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Saturday Weigh In (Week 16)

Posted April 20, 2013 By dealinanddishin

weigh in

Doesn’t seem like we are on Week 16 already. Welcome to Saturday Weigh In! Didn’t get a lot down outside this week. It turned rainy and then chilly (40′s feel real could when it was 80 the day before!)

I took a friend’s advice and tried Jillian’s 30 Day Shred Level 1( There are 3 levels). I just completed Day 6 today of Level 1. It is not an easy workout, but it’s short and that helps. You do circuits of Strength, Cardio, and Abs. This is to cause muscle confusion. The idea is that you will quit making progress doing the same workout over and over. There are push-ups, jumping jacks, sit-ups, etc.I tried it on YouTube to see if I liked it or not.

I will say the first 3 days it hurt to sit down and going up the stairs sucked really bad!! Then it has been much better! I need to buy a copy so I can do it when I don’t have an internet connection.

Today I added a short ab workout by Leslie Sansone (Same friend recommended this too). I liked it, and it looked easy but was not! The movements are slow and purposeful and that makes it tougher.

This week I ate reasonable even last weekend! Big accomplishment for me. I have rediscovered my love of FlatOut wraps! I have exercised everyday for last 7 days.
Saturday and Sunday – 30 minutes stationary bike each day
Monday- 30 Day Shred (20-25 minutes) plus 15 minute Walk at Home (Leslie Sansone)
Tuesday-Friday 30 Day Shred each day (20-25 minutes)

Did it work??

Last Week’s Weight 165

This Week’s Weight 161.4

That’s a loss of 3.6 lbs! I am definitely sticking with the 30 day shred. Next week I will finish day 10 of Level 1 and should move to Level 2 on Saturday, but I’ll be out in the woods camping that weekend. Hope to do some hiking and walking there.

(Post contains affiliate links..Disclosure)

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Disclosure Policy

Posted April 20, 2013 By dealinanddishin

This site is a part of ad networks, shares affiliate links, and does offer reviews/giveaways and sponsored posts in exchange for reimbursement.

This does not change how the site presents information. Everything is the opinion of the writer, and that person’s opinion alone.

“Dealin and Dishin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com.”

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Movie Night Reviews-Rise of the Guardians

Posted April 19, 2013 By dealinanddishin

This week’s Movie Night Reivews is Rise of the Guardians (rated PG 97 minutes). This was an Easter gift for the kids, and The Boy had wanted to see it since seeing the previews. I was not sold on this one myself. Holiday figures in an action type movie?

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The movie has Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and the Easter Bunny as a team of Guardians. They protect the wonder children possess. Along comes Pitch who has learned to take Sandman’s ability of dreams and turning them into nightmares. He wants what the Guardians have…to be believed in.

Jack Frost is chosen to join the Guardians by the Man on the Moon. Jack Frost has spent what he remembers of his existence invisible. Jack, motivated by his desire to learn about his memories, joins the Guardians.

The Easter Bunny is some kind of mutated bunny on steroids. Yetis build all Santa’s toys..who knew?? The Tooth Fairy is a cute little frantic, hummingbird type creature. The Sandman can use his sand to make objects. Jack Frost is basically a kid with a taste for fun and mischief. He is the only one who actually knows how to interact with kids. Not the characters I knew, but fun twists!

Will the group come together and stop Pitch from destroying the hope of children? If they can’t stop Pitch they will all be gone with only fear and darkness left.

The kids were entertained by this one. An action movie is nice that is actually kid friendly plus no blood or bad language. I like the quirks of the characters, and the interactions. Fun movie for us all!

Rent or Buy at Amazon

“Dealin and Dishin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com.”

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Sugar Free Strawberry Pie

Posted April 18, 2013 By dealinanddishin

When Summer comes I love fruits and vegetables and in particular, Strawberries. Who can resist that smell??strawberries

My favorite summertime dessert is strawberry pie. However I’ve been trying to change how I eat, and thought it may be something I can’t have often.

