9 Weeks

how far along? 9 weeks, Wednesday 12/28/2011

how are you measuring? ????

size of baby? Prune

heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? ?I'll find out at my appointment next week.

maternity clothes? Been having a little bloat some evenings but nothing too bad.
stretch marks? Nope. I have started slathering my stomach with Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? So I've been getting up every night to use the restroom. I usually try to hold it which keeps me awake in bed for a little while before I do get up. I've still been restless, but I feel like when I am asleep it's great sleep.
best moment this week? Celebrating Christmas with Eric. We had a pretty low key Christmas day: church, nap, basketball, and a movie. Can't believe this was our last Christmas just the two of us. Next year we will have a little one who will be almost 5 months. Crazy!
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? I just can't get enough Clementines. So yummy! Nothing sounds good to me at all and I haven't really had much of an appetite lately.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: My energy. Come 3pm I'm beat. I've been taking a 30 minute catnap to keep me going.
what i'm looking forward to: Getting my step 2 boards over. I take the big test January 11th, so I have now become a hermit for the next 3 weeks.
how are you feeling? I've been feeling pretty good considering I'm pregnant. I've had some queaziness in the evening a few times this week but nothing horrible. I still haven't thrown up so that's good! I've been feeling kind of weak though but not much appetite. I feel like I'm having to force myself to eat something.

Development this week: Today starts week 10 of development. The little one is nearly 1 1/2 inches long, growing by leaps and bounds. Bones and cartilage are forming and small indentations on the legs are developing into knees and ankles. The elbows are already working. Tiny buds of baby teeth are forming under the gums. The stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine and if a boy, the testes are producing testosterone. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

(I will probably start the baby bump pictures next week.)

My New "Home" For The Week

So this week is going to be somewhat crazy and out of the ordinary. As I'm putting in many hours studying for my Step 2 Board Exam this week, I will also be house sitting for a lady that works at KCUMB. I decided sure why not, it'll give me a quiet place without any distractions to study for a week. They have 3 dogs and a cat, so I'll be taking care of the animals and holding down the fort. Not too difficult.

However, when I left the house this afternoon to head to my new "home" for the week it was quite difficult. I'm sure the pregnancy hormones played a role in things, but it broke my heart leaving my husband and dog. I might have even shed a tear or two. Now don't worry, I will get to see them in the evenings this week. I'll spend all day studying here, go home to enjoy dinner and some time with the hubs, then head back to the house for the night. It's just weird "living" in someone's house for a week. Hopefully it'll be a productive week of studying without any distractions such as cleaning and laundry.

Merry Christmas To Me

So my car wouldn't start last night. I was able to get it jumped today to bring to the dealership. There was a lot of corrosion on the terminals, so I am having to buy a new battery. There was also something wrong with the Idler Pulley on the engine. Not sure what that is but they said if I don't replace it it'll lock up the engine. Boo! Merry Christmas to me! Sitting at the dealership right now. :(

8 Weeks

how far along? 8 weeks, Wednesday 12/21/2011

how are you measuring? ????

size of baby? medium green olive

heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0

maternity clothes? Nope normal clothes although I have noticed I've been bloated
stretch marks? Nope. I have started slathering my stomach with Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? Still not sleeping that great. I'm just restless. I try to go to bed early. It seems I'm not having a problem falling asleep; I'm just waking up multiple times through out the night.
best moment this week? Sharing the exciting news with our family this last week. Click Here to read all about it.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? No cravings but when it comes time to decide what I'm going to cook for dinner NOTHING sounds good. Vegetables don't sound good at all. I guess fruit and carbs sound good.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl. I read somewhere that said if you have that pregnancy glow then it's a boy and if your beauty is sucked out of you then it's a girl. I definitely feel like my beauty has been sucked out of me lately.

what i miss: Sleep. I just want to wake up in the morning and feel rested. Insomnia and day time fatigue don't go well together. Being hungry and actually wanting to eat. I'm not so much dealing with morning sickness all the time, I just don't have much of an appetite.
what i'm looking forward to: Getting my step 2 boards over. I take the big test January 11th, so I have now become a hermit for the next 3 weeks.
how are you feeling? So I had my first experience with "morning sickness" this past weekend. I just felt awful and miserable, but thankfully it only lasted about an hour. I was able to fall asleep in the middle of it all and woke up feeling fine. Super exhausted. I have such a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.

