Vacation Time!!

Summer time...and the living is easy! Time is going WAY too fast and I wish I could slow it down! 

I haven't blogged for awhile...I read a lot of blogs and I love participating virtually in the experiences of my friends. The problem is...I'm not very tech savvy. I can hold my own..but I haven't ever used an app to blog before. So here goes...

Last night, I sat by the pool at our hotel. I wrote this wonderful blog post. I was feeling relaxed and content. I touched the little "button" called publish and I sent it out into the inter-webs and waited. Nothing. I refreshed. Nothing!! My beautiful, funny post was gone! 

So here we are...starting our vacation. For real now. We drove to Vegas yesterday because I couldn't stand the thought of riding in the car, then dealing with airport stuff, THEN sitting on a plane for 6 hours. The ride was surprisingly quick-we spent the time reminiscing about our past trips and planning for this one. We were trying to figure out our Hawaii trips and which time we did what. We are definitely blessed to have the travel opportunities that we have. I am grateful!!

The first trip (not counting the trip in high school with immediate family), D and I met the rest of the family over in Hawaii in August of 2003. We stayed in the Hukilau house. In 2008, Rob and T were part of the family. We went over spring break and we got to celebrate my birthday over there. We had our own little bungalow with the occasional appearance of the resident gecko   The next trip was spring break 2012. We will always remember that trip by two incidents. 1) Rob drove the van off into the foliage on the side of the driveway and the Dodge boys had to push it back on because it was stuck. 2) we had to push Dom into the house through a window because we were locked out of the house. Of course we have other memories, but these two stand out as our favorites. Again...birthday wishes to ME!!

 Fast forward a little over a year to summer 2013. Our summer trip began right after school. This time we celebrated birthdays for T and Dom...they share a birthday. We stayed in a house right across the street from the beach and next door to a little gift shop. FUN times! 

July 2016

 

So when we got to Vegas, we had some trouble checking in but after dinner and snack shopping, we had a nice relaxing time by the pool. I haven't felt relaxed like that in a LONG time! I just loved the pool lights and the music and the sounds of laughter. I couldn't get T out of the pool until the very last minute before closing. It was nice to head to bed relaxed and calm. 

After a quick breakfast at IHOP, we headed to the airport to tackle all that craziness. The flight, as always, was LONG! The kids were SO excited when they saw "land"! Literally bouncing on the seats!

This particular trip hasn't been in the works for very long. You might say the family is forcing us to go! And by family, I mean the whole Dodge side of the family. Tragic, right? I mean...who REALLY wants to spend a week in a tropical paradise with nothing to worry about, nowhere to be, and no obligations or commitments. Ok, ok...how could we say no?!? 😜 So here we are...2016. We weren't going to take a vacation but the family talked us into it and now that we are here...I'm so glad they did! It's going to be a great week! 

Blog trouble...

I'm having trouble posting...this is a test. 

Blogs, blogs, and more blogs!

I guess the new and trendy thing is to have a blog. I see people use blogs for SO many different things. Pinterest sends people all over the place in the blogging world. I want to start a blog for my artwork and cards but I can't really see a reason to have several different blogs. I want to keep things simple so for now, I will keep this blog for personal and family and maybe put a link to another one for artwork. Still thinking about what to do. For those of you checking my blog...a health update is in the near future!

New Food and Being Grateful

    I am kind of at a standstill right now as far as introducing new foods. I joke with my doctor about this process and I am not sure he is very appreciative of some of my comments. Sometimes I have a tendency to be a little...sarcastic...(*gasp*). I know...it's hard to believe! When people ask me what I am doing to lose weight, my first response is, "I'm on the no food diet." Ha! I crack myself up!
     Last week, Dr. S asked me if there was anything else I could think of to introduce before the big gluten, corn, carb introduction. I responded, "Unless it is ice cream or chocolate, I am good for now." Again...not appreciative.
    In ALL seriousness...this diet has worked wonders for me and I am feeling better than I have in years! I am grateful I found this program. I am grateful for my family and friends and their support. I am grateful I can actually make it through the day without a nap...that one is a stretch as far as being grateful since I love naps. But, I don't actually have to nap to function. YAY! I still have some rough days...I probably will for awhile...but overall, I am feeling great!

