Whatever Wednesday!

*Note: I wrote this yesterday, but forgot to post it. Forgive me.

I haven't checked my Google Analytics in a few weeks, so I logged on today, knowing it was Wednesday.

Blog Stats
I have 205 hits this week, and 40 of them were from googling the TV shows or actors mentioned in my DVR post! I also had one person land here after googling "telephone ben naslund". Um...What? Who is Ben Naslund? Is he related to the infamous Chloe Naslund (who still gets me a hit or two a month)?  Out of curiosity, I googled Ben Naslund. I found nothing. I do not think he exists.

"Recipe" of the Week
Last week I got an email and two Facebook messages asking me to post a quick, easy and tasty dinner idea. So, here is one of our "go to" dinners that fit all the criteria AND is budget friendly.
Chicken & Avocado Quesadillas

Low-Carb Tortillas
Avocados (1/2 an avocado per Quesadilla)
Low-Fat Mexican Blend Cheese
Chicken
Whatever seasonings you like on your chicken

I marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes in the mix we've "perfected" to our liking. For me, that's Fajita marinade, garlic powder, a little lime juice, a splash of tequila and adobe seasoning. Ryan is probably going to kill me for giving away our secret, but I didn't share how much of each we use. You'll have to decide what you like. ;)  Then, I grill the chicken, and chop it. 

To assemble my quesadilla, I like to do cheese first, then avocado, then chicken with a little more cheese to bind it all together. I "fan out" my avocado so I get a little in every bite. If you ask my close friends, they will tell you, I am slightly obsessed with avocado.

Here is the finished product!

Mmmmm...now I want one. Anyway, I feel super cheesy for typing this out in "recipe" form...but the people asked! Enjoy!

Random Ramblings from Rachel

This is dedicated to Ryan's Grammie. (His Maternal Grandma in AZ.) She emailed me recently about Ryan's current "look". She prefers a clean cut Ryan. And while I prefer the rugged Ryan, he wanted a change so I gave him a hair cut, and he saved off his facial hair. The rest of the night I couldn't stop looking at him cause he looked SO different to me! He did need a hair cut...it was getting pretty shaggy, but I miss the goatee. ;)

Here you go Grammie! Ryan's before and after:

What do YOU think?!

10 TV Shows You Will Find on my DVR - The Summer Edition

So, Holly recently blogged about 5 shows you would find on her Tivo. Sometimes I have to steal Holly's ideas because she is a blogging genius. (Or a genius in general.) Now, Holly only listed 5. Good for her. That means she isn't a TV addict like I am.  My DVR is always full. Ask my husband.

Because I am a self-confessed TV addict, I have to do a Summer Edition for now...and will do a Fall Edition in the Fall. I also have to list 10, because, well, I watch a lot of TV. That's not to say I only watch these 10 shows. Quite the contrary. But, these are the 10 you will most often find in my DVR during the summer:

Friday Night Lights - I came to the FNL party a few seasons in. My Mom had been bugging me to watch but I had it in my head that it was a stupid show about stupid Texas high school football. Then, one fateful day, she had me over for lunch and turned it on, telling me I wouldn't be fed until I watched. She may have also baited me with Taylor Kitsch. So, I watched it...and I fell in love.

The Closer - Holly picked this one too. Seriously, this show is everything that's great about TV. Great acting, smart story lines, and a great southern belle in Kyra Sedgwick's Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. I have to thank my Mom for getting me hooked on this one, too.

Deadliest Catch - I've never missed an episode of this show. I've been watching it since day one. Of course, this has been a tough season because my favorite fishing family, The Harris', are rocked by Captain Phil's death.

Hell's Kitchen - This show is a guilty pleasure. I don't watch much reality TV, but I love Gordon Ramsey. This season hasn't captured me like the previous season's have, but I still watch it every week.

Burn Notice - I think this is such a fun show. It's kind of a spy meets vigilante storyline and it hooked me from the first episode. This is one I'd say you kind of have to watch from the pilot though.

White Collar - There a million great things about this show...but none better than Matt Bomer. Also catch this one from the pilot, otherwise you might be lost.

Lie To Me - I learn important life lessons watching this show. No seriously. This one also has really smart writing. Plus I love every single actor in the cast.

