Lunch at Dole: whipped ginger sweet potatoes, salmon with fresh tomatoes, vegetables lasagna, roasted squash, salad and chocolate covered pineapple

One thing that stood out to me during the Dole Health Summit was how proud the employees are of their health and habits. Before I went to the Dole Health Summit I kind of expected that there would be fresh produce available, but I was not expecting it to be so delicious and thoughtfully prepared.

Throughout my life I've believed that health food and good food were on two different teams. It never occured to me that they could be one in the same. When I thought of health food, I thought of "diet food" and to me it was boring, raw, cold, and uninteresting. I grew up in the 90's where people were told not to eat fat, so I doused my iceburg lettuce in fat-free ranch dressing. We were told to eat cottage cheese, fat-free frozen yogurt, diet soda, and celery sticks to be healthy.

Onyx Restaurant at Four Seasons: ginger salad with miso soup

If I'm being totally honest, the concept of healthy can equal delicious is new to me. I use the term healthy loosely, because it seems that we all, scientists included, have our own idea of what healthy eating looks like.

But Dole managed to merge the two worlds effortlessly. You'd never know that health food wasn't delicious and you'd never feel deprived or cheated eating this way.  Good, delicious, thoughtful and interesting food. I want more of that in my life, the merging of healthy and delicious foods.

Onyx: risotto with mushrooms

I realize that this may sound strange to those reading who already "get" it, but for me, it's been a very long journey to this point. You see, it wasn't until my mid-20's that I had fresh blueberries, cherries, salmon, black beans, avocados, asparagus, dark leafy greens, or roasted vegetables. Blueberries were made into muffins. Cherries came from a jar in syrup. Salmon was from a can. Beans were brown or green and swimming with bacon. And vegetables were cooked in the microwave.

Dinner at Onyx, Four Seasons Hotel

I've since taught myself to enjoy interesting and new flavors. I prefer tea and coffee unsweetened. I rarely drink soda or diet soda. I'm not afraid to try new foods. I want to continue challenging my to change my definition of what good food is. Good food can be a local burger or butternut squash roasted to perfection with garlic, olive oil and chili powder. It can be coconut curry with chicken and vegetables. Good food, or delicious food, doesn't have to be saturated in fat, salt or sugar to taste good. And I say these things as a reminder for myself, because I sometimes forget how good fruit and vegetables can be.

basil mango sorbet with dark chocolate and mint

Even the Dole employee cafeteria offered a healthy array of food choices. We had the opportunity to eat breakfast there our first morning. You could choose from whole wheat pancakes, to breakfast burritos with made-to-order omelets, homemade salsa, and avacado, or lox with cream cheese, bran muffins or fresh fruit.

In the Dole test kitchen we had the opportunity to try out new products and old favorites. For me, you can't go wrong with frozen banana soft serve. Oh the miracles of the internet for bringing this amazing concoction into our lives.

We tried the salad kits which were filled with things like dried cherries, blue cheese and nuts. Not to mention the Real Fruit Bites. I really enjoyed these a lot (maybe too much!). I liked that you could taste the oatmeal in them. Apple was my favorite, and pineapple takes second. Josh really liked these too and I was sad to find out he raided my goodie bag and ate most of my packets.

Next was a new product that I haven't seen yet...

Dole Shakers. Basically they are frozen fruit and yogurt, similar to dippin' dots. You add fruit juice to them and shake for an on-the-go smoothie. I really liked the taste of these and enjoyed the thick texture. Some of the other bloggers noted that they took on the flavor of whatever juice you use, I didn't mind that though. I thought they were refreshing and could imagine using these in a pinch or while traveling. I also think they might be good with unsweetened vanilla almond milk to cut down the sugar.

What are you favorite healthy, yet delicious recipes?

Click Here to read Dole Health Summit: Part One

Sitting down to write this post is daunting. Mainly because there is so much to cover and much to still think about. So my solution is to break it up into little pieces and go from there.

A couple of months ago I got an email from a PR firm representing Dole asking me to join other bloggers in California for a summit. They covered the airfare, hotel costs at the Four Seasons in Westlake Village, transportation and the food during my stay. It was hard to say no.

