Czarnota Healthy Month Challenge

Day 5 - 8

Thought we gave up, didn't ya?
NAAAA ... not us!
We are committed!

It's just that the last few days had been not so exciting when it came to HEALTHY food choices that I needed to wait to show off at least one proper, cooked meal.

We skipped the whole healthy eating thing  on day 5 & 6 aka Friday and Saturday (only days after we had started this challenge.

To our defense I need to say that we were invited to dinner on Friday and Saturday night and both meals were SOOO AMAZING and SOOO NOT vegetarian nor low-fat.
Even though Chris tried to tell me that the meat was very healthy since we had it on the BBQ (after Judy had marinated it in some VERY wonderful marinade ... note to self: MUST GET RECIPE!!!) BUT the whole alcohol thing before, during and after this healthy meal had a little of a counter effect I guess :)

Anyhow, Sunday night supper was simple but low fat and vegetarian.

We had GP's AWESOME Tomato Salat 

...  with his secret ingredient.

 SO GOOD!!!

It's so good that I can be often found trying to drink the marinade after we ate the salad 

... seriously!

 And per Ls request 

Spinach and Cheese "Ravriolies" and "Salty Sauce" 

which is a home made pasta sauce and if we call it Salty Sauce they think

 it has lots of salt in it and will actually try it ...

Again ... seriously!

Monday was a "Scheisswetter Tag". 

Whats up with this rain and cold??? Isn't it like almost SUMMER???

To say it in plain German:

"Das kotzt einen aber so richtig an. Jetzt reichst dann echt bald mit diesem blöden Regen!"

So while outside we had a whole lot of this ...

... and that.

Inside we had a whole lot of this ...

and this ...

 and this ...

and this going on.

So HOT comfort food was requested by the Ls. 

And here is where the post gets SAD!

I can not believe I am posting this under the Title "Health Month Challenge" but we committed to this so I MUST be truthful.

... even if the truth is not as healthy as it should be.

L requested her one-and-only Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.

Yes we have tried to make our own organic, healthy version. 

With organic, happy, dead chickens and super dirty, organic veggies but the kid requested the cheap, canned version and WILL NOT eat anything else when it comes to Chicken Noodle Soup. 

Lulu requested "Skettios" and I can twist and turn that one ... it won't get healthier either way so I won't even try.

Desert was a nice, wonderful Fruit Salad ... the one and only healthy thing the kids had.

On our end we opted for organic tomato creme soup and a garden salad with a home made herb vinaigrette. Doesn't deserve a drum roll either but ... hey, we try!

 And today Pat was the "cooker" as L calls it 

and he showered us with wonderful ...

I actually went grocery shopping today and we do have items in the fridge now that can actually be used to create a healthy and low calorie meal. 

I am hoping the next few days will be somewhat more impressive than the last. 

However, Pat says he feels great and lost a few pounds already.

He also earned an honorable mention for going skating on Sunday morning AND this morning (before work) ... show-off!!!

I am blaming my not so honorable mention to the rain. 

I am "pretty sure" that I would have been running every day 10 miles, if it wouldn't have rained the whole time. 

"Bummer!"

And now I got shin-splints, from .... walking to school ... and won't be able to run for some time.

"Double Bummer!"

;)

Czarnota Healthy Month Challenge

Day 4 - Healthy Dinner Choice

Blogger was down all afternoon and night yesterday, so here is the post for yesterday / Day 4.

FRESH picked Sweet Peas 

+ Veggie Platter and Veggie Burgers on Whole Wheat Buns

I am stopping the whole work-out add and will make an honorable mentioning IF indeed one of us makes it to the gym, skating, running or God forbid makes it past the act of putting the P90X DVD into the DVD player and pressing "play".

One works until 2:00 AM trying to reinvent the rules of math and physics while the other one falls into bed around 10:00 PM after a LONG day of caring for the next generation of CZs and CO.

This week I spent 4 days volunteering in Ls class INCLUDING today, when we took all 65 kids on a field trip to the Discovery Museum.
After running after the kids for hours I think I should get an honorable mention for that :)

Auntie Michelle is cooking supper tonight, which means all rules are OFF the table!!!
I blow any diet or resolution to eat her master creations.
I'll be in "home-cooked-chinese-food-heaven" tonight and WILL NOT care about calories, fat or alcohol percentage.

It's all just a good deed.
I can not hurt her feelings and decline her fantastic cooking!
What kind of friends would that make me ???  ;)

Czarnota Healthy Month Challenge

Oh THANK GOD ... I am not the only one!!!

I can hear Pat arguing and fighting with the Ls in the bathroom, doors are being slammed and Pat's voice  is getting more and more serious.
He just raced by me and said "I HAVE HAD IT!!!"

I have been feeling like a rotten mother the last few days since I keep finding myself fighting with the Ls about everything. They argue just for the sake of arguing it seems.

"Why?" is the answer I hear to most of my pleading/begging to finish homework, clean up toys, pick up clothes and get ready for school.
It seems that whenever I tell them "We need to hurry, school starts right away!" they go into "slow motion mode" ... grrrrr ...

I am not sure whats up with the Ls right now but I am SO, SO, SO glad I am not the only one losing it with them at the moment.

