Reflection: Our Perfect Tree

Finding and decorating the perfect tree is a annual experience that is near and dear to my heart.  In 2006, my husband asked me to marry him the day after Thanksgiving while we were scouting out our perfect "first" tree at his best friend's family owned tree farm - a home away from home for my husband throughout his childhood and adolescence years. 

Looking back, all the signs that an engagement was going to take place that day were there - I was just completely, and I am being sincere here, oblivious to all of them.  To start, he mentioned something...don't really recall his specific verbiage - that led me to put a fresh coat of paint on my nails. I went with the color red. Secondly, he bought me a really pretty red sweater to wear that day - buying me clothes was definitely an action that was out of the ordinary.  Then to top it off, as I was getting ready that morning, not once did he ask me, "How much longer?"  It was so refreshing to take my sweet time getting ready.  I was convinced the man grew patience of a seasoned kindergarten teacher overnight. 

When finally ready, I remember feeling really pretty that day.  Knock-out pretty.  Little to my knowledge then, that was God's little icing on the cake, as it was the exact feeling that I always imagined having when I visioned my engagement day.

When we finally arrived to the tree farm, I was soooo excited to not only find our first tree together, but to decorate it while watching our favorite Christmas movies, and enjoying a glass of eggnog, or two.  It was a date fantasy to me...just seemed like it had all ideal elements that make up the perfect day!  In other words, I pictured it being so darn special, I would remember it forever. I had no idea just how right about that I was.

I leaped out of the truck and started to weave my way through the trees.  I had one task on my mind, and one task only...find the perfect tree.  At the time, we were living in a small apartment that lacked, among many other things, luster.  In my mind, I could just vision this perfect tree bringing to our living space a sense of warmth...a sense of home. 

Mr. and I quickly stumbled on one that I could tell even from a short distance was rather nice, perfect really; however, I quickly noted that it was already tagged with a ribbon of sorts, thus to me meant that it was already spoken for. No big deal I thought, as I was indeed surrounded by what felt like endless rows of options. So, not skipping a beat, I quickly turned my attention to remaining trees. 

Mr. did not dismiss it as an option though, and was adamant that we check out the tree with the ribbon..."Come this way...let's check this one out," he said. 

"But, someone already picked out that tree...why don't we just find our own?" I quickly responded.

As I continued down my own path, he eventually caught up and slowly guided me back to that tree.  On the walk back, my eyes continued to scope out the other options - not really paying attention to anything else.  It wasn't until we got close that I noted that there was also a bottle of champagne and two flutes under that seemingly perfect tree with what I could now tell was a large bow, two pine cones, and a sparkly ornament hanging from it.  I kid you not, I said out loud (and truly believed), "Awww, someone had a little romantic party out here!"  SO INNOCENT! 

Imagine my surprise when he got down on one knee....a million thoughts fluttered through my mind and a I slowly came to the realization that the sparkly ornament was my ring! Before saying yes, I asked through tears if he received permission from my dad, and being the gem of a guy that he is, he of course did.  At which point, I said the words "Yes" at least a dozen times - ranging from a shout to a whisper.  It was perfect.  And that perfect tree that I had noted, was indeed perfect on so many levels, and was ours to take home.

The ornament that was hanging from the tree with my sparkly diamond.

Two of our special friends gifted us with this ornament
showing the memorable day and date.

One of the two pine cones from the first tree;
both I still hang on our tree every year.

Mr. & I the morning of the engagement. 
I am completely out of the know in this pic.

Wedding Day!  June 21, 2008

Since then, we have always enjoyed the tree decorating experience.  This year was no different.  We ventured out on this past Sunday afternoon, taking with us our two pups, Wyatt and Miles, and went on that search for the "perfect" tree. We simultaneously noted a tree that reminded us of our first tree, and needed no words to confirm that it was the one.  We ended the evening stringing on the lights on the tree, adding the ornaments, and placing the angel (made my brother-in-law) all while enjoying a movie playing in the background and a glass of clean eggnog (recipe to follow) dirtied up with a splash of rum. While hard to top that first year, I'd say it was still rather a perfect, memorable day. 

 

Miles enjoying his tree hunting experience.

Mr. & Wyatt

The TREE! 

Miles watching dad cut down the tree.  Yawn!!

Miles & I

At home with the tree and a class of homemade clean eggnog.

All prettied up!  Even though, we live in a new home now -
having the tree still adds a sense of warmth and
makes me smile with every passing.

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat

Morning Sunshine Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust

The sun was just a shining today!  Makes the light dust of snow on the ground, and the 30 something degree temps seem rather, well...irrelevant!  Like my mom, I love playing in the kitchen with the gorgeous sunbeams lighting up the room...gives me instant energy and makes the day seem so bright and cheery! 

