Support Groups - Jazz, Jive, and Jump in July - The wordly chicks are moving the jiggling bits

Mel...I just lurk here to get your recipes. Copied your zucchine lasagna and was trying to figure out how to do small portions. Then last night at 12m the Iron Chef show had the guest chef make it. It was so good she beat Bobby Flay. Karen3

Good morning chicks,

:wave: Hello Karen Lurker.

Ceejay - my nurse friend said that we all have the diverticuli - and eventually it acts up. Get more fiber, cut back on the stuff with little seeds like caraway seeds in rye bread, strawberries, even the white seeds in seedless watermelons will do you in. Spices should be powdered rather than crushed. For pizza I have switched over to vegetable pizzas and ones without tomato sauce as I found those are really starting to bother my tummy. Hope you feel better.

Mel - I think I'll play a trick on DH and tell him we are having squash tarts for supper. Actually I would like them very much, he would be :barf: eating cereal that night. :lol: Sounds like you are in for a quiet Sunday today - just you and the bird. They do love to have their head scratched, don't they? Until they decide they've had enough and nip you :yikes:

Wow Shad - they have had the restrictions on for so long that I can't remember when you could water your lawn last. Hurray for that tho I suppose if the water restrictions are lifted, that means the lawn has been getting enough rain anyway. Sorry the hear the brothers have formed a dunderhead tag team on you. You just keep giving them whatfor :rollpin: :rolleyes:

Ruth - what a pity that it had to rain for the fair. Why is it always like that? Hope you were able to avoid the rib temptation which is pretty hard to do if you can smell them cooking. :hungry:

Holly - high speed internet is a wonderful thing (mostly) :lol:

Shy - enjoy the visitors

Annie - did DS truck survive the truck pulls? I don't understand boys :no: I thought they used stock cars, not their PERSONAL vehicles :lol:

Time to get outside and sweat a little - actually alot. Supposed to be a heat index of 110 today. I will try not to exhert? myself pulling weeds too hard :lol:

Later ladies :wave:

Morning all,
And it doesn't look like a bad morning either although somewhat cloudy and cool.
Worked hard yesterday, cut all the hedge and cleaned the kitchen. Still have to dust and sweep the lounge and the rest of the house, but it is happening in between bursts of work. I need to book a haircut this week too.
My brothers are talking to me. One arrived round yesterday afternoon and the other rung last night. For their pains they got another burst of famitly ties and their phones reprogrammed so they HAVE NO EXCUSE not to communicate.

Ceejay - sorry to hear you are having tummy problems. Sometimes greasy food does that to us. Good excuse to eat clean

Hello Karen lurker

Happy - so glad to hear the pool will be operational this year after all. You will be pleased. Great exercise - the pool.
Did you manage to corner the DH??

Mel - Interesting to note that the chicks are lurking to nick your recipes. I can't see any reason why you can't use a normal cheddar cheese on that recipe. I'm not great on the blue cheeses myself. That might be one I try out on the DS1 when he comes up in August - not that I will be here but he will. I can leave it in the fridge for him I guess. I have a recipe for a Ratatouille tart that he enjoyed.

With that I need to go down the hall. Then breakfast, finish the washing and get some work done for the company. I managed to nail the consultants left foot to the floor on Thursday and got half an hour uninterrupted time with him. I have a few corrections to make and that doco is complete. Yabba dabba doooooooooo

The Fair closes in 45 minutes and I am home! We may be OK financially - last night the Beer Tent brought in $10K - and those idiots left it in the desk drawer, rather than in the frassing safe!

Right now, I'm going to change into my robe, get a Scotch and sit on my front porch to watch the traffic leave. Tomorrow a hush will settle over the town after all the excitement.

Methinks I'll be abed early tonight! The rides will be packed up and leaving on the transports in the wee hours which will wake me up - but I'll be smiling!

I will enjoy when the visitors are gone lol.

:welcome: HELLO KAREN :wave: GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE. NICE OF YOU TO DROP BY. YOU GAVE ME A GOOD LAUGH....BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN FOLLOWING THE CHEF SERIES. SMALL PORTIONS ARE THE TOUGHEST PAR FOR ME. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS LASAGNA OR SOMETHING EQUALLY YUMMY! :hun: HAVE A GREAT DAY.

CEEJAY...HOPE YOUR 4 DAY WEEK GOES FLYING BY WITHOUT A LOT OF HYDRANT PROBLEMS. GUESS THAT'S TYPICAL IN THE SUMMER? ARE YOU FEELING BETTER TODAY? SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS :hug:

HAPPY...POOR DH...NO SQUASH FOR HIM THEN. SON'T WANT HIM TOSSING HIS COOKIES..OR IN HIS CASE CEREAL...ALL OVER THE NEW TILED FLOOR! THE GS CAN'T NIP ME CAUSE HE HAS A SPLIT BEAK SINCE BIRTH I THINK. ANYWAY...HE CAN BIT NO ONE! BUT HE THINKS HE CAN :rofl:

SHAD...I WAS THINKING OF DIFFERENT CHEESES CAUSE THE BLUES GIVE ME HEARTBURN SOMETHING AWFUL NOW. I ALSO REALIZED I CANNOT MAKE IT FOR JEN BECAUSE OF THE LACTOSE PROBLEM :faint: I FORGOT!
NOW YOU ARE HOME, WHAT IS THE NEXT HGTV PROJECT? :lol3: :lol3: INQUIRING MINDS NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS.
:yoga: I can SEE A RED WALL IN YOUR FUTURE :wizard:


RUTH...GLAD THEY MADE THE $$ AT THE TENT. DID THE WHOLE TOWN GO HOME DRUNK??? GOOD THING THERE WERE NO DUI TRAPS ON THEIR WAY HOME :yikes:

RENNIE...RELAXATION TIME WILL SOON BE HERE.

:cofdate: I NHAVE DESIGNATED TODAY AS "LET'S GET CONTROL OF THE LAUNDRY" DAY :rofl: THAT IS AFTER I FINISH THIS BLOWING OF THE NOSE MARATHON!! A REAL SINUSSY DAY TODAY. ANYWAY.....
THE OFFICE WILL BE TERRIBLY SHORTHANDED THIS WEEK. DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN REALLY DO TO HELP. HOLDING A PHONE WITH MY OLD FRIEND THE OTHER NIGHT ALMOST KILLED ME. I REALLY NEED TO GET TO A STORE AND BUY A HEADSET BUT I DON'T HEAR AS WELL WITH THEM. SIGH. AND I HATE SPEAKER PHONES.
I DIGRESS...SO I'M OFF TO THE LAUNDRY. SEE YOU GALS MANANA. HAVE A GREAT DAY AND NEW WEEK!
HAPPY MONDAY/TUESDAY :moped:
ps...i will be missing tomorrow most likely..food shopping :cry:

Good Monday Morning Chickies..........

Holly....hey girl, welcome to the fast lane of internet.

MEL & Ceejay...allergies really stink. Hope you both get to feeling better. One of my manager's has allergies really bad, he looks like crap, his eyes are swollen, his nose is beat red and running. I told him he looked like heck and should of stayed home. He said, "thanks". hahahaha Well he does look like crap.

