Bah...I should be showering or cleaning or menu planning/grocery shopping for the week. Instead, I'm sitting at my computer doing a whole bunch of nothing. Seems how I can't quite convince my legs that they want to get up yet, I figured I'd stop by the old blog which I have been woefully neglecting.
I've been feeling pretty good about things lately. Before I left for vacation I was struggling. I was eating out far too often and not eating as well as I should have been when I was eating in. I was getting maybe three workouts in each week and I wasn't really pushing myself like I need to if I want to keep losing weight. I put 6 pounds on when I hurt my back and I just couldn't shake them (mostly because I was being a slacker).
I decided that when I got back from vacation and had seen how great Jessica was looking I needed to get back to work. I can't let her get all skinny without me! Vacation was was just what I needed and when I got home and I had a renewed vigor for this weight loss thing! My first decision was to start Couch to 5K again. I know that I want to increase my running speed and just doing short intervals wasn't getting me where I wanted to go. I figured C25K worked for me last summer, it couldn't hurt to give it a try again. Last year, my run pace was 4.5 mph, this time through I'm running at 6 mph which is where I would really like to live for a standard pace. It will be really nice to crank out a 3 mile run in 30 minutes. It's perfect for early morning workouts! I skipped the first week seems how I was already doing 1 minute intervals. So far, so good. I just completed week 4 yesterday. I know myself well enough to know that I need structure and I really love checking off my workouts. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Next week is a bit scary because I have a pretty good idea of how unpleasant that 20 minute run at 6 mph on Friday is going to be. Oh well, I know I can do it so I'm just not going to think about it until then.
Saturday morning happy dance...I just did my first continuous 5K since March. After coming back from a 6-week physical therapist induced hiatus I had lost a lot of my endurance. I have done multiple 5K distances over the course of a workout but it usually resulted in either three individual miles with walks between or 2 miles-walk-finish the 5K. Around the 2 mile mark this morning I was hoping to get closer to 3.5-4 miles but I was exhausted by the time I got the 5K finished. I'm not going to be too hard on myself, I feel a 5K is a pretty decent workout regardless.
OK, I have so much more to share (like a few reviews and a recipe) but I am so distracted right now I should go do something that doesn't involve my brain...like showering or cleaning. Anyway, happy weekend!!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Back to the real world...
BAH! Sadly my vacation is OVER and I don't like it...not one bit! I had the most amazing time and, quite honestly, I think I did a good job at staying on top of being 'healthyish.' With the exception of consuming too much beer (and I mean WAY too much beer) the last night I think I did fantastic for vacation. Besides, any questionable calorie consumption was counteracted with things like...
Football
'Mountain Climbing' at Sleeping Bear Dunes
Kayaking
Deep Sea Fishing on Lake Michigan
Wading on the beach
and most importantly, planning a life of piracy!
I can't believe how fast my time with my friends went. I miss them already and I can't wait to start planning our next excursion which will hopefully be to Wyoming! I finally get to go out West!
p.s. just one more for the road
I told you...too much beer!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Feeling just a bit reminiscent
Lately I feel like I've been in a bit of a blah place when it comes to my weight-loss life. I feel like I haven't been making any progress (which I am entirely to blame) and I just feel really overwhelmed with the thought of getting from where I am to where I eventually want to be. To get a little bit of perspective, I decided to read through some of my old blog posts.
As I was reading through some of my older posts, I kept going back to my original blog from September of 2008. I would love to say that the Nicole who wrote that post was on her way to losing weight, but honestly, at that point I wasn't. I think the reason that I kept coming back to this post is because when I wrote it, I really didn't have high expectations for a positive outcome. Which, it turns out, wasn't so far off the mark. Not only would it take me over two years to start making any progress on my health and well being, I would also gain an additional 30 pounds. I think I sometimes forget how far I've come. I know that might seem silly but when you lose 100 pounds and still have so far to go it's easy to lose sight of how far you've come. I find that I focus on how much distance is between me and the finish line and completely ignore the distance I've come from the start. I don't want to sound like I'm whining. Don't get me wrong. I'm ecstatic about the progress I've made, however, sometimes it seems like no matter how far I've come I won't ever make it to that blessed finish line. Anyway, the point to my tired ramblings and multitude of racing references (it really wasn't planned that way) is that I think sometimes I need to be less critical of myself and really remember what I've accomplished up to this point. So, this summer I'm going to try to pull out some 'oldie but goodie' blogs to keep things in perspective; and, hopefully get a bit of motivation from my former self.