Development this week: Today starts week 9 of development. The little one is now considered a fetus and has grown to approximately 1 inch in length, about the size of a medium green olive. The head is developing and taking on more baby-like proportions. This week tiny muscles are starting to form allowing the fetus to move his or her arms and legs, though it will be atleast another month until you'll be able to feel those little punches and kicks. The glorious sound of your baby's heartbeat might be audible via a doppler device at the doctors. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

Christmas in Texas

Eric and I drove to Dallas this weekend for Christmas with the family. It was easier for us to head out this weekend instead of Christmas weekend with Eric's work schedule and my busy board studying schedule. Which I am taking a short break from right now.

We had some exciting news to share with our family. If you haven't figured it by the previous posts or haven't read the previous posts then we have some exciting news to share with you as well. I'm Pregnant! The little one is due to arrive August 1, 2012. This was a huge surprise to everyone as no one was expecting this for at least another year or two.

Here is how we shared the news:

Eric's Parents: Eric's dad always hides money in the true for us to find, so we decided why not make them find something their gift in the tree. We hung a baby ornament on the tree and told them their present was hidden in the tree. Donna was the one that found it and her face was priceless when she saw it. She cried for about 30 minutes solid and then off and on all evening. Melvin didn't say too much. We asked him what he was thinking and he said just trying to think of all the toys I need to buy the baby. He is hoping for a grandson. :)

Rick & Alyssa: They are my brother and sister-in-law. I made a black long-sleeve shirt that said "Knocked Up." We went over there to spend the day with them and our nephews. We were there for probably five minutes. I wasn't paying much attention to Rick & Alyssa and was interacting with the boys. I had to use the restroom and when I walked back in Alyssa saw my shirt. She quickly jumped up from the couch shouting, "Are you pregnant?" while laughing. She gave me this huge hug and was so excited. Rick didn't say too much.

Brittnea's Parents: They knew we had spent the whole day with the boys so casually over dinner I said, "So Mom I heard you're going to be a grandma again." Expecting her to think of Rick and Alyssa. She just looked at me and said, "YOU?" I nodded and smiled. She squealed so loud and was crying. She immediately jumped up and gave me a hug and Eric a hug. My dad didn't say too much. (Notice a trend that the boys don't say too much.)

We have kept this secret for 4 weeks, and we are so glad to have it out in the open. It was so fun seeing the expression on everyone's faces.

Santa Came Early...

but gave strict instructions.

"Do not open until August 1, 2012."

7 Weeks

how far along? 7 weeks, Wednesday 12/14/2011

how are you measuring? ????

size of baby? Raspberry

heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0

maternity clothes? Nope normal clothes :)
stretch marks? Nope. I have started slathering my stomach with Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I'm really not sleeping all that well. There have been a few nights this week I've had to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but it hasn't become an every night thing. I feel like I just toss and turn all night.
best moment this week? We saw our little peanut using one of the hand held ultrasound machines. We even saw a flicker of a heart beat.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? Pickles, French fries, and PB&J (not all together of course) I wouldn't really call them a craving it's just when I eat them they taste awesome!

