I AM HEALTHY, NOT OBSESSED

I believe in being healthy when it comes to exercise and eating “clean” for the large percentage of my week.  Why do I bring the word obsessed into this picture…well...here it is in a nutshell…just as with anything else, too much of anything or an obsessive attitude can bring about an unhealthy balance in life…regardless of how good it is.   If I was spending hours on end exercising, putting exercise above everything in my life to the point of letting it interfere or negatively impact my life, relationships, and self…NO  GOOD.  I mean really…can you imagine if a scenario went like this…I am invited for the day to relax at a spa with hubby, or attend an important function with my family and I said nope … gotta exercise, or I need to be late so that I can get my workout in…OK…now that would be OBSESSIVE.

I am not saying that exercise is not important, it definitely is a lifestyle along with my nutrition, but I am talking about for example…the old habits of Darla from my competition days, and sometimes modeling where obsessive did enter the picture now and then.  Not cutting myself any slack with food and working beyond my physical means…YUCK.  What the heck was I thinking…my A1 personality type was definitely on hyper mode during my “obsessive” days.  What I am saying is that a good thing can be overboard or “obsessive” and cause more harm than good…in all aspects of life…physical, mental, and spiritual.   Probably the worst would be complete burnout of a repeated behavior…my fitness would be a “have to” instead of a “want to”…OH MY and NO WAY.  I want my healthy life to be a fun “lifestyle”, maintainable by consistent exercise and healthy food intake for the majority of the time…something I look forward to doing and just feel weird if I don’t. 

My Fabulous Friend and Hubby

I am so glad to be in a much more relaxed “older, wiser, better” place with balance and I truly enjoy all moments in life.  I am not going to lie and say that I never struggle with letting go of a day of exercise because sometimes I do…the rearing of old ugly habits knocking on my mental door.  Thank goodness for a more relaxed hubby who balances me out really well when I need a verbal chat to bring the sometimes “Over Do It” Darla back to reality.  Being healthy is definitely a FABULOUS description of my lifestyle…OBSESSED … well, when that word gets tossed my way…I greet it with a Stay Healthy Smile!

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

Personal Share:  I just got back from a mini vacation boat camping trip with my wonderful husband, son and soon to be bride....and a bonus...I ran into one of my best friends who was camping in the cove around the bend...now talk about a small cove... I mean world.  We had such quality time with lots of swimming, great food and overall fun!  YES...I we found another waterfall and my Mom will kill me (love ya Mom) as I frolicked about the falls and climbed on a few rocks;)  Fitness is FUN and does not always have to be the same routine.  I say be spontaneous, be a kid, splash around and laugh so hard that your belly hurts...LIFE IS TOO SHORT!  Enjoy the pics and Stay Healthy~

                                                                                                      

Fun swim and climb to the falls with friends

                            

 

GREAT FUN WITH FAMILY ~ I AM AN OUTDOOR STAY HEALTHY GIRL

OUR NEW FAVORITE COVE ~ BULLARD'S BAR

 

Night on the Water with my Son, his fiance and Hubby

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

 

Have a Fabulous Week!

 

Stay Healthy!

 

Darla:)

Baked 3 Cheese Mac with Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Sometimes you need comfort food, but in a grown up sort of fashion. Maybe it's because I have 4 kids and  my food choices are all I really have control over most of the time when it comes to gourmet or fancy but every so often, I like to indulge in comfort food gone swanky. 

Don't hate me, but I   hate   boxed Mac and Cheese.  Yes, there have been more times than I would like to admit that in a pinch I have made a pot of the boxed stuff but only when I added a can of tuna and a  lot  of hot sauce (is that strange?) to make it a bit more palatable. Maybe I'm an alien... 'Roswell' ........ Get it?..  Hot sauce. Yeah, o.k.  I watch lame t.v. series 10 years after they were (or weren't) in.  Again, 4 kids people.

