Laura's No No Food List (per dr's orders)

Laura's No No Food List from the Headache Clinic
(for the prevention of migraines)

**Some are easier to avoid than others as you will see ;)

Bacon (sadness)
Sausage
Hot dogs
Corned Beef
Bologna
Ham (sniffle)
Lunch meats with nitrates and nitrites
Meat with tenderizer added
Caviar (no issues here)
Aged, dried, fermented, salted, smoked, or pickled products
Liverwurst
Pepperoni
Salami
Non-fresh meat (yeah, think I'm avoiding that anyway)
Liver
Pickled herring
Aged cheese: blue, brick, brie, cheddar, swiss, roquefort, stilton, mozzarella, colby jack, pepper jack, provolone, emmentaler
Fava or broad beans
Sauerkraut
Pickles
Olives
Fermented products like miso, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
Raw onion
Sourdough breads
Home-made yeast leavened breads
Hardest for me----->No more than 1/2 cup a day of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon, lime, avocados, banana, figs, raisins, dried fruit, papaya, passion fruit, red plums
All nuts and seeds
Canned soups with autolyzed or hydrolyzed yeast
Chianti, Sherry, burgundy, vermouth, ale, beer, non alcoholic fermented beverages
Limit of 2 servings a day of caffeinated beverages
Limit of 1 serving a day of non-listed alcoholic beverages
Mincemeat pie
MSG
Seasoned salt
Meat extracts
Meat tenderizers
Brewers yeast
Nitrites
Nitrates
Yeast extracts
Wine, apple, or other fermented vinegars
Limit 1 cup chocolate based products (ice cream, pudding), 1 chocolate cookie, 3" chocolate cake, 1/2 oz. chocolate candies

**Very thankful I can still have chocolate and really it will be great for me to have a limit on it, especially with the holidays.  :)

Headache Clinic Visit

It's been a whirlwind week.  Last Monday night/Tuesday evening I felt the start of a migraine so I took my rescue meds.  Four hours later, I woke up to the room spinning.  It didn't stop until I had taken a few doses of my motion sickness medication my dr. prescribed to me.  I had the same thing happen to me last January.  Then, I finally was able to drive, bend down and go from sitting to standing with some normalcy, so I got to go back to work on Thursday.  I taught some very rambunctious kiddos, attended an IEP meeting, hurried home to grab my hubby and our bags, and we were on the road to the headache clinic by 4:30.  My appointment was Friday morning and the doctor was fantastic.  He is a fellow migraine sufferer, which is why he started his practice to help others who suffer from migraines.  Here's a synopsis of my appointment:

• Migraine is a chronic disease (since I have most likely inherited them and didn't experience a head trauma)
• I will probably always be predisposed to migraines, but there are things I can do to prevent them
• Stress is a huge migraine trigger (In fact, he asked me if I was a special ed teacher and I said no, but I have students with special needs in my classroom.  He said that made sense because many special ed teachers suffer from migraines due to the stress of the job.) 
• Weather and barometric pressure are huge migraine triggers (can't do much about that)
• Irratic sleep schedules trigger migraines
• When I get pregnant, my migraines will likely improve or go away (new plan-keep having babies for as long as possible...j/k)
• He will put me on preventative medications and additional supplements after I have had a child and am done nursing
• B2 and Magnesium are helpful in the prevention of migraines (tried magnesium in the past, but not a high enough dosage)
• Low-tyramine diets are helpful in the prevention of migraines
• Over-exertion is a trigger of migraines
• Let down migraines are a real phenomenon in the migraine world (I am most likely to get migraines after a stressful week and I can finally relax i.e. Friday night, Christmas break, etc.)
• Relaxation techniques are very important in the prevention and management of migraines (I just started this with my counselor in an effort to reduce and/or cope with stress)
• Exercising at a moderate level 3-4 days/week will help with the prevention of migraines and stress
• Avoid eating high sugar food on an empty stomach, when excessively hungry, or in place of a meal
• All food, especially high protein foods, should be prepared and eaten fresh
• Be cautious of leftovers held for more than one or two days at refridgerator temperature
• Freeze leftovers that you want to store for more than 2 or 3 days
• Stay away from cigarette or cigar smoke because they contain a multitude of chemicals that will trigger or aggravate your migraine
• Each day eat three meals with a snack at night or six small meals spread throughout the day
• An MRI is scheduled locally later this month to rule out additional complications
• A follow up visit is scheduled after the first of the year

My assignments for the next 6 weeks:

1. Keep a very detailed calendar and diary of my meals, snacks, beverages, exercise, emotions, medications, migraines, etc.
2. Implement a strict sleep schedule of going to bed and waking at the same time every single day
3. Exercise moderately 3-4 days a week
4. Take B2 and magnesium supplements
5. Practice relaxation techniques
6. Reduce stress as much as possible
7. Follow the low-tyramine diet and avoid migraine "trigger foods"

I developed a migraine at church today and it kicked my butt.  I slept this afternoon and am just now starting to feel recovered.  It will be wonderful if all these things help to truly prevent my migraines.  Prayers are still appreciated.  Thanks for sticking with me and living life with me through my blogging.

Painting it Forward #5

This will be my fifth "Painting it Forward" bidding event.   So far, $75 has been donated to charities through these events.  Wow!  Thanks to all who have placed a bid and helped a cause! 

Since the first four paintings were a success, I've decided to put another piece up for auction.  I've had requests for this painting to be the next one to bid on so here's your chance to have your very own original and support your favorite cause at the same time!

The name of this painting is "The Lorax's Truffula Trees".  This is an original painting by me on canvas using acrylic paints.  The dimensions are: 8 x 10.  Frame is not included. 

Estimated value is $14.

In case you missed my post about "Painting it Forward", you can read all about how I came up with the idea here. 

