June Foodie Penpals.

It's hard to believe that this year is already half over... I mean where has the time gone?! WOW! It's already July (well almost). June was my third month to participate in foodie penpals and yet again, I had another great package arrive at our door!

This past month, Maria at Pappa Don't Preach was my foodie penpal. I knew she was going to be great when she reached out to me so early in the month. I had been anticipating the arrival of my package for a couple weeks when it appeared at our front door. Once I opened the package, I found lots of great goodies!

The first thing that caught my eye once I opened my box was the "Reduced Guilt" Brownies. Traci over at TJ's Test Kitchen had recently posted about these brownies, but we don't have a Trader Joe's here in Oklahoma so I was so thrilled I was going to get to try them out for myself. You can make them as a batch recipe, or there's also a single serving recipe as well!
I also got another box of the mushroom & herb risotto. I got some of this in my box last month from Whitney, so since it's been sent in my FPP package two months in row I knew it must be good! I had made it on Wednesday night with oven fried chicken and it was delicious!!

Maria also sent me some wild berry granola chips, dried mango and a zone perfect bar. The granola chips were really tasty. They were the perfect amount of sweet, and so crunchy. The only down side to them is a serving is only 6 small pieces. The zone bar was also good. I'm always a little weary of protein bars because some of them taste so bad, but this was a chocolate coconut crunch and I really liked it.

She also sent some seasoning and marinade. I haven't gotten things like this before, but I loved that she me some new ones to try! This definitely gave me some ideas for the FPP package I'll send next month! ;) She packed a balsamic glaze that I can't wait to try on grilled chicken breast, and also the Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

I again lucked out and got a great foodie penpal for June. Thank you so much Maria for all the goodies! I sent a package this month to Jennifer in Roslindale, MA. I hope she's enjoying the things I sent her way. If you'd like more information about becoming a foodie penpal or want to sign up, visit Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean. until next time.

taco cupcakes.

Over the weekend, Clete got our kitchen sink fixed! Yay! So I'm now able to get back in my kitchen and cook. This is a recipe I made myself, but it was inspired by another blog that I follow, emilybites.com. Emily is the "cupcake" queen and you can find many different cupcake style dishes on her blog. I've made lots of things from her blog and her recipes never disappoint! They're also all calorie counting/ weight watchers friendly. Here is her version of taco cupcakes, but I kind of just took her idea and used my own ingredients.

This was super easy and it's also kind of a fun dinner. It'd be a great meal if you have kiddos around, because what kid doesn't like cupcakes?! So here's what I did...

taco cupcakes.

ingredients. 

+ 1 lb lean ground beef

+ 1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning

+ 1 small can diced green chilies

+ 1 can rotel

+ 1 can (8 oz) red enchilada sauce 

+ 12 wonton wrappers (find these in the product section)

+ 1 3/4 cup reduced fat mexican blend cheese

cooking directions.

1. brown ground beef with taco seasoning and drain any excess grease.

2. after beef is rinsed, combine beef, green chilies (drained), rotel (drained) and enchilada sauce in a mixing bowl.

3. get out muffin pan and preheart oven to 375*

4. lightly spray your muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, then press one wonton wrapper into the each muffin cup.

5. take a spoon full of the beef mixture and place on each wonton wrapper, topping it with cheese.

6 baked for about 15-18 minutes.

7. let cool about 5 minutes and then top with light sour cream and guacamole. ENJOY!
*this recipe yields 12 cupcakes.

They turned out good, and were pretty tasty! I cooked them for 18 minutes, and next time will probably do a little less because the edges were pretty crunchy. You could also turn down the heat in the oven. I'll also probably only use half a can of enchilada sauce next time so you'll get more meat than sauce... Overall they were a great result to an experiment. It was a successful new recipe and I will make them again! (: until next time. 

RIP Poppie.

6 years ago today, the world lost a wonderful man that I was lucky enough to call Poppie. I think about him often, and on so many occasions wish I could just hear his voice and words of encouragement. He always knew the right to say... I find comfort knowing that he is now watching over us, and that one day we'll see him again.

