The answer always is... Texas Caviar

What do I bring to a potluck?

What can I eat with tortilla chips?

What can I pack for lunch?

How can I increase my fiber intake?

.... Texas Caviar (or otherwise known as Cowboy Caviar)

I tried this recipe from Cook's Country on a whim a few years ago for an afternoon at a picnic with some friends. I had no idea how it would turn out, and I was a little nervous about bringing basically a pickled bean and pepper salad.

Oh my goodness, this recipe is GOOD. Us 6 adults easily polished this recipe off in an hour. I bring it to work with my multi-grain chips, I bring it to church activities, and I recommend it all.the.time as a dip and side dish. You can always adjust the spiciness with the jalapeno. Anyways, I highly recommend this bean dip!

Source: cookscountry.com

Texas Caviar

Ingredients
1/3cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
2 (15.5-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed
6 scallions, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:
1) Whisk vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper together.
2) Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
3) Let flavors meld for at least an hour before serving (in refrigerator). Serve cold or at room temperature.

Fitness in my 30's

Last night I lay in bed thinking deep thoughts...

How much do I weigh??

Seriously. I haven't weighed myself in what feels like years. I literally got out of bed at 9:30 PM and walked to the kids' bathroom to weigh myself. The numbers were not what I wanted to see, but they weren't the worst I've seen.

So, I've re-committed myself to losing those same 20-25 pounds I lost seven years ago in March 2012.

2011                       2012

I have been exercising steadily for the past 2 years, with some minor breaks for depression and life. I wanted to lose weight by exercising and not watching what I eat. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work that way in your 30's. In your 30's, weight just doesn't fall off your body unless you have some serious medical issues.

Also, you know what doesn't work as well in your 30's? Your body. You can hurt yourself by doing the most simple things. I have injured myself doing stupid things, like my hip kept popping out of joint, I got tennis elbow from working in the yard, and I injured my rotator cuff by trying to get more steps on my Fitbit by doing arm circles instead of steps. Yes, I did try to cheat my FitBit step counter, and I paid for it dearly.

When I lost weight in 2012, I gradually built up my exercise routine and gradually I lost 25 pounds. I didn't eat super healthy, but I also didn't eat super unhealthy. The weight just came off. It felt easy, other than the TurboFire workouts I was doing.

I have been doing the same TurboFire workouts (in the morning--I never thought I could do that!) since August 20th 2018. That is over 7 months of kicking, punching, jumping, and super sweating at 5:30 AM. I thought if I just did hard-core cardio every day, I would just lose weight without trying. HAH. I actually gained 7 pounds over 7 months. Super cool. I wish I had these amazing before and after pictures from doing TurboFire workouts again, but no such luck..

Obviously, I was doing something wrong. I knew in my heart I was eating too many desserts and sweets, but I didn't want to change. My sister introduced me to this super easy caramel popcorn recipe, and I've made it way too many times. I also made these super delicious gooey butter bars during the Seattle Snowpocalypse in February, and I swear I gained 5 pounds over those 5 days. I also bought this amazing Cookie cookbook, and I unfortunately have made wayyyy too many recipes from it.

Graham and I have both committed to eating less treats, me baking less desserts (the dang double oven tempts me to bake more!), and to trying to make fruit-based desserts more (like roasted pears or peaches). He is committing to working out more frequently, and now that I've finished TurboFire for the third time, I'm moving on to online RIPPED workouts and my barre videos.

And, I'm back to weighing myself weekly to keep me accountable. I kept trying to ignore the fact that my pants were slightly tighter than they were... Sigh.

I'm back to where I started 7 years ago--trying to lose 20 pounds. At least this time I'm not starting from scratch. Luckily I have good support, a set routine, and a dedicated workout room to keep me going.

I don't have any recent full body pictures within the past 4 months, so this is it. 😂😂

Old Faithful Recipes

So, as you may know, I'm a Registered Dietitian. I didn't become one to help people. I studied Nutrition because I like food and wanted to know more about it (I also wanted to prove my dad wrong, but he doesn't listen to me anyways).. Yeah, I like food.. and I like cooking. I don't LOVE cooking because I'm kind of a klutz, I spill things all the time, and onions make me cry (wah wah wah I know). I usually cook 3-5 times per week, and cook enough dinner for leftovers for the next night.

Do you know what I love more than food? Recipes and cookbooks.

When I want to relax, I sit down with a good or colorful cookbook. I know that sounds weird (and hilariously enough, Sadie does it now too!), but it really does calm me down. Some people read magazines... I read cookbooks. No biggie. Oh, and I forgot to mention I do follow some food bloggers as well (Mel is my absolute fave)..  Anyways, what happens with me reading cookbooks all the time? I try new recipes all of the time. I don't repeat a lot of recipes, unless I like them... a lot. Part of my schooling as a Dietitian was planning menus for cafeterias, which relied heavily on monthly menu cycles. I know some moms that do monthly meal rotations at home.. but not me. I think it might be related to my upbringing where my parents would ask us what we want to eat for dinner, so it was always spaghetti, bean burritos, milk gravy, taquitos, fish sticks, etc. So I ate the same things again and again and again as a kid/teenager. As a grown-up now, I really like trying new recipes, but I do have a few trusty dinners that I bust out from time to time.

Here are our household favorites:

Japanese Curry

Picture from pressure cooker Japanese curry

I know this isn't even a recipe because I just use whatever is in the box. But, I first tasted it during my days as a Hogi Yogi/Teriyaki Stix employee during my college days, and I've loved it ever since. I usually add onions, potatoes, carrots, and some sort of protein (chicken or tofu). The kids love it most of the time.

Cooks Illustrated Skillet Macaroni & Cheese

Photo from What We're Cooking blog

Easy-peasy less than 30-minute recipe that only gets one pan dirty. Need I say more? I grew up eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and I will literally never allow it in my house because of this recipe (and the fact that I think the blue box stuff is gross).

