Picture Blog of making SW Quinoa - thanks Amber512

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Thanks Amber512 !!!!

Tonight we made her recipe she posted for SW Quinoa :o) My daughter was the main cheff and I was her assistant. Here is the cooked Quinoa


the copping of the peppers


Ready to mix it all up


Mixing it up


Adding the garnish


the finished dish with a side of fresh garlic bread


Both kids ate all of what they got and my son even had seconds. They didn't pick out any of the veggies or anything!! :o)

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Wounderful Weekend

Monday, April 12, 2010

This weekend was a great one. Thursday night I ran a meeting for a community thing for work. It made for a long day 6am - 9pm then came home to work some, but it was all worth it. I love being able to help out.

Friday I went walking with a great friend :o) Kris aka Kryanprincess. We walked 9 miles around Ried Park. We went around the track three times with two walked over to the park to use the restrooms. Then after picking up all the kids we had a wonderful dinner at Shish kabob house.

Saturday was the final class of the Financial Peace course we were taking. I made an excel budget program that I was able to share with everyone, I really hope it helps people. I know it will help us. We have a long road to get to financial peace, but I tell you we have made such great progress since just a couple months ago. We can do this it just takes a little discipline and lots of planning. After the class we went grocery shopping then went home and listed more stuff on craigslist to sell. Ended the evening snuggling with my honey on the couch watching a movie :o)

Sunday I started off ready to get a few things made for the week. I cleaned up a bit to help have pleanty of room. Then we decided to go to the fish store and run a couple errands. After we got home I made a wonderful salad. It was soo yummy to me that I didn't even need dressing. I also had some pita pockets with hummus on the side. Then I began to go through stuff in the kitchen piling stuff up in the trash, for good will, and some to sell. I also preped the stuff for four more salads for my lunches or dinners for the week, since I liked it so much. Time just kind of slipped away and before I knew it the clock said midnight ahhhhhhh. I then decided I better get ready for bed. Now I've been at work since 6am this morning, couldn't quite make it by 5am.

Overall the weekend was very busy, but I had a fantastic time and got a bit accomplished. Hope everyone is doing well. I did track 100% yesterday, though I didn't get formal exercise in I did end up spending most of my day up and moving. :o) And I'm starting off today tracking 100% too, I'm back on the road so watch out :o) beep beep come along with me :o) I'm looking forward to a productive on plan night tonight :o)

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Are you looking forward to the end of your "Journey"?

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Now it may seem that the end to your journey is most important, but in the end, it's your journey that matters most.

Never forget to cherish each milestone, pitfall, challange, etc. Though some may be good and others bad, it all happens for a reason and makes us stronger. Never forget to make your journey a memorable one. Keep your head high.

Say Hello and smile at those you pass by, even if you don't know them. You never know when you will change someones journey, make it a positive change. I once smiled at someone and just thought I was saying hello. A couple weeks later they came to me and told me Thanks!! That I really made a positive change in their day and life. And maybe if your lucky you will make someone smile back, even if it is just from within. :o)

Have a wonderful day!!! I hope I have helped you SMILE !!!

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I'm still alive :o) Life is great

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

It's been a little while since I have written a blog. Sorry but I have a feeling that this one is going to be all over the place and a little long. So much has gone on since I last wrote. I've had a really hard time focusing on my goals. I am going to try to revamp them and get some new rewards. Not that I am making excuses for myself but first I got sick for a little over a month. That really derailed my exercise, I really need to overcome the all or nothing attitude. I also start a financial class and we are really trying to focus on our financial health. Things are going good there, but I just really have a hard time really focusing in on more than one thing. On top of that my rewards kinda went out the window as we really want to get all our debts paid so we can live a more peaceful life :o) It's a long hard process just like the one with weight/food/fitness etc. As long as we move in the right direction and keep our eye on the prize we are in good shape. I just need to remember what I truly want in life and what makes me happy.

I'm really trying to brainstorm to see what I can do about my job situation. I'm the only one that can change it. I am very thankful that I have a good paying job in this economy, but I'm just so unhappy with the work I do. I want to be able to help people and not be stuck in a cube all day long. La La La La La Although spinning in the chair is sometimes fun. Ha Ha Ha I like to be creative with things too, and my job really doesn't allow for that. Money isn't everything I know, but we still do have bills to pay. With that being said I need to make sure that if I end up finding something somewhere else it needs to pay close to what I am making now. Someday if we keep looking forward we will have the financial freedom to do more of what I love :o) Such as the volunteer work, I just love doing all that, it's so wonderful to be able to help someone, and to be able to do that more often would be wonderful.

