Check it out!

I just posted my first recipe on my other blog Eat.Better.LiveBetter.Paleo! I wanted to pass it along to you! If you make it, let me know what your thoughts are!

Stay tuned as I will be posting about our Thanksgiving Holiday later on in the week!

Happy Hump Day!

Ang

Happy Friday-Eve!!!!

 This has been a short week for Matt and me so we can't complain. We had a great weekend with family. Saturday my mom and dad came up from Hillsboro. Mom and I went shopping while the boys worked on the flower box that's in the front of the house. Matt had put cedar over the brick and we had stained it the other week. So the guys worked on finishing it off and putting wood on the top. It looks way better than it did. Now, I need to stain that top part and we need to get some plants for inside the box. Still, deciding on what plants would do best there. If you have any suggestions, let me know. Its a pretty shaded area because we have a big Magnolia Tree in the front that shades it. Here are some before and after pics.

Before

 After

Hopefully, one day I also want to get our brick painted but thats down a ways on our to do list right now. Next, Matt is planning on building a deck on our back patio....wish him luck!! ;-) 

To finish my story on the weekend, Sunday Matt's Auntie Mel and Uncle Julian came up to Dallas. Matt and I both took off on Monday to show them around Dallas. We took them to South Fork for the "Dallas" tour and showed them some other sites. It was a nice day and we enjoyed our visit with  them. 

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Matt and I  are taking off to Katy tomorrow to go stay with my sister and we are taking Paxton to the Renaissance Festival on Saturday. Can't wait to see my sis and of course Paxton!! I haven't seen my sis and the little bugger since July!!! He's getting so big! I'll be sure to take some pics and will post next week.

Also, I wanted to let you guys know that I have started another Blog. It's called Eat Better.Live Better.Paleo . Check it out. I'll be posting recipes, tips on what to pick to eat while dining out, motivation,  and fitness. I decided to start it b/c I can speak for Matt and me in that we have never felt has healthy as we do now. It's not about a diet...it's about changing your lifestyle.

Enjoy your Thursday and have a wonderful weekend!!!

Ang

Slacking...

again I know and I have no real good excuse. So, lets move on to catch you up and I'll try to do better. Our 30 day Paleo challenge is obviously over now but we are still doing a Paleo lifestyle but not as hard core as the challenge was. I have seen a major difference in my body and I weighed myself last weekend and was the lowest weight I had been in a VERY long time (insert happy dance here)
Outside of Paleo and Cross Fit we have been enjoying our life. Matt's mom and dad came into town and we went to The State Fair of Texas. So, we got to see Big Tex before he burned. RIP Big Tex. We had a great weekend as we always do when they come up.
Then I recently went to Oklahoma City to visit my bf Liz and her little boy Kane. We had a wonderful weekend. However, did not enjoy the random throwing up from Kane...for no good reason...it's like he knew that it freaked me out....don't deal well with that.  Anywho, moving past the vomit, Saturday night Liz got a babysitter so we got all gussied up like old times and hit up OKC!!!! It was fab! Amazing, how when I see Liz that we act like we see each other everyday and pick up right where we left off. Love that and her!  So, while I was in OKC, Matt was in Nacogdoches at Rugby Alumni. I don't have anything else on that b/c I didn't ask to many questions about his weekend b/c you never know what might happen once you hit the East Texas air...it's kinda like a black hole but in a good way. ;-)
This past weekend we had a going away party at our house for our friend Chris that left today actually  for Minneapolis, thats right Minnesota! We had to send him out with a bang! Matt smoked ribs, chicken, brisket, and sausage. We could have fed Dallas with the amount of food we had....really. It was a great time had by all and we'll all miss you Chris!!

Butterfly Garden @ State Fair

@ Fair with a piggy that looks like my old pig, Skippy!

Kane!

Liz and I

@ Chris's going away party

Walk To End Alzheimer's

I decided to start a team for the Walk To End Alzheimer's walk on September 22nd. I did the walk last year with the company I was working for and we all had a great time supporting a great cause. So, I thought why not start up my own team and support a cause that I am passionate about. Alzheimer's is a disease that is often forgotten about by many and some think its just what happens when you get older. Its much more than that though.  It is "A Silent Killer".

 Below is the link to my personal page where you can see more information about the walk,  join my team or donate.


 Walk To End Alzheimer's


Here is a video I took while I was working at the Memory Care Community of one of the residents. Her name is Doris and she was a song writer/singer and can still read music and play the piano. Here is her playing one of the songs she wrote. AMAZING! 