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: Sleep. I just want to wake up in the morning and feel rested. Insomnia and day time fatigue don't go well together. I have gone running a couple times this week which have felt awesome!
what i'm looking forward to: We are driving to Texas on Friday, and I can't wait to share our exciting news.
how are you feeling? Still no throwing up. YAY! Felt really good today and yesterday. Had a couple queasy feelings but nothing unbearable. I haven't had any more cramping either which has been nice. The doctor told me I could take vitamin B6 and Unisom for the morning sickness. The unisom is actually used as an over the counter for sleep but it also affects nausea. I took one last night and felt like I slept awesome. I might take that some nights if I'm having problems falling asleep. I've also had some slight bloating in the evenings. The other night I seriously thought I looked about 4-5 months pregnant. I was kind of freaking out a bit. Then in the morning I was fine haha.

Development this week: Today starts week 8 of development. This week baby is measuring about half an inch in length and about the size of a large raspberry. Looking less reptilian and more human as the lips, nose, eyelids, legs, and back continue to take shape. The baby's heart is beating at 150 beats per minute. The baby is making spontaneous movements, twitches of the trunk and limb buds too tiny to feel. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

Boards Round # 2

So I will begin my board preparation soon enough. Well I've been doing practice questions and reviewing content for the past 6 weeks. It's just that I will begin my hardcore board preparation NOW. AGH!

I take my second set of boards January 11th, so if I don't do much blogging between now and then please forgive me. I don't have to take them until the end of the summer, but I figure why not utilize the Christmas break I get. I will be spending my Christmas break studying from 8:00 am- 5:00 pm followed by a break to work out and eat dinner, and then back to it from 7:00pm-10:00pm to do questions. No Christmas break for me.

Sorry if I become a hermit and am not very social during the next month. Please say a prayer for me if you think about it.

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

Sunday: Hot Dogs & Sweet Potato Fries (Sunday is Football, so why not have football food)

Monday: Chicken & Rice Soup

Tuesday: Turkey Burgers

Wednesday: Christmas Dinner for the Fellows

Thursday: Left Overs

Friday: Pizza (Yum!)

Saturday: Frito Chili Pie

6 Weeks

how far along? 6 weeks, Wednesday 12/7/2011
how are you measuring? ????
size of baby? Blueberry
heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0
maternity clothes? Nope normal clothes :)
stretch marks? No. My Burts Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter came in, so I will start slathering that on my belly in hopes to no stretch marks.
sleep? Not sleeping all that great. I don't have a problem falling asleep but I'm waking up a lot and just toss and turning. It's kind of frustrating. I'm starting to feel the exhaustion though. I went to bed Tuesday night at 7:45. WOW it was nice :)
best moment this week? I have my first appointment this week, Friday December 9th.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? Nothing
gender predictions? Still going to say girl.
what i miss: My energy. I haven't been working out every day like I was before just because I have no energy. I've run a few times since being pregnant but not like I would like. I do feel great after my run, so I'm hoping I can keep running.
what i'm looking forward to: We are driving to Texas on Friday, and I cannot wait to tell our family.
how are you feeling? I've had a few episodes of queasiness but nothing too bad. It just kind of comes and goes. No throwing up though so that's nice. I'm pretty exhausted though and wish I could just curl up on the couch or in bed. haha

Development this week: Today starts week 7 of development. As of now, the baby is 10,000 times bigger now than at conception-about the size of a blueberry. A lot of that growth is concentrated on the head. The brain cells are being generated at a rate of 10 cells per minute. The mouth and tongue are forming this week and so are his or her arm and leg buds, which are beginning to sprout into paddle-like appendages and divide into hand, arm and shoulder segments-and leg, knee, and foot segments. Also the kidneys begin their important work of waste management. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What's Cookin' in the Kitchen?

