The secret of The Secret is not really anything earth shattering: it’s based on the Law of Attraction which says that whatever you think about you will attract to yourself. So if you wake up in the morning and immediately start thinking about how much you hate your job, your life, your dog, whatever…you’re only going to bring more dislike into your life. You’ll stub your toe, find out you ran out of coffee, slip in dog puke, be late to work, etc. Because as you’ve probably noticed, when your day starts off rough, it often gets rougher. It’s not because the world is against you, but because you’re projecting a horrible attitude and attracting more displeasure to yourself.

If, on the other hand, you wake up feeling great about the day, telling yourself that things are going to be wonderful today, that you’ll have no traffic on your way to work or you’re going to have lots of sales today, that is what is going to happen. If you want to be successful, you have to think about success and begin to live as if it is coming to you. That does not mean run out and buy a Ferrari. But you CAN start window shopping for your future purchase when the success has manifested itself. If you want to be healthy or cure your body, begin to think as if it was never there. You are healthy, your body is strong and perfect, you are going to live a long and wonderful life. You want rain? Start carrying your umbrella.

Same may scoff at the idea that simply thinking positively could possibly do any good. But long before I heard about The Secret or the Laws of Attraction I was concentrating on the good and leaving out the bad. For starters, why would you want to focus on all the negativity anyway? Does it really do any good to punish yourself or bring up past failures? Do you think athletes like Lance Armstrong go out there thinking they are going to fail? Hell no! They visualize winning the race, being the best, making new records and feeling great during and after the process.

When we began looking for our farmhouse, we didn’t even know what we wanted. We looked at all sorts of houses, new and old, in all regions of Frankfurt for about 2 years. I don’t even know how many places we looked at but it must have been close to 100. Then we saw a farm similar to our own and realized that was what we wanted. We started thinking about everything we wanted the place to have, it’s character, good location…and BAM–there it was. The house had been sitting on the market for over 1 year and was just waiting for us to come along. Needless to say we got a great price on it that way too.

Think about positivity in relation to a child. Most kids hardly hear the word no, unless they are in danger of hurting themselves. So they think they can do anything. And often times, they blow our minds when they actually do those things which we thought they couldn’t yet do. Crawling, walking, talking, self-feeding, etc. The more you tell a child they can’t do something, the more they start to believe you. It works the same way with what kids eat. If they constantly hear, “Oh, babies don’t eat ___________” (fill in the blank with mushrooms, vegetables, meat, etc and they will definitely stop eating those things.

Want to read more about people who have made The Secret work for their lives? Check out these success stories. People have healed themselves of cancer, deadly infections and even learned to walk, talk and function again after accidents that left them in a nearly vegetative state. People have been close to starvation, poverty and despair; but with positive thinking they managed to turn their lives around.

I think 2010 is a year of amazing things to come. And I want everyone I know to be able to have joy, success and prosperity in this year and all those to come. Am I saying you’re going to become a multi-millionaire overnight? Not likely. But sometimes wealth isn’t measured by your income–it’s about appreciating, loving and enjoying those things you have in your life already. It’s about restoring failed relationships or letting go of pain. It’s about learning to provide for yourself and your family while escaping the holds of the big bad corporations. It’s about freedom…just like this blog.

What are you celebrating in your life right now? What are you going to start drawing to yourself with positive thoughts? I’m attracting organization in my home and success selling overage on ebay, money to start flowing into my companies, happiness and health for my family, and even more.

Tuesday I did an extra set of exercise #3 (squat to arm/leg raises) because I was a bit sleepy still. I always confuse it with #4 and think I have been skipping 3 from time to time– a hardship or skipping the videos for time reasons…gotta read all my own fine print better.

Wednesday Mack had a play date scheduled in the morning and I just couldn’t find a way to fit in the workout. Sometimes life it just like that. And from there things just starting going downhill. I’ve been extremely tired in the mornings lately and just couldn’t seem to get myself motivated to work out. If you’ve also been skipping workouts, don’t beat yourself up too badly. Things happen in life. What’s important is that you get back on track the next day and don’t let the lapse destroy your desire to get in shape.

Nearly every day that I do the Beginner’s Workout, I am really overjoyed when I reach exercise 12 (which marks where the final floor exercises begin.) That exercise means that I’m well over half-way done which is vital at this moment because I’m usually pretty winded. It seems that no matter how often I do this workout, it continues to kick my butt. And if I do it several days in a row, it’s the worst battle of all to get through it all. Perhaps it’s my muscles revolting. Or maybe it’s just because I’m learning how to do the exercises more effectively every day and therefore working the muscles better…creating a more exhausted me by the end of it all. I always finish feeling amazed that such simple workouts can have such a nice impact.