Mel's Kitchen Cafe Perfect Spaghetti Sauce

Photo from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Let me preface this by saying that I ate spaghetti so much growing up that I did not make it again until I found this recipe 4 years ago. I make the huge batch and freeze it in smaller batches for dinner portions. It is amazing and will change your life. No jarred spaghetti sauce for us.

Martha Stewart Tostadas

Picture from Martha Stewart Living

This is an old one from 2008. I just make this dish vegetarian with the bell peppers, onions, salsa and corn. I also add homemade refried beans to it as well.

Cooks Illustrated Classic Beef Stew 

Picture from Serious Eats

I grew up eating Dinty Moore canned beef stew, and I never once had stew freshly made. I made a half batch of this recipe when Graham and I were first married, and it was like my beloved childhood beef stew, but 100 times better. I don't make it that often because I try to limit red meat, but man.. it is delicious!

Cooks Illustrated Pasta e Fagioli

Photo from Eat it and Weep

This soup is so full of flavor it's hard to understand. It starts out with simple ingredients but is elevated with anchovy paste. Carter ate a TON of this soup when he was little.

King Arthur Flour Pizza Dough

Photo from King Arthur Flour

It took me a long time to find a pizza dough that I love. I've tried recipes from Alton Brown, America's Test Kitchen, Pioneer Woman, etc with success but were not easy to stretch out to proper pizza size. This dough is the easiest to work with, thereby making it my top pizza dough recipe. Some other honorable mentions are: Cooks Illustrated Deep Dish Chicago Pizza and Foodie with Family No-Knead Pizza.

Our Best Bites Sweet Pulled Pork Salad

Picture from Dinner for Everyone

If you have ever been to Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, then you know this salad. This homemade version is just as good as the restaurant.. and in the slow cooker, almost as easy! And do not skip the dressing, especially if you like cilantro. It is phenomenal.

Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Shepherd's Pie

Picture from Brownie Bites

This is another oldie but goodie. I've been making this for years. It's quick, but you will dirty about 4 pans in the process. I have yet to find a vegetarian version of shepherd's pie, so I'll keep making this one a couple times per year.

I have lots of repeat recipes for breakfasts, desserts, and side dishes, but not a ton for dinner. What are your family's favorites? Where do you get your recipes?

Cooks Illustrated Skillet Turkey Tetrazzini (One Pan)

I do post recipes from time to time.. and this one is totally worth putting out into the world. I blogged about Cook's Country Flavored Popcorn years ago, and it remains one of my most popular blog posts. If you haven't tried it yet--it truly is amazing popcorn and super easy! Anyways, I know you're probably thinking one of two things about this upcoming recipe:

1) Turkey Tetrazzini is old school.

2) Thanksgiving was like 7 months ago.

And yes, you'd be right on both items. It truly is an old school recipe, but it doesn't mean it's not worth making. No canned items to be found. Also, Graham's dad gave us some leftover smoked turkey (not from Thanksgiving), and so I found this obscure recipe and made it.. twice. You know it's good if I make the same recipe more than once over a six-month period.. I have problems with making the same dinner as I did like three months ago. And once again.. it's easy and it only requires one dish to make. That's a big deal when the sink in your rental townhome is full after one sippy cup is thrown into the sink. Oh, and did I mention that it's also a 30-minute recipe? One dish and under 30 minutes with no canned foods? That's right.. So, for all of your enjoyment.. here comes the recipe..

Notes: Serves 4 large portions. Pre-heat your oven prior to assembling your ingredients to ensure completion of meal under 30 minutes. You need a 12-inch ovensafe skillet, but does not have to be non-stick.

Ingredients
2 TB unsalted butter
10 oz sliced white mushrooms (we made the recipe without any)
1 onion, minced
Table salt
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken (or turkey) broth
1 cup heavy cream (you could probably use half-and-half, but it'd be less rich)
8 ounces (3 cups) egg noodles
1 cup frozen peas
14 oz (3 cups) shredded/chopped turkey
1 TB dry sherry
2 TB fresh minced parsley
20 Ritz crackers, crushed to coarse crumbs (1 cup)

Cooking Instructions:
1) Heat oven to 475 degrees and adjust oven rack to middle position.
2) Melt butter in 12 inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until mushrooms are lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.
3) Stir in broth, cream, and noodles. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until noodles are tender and sauce has thickened, ~8 minutes.
4) Stir in peas, turkey, dry sherry, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cracker crumbs on top. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until lightly browned, ~8 minutes. Serve.

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated "The Best 30-Minute Recipe".

Intermittent Fasting and Me

So, as many of you long-time followers know, I have been on a weight loss and fitness journey for almost three and a half years. I had lost 25 pounds overall, but last summer, I noticed that I had put some weight back on. Finally, I weighed myself a few weeks ago and I had definitely put 10 pounds back on.. Still 12 pounds lower than at my highest, but 15 pounds higher than my lowest. I've remained totally active during this time. I work out hard 6 days a week. I eat reasonably enough (I mean, I'm a freaking Dietitian so I know what I'm doing). But, the pounds just creeped back on.

Obviously, since I've continued to work out, my problem was what I was eating. So, I decided I wanted to do something with my diet to help me lose the weight I'd previously lost. Graham has been gone since February, and he comes back in less than 3 weeks. I wanted to look better before he got back so I was considering a diet program. I was considering Nutrisystem or something else ridiculous, but I didn't want to pay for it. Plus, not being able to eat my own food would really piss me off. I was stuck in a rut and wasn't sure how I could change without going crazy. There's no way that I can follow a calorie-restricted diet long-term (or even short-term) without feeling totally restricted and starved.

