An amazing and FREE diet resource

So in my quest to be a better example for my children, cook better for the family, and generally improve my health I found an absolutely Amazing site. SparkPeople was founded because there weren't any good free diet resources on the web. Millions have used it and it has become a comprehensive diet/fitness site with an incredible community of supportive members.

I have been using the site for a week now and every day someone has written to offer me encouragement and support. I have used the site to track the amount of calories I am consuming each day and the number of miles I have walked. I've also figured out the amount of calories that are in a serving of a number of my recipes using their recipe analyzer. There are endless recipes, free exercise videos (which are geared toward the new and intermediate exerciser), message boards, health and fitness articles, and many resources about healthier eating.

I've used Weight Watchers Online in the past, and the Nutrition Tracker offered by SparkPeople is similar. I also am getting gobs more support than I got before (and even more support than I ever got at an actual Weight Watchers meeting). During the first phase of using the site you are encouraged to eat like you normally do to see where your calories are coming from; it's not until two weeks in that you actually start limiting your calories (though you can start early if you want). You are given goals to achieve each day, such as walking the dog, drinking 8 cups of water, getting 8 hours of sleep, etc. They are achievable and small; therefore, you don't feel like you are failing before you even begin. Goals are reviewed and added to over time so that you are continually adding more small steps which add up to more health and fitness.

SO, it's a great site, it's free, and you can be my friend (I'm ktcwmom). Check it out and save some money on those other diet programs AND succeed at the weight loss/fitness game!

I Got a Nook, Now I Have to Feed the Family Better

My husband got me a Nook Tablet for Christmas!  I asked for the Color, he got me the Tablet, and it is the shiz-ite.  It comes with Hulu installed, and one morning when I couldn't sleep, I fired it up and watched "Supersize Me."  Yes, I am a little behind the crowd here, having never seen it, and I've got to tell you, I found the movie horrifying.

 

Like the majority of Americans, I like fast food.  I don't eat it every day, but I do eat it more than I should.  A refresher for those of you who haven't seen the movie in a while: Spurlock ate McDonald's for every meal for a month.  He had to have everything on the menu once.  If they asked him, "would you like to supersize that?" he had to answer yes.  In the process, he gained 24.5 lbs (11.1kg), his cholesterol went from a very healthy 168 to 240 (!), his liver profile showed signs of encroaching liver failure, he started spilling protein into his urine, and he experienced decreased energy, depression, lowered sex drive, and general ickiness.

Another disturbing part of the film was how fast food companies and lobbying groups grab our children's focus from the time they are wee ones so that fast food becomes a regular part of their lives and one they crave.  In one scene, none of the children could identify a picture of Jesus, but all of them knew who Ronald McDonald was.  Brand imprinting and loyalty lobbying is scary stuff and adversely affects the health of our families.

After watching "Supersize Me" I made a series of resolutions.  First, when I take William out to eat I will look for restaurants with healthier food choices.  The other day we went to Panera.  On my little town, the only healthy fast food we have is Chipotle.  Guess we'll be eating a lot of burritos.

Second, and I'm not sure how this is going to happen, meal toys have got to go.  Rewarding a child for eating chicken nuggets and french fries has always seemed all higgeldy piggeldy to me.  Instead, why don't we reward kids for trying new, healthy things?  I gave William a Hot Wheels car when he tried apples.  He didn't like them (it happened to be a REALLY sour apple), but he tried it.  Then again, I can't bribe my kid to try all of his food, so again, I'll have to think this one out.

Third, when I cook I've got to go old school and get away from prepackaging or at least cut down on it.  It's easier to cook with prepacked stuff, but it's not as healthy.

Fourth, "meat and two veg" is going to be my new mantra.  This isn't going to be the easiest because there is very little meat that this family likes (we love beef, you'd think we were cattle ranchers), so on a lot of days, this will turn into "legume, grain, and two veg."  To that end, when I do buy meat I will buy grain fed, antibiotic free, free range meat.  Have you noticed how horrifying chicken tastes these days?  I suppose if you live in  a cage that you couldn't move in eating your own excrement and were pumped full of antibiotics constantly you'd taste bad, too.  Fortunately, we live near a lot of Amish people so Amish free range chicken isn't hard to come buy, but it is a wee bit pricey.

 

Why is it that we have to spend more money to eat well?  Why is it that Panera is SO much more expensive than McDonald's?  It's not that eating healthier is really all that more difficult, but it does cost more.

So there you go.  I've got my subscription to Taste of Home on my Nook and I'm going to see if they have any other healthy cooking with normal food magazines available.  No braised baby sweetbreads with capers and cilantro (wouldn't that be terrible?!) for this family, this Bon Appetite is out.

 

And all of this because I got a Nook.

Joyeux Nöel (semi-wordless Wednesday)

We are having a swampy Christmas in Central Ohio this year; it has left me dreaming of celebrating Christmas in a more picturesque setting.  And what could be more lovely than Paris at Christmas?

La cathédrale de Notre Dame à Noël

Menu de Père Noël

Bûche de Noël

Les lumières de Noël de Paris

Tour Eiffel neigeux


Macaron à Noël? Pourquoi pas?

Christmas and the Introvert.

