Happy Birthday, Dad

Dear Dad,

Some may look at this as crazy...talking to you now that you are no longer with us.  But maybe it's my way of keeping just a little piece of you alive here on earth.

I have been having a hard time this week especially, without you here.  I have so many wonderful things that I want to share with you.  I know you would be the first to say that I could do it, like you always have in the past.  I miss that. 

Tomorrow is your birthday and I cannot help but think of all the torture we girls (and sometimes just me) gave you over all the years.  The constant fighting us 4 girls did while growing up, the worry I caused you over things like when I ran away from home when I was 5 or 6, the very loud family gatherings that required foam ear plugs, and when I did things that you specifically told me not to do.  That required patience...I know I wasn't the best daughter at times. 

But mostly the happy memories make up my thoughts of you. 

The breakfasts you made us every morning live on in my mind.  I still hate poached eggs, but my love for oatmeal lives on thanks to you! 

The way we all picked apples in the fall and cut and stacked the wood.  We let on that we hated it, but man, I LOVED that and wished I was there with you now to get the wood splitter fired up and the chain saw fumes rolling! 

The days I spent with you in the garage as you ripped apart and put vehicles and engines and just about everything else lovingly back together.  You were so persistent and could fix darn near everything.  In fact I don't remember a time you didn't make things right.  The smell of gas and oil puts me right back in that garage with you every single time.  Back to the old stool in the corner where the CB radio was and I was persistently trying to carry on a conversation with some complete stranger with a fascinating southern drawl. 

The day I arrived at your house to show you my first tattoo of the water lily on my shoulder and you cried when I told you why I got it.  I cherish that moment and I knew you would get why I did it.  It is just as much a part of you as it was Gram. 

When you had your 60th birthday and all your daughters honored you by dressing as grease monkeys is one of those times.  I remember how we stood at the front of the hall, you with your guitar, us with our beanie caps and coveralls and we started to sing Amazing Grace together.  We didn't get to sing the entire thing because we all were just overwrought with emotion.  That was a good day in my books! 

I personally loved taking advantage of the fact you hated coconut and cheese.  Every chance I could get to tell you there was either ingredient in something you had just eaten made me snicker!!  You were such a good sport.  Oh by the way, those mini pecan tarts that you hoooverd half the container of 3 Christmases ago were made with Cream Cheese pastry.  Just thought you should know.  :-)))

I remember singing with you in church when I was just little, the song titles escapes me now.  But I was so proud that you wanted me to sing with you up there on stage. 

All the family sing songs we had over the years truly stamped my heart with some of the best memories one could ever ask for in a lifetime. 

When you and Uncle Gordie & Uncle Collie would play and sing together it was like I thought my heart would explode!  There was NOTHING better than that to get me fired up!  Some good ole East Coast picking of the Wildwood Flower on the guitar and a whole lot of yodeling was the key!  My favorite part, of all times was when you sang to mom the song you wrote for her.  I always knew your love for her was greater than any mountain or sea.  This song made me giddy with glee and put a smile on my face.  If I close my eyes I can hear your voice singing it right now.

I remember on almost every occasion that we were gathered as a family, you took it upon yourself to dress and record the events as the notorious newscaster, "Daaaaannnn MaccccIntosh".  You had skillz, Wayne-Z.  You were so hilarious and totally got into your role!   

I remember so well the Christmas Wanda came to visit us here in Alberta.  We picked her up at the airport, and was headed out the door and some strange man with a hood over his face asks me where I can find a taxi.  I can imagine the look on my face when I recognized that voice and saw my dad standing there in the airport!  It was SO amazing because it was the first time you had ever been on an airplane and I was SO happy you come to visit me!  Your hug that day was the best!

I remember when Facebook made it's debut how interested you were to learn about it.  How many conversations we had that started with, "Oh I saw it on Facebook" or so and so said it on Facebook.  Your best line was, "Well if it was on Facebook, it MUST be true then".  I loved how you learned to master it! 

I have a treasure trove of memories locked away which one day I hope to write more about.

