days. I didn't sleep in too late today, so I got a somewhat early start on my eating for the day.

Morning Snack
As I was packing my clothes and food, I decided to take a break and bake a special Thanksgiving bread. I used an apple cinnamon oatmeal packet, added some baking powder and capella pumpkin drops, and baked it for about 20 minutes. It was delicious! How can you go wrong with mini pumpkin apple bread? I will post the recipe soon. :)

Lunch
I started making my Thanksgiving lean and green meal when I realized it was time to eat lunch. So I threw together a romaine salad and topped it with a pizza burger and light chipotle ranch dressing. PS...this dressing is divine!

Afternoon Snack
We were on the road by the time my afternoon snack came around. I brought some cups, so I just poured out my cheese pizza bites into the cup and attempted as best as I could to get a picture of it. I never realized how challenging it was to get a focused picture while in a moving car...it's challenging!

Dinner
My next meal was near the middle of our road trip and little after the cinnabon temptation. We were stuck in traffic, so it was a little bit easier to snap a focused picture. It was dark though, so it still came out all weird. Oh well...I guess you can kind of tell it is a lemon meringue crunch bar... ;)

Dessert
Still on the road, I ate my dessert. It was a good thing I pre-made my brownie in a cup because I wouldn't have been able to eat it otherwise. I remember this afternoon thinking, just cook it now, what can it hurt. I realize now that it was the Lord speaking to me. Thank you, Lord! By the way...I think because my brownie was at room temp rather than piping hot, it had a similar texture and taste to a piece of chocolate cake. It was really good actually! I will definitely be doing this more often! Excuse my poor excuse for a picture...this was the worst of them all.

Well, I am currently writing this in my hotel room—praise the Lord they have excellent wifi—and can't wait to tell you all about my adventures tomorrow! I pray you have a blessed night!

xoxo,
Toni

green bean casserole

Want to eat a green bean casserole but skip out on all the fat and unnecessary calories? Well, than this recipe is just for you...and me ;)

Thanksgiving is coming up and I wanted to eat something that was still "Thanksgiving" and a green bean casserole just made sense. So if you still want to partake in a Thanksgiving meal or if you need a comfort food classic any day of the week, just follow this recipe. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Step One
Gather your ingredients. You will need:

1/4 cup egg beaters
1 1/2 cups green beans (washed and trimmed)
4.5 oz low fat cottage cheese (I just looked for the one with the lowest carbs and fat)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/2 tbsp light butter

 
Step Two
Put all your ingredients in a bowl, except the shredded cheese and parmesan cheese. Then mix them all together until the green beans are coated evenly.

Step Three
Pour the mixture into a greased glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Step Four 
After that, sprinkle the cheese and parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 20 minutes. 

Step Five
Take out of the oven and cool for a few minutes...then dig in!

This entire meal counts as 1 Lean and Green meal with 2 1/2 Condiments and 1/2 Healthy Fat  

 
Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving!!!

xoxo,
Toni

day forty...forty days and forty nights

[source]

It has already been forty days since I began the Take Shape For Life program. Forty days! I will be honest...there are not a lot of things I have stuck to for forty days. I am beyond thrilled and cannot wait to continue on this journey toward losing weight and getting healthy.

And it is only by the grace of God that I have even made it this far. I could never have done this by my own will...I would have eaten a dozen cupcakes by the second day. But with Christ, I am strong. He gives me the strength to say no to those temptations and keep fighting each day.

If any of you are interested in starting this program, click here. :)

Breakfast
I am off work for the rest of the week, so I slept in a bit this morning. When I did wake up, I made myself a dark chocolate shake. I love having the shakes first thing in the morning...they get me going.

Morning Snack
After breakfast, I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned...my room, not the house. My sister was here as well, so we cleaned up our room and then went to the store together. Once we returned, I ate a chocolate crunch bar while reading the latest Rachel Ray Magazine.

Lunch
I made something different for lunch. Since it is Thanksgiving week, I wanted to stray a bit from my mundane salads and try out some new recipes...especially since I have the time. So today, I made some turnip fries and paired it with a protein chicken burger topped with a little bit of light cheese. Delish! I have actually never had turnips before today, but they were pretty good and really close to potatoes in texture. Keep a lookout...I will post the recipe soon.

Afternoon Snack
Lunch kept me quite full, so I wasn't all too hungry for an afternoon snack. But, I still had one. I ate the honey mustard pretzels along with some water. There aren't that many pretzel bites in a bag, so it was a perfect amount that kept me satisfied for the next couple hours.

Dinner
I had to bring dinner with me to church, so I just a made a coffee milkshake. It was easy to take and drink...plus it was delicious. It was actually sitting around for over an hour and it was still icy cold when I drank it! Love this stainless steel cup. You can buy it here. It is actually 30% off right now too!

Dessert
After we got home from church, I ate a blueberry soft bake. I followed the new instructions that came with the new box and it came out so much better! No overflowing...only because I cooked it in a cup. :P

Well, that is all I have for today. If you can, please keep my dad in prayer. He injured his knee and is in constant pain. Just pray for the Lord's will to be done and that the Lord would give the doctors wisdom on what to do next. Thank you!

xoxo,
Toni