Weight Watchers Cheesecake cant be that good, right?? WRONG!!!!

Hello my friendly followers...all three of you... Ha just kidding there might be more but who knows, anywho today I was in the kitchen baking! As a member of weight watchers I have access to weight watchers online, where there are thousands of recipes to try. Now let me get one thing straight, not all of the recipes are good...some of them are not tasty but some of them are also sooo good that you dont even know what your eating isnt really bad for you. So I came across this recipe for a chocolate chip cheesecake and though I was skeptical at first I read the reviews and out of 138 of them, everyone said they either loved it or liked it so I decided to give it a shot. First change I made to the recipe though was to make the whole cheesecake into individual cupcake sized cheesecakes cause then I can keep them in my freezer and get one out when I want one. So here is the recipe and I am telling you they are sooo frickin good. So try them out!

Yumm!! I made mini ones too!

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate graham crackers or chocolate wafers (I used chocolate teddy grahams cause they were on sale)
8 oz block of fat free cream cheese
8oz tub of low fat or fat free cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg whites
3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325

Crush grahams in a bag using a rolling pin, until fine, and set aside

Using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheeses until well blended

In a small bowl combine sugar and flour and then add to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth

In a food processor or blender, puree cottage cheese until smooth. Then add to cream cheese mixture. Also add the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture too. Again beat the mixture until smooth.

Then add lightly beaten egg whites to cream cheese mixture and beat until mixed. Then stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips to cream cheese mixture.

In a cupcake pan (you can use the cupcake liners or not, but if you dont, make sure to grease the pan) put   a little of the chocolate grahams and then fill each cupcake almost to the top with the cream cheese mixture and then sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top as well.

Put in the oven for about 24 minutes and then let cool. You can serve it warm or put them in the freezer and serve cool with a little bit of whip cream on top. It makes about 24 cupcake size cheesecakes.

They are 3 Points Plus on WW as a cupcake, but if you decide to make it as a whole cheesecake it serves 12 and each slice is 6 Points Plus. They are absolutely delicious and I suggest you try them!!!

"Say my name, say my name..."

SOoooo I havent updated probably in about a week and a half because my brother, Zach, came home for a week of summer vacation. We have been having a lot of fun as a fam, going to a Braves game and then Lazer show etc.  I think I used to take this stuff for granted because you dont realize how important family time is until you dont have it anymore. Zach lives in Indiana and Im getting ready to move to Florida and Josh is in school in Georgia and its just strange to think we will never live under the same roof again and we are all growing up. So enjoy that time with your fam, even if they make you crazy sometimes....cause I definitely miss the crazy times when we were kids.
 Anywho I decided to be totally self absorbed with this latest blog post and talk about the name ALLISON. I only share this name with millions of other people, but I feel kind of special that there are a bunch of songs with the name ALLISON in them. In spinning this week they played the song, "Allison Road" by the Gin Blossoms and I got to thinking, I wonder how many songs have my name in them so I found a few to share with all of you for fun! So check out the youtube videos below!

"Allison Road" by Gin Blossoms -Who doesnt love the Gin Blossoms!! Great 90s band..too bad they broke up!

"Allison" by Elvis Costello - Plain and simple...its a classic!

"Allison" by Permanent Me- I have never heard this song before but hey my name is in it and its catchy! and there is a line in it says "hey allison you are the one that makes boys hold their breath as you walk on.." haha

"Allison" by The Pixies- Okay so this song is about singer Moses Allison (who is in fact a man) but whatever its my name. And if ya didnt know already Allison only became a girls name in the 20th century, before that back in Germany it used to be a boys name meaning "son of Alice" ha!

"Allison" by Erickson - Kind of a punk, poppy song, that I have never heard until now. You wouldnt believe how many songs you can find on Itunes called "Allison" haha!

Well unfortunately I cant find anymore videos on youtube but like I said there are a million...okay like 45 in Itunes so check them out if ya want to think about someone named Allison!


Peace

Buffalo Chicken Chowder Recipe

Yeah so whats new!!!! I all I do is cook!haha I am very thankful that my mom allows me to be adventurous and play food network star and try out all kind of recipes! Thanks MOM! Last night I decided to try another recipe from the Everything Healthy Cookbook and it was a delicious soup called Buffalo Chicken Chowder. Normally this would probably be a better soup to serve in the fall or winter...but I just couldn't wait a few months to try it! It turned out to be a two thumbs up recipe in the miller house!

It tastes like a delicious buffalo chicken queso soup! Has a bit of a kick but its not too hot at all!

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 pounds boneless & skinless chicken breast
3 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cups sliced celery
1 (8oz) package sliced mushrooms
2 cups chopped carrots
4 cups chicken broth
1 (13oz) can non-fat evaporated milk
1/2 cup fat free half&half
1 & 1/2 cups lacy swiss cheese
1/2 cup lowfat crumbled feta cheese
1/2 bottle Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (The buffalo one is a milder sauce and good for this recipe)
1 small can chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup low fat blue cheese dressing

Directions:
1) Cut up chicken breasts into small chunks and then toss in mixture of flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. Then heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat and add chicken. Cook and brown chicken for about ten minutes and then remove from pot.

