Celebrating my Mom-The Recipes!!

Here are the recipes from the special meal that I cooked up last night. 

Baked Artichoke Spread
-2 (14oz.) cans artichoke hearts
-2-6 garlic cloves, minced
-1 cup Parmesan cheese
-1 cup mayonnaise (I used non-fat Greek yogurt, and it was still fabulous)

Drain the artichoke hearts and put them in the food processor. Chop on a low speed, but don't let them get mushy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a round or square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until bubbly. Top with paprika and serve with crackers or crispy bread. 
 

Lemon-Garlic Zucchini
-4 med. zucchini, sliced
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. pepper 
(I also added some diced red onion....cause I like it)

Combine all the ingredients in a skillet. Cook over medium-low heat 5 to 7 minutes or until zucchini is tender, stirring frequently. Serve immediately. 

Chicken Supreme
-1 cup sour cream (I used non-fat Greek yogurt, and couldn't tell a difference)
-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
-2 tsp. celery salt
-1 tsp. paprika
-1 clove garlic, crushed
-1 tsp. salt (this seemed like a lot, so I only used about half)
-1/4 tsp. pepper
-6 chicken breast halves
-1 cup bread crumbs
-1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine sour cream, lemon juice, celery salt, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Coat chicken well with mixture and refrigerate overnight, uncovered. The next day, roll the chicken in the bread crumbs and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Spoon half of the melted butter over the chicken. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes take it out and spoon the remaining butter over the chicken and bake for another 15 minutes longer.

Chocolate French Silk Pie
-1/2 cup butter
-3/4 cup sugar (I used Truvia baking blend and it was fabulous!)
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1-1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
-2 eggs
-1 smaller tub Cool whip
-Shaved Chocolate

*You will need a pie shell. Use one found in the freezer section and prepare it as according to the directions for a cream pie. 

Cream slightly softened, but not melted, butter and the sugar together. Stir in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Pour into a cooled, baked pie shell. Top with cool whip and decorate with shaved chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

**Note that this recipe does contain raw eggs. They're safe to eat, but are not recommended for the young, elderly, or pregnant. Try to use pasteurized eggs to be extra safe. 


 

Celebrating my Mom

  Today is September 29th, a day that for the past 13 years has been a difficult day for me. Today is the day that my Mom passed away. Usually this is a day filled with sadness, tears and grieving for me. As the years have gone by I don't think that it's gotten any easier. My life has just changed and I wish that my Mom was here to experience it with me. I also think that as more time goes by it's easier to forget certain things. Lately I've been experiencing a lot of sadness because I don't remember what my Mom's physical touch felt like....things like a hug or a simple, encouraging rub on the arm. I think that it changes, but there's always a level of sadness there for me....sometimes it's just more intense.

  Because I know that this is usually a difficult day for me I told T that I wanted to try to do something to "celebrate" my Mom's life today, rather than spend the day moping. I figured that in order to celebrate her life I could do something that she enjoyed doing, and I know that something she probably enjoyed the most was COOKING! My Mom was a nurse by trade, but a cook by heart. She was always catering events, cooking meals for people who were sick, had new babies or just needed a good meal and she had a life dream to own her own restaurant. She fulfilled that dream by opening and owning her cafe for a year before losing her battle to cancer. In that time she also started writing, compiling and publishing her own cookbook. Unfortunately, she never saw the finished product, but I know that her hand was in ever step.

My Mom's Cookbook

  So, I told T that I wanted to celebrate my Mom by cooking an entire meal for us, all out of my Mom's cookbook. He thought that was a great idea, so I got busy planning a meal for us.

  You should have seen the cookbook when I first started going through it....there were tons of bookmarked meal ideas! We definitely had to narrow it down, but the finished product turned out great!

  We started our meal with a baked artichoke spread with lentil crackers and crispy bread circles.

  We had some nice, sweet red wine with our appetizer. A good margarita would have been more my Mom's style, but I figured that a nice red went better with our meal.

