Favorite Childhood Snacks

As a kid I was the skinniest little kid you'd ever seen. I ran around outside all summer long and got a tan without even knowing or trying. I could also eat whatever I wanted and never have to worry about the consequences. Oh my life has changed!
Today I'm linking up with Mama Kat to write about my ten favorite snacks growing up that I definitely could not get away with eating as much of now. :)

1. Apples... these continue to be a favorite of mine.
2. Popcorn... Probably my favorite snack then and now. And some butter and salt and we're set!
3. Cheese sticks... cause you know cheese is amazing. We didn't get cheese sticks very often so these were always a special treat for me. :)
4. My mom's bread... I ate that breakfast, lunch, supper and every minute in between. Because it is whole wheat I trick myself into believing I can eat as much as I want. It's so good you see! 
5. Any candy bars... we didn't get a whole lot of those growing up either so I treasured every bite. 
6. Pop... mostly root beer when I was young. As kids we didn't get pop at home but we had it when we were out sometimes. 
7. Guacamole... pretty much heaven on earth. 
8. Strawberry or blueberry smoothies... that was always a special treat our mother would whip up for us in the blender. 
9. Cookies, cakes, brownies, ect. Loved them then and I still do now. It's a curse.
10. Ice cream... cookies n' cream and chocolate chip cookie dough... enough said.

And that, my friends, is how I got to my current weight. ;)

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Recipe- Refrigerator Oatmeal

Today I am sharing with you my new favorite food! Refrigerator oatmeal! It's healthy, it's got greek yogurt in it (which is always a plus in my book), and there are so many different flavors you can make. I found these recipes from The Yummy Life. In this blog post I am only including the flavors I've tried but there are many more on the website. Also, all of the original recipes called for chia seeds but as that is not something in my normal collection of ingredients I just skipped them. Because chia seeds do absorb some of the liquid you might want to cut down on the milk.

Mocha Refrigerator Oats

1/3 Cup uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

2 tsps honey or other sweetener

1 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp espresso powder (I used cappuccino powder as that is what I had on hand)

Raspberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oats

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tsps honey or other sweetener

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup raspberries sliced in half. 

Pumpkin Pie Refrigerator Oats

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsps maple syrup or other sweetener

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Banana Chocolate Refrigerator Oats

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 T cocoa powder

1 tsp honey or other sweetener

1/2 banana 

Banana Peanut Butter Refrigerator Oats

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 T peanut butter (or substitute PB2)

1 tsp honey or other sweetener

1/2 banana

Directions for all

Mix all ingredients together and place covered in the refrigerator overnight. Take out the next morning and enjoy cold or if you so desire heat up for a minute (I've never tried them heated). Can keep up to three days in refrigerator or a month in the freezer. 

ENJOY!!!

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Resolutions- August 2013

I'm making this as simple as I can so I won't fail miserably... like last month. Here goes.

Do the thirty day shred

So I hit a plateau in my weight loss and it was recommended to me to try some more intense workout to kickstart losing weight again. So I chose Jillian Michaels thirty day shred. I did my first day of it yesterday and I'm pretty sore right now. I'm not really looking forward to these next twenty nine days.

Stick to my diet

Besides the normal calorie counting I'm also going to try and cut down on processed foods. I really don't eat too many of them already but I'm going to try and cut down on them even more. 

Read through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians

If I counted the chapters right that should only be sixteen chapters, which isn't much but I'm trying to take it easy this month. 

Read or re-read at least three books this month

Only three. Hopefully I'll do more but I am really just bogged down with so many things that I'd like to lower my goal for this month.

Write at least three more blog posts this month

Just three. I can do that... right?

Pray daily

Self explanatory.

Start of school well

I can't believe that I'm going to be starting nursing school in just a couple weeks!!!! I want to be well prepared, have a cheerful attitude, and start off with a bang. 

I'm trying to make it simple this month with the same goals I normally do but just less intense... except the thirty day shred... that's intense. :(

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Resolutions- July 2013

Yeah for July! A very hot and tiring month. I have just come to the realization that after July is August and August means school starts up again... something is wrong here.

