4th of July and tasty treats!

Not much new going on lately…just waiting for the 4th of July next week. We are heading down to Fort Scott to hang out with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to be over 100 degrees and dry so there is a decent chance there will be no fireworks allowed and they won’t shoot off the big display! I am super bummed about this because I have been talking up fireworks to Lola for the past couple of weeks. She was really into them last year – we bought a bunch of things like smoke bombs, sparklers, and other gadgets that light up and spin. We also let her stay up late and watch the big fireworks display. Obviously she is a year older this year and has been looking forward to it even more. Grrrrrrr. Hope it works out. Oh well if it doesn’t!

I’m going to try a new recipe I found on Pinterest. I'm going to make two of these ice cream pies and take down to Fort Scott for everyone to (hopefully) enjoy.   I have been dying to make this, not really sure why…it just sounds so freaking yummy! Plus, I (I mean the girls) got Ryan an ice cream maker for Father’s Day. It was really one of those gifts for all of us – we have been talking about getting one for years now. We have already made some pretty tasty strawberry ice cream and peach sorbet. So back to this recipe, which is below. I will let you know how it turns out! The original recipe called for a store bought graham cracker crust but I have made homemade ones before and they are so easy it’s stupid to buy one. Plus they taste a whole heck of a lot better than store bought.  I put the crust recipe I use into this recipe. 



Blueberry cheesecake ice cream pie

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 5 ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a food processor, pulse the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and light brown sugar until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into a 9-inch glass or metal pie plate. Bake for about 6-8 minutes, just until lightly browned. Let cool. 

For the blueberry sauce:
2 cups (12-16 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup (2 ounces) brown sugar
1 lemon, zest and juice


For the ice cream:
1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 cups (16 ounces) whole milk
1 1/4 (10 ounces) cups heavy cream
2/3 cup (5 1/3 ounces) sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, zest and juice

Twenty-four hours before making the ice cream, place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer.

The graham cracker crust (if making by hand) and blueberry sauce can either be prepared ahead of time or while the ice cream base is chilling. Both need to be completely cooled to room temperature before assembling the ice cream pie.

For the blueberry sauce, combine the blueberries, brown sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until a the berries have released their juices and become syrupy, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, but try not to mash up the berries too much. Remove from heat and allow to cool. The syrup can be made up to a week ahead.

To make the ice cream, cut the cream cheese into small pieces and place in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the milk in a separate ramekin and set aside.

Bring the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan and continue boiling for 4 minutes. The milk will double in bulk as it bubbles, so use at least a 4-quart saucepan or larger for this step. If it looks like the milk is going to bubble over the sides, lower the heat just enough so that the milk is still bubbling but no longer threatening to boil over.

Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the corn starch mixture. Bring it back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until it just starts to thicken, about 1 minute.

Add the lemon zest to the milk (reserve the juice to add once the milk is chilled; adding it to hot milk can cause curdling). Whisk the hot milk into the cream cheese in several additions, whisking between each addition to melt the cream cheese evenly. Let cool to room temperature, then chill completely in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

When the ice cream has chilled, stir in the reserved lemon juice and churn it in your ice cream maker until thick, about 20 minutes (or according to your ice cream maker's instructions). Pour about half the ice cream into the cooled pie crust, filling it right up to the edge. Press a square of parchment to the surface of the pie and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight. (The remaining ice cream can be transferred to a freezer-safe container and frozen for midnight snacking.)

When ready to serve, spoon the cooled blueberry syrup over the pie and slice into wedges. Leftover pie can be frozen with the blueberry sauce on top.

Exercise

I think there will be quite a few posts on here that voice things that I can’t really (or won’t) say on Facebook. Nothing really bad I guess, but just thoughts that might come across as rude in only a few words. Yesterday, the gal who helps out in our cafeteria at work commented on my arms (I had a sleeveless top on). She said she really wanted her arms to have definition like mine, and asked how she could get them to do that. I paused and wasn’t sure what to say. In all honesty, she probably needs to lose 10-15lbs…so if she just did that she would automatically have more arm definition without even working out. But instead I just said that working out would really help (which is true), and to try and do push-ups at home to start with, but it was not totally what I really wanted to say. We gals are so sensitive about our weight, and I don’t know any girl who would want to be told she needed to lose weight, you know? I mean, we already know if we need to lose weight, and we don’t need reminders. We get reminders when we try to put our skinny jeans on!  :) And I really don’t feel comfortable telling someone they need to lose weight. It just seems easier to tell them they need to workout instead. So that is what I did…

Speaking of working out, I have really gotten into a rhythm with my workouts. I look better than I ever have, minus the teeny bit of extra belly skin that wrinkles when I sit down and the semi-outie belly button I used to never have…both thanks to my beautiful kids. I do several sets of lifting each week – back/chest, shoulders/biceps/triceps/forearms, and legs (adductors/abductors/calves). Lately since I have started swimming, I haven’t done any other cardio at the gym (i.e. elliptical, stair stepper) I just swim after I lift. 2 days/week I run – usually on Wednesday and Sunday mornings. 1 day/week I do yoga. 2 days/week I do an intense workout program at the gym, both slightly different. They are great workouts and have whipped me back into good shape. I started the ‘belly off’ workout about a month after I had Luca. I do vary it by substituting some moves so I don’t do the exact same thing each week.

