Spring has sprung in the Heck/Bogart house!! Time to open the windows and start to bring the wonderful warmth in! 

Today was the first day that I was able to get up and enjoy the beautiful weather.  Took the little girl to the park for some fun in the sun.

Definitely looking forward to the days to come and some many trips to plan :)  Keep checking in to find out more!!!

MMMM.... feeling very Ukrainian today.  Made my own perogie dough and filling from scratch.  Brings back some really good memories from when I was a wee little girl making (and eating) homemade perogies.

Perogie Dough

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers. 

To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy! Remove with a slotted spoon.

This weekend is by far going to be amazing. How do I know that you ask? Well... IT'S DATE NIGHT!!!! Ryan and I are having a much anticipated and much needed time together tonight.  Ainsley will have a fun evening with Auntie Crystal while Ryan and I go to supper at The Onion then go see a movie at the Movie Mill :)

We haven't had a night to ourselves and to go out like this in a very very very very long time.  

We will be riding in style as we got rid of the crappy '90 Dynasty last weekend and are now sporting a very cute '00 Sunfire. 2012 will be a year of great things and it is starting to shape up very nicely.  We are hoping to make a trip at some point to Calgary for the weekend once the weather is nicer. Soo many people I need to see (like my bff Alexandra) and show of the love of my life.

Cheers to a good weekend!

After many discussions with Peggy about fitness videos and things that she has done I finally succumbed and bought not just 1 but 2 Jillian Michaels videos... Man, from what I have been told she is going to kill me once, bring me back to life just to do it all over again.  This is what I get for being on a health kick. 

Not only will I be doing a lemon juice and water drink every day, which by the way has helped me lose some weight in the past week, I will be doing Jillian's Yoga Meltdown and Ripped in 30, and continue our family walks  (I can feel my body aching already).


This health kick has come as kind of a last resort effort to lose the extra pounds.  Since my life changing events this past May I have gained just about 30lbs.  It didn't help that the program that I was on (LA Weight Loss) had basically closed its doors over night keeping many men and women like myself mid program with nothing else to do.  I felt like a failure, fat blob, beached whale.. you know, all those words that people call the over weight... I felt like one of them.

Ryan has always said that I was beautiful no matter what.  Deep down a part of me wants to believe him.  But when I can look in the mirror and all I can see is a me version of the 600lb woman from TLC, I can't begin to believe what others perception of myself it.  

I am hoping to God that this time I will finally be able to lose the weight and get to my goal with out any hiccups.  I am sick of being big, I want with all my might to wear those pretty skinny clothes that I see in the stores.

I am not the type of person that can take supplements or do something drastic like the HCG diet or other weight loss plans like "Herbal Magic" "Weight Watchers" "Slimband" or any of the other fad diets.  After LA Weight Loss this has all appeared to me to be voodoo magic and that there is something that they aren't telling you that is actually making you lose the weight. 

It will be all natural healthy eating, portion sizes and exercise that will melt the pounds..

I hope it will work.  I will over come this!