Saturday, June 2, 2012

Mini Apple Pies

Adapted from Paula Deen's Cookbook

You will need:

 4 teaspoons butter
3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 tablespoons sugar (I used Splenda)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15-ounce package refrigerated rolled pie crust
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

How to make it:

First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a large sheet tray with nonstick spray.
Heat your butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it has melted. Then, add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice. Cook, over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the apples are soft. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let the filling cool down some. (About 15 minutes.)


 On a lightly floured surface, use a circular cookie cutter to make nine circle cutouts in the dough. Spoon some of the filling onto each dough circle. Make sure there is room on the edges (1/2 an inch to 1 inch) so the filling doesn't leak out. Now, cut out nine more circles in the dough for the tops of the mini pies. Then, seal the dough together on the edges by pressing them with the tines of a fork. Prick the top of each pie two or three times to vent.

 Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Warning: some of the filling may leak out. Take the mini pies out of the oven so they can cool on a baking sheet rack for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes is up, sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm.  Serve them warm or at room temperature.


Enjoy!


Bible verse:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

To me, this verse means that  you should not worry because God has it all under control. Even if your life seems like everything is going wrong, God knows what he's doing. Be calm, because God is taking care of all the things that worry you, big and small. This is a huge leap of faith, but you will feel so much better, and a lot calmer, when you are able to do this. So, start with the little things: Don't worry about what clothes you are going to wear tomorrow, or if a roof leaks after a storm. God has it under all control, you can trust him.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Recovery Challenge - Day 30

List your stats again. Did this help you at all?

Height: (STILL) 5'2"
Weight: 104
 I would say it helped a little. My life has actually been looking a little better lately. School hasn't been too bad, and my hair has started growing back. YAY! Sadly, my issues at home and with my family are still pretty awful... Over the course of my eating disorder, I have learned a lot of things that I probably would have never learned without these experiences. I wish it was easy enough to just flip a switch and turn off my eating disorder, but it isn't. I will continue to work on it, and dream about the life I want to have in my future, so hopefully it will eventually come!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Recovery Challenge - Day 29

Challenge yourself again in some way today. Whether it be being more social, eating more, eating another fear food, etc. Explain.

I have tried to be a little more social. Which, for me, that means going from "Not looking at anyone, talking to anyone, or acting like anyone is even near me." to "Looking more people in the eyes, smiling, and helping people on math questions they have (even though that one really annoys me)."
Plus my mom is making some kind of chicken recipe in the crock pot with chicken, onions, cheese, and rice. It smells super delicious, so maybe I will try some for dinner tonight too!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Day 28 - Recovery Challenge

What do you need to improve on in order to advance mentally and or physically towards recovery? Explain how you plan on actually moving forward with these goals!

  Since I have found out that it is impossible (in my situation) to try to change anybody else, or even try to get them to understand, I still need to do my best to heal. I can try to focus on only me, and not worry about anyone else. I can try to avoid arguments (even though some of them are extremely hard to avoid). I can work hard at everything I do now so I have the life I want to in the future (doing good in school, etc.). I can keep a positive attitude and look forward to the things coming. Finally, I still must try to convince myself that it is okay to eat all the yummy foods I crave all the time.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Day 27 - Recovery Challenge

Create a letter of everything you would write to your eating disorder as if it were a real life person.

Dear ED,
     You have come at the perfect time in my life. I was in need of a way to cope with all that was going on. You made me feel good... but only for a short amount of time. You have caused me a lot of misery, both physical and mental, as well as emotional. Turns out, you have done absolutely nothing to boost my self esteem or give me more friends or make me feel any better about myself. You are pretty much all I think about... which has made school so much harder, which I do not appreciate. Yes, you may be a coping mechanism... but a deadly one. I do not want to live with you any longer. This is easier said than done, as I know it isn't possible to just say goodbye and move on with my life. Yet, one day I will be happy and you won't have a part in my life. I will eat without worrying about you. I will exercise without worrying about you. You will not hold me back from the things I really want to do.
     Cassidy

Monday, May 7, 2012

Day 26 - Recovery Challenge

Eating disorders often come hand in hand with social anxiety and or depression. Start 1 conversation today with someone you don’t normally speak to. How did it go?

Oh gosh. Yep. Instant anxiety just reading this one. I might need a few days to complete it.

