End of Week 2


I imagine this is what it feels like to juggle a full time job and children. I have been running a 100 mph trying to get everything done with my current rotation and get a bunch of projects finished(hence why my end of week 2 post is almost at the end of week 3).  Let's just say the amount of sleep I'm getting isn't exactly ideal. So I haven't cooked nearly as much as I wanted this week, but we also haven't been eating out much. Mostly I have been snacking on apples, green beans, and frozen meals. So two weeks in I'm down 5 pounds. I have pretty much given up on trying to start an exercise program until after this month, but I am working on an awesome plan to start in August. So for the one night I did have time to cook I took the easy way out and made my go to chicken tenders which I'll post as soon as I have time to upload my pictures. Other projects to be keeping an eye out for include my panel quilt, tutu skirted costume(this needs a better name), baby hats, burp cloths, child's white coat, and me gearing up for a baby shower and christmas. Fall is always the biggest craft season for me and this fall is going to be very busy so hopefully I will be able to keep with my totally hand-made christmas. I hope to post different things on here as I get them done, however I will have the slight dilemma of my sister who reads my blog and anything I make for her...

The Secret of Water

It is no secret that water is an important part of feeling good and losing weight, but you constantly hear different things on how much is enough. (Talk about annoying, right?) Well it is my 4th year of medical school and I have sit through hundred and maybe thousands of hours of lectures about diseases, infections, and how to talk to your patients, but not once does anyone lecture about what lots of people really what to know about. The secrets of weight loss, why do we yawn, and why the hell hasn't anyone come up with someone better than a mammogram machine? So I'm sitting in noon conference(that is where you listen to a lecture while trying the eat without making a noise) listening to a lecture on electrolyte balance and the doctor said a throw-away comment about just how much water is actually enough to lose weight!  Unknown to me for 4 years is that in this tiny book a carry around in my white coat is an equation on how much water you need! Why didn't anyone tell me this, huh? I have been trying to answer this question for years! So of course the equation is super complicated and follows the metric system which I still suck at, but regardless I was able to do the calculations and I figured I would put together this little chart for you so you don't have to bang your head against a wall trying to convert and remember algebra it tends to give one a headache.


Lbs
Oz of H2O
120
105
130
109
140
114
150
118
160
122
170
127
180
132
190
136
200
141
210
145
220
150
230
155
240
159
250
164


Pumpkin Muffins


This is my unhealthy version of pumpkin muffins. This recipe makes about 6 muffins with 335 calories per muffin. Enjoy!

What You Need

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice 
1.25 cups 
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c cinnamon sugar mixture

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven toe 350F. Put liners in muffin cups.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.

Then whisk in flour and baking powder until just combined.

Divide batter among muffin cups with batter being about 1/2in taller than the liner for a bakery style muffin top.

Sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.




Bake until puffed and golden brown or about 25 to 30 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins


The week I started what will I'm sure be a long project on figuring out how to make the best healthy muffins without changing the taste too much and I figured I would start with the not so healthy type to have something to base the muffins off of and they were WONDERFUL! This recipe makes 6 muffins with about 270 calories per muffin. Enjoy!

What You Need


  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 c cinnamon sugar mixture

  • 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
  • 2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. 
  • 3. Place vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup, add egg, fill rest of cup up with milk.

  • 4. Mix this with flour mixture.
  • 5. Fold in blueberries
  • 6. Fill muffin cups right to the top to have bakery style muffin tops.
    • 7. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
        • 8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or golden on top.
         

End of Week 1

Well, this week didn't go as planned, but it wasn't a complete train wreck. I am down 2 pounds and managed to make better choices. Throughout this week I had a surprise visit from an old friend, one of those melt down days, a date night, and a visitation. Let's just say that no eating out thing did not happen this week. However even though it wasn't the "perfect" week, I tried really hard to make it a good week anyway. One of the things I am guilty of is when I go out I feel like it is a treat and I should get to get what I want to eat. WRONG! Eating what you want at a restaurant can set you way back, so this week I tried to stick to healthier choices like small steaks, salads, fresh veggies, and if you must have a treat make it smaller than what you normally get like a mini blizzard from Dairy Queen instead of a brownie earthquake(my personal favorite).
I also think it is important to remember when things don't always go as planned that you can't beat yourself up for it. Remind yourself that you may have had one bad day, but you did have six good days instead of 7 bad days in a row. If you don't give yourself the credit you are due then it is so much easier to say why even try.
I am amping up for the next few busy months in this life I call "med school." So with life getting extra busy and trying to keep up with weight loss, exercise, sleep, and some kind of a social life it is going to be a long few months. I find it even harder to eat well when I am busy and stressed, but I am starting by making a monthly meal plan and doing all my grocery shopping at one time for the month. Be on the lookout for some great healthy and simple recipes to compliment a busy lifestyle and healthy eating! Also be on the lookout for some great crafts. Though my crafting has definitely slowed down with all my time commitments currently, I will still be blogging about my crafts (hopefully) weekly. Things to come this month include making a single panel quilt, diaper pouch, baby hats, and a child's white coat. I'll also be making another family date's sign and hopefully finishing up some other projects I am working on from other blogs!

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