Trim Healthy Mama- Week 28

This is my 28th  week of Trim Healthy Mama. I lost about 2 lbs this week...bringing my total to over 114 lbs.**

Friday-FP

Breakfast-PB and Jeggs; Cake Batter Protein Shake (1/2 scoop protein powder and no sprinkles)
Lunch-FP Salad with Walden Farms dressing and 3 oz chicken
Supper- FP Pizza; Reese's whip with strawberries
Snack-FP Chocolate Cake and later a Joseph's pita that I crisped in the microwave and spread with a wedge of Light Laughing Cow cheese

Saturday

Breakfast-(S) Coconut Pumpkin Muffin in a Mug; strawberries
Lunch-(S) Just Like Wheat Thins Crackers, Salad with chicken, EVOO, balsamic, Skinny Chocolate
Supper-(S) Joseph's pita with chicken and part skim mozzarella
Snack-(S) Reese's pieces bowl 


Sunday-

Breakfast-(E) Baked Oatmeal; Plum
Lunch-(E) Tuscany in a Bowl with Quinoa; Strawberry Lime Greek 0% Yogurt (with substitutions)
Supper-(S) BLT on Oopsie Roll; cucumber slices; Skinny Chocolate
Snack- (S) Reese's pieces bowl 


Monday-FP

Breakfast-Cake Batter Protein Shake (You have to try this...it is SO good! Note: I do not use sprinkles)
Snack- Light Rye Wasa Crackers with Light Laughing Cow Cheese
Lunch-Cabbage and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce (p.102)
Snack-Fat Stripping Frappa
Supper- Dreamfields pasta with roasted veggies and 3 oz chicken
Snack-Frozen Pumpkin Yogurt (with tweaks)


Tuesday-

Breakfast-(E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola and Greek 0% yogurt
Lunch-(S) Tossed Salad, Salmon, EVOO, balsamic, parmesan ; Almond Joy (made with natural pb)
Supper-(S) Grilled Chicken, buttered Broccoli, Steamed Snow Peas with sesame oil and sesame seeds;  Reese's pieces bowl 
Snack- (E) 100 Calorie Popcorn and Fat Stripping Frappa


Wednesday-FP

Breakfast-Muffin in a Bowl: Yogurt, Berries
Lunch-Salad with 3 oz leftover grilled Chicken and a sprinkle of Parmesan
Snack-Fat Stripping Frappa
Supper-Joseph's Pizza
Snack-Reese's Whip and Dehydrated Zucchini Chips


Thursday-

Breakfast-(E) Overnight Refrigerator Oats and a Small Plum
Lunch-(S) Tomato-Basil Mozzarella Salad with EVOO/balsamic;skinny chocolate
Snack-(FP) 1/2 Frappa
Supper-(out to eat) Small Caesar Salad and a slice of pizza (off plan)
Snack-(S) Muffin in Mug and cucumbers

* My weight loss has been a process.  I've been on my weight loss journey since October 2010.  I have not lost this much weight since starting THM.  You can read this post to read more about how I lost the first 100 lbs.

10 Trim Healthy Lunches for the Whole Family

In my quest to lose weight and eat a healthier diet I have gotten into a habit of making something different for the kids than what I eat.  I'd like to streamline our lunches so that we are all eating the same thing and helping them to eat a healthier diet. Since we are a homeschooling family, meals need to mostly be easy to prepare and nourishing.

Please note that some of these meals may not be what you consider healthy.  Everyone has to decide for themselves what is healthy.  Trust me when I say that these lunches are much healthier than a lot of the processed foods my kids are used to eating.

Here are 10 Ideas for Trim Healthy Lunches for everyone in the family.

1. BLT Soup

Combine a 32 oz box of fat free chicken broth and a 28 oz can of tomato sauce.  Heat these together then add 1 T. Truvia, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you like with tomato soup.  Once hot, add about 1 1/3 cups of Greek 0% yogurt and stir until well blended.  Add a few handfuls of fresh (or frozen) spinach leaves and cook until spinach is cooked.  I like this soup to be a little thick.  You could thicken it with a bit of glucomannan powder but I prefer to add some psyllium husks to mine. Top with bacon bits.  If you don't use too much bacon this meal can be FP.  If you have growing children you will probably want to serve this with some sourdough bread and butter. I like to eat this with Oat Fiber Bread.

2. Salmon Patties (or use tuna)

There is a recipe in the Trim Healthy Mama book called Sponge Bob's Crabby Patties. You could also try these or these or this tuna version. These are easy to throw together and my kids love them.  Serve these plain (S or FP if you are a THM) or on a roll with a side of fresh veggies or roast some.  I love roasted veggies!