  Our main course was Chicken Supreme with Lemon-Garlic Zucchini and Italian Garlic Bread. It was wonderful, and it tasted just like my childhood.

  For dessert I made Chocolate French Silk Pie. This pie was the most popular pie at my Mom's cafe and sold out every single day. I haven't had it in over 13 years. It was fabulous.

  I feel like celebrating my Mom in this way was a great idea....much better than being sad all day. I know that she wouldn't want me to be sad.

  I know that many of you would probably like the recipes that I made, so I will be posting them tomorrow under the Recipes tab. Have a great evening!

 

Friday Funnies!

  This is the first Friday Funnies! Every Friday morning I will post a picture, quote or something else side-splitting hilarious! Check back every Friday morning for a great laugh to start off your weekend! 

stuffodawesome.com

 

I work out!

jdunkle.blogspot.com

  I've had several different workout routines since I began my "get your butt in shape" lifestyle back in 2005. For years, up until about seven months ago, I was a gym rat. Every day I was there, you could bet your bottom dollar.
  I would go through phases of doing different machines and create a routine with it. I might do the elliptical one day, and then run on the treadmill the next. I always tried to incorporate weight training into my routine, even though I always hated lifting. I know that strength training is an important component of exercise....I've just never liked it.
  In 2009, I ran the half-marathon here in San Antonio. In preparation, I trained for several months and was definitely on the right track....and then I developed planters fasciitis in my right foot. Talk about painful, and a great way to sidetrack my running. For about 3 weeks before the half-marathon I didn't touch a treadmill, but being the stubborn, no-quitting attitude person that I am, I got out there that day and ran it. It felt like a great accomplishment, and for once in a blue moon, I was proud of myself.
  Last year, in an effort to boost up my strength training, I did the P90-X program. I hated it! I've always been a cardio junkie, so tons of weightlifting was not for me. I would push as hard as I could during the workouts, and still barely break a sweat. No sweat=unworthy workout to me. But darnit, I finished those 90 days, and then I got my butt back to the gym!
  Earlier this year, around the beginning of March, I felt like I was in a gym rut and in need of a challenge. I decided to really test my mind, body and soul....with the Insanity workout system. If you've seen those infomercials you know that program looks pretty crazy.
  I love it! I feel like I've finally found a program that kicks my butt! No matter how many times I do a workout, it never gets easy! I also love that there's no weightlifting, but I've definitely gotten toned because there's so many moves that use your own body as resistance.
  I finished the two month program and immediately started it again. I felt challenged and empowered. As I neared the end of my second round, in mid-July, I felt like my body was getting a bit tired. I also knew that I loved Insanity, and didn't want to burn-out and then hate it....so I knew it was time for a change.
  I'd grown accustomed to doing home workouts, so began searching for another DVD workout program. I discovered the Turbofire program and love it. It's definitely more upbeat and fun than Insanity. It's a lot of cardio kickboxing routines, and I've always liked kicking and punching.....the air.
  After about 4 weeks I was still loving Turbofire, but getting a little fearful that I was going to lose the intensity that I'd gained with Insanity. So, I'm currently doing a hybrid schedule of both Insanity and Turbofire. It's working really well for me, and I definitely feel challenged by both programs.
  So, that's the workout program that I'm currently doing. I never saw myself as being successful with a home workout program, but so far it's working. I've grown to appreciate being able to just walk down the hallway and do my workout.
  We have two guest rooms at our house. One is setup as your standard room for guests, and the other is T's "man cave." He does his photo editing in there (I'll talk more about that soon), plays video games and displays all his guy stuff.
  But, every morning at 4:30 that space is all mine. Hold up! Rewind! What time did you say, Megan?! You read correctly....I said 4:30. Since I was a little girl I've always been a morning person. I've never been a late sleeper (6:30 on a Sunday is pushing it). I've never been a snooze-button-hitter. My alarm goes off and I just jump out of bed. So naturally, I enjoy doing my workouts in the morning.

