What's in your smartphone?

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Can you believe the Apple iPhone was released in 2007, five whole years ago?  How time flies! In 2007 I had a pink clamshell phone, and I thought it was the coolest, cutest thing ever.  Today, even my kids wouldn't be caught dead with that phone.  Heck, even my 3 year-old niece wouldn't want that phone.  She'd probably throw it away, thinking it was a fake toy phone, and ask for  a real one, with a colored screen that does things when you touch it.

I got my first web-enabled phone (a Samsung Reclaim) in 2009, and my first smartphone in 2010.  I honestly can't imagine life without one anymore!  I've had my current phone (and HTC EVO 4G) for just over a year now; it wasn't the most hi-tech phone when I got it to begin with, and a year later, it's even more outdated. It does feel clunky and sluggish, and I'm ready for a new one.  Unfortunately, I won't be eligible to get a new one (at least not without paying full price for the phone) for another 6 months or so -- but I'm not frothing at the bit, so I'll wait.


Even though I'm six months away from a new phone, I already know which apps are going to be on it.  Here's a list of apps on my Android smartphone that are worth the space they take up:


Needs  No Explanation, a.k.a My Must-Have Apps

• Mail
• Gmail
• Facebook
• Hootsuite
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Google Maps
• Internet browser

Utilities

• File Manager (I need to be able to visualize all the files on my phone, move them around, delete them, etc.. Yes, I'm a Windows person and I don't think I'll ever change).

• WiFi File Transfer Pro (eliminates the need for a USB cable when I want to transfer files between my phone and my laptop)

• SmoothSync for Yahoo! Calendar (I use still use Yahoo! Calendar to manage everyone's schedule so I needed a way to sync the calendar on my phone with Alfie's, my personal and my blogging Yahoo! Calendar)

• Inkpad (I wanted a simple, bare bones note-taking app, not unlike Notepad on my laptop)

• Canon Easy PhotoPrint (I have a Canon wireless printer/scanner, and this app lets me scan and print from my phone)

• Blogger (I don't use it to compose posts, but if Alfie notices a typo on my latest blog post and I happen to be out of the house, I can fix my mistake no matter where I am!)

• Google Drive (So many people and organizations store and share docs on Google Drive -- our soccer team game schedules, school volunteer schedules, blogger programs, etc... -- so I like being able to access my Google Drive from my phone) 

• Google Goggles (I don't use it much, but I think it's cool, so it stays)

Travel

• The Weather Channel (so I can decide whether to pack a sweater or a bathing suit on our next vacation)

• Disney Memories (Super useful app when you're at Disney park! It has tons of information on the parks, but if you've been to the parks before, the 3 most useful features are the ability to check wait times, FastPass return times, and make dining reservations)

Photo and video

• Skype (I downloaded this over the summer, so I could video chat with Alfie while he was in the US and I was in the UK)

• YouTube (so I can upload videos taken with my phone to my YouTube channel, before I forget and they stay on my phone forever)

• Diptic (so I can create pretty collages and post them to Instagram)

• Adobe Photoshop Express (I rarely use it now that I have Instagram -- and I wish PicMonkey made a mobile app so I could download that instead -- but I keep it just in case one of my photos really needs some help)

Music

• MP3 Ringtone Maker (because I wanted Train's Hey Soul Sister to be my ringtone)

• Scary Ringtones (because everyone needs a maniacal laughter ringtone for Halloween)

• Amazon MP3 (so I can buy songs on Amazon and download them directly onto my phone)

• Shazam (My memory is terrible, and I can never remember the names of songs)

• Pandora (I love listening to Pandora and discovering new music)

Games and fun

• Yahoo! Movies (because I can never remember any movie showtimes when I look them up on my laptop)

• Disney Mobile Magic (I'm a sucker for themed photos, especially ones with Disney frames and stickers.  I install it whenever we visit Disneyland)

• Quiz US States (This really helped The Pea learn her capitals and state abbreviations when she was in 4th grade)

• Angry Birds (I think this was the first app I actually paid to get!)

• Fruit Ninja (the only game I ever play on my phone)

• Plants vs. Zombies (The most money I've ever shelled out for an app was for this app -- $2.99 for Android AND $6.99 so we could have it on the iPad as well.  And it's totally worth it, because all 3 kids still play it regularly.  I can't get rid of it because the kids don't want their scores erased)

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How to make cute pretzel pumpkins (without screwing up)

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I've been seeing lots of recipes for Pumpkin Pretzels on Pinterest over the past few months, always with beautiful photos of smooth, satiny coated pretzels, and I've thought, That's the craft for me!  Just pretzels and candy melts, how hard could it be?


It turns out, nothing is as easy as it seems!  I assumed the candy melts would melt into a smooth, runny liquid that coat the pretzels easily, like a chocolate fountain. Unfortunately, candy melts never reach that runny stage, so if you think you can just dunk a pretzel and have it emerge perfectly coated, you're in for a surprise.  The candy melts are quite thick, even when melted, and the excess does NOT drip off.  You're more likely to get a huge clump of candy melt sticking to your pretzel, which you'll try to smooth down with a spatula or knife, which will make the melted goo stick up in points, which might result in these beauties:

I know Halloween is supposed to be all about scary things, but I was kind of aiming for cute treats, not mutant pumpkins.

It took me a couple of tries to get the pretzels looking like this:

There are just a couple of tips and tricks to getting nicely coated pretzels:

* thin the candy melts with vegetable oil
* use a spatula to dip the pretzels into the candy melts
* tap the pretzel against the side of your bowl to get rid of the excess candy melt

Here are step by step instructions, with photos to guide you every step of the way:

PUMPKIN PRETZELS

You will need:
* 1 bag of orange Wilton candy melts (14 oz)
* 1/4 bag of green Wilton candy melts
* 1 tsp vegetable oil
* 1 bag of small pretzels (about 100 pretzels)
* a small offset spatula
* a small bowl
* a clean dishtowel to wipe your hands
* a baking sheet, lined with waxed paper

1)  Microwave the orange candy melts in a small bowl.  Make sure the bowl is not too large; you want the candy melts to be nice and deep when they're melted, so you can dip them easily.  Follow the instructions on the Wilton candy melts bag --1 minute on 50% power, then 30-second increments on 50% power until melted, stirring thoroughly.  I worked in 2 batches, with half the bag at a time, and it took me about 2 minutes to get it completely melted.

