Happy New Year!! ~2013~

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!!  I know I sure had a blast in 2012 and cannot wait for all that 2013 has to bring :)  As usual I have been juicing up to 2 times a day because I just can't get away from all of the health benefits.  I have had so much more energy and that is exactly what I need for my New Year's Goal for 2013. 

I really tried hard to stay away from making resolutions like "Losing weight" and really want to focus on staying active this year.  Whether going to the gym, running on the beach, taking a hike, or paddle boarding, I am making a goal to do something active everyday in this new year.  Now some may say that isn't realistic but I love pushing myself and proving that I "CAN" do it.  I am not expecting myself to run 2 miles everday.  That would be unrealistic.  However I am going to be thinking about what I can do Active tomorrow before going to bed the night before.  If the day gets crazy I plan to do a workout in my bedroom.  You know some crunches, lifting some weights, and using my bands to strengthen and tone my legs. 

So far this year my husband and I have been hitting the gym during the week while our kids are in school.  We even tried Raquetball the one day.  That was so much fun and something completely out of the norm for us.  We can't wait for Monday so we can play again.  We even took the kids on a hike at one of our local state parks.  My youngest is 5 years old and kept up the whole time on the 4 mile hike. 

We made smart choices and packed a healthy lunch full of fruit choices and Avocado Turkey Wraps.  Things are really going smooth and I couldn't be happier about that.  We have also recently watched the documentary "Hungry For Change" which is made by the same producers of "Food Matters" two very powerful documentaries about food and our health.  I highly reccomend them and of course if you are just finding this blog and starting on your journey and you haven't watched "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead"  that is also a must watch documentary. 

I am going to be posting alot of recipes this year so stay tuned :)  Don't forget to "Like" Skinny Jeans Amy on Facebook too.  I would love to hear about your journey too!

Mac & Cheese Cupcake Recipe for kids!

So just what are Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes?  I wondered the same thing when I first saw the previews for Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network one morning.  I yelled for my kids to come quick knowing if they hear Mac & Cheese there interest would spike.  Put it together with the word Cupcakes and they would sit through the whole episode :)  The recipe is pretty simple and can be changed in many ways.  If you would like the original recipe it can be found here Baked Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes.  This is the original Food Network Recipe and here are the changes I made, keeping my "skinny jeans" in mind.

Our Recipe Used: 

• Summer Squash 
• Zucchini
• Red Pepper
• Diced Roma Tomatoes
• Fresh Spinach (chopped) 
• Part Skim Mozzarella
• Reduced Fat Mild Cheddar Cheese
• Chopped Ham
• Pepperoni (cut into small triangles)
• Elbow Noodles (tossed with Summer Squash Puree, see below)
• Italian Style Breadcrumbs
• Olive Oil

I used the Mozzarella because my son isn't too crazy about baked macaroni and cheese to begin with so I wanted to put a milder twist on the cheese in these cupcakes.  Again the "picky eater" my son, will not eat meat so I diced up tomatoes (his comfort zone) and added a Summer Squash Puree to the elbow noodles after they had been cooked and cooled for added nutrition.  The Summer Squash Puree Recipe is posted on another blog post and can be found here Summer Squash Puree Recipe.

The kids put the elbow noodles into the Cupcake pans a spoonful at a time, eating some elbow noodles here and there.  Sprinkled some cheese and veggies and whatever choice of meat the preferred, or none, if you can guess which one that was :)  We sprinkled breadcrumbs on top, some more generously than others, then drizzled the olive oil on top.  With the oven preheated to 350 degrees F we let the Mac & Cheese Cupackes bake for about 7-8 minutes.  They came out looking like this!

Very Colorful and not quite as full as they could have been.  This was the first time making this recipe and I am thinking we could have been a little more generous about packing the ingredients in so we will be prepared for next time.  I hope you enjoy making them with your kids!

Fat Jeans, Skinny Jeans, and Everything in Between!

So if you haven't seen a trend in the basics of my blog already I will fill you in on my life.  Just in case you haven't guessed it by now, my name is Amy.  I am a proud mother to three beautiful children.  My oldest daughter is 8, bright, smart and fun.  My middle child, my son, is 6 and is very talented and smart.  My youngest daughter is 3, super cute, and super funny.  She is about to be 4 which I don't like to mention.  Don't get me wrong, I am super excited she is going to be 4, however, that does mean it will be 4 years since giving birth and not dropping my weight.  Sure it has fluctuated, at one point I was 165 lbs. which at 5' 8" isn't horrible but still wasn't skinny. 

I say one point because I feel like I have been riding a crazy cycle of gaining and losing between 179-190 lbs for a couple of years now.  My tight "Fat Pants" (which is what I call them) are size 14 and my love handles clearly show.  My "Skinny Jeans" (which by the way haven't been worn in over two years) are a size 12.  I have fit some of my size 12 but not my "Skinny Jeans" size 12.  I know, I know you might be laughing right now thinking "that isn't skinny" or maybe you are saying "Oh My God I know" and can totally relate.  Either way, I think it is safe to say that every girl has her "Fat Jeans" and her "Skinny Jeans".

Which brings us back to my blog.  I want to fit back into my "Skinny Jeans" a pair of American Eagle "Artist Jeans" size 12 possibly sized wrong and are really a size 10.  I am just saying...geez....hear me out.  For some reason I have two other pair of American Eagle Jeans size 12 and 3 pairs of capris size 12 which I fluctuate wearing (key word wearing).  I can somehow fit into those size 12.  Not my "Skinny Jeans" size 12 though :(

 Like I said I am in between being somewhat comfortable in my size 12, then the too tight size 12 but too loose size 14, to the too tight size 14 but refusing to buy size 16.  So I am taking things seriously and really researching what I keep doing over and over again and keep failing over and over again.  I want to find a way to keep the weight off for good and then maintain it as well.  This is my journey to lose the pounds, maybe not be super skinny, but at least fit into my "Skinny Jeans" and feel good about myself again.  Be active (I forgot what that word meant) and healthy for me, my kids, and my husband.  I hope you can relate to what I am going through, been through, and hope to accomplish.  Follow along On My Way to Skinny :)

~Amy
Skinny Jeans Amy, Skinny Jeans!  Stay Focused.