Happy...isn't is amazing how we can find SOMETHING to clean when we cannot get out in the yard. I swept out my car over the weekend. Is is so nice. Yeehaw on the pool, we used to have a pool when I was married. DS did ok on the truck pull. It was his first, came in 8th out of 20. He twisted his drive shaft, but said, "don't worry mom, I have another I can put in". Whatever. Boys and their toys.

Shad...I think we have all had our share of rain this year. I am sick of it, altho we have had the last couple of weekends rain free.

I left here Friday night to go to the truck pull and wouldn't you know it, my car wouldn't start in the parking lot. A buddy gave me a jump, went to Autozone, bought a new battery but it took them like 1 1/2 hours to switch it out, cause my cables were carroded (sp), didn't get home till 8pm and miss the truck pulls, as they were an hour away. The rest of the weekend was ok tho. Cut grass, weeded gardens, cleaned the car out, swept the walk, glued some stuff back together. Didn't do any inside work, cept dishes.

Everyone have a great day.

Love and Hugs

ANNIE....SORRY YOU MISSED THE DS IN THE TRUCK PULLS. TOO BAD. GOOD OUTDOOR WEEKEND THO!!! :dance:

:wave: TO MISS HAPPY...USUALLY I CAN HEAR HER TIPPY TOEING INTO THE CHICKS DOMAIN!




** I DO KEEP FORGETTING HOW A SIMPLE MEAL AND A SALAD CAN MAKE A DINNER OR LUNCH A FAST TREAT IN THIS HEAT. :beach:

http://i.timeinc.net/realsimple/i/p/June07/0607_mexican_fiesta_4.jpg
Cheese Quesadillas

By Real Simple

INGREDIENTS:
8 8-inch flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Monterey Jack
1 12-ounce container refrigerated store-bought salsa

DIRECTIONS:
Heat broiler. Place 2 tortillas on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly over each. Top with 2 more tortillas. Broil until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cheese. Cut into triangles and serve with the salsa.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

CALORIES 237 (30% from fat); FAT 8g (sat 4g); CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29g; SODIUM 551mg; PROTEIN 11g; FIBER 2g; SUGAR 5g

Mel
I love Quesadilla's.

Hi Karen :wave:

Happy
I keep getting those things about the diverticulitis/osis mixed up. I know the doctor showed me those little things from my colonoscopy a couple of years ago.

A call from the boss he's sending a new trainee over.
Gotta go.

:wave: girlfriend :dance:

I ROTISSERIE CHICKENS...LOOK MA NO OVEN!!!
I AM IN THE OFFICE AND JUST CAME UP FOR A BREAK. I WAS RIGHT AND THIS IS THE DAY ONE OF THEM NEEDS HELP!! KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED OFR ME! :dance:



http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/everyday_food/2007Q2/med102963_0607_asiansalad_l.jpg

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cashews

Directions

Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

CEEJAYU.....GOOD LUCK WITH THE TRAINEE!!!

:devil: I AM POSTING TONITE FOR TOMORROW...........
NO WASH GOT DONE TODAY. I WENT DOWN TO MAKE A SUGGESTIUON TO A FRIEND WHO IS GETTING HER SHOULDER OPERATED ON TOMORROW. I FOUND HER ALREADY CLOSING OUT THE MONTH AND GOING TO PRINT, CHECK, SORT AND ENVELOPE EVERYTHING BY HERSELF SO I WORKED WITH HER.
SHE WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE HELP AND SHE GOT TO LEAVE AT 4 INSTEAD OF OVERTIME. SHE NEEDS THE REST AND GET HER HEAD IN A GOOD PLACE I TOLD HER FOR TOMORROW. NOIHING LIKE CUTTING IT CLOSE. BUT YOU KNOW SOMETHING? WE HAVE WORKED BEFORE FOR A FEW YEARS AND THERE IS A PART OF ME THAT KNEW THAT SHE KNEW I WOULD BE THERE FOR HER TODAY. I HAD TOLD HER "ONLY FOR YOU I CAME DOWN" AND SHE SAID SHE KNEW I WOULD COME. FUNNY...BUT I ALMOST STAYED UPSTAIRS!! THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED TO GET MY BUTT GOING ALMOST LIKE I WAS LATE. AND I TOLD MYSELF TO HURRY SO I COULD GET DOWN TO HER. SOOOO.......SHE MUST KNOW ME BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF!! :rofl:
TOMORROW IS FOOD SHOPPING AND I WON'T WANT TO BE DOING ANY TYPING,....OF THIS I AM SURE :faint:

HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT DAY. LOOKS A WEE BIT EMPTY HERE TODAY. SWEET DREAMS GALS AND GOOD MORNING MISS SUNSHINE :sunny:

Morning Mel and all the other lovely people here - lurkers and all.

Just a quick fly by for me today. I'm off to the shearing shed for a cut and colour in an hours time. Will be a relief to get it sorted. However the regular stylist is away somewhere and it will be someone new. Therefore apprehension dawns. Hate having to break in a new hairdresser. It always starts something like:
Are you a senior stylist, that's okay then.
Have you cut number 8 fencing wire before, that's okay then
Are you any good at cutting hair which will curl in unpredictable ways ????
There are several kinks in my hair, please watch for those.
I have no talent with hair whatsoever, so whatever you do, it must be simple enough for idiots to copy. Otherwise you will see me tomorrow and the next day.
Are you ready then? Where's my coffee?

So that will be my morning done for. I'll be back

SHADDIE...GOOD LUCK WITH THE SHEEP SHEARING! :lol3: :lol3:

IT'S FUNNY HOW I LOOK AT A RECIPE AND CAN SEE HOW I CAN CUT DOWN ON THE SALT AND FAT. A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO I WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN GIVEN IT A SECOND THOUGHT!! I .IKE THIS RECIPE CAUSE IT GOES WITH ALL KINDS OF MEAT!

FROM REAL SIMPLE FOR TUESDAY'S FARE:


http://i.timeinc.net/realsimple/i/p/recipes/0404/0404_orange_prkbroc_stirfry.jpg

Orange Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry

INGREDIENTS:

2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total), 4 skinless, or boneless chicken-breast halves, or 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet or tofu -- with the meat or fish cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoon sherry or white wine
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 orange, zest grated and juice squeezed
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 bunch broccoli (1/2 pound), cut into small pieces, stalks peeled and thinly sliced (3 cups)

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, toss the meat or fish with the sherry, red pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch. In a measuring cup, combine the orange juice, chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and the remaining cornstarch.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the orange zest and let it sizzle for 1 minute. Add the onion and the meat or fish and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes. Add the orange-juice mixture and broccoli. Simmer 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 383 (33% from fat); FAT 14g (sat 3g); CHOLESTEROL 111mg; CALCIUM 54mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19g; SODIUM 647mg; PROTEIN 43mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 3mg

Real Simple, APRIL 2004

Hi chicks,

Sorry - thought I posted today but got distracted and I lost my post I guess. And if you think I will remember what I wrote this early morning - well :rofl: - joke's on you!

I made a copycat recipe of Mongolian Beef with a bit of Happy's tweaking. It came out really good - I would definitely make it again. It did make a mess on the stove and DH was a sweetie to clean the cooktop for me cuz it needed MANLY elbow grease :rofl:

The kids - and they were kids - showed up at 2pm to work on the pool. They got the old cement out - and will be back tomorrow to lay the new stuff in. I told DH to keep an eye on them. We found that the landscapers that we paid ALOT of money to rework the back yard just buried the old drainpipes ON TOP of the new stuff so that they wouldn't have to haul it off. And they did not dig as deep as they should have to replace the soil when they set out the garden. This we are finding out now, 2 years after the fact as DH digs part of the yard up to find a leak in the pump line. You have to watch everyone closely now a days. Sad but true.

