Hello, all! Here to report on the outcome of my frozen Greek yogurt snack excursion!
So, I told you about how I made the bars and how I also blended it up and put it into popsicle form! Well, I'm here to say...
...the bars are fantastic!!! All I had to do was sit them on the counter for a bit to thaw out until I could slice them and WOW. So delicious. One small square bar lasted me well until lunch! Fabulous. I'll shout it from the rooftops- EASIEST RECIPE EVER. SO DELICIOUS. TRY IT TRY IT TRY IT!!!
And now for the popsicle... I had a small problem with taking the popsicles out of the popsicle trays... so I haven't had these yet. I thought I could try putting the tray in warm water to help it pull away from the sides, but that involved me putting down my frozen and delicious breakfast bar so I will save this experiment for another day!
In addition to my favorite new recipe, I also come bearing good news! For the first time in a long time, I have noticed some slight definition in my arms!!! Exciting stuff!! It's been a very sore day from my Jillian Michaels experience, but when I got off work after a long and busy day, I looked down, and there it was- a slight dip that was once a long marshmallow shape in between my tricep and my elbow. MOTIVATION, PEOPLE! MOTIVATION! You best believe I'm going to keep going with all of these workouts! Clearly, I'm doing something right! I encourage you all to suck it up, get past the soreness, and give yourself a new reason to be excited about your body!!! It feels awesome.
:)
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars!
Hello, friends! My first day as a blogger has gone pretty well so I might as well finish strong and tell you all about my frozen treats that I'll get to try out tomorrow! :)
If you follow me on Vine (my username is Maddie Fantastic) you may have noticed my post featuring a new recipe that I found on Pinterest, but if not here's the original link!
The recipe sounds super healthy and says that it takes five minutes to make but I swear it didn't even take that long!
Since we're poor college kids, we go grocery shopping at Walmart, Aldi, and Kroger. No shame. So we went grocery shopping the other day and bought a bag of mixed berries (we make a lot of smoothies) and I happened to pick out a box of Banana & Nut Granola (which tastes FABULOUS even thought it's not "name brand"). We try to keep Greek Yogurt in the apartment as much as possible so we already had some of that on hand. I mixed up the yogurt, berries, and granola with nuts in a big bowl (exact measurements are on the original link, but I don't really follow those all the time- tee hee), put the mixture in a square brownie pan, threw it in the freezer, and now we're just eagerly waiting to try it tomorrow!
But, did my experiment stop there? Of course not! I had another idea. Matt and I found some popsicle making stick things at Dollar General a while back and we haven't used them yet so I thought that maybe I could blend up the ingredients again and make popsicles out of them! So, I repeated the procedure, blended it up, put it in the popsicle holders, and now they're freezing too! Super easy. It took a bit longer to prepare because of all the blending, but I am so excited to see how they taste tomorrow! I'll be sure to post about how delicious I know they'll be :)
See you all tomorrow morning! And thank you to The Lean Green Bean for this wonderful recipe!
P.S. I'd also like to point out that Matt is the PICKIEST EATER EVER and he loved this recipe so much that after I blended up the popsicle mixture he asked to lick the bowl! Best part about this recipe: you can put whatever you want in! Berries, bananas, peaches, you name it! Maybe peaches or pineapple will be next :)
If you follow me on Vine (my username is Maddie Fantastic) you may have noticed my post featuring a new recipe that I found on Pinterest, but if not here's the original link!
The recipe sounds super healthy and says that it takes five minutes to make but I swear it didn't even take that long!
Since we're poor college kids, we go grocery shopping at Walmart, Aldi, and Kroger. No shame. So we went grocery shopping the other day and bought a bag of mixed berries (we make a lot of smoothies) and I happened to pick out a box of Banana & Nut Granola (which tastes FABULOUS even thought it's not "name brand"). We try to keep Greek Yogurt in the apartment as much as possible so we already had some of that on hand. I mixed up the yogurt, berries, and granola with nuts in a big bowl (exact measurements are on the original link, but I don't really follow those all the time- tee hee), put the mixture in a square brownie pan, threw it in the freezer, and now we're just eagerly waiting to try it tomorrow!
But, did my experiment stop there? Of course not! I had another idea. Matt and I found some popsicle making stick things at Dollar General a while back and we haven't used them yet so I thought that maybe I could blend up the ingredients again and make popsicles out of them! So, I repeated the procedure, blended it up, put it in the popsicle holders, and now they're freezing too! Super easy. It took a bit longer to prepare because of all the blending, but I am so excited to see how they taste tomorrow! I'll be sure to post about how delicious I know they'll be :)
See you all tomorrow morning! And thank you to The Lean Green Bean for this wonderful recipe!