I am your daughter through and through.  I get my drive and determination from you.  I get your desire to wander and see things and discover!  I am so proud to have those traits!!

You were the best father anyone could ask for.  You taught compassion, and honesty and perserverence and gentleness.  For all the times I saw you cry happy tears, well, I don't think I could count them all in a life time, because there were so many.  You always wore your heart on your sleeve. 

So I know you are not here on earth for this years birthday, but we will still celebrate you and the imapct you had on everyone's lives!  I will miss telling you that I made your favorite cake, Coconut with cream cheese frosting and I will miss your fake excitment about how you couldn't wait to dig in!

Most of all I will miss the sound of your voice & your comment you gave me every year when I wished you a Happy Birthday.  You always replied the same, every year, "Oh just another year older but at least I am on the right side of the sod".  I have a huge lump in my throat as I type this knowing you cannot say this to me tomorrow.  But I know you are where you always wanted to be and that is at God's side.

I sure do hope his kitchen staff knows how to make a mean Coconut Cream Cheese cake.  :-)

I love you forever and a day.

Happy Birthday Dad! 

Love your daughter,
Wen

My dad doing what he did best, fixing things!

Mom & Dad

Dad and I

My dad singing at their home.

My dad and I.  I miss you terribly. xoxxoxo

WINNER of I See Fit People MOVE. YOUR. ARSE. Challenge!!!!

Well, we are all a bit overwhelmed by your responses to this challenge! 

We received charts, spreadsheets, handwritten lists, email type outs, words of thanks and gratification from you all!  We could not be happier with your efforts as a group!  To see this many people moving their arses and going above and beyond the norm warrms our hearts like the Grinch on Christmas morn. 

YOU.  GUYS.  KILLED.  IT!!!

So, without making you wait, I am proud to announce the winner of the MYA Challenge:

Crystal Penfield Stock!!

She had a whopping 641 points!  Amazing job!

We want you to know you are all winners because you went the extra mile, resulting in a better you for two whole weeks!! We hope you will continue to push yourselves just a bit more every day!  Props to you all!!

Crystal, can you send me your mailing address and we can figure out your options from there?

Thank you all!!!  Keep your eyes peeled for October's ISFP Challenge! 

Cheers,
Wendy, Matt & Rachelle

I See Fit People MOVE. YOUR. ARSE. Challenge

READ THROUGH THIS ENTIRE THING BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS, PLEASE!

Start date:  September 3, 2012

End Date:  September 17, 2012

So ok...you have signed up for this challenge and you are wondering what all the kafuffle is about?

WELL...September is a new start and a fresh start for a lot of us.  For some of you it will be about just starting out on your fitness journey.  For others it will be about getting back into a routine and for some maybe  it will be about upping the ante and getting better and doing MORE!

So the theme of this month's Challenge:  MOVE.  YOUR.  ARSE.  is about doing ALL these things.  It's about moving more, and starting to move or just being active like never before.

This challenge is doable for everyone right from the beginner up to the hardcore.  It's about a personal challenge and doing the best YOU can do.

So here are the rules:  It's pretty simple.
1.  For every 15 minutes of activity, you get one point.  YOU will be responsible for tracking these points.
2. There will be bonus points available to you via EXTRA ISFP Add Ons that we will throw at you during the challenge time frame.  You won't know when you are getting them.  You will have to watch the Challenge wall and our Regular Facebook page to catch them.
3.  The challenge will run for 2 weeks.  TWO weeks.
4.  We really don't care what kind of activity you do.  This is the great thing...you choose.  Walking, climbing stairs, running, biking, lifting things up and putting them down, mountain climbing, surfing....anything.  The sky is the limit. 15 minutes is 15 minutes.
5.  At the end of the two weeks, you will send IN PRIVATE, to our email your total of points.  We are going with the honor system and we hope there will be no cheating.  IF you post on the wall your total and we miss it, then you will miss out on the chance for an awesome prize. At the end of this challenge, you will email us your total. Only you and us will know your totals.
OUR EMAIL IS:  iseefitpeople@gmail.com
We anxiously await the totals.  :-))
6.  On to the good stuff.  The prize:  The person who racks up the most points during the MYA Challenge will get their choice of a MYA Tshirt or tank (ladies only for tank) and a matching hoodie.  These are featured in the pics below.  A pretty sweet prize indeed for working your arse off, n'est pas???