I appreciate your support!!!

Day 3

of the Paleo 30 day challenge and so far so good!  East Dallas CrossFit started a 30 day Paleo Challenge on Monday. This past Saturday they had a BBQ for the community to thank our coach, Ryan for all the hard work and time he puts into EDCF. Not everyone at EDCF follows Paleo and many of them are participating in the challenge, so that being said, they took it as an opportunity to indulge before Monday! For the most part, Matt and I did stick to our Paleo meals but did indulge in a couple adult beverages and treated ourselves to a de-lish Key Lime Pie on Sunday.  Since we first started eating a Paleo diet, 5 months ago we have been following it about 85% of the time. What we cheat on from time to time is usually dessert, dairy, tortilla chips (my greatest weakness) when we are at a Mexican restaurant, and alcohol. Now with the challenge, no more cheats!  How the challenge works is a point system and so you earn points for eating 3 Paleo meals per day, getting 8 hours of sleep, eating 2 snacks a day, how many workouts you complete a week and a few other things, I'm sure you get the point....no need to bore. You can get negative points if you have a non-Paleo meal "cheat meal", drink alcohol,  and if you use a sweetener of any sort (I did on Monday, added Agave to my coffee...Ooopsy! Didn't realize!). 
So, it's Day 3 and going great BUT the hard part is going to be...don don don... the weekends! The weekdays are a piece of cake (mmmm, cake) sorry, I digress. So, I am going to try my best to abide by all the rules (even on the weekend) in order to get the best possible benefit from the challenge. Staying dedicated to working out and changing my eating habits over the past 5 months has made me more confident and more importantly...I feel better. I'm starting to see my hard work pay off...my clothes are fitting a lot looser! Hummm, do I see a shopping trip in my near future? I think so! ;-) I still am not sure how much weight I have actually lost but I know I have lost inches. I'm not trying to be 100 lbs or anything....I'm 30 not 14. If you haven't heard "Strong is the New Skinny".  Still have some to go but I'm happy that I'm on my way and have accomplished the hardest part...sticking to it and making it a habit.

Matt, THANK YOU for being my rock and a great motivator.  I love you and we make the best team. Thanks for being a wonderful husband and my best friend.

I'll keep you updated how its going and after the 30 days is up I will post our before and after pictures!

Good, Clean, Food!!!

Now, doesn't this look like a satisfying heaping plate of goodness that is sure to fill your belly up??

Well,  it is AND it's ALL Paleo!!! I know you must be asking yourself how can this be with those creamy mashed potatoes on top! Well, looks can be deceiving...those aren't potatoes...it is mashed cauliflower!! Chef Matt whipped up this delightful meal of Shepard's Pie with mashed carrots and turnips as the side. When your eating meals that are good, clean, and flavorful like this you don't miss the mash potatoes being on top or the cheesy garlic bread as a side. I know, I wasn't sold on the idea at first either. ...I really wasn't but Matt and I made a packed to get healthy together in order to better ourselves individually, our relationship, and our future family. We realized if we didn't do it now then when would we? So, we have been Paleo and I learned that when you start fueling your body with simple good, clean, food and cut out all the processed unholiness your body starts craving the good food. By "good clean food" I mean all the veggies, fruits, grass fed meats, oils, and nuts! The beauty about Paleo is that there is no counting calories!! There is no need to because everything you are eating is good for your body. Of course,  everything in moderation but you eat till your satisfied and I started finding recently that I am full a lot faster now than before.  In the past I thought I needed a potato or piece of bread to help satisfy my hunger and you really don't...honestly. In this new way of eating I have never felt deprived and to us this is important b/c we enjoy eating food and with Paleo you can still EAT & ENJOY...best part... guilt free!! Dr. William Davis wrote a book called, Wheat Belly and in it he said the follow which is so true.

“When you remove wheat from the diet, you’ve removed a food that leads to fat deposition in the abdomen. Factor in that the gliadin protein unique to wheat that is degraded to a morphine-like compound that stimulates appetite is now gone and appetite diminishes. The average daily calorie intake drops 400 calories per day–with less hunger, less cravings and food is more satisfying. This all occurs without imposing calorie limits, cutting fat grams, or limiting portion size. It all happens just by eliminating this thing called wheat.”

