Healthy Food Haul!!!

I absolutely LOVE going grocery shopping & putting all sorts of healthy goodies in my cart. 99% of the time, I admit, I go with no plan at all! But at the end, it always ends up working! We buy are carbs in bulk (quinoa, rice, dried beans, wheat germ, bulgar wheat, etc), so that's why you will hardly ever see them in my grocery pictures! And don't get me started on meat. We are meat eaters, but use the term very loosely. We do tend to favor more a plant base protein source than animal protein, but we do eat meat. We spent approx $128 on this haul. It is just Casey (hubby wubby) & I. We do have a budget around $200 a month, but it isn't set in stone. Previously to this load, we had already spent $120 this month already. The Vitatops were too good of a deal to pass up & my chicken apple/maple sausage were also on sale....which explains the "difference" View list & prices below!!! In no particular order. Three grocery stores were used in the making of this grocery haul!!!

Publix

Late July Blue Corn Chips 2 x $5

Tradewinds Green Tea $2.99

Vitacakes Mini Chocolate (50 cals ea, 8/box) $4.49 ea BOGO Free (bought 4)

Vitapizza Supreme $3.99 ea BOGO FREE (bought 4)

4 bags of frozen vegetables $1 ea

Al Fresco Chicken Apple/Maple Sausage 2 x $5

Baby Spinach $3.99 ea BOGO Free (bought 2)

Chobani Greek yogurt (bought 6) $1 ea

Pitted Dates $3.99

Green plantains .20 ea (bought 3)

Kiwi 2 x $1.49

Bananas 2.55lbs for $1.28

Avocados 2 x $1

16 oz strawberries $3.99

4 sticks unsalted butter $3

Guacamole $5.49 ea BOGO Free (bought 2)

Whipped cream cheese $2.59

Target

Lindt chocolate brownie (a little naughty! lol) .99

Dark chocolate covered almonds $1

Fiber One Bars $2.99 

Monkey Bars $1.99

1/2 cup walnuts $2.29

Sobe (6) .88 ea

Morning Star $3.50

Morning Star $2.75 (had a coupon!)

Aldi

Couscous (first time!) $1.49

Bananas 2.05 lbs .68 (we decided we wanted more bananas! lol)

Pears $1.89

Black Grapes $2.69

Pineapple $2.19

Honey Crisp Apples .99

Spaghetti Squash $1.69

Arizona Green Tea (4) .79 ea

Blackberries $1.99

Grape tomatoes $1.69

Grapefruit (2) .65 ea

Baby Bella Mushrooms $1.29

Cucumbers (2) .45 ea

Asparagus $2.79

Almond Milk $2.49

Papaya $2.29

Strawberry Preserves $1.99

Trail Mix $1.99

Broccoli crowns $1.69

Mini Sweet Peppers $2.49

I am crazy about my haul & cannot wait to start creating with it! Eating healthy does not mean you have to break the bank!!!!

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Week Sept 29 Caloric Intake Log

There's this website that I just recently found (HERE!) that tells you how many calories you should eat, depending on your activity level. I followed in really for the first time this past week & lost 4 lbs. I have used Lose It for my calorie log, but because you have to keep track of what you eat (not just the calories) it kinda "weigh" me down a bit. At the end of the day, I just need a number, ya know? So I am starting to keep track of it. I will edit this blog on a daily basis til the end of the week (Oct 5) & then start a new one!!!

Caloric Intake for this week 1574 - 2059 - working out 1-3 times a week

September 29, 2013 - 1616 Calories 
*Hiked for 30 mins*

Lunch

Dinner

I did have oatmeal for breakfast & then I ended up making some sugar cookies to ship to my niece & nephew...and I HAD to make sure they were super yummy!!! lol 

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September 30, 2013 - 1708 calories

*Walked downtown for 15 minutes*

Dinner

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October 1, 2013 - 1722 calories

*Walked downtown for 15 mins & then around my neighborhood for another 15 mins*

No picture today :(

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October 2, 2013 - 1654 calories

*Walked downtown for 20 mins*

Complete blonde moment tonight!!! I thought I had grabbed my crushed red peppers for the mac & cheese & turned out to be cinnamon! I still ate it after blowing most of it off! But still! Lol

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October 3, 2013 - 1840 calories

*Walked downtown for 20 mins & then back at home for 15 mins*

Thanks for looking,

Nancy 

xo

Thrifted Plus Size Fashion - Part 2

Sorry for slacking! I do have to mention that I love my new job so much that I volunteer to do overtime! However, overtime the last 2 weeks have gotten to me, which has lead to my lack of updates. I know, I am so sorry! My weight loss journey has been struggling a bit as I feel the need to work 50 hrs a week! At first it was because I love my job (I do!), but Casey needed an almost rush, unexpected dental surgery (which is never cheap!)

