I'm on a diet (for the millioneth time) and I'm happy to report that I lost 7.4lbs in the 1st two weeks. This time, instead of doing some silly workout dvd or horrible diet, I decided to do this with the simple 30 minute workouts 3 times a week and proportioning my food. Although my weight is coming off slower, I'm actually noticing a change and it's something that I feel I can keep up. I also started counting calories and points. Weight Watchers is great because it doesn't tell me no, I can't have whatever -- it tells me how to prepare and eat it. I need that structure. I'm not sure how many inches I've lost but I know I've lost some because I can actually see.
Another trick I went back to (just to help speed up the process) was to wrap my stomach in saran wrap. Look, it works for your hair and it does WONDERS for your body. It helps you sweat, it sucks your belly in without giving you that ugly pantyline of a girdle. It's simply the best!!! Try it.
I cant leave without sharing because, as my mom always told me, sharing is caring!! Below I have a main course. Enjoy!!!
Fettuccine with Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Makes 4 servings
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and chopped
6 oz spinach fettuccine (I used regular fettuccine)
4 tsp olive oil
4 4oz skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced and into rings (your choice)
4 minced garlic cloves
1 head of radicchio (shreaded -- your choice)
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped basil
Boil the broccoli for 2 minutes. Then drain the water and preceed to cook your fettuccine, according to how soft you want the noodles. In a large NONSTICK skillet, heat 2tsp of oil, add the chicken, salt, oregano, anbd red pepper and saute until cooked through (4-5min on each side). Then, in the skillet heat the remaining 2tsp of oil; saute the pnion and garlic until tender -- 3-4min. Stir in the broccoli rabe and radicchio; cook, stirring frequently, until tender (4-5 min). Add the fettuccine then sprinkle the cheese and black pepper. Service topped with chicken and sprinkled basil. POINTS VALUE--7. Not bad at all!
This year has started off in a tremendously blessed way for me. Yes, I've had a few bumps but just 2 months in and I already know this is my year. My birthday last weekend made me realize that.
All started Saturday, Feb 12. My husband and I went downtown to Hotel Icon. When we got in the room, I had roses waiting for me. This was a shock to me because my husband is not the most romantic person in the world. His idea of roman is not your typical roses and a card; it's more like buy me a sweet tea from Chik Fil A and try to recite a poem that he wrote or tweaked himself. I didn't ruin the mood, I took it (and yes I tweeted it) and let the weekend take me. We went and explored downtown for a little bit, had lunch then went back to the hotel. Without saying where we were going, I was told to get dressed and "get fancy." That was definately not a problem for little old me. We had a driver for the weekend (something I could get used to!!!) We ended up going to eat at the Aquarium. They had a Valentine's Day romantic dinner deal going on all weekend, which was cool. Started it off with a rose for me upon seating and the bottle of our choice. Then we got the starter, our main course and dessert. The food was nothing to write home about. I know now there's a reason why I've never eaten at the Aquarium. After dinner, they threw in a "souvenir photo" and we left, full of food and tipsy off of wine and margaritas LOL. Once we get outside, there's a horse and carriage -- I cried. We rode downtown before ending back up at the hotel and well, yall know what followed.
Sunday we woke up and went down to the spa for a 4 1/2 hour spa treatment. It was the best. There's not really much else to say about that. After our spa treatment, we left Icon and went over to my parent's house for my surprise (that I already knew about) party. We had a ball!!! Every food that I liked was there!! Every drink I like, it was there!!! All I had to do was show up, be happy and party -- & that I did!!!
Monday was my actually birthday and it was also Valentine's Day so my gifts doubled. I got a Louis Vuitton Monogram Neverfull PM, a puppy and my coworkers all got me the LV trunk. I felt so good and so blessed. Plus, these are all things I wanted and guess what --- it didn't have to come out of MY pocket. I won totally!!
His name is Keelo and he's a 6 1/2 week old Shih-Tzu and Pekingese mix
The Louis
This was a successful birthday. Guess who's loved!!!
I know it's the "big day." We get to see who's the best team in the NFL (depending on how you want to take it). Other than the actual game, the best part of the day are the drinks. This is the day people come up with their own drinks, mostly named after their favorite team (for instance my own concoction called the "Blue Shoe" for the Colts and my version of Texas Tea for the Texans). KL over at A Scorpio Speaks wanted some recipes that include vodka and I gave her the ones I'd be making tonight. I guess I share LOL. Here they are:
Dreamsicle: 1oz vodka, orange juice, 1oz cream (whipped cream), apple juice, 1 oz cherry juice. You can use any mixture of juices that you want; doesn't have to be apple, cherry and orange. Add everything, putting it into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake it, pour it, drink it.
Black Martini: 3oz gin or vodka, 1/2oz blackberry brandy (delicious!!!). Pour ingredients into shakers with ice. Shake, pour, drink. It's one of the easiest drink recipes and you can't fck it up!!
Cosmo: 1.5 oz vodka, 1tsp of lime cordial, cranberry juice (or any juice you like). Add everything into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, pour, drink.
Dirty Girl Martini: 3oz vodka, 1oz dry vermouth, 1/2 oz olive brine. Pour ingredients into shaker with ice. Shake, pour, drink.
Screwdriver: 1 half vodka, 1 half orange juice. Mix in a glass (with ice, your choice) and drink. Another very simple one.
