But I want pie, and cookies, and a few cups of coffee.

Hi there.  Welcome to my blog!  I had an urge to find more motivation to better myself, because I have lacked in that area for many years.  I will be 33 this year. Whoa.  I think it's finally time to be happy with myself.  I am a pretty happy person, as it is.  I have no, zero, zip complaints with my life.  I  have been very, no, insanely lucky with what my life has brought.  One desirable and loving husband, who is my best friend and rock, and two amazing boys.  We have traveled to many countries, we lived in Germany for 7 years, and all along the way, I just never took time to be healthy.  

You know how motivated, in-shape, healthy people are happy about working out?  I want to be that.  I want to love being healthy, because otherwise, is it just going to be hard for the rest of my life?  I don't want that!  Yeck.  Before I start my healthy lifestyle, wait, correction, HEALTHIER lifestyle, I will state my goals. 

1. Be healthy

2. Lose my extra-ness...everywhere

3. Get strong (come on 30 push-ups!)

4. Not find it a chore, just second nature. 

5. Still be able to bake pies and cookies

Cant wait to see how I feel about these in the months to follow. Maybe I will kick the baking habit?  Maybe only make healthy pies and cookies?  Have my family eating whole grain pies?  Only be able to do 10 push-ups?  Maybe 50?  Will my face and neck be skinnier?  Will I be able to fit in my old clothes?  Will I wake up and work out happily, or dragging my feet still? 

Here is my precious family.  Garrett will be 8 this May.  Gavin will be 1 this June.  Why such a wide gap?  I have no idea.  We could never decide if we wanted more.  It is a pretty big commitment, no going back once those two little lines show up.  I am so beyond grateful that we decided to go for it.  Gavin completes our family.  Garrett is blond and blue eyed, like his daddy.  Gavin is all me, brown eyes and I think brown hair.  I love the idea of having all boys.  I love cooking, and love the idea of cooking for all my hungry boys.  Which leads me to why I need to add in exercise, and proooobably start watching my portions.  I like making cookies, and then I like to eat 10 of them in one day.  Every meal needs a dessert, including dessert!  That mind set needs to change.

So I want to be healthy and strong, and proud of my results.  I also want to eat pie.  I want my cups of coffee.  Which is usually two a day.  My boys love cookies!  I want to make them, and I want to eat them.  Maybe not 10, but at least 3, okaaay 2.  So this will be quite the challenge.  Hopefully by the end, I can easily tell myself  NO to that second cookie, or YES to the cookie and YES to having to workout extra to balance it out?  We shall see!  Moderation, as they say, is not my best friend yet.  Neither is water.  OR exercise.  Shoot.  What have I gotten myself into?  No, no complaining.  Just excitement Meagan! 

Here are two of my favorite things to make.  Figured I would throw them in to make myself suffer. That's my slice of sugar cream pie, one of the best things in the world. Talk about a comfort pie! Then chocolate oatmeal cookies!  You know that recipe floating around, saying someone paid $250 for the recipe?  It is actually an amazing recipe!  

Sugar Cream Pie

(Not my recipe, just my picture)

2 h  -  8 servings -  336 cals
Prep 30 m   Cook 30 m    Ready In 2 h


Ingredients

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked 

4 tablespoons cornstarch 
3/4 cup white sugar 
4 tablespoons butter, melted 
2 1/4 cups half-and-half cream 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 tablespoons butter
melted 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions

Mix cornstarch and sugar. Add 4 tablespoons butter and half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until 
mixture boils and becomes thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Preheat oven broiler to high.

Pour mixture into pie crust. Drizzle 2 tablespoons butter over top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put under broiler until butter bubbles--watch it carefully as it doesn't take long. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Easy as pie!  Really!! 

And those cookies! 

                        

Urban Legend Chocolate Chip Cookies 

(Again, not my recipe, just my picture)

1 h  -  60 servings -  141 cals
Prep 15 m   Cook 8 m    Ready In 1 h

Ingredients

1 cups butter 
1 cups brown sugar   (I prefer 1.5 brown and .5 white sugar ratio)
1 cups sugar 
2 eggs 
1 tsp. vanilla 
2 cups flour 
1/2 tsp. salt 
1 tsp. soda 
1 tsp. baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips 
2.5 cups blended oatmeal** 

1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)  (I omit)
1.5 cups chopped nuts (your choice)  (I don't use)

Directions

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, 
Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 60 cookies. 


** measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.