Happy Monday... and Flash Back Friday... late

This is our other child.... Abby. We have had her three years this Christmas. This was taken about 2 years ago, at PetsMart's Halloween Contest.

With fall here, and Halloween around the corner.. I thought this would give

everyone a little smile.

A little white dog in a witch hat!!

Definately too cute to be scary!!

Have a Great Week!

We be cooking Wednesday...

...with Maci

Today's yummy recipe is Sesame Spinach Salad... Maci has now made this twice... once last week and again last night... when I left for the gym, I begged her to make it while I was gone.

She is really liking the Clean Eating magazine... I highly recommend a subscription... it is well worth it!!!

She has some pictures on her computer of the salad and of her making it... I will have to get her to email them to me.

Hope you enjoy this easy recipe... and Keep it Clean!!

Journal Your Food

Yesterday, I started writing down all my food for the day... it really is the best way to stay on track.
So, with that being said... this is what I ate the rest of the day after my protein pancake for breakfast.

I came home for lunch, and was stumped on what to eat... but since I knew I had to blog about it, I made better choices.
I settled for a ezekiel pita pocket with reduced fat cheese, turkey and then loaded it with veggies.
My afternoon snack was an apple and some almonds... I cooked dinner which was baked chicken with low fat feta cheese and toasted pine nuts and a huge salad.

It was a good eating day... even made it to the gym, to do my 2 miles on the treadmill.

TODAY... I had my pancake... and in an effort to not eat bad at a chamber luncheon, I took leftovers and ate before I went to luncheon... the food is awesome, but, I figured it would not be a clean choice for me... and it wasn't...chicken alfredo!!! and I avoided the desserts... even the to die for bread pudding that chef is famous for... well, at least he is famous to me!!

My afternoon snack was protein shake blended with berries... headed to gym and did arm workout, and then came home to Maci's wonderful Sesame Spinach Salad with chicken!

I will post that recipe tomorrow...

So, if anyone is reading this... that's what I ate... was it easy choices... nah, I love dessert... but I really didn't need it... and I feel better now for not eating it.

Would love to hear from ya'll on how you stay on track... and take this as a challenge from me... write it down, and be honest!!!
Keep it Clean... you will be glad you did!!!

Hello Monday!!

What a day... forgotten science projects, over flowing toilets... the good news... it's no big deal, we can kick it!!!

I decided today, I would start blogging my daily food... keep me on track and to also give my clients an idea of what I eat each day, and how I plan... or on some days, lack of plan!
Today, there is cake in the kitchen at work... just say no, just say no!!!

So far today my breakfast was my protein pancake and coffee...
For those that need the recipe..

2 eggs
1/4 oatmeal
1 TBSP vanilla protein powder
1 TBSP ground flaxseed
1tsp of vanilla
dash or two of pumpkin pie spice

Mix together and pour onto hot skillet... top with fruit, stevia or agave nectar ... your preference

YUMMY!!!!

Have a great day!!

Flash Back Friday

Wow... time flies!! Today's flashback has happy and sad thoughts...


13 years ago today, was Maci's due date... however, she decided not to be a fall baby, instead she came as a summer baby. She was due, September 18... but, blessed us with her arrival on July 18. Two months early!!!

She weighed in a whopping 4 lbs, 1 oz and 15 inches long. She had no medical reason for coming early... and she had no complications for being born barely at 32 weeks... but, there we were, proud but scared parents.



Here she is in the NICU... with her IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen and such. She had a little jaundice, but a little time under the billi lights, and that got better.

After she spent a week in the NICU, she graduated to the step down unit... we got to hold her more often and they encouraged us to come visit and give her a bath and feed her. Which involved me pumping milk (24/7, storing it, taking it to hospital) and then putting it in her feeding tube...


On this day, she was one week old, my mother and I got to dress her and we actually saw her face for the first time...with nothing taped to it.
She weighed 3 lbs, 12 oz... the lowest, before she started gaining weight back.
It was a rough 23 days... (which was much shorter than they prepared us for) but, we survived and it was all worth it, she has grown to a beautiful, smart, polite, young lady... and a very good cook!!!
This is last year's school pic... but, she still looks pretty much the same... braces will come off next month on the 19th!

So, even though this isn't a post today, about eating clean and exercise... it is about being a mom, and hanging tough and kicking butt, when you are scared and you just don't know what to do.

