Movin' on Up

Don't forget to update your Google Readers/Blog Rolls with my new address!

http://thebalancebroad.wordpress.com/

"See" you there!

Break on Through to the Other Side

I've switched! I'm finally on Wordpress now. It was so ridiculously easy, too! Here is my new site:

http://thebalancebroad.wordpress.com/

Hope to "see" you all over there! I've still got some cleaning to do, but I just couldn't wait. Blogger = headache for me lately.

Chilly Chili Monday

*Answer's to Friday's Three Things:

I do not have a birth mark. Good job, Emily and Erica! ;-)

The job thing is true. Long and complicated, which one day I'm sure I'll get into, but it's true. Just another reason to never, ever burn bridges, people!

And....the night light. Okay - let me explain. First of all, I get up to pee (sorry, TMI) at least once a night. I'm a water machine during the day - it catches up to me at about, oh, 2 a.m. Add this to being a clutz, and a night light is strictly a preventative measure.

But also I blame it all on the movie "The Descent." SCARIEST movie I've ever, ever seen! I have never had a movie give me nightmares like this one. And I like scary movies! So basically, if you're a scary movie lover - GO see this.

So last week I made some of this vegetarian slow cooker chili. I mean, with "Grandma's" in the title, it had to be good. Right?

Oh. My. Goodness. Best chili ever!

Per some of the recommendations in the reviews, I subbed chili powder and ground cumin (still giggle when I say that in my head) for the Italian spices. HOLY HELL this was good! Plus, it made enough to feed me all week.

I LOVE slow cooker recipes. Or crockpot recipes. Whatever! What's your fave slow cooker recipe??

Now about my midterm....I studied my heart out all last week and was hoping to get at least a B. After almost 20 hours of studying last week + TONS of caffeine + ephedrine (runny nose but it serves another purpose!), I finally just went to do the damn thang on Saturday morning. And....I got an 89%! One point from an A! I cannot tell you how relieved I am. I celebrated with some ice cream last night. :-) I can't/don't keep it in my house, but a trip out to get some was warranted!

Thanks to all of your wishes about my test - ya'll are the best! Hope you have a great Monday. :-)

Blogging, Books and Balls

Happy Friday!!!

I've been hittin' the books hard! I have my mid-term tomorrow -eeeek. It's worth 20% of our grade, so I'm really nervous about it. If I want to get into the nursing program, I have to get an A in this class. And the next level Anatomy class that I'll take next semester. It's just a little nerve wracking. But, what's meant to be will be! I feel like I'm to the point where I've soaked up all of the information my brain can hold, ya know?

Earlier this week I was feelin' frisky and wanted some balls (TWSS), and I remembered seeing Caitlin's Flax-Encrusted Sweet Potato Balls awhile back.

Yum, yum!!!

These were so good...I liked the crunch the Flax added. I had them with mustard and a little Non-Fat TJ's Greek Yogurt - LOVE it with the yogurt! I will most definitely make these babies again.

Now, onto our little Friday game!


Three Things About Myself - which one is false?


- I have a birth mark in a place covered by my bathing suit.

- I quit my current job and asked for it back two weeks after.

- I sleep with a night light.

Wish me luck on my test!!

Lentils: A Second Chance

Dear Lentil Bean,

I had you before and my experience was not so pleasant. Okay, I lie. You tasted like ass.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I might be giving up on you too soon. Maybe I caught you on a bad day, maybe you didn't mix well with the other flavahs and spices....so I wanted to give you another chance.

I found a pretty tasty recipe for Sloppy Joes - who doesn't like those? When I mixed you all up and had another bite, I realized perhaps I judged you too quickly the first time. You're not so bad, after all.

You're not as amazing as your brothers, Garbanzo, Black, and Kidney - but you're not bad. Perhaps we'll meet again.

Please forgive me,

Holly

What is your favorite legume/bean? Mine is black, by a landslide. But I'm a bean lover pretty much all around.

Oh! And any Bachelor watchers out there? Jake is the next Bachelor. WTH?!! He's sweet and all, but something about him totally bugs. I was rooting for Kiptyn. :-(

Check out Missy's Halls Refresh and Silk Milk Giveaway!

And They Called it Pumpkin Love

Happy Monday!