2)  Add 1 tsp of vegetable oil to thin out the melted candy (since I was working with only half the bag, I added 1/2 tsp).  Stir thorougly.

3)  Place a pretzel into the bowl and dunk it into the melted candy.


4)  I mean it, DUNK it!  Use the spatula to push it deep into the bowl and make sure the pretzel is completely covered on both sides.


5) Use the spatula to carefully lift the coated pretzel out of the bowl.


6) While the pretzel is balanced on the spatula, gently tap the pretzel against the side of the bowl. This is the most important step in getting that nice, smooth coating! Tap the spatula/pretzel carefully, and the excess melted candy will gradually drip back into the bowl.


7) Carefully grasp the pretzel with the thumb and forefinger of your free hand and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.



8) The pretzel should be evenly coated everywhere except for the spots that your fingers touched.  You can dab a bit of candy melt onto the bare spots with the spatula, then tap the entire baking sheet against the countertop to get your touch-ups to settle down.

9) Wipe your fingers clean with a clean dishtowel, and stir your bowl of candy melts with your spatula, scraping off the splattered candy melt on the sides and edges so your bowl is reasonably clean.  Repeat steps 3 through 9 until you run out of candy melt!   A bag of candy melts (14 oz) should be enough to coat about 100 small pretzels. It does take time to do them all (it took me over an hour!), so the candy melts might start to harden.  If that happens, reheat your bowl in the microwave at 50% power, for 30 seconds.


10) Transfer the tray to the freezer for a couple of minutes.  While the coating is hardening, place some green candy melts into a ziploc bag and melt them in the microwave.   Don't add any vegetable oil to this batch!  Once melted, take out your tray of coated pretzels from the freezer, and pipe a leaf onto the top (I piped a few squiggles of gradually decreasing length).


And there you have it, decent looking pumpkin pretzels without having to make a "practice batch" of hideous looking ones!

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Van's Products Package Changes and enter to WIN a FREE COUPON!!!

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Hi everyone! I hope April is treating you all well! We've been having one hell of a month, let me tell you! Phew! These 3 weeks of April have felt like 3 months!!

Well, I have exciting news to fill everyone in on. We all know how I LOVE Van's gluten free waffles, right? I have a SERIOUS love affair with the mini's, especially! I adore them and am never without a box in my freezer. I have been informed that Van's will be updating their packaging!! Here is a sneak peek for everyone:

Love it!! I want to assure everyone that just because the package is changing, does not mean the delicious goodies on the inside are changing! I know too well (see the Milky Way incident) that those of us who are gluten free need to be incredibly wary and suspicious of any potential reformulations! But nothing is changing, other than the amazingly enticing picture on the front!

Keep an eye out for this new package! They should be slowly rolling out in stores anytime now or within the next couple of weeks. Van's has also launched a new website and a blog so check it out here!

Okay, now down to how you can WIN a free (yes, FREE) coupon for a box of Van's products!!

To enter to win you can do any of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me which of Van's Products is your absolute FAVE! Perhaps the mini's like me? Or the gluten free apple cinnamon waffles? Maybe their gluten free french toasts sticks? Or maybe you just can't narrow it down and you love them all!!

2. Post on your blog about this giveaway and link back here! (please leave a comment or drop me an email at gfsteph@gmail.com with a link to the post)

3. Tweet the following: RT @GF_Steph Van's Super New Packaging & enter to win a FREE coupon! http://tinyurl.com/3x5x47d

4. This is for the super faithful: Send me a pic of yourself holding a box of your favorite Van's product! If you do this, you are so hardcore that I will give you TWO entries!

Hurry though, you'll only have until THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH at midnight to enter!! On Friday, I'll choose FIVE WINNERS and announce them here! So don't forget to check back!!

It's Back!!! Gluten Free Jubilee at Sprouts!!

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It's that time again, folks!!!! Gluten Free Jubilee at Sprouts!

May is Autism Awareness month at Sprouts and in honor of that, they are offering 25% off all gluten free products starting April 28th and continuing until June 2nd!!!



Stop by your local Sprouts and stock up on all your favorite gluten free goodies! (including Van's products...have you entered to win a coupon for a FREE box yet!?!) While you're there, you can also elect to donote to Autism Speaks!! Spread the word!

Winners of the Van's Free Coupons!!

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Thanks to everyone who participated! The odds of winning were fantastic--everyone who entered won!! Yaaay!

So here's all the winners:

Blogger Entrants:

Michelle and Lauren

Twitter Entrants:

@kimicalg
@jenniferGFinGA

And yes, I said there would be 5 winners, but only 4 people entered! So I guess the last winner is...me!! Hooray! :)

To all the winners: Please email me your address at gfsteph@gmail.com or if on Twitter, please send it to me in a DM! I hope you all enjoy your free gluten free waffles/pancakes/french toast sticks! I know I will. :)

7 Layer Meatless Tortilla Pie From Recipe com

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Ingredients
2 cans
(about 15 ounces each) pinto beans , rinsed and drained
1 cup
Pace® Picante Sauce
1/4 tsp.
garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp.
chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 can
(about 15 ounces) black beans , rinsed and drained
1
small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
see savings
　
7
flour tortillas (8-inch)
see savings
　
8 oz.
shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
add ingredients to list

Directions

1.