Belly Off workout
Do each set of 3, 3 times with little or no rest between sets
Use as many risers on a step as you feel comfortable with

• Single leg step-ups (12 each leg)
• Push-ups (8-10)
• Jump rope (1 minute)

• Single leg deadlift (12 each leg)
• Swiss ball mountain climbers (10 each leg, alternate legs)
• Cross back lunges (1 min)

• Box jumps (10)
• Deadlifts with weights (12)
• Forward side lunges (1 min)

• Walking lunges, down and back
• Jump to pushup to kick-back (aka Burpees – 8-10)
• Jump rope (1 min)

• Single leg step-ups, step back down to lunge (step up with right foot, step up with left foot, step back down with right foot, step back down and lunge back with left foot, repeat with opposite legs) (12)
• Side jumps over cone (12)
• Jump rope (1 min)

* Push-up variation: push-ups with medicine ball alternating arms (roll it from hand to hand in between push-ups)
*Burpee variation: when you kick back, then kick your legs outward (like a jumping jack) then back to together.  Just makes it harder.  Or when you kick back, do a pushup

I started this leg intensive work out a few weeks ago. Until then I was just doing belly off (slightly different versions) twice per week.

Tuesday Leg workout

• Jump rope (4 minutes)
• Reverse lunges (2 minutes)
• Jump rope (2 minutes)
• Forward side lunges (2 minutes)
• Jump rope (2 minutes)
• Cross back lunges (2 minutes)
• Jump rope (2 minutes)
• Reverse lunges (1 minute)
• Jump rope (1 minute)
• Forward side lunges (1 minute)
• Jump rope (1 minute)
• Cross back lunges (1 minute)

Brief rest

• 1 Legged deadlifts (2 minutes)
• Push-ups (8-10)
• Ball hamstring curls (2 minutes)
• Push-ups (8-10)
• Deadlifts with weights (2 minutes)
• Push-ups (8-10)
• 1 legged deadlifts (1 minute)
• Push-ups (8-ish)
• Ball hamstring curls (1 minute)
• Push-ups (8-ish)
• Deadlifts with weights (1 minute)

Brief rest

• Ball pass over sit-ups (2 minutes)
• High knee Jump rope (1 minute)
• Repeat x2


But besides the exercise I do, I also eat pretty good most of the time.  Eating good is really the key to looking good.  I read somewhere that eating is 80% of how you look and exercise is the other 20%, and I think that probably sounds about right.  I typically eat fairly healthy anyway, but probably even more so since I have upped my workouts.  It's difficult to go run 6 miles without the proper fuel in your body.  We don't eat out much, and when we do its usually something like a sub from Jimmy Johns (fast food) or a margarita pizza and salad from Spin.  Ryan hasn't eaten McDonalds-type food since college and I haven't eaten it in probably 5 years.  I do still indulge with dessert a few times a week though.  I'm not one of those people who will give up eating foods I like!  I truly enjoy eating quality, tasty food and that kind of food can be healthy too...it just takes a little effort. 

Crazy hair...

Just over a week ago Lola decided to cut off all her hair.  It was a Saturday morning…I had just returned from a run; Ryan was in the kitchen cooking.  Lola was at the dining room table coloring and cutting paper with scissors.  She used her scissors all the time, with no problems.  She hadn’t tried to cut anything else besides paper until that point.  I was talking to Ryan in the kitchen while Luca was eating a snack.  Next things we knew, Lola walks up to us.  I looked at her and at first thought she wet her hair down and slicked it back…but then realized that it was just gone.  Her bangs were chopped off.  I freaked out and she started crying.  Her hair was in a braid and I started unbraiding it and chunks just started falling out.  All that was left was one long piece in back.  I was hyperventilating at this point.  Looking back it is funny, but it wasn’t funny at the time.  I ran upstairs and called my mom.  I could tell she was trying not to laugh but I wasn’t laughing at that point.  I cut the remaining long piece off of Lola’s hair and we are now just waiting for it to grow.  Of course we were planning to have our first family picture the 1^st week of July with my parents and my brother and sister-in-law.  A few weeks ago I had planned on calling the place where I get my hair cut to schedule a trim for Lola since her hair was starting to get scraggly.  It’s interesting though because her new ‘pixie in front’ haircut somewhat suits her personality…she is bohemian in a lot of ways.  She dresses the way she wants to dress.  Very rarely does she ever wear clothes at home (i.e. shorts and a shirt).  She is usually wearing one of her swimsuits, a princess dress, or one of my outfits to play dress up.  It is usually pretty cute, except when we need to go somewhere or it’s a school day and we have to bribe her to actually put real clothes on.  The second she gets home they are on the floor by the back door and she has something else on.  Maybe she is going to be an actress??