3. Macaroni and Cheese

Try this Low-carb Mac and Cheese using Dreamfield's pasta or if you think it will fly you can try a cauliflower version. I think broccoli would go great with this (or roasted veggies....mmmm mmm)

4. Chicken Hot Dogs

I recently started purchasing chicken hot dogs at Trader Joe's but I have since seen some right at Walmart for about the same price.   I like to either cook them right in a frying pan until they are nicely browned or throw them in the crockpot in the morning.  Easy peasy!  You could try these healthy corndogs or some pigs in a blanket.

5. Sandwiches

Try chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, or natural peanut butter and all-fruit jam.  Choose a sourdough bread or sprouted grain bread. (or make your own).  I use Joseph's low carb pitas if I want a mayonnaise based salad or sprouted bread if I just want to eat a chicken sandwich.  You could also make a sandwich with Oat Fiber Bread.  (I don't eat peanut butter and jelly.)

6. Eggs

photo by alessandro

Don't get stuck thinking eggs are only for breakfast.  Have them for lunch!  Fried Eggs are great over a salad and much easier than peeling a boiled egg (though boiled eggs are great for an on the go lunch or snack).  My kids also enjoy "Popeyes" (what my husband calls them), "Bunny in a Hole" (what I call them) or you may know it as an Egg in a Frame.  Use a quality bread for your children that need crossovers or try this Eggplant version.

7. Quiche or Fritatta

I guess I could have put this in the egg category, but I thought it was worthy of its own category.

Here are a few recipes you could try.  Just make them your own by adding the meats and veggies that YOU like!

Healthified Quiche Lorraine
Crustless Quiche
Frittata
Mini-Ham and Cheese Frittatas
Basic Frittata

8. Salad

photo by macieklew

Before this year, I rarely ate salad.  I now crave it quite often.  Make a big salad and share it with the kids.  Give them some bread and butter and call it a done deal.

9.  Pizza

Lots of options for pizza.  I love making a pizza with a Joseph's pita, or cauliflower crust (look on Pinterest for lots of ways to do this), almond flour pizza crust or try Gwen's fermented bread to make a pizza crust.

10. Homemade Lunchables

I have never purchased Lunchables but I love the idea of Bento box lunches. Think of all the great things you could put in one of these or set out some healthy foods and let your kids fill up their box.  If you don't have an official bento box, improvise with some Tupperware/Rubbermaid and cupcake liners (or some other clever idea I haven't thought of).

A few ideas for these include:

boiled eggs
cheese
homemade crackers
cubes of meat (chicken, ham, turkey etc.)
veggies: (grape tomatoes, cucumbers, celery sticks, peppers etc.)
fruit: berries, sliced fresh fruit

You can find loads of ideas with a Google search OR go on Pinterest....the ideas are ENDLESS.  You can be as simple or creative as you like.

I'd love to hear your ideas for more lunches to share with my family.

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents where she is sharing a recipe for Chicken Fried Steak and at Gwen's Nest for Taco Salad 3 Ways.

*photos are my own and from rgbstock.com courtesy of macieklew, alessandro

THM Weekly Menu Plan

Here's my Trim Healthy Mama menu plan for this week. I'm still doing 3 FP days a week and I'm losing weight again. This week I reached a mini-goal of being at the top of the Healthy BMI range for my height.....I haven't been at this weight since I was in my early 20s. (and I'm 45)

For your convenience, I have added page numbers which refer to the Trim Healthy Mama book and links to the online recipes.  

Sunday

B: (E) Baked Oatmeal and a plum
L: (E) Tuscany in a Bowl with Quinoa (p.288); Strawberry Lime Yogurt (with modifications)
D: (S) BLT on an Oopsie Roll (p. 268)
Sn:(FP) Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt (use Greek yogurt and Truvia)


Monday: FP 

B: Cake Batter Protein Smoothie (no sprinkles)
L: Cabbage and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce (p.102/p.352)
Sn: Fat Stripping Frappa (p. 240)
S: Sweet and Spicy Asian Stir Fry with konjac noodles (me)-rice (family)
Sn: Reese's Whip


Tuesday:

B: (E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola and Greek 0% Yogurt
L: (S) Salad with Salmon packet
S: (S) Curried Coconut Chicken with Cauli-Rice (p.358)
Sn: (E) Popcorn and a Fat Stripping Frappa (p. 240)


Wednesday: FP

B: Lemon Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl, Greek 0% yogurt
L:Chicken Hotdogs and cucumber slices (healthy pigs in a blanket for the kids)
Sn: Grasshopper Frappa (if hungry)
D: Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Tomato Sauce (pasta/sourdough bread) for the family
Sn: Julieanne's Mocha Ice Cream

Thursday:

B: (E) Baked Oatmeal with blueberries
L:  (S) Salmon Patties (p.338) and Roasted Veggies
D: (S) Basic Quiche and Salad (p. 319)
Sn: (E) Popcorn and Fat Stripping Frappa

Friday: FP

B: Pumpkin Protein Muffin with Greek 0% Yogurt and berries
L: Zucchini Noodles and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce (p. 352)
D: Chicken Soup (bread for the family)
Sn: Brownies

Saturday

B: (S) Gluten Free Cheesy Biscuits with Egg and Bacon
L: (E) Nicey Ricey Salad
D: (E) Pizza  or (S) Pizza (depends on what I feel like)
Sn: (S) Pumpkin Treat (p. 388)


*Will update these links on Monday and Tuesday.