2) Add butter to pot and melt. Add garlic, onion, and celery, mushrooms, carrots, and pepper to pot. Cook and stir the veggies on medium to high heat until they are crisp and tender for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then return the chicken to the soup pot and also add the chicken broth.

3) Bring soup to a simmer, cover, and leave on medium to low heat for about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Then reduce heat to low and stir in evaporated milk, half and half, swiss cheese, feta cheese, and franks sauce. Continue to cook and stir until cheese melts and is creamy.  Turn up to medium high heat and add some clear gel or cornstarch to thicken if need be.

4) Stir tomatoes and blue cheese dressing together in a dish to serve as a garnish for on top of bowls of soup.

This recipe takes about 20 minutes prep time (to cut chicken and veggies up) and then about 40 minutes for cooking the soup! Its 6 points plus on WW for a cup and a half. And the recipe easily serves a family of 6. Enjoy!

This is so Not Greys Anatomy!

Sex in the closets, McDreamy doctors, dramatic lovers, fighters, best friends and over dramatized situations where there are bombs inside patients??? This is not what goes on inside a REAL hospital...but it sure makes for interesting tv on beloved  award winning shows like Greys Anatomy and ER. This past Friday I had the opportunity, for the first in my time in my life, to go to work all day with my dad. Up until this point my view and explanation for what my dad did was kind of a mystery. I could tell you what my dad was, his title I mean, but I never really knew the extent of what my father actually did. Many of my friends over the years could easily tell me what their dads did for a living. Maybe they sold insurance or owned their own company. Maybe they were a history professor or an electrician. Or maybe I even got to see some of them at their job because I have a number of best friends who's fathers are Pastors! So anyways when I would tell people that my dad was a PA (a physicians Assistant) with the cardio vascular team...people would turn and say "oh okay so your dads a doctor!" "wow you guys must be millionaires!" NO No you have to go to school for about a million years to be a doctor. While my father did put in many years of schooling after his undergraduate studies at Goshen College, he became a PA and not an MD.
So finally on this Friday 6/24/11, almost 23 years later I returned to the hospital where I was born at 6:30 in the morning. Dad and I woke up at 4:30 ( the way dad has started his day for about 30 years) and got ready and left around 5:30 for the hospital. Piedmont Hospital certainly doesnt look like Seattle Grace but the day started to feel real when we got there and immediately dad passed me off to a nurse who took me into the locker room to change. Why hospital people have to wear nice clothes only to change into scrubs, I will never understand. But anyways in the locker room I grabbed pants, a shirt, a jacket (its kept very cold in the operating room), a scrub hat, a mask, and goggles. I was so unrecognizable that when we walked out of the locker room and into the OR someone asked me if I was a Nurse!ha noooo not me Im a teacher playing dress up! I sat in a chair and waited till about 7:30 when the first surgery or case as they call it would begin. No I was not going to see McDreamy do brain surgery because I was on the CVOR- Cardio Vascular Operating Room floor. My dad works with the one thing we need to keep the blood pumping...the HEART! This is the floor where you go when you have a heart attack or you have blockage in valves or you need bypass surgeries....so the patients are usually not young!lol Anyways I was then taken into OR 18 where my dad was. Finally I was going to see exactly what my dad loves so much! Before I walked in I didn't scrub in (cause obviously Im not the one operating!ha) but I did have to squirt this soap stuff on my hands every time I entered the OR cause everything is very steril. There were a ton of people in the room. At any given time there are usually 6 or more people in the room. people like nurses who pass instruments, the PA anesthesiologist who pushes drugs to make sure the paient stays asleep (my dad was a PA anesthesiologist for 4 years but he just loves surgery so he went back to PA-CV surgery). There is also an assistant nurse who helps the doctor during the surgery, another nurse getting stuff for the nurse who passes instruments, the perfusionist who manages the heart and lung machine (the keeps the patient alive when they stop the heart for surgery) and of course MY DAD the PA! The sounds of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" lingered as my dad started off the surgery after the patient was put to sleep...although no one broke into song like on that weird episode of Grey's. Then the medical team did a call to order to make sure they knew what they were doing, who the patient was, etc. Then my dad did his job. He made a small incision in the patients leg and got this huge fancy tool and stuck it into the guys leg. It had a camera attached so I could see what was happening inside. My dad was going in to get a Vein! Dad worked for about 20 minutes cutting inside this guys leg to pull out a vein. When he got it out I was surprised that it wasnt bigger. It looked like a small red string. Dad quickly sowed up his leg and then worked to prepare the vein for the doctor. I was very impressed the way dad worked meticulously on this small vein sowing up tiny microscopic holes that were in the vein. He prepped it for another 20 minutes and then the doctor showed up to start the surgery. My dad left because he had to go do rounds (talk to patients and families who were recovering etc). Then I got up at the head of the patient and got to see as the doctor and his nurse assistant began to open the patients chest! I thought killing hens and chickens in Peru was intense...no, cracking open someones chest is insane! First they cut with a scalpel on the top layer of skin, and then they use a tool that cuts through the fat and cauterizes or burns it so it doesnt bleed to much and then they use a small saw to cut through the sternum. Finally when the chest is open they use a device to crank open and hold open the chest so the doctor can work. Then I saw it all the heart and the lungs, these organs we love with and breathe with, sitting there exposed. It was unreal and so interesting to see. So basically to make a really long story short. I watched a three or so hour surgery where they stopped the heart and took the vein that my dad had gotten out and attached it somewhere in there. Throughout the whole process they were talking to me and explaining things and I I was trying to sound like I knew what was going on, but all i could think to say was "My friend Bethany is a nurse!" haha I must have said that like 20 times throughout the day!haha. Anyway after the surgery was over, my dad showed up again the close the body. He literally had to sow up like four layers. He first put wires into the chest to pull it closed. Then he sowed up the fat, then another layer, then the skin and then the guy was done. The nurses wheeled the patient to a room in the ICU where he would spend the next five days to be watched and monitored. The rest of the day was much the same although the second surgery I watched my dad on he had his hands right in the patients chest holding the heart for the doctor....it was very cool. Then finally around 5:15 dad and I left the building. This post is already very long, but I could have gone into more stuff about all the people I met, all the WOMEN dad has to deal with haha. I told my dad that where he works is like working in a school like I do cause you work with a bunch of CRAZY WOMEN....lets just admit it when a ton of women get together in a work environment things get a little insane...but anyways thats another story.
I had a long, but awesome day finally getting to see what my dad does for a living. I realized no, my dad is not a doctor, so maybe he wont get any credit, but he is in there with a team of people saving lives everyday and doing it for 12 hours and smiling and talking to patients and interacting with all kinds of people. Okay okay long enough I know so I leave you with a quote from Grey's Anatomy:

