The Word of Wisdom Works!!

So, those of you who have known me for a while know that I've always struggled with my weight. Always. However, a few years ago I took charge and lost 50 pounds. I didn't do it by dieting or getting a personal trainer, in fact I could stand on a soap box all day about diets. I simply made better choices about what I ate, and made sure to exercise 4-5 times a week for about 30 minutes. And I don't mean to make it sound easy. It's hard. Probably one of the hardest things to do actually. The key is consistency and free time (it takes time to cook, exercise, and get enough sleep to want to exercise and eat right.) The time thing was a huge deal for me because as soon as I got married and got a full time job I slowly gained 15 of it back. Then...I had a baby!! Yay for Sofie! I didn't actually gain very much weight through pregnancy, and I'm only 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. However, my goal is to get back to my pre-full time job weight. :) So, if you do the math, I've got about 20 pounds to go.

So, why am I telling you these things?? First of all, it's time consuming to lose the weight, so it's on my mind a lot...and therefore a large part of my life. Secondly, I'm hoping that by writing it down and telling everyone, it will make me feel more accountable and more resolved. Officially, my goal was to maintain my current weight because I'm nursing and it's not recommended to try to lose weight when you're still eating for two. My goal was to eat right and exercise...and whooops in the last two weeks I've lost 5 pounds!! Way to go for eating right and exercising! But let me tell you, I have to eat a ton these days because nursing sucks the calories out of me, as well as exercising. So, I will keep you posted on my progress. And if there is anyone else working at the same thing, I'd love the moral support. Here are a few pictures to show you my lifelong journey of healthy living...(sounds like a Biggest Loser commercial, which by the way is an incredibly motivating show!!)

China 2004 -close to my heaviest

Me and Roo 2006 -my thinnest

Sofie's Blessing 2008 -somewhere between

Shhh! Top Secret!

Derek's mom gave me an awesome recipe book that has "top secret restaurant recipes." So far, I've only tried one of the recipes, but it is sooo good and sooo easy! So, I thought I'd share. Here is a picture I took of my finished product and the recipe.

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
Menu description: "Quickly cooked steak with scallions and garlic"

This recipe serves 2

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger (I used powdered)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (powdered works if you have to)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 pound flank steak (stew meat works)

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 large green onions

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get a major splatter when adding the other liquids. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat. (Mine has never thickened, but it's just fine runny!)

2. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty-five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts. (It doesn't really matter.)

3. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very this dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

4. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. (I didn't want to deep fry mine, so I just put enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan so it doesn't stick!) Add the beef to the oil and saute for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon or a spider to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oild out of the wok or skillet. (If you use only a little oil, like I do, you just need to drain any excess oil.) Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

I put it over rice with some steamed brocolli and cabbage, pour a little bit more of the sauce on top, not much, then sprinkle sesame seeds for a garnish! Hope it works for you, enjoy!!

The Circle of Life

A few years ago I went to Africa. It was one of the best times of my life!

I loved it so much that I decided Sofie should have the opportunity! So, we went on Safari today!

Here is Sofie in the Safari grass!

Mommy! So scared of the lions!

Don't worry, these ones don't bite!

Okay, so really it wasn't Africa this time...but the Bean Museum is about as close as you can get...especially on a single income! :)

(left to right-Roo my sister, me and Sofie, April and Orion, Alyssa and Cyrus)

January Update

It seems like this was the month for growth. Sofie learned several new tricks and has better coordination and personality than ever!! And it all happened so fast!

My sister Shayla visited and the two babes are beginning to seem closer in age now that Sofie is bigger. (Not neccessarily a great picture of either baby, but it's nearly impossible to get two babies to hold still at the same time for a picture!!)

Sofie discovered her piggies!!

Sofie's first meal of rice cereal. More interested in the spoon than the food.

She doesn't swallow much but with practice she'll get it!!

The content messy rice face. (The camera doesn't do it justice...I promise there is rice there, and in her nose!) I still can't figure out her eye color!!

Singin' in the snow!

Sofie has officially found her voice and she takes after mommy, now she won't stop singing! I can't tell if it's the ABC Song or something by Mormon Tabernacle Choir...

Sofie went to her 4 month check up on Friday. She weighs 15 lbs!! That puts her in the 80th percentile! She went from 20th to 80th in two months. Dr. called her Sumo Baby! She got her shots :( That night she got a pretty high fever and slept for 9 hours! When I woke up at 6 am and realized that she hadn't eaten in 10 hours I was pretty nervous. Everything was alright, but man, after 10 hours of not nursing, I wouldn't do it again...

Raspberries in Winter?

Sofie has officially learned a new trick. Derek taught her how to do raspberries. It's hilarious how proud she was of herself when she figured it out! In fact, she wasn't sleeping well last night and when I went in to tuck her back in she grinned and started blowing raspberries. I'm convinced she was too excited to sleep, she just wanted to show me that she still remembered how to do it! Derek and I are doing well. We had a great Christmas and are now enjoying nearly 2 feet of snow! Only one piece of news, we got called to be Valiant 12 teachers for Primary. There are only 5 kids in our class and it should be a fun challenge! Enjoy this video...check out those determined eyebrows!

Andrea and Sofie at the Porcaro Family Christmas Party.

Sofie Enjoying her 1st Christmas with her wrapping paper bow.

Aunt Kasey with Sofie for her first laugh.

3 Months!

Sofie will be 3 months old tomorrow, on the 30th. She is getting so fat and cute! These are some of her many adorable faces :)

Sofie's Blessing

Sofie Lynne Blatter
Blessed November 15, 2008

Aunt Shayla made the cute headband!

Grandma and Grandpa Adamson

The Blatters

Mommy and Sofie

Our Little Chili Pepper

For Halloween Sofie was a Chili Pepper (mostly mistaken for a strawberry, carrot, and sadly someone thought she was a turnip). Under her costume was a t-shirt saying "Mummy loves me"