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents and at Gwen's Nest.

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.) This week is found here.

Trim Healthy Mama-Week 27

This is my 27th week of Trim Healthy Mama** and this is the week that I finally slipped into a healthy BMI...for the FIRST time in probably close to 25 years. I still have a ways to go to where I'll feel like I am at a good weight for my frame....but medically speaking....it's a big hip, hip hooray!!!

I've linked a few of these recipes but most can be found on my meal plan posts if you are wondering where the recipes are.

Friday- FP day

Breakfast-Roasted Pattypan Squash and Southwestern Egg Beaters
Lunch-Oat Fiber Bread with Tuna, FP brownie
Supper-Joseph's Pita with Chicken and Light Laughing Cow, FP brownie
Snack- Reese's whip with fresh strawberries, 2 Wasa Crackers with Light Laughing Cow cheese



Saturday

Breakfast-(S) Cheesy Gluten Free Biscuit ,Fried Egg and Slice of Bacon, Roasted Pattypan Squash.
Lunch-(E) Nicey Ricey Salad (p.304)
Supper-(S) Maria's Amazing Pizza
Snack-(S)Julieanne's Mocha Ice Cream

Sunday-

Breakfast-(E) Overnight Oats
Snack-(FP) Pumpkin Spice Frappa
Lunch-(S) Iceberg Wedge Salad with bacon and Bleu cheese (out to eat)
Supper-(S) Stacy's Cracker Salad and a small piece of Lily's chocolate
Snack-(S) Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Monday-FP

Breakfast-Muffin in a Bowl with Greek 0% yogurt and mixed berries
Lunch-2 Chicken Hot Dogs, cucumber slices and leftover pattypan squash
Snack-Greek 0% yogurt
Supper-Mini Meat Loaves, creamless creamy sauce on steamed summer squash, Greek 0% yogurt
Snack-Fat Free Ricotta Parfait

Tuesday-

Breakfast-(E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola and Greek 0% yogurt
Lunch-(S) Leftover meatloaf with a little cheese and green salsa in a Joseph's pita, cucumber slices and FP chocolate cake
Supper-(S) Cauliflower Risotto with Shrimp
Snack-(S) Dark Chocolate with almonds and a little leftover ice cream


Wednesday-(FP)

Breakfast-Lemon Blueberry Muffin and Fat Stripping Frappa
Lunch-Egg White Wraps with Tuna
Supper-Light Tomato Soup with spinach and bacon bits
Snack-Reese's Whip with strawberries


Thursday-

After an entire of summer of illnesses I finally felt well enough to exercise today and did sprint intervals.  I got so out of shape this summer. Looking forward to exercising again.

Breakfast-(E) Steel cut oats (in crockpot with double boiler method) and strawberries
Lunch-(S) Salad with Salmon, parmesan cheese with EVOO and balsamic
Snack-(S) Skinny Chocolate
Supper-(FP) Veggies and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce
Snack-(S) Stacy's Almond Flour Brownie (You need to try this recipe!)


* My weight loss has been a process.  I've been on my weight loss journey since October 2010.  I have not lost this much weight since starting THM.  You can read this post to read more about how I lost the first 100 lbs.

Oat Fiber Strawberry Shortcake

Oat fiber is one of my favorite "new" products that I have been introduced to since starting the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating.  Last week I shared an amazing oat fiber bread recipe from AnaStacia P. and this week I am sharing a sweet variation of that recipe which makes a nice strawberry shortcake.


Oat Fiber Strawberry Shortcake (FP)

1/4 cup oat fiber
a couple of pinches sea salt
3/4 tsp. glucomannan powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2-3 tsp. Truvia and a sprinkle of stevia extract (or make it with all stevia extract to taste)
1/3 cup egg whites
3 T. water
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in  a dish, then add wet ingredients and mix well. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds until it's only slightly wet on top. You'll have to play with it as each microwave varies.If you prefer not to use a microwave, you can bake this in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until done. Once it comes out I dump it out onto a clean kitchen towel to cool.

Meanwhile, (or if you are smarter than me you will do this ahead of time) cut up some strawberries and sprinkle with Truvia. Allowing the strawberries to sit a while will make them juicier and more sweet. To keep this FP be sure use no more than 1 cup of strawberries.

Cut up your shortcake pieces into cubes.  They remind me of a spongecake.

Finally, put it all together...and squirt a bit of fat free Reddi-wip on top (not too much though...a true serving size is ridiculously small.)

If you want to know more about oat fiber, see my Oat Fiber post.



Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents where this week she shares and FP Triple Berry Smoothie and at Gwen's Nest for a giveaway and post about Rooibos tea.