Mash the pinto beans in a medium bowl with a fork. Stir in 3/4 cup picante sauce and the garlic powder.

2.

Stir the remaining picante sauce, cilantro, black beans and tomato in a medium bowl.

3.

Place 1 tortilla onto a baking sheet. Spread 3/4 cup pinto bean mixture over the tortilla to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1 tortilla and 2/3 cup black bean mixture. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat the layers twice more. Top with the remaining tortilla and spread with the remaining pinto bean mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

4.

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 40 minutes or until the filling is hot. Uncover the pie. Top with the remaining cheese. Cut the pie into 6 wedges. Serve with additional picante sauce and sprinkle with additional cilantro, if desired.

Fiesta Taco Casserole From Recipe com

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Ingredients
1 pound
lean (at least 80%) ground beef
see savings
1 can
(15 to 16 ounces) spicy chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 cup
Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2 cups
coarsely broken tortilla chips
see savings
　
4 medium
green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1 medium
tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
see savings
　
1 cup
shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
Tortilla chips, if desired
see savings
　
Shredded lettuce, if desired
see savings
　
Additional Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired
add ingredients to list

Directions

1.

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in beans and 1 cup salsa. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

2.

In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place broken tortilla chips. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with onions, tomato, and cheese.

3.

Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Arrange tortilla chips around edge of casserole. Serve with lettuce and additional salsa.

Tips:

For 19 grams of fat and 470 calories per serving, use ground turkey breast and reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Enjoy this family-pleasin' casserole with a tossed salad with cut-up avocado and cornbread with honey and butter.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 1 Serving: Calories 530 (Calories from Fat 250), Total Fat 27g (Saturated Fat 11g, Trans Fat 1g), Cholesterol 100mg; Sodium 1540mg; Total Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 7g), Protein 35g; Percent Daily Value: Vitamin A 15.00%; Vitamin C 8.00%; Calcium 25.00%; Iron 30.00%; Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat; Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2 Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Mexican Layered Casserole From Recipe.com

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Ingredients
1 pound
lean (at least 80%) ground beef
see savings
1 can
(15 to 16 ounces) spicy chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 cup
Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2 cups
coarsely broken tortilla chips
see savings
　
4 medium
green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1 medium
tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
see savings
　
1 cup
shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
Tortilla chips, if desired
see savings
　
Shredded lettuce, if desired
see savings
　
Additional Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired
add ingredients to list

Directions

1.

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in beans and 1 cup salsa. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

2.

In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place broken tortilla chips. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with onions, tomato, and cheese.

3.

Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Arrange tortilla chips around edge of casserole. Serve with lettuce and additional salsa.

Tips:

For 19 grams of fat and 470 calories per serving, use ground turkey breast and reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Enjoy this family-pleasin' casserole with a tossed salad with cut-up avocado and cornbread with honey and butter.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 1 Serving: Calories 530 (Calories from Fat 250), Total Fat 27g (Saturated Fat 11g, Trans Fat 1g), Cholesterol 100mg; Sodium 1540mg; Total Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 7g), Protein 35g; Percent Daily Value: Vitamin A 15.00%; Vitamin C 8.00%; Calcium 25.00%; Iron 30.00%; Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat; Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2 Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chops O'Brien From Food. Com

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Ingredients:

Servings:

6

Servings Size
Update
6 pork chops
seasoning salt
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
pepper
1 (24 ounce) package O'Brien potatoes, frozen
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions
Directions:
1
Brown pork chops lightly, sprinkle with seasoned salt, set aside.
2
Combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, 1/2 t seasoned salt, stir in potatoes, 1/2 c chedar cheese, 1/2 can french fried onions.
3
Put in bottom of 9x13 baking dish, place pork chops over mixture, place in oven, bake covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4
Uncover, place rest of cheese and french fried onions, bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Crock Pot Chops O'Brien From Food.Com

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Ingredients:


Servings:

6

Servings Size
Update
Units: US | Metric
6 pork chops
seasoning salt
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
pepper
1 (24 ounce) package O'Brien potatoes, frozen
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions
Directions:
1
Brown pork chops lightly, sprinkle with seasoned salt, set aside.
2
Combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, 1/2 t seasoned salt, stir in potatoes, 1/2 c chedar cheese, 1/2 can french fried onions.
3
Put in bottom of 9x13 baking dish, place pork chops over mixture, place in oven, bake covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4
Uncover, place rest of cheese and french fried onions, bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Swiss Vegetable Casserole From Recipe.com

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Servings:4

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Related Categories:Quick and Easy, Vegetable Casseroles, Vegetables

Ingredients
1 can
(10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
　
1/3 cup
sour cream
　
1/4 tsp.
ground black pepper
　
1 bag
(16 ounces) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), thawed
　
1 can
(2.8 ounces) French fried onions (1 1/3 cups)
　
1/2 cup
shredded Swiss cheese
　
add ingredients to list

Directions

1.

Stir the soup, sour cream, black pepper, vegetables, 2/3 cup onions and 1/4 cup cheese in a 2-quart casserole. Cover the casserole.

2.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir the vegetable mixture. Top with the remaining onions and cheese.

3.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

4.

For Cheddar cheese lovers: Use Cheddar cheese instead of Swiss cheese.

Tip:

If you like, you can stir 1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimientos, drained, into the vegetable mixture before baking.

Fabulous Zucchini Fritters From Food.Com

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Ingredients:

Servings:

4-6

Servings Size
Update
Units: US | Metric
1 large green zucchini, grated
1 bunch scallion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
crumbled blue cheese (a handful)
3 eggs
4 -5 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
olive oil
Directions:
1
Grate zucchini in a large bowl.
2
Add scallions, garlic and blue cheese.
3
Mix.
4
Add the eggs.
5
Blend well.
6
Salt and pepper.
7
Sprinkle in the flour a little at a time.
8
Blend until you have a batter suitable for frying.
9
Cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil.
10
Heat over medium-high.
11
Spoon the fritters into the hot oil.
12
Brown on each side.