So, without further ado, here is a glimpse of a much younger, much less healthy Nicole. Enjoy!
321. I’ve heard that half of the battle of overcoming any problem is just to admit that the problem exists. From where I’m sitting, 321 is a major problem. When I first saw 321 I could hardly believe the number that was flashing in front of my eyes. How in the world could I have let things get so out of control that my scale could possibly be reading 321? No, not just 321 but 321.7 (if I’m going to be honest I might as well be honest).
For as long as I can remember I have been the heavy girl. I was overweight when I was in elementary school (my earliest memories of trying to lose weight are from 3rd grade when my sister and I had aspirations of turning our front porch into a makeshift gym) and the weight issue followed me through adolescence and even now into early adulthood it hasn’t subsided. Like most men and women who have struggled with weight issues their entire lives I have made several attempts to lose the excess weight. And, like most people in the same boat as me, I have failed time and time again.
I would love to be able to say that this time is guaranteed to be different. I would love to say that I will not fail, that failure simply is not an option. Unfortunately, it would delusional to make that sort of a claim. Failure is a possibility. It’s not pretty, but there it is. I, however, will be doing everything within my power to make sure that failure is not my outcome this time around. So here it is, I know what I need to do to make myself healthy (my background in exercise science basically mean that I can’t claim ignorance as a defense). I also know what the benefits are to changing my life yet I simply don't do what needs to be done. Why??? It’s simple. Lack of honesty.
For the past 26 years I have been lying to myself. Every time I try to lose weight it's the same damn thing. I tell myself that my current lifestyle isn't so bad. I tell myself that for a heavy person I eat pretty well and I get more physical activity than the average overweight person. I tell myself and others (generally those who are trying to lose weight with me) that I don't have gigantic lifestyle changes to make. Well, I've finally decided that that's BULLSHIT!!! After years of deluding myself I have finally found the nerve to admit that my lifestyle is my problem. Sure, I eat well when I cook, but lets face it, I don't cook all that often. I am ashamed to admit it but I eat out more during a week than I cook in, and it's not like I'm eating healthy take-out foods, no I'm eating crap. McDonald's, pizza, takeout Chinese and Chipotle. What’s worse is that I then go home to my apartment and spend the night watching TV or reading a book, not exactly high energy activities. Basically I have become the stereotypical heavy woman...go me!
Basically it’s this honesty that led me to project.180.gone. A friend and I (who would like to lose a combined weight of 180 pounds) have had the same struggles and have been trying to find a way to finally make the lifestyle changes that will result in healthier lives for the both of us. Although we don’t have any magic answers on how to be 100% successful on this journey we do know that we cannot succeed alone and have therefore started this blog as a way to share our thoughts, successes, set backs and goals with each other and anybody else who chooses to read this blog. If we can help others on our journey it will make the final destination that much more rewarding.
As I was reading through some of my older posts, I kept going back to my original blog from September of 2008. I would love to say that the Nicole who wrote that post was on her way to losing weight, but honestly, at that point I wasn't. I think the reason that I kept coming back to this post is because when I wrote it, I really didn't have high expectations for a positive outcome. Which, it turns out, wasn't so far off the mark. Not only would it take me over two years to start making any progress on my health and well being, I would also gain an additional 30 pounds. I think I sometimes forget how far I've come. I know that might seem silly but when you lose 100 pounds and still have so far to go it's easy to lose sight of how far you've come. I find that I focus on how much distance is between me and the finish line and completely ignore the distance I've come from the start. I don't want to sound like I'm whining. Don't get me wrong. I'm ecstatic about the progress I've made, however, sometimes it seems like no matter how far I've come I won't ever make it to that blessed finish line. Anyway, the point to my tired ramblings and multitude of racing references (it really wasn't planned that way) is that I think sometimes I need to be less critical of myself and really remember what I've accomplished up to this point. So, this summer I'm going to try to pull out some 'oldie but goodie' blogs to keep things in perspective; and, hopefully get a bit of motivation from my former self.
So, without further ado, here is a glimpse of a much younger, much less healthy Nicole. Enjoy!
321. I’ve heard that half of the battle of overcoming any problem is just to admit that the problem exists. From where I’m sitting, 321 is a major problem. When I first saw 321 I could hardly believe the number that was flashing in front of my eyes. How in the world could I have let things get so out of control that my scale could possibly be reading 321? No, not just 321 but 321.7 (if I’m going to be honest I might as well be honest).