So, I decided to look at the recipe my Mom gave me and see what could be done. This is a double recipe. This is the original way to do it, but I substituted  Splenda for the sugar and sugar free jello. It is an even swap of Splenda and sugar and the jello as well.

strawberrypieslice1

Sugar Free Strawberry Pie

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups Splenda
4 tbsp. corn starch
2 packs Sugar Free strawberry jello
3 pints strawberries (this is very adjustable)
Lite whipped topping

Thaw your pie crust for 10-15 minutes on the counter. Then poke holes all over the crust with fork first otherwise the crust will bubble and bust.Bake pie crusts as package says.

Crustcollage

Cook water, sugar, and corn starch until clear. I never get it completely clear, but it’s less milky looking, and starting to thicken.mixture While hot add jello.strawberryjello

Cool  until slightly thick add strawberries and pour into pie shell and place back in fridge until set. Serve with a dollop or two of Whipped Topping!

strawberrypie

 

Mine after substitutions

crust-640
strawberries (2 cup sliced)-106
splenda – 0
sugar free jello-80
cornstarch-60

Grand total 886 for a whole pie (minus whipped topping)! Cut into 8 pieces it’s only  111 calories a slice before whipped topping. Lite Whipped topping can be 20 for 2 Tbsp. so about 130 calories for a delicious piece of pie! You can’t tell it’s sugar free either!!

weeklychallenge



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Strawberry Pie Cupcakes

Posted April 16, 2013 By dealinanddishin

I have been wanting to try this Gooey Blueberry Angel Food Cake Dessert Recipe {2 ingredients!} recipe I have seen on Pinterest using Angel Food cake and pie filling. I am strawberry obsessed once the weather hits 70 degrees!
bowlofstrawberries

A couple of my absolute favorites to make are low calorie Strawberry Pie, and Strawberry Dessert.

I decided to adapt the original idea of pie filling and angel food cake mixture, but instead of using canned pie filling. I know they make it for strawberries, but I am not keen on that idea. I am going to use the Sugar Free pie filling I make from scratch and add it to the cake mix, see what happens! That was the plan until I realized I bought the wrong angel food cake mix. To do that recipe you have to buy the mix that’s all together. The one I got has two packets (one is an egg one) so that was out!

Scoured the pantry since I already had the pie filling cooking. Found regular white cake mix, why not?

I tried just mixing the filling mixture and cake mix together, and baking that.
Made a dozen of those, and pretty flat! They tasted okay, but I wanted a real cupcake. I added an egg to other half of the batter, and so much better!! Nice and fluffy with bunches of strawberries in them. I figured next time two eggs at the start will work perfect.

Left (No egg) Right (after egg)

Left (No egg) Right (after egg)

Notice “tin liners” below? I would highly suggest you use those. I did not attempt to use regular paper ones, because with the strawberries in it you’ll have moisture cooking out. I would have concern they would either stick to the paper or soak the liners. I always keep the tin ones for muffin baking.

strawberry pie cupcakes

Strawberry Pie Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

3/4 cup Splenda
1 1/2 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
1 box White Cake Mix
2 eggs
Sugar Free Strawberry Jello
3 cups Chopped strawberries

24 tin cupcake liners
Lite Whipped topping

ice cream scoop (optional, but it’s such a great tool for filling cupcake liners)
Sliced Strawberries (optional for garnish)

Put Water, Splenda, and Corn Starch in pan and put on stove at low/medium heat. Stir on occasion until it turns clear. Remove from heat, add jello, and let cool until partly set up.
In a box put in cake mix and add two beaten eggs. Next add the pie filling mix and stir. Once it’s all combined stir in your strawberries.strawberryinbatter

Fill cupcake liners at least 2/3 full. I would recommend trying one cupcake first to see how well it raises so you can adjust filling of the liners. All ovens and cake mixes are different.

Bake according to box instructions, but set your timer for 5 minutes less to check them. Let them cool fully before unwrapping to allow time for the strawberries to adhere to the cake mix well.

Top with a nice big dollop of whipped topping and a strawberry slice!

I figured mine made as above were about 86 calories each, and the Lite Whipped topping is 20 calories for 2 Tablespoons. So at most 110 calories for a very strawberry cupcake.

weeklychallenge
I am joining the Weekly Food Challenge, and as you guessed the ingredient of the week is Strawberries.


