Protein Shake

Trying to eat better is no easy feat. I have noticed that by cutting out most, if not all of my sugars, foods are tasting exceptionally sweet. Yogurts & spaghetti sauce for example taste too sugary, and that ice-cream cake gave me a head rush! :}

Here is a sample of one meal I have eaten. I am only 5 weeks in to this new eating plan, so you may note that I still have a small amount of salad dressing, I used 1 egg to my egg whites (cuz after my 12 cups uncooked = 1 cup cooked spinach mistake and  my egg white lunch I can't stomach an all egg white meal- not yet!)

Lately I have had the same thing for breakfast everyday and I really love it. My mixer makes it nice and frothy with no weird bits floating around.

Protein Shake (from Oxygen magazine):

1 cup skim milk

1 banana

1/4 cup strawberries (a medium strawberry)

1 scoop protein powder

1/4 cup rolled oats (not the quick kind)

juice from an orange (I use a quarter of an orange and squeeze it in)

Lately I have been adding 3-4 leaves of baby spinach too. 

The Other Day's Protein Shake:

(Made by me so not sure of calories etc)

3" of a banana

4 leaves of baby spinach

2-3 small strawberries

a few slices of fresh mango

1/4 cup of rolled oats

1/4 of an orange - squish out the juice

I think I will try this one next...

Spiced Apple Protein Shake

from Oxygen  Women's Nutrition Fitness Magazine

I also have enjoyed a new way to eat a wrap. I forgot where I found this one…sorry.

One multigrain wrap (the most fiber filled one you can handle)

1/4 cup of greek yogurt, plain (the zero fat kind, of course) This is your dressing or "mayo"

2 cups baby spinach (instead of lettuce)

4 oz cooked chicken breast (not processed sandwich meat and not the fast frozen kind, those are loaded with sodium) This is about half a chicken breast

1 small sized tomato 

Roll 'er up and enjoy getting healthy!

And… get this! This is such a big deal for me…I ate fish. Yup.. I haven't eaten fish in almost…woah I almost let you know how old I really am….suffice it to say many many years. :> My Kevie made me salmon on the barbie and I ate my whole portion. I must really want to be healthy. Koodos to my children and guest who ate it too. Fish is not a popular thing in my family at all. :/

Stay tuned maybe I'll share more healthy eating tips with ya!

(Somewhat) Homemade Ice Cream Cake

Our daughter just turned 18 and I wanted to surprise her with a homemade ice-cream cake.

This took me not even 20 minutes (I was in a hurry, she was going to be home soon!) I would suggest that you freeze each layer and not procrastinate the day of your cake making.

My Ingredients:
You can change this up however you want...
2 cartons of  your favourite ice-cream
2 jars of chocolate sauce - the thicker the better
1 package of Oreo cookie crumbs
1 package Oreo cookies
1 package Skor candy bars (4 in a package)
whip cream
carmel sauce

Let ice-cream soften. I used the oreo ice-cream for the bottom layer.

Then I mixed up the chocolate sauce with the cookie crumbs .(This was a first for me so I did not know how much I needed or which one I liked. I ended up using both varieties - see above picture- but I would recommend using a thicker kind)

I would also use more crumbs to make it thicker, & make sure to freeze each layer!

Crush the whole package of Oreos, one row at a time.

Spread the cookies on top of the chocolate sauce. FREEZE!

Spread the top container of ice-cream (you will have left overs). Mine is super soft because I procrastinated. You can see the bottom layer is also soft. Don't do it all at once like I did.

Crush all the Skor bars and place in centre. 

 Spray whip cream in little circles arond the outside of your cake. (Or use the real cream, whip and stuff into a decorators bag and create circles) Then squirt, ooze, drizzle... yummy carmel sauce on top of your cake in a zigzag formation.

YUMMY! But super sweet. I may try frozen yogurt, or sherbet next time, with fruit? Perhaps.

Brye's Airplane Crash & our Trip There

I have thought about it and just feel the time is not yet to post any crash site pictures. However, I will share with you some other moments from our trip.

We landed in Abbotsford airport, (man, that has got to be my favourite airport! I could never get lost in that one! ;) - to the fresh smell of trees, flowers, and farm. (hee hee)

Front of terminal

Backside of terminal

(I know that some fellow Conair people took my Brian here for lunch when he first came up.) 

The following morning the chief pilot and good friend to my late husband, Brian - and now new and dear friend to us,  (we will call him Mr. A) gave us another tour ...

