Valentine's Day! Love or Hate!?!?

It seems like everyone is very strongly on one side of the fence or the other about Valentine's Day:

Love it or Hate it!!!

I am one of the very few that sit on the fence. I love what the holiday represents, but hate what it has become. 

Every person, especially males, think that it is a "Hallmark Holiday" "created by companies to make more money off of the hopeless consumer."

Here is what I think...

I am 100% and advocate for a holiday that celebrates love. I have said before that there is more to it than being in a relationship and buying each other pink and red things and making the world know for 1 day a year how much you love that person....

That is what it has become, but that was not how it was intended.

The same could be argued for EVERY single holiday. Birthdays are another good example. Why for ONE day a year do we make that person feel special and loved? Why do we only celebrate their birth on that one day? Why not make them feel special EVERY day, or once a week... month.... year..

oh wait!

Life has a tendency to get away from us. One day we wake up and realize we are back at the holiday we thought we just got away from. We HAVE to have holidays to remind us to celebrate certain things. We have anniversaries to have a date to reach landmarks by, not so we can remember we are in a relationship. If that was the ONLY day you appreciated you loved one then you probably wouldn't reach your next anniversary, but that is no reason to not celebrate the day you officially committed yourself to another person. 


We celebrate things like Abraham Lincoln's birthday, not because that was the only day that mattered to him, but because he had a lifetime worth of actions that deserved being honored. Holidays are meant to be just one day that signifies something much more than a single day can contain. It isn't the holiday's fault that we are lazy by nature and forget celebrate daily. But it is not our fault that we are too stressed to let ourselves...


To me, the fact that in a society that loves to prey on negative attention, controversy, hate and strife, we still have a holiday that is based around celebrating LOVE... is amazing. And somehow people want to try to prevent me from enjoying it... I don't think so. 


Valentine's Day is meant to celebrate love. Not just your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife.... or even your crush. What you should be celebrating is the fact that you are able to love, and are then loved in return. Whether it is friends, family, kids or someone you just met... you have the ability to love and that is something to be celebrated with the people around you. 


Does it mean you go out and spend oodles of money on crap that doesn't last and you won't remember after the terrible day you are going to have at work tomorrow? Does it mean that you love your significant other more on that day simply because it is a holiday? Does it mean that you make it more than it should be simply because a commercial sets a certain standard?


NO!
I am not saying any of that!
Not even close!


What I am saying is this... I go out of my way to make sure the my boyfriend knows how much I love him. Little notes on his windshield, cards or little crafts "just because", or mid-week bubble baths just so that we can spend some quality time together. But I know that I make a conscious effort to do so, and I also know that life is busy, stressful, and full of surprises both good and bad. Sometimes we forget to let the people we love know how much we love them. Sometimes we forget to make them feel special or tell them how much they mean to you. Valentine's Day is a day when you are given the opportunity to do it... You are given a chance to do just a little bit more, and constantly reminded of it. 


You can't walk into a local store of any magnitude without being blasted in the face with Valentine's Day cards, flowers and a plethora of other knick knacks and thinga-ma-jigs. But if you really want to do something special you will skip it altogether. If you want to do something special... make a memory, and celebrate the ones you have already made. There are a million different ways that you can show someone how much you care, and only you know the ways that will impact the people around you. 


So you could avoid this day completely, and be bitter that you HAVE to succumb to a holiday that society skewed without your permission. Or you could take the power back into your own hands, and make it a holiday you are happy to celebrate because you get to do it your own way, and on your own terms. 


So what will you do?
Cause I know what I am going to do...
And I know deep down you know too.


Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!! 

What To Eat Wednesdays: Healthy CHILI!!!

What To Eat Wednesdays:

Every week there will be a new recipe that adheres to the following 5 guidelines:

1. Easy

2. Healthy

3. Delicious

4. Inexpensive

5. Under 500 calories/ serving

I will also include alterations for specialty diets (upon request):

-Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free options.

TODAY: HEALTHY CHILI

SO, by request again this week, we are making Healthy Chili. And I just so happen to be amazing at making chili so this was a no brainer!!!

