Back in December my husband decided we desperately needed these pans.  I have to say in all honesty that they are simply amazing pans!  We haven't had them for more than a few months, but we love them so far!  And, no, neither Todd English nor HSN paid me to say that, just my opinion.
Anyways... with the set we purchased we got a crepe pan.  Now, you might wonder... what the heck are you going to do with a crepe pan?  Because I'm sure like us you make crepes everyday... right?  Right...
Well, we quickly discovered the crepe pan makes a mean omelet, but until Sunday we never used it for its intended purpose - crepes!

And then on Sunday... this happened!  And it was amazingly delicious!
Crepes
Makes 10 crepes - including blackberry sauce at 2 PointsPlus each (I ate 3! - if you eat three the total is 7 instead of 6 points)
1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Powdered sugar for sprinkling...
Reddi Whip for squirting

Combine flour, milk, sugar, and egg in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour batter into bowl;

Preheat crepe pan or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Remove pan from heat. Pour about a 1/4 cup batter into pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers pan with a thin film. Cook about 1 minute.

Carefully lift edge of crepe with a spatula the crepe is ready to turn when it can be easily turned and the underside is lightly brown. Turn crepe over; cook 20-30 seconds on other side.

Repeat - until you use all the batter up.  You can stack complete crepes on a plate with paper towel or waxed paper in between to prevent sticking.

Blackberry Sauce:
1 cup blackberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp whipped butter
1/4 cup water

Mix all together in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer... simmer on low until berries are soft and broken - maybe 5-10 minutes, then mash up with a fork - it will be like chunky syrup.

Now assemble the crepes - Put about 1 Tbsp of the fruit filling in each crepe, along with a small sprinkle of powdered sugar - maybe 1 tsp?? fold up and top with any remaining fruit filling and another sprinkle of powdered sugar.  And... if you want to be completely sinful... add a squirt of fat-free Reddi Whip (one of my all time favorite 0 Points Plus products - what your serving size) to the top, because well, it looks awesome and seriously who doesn't like a breakfast that has a whipped cream component.

I thought I might start doing weekly pregnancy updates.
I just completed my 12th week of pregnancy - the final week of my first trimester - HOORAY!  I am 13 weeks exactly today!  I am still feeling various levels of nausea, but the good news is that it feels a little milder this week than last.  Just when I think I'm over the throwing up - I started up again last Thursday though. BOOO!!!!  This week found me with lots of stretching pains in my lower abdomen.  I guess that baby is really starting to grow in there.  Unfortunately I also found myself starting to battle some lower back and sciatic nerve pain.  I had it really bad with "L" from around 8 weeks, and while this is milder, it is still uncomfortable at times.

I'm hoping that I will be able to get back to exercise in the coming weeks.  I am wishing and hoping for sunshine and much warmer weather - as its been 15 degrees below our normals for at least the last week here in Minnesota.  I'm hoping with the warmth comes a decrease in the extreme exhaustion and nausea, and I'll feel like getting outside and walking... if even for 30 minutes a day it is something and will help I know with the stiffness and pain as I grow this baby.

Weight gain so far... about 5 pounds.   Yes... I wish it was a little less, but it isn't.  Apparently a 5 pound gain is a normal first trimester gain.  I am OK with it on some days, and some days it scares me.  That's the hard part of having lost a lot of weight, and now knowing you will have to gain some - all for a good cause of course!  Overall I am feeling more OK with it then I thought I would be initially.  The nausea this time around has led me to snacking...a lot!  and .... not necessarily on cucumbers and pepper slices.  Simple carbs and sugary muffins and cereals have been really calming to my stomach.  At some point, I just made the decision to eat what I could and try to recover nutritionally later when I felt better.  I am still OK with that decision.

And last, It wouldn't be right if I didn't mention a huge change in our house this week.  On Saturday we picked up a  brand new big boy bed for "L"!  We are still working on getting his new room together, it is getting painted blue... hopefully in the next couple of weeks, and he's picked out this quilt for his bedding:

Awhile ago Green Giant sent me this in the mail:


At 2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus and 60 calories per serving... and cheesy... I was excited to try it.
And then pregnancy happened to me, and I was excited to try NOTHING!  Well... finally I was able to try the veggies, and I have to say they are pretty tasty!  They were delicious over a baked potato!  That definitely was a full, very fulfilling, and super quick meal!
And lucky for you guys... Green Giant and my Blog Spark have offered to let one of you try out these veggies as well... along with this awesome prize pack:


Complete with a bowl, spoon, a coupon for Green Giant Veggies, a pedometer, and an insulated tote!
To enter its simple... just go to http://greengiant.com/pages/Products.aspx and come back and leave a comment telling me what type of  Green Giant Boxed Vegetables you'd try if you won.

