going away...

Hello again!

After a run at which was potentially the worst run at blogging in the history of blogging, I have decided to just start all over. first of all, this blog has no direction at all, and while i am a horrible blogger, i am a fantastic blog reader, and i've seen that most successful bloggers have some sort of theme or direction to their writings. secondly, it's made on an email account i no longer use. and it is my old name. and i'm sure there is some way to change this, but i am NOT savvy enough to figure it out.

SO the brand-spankin' new bloggy is found here:

tommyandcelina.blogspot.com

so for my 5-6 followers, go follow that blog! this blog will be inactive in a couple of weeks.

here's to hoping this will be a better run!!

still here.

Hello. So I took off with the blogging thing and then got overwhelmed with the commitment of recording all our meals and I quit. Sorry.

Picking up with where I left last you...sorry to say we didn't last the whole 20 something days as intended. The weekend came and we wanted pizza.

Mmmmm Glorious pizza...all crusty and cheesy.

BUT: we have totally redesigned our nutrition. We have kept the concepts of the program and have a basic 80% clean plan. This means that 80% or more of the food we eat is clean-no grains, dairy, ONLY meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Roughly 3 meals a week are "fun" meals. And we go big...queso, enchildas, pizza, burgers, fries.

The nice thing is that we feel AMAZING. We usually reserve the "fun" meals to the weekends so we have the nutrition benefits during the week when we need good rest and energy for workouts and work. This works for us because it is rigid: unless its one of those 3 meals, we don't eat it if its not clean. Yet still flexible: we could have fun snacks during the superbowl, or a piece of cake at a party. Interestingly enough, it has also encouraged us to eat cleaner...even when given the option to eat "fun". We really consider if something is "worth it" and if we really want it. If not, we eat clean and save the fun meals for later.

Also, regularly eating high quality food has changed what we enjoy...fast food and prepared food completely grosses us out. If we are eating "fun" we will go with like good, Italian, brick oven pizza, or a gourmet hamburger and fries. Even if we are going "fun" we need it fresh. Most fast food, packaged, and even deli/cafe type restaurants (Subway, Corner Bakery) are not very fresh and simply no longer have any appeal.

We also watched Food Inc which further led to a change of eating habits. We are increasingly trying to choose grass-fed meat options and organic pantry and produce items.

I have an idea for a "Grocery" post later where I list an example of a weekly trip to the grocery store, including cost. It is definitely expensive to eat well. But we eat at home most of the time and we are eating WELL. And at the end of the week, we have no food left. So I feel ok about it because a)we aren't wasting anything and b)when you consider the health benefits, it's worth it.

We have also been tossing around the idea of joining a food co-op. It is definitely a money-saving option and ensures that the food you get is local and organic. Better for the environment than getting produce that all comes from South America. The one we are considering is called Urban Acres.

In other news, I am home today for my FIFTH snow day in 2 weeks. And I just got word that we have a 2 hour delay tomorrow. I'm thinking that if this is going to become a regular thing for Texas winter, we should invest in some snow equipment for our cities!

P.S. As I type, I have a big pot of CLEAN chili (made with grass-fed buffalo of course!) simmering on the stove for this "bitterly cold" evening :) The secret ingredient is unsweetened cocoa.

Grief

I feel like I'm going through a grieving process. For me, the biggest difficulty with this new nutrition program is that I still am not 100% committed to wanting a change. And it is not like I'm casually choosing to eat "healthy".

This is CHANGING. MY. LIFE.
Forever.

Part of me knows the benefits of eating clean FAR outweigh anything gained from a "regular" diet. THAT part wants to get to the place where I don't want to put junk in my body and craves proper fuel.

But there is still the part of me that doesn't want to lose "good" food. See, one of the effects of removing the bad stuff from your diet is that you lose your taste for it, you can't handle the effects of it and no longer want it. Which is great. Except right now, I still want to want pizza. Hamburgers. Cookies. PASTA.

And so here I am resenting the decisions I am making daily because I know they will essientially kill my desire for the foods I am not eating. We have a faculty meeting once a month. If your birthday is in that month, you get a cookie from Paradise Bakery at the end of the meeting. Today, I had to pass up my once a year opportunity for my cookie. That made me sad.