Sunday: Chili

Monday: Fajitas

Tuesday: Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Wednesday: Mozzarella Chicken Pasta Bake

Thursday: Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Friday: Chicken & Rice Soup

Saturday: Lunch left overs
Dinner Date Night

5 Weeks

how far along? 5 weeks, Wednesday 11/30/2011
how are you measuring? ????
size of baby? size of an Orange Seed
heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0
maternity clothes? Still wearing my normal clothes but my bras are filled out great :) There are some mornings I feel a little bloated but nothing major.
stretch marks? No. I ordered the Burts Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
sleep? So I'm finally getting over this head cold. I'm sleeping pretty good through the night. I'm not having to get up to go the restroom just yet. But man watch out. When I wake up, I've gotta go. In the morning when the alarm goes off I'm having a hard time getting out of bed but that's kind of normal for me. I haven't been woken up by the cramping any this week.
best moment this week? So we changed our appointment to next Friday. Eric's boss is a huge hunter and with today being opening day in Kansas, Eric can't leave the shop unattended this afternoon. Bummer! I would rather him be able to go though. We weren't wanting to purchase anything this early on, but we couldn't pass up the awesome black Friday deals. We went to Babys R Us and purchased a car seat/ stroller travel system. We also went to Nebraska Furniture Mart and purchased a crib/changing table combo. It matches our current bedroom furniture from Ikea. Eric got a call yesterday saying it came in, so we are going to pick it up this evening. We aren't opening anything yet and we still have the receipts. We rearranged our bedroom this weekend, well Eric did. He's not letting me pick up anything heavy. So excited!
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? No cravings yet.
gender predictions? Still going to say girl.
what i miss: I miss being able to talk to people on the phone without having to be cautious about what I say. Most of you know I can't keep a secret, so I've been staying off the phone lately.
what i'm looking forward to: We have our "Confirmation of Pregnancy" appointment next Friday, so we are both excited for that. We cannot wait for Christmas to get here to tell our parents.
how are you feeling? So I had two episodes of painful cramping this past weekend but that's it. I think I was just on my feet and running around too much Saturday/Sunday. Felling pretty good now. I don't feel like I'm pregnant.

Development this week: Today starts week 6 of development. The crown to rump measurement has reached somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of an inch. This week starts the development of the baby's jaws, cheeks and chin. Little indentations on both sides of the head will form into ear canals. Small black dots on the face will form the eyes, and a small bump on the front of the head will turn into a button nose in a few weeks. Also taking shape are the kidneys, liver, and lungs. The tiny heart is beating 80 times a minute and getting faster each day.(According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

4 Weeks

So I got this idea from a high school friend. When she was pregnant she did a weekly baby bump series, and it was so much fun to read it every week and see the pictures. I'm going to give it a shot as well.

how far along? 4 weeks, Wednesday 11/23/2011
how are you measuring? ????
size of baby? size of an Orange Seed (it was a poppy seed last week, so that's why the poppy seed is in the picture as well)
heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0
maternity clothes? I'm wearing my normal clothes. I have noticed that my bras are filled out a little more which is nice. After losing weight over the past few months my bras were a little loose.
stretch marks? No
sleep? Well I don't know if my exhaustion is due to being pregnant or due to this head cold I have. I woke up Monday morning with a horrible sore throat. I could hardly talk it hurt so bad. Then throughout the day it turned into sinus crud. Man I thought being sick was bad enough just throw being pregnant on top of that. I am totally drained. I have been waking up every night around midnight with some mild cramping. It's not so much menstrual cramps. It's more like a tightness right where my uterus is. I just feel like it's tight. Usually if I lay on my stomach and stretch out it helps.
best moment this week? Well we are still super early and just found out on Friday 11/18/2011 that I was pregnant. Today is the day my period is due to show up, but it is no where in sight. It usually starts around 7:30 am. So I am still on Cloud 9 and it doesn't quite feel real.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? No cravings yet.
gender predictions? I'm going to say girl based on the ovulation day and the timing of sex. Supposedly the sperm that produce girls are slower and can survive longer than the male sperm. We'll see how accurate this is.
what i miss: I miss having energy. I am so drained right now. I'm ready to be over this head cold, so I can enjoy being pregnant. I just have to remind myself that I am growing a little baby inside of me.
what i'm looking forward to: We have our "Confirmation of Pregnancy" appointment next Wednesday, so we are both excited for that. We cannot wait for Christmas to get here to tell our parents.
how are you feeling? Well with my head cold I have a headache and I am all congested. This makes me very tired. Don't worry I have only been taking Guaifenesin. Nothing else. I have had a couple moments of unsettling in my stomach but it's more or less when it's been 3 or 4 hours since I've eaten. I wouldn't really say it's morning sickness because it could just be due to me being sick right now. Other than the mild cramps in the middle of the night I don't really feel like I'm pregnant.