In grad school during my Dietetic Internship, I had to answer questions posed to the Oregon Dairy Council as one of my projects. One person asked the question if a person must eat throughout the day to lose weight. I did a lot of research on this subject and the results were inconclusive. Many studies showed that the opposite was true--that intermittent fasting has been shown to be beneficial to lipid levels and weight status. This absolutely blew my mind at the time. Anyways, I completed that project in 2006, answered that question with a vague answer, and never really thought about it again. I mean, I do hear time and time again from people how eating throughout the day "fuels your metabolism", which is factually true, but is it necessary?

So, I'd been hearing more and more recently about "intermittent fasting" as a way of eating to promote loss of body fat, improve health, and to lose weight. My interest was piqued, but I wasn't really considering it because I've fasted before for religious reasons, and it is pretty difficult to not eat for a day. However, I somehow received a random Shape magazine in the mail, and there was an article about intermittent fasting and the different types. By reading this, I got super excited and decided to try it out because the intermittent  fasting doesn't mean you can't eat or drink for a full day, like we do in the LDS (Mormon) church. You just restrict your calories to 500 calories (600 for men) for a day, and you can have unlimited calorie-free beverages.

Excited about this prospect, I posted about it on Facebook and asked if anyone had experience with this way of eating. Surprisingly, I received a fair amount of negative feedback and encouragement to try other extreme methods of dieting, I had people suggest Whole30, which is so not my thing. I do believe in reducing the amount of processed foods that you eat, but I can't do Whole30. For one, I don't think eating that much animal protein is good for you, I don't believe eating a high animal protein diet is good for the environment, nor do I like eating large chunks of meat. Plus, it means lots of scratch-cooking, which I like, but I don't like cooking while Graham is gone, and I get free food at work. So, NO to Whole30. Then, I had someone suggest a diet plan group with them. Um, no, I can make my own diet plan. Like literally. I have a master's degree in Nutrition. I can plan meals just fine. Then, someone told me I was focusing too much on being thin and to eat reasonably. Yeah, I do eat reasonably, but being fit and not fat is kind of part of my job, whether I like it or not. People just won't listen to a fat Dietitian..

Anyways, a high school friend of mine e-mailed me and invited me to Intermittent Fasting group on Facebook that focuses on the 5:2 plan. This means that I limit my calories to 500 two days of the week, and then eat reasonably (~2000 calories for women, 2200-2400 for men) for the other five days (this equals about 1571 calories per day over a week). This plan is based on a book and documentary produced by Michael Mosley. The research behind it is very fascinating, with benefits seen in animals better than overall calorie restriction. I'm not going to go over all the info. You can look up that stuff yourself!

I jumped on the bandwagon and started the next day. I was prepared with low-glycemic foods to meet my 500 calories, such as roasted almonds, blueberries, mozzarella cheese stick, and chicken sausage with vegetables. The first day wasn't THAT bad. I first ate around 11 AM with some almonds, lunch of blueberries around 1 PM, then a cheese stick around 2 PM. Dinner of chicken sausage and broccoli around 6 PM. I kept a no-calorie beverage at my side all day (aka True Lemon lemonade, Diet Dr Pepper, and lots and lots of water). The absolute worst part: going to bed hungry.. something I don't think I've ever done. It's gotten better with each successive fast (I've "fasted" six days now--currently fasting for my seventh time). I've been able to go without food for longer periods of time, and I've been able to sleep better feeling hungry.

I've actually been able to learn a lot from this experience. I've learned what my actual hunger signals are, or whether I'm just bored and want to eat to fill my time. I feel more in control of what and when I eat. But, I have to watch my hanger a little bit on those days. I have to take a deep breath and remind myself to take a step back from the situation (commuting+fasting=road rage). One thing is that I did feel a little on-edge, even on my days of normal eating. I yelled at Carter for the first time on my non-fasting day, which made me feel horrible! Another positive--I only feel restricted on my 2-3 days of fasting, which is way better than feeling restricted 7 days a week. Plus, I have lost 4-5 pounds in just 3 weeks of fasting.  This way of eating isn't for everyone. It's hard. I'm not lying. It's not for those that are weak-willed or looking for something easy. A co-worker of mine tried it and ended up bingeing when she got home that night. For me, that's not an issue, because if I've made it past 5 PM, there's no way in hell that I'm not going to make it the full day or make that day of fasting null and void.

This is kind of considered to be a "fad diet", but I plan to continue this as long as I can!

Fitness Frustration

Ugh, I've mentioned in previous videos that I've gained some of my weight back over the past 6 months. It all started when I started a new birth control that made me dizzy and very fatigued. I couldn't exercise as hard and I had to lay down a lot. It took me two weeks or so to get back to feeling better after I discontinued the birth control. (P.S. If your doctor tries to convince you that the Mirena is not causing dizziness, but that it's related to allergies that have never caused anything like this before, sometimes you gotta trust your gut and say no.) Also, Graham started working in the evenings, so I don't like cooking as much, so I probably was snacking more. More, I was eating like crap over the summer, eating wayyyyy too many dessert items. Lastly, this new electronic medical record system at work makes me spend much more time at the computer and less time walking around the hospital.

So yes, I am heavier now (probably 5-7 pounds more) than I was in March, and it has ALL returned into my gut. Like seriously, I feel like a stuffed sausage in some of clothes. Being so short, 5 pounds is a LOT on my frame, especially when it is all in one freaking area. My pants that I've bought in the past 2 years since I've lost weight feel tighter and really make me angry and frustrated.

I have not stopped working out. The only workouts I have missed were when we went camping, when I didn't have any videos available, and going for a run would only mean that I was running from wildlife. I have recently started doing some double workouts to help increase my calorie burn and steps during the day. I was doing TurboFire HIIT workouts every other day, but now I'm back to doing RIPPED workouts 2-3 times per week, with an additional 30 minute express Physique 57 workout before each one. I do the full 57 minute Physique 57 workouts 2 times per week, with an additional day of cardio and/or booster workouts from Physique 57 (if you want to be sore and hardly be able to walk for 2 days, try the 30-minute thigh and seat booster.. seriously so sore). I bought the P57 workout videos off eBay as a reward for consistently doing barre-style workouts 3 times per week for 6 months. After the full 57-minute P57 workouts, I do a 20-minute Turbo Jam workout to get my heart rate up and increase my steps for the day (I have a FitBit pedometer for a work health and wellness program). If you've even read this, just know that I have been working HARD (at least, fitness-wise).