"Its not about what you look like, or your job, or how successful you are. It's about having people in your life who you love and who love you. That's all that matters."

Recipe: Caramelized Onion-Apple Pork Chops

Found this recipe and made it last night and it was spectacular...and Im not just saying that because I made it!lol It takes about an hour of prep time and then a few hours in the oven but its totally worth it!

Caramelized Onion Apple pork chop with a side of corn and peas! Yum!

Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter, divided
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
2 granny smith apples, skinned & chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice
3 Tbs dijon mustard
4-6 (6oz) boneless pork chops

How To:
1) Melt 1 Tbs butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook and stir until tender for about five minutes. Lower heat just a bit and stir frequently until onions are caramelized, like about 20 minutes.
2) Spoon onion mixture into medium bowl; stir in cut up apples, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Let mixture cool for a few minutes. meanwhile cut a pocket into the side of each porkchop (I you tubed this cause I had never stuffed porkchops before!)
3) Stuff onion and apple mixture into each chop, reserving the extra. Dredge filled chops in flour. Melt remaining 1 Tbs butter in skillet, brown chops on both sides.
4) Place remaining onion mixture on chops in a casserole dish. Deglaze pan with chicken broth and apple juice and stir in mustard. Then pour mixture over chops. Cover and cook at 325 or 350 for about 2 hours.

You can serve with veggies or coleslaw or potatoes! The porkchop is healthy and is only 7 points plus on WW! Enjoy!

Its Officially Summer!!!

Today is the First Official day of SUMMER!!! Although we people down here in the ATL wouldnt know that to be any different cause its been 95 plus degrees outside for the past two months!! Anywho in honor of this day I bring you some of the best classic Summer Flicks, in my opinion of course, cause nothing says summer like MOVIES!!! So if your sitting around bored (I highly doubt you are??? Hello we are adults and we have commitments!!!) but If ya just want to escape the heat and kick back with a classic summer movie then here are a few you should check out!

1) Now and Then - Hello this was every girls movie back in 95! I remember first watching it at a birthday party probably when I was like ten, so like three years after it came out. And I remember calling my mom and asking her permission to watch the movie cause I knew it was Pg-13...what a good daughter I was!ha!

2) Sandlot- Every boy's favorite summer movie of 93! "YOU PLAY BALL LIKE A GIRL!!" Dont remember when I first saw this one but I assure you I probably watched it with my two brothers. And after watching it I remember wanting to play baseball with the boys....so that is just what I did on the neighborhood street, I played ball with the boys!lol

3) One Crazy Summer- You cant have summer without the 80s, so this one takes us back to 86 before I was born and you can catch a young John Cusack and Demi Moore hangin out and makin out in Nantucket in the summer no less!!! This is a fun movie I've seen probably over fifteen times!

