Sweatin to the oldies

Some of you may know that I am in a fiddle group.  Well, if you didn't know, now you do.  We had a concert tonight and it was a lot of fun.  I like to keep up my playing because it's really relaxing and helps me to take my mind off of things.  It's my "me" time and it rejuvenates me.  Anyway, we played at an assisted living facility and it was great.  I absolutely love the elderly (well, most of them anyway).  Are you wondering about my post title yet?  Well, we were in an old folks home and they keep it like ninety million degrees in there.  And there's old people in there, so we were sweatin (and playing) to the oldies.  He he he.

Portobello Pizzas

I just finished day 4 of the Biggest Loser 30 day jump start meal plan.  I love this diet so far because it's not about depriving yourself of food, it's about eating healthy.  You actually consume about 1500 calories per day, which when you're eating the right kinds of food, really fills you up.  It's not empty calories, it's nutritious food that tastes surprisingly good. 

I made a goal when I started that I would try everything at least once.  I never thought of myself as a picky eater, but a couple of weeks ago my dad called me out on it.  He told me I eat like an eight year old.  I laughed and told him playfully to shut up.  But then I started evaluating the foods I eat and he was right.  I used to be able to eat anything I wanted and it never mattered, but I've discovered as I've gotten older, that this is no longer the case.  I really want to be healthy and set a good example for my kids, so I started this diet to help me lose weight and learn some healthier habits.

So tonight's dinner was portobello pizzas.  Like I said, I told myself I would try everything at least once.  I really think mushrooms are disgusting.  I haven't really had them before, but they are slimy and look kind of gross.  But, I cooked them up and took my first bite and to my surprise they weren't too bad.  Actually they were kind of good.  Maybe my tastebuds are more refined than I thought.

If you're interested in trying these tasty "pizzas" here's the recipe:
You will need:
4 whole portobello mushroom caps (about 5" diameter), stems removed
1/2 cup low-fat marinara sauce
1/2 cup lean turkey Italian sausage, cooked, drained, and crumbled (I used lean smoked turkey sausage because I couldn't find lean turkey Italian sausage)
4 tablespoons shredded fat-free or low-fat mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wipe mushrooms clean of any dirt.  Place them on a baking sheet, gill side up.  Spoon sauce over each cap, then sprinkle on the sausage and cheeses.  Place the mushrooms in the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 97 calories, 10 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates (2 g sugars), 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 22 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 305 mg sodium

Look Who's Stacking!

Eli is into Lego type blocks and he is building the tower of babel!  He can go eight blocks high and I'm so impressed.  I showed him how to do it one time and now he's a pro.  I think we have an engineer in the making.

 Tower of babel

 Look at that concentration!

 And there's the Leaning Tower of Pisa

A Day At The Zoo

Last Friday we had to go down to Children's, so we went to the zoo afterward to make the trip down there worthwhile.  And it was a beautiful day.

 See the resemblance?

Name Change

I've been trying to think of a proper name for my blog for awhile now.  I knew "Joan's Blog" would be temporary, but I couldn't think of anything fitting for a permanent name.  Then Andrea came up with a new name for her blog and it got me thinking again about my blog name.  I finally came up with "And it came to pass".  The name has meaning to me and it's fitting because my blog is where I write things that come to pass in my life.  So, stay tuned for "And it came to pass"...

Genealogy

I have been really working hard on my genealogy lately to prepare for a SLC Family History Center trip my mom and I are taking.  I'm so excited to go on this trip, but I am also very nervous at the same time.  I have never left my kids overnight before and I'm leaving for 4 days and they are staying here.  Their dad will be here with them, but he's not accustom to doing everything by himself.  I have a system down that works and routines that I follow.  I trust him completely, but he just doesn't have the same experience as I do with that kind of stuff.  What if he forgets Daniel's meds?  What if Eli decides he won't eat unless he can nurse?  What if Matthew is taking care of Daniel and Eli gets into something he shouldn't?  What if...what if...what if...!!!  I am SO nervous!  I know I'll be calling home a couple hundred times a day to make sure everyone's ok.  I just hope I can also enjoy myself and learn a lot while I'm away.  And hopefully this experience will give Matthew a glimpse of the kind of work a mom does everyday.  Not that he doesn't already appreciate the work I do, but he will definitely have a better understanding of it.