Love this!  fitsugar.com

  Research actually shows that people who work out in the morning are more successful with continuing their exercise over the long run. I figure it's because, besides sleeping, there's not much else to do at 4:30 in the morning. I can't go have dinner with my friends, work late, or vacuum.....all things that could cause a slip-up in my evening workout routine. I definitely encourage you, if you're struggling with finding consistency with your exercise, to give mornings a shot. It's hard in the beginning, but once the habit is formed it's just second nature. It's not for everyone. T has tried the morning routine.....nope, it's not for him. Do what works for you!
  Comment or email me if you have any questions about different exercise routines, or are looking for some support in that area!

I was the chubby kid

  Oh, where do I begin to talk about how I weighed 220 pounds by the time I was 19 years old, how I lost more than half of that weight, and the craziness in between.
   Well...I was not extremely overweight throughout my childhood. I was also not a super skinny little kid. By the time I was 11 or 12 I was a little chunky, but not super chunky. I would say I maybe weighed 20 or so  pounds more than most of my little girlfriends. I was just as active as them, as we all played every sport in middle school. And I mean every sport! When you live in a small town you get to play everything, because there's not a ton of kids. I played volleyball, basketball, tennis, and ran track.....did I miss anything? Was I good at any of these sports? Oh, heck no! I was horrible at sports, but I wasn't going to be the only girl in my little clan who was in Athletics. So I got out there and did my darnedest! And when high school came along, I quit.

My best friend, Sarah, and I at our 8th grade Valentine's Dance

Sarah and I at my wedding, still besties!

  In high school I was a band nerd and on the school newspaper staff. Some of the pounds started packing on at that time. My Mom passed away one month into my freshman year, so that really affected my eating habits. My Mom had always been the cook in the house. She was an amazing cook and even ran her own cafe, so after she was gone we didn't really eat healthy. My Dad worked really long hours, so my brother and I were usually on our own at dinner time, and Hamburger Helper was easy. I also probably did a lot of emotional eating during that time. My Mom was gone....my world was upside down. I was about 195 pounds by the time I graduated from high school. I continued to gain weight over the next few years.
   I know this will probably sound weird, but I can't even remember my food choices or how exactly I got to 220 pounds.....mainly because I just had a huge, and I mean HUGE lack of awareness when it came to food. I convinced myself, ok lied to myself, and said that I was happy and that's all that mattered. I just ate whatever I wanted, when I wanted, and I never did any kind of exercise. Now that I've changed all that I sit back sometimes and think about certain meals that I used to eat, and I cry. Honestly, I will cry because I just don't know how I was so unaware. For one example, my Dad used to take my brother and I to school, but on the way he'd stop at a gas station in town that sold breakfast tacos, so that we could get something for breakfast. I would go inside and get two greasy breakfast tacos, a honey bun and a 21 oz. Dr. Pepper. Oh my goodness! Tear.

