While you're at it...

...GO WATCH "HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO".

Argh.

Rough week here, people. Bear with me as I try to pull myself together.

I am gathering mementos, pictures, etc... from my GA trip to the SAI Triennial Convention, so expect them up VERY soon, along with stories of great memories, events, and old and new friends!

While I use up multiple boxes of tissues, go take a look at some sad music I'm listening to:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so6ExplQlaY&feature=related

I love Yiruma. His music just takes me away to a better place. This song especially.

Georgia on my Mind

I've been off of blogging for quite some time, but I do have a solid reason. I have been packing and preparing for a road trip to Atlanta, GA for a convention!

I am in SAI (I don't think I've ever mentioned that!), which stands for Sigma Alpha Iota. Sigma Alpha Iota is a professional womens' music fraternity dedicated to furthering women composers and their music, cultivating excellence in performance, and donates to multiple charities and musical organizations. (This is just a brief explanation; to see more, go to ).

This is a triennial convention, and it is the first time I am going to a convention. I am so excited, especially since I get to meet 2 new girls tomorrow who will be my roommates!!

So far, this week has consisted of gathering paper work, getting the schedule of convention finalized, finishing paperwork for rental cars, hotels, etc... and contacting roommates for last minute info. Quite busy.

Last night, Mom and I packed ALL of my clothes I would need. I am so organized in my packing of clothes, I even wrote a schedule of what to wear each day. It's quite epic. This morning, I finished packing toiletries and snacks. Mom and I made eggs and ham and cheese croissants, and then we were off to pick up our separate rental cars!

We left for Norwalk (Mom's hometown) at 9:40, left the rental car parking lot at 10:15, and were on our way. Our stops included our oh-so-favorite gas station in Mansfield right before I-71 S, and then continued onto I-71 S. Applebee's was our lunch, and we finally got to KY, and Berea, where I am currently sitting writing this blog. Tomorrow morning, I pick the first roommate up at 6ish, then to the second roommate, and then down to ATLANTA!! I will post pictures of this event hopefully soon after the convention is over, but until then, I will be gone until the 8th. Ta-ta for now!

Pumpkin. Pie.

Two words: pumpkin pie. That's it. I know that this certain pie is more of a fall pie, but I thought, why not try something different? Everyone's heard of Christmas in July? Yes? Well, how about autumn a few months early? Here we go!

PS: This recipe is from my Nana and Granddad.

Step 1: Gather ingredients IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER and preheat your oven to 425˚F.

2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin---NOTE: I USED A 15-OZ. CAN; NO BIG DIFFERENCE
3./4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 can (13. oz) Evaporated Milk---NOTE: I USED A 12-OZ. CAN; NO BIG DIFFERENCE

1 9-inch UNBAKED pie shell with high fluted edge (like a crimp)

In this picture you will see the ingredients in order from left to right; the last item, the pie crust, was originally store-bought, but after it broke, Mom and I made a home-made crust. Scratch the store-bought pie crust and make your own; it is SO MUCH BETTER.

Step 2: This is where Mom and I made the home-made crust. Do NOT bake your crust before filling it with pie filling. Not for pumpkin pie, nope, because pumpkin pie is more of a custard pie that will take longer to bake, so the crust can bake then. If you make your own, make enough for 1 9-inch pie crust. I used a glass pie shell for this. Here is also an example of a "high-fluted" crust:

Step 3: Mix all ingredients (minus pie crust) IN THE ORDER GIVEN ABOVE (eggs, canned pumpkin, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and evaporated milk).

Step 4: Pour your mixture into the pie shell, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. THEN, reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue baking another 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out completely clean. Let it cool completely, then garnish with a whipped topping and DEVOUR.

One last tip before I go until Friday: When you are baking, make sure all measurements are precise and correct. In cooking, you can "add to taste". In baking, measurements should be exact.

Enjoy!!

Music Monday

Welcome to another Music Monday! Can you believe it's already over halfway through July???