I’ve been reminded that although I often want to push harder and work out more, I still have a whole lot of responsibilities at home including a nearly full time workload with our personal businesses. So even though I can move my arms and legs throughout the day after working out, it doesn’t really mean that I need to be killing myself every morning either.

With that being said, I’m hoping to add the Buns and Fat Loss workouts to my routine. Because there are 3 of them (which happens to be a new format for Zuzana’s workout collections), I will do one each on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday I will cut myself a little slack and go back to the Beginner’s Workout. I don’t have a whole lot of fat to work off but I definitely want to tone up the buttocks in a big way so this seems like a great routine to start with. All you need for the workout is an exercise mat, a raised surface (2 chairs are probably best) and a timer. A bottle of water and towel will be useful too because I hear there’s a lot of sweating involved! Perhaps the newness of the exercises will encourage me to work it harder.

The exercises should be completed as quickly as possible to really get your heart pumping, but at the same time you should not sacrifice form for speed. Doing the exercises correctly and working the right muscles is much more important than beating the time clock.

Now where is my jump rope…??

The Buns and Fat Loss Routine with Beginner’s Workout Alternates

Part 1 (Monday)

The recap of the workout actually starts at min 5:50 after her “coffee talk” about the hottest celebrity butts. Unlike the Beginner’s Workout, we don’t get to see the entire routine. Instead it’s just a demonstration of a few reps each and the entire workout is written out below. You can also visit her website (see Part 1 link above) to see photos of each exercise.

Before you get started, put the two chairs (without armrests) side-by-side and lay an exercise mat or towel over the seat of them. You are going to be laying across them with your hips and legs hanging off as well as putting your feet on them so you don’t want to get them grungy.

Do 4 rounds of the following exercises:

1. Jump Squat and Backward Lunge (alternating legs) – 10 reps
   Squat down,with your knees slightly pointed out and bring your hands down to the ground between your legs. Stand back up and as you come to a full standing position, jump up with your arms reaching up above your head. Once standing on the ground again, extend one leg back (alternate each time) and bend at the knee. Keep your stationary knee above your ankle, bent at a 90° angle. Bring the extended knee down to the ground. (One rep counts as 1 jump squat and one backward lunge.)
2. Hip Extension – 20 reps (min 6:59)
   Lay across the chairs with your hips on the edge. Cross your legs at the ankles and lift them up straight up off the ground. Once raised, uncross your ankles and open your legs. Recross them with the opposite foot on top and lower to the floor. Lift legs, open, recross with opposite leg on top, etc. (One rep includes lifting legs off the ground, opening, crossing and bringing back down to the floor.)
3. Bulgarian Squat – 20 reps on each leg (min 7:20)
   Put the top of your foot on the chair behind you, keep the shin of your front leg vertical and squat down to bring your back knee as close to the ground as possible. Put your hands behind your head to help you keep your balance.
4. Mountain Climber – 30 reps (min 8:16)
   Get on the floor, in a push-up stance. Keeping your weight on your palms, jump one leg up closer to you while the other remains reaching back. Then alternate legs, bringing the first leg down and the previously extended leg up towards your body. (Each jump counts as 1 rep.)

Beginner’s Workout (Tuesday)

Part 2 (Wednesday)

For these exercises you will only need an exercise mat and a single chair.

1. 2 walking lunges, 4 backward jumps and Half Burpee with Jump Up (no push up) – 30 reps (min 1:55)
   Make two large strides forward, lunging down so your knee is almost to the ground. Try to keep the bent leg knee at a 90° angle and the knee directly above your ankle. After two strides (one on each leg), make four bunny hops backwards. Put your hands down on the ground, extend your legs behind you (as if about to do a push-up), bring your legs back up toward your body with a hop-like motion, stand up and make a small jump as you reach standing position.
2. Step Ups and One Leg Elevated Squat – 30 reps on each leg (min 2:15)
   Place your right foot in the chair and step up onto it. Bring your left leg up in the air so your left knee is at waist-height. Lower your left leg back down to the floor and position your right foot in the chair so that your heel is touching the chair. Bend your left leg at the knee, lowering your body and extending your right (a single-leg elevated squat). Complete all reps on one leg then switch.
3. One Leg Bridge – 2 sets of 15 reps on each leg (min 2:34)
   Lay on your back on your exercise mat on the floor and you’re going to do a one-legged hip raise like you learned in the beginner’s workout. Extend your arms so they point toward your feet and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Extend one leg up in the air, keeping it vertical to your body and your foot flexed. Then raise your hips up in the air so that your leg and stomach form a straight line and slowly lower your hips back down to the mat. Do all reps on one leg first then switch to the other.
4. One Leg Wall Sit - 2 reps holding on each leg for 30 seconds (2 minutes total) (min 2:48)
   With your back against a wall, squat down in a sitting position and extend one leg out in front of you. This way all your weight is on one leg. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then switch. 
   