Right after she cut her hair...eating lunch.  She was not happy
because I was not happy. 

I wet her hair down to trim the back. 

She put on my swimming suit and swim cap
and wore this for half of the day until she got
bored and put something else on

One of her own swimsuits and a cap Ryan just wore
 for a race.  If you are wondering why she is drinking a
huge chocolate milk it was a treat and she was only
allowed to drink 1/2 of it. 

This is technically a swimming suit, but
 we were going somewhere so I made her put
on leggings underneath.  Compromise. 

One of 5 princess dresses that we own thanks to
my sister-in-law Dana donating them to us! 

I had to add a picture of Luca in here somewhere.  The recepient
of a craft project Lola was working on.  Lola was using a kit with stickers
one minute, and the next minute this is what I found.  At least she knows
the proper placement of eyebrows!  

Still swimming...

The swimming seems to be going better.  I’m still just swimming drills, and nothing else.   I was told to only do these drills for the next month.  They are getting easier so hopefully they make a difference once I start actually ‘swimming’ laps.  One of the drills is really difficult to do when I have to share a lane with someone else – it’s a side arm drill and I tend to wander quite a bit when I’m on my left side.  I was sharing a lane last night and was really focusing on staying straight and I got much better.  I did tell the guy I was sharing a lane with that I tend to wander so sorry if I ran into him.  I never did thankfully.   I still can’t imagine swimming back and forth over and over without taking a breathing break, but what I really can’t imagine is swimming in open water without a stopping point every 25 or 50 meters.  I am still working on the breathing and find myself winded really quickly.  I guess that will just take time and practice like anything else, but still frustrating nonetheless.

the two big 'D's...

Divorce and Death...both of these subjects have come up several times in the past few weeks with Lola.  I'm just not sure how to address either one of them.  Death came up as we drove by a cemetery on Memorial Day.  She asked why all the flags were flying and we explained what Memorial Day was for, but struggled through the death part.  I thought she would just drop it, but she kept asking over and over.  One question led to another.  I remember reading somewhere that you should not tell kids that people who are dead are 'asleep' because it might make the kid scared to ever sleep again.  Makes sense.  So Lola said "they are just laying there not moving?"  Yes dear, I suppose that is correct.  "So they can't play any more?"  "So they can't eat anymore?"  And now it comes up randomly, just when I least expect it, so I'm always caught off guard and trying once again to figure out how to explain it.  The other is divorce, or as I explain it - the Mommy and Daddy aren't living in the same house anymore.  Lola has a girl in her class at school that has been a biter.  She doesn't bite all that often, but she has been consistently doing it for several years.  Her parents split up almost 2 years ago and according to the teachers the parents hate each other and they fight all the time and this little girl is right in the middle.  Ryan and I have both only seen the mom smile once.  Every other time she has a scowl or frown on her face.  It's really sad.  Just today Lola asked "Why Burke bite me a few weeks ago?"  I explained that her parents weren't living together anymore and it makes Burke mad and sad, and that's why she bites (this is the theory from the teachers anyway).  Burke is otherwise a really sweet kid.  She just bites when she gets frustrated.  Anyway, back to the discussion.  Lola kept asking questions and I tried to answer as best I could.  Does it get easier?  Is it easier once they are older and can understand more, or is it even more difficult then?  They really need to make a manual for these things...  :)

Fwimming (as Lola would call it)

I had a swim lesson last Friday.  It’s interesting to try and learn a new skill at almost 34 years old…I remember when I got contacts and I was so frustrated because I couldn’t seem to get the hang of it!  I remembered thinking that it was odd to be learning something totally new and different that I had not done before in all of my 28 years (at the time).  I think it’s also different at this point to try and learn something new because I actually want to learn how to swim properly and efficiently, so I was listening carefully to everything the instructor said.  I was getting a bit frustrated because I kept running out of breath.  I think it was so frustrating because I’m in really good shape.  But Liz, the instructor, said that it will just take time and practice to get comfortable breathing in the water.  She gave me 2 different drills to do for the next 4 weeks.  I’m not supposed to swim normal laps; I’m just supposed to do these drills.  I went to the gym/pool last night to swim and it was really frustrating.  I had to share a lane, and one of the drills makes me wander to one side.  I was so self conscious that I was going to run into the other person I was sharing a lane with that I wasn’t focusing on my breathing or my technique so I was running out of breath and getting frustrated.  By the end, I was getting it figured out and I think next time if I have to share a lane I will feel more comfortable.  The more I swim, the more comfortable I get.  Thankfully I have easy access to the pool at my gym.  It’s just sad that I have been going there for 1.5 years now and am just now utilizing the pool!  

And...look how much I've been blogging in the last week!  I'm finally meeting one of my New Year's Resolutions!   :)