That about sums it up.

Oh, fun fact:  The term "Move your arse" is a good ole, hardcore, east coast, Nova Scotia saying.  If you are from there, you will appreciate the meaning, especially when you heard it coming from your parents or grandparents growing up.  When it was uttered, you MOVED!!!  :-))

So let's kick September off right.  Let's move our arses like never before and get active and feeling alive!!

MOVE.  YOUR.  ARSE. 

Men's Thsirt

Unisex Hoodie

Ladies tech Tank (MY fave!!)

Ladies Tshirt

Yeah you NEED this shirt, ladies!  :-))

Never Let Them Shoot us Down....

You know those workouts that you are going right along, minding your P's & Q's...you are lifting things up, putting them down...just having a regular ole time?  Yeah...well that was me tonight in my workout.  I have my injured arm, that I cannot do much with, but I have a little mobility.  On the other side I have the fresh ink from earlier today (on yeah, I finally got me a little piece of Jon BonJovi) and it is sore too.  So it's about the legs and abs, pretty much.

So, I get myself through a sweaty 15 miles on the spin bike, feeling PDG and want to do something more.  So I hop off, construct myself a nice legs and abs circuit and get down to bidness.  I get about to the halfway mark and BAM!  It happened!  Heart's "If Looks Could Kill" came through my earphones and I was thrust into the DeLorean and taken back to 1986 (I think..haha) and the Lipsynching Wendy of Yesteryear took over and I was front and center on my high school stage.

You see I have a bit of a history and I hold a title in this department.  You may now just refer to me as the Queen of  Lipsynching.  Yes...I did rule the winter carnival for several years, and proudly did so with my entourage of friends who were ballsy enough to think we had it going on.  One year at Winter Carnival, my best friend Janet & I did Heart's song, "Never".  We.  KILLED.  IT.  The only real competition that year was from Craig Langille, who did Kim Mitchells, "Might as Well Go For a Soda" and was on stage just before me.  Yes...we knew we had to do something about letting him win.  So, it.  Was.  Brought.  

We won the contest, with the massive hair, the air guitar, the outrageous outfits, the mandatory leg kicks and the moves, baby.  

 I LOVE Heart.  Their music does this to me pretty much every song.  I used to dream about being Ann Wilson and having her powerful, all consuming voice.

I digress.

So.

Let's speed up to the year 2012 again and back to tonight.  


Tonight, I was powerful and yes..some of it was my voice echoing at a level that would make Mariah Carey proud,  but most of it was physical strength.  Yep, my arms weren't agreeing, but my lower half was totally consumed by a power and force and I was going with it!  I was pumped.

I proceeded to dance my way, mid workout, through my entire basement, doing me a little air guitar, a whole lotta leg kicks and checking all the action out in my family room mirror.  Classic 80's moves, right there!!

I have been feeling almost like half a person, workout wise since this accident.  I just feel like my upper half is never going to get there, even thought I know I have to just be patient and wait.  I haven't had a run since the fall because the couple times I tried just juggled my arm around too much.  But I am ready to try running again.  I have even thought of gearing up something to kind of hold my arm in so it wasn't getting moved around.  Not sure how that would affect my balance, but hey, I will try anything!

Ok...so the moral of this story is this:  I am finally feeling hopeful.   We all need hope that things are going to get better.  Tonight for that moment in time, hope came to me.  I felt the power like the old Wendy had.  I felt like I was freakin SheRa and Ann Wilson combined.  

So tonight I would like to personally thank Ann Wilson for kicking my ass, getting my mind back in the game and making me focus on the things I CAN do.  And I eventually will be able to do again.