THM Weekly Menu Plan

Here's my Trim Healthy Mama menu plan for this week. I'm still doing 3 FP days a week trying to blast through this plateau.

For your convenience I have added page numbers which refer to the Trim Healthy Mama book and links to those recipes that are online.  

Sunday

B: (E) Refrigerator Oats
Sn: Pumpkin Spice Frappe
L: (S) Iceberg wedge salad with bacon and bleu cheese (out to eat)
D: (S) Stacy's Cracker Salad, small piece of Lily's chocolate
Sn:(S) Chocolate Ice Cream

Monday: FP 

B: PB muffin in a bowl (p.258) with PB chocolate yogurt and crockpot berry maple syrup
L: Trader Joe's Chicken hot dog in a Joseph's pita, veggies
Sn: Fat Stripping Frappa (p. 240)
S: Mini-Meatloaves (p.318) and Vegetables
Sn: Reese's Whip or FP Chocolate Cake


Tuesday:

B: (E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola and Greek 0% Yogurt
L: (S) Salad with chicken or Salmon
S: (S) Cauliflower Risotto with Shrimp
Sn: To be decided



Wednesday: FP

B: Lemon Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl, Greek 0% yogurt
L:Tuna Salad on Crispy Pita, cucumbers and peppers
Sn: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Seed pudding
D: Light Tomato Soup (p.293) and Chicken on Oat Fiber Bread (sourdough for the family)
Sn: Julianne's Mocha Ice Cream


Thursday:

B: (E) Baked Oatmeal with blueberries
L:  (S) Salad with Salmon, Skinny Chocolate (p. 371)
D: (S) Zucchini Lasagna and salad
Sn: (E) Popcorn and Fat Stripping Frappa

Friday: FP

B: Muffin in a Bowl (p. 258) with Greek 0% and yogurt and berries
L: Zucchini Noodles and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce (p. 352)
D: Joseph's lavash pizza (p. 280), Salad (regular pizza for the family)
Sn: To be decided

Saturday

B: (S) Coconut Pumpkin MIM
L: (E) Chicken on Sprouted Bread, cucumber slices
D: (S) Oopsie Roll (p. 289) BLTs
Sn: To be decided


*Will update these links on Monday and Tuesday.

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.) This week is found here.

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents where this week she shares and FP Triple Berry Smoothie and at Gwen's Nest for a giveaway and post about Rooibos tea.

Trim Healthy Mama-Week 26

This is my 26th week of Trim Healthy Mama. A half a year!  I can't believe it's been this long.

I am down about .8 this week...back down to the lowest weight I saw during my fuel cycle plus another .2)  I am going to continue doing 3 FP days a week.

Friday-FP

Breakfast-MIB, Southwestern Egg Beaters with light laughing cow cheese, fresh strawberries
Lunch-Zucchini and Summer Squash Noodles, Light Laughing Cow Cheese, 3 oz chicken
Snack-FP chocolate cake
Supper-same as lunch only I cut up pattypan squash and summer squash instead of having noodles I also ate a few lavash chips with some homemade salsa
Snack-PB Muffin in a Bowl-yogurt and strawberries


Saturday

Breakfast-(FP) Muffin in a Bowl with yogurt and strawberries
Lunch-(FP) Fat Stripping Frappa
Snack-(S)Cut up celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, 1/2 deviled egg and a little buffalo chicken dip
Supper-(S) Cheeseburger in a Joseph's pita, 1/2 deviled egg, 2 Wasa crackers with goat cheese
Snack-(S) Lily's chocolate and a tweaked version of this cookie



Sunday-

Breakfast- (FP) Muffin in a Bowl with Yogurt a small amount of protein powder and peanut butter
Lunch-(S) Caesar Salad and Grilled Chicken
Supper-(S) Skinny Chocolate and FP Chocolate Cake (yes, I had dessert for supper)
Snack-(E) popcorn, strawberries and yogurt


Monday-FP

Breakfast-Muffin in a Bowl with pb/choc. yogurt and berries
Lunch-Chicken sandwich on Oat Fiber Bread, Light Tomato Soup
Snack-Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding (variation replacing gluc/chia with psyllium husks)
Supper-Zucchini/Summer Squash Noodles in Creamless Creamy Sauce with chicken
Snack-Reese's Whip

Tuesday-

Breakfast-(E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola and Greek 0% Yogurt
Snack-(S) peanuts
Lunch-(S) Salad with Salmon, EVOO, balsamic and local goat cheese, Skinny Chocolate
Supper-(S) Chicken Coconut Curry over a bed of romaine
Snack-(S) Reese's Whip with nuts and dark chocolate

Wednesday-FP

Breakfast-Greek pudding with blueberries
Lunch-Trader Joe's chicken hot dog in Joseph's pita, cucumber slices
Supper-Creamless Creamy Sauce with Summer Squash and chicken, Lemon Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl
Snack-Chocolate PB & J yogurt, 2 Wasa crackers and light laughing cow cheese



Thursday-

Breakfast- (E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola and Greek 0% Yogurt
Lunch-(S) Salad with Salmon and goat cheese, sprinkle of chopped walnuts, EVOO, balsamic; FP brownie
Snack-Skinny Chocolate
Supper-(S) Roasted patty pan squash and cauliflower, chicken; FP brownie and one small piece skinny chocolate
Snack-(S) FP brownies with Lily's chocolate


* My weight loss has been a process.  I've been on my weight loss journey since October 2010.  I have not lost this much weight since starting THM.  You can read this post to read more about how I lost the first 100 lbs.