I have some decisions to make people, some questions to ask myself.

Do I really want to change? I tell myself I want optimum health, optimum physical ability, optimum energy and quality of life. Do I want it bad enough to stick it out and change for good? Do I have the strength for it? Do I have the strength to DAILY choose to ignore the foods I once loved? Do I have the strength to go to a holiday party or a wedding and push around the potatoes on my plate, or let that delectable little hor'dourve pass me by, or turn down that piece of cake? Do I WANT to have that strength?

This is just a little honest glimpse of where I am right now. Haven't cheated yet. I haven't found anything worth it.

Day 4

Well, I didn't have a chance to make a post yesterday so here is a little catch-up.

Day 4 (Thursday)

I ate:
2 hardboiled egg whites, banana
almonds
shrimp
guacamole
mixed veggies (from night before)
apple
dinner last night?
Yup, Mi Cocina. Sans chips, tortillas, rice and beans. We both got the 50-50 fajitas and we have found that Mi Cocina will sub sauteed veggies in lieu of rice and beans. The pico and guac they serve on the side is just fine as well. It was yummy and I ate my ENTIRE meal, which is not something I normally do with a fajita dinner.

Then I made dessert: Cinnamon apples.

Saute sliced and cored apples in some coconut oil till soft and starting to brown. Add preferred amount of cinnamon and nutmeg (the recipe I was using said to use apple pie spice but I don't have that at home) and saute for a couple more minutes. Serve up nice a warm.

We added a little splash of unsweetened coconut milk in ours and it made a nice little juice at the bottom of the bowl.

Energy? My workout was stellar. Got up at the right time, killed the workout, used a heavier weight than I have before. Hubs and I are both finding that we don't get that early afternoon downer that you usually get sometime after lunch. And I'm in a great mood when I get home from work.

Hunger? Yup, it was the grains...didn't feel like a starving child waiting until lunch this time since I had the eggs. There was cake in the teacher workroom...but I resisited. I told myself that if I cheat on this diet it wouldn't be for a sheet cake from Kroger.

Day 3

I wanted cheese.


But I ate:
plain oats, coconut milk
banana
cocktail shrimp
cucumbers (prepped with oil and vinegar)
guac from dinner yesterday
iced tea
a LOT of raspberries
cinnamon flank steak with mixed veggies (forgot to take pics...but it wasn't too complex...just a some cinnamon and ginger sprinkled over the steak)

Energy? Slept GREAT. No workout this morning. But energy has been up up up all day.


Hunger? I got REALLY hungry for lunch. That's when I started wanting cheese. It is likely that I am getting so hungry for lunch due to the insulin-spiking grains in the morning. Gotta work on that.

Still wasn't too hard on Wednesday. Feeling really good.

Day 2

I ate:

plain oatmeal with unsweetened coconut milk- tasted bland but only because my body is conditioned to want a sugar taste. I bet in a few days it will taste better.
almonds
pork, parsnip, and pepper leftovers
cucumbers w/ a touch of olive oil and vinegar and salt
pear
unsweet tea (I almost caved and went for the diet coke when I started getting a headache and sluggish...but I went for a big glass of tea)
dinner: Mexi-salad with fresh guacamole
(ingredients- ground beef, diced tomatoes, a bunch of spices, organic salsa, romaine lettuce, peppers, avocados, lime, cilantro, garlic)
orange

Energy? veeerry tired this morning. it was hard to get going with the morning workout. this is normal I believe, because my body is craving (addicted to!) the insulin-shock-response. as I stated above, almost caved and got a diet coke. Energy went UP as the day went on! Didn't feel drained at the end of the day like I normally do.

Hunger? I wasn't abnormally hungry. I got hungry for lunch but full after I ate. Same for dinner.

Mexi-salad was really good, the beef mixture was FABULOUS. The secret ingredient is....CINNAMON!! I forgot to take a pic but here is our aftermath...

Link to recipe here. Very tasty and very filling.

Rather than post some boring nutritional info, I thought I would share a quote from the blog of this gal in Austin who has practiced this diet and has some killer recipes to share as well.