Vegetarian Lasagna From Food.com

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Ingredients:

Servings:

8

Servings Size
Update
Units: US | Metric
1 1/2 quarts spaghetti sauce (your favorite homemade or jar spaghetti sauce)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 teaspoon oregano
6 cooked lasagna noodles
1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1
Mix carrots, oregano, and spaghetti sauce together.
2
Mix Ricotta, spinach, and eggs together in separate bowl.
3
Spread ½ cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
4
Layer 3 lasagna noodles, ½ remaining sauce, ½ Ricotta mixture, ½ sliced zucchini, ½ sliced mushrooms, ½ Mozzarella, and ½ Parmesan.
5
Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
6
Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes

Chops O'Brien From Food. Com

To contact us Click HERE
Ingredients:

Servings:

6

Servings Size
Update
6 pork chops
seasoning salt
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
pepper
1 (24 ounce) package O'Brien potatoes, frozen
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions
Directions:
1
Brown pork chops lightly, sprinkle with seasoned salt, set aside.
2
Combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, 1/2 t seasoned salt, stir in potatoes, 1/2 c chedar cheese, 1/2 can french fried onions.
3
Put in bottom of 9x13 baking dish, place pork chops over mixture, place in oven, bake covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4
Uncover, place rest of cheese and french fried onions, bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Crock Pot Chops O'Brien From Food.Com

To contact us Click HERE
Ingredients:


Servings:

6

Servings Size
Update
Units: US | Metric
6 pork chops
seasoning salt
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
pepper
1 (24 ounce) package O'Brien potatoes, frozen
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions
Directions:
1
Brown pork chops lightly, sprinkle with seasoned salt, set aside.
2
Combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, 1/2 t seasoned salt, stir in potatoes, 1/2 c chedar cheese, 1/2 can french fried onions.
3
Put in bottom of 9x13 baking dish, place pork chops over mixture, place in oven, bake covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4
Uncover, place rest of cheese and french fried onions, bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- and you CAN make a difference

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October is here again, and you know what that means: it's time to get out my pink wardrobe and see the world through rose-colored glasses.  Time to hope that we can make a difference.  Time to hope that there will be a day when they find a cure.

To be perfectly honest, sometimes I wonder if things will get better.  When you look at the statistics on breast cancer, it's easy to be discouraged.

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• About 39,520 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2011 from breast cancer.

I was so lucky that the lump my doctor found last year turned out to be benign, but I've had friends and relatives battle breast cancer -- and not all of them have won. What on earth can wearing pink actually do in the grand scheme of things.  It's such a BIG disease.  What can one person really do?


That's what I say when I'm feeling selfish and thinking only of myself, worrying about my family's cancer history and fretting that it's just a matter of time before I get the disease myself.  But when I think of what people who have breast cancer are actually going through, I get over my pity party pretty quickly.  These people have to endure pain, nausea, weakness, financial stress, worry, loss of pride, loss of independence, loss of hair, loss of vanity.  Compared to all of that, brainstorming ways to help them seems like a piece of cake.    

But what can one person do?  Well, scientists are smart people.  They are making breakthroughs all the time -- they just need the resources to help them along.  Also, there are hundreds of thousands of men and women who could use a helpful hand as they fight their battles with breast cancer.  One person may not seem like much, but there are 300 million of these "one persons" in the US and together we can help scientists and sufferers alike. Here are some ways to do just that:

• Knit a scarf or a blanket or a hat to comfort a patient who is enduring chemo.

• Deliver a meal to a friend with cancer who's too nauseous to get off the sofa, let along cook for her kids.

• Help raise funds for cancer charities by encouraging others to donate and/or donating yourself.

• Volunteer your time for an breast cancer charity -- lick envelopes, hand out water at a charity run, anything helps.

• Support brands and companies that donate money to breast cancer research, awareness or patient programs.

• If you have a blog, BLOG about Breast Cancer Awareness -- why it's so important to be aware, how you can help. Don't be afraid of turning your blog pink!  Spread the word and pass it on!

• Sometimes the person you can help the most is YOURSELF. Educate yourself about breast cancer! And if you're forty and over, or have a family history of breast cancer, make sure you get a mammogram.

So I guess I'll keep on wearing pink after all.  Because if even one person stops by my blog and sees me dressed YET AGAIN in pink, if even one person thinks to herself, Pink isn't really her color, or What kind of person has so many pink things in her wardrobe?  -- if all that pink helps her remember it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and that she'd better schedule her mammogram pronto, then I'll be happy.

Keep fighting!


If you work on behalf of a company doing anything or selling any product that benefits breast cancer research, leave me a comment or send me an email; I'd love to feature you on my review blog. you're doing anything on your blog to help raise awareness for breast cancer this month, leave a comment; I'd love to stop by your blog and leave a comment to cheer on your efforts.

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31 Days of Pink: Week 1

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New parents love recording their child's development through photos.  They photograph every single milestone, and everything in between -- but by the time they have their third child, the photos have dried up to just the obligatory newborn, first birthday and first day of school photos.  So it is with my third year of wearing something pink every day in October.  With everything else going on, wearing and photographing something pink has been shelved to the farthest corners of my mind.  I had to resort to wearing pink pajamas on October 1 and 2 because I forgot all about my resolve until late at night!

In fact, if it weren't for The Pea, I wouldn't have had anything pink to show for this week at all. Fortunately she has become obsessed with nail art, so last week she announced she would be giving me a pink manicures all month long.  And the kids have been enjoying our new LoopDeDoo twist bracelet maker, so I now have a couple of pink bracelets and anklets that I'll be wearing all month long.  So even if I forget to wear pink that day, I'm covered!


