Monday, October 28, 2013

Monday Motivation: "The Time is Now"


This Sunday (November 3rd) I will be downtown with my sister/friend participating in my very first 5k!  Sandra Dillard Howse (owner of Healthy Howse) and I have been motivating and inspiring each other for over 20 years and I still can't believe it is time to actually run.  My emotions vary from nervous to scared to excited. I even found myself crying during one of my runs this week because I was so burnt out but yet couldn't stop.
The training has been interesting and challenging to say the least. It's funny, because as I moved through training I had to remind myself that, "it's just a 3 mile run and I've done this before."  It's been 14 years since I've ran 3 miles with a purpose.  I'm not necessarily looking at time for the time is NOW, I'm simply looking to finish!

This week I am focusing on lots of fluid intake by attempting to consume 64oz of water. Dehydration is the number one hindrance for athletes and runners.


 Each day I am attempting to consume 64 ounces of water. On race day Turner recommends:

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Monday Motivation: "No More Excuses"

When I initially took on the quest of training for the 5k I found every excuse NOT to run. 
-Rain! 
-Kianna has cheer, Brittny has work, the dog has a UTI 
-Physically and mentally exhausted from work (Full time supervisory job + duelPRENEUR  + 5K training + blogging + social activities = a lot!) 
 

After a good long weekend and time off due to a slight injury, you would think I was rested and raring to go, but that wasn’t the case. I was still spitting out excuses in my head as to why I couldn’t run until I realized I'd only ran a whopping 4 miles ALL week.... Yep, that’s it, just 4! I was devastated....
 
First priority: Time management! 
 
•Map out all of my assignments and due dates as it pertains to work and family life.
•Attempt to be a morning person!
 
Strategies:
•Do laundry in the evening
•Have running clothes out and essentials by the front door (heart rate monitor/ear phones). 
•DO NOT hit snooze at 5:30am 
•Take my daughter to school and run the track after she is dropped off.
 
I can do this - so can you! 



Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Fun Friday Find: "RumChata Cupcakes"




½cup butter (1 stick, at room temperature)
cups sugar
2cups flour
2tsp baking powder
½teaspoon salt
1cup RumChata
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
4egg whites


RumChata Cream Cheese Frosting
12ounces of cream cheese (1½ packages, at room temperature)
½cup of butter (1 stick, at room temperature)
½tsp of vanilla
5tbsp of RumChata
1package of confectioners’ sugar (2 lb. bag)

 

Cupcake Directions
•Preheat oven to 350*
•Combine sugar & butter and beat until fluffy
•Mix together flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon, set aside
•Mix the RumChata & vanilla together, set aside
•Alternating, add in the flour mixture and RumChata mixture in to the butter and sugar. Start and end with the flour mixture.
•In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form (this will be easiest in an electric mixer)
•Fold egg whites in to the batter – do not do this in an electric mixer, use a spatula
•Fill cupcake liners
•Bake for 20 minutes

Frosting Directions
•Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth
•Add vanilla •Slowly add confectioners’ sugar
•Mix in RumChata (use more or less based on the thickness of the frosting.)
•Frost the cupcakes

 Yummy!!!!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

WEDnesday Love: "Getting Trim for the Wedding"


Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding!!! Now that you've shared the good news with your loved ones, it's time to get serious about trimming off those unwanted pounds. As is planning a wedding isn't enough, now you have to focus on your diet.  There is good news, with just a few simple adjustments you can be on your way to a slimmer, healthier bride!
 

Fad diets?! Forget about those ideas that make you drink nasty shakes and deprive you of your favorite foods.  A misconception is that you have to starve to lose when it's quite the contrary.  We must eat in order to lose weight. Our bodies need nutrients from food in order to burn the calories. If you deny your body that energy it slows down your metabolism causing a halt in weight lose. A healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs. per week. Keep in mind that a pound of fat is equal to ~3500 calories. Therefore, by cutting 500 calories a day through meal and exercise modification, you will shed a pound a week. 
  1. Don't put yourself in a calorie deficit! Talk about a bridzilla?! Maybe this is why brides are always crazy, because they are hungry! I know your first instinct when trying to lose weight is to cut, but try focusing on adding nutrient-rich foods. Many formulas exist to estimate calorie needs and some can get overwhelming. If you desire to lose weight remember, subtract 100-500 calories, depending on your goal.
  2. Eat a protein rich breakfast! Consistent research has shown that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less. Protein takes longer to digest in the body keeping you satisfied until your next meal.
  3. Eat fresh produce and focus on fiber! Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are packed with fiber. The average American gets around 12 grams per day, while the current recommendations suggest we need 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Start reading the nutrition fact labels to make sure your cereals, breads and pastas contain greater then 5 grams of fiber per serving. Warning: if you do not have a diet rich in fiber you need to make sure you are consuming ample amounts of water. 
  4. Limit dairy products to help reduce bloating. Certain individuals may experience sensitivity to dairy products because they cannot digest lactose or milk sugar.
  5. Avoid excessive sodium (salt). Sodium holds on to fluid in the body increasing bloating and "water weight." Majority of the salt in out diet comes from processed foods the main one being breads.
    Main food items to limit:
    1. Prepackaged meals (lean cuisine, smart ones, family dinners, etc.)
    2. Deli meats.
    3. Salty snacks.
    4. Sodas. Even limit your diet sodas!
    5. Breads. Do not completely cut out breads. You can get wonderful whole grains with breads, just limit the portion and buy reduced sodium.
  6. Keep a food journal. Starting as soon as you begin planning. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, and how you feel both physically and mentally. You may be able to identify foods certain foods that cause gastrointestinal upset (bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea). 
  7. Set small, achievable goals. See Motivation Monday for more detail on goals! 
Weeks leading up to your wedding make a conscious effort to carry around a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated and energized. I cannot stress enough the importance of hydration. Not only does it help reduce bloating and increase energy but it helps keep your skin glowing.