Anyways, I have to remind myself that fitness is a journey. Life doesn't just get better all of the time. There are ups and downs, and that also applies to fitness and health. I can't expect to constantly get skinnier or more toned, although I definitely have gotten stronger and better, especially at push ups. Right now, I'm in a fitness valley, and I just need to get my nutrition act together so I can at least get back to where I was. It's just very frustrating because weight loss was easy (nutrition-wise) because all I did was starting exercising and wasn't very restrictive with my diet. I was also maintaining my weight kind of eating what I wanted, of course in moderation. So now, I have to be more careful about what I eat. Graham and I have been discussing a diet for us both before we go to Hawaii in a month. We'll see how this goes.

If you're interested in my Mortifying Myself series where I share or read some of my journal entries, I'll be posting a video within the next week. It's just an intro to my journal entries, but if it works out, I may read and vlog some of my more memorable journal entries (like my first kiss).

Challenges

No, this is not a serious post.. I just wanted to write about my self-imposed nutrition challenges this month. This may be a little boring for some of you, but for women who like dessert and struggle with self-control, you'll know what I mean. This was inspired by some minor weight gain I've had recently. I've probably gained about 3-5 pounds back in the past 3 months. Ugh. That's not very much, but on my 5'2.5" frame, it is! I could feel it in my stomach and lower abdomen the most. I was seriously hating my life, feeling like a stuffed sausage in some of my pants. Not happy. So, after I reflected on my diet, I realized I'd been eating wayyyy too much dessert lately. Normally I never buy ice cream because I lack self-control around it. I can eat two giant bowls of the good stuff (Tillamook ice cream is the bomb--PS has that saying really gone out of style?, because I refuse to say something like "epic"), and not even bat an eye.

Anyways, Graham and I decided to do a "no dessert" week last week, and then end it with a milkshake from a great burger and shake place. I stuck to it pretty hard core, but I still allowed myself a daily candy I get from pharmacists' offices at work. It seemed to be pretty easy for both of us, until I asked Graham how he was doing. His response was, "Huh, I thought you meant only at home!" He was eating 3-7 cookies and/or brownies every night at work. Yikes. Anyways, I resisted eating even homemade zucchini chocolate bread because it was too dessert-like. Drinking that milkshake Saturday night definitely made it all worth it!

Then, as I snacked on a sugary Chex Mix on Sunday, I decided to try no added sugar this week. I won't be avoiding bread, even though it often does have added sugar, but I plan to avoid most other things, including peanut butter and my Kashi cereal. We will see how I do. I am kind of dying right now because I'm bored at home with Carter in the evening. There is no such thing as a sugar free frozen treat (ok, maybe there is, but I think it's cheating), other than like frozen fruit, frozen broccoli, or just plain ice. So, I'm probably overdosing on diet soda to prevent myself from eating anything more.

I realize that this probably isn't going to be life changing, or be equivalent to a self-imposed challenge like running a marathon (which I will never do anyways), but I just thought it'd be a fun experiment for a Dietitian like me.

Oh, and something exciting. I found $12 shorts on clearance at LOFT for my Hawaii trip (it's funny how uncomfortable I feel in shorter shorts now). AND, I signed up to do another Stitch Fix before my trip, with the request of some pieces for the trip. I'm pretty excited! I just hope it's not a bust, because the first time I signed up, I asked for some things to my trip to San Diego last year, and I ended up with this. Yikes. Anyways, I will post about that next month when I get my Stitch Fix package. Have you guys tried it yet? It really is a fun experience! If not, try this referral code.

Oh, and I apologize for the lack of pictures on most of my posts. If you look at the Instagram feed on the right, you can see what we've been up to.

Happy Anniversary!

This post is not meant to be self-congratulatory in any way, but I am celebrating my two-year anniversary of fitness as of March 5th. Woohoo!

When I started out two years ago (a better before and after picture is available on that blog post), my goal was to make it through 12 weeks. I can't believe I've made it through two YEARS of working out steadily, even with all of the craziness in my life. It's been tough at times to continue being active, especially when all I wanted to do was lay around and be sad or lay on the couch and just space out. But, it's been so worth it. For me, fitness isn't just about trying to make myself look or feel good. It's testing my life skills of perseverance, determination, and dedication. It has especially tested my quality of self-discipline, which I really lacked before. I was always super jealous of people who lost weight. I felt like I could never really have the self-control to do it. I just hoped that it would happen naturally after having a child and breastfeeding--yeah right. Now, I feel like I'm a success story!

Here's an updated picture of me last week, with some older ones to show the difference. It is a terrible quality photo, with shadows, but that's ok. And yes, if you must ask, I do have stretch marks. That's what happens when you're 15+ pounds overweight when you get pregnant and you carry a child very low in the abdomen. I'm not proud of them, nor am I ashamed, but I will never wear a bikini again (not like I ever did anyways).

 Remember, this picture below is after I'd already lost 8-10 pounds. Just imagine if I had a picture from when I first started working out.

Here's a picture from today with a comparison from 7/2013 (again, after I'd already lost 10 pounds):

One of the biggest differences, however, is my face. I never thought I was unattractive by any means, but man, my face looks so much better now! I guess I was just used to it.. Like, when I was pregnant, my face got really puffy according to several other people, but I never noticed because it was such a gradual change.

This is definitely before I lost weight. See why I deleted so many pictures of myself? Yikes. Fat face.