Shad - I hope the haircut comes out well. I know you have such an ordeal with finding a good stylist. I like your comment about coming up with a style that YOU can work with the next day :lol: Don't we all sort of revert back to the same style or two that we are comfortable with?

Mel - happy food shopping. Take some of those recipes with you this week and you'll have good eats. It was very nice of you to go back to the office and help that woman out, but then again, that's the kind of person you are. :hug:

Ceejay - hope the new trainee caught on quick.

Annie - not sure if it's the same way up your way but it seems like the allergies are staring to hang around all year long. I used to just have winter allergies but they say down here because of all the flowers and such, that they hang around all the time. I'm sure my vertigo is somewhat allergy based. Hate to take those allergy pills all the time. Have to laugh at how nonchalant DS was with the drive shaft. Ain't it great to be young and carefree? I need a dose of that - just a smidge once in a while :lol:

Rest up Ruthie.

:wave: Holly and Shy

I picked out a couple of pair of shoes online. The retailers are getting more liberal - free shipping and returns so it's easier to shop. I miss not being able to wear heels anymore. Just once in a while would be nice. And yes, red stilletos go great with skinny jeans ( ;) Annie )

Where's Michelle? Tell her vacation's over and it's back to work and posting again :rofl:

I think this will do for my morning update so I'll check in tomorrow evening. See yah :wave:

Just checking in to say good morning.

Darn pills and their diuretic effects :mad: Wake me up about 30 minutes BEFORE the alarm goes off for a potty call. Hey, I want and need EVERY minute of my sleep. :lol:

Going to be another scorcher today. Stay cool chicks. I'm off to the salt mine to earn my 37 cents for the day...

I'm back! Sorry for being gone so long.

DH and I took Thursday and Friday off to have a nice 4 day weekend with DMIL since she leaves this Friday. Of course, I didn't count on getting really sick on Thursday. I had the stomach flu BAD...complete with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and a 102 fever. No fun at all. My tummy is just now feeling a little bit better. DH took his mom for a nice drive on Thursday as I didn't want them staying home on my account. Then we went for another drive on Friday and I was up to going. Saturday we went fishing...DH caught all the fish including a 31", 8 lb pike. It was a gorgeous day. And on Sunday we went to the county fair.

Yesterday, I had to go into work early and was so busy, I didn't even get to take a lunch break. Hopefully today will be a little less crazy.

Due to my upset tummy, I haven't been eating exactly on plan and haven't done any exercise in days. I hope I get over this soon.

Shad - I'm not going to Indy yet. We might go for Labor Day weekend....not sure yet. I hope you are enjoying your week at home! I hope the haircut turns out nice!

Happy - You're right....Type 2 diabetes is incurable, but treatable and controllable disease - at least in my case it has been. I'm so hoping that my blood test came out okay (I see the doc on Friday). Being diagnosed with Type 2 was just the brick (or kick in the arse) I needed. As for stress building up toxins...that's true too. Deep breath....deep breath. I also think of things I'd have to give up if I had GB surgery, so you're not alone. For now, I'll try the non-surgical route. I'll bet you're thrilled that your pool will be done soon! Does that mean we're all invited to a weekend pool party at Happy's? :swim: Happy, I can't believe how late you stay up! I'm down for the count by 10 pm. Then up at 1 am and at 4 to let the doggies out....then it's back to bed until 5:15 or 5:30.

Annie - That's great news about your nephew! Bummer that you may be out of town if we get to Indy for Labor Day. But there will be other occasions to meet. Thanks for all the info about WLS. I think I'd miss the breads, but you're right....it's what you want more - losing weight and being healthy versus soda or bread. I'm so glad that you are feeling so great and enjoying life as a thin healthy person!

Mel - I hope your zyrtec fog has cleared up. I agree with Ruth...please start making YOU a first priority.

Ceejay - I hope your allergies are doing better, and I hope things went well with the trainee.

Well, lots of work to catch up on still.

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!

Morning everyone.

The trainee only stayed about 2 hours. This morning he's working with the water/sewer crew. Yeah. I like my solitude.

Just received a call from the doctor's office. They wanted to reschedule my appointment. I'm going this Thursday instead of the 8th of August. He's going to be out of town on the 8th.

Going to try something a little different this week. Going to count carbs--not doing Atkins or South Beach. Still like WW. I do a lot better health wise if I stay with in 120 grams of carbs.

No time for personals this morning.

Stay cool.

:sunny: WHAT A HOT ONE!! AND STICKY TOO. I DID THE FOOD SHOPPING. (bought all tv dinners, steamer veggies and pre-cut fruit) I CAME HOME & COLLECTED EVERYONE'S BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY AND HAD MARK DELIVER THEM BEFORE THEY WERE OVERDUE.
WILLY NEEDED MY PHONE FOR THE DAY...I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO OBLIGE HIM:dance: JUST WISH HE WOULD KEEP IT!! :cheer3:
I GAVE NOTICE THAT I CANNOT HELP TODAY IN THE OFFICE. THE ARM WAS GOOD FOR NOTHING AFTER THE SHOPPING TRIP. JUST ICE AND ALEVE AND ME. :beach: AND SOME ICED TEA WITH HONEY.
THE GENT FROM INDIA CAME TODAY OF ALL DAYS. I SPENT ABOUT 15 MINUTES WITH HIM AND HE WENT IN TO EAT AND I MADE MY GETAWAY AND CAME UP HERE TO DIE! :rofl: :rofl:
MY GRANDSON IS MY BEST FRIEND. DOESN'T ASK FOR MUCH AND GIVES ME KISSES. MAYBE SOME HARRY POTTER AND REST. THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!

:wave: SAYING HELLO TO EVERYONE. CEEJAY ENJOY THE SOLITUDE AND STAY COOL TOO. HAPPY YOU WILL GET TO SWIM YET THIS SUMMER! WELCOME BACK MICHELLE AND GET WELL SOON. GOTTA GO AND LIE DOWN. ADIOS!! :moped:

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/everyday_food/2006Q2/edf_may06_bag_shrimp_l.jpg

Serves 4

JULY
29
TUESDAY

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
This company-worthy stovetop-to-table meal is impressively easy.



Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 thinly sliced scallions
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh fresh mint, plus more for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack set in upper third. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains in skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add shrimp and mint to skillet. Stir to combine; transfer to an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Crumble feta over top.
Bake until liquid is bubbling, cheese is beginning to brown, and shrimp in center of dish are opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with Orzo and Green Beans, sprinkled with additional chopped mint.

ORZO AND GREEN BEANS

IngredientsServes 4.
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup orzo
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook orzo 4 minutes. Add green beans; continue cooking until beans are tender and orzo is al dente, 5 to 6 minutes more.
Drain orzo, and return to saucepan. Mix in lemon juice and oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Morning all,

Running late again today since it is so cold (by Queensland standards) and the temps are plummetting to single digits over night and only getting into the teens during the day. We've got snow out on the Granite Belt which is not uncommon, but for it to last is unusual. Just to put everyone in the picture, winter in this part of the world is cool nights, warm days, little rain and beautiful blue skies. This year is really upside down. We have had rain, cold. fog and wind ( but not together) and the population - all four million of us - are freezing. I've had to use heat this year and that is unusual. Normally I just put on a light jumper and that is the extent of my winter. Summer tees and shorts plus jumper.

