What I Wore Leg Warmers

Another staple of fall that I L*O*V*E are leg warmers!! They are just too cute!!!! 

Jacket and Shirt: J Crew Leggings: EmersonmadeLeg Warmers: Delirium KredensFlats: The GapSpoon Necklace: Beau & Stella

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Baby GG's First Tutu and a little Surprise

I can't believe my little GG is already 9 months old. She is starting to be so much fun. She's crawling around everywhere getting into all kids of trouble with her brother. 

I managed to snap a couple of cute photos of her in her very first tutu compliments of my dear friend Lindsay at {Lee La La}.

SURPRISE

A little giveaway for all you crafters out there!!!! 

TWO readers are getting the chance to win TWO PDF patterns from {Petite Kids Boutique}.

                       To Enter Please:  visit {Petite Kids Boutique} and let me know your favorite pattern.

For additional entries:  you may make {Petite Kids Boutique} a favorite on Etsy and/or you may like Petite Kids Boutique on {FACEBOOK}




Can't wait to shop??? 
Enter "BOUFEE01" at checkout for  15% off your order!!!!!! Offer valid until the end of the giveaway!!! Giveaway ends Monday 11/14!

 

Ginger Bread Hugs

LETS GET FESTIVE!!!!! 

I L*O*V*E the holidays because it gives me even more reasons to bake until my little heart is content!!! 

I've already got a huge list of holiday baking ideas and this was one of them; Ginger Bread Cookies with a little Hershey hug snuggled in the middle. YUM! 

I found the original inspiration for this idea {here}

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

2 tsp. Ginger, Ground

1 tsp. Cinnamon, Ground

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg, Ground (I used fresh)

1/4 tap salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

24 Hershey's white chocolate "hugs"

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.

Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press about 5-6 white chocolate chips into center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

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Upside down Banana's Fosters Muffins

INGREDIENTS

This recipe will make 6 giant muffins. YOu will need a giant muffin pan

Topping

 

2 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum extract. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. Pour cake batter over caramel and bananas in pan.

3 Bake muffins ntil tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 min. Coo lmuffins in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin to loosen then turn muffins out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. These would be great with ice cream too.

Makes 6 giant muffins. 

Pin It 1 Generously spray giant muffin pan with non stick cooking spray. Start by making the caramel topping. Take brown sugar, rum extract, and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes. (After sugar melts, don't stir.) Pour mixture into giant muffin cups evenly. Arrange sliced bananas in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture.

• 1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 1-2 bananas sliced

Cake:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp cake flour
• 3 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup  of sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

METHOD

What I Wore, Fall is in the Air

I think fall is officially here and I am loving it: boots, cardigans, leg warmers and scarves! YAY! 

Just in case you missed it you can see my post about how I lost 105 pounds with before and after photos {HERE}

Tank top: J CrewCardigan: Modern Vintage BoutiqueJeans: J BrandBoots: J CrewLocket: Tiffany

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My Heart is Full

Ginger Grace is 9 months and crawling!!!! 

And Little Milton turned 2 on Sunday. Happy Birthday Beautiful Boy!!

A friend posted this on facebook and I loved it so much I cried.

 I love my children so much I ache with joy!  They have made me the woman I have always wanted to be. 

I wish every mother and father in the world were able to give as much love as my family is. Thank you God for providing me the patience, time, energy, money and education to be able to love these children like I do.

Today may be a struggle but every single ounce of everyday is worth it for the little ones.

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Easy Pumpkin Chai Bread

I just about died and went to heaven when I heard the combo pumpkin, chai and bread. I also just about died and went to heaven when I ate this. It's amazing! This bread should be on everyone's holiday table! SERIOUSLY! This is an outstanding recipe! Please try it and one of the easiest EVER! This is a great recipe for beginning bakers!!!! MAKE IT!!!!

 Recipe adapted from the recipe I found {HERE}

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

1 and 3/4 Cups Flour

1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar

2/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Chai Tea Concentrate (you can buy this at either Starbucks or Whole Foods)
1/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Cloves
1/8 Teaspoon Ginger
3 tablespoons suagr in the raw

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Heavily spray either one loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl mix together , flour, baking soda, cinnamon, clove, ginger and salt.

In another medium bowl beat 2 eggs and add buttermilk, chai tea concentrate, pumpkin puree, sugar, and melted butter. You may beat this or simply mix well with a wisk.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Place batter in loaf pan and sprinkle the tiop with suagr int he raw. I do this to all my sweet breads and it makes this delightful little sparkly crust. It's lovely. Try it!