"It's not that I have an immense amount of willpower or that I like keeping myself on a short leash. It's because I really like who I am and how I feel when I eat properly. I think I'm more patient, calmer, more optimistic, and more confident. I like when my stomach isn't bloated and when my thinking is clear. And, if I'm totally honest, I also really dig feeling smug when I snarf big piles of protein, veggies, and coconut oil."

Can't wait to get there!

Day 1

This was Monday, Day 1 of the Whole 20-something.

I ate:

oatmeal - since I just can't give myself anymore time in the morning to add in cooking and really don't like eggs by themselves anyway, this is the ONE allowance I am giving myself. And hopefully, I can do it every other day, alternating with a boiled egg and some fruit.

some almonds

leftover turkey (breast meat) and green beans (not the best but we hadn't done our shopping yet)

apple

pork, parsnips, and peppers for dinner.

red tea (for dessert?) unsweetened.

This dish was amazing! I don't love peppers but they really flavored the other things in it nicely.

Basically, chop up boneless parsnips, boneless pork chops, peppers and grape tomatoes. Heat up some EVOO and add the ingredients in the order listed above, saving the tomatoes for the last 5 minutes. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes (go easy!) and a light dusting of italian seasoning and cook about 15 minutes. BAM! Put it on a plate and fuel up.

Parsnips are interesting. They look like white carrots. When you peel them they smell like really ripe, fresh carrots. When you cook them, they taste and have the texture similar to a potato. I liked them!!

I felt:

Morning workout was sluggish but I ate like crap on Sunday. Energy throughout the day. Didn't even feel tired until I got into bed.

Whole30...or eating like a cavewoman.

Well, considering I probably have about -10 followers out there now due to my (or lack of) blogging habits, I'll go ahead and get crazy.

Hubs and I are going on a diet. Really, everyone has a DIET. It is just that the DIET varies from person to person.

Reasons:
1. HEALTH
2. energy
3. athletic performance
4. aesthetics
5. digestive health
6. emotional health
7. physiological health

The Diet: the Whole30...or in our case Whole20-something because we are doing this till Christmas break.

I could post a lengthy explanation, or I could give you the website because those of you who actually care would probably rather see it at the source.

But basically, we are these people with a stove.

And WAY less hair.

And body odor.

And more clothing.

And we smile.

But the gist is this:

Certain food groups (such as grains, legumes, and dairy) have a negative effect on your overall health. Eliminating these inflammatory, insulin-spiking, calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse food groups for a while will help your body heal and recover from whatever effects these foods may be provoking.

We are eating REAL food-meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed. No sugar or sugar subs, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, or white potatoes.

No weighing food or portioning it out...we will eat when we are hungry but only these things.

If you question the benefits or reasoning go to the site. Please don't tell me that whole grains are good for you (I have seen the little pyramid the government has created for us). Yes, they have benefits. But there are negative effects as well and the good things they have can be found in other foods and food combinations. Or just ask me your questions! I'll be happy to answer the best I can.

Until then, I MIGHT use this blog as a daily food tracker or post yummy recipes or little informative nutritional tidbit.

or a rant about how much I want ice cream.

cake.

french fries.

diet coke.

OH....DIET COKE!!!!!!!

I'm in mourning.

Meet me!! Please meet me!!

Well it is meet the teacher night at work...since I have a very small number of kids (most of whose parents I communicate with on at LEAST a weekly basis), not many parents are dropping by. I did as much work as I could possibly make myself, I am stalled on one task b/c I need a question answered but every other person in the building has parents to talk to!

Meet the teacher didn't start until 6 which meant I had quite a bit of time to burn up here at school. I watched an episode of Glee on Hulu while I was working on things...I am so pumped for the season premiere TOMORROW!!! yipee!!!

oh Grrrr...just tried to load pics...stupid thing isn't letting me.

It was going to be funny, I was going to say I was excited about the Modern Family premeire as well. I was going to say "guess who Tommy's favorite character is?"

--Insert sexy pic of Gloria--

And I was going to say "guess who my favorite character is?"

--Insert ridiculous pic of Manny in a tux or equally old-mannish attire--

hahaha!