Bought a new pair of shoes yesterday - I was actually looking for a handbag! So I all set for comfy feet. They better be comfy. I don't like uncomfy shoes. My niece was okay with them so I guess I won't look to uncool wearing them!!!

Okay - time to get on with the job. I'm almost getting to the part I like - putting in data for lessons. Yahoo. I will see the back of this Finance yet. HR is FINISHED :dance: :dance:

I'll be back for personals later.

:brr: I AM SORRY TO FIND YOU FREEZING LIL' SIS :hug: HOPE YOU FIND SOME WARMER WEATHER SOON. MUST BE HARD GOING FROM JK TO HOME AND VISA VERSA. STAY WARM LITTLE CHICK!!

TAKING THE DAY OFF. ONE WOMAN IS BACK TODAY. SO NOW THERE ARE TWO. NOTHING PLANNED EITHER. :beach: GOING TO BE A HOTTIE AGAIN BUT I MIGHT GET OUTSIDE FOR A FEW BEFORE THE RAINS COME AGAIN. GOTTA GET ME SOME OF THAT VITAMIN D!!
HAPPY WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY :moped:

Happy Hump Day...

Am having cottage cheese with tomatos and cucumbers out of the garden. YUM YUM....I love the fresh veggies. I also have a zucchini waiting on me at home. Got two little punkins a growing also. It is so fun seeing the crops come in. haha

DS is coming home this weekend. I wanna go canoeing (sp) so I hope he is in the mood for it. It is supposed to be 90+ degrees all weekend with no rain. It will be a scorcher. No better place than a creek.

Hello to all, gotta go poo...maybe come back later.

Love and Hugs

Greetings and salutations :wave:

Just to show that there must be balance in the world, poor Shad is freezing and we are melting.

You go soak up some sun Mel - but not too much :beach: - remember the sun block and have a nice day off for a change :D Bet you don't make the ENTIRE day off :lol: I'm not looking at your recipes this week because they look too darn good and I'm trying to use up what's in the house for a change. But lookout next week :hungry:

That says alot if you had to put the heat on Shad. Do you even have furnaces and air conditioners? Or is it more like open air and fans. DH is from the east coast (same side as Mel) and I was very surprised to hear that many of the older homes don't have air conditioners. Furnaces of course because they get cold and snow but they have large shade trees and just put out a fan when it gets warm. That's why DH would no longer stay there when we were grownups and would visit. Daddy had a window air conditioner for their room but we would roast.

Hope the training is going well. You sound typical busy. Stay warm and dry. It will be over soon. I think the weather is screwy all over the world. Seems like a quiet hurricane season so far or is it just too early?

Ceejay - got to stick with what works for you - as long as it's not banana split blasts from Sonic. :lol: I do not understand the love affair down here with the Sonic Drive-In fast food. Guess you had to grow up eating it but everytime I drive by one - and they are everywhere - they are jammed.

Michelle - sorry you took ill this weekend. Particularly since it was the last hurrah with the MIL. I know you were looking forward to it. Particularly a shame to waste precious vacation days being sick - those are for work days :lol: Hope you are feeling better - sometimes those summertime things can be quite nasty. Come out of nowhere it seems. And you can never quite pinpoint them to a specific meal. Guess we'd have to ask Ceejay if that old wives tale that mom would quote - "must be something in the water" is true. I would find it hard to believe but I hate to go against Mom :lol:

Ok, I think I've babbled enough. Gotta get out of here if I want a parking spot at work that isn't 1 mile away from the door. And the goofs that were working on the cement on Monday never showed up yesterday to finish the job. Service down here in the south stinks big time. :no:

Ohh Annie - the cottage cheese sounds good and so do the veggies. Can't wait for my grape tomatoes to come in. Surprised you're getting cucumbers with the heat - don't they get yellowy and buggy when it gets hot?

Good Wednesday morning (or evening) -

Shad - Sorry to hear it's so cold down under! I'm sure many of us would be happy to send some of our hot and muggy weather down there to warm you up! It's supposed to be near 90 degrees and humid the rest of the week. Congrats for finishing HR and making progress on Finance.

Mel - Glad to hear you are taking the day off. Stay cool!

Annie - your cottage cheese and veggies sounds wonderful! I just finished some cottage cheese, blueberries, strawberries and canteloupe. Yumm! My tomatoes are still green, my cukes are still too small to pick, and my squash and pumpkin don't have fruit (er veggies) on them yet....just flowers. You should have great canoeing weather. I'm hoping to go to State Fair this weekend, but we'll see. I don't do well in hot and muggy weather.

Happy - Are Sonic drive in's any good? We have the commercials here, but we don't have any up here (that I know of)...go figure. And even though I was ill this past weekend, we were still able to do fun stuff with DMIL. I was just totally down for the count on Thursday. I'm feeling a little better and am eager to get back to the gym....though I'm going to wait until the weekend. I submitted my application for a part-time job at Petco. Hopefully, I'll hear back soon.

Well, I've got to run.

Love and hugs,

Mel...I'm back just to tell you the Zucchine Lasagna was wonderful. The house smelled like heaven. I added chopped garlic and mixed FF mozarella,cheddar,and parm cheese together. Karen3

KAREN...GLAD IT WAS GOOD. WAITING TO GET MY ZUCCHINIS LATER THIS WEEK I HOPE! :hun: YOU CAN BE THE OFFICIAL TASTE TESTER!! I'M GOING TO DO THE PARM-MOZZ MIX FOR CHEESES.

ANNIE....HAPPY POO WEDNESDAY TO YOU TOO!! :rofl:

MICHELLE...HAVE A HAPPY BUSY DAY!

HAPPY....A LOT OF HOUSES STILL DON'T HAVE THE PROPER WIRING. IT'S THE OLD CLOTH COVERED WIRING. :yikes: THE KIND THAT GOES UP IN :flame:
SAME THING WITH THE OLD APT BUILDINGS. SIGH.
YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THE DAY OFF :rofl:

:cry: VERY SAD. TREMENDOUS OFFICE DRAMA. SETTLED SOME OF IT AND CAME UP HERE BEFORE IT COULD ERUPT AGAIN. ALL POLITICAL AND A HUGE EFFING TIME BOMB. WHEN OR WHERE IT WILL EXPLODE IS ANYONE'S GUESS :faint: HOPEFULLY I WILL BE UPSTAIRS!!!!!:lol3:

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Flank Steak with Lime Marinade

Ingredients
Serves 4
1/3 cup (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 scallions (about 1/3 cup), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Directions
In a resealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Add steak, and seal bag (place in a dish to catch any leaks); marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 1 hour.
Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); season with salt and black pepper. Place on grill; cover. Cook, turning once, until meat reaches desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Happy..My cukes are just wonderful. It didn't get really hot,hot and humid till this past week. It has been mostly rainy till then.