Development this week: This week the heart is starting to take shape. In fact, the circulatory system, along with the heart, is the first system to be operational. The heart (about the size of a poppy seed) is made up of two tiny channels called heart tubes-and though it's still far from fully functional, it's already beating. Also in the works is the neural tube, which will eventually become your baby's brain and spinal cord. Right now the neural tube is open, but it will close by next week. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

Sunday: Dinner with Friends

Monday: Minestrone Soup (Olive Garden Recipe) & Grilled Chicken Salad

Tuesday: Italian Flank Steak, Red Potatoes & Salad

Wednesday: Chipotle Lime Soft Tacos

Thursday: Happy Turkey Day

Friday: Left Overs

Saturday: Breakfast: Wildtree Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch: Pulled Pork Tacos

I'm Running To Your Arms

Our school sponsored a 5k run this past Sunday. This was such an awesome run and I had a personal record 25:00.7 :) Here is a picture that was taken from the race. My friend Janelle has more pictures, so once I get those I will post them as well. I also love the lyrics listed below. I repeat the lyrics in my head when the run starts to get tough.

Forever Reign by Hillsong United

You are good, You are good

When there's nothing good in me

You are love, You are love

On display for all to see

You are light, You are light

When the darkness closes in

You are hope, You are hope

You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace

When my fear is crippling

You are true, You are true

Even in my wandering

You are joy, You are joy

You're the reason that I sing

You are life, You are life,

In You death has lost it's sting

Oh, I’m running to your arms,

I’m running to arms

The riches of your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more

Than my words will ever say

You are Lord, You are Lord

All creation will proclaim

You are here, You are here

In your presence I'm made whole

You are God, You are God

Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I’m running to your arms

I’m running to arms

The riches of your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

//My heart will sing

no other name

Jesus, Jesus//

//Oh, I’m running to your arms

I’m running to arms

The riches of your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign//

Prayer

This scripture helps keep me calm and grounded. I have been praying this prayer daily, and I love seeing the Lord calming my anxious heart.

"Rejoice in the lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:4-7

Helping Heroes

A brief write up was done for our school intranet on the organization I volunteer with. I thought I would post it on here to share. There was a picture of myself with the kids, but I did not want to post a picture of the kids on my blog as they only consented to being on our school website. Enjoy!

Helping Heroes

The Helping Heroes recognition is designed to spotlight faculty, staff and students who are passionate about community causes and who aspire to make a difference.

Featured Helping Hero

Name: Brittnea Adcock

Title: KCUMB/DO MBA Candidate, Undergraduate OMM Fellow

Volunteer/Service Organization: The Joshua Center

How did you first get started volunteering for this organization?
I found out about The Joshua Center in April 2011 from one of the physicians during my internal medicine rotation. I told the physician that I was considering a career in child psychiatry or developmental pediatrics. He then passed on the contact information for the director, Becky Ottinger. I emailed Becky that evening, met up with her a few days later, and volunteered the following weekend.

What activities do you help out with?
I help out with the Saturday morning social skills classes. At the beginning of the class the kids introduce themselves, tell us what grade they're in, and something exciting that has happened in the previous week. This may seem simple, but for these kids it can be a big deal to initiate a conversation.

The classes are typically one hour in length and follow a set curriculum each week, including anything from the importance of hygiene, expected vs. unexpected behavior, kind words, being last is a blast, etc. Becky has designed various board games to match the curriculum with situation cards for the kids to answer. This is a fun way for the kids to hear a situation that may occur in every day life and gives us an opportunity to discuss a solution. The classes really are a lot of fun.

