Dieting motivation?

Or really motivation period. It has never been my strong point. Maybe I'm just not mature enough to have long term goals and I swear I didn't mean that in a disparaging please reassure my negative qualities so I'll feel better about myself sort of way. I'm just putting it into the universe.

Last New Year's Jeff and I each lost over 10% of our body weight in three months. Three months! Totally awesome. Great success in keeping off for 8 months.

And we went on vacation and then Jeff got a new job and I had to learn how to fix bathroom fixtures and we still didn't gain any of it back, but it's been super tough for me to want to lose weight again. And you have to want to lose weight to actually lose weight.

It seems our lives are about back to normal. So our goals have been to workout 3 hours every week and try to avoid that whole binge drinking hobby of ours. All easier said than done.

So what's the most weight you have ever lost and how did you stay focused?

So what's the most weight you have ever lost? What kept you on the wagon.

I REFUSE!!!!

Y'all, we are officially here in Indianapolis. No playin. We're here. I was awarded an Indiana drivers license today. We are officially here to stay. So we celebrated for realz and my comment,


"I'm not gonna throw up Dom Perignon."






It was a delicious.

A nice little Saturday

As much as I love to cook, I don't always like to spend a ton of time in the kitchen on the weekends because Jeff is home and I don't get to see him a whole lot during the week. I use this recipe fairly frequently. I just made it up. I tend to throw things in the crockpot and just see how it turns out. Because every hour you can tweak it and if it turns out incorrectly, no biggie. Make a stew or something. So here we go...

Taco Bell Chicken.
It does smell like Taco Bell as it cooks and there are few things better than a house full of yummy smells. You'll definitely need onions, garlic, salsa, cream of mushroom soup, cumin, and meat of choice.





I think I have a 6 quart crockpot, but I wouldn't swear to it. I rarely measure when I cook. Use your instincts, it's more fun, but I'll try and guess for you anal types.

Layer the bottom of the pot with two cups of onions. These are diced frozen onions you buy in the veggies section.
Now add a thick layer of salsa, three cups.
Now throw the cream of mushroom soup in there.
We loooove garlic in this house, so there's 2 heaping teaspoons of minced garlic. There's no need for high quality ingredients. We're talking quick and easy here, just like... never mind.

Now what you can't see are the spices. My bad. I use probably two tablespoons of cumin and chili powder. We like a lot of kick around here, so I throw in a tablespoon of cayenne and chipotle pepper seasoning. Now remember, this is going to cook down some, so start out slow with the seasoning. But thyme, lemon pepper, cajun seasoning, paprika, whatever. It all works. Go crazy.






Mix it all up and just throw the meat in there. If it's not mixing well, add some water. I used two big chicken breasts and a dark piece from a pork loin, probably two pounds of meat. Whatever you've got is fine. Cook on high for four hours.




Shred it all up. After four hours, two forks should shred it up very easily. Throw some of the leftover sauce in there to keep it moist.




Now if you're feeling super industrious, you can "fry" up some tortillas. They get a nice little crisp on them. So throw a tablespoon of butter/margarine/oil mixture in a skillet on medium heat and get it hot. Mmmm, sizzlin' butter.



See how the tortilla on the left is puffing up kinda like a pancake? Well poke it back down until it has browned like on the right. Then throw a little more butter in the pan and flip it over. That's it. Crispy, tasty tortilla. But watch it, they burn, and I really would recommend cast iron on this one, but I haven't tried my teflon so I can't say for sure.



Finished product. That's pepperjack cheese, but all cheese is good cheese. Okay, don't break out the gorgonzola on this one. That would be a little strong. Either way, whatever makes your skirt fly up.

So remember... Onions, salsa, COM, garlic, meat, 4 hours, and shred. You're good to go.

Oh, and it reheats nicely in the microwave.

Things in my house

Don't you just love finding a great new product? Me too, so I thought I'd share how I do a few things here in my home.

Bump-its. I love big hair and they work. Blistex Lip Medex lip balm feels wonderful on chapped lips. Bobby pins are essential to my hair styling and pearls are just good to have around.

As we continue our tour through the bathroom, we have my Soap and Glory bubble bath. Throw some epsom salts in there because they're good for your muscles. Magnesium is essential to life, ya know? That's Neutrogena facewash. It keeps my face smooth and fairly break out free because it has salicylic acid and alpha-hydroxy. Yes, I worry about wrinkles. I have used those Scrubbing Bubbles since I was little and my chore was to clean the bathroom. Great stuff.

Woo, Klonopin!! Actually, aahhhh is more like it.

Fekkai glossing cream. Pea sized amount on damp hair and no frizzies. I can't live without Q-tips.
That's the label of my fave eyeshadow shown below. Urban Decay isn't even playing with it's make-up, I love it.

Tried and true make up. That Maybelliene eyeliner is seriously waterproof. Have you tried liquid liner? It could change your life. So could a foundation brush. Just trust me. That Dr. Feel Good tin is a wonderful base for your foundation. Base for your base? Yes, I have a seriously oily T-zone. Aerosol hairspray never goes out of style. I use an angle brush to color in my eyebrows with just a little eyeshadow and blend with a clean mascara brush. Don't tell anyone, but every time I go to Sephora, I take a few of those mascara brushes and eyeshadow applicators. They're handy.

That chipotle pepper is one of the best spices I've come across for flavor and heat. A dab'll do ya though. On the right the first five spices are what I mainly use to fill that one on the left I have labeled "My Spicy Seasoning." My creativity is astounding isn't it? I realized I tended to add the same spices to most meats, so why not just mix them all up first?





I love Puffs Plus, with lotion and Vicks scented. Menthol is my comfort. The Vicks scented can be elusive so I stock up. I think Bounty select-a-size paper towels are the best. Sometimes you really don't need a whole one and I have a weird pet peeve about things not being torn evenly.

When I got married and started doing man laundry for the first time in my life, I couldn't figure out why my cheap detergent didn't make our clothes smell nice and fresh. So man clothes get Tide with a chaser of Clorox 2. And we wear a lot of black so the darks get the Downy Total Care. YAY for soft and fresh clothes.

Thanks for stopping by, please come back soon.