Day 21: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

When I was a kid, we used to count to 100 by saying, "1, 2, skip a few, 99, 100." Was that a thing lots of kids did? I don't know, but that's how I thought this whole "posting every day" thing was supposed to go: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, skip a few, 21." It's my mom's fault. She never taught me how to count. Seriously, though, I think it was quite the effort on my part. Completing 12 posts in 21 days ain't too shabby. Maybe you thought since I skipped posts 13 through 20 that I died from lack of sugar.

Well here I am, folks. I'm very much alive. Rich too. He's half alive and half sleeping. Either way, we both survived 21 whole days with no added sugar, and we're better off for it. What's next, you ask? We're not 100 percent sure. We did this half on a whim and half because we wanted to kick start ourselves into a healthier lifestyle. We are now transitioning into a more "clean" style of eating, continuing to leave things white things (sugar, bread, rice, pasta) out of our diet most of the time. I can't pretend that we will never eat pasta, pizza, or a delicious sub ever again. That's just silly. We plan on keeping our diets high in healthy protein and low in bad carbohydrates. Basically, we're  trying to steer clear of processed foods. It's almost identical to what we've been doing for the last 21 days, except now we can add things like pure maple syrup in place of refined white sugar. I seriously can't wait for that because I tried to concoct some "desserts" in the last week or so, and let's just say they were...savory. While I'm not craving anything sweet, I would love a little sweetness in my life.

If you recall, I did hope to lose weight throughout this process. I'm happy-ish to report that I lost about 4 pounds. I can hear you all now: "Oh, wow! That's WONDERFUL!" Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wonderful, schmonderful. Seriously, I would be totally happy with that if I hadn't lost it all within the first week! To know that little tidbit is to know that I did weigh myself through the process. I weighed myself a couple times each week -- I wasn't obsessive or anything. I maintained almost the exact weight (give or take .2 pounds) from day 7 to day 21! That was a bit frustrating, but I will take it. Rich, on the other hand (get ready ladies), lost about 15 pounds. FIF. TEEN. I will say, he had just been on a golfing trip with his buddies before we started this, so I'm sure some of that was "water weight," but still! Like I said before, he was very successful losing weight when on a low-carb diet, so this seemed to be a good "marriage" for both of us. Imagine that! I'm very happy for him.

We actually went grocery shopping together last night which doesn't happen often. As we walked through, we educated ourselves on things we could eat and add to our diets now that the 21 DSD is over. It was a good experience. Overall, the entire 21 days has been a good experience. I would say we definitely had more highs than lows, and it was only really tough in the first few days. I'm glad we did it! We're hoping for many of these habits to stick as we move forward.

Thanks to anyone who followed along while we felt our way through this! You can see the other posts in this series here:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox 

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox 

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox 

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox 

Day 7: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 8: The 21 Day Sugar Detox  

Day 9: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 10: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 12: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 12: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

I didn't post last night since Rich finally got home from his fishing trip. Yahoooo!! Instead of spending time in front of the computer, I spent time in front of his face because I love his face. Going forward, I guess I'll be posting in "real time" instead of being a day late (and definitely a dollar short).

So I feel like this is getting booooring! Blogging is definitely keeping me accountable on the 21DSD, but at this point, all the days are feeling the same. It's still a bit of a struggle, as I deal with some cravings here and there, but overall, there's nothing super extraordinary to report. Therefore, this post's new title will be:

"And I will walk 500 miles, and I will walk 500 more..."

We got our Fit Bit-like walking gadgety things in the mail a couple days ago! Actually, so that I'm giving the company credit, it's called the WalkingSpree Inspire Wireless Activity Tracker. As I explained about a week ago, we were able to purchase these cool little doodads through Rich's company for a discounted rate ($25), and if we walk a certain number of steps per day, he gets a small amount of money tacked on to his paycheck at the end of the month. It's a great concept, especially in terms of keeping heath care costs low.

Here's what the device looks like:

Obviously, it's not the most attractive thing on the planet, but heck, neither am I. You have the choice of either wearing it in a wristband like I am there, wearing it in a clip, or putting it in your pocket naked. I've tried the clip-on pedometer thing before, and it just doesn't work for me. I move around quite a bit at work, so there's just not a good spot for it. Plus, I wear a lot of dresses, so there's really nowhere to put it. Also, I'm certain that if I threw it in my pocket instead of somehow attaching it to my body, I'm sure I'd lose it.

It doesn't seem to do quite as much as the Fit Bit, but I don't really have any first hand experience with the Fit Bit either. I did a small amount of research on the Fit Bit products this summer, and I never really wanted to spend $100 on what I was calling a "glorified pedometer." The Fit Bit claims to monitor your sleep patterns, which sounds really cool, but I don't know how much I'd really get into that. Like the Fit Bit, there's an app for this Walking Spree version, but it's only available for iPhone 4s and above. I still have the 4, but I'm hoping to change that when the 6 comes out. We'll see. On the website, users have access to an activity tracker, a food tracker, and a body tracker. For $25, I can't really complain. Today is my first full day wearing it, and so far, I've walked 5,705 steps. 10,000 is my goal per day.

 

I'm not too sure about these points and raffle tickets, but I'm sure it has something to do with prizes or money Rich can win if we can manage to rack up the right number. 

There's also a leader board. I spray painted the names to protect the innocent, but you can see how it might be motivating to compete against your co-workers. Check out that person in 1st place who has walked 240 miles in the month of August! I don't understand how the person in 5th place has covered more distance in less steps than the person in 4th place (maybe they take other types of workouts into consideration?), but I'm sure I'll figure it out as I go.

A friend from work asked me last night if I wanted to walk one or two days after work this Fall. I said 100% yes! This bracelet has magical powers. As soon as I put it on, I wanted to walk 500 miles and 500 more. It gets crazy busy the first few months of school, but hopefully we can get on a schedule of walking a day or two together so that we can help one another along. Walking with friends can be so beneficial: it's motivating, it's uplifting, and it's a chance to spend quality time with someone you care about. What more could you ask for?


Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 7: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 8: The 21 Day Sugar Detox 

Day 9: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 10: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 10: The 21 Day. Sugar Detox

As I explained, day 9 was the roughest one I've had yet. I'm grateful that I didn't eat an entire bag of chips, but it could have been baaaad! Today was better! I worked again, but I think since it was my third full day back in a row, I was less tired at the end of the day than I was the two days before. After work, I had enough energy to clean the house a bit, do some laundry, cut the grass, and cook dinner. Speaking of dinner, I made baked chicken strips! They were yummy!! I also had only one string cheese stick and one green apple as before/after dinner snacks. Baby steps, people.

Really, all I can look forward to is Rich coming home. He's been gone since last Friday and intermittently all August. I can't wait to spend some time with him before the madness starts. Also, I'm bored out of my mind. Even Carly is bored.

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 7: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 8: The 21 Day Sugar Detox 

Day 9: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 9: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Nine rhymes with whine, and that's what I'm about to do. I was feeling snacky earlier. I know that's not  a word, but that's how I was feeling. I had a day about on par with what I have been having -- good, fine, eating, doing, fine. However, for the last two days, I have felt more tired than I have lately. I feel like it must be because I've been back to work this week. I guess I can't attribute it all to working, but I have worked two full days in a row. I know, I know, for all of you non-teachers out there that sounds terrible; but I'm not complaining. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. Am I tired because of my detox, or am I tired because I've been working? Honestly, I think it's the working. I'm aware that extended time off work sounds like heaven to many of you, but my point is that when you do have extended time off, working (even if it's light) tuckers ya out.

So the book suggests that on day 8, I might "want a cookie." That one made me laugh. If I knew I wouldn't sabotage what I've already accomplished, I would probably accept a cookie right now, but I could also probably (definitely) live without it. I'd really like a potato chip or two, though, and (ask my mom) I don't even really like potato chips. The book also says I may slip-up or have temptation to eat off-plan foods. Well I think (I know) I slipped up a little. Trust me, it was absolutely not intentional. On my recent grocery store trip, I picked up a packet of taco seasoning. There's your first clue. I read the ingredients as I knew I can't have "traditional" taco seasoning out of a packet. Cayenne pepper this, sea salt that...yep, we're good to go. Flash forward a couple days to moments after I sprinkled it on my ground beef. CANE SUGAR! What the heck? I swear I read the ingredients! At that point, I didn't care. I was hungry. So, I made my taco salad and I ate every last bite. Now, let's be clear. I ate a miniscule amount of the stuff. In fact, there's less than a gram of sugar in 1/12 of the packet, and I only used half of the packet on an entire pound of beef. I do feel guilty, but I'm not dying or anything.

The book suggests that on Day 9 (which is the day I'm actually on), I might feel like, "I'm getting tired of the food I'm eating." That's half true. I honestly feel like I've had a variety of foods throughout the last week and a half. I've had lamb, chicken, bacon, beef, eggs, loads of vegetables, some fruits, some delicious smoothies, and a nice amount of cheese. I can't exactly say I'm tired of the food I'm eating, but I can say that tonight, I wanted to add a couple foods into the mix. Like I said earlier, I would have welcomed a potato chip or two into my life. It was my husband who saved me. Sort of. I told him I was feeling snacky, and he told me to have some cheese or nuts (both of which I'd already had a bit of today). I heeded his advice, I sure did. I had 4 (four) -- F-O-U-R -- string cheeses! I almost couldn't stop myself. I might have gone for the fifth if I didn't know what was good for me. Instead, I ate a green apple. Four string cheeses and a green apple, people! I know, I know, it's not like I opened a bag of chips and ate the whole thing, but still! It was quite a binge and I didn't like it! Well, I liked the cheese, but not the binge.

Aiy yai yai...Is work stress already getting to me? I guess this is a taste of what life will be like for the next few months during my "busy season." Back to reality.

Crap

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 7: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 8: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 8: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Hi, there! Face here! And you're watching Nick Jr.! Does anyone remember that from back in the day? Well, I do, and it seems like every time I'm beginning one of these detox posts, that's how I want to do it. Anywho, I am at the brink of the end of my 8th day on the 21 Day Sugar Detox, and I've lived to tell the tale. My tale is really boring. I'm so very lonely without Rich -- he's still on Lake Michigan fishin' for salmon -- that my life currently consists of waking, cooking/preparing and eating, working/cleaning/shopping/galavanting, cooking and eating, watching TV, cooking and eating, walking, blogging, and sleeping.  I put the "duh" in dull.

Today was my first kinda real day back to work. I went in around 7 a.m. and got next to nothing done before the new freshmen showed up for orientation. They are babies! Each year, I forget how tiny many of them are, and how much some of them change over the course of a school year. I saw one girl today (who is actually going to be a senior) who I had as a student for 2 years. I remarked how she looks different, but I just couldn't put my finger on why. After thinking about it, I realized it was just because she's maturing. She has the look of a young woman rather than a teenage girl. That's one of the cool parts about my job. Would you like me to tell you one of the sucky parts? I'll save that saga for later. But I digress.

I had a pumpkin spice smoothie for breakfast. I really like that one better than the apple pie one. It's got more umph, more flava. For lunch, I had leftover crustless quiche, some walnuts and almonds, and some cheese. For a snack before dinner, I ate a less-than-stellar grapefruit. I was so disappointed when I opened it because I could tell it was going to be crappy. It was light orange in color -- not ruby red like I was hoping for. Are there different types of grapefruit? Please don't judge me for asking that. I really just want to make sure I look out for the red kind next time I buy. Too bad I have a sack of em' sitting on my counter. Anyway, for dinner I made creamy mushroom soup using some of the leftover bone broth I made last week. I am so excited about that bone broth. It's already been used to make two meals, and I plan to use it for another later this week! The mushroom soup was delicious. I just ate half of an avocado with salt n' peppa on the side. Yum-o.

After dinner, I took a good walk with Carly -- just over 3 miles. Carly wasn't nearly as good tonight as she was yesterday. Shoo, doggie. Literally. On our walk we encountered 1 toad (that I had to jump over), 12 rabbits (ugh), and 1,000,001 dogs a' barkin'. My little girl was overstimulated to say the least. But, if her laying next to me half passed out is any indication, I tired her out. I plan to take over the world next.

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 7: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 7: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Guess what! I'm still alive. Rich too. After 7 whole days with no sugar, I'm still standing. My skin is all still attached, my bones feel like they're in pretty good shape, and I can still see with my eyes. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I survived an entire week with no added sugar whatsoever! I'm celebrating with an imaginary sugar-filled cake. With strawberries on top. And whipped cream. No peanuts, please.