I was also a camp counselor at the summer camp in June for a cabin of six third-grade boys. It was a blast!

Why do you enjoy volunteering for this particular organization?
This organization is making a difference in the lives of many children and families in the greater Kansas City area. The kids come to the center so excited to see their friends. They can come to class and know that no one will be looking at them funny because of their tics, obsessive behaviors or their current interests.

Not only am I helping the kids each week, but they are teaching me something. I learn so much from these kids that I could never learn sitting in a classroom or from a textbook. No matter how crazy stressed I am with school, helping out on Saturday morning reminds me of why I went to medical school in the first place. It helps keep me grounded.

Can you share one of your favorite experiences? What makes that situation stand out as memorable?
Because I help out on a regular basis, I get to see the kids every other week and observe their progress. It's exciting to see the children grow and improve from week to week. There is one child in particular that I have worked with since April. When I started volunteering, his answer to any question was "I don't know." Even during introductions, when asked what his name was his response was, "I don't know." But if you asked him if his name was Bob, Chris or Jack he would respond "No" until you said his name. Then he would respond with a smile, "Yah!"

He knew what his name was, but he just could not initiate the conversation. Just last month he has started to initiate conversation on his own. Out of the blue, he told us he likes to go out to dinner with his family to have Chinese Noodles. I get goosebumps just thinking about how much he has grown in just a few months.

What has volunteering taught you? What have you learned about yourself and/or others?
Volunteering my time on Saturdays has taught me patience. I never realized what may come natural for me is an ongoing struggle for some. I knew the medical components about the disorders, but I never grasped the full affects until helping out at the Joshua Center. I will never truly understand what the families are going through, but by spending Saturday mornings with these kids I feel that I have gotten a glimpse of what a typical day consists of.

I feel that this will help me be a better physician and to empathize with my future patients and families. I have also learned not to take life too seriously. I love being able to laugh with these kids and just have a good time. Helping out on Saturdays has reconfirmed that I have chosen the right specialty for me. I get so much joy out of working with these kids, that I know this is something I want to do everyday.

About The Joshua Center
The Joshua Center is a non-profit organization for neurological disorders. The center offers resources for both children and families who are affected by Asperger Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, High-functioning Autism, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and other associated neurological disorders.

To learn more about The Joshua Center, visit their website. To volunteer for the Saturday morning social skills classes, call the center at 816-763-7605 or email Becky at becky@joshuacenter.com.

Yummy!

Sweet Potato Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
  
• ½ cups brown sugar (I use Splenda's Brown Sugar so it's only 1/4 cup)
  
• 4 eggs (1 cup egg substitute= 4 eggs)
  
• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1½ cups granulated sugar (I use Splenda which is a 1:1 ratio)
  
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  
• 1/4 cup grape seed oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt

Frosting Ingredients

• 8 ounces Fat Free cream cheese at room temperature
• 1½ cups powdered sugar (Wasn't sure what I could substitute for a healthier frosting)
  
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature (again, didn't know what to substitute here)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 pan (or 2 8-inch cake pans). Combine the oil, butter, and sugars and mix for about 1 minute to help dissolve the sugar. Add in the eggs and mix til combined. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices and stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the shredded sweet potatoes. Pour into cake pans and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (if it starts to get too brown on top just cover with a piece of foil). Let cool completely before frosting.

Directions

Cream together the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

I made mine in the 9 x13 cake pan. I cut it into smaller squares, 8 x 4. They came out to be about 125 calories per square. Not too bad for a cake with cream-cheese frosting.

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

This is going to be a crazy week for me at the school. Monday I will be tutoring until 7:00 pm, Tuesday is lab all day (I don't usually feel like cooking after lab all day), Wednesday normal day, Thursday OMT Final Review until 7:30. Since I have 3 days where I won't want to be slaving over the stove cooking dinner this week, I'm going to try out some of the freezer--> crockpot meals. I will let you know how they go.