So, how do you turn mac n' cheese into gourmet? Well, I'll tell you. You turn to your ridiculously large stack of Cooking Light magazines! Plant yourself on your favorite comfy arm chair on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee, expertly tuning out the kids, or better yet commission your loving husband to take them swimming for an hour so you can flip through old issues of your trusty menu planner and  Voila!   Mac and Cheese Gourmet!

 Update! Two of my favorite food bloggers are hosting a Mac and Cheese party! They've asked for all of our favorite M&C recipes new and old to put together a fabulous list of Oooey Gooey Goodness.

“Come join Mac and Cheese Mania at Rachel Cooks andNutmeg Nanny sponsored by Door to Door Organics and OXO – Win prizes!” i

I actually found this recipe for Baked 3 Cheese Macaroni in a Cooking Light magazine several years ago and have made it several times. Most recently for my 3 year old daughter, Mona Claire's birthday.  I love the fontina, white cheddar and Parmesan Cheeses  in here and the  slow roasted tomatoes are just the tangy, sweet punch of flavor  that I need to make me drool and feel a teensy bit gourmet if only for a moment.

Slow roasting your tomatoes are a perfect way to celebrate the end of tomato season. If you don't have the time, or extra tomatoes on hand, use a package of sun dried tomatoes instead. But trust me, slow roasting them brings out a flavor that you just can't replicate in a package.

adapted from a Cooking Light Magazine issue many many years ago.....

Will Need:

8 plum tomatoes (cut into 1/4" thick slices - ~ 2 lb)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

3/4 t salt  (divided)

4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)

1 lb uncooked multi grain whole grain elbow macaroni (such as Barilla Plus) (or non-gluten macaroni, such as spelt or quinoa)

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 c flour

5 c milk

1-1/2 c  (6 oz) shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese

1 c   (4 oz) shredded fontina cheese

1/2 cup (2 oz) grated fresh Parmesean cheese

1/2 t butter

1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs

fresh cracked  pepper

1/2 t paprika

Putting it All Together: 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet w/cooking spray (or spread oil on). Arrange tomato slices in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle oil over tomatoes. Sprinkle w/thyme, 1/4 t salt and garlic. Bake 35 min or til tomatoes start to dry out. 

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. 

Place butter in large Dutch oven. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until combined and just golden brown. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 min or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add cheddar, fontina and remaining 1/2 t salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts.

Remove from heat. Stir in roasted tomatoes and pasta. Spoon into a 13x9" baking dish coated w/oil. Combine grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and paprika; sprinkle over pasta mixture. Bake 400°F., 25 min. or until bubbly.

Have a wonderful and Gourmet sort of day!!

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday's

Simple Home Made Easel and Painting with Celery

I have a few little budding artists at my house which is a thrill to me because my oldest son wanted nothing to do with anything artsy at all. He drew stick figures in art class through the 8th grade. My 7 year old Jack in particular loooveeees art and wants to be an Artist/Scientist when he grows up.

Of course I'm biased being mom and all but I think that all 3 of my little ones are pretty talented little artists and am more than happy to indulge them in their hobby. I prefer to find as many unique ways of turning every day items into art which is and of itself artful in my opinion. We experiment with different textures such as flour, rice and cornstarch and for an occasional change from paint brushes we use cotton balls, our fingers and celery instead. Fun!

So, I was trying to think of a cheap way to make an easel for the kids and thought first of finding some scrap wood at Lowe's  but never was industrious enough to follow through on that plan. So I hit up Pinterest for some ideas and found a  simple  and  FREE  (my 2 favorite words)  tutorial on an easel made out of a cardboard box.

Basically, you find an old box and cut off the top and bottom flaps, one side and fold it into a triangle turning it into a perfect prop to paint on.

Make sure you choose a box big enough for your paper to fit on. Any size paper and box will do, I chose extra large and thick paper to soak up the paint.

Cut off the top and bottom flaps and one of the 4 sides of the box.

Fold the box into a triangle and tape together with box tape.

Secure your drawing paper onto the box with 2 pieces of scotch tape.