To start, I'm still not 100% sure why I was invited. I'm not a full-time blogger, nor am I a "popular blogger", not sure what that means, but I'm no KERF, right? To be frank, I struggle with blogging. There were ladies at the summit who were blogging the entire time. Tweeting, facebooking, networking, linking, and did I mention blogging? They were on top of their blogging game.  I just kept looking around thinking "I'm at Dole! I'm in California! oooh this food is good! wow,  I'm learning so much! palm trees!"

Not to mention the elephant in the room. Pun intended, I can't help myself. The thing is, if you look at the roster of bloggers, and the group photo. You'll notice the obvious... I was the only fat person there.  I couldn't help but sing "one of these things is not like the other". For the most part, I was okay with this. But, I'd be lying if I said I was super confident about it either.  Before I even stepped foot on the first plane to California I did a lot of self talk. Some of it was purely indulgent to make myself feel better. Here's what it sounded like in my head: They want you to go for exactly who you are now, you are providing a different perspective, you're representing other Americans who struggle with binge eating, you are on a journey, you can do this!

At one point I almost asked for a refund and high tailed it home when I found out our first flight was cancelled.  I was uncomfortable. A lot was out of my control and I was vulnerable. If Josh hadn't been there to convince me to keep going, I probably would have chickened out.

When we arrived in California 16 hours later, I didn't care that I was sleep deprived and looking like a hot mess, I was in California. Once I stepped foot into the king suite at the Four Seasons, nothing else mattered. Awkward encounters and ugly duckling feelings be damned, there was a TV in the bathroom and a soaking tub, not to mention l'occitane soaps and shampoo. I was in heaven.

Because I arrived a few hours later than expected, I missed the cocktail hour and the Thanksgiving food challenge. But, I was just in time for the first Dole meal and it was incredible. We started with a creamy asparagus soup before we were lead to the buffet filled with fig salad, fish, turkey, cauliflower gratin, and the star of the show: roasted yams with bananas.  Everything was savory and flavorful, yet healthy and light. They even gave us recipes for the dishes served to recreate a home.

Enjoying a cup of banana soft serve- my favorite!

I ended up sitting with those working for and with Dole. Their PR team and marketers. I'm not sure how this happened, but it strangely put me at ease. I felt 12 again, hanging out with the parents on a 6th grade field trip. I  chatted with Marty Ordman, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Donna Skidmore,  Director, Consumer Services and Michael, who works for Dole, but I cannot remember his last name or title. Amanda Notarangelo who does PR for Dole with Gibraltar Associates in DC was also at our table . We were ooh and aahing over the food when I had to go and ruin it with a question about local food and farming, GMOs (which I was told they don't use) and pesticides sprayed on fruits and vegetables. I kicked myself immediately for asking during dinner, but it just came out. I thought for sure I was going to have to sleep outside of the Four Seasons that night. But, they took it in stride, apparently these were frequent, yet valid questions. They explained that they support and encourage local farming, they support people eating more fruits and vegetables regardless of where it comes from. And that they are always working on new ways to work with local farmers with their projects such as the salad bars they sponsor in public schools. But I learned something else.

Not everyone is as lucky as I am. I live in a town where local food is prevalent, abundant and affordable. This is not normal for small-town America. For example, on my way home this evening I stopped at a locally owned grocer and bought a big bag of local and organic mixed salad greens for $3, organic/fair trade bananas for about $4, and a few other produce items that were either local or organic, if not both. I even got a zucchini for free because it was a little soft. My total was $37 and the food will last till the end of the week. Not to mention that I was about 2 miles from my house.

But there are people in our country, children, who have never had fresh fruit or vegetables. There are a lot of mouths to feed in the world and I'm not sure that small farmers could keep up with the demand. I don't have a major point or opinion other than, it's easy to throw our hands up and talk about how screwed up the system is. It is. But, it's complex. Dole is trying to make bananas affordable and look as cool as soda or twinkies. I can get behind that. I'm trying to get to a point where I'm not becoming narrow from my assumed opinions of the food industry. I think sometimes we want an easy answer, and there isn't always one. There are better answers and solutions, but I appreciate that they are taking public opinion seriously. I appreciate that they took the time to answer the harder questions, because I wasn't the only one asking.