The bidding on this painting will start at $1.  The bidding will begin at 7:00pm Thursday night (12/6/12) and last for 48 hours on Facebook.  The bidding will close at 7:00pm on Sunday (12/8/12).  You may bid at anytime during this 48 hour period, but the amount must exceed the previous bid.  At the end of that time period, the person with the largest bid will get to keep the painting and will also get to choose a charity for the net profits to go towards.  If you are not Facebook friends with me and would like to bid, you may comment below with the amount you would like to bid.  If yours is highest, then you win the painting and the net proceeds will go to the charity of your choice.  Checks will be made out to me and I will then donate the net profits to the charity of your choice.  A receipt of your donation will be mailed to you along with the painting.

Questions?  Ask away! 

Happy bidding and thanks so much for supporting me in this venture!  Good luck!

A Day of Firsts

It's my day off!  So of course I want to make the best of it.  After sleeping in a little, I rolled out of bed and started in on some baking and cooking. 

First up: Tonight's dinner prep for Homemade Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups so I simmered up some homemade alfredo sauce & sauted some chicken.  This is what it will look like in just a couple hours...mmm.

Now onto my "firsts"...

I got to try out a new Pinterest recipe called Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies.  I've never tried to make any kind of pumpkin cookie before.  Pretty easy and healthy as far as cookies go.  Bonus: They are delicious! 

Combine:
1 c. canned pumpkin
1. c. sugar
1/2 c. applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

In seperate bowl, mix:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

**Dissolve 1 tsp. baking soda in 1 tsp. milk and stir into wet mix. 

Add dry mixture to wet and mix well.

Add 1.5 c. chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 365 for 10-11 min.
Note:  These are cakelike cookies and will be soft inside.

My second "first" of the day was making my own bread from scratch.  

My co-worker friend gave me a super easy recipe for crock pot bread.  I was really excited to try it out and today was the perfect day.  Plus, now I get to cross off another item from my 30 before 30 list.  YAY!

My third "first" of the day was what I ate for lunch. 

Ironically, with all my baking and cooking I didn't make myself lunch.  My partner teacher gave me a coupon for a free chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a and since I had yet to go today was a perfect day to try it out.  I'm happy to say it was a success and I would definitely go back.

New Art

I've decided to do some of my favorite things to de-stress.  Painting is definitely one of my favorite things to do so I whipped out my painting supplies and dove into all those beautiful colors.

Here is Tom's favorite, which he thinks looks like the Truffula Trees from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.  I hadn't thought of them as that, but I can totally see the resemblance.  

 

 "The Lorax's Truffula Trees"

$14

I've been doing a lot of praying through the Proverbs and this is one that has touched my heart the most.  Painting words proved to be tricky, but it was a good challenge for me.

"Trust"

$15

If you would lke to have either one for your very own, please leave a comment below or comment on my Facebook page.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Painting it Forward #4

This will be my fourth "Painting it Forward" bidding event.   So far, $60 has been donated to charities through these events.  Thanks to all who have placed a bid and helped a cause! 

Since the first three paintings were a success, I've decided to put another piece up for auction.  I've had requests for this painting to be the next one to bid on so here's your chance to have your very own and support your favorite cause at the same time!

The name of this painting is "Provision".  This is an original painting by me on canvas using acrylic paints and inspired by the colors of the season.  The dimensions are: 8 x 10.  Frame is not included. 

Estimated value is $18.

In case you missed my post about "Painting it Forward", you can read all about how I came up with the idea here. 

The bidding on this painting will start at $1.  The bidding will begin at 7:00pm tomorrow night (11/16/12) and last for 48 hours on Facebook.  The bidding will close at 7:00pm on Sunday (11/18/12).  You may bid at anytime during this 48 hour period, but the amount must exceed the previous bid.  At the end of that time period, the person with the largest bid will get to keep the painting and will also get to choose a charity for the net profits to go towards.  If you are not Facebook friends with me and would like to bid, you may comment below with the amount you would like to bid.  If yours is highest, then you win the painting and the net proceeds will go to the charity of your choice.  Checks will be made out to me and I will then donate the net profits to the charity of your choice.  A receipt of your donation will be mailed to you along with the painting.

Questions?  Ask away! 

Happy bidding and thanks so much for supporting me in this venture!  Good luck!

Stress much?

Yes. 

The answer is yes. 

I have allowed myself to get so overwhelmed with life that it has negatively affected my health, both mentally and physically. 

I have started counseling.  I have been to the E.R.  I have seen my doctor. 

Migraines, liver lesions, female issues, not getting pregnant, anxiety, depression.

The common thread...stress.

It's time.  It's time to take care of me.  I have to take care of me before I can even begin to take care of others.

So I need to take some time to figure out exactly what I'm going to do and how I'm going to cope.

I have to let others help me and understand that I do deserve to get help.

I do not understand why I am going through this or how I'm going to get through this, but I am comforted by this truth...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. 
-Proverbs 3:5

Liver Ultrasound Results

I heard from the doctor's office today and after much calling and them returning my calls and then me calling back, etc. etc. I finally got the results from my ultrasound.  I have multiple benign lesions on my liver.  I asked what that really meant and they didn't give me a clear answer except that there's damage from excessive toxins in my body, possibly from medications I have taken.  My friend looked it up online for me and found that it won't effect pregnancy so praise the Lord for that.  I'm supposed to get bloodwork again in 2 months.  If it still comes back elevated, then they will do another ultrasound to monitor the lesions. 

I also asked the nurse what could be done about the 10 migraines I've had in the past 20 days.  I would really like to be referred to a migraine specialist or clinic for treatment because this is getting absolutely rediculous.  My body feels like its been run over by a truck trying to fight and then recover from these migraines.  I am supposed to get a call back on that tomorrow.  So that's the deal right now. 

