A-PEAR-antly...I Love Muffins

First off...some Halloween pictures!! My niece, Reese, was a princess. A very original idea, I know. But, seriously...super cute!



So I used to think Johnny Depp was the cutest pirate, but....

I think I was wrong.

And how cute are my nieces?!!!

So on with the show....I stayed with my niece and nephew last night since my sister and her hubs left for Arizona super early this morning. I decided to make Pear Muffins, at the the wonderful suggestion of Erica (*thanks, Erica!) and my sweet teeth was demanding it.

Ingredients

1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tablespoons baking soda

1/4 tspn. salt

1 diced pear

Mix together yogurt, oil, and egg, and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl, and slowly add in the yogurt mixture. Add in diced pear. Spray muffin tins with Pam (or use liners....we were out, and I was scurred to take these 2 to the grocery by myself at 8 a.m.!), and bake 12/-14 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

They were so soft and I had to have one fresh out of the oven. So yummy! The actual muffin tasted a little corn breadish (which I LOVE), and the pears were a great compliment.

The food critic: Reese can be a pretty picky eater. I didn't think she liked pears, but I was hoping she....um....wouldn't notice. ;-)

Unfortunately, when I got her bowl, she told me she "picked out all the apples. I like apples, Aunt Holly, but not in muffins." Um...okay. Good to know. :-) Oh, well...maybe next time I'll puree the pears?!

On the Road Again?

Hmmm....can you tell I'm a HUGE musical person with all of my post titles? :-)

I ran/walked yesterday for 3 miles - with no pain! YAY!! I am hoping this is not just a fluke, since this has happened before and the pain has come back. But for now, I'm just enjoying this moment! It felt so good to be back out there. Here's hoping it's just a sign of times to come!

I’m sorry, but….I AM lovin’ it.

I remember a time, not too long ago, when I gave up McDonald’s. I practically grew up on it as a kid, and I gave it up completely when my eating disorder first began. Fries? Eeeek! Hamburgers? Sick! And Ice Cream Sundaes? (oh, how I love you now…please forgive me.) – NO thank you!

Cut to several years later, when a newly graduated, poor Catholic school teacher needed a meal quickly. A CHEAP meal. A cheap HEALTHY meal. Impossible, you say? As I perused the internet looking at the nutritional facts for different fast food places, I saw that the McD’s hamburger was only 250 calories. And the yogurt parfait was only 130 calories. I was intrigued. The best part? Only two bucks for the whole meal!

Now, I know what they say about McDonald’s meat. But desperate times, people. :-) And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…I actually like their hamburgers! They are just the right size, and those ONIONS? Normally I hate onions, but those little, tiny onions are just right. And don’t EVEN get me started on the $1 yogurt parfait. I now get it every morning (*sliding down in my chair*) for breakfast, because it is cheaper than what I normally get at the grocery store for breakfast (Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese Doubles – love ‘em!).

I know. I’m a former McDonald’s hater, too. And I know my body after death will stay preserved by itself because of all the additives I’m consuming (okay...that myth was about Twinkies).

But it’s okay to have one guilty pleasure…right? (Well, I have more than one, but we won't go there right now).

Ever been...

called a piglet for eating 3 servings of pretzels in a row?

I have. :-)

Third Time’s the Charm?

Last week I paid a visit to my third doctor in the hopes that maybe he would be able to determine what’s wrong with me. What’s wrong with my HIP. Who knows what’s wrong with ME?! Ha! Anyway…I brought in my X-Rays from last fall and after examining the X-Rays and me, I got the old, “Hmmm…mmmm…weeeeeeell…” Not the exact words (or sounds) you want coming from your doctor’s mouth. :-)

Basically he said he didn’t know what my problem was, either. With my hip. If he had to GUESS, he guessed it might be Meralgia Parestetica. He explained that, because now the problem was mainly my outer thigh (a burning feeling), he thinks it could be due to a pinched nerve. He gave me some meds to try and I’ll go back in a month to follow-up.

Of course faster than you can say “Aunt Sally”, I came back to the office and Googled “Meralgia Parestetica.” (Shouldn’t “Google” officially be a verb in the dictionary? I know I use that word at LEAST ten times a day.) To my surprise (and amusement), here is what one website had to say about MP:

Restrictive clothing and weight gain are two common reasons for pressure on a nerve. Your physician may ask if you wear a heavy tool belt at work or if you consistently wear a tight corset or girdle. He or she may recommend a weight loss program.

It’s true, okay?! The pants have gotten a bit tight lately…but a girdle? Um…not so much. Anyway, I couldn’t help but laugh (quietly, since my office has the noise level of a library) as I pictured me in some tight leather pants with a tool belt, lacing up my corset.

I mean…really? Who knew our wardrobes could cause nerves to be pinched, eh?

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Halloween....

Sorry I have been a little sporadic on the posts here lately....I'm officially moved into my house, but in an effort to save money, don't have the internet there. :-( Well, I guess I would need a computer first, anyway, huh?

Even though the thought of seeing another box/Rubbermaid container makes me want to throw up a little in my mouth (I love over exaggerating), it has been SO NICE to finally organize all of my junk...er, stuff. I am finally getting organized! And with the combination of being busy and hanging out with my roommate at night, I haven't binged in TWO WEEKS! Thankfully, the pants that were getting tight a few weeks ago are now back to feeling normal. My goal is just to take off the weight I've put on in the past 6 months from not being able to workout and from binging, which is approximately 10 pounds. I really am trying to hold myself accountable and want to do this! Even if it means I have to step it up on the swimming. :-)

Anyway, I baked these mini-muffins last night and they were OH SO YUMMY! I just had to share. I love pumpkin. Anything and everything pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pudding...I mean, they could make pumpkin PAPER and I'd be all over that. So I had to share!

The Moving Diet

The Moving Diet = spend approximately 2-3 hours every night packing things and preparing to move. Upon arrival in new home, spend approximately 2-3 hours every night UNpacking things and preparing to function normally. Continue to eat healthy foods throughout the day and in the evening. Drink LOTS of water, as it is very important to hydrate during the move. *Take shots of tequila while participating in the aforementioned packing and unpacking. No time is allowed for binges (especially on cookie dough) because you will be busy every night packing and unpacking.

*Unfortunately I only just thought of this part right now and didn't actually do it...but that would seriously make it so much more fun. :-)