4th of July Cake Pops

This is my second attempt at cake pops and they turned out much better this time thanks to a few 'lessons learned' during my first attempt!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Cake Pops - go check out Cakerella and her book Cake Pops!  They are so cute for birthday parties and any gathering!  

Supplies you will need: box cake mix of any flavor, can of cake frosting, lollipop (or even better - cookie) sticks, two bags of chocolate candies to melt and any decorations you want to use (sprinkles, extra candies to melt and color for decorating, M&Ms - whatever you would like)

Bake a cake mix to the instructions on the back and cool almost completely. When it has cooled about 15-20 minutes, break the cake apart into thirds or quarters and start with one piece in a large bowl.  **Lesson #1 I learned - use a bowl that actually fits in the freezer!  

Using two forks - break apart the cake into crumbs.  (Think of the motion of the guys at Pat's or Geno's who cut the steak up combined with the motion of using chopsticks to add wasabi to soy sauce)

Continue adding cake pieces and crumbling with the forks until all cake is crumbled in the big bowl.  **Lesson #2: Add 1/2 to 3/4 of the cake frosting of your choice to the bowl and continue "forking" the crumbs until all frosting is combined and blended into the cake.  The first round I added the whole can and the texture of the cake pops was too gooey!  The mixture should be a sticky mess but not gooey.

**Lesson #3: Once you have the frosting and cake combined - FREEZE the mix in the bowl for at least 20 minutes!  This will make forming the balls much, much easier!  I skipped this step the first round and it was difficult to form the balls into nice shapes.

Freeze the cake balls (I love that term and will continue to use it as frequently and immaturely as possible!) for at least 6 hours.  I left them in the freezer overnight.  One box of cake mix makes about 30-40 CAKE BALLS hehehe

Later, or the next day, when  you are ready to decorate your cake balls make sure you have all of your supplies out and ready because the next process needs to be speedy!

I melted the chocolate candies in a double-boiler (aka a glass bowl over simmering water) 

To thin the candies down you can add Crisco as some other blogs mentioned but I didn't have any so I didn't do this step!  

Remove 5-10 cake balls from the freezer at a time to keep the rest frozen!  Dip the cookie/lollipop stick in a bit of chocolate and then stick it into the cake ball.  Continue with the rest and let them set before you dip the cake ball into the candy coating.  

Using the lollipop stick and a spoon, completely coat the cake pop and swirl it around to get an even coating.  

NOTE:  if you are going to stand your cake pops up in styrofoam you will want to put the stick in the flat part of the cake ball.  Otherwise, if you are going to use cupcake papers stick the stick (haha) into the top, rounded part of the cake ball so it will still sit on the flat part in the paper.  

Immediately after coating, sprinkle with decorations of your choice or stick M&Ms onto the cake pops.  The candy will dry fast so you won't have a chance later - DO IT NOW!  

Continue until all cake pops are done!

I love the presentation you can make with cake pops!  For this one I used a piece of styrofoam inside a popcorn container, covered with M&Ms and I added the American flags for extra effect!  

Regardless of the holiday or occasion, I encourage you to make a great display!  It just makes all the work to make these cake pops that much more worth while!  

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!!!!

Ready..........Set............Run

I am once again on a quest to "become a runner".   I have never, ever, EVER, in my life been a runner.  The farthest I ran in high school was the state-mandated mile run and do you know where I placed?  Second!   (to last)  For those of you who were fortunate enough to go to high school with me in Nowheresville, you may remember a Miss Crawford in our class?   She was last.  I was just steps in front of her!  I kid you not!  It was a pathetic display of my lack of athletic ability that I am not proud of! 

A few years ago I found the program Couch-to-5K and began following it on my treadmill at home.  Within a few weeks I was up to running 20 minutes at a time.  Not a small feat for someone who finished second to last!  For whatever reason, I don't remember, I never completed the nine week program.  I did run a 5K after starting though and finished with a time of just under 40 minutes.  I would have finished sooner but it was a work thing and I walked with some of the ladies.  The rest of the group finished in 48 minutes! 