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minuets if making ONE large loaf. If making smaller loafs as I did in my photos then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minuets. ALways insert a toothpick pr butter knife ans ensure it comes out clean before removing from oven.

ENJOY!

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My Weight Loss Journey and How I lost 100 pounds

I HAVE DONE IT!!!!!

I REACHED MY GOAL WEIGHT AND IT FEELS GREAT!!!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!

 I have lost 60 pounds since the birth of Ginger, my second child but I have lost a whopping 115 pounds since the birth of my first child Milton.  I have lost 13 inches of my hips and 9 off my waist.  
I went from a size 22 to a size 4/6 !!!! 
It took me 9 months to loose the 60 pounds from Ginger and in the 5 months I wasn't pregnant between babies I had somehow managed to lose the other 40 and kept it off through the second pregnancy.

I have always struggled with my weight so I have been experimenting with different eating patterns for a long time and I know what works for me so I stick to it. I also know that exercise is a very important part of being healthy and losing weight but for me exercise plays about a 20-30% role in my weight loss success. The other 70 -80% is diet. So for me, if I want to be thin I need to cut out sugar, including most carbs.

I am going to show you some before and after photos because it's pretty amazing!!!!! I think it's inspiring and I know that when I was 200+ pounds I needed inspiration desperately. I'm really excited about this post because I hope I can help someone who is currently struggling with their weight.

Before and After

 

