Food and Fashion

The truth is - I always forget about goodwill. And, I don't think the prices are low enough for used stuff. That being said, there's a time of year I love to go there - Halloween. I love making my own costumes.

Reese had decided she wanted to be Sharpay from High School Musical. The ready to wear costume you can buy is between $20-$30 and not that great. So off to goodwill we went. I found the perfect dress for her! It was an adult's really small size, so It works without hardly any alterations.

I didn't get a full body pic, because she's still feeling a bit sick. But I cut the dress on a diagonal on the bottom and added some closures in the back. We also found this silver sparkly sling bag she'll use to put her candy in. "And after that just for anything I want!" she explained. With a pink fur jacket and pink heels from storage; we'll add some fancy leggings, and make a headband that says "Sharpay" in sparkles and she'll be good to go!

Now for the food-->

I finally tried a recipe for a stuffed squash I've been wanting to try. It was SUPER YUMMY. It's an acorn squash, cut and cooked for 30 minutes. Then stuffed with shredded zucchini, carrot and onion that had all been sauteed. Added to that were some bread crumbs, Tuscan spice mix and an egg. Once the filling is in the squash cook for another 15 minutes. It smelled like Thanksgiving and tasted delicious. Next time - I'll probably salt and pepper the inside of the squash before scooping in my filling.

I love banana bread. And I used to love zucchini bread, but have never made it. So this time as I made my banana bread I added a shredded zucchini to it. I used applesauce and a tiny bit of olive oil instead of butter and honey instead of sugar. The recipe called for Baking Soda but I also added a bit of Baking Powder because I've read that when using honey instead of sugar the food needs the extra umph of leavening agent. To get a good sweetness I sprinkled the pan very lightly with some brown sugar before pouring in the batter as well as sprinkled a little on top of the batter.

So this had 1 zucchini, 3 bananas, and 3/4 applesauce - a good amount of necessary fruits and veggies; as well as it was made with whole wheat flour. And you know what? The kids gobbled it up.

So Excited :)

On October 15th at 12:01 am, I committed to doing another Triathlon. I was really nervous and those voices of self doubt were creeping in (BOOO!).

Then I remembered this:

The extraordinary feeling of doing something I never thought I would be able to.

I had planned all along to do the Wunderwoman Triathlon again in 2010. But for some reason this Valley Girl Triathlon seemed too intimidating. The distances are only a bit longer on the swim and bike, and quite doable, but the whole idea of trying something new was daunting.

So I reached back into my heart and grasped hold of the TRI-HIGH I got from my last triathlon - read about it here - And signed up.

Thanks Tiff for pushing me, and although I hesitated, I am so so excited for it. And the tri sold out on October 15th at 1:10 am!

Now it's time to kick up my training.

I TRI'd it and I loved it!

It was SO FUN!!!
I was doing this triathlon with my sisters, Tiffany and Cami, and my niece Sara. The night before the race we chatted too long and only got about 4 1/2 to 5 hrs of sleep.
When we got to Waterfront park we were all jittery - not knowing what to expect. We took our bikes down to the racks and tried to prepare ourselves.

This is my transition area. My towel right next to my bike. Yes, that is a cute skateboard helmet and not a bike helmet. I may invest in a new helmet so I look like a real cyclist. My socks are rolled down so they'd be easy to slip on over wet feet. My number is pinned to my shirt so it'll be ready for my run.

Here we are before the race, showing off our numbers. With numbers on the arm you REALLY feel like a triathlete. They told me too look mean but I couldn't stop laughing. I just wanted to get started already!!!!

This is the 1st wave heading into the water. Here, your heart starts pounding, goosebumps are forming, and you begin doubting you'll remember how to swim.

But I did - and I loved it. I have to say swimming was my favorite part of the triathlon. The water felt so good once I started going. If I felt any panic I just did what helps me keep my rhythm in the water - go through multiplication tables in my head. (I know, totally nerdy.) One thing I did not expect is how dizzy I was when I came out of the water! I couldn't run a straight line up the hill to the transition area!

