Diet Apps

Had a free night last night.  So I cuddled up on the couch with a heated-up rice bag and cruised the Android Market looking for useless apps.  (Zombie Run!)

I had no agenda.  I already downloaded the zombie app the night before.  So I mindlessly browsed the suggested apps at the top of the page.  There was one that caught my eye.  It was a diet app--it was free, so I downloaded it.  I thought that it might have some good recipes or workout plans...

I guess I had high expectations because as soon as I opened the app I was disappointed.  It had put every diet from the super lame Hollywood Diet to the infamous Grapefruit Diet on my phone.  It was basically an app for "Let's starve ourselves like crazy to lose 2.3 lbs in 4 days by eating teeny-tiny amounts of food and not exercising!"  Woo hoo!

I used one of my favorite apps, Shake 2 Uninstall (you shake your phone like crazy and the app that's running gets deleted!), to delete the diet app. 

Now there's some good exercise!

Home Cooking Tips

Home-cooking is a great way to lose weight and eat healthy.  You can cook at home with basic, whole food ingredients and have more control over what goes in your mouth.  Even something as simple as making your own chicken sauce (instead of using condensed cream of chicken soup) will save you calories, sodium, fat, and eliminate monosodium glutamate.  It will also taste fabulous.

Here are some other tips to remember:

1. Avoid dough that is sold in a tube.  That pop! is the sound of the button on your skinny jeans Wranglers popping off. 
2. Avoid cheese product.  Stick with cheese.
3. Don't buy foods with the word "Grandma" or a picture of a Grandma.  Your grandma didn't make it.
4. Frozen bagged mixed veggies aren't for poor folk.  Nope.  They're for skinny folk.  They're one of my fave convenience foods.
5. Eggs are cheap and healthy and good.  Buy lots.
6. Read ingredient lists like a love-sick vampire.  Make it an obsession.  My fave foods are ones without ingredient lists.
7. Make something amazing TONIGHT!!

Bariatric Surgery: From Size 26 to Size 6

Like it or not, the words fat and lazy typically go together.  When it comes to weight loss there's no room for an ounce of lazy.  It's all about being active, assertive, in control, and proactive. 

I guess that's why an ad for bariatric surgery that boasted "FROM SIZE 26 to SIZE 6" made me a little concerned.

First, no one I know has had those results.  Usually they go from a 26 to a size 16/18.  No shame in those numbers, but 26 to 6??  Really??

Second, bariatric surgery is an easy way out.  Where's the blood, sweat and tears?  Where's the guts and all the glory?  Where's the good feeling that comes from knowing that you came, you burned fat and conquered?

How do you feel about bariatric surgery?  Easy way out or viable option for major weight loss?

Today is Monday

I kinda love Mondays.  It's the day I typically go grocery shopping. 

Right now, our poor refrigerator is bare, save for some limp celery (such good intentions!) and enough milk to pour myself a 1/2 inch cup of milk.  Oh, and there's a whole bunch of bottles of salad dressing.

So, Mondays are a fabulous day to start over.  I can don my Donna Reed frock, slide on some heels, motor to the market and glide my grocery cart through the produce aisle thinking such virtuous thoughts as "Tonight we will have greens!" or "Apples give my skin that healthy glow!"

I love shopping for fruits and vegetables! 

I was just kidding about wearing a dress and heels to the grocery store.

What Foods Inspire You To Eat Better?

Some foods get you going on a downward spiral. 

For example, you eat a handful chips before 9am and you're all "Heck, I'm eating the whole can."  The downward spiral continues.  Your hygiene starts to become questionable--so does your grammar (gasp!).  It's the beginning of a downward spiral that affects your entire day.  You shamelessly create a WHAM! Pandora station, start stalking your 9th grade boyfriend via the USPS (because he can't FB from jail), and prowl Craigslist for old 80's concert tees from rock concerts that your mom wouldn't let you go to.

Other foods have the power to lift you up. 

You have a spinach salad for lunch and all of a sudden you can see more clearly without your glasses, you have uncommonly virtuous thoughts, and a choir of angels follows you around for the rest of the day.  You have found the strength to lift stranded vehicles off of train tracks, heal sick kittens and communicate with your MIL without tearing out any hair--hers or yours.  Wow.

