Workout Wednesday

Today I worked out to Denise Austin's 3 week boot camp. It was definitely my style! I'll just need to remember to start working out when Adrian is gone. There were a few laughs from him. But, not to worry...it was a fun workout. There are two supercharged workouts and one ab workout. The two 20 minute workouts are cardio & strength intervals and athletic training. I didn't do the ab fat-blaster because I ran out of time. So, I'll try and do the workout again on Saturday.

Both workouts were easy to follow. I really like Denise Austin's style of teaching. She is clear, fun and motivating. They weren't incredibly difficult but I did have my water on hand just in case. It was definitely worth my time. So, go and check this one out at your local library. You won't be disappointed.

Meeting the Easter Bunny for the 1st time

Today, we went to visit the Easter bunny with Cassie and Claire. However, we didn't think that the bunny was too exciting. He was a bit boring. Boo Easter Bunny! At least Elijah smiled. I was afraid he would start crying. Then we made our way over to the Sweets factory. We wore blue hair nets and tried different candy. Yum! It was one fantastic day! Thanks Cassie. We had a lot of fun. Doesn't Eli look adorable in his new tie?

Make it Monday

Today for "Make it Monday," I am making Nut Lace Cookies.  It sounds fancy, doesn't it? I believe these are the same cookies that my Grandma Roberts used to buy. But, I'm not sure. I haven't had those in many years so I may be wrong. They sure are yummy.


Here is the recipe...I hope I don't mess it up. I've added my notes in red. Good luck!

1/2 cup blanched almonds
4 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 1-2 cookie sheets. Make sure you have a good pan. I used one of my older pans and the cookies got stuck. The second batch was much better because I used an IKEA pan or maybe I got used to making them.

2-With a sharp knife, chop the almonds as finely as possible. Alternatively, use a food processor or blender to chop the nuts. I used a blender and it worked out great.

3-Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients and the almonds.

4-Drop tsps (literally 1 tsp-no more, no less) 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake until golden, about 5 minutes. I baked them for 4 minutes the second time and they were golden around the edges. Perfect! Cool on the sheets briefly (about a minute, don't wait too long or it will be hard to lift off), just until the cookies are stiff enough to lift off.

5-With a metal spatula, transfer to a rack to cool completely.



This is the pan that didn't work. I had to throw them away and start another batch. But, it got easier. I'm bound to make a mistake when I bake or cook so I try to be prepared to start over.

Also, make sure to grease the pan well. I greased the pan and then used a paper towel to make sure the entire pan was greased.



I know they don't look perfect but I tried. They are breakable so be careful. Also, some got stuck to each other so be sure to space them evenly.

All done... Till next time...

Proud to be an american...

On Friday Adrian became a US citizen for his mother. So, I made him a candy gram since I knew it would be hard on Adrian to become an American. He is still British in my opinion.

First, we got there an hour early. Next, Elijah and I were taken downstairs to wait with all of the other family members. We were able to watch the ceremony on a screen but Eli was super loud (even Adrian could hear him and he was on the main floor). While our family members were saying the oath, they let us go upstairs to take photos. Luckily, I made a friend (her husband was from Sweden) whom I could trust to watch my stroller/car seat. Eli and I found daddy and took a few photos (they aren't perfect but oh well.). It was a little sad for me because I know how hard it was for Adrian to take the oath. However, many people were so happy to become a US citizen so it was neat to hear their stories. There were 55 people from Mexico, an 84 year old, many people from Africa and the Islands, etc etc. Overall, it was a nice ceremony but Elijah and I were glad it was over.

Football day

Today, Eli and I are wearing our football shirts. I thought it would be fun!

Naughty Boy

This morning I found Elijah getting into this!

He found it under the bed and somehow pulled it apart. Naughty, naughty...but it did make me laugh.

Workout Wednesday

This morning I worked out to a 10 minute solution-Dance off belly fat DVD! Yes, it was interesting. There were five 10 minute workouts. I did four out of five. The workouts were Belly blaster, latin flavor waist sizzler, attitude and energy, fat burning beat and dancer's silhouette.

As for my opinion...Petra Kolber was a little too fast. I know the workouts are only ten minutes but I felt "off" and really slow. I am definitely not a Latin dancer. That is for sure. When I went to BYU I took a couple of Hip Hop classes at 24 hour fitness with my roommates. And, I was definitely not a Hip Hop dancer either. I envy those that CAN dance.

Well, at least I tried a new DVD. I don't think I'll do it again anytime soon. Till next time...