tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28593812703409883222024-02-07T01:04:43.589-05:00Baby Steps To A Brand New MeBaby Steps To A Brand New Me: A blog about my personal journey to becoming fit and healthy (and some news about the rest of my life, too)Liz Springsteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09652417130216945105noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859381270340988322.post-53681378016199329942016-11-03T16:11:00.002-04:002016-11-03T16:28:08.151-04:00Remembering my dadOn November 21, 2010, I lost my dad due to complications from a stroke. He was my best friend. I miss him so very much. I'm going to type 21 things I loved about him in this blog to help keep my mind off the sorrow. These are in no order. Just random thoughts.<br />
1. I loved Dad's humor!<br />
2. I loved that he would call me to talk about weather and gas prices, and we'd end up talking for hours!<br />
3. I love that he brushed my hair every night as a young child.<br />
4. I love that my twin bro and I used to stand on our beds to turn off the light after we'd get a kiss on the cheek and say "night night love you" to Dad.<br />
5. I love that he taught me how to cook as a teen.<br />
6. I love that he never gave up on me when I wanted to give up on myself.<br />
7. I love that he gave me a love for singing and playing the piano (even though I haven't played since 2008 when my digital piano died due to hot cocoa being spilled on it).<br />
8. I love that he had confidence I'd be a great mom!<br />
9. I love that he got me hooked on flannel shirts as a teen. I really need to find one again since I haven't worn them in around 15 yrs!<br />
10. I loved how he'd "cremate" the brats, burgers, hot dogs, steak, (whatever other type of meat) on the grill because he'd cook it til it was just crisp....lots of people hate their meat with crusty spots, but I miss it!!! Haven't had it that way since 2001 (I left before grilling season in 2002)....neighbors would always tease "you've got your crematory going again, don't you, Dave?"....<br />
11. I loved that he sang "How Great Thou Art" with such passion.<br />
12. I love that during the last year of his life, he wanted to eat healthier and started losing weight like I knew he could (he was overweight all my life).<br />
13. I love that he could make a friend out of anyone!<br />
14. I love that he loved who I chose as my husband, even though he didn't like me moving 450 miles away.<br />
15. I love that he loved his grandsons so very much and would have moved here if he could have.<br />
16. I love that he encouraged me to get good grades in school.<br />
17. I love how he taught my twin brother and I how to rake leaves into "houses" and play in each room when we were little.<br />
18. I love how he wanted to teach me to drive, so he'd take me to a private cemetery and let me have at it. I went 5 mph only!!! (And then I moved and never learned how to drive, due to medical reasons.)<br />
19. I love how he taught my brother how to grow our own garden and we watched as Albert got as tall as the corn all in one summer (and I still was stuck at 5'5" while he got to 6'3"). I wish I'd have paid attention so I could grow my own food now!<br />
20. I love that he had the most contagious laugh!<br />
21. I love that he gave me so many good memories!!!<br />
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This pic was taken while he was at the nursing home, healing from a broken hip. Mom had lost a lot of weight, too, at the time this was taken. I am so glad I got a copy of this picture!!! Thank you for reading this blog! It helps to talk about the good times. I just miss him so much!! I'm so thankful that my husband is now my best friend (besides the Lord) and has the same humor, the same qualities as a father that my dad had with me, etc. I love that he always knows how to get me to laugh when I'm having a hard time. He teases me all the time, just like Dad used to. I can tell Adam anything. We talk about things that we can't talk about with anyone else. I'm so blessed to be married to such a great husband and father.</div>
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This was the most recent family pic we have of us. We're so blessed. Have a great day friends and please keep me in your thoughts as I deal with another November without Daddy.</div>
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<br />Liz Springsteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09652417130216945105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859381270340988322.post-76358927286427846152016-10-14T14:10:00.003-04:002016-10-14T14:10:50.025-04:00Great Recipe For Colder WeatherFridays from October through March are our chili day for supper! This year I decided I wanted to cook up dried great northern beans and package them in 1 cup servings to freeze and take out for chili days. My whole family loves chili now, instead of just some of us!!!<br />
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I just prepped everything for today's meal.<br />
Recipe is as follows:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1/2 tsp chili powder</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp garlic powder </span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp onion powder </span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp dried oregano leaves</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1/4 tsp black pepper</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />1 tsp dried basil leaves<br />1 1/2 cups tomato juice (we use the Aldi brand)<br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 cup great northern beans</span><br /><span itemprop="ingredients">1 pound of 90/10 lean ground beef </span><br />1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt</ul>
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Tips</h2>
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Remember to cook your beans and bag them up to freeze before hand...take out to thaw.</div>
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Directions</h2>
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Brown the meat with the seasonings. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients and cook on low for 3 hours. (Or high for 1.5 hours)<br /><br />Serving Size: 5 bowls</div>
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Liz Springsteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09652417130216945105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859381270340988322.post-84263267863763638482016-10-13T14:57:00.003-04:002016-10-13T14:57:19.070-04:00Starting Over With This BlogI deleted all my old posts. I'm starting this blog over. I think it's been like 4 years since I've been on here.<div>
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To bring people up to date, the title of this blog has to do with my wellness journey. I've overcome depression/bipolar in the past 3 1/2 years. I've changed my whole lifestyle around, from being lazy and eating junk all day long, to being very active and eating healthy, whole foods most of the time. I try to stay away from grains and dairy as much as I can. I've lost over 130 lbs since January 5, 2012. No surgery. No fad diets. No wraps. Only by changing what I eat and being more active. I am known as my city's "walking lady". </div>
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I love making meals! I love researching recipes and varying those recipes to get different results. I just made a "fall chicken stirfry" yesterday that was amazing!</div>
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Here is the recipe: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7adiXsgAsyZPR2Jaxa_qr8SjYN21G7SGbB6fMqwvahjmATmNpQhlVMq1akqeRz9-lxpT3BJFZ_doloAEdzpmz8CqSU2XxwNBGipSERv7VhSiIeTkAUyJmEPVUDksM7cUf3AFneP1rBo/s1600/Chicken+Apple+Stirfry+Sauteing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7adiXsgAsyZPR2Jaxa_qr8SjYN21G7SGbB6fMqwvahjmATmNpQhlVMq1akqeRz9-lxpT3BJFZ_doloAEdzpmz8CqSU2XxwNBGipSERv7VhSiIeTkAUyJmEPVUDksM7cUf3AFneP1rBo/s200/Chicken+Apple+Stirfry+Sauteing.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1/8 tsp ground ginger<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br />just a pinch ground nutmeg<br />1/2 tsp dried basil<br />4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut up in small chunks<br />1/2 medium Gala apple, cut up in small pieces<br />1/8 cup of walnuts, chopped<br />1/4 cup cooked black beans<br />1/2 Tbs coconut oil</span></div>
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Directions</div>
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Melt the coconut oil on medium heat. Cut up the chicken into small chunks and saute on low-medium. Add diced apples and beans. Saute for a little while longer, while stirring occasionally. Add rest of ingredients and saute til apples are practically falling apart.</div>
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I wish I'd have left some to put in the fridge so I could try it cold, but it was so good that I devoured it!<br />
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I'll be teaching my boys how to make this next Monday! They are 11 and 13. I'm trying to get teach them different things since they are now old enough. I'm hoping they inherit my love for cooking, like I inherited my dad's love for cooking! I miss him so very much! He'd be so proud of my accomplishments.<br />
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I'll close this post out for now. Have a wonderful day and please welcome me back to the blogging world!<br />
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Liz Springsteenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09652417130216945105noreply@blogger.com0