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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Cashier Sprayed My Groceries With Lysol

…and the legacy of all stupid peoples marches on… Lysol contains the toxin Ammonium Hydroxide. I’ll spare you a bunch of mumbo-jumbo with a blog post of many words. Just watch the video and do your own research using the links I’ve provided. Then you’ll understand why I was soooo pissed off when the stupid cashier sprayed my groceries with Lysol toxins.

BAH! No offense to all the cashiers of the world (I used to be one in high school…I loved my job), but some cashier-people are obviously filled with an overflowing abundance of stupid.

Lysol ingredient information

Lysol health hazards

Ammonium Hydroxide poisoning


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“I’m TERRIFIED of gluten.”


Miz,
My doc asked me to try gluten free eating to manage rheumatoid arthritis. It’s helped swelling/my stomach but I feel obsessive trying to figure out if there’s hidden gluten in foods. I’m afraid to eat out.  It’s stressing me & the stress is pushing me to rebel/overeat which doesnt help weight loss.  How can I eat GF & not stress/obsess?

First:

A gluten-free diet eliminates the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).

Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications.

Second:

I dont have celiacs disease (never tested) but about 20 years ago I felt consistently like crap (technical term) & knew something needed to change.  Swollen, rashy, achy, joints hurting and constantly exhausted.  I took it upon myself to play around with my food, eliminated a few things, shed about 35 pounds and carried on with my life.  Fourteen years or so later I learned what Id eliminated was gluten.

carla birnberg, mizfit swollen, rash’y GLUTEN-LIVING

Lastly:

I do NOT THINK gluten free is for everyone. I feel so strongly about this I blogged at MizFit for close to 3 years before mentioning it’s how I approached food.  If it’s for you—I believe you’ll know immediately.  Not from weight loss, but from swelling reduction, full body rash ridding, and an increase in overall energy/depression mitigation.

Since releasing my e-book Ive received a number of these emails.

I do not advocate GF eating as a panacea, yet since I became GF when there were no bread/cake/processed substitutes my “diet” still consists mainly of unprocessed foods—something I believe all benefit from.

(except for my raging JERKEE addiction but youll have that)

I also feel compelled to share I did NOT struggle when I went gluten-free.

Id no idea precisely what I’d eliminated but I felt so much better & looked so much better (Ill spare you the rashy details) quite frankly I had no temptation to return to old eating habits.

Which brings me to my response to the emails *AND* the fact Id love for you to chime in below.

Three ways my approach to gluten free eating evolved into a food plan I could stick with for 20 years:

I got excited.  I was swollen, overweight, achy, lethargic, and rashy.  After I eliminated bread/pasta I felt so much better I couldnt wait to see what else I could do to lessen my symptoms.  My excitement eclipsed any feelings of deprivation I may have had.  I wont say I didnt feel, at times, mentally exhausted by it (trying to figure out meals etc. NO ONE had thought of using lettuce leaves as sandwich wraps back then) but I was excited, energetic again & it all felt worth it.I became empowered…LATER.  It really was close to fourteen years later when I realized what Id eliminated from my food plan. Once I figured all this out I read VORACIOUSLY on the subject.  Some of the reading matter applied to me.  Some did not.  I empowered myself through education.  (This is a great post on getting stated with GF eating).I listened to my body.  Since no one else was talking gluten free initially my only real option was to try foods & pay attention to how my body responded.  For example: *many* who are gluten sensitive can not tolerate oatmeal.  I can tolerate oatmeal.  For a short while I kept a food journal (what I ate & how I felt immediately afterward and hours afterward) which was tremendously helpful in creating a list of foods which worked for my body (this is a fab list of common places gluten can hide).I kept it simple.  I still keep it simple.  With a few deviations I eat foods my grandmother would have recognized.  Whole grains.  Veggies & fruits.  Lean proteins.  Lately the Tornado has noticed I eat differently from her dad & has begun asking WHY.  I love I have a simple answer: this is how I feel my best.  these are the foods which give me energy.  (and, since she’s noticed times when Ive accidentally glutenized myself) these are the foods which keep mom’s SKIN BUMPS away.she's NOT GF. She has no need to be! she’s NOT GF. she has no need to be.

Im confident the way I eat might be viewed by those with celiacs disease as not *truly* gluten free.

I only buy/consume gluten free foods.I don’t order anything at restaurants which could potentially contain gluten/eat anything potentially gluten’y at friends homes.I’m fortunate I don’t have to obsess about cross contamination (manufacturing or restaurants) because while I swell & rash my gluten-reaction is neither debilitating nor life threatening.

All I know–and can share with our emailers– is what has worked for me.

Which is why, as always, I look to *you* in the comments below.

If your approach to eating is gluten free how did you stop *obsessing* and start living a GF life?

Links to blog posts are welcome!

Tags: , ,


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It’s Gotta Burn Deep Down In Your Bones…

…that desire. That “wanting” for true change. And really mean it this time.

There are peeps that, over the past few YEARS, are still “getting ready to” do something about their situation. But it’s foolery, I tell ya — they’re only fooling themselves.

There’s too many starts & stops. Umpteen failed diets. Days on end of missed workouts. Lots of disappointment and an expanding waistline; empty promises and the absence of a this-shit-is-for-real-this-time type of attitude.

Here’s the thing: you gotta be downright sick and tired, fed up, and willing to NO LONGER ACCEPT your situation to spark a fire of true change. For me, that happened when I took a look at this picture of myself back in 2006. Dear gawd. That’s the pic that lit a fire under my ass and incited the motivation for real change that burned deep down in my bones.