New recipe to try this weekend:

Millet-Quinoa Tortillas
Dry Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup millet flour (or brown rice flour)
• 1/4 cup quinoa flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon corn-free baking powder (Hain brand or homemade for corn-free)
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum (I use a corn-free variety from Authentic Foods)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons pure honey or agave syrup
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening, such as Spectrum

Makes 6 tortillas
In the bowl of your electric mixer use the paddle attachment to combine the dry ingredients on low speed.
Add the wet ingredients and continue to mix until a dough forms around the paddle. Mix the dough on medium speed for an additional minute. The dough will be slightly sticky and springy. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes.
After chilling, divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form each into a round ball. Keep the dough balls lightly covered with plastic wrap as you work to prevent them from drying out. On a lightly-floured counter, press down one ball at a time with your finger tips, until you have a flattened disk of dough. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the tortilla to 1/8 inch thickness. Preheat a greased skillet to medium-high. Cook tortillas one at a time for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping carefully with a thin spatula.
The cooked tortillas will have golden brown spots on both sides and may bubble a bit as they cook. Flip the finished tortillas onto a plate, stacking them on top of each other as you go. Cover with an inverted plate as the little bit of steam that’s created is key. Serve warm. Store in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat tortillas on a hot skillet or briefly in the microwave to regain their flexibility.
 
From: www.freeetsfood.com

I will post about how it tastes!! 

The Buffet And Drink More Water

    Right before school started, hubby whisked me away to Vegas for the weekend and some shopping to celebrate my weight loss (28 lbs so far). We weren't able to go to any of our usual places to eat because of the dietary restrictions. California Pizza Kitchen isn't exactly on my list of "foods that make me feel good" even though it is YUMMY! :) We decided to go to a buffet because of the variety of food offered. Can't go wrong there, right? NOPE! We went to the buffet at the M Hotel. Lots and lots of salads but no salad bar...and it was $40 per person. I couldn't handle paying that much money to NOT be able to eat the foods offered. So we ended up at Sunset Station. They had a salad bar...lettuce and a few toppings. Not the greatest salad bar I have been to, but at least I could eat something. I was thinking they would have some cooked veggies and some fruit. NOPE! I quickly learned that while the buffet claims to offer something for everyone, they don't have many options for those people carefully watching what they eat. It was a learning experience and I now know it is better to special order from a restaurant than go to a place with a variety of pre-made options.
     A similar thing happened when we took the kids to Golden Corral over the weekend. Even though it was a breakfast buffet and breakfast traditionally consists of pancakes, french toast, burritos...breads, I was hoping for some healthier options. The eggs had been sitting out and were rubbery and the fruit was from a can or not very tasty because it wasn't in season. It was very difficult to be there and watch everyone else eat. I learned I have pretty strong will power when it is really important. I didn't even cheat!! I am now back to making my own meals and not embarking on the adventure called "eating out" at this stage in the game!

WATER

     I've always known it is important to drink a lot of water. I never kept track of how much water I drank...I knew I drank more Diet Dr. Pepper than water, but that has water in it, right? Since I started this healthy way of eating, I have been very conscious of how much water I drink since it is ALL I can drink. I am actually starting to like and crave it. Strange!! I did start getting my plastic cup at Maverik and filling up with water after I blogged about that as an option. Some places charge full price but Maverik only charges $.25. It's a bargain and so much better for me! It costs $1.00+ for a bottle of water and I don't feel like "cool" because I have a big ol' fountain drink! So that makes it pretty easy to remember how many of those I drink throughout the day.
     Over the weekend, I didn't even drink one full cup on Saturday. I was feeling it the next day. My bones were aching and I had the worst headache I have had in three months. The good part was that I knew it was lack of water and was able to fix the problem pretty quickly. :) I just keep learning from this experience! I am grateful I found Red River Health and Wellness and I am relieved I feel really good this week!