The last week has been a bit of a roller coaster. As you may recall, I experienced a bit of a blood-sugar breakdown, and felt a little woozy poozy during a couple mornings this week. That, however, was the worst of it. I really haven't missed the sugar a whole lot. I can't say I don't have cravings. Do I get the occasional urge for some dark chocolate? Yup. Does my mouth water a little when I'm listening to a podcast about the origins of ice cream? Heck yeah. Does the thought of bread make me want to jump through the roof? Well, I wouldn't take it that far, but you get my point.

After a week with no sugar, I feel like I can do another week without sugar. I certainly don't want to live without it for the rest of my life, but I feel like I could maintain this as a regular thing with maybe a sweet treat here or there.

Rich? He's got this on lock. He's dabbled in low-carb diets before. I take that back. Rich has rocked the socks off some low-carb edibles in the past. He lost about 40 pounds at one point. While this certainly isn't a low-carb diet (far from it), some of the staples of the diet are very much the same. For example, one should really stay away from bread in both instances. Ice cream? Nuh uh. Can I offer you a handful of almonds? Sure, I'd love some! However, whilst away on his fishing trip, the guys have been fishing on and off with little sustinance along the way. Because of this, they stopped for Wendy's hamburgers at around 11 p.m. last night. He assured me it was out of necessity, and I believe him. He told me it tasted like there was sugar dumped on top of the burger! Whoa! This is totally because of the detox! Crazy, no? He said it got him to thinking that maybe sugar and salt are somehow connected. For example, his uncle adds lots of salt to everything he eats. Rich wondered if people add salt to counteract the amount of sugar in the processed foods we eat. I'm no expert (in fact, I really can't elaborate because I'm still twisting the idea around in my brain), but it seems to have some merit. What do you think?

As I mentioned, I completed my meal planning and grocery list last night. I made another trip to Trader Joe's today. I asked on Facebook for recommendations of good places to by good quality meats and produce. I got a ton of great suggestsions (thanks to everyone), but I decided to go to Joe's because I'm comfortable there. I know what I can get, and I know what I'm getting is good stuff. I'll have to do a little more research and a little more shopping around. I'd really like to stay a little closer to home.

I took 2 long walks today (about 2.5 miles each), so that was great for my mind and body. Carly can sometimes be a chore on walks. She loves her some bunnies. Because of that, I'm sometimes reluctant to go for walks which in turn holds me back. She was actually very good today! I was so pleased. I think my little girl is growing up! :)

I'm looking forward to week 2 to see what it brings! Student orientation is tomorrow and Tuesday, so I'll be getting my first look at the students I'll be seeing more than my family come September. As I get busier, it will become increasingly difficult to post my thoughts and feelings, but I'd really like to continue because it provides me with a lot of motivation. It's a great outlet, and knowing that I'm writing it down keeps me way more accountable.

Check out other posts in this series:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 6: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Here we are again, ladies and gentlemen. Day 6 of the 21 Day Detox is coming to a close. As I explained, yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day for both Rich and I. Today there is nothing too exciting to report because it has been very much the same. No moodiness, no low blood sugar, no "flu-like" symptoms. In fact, the book suggests that the cold and flu-like symptoms should begin to subside today. I'm happy to report that the book has been pretty accurate thus far. I struggled a tiny (very tiny) bit with snacking today. What I mean is I wanted to snack, but resisted as much as possible. I did munch on some almonds and a couple walnuts here and there, but that's about it. Breakfast today was another applie pie smoothie, lunch was a fresh salad and albacore tuna mixed with celery, jalepenos, and homemade mayonaise, and dinner will be wild caught salmon topped with a "no-honey mustard" sauce and pecans. I haven't tried it yet, but it sure sounds yummy. I haven't heard much from Rich today since he's on his fishing trip, but he did say he got to sleep in which was "glorious." I'm happy he's happy.

I think the biggest struggle today and tomorrow will be meal planning for next week. Many of you know that I hate, hate, hate to grocery shop, so the planning stages are always the toughest for me. Just like with any new diet, one has to be really on top of their game in order to make sure the right foods are ready when it's time to cook and eat. Otherwise, some serious downward spiraling can occur. I plan to sit down tonight or tomorrow morning to make a grocery list. It should be slightly easier this time around since I now know some of the things I really like, some of the things I really don't like, and what does and doesn't work for us. I'm feeling positive, so I hope to keep that up.

One thing I'd really like to accomplish before I get too deep into this is to type up or copy my favorite recipes and meal plans and put them in a "favorites" binder. That way, I won't have to carry around the books like they're made of gold anymore. It's just something I know will take a bit of time, so I continue to put it off. Gotta get on that.

I'm hoping to update daily, if for no other reason than to document my thoughts and feelings throughout the 21 days. I hope you'll come back and cheer for me along the way.

Check out other posts in this series:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 5: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

What up?! Tonight marks the end of day 5 (5!) of The 21 Day Sugar Detox for Rich and I. I, for one, am feelin goooood. Rich, for two, is feeling pretty dang good himself. Both of us had to rise and shine at 4:30 a.m. this morning because he was heading straight from work to a fishing trip with his dadio. Since the plan was for his dad to pick him up, I had the fortunate job of driving him the 32 minutes to work! Why so early, you ask? Some blockhead scheduled a meeting with the Mexico office at the butt crack of dawn. (Rich is the blockhead.) Before we got on the road, I whipped up a couple breakfast smoothies (applie pie). I had absolutely no signs of lightheadedness and I didn't feel a bit queasy this morning. We were both exhausted, but that's to be expected for waking up at 4:30 in the mornin'. I didn't really talk to him much all day, save for annoying him with a few questions about the Walking Spree program at work. I was attempting to order us a couple wristband health gadgety things (much like a Fit Bit) that connect to your computer/smart phone and track your steps, calories burned, activity levels, etc. Through his company, we can buy them for 25 bucks and if we average so many steps a day, he'll get an extra bit of money tacked onto his paycheck. We're walking anyway, so we might as well take advantage of it. I got them ordered, and we should be receiving them sometime next week!