Rookie Blue - This is a newbie. It's in it's first season, and I won't lie, I originally DVR'ed it because Gregory Smith is on it and I still miss Everwood. Plus, its actually pretty good.

Leverage - This is also a vigilante show. (I have a thing for vigilantes.) Great writing, great cast, fun show. Oh, and Timothy Hutton, who is brilliant.

The Glades - I should mention only one episode of this new show has aired, but I loved every minute of it. I love one-liners that deliver and I chuckled through this whole show. I don't think this show would have worked without Matt Passmore as the main character. He has perfect timing and makes this dramedy (that's a drama that also makes you laugh, FYI) really work.

What do YOU watch in the Summer?

Whatever Wednesday - The Birthday Edition!

My birthday was Monday and I got spoiled ROTTEN, so today's Whatever Wednesday post is going to be 100% about my birthday!

The celebrations started Thursday night - one of my best friends, Kim, also has a July birthday so we had a little joint b-day dinner since we have so many mutual friends. We went to On The Border and just gabbed and grubbed for a few hours! I am so lucky to have such awesome friends!! Here is a shot of the whole group:

L-R: Heather - Our friend from work, Lauren - my BFF from high school, Bridget - one of my closest friends, Me, Brittany - one of our BFFs, Kim - the other b-day girl and Elizabeth - a friend of Kim's from HS who I am now happy to also call a friend :) I love all of these girls SO MUCH!

We had a laid back weekend, though Ryan worked A LOT, then Sunday, my Dad came over for a few hours to hang out and wish me a happy birthday since he was going to be out of town all week. After, we met Ryan's parents for a delicious lunch to celebrate with them.

Richard, Susan, Me & Ryan at Asahi in Flower Mound. It was SO good!

A cute one of just me & Ryan

Monday was my actual birthday. The big 2-7. (Yes, I know. 27 isn't that big, but somehow it feels WAY older than 26!) When I got to work, I opened the door to my office to find this:

THANK YOU Heather & Kim for the decorations :)

Then they treated me to a delicious Tin Star lunch and cupcakes after...

There was an icing incident that sent us all into a fit of giggles.

BUT, we pulled ourselves together long enough to snap a quick pic! THANK YOU girls for making such a big deal out of my birthday!! I love you both!!

After work, I headed home to meet up with Frankie; when I walked in the door he presented me with my gift. He prefaced it by saying he wished it was for him, so I knew it would be good. And it was...

Firefly, the complete series, on BluRay!!!!!

Then we headed to dinner with my Mom. She treated me to dinner at one of my favorite places, BJ's. And even though I told her NOT to get me a gift, she gave me the cutest Winnie the Pooh & Eeyore ornament for my collection! (I LOVE Pooh & Friends. Yes, I am 27 years old.) Ryan had to work late and sadly, he didn't get to join us for dinner :( but when I got home, he had some wonderful gifts waiting for me, even though I had also told Ryan not to get me anything!

Dublin Dr Pepper (DP from the plant in Dublin, TX so it's made with pure cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup and is so, so good), This Is It and my favorite movie EVER The Princess Bride on BluRay, and the most beautiful purple phalaenopsis orchid!

In other words, it was an amazing birthday. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful friends & family. You all made me feel so very special. :)

Whatever Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday! This week is creeping by and I feel like its been Wednesday for days now, haha. In fact, I actually started writing this yesterday until I realized it wasn't Wednesday yet! Awesome.

Let's jump right in to the Recipe of the Week! I really don't have much else to talk about so...here it is!

Barbacoa Beef
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 4 oz
Calories: 161.4 • Fat: 5.0g • Protein: 24.9 g • Carb: 2.8 g • Fiber: 0.7 g

3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
5 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1/2 lime, juice
2-4 chipotles in adobo sauce (I used 4)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground oregano
salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
1 cup water

Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano and chipotles in a blender. Mix in 1 cup water.

Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Place meat in crock-pot, and cover the meat with the blended mixture. If it does not cover the meat completely, add more water and mix well. Add the bay leaves. I cooked it on the lowest setting all day long while I was at work. Like, 7:30-5:30. Just make sure there is plenty of water so it wont boil dry.

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot and add some of the reserved liquid back.

This was SO flavorful and tender. I served this with low-carb tortillas, reduced-fat cheese, and salsa. I had my brother over for dinner when I made it and we all loved it! Definitely a winner and we will definitely make it again. Enjoy!