Food has real power.  And it's power that comes from you.  You give food power.  For good or evil. 

Choose good.  Never evil.

What foods inspire you to eat better?

How to Make a Homemade Diet Shake to Lose Weight FAST!!!

Have you ever wanted to make your own Franken-drink to lose weight?  Why waste time eating a sustainably healthy diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and other "wonderful foods" when you could guzzle a fast drink to replace a pesky meal. 

I thought you might feel the same way, too.  Here is my knock-off version of a Slim Fast Shake.  Enjoy!!

Slim Fast Knockoff Drink

2 cups FAT FREE MILK
1/2 cup WATER
1/4 cup SUGAR
2 Tbs CANOLA OIL
1 Tbs GUM ARABIC
2 Tbs MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE
2 Tbs CELLULOSE GEL
1 1/2 Tbs HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL
1 Tbs POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE
1 tsp. MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES
1 tsp. MALTODEXTRIN
1 tsp. SOY LECITHIN
1 tsp. CELLULOSE GUM
1 tsp. NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR
1 tsp.  CARRAGEENAN
1/2 tsp. SODIUM BICARBONATE
1/4 tsp. SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE
1/4 tsp. MODIFIED CORN STARCH
1/4 tsp. SODIUM CITRATE
1 tsp. SUCRALOSE 
1/2 tsp. ACESULFAME POTASSIUM
1/8 tsp. CARAMEL COLOR
1/2 tsp.CITRIC ACID
1/4 tsp.VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Blend in a centrifuge which was stolen temporarily borrowed with or without permission from the Max Delbrück High School for Science and Math.  

Drink with a smile, knowing that you're giving your body all the best.

Oatmeal and Blueberries for Breakfast

I'm not a morning person. Thank goodness for simple breakfasts that require zero brainpower.

I just scoop some regular oats into a bowl (maybe a 1/4 cup) and add water to cover them. Then I nuke it for 1:30 min. Then I add vanilla almond milk along with frozen blueberries.

It's a nice way to wake up...

Interview with Amy

Amy and I have been friends for a long time (um, 12 years??). We recently had a chance to chat and hang out while I was on my trip to Seattle. Amy is an occupational therapist--and you couldn't find a better one. She's got "the gift" of being able to work with people in an easy-going way. She's honest and at times can be a wee bit self-deprecating (Hey, be nice!)

You'll find her interview positive and inspiring. As she says in the interview, "I've been on my own since [working with a trainer] and here we are..." Amy is relocating soon, so please wish her the best in the comment box below!

Top Five Healthy Convenience Foods (August 2010 Edition)

August is party time in our garden. We're harvesting all the good stuff we sowed back when it was cold 'n' damp. Now it's hot 'n' dry. We're lovin' us some cukes, zukes, kale, chard and tomatoes.

My definition of "convenience foods":

"Food that makes it easier to make healthy choices"

This is a list of foods that are staples in my kitchen this month. They're also easy to use, so it makes healthy eating even easier. Here's the list of my top five healthy convenience foods I like to keep on hand during the month of August:

1. Kale/Chard (they steam soooo nicely! MMmmm!)
2. Homemade Salsa (five ingredients...is that cheating?)
3. Vanilla yogurt
4. Frozen blueberries
5. Cucumbers

What healthy convenience foods do you like to keep on hand in August?

Let's Be Honest, Shall We?

There are two main reasons why we gain weight.

1) We over estimate how much we eat.
2) We underestimate how much we exercise.

But there's another place where we may be hiding excess pounds. In our telephone.

In an article written by Holly Case for NaturalFoodNet.com, she says that in telephone surveys, people tended to overestimate their height and underestimate their weight--resulting in BMIs that aren't accurate. But when people were actually weighed and measured the results were shockingly different.

Americans Becoming More Honest About Their Weight

It's painful to admit that there is jiggle where there shouldn't be jiggle--or that our fat is decreasing our quality of life, physically and emotionally. It's time to make changes. Today. Start small and be proud of your accomplishments! But first things first...

It's time to get honest.

Healthy Fast Food Restaurant

It seems like no matter how hard you try to eat healthy on vacation, the good times roll and so does the fat.