This may shock you (and I am also being a bit facetious), but I am a HUGE introvert. I'm a Myers-Briggs INFJ, which is like the height of introversion. Christmas is not the easiest time of year for me. Please don't misunderstand me. I love to give presents and watch the kids rip into their packages. I Love celebrating the birth of my Savior. My nativity, passed down from my grandmother to my mom to me is one of my most valued possessions. I have an inordinate love of Christmas music (if you have Spotify, look up my Christmas list. It's not mixed well, but it has songs I love on it, there's a bit of everything, and there's 7 hours of music). I love the lights and decorations and fluffy snowfalls.

But here's the thing about Christmas. The shops become overwhelmingly crowded. Everyone is out finding the perfect gift. Black Friday is positively frightening. The pace becomes more frenetic. Then there are the parties. If you are an extrovert it is important to understand that parties are a bit like putting a toe into the lake of hell for the introvert. We aren't especially good at the schmooze. We can't stand being interrupted, not because we are offended but because it makes us feel undervalued, and this happens quite frequently at gatherings. There are lots and lots of people, some who will probably be obnoxious and drunk. This is true even if you are friends with everyone who will be at the party. Parties are exhausting. I spend my time at the daydreaming about being at home knitting.

My daughter is the polar opposite of me in that she is the most extroverted extrovert in the world. She thrives on being surrounded by people and needs to be always busy. She can't be silent. And if she has to be, she texts. When Christmas rolls around and she gets to decorate she tends to go into overdrive. For the most introverted introvert this can be a bit overwhelming. This year, I let her do her thing with her boyfriend and William and hid in my bedroom.

Introverts need to take special care to make time for themselves during the holidays. This is a time of reflection, grace, love, and miracles; we introverts need to be still and quiet to appreciate the wonder of this season. The best Christmases I have ever had weren't rushed or over-scheduled, my shopping was done well in advance of the crowds, adequate time was spent in the morning opening presents and savoring the day before family visits were even considered, and, imagine this, I took a nap.

This time of year is too special to be dreaded. There was a time that I really didn't like Christmas because I was thrust into situations that are too much for any introvert. It wasn't until I realized how to be an introvert at Christmas and not compromise my needs that Christmas became alive for me.

Knitterly Christmasy Goodness

I have been a knitting fool this Christmas season. I have finished a mystery project (can't speak of it as recipient reads the blog) and two hats that came out so fab! The first is the Jacques Cousteau hat, chosen first because of the cool decrease pattern on the crown and second because the recipient will appreciate that it is the Jacques Cousteau hat.

by Hestia6

It was an easy knit and I love the crown so much that this may be my go to hat pattern from now on.

I also made the Striped Hat from Debbie Bliss Knitting, Fall/Winter 2011. It is shown on a woman, but I made it for a boy. It is a slouchy hat and really on trend and a really quick knit. I didn't make it as long as the pattern called for because I didn't want it to look like Goofy's hat, and I'm happy with the way it came out.

© mahrle

I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes and I LOVE it! I am a total Knit Picks convert. Great low prices, quality yarns, fast shipping, a huge variety of colors, what's not to love? I find myself stroking the hats because they are so alpaca soft. I am in love.

I have cast on Somerset vs. Norway, a gorgeous set of Norwegian design mittens featuring hares. I am using some of the Knit Picks yarns that I bought with chocolate brown as the background color and avacado green as the pattern color. This is my first set of these mittens and I am excited.

by Nethya

by Nethya

And some future project ideas:

If I get some cash for Christmas it is earmarked to go toward a Season 14 Doctor Who scarf (it's the shortest, at 8-10 feet long). From my elementary years, when I would run home to watch Dr. Who on PBS, I have coveted this scarf. It is the ENTIRE reason that I learned how to knit. I've been knitting around 10 years now, but do I have my cherished scarf to show for it? No, dear reader, I do not. It is time to remedy this situation. I will be using the Original Pattern from Chris Brimelow's DrWhoScarf.com. The Witty Little Knitter also has a great database for knitters wishing to make The Scarf.

I have some Brown Sheep Company chunky wool/nylon blend in a sunny yellow and black. It was earmarked for a new earflap hat for Will, but the hat is too tight and William has taken to wearing a prefab OSU hat that looks quite natty. So I have decided to make myself some slippers out of the frogged yarn. After searching and searching for a pattern that resembled moccasins I found these Non-Felted Slippers done by Yuko Nakamura. I love Japanese knits. They tend to be so clean and streamlined. Again, I'm excited about these!

And finally, a Great stash-busting project!

This is for all those bits and bobs of worsted weight wool that you have lying around OR the striped and solid color sweaters that you bought to frog but found that the yarn was too worn or itchy or lacy. It's The Ron Weasley Blanket and you don't have to be a Harry Potter fan to understand it's glory. Composed of mismatched randomly striped and solid 7in squares attached 8 across and 10 down, it should fit any bed you wish to place it on. And think of how warm it would be if you backed it with flannel or velvet and did a tied quilt. I would truly be an heirloom piece.

Here's Ron with his blanket at Hogwarts

This is Keri's Won Won Blanket

So there you go. Happy knitting. I hope I've given you all some inspiration and the push to pick up the sticks!