UPDATE: I have yet to complete this one...

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Day 25 - Recovery Challenge

What are your ‘fear foods’? I CHALLENGE you to eat one today. Dare you. Do it.

Bread, anything with a lot of sugar or fat, anything fried, peanut butter, butter, ice cream, pizza, cheese,  pancakes, syrup, doughnuts, pasta.

UPDATE: I was really afraid of doing this challenge today.But I did end up completing it. My mom was watching TV on the couch, while eating chips and salsa. So, I had half of a chip, dipped in a little bit of salsa. It was good :) My mom was proud of me.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Day 24 - Recovery Challenge

Where were you in terms of your eating disorder 6 months ago? Describe how you’ve changed.

Six months ago was December. I had only had an eating disorder for a few months at the time. It was pretty bad in December. I was probably eating about 700 calories a day. I was reluctant to add any more food to my diet. I had to get my blood drawn. EEK. I was always dizzy and exhausted. I even saw myself as too thin, yet I couldn't make myself eat more... it is so weird how anorexia messes with your brain. I was having to regularly see a cardiologist to monitor my heart because it was so weak. I spent 100% of my time thinking about food and calories, I couldn't even focus at all in school. I was always in a bad mood.
Currently, though, I'm able to focus a little better in school. I have made it to my goal weight.(My doctor said she's never seen someone's weight recover so quickly) Sadly, I see myself as morbidly obese... even though I am barely in a normal weight range. My hair has started to grow back a little (even though it's still falling out). Usually I eat the same foods every day, although some days I am able to change one food item. I'm trying hard to recover, but its so hard... especially when your own family doesn't support you. I just wish things were better...

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Day 23 - Recovery Challenge

List 2 positive things that happened to you today.

Well.... don't have much homework! That's good. I took some pictures of my dog (who had surgery last week) wearing his cone. The pictures turned out really cute. I love dogs :)

A positive thing that happened yesterday that I really wanted to share would be my experience with my Spanish teacher. I had to go to her classroom after school to take a test. When I got in there, she asked me if my brother drove me home. I told her no, because we fight a lot. The conversation led into all the issues going on in my family... and after I finished telling her all about it, she told me that if I ever needed someone to talk to, she'd be there to listen. Then she told me that when she was a kid, her parents didn't get along and ended up divorcing. And that when they separated, it was better because she didn't have to see them fighting. After I left her classroom after I took my test, I thought about what she was saying. Wow, my teacher had to go through this when she was a kid and seemed to know what I was talking about exactly. Then I thought about it some more. She always brings her lunch to school and I see her put it in her fridge in the room. She eats super healthy, which made me feel good because I feel like people think I'm weird because I eat so healthy. She is a triathlete. She raves about her children and husband and things they do together all the time. She has a nice husband, even though her parents didn't get along at all -- I'm worried that I'm going to marry somebody like my dad.... it gave me a lot of confidence that there are nice people to marry out there. From just that one conversation, I gained a BUNCH of respect for her. So, there really are teachers that care about you! :)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Day 22 - Recovery Challenge

Describe your goals for your future.

I'm glad I get to write about this one. I spend a bunch of my time thinking about my future. Well, based on the plan, and the specific high school I go to, I will already have the first two years of college finished when I graduate high school. After that, I hope to go to the University of Tennessee to finish up college. Then I plan to get a job, I'm interested in Architecture, Interior Design, and Nutrition currently. I want to save up for a nice house,with pretty flowers and an apple tree (I love apples). I hope I will have a very decorated, happy, and colorful house with a great kitchen and a huge closet. Also, I hope that my eating disorder is gone so I can enjoy food in the future, cook, take amazing pictures, travel, make friends, volunteer at an animal shelter, and have a dog. I might get married... but I'm going to be very picky about that, because I don't want to end up unhappy (bad experiences) and I probably wont have kids, but if I did, I would hope it was a girl.

Day 21 - Recovery Challenge

Who has been the biggest contributor of your recovery in your life? Explain.

My mom. She is always there to support me, cheer me up, listen, and help me the best she can. I am so thankful for my mom.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Day 20 - Recovery Challenge

I feel eating disorders have somehow been glamorized. Explain your opinion on this.