HOPE...yep...it's a mighty powerful thing!  
(W)  

Indian Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

**You can use less spices if you prefer, but we like ours SPICY!!**

6 large sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1.5 teaspoons Garam Masala
1.5 teaspoons Cumin
1.5 teaspoons Coriander
1.5 teaspoons Curry
3/4 teaspoon Tumeric
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Peel sweet taters, wash and dry then chop into fingers.  Put into large bowl  drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle in spices, tossing well to coat.  This can be done in 2 steps if you like.  Put on 2 parchment paper lined cookie sheets and bake for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes, until fries are golden and crispy on the edges.

Just keep testing them til they are of your desired doneness!  ENJOY!!!

Imperfectly Perfect

You are here as a member of I See Fit People for a reason.  Is it because you need motivation, or inspiration of just because sometimes you simply love it when we give you all a kick in the ass?  Is it because you feel like this is a home, of sorts and you feel comfortable? (**singing WE are Famillyyyy**). Is it because Matt, Rachelle and I are not trainers and we have no qualms in saying what's on our minds and keeping it real every damn day?  Is it because we don't pretend we are perfect and we are quite ok with simply being us? 

I started I See Fit People simply as a reference point and a place to ask and answer questions for a few close friends.  It snowballed...well, ok, it rather turned into a full fledged BLIZZARD.  I didn't expect it or plan it this way but I welcome it, every single day, because like brushing my teeth, this is a habit. This is part of my EVERY day.  YOU, as a member, are one of my reasons.  You motivate & inspire ME!

But there are lots of things you, as a member, don't know about us.

A lot of times, and I know I have done this myself, members get caught up in thinking the Page owners are rather the "be all and end all". That whatever we say is gospel, that if we do it or think it, then holy shit, it must be the ONLY way. Well, Hell to the NAW!  It isn't that way at all.  We say what we believe and it is then up to you to make that choice to agree or disagree.  We speak with conviction and passion about what we do here.  We know, based on how big our group is, that we must be doing something right.  But ultimately you choose what works for you and if inspiration or motivation came from us in your choices, then good on us!

We are not perfect and we do NOT know everything.  We say this over and over again.  We are not Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Oprah, Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels.  We are not Arnold or Flo Jo or Apolo Ohno or Michael Jordan.  We don't know every single thing about nutrition or fitness or well being or financial advisement.  We have no degrees hanging on our walls and what we know we learned by getting out there and doing it and LIVING it!  And we are still learning every single day and we sure are not afraid to say it out loud!

We have bad days.  We have LOTS of them.  But you don't always get to see that side of us.  You have seen us through the death of a son and two fathers this past year.  You have watched and read our stories and helped us through our grief.  For that we thank you.  But there are days that you don't see us talking about things that are horribly rough.  That even though we had a day that seemed almost unbearable, we are still posting our usual posts, trying to keep you all motivated and on fire.  We cover each other's asses when these days happen and things just keep moving and we get through them.  Then we come back with a vengeance!

Matt & I had a conversation last week during one of my really bad days.  I told him I was having a weak day, but I would get over it.  I told him the only difference is that while we are weak, we still have to be strong for everyone else that is relying on us.  And we try..we really do, but we are not Super Human.  We are not walking PhotoShops of Life or little clips of perfect movie endings.  We break down and we cry, we hurt and we bitch and we fail at things just like everyone else does.  We trip over doorways, have lipstick on our teeth, we eat cheesecake and we do the same thing you all do the next day: we get up and we start FRESH.  We brush off our pants, wipe the lipstick off and we keep on keeping on!

My point is this:  Every day, we put ourselves out there.  We post pictures, we talk about our lives and we do occasionally get judged.  Mind you we are no Johnny Depp here, but we do understand the little inkling of what it's like to be scrutinized by the public.  I saw a picture this week that seemed to sum it up:  It said:  Before you judge me, make sure you are perfect.  Not only did it hit home for some of the things that have been said to us on ISFP, but it personally made me more aware of what comes out of my mouth.

