A Waistline Is A Terrible Thing To Waste!!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets.  ~Author Unknown

So I have known for a while that the baby weight was not coming off.  I kept baking and eating and ignoring the obvious tightening of the pants and rubbing of the thighs.  I had done a great job while I was on maternity leave but shortly there after I found it hard to make time for the gym and eat right with work, baby and husband (oh, and two dogs).

After avoiding the mirror and lingerie for months, I finally took a good look and said NO MORE!!!  So back on my weight watchers diet I went, which allows me to eat anything I want in moderation (it's the only way I loose weight and maintain it off) along with some exercise.

But to be honest, it's hard to battle the need for tacos, pasta, and sweets.  So when my sister was in town and pointed my attention to Hungry-Girl.com I became very excited.  The Hungry Girl has a website, books and a new show on Food Network and the best part is that she replaces food that we love with low fat versions that actually taste good.

So far I've tried her Tequila Shrimp (tacos) and her white lasagna to great success! Each of these delicious recipes calls for under 300 calorie a serving portions.

Here are the two recipes I used with my minor changes for servings and other matters (I made them for 4 people--enough for dinner for two and leftovers; because who wants to cook two nights in a row?) Or save it for a yummy lunch option! 

Tequila Shrimp:
2 onions (any onion will do)
1 garlic head, (diced or minced)
cilantro
4 Romana tomatoes
Shrimp (frozen or fresh--also if small use about a 50 count or 6 jumbo per person)
lime juice (fresh or from bottle)
Tequila

Whole Wheat tortilla is optional (2 per person)

Cook: in large skillet cook the onions, garlic, tomatoes  let it simmer in its own juices for about 5 minutes, then add the tequila for about 1 minute (burn off alcohol) and throw in the shrimp, lime juice and cilantro..let it simmer over medium heat for about another 5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink (cooked). 

This was delish and very satisfying!!

White Lasagna
3 medium zucchini, ends removed (because I hate zucchini I used Green squash)
1 cup of fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup liquid egg whites (or 2 large egg whites)
1 tsp chopped or minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (i used baby bellas)
2 cups chopped spinach (frozen is fine, just thaw out)
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
4 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss (i took me forever to find this, 10 supermarkets later and a second trip I found it at Winn Dixie, Publix doesn't seem to carry it in Florida)
4 tbsp reduce fat Parmesan grated topping (i couldn't find this so I skipped it)
4 sheets oven ready lasagna noodles (Ronzoni makes some; this does not need to be cooked before putting in oven...who knew right?)
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Cook: at 425 degrees

• Slice zucchini or squash in half with wise, and then slice each half lenghtwise (1/4 inch thick strips)
• Medium bowl combine ricotta, egg whites, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir
• In Skillet sprayed with nonstick spray on medium heat on stove add mushrooms.  Stir and let cook until softened (they darkened and shrink a bit) about 4 min.  ADD spinach and cook until wilted and moisture evaporated (3 more min.)  Remove and let cool
• Take the mushroom-spinach mix, blot with towels the excess moisture and place with ricotta mixture, stir.
• Re-spray Skillet at same heat and cook zucchini or squash in batches until softened and slightly brown; about 2 min per side.
• Take microwave safe bowl and combine sour cream, cheese wedges (cut into small pieces), the parm cheese if using, and salt and pepper (1/8 tsp each).  Microwave 40 seconds at a time, stirring every time until smooth and warm.
• Spray baking pan with nonstick spray (8 x 8) and place 1/3 of zucchini or squash at bottom. top that with half of ricotta-veggie mix, and top that with 2 lasagna sheets, follow by 1/3 of white sauce.
• repeat layers (z or s, ricotta-veg, lasagna, sauce) top with last of zucchini or squash, sauce and mozzarella.
• bake for 25-30 min (or cheese is crispy brown)

This was so good and totally carb satisfying.  Only 7 pts under weigh watchers and each serving (4) is 290 calories.

Quick Weeknight Dinner: Perhaps these recipes seem too daunting and you need something you can cook in half an hour, then try this delish cod recipe.  I came up with this on my own and its about 9 points per serving.