More food please!!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the introduction of foods began with eggs on July 9th. Two days after starting eggs, I broke out with a mild case of hives. No eggs for awhile. :( I felt so much momentum up until that point. I was very discouraged that I couldn't even eat the very first food I introduced. I wanted to give up, quit, eat whatever I wanted. With the support of family, I was able to stay strong and get through it! Since that point, I have introduced tomatoes, beef, and oats with NO problems. The introduction process allows me to eat one serving of the new food the first day, two servings the next day, two days off the food and on the fifth day I get to introduce another food and keep eating the current food. Each time I tried a new food, it was like Christmas! SO EXCITING!! Then came...peanuts!! As my mom predicted, that didn't go well. I've been a victim of migraines throughout my life and times of stress just enhance the probability one will surface. In the past, these headaches were triggered by peanuts, processed meats, and chocolate. DANG IT!! Still a culprit. I had a BAD headache for two days, body aches, sweats and just overall feeling yuck. Very frustrating because I LOVE peanuts...and used to eat them in one form or another almost everyday. Hmmm...that is suspicious, right?

Well, after the tragic introduction of the peanuts and the doctor's assurance that the reactions are pretty normal, I started Greek yogurt this week. Dairy takes longer to introduce so I don't get to introduce the next food until next week. Even though I am not really a big fan of the healthier version of yogurt, Christmas again!! It was exciting to create one more interesting combination! I added it to the almond granola (recipe to come later) I made and put some blueberries in it and feasted! Still feeling ok...

Since I started this journey almost two months ago, I have lost 10 pounds for a total of 25 pounds GONE! Weight Watchers has been a challenge since the points values for the things I can eat are either really high or worth no points. Tracking has been tough. Exercise is what is helping me the most. My mom comes to my house two or three mornings a week and we walk around the neighborhood. I walked 3 miles this morning! I haven't consistently exercised like that in...well...ever! Ha! She told my brothers she comes out to the neighborhood to "walk Emily" and they were appalled because that sounded like she was walking me like a dog. Unfortunately, that is about how it is. She is my motivation and my inspiration and I really believe I wouldn't make the effort to walk without her. She has been a HUGE resource along my path and I can't even express how grateful I am to her!

I working on finding some stress management techniques that will help me protect my body and emotions while recovering from adrenal fatigue. I attended a yoga class at Downtown Yoga and had an amazing experience! In the moment, everything was clear and my actions had purpose. I definitely want to continue with the yoga! Journaling has been a huge help in allowing me to express what I am feeling and what I need. Relaxing music to help wind down before bed has also been helping me. Exercise and having a walking partner to discuss the problems of the world is helpful. I have a LONG way to go before I completely tackle this stress beast, but I am definitely on the right path!

I wish I could say I am one hundred percent and everything is better but that is not the case. I used to have one or two good days each week. I now have one or two bad days each week. Definite improvement! However, I start back to teaching next week and I don't know how things will be when I don't have the time to focus on myself and my health like I have been able to this summer. I am excited AND anxious for a new school year! I am really looking forward to facing the school year with the newer version of me!

Berry Mango Sunrise Tarts

My search for a sweet treat resulted in the following recipe:

Berry Mango Sunrise Tarts

Recipe time: 4 hours total (30 minutes to make, 3-4 hours in freezer)

Ingredients (4-2 inch tarts)
2 mangoes (I used defrosted mangoes from the freezer)
1 c. raspberries

Ingredients for crust
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. raw walnuts
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut

• Mix the ingredients for the crust in a food processor. Pulse and process the mixture until it looks like a crumbly dough. You should be able to shape it with your hands. Use a spoon to press into the bottom of the tart forms about 1/4 inch thick. ( I used rubber heart-shaped molds because I didn't have tart forms)
• Puree the mangoes in a blender or food processor. Pour part of the puree into a bowl and set aside.
• Add the raspberries to the mango puree left in the blender or food processor and mix. 
• Spoon one flavor into the form.
• Spoon the other flavor on top of the first flavor.
• Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours

This was a nice treat and I think it would be fun to experiment with other fruit flavors and layers too!
Here is the original link and recipe I used for inspiration for this one! Enjoy!!

Original recipe found at www.fitchen.com