Poppie and I on his birthday! I was about 6 months old.

Gary E. Lloyd, my Poppie, was a good man. He put up with lot of sh*t in his lifetime, but he always was able to keep himself together through it all. He took in a son and daughter when he didn't have to, but he did and that made me lucky enough to be his granddaughter. He married my DeeDee when my mom and her brother were both young, and took them in as him own kids by raising them with love.

Summertime was his favorite season. Katie and I were the apples of his eye.

I have so many fond memories with my Poppie. He would do just about anything for Katie and I. When it was back to school, he always took us shopping for a new pair of tennis shoes... him being a P.E. Teacher and a Coach may have had a little something to do with this. DeeDee & Poppie took us on our first trip to Branson when we were young... and Poppie drove all the way back two days after we returned home because Katie left her bunny that she couldn't live without at the hotel. He was always there to cheer us on at all our sporting events and recitals, no matter the event we could always count on him to be there. 

Poppie, me, & DeeDee - May 2005

after my high school baccalaureate 

I'll never forget the day I moved back home after my first year at OU. It was the day that my mom broke the news to me that Poppie had been diagnosed with cancer and it wasn't looking like they'd be able to cure it. He began radiation not long after I arrived back into town, and from then on things were never the same. He became extremely ill and weak, and spent his last couple of weeks in the hospital. He passed away on Sunday, June 25, 2006. I had been at the hospital earlier that day, but had gone to Clete's house to get away to try and get my mind off the situation when I got the phone call from my Dad. It was so hard to let him go because the cancer took him away so quickly, but at the same time it was a relief because he suffered so much pain from the cancer his last few days. We buried my Poppie 6 weeks to the day he was diagnosed. The day of his funeral was by far the hardest day I can ever remember... it hurt so bad having to really say goodbye. CANCER SUCKS! It's sucks bad when it takes away the ones that are dearest to you.

He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. He lives on in our hearts, and through the many great memories we have of him. 

This was a table set up at our wedding in honor of our parents

and in memory of our grandfathers who have passed... one of them my Poppie.

Dear Poppie,

We love and miss you! I think of you often, but find comfort knowing you're in Heaven watching over us and knowing we'll see you again someday. I'll never understand why bad things like cancer happen to good people like you, but I just trust that it was all part of God' big plan. I hope the things I've accomplished in life would make you proud. You were always one of my biggest fans. I'm thankful for the 19 years I got to spend with you and I cherish all the great memories we had together. Love you and miss you until we meet again. XOXO 

new favorite breakfasts!

smoothies are still my go to breakfast. i just have some new recipes that i've been using that i have become really fond of, so i thought i'd share. i'm also now using the herbalife formula one as my mix in. it's 2 ppv on weight watchers, so the same as what i was using before. you can go here to get more info about Herbalife products. these are my new morning favorites and are all pointsplus/ low calorie friendly!

orange-cream smoothie.
+ 1 serving Herbalife formula one vanilla
+ 1 cup light orange juice
+ 1/2 cup skim milk
+ 1 medium banana
+ 3/4 cup frozen pineapple (no sugar added, or could also use fresh)
+ 3 ice cubes
combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. enjoy!


cinnamon roll smoothie.
+ 1 serving Herbalife formula one latte
+ 1 cup skim milk
+ 1 packet of Better Oats cinnamon roll oatmeal (this one is 100 calories, but could use any brand)
+ 1 medium banana
combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. enjoy!
*i usually do the bulkier/heavier smoothies on the mornings i have boot camp and have already burned 500-600 calories that morning.


strawberry- banana smoothie.
+ 1 serving Herbalife formula one vanilla
+ 1 cup skim milk
+ 1 medium banana
+ 1 cup frozen strawberries (no sugar added)
combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. enjoy!

just thought i'd share these since they're becoming "regulars" in my kitchen. have a terrific thursday!
THUNDER UP! until next time.

weigh in wednesday.