Waking up to the sunlight, instantly put me in the me in the mood for a yummy, healthy, quiche.  I am always so bothered when I see quiche recipes loaded with fatty meats, fatty processed cheese, and very few eggs!  To me, quiche should be a healthy morning alternative to the typical egg whites and oats.  But, hey, that's just me! :)  Morning Sunshine Quiche is the perfect dish anytime of the day, and the leftovers are awesome for those who don't like to take the time to "make" breakfast in the morning!

Morning Sunshine Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust - Ingredients
A whole wheat pie crust filled with a combination of organic ingredients including eggs, spinach, porteenie mushrooms, soy milk, and cottage cheese...baked to perfection!

***Please note, all the ingredients used in this recipe are organic, but you could of course follow recipe and use non-organic and/or your product of choice.  Difficult to "mess" up!

Whole Wheat Pie Shell Ingredients
1 1/3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Organic Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Organic Unsalted Butter, Softened (or a wholesome, clean butter substitute such as sunflower oil - I'm okay with cultured organic butter every now and then...and in moderation - as always!)
1 Tsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Organic, Cage Free Egg
1 Tbsp Cold Water

Quiche Filling Ingredients
3 Whole Organic, Cage Free Eggs
6 Organic, Cage Free Egg Whites
3/4 Cup Organic Soymilk - or milk of choice
1/2 Cup 2% Organic Cottage Cheese
3/4 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/8 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
3 Handfuls Fresh Organic Spinach Leaves, Baby or Coarsely Chopped
3 Organic Porteenie Mushrooms  - or your choice of mushrooms

Instructions

1. To make crust, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat egg, vinegar, and water. Add to dry mixture and knead with hands for a few minutes, until smooth.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle and place in a 10-inch pie plate. Trim and flute edges. Prick with a fork on bottom and sides. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. To make filling, lightly beat eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and milk.  Add cottage cheese and mix.  Add sliced raw mushrooms, and stir all together. 

4. Take fresh, raw spinanch and place in the pre-baked pie shell.  Pour egg mixture over the spinach. Use a spoon to ensure all spinach is covered with the egg mixture.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Hot out of the oven...waiting to meet my tummy :)

Slice of wholesome goodness!  Enjoy!

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,
Mrs. Skinny Fat

Fav Thing Friday: Fruit & Veggie Wash

We all know that it's important to wash our fruits and veggies after purchase, but in most homes this simply means running them under cold water.  I use to practice those same "trust in our growers" routine after every purchase; domestic and imported.  That is until I learned just how "dirty" our (non-organic) fruits and veggies are...Turns out that majority of chemicals used on our fruits and vegetables are water insoluble.  Simply put:  while running cold water is a nice attempt to clean...it doesn't really work. And when I say "dirty" - I am unfortunately not referring to God's dirt...I am instead referring to the magnitude of chemicals and pesticides that are covering our healthy goods. 

Here's a look at the 12 most contaminated fruits and veggies - Choosing to eat 5 servings of any of the below (non-organic of course) would cause you to consume an average of 14 different pesticides a day (EWG's Dirty Dozen Iphone App):

1.  Apples

2.  Celery
3.  Strawberries

4.  Peaches
5.  Spinach
6.  Nectarines
7. Grapes
8.  Sweet Bell Peppers
9.  Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale / Collard Greens

Crazy, right?  In year's past, I tiptoed around organic; bought it here and there...but now - as of just this year - I try and buy all organic, especially when it comes to fruits and veggies.  Unfortunately, it can be difficult at times so I now also practice washing my fruits and veggies (even the organic stuff) with a safe, 100% natural, Fruit & Veggie Wash.  You'll be amazed at the difference in texture and taste.  Grapes aren't meant to be sticky friends!!  Apples aren't meant to feel "waxy"... and most importantly, we are not meant to soak in toxins as we attempt to add vital nutrients into our body. 

I have two favorite cleaners.  One is a concentrate (great for bulk greens, and fruit such as grapes), Environne Fruit & Vegetable Wash, and the other is a spray (great for apples, plums, nectarines, etc.), Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash.  Both work fantastic, and as I mentioned above are made from 100% natural ingredients to battle pesticides, waxes, and chemicals.

Simple fruit and veggie wash to help make your healthy foods safe!
Removes Pesticides, Waxes & Chemicals - Both around $5.00
It's beyond worth the extra step!

Salad spinner works great to help give your greens a good wash.

Worth adding all products to your Christmas list if you don't already own. 
Fruit & Veggie spray would make a great stocking stuffer! 
I can't be the only one out there who would get excited to about it!

Organic and Oh So Clean Greens Ready for Eating...YUM!

Keep it Clean...like really, really clean!