Lunch for both of us was leftover chicken soup and a mixed salad. The soup was even better reheated. The broth turned out so good and flavorful. I'll definitely be making that again. Around midday, I had to head out to run some errands before heading out to have dinner with my cousin, Michelle. She was making tacos, so I adapted by bringing lettuce to make a salad. I stopped at the store and bought an avocado to add to the mix, and I also picked up some no-sugar-added-salsa. (It was Wholly brand -- the same company that makes Wholly Guacamole -- which is an approved brand on the 21DSD.) Full fat cheese (in moderation) is acceptable, so I piled that on along with some jalepenos. Yum-o. There's nothing better than a good taco salad. The visit was great simply because I got to spend some quality time with one of my favorite girls. However, it was a bit of a struggle for the second night in a row to resist the temptation of snacking on tortilla chips. But honestly? I don't know if it's because I'm uber focused right now, or if it's because my cravings are shrinking like they're supposed to, but it really hasn't been too difficult. On the Rich front, he reported that he enjoyed the soup and salad for lunch, and had a Western omelette that included ham, cheese, green pepper, red pepper, bacon and sausage for dinner. Not too shabby as all of that is basically approved for the 21DSD. I say basically because the meat was almost certainly not grass fed, but all the veggies are on the YES list.

I currently have lots and lots of energy. For some reason, I'm tending to have more energy at night than throughout the day. I called Rich on my way home from Michelle's, and he said he was also feeling great. He said he expected to be tired during the day, but he was pleasantly surprised. He remarked that he thinks we've "made it through the hardest part," but I'm not sold yet. I think some of the toughest days to come. Time will tell. I'm so glad we're both feeling positive, though. Speaking of how we're feeling on Day 5, the book says we may experience, "headaches starting to clear and fewer cravings, or struggles with temptation and slip-ups if you're unprepared and hunger sets in." I'd say right now we find ourselves safely in the "headaches starting to clear and fewer cravings" zone. Speaking of symptoms, my heartburn went away last night. I actually took 1 Tums tablet with 1 gram of sugar because my heart was a-burnin' something fierce. I'm sure they're are more natural sugar-free remedies out there, but at this house, tum-tum-tum-tum-Tums are tried and true. I'll look more into alternative possibilities in the future.

I'm hoping to update daily, if for no other reason than to document my thoughts and feelings throughout the 21 days. I hope you'll come back and cheer for me along the way.

Check out other posts in this series:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 4: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Hey, y'all! Tonight marks the end of day 4 of The 21 Day Sugar Detox for Rich and I. While 4 days doesn't seem like a lot, it's more than half of a week, and I'm pretty excited about the progress I've made! The book suggests that we may experience, "mood changes, minor skin irritation, or breakouts." As for me, I most definitely experienced a little mood swinginess today. It wasn't terrible, but I could feel myself getting grumpy. So here's the story: I woke up early and felt a bit of the same low blood sugar thing I had going on yesterday. Because I was expecting it, and because it wasn't too bad, it was hardly a problem. Rich left for work and I did a little cleaning until a teacher friend picked me up so we could go into work for a bit and start getting things organized for the new school year. The day went smoothly. Early in the day, Rich called me since he had some time to kill between meetings. He remarked that even though he felt a little light-headed and tired, he is just generally in a better mood lately. I think that's great. Work tends to stress him out, so I'm on board for anything that can help. By about 2:00, I had gotten enough work done that I felt okay walking out the door. However, my energy was waning. By that time, I had eaten 2 eggs, a banana, some nuts and an avocado. My friend was nice enough to drop me off at the car dealership since my car was finished being repaired. I walked up to the cashier's window and handed her my credit card. Then she asked me for my ID. I checked my wallet and realized I didn't have it. Ugh. Remember that long walk I went on with Kim yesterday? My ID was the pocket of the pants I was wearing yesterday along with my debit card. Crap! There was nothing the lady could do (understandable), so I called my mom who came and saved the day (par for the course). She picked me up, we went to my house to get my cards, and we went back to the dealership to finish the transaction. Finally, I drove away with my car. I can't really describe how I was feeling throughout the ordeal. I wasn't mad, but I was frustrated. My mood was definitely a-swingin'. I suppose that's somewhat to be expected when going through such a thing, but I'm going to attribute it to being both a normal reaction and a side-effect of the 21DSD.

Once I was finally home, I got to work on dinner tonight: chicken soup with homemade dill crackers. The broth actually stewed in the crockpot for about 20 hours! That's the first time I attempted something like that, so I was pretty excited at the results. Basically, you mix about 2 pounds of bones (any kind), 16 cups of water, 10 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of salt together in a crock pot and let it simmer on low for a looooong while. When it was done, I did add some more salt, but not a ton. I whipped up the dill crackers and added the chicken and veggies to the broth closer to meal time. The dill crackers were okay. I used coconut oil to make the dough, but I should have used butter or ghee. They turned out pretty "sweet" due to the coconut which wasn't a super awesome combo with the chicken soup. I was really excited to put anything that tasted remotely like a cracker in my mouth. Too bad, so sad.

Actually, tonight was the night of my crockpot recipe exchange, which is why I chose to make the soup. (I cheated a bit by not making the entire meal in a crockpot, but that's okay.) Unfortunately, I couldn't really enjoy much of anything except the chicken soup at the exchange, so that was a bummer. The best part was getting together with my favorite colleagues before all we can talk about are students and pre tests and marking periods and lesson plans and staff meetings and open house and doooooooooooom.

Other than my mild "mood swings," I can also report a bad case of heartburn. I've had it for a few days, ever since eating the beef and bacon cottage pie leftovers. (The spices resemble the taste of Worcestershire sauce.) In general, though, I'm definitely ending the day on a good note. In fact, I'm feeling more energetic now at 10:00 p.m. than I was at 3:00 p.m. Do you think it has something to do with the car sitch?

I'm hoping to update daily, if for no other reason than to document my thoughts and feelings throughout the 21 days. I hope you'll come back and cheer for me along the way.

Check out other posts in this series:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 3: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Tonight marks the end of day 3 of The 21 Day Sugar Detox for Rich and I. We had another successful day! The book says we should be thinking, "Am I going to make it through this?" Sure, there has been a little bit of uneasiness today, but I never questioned whether I'd get through it. In fact, I spent some time with my cousin, Kim, who has a wheat allergy. (She's also a teacher -- yay for similar schedules!) As we so often do, we went for a long walk (3.5 miles), and we got to talking about things she can (and cannot) eat. She's also trying to lose a bit of weight and is having a go at a high-protien, low-ish carb diet right now. Because of the 21DSD, Kim and I are eating many of the same things. Many staples on a gluten-free diet really mirror the staples on the 21DSD (almond and coconut flours, fresh fruits and vegetables, and so on). I think just being around someone who is of the same mind set (both in diet and weight loss) really helped me to get through the day. Another thing that really does help is the support I'm getting from people on Facebook. Many people have liked my posts and several have commented either asking for recipies* (more on that later, gater), giving encouragement, or asking questions. Having that support, whether it be face-to-face or online, has been really uplifting. So thanks!