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves: 4 @ 2 cups/serving

Cost: Under $15 (I forgot my receipt!)

Your shopping list this week includes:

1 yellow or white onion (I still had half from last week's recipe)

Ground turkey

1 can diced tomatoes (any flavor you like. I got Southwestern)

1 can Black Beans

1 can Red Kidney Beans (light or dark)

I can whole kernel Corn (optional)

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

Ground Cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Vegetable or Chicken broth if needed

OR, if you don't feel like measuring out seasonings, I will let you cheat JUST THIS ONCE, and use a pre-made seasoning mix. It is JUST alright though, and even if you use it you may want to add a dash of the aforementioned seasonings to taste. I like mine really smokey, and really spicy! #texasgirl

You will start by cooking the turkey meat until is it cooked all the way through and lightly browned (about 5 min). While this is happening, 

chop HALF of an onion and begin to saute it in a pot on high heat.

Once the onions are almost cooked, and the meat is browned, remove the turkey from the heat, and strain if necessary. I was lucky enough to find 99% fat free turkey meat this week so it didn't need to be strained. There wasn't any grease! :)

The you are going to empty the can of diced tomatoes to the onions, and lower heat to low/med. Once they are mixed well and simmering, add both cans of beans and mix together.

Let the mix heat and start to simmer, and then add meat and seasonings to the mixture. If once the meat is mixed into the chili it looks like it is really dry, add 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth to the pot and stir well.  Keep on low heat, and cover until heated through. 

The longer you let it simmer, the more time the flavors have to develop. Chili is like soup in that way. But it will taste good after 5 minutes... but if you have longer then leave it longer. Stirring it occasionally. 

When you are ready to eat, scoop it into a bowl and top it as you see fit...

I like my chili with cheese and sour cream. I opted for the much healthier versions of Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Cheese and Plain Greek Yogurt!!

So how could this amazing comfort food that is so dense with amazing-ness be good for you?!?!?

Well, I hate to break it to you, but it is...

Just the Chili:

368 Calories, 2.75g Fat, 45g Carbs, 46.5g Protein

Chili w/ Cheese:

413 Calories, 2.75g Fat, 47g Carbs, 55.5g Protein

Chili w/ Cheese and "Sour Cream":

420.5 Calories, 2.75g Fat, 47.5g Carbs, 57g Protein

Now you are more than welcome to enjoy this with some tortilla chips. We especially like the Tostito's Hint of Lime at my house, but keep in mind that the calories add up quickly so if you do decide to partake in the chip addition, I recommend that you count out the serving that you want BEFORE you sit to eat. THAT WAY you aren't tempted to keep reaching into a bag for more.

Tostito's Hint of Lime: 

serv. size- 1 oz. (6 chips)

150 Calories

7g Fat

18g Carbs

2g Protein

HAPPY EATING!

I am constantly looking for requests on either a previous meal I have cooked or one you would just like me to try. Or I am ALWAYS up for a CHALLENGE. There is no limit... ask away!!

What would have been written in my journal tonight...

Something happened tonight... and when it happened I felt like my entire world came crashing down around me. About this time of night I usually write in my journal, but I decided that I would share this with you guys instead. I don't know, maybe just to vent, or maybe because I am hoping that there are some of you who relate and maybe we can help each other find some resolution.

As many of you know, I am from Dallas, TX and have lived there my whole life. All of my family is there and everything I have ever known resides there as well. I have had the pleasure of traveling quite a bit, but have never called another place home. Until NOW. I moved to Los Angeles, CA almost 3 months ago to follow my dreams and ultimately make a better life for me and my son, but that required making the ultimate sacrifice. I had to do what was best for Tyler and leave him in Dallas with everyone and everything he knows and loves, and loves him back. It is the right thing to do, but it has been torture. 

I have only been able to see him once since I moved. I went back home for his birthday, per his request, but financially haven't had the resources to make it back again. I try to talk to him almost everyday, or as often as I can, Skype when he is available, and keep in close contact so he doesn't feel like I am so far away. It is still hard though. There are so many things that I am missing, and can't be there for. And even though I have been called selfish, and told that I made the wrong decision moving out here and leaving my child, I genuinely feel like it is going to make it possible to provide a better life for him in the long run. And I believe that with all my heart. How could I ever tell him to follow his dreams and do everything he ever wanted if I hadn't done the same thing. I am his Mom... I HAVE to lead by example... it's my job.