Whatever good thing you purpose for your health & fitness, do with it all your heart. Don’t cut corners that will leave you shortchanged. Don’t talk yourself out of it or accept anything less.

It’s gonna take hard work. It gonna require sacrifice. It will even challenge your mental fortitude. And it’s gonna take TIME to see results. So please… be patient.

Stand firm, plant your feet steady and focus. Remove the fluff & fodder and be for real about what you want. Then pursue it with with a burning fire that can’t be quenched until you reach your goal.

I know you can do it.


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MAKE the time (guest post)

It is a time-honoured tradition, a corker, a classic excuse: “I don’t have the time”

It doesn’t even have to apply to exercise (but it often does).

For a large portion of my life I have viewed this as a perfectly legitimate excuse……that was until last week.

Let me set the scene, I was talking to a friend about doing a 70.3 triathlon and the training involved, when I asked if he had the time – to which he said, “if I don’t have the time, I will make the time”.

Make the time. It is so simple, but is something that many are hesitant to do. As Eric Thomas said in his inspirational speech: “some of you want to sleep more than you want to be successful”.  I find this idea of ‘making time’ to be incredibly poignant, and something that is very applicable to fitness.

Again, success does not necessarily have to be winning a race, or making a million, it is anything that you want to do. It just takes a little bit of commitment.

I love playing sport and exercising, I find it very enjoyable – and I know I am not alone in this. People do want to get fit.

So if you are one of these aspiring individuals, make a commitment to yourself and make it happen. No excuses.

Apply this to running or going to the gym in the evening.

“I don’t have the time”.

B*llocks.

How many of us get home from work stressed, feeling lethargic and sit on the sofa for an hour before cooking? I know I used to.

If you are committed to exercising you will get home, you will drop off your bags, change and get out the front door within 5 minutes.

45 minutes later you can get back, have a shower and start cooking at the same time you would have if you had sat on the sofa.

Who feels better at 8pm when they are cooking– the person that watched mindless crap on TV or the person with invigorating endorphins flowing through their body after exercise?

Its the same for those who get up an hour earlier to start their day with a gym session, run or swim. They are the ones who for some reason are happy/smug on the tube in the morning. They haven’t made excuses.

They have made the time and are reaping the benefits.

People also complain about the amount of time it takes to do a workout.

Again, this is not necessarily true.

So again, no excuses. If you don’t know how to be time efficient then get reading and researching!

The funny thing is that hard work seems like such a chore before you do it.

But if you just get on with it and don’t waste time, you will feel that much better. Productivity is key – there are seconds, minutes and even hours to be saved throughout your day.

Don’t faff.

This time adds up and allows you to do whatever it is you have chosen to do. Nike has been trying to tell the masses this secret for years….Just Do It.

The musings and ramblings of Dan Millington, natural fitness, outdoors enthusiast and blogger can be found at GO CAVEMAN!


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A Weekend Quote While Running in Florence

My Italian vacation is coming to an end. I’m a mix of feelings and emotions. Happy to go home and see my boys. Sad to leave such a beautiful place. Overwhelmed at all I have seen. Inspired by all I have experienced. Motivated to make travel even MORE of a priority in my life.

Yesterday I completed my goal of running in each city I was visiting. First Rome, then Venice and here is a quick video from Florence.

I was hoping to run again this morning but I was just to tired and decided sleep was more important. I’ve been sucking the marrow out of each day.

Right now I’m in Rome. We have the tour group’s farewell dinner tonight and then on a plane in the morning. It’s an 8 hour flight to New York and then a 3 hour drive home. I’m not looking forward to that but I am excited to see my boys!

Oh and I almost forgot! This weekend’s quote. I came across this in my email and it totally made me smile.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another way to say…

I snapped that on the way into Florence from the bus. For more photos from the last 2 days click here.

It also made me smile. :)

Follow your star and leave a trail this weekend.

Arrivederci!


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Weekend Quote: Attitude

I’ve been blah for days now. I think it might be a case of jet lag but regardless, I’m miserable, moping around the house with a bad attitude and just, well, all around yucky.

Yesterday I posted this on faceboook…

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” -Dyer

And it helped.

A little.

Today I came across this quote from Charles R. Swindoll,

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.

It doesn’t always help to know my attitude is in my control, but the more I remind myself the easier it gets to break out of the funk.

And I’ve been in funkville for a couple of days now.

I am in charge of my attitude.

It’s my choice.

Time to consciously take action.

OR.. just fake it till I make it. :)

Image from eHow.com


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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Why Hello Old Friend: 5 Reasons Why I’m Going Old School with my Food Journal.

20130128_2009

See that notebook up there? That’s my latest food journal. Yup,  I’m back to good old paper and pencil and I’ll tell you why.