Pink Panties: 1oz vodka, 1oz triple sec, 3 scoops of whipped cream, 3oz of frozen pink lemonade. You can either do this on ice or blended. It's the best blended!!!
I get all of my recipes from http://www.1001cocktails.com/ and I make them exactly how they're typed out on the site. When we have something big like a Superbowl gathering, bday party, etc, My god brother (who's always the host lol) will go out the Saturday before and get the stuff to make at least 3. I'll probably definately do the Screwdriver, Pink Panties, & Dreamsicle. They're quick, easy and most times, the ingredients are things people already have at home! Enjoy and as always, DRINK RESPONSIBILY. Yes, I do commercials LOL!
I promised myself this year that I would become more self sufficient. I'd start doing things that I would normally pay for myself, which included my hair -- sometimes. So in doing that, tonight I decided that I would perm my own hair. Uh yeah, BIG MISTAKE.
For starters, I had no idea how to mix the crack up. I had to read the directions and even then I confused myself. Luckily a friend of mine is a hair dresser and she walked me step by step on mixing it and putting it on. Then after I got it on, it started to burn. What in the hell did I NOT do?? I followed the directions!!! So I had to send a tweet and text out to everybody who does their own hair and ask how do I know I when it's time to wash it. They told me the same thing: when it starts to burn. Umm okay. That tells me a lot!!! After I got the whole "when to wash" thing down, I still had no clue on how I would know that the perm was out. Another text went out and I was told when it's pink, it was still on and white meant it was out. After washing 3 times, I decided that either it was out or whatever was left was staying in! If my hair falls out, I made up in my mind that I would just buy me a wig. But I recieved confirmation that it was fine if my scalp wasn't burning haha.
I will NOT be doing this again. Too many questions, took too much time out of my night and made me way too nervous. That's a $65 charge I'll have to keep having to make because this at home stuff, not for me!!! Those of you who do it at home, congrats. LOL
If you were born in the 80s and raised in the 90s, this back to one of your first game systems. Think about that big, bulky, grey and black game console, the two controllers that looked like remote controls to a TV. Think about the first game you mastered. You'd spend all day and night trying to get to the princess all to die in the end because that boat kept pushing you off or the dragon breathed his fire on you before rescuing her.
I've been married for 3 1/2 years (June 22nd makes 4). People swear up and down that we've been together forever and I'll be the first to admit, it sure seems as such. To describe our relationship, it was a whirlwind; something you only see in movies. It was literally like "boy meets girl. Girl falls in love with boy. They live happily ever after." I had just come out of a long relationship and he did as well. I guess at that time we both were tired of playing games, couldn't let life pass us by and felt it was worth the try. Plus it doesn't help that God had to have aligned the stars perfectly for us on the day we met.
I've had many people tell us that we're like best friends and I suppose you can say that. We have an open relationship in the sense that everything that is felt is laid out on the table. There's no such thing as hiding it or letting it go unsaid. If you think it, you feel it and that's how we roll. In such a short time, our relationship has gotten to the point where we can finish each other sentences, we know what the other is thinking and things that used to seem like a big deal have become quite minor. And yes, we refer to ourselves as the Barack and Michelle of the "regular" world.
People ask us how we make it work. We have 3 small children (ages 4, 2, 1), he works full time at a demanding job in a demanding yet shakey field, I work full time and we both have somewhat social lives. It's not the easiest thing to do because there are days when I want to forget that I'm a wife and mother and just be me -- Aniyah -- but the more I think, I realize that being a wife and mother is one of my greatest accomplishments and achievements. It's something I wouldn't trade for the world. I try to explain to people that we're really not doing anything special and sometimes if you only knew, you'd be like "oh em gee! All of that to be married?!?!" But again, it's something that comes along with the game.
The fact is, every day is different but the feeling I had when we first started dating is still there. I still get excited when I know he's on his way home. I still get the jitters sometimes. I still smile from ear to ear just by looking at him. Sometimes my day doesn't go right if I don't speak to him -- it's like a daily ritual. I still have a twinkle in my eyes. And yes, I still blush! Hey, what can I say?! He must be doing something right!!!
Don't know what I did to earn a love like this but baby, I must be doin' something right!
The moment I found out I was having a daughter, I wrote her a letter. While updating her baby book, I found it. Here it goes.....
Dear daughter:
I'm excited! I truly feel like the 3rd time is a charm. First and foremost, I want you to know that I love you -- with everything I have. Im excited for our future together. I can't help but think about all the firsts: your first school girl crush, your first kiss, your first boyfriend, your first date, and every other first you experience. I'm excited for our girls day out, getting matching manicures and pedicures and wearing matching outfits. I'm ready for our mother daughter talks, the laughs and cries. I hope that I too will have the same open relationship with you that my mother had with me. I hope to be as understanding and I possibly can, promising to never judge because I've been there and done it all.
I hope that you will be successful and prosperous in all that you do. May everything you touch turn to gold! I want you to not only be the beauty but have the brains to match. Know that you're an individual -- and that's fine. Always do what's right versus what's popular. Remember, mama knows best!! I wouldn't tell it to you if I've never experienced it. Never let anyone speak or think for you. You can control your own destiny. And no matter what society tells you, beauty is not in the length of your hair or the color of your skin.
I love you.
I still have the same hopes and prayers for my daughter, even at 1 1/2.