I took some time to research Dole before I went on this trip and found the documentary "Bananas!" enlightening and heartbreaking. I also found out that Dole launched www.doleorganics.com in 2007  in response to demand from consumers who increasingly want specific information relative to the farms where the Dole organic bananas are grown or purchased from growers (referenced from www.non-gmoreport.com) You can also read about Dole, Monsanto and GMOs here.

Next up: Part Two, Dole food testing, the other bloggers and much more!

Here are a few recaps from some of the bloggers who attended.

Meals and Miles: Dole's Test Kitchen, A Cooking Challenge

Run Eat Repeat: Double Dole Day, Dole Healthy Lifestyle Blogger Summit

Cranky Fitness: An Unusually Frank Blog Update

Iowa Girl Eats: Healthified Meat and Potatoes Meal

CarrotsNCake: Dinner At Onyx, Sunrise Run + New Dole Products, Dole's Healthy Lifestyle Blogger Summit, It's Over Already

I've decided that September will be the month of Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30. I've had the DVD for some time, but never made it through all four week sessions. This is the month.

What I love about the DVD:

It's fast, only 37 minutes and I'm done.

Less jumping. Insanity is insane, this DVD is hard, but there isn't a lot of jumping around.

It hurts and I swear a lot. If I'm going to exercise I want to feel it. I want to sweat and pant and beg for mercy. I want to feel it the next day. This DVD is good for that.

It's a challenge. Planks and push-ups are hard for me, but I do my best. She also has a new workout for each week in a month.

What I don't love:

This is me being petty, but sometimes Jillian says things that are really corny and silly. She makes weird noises and I just feel embarrassed for her. But, I try to pretend she isn't talking. I think when I'm suffering, I don't like jokes, so it makes me want to throw my hand weight at her. Other than that, I love it!

Listening: This album has been my work soundtrack since it's recent release. Nice job Bon, nice job. My favorite song is Minnesota. WI.

Reading: Over vacation I read Delirium by Lauren Oliver and cannot recommend it enough if you liked The Hunger Games. Not that they are similar, but in that "the world is messed up, young love" sort of way. Oh, please read it so I can talk about it with someone. And now I'm re-reading The Great Gatsby, it just feels like the right thing to do.

Eating: I'm working on creating new go-to meals that are low in calories, filling, real food, flavorful and ethnic inspired. Case in point: today's lunch was under 200 calories, 198 to be exact. Bonus: the cucumbers were from our garden.

1/3 chicken breast cooked in a touch of olive oil and jerk seasoning. yogurt sauce made with whole plan yogurt, dill, garlic and seas salt. fresh cucumbers. 1/2 C garlic and olive oil couscous.

I've been eating this oatmeal off and on for about three weeks now. I love oatmeal in the morning, because it's so darn filling, but my previous recipe called for brown sugar. And because eating unsweetened oatmeal would leave me feeling like Oliver Twist, I decided to add a banana and some raisins.

I call this Power Oatmeal because it makes me feel powerful and because it features Zenergy Powerballs. Powerballs people, powerballs!

Okay...here's how I make my oatmeal:

1/2 C old fashioned oats and 1 C. unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Add to a saucepan. And hey, as I was snapping up photos this morning I realized that my breakfast features not one, but three christmas gifts! Here you will find a stainless steel, copper rimmed pot from my sister. Thanks sister!

Using this rad bird bowl from my mom!

Once the oatmeal starts boiling add one chopped up banana and 1/8 C raisins. Stir. Let cook for another two minutes. My trick to perfect oatmeal is to take it off the heat before you think it looks done. Oatmeal will continue to cook in your bowl, so if you take it off the heat when it's still runny it will firm up to the perfect (not dry) consistency. I learned this the hard way. I always thought I couldn't make oatmeal until I did this.

I put a powerball in the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften (this probably isn't recommended, but I'm a rule breaker). I really like the almond and coconut flavors the best. They are filled with natural stuff like dates, almonds, and cacao nibs, which I enjoy a lot.

Here's the powerball! These were sent to me by the owner of the company Peggy Sue Honeyman Scott (try saying that ten times fast). What I like about her is that she is hands-on with the promotion of her company. She contacted me personally back in November and even included a nice little note with her Zenergy Powerballs. I like that, I like personal. And I like these powerballs in my oatmeal.

Top with a little shredded, unsweetened coconut if that's your thing.

And enjoy with a nice glass of grapefruit juice in your special Floyd stem wear. Another Christmas gift from my sister in law. Which is proof that if you give me a gift I will actually use it...a lot.

