Monday, September 30, 2013

Losing Weight with Natural Whole Foods

In our quest to lose weight we turn to oils, powders, and strange techniques to lose weight. In reality it’s actually quite easy to lose weight but we have to approach the way we eat differently. Our culture is accustomed to processed food and convenience but these foods do little to help us lose weight. For adequate weight loss we need a whole foods diet.

What Are Whole Foods?

Whole foods are foods as close to nature as possible. These foods aren’t processed and they are pure. Whole foods include vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, and meats. You want to include more whole foods in your diet and less processed foods. Whole foods contain all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function at its best. Whole foods need to be the bulk of your diet because they give you the best opportunity to lose weight or maintain weight because they are highly nutritious.

Why Processed Foods Make You Gain Weight

The main problem with our diet is we eat far too many processed foods. These foods contain far too much salt, sugar, and animal fats. The other thing that makes these foods less than ideal for our diet is that they contain additives and preservatives to enhance the flavor of the food. Most of these additives are chemical based and as we consume more processed food we gain weight. Our body simple can’t use the calories in these foods as they contain little in the way of actual nutrition.

Whole Foods Provide Nutrition

When you eat whole foods such as fruits and vegetables you’re getting the full nutrition of the foods you eat. Processed food is often “enriched” with vitamins because the food was stripped of the natural vitamins during processing. By eating fresh fruits and vegetables your body will get the nutrition that it needs to function and you won’t get the additives that processed or junk food contains. When you get high nutrition your body will be able to speed up the fat burning process and you’ll lose weight. If you combine whole foods with exercise then you have a powerful combination for weight loss to occur.

Cook with Whole Foods

Packaged and frozen meals are quick to prepare but they aren’t nutritious. You need to cook with whole foods at home and make these the bulk of your diet. If you want to treat yourself, make your own pizza for example, instead of buying a frozen one at the store. Cook with natural foods and get all the nutrition that you need. It’s easy to prepare wholesome meals ahead of time and freeze them for the next day if you’re pressed for time. Eating healthy takes some preparation but it is well worth for weight loss.

Whole Foods are the key

Eating whole foods is the key to weight loss. You’ll give your body the nutrition that to needs to help you lose weight as well as keep your body functioning at high levels. Start a whole foods diet, get some exercise, and watch the pounds come off.

Get Clean On The Inside First For A Safe Weight Loss

I was driving past the gym the other day and I was actually impressed at how full the building was with people diligently getting their workout for the day in. Perhaps it’s because it is summer time here in Los Angeles and everyone wants to look good for this time of the year.

Well, as motivating as this may be, and as much as I honestly applaud their efforts, I couldn’t help but wonder how many of these obviously dedicated people were concerned with not just the external appearance of health but the inside as well.

It is documented that people spend loads of money on the new weight-loss pill or supplement guaranteed to ‘make you eat less and increase your metabolism…’ and in spite of whatever side effects the product may contain, the average Joe, still thinks this quick fix will be worth the risk.

What most people fail to realize is most fitness experts and bodybuilders who may use or endorse such products have a tendency to atrophy and wear down prematurely as sooner or later, these bodies, enhanced by unnatural substances have a tendency to pretty much degenerate.

Sure everyone wants to have the six-pack and the toned arms and all, and that is fine and of course worth striving for if one so desires, however, what should be of more importance is how clean the inside of the body is. This determines perhaps more than is realized just how one feels and speaking of a six-pack, if one’s colon and visceral organs are free of excess weight and debris, naturally a decent looking mid-section will be evident. (Just food for thought)

The average person is constantly carrying 10-15 pounds of un-eliminated feces in their bowels. This in itself has a toxic effect on the blood stream. Experts in autopsy have stated that in 60-70% of the colons examined, foreign matter such as worms and decades old feces-stones have been found still present within.

Now, it’s not my intention to gross you out with the fact in the previous paragraph, but it is to hopefully make you realize how much more important it is to ensure that our insides are clean as we go about seeking to lose weight, at least the healthy way.

Now, it is important to know that healing properties, not the calories, as most diet fads state, is the main factor for choosing a diet for a safe and effective weight loss.

Therefore, fruits, some roots and mostly raw green leaf vegetables, which serve as nutrient giving items and intestinal brooms, should form the basis of a healthy diet when seeking to lose weight.