Locks of Love Update

Because I promised to, here is a quick picture of my hair straightened to show the progress!

I also want to dedicate a little bloggy love to my friend Kinzie Roundy. She made "the big cut" herself recently and donated 12 inches!!! Way to go girl!! 

What I Eat

This post is by request. I've had a handful of Facebook & Twitter direct messages asking me what sorts of things I eat during the day while counting calories. So here you go...

Let me preface this with a little background info. I am hypoglycemic. If you don't know what hypoglycemia is, it's essentially low blood-sugar. This is caused by the over production of insulin which sends my blood-sugar plummeting. When my blood sugar drops, I experience an array of symptoms. It starts with the shakes, then morphs into a headache and nausea. If I let it go on too long (which rarely happens) my symptom progress into fatigue, faintness, dizziness, tingling in my hands & face and in rare cases I experience heart palpitations. Oh, and mood swings. Ryan & my parents wouldn't let me forget those. ;) All that being said - every single one of the food groups is important in my diet. In order to regulate and stabilize my blood-sugar, I need protein, carbs, fruits & veggies, good fats and, yes, sugar. (The one I probably don't always get enough of is dairy, but I'm working on it.)

I have a few "go to" foods that quickly and safely get my blood-sugar back to a normal level. For example, I eat a banana everyday. Another is a "trail mix" granola bar. My favorite is Nature Valley's. It's whole grain oats with almonds, raisins, peanuts and cranberries. This is an "all-in-one" snack; I get protein, carbs, fruit/natural sugar and good fat.

Lately, my food intake has been like this:
Breakfast: (Around 7am) Thomas Whole Wheat Bagel Thins
                 2 tbps Whipped cream cheese
                 6oz Simply Orange juice
                 Coffee

Morning Snack: One banana around 9am
                          Trail Mix bar around 10:30-11am

Lunch: (Around noon) This changes. Usually it's a SmartOnes meal (my favorites are: Rigatoni in Vodka Cream sauce, Three Cheese Ziti, Pasta with Ricotta & Spinach and Fettuccine with Broccoli.)
                                  Sometimes, I do wraps with Spinach Herb or Low Carb Mission tortillas, one 100 cal Wholly Guacamole pack, a couple slices of turkey and a sprinkle of cheese. (Hey! There's some dairy in this meal!)

Afternoon Snack: Grapes & a good handful of almonds OR an Apple w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter usually around 3pm. (See what I do there? I get one fruit/natural sugar with one protein/good fat.)
                            If I'm having a "hungry" day (I have days when I feel like a bottomless pit) I eat a mini bag of Smart Pop popcorn (100 calories for the whole bag).

Then, of course, dinner changes everyday. Many may read this and wonder, if I know "how" to eat, why did I end up over-weight? Well, knowing "how" and doing it are two very different things. Ryan & I love to eat and we tended to cook heavy meals, and I won't lie - I LOVE SWEETS. For years, we just honestly didn't think about what we were putting into our bodies.

So, for the few of you who wanted to know...there you have it. Also, as a little update, I've lost 3lbs since June 24th. That's an average of 1.5lbs a week. Considering I didn't count calories for two days over the 4th of July holiday, I am happy with a 3lb loss. Well, that is, until Ryan told me he's lost 9. Jerk. ;)

Whatever Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had a safe, fun holiday weekend.

Blog Stats
I had visitors from 31 states this week & an all time high at 272 unique hits! I must attribute many of these to Andrew Tinker & Blues Traveler re-tweeting the link to the post about them. So - THANKS GUYS! :D

 I had a good laugh when I checked my google analytics this week. Someone got to my blog by googling "I married a younger man"! Nothing to be ashamed of, random googler! ;)   I also had someone land here by googling "Chloe Naslund'. My apologies if you were trying to track this person down...and found my cat. 


Recipe of the Week
Ryan & I have really been trying to trim our waistlines, so we've been trying recipes that are lower fat/calories. It can be a struggle to find low-cal recipes that are still tasty. I've been looking at several blogs and sites with "healthified" versions of stuff we love. So far, the clear winner this week is this one, which I've tweaked a little to my liking. Ryan & I both loved this, and will definitely make it again.