So because Peggy Sue is so awesome she agreed to send one of my readers a sampling of her Zenergy Powerballs, which honestly make a great breakfast by themselves or snack. I've been known to eat one while making dinner.

Just leave a comment and I'll draw a name at random and have them send out to you!

What are you favorite oatmeal toppings?

I have a whole list of small little goals and resolutions that I'm working on this year. Taking better care of my skin has been on my mind all year. On my mind, and not much else. I wash my face in the shower, but that's it. I wear makeup on a daily basis and never wash it off at night (cue gasps). And I've had a blemish (or five) on my face everyday since I was 16...I'm almost 28. Part genetics and part neglect.

I've tried proactiv, viatamins, clean and clear and clinque. I can't say they didn't work, but mainly I've just not stuck to using them on a regular basis. I did find however, that the acne treatment stuff only irritated my face more and left it peeling and red and brought on more skin problems.

This year, I'm making a valid effort even if I've already passed out on the couch and wake back up--to wash my face at night. It's been five days and my face is smooth, soft, and blemish free. What expensive product am I using?

This $2 frangrance-free soap. I love it. I'm also using Burt's Bees  Acne Solutions face scrub in the shower in the mornings along with a natural shea butter soap. I don't love the face scrub mainly because it leaves a residue on my face that I don't care for, but I follow with the shea butter soap and everything is fine again.

I am using an organic moisturizer lightly as well, and that's pretty much it.

I've use Adobe Illustrator for my calendar and to track my goals. On the outside of my calendar area I have a list of daily tasks that I copy and paste into completed tasks when they are done. I have to say putting "wash face 2x" into completed tasks is satisfying and keeping me on track.

Do you have any little goals that you're sticking with this year? Taking better care of your teeth, skin, nails, feet?

ps: burt's bees and neutrogena have no idea who I am, I just use these products because I like them. Or bought them and feel like I need to use it anyway.

Happy Trail Mix Day! It's 8:30 so you have three and half hours on the east coast to eat some trail mix. You won't regret it.

A couple of weeks ago Em from Bear Naked Granola emailed me asking if I'd try out their new line of trail mixes. Yes indeed. They came last week with a sweet hand written note just in time for an afternoon snack. Of course, I opened the chocolate one first. Check out what I got:

Thanks to Josh (ahem) I only have half a bag left, but I've had a chance to sample all of them. They are good. I never got trail mix, the idea of it. Dried fruit and nuts, but as I've aged and wised up I've come to love the combination. I do wish though that these bags had more nuts and granola balls. The chocolate is my favorite, the cocoa almonds, the balls of chewy chocolaty granola and cranberries, what's not to love? It goes perfectly on yogurt, or just out of the bag when you need a little something before dinner.

Have you tried Bear Naked Granola or trail mix? I first tried Bear Naked in NYC. I remember putting it in my FreshDirect cart thinking "ooh I'm eatin' my fancy pants granola" and it is fancy. You know how most store bought granolas have high fructose corn syrup or tons of sugar and other unmentionables? This stuff doesn't, hence the name and it's good.

So with my remaining half bag I'll have to take some photos this week to make this a proper review, but until then go celebrate the day with some trail mix!

(Contest Over)

Leave a comment about your favorite trail mix ingredients and I'll draw a name from the comments and send you a free bag of Bare Naked Granola and Trail Mix! US only please.

Follow me on twitter: @thetokenfatgirl

This post is going to be all over the place, but that is kinda how my life is at the moment. I still have a few meals left from Gobble Green, but my stock is (sadly) running low! I tried the "burger" and fries with mango salsa, both were really good.

Here is what it looked like (ignore the "i need to eat this now" bites)

The burger is made up of mostly vegetables and it was greatly complimented by the mango salsa. I heated the burger up in the microwave then made is crispy in the skillet, the fries were heated up in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. This meal has 357 calories and is totally vegan.

Another entree that I really enjoyed was the vegan spaghetti and meatballs. At 347 calories this meal was flavorful and filling. The meatballs had the texture of real meat and were crumbly vs. rubbery, which I prefer. I do wish that they would have included more sauce in the packet and overall found this dish to be even better with a sprinkle of garlic and oregano.