Check out my pink outfits on my 31 Days of Pink Photo Album on Picasa, and check out my Pink Post series on Bonggamom Finds, featuring some great products that benefit breast cancer research. Oh, and remember to get your mammograms!

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What's for lunch?

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Ham and cheese sandwich, cucumber slices, grapes
I'm guessing you've figured out by now that the lunches I've been featuring for the week are not the lunches that I actually packed that week.  Other people might be organized enough to have all their kids' lunches for the entire week prepacked by Sunday night, but not me.  We started school in mid-August, and I began this series in September, so I'm actually featuring the lunches I packed 2 weeks ago.  So if you see Halloween-themed lunch photos posted in November, don't be surprised!

Another thing I'm guessing you've figured out is that I bought a BIG bunch of grapes a couple of weeks ago, because four out of five lunches on this post have grapes in them!




 Ants on a log (celery, peanut butter and cranberries), grapes, chocolate chip cookies

 Waffles with strawberries, dried seaweed, vanilla cupcake

Cream cheese and grape jelly sandwich, banana chips, grapes

Crackers, brie, tropical fruit salad

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What's in your smartphone?

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Can you believe the Apple iPhone was released in 2007, five whole years ago?  How time flies! In 2007 I had a pink clamshell phone, and I thought it was the coolest, cutest thing ever.  Today, even my kids wouldn't be caught dead with that phone.  Heck, even my 3 year-old niece wouldn't want that phone.  She'd probably throw it away, thinking it was a fake toy phone, and ask for  a real one, with a colored screen that does things when you touch it.

I got my first web-enabled phone (a Samsung Reclaim) in 2009, and my first smartphone in 2010.  I honestly can't imagine life without one anymore!  I've had my current phone (and HTC EVO 4G) for just over a year now; it wasn't the most hi-tech phone when I got it to begin with, and a year later, it's even more outdated. It does feel clunky and sluggish, and I'm ready for a new one.  Unfortunately, I won't be eligible to get a new one (at least not without paying full price for the phone) for another 6 months or so -- but I'm not frothing at the bit, so I'll wait.


Even though I'm six months away from a new phone, I already know which apps are going to be on it.  Here's a list of apps on my Android smartphone that are worth the space they take up:


Needs  No Explanation, a.k.a My Must-Have Apps

• Mail
• Gmail
• Facebook
• Hootsuite
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Google Maps
• Internet browser

Utilities

• File Manager (I need to be able to visualize all the files on my phone, move them around, delete them, etc.. Yes, I'm a Windows person and I don't think I'll ever change).

• WiFi File Transfer Pro (eliminates the need for a USB cable when I want to transfer files between my phone and my laptop)

• SmoothSync for Yahoo! Calendar (I use still use Yahoo! Calendar to manage everyone's schedule so I needed a way to sync the calendar on my phone with Alfie's, my personal and my blogging Yahoo! Calendar)

• Inkpad (I wanted a simple, bare bones note-taking app, not unlike Notepad on my laptop)

• Canon Easy PhotoPrint (I have a Canon wireless printer/scanner, and this app lets me scan and print from my phone)

• Blogger (I don't use it to compose posts, but if Alfie notices a typo on my latest blog post and I happen to be out of the house, I can fix my mistake no matter where I am!)

• Google Drive (So many people and organizations store and share docs on Google Drive -- our soccer team game schedules, school volunteer schedules, blogger programs, etc... -- so I like being able to access my Google Drive from my phone) 

• Google Goggles (I don't use it much, but I think it's cool, so it stays)

Travel

• The Weather Channel (so I can decide whether to pack a sweater or a bathing suit on our next vacation)

• Disney Memories (Super useful app when you're at Disney park! It has tons of information on the parks, but if you've been to the parks before, the 3 most useful features are the ability to check wait times, FastPass return times, and make dining reservations)

Photo and video

• Skype (I downloaded this over the summer, so I could video chat with Alfie while he was in the US and I was in the UK)

• YouTube (so I can upload videos taken with my phone to my YouTube channel, before I forget and they stay on my phone forever)

• Diptic (so I can create pretty collages and post them to Instagram)

• Adobe Photoshop Express (I rarely use it now that I have Instagram -- and I wish PicMonkey made a mobile app so I could download that instead -- but I keep it just in case one of my photos really needs some help)

Music

• MP3 Ringtone Maker (because I wanted Train's Hey Soul Sister to be my ringtone)

• Scary Ringtones (because everyone needs a maniacal laughter ringtone for Halloween)

• Amazon MP3 (so I can buy songs on Amazon and download them directly onto my phone)

• Shazam (My memory is terrible, and I can never remember the names of songs)

• Pandora (I love listening to Pandora and discovering new music)

Games and fun

• Yahoo! Movies (because I can never remember any movie showtimes when I look them up on my laptop)

• Disney Mobile Magic (I'm a sucker for themed photos, especially ones with Disney frames and stickers.  I install it whenever we visit Disneyland)

• Quiz US States (This really helped The Pea learn her capitals and state abbreviations when she was in 4th grade)

• Angry Birds (I think this was the first app I actually paid to get!)

• Fruit Ninja (the only game I ever play on my phone)

• Plants vs. Zombies (The most money I've ever shelled out for an app was for this app -- $2.99 for Android AND $6.99 so we could have it on the iPad as well.  And it's totally worth it, because all 3 kids still play it regularly.  I can't get rid of it because the kids don't want their scores erased)

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Helping reluctant readers enjoy books

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Helping your child love books isn't as easy as reading to them every night.   We found that out when 3Po and Jammy were babies.  The Pea had always loved books, and she still does, so we thought we were awesome parents for reading to her each and every night.  But when we started reading to 3Po and Jammy, they were just not interested.  We despaired of getting them to sit still long enough for more than a page or two -- that is, until we bought books about trucks and cars, and then they couldn't look away.  Those bunny and cat books that we had read to The Pea when she was little just couldn't hold their attention!   So just like sports, just like work, just like practically everything in life, rule number one in getting kids to love reading is to find a subject they they love.