THIS IS HOW I LOST 100 + POUNDS 
1.SET A REALISTIC GOAL:  This is really important. You want to set a concrete goal. It can either be a number or a size but DO NOT set an unrealistic goal. I set a goal that I knew I would be able to attain. Now that I have reached this goal I am planning on  loosing another 10 pounds at my leisure and that's fine with me. I feel great because I reached the goal I made that was attainable. If you make an unrealistic goal for yourself you will only feel discouraged and possibly give up if you can't reach it fast enough. BABY STEPS PEOPLE!!!   2. THE MEAL PLAN: Most of the time I stuck to a high protein, low carb diet. Nothing crazy. No, not like Atkins. I ate plenty of natural sugars like fruit but I stayed away from bread, rice, potato and refined sugar MOST OF THE TIME. So what did I eat? A lot of meat (mostly chicken breasts), Eggs (hard boiled are a great easy snack), vegetables, fruit (all kinds), cottage cheese, yogurt, and nuts.  I ate a lot of healthy fats like avocado and nuts and a lot things high in fiber. I found that protein filled me up quickly with small portions and that carbs would not only not fill me up as fast but it would always leaving me craving more food. I think that is why this diet is easier for me to stick to because honestly I wasn't starving all the time. I actually felt full and content. So maybe this isn't the diet for you but decide on one and stick to it.
3. BE PREPARED: I'm sure you've heard this a million times before but you must have food that is friendly to you on hand at all times. I ALWAYS, always keep a bag of raw almonds in my purse just in case I Get starving while we're out. They are high in fat but also VERY high in fiber and fill you up fast. Also at home you should have cut up fruit, veggies or whatever else your snacking on. Whenever I was having a wicked sweets craving I would run to the fruit. A bowl of strawberries with a little cool whip or some cold fresh watermelon!!!   4.EVERYBODY NEEDS A BREAK: About 2 or 3 times a week I would eat a cupcake or two or a few bites of pasta or whatever I really wanted. I have found over the years that if I don't indulge frequently then sooner rather than later I will binge eat badly and have a very hard time ever recovering. Also, once I ate my cupcake for the day I would just say "no big deal and get right back on my plan" No whining and moping and eating more because "you already ruined your diet." You know exactly what I'm talking about and it's just plain stupid! Just don't do it!!!! Binge eating has got to be one of the worst punishments we could ever do to ouselves; not good for the body or the mind.
5. BE CONSISTENT: Which brings me to CONSISTENCY. If you stay consistent with ANY diet plan you will be successful. So even if you fall off the wagon every week, it's ok as long as you get right back on. This was a really big deal for me and I was finally able to successfully do it. Stop punishing yourself. It's ok, just get right back on that horse and try again the next day. I promise with persistence YOU WILL PREVAIL even when it really doesn't feel like it. Also, don't get discouraged if you hit a Plateau. It is normal and natural and is so discouraging!!!! Stick with your plan. You will prevail!!! Sometimes I wouldn't loose a pound for 3 weeks and be SO discouraged but I promise, just stick with it. Whatever you do, don't give up.
6. TIMING IS EVERY THING: I for the most part did not eat past 5Pm. Now keep in mind I go to bed at 9PM so you could adjust that to fit your lifestyle but nighttime eating is a HUGE reason for unnecessary weight gain. In fact I know several people who did nothing else except stop eating at night and they lost weight. And it's so much healthier for you. As soon as I started to feel really hungry or just like I really wanted something, I just went to bed. Also, if I knew I was going to eat something really fatty or high in carbs I would try to do as early in the day as possible so I had all day to burn it off before bed. Yes, I have been known to eat a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast and that's OKAY!!!   7.EXERCISE: Of course exercise is going to play a big role in any healthy weight loss plan. Well, I have 2 small babies that are 14 months apart and when I started this weight loss routine my youngest was 3 weeks old. I had no childcare and still don't so my only option for exercise was walking, which turned out to be GREAT.  So no excuses about how you can't afford the gym and have no childcare. If you really want to make it happen , you will!!! I walked as much as I could on as many days a week as I could weather permitting. This meant usually 1-4 miles 2-6 days a week. It varied a lot, especially once I went back to work but not only did it give me quiet time from the kids but it gave me so much energy. I felt great. I still walk to the grocery store with the kids almost everyday.
8. READING MATERIAL: I have tried lots of diets and read lots of books on the subject and I have now found one book that I highly recommend and it may surprise you. It is {NATURALLY THIN} by Bethany Frankel. Yes, she used to be one of the Housewives of the show "The Real New York City Housewives" so some might discredit her but she is a natural foods chef and has cooked for MANY celebrities and knows A LOT about what to do to stay thin. The reason I love the book is because there is no calorie counting, no measuring, no ridiculous, vigorous routines. It is real, straight talk about  how to loose weight. SERIOUSLY! No nonsense. No false promises. I have read it twice in 6 months just to keep myself fresh and motivated. I highly recommend it.
9. MOTIVATION: Everybody has different ways of keeping themselves motivated but for me there are 3 things. Keep photos of myself around when I am at the weight I am trying to get to (My skinny photo) and buy yourself a couple really nice pieces of clothing in the REALISTIC size you know you can get to and keep looking at them a couple times a week. I know this could get expensive if you never make it to your goal but it's all the more reason to really make it happen. For me it works like a charm, EVERY SINGLE TIME.    10. BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE:  I have never done weight watchers but I hear that one of the reasons it works so well is the support group you form with your other peers. Once again I have 2 small babies and no childcare so I couldn't so weight watchers meetings BUT honestly facebook worked GREAT for me. I started out on day one posting in my status bar how many pounds I had lost and how many I had to go. "25 pounds down, 25 to go" I would receive so many wonderful encouraging comment's and likes. It was REALLY, REALLY motivating for me and after a while it held me accountable to them. I got a note the other day from a friend on facebook that told me how neat it was to have watched my story since day 1. I highly recommend you try it:) It feels good to get praise when your proud of yourself. Or you could simply pair up with a girlfriend who wants to loose pounds too and check in with her.
11. TAKE YOUR MEASURMENTS AND WEIGHT YOURSELF REGULARLY:  It really helped to take my measurements in the beginning and every few weeks. It is just an extra motivator. Sometimes I wouldn't loose any weight for a couple weeks but I would take my measurements and find I had lost an inch. GREAT motivation when your feeling down or tempted to throw in the towel.I weighed myself everyday. Some people think that's obsessive but it really helped keep me on track and kind of let me know where I was at. If I had gained I would be more strict that day. If I had lost then I knew I had a little wiggle room for a cookie or something. 

This was my basic "how to " guide but if you would like to get a deeper look inside why I gained all this weight to begin with and how I was able to successfully overcome it. You can read my more intimate post {HERE}

consictency. consictency. consictency.

Update #2
In December on 2011 I started running.....I have always have a life long goal to run a marathon. On March 2nd 2012 I ran my first half marathon in under 2 hours. I have now lost 116 pounds and 5 more inches of my midsection.

Can't get enough??? 

Read Another weight loss post from me with more details on what it feels like to be obese {HERE}

Well, that's about it folks. Please, please feel free to send me an email "www.bouffeebambini@hotmail.com" (please include www.)  if you have any questions at all or just want to chat about weight and weight loss. Also if any of you are interested in sharing my story please just email me, I am happy to oblige. This has been a huge accomplishment for me and I would love to be as helpful as I can!!!! Thank you all for following me along and supporting me on my journey.   Pin It