Read or Re-read/Listen to at least 10 books

Making allowance for audiobooks this month. So much more I want to get read or listen to. Looking forward to a good month of reading/listening! :)

Exercise in some for at least fifteen minutes six days a week

I have decided to be a little more lax about that goal this month. Technically anyways I should take a break from exercise every once and a while.

Stick to my diet

I'm not giving myself a limit with cheat days this month. I just know that there's going to be a lot going on. I'll try my best to keep it to three cheat days but I'm not making that part of the goal. I do know that I am looking forward to a very delicious 4th of July where I'm not going to really care about what I eat too much. 

Cut down on electronics time

Because I still need to work on that.

Write at least five more blog posts this month

I'm not sure I can do five with all the hecticness of this month but I'll try my best... you can ask no more!

Read through and study 1 and 2 Corinthians

I really enjoyed reading through Romans and when I was done I saw that 1 Corinthians was next. I counted up the chapters in the two books and it's 29 so I'm going for it! 

Memorize that scripture!!!

And I'd better get that done quickly before VBS starts in a couple weeks.

Try at least three new recipes

What a delicious sounding goal... don't you agree? :)

Start Praying

I'm very bad about telling people I'll pray for them... and then forgetting to. So I want to start keeping a little prayer journal. I even found an app for my iPhone. Since I always have my iPhone on hand I can just whip it out when people tell me about something and enter in there so I CAN'T forget... at least that's the plan.

Be Patient with what the future brings

There are probably going to be some changes made in these next couple months that are going to influence me a lot. It hasn't worked out as well as we had hoped with my sister and I living at our grandparents and caring for them. It's a long story but the long and short of it is that despite our best efforts (and I mean best) we can only do so much. So we aren't quite sure yet what is going to happen but something is. So please pray for my family with this transition and that I will have patience. 

In case you are wondering what all busyness I will have going on this month here it is. I have VBS in a couple weeks which I am helping with, the county fair where I will be exhibiting stuff (for the last time... I'll be too old next year) for 4-H, and that is all on top of my normal duties at work and taking care of my grandparents. Then I have a lot of things I need to get done for the nursing program too before I start that up in the fall. Yes I am very busy. Anyone else have a super busy month for July?

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Report Card- June 2013

June has been plenty busy, hectic, stressful, but yet enjoyable. Some of my goals I aced, some I unfortunately didn't. So here's how it went.

Read or Re-Read at least 10 books- A

This was achieved. I got halfway through the month and wasn't so sure I could do it but I did. However, let me be honest, about half of them are audiobooks. This was not something I planned for but I think it is only fair to count them. I ended up having more times where I could listen to an audiobook and not always time to actually read. So I read/listened to The Watsons, Sandition, Ultimate Proof of Creation, The Black Arrow (Half audiobook half read), The Taming of the Shrew (audiobook), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I re-read/listened to The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Much Ado about Nothing (audiobook), and Pride and Prejudice. I also started re-reading and am about half way through The Return of the King, and I started listening to The Innocence of Father Brown. 

Exercise in some form at least fifteen minutes a day-A

I faithfully did it every day except one but to be fair, I spent pretty much the whole day being active helping out at a day camp so I think we can let that one pass.

Stick to my diet- A

It was hard, but I only had three cheat days. 

Cut down on my electronics time- C

I tried to make a conscious effort to do it and it helped some but I still need to work on it. 

Write at least five more blog posts this month- A

Exactly five. I just wasn't in the blogging swing this month I guess. I really had to work at it to get my five posts in. I had one post full of greek yogurt recipes, another post that included a movie review of Wreck it Ralph, a recipe post for creamy avocado pasta, a post about my new audiobook love, and finally a post all about Jane Austen's books and the various film adaptations. Check them all out!

Read through and study the book of Romans- B

I read through it, but I am not sure I was so good about the studying part. I did read slowly and concentrate on it though. I really enjoyed it. There was so much theology in it that my head was swimming. I strongly encourage everyone to read it. 