These substances will serve to naturally combat chronic constipation which is the main indication of a clogged up system. Moreover, these are the items that provide one with the most natural sources of vitamins, minerals and fuel for day to living and borrowing from a cosmic law of nature, since “you are what you eat”, it goes without saying that if you want a safe and healthy weight loss, these items are of course your best bet.

Sure, it is a great feeling to be able to see the awesome cuts in your ‘abs’ and arms when you look in the mirror, but feeling good on the inside as well and knowing that you are thoroughly cleansed internally should be of just as much importance as ‘getting ripped’ or slim.

Remember, the cleaner you are on the inside and the freer you are of toxicity the quicker you can and will attain your goal of being in shape.

Here’s to health and happiness.

Mix It Up Monday

Just a few pins I've found that tickle my funny bone. 

http://beccaduvalphotography.com/blog/2012/12/25/personal-the-best-gift
Bahahaha, I love this one. I love spins on the trendy photos. 

http://9laughs.com/how-to-scare-your-coworkers/
That makes me anxious just looking at the photo. 


http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=34146
I'm not a huge fan of the "And not a single #*$@ was given that day" meme...but this one made me laugh. 

http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMy05YWVhYTUyYzBlNWZkMTE2
This one makes me laugh and shudder all at the same time. EWWWWWW!


And if you need a few awesome Halloween costume ideas...here's some AWESOME ones:
http://9gag.com/gag/5570190

http://9gag.com/gag/5570190

http://9gag.com/gag/5570190

http://9gag.com/gag/5570190



How To Use Your Brain For Losing Weight Easier ?

Are you a success at many things in life, but when it comes to losing weight you just cannot make any progress? Many people who are successful in career, marriage, relationships, finances, and other areas, but cannot get the scale to drop. Would you like to learn how to use that brain of yours to help make losing fat easier?

Here are two simple weight loss tips for great thinkers:


1. Learn to calculate your hunger number. This is really more of a rating system then a calculation, but it works like a charm and within a few days you could see a natural reduction in the amount of food you eat with no hunger or deprivation.


What you want to do is create a simple Hunger Scale. This is a scale with "0" on one end and "10" on the other. The "0" indicates that you are not hungry at all, in fact you are feeling stuffed. The "10" indicates that you are super hungry and need something now!

What you want to do is set a timer to buzz in two-hour intervals during the day. When you hear the buzz simply ask yourself, "How hungry does my stomach feel?" Then assign your hunger a number. You will need to do this for a minimum of 5 days before you start to see the correlation. At around 4 or 5 days you will start to see that you often "feel" like eating, but you are not really hungry.

This knowledge will help you make better decisions about how much to eat or when to eat. For example, if you walk into a restaurant for lunch and discover that your hunger number is only a 2, then you may choose to just have a beverage, or have something light, like a salad. You will leave the restaurant feeling pleasantly full, instead of stuffed.

Think of how many calories this will prevent you from eating! Simple and effective.


2. Use a Stopper. We are often driven to eat too much because of the situation we are in. For example, have you ever gone to the movie theater and ordered a large popcorn, just because it seems like the right thing to do? We all associate popcorn with movies, but if you notice that your hunger number is low, then you may not want to indulge in all of the calories.


This is when a Stopper can come in handy. You can eat some popcorn and then put a Stopper in your mouth. This is anything that changes the taste you have in your mouth, try a strong breath mint or a piece of gum. This gives you an opportunity to move away from eating and gives your stomach time to tell your brain you feel satisfied. This works great for avoiding dessert as well!

Losing the weight is possible and you can make it much easier with more great weight loss tips.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Take Control of What You Eat


40% of American women and 25% of American men are trying to shed pounds at any given time. Weight reduction should not be done in haste as it may cause adverse effects, leaving body weak and deprived of essential nutrients. Reducing weight without comprising on the health is the best way to keep the body vigorous. Through effective and easy weight loss diets, people can get rid off those chunks of bulging fat. There are a lot of ideas for losing weight that just do not work. Finding a diet solution that works for a lifetime can be frustrating, so let's look at 6 keys to achieving success.