Despite these health concerns, I am still incredibly blessed.  I have countless blessings raining down on me constantly and I need to remember how blessed I truly am to have a caring husband, God-centered church, loving family, cozy house, reliable job, supportive co-workers, dependable friends, a body that can run and jump and move, and much, much more.  Thank you Lord for your love and mercy and grace that you pour upon me every single day even when I don't deserve it.

Liver, behave yourself.

This past August, I got my regular blood work done and everything came back with flying colors except my liver function was elevated.  I didn't think much of it, which is very uncharacteristic of me.  Normally, I worry at every chance I get.  I was told to come back within 6-8 weeks.  So Tom reminded me to get an appointment and I just kept thinking oh it's going to be fine.  Once again, no worries here.  Well I got a call a last week saying that my liver levels are still elevated (Bilirubin is what is elevated for those of you in the medical field) and I would need a liver ultrasound.  WHAT??  Worrying whirred into high gear at this point.  So I promptly "Googled" elevated Bilirubin levels.  POOR CHOICE.  Do not.  I repeat DO NOT Google elevated Bilirubin levels.  So my ultrasound was scheduled for this past Thursday.  I was instructed not to eat or drink anything after midnight so when I awoke at 2:30am with the start of a migraine I groaned and rolled over to awake again 4 hours later with a full blown migraine.  Crap.  Too bad I'm such a rule follower.  Also, I was afraid that I would have to reschedule another sick day to redo the ultrasound if I drank water and took my pill.  So I suffered through.  My grandma took me to the hospital for the test and was able to finally take my medication around 10:30.  The migraine kicked my butt and I slept most of the day.  Praise the Lord that I didn't just take a half day because there was no way I would be able to keep up with 25 students while recovering from one of these things.

These past weeks have been full of migraine horribleness.  I've had 9 migraines in the past 19 days.  Oh my goodness.  I finally broke down Friday night and wondered if we should stop trying to get pregnant for a while because I am so stressed out and my liver is not functioning and I keep getting these migraines.  What would I do if I couldn't take my medication and I keep having these migraines even when I'm pregnant?  I won't be able to work.  I won't be able to fuction.  So many worries going around in my mind.  Ugh.  I'm sorry this is a negative post, but it's the truth and I want to be completely honest. 

So I'm supposed to get my results from the ultrasound tomorrow.  Prayers that it is just elevated from the excess of medication I have had to take for these migraines.  Only time will tell. 

Breaking up with Imitrex

6.  Not a bad number for the month.  Especially when you consider the months prior.  However, when 5 of the 6 migraines have occured in the past 10 days, and when they have lingered for hours on end despite copious amounts of medication, it's no good.  It kind of makes me want to type things of an unlady-like nature, but I digress. 

Earlier today, in the wee hours of the morning (2:30am) I took my Imitrex and woke up to my alarm (is it always that loud???) four hours later at 6:30.  Now, usually I am pretty much pain free four hours post medication. 

However, I'm pretty sure my body broke up with Imitrex this morning and the conversation went a little like this..."Enough is enough!  I'm done with you making me feel like crap.  I'm done with you making me dizzy, nauceous, foggy, numb, sore and you make me have to pee constantly...plus I don't just have to deal with your side effects every once in a while, it's multiple times a week.  It's over.  Oh and another thing...you take your pretty little time to work.  I can see taking an hour, maybe even two, but six, eight or even ten hours later you still haven't done what you're supposed to do??  After 10 years of commitment this is how you treat me?  Rediculous."  Yeah, it was a pretty stressful break-up.

I really wish my body would call it quits with my migraines, but they seem to have quite the attachment to one another in spite of their unhealthy relationship.

So I called my doctor's office and they put me on Maxalt instead of Imitrex.  That's the good news!  Here's the not so good news...when I was on the phone with my doctor's office, I asked about my bloodwork from a couple weeks ago.  They had to redo my bloodwork for liver function because back in August at my annual check-up my liver function was elevated.  They assumed it was a result of my Imitrex use, but retested again and it's still elevated.  Therefore, they are sending me to get an ultrasound on my liver.  I tried to research it but it only freaked me out so I had to stop.  Prayers for the whole thing to be just a fluke and nothing big.

Recipes Galore!

Last night I took some time to link up all of the recipes I have posted in my blog.  So if you look up and to the right, you will see a tab labeled "Recipes".  All of my recipes are listed in alphabetical order for my readers.  I hope this makes your life easier and maybe you can find a new recipe to try out for dinner tonight!  Currently there are 59 indexed. I will be adding more links as I blog about more recipes. 

Enjoy!

Out of all of the recipes I've tried this year, Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta is my favorite!



Back in the saddle

So I have fallen off the proverbial horse these past couple of months.  I've gained 2 pounds back, which puts me at a total 28 pound loss for the year.  Don't get me wrong, I am EXTREMELY happy with that weight loss, but at the rate I'm going it won't stay off for long.  I'm actually surprised that I haven't gained back more because I've been eating pretty much whatever I want (thankfully what I want still consists of strawberries, raspberries, spinach salads, sugar snap peas, milk, oatmeal and flax seed).  However, I also want Oreos, pumpkin bread, pasta, and ice cream sandwiches, especially now that I've found out that food isn't my main migraine trigger.  Those foods in excess combined with little exercise would be the 2 lb. weight gain culprits.  Since my 10K over a month ago I have exercised a total of 4 times.  IT IS TIME.  So this morning I got up early, went to the gym and swam laps for a half hour.  Whew.  I am beat and have SO much respect for swimmers.  I really miss running too.  I miss being sweaty from a good workout.  However, I've only had 4 migraines this month.  I'm really thinking my migraines are sometimes triggered from heart rate elevation.  Three of the migraines were this week...boo!  I woke up all three times with serious jaw pain and sore neck and shoulder muscles.  They were so tight that they were twitching...no fun.  So I went to my TMJD doctor and he treated me.  Thank goodness.  The nurses there lifted up my hair and said, "Whoa, the back of your neck is so swollen!" That was before I even had a chance to tell them how much pain I was in.  Now I am supposed to take Ibuprofen every 6 hours for 3-4 days to reduce the swelling.  "Have you been under a lot of stress, Laura?",  they ask.  They know me so well there.  Apparently, stress creates tense muscles as well as teeth grinding and ultimately, migraines.  Fun stuff.  So I need to work on more exercise, better food choices, and less stress.  I think that is America in a nutshell.  At least I'm not alone.  Seriously though, it's so important to be proactive about my health.  Exercise produces endorphins which help with energy and stress levels.  Also, food plays a HUGE role in whole body wellness.  If you eat crap, you will most likely feel like crap, and feeling like crap is stressful.  So if I eat well and exercise frequently maybe, just maybe my stress level will decrease and so will my migraines.  Worth a shot.  I just need to get in the right frame of mind.  Let's do this!