Yes, I believe eating disorders have been glamorized. Lots of people have told me that they wish they could trade places with me for a week so they could be skinny. Well, if people really understood what I was going through, NONE of them would want to trade places with me for even a second. A lot of people think that they want an eating disorder to be skinny. They don't, they just want to lose weight. An eating disorder is miserable, and never goes away unless you get some serious counseling. I feel like people need to be educated better about eating disorders. 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Day 19 - Recovery Challenge

Has your eating disorder ever held you back from something? If so, explain.

Luckily, I haven't had an eating disorder for a really long time, its been less than a year, so I haven't missed out on too much. Now, if my eating disorder continues for years and years, (which I hope it doesn't) I can assure you it would hold me back from numerous events. In the past 8 months, I have missed out on a few things. It has held me back from making friends and having fun. There haven't really been any exciting events in my life in the past eight months that I could have missed out on.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Day 18 - Recovery Challenge

Here’s a challenge. Come up with a hobby you’ve never done or haven’t done in awhile that has NOTHING to do with eating or exercising or cooking. Totally non eating disorder related. What is your hobby? Why did you chose it?

After thinking about it for a while, I chose needlepoint art. My mom can do needlepoint pictures and made a few for when I was a baby (of bears and the alphabet). I thought they look really cool, so I would like her to teach me how to do it sometime.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Day 17 - Recovery Challenge

What does being fat TRULY mean to you?

This one is hard for me to answer. I know most people are expecting some in-depth answer, but to me, being fat means eating more calories than you burn and being overweight. (I would say something like being jiggly, but I know "skinny" people who are jiggly.) And I would say being unsatisfied with the way you look, but even underweight, I still think I'm fat. Maybe it's more of an emotion?

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Day 16 - Recovery Challenge

How would you help a close friend or family member if they developed an eating disorder?

I would make sure they were getting all the medical help they needed. I would willingly offer any kind of help that person needed to make sure they were doing okay. I would do everything I could not to promote an eating disorder... talk about weight, food, negative body images, etc. I would support this person and be there for them if they ever needed to talk. And, I would be willing to make any adjustments/changes to my life if the person needed it.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Day 15 - Recovery Challenge




Post a picture of you before you ever developed an eating disorder. What emotions were you feeling in this picture? Describe your picture.


 This was Spring Break 2011. I was on a Royal Caribbean cruise with my family. My mom and I went to the beach together. We were eating lunch. I don't remember exactly what I got to eat, but it looks like watermelon and a piece of chocolate cake were left on my plate. Of course, I know I ate a lot more than that before this picture was taken. I chose this picture because I know I didn't have any sort of eating disorder at this time.
I was going to pick a picture from my trip to Wyoming in August 2011 (right before my eating disorder occurred) but I felt I was not eating normal at the time, so I guess my eating disorder had already started by then. I had lost a few pounds, but not much. I was still eating a variety of foods, but not quite as much as before.
In this picture, I this was me at normal weight. A competitive swimmer. Before I lost 23 pounds. (I've gained back about 10 at the moment) Eating whatever I wanted... when I was hungry. My brother had been harassing me about my weight for a long time. It was just starting to bother me. I hadn't really even thought of the idea that if I ate less, I would be skinnier. I didn't even think I could get fat though... when I looked at pictures of me at this time, I thought "If I could just lose weight I'd have more friends. I'd be happier. I'd be prettier. People would like me more. I'd look better in my clothes. I'd have a boyfriend. etc..."
Well, now I realize none of that is true. Losing weight has made me have no friends, always angry and never happy, uglier (in many ways), and I look worse in my clothes (they're practically sliding off of me now).

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Day 14 - Recovery Challenge

How do your friends and family feel about your eating disorder?

I don't have very many friends, and only one really knows about it. She doesn't quite understand anything about my eating disorder at all, so sometimes it's frustrating to talk to her, even though I really appreciate her listening to what I have to say. As for my family, my mom is my biggest supporter. She will do pretty much anything for me to recover. She understands it the most. My dad thinks I'm crazy and can't understand why I don't eat. He doesn't have much tolerance for anything. My brother is angry because it takes attention away from his "perfect little life" and people are paying more attention to me. I don't think my dad or brother want to understand my eating disorder or will ever try to understand it. My mom's parents are extremely worried about me. They frequently email and call me to check on me. (Since their daughter had an eating disorder and passed away, I can understand why they are so concerned.) As for my dad's side of the family, they know I have an eating disorder, but they don't bother to spend their time checking up on me. I never talk to them, and they probably all have the same opinion about me that my dad does... that I'm crazy...