Michelle...I have two little baby pumpkins growning so far. One the size of a 50 cent piece, the other the size of a quarter. Just little babies, and so cute. Saving up my blossoms (the one with no punkins on them) to fry up this weekend. You have to pick them in the morning before they are wilted up. Then wash them, pick off the spriggy things around the bottom of the bloom, dip in flour, fry on both sides till crispy in a little butter, margarine, or oil. They taste like mushroom, the kind you go hunting for in the spring. YUMMY..

MEL...thanks for the happy poo Wednesday...it has been 4X today, and feeling like it is going to hit again soon. That is what I get since not pooing since Sunday. Shuu weee! Literally. hahaha

Happy Trails Y'all.

Love and Hugs

You girls make me laugh.

I told myself that this would be an easy day. I got fooled. I still need to refill the fluoride drum. It's so hot outside. I'm dreading it. But this is my first chance to do it.

Tried something different last night. Meditated for 15 minutes, did the Biggest Loser dvd, and a new Yoga dvd which to me was stretching.


Shad
I'd love to have some of your cold weather. The ac's are getting over worked.

Morning all,
Happy, I have reverse cycle air conditioning in the house. It doesn't really do the entire house but I don't like air con when sleeping - I use the ceiling fans and open windows for that. No furnaces. It is 13 degrees in the house this morning. Yesterday was very cold in the morning but glorious during the day as long as you stayed out of the wind. Today looks much the same.

Mel - sorry to hear that the political ball is bouncing in NJ. Always causes problems - that hunk of meat looks good. Haven't read the recipe yet tho' and it would probably break the bank to buy a hunk of beef these days. Enjoy the sun. I will when it gets up and starts warming things up somewhat. Just watch the rays in case you get burnt.
It's interesting that you have your own taster (Karen3) Rest of us don't get that.

Ceejay - take care running around with those drums of poisonous stuff. How did you like the meditation stuff

Annie - love cottage cheese and vegetables. Favourite lunch that. Especially with some nice rice crackers or bread sticks.

Michelle - good luck with the job application. Haven't been to the gym myself for the week I have been home. I'm supposed to be researching new gyms but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Okay, I am off to enter a stack of data in the system for the trainees next week to check on, change, delete, authorise, and copy. I'm working out the project system slowly. I have authority to allow the mythical expenditure of $2million USD which must be a trillion million Indonesian Rupiah. So I might just buy up the town! See you all later

Some Hollyhocks from my garden :)

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nice flowers
what else is happening in your part of the world?

Happy Thursday!

I'm leaving work early for a follow up appointment with my nutritionist, so I've got to cram all my day's work into a fewer hours...fun. At least I only have 3 meetings today. And it will be nice to leave work at 2:30 even if it is to go to a doctor (okay, nutritionist) appointment.

Ceejay - Wow! Meditation, Biggest Loser workout and Yoga! Good for you!!

Shad - I try and use the air con as little as possible...but Wisconsin summers are hot and muggy, so we sometimes need the air con just to get the dampness out of the house. I much prefer to sleep with an open window and a fan going.

Holly - your hollyhocks are gorgeous! I had no idea they came in such a variety of colors. When I've planted them, they never stand straight and tall...maybe I don't plant them deep enough.

Mel - I hope you're staying cool!

Annie - Enjoy more cottage cheese and veggies....I'll be having cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast.

Happy - I hope your pool is coming along so you get to enjoy it soon.

Gotta fly for now...lots to do.

Love and hugs,

Good morning chicks,

well I got an extra mile walk in yesterday (actually more) just getting through the parking lot. Too many people, not enough parking spots. I'm headed into work early today. Is this an insidious plot to get us to go to work earlier? :dunno: Hot in the office too - was over 80 degrees yesterday. The vent right above my cubemate's head was actually blowing HOT air yesterday. Ugh. I'm sure there was something good about yesterday but I forgot what it was :lol:

I'm sorry I don't have time for personals right now. Will try to get back at lunch time. Oh yeah and I got an interesting suggestion from an Alzheimer's info session I attended yesterday. Will elaborate later.

Have a good one, let's stay temperate whereever we are :D

SHAD...:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY

ANNIE....IF I COULD HAVE ONE THING OF YOURS I WOULD TAKE THE LOO FREQUENCYY :lol3: :lol3: AND NOW I AM JEALOUS OF YOUR VEGGIE GARDEN TOO!! :rofl:

CEEJAY.....GOOD FOR YOU WITH THE MEDITATION. YOU WILL LIVE LONGER! :dance: AND AS FOR THE YOGA...MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST WEIGHT WITH IT :yoga:
:cheer3: SO GO CJ GO :cheer3:

SHAD#2.... SCROLLED BACK AND SAW ANOTHER POST FROM YOU.,...YES KIDDO THE KAKA(SP) IS ABOUT READY TO HIT THE FAN HERE. I'M CONSIDERING MOVING TO OZ NOW. :rofl: I MUST DON MY ANTI-KAKA SUIT FOR THE TIME BEING. :belly: HOPE YOU THAW OUT DOWN THERE SOON. WHEN YOU SHOP...REMEMBER TO BUY ONLY THE BEST BITS OF THE TOWN!!!

:cofdate: WE HAD THE MOST ADORABLE A/C MAN HERE YESTERDAY. CUTE AS A BUTTON. LOVED TO TALK, FLIRT AND GAVE ME A LOT OF USEFUL INFO ON THE NOLD SYSTEM. WE HAVE WORKED OUT A BETTER PLAN TO RUN IT AND HOPEFULLY KEEP THE COMMUNITY ROOM COOL AND NOT LOSE THE A/C'S MOTOR! :yikes: WHEN HE GOT INSIDE THE CIELING, THERE WAS A SMALL ICEBERG WRAPPED AROUND THE SMALLER UNIT. THE 2 UNITS OUTSIDE HAD YET TO FREEZE THANK GOD. SO WE ARE UP AND RUNNING. (HOPEFULLY)
NOTHING NEW WITH ME. A BIT OF OFFICE STUFF TODAY. ONLY ME AND MY FRIEND ARE HERE. BUT THE SILENCE WILL BE WONDERFUL :dance:
HAPPY THURSDAY/ FRIDAY :moped:

:wave: TO HAPPY AND MICHELLE AND THE REST THAT FOLLOW :love:

I SEE YOU TWO GALS SNUCK IN HERE WHILST I WAS BUSY COMPOSING MY POST :write:

MICHELLE...HOPE THE VISIT WITH THE NUTRITIONIST GOES WELL. ANY SECRETS YOU WANT TO SHARE WILL BE HEARTILY REC'D!!

HAPPY...HOPE THE LONG WALK ISN'T TOO MUCH. MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAKE IN SOME BOUNTY PAPER TOWELS WITH YOU...THE QUICKER PICKER UPPER!! I WILL SHARE MY ADORABLE, CUTE AS A BABY'S BUTT A/C MAN IF YOU WILL BE GENTLE WITH HIM!! :hug:

morning ladies
Michelle
I thought I'd be the early bird this morning.

Shad
I like meditation. It's relaxing and so is Yoga. The Yoga dvd that I'm doing is mainly stretching. It feels good at the end of the day to get some of the muscles to relax. I've been sleeping 100% better.

