Long Time NO Talk...

Hey girls,

Sorry it's been a century since I've done anything on the blog.  I've been a little pre-occupied. ;)  And, it isn't just Efren, it's mission too. :)  So about my mission, I've been thinking about making a blog.  BUT, as we all know, I can't be the official "blogger" while I'm out there.  Anyways, so I was wondering if any of you would be willing to be the blogger person for me.  I just want a blog that all of our extended family and friends can see, as well as the immediate family.  If none of you can do it, I understand...but I thought I would ask because I don't think people here (we know who those are;) would keep it updated.  Well, I love all of you!  Thanks for all you do for me.  I am going to miss all of you soo much! :(
Have a fabulous day!  Love, Johannah

Sorry I haven't updated forever, i will try to be better at it once my new school schedule is for sure not so confusing and difficult to get used to.
I blogged today because i need to ask you of a favor for me that i have been putting off for a long time because i feel like i would be throwing a pitty party for myself which is not my intention.  So, for a while I have been......like depressed but not a "take away my life" depressed. I don't know how to explain how i have been feeling and some days i am having a great time but alot of times i find myself depressed and I am trying so hard but the problem i have is probably something a i need to figure out on my own. Please pray for me....I think I need some support from people who can give me advice without a grudge of who i might be dealing with or me.  I hope I don't make you sad or feel bad for anything, i thought i was doing okay but it has been really pushing on me lately and I really need your prayers.
I love you all, thank you for everything you do for me!

                                          Love Jessica

Ratatouille Sauté

Look! A recipe! Before you turn up your noses and say it doesn't look or wont taste good, give it a try. It's nice and fresh and SO delicious! This is a recipe I absolutely love! I've made it many times and served it over rice, rice noodles, and with fish. It's pretty versatile, and great for student budgets.  Hope you enjoy!

Ratatouille Sauté

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped red onion
1  or 2 chopped bell peppers (any color works!)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 1/2 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)
1 or 2 small chopped squash (I use yellow squash or zucchini)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained ( I have also used 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes)
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar


Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the eggplant, squash, salt, black pepper, and vinegar. Sauté 3-5 mins until squash is cooked. Add tomatoes; stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Source: Adapted from myrecipes.com

Update: Sarah

Sorry that it has been FOREVER! It's not that I don't ever read or want to post. I don't have internet yet and have to make trips to the library....sometimes hard to sit and do stuff while Caleb is ready to go home already. So, I thought I would take this chance to post. I have been thinking a lot about eating healthier too. I have been trying to make most of the foods we eat. I was looking at this book called "cook this, not that" similar to the books "Eat this, Not That". It compares home-made meals with restaurant meals. GROSS! They give recipe's as well and encourage you to explore...that recipe's aren't set-in-stone, you can sub things, you can entirely leave something out if you don't have it (okay, but be smart....you can't just leave yeast out of bread) but, you can leave celery out of fried rice or replace with...I used cabbage. ANYWAY'S, every single meal was under HALF if not more the amount of calories at restaurants!!! Seriously, eating out (ALL THE TIME) is a waste of money and can have serious effects over a period of time. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a meal out here and there, just be careful! You would have to do a lot more to burn those cals, then from a home cooked meal of the exact same thing (basically). I just have to mention one more thing before I stop. My opinion and what I have learned with Organic foods...If you are set on eating only organic than go for it. Just make sure you read the labels and find out what is REALLY organic and not. Just because the labels say it does not mean that it's true. Compare an organic food label of something to the same non-organic version. A lot of organic claims are really just 'give me more money' claims. Pesticides for fruits and veggie's really is not dangerous because of the SMALL amount that is actually on them. Just clean'em before you eat'em. Okay, enough of that.
I have been getting out of bed earlier (meaning 8-9...don't judge) and exercising 4-5 times a week now and feel so much better when I do. Thanks for all the encouragement to eat healthy, it really is an important part of...being healthy. OH! Fruits and veggie's are expensive, yes, but....Leo and I spent A LOT less of what we would have spent by price matching at Wal-mart. So, we get adds in the paper for all these food stores (or you can go online and look at the prices), then we plan our menu according to whats on-sale or a steal. You can match prices from any store with Wal-mart AND (at least in Utah county..just ask next time you're at wal-mart about your area) they have double coupon Tuesday's. Meaning if I have a coupon for a dollar off, I can get it for $2 off....you can use coupons from other stores too I THINK, but if you find a coupon for something you need, then price match with another store that may have a good deal on it at the time, then go on a Tuesday....yeah.
     

In Defence of Food: A Book Review

Image Source: MichaelPollan.com

My latest read was this incredible book by Michael Pollan.  I really enjoyed his take on food and how it should and shouldn't be eaten. I especially loved the way it was presented. It was clear and to the point, and also very scientific...in an unbiased kind of way.  He basically points out that much of what we are eating is not really "food" in the traditional sense. It is instead a "food-like substance" something we eat that is kind of like food, but not really FOOD.  His main mantra is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." It's a great thing to keep in mind. Make sure what you are eating is real food. Not stuff that is made by scientists. And keep it simple. The closer to the ground the better. :)

Image Source: Degreesearch.org

Another great point he makes is to eat food from your culture...like traditional food. Instead of eating the American or western way. You know, the cold cereal, the fries, the junk. Stuff that isn't easily made in your own kitchen. Unfortunately, many people have not learned to cook real food. 

