The score: Sugar-5; LizzyB- 2

So, this whole "quitting sugar thing" was a lot harder than I thought... Likely indicative of a stronger addiction than I was aware. Last week was full of splitting headaches and crazy fatigue. I sat through meetings yawning beyond control. If only I could reach for a Coke!

And then, I did. It was the car wash's fault, really. They up-sold me on a fancy handwax because of the gnarly scratch I put in the front wheel well backing into the garage (which was just retarded on my part). They didn't have any drinks in their fancy gift shop, so me and the kids trotted over to Sonic to wait out the return of the truck.

Sonic doesn't sell anything without sugar in it that comes in a cup. In fact, they saturate their already high sugar drinks with even more corn syrup and call it flavor! I wasn't about to drink water out of a styrofoam cup (another one of my excentricities: I only like water out of a glass), so I ordered up a 32 oz. Coke. It didn't even taste good, but I was staying hydrated in the heat, right?

That's where Sugar scored it first point. Then the weekend progressed and more and more delicious opportunities presented themselves for delicious soda, mochas, and vitamin water. Oh well, I tell myself, at least I've slowed down. I will keep reaching for water (in glasses) and do my best. But I definitely need some more motivation.

Regaining my mission is incredibly important if we are going to succeed. It's not just about what I eat, but the family's Whole Health. I'm gonna chew on that for a while, and get back with my plan.

It was time for a Purge

This weekend did not turn out to be so adventurous. With all our busyness, the little things were piling up. And I mean EVERYWHERE. The walk to the car in the garage, the game room, the kids bedrooms. Each room was getting harder and harder to clean. When it hits that point, it means we have too many toys.

I locked myself in each of the kids rooms, and went through every toy. Surprises were everywhere. Little T figured he could clean his room a lot faster by shoving his clothes under his bed, dresser, and behind bookcases. I was wondering why he was always saying he had no clean clothes! Well, he did get a punishment, and a stern warning to never do it again.

But with each room, being cleaned top to bottom, it gave a sense of peace. Since I am so concerned with aesthetics, it's easy for me to look to my surroundings for peace. Hence, my strong interest in art.

Well, cleaning turned to moving furniture- my other hobby when I feel stressed. The couch came downstairs and the desk went upstairs. Our bedroom took a 180 and is oriented on a completely different wall, accommodating the office actually leaving more space than we realized. It was my kind of fun. Russell's minor back injury aside, it was a fun, exhausting weekend.

We now come away from the weekend, an organized- no scary closets anywhere to be seen- functioning family. It's a great push before the school year begins and the paper monster returns.

I hope some of you will take a look at those daunting tasks, and go after them. It has left me felling much more confident about my home-making skills. And cleared my mind to focus on the more important tasks for my week.

Linguini with Tomato/Olive Sauce

Source: William Sonoma Catalog (a loooong time ago)

Prep Time: 45 minutes (including marinade time)

3 1/2 cups seeded plum tomatoes

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/4 cup diced yellow pepper

1/2 + 2 tsp slivered basil

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt + fresh pepper

1 pound linguine (I used Central Market whole wheat pasta, and everyone loved it)

8 oz Mozzarella (1/2 inch cubes)

Freshly Grated Parmesan

Combine tomatoes, garlic, peppers, basil, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will smell fantastic!

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook linguine.

Mix together noodles and pepper mix. Garnish with basil, mozzarella and parmesan.

Awesome Strawberry Smoothie

As an occasional replacement for breakfast or dessert, I have been making these Strawberry Banana Smoothies. Let me walk you down my trail of inspiration: at Starbucks (of course, where else?) they are featuring these Vivanno Strawberry Banana Smoothies with protein and fiber. They cost $3.87. In an attempt to have this wonderful food available without the trek to SBUX, I have made an extremely close replica. Here's the recipe: enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2 medium size smoothies

Pour into blender:

1 cup crushed ice

1/2 cup milk (your preference)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup Whey Protein Powder- Vanilla (We use TwinLab brand)

1 Tbsp Amazing Grass Green SuperFood drink powder (available @ Wild Oats/Sun Harvest)

1/2 cup frozen strawberries (unsweetened)

1 banana

Blend on High until smooth. If it's having trouble moving, add a splash of O.J. If it still cant move, give it a stir and add a little more milk. Alternate until you reach the consistency you want. (Sorry I didn't measure the exact amount of liquid- it all depends on your blender and desired texture).

Enjoy your protein & fiber kick! It's filling, and my kids LOVE it! My husband loved these, especially since I stole all his health powders to make something that didn't taste like a health drink.

Sugary Drinks- BAD...

Water- GOOD.

I keep telling myself that. I have decided that the first place I will start will be to eliminate sugary drinks from my daily habits. You see, I reach for a soda 9 times out of 10. The other 10% is a delicious drink called Simply Lemonade, Vitamin Water, or Propel. Ahhh... sugar in the liquid form. It must be the nectar of the gods. But, since I am neither bird nor god, I cannot justify making everything I drink to have a base of corn syrup, aspartame or otherwise. I have actually hated water ever since I was a kid. It has always tasted bad to me. In order for me to enjoy it now, it has to be extremely cold and bottled, with a lime, or some synthetic powdery stuff poured into it. I'm hoping to overcome that. Funny story: I've always thought about going on Survivor or something, but the lack of fresh bottled water, is enough to deter me for good.