1. Take Control of What You Eat. There are few things that we have complete control over, but what we put in our mouths is one of them. We don't have to lose control in a restaurant or a friend's home, and we don't have to eat everything that's put in front of us.

2. To really motivate yourself, reward yourself when you reach each your goals. Buy a new outfit, go out to dinner. Enjoy yourself, then set you next goal. It's good idea to post your goal with deadline and reward somewhere you can see it everyday.

3. Food combining diet is a diet in which certain foods are combined to ensure optimum digestion. Through this diet, the body effectively utilizes the nutrients present in the foods. This diet is based on the theory that different food groups call for different digestion times. Following the diet, digestion is helped by having foods which require approximately the same digestion time. Like proteins and starches should not be taken at the same time. However, proteins can be eaten with vegetables and starches can be combined with vegetables.

4. It is easier to stay motivated if you have a concrete objective. Set goals with a deadline and commit to them. If you pick "lose 30 pounds in 30 days," be prepared to intensify your commitment. A more reasonable goal might be "lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks," then repeat the goal again. It usually is better to go slow and be persistent. This is one of the best natural weight loss.

5. Eat More Fiber. Fiber makes us feel full sooner and stays in our stomach longer than other substances we eat, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Due to its greater fiber content, a single serving of whole grain bread can be more filling than two servings of white bread. Fiber also moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed.

6. Sugar Busters Diet is a diet plan that requires cut down of sugar from the diet, as it is based on the theory that that extra sugar causes insulin to rise, causing higher blood sugar and extra fat. Sugar Busters Diet comprises of about 30% protein, 40% fat, and 30% carbohydrates, and it lasts for 14 days. If followed in a right manner, it results in weight loss.

food regimen tо lose weight

Аftеr we chose to alter оur consuming habits, we nоrmallу food regimen tо lose weight. Ѕоmetimеs we mіght hаve health issues, akin tо high ldl cholesterol, whіch іs whаt leads us tо eat healthier.

Often times wе weight-reduction plan tо drop extra pounds as a result of аs we аrе chubby аnd realize thаt our consuming habits may have gottеn in this predicament to start with.

It іs doable tо onlу exercise аnd drop а fеw pounds, but eventually the person will nоt lose аny morе weight wіth оut changing eating habits аs well. Most of the time it is thе оther method round; people weight loss program, that's theу rely carbohydrates, fat grams, оr energy, someway limiting thеir food consumption to achieve weight loss goals.

Although evеrу supply уou read оn weight loss program tо shеd pounds encourages combining the food plan plan with exercise, not еvеryоne doеs thіs rіght аwаy. Of course, it's excellent to weight-reduction plan and exercise frоm the start of a weight loss plan plan, somе people might reallу feel overwhelmed by taking on an excessive amount оf change аt onсе, іf exercise hаs nоt bееn part оf theіr life.

There аrе fairly јust а few online help sites tо go to, that have а mess of knowledge for anуonе lооkіng tо weight loss program tо lose weight. Somе diets work higher fоr somе than others, аs an example, thе Atkins eating regimen required fairly a drastic lower in carbohydrates, whісh will nоt bе an applicable weight-reduction plan to lose weight fоr everyone.

The South Seashore Food plan іs а well-liked weight loss plan to shеd sоme pounds аs a result оf іt allows dieters tо eat most of thе foods thеy eat аnуwаy аnd іsn't fairly as restrictive as оthеrs. Therе arе additionally weight loss techniques reminiscent оf Jenny Craig, thе LA Weight Loss Heart, or Curves for Women.

All оf thesе packages аrе nice and supply а good deal of assist fоr аnyonе who wаnts tо eating regimen tо lose weight. Exercise is inspired, аnd for the Curves fоr Ladies plan, it's thе central рart оf thе program.

If you dо resolve to weight loss plan tо drop some weight, mаke certain yоu visit along with your healthcare provider fіrst bеfоrе beginning уour program, esрeсiаlly whеn yоu'vе gоt fairly а bit оf weight tо lose, or іf you hаve health points that сould bе оf concern. Exercise shоuld nоt be contraindicated fоr аnybody and саn bе tailored for еаch individual dieter's pаrticular needs.

You diet to lose weight, but yоu must additionally incorporate train into your plan. You'll achieve larger well bеing, аnd likewise be аble tо maintain уоur weight loss program and fitness goals.

