Good Morning, it's Tuesday already!

It's too dark outside still, to see what's happening. I think we're supposed to have cloudy skies but temps in the 50s. I can live with that.
SOSO around here today. Laundry, more cookie baking, and tackeling my kitchen floor - it's filthy! The girls and I are going to start working on their gingerbread house after school today. For supper, I'm trying a new recipe from another board, pumpkin chili. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Kim, make room for me, I've decided to revisit Phase 1 after the New Year too! I imagine there's going to be a lot of others joining us.

Morning chicks... I have a few minutes before I take the wee ones to the bus stop. It is cloudy and dreary here today as well. I have heard we are going to be getting Ruths weather from today tomorrow... snow and then freezing rain. I hope they are wrong.
Cottage- I have decided that I am not baking this year for xmas. I have a couple pies in the freezer and I am going to have some cheese and crackers and veggies and fruit but I am not making cookies. I will stay strong. lol. But I am going to be joining you all on PH 1 in the new year. I am not even sure if I will make my goal of staying the same for dec. I have been on the worst eating beinge lately.
Well gotta to dash DD's are on there way to school and must give out hugs and kisses. I will try to pop back in later.

sllllurp , ah.....Morning Gals!
Cottage: Lots of good chatter bout that pumpkin chili...sounds interesting! Let us know !

LC: No baking here either... maybe when we get to NJ me and MIL will make poppy seed bread but thats it!

URG! I took a tumble late Sunday night, and boy am I sore! thankfully nothing broke, but I'm stiff as a board... ah nothing that a few Alieve and ice wont help so I'll power through it. Yesterday, I was in bed most all the day but I think it only makes me more stiff, so I will hobble about!
Hope everyone has a garrrrrreat day!

I do have to say, despite my grumpiness toward my scale, that this Phase 1 has been exactly what I needed! It's almost like I've forgotten the awful way I was eating before this. My body feels better. My attitude is better. I just feel cleaner, if that makes any sense. If you gals commit to do the Phase 1 bit in the new year, you won't regret it!

Linda, pumpkin chili sounds really, really interesting. You'll have to let us know how it turns out!

LC, hope your kiddies got off to school OK!

I made the broccoli soup in the Phase 1 recipes tonight and it was EXCELLENT! I had made an eggplant bake yesterday, which of course ended up being watery, so I just dumped the water into a pot and made it "vegetable broth" for the soup! I used broccoli and cauliflower and tomatoes with green chilis and did use the cream cheese at the end. Even Tom, the cauliflower hater of all time, loved the soup and had a second bowl!

Tom's yelling that something good is on TV so I will end here. Have a lovely morning!

Kara

Good Morning Ladies
Cottage Have a great time baking and building the gingerbread house.
LC Stay warm. I hope your DH's father is feeling better.
Schatzi I hope you start feeling better from your fall.
Kara Have a great day.

Me My boss is out of town today so it should be relatively quiet at work today. I think it's interesting how slow the airport is right now but give it another week and it will be insanely busy. Day 1 of Phase 2 went well and I think my sniffles are packing up an moving on. Have a great day.

Schatzi, get your rest and heal up quick-like!

Dawn, have fun running about with your boss out!!!

Kara

Morning Ladies...hot and humid and terribly muggy here this morning. yuk.

Cottage, enjoy your baking and let us know how that chili turns out...sounds very interesting!

Chick...take care with that nasty weather coming your way! And you can do it on the phase 1..I'm sure you'll feel much better.

Schatzi...ouch on your spill!! A very hot soak in the bath may help. Excedrin makes some back and body meds that are very good for all over aches if you are able to take it. I use it for my back when it flairs up.

Kara, have fun watching your show...good idea on using the eggplant "juice" for soup!!

Kind of a busy day here as usual. Have a lot of stops to make after school which will put me behind getting back to work. Grocery store and then post office, then to restaurant supply place to get some good cake pans and 3 "gravy boats" for dressings for my dinner party on Sat. night. It will be a late night of working..sigh.

**Thin..we were posting at the same time...you have a great day of peace and quiet with boss gone!!

Femme Don't work too hard and have fun at the restaurant supply store. I just used my immersion (sp?) blender for the first time on Sunday and thought of you.

Good morning, Early Chicks. I'm becoming a real slug in the mornings. It was after seven when I woke up this morning.

Cottage, temps in the 50's!!!!! Send them north as we are going to make it to a balmy 30 today.

Little Chick, sorry to send you our weather. I really hate freezing rain. The Ice Storm of '98 was enough!