This giveaway is open to residents of the US only and will go until 10 pm CT on Friday, April 1st.

Disclosure:  Green Giant provided me with this product, my own prize pack, and information through MyBlogSpark.

Happy Belated Birthday to myself! Yesterday I spent the day turning…. 34 SIGH!
I also spent it enjoying one of these

And that's because my glucose tolerance test had a value of 78 from last week! YES!!!! THAT’S GOOD! I had to be below 130. So to quote Tony the Tiger, it's not just good it's GREAT!  It’s actually lower than my fasting glucose was back in October. Can you tell I’m happy?

It's because I'm having a love affair with sugar. Yep… I’m going to admit it publicly. I am almost ashamed to tell you that this healthy girl can only stomach breakfast if it is of the sweet variety. I want to hide my head when I tell you that I have eaten more Sour Patch Kids than I can possible even remember at this point, because they help “settle my stomach”. My tongue is actually sore from eating them.  I am fighting the ever present battle of trying to be kind with myself because of the pregnancy and nausea, while still trying to keep my health in mind. And I’m here to tell you it is much much harder than I imagined it would be.  I'm hoping my ability to eat a little healthier diet will come as the nausea hopefully subsides.

But I digress…funny how thoughts of cupcakes will do that to you.

Back to my birthday! Not just because it is fun, but because it is a time to reflect on the past year. How is my life different at 34 then at 33? How have I progressed this year?
Welll...

-- I’m A Runner with 2 5ks under my belt, and the dream to run a 10k… which is going to have to wait until after this baby is safely in my arms.

-- My resting heartrate has gone from being in the mid 80s to being in the mid 60s
-- My fasting blood sugar has gone from the 90s to the 80s
-- I weigh about 30 pounds less than last year at this time

-- I have more confidence

-- I have a blog – and people actually read it!

-- I’m a card carrying weight watchers Lifetime member

-- And a member of 100+ pounds lost “club”

-- I’m FREAKING pregnant!!!!! And not shy to say that NO DRUGS were needed to get me and so far keep me that way.  A vast difference from last time.
WOW! A lot has happened since March 22nd 2010! More than I even realized until compiling this list. I’m going to tell you… I had a pretty shitty day yesterday… it was NOT the birthday I had imagined in my head (for a lot of various reasons I won’t go into right now), but you know what?  I am humbled in the site of this list, and am realizing that it was much more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. I was just looking at the stupid little things – like the nasty freezing rain I was forced to drive home in yesterday. When you take a look at the big picture… there is no denying that my 33rd year was truely amazing, and I look forward with excitement at all the amazing things I hope know my 34th year will bring.

Thank you for reading! Thank you for being here during my 33rd year, and thank you most for all of the kind comments regarding my pregnancy and glucose test!

So tomorrow I get to drink this:

If you haven’t had the pleasure to ingest such a drink before, then let me tell you a little about  this delectable treat… you know orange pop, right? Take a liquid concentrate of that minus the fizz. Yes… it is gross! It is sweet! It is not nice to do this to a still nauseous pregnant woman. Oh yeah and its 300 calories! Ok… that kills the Weight Watcher in me just slightly.

But… I don’t have a choice. I will do this at tomorrow at about 11-1/2 weeks, to test for gestational diabetes, and if when I pass I will do it again between 24-28 weeks, because I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with “L” and I'm now at increased risk to have it again.  Gestational diabetes is caused by a reaction of your body to the hormones secreted by the placenta (my interpretation of Web MD). Most people – meaning 96% of the population - manage to secrete enough insulin to combat this… 4% of us can’t, thus resulting in the condition of gestational diabetes. Its basically like type 2 diabetes – you get to follow a limiting diet and take blood sugars 2-4 times a day with a meter. It typically goes away after delivery, but you do have a much increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

So why do I have to do this so early this time? Well… because I had it before. Why did I have it before? Because I was fat obese when I was pregnant with my son. I treated my body horribly, and in return in it gave me the favor of this back.