Actually, Tommy's favorite character is Phil. I think he relates to him. Ergh, does that mean that I'm like Claire?

Don't answer, that's rhetorical.

We had a nice weekend. Friday was GrapeFest year 2 with the Allen's. We decided it is now a tradition. Our kids are going to have a sleepover at some sucker-of-a-grandparent's home for GrapeFest year 342380.

Saturday I slept in, read The Glass Castle in my PJs, made Migas, layed out with gals from lifegroup (Bonnie and Caity), ate lunch with same gals, went shopping w/ mom and grandma.

Made grandma buy some stylish blouses. (why do old people call shirts, blouses?)

Bought the neph (nephew) some awesome converse-ish shoes from B-Gap (why I didn't just write nephew in the first place, I don't know) and a hip argyle sweater. To go with the Converse. I love preppy punked out. Especially on an infant.

Went home Saturday night...Tommy and I watched the most depressing movie of all time, "Solitary Man" with Michael Douglas. He was in it, we didn't watch it with him. To clarify.

Sunday, helped Jen and Greg (sis and bro-in-law) move some things to storage. Have I mentioned they are moving to Houston? No bueno. But bueno for their lives. As in jobs. Then we ate indian food and life was good. Austin loved his shoes.

Well, I better go stand in the hall JUST IN CASE a parent of mine is wandering around like a lost puppy.

Goodnight!!!

...the captain, couldn't keep his eyes off you...

The Sound of Music is randomly on tonight and I about went nuts over the Baroness schraeder's gown at the party where the Von Trapp kids sing "So Long, Farewell."

I mean, look at this gown, it is so flawless!!

And the perfect blonde "do"...the gloves...the handsome Austrian naval captain...wait, what? I mean, it's just an awesome look.

thinking of a title for this post makes me sleepy.

i am so tired.

this has been a whirlwind week. i had new teacher training all day every day, along with a variety of external factors that made for an especially exhausting agenda. these include but aren't limited to: tommy being crazy busy at work with a project that required them to go through 75,000 files (note-this is not an exaggeration...its the actual number); getting coffee spilled on my Michael Kors handbag; figuring out how and where to get said handbag cleaned; parent conference; trying to fight off a sinus infection with my bare hands...or bare mucosal linings...; unpacking from our little trip to Arkansas and trying to catch up on laundry; grocery shopping; a little roomate reunion (this was a welcomed distraction though!); and i don't know what else.

needless to say, i'm officially in veg-mode for the evening. that included watching this 20 minute video featuring Tavi Gevinson, Style Rookie. i have blogged about her previously. i could send you to a link of that blog but that would require effort. here is the link to the video though. cuz i just had to used my ctrl C command. hahaha. http://www.ideacityonline.com/video/tavi-gevinson

and just so we don't have a pictureless post...my little monkey nephew!

i wish...

i wish...
that i had more stuff to blog about. i wish...i could fly

i wish...that i had my own distinct style.

i wish...i took more pictures.

i wish...i had a sno-cone.

i wish...summer wasn't gone...BUT

i wish it weren't so hot.

i wish...i had a genie that granted wishes.

deadly thumb

Hope you people like the new look. I got bored of that stinky old header.

I have a confession to make:

I am a plant killer.

There is seriously something wrong with me. I got a few (easy...or so they say) plants to put on our patio this spring. I have killed them. Petunias, people, PETUNIAS. These are those multi-colored babies that they plant outside of gas stations b/c they are so easy to keep up. I have killed my purple petunias. I had a lovely little mint plant--gone. The begonia plant is actually still alive--but it has yet to produce any blooms.

I watered, added dirt, placed in sunlight...nothing. I asked multiple flower-savvy people for tips and then implemented those tips...nothing. Only death.

So I think all my plants are going to have to be fake from now on. Until I can afford a professional gardener.

It stinks, b/c I love plants and fresh flowers. I have this fantasy that I will have gardenia and hydrangea growing in my front yard one day, underneath a magnolia tree. *Sigh* guess it will remain a fantasy. B/c I can't even handle PETUNIAS.

a smattering...

Well, it's finally here. TOMORROW is the last day of school. Yipeeee!