Work on my writing- B

I didn't manage to really make any progress. All I really managed to do was write a little on one story, come up with and work on a new story idea, and avoid my actual novel all together. However, I did work on my writing in those lame lazy forms so that counts for something I suppose.

Memorize some scripture- F

No. I do know what I want to memorize, the scripture for the VBS that my church will be doing. However, I didn't actually memorize it. 

Try at least three new recipes- A!!!

I tried a ton of new recipes actually this month. Far too many to list off. Tons of delicious fun! :)

So a month of ups and downs. I'm not really sure of my average... eyeballing it I'd say a B- or C+. 

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

My Favorite Greek Yogurt Recipes

I am obsessed, I repeat OBSESSED, with greek yogurt. Ever since I started trying to lose weight I started eating greek yogurt. It's amazing. Then I learned about using it as a substitute in recipes for the oil/fat. Amazing! So here are some of my favorite recipes using greek yogurt... and the recipe folder is always growing. 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Recipe makes one serving

-6 oz  Greek yogurt (I normally use plain but have used flavored in a pinch)

- 1 egg 


- 1/2 cup flour

- 1 tsp baking soda 


- 1 tsp vanilla extract 


- few dashes of salt 


- 1 tsp sugar or other sweetener (I normally don't use sweetener)

-1/4 cup milk (if too thick)

Mix ingredients together and fry delicious pancakes. OR Join me in microwaving pancakes.... another new OBSESSION!!! Just butter a plate and then pour batter on it (about half will cover a plate) and then microwave for a couple minutes. Obviously won't be crispy like a normal pancake but besides that much the same. There is no pan clean up, and no waiting for the stupid pancake to cook on both sides. It's amazing, trust me. I have pancakes most every day now.

Greek Yogurt Egg Salad

Recipe makes 2 servings.

You'll need: 

2 large eggs, hard boiled, chopped fine 

1/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt 

1 dill pickle spear, chopped fine 

1 tsp yellow mustard 

Salt, pepper, paprika, or other sesonings to taste 

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed. Serve on bread, in a pita, or a wrap. 

Yogurt Biscuits

2 1/4 cups commercial or homemade self-rising flour, divided 

****For those who don’t have self rising flour… i.e. me- Self-Rising Flour (Per 1 cup flour- ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp baking powder)*****

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt, divided

Butter, softened or melted, for finishing

****I added in milk because it was too thick, which I think was due to my using GREEK YOGURT*****

Directions

Preheat oven to 450˚

Combine 2 cups flour and salt. Set aside remaining 1/4 cup.

Add yogurt and knead into a dough. If to dry here is wear you would add milk... if too wet, add some flour.

On a floured surface pat out dough into a 1/2-1 inch thick round and then cut out biscuits. 

Place in buttered pan and bake for 10-14 minutes. 

Note- These are surprisingly delicious and you could scarcely tell they weren't the traditional biscuit.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Serves 6

8 oz whole wheat penne pasta

2 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast (doubled)

1 cup halved seedless red grapes

¼ cup walnut pieces

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup low fat plain greek yogurt

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

⅛ tsp sea salt

Directions

Boil a large pot of water, adding a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring once, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Strain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, trim the fat off the chicken, if any, and cut it into small cubes. Fill a separate, medium pot with water, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken cubes (water should cover them), and boil for five to six minutes.

Drain both the pasta and the chicken. In a large bowl combine the pasta and the chicken with the remaiing ingredients, and mix well. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving. 

                        

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

I've already posted this recipe before here. I love these so much. :)

So those are some of my favorites. I have so many more Greek yogurt recipes that I can't wait to try. Are any of y'all obsessed with Greek yogurt too? Any favorite flavors or delicious recipes? Comment below! :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Resolutions- June 2013

So another month begins and resolutions must be made. I want to try some fun and different ones this month... to change it up a bit. I keep doing the same ones and it becomes too easy. Not to say I am getting a total revamp... but some new ones are required.