Mrs. Skinny Fat

Middle of the Night - Testing My Reactions

This week has been draining on so many levels, so when I had the opportunity to crawl under the covers before 10pm last night...you can bet that I gladly accepted! Mr. headed out of town earlier in the day, and treated me by taking both dogs with him.  Yes, "treated" me.  While I love them dearly, they are still adjusting to the colder temps thus now like to spend more time pretending to be humans than dogs...their desire to go "in" and "out" can be distracting, and slightly annoying to say the least!  So I was rather eager to have the house to myself. 

Around 9:30pm, I said goodnight to Mr. via phone, curled up with a cup of hot "before bed" herbal tea, the newest copy of Natural Health, and my kitty Pinot.  Ahh...true peace and quite. In a half hour, I read nearly all of the copy in the magazine - very insightful - and called it a night.  Evening routine includes turning down heat, locking all doors, turning the light on above the sink, locking the doors to my bedroom and its connecting bathroom, and turning on the fan.

In minutes, I was sound asleep.  Dreaming wonderful dreams I suppose...that is until a loud noise coming from the kitchen jolted me awake (it was around 12:20am).  While I was certainly out of it, my body did not waste a second to react with a pounding heart.  The first thing I noticed was that the fan was off.  Then my attention was quickly averted to the loud noises and a shuffling sound was taking place outside my door.  I slowly crept up out of bed and opened my window.  I wanted to be prepared in case I need to leap out of it.  I then put on slippers and and jacket (closet items of clothing I could find), went to the connecting bathroom (closest to the kitchen/and where the sound was coming from), grabbed a bottle of hairspray and a lighter (totally random, right?), and laid on the floor to hear better and to try and see underneath the crack of the door.  It was odd to me how dark it was. It was also odd to me that the furnace kept kicking on (was a window open, I wondered). In these moments, I was not me - it felt more like I was watching a scene from a movie. Surreal.  My senses were of course completely piqued, and while the loud noises and shuffling sound had stopped, I could still hear a soft movement in the house.

I finally stood up, walked my phone to the window (wanted it as close to my exit if necessary), walked back into the bathroom and decided to open the door.  Slowly...I unlocked, opened and peaked out to the kitchen.  I was immediately startled that the lights I had left on were now off, I instantly switched on the lights near me only to see the main door to the house was wide open.  Slamming the door to the bathroom, I ran back to my phone and called 911.  While I didn't know if someone was in the house, or if someone had been in the house, I knew that I wasn't going to go find out for myself, nor did I want to take the risk of breaking my ankle by making the leap out the window if I wasn't sure. 

The 911 operator asked me several questions...I felt slightly irritated at first...until I realized that while she was asking me questions, she had already sent word on and officers were on there way.  She was just trying to keep me talking and on the phone.  I was a bit shaky, but for the most part, pulled together.  The officers arrived in minutes.  Two cars - three officers.  I watched from my window as they scoped out the perimeters, and finally they came into the house (through the open door) and continued the search room by room until the house was cleared.

Surrounded by the three of them, and all of their questions...I was overcome with a feeling of being small.  Physically small.  Like perhaps how a child feels with adults hoovering atop of them.  I then felt a little silly...as if I just called 911 to chase away the bogeyman.  No one was found, no trace of footprints, and unfortunately, no explanation for the door - other than a freak thing -, or the lights - other than I never had them on (but I swear I did!), -  and as for the noises - well that must have been caused by the door slamming into the wall, the wind moving through the house, and perhaps the cat making his way out the opened door.  Of course it was a sigh of relief...and they were so kind, helpful and even checked all doors in the house, all windows, turned on all my outdoor lights, and promised to sit in the driveway for a while. 

Ahh, what a night...truly thankful for the non-eventful outcome.

Ever since I got mugged, probably 5+ years ago, I told myself that I was going to take self-defense classes.  I still have not done that yet.  After last night, it's once again on the top of my list.  Knowledge is Power!  Any training of how to handle yourself in situations of the alike, rather real - or just real in you head - is going to position you to have a better outcome.  And I always believe, if in doubt (as I was), reach out! I was able to rest - EASIER - knowing that I was indeed home alone.

MSF

Detox Results are In

It's such an awesome feeling to kick-off December knowing that I successfully endured a 28-day detox.  One in which my body is only just beginning to reward me big for.  When I started the detox, my goals were rather lofty.  While I made great strides toward success, I didn't make my "goal" numbers.  I'm not deterred though, and it certainly doesn't make me doubt the effectiveness of a detox program. Every ounce of change that I did make, was worth every sacrifice. I learned a lot about myself these past 28 days...some simple; some big = all that will forever leave a footprint in my ways

Lessons from the Detox
The following points have been either reiterated, reinforced, or newly discovered.