Just keep swimming!

Since it's "No Run October" and no intense exercise month, I've decided my main form of exercise will be swimming.  My old swimsuits are definitely too low for lap swimming...by the time I swim to the end of the pool, there is way more of me showing than anyone at the gym needs to see.  So I heard about a great swim gear website www.swimoutlet.com from my fellow blogger Abby over at http://backatsquarezero.com/.  They have an amazing "Grab Bag" deal where you just choose your brand, type in your size and then then they send you a $70 suit for just $30!  Sweet!  You don't know the color you are getting so it's kind of fun.

 So here it is!   My grab bag suit just came in the mail.  I really like the color and it looks fast!

I also got some goggles.  They are pink and I love them!

Officially ready to dive in...pun definitely intended :)

Happy to be home

Today was the first day all week that I left school at a decent time.  Staying at school 10-12 hours definitely wore me down this week.  It's been one of those school years where I just don't feel like I can keep my head above water without staying until 6 or 7 o'clock at night.  However, because of my extra effort, the next two weeks are planned, copied, filed and ready to rock. 

Another positive I found from staying late this week is that I'm REALLY thankful, I mean seriously feeling blessed to get to come home.  Usually, I don't think about blessings such as having a sturdy garage to park my car, a warm house to find shelter in, a cozy couch to rest my body, a fridge full of food, an indoor toilet, or a bed to snuggle up in.  The list could go on and on. 

Instead of just running through life taking my blessings for granted, this week really opened up my eyes to the blessings overflowing in my life.  It's not that I didn't want to come home before, I definitely breathe a sigh of relief as I pull into my garage after a day at work, but I didn't realize how awesome I have it.  I love seeing Tom every day and being able to kiss him hello, eat dinner together and live life together, but this week I couldn't WAIT to see him.  I couldn't wait to get home and hang out with him. 

My home has been a refuge this school year and I am so incredibly thankful for it and everything in it.  I've learned that just because I am going through a rough patch in one area of my life doesn't mean that all areas of my life have to be affected by that one aspect.  Also, my prayer life has definitely flourished these past couple of months.  I know that God is with me and has a plan and purpose for my life.  He is my ultimate rock and my ultimate refuge.

I am proof that when you seek God with all your heart, He will be found and He will be found faithful. 

Painting It Forward #3

This will be my third "Painting it Forward" bidding event.   So far, $55 has been donated to charities through these events.  Thanks to all who have placed a bid and helped a cause! 

Since the first and second paintings were a success, I've decided to put another piece up for auction.  I've had requests for this painting to be the next one to bid on so here's your chance to have your very own and support your favorite cause at the same time!

 

The name of this painting is "Fall Breeze".  This is an original painting by me on canvas using acrylic paints and inspired by the colors of the season.  The dimensions are: 8 x 10.  Frame is not included. 

Estimated value is $23.

In case you missed my post about "Painting it Forward", you can read all about how I came up with the idea here. 

The bidding on this painting will start at $1.  The bidding will begin at 7:00pm tomorrow night (10/12/12) and last for 48 hours on Facebook.  The bidding will close at 7:00pm on Sunday (10/14/12).  You may bid at anytime during this 48 hour period, but the amount must exceed the previous bid.  At the end of that time period, the person with the largest bid will get to keep the painting and will also get to choose a charity for the net profits to go towards.  If you are not Facebook friends with me and would like to bid, you may comment below with the amount you would like to bid.  If yours is highest, then you win the painting and the net proceeds will go to the charity of your choice.  Checks will be made out to me and I will then donate the net profits to the charity of your choice.  A receipt of your donation will be mailed to you along with the painting.

Questions?  Ask away! 

Happy bidding and thanks so much for supporting me in this venture!  Good luck!

No Run October

As you are well aware, these migraines of mine are sticking around.  I track them and can't make sense of them most of the time.  I've had one so far for the month of October and I am VERY happy about that.  Interestingly enough I haven't been running in the month of October.  Correlation?  Possibly, but hopefully not.  Afterall, I have been getting migraines for 15 years and have only been running for 6 months.  However, I have implemented hormone therapy as well as TMJD therapy in the meantime, which are both supposed to aid in migraine prevention.  I have found that I get a migraine about 50% of the time after I run.  It's quite possible that there is no correlation between running and migraines because I had been running 3-4 times a week and getting an average of 2 migraines a week.  I may have had those migraines anyway regardless of whether or not I was running.  The migraines and running may have nothing to do with one another, but I can't know for sure unless I stop running for a period of time to see if the migraines still come regardless of my activity. 

Now, this doesn't just apply to running.  I used to think I got migraines after I went to Jazzercise and when I did other  high intensity activities such as Zumba.  So really, "No Run October" should be more aptly named "Low-Intensity October".  A doctor once hypothesized that my migraines could be caused by a sudden rise in blood pressure triggered by high intensity exercise.  So this month I am going to do low-intensity exercise like Aqua Zumba, slow and steady lap swims, flat course bike riding, walking, and yoga to see if my activity level makes a difference. 