Swim 1/4 mile - 11 min 20 sec

I took longer than I needed in my 1st transition I started washing my feet with my water, then realized it didn't really matter so I put on my shoes with bits of sand and grass in my socks. Also, I walked through my transitions. I didn't run like others - I was too nervous of falling or going the wrong way. Plus I needed to catch my breath.

Transition 1 - 3 min 27 sec

The bike was super fun too. This is when you first start hearing the other people say things like: good job! keep it up! you're doing great! as they pass you. Which seems a little weird maybe, but to a first timer is so encouraging. Sometimes I got a little sidetracked, like when the geese flew in a HUGE V-formation overhead and I almost wrecked watching them instead of the road. I was most grateful to the woman who passed me with a bike computer and told me we were half way there. I want a bike computer:) I was most scared when the volunteer pointed out the gravel to my right, right when I was trying to make a left turn down a steep hill. In fact, I said aloud, "I'm scared." as I rode past her.

Bike 10 miles - 43 min 57 sec

I was slow during my second transition also. In fact I remember at one point, just standing and staring at my transition towel thinking, huh, shouldn't I be doing something?

Transition 2 - 2 min 3 sec

The run was what I was dreading the most because I'm not a great runner anyways. I only average about 12 minute miles. And that's WITHOUT having just swam or rode a bike. So I trudged along, stopping to stretch out my cramping calf/hobbit foot a few times. I was grateful for the water stations, teary-eyed at the kids holding posters for their mom and laughing at the lady talking on her cell phone, "Ya, I'm running right now..."

Run 3 miles - 39 min 32 sec

But it felt SO AMAZING to come in across the finish line and see I had achieved my cushy goal of under 2 hours.

Total time - 1 hr 40 min 22 sec

And I can't wait to beat it next year!

TRI it!

My sprint triathlon is this Sunday. That's only 3 days away! I have to admit I am getting really nervous, but OH, SO, excited. It's the "wunderwoman triathlon" in Spokane. I'm doing it with 2 other sisters. I have another sister and niece who signed up for it but may not be going. So I'll have some support there, although none of us will be in the same wave.
Swim 1/4 mile
Bike 10 miles
Run 3 miles
My hope is to keep it all under 2 hours. (Yes, I am pretty slow so that is a good goal for me.)
Wish me luck and pray for me on Sunday!!

And the award goes to....

One of the reasons I knew we needed to change the way eat in the Miller household is because of my oldest daughters eating habits. She's only 10 and already eating because she's bored or eating cuz it's a party, and eating all the wrong stuff...all the stuff I do and have unfortunately taught her to do. Her weight for her age and height reflected this and was 'off the chart'.

Enter clean eating.....
I'm still not 100% clean eating, but mostly I am. I haven't bought commercial bread in about a month. And this naturally trickles down to my children. They eat A LOT healthier. I make their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. No more trips to fast food restaurants (sometimes twice a day.) And I'm happy to say (although Ash may be embarrassed that I'm letting the cyber world know this) she is down 11 pounds in 2 1/2 months. I can tell she's feeling a lot better too. She's outside playing more, jumping on the trampoline more, and happily going for walks with me. So even though my own weight loss seems soooooooooooooooooo sloooooooooooooooowwwwwwww - I feel there is a huge reward in my efforts when every I look at my beautiful daughter.

Now I'm cookin'

I didn't like to cook. It never seemed worth the effort. I thought fast food always tested better than anything I made. If I made dinner, I usually ate it while dreaming about what I would have ordered at a restaraunt. Amazingly enough that is changing.

Since trying to figure out 'eating clean' I've been cooking a lot. I'm learning to like the food I make. The idea of how much I used to eat McDonald's starts to make me ill.

But today....Today was the first time I really enjoyed the process of cooking. I made a roast in the crockpot and learning from my past didn't put the potatoes in there with it. They always turn out wierd. So I cooked those separate. But in the midst of it all I made my first loaf of wheat bread. Holy cow, it was yummy. I only did one, cuz I was afraid I'd mess it up royally. But it turned out great and I can hardly wait to make more. Maybe soon I'll even get a wheat grinder so I can make my own fresh flour for the bread. But let's take babysteps.

A question for any clean eaters out there.....Is honey clean? Should I be using something different for a sweetener? I know I've heard of Agave Nectar but haven't found it yet.