This is a particularly unflattering picture of me. This is from Carter's 12-month photo shoot, of which we did not print any family photos, for obvious reasons.

Not so fat face.

I am holding steady at my current weight and measurements, but I'm definitely getting stronger. I'd been trying to up my cardio with more TurboFire during the week, with the goal of losing 5-6 more pounds, but I decided to try something different this time. I am now doing a training combo of RIPPED workouts at the YMCA for 3 times per week, as well as the Bar Method advanced DVD's 3 times per week.

I'm going to test out the Bar Method's claims:
1) sculpted arms,
2) flat abs,
3) lifted seat, and
4) long firm thighs.

I took before pictures, and I plan on doing this for at least 3 months to see if I get the results they promise. I can already feel the difference in my upper back and triceps. The 5-pound weights feel as heavy as bricks by the end of the arm routine. My legs are already super fit (no bragging here--they just are), but I'm hoping they'll lean out a little, with a nice lifted bum (which is what I'm hoping for most of all). My RIPPED workouts leave me feeling exhausted and fatigued, but there is no other burn in this world like the workout Bar Method gives you. The lactic acid builds up so much in your legs and arms, it is unreal. And then when you stretch, it helps to release it and you feel much better. My legs burn so much that they shake like leaves near the end of the leg section. The workout is much different than anything else I do because my mind needs to be in it 100% to get the positions right. I can't even talk through it. So, I hope this change in routine will work out for the best!

Yeah, so I work out 5-6 days per week, and I keep going. It's a lifestyle and a priority. Some of you may wonder how I KEEP going with being active. These are my top fitness tips (I apologize for the mild swearing, but if you've ever done a million push-ups and/or squats, those are usually the only words that come to mind):

1) Find a workout you love, whether it's running, cycling, Zumba, boot camp, pilates, CrossFit, etc, and commit to a certain number of days per week. When I started out, I could only commit for 4 days, then 5, and then 6. I found that I loved TurboFire, and now RIPPED, so working out is way more fun with these workouts than something I hate, like running or cycling.
2) Reward yourself for steps along the way, whether it's how many pounds you've lost, or just the number of weeks you've stayed committed to your workout routine. I didn't reward myself with food--kind of counterproductive.
3) Don't "DIET". Sure, you might see faster results if you limit your calories to 1200 per day, but it's not sustainable, especially if you're making huge changes to diet compared to your daily intake. Moderate your portion sizes, choose healthier options more often, plan your meals, and adjust your calorie intake depending on what you've eaten or what you're planning to eat. Set a measurable, concrete goal (a SMART goal if you've heard of those). I set a goal for myself to eat a salad for lunch at least twice a week. I would probably have better results if I ate better, but again, not sustainable for me.
4) Work HARD. I remember in my college days, going on the elliptical machine at the gym, barely breaking a sweat, and considering myself to have worked out. Dumb. What a waste. Commit your body to your workout and work your hardest. I was able to lose weight by gradually increasing my intensity in my workouts, to where I was jumping higher and squatting lower, and getting great results from this. If you're lazy like me, this was definitely the most difficult concept, because I kept thinking, "but I don't want to work hard...".
5) Set a time for your workouts; whatever time works for you. I cannot do high-intensity cardio in the morning. It's not in my genes. So, I set my workout schedule in my Google Calendar with a reminder to work out every evening at 7 PM.
6) One workout at a time, folks. That's my motto. Don't think about your next workout right after your workout. I don't know about you, but if I think about what I have to do the next night when my legs are jelly, my arms are noodles, and I'm totally exhausted, I'll tell myself that there is no way in hell that I'm doing one more gosh dang push up ever again. So, I have to actively tell myself to not think about my next workout.
7) Give it 5 minutes. If getting up off the couch is the hardest thing for you, something that works for me is telling myself that I'll just half-ass the workout. The first 5 minutes are always the worst, trust me. If it's a workout you love, I promise that 10 minutes into it, you'll be enjoying yourself and pushing yourself hard even though you told yourself you didn't have to.
8) Find accountability with someone else, whether it's your spouse, friend, trainer, or online communities. For a while there, I was logging onto BeachBody's website daily to track my workouts, monitor my progress, and chat with other TurboFire addicts. I also printed out a workout calendar for my wall, where I could cross off the workout I completed every day. It was a good visual reminder of what I've done.

Anyways, these are my tips to help keep me active and fit even though I'm a mom, wife, and work full-time as a Dietitian. I'm still a work in progress, obviously, but I'm now somehow down to the same size that I was when I was 21! I recently posted on Facebook about how I now fit into a skirt I bought 10 years ago. I can't believe I was this big back then.. Unfortunately, I still have body image issues. I remember reading Single Dad Laughing's blog about weight loss once, where he said, "the skinnier and more toned I got, the fatter I felt".. which is how I feel sometimes. It's hard to find a balance with trying to be more fit without obsessing about my body's trouble spots (stomach, upper back, love handles, etc). Sometimes I have to force myself to remember the good things about my body (good skin, straight hair) and not focus on the bad, but that's a whole different blog post in itself..

Let's focus on the positive: I have lost twenty-five pounds (and have kept it off for over a year!), I am fit, and my self-esteem has significantly improved.

Stitch Fix Review #4

 All right folks, here comes the Stitch Fix review! It arrived around 9:30 AM today (I was actually still in bed), and I quickly ran downstairs after the FedEx guy rang my doorbell. I peeked online previously, so I knew what was coming.. Let's get to it. Warning: this was done with my nice camera, but it was self-timing, so some of the pictures and quality may be a little off. Plus, the lighting SUCKS in my house.

Here are the options.I think it's awesome that my stylist remembered that I really wanted colored skinny jeans! All in all, a nice, rounded out box of clothing.