 So, that in a nut-shell is my soapbox on eating Paleo. Onto, something that goes pretty much hand in hand with Paleo is CrossFit. I am in my first week at East Dallas CrossFit in the the big kids class and it is whooping my hiney!! It is challenging but in a good way. You def go to CrossFit to do work and "train dirty" as they say. Nothing glamorous about it. I come home with blisters on my hands and black knees from burpees (my least favorite). I don't think I have sweated this much since I did Hot Yoga and even then I think that I'm sweating more now. However, I am going at 5:30pm and it is still 100 degrees and there is no A/C.  I'm not complaining though, it feels good to sweat and everyday brings a new challenge for your mind, body, and soul. I do get nervous everyday before class though. I want to do everything right and I don't want to be the last one done with the workout. Once I get started I forget about all that b/c at that point all you want to do is to finish. There are people there at all different levels and they have ways you can scale back if your not able to do a certain workout yet. So, so far so good... almost 1 week down....many more to go!

 “To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.”  ~William Londen

Happy 89th

 Boo-Mama!!  My grandmother, AKA Boo-Mama turned 89 yesterday. So, Matt and I went to Hillsboro to my mom and dads to celebrate with the whole Waller side of the family.  It's hard to believe that my Boo is 89 because I don't think of her as "old" and I don't think I ever will.  She is a young 89...really...she wears TOMS! I love her with all my heart and I always know I can tell Boo anything, she will keep my secrets, give advice, and has even helped me hide a few things from the folks over the years. We did let them in on our secrets a few years later....when I knew I couldn't get in trouble anymore. haha! ;-) Actually, she is more than a grandmother to me...I would consider her a best friend. My family is very blessed to have our Boo and we are so fortunate that she is in good health and is very independent. Since I work with the older generation I see people in very bad conditions and so I think God everyday for the good health in our family. We couldn't be more blessed.

 Happy Birthday Boo and here's to many more great years to come!! We love you!

Paxton couldn't wait to get some cake!

Kelly, me, Boo, and Jenn

Here's an picture of Boo, me, my sister Jenn and our Papa many moons ago. :-)

I'm writing....

so you know that I made it through the week at CrossFit!! Actually, it's not as scary as I thought it would be and I am really enjoying it. I think I was more intimidated at first than anything but there is no reason to be. I am in the Elements (beginner) class now learning all the mechanics of how to do the work outs so I'm sure it will get harder....no doubt...but I'm up for the challenge! This is my last week in the Elements class and then I will be promoted to go play with the big boys and girls in the regular class! Woohoo!! 

I also wanted to share with you... A Paleo Dish for the week!!
It's straight out of our Paleo Cook Book, Well Fed. Check out the blog for more information and more delish recipes.  Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat!

Citrus Carnitas

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lbs pork shoulder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
water

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks and place in a large zipper storage bag.

In a small bowl combine all the above spices and mix with a fork. Add the spice blend to the bag with pork and shake until all peices of meat are coated with the spices.

Next, place pork in a large, deep pot. Pour the lime and lemon juice in the pot and then add water to just cover the meat.

Then place the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil. When the water is really boiling, reduce the heat to keep a steady, strong simmer with the pan uncovered. The liqid will bubble a fair amount, but should not be vigorous. Let it continue for 2 hours.

At the 2 hour mark check the pot and the water will be alot lower. Allow the water to cook out of the pan and this will carmelize in the pork fat and fruit juices and will make it oh so tender!

Carefully turn the chunks of meat without shredding them to brown on all sides and then remove the chunks to a plate.

Make into a lettuce wrap or just eat it on it's own with your choice of sides....veggie sides that is! ;-) It is AH-MAZ-ING!!

Even though, it takes a couple hours to cook it is so easy to do and you probably already have most the ingredients in your cabinet. Also, I haven't tried this in a crock pot but I'm pretty sure you could easily do it in one.

Matt and I go through the cookbook every Sunday and plan our meals for the week. So far, we haven't been disappointed in any of the recipes...they are all AMAZE!!!!

One other quick recipe that I came up with yesterday afternoon for lunch that I must share is:

 Canned tuna in water, avocado, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, dash of sea salt, and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Mix everything together and serve in a lettuce wrap! It was so delish that Matt was still talking about it a couple hours later! haha! Quick, easy, and healthy...can't beat that!

Enjoy!!

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend and are off to a productive week ahead of you!!

Well, I better get in the kitchen and get started on tonight's menu: Pad Thai with Ginger Lime Shrimp! My mouth is already watering....is yours? I'll let you know how it turns out!