For as long as I can remember I have been the heavy girl. I was overweight when I was in elementary school (my earliest memories of trying to lose weight are from 3rd grade when my sister and I had aspirations of turning our front porch into a makeshift gym) and the weight issue followed me through adolescence and even now into early adulthood it hasn’t subsided. Like most men and women who have struggled with weight issues their entire lives I have made several attempts to lose the excess weight. And, like most people in the same boat as me, I have failed time and time again.
I would love to be able to say that this time is guaranteed to be different. I would love to say that I will not fail, that failure simply is not an option. Unfortunately, it would delusional to make that sort of a claim. Failure is a possibility. It’s not pretty, but there it is. I, however, will be doing everything within my power to make sure that failure is not my outcome this time around. So here it is, I know what I need to do to make myself healthy (my background in exercise science basically mean that I can’t claim ignorance as a defense). I also know what the benefits are to changing my life yet I simply don't do what needs to be done. Why??? It’s simple. Lack of honesty.
For the past 26 years I have been lying to myself. Every time I try to lose weight it's the same damn thing. I tell myself that my current lifestyle isn't so bad. I tell myself that for a heavy person I eat pretty well and I get more physical activity than the average overweight person. I tell myself and others (generally those who are trying to lose weight with me) that I don't have gigantic lifestyle changes to make. Well, I've finally decided that that's BULLSHIT!!! After years of deluding myself I have finally found the nerve to admit that my lifestyle is my problem. Sure, I eat well when I cook, but lets face it, I don't cook all that often. I am ashamed to admit it but I eat out more during a week than I cook in, and it's not like I'm eating healthy take-out foods, no I'm eating crap. McDonald's, pizza, takeout Chinese and Chipotle. What’s worse is that I then go home to my apartment and spend the night watching TV or reading a book, not exactly high energy activities. Basically I have become the stereotypical heavy woman...go me!
Basically it’s this honesty that led me to project.180.gone. A friend and I (who would like to lose a combined weight of 180 pounds) have had the same struggles and have been trying to find a way to finally make the lifestyle changes that will result in healthier lives for the both of us. Although we don’t have any magic answers on how to be 100% successful on this journey we do know that we cannot succeed alone and have therefore started this blog as a way to share our thoughts, successes, set backs and goals with each other and anybody else who chooses to read this blog. If we can help others on our journey it will make the final destination that much more rewarding.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Recipe: crock pot pork carnitas
Now, I'm not going to lie. There is definitely a bit of prep work that goes into this recipe. However, once the prep is done you just stuff everything in the crock pot and it's AMAZING! If you like pork and Mexican food this is a must try recipe!
You will need:
- 2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean
- 6 cloves garlic, cut into sliver
- cumin
- dry adobo
seasoning (if you can't find this just omit)
- garlic powder
- 3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. (These add spice so start with less and add more if you need)
- 2 bay leaves.
Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.
Pour chicken broth in the crock pot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.
I ate this three ways. The first night I just put the carnitas on tortilla shells with a bit of sour cream and taco sauce. Divine, but high in calories if you eat your fill. The second night I ate this I roasted a spaghetti squash and tossed the carnitas with squash, black beans, cheddar cheese and bit of sour cream. It was wonderful eaten with a fork and in a tortilla. I also took it as a carnitas salad for lunch a few days. I didn't do anything too fancy, just some shredded lettuce, black beans, carnitas, onions and tomatoes. Such a good lunch!
Seriously, I couldn't believe how wonderful this recipe turned out. It's worth the time and effort, trust me!
I'm back!
Wow, I cannot believe how long it has been since I've posted to this thing! I have to apologize that it's taken me this long to get back here.
I have had a lot going on in the last 6 weeks. Obviously there was that whole back injury thing that didn't make me very happy. However, I am pleased to report that I have successfully graduated physical therapy and am feeling pretty good. There is some minor, residual back achiness (if it's not a word it should be) that I've never had before but it's not something that I can't live with. In the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't been very faithful to my home rehab, it's a lot harder to motivate yourself when you don't feel pain. I need to make sure that I work on those exercises so that I don't get into the same situation I was in. I'll tell you, I have a whole knew appreciation for chronic back pain sufferers. If the pain that I was experiencing is anything like what they live with on a daily basis I don't know how they do much of anything but lie on the couch and want to die.
