A Long Time Coming September 23, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Uncategorized.Tags: aspen, Hiking, Rainbow Lakes, Success, weight los, Weight Watchers
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Drum roll, please. No, really. This news is big! It deserves a drum roll.
I LOST 50 Pounds!!!
Wahoo! It’s taken me a day to write this post because I’ve been bouncing around ever since. Definitely has been a long time coming, but so worth it. I still have a lot more to go, but this was just the inspiration that I needed to keep going.
In celebration of the big five-oh, Chris and I decided to go on a hike to see the aspens in all of their golden fall glory. A hike at Rainbow Lakes was just what the doctor ordered.
What an absolutely stunning day!
Be a weekend warrior… not a weekend wimp!
Chili Today, Hot Tamale March 6, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Uncategorized.add a comment
It’s back to chillier weather again. Silly Colorado, please pick a season and stick with it!
The delightful warm weather left as quickly as it came. I’m not sure that March in Colorado can ever be classified as lion or lamb. It hops back and forth between the two daily!
Today I decided that soup should be on the menu. Oliver and I went for a cold, windy walk. We usually go for a three mile loop, but today we had to turn around half way! So ridiculously cold!
When I got home, and my poor fingers had finally thawed, I set to work making Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup. It was definitely the night for it!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Cayenne Pepper, optional
Directions:
- In a saucepan, sautee the onion in the butter until soft. Add in the garlic, cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add in the cauliflower and cook until it start to brown, approximately 8 minutes.
- Next, add in the 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the cauliflower is soft, around 20 minutes.
- Take the soup off the heat and then carefully, in batches, put the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the extra one cup of water, or until the soup is the desire thickness.
- Return the soup to the heat and melt in the cheddar cheese. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper if desired, and a side of crusty bread… you can’t miss!
I used promise spread instead of butter to cook the onions, and it came out just fine. However, I then used low fat cheddar cheese, and it didn’t melt evenly throughout the soup. It seemed to sit in the middle in a melty blob. Definitely tasted good, but I would splurge on the regular cheese next time. Maybe that would have solved the melting problem!
Quilting Queen January 9, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Uncategorized.Tags: Crafts, Quilts
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One of the crafts I have taken to in the past couple of years is quilting. Right now I have been working on very basic baby quilts. I made one for my sister-in-law’s baby shower, and for Christmas I made two quilts for my cousins.
I’m not sure that I have all of the techniques down perfectly, there seemed to be quite a few stabs to my fingers. There also were several fights with the sewing machine. All in all though, they came out pretty well, in my humble opinion!
Doing crafts is one of the many ways that I try to keep a healthy mind. It allows me to relax, have some me time, and give my hands something to do rather than munching on snacks. Besides, keeping up my crafts is a good way to reach one of my resolutions!
Ringing in the New Year January 3, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Family, Food, Friends, Goals, New Year, Travel, Uncategorized.Tags: Goals, New Year, Resolutions
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2011 was a pretty good year for Chris and I. Ski vacation at Keystone, an anniversary trip to the Dakotas, a wedding in the Finger Lakes and visits with family in Central New York. Chris was made ‘credit card ambassador’ for his district. I finish my second (and final) year of AmeriCorps. Shortly after, I was lucky enough to find a job at Fairview High School. We brought home a puppy, and have been running around ever since. We have been lucky enough to have jobs that support us, family around us, and lives that keep us healthy and active.
At this time of year there is the delightful tradition to make resolution for the new year. I like to take the time to reflect upon the past year to think of how to improve in the new year. So here are my resolutions for 2012:
1. Restart my blog. Last year, my blog started out with a bang. It helped me to cook creative, healthy meals. The blog helps me to stay on track and gives me a creative writing outlet, which I love. After a certain puppy ( who shall remain nameless) came into out lives, the blog fell to the wayside. It’s time to put aside the excuses and start back up with the writing!
2. Keep up with Weight Watchers. I’ve had decent success this past year, and want to make sure 2012 is even better. There were a few corporate shake-ups that have left me without my favorite leader. I need to make sure I don’t let this get in my way, and continue on.
3. Create an Etsy site. I love crafts. Love them. Unfortunately, I don’t have space to keep all my finished products. The result? Set up an Etsy site to take care of the overflow of crafts and make some money on the side!
These seem like doable to me, and hopefully they will help 2012 become a great year. We’ve got some great things planned… A trip to Ireland with Chris and my brother, going back to school for me! Definitely should be a great one!
It’s All Greek to Me June 29, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food, Friends, Movie, Uncategorized.Tags: Chicken, Couscous, Falafel, Feta, Greek, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Olives, Pita
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Chicken+Olives+Couscous+Falafels=Greek Goodness.
What’s better than going Greek? Having Greek with great friends! Another movie night combined the two perfectly. Our concoction was delicious!
It’s always fun just putting ingredients together and testing to see if they work together. This was one of those times that it definitely worked! Imagine a Greek taco. We put the chicken, olives, feta cheese and lettuce on a pita. On the side: falafel and couscous. Fantastic!
The movie: ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ is always fun to watch. It’s so fun to see which parts you relate to the most, which bits make you cringe, which spots make you glad that you have your own family, and the parts that make you wish you were Greek. Such a fun, sweet movie that’s fun every time you watch it!
Healthy Heath 