2 (4oz) fillet of cod, fresh or if frozen thawed out.
2 tbsp of butter, soft
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
1 lemon
1/2 a can of large crushed tomatoes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup of cooked rice (brown or white)
salt and pepper to taste (1/2 tsp of each)

In small bowl combine the butter, rosermary (off the stem) and juice from half of a lemon, set aside.  In a large sauce pan, heat over low medium heat the tomatoes, 1 tsp of italian seasoning and salt and pepper.  Take the cod and rub the lemon/herb/butter mixture on top of the cod (cover completely).  Take the cod and place it on top of the tomatoes in saucepan, add salt and pepper.  Cook on stove top at medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.  Then transfer to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until cooked. 

Take out of the oven and place with white rice. Squeeze the rest of the lemon juice over the fish and tomato sauce (and rice if you like).  Enjoy!










Of course you can't forget dessert!!! Because baking is a little more technical I included step by step pictures!!Here is a recipe I found for 2 inch brownies for 137 calories a piece.

need: 9 inch pan sprayed with non stick veggie spray and line bottom with parchment or wax paper

makes: 16, 2 inch squares
BROWNIES1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (just stole from baby food container)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Here is a tip: you can use egg whites from carton, instead of separating the eggs (i just used the left over after the white lasagna); for the brownies use about 1/3 cup if using carton egg whites!

• set oven at 350 degrees

• sift cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl.  (tip : if you don't have sifter use whisk)

• beat butter and sugar together, until well combined.  ADD brown sugar, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla--ONE AT A TIME, beating until smooth and scraping down sides after each addition.

• stir in dry ingredients half a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• bake in pan for about 25-30 min.
• cool on rack for 5 min, then invert out of pan and on rack, peeling off paper, invert again and let it cool.
• cut into 2 inch squares and enjoy!!

Don't say goodbye to your waistline, say see you soon...goodbye implies that you will never see it again!!!

Extreme Couponing (Part 2)

Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.

-Donald Trump

Truth be told money was a big motivator when I decided to begin clipping coupons, but like Mr. Trump the real excitement comes from playing the game!!! 

So I've been collecting coupons now for about 3+ months, forcing me to finally order the baseball card sheets and binder.  Believe me, I wish I had done this from the beginning.  Learn from my mistake, saving them in a pile was the worst idea I've had in a long time it made it twice as hard.

Here is what my NOW organized binder looks like:

Here are tips as you create your binder:

1.  Do not be afraid to fold, just make sure that the amount of saving, product description or picture and expiration date shows.
2. Do not double insert, meaning don't have more than one type of coupon per insert
3. Organize by sections:

• Food: break down into breakfast foods, lunch meats, canned foods, juices, ect
• Pet stuff
• Baby Stuff
• Beauty Products : here you can include . soaps,shampoos/conditioners and female orientated items
• Cleaning products: dish washing soaps, detergents, sprays, etc.
• Paper products
• I think you get my point!!

The goal is to not become a hoarder, so realistically I search every week for items that are on sale and try to macth it up to my coupons for items that I need or that are too good to pass up and I can stock up without worries.

Don't get frustrated when you realize that you will be only using about 1/3 of the coupons you collect, but that is how we keep ourselves from becoming hoarders and really save $$$.

Now, I would like to tell you about my first experience at the supermarket!  I made a list (well my nanny did, she is the one that has been teaching me) and off to the store I went.  This is a must, since you can make sure you pull the coupons you actually only need for the trip, how many items you will need and how much it should cost.

I then went shopping which was great!  I proceeded to scope out the checkout lanes and did some clerk profiling, the younger people tend to be more patient and guys are better than girls.  I pulled up to the lane and told the clerk that I had coupons for all my items and asked if she wanted them at the end, as she rang them up or would she like them on top of the items on the belt.  This is where getting organized before pulling up helps, when placing the items in the belt make sure they are in order of your coupons.

Also, it is best to do the shopping super early or super late in the day, this helps with people not getting annoyed with  you. First set of items get scanned, we give her the coupons and she says they will not work!!  Here is the thing, my coupon was for any Nabisco product that was cookie OR cracker, it had about 10 items picture, but none of the items I had selected.  This is a mistake cashiers/clerks make all the time, they think your coupon has to match the coupon.  (make sure that it doesn't)  She asked another cashier who agreed with her but we stayed polite and informed her that it did not have to match the picture to please consult with a supervisor, she did just that. 

The supervisor walked over and told her we were correct (the clerk still looked like there was something wrong with us; secretly I think she was jealous of our deals).  Small hiccup but no big deal, it was smooth up until the last items I scanned where I gave the clerk the wrong coupons and had to go back and pull the right ones.  No big deal, but this is important of why you need to be looking at the screen during check out to make sure everything rings up correctly.