At the end of April I made an amazing trip home. Fortunately my back played nice the whole time (my PT fixed me the day before I left!!) and it was so nice to be home, even though it was much too short of a trip. I got to spend lots of time with the family. I took Hailee to gymnastics and realized that she got the Warnke-lack-of-grace genes (poor girl), but I think gymnastics will help her. Most importantly she had an amazing time being there. Yay for fun physical activity!! I also got to meet my newest nephew Peyton, finally. He is so incredibly adorable (and no, I'm not an unbiased observer) and he's a really well behaved baby for the most part. I even got to spend a morning with him alone. His baptism was wonderful and he LOVES the moose I got him for his present! Karla and Justin assure me it's his favorite toy.
Work has been it's usual crazy self. Right now I'm taking an 8-week course that meets all-day, every Thursday. The class is a foundations class for managers. It's been really great, I've learned a lot about the policies and procedures of the University but I've also learned a lot about myself. We've had classes that look at communication and management style and that information is really helping me to see some of my flaws and work to correct them. I know, it's hard to believe I have flaws but they're there ;-) We're also gearing up for a crazy summer. It's our busiest season and we have our EPIC transition in August so we have a summer loaded with classes and inevitable change. Woot...
I am really looking forward to this summer. I have some great goals set for myself and I'm looking forward to a camping trip that I'm taking with some friends in the Traverse City area at the end of June. I've never been 'up North' in Michigan so I'm really excited about this. We're going to be tent camping and I know that we're going to spend a day at the dunes in the area, we're chartering a fishing boat for a day and I think we'll spend a day either rafting, kayaking or tubing down the Platte River and end up beaching it on the crystal clear blue water of Lake Michigan! I cannot wait!
My weight loss life has been a bit meh as of late. When I hurt my back I was in excruciating pain just standing so I didn't have a strong desire to much of anything and exercising was simply out of the question. I found myself eating a lot of take-out and highly processed foods. Pair that with no real physical activity and I just didn't feel good. I was tired and irritable (although that could have been from the pain as well) and I just didn't have interest in making healthy choices. Man, I was an idiot. While on my hiatus I gained a bit of weight back. Not a lot but it was real weight gain, not just I ate too much sodium and crap weight gain. This is the first time that I've gained real weight back since September of 2010 and I am not happy with myself about it.
I'm taking the steps to get back on the right track. First and foremost I was given the go-ahead to slowly get back into running. I have been doing interval workouts the last two weeks and I have to say that it's a bit discouraging to realize how quickly you lose fitness when you stop exercising. Before I hurt my back I was in a great place. I had just completed my fastest 5K time. I could do a 5K, alternating between 5 and 5.5 mph and have an average heart rate in the low 170's. I did a 60-minute interval workout yesterday where my 5 mph intervals lasted 2:15 minutes. By the end of the runs, my heart rate was in the low 180's. Boo... However, I'm not giving up. I'm going to keep working at it and get back to where I was. I just have to give myself permission to take the time I need.
My eating has also been a bit abysmal as of late. I've gotten into the habit of eating out way too much and I need to break that habit, again. It's funny how I always go back to the same bad habits. I wonder if it's just me or if it's everybody. When I got back from Iowa I told myself that my eating out had to stop. I told myself that I wasn't going to eat out in May. It simply was not an option. I told the girls at work that if I toyed with the idea of running down to Subway to remind me of my goal. I told my sister that if I called her and said that I wanted to order Jimmy John's for dinner that she needs to tell me know. I'm happy to report that I've done really well. I did eat out last Saturday for lunch. I had a good friend in town with her husband and kids and they wanted to meet up. We ended up have lunch out but I don't feel to guilty about it. The eating out ban is not to keep me from eating out ever, it's to help me break the idea of grabbing dinner out whenever the mood strikes. It's all about making the right, healthful choices the majority of the time. Not to mention, it's the time of year that I'm really inspired to cook so I should focus on that!
Anyway, I should really stop typing. This post is already really long. I have a few recipes that I'd like to share with you and and I'm sure there are other things, however, this beautiful weather is calling to me and I want to get out and enjoy it. I hope that your May is going well! I have lots of reading to do on your blogs, I can't wait to catch up!
I have had a lot going on in the last 6 weeks. Obviously there was that whole back injury thing that didn't make me very happy. However, I am pleased to report that I have successfully graduated physical therapy and am feeling pretty good. There is some minor, residual back achiness (if it's not a word it should be) that I've never had before but it's not something that I can't live with. In the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't been very faithful to my home rehab, it's a lot harder to motivate yourself when you don't feel pain. I need to make sure that I work on those exercises so that I don't get into the same situation I was in. I'll tell you, I have a whole knew appreciation for chronic back pain sufferers. If the pain that I was experiencing is anything like what they live with on a daily basis I don't know how they do much of anything but lie on the couch and want to die.