So, here's my million dollar idea--I'm sure it's already been thought of by millions of others who are tired of living off McD, W**dy's, B**ger K**g, and other purveyors of fried goods and road waste, while traveling.

Howsa 'bouta healthy restaurant chain that serves whole foods, whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables and water. (I know there's no money in plain old water...) Oh, and incorporate lots of high fiber foods into the menu, pleaseandthankyou.

Will someone with a million dollars please start building their healthy fast food empire before my next vacation?

Vacationing Without Overeating

We're enjoying a blissful vacation in Seattle right now. We're surrounded by the beauty of green everything, plus we're going to a wedding, plus we're catching up on celebrating all the birthdays we missed in July, plus we haven't been up here to visit in way-hey-hey too long. This is so much fun!

So, lots of reason to celebrate. And lots of family time. And lots of food. (Um, yeah, I've never heard of the Wedding Cake Diet)

When you're on trips, what do you do to make sure that it's not just a huge calorie fest? (Especially if you're trying to lose weight.) Do you pack healthy snacks? Do you drink more water? Do you keep a food log? Do you go on morning and evening walks?

What's your secret to healthy eating during vaycay?

Interview with Brooklyn -Part 1-

Brooklyn is a (dare I say it?) SuperMom who manages to balance school, kids, exercise, and eating healthy. She was a blast to talk to--effervescent and energetic. She had lots to share about what works for her in terms of health, fitness and making good nutrition choices. I broke up her interview into two parts because she had so much to share. Part two will be posted soon...

Interviews like the one I had with Brooklyn, are becoming one of my favorite parts of the Queen of Skinnyville blog. These women are so willing to share what they know about healthy living. Their messages are honest, spontaneous and positive. I love it!

Free Printable Weight Loss Journal

So, I created this groovy little Queen of Skinnyville Printable Weight Loss Journal that you can print out every week. You can track your progress and feel oh-so productive and virtuous as you check off the boxes and fill in the numbers.

Be sure to calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) before you get started. Don't go below your BMR or it could mess with your metabolism. Eat food and exercise--both in moderation.

Oh, and I think I legally have to tell you: before you get started on a weight loss plan, consult your brother-in-law, Phil, who did two semesters of medical school but then dropped out and joined the Peace Corps and is now working as a bagger at Whole Foods Market on fourth. Or schedule an appointment with your primary care physician.

Click here for the FREE Printable Weight Loss Journal!!

Super Easy Crunchy Granola

When I first started making my Super Easy Crunchy Granola I never added nuts, coconut, cinnamon or dried fruit. I still don't. It's not that I'm a granola purist, I jus' likes my granola nekkid.

My Best Friend's Diet

I asked my friend to track her food and calories for one day so we could post it here on Queen of Skinnyville.

She's a healthy, trim gal who agreed to track what she ate for the purposes of having it posted for the world to see on the intahnet. I hope we're still friends after this.

* * * * * * * * * *

TOTALLY SUCKS COUNTING CALORIES!! BUT I did it!

Breakfast: 1 cup grape nuts, 1 cup milk, 1 cup cantaloupe, water (563 calories)

Snack: 1 plum (76 c)

Lunch: 6 carrots, 1 cucumber slice, 1 pita, 4 slices pepper jack cheese, 1 cup mixed fruit(500 c)

Snack: 4 apple slices, 28 mini-mustard flavored pretzels (115 c)

Dinner: 1 cup white rice, 2/3 c shredded bbq/orange chicken, ½ c green beans, 1 pita, 1/3 c watermelon (590 c)

FHE treat: 1 Jumbo marshmallow cooked over a fire(90 c)

NECESSARY INDULGENCE: small handful of chocolate chips (200 c) EEK!!!!! I HATE CHOCOLATE!

Total: 2134

I estimated on some. I wasn’t sure how to count the chicken for sure and the mixed fruit cup, etc. Do you have a a site you like that works well? I just sort of searched the web for numbers that seemed to match what I ate. So, anyhow, I am over by 134. I did good until that stupid chocolate. I LOVE IT! I did take some pics, but I will send those tomorrow.

* * * * * * * * * *

Rewards for Being Good

Every book I read on healthy eating, exercise and weight loss says something to this effect:

"When you reach your weight or fitness goal, go ahead and reward yourself with something like a trip to the spa, a manicure/pedicure or a massage."