Remember this post? And this one? Those were my hints to you I was pregnant. Go back and read them.  They'll give you context on why I so distrust my body... why I feel doomed to fail at pregnancy.  I’m terrified my body is going to rebel again this pregnancy, and I’m terrified of what that means for me… and my baby.  Last time it meant 27 days in the nicu.  I can't do that again.  I just can't.

I have to remember that past failures do not predict future results. They don’t. That has to be my mantra.  My life has changed. I am healthier and 115 pounds less than 2-1/2 years ago… and I’m about 135 pounds less than I was when I was pregnant with my "L". The rules SHOULD be different this time, I know that deep down… but there is no guarantee.  If you aren't familiar with my pregnancy story with "L" you should probably read this.

So tomorrow morning at 8:30 central time I will raise my glass of orange glucose drink to health and an uneventful pregnancy. Join me if you want – of course with your own drink of choice - and raise your own glass to celebrate the changes you’ve made in your own health, however big or small, this year, month, or even week.  CHEERS!

I originally wrote this part of this post on Thursday, March 3rd....

Today was bittersweet... you see, it was a day I have waited for since I began this journey to lose weight back in October of 2008.  Getting to this day has meant more to me than reaching 100 pounds, goal, or even lifetime.  And yet it is a day I have in many ways dreaded since I began my journey 2-1/2 years ago at the very same time. 

See... today I attended my last Weight Watchers meeting!  No, I certainly don't think "I'm done", or that I don't need Weight Watchers anymore.  But the fact is today I revealed to my CWWL and my whole gang that

This morning a friend of mine posted the following on Facebook:
"scars remind us where we've been-they don't have to dictate where we're going." 
I was able to figure out through the genius use of Google that it is actually from an episode of Criminal Minds (The Slave of Duty to be exact).

I have to say reading that quote was exactly what I needed this morning.  What an awesome reminder!  I've said on here many times before how I often feel like my past failures will predict future results... and I'm always reminding myself that that is NOT true!  In the quote lies another reminder.

I look at myself in the mirror... and I outwardly see the scars my body has from over a decade of being overweight morbidly obese.  When I started this journey, I had in my mind the flat stomachs of a young 20 something as what I'd look like in the end.  Now, being at the "end" of that journey, I know that is FAR from the truth.  My stomach is still covered in rolls... rolls of loose skin and of course yeah there's some fat in there too.  My arms jiggle possibly even more than they did 115 pounds ago... and my legs have hanging skin as well.  The arms and the legs, I can ignore... the stomach part, much harder.  There are often days I can't stand the site of myself.  I can't believe that this was the body I got as a reward for losing 115 pounds.  I won't lie... I'm disappointed!

But once my CWWL (Crazy Weight Watchers Leader in case you are new here), told me that those are my scars... they are the everyday proof to me that I did this... that I won this battle.  They won't let me forget, and I should wear them as badges of honor!  And as usual, despite my groaning, she is right.

Those scars - in my case my extra skin from being 100+ pounds overweight for way too long - certainly are an everyday reminder of where I've been.  A powerful reminder of the transformation that's taken place in my life in the last couple of years.  But as the quote states... they are not any indication of where I'm going!  I just love that we have the power within ourselves to transform ourselves, and change our destinies!  My life today is completely changed from 3 years ago.  For the first time in a long time I feel an overwhelming sense of hope!  I am exactly where I want to be - body, mind, and soul.  I feel my future is brighter than its ever been.   I can't wait for Spring, and I can't wait to share some more with you about what's in my future!

Friends... today... at least for 1 day wear your scars as badges of honor... wherever you've been in the past; and remember, that they are not an indicator on where you are going for the future!

Yesterday in church I learned that a broom tree is really just an old name for a juniper shrub... and a juniper shrub is where juniper berries come from... and juniper berries are where gin comes from.  Moral of the story?  Go to church, you can learn about gin.  OK, not quite... but I have you interested right? 

The lesson about the broom tree is found in I Kings 19.  It is about the prophet Elijah and how he was ready to give up.  "He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said."  (I Kings 9:4).  I don't know about you, but I can certainly identify with Elijah.  There is probably not a month that goes by where I say "I have had enough!"  And while I certainly don't ask for my life to be taken.  I do often feel ready to give up.  I think we all have these "I have had enough" moments! 