Oat Fiber Bread

Oat fiber is one of my favorite "new" products that I have been introduced to since starting the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating.  Oat fiber is amazing in that it has no calories, no fat and no net carbs!  A healthy mama's dream come true.  :)

The first recipe I ever tried is in the Trim Healthy Mama book and it's a sweet recipe for a muffin in a bowl.  What I want to share with you today is a recipe for an Oat Fiber Bread which is a creation of a creative lady on the Trim Healthy Mama board named AnaStacia, who gave me permission to post her recipe here.  (Thank you AnaStacia!)

Oat Fiber Bread (FP)

1/4 cup oat fiber
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. glucomannan powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
small sprinkle of stevia extract (I've been using KAL)
1/3 cup egg whites
3 T. water

Cook in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds (or longer) until it's only slightly wet on top.  (I like it pretty done.  You'll have to play with it as each microwave varies.  I think this one took more like 2 minutes to be done.  You might want to start at 1 minute and then add 15 seconds at a time until you find what works for you.

If you prefer not to use a microwave, you can bake this in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until done.

I make this right in the container. I add all of the dry ingredients and stir them well with a mini-whipper. Then I add the wet ingredients and stir well.  It looks like this:

Once it comes out I dump it out on a kitchen towel to cool, then slice it in half.

Here's my FP lunch of 3 oz of chicken on the oat fiber bread. You could add a light laughing cow cheese if you wish..sometimes I do.  I also made the light tomato soup from the book.  A delicious, filling lunch.

If you want to know more about oat fiber, see my Oat Fiber post.

Come back next week for a sweet version of this bread that makes a great strawberry shortcake.

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents for a seasoning salt recipe and at Gwen's Nest where she shares a recipe for tomato cucumber salad.

Weekly THM Menu Plan

Here's my Trim Healthy Mama menu plan for this week. I am on my third week of doing 3 FP days a week and I am back down to my lowest weight... actually was .2 under that this morning!

For your convenience I have added page numbers which refer to the Trim Healthy Mama book and links to those recipes that are online.  This week, I only put main meals in the meal plan and listed snack ideas on the bottom.

Sunday

B: (light S) Muffin in a Bowl (p. 258) with Greek 0% yogurt, peanut butter and a little protein powder
L: (S) Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (out to eat)
D: Still Deciding :)


Monday: FP 

B: PB muffin in a bowl (p.258) with PB chocolate yogurt and raw strawberry chia seed jam
L: Light Tomato Soup (p.293) and Chicken on Oat Fiber Bread 
S: Pearl's Konjac Noodles


Tuesday:

B: (E) Stacy's Crunchy Coconut Granola
L: (S) Stacy's Cracker Salad
S: (S) Coconut Curried Chicken



Wednesday: FP

B: Lemon Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl, Greek 0% yogurt
L: Egg White Wraps (p.274) with Tuna, Cucumber Slices
D: Joseph's FP pizza (p. 280), Salad


Thursday:

B: (E) Baked Oatmeal with blueberries
L:  (S) Salad with salmon
D: (S) Roasted Veggies and Chicken

Friday: FP

B: Muffin in a Bowl (p. 258) with Greek 0% and yogurt and berries
L: Zucchini Noodles and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce (p. 352)
D: Mini-Meatloaves (p.318) and Vegetables


Saturday

B: (S) Cheesy Gluten Free Biscuits with Egg and Bacon
L: (E) Nicey Ricey Salad (p. 304)
D: (S) Maria's Amazing Pizza 

SNACK ideas:

FP: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Seed pudding, 37 calorie brownies, Chocolate Cake, Fat Stripping Frappa (p.240), FP Ice Cream

S: Skinny Chocolate (p. 371), Wasa Crackers and Goat Cheese, Coconut Pumpkin MIM

E: Popcorn and Fat Stripping Frappa

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.) This week is found here.

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents for a seasoning salt recipe and at Gwen's Nest where she shares a recipe for tomato cucumber salad.

Trim Healthy Mama-Week 25

This is my 25th week of Trim Healthy Mama. I'm still holding steady up and down the same couple of pounds. I have strep throat (AGAIN).  I'm hoping that when I feel better I can start exercising (which I have not been able to do all summer) and get things moving again. I've been trying 3 FP days a week to shake up my metabolism a bit. I'm hoping to get the scale moving down again.

