I thought I was missing Kansas...

Lately I have been saying that I really miss Kansas.  I would be asked why and my answers made me really think.  It was not Kansas that I was missing but everything that Kansas symbolized to me. 

Kansas was where Kevin, Lauren and I became a family.  Kansas was home.  

"Home is where the Army sends us." 

Kansas was where I had the deepest, darkest saddest time of my life to date.  

Kansas is where my husband held my hand as I told the doctor I needed to talk to someone about how I was feeling.  

Kansas is where I got better and learned to love life and love myself and explore new adventures with my family.  

Kansas is where I fell in love with Kevin all over again.  It is where I really took note of the amazing husband and father and soldier that he really is.  

Kansas is where I met some amazing friends.  There is nothing quite like your fellow military wives.  As the saying goes "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold"

My Battle Buddies were women that I could go to that had, between them all, experienced pretty much everything that I was worried, scared, nervous about. 

Kansas is where we welcome our sweet, Kaelin to our family. 

 Kansas was where Kevin and I first relied completely on each other to make this marriage, family life, army life, work.  We only had each other.  Our love grew stronger and stronger.  

It is still growing stronger and strong every single day that we are apart.  

So I really didn't miss Kansas...well I shouldn't say that.  The Flint Hills are so beautiful.  

I just really miss our whole family unit being together.  I miss hearing the car door shutting and the sound of the keys in the door and Lauren running towards the door for her dad.  I miss the sound of my blackberry messenger on the phone.  I always knew it was Kevin texting, he was the only one who would bbm me.  I miss making dinner together, getting excited to eat at our favorite places, weekend road trips to Kansas City, good night kisses, good morning kisses.  I just miss Kevin.

Not Kansas....

Lauren 18 months

Big, beautiful brown eyes and a smile to make your heart melt. 

 

An uncanny sense of humor for such a little girl. 

 

A sweetness about her you cannot resist.  

My sweet Lauren Grace is 18 months old.  It hit me at her last well check when they said that I didn't have to bring her back for 6 months for her 2 year well check.  No way...6 months isn't that far away.  18 months.  It seriously seems like yesterday that she was born, and yet I have another little bug that is growing just as fast.  I just can't believe it sometimes.  Some of Lauren's favorite activities this month are coloring and playing outside.  I purchased Crayola Color Wonder markers but she loses interest very quickly.  They take a few seconds to to actually show up and by the time they do, she's lost interest and either thrown them on the ground or tries to put them in her mouth.  So, needless to say we are done with those for a while.  She actually prefers to draw with a plain ol' pencil.  I'm just fine with that.  

Another activity is playing outside.  The weather has been warming up (I say that and now it's snowing..ugh) ...The weather WAS warmer the last few weeks and Lauren was able to go outside for a few days.  One day, her uncle Jordan took her for a wagon ride, and yesterday I took both of the girls for a ride and to the park.  She gets so excited when I say we are going outside that she will run and get her shoes and hand them to me saying "Shoe, shoe".  She'll then stand in her room and point up to the coat rack and say "coat"...then she'll run around saying "side, side" (outside).   She just LOVES it!  I don't blame her.  Last year I was so pregnant and it was so HOT in Kansas that we rarely went outside.  I look forward to our daily walks and trips to the local park this summer.  It's only a few blocks away!! 

Experimentation

With weight loss and a healthier lifestyle comes experimentation.  I absolutely love food.  Food is one thing that Kevin and I really, and I mean really really enjoy.  Not just to eat, but to cook, watch shows, read about etc.  I feel like we are a food critic couple.  We just love to try out all things culinary!  I have been doing a lot of research and looking up healthier recipes for some of our favorite foods.  I have mentioned in my posts before about my new found love of Cooking Light .  There are so many recipes to choose from with all of the nutritional information right at your fingertips. 
Recently, my cousin Annette and her husband have been on a journey of a healthier lifestyle as well.  They have introduced Spaghetti Squash as a subsitute for pasta, rice etc.  I thought I would give it a try.  I have been craving chinese/asian cuisine.  Going out wasn't an option because I'd probably throw will power out the window and splurge on the fried orange chicken and an egg roll.  I opted to browse Cooking Light for a Lo Mein recipe.  I came across a recipe for Beef Broccoli Lo Mein. The recipe itself was very simple and very healthy.  Some of the seasonings/sauces I did have to go out and purchase but I had 80% of the ingredients in my cupboards or refridgerator.  I did tweak a few things to lower the calorie/fat content and one of those things was to use Spaghetti Squash instead of pasta.  That in itself cuts the calorie count WAY down.  1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash has 40 calories and 1 cup of cooked pasta spaghetti has 200 cal. 
The squash was quite simple to cook.  Just cut in half, scoop out the seeds and guts, and bake, cut side down for 1 hour at 350degrees.  Season to taste.  I really enjoyed it.  I am not a squash fan, but this did not taste squashy :)

I am going to post the recipe from Cooking Light below along with their nutrtional information.   Pasta or squash this recipe is AMAZING...a bit spicey but very very delicious!  It's always so fun to experiment.  That's what makes cooking and baking so fun.  Next Challenge:  My famously delectible chocolate chip cookies with splenda and egg beaters....I hope they turn out!