#1: Mystree Phoebe Dot & Stripe Sweater Dress ($28)

Ok, so I looked this up online and pretty much everyone who has received this dress has hated it. I was really not excited to try this one, especially since it's a sweater dress (am I the only one who thinks they're unflattering?).. But, this wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. If the polka dot section was little lower on my chest, and the dress a little longer, I might've considered it for the low price. Personally, I think they lowered the price to get rid of it! Anyways, it's too short, not flattering for my midsection, with awkwardly placed dots, so I will be sending it back. I showed my husband these pictures, and he actually really liked this dress on me (surprise, surprise--it's short).
Verdict: PASS

#2 & #3: TCEC Glendale Embellished Hi-Lo tank  ($48) and Sanctuary Sarah Striped French Terry Mini Skirt ($58)

I was really exited to try on this tank because it's a fun, bright pink color! However, it is VERY sheer (like, hello, want to see what brand bra I wear?), and the hi-lo aspect of it is a little weird. But, the color is great and I love the details around the neckline.  Sorry about the awkward pose. I was trying to show just how LONG this shirt is in the back.

The skirt is comfortable as well. I was a little hesitant about it because it's described as a miniskirt (for who--models??), so I thought it'd be too short. Luckily, it's the perfect length for my little stumpy legs. Because it's terry cloth, it's super comfortable. It is black and white, though, just like the houndstooth skirt I received in Stitch Fix #2, and I have another skirt very similar to it that I love:

I get so many compliments when I wear this skirt.. But do I really need two knee-length black and white striped skirts?
Verdict:
Tank: KEEP
Skirt: UNDECIDED (help me!)

#4 & #5: Just Black Adora Skinny Jean in Army Green ($88) and Kut From The Kloth Callie Denim Jacket ($78)

 That awkward moment when you realize your pocket is sticking out when you're taking a timed photo...

So, the jacket isn't bad. It has a little stretch to it, which is nice for my beast shoulders. I even debated buying this very jean jacket from Nordstrom about a year ago! However, I decided against it because, I don't know, jean jackets were so '00's (what is that decade named, anyways?).. I had one in college from GAP, and I don't know if I'm ready to wear one again.

The skinny jeans... I just don't know. The fabric is thin, so it looks almost like leggings on me. My thighs are muscular, so I'm not a huge fan of these. The army green color.. I could do it if they looked a little bit better. And, the ultimate test.. does it look like I have mommy butt???? 

 I tried them on with knee-high wedge boots, that obviously you can't see in this photo. Dangit. Still didn't help me decide. What do you think? My husband really liked this outfit on me. He said it made me look younger..?
Verdict: Undecided (help me!)

In summary, I thought that this Stitch Fix box worked very well with my style and body type (except for the sweater dress, although it really wasn't that bad).. And I especially appreciated that they remembered my previous requests. Even though I only ended up keeping one item, I still really liked this one.

On a random side note, have any of you tried Lay's new flavors that they're testing out? I saw these advertised last year, but I wasn't able to find this one specifically in stores until now. Lay's Chicken & Waffles chips!! I was undecided after the first bite, but I kept reaching for them. They're sweet and salty with a hint of maple. Very interesting. I know I'm a Dietitian and all that, but it was fun to try these. Don't worry, I moderated my portion size..

And one more thing.. I decided to put on false lashes today because I had work off. I used Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette on my eyes with a beautiful look from Zabrena of My Eyeshadow Consultant website (or known on YouTube as macshadowcombos). If you've never heard of this website, she has made up over 1000+ eyeshadow combos using MAC, Urban Decay, Stila, etc. If you're like me and have a ton of random unused eyeshadows laying around, this is a great resource!

Is it safe to work out with false eyelashes? If not, I will find out tonight!

Here are my other Stitch Fix reviews:

1st Review

2nd Review

3rd Review

5th Review

Fitness Update

So, I guess you all deserve an update on my progress from working out for more than 9 months, 6 days a week. I, my friends, have been a success! I have lost 24 pounds and more than 25 inches, I am down to my goal weight, and I have gained back my confidence. I am down from a size 8/10 to a 4/6 (I was so excited the other day when an employee at Ann Taylor LOFT thought I was a size 2). I am fitting in jeans that I bought when I was 21. I actually like exercising. I have self-control (except around chips and salsa... they are my downfall). I can be an inspiration for my patients and co-workers.

Anyways, here's a good illustration of my success over 9-12 months. I'm sorry about the before picture. I hardly allowed full pictures of myself post-partum, so this is one of the only ones that really shows a big difference. The picture on the left is from Christmas 2011. The picture on the right is from Christmas 2012.

And, because I'm trying to be brave here, this is my 20-week progress photos. The first picture is after I'd already lost 10 lbs.

 

 

 

Anyways, I'm proud of my progress, and anything after this is just going be icing on the cake. Right now, I'm doing a weight lifting routine with cardio, so I expect to tone up a bit more.

 

Thanks for reading!

Vegetarian Update

So folks, I figure you all deserve an update as to how my vegetarian challenge is going.

As far as dinner and breakfast goes, I've been doing awesome. The last meals I've made with meat were ham for Easter, beef stew for Valentine's Day, and turkey for Christmas (I didn't make it). I've been enjoying lots of beans, although it admittedly has been a little stinky around our house lately, if you know what I mean.. I've been utilizing different cookbooks, like Pasta Revolution, Bean by Bean, and ATK's Healthy Family Cookbook.

However, I did start to feel deprived at work. They recently changed their cafeteria to a quick-service style cafe, so there are no daily specials, just constant, never-changing menu items. Instead of having something different to pick from every day, I had limited myself to just a few vegetarian items (with some of them not being healthy at all): tofu stir-fry, cheese quesadilla, veggie burger, grilled cheese sandwich, make-your-own salad, and veggie wrap. I was getting SO sick of the food (and I wasn't going to start bringing my own lunch because I get free food), I considered ditching the whole vegetarian concept. Plus, I started gaining back the weight I'd lost when I stopped breastfeeding. Scared at the number on the scale and frustrated at my self-imposed diet restriction, I decided to make my own compromise: I can eat meat at lunch only. So, now I eat salads with grilled chicken breast and deli meat sandwiches. Believe me, it's all made all of the difference. I don't feel as deprived, and I'm losing that weight (but that's a different story anyways).

