Ready to bake

Ok, I am officially ready to start crazy holiday baking. I just ordered 10lbs of steviva, I've got tons of applesauce that we canned last year....I'm ready.


For those of you who have no clue what steviva is, I'll fill you in. It's a blend of stevia and erythritol and has the same consistency as sugar. Maybe you've heard of or seen Truvia in the stores? It looks like this:



While this is a different brand than the steviva blend I'm talking about, it's basically the same thing. The difference for me is I can buy Truvia in the stores (but only in little packet form) and I have to order steviva in bulk if I want to bake with it. This is what I order:



My two 5lb bags.

I've been using stevia sugar substitutes for years. Stevia is a natural calorie-free herbal sweetener, 200 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is a plant (specifically, a member of the chrysanthemum family) native to portions of northeastern Paraguay. It has been used to sweeten foods and beverages for more than 200 years. Steviva (spelled almost the same) is a blend of the stevia plant and erythritol. And if you are wondering about erythritol, it occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables, and is a gluten free fermented grain extract. So there is nothing chemical about this stuff.

Unlike many of the popular artificial sweeteners out there, such as:
•Splenda (sucralose)
•Aspartame
•Saccharine

which are chemically modified substances.

I highly recommend reading this if you have any questions about what is so nasty about these sweeteners and why stevia is the best alternative to sugar. The author is Mike Geary, and I've read his stuff for years also. He has this book called The Truth About Abs, which you can purchase online. It is full of very valuable information on anyone looking to transform their body with a healthy lifestyle. www.thetruthaboutabs.com (just in case you were interested)

There is definitely a debate about whether or not artificial sweeteners are bad for you. Some people believe there isn't enough evidence to link these sweeteners to health problems (including some fitness experts, like Joel Marion, whose newsletters I read from time to time). And then there are some (like Mike Geary) who are big believers that they are just nasty and you should stay away from them. I happen to be in the latter category. I try very hard not to eat anything that has been artificially sweetened. I am desperately trying to get my mother to break her addiction to diet pop :(

Anyway, I order my steviva from here. It's great for baking. It's PERFECT for those of you with a sweet tooth, who want to break your sugar habit. You can bake your sugar-free cookies and eat them too! An even better bonus, you can use natural unsweetened applesauce in place of the butter in your recipes and you have a sugar-free, fat-free "naughty" treat! Indulge without the guilt! That is why I mentioned the applesauce in my first sentence.

Try it! You might be pleasantly surprised!

Kinect Sample

Ok, I know the video is dark and blurry but that doesn't matter. I just wanted you to see my girls playing a racing game with the Kinect. You'll notice that all they are using are their bodies to control their car. SO COOL! I really like the bowling game. It's so realistic. Of course I like the volleyball, the boxing, the track and field, the....oh, you get the idea ;)

Best Feeling Ever!

Can I just say that the weight bench is probably one of the BEST purchases we have ever made?! (I think I've had it a year or so) My entire body is sore (as usual) and I can't get enough of it! It's such an amazing feeling to think that while I'm sitting here, doing nothing, my muscles are repairing themselves, getting stronger, preparing for another beating tomorrow! So I can get 1 more rep, lift 5 more pounds....getting stronger, getting more fit.

Top that feeling! I dare you!

p.s. Andreas, if you are in need of a birthday gift idea, I would LOVE a doorway pull up bar! I think they are about $20 - who says I'm high maintenance???!!!

Kinect

We have been anxiously awaiting the release of Microsoft's Kinect for xbox 360. Last Christmas, the girls and I really wanted to get a Wii but Andreas assured me that something better was coming. Something that would allow you to play games.....without a controller!

Yesterday, Andreas took his receipt to work (he had actually bought it through work a while ago) and got his Kinect, earlier than the rest of the world. I guess this was because stores were offering it starting at midnight of November 4th, and since the company store wasn't going to be open at midnight, they got to pick theirs up early. Sweet!

This thing is so cool! It recognizes different players - all you have to do is stand up and wave and it'll recognize you. There is no controller, your body is all you need! We were racing cars last night, turning a pretend wheel! You can operate the thing through voice commands too. I felt like I was living in the future! I'm very excited to get the dancing & fitness games.

If you haven't heard of it or seen what it can do, you MUST go here now!

It's all about me!

Since my birthday is approaching, I thought I would let my narcissistic side show through and devote a post entirely to ME.

Things you might not know about me:

1)I have a computer programming degree. The only reason I choose this career was because it was the only curriculum which didn't require you to take a speech class.

2)Which brings me to number 2. I'm deathly afraid of speaking in front of a group. Even if it's a group of family members. I will avoid it at all cost.