Since November, I have been going to the local gym 3-4 times a week during my lunch hour.  My coworker Greg and I started going together before the holidays and it was great motivation to have a buddy to push me to go.  Some days it's harder than others.  Especially because our office likes to go eat sushi frequently for lunch and it's hard to turn down.  Forunately my work schedule is very flexible though so if I want I can leave at 4pm and hit the gym or go at lunch or when Coop was in school I'd go after work.  Now that he is in summer camp I try to go at lunch so he doesn't have to be there any longer than absolutely necessary.  They also have child care so Saturday mornings I usually go for an hour while Coop entertains the kids in the child care room.  (He's such a performer......but that's another post!)

When we first started going, Greg and I would just walk on the treadmill.  In his words he is "a bisquit away from 300lbs" even though I would guess a good 150lbs of that is muscle because he's a big muscle man!  So we would walk and I would do the incline/hill for all it was worth.  At the end of 30 minutes I would have burned 300 calories while Greg was burning 150-170 without the incline changes.  I was pretty happy with that calorie burn and the fact that it was low impact and minimal sweat-factor during lunch. 

A few weeks ago Greg stopped going to the gym at lunch for various reasons (injury, work lunches, etc) so I was going on my own.  Around the same time I had decided to start running again.  I think I actually started the C25K plan to some extent while he was still going with me.  But now that I was on my own so it was easier for me to dig my heels in and start running more. 

I'm proud to say that this next-to-last-place finisher is now busting out two miles a day at the gym with ease.  I'm still working toward the full 3.1 miles or 5K but I can certainly see myself finishing this time.  For someone who has never, ever, EVER run - this is a big accomplishment for me.  I'm determined and dedicated to running now for the first time.  It feels different this time if that makes any sense.  It feels as if this time it will stick with me and I'll continue on my journey to becoming a runner. 

My goal is to start with 5K's and be able to finish in a competitive time.  I have no desire (at this point) to aim any higher or farther than a 5K.  Ok, maybe five miles but that would be the max.  I'm not looking to run marathons or even half marathons.  My ultimate goal - in all honesty - is to be able to go to the gym at lunch or otherwise and be able to run for 35 minutes with ease!   Just to run. 

I'm reading a book called The Courage to Start and would recommend it to anyone who wants to start running.  His story and his demeanor throughout the book are encouraging. 

So come run with me and follow my steps as I post via iMapMyRun to Facebook. 

I love to bake, I love to bake, I LOVE TO BAKE!!!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE to bake?

I know this doesn't sounds like a "problem" for normal people but it is when you are trying to diet and you absolutely LOVE to bake and eat the food you bake!   So when I find a good "diet" recipe to bake, I am in heaven!

This recipe comes to you from Skinny Taste blog and it is delish!  I changed the recipe slightly to be Raspberry Squares instead of strawberry because I couldn't find strawberry pie filling that the recipe called for.  Why do they only make apple, cherry, light cherry, dark cherry and some more cherry pie filling?  I found some little jars of raspberry "dessert filling" that is really just jam I think but whatever, I was sold!

So tonight, I baked!  I have to say, this is one very yummy "diet" baked good!

It is especially fun when you are baking and it just looks pretty!!

I took the picture before I dusted with powdered sugar because I am not a very good duster and it sometimes covers up what I am trying to dust!  

The final product!  It was so good for only 134 calories.  I will be having quite a few of these over the next few days.  

What's funny about my baking habit is that I equally love to share my baked goods!  My colleagues have always been the lucky outlet for my baking habits.  Some of them thoroughly enjoy and appreciate it and some of them curse me for bringing in tasty treats that they cannot stay away from!   

Next up - cake pops for the 4th of July.  That will be my task for Wednesday and Thursday night!  

Mommy Night Out..........or not

Coop is at his friend Landon's for a sleepover tonight.  He left around 3pm and will be home tomorrow around 9am.  So I had the whole night to myself.  Did I go drinking?  No!  Did I go out dancing?  No!  Did I have a date?  No!  Am I pathetic - yes!