So tonight, my phone rang, and it was my ex husband, which is not a call I usually look forward to, but this was especially late for him to be calling. So I answered, and he tells me that Ty has an ear infection and asked him to call me so that he could tell me what was wrong. Ty got on the phone and sounded completely pitiful. He told me that his ear was killing him. I asked him if he had taken any medicine, and as he went to answer he hiccuped and it made his ear pop which sent him into a frenzy. He started bawling and screaming, "I want my Mommy. Tell her to come get me so I can feel better. It hurts so bad. Please Mommy. I need you. Come get me!" Every ounce of air left my lungs, I was immediately paralyzed and my heart completely stopped. I have never felt so helpless.

EVER!

It honestly makes me feel like the worst parent in the world. I know deep down in my heart that I am doing the right thing, and that in the LONG RUN things will work out the way that they are supposed to and I will be able to give him such a better life that I was able to in Dallas. But I can't help but feel terrible. He was hurting, and crying for me, and I wasn't able to be there for him. How do you explain that to a 6 year old? How do you make them understand something like that? 

The only thing I can think to do, is use moments like these at motivation. Make sure that this is as temporary of a problem as possible, and change my life and his life sooner, rather than later. I need to make sure that he sees that there are moments when things are hard, but struggling through them makes the sweet moments sweeter and the prize at the end mean just that much more. I refuse to fail... it is not an option. 

MOMMY

LOVES

TYLER!

What To Eat Wednesdays: Healthy Sliders!!

What To Eat Wednesdays:

Every week there will be a new recipe that adheres to the following 5 guidelines:
1. Easy
2. Healthy
3. Delicious
4. Inexpensive
5. Under 500 calories/ serving


I will also include alterations for specialty diets (upon request):
-Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free options.

TODAY: HEALTHY SLIDERS

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total cost: $12.65 + tax
Makes 8 servings! 

 1.25 lbs of ground turkey

1/2 of an onion (chopped)

Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup shredded Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Cheese

1 avocado

Sara Lee soft & smooth mini buns

salt and pepper (or favorite seasoning blend) to taste

 Place meat, chopped onions and chopped cilantro to a large bowl. Knead until mixed well, but not over handling.  Add salt & pepper or your favorite seasoning blend. Could also add minced garlic if you like.

 If you like cheese on your burgers, then you don't have to skip on it. Put in 1/2 cup of Kraft Fat Free shredded Cheddar Cheese. And mix into the meat mix. 

Heat a large skillet on med/high heat and spray with non-stick spray.

 Divide meat into small patties (~2" in diameter) and place into hot pan. Sear on both sides (~ 5 min per side). 

Once the burgers are almost finished cooking, heat another pan on low/simmer heat to toast buns. Lower hear on the burgers to low and cover for 5 min to make sure they are cooked all the way through, and the cheese is melted.

While the burgers are finishing, dress the buns. I used a little bit of regular mustard, baby spinach leaves, slices of roma tomatoes (they are smaller and fir the bun), and a slice of avocado on each one. (1/4 of an avocado total).

The avocado is optional but works well with the cilantro.

Cut one to make sure it is cooked all the way through and that the cheese is melted!

Place the cooked burger on the lower bun and secure top with a toothpick.

The sauces I paired with them are Sriracha Ketchup and Fat Free Horsey Ranch. (Recipes Below)

Take a big bite and ENJOY!!!

Now these burgers came out really thick, but were soooo juicy and flavorful! They had a lot of texture as well, and I was completely stuffed on these 2 baby burgers!

Nutrition Facts:

Burger Patties (serv size: 1 patty)

117.5 Calories

5g Fat

.5g Carbs

15.5g Protein

Buns (serv size: 1 bun)

90 Calories

1g Fat

18g Carbs

3g Protein

Total- 1 burger, w/bun and cheese

207 Calories

6g Fat

18.5g Carbs

18.5g Protein

Sauces:

Sriracha Ketchup 

*mix 1.5 tbsp regular fancy ketchup with .5 tsp of sriracha. This can be to taste. I like it spicy.