4) Stand by Me- Again with 86!!! That year was money! Also my oldest brother was born that year...random fact. Classic story of four friends out on adventure in search of a body...no its not a horror movie but its a classic!

5) The Endless Summer- 1966 Classic Surfing movie... basically THE SURFER MOVIE!! Again I cant recall the first time I watched this movie but I know it was sometime when I was in Florida  hanging with my cousins Benji and Jordan, who are quite the surfer dudes! I always wanted to be a surfer...so maybe when I move to Florida in August I can become one too!ha

6) Summer Rental- This movie came out in 1985 but I dont think I saw it until about 15 years later. I found it on tv one summer and then I watched it a bunch! Its about a family who is going on summer vacation and just cant seem to catch a break. Another good one from the 80s!

7) The Parent Trap- Both the 1961 and 1998 version! The classic switch-aroo movie! I remember watching the orignial with my cousins Katelyn and Olivia and Erin especially (probs cause Erin and Liv are twins!!!!) But then the new version came out and I got to go for my birthday and ever since then I have spent the last 14 years A) trying to get that handshake down and B) wishing I could have gone to Camp!!

8) Jaws - This 1975 movie is the reason I hate the Ocean...well I love the ocean I just hate sharks!!! For some reason we would always watch these movies while we were in Florida on Summer vacation, and then of course there was that jaws ride in Universal that did me in when I was eight...I am scarred for life!

9) Heavyweights-1995 I really wanted to go to fat camp after watching this movie...mostly for the Blob...and maybe to hang out with ben stiller in his prime! This was Judd Apatow's brilliance many years before movies like 40 year old virgin and knocked up... etc!

10) Blue Crush- In 2002 I was 14 in eighth grade and totally in love with this movie. This movie started my favorite photo pose.."The Blue Crush pose" you know the one where we stand looking at the ocean and we take a picture just of our backs??? yeah thats the one that I coined back in freshman year of high school due to my intense love for this movie! Again I wanted to be a surfer...."You think you can surf it for real?" "you know it"...it has a killer soundtrack too!

So obviously I left off some good ones like Dirty Dancing, Almost Famous, Adventureland, Tommy Boy, Wet Hot American Summer, The Karate Kid, Grease, just to name a few. But anywho check any of these flicks out this summer!

Can U Handle the new Tunes??

So yeah its Wednesday and its the middle of the week and I'm just gonna throw out some new tunes that I am totally into! Now maybe you have heard them and maybe you havent and maybe they are from ten years ago...but whatever the case check them out cause they are on repeat on my itunes...

1. "Break off the Bough" -Cary Brothers: I love this dude and this is one of his tunes from last year but I just found it from watching that new abc family show "switched at birth"

2. "Struck by Lightning" - The Wooden Birds: This song is from their new album "two matchsticks" and I was totally obsessed after I heard it on one tree hill. The whole album is tight so check it out!

3. "Waiting for the sun"- Powderfinger: These aussies have been around for awhile...like many years and I just stumbled upon them..cant remember how but I love this song and I also love their song "my happiness"

4. "Calgary"- Bon Iver: If ya havent heard Bon Iver's new single then u must be hiding under a rock! Justin Vernon is a genius...This song builds beautifully... If ya like this song check out some of his old stuff.. my mom and my personal fave is "Skinny Love" we rock out like no other to that song!

5. "Faint Not"- Jenny and Tyler: My dear friend Bethany Yoder introduced me to this husband and wife duo and I havent looked back since! Awesome Tune...Thanks B!

6. "Sugar"- Stretch Princess: Anyone who is a fan of MK & A movies aka Mary kate and Ashley... has to remember this song from Passport to Paris! Found this song when I was watching the movie with my dear friend Cree and then of course I went and downloaded it! Its so fun!

Yeah yeah so thats what I have for ya now! I dont want to overload you will my thousands of songs so TUNE in next time for some more TUNES!ha!

Peace Out

-AL

SheBAM!! Two new recipes!

Okay people just call me the food network star cause I am on a cooking roll. While I would love to update you on life, music, and movies Im afraid that this new online class is keeping me fairly busy...but have no fear my favorite stress relieving thing to do in between online classes is COOK!

So the first recipe is taken from weight watchers but me and my mom changed it up a bit adding some flair...but dont worry its still super healthy and super delicious! Here is the recipe for Chicken with balsamic vinegar, sweet onions, and thyme.

Chicken with Balsamic vinegar, sweet onions, and thyme. Serve over brown rice with Broccoli and a whole wheat roll on the side!

Ingredients:
3 Tbs flour
3/4 tsp salt
1lb (four 4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tsp olive oil
1 large vidalia onion, cut in half lengthwise
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbs thyme
1 tsp butter

On a plate combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken, browning on both sides for about five minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 350
once all chicken pieces are browned on both sides put them in a casserole dish and cover and place in oven.
Add onions to skillet and saute over medium high heat until browned about four minutes. Add broth, vinegar, thyme, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often for a few minutes. Remove this mixture from skillet and add the whole mixture to the casserole dish with the chicken in it and put it back in the oven.
Leave the chicken in the oven for about 2 hours to finish cooking with the sauce.