Credit

BEEF BROCCOLI  LO MEIN

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)


Ingredients

4 cups hot cooked spaghetti (used 2 medium sized spaghetti squash)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil (used olive oil)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and cut across the grain into long, thin strips
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used 1 Tbsp of Splenda, 1 Tbsp of brown sugar)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic (This made it super spicey, I may cut this in half next time)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.

While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

Nutritional Information (using pasta.  if using squash, assume that the calories and fat will be lower)

Calories  :327 (26% from fat)
Fat:  9.3g (sat 3g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:  21.7g
Carbohydrate:  39.1g
Fiber:  2.9g
Cholesterol:  36mg
Iron:  3.6mg
Sodium:  382mg
Calcium:  47mg

Kaelin puked on my computer and the keyboard does not work.  Upon initial inspection by the PC guy, he said it does not seem "glitchy" and hopefully a new keyboard will do the trick.   Can you believe they charge $90 for labor?  That doesn't even cover the cost of the part.  That will be at least another $60 on top of that.  That is if that is the only problem.  If any damage was done to the motherboard, the repair man told me that I would be better off just buying a new computer.  UGH!!!!  I am praying that it is only the keyboard.  We JUST bought the computer last June.  We opted not to get a warranty on it.  Our renters insurance would cover us and buy me a brand new one, but the deductible is $500 and we only paid $575 after taxes.  To me, it's just not worth the chance of our premium to go up for an extra $75. 
Kevin has been busy and not around to talk to.  I am not sure when he will be back either.  So, if anything, this ended up being a good time to be without a computer to talk to him. 
Currently I am using my mom's netbook while the girls are napping.  It's so nice to have quiet time.  I have the t.v. off, lights out and just peace and quiet.  It's so nice! 
I apologize for the lack of posts lately.  I just haven't found the motivation to write about much of anything.  It's hard when most of my thoughts are about wanting Kevin home.  I stay busy throughout the day taking care of the girls and my evenings are spent at the gym.  Nothing too exciting goes on around here.  I am hoping that as the weather warms up, our activities will too, and thus give us something to actually blog about. 
I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm.  It looks as though we are going to get a few more inches of snow here in Illinois tonight.  I hope it waits until after I go to the gym.  I might not get to go this weekend and I would love to get a good strength training class in.  I suppose I'll have to resort to the darn elliptical in the basement.  Man, do I hate that thing!!

Kaelin 5 months/Lauren 17 months

I am a bit behind these days.  The last week has been somewhat hectic.  Every Monday rolls around it's the beginning of another week and another week closer to Kevin being home.  
The girls have each reached a new month in their lives.  Besides a few seasonal colds they are still doing great and are very healthy little girls.  
They bring me so much joy.  There are days when I just want to hide in the bathroom and cry because I am so frustrated, annoyed, mad, flustered, sad...you name it, I've felt it when it comes to parenting.  I think what gives me the most anxiety is if I am making the right decisions.  With Kevin gone, the decision making falls into my hands.  I always wonder if I am doing "good enough" or if the decision I made at that time was the right one.  I am the sole disciplinarian.  I am the one who decides if the fever is high enough to warrant a trip to the doctor.  I'm not complaining because I wouldn't trade this time for anything else in the world.  If I didn't have the opportunity to stay home with the girls this year, I don't think they would have the stability that they need and deserve.  With me staying home, we also get the privilege to talk to Kevin every single day.  That is the best part of my day.  I should also say that because we do get to talk so often that he is a HUGE part of the decisions that I make if it is an issue that could wait for his opinion or approval.  
SO on to what this post was really about: Kaelin and Lauren

Lauren turned 17months on January 28th.  I am almost a whole month late on posting this.  She just amazes me every single day.  She picks up a new word or phrase every day.  She recognizes animals and says "cow, fishy, doggy/puppy and "onky" for Monkey"  She can also make the sounds for them but she'd rather just make the monkey sound.  That is her favorite sound to make! Her fishy lips are the most adorable thing ever.  
Some of Lauren's favorite things right now are: 
-Super Readers; a cartoon show on PBS
-books; she has been bringing her books to me to read lately.  It's so cute. 
-Fruit. She LOVES the Dole Fruit cups in their own juice.  She gobbles down mandarin oranges like crazy.
-Brushing her teeth ( a true dental hygienists daughter)
- and her medicine, i.e. Ibuprofen or Tylenol.  
She had a hard time teething a few weeks ago.  She had the fever, swollen gums, the whole shebang!  She loved the taste of her medicine, which saved cleanup from her spitting it out.  Anytime it was time for another dose, I would say "Would you like some medicine?" and she would spit out her pacifier and run over with her mouth wide open. 
Lauren has started her tantrums which is NOT fun.  She had a few appointments last week that were almost traumatic for me.  I am so very easily flustered when it comes to stuff like that.  I am glad it's all over with and I don't have to deal with it again for another 6months.  