I kind of feel like a scientist with all of my experimentation with my migraines, except I feel like I am just grasping at straws in the dark.  One day I will figure out these migraines.  I am determined that with prayer, common sense, consistancy, and persistance, I will figure out my triggers and be able to better manage my migraines. 

Motivation, come out come out where ever you are!

You know how I was rocking the motivation from January through July?  Well, it's long gone now.  I have had zero energy to exercise and have been seriously lacking in the eating department.  What happened?  I don't know.  Maybe it was starting back up with school.  Maybe my motivation just ran its course.  We joined a gym and ever since, I have had very low motivation to exericise.  Running is something I love, but I get migraines sometimes when I run.   I'm just sad.  I suppose motivation, like many things in life, has its mountains and its valleys.  My motivation was there for a long long time and it was powerful.  I was able to abstain from all sugar for 7 months.  I know I can get it back.  I will get the motivation to eat healthier and go to the gym on a consistant basis.  And when I do, watch out! ;)

I've been looking for you.

 

Monster Cookies

Tomorrow is our church picnic and we are supposed to bring a dessert to share.  So I busted out my favorite cookbook that my mom made and added to at my wedding showers.  I flipped through and found this great recipe my friend Molly gave me for Monster Cookies. 

Aren't they just mouth wateringly gorgeous?? 

These were baked on my Pampered Chef baking stone.  This batch turned out the best.

Here's the recipe for you just in time for Halloween:

Monster Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 T. corn syrup

1 1/2 c. peanut butter

3 eggs

3/4 tsp. vanilla

3/4 T. baking soda

4 1/2 c. oatmeal

1 c. chocolate chips (or 1/2 c. chocolate chips & 1/2 c. mini M&M's)

Combine sugars, peanut butter, butter, and corn syrup in a mixing bowl until sugars are dissolved.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Add baking soda and oatmeal and mix just until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips and M&M's (if using them).  Form into one inch balls and place on cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes.  Yields about 36-40 cookies.

Perspective

As you know, over the past few weeks, life has been getting the best of me instead of me getting the best out of life.  I decided that something needed to change.  Actually, I decided that something needed to change like 6 weeks ago, but nothing really did.  I just got more stressed, cried a lot, got cranky with my husband, and threw pity parties.  But nothing changed because I didn't change.  I expected my problems to change on their own.  They didn't.  If anything, unresolved issues get worse, not better with time.  So the root of my problem was not the issues themselves at all.  The root of the problem was me.  The problem was how I reacted to them.  I needed a change in perspective.  I realized that I needed to not only change my perspective, but change my actions from reactive to proactive.  This morning I woke up feeling refreshed with a sense of freedom after last night's Bible Study....

Last night's Life Group was centered around outlook and having the attitude of Christ.  Christ's was a perspective of unselfishness and complete trust in God.  He trusted in God's plan even to the point of death on a cross and praise the Lord that He did because our sins are washed away with the blood of Christ!  What an incredible promise that no matter what, we can trust in God.  We only see a fraction of our lives from moment to moment, but God sees the bigger picture.  Every morning I drive down a road with a canopy tree cover and for a few minutes I can only see a tiny part of the sky.  I'm reminded that my view is so tiny compared to the entirety of the big picture.

 I feel like that's how my life is.  I can only see a tiny part of my life, but my future is out there and even though I can't see it, God can.  So even when things are overwhelming and stressful, I know that there is someone who is in control, and all-knowing who I can trust my life with.  Who better to trust with my life, than the creator of it?

After mulling over those thoughts on trust, I decided to go for it and trust God with my whole day.  I put my day into His hands on my way to work this morning and decided that this was God's day.  No one and no thing was going to ruin my day because no matter what, I can trust that no matter what happens, at the end of the day I am deeply loved.  I am deeply loved by God who is love and it doesn't get better than that.

So, I was talking to a co-worker on my way into work this morning.  I explained that I wasn't going to let anything ruin my day and she told me that she agreed and she has a strategy to help her do just that.  When people are mean, crabby or during those times when you feel you are about to be mentally and emotionally beat up, imagine a shield in front of you.  Once that shield is up, nothing can get you.  Just smile and keep going.  It reminds me of putting on the armor of God, one being the shield of faith (Ephesians 6).  So all day I placed my trust in God, imagined my "shield of faith" in front of me, and guess what?  It worked!  I ended my work day feeling positive, renewed, and happy.  Stressfree?  No, not completely, but the stress didn't ravage my thoughts and emotions like it usually does.  Will I never have a bad day again?  Yes, I'm sure I will have plenty, but I know now how to tackle each day and try to get the most out of life more easily and effectively.  The keys?  Get a new perspective by being proactive instead of reactive, place my complete trust in God, have faith in His plan, and use a little imagination :)

Freezer Meals

Stress has tried to get the best of me this week with migraines, trouble sleeping and fatigue.  Due to my stress-induced migraines, I had to miss my Bible Study, a wedding coordinator meeting with a bride, and a half day of work.  This cannot continue, so I have decided to take action.  First and most importantly, I'm doing a lot of prayer and Bible reading.

Then my grandma gave me a book by Dale Carnegie about ridding your life of worry called, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Right up my alley. 