Show-And-Tell Saturday: Ten Pin Plan Report

If you remember back to the 16th of this month (or look back if you have to), I came up with my 10 Pin Plan. This was a list of 10 pins I was going to test over two weeks and then I'd report to you today on the successes, failures, and in-betweens. I've been working hard to get all the pins done and I'm excited to share the results with you! 

So, in the order that these pins got done, I give you my Ten Pin Report: 

Pin Report #1:
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/07/crockpot-italian-chicken.html
My friend made this recipe way before I did and said that it was so salty that they had to throw it away. It sounded so good from the recipe though that I still wanted to give it a try. So I did. The recipe calls for 1-2 cans of cream of chicken soup. I figured that was where a good amount of the sodium was coming from, so I did half Cream of Chicken and half Cream of Mushroom soup (I don't find Cream of Mushroom to be as salty as Cream of Chicken). I knew that would change up the flavor some, but if it made it so we could eat it, that was fine. I do know that some brands of Cream of Chicken soup have a higher sodium content than others as well, so when you're making this, take that into consideration. Another thing we did, following a tip in the recipe, to cut back on the salt and to thin the sauce/gravy down to a more preferable consistency was to add some milk.
In the end, the flavor was good and it wasn't unedibly salty. You definitely didn't need to add salt, but it wasn't inedible. It reminded us of a mix between the gravy for Hawaiian Haystacks and cheap alfredo sauce. It really wasn't a bad meal at all, just not one of our uber favorites.
I thought about taking a picture, and I probably should have...but really it looked about like the picture (only we had ours on rice, not pasta). It's just a cream sauce with chicken. Another picture would kinda be overkill. That's how it looks. 

Pin Report #2:
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/how-to-clean-your-top-loader-washing.html
Again...I didn't take a photo. Partly...I didn't think to take a before shot, so it doesn't do much good to show you the after shot as you won't know the drastic improvement. But...this works fantastically. It's not uncommon for me to forget a load in the washer and have to rewash it because it went sour. After enough times of doing this, along with the general grime build up, my washer looked and smelled less than pleasant. Not something you want to put clothes in to try and get them clean. Now, my washer smells so nice and fresh, the clothes came out smelling fresher than they have for a while, and it looks so clean and wonderful! This was really easy to do and it's made a difference in my washer and laundry. I'd recommend it!

Pin Report #3
http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/cinnamon-bun-pecan-pie-recipe/
This one I do have pictures for. I decided that I wanted to do the apple pie in the cinnamon roll crust because apples were on sale and it just sounded yummy. I had this pinned to test the crust out anyway. So I followed the directions to put the cinnamon roll style crust together. The directions said you can use pre-made crust, or make your own from scratch, so I turned to my trusty pie crust recipe (it really is simple and really yummy). I did a double batch of pie crust dough for the bottom so I would be sure to have enough and it ended up being perfect. It really was easy to put the crust together, the directions are simple. Here's what my crust looked like after getting it in the pan:

Then, this is the recipe I used for the pie. I'm not normally a huge apple pie fan, but I love this recipe and it's so easy. Cut up the apples, put the lattice top on, and then you make a caramel sauce and pour it through the lattice. SOOOOOoooo yummy and easy. For the lattice top I rolled out the plain dough, then spread some melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar on top. I then smooshed the dough back together gently (because you don't want to mix it too well), and rolled it out again to get a sort of cinnamon/sugar marbled effect going on. Then I cut my lattice strips and put the top on. Here's the pie right before going into the oven:

And here's the finished product!

So we know it looks cool, but what about the taste? Let's just say that I will forever do my apple pie crusts like this now. It's adds such a subtle but yummy yumm yummy flavor to the pie. And I apparently didn't get the bottom crust flattened as thin as I thought so I ended up with a thicker crust (which I LOVE) that is extra yummy to eat because of the cinnamon in it and the pie filling soaked in. This one is WELL worth the time it takes to make it. MMMmmmmmmm.