Re-occuring Goals... Though all tweaked a little bit

Read or Re-Read at least 10 books

That's right ten! I think I can do it and if I can't shame on me!  I want at least three of these to be theological/non-fiction. Speaking of which, at the homeschool convention this weekend I obtained several new books, which I am super excited about. I am now the proud owner of ALL of Jane Austen's books including, Sandition and The Watsons, which came in the copy of Northanger Abbey I bought. I can't wait to read those as I have always wanted to. I also loaded up on some Dickens, Tolkien, and Agatha Christie. 

Exercise in some form for at least fifteen minutes EVERY day

That's not asking for too much and already that is pretty much what I have been doing so this shouldn't be too hard for me. All I am asking for is fifteen minutes. 

Stick to my diet

I want to have less "cheat days". I have kept with once a week, and I really feel like I should have less then that. I am not trying to entirely restrict myself so sometimes I will indulge but I probably don't need to do that once a week. So I think for part of this goal I will try to limit myself to only three cheat days for the month of June.

Cut down on my electronics time

Computer and iPhone... though it would really be better if I used my computer more than I use my iPhone... if that makes any sense. 

Write at least FIVE more blog posts this month

I'm upping it this month! I have several drafts that I have let rot for far too long. They mostly involve movie reviews that I feel too lazy to think about writing. 

New Goals!!!

Read through and study the book of Romans

Romans is I think the most theologically heavy book in the Bible... though don't quote me on that... please. It seems to have all of those nuggets of truth though that people whip out at opportune moments. It has been awhile since I read it but I would really like to go back through it and spend some time studying it. 

Work on my writing

So I write in spurts... lame little spurts. I have the novel that I have been writing for forever, and the two that I randomly got inspired to write a few paragraphs on last month that I need to work on. I got a book from the library called First Draft in 30 Days, which really is more about writing a really detailed outline in 30 days. Anyways, so far it has been excellent and I want to make that kind of outline for everything I have going right now. That, and do some actual writing... that would be nice too. :)

Memorize some scripture

I memorized scripture back when I went to Sunday School and I more or less remember it. I am pretty good at paraphrasing a verse but definitely not knowing it word for word or where in the bible it comes from. So I really want to work on this. I am not sure quite yet what my plan is. I don't want to be too ambitious and I'll probably be starting small. Hopefully this can be a long term and ongoing goal.

Try at least three new recipes

Sometimes I get on spurts where I just start baking and baking. I love those moments... but my diet doesn't. Anyways, I digress. Though I did make a really good chocolate cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting recently.... recipe coming soon. So I want to find three new recipes and try them out. I have a ton that I have found over the last year or so on the internet that I just put into Evernote and forget about. I need to try them out!!!! What is the use of finding recipes if I never use them? Exactly. 

So old and new and hopefully plenty of fun for this month. I definitely wanted to add the goals about spending more time in God's word because eat the homeschool convention this weekend one speaker said something rather convicting. He was talking about how much time people spend watching TV, which I don't watch TV but I waste plenty of time on other stuff (cough, iPhone, cough) and he said that the average Christian is going to spend more time watching TV (or other stuff in my case) then going to church, Sunday school, spending time in the word of God. That kind of gave me a jolt about what my priorities are. 

If you missed it, I got accepted into the nursing program for my school for this coming Fall semester and I am SUPER excited. It's kind of crazy to think that it is finally going to happen. 

So make sure to check out Kelli's blog, which I am linking up with and have a great month! 

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Mid-Month Progress Report- May 2013

Already it is the middle of May... which is really hard to believe. The months just keep rolling by. I'm in the middle of finals week right now, but as I mentioned in my previous post, this is a no stress finals week! So here's how my resolutions are going.

Study REALY Hard

I did tolerably on this. I kind of tapered out at the end of the semester because I knew just how much effort I needed to put into my classes and that is all I put in.

Get all A's!!!!