Beginner’s Workout (Thursday)

Part 3 (Friday)

You only need a jump rope to complete these…oh and extreme body control for the pistols!

Do 6 rounds of the following exercises.

1. Side Jump Lunge – 30 reps (each jump counts as 1 rep) (min 4:21)
   Bend one knee and extend the other leg out to your side. Your body should be lowered to your bent knee and hands will briefly touch the ground. Stand up, then switch legs with a jumping motion.
2. Pistols – 5 reps on each leg (min 4:35)
   Extend one leg out in front of you and bend your knee until you are in a squatting position. Stand back up and repeat all reps on one leg before switching. Because this exercise is nearly impossible, you can also bend down in front of a chair and brace yourself as little as possible on the chair to complete the reps.
3. Jump Rope Skipping – 100 skips
   25 skips with feet together, pause, 25 skips alternating legs (jogging), pause, 25 reps feet together, pause, and last 25 reps of jogging. So all together you will do 100 skips. It is important that you put as much energy as possible into each set and then pause for just few seconds to reset for another 25 reps.

I’d love to read your comments and progress. If you are linking to your blog and you talk about other things than BodyRock, please link DIRECTLY to your own post so that those of us who want to give you some encouragement can easily find your post. If you don’t have your own blog or website where you can talk about your progress, then just tell us how you did in your comment! Also feel free to save this image to your computer and upload it to your BodyRock Challenge blog posts!

The book’s mission is to tell you how you can produce the following on just a quarter acre of land:

• 1,400 eggs
• 50 pounds of wheat
• 60 pounds of fruit
• 2,000 pounds of vegetables
• 280 pounds of pork
• 75 pounds of nuts

It may sound crazy, but with efficient use of your backyard, you can raise all this and more (provided you live in the right zone and have favorable weather conditions). Bees, meat rabbits, herbs and other products are not included on the list above but you’d also have sufficient space to include them. Suggestions are also given for a 1/10th of an acre farm which would include 6 chickens, 2 bee hives, meat rabbits, an herb and vegetable garden, and fruit trees.

Chapters include:

• The Home Vegetable Garden
• Backyard Fruits and Nuts
• Easy, Fragrant Herbs
• Home-Grown Grains
• Poultry for Eggs and Meat
• Meat and Dairy
• Food from the Wild

The fruit and vegetable gardening chapters are fairly thorough and covers most of the basic produce your family would consume. A few pages on luscious edible landscaping (p. 115-124) are also included for those who would like to consider planting their front yard with pretty yet edible plants which won’t make their yard look like a garden plot. Information about preserving and preparing various fruits and vegetables are also sprinkled within the pages.

The herb chapter includes a list of 32 essential herbs for culinary and medical uses as well as ways to dry and prepare herbs for teas, tinctures, vinegars, etc.

Grains are discussed over 40 pages and the primary focus is on wheat and corn. Harvesting and cooking grains, bread baking and beer and barley malt making are also covered.

Chickens get about 20 pages devoted to them, including simple plans for a chicken coop. You will also find a reference chart (p. 349-352) in the back which lists regulations for keeping chickens in most major U.S. cities. Turkeys, geese and ducks also have sections devoted to them which discuss breeds, special needs and culling techniques.

Goats, sheep and cows are considered for meat and milk productions. Goats get the primary focus, including goat milk recipes, because they are generally easier to raise and do not need nearly as much space as cattle. Pigs are also discussed for meat purposes and a few pages on sausages, packaging, processing and smoking meats are included. Diagrams of each animal are provided which show the cuts of the animals for butchering. Rabbits for meat and fur are discussed on 2 pages which barely even scratches the surface (look at Raising Rabbits to Survive! if you’re interested in this subject). Topics like making cheese, yogurt and butter are all discussed in this chapter as well.

Food from the wild is covered in about 15 pages and includes bees, foraging and making maple syrup. There’s only a very brief mention of collecting wild mushrooms in the chapter overview but no discussion about growing your own.

The book is a wealth of information and while it does cover a majority of subjects needed to become a self-sufficient homesteader, there are some topics which are just not covered deeply enough. I suspect that one of the goals of the book is to sell more Storey publications considering that there are MANY of them which cover every homesteading practice you can think of. Page 354 of The Backyard Homestead indicates that many of the sections are excerpts from other Storey titles which would explain why there is no author of this book; only an editor.

