The Comeback: Wedding pictures, Starting over, 21 Day Fix Challenge, and Pita Pizza

Hey Friends!

So I've been a little MIA since before the wedding.  :)  I'm sure everyone out there knows and understands the month before a wedding is probably the most stressful time.  Now, I wasn't a bridezilla, but I was definitely running around like a mad woman!  All our hard work paid off and we had an absolutely perfect wedding day! We just got our pictures back yesterday, and they are amazing!! A special shout out and thank you to April Days Photography!  April and her assistant did such an incredible job on our wedding photos.  She is not your run of the mill photographer.  She has a keen eye for detail, she makes your wedding photos a completely personal experience and she takes her time when editing your photos one by one so they look like absolute perfection.  I could not have asked for better! Here's a few of our favorites:

Now, life is finally getting back to normal!  Lately we have been working on reorganizing and redecorating the house.  It is getting there, slowly but surely.  

I have gained a happy 8 pounds since the wedding! Not something I am proud of, but that means it is back to business!! 

I have decided to join a challenge group!  This opportunity came about when I saw a post on the Facebook group for my sorority on May 16th.  A sister from another chapter was inviting girls to join her 30 day challenge.  My Challenge Coach, Christiana, is such a ray of sunshine!  After talking to her briefly on Facebook about life, the program, the challenges and the triumphs I was convinced that this was a step I HAD to take for myself.  Now that life isn't about fitting in a wedding dress anymore, it's really about being strong, happy and healthy.  I do have a goal to fit in a great swimsuit in October for our honeymoon in Mexico, but this time it is beyond that.  

Eventually we will have babies and I want to be able to run around with them and be there as they grow up.  I want to feel good about myself and not be frustrated when things don’t fit or having to change a million times because my outfit doesn’t look right or feel comfortable.  That is why I have joined the 30 day challenge using the Beach Body - 21 Day Fix Program.  I know it sounds like a plug, but really…It’s 21 days! It’s a doable challenge that will also teach me that it’s not about dieting, it’s about a lifestyle! I can do this!  Oh, and even better, one of my friends Jen (Hi Jen!) also happened to sign up for a different challenge group, but we are doing it at the same time, which means even MORE support!

This first week, in my challenge group, it has been all prep.  Mental prep, household prep and food prep.  All I can say is it’s been amazing to be part of a group where you all have the same struggles but also the same goals.  You guys should really check Christiana out. Her posts on Instagram have been of great inspiration and motivation to me.  Follow her at fitnessprincessxtiana!  She is truly positive proof that you can see results and goals can be achieved!  Who knows maybe one of you will join us on the next challenge!

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Finally, as the last part of my “Comeback” post I am going to share a new recipe!  I posted a picture of our dinner last night, and lots of people have asked me for the recipe, so without further ado….

Grilled Eggplant and Asparagus Pita Pizza

Ingredients are ready to go!

I am using on of our wonder fill wedding presents the T-Fal Opti Grill

Eggplant on deck

I love a nice char on my asparagus

Eggplant's turn

Garlic Olive Oil

Polo is hoping I drop some food

Say Cheese!

Not much cheese on this, but you don't need it!

Grilled to percetion

Pita assemble!

Hot and fresh out of the oven

The balsamic drizzle is clutch!

Recipe

Ingredients

Pizza:

2 Large or 4 small Pitas (I used large Lebanese pitas)

2 Garlic cloves, minced

2 medium sized tomatoes sliced into ½ inch rounds

¼ Red Onion sliced thinly

1 Medium sized eggplant sliced into ½ inch rounds

8 asparagus spears

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup EVOO

Bunch of basil leaves

Salt & Pepper

Balsamic Reduction:

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of honey

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

1.       Lay out your asparagus spears and eggplant rounds and brush lightly with olive oil, making sure it is coated.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Grill eggplant until tender and asparagus to your liking and set aside on a plate to cool. 

2.       Add minced garlic to your remaining olive oil.  Place pitas on a sheet pan (I used 2 separate pans so they would fit).  Brush liberally with garlic olive oil. 

3.      Sprinkle ½ of the shredded mozzarella cheese over your pitas. 

4.      Evenly place the tomatoes on your pita, then continue to top with grilled vegetables and red onion slices. 

5.      Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of veggies and place basil leaves on top evenly.

6.      Bake for approximately 15 minutes, checking to see if your pita has become crispy, or until preferred doneness. 

7.      While pizza is baking, combine balsamic and honey in a small saucepan.  Heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half.  Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

8.      Once pizza is done, cut into desired slices and drizzle with balsamic reduction before serving

Enjoy!!