P.S. I'd also like to point out that Matt is the PICKIEST EATER EVER and he loved this recipe so much that after I blended up the popsicle mixture he asked to lick the bowl! Best part about this recipe: you can put whatever you want in! Berries, bananas, peaches, you name it! Maybe peaches or pineapple will be next :)
The "Can't Sit Right for Days" Collection
WHEW. WORKING OUT IS HARD. AND JILLIAN MICHAELS IS A B-WORD.
So here's a fun story. My best friend and Maid of Honor, Jocelyn, goes to a trainer once a week for a super hardcore workout session. I figured that sounded like a pretty good idea and figured I would try to find a gym. There's (supposedly...) a Planet Fitness somewhere in the city of the mall that I work at so I figured they would have a trainer option there and I could go there, check out the gym, and dedicate an hour so each week to a hardcore workout where I didn't have the power to press pause! Sounds like a great idea, right?
Yeah. The problem: I could never find the Planet Fitness. It's still missing. I'm not even sure it exists. People from that city tell me that it does but I'm pretty sure they've been brainwashed into telling people that they have it just to mess with people like me. I got pretty lost trying to find it... I came out on the south side of town and had no hope for survival... that is... until I saw Dunkin Donuts and I was like "Oh, thank God! I'm saved!" But then I thought "WAIT! I'm trying to find a gym! I can't just go there and get my FAVORITE coffee EVER!"
So, with a lot of sadness and regret, I drove right by Dunkin Donuts. I know. It was really hard. But I did it. That's step one, folks. I said no to Dunkin Donuts. I said no to my Mint Chocolate Chip flavored iced coffee. That's hard to do! But I'm here to say that it is possible.
Now... am I going to say that I didn't go to Dairy Queen that night? No. I'm not going to say that I didn't go to Dairy Queen. I'm only human! But Dairy Queen was the least of my problems! Without finding the gym, where would I seek a trainer? But then I remembered why I wanted to go to Planet Fitness in the first place: it's pretty cheap. I never did find out how much a trainer would be because, you know, I couldn't find the gym. But I would imagine that it was cheaper than some other gyms in the area.
So, now we have the conflict. Here I am, flabby and wanting SO BADLY to go out and try on bridal gowns that just won't fit me and my trainer idea was shut down. What to do next? Well, I went to Amazon!
Here is where I tell you all about my "Can't Sit Right for Days" collection. I shopped all around Amazon and found used videos and books that contained all kinds of fun facts about losing weight and, for lack of a better term, kicking my ass.
The first member of the collection was a book called Buff Brides written by Sue Fleming. On the cover it says "The Complete Guide to Getting in Shape and Looking Great for Your Wedding Day"... now that sounds pretty good right??! So I immediately clicked add to cart and checked out the partnering recommendations. And then I saw it... I thought, wait a second... could it be? And now I know for sure. Buff Brides by Sue Fleming has its own workout video- "Buff Brides: Count Down to Gown Workout!" I thought, IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! Reading AND a workout! CLICK- added to cart.
At this point I was on a roll. "WHAT ELSE YA GOT, AMAZON?!?" And then I found it. It may or may not be my favorite part of the collection so far: Look Better Naked. LBN (as Michelle Promaulayko calls it) is a book and DVD workout full of hardcore exercises that really hit the trouble zones (ahem... these workouts may have inspired my Can't Sit Right for Days name for this collection). But- LBN is NOT just a workout book. It contains lots of information about healthy foods and diets but I think my favorite part about this series is that is also a confidence boosting book. In the book, Michelle Promaulayko talks about how looking great naked, clothed, swim-suited, or mascot-costumed isn't going to mean anything if you don't feel good about yourself too! The book contains all kinds of self-esteem boosting exercises that help you appreciate your body. Now, do I want to walk around naked all the time after reading it? Heck no! But it did help to remind myself that I might want to look fantastic on my wedding day, but I still need to be healthy, happy, and keep working to be the woman that Matt wanted to marry in the first place.
Finally- Buff Brides and LBN got a little sister this weekend. Jillian Michaels. The first DVD to come in the mail was "No More Trouble Zones," which I just finished a few minutes ago. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT. I hurt. I hurt a lot. I am so happy that there aren't any stairs in our apartment. But, after a few minutes of updating my adorable little blog, I feel pretty good. My lungs are all cleared up, I'm sitting up straighter in my chair (this might be because I am afraid of Jillian sneaking up behind me and screaming at me to sit up straight...) and I honestly feel good. I feel tired, very sweaty, and I desperately need a shower, but I think this is something I want to continue doing.