Friday- FP day

Breakfast- FP pancakes* with pb/choc Greek 0% yogurt and raw strawberry chia seed jam
Lunch- Light Tomato Soup, Oat Fiber Bread chicken sandwich
Supper- Crockpot Chicken Paella and Cauli-rice, Small amount of yogurt with more of ^^^ that jam.
Snack-FP Chocolate Cake and strawberries


Saturday

Breakfast- (S) Muffin in a Mug with raw strawberry chia seed jam
Lunch-(S) Salad with Chicken and a tiny bit of cheese, EVOO, Balsamic; Skinny chocolate
Supper-(S) Salmon patty, Roasted Cauliflower and steamed zucchini/summer squash with butter
Snack-(FP) Chocolate Cake with frosting made from Greek cream cheese, strawberry chia seed jam and xylitol


Sunday-

Breakfast- (E) Refrigerator Oats, Plum
Lunch-(S) Salad with Salmon, thin slice of cheese, EVOO, balsamic; Skinny Chocolate
Supper-(S) Meatballs and Cheese on a Joseph's Lavash, Green Bean Fries
Snack-(FP) variation of the Chocolate Cake


Monday-FP day

Breakfast-pancakes* with choc/pb yogurt and mixed berries with a sprinkle of chia seeds
Lunch-Egg White Wraps with tuna, celery sticks with a light laughing cow cheese
Snack- Variation of the Chocolate Cake
Supper-Chicken and Cabbage with Creamless Creamy Sauce (p.102)
Snack-Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed pudding on top

Tuesday-

Breakfast- (S)Muffin in Mug with Peanut Butter and a Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam
Snack- (FP) Fat Stripping Frappa
Lunch-(E) Chicken on Sprouted Bread, Celery Sticks with Light Laughing Cow cheese, FP Brownie
Supper-(S) Greek Salad, Skinny Chocolate, FP Chocolate Cake
Snack-(S) Cocoa Whip


Wednesday-FP day
 not feeling well

Breakfast- Lemon Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl, Gingerbread Cookie Protein Shake
Lunch-Loaded Fotato Soup (p.294), Chicken Salad on  Joseph's Pita, FP Brownie
Supper-Leftover Loaded Fotato soup with 3 oz. chicken
Snack-(FP) variation of the Chocolate Cake

Thursday-

Breakfast-Baked Oatmeal with a small amount of blueberries
Lunch-Salad with Chicken, 1 Wasa cracker with chevre and some strawberries
Supper-Roasted Pattypan and Summer Squash, Roasted Cauliflower and Broiled Salmon
Snack- Satisfying Sundae

* These are recipes I'm testing for a friend and not at liberty to share at this time.

* *My weight loss has been a process.  I've been on my weight loss journey since October 2010.  I have not lost this much weight since starting THM.  You can read this post to read more about how I lost the first 100 lbs.

Circle Time

There was a time in our homeschool when we had a daily "table time".  We'd pray together, take turns reading the Bible and various other activities.  When I heard about Kendra Fletcher's (of Preschoolers and Peace) e-book Circle Time, I knew I wanted to read it and start planning something like this for the fall.

This is a 33 page pdf e-book which can easily be read on your computer (or send it to an e-reader like I did).

With a name like Circle Time from the author of a blog called Preschoolers and Peace this might seem like it is geared toward families with young children. Not so!  This is for any family that wants to spend purposeful time learning together.

This e-book is not cluttered with fluff.  It gets right to the point so you can read it and begin implementing Circle Time in your family right away.


This is what is included:

• Planning a Circle Time That Works for You
• Strategies for a Peaceful Time Together
• How to Get Your Kids on Board
• Questions From Moms Like You
• Words of Wisdom From Other Moms Who Do Circle Time
• Resources, Activities, and Ideas
• Printable Planner Sheets

Circle Time is just $4.99. She also has a wonderful page of resources to use in your circle time that can be purchased from outside sources.

I am so excited about using these ideas in our homeschool this year.  I have ordered some of the things she had suggested that I'd never heard of and I've made lists of things we already have here that we can use for our circle time.  From flashcards to read alouds, Bible stories, music and geography...so much we can do together that I hadn't been able to figure out how to fit in.

I recommend you check it out!

I didn't write this review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew, but they also reviewed it and you can read more reviews on the blog.

Curriculum Plans 2013-2014

Choosing curriculum would be great fun with an unlimited budget.  Wouldn't you agree?  I have spent weeks narrowing down my choices trying to use what I have available (so as not to break the bank!) and still try to make my life be manageable.  I am going to try to be more scheduled this year and want to start each day with Circle Time activities.  (Will be posting a review on this soon....love this e-book.)