I recieved an email from Jennifer and Kevin letting me know that they are offering a special limited time (until May 21st!) deal on their weekday meals. This deal was directed to me via Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Life Blog, which you can view here.

The Weekday Green Plan includes three pre-selected meals daily delivered on a bi-monthly basis. Each package that arrives every other week will consist of 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches, and 10 dinners. You will have fifteen healthy vegan meals per week, all of which can be heated in an oven or on the stove in under 12 minutes.

Consumers in the USA may use coupon code ‘kindlife52010’to receive 24% off The Weekday Green Plan ($399/month for USA Kind Lifers). Normally $525. Consumers in Canada and the UK may use coupon code ‘kindlife52010INT’ to receive 12% off The Weekday Green Plan ($611.60/month for international Kind Lifers). You may apply the coupon code at check out after purchasing The USA Weekday Green Plan HERE, The International Weekday Green Plan HERE, or you may call 1-800-684-7618 to apply your Kind Life discount via phone with a Gobble Green representative.”

However, for Kind Lifers we are offering an amazing discount on The Weekday Green Plan…but it is only available until May 21, 2010!

*****************************************************************************************

What else has been going on? I've been riding a bike! A few weeks ago  I spoke with Joan from Super Sized Cycles in regards to letting me try out one of her bikes. I found them by searching "bikes for fat people", I know, that's a great search term, but when I found her site I had to email her. Skip forward a couple of weeks and this bike arrived on my front porch:

I look really silly in this photos!

I've been enjoying getting back into riding again, something I haven't done in years. I was terrified when I first got on, mainly because my feet barely touch the ground when I get on. But, I've warmed up to it and have gotten used to the electric element to the bike. I was able to fly up hills, something that I cannot do on my own. I can't even make it up a slight incline on my own much less the major hills in this area.

Have you guys been on a bike recently? I have to say that I've been wanting to get on a bike for a long time now, but my weight has kept me from giving it a try. Not because of feeling out of shape as much as the fear of breaking a bike. Super Sized Cycles creates bikes especially for larger people, I can't even begin to express the freedom I feel when I'm on this bike. I feel light and active, I love it. I'll keep you posted about how my progress goes.

********************************************************************************************

Another thing I'm thinking about trying is p90x workouts which say they can get you into shape in 90 days. I like the idea of doing this really intense exercise for a relatively short period of time and have it really change my whole fitness level.

********************************************************************************************

This past weekend I participated in three jewelry events. One on Thursday for the Hotel Floyd Concert Series, another on Friday for the Floyd Community Market Artisan Market and then another on Saturday in my hometown for a show at my mom's house. Needless to say I had very little sleep, but it was well worth it.

I felt like this on Monday:

Mother's day weekend was so much fun, I got to hang out with my parents, sister and friends and sell jewelry. I love my mom! Check out my handmade jewelry shop.

And last but not least, we're closing on our home tomorrow!! I will try to stay updated as much as possible, but have a feeling my posts will continue to be sparse until we settle in. The internet will be installed on Monday; I can't wait to show you photos of our new home!

I also wanted to mention that I've hired a contributor to this blog. And when I say contributor I mean my best friend since first grade, Jasmine. I've been overwhelmed with the positive responses from this blog and she's come on board to help sort through emails, twitter, commenting, and the occasional blog post. I'm so excited to have someone else to share this crazy blogging experience with and know that she will help me provide quality/interesting content.

Having a blog is awesome. Especially on Thursday evenings when the delivery guy comes bearing a package of food! A couple of weeks ago Jennifer and Kevin from Gobble Green Gourmet Vegan Delivery Service contacted me to see if I'd like to try out their meal service in return for a review on my blog. Seven days of gourmet vegan food? uh, yes!

I sat in the living room with Josh sorting through the vacuum sealed meals and each time I'd pull something out  I'd yell "look it's pizza!" "look spaghetti!" it's the small things folks.

Here's the question...was I nervous about vegan food? Yes. Was Josh giving me weird looks as I pulled the food out? Food with ingredients pretending to be something they aren't? yes and yes. We eat meat, and we eat dairy (albeit local as much as possible) on a regular basis around here, so I think he (as open as he  is about food) was slightly relieved that he wasn't the one blogging about this sort of thing. That is, until I couldn't find my Gobble Green snickerdoodle cookies. Where had they gone?