I have known about this night out for a few weeks now.  I didn't want to plan a night in the city because I was a little worried about being away from home if Coop wanted to come home or something happened.  Unfortunately, I don't really have any girlfriends here yet that I could go out with around home (other than Shannon who is the lucky keeper of the Coop tonight with her son Landon and family!)  So I decided to take some "me" time and get a pedicure, go shopping and catch a chick flick.  By myself :(

One of the hardest aspects of being a single mom is the irony of the fact that you are never alone but always lonely.  I miss having a social life and to be honest, having friends.  I miss being able to go out and meet new people without having to explain that I'm a mom and can't go out more than once a year!  I miss being "me".

Don't get me wrong, I love this new me.  I didn't know who I was until I became a mother!!  And I love being Cooper's mom!  He is my whole world.  Just sometimes, on nights like tonight, even that can be a little lonely.

So, on my one night a year (or two) that I don't have Coop I am sitting here by myself, feeling quite sorry for myself to be honest.  

Mommy of the Year Award!

The Mommy of the Year Award goes to…………….

Cooper has been testing my patience lately with throwing little tantrums over anything he doesn’t agree with like the fact that he has to have dinner, has to have milk with dinner, how much milk he has to drink (a kiddy cup full), the fact that he has to get ready for school/camp in the morning, etc.  For some reason it’s the everyday tasks that he is debating with me.  On Wednesday I sat him down and had a long talk with him about how “life’s not fair” and sometimes you have to do things you don’t necessarily want to do.  I felt like I was reiterating the very same words my Dad used to always tell us!   His go-to line was “Sorry, life’s not always fair” and it still is! 

After our little heart to heart I thought Coop’s attitude would improve – even if just for a day or two.  It didn’t last long!  In the morning we have a little schedule we follow every day for years now.  I get up and get ready, wake Cooper up and he has about 20 minutes to watch TV and really wake up before he has to come downstairs and have breakfast, get dressed, etc.  When I tell him breakfast is ready that is his cue to come down and get his little toosh moving!    When I tell you we have being completing this ritual for years, I mean YEARS.  Coop is a creature of habit and 9 out of 10 times will ask for waffles for breakfast.  So the fact that I asked him to come down for breakfast this morning is nothing new.  Or so I thought. 

After asking him to come down I hear him start to move and then stop.  He asked if he could just finish that show.  I replied “No,  it’s time for breakfast and to get ready for camp”.  Stomp Stomp Stomp down the stairs he comes sulking.  He then proceeds to tell me that he  doesn’t want to be here with me and he wants to be in Florida.  GASP!!!!  I asked him why he would say that and he just replied “I don’t want to be here”.   (Picture a big balloon deflating quickly – that is how I felt!)   I slowly explained to Cooper that it hurts my feelings when he says things like that and I know he doesn’t mean it.  He sits and sulks!  I ask him to apologize.  He says “sorry” quietly and under his breath.  Urgh – nothing frustrates me more.

Here is where my MOTY award comes into play.  Instead of just letting it go for what it was – a spur of the moment comment because he was upset that he couldn’t finish his TV show – I proceed to give Coop the silent treatment while we continue to get ready.  He apologizes again, more sincerely this time, and I say “I’m glad you’re sorry Cooper but that really hurt my feelings”.  We get out the house and get to camp in silence.  All the while I am a little hurt but more just standing my ground to try to drive home my point that he needs to be nicer to Mommy and not say hurtful things to anyone. 

Well after I say goodbye to him quickly and he goes into camp I was standing there talking to the director.  Coop comes back out and he looks like he is about to burst into tears.  He says “Mommy,  I REALLY am sorry!”   I was still talking to the director so at the time I just said “ok” and then when I was done talking I told him I’m not mad at him and that it’s okay.  He still looks like he is going to cry so I give him a little more attention on his level and a big hug and say goodbye.  As I’m walking out the door I turn back to see him trying his hardest not to cry and really feeling bad!   It absolutely broke my heart.  I could have burst into tears right there on the front patio of the summer camp! 

I have a very bad habit of playing the ‘guilt card’ with Cooper and I recognize when I’m doing it and yet I still cannot get myself to stop!   Why do I do that?   Moms out there – do you do this with your kids?   Is it just an act of desperate parenting gone wrong?    

I feel so bad for him now.  I don’t want him thinking that he is a “bad kid” because I go overboard with the guilt trips!  When I got to work I thought seriously about calling there so I could talk to him and tell him again that it’s okay and that I’M sorry!   So my guilt trip turned around on me!   Damn karma!    