This week is a 3-day work week for me - wahoooo!! No exciting trips for me - it'll be a "StayStudyCation." I have a big mid-term on Friday and had some vacay days to use up, so Thursday and Friday I'm hittin' the books big time.

*Answer to Friday's Three Questions? I did not trip down the aisle and fall at my sister's wedding. Isn't that every girl's worst fear?

Yes, my cousin dropped a weight on my head when I was 4. I had stitches and still have the scar to prove it!

And, yes, I did run up to Jermaine O'Neal one night outside of a bar in Indianapolis (this is when he played for the Pacers - pre-brawl). I asked if he would sign an autograph for me (hey, I didn't have any paper!) and when he asked where my pen was, I shrugged my shoulders and walked/skipped away! You can guess how many alcoholic drinks were involved in this scenario.

Moving on.

Thanks to Stephanie's recommendation, I picked up this stuff at TJ's this week - oh my, oh my!

I decided to play matchmaker with my very first Honeycrisp apple (which, BTW, blew my mind! Totally worth the extra $$).

They hit it off right away - instant chemistry. Rumor has it, there is already a second date in the works.

I got a hankering for something else pumpkin this weekend...and guess what I found!

Not even the pumpkin pie mix!

Did you know there is a shortage of canned pumpkin this year? Stock up, kids - this could jeopardize our Thanksgiving Dinners.

So what am I going to make with this pumpkin, you ask?

Why, muffins of course!

I wanted to get around to it, but alas, couch shopping, studying and mowing the lawn took precedent.

I did, however, get to enjoy a YUMMY pumpkin cupcake, given to me by my sister. It's a Weight Watcher recipe that I HAVE to get - this thing was phenomenal! I believe she used crushed pineapple, so it was UNbelievably moist.

I also got my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte to celebrate my studies and, well, the weekend.

And I ended my weekend by watching my favorite Pumpkin do his thang.

Question: Has anyone made the switch from blogger to Wordpress? Blogger has just caused me a lot of issues lately, so I started a Wordpress blog but am not sure about how to transfer it over. It is possible to transfer over all postings, right?

Check out Inside I am Dancing's CHOBANI Giveaway!

Favorite Part and Three Things Game

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on my post about my former (?) cardio addiction. It seems like this is a lot more common than I thought, and it's good to hear that most of you have found that balance. For me, I'm working on it...but I think I'm onto something here! The first step in solving a problem is admitting the problem, right?

Meghann had a fun post the other day about her favorite body part - her back. I think it is so easy to focus on the negatives regarding our own bodies; I don't have (a butt, boobs, hips), I am too big around my (thighs, waist, arms), I wish I were (a little bit taller, which I was a baller, wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her - love that song). But you get the idea.

I will start. My new favorite body part is my arms. Before this year, they were skinny but undefined. Just....there. Now, I'm getting some guns, kids!

They are there. I promise. Look closely.

Okay, your turn.

What's your favorite body part?!

Moving on....

So I always look forward to certain things on people's blogs....Iowa Girl's Three Question Thursday, Tina's questions at the end of her posts, and a lot more but my brain is too tired right now. ;-)

I thought I'd start something fun every Friday. I'll call it....The Three Things Game (original). Anyway, I've played this before and it's actually fun....but my life has been pretty uneventful so it might require lots of brainstorming on my part. We can stop if it's lame, but I love these things! You learn lots of scandelous interesting things about people, too.

You list 3 things - 2 of which are true about yourself, and one of which is not. Then someone guesses which are true and which is false.

So, 3 things about me:

- I slipped and fell as a bridesmaid walking down the aisle in my sister's wedding.

- My cousin dropped a 10 pound weight on my head when I was 4.

- I asked Jermaine O'Neal to sign his name on my cleavage, then ran away when I realized I didn't have a pen.

What do you think? Do you think I'm a clutz, an abused child, or a dumb blonde? (all three answers not optional). I'll answer in the next post!

Running Hiatus

Heather had an interesting post the other day about maintaining her weight loss/health without a massive amount of cardio.

As you can read in Heather's story, she's a former running addict who has replaced her running shoes with a yoga mat. She also takes several walks a week. Amazingly, Heather said her body has taken on a whole new level since not running (in a good way!).

