Pond Scum and Frog Eggs for Breakfast

   Starbucks Grand Reopening was this morning at Tiger Point.  And we are so glad they finally did!  It felt like we were living in the boonies again without them.  

   We really lucked out because the Marine Science Station out reach was there.  My girls made adorable Halloween crafts, played some fun games and learned a multitude of new and interesting facts about marine life at the Touch Tank in the parking lot. Best of all was making new friends.  And I didn’t even have my phone to take pictures.  I just love the Gulf Coast as much for the community as for beauty of the seashore.  I even found out what those pretty blue things were that had washed up on the beach a while back.  Eek!  Man of War jelly fish.  Glad I wasn’t in the water that day.  

O.K. so the promised recipe...Great for Halloween! 

Pond Scum and Frog Eggs 

1/3 cup organic oatmeal

1Tb Frog Eggs (black chia seeds)

1 scoop Pond Scum (Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder w/ Goji and Acai berry)

1/4 c greek yogurt  what ever kind I have

1tsp raw wild honey preferably Tupelo 

   Add few tbsp water or other liquid like apple juice to soften oatmeal.  I just let it set a few minutes if I can wait that long and eat it cold.  Sometimes I make it the night before when I know I have to leave early in the morning but only half of it makes it to the fridge because it makes such a good snack!

Guilt Free Desert!

   My secret to dieting is... I only eat my favorite things.  Granted they are (mostly) not the same favorite things that got me fluffy but they are equally satisfying.  Being clueless about dieting like I mentioned in my previous post I had to read a book-ok books.  If you know me you know I love books and I love to do research about subjects that interest me.  Sometimes I make my own head spin.  

   So, I read a lot of recipes, tried some, then I came up with variations that worked for me.  One of my favorites came from trying to create my own yummy FLIP desert yogurt.  Anyway I like deserts that are rich, creamy, and chocolaty or either fruity and light.  This is my combination of the two.  

Delightfully Decadent   

1/3c fat free cottage cheese topped with:

3 tbsp or so of Pina Colada light yogurt

5 Emerald Dark Chocolate almonds

fresh pineapple bits (when I have it)

banana pieces

organic shredded coconut 

Red Velvet Yoplait is a good topping too without all the bits and pieces.

This is high protein and if I'm hungry I have extra cottage cheese guilt free because it good for me. 

I tried adding my oat bran to that but it was really gross. 

Pond Scum and Frog eggs for breakfast Next time...

Life in Intervals

   If you've ever heard of interval training well then you'll understand what I'm talking about.  I just became familiar with it myself this year when I finally met my weight loss goal after my last child turned 4.  It really helped me shed that last 5 or 10 pounds faster than I thought possible. I never had to watch my weight much as a teen or young adult.  That is, other than realizeing my jeans were getting too tight, so maybe I better quit eating icecream and apple turnovers for desert every night or quit eating out for lunch at work every day.

  Doing a blog has interested me for a long time but I new I couldn't stick to one topic like so many do.  Whatever I decide to do I tend do with a vengeance or so I have been told.  So why not put that to work for me?  My most recent interval (obsession) has been weight loss and exercise with the purpose of just getting healthy.  A lot of people have asked how I lost 65 pounds.  It truly was a process that went in spurts over the last 2 years or so.  Although I don't plan on this being another weight loss blog I thought that would be as good a place to start as any.  I've had a lot of other Jones-obsessions-passions-intervals over the years such as:

                    Fitness

                         Nutrition

                               Art and painting

                                       Butterfly Gardening
                                              Vegetable Gardening
                                                      Knitting
                                                           Scrapbooking
                                                                   Heirloom Sewing
                                                                           Crochet
                                                                                    Herbology
                                                                                            Herpetology    
                                                                                                      Homeschooling
                                                                                                               Learning Latin
                                                                                                                       
and enjoyed them all tremendously!  Some lasted longer than others and some I still indulge in  occasionally.   My oldest son hit the nail on the head when he said "Mom you have too many good ideas."  Maybe if I can share some here it will be an encouragement to others and help me with a little peace and balance.  Full on makes for total down time at intervals as well,  for my sanity not to mention the sanity of those around me.

   As for interval training it was one of those things I had heard about but didn't really know how to apply to my own exercise routine. Then I came across a good description in a fitness book and another in a popular magazine.  What it boiled down to for me was doing 8 one and a half minute sprints with the last couple being full on with 8 one and a half minute intervals of moderate to brisk walking in between.  It only took 20 to 30 minutes a day depending on how closely I clocked myself and it really worked for me.  With all the halloween goodies around I am back at it again.  Just because I love sweets!