As far as I know I am going to!!! My finals are completed (I actually waited to post this so I could say they were). It is a really wierd feeling to know that next time I will be going to school, it will most likely be the nursing program!!! :) I should be hearing in early June, by the way, whether or not I got accepted.

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books

I've read three already (Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and From the Earth to the Moon all by Jules Verne) and I've start a fourth Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain. Yes I know they are all easy books but still I am pretty proud of myself. I also re-read Out of the Silent Planet, which I remembered so little of it that it was more like reading it for the first time. 

Exercise in some form at least three times a week

I am really doing this well. Next month I am going to up it to exercise every day... since that is what I already do. I try lots of different types of workout including, lifting weights, a ten minute cardio exercise and an ab exercise as well as a 5K training and my normal T-Tapp. No, I am not actually training for a 5K, I am just trying to work myself up to the point where I can run for longer than a minute without dropping down dead. I also did P90X Plyometrics for the first time in awhile and I was really happy with how well I did with it. I am told I am obsessing over working out.... possibly. 

Stick to my diet

I've been doing pretty well on this, though a my boss's retirement reception and a graduation reception kind of messed me up.

Lose 4 Pounds

I haven't been able to weigh myself consistently this month as I have been at my Grandparents. Last I knew though I lost a pound. I need to get to work on this.

Cut down on electronics time

Not so good.

Make a Summer Bucket List

This is made and you can view it here. PLUS I made and posted a summer reading list.

Write at least three more blog posts this month

I have four (Book Questionnaire, No Stress Finals Week, Summer Break Reading List, and Summer Break Bucket List/To Do) done and several drafts rotting. 

Doing pretty well but there are some goals I need to pick up the pace on.
Be sure to vote in the poll in the sidebar!!!

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Resolutions- May 2013

Finals are creeping on me. :(

Study REALLY Hard!!!

Finals and final projects are closing in on me and I need to study hard and finish strong.

Get all A's!!!

I have worked hard all semester and I think that I should get all A's. Hopefully!

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books

I think that hopefully I can do better about this as I'll be finishing up school and have more time to read. I was definitely picking up on my reading at the end of last month so hopefully that will carry on over to this month. I grabbed a bunch of Jules Verne books when I was at home last that I hope to read and I'll see what else I can get done.

Exercise in some form at least three times a week

Whether it's walking, biking, or whatever I do. Just three times a week... but hopefully more.

Stick to my diet

Stick to it! Of course I'll have a couple days where I'll indulge in something delicious (not to say eating healthily isn't delicious) but overall I need to stick to my veggies, fruits, and GREEK YOGURT!!! Love that stuff. I'm also a little addicted to jicima. 

Lose 4 Pounds

Again, a pound a week. I got my first complement on my having lost weight from a non-immediate family member the other day! :) Made me happy. 

Cut down on electronics time

Computer AND iPhone.

Make a Summer Bucket List

I don't know exactly what it will involve yet but probably will have to do with reading and writing. :)

Write at least 3 more blog posts this month

I was planning on upping it to five but since I don't have internet at my Grandparents I decided not to.

Changing it up a little this month but mostly sticking to the tried and true goals!
In case you missed it in my April report card, my Grandma was able to come home a little less than a week ago and my sister and I moved with them to help out. Also, I got an iPhone.... an iPhone 5 to be specific!
Linking up with Kelli at She Learns as She Goes.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Report Card- April 2013

The end of April and almost upon finals. :( Big news! My Grandma was able to come home last Friday! My sister and I have moved in with my grandparents are helping them out. So far it is going great!
Also, some more big news... I got an iPhone!!!!! It's amazing. Just saying. :)
So here is how my month went.

Study!!!- A

I think that I did well on this. I have had a successful month for grades in my various classes and I believe that is a reflection of my studying. 

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books- D

I re-read Northanger Abbey, finished The Silmarillion, and read Far From the Madding Crowd. So only three books. Epic, epic fail. 

Exercise in some form at least three times a week-A

Easily achieved. I still am not fond of exercising but I am getting more used to it.