Me, at my HS graduation, 2003

   Ok....wipe up the tears, and let's move on.
   So....I vividly remember the time right before I started losing weight. My Dad and Stepmom decided to have a little destination wedding, so a few months afterwards they threw a big party for all our family and friends back home. I remember I was getting ready for the party, and decided to weigh myself. I don't even know how I had a scale. It was probably one of those purchases when I'd convinced myself that I was going to get healthy. Those little spurts tended to last a few days, maybe a week at the most.....and then I would again convince myself that I was happy, and that's all the really mattered. That day when I weighed myself, I was 220 pounds.
   Soon after that day some wonderful friends opened a fitness center in our little town. It was the first time we'd ever seen anything like that in a place that didn't even have a stoplight. I began working out there.....slowly, but surely. I remember when I first started I wasn't even able to do three minutes on the elliptical without feeling like death was knocking at my door.....or trying to knock me off of that machine! Three minutes!!
   I slowly began to lose weight because I went from absolutely no activity to actually moving. I don't know what motivated me to keep at it this time around, but I did. At this time I was just working out, my eating habits had not changed.
   After awhile I discovered that if I changed the way I ate and continued to exercise, I'd lose even more weight! Such a innovative and new idea, I know!
   So, when that change occurred I always say that that's when I went crazy. Once I figured out eating less helped you lose weight I took it a bit too far....ok, a lot too far! I became obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED with calories! I never went out to eat, I counted every single calorie that went into my mouth, and I wouldn't even touch anything if I didn't know exactly how many calories were in. I remember having anxiety if I knew there was an upcoming event and I wouldn't be able to control what I was going to eat. There were a lot of things going on in my life that I couldn't control, but eating was not one of them. I could completely control what I ate. I had that power.
   During this time I also became a slave to my scale. I would weigh myself every morning, and would also experience anxiety over this also.

Me, too skinny

  Food became my addiction....but not in one of those ways that you go crazy and eat tons of ice cream and oatmeal pies. I hated eating. I did not want to put calories into my body. You know how with other addictions (smoking, drinking, drugs etc.) if you have the willpower you just stop. Well, with food you can't just stop....unless you want to die. Well, I didn't want to die....even though I may have gotten pretty close.
   I never had anorexia or bulimia. Thanks to a ton of support from people in my community and church I did reach out for help. I went to a counselor for awhile. She said that I had body dysmorphic disorder, disordered eating and definitely some obsessive compulsive disorder. Let me explain the first two, as I'm sure you probably know about OCD. Body dysmorphic disorder and disordered eating both fall under the category of eating disorders, you just don't hear about them as much as anorexia or bulimia.
   Body dysmorphic disorder is defined as a chronic mental illness in which you can't stop thinking about a flaw with your appearance. I suffered from this for one main reason. When you lose a lot of weight you will be left with tons of loose skin. And, I mean a lot! I lost over 2 feet just in my waist. That was a lot of skin that had nowhere to go. Even after I'd lost over 100 pounds I still felt like I was fat, because I continued to view the loose skin as fat. I still struggle with this a little bit....but each day is a little better.
   Disordered eating is when you have an unhealthy relationship with food and/or your body. You tend to constantly think about food/meal plans, obsess about stepping on the scale, feel upset about minor fluctuations in weight, feel upset/guilty over a missed workout, restrict food intake below a healthy amount, and feel out of control about food. This was me to a perfect "T." There is nothing more to say...the definition says it all. My life, my every moment revolved around thinking (obsessing) about what I was going to eat next, and in turn, how I was going to burn it off.
   The lowest weight I got down to 103 pounds. I know you're probably thinking that's not that low, especially considering I'm only 5'3". 103 looks good on some people. 103 did not look good on this girl! My face was extremely shrunken in and bones were protruding out all over my body. Not good!
   I don't remember the exact moment that I turned "crazy" and I don't know the exact moment that I crawled back out, but thankfully I did. I actually got my weight back up to 145, but now am at a healthy and happy 125.
   I no longer obsess about calories, although I do currently still record everything that I eat. This feels safe for me. Safe is not the same as crazy....I promise. I do workout 6 days a week. A lot of my priorities have changed though. When I started this journey I wanted to lose weight so I looked better. 220 pounds didn't look good. I now focus on my eating and exercising as a healthy lifestyle. My grandmother and my mother both passed away at a very young age from cancer. I want to break the cycle and I'll do everything I can to do that.

Me, at 220 pounds

Me, at 103 pounds

Me, today at 125 pounds

First Motivational Monday

Welcome to the first Motivational Monday post! Every Monday morning I will post a picture, quote or something else irresistibly cute to get you started towards a great week! Check back every Monday morning to see what's here to motivate you. 

I love this movie and this quote. Remember, things aren't always supposed to be easy. You'll never know what your limits are if you don't push yourself. 

