Contestant Update

I thought I would give you an update on Emily Andersen & Lisa Gray. Both have decided to stop the challenge. Lisa said:

I did really good on our challenge the first week and was excited about it. Then I got sick and then we headed to Hawaii. And soon after that we came to az. So those are all my excuses that I am sure you didn't want to hear :). I am so impressed with everyone that has stuck with the challenge despite "life". I just felt too overwhelmed with everything to try to keep track of points. The week I did it I felt great and even lost some weight. I am planning to follow your plan again in the fall and do my best to get healthy. So you can just put me down for last place :(. Sorry and thanks for all you have done in putting this together.
Emily had surgery on both of her feet to remove the sta-pegs that were put in her feet a few years ago. They really started bothering her (PAIN). So, because she can't really exercise for a bit, she opted to stop.

I still haven't heard from Rachel yet *hint* but hopefully she is still in it with us. :)

I hope everyone else is havin' fun with this and has felt that it has been worthwhile. Love you ALL!

Three Quarters Done!

Wow Everyone . . . we only have 2 weeks left on this challenge. Can you believe that we have already done this for 6 weeks?!? It's going by faster than I thought. I hafta tell you what Sarah & I did when my Uncle was here. We went out to eat at Eva's. Yummmm. The last time I went there, I just sat there staring at the chips and salsa. I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE eating their chips and salsa. But, it still wasn't worth losing one of my free points on them. Well, this time I was prepared. Sarah and I filled up 2 sandwich zippy bags with BAKED tortilla chips. We took them with us to Eva's and instead of being deprived of chips and salsa, we ate up. Eva's didn't even mind us doing that.  So . . . those of you coming to the reunion this week and you want the chips and salsa at Eva's, BYOC! I am! Love you all!

Banana Cookies

Here is a high fiber, no fat, no sugar, no flour GOOD cookie recipe! I got this recipe from my mom, and no kidding, these are really good. I definitely consider these a healthy snack! Enjoy!

Banana Cookies
3 bananas mashed
2 cups quick cooking oats (you really can use regular too)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I like ANY nuts)
1/2 cup raisins or any favorite dried fruit
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix ingredients together, drop by teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet, flattening each one slightly.
Bake in a 350 oven 10-15 minutes or until centers are firm. Cool and then EAT!

Bran Bread

I've been wanting to share this recipe for quite a while. This is a great bread with lots of fiber and texture. If you make it with white wheat, it will be a much lighter bread. Also, if you want a healthy pizza, this is a great crust for that. Add your veggies, turkey sausage or pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and you've got it! It is pretty yummy. Enjoy!
Bran Bread
1 1/3 cup water hot water
2 1/2 cup + 2 Tbl. whole wheat flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbl. wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
2 Tbl. vital wheat gluten (if using white wheat, you won't need this)

Mix water, 1/2 the flour, wheat bran and salt together. Add yeast, gluten and gradually add the rest of the flour. Shape into 1 loaf, let raise in bread pan until doubled. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Because of the lack of sugar and fats, the bread doesn't get very browned but the inside is a nice wheat color and very moist.

Half Way There!

Hey everyone ~ we are over the hump, halfway through our contest! Does anyone feel they've gotten some better habits goin'?  I do. I am glad we have another 4 weeks to do this. I am just noticing how much better I'm feeling, more energy, actually can walk up Cemetery Hill without almost dyin'! :) Seriously though, I am making some progress there! Today Emily A. had her feet operated on to remove her sta-pegs. Hopefully she can still do some kind of exercise. I'm glad she has Silas there to help her! He is SO kewl! Hang in there! We're half way there! Love you all!

How are we doing?

Hi Everyone ~ This was a hard week for me. I got all 70 points, but just by the skin of my teeth! (Thank goodness for those 3 free points!)  Some of you mentioned that it was a hard week for you too. Holidays are hard for sure. For me, it was hard getting all my exercise done, thankfully we stayed at Sharon's, so I was able to get all the food I am supposed to eat eaten, it was emotional leaving Felicia at the MTC, and then there was FAST SUNDAY! It was pretty tough to drink all that water, eat all those veggies and fruit, and then the grains and legumes! What?  The hardest part was eating when I really wasn't hungry. Wait, (I'm confessing) that wasn't a problem before. I mean, really. I guess that is what mindless eating is all about. So, one thing that really has improved for me since starting this is that I'm not always thinking about food. This is BIG for me!  One more week and we are half way there, and at 4 weeks, we should have some good habits down, right? I also have to send big CONGRATS to Emily Nicole and Rachel for doing so good while on their cruise and vacation, and I might mention, they looked really good too! I really admire them a lot. If only I could have done that. :) I really am so glad I am doing this. It really motivated me to do my best this past week. Genevieve said that she was also glad she was doing this as it was her motivation to exercise this past week. Yep.  Lashelle said, "could have done better - there were just too many parties :-) But I still lost 1 1/2 pounds, so I didn't feel too bad about it".  Go Lashelle! So, how are you all doing? Share your thoughts. I love you all!  ~ Laura

Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing

I love to make a dressing for my green salads with it:
1 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Add garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper to taste.
Sherlene

Coconut Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar - More from Sherlene

I know these articles are quite lengthy, but, I felt like all of it was important.  We use coconut oil (make sure it is extra virgin organic) in all our cooking.  It is especially good for popcorn, omelettes, and any type of eggs(makes them fluffy).  I like it because it doesn’t burn when heated.  You can also use it when making cookies, cakes, etc.  It is so  much better for you than other cooking oils. I love useing olive oil also.  I don’t bake or cook in oil a lot anymore, so, mine lasts a long time.  I also like to use it on my toast with raw honey. Delicious! We buy it online from Vitacost.com for just over $20.00 – 54 oz.Apple cider vinegar works great for sore throats and colds also.  Mix 2 Tbsp. in  8 oz. of water and  microwave on high for 1 min., add 1 tsp of raw honey.  I have used in for heartburn/acid reflux and it works great, plus is healthy for you, unlike medications for it.    It doesn’t  taste great, but, you get used to it. It is most economical to buy gallon size and “Good Earth” health food stores has it on sale quite a lot for $10-11.  You can probably get it on line for a good price also.
Hope some of you have benefited from this information.
Sherlene

BREAKFAST COOKIES

1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. oats
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. flax seed meal (or just the seeds)
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. oil (applesauce or non-fat greek yogurt works too)
2 ripe bananas, smashed
1/2 c. peanut butter
dried fruit, chopped - any kind
Mix all together and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Lashelle