My half marathon didn't end up happening due to me being sick and unable to run for over a month :o( but I did get to run the 5k with my son and husband :o) So it all worked out. My son is 9 and he did good. I was proud of him that he finished his first race. More to come for sure. I Will run a half marathon in 2010. :o)


I also got to go to the spark rally and meet several other sparkers. It was a pleasure to meet all of you!!!!! I look forward to spending more time getting to know more of you. If anyone ever want to try to meet up and get moving send me a message, maybe we can do a group hike sometime or something. I want to try to start running again, but like to walk/hike too. I'm also up to trying new active adventures.

Next weekend we will be going to Vegas for my daughter to compete in Nationals for Hip Hop. She just turned 11 on Monday, how time flies. I love watching her passion when she dances.

Trever and I are working an event in Cleveland in July for four days. We have decided to leave a little early and fly to New York to celebrate our five year anniversary a little early. I haven't been since I was a little kid and he has never been. I can't wait for that trip, I get to spend some wonderful time with my hubby. Then we get to see our incredible three day family (the people that we met through crewing the event in Phoenix) They have such great values and are awesome people. This event that we help out with is also a great experience everyone is so wounderful.

Last but certainly not least I have also gotten to know a fellow spark friend much better and look forward to spending more time with her and her family. Kryanprincess (Kris) I am so glad to have gotten to meet you and your family, you are a wonderful and inspiring woman. Thanks for being a great friend!!!

Well I have babble enough for now. I hope to be on-line here more sorry I haven't posted and replied to everyone as much lately. You are all in my thoughts ;o) Hugz ~Amy~

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Long update with lots of pictures

Sunday, February 21, 2010

First off sorry I have been a little disconnected. If I haven't responded to any of your blogs etc. I've just been busy. :o) Hope everyone is doing great.

The first update is on my streaking..........drum roll............................I now have a 7 week streak for all my goals!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!! I'm very excited . I had my second wiegh-in for the contest that started a month ago at work and I was down 7 lbs.

Here is what has happened the last week

For Valentines day hubby and I decided that we were going to go out to dinner Sat. night just the two of us. We went to a place that we had never been called delectables. It was sooooo goood and I think pretty healthy. I tracked it as best I could. First I had a cup of black bean soup, very yummy



Here is the dish I got it was Dill Asparagus crepes with jasmine rice


Then I had a piece of flourless chocolate cake. If you look at the strawberry you can see about how small the piece was, but oh so good.


Then Monday I was off to Boston for a thing for work. Here is a picture of the hotel it was very nice


After we finally got to the hotel and checked in a bunch of us met up for dinner and the hotel's resterant. Here is what I had minus the yolk of the egg. Brown rice with broccoli, soy beans, bell peppers, onion, etc with asparagus, and an egg white. I also had a cup of tomato soup.



Then after dinner a few of us piled into one of the peoples rental car. Most of us didn't get a car. We headed off to Cheers in Boston


Here is me sitting at the bar. I opted not to have a drink and just hang out. After they had a quick drink we went back to the hotel to get some sleep


When I got back to the hotel I did my biggest loser DVD from my laptop with the small wieghts I brought. I was glad I stuck to it. The next morning came very early, spent all day at a strategic workshop. I did really well and ate the stuff that was healthier and suplimented with stuff I brought and didn't have any of the junk they provided. Then it was back to the hotel. Well it wasn't that easy while we were inside it snowed a bit and the hotel didn't want to have the shuttle drive in the weather. So I went with one of the other people at the meeting that took her rental to the meeting. We had to have someone help us on what we needed to do with all the white stuff. LoL We were both desert rats. Here is the rental being de-snowed.



Here is the road on the way back to the hotel. Do you see the stop sign?


Then we decided to eat dinner at the hotel again due to the weather I had the same yummy dinner. Then I went back up to my room, here is a look out the window of my room


Then I got changed so I could head to the workout room


The machines were cool they had an Ipod plug in with charger and they actually had cable in them So I stayed there for an hour and 40 min and watched the olympics while I worked out


The next morning it was back to the airport for a day of travel home from Boston. (For those of you that don't know I live in Tucson, AZ) There was still lots of snow all over here is the plane


After we got there we went to scope out what we might be able to find for lunch. I was so excited I found a great place they had steamed brown rice, veggies, black beans, and baked fries. OK so adding the baked fries was a little much, but I had to try them :o)


Then when I finally got back to Tucson Wed night Trever and the kids were waiting by baggage :o)

So Thursday was off to work and Friday my son Chance (9) had surgery scheduled to get his tonsils and adnoids out. Here he is in the waiting room


Then here he is right before he went in with me


Then heere is after :o(


It's been a really long week, and now the next weekend is almost over :o( My son is doing better and last night my mom watched him so Trever and I could go out to dinner last night. We went to the same place as last weekend. I had the same yummy dish, looked a little different but basically the same thing


So now it's Sunday night and we are going to watch a movie, I'm going to exercise, and I hope to get to spend some time sparking. Thanks to everyone who reads this I know it's long, but hopefully all the pictures help.

Hope everyone has a great week. Hugz!!!!!!
Amy

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