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Day 13 - Recovery Challenge

Do you believe you can ever fully recover from an eating disorder? Explain.

I want to believe that I can fully recover. It will take a long time and won't be easy, but I hope I can recover. I think I will be able to eat a variety of foods, but I'm not sure if it's possible for me to ever eat a food without looking at the nutrition facts first. I hope it is possible, and I also hope I will continue to eat healthy foods while also being able to enjoy desserts. But I don't think I will ever be able to stuff my face with desserts like I used to do sometimes. I hope that one day I will be able to look in the mirror without seeing every flaw too.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Day 12 - Recovery Challenge

Post a picture of 1 thing you ate today.


 I had my usual bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. But... I got carried away with my photography so I uploaded a few more pictures of some of what I ate today.
Granny Smith Apple and Kiwi
Kiwis always look amazing when you hold them up to the light.
 
 I love Chobani Greek Yogurt.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Day 11 - Recovery Challenge

List 10 PHYSICAL features you like about yourself.

1. My teeth (I just got my braces off)
2. My fair skin.
3. My eyes.
4. My hands

Hmmm..... I'm out of things that I like about myself. This shows my confidence...

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Day 10 - Recovery Challenge

Does anyone in your close family have an eating disorder? If so, do you think it had an impact on you developing one?

My aunt, on my mom's side of the family had an eating disorder as an adult, but I don't think it had much impact on me because she died when I was around six years old. I was too young to pay attention to how she ate the few times I saw her. On my dad's side of the family, they are almost all compulsive over-eaters. They become overweight and practically starve themselves to lose it quickly. Then overeat and gain it back right away. They'll eat/snack when they aren't hungry at all. They frequently talk about their weight, diet, and "good/bad food". Technically not an eating disorder, but not a healthy relationship with food. Sometimes I feel that this is what gives me a fear that I might one day have a lack of self control of what I eat and end up overweight.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Day 9 - Recovery Challenge

Create a list of all the negative things your eating disorder has given you.

1. I've lost a LOT of hair... and its still falling out.
2. I've lost the few friends I had before this happened.
3. I haven't been able to make any new friends.
4. I'm really sensitive to pain, every little thing hurts really bad.
5. Depression
6. I have trouble concentrating.
7. My whole body is covered in little hairs. (Lanugo)
8. My heart is really weak, since my heart rate got down to 35. (now it is 60)
9. I have no muscles or energy.
10.  I get dizzy every time I stand up.
11. My legs cramp really bad at night.
12. My nails are so thin that they bend.
13. I'm  always cold.
14. Things that I used to enjoy aren't fun anymore.
15. I'm always restless or anxious.
16. Holidays are no fun... what is Easter without chocolate? Or Thanksgiving without pie? Or a birthday without cake?
17. My family (home) is always complete chaos.

This list could go on and on. On the bright side, after staying up all night vomiting from a stomach problem (I'm really sensitive to hormones) I didn't feel up to having oatmeal this morning... so instead I ate a bagel! Huge accomplishment for me! Especially since I am afraid of bread. But, I enjoyed it! :D

Friday, March 30, 2012

Day 8 - Recovery Challenge

Create a list of all the positive things your eating disorder has given you. (This day should be short haha.)

1. I don't judge people so quickly
2. I learned that its better to be healthy than skinny
3. I'm more positive
4. I care more about what a person is like on the inside and not so much about the outside anymore.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Day 7 - Recovery Challenge

Do you think the media contributes to the growing rate of girls developing eating disorders younger and younger?

I can see how the media can have an impact on girls getting eating disorders. They look in a magazine and see a super skinny model and think "I need to look like this to be popular/liked/attractive". For me though, if the media had any impact on my eating disorder, it was small considering there are so many other things in my life that most likely triggered my ED. I am well aware that lots of pictures in magazines are Photoshopped... but sometimes I guess I wish I had "a flat stomach like that model..." even though I know that the model's stomach isn't even that flat in real life. People have a misconception on what the "ideal female" looks like, and the ones in magazines aren't normal females. I don't believe the media contributes to girls getting eating disorders at younger and younger ages because the age I am is "prime time" for an eating disorder to occur.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Day 6 - Recovery Challenge

What was your favorite meal before your ED? What is your favorite meal now?