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce
adapted from Gina's recipe

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 enchilada
Calories: 230 • Fat: 7.3 g • Protein: 20.4 g • Carb: 28.7 g • Fiber: 12.2 g

Chicken and White Bean Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
3 cooked shredded chicken breasts
1/3 can water
1 chicken bullion
1 tsp cumin

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
7 oz can chopped green chile, drained
1 jalapeños, chopped, seaded
1/2 cup light sour cream

3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 medium low carb tortillas
chopped fresh cilantro or scallions (or both!)

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles and jalepeños. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a few good spoonfuls of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and spread to cover. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

*My Notes: We seasoned and grilled the chicken then mixed it into the filling mixture because we love the flavor of grilled chicken. This also cut down on cook time, because while I was make the filling and sauce, Ryan was grilling the chicken, instead of waiting for it to bake in the oven. Also, I smushed the beans up, because Ryan isn't a huge "bean fan". It only needed about 20 minutes in the oven before the cheese was melted. Enjoy!

Andrew Tinker & Blues Traveler

I feel really lucky. I live in an area rich with musical prowess and an abundance of great venues. Last night, I got to take advantage of both. Jack FM, a local radio station, turned 6 this week, and so they threw a giant bash at Gilley's in Dallas. Blues Traveler was headlining, and my friend Andrew Tinker was one of the openers. When Andrew first announced he was playing Gilley's, we immediately started looking into tickets. A day or so later, I got a tweet (that's Twitter, if you didn't know) about getting FREE tickets. I took the chance, and thanks to Andy Chandler of Jack FM/CBS Radio, I secured FREE tickets for 6! So, Ryan & I, Brittany & Jacob, Kim, Frankie and Richard (who already had a ticket) piled into cars and headed to Dallas.

Andrew was up first. [Disclaimer: I've already admitted that Andrew is my friend. His brother, George, is my brother's BFF & roommate, and we've known the Tinker family for 10+ years. Many will think what I'm going to say next is biased. Maybe it is, but I would like to point out that I have friends who are in bands that I would never post about because I like to lead people to good music. Plus, I consider myself one who knows a thing or two about music, seeing as I studied it for many years.] Moving on...there is just something about Andrew Tinker. For as long as I've known him, music is what he lives for, and it shows. If you've heard his album, It Takes the World, then you know he's good. But that's only the tip of the iceberg with Andrew. To see him live is a whole other realm. The whole band melds together perfectly to accentuate his amazing songwriting abilities, and his presence on stage is truly unmatched by any other I've seen that hasn't already "made it". Which leads me to this...he is |thisclose| to blowing up. I can just feel it. It won't be long before he's all over the radio, selling out venues. My point? Go see him NOW. Get in on the ground level. You will not regret it. Speaking of regrets...my only regret? That Andrew played before the second opener, Shurman, who is touring with Blues Traveler. I don't generally "bash" bands, but, they couldn't hold a candle to Andrew Tinker.

Andrew Tinker (click on any of these to see them larger)

By the time Blues Traveler the stage, I was really excited. I've loved them for a long time. I know pretty much every word to every song on their album 'Four'. And, since my dear brother plays a mean harmonica, I was excited to watch him watch them...because let's face it - No one does it like John Popper. Within minutes of them taking the stage, everyone was blown away. To hear his vocal and harp skills on an album is all well and good...but to be standing 10 feet away is something entirely different. Un-freaking-real. Watching this little boy grin on Frankie's face was awesome. At one point he looked at me and said "Can you believe we are seeing this?!" John Popper even tossed a few harmonicas out into the crowd between songs, and I so wished Frankie could have gotten one! I don't want to sell his band short...they were fabulous, too. You have to be, to stand next to Popper. Besides the harmonica legend himself, I really enjoyed the pianist. He was outstanding. And I think I counted at least 4 different keyboards around him. I also really liked the crazy bass the bass player was jammin' on. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I am so glad I can now say I've seen Blues Traveler live.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Me, Brittany & Kim, with a few creepers in the back ground ::coughWilliamTinkercough::

The Husband & I (he loves to make that goofy face...)

The whole group, minus Ryan. L-R: Frankie, Jacob, Brittany, Richard, Kim & me

I hate the look on my face...I was focusing so hard on getting everyone in the shot, I forgot to smile ;)

It was quite a night, and though I am crazy tired today, I am so, so glad we were there.

Whatever Wednesday!