Pin Report #4
http://www.dumpaday.com/random-pictures/funny-pictures/funny-picture-dump-of-the-day-54-pics/

This one was hilarious. I drew the eyebrows on my nephew right before my baby shower started and then let him ham it up during the shower. His facial expressions were hilarious. But anytime I pulled out the camera, I got this face:


My sister and I tried and tried to get a good reaction when I had the camera out and he just wasn't going for it. But it was hilarious just watching him during the baby shower. Here are the 5 best shots I got of him during the day:
So this one is hilarious...but catching the hilarity "on film" may be another issue.


Pin Report #5
http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2012/10/casual-half-up-hair-tutorial-polka-dots.html
I have been waiting since last August to have my hair long enough to pin up, pull up, ponytail, leave down, etc., and finally it is reaching a doable length. But now that it's long enough to put up...I just don't know what to do with it. I've had this hairstyle pinned for a while now. Most half-up, half down do's make me look like I'm 11, but this one looked like a more grown up version of the half up/down do so I thought I'd give it a try. It looked simple enough. After getting the layering and texturizing my thick head of hair needed (thanks Em!), I knew it was time to try this out. From bed head to this do it took me about 20 minutes. That's brushing out my hair, giving it a light curling job, and then following her instructions. Here's what I ended up with this morning:


It really did go up pretty simple. I think I have thicker hair than Kate (the lady from the pin), but I was able to make it work and my layers were just long enough for this. Because I have a ton of hair, I ended up using about 8 bobby pins in the back to hold the hair in place. So the actual assembly of this do was pretty simple and doable. Then I decided I wanted to see how it held up during a day of laundry, dishes and sewing (don't you love the days where you get to play catch up because you've been gone all day every preceding day of the week?). Here's how it looked at 4 pm (6 1/2 hours later):

It's held up remarkable well. I don't know how it'd do out on a super windy or rainy day, but not many hair styles withstand that very well. But, for shopping, social events, church, etc., this would work out great! Yea for a new do!

Pin Report #6
http://www.sevenelles.com/tutorials/day-3-the-coolest-spot-in-the-house-just-became-even-cooler-fridge-coasters-tutorial/
So I've had this pinned to do for forever. I thought it looked genius. I was hoping to just use what I already had at home to keep this cheap. I didn't have placemats, but I did have non-adhesive shelf liner. But when I pulled that out this past week, I realized it wouldn't work. It wasn't smooth top liner, it has built in holes. Like this:

So I could put that down on the shelves, but any liquid or anything would just flow through the holes to the shelf and then I'd have the liner and the shelf to clean. No thanks. Luckily I thought ahead and then measured the shelves before I want to Wally World. My fridge is the normal upright kind with the freezer on top and the fridge on bottom. Which means the shelves in the fridge are wide. Wide enough that they don't make placemats that big. I thought about doing a few placemats side by side, but I imagined them shifting around, spills going in the cracks and under the mats and then stinking. It just wasn't going to cut it. So then I thought about a tablecloth, but to get one that would work well was more than I wanted to spend on fridge mats. So I scrapped this project. I did try, but it just isn't really all that feasible in my fridge. If I had a side-by-side fridge with more narrow shelves, this would work just fine I'm sure. 

Pin Report #7
http://www.agirlandagluegun.com/2012/03/oh-walti-love-you-aka-disney-printables.html
It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to do this, and then I came up with an idea I loved. I have this ceramic "canister" on the kitchen window sill above the sink. We use it to hold our scrub brush. It's handy, but it's not the most beautiful thing:

So I thought I'd paint it with that ceramic paint I used on my mug garden project (update on that...it's going great! One succulent died. That's when I realized I'd forgotten to water them for a while...oops), but the other 3, including the bamboo, are thriving. I got out my light blue and started painting away. After 2 coats of paint, and not enough paint left in the bottle for a third coat, the canister looked like this:

That wasn't going to cut it. I just couldn't get the paint smooth with any kind of brush/sponge, and there wasn't enough paint to give it a thick enough coat that the original color didn't show through. So...that idea had to be scrapped. Luckily that paint washes off super easy before you bake it so I was able to just wash off the blue paint and restore the ceramic back to the gold/brown it originally was. 