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Motivational Monday: My Running List via Pandora



I've been hitting my goal with 20k steps per day but I have to admit that nothing gets me moving more then some awesome sounds! No matter your exercise choice music can hinder your mood or help it. This is my motivation to run longer and to work at getting my pace down.  Do you have any favorite songs that is getting you movin' this week? Happy Monday!

Gospel
Israel & New Breed
Marvin Sapp
Maurette Brown Clark
Phil Tarver
Shekinah Glory Ministries

R&B
Bobby Womack
Beyoncé
Charlie Wilson
Chrisette Michele


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Fun Friday Find: "Mint ChocoChata Martini"

Planning a party or event and looking for some variety?  A dessert cocktail can be quite tempting if it's made with the right balance.  RumChata, that I wrote about during October is excellent in a variety of cocktails and won the 2013 About.com Readers' Choice Awards for Best Liqueur.

This stunning green cocktail is quite simple, made of RumChata, your favorite chocolate vodka, and green creme de menthe. By using a vodka for the chocolate flavoring it breaks up the creaminess that is often too overbearing in many similar chocolate-mint-cream drinks you will find.

Ingredients
2 parts RumChata Cream Liqueur
1 part chocolate vodka
1/2 part green creme de menthe 
 
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

As simple as 1.2.3..... enjoy!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Motivational Monday: Motivating Yourself!

The process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors is how Motivation is defined.  Motivation can be found in various places and amongst different people and circumstances.  Most recently, my motivation has come from deep within.  Research actually shows that you can influence your own level of motivation. Self motivating is essential to long-term success. Each week I am motivated to keep running because of the progress I have made thus far in my health, fitness and 5k training.  Each week I want to push harder to make new personal records. At the beginning of each week I set new goals to help fuel and motivate me. Without setting small goals our long term goal may suffer.

Goal is defined as the end toward which effort is directed. Goals must be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Without my goals I have no sense of progress; nothing to hold me accountable to or to be proud of.  
 
S.M.A.R.T goals can help improve chances of achievement. 
 
S- Be specific when you write your goals. This answers the Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
A general goal would be: Be Fit and Run a 5k. A specific goal would be: Complete 100,000 steps a week, buy a pair of running shoes and run a minimum of 3 days a week.

M- Make sure it is measurable. I am measuring my goal of running by logging my training into the My Fitness and Nike App app. It has all of my criteria from each run (mileage, pace, calories, etc.).

A- Is your goal attainable? Once you pin point the specifics ask yourself, can anything get in the way of my progress?

R- Most importantly, is your goal realistic? Are you willing and able to perform the task at hand? An unrealistic goal for me would be to run a 5k next week. This is neither physically nor mentally possible. Do not set yourself up for failure.

T- Lastly, time-frame. You must have a time frame so that you can map out a game plan. When I started training for my 5k I knew how much time I had in weeks and I found a training schedule that met this time line. If you do not have a time frame there is no sense of  progress or completion. Therefore, you are more than likely going to keep putting it off.
 
 
November 3, 2013 I will be completing my very 1st 5k!!!! - Self Motivation Rocks :)


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Friday, October 4, 2013

"Fun Friday Find: Red Velvet Cheesecake"

 
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE:
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
RED VELVET CAKE:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (two 1-ounce bottles) red food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons white vinegar
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Prepare the cheesecake layer: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a large roasting pan on the lower third rack of the oven. Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Wrap a double layer of foil around the bottom and up the sides of the pan (you want to seal it so the water from the water bath doesn’t seep into the pan). In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese- blend until it is nice and smooth and creamy.


Mix in sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan into the roasting pan in the pre-heated oven. Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle into the roasting pan (it will fill the pan surrounding the cheesecake). Pour enough water so that there is about an inch of water coming up the foil along the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely. This can be done in several hours- or overnight.
2. Prepare the cake layers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round metal baking pans (or spray with nonstick baking spray with flour). In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar to the flour mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans, then invert cakes onto a rack to cool completely.
3. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until it is smooth and creamy (do not overbeat).
4. Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly larger round than your cake, move it to a cutting board and gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake to get it to the same size as your cake layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
red_velvet_cake5. Frost the cake: Apply a crumb coat layer to the cake- use a long, thin spatula to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Be sure to wipe off your spatula each time you are about to dip it back into the bowl to get more frosting (this way you won’t be transferring any red crumbs into the bowl of frosting). Don’t worry at this point about the crumbs being visible in the frosting on the cake. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the 2nd layer. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top and then spread it down the sides of the cake too. Because you applied a crumb-coat layer, you shouldn’t have any red crumbs floating around in the final frosting layer.
Decorate, as desired. Keep this cake refrigerated.

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

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