To Detox or Not to Detox.......

That is the question!

I have been an occasional believer/follower of the Eat Clean diet plan and cookbooks.  This week, while attempting to eat "clean" I started to again follow Tosca Reno and her Eat Clean plans.  Ironically, I get her blog posts and updates in my emails whether or not I am following her so when I decided to, again, follow her - there they were!  MAGIC!

Yesterday Tosca posted about a Detox Defined so I browsed on over to read about this new discovery.  While I don't always agree with her blogs and posts, for the most part the overall theory of eating clean and filtering what goes into your body seems logical to me.  I can attest to feeling better when I am eating "clean" foods and since the Eat Clean Diet doesn't "count" anything (i.e. calories or points) it is a nice break from my usual strict diets.  So I read on with skepticism because this did not seem to follow Tosca's usual tyrants.

The detox she described is simple - two days of liquids only (water, green teas, veggie juices, bone broth?, etc) and then days 3-7 you add 1 cup of brown rice and vegetables and fruits back into your diet for 6 meals per day.  Only one cup of brown rice?  Why even bother?  I don't know the answer to those questions.....I'm really asking you!

I've pondered the idea of detoxing again for the past 24 hours.  Again, I read the "rules" of this detox.  Sounds easy enough in the sense that the food is accessible,  you don't have to purchase $200 worth of "special food" and it's only 7 days.  The idea of only drinking liquids for two days doesn't scare me anymore since I just recently did a 2 1/2 day juice fast.  I'll post more on that at a later date but the Cliff Notes version is the juice fast produced great results and I was energized while fasting!  Not dizzy or starving either.

My motivation for this fast is simple: in 7 days my entire family will gather at my sisters for a weekend of food, fun, food, family, food, fireworks and more food!  We like to cook, bake, grill, make, take, bring, and DEVOUR food in my family.  Example: breakfast will be served straight from the camp fire grill in a heart-stopping combination of bacon, eggs fried in the bacon grease, toast and homemade jelly.  There might be some venison sausage thrown in there too.  And probably any leftover meat from grilling the night before.  In addition to that round of fat consumption - my Aunt is the most amazing baker in the world and will undoubtedly bring a slew of cookies to the weekend picnic!  They are IRRESISTIBLE!  I'm talking, I would chew my own arm off and Cooper's to get to her cookies!  I'm salivating now - look what you've done!

So my thought process was "detox now, there'll be no way detox later".  Or do I detox after the food festival?  Good question!

In all honesty, I am very proud of myself this week.  Despite the daily indulgence on a small York Peppermint Patty and a very accidental trip to sushi Wednesday for work (I had a tuna roll and a veggie roll - not bad) I have been very good at eating "clean".  Wait, I lie!  I was so tired this morning that I stopped at Dunkin for my Vanilla Chai.  That concoction cannot possibly be "clean"!  It's all sugar.  White, refined, bad for me sugar.  Oops.

But back to my thought process - I'm proud of myself.  I ran two miles today at a consistent pace.  I've been working out daily since Sunday!   I have done an ab routine three nights of the four this week.  And I'm eating {almost}clean.  Any ONE of those points would be an accomplishment for me on a normal week.

My dilemma is now - continue what is working or detox pre-party weekend?  I could easily start the detox tomorrow and continue until I go to my sister's next Friday afternoon.  Or, I could stick with my slow but steady wins the race plan of eating clean!  Decisions, decisions.

I may sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.  Right now I'm 70/30 for eating clean vs detox.  Maybe 60/40.  But it would save on groceries this week if all I ate was veggies and brown rice!  hmmm......

{to be continued}

Summer Camp Blues

Cooper started summer camp yesterday at a local preschool/dance school.  They offer a summer camp program for kids in K-6th grade and it's close to home and the office so I checked into it.  For some reason, I was ignorant to the fact that summer camp costs an absolute fortune!  Coop has always been in pre-school or day care type facilities that run  year round and therefore the costs during the summer always dropped!  When I first started looking around here I was shocked at how expensive some of the camps were.  One was $400/week plus lunch and snacks, plus activity fees of $350 and craft fees!  Who can afford over $1200/month in summer camp?  Don't answer - I know who can afford it and it's not me! 