15 Calories, 0g Fat, 4.8g Carbs, .3g Protein (~2tbsp)

Fat Free Horsey Sauce

*mix 1.5 tbsp Fat Free Ranch with .5 tsp of Kraft Horseradish sauce (or just ground horseradish)

40 Calories, .5g Fat, 6.5g Carbs, .5g Protein (~2tbsp)

Avocado

~25 Calories, 3.5g Fat, 2g Carbs, 1g Protein

Total Nutritional Value on this whole meal is: (as pictured)

494 Calories, 10g Fat, 31.8g Carbs, 20.3g Protein

I am constantly looking for requests on either a previous meal I have cooked or one you would just like me to try. Or I am ALWAYS up for a CHALLENGE. There is no limit... ask away!!

The Vliggity Vlog: The UNseen Footage 2011

With a new year, we have to close out the old... and you know what that means:

ALL THE UNSEEN FOOTAGE FROM 2011!!!

These are things that I probably left out for a reason. But we are all friends here, right?!?!?

You don't judge me... Ok, well if you do I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself!!!!

SO EXCITED about 2012, and I can't wait to take you guys along with me!

There is a lot to look forward to, and this year is all about YOU! I want YOUR input, YOUR questions and YOUR requests! I want you involved.... And I am super stoked to see what magic we can all create together!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

J

Closing the door on 2011!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFh53QE8FmA&list=UUs9PwDocHAuzq65uAUKT3fw&index=1&feature=plcp

With a new year, we have to close out the old... and you know what that means:
ALL THE UNSEEN FOOTAGE FROM 2011!!!
These are things that I probably left out for a reason. But we are all friends here, right?!?!?
You don't judge me... Ok, well if you do I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself!!!!

SO EXCITED about 2012, and I can't wait to take you guys along with me!

There is a lot to look forward to, and this year is all about YOU! I want YOUR input, YOUR questions and YOUR requests! I want you involved.... And I am super stoked to see what magic we can all create together!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

J

The Battle Between Faith and Fear!

I have literally written, and re-written this blog segment over and over because there is not just a message I am trying  to get across but a feeling as well. I want people to read this and walk away with a question mark over their head. Not because they are confused, but because they are curious! I want to leave a sense of wonderment, and maybe even excitement. I hope I can achieve this... the fourth time around.

Today, while cleaning my apartment, I put on this movie...

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

I had forgotten how amazing the "moral" of this movie is, and that the underlying lesson would remind me of all the beautiful things that life has to offer if you just change your perspective a little bit.  

I realize more and more every day that everyday life is a beating. 

Be here. 

Go there. 

Do this. 

Do that. 

Make this happen, 

by this time, 

or else.


Why did life become so much less fun as an adult?
Or better yet, why did we stop having as much fun as we did when we were kids?
What happened to "imaginary friends", and pretending?


Why did our age suddenly affect our imagination?
Why did real life stop us from believing the things we did as kids?
Why did being an astronaut suddenly become so unreasonable?
Why did fairies and angels become something make believe?
Where did all the magic go?


I look at my son, and he has such wonderment in his eyes. He talks about life like it one big adventure and he has super-human powers that can ward off evil and save the day. He is a new character or version of that character every day, and is only limited by how far he can stretch his imagination. Santa Clause still exists and reindeer can fly, and everything is happier... brighter... and anything is possible.


How did we forget that?
...
Was it because "Life Lessons" have a way of making us forget to believe?


"Gravity says that there is no way that reindeer can fly. It is the simple law of physics."
RIGHT?? If it can't be proven then it must not exist; it must not be possible.


But I wonder, when did that become true about you?
When did you lose your magic? When did you lose you "sparkle"?
When did your life become "just life"?


So you are probably wondering how this relates to the movie.


Henry is your average, everyday, working stiff who see life as literally as a person could. When weird things start to happen in the "magical' toy store he has been hired to appraise, and things stop making sense, he searches for answers.

(To Mr. Magorium)

Henry Weston: According to your employment records, you've had several fictional characters on the books.