 I'm on chapter 4 and so far it's been pretty helpful with giving real strategies that I can apply to my daily life.  I'm also considering letting go of my responsibilities as wedding coordinator for my church.  I think that will help my stress level.  My mom came and helped me with my classroom after school yesterday for 2 hours so we got 4 hours worth of work done.  YEAH!  I feel so much better about my upcoming work week now.  Also, we go to dinner with Tom's parents every week so we decided to change that to every other week.  It was a hard decision, because family is very important, but it's hard to rush home from work, rush to their house, rush to Bible Study and rush home to bed.  Too much rushing in one day.  Finally, I have decided to make better use of my weekends so I can better enjoy my weekdays.  As a result, I decided to take three hours of my Saturday morning to make as many freezer meals as possible.  That is exactly what I did this morning. 

Here's what I made...

8 servings of 3 Ingredient Chicken Tacos

8-10 servings of Mom's Turkey Chili

8 servings of Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

5 servings of turkey and mushroom spaghetti

8-10 servings of 1 Skillet Chili Mac

That equals approx. 40 servings of food!!!  How exciting!  Our week night dinners and week day lunches are DONE for TWO WEEKS!  All we have to do is warm them up.  Praise the Lord for the invention of the microwave! :)

This is what made it so easy...

• I chose recipes that are SIMPLE.
• I used recipes with similar ingredients to make grocery shopping easy (ground turkey, diced tomatoes, chili powder, etc.)
• I only used 3 pans-1 skillet, 1 medium sauce pan, 1 dutch oven (just kept rinsing them out and resusing).  This is SUPER important for not having a hige pile of dishes afterwords.
• I never had to turn the oven on for the stuffed peppers because I just boiled the peppers, pre cooked the meat and rice then mixed the stuffing.  It will all cook together when I warm it up in the microwave.
• Choose one recipe to put in the crock pot so it does the work for you.

**Happy Dance**

Progesterone, do your thing!

Newest results are in...my progesterone level is continuing to rise, but not as quickly as the doctor wants so they doubled up my dosage.  It makes me REALLY sappy, but it's a good thing to feel.  I will keep you updated on my progress.  My current level is 125 and they want it to be closer to 300.  They were funny at the doctor's office because they told me they were upping my baby making hormone and are rooting for me so that made me smile.  Also, Tom and I "adopted" some amazing college women and one of them is named Lea.  That has always been our favorite baby girl name and just yesterday Lea told us she's been praying a lot for us to have a baby so how awesome would that be if we were able to name a baby girl the same name as the person who's been praying so hard for her??  So all I have to say is, God please let the progesterone, do its thing!!  :)  I have a good feeling about this...

To Run or Not to Run?

This week has been lacking in the exercise department.  Tom has been going to the gym almost daily to swim and has done an amazing job of keeping up with a healthy diet.  In the past 6 weeks he has lost 12 pounds.  Woot woot!!!  I'm so proud of his hard work.  Every time I compliment him on it he shrugs it off and says he still has a long way to go.  I think he is proud of himself though.  He should be. 

Anyway, my weight has been pretty steady for the past couple of months.  The Marathon Weight Loss Challenge is now over and I lost 5 pounds over the course of the challenge.  It is about 21 pounds short of a marathon, but at least I didn't gain so I am very happy with the loss.  So that puts me at a total weight loss of 31 pounds in 2012  :)  During the challenge, I tracked my food and exercise on www.loseit.com every day for 6 weeks straight.  Then when school started I just stopped.  I had no energy to even begin to sit down and record every bite I put into my mouth let alone the energy to exercise.  Now don't get me wrong...I have been swimming, riding my bike, taking a class and running here and there, but nothing close to what I was doing over the summer.  I ran my 10K last Saturday and tried to run again on Monday.  It was a chore to run for even 10 minutes so I decided my body wasn't fully recovered from the 6.2 miles.  I haven't exercised since and I feel groggy and icky because of it.  I know that if I just go do it I will feel so much better, but I honestly don't feel like it.  Tom just left for the gym and I have a bit of a stomach ache so I opted out.  Normally, that wouldn't have stopped me, but lately it has.  I suppose everyone goes through ups and downs.  Thankfully, my weight has stayed the same since school started despite my lack of exercise and tracking.  It's probably because teaching is much like herding cats.  You are constantly on the go, standing, kneeling, bending down, sitting on the floor to running from the classroom to the copier to the mailroom to the laminator, to the gym to the cafeteria and back so I've probably made up for the lack of "proper exercise" just by doing my job.  Also, I pre-assemble my lunch each night and I don't go out to lunch so I have to eat the healthy things I have packed for myself or starve.  I would never choose to not eat so it works out well :) 

As for my migraines, they are still hanging around.  It's been exactly one month since I started wearing my TMJD appliance.  I've had 7 migraines, which is better than the 8-12 I have been getting.  I shouldn't be disappointed, but, honestly I am.  This was supposed to work.  I was convinced that this was the key.  My frustration level grows with every migraine that develops.  For once I am thankful not be pregnant because I don't know what I would do if I had to fight these migraines without medication.  I still have hope though.  My treatments just started and if they are already taking away a couple of migraines, then why wouldn't it be better next month?  I am holding onto that hope and have faith that God has a plan for these migraines.  I don't know what it is yet, but I can trust that He is in control.  I've found that I am living in fear of my migraines and I should not fear them or let them run my life.  A scripture verse that spoke to me this morning is "For God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7.  How cool is that?  Yeah.  God is a pretty awesome gift giver. 

So back to the title of this post...running sometimes triggers a migraine for me and sometimes it doesn't.  It's the same with any high intensity exercise, even the elliptical or yoga.  Sane people would just say, "Well duh, then don't run or do intense exercise!"  I get that.  I really do.  However, running is fuel for my soul.  It's my time to be out in nature and spending time with God in his creation.  More intense exercise is great for me too.  It makes me sweat and feel productive.  Sane people would reply, "Okay great, then just walk or ride your bike." Yes, those activities allow for time with God out in nature and are productive, but there's just something about moving my body that feeds my soul and makes me feel so free, yet so connected with Him.  I don't understand it.  But it stinks not being able to run or do fun classes without worrying that I will get a migraine.  Right now I think I'll go to the grocery store, roll down the windows, feel the fall air on my face, talk to God (and more importantly, listen to what He has to say) and maybe, just maybe I will get the energy to do something active on this amazingly beautiful day He has given to us. 