Actually, I’ll tell you 5 reasons why…

I needed a change. Over the years I have food journaled a plethora of ways: paper, spreadsheet, email, twitter, instagram. All work great but if I’m bored with the technique then I tend to start slipping. Sometimes simply changing my method re-energizes and motivates me.It works for my current situation. Each one of the methods I listed above was born out of necessity. When I taught at the community college emailing was perfect because I was always on a computer but  never MY computer. When I worked in an office, a spreadsheet was perfect as I was on the same computer all day. Twitter and Instragram are perfect when you’re on the go, but now they feel like overkill being home. When I’m with the kids, I’m home. When I’m working, I’m home. It’s super easy for me to have a paper and pencil on the counter ready to jot something down and pre-plan in the morning. Speaking of…Makes daily pre-planning easy. When I initially changed my diet and lost 70lbs I would take 5 minutes every morning to plan dinner, make my lunch and jot everything down all while eating breakfast. I found comfort in knowing what I would be eating later in the day. It took the guess work out of it and made it easy to stick to my own daily plan. You may notice dinner listed at the top above. Pre-planning daily has always worked for me. I want the accountability but not stress. If you haven’t noticed, I share a LOT online, and for a long time I posted food journals. More recently I’ve been using instagram, but publicly posting adds more pressure for me. Self-imposed but still very real. I know food journaling works, I like to do it, but I don’t want to worry about snapping the perfect photo or making a bowl of cereal look pretty. I still plan on snapping food photos because I’m a geek, but it won’t be my main form of journaling.I want to reach my goal and I KNOW this works. I know losing “the last 5 lbs” isn’t my most popular goal but that doesn’t change the fact I want to reach it. I refuse to do anything drastic or unhealthy to get there. My philosophy hasn’t changed since the day I started this blog: If I’m going to lose weight I have to do it on my terms, eating things I want to eat, exercising the way I want to exercise and enjoying every step of the journey. Food journaling was a huge part of my success. It’s a simple way for me to be accountable and, well, I know it works.

What’s your thoughts on the food journal? Do you keep one? How?


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Hot 100 Lean Legs Workout

legs1 Hot 100 Lean Legs Workout

This is a time challenge workout consisting of two rounds. 100 total reps in each round. You’ll be working the large muscle groups of the legs, so that’s sure to make you sweat. Heart pumping, fat-shredding will definitely come into play! This challenge does NOT take long from start to finish. You can also opt to break down each move to fit them in throughout the day. Now let’s get moving!

Hot 100 Lean Legs Challenge: FULL WORKOUT

20 reps alternating side to side lunges holding medicine ball20 reps Plie’ squats with front arm raises to lateral (side) arms down20 alternating front kicks20 alternating back kicks20 alternating wide, high knee-ups

INSTRUCTIONS, MODIFICATIONS & PROPER FORM

1. Side to Side Lunges: Stabilize your core as you lunge while keeping the opposing leg strong & straight. Hold your medicine ball or dumbbell strong & secure at chest level. Bend forward slightly as you lunge and push the booty back, but do not let your knees go over your toes. Push through the heel as you push into opposite side lunge . You will feel this move in your booty and thighs.

2. Plie’ Squats With Arm Raises: Feet at 45-degree angles as you squat to target the inner thighs. Knees do not go past your toes. As you squat up, lift both arms up straight in front of you to overhead. As you squat down, open your arms wide to lower down to your sides.

3 & 4. Front & Back Kicks: Use your core to keep stable as you kick with alternating feet. On front kicks, maintain good posture and don’t lean back. For back kicks, you will be leaning forward. Work to kick your legs back so that legs are as parallel to the floor as possible. Keep your head in line with your neck/spine as you lean forward for your back kicks.

5. Wide, High Knee-Ups: Lift your knees up and wide at a 45-degree angle. Keep your back straight and strong. Arms down by your side to encourage the required stability for this move to come from your core, not from balancing with your arms. This is a simple move, but after doing all of the above, this is a bonus burn!

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

v Stopwatch setting on your interval timer, or a free stopwatch app on your cell phone or computer.

v 8-lb medicine ball or dumbbell

POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION & RECOVERY

Protein protein PROTEIN! Fuel your days with lean, protein-rich foods to help your muscles recovery and grow. Make sure you hydrate after the workout and get in a nice stretch.

HOME WORKOUT CENTRAL


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Im in love with Sweet Relish!

Im SMITTEN!

OK People.

Ive made no secret of the fact Im not a fan of Pinterest.

Ive been repeatedly admonished Ill never be a big, behemoth brand *whew* thank goodness right? if I dont get to pinning.

And Im ok with that.

As a result, when the opportunity to partner with Sweet Relish came along, I almost missed out on a very.cool.thing. because I immediately assumed it was a Pinterest Wanna Be.

I be woman enough to say I was wrong.

It’s awesome.

It’s Pinterest for MISFITS. 

It’s a place PERFECTION for this online shopping lover who erroneously thought she didnt like LISTS.

Allow me to define.

Sweet Relish refers to itself as the secret sauce of shopping because it’s the “missing piece” in our online shopping experience. which leads me to:Sweet Relish is everything I never knew I always wanted.  If you hang with me on Facebook you KNOW how I adore sharing shopping stuffs I find.  With my Sweet Relish lists I can organize, save, share, buy, see what youre buying all in one place.Sweet Relish is where *I* am right now and, judging by our interactions online, where you are too.  Metaphorically.  I wanna know where you got those tights I covet *and* be able to buy them right from the site.  CLICK. Done.  No more I love this!!! Where can I find this?! as I always experience other places. Sweet Relish lists allow us to do precisely that.

Allow me to explain.

Relishing is simple. I am easily confused.  Register, get a relish button for your tool bar (see below) and CLICK THAT BUTTON each time you want to “save” an item to your lists!

Screen shot 2013-01-24 at 2.26.41 PM

Allow me to share.

Im RELISHING the Northern California stuffs this TEXAN is now addicted to for warmth.Im RELISHING all the PLAYout toys the Tornado and I adore.Im RELISHING the random foodSTUFFS Im addicted to always chatting about.

You get the point.