Serve over brown rice and with broccoli on the side. It makes for a great meal and the chicken with 1/4 cup of sauce is only 6 points plus on Weight Watchers!


Okay now for something sweet! Here is a delicious recipe for cookies that I got from Joy Bauer's Slim & Scrumptious cook book! Did u know they have millions of cook books at the library??? LOVE IT! Anywho this is a recipe for Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies...and they are delicious! Im serious, you wont even know they are healthy cookies!haha

Two cookies for only 4 WW points plus! YUM!!

Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbs canola oil
2 egg whites lightly beaten
1 Tbs vanilla extract

In a bowl combine oats, flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then add chocolate chips and dried cherries.
In a separate bowl combine applesauce, canola oil, egg whites, and vanilla
Then add dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture and mix until combined

Place in the fridge for a few hours. Then pre-heat oven to 350
drop Tablespoon size dough onto baking sheet and press down with your fingers to flatten cookie
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes depending on the oven

You can have two cookies for only 149 calories, 3 grams of fat, 135mg of sodium, 28g carbs, and 3g protein...Translation only 4 points plus for weight watchers!

And I am telling you the truth these are delicious and you wont miss the butter and sugar!

Ummm yeah NEW Recipe: Asian Pasta Stir Fry

yeah yeah sorry for the lack of update here in the ATL!!! I have been busy and stressing with this whole Job search but, do ya know what calms me down (other than goin to the movies...duh that was obvious) But anywho its cooking!!!! And I love that my mom has let me go out and buy groceries and try new recipes cause I found another good one in my Women's Health Magazine. This recipe is for an Asian Pasta Stir Fry and get this its HEALTHY and DELICIOUS!

Here is a pic of the Asian Pasta Stir Fry from Women's Health Magazine

Serves 4 (you can double everything to make more. I doubled and it served 6 or more)
prep time 20 minutes
total time 30 minutes

ingredients:
1 small onion
2 cups whole-wheat or whole grain penne
2 tsp whole wheat flour
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 egg plus 3 egg whites
1 Tbs canola oil
4 cups baby spinach
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cups chopped tomatoes (use canned its cheaper and drain them)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 & 1/4 cups canned pineapple chunks drained
salt and pepper to taste

1. cook pasta until al dente and then rinse under cold water and drain and put aside
2. while pasta cooks whisk together flour, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and broth in small bowl
3. In another small bowl lightly beat egg and egg whites
4. In a large skillet heat oil on medium high heat. Add spinach, garlic, and small chopped onion and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Drizzle eggs into pan and continue to stir mixture as they cook. About 1 minute later add tomatoes, red pepper, and then soy sauce mixture. Cook for 2 minutes and bring to a boil.
5. Add pasta and cook in skillet for about 3 minutes so pasta is heated
6. Remove from heat and toss pineapple in and then add salt and pepper to taste.

* This is a vegetarian dish but I added already cooked chicken strips when I added my pasta to the mixture on the heat so you can do that too if you wish to add some meat

1 serving is 2 cups and its 8 points on Weight Watchers points plus! Enjoy!

You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love

Can you name three tv shows that consistently use song titles, like the one I have named this post after, as their episode titles???


Okay so that was just some trivia for ya but anywho I havent been posting much the last few days because I have been applying for jobs and licenses and all of that crazy adult stuff!aahhhhh!!! So I decided that todays post is all about OBSESSIONS!! So I am going to update you on my life with my current obsessions and maybe you will see one that you might want to check out!


Current Book Obsession: The Hunger Games Trilogy (Im on the second one) If you havent read them you would be crazy not too! They are totally addictive and way better than the twilight books! They have romance, action, drama, suspense and a tough female lead...I want to be Katniss! I cant wait for the movie next summer!


Current TV Obsession: So You Think You Can Dance....its just beginning and Im so excited about it...I just wish I could dance like they do!


Current Food Obsession: Frozen Yogurt aka Fro Yo- Its got the taste of ice cream but its smooth and creamy and doesnt make you feel guilty cause there is practically no fat or calories!


Current Web Obsession: Hellogiggles http://hellogiggles.com/- this website was put together by the actress Zooey Deschanel and some of her friends! I love it! It has funny videos and articles and reviews and all things girl! check it out and I promise you wont be disappointed. 


Current Workout Obsession: Kickboxing- three words of advice...JUST DO IT! for real though try it..its a great workout and stress reducer. And if you are a peaceful mennonite like me, it gives you an excuse to beat the crap out of something, ya know get in touch with your inner butt kicking BAMF!