But that left me still with an unfinished project, and I was bound and determined to make this one work somehow. I rummaged through my art supplies and found a 5x7 scratchboard that I hadn't used yet and decided that was it. So I got on the computer and played with fonts until I found what I wanted. I ended up with this "picture":

I printed it, covered the back in graphite, taped it to my scratchboard, and used a pencil to trace the letters and transfer the graphite to the scratchboard. Then I scratched away and this is what I ended up with:

I figured since it looks chalkboard-ish I'd put it by the awesome chalkboard piggy Em and Camille got me for my Birthday. And, it's right at the entryway to my kitchen which is where some of my least favorite chores happen (and I carry the laundry through there to get to the utility room...so I'll see it when I do laundry too). Plus, it helps hide our internet box, so that's happy too!


Pin Report #8
http://theseamery.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/fit-to-a-t-baby-romper-tutorial-part-2-making-the-pattern-and-cutting/
I went through my t-shirts, picked out the 5 I wanted to use, and came in eagerly to read the directions before jumping into this project. As the only garment of clothing I've ever made is a simple skirt, I wasn't sure what some of the terms meant and, I'll be honest, I was a little intimidated by the tutorial. So I looked around on Pinterest and found a similar idea that seemed much more along my confidence lines (perhaps doing one of these more simple patterns will give me the confidence to try this romper pattern). 
So, here's the pin that I switched to:
http://thismamamakesstuff.com/tutorial-rockin-baby-gown-t-shirt-refashion/
Their instructions were decently easy to follow, just pay attention to the words and the pictures. Here's what I ended up with after about 2 hours of work on it. That includes printing the pattern, cutting the fabric, sewing, a snack break, and running back and forth between the dining room table where my sewing stuff was set up and the living room where the computer is to read the directions. Now that I know how it works I'm sure these'll be super quick and easy to pump out. 


Pin Report #9
http://askannamoseley.com/2012/02/getting-rid-of-that-boy-smell-in-the-bathroom/
Well, I did this. My bathroom doesn't smell lemony at all. It just now smells like vinegar and pee. Maybe I'm missing somewhere else where the pee smell is coming from? I scrubbed the toilet, I got the floor all around the toilet. I got the wall/cabinet by the toilet. And I still just smell pee. Where else could little girls get pee?!

Someone commented on my Mix-It-Up Monday post when I said I was going to do this that "Lemon juice and vinegar are both acids, so soda should fizzle when you mix it with the lemon juice; when the reaction is finished, there is no way for it to re-fizzle when you add more acid." The baking soda did fizzle when I added the lemon juice, but I was able to get it into a pancake batter-esque consistency, so I figured I'd just keep going. I let it sit for the 15 minutes it required, and then sprayed vinegar on it. It did fizzle again when I sprayed the vinegar on, so there was enough soda left in the paste to still do the work with the vinegar. But my bathroom still smells like pee. Either this didn't work or I've got some other pee problem area. Blech. 

Pin Report #10
http://www.thecampuscompanion.com/party-lab/2011/10/21/aurora-drink/#.UjdiOcaTiqg
I'm sure this is the one you've been waiting for. And I saved it for last, bwahahahaha. We had some nasty-gram comments (which we didn't publish because of the profanity content, as the disclaimer in our comment box says) saying we were dumb for thinking that galaxies would show up. I know the galaxies are photoshopped into the picture. But that's part of what we're showing. The directions of the pin do say this though: "it is a drink that is pink in natural light, but glows aqua-marine in black-light." So, the idea of testing this pin was to show that, yes, the galaxies are shopped in, and to see if the color change happens with the pinned caption containing the non-alcoholic drink (someone else will have to test the alcoholic version). 

I mixed up the drink (doing 1/9th of the recipe because it's just the two of us and if it was nasty I didn't want to have gallons of this on hand). So what did we find out? 

The mixed up drink under normal light:
Pretty and delicious looking!

The mixed up drink under a black light:
No galaxies. No aqua-marine glow. 

The taste? Kinda weird. Not one we'll be remaking. 

So I don't know if we need a more powerful or high-tech black light, if it was the non-alcoholic version that just didn't work, or if this never actually works...but it definitely didn't work for us. 


So there you have it! My 10-Pin Report. I actually didn't know if I'd get through all of them, so I'm feeling rather proud of myself right now. It helped that I knew I was going to have to report to you all...so thanks for that pressure! I hope you all have a great final September weekend! Hooray for Fall!!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

S'more Pinstrosities Headed Your Way!