Note: We were out of our usual paints and so I grabbed this paint at the grocery store today. It would be much more economical to buy your paint in larger tubes at Walmart or a craft store. Use an old plastic yogurt or cottage cheese top or a plastic egg carton to put small dabs of paint on.

Mona Claire had so much fun at our pre-school art session today while the boys were at school.  She loved her new easel and thought  using the end of a stalk of celery to paint  roses was such a cool trick!

Save those scrap pieces of cardboard for other fun crafts! Busy hands are happy hands! ;)

Here are some amazing blogs with some really fun crafts using cardboard.

Tip Junkie: 32 Things to Make using Card Board

Family Fun Go! Card Board Marble Racer and other crafts

Crafts by Amanda: Card Board Tube Snakes and other fun animals

Serenity Now: Cardboard Christmas Characters

Celery Painting!

What fun craft/pre-school ideas do you do with your kids?

ENJOYING MY COFFEE BREAK

Charging the Hormones!

The warm mug cupped in my hand as the aroma drifts into my face, a sip here and there as I take in a morning peaceful moment all cuddled on the sofa with my feet tucked under myself…awww…sounds like a hallmark moment, or commercial that will definitely sell coffee…lol…but I am going to bring this to an abrupt HALT.  OK…rewind to a few months ago when I woke to have my usual cup of coffee with splash of non-fat French vanilla creamer…ON MY…yes…can’t do coffee straight up, and to my unsettling surprise…REJECTED…OH MY…OH WHY.  I do not know if you have ever experienced this, but all of a sudden I needed a coffee break…I mean a break from coffee…sniff sniff.  Believe me I tried for two mornings in a row, and the same result…blahhhh…YUCK. 

I was even feeling dragged down by the coffee and not perked up as usual…although I only drink half/calf anyway…but still…my body just was not feeling the love for the coffee.  I do take a few sips from my hubby’s mug just to test drive and although OK…it is not driving me to grab my own mug down and pour a cup.  Hmmmm….OK…I have been taking a break for at least 2 months now and I must say, I feel less tension, some weight loss (which I definitely do not need), and the added benefit of no stains on the pearly whites …at least for awhile.  I am not saying I am giving up coffee…maybe it is the hot summer months that has put the kibosh on my morning time with my warm cup. 

Studies show many health benefits in coffee and my one cup intake per day satisfied that…but now I will just have to make do with the rest of my healthy meals.  I have to admit that when my body responded well to the caffeine…meaning OK…this girl is ready to workout…I enjoyed that.  But truly, it got to where it felt like this backfired, and I no longer felt a surge of energy from the small amount of stimulant in a half/calf cup.  So…this made it easier to give up for awhile and I must say that I am enjoying my coffee break. 

When I feel a lack of energy now, I will not blame it on…man…I did not have my coffee…I can truly say…OK Darla…not enough rest, more recovery after that hard workout is needed, and the biggie as an almost 50 year young woman…HORMONE changes…YUCK.  Yes, hormones have much to do with how peri-menopausal and menopausal women feel.  I am definitely riding the peri journey right now and doing lots of research as my own health advocate.   I will say that I am so happy that watermelon season is here and I am eating pumpkin seeds like no other. 

I am not a woman who requires a JOLT to workout, so coffee on hold is OK in that area.  I hear so many people say OH MY…I just don’t have the energy to workout without my caffeine or energy drink fix…really????  OK…why does anyone need to be dependent on something to function through a workout…this is not healthy.  I can understand the occasional…man do I need a cup of coffee this morning, but when it becomes a dependence to function…not for this girl.  I do look forward to when my body says OK…YAHOO…loving coffee but for now… I will enjoy my coffee break;)

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

 

HAVE YOU BAKED THEM YET

MY FAVORITE PROTEIN COOKIE RIGHT NOW

MY FAMILY...I am the goofy one in the middle

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

 

Have a Fabulous Week!

 

Stay Healthy!

 

Darla:)