And let me tell you, Pat is NOT one to "lose it" quickly!
That man has patience beyond belief and lets these girls get away with way too much stuff.
They have him wrapped around their little fingers like a sweat pea is wrapped around it's climbing pole ;)
He has had enough training dealing with me so these two should be a no-brainer for him ... but tonight even he lost the battle agains the "wild and unruly Ls".

Ahhhh ... I feel much better now, since I vented a bit ;)

So here is the DAY 3 of the CZ Healthy Month Challenge

I hired a sue-chef today.
After all this is too much cooking and preparing for one.
After careful consideration and due to the fact that the other applicant was at soccer practice I chose the little L and offered her the position ... on an intern basis with no pay but free supper ;)

She proved to be an excellent asparagus cleaner and cutting board scrubber.

So I quickly gave her her own cocking station and let her run the show.

I am also showing off my thrifty find, a new wooden play kitchen for the (outdoor) play house under the play structure.
But since it's FREEZING outside we moved the fun inside.

Ladies and Gentlemen; you are looking at a $12.99 BEUTY ... thank you very much!
I am always proud to show off my Savers steals!!!

The cook was rather happy with the new set up and cooked up a storm ...

Meanwhile I was left to finish my creation by my lonesome self ...

Mr. Carter, our most favorite Grocery Clerk at Nobhill Foods told me to use a potato peeler for the Asparagus to clean the stems instead of snapping them off, this way you have more Asparagus left.

We LOVE Mr. Carter! 

He always gives great cooking advice AND gives the Ls 2 stickers EACH!!!

Beat that Whole Foods ... ;)

Et voila ... Baked Talapia with a Dill Sauce, Sauteed Garlic Asparagus and White Rice.

To be even more healthier I should have used wild or brown rice BUT then nobody would have touched it. Calories for the Talapia were 284, 102 per serviving for the Asparagus plus the rice.

Not to shabby and VERY tasty!!!

I used this recipe for the fish and we will definitely try it again!

I made my own Cajun spices and must have gotten the salt amount wrong. It was much too salty for me but Pat liked it and so did our salt-oholoc L.

Since we were low in calories I added a little desert.

Strawberries and Cottage Cheese Puree ... nobody guessed it had cottage cheese. 

... yeahhh

Here is the clean-up crew at work.
Again, on intern basis ... no pay but hey, thats business!
you take what you can get ;)

I better go.
The Ls are STILL up and discussing (I am sure) more strategic "drive your parents insane" plans.
I better go and listen at the door to be prepared. I don't want to be ambushed ... again!!!

Oh yeahh ... work out routine for today:  ... forget it!

Arguing with the Ls and running after them all day was enough for me.
And if that doesn't count then let me throw in three volunteer hours at Ls school.
Painting three different projects with 65 Kindergarten kids should count for something!
Pat: He is doing some serious brain-curls right now.
He is sitting in the kitchen designing his design work to the tact of his nervous leg shaking ... grrrr ... the whole house is shaking ... drives me bonkers but he says he can't think without it ???

Czarnota Healthy Month Challenge

Day 2

Healthy Supper Choice tonight was ...

Fresh, organic, mixed greens, arrugula, BBQ chicken strips, strawberries, apple slices, toasted pine nuts, pumpkin & sun flower seeds, home made red wine vinegar vinaigrette and toasted French bread drizzled with garlick-olive-oil.

The Ls opted for frensh fries, pees and L had some chicken.
Lulu is  a self proclaimed vegetarian and stuck with the "no deaded animals food" as she calls it.

I have no clue where she got this from but I kid you not ... she is dead serious about it.
Except when she asks for a hot dog for supper but that is the only exception she will make ... well and maybe for lunch-box Turkey too.  The yuckiest stuff she eats but she passes on the organic chicken tenders????

Exercise method of the evening:
A nice, leisurely family walk with the Dork to smell the roses while FREEZING our bums off.

Seriously, WHAT is up with this freezing, cold weather???
Isn't it supposed to be hot and nice outside?
I know I married a Canadian and all but even he is cold now ...

This is all I have to report today.
The Ls were in a super grumpy mood and there was not much else going on over here in grumpy-ville.

Off to snuggle up in my heating blanket ...

Czarnota Healthy Month Challenge

It's official, we are trying to eat healthier and to get in better shape before the summer arrives with it's hot and sunny beach days (hint-hint Weather God!!! ... we are WAITING!!!).

So for the next month (until June 9th) we will record (EVERY DAY!!!) our (hopefully) healthy supper choice/creation and work out routines.

By making it public on the blog we are hoping to feel more inspired (... or pressured) to keep up with this resolution/dream ;)
So here it goes,

Day 1

Healthy Supper Choice

Baked spaghetti squash
 with home made, LOW fat, 

vegetarian pasta sauce and pine nuts

The Ls were more than LESS excited about tonights supper and opted for Shells and Cheese instead.

Work Out Routine

Pat: went to work, had lunch in the cafeteria, came home and is currently working on improving his Angry Bird gaming skills. 

BOOOO ... for him!

Me: Walked to school to pick up L, picked up dog poop in the yard, cleaned up the house, made supper, washed laundry, went grocery shopping and worked on my blog. 

Boooo ... for me too!

P90X was/is the plan for night time entertainment but we are still recovering from yesterdays Cake-Pop-Party and use this as an excuse to sit on our butts all night instead.

This is what you call CZ dedication; people!!!
And you wonder why nothing gets ever done around here ...

Let's see how we'll do tomorrow ... never give up hope!!!  :)