At the end of April I made an amazing trip home. Fortunately my back played nice the whole time (my PT fixed me the day before I left!!) and it was so nice to be home, even though it was much too short of a trip. I got to spend lots of time with the family. I took Hailee to gymnastics and realized that she got the Warnke-lack-of-grace genes (poor girl), but I think gymnastics will help her. Most importantly she had an amazing time being there. Yay for fun physical activity!! I also got to meet my newest nephew Peyton, finally. He is so incredibly adorable (and no, I'm not an unbiased observer) and he's a really well behaved baby for the most part. I even got to spend a morning with him alone. His baptism was wonderful and he LOVES the moose I got him for his present! Karla and Justin assure me it's his favorite toy.
Work has been it's usual crazy self. Right now I'm taking an 8-week course that meets all-day, every Thursday. The class is a foundations class for managers. It's been really great, I've learned a lot about the policies and procedures of the University but I've also learned a lot about myself. We've had classes that look at communication and management style and that information is really helping me to see some of my flaws and work to correct them. I know, it's hard to believe I have flaws but they're there ;-) We're also gearing up for a crazy summer. It's our busiest season and we have our EPIC transition in August so we have a summer loaded with classes and inevitable change. Woot...
I am really looking forward to this summer. I have some great goals set for myself and I'm looking forward to a camping trip that I'm taking with some friends in the Traverse City area at the end of June. I've never been 'up North' in Michigan so I'm really excited about this. We're going to be tent camping and I know that we're going to spend a day at the dunes in the area, we're chartering a fishing boat for a day and I think we'll spend a day either rafting, kayaking or tubing down the Platte River and end up beaching it on the crystal clear blue water of Lake Michigan! I cannot wait!
My weight loss life has been a bit meh as of late. When I hurt my back I was in excruciating pain just standing so I didn't have a strong desire to much of anything and exercising was simply out of the question. I found myself eating a lot of take-out and highly processed foods. Pair that with no real physical activity and I just didn't feel good. I was tired and irritable (although that could have been from the pain as well) and I just didn't have interest in making healthy choices. Man, I was an idiot. While on my hiatus I gained a bit of weight back. Not a lot but it was real weight gain, not just I ate too much sodium and crap weight gain. This is the first time that I've gained real weight back since September of 2010 and I am not happy with myself about it.
I'm taking the steps to get back on the right track. First and foremost I was given the go-ahead to slowly get back into running. I have been doing interval workouts the last two weeks and I have to say that it's a bit discouraging to realize how quickly you lose fitness when you stop exercising. Before I hurt my back I was in a great place. I had just completed my fastest 5K time. I could do a 5K, alternating between 5 and 5.5 mph and have an average heart rate in the low 170's. I did a 60-minute interval workout yesterday where my 5 mph intervals lasted 2:15 minutes. By the end of the runs, my heart rate was in the low 180's. Boo... However, I'm not giving up. I'm going to keep working at it and get back to where I was. I just have to give myself permission to take the time I need.
My eating has also been a bit abysmal as of late. I've gotten into the habit of eating out way too much and I need to break that habit, again. It's funny how I always go back to the same bad habits. I wonder if it's just me or if it's everybody. When I got back from Iowa I told myself that my eating out had to stop. I told myself that I wasn't going to eat out in May. It simply was not an option. I told the girls at work that if I toyed with the idea of running down to Subway to remind me of my goal. I told my sister that if I called her and said that I wanted to order Jimmy John's for dinner that she needs to tell me know. I'm happy to report that I've done really well. I did eat out last Saturday for lunch. I had a good friend in town with her husband and kids and they wanted to meet up. We ended up have lunch out but I don't feel to guilty about it. The eating out ban is not to keep me from eating out ever, it's to help me break the idea of grabbing dinner out whenever the mood strikes. It's all about making the right, healthful choices the majority of the time. Not to mention, it's the time of year that I'm really inspired to cook so I should focus on that!
Anyway, I should really stop typing. This post is already really long. I have a few recipes that I'd like to share with you and and I'm sure there are other things, however, this beautiful weather is calling to me and I want to get out and enjoy it. I hope that your May is going well! I have lots of reading to do on your blogs, I can't wait to catch up!