**Picture source: idiazsosa.tumblr.com

 

Where I came from

  Now onto how I became the person that I am today. Because I've got 27 years of history to tell, you better cozy on up, make yourself a nice cup of tea, and get ready for hours of reading. I kid, I kid! We'll keep this short and sweet.

I was forever Raggedy-Ann for Halloween

  So, as I previously told you, I grew up in a small Texas town. I was actually born in Dallas, but before I started kindergarten my parents decided to get the heck out of that crazy, big place. We moved to the town where my Mom had grown up and most of her family continues to live today.
  I have a younger brother who came along two days before my third birthday, stealing all my thunder. We always had a big conjoined birthday party when we were growing up. Yeah, we didn't think it was that great, but now that we're older we think it's pretty cool that our birthdays are so close. My Dad still gets out the easy way.....taking us out to dinner at the same time. It's ok though.....we love the guy.

The whole gang

  Ok....now for the sad part. When I was about 7 or 8 (I cant exactly remember) my Mom was diagnosed with cancer for the first time. It was a very difficult time, and I know it was scary for her because she'd lost her own Mom to cancer when she was 19 or 20, I think. My Mom went through chemo and a bone marrow transplant and still remained the strongest woman out there. Like I said, I was young so I don't remember all the specifics, but I remember being told that Mommy was better and in something they called remission. Despite our hopes, faith and prayers my Mom's cancer returned a few years later. I know she had some minor treatments, not chemo, and was "better" again soon. We thought that surely she was done with this battle....but when I was 13 she was diagnosed again. This time it was bad.....it was everywhere. She went through chemo again. I even remember my Dad and her going to Mexico to get some special, new treatment. My Mom fought hard. She had the most amazing attitude and continued to run her cafe (which had been her lifelong dream) everyday. And then, on a Tuesday afternoon surrounded by her family and friends, my Mom went to Heaven. My life was changed....it would never be the same. 

My Mom and our deer, Mary

  You know how people say that a picture cannot do something justice? Whether it's a beautiful landscape or a newborn baby.....you just don't truly understand it unless you've experienced it firsthand. Well....that's how my Mom was. I feel like there are no words to describe how amazing she was. She loved everyone, and everyone loved her.
  I try to live my life everyday striving to be half of the woman that she was. And I would give anything in this world to have one more day with her. Now that I've grown up, gotten married, and am thinking about babies, there's so many questions that pop into my head that I wish I could ask my Mom. I wish I knew the things that had happened to her as she went through the same experiences, and the ways that she overcame the challenges and celebrated the joys. Sometimes those are things that only a mother, your mother, can know.

My Mom and I, 1986

  Ok....sad part over.
  My Dad has remarried, and my stepmom and I get along wonderfully. My brother is graduating from college in a few months, and I couldn't be more proud. After our Mom passed away life wasn't always a cake walk, but we've both done the best with what life has handed us.
  After high school I went on to college, and finally....after 5.5 years....I graduated!!! I thought I'd never finish, but I was working two jobs, so it took a while. T likes to joke with me sometimes by calling me a doctor. He says I went to college long enough that I should be one. Oh....gotta love him.

My Dad and Step-mom with me at college graduation

  So....that's enough of my past. Oh...but there's one more thing, and I'll get to it in my next posting. I'll share with you about how I got to 220 pounds by the time I was 19, how I lost more than half of that weight, and the crazy, intense, emotional battle in between. Oh, that will be good. Don't miss it!