Well that’s all I have for you beautiful people today! I realized that doing a daily blog is just too much for me to handle so I will try my best to keep up with a weekly blog update.  I can’t wait to share my life updates, progress and more recipes with you guys!!!

As always QotD: Any fun plans this summer?? 

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! 

xoxo Mandie | ohmandieblogs@gmail.com

LESS THAN ONE MONTH!

Days until the wedding: 23
Pounds lost: 16!

Hey friends! I know it has been a while... Again, many of you have reminded me that I am slacking.  I apologize, once again! As the wedding gets closer our schedule fills up faster and faster!!!  Not only has it been one month since I blogged but the wedding is also one month away! Actually 30 days now....

Last time I blogged it was the day before my birthday, and good birthday it was.  29 years young!  I didn't do anything extravagant.  Actually, I spent my birthday doing Zumba and feasting on a delicious (Low calorie) tiramisu trifle made by my aunt!

I know many of you have been like "Where have you been??"  I've been keeping very busy with working out...wedding planning...cleaning house and....Puppy training!  Yup, as many of you know, we're completely insane and must be gluttons for punishment because we got a puppy.  Actually, she was a wonderful wedding present from my sister.  Introducing:

Avery Jo

She is extremely sweet, cuddly and cute....but she is also extremely curious, teething and destructive.  So...she is your typical puppy! She's already had some play dates with a couple dogs, and so far she has fared the best with my parent's dog Polo.  If any of my friends out there want to set up a doggie play date let me know!!

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Ok, Back to business! I was doing pretty good with the working out for the last month...I've been able to shave off some pounds since my last post…. I’m down to 204, and I want to be AT LEAST under 200 by the wedding.  I think that it’s definitely going to happen…and then we’ll have to start setting the goals for our Honeymoon in October!

Here’s a list of things that still need to get done before the wedding:

-          Bridal party gifts

-          Place Cards

-          Programs (One of my bridesmaids has graciously taken this from my to-do list)

-          Seating chart

Again, a glutton for punishment…. I’ve decided I’m making the place cards myself (Pictures as it progresses) and I’ll probably make the gifts as well…. I'M GETTING NERVOUS!  There is so much to do and time is running out.

We had some beautiful weather on Monday, and though we don't have a grill we broke in our new cast iron grill pan that I got at my shower this past weekend.  We got so much stuff already I can't believe I still have two more showers AND the wedding....Not sure where we will put it all!

I really don't know what else to say right now...So.......Yea...I'm excited about Zumba tonight! I've REALLY been slacking on my workouts!!

I'm going to have to get my pictures together so that you all can see the craziness from last weekend.  Until next time!

Question of the day: What do you think are the BEST current (Last 5 years) and throwback songs to hear at weddings.  What do you think are the WORST? 

xoxo Mandz

Life happens

Days Until the Wedding: 59...Exactly 2 MONTHS!
Pounds Lost: 13

Hey Friends! I know some of you have been telling me I've been neglecting this page....I apologize for "abandoning" you all the past few days.  Again, I told myself I wanted to get all this stuff done (including blogging) and then life happens and time gets away from you.  I can't believe we are exactly two months away from getting married! It's all coming up so fast... so it's time to really kick things into high gear.  Today, I'll catch you all up on what I've been up to!

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First off, if you are friends with me on Facebook you may have seen this photo.  This stemmed (haha so punny) from something I had seen on Pinterest (surprise).  I'm sure many of you can relate to needing a bunch of green onions  and you'd hate to go all the way to the store just for one thing (However, if you go to Target just for green onions I guarantee you'll come out with at least 5 things you never knew you needed).  You can save your self the trip and the money by regrowing the tips of your green onions! There are actually a lot of things you can regrow from scraps.  Here is a great article that shows you how to grow a lot of foods from scraps.  As for green onions, all you really have to do cut your onions approximately 3-4 inches above the root end and stick them into a glass of water, place them in a spot with a lot of sunlight, and watch them grow! Also, make sure you change the water out every couple days to keep things fresh.

Look how rapidly these things grow! I put this together on Saturday 2/7/15

Here is a photo from 2/9/15.  

As you can see HUGE growth spurt.  Oh, and I am also trying out celery (small glass). 

This is from this morning (2/11/15)

Onions continue to grow, and celery is sprouting!