Image Source: Degreesearch.org

And a great point: Seriously! If it doesn't go bad sitting on the counter for a few days, it's not a good idea to eat it.

Image Source: Degreesearch.org

Anyway, it's a great book. You should read it! It is very enlightening, and has given me a great appreciation for home-cooking and eating whole foods.

I'm Running for Ice Cream. Wanna Join?

 I have a thing for ice cream. I think you guys know that. Like, I have a big thing for ice cream. But lately I have tried cutting it (and any other processed sugar food) out of my life. It went really well for about 2.5 weeks. Then I crashed...Daniel left for 4 days and I ate a 1/2 gallon all by myself. Lest you think ill of me, NO! It was not in one sitting! (There, I do have some redemption.) So I tried to make myself limit it again. And again! I was stressed out and tired and PMSing, and I bought ice cream when I wasn't "supposed" to, and we ate another 1/2 gallon over the course of 3 days. So I thought to myself, I seem to have a problem with limiting my ice cream. Maybe if I run a certain number of miles, I could reward myself with ice cream (only one bowl)! So I made this little chart to see if it will work. And I think it will. It's totally attainable.

There are 20 spaces. 1 box will equal 1 mile or 30 minutes of any other exercise. This is attainable because I generally try to run 3 miles about every other day. I am trying to work up to 4 or 5. I also try to work out for at least 30 mins or an hour on my off running days. (Especially since I am trying to be awesome like Sarah and do the dragonfly pose in yoga...eventually...I kind of have to make up lost ground for a little while. Why did I ever stop doing yoga regularly?) I am also counting walks to the park (our closest park is 1/2 mile away and the next closest is 1 mile), which we do quite frequently. SO. If I REALLY wanted ice cream, I could make it happen in a week. If I just do my normal thing, I can get ice cream in 1 1/2 weeks. No problem.

I hope this works. I've been at a plateau in my weight loss for about a month now, and I can feel myself starting to get a little depressed. Which leads to not caring anymore, which leads to weight gain. I guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself since Daniel has been gone 3 times, we had family in town for a week, and we are about to go out of town...I've had a lot going on. AND, I have lost 8 lbs since I started this whole thing! I guess that counts for something!

Also, If you would like a copy, either download the png from here, or I can email you the pdf. Love you!




  PS. Am I the only one that uses this blog anymore? Remember it doesn't have to be about weight loss, health, or goals even. You could share a quote or movie you really liked, a book review, a new recipe, or even a photo of what you've been doing recently. :) I'm just into clean eating and health right now. I am sure it will change soon. :)

Clean Eating

So...Daniel and I have completely revamped the way we eat since I last posted. It started out as an experiment to see what might be causing Daniel's tummy trouble, but we really like it, and are planning on making it a lifetime commitment. Let me explain what got us excited about it....For a long time I have been concerned with the way we eat. I felt like it was fairly healthy (especially compared with the average American diet), and I tried to follow the word of wisdom, but I still felt like our diet was not quite right. Wondering what to do, and how to break the cycle, and concerned about Daniel's GI episodes, I started to do some research.

I found a diet I was interested in starting called "The Virgin Diet." It was basically an experiment to take certain foods out of your diet completely, and then add them back in again slowly, taking special note of what happened to your body. Those foods are Dairy, Soy, Corn, Eggs, Sugar (or subs), Peanuts, and Gluten.  We actually started doing that and did really great for 2 weeks, and then "summer" hit and we realized we were going to have to change our plans. Daniel has a conference this weekend that will feed him several times, and with the current American diet vs. the Virgin diet, we doubted Daniel would be able to eat anything at all. Because gluten, soy, and corn are in almost EVERYTHING! Not to mention scout camps (2) and weekend vacations. So the testing is put on hold until the fall when trips/vacations end and real life starts again.  However, that doesn't mean we are going back to the way things were. We now feel very strongly about this whole thing, and do not plan to go back.

During this time of research, I was talking to a friend about changing the way we eat and in particular about Daniel's episodes, he mentioned this documentary. Well, this is a trailer for it, but we watched the whole thing.

Although we are sure there are hidden agendas with them (as well as with any other movie or organization), we feel that it really can't hurt to eat this way. I mean, who is going to die from eating more vegetables and fruits? No one. There are many instances in this documentary and I have also heard from others who have switched to whole foods, raw, paleo, green smoothie, etc. diets, of amazing turn arounds in health. AMAZING. My thoughts? Well, I'm not expecting amazing experiences or stories from changing the way I eat, like those people, but I am only hoping it makes me more healthy than I have ever been in the past. NOW is the time to change. NOW while I am still young, and can easily change my habits.

So we've been eating "clean" (no processed foods, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, and LOTS of vegetables and fruits) for a couple weeks now. We have already seen amazing results. We have both lost 5 lbs (or more...we weigh in on Mondays), I am fitting into my clothes better, and we have experienced WAY less cravings. (Although the first weeks was amazingly rough as far as cravings go.)  As far as non-measurable things go, we both feel that we have more energy (again, except that first week), I have been able to run when I never had been able to before, and we both feel great!

So, I would encourage all of you to re-think the way you eat, and be willing to make some changes for your health. 'Cause seriously, who's not gonna benefit from eating more veggies?