But, let's be honest. I didn't do the entire workout. The whole thing is about 40 minutes long. Jillian works with circuits a lot because it gets your entire body moving and without resting a single area, you burn more calories. When you burn more calories, you burn more fat. That sounds great, right? Well, I'm here to tell you that doing a hardcore workout from start to finish is great- but you have to know your limits. I wasn't ashamed to recognize that I am OUT OF SHAPE. This is probably the worst physical condition I have EVER been in. If I went back to high school and tried to do a volleyball workout, I would definitely be throwing up all over the floor. So did I feel bad when I had to just stop for a second to breathe? Absolutely not. Did I feel like I had to say sorry from hitting pause so I could stretch my aching quads? Heck no! Why? Because now I have a new goal: to get through her entire workout without skipping anything.
Now, I know that this goal is going to take a while to work up to, and that's okay! Heck, I have two years to do that! Jocelyn (MOH mentioned above) has recently lost a lot of weight and I am extremely proud of her! But if you ask her what her secret is, she'll happily tell you that she's been working out since last October and the pounds are finally melting away. She's stuck with it for months without seeing hardly any results and that is just amazing. She's going to be my inspiration to keep going with these workouts! Every time I see her, she looks smaller somewhere. I hope that by continuing these tough workouts in this intimidating collection she will be able to say the same about me! :)
Alright, now it's time for a well-earned shower. But my final word for the day: I encourage you to stick with your workouts. I know, I know, Jillian Michaels is intimidating. But if you're willing to pay the 7 dollars for the workout videos in your collection, you might as well do them. And if you don't give up on your workouts, your body will show it.
See ya later, alligators!
So here's a fun story. My best friend and Maid of Honor, Jocelyn, goes to a trainer once a week for a super hardcore workout session. I figured that sounded like a pretty good idea and figured I would try to find a gym. There's (supposedly...) a Planet Fitness somewhere in the city of the mall that I work at so I figured they would have a trainer option there and I could go there, check out the gym, and dedicate an hour so each week to a hardcore workout where I didn't have the power to press pause! Sounds like a great idea, right?
Yeah. The problem: I could never find the Planet Fitness. It's still missing. I'm not even sure it exists. People from that city tell me that it does but I'm pretty sure they've been brainwashed into telling people that they have it just to mess with people like me. I got pretty lost trying to find it... I came out on the south side of town and had no hope for survival... that is... until I saw Dunkin Donuts and I was like "Oh, thank God! I'm saved!" But then I thought "WAIT! I'm trying to find a gym! I can't just go there and get my FAVORITE coffee EVER!"
So, with a lot of sadness and regret, I drove right by Dunkin Donuts. I know. It was really hard. But I did it. That's step one, folks. I said no to Dunkin Donuts. I said no to my Mint Chocolate Chip flavored iced coffee. That's hard to do! But I'm here to say that it is possible.
Now... am I going to say that I didn't go to Dairy Queen that night? No. I'm not going to say that I didn't go to Dairy Queen. I'm only human! But Dairy Queen was the least of my problems! Without finding the gym, where would I seek a trainer? But then I remembered why I wanted to go to Planet Fitness in the first place: it's pretty cheap. I never did find out how much a trainer would be because, you know, I couldn't find the gym. But I would imagine that it was cheaper than some other gyms in the area.
So, now we have the conflict. Here I am, flabby and wanting SO BADLY to go out and try on bridal gowns that just won't fit me and my trainer idea was shut down. What to do next? Well, I went to Amazon!
Here is where I tell you all about my "Can't Sit Right for Days" collection. I shopped all around Amazon and found used videos and books that contained all kinds of fun facts about losing weight and, for lack of a better term, kicking my ass.
The first member of the collection was a book called Buff Brides written by Sue Fleming. On the cover it says "The Complete Guide to Getting in Shape and Looking Great for Your Wedding Day"... now that sounds pretty good right??! So I immediately clicked add to cart and checked out the partnering recommendations. And then I saw it... I thought, wait a second... could it be? And now I know for sure. Buff Brides by Sue Fleming has its own workout video- "Buff Brides: Count Down to Gown Workout!" I thought, IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! Reading AND a workout! CLICK- added to cart.