Im in.

Im smitten.

Im RELISHING every minute of this.

And seriously.

I challenge you to not love Sweet Relish (yes I adore saying the name) as a place to organize your shopping/gift buying (<—this has been huge for me), and sneak a peek into what your friends are purchasing.

Got any RELISH-questions for me?All ready to come RELISH with me?

Ill be snooping around your lists and featuring one of them/linking back to you next month.

(cue movie music fraught with suspense)

FTC: This is a sponsored post.  The fact I almost turned down without exploring the site and subsequently fell unflaggingly in LOVE with the RELISH is all my own.


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Friday, January 11, 2013

Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz (Somewhat Spicy) Pumpkin Seeds Review

Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz

I think I might just have discovered a new favorite snack in the form of Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz. I saw these at Adams Fairacre Farms a few days ago, and despite the $3.99 price tag (for a 6 ounce bag), I decided to pick up this gluten free, tree nut free, peanut free, MSG free & vegan, snack.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 grams)
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 12 grams, 18%
Saturated Fat: 2 grams, 10%
Sodium: 60 mg, 3%
Carbohydrates: 1 grams
Fiber: 1 gram, 4%
Sugars: 0 grams
Protein: 9 grams

These seeds are super-tasty and somewhat spicy as the name implies. I definitely did not eat more than 1 serving at a time, but in addition to having it by itself, I also added it to home-made trail mix for the kids - they liked the spicy kick. Another reason that I didn't have more than 1 serving is that each serving provides 12 grams of total fat, which is 18% of the daily value. Of that, 2 grams is saturated (10% of the DV). Each 28 gram serving (about 1/3rd cup) also provides 160 calories, 60 mg of sodium (3% of the DV), 1 gram of fiber, no sugars and 9 grams of protein. There is also 25% of the DV for iron.

The all natural ingredients include shelled pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper sauce (aged cayenne red pepper, vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder), granulated garlic, granulated onion, cayenne, paprika, black pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage.

As I mentioned before, I paid $3.99 for a 6 ounce bag of Kathie's Kitchen Super Seedz (Somewhat Spicy) Pumpkin Seeds - 6 servings - which is definitely on the pricey side of things, but I would buy this again. The nutrition facts are pretty good, all natural ingredients, and I can add it to salads, trail mix, and eat it on it's own. There are quite a few other varieties that I want to try as well, like Original Curry.

{Website: Super Seedz}


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My E-BOOK is here! My E-Book is here!

Yes, People.

Just in time for those last minute holiday purchases for yourself! youre worth it! my e-book is finished.

Done.

Edited. Polished. Completed.

And yet, far more pressing than penning a post imploring you to buy it,  is wanting to share *why* I finally decided to join the e-masses and release one.

I considered it repeatedly.  I love e-books.  Im a voracious reader.  Im a prolific writer.

I simply didnt believe (to mangle a quote) my e-book would improve upon the silence. 

Id routinely ask myself if the world needed an e-book by me and, for years, my response was no.

I falsely assumed since I overshare here on a daily basis there was absolutely no need to gather & edit into book-form.

Ive changed my mind.

Why? 

I discovered I longed to write the book I wished I’d had when I first began stumbling down my healthy living path.

Not yet on path…

I felt called to gather the posts, collect the exercises (emotional & physical), select the videos and bring them all together to create the handbook I’d needed back then.

The guide/reference book I still need now to help me remain on my healthy living journey.

Not too bad for 43…

I loved the process of writing these posts.I adored every moment of creating new chapters and the opportunity to share tips & tricks and secrets & stories I’ve never shared before.It made me *smile* to share with my husband how energized I was by this whole project.

Im a big believer in trusting your gut.

No hard sell.

No jokey-jokey “if you dont buy my e-book in mass quantities we wont be able to afford a domicile in Oakland.”

Trust your gut.  My e-book is for you if:

If youre a fan of my philosophy.  If youve wondered about the how and the why and the HOW I’ve maintained my weight-loss for two decades.If youre curious what I would say are my best tips/posts & wished they were gathered together in one none-too-pricey place.

 All I can tell you for certain is it’s what I wished Id had when I started & Im glad to have it (finally all kinds of organized) now.

How to Build Muscle and Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind is available as PDF, on Nook and on Kindle.  It’s available from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.


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Top Posts of 2012

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

Hey, Mom! I am wishing you a happy Mother’s Day on my blog so I can post a picture of this:

Your Mother's Day card

This is your Mother’s Day card! You can tell because it’s in a pretty pink envelope. Which is still in my possession. It would be sitting in your mailbox in Indianapolis if I had paid attention to any of the junk mail advertisements I received in the past few weeks that explicitly stated that Mother’s Day was this weekend. However, I have a highly attuned ability to filter out most advertising, so I thought Mother’s Day was NEXT weekend. But really, isn’t Mother’s Day EVERY day? Of course it is. Which is why you will not be upset when I pop this in the mailbox this evening and you get it on Tuesday. (Be swift, United States postal service. Be swift!)

Love you!

Chocolate & Vicodin: My Quest for Relief from the Headache that Wouldn't Go Away"Smart, unflinchingly honest, and laugh-out-loud funny."– Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice

No related posts.

Comments are now closed on all PastaQueen entries. The blog is an archive only so I don't have to deal with spammers. For fresh discussions please visit my new blog JenFul.