While neither of us really felt that the 21 days would never end, Rich is still craving diet soda something fierce. He's an avid...avid soda drinker (really he likes most varieties of drinks), so living without it has been tough for him. Especially since I bought three 12-packs of soda about a week ago! The book also points out that you may experience "fatigue, cold- and flu-like symptoms, low blood sugar, or self-doubt. Day 3 is the beginning of some of the hardest days for most folks!" Ouch. Okay, so most of that wasn't true for either Rich or I, but I certainly had some flu-like symptoms/low blood sugar issues early in the morning. I got up with Rich to make him a breakfast smoothie, and all of a sudden I felt a little like I was going to throw up. Then I felt a lot like I was going to throw up. Feeling like this in the morning on occasion is actually nothing new to me (I'm convinced I have some sort of equilibrium/temperature regulation issue), but I knew it had to have had something to do with cutting sugar completely. out. of. my. diet! I never threw up thankfully. I just nicely requested that Rich not touch me as he was so sweetly trying to do and sweated it out for a few minutes. After that, I was good to go. I drank a smoothie of my own (pumkin spice) and felt much better.

For lunch, we both had leftover beef and bacon cottage pie (yum x 2!), and for dinner I made lemon chicken with artichoke hearts and broccoli on the side. Honestly, the recipe didn't sound or look that fabulous to me from the start, but I'm all about experimenting my way through this. In the end, my instincts were right: neither of us really liked it all that much. Rich said it just tasted like "chicken and vegetables." Booooring! Especially for the amount of work I put into it (not a ton, but enough for it to be better than "chicken and vegetables"). After dinner, we went on another nice long walk (2 miles) and shortly after headed in for bed. All in all, it was a good day.

I'm hoping to update daily, if for no other reason than to document my thoughts and feelings throughout the 21 days. I hope you'll come back and cheer for me along the way.

Check out other posts in this series:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

*I mentioned I would elaborate more on the recipies thing. I'm still researching what I can and cannot publish on my personal blog. While I know very few people read it, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to the woman (and the village of people who helped her) who wrote and published these books. I'd love to share the recipes with everyone as I know it must be frustrating to read how delicious the meals are and not get a chance to try it yourself, but I want to make sure to do it the right way. I'm looking into it, but in the mean time, because many of you have asked me for the recipe for the beef and bacon cottage pie, I will type it out and private message you on Facebook with it. That, I believe, is just fine and dandy since I'm just sharing a single recipe with a couple friends (something I could do if we were both sitting on my couch talking about it). Either way, thanks for your interest. I hope you continue to follow my journey. P.S. Rich also shared that he was a "little light-headed and tired," but he also said, "that means it's working." Every cloud has a silver lining! :)

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Tonight marks the end of day 2 of The 21 Day Sugar Detox for Rich and I. We had another successful day! The book I purchased suggests we will either feel that "this isn't so bad" or we'd feel like, "will this get easier?!" We are both definitely in the "this isn't so bad" camp. Also suggested in the book is that we might feel "no symptoms at all, or headaches, mental fogginess, or hunger." Well, I can't say that I wasn't hungry at all today (helping my mom dig out of her flooded basement was pretty physical), but I don't expect to feel stuffed on the second day of a life-style change when I'm watching every ounce of food that goes into my body. Rich even remarked that he's feeling great. He says he was in a good mood at work today, which is the opposite of how he's felt for the past few weeks. Crankypants. (Update: I just heard him open the refrigerator and groan. When I asked, "What?" he replied, "I'm thirsty." That's code for, "I want a soda!"

Our dinner tonight was fabulous. We had Beef and Bacon Cottage Pie (a recipe from the cookbook). It consisted of bacon and beef (obviously), green beans, carrots, onions, butternut squash, and a delish spice mix that's also featured in the cookbook. I only included about half of the spice mix for fear of it being too intense, and it turned out great. Rich even approved of the butternut squash, a vegetable he's never tried before and actually side-eyed when I showed him the casserole. I told him he had to try it, but he could scrape it off if he didn't like it. I'm happy to report that he loved it!

I have nothing to report on the weight-loss front, as I'm resisting the urge to weigh myself at all throughout the 21 days. (Sanfilippo suggests that if you want to weigh yourself, you should do so at the beginning and at the end, but not at all in between.) However, Rich, Carly, and I went for a 3-mile walk around the neighborhood. We didn't venture too far because it looked like more rain was on its way. Aiy yai yai. So many folks around these parts have suffered terrible losses due to flooding. I'm talking totaled cars, water up to your waist, ruined finished basement kind of flooding. We are so thankful we didn't flood (our street flooded up to the sidewalk), and we're so thankful that the flooding at my parents' house wasn't worse, but we are thinking about those who have had it much worse.

I'm hoping to update daily, if for no other reason than to document my thoughts and feelings throughout the 21 days. I hope you'll come back and cheer for me along the way.

Check out other posts in this series:

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 2: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Day 1: The 21 Day Sugar Detox

Throughout this past school year, I was super focused on my diet and was exercizing several times per week. With the exception of a couple short breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and the occasional weak moment), I was able to maintain that focus for many months. This focus helped me to lose almost 30 pounds over the course of about 7 months. While a slower pace than I'd hoped, a loss is a loss, and the real goal was to live a healthier and more active lifestyle. At the beginning of June, I hit a wall. Work was stressing me out (I think I filled out 56 pieces of meaningless end-of the year paperwork, the kids were actin' kinda cray cray, and my evaluation results were looming), end-of-the-year parties were bumpin' straight jumpin', and Rich's birthday, Rich's dad's birthday, and my dad's birthday were all in the mix to round out a month-long over-eating fest! As so often happens when one is "on a diet," I was waning mentally and chose to give myself a couple breaks. ("I deserve it. I've worked hard this year!" "I'll get back on track tomorrow.") I figured I'd just need to get through the month of June and then my focus would magically reappear.