At this point I was on a roll. "WHAT ELSE YA GOT, AMAZON?!?" And then I found it. It may or may not be my favorite part of the collection so far: Look Better Naked. LBN (as Michelle Promaulayko calls it) is a book and DVD workout full of hardcore exercises that really hit the trouble zones (ahem... these workouts may have inspired my Can't Sit Right for Days name for this collection). But- LBN is NOT just a workout book. It contains lots of information about healthy foods and diets but I think my favorite part about this series is that is also a confidence boosting book. In the book, Michelle Promaulayko talks about how looking great naked, clothed, swim-suited, or mascot-costumed isn't going to mean anything if you don't feel good about yourself too! The book contains all kinds of self-esteem boosting exercises that help you appreciate your body. Now, do I want to walk around naked all the time after reading it? Heck no! But it did help to remind myself that I might want to look fantastic on my wedding day, but I still need to be healthy, happy, and keep working to be the woman that Matt wanted to marry in the first place.
Finally- Buff Brides and LBN got a little sister this weekend. Jillian Michaels. The first DVD to come in the mail was "No More Trouble Zones," which I just finished a few minutes ago. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT. I hurt. I hurt a lot. I am so happy that there aren't any stairs in our apartment. But, after a few minutes of updating my adorable little blog, I feel pretty good. My lungs are all cleared up, I'm sitting up straighter in my chair (this might be because I am afraid of Jillian sneaking up behind me and screaming at me to sit up straight...) and I honestly feel good. I feel tired, very sweaty, and I desperately need a shower, but I think this is something I want to continue doing.
But, let's be honest. I didn't do the entire workout. The whole thing is about 40 minutes long. Jillian works with circuits a lot because it gets your entire body moving and without resting a single area, you burn more calories. When you burn more calories, you burn more fat. That sounds great, right? Well, I'm here to tell you that doing a hardcore workout from start to finish is great- but you have to know your limits. I wasn't ashamed to recognize that I am OUT OF SHAPE. This is probably the worst physical condition I have EVER been in. If I went back to high school and tried to do a volleyball workout, I would definitely be throwing up all over the floor. So did I feel bad when I had to just stop for a second to breathe? Absolutely not. Did I feel like I had to say sorry from hitting pause so I could stretch my aching quads? Heck no! Why? Because now I have a new goal: to get through her entire workout without skipping anything.
Now, I know that this goal is going to take a while to work up to, and that's okay! Heck, I have two years to do that! Jocelyn (MOH mentioned above) has recently lost a lot of weight and I am extremely proud of her! But if you ask her what her secret is, she'll happily tell you that she's been working out since last October and the pounds are finally melting away. She's stuck with it for months without seeing hardly any results and that is just amazing. She's going to be my inspiration to keep going with these workouts! Every time I see her, she looks smaller somewhere. I hope that by continuing these tough workouts in this intimidating collection she will be able to say the same about me! :)
Alright, now it's time for a well-earned shower. But my final word for the day: I encourage you to stick with your workouts. I know, I know, Jillian Michaels is intimidating. But if you're willing to pay the 7 dollars for the workout videos in your collection, you might as well do them. And if you don't give up on your workouts, your body will show it.
See ya later, alligators!
Introductions and Fun Facts!
Hello, friends! The Big Booty Bride here! I'm not sure how popular this thing is going to be or how long I'll be able to keep up with it, but just in case I become internet-famous, I'll do a brief description of myself to start things off.
Hello, strangers! My name is Maddie. I'm 20 years old and I have been dating the love of my life for almost five years now. A little over a month ago, my best friend/high school sweetheart (Matt, of course) and I went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom where we enjoyed a magical day in the park. At night we watched the fireworks over the castle in the Rose Garden and he proposed to me. Imagine my excitement! In the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH which also happens to be MY FAVORITE PLACE EVER! Of course after all the excitement and engagement bliss faded after a few days and we had to head home, my next thought was "Oh God, I can't possibly let other people see me look like this on my wedding day." Second thought: "Oh God, there will be pictures. Pictures that people will want to see AFTER my wedding day."
So I was pretty much terrified by the idea that apparently weddings are a big deal and people want to actually see the bride? Crazy talk. But we'll slide past that one. Basically I "really wanna lose three pounds" (hahaha.. Mean Girls.. If you've never seen it, go watch it. Now. Go! ....Okay are we good? Great). But three pounds probably won't do much.. so we figure that we have between 2 and 3 years to get married. That means 1 and 1/2 to 2 years until we take our official engagement pictures, about 2 years until we pick a place to actually get married, and the biggest issue of all: I have about 2 years to fit into some form of a wedding dress. This means I have to buckle down and finally start to use the trap that shuts my mouth when I'm eating. I actually have to pull myself away from my laptop every once in a while and stop watching Saturday Night Live on Netflix.
