Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Kastans September to November 2010

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10 Things You Can Do To Help Your Family Get Healthy Today

When I come across things I figure why not pass them on. Maybe just maybe there will be a little something for you too....

10 Things you can do to help your family get healthy:

1. Eat Fruits / Veggies daily
2. Eat breakfast everyday
3. Go meatless at least 1 day a week
4. Get out and move for 60 minutes every day (think about it. Kids do most of this at school)
5. Turn off the screen. Limit TV, non-homework computer time, phone, and video screen to 2 hours or less
6. Drink water instead of soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, or juice
7. Eat real food. Make sure you can understand and read a food's ingredient list. Remember some of the healthiest foods do not have labels, like fruits / veggies
8. Eat at least one meal a day with your family
9. Be a health hero and demand that fresh and local fruit / veggies are available at your school and at your local grocery store
10. Parents - tell your children, no matter how old, that you love them frequently and regularly. Youth should know that they are loved just the way they are no matter what their shape or size.

Monday, November 29, 2010

First Teeth & First Feeding

L had his first few bites of rice cereal & cut his first two teeth. It's been a busy week for the little guy. Enjoy some pics of his interesting week!

K helping with L's first feeding

Not sure if he's into it...Really he's not.

What do I do?

That little white thing in the middle on the right is L's tooth that cut through. The other middle tooth just made it's appearance as well.

No. Cal Two Trip

We made it up to Mountain View, CA to see my SIL & Hubbys family. Here are a few pics taken on my dear K's iTouch since I forgot our memory card lol. The pictures may not be A~1 quality BUT they show we had a great time!

Eric & K Ice Skating before the rain started but that didn't keep K off the ice. Her bruised wrist is proof of that!

Sitting inside where it's warm.

I heart Christmas!

K & Cousins S & R

K & Moi.

Little Holiday Eating Help

I know I want to enjoy the holidays but I also want to continue losing the "L" weight. Here are some tips I saw that I like...Take them or leave them but let the Chrismukkah season begin!

  1. It is easier to get distracted from signals of physical hunger and satiety at social gatherings, especially if food is the main event. Make an effort to pay close attention to your body's signals.

  2. Be a food snob. Skip the store-bought goodies, the dried-out fudge and the so-so stuffing. If the food you select doesn't taste as good as you expected, stop eating it and choose something else. Think of how much less you'd eat if you only ate things that tasted fabulous!

  3. Think of your appetite as an expense account. How much do you want to spend on appetizers or the entrée? Do you want to save some room for dessert? Go through this process mentally to avoid eating too much food and feeling uncomfortable for the rest of the evening.

  4. Pace your eating prior to the event so you will be hungry but not famished at mealtime. But ignore the old diet advice of "eat before you go to a party so you won't be tempted." That is absurd! You want to be hungry enough to enjoy your favorites.

  5. Socialize away from the sight of the food. People who tend to overeat are "food suggestible" so just hanging around food causes them to eat more than they need.

  6. Survey all of the food at a buffet before making your choices. Choose the foods that you really want most at that time and remind yourself that you can have the other foods at a later time.

  7. If the food is so special, give it your full attention rather than eating on autopilot. Eat mindfully by reducing distractions and sitting down to eat - even if it's just a cookie. Appreciate the appearance and aroma of your food and savor one small bite at a time by putting your fork down. You'll eat less food but enjoy it more.

  8. If the food doesn't taste as good as you expected, stop eating it and choose something else.

  9. Since the duration of the meal tends to be extended at social events, you may need to have your plate taken away (or put your napkin on it) once you are satisfied to avoid nibbling unconsciously.

  10. Be aware of the effects of alcohol on your food intake. And don't forget that many beverages contain calories too.

  11. Be cautious of "obligatory eating" - avoid eating just because it is on the table, on your plate, because you paid for it, or because someone made it. Deal with Food Pushers with a polite but firm, "No thank you." If you're concerned about hurting their feelings, ask for the recipe or a small portion to take home with you for another meal.

  12. It's common to have candy and snacks lying all over the place this time of year. Avoid indulging in food just because it's there. Grazing unconsciously will lead to many extra calories that you probably won't even remember enjoying.

  13. Before having a cookie, a piece of fudge or other holiday treat that was laid in the break room, check your hunger scale. If you are hungry and you wish to choose a particular food to satisfy you, remember to sit down and eat it mindfully.

  14. At restaurants, the portion sizes are usually huge - almost always "two for the price of one." Request appetizer portions, co-order and co-eat with your dining partner, or have the server package up your meal to go as soon as you feel satisfied. Remember, "super-size" is no bargain if you didn't need that much food in the first place!

  15. Look for opportunities for physical activity - take a walk after dinner to enjoy the lights, take a few laps around the mall before it opens to do some window shopping or take guests to local attractions.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

This was a great Thanksgiving & L's first. K was a big help today and we enjoyed a lovely dinner with E's family. My Angel Babies came out good and my Caramelized Sweet Potatoes were a hit. Now off to bed as we leave early tomorrow for a weekend with E's family in the Bay area including the annual skating party & The Nutcracker.

So grateful for my life today and my little family plus the friends who put up with my crazy self. Life may be busy (extremely) but that is a quality problem of my wonderful life.


The final Angel Baby in all it's glory.
She let me take a picture. I can't believe she's 10. Time sure flies.
L's first Thanksgiving shirt brought to you by Grandma E but it ended up being a teether for the little guy.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Columbia Trip 2010

Going to Central CA in the fall lets you see the beauty in nature. Something you don't see in So. California too often or at all really. The red in the leaves was just so beautiful. Here are some photos from our trip. Very few taken but these I liked:
Columbia, CA...
Yes, I forgot shoes other than flip flops. A problem being from So. Cal...
L ready for the rain...
Columbia, CA

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Domestic Project "One" Complete!

I've completed my journey into creating the perfect or next to perfect meringue aka Angel Babies. You see I had to do a trial run to (a) see if I'd kill the family with some bad meringue pie or (b) if I'd fail miserably the last moment and have to explain why there are no Angel Babies, just Pumpkin Pie.


My first adventure into this led to a runny kind of mess on the wax paper. I didn't get how the magazine was saying "White Firm Peaks" for these shells when mine was a gooey mess. I figured out my hand blender was not a mixer and my days of cooking from a box were over so I went and yes, bought a real mixer.

Not only did this mixer open my eyes to "White Firm Peaks" of future meringue goodness it also showed me to follow directions.

So attempt two went much better. I also saw that yes, over time proper mixing of Heavy Whipping Cream will get firm as well.

I've included Picture (A) How the meringues looked in the magazine and (B) my version for the trial run. I am hoping the real run on Thanksgiving looks even better since I will be comfortable.

Until my next Domestic Adventure.....

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Adventures in being DOMESTIC...Yes, I said DOMESTIC

So, here's the deal. I'm starting a new daily or weekly blog here in my current blog about "My Adventures in being Domestic" First stop cooking a real desert (not my boxed specialties) then onto crafting!!!

I FAILED big time last night at making Angel Babies. It's OK. I didn't have the proper mixer for the egg whites SO it was a sign to buy one, which I will do today. I will attempt this again this evening. Stay tuned for pictures of what may be a Angel Baby.

By the way...I FAILED 3x last night. Can't blame me for trying over and over again...I'm a bit insane like that.

Wish me luck! There may be some very interesting pictures posted from time to time as I try to be Super Domestic Mom!!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Give and Get is Here!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from November 11-14 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy plus we'll make a 5% donation to a non-profit."