Before my eating disorder, I LOVED to eat. I definitely had a sweet tooth. Probably ice cream... Cold Stone Birthday Cake Remix Ice Cream. Or any flavor ice cream. Some other foods I used to love eating were french fries, chicken fingers, grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs, fried shrimp, anything with ketchup... salads WITH dressing... tuna sandwiches (Panera's), PB&J sandwiches, loaded baked potatoes (Outback's), garlic bread, cheese and pineapple pizza, mac n' cheese, bean burritos, Fettuccine Alfredo, bread sticks, cheese sticks... cinnamon rolls, waffles, strawberry muffins, chocolate chip pancakes drenched in syrup, french toast, jelly filled or glazed or strawberry glazed with sprinkles or chocolate donuts, cinnamon raisin bagels with cream cheese or butter, toast with jelly or butter and cinnamon sugar, biscuits, sausage... McFlurry's, frozen yogurt, chocolate chip cookies, cherry pie, strawberry pie, cookie dough or Butterfinger milkshakes, cake, brownies, toaster strudels, cherry turnovers, cherry danishes, chocolate chip cookies, fudge, Samoas girl scout cookies, Kit-kats, sugar cookies with icing, oatmeal cream pies... this list could go on forever. I used to really love food. But it was okay, because I used to exercise so much that I could eat all this food and burn it off right away... and still be normal weight. A lot of these foods - icing, anything fried, anything with bread or fat - I would be horrified to eat now, but one day I hope I will be able to eat them again without feeling bad about myself.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Day 5 - Recovery Challenge

What actions do you believe could be taken in the future to help prevent your child(ren) or close friends from ever developing an eating disorder?

First off, I do not think there should be such an emphasis on the way someone looks.  People need to understand that self worth is not based off of being "pretty" or "skinny".  I also believe that if parents have trouble with being overweight, they should NEVER advertize skipping meals and dieting in front of their children. Kids should never be taught that there are "good" foods and "bad" foods, or ever be told to lose weight by their own parents... especially if they are perfectly healthy being in normal weight range. Parents can make a huge impact on self-esteem, and they should be there to build up their child's. Parents always need to be there to listen to their child so they can express their emotions. Also, parents must not push perfection so much on their child. Failure is human, it does not make you a bad person. There is nothing wrong with not being the best. Parents need to tell their kids over and over that they are beautiful, no matter what size clothes they wear. I feel that parents need to model healthy eating for their kids to observe, but not obsess about every cookie their child eats. Parents should give their child more opportunities as they get older, because a child should NEVER feel powerless or be told "...because I'm the parent...". If a sibling EVER teases another sibling about their weight, it must be stopped immediately.

There are many triggers of an eating disorder and people need to be aware of these so they don't play a role in the factors for someone becoming anorexic or bulimic.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Day 4 - Recovery Challenge

What are factors that contributed in your choice to recover?

 Well, actually I got this random spam email. It was titled "Are you obsessed with food?" and I clicked on it. I read through the article and at the end of it, I concluded that yes, I am obsessed with food. I went to Google and read some other websites about eating disorders... facts and symptoms... and concluded that I definitely had an eating disorder. Meanwhile, I started skipping swim practice because "I had too much homework" (truthfully, it was because the water seemed miserably cold to me and the practices were unbearably hard) but after a week or so of that excuse, I told my mom that I was afraid to eat. I'm glad I have my mom because she is the only person who would listen and try to understand what I was going through. I didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone else about it (for a good reason, you won't believe how many people have called me crazy for having an eating disorder since then). She knew I wasn't eating the foods I enjoyed eating and I had lost some weight (not nearly as much as I really had though), but she was afraid to bring up the subject. I went to the doctor the next week and started my difficult journey through recovery. I really did miss eating certain foods, and honestly I was so miserable that I knew something wasn't normal and needed to be fixed. I was passing out, getting out of breath really easily, waking up with extremely painful leg cramps in the middle of the night, and my grades were starting to slip because I was having trouble focusing. Since November 2011, I did, sadly, get a LOT worse very quickly... but since January, I have been slowly improving. It has been a hard struggle.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Day 3 - Recovery Challenge

List 10 NON physical things you like about yourself.

