Homemade Granola Bars....

Cyrus eats a LOT of bars...they are pretty much his favorite snack which is great because they are easy on the go. Here is my problem with them though, even the organic ones have an incredible amount of sugar and hydrogenated blah blah blah and I'm just not comfortable with it so, I decided to make homemade bars from scratch putting in all good things and leaving out all the bad things...

Here is the recipe I used and modified a bit:
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chex mix (100% fortified iron for his anemia), crushed


• 1 cup of oatmeal


• 1 cup of rolled oats


• 2 tablespoons of flax


• 1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon


• an 8oz container of low fat fruit yogurt


• 1 container of sugar-free applesauce


• 1teaspoon of vanilla


• 1/3 cup of clover honey


• 1 egg, beaten


• 1 tsp of baking soda


• 1 tsp of baking powder


• 1/2 cup of craisins

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350*


• Put the crushed cereal, oatmeal, granola, flax and cinnamon in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside


• In a separate mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, applesauce, vanilla, honey, beaten egg and mix well


• add the baking soda and powder to the yogurt mixture and mix well


• gradually, add the cereal mixture to the yogurt mixture and stir well


• add the craisins and mix to combine


• scoop a handful out and shape in long, log type bars and put on a greased baking sheet


• Bake at 350* for 15 - 18 minutes, cool and store in an air-tight container.

These are really delicious and I feel much better about my son eating these rather than the ones with a shelf life of 100 years:)

Resolutions, just a little early this year.

Ok, I had planned on starting this new healthy eating/exercise program on the first day of the new year in 2012. My mom is on board, my in - laws are feeling the squeeze and my hubby would like to shed a few pounds too so we're all going to do it together. However, after yet another pair of pants that I really love being too tight on me I had to start early. So, I decided to bit the bullet and start my new plan on the 22nd of December. Yes, I realize it was BEFORE Christmas but something had to be done. I have really enjoyed myself this past year, and I mean really. I've put on 10 pounds for no apparent reason, all attributed to drinking and eating basically whatever came across my face. I am an athlete and compete fairly regularly in sometime pretty big competitions or pretty long competitions but regardless of how much exercising I was doing, I was just eating more than I needed to. So, I have really reined it in this past week (excluding Christmas). I have cut out (almost) all wine, flour, sugar, pasta, rice, etc...I have been eating lots of protein and veggies and drinking a LOT of water and green tea. It really hasn't been that difficult and has been pretty successful so far. I have already lost 5 pounds in 6 days which I realize is mostly water weight but I'm happy nonetheless. I am hoping to take off another 8 pounds to bring me back to the weight I was the day I married Brad:) And, if the last 3 or 4 pounds comes off after those 8 and brings me back to the weight I was when I graduated high school I will certainly do a little dance of joy!! Really, I don't care all that much what the scale says but I need to feel comfortable in my clothing and need to be fit for the spring triathlon season which is already on the horizon!! I will post a before and after picture when I am happy with the results, wish me luck!

Washington, DC - My Christmas Surprise!

Brad surprised me for Christmas with a trip to DC on the train! I haven't been to DC for years and years and was so excited to go! Cyrus stayed home with Doc for the day and we took off with our friend, Gardner Mundy at 6:30AM on the Amtrack train headed for the country's Capital!

It was pretty dark and dreary with lots of rain and cold weather but it didn't matter to me, it was awesome! I had so much fun with Brad and with Gardner and on the train home I was wishing that the ride would have been just a few hours longer:)

While in DC, we took in the following: The WW II Memorial, FDR Memorial, MLK Memorial, The Washington Monument and the White House all before lunch! After lunch we toured the Capital and wandered through the American History Museum. We walked a total of 11 miles on this day, the majority of which we were soaking wet but it was awesome! We settled in on the train home with some dinner, a few gin & tonics and a good book. What a wonderful way to spend the day!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day, 2011

Success!! Todd was enjoying a much neede beverage, or perhaps 3, after helping prepare our delicious Low Country Boil

YUM! Lobster, clams, mussles, scallops, shrimp, pork & turkey kielbasa, new potatoes and onions:)

The best part is still the box!

Mrs. White, Cy's G-Mom. He loves her, we all do:)

Cyrus has taken to wrestling his cousin Katie. They are just close enough in age right now that they love to play together. I hope this remains for the rest of their lives, they are adorable together!

MATER! Our favorite right now, as well as trucks, trains, planes, anything locomotive really:)

Hailey & Katie trying to help Cy get the hang of his new bike.

Vroooooooommmm

Presents, presents, presents! Lots of new books which is exciting and a few really cool new toys!

A very happy little boy with his new cars and trucks!

New Kitchen! Cy loves to help me while I cook and he also loves to pretend to cook on his kitchen at school so I found one that he can play with at home. He has already made me lots of yummy food to enjoy!!

Wow! What a lucky boy!

Christmas Morning family shot!!!

Wake up little man! It's time to see what Santa brought!

Henry was getting into the spirit too!

Such a cute little girl!!! This is her 11th Christmas, I have been so blessed with her. She is a great dog and has been an awesome companion for me all these years:)

Christmas had a whole new meaning in our house this year. Cyrus is really beginning to understand that something big is happening and that it is very exciting. He was very excited to see lights decorating houses in the neighborhoods, he asked for us to "turn on" the tree each morning when he awoke, and he recognized Santa everywhere. We also began talking a little bit about Baby Jesus and how Christmas a a big birthday party for Baby Jesus and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus a few times, especially in the days leading up to Christmas.