We just had a s'mores activity with the girls at church and it got me curious to see what submissions we have that had anything to do with s'mores. There are quite a few! Enough actually that if I put them all in one post, it would take forever to load and look through. So, I decided that I'd do a post with some of the submissions, and then in subsequent weeks I can do s'more. Bahahaha...bet you didn't see that line coming. Just kidding, I'm sure you saw it coming and that you're completely prepared for s'more of my hilariousness. 

Well, I'll leave off the late night humor (I really shouldn't write posts late at night...or maybe I should do s'more of them at night, but then they may be a little loopy) and get to the part of the post that you actually came here to see. 

Original Pin #1:
http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/976181/smore-dessert-pizza
S'mores Dessert Pizza, with a graham cracker crust. That looks so fun and yummy! 
Brooke tried this pin out and this is what she had to say:
"My roommate and I tried making this delicious looking s'mores pizza. Unfortunately we only had colored marshmallows, no marshmallow fluff (so we tried making our own) and not enough time to let the dough rise. Also, all of the chocolate chips burnt instead of melting. We were super excited to see and eat our bound-to-be-beautiful creation."

Pinstrosity #1:
"No words can describe the horror we felt when we took it out of the oven. We stood in silence just staring numbly at the pan. After like 5 whole minutes of silence we both dropped to the floor laughing like hyenas on nitrous oxide gas. Then we ate it. We ate it all. It was delicious. "

Original Pin #2
http://www.theaprongal.com/2011/11/baked-smores.html
Brenna had this to say about her experience: "Looks fantastic doesn't it? I had really high hopes because Christmas is coming around the corner with bonfires and cute nights with the family this would be a great idea right? Well i followed the directions to the dot made sure everything was right even used normal flour, everything to the dot. When it got down to it, the dough became really sticky and not anything like her pictures portrayed. It didn't spread very well and the amount wasn't enough to divide it in half and use for a top layer. My mom and I added more gram crackers to the dough after we had attempted the bottom layer in hopes that it would spread easy. Well it didn't. It barely covered the fluff. The one thing she did write was to microwave the fluff to help it spread and that made it really easy. But the dough was just terrible. We attempted to put some oil on the dough to spread it some which helped with the bottom layer but it just didn't work."

Pinstrosity #2
"Though in the end the tasted wonderful and we will be making them again with some slight improvements. "


Original Pin #3
http://springraine.blogspot.ca/2012/02/marshmallow-brownie-cupcakes.html
S'mores cupcakes! Sydnie tells this story:
"So I found this recipe on pinterest.... You know how it goes. Saturday we were having a church pot luck and I wanted to bring something fantastic, so I tried these brownie cupcakes. Let's just say it didn't quite work. I followed the directions, and baked them at 325 for 25 minutes. and this is what I got:"

Pinstrosity #3
"The marshmallow not only bubbled out of the brownie onto the pan, but then completely dissolved into the brownie, leaving me with really hard/chewy brownie muffins. I found someone else's pin and they said that they only baked theirs for 20 minutes. I also think that I maybe should have splurged for a better brownie mix. I was in a hurry and just opted for the super cheap store brand one. In conclusion, I would like to give these a 4 on the GCT fail scale. My husband tried them and said that they tasted good, if you could ignore the hard chewy texture."

And of course, no s'more post would be complete without a s'mores cookie. 

Original Pin #4
http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/08/peanut-butter-smore-cookies/
Tonight I just had my first peanut butter s'more. It's a regular s'more, only you smear PB on one of the grahams before assembling. It's amazing! Never going back to plain s'mores again. So this cookie sounds absolutely heavenly. Andrea thought so too and gave it a try. 

Pinstrosity #4

"The cookies would have been good had the marshmallows not exploded into a sticky mess, making them impossible to eat! "

Even though these pin tests didn't turn out quite like our submitters hoped, they sure make me want to go and make me s'more marshmallow/graham/chocolate/PB goodness to eat. Maybe I should just get me a glass of milk and then go to bed. But, if you give a pregnant lady of glass of milk, she's liable to just want s'more. Or s'mores. Or watermelon with ranch dressing. 

(just kidding on that last part...thankfully I haven't had any bizarre cravings)