1. I'm a good friend
2. I'm intelligent
3. My sense of humor
4. I'm great with animals
5. My imagination
6. I'm persistent and don't usually give up
7. My creativeness
8. I'm thoughtful
9. My uniqueness
10. I'm a good listener

After number two, this started to get hard for me. After number seven I was pretty much out of ideas. I guess this is something I need to work on.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Day 2 - Recovery Challenge

What does recovery mean to YOU?

To me, recovery means a bunch of things. It means not obsessing over calories. Eating the foods I loved to eat . . . and not feeling guilty when I eat them. It means not having to eat at the same exact time every day. Eating when I'm hungry and eating until I'm satisfied. Eating a variety of foods. Eating at restaurants. Being confident about myself and the way I look. Not listening to any negative comments people make about me. It means being able to focus again. Not getting stressed out in social situations that involve food. Not obsessing over my weight. Being able to exercise again and enjoy it without calculating the number of calories I burned. Looking in the mirror and NOT obsessing over NATURAL "fat" areas of my body. Not comparing myself to other people. And finally, enjoying life again.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Day 1 - Recovery Challenge

 List your stats (height/weight). What eating disorder are/have you struggled with?

Usually I don't feel comfortable sharing my weight with people, but since I am taking this challenge...
and my weight is constantly changing, but it was 100.5 on Tuesday (3/20/12). My height is 5'2'. I have anorexia.

Recovery Challenge

Over the next 30 days, I will be answering one of these questions a day. I found this on an inspiring Recovery website and decided to take the challenge.
Recovery Challenge
Days:
1. List your stats (height/weight). What eating disorder are/have you struggled with?
2. What does recovery mean to YOU?
3. List 10 NON physical things you like about yourself.
4. What are factors that contributed in your choice to recover?
5. What actions do you believe could be taken in the future to help prevent your child(ren) or close friends from ever developing an eating disorder?
6. What was your favorite meal before your ED? What is your favorite meal now?
7. Do you think the media contributes to the growing rate of girls developing eating disorders younger and younger?
8. Create a list of all the positive things your eating disorder has given you. (This day should be short haha.)
9. Create a list of all the negative things your eating disorder has given you.
10. Does anyone in your close family have an eating disorder? If so, do you think it had an impact on you developing one?
11. List 10 PHYSICAL features you like about yourself.
12. Post a picture of 1 thing you ate today.
13. Do you believe you can ever fully recover from an eating disorder? Explain.
14. How do your friends and family feel about your eating disorder?
15. Post a picture of you before you ever developed an eating disorder. What emotions were you feeling in this picture? Describe your picture.
16. How would you help a close friend or family member if they developed an eating disorder?
17. What does being fat TRULY mean to you?
18. Here’s a challenge. Come up with a hobby you’ve never done or haven’t done in awhile that has NOTHING to do with eating or exercising or cooking. Totally non eating disorder related. What is your hobby? Why did you chose it?
19. Has your eating disorder ever held you back from something? If so, explain.
20. I feel eating disorders have somehow been glamorized. Explain your opinion on this.
21. Who has been the biggest contributor of your recovery in your life? Explain.
22. Describe your goals for your future.
23. List 2 positive things that happened to you today.
24. Where were you in terms of your eating disorder 6 months ago? Describe how you’ve changed.
25. What are your ‘fear foods’? I CHALLENGE you to eat one today. Dare you. Do it.
26. Eating disorders often come hand in hand with social anxiety and or depression. Start 1 conversation today with someone you don’t normally speak to. How did it go?
27. Create a letter of everything you would write to your eating disorder as if it were a real life person.
28. What do you need to improve on in order to advance mentally and or physically towards recovery? Explain how you plan on actually moving forward with these goals!
29. Challenge yourself again in some way today. Whether it be being more social, eating more, eating another fear food, etc. Explain.
30. List your stats again. Did this help you at all?

Monday, January 16, 2012

Oatmeal!