The me I am today

  So now that I've wrangled you in and you're giddy with excitement for my next posting allow me to tell you a little bit about myself.
My name is Megan. I'm 27.....even though some days I have do the calculation because I forget how old I am. Does that happen to anyone else? I've come to the conclusion that if it's not a milestone birthday, you (ok, maybe just me) tend to forget which year you're on. Ok....so enough about my ever-increasing age.
  I live in San Antonio, TX. Remember the Alamo! Ok....not really. Well, yes really. I love history. I have visited the Alamo twice in my life, mainly because it's overcrowded with tourists and we never really go downtown. Well, actually I go downtown everyday, as my job is there, but we don't venture down there in our free time. Who is this "we" I speak of??
  Well the other half of "we" is my wonderful husband, Tomas. I will refer to him as "T", mainly because he thinks it makes him sound cool. He is a pretty cool guy. I love him to pieces. We recently celebrated our second anniversary a few months ago. I never imagined life could be so much fun, but when you get to "do life" with your best friend every day, it's pretty awesome!

Our wedding day, July 24, 2010

  The other person in our house, ok side note.....she's really a dog but don't tell her that, is Molly. She is a 3 year old West Highland White Terrier (aka a Westie). You know...the little Cesar dog food mascot....yeah, that's her, only she's cuter. Ok, maybe I'm a little biased. Anyways, we've had her for almost 2 years. She was just a sad, little doggy on Craigslist until I swept in and rescued her. Before Molly came along, T and I always swore we wouldn't become "those dog people." A dog is a dog. Ok, and then Molly appeared and we've been ruined! Our world revolves around this little, white fuzz ball. She is spoiled and oh does she know it! Wait till we have children! Goodness we're in for an adventure.
  When I'm not hanging out with the hubby and the puppy I'm probably at work. I work with the Marketing team for a life insurance company. I love it. The people I work with are awesome, and I truly believe in the importance of life insurance.
  I've only lived in San Antonio for about 3.5 years. I'm originally from a small town in the Texas Hill Country about an hour north of San Antonio, and I continued to live there until I graduated from college. When I say small, I mean small! We just got our first stoplight last year. I say "we" because sometimes I still like to imagine that I live there. I'm a country girl at heart, and even after almost 4 years I still struggle at times with living in the city.......and don't even get me started on traffic. I'll probably never get used to it, but hey, when you spent the first 24 or so years of your life in a town without even a stoplight, it's not really an issue that you had to deal with very frequently.

  When I'm not hanging out with the hubby and puppy, working, or trying to survive San Antonio traffic you'll probably find me working out, cooking up yummy and healthy food, or with my nose stuck in a book. I will, of course, discuss these wonderful activities known as hobbies in much further detail in future postings.
  Now that you probably have a fairly good idea of the person that I am today and the life I lead, I'll give you all the juicy details of my past in my next posting. Oh, the past......we all have one. Of course, mine like many of yours, I'm sure, has the good, the bad and the ugly. I feel like the experience of writing all this out is going to be very freeing for me as I continue on the journey of learning to accept myself. Oh, we'll get to that too. Goodness! Someone get the Kleenex!

Welcome to my new blog!

  This is something that I've been wanting to do for a while....so here goes nothing.

   So why am I writing a blog? Honestly, I have no idea. I don't consider my life to be overly exciting or spectacular, but I do feel like I have some good tips on various things and maybe I'm hoping to inspire someone with my stories and experiences. At least that's my hope!

   So what will this blog be about? Mostly, I'll probably talk about weight loss, exercise tips, food ideas and my go-to recipes. I'll also talk about life in general.... my quirky habits, my adorable puppy and my spectacular husband. I'm excited about this new endeavor in my life. I hope you'll be excited too, and that I haven't bored you to death with this first post.

   Oh! And one more thing...because I know you're all just itching to know! Where in the world did I come up with "Ginger Warrior??" Well, Ginger Warrior is just one of the many, many names that my hubby has bestowed upon me over the years. He likes to call me his Ginger Warrior. The Ginger comes from my fiery red, crazy, mind-of-its-own hair. The Warrior comes from my crazy workout habits. I'm sure I'll talk much more about that in the future. Now you'll have to come back! So there you have it. That is the story behind "Ginger Warrior." Now I know you'll all sleep with peace in your hearts tonight. See you soon!