Current Movie Obsession: Bridesmaids- It is the must see comedy of the summer...sure its raunchy and has terrible language but Kristen Wiig is pure genius and she wrote the fricken script! You will be laughing from beginning to end. Its one of those movies you could definitely see more than once


Current Song Obsession: "Baby Drugs" by Tristen...I love it, I dont know why I just do, so why dont ya have a listen too! 

So yeah those are the current summer obsessions for me right now! WHat are yours????


Peace & Blessings

If at first you don't succeed Tri, Tri, again!!!!!!!

I believe that some people are born with natural talent, or they have that natural ability to be ridiculous good at something. Like Michael Jordan and Basketball or Scorsese and film making, or Lea Michele and singing.Now this doesnt mean that they didnt work their butts off, but people have their hidden talents and sometimes they stay hidden until they are brought out somehow. For me it took a while to find out what I was truly good at. Growing up I was never good at singing or anything musical, which is strange cause I am full blood mennonite..haha! And I was never the artistic one either, but I was always pretty athletic. Though I have always been athletic I have never been the top, the one breaking the records or getting scholarships or really dominating one sport. But in the last few months while I was training for my first sprint triathlon, I realized something...my talent, my natural ability, my gift, is.... EXERCISE!!! I am freakishly good at Exercising! I have been exercising consistantly since the seventh grade, when I started running a mile in the mornings before school. Later in high school I participated in a sport that most people would consider a punishment...Running ie: cross country & track. And then when I got into college I was probably one of the only students at Goshen College who was up at 5 am at the Rec Fit, working out. When I got into college I started cross training, spinning, lifting, swimming, running, jump roping, kick boxing, zumba...you name it and I did it! 

busting out of the water after the swim!

So anyways my point to all of this is, this past sunday, May 29th, I finally put my talent, my passion, my natural ability, my hard work, into something, and it was a triathlon. It started with a 500 yd swim, then went into a 12.5 mile bike, and finished with a 3.1 mile run. Going into this I thought I would just take it easy and do the best I could, but my natural competitive nature had me going right from the start of the swim. Swimming is one of my strengths so I got an early lead in the pack of women and finished my swim in 8 minutes and 34 seconds. Then I moved into the first transition area and hopped on my bike. The first few miles of the bike were a little unsettling because I was riding a real racing bike, that I borrowed, and that was made for things like this and I was not used to it. So I got smoked my  a few people in the first few miles of the bike, but once I got my barrings I made up some ground and was really able to push it through the up hills and down hills. I finished the bike in 41 minutes and I felt strong...probably because of all those spinning classes!ha! When I hopped off my bike at the second transition my legs felt like Jello, but surprisingly I had a great run. The first mile was all down hill and then the second mile was all up hill and the third mile was up and down hill. I actually finished the run in 24 minutes and 20 seconds! So in all with the transitions I finished in 1 hour and 18 minutes! I was the seventh female overall and 45th out of 130 people! So overall it was an awesome experience! Even better was that I got to do this with my dad! I whooped up on him in the swim but he beat me with the bike and run and finished just over a minute faster than me! But that is awesome for a man in his 50s!haha! Me and my mom and Dad had such a great weekend in southern Ga doing this and all I can say is that I am officially ADDICTED!!! I definitely want to do more of these triathlons in the future for sure! So until that time you can find me at L.A. Fitness doing what I do best...Workin Out!!!haha!


peace and blessings

Music Mayhem..."yeah yeah!!!!!!"

So I decided it was time for a little update...No No, there are no recipes today, no strange celeb news...although did ya see Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez kiss at the Billboard music awards this past week??? AWKWARD!!! Anywho I decided that this post would be my opportunity to share a few good tunes that are kickin off my summer! Now I could share with you my 30 new fave tunes but I understand that would be totally overwhelming so im just gonna give ya a few now to ponder!!


1. "Pumped up kicks"- Foster the People

- Though this is actually a dark song about a kid who is an outcast and goes crazy, it has a very upbeat melody. Its a catchy california tune that will have you singin "all the other kids with thier pumped kicks better run better run faster than my gun..."


2. "Light up the world" -Glee Cast

-This song had me singin and dancing long after the finale was over. This is a new original song by the Glee cast and I am totally loving it! I have it on my workout mix on my ipod and its my total self esteem booster! Love it!


3. "Lost In my Mind" -The Head and The Heart

- This song makes me want to whistle and play guitar. Its a totally chill and cute song that I love to get lost in. It starts out light and builds and builds. So roll down your window, put your sunglasses on and get Lost in your mind and in this song.


4. "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N" -Noah and The Whale

- Not sure if I just missed out on this song or what, but I have loved Noah and The Whale for about a year now and just stumbled upon this song a few weeks ago. I love it!!! This song can be kinda depressing and very up lifting at the same time...Crazy how artists can do that with their tunes.