Christmas morning Brad and I woke up about 8:00 (after going to be at 1AM) and called his parents, Doc & Jill, to come over. They wanted to be there for present opening and it was nice to have them there. I put some homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven and Brad got ready to pour the Mimosas and we waited...and waited...and waited. Cy did not stir. Finally, about 8:45 we went in to wake him up to tell him that Santa had come! He was very excited;)

He got some wonderful toys and books this year and was very happy with each one of them! We exchanged presents with Doc & Jill before they had to go home to prepare for our Christmas dinner at their house later in the afternoon.

We got to Doc & Jill's about 2:00 and Todd, Sallie, Haley, Katie and Mrs. White were already there. It was nice to spend this day with Brad's family which has come to feel like my family too after all these years. We opened gifts, the kids played and we had our traditional and delicious dinner of a Low Country Boil! We LOVE this tradition:)

Todd & Sallie left about 7:00 and Cy went to bed early. The remaining 4 of us played Dominoes into the wee hours of the morning and Brad and I woke Cy and headed home about 1:30AM. It was a simply wonderful day of stressfree and delicious family time!

Christmas Eve, 2011

Our beautiful Christmas Tree this year!! First year that we have not cut it down from the forest but it worked out just fine for us anyway:)



Cy's new Bike!!! Nana and Pap got him this tricycle "Schwinn"...it's so cool! He's still just a bit short, another month or two and he should be good to go with it:)

Cookies for Santa!!! Carrots for the reindeer!

Stars and Christmas Tree pancakes for Christmas Eve Breakfast

Presient Monroe's grave at Hollywood Cemetary in Richmond, VA.

Very elaborate and peaceful.

Taking a short snack break on our bike ride at Hollywood Cemetary.

Such a big boy! There were so many grave markings in this cemetary for 2 year old children in the 1800s, very common in this country before the genius of immunizations. I simply can not imagine having to survive something so horrible as that...I can't even speak of it.

Family shot!

Ready for Chuch, Christmas Eve 2011

A little out of order, snuggled and ready for our family bike ride. He has his woobie, his paci, his books, snacks, water, and his pillow. Good to go:)

My handsome husband. I am so lucky.

Christmas Eve is typically a day when we spend the whole day together, just the three of us doing things that we enjoy and preparing for Christmas. The holidays have been tricky this year because now that we are closer to family again it's expected that we will fall into their traditions when in fact we already have our own. So, we've tried very hard to accept invitations that we wanted to attend this season and decline, graciously, on ones that we did not. We were able to keep Christmas Eve as our own and had a wonderful day. We had a lazy morning in our PJs and I made a batch of yummy chocolate pancakes shaped like stars and Christmas trees. We then bundled up and headed out for a family bike ride which lasted for about 2.5 hours! It was great:) Cy slept for a good portion of it and Brad and I toured around through the city ending up in Hollywood Cemetary where there are a number of Confederate soliders buried from the Civil War, 2 presidents and additional dignitaries as well as other prominent families from the Richmond areas. Some of the gravestones dated back to the early 1800s...it was awesome. We stayed longer than we anticipated and had to book it home for a quick bite of lunch before heading to the 5:00 family service at the Welbourne Methodist Church on Patterson Ave. We have not been to this church yet but I've noticed it time and time again and have felt a certain pull towards it since arriving in Richmond. It's a beautiful little church tucked back off the road in the woods, very peaceful. The Chapel itself is quite small and the service was great. Cy did really well and enjoyed the music and songs, he stood on the pew for the most of the time and drove his racecar on the pew the other part of the time. We left church about 6:30 and went home and ordered chinese take out to settle in for the night. Cy helped me prepare Santa's cookies and milk and the reindeer's carrot snacks before getting ready for bed. We read Elf on the Shelf one more time to Cy and he said a final goodbye to Buddy before going to bed and awaiting Santa!! After Cy went to sleep we went to work putting together his new bike and choo choo train, organizing the playroom, cleaning out the baby books to prepare for a bundle of new books that we got for him and cleaning up his new "kitchen". We finally made it into bed about 1AM. It was a wonderful day!!

Nana & Pap

My parents came up for three days this past week to celebrate the "first" Christmas. We had such a wonderful time with them. It was certainly not enough time together and I was so very sad to see them go;( We went to the Bass Pro Shop on Monday morning to see Santa with Cyrus and Brad and then to Lewis Ginter Botanical gardens on Monday night to see the Festival of the Lights. Tuesday morning we went to the Governor's Mansion to see the Christmas decorations and then to the Capital building for a short stroll. Tuesday evening we went on the Tacky Light tour around Richmond to see all of the beautiful Christmas Decorations. Wednesday Mom and I went on a shopping adventure and put the finishing touches on Christmas and Wednesday evening we opened Christmas presents! Cyrus got a wonderful hand made train which he LOVES and a blackboard/whiteboard travel case for coloring....he loves them both!! I was fortunate enough to receive an amazing cast iron pot to sit on the stovetop and cook pretty much anyting in (sauces, rues, gravies, roasts, etc...) I couldn't be more excited. My Mother and Father also made each of us these cool glass engraved coffe mugs with our alma maters on them. They are so cool! I also got a beautiful red patent leather "Big Buddha" handbag which I adore!! It was a wonderful "first" Christmas and I loved every minute of it!