I am SO excited for this summer. Last summer was ok, but I wasn't getting paid and Tommy and I didn't have many friends that lived here (yet--Alli and Corey and Ash were our faithfuls...and Amy when she was here briefly...ok mostly Tommy didn't have many friends here). But it was SO boring for me...he worked all day and I...did nothing...and we didn't even have a church family so we felt a little isolated.

THIS summer, we have more friends, live in a better location, I will be getting paid, and I have gads of projects/plans that will keep me busy. Some work related, some not. It is going to be really great!!

We got a sweet little taste of summer over Memorial Day weekend.

Friday evening I don't remember what we did, I think we just kind of hung out.

Saturday, we slept in a little, took my grandparents to my Mom's concert in the afternoon, then hung out with our friends Eric and Kylie from our small group. We went to dinner at Cheesecake Factory in Allen, listened to live music on blankets with children laughing and playing tag around us, and then got gelato from Paciugo.

Sunday was church, breakfast, a good sweaty workout, then lounging by the pool for a few hours. Our apartment's pool is great, with comfy lounge chairs and even cushioned beds in little cabanas if you want some shade.
Monday, we slept in again, hit up our fav grocery store, Market Street, and got lots of goodies for the week. Then, Eric and Kylie and Jake and Bonnie (all from our small group) came over and we grilled and hung out by the pool. We had burgers with all the fixin's, sausage, grilled zuchinni and pineapple, chips and salsa, and our boys had plenty of Heineken to keep them happy. All in all, a great day, and a lovely weekend.

hooray!!

only. 9. more. days.
that's me in the front, the little chola with the beanie and pigtails.
(chola=latina gangsta)

b-t-dub, a career in education is probably one of the best decisions of my life. at least in the top 5, along with going to Baylor and marrying Tommy.

and summer vaca is probably in the top 3 reasons why it was a good decision.

what should we do?

The Hubs and I are in a bit of a workout rut. We have been doing Crossfit, of course, but are feeling a bit burnt out on the gym.

I really really miss running. And while I like what being stronger is doing to my body, I really felt I looked the leanest when I was running. We are doing 3ish mile runs every now and then, but I miss those 5 or 6 mile early runs when it is quiet, the air is crisp and your mind is clear.

And Tommy has never really run. Like he has never trained for a race or anything. And the weather is so much nicer now. All that to say...we might do this:

It seems a bit crazy, a half marathon in August. Oh well. If we want to keep going, it is a good set-up for a fall marathon.

If we do this, strength training will still remain VERY high on priority list. And not 5 lb bicep curls on a bosu ball. Good, strength-building training. B/c I like having muscles :)

In other news, just look at this guy...

He is getting bigger! He is so cute! I really love my little nephew.

lil' update

I can officially say it:

I have a teaching job next year!! This has been in the works for a while but it is finally official.

I will be the teacher in the SBS classroom in the Special Education Department at Frisco High School. SBS=Specialized Behavior Support. The kids our classroom will serve have a diagnosis of ED (Emotional disability). (you learn very quickly that there are alot of acronyms in education)

This is the classroom I am working in now so I get to have my same kids which makes me feel pretty confident since I'm aware of how the classroom needs to run and I have a relationship with the kids. Our kids are part of the general education population and have a schedule of classes, but can come to our classroom as needed for academic or emotional support. They are bright kids who just lack social/behavior/emotional skills that are needed for individual success in school. I won't teach a "subject" persay, but we'll be teaching social and behavior skills, implementing plans to improve behaviors or academic struggles, and sometimes just be a safe place for them to come.

Lots of feelings...

-EXCITED to make the classroom my own and implement new ideas and plans

-MOTIVATED to learn as much as I can to be a good teacher

-NERVOUS to be in charge...I have such an awesome relationship w/ the teacher now and love working w/ her...we are a good team and I'll miss her input and deferring to her for final decisions.