I am Wendy.  I am a mother, a wife, a lover, a friend and a sister.  I am inspired & driven & I just want to live while I am alive (thank you Bon Jovi).  I can also be a walking disaster, I can be your biggest nightmare and I can get up in your grill like nobody's business if provoked.   I am a package deal of togetherness and falling apart all at the same time.

I don't always have my shit together, but when I do, it's magic. And it's contagious. 

We are I See Fit People...not I See Perfect People.  Welcome to the club.   

(W)

Our Favorite Things: PB2

PB2...both R and I have a slight addiction to this. I use it daily in my shakes, oatmeal, in granola, baking, or just on it's own mixed with water. There are a TON of delish options to also get you addicted!

With half the calories of reg peanut butter and almost no fat, well, yeah...it's an obvious choice!

In Canada, I order from here: The Low Carb Grocery

In the US you can order right from Bell Plantation.

(W)

Cookie Dough Balls (MINI) toppers

Cookie Dough Balls

Yield: 1 cup packed cookie dough

1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used spelt)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1.5 tbsp natural cane sugar (I used organic maple flakes)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup (I used 3 tablespoons then I added 1 tablespoon of honey because it was still dry)
2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips



Directions: In a food processor, add the cashews and oats and process until it forms a fine crumble. Now add in the salt, sugar, and flour and process for a few seconds more. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla and process until combined. It will be sticky, but this is normal! Add in your chocolate chips and stir by hand or process. Form into balls. Store in freezer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Here is the original recipe from Oh She Glows.





**This made 45 teensy little balls. You can see from the pic how big the melon baller compared to my fingers. These are about as big around as maybe a dime. The whole idea is to just use them as toppers for things like fro yo, oatmeal, yogurt, whatever!