You may wonder why I'm up early this morning on my day off. The phone rang at 5.30 a.m. It seems my co-worker who is suppose to come in today can't walk. He's been having trouble with his hips. I returned the call to my boss who's at home in the shower so his wife take's my message and he call's me back. He nearly flipped out when I told him I had a doctor's appointment today. The drs. office called Tuesday to change my appointment bc the dr will not be there on my appointed time. My boss ask me why I'm going to the dr! I told him it was shcedule for my day off. I thought to myself I'm soon to be 58 and my body is beginning to falll apart. I do go to the dr GET used to it. He asked me if it would take all day--Told him just because my appt is at 10.15 doesn't always mean it's going to be at 10.15. He know's that. Then he starts asking me questions right and left. Tim I can't THINK while I'm asleep. Then he said you can sort it out when you get here--the sooner the better. I wanted to get the oil changed while I was in Jnesboro but guess that will take another day. I am stopping to eat lunch at Ryans just to take up some more time. He said to be prepared to work the rest of the week end.
The overtime will come in handy as I'm planning a birthday get away to Missouri either in August or September.

Sorry for the rant this early in the morning.

Alot of early birds this morning.

:wave: Dealing with a power outage, guys banging on the roof and other crap. Still alive and will try to get back later.

Thanks for asking Shad- things are going quite well. Every day is jam packed with fun and necessary stuff. Really, just the same old, over and over.
My job is going very well. I am working Tues-Sat( with every other Sat off). I have reached my financial goal for a 12 month period in 6 months for being self employed at the shop. H started a new job with a large rural company building barns. He is happy. It has been many years since I could say that.He will also have benefits and pension starting soon. We have never had those.
I had my 43rd bday last week. Kids were at my folks, H and I went out for dinner.
The kids are well. DS is almost 10 and DD is almost 8. Going into grades 5 and 3. eeeeks!! They love being at our sitters Tues -Fri. They have a pool, puppies and lots of fun kids to play with. Both played soccer. DD is finished and DS has 3 weeks left. Both are playing hockey in the fall.
I still go to my Grandma's every week. Her body is failing her a little every day it seems now but her mind is as sharp as ever. She is so tiny and frail.
My sister is in Europe for 4 weeks. She has been saving since her DS10 was born. They are on a bus tour, seeing 10 countries. They come home this weekend.
She and I have a trip planned for our Thanksgiving weekend with the 3 kids to go to Niagara Falls and stay at Great Wolf Lodge. Next summer we are doing a historical tour of the Kingston area, near Ruth's home.
We have been getting to the beach more this summer at my folks.
I am thrilled to have highspeed. There is only one server out where we live and it was touch and go whether we could get a signal. We live is a valley full of trees. But is was a go!!!!!
I am working this Sat; H is taking the kids go-carting and to a water slide park. Sunday the kids and I go to the lake and Sunday night I am heading out with friends to see a band at a club!!! Weeeeeeee!!!
The following weekend we are going camping with 3 other families. (same ones as last year)
I work 12-8 tonight and then go for reflexology. We trade services. Nice!
Right now I need to shower, feed the kids and pout supper in the slowcooker.

Much love to all of you!!!!

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Hi ya Girls.........

Holly...your flowers are as beautiful as ever. and you are busy as ever...God Love ya.

Shad...Not too mention how busy we are at work, and doing stuff we don't wanna, we had a fire drill about an hour ago and nearly melted outside in the humidity. I think the fire would of been more delightful. haha

Michelle...Any reason to leave work is such a joy. Even the dentist which I detest. Let us know what the nutritionist has to say. I go to the dietition in August.

Happy...You are hot at work and we are cold all the time. Too bad we can't compromise. I have a throw that I put across my legs or over my shoulders most of the time.

MEL...Nothing like a good lookin repair man, kind of brightens our day to have something nice to look at. wink, wink.

Ceejay...your boss is NOT allowed to ask you about your doctors appt or why you are going. The new HIPPA laws prevent him from being able to ask you. He is in violation and could get in lots of trouble if you were to report him. You don't have to answer him. Now you can voluntarily tell him, but he is not allowed to ask.

Nothing new today...got 4 more tomatos and two cukes out of the garden last night. My punkins grew by leaps and bounds in just one day. It is so fun having a garden. It makes me happy.

Have a marvelous day all.

Love and Hugs.

It must be cold - Miss Puss has come stalking out of the bedroom, eaten some biscuits, sat beside the door for a short period of time and then given me a dirty look and stalked off back to the bedroom. Apparently the cold has greater sway than the kidneys! :rofl: It is of course, all my fault - this unseasonable weather.
I use the reverse cycle aircon probably more than I do the air con. During the day, I am in and out of the house and can't for the life of me see why I should use the air con to cool down the heat and humidity outside. I do run the air con at night because those pesky mossies can squeeze through the smallest gaps and they are a pain to have in the house. And of course it does do as Michelle says and cleans and clears the air. The last couple of summers have not been bad as far as humidity goes. Long may it last.

Annie - The vege garden sounds just wonderful. My wee tomatoes are struggling through the cold, but the weather will pick up this month and they will be away. The wee red leaf lettuces are doing just fine. They will ready to pick in the next two weeks. The basil and parsley are looking a little sad. I guess I might have to go out and feed them before I go to Jakarta this weekend. That should help them along. We can't grow veges in the height of summer because the bugs just eat them away. I don't like to spray too much and use naturals when I do, but then they don't get pollinated and produce fruit because the good guys stay away as well as the bad ones.

Ceejay - are you chained to the job? You do still have choices, they haven't brought slavery back into the south have they?? Hope the meditation stops yoou from killing off the boss. Why are people ringing you instead of the boss anyway - oh now I get it, you are the boss - he just doesn't know it yet. Good luck at the doc.

Nice pics Holly - good to hear that things are looking up in your house and that you have both found work that you enjoy. Long may it last. You've given Ruth plenty of notice that you are coming back along her way. She will be out in the barn concocting a 'Gone fishin' sign soon.

Happy - sorry that things are not going along happily in your job. Wish I could do something to help. I may have whinged occasionally about this one, but it's not been too bad really. I'll miss working from home when it has finished. It has certainly taught me that I am capable of more than I thought I was, and that I know more than I thought I did. That's what you get when you get little help from the experts. You have to draw on life experiences and just on with it. I've surprised myself at how much finance I actually do know and understand. I'll never make an accountant but then I never wanted too anyway. Anyway, here's hoping that you will find something that your really want to do.

Michelle - good luck at the nutritionist. I should really pluck up courage and go to one myself. I'm afraid my 2kg goal only got to 200g - but I guess a loss is a loss and maybe I will try again this month.

Mel - Excuse me, but it's TUTAI that hits the fan, not KAKA - which is green. Better keep the grammar correct or we might both face the TOHUNGA who will put a curse on us! Alright for you - I live closer to the nearest one. He is just down the road.

Ruth - in an outage and with a man on the roof. Only you!!!!!! Hope the dogs are not too disturbed by the noise affecting their rest!!!

Miss Puss has finally decided she can hold it in no more and has slunk out of the house. She is now rapidly digging a hole. I am picking she will want back in again shortly and back to bed in a hurry.

And that is about it for the day. It is actually August over here so I should go put the new thread up. I've forgotten what we wanted to call it, so maybe I should go back and check it out. Later 'gators

THERE WERE NO FLOWERS LOADING THIS MORNING ON EITHER POST BUT GOT THEM ALL TONITE. GOTTA LOVE DIAL-UP!!! I THOUGHT THE LONG BLANK POST WAS SOME KIND OF JOKE :rofl:
:hb: A BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLY!! GLAD YOU BOTH LIKE YOUR JOBS NOW. LIFE IS SOUNDING GOOD.