I will not overlook the fact that it is very hard to be an authority on everything in just one book. Especially a 368-page publication with large typesetting and lots of illustrations. If you ARE looking for the ultimate resource on homesteading, I recommend The Encyclopedia of Country Living (available at Amazon.com and Amazon.de) and/or The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour (available at Amazon.com and Amazon.de).  Both books provide a lot more information in just one volume and leave very few things to be further researched.

Overall, I think The Backyard Homestead (available at Amazon.com and Amazon.de) is a really great resource for those who want to get started with the ideas of homesteading but feel overwhelmed by all there is to know and read. Carleen Madigan really stresses the importance of not taking on a huge project at the beginning but first starting small with hopes of growing when you have a better understanding of how things work. Unfortunately, that is a problem that we frequently suffer from in this house because we always want to go the full mile, even when we barely have time for a 1/4 mile sprint. If you start too big, you will almost certainly fail and the bad taste left in your mouth could keep you from ever trying again.

I definitely recommend this book to any new homesteader and those who are dying to start providing a clean and healthy food source for their families in suburbia. It’s easy to read and understand; the illustrations, charts and diagrams are fantastic; and the book really promotes an enthusiastic excitement about homesteading.

I love making our own ice cream. It’s really not difficult with a machine but it’s just one more thing I have to get done. I’d even like to try making an oh-so-creamy gelato one day. Unfortunately I have not made any ice cream in a month or three so I better get back on top of that project (this is where the photo of Stefan vigorously nodding his head would go). There was a period of time last fall where we had fresh ice cream every night. It was fantastic. Sometimes we would even have fresh strawberries or raspberries from our garden to accompany the ice cream. On the other hand, having lots of ice cream in the house isn’t exactly helpful for my workout efforts. But once that first bite is in my mouth, it will be totally worth all those extra crunches. Thank goodness I have fairly strong will power!

To supplement the ice cream deficit in the house, I sometimes buy ice cream bars or sandwiches at the grocery store. Any of the regular scoop ice creams available are either wildly expensive brand names which still are full of junk or the generic low end stuff that is just wrong when it comes to flavors and ingredients. Which is why I tend to prefer making my own.

But I’ve recently come to an unsettling conclusion about the ice cream in the sandwiches and other treats that we’ve been eating: instead of the basic flavor of ice cream being vanilla in most items, it’s just become white ice cream. I don’t know if the same is happening in the U.S. but here “white” ice cream runs rampant. You’ll especially find it in the generic ice cream brands, but even brands like Viennetta and Langnese have turned to this bizarre stuff. Never had Viennetta or can’t quite remember what it is? It’s fairly hard to find in the US now (Breyer’s apparently only brings it out around Christmas now) but you’re sure to remember this commercial:

If I have to give it a specific flavor, I’d say marshmallow. Actually, to really pinpoint it, it tastes like Cool Whip. And we don’t even HAVE Cool Whip here in Germany. Maybe that’s how they’re getting away with it. And it’s not that it tastes bad…it’s just strange. It seems to me that if there was going to be a light colored ice cream in something, it was always vanilla. This white stuff barely even has a flavor. Did vanilla fail the taste tests? I’m sure it doesn’t have to do with the cost of adding the vanilla…we all know that’s not REAL vanilla in there. So when did the flavor “white” officially become the standard? Have you noticed ice cream like this in your stores?

(Warning: this is turning into a somewhat unrelated rant now.) I guess what really concerns me about this is the continued distance we put between ourselves and REAL food as we consume things like this. I remember a day when foods were not laden with preservatives and flavorings. It was a time when kids knew that milk came from cows and not the supermarket. We didn’t have to go on field trips to see what a head of lettuce or bunch of tomatoes looks like at a farm…we could see that in our own backyard garden. Children could also still identify foods based on their flavors back then because they were eating yogurt with actual strawberry pieces in it–not just bacteria grown to resemble strawberries with an almost strawberry taste. Strawberries in the grocery store actually tasted like strawberries, not water. And they hadn’t been shipped in from half-way around the world, harvested long before they were ripe and then chemically ripened once they were ready to hit the shelves.

We’re heading down a very slippery slope here. Convenience and low prices do not make it healthier. In general, we’re only making it worse. And while I can certainly understand why so many resort to the cheap stuff (we’re guilty of it too), the more I hear about what is actually IN processed, pre-packaged food in grocery stores, the more I want to cook fresh and see my garden flourish. Yes, fresh and local is going to cost you more than those water-flavored “tomatoes” at the supermarket–but if you want real flavor and nutritional value, it’s something you’re just going to have to budget for. Or you’re going to have to start growing your own…which is the cheapest alternative but may require a little hard work.

How can you make a difference?