Every morning, I look forward to having a big bowl of oatmeal. It is my absolute favorite food. I like to get creative and come up with a bunch of combinations to try. Besides these, do you know any other delicious flavors of oatmeal?
1. Pomegranate Oatmeal:
     •Plain oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Pomegranate Juice
     •Dried Pomegranates
     •Pomegranate Arils

2. Honey-Banana Oatmeal:
     •Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Honey
     •Almond Milk
     •Dried Bananas
     •Granola

3. Cinnamon-Apple Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Cinnamon
     •Diced Apples
     •Dried Apples

4. Reese's Oatmeal
     •Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Peanut Butter

5. Tropical Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Coconut Milk
     •Dried Papaya
     •Dried Mango
     •Dried Kiwi
     •Fresh Pineapple

6. Peach-Apricot Oatmeal
     •Peach Oatmeal
     •Almond Milk
     •Sliced Dried Apricots
     •Cinnamon

7. Berry Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Greek Yogurt
     •Granola          
     •Honey
     •Fresh Mixed Berries


8. Strawberry-Kiwi Oatmeal
     •Strawberry Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Dried Strawberries
     •Sliced dried kiwis

9. Blueberry Oatmeal
     •Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Almond Milk
     •Blueberries

10. Apricot-Coconut Oatmeal
     •Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Chopped Dried Apricots
     •Shredded Coconut

11. Melon Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Honey
     •Dried Cantaloupe
     •Dried Honeydew

12. Peanut Butter-Banana Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Dried Bananas
     •Peanut Butter
     •Sliced Bananas

13. Cranberry-Orange Oatmeal
     •Plain Oatmeal
     •Skin Milk
     •Cinnamon
     •Dried Cranberries
     •Orange Juice

14. Apple Cider-Pear Oatmeal
     •Cinnamon Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Apple Cider
     •Sliced Pears

15. Apple-Banana Oatmeal
     •Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Applesauce
     •Dried Bananas

16. Banana-Raisin Oatmeal
     •Cinnamon Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Dried Bananas
     •Raisins
     •Granola

17. Banana-Orange Oatmeal
     •Cinnamon Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Dried Bananas
     •Sliced Bananas
     •Orange Juice

18. Muesli Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Raisins
     •Honey
     •Flaked Oat Cereal
     •Almonds
     •Dried Dates

19. Plum Oatmeal
     •Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Dried Plums

20. Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Cinnamon
     •Raisins
     •Granola

21. Pumpkin Oatmeal
     •Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Almond Milk
     •Cinnamon
     •Canned Pumpkin

22. Sweet Potato Oatmeal
     •Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Almond Milk
     •Chopped (cooked) Sweet Potato
     •Cinnamon

23. Cherry-Vanilla Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Dried Cherries
     •Vanilla
     •Cherry Jam
     •Shredded Coconut

24. Peanut Butter & Jelly Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Peanut Butter
     •Grape Jelly
     •Sliced Banana

25. Strawberry Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Dried Strawberries
     •Strawberry Jam
     •Vanilla

26. Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal
     •Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Cinnamon

27. Pineapple Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Dried Pineapple
     •Pineapple Juice
     •Brown Sugar

28. Butternut Squash Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Squash
     •Cinnamon
     •Vanilla
     •Granola

29. Raspberry Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Raspberries
     •Vanilla
     •Raspberry Jam

30. Blackberry Oatmeal
     •Cinnamon Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Blackberries
     •Blackberry Jam
     •Vanilla

31. Thanksgiving Leftovers Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Cranberry Sauce
     •Cinnamon

32. Carrot Cake Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Shredded Carrot
     •Shredded Coconut
     •Walnuts
     •Raisins

33. Chocolate-Cherry Oatmeal
     •Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
     •Almond Milk
     •Dried Cherries
     •Cherry Jelly

34. Coffee Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Coffee

35. S'mores Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
     •Graham Crackers
     •Marshmallows

36.  Butterscotch Oatmeal
     •Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
     •Skim Milk
     •Butterscotch Chips

37. Apple Butter Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Apple Butter

38. Peppermint Latte Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Crushed Peppermint Candies
     •Peppermint Coffee

39. Strawberry-Banana Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Vanilla
     •Dried Strawberries
     •Dried Bananas

40. Key Lime Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Coconut Milk
     •Dried Pineapples
     •Lime Juice
     •Sugar
     •Vanilla
     •Graham Cracker crumbles on top