Angela

Sweet Sweet Summatime...

So far we have had a great summer! We have had so many fun and exciting events. We have celebrated my nephew, Paxton's 2nd birthday and my 30th birthday, participated in The Couple Olympics, celebrated a baby reveal for our friends Ashleigh and Casey whom found out they are expecting a Baby Boy Godwin in November,  and just got back from family vacation to New Braunfels this past weekend!! It's been busy! Enjoy some pics to see what we have been up too!

Paxton's Hungry Caterpillar Party. Awsome cake made by my very talented Aunt Tammie! 

At Paxton's 1st Ranger Game after his birthday party

Me and my sister

Found our friends Lindsey and Daniel at the game!

The AMAZING birthday desserts that Diane my talented mother-in-law made for me! Not Paleo but I did have a cheat on this day and HAD to indulged! ;-)

Matt and I at the 2012 Couple Olympic Games we were the Backyard Beach Bums!

My loveley sisters Jennifer and Amy gearing up for the games to commence!

Badminton - This is Super Studs (Jen and Caddo) competing against Legit.com (Amy and James)

My wonderful husband threw me a surprise birthday party! I was so impressed that he pulled it off!

My lady loves at the birthday bash

Even got a cake! Again, not Paleo but hey you only turn 30 once!!!!

Another night out celebrating my 30th with friends! It was like a 2 week celebration. ;-)

Me and Ash at her Baby Reveal Party!!

What's it gonna be....

A BOY!!!! :-)

We were team girl! Note the bows!

Paxton at Schlitterbahn! He LOVED it!!! Had a blast!

Pax and Uncle hanging out at the condo

Dad and I excited about to eat some yummy dinner at Clear Springs!

About to go float the Comal River!

YaYa and Pax floating

YaYa and Pax feeding the deer

No other big plans for the rest of the summer so far.  I'm sure we will be hanging out with friends, family, working on the house and our favorite time spent together on The Sitser Patio grilling it up, relaxing and day dreaming that we are in Hawaii!! ALOHA!! ;-)

Ok, so I didn't follow through...

on my weekly posts about how well or sometimes not so well I have been doing at work-in on my fitness and getting healthy. I promise you here and now that I will do better...really...I will! My work schedule is going to be more flexible where I can update more often b/c I got a new j-o-b!! WOOT! Anyway, onto catching you up! Well, I have continued to get myself out of the door at least 4 or 5 days a week to go for a run.   I mix up the routes so I don't get bored going down the same street everyday.  I will do a short run and a long run and alternate those days. I still struggle with having to talk myself into it...don't get me wrong but now I feel guilty if I don't go and so I might as well suck it up and go get it over with. Also, Matt has managed to talked me into doing Crossfit with him. I tried it out a few Saturdays ago and I liked it. Crossfit reminds me of being back in High School Athletics but on crack! Hahaha The day after into the next WEEK I felt like I had been hit by a car 18 Wheeler my body was so stinking sore! I start tonight with the beginners class and am nervous!! Wish me luck...PLEASE!! 
   We have continued on our "eating clean" Paleo Lifestyle. Occasionally, we will have our cheat meals/treats but we are finding that the yucky feeling we get after eating a hamburger, fries, and DQ Blizzard just doesn't set as well in your tummy as it use too! Yes, I confess...I ate that this past weekend BUT we were on vacation and we did for the most part follow Paleo the rest of the time. I know, excuses, excuses...but hey we are all human and it's ok! ;-)
If your wondering how much weight I have lost. I couldn't tell ya.  I haven't been weighing myself anymore because for me it makes me more frustrated than anything.  I know I have lost some inches b/c my clothes are fitting differently and I overall feel healthier but at the end of the day its not the pounds that matter its how you feel in your own body.
   I'll let you know next Monday how my week has gone starting Crossfit and I'll share with you some of our favorite Paleo recipes!

I'll leave you with another quote that Matt sent me the other day that I really liked. So here you go!

Psst....Tomorrow I will  follow up with another post on my 30th birthday and other fun summer events that Matt and I have been up too!

Blogging Hiatus?