• Grow your own fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, meat, etc. Buy heirloom seeds whenever possible and learn to save your own seeds. Need seeds? Hometown Seeds is currently offering a 10% discount off any order. Just enter the word thanks in the coupon code field. Valid through February 28, 2010. (Just so you know, I’m receiving $35 worth of seeds for showing them some link love in my sidebar. There’s no kickback for me if you use this discount code.)
• Purchase what you can’t grow at your local farmers’ market or other local vendors. But make sure they are actually getting their goods locally and not just buying the same truckloads of garbage that the grocery stores are selling. LocalHarvest.org will help you find sources in your area as well as tell you what is in season now so you can plan your meals.
• Prepare your own meals at home–don’t rely on fast food chain or tv dinner from the frozen food isle. Yes, it’s more time consuming but if you break it down into stages (chop everything first, then prepare the rest later in the evening before you’re ready to eat) or make double and freeze portions, you’ll find you always have something ready when you just don’t feel like cooking. Keeping some chopped frozen veggies in the freezer will also help throw together quick meals without all the hassle.

Prepare yourself for another rant like this in the future…I’m going to be watching Food, Inc soon and I know that’s just going to add even more fuel to the fire. I’ve been rather disgusted by the fact that chickens in our local discount store ALL weigh the EXACT SAME AMOUNT. You can’t tell me that’s a coincidence or that they’re just going bird by bird to check them daily and make sure they’re plump enough. Those things are chemically enhanced and all pumped up on steroids. It’s about time we got us some chickens and rabbits around here. Ugh.

Last Monday I was feeling very winded and wiped out during and after the workout. I was really aware of the fact that I hadn’t worked out in 4 days and I was kicking myself a bit for letting it go that long. My muscles were tired afterwards but there wasn’t any real lasting burn aside from a bit of tightness here and there (shoulders, thighs).

Tuesday I my desire for sleep get the best of me. It was just too cozy in the bed and Mack let me sleep until 9. That made it totally worth it.

Wednesday I decided to add a few reps at the end of the workout, including 10 additional reps of the leg stretch (#15) and 10 reps of the laying hip twists (#17) to give the abs a boost.

Thursday I was back off my horse again but Friday I managed to overcome the happiness about the weekend and just git ‘r done. I generally feel that I have a much more energized and fulfilling day when I exercise. Perhaps it’s because I’m up so early but after showering, it’s still 8 or 8:30 which isn’t much earlier than I usually wake up. But once I’m showered I’m really ready to take on the world.

Here is it Monday again and I had the same worn out feeling after exercising. I take it as a very good sign. And as I progress I can feel the exercises working the muscles instead of just wondering if I’m doing things right. I’m still adding extra reps here and there as I feel the urge. I don’t want to over do it but as I mentioned before, I’m dying to move on to something else. So I will be scouring Zuzana’s website later and will select a new crazy routine. It will likely either be something for the buttocks region or the hips/love handles. I still plan to use the extreme workouts twice a week and the beginner on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Should I fail to do one of those workouts…well I’ll just cross that bridge when I get there. I’m still hoping to get on a 5 days a week schedule finally. If only life would stop interrupting!

If you’re working out with me and ready to move on, what sort of workout would you like to see me add? Do you want abs instead? Or arm pumping routines? I’ll do my best to make sure the workouts don’t require any special equipment either.

Ready for some new photos? Since it’s the first week of February I’ll throw some up at the end of the week. I’ll also give you an update on my other stats.

Have you been drinking plenty of water? Eating more fresh veggies and cutting back on fats? Have you managed to keep yourself from raiding the cookie jar every 5 minutes? Discipline and hard work will reap the greatest rewards.

Please leave a comment below if you’re working out with me. If you are linking to your blog, please link DIRECTLY to your own post so that those of us who want to give you some encouragement can easily find your post. If you don’t have your own blog or website where you can talk about your progress, then just tell us how you did in your comment! Also feel free to save this image to your computer and upload it to your BodyRock Challenge blog posts!

By the time we were ready to eat, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. But just imagine the pictures of the various ingredients and use your imagination.

Authentic Bavarian Potato Salad

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 medium zesty (würziger) pickles, diced
• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 2.5 pounds potatoes
• 1 tablespoon powdered bouillon
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Add onions, pickles and juice into large bowl.
2. Boil potatoes until they fall off a fork without breaking, about 20 minutes. Peel potatoes and cut into slices. Add to bowl.
3. Add oil, bouillon, vinegar and mix well. Let sit for about 30 minutes so flavors can combine.

One of the most terrifying experiences of my life happened last weekend. You know how I’ve been hoping and wishing and praying for snow? Well we went to visit the grandparents down South and they had a LOT of snow. Not the puny 3-4 inches we had at home. I’m talking more like a foot.