it's been a few days since i've been on the blog, but nothing too exciting has been going on around here. our kitchen sink is still broken, so no new recipes lately because it's very difficult to cook in your kitchen without running water... clete will be getting that fixed this week. i cannot handle being without my kitchen sink much longer.

today's my weekly weigh-in day. since i haven't been able to cook much at home, we've been eating out a lot. it puts a dent in our checkbook and in my ppv, ugh! so that being said, i didn't know what to expect at the scale today. i did get in my boot camp sessions, had my healthy shakes for breakfast and lunch most days, and tried to make good choices when we ate out for dinner. the scale showed a small gain of +0.4 so i won't complain because that isn't too bad. i'll shoot to have better week this week and get to cooking again to see better results at the scale next week. until next time.  

Happy Father's Day!

“A Dad is respected because he gives his children leadership. 

A Dad is appreciated because he gives his children care. 

A Dad is valued because he gives his children time. 

A Dad is loved because he gives his children 

the one thing they treasure most - himself.” ~unknown

The first man I ever laid eyes on stole a piece of my heart that he will always have... that man was my Daddy. There's something about the bond between dads and daughters, it isn't something that anyone can explain you just have to experience it. I'm very thankful that I'm one of those daughters that shares that bond with her dad. 

Dad and I when I was a youngster.

I was blessed to be given the best Daddy in the world! He has always taught us how to work hard, tell the truth and do our very best. He has always provided for our family, and never let us go without. He always put his 3 girls (my mom, me and katie) above himself... and most of the time gives us our wants too. He has been a great example of not only a dad, but also of a man. He has led our family on the Christian walk of life, and always set a good example for us. He was blessed with two girls, but he made the kind of impact on us that I pray Clete will make on our children someday. 

Dad and I at my college graduation.

Dad isn't the most affectionate person I know... in fact, sometimes I think he holds his emotions too much but that's typical for a man. One thing I'll always remember he said to me was what he told me on my wedding day when it was just him and I waiting in the bride's room together... "You make a beautiful bride, but I knew you would. I'm proud of you... and that's all I can say so I don't tear up." I may be all grown up now, and have a different last name but I will always be a Daddy's girl!

Dad and I on my wedding day.

Dad-

Happy Father's Day! I hope you have a nice and relaxing day. Thank you for all you do for us, and thank you for always being a good Dad. I would not be where I am in this world today if it weren't for your love, support and advice along the way. Remember, that no matter how old I may get... I'll always need my Daddy and will be your little girl. I love you! Enjoy this special day! XOXO 



I also want to wish a very Happy Father's Day to my father in-law, Randy! Thanks for being a good Dad to Clete, and for helping mold him into the man he is today. We hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Father's Day to all the other Daddy's out there too! Any many can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a Dad. You all should kick back, relax and enjoy this special Dad's day! until next time. xoxo 

Thoughts for Thursday.

As you know, Clete and I had our one year wedding anniversary earlier this week. Now that we've been married a year, the question everyone is going to start asking us is, "when are you going to start a family?" Some had already started asking this question well before we ever hit the one year mark. To be honest, the answer is we don't know. We've never really said we will be married for X amount of years, or be a certain age before we start trying for a baby. We feel that when the time is right, we will know and that's when it'll be appropriate for us. That time could be next year, or 5 years away... we really aren't sure. But we have faith that we will know when the timing is right for us. The right time to start a family is different for every couple, and it's also one of the biggest decisions we will ever make. Once a baby comes, there is no turning back. We have some things we want to do and accomplish together as just us before we bring a baby into this world. I can tell you that we will not let others pressure or push us one way or the other... starting a family is a decision WE will make on our own, and we will do what we feel is right for US.