I think that you've probably figured out so far that this is pretty much going to be a workout blog. I'll come on here and tell you what workouts work for me, what you can try at home, and maybe I'll post some embarrassing pictures of myself attempting a yoga pose that I just can't handle. But friends, if you thought this was only a workout blog, YOU'RE WRONG!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! MUAAAHAHAHHHAA (That's my evil laugh. If you don't have one, you should really get one. They can be very satisfying)!
I went to a wedding a few weeks ago for a dear friend of mine and when we were at the bachelorette party, I got to talking with an older woman who was in attendance (Fun fact: She was from Canada! Very friendly, but moving on now...). We got to talking about my recent engagement and how I had begged my best friend/Maid of Honor to help me make sure I don't look lumpy when I came down the aisle. The woman looked at me and smiled and said that I was already beautiful and that she hoped that instead of Matt and I worrying so much about planning for the wedding, we would instead build a strong foundation for our marriage. So here I am thinking, "Huh... Getting engaged isn't just about getting a really shiny ring and planning a huge party... It's another step in the journey that helps you prepare for your marriage." What a concept! So, my FABULOUS readers, in this blog, I hope to show you that one day I will actually lose those three (plus) pounds, I will be able to cook like Julia Child (wait.. that might be a different blog/movie...), and I will be able to show others how Matt and I are building the strongest foundation possible for our marriage and encourage others to do the same.
Thanks so much for making it this far! Now I'm off to workout... Hooray... (awkward sigh).
-The Big Booty Bride
Hello, strangers! My name is Maddie. I'm 20 years old and I have been dating the love of my life for almost five years now. A little over a month ago, my best friend/high school sweetheart (Matt, of course) and I went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom where we enjoyed a magical day in the park. At night we watched the fireworks over the castle in the Rose Garden and he proposed to me. Imagine my excitement! In the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH which also happens to be MY FAVORITE PLACE EVER! Of course after all the excitement and engagement bliss faded after a few days and we had to head home, my next thought was "Oh God, I can't possibly let other people see me look like this on my wedding day." Second thought: "Oh God, there will be pictures. Pictures that people will want to see AFTER my wedding day."
So I was pretty much terrified by the idea that apparently weddings are a big deal and people want to actually see the bride? Crazy talk. But we'll slide past that one. Basically I "really wanna lose three pounds" (hahaha.. Mean Girls.. If you've never seen it, go watch it. Now. Go! ....Okay are we good? Great). But three pounds probably won't do much.. so we figure that we have between 2 and 3 years to get married. That means 1 and 1/2 to 2 years until we take our official engagement pictures, about 2 years until we pick a place to actually get married, and the biggest issue of all: I have about 2 years to fit into some form of a wedding dress. This means I have to buckle down and finally start to use the trap that shuts my mouth when I'm eating. I actually have to pull myself away from my laptop every once in a while and stop watching Saturday Night Live on Netflix.
I think that you've probably figured out so far that this is pretty much going to be a workout blog. I'll come on here and tell you what workouts work for me, what you can try at home, and maybe I'll post some embarrassing pictures of myself attempting a yoga pose that I just can't handle. But friends, if you thought this was only a workout blog, YOU'RE WRONG!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! MUAAAHAHAHHHAA (That's my evil laugh. If you don't have one, you should really get one. They can be very satisfying)!
I went to a wedding a few weeks ago for a dear friend of mine and when we were at the bachelorette party, I got to talking with an older woman who was in attendance (Fun fact: She was from Canada! Very friendly, but moving on now...). We got to talking about my recent engagement and how I had begged my best friend/Maid of Honor to help me make sure I don't look lumpy when I came down the aisle. The woman looked at me and smiled and said that I was already beautiful and that she hoped that instead of Matt and I worrying so much about planning for the wedding, we would instead build a strong foundation for our marriage. So here I am thinking, "Huh... Getting engaged isn't just about getting a really shiny ring and planning a huge party... It's another step in the journey that helps you prepare for your marriage." What a concept! So, my FABULOUS readers, in this blog, I hope to show you that one day I will actually lose those three (plus) pounds, I will be able to cook like Julia Child (wait.. that might be a different blog/movie...), and I will be able to show others how Matt and I are building the strongest foundation possible for our marriage and encourage others to do the same.
Thanks so much for making it this far! Now I'm off to workout... Hooray... (awkward sigh).
-The Big Booty Bride
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)