Are shrimp dumplings healthy if you make them yourself?

This probably shouldn't be on my list of recipes to try, but how freaking yummy does that look?!?!?  I might sub in ground chicken or turkey for the pork and give this a whirl! 

Shrimp Dumplings (adapted from Taste and Tell):

Recipe from: http://damndelicious.tumblr.com/post/43551512932/shrimp-dumplings

Yields 36 dumplings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and diced
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 1 cup shredded green cabbage
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 36 gyoza/pot sticker wrappers
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Soy sauce, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger, sesame oil, mirin, salt and pepper, to taste.

To assemble the dumplings, place wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the dumplings and cook until golden and crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

Serve immediately with soy sauce, if desired.

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Food For thought: Two Sketches

 In this video, women described themselves to a sketch artist that couldn't see them. He then drew them based on their descriptions and on OTHER people's descriptions.  This video below reminded me to be more cognizant of the fact that I like most people, especially women, are our biggest critics.  We often see flaws where there are none. Remember its easy to look at how far you have left to go in your fitness journey, when you should really be looking at how far you've come.

Moral of the story: You are more beautiful than you think. 



What would your two sketches look like?
Candydiva

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Love and Prayers for Boston

Surely by now you all have heard about the tragedy that happened at the Boston Marathon.  My heart and prayers go out to all the victims of this tragedy, especially those who previously endured the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school.  I encourage you all to follow up your prayers donations to Red Cross.

http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations


and for any of you out there who are still unable to find or reach loved ones. The following link provides some great websites to aid you in your search.

http://mashable.com/2013/04/15/boston-marathon-person-finder/

Praying for a brighter tomorrow,
Candydiva04

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A Review: Ellie

Not too long ago, I discovered Ellie and wrote a really excited blog post about it (here!) So you can imagine how excited I was to be offered the opportunity to try two free items from their March Little Black collection! Can I just say how much I am loving the fact that their whole line is black!?!?!?

And lord knows my fat needs a funeral!! I'm also loving that the April collection which debuts soon will be mostly coral colored.

My new Ellie gear! 

After much debating, I finally settled on the Black to the Future sports bra and Dark Matter Leggings, I also now own the "Just Like Heaven" tee (shown) and the "My New Obsession" leggings (not shown). When I got the package, I ripped it open thinking I was just going to try them on, snap a few photos for this post, then continue lounging around being lazy until my afternoon workout with RR.  However, after trying on the sports bra and leggings (and doing a few jump tests to make sure my boobs were compatible with the sports bra, lol)  I couldn't wait to put them to a real test (and show them off) at the gym. I threw on a some sneakers, and hit the gym! 2 hours of Cardio and lifting later, I was a believer. The fit and materials are great! In my closet, I have a wide variety of brands of work out apparel, and these among my favorites.

 If you join the Fit Fashionista club, you get 2 items of your choice every month for $49.95. Which is pretty reasonable since most other brands of this quality charge more. If you haven't already, I STRONGLY encourage you to try Ellie! Oh and did I mention they gave me this 20% of coupon for me and all my friends? Enjoy!

Since I was taking photos, I figured it was also a good day to do a weigh in. Especially since this might help give you all a better idea on Ellie's fit and sizing. I ordered Mediums in everything, the shirt, the bra and leggings.  I'm a 34C, and all other measurements shown below.  And now for my (dreaded) weigh in...

Weight:                       147.2lbs   (Yikes! I have some work to do!)
Height:                        5'1"
Chest (in sports bra):   35"
Natural waist:              29.5"
Widest part of waist:    32"
Hips                            41"
Thighs
     Left                       25.25"
     Right                     25"

I guess its good that I'm down from 150 lbs but I'm sad that I've gained weight in the first place, and I clearly need to do a better job of balancing out my leg workouts. I've got some work to do!!  But at least I'll look cute while doing it. ;)

Styling and Profiling,
Candydiva04

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