Z is for Zucchini Recipes

Welcome to day 26 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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Zucchini recipes all in one place!

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

Fluffy Zucchini Bread

Zucchini & Carrot Bread

Zucchini Corn Pancakes
someone try this & tell me how it is!

Baked Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes

Frosted Zucchini Brownies

Zucchini-tini
I haven't decided if I'd be desperate enough for alcohol to try this.

Lighter Zucchini Bread
I have this one pinned, since I usually make Z bread to send with the hubby when he volunteers for radio support events.  They'll never know it's lighter!

How do you like your zucchini?

Y is for Yams

Welcome to day 25 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness.

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.
 Check them out!
Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.
Random Ramblings - lives up to its name. Totally random.

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Yams are actually not the same as sweet potato, as I just learned!

The true yam is a versatile vegetable. It can be barbecued, roasted, fried, grilled, boiled, baked, smoked and when grated it is processed into a dessert recipe.

Yams are a primary agricultural and culturally important commodity in West Africa, where over 95 percent of the world's yam crop is harvested. Yams are still important for survival in these regions. Some varieties of these tubers can be stored up to six months without refrigeration, which makes them a valuable resource for the yearly period of food scarcity at the beginning of the wet season. Yam cultivars are also cropped in other humid tropical countries.

Yam tubers can grow up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and weigh up to 70 kilograms (154 lb) and 3 to 6 inches high. The vegetable has a rough skin which is difficult to peel, but which softens after heating. The skins vary in color from dark brown to light pink. The majority of the vegetable is composed of a much softer substance known as the "meat". This substance ranges in color from white or yellow to purple or pink in mature yams.

source

X's & O's

Welcome to day 24 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.
Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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Yeah, I was stretching for this one!
(Images via Google).

W is for Wii Fit

Welcome to day 23 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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I know, nobody talks about using the Wii anymore, but I use it fairly regularly.  It's helped a lot since I pinched a nerve or something in my back, I use to it do Wii Yoga.

You can tell by this screen shot who has not been on the Wii lately (cough, cough Randy & Angel) by the ZzZzZzZ's coming off them.  I love that you can set up Pet Miis, too. So there's Maddie & Chester on the left and Jack on the right.  I don't actually make them workout, although Chester has "helped" me by standing on the balance board to sniff my hair while I was doing one of the Yoga poses.

Do you use the Wii?

update - Angel said she got on there since to do the obstacle course, so Randy's is the only zombie-like Mii.

V is for Veggies

Welcome to day 22 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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I found this chart online & it's pretty interesting.  Yeah, I know it includes fruit, too.  But still good to know!

U is for Unique

Welcome to day 21 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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We are all unique.  It doesn't matter if you have an identical twin sibling, or you're "just like your mother / father"...you are special in your own way.

Embrace your unique.

T is for Tea

Welcome to day 20 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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I'm not a big coffee drinker (except for Tim Horton's Iced Coffee with French Vanilla & Milk) but I digress. I'd rather drink tea.

This is my selection in the cabinet right now, along with the regular Lipton type and some Chinese green tea I got from Vitamin World.

This article from Weight Watchers describes the different types of tea.

Black Teas are robust, with strong flavors and about half the caffeine of coffee. They may contribute to healthy arteries and prevent tooth decay. Examples: Earl Grey, Darjeeling, English Breakfast and Ceylon.

Oolong Teas are rich teas often served in Chinese restaurants. They're associated with good digestion and have slightly less caffeine than black tea. Examples: Shui Xian, Tie Guan Yin.

Green Teas have the most widely accepted health benefits and less caffeine than black and oolong tea. They're also full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and may help prevent certain cancers and osteoporosis as well as alleviate arthritis. Examples: Genmaicha, Kukicha, Hojicha. 

White Tea The rarest type of tea, true white tea is found only in a specific area of China. It has the same health benefits as green tea, with minimal caffeine. Example: Pai Mu Tan. 

Herbal Tea Not considered "true" tea by purists, these consist of herbs, spices and/or fruits. Turner recommends citrus teas for morning, peppermint for a mid-afternoon boost, a sweet tea for dessert and chamomile before bed. 

"Trendy" Teas The "hot" teas of the moment: chai, a spicy Indian tea mixed with milk and sugar; bubble tea, a wild concoction made with tapioca pearls and flavorings like mango; and Rooibus, a popular South African tea that contains more antioxidants than green tea.

What's your favorite hot beverage?

S if for Spaghetti Squash

Welcome to day 19 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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Spaghetti Squash is some versatile stuff!   Officially it is a variety of winter squash.  It's meat (is that what its called in squash?) can range from very pale yellow to orange. It can be baked, boiled, steamed or nuked and once cooked, it separates into strings that are a good pasta substitute.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, onto the good stuff.
Recipes!!

I can't vouch for any of these, since I have my very first spaghetti squash sitting out on my kitchen counter right now.  But these all sounds so gooooooood!

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli

Spaghetti Squash Baked Eggs with Salami & Parmesan
I'm not big on salami, I think I'd try this with chunks of ham or bacon.

Spaghetti Squash Fritters

Roasted Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash

Mmmmmmmm!

R is for Richard Simmons

Welcome to day 18 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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A combination of Whose Line Is It Anyway guest starring Richard Simmons???

Go pee first so you don't wet yourself laughing!

Plus, laughing is good for you!

Q is for Quotes

Welcome to day 17 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.
Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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I bet a lot of people will be using this topic!

If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love someone else? ~Rupaul

Bonus post - checking in!

Just tossing this in here between A-Z Challenge posts!

This is my first progress report with the Activelink thingy I got from WW.  I love that it says I earned 20 activity points last week, but this also is after wearing it all day doing regular stuff.  I was highly ticked to see that my weight had stayed the same.  I'm hoping it is because I've been doing a lot of walking this week. 

So I need to poke around the Activelink website, and see what else I can do with it.  

In a nutshell - the ActiveLink thingy measures how much you move over the course of the day.  It sets a baseline based on my age / height / weight / gender and I earn Activity Points for any movement beyond that baseline. 

This is where I wear it.  I don't even know it's there.

Set-up gives you the option of wearing it tight to your chest (see above), loose on your chest (on a necklace inside your shirt), on your belt or in your pants pocket. 

It's waterproof, so you can wear it swimming or even showering (why???)

OMG, I totally just posted a boob shot. And didn't even get my tattoo in it!  :(

 Once I plug the monitor into the USB port, I see this.  

I'm actually quite surprised with the 2 APs for today.  I thought I did as little as possible. 

 This is the breakdown per hour for yesterday.  

I was able to add the little walking guy under the time frame when I took Jack for a walk.  

 And here is for the past week.  It wants me to earn at least 3 APs daily. 

Anyhoo, I think it's worth the additional $5 a month on top of the WW monthly pass.  I need the visual accountability, since it can't lie to me.  ;)  And it's kind of neat to see what I do and also random spikes during the day. 

This is so weird - does this happen to anyone else?  It's been nice out all week (until last night, but that's a different story) - upper 40s / mid 50s.  Enough to wear only a hoodie while out walking.  I have only been walking 1.5-2 miles a day and they're not terribly brisk, since my walking buddy, Jack is slowing down in his old age.  But when I get home and actually stop moving for a while, I'll get so cold!  I mean where I need a sweatshirt & slippers and still have icy fingers.   What is up with that??

And then yesterday, I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about walking, but I went anyway.  I noticed muscles in my upper thighs beginning to hurt a bit, and by the time I got home (a total of 1.5 miles) my lower back was killing me! Even now I'm still feeling it.  I took some leftover-from-the-dentist 800mgs ibuprofen this morning & afternoon but all that did was dull the pain.  Then I found this gel stuff in the first aid kit at work and it helped a lot!  I grabbed a couple packs to bring home with me, but I haven't needed them yet.   

But I'm ready to hit the hay - have a great night!

P is for Paczki

Welcome to day 16 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.  Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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Paczki (poonch-kee) are a not-diet-friendly Polish treat that is traditionally eaten on "Fat Tuesday", before Lent begins.  I don't know if this is a big deal in other parts of the country, but in Metro Detroit and even in Windsor across the river in Ontario, people (even non-Catholics)  line up outside bakeries to get these things.

Paczki are similar to jelly donuts, but are denser and bigger.  The dough is deep fried, then filled with some sort of yummy goodness (I like custard) and then glazed for dusted in powdered sugar.

I have not even thought of looking up the stats on one of these, since it would be really scary.  I have managed to avoid them for the past couple years, ever since the Polish truck driver we had at work left the company.  He would bring in fresh bread & real Polish sausage from someplace in Hamtramck and he was our Paczki dealer.  I sometimes miss Mirek, but my diet is happy!

source

O is for Oatmeal

Welcome to day 15 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013! 

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Not the food, silly! The cartoon!

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Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore. 

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name. Totally random.

N is for Naked

Welcome to day 14 of the Blogging A-Z April Challenge, 2013!  Each day in April (except Sundays) I will be posting here, and the posts will be in alphabetical order!  This blog is all about my journey to weight loss / good health & fitness. 

For some shameless self-promotion, I have 2 other blogs in the challenge, too.
Check them out!

Maple Grove Cemetery - Halloween related, but don't worry - no gore.  

Random Ramblings - lives up to its name.  Totally random.

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Got your attention didn't I?  heehee!
When I first started thinking about doing the A-Z challenge, I set up a spreadsheet with a column for the date & corresponding letter, then a column for each blog.  I'd jot down ideas and links for things as I thought of them. For some reason I put down 'naked' for today's post and I have absolutely no clue was to where I was going with that topic.

I sure as hell will not post pics of myself in such a state, altho I do confess to enjoying skinny-dipping!

I could talk about naked, unprocessed food.

I could talk about naked furniture.

So here are some almost-naked cartoons from the Oatmeal.