The nice thing about the onions is that you can use them intermittently so that you'll always have a supply on hand.  With the celery, I will have to keep you update!

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On Saturday, I FINALLY picked up my wedding dress.  Prior to this, I was a little worried about my dress.  Because of our previous wedding plans, I originally had one week to find my dress so I felt a bit rushed and wasn't sure if I was satisfied with my selection.  This time, when I tried my dress on for the last time before taking it home, I was totally in love with it! Since I lost a little bit of weight, my dress fit even better.  I won't need any major alterations if I continue to lose weight because my back of my dress is able to adjust to my size.  I don't want to go into too much detail because Tony reads the blog, and all he knows is that it's white.  I now have the dress hanging in the guest room with the door closed, trusting him to not take a peek!

My cousin and I saw The Boy Next Door in the afternoon.  I'll admit, I saw it mostly because Ryan Guzman is pretty darn attractive...right?

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Sunday, Tony and I went over to my Grandma/Aunt's house after church for a workout.  Or at least I did.  My Aunt and I did a 12 minute stretch from the Kenpo Karate video on P90X and then we did about an hour of Zumba.  The biggest surprise of all was that she got me my own Zumba set for my birthday! 

Even though the toning sticks are only 1 pound each they totally make a difference! The hour we were doing Zumba FLEW by.  I think that dancing and working out is my thing.  I enjoy it the most because it doesn't feel like working out to me.  Here is a link where you can get your own!

Monday night Tony and I went to the gym.  We go to the Planet Fitness in Bloomingdale... or well, he does.  This was my first visit there with him, but it seems like your typical gym.  We started with 15 min warming up on the treadmill.  I averaged about 3.5mph with a 2.0 incline.  We did some weight training focusing on arms and abs.  Then we did another 15 minutes of cardio before going home.  

Dinner was a Sweet and Savory Spinach Salad and a Cheesey Beef Frittata.  

Sweet and Savory Spinach Salad -203 calories per serving

1 1/2 cups of torn spinach leaves

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

1 T chopped pecans

1 T crumbled feta cheese 

2 T light honey mustard dressing

Combine all ingredients and enjoy

Cheesey Beef Frittata - 287 calories per slice (8 Servings)

1 lb lean Ground Beef

5 eggs

5 egg whites

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 c mushrooms chopped

1 green pepper chopped 

10 grape tomatoes halved

1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese

salt & pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Brown your ground beef and season with salt and pepper in a oven safe pan, drain and set aside
3. n the same oven safe pan, saute the onions, mushrooms and green pepper until tender.  
4. Return beef to pan and combine well with the rest of the ingredients
5. Beat eggs and egg whites in a bowl, then pour over the ingredients in the pan.  Make sure that you spread the egg evenly around the pan.  
6. Place tomato halves on the surface of your frittata then sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the egg mixture.  
7. Place the whole pan in the oven for 20-30 min or until your fritata has set.  
8. Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy! 

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Tuesday night, we had the same dinner as the previous night because we were in a hurry to get to boot camp.  That's right.  Boot camp.  In the past, this was Tony's go to workout routine.  So when they opened a location right down the street from our house he was eager to check it out.  It's called Heaven and Hell Bootcamp, and it definitely was a mixture of heaven and hell for me.  Our friend Caitlin attends sessions here occasionally so she put a word in for us with the instructor and we got to try a session for free.  It is basically a 45 minute HIIT workout.  Here is a little sample of what I went through.  

What I really liked about this was how the instructor told me not to kill myself on my first day.  He told me to go at my own pace, rest when I needed to, drink water, and modify.  Tony thinks I pushed myself a little harder than I should have.  I'm not going to lie, I am sore, but a good sore.  After finishing my first session, I wasn't sure if I loved it...I mean, I wasn't even sure if I could move.  The  more I think about it though,  I think I like it enough to go back.  I think that it will really help me lose inches and tone up.  AND the best part is that there is a Groupon for either One month of unlimited boot camp for $20 or Two months of unlimited boot camp for $35!  I am in no way affiliated or trying to plug them for personal gain.  I just think that it is a great alternative option for anyone that wants to try a new work out!  

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I feel like last week I was in some sort of slump, and I have been kicked back into gear.  I feel motivated again and anxious to really make a greater effort in my physical activity.  Lets hope this feeling lasts for the next two months!!

Oh yeah and my birthday is tomorrow!... the big 29... yay?

Question of the day:  If you could meet anyone in history, dead or alive who would it be? Where would you go? What would you do?

