One Week Left! Christmas Baking Time

Can you believer it? There is only one week left to get ready for Christmas. In the last day and a half, I've done my very best to get the Nagle family Christmas celebration on track. I've been doing some last minute shopping and I'm looking forward to a weekend of sewing and baking.

It has become our tradition give our friends and neighbors platters filled with yummy baked goods right before Christmas. I'll be sharing our recipes with you all weekend, so you can add anything you fancy to your own celebrations.

Tomorrow morning (Friday), I'm going to be making Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls...I remember my mom making these 35 years ago, so this recipe is definitely a keep. Be prepared to fall in love, because these are more like a home-made Reese's Peanut Butter Cups than anything else. As soon as I get them made, I'll share some pictures with you, but if you want a head start, here is the recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
from Erin's mom - makes about 100 balls

1 cup butter - softened
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup angel flake coconut
1 lb powdered sugar (approx 3 1/2 cups)
1 cup chunky peanut butter (you can use creamy with no problem)

12 ozs chocolate chips
1/4 cake of paraffin wax

Directions:

1. Beat butter until creamy. Add in graham cracker crumbs, vanilla extra, coconut, and powdered sugar. Mix well.

2. Stir in peanut butter with wooden spoon (or upright mixer...this will be too stiff for a hand mixer).

3. Shape into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet. (Note: If you take the time to insert toothpicks into each ball at this point, it will make dipping them in chocolate much easier.) Chill for at least an hour.

4. When balls are chilled, melt chocolate chips together with paraffin and mix well.

5. Swirl peanut butter ball in chocolate and set on waxed paper to cool. Store in freezer or refrigerator.

As I said, I've been making these for years and year and my mother before me made them for years. They are always a big hit and repeat favorite.

30 Day Shred - Day 30 ( The "We Did It" Edition )

Finally...it is here! Day 30 of our 30 Day Shred Challenge and Valiant and I saw it through to the end! I can't believe we did it. We didn't skip a day, we didn't shirk an exercise...we did the whole thing! I feel amazing. I'm so glad I did this challenge for myself. I am super proud of Valiant for sticking with me the entire way...I know it wasn't easy.

I'm sorry it made my blog so boring, but don't worry...I'm done posting about exercise for a while. (Okay, not quite done...I have some closing reflections about the challenge, but that will be it!)

For now, however, I'm doing a Happy Dance and going to frost Superman's birthday cake! Yes, you read that correctly. Today is Superman's birthday! Happy Birthday, Superman...thanks for all the support!

30 Day Shred - Days 28 and 29 (Craft Party Edition)

Well, it took me until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday to do Day 28, but I did it.

Day 29 had to be finished early today, as the kids and I were excited to be invited to a craft party this afternoon. Valiant and I did our 25 minutes of cardio plus our 29th Day of the 30 Day Shred before 9:00 a.m. this morning. We spent the afternoon at a friend's house painting Christmas ornaments...it was so fun!

Anyway, do you know what this means? It means tomorrow is our last day of the 30 Day Shred Challenge! Seriously...we're already there...it has already been 30 days! Where did the time go? 30 days will have passed already and it occurs to me that it easily could have been another 30 day period where I talked about getting up off my rear end and ended up doing nothing about the state of said rear. It wasn't a resolution...it was a commitment to myself and it feels really good.

It is never too late. And to those of you who have emailed me letting me know I've inspired you to make your own commitment? I think you so rock! You make sharing the journey worthwhile. Thank you!

Food For Thought

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

Jamie@ Beach Family Updates is posting an inspirational quote every day for a year. This one touched me so much that I thought I'd share it with you.

30 Day Shred - Days 27 and 28 (Church Supper for the Family Edition)

Day 27 of the 30 Day Shred Challenge has come and gone. Given that yesterday was Saturday, we were more in the mood to lounge around. Fortunately for me, things were on the schedule: a friend was stopping by at noon to drop something off and Buttercup had to be ready to go to a birthday party at 12:15 p.m. and, finally, our family was invited to a wonderful Christmas supper at a the church of some friends of ours. What did that all mean? It meant I couldn't procrastinate all day. Nope, I got the Shred done by 11:00. Admittedly, that was all the exercise I did yesterday, but still, I got it done.

The Christmas dinner? Fabulous! Valiant's Boy Scout pack sang some songs, Buttercup's youth group did a song, the program was inspiring and the food was wonderful. We were made to feel very welcome and, as always, a church program is just the ticket to get me fully in the spirit of the season.

Today? Well, today I'm paying the price for eating too much junk food yesterday and not getting in enough exercise. I woke up with a stomach ache that I totally earned. Jumped out of bed and got my workout clothes on. I've already done 24 minutes on the Life Cycle and run a mile in under 10 minutes. I haven't actually done my 30 Day Shred, but I will (I'm waiting for Valiant to wake up).

It is Sunday, so I'm turning off the computer after I finish posting. I'll see you tomorrow.

30 Day Shred - Days 25 and 26 (Passing It Along Edition)

I cannot believe we've already complete Days 25 and 26 of our 30 Day Challenge. On Tuesday, we'll be done completely! Valiant and I would not have guessed how quickly the time has gone. Only four more days and we'll have completed the challenge. Unbelievable. The best part? People are being inspired to jump start their own fitness routines and moving their bodies. How cool is that? We're actually passing it along...