Painting it Forward 2

My first "Painting it Forward" bidding event was a success.  "Easy Breezy" went for $20 and proceeds went to the winning bidder's charity of choice, The American Cancer Society.

Since the first painting was such a success, I've decided to put another piece up for auction.  I've had requests for this painting to be the next one to bid on so here's your chance to have your very own and support your favorite cause at the same time!

The name of this painting is "A Cat's Life".  This is an original painting by me on thin canvas using acrylic paints and inspired by my own cat, Napoleon.  The dimensions are: 8.5 x 11.  Frame is not included. 

Estimated value is $17.

In case you missed my post about "Painting it Forward", you can read all about how I came up with the idea here. 

The bidding on this painting will start at $1.  The bidding will begin at 7:00pm tomorrow night (9/21/12) and last for 48 hours on Facebook.  The bidding will close at 7:00pm on Sunday (9/23/12).  You may bid at anytime during this 48 hour period, but the amount must exceed the previous bid.  At the end of that time period, the person with the largest bid will get to keep the painting and will also get to choose a charity for the net profits to go towards.  If you are not Facebook friends with me and would like to bid, you may comment below with the amount you would like to bid.  If yours is highest, then you win the painting and the net proceeds will go to the charity of your choice.  Checks will be made out to me and I will then donate the net profits to the charity of your choice.  A receipt of your donation will be mailed to you along with the painting.

Questions?  Ask away! 

Happy bidding and thanks so much for supporting me in this venture!  Good luck!

Words of Wisdom

The last time I wrote, it was getting to the point where I felt that something had to go.  Well, nothing's gone anywhere and I am still living life.  I walked in on a conversation at church and this is what I heard... "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."  Now this is not the first time I've heard this, but it hit me hard.  I know there are so many more people who are way busier than I am and have many more responsibilities so I decided that instead of taking things out of my life, I need to take a different perspective.  My reactions to situations have not been pretty.  I let emotions and reactions dictate my mood, which is trouble.  Being mindful of my perspective is incredibly important.  I've been trying to trust in God's plan, standing up for myself, making an effort to be positive, doing what I can to soak up these blessings and be thankful.  It's tough, but life is waaaay easier and more pleasant when I take a different perspective.  I also had some time to think this weekend during my 10K race.  That's 6.2 miles and 80 amazing minutes of think time.  By the way, I can't believe I actually ran the whole thing.  Maybe I was too busy thinking and loving the weather to worry about the distance.  Anyway, I decided that I want to do things with a purpose and live with joy.  I want to find joy in the good and the bad.  How to do that?  Not sure, but I know that God works all things for good.  Something that also hit me was a question posed last week..."Can you be stressed and feel out of control when you are completely dependent on God?"  BAM!  Wow, yeah that hit me like a ton of bricks.  If I am completely dependent on the creator of the world, then why would I even begin to be stressed??  But how do I become completely dependent on Him?  How do I still do everything I am supposed to do, make decisions, choices and live life, but depend on God at the same time?  How can I let go of the worry, anxiety and lay them at His feet every minute of every day?  I am able to do this sometimes, but then I allow the worries to creep back into my heart and take hold.  How do I keep this from happening?  Well, I know I need to start with prayer and go from there.  Thankfully, we have this little thing called The Bible to help out too.  I think this is going to be a constant struggle for me, but I know that God has a plan for my life and I don't think it's to be stressed out with heart palpatations.  I think it's a plan filled with ups and downs, but a constant heart of a servant filled with the joy of knowing that I am truly and deeply loved by a perfect God who is faithful and full of grace.

Something's gotta go

This afternoon on my way home from work (after staying late at school for a meeting and missing my TMJD appt) I was trying to de-stress and just breathe.  Well, it wasn't working and I was incredibly stressed out from the day so I started praying.  Sometimes there's no where else to go but to your knees (not literally of course...safety first when driving!!)  I told God I just didn't know what to pray for. I was so tired but felt my mind was working on overdrive.  I didn't even know where to start so I just started with being thankful.  Thankful for the blue sky.  Thankful for the car I was driving.  Thankful for having a job.  Thankful for my marriage.  Slowly, a peace came over me as I started focusing on the blessings in my life instead of the challenges and I was able to breathe more normally and realize that it really is okay.  God is good.  I may not understand His plans, but I can rest in the fact that He is good.  Once I was able to think more clearly, I began asking myself why I'm so worn out this school year.  Well, last year I wasn't co-leading a college Bible study, I wasn't part of a running club, or a member at a gym, or in a young married's small group, or mentoring a student teacher, or going to the doctor weekly.  Last year I had time to relax, make dinner, hang out with my husband, talk to my friends and family, read, watch some shows and just enjoy.  All of the activities I'm involved in are WONDERFUL and they bring me so much joy.  The gym membership and running club are great for my health and necessary for my physical and emotional well being.  So is being able to have time (and energy) to plan, shop for and make healthy dinners.  I need the small group and Bible Study for my spiritual and social well being.  Mentoring has been a huge blessing in my life and I have become a better teacher even these first few weeks of having a student teacher than any other two weeks because I'm reflecting upon everything I'm doing and explain the purpose of all I do throughout my school day.  My gut feeling is that running is going to have to go and I'm going to just have to say "no" to some activities on the weekends.  I want to feel like my head is above water.  I don't even have kids yet!  How would I deal with having kids?  I have SO MUCH respect for working moms.  Wow.  I can't imagine the balance that would have to be maintained adding one, two, three or maybe more into the mix of responsibilities. 