5. "Belong Here" -78 Violet

- I was sad when the CW cancelled Hellcats but at least I am left with this song... which I love to workout to!ha! Sisters Aly and AJ Michalka used to be Aly and AJ and now they are 78 violet. And there tunes are a bit "Disney" but still fun! so check it out!


6. "Missed Me" -Matthew Mayfield

- I love Matthew Mayfield and all his songs are awesome but this is a new jam from his new CD "Now Your Free". Its just a good old rockin tune and i love his voice! A true rocker who also has some slow jams that are totally romantic like "First in line".




So yeah check out some of these Jams and let me know what ya think! Next week I will post some new jams!!! Turns out Im obsessed with the word "JAM" if ya couldnt tell already!


Peace out girl scout...


-AL

Black Bean soup & Cobb Pita's Recipe 5/25

Hey guys I got a new recipe for ya, and its one my mom makes so well! Now I know you might think that soup in 95 degrees would not be good, but this black bean soup, rivals that of the one at Panera, and it works in any season. So try these two things together: the soup and the cobb pita salad

Black Bean soup & Cobb Pitas

Black Bean Soup:
Ingredients 
4 (15 oz) cans black beans
1/2 can (15 oz)
1/2 cup chicken broth
small onion
minced garlic
cumin
salt and pepper to taste


saute 2 cloves minced garlic and onion (cut up into small pieces) with a little bit of olive oil on medium t high heat
-After about five minutes, add three of the cans of black beans
-Add the chicken broth and tomato sauce too
-Add some salt and black pepper
-Stir on the heat for about ten minutes


Take the mixture off the heat and puree it using a blender or handheld blender etc.
-Add cumin to taste (how ever much you like, mom just kinda tosses it in)
-Add more salt and pepper for taste (again its whatever you like) 
- Then add the last can of black beans but do NOT puree so that you have some whole beans in the soup for some texture


If serving at this time put it back on heat for a few minutes until hot, if not you can put it away in the fridge till a later time or even freeze it for another day! serve with a dollap of sour cream on top and some chopped up onions
-Serves about six people


Cobb Pitas:
Ingredients
-1 package american style lettuce blend
-1 & 1/2 cups coarsely chopped smoked turkey breast
-1/3 cup bacon bits
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
-Dressing of choice
-small cherry tomatoes halved
-Whole wheat pitas cut in half


Combine first five ingredients in bowl and toss
Fill each pita half with lettuce mixture and top with some cherry tomatoes
-Serves 4 people (each person gets two pitas halves)

Summer Lovin had me a blast...NEW RECIPE 5/21

Hey everybody happy weekend! I have many reasons to be happy this weekend, and not just because it is 95 degrees outside...

1) I had a garage sale today and even though it wasnt quite the hit I hoped it would be, I still made a few bucks from it...as you can see in the pic we didnt have that many customers!Ha


2) this new frozen yogurt place FIVE SPOT opened up today and they were giving away free yogurt and it was sooo good! I am totally loving this new fro yo craze! its way better for you than ice cream but it tastes just as good!


3) FIRDAY NIGHT LIGHTS- now I realize that this show was on last night, but my dad DVRed it so that we could all watch it together as a fam. I love watchin shows with the fam! But anyway this show is probably the most well written show on tv and its ending this season. I have watched it since the the beginning and its been an awesome show! So if you havent ever watched it the I recommend you start with season one and watch all five seasons cause it is addicting.


3) and the fourth and final reason today was great is because my mother, whom I love dearly, tried out a new recipe for these Cane Pole Kabobs, and they were delicious! Thanks for cooking Mom! 
 check it out!

- wooden kabob skewers
- 1 (16 oz package) turkey sausage, cut into one or two inch pieces
-1 (16 oz jar) marinated cherry peppers (they are like sweet peppers) YUMMM!!
-2 medium sized sweet onions cut into pieces
-2 green peppers (or any other vegetable that you want to go on your Kabob)
-1 cup barbecue sauce


1. Preheat the grill to 300 or 350 depending on your grill. Soak your wooden skewers in water for about fifteen minutes to prevent burning


2. Thread sausage, peppers, onions, and any other vegetables, evenly on to skewers


3. Place kabobs on the grill for about five minutes, until sausage is lightly browned. Then turn them and grill for a few more minutes. Then brush with barbecue sauce and grill for few more minutes.


4. Take off the grill and serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired. 


Suggested side dishes: corn on the cobb, dinner rolls, and potatoes! This is a great summertime dish and isnt bad for you is you use turkey sausage!! ENJOY!

Namaste on my mind

"Its Thursday, Thursday, oh why do I love Thursday???" See Rebecca Black, I can write a song about a day of the week too!! NOT HARD!haha anywho I love Thursdays cause so far today is great and I want to share with all of you, whoever YOU might be, why today is great and what is knockin around in my noggin! 