Today's music choice is:

Dinah Washington--"Silent Night"

Right? A classic Christmas song (again--I might love Christmas). This was on one of my random Christmas CDs...

Here's a youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1jCu66CdFI

Enjoy! And if you're going through a sweltering day like we are here in Sandtown (95 is the high, and it's already 80 at 8 am), then take a listen and imagine snow and cold!!!

Food vs. me

Today, I promised I would talk about my relationship with food. This is, after all, a weight loss blog as well as a life blog, and I feel like I have gotten away from that aspect.


I love food. There, I said it. Food and I, we go WAY back. Ever since I was little, I have loved food. I remember when I was little, loving foods such as pears and carrots. I still love pears and carrots, but my taste buds have definitely changed.....

Many years ago, I made a new friend. POP. SODA. SODA POP. Whatever you call it. It's sweet, sugary, delicious, and makes me happy. While pop is delicious, it has calories. Many calories. Add on top of that 30+ grams of sugar and carbohydrates.

There is no nutritional value in pop. There is no reason to drink it. However, over the years, I have become somewhat addicted to it. In fact, really addicted to it. Pop is...all I think about each day and night. When I wake up, I start to crave it immediately. Around 11, I really begin to need it, and I usually have 1-2 cans a day. And if we go out for a meal, I always have a pop then. I just can't get away from it. I'm actually drinking it now.

The longest I have been away from pop was 1 week. During that week, I experienced frequent upset stomachs, dizziness, and headaches. After I took my first sip of pop at the end of the week, the symptoms went away. Caffeine withdrawal. It's a nasty, vile little thing. I have tried to give it up for many, MANY Lent seasons, but that doesn't work. My latest experiment was having 1 can of pop ONLY AFTER I had had an 8-oz. glass of water. My 2nd can of pop could only come after I had had another glass of water, and so on and so forth. That worked for 1 day. I am at my wit's end as to what to do. I can't give it up cold turkey (tried that, experienced symptoms listed above and couldn't take it any longer), but I am done with pop! So done!! It affects my weight, mood, daily caloric intake, and teeth, all in a negative way!

Here is just a small portion of my life and daily struggle with food.

Any suggestions of how to decrease/rid my intake of pop? What could be some big substitutes for pop?

Me!

Here's something that just came in the mail today that is about me: I am officially a graduate of the University of Cincinnati!!! I graduated Cum Laude!! (see bottom middle) Yahoo!!!!!!!!! :D Here's a picture:

Also, notice my hair color--a dark auburny-redy-ish.....thing. I have had my hair colored ever since I started college (this will be year 5). I started by going dark brown, and every year, I get it a shade darker and redder. WELLL....I think it's time for another change. I'm thinking a hybrid of blonde and brunette (like my original hair color, but more polished). This dark color is so faded, you can see my original hair color poking through (under 4 layers of color!!!)

To the point, sorry. I ramble. A new hair color is my reward for working hard to be healthy. When I lose 1 inch off of my waist, I can get a new color, cut, and style. But I can only get it when I lose 1 in. And only then!! So far, I'm not really budging in my numbers. However, I am becoming somewhat better at food. I am now seeing when I just don't want anymore and am realizing that it's OK if you don't finish everything when you go out. Tonight, I turned down a big order of fries from Dad (he had a sub and fries, we had pizza). Also, Mom and I shared a pizza on a whole-wheat crust. I'll talk more about whole-wheat in a later post, most likely Sunday's. I was proud of myself, even for that little accomplishment. Lastly, I have stopped eating out at fast-food!! By fast-food, I mean: McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Arby's, KFC, and Chipotle. I didn't only stop eating at these because they can be unhealthy (at least what I order). I stopped mainly because I haven't had too much access to these restaurants in the past 4 years at college and have gotten used to NOT eating them. Now that I have access to them, they make me *physically* sick. Seriously. My new faves: Jimmy John's and Five Guys! Dear Sandtown: Get a Curritos and I'll feel like I'm home in Cinci again. Ahhhhh..... Look for a weight loss update on Sunday!