I thought I was going to be in doggie heaven, but it turns out that snow is not all that easy to play in. I actually had to trudge through it…and because there was a bit of ice on top, I would sorta crash through the top layer and then sink down in the powder. I had to half jump/half run to keep moving in the snow. Imagine a big black bear trying to hop around like a bunny and you’ve got a picture of me. It was fun but exhausting and quite chilly on my belly!

But back to the terrifying stuff. You see, for reasons I cannot comprehend, my dad decided it would be a good idea to sit on a thin piece of plastic and slide down a big hill! There were trees, fences, rocks and walls of snow all around him, but he just went cruising along anyway. I went crazy. I was barking and whimpering, trying to pull Opa down the hill so I could check on dad. But instead I had to wait at the top until dad came back. I excitedly sniffed him over as I gave him lots of kisses. Apparently he did not die once he reached the bottom.

You would think that after my initial reaction, dad would just give up this insanity and go back into the house. He did not. Instead he picked up the kiddo and put her on the piece of plastic with him. NOT good.

I almost took Opa down the hill with me when they took off  but mom came in for backup. I cried to dad to slow down but he wasn’t listening. It just wasn’t right. Finally when they stopped at the bottom, mom let me go and I raced down the hill to make sure everyone was still ok. Mackenzie wasn’t making a peep but apparently she was indeed fine. I’m pretty sure it was a close call and that both she and dad nearly died.

I could barely take any more chaos so mom distracted me me a bit as dad made the long hike back up the hill. She tossed a tennis ball down the hill in Oma and Opa’s yard and boy did I kick up some snow. I was tumbling and rolling all over the place. It’s not easy to slow down a Newfie which is moving at top speed down-hill. I was actually pretty thankful for the snow, then, since it cushioned the blows from my gymnastics attempts.

Worn out from just a few trips up and down the hill in the deep snow, I suddenly heard a noise that stopped me in my tracks. Dad was on the sled with the baby AGAIN! Were they trying to give me a heart attack or what?

I threw myself at Opa’s fence and almost thought I could clear it. But apparently a 100 pound dog with natural swimming and pulling ability is not necessarily good at jumping over 4 foot high fences. I sorta just sprang against it instead. No one was injured in the process…except maybe the fence. I sure hope that doesn’t come out of my treat allowance!

After that, mom found a gate in the fence and let me out to check out everyone. After I made sure all humans were accounted for, I led the way back up the hill. It seems impossible but they thankfully went inside after that. I was worn out from the playing and the excitement and trying to protect everyone…but I just didn’t trust that so-called “sled.”

When arrived home after our trip, I was so relieved that all our snow had melted in Frankfurt. No worries that the plastic killer might emerge again and try to take us all out. BUT it wasn’t long before the ground was covered in white stuff again…and now I hear we’ve actually bought a new sled for Mackenzie to use on the walks. Oh my poor Newfie heart. I’ve been assured that this will be a less dramatic experience because Mack will simply be pushed or pulled along as we take our daily walks. They say it’s going to be just like in the stroller but she’ll be sitting in a sled instead, still strapped in and wrapped up warmly.

I can only hope that the package gets lost in the mail and that the snow is all gone by the time the package arrives. But there’s been a lot of talk about more snow coming tonight. They’ve even said it will snow on and off for the next 4 days! That sounds like a lot of snow!!

Keep me in your doggie prayers this week so that I survive this ordeal and make it back here next Wednesday to tell you all about the newest evil in our house (whatever that may be!)

Frozen Newfie icicle kisses,

Ayla

Wiener schnitzel is fairly easy to make and really doesn’t require much time or many ingredients to prepare. Some of the best schnitzel is made from veal cutlets (it’s best if you can get them cut from the thigh) but pork is also very commonly used due to the much lower price.

Wiener Schnitzel assembly line

This recipe comes from Stefan’s mom who makes a mean schnitzel. She made Wiener schnitzel the first day we brought Mackenzie home from the hospital and they really hit the spot after all that hospital food. She also happened to make these last weekend when we were visiting them so I pulled out the camera and started writing. It’s the first time I’ve managed to watch her make them and I can safely say I’m not as intimidated about making them as I used to be! Basically it’s just chicken fried steak with veal and less trouble on the side dishes.

Serve your Wiener schnitzel with a fresh salad topped with a yogurt dressing (traditional German style) or just potato salad, roasted potatoes or French fries.  If you serve a slice of lemon on the schnitzel as well, you can squeeze it over the schnitzel just before eating it to give it a nice flavor. Or use your knife to press on the lemon as it lays on the schnitzel and it will squeeze out the juice wherever the lemon is placed without making a mess.

Come back on Thursday when I’ll be teaching you how to make authentic Bavarian potato salad!