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Ready To Burn Fat Workout

BURNFATTHUMBNAIL copy Ready To Burn Fat Workout

Howdeee-ho! I hope your holiday is going fantastic and filled with happiness & love. Even the “chicka-bow-bow” kinda love, if that’s how you roll…

So, ummm…you ready to burn fat and lose that weight? Keep challenging yourself! Push to the next level. And by all means, DO NOT QUIT!

Are you pushing and NOT quitting? Then come with me on this new workout. Let us burn the fat together. M’kay?

Ready To Burn Fat: FULL WORKOUT (4 exercises, 3 rounds)

3 minutes speed rope intervals: 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest20 get-ups with 8-pound medicine ball: 10 left leg, 10 right leg50 reps mountain climbers on medicine ball (leg right / right leg = 2 reps)10 deep squats with 8-pound medicine ball overhead

*Then take it from the top and complete two more rounds. Be sure to warm-up and cool down properly. I completed this workout in 22.48 minutes. It was a sweet killer!

MODIFICATIONS & PROPER FORM

High knee jog intervals if you don’t (yet) have a your speed rope. Keep your core engaged.Get-ups using one dumbbell or no weight at all.Mountain climbers with hands on floor (without medicine ball). Don’t let your hips drop. Keep your body in full alignment.Regular squats instead of deep squats using dumbbell overhead or no weight at all. But sure to NOT let your knees go past your toes. Push through your heels to stand up.Less reps of any of these moves, but be sure to keep it challenging.

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

So lemme ask ya… are you ready to burn fat? Well, of course you are. Because burning fat is what…you…do.

Alert! Alert! There’s a MAJOR weight loss challenge I’m kicking off in January. You can win money, ya’ll. Stay tuned for more deets about it this week!


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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Fast & Natural Instant Brown Rice Review

Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Fast & Natural Instant Brown Rice

The description of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Fast & Natural Instant Brown Rice reads, "now you can get great tasting 100% natural whole grain brown rice in just 10 minutes." Well, one thing I love is quick and easy, healthy meals, so I was all over this and bought a 14 ounce box for $2.19.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1/4 cup dry (48 grams - 1 cup cooked)
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 1.5 grams, 2%
Saturated Fat: 0%
Sodium: 0%
Carbohydrates: 36 grams
Fiber: 2 grams, 8%
Sugars: 0 grams
Protein: 4 grams

Well, they aren't lying. The directions are basically to add rice to water, boil, then turn the heat down & simmer for 10 minutes. This produced a fluffy, soft rice - not much different from white rice actually.

Each 1 cup (cooked) serving of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Fast & Natural Instant Brown Rice provides 170 calories, 1.5 grams of total fat, 2 grams of fiber (8% of the daily value) and 4 grams of protein. The ingredients list simply states, whole grain paraboiled rice.

As I mentioned before, a 14 ounce box, which holds about 2 cups of rice, cost a little over $2.00. I liked it, my family liked it, and I would definitely buy this again. Minute Instant Brown Rice (Review) is also really good. It shouldn't be too hard to mess up rice (although, you never know with some companies), but if you're pressed for dinner prep time, then Uncle Ben's got your back.

{Website: Uncle Ben's}


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Merry CHRISTMAS!

Seventh visit. Same Santa.

I adore Christmas day.  

I love me some Christmas Eve.

Even though we dont celebrate the holiday Ive always loved the fact everything goes from HURRRRRY!! (as the token Jew Ive worked countless Christmas Eves helping panicked people find that last minute gift) to slower (typically traffic as we all head home from wherever we are) to STOP.

Sure we end up hanging with friends who celebrate the holiday & that’s FUN—-but my favorite piece is the STOP at home.

Nothing open.

Literally no one working.

Unplugged.

BEING PRESENT.

**STOP**

The Tornado and I also love our yearly pictures with Santa.

The tradition started because one of the first pictures we ever received of her was sitting on Santa’s lap and has evolved from there.

The rules are it’s ALWAYS at the same mall. 

It’s always a spontaneous decision (hence the post-soccer photo above)

And it’s always the Tornado’s choice (hence one of the years I linked where she’s in her princess nightgown).

Id imagine these Christmas routines sound small in the scope of vast & intricate Christmas traditions of others—but given all the flux and change here recently our yearly trip to the mall & JUST US/NO PACKING tomorrow have taken on greater importance and focus.

I know today is gogogoHECTIC —but Id love to hear one of your Christmas traditions in the comments below.

(I cant promise, however, we wont steal it appropriate it as we start building our Bay Area traditions for next year…)


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PastaQueen says good-bye. JenFul says hello.

Finish/Start

In 20 words or less: I will no longer be updating PastaQueen.com. I will now be blogging at JenFul.com

I used to be Jenny. To some I was even called Jenny Sue. But there were a lot of girls named Jenny in the early 80's and there was always another one in my class. It made me feel less than special, like I wasn’t the unique snowflake they tell you that you are. I was Jenny F. and the “eff” sounded so harsh, though not quite as harsh as using the first two letters of my last name would have been: Jenny FU.

I’ve been PastaQueen for over six years. Actually, I’ve been PastaQueen since I had to sign up for a Hotmail account during summer camp in 1997. I registered PastaQueen.com several years after that and used it as a portfolio site. Then I set up a blog in its own folder, PastaQueen.com/HalfofMe. Eventually that folder took over the whole domain and that’s where I’ve been writing and talking with y’all for the past 2000+ days in 1207 posts.