We believe we already have a family! Clete, myself and Honey are a family... I don't care what others may think or say. We love it with just us and our furry, four legged child for the time being. So there you have it... the answer to the questions that everyone wants to know. 

until next time. xoxo

weigh in wednesday.

so after having that  gain last week, i was motivated and determined to see a loss this week at the scale. i also set a goal for myself to get in 15 workouts for the month of June. that means that i will be (or was) active half of the month.
thursday evening we went to the grocery store and stocked up on all my go-to healthy things. i cooked more at home last week than i had been, but we had things that are go-to dinners at our house. i also got in 4 boot camp morning sessions, plus the 2 hour boot camp that was held on saturday. i know i worked hard and made major improvements on being much more healthy this past week!
the scale showed a loss of -1 lb. i'm happy with the loss (because any loss is always better than a gain) but i will be honest that i was hoping for a bigger number. oh well, the scale moved in the right direction! as long as it keeps moving downward, i'll be happy. until next time. xoxo

Celebrating Year #1.

It was 4:40am when I looked at my phone... 5 minutes before my alarm would go off to get up and ready for boot camp. I looked up and Clete was in the closet picking out his clothes for the day. My alarm sounded at 4:45am and just a few moments after that my husband was kissing me goodbye for the day, and whispered "Happy Anniversary!" in my ear. Yep, that's how year two of being The Griffiths began!

We each went about our day as a normal Monday. Before leaving for work, I left Clete's card and anniversary gift on the buffet in the kitchen. We decided to be traditional this year, and give each other a gift that was paper since that's the traditional first anniversary gift.

I made Clete a personalized card at treat.com, got him a paper gift certificate for a massage and also gave him a coupon for a day together that is his pick. Yes, the last thing is a little cheesy but I didn't know what else to do and I didn't feel like a gift certificate for a massage was enough. He's always wanting me to go do things with him that I'd rather not do, so I decided that I'd give him this coupon to redeem and I'll be a good sport even if it's something I really don't want to do.

Clete got me a sweet anniversary card, a gift certificate for a pedi and a new THUNDER shirt to wear this week for The Finals. :) Our vacation to Jamaica is also part of our anniversary... it just happened that we couldn't go this week because of Clete's new promotion so instead we'll be enjoying the beach come August!

We had a wonderful anniversary dinner at RED Primesteak. They took great care of us, and our dinner was wonderful. My steak, a filet oscar, was to die for!

We also had champagne, beef tamales, the RP tomato salad, chile mac & cheese with our steaks and shared some sorbet for dessert. It was a wonderful evening!

Once we got back home, we cut into our year old wedding cake. ICK! The icing was rock hard and it tasted freezer burnt... but what do you expect after it being frozen for a whole year? We each had a small bite for "good luck", but that was the end of that!

It was a wonderful evening celebrating our first year of happily ever after! We had a great first year together, and we look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries as mr. & mrs. in the years to come!

 

One Year Down as The Griffiths!

Today marks Clete and I's one year wedding anniversary... we survived year one of being The Griffiths! It's hard to believe that our first year of being married has already gone by...time has flown by! "Time flies when you're having fun!" It's been a great journey so far, and I look forward to many more wonderful married years together.

one of my favorite pictures of us from our wedding day

June 11, 2011

Who ever said that the first year of marriage is the hardest? That has been a complete myth! OR if it's true then we must have some easy years ahead of us. Has it all been unicorns and roses? Well NO! But get real, who's life is ever all unicorns and roses. Being married has been great! I have loved getting to share everyday life with Clete... and it's also fun having a slumber party every night with your best friend! ;) Yes, we've had a handful of disagreements but I know that's completely normal. Anytime you have two different people involved in something, there's destined to be a little dispute every now and then. The most important thing is that we can work through those tougher times, and sometimes we just have to agree to disagree. It's been a great year as a newlywed, and I feel like we have both learned a lot about ourselves and each other over this past year.

I often find myself reflecting back on our wedding day and how special of a day it was. It was a dream and fairytale come true! I reflect not only how great of a day it was, but also how blessed we were to have so many family and friends there to witness and celebrate the most significant event of our lives this far. It was a fantastic celebration, and we love reminiscing through our pictures and talking about how much fun we had.

the last picture of night- these were the troopers.

Our wedding day will always live on in our memories. It was by far the time of our lives! It was all we ever dreamed it would be, plus more. Our first year is now behind us, and we look forward to celebrating many more years of marriage together!