It's Wednesday!
Hi readers!! I am only two days away from a 3-day weekend for Independence Day! Hopefully you all have a 3-day weekend too!

Let's move on, because I am going to devote a lot of this post to MY READERS! :) (I so love saying that!) I try not to stalk Google Analytics, and I do my best to only check it once a week. So, this morning I logged in to check up on who is peeping my humble little blog. Last week (6/23-6/29) I had 171 hits! How exciting! Quick shout out to all the states who visited: TX, CA, CO, MO, WI, NC, KS, UT, AZ, PA, NY, IL, TN & MD! I'm feeling a LOT of love today - bloggy style! I also thought it was interesting some of the google searches that brought people here. This week, people googled "Rachel Naslund", "Newlywed Naslunds", "Emett Bolin", "Andrew Tinker", "Danny Gokey", "American Idol" & "Summer Salad" and stumbled upon this blog.

I want to give a Special Shout-Out to the fansite iheartdannygokey for the love they showed after my post about Danny. I especially want to thank users asics717, Lizzy & Ellen B. for the kind words, and for reppin' my little blog here. Your referral lead to 46 of my hits this week! Thank you!

How about some Random Ramblings from Rachel? I’ve been reading the final draft of a book my friend Kelly Riad wrote, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want to give too much about the story away, because it’s going to be published, and when it is, I want you all to read it for yourselves. What I will tell you is what a beautiful story it is. GLOW, the first book in a series, is a deep, crushing love story (x 2) that finds Emily, a "normal" teen, trying to figure out who she is, getting involved with some new kids in town who are not what they seem. (This is NOT Twilight...don't let the initial feel of the book fool you. There are no vampires or werewolves in this book.) I am enthralled and addicted to this story and these characters and hated it when I found myself coming close to the end of this first book. I slowed my reading, trying to draw the story out,  making it last as long as possible, in fear that Kelly wouldn't grace me with the next book until it’s published as well. Well, she promised to let me read it as soon as it's ready, and I am counting the days!! If YOU want to check out the first few chapters of GLOW (and I know you do!), they are up on Kelly's website.

That's all for today! Have a great Wednesday!

Danny Gokey

THREE posts in one week - what is going on here?! ;)

So, last night my Mom, my Mom's good friend Laura, her daughter (and my friend) Claire & I went to The Glass Cactus in Grapevine to see Danny Gokey in concert. If you don't know who that is, he was on season 8 of American Idol and made it to the top 3. He was 28 when he tried out and had lost his wife to a heart condition only a few months before, but she had always wanted him to try out, so he did and last night talked about how it literally saved his life. Anyway, the show was a lot of fun...despite the fact that he traveled from Nashville and his flight was delayed. He was supposed to go on around 9-9:30 and instead, didn't start until about 10:40!! It was disappointing because I didn't get to stay for the whole thing, since I'm a working stiff, but it was worth it anyway. He also talked a lot about the charity work he has been doing, including the foundation he started in memory of his late wife. He has done a lot in his home town of Milwaukee and in his now home, Nashville. You can learn more about the awesome work he is doing here.

Vocally, he was pristine. He hit every note, right on the money, which is a huge deal to me. Coming from a music background, I often find myself disappointed by an artist's live show. Too many times they are 1/2 of what they seem on their albums. Not Danny Gokey, y'all. (First time I've ever gotten all "Texan" on a post, but seeing as he made a country album, it seemed fitting.) I actually thought he was almost better live. Raw talent. And his stage presence is outstanding. So, if you are a country music fan (mixed with a lot of soul), I highly recommend you pick up his album. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the night!

This is me with Claire, super excited that Danny was taking the stage! I love this girl. I've known her since she was seriously like 5 years old.

Danny Gokey, singing his little heart out! (And by "little heart" I mean giant, loving, unselfish and giving heart, of course.)

This is my favorite of the night. How cute is he?! (Note to self: get Ryan some shirts like this.)

This is one is kind of blurry because he moves and dances around a LOT, but still a good action shot.

Danny, thanks for a great night! See ya next time you're in Dallas...or I'm in Nashville! Whichever comes first! 