I guess that's what we will call not posting since January! Time has flown by us and I can't believe that the sweltering Texas heat is already here. I hear thats what happens when you hit the 30 year old mark. ;-) However, I still have 20 days, 494 hours, and 29674 minutes left being a 20 something and I intend to enjoy every last second! Matt and I have recently have been trying to adapt to a healthier lifestyle. Matt has been getting up at 5:30am and going to CrossFit and I am working on getting back into a running routine. Before we were "snoozers" meaning the alarm would go off and we would hit snooze a dozen times before we actually got up. We have incorporated a new eating habit, not a diet, a habit...I hate the word diet. We have been trying our best to follow Paleo. Paleo is all about eating all the organic meats, veggies (besides potatoes), fruits, and nuts you want. We have given up our beloved breads, grains, and potatoes. The first couple of weeks were hard on me b/c I LOVE potatoes and bread...you have no idea..I use to think a meal wasn't complete without a nice garlic bread, rice, or baked potato!!! Now we really don't miss them at all and we are cooking more tasteful meals. It has taught me to enjoy GOOD food. We are now cooking together and planning meals together and enjoy and look forward to our meals. I would be happy to share some recipes!
For me the eating habit part was easy... I have to be honest that I have had a hard time getting motivated to do the exercise part. I have been running for the past 3 weeks but everyday is a internal fight with myself to get my shoes on and head out the door. Matt seems to have better self discipline as far as exercising goes and is up and adam every morning and I just want to pull the covers over my head and snooze for another hour! I guess I thought if I maybe I let all you guys know my struggle, it will help me hold myself accountable. So, I have decided to take you guys along my journey and let you know my progress as well as my stuggles. I will do a short post weekly to update. If you are trying to get on a exercise plan, lets do it together and motivate each other! It can't hurt right?
I found this quote on Pintrest and I read it everyday and it helps me get going...I'm a quote person. ;-) So, I'll share and maybe it will help you too!

On a another note. Hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day Weekend! :-)

Catching you up!

Ok, so I know January is almost over now and I'm just posting Christmas/New Years and I know I completely hopped over Thanksgiving! We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year with our family and friends.  I'll post some pictures at the end of this post to catch you up to speed. Other than the holidays not a lot has been going on in the Sitser household....besides I am now a brunette but I will soon be going back to my "natural" blonde....it's true blondes do have more fun! ;-) Anyway, we are pretty much done now with our kitchen remodel. The only thing left to do is to get a TV for over the fireplace and mantle then we are DONE folks! We are really happy how it has turned out and I will do another post with before and after pictures when it is 100%....promise!
This past weekend was a really nice one. Matt s mom and dad came up from Magnolia.  On Saturday, we took Diane and Nick to Fort Worth to the Stockyards and had a nice walk around and went into some of the shops and then came back to Dallas and decided to go to dinner at Matt and mines favorite place, Glorias! It was delish as always and after came back home and enjoyed some nice wine and conversation by the fire. Perfect ending to a nice day. Then Sunday, Matt and his dad did some jobs around the house (there are ALWAYS jobs to do here!) haha So,  Diane and I thought we would take the opportunity to go do a little retail therapy and then had fun getting a free (not sure if you could actually call it free) ;-) makeover at the Dior counter at Nordstrom.  After feeling refreshed and fantastic with our new makeup we made a trip to Whole Foods to get some items for dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine while we did so...makes grocery shopping way less stressful when you have a nice glass of Chardonnay in your hand! ;-) We got back to the house and the guys were done with their jobs and so we sat out on the Sitser Patio and grilled up a nice meal and relaxed for the rest of the evening. It was a much needed nice relaxing weekend for us all I think. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and I hope you all have a fantastic week ahead of you!

Enjoy the pictures!

Matt and I Thanksgiving 2011

My sister and I Thanksgiving

Mom, Jen and I

Me and Paxton Thanksgiving morning

Matt and I Christmas Eve

Rock-star Paxton!

Mom loves her new Toms!

Santa brought Pax a John Deer!

Showing Pax how to ride Lucky!

Christmas at The Dunn's!

Pop enjoying watching Pax open his gifts

Pax loves Lucky!

Uncle riding Lucky with Pax! haha

The aftermath of Christmas

The Studdards :-)

Playing with tissue paper

So handsome :-)

Boo opening her gifts

Mommy and Pax

Jen, Pax and Nana

Matt opening his 30th birthday gift from his mom and dad

Amy and I in our aprons

Table all set for Christmas Dinner

Sam, me and Amy on boxing day at The Sitser's

Matt's mom and dad in their Texas Aprons!

Jordan and Sam

James and Amy

Nick getting ready to get the presents out of the Gingerbread house!

Kathy and I

The ladies on boxing day!