However, below are a few of my newest put together's. I am having mixed feelings about the red argyle sweater vest. You'll see! Enjoy!!! Everything is thrifted unless stated other wise!!!

Same outfit, one with the belt & one without the belt! Sweater vest is from Haggar for $6!

Sorry for the selfies! Casey was away that week on a business trip! lol My first cowl top! I was apprehensive about it, but I LOVE it!

Top is a gift from my mother in law (but was also thrifted!)

This was actually one of my first horizontal stripes top & I LOVE it! I pair it with my black turtle neck.

Well, sadly the blazer isn't thrifted ($25) and neither is the camo green top. However, my mother in law had bought a couple of tops for me & they were too small so I exchanged them & bought my new favorite army green top with the pockets!

Again, blazer isn't thrifted & the grey top is a Haggar top I paid $6 for (I work at Haggar on a seasonal basis, so I still have my employee discount! lol)

Going army!!!!

I am starting to realize how much I LOVE my black blazer! lol. I admit, these slacks are now a tad big on me! lol

The necklace was a gift from my aunt. The sparkly top is also thrifted!

Dressing up a Haggar tshirt (LOVE the fabric) It did only cost me $3 with my discount! lol

This is the outfit that I am unsure of. I LOVE the argyle, some thought it needed a belt, others thought it was just too big I know I should have tried on a medium. The vest is from Haggar ($6). Sucks bc I thought 2 more that I may exchange for a medium.

Jewelry was a gift from my Secret Santa a few years ago

Another thrifted goodie!!!! LOVE!

The top is my newest thrifted item!

Yes, we went roller skating! I am still super rusty, but so grateful for this carpet!!! lol. 

Thank you for reading! I just wanted to prove that it is possible to find good, plus size thrifty items & make them work!!! Hope I've accomplished it & now for more weight loss!!!! lol

xo,

Nancy

Thrifted Plus Size Fashion - Part 1

I have always been overweight, ever since I could remember. In middle school & high school, I remember browsing the Delia's catalog & wishing I could fit on their trendy clothing. As I continued my weight loss journey, I started to be the person I had always wanted to be: outgoing, confident with some sort of my own fashion sense. Although to this date, I have lost over 100 lbs, I still have about 50 more to go, I have thrifted my way into a new wardrobe. Before my most recent move, I literally purged my closet of about 100 pieces that were now just waaaaay to big on me. Refusing to buy retail and loving the idea of thrifted, I turned to my local thrift stores for "help" Now that I am a size 18, I find myself in an odd place in my weight loss journey, since 18 is borderline (depending on the brand) of regular & plus size. It just means I can shop both plus size & regular racks at the thrift store! lol

This post is meant for inspiration & a way to discover who I am when it comes to fashion. Tips, comments & suggestions are always welcome! And feel free to follow my weight loss journey on my facebook page: Health - The Ultimate DIY!!!

Come on in & lets start the party!!! Oh, keep in mind, I do shop the clearance rack too! And I used to be a sales associate at Haggar's Clothing Store; although they sell men's clothing, I took more advantage of my 40% discount (YES, even the CLEARANCE!) than my husband did! I also noted that this is Part 1...I hope to put together others. This is meant to inspire other plus size chicas to find their fashion way or just want to explore other venues!

Enjoy!!!

Old Navy white top ($2), black vest ($4 clearance rack), black slacks ($4)

Black turtleneck ($3), black & white slacks (I did buy these from Marianne's yeeeears ago! Don't remember how much), necklace & earrings (FREE! They were a Christmas gift)

Dress ($3), Tights (somethings I just buy new! Sorry! lol), necklace ($3 on clearance!)

Sweater ($1.50) - was originally beige & I stained it when I washed it :( My first attempt at dyeing anything), slacks (same as on top)

One of my favorite outfits!!!!

Cardigan, tank & slacks are thrifted (totaling less than $5), shoes were a gift, fedora came from Haggar (just $6!) and necklace Casey bought for me when we first started dating!