Spoiler allert (or for those of you hopeful individuals): Magically reappearing focus is not a thing.

Flash forward about 3 weeks. We'd been planning a Caribbean cruise since February. That would happen at the end of July. (Side note: We had a blast.) During aformentioned cruise, we ate, ate, and ate some more. We also did some hiking, golfing, surfing, and swimming which helped to off-set the caloric intake a bit, but two months worth of not thinking about what I was eating was really taking its toll. When all was said and done, I gained about 7 or 8 pounds over the course of 2 or 2.5 months. Stepping on the scale actually had me breathing a small sigh of relief since I thought it was going to be much worse; however, a gain is a gain, and wasn't the real goal to live a healthier and more active lifestyle? It's so frustrating how slow the process of losing weight is and how quick gaining it back can be!

Flash forward to the beginning of August. I was home from the cruise, Summer vacation was winding down (Waaaaahhhh!!!), and I needed to get back on track. Seriously. I had heard and read about The 21 Day Sugar Detox from a couple sources, and after reading into it a bit more, I thought it was something we could do. I hemmed and hawed over it a bit, but in the end, I ordered 2 books: The 21 Day Sugar Detox and The 21 Day Sugar Detox Cookbook, both by Diane Sanfilippo. In fact, I had some old Amazon gift card dolla dolla bills y'all, so I used those, and my total investment so far (besides food) has been about $6. If you had to pay full price for both books, you're looking at about $42.00 total. I read the introduction in the first book in about an hour one night. Some of the things Sanfilippo says really struck me. She explains the difference between good carbs and bad carbs. She also explains that our body (and in particular our liver) functions to flush our system of toxins, so in order to make our body's job easier, we should take steps to put the right things into it. That way, the body can focus mostly on environmental toxins rather than food-based ones. She details how one can expect to feel from day to day when completing the detox (some definite ups and downs, but definitely more ups). Basically, she advocates for clean eating. There's so much research to suggest that clean eating is best for our body, and Sanfilippo takes the guess work out of the transition.

After reading, I whipped up a meal-planning calendar which was a little overwhelming. Many of the ingredients were ones I wasn't used to cooking with, but I was determined to keep an open mind. Once that was finished, my mom and I made a trip to Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and the Bulk Food Store (for spices). I spent about $250.00, which is certainly not chump change, but included in that total are things like oils, flours, spices, and other staples that I will have for months. I estimate that I'll end up spending about $100 per week on fresh ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, and meats. Yesterday was our first day on The 21DSD, and we were very successful. The best part? We had lamb burgers for dinner! They were topped with an avocado mix that was delish. On the side was a salad with a homemade balsamic vinegar dressing. While I'm not a huge meat lover, my husband is. Finding a diet (diet in the most general sense of the word, not a temporary way-of-eating) that works for both of us has been a challenge. Sanfilippo really provides some yummy recipes that incorporate delicious things (bacon anyone?) that most other diets really limit. The way I see it, it charges us to get back to our roots. And when I say roots, I mean eat like cavemen. It makes sense, no? These are the things our bodies were naturally meant to digest. Why fight it? So far, my meat-lovin' husband has been happy.

After the 21 days, the idea is to transition to a paleolithic (paleo) life style where you're preparing and eating similar things with a bit more wiggle room. I'm very excited at the potential this holds. All that said, though, I'm cautiously optimistic. I still have a lot of questions about whether or not we can sustain it. For one, it can be costly; but if we're committed to healthier bodies, that's okay. For another, the world we live in doesn't always support this type of life style. It might be difficult to have lunch with friends or attend gatherings where folks are eating fried foods. For example, I'm going to a crock pot recipe exchange on Thursday (What will I cook? What will I eat?) and Rich is going on a fishing charter with his dad and grandpa next week. Like anything else, it takes time to adjust to. Once adjusted, I think we should be able to figure it out. One more thing: Sanfilippo says that weight loss isn't guaranteed over the course of the 21 days, but she says most people experience weight loss. I do hope to lose some weight. I feel like I'm bound to if I'm cutting sugar out of my life. Plus, sugar aside, if I'm eating any better than I was eating during June and July, I should at least shed a few pounds. I'd really like to get back to where I was at the end of the school year. That means losing 7 or 8 pounds in 3 weeks. That's a pretty lofty goal, I realize. I'm going to call it a loose goal because while I hope to lose the weight, I'll be happy with anything. After all, the real goal is to live a healthier and more active lifestyle, right? ;-)

Speaking of active, I'm off to take a long walk with Rich and Carly. I'm hoping to update this daily, if for no other reason than to document my thoughts, feelings, and progress over the 21 days. I hope you'll come back and cheer for me along the way!

(Cup)cake Pops!

Last November, I decided to try my hand at creating some pretty awesome birthday treats for my mom. Behold cake pops:

As you can see, they didn't really turn out super spectacular. It was my first try, though, and I was tickled at the result. This November, I tried a variation of the little cuties: cupcake pops! I didn't take too many process pictures because it's sort of messy. Plus, I took some decent ones last time.

To get the birthday party poppin', you'll need:

A regular cake mix (any brand; flavor of your choosing)

1 can of frosting (any brand; flavor of your choosing)

Candy chocolate for dipping (milk & white)

Sprinkles (or other small decorations)

Sucker sticks (found at Michael's or JoAnn's)

Small flower-shaped cookie cutter



This is an old picture. This time, instead of Candy Dips, I
used Kroger brand baker's chocolate (milk and white for dying).

Here's how it works:
First, you bake a cake. I went with chocolate since it's Mom's favorite.

 

 

Let the cake cool completely. I baked the cake a day ahead of time, but covered it so it would stay moist.

Next, crumble the cake into tiny pieces. One website suggested you put the pieces into a food processor, but I just used my hands.

For the next step, I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer, but a hand mixer would work, you need not use a mixer at all. Last year, I used one, but it wasn't really necessary. In fact, it was just annoying. I used my God-given tools this time around and it was way more fun.

Add about 1/2 - 3/4 of a can of store bought frosting to the crumbled cake pieces. It's important not to use too much frosting, or your pops might fall off the stick! For this project, I used chocolate frosting. You can use any combination of cake and frosting.