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not going to spend $50 every time I "be good". Also, the whole mani/pedi/spa/massagy culture is TOTALLY foreign to me. I'm not a high maintenance girl (was the tiara misleading?) and spending that much just to reward myself seems like an anti-reward.

They also tell you NOT to use food as a reward. Phooey. First, how many people are going to work hard then blow it with an entire cheesecake? Second, using food as a reward can fuel the next goal--for example, buying a bulk bag of frozen mixed berries or some other healthy food you've been wanting to experiment with. Or get that super loaded loaf of 12 grain bread.

Rewards can be helpful, but don't feel like you have to book a full day spa trip. You won't see me there...

Interview with Megan

Today I interviewed Megan, a former geologist, and a mother of two daughters. She's a self proclaimed fruit-aholic and she loves her some Michael Pollan (check it out from your library: "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan).

Pre-interview she confided that she was a bit camera shy. Can anyone tell me why beautiful people are always camera-shy? Anyway, it was a delight to talk with her and hear what she does to keep herself and her family healthy.

BTW, we filmed this interview at the library right after a magician show. (Hence the yippie-screamies of happy children in the background.)

Kids Running with Hot Cheetos

I sat down to eat my brown bag lunch at the playground when two girls approached me. They were both in my Fitness for Kids class I taught this summer, so they know that I encourage exercise and healthy eating.

One of them said "I want to eat more healthy, but I just don't know all the foods that are healthy..." I looked at her friend who had an adult sized bag of Hot Cheetos (this is why I don't do Google AdWords, folks). She was eating directly from the bag, nursing it while she listened to me.

I began to list off some of my fave "superfoods". I was met with blank stares.

"Are Hot Cheetos healthy?"

Mommies, please teach your children. I don't care what language you teach them in, but please teach your children that Hot Cheetos aren't nutritionally equivalent to carrots, they shouldn't be carried around like an IV drip, and they do not meet the DV for an-y-thing.

Top Five Healthy Convenience Foods (July 2010 Edition)

It's easier to eat healthy when it's, uh, easy. The foods I keep for convenience aren't your typical lasagna-in-a-box or space-yogurt-in-a-tube miracles of modern eatery.

My definition of "convenience foods" is this:

"Food that makes it easier to make healthy choices"

So, here's a list of my top five healthy convenience foods I like to keep on hand during the sultry month of Julio.

1. Huge clear box of organic greens (and purples!)
2. Peaches
3. Almond milk
4. Frozen strawberries
5. Canned beans (any variety)

What healthy convenience foods do you like to keep on hand?

Always Choose Relationships

We try to eat healthy, we make small changes to our diets that we think would be in the best interest of our children and ourselves. We load up on greens until we're blue! But is there a place for pure garbage in a healthy diet?

Today we had two neighbor kids over today to celebrate a belated birthday and to make cupcakes. From a box. With frosting from a can. No reading labels or gettin' all preachy about all the unpronounceables on the box. We made the cupcakes, frosted them, ate them and had a great time. The kids then delivered the rest of the cupcakes to the other neighbor kids.

No one got sick from the hydrometahexadeathane in the frosting or cupcake batter. We just enjoyed the sugar, the mess and the fun. Simple, silly and happy birthday to Tammy.

I met a woman once who bragged that her son's first birthday cake was cornbread with reduced fat cream cheese on top. Oh so healthy, I'm sure, but why???

So, as you journey to living a healthier life, remember, choose relationships first--especially if it involves cupcakes.

Then eat your greens.

McDonald's All-Star Breakfast

Overheard in a McDonald's boardroom meeting: "How about we try to try to cram 99% of the daily value of fat into one big ol' meal." Thus was born the McDonald's All-Star Breakfast...

Wanna see something even funnier? Click on the video to see the ironic place McDonald's chose to put their All-Star Breakfast billboard.

Hmm...anyone know the number of their PR guy?

Does Exercise Have to be Boring?

Sometimes. No always. And I always feel better afterward.

How about you? Do you have the same attitude? Is it hard to get it done? Does exercise have to be boring or do you have ways of making it interesting?