Graham and I have come to the conclusion that we don't even really feel deprived with our dinner choices, which has definitely been an adaptation. We've made the change to "mostly meatless", which I am absolutely happy about. I eat less fast food, I try to choose more organic and natural forms of foods, I only eat hamburgers twice a year (which is definitely a big thing for me), and I feel like I'm making a *small* impact on a food system that is so corrupt and flawed. If you want to know which movies that have changed the way I view food and health, watch the videos Food Inc and Forks Over Knives. At the very least, you'll be more mindful of what you eat, especially when you visit a fast food restaurant.

Anyways, I promised a while ago to post a recipe for amazing corn muffins, so I'll do that next time, along with the story about me getting healthy and physically fit. I think I just used that phrase because I heard that song on Madagascar, "I like to move it move it". Until then.. I'll see you later.

The Reality of Dining Out as a Vegetarian

So, I'm 4 weeks in. The one-month experiment is almost up.. with a possible extension into December.. and maybe the whole year of 2012..?

I am down 3.2 pounds, including losing 1 whole pound after last week.. even after Thanksgiving and my carb-loading dinners at Graham's family's house. I even ate 2 bowls of ice cream last night. *Bad*.. I know. Don't ever buy brownie moose tracks ice cream. It's too good.

So, I'm feeling pretty good about this whole thing. I've gotten used to the feeling of a self-imposed diet restriction, and it's really not that bad. I'm still a pro at picking out pieces of meat/poultry from food served to me. I even found some new foods that I really love. Homemade slow-cooker black bean soup--who knew it could be so good? Carter KILLED some of the leftover soup last night.

But.. there is a dark side to eating vegetarian..

I can't go out to eat.

First of all, I don't live in Seattle or Portland, so vegetarian restaurants are few and far between.

Fast food? Forget about it. They only things I can eat are bean burritos or french fries.. Not that I haven't gotten those or anything...

Substitutions in normal restaurants SUCK. At our favorite Mexican restuarant in our area, they had only a few vegetarian options.. none of which looked appealing. So I asked for a vegetarian chimichanga, thinking they would throw in some rice, sauteed bell peppers with onions, and maybe some beans...

WRONG

That, my friends.. is what came out of my chimichanga. FROZEN vegetables. That's right.. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and snap peas. Who in their right mind would eat broccoli and cauliflower in a freaking Mexican fried burrito (I mean, anybody other than my sister's ex who liked broccoli in tacos).

So, I emptied out my chimichanga and put in some beans and rice. I pretty much just ate a fried burrito shell, which kind of makes me sick to think about. I guess I can look at being vegetarian as a way to save money as well as I will no longer be dining out frequently.. or at all.

However, I did find some good options down in Portland. Burgerville's Yukon and White Bean Basil Burger was freaking amazing. I would eat it even if I wasn't doing the whole vegetarian thing. Chipotle's vegetarian burrito.. didn't even miss the meat.

So on December 1st, I don't think I'll be going back to meat. I will eat meat/poultry if that's what is being served at other people's houses, and probably 1-2 dinners per month (beef stew in the winter is a must-eat). I've learned a lot from these past few weeks, and I look forward to trying more meatless meals!

Our menu this week:
Quinoa pilaf with corn and jalapenos with accordian potatoes (both from America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country)
Cheese Souffle (I've always wanted to try this) with vegs
Cuban black beans and rice
Black Bean Quesadillas

I'll let you know how the souffle goes.. especially with me cooking alone in the house with a 13-month old wild child. At least he's not walking yet!

1st Week Vegetarian Challenge Summary

Here's how the first week went..

It really wasn't too bad. Really. Our meals have been fairly hearty and haven't really left me wanting more. I did cheat though, and I kind of went on a chips and salsa binge over the weekend. That's pretty much all I ate Saturday and Sunday, which is kind of gross but delicious at the same time. Graham also bought us some Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla ice cream, which was another treat. However, when all you're eating is beans and vegetables, ice cream sundaes with chocolate syrup and toffee chips are necessary!

My favorites from this week were the baked risotto and leftover risotto cakes (recipes and photos coming). We all inhaled the food, even Carter. The arborio rice is so starchy that it fills you up in a good way. We had Caesar salad on the side with pita chip croutons.. amazing! It would be better if there were such a thing as short-grain brown rice (in my grocery stores at least), but no such luck. I will be trying a barley risotto this month, which will make it whole grain with more protein and fiber.

Next week's menu:
--Claim Jumper's for my sister's birthday
--Skillet Cheese Pizza from ATK's Healthy Family Cookbook
--Pasta Fagioli from Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe Cookbook with garlic breadsticks
--Fajita Tostadas from Martha Stewart with some sort of rice side dish

Oh, and the best thing about this week?... I lost 2 pounds, even with the chips and ice cream!

Veggie Talk + Carter's 1st Birthday

So, the vegetarian thing is going ok. I do find myself craving meat, though.. and not even the good stuff. I normally don't drive past fast food restaurants on my way home, but I did yesterday, and the big billboard picture of the KFC Dubilicious made me drool.. even though I think it's disgusting. Today for lunch, I had a veggie pita with romaine lettuce, bell peppers, olives and hummus, and it was pretty satisfying. Tonight is slow-cooker marinara sauce with spaghetti, so it should be delicious.