Over the weekend, I repeatedly denied myself soda when eating out, and sweetened water when exercising. I managed to only enjoy my morning cup of coffee with a couple of teaspoons of Organic Evaporated Cane Juice and 1/2 & 1/2 which I am hoping to cut out all together within a couple weeks (baby steps here- I'm not trying to go psycho on the elimination diet). I did end up with a crazy headache yesterday- it's called withdrawl- the sign of a clear addict.

Today, I totally caved. After a very scrambled morning (I'm not talking about eggs) I breezed through the Starbucks for one of those naughty White Mochas I dearly love. What happened was this morning, I didn't set an alarm- why, I don't know because the kids had to be at VBS at 9am. I guess I thought I could wake up naturally and still have plenty of time to be there. Well, as little T was prodding me out of bed, I was so disoriented, I didn't know what day it was. I had to have been Sunday again, surely. After pushing the kids to get ready in lightning speed, I bribed them with a doughnut (oops, slipped again) to save time on breakfast. Well, as I was driving to VBS, I flaked out and totally passed the doughnut shop. Starbucks was next along the street, so let the temptation begin. Did you know they have very expensive, gourmet doughnuts at Starbucks? So, $12 later, we leave the drive through and glide into church.

Our crazy morning, turned into a field day for my naughty temptation to rear it's ugly head. Lesson learned: lack of preparation is a sure-fire way to spoil hard work and planning to achieve a goal.

How I made up for it: the kids got an ice cream cone for being so sweet and patient while I did some shopping, and I ordered a bottled water! Yeah!

The bad news: it does appear I am setting the kids up for some very bad habits- I'll have to work on that.

The good news: I didn't give in and call the day a loss an indulge every other craving (which is pretty typical for me). I still managed to come out victorious. I am hoping to remind myself of all the little victories, instead of dwell on disappointments.

Remember- sugary drinks- BAD. Water- GOOD.

Day trip

Yesterday, we took a pretty spontaneous trip to Austin. Our main reason was to visit Lance Armstrong's bike shop- Mellow Johnny's, since Russ is a huge Tour fan and cyclist. It was a pilgrimage for him, so the whole family tagged along.

We made a stop at Magnolia Cafe, based on a recommendation from a friend and it was voted best 24hr restaurant in the Austin Chronicle. After a fairly long wait (we never wait to eat with three kids, quite unusual for us) we were hoping this place was worth it. Judging by the line of people outside and the happy faces on the diners, it had to be good. The menu was full of variety, with plenty of vegetarian choices. We enjoyed the creative flair on some pretty standard dishes. Little E is primarily a vegetarian now (mostly out of love for animals), so she loved her big plate of brown rice and steamed veggies covered in melted cheese.

Next was Mellow Johnny's, which was tempting not to leave with a whole new wardrobe for a hobby I have little interest in. (Road biking looks like too much effort in hot Texas.) We enjoyed an iced coffee at the attached coffee shop Juan Pelota. Then headed toward the Town Lake. As we crossed the bridge, we noticed a lot of kayakers, so we parked and walked along the shore.

We actually came up on an open dog park that allowed owners to play with their dogs in the water. We were bummed Caelin (the dog) wasn't with us- we will surely bring him back. There's nothing like the freedom to throw the ball in the water to have him chase it without getting the evil-eye from neighbors. In the area, we did witness a gentleman who is the iconic "let's keep Austin weird" sort of fellow. He was taking a shower in what appeared to be no clothes whatsoever. It turned out he was courteous enough to wear a swimsuit- a VERY European swimsuit. It was nothing more than a sock with floss. The kids tried desperately to avert their eyes but then he hopped on a bike in his tiny swim suit and rode away. We were all a little shocked, but tried desperately not to laugh.

In an attempt to do lots of fun, new activities outside, we rented a canoe and hit the lake. For only $10 (for the whole family), we had an hour of freedom on the lake. The big kids got paddles and we all rowed to and fro on the city lake, admired the architecture of a true metropolitan town, and watched a little more of Austin's weirdness. It was cool to all be in the same boat, working as a team- even though little J kept switching sides, causing the canoe to threaten capsizing. It invigorated the whole family, after a long week of nights without Dad, they truly got to experience a new adventure. We were so impressed with the quality time, we will certainly do it again, next time a little closer to home.

All in all, it was a fantastic day. We were glad to have figured the study schedule out so that we could get Russ' undivided attention for a whole day. Austin always feels like home to us, we're never going to blend in and that's why that town is perfect for us. It's very similar to Seattle, which we loved when we lived in a neighboring town several years back. Something about a town that has mastered the art of urban revitalization and the sense of community is something to be admired. They truly love their town and the people in it. It is the perfect storm for all the free-enterprise that makes the downtown so enjoyable. The suburbs- well, they're like every other suburb in America- well thought out strip malls with all the same stores.