Mr. Magorium: Like whom?

Henry Weston: The King of Planet Yaweh

Mr. Magorium: Oh, he's not fictional

Henry Weston: Sir, there are people....

Mr. Magorium: (interrupting) He's not really the king, and the Planet Yaweh doesn't exist, but he's not fictional.

Henry Weston: Well, that's the thing, if there's no planet...

Mr. Magorium: Mr. Weston?

Henry Weston: Yes sir?

Mr. Magorium: You can't blame people for having aspirations, hmmm?

Henry is beside himself and determined to find an answer that he understands. In an attempt to do so, he turn to Mahoney, the store manager for some clarity on this history that he believes Mr. Magorium has "fabricated".

Henry Weston:  Mahoney, wait, I just need a... simple explanation.

Molly Mahoney: Sure. It's a magical toy store.

Henry Weston: There's no such things as a magical toy store.

Molly Mahoney: Sure there is.

Henry Weston: When you say magical, do you mean special?

Molly Mahoney: No, I mean magical.

Henry Weston: Unique?

Molly Mahoney: Magical.

Henry Weston: What about... really really cool?

Molly Mahoney: MAGICAL.

Henry Weston: Ok, what's behind me is a toy store. It is a big one. It is a weird one but it is just... a toy store.

Molly Mahoney: I knew it. As soon as I saw that suit.

Henry Weston: Knew what?

Molly Mahoney: You're a "just" guy.

Henry Weston: What's a "just" guy?

Molly Mahoney: A guy just like you. Same hair, same suit, SAME shoes, walks around, no matter what, you think it's all just a store, it's just a bench, it's just a tree. It's just what it is, nothing more!

Henry Weston: Alright, but, but this looks over shoulder)... is just a store.

Molly Mahoney: I'm sure to you... it is.

What we learn through the same process that Henry does, is that Mr. Magorium isn't crazy, he simply just  sees life a little differently... he sees people differently. As what they can be, not just what they are. And in believing in them, they have the ability to become more.

Mr. Magorium: 37 seconds.

Molly Mahoney: Great. Well done. Now we wait.

Mr. Magorium: No. We breathe. We pulse. We regenerate. Our hearts beat. Our minds create. Our souls ingest. 37 seconds, we used, is a lifetime.

Hearing the way that Mr. Magorium thinks really made me take a step back and try to see life through his eyes. No it is not a traditional way of thinking. His character is viewed as a crazy, eccentric... but he certainly enjoys life more, and sees the beauty in the world rather than being beaten down by all of the different things that life seems to throw at us.

Mr. Magorium: We must face tomorrow, whatever it may hold, with determination, joy and bravery.

That last line sums up everything to me.

We never know what is going to happen from day to day, or even moment to moment. But we still have to wake up ready to take on the day with tenacity, and excitement. But "bravery"... that is the most important one.

Bravery; boldness; courage; FEARLESSNESS!

So what are we scared of? As an adult we are no longer scared of vampires, ghosts, or goblins, but almost every single one of us, at one time or another, is afraid of failure!

The "fear of failure" is a learned emotion. You probably don't remember learning to walk, but many of us have watched a child try to do just that. And no matter how many times they fall, they always get back up and try again. They don't think about anything else, they just try. And even if they fall, they don't let it stop them from getting right back up and doing it all over again. Because all it takes is one time for it to work.

But even if they are scared of falling, they are never scared of failing.

Falling is inevitable, but worrying whether or not we will fail will only prevent us from succeeding. You are your only problem, but you are also your only solution.

There is a balance. Somewhere between responsibility and childhood enthusiasm. 

Somewhere between faith and fantasy. Somewhere between belief and cynicism.

I would never tell you to evade all of your obligations and live your life as if you were a child again. But I do have to ask you who told you to forget to dream? The only people who would do that are the ones who were too scared to chase their dreams, and don't want to see you go on to be all the things that they aren't.  Don't handicap your life. Let your child, or at least your inner child, teach you how to live again, so that you don't, in turn, handicap their lives too. Learn to live as if you were learning to walk again...

You might just find yourself in a place you thought you could only dream of!!