Working Out Made Fun!

After 8 months I figured it's time to buckle down and get rid of this lingering baby weight. My husband bought me Wii Fit for my birthday (at my request...or else that could've been taken the wrong way!). I admit I don't use it as much as I should, but it's actually a great workout if done frequently. My favorites include the 30 minute free walk (I can watch Food Network while working out!), running the Island Lap (running in place for 12 minutes), and the 10 minute Hula Hoop workout! The Hula Hoop workout is probably the funniest and most unique workout of all of them. You stand on the Wii Board and move your hips like you're spinning hula hoops. The avatar of yourself on the screen mimics your moves and tallies up the spins for you. At the end it gives you the number of spins and then compares it to your past attempts, so you can compete with yourself. It has definitely helped tone my stomach a little bit (I haven't been using it that long), and I've lost 4 pounds so far! If you are looking for a fun way to work out and own a Wii, I HIGHLY suggest this "game"!

New Seasons of the Bachelorette and Jon & Kate Plus 8

Now that all my prime time favorites are over for the summer I've started watching the Bachelorette and the new season of Jon and Kate Plus 8. The whole idea of the Bachelor and Bachelorette shows seems wrong on so many levels, but I can't stop watching! There are a couple guys that I think will make it to the end, and a couple I can't believe are still there!

Jessi and Kiptyn are my two favorites. I'm calling now that one of them will be the one left standing in the end. However, get Juan and Wes out of there now! Why are they still there?? Wes is clearly there to promote his music career, and Juan is a super-phony weirdo who owns a business with his mom and wants Jillian to join it. Yeah, that'd be smooth sailing I'm sure!

I also watched the season premier of Jon and Kate Plus 8. Did anyone else shed a tear when Alexis asked her Dad not to leave anymore? I hear so many people starting rumors and saying terrible things about these people. While I don't agree with some of the things they do, who am I to judge? I think it's terribly sad and I hope they can work out there differences and stay together. Can you imagine the child support check??! I guess we'll see what happens.

Pat a Cake, Pat a Cake, Bakers Man...

Ever since my first Easy Bake Oven when I was 6 or 7 years old I've had a love for baking, but recently I've gotten really into it! I'm trying to learn about cake making, different icings and frostings, fondant, cupcakes....the list goes on. I recently made some YUMMY shortbread cookies flooded with royal icing. They were delicious and since my husband doesn't like baked things very much I ate them all myself (I think Abby ate 3 :P). I got the recipe for cookies and the icing from www.joyofbaking.com. I got the instructions for how to flood a cookie with icing from www.cakejournal.com. Both websites are great and full of creative ideas!

Shortbreads:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

I'm Entering the Blogging World

Well blogging world, here I am. I have been inspired by one of my old friends to have a place to share my random thoughts, ideas, recipes, and anything else that pops into my head with those who will read. Thanks, Megan! Now I just have to figure out this web site and figure out how to delete my previous 2 attempts at blogging...