Homemade wassail....

As requested, here is my homemade wassail recipe. It is simple and easy but SOOO good....

One of my greatest memories growing up was the smell of wassail on the stove around this time of year. There are so many variations of this recipe, but this is my favorite. Try it and see how wonderful your house will smell as the spices are mulling on the stove or slow cooker!

Easy homemade wassail - (This is how I make it but you can change the amounts if you want)
2 quarts of old fashioned apple cider
2 quarts of pineapple orange juice
4-5 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon, apple pie spice(or you can use nutmeg with allspice) and whole cloves.
1 tsp of splenda or sweetener or your choice
1 to 2 tbsp of lemon juice(you can add more if you want)

I place mine on the stove on low or in a slow cooker and let it cook for several hours. You can add more cinnamon than I use or more nutmeg. Whatever you find is best for your taste. I usually taste as I go and as the hours pass,add more apple pie spice or cloves until you have the exact taste that you like.

Every year as we are decorating for fall and for Christmas we make this! Hope you enjoy it as well!! I am going to post another cider recipe next week that is made with tea and red hots!! Southern Spiced Cider, another good one!

Workout results 10/21

Very light day today, my head was bothering me so I did not push it. I still managed to eat well and get in a good 2 mile walk. On days like this it is important to find what you did right. I am proud that despite my head hurting I got out there and walked anyways and all day I was very careful with my calories. I did well but I am hoping that tomorrow is better!

Daily goals -
1. Drink 1 gallon of water - DONE!
2. Complete scheduled workout - did not do - needed to walk 3
3. Log foods and stay on track with calories - DONE!

Totals for the day - 2.13 mile easy walk
Time - 35 mins
Calories burned - 210
Calories consumed - 1,771

Workout results 10/20

I had a fantastic day. My workout was great, and to stay on track I pre-logged all my foods for the day.

Daily goals -
1. Drink 1 gallon of water - DONE!
2. Complete scheduled workout - DONE!
3. Log foods and stay on track with calories - DONE!

Totals for the day -
Time - 77 mins
Calories burned - 562
Calories consumed - 2,019

Workout - 3 mile run/walk - 47.17 mins along with a .25 mile cool down. Followed by ST upper and lower body -
Firehydrants - 2 sets of 30 reps
Pizza press - 2 sets of 30 reps
Front raise with squat - 2 sets of 10 reps with 5 lb DBs
Lateral raise - 2 sets of 10 reps with 5 lb DBs
Squats - 2 sets of 10 reps
Bicep curls - 2 sets of 20 reps with 18.5 lb DBs
Laying down Tricep extensions - 2 sets of 10 reps with 18.5 lb DBs
One arm bent over row - 2 sets of 10 reps with 18.5 lb DBs
Bicep curls with squat - 2 sets of 30 reps with 5 lb DBs
Shoulder press with squat - 2 sets of 10 reps with 5 lb DBs
Incline close grip pushup - 10 reps
Incline pushup - 10 reps
Standard military pushups - 10 reps

Schedule for the week...

I had the most amazing weekend! The weather was perfect and I was able to spent a great deal of time with my husband getting the house ready for the season while baking pumpkin bread, drinking my homemade wassail and enjoying the cold weather.

I am doing very well staying on track and I want this week to be no exception. Here is the schedule for my workouts this week along with what I want to accomplish and be held accountable for......

Goals for this week -
1. Walk - 24 miles
2. Drink 1 gallon of water each day
3. Stay on track with calories and log foods

Monday - 3 mile walk
Tuesday - 3 mile walk and ST
Wednesday - 3 mile walk
Thursday - 3 mile walk and ST
Friday - 3 mile walk
Saturday - 6 mile walk
Sunday - 3 mile walk

Pumpkin bread...

Here is the recipe I found for pumpkin bread. I have not made this yet but it sure sounds good!! I am changing the recipe somewhat and adding walnuts and raisins.....

From Good Housekeeping November issue
Healthy makeover pumpkin bread

1 cup of light brown sugar ( I use splenda brown sugar)
2 lg egg whites
1 cup of pure pumpkin
1/4 cup of canola oil ( I replace this with applesauce and 2 tbsp of light olive oil)
1/3 cup of low fat plain yogurt
1 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of whole wheat flour ( I use 1 3/4 cups of all whole wheat flour, no white)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg ( I use a small amount of apple pie spice as well)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
I am also adding 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup of raisins.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 45 - 50 mins in a sprayed 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 metal loaf pan. Cool for 10 mins.

My house will smell so nice this evening with the bread in the oven, the seasonal candles lit and the homemade wassel on the stove! Can you tell I love this time of year? :)

Have a blessed and beautiful weekend!

Fitness and pregnancy update...

I am doing well this week. Am I on track in terms the workouts that I wanted to accomplish, well no, but I am staying consistent with working out each day but my workouts are not what I had planned.

I feel fantastic and my energy levels are high, I actually ran at a 10:30 pace this morning for a brief glorious minute. Then I slowed down to a 12 min mile with alternating walking at around a 17 - 18 minute mile. It felt great but I kept it short, only 21 minutes as the humidity was high here and I do not want to overheat. My second run/walk will be tonight for another 20 - 30 mins. Because the cold front is coming through tomorrow, I am changing my plan for this weekend as we want to be outside as much as possible.

Friday - Walk/run 3 miles
Saturday - Walk/run 6 miles
Sunday - Walk/run 3 miles

In terms of my nutrition, all is well. This morning I had a piece of Ezekiel bread with PB and organic skim milk along with fresh strawberries over Greek yogurt and wheat germ. For lunch today I am having a salad with canned chicken and cottage cheese along with a protein shake mid afternoon. Dinner tonight will be pinto beans with stone ground cornbread. I am looking forward this weekend to grilling and enjoying some seasonal foods such as pumpkin bread! I found a fantastic low calorie recipe that I am going to try out!