[Inside one of the hangers looking at this huge beast, - which I believe is one of their Canadair CL215T's that can scoop up 5455 litres of water in 12 seconds! In a very small opening.]

A view of more CL215T's while taxing- in the co-pilot's seat. 

…and then soon after Mr. A took us up in a Piper Aerostar PA-60. 

the Piper Aerostar

inside the cockpit of the piper

Kevin took this one of me up front and this rock formation.

The weather was good, the threat of rain held back while we took to the skies. There was a bit of smog. It was the following day when the moisture came. Kevin and I got caught in this shower and were soaked from head to toe once we dropped off the car (that our friends were so kind to lend us) and ran to the terminal. It was such a sweet, warm rain that it has now become a warm fun memory.

The car we borrowed…just kidding!

 Mr. A explained that the Herc's (Hercules) were all taped up to protect them while they sat there…resting :)

(told you there were farms close by…)

A smoggy but otherwise beautiful mountain view.

Just look at those mountains by the runway. No wonder Brian was so excited to work here.

I was given a blessing - during the flight I was calm and at peace. I wondered where Brian was. I knew he wouldn't miss a chance to be in an airplane! I looked over and saw Mr. A shiver and let out a breath. He didn't say, I didn't ask, but I am sure he felt Brian too, sitting right up front with us.

Afterwards, in the parking lot was when my first tearful explosion hit. Kevin was there to hold me close and let me cry it out. There have been other moments, of course, of tears and pain. Seeing the life I was so close to enjoying, in the place we so wanted to be, with people I am sure we would have connected with and become great friends with. 

I am grateful to Conair and Mr. A for allowing me the opportunity to see this holy place. A place where Brian left his mortal existence and entered into a more holy sphere. I am grateful to my husband Kevin who is far more understanding than 90% of the world. He has no jealousy. There is no threat to him when I cry. He has big strong shoulders for me to rest my head on. He "gets it". 

Thanks also go out to Mr. A's family who are always so generous and kind, and to new friends we met while there, (the mechanic who worked on Brian's plane, in fact.) 

I know that love is truly God's greatest gift. 

Here are some more photos you may enjoy...

Take a look at this airplane about to touch down...

Voila!

The cadets were up in gliders that day too.

Close to the crash site.

A favorite rock formation of Mr. A. Kevin and I thought it was pretty fantastic too.

Kevin and I stopped here at the Sweet Spot Cafe in Mission, B.C. 

Just a look at how wonderfully lush this neighbourhood was. 

So, with each day (and each mistake I make) I try a little harder to forgive, a little harder to make things right, with a hope for others hearts to be soft and open to do the same, so that we may all...

Be Happy in Our Journey

Changes

May 15th, 2010. Old flight confirmation. Mrs and Mrs Brian Tilley. Abbotsford, BC.

I had no idea that was the date of our house hunting in BC. How fun it was to fly out for the day together.

We are heading that way again. So close to the exact date. We couldn't have planned it if we tried.

We are flying over the crash site.

I need to see where he took his last breath. I want to imagine what it was like. How he may have felt before trouble occurred. I am so proud of him and how he bravely sacrificed his life for others. There are so many men and women who put their lives on the line daily. I have a much better appreciation for them now.

This is Brian's first flight. 

I may post pictures of the site upon my return. I haven't decided yet. 

On another note…

It's the changes in life that mark the passing of time. 

Our daughter graduated. Holy Smokes! She looked so beautiful, (which made me feel so old standing next to her).  Her dress was modest, her hair in a romantic updo. She looked elegant and graceful. She literally glowed from the inside out. Her outstanding boyfriend was by her side. A true gentleman.  An evening to always be remembered.

And…

it's LANDSCAPING TIME!!

 Here is what our front looks like now. I can't wait to show you what it will look like soon. So many flowers…I love flowers!

More French Country Landscaping Designs

Cruising on HGTV website and found these romantic yards….

I love this path with the greenery growing in between.

Love this painted (and very wide) door.

Beautiful window, flowers and bold paint.

Here, I love the walk way, the bench (similar to what we have), old style watering can (again, similar to what we have) with airy shrubs and so much greenery. I must be missing spring…

I am not sure where I found this next picture but I absolutely love it!

Wonderful soft romantic colours, climbing roses, airy perennials, mixed with the crisp clean pure look of the white fence. Wow. Charming.