This is the plan:

Katie-11th/12th grade-

Katie is planning to graduate a year early and has been working toward this.  This is the reason she has more than one English course

Bible-Notgrass World History

History-Notgrass World History

English-Notgrass World Literature, LLATL British Literature, IEW-SWI and the Elegant Essay

Foreign Language-French (still deciding on this)

Science-Chemistry 101

Math- Geometry PACES

Music- pipe organ lessons/theory

Ryan-8th grade

Bible- New Testament Workbook

Math- Teaching Textbooks(finish last year's book) then No Nonsense Algebra

History-Truth Quest with Map Trek

Geography-Trail Guide to Geography

Language Arts-LLATL gray

Writing-SWI and IEW History

Science-Apologia Physical Science

Penmanship- still looking

Computers- Homeschool Programming

Emma-5th Grade

Bible-God's Great Covenant
Math- Saxon Math 65
Science-Apologia Human anatomy
History-Truth Quest with Map Trek
Geography-Trail Guide to American Geography
Writing-IEW SWI and American History
Language Arts-Learning Language Arts through Literature-purple
Cursive- still looking
Computers-Homeschool Programming
Music- piano lessons/theory/composer study


Connor-6th Grade 

(Connor is in the 6th grade but has Down syndrome and doesn't do typical 6th grade work.)


Language Arts- IEW Primary Arts of Language
Math-Touch Math
History/Geography- Modified Truth Quest
Science-Modified Apologia (and Circle Time stuff)
Penmanship-HWOT and PAL


Jenna-2nd grade


Bible-ABC Bible Verses, club verses, Your Story Hour
Math- 1st/2nd Grade Math workbook
Science- Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology with Junior Notebooking Journal
History/Geography-American People & Nation workbook, Geography games and activities, Truth Quest read alouds
Language Arts- First Start Reading workbooks, All About Spelling, Cursive First and HWOT, PAL, SWI writing
Health/PE- daily exercise and Healthy Me

We'll likely include some unit studies from Five in a Row, Homeschool Share, and Download N Go.

Ellie-K

Christian K workbook(covers all subjects)
IEW-PAL
Circle Time activities
Unit studies

Sadie-Pre-K

Circle Time
Five in a Row, Before Five in a Row, Homeschool Share



** Health and PE will also be something that each child will have this year.

Linked up at Our Homeschool Reviews and iHomeschool network's Not Back to School blog hop

Menu Plan

Here's my Trim Healthy Mama menu plan for this week. I am on my second week of doing 3 FP days a week in an attempt to move some more weight off.  (For your convenience I have added page numbers which refer to the Trim Healthy Mama book.) Though I am linking this up on Menu Plan Monday and Trim Healthy Tuesdays I am posting this on Sunday because I really prefer a Sun-Sat meal plan.

Sunday

B: (E) Overnight Refrigerator Oats and a Plum
L: (S) Salad with Salmon, Skinny Chocolate (p. 371)
D: (S) Meatballs in a Joseph's Pita, Green Bean Fries
S: (S) Satisfying Sundae

Monday: FP day

B: FP style Pancakes with PB chocolate yogurt and raw strawberry chia seed jam
L: Egg White Wraps with FP tuna, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Seed pudding
S: Cabbage and Chicken with Creamless Creamy sauce (p. 102)
Sn: Chocolate Cake

Tuesday:

B: S style Muffin in Mug, FSF
L: (E) Chicken on Sprouted Bread (p.298) and celery sticks with Light Laughing Cow Cheese, FP Brownie
S: (S) Salad and Chocolate Cake
Sn: (E) Popcorn and Fat Stripping Frappa


Wednesday: FP

B: Lemon Blueberry Muffin in a Bowl, Greek 0% yogurt
L: Light Tomato Soup (p.293) and Chicken sandwich on oat fiber bread, Choco-Mint Pudding (p. 366)
D: Mini-Meatloaves and Vegetables
S: FP Chocolate Cake

Thursday:

B: (E)Baked Oatmeal with blueberries
L:  (S)Salad with salmon, FP brownie
D: (S) Grilled Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower, steamed summer squashes
S: (S) Satisfying Sundae


Friday: FP

B: FP pancakes with Greek 0% and yogurt and berries
L: Zucchini Noodles and Chicken with Creamless Creamy Sauce
D: Joseph's FP pizza, Salad
S: Chocolate cake, Fat Stripping Frappa


Saturday

B: FP style Pancakes with PB chocolate yogurt and raw strawberry chia seed jam
L: Family BBQ
D: Church Potluck
S: FP Chocolate Cake



** Will update these on Monday and Tuesday when new links go live.

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.) This week is found here.

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents  and at Gwen's Nest.

The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder DVD Review

Perhaps you are like me and you grew up watching Little House on the Prairie every Monday night at 8:00 pm.  Or, maybe you are more like my oldest daughter that devoured every book in the Little House series reading them again and again.  I didn't actually read the books until I was an adult.  They are timeless and wonderful. Emma, my 10 year old is just discovering these books for herself and and therefore I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder DVD from Dean Butler of Legacy Documentaries.