 

Mix well until you get the consistency of Play-Doh. Unfortunately, I don't know where I originally found that tip, but it's the best tip I could pass along. We all know what Play-Doh feels like, right? I woud have added the entire can of frosting if I didn't know any better.

Next, cover the cake dough with plastic wrap and chill. I left it in the refrigerator for about an hour fifteen minutes.

 

Prepare a cookie sheet by placing a sheet of wax paper on top. Once your dough is sufficiently chilled, bring it out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Next, mold the cake pops.

For cupcake pops, use a small (about the size of a half dollar) cookie cutter in the shape of a simple flower to mimic the shape of the bottom of a cupcake. Because I'm a turd, I don't have any pictures of this. You want to grab quite a bit (that's a precise measurement, you know) of dough and press it through the bottom of the cookie cutter. I used the bottom of my hand or the counter to level it off on the bottom. Then, just mold the top until you have what you think looks like a sufficient muffin cupcake top. Once you complete a couple, you'll surely get the hang of it.

 

Next, melt a good amount (again, you must be very precise) of milk chocolate. Holding the pop from the mounded top, dip only the bottom in the milk chocolate. Stick one sucker stick into the bottom of each dipped pop. As you complete this step, place each pop top side down onto the prepared cookie sheet. As it dries, the chocolate will act as glue and should hold the pop firmly in place.

 

Once each stick is popped, melt a good amount of white chocolate. Using food coloring, die the white chocolate any color. I chose pink because it just seemed right. Prepare a plate with a sprinkling of sprinkles. Picking the pop up by the stick, dip each of the cupcake tops in the colored chocolate. Immediately after dipping, roll the top of the pop in the sprinkles. (Check it out: Last time, I chilled the pops before dipping them into chocolate. I'm pretty sure it was another tip I found online that turned out to be not-so-awesome. I thought chilling the pops would prevent them from falling off the stick when dipping, but it caused the chocolate to harden so quickly that I couldn't decorate them with sprinkles. Having done it both ways, I'll never chill them before dipping again.)

 

Finally, you'll need a way to display the precious little bites. I picked up a rectangular piece of floral foam from Michaels, wrapped it, and stuck the pops in. Next time, I think a tiered display is in order.

 

Voila! Cupcake pops! Cute, right?!

This recipe yields about 30 cupcake pops. I only made 20, so I saved the
extra dough. I'll let you know how it holds up after being defrosted!

 

Most other cupcake pops I've seen have been finished off by an M&M. I have to say, it's super cute. I just didn't want to spend the extra 75 cents. Or I was too lazy. Probably the latter.

P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog, please follow me by clicking "Join this site" and/or entering your email address over to the right of the page. If you want to see what projects I have worked on or plan on working on in the future, follow me on Pinterest by clicking the link to the right! If you like it, pin it!

DIY Mason Jar Soap Pump & Various Other Pinteresting Projects

Last week, Sherry @ Young House Love and Katie @ Bower Power, announced the Pinterest Challenge: Fall Edition. Caught off guard, and not feeling super pinspired by anything at all, I posted about a few things that I was diggin' at the time. I'm still diggin' all that stuff, but my crafting took a sharp turn when I realized that I just didn't have the time to take on anything super involved.

I'm not currently in the middle of a huge room redo (although I'd like to be), so my brain wasn't on that wavelength. I'm all about not having random stuff around that I just don't need, so I was hard-pressed to find something I'd pinned that would add to the efficiency of our home while not adding to the clutter I despise. After looking for a while, I landed on a DIY soap dispenser using a mason jar and a recycled pump. I first came across the sweet little craft here and pinned it here.

To gather my supplies, I ran to Michael's and grabbed a few mason jars for $1.29 each. I didn't get to use a 50% off coupon becuase I used one on another item; but at $1.29, it certainly didn't break the bank. Plus, I have some gift card credit left over from my birthday, so realistically, it didn't cost me a penny! Then, I ran into Walmart for some liquid foaming soap. According to The Frugal Homemaker, you can create liquid foaming soap by dispensing about an inch of regular soap into the bottom of your jar, adding water the rest of the way, and shaking to mix; but I wanted to make sure this would work the first time around, so I decided that I'll experiment when I run out of the store-bought version. Since I was already there, I opted to purchase a couple bottles of the soap with the foaming pump. I knew I had one at home that I could recycle, but at $1.57 a pop, I figured I'd splurge. I decided to make one for the upstairs bathroom, one for the kitchen sink, and one for my cousin, Tara, who has been desperately seeking a pretty version of a liquid foaming soap dispenser.

 

From this point on, Rich pretty much took over. First, he drilled a hole in the middle of the lid.

 

 

Then, using wire strippers, he bent the metal back until the hole was large enough to fit the pump. I was pretty surprised to find out that the foaming soap pumps are pretty big.

 Then, he added the liquid foaming soap.

After adding putting the pieces back together, the new soap dispenser was ready to go!

The Frugal Homemaker painted the lid and pump in her version. I opted to leave mine silver and white. For one thing, it coordinates well enough in my bathroom. For another, I didn't want to spend the money on spray paint. Finally, after a couple days of use, her pump started to chip. I don't do chipping. When things that I've spray painted start to chip, I go all Regan MacNeil on my husband.

I may try to spray paint the lid and pump in the future with a spray paint meant for plastic. Time will tell. For now, I'm enjoying my little craft. I also like how the soap I chose coordinates with other accents in the bathroom. That was mostly an accident.

In some ways, I feel like I cheated. The craft was so dang easy, Rich completed most of it, and I've tackled much harder things in the past. It's really just meant to be fun, though. I'm happy I did it. Plus, I also tried a recipe I pinned a while ago too: crock pot pork chops!

The recipe was super easy. You need 3 (yes, 3!) ingredients: 4-6 pork chops (I used 4), 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, and 1 package of dry ranch seasoning. Add the chops to the bottom of the crock pot, sprinkle the dry ranch over the chops, cover with cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 6 hours. That's it! I meant to grab some egg noodles at the store, but I forgot. Instead, I served it with whole wheat rotini that I already had in my cupboard. Rice would work too. The recipe provides you with enough gravy to use it for the noodles or rice. Truth be told, I'm not much of a pork fan, and the recipe doesn't sound all that fabulous; but it was delicious and easy. Bonus: Rich loved it too! I will definitely make it again!