A few years later, we discovered another important aspect of getting kids to love reading: the format of the book has to jibe with their reading level and interest. Once 3Po and Jammy mastered the How To's of reading, they have began to give their full attention to WHAT they are reading.  They passed the stage where they can read to themselves faster than someone can read aloud to them -- but to my dismay, they STILL didn't seem interested in chapter books.  They didn't warm up to Junie B Jones or Nate the Great, which may not be so surprising -- but they didn't really enjoy Lego Bakugan or Star Wars or 39 Clues chapter books either.  They did love Captain Underpants, Geronimo Stilton and Ricky Ricotta, but their reading level has already surpassed those books.  How could I help them?

The common denominator turned out to be illustrations.  I should have seen it sooner -- 3Po and Jammy are extremely visually oriented, and they can draw for hours.  In fact, they often draw their fantasies on paper instead of acting them out via Lego or Playmobil figures.  So I introduced them to the Tintin and Asterix comic books, and they loved them.  Now they are working through How to Train Your Dragon and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  They also love reference-format books -- atlases, almanacs, encyclopedias, the Monsterology/Dragonology/Alienology/etc.. series -- again, lots of illustrations.  I guess the pictures help stoke their imaginations.  Hopefully one of these days or months, they will rely less and less on the illustrations and make up their own pictures in their heads, but for now, I'm ecstatic to finally see them sit and read by themselves, not because their teacher asks them to read every day, not because I won't let them play videogames until they've read something, but because they want to find out what happens in the story.  I love seeing them fall in love with books!

If you have a reluctant reader, there's no better time to start helping them fall in love with reading! October is National Book Month, and the National Book Foundation has some great ideas for getting kids and parents involved, as well as reading lists for all ages and stages.  Happy reading!

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Zov's Warm Spice Mixture Recipe

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Zov's Warm Spice Mixture Recipe

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Cooking Directions:
Measure equal amounts of each of the dry spices into a container.
Stir to combine.

Spoon out 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend per salmon fillet, chicken
breast or lamb chop, being careful not to contaminate leftover spice blend
by touching it with raw fish or meat.
Leftover spice blends can be used to season soups, fish, chicken and lamb.

Abbey's Apples Schatz

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Serving Size: 8

Ingredients
3 pounds cooking apples
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup butter

Cooking Directions
Core, pare and chop apples into bite-size chunks.
Put some lemon juice on the slices to prevent discoloration.

Place in saucepan with water over medium heat.
Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add butter
Cook, covered for about 15 minutes until hot and tender.

Zov's Spicy Marinated Salmon With Charmoula Sauce Recipe

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Zov's Spicy Marinated Salmon With Charmoula Sauce Recipe

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:
4 skinless salmon fillets - (6 oz ea)
Zov's Warm Spice Mixture (see recipe)
3 diced, ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 large peeled & finely diced red onion
Salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions:
Rinse salmon in cold water and pat dry.
Rub with generous amount of Zov's Warm Spice Mixture on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes and cilantro; set aside.
Heat nonstick grill pan on high heat until very hot.
Sear salmon, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
If salmon needs additional cooking, place in a 350degree oven until just cooked through.
No oil is necessary when sauteing in a nonstick frying pan because of the natural oils in the salmon, but if you don't use a nonstick pan, saute salmon in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
In a medium skillet, make Charmoula Sauce by heating 1 tablespoon ofolive
oil on medium-high heat.
Add garlic and onion and cook, shaking handle of skillet to toss ingredients, until onion softens, about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in tomato mixture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Presentation: Place salmon on serving platter.

Top with the Charmoula Sauce and serve.

Cajun Cafe's Bourbon Chicken Recipe

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Cajun Cafe's Bourbon Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds thigh meat or dark meat -- cut bite size chunks
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup white grape juice
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup water

Cooking Directions:
Mix teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, ginger, brown sugar, 1/2 cup white grape juice and bourbon.
Stir until thoroughly blended.
Pour 1/3 sauce on chicken pieces and mix.
Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Refrigerate leftover sauce.
Braise chicken with marinade on medium-low heat until cooked.
Remove from frying pan.
In a 2-quart sauce pan heat remainder of bourbon sauce and add 1/2 cup of white grape juice and 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1/4 cup water.
Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is disolved.
Add chicken to sauce and stir until chicken is coated and ready to serve.

Zov's Vegetable Tagine With Couscous Recipe

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Zov's Vegetable Tagine With Couscous
Serving Size: 12

Ingredients
1 bundle trimmed asparagus
1/2 pound haricots verts (small French green beans)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion. peeled, and roughly chopped
5 celery stalks. trimmed, and cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2" chunks
2 large carrots -- peeled, and thinly sliced
4 large carrots -- peeled, and cut on the diagonal into 1" chunks
2 large leeks, white and light green part -- halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
12 large mushrooms -- quartered
6 garlic cloves -- minced or chopped
4 ripe tomatoes -- diced
2 yellow bell peppers -- cored, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
1 green bell pepper -- cored, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
5 Japanese eggplants -- trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2" chunks
7 medium red new potatoes -- quartered
6 ounces tomato paste
1 cup water
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons minced fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 boxes couscous - (12 oz ea)
1/2 cup hot water almost simmering, but not boiling

Cooking Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil
Add asparagus and cook until just barely tender.
Drain and refresh with cold water.
Drain again; set aside.

Bring pot of water to a boil
add haricots verts and boil until cooked tender-crisp.
Drain and refresh with cold water.
Drain again; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or pot, add oil.
Heat on high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
Add onion, celery, 2 thinly sliced carrots, and leeks.
Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and celery is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add mushrooms and garlic; cook 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes, bell peppers, 4 carrots, eggplant and potatoes.
Add tomato paste, 1 cup water, salt and pepper.
Stir to combine.
Bring to boil; lower heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables are very tender and sauce thickens, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Should have a stew-like consistency.
Stir in parsley and basil.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Place couscous in a large bowl.
Pour 1/2 cup water over top.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss.