I’ve enjoyed being PastaQueen. Jennette was too scared to talk about her fat issues with anyone. Not to her family. Not to her friends. But for some reason PastaQueen could tell the Internet, though no one was listening at first. But the more I wrote, the more confident I became. I started leaving my blog address in comments on other sites. I remember that injection of excitement I felt the first time someone commented on my blog, when someone had read something I wrote. I met lots of cool people. I got to go on trips and stay at fancy hotels and eat lots of oatmeal. I got to write a book and then another book. PastaQueen has done so much more than Jenny Sue ever could have imagined.

I’m at the age when my friends are having babies and then more babies. We don’t go out together as much as we did, and we talk about different things than we did in college. It’s not a bad thing. It just means our lives are changing. Diapers and parenting books have replaced the backpacks and math homework we had in high school. We’re not who we used to be and that’s ok. In fact, it’s natural.

As great as it’s been to be PastaQueen, I realized recently that I’m not PastaQueen anymore. PastaQueen had a lot of issues with her body that she needed to work out through her writing. And she did that. I know she did that because I don’t feel the need to write about my body that much anymore. I’m good, or at least 95% good. Sure, I’d like to lose some weight and it wouldn’t hurt if my skin were tighter, but I can handle all that. It ain’t no thang.

PastaQueen really needed support from her readers. She needed them to tell her she was doing ok and she wrote well and she was valued. And while I’m still grateful for all the support, kind words, and digital love you guys have sent me over the years, I don’t need it anymore, not like I used to. I like it and I appreciate it more than I can say. But you’ve helped nurture me into something stronger, someone who doesn’t need training wheels, someone who knows she can ride on her own.

PastaQueen wrote only about health and fitness on her blog, which was good for pageviews because she had cornered a niche. But in September of 2008 she decided to start blogging about other things, which was probably a sign that she was starting to outgrow the PastaQueen identity, like those baggy clothes stuffed in cardboard boxes she kept at the bottom of her closet to remind her of where she came from. She kept on blogging though, because she liked it. She liked the people. She felt compelled to share her thoughts. She liked being a part of that section of the blogosphere.

People still come to this blog looking for the old PastaQueen and are sort of surprised when they find me here instead. Sometimes I log into PastaQueen.com and I’m surprised to find me here instead. But that’s ok. It’s alright to change into someone new, and it doesn’t mean you have to forget who you were. PastaQueen wouldn’t have been PastaQueen without you. She would have just been some invisible girl chattering to her computer. I don’t want to be an invisible girl, so this isn’t really a good-bye. I’m just ditching my old name, just like Jenny Sue became Jennette. The PastaQueen name has a lot of baggage. It’s baggage I got traveling on one of the most fantastic journeys of my life, collecting nicks and scrapes on my way through the Internet and out a door into the real world. But it’s still baggage, and I’m ready to leave it behind. Buy some new suitcases. Fill them up with new junk.

I’ll still have an online presence at JenFul.com. I decided to shorten my name J-Lo style. Jennette Fulda. See? It’s a blog. I don’t know how often I’ll update it. I don’t know what I’ll talk about. But it will be there if I need it and if you care to listen. And when you go there you won’t be looking for PastaQueen. You’ll be looking for whoever I am right now. I thought about just setting it up at JennetteFulda.com, but only 1% of the population succeeds at spelling my name correctly. So, now I’m Jenful. That’s jenful! It’s my name and an adjective.

I’ve thought about doing this on and off for over a year now. Whenever I mentioned it to someone they’d talk me out of it, telling me not to throw away everything I’ve built here. Sometimes I’d look at my bills and then look at my ad earnings and think I couldn’t leave PastaQueen behind. Really, I was just scared to be something different. I was a hermit crab scared to leave her shell even though she’d outgrown her home. I was scared to lose my visitors and my page ranking and whatever income I feel like I’ve lucked into with every click.

But over the past year I’ve realized that holding onto who I was is stopping me from becoming who I will be. I’ve stopped caring about my stats, how many comments I get, my pagerank, my Technorati rank, my Alexa rank and all that blogging bullshit that it’s so easy to get caught up in. I haven’t logged into my Sitemeter account for months. And while I admit that I like the money, and that the money has helped me be able to freelance full time, I can’t stick around here for the money. I’ve probably stuck around too long as it is. Jerry Seinfeld said there’s a moment in a comedian’s act where you know you have to step off the stage. It’s that moment where everyone’s still happy and laughing. It’s tempting to stay in the lights, but if you keep going you’ll lose your momentum and you’ll lose the crowd. People only remember beginnings and endings anyway, even though most of us live life in the middle. Maybe leaving sooner would have been smarter or more graceful. It would be great if I had a master plan about my career and how to handle all my online shit or if I knew what the hell I’m going to do with the next 30+ years of my life. But I don’t. I’m just muddling along like I always have, discovering who I am going to be and sometimes being as surprised as you are.

So screw the money, the stats, and whatever prestige I might imagine that I have. I just need to do what feels right and this feels soooo right. Making the decision came with a wave of relief as strong as any tsunami, but instead of leaving wreckage behind I’ll leave behind what I created over six fabulous years of my life. Sometimes people email or comment wishing that I still blogged about running and weight loss and the thrill of all that amazing stuff. They wish I were who I used to be. They don’t want me to change, but I have. You change or you die. They want PastaQueen. But what’s great is that she still exists. She’s talking to you in the archives. She’ll cheer you on and maybe inspire you a bit. I’m leaving the site up so you can still visit her. She’ll always be there, frozen in time for you to look upon.