Sunday: Thai Beef, Broccoli, & Brown Rice

Monday: Chicken Curry & White Rice

Tuesday: Crockpot Minestroni Soup

Wednesday: Rosemary Chicken, Potatoes & Mushrooms (Pinterest)

Thursday: Goulash & Green Beans (Crockpot Freezer Meal)

Friday: My parents will be in town for the weekend!

Even though it's going to be a busy week, I am determined we will eat dinner at home every night. Going out to eat is expensive!

Six dinners in 3 hours? Yes Please!!!

"I am telling you it will change your life! Give it a try and tell me how it went!"

Is what I read from the blog, so I'm going to give it a try.

I found this blog on pinterest, and I'm so excited to give this a try. Click on the word "blog" above to go to the original blog. She used 3 hours one day to prepare a total of 6 crock pot meals. I'm so excited to give it a try. Below are all of the recipes along with instructions on how to work YOUR magic.

Make your grocery list based on the recipes listed below. Chop up all of your veggies.

Healthy Mama Barbecue Chicken
3 medium unpeeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large green pepper, cut into strips
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca
2 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (I wasn't sure if this meant actual mustard or the spice so I did a little of both)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.

Stephanie's Goulash
3 cups chopped onions
2.5 cups coarsely chopped green sweet peppers
4 large beets, peeled and diced
2 cups of carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into one inch cubes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 teaspoons Hungarian paprika or regular paprika (I used regular)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked noodles
1/2 dairy sour cream

Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. EXCEPT the sour cream, that is for garnish after the meal is cooked.

Chicken Curry
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons curry powder
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes
2.5 cups baby carrots
2 cup coarsely chopped mango
1 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
chicken bouillon
.5 cup raisins (for garnish)
.5 cup peanuts or cashews (for garnish)

Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.



Just dump the veggies into the gallon ziploc bags, then added the meat, then added the spices.

To cook, take out of freezer and set on counter for about 30 minutes, then dump contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.

5 To Go

So this summer Eric and I decided to start eating healthy and working out. I would have to say this is the longest I have ever stuck to a diet or exercise plan. We were doing this more for the health benefits. My family has some serious heart disease, and I want to take all preventive measures. I wasn't miserable with the way I looked but I wasn't thrilled either.

I am happy to say that I am 15 pounds lighter since we started. I'm still not exactly where I want to be, but I just look at myself and can't imagine having another 15 lbs on me. I'm super pleased with my success. I have 5 more to go to get to college weight. Even though I'm 5 pounds from pre-med school weight, I know I have added more muscle. Running has really toned my legs up. I love it!

This is from Christmas 2010

May 2011 before diet & exercise.

Labor Day Weekend 2011 prior to diet and exercise.

A fun evening at the Plaza with some great friends. Sorry it's kind of blurry. This was probably about a month ago.

Me at work this September 2011.

Running Update

You may recall that I started running back in July. Well I guess I should update you on how that's going.

I am still running at least 3 times a week since running camp. I have my first official race this Saturday in Independence, MO. The Joshua Center, the non-profit I volunteer at, is having a fundraiser race. I'm so excited for this to be my first official race. What better way than to run for the kids.

Back in July at the running camp, my 5k time was 33:36. My original goal was to get that under 30 minutes for the run on October 1st. Well as I continued running, I soon realized that was too easy of a goal. I decided ok lets shoot for 25 minutes. Well I hadn't come close to that. Two weeks ago I ran it in 27:10 and felt a feeling of defeat. I thought there is no way I can get under 25 in just 2 weeks. I then changed my goal to be under 27 minutes. I thought that was still really good considering that's 6 minutes faster than what I started.