This morning I went with my dear mother to Yoga. I have been a cardio girl since I can remember and I never wanted to do Yoga. But I decided that this summer I would deviate from my regular six days a week cardio and do one day of Yoga at L.A. fitness with my mom. Let me tell ya people Yoga is hard....like I would rather run a 5k at 7 minute mile pace Hard! I realized I have no stretching techniques and Yoga kicked my butt! While it was really tough, it was also very relaxing! So I am going to keep going back and eventually Im sure I will be able to keep my feet flat on the floor during DOWN DOG (who comes up with these names for the moves????)! I encourage you all to try Yoga if ya havent yet!!


Secondly, my bro aka Radio DJ Zach Miller aka claims to know music, sent me a link for a group I had never heard of called Walk The Moon. The song is called "Anna Sun" and I am obsessed with the song and the vidoe...especially the dance number in the middle of the video. So do check out this song at the link...im sure you will love it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW7f54tVRmQ


Third, as most of you know its nearing the end of my which means most of our fave shows are either ending for summer or beginning for the summer session, this also means that network execs are relseasing what shows got cancelled, what got renewd, and what is new for the fall! If your like my mom you can cry over Brothers and Sisters ending, but if your like me you can say "hey I loved Hellcats, but ya win some and ya lose some, but lets celebrate the NEW" and after watching some of the previews for the new I am getting excited to see what is in store for the fall! Here is a link to watch a few preview videos for some new shows on the CW network (a personal fave of mine) http://www.tvline.com/2011/05/cw-fall-preview-secret-circle-ringer-dixie/

And lastly, I have forgotten how awesome the band, Toad The Wet Sprocket, is! Tuesday's One Tree Hill featured the song "Walk On The Ocean" which reminded me how much I loved them back in the day!!! anywho check them out too if ya havent already heard of them!

Okay I think that is all I got for now...I got to go apply for jobs and plan a garage sale!!! Peace out 

Parachute's "The Way It Was" Album Review

Okay people I know what you are thinking...She is updating again??? Three days in a row!! All I can say is don't get used to it, im sure I will get busy soon...Hopefully!ha! But until I become otherwise occupied by applying for jobs, some sort of work, or working out, I will continue to blog frequently.

Anywho last night I came across the band, Parachute's new album on Itunes. It is called "The Way It Was" and its a follow up to their 2009 #1 chart topping album "Losing Sleep". Now if you are like me, you might only remember their one smash hit, "She is love", but other than that I didn't give to much thought about this band... But their new album is awesome! There are ten tracks of easy listening tunes with appealing vocals.  Many of the songs like "Kiss me Slowly", "White Dress" and "You and Me", have enough sappy love in them to make me think T-swift wrote these. Never the less, though many of the songs are about love, they are easy listening and very catchy. Also most of these songs kinda make me wish I was in love...So if your in love, these could be your tunes!LOL! Anywho my personal fave on the album is the single "Something to Believe in". It feels like an anthem of sorts, its very catchy, and it has a gospel like chorus. I definitely recommend you to check out this album, cause it is a fun one!

Check out the link here to hear the song "Something to Believe in" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyVZ4uVHYRw

Cooking with Allison 5/17

Hey everybody, just as I promised in my first post, I will be giving you all sorts of neat recipes, workouts, movie reviews and rants! Today I decided to try a new recipe from Southern Living Magazine, and its for a Smoky Chicken Chili! Its a delicious white chicken type chili and its really healthy! If you are on weight watchers like me, its only 5 points plus for a whole cup! So if you like to cook I reccomend you try this recipie:


Ingrediants:
2 poblano chili peppers, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 (14.5oz) cans zesty chili-style diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded or chopped chicken
1 (16 oz) can navy beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 & 1/2 cups low sodium, fat free, chicken broth
1 (1.25oz) packet of white chicken chili seasoning mix


How to:
Saute first four ingredients in olive oil in a large pan over medium/high heat on the stove for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then stir in diced tomatoes and the next five ingredients in any order. Bring it to a boil on high heat for a minute. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with toppings such as sour cream, cheese, cilantro, corn or tortilla chips. 


A great side to this dish is guacamole and tortilla chips!


Here is a pic of the finished Chili on the stove! It easily serves a family of 5 or 6 people! Enjoy!

Blogging Now!!!

So now that I have graduated from college and I have no idea really where my life is going (other than the fact that I am going to move to Florida and try to get a teaching job there), I have decided to start blogging. I have many friends in many places, and I think this is a great way to keep people updated on my life, my interests, and my rants!ha! Most people who know me, know Im not the best writer but I do love to talk. So I want to use this blog to share all of my passions with you! I love to exercise, cook & bake, listen to music, and of course watch movies! So each week I will be uploading posts about exercising things I do, or new recipes I like to make, or what music I am into these days, and last but not least good old movie reviews (cause you all know I know what I am talking about when it comes to cinema!haha) So we are going to try this blog thing out for the next year, while I am transitioning to the next chapter of my life and I hope you guys will check out the blog and take this journey with me!

-Peace and Blessings,

Allison