P.S. Watch for upcoming video "5 ways to make your time on the treadmill NOT boring"

The Playground Workout

Don't be a bench warmer at the playground! While your kids are climbing, forming alliances with other playground children and walking up the down slide, take time for yourself and get your workout done. Tight abs and toned arms await! (Remember, park benches aren't just for bird poop and graffiti...)

Interview with Coleen

Coleen was so much fun to talk to! She had tons of great ideas (seriously, green eggs!!) and I'm so excited to have her interview posted today. Coleen is opening her own preschool this fall--you can tell by her video that she's got the perfect personality to be a great pre-K teacher. Fun!

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

You are not leaving for your road trip with that can of uniformly stacked Stepford chips. Who eats canned chips anyway? So, before you print your Google map directions to Hoosierville, watch this short clip to get ideas on what to pack on your road trip.

Banish the Wenches: Sweats and Big Bum Syndrome

We'll tend to fill whatever space we're given, whether that's a big ol' storage unit filled with grannie's junk or our Big Bum Sweats that we like to lounge around in until noon on Saturday.

Too much time wearing your big bum sweats can actually have an effect on your weight. Why? We like to fill space. If you have baggy clothes, now is a good time to Banish those Wenches and send them off to a used clothing store.

Fortify Your Castle: Enduring Nation

Tomorrow our little state will be holding their primary elections. While each candidate is blah blah blahing about new jobs, healthcare reform and spending, I think this quote says it all:

The breakfast slimes, angel food cake, doughnuts and coffee, white bread and gravy cannot build an enduring nation.
~Martin H. Fischer

Curtsy, Bow, Wave: Get Outdoors

Today in my little town we're having an Outdoors Festival. They're having classes on how to keep a nature journal, how to fix your bike, how to catch a fish, how to put together a wilderness first aid kit and lots more.

Some outdoor stuff might not sound all that appealing to you. But try it anyway.

Camping wasn't really something I enjoyed until I decided to conquer it. I whipped it last summer and made it work for my style. For me that meant I needed things as simple as pillows, a sleeping pad, fresh fruit, pioneering activities and books to read. After I figured out my "perfect camping trip", I loved camping.

Try something new--even something that doesn't sound that appealing at first. Make it yours. Conquer it. Master it. Then enjoy being in the great outdoors.

Dine With Grace: Presentation

My mother was a professional food stylist. Even oatmeal was served with grace--she never brought the pot to the table. It was served into bowls with a bowl of brown sugar and a creamer of milk on the side.

Her meals were served and presented, usually with a garnish of parsley or a sprinkling of cheese. She loved bringing food to the table on a platter or serving it out of special dishes. She cared about how food looked on the table.

While I don't have the same flair she does for producing photo worthy meals, we still have some basic "rules" for how food is presented at the table:

• No bags on the table. If you're serving bagged spinach, it goes into a bowl with tongs. If you're enjoying some chips with salsa, the chips go in a bowl (and then in the microwave for 15 seconds to make 'em hot and toasty!)
  
• No previous meal evidence. If you're sitting down to a meal, make sure you don't have traces above or below the table of the last meal you ate.
  
• Serve each plate. If there are parts of the meal that you can serve onto each plate, it makes the table less cluttered. It's also a gentle method of portion control.

So, tonight as you serve your meals, think about what you can do to Dine with Grace.

Eat Like a Peasant: Magical Pot of Beans

Beans. Jack was right, they are magical. But if you want beans to be a part of your diet, you're gonna have to figure out a faster, simpler way to cook up a batch without all the babysitting.

[Enter crockpot]

The humble crockpot is the secret to making a magical pot of plain old cooked beans. After they're soft and cooked you can do anything with them. You can make chili, stick the beans in the freezer for later use (so convenient!), mash them up for a bean dip, or toss them onto a salad.

Magical Pot of Beans

1. Put several cups of beans in a crockpot and cover with double the water.
2. Let sit overnight (12+ hours).
3. Drain off water (you'll be glad you did--that water contains complex sugars your body has trouble digesting!) and cover with double the water again.
4. Turn crockpot to high and cook for five hours.

Depending on the size of the bean it may take more or less time, so take a bean or two out and taste test it for doneness.