What It's Like To Be...Fat

Roll your eyes if you must, but it's true. Over the past 4 years, Ryan & I (emphasis on the I) have gotten fat. Definitely me, more so than Ryan. Ryan is a big guy by nature. He was a scrawny kid, and then filled out through middle school, got scary skinny at the end of high school, then filled out again, sitting at about the same weight (give or take 5 lbs) for the past few years. Not me, faithful friends and readers. I was a normal kid, thin but not too skinny, until middle school. Then I got scary skinny, then through high school maintained a very healthy weight. I gained the "freshman 15" a year later, then 20 more. I maintained that until Ryan & I moved in together. He love to cook, and he's darn good at it. Delicious creations that I wolfed down without consequence...or so I thought. By the time we got engaged, I realized I'd packed on even more weight, and I worked hard to get as much of it off as possible before the wedding...and I did a pretty good job, dropping almost two sizes. (For the record Ryan also worked hard and dropped almost twice as much weight like it was nothing. Jerk.) After the wedding, we both "relaxed" and lost control again. Aaaand again, Ryan hit his "weight wall" which no matter how much he eats, he never seems to exceed. Jerk. Not me, folks. Nope, I kept expanding. Stopped paying attention. Stopped exercising. In turn, stopped shopping for cute clothes. Stopped being in pictures, if I could help it, or started hiding behind people in the shots.

I feel like "the boy who cried wolf" because I've been here before. I wrote about not wanting to be the fat girl who talks about getting skinny. Yet, here I am. Still fat. Still talking about "getting skinny". I looked in the mirror Tuesday and didn't recognize the person looking back at me. I've completely lost myself in this fat suit. My face doesn't look like my face anymore. My body doesn't look remotely like the body I was used to seeing. I. AM. FAT. When I fell off the wagon, I don't know. Why, I don't know that either. But I did, hard. I've gained every pound back, plus some, which is how it happens for me. So, I am starting over again, again. GAH it pisses me off to just type this. I want to shake myself and scream WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! I am NOT happy with myself. I have become this never ending cycle of self-loathing, then eating to fill the whole, then feeling worse, then eating more...its a vicious, never-ending cycle of terrible. Ryan loves me, I know, but I can't tell you last time he told me I looked pretty without being provoked; "Does this look OK?" He used to tell me daily.

This time, I am approaching this differently. I am not going to set crazy goals that seems light years away. When you have as much to lose as I do, the "goal weight" is terrifying and I become easily discouraged because I feel its unattainable. Like I'm setting myself up for failure. And I'm going to start small and work my way up. I will start by eating 1600-1800 calories per day, then cut from there as I lose. For fitness, I am going to start with a walking program called "Walk Away The Pounds". I feel like this will ease me into the world of work-outs and I'll be more likely to stick with it this time...when I throw myself in and find I am not physically capable of what I think I "should" be, I tend to want to quit. From there, I will start the Couch To 5K program. I've never been a runner, but I want to give it a try. It may not be the right program for me, but this time around I won't persecute myself for not being a cookie cutter "exerciser".

At the end of the day, my true goal is to look in the mirror and see the person I FEEL like I am looking back at me. I know I've asked for support before...more than once, and have not succeeded yet, but I will.

 

Whatever Wednesday!

Well, another week has past and I haven't had much to report.

Weekend Wrap-Up!
We had a fun weekend. On Friday, I took my Dad to lunch for Father's Day and had a great time spending time with him, one on one. Then Saturday, we had Ryan's parents over and cooked them lunch to celebrate Father's Day with Richard. Saturday night we met up with some of our good friends, Brittany & Jacob, Jennye & Gavin, Frankie (my brother) and a couple of Gavin's friends to head to Deep Ellum for dinner and some good live music. We ate at Twisted Root burger, always a favorite of ours, then headed over to the bar where our friend Andrew Tinker and his band where playing. Sunday, I was parked on the couch all day with a migraine, so Ryan went to Frankie's apartment for a bit. Here is the Wrap-Up of Saturday in pictures:

Here we are on our way to meet everyone.

On our way to Dallas, Frankie, Brittany and Jacob crammed in the back seat of the Jetta.

At Twisted Root. L-R; Britt, Jacob, Danny, Cody, Gavin & Jennye.

Frankie, and Ryan were on either side of me so, they didn't make it in to the picture.

A friend of Frankie's (and kind of mine) Nate (far left) and his band, The Astronomers

Andrew Tinker (on the piano) and his band! They are so, so awesome.