Wiener Schnitzel

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 veal cutlets, sliced thinly (1/2 – 3/4 inch thick)
• 3 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2- 1 cup flour (enough to cover the bottom of a dinner plate)
• 1/2-1 cup bread crumbs (Paniermehl)
• 1-2 tablespoons butter for frying

Directions

1. Using 3 separate plates or shallow dishes, set out ingredients for coating. Cover bottom of one dish with flour, one with eggs and the last with bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to the eggs and beat with a fork to combine.
2. Trim fat from cutlets and beat them with a small frying pan or large, smooth-surfaced mallet to ensure they are evenly thin (about 1/2 inch) across the cutlet.
3. Add butter to frying pan and melt. Coat each cutlet on both sides with flour, egg mixture and finally bread crumbs. Place schnitzel in pan and fry at medium-high heat for several minutes. Be sure that you always keep butter in the pan for frying but do not let the pan get so hot that the butter burns.
4. When the butter creeps up the edges of the schnitzel, it’s ready to flip. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve immediately. Garnish with a slice of lemon, if desired.

Another month has passed and you’ve somehow managed to make us love you even more. I didn’t think it was possible but apparently it was. You are so much more interactive now and do some of the cutest things lately. You started blowing kisses in the air; not using your hand but just making a puckered mouth kiss and the noise. It’s awesome. You also just started saying “uh-oh” whenever something falls out of your reach or gets knocked over. Absolutely adorable.

You got your sleeping schedule all out of whack on New Year’s Eve and we all suffered for a week or so afterward. You managed to sleep through the first 21 minutes of all out war in the streets but when the loud explosions continued, you finally woke up. I swear fireworks get louder every year. Especially with all the 25+ shot batteries of fireworks that everyone buys over here. The nights following that you woke up at various times each evening and then just stopped wanting to go to bed at all. It was clear that you were tired because you could barely keep your eyes open, but your mind was telling you there was too much to be done. Sleep was just not allowed. It turned out that the only way to get you back on track was to let you fuss until you admitted to yourself that you were indeed tired. When we traveled to see family last weekend, things were nearly as bad since you decided to skip daily naps and didn’t want to go to bed either. We finally just let you play yourself to sleep in your crib when 1am rolled around and we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore ourselves. Thankfully as soon as we got home, your schedule started to regulate again. You, like the puppy, find it pretty hard to entertain people and will go to any length necessary to make sure they are happy. You are really shy now around people you don’t know that well (which is pretty much everyone besides your dad and myself.)

You nod yes and no all the time now. Sometimes an excited yes will include hand clapping. But either way it’s a full body movement that makes you look like you’re dancing around. I can somehow see why so many people believe we evolved from monkeys when I look at gestures like this. But you’re way cuter than any monkey could ever be. And you haven’t thrown any poop either which is a big plus.

You love to accessorize yourself with ribbons. When you find a ribbon you will grab it and wrap it around your neck. It’s just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. And you’ve got them on ALL the time now. You try to put other stuff around your neck, too, like paper bags and your hats, but that usually doesn’t turn out so successfully since they never stay put. You did have a really successful venture on laundry day when a bunch of my underwear was laying on the coffee table. You must have had about 20 different pieces around your neck. Yes, there are photos…but we’ll save those for some embarrassing moment down the road. I think you’re mostly just trying to dress yourself with anything you can find so it’s about time to put a dress up box in your room with clothes we never wear.

You love holding the “phone” to your ear. The phone may be a real phone or just a toothbrush, a block, a pen or just about anything else that you can hold up to your ear. It’s great. But when we put a real phone up to your ear and someone starts talking to you, you get all quiet and shy. You actually made your first phone call already, too. You were playing with your daddy’s phone and managed to unlock it and dial your grandparents. Now we just have to work on talking on the phone, even if it’s just babbling.

You’ve had your first couple nose bleeds from the insanely cold, dry weather. Thankfully those didn’t last long and were only a few drops of blood. You also caught your first real cold from me. You don’t seem to have gotten it as bad as I did, though, and only had a few sniffles with a bit of coughing…not the chest-heaving coughs that I’ve had lately. But sometimes I wonder if you’re just coughing to continue our little game and not really sick at all.

You are trying your best to figure out how to climb on the couch. Your knee will clear the edge now but hoisting it up on the couch is going to take more work and maybe another growth spurt.