Leftovers for lunch

So, if you made the black bean/brown rice dish, you may have something or other leftover. Yesterday, I had some of everything in the fridge, so I made a salad. Actually, I tried to make a salad. The package of spring lettuce was a little slimy and stinky, so it went over the fence to the rabbits. But, I did have everything else to make a salad, so I used my brown rice instead of lettuce, and it was awesome!

Brown Rice Salad

1 cup brown rice

1/4 red pepper, chopped

1/4 avacado, chopped

1 small tomato, diced

2 Tbsp natural pumpkin seeds (shells removed)

1/4 cup garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas)

Homemade italian dressing

Mix all together, and drizzle the dressing over the top.

I found this to be far more filling and satisfying than a regular salad (probably because of my insane carb addiction!). This could definitely make my lunch box during the week if I separate the dressing. (Hmmm- shopping opportunity- I need one of those tiny little plastic dressing bottles...)

Out-of-shape kids

Earlier this week, at a riding lesson for little E, we shared the time slot with this older boy, probably 13, who was clearly a big boy for his age. It was his first time on a horse by the looks of it. Now, it was about 6:00pm, and it had been a hot day, probably 103. But from the looks of this kid, it looked like he was riding over the vents of Hell!

He was so unhappy, dripping with sweat, and starting to look pretty woozy- all after 5 minutes on the back of a horse! He didn't even get into a trot- this was just walking around the arena! The instructor brought him to the side, and he got off that horse so quickly, he fell as his feet missed the ground. His mother was clueless- she brought no water, and didn't seem to understand what was wrong with him. The kid nearly passed out from the heat.

The instructor asked him if he ever goes outside, and the answer was shockingly "No". Sitting in the air conditioning all day never prompted him to drink anything either.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. These kids are totally incapable of surviving in a natural environment because of all the cushy things to do inside. I am determined not to see my own kids in that sort of lethargic state. Of course, it's because that mom was so removed from reality, she had no idea what to do. (The instructor had to tell her to go turn the air on in the car before the boy got in, she had a tough time grasping the why in all of it.)

All in all, it was a weird afternoon, but sobering to say the least. What am I doing to pull the kids out of the air conditioning to get them quality aerobic exercise? I am hoping that with adequate hydration, we should all be able to brave the heat in order to have some fun.

Lesson learned: Lots of water all day before these big outside activities and LOTS of outside fun!

Black Beans and Rice

Source: Kelly Minter "No Other Gods"

Prep/Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat Oven to: 325*

4 cans Black Beans

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

2 cups brown rice

2 avacados

salsa

sour cream

1 bag Tostitos Scoops

Prepare brown rice according to package instructions.

Heat black beans (without draining) in a pot over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Warm olive oil in a saute pan, add onion, cilantro, and garlic and saute until onions are soft.

After the beans have heated for 20 minutes, stir in the sauteed ingredients.

Add bean mixture to a 13x9 pan and add 2/3 of the shredded cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes @ 325*.

Serve black bean entree over the brown rice, serve with chips. Use avacado, salsa, remaining shredded cheese and sour cream as topping.

Enjoy!!

Sights set...

Our little family has always been good at living within the margins of life. We rarely do anything to an excess, but have never managed to lead ourselves into new territory of mastery. Call it a lack of discipline. It's not one of our best features. Unfortunately, it's the lack of discipline that my husband and I share that has trickled down on to the kids.

They are truly fantastic, and we are totally impressed with who God has given us as children. But my husband and I tend to be very relaxed people- we don't go to great lengths to accomplish much. We have HUGE goals, and even bigger dreams, but no real desire to put our feet to the pavement and race after these big ideas.

Ideas- it is what I am famous for. I LOVE ideas. Give me a problem or an ambition and I will dress it up and turn it around in no time. That is why I pursued design work by doing custom art. I would have a client give me a general idea of what they were looking for, and I would craft it into being. I'm a creator: it's what I do. However, I am not a maintainer. I truly suck at it!

So, in an effort to begin our life's new quest, I am blogging. First, to keep me accountable, and second, to document all the cool stuff that is definitely worth sharing with others that I may try out or stumble upon.

Here's the mission: My family's physical and spiritual health has been lacking lately. Mostly because of a crazy schedule due to my husband's graduate program he is in. Even the dog got a bad report at the Dr yesterday. We are fairly certain that he had a seizure, the lab tests report he has high cholesterol and has gained 15 pounds in the 3 years we've owned him (no, we didn't get him as a puppy!).

What's the plan? Not sure yet. I am working that out. I want it to be very intentional, but we did start the day with the kids riding their bikes, and me walking/running the dog.

I intend on sharing many of my awesome healthy recipes, trial & error exercise, biblical insight, and cool things we've done to get out of the house; so keep checking back in. Tonight, I am bringing dinner to a friend who had a baby @ 7.5 months, so we will make a double portion. It's black beans with brown rice. Awesome dish for company- very filling and lots of fiber! I'll post that recipe a bit later.