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Movie Night Reviews- Wreck It Ralph

Posted April 14, 2013 By dealinanddishin

Wreck It Ralph is this week’s Movie Night Reviews selection. The Boy had seen this already at school for a class party. He told me about the ending of the movie (and thus prompted a discussion about spoiler alerts), but since I hadn’t seen it it was ok. I didn’t care about watching this from the previews I had seen, but heard others talk about how fun it was and the references to 80′s games I’d appreciate.

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Wreck It Ralph lives in the game, Fix it Felix. Felix is the hero, who fixes the building before Ralph can destroy it. Then the residents throw Ralph off the roof. What the previews don’t show is that game starts with them taking Ralph’s home (a tree stump), and moving it to the dump for them to build this apartment building. Immediately I felt for Ralph, and kinda wanted him to destroy the building.

Being a bad guy isn’t as easy as you’d think, and Ralph attends support group meetings to help accept that it’s okay to be bad. Sadly the residents in his game (other than Felix) don’t realize this, and Ralph is left out in the cold at the dump.

Ralph decides to earn a medal like the good guys do to earn the affection of his game. Once he leaves the game is not the same. Felix can’t “fix it” if there is no Ralph to “wreck it”. Ralph has an adventure going to other games, and Felix as well who follows to bring his friend back before their game is put permanently “Out of Order”.

We enjoyed the movie! It had plenty of funny parts, a twist, and overall good movie! I loved that it had Jane Lynch in it! She is wonderful on Glee and here as well.

Rent or Buy it from Amazon

“Dealin and Dishin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com.”

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Saturday Weigh In (Week 15)

Posted April 12, 2013 By dealinanddishin

weigh in

It’s Weigh In day yet again. I am running out of ways to introduce this each week. We are at week 15 now. Things are progressing overall. I had to go back and look at the beginning of this for a little reassurance.

Last week I weighed on Friday since it was my birthday. I ended up taking a three day weekend that week, except for some yard work.

This week has been kinda rough mentally. I just wrote about being a good Mom about judging ourselves compared to others and what they do. The same goes for weight loss. I am happy for those who are getting to their goals, but there is also that twinge of jealousy and disappointment. Why can’t I lose a pound a day? Why can’t I avoid the sweets every day?

So when you get this point, and sadly you probably will. You can’t lose every week, and sometimes things you can’t control get in the way. This is the time to go and look back at that first week to see where you started. If you have photos look at those, measurements, clothes that were tight, or the scale. I’m purposely putting the scale last, because it shows progress but only one small piece.

The week before Week 1 I was 174

Last Week’s Weigh In was 165.6

This Week’s Weigh In 165..down .6 lbs.

Waist was 41 inches at the beginning, and now is around 39 (this fluctuates). My tighter pants are not as snug (or painful) when I wear them. And that’s 9 lbs lost in the last 3 1/2 months. It’s better than I thought. I get very focused on the week to week numbers.

Here is when I really saw that I needed to lose some weight.
20130413-102825.jpg
It’s been so long that I am not sure if I really started getting on track at this point, or if it was yet another year later. I do remember vividly seeing the scale about make a full circle and end up at 190.

This was last week
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Exercise Plan

The weather finally warmed up (well most of the week) so we made a flower garden for The Girl. I then weeded two big flower beds, hung up 17 loads of laundry outside, cleaned house, and mowed the yard. It is hard to remember, but I think I rode the stationary bike 3 days as well. I can now go over 8 miles in my 30 minute time frame. Let me tell you watch something action or scary when biking. I was watching Resident Evil: Retribution, and that kept me biking fast.

With the weather changes I plan to back down on traditional workouts, and get my exercise working outside. Eating will be staying on plan as much as possible. I am really trying to have just one cheat day (today), and otherwise make healthy choices with occasional treats…no more binge behavior. Wish me luck!

Are you changing your exercise plans with the change of seasons? What changes have you seen in your journey?

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Being a Good Mom

Posted April 11, 2013 By dealinanddishin

strongmomquote1I am participating in a blog campaign with One2One Network. I have not received any payment. All opinions are my own.