Per Ball:
~~~~~~
Calories: 20
Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 2.5 g
Protein: .5

Peanut Buttery Coconut Granola

I have a few recipes for peanut butter granola, but with the use of regular PB, it gives a much higher fat content. So I thought why not try PB2 and take the calories down a bit as well? I am SO excited with how this turned out. It bakes up with nice chunks, a perfect crunchy, peanut buttery granola! And I do have this thing with pairing PB & coconut. They ROCK together! Enjoy!

**HINT: This would be amazing with a few dark chocolate chips sprinkled on top as well.**

Peanut Buttery Coconut Granola

3 cups rolled oats, a hearty variety (I use Rogers Porridge Oats)
1/2 cup dry roasted or raw peanuts
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup of PB2
1/2 cup large chip unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup coconut sugar (aka: palm sugar)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup ground flax

Mix above together in large bowl.

Whisk these together in a small bowl:

1/2 cup honey
2 Tablespoons of coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add wet ingredients to dry then mix well until coated. Using your hands makes it go much easier! Spread on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 300 for about 25 minutes. You do NOT want to over bake!

Cool and store in freezer or airtight container. I like to eat ALL my granola right from the freezer.

Makes 28 1/4 cup servings

Per 1/4 cup serving: (Based on my ingredients used)
Calories: 107
Fat: 4.9 g
Carbs: 14.4 g
Protein: 3.4 g

Baked Crab Cakes

Baked Crab Cakes

2 (4.5 oz) cans fancy lump crab meat
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Cajun seasoning (season to taste)

Fat free tartar sauce


1. Drain crab meat and place in mixing bowl with parsley and Cajun seasoning.
2. In a smaller bowl, scramble egg, mix in mayo and mustard. Add mix to crabmeat and gently blend in with crab meat, careful as to not break up lumps.
3. Mix in bread crumbs. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for one hour.
4. Remove from refrigerator and form into 4 to 6 (depending on preference of size) balls, then press into cakes. I like using a slider hamburger press, it makes 6 perfect cakes.


Place in a baking dish sprayed with olive oil and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

Mix Cajun seasoning with tarter sauce and serve on the side.


Nutritional info TBD.

How to cook chick peas

1. Soak dry chick peas overnight (10 to 12 hours) in fresh water (use LOTS). Pick out any darker, nasty looking peas.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly.

3. Add water to large pot until chick peas are covered, and then add some more. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook on medium heat for about 2 hours, maybe less or more. Add a bit of salt right at the end of the cooking time.

Try to start with enough water, but if you have to add more, use boiling water.
You know they are done when they have an even, softer smooth bite and are reasonably tender to a fork.

The cooking time is not an exact science; you will need to bite into a chickpea to see if it is fully cooked.

4. Drain chick peas & use as you would canned in any recipe. Keep in fridge.

EASY, PEASY!!!

Once Upon a Time...

...in a far way castle there lived a beautiful princess who.....****screeech***. (Insert record scratching noises).

OK, there was no beautiful princess nor a castle. But there was a girl who woke up one day and decided to change her life. And the story also includes a handsome man who came along to help save the day. Plus eventually, a NOT-AT-ALL-EVIL, but very beautiful stepsister, moved into the picture to complete this fairy tale. I digress, so let's get down to bidness.

My name is Wendy Kennedy. I am a normal, average, regular woman going about life, doing the 9 to 5 gig. Living a moderate life, not feeling very adventurous nor very excited about life. I was happy, I thought with my marriage, with my family, just floating along seemed ok.

Then I am not quite sure what happened, but around my 40th birthday, I had an epiphany. The day was beautiful, the sun shone down and I decided I was going out for a walk one evening, which I did quite a lot. It was a nice walk, just around town.

I came back to the house, and a friend of my son's was there visiting. She asked me if I was out for a run. My husband (who denies he said this..haha), opened his mouth and said, "Haaa, Wendy is no runner". It was like time stood still with those words. SILENCE. The world stopped rotating on its axis. I looked at him with the Glare of Death, walked into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. "Wendy is no runner". Over and over in my head I heard it. Then it was like some alien being had taken over my mind...why the HELL was I NOT a runner?? I had legs, and a heartbeat. I often dreamed of running but thought it was something above me, that I was perhaps incapable of doing. Hell to the NAW baby. It. Was. ON. Like Donkey Kong.

I came out to the computer, sat down and hit up Google. I found a Learn to Run clinic starting in Lethbridge. The next day, I walked into that running store, whacked down my credit card on the counter and said, "Sign me up".

I have never looked back since that moment. Perhaps I owe it ALL to my husband for saying what he did. Perhaps it was divine intervention that day. I am not sure. But from that moment, the old Wendy was dead and gone. The new girl in town had a drive & determination and a new attitude. It took it's toll at first. My husband didn't know WHAT the HELL had possessed me and who was the person he was married to? He didn't understand why I was doing it and to be honest we almost gave up on us at one point because I changed so much and he stayed right where he was. It was rough. After he saw this was no whim, and it was for reasons that he was now beginning to understand and appreciate, he became my biggest cheerleader and to this day could not be more supportive of the things I undertake.