Friday, April 6, 2012
I'm still here...
Hi ladies. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here, but not really. I hurt my back over a week ago and just as it was feeling better I screwed it up royally. Now back pain alone couldn't stop me from blogging but sitting at my desk is the WORST place/position and I can't handle more than a few minutes in this chair. I promise that I'll be back once I'm feeling better. Until then have an amazing Easter weekend and wonderful spring!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Recipe: lime bars
Don't worry, they're not as scary as they sound. One of my colleagues has a birthday this weekend and we celebrated Friday at work. We ordered lunch in and I decided I was going to make something sweet. I needed a good excuse to try my new lime bar recipe, however, because I gave up sweets for Lent I was hesitant to try a new recipe. If they didn't turn out I didn't want to bring them to work. I don't know how it happened but I have cultivated a reputation as a good baker and I've been trying very hard to not mess that up. I debated for a while and finally decided to give them a whirl. I figured, worst case scenario they turn out bad and I just explain that it was a new recipe that I'd never tried before.
Well, after whipping these bars up, I decided that there was no way that they could be bad. I brought them into work and they got rave reviews. And, in the spirit of full disclosure I ate a tiny one and it was amazing. There I admit it, I cheated on Lent. Although, I'm not Catholic so it's not that bad, right?!?!? I've decided that these bars are the perfect spring dessert. They're not too sweet but they're not pucker your lips tart. They are an amazing green color and are just perfectly refreshing! I told Karla that I was going to make them for Peyton's baptism in April...I can't wait!
For the crust you will need:
1 c. flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 stick butter (unsalted), cold*
1/4 tsp. sea salt*
*I used salted butter so I left the salt out and I think it was perfect
For the filling you will need:
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
4 large eggs
2/3 c. lime juice (about 6 limes if using fresh)
green food coloring (enough to reach desired green color)
2 tsp. zest (optional if you want it more tart)
powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust, combine the powdered sugar, flour and sea salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter and work with your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Press into a greased nine inch pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
To make the filling, whisk together the granulated sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the zest, lime juice and enough green food coloring to produce desired green color and mix until everything is smooth and combined.
Pour filling over hot crust and return to oven to bake for another twenty minutes. When done, the filling will no longer jiggle. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing and dusting with powdered sugar.
I got 25 bars out of my 9x9 pan and they came to about 117 calories each. Not too bad! I also should mention that I didn't add the zest because I didn't use fresh limes. I cheated and bought the bottled lime juice to save my hands the burning from having to squeeze citrus fruit. If you want a really tart dessert, and some people do, you could definitely add it.
These bars were amazing and so very easy to make. There really isn't any way that you could mess them up so if you need a quick, easy and delicious dessert I say give them a try!
Well, after whipping these bars up, I decided that there was no way that they could be bad. I brought them into work and they got rave reviews. And, in the spirit of full disclosure I ate a tiny one and it was amazing. There I admit it, I cheated on Lent. Although, I'm not Catholic so it's not that bad, right?!?!? I've decided that these bars are the perfect spring dessert. They're not too sweet but they're not pucker your lips tart. They are an amazing green color and are just perfectly refreshing! I told Karla that I was going to make them for Peyton's baptism in April...I can't wait!
For the crust you will need:
1 c. flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 stick butter (unsalted), cold*
1/4 tsp. sea salt*
*I used salted butter so I left the salt out and I think it was perfect
For the filling you will need:
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
4 large eggs
2/3 c. lime juice (about 6 limes if using fresh)
green food coloring (enough to reach desired green color)
2 tsp. zest (optional if you want it more tart)
powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust, combine the powdered sugar, flour and sea salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter and work with your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Press into a greased nine inch pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
To make the filling, whisk together the granulated sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the zest, lime juice and enough green food coloring to produce desired green color and mix until everything is smooth and combined.
Pour filling over hot crust and return to oven to bake for another twenty minutes. When done, the filling will no longer jiggle. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing and dusting with powdered sugar.
I got 25 bars out of my 9x9 pan and they came to about 117 calories each. Not too bad! I also should mention that I didn't add the zest because I didn't use fresh limes. I cheated and bought the bottled lime juice to save my hands the burning from having to squeeze citrus fruit. If you want a really tart dessert, and some people do, you could definitely add it.
These bars were amazing and so very easy to make. There really isn't any way that you could mess them up so if you need a quick, easy and delicious dessert I say give them a try!
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