Stick to my diet-A

As I mentioned in my mid-month progress report after I gave blood it kind of messed me up and I had to eat more. Besides that though I have been really good. I have really gotten into lettuce salads and greek yogurt. I am always trying out new things though so if you have any suggestions about delicious healthy foods let me know! I recently got some hummus and carrots.... which was super good! I also tried some jicima, which is not to everybody's taste but I enjoyed a lot.

Lose 4 Pounds-A

At my mid-month progress report I was worried this wasn't going to happen, but it did! Four pounds gone for good!

Cut down on Computer Time-A

I actually did quite well on this. For me keeping to it was doing little things like when I was at school even though I had my charge cord with me not recharging my computer once it ran out of battery. And other times I just forgot my charge cord... and not on purpose either. Also, I now spend tons of time on my iPhone instead of my computer. That worked really well. 

Write at least three more blog posts this month- A

Easily achieved! I need to up it for next month. I wrote this post that included a recipe for "Healthy" Brownies, this post that was a review of the 1980 version of Pride and Prejudice, this post that just told a little about my life, this post about The Lizzy Bennett Diaries, this post about the 2008 version of Sense and Sensibility, and this post on the 2007 version of Persuasion. So all in all five posts!

Bonus!

I knocked an item off of my Bucket List! I gave blood! 

So all in all a really good month except my book reading. :(

Linking up with Kelli at She Learns as She Goes.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Mid-Month Progress Report- April 2013

Well halfway through April already... and I almost typed in March there... shows how far behind I am.

Study!!!

I am doing pretty well on this. After my upset last month after not studying on Spring Break I dove into my next unit of Pathophysiology with a renewed effort and pulled out of my most recent test really well... better than I have every have done before actually. :)

Read or Re-read at least 5 books

Let this be warning to me, little triumphs can get to my head. That said, despite my reaching my 5 book goal last month, I will need to do some serious reading to accomplish it this month. Not a book has been read yet! I did read some more in the Silmarillion.... most namely the story of Beren and Luthien, which is REALLY good. I thought all of those years that my brother was just geeking out over nothing... I was wrong. I also started re-reading Northanger Abbey last evening. 

Exercise in some form at least 3 times a week

Most absolutely.

Stick to my diet

I am doing well on this. I have had one splurge day so far... but as always I surrounded it in salads. After I gave blood last week I also had to eat a lot more to renew my energy/nutrients. I honestly almost passed out because at first I passed up the juice and cookies so I ended up having to eat them anyways. However, I figured that between passing out and eating a little more "bad for me stuff" than normal, I chose the better of the two options. 

Lose 4 pounds

I lost two pretty quickly at the beginning of this month but now I am struggling to drop any lower. However, I still have half of the month. Just two more to go. 

Cut down on computer time

I have been making more of a conscious effort to do this and it has helped a lot. Most of the time I just get on my computer to listen to music while I study (which I know isn't the most productive form of studying) and then I get distracted by the internet, ect.  So I just think it would be in my best interest to get an iPod so my computer won't distract me... right? Nope, I'm not convincing myself.

Write at least three more blog posts this month

Already completed and I even have a whole bunch more lined up all having to do in some form or another with Jane Austen. Let's just say I'm a little in the Jane Austen mood right now.

So that's my progress! Hope y'all have a great rest of March... I mean April. 

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Life is Looking Up

Life has been fairly stressful this semester, with my Grandma having her stroke, difficult classes, trying to lose weight, and just life in general. However, it has been looking up recently.

First off, I got a really good grade on my last Pathophysiology test, which made me so happy I almost cried... my tutor did. Studying pays off.

After giving blood.

Then I got to cross one of the items off my Bucket List... I gave blood. That was actually a really big deal for me, as I am afraid of needles. However, I promised my tutor last semester in a moment of weakness that when the Red Cross came to Butler for its next blood drive I would. So I did and actually it wasn't too bad. I looked away whenever they poked me and everything went smoothly. Afterwards I didn't have any juice or cookies... just a sloppy joe and then I ended up feeling really faint so then the nurse made me have juice and cookies. So my diet wasn't the best that day but I think all things considered, eating a little unhealthily that one day was probably better than passing out.