Weight: 24.5lbs (50th %tile)
Height: 33.5lbs  (96th %tile)

And now on to our Bugaboo..our little K-bug: Kaelin Deborah

Kaelin is growing so fast.  I hate to wish away her year, but I sometimes find myself couting her milestones as another way of being closer to Kevin being home.  There is just so much that is missing and even though we video chat on Skype, and he sees us everyday, it's just not the same.  At all.  
Kaelin was 8 weeks old the day that Kevin left and now she is 5 months old.  He is going to be so surprised to see how big she is when he is home on R&R.  
Kaelin rolls and is becoming more tolerable of tummy time.  She now eats cereal 2-3 times a day and several bottles a day.  She still spits up.  That is annoying and can stop anytime now. 
She is starting to develop a personality that is absolutely adorable.  She is an amazing baby girl, and I love to watch her and Lauren interact with each other.  Even at this age, it is very apparent that they will be great friends and sisters. 

Kaelin was a trooper at her appointment and fussed only for a few minutes after her shots.  
Kaelins Stats: 


Weight: 16lbs 12oz (95th %tile)
Height:  27 inches (97th %tile)


Well that is all for now folks, I hope ya'll had a wonderfull Valentines Day and have a wonderful day or night.  I will try and update more often. 
Love, Kristen

Goal #1: Achieved!!

Weight loss as of today:  21.8lbs!!

Starting weight:  250lbs

Current weight:   228.2

My first goal of 20lbs by Valentines day has been achieved.  Next on my list...10 more pounds by Easter!  

Sorry this post is so short... I plan on posting the girls 5/17month updates later tonight.  Sorry to everyone for being so distant lately.  The last week or so has been very hectic!  

Thank you to everyone for their continued support!              

5 ingredient dinner

Today is Friday, but why wait til Tuesday to share this yummy recipe that I discovered earlier this week.  I knew by Tuesday, I would most likely forget to post it.  Ever since I have been conscience of what I am eating, I have been searching all over the internet for delicious and healthy recipes.  My favorite website so far is www.cookinglight.com
Cooking Light lists the ingredients, serving size, and the nutritional information for all of their recipes.  It's great!!  They have so many different categories ranging from appetizers, recipe makeovers, and desserts.  My favorite section so far is the "Quick and Healthy" section.  There I found another sub section "Five Ingredient Cookbook: Fresh Food Fast".  It features 98 quick and healthy recipes that combine fresh ingredients with pantry staples for speedy meals you'll feel great about eating.

Today I am going to share with you one of those recipes!

Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken

Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs and 3 tablespoons broth)

Ingredients

• 8  (3-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
• 3  tablespoons  reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 8  canned whole green chiles, drained
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Arrange chicken in an 8-inch square baking dish; squeeze lime juice evenly over chicken. Sprinkle evenly with taco seasoning.
3. Slice chiles lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side; open flat. Place 1 chile over each chicken thigh. Cover dish with foil; bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese evenly over chiles and chicken; bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

A few changes I made...(or would make)

First, if I made this recipe again I would use boneless, skinless chicken breast.  I love thigh meat, and it's great that you get to have 2 thigh portions for your serving size but I think a decent sized 5-6oz chicken breast would be a heartier piece of meat, less greasy and overall more satisfying.   Not to mention, less fat content as well.  

Instead of just sprinkling the chicken with the taco seasoning, I put all of the chicken in a large freezer bag, added the lime juice, and taco seasoning, and tossed around for a more even coating.  

Diced chiles instead of whole chiles:  I could not find whole chiles at our local Kroger.  The diced chiles worked great.  I spooned them on top of the chicken where they stayed perfectly while baking.  

The flavors of this recipe are delicious.  It's one that you can add your own spin on by making it as hot or as mild as you would like depending on the spice seasonings and intensity of the chiles that you buy.  

Nutritional Information

Calories:   301 (45% from fat)

Fat          15g (sat 5g,mono 5.5g,poly 3g)

Protein:    34.1g

Carbohydrate:4.7g

Fiber  :0.5g

Cholesterol:  120mg

Iron:2mg

Sodium: 574mg

Calcium: 116mg