My body was changing...I wasn't overweight, just out of shape. My story isn't one of weight loss of mass proportions. It's a story of getting healthy, getting up off my ass and DOING something and changing my attitude towards life and everyone that was in it. Change was a'comin' baby. Buckle up for the ride.

This lead me to try new things, like ChaLean, which then lead me to talk about it, and often. I had more questions in my inbox week after week, because people could see the changes in me and wanted to know LOTS about it. Then I decided to create a Facebook group, for my little circle of friends, for them to post questions and me answer them, all condensed into one place. So from that came the creation of I See Fit People. I believe the initial invite was to 6 of my close friends. The next day I log in there is something like 20 people. What the hell? Where did they come from? The next day, more...I didn't really know why but people were interested in what I had to say. So I went with it. I talked about what I knew, what I learned and listened to them as well with their feedback. ISFP was growing! WOW!

I think I was at around the 400 mark when I decided to create a Facebook page, which I did. Everyone had to rejoin there and that took a while to build back up, but it did.

All during this time, there were replies from some guy who seemed to be getting comfy at ISFP. His name was Matt. He seemed to say everything I was thinking and his replies always resonated with me. It was like his hands were typing my words. It. Was. Bizarre. Hmmmmm.

One day I was talking about how much I WASN'T going to be following along with the P90X nutrition plan, and how I was doing my homework on my own to get one that worked for me. In comes a message from Matt, offering to send me the Insanity nutrition guide. Why was he doing this, I wondered? Stalker? Crazed Asylum escapee? Was he was genuinely interested in helping? LOL...so I said OK! From that one single moment of interaction came a whole series of events that have changed and shaped BOTH our lives. We talked about everything, learned lots about each other, and we quickly discovered we were basically the same person, living in separate countries, in two bodies. Our passions, drives, likes, the way we lived our lives...bang on with one another. It was creepily awesome! We forged an amazing friendship, though we had never actually met in person til almost a year later when I ran the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon.

When we saw each other for the first time, it was not unlike having a meeting with an old friend you knew your entire life. We click. He was someone who got me like I had never been gotten before. (And yes I am quoting Adam Levine).

After that meeting I decided Matt needed to join me at ISFP. It was always just a woman's perspective on the page and it needed something more. So I asked and he accepted. Since then we have grown..yeah...just a little bit. I believe we were at 800 or so when he joined and we have never looked back.

Now after yet ANOTHER meeting of the minds and yet one more race, the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon in Vegas this past december, Matt & I got to meet in person another soul mate and third pea to the pod, Rachelle. She was one of us...that came across loud & clear online. But in person...it was SCREAMING at us and we knew we had to bring her on board at ISFP. She fits us like a glove and also gets us! We asked, she accepted.

So fast forward to right now. This is the story of Wendy, I See Fit People and how it all came to be. It started because I wanted to help not only myself but my friends. It grew to become something I had never dreamed of but I am now terribly grateful for. These past 2 years this wonderful group of people has helped both Matt & I through some horribly hard, sad times but you also celebrated the happy, life changing times as well. You all gave us the strength to go on and face another day when we felt like giving up. You had our backs and motivated US when we needed a kick in the ass. You are OUR constant reminder that we can do whatever we set our minds to.

We log in daily with a new found attitude to be better than the day before, to try new things, to go outside of our comfort zones. It is because of I See Fit People coupled with my drive to seek kickassedness that I am the person I am today. I AM changed. You helped me. We help each other. I wake each day and want to try new things...I want to do it all! I may not get everything scratched off my list, but I am going to give it a fighting chance!!! I also owe Matt more than I can ever repay him. For that I have to extend my sincerest THANK YOU...to everyone.

So this is where the story of girl meets boy meets another girl continues. You wanted to know our story..this is it! With each passing day we WILL continue to write in the book of I See Fit People. Every new day is a blank page and we plan on filling it up with AWESOMENESS!! I hope you are here with your pencils sharpened and ready to write a story of your own!!

Edamame Hummus

After finding several recipes and not really loving them all, I decided I would come up with my own. I still think I may tweak it, but it was SO tasty and I am pretty happy with it. It has a milder flavor than chick pea hummus and I opted for Almond butter instead of the usual tahini. Give it a try! It is perfect with baby carrots and pita chips!