My Grandma had surgery to unclog her carotid artery and that went well too. Hopefully she will be able to move back home within the next three weeks. She has made incredible progress though still cannot talk. Prayers appreciated there.

All in all life has definitely been looking up. Also, I was able to check out The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Wreck it Ralph from the library so I'll get to re-watch the first and finally getting to watch the second this weekend. Look for a review of Wreck it Ralph in the near future and until then.... God Bless!

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

"Healthy" Brownies

With trying to lose weight, I have been always on the lookout for some healthier recipes. One of these I will share today. Skinny Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies. These are excellent! They have a fudgy kind of texture, which is oh so good! The secret ingredient in these is greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has actually been in a lot of "healthier" recipes I have been trying out recently. This also has oatmeal in it instead of flour. So theoretically if you used gluten free oats, these brownies could be gluten free. They are pretty healthy but let me warn you, health can only go so far if you just keep eating them, and eating them, and eating them... they're that good. So here is the recipe!

Healthy Brownies

Makes 12 (I got 16) brownies. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 6 oz. low fat vanilla greek yogurt (could use fat free)
• 1/4 cup skim milk (or almond milk)
• 1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar (author of recipe says Splenda or other artificial sweeteners work as well)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 8×8 (I used 9X9) inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place all of the ingredients except for the peanut butter into a blender or food processor. (Yes, a blender!) For easier blending, place the liquid ingredients into the blender first. Blend until mix is smooth and oats are ground up. You will have to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times.
3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Batter will be thin. Microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds. Drop melted peanut butter by spoonfuls onto the batter, swirling gently with a knife to create a marbled effect. (Try not to overmix!)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan (It took me longer to bake them). Brownies will be extra fudgy, so be sure to wait until COMPLETELY cooled - I stuck mine in the refrigerator for 2 hours, which allowed them to be cut very easily. Cut into 12 squares and enjoy!

Recipe taken from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Resolutions- April 2013

Spring is coming... I can feel it... and I'm EXCITED!!!! :)
So now for my resolutions.

Study!!!

April is an important month for school as final projects need to be worked on and finals start to get mentioned by the teachers. Plenty of studying needs to get done and plenty of studying had better get done.

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books

I don't know which ones these will be but I do want to finish up re-reading all of Jane Austen's novels... so that would be Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Lady Susan  Beyond that I am thinking finishing up reading The Silmarillion is a definite option.

Exercise in some form at least three times a week

That is really lenient for me considering I am normally exercising every day but I want to give myself room to wiggle.

Stick to my "Diet"

If I'm going to have a splurge I need to surrounding it with healthy eating days to compensate for it. I am excited that I have gotten to the point where I'm not hungry as often, which is a good sign. I've also become pretty good about bringing a snack from home so if I am hungry in between meals I am not choosing from the vending machine.

Lose 4 Pounds

That would be about a pound a week. That's nothing super ambitious but I don't want to make it too hard for me. 

Cut down on computer time

Pretty basic... JUST DO IT!!!

Write at least three more blog posts this month

As always. 

Nothing too fancy this month, just the basics. School is getting a lot more intense so I appreciate any and all prayers. 

Thank you all and many blessings!

P.S. How do you like the new blog layout?
Linking up with Kelli at She Learns as She Goes.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Monthly Report Card- March 2013

I am still getting used to 2013... and it's the end of March. Please tell me I'm not the only one?
So, an interesting month for resolutions in that I have a surprisingly high grade. I'm so proud of myself.

Study!!!- B

I have done rather well on this though on Spring Break I definitely slacked. Needless to say there were consequences.  

Read or Re-Read at least 5 books- A

I was heavy on the re-reading this month. I read Heavy Weather by P.G.Wodehouse and then re-read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion (all obviously by Jane Austen). I had a lot of fun re-reading the Austen novels as some of them I hadn't re-read in awhile. So finally FIVE BOOKS!!!! Besides achieving my long sought after goal, I also had a lot of fun with my reading.