All in all, it helps to know the store policies and to be ready and prepared.  Another quick tip, is to know your stores competitor coupons that they are willing to accept (the vary from store to store), this is a great way to save big!!

Here is my round up:

These four items were FREE!!! Stain removers for clothes, before the wash, are things that you can keep and use often (at least with a husband and baby I do)

These items were $13.49 total, saving me $41 dollars.  It included: 4 male deodorant, 2 containers of gum, 6 bags of chips, 2 hand soaps, and 4 V8 juices!

I know some of you may ask, why get so many chips and that can't be healthy; but you be wrong!  These are "healthy" chips.  27 pieces for 140 calories, they are yummy and a great baked snack.  I will bring some to keep at the office and the rest for the house, because they last a while I don't need to worry about going bad.  Hey there's a rumor of a hurricane coming my way this week, so this may be our only substanance!

I hope that this inspires you to save a little and guide you in many future savings.  From my slightly fuller wallet to yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Breastfeeding: my 6 months experience!

So for all those new and expecting mother's out there wondering whether or not to breastfeed or maybe you are struggling to begin or keep going, I will retell my woes and success with the whole ordeal.

First, I will say that I was extremely dedicated to the idea of breastfeeding.  I read a book, spoke to many people about their experiences and went into it with as much information as possible. 

Breastfeeding was not that difficult at the hospital, I had great supporting nurses (a key).  But after I got home, things went horribly wrong.  I went home on the third day, which is usually when your milk comes in!  I was very engorged, more than normally so, and had no real clue on how to fix it.  I also had a baby that was not properly latching himself because i was so engorged, which caused cracking and rawness which made breastfeeding very painful.

I was surrounded by my mother and grandmother, neither had breastfed, and it was difficult to maintain my positive attitude, finally at the end of the first week I broke down and called a lactation consultant.  Two hours later and $80 poorer, all my problems started to get fixed. 

After that trying, painful, and emotional first week I never had problems again, and found that breastfeeding was convenient, cheap, and an amazing bonding experience with my child.

I loved that I never had to worry about carrying bottles or formula or baby water.  I loved that at night time i could just pick up my baby and put him in bed with me and feed him while I slept.  I loved all the money we saved during those many early months were the babies drink so much milk.  I loved that I never had to worry about finding the "right" milk for my baby. 

Now breastfeeding is not for everyone, but I think it could be for most people if you give it a chance. I learned to do many things while holding and feeding my baby, including shopping, laundry, eating, and even paying bills.

I will say that I was very successful up and until I went back to work.  I have a stressful and busy job so I had to commit myself to pumping at very specific times no matter what.  I found that not everyone supports or respects a mother's decision to breastfeed.  As an attorney, there were times were female judges were less understanding than male judges about giving me an opportunity to take a 15 minute break to pump during trials or where attorneys complained about my unavailability for depositions because of my need to pump, but there were others who were very understanding. 

I suggest that you speak to you boss or job about your needs for breastfeeding.  I opted for buying a pump machine (medela pump in style) instead of renting one, but I think that had I rented one it would not have been much of a difference. 

But due to the stress and the craziness my milk production went down, and eventually I had to come to terms that I was not producing enough milk to feed my now 5 month old, so I transitioned him into formula as slow as possible. 

This is how I did it: I begun doing half pumped milk/ half formula during the time I was away from him during the weekday.  I did that for about two weeks.  Then I started giving him only one bottle of half pumped milk/half formula while i was at work (for about a week).  And then the last week I was giving him only formula while I was at work.  Then I did a week of nothing but formula (except during night feedings). And lastly, I excluded all breast milk.

I was sad and depressed the last 2-3 weeks of the transition, even though I had breastfed up to the first 6 months of his life, which had been my original goal, I felt like I lost something and perhaps a bit of a failure that I had not been able to continue something my child seemed to enjoy so much. But in the end I realized that I was lucky to have done it as long as I had and that my child had gotten a great benefit.