This camp seemed to be pretty basic but they do offer water activities and a few extras for the kids.  Most importantly, it was affordable in the relation to the other options in this area.  I took Cooper for a tour there before we ever paid the registration fee and he was really looking forward to the start of "camp".  They allow the kids to play their DS or DSI early in the morning and after 5pm so I bribed Cooper with good behavior during his last two weeks of school in order to justify the purchase of an expensive gift that wasn't for Christmas or his birthday. 

I dropped him off yesterday and found the kids who were already there to be between the ages of 8-12.  They were all sitting in what I will refer to as a "waiting room" complete with bare walls and very uncomfortable looking chairs!  But they were all chatting and playing their DS' and seemed to be content with their isolated stay.  The director informed me once they get 10 or more kids they move back into the rooms.  Okay, I thought, no big deal! 

When I picked him up yesterday at 5:15 he had metamorphosed into the Grumpy dwarf!  He said they did "baby stuff" all day and didn't do any water activities or karate like I had mentioned.  I explained that it was the first day and I'm sure it would get better but he was determined to be in a bad mood.  We sat through dinner barely talking because he was such a grump.  He may have just been hungry though because after dinner his mood turned around.  I really feel bad if he doesn't like it and won't have a fun summer.  And this morning he mentioned they had to take off their shoes and lie down to watch the movie.  To me, that is very immature for a group of 5-13 year old's.  But I can understand a need for time to "chill" for both the campers and counselors! 

Hopefully today will be a better day.  I really don't have another option for him so if it doesn't improve I'm afraid my little man is going to have a very long summer.  Luckily he will be on vacation two weeks of the summer so he will only be there a total of 30 days or so.  All in all, I'd rather be at summer camp than sitting at work! 

Au Natural

It's that time of year again to get myself in bathing-suit-ready shape.  Unfortunately, I haven't been in true "bikini-ready" shape for many years!  Each spring comes along and brings the challenge of a new diet, new exercise plan and new motto of being "healthy".  This Spring was no different.  We were actually competing in a weight loss competition at work and I came in 2nd at the finale before Memorial Day.

I have chronicled my weight loss journey on another blog - haphazardly I might add.  It has helped but it has never quite worked.  Who knows if this time will be different!  I don't pretend to think I've found the secret to what will make me skinny or healthy or athletic.  But again, I try.  So this is my game plan:

Start date:
June 20, 2011

Start weight: (gasp!)
138.0

Mini Goal weight:
130.0
Mini Goal target date:
July 23rd (start of our week at the shore)

THE PLAN: Eat clean - little to no processed foods.  All natural foods.  If it doesn't come from the ground or have a mother I'm not eating it.

Exercise goal:
Run a 5K with ease

Exercise goal timeline:
July 23rd (I want to be able to run with my sister on the boardwalk)

Exercise plan:
Run three times per week building up to 3 miles
Strength train three times per week
Abs five times per week

LONG TERM GOAL WEIGHT: 125lbs!

I know I cannot eat clean 100% of the time or even 100% of the day.  After all, chocolate doesn't come from the ground or have a mother does it?  But my goal is to spend 95% of my caloric intake on healthy, clean food choices!  That leaves little room for cheating but just enough for a "treat" each day.

Today was Day 1:
B - Steel oats w/ strawberry rhubarb
S - Almonds (4)
L - Sweet potato w/ apples and walnuts (leftovers from the grill last night)
S - Mini York peppermint patty and almonds (4)
D - Egg white omelet and venison sausage
S - Frozen blueberries

Exercise - Ran 20 minutes, walked 15.

**I track my calories and calorie burn at this website.  "Friend" me on Livestrong and you can follow my daily diet, exercise and even weight entries!

Now, I know what you're thinking!  Why would she be honest with her blog audience?  Doesn't everyone lie about their weight?  I figure if I am honest with myself, it won't matter who else knows.  It's when I start fooling myself that I lose myself.  So, yes, it is embarrassing to publish my weight and my struggles.  I hope it will help me to achieve my goal.  And I also hope it will help you to get to know me.  Good, bad and cellulite!