I've been brainwashed to think that running = burning calories = staying thin. I would run to eat more, and I didn't think I deserved treats unless I was running at least 7 or 8 miles that day. If I was running less than 7 miles, I would also do the elliptical for 30 minutes. Needless to say, this created a very unhealthy mindset when it came to running.

I think before, when I hurt my hip and gained 15 pounds, I got depressed from not running and ate too much cookie dough. Folks, if you eat cookie dough 3-4 times a week, you are going to gain weight regardless of your activity level! ;-)

Since my knee injury, I really haven't done hardly any cardio at all. I'll walk, do the elliptical, or swim occasionally, but mainly I've been consistent with lifting (3 x's a week) and ab work (3 x's a week). And you know what? I have not gained one pound! This is simply amazing to me. I want to go back and tell my 24 year old self that I don't have to run 35 miles a week to stay thin and healthy. (*Runners, plllllease don't think I'm knocking running 35 miles a week! I just think my way of thinking about running was unhealthy).

Of course, I have always and will always love running. But what I love NOW is the feeling that I don't have to do it to look this way. And I really hope to get back to running soon! I just think when I do, hopefully I'll be able to maintain this way of thinking.

Have you ever taken something "healthy" - an activity, food/drink, hobby - and abused it so that it was unhealthy for you?



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And Jamie's Nut Butter Giveaway!

Weekend Recap

Happy (?) Monday!

Whew, what a great weekend! We FINALLY had a perfect fall day yesterday - sunny and about 65. I went to the Colts game with my pops and they had the roof open - wahoo!!

My dad at the "press box" after the game. Needless to say, I drove home.

Of course, the game was complete when we SMASHED the Seahawks!

Backing up to Friday, I had my adorable niece and nephew over for a sleepover. Because no sleepover is complete without baking, I decided to give these brownies a whirl, recommended by Kristin.

I loved this recipe because I had everything on hand to make it! And I never knew you could substitute cocoa powder (+ oil) for dark chocolate squares?!! (*Don't mind the holes. I was showing my niece the toothpick test and, um, we kinda poked away).

These rocked my face off. And Reese's, too.

She was happy. I swear. I know she looks scared.

Little Ryan had his gluten free cupcakes to keep him happy (poor guy is allergic to gluten, dairy, oranges, potatoes, and tree nuts. My heart just aches that he will never know the wonder of almond butter). :-( But he's a happy little guy and was more than excited to get his cuppy cakes.

Do you have anyone close to you with food allergies? Gluten is becoming a common one, so thankfully there are lots of gluten-free products out there now. I actually love this recipe for Monkey Munch, which Ryan can have! Too bad he didn't like it. LOL.

Check out Run to Finish's Arm Sleeve Giveaway!

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

Hey, bloggies!

Sorry I've been MIA. It's been a craaaazy week!


My (new) roommate tore her ACL and partially ruptured her patellar tendon playing soccer last Thursday night. :-( Her mom came from St. Louis and has been cooking, cleaning, and spoiling us taking care of usher all week. She is seriously one of the nicest people ever...she mowed my lawn, cleaned my windows, swept the floors....I could get used to this life, people.

I DID finally get a chance to make a new recipe last night. I saw this recipe on Erica's blog for Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup. Um...I love both. So I had to try!


(*Side note - anytime I type "pumpkin" - which is often lately - I type "pumpking"....because obviously my fingers don't like words that just end in "in" and not "ing." Anyone else do this? Moving on.)

Well, in my absent-mindedness, I grabbed this instead of canned pumpkin:

Whoops!

Who knew they sold pumpkin pie mix in a can, anyway?

It was sweeter than it probably should've been, but who am I to waste food? And seriously, this was one of the best soups I've ever had...and I've had a lot! Kind of tasted like dessert for dinner. But with black beans and diced tomatoes. I'm interested to see how it tastes with just the regular ole' pumpkin.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup with a side of the Integumentary System

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I'm having my niece and nephew to spend the night tonight...then going to my first Colts game of the season!! I'm praying for good weather on Sunday so the roof will be open. Ahhh - I love my boys in blue! (or white....well, whatever).

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- Run to the Finish's Nutrition/Energy Bar Giveaway!

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