Friday, day one. I decided to stick with the meals they had planned for the day despite my rebellious tendency to dance around rules. I was excited that I wouldn't have to think about what I was going to eat for breakfast or lunch. In the morning i plugged everything into Weight Watchers online...25 points total including dessert, not bad, not bad at all.

Breakfast started with a banana muffin and fruit salad. I let it sit on the counter straight from the freezer while I got ready for work. I took a picture frozen:

I heated up the muffin in the microwave per instruction and it was good, but nothing like the cloyingly sweet cake-like muffins that I'm used to. This one was more like a scone, lightly sweetened, dense, with a strong banana taste. I felt like I was eating something good for me rather than dessert pretending to be breakfast.

I felt good for it. If there were more, I wouldn't have eaten them with wild abandon. One was filling and sufficient. The wrapper did stick to the muffin a bit, I imagine from the freezer+ microwave moisture.

I placed the fruit in a bag and let it thaw out in transit to work. The photo above is the exact portion.

A couple of hours later I dug into my bag of trail mix that was assigned: mid-morning snack. And I snacked pretty much all morning on this.

By noon I was feeling good. I didn't feel bloated or full. I was comfortable. My energy was up, my moods were balanced, but I was ready to try the vegan "chicken" nuggets.

I took them out of the freezer in the morning and left them in the refrigerator until I was ready to eat them at noon. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees and baked them for about 5 minutes.

I was nervous about eating this. They looked a bit slimy coming out of the package and well, I don't like real chicken nuggets. Verdict? Chewy and flavorful. The dipping sauce was amazing! I loved it. I let a couple of my co-workers try them and one said "I love the texture! It's like real chicken and they are really flavorful" she was also impressed by the calorie count, protein and ingredients. Another co-worker tried them and she immediately said "I love these! They are addictive, I could eat a lot more!" She also noted that they tasted good with or without the sauce.

For dessert I chose the chocolate cake and let me just say it was amazing! It wasn't just good for being vegan, it was good period. It may have been one of the best tasting chocolate cakes I've ever had, it wasn't over the top or too sweet. I didn't let it thaw all the way, but I'm convinced that half-frozen desserts are just as good. The chocolate cake was rich and fudgey and the icing was smooth. Delicious. The ingredients are not bad at all:

organic vegan sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt, organic flour, baking soda, soybean oil, vanilla extract, white vinegar, expeller-pressed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive oils), soy protein, soy lecithin, lactic acid (non-dairy, derived from sugar beets)

That evening I had Indian food for dinner so I saved my vegan dinner for another day.

The next morning I pulled the vegan sausage and cheese biscuit out of the freezer and put it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. This meal wasn't on my list for day two, but I was eager to try it as I have a weak spot for breakfast sandwiches.

The biscuit was dense, and the sausage tasted like sausage with a chewier texture. The cheese didn't add or take away from the sandwich, it was just another flavor. Overall the sandwich was very flavorful, but not addictive like I find fast food sausage biscuits to be. It wasn't greasy or fatty in any way, it was like a biscuit minus all the bad stuff.

How did this get in there? Okay, after you eat one of their vegan chocolate chip cookies, you will know that the folks at Gobble Green can do no wrong in the world. Seriously, top chocolate chip cookie ever.

I had lunch at a meeting and later on in the evening I broke out the vegan supreme pizza. Baked it in the oven at 425 for about 12 minutes.

It was really good, I loved the green peppers, the crust and the sauce. The cheese wasn't like regular mozzarella, in the way that is strings out when melted. This cheese melted much like American cheese, in a gooey sort of way. It wasn't bad, just a texture to get used to. Josh tried a slice and said that it was way better than he expected and flavorful.

I've been eyeing the blueberry pancakes for a couple of days now and decided to have them for breakfast this morning. I took them out of the freezer and let them thaw out for a few minutes before heating up in the griddle. In the package, they look weird and sad. Just pressed in there with a package of organic syrup dangling behind. After heating them up and putting the syrup on I had two thoughts:oooh butter and aunt Jemima. That would defeat the purpose and I ate as-is.

They were glorious. They smelled like waffle cones in an ice cream shop, they were slightly crunchy around the edges (how I like them to be) and soft, sweet and hearty. The syrup was the right amount. So good, and highly impressed, I couldn't get over how good these were.