41. Raspberry Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Raspberries
     •Vanilla

42. Blackberry Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Vanilla
     •Blackberries
     •Cinnamon

43. Blueberry-Coconut Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Coconut Milk
     •Vanilla
     •Blueberries
     •Coconut

44. Strawberry-Coconut Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Vanilla Almond Milk
     •Fresh Strawberries
     •Freeze Dried Strawberries
     •Coconut

45. Chocolate-Strawberry Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Frozen Strawberries
     • Chocolate Chips

46. Peanut Butter-Banana Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Almond Milk
     •Vanilla
     •Banana slices
     •Peanut Butter

47. Mango-Peach-Orange Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Orange Juice
     •Frozen Mangoes
     •Fresh Peaches

48. Coconut Cream Pie Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats

     •Coconut Milk
     •Vanilla Extract
     •Shredded Coconut

49. Pina Colada Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Toasted Coconut
     •Fresh Pineapple
     •Honey

50. Banana Cream Pie Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Coconut milk
      •Vanilla extract
      •Banana slices

51. Berry Lemon Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Fresh Strawberries, Blueberries, or Raspberries
     •Lemon Zest
     •Sugar

52. Samoas Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Milk
     •Caramel
     •Shredded Coconut
     •Brown sugar
     •Chocolate chips

53. Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Diced Rhubarb
     •Diced Strawberries
     •Applesauce
     •Brown Sugar

54. Rocky Road Oatmeal
     •Plain Oats
     •Skim Milk
     •Vanilla Extract
     •Mini Marshmallows
     •Cocoa Powder
     •Walnuts
     •Brown Sugar
     •Chocolate Chips

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Happiness Challenge

Here is my list of 100+ things that make me happy. I am going to try to do at least one every day.
1. Having oatmeal for breakfast.
2. Trying different flavors of tea.
3. Hearing birds chirp in the morning.
4. Going to church on Sunday.
5. Eating lunch with my mom.
6. Talking to my mom.
7. Shopping.
8. Cooking.
9. Making family recipes as good as my mom does.
10. Taking pictures.
11. Spending time with my dogs.
12. The smell of breakfast in the morning.
13. Looking through magazines.
14. Daydreaming about my future.
15. Looking at other people's blogs.
16. Having a feeling of accomplishment.
17.Unexpected snow days
18. Painting my nails
19. Listening to "Beautiful Me" by Selena Gomez
20. Watching Modern Family.
21. Listening to my best friend's stories.
22. Decorating food.
23. Having a clean room.
24. Listening to "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato.
25. Listening to "Ours" by Taylor Swift.
26. Coloring/ Designing.
27. Getting an A on a hard test.
28. Listening to my grandpa's stories from his childhood.
29. Talking to my grandma.
30. Summer thunder storms.
32.Reading an inspiring quote.
33. Seeing snow.
34. Doing a good deed.
35. Finding the perfect article of clothing that I've been searching for forever.
36. The smell of fall.
37. Having a good hair day.
38. My electric blanket on a cold day.
39. Finding something I thought I lost forever.
40. Priceless memories.
41. A great comeback at the perfect time.
42. My favorite perfume.
43. A new candle.
44. People who listen and truly care.
45. When someone speaks highly of you, but think you didn't hear it.
46. Eating over-the-top desserts.
47. Exercising.
48.Unexpected hugs.
49. Finding the perfect gift for a friend.
50. Going on cruises.
51. Cute mugs.
52. A refreshing drink on a hot day.
53. Doing something on my bucket list.
54. Taking a perfect picture.
54. Hearing an old song you used to love.
55. When a scent brings back good memories.
56. When someone remembers little things about you.
57.  Realizing its almost Christmas.
58. The colors of autumn.
59. Loving a new hair cut.
60. When your food arrives earlier than you were expecting.
61. Reading your old journals.
62. Waking up and seeing sunlight.
63.  Praying.
64. A beautiful spring after a cold winter.
65. Playing tag with my cat.
66. Reading a good book on a hammock.
67. Finally being able to play a piece of music on the piano.
68. The smell of all the spices when you open up the spice cabinet.
69. Christmas lights.
70. The perfect pair of sunglasses.
71. Clean sheets on my bed
72.  New body wash
73.  Eating watermelon in the summer
74.  New underwear
75.  Finding money in an unexpected place
76. Thinking about my future
77. Enjoying good food
January 2012. Powered by Blogger.