Here are my tips for having a successful experience:
1. Decide that you will and can do it, and repeat it like a mantra!!
2. Buy, a Nursing Mother's Companion book!! (great information)
3. Bookmark as a favorite on you computer, kellymom.com (breastfeeding website)
4. Don't be afraid to go to a lactation consultant, they can be pricey but mine was worth every penny!!
5. Don't give up, like every thing in life, it will get better, millions of women over the centuries have done it, so can you!! Your baby and you were built for this activity, trust that it will happen.
6. save milk early, especially during engorgement period to help extend feeding if your production goes down for any reason.
7. Have a supporting pediatrician!! (nothing worse than a doc who doesn't get it)

Tips for cracking, soreness, and engorgement:
1. gel pads will heal all soreness and cracking
2. cream for cracking and soreness, the lamb stuff is the best
3. do not soap you nipples, it will dry them up and make it worst.
4. cabbage leaves chilled in the fridge were great for engorgement (cut out holes for you nipples)
5. squeezing breast milk and rubbing around nipple and areola and letting air dry (can't tell you the amount of times my husband came home to a topless wife)
6. try different feeding positions, often times that will help drain and ease the soreness
7. take a two baby diapers soak them in water, one to be place in the freezer and the other in your microwave.  15 min before feeding put in microwave for 10-15 seconds and place warm on you breast to help drain, and after feeding place the frozen diaper on your breast to easy swelling/engorgement.

Tips for picking a good lactation consultant:
1. ask around (best resources are friends, doulas, hospital, etc)
2. ask them their experience (my had been the head of la leche league for over 10 years and had her own practice for a few, took courses and etc.)
3. a good one will tell you to bring your baby, watch you feed and help you address issues, will give you precise instructions on how to deal with your issues as well as check your baby's mouth to eliminate issues there!  (mine even followed up with a call the next day)
4. make sure their philosophy and style fits yours.

If anyone has any questions please post them and I will be glad to answer.  I will say that I had friends who tried and quit after a few months and others that even after a year are still going strong.  I was lucky to not have had a milk production situation until the very end, or infections nor did I have a c-section all which can make it more difficult to feed or keep going.  But I can say that I have a friend who has been breastfeeding who had a c-section, who is still feeding after going back to work at my same job, who fed even after an infection, so it's possible!!!

Stay strong mamas, it's all about attitude, fortitude and determination!!! 



 

Extreme Couponing (PART 1)

Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase. -- Erma Bombeck

So when I found out that my nanny was an extreme couponer I was over the moon.  So we got together and she explained the basics of coupons.  So why not pass along to you guys the information, as I keep learning and growing my coupon binder (yes, binder) I will keep posting so that if you want to learn along you can join the rest of us crazy coupon ladies!


First, you have to become super familiar with the lingo and where to find what you are looking for (aka. coupons).

• Internet is a great way to get coupons but so is your local paper. Don't limit yourself though, often times the stores (including grocery stores) have coupons on their websites you can print out as well as your neighbors and local restaurants that get the Sunday paper but have no need for coupons (ask, ask, ask).
• hot coupon world, coupons frugal, smart source coupons are great websites

Second, find some great websites to help you navigate this new world. I've listed some to get you started:

• the Krazy Coupon lady
• Moms need to Know
• i heart publix

Third, you have to be committed and have patience.  Like most things nothing happens over night, so it will take at least 2-4 months of coupon collecting before you get enough coupons to really do some damage. 

• get a big 3 ring binder (take advantage of all the back to school deals right now)
• get baseball card sheet protectors (amazon has the best deal), you'll need about 50 sheets
• pick a night that you can take one hour every week on the same night (so it becomes a habit) to clip your coupons and organize them.
• print out the coupon policy for the stores you are interested in (i recommend to start with no more than 2 stores --try supermarket of choice and a pharmacy store i.e.)cvs,walgreens,ect)

** note: florida publix market do NOT double coupons!!!

Fourth, always collect coupons evenly!!!

• this is super important so that you end up with even amount of products, so four papers at least every Sunday. (save money by getting for free from other sources)

Fifth, have realistic expectations.

• This will change the way you shop, not only will you find yourself going to the stores early early or very late at night to avoid the lines and stress of annoyed shoppers who don't understand your need to get all these items for free.
• You can get good deals for food but a lot of the majority is for junk stuff, so if you are not into potato chips and crap food then take the deals for the food you like and save on beauty and health products!!
• Ideally with beauty and health products you can stock pile on the big trips for up to 2 years at a time.  STOP, when you have enough, don't be crazy and stock pile 4 yrs worth of toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoos, etc.  Don't get too crazy because this will go from extreme coupon to just plain hoarder!!!

I will keep passing the info along and I will post again when I do my first big trip, and let you know how much I've saved!!!  I think anything that allows you to save money for a trip or a great pair of shoes, is worth trying!!!

Happy Savings!!!