This campaign grabbed my attention right away! It saddens me when I see Moms attack each other over how they raise their kids. I’m not talking anything that would put a child in harm’s way. Just nit picking stuff. Being a Mom has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done! I criticize and judge myself enough that I don’t need help from anyone else. Support is what we all need! If I am ever going to survive the teen years I need some good Mom friends to help drag me through it!

 

I compare myself to all these “perfect” Moms I see on my Facebook feeds or on other blogs. We compare and judge ourselves and others to an ideal in our heads. Perhaps it goes back to the 50′s Leave it to Beaver housewife who had it all under control and was never frazzled. It could be the Huxtables, who showed a working Mom, who also had it all together.

I preferred Roseanne. That was the kind of Mom I wanted to be. She was funny, felt real, and I thought I could be that. I couldn’t be June Cleaver or Claire Huxtable, and I don’t want to be!

I want to be a good Mom not a perfect one!

What about you? What’s your Mom role model?

Take the Pledge to Support Strong Moms Here

 

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Posted April 10, 2013 By dealinanddishin

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip CheesecakeI will state that I am not an expert in eating or making cheesecake. This is not a traditional cheesecake, but it’s a very easy one!

This week’s food challenge was “Cheese”. I don’t use cheese often, but my mind automatically goes to dessert. The Hubs and The Girl are both cheesecake fans. I was inspired by this Philadephia 3-Step Cheesecake recipe  I wanted to make it something I would like so in came the chocolate chips, and then peanut butter seemed like the natural next step.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Premade chocolate crust (Keebler Chocolate crust used here)
2 package of reduced fat cream cheese (my own preference)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until creamy. Then add the peanut butter and mix again. Next add the eggs until blended into the batter, and finally the chocolate chips.baketime
Pour into crust and bake for around 40 minutes until it is almost set in the center. Pour a few more chocolate chips on top if you have extra. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (this is a must!) The center will be gooey and creamy until it has set long enough.cheesecakecollage

Reactions?

The Girl loved it!! I liked it a lot even as a non-cheesecake person. You taste the peanut butter, but it isn’t overpowering the cream cheese. The texture to me is like peanut butter fudge. I will definitely make it again.Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I was a part of the Weekly Challenge hosted by Green Eggs and Spam weeklychallenge

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Movie Night Reviews Evil Dead (2013)

Posted April 6, 2013 By dealinanddishin

It’s time for another grown up edition of Movie Night Reviews. This week Evil Dead (2013 rated R, 91 minutes) was released on my birthday. I felt I had to see this.

evildead

I have seen the original The Evil Dead , Evil Dead 2, and my favorite Army of Darkness.
Of course while watching this I was comparing and contrasting as best I could. Truthfully I could not remember Evil Dead 2 and just finished watching it again today. I re-watched the first Evil Dead last week, but I remember that one! And for good measure I watched Army of Darkness, because it’s just a great movie!

This Evil Dead (2013) is basically a remake of the original Sam Raimi one, but with some tweaks and changes. There is a lot more gore! Whew..for me that’s hard. I like to have my remote in hand to mute or pass up those scenes, but not possible in a theater.

What’s different?
The names. There is no “Ash” Ashley J. Williams in this one. I was kind of sad about that, but no one could be him other than Bruce Campbell.
The ending is different, but I won’t go into that and ruin it for anyone.
The Book of the Dead doesn’t look like it did in the originals.

What’s the same?
There is a Book of the Dead that causes the trouble.
There’s a group in a cabin in the woods.
The chainsaw and shotgun show up in this one.

What’s it about?

We have siblings, Mia and David with their friends in their family’s cabin for a weekend of detox. The Book of the Dead is found, read (like they always seem to do!), and all hell breaks loose. There is blood, and lots of it! There are also the classic horror mistakes that make you yell at the people on the screen. For example..don’t read the book!

References to Evil Dead I noticed

We have the “tree scene” of sorts again from The Evil Dead in this version. That is the scene I will never forget from the original one!!
There is a fight scene in water that reminded me of Army of Darkness when Ash is thrown in the pit.
There is a hand chopped off like in Evil Dead 2.

I liked it! It was a remake, but since they didn’t try to replicate it it worked. There are enough changes in it, but still keeps the familiarity.

(“Dealin and Dishin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com.” )

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