This is such a tough one for me... I could easily say Joseph Gordon Leavitt....and we'd elope to someplace warm where he'd serenade me with his guitar and charm.

But since he's married now and I'm getting married in 2 months...I'd have to say...Maybe Coco Chanel? She's the name that stands out in my head.  She would take me around Paris and tell me where she got her inspirations from, maybe make me a signature suit, talk over chocolat chau and croissants....

See you soon, my friends!

xo Mandie

ohmandieblogs@gmail.com

Short & Sweet

Days Til the Wedding: 64
Pounds Lost:13 

Happy Friday Friends!

I know I missed you yesterday, we had 2 busy evenings and I was unable to take the time to write a quality post.  So I'm writing something short and sweet for you all on my lunch break.

Wednesday night we met with a photographer who happens to be one of my maid of honor's cousins and decided we would be having her take the photos at our wedding.  Then we had to trek out to my aunt's apartment to water the plants and do some household things for her.

Last night, we had our last Precana meeting with our sponsor couple.  Another late night meant waking up groggy this morning wishing it was Saturday.  I only have another 4 hours left in the work day.. c'mon 5 o'clock!!!

With us being busy the last two nights, I may have not made the best choices, but again it's all part of the journey.  A lifestyle change takes time.  It's hard to give up old habits cold turkey but I know I have made a vast improvement on what my habits used to be.  For example would I have ever thought after already being in bed and realizing I only needed 1500 steps to complete my step goal I'd get up and walk around the room til I completed my goal? Nope! Small changes make big differences!

Question of the day: What's a small change you've made in your life that's made a big difference?

Expect a post in the morning!
xo Mandie

ERMAHGERD POMEGRANATES!

Days til the wedding: 66
Pounds lost: 13!

Yes, another pound demolished!

This was me after I weighed myself this morning

Yesterday was fairly uneventful.  I feel like the snow is making us feel lethargic and lazy.  

Breakfast:

Oh. Em. Gee.  Seriously. Best breakfast ever.

 +  =

So just about every flavor I've had of Yoplait Greek 100 has been awesome (Love the Whips too!), but yesterday's mix of it with pomegranate seeds was amazing.  After the first bite I was like 

If you've never had pomegranate seeds (arils) before you're missing out.  I think I can only describe it like little juicy kernels with a crunchy seed in the center.  Tony and I saw some on sale this past weekend at Valli Produce and bought 2.  I had purchased a small container of the seeds before and thought they were tasty, but I'd never deseeded one on my own.  Tony had never had them before, period.  So began my pomegranate deseeding adventure.  The only method I'd ever seen was submerging it in a bowl of water and it just looked so labor intensive, so when I'd heard of an alternative method from my aunt I turned to YouTube and found this method.  72 calories per 1/2 cup. I documented my pomegranate adventure for you guys too...

Our 2 beautiful pomegranites

Score around the middle

Insides

Lay it seed side down on your palm over a bowl and whack it with a wooden spoon 

(You can see my spoon an bowl in the background. I'd already did some work)

Pomegranate carcass

Amazing breakfast - 172 calories

Lunch:

Grabbed something as I was heading out the door.  I love Progresso soups, you can find lots of low calorie choices, you just have to be aware of the sodium content.  1 can 180 Calories.  I had a little halor orange and also munched on a rice cake.  I know these things get a bad rep, but I really enjoy the buttered popcorn rice cakes.  I think at 35 Calories a cake they're satisfying and you get that popcorn feel without being THAT PERSON in the office who makes popcorn and stinks up the place.

Dinner:

So much guilt.  But we fell to the fast food fix again.  I think I could have done worse...

In all my daily round up ended with 

1242 Calories eaten / 0 Calories burned / 2863 Steps taken

House Walking

As you all have seen, my calories burned has been pretty sad lately.  SO even if I don't work out, I feel like I need to start getting my steps up again.  The fitbit excitement has been fading and I have to remember that these steps I am taking really do translate to calories burned.  My cousin shared this article with me a few weeks ago on how easy it is to get these steps in.  I did do this a few weeks ago, it's something you can literally do anywhere.  Brushing your teeth, washing your hands, on the elevator at work.  Granted people might give you funny looks, so I tend to do this when people aren't around.  They add up quickly! 

Question of the day: If you could pack your bags today and go anywhere in the world for a week where would you go? -- I would pick someplace warm.  Anyplace warm. :p

I think that's all I have for today...We're halfway through the week!

xo Mandie