On to the main event: Carter's 1st birthday party. The party itself wasn't exciting. I mean, how could it be? We're all there just to see Carter (or 2.5 year-old Lorelai) open presents, play with the boxes/wrapping paper or balloons, and have his first taste of cake. Our townhouse was crammed full of 15 people to celebrate Little Dude's birthday, and Carter couldn't have cared less. He did get a taste of some new foods though, which we found he enjoyed immensely.

Our menu was:
Appetizers: Caramel Toffee Dip with Apples and Spicy Hot Artichoke Dip (recipe from co-worker) with pita chips
Main dish: Make-ahead lasagna (Carter's new fave meal) from Cook's Illustrated
Salad: Spinach salad thrown together with random veggies and croutons
Dessert: Old-fashioned chocolate cake cupcakes with buttercream or whipped cream cheese frosting, and funfetti cake with buttercream frosting.

My theme for food was anything I can prepare ahead of time before Graham's family arrived. I definitely don't like cooking when there's a crowd. I don't like other people seeing that I'm such a disaster in the kitchen! I also made a breakfast casserole the day before, to be heated up the morning of. It was a huge hit!
I've been doing research for 1st birthday decorations for months, and this is what I came up with, all inspired from Pinterest and/or Martha Stewart. Since the party was low-key, I figured the decorations should be as well. I made all of them myself.. of which I am totally proud! The pictures suck though.. please don't judge.

 Happy Birthday banner, made from scrapbook paper and letter printouts from Martha Stewart online.

 Carter's funfetti #1 cake with buttercream on top. Don't look too closely at the piping.. You'll notice my impatience and inattention to detail.

 Carter's matching scrapbook paper tie and party hat with "1" on it. I saw a picture online where the baby boy had a tie on while only wearing a diaper, and I obviously loved it. However, Carter would NOT keep the hat on.

 A papier-mache "C" from Joann's, weighted down and spray-painted blue. It now sits on Carter's room's shelves, where it's a perfect fit.

Carter's own little smashcake. I love this picture because you can see the only fat he has on his body: his little thigh rolls. So cute!

1st Day as a Vegetarian

So, it was a little harder than I thought it'd be. Remember, I get free food at the hospital, so I'm not really wanting to bring in lots of food for myself. So, I'm pretty limited in my choices.. especially since they're remodeling our kitchen/serving area/dining room.

This is what I ate:
Breakfast: Kashi Heart to Heart cereal
Snack: sliced apples
Lunch: Romaine and greens salad with kidney beans, grated cheese, olives and low-fat Ranch dressing (yuck); with a whole wheat roll.
Snack: chocolate cupcake leftover from Halloween (oops)
Dinner: Black bean soup with corn muffins

I did end up still having some pieces of leftover candy, but I limited myself.. I'm quite proud.

The black bean soup was pretty good. I don't like the smell of hot homemade cooked beans, so it didn't smell appetizing at all. But, I warmed up to it (nice pun huh) and ended up enjoying it. The real showstopper were the corn muffins. I'll have to post the recipe sometime. They are amazing. Honestly. Graham, who professed his hatred for cornbread a couple of months ago (which seemed blasphemous to me), has since been converted to these sweet and soft corn muffins. Mmmmm.

Anyways, the most difficult thing was deciding what to eat for lunch. Hmmm, flank steak, lime chicken, chicken tortilla soup, beef vegetable soup, or tuna sandwich. So, salad it was. I realllllly wanted something warm (it's getting to be pretty chilly here now), but I didn't give in. Let's hope tomorrow goes better!

And so it begins..

I've been eating more meat the past few days to prepare myself for going without.. But I am ready. I weighed myself this morning, and it turns out I've gained 3 pounds over the past month. Ugh. I guess that's what happens when you have 3 pieces of fun-sized candy every day at work. Gosh dang Halloween. Anyways, so I'm feeling fat today but ready to take this vegetarian challenge head on.

Here's our menu for the week:

--Slow-cooker Black Bean Soup from Slow Cooker Revolution. I will probably make corn muffins from ATK's Healthy Family Cookbook to go with it, if Graham has washed the muffin tins.
--Slow-Cooker Marinara Sauce with Spaghetti and roasted veggies (haven't picked which ones yet).
--Baked Risotto from ATK's Family Coookbook and Broccoli.
--Risotto cakes (for leftovers).

I'm kind of cheating with the black bean soup, as the recipe calls for a ham hock to be cooked with the beans. I'm still using it to flavor the soup, but I'll toss it at the end.

I'm not really venturing out too far into the vegetarian/vegan world much, but I have a bunch of recipes picked out to try.. and I haven't even hardly pinned any recipes on Pinterest that are vegetarian. I must get to work!

So anyways, I'll post more about my successes and failures, and the reality of trying to go vegetarian in a meat-lovers world. I'll post the delicious recipes too if you're interested.. Wish me luck!

New Look + Cake Recipe

I changed the template to my blog. What do you all (all as in the handful of family and friends who read this) think? Are the leaves too distracting?

Anyways, I will have some pictures to post soon. Carter is turning ONE in a little over a week! How fast the time flies!

Like I said before, I am loving Pinterest right now, but I wanted to add one of my own pictures to the mix, so I am posting an amazing recipe for America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated for a delicious cake. I've made this a couple of time, and it has turned out awesome! The strawberries don't hold that well, so make sure the cake will be eaten within 1-2 days of putting it together (not like it'd be difficult to finish).

Strawberry Cream Cake

Cake

1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces) (essential here--don't use all-purpose)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup sugar (7 ounces)

5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature

6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling

2pounds fresh strawberries (medium or large, about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed

4 - 6 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Kirsch (I didn't use)

pinch table salt

Whipped Cream

8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature (I used reduced-fat and it turned out ok)

1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon table salt

2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour round 9 by 2-inch cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth.
2. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten; add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.
3. FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING: Halve 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. Quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup). In workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, give macerated berries five 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled.
4. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
5. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of pureed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries. Serve, or chill for up to 4 hours.