1.  Committment starts in the mind.

2.  My health comes first.
3.  Getting stronger changes everything.
4.  Buying organic fruits and veggies is necessary.  If not available, cleaning them properly is a must!
5.  Wine (alcohol) is not a necessary component to fuel social conversations.
6.  I don't need coffee or caffeine. 21-days can make "it" habit; if you want it to.
7.  When it comes to success, patience is mandatory.
8.  I don't need to explain myself or justify my actions: I'm okay that some people will just choose to think my ways are weird.
9.  Body compensation is all that matters; not the reading on the scale.
10. A journey is a journey so you learn about yourself a long the way. Make it worthwhile -   Take note!

As for overall key outcomes from the detox, I've gained nearly 3 pounds of muscle, l have lost approximately 3.5 pounds of body fat, removed liters of harmful toxins (water) from my body, and increased overall hydration by more than 2 liters (good water - stored in the cells where the water belongs).  I have made that necessary dent in my progress that sets the foundation to build upon. With commitment, clean eating, and a challenging fitness regimen, I'm confident that these results will only continue to improve. Now that I have given my system a good cleanse, I'm well on my way to rid the fat and find the fit - for good! 

Moving forward, I will have a bio analysis reading done on a regular basis - at least once a month.  Here's my latest results. 

Keep it Clean & Embrace the Journey!
Mrs. Skinny Fat

Favorite Thing Friday: All About Tunes!

Like so many of you can relate, sometimes I just don't want to workout.  I'm guilty of that feeling at least once a week.  It always happens when I back myself in a corner of feeling over committed and not scheduling my workout - "me"-  time properly.  Thankfully, there's a trick that ALWAYS helps snap me in the mood.  It's quite simple: Music, singing, and a touch of complete silliness!  I go in my workout room, put on my favorite tune as loud as it will go, and flail my limbs like a crazy dancing "let's just pretend I have skills" fool!  Within minutes, there's a lightness in my step, and more importantly in my heart.  Singing - well shouting rather - combined with intense dance-like movement proves to shake off whatever is holding tight to my mind. What a luxury to be able to have a non-toxic release that offers such immediate gratification! It always sets the perfect foundation for a powerhouse workout.

So this Friday, I thought I would recognize my current favorite tunes that prove to snap me out of that "I don't want to workout" funk time and time again!  

What's your number one "get you in the workout mood" tune?

My Top 10 Tunes - as of Today :)

1. What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) - Kelly Clarkson

2.  Can't Be Touched - Roy Jones

3.  Till I Collapse - Eminem

4.  Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO

5.  Born this Way - Lady Gaga

6.  Toxic - Britney Spears

7.  Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine

8.  Moves Like Jaggar - Maroon 5

9.  How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty

10.  I Forgive You - Kelly Clarkson 

Keep it Clean & Move!
Mrs. Skinny Fat

Clean Eating Italian Style Meatballs

I haven't made meatballs in forever. I just honestly never think to.  Yesterday though, for whatever reason, I had meatballs on the brain!  While it was a last minute, whip 'em together kind of meal... you know, the kind you start out and don't really know how it's all going to end up... I'm so glad to report that it all turned out beautifully!  The best part was that when I was done it occurred to me that from an outsider perspective, one might think I had planned the meal all week long. Pat on the back? You bet I did!  They were so friggin' clean and absolutely delish!  Mr. & I both said at least a half a dozen times while chewing..."Mmm, these are so good!" 

Here's my "make it up as I go" recipe! Feel free to get creative with how you serve them!  Endless possibilities! :) 

Meatball Ingredients
1.5 Pounds Venison Burger - you could of course use lean ground turkey burger
2 Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Wheat Germ
1/2 Cup Wheat Flakes - or old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 Cup Flax Seeds
1 Small Onion - Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
2 Tbsp Basil - Organic Dry or Fresh Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Parsley - Organic Dry or Fresh Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Oregano - Organic Dry or Fresh Finely Chopped
2 Tsp Ground Pepper
1 Tsp Sea Salt

Mix & Mash all ingredients above together.  Form into "meatballs".  Makes 15+ depending on size of balls you choose...I did medium. Add some canola oil to a skillet and place meatballs into the pan; sear all sides on medium heat. Once done, remove and place into a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

Next - Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Ingredients for Pasta Dish

2 Organic Portabella Mushrooms
2 25.5oz of Organic Pasta Sauce
1 8oz Box of Quinoa Shells

Take the portabella mushrooms, wash, then cut into large chunks and place inside the baking dish along with the meatballs.  Pour organic pasta sauce over them (the meatballs and mushrooms. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until done  - 25 to 35 minutes.

I served over greens and quinoa pasta.  YUM! 

Simply Scrumptious!

Just showing my choice of pasta sauce and shells.

Best part is all of the yummy leftovers!  Come on over... :)

Keep it Clean!

Mrs. Skinny Fat