New Years EVE!

Happy New Years Eve everyone!! Do you have any fun plans?? 

Our night will most likely be hanging home and making sure T & B get to bed on time.. but the mr. and I will stay up and write our goals for ourselves and for our family. And watch the ball drop on tv. Party..? exactly what I want to do after this long week! 

This year I decided to write OUR FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT

Family Mission Statement

We, the Bements, believe that our purposes as a family are to be christlike, to live with integrity, to live simply, to maintain a sense of family unity, to be good stewards of our resources and to lead by example.

We will accomplish this by:

*Valuing truth, faith and love as our main guiding principles.

*Making our home a place of peace, joy, kindness & hospitality.

*Prioritizing integrity above lesser values.

*Interacting with each other in a spirit of respect.

*Staying healthy and happy

*Making Christ first in our home. By building family Unity by praying, playing, working and worshiping together.

 

These are things that I want to focus more on this year. 

• Read books- I read blogs/fb...but growing up, I used to love to read books! I would read at least 2 books a week!! Then I hit high school, discovered cliff notes. and then got to the point that I couldn't even read one page without getting droopy tired eyes and passing out before chapter 2. Any suggestions?
• Make church a priority- Don't judge me. But sometimes 9 am church does not happen in our house. Scripture reading is little. Praying is okay.. but could be better. We are the family that sneaks in the back half way through the service. I also think that visiting the temple once a month is important. Since I was pregnant we didn't make it a top priority as it should of been.  
• Plan meals- lets face it.. lately I open my fridge and just stare at everything, trying to decide what I want to make for dinner. The mister hasn't been home at night due to a crazy work schedule so I just give up and heat up some frozen veggies and make a protein shake and call it good.
• Finally complete thebodyofamother.com.. Coming soon!
• Improve my photography skills. I have a good camera.. but most pics I post on the blog are taken via i-phone.
• Complete a Triathlon- I have never done one before and I am training right now. Swimming once a week, running 3-4 times a week. But I don't have a bike yet.. hopefully an anniversary gift?? (wink, wink to the mister)
• Quality family time- Putting my family first, Nothing is more important to me. This I really do do but I want to continue throughout 2011.
• Service- I want to do more service to those around me. I am guilty of making up excuses or making myself to busy with the stuff that I need to get done. Clean MY house, Wash MY car, Make OUR dinner, mow OUR lawn, (ok,  I don't do that). But I think I want to make the goal to do something for someone at least once a week. 
• Teaching- I love being a fitness instructor. I want to improve my teaching. There is always room for improvement right? I want to inspire those in my class to be the best they can be and make a difference in their life. And maybe pick up another class or two.. since I just lost two. 
• Pile habit- I gotta kick it. I am infamous for making piles.. clean laundry.. dirty laundry.. toys... ribbons.. throughout my house... I love to organize.. but it just seems the piles sit there for days.. even weeks.. So its time to focus on putting things away! 

Banana Cream please!

Makes 2 servings

• 2 large bananas, sliced and frozen for at least two hours
• 2 scoops vanilla Protein ( I use elite whey ) 
• 1/4 c. non-dairy milk or skim milk (I roll with almond milk)
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 t. grated nutmeg
•  agave to taste

Whats for dinner??

Well.. somone once told me that if you eat black eyed peas on new years it will bring you luck throughout the year.. so the more beans you eat.. the more luck you have.. What to make with black eyed peas...hummmmm.?

How about SOUP!

New Years SOUP! 

Ingredients:

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4 slim leeks chopped

1 large sweet onion

1 TBSP of sage. dried or fresh

6 C. chicken broth *low sodium

2 C. water

2 C. cooked black eyed peas

2 Pounds of grilled/baked chicken breast. cut into chunks

8 oz frozen spinach

Heat olive oil in pan, add drained leeks and chopped onion. Cook until clear and soft. this takes about 5 minutes. Add broth and water and bring to boil. Add chicken and peas and thawed spinach and continue to cook until all ingredients are warm. 

OR how about Black-eyed peas and brown rice with Chicken?

Ingredients

4 Cups cooked, cold, long-grain brown rice.. I just use the minute rice

1 1/4 c. water

1 sweet onion chopped

2 ccelery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 tsp ground pepper

3 c. cooked black eyed peas

1 butternut squash, about one pound chopped.

1 red bell pepper chopped

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce. or more if you like it spiiicy~!

Put rice in a big bowl. 

In large frying pan, bring water, onion celery, garlic and pepper to a boil. 

Add black eyed peas and squash, return to boil. 

reduce to low, cover and let simmer, stir occasionally until the peas and squash are tender and most of the water is evaporated. 

Add. the rice, pepper and hot sauce for about 10 minutes and serve.

Thats my PLAN... now which one to choose.. 

But dessert is easy.. Cinnamon rolls!!! recipe to come!

Everyone have a safe and happy new years!