3)I have hardly any friends. None that I hang out with on a regular basis. Most of the time I sit and wonder what is wrong with me because it's so hard for me to make friends.

4)I wanted to be a psychologist. Still wish I was. If I thought I was smart enough, I would go back to school and fulfill my dream.

5)I like vacuuming. Which is strange considering the fact that I will yell at the kids if they make a mess on my newly cleaned floors which requires me to vacuum again.

6)I LOVE to bake. I could bake cookies, cakes, pies, bars....all day. But I don't because I would also eat them all day.

7)When people tell me I am artistic, I deny it. I really, honestly and truly do NOT think that I am any more artistic than the average kindergartner. Seriously. That doesn't mean I don't like art: painting, drawing, crafts, photography, music, etc. I'm just not especially great at any of it.

8)If I were handed a guarantee from God that my next pregnancy would be completely complication free, I would have another child.

9)Most of the time, I will come to my senses a few minutes after saying I would have another child and tell you that I definitely do not want another child.

10)My paternal grandfather shot and killed my grandmother and spent the rest of his life in prison. This is a tragedy that was never spoken of by my father. My dad was about 21 or so at the time. He was the one who found her. He didn't know that we knew. My eldest sister found out as an adult from a relative and filled the rest of us in. I have copies both of their death certificates. It's creepy.

11)Another family tragedy, on my mom's side. Her mother died when she was 3 or 4, during childbirth. So sad that both of my grandmothers died before their time.

12)My dad was married before he married my mom and apparently had two kids. This was also something we never knew growing up. I have half-siblings out there somewhere. The drama that is my family, right?!

13)I'm actually really good at softball. I can catch and throw and bat just as good as the big boys!

14)I used to be able to read tarot cards.

15)If Emma were a boy, we would have named her Viggo. I'm glad she is a girl.

16)I like the name Éowyn. I'm not a Lord of the Rings fanatic or anything, I just really think it sounds beautiful.

17)I never go a single day without eating 2 whole organic eggs. If I can't get organic I just eat regular. If I'm a guest in someone's house, of course I don't demand eggs. But every day that I am home, I eat eggs.

18)I have my own little business in the works! *wink wink* You'll know when the time comes.

19)I drink almond milk instead of cows milk. I still like cows milk. But almond milk has no sugar. Hey, I try to cut it where I can!

20)And finally, I'm going to be 36 in 9 days and I still feel like a teenager! I still can't bring myself to shop for "mom" clothes. I buy jeans in odd sizes instead of even. I wear converse tennis shoes, skinny jeans, jeggings and I actually own legwarmers.

And now you know probably more than you should about me and my life!

Rubber chickens beware!

This is Lizzy.


This is Lizzy's rubber chicken. He's not looking so hot. No legs, no beak. Obviously one of her favorite things to chew.


Aw, soooo cute. So sweet. So innocent.


Don't let that fool you! She's a...


RUBBER CHICKEN EATER!!!!


Look at those fangs!


NOM NOM NOM








What?

Our spooky Halloween fun

Halloween for Emma this year was like a celebrity wedding, where the bride has more than one dress. We have so many cute costumes for her size that she couldn't only wear one! Especially when one of them just happens to be her favorite girl....Pippi!




It was slightly wrinkly from being stored in a bag, unfolded of course. And full of hair from taking Lizzy to puppy school earlier in the day.

And the new costume this year was Ariel. She makes a beautiful Ariel, don't you think? It appears as though Ariel has gotten a bob cut, but nobody (except Eden) really seemed to notice.





I was a zombie bride again this year. I had gotten a black tutu and some stripped tights, witches hat, yadda yadda (Emma's red wig was actually mine). But in the end, with all the creepy decorations, I felt a cutsie witch costume didn't really work well with the ambiance.



And the creepy decorations...










It looked way better in the dark, of course, but you get the idea. As I was handing out the candy it was so awesome to hear the kids rave about how cool the house looked. Even the adults gave compliments. I hate to toot my own horn but....it was pretty cool.

I had black lights glowing and the windows open a crack so the moaning and screaming and other eerie sounds (from the computer) could be heard from outside. Inside my cauldron was my iPod, where bubbling sounds were making my "witches brew" come to life. I had my handy dandy fog machine remote in hand so whenever kiddies approached the entry I could set my cauldron into action. The graveyard on the lawn, complete with skeleton hands sticking out of the earth, got some stares. The only thing that was a bit of a bummer was that my strobe light didn't work. I'll have to get a new one next year. I had a mini cauldron with a mini strobe inside it, so it wasn't a total loss. The kids also helped me mix up some potion last week (food coloring and water in cool glass jars) so those were on display. Along with my wine bottles containing "vampire blood", "spider venom", and "wicked spirits". It was a fun night. I can't wait for next year!!