But I’m not frozen in time. Every seven years all the cells in your body replace themselves. Well, I’ve been blogging here for almost seven years, so I am literally not the woman I used to be. All the cells in my body have replaced themselves with copies of themselves. I am a completely different set of atoms that are aligned in the pattern of me.

This decision is mine. It wasn’t made because of any one comment or email. It was made because of the entire gestalt of my life. It’s not really good-bye. I’m not entering witness protection. I’m not going to become the new JD Salinger and do the reclusive author schtick. It’s more like I got a new haircut and went off to college. I’ll still be around, just not in the same way as I used to.

Thank you for everything. Really. You guys are the best. You are awesome. It has been great being PastaQueen. I’m grateful for all she did for me. And I hope that the next time you use her name, it will go something like this:

“Oh yeah, PastaQueen? I used to know her. She was fab.”

So, head over to JenFul.com or subscribe to the feed here. I WON’T be automatically forwarding subscribers of the PastaQueen feed to JenFul because I’d like people to make a conscious decision to follow me over there. I don’t want people who are looking for PastaQueen to find themselves in JenFul’s house instead. But the welcome mat is out and you’re all invited in! (Except if you’re a vampire. No invites for vampires.)

Chocolate & Vicodin: My Quest for Relief from the Headache that Wouldn't Go Away"Smart, unflinchingly honest, and laugh-out-loud funny."– Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice

No related posts.

Comments are now closed on all PastaQueen entries. The blog is an archive only so I don't have to deal with spammers. For fresh discussions please visit my new blog JenFul.


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Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo Review

Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo

Alfredo sauce usually isn't that healthy since it's usually made with cream, but Lean Cuisine found a way to incorporate just enough in their Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo dish, without breaking the calorie bank.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 meal (255 grams)
Calories: 210
Total Fat: 4 grams, 6%
Saturated Fat: 2 grams, 9%
Sodium: 650 mg, 27%
Carbohydrates: 28 grams
Fiber: 3 grams, 11%
Sugars: 3 grams
Protein: 15 grams

After the dish was microwaved and ready to eat, I was pleased with the texture of the shrimp and the vegetables, which consisted of broccoli and peas (which there was a lot less of). The linguini pasta was also good, but I found the Alfredo sauce to be a bit thin and watery - but that's definitely one way to cut calories and fat a bit, so I didn't mind too much. The shrimp was delicious (there were 7 pieces - I counted), and overall, I thought the entire meal made for a tasty, pleasant lunch - with a side salad to make it more filling.

Each 225 gram package of Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo provides 210 calories, 4 grams of total fat, 2 grams of which is saturated (6% and 9% of the daily value) and 60 milligrams of cholesterol (20% of the DV). There is also 650 milligrams of sodium (27% DV), 15 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber (11% of the DV) and 3 grams of sugars.

The packaging mentions that there are no preservatives and the ingredients list starts with blanched linguine (water, semolina, wheat gluten), skim milk, shrimp, broccoli, water and peas - the good stuff is right at the beginning of the list - always a good sign.

I paid $2.20 for this entree (sale price) and there was so much that I liked - the low calorie, protein, shrimp, veggies and even the sauce - so I would definitely buy this again.

{Website: Lean Cuisine}


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Mix it up: The aging mix

Mixed Tape

I’m making another themed music mix, and since you guys were so helpful last time I thought I’d throw out another challenge for you. This mix’s theme is aging, so all of the songs have to talk about being a certain age or about getting older. There seem to be an abundance of songs about teenagers, but material starts to scarcer the older you get. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Sound of Music – Sixteen Going on Seventeen
Stevie Nicks – Edge of Seventeen
Janis Ian – At Seventeen
Ace of Base – Blooming 18
Paul Hardcastle – Nineteen
The Who’s Tommy – Twenty-One
Gin Blossoms – 29
Aimee Mann – 31 Today
Dido – See You When You’re 40
The Beatles – When I’m 64
Five for Fighting – 100 Years
Joni Mitchell – The Circle Game
ETA: (Forgot this one!) Band of Horses – Older
ETA: (Thought of another one!) Rod Stewart – Ooh La La (I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now)

Have you got any other songs for me? Songs should be about aging, not just about a number. So, “Three is the Magic Number” or “One” don’t really fit even though they have numbers in the song titles.

Ok, GO!

Chocolate & Vicodin: My Quest for Relief from the Headache that Wouldn't Go Away"Smart, unflinchingly honest, and laugh-out-loud funny."– Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author of Still AliceComments are now closed on all PastaQueen entries. The blog is an archive only so I don't have to deal with spammers. For fresh discussions please visit my new blog JenFul.


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Easy Kid-Friendly Snacks for Busy Moms & Dads

The Holiday season is already upon us, and many of my wonderful fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter have been asking for simple tips and recipes for kids during the holidays that busy moms and dads can use to both entertain and inspire healthful snacking. Below I have included both a short list of quick and easy snack ideas that can also both be fun and healthy for parents and kids alike.  I have also included a delightful recipe from my forthcoming "Cooking with Quinoa for Dummies" book, set to be released early next month, for amazing Quinoa Breakfast Bars, full of fiber and flavor that are sure to impress.