Presentation:
Place couscous on large serving platter.
Top with vegetable tagine mixture.
Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving, so that the couscous can absorb some of the liquid.
If you have excess juices, serve them in a sauce boat on the side.
Garnish with reserved asparagus and haricots verts.

Winners of the Van's Free Coupons!!

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Thanks to everyone who participated! The odds of winning were fantastic--everyone who entered won!! Yaaay!

So here's all the winners:

Blogger Entrants:

Michelle and Lauren

Twitter Entrants:

@kimicalg
@jenniferGFinGA

And yes, I said there would be 5 winners, but only 4 people entered! So I guess the last winner is...me!! Hooray! :)

To all the winners: Please email me your address at gfsteph@gmail.com or if on Twitter, please send it to me in a DM! I hope you all enjoy your free gluten free waffles/pancakes/french toast sticks! I know I will. :)

Ed's Designer Chocolate Birthday Cake

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My husband's birthday is right around Thanksgiving.  I couldn't get him to stick a candle in a piece of pumpkin pie and call it a birthday pie.  Can't blame him.  So, many years ago I asked what he'd like his birthday treat to be and he said a chocolate cake.  I've been making the cake for years, but as soon as the kids got old enough I got them involved.  Up till now it's been mostly helping.  This year though my daughter took the project on.  She asked if she could make a designer gourmet cake.  After just a couple suggestions by me for instance it had to be made with things her father liked and steering her back to the fact that this had to be a chocolate cake she did well.

She got out pen and paper and drew out a sketch like she was building a skyscraper and it was her blueprint.  The cake would be chocolate with peanut butter chips baked in.  Then there would be 3 layers of peanut butter fudge.  The whole thing would be coated with a chocolate ganache frosting and pressed into that would be toffee bits.  My husband isn't a big dessert eater.  His main complaint when he has dessert is "it's too sweet."  I didn't know what he was going to think of this cake, but knowing his daughter made it I knew he would be a good sport.

Chocolate Ganache frosting with toffee bits pressed on.

He decided he wanted his cake a day early as to not have to eat a whole chocolate cake practically by himself.  This way he could share it with all who came for Thanksgiving.  This turned out to not be such a good idea for him or me.  Everyone wanted a piece of his beautiful cake.  No one wanted a piece of the pumpkin pie I had baked.
Everyone dove in so heartily into this cake that I barely got a picture before it was all gone!

As you can see there was only 1/4 of the cake left before I realized I wanted to get a picture.

Here you can see the peanut butter fudge layers and the peanut butter chips.

Here's the peanut butter fudge recipe.  My daughter did not chill the peanut butter fudge.  My daughter laid out a piece of plastic wrap and using a rolling pin rolled out some of the fudge.  Using the cake pan as a pattern we then carefully cut away the excess fudge making it the size of the cake round.  Being careful not to cut the plastic wrap.  Picking up the plastic wrap she flipped the fudge layer down on to cake layer.  Then peeled off the plastic wrap and repeated 2 more times.

For the frosting I've been using Mrs. Milman's recipe the last few years.  I hesitate to share it even though delicious, but I've had problems with it every year.  There is even a video where Mrs. Milman talks about how easy it is to make.  My problem is getting it firm enough to frost a cake.  After stirring it for hours in the fridge I ended up leaving the frosting in the fridge overnight.  I figured if it got too hard to spread we'd deal with it in the morning.  Turns out it was perfect spreading consistency.  So, before I call it quits on this recipe I'm going to try making it the day before instead of anxiously waiting for it to firm up the day of.

Still Exercising Can't Hardly Believe It

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I don't have many cooking posts any more as I'm watching what I eat, which in turn resulted in me watching what every one eats. Mostly, I want everyone in my house to eat healthy, but I also don't want anything around to tempt me. I'll still make special sweets for birthdays and I have 2 coming up here in a month or so. What have I been doing instead of cooking and crafting? I've been learning to exercise.

I've lost 55 pounds in the past 7 months. It didn't start out as a weight loosing venture. It started out as a "make peace with exercise" venture. I've discovered a lot of things along the way. I don't hate exercise nearly as much as I thought I did. Enjoy it? I wouldn't say that, but I've learned that I really need it.

In December I was a marshmallow. I'm not even exaggerating is the sad fact. I could get a long fine in my every day life if I kept things simple. I was walking down the stairs at Kaiser and I discovered that I really had very little muscle tone in my legs. I thought if one things goes wrong and I start to fall I won't be able to catch myself. I hung onto the hand rail for dear life. Not comforted by the fact I was hanging on with my equally marshmallow arms. I got to the bottom just fine.

It wasn't until I was adding up the receipts for a near death incident with my poodle. She's fine thank goodness. When I reached the Vet bill total I wasn't shocked by the total. In the scheme of things I thought I got off pretty cheap considering how sick she was and all the treatments and investigating that was done. It came to $2400. I was surprised that I was so comfortable with that amount. Then I got to thinking of all the weight loss schemes I'd turned down for years, because I wasn't willing to spend that much on myself. I was shocked that I wouldn't consider spending $2400 to save my own life.

It was the slap in the face I needed. I decided I would spend that much to save my life. I was hugely overweight and out of shape and it was only a matter of time before I had a life altering event that would force me to do something about it. Why wait until I have a heart attack, a stroke, or diabetes? I need to do something NOW! I gave it great thought what I would do. Diets have never worked for me. What do they say "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results." That's the way I suddenly felt about diet plans. The one part of the equations I've ignored all my life is the exercise part.