CEEJAY...THE THRID DEGREE FROM THE BOSS :tantrum: HOPE THE DAY GOT BETTER AS IT WENT ON!! SO HOW WAS THE LUNCH?? :hun: RANT AWAY GF AND HOLLER FROM THE ROOFTOPS IF YA FEEL A MIND TO!!

ANNIE....I THOUGHT OF THAT GUY ALL DAY! :rofl: I REALLY NEED A LIFE!!!

SHAD....THANK GOD I DON'T NEED TO GO OUTSIDE IN WINTER AND DIG HOLES!! POOR MISS PUSS!! HOW DARE YOU NOT WARM UP THE DAY FOR HER HIGHNESS BEFORE SHE NEEDS TO OUT AND "POTTY AROUND" THE YARD! :rofl: :rofl: MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET ANY CURSES PUT ON US OR AIMED IN OUR DIRECTION!! DON'T THINK I COULD HANDLE MANY MORE BAD DAYS THIS YEAR!! :lol3: :lol3: HAPPY FINANCING!!

I MIGHT GO TO THE SUPERMARKET TOMORROW. TODAY I MISSED IT AND STAYED WITH MY FRIEND. SHE WAS A ONE WOMAN OFFICE TODAY. EVERYONE WAS OUT. THANK GOD IT WAS A QUIET ONE. FEELING PRETTY GOOD. NOT 100% BUT I'LL TAKE IT ALL THE SAME. I EVEN GOT OUTSIDE FOR AWHILE. NJ IS BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE THE FOOKING EVERGLADES! HEAT, STEAM AND HUMIDITY.,...WAITING FOR AN ALLIGATOR TO COME CRAWLING OUT OF THE NEAREST SEWER NEXT! :yikes:
AGAIN LADIES, REMIND ME IN DECEMBER & JANUARY THAT I COMPLAINED OF THE HEAT! :hohoho:

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE :sunny:

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Roasted Fennel and Red Onion Salmon

2 small fennel bulbs, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skinned
1 lemon, halved
About 3 cups cooked rice (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F.

In a roasting pan, toss the fennel, onion, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the oil. Spread evenly and roast for 20 minutes.

Move the vegetables to side of pan, add the salmon, then redistribute the vegetables around the salmon. Squeeze the lemon halves over the salmon. Sprinkle the salmon with the remaining salt and pepper. Return to oven and roast until the salmon is the same color throughout and flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately, with the rice, if desired.

Tip: When estimating how long to cook fish, allow about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

CALORIES 394.71 (48% from fat); FAT 21.08g (sat 4.06g); CHOLESTEROL 100.36mg; CALCIUM 99.87mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.19g; SODIUM 430.36mg; PROTEIN 36.17mg; FIBER 4.4g; IRON 2.21mg

Real Simple, OCTOBER 2005

Annie
Thanks about the tip from the HIPPA law. I'll remember that one. I'm sure he'll ask. I keep having to remind him every so often other laws.

Shad
No I'm not married to this place. My boss just doesn't know this workings of this plant as he thinks he does. I told Brandon today that I'm not telling him anything else. He can figure it out. He doesen't even have a license. They've messed up the paper work today and they are goinig to blame me for it. No way, I have proof. The charts do not lie.

I was really p o'd. this morniing. I thought my bp would be through the roof but it was actually good. All the test came back good also. I have to go back one more time to have the potassium checked. This doctor said that muscle spasms could be felt any where if you body was low on potassium. He separated the bp from the diuretic and told me this one would not drain my potassium.

I still had not heard back from the allergy test so I went there to check on this. They had an time open for 1.45 p.m. and took it. I've been having trouble with my ear again. Yes, it's infected--don't tell the boss. I don't have allergies but certain things do irritate my system. He thinks the chemicals at work are the biggest culprit. He told me that he had a male patient that has the same thing. Tim called me while I was in the room waiting for the doctor to come in asking if I were home yet. te he he--one on you. Told him this appointment was at 1.45 p.m. He sighed.

I even had time to go shopping and to eat. Went to Target. I'd been looking for a new comforter with black and white stripes. They had one. Then went to Lowe's
I wanted a pair of ear phone like plugs for my ear protection. Yes the company should pay for these but I'm not asking.
I ate at Ryans Steak House. Yum.

That's my day. I came to work at 4 p.m. One look at the paper work and shook my head. I'll tackel it tomorrow.

CEEJAY...GLAD THE NEWS AT THE DOC WAS MOSTLY GOOD. I WORKED FOR A PHOTO PROCESSING PLANT AND HAVE WHAT THEY CALL "IRRITANT" PROBLEMS BUTR THEY TOO TREAT IT LIKE ALLERGIES. SENDING HUGS TO YOU FOR THE JOB AND EAR :hug: HOPE THE EAR FEELS BETTER SOON!

:cofdate: I WILL BE GLAD WHEN THE OFFICE IS FILLED BACK UP AGAIN. THE ONE WITH THE SHOULDER IS IN SOME TERRIBLE PAIN FROM THE ROTOR CUP OPERATION. I KNEW SHE WOULD NEVER BE BACK IN A FEW DAYS. THEY DO INSIST ON DREAMING :cloud9:
SCROLLING BACK, I WISH WE HAD SOME OF HOLLY'S FLOWERS IN OUR BARREN GARDEN. THE MEETING FOR GARDEN/BUILDING SHOULD BE SOON. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP NOW. 2 VERY STRONG PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO TAKE OVER BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE...CAUSING A PROBLEM BETWEEN THE RACES NOW. JUST LIKE KINDERGARTEN RECESS. :faint: I HAVE TO SAY I AM JUST SICK AND TIRED OF THIS BICKERING. SEEMS LIKE WHEN IT GETS QUIET AND EVERYONE IS GETTING ALONG, THE BULLIES COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK JUST TO STIR UP TROUBLE AND FLEX THEIR WINGS...LITTLE DO THEY KNOW I AM WAITING IN THE WINGS WITH THE BIGGEST PAIR OF DAMMN SHEARS THEY EVER SAW! CLIP, CLIP, CLIP!! :rofl: :rofl:
I AM TAKING THE DAY OFF. CHANGED MY MIND THIS MORNING. NOT IN THE MOOD TO MINGLE. I AM GOING TO PLAY THE GREAT GARBO ROLE. :yoga:
HAPPY FRIDAY/SATURDAY!! WISHING YOU ALL A GREAT WEEKEND :moped:

Good morning chicks,

Mel - you post smacks of that famous "why can't we all just GET ALONG?". Things are so much nicer when they go smoothly. Isn't sort of late to be planning a garden at this time of year when you live? Unless you're considering spring bulbs.

Ceejay - glad to hear they are sorting the meds out for you. Sometimes it feels like we'll never stabilize, does it? I know paperwork can seem like a senseless waste of time, but as you have said, it can also back up your case and protect you.

Shad, I really do like my job and my boss is a real gem. It's just the environment we are in right now is very stressful. They closed a building and packed us in like the proverbial rats. If everyone practiced common decency to one another it wouldn't be so bad but I guess that's asking too much. Anyway I must be complaining too much so I will shut up about it. I would take working from home over 100 percent travel any time.