It all works out... keep the faith and know you can handle it... good things are in store... don't give up!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

We Be Cooking Wednesday...

with Maci...

This week Maci has been cooking up a storm... she helped her dad cook Canadian Stew from the Eat Clean Diet Book on Saturday, and then on Sunday night, marinated some chicken for a get together that I had on Monday. Last night she baked chicken with sun dried tomatoes and made a tomato sauce that she drizzled on top... sooo sooo good!! (that was her own recipe)



Here are the recipes... they came from the Clean Eating Magazine

The chicken and pineapple skewers were very good, and kinda tangy.

The best thing about the fruit kebobs, was the fruit dip, made with low fat yogurt and honey.

Last night she made the Chia Fizz... she didn't like it, but, it reminded me of a mojito!! (with no alocohol) : (

I will have to post the candadian stew later, I haven't scanned that recipe yet... but, with the cooler weather coming, it is great and it tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge.

You can find it in Tosca's Eat Clean Recipe Book.

Have a great week!!

Flash Back Friday

Hey it's 1999, Maci's first Ranger Game, and the Ranger's are actually in the playoffs!! This is probably in the summer... but, they do make it to the playoffs.

I did a little research... after much excitement at the house watching the games, that it has been awhile since the Rangers have seen any playoff action.

I actually came across this picture the other day, and I have always loved it. On that day, Maci and her daddy stood in line on the field, to get an autograph.... she ended up with Tim Crabtree's on a baseball. We still have the ball, and the picture of Nathan carrying Maci and her looking at the ball, like "big deal"!!!

Hey Maci... how healthy do you think that Ranger dog is??? Back then, she didn't care...

oh, to be young and so carefree!!

Have a great weekend!!! and go Rangers!!!

We be cooking Wednesday...

...With Maci

Today we are sharing "Ginger Lime Talapia"

Taken from the Clean Eating Magazine (Sept-Oct Issue)

We went to Central Market on Saturday, Maci's first time... she loved it!!! She talked me into buying fresh Talapia... and a plether of other fruits, veggies, and herbs. Did I mention she is already talking about culinery school??? I think her friend Emily has the best idea... Maci Mitchell... the next Food Network Star!!!

She is so funny in the kitchen, she wants no help, and prefers no one to be in her way. She will ask a question, IF, she needs to...

oh, and no tasting from the cooking spoon!!!

Let me tell you, this Talapia was too die for good!!! It is laying on Curried Quinoa and has a dollop of bannana ketchup on top.... she made ALL of it. She wasn't big on the ketchup, but, Me and her dad thought it was all great!!! But, then how could we complain, she fixed our plates and brought it to us!! You know, it's all about "plating" the food... (food presentation)

Attached is the recipe from the magazine... Give it a try...

Flash Back Friday

Ok, so I saw this on my friend Shalie's Space and thought it was so cute... I asked her for permission to use it and she said she stole it from someone else's blog... so today we have FLASH BACK FRIDAY!

I tried to think of something that happened during this time, but in the past...And then it occurred to me... my Neice was born 8 years ago on September 6. I remember being so excited about a new addition to our family and Maci having a cousin...

Here is Maci and Cece... I think Cece is a couple of months old....and Maci is 5 in the picure.

Soup for a Sick Friend

I tried to post this last night from my cell phone... I haven't mastered mobile blogging yet...

Maci's friend and neighbor, Morgan, came home from school sick. Maci decided all on her own to make her some soup. I was so proud of Maci... (such a nice thing to do)

This is homemade chicken noodle soup... she cut up potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and along with whole wheat noodles... the chicken flavoring came from a sodium free-fat free chicken bullion, that we got at Central Market... It was very yummy!!! I wish I had some on Friday, when I was sick... but she gave it all away : (

We Be Cooking Wednesday...

with Maci.... This is Lemony Almond Spinach Pesto Pasta... from the Sept/Oct Clean Eating Magazine.

The picture really doesn't do it justice... but it was very yummy!

Maci really likes to make pesto...she made a pesto sauce the other day and drizzled it on turkey breast! very yummy also!

This dish is made with whole wheat noodles, tuna, squash, zucchinii , spinach (of course) and white beans. Got your whole grains, protein and some veggies....

Attached is the recipe.... enjoy!!!