This 55 minute long documentary, narrated  and directed by Dean Butler (the actor that played Almanzo in the TV series) details the life of the real Laura Ingalls Wilder. The documentary chronicles not only the childhood but also the adult life of Laura and her family.  I learned so many things about the Ingalls and Wilder families that I didn't know before.  This is a very interesting documentary that the whole family will enjoy (ours did).  It is touching, informative and a must see for anyone even remotely interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder. You will learn how the stories of the Little House on the Prairie came to be.

Bonus features include the Director's Diary with Dean Butler explaining some of the behind the scenes details of making this documentary, and includes trailers of Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura DVD and Pa's Fiddle.

Having grown up watching the series on TV, I found it interesting that Dean Butler pronounces Almanzo differently than they did on TV.  It turns out, it is supposed to be pronounced Al-man-zo (like the word man)....hence the nickname, Manly....now it all makes sense. :)  Read more about that here.

Highly Recommended!

Watch the trailer.

You can purchase Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder DVD for $24.95.  This is a no risk purchase as they offer a 30 satisfaction guarantee.

See what others on the crew are saying about Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder DVD  and Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura DVD on the crew blog.

Trim Healthy Mama-Week 24

This is my 23rd week of Trim Healthy Mama. We started this week finishing a week of vacation.  We got back on Tuesday.  Starting Wednesday I am going to try doing 3 FP days a week.  Since I couldn't start on Monday I'll do 2 days this week (Wed. and Friday).

Friday-
I spent the entire day walking around at a theme park.

Breakfast- (S) 2 Fried Eggs, cucumber slices
Lunch- (E) Chicken on Sprouted Bread, Light Laughing Cow Cheese, 1/2 cucumber, FP brownies
Snack- (FP) Chocolate Cake
Supper-(S), Chicken Salad in Joseph's Tortilla, Skinny Chocolate
Snack- (FP) 37 cal. brownie



Saturday

Breakfast-(F) Greek Pudding with Blueberries
Lunch-(E) Nicey Ricey Salad with Quinoa and Tuna
Supper-(S) (dinner out) Salad Bar, Burger (no bun) and veggies (I did have some off plan croutons), Skinny Chocolate
Snack-(E) 100 calorie popcorn

Sunday-

Breakfast-(E) Lemon Baked Oatmeal
Lunch-(S) Salad with Salmon packet cooked in VCO, EVOO and balsamic, Berry Cobbler
Supper-(S) Joseph's Pita with 1 slice deli ham, chicken and a slice of provolone, FP chocolate cake
Snack-(E) Popcorn and about 3/4 of FSF


Monday-

Breakfast-(S)2 Fried Eggs and sauteed summer squash/zucchini
Lunch- (S) (out to eat) hamburger (no bun) with lettuce, tomato, pickle and a side of broccoli
Snack- (FP) Chocolate cake and celery with a Light Laughing Cow Cheese
Supper- (S) Quesadilla with Chicken, ham and cheese, 1/2 cup Greek 0% yogurt and blueberries
Snack- (S) Cake in a Mug (I honestly think I like the FP choc cake more)

Tuesday-

Breakfast- (S) 2 Fried Eggs with some egg whites (using up the end of a carton) in a Joseph's pita and a cucumber
Lunch- (E) Chicken on Sprouted bread, celery stuffed with a light laughing cow cheese, 1/2 cucumber,
Snack-(FP) Chocolate cake
Supper- (S) Summer Squash, Zucchini and Green Beans with some chicken
Snack-(S) Reese's Whip with 2 Brazil Nuts, a little chopped Lily's chocolate, 3 strawberries and a squirt of FF Reddi-Whip

Wednesday- (weighed in for the first time since vacation at 1.8 above my lowest)

Breakfast- FP pancakes with 1/3 cup Greek 0% yogurt and fresh strawberries
Lunch- Egg White Wraps with Tuna
Snack-FP Chocolate Cake with Swiss Laughing Cow light cheese sweetened with xylitol and a tiny bit             of Polaner All Fruit...topped with a squirt of Fat Free Reddi-Whip (amazing!)
Supper-Cabbage and Chicken in Creamless Creamy Sauce, Choco-Mint Pudding
Snack-Greek 0% yogurt and strawberries



Thursday-

Breakfast- (E) Crunchy Coconut Granola with Greek Yogurt and Strawberries
Lunch-(S) Summer Squash/Zucchini sauteed in grassfed butter and chicken.
Snack-(FP) Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
Supper-(S) Crabby Patties and Cucumber Slices
Snack-(FP) Chocolate Cake

Linking up with Trim Healthy Tuesdays at Stacy Makes Cents where this week she shares a cottage cheese omelet recipe and at Gwen's Nest where she shares a recipe for Portobello Pizzas.

* My weight loss has been a process.  I've been on my weight loss journey since October 2010.  I have not lost this much weight since starting THM.  You can read this post to read more about how I lost the first 100 lbs.