Your garden is very pretty Holly. The neighbor down the street has hollyhocks growing by her mailbox. She has the loveliest flower beds including an envialbe rose garden on her lot. And you never see her out there tending to them. And they thrive even in this blast furnace like summer. It's like magic fairies keep it up :lol: But I always admire it when walking or driving by.

Fried pumpkin blossoms Annie? Wow. I'll be darned. That sounds really interesting!

Michelle - thanks for reminding me that I needed to call the doctor and get a referal for a nutritionist. I can't seem to be able to find one via the internet. Would rather they suggest one anyway. I left a message at the office at 9 but of course no one called back. Maybe they left a voicemail after hours. :crossed: Hope your appointment went well and you salvaged a little bit of your early out of work afternoon.

Time for me to get dressed and out of the house.

Happy Friday everybody.

Well......yesterday was a disaster. Not only was my power out off and on - the guys had some compressor thing causing the problem - but one of my cabinet drawers got stuck in the OUT position and I had to leave the doors open. Hershey managed to get into the top drawer and ate a big bag of minute oatmeal, a bag of egg noodles and some raisins! She is not feeling well this morning after her carb binge!

Late yesterday, neighbour Moel and I started the garlic harvest. It looks really good this year after all the rain but we sure as heck didn't need over 7,000 plants. We dug several hundred but the rest can wait until Sunday when we have a "digging" party with a barbecue. M. hopes to sell a lot of it at the Perth Garlic Festival.

My veggie garden is looking pretty grim with weeds as high as my boobs in some places. No kidding! My beans are in flower but no crop as yet. We are two weeks behind on everything. Not a sign of ripening on my tomatoes and we usually have those ready when the corn comes in.

Later today I'm off to Ottawa to visit my best friend Shirleyanne and her three dogs. Disney and Hershey fit in well there. I'm crossing my fingers that Hershey is over her "malaise" by then. We'll come back tomorrow late afternoon as Sunday is looking busy with Church, obedience training and the garlicky barbecue!

Mel, that Salmon/Fennel recipe looks great! I may jut do the roasted veggie part as I'm not keen on fishy flavours in my veggies.

Hollyhock, that's great that you'll be around here next summer. We will definitely all get together and give the kidlets and your sis a tour of "Mayberry".

Lads have just arrived to finish the shingling so I need to put on the coffee for them. In the city, they'd just go to a Tim Horton's but around here expectations are higher. Good thing I have a freezer stash of muffins.

Have a good weekend.

Happy Friday -

TGIF! I'm sitting here with my breakfast of cottage cheese and fruit getting ready for the work day to begin. I'm leaving work early today to see the doctor regarding my blood tests. My appt with the nutritionist went well. She recommended a good cookbook full of easy recipes called "Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking". I told her that I also had friends (like Mel) who post healthy recipes online. I told her that I was sick with the stomach flu on Thursday and Friday and didn't eat much at all. She gave me a handout that recommends eating foods containing approximately 15 grams of carbs every 2 to 3 hours, and take my blood sugar more frequently. She also gave me a list of good books and websites on diabetes. The good news is that even though my cholesterol and triglycerides are a bit high (although they have come down), my Hemoglobin A1C (which is an indicator of where your blood sugar is over the last three months) was much lower and within the normal range!! Yay!! I'll see what my doctor says about it today.

Holly - Happy Belated Birthday!

Annie - We had a fire drill a couple weeks ago on one of the hottest, muggiest days of the year...why do they pick those days! Oh well, I guess it's better than a fire drill when it's 20 below out. I'm jealous of all your fresh veggies. Our spring this year came so late that I'm wondering if my veggies will even ripen (and my punkins even appear) before the first frost. :(

Mel - It is nice to have "eye candy" around. Is the hunky repair man coming back today? Good for you for taking the day off today!

Ceejay - Your boss is so not allowed to ask about medical appointments! Oh my gosh! I voluntarily told my boss when I was diagnosed with diabetes (to explain in advance my need for doctor appointments, etc.), and he's totally supportive and encouraging me as I lose weight and regain my health. I'm glad your doctor appointment went well. Hopefully the new meds will help. I hope your ear infection gets better soon.

Shad - Shame on your for the unseasonable weather! Don't you know you're supposed to keep the weather warm and sunny for Miss Puss! The reverse cycle aircon sound interesting. I may have to google that to learn more about it.

Happy - I hope things go better for you at your job. I used to have a job that where I was totally unhappy, then I got a different job in the same company and have an awesome boss! You're not complaining too much...we all need to vent, right? I hope your doc does refer you to a nutritionist. It's really been helpful. I've learned lots from her. I also was referred to a diabetes educator (who gave me good information on how to keep my blood sugar manageable and how to test, etc.). No need to see her again...but I do have another follow up with the nutritionist in a few months.

Ruth - Hershey's carb binge reminds me of one time we came home from work to find that the dogs opened the cupboard and took out several boxes of Apples and Cinnamon flavored instant oatmeal! The empty packages were all over the floor but there was mysteriously no oatmeal! The pups were definitely carbo loading! Wow! 7,000 garlic plants! That's a lot of digging. Good thing you're having a party to do it. I'm glad I'm not the only one whose plants are running behind schedule due to the late spring. Have fun with your friend today - I'm sure the dogs will have a blast playing together.

Well, gotta run chicks! Lots to get done at work today!

Love and hugs,

***********

Greek Shrimp Pasta
Serves 4

1 pound raw medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and cleaned
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
6 green onions, finely chopped
4 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, minced
5 fresh tomatoes cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound linguine freshly cooked and drained

In a large mixing bowl, combine feta, green onions, oregano, tomatoes
and salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture stand at room temperature
for at least one hour (this is prime time to get the salad made, table
set and make your pasta).

In a skillet, add the butter and olive oil and heat over medium high
heat. Add the garlic and stir till starting to brown, then add the
shrimp, toss together and remove from heat once the shrimp turn pink.

To the shrimp mixture, add the cooked pasta, toss together, then top
with the feta cheese mixture and enjoy!

**********************

do wish that woman would change her ticker. She knows who I am talking about!!!!

Busy day ahead, Back to JK tomorrow and it seems we have run out of luck with the business class - all three of us are waitlisted, we won't get it, although I will probably be the first one to check in. So I will be in cattle class for 7hrs 45 mins. Think of me tomorrow!
So anyway, today will be shopping for basics for the kid and the cat. Cleaning the lounge, dining room and bedrooms. I did the others yesterday. Footy at 5.30pm and they better play better than they did last week!!!! Or they will get a speech from me. Some shredding of paperwork, build a new filing cabinet, clear out the computer room, and repack the cases. Oh and if that isn't enough, I need to tidy up the hedge that I cut last week, clean out the shed and do some washing. Anything else to fit into today??

Happy - good to know you like your job. Why do they think that they can cram folk into one space when it is not going to work? Is this a way of getting them to leave without paying them out?

Mel - that shrimp recipe sounds good. Might have a go at that when I get back.

I'e just realised, we are all in August and no new thread. OOOOps

Go to the new thread. July is Kaput, Finished, Fini, Finito, Over, Done with, GONE
August Action (http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2297137#post2297137)

PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW BUT I AM SURE I WILL FIND YOU BEFORE TOMORROW :hug: