Another Typical "Oh Crap" Christmas

I shouldn't be surprised that there was another "blog worthy" incident this Christmas, and it is only the 19th. Late getting a Christmas tree in our little town in North Carolina, a good ole boy (well he had one foot in the grave, the other in a cast and apparently left his teeth by the sink) came out and sold us "any tree without a red tag" for $20. Well, none of the 5 tree's left had a red tag so it was buyers choice. I mean who in the bible belt waits til the week of Christmas to get a tree...ummm we do.

The man's grandson put the tree on the car, tied her down (apparently he wasn't a boy scout), and I was afraid the whole way home the tree was going through the windshield of any car behind us. Since it was so loose, mom and I contemplated accelerating into the drive way, hitting the breaks and hopefully landing the tree at the front door. Considering our luck, we decided against it. Looking at our "Charlie Brown tree" and the tree stand, that is more for a Rockefeller center tree, we weren't quite sure how it was going to work, but with all four screws fully screwed into the base, it looked pretty good. Lassoing the tree with the lights, I think we will be better off buying new ones next year than trying to unravel the mess made trying to get a light in each void on the tree. I was stretching lights from the top to fill in parts of the tree I wasn't even sure were there!

At last, the lights were up, and we began putting on ornaments...one by one with all the Christmas cheer available.

About the time we put on the last ornament, the jolly "it doesn't look so bad tree" turned into the "oh crap" Christmas tree. Sitting on the floor, I looked up just in time to watch the tree falling towards me, ornaments falling off and landing all around. The tree was down. We were laughing (and still are). Pushing the tree up right, I began looking around. The tree trunk was just too small to be anchored down, and the weight of the ornaments caused the trunk to slip back and the tree forward--on my head. My solution went through a couple of stages. First I wanted to duck tape it to the wall, but the walls are wood and tape doesn't stick too well and there is a window to deal with. I opted to shoving a tennis ball in one quadrant, a styrofoam square in two quadrants and a vacuum attachment in the fourth. Not being too confidant in that solution, I wrapped one of the loops of lights on the tree around the window latch, actually double looped...then got the bright idea to use the blind pull to wrap around the trunk of the tree and tie that puppy off. So far so good, but if in the morning the valance is out of the window, the ornaments are scattered around the room and the lights have torn a part no one will be surprised.

I think we will just put some Kahlua in the coffee and call it a Christmas puddle.

Fight Holiday Weight Gain

The hustle is on. It looks like people are training for American Gladiators in the malls, fighting holiday traffic and trying to score the perfect gift (even if it means wrestling Wolf). With the craze people generally grab what is easy to nourish between shopping, work, parties and Christmas plays. Then January comes and no one can figure out how the scale is tipping a little past pudge. I want to help you out with breakfast. Lunch and dinner is generally where I get the most resistance because of parties or other poorly fashioned excuses, but I am willing to work with what I can :) Just because Cinnabon tastes good now, doesn't mean it is going to look good later.

Even though New Years is generally cold, the jackets generally shed by the time clock strikes twelve, and you don't want to look like 16 oz sausage in a 12 oz wrapper.

Aside from the aforementioned Pumpkin Pancakes, which would be the best option and great to make and TAKE with you shopping or to work (since they can be wrapped and put in a zip-lock), here are some great, easy, calorie conscious ideas:

FIVE ALTERNATIVES TO CINNABUN

1. One cup oatmeal mixed with 2 T chopped pecan halves, 2 packets of splenda and cinnamon (can be made with light soy milk)
2. 2. Two reduced fat whole grain waffles with 2 T sugar-free syrup
3. Two reduced fat whole grain waffles with 1 T peanut butter & 1/2 sliced banana
4. Breakfast Smoothie: 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 cup frozen berries, 1/2 med banana (blend til smooth)
5. (Second only to Pumpkin Pancakes) Casein Pancakes: 1 scoop ON Vanilla Casein 4-5 egg whites, 3/4 c oatmeal, 1 T splenda, cinnamon (to taste). Mix well and make into evenly sized pancakes. This will give you 1.5 servings but it is hard to write the recipe otherwise.

By eating a hearty, healthy breakfast, you are more apt to make better lunch and dinner decisions (tho not guaranteed you are on your own if the "toast with eggnog" turns into Weekend at Bernies...too much nonsense to even know if you are dead or alive). It is not hard to stay on track during the holidays, you only have to apply a little thought, a little preparation and discipline. Put your New Years outfit out so you have some motivation. If you don't start now, it will just be harder later.

Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

After posting on Facebook that I was so blessed to have such a great friends and pumpkin pancakes to get me through tough times, I had requests for the recipe...so here it is! These are great! They also travel well for a snack during class (or 4.5hr finals!), after workout, during Christmas shopping! So don't gain that weight this holiday season, have all the flavor without all the guilt!! Topped with a little sugar free syrup or honey if eating post workout, makes this holiday treat, one that is good for EVERY MEAL!!

Pumpkin Pancakes:
1/2 cup Pumpkin
1/2 cup Oats
3 egg whites (sometimes I add a little more)
2 packets Splenda
Cinnamon
Mix well. Spray pan with Pam, heat over med-low. Pour mixture into four even pancakes, cover and cook on med-low until pan cake is able to flip. These will not bubble like regular pancakes, but the top will begin to look 'firm,' aprox 10min. Flip, cook another 5 min and serve. Cook times will vary depending on your stove.

The Nutrition: 244 calories/ 3g fat/ 30g carbs/ 17.5g pro/ 170mg sodium