I thought long and hard about why I won't exercise. I don't like it. I don't like being sweaty. I don't like being uncomfortable. I don't really know what to do when I go to the gym. I don't know how hard to push myself. I don't know what is too much exercise. I'm embarrassed. I feel silly. That's when I decided I was going to hire a trainer.

I called the gym I had 3 free 1/2 hour session on the books that I never used. I'd start there. I made an appointment with a name that sounded familiar. The gym called back and that person couldn't do it. That's when they asked if I minded being switched to a new gal named Michelle Young. I didn't know it then, but that was the best thing that could have happened to me.

She's well trained. She's young, but not too young. She prompt, cooperative, encouraging, yet pushes me when I need to be pushed. She answers my questions and will do research if she doesn't know the answer. She'll patiently listen to my whining and then give me good reasons why I'm exercising. She reminds me and points out how far I've come. She's empowered me to be able to come to the gym and know what to do. I don't feel silly. I'm no longer embarrassed. With her help and the Polar Heart Monitor she suggested I buy I know how hard to work out. I also know how little to work out and get away with it.

As I said dieting wasn't in the plan and still isn't. For years I thought I'll get my diet under control and THEN I'll start to exercise. What I discovered was as I learned to exercise as I got stronger I lost small amounts of weight without watching what I ate. But I learned that I wanted to start watching what I ate. I wanted to make better choices. I felt when I'm working this hard to feel better I don't want to mess up the hard work with bad food.  The first thing I did was cut out diet sodas. I did it mostly to get the main source of chemicals out of my diet. No artificial colors or sweeteners by the gallon for me. This was the 2nd best thing I did for myself.

What I found out is my super strong sweet tooth all these years has been triggered by the artificial sweeteners. Dr. Oz talked about how artifical sweetners can cause one to gain weight.  The explanation fit me to a T.  You can read it here.

It was difficult to drink water all day and not have diet soda the first 2 months. I didn't realize what rituals surrounded my drinking of diet soda. Picking my child up from school I would take 24 ounces of diet soda to drink while I waited. Kids are in bed I'd have my "I'm off duty" cold diet soda. No little kids wanting to dip their lips in my drink. Once I got past the 2 month mark I've been fine with water. Occasionally I'll have herbal tea, but I'm not really a tea lover. Occasionally, I'll have some soda water with a twist, squeeze or some cranberry juice.

My sugar cravings are next to nil. It's a strange feeling for me. I use to seek out sweets and carbs like a drug addict seeks out drugs. Again I'm not even exaggerating. I've talked to many doctors over the years about it and got no answers or help in regards to it. Diet soda who knew?! I had candy stashes around the house to keep my husband and kids out of my candy. I'd get mean and defensive of these stashes if they were discovered. I moved them like a dog moves a bone when discovered. I didn't share and was insulted at the suggestion. I think "buy your own candy" was said a time or two over the years. It was the candy talking.

It wasn't until I wasn't eating candy that I found out how many stashes I had. I thought just one in the kitchen, but one night my daughter wanted a sweet and asked if I had anything. I checked my stash and said no. Then she said what about your other stash? I thought I don't have one, but then thought again. She followed me around the house and was shocked at my inventiveness. I had 5 areas that I stashed things in. It was a good night as she helped me clear them out. It was really only a matter of time before I probably would have eaten then all. I just had no craving and hadn't looked for them.

When someone wants to know what secret diet I'm on and how I've lost 55 pounds I say, "I know it will be disappointing to find out, but exercise. It really works. Damn it!"

As for diet I don't diet. I do watch my calories with a free account with Livestrong.com. Julian Michaels reminded me it's nothing special "calories in calories out." I can fill my whole daily allotment of calories with jelly beans if that's what I wanted to do, but I'll probably have a big stomachache. She has an awesome free podcast. Check it out on iTunes.

I try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Not rocket science we all should do this. I did find out I haven't eaten enough protein for years. So, I make sure I get enough protein every day. I make sure I eat 3 meals a day. Sometimes a small snack between meals. I don't snack often and I'm working on getting better at spreading out the food over the day. I seldom eat simple carbs in my evening meal. No potatoes, rice, bread, pasta kind of things. I don't crave them any more and I don't need them. I don't eat anything after dinner any more. I don't crave that evening ice cream like I did. Now I'm use to not having it.

I'm stronger. I'm lighter. I feel better. I look better. Everyday I strengthen my commitment to exercising for the rest of my life. Not because it needs to be done, but because it has to be done.

Jillian Michael's Podcast - Start From The Beginning

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I started listening to Jillian Michael's Podcast not because I particularly liked her, but I did like her no nonsense approach to fitness.  She doesn't put up with whining and backs her exercise opinions up with facts.  I started listening to her podcasts from the first one she did.  I frequently listened to her podcasts when I worked out by myself.  One tip keep a scrap of paper and pen around when listening.  You'll want to take a note or two occasionally.  I had my workout sheets in my storage clipboard that I'd take to the gym.  In my clipboard I keep my workout sheets, a pen, hair ties, a tissue or 2 and chapstick.

It took me several months to get up to current on her podcast, but with every entry she would answer a question I had in the back of my mind.  The first question I had was what sort of diet should I go on?  Her answer don't go on a diet.  Eat healthy, eat clean (organic when you can) and don't eat more calories than your body needs.  Simple.  I can do that.  Sometimes I do feel like I've restricted myself too much and I feel a little crazy like there is nothing in the world I can eat.  That's when I take a deep breath and get out an old Weight Watcher cookbook and make a few recipes.  It reminds me that the world is open to so many possibilities.  My latest recipes came from "Take-Out Tonight."  I made 2 of the italian recipes.  I took them into my trainer to see what she thought.  She thought they looked good just watch the sodium.

My review of Jillian's Podcast is I like it.  Her sidekick is a hoot and makes me laugh out loud.  Keep a pen handy and enjoy.