I have a few more days left of Gobble Green meals and at this point all I have to say is: bring it on!

We're set to move May 14th and I couldn't be more excited! Our first home! And it's really cute. I think I mentioned before that we will now be "in town" which is in our small town, but there are so many things that we can walk to now: dinner, the grocery store, the library, the farmer's market, concerts etc. I miss that a lot, from living in Brooklyn.  Not to mention the added weight loss bonuses.

I've been going to weight watchers for about a month now and the weight loss hasn't been dramatic, but it has been steadily going down. Still re-losing gained weight, it is weight loss, but it's not the same when you are re-losing. When I get in the 260's I'm having a blog party or at least throwing confetti for myself.

So this is totally unrelated, but I 100% intended on going to BlogHer10 this year and just checked out the website for a ticket and guess what? SOLD OUT. Whaaa? It's April! I really should have jumped on the boat much sooner, I just didn't even consider that. I'm so thick sometimes, really. If anyone reading this needs to get rid of an extra ticket, this girl will gladly take it off of your hands!

I'm in a phase right now where I am doing some things really well and other things really horribly. We will call this the cheers and jeers section. Let's start off with cheers:

Cheers:

• I'm getting things rolling with my jewelry shop a lot lately. I've been updating my shop about twice a month, I have six events that I will be selling at in May and in general I'm having a really good time making jewelry and learning as much as possible about it.
• I've been on Weight Watchers for a month now and I go with co-workers/Josh's mom which makes me accountable. If I was doing this alone it would be really hard for me to stick with it. Did you know I have a hard time sticking with things?
• I had my blood work taken recently and have been catching up with all those necessary evils that involves going to the doctor and checking things out. I found out I have a slow thyroid, which comes to no surprise, but I'm taking thyroid replacements now and should start feeling different in three months.
• I'm getting the mole on my neck removed next week. That is actually really gross to mention. But bless, I hate that mole and I've been self-conscious about it for yeaaarrsss and now I'm sucking up my needle/doctor fear and having it removed along with another one for biopsy. /gross topic (sorry!)
• We're moving! Which means I'm getting rid of stuff I don't need, clearing out and scaling down. I'm so excited to move I can hardly concentrate on anything. What color should we paint the kitchen? Would a neutral couch go best? How will we arrange the bedroom? So. freakin. excited.
• I got a new bike! I spoke with Joan from Supersizedcycles.com on the phone about an opportunity to try out one of her bikes. Two weeks later it's sitting on the front porch. I'm going to be riding a bike again and blogging about the process. I just can't believe it!
• I also get to try out a weeks worth of delivered vegan food from the fine folks at Gobble Green. I can't wait! I actually am excited to try out their all vegan menu and have heard good things about their services. Thanks Gobble Green!
• We're getting back into walking again, I'm running (haha more like fast walking/jogging) a 5k with Krissie (she is running the marathon!) in my old college stomping ground in November and I need to get ready. Last summer I could walk a 5k in 45 minutes, which isn't particularly good, but I know I can get better.

Jeers:

I have not been cooking. This is a weird habit I slipped into after the winter from hell (also know as "we haven't seen snow like this since 93'!!) I don't know what happened, but all regard to eating good food flew out the window. Foods that I normally regard as "not edible" came prancing right into our house, and then once the weather cleared out we just started going out to dinner. A lot. And we live 15 minutes from the nearest restaurant, that is just sad. I need an intervention! I love cooking, I miss cooking. I stare longingly at recipes that I want to cook and so yeah. I need to cook.

I need to exercise more. That's the story of my life, right?

I need to blog more. Oh time management how I long for you. You wouldn't guess from my year long sporadic postings that I do in fact love to blog. I love reading blogs. I love you blog, I do. I just let everything else pile up first. The wedding, last year. Moving this year and everything in between. If you learn nothing else about me: I am not a type A blogger. And we all know who they are. They are on top of emails, comments, twitter and they blog every single day, sometimes twice. Plus they have kids, or manage businesses and exercise and eat right all the time. And here I am, you give me more than 4 things to do at once and I just want to lay on the couch with my blanket. I get tired from just thinking about doing it all.

What are you guys struggling to stay on top of? Am I the only type B in internet land? Who needs breaks, solitude, time to get away?