Last night I gained renewed inspiration from my friend A, who has struggled with a lifelong weight problem. At our Christmas party she told me she was behind on on her blog reading and just discovered I was doing the 30 Day Shred. Wednesday, during our almost-weekly "Biggest Loser recap conversation", she told me that she and her husband were committing to each other to make serious changes in 2010. She had plans to start canvasing Craig's List now for a treadmill and a bike.

After dinner last night, I heard from Superman that Mr. R was giving away his treadmill! Seriously!! I called A immediately (at 8:00 o'clock at night) and said, "Were you serious? Do you want a treadmill for free?" She said, "I'm getting in the car right now," and proceeded to do so. The best part? She told me that she'd put in the 30 Day Shred video earlier in the afternoon, did 4 minutes and walked away...but that she didn't allow herself to quit and she came back to it and finished the entire level. Isn't that fabulous? A, I am so proud of you for doing this. I know how hard this video is and the fact that you made yourself finish it is something to be proud of! (P.S. A, don't forget about adding a towel under your knees for the girl push-ups...older knees just aren't as forgiving as younger ones!)

As for our Challenge, Level 3 is difficult...I won't lie. It is not as if it gets easier with each level. Jillian knows what she is doing and each of the moves you do in Levels 1 and 2 are preparing you for the demands she's going to place on you in Level 3. I'm wrung out by the time I finish it and a lot of the time I have to do the "easier" version. The reward? My clothes are fitting better, my posture is better, and I feel better. And Valiant? He's stronger, more coordinated, and his stamina is increasing. Even Superman is noticing a difference, and he's only 13 days into it.

If you're at all tempted, A told me that you can get the video at Costco for $5.99 if you use a $2 coupon they've got in their current mailer. Honestly, if you choose to do it, it will be difficult, but you won't regret it.

So, what are you going to do today to make yourself feel proud?

30 Day Shred - Day 24 ("I screwed up the bank account" edition)

Okay, so today was one of those days. You know the kind. The kind where you think you'll have smooth sailing for a little while and then you realize, "uh-oh". My uh-oh? I forgot about some payments I'd scheduled automatically out of our bank account. Yep, I scheduled them and then forgot I scheduled them. I can't even blame it on direct debit snafus. Nope, it was all me. The end result? I overdrew our account and cost us $75 in fees (or, as Dave Ramsey says, "stupid tax").

I called Superman to let him know and to apologize profusely. I called my sister to cry on her shoulder about being an idiot. It derailed my entire day and it was all my fault! Oh, I know how it happened, but that isn't much comfort. The truth? I'm spreading myself awfully thin and I have a lot going on right now and I lost focus.

Even more truth? This is life. Life happens. If I'm going to achieve my goal of getting fit again, I'll have to do it even when life is happening. I've watched with great interest as Melissa at 365 Days of Exercise grapples with her goals and the reality that she's back at work full-time (something that wasn't in the plans for this year long journey). I've watched with a heart full of compassion as Jen at Prior Fat Girl struggles to continue her journey after the devastating and unexpected loss of her mother. My heart goes out to Marcelle at South African In Germany (yeah, I shortened it) as she struggles with crippling loneliness, but doesn't lose focus. I've kept my fingers crossed as my friend Generations Gone By has continued to exercise, even as she feared she was going to hear that she had serious health problems. All of these women's stories highlight for me a singular truth: everyone struggles. Those who succeed transcend their struggles. They don't deny them, they push past them. I'm am honored to be able to learn from their lives.

My 30 Day Shred Challenge? Oh, I spent a good hour feeling sorry for myself. Feeling embarrassed for screwing up our finances. I cried, I lamented, I regretted. Then I got the exercise bike and I pedaled. When I was done with that, I got the treadmill and ran. Finally, I pushed play and I did Day 24 of Level 3 of my 30 Day Shred Challenge. Why? Because when it is all said and done, if the worst thing I ever mess up is money, my life is truly, truly blessed.

Nutter Butter Santa Cookies (aka Quick and Easy Festive Recipe)

Who doesn't want cute, quick, and easy cookies to bring an air of festivity to a gathering? This recipe fits the bill completely, even if you don't normally bake. One caveat: If you're worried about peanut allergies, this recipe won't work for you.


Nutter Butter Santa Cookies

Ingredients:
1 package - Nutter Butters
3 or 4 blocks of Almond Bark (found in bakery section of your grocery store)
Red Decorating Sugar
White Chocolate/Vanilla Chips
Red Hots
Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Open package of Nutter Butters.

Melt Almond Bark in microwave according to directions on package. (Hint: use a taller, narrower container as it will make it easier later on.) Put decorating sugar in a cup.

Dip each Nutter Butter about 3/4" into the melted Almond Bark. Then dip the same end into the red sugar. Lay on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all cookies have been dipped. (Move relatively quickly, as you don't want the almond bark to cool before you're done.)

Once all the cookies are laid out on the cookie sheet, get a toothpick or small knife and dip it into the Almond Bark. Use melted Almond Bark to coat the bottom of a white chocolate chip and add the "tassel" to the Santa hat. Do the same for the mini chocolate chips (the eyes) and the red hot (the nose). Repeat for all the cookies. Let them cool completely and you're done!

10 or 15 minutes from start to finish and you have super cute Santa cookies, sure to please everyone.

Note: On the cookies pictured, we used Royal Icing for the tassel (no white chocolate chip) and as the glue for the eyes and nose because we had made Royal Icing for the gingerbread houses and cookies. As you can see, use a squirt bottle and it works just as well.