-DREADING the paperwork

-WORRIED that the kids will be upset about the teacher leaving

-CONFIDENT that the kids and I have great relationships

-BURDENED to see these kids succeed

-ANTICIPATING the reward of seeing their success (the increase in salary isn't so shabby either)

Anyway...happy Cinco!

nobody puts baby in the corner

i feel like i've been in timeout all week.

i was assigned as a restroom monitor for TAKS week. this means, for four hours, i sit in front of the restroom and listen to adolescents go pee-pee. not really, i'm making sure they go in one at a time, aren't using their cell phones, aren't talking to one another, etc.

the only thing is that MY restroom is in kind of a remote area of the building so i don't have very many visitors. also, my restroom was the one where a couple of kids were found doing the dirty so there is some sort of unspoken quarentine for that restroom. so my day is long.

throughout my pee-pee escapades, i've gotten quite a bit of reading done. i'm near the end of this book.
have any of you read it? what are your thoughts?

what i think so far:
--beautifully written
--i like that the author emphasizes relationship (with God) over religion
--i like that the author provides a framework through which to understand how tragedy and suffering exists in our world. (i am NOT saying i believe the book contains the ultimate Truth on the matter)
--it is a little dangerous to those who read it both as fiction and as non-fiction (as a theological text)...it would be easy let your view of God be shaped by Mack's personal experience...i think it is important to read it with the knowledge that it is fully fictitious, with themes based on the author's understanding of the Truth. which can STILL totally transform your life.

i want to hear your opinions!

things I'm loving

well, i don't think all of you blogstalkers posted like i asked, but for the ones that did, i applaud and exalt you, and will make sure you are on my little list to the right.

if you decide you want to come clean and reveal yourself, my offer still stands.

anyway, I decided to do a "Things I'm loving" post like so many of you out there:

1. Coconut milk

Ladies and Gents, if you don't use coconut milk, get up off your booty and go get a can (or carton--original only, vanilla flavor is nasty). First of all, it's non-dairy so a little less toxic for your digestive system...secondly, DELISH!! I use it for my oatmeal in the morning instead of water or cow milk. Also great in curries, smoothies, and other sauces. Half of the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut milk are composed of lauric acid, which is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Coconut milk can help boost the immune system and fight off illness and disease.

2. Spaghetti Squash

We have been on a spaghetti squash kick. So far, I've made it with pesto and chicken and a tomato meat sauce. Both were awesome. Benefits: it is a low-glycemic food (some might say low-carb, but it does have carbs...the sugar from the carbs is just on the low end) and squash has a ton of good vitamins and minerals. It's pretty easy to make, too.

3. Rowing

OMG, I never really used this machine before we started doing crossfit, but now I'm hooked! It provides an excellent endurance workout. Disclaimer here: form is everything...without good form on this machine, the benefits of using it are nil. The little pictures and instructions posted on it are a pretty good description of proper form. But with good form, you will have a wonderful, full body workout.

4. Mambo Taxi from Mi Cocina

Frozen margarita. Sangria. Together. Enough said.

5. Rompers

I think these little things are too cute! I really want to get one (or two...or seven...) for the summer.

That's it folks, hope you enjoyed this edition of "Things I'm loving"

i'll tell you mine if you tell me yours

BS

NO, I'm not talking about that word with bull in it.

Blog-Stalking.

That's right, I said it.

Definition: consisitenly viewing people's blogs who you don't know or who don't know you follow their blog. even if they know you (or know of you) and you view their blog without their knowing, that is blog-stalking. basically, if you aren't mutual "followers," it's blog-stalking.

You know you do it. You know you don't subscribe or follow or comment for fear that the blogger would find you creepy or weird.

I blog-stalk a LOT. And I'm not going to divulge my favorites to stalk for above said reason. (don't want to seem creepy or weird)

Anyway, I would like to conduct a social experiment of sorts. Or maybe I'm comment-hungry. Who knows.

BUT, if YOU blog-stalk ME, I would like to know. I implore you, stalkers, LEAVE A COMMENT. I do it so much, I'm dying to know who stalks me. I promise, I won't think you are creepy or weird. In fact, I will be flattered. If I know you, if I don't know you, I don't care, LEAVE ME A COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

And if you reveal yourself, I will become a follower and devoted blog-fan. In fact, maybe we blog-stalk each other and don't know it! We are destined to meet!

Also, if I don't receive comments, I might develop a severe inferiority complex and fall into a deep seated depression, resulting in a loss of job, friends and happiness.