Its times like these that lead us down the path of self-destruction and self-doubt.  It's times like these that we might binge and keep going... first its a couple of days away from the gym, then a week, then a month... time can go so quickly.  You have a stressful day, and don't track your food, and a day turns into a week, turns into a month, turns into a year.  I've been there... more times than I care to admit.  I've had enough, and I've given up!  I did it in 2006 and I quickly gained back the 30 pounds I had lost back then plus another 20 more for good measure.  Finding myself a good 115 pounds overweight in October of 2008, when I started this current journey.

So what do you do when - not if - you get to this point?  Here is what I love, this simple truth:  "...Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. ..." (I Kings 19:7).  Yes... you read that right.  EAT!  When we are weary, and we had enough we are provided with fuel for the journey.  I think that fuel is based on what God knows you need most.  When you reach a point, any point in life, be it in weight loss or stopping smoking maybe, or maybe your finances are falling down around you, you've just gotten a divorce... and you've had enough, you are provided with the "food" you need to continue your journey.  For Elijah .. it is bread over hot coals.

I've been thinking about the "bread over hot coals" for my 2-1/2 year journey.  What was I given just when I thought I had had enough... when the journey was too much for me:
- Amazing inspiration from those who had been successful before me.
- A weight watchers leader that cared beyond what I could have expected.
- The inspiration, power, ability, and just enough of a nudge to commit to running a 5k.. and actually doing it!
- Amazing comments both on my blog, and in real life that kept me going.  When I felt I was a loser I was told I was an inspiration!
- One look at my 3 year son to know I am not just doing this for myself.
- The first time I realized that my son want to run "just like my mommy" (insert collective awwww here)
- One look at pictures from 3 years ago, and not recognizing the person in them even though it was me!
- A REALLY good weigh in, just when I needed it most!
- Lots of prayers... thanks mom!

This journey (or whatever journey you are currently on) is too much for you, for me, for any of us.  Its the hardest thing I've ever done!  I needed help.  You need help.  We need bread over hot coals to keep going.

What's your bread over hot coals?

Tara at Life Changing Journey asked the other day - What are your labels?

This post really struck me... and so I wanted to share with you, MY labels:

Its snack time… you’re hungry and you want a good nutritional bang for your PointsPlus values. You barely have any left for the day either, so it has to be low on the PointsPlus scale

What do you eat?
For 0 PointsPlus:
Of course the easy answer here is fruit! EAT UP!
Also I like Cucumbers and/or baby carrots with salsa

For 1 PointsPlus:
Celery (as much as you want) with 1 laughing cow wedge = 1
Apple w/ a 1 Tbsp of fat-free caramel sauce – I also like to bake this and then drizzle the caramel and a couple of Tbsp of Fat-free Redi-whip (still 1 pt)
Cut up Red Pepper and ½ an ounce of Sharp White Cheddar Cheese


For 2 PointsPlus:
Veggies (as much as you want) I like cucumbers with 2 Tbsp Hummus
Celery with 1 Tbsp Reduced-Fat Jif Peanut Butter
½ cup reduced fat cottage cheese with cut up fruit of your choice
Hard Boiled Egg

Its snack time, you want a decadent treat, without all the PointsPlus values
What do you eat?
It seems like these treats (on the new PointsPlus plan) will cost you a few more PointsPlus values
For 3 PointsPlus:
VitaTop – and you have to heat it up just a little

For 4 PointsPlus:
McDonald's Cone – 4 PointsPlus – This is one of my all-time favorite treats!
Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich

Its snack time… you want food and lots of it… NOW!
What do you eat for a big quantity?
For 0 PointsPlus:
Fruit Smoothie made with water/fruit – I use frozen fruit + water + Splenda packet

For 2 PointsPlus:
Fruit Smoothie made with yogurt – same as above except omit the Splenda/water and add a 2 point container of vanilla yogurt

For 3 PointsPlus
Light String Cheese + 17 pieces of Turkey Pepperoni
Rold Gold Pretzel Sticks – 48 sticks!!!


For 4 PointsPlus
Chocolate Banana Smoothie – This fills me up BIG TIME!

I hope this gave you a lot of good ideas for when snack time hits! 
If you have any ideas to add I’d love to know, please comment and tell me, what’s your favorite snack??