The hummus was really creamy as well despite it's appearance!

Cheerio,
Wendy


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1/4 cup Almond butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lime
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Microwave edamame, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool. In a food processor or with immersion blender, puree the edamame, almond butter, water, lemon zest, olive oil and juices, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin & coriander until smooth. If it still needs thinning add a bit more lemon juice til it is of desired thickness.


Per Tablespoon:

Calories: 52
Total Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 2 g
Protein: 2 grams

Buttery Coconut Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal

Words cannot express my glee for this little concoction. Come to mama. :-))

In small bowl add:

1/2 cup rolled oats (use a hearty variety..I use Rogers Porridge Oats)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
liberal sprinkling of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Molly McButter

Then stir in:

1 cup of water
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Coconut Syrup (I used DaVinci)
splash of Butter vanilla (or reg vanilla)
1 Tablespoon large flake unsweetened coconut

Directions:

Mix the above in a sprayed oven-proof bowl. Sprinkle on coconut.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Calories: 211
Fat: 7 g
Carbs: 33 g
Protein: 9 g

Chipotle Lime Fish Tacos

I came up with this recipe after seeing 2 recipes last week for fish tacos. I decided I would just create my own recipe based on the ingredients I had on hand!

Recipe makes 2 tacos (1 serving). Yeah...I ate them both. :-)


Ingredients:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Basa Fillet (or any white mild fish), seasoned with Orange Wasabi Spice mix. (A purchased mix, but you can use any Asian or Thai spices).

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Cut into chunks. Set aside.

Salsa
Cabbage, thinly sliced
2 Dempster's Bodywise whole wheat tortillas


Chipotle Lime Sauce:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 Tablespoons 0% Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
sprinkle of sea salt
sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper
1/2 clove chopped garlic
sprinkle of ground chipotle pepper
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest


Mix above ingredients together. Set aside.

Heat frying pan. Lay each tortilla in pan and heat each side till lightly toasted. Remove from pan, top with: Chunks of Basa, sliced cabbage, a drizzle of Chipotle Lime Sauce & salsa.

Dig IN!!!

You can easily multiply this recipe for a family. I made this one night when it was just myself I was cooking for!

Nutritional info will vary greatly based on fish, tortilla and greek yogurt used so I I left it off. Over all, with my ingredients, the entire meal was under 400 calories.

Out, OUT Damn Piles 'O Dung!

I talk all the time about getting rid of the crap piles that we sometimes let accumulate in our house. Today I did a quikkie pile removal in the form of my bill payment system.

I always had a sort of mish-mash system, of a basic desk letter holder...in-coming-outgoing bills. It was kind of organized but always in my face by the computer. I am telling you, this visual POD (Pile 'O Dung)in your peripheral 24/7 gets to grate on one's nerves.

I was inspired by my sister Wanda, who I borrowed the idea from (thanks homeslice!!) and decided I need to make one too. Better late than never. I am quite thrilled with it. Small changes = HUGE results!

I love my technology based organization, but to me there is something great about tangibility. I want to see it, feel it and have it at my fingertips in a moments notice. This was perfect.

So I made a trip to Walmart's stationary dept and fixed myself up with the goods: Binder, heavy duty protectors and post it dividers. WOOP! After sorting all the bills out, labeling them alphabetically of course, in about an hour I had it done.

I could have bought a fancy schmancy premade calendar but I used my trusty Medicine Hat Co-op one and cut the top off and punched some holes. Yep..it works.

So now I have a few things to get rid of in the corner, starting with the almost empty letter holder. Now I have one binder..ONE. When the bills arrive, I add them to my calendar by due date, put them in their spot in the binder and have a little more control over the paper monster who can be a very scary creature!

It's amazing how just doing one SMALL thing can give you such gratification & peace of mind. You want to be healthy? It has to be a total package of mind, body and soul. Today I am getting a workout of all three! YES!

I TRIED to find a binder with pictures of Dumbbells, sweat, or P90X plastered over the front, but alas, I got the bright flowered version. Dang it all. Oh and I am just NOW seeing Shaun T's ripped self in the left side of this pic. YES!!!

OOO Shaun, you are so cagey. :-)

Nut Butter Crusted Parsnip Fries

Ingredients:

3 medium parsnips (or 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into thin fry-like strips
1 Tbsp almond butter
2 Tbsp chunky peanut butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Peel and cut parsnips into fry-like strips. In a medium size bowl, mix together the nut butters, olive oil, and salt. Take parsnips and toss in bowl with your hands until fully coated. Line up on baking pan and cook at 400F for 30-50 minutes until crisp. (I cooked mine for about 35 minutes. They were wonderful!)



**I was out of almond butter, so I used reg PB and added in some ground almonds.**



These are SERIOUSLY TO DIE FOR!! Probably one of the best recipes I have tried in a long time. TRY THEM!!!