Cooking beans in the crockpot means you'll have beans ready when you are. That's the ideal convenience food! When foods are easy to prepare, we eat more of them.

Beans are a perfect choice for eating like a peasant.

Put Your Trust in the King: Start Your Day With Prayer

Even before breakfast, take time this morning to pray. Ask for help, pray for strength, and express gratitude. A prayer is the best way to start your morning. Keep it heartfelt and say what you mean. That's the best way to Put Your Trust in the King.

Banish the Wenches: Happy Talk

As you Banish the Wenches from Skinnyville, think of positive thoughts to replace the negative ones. Happy talk is powerful medicine and has less calories than even water. (True!)

Happy talk can be phrases like:

"Today is a great day!"
"I'm doing really well today!"
"Wow! I'm awesome!"
"I'm right on track!"

The cool thing is that all of those phrases are absolutely true. Instead of cluttering your mind with the negative, use your Queen of Skinnyville superpowers and give yourself some happy talk.

Fortify Your Castle: Book Review of Mindless Eating

If you're looking for a book that will revolutionize the way you look at food, eating and social cues, check out Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink.

Wansink runs the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University where he and his students test out different food theories. Will people eat more if they're given a bigger plate? A bottomless plate? More selections? Does food placement or name matter? Does any of this affect the way I eat?

I've always considered myself to be a clever consumer--you know, smarter than those tricky ad execs. This book smacked me 'cross the rear end with Grandma's wooden spoon of humility. I wasn't as clever as I thought I was.

We all need to be aware of the tools that restaurants, food marketers, and Uncle Sam use to manipulate the way we eat. Armed with this book, you'll be able to truly Fortify Your Castle.

Curtsy, Bow, Wave: Looking Stupid

Women-only gyms have popped up all over the country. Why?

"I'm intimidated by weight-lifters"
"I don't want to sweat in front of all those guys."
"I need a gym that has pink treadmills and lavender weights"

It's time to stop worrying about what other people think, and start sweating. That means doing your sit-ups, push-ups and squats at the gym or at home--even if your kids' friends are whispering "What's your mom doing?"

Technically, yes. Exercising will make you look stupid, ('specially the squats) but only for about 20 minutes. What happens after that?

You get to feel the glow and let it burn. You're on your way to Skinnyville!

Dine With Grace: Tablecloths

Before I was the Queen of Skinnyville, I didn't believe in tablecloths. "They're just for Thanksgiving and Christmas," I thought.

As the Queen of Skinnyville I Dine with Grace, that means that my dining experience must reflect who I am. I use a tablecloth now. A simple one--no lace or crazy fruit basket embroidery. It's washable, beautiful and makes my meals more enjoyable.

Do you use a tablecloth? How does it affect the way you Dine with Grace?

Eat Like a Peasant: Queen of Skinnyville Whole Wheat Bread

The essence of a healthy diet is eating real foods with real ingredients. Look on any loaf of bread in the grocery store and you're likely to see ingredients that your super-hot (now super-old) 8th grade science teacher doesn't even know how to pronounce.

This recipe makes two ever-lovin' whole wheat loaves of goodness.

Queen of Skinnyville Whole Wheat Bread
2 3/4 cup warm water (110-120 F)
1 Tbs. yeast
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 cup potato flakes
2 Tbs vital wheat gluten (optional, but makes the bread chewy and soft)
6-7 cups whole wheat flour

Mix everything but the whole wheat flour in a stand mixer. Add the flour one cup at a time until it's incorporated. Stop adding flour when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Divide and shape the dough (you don't have to get all fancy with rolling and massaging the dough). Put the dough into two pans that have been oiled or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Let it rise one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 F while the bread is rising. Bake for 25 minutes.

Let it cool. Give one loaf to a friend or neighbor and keep your other loaf wrapped up and ready to eat. Remember, a slice of bread is about 100-150 calories, so just because it's homemade and whole wheat doesn't mean that it has magical invisible calories.

Queen of Skinnyville

Welcome to the Official Blog of the Queen of Skinnyville!

The Queen wishes to address her subjects:

"Welcome to my blog! I'm delighted that you are here. Please return to my blog often as I will be posting recipes, challenges, decrees, encouragement, speaking dates, and other very royal stuff!"

-The Queen of Skinnyville