Well today when I set out for my run, I thought ok I'm going to run 3.1 and run it HARD. I just wanted to see what I could do. I had my phone set to tell me my progress every .5 miles, so that way I could tell how I was doing. At the first .5 mile, I was at 3:45. I thought there's no way I'm running faster than an 8 minute pace. Sure enough, I finished the first mile in 7:49. I was super excited! I slowed my 2nd mile down a little bit. I ended up running 5K in 25:27. Not too bad! I was very pleased. I'm not going to lie, the run kicked my butt. I'm super excited for the actual run on Saturday. I will for sure have Eric take a picture before, during, and after. I'll let you know how it goes.

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

Here is what's on the menu for us this week.

Sunday: Steak, Green beans, and mashed potatoes (Cauliflower)

Monday: Chicken Tacos and Baked Chile Rellenos

Tuesday: Stuffed Bell Peppers

Wednesday: Chicken Noodle Soup (first attempt at making homemade chicken noodle soup)

Thursday: Left Overs & Gospel Community Group

Friday: Turkey Burgers & Carrot Fries

Saturday: The Joshua Center 5k run in the morning WOOHOO!!!

Date Night

I have loved making muffins on Sunday for us to enjoy during the week. This week I will be making the Pear & Granola Muffins.

I'm also going to turn this Sweet Potato Cake into a healthy recipe. If it turns out tasting yummy I will post my altered recipe sometime this week.

What are some yummy fall recipes that you are willing to share?

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

Sunday: Peach Teriyaki Chicken, Rice & Broccoli

Monday: Buffalo Chili for Eric, I will be meeting a friend for dinner

Tuesday: Left Overs for Eric, I will be at a dinner meeting with the doctors from my school

Wednesday: Pineapple Glazed Salmon, Rice & Green beans

Thursday: Gospel Community Dinner

Friday: Pepper & Pear Pork Chops, roasted potatoes and salad

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

If you read my previous post, you saw that my meal planning this week is coming from Door to Door Organics. I have created a link to each menu item for you to check out. Even if this service isn't available in your area, all of my Texas friends, you can still get online and check out recipes.

Sunday: Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple and Fresh Green Beans

Monday: Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

Tuesday: Broccoli & Chicken Stir Fry

Wednesday: Stuffed Bell Peppers

Thursday: Peach Teriyaki BBQ Chicken

Friday: In Laws in Town

Saturday: In Laws in Town

What's for dinner at your house this week?

Door to Door Organics

I'm so thankful for a great friend who introduced me to Door to Door Organics. It's this awesome service that delivers fresh organic produce to your door. They have various boxes of produce to choose from. Each week they have the set produce, but if there is something in the box that week that you don't like you can make up to 5 substitutions.

Here's what's in my box this week:

1 Acorn Squash

3 Kiwi

2 Red Bell Peppers

Romaine Lettuce

3 Lemons

Broccoli

Celery

3 Red Starkrimson Pears

4 Red Plums

1 Lb Black Autumn Royal Grapes

3 Peaches

Delivery is free for most areas, so I just have to pay for my produce. My box just costs $32.66. There is no subscription fee and no cancellation fee if I decide I no longer want to receive door to door organics. Also, if you know you're going to be on vacation for a week or don't need produce for a week you can schedule a "vacation." How cool is that?

Wait it gets better! They even have a kitchen tab where it will pull up recipes based on what's in your box that week. My meal planning for the week is coming straight from their website. I'm super excited to try new recipes. The meal plan will even create my grocery list.

Even better, it saved me money and time on my weekly grocery shopping. Usually I spend at least an hour in the grocery store. This is even with a list that is organized by the route I shop in the store. My list is also based on my weekly meal planning, so I don't purchase excess. Now I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner nearly every day of the week. I typically spend $100-$115 a week on groceries. With door to door organics and my weekly grocery bill yesterday, I only spent $89. WOOHOO!!! Plus shopping only took me 30 minutes because I did not spend any time in the produce section bagging fruits and veggies.

Unfortunately, this is not available in all areas. It is available in Kansas City, Colorado, Chicago, Michigan and some states out East. If you are in one of these areas and would like to receive 50% off your first box just leave a comment below. I will email you a coupon. So fun!