Clete-
We have something very special, and I am so thankful we share it together. You're my prince charming, and my best friend. I love you more than you'll ever know, and I cannot imagine what life would be like without you by my side. I feel very blessed to get to share everyday life with you. Our first year of marriage is behind us, and we made it! ;) I never had any doubts though. It's been a fun journey so far, and I look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries as your wife! I love you to the moon & back mr. g! Cheers to many more years! XOXO 

Food Finds.

Who doesn't like to try something new every now and then? Most of us get board with the same food over and over, so we try to find new things that we enjoy. Here are some things that I've found recently... and of course, they're point+ friendly!

Sweet Chili Rice Snacks.

These are my new favorite thing! Melissa, one of my trainers, introduced me to these and I am now hooked. 

You get 18-20 small rice cakes in a serving for 160 calories. (4 PPV) They make a great snack and have just a little kick to 'em. I usually get these at Wal-Mart or Target, but I'm sure they're sold in most grocery stores with Quaker products.

Wasabi Almonds.

I came across these on a recent trip to Walgreens when they were having a buy one get one free sale on their Blue Diamond brand almonds. They have a little kick to 'em, but are a great alternative to plain almonds. Almonds make a good heart healthy snack, or can also be a nice addition to a salad. Blue Diamond makes a variety of flavors, but from what I have tried these are my personal favorite.

Dips.

Who doesn't love a good spinach dip? These dips are made with Greek yogurt and have only 35-45 calories per serving (1PPV). They're also super tasty! They go great with crackers, or with raw veggies. My mom introduced me to these when we were at the lake a few weekends ago, so I had to get some. I found them in the refrigerator section at Wal-Mart, back by the sour cream and yogurt.

Rice Crackers.

I found these recently when grocery shopping. I wanted something to go with the dips, but didn't want to spend a lot of PPV (calories) on crackers. These have around 120 calories a serving (3 PPV) which is 16 crackers. It's a good portion I feel like. They are rice crackers, so they have a little different texture and taste, but I like them. I found these on the cracker isle and Wal-Mart.

Better Oats Oatmeal.

This was something I got in my last foodie pen-pal package from Whitney and I love this stuff. It's the blueberry muffin flavor. I'm not really a big oatmeal fan in general, but this is great in my morning smoothie. It gives it a little added protein and makes it more filling. I haven't found this product myself yet, but she told me she usually finds the best deal on it at Target. I do know that Wal-Mart (or at least the one I go to) does not have it. I'm sure it comes in other flavors too, and once I find it here I'm going to check them out. It's 160 calories (4 PPV) a packet.

That's all I've got for new food finds as of now. I'm always on the lookout for new things that catch my eye, or someone suggests to me. Eating the same ol' thing over and over gets boring, and I like to keep things interesting on my plate. What have you tried lately that's new? until next time. xoxo 

happy friday!

It's one of the best days of the week... Friday! The eve of the weekend. Any big weekend plans? None here that I know of. We plan to just have a relaxing weekend at home. I do have a two hour boot camp session tomorrow morning, but other than that our weekend is free.

This morning after while I was getting my breakfast and lunch ready for today, Honey decided she was going to snoop in the pantry...

Luckily, she can't reach the shelves that I keep food on, but she was looking hard for some goodies. Lol. She is such a mess. She does think that she's the boss of the house, but really she's just spoiled rotten!

On Monday, Clete and I will celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that a whole year has already gone by! This Friday last year (6/10/11) we got our marriage license and were getting ready to rehearse for our big day.

Friday, 6/10/11

About 30 hours before we officially became Mr. & Mrs. Griffith!

We will celebrate on Monday since that's our actual anniversary. Nothing too extravagant since we're headed to Jamaica in August.

That's all going on here today. Be on the lookout for some new food finds and recipes coming soon. We made a much needed trip to the grocery store last night, so I'll be trying some new things and getting back into the groove of cooking. Have a great weekend! until next time. xoxo 

back to boot camp.