So here's my plan:
*Pre-cook meat ahead of time for quicker meals
*Make freezer meals to thaw on busy nights
*Choose my activities sparingly
*Learn how to say "no"
*Breathe
*Do not freak out...just let it go and move on :)
*Pray about what needs to go
*Give my worries over to God and be thankful for what I do have in my life

Any other suggestions??

3 ingredient crock pot tacos

It's been a while since I posted a recipe or even tried out a new one.  This weekend I got a chance to try out a crock pot recipe.  I have NO idea where I found this recipe, but I definitely can't take credit for it.  Super easy and delicious.

Here you go...

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos (makes 10-14 tacos)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning or make your own like I do (see below for homemade taco seasoning mix)

Throw all ingredients into crock pot and stir to coat evenly and mix in seasonings.  Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 7-9 hours.  Shred with fork or use Pampered Chef's "Mix 'n Chop"...this works amazingly well :)

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (I don't have onion powder so I substituted minced onion)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in air tight container.  I used 2 tbsp in place of one seasoning packet.

BodyAttack...aptly named

As you know, Tom and I had our bloodwork done last month and Tom was not pleased with the numbers and I am still not at my "happy weight" so we decided it was time to join a gym.  There were so many choices...some gyms are cheap with no classes, some have classes but no pool, some are quite a drive and others are relatively close.  We settled on the one that was slightly more expensive, but has a pool (Tom was on the swim team in H.S. and in college) free fitness classes and even a track.  Another plus is that it is close to home.  I am really excited about it and we went for the first time earlier this week.  I ran my best 5K time at the gym.  Woot!  This morning I decided to go to a yoga class because I've been really tired and have been battling allergies/a possible sinus infection.  Tom dusted off my yoga mat for me and I decided not to take my inhaler because it's yoga.  No big deal...well....we got there and it turned out that the schedule changes at the beginning of September so what I thought was a 10:15 yoga class actually started at 10:00.  I was not about to walk in late to a room full of yogis and disturb their calm and concentration.  So I looked at the new schedule and noticed that a fitness class was starting at 10:15.  Now I've done plenty of classes in the past and was a member of Jazzercise for a while so I'm not concerned until the instructor starts talking about running, jumping, push ups, kicks and agility work.  Dang...really should have brought my inhaler and definitely should have worn my sweat wicking running clothes.  Oh well...here goes nothing!  People in the class were dropping like flies...no they weren't really falling, but they were heading out the door.  It was tough.  Super tough.  Just when you think you cannot possibly do another high knee, she asks you to do a high knee jump.  It was Jazzercise on steroids.  Very fun though and it was a great challenge.  My eyes were definitely opened to how unfit I really am.  Running has helped so much and I cannot imagine doing an entire hour of this class 31 pounds ago, but I still have a ways to go.  I met up with Tom afterwords and he was really impressed with the amount of sweat I can produce.  There was one tiny dry spot on my shirt and even my capris had sweat spots on the knees.  The instructor told me she was proud of me for finishing.  When we got home I read the class description..."BodyAttack-This is the most intense workout you'll find in the world of fitness-a session guaranteed to take no prisoners."  Wow.  I'm proud of myself.  Also, according to www.loseit.com I burned 535 calories in an hour.  Nice.  I found out that I really need to work on my upper body strength and my core so I think this will definitely help.  Next week I'm going to try BodyPump.  I'll keep you updated :)

Living the dream with TMJD

It's been 10 days since I first started wearing my TMJD appliance.  For those of you who are curious about what this thing looks like, I took a picture.  Sorry if it grosses you out.  I get grossed out really easily and it didn't bother me too much so you will probably be fine. 

I turned it upside down to take the picture so you could see the metal parts and how it fits over my bottom teeth kind of like a retainer.  I have to wear it 24/7 except when I eat or drink anything besides water. 

Top 5 reasons my TMJD appliance is not my friend:

1. It makes me have a serious lysp (sufferin' succotash Sylvester!)

2. It takes up so much room in my mouth that my tongue has no where to go so it is harder to breathe when exercising.

3. It makes my breath smell wicked bad even with multiple scrubbings every day.

4. It cost $3,800. 

5. After it does "it's thing" I will have to either a. get braces again or b. get crowns on my molars. (more $$)

On a positive note, I sleep like a baby with it in.  (Or maybe that's just because I am dog tired from herding 2nd graders all day).  I did have a nightmare about trying to eat chips and not being able to crunch down on them to eat them so I just had to swallow them whole.  I woke up chomping on the thing. 

Seriously though.  I understand that I am incredibly blessed.  We have the financial means to pay for it (it does put a damper on paying off the car loan, but we can do it).  It might take my migraines away (I would wear this thing all day every day for the rest of my life if it actually did that).  So I am going to choose to be thankful and try really hard not to be a wimp about this.
**By the way, I have had 2 migraines since starting to wear the appliance.

Other random updates...

I have reintroduced sugar into my diet, sparingly over the past month.  I had 8 peanut butter m&ms earlier this week and a fudge bar yesterday.  It was great.  My weight is being maintained and I am still tracking on www.loseit.com.  I need to measure myself again because I've been lax about that lately.  I weigh in again on Monday so I'll let you know how it goes.

I will be auctioning off another painting next weekend so keep an eye out for that.  Bidding will begin on Friday and end on Sunday night as it did last time.  The last painting went for $20 and the proceeds went towards The American Cancer Society.  Super cool.

I have been crossing off more and more things on my 30 before 30 list!!!  Check out by 30 before 30 tab at the top of the blog.  The most exciting thing is being able to do a Bible Study with college women.  I LOVE college people.  They are way cool.  Our first night was last Tuesday and I get to co-lead it.  We are studying Phillipians, which is awesome. 

That's about it.  It is 6:00pm on Friday night and I am going to sleep.  It has been one doozy of a week and I am spent.