I don't have any new recipes to share as of this very moment, but hope to be trying lots of new ones soon.

Random Ramblings of Rachel!

Ryan is home sick today. Potentially with the flu. Not good. I hate being sick, I mean who likes it, but I really hate when Ryan is sick. Its hard for me to see my big, strong husband like that and not be able to do anything to make him feel better! And then, of course, as a working person I enter this conundrum of, do I avoid him like the plague so I don't get sick, or do I tend to his every need! Haha. I usually do something between the two. Anyway, I am hoping and praying that a)he gets better fast and that its not the flu and b)that I don't catch it!

Well, that's pretty much all I've got today. So, so boring. Sorry readers. :)

Whatever...Thursday?

Um, its Thursday. Oops. I've really slacked on the blog this week, and I have no valid excuses!

Overdue Weekend Wrap-Up!
Even though its almost to the new weekend, I'll give a brief wrap-up of last weekend. On Saturday, Ryan worked and I did house work until mid-afternoon. Then after dinner, our friends Brittany & Jacob came over and we went to my new obsession, Tappy's, for fro-yo. YUM! If you live in my area, I highly recommend it! After, we came back to our place and watched Sherlock Holmes. It was such a good movie! Ryan & I have a list of BluRays we want to buy and this one definitely made the list! The rest of the weekend was low key...just the way I like it!

This is the most boring 'Whatever' post ever!
I seriously have nothing fun to report. This has been a loooong, boring week. But, I will share a super cute picture of Cooper & Chloe!

Alright, sorry I sucked this week. I'll post again soon...

Whatever Wednesday - The Locks of Love Edition

Wow! Blog entries two days in a row! What is going on here?! ;)

I was checking out my google analytics today and noticed that I had a handful of googlers land here when they searched "Locks of Love", so I decided I should update on my progress. I really wish I'd taken a better "before" picture, when I decided to do LoL one last time. But, here is one from the end of February, right before I started growing it out again.

I know it's hard to see in this picture, but my hair brushed my collar bones.

As of yesterday, it's been exactly 3 months. I snapped a pic this morning to track the progress, but my hair is in its "natural state" (aka curly) in this picture, so I don't think it does justice to the length. I'll take another next time I put forth the time/effort to straighten it. In the meantime, here is the curly hair pic.

See, I'm getting there! My mother-in-law, Susan, is also growing her hair for the cause, so its been neat tracking our "growth" together. I'm hoping before the end of the journey, I can convince some of my other long-haired friends to donate with us. :)

Saint Louis Trip

Well, we are back from this year's Naslund Family Reunion in Saint Louis! It went by much too fast, but we had such a great time! I am just crazy about my extended in-laws! Here's a trip summary:

We left Thursday morning, around 7:30am, to make the drive. It only took us about 9 hours to get there. I think we only stopped once to fill up, grab lunch, pee and get back on the road. (We ate lunch in the car.)

 Ryan was pretty excited, as you can see.

Pausing for the obligatory "car picture".

Friday, everyone else who doesn't live in STL began to arrive, then we caravan-ed over to Marissa's graduation party. Scottie (my bro-in-law) and cousin Josh rode with Ryan & I.

Saturday we celebrated Aunt Peggy's "Sensational 60"th birthday. The restaurant where the party was hosted was really neat, and the foot was amazing.

This is Ryan & his Mom.

L-R: Josh, Ryan, Scott

The Naslund's!

Ryan, me and his Mom

The Hubs & me (Saint Louis is pretty humid, so I had to rock the curls.)

After brunch on Sunday, Aunt Peggy opened all her gifts while the rest of us watched from around the pool.

Ryan getting baby Dublin up from his nap. This picture does not help my serious baby fever...he is such a natural with kids!

Ryan with his precious grandparents. (Clearly, he gets his height from the other side of the family!)

We left to drive home on Sunday afternoon. We had to make a quick pit stop at 17th Street BBQ, which we'd seen on Food Network and The Travel Channel. It was SO worth the stop. It was, hands down, the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. And I've had a lot...

Bye-Bye Saint Louis! We will miss you!

 It took us a bit longer to get home. We were tired, and we stopped more but we made it home very late Sunday night, or early Monday morning, depending on how you look at it! It was an awesome trip, and we are already ready for next year's! :)

Now, to snap back to the "real world"...