Schatzi, as Ellis would say, what the hoodywho were you doing? You don't have ice down there. Take it easy today and do use the Aleve. I love that stuff and have to do another drug run across the border soon.

Thin, airports will be zoos next week. At least it'll be spread out a bit with Christmas on a Tuesday. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.

Tara, we have to solve the watery eggplant problem. Is it one of our recipes or your own? Let me know and I may be able to figure out something.
This morning Claire and I will start wrapping toys for the Toy Drive. Her diningroom looks like Santa's Workshop and needs to be clear for the weekend company. Aside from toys, we have lots of cash but have nominated Rob and John to brave the crowds at WalMart to buy more gifts. They don't have kids but love shopping for them.

Now my BIG NEWS! I got a date for my knee replacement - Jan. 24. I'm just delighted as, last time I checked, I was told "no sooner than the end of March". By the end of March I intend to be back in complete working order. Now to really focus on exercise and maybe even some weightloss!

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

Cat, good luck getting all your things done today! Sounds like you have a lot on your plate, so to speak. Ha! That pun wasn't even intended!

Kara

Cat, we were posting at the same time. I adore restaurant supply stores. Have you ever used the silicone baking pans? I love them.

Congrats on the knee surgery date, Ruth! That is wonderful news! How did the gym go yesterday?

I invented my own eggplant dish, but I never have luck getting eggplant (or zucchini) dishes to come out without the watery bottom layer. I've tried pre-baking the eggplant on cookie sheets (which took FOREVER because Korean ovens only have one very small rack) and this time I tried pre-salting the eggplant slices and letting them sit for about an hour. Using the "juice" for soup actually worked out splendidly, though, because I can't find a vegetable broth without sugar here, so I would've had to make my own anyway since I was craving some soup. If you have another trick, though, I'd be up for trying it. I didn't like eggplant before but now I guess I rather fancy it...even the kids ate up the eggplant dish I made last night, which, by the way, went something like this...

layered in a casserole dish and baked for about an hour:
one eggplant, sliced into rounds
one large can of diced tomatoes
one 16 oz. container of part-skim ricotta mixed with an egg and some salt, pepper, and basil
one large package of raw baby spinach, "de-veined", and sauteed with a ton of minced garlic (maybe five cloves' worth - we love garlic!)
sprinkle of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses

I haven't figured out any of the nutritional info so I haven't posted it in the recipes section, plus I figured it's a lot like the eggplant "lasagna" so I don't know if I'll bother. It was delicious, though!

Kara

Morning chicks, SOSO for me too today. Except there is a town council meeting I should attend tonight, if I can motivate myself.
Schatz, sorry about your boo-boos. Better watch your step!
cottage, I have tried a pumpkin chili recipe and it was good.
kara, I also love that broccoli soup. Mmm, i need to make that soon.
Gray and foggy and drizzly here again today. It's been at least a week since we've seen the sun, getting old now.
littlechick, wish I could avoid the baking, but DD has signed me up for three dozen cookies for the holiday gift shop and she also has a cookie exchange party, so I'll have to do some. I plan to try the Chocolate cherry truffles from the SB Taste of Summer Cookbook, and I've got a recipe for walnut and fig balls that DH loves that I think I can SB-ize, or mostly make it legal. The trick will be to not overdo!
Thinby, have a peaceful day before the storm!
Cat, don't have too much fun at the RSS!

Simulposting with Ruth! Great news on the knee!

Good Morning Ladies! I am in a much better mood today! Yesterday was just a pisser (sorry no other word for it) between this darn dreary weather, the fact it was Monday, and TOM (sorry tom) showing. So today is a new day with a new attitude!

Cottage I have always wanted to make a gingerbread house, someday maybe!

LC Be careful in the weather. I really can't complain about ours there sure are alot of people dealing with ice right now!

Schatzi Take care of youself!

Kara I had the same problem with my eggplant concoction this weekend to, I don't know the answer either. You asked yesterday if my daughter runs, no she is just hyper and has this new theory she is the next broadway star or american idol. Heaven help me she needs a reality check! She called me the minute I walked out the door this morning and was singing to me, but these are the times I will cherish!

Thin Enjoy your day boss free, wish mine would disappear for a spell!

Ruth Glad to hear you got your date earlier than expected!

Schmoodle I'm right there with you on the weather, come on spring!

Alright I have vowed I will make up for slacking yesterday at work so I better get to it. Have a great day ladies! Check back later!