Air popped popcorn – you can even string them up and use as a Christmas tree decoration!Ants on a log – spread low fat cream cheese or peanut butter on a celery stalk and sprinkle on some raisins or dried cranberries, blueberries or cherries.Fresh fruit kabobs – use what’s in season such as apples, and pears, bananas. Apple smiles – slice up an apple and spread peanut butter on them and arrange on plate as smiley faces. Fresh fruit smoothies – even using fresh frozen fruit for this fun treat is healthy. Add kefir or low fat yogurt with milk to boost the nutritional value and calcium for strong bones.Yogurt and fruit layered parfaits – spruce up non-fat or low fat plain yogurt with cinnamon, a touch of agave nectar to add sweetness and a spoonful of granola for crunch. Snowflakes – take a whole-wheat tortilla and spread a thin layer of low fat cream cheese over the surface. Then sprinkle with cinnamon. Fold tortilla in half and then in half again. After a few bites, you can open it up to seethe pretty snowflake pattern you made!Quinoa Breakfast Bars [1]

Yield 24 bars

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray

2 ½ cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick)

½ cup quinoa flour

½ cup nonfat dry milk powder

½ cup unsweetened coconut

½ cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans

½ cup chopped dried apples or other dried fruit or berries

½ cup currants or raisins

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup dark honey

½ cup natural almond butter or peanut butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray.

2 In a large mixing bowl, measure the rolled oats, quinoa flour, milk powder, coconut, almonds, dried apples, currants, and salt. Stir well to combine and set aside.

3 In a small saucepan, warm the honey and nut butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until blended. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

4 Add the warm honey mixture to the dry ingredients and quickly stir the mixture until it’s well combined. The mixture will be sticky but not wet.

5 Pat the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly with your hands to remove any air pockets.

6 Bake the bars until they just begin to brown on the edges, about 25 minutes.

7 Cool for 10 minutes then cut into 24 bars, each about 11/2 x 21/4 inches.

8 When the bars are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the pan to a cooling rack. When they are completely cool, store them in an airtight container. Keep them in the refrigerator for optimal freshness.

Per serving: Calories 161 (From Fat 56); Fat 6g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 61mg; Carbohydrate 25g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 4g


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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Birds Eye Vegetables Coupons

Sharing the $avings - Like Birds Eye Vegetables on Facebook, then add foods to the "Veggie Powered Plate" which will appear on the screen. When you're done, you'll be able to print a coupon for $1.00 off 2 Birds Eye Steam Fresh meals.

This week at my local grocery store, Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables are on sale for $0.99 each. I was able to print the coupon twice (by refreshing the Facebook page), so it'll end up costing me $0.49 each. That's a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!!

Check out the Birds Eye Reviews to see our favorite products.


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Flat of feet and -itis of tendon

A foot

For those of you concerned about my foot pain saga (there must be at least one of you, right, Mom?), I saw the podiatrist today. She felt up my feet, took some x-rays and told me I most likely have tendonitis and I most definitely have flat feet.

I knew I had a flat chest, but the flat feet thing is new to me. Can we complete the trifecta and get me a flat stomach, too? I’m not sure if I’ve always had flat feet or if my morbid obesity helped flatten them or if it’s a new thing unrelated to that. Regardless, I am no longer supposed to walk barefoot. Anywhere. Even if I’m just shuffling around the house I need to have sandals with a good arch support. She recommended some brands for that.

She also sprayed my foot with glue and taped it. I’m supposed to keep the tape on for the next five days and see if it helps with the pain, and if so that means an orthotic or just the shoe change should probably help cure it. (So far it does seem to help, so that bodes well.) The glue will help the tape stay on even in the shower, though now I’m wondering if I’m supposed to wear shoes in the tub too. That gives me flashbacks to my college days and how grateful I was that I couldn’t see anything in the shower stall because of my poor vision.

I’m also supposed to take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) every day (like ibuprofen) since tendonitis is basically an inflammation of the tendon. This presents an interesting dilemma because every single one of my headache doctors agrees that you should not take more than 2-3 doses of anti-inflammatory medication a week or else you will get a rebound headache. So, what do I do here? Do I take NSAIDs daily for my foot and put up with the headache? Or do I only take a moderate amount of NSAIDs, severely limiting the anti-inflammatory effects of the medication, and put up with a longer stretch of foot pain? It is a conundrum. I probably should have asked the doctor about this, shouldn’t I have? Maybe we should just cut the damn foot off and give me a robotic replacement with a can-opener attachment and increased ass-kicking functionality.

I’m supposed to go back to the doctor in three weeks to see how things are progressing. I hope changing my footwear solves the problem. If not, maybe I’ll just learn to walk on my hands.

Chocolate & Vicodin: My Quest for Relief from the Headache that Wouldn't Go Away"Smart, unflinchingly honest, and laugh-out-loud funny."– Lisa Genova, New York Times bestselling author of Still AliceComments are now closed on all PastaQueen entries. The blog is an archive only so I don't have to deal with spammers. For fresh discussions please visit my new blog JenFul.


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My 2012 in Photos

I meant to get this up yesterday but it just. didn’t. happen. I wasn’t having the best morning and had to intentionally turn the day around. The husband and I actually had New Year’s Eve plans!

We NEVER have New Year’s Eve Plans, not even in college! So it was a pretty big deal and another example how I’m consciously trying to make "travel" a priority.

Anyway, I finally finished it. Below is my 2012 in photos. It’s long but all visual. All photos are listed in order and link to their corresponding post.

neck brace

ZigNano Fly 2

pat on the back

ocean city half medals

tough mudder team shot

Rebel Race 2

Color Run

running for fun makes us happy!

Unprocessed Food Journal Day 1 - dinner 3

pv.body take 4

I hope you had a great New Year’s eve. I’ll be back later tonight with a quick post to kick off 2013!

Peek back in our history thru photos…


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