Same slacks & Old navy white top as first picture, sweater vest from Haggar ($6!) and necklace was a gift!

Romper ($3) & fedora ($6 from Haggar!)

Fedora (Haggar $6), Top (Haggar $6), tie (gifted from my Dad!) & black slacks thrifted (I think RIGHT NOW, every pair of pants/jeans in my closet are thrifted! lol)

Except for this bottom! lol Skirt (soooo old! Clearance from Marianne's or Walmart?), Tank top (same, just as old), necklace (made by yours truly!)

Essentially same outfit as on top, only with a jacket (this I did pay Burlington's price for it $25)

First attempt at using the belt!

Rue 21 top ($1.69) & slacks (same price!), belt .99!

Jacket ($5 clearance rack), belt .99, slacks (same as on top), tank top (super old from Walmart, clearance Metro 7)

Slacks ($4), Top ($1.50) & jacket ($2.50)

There you have it!!! Hope you've enjoyed my mini fashion show! If you didn't know me before my transformation, my fashion was pretty much anything I could find in a size 26 & make it work. I am happy to be a size 18 now & even though I am not done yet, I am content with how much I have lost & how much I have gained in this process!!!

xo, 

Nancy

Coconut Treats!!!! Just 69 calories each!

As soon as I posted this picture of tonight's "naughty" treat, requests for the recipe were coming at me left & right! So I compelled to update the blog asap with this savory recipe. Nutritional information below is based off of one coconut treat & not taking the powdered sugar to top it off with into consideration. I will attempt to make this same treat next time with rolled oats & coconut oil & hope it can transform it into a "no bake" recipe! 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla

*You're going to need some extra powdered sugar to top off the treats with*

Makes 18

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients & form the dough into balls (this is super easy & not sticky icky at all!). Bake for 15-20 mins (Mine took 15). Once they are done, roll the balls around in the powdered sugar.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 69
Total fat 4.1g
Saturated fat 2.9g
Cholesterol 7mg
Sodium 19mg
Total carbs 7.2g
Dietary Fiber .6g
Sugars 1.5g
Protein .9g

Enjoy! 

xo,
Nancy

Homemade 100% Natural Ice Cream!

Just 150 calories for the entire recipe! Shared between 2 people & that's just 75 calories. No artificial ANYTHING & you don't even need one of those fancy shmancy ice cream makers that take freaking FOREVER! I should know, we had one growing up! lol

The almonds are extra! I had just a small handful left, so I decided to process them & use them as a topping on mine! Casey didn't want any :(

This "recipe" will make approximately 1 cup of ice cream...but I am not a follower of recipes, so just do with it what you want! This is how I did this particular one though:

6 strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1 banana
1/4 cup milk (optional...I used almond milk)

The step you do beforehand is freeze the fruit. I make my "ice cream bags" beforehand & just pull one out when I am in the need for ice cream. I keep them in individual ziplock baggies.

In a food processor, you're going to toss in your frozen fruit & just blend until it looks yummy & smooth. If you see it's too stiff, then add the milk to it (or I guess you can try water if you're really watching your calories). Insta ice cream in less than a minute!!!

Enjoy!

xo,
Nancy

Watermelon Salad

OMG! Who would have thought that watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese & kalamata olives would taste sooo good together!!! 

Ingredients:

6 cups watermelon (diced)
1 cucumber (diced, I sliced for this one & it was just too difficult to eat)
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
parsley

Mix it all together & enjoy! So glad I have some watermelon left over for another round of this salad!

xo,
Nancy

Veggie Souffle

And it didn't collapse! lol I am not sure how true the old wives' tale is, but I am still happy for that! lol. I will def be making veggie souffles more often, considering how super easy it was!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups egg whites

3 cups of veggies (I used carrots, broccoli, mushroom, onion & tomato)

1/2 cup 75% reduced fat cheese (I used Cabot's!!!)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbps Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Chop up the veggies & mix all the ingredients together (except for the parm cheese) & pour in a baking dish. Top off with the parm cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

I have no idea how many servings this could have made, but the ENTIRE RECIPE had just a tad over 400 calories & that's including the cheeses. If you eliminate all the cheeses, then it's just a bit over 300 (for the entire recipe!) I know, freaking awesome! It's like a veggie cake! lol

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Fufu Recipe - Ripe Plantains!