I am heading out today to run some more errands to prepare for this fantastic cold weekend we will be having. It sure puts me in the holiday spirit!! I bought my first Christmas decorations for the house the other day, I am crazy I know! But the stores are filled with the colors and sounds of the season and I cannot resist! I just love this time of year!

Well, that is all for now. Just know that I am totally in awe of everyone's support! Your emails and comments make my day and I appreciate all of them so very much!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I will report back on how I did this weekend both food wise as well as my workouts. I am so happy that I am staying accountable during my pregnancy as I think it will help me stay on track.

Workout results 10/6

Daily goals -
1. Log foods - done!
2. Complete workout - done!
3. Drink 120 oz of water - done!

Totals for the day -
Time - 65 mins
Calories burned - 249
Calories consumed - 1,884

Walking - 30 mins
Prenatal Yoga - 20 mins
ST - 15 mins -
Squats - 2 sets of 15 reps
Push ups - 20 reps total
Incline - 10 reps
Standard military (not on knees) - 10 reps
Bicep curls - 2 sets of 20 reps with 18.5 lb Dbs
Laying down Tricep extensions - 2 sets of 20 reps with one 18.5 lb Db
One arm DB rows - 2 sets of 20 reps with one 18.5 lb Db

Workout schedule for the week..

Workouts for this week -
Tuesday - ST,Yoga and 30 min walk
Wednesday - Yoga and 60 min walk
Thursday - ST,Cathe Butts and Guts dvd (modified), Yoga and 60 min walk
Friday - Yoga and 60 min walk
Saturday - 90 min walk
Sunday - Rest

Goals for this week -
1. Log all foods ( I use a site called myfooddiary.com as they have a pregnancy calculator to see how much I am l eating so that I eat just the right amount for me and the baby).
2. Drink 120 oz of water a day
3. Complete scheduled workouts

Pregnancy Update...

I wanted to give everyone an update on my pregnancy and how I am doing but before I do I want to thank all of you SO much for the outpouring of support through comments, emails and prayers given for my family and I. I cannot tell you what your words of encouragement have meant to both my husband and I. Thank you all for taking the time to bless us in this special way.

I am doing very well. This last month was by far the hardest so far. For those who may not know my husband and I traveled to Singapore and Japan for a few weeks. Before leaving I started to run a low grade fever and I had congestion along with coughing, the short of it, I was very sick. After arriving in Singapore I went to a doctor and was placed on an antibiotic after my test for the flu came back negative. The antibiotic worked but when were heading to the US after our vacation in Japan, the flights, jetlag and extensive travel we were doing got the best of me and by the end of the trip. I was in bed for the majority of the time. I was starting to feel really bad again even after the meds, so I had to go to another doctor here in the US and I was placed on another antibiotic. After all of this I started having your typical morning sickness which made me feel even worse. The good news is that after all of this I am doing well and feeling like my old self again! My workouts have been VERY light, mostly walking and I have started doing yoga as well as my weight training.

We had our checkup with the doctor the other day and the baby is strong and healthy, not to mention VERY active!! I think we may have a little runner or triathlete on our hands! As we were getting our ultrasound the baby was kicking like crazy and was moving so much that the doctor could not get a heart rate reading. After awhile, he/she stayed still for a bit and we were able to get a reading of 160 bpm which is perfect for where I am in my pregnancy! We will find out the sex of the baby in 5 weeks!!! We have been so excited shopping for cribs, strollers and everything baby we can find! Despite the rough time I had last month, it has been an amazing experience for my husband and I.

I will start logging my workouts this month, as last month there were not many to report. I have been eating well and have switched to all organic, which I feel good about. I am hoping for a great week and I hope that I can start swimming again once my ear clears up from last months infection. We have made a difficult decision but one we feel is best. I was set to fly to Denver to see my family and participate in the Denver half marathon along with members of my family. I am not running the race now and because I was so sick last month we have canceled the trip all together as it is flu seasons and I do not want to get on another plane and risk getting sick again. I need to be healthy and strong to get myself back on track and that needs to be priority number one.

I hope to report a strong week in my next blog! I am off to drink my super food green juice and start my yoga!

Blessings to all and thank you again for your prayers and support!

I am pregnant!!!

Well I NEVER thought I would be writing this blog but it seems that God has a bigger plan for me than I could never imagine. After almost 10 years of marriage my husband and I are finally going to have a baby! This is a blessing beyond anything we could have dreamed of! As of yesterday, I am 11 weeks along, getting ready to end my first trimester! The baby is healthy and the ultrasound looked great with a strong heart beat, thank God! The due date is April 11th, 2010.

It was quite a surprise to me to find out as this was not planned. I found out August 16th that I was 6 weeks pregnant and my husband was on a business trip to Norway and Scotland. I had to call him and tell him the news. Needless to say he was shocked and so very excited. You see, for about 8 years of our marriage we were told that we probably would not be able to have a baby. We had come to the conclusion that maybe it was ok if we never had children, after all we loved being together so very much...just the two of us.

After loosing so much of the weight that I gained in college and during my marriage, my body started working again and the next thing I know....I am pregnant!!!! My whole perspective on life has changed in such a short time, everything is different than before, it is better! My husband and I feel extremely blessed.

Now as for my plan, you know me, I always have to have a plan. i am going to be logging my pregnancy workouts as I did before. They of course will be less intense and different than what I am used to but I am looking forward to having a healthy and fit pregnancy!!!

I look forward to sharing my pregnancy journey with all of you! This will be by far the best most rewarding journey of my life!