Any cooking blogs you love and want to pass along to me? I'd love to check them out too.

Clean eating....I don't even know what that is!

Over Valentines weekend my brother and his wife and baby stayed with us which I was so excited about because I love visiting with family. My sis-in-law lives in Utah so I don't know her really well. I know she's sweet, a great mom, and healthy. Healthy in that she doesn't eat processed foods. No white flour, no sugar. WHAT?

So in order for her to feel more comfortable, I threw out the molding veggies in my fridge and picked up new fruits and veggies and some wheat bread and wheat pasta. That's all I knew to do.
I couldn't even comprehend how to live that way! We went to fast food pretty much every day. And me....sometimes twice a day. So I decided to browse the internet to see what things to fix for dinner.

What I read shocked me ----> having a lean physique is 80% what you eat, 10% fitness and 10% genetics.

Whether it was absolutely true or bloated statistics to tout a diet plan, I figured there had to be something to it. And that something meant that no matter how much I work out, if my diet is mainly consisting of chocolate chip cookies and diet coke (not kidding I'd have that for breakfast and lunch if I could) then I would NEVER reach my weight loss/fitness goals.

When I saw my sweet sis-in-law I believed the numbers. That girl is stick skinny...and not in an unhealthy way...she ran like no-one I've seen....I was trying to keep up with her on my bike (my no gear, pedal backwards for the break bike that I recently replaced - more on that later :)

So since she's been gone. I haven't had even one diet coke. I'm drinking only water. I've replaced all breads with whole-wheat breads. I've gone through the giant Costco sized containers for grapes and strawberries and broccoli etc. My fruits and veggies haven't gone bad before I had to buy more! I've cut out sugar. No cookies! I switched to Adam's Peanut butter and I've packed healthy lunches for my kids everyday this month.

I'm trying to learn the basics of eating clean. It's a big change for me because I've never liked cooking. Now I cook almost every meal. We've gone from going out almost every day to going out almost once a week. I still haven't cooked with whole grains. It literally scares me to see a picture of a wheat berry (which I didn't know what that was until about a week ago).

It's been a little over a month, and the weight loss seems a little slow. I can't watch The Biggest Loser because my 1.5 pounds a week feels like nothing in comparison. But I FEEL a lot better. A LOT BETTER! The first 3 weeks without caffeine....whoa. I would fall asleep anywhere, anytime. But now I feel great from morning to bedtime. My running has also improved. I've gone from dying if I ran for 10 minutes to being able to keep a fairly steady pace for 35 minutes.

I tell myself I get a cheat day, on Saturdays. This helps me deal with the cravings. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I make it one cheat meal. Maybe I'll have to stop this if I want the weight loss to go quicker....but for now I'm afraid if I do, I'll give in to weekday cravings. I also recently read that it can take 3 months for your body to realize you're eating clean and then the weight will come off. I must admit I haven't been calorie counting or WW Point counting. When I do that I start to feel like if it's only about calories then why can't I have the same amount in a cookie then in a banana.

Well, if you've read through this long post- thank you. And I'd love to know of any blogs or websites you refer to for healthy eating.

Fair Weather Trainer

I have always considered myself a fair weather 'athlete'. I use that in the loosest sense possible. More like a trainer.
So today I was totally freaked out when I hopped on my bike to go for ride. I decide to go to my sister's house...about 4 miles away.
On my way home - HOLY CRAP! The wind starts blowing the rain sideways, my hands are frozen and a giant tree branch falls and flies across the road in front of me. I hide behind a fence and think about calling Rich to pick me up. But Josie's home in bed with a fever; I didn't want him to have to wake her.
I was near the lake trail and so I see the small tunnel and think about taking refuge underneath.
Then the wind let up ever so slightly so I figure I'll just head home. I found myself laughing on the highway as I can barely see and the cars are splashing more water on me.
When I got home, my clothes were soaked like I had jumped in a lake. My right hand was numb and when I took off my shoe water was able to drip out. Rich was just about to load up the girls. He had a blanket and a towel and was going to come find me.
It was an adventure and it was fun. But I'll probably wait for better weather to ride again.