Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I have a mom friend who often puts in a roast before church, so when her family of 6 returns home for lunch, a hot, yummy roast is waiting for them.  My husband pointed this out when we returned home from church to PB&Js.  So I thought, hey, I can try a roast too!  Hope you enjoy this Monday’s Meal idea, courtesy of allrecipes.com:

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 5 1/2 pounds pot roast

In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.

Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

The Dangers of Driving While Hungry!

I find that when I’m with my kids, it’s easier to make healthy food choices.  I don’t want them eating french fries and ice cream all day!

But yesterday, on a somewhat rare occasion, I was in the car by myself in the evening.  Remember I’m 10 weeks pregnant and I dreamt of all the eating places I could go to.  Did I still have that free coupon for a Frosty at Wendy’s?  (Luckily I didn’t!).  Should I drive thru fast food for a 99 cent burger?  Oooh, the donut shop is still open.  I’ve been craving donuts but donuts at night are probably not a good idea.  If I’m going to splurge like that, I better have a fresh donut in the morning! 

After contemplating all these things while I was driving, I realized I better just drive home!  I reminded myself of how yummy the food might taste going down, but then how miserable I would feel after, both physically and emotionally. 

So I’m happy to say I had some honeydew melons at home, and then some chicken and rice, and then….oh yeah, 4 wheat thins with jalapeno jelly    (That’s especially yummy with cream cheese too)

Beware of driving when hungry!  When you find yourself in that situation, either get home without being distracted or stop for a healthy snack or meal.

Your Chance to Win!

I gained an average of 40 pounds with each pregnancy, and so far as I’m 10 weeks along, I have a feeling I’ll be doing that again! So I’m going to need to listen to my own course in about 9 months!

A fabulous webzine called Ungrind.org is giving away my audio course, Losing Weight After Baby: 31 Days to a New You. All you have to do is leave a comment on their blog and you could win! Enter today – you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

 

Grilled Tuna Teriyaki

Around our house, if I say something is “teriyaki,” my preschool age son will want to try it.  So you might want to try saying “teriyaki” extra loud when describing this dish to your kids if you think that will help them eat some fish! 

Here’s Monday’s Meal idea, courtesy of allrecipes.com:

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 (6 ounce) tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a shallow dish, stir together soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, and ginger. Place tuna in the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

Remove tuna from marinade, and discard remaining liquid. Brush both sides of steaks with oil.

Cook tuna for approximately for 3 to 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness

Pregnant Again!

I’m happy to announce I’m pregnant again!  My husband James and I went to West Coast OBGyn today and got the good report.  At 9 weeks along, baby Pellicane has a strong heartbeat, arm and leg buds.  Hurray – we are thrilled and grateful!

Since I miscarried around 9 weeks last fall, I was apprehensive about what the ultrasound would show.  But when I was putting my glamour gown on (the white sheet), I thought of the Bible verse that says “Do not fear, I (God) am with you!” 

When Dr. French said she could see the heart and body forming correctly, I breathed a sigh of relief.  Good!  All this nausea, fatigue, sleepiness, moodiness and hunger is for a worthy cause!  Not to mention I’ve been gaining weight (remember when I blogged about losing 5 pounds by March 15?  That’s off…)  

So, of course I’ll be keeping you posted on baby’s progress.  Due date:  October 23.  “Losing weight after baby” will come in handy for me during the pregnancy and afterwards for sure!  Thanks for all of your love and support!  

Why You Shouldn’t Avoid the Camera

I recently interviewd Chelle Stafford in a Losing Weight After Baby podcast where she shared that one of her biggest regrets was not taking anypictures of herself with the kids.  (That podcast is titled “How One Mom Lost 50 Pounds.”)  Since she was overweight, she didn’t want to see herself in pictures.  She wouldn’t let anyone take a picture of her.  Does that sound familiar?  Yet now, she wishes she had pictures with her kids so they would those concrete memories together.

So moms, it doesn’t matter if you are 100% happy with your body right now.  Take pictures with your kids and make sure you are in them too!

Here’s a photo tip if you feel camera shy:  put your kids in front of you, like you see me here with my son.  Kids can shield the areas we want to hide from the camera – ha! 

And remember, if you’re not happy with what you see, do something about it!  You can lose the weight just like Chelle Stafford did, and you’ll have the pictures to prove it!

Poison in Your Pantry?

Okay, you might have rat poison in your pantry, but how about some Ho-Hos, oreos, or nacho cheese doritos???  When you’re trying to lose weight, you’re at war with sugary foods in your pantry. 

Here’s an honest look at what’s inside mine right now…

Stephen’s Broiled Salmon Pesto

Well, I must admit, I looked at St. Patrick’s Day recipes for tomorrow.  But I don’t really like stew or corned beef that much (which would help when trying to lose weight!).  But I read that salmon is also popular to serve on St. Patty’s day, so here’s a recipe from allrecipes.com:

• 2 pounds salmon fillets
• 2 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups pesto
• 1/2 cup white wine

1. Lightly oil a baking pan large enough to accommodate the fish. Place salmon in pan skin side down. Run finger over flesh to make sure all bones have been removed. Use pliers to pull out any that remain. Squeeze juice of one lemon and white wine over fish. Marinate 15 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Coat the top side of the fish with thick layer of pesto. It should be between an 1/8th to a 1/4 of an inch thick, and cover the surface of the fish.

4. Place fish under the broiler about nine inches from heat source. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until fish flakes and flesh is opaque. Pesto should have formed a heavily browned crust. Remove from the oven, and set aside for a few minutes. Squeeze half of second lemon over fish. Slice remaining lemon half into thin slices. Place lemon slices on individual servings, or arrange on the whole flank if serving at the table

5 Tips to Help You Exercise This Week

Need a little boost to exercise?  Don’t we all!  Here are a few ideas to get you off the couch and into your workout clothes: 

1.  Now that it’s daylight a little longer, you can use the extra time to squeeze in a walk with your family in the early evening. 

2.  Wear comfortable clothes to exercise in that you feel good in.  Don’t have any?  Try Ross, TJMaxx or Marshalls for some deals.  Don’t spend a lot of money if you’re not at your goal size.  You’ll just be trading them in soon for a smaller size!

3.  Surround yourself with cheerleaders.  Get people on your side to encourage you to exercise.  Get a walking buddy.  Ask your husband to watch the kids once a week while you exercise guilt free.  Subscribe to my audio course and let me cheer you on every day for 31 days. 

4.  Get some pumping tunes.  Listen to music that gets you moving! 

5.  Keep a record of your exercise times.  When you get to a certain goal like 10 workouts, treat yourself to something like a movie rental or new nail polish.

To Make You Laugh

You’ve heard of Baby Einstein.  Well, here’s what happened when my husband tried to introduce our baby to classical music.  He was unimpressed. 

This is a fun flashback…our little baby boy is 4 1/2 now!  Hope it makes you laugh!