You are very slowly getting another new tooth on top but it’s taking forever. I sure hope the bottom row of teeth decides to catch up soon, too, since there’s still only two down there. How are you ever going to eat all the food you want to chow down on with only six teeth?  Speaking of food, you eat portions that just amaze me. I swear that sometimes you eat up to half of an adult-sized portion and it’s just incredible. Where do you put it?? Since the floor is totally clean afterwards without Ayla’s help I know you’re actually eating everything but you’re just nonstop hungry. If there’s not some sort of food going in to your mouth every 2 hours, you get super cranky. But considering how active you are I guess it’s no wonder that you’re so hungry all the time. And you’re learning to use your spoon now too! I’ve been giving you one for months now and you usually just play with it. But you are slowly getting to the point that you can pick stuff up from inside a bowl and move it over to your mouth. Things like oatmeal that don’t fall off the spoon quickly are easiest but sometimes you even manage it with pasta. I think that with a bit more practice you’ll be keeping those hands much cleaner during mealtime and showing everyone what a big girl you are already.

You took your first couple steps on January 12th. I’m not even sure you realized you were doing it yourself. We’d been playing together in the living room and you just moved away from the couch and took a couple steps towards your daddy.  There were a couple more steps again after that. So exciting!! There’s been a few brief steps here and there since then but nothing quite like those first real steps. Although I know it means I’ll be chasing you even more around the house, I truly am looking forward to it. We’re already planning out a step-stool for you in the kitchen so you can watch everything that is going on without getting yourself into trouble.

You killed your first box of packing peanuts. You laid yourself down in it and started kicking away which was more than that poor box could take. But it did live a nice long life as far as cardboard boxes go.

Naturally, we just found you a bigger and better box to move the peanuts into and this one has room to spare. It’s way better and cheaper than any other toy you have. Maybe we can find an even bigger box that I can fit in too…it sure looks like a lot of fun in there!

You love to race. Yesterday I raced with you for the first time as you pushed your little walker. You were screaming and giggling so much that the Newfie got really concerned. She thought you were in trouble or upset because of all the commotion and I thought she was going to bowl you over when we finally let her in the room to check things out. Ayla has totally become your dog and she watches over you like her own pup. She still hasn’t realized that she is just a tiny bit bigger than you and she knocks you over from time to time…but thankfully she’s mostly been very careful around you.

You had your first sledding experience which you weren’t too sure about. You didn’t seem to crack a smile even once during the whole excursion. Ayla found it completely inappropriate and chased you and daddy down the hill in attempt to protect you.

Your expression after going down the sledding hill twice: priceless.

I’m still dreaming about teaching you how to read…if I can just sit down and make the cards now. You are absolutely addicted to books and get totally absorbed in looking at them so I have a feeling that you’re really going to love learning to read. I just hope to get you interested before you attention span gets even shorter!

You are so patient and quite independent already. When we went to get your last booster shot at the doctor you didn’t cry at all. And I knew it was almost nap time so I was sure you would tear up at least a little, but you took it like a little trooper. You play really well by yourself and can usually entertain yourself pretty well. Car rides over 2 hours get a bit tedious because the toys are only interesting for so long and you don’t seem to like sleeping in the car anymore. But since we really don’t take that many trips lately, it’s no wonder you don’t like to be locked up in your seat for such long stretches. I have to say it takes a toll on mom and dad too.

I’m looking forward to all that the next month will bring!

My love,

Mommy

Although I’m already yearning to move on to more advanced workouts, I’m going to stick with this one at least one more solid week. I didn’t get up to work out this morning because Mack decided she was STARVING at 6 am. I considered staying up to work out, but the bed just looked far too comfortable. The additional three hours sleep I got after that was really fabulous.

At any rate, there won’t be any new photos this week because the last photos were taken just a few days ago. I definitely feel that the exercises are having a positive effect already and feel a slight tenseness in them after working out. Stefan says he’s noticing more definition in my abs and that other areas around my hips are getting more toned. So that’s progress. I’m definitely still wiped out and dying of thirst when I get done but not so tired that I need a nap. I think it’s actually been making me more productive lately although I’m still not too focused on any one task. There is way too much to be done at all times.

I’ll be missing workouts for the next couple of days because we’re traveling to see Stefan’s parents for a couple of days. We’re still hoping they have a foot or so of snow on the ground for us to play in. I’m also hoping to get his mother’s killer recipe for Wiener Schnitzel. I swear it is the best I have ever had. And I’ve tried A LOT of them.

But next week I’ll be getting back to it and will start perusing for a new workout to throw in every couple of days. I’m think I will slowly phase the Beginner Workout out, using an alternate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. But more about that when that day arrives!

Please leave a comment below if you’re working out with me. If you are linking to your blog, please link DIRECTLY to your own post so that those of us who want to give you some encouragement can easily find your post. If you don’t have your own blog or website where you can talk about your progress, then just tell us how you did in your comment! Also feel free to save this image to your computer and upload it to your BodyRock Challenge blog posts!