Petra no idea on the diff between the 2 birds. Gut tells me they would be interchangeable, but who knows? Duck and chicken wouldn't be, so maybe they wouldn't be either.

But your post reminded me: I am excited about trying a CSA this summer. I have quite a few different farms and cooperatives to choose from that have very close (less than 2 miles) drop off points. Now to just choose which one. I like the organic one, but they seem to be over-dependent on greens and herbs; I would rather actual vegetables and fruit. Choices, choices, choices...

Heidi - I agree about that area of Va. It is beautiful. I love the Shenandoah Valley.

Petra - I'm so glad you are going to get some relief soon. I agree with eating a good meal. I finally got some real protein last night and I felt better too.

LolaJean - Good news at your doctor. Thyroid issues can really be tricky.

Where's Marie this week?

Pollen is still killing me. I feel like my face and eyes are all puffy and they ITCH!Ears are stuffy, nose is running. Ah, the joys of spring. Other than that it's been beautiful here.

I had a really good strength workout last night. We also had a nice dinner. London Broil on the grill, zucchini, spinach salads, and the boys had mashed potatoes. I stayed away from those. Also we had a lovely Cabernet with the steak. Delish!

Today is weigh in day. I'm still debating on quitting Weight Watchers in favor of Spark People. I could really use that $40 a month for something else and I don't stay for the meeting as it is. I can't stand the leader but it was the most convenient night for weigh in. The Spark People thing is really cool and it's free. I do like the forum boards here much better though. But as far as tracking Sparkpeople is awesome. I've been able to keep up with my sodium there much better. Any thoughts from the group on that?

Ya'll have a good day!

Okay, I edited it just a tad, and to me it seems obvious -- move to Spark People. But let me just add -- I have no knowledge of either program and their pros and cons... I'm just basing my recommendation on the information you gave me. :smug:

Hello everyone!! Didn't sleep well again last night.:( Was all ready, getting drowsy, when a thunderstorm started. It only last 15-20 min. but of course I had to get out of bed and check the news and be sure a tornado wasn't coming. Then older son got home from work....had to catch up with him....then I got to bed and probably got to sleep about 11ish. Had to get up at 5 a.m. this morning to get everything done and younger son to school at 7 a.m. I plan to try again to catch up tonight!! I had 5 min. to kill before I had to leave for work and I got so drowsy sitting there watching the Today show.

Well, I do have two bits of exciting news!:
1) I have lost one more pound! :carrot: I am trying to make my official weigh in days as Thursday, but I just had to post that pound to my ticker! It has been about two weeks since I was able to move it.

2) I went to the Dollar store yesterday. They had cute gauze skirts and shorts sets for $8 per piece. I bought everything in a Large (12-14) and THEY FIT!! Regular Ladies....not Plus Size!! Granted they are elastic waist and some are knits....and barely snug in the waist, but wearable. I have to return one pair of shorts as I think they are supposed to be clam diggers or something and are just too long for my short legs....I even pulled those up over my hips before I realized I hadn't unbuttoned/unzipped them beforehand.:p So excited! I know some of my summer things are going to be too baggy to look nice, so I wanted a few things for transition and Dollar store came through!

I hit enter too soon, so I am going to make comments on another reply.....

I think RedHookMom set the bar so high that I can't even attempt to reach it!! I'm just making a few comments here.;)

Heidi-Good thing you recognize the need to watch closely as you wear loose clothing. I had many pounds sneak up on me in the past that way.

LolaJean-So exciting to be able to have your doc see your weight loss! I can't wait until I have to go back for something and step on those scales!! Especially to my orthopedist. I am doing everything he recommended to help my knee situation.

SLRoth-Thanks for asking about my son. From what I can tell, most of this has been about a girl he was trying to date. We have talked about it a few times and he seems to be doing okay. As graduation nears, I expect that he may be stressed about things more.

Petra-So glad your boss recognizes all of your hard work of late.

Guinea hens: I don't know about cooking one, but fiance is considering getting some guinea fowl to keep on his 10 acres for tick control, etc. We do understand they can be noisy, so I'm not sure I'd like that. I Googled "preparing guinea fowl" and got some good links. One states: "Because guinea fowl is naturally drier than chicken it is particularly important not to overcook."

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/k...y/guinea-fowl/

If you just type in the same search phrase, you will get some good links. One states that it can be substituted for chicken in any recipe, but I like the statement above about not overcooking. Here's another good link...

http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/p...aring-cooking/

Wizzie-The pollen here has been awful, too. There was actually a yellow puddle around my car this morning (we had rain last night). I guess that's how much pollen I was transporting yesterday....I hear that's a major offense in some places.:p

Re: Spark People, I agree I like the forums here much better, but I like their tools to keep track of things there, too. I just never really had time to keep up with all of that there. I have a hard enough time getting caught up here and the one other place where I keep track. If you are committed enough to do it on your own at home, I'd go with the Spark People and stay accountable here, too.


Hope everyone has a great day!

Cranky! I am cranky! This is a picture perfect day and I've spent the morning part of it dealing with the aftermath of my mom's stomach flu kind of thing. (Laundry. I am the queen of pretreating. If you have a bad stain, send it to me.) Also running pee to the doctor for her, as she thinks her UTI is back. More than cranky, I am sad, because a beloved third grade teacher here died yesterday. She was 50 and got diagnosed with cancer not quite a year ago...didn't teach this year. The principal called every kid in her last year's class last night to tell them, so they didn't have to find out about it at school this morning. She was someone I only knew from the library and the park, but I'm sorry for all of the kids who loved her so much.

Today is my day off--yay!!!! I'm going to pull some weeds. Run in the park. Just checkout "Up in the Air" out of the Redbox, so I'll spend some time ironing and watching it on my laptop. It's 81 here already...feels totally delicious.

Wizzie - my mom's house smells like cinnamon rolls when I first walk in...made me think of the garlic bread freshener! What are Sparkpeople???

Newleaf - I had a friend who had surgery and bought some truly cute early stage maternity pants to wear after. We changed CSA's this year to get more variety. I mean, I love kale and Swiss chard but not every week. (Although lascinato kale...so totally good!) There are places around here (my new CSA is one, I think) that do organic when it's practical and use conservative measures when it's not. There are things that are next to impossible to grow well entirely organically, I think.

Petra - I think you're right that when you know that life is going to be hard, the more prep work you can do for your own needs, the better your chances are of not making a mess of everything. As much as you've been going through of late, I think you need to know that great food, great snacks (okay, and great wine) await you when you get home. Obviously not high calorie, but things that really make you happy. I love having a CSA. We're using a new one this year and we get eggs as part of it. I'm totally psyched! And I was about to say guinea hens are large, very noisy and they don't really do a good job of eating ticks with Lyme. I guess that's not the answer you wanted. I have friends who raise them, but actually didn't know that one ate them.

WeightLoss - Yep, you need a good assortment of snacks that will make you happy but won't set you way back in terms of calories. Aim for the best but plan for the worst!

Onmyway - I live right by the Hudson River and when anyone visits me from Missouri they're always shocked at how much it looks like the Ozarks. Not a bad thing in my book.

Lolajean - Very impressive, girl!

Slroth - Hey, I do the hour by hour weather, too. The other day I set out to run