I Finally Made Something My Husband Likes!

My mom gets the Taste of Home magazine sent to my house. Even though it is a magazine that reminds me of my grandma (and other old people) there are some decent recipes that are easy enough that even I can make them.

I am not sure if I have ever mentioned that I am not the cook in the house. I can prep like crazy, but then cooking is another story. The husband says I just blame it on the appliance (hence my post about my oven but I still swear it doesn't work right!) But regardless, I try and try to make things that he enjoys.

My latest venture was kind of out of the ballpark with what he would normally eat. He is not a dessert person, prefers vegetables over ice cream any day (I am not sure why we are so good for each other because I could eat ice cream for dinner every day!) but sometimes when the moment is right, he will eat something besides veggies. Typically, this would be a lemon shaved ice cup, freezer pops or very rarely, but if the moment strikes, cheesecake - NO TOPPINGS!

So when I was flipping through my Taste of Home, I came across a recipe for Lemon & Cream Pops. Sounded pretty good to me and I figured he might like it since it is lemon and frozen. So I made them. I will show/explain to you how:

1. In a bowl, whisk one 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of whole milk, 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of grated lemon peel.

*I bought 5 lemons, they were bigger, to try to get the 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice. I hand squeezed the lemons, so notice the seeds that I scooped out. It really only took 4 lemons to get the 1/2 cup.

2. Mix all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved (it really didn't take long).

3. Pour mixture into ice pop molds or 3 oz. paper cups. I found these ice pop molds at Marshalls for $6.99! My suggestion is to just use your measuring cup to pour it into the molds. Remember to leave space for freezing!

4. Place the molds or paper cups with wooden sticks into the freezer. Freeze for 6-8 hours or until solid.

5. When frozen, be careful pulling the stick or cup off. You may need to run some hot water over the mold to get it out. Here is the final product! Not as pretty as it could've been since it was super stuck.

They are actually really good and are great for a hot evening. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe!!

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Can I Stay Dedicated for the Next 7 Months?

I’ve been intrigued lately by a relative of mine who has made the change in her life to go vegan. She is not a PETA vegan (she carries a leather purse and owns UGGs) but she made the choice to improve her health. In less than five months she has transformed, all by changing her diet.

Now, her measures to cut animal products out of her diet completely may be drastic to some, but to me it shows discipline and dedication.

We all talk about losing a few pounds here or there, or trying a new “fad” diet plan, but how many people are dedicated enough to make these changes permanent?

Dedication is something you have or lack throughout your life. Some things in life might come easy to you, and these changes benefit you in the long run. Other times in our lives, we are quitters – giving up because it is “too hard” or you lack the discipline to keep going at something out of your comfort zone.

We have all been there, faced with new challenges that turn and we tackle head on. But then the going gets tough, and we retreat. Sometimes it’s just hard to stick with something new. It’s easier to go back to the way things were.

I could never be disciplined enough to do what my cousin is doing. I admire her dedication to creating a healthier lifestyle. I’m accustom to eating a box of Oreos weekly. Cutting sugar out of my life would place me straight into that uncomfortable zone, and I would quit. I can almost guarantee you that.

So where can we find this dedication and discipline. Does it show up when we need it most?

There have been plenty of times that I have thought about making positive changes (starting small) – attempting to implement a workout plan (Workout Wednesdays, ladies), changing my diet by not consuming AS MUCH crap, and especially not eating after 9:00 p.m.

But here we are – going on weeks of abandoned Workout Wednesdays and I snacked on brownies and chocolate covered strawberries at lunch. My challenge list might seem minimal to most, but to me a healthier lifestyle has to start somewhere.

Now – to find the dedication and discipline. It is only 7 months till the wedding (EEEK!)

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