When my alarm went off at 4:45am this morning, the very LAST thing I wanted to do was get up. We got to sleep late after staying up and watching the OKC Thunder WIN the Western Conference Finals! It was an exciting game to watch since they're now headed to The Finals. After an adrenaline rush like that, the last thing I can do is sleep!
Anyways... this morning I really wanted to turn my alarm off, but instead I made myself get out of bed. I had missed boot camp for over a week, and today I had to push myself to go. I'm so glad I did... Katy led us in a tough workout this morning, but it hurt so good! It felt great to be back after a little break. I'm sure I'll be filling it tomorrow... or possibly even later today. How are you being active today?! until next time. xoxo

weigh in wednesday: up again.

I went back and forth about getting on the scale today at weight watchers, but once my meeting time rolled around I decided to just step on it and face it. I was up +1.6 lbs. After eating out almost every night last week, and then spending last weekend in Muskogee it wasn't a surprise to me that the scale was up today.

It's time to get back in the groove of things and shed these unwanted extra lbs before vacation in August. I am setting some summer goals to help keep me on track. Those goals are to be getting activity in 5 days a week, and also cook at home more often.

Tonight I'm making meatloaf cupcakes with a veggie. We'll have these for dinner before we watch and cheer on the Thunder tonight! I also have a few other things to do around the house, and a trip the grocery store is a MUST in the next day or two. I need to get restocked on all my good, healthy essentials. That's all I've got today... until next time. xo

finding motivation.

Have you ever wondered why you can be trucking along with something and then all of a sudden you just lose your motivation to do it anymore? It's almost like you get burnt out, and just want to throw in the towel. I ask myself this question all. the. time. WHY can't you just stay motivated Lyndi?

It's no secret that I struggle with my weight. I've struggled with weight issues since I was a young girl. It's something I know I will always have to battle, but that's just part of life. I wasn't blessed with "skinny genes"... instead I was given my bust and belly from my mom's side, and big legs from my dad's side. There's a saying that says, "There a skinny girl trapped inside of me, but I just shut her up with cookies." And often times that's really how I feel.

Clete and I have both put on a few pounds since getting married last year. I know it's a sign of being happy, but neither one of us are very happy about the scale going up. We booked vacation last week for the end of August, so we now have something to look forward to. We both are hoping to shed some pounds before we hit the beach. It's 11 weeks away, so I'm setting a goal to lose 10-15 lbs before we leave. I've got to stay motivated to get there, but I know it's doable. It just seems that sometimes that is so often easier said than done...

So this week I'm working on re-finding my motivation... AGAIN. Trying to get back into the habit of a consist workout schedule, no excuses, cooking at home, and just being healthy. What do you do that helps you find your motivation when you lost it? until next time. xoxo

our sweet little Honey.

We were in Muskogee over the weekend for a wedding and some family time. Kelsey (the bro in-law's girlfriend) got a new camera while we were there and had to test it out. She snapped these sweet shots of our little Honey, so I thought I'd share.

being a good girl... isn't she sweet?

she looks ornery in this picture... playing tug of war. 

Thanks Aunt Kelsey for the pictures! :) She's a little spoiled rotten pup, but she's our baby and we wouldn't have it any other way for now. We had a nice weekend away, but I'm looking forward to being home the next few since we've been on the go lately. Hope you had a great weekend too! until next time. xoxo

Vacation!

After talking for a couple weeks about it, and tossing different destinations around we have finally decided on a vacation spot. In August, we'll be going to Jamaica! We are so excited and cannot wait for a week on the beach away from the real world!

After talking with our travel agent, we decided on the Riu Resort in Ocho Rios (pictured above). It should be a great vacation for us. I'm mostly excited to just get away and to the beach!! When it comes to vacations, I'm definitely a beach girl. I've been to Jamaica once on a cruise and Clete has never been, so it'll be something new and exciting for us both. That's our vacation plan for this year.. now we're just patiently waiting for August 19th to get here! ;) until next time. XO