What do you think? Is anyone inspired enough to make their own DIY mason jar soap dispenser? How about an easy crock pot pork chop recipe? Go for it!

P.S. Each season, via Facebook, I recruit my friends to join me in the Pinterest Challenges. Many of them don't have a blog, and most of the time, no one else shows any interest. This time, though, my friend, Kim, participated in the only way she knows how: baking! Here's a little collage she whipped up to feature her spooky creations:

 

According to her, she was inspired by those edible knives you see in the cuipcakes. Her and my sister came across them at JoAnn Fabrics and thought they'd be perfect in a dessert Kim would make for a Halloween party they were going to. Not having a Pinterest account or a blog, Kim has dubbed this the "She's Crafty" challenge.

 

So that's it. The Fall edition of the Pinterest Challenge is officially over! I'd love to know what everyone else created! Let me know!

 

P.P.S. I just finished Sing You Home by Jodi Piccoult. It was great! If anyone is interested, I'd gladly pass it along to you. I'm looking for a couple recommendations on a new book to read. Anyone? Anyone?

 

P.P.P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog, please follow me by clicking "Join this site" and/or entering your email address over to the right of the page. If you want to see what projects I have worked on or plan on working on in the future, follow me on Pinterest by clicking the link to the right! If you like it, pin it!

 



Pinterest Challenge: Fall Edition!

We interrupt the pinning in progress (because you know you are) to bring you a special announcement: the Pinterest Challenge: Fall Edition is here! Once per season, a bunch of crazy people get together over the Internet to share the projects that they've pinned and punched in the face. By punched in the face, I mean they've completed the project for themselves (maybe with a few tweaks here and there based on their own taste).

Hosting this challenge are Sherry @ Young House Love and Katie @ Bower Power. Their co-hosts this time around are Sarah @ Ugly Duckling House and Carme @ Our Fifth House. These four are among the best bloggers out there. (I just haven't been discovered yet.)

I've joined the last two Pinterest challenges with my Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf and my 1940s wood file cabinet redo. Having just realized that Fall is already upon us, I'm still not 100% sure what I'll complete. Here's what's currently pinspiring me:

An upcycled dresser drawer made into an ottoman by Becky @ Beyond the Picket Fence,

A DIY sunburst mirror by Andrea @ Decorating Cents,

or something gray and yellow for my next room redo
(styleboard created by Chelsea @ Tis So Sweet).

 

Please consider joining me for the Pinterest Challenge: Fall Edition. Along with many most of you, I am so very busy and don't have a heck of a lot of time to pinning and projecting; but here's what's awesome about the challenge: 1) It's meant to be fun. Don't stress yourself out by biting off more than you can chew. Do something simple and manageable if you don't have time for much more. 2) It can be used as a stress reliever! If you're bogged down with stuff at work or home, use the challenge as a chance to take time for yourself!

 

The rules are simple:

• Give credit where credit is due. Link your project to the original source.
• Shut up and commit! Take one week, and only one week, to complete the project of your choice. Projects should be completed by Tuesday October 30. You have the whole weekend!
• Come back here on October 30 (and visit YHL or BP) to share your results.
• Have fun! :) Projects can be anything you've pinned -- a recipe (MOM), a piece of art, a furniture repurpose, a sewing or knitting project you've been dying to try. The possibilities are endless!

Please join me! It's so much more fun to do things together! :)

P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog, please follow me by clicking "Join this site" and/or entering your email address over to the right of the page. If you want to see what projects I have worked on or plan on working on in the future, follow me on Pinterest by clicking the link to the right! If you like it, pin it!

Pinterest: The Ultimate Time Waster?

Anyone with a Pinterest account can, on some level, relate to this definition of the noun:

Two weeks ago, I could relate. Now, however, after completing The Pinterest Challenge: Winter Edition, created by Katie Bower @ Bower Power and co-hosted by Sherry @ Young House Love, I feel a little bit more like this:



Admittedly, at times, Pinterest can be a big ol' waste of time. I don't think any of us could deny that. But this past week, I participated in The Pinterest Challenge and put my pinning into action!

Partly because I entered the challenge not having prepared at all, and partly because it looked terribly delicious, I chose to make a Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt loaf, first seen here and pinned here. Even though I love a good craft, I figured for my first ever Pinterest Challenge, I'd do something that would take just a trip to the grocery store and a few hours to complete.

Instead of copying the entire recipe here, I'll let you use the link. I'll simply detail a few things that I ran into whilst baking:

• I accidentally bought extra-large eggs on my last grocery store trip. On this trip, I had to buy more eggs (large size) since in baking, size matters. I opted for a half dozen.
• Because I had never baked a loaf before, I needed to purchase a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Luckilly, it wasn't too expensive.
• I also had to purchase a couple other tools. I probably could have lived without them, but I'm kind of a kitchen tool junkie. I got it from my momma. I purchased a hand grater/fruit zester, much like this one, and a whisk. I know it's strange that I didn't already have a whisk, but I didn't get one for my wedding shower, and I haven't needed one since. Plus, I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer, so ha!
• I actually baked the loaf for 62 minutes total. Twice the toothpick didn't come out clean when I stuck it in. I wonder why. I guess oven cooking times vary.
• I let the loaf cool for 10 minutes before putting it on the cooling rack, just like the recipe requested. Depressingly, the bottom of the loaf seperated from the top of the loaf and I ended up with half a loaf stuck in the pan. Aww, bummer! Oh well. I simply fished the rest of the loaf out of the pan and put the puzzle back together. If you make this loaf, let it cool much longer.

Pinterest Challenge: Winter Edition complete! Below are the pictures. They're certainly not as pretty as the original, but the loaf is definitely just as yummy.

The moral of the story?

I'm being too hard on myself. I've actually finished a number of projects I saw on Pinterest. For example,

• DIY Tile Coasters first seen here, pinned here, and blogged about here.
• Crockpot Chicken Tacos first seen here and pinned here.

• Spicy Thai Noodles first seen here and pinned here.

P.S. Did you notice the too-brown bananas in the background of my loaf pictures? My pinspiration plus those bananas inspired me to make another loaf, banana nut bread. I figured I'd better get my $6 worth out of the loaf pan I bought. Since there are no pictures on the website, I chose not to pin the recipe, but it can be found here and here. They're actually two different recipes. I used recipe #1 fully, except I added the cinnamon from recipe #2.