Take at least one walk per week or bike at least once a week-A

Excellent! There was even one day where instead of being productive and making cookies I was lazy and went on an hour plus walk. 

Stick to my "Diet"- A

I did really rather well on this. There were about five days where I was not so good but I balanced them out pretty well with having salads the surrounding days. One of them was Easter dinner so I think we can excuse that one. :)

Play only up to three games of online Dominion per day-A

I did fine on this. However, as I said in my mid-month progress report, the website I play on shut done mid-month as the official online version came out. I about had a nervous breakdown and died but somehow I survived. Anyways, the official version is dumb and I hate it so despite my hopes it could be some compensation it is really just a torture. I feel like getting on the internet isn't even any fun anymore. :(

Cut down on computer time-B

I did fairly well. A nice chunk of the month it was getting fixed so it was a very easy goal.  It was hard learning to do without it for that time and now that I have it back I find it somewhat easier not to use it. Still though, work to be done here.

Do one crochet project-A

As I said in my mid-month progress report, this was achieved in the form of a scarf using the basket weave stitch that I think turned out very nicely indeed.

Write at least 3 more blog posts this month-A

As always, a nice plump A here. I wrote this post about memories of bad weather experiences, this post about the pervading use of bad words in society, this post with a recipe for healthy cookies, and this post about how Jane Austen's novels are not romance novels. So four amazing blog posts.

So this is a A- for this month.... my first A!!!! :)
For those of you who have been praying for my Grandmother who had a stroke in January, she has made considerable improvement. Walking is really improving, which is exciting but she still cannot talk past a one word response. So I appreciate your prayers there. We were able to bring her from the rehab center to our house for Easter dinner, which was very special. I will hopefully be posting a full blog post report soon with more details of what has been going on with her. God has been working in her and it is obvious in the amount of recovery she has made.

In closing I leave you with something that we always say in my church- He is risen... He is risen indeed!

Linking up with Kelli at She Learns as She Goes.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Healthy Cookies

With trying to be all health conscious one of the most important things for me has been getting a good breakfast in every day. The other day I found a recipe for Healthy cookies that had three ingredients: oats, bananas, and walnuts.  We had a banana that was about ready to go bad so I thought, why not?   These aren't gourmet cooking or anything, but they do taste pretty good.  They taste a lot like banana bread.  Since I only had one banana I made only eight. They took just a few minutes to mix up and then it was just the baking time.  Warm from the oven they are pretty good but I think they are just fine also a couple days later. Because of the banana they keep their moistness. They are perfect for breakfast as a lot of them can easily be made ahead and they keep well.  The best part is they really are healthy. There are about fifty calories apiece. I like to have three.... and then close the lid so I can't have anymore. Try them out you might find you like them.

Healthy Cookies- Makes 16
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 cup oats
1/4 cup crushed walnuts (I used pecans)
Mix together all ingredients and then place by tablespoon on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350˚ F for 15 min.
The author of the recipe suggested trying different ingredients like raisins, chocolate chips, cinnamon, or almonds.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Trying to Get in Shape

I'm trying... again.  I don't want to count how many times I've tried to "get in shape". I am hoping this time will click.  However, I think... well I hope, that this new system I have is a little more simplicity friendly.  Pretty much what I am doing is I am counting my calories using this website.  I have a daily goal for how many calories I want to consume so as to lose weight, and then if I go over that I have to work it off.  It has made me VERY conscience of what exactly I really am eating.  I got the shock of my lifetime when I found out how many calories were in my favorite coffee drinks.  Even if I ever stop this diet I don't think I'll quite be able to go back to my former eating habits (not that they were horrible, but they weren't the best).  So hopefully this will help me.  I have been religiously sticking to it and have even been working out.  Currently I am riding our exercise bike while watching a Psych episode on my bike.  I call it "Bike 'n Psych".  I know, I'm incredibly clever, you don't have to tell me.  This is my second week of it and hopefully it won't be my last.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.