Yes, I know the name is funny, but this is actually quite good! I am a fan of mofongo, however I let my plantains go ripe before I got a chance to use them. After searching, this recipe is kinda like mofongo, but made with the ripe plantains. It's origins come from Ghana & you can read more about it on it's Wikipedia page.

Ingredients:

Onions (to taste)
Garlic (to taste)
Ripe/Yellow Plantains (I used 3, but figure out 1 per person)
1 oz of pork rinds per person (I use pork rinds bc it's a lot easier than bacon, but bacon or facon is perfectly acceptable!)

You are going to peel the plantains & put them to boil for about 10 mins. While that's going, saute the garlic & onions until they are fully cooked. In a pilon (mortar & pestle), smash the pork rinds. Once everything has been done, drain the water from the plantains & then mash them. Add the garlic, onions & pork rinds & you're done!!!

Each serving is just a little under 300 calories and has tons of Vitamin A, Vitamin C & Dietary Fiber!!!

Enjoy!

xo,
Nancy

No Bake Almond Clusters - Less than 100 calories each!!!

This one is just super easy to make!!! I decided to use a mini cupcake pan to make these. Just super convenient & easy. This recipe makes 12. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup hemp seed

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

2 tbsp coconut oil

In a food processor, combine first 3 ingredients & process until finely chopped. Put aside. You're then going to melt the chocolate (I do mine in the microwave at 15 sec intervals & stirring in between) Then line the cupcake pan with the liners & drop one tsp of the almond/cranberry mixture & press down. Then you're going to add some chocolate on top & then add another 1 tsp of the almond/cranberry mixture & push down some more. Do this until you're done & just put in the fridge for an hour or so!

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Cold Quinoa Salad

So, this was my first time EVER cooking with cumin...so I was excited to try this recipe out! I took a lot of steps in making this recipe because I used dried black beans that were soaked & then cooked before I even started the actual recipe. Doing this will eliminate any additional sodium when buying the canned black beans & of course...who wants their food sitting in an aluminum can that's lined with BPA! Sounds yummy to me! lol

Here are my black beans soaking! You can get these (and similar carbs) for super cheap if you buy them in bulk at Whole Foods or another health food store. 99% of the time organic!

And this is the finished product! The original recipe called for red peppers, but Casey & any type of peppers don't get along, so I substituted them with tomatoes. This is a cold salad, by the way!

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa (this is approx 1 1/2 cups of dried uncooked quinoa)

1 cucumber, diced

1/4 cup onion (I LOVE my sweet Vidalia onions!)

1 cup corn

1 cup cooked black beans

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cheyenne pepper

3 tbsp cilantro (I didn't have any at the time & substituted the cilantro with parsley)

And MIX!!!! lol

I never figured out how many cups it made, so it would be hard to give any sort of individual nutritional information. However it made a lot! Casey & I had about 2 cups ea & then I had enough for 3 smaller servings for leftovers. The entire recipe does have 3,063 calories (a tad over 1,000 coming from the quinoa), but the great news is is that it has NO bad points!!!

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy

Coconut Nola Bars - 122 calories each!!!

These came out fantastical!!!! And Casey asked me to make them again...so that's always a good sign that they were yummy! Real easy to make, although I think next time I'll just roll them into balls. 

This recipe made 12 squares & the info reflected below is based off of one square/serving. 

Ingredients:

15 dates

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup cashews

3/4 cup shredded *UNSWEETENED* coconut 

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp water

In a food processor, you're going to blend the almonds, cashews & coconut flakes first. Once that has been blended, you're going to add the dates, coconut oil & water & blend some more.

Once everything has been mixed, you're going to line a 8x4 loaf pan with parchment paper (although I used wax paper). Add the mix & spread evenly. I then cover the mixture with the paper that's hanging over & push down to get it nice & tight. Refrigerate for a little bit, then remove the mixture by the parchment paper & cutting into squares. I don't have a pizza slicer (you'd think I would though with the kitchen full of accessories that I have! lol) so the edges were kinda wonky, but still yummy!

Calories 122

Total fat 8.6g

Sat fat 4.1g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 2mg

Total Carbs 11.3g

Dietary Fiber 1.9g

Sugars 7.3g

Protein 2.1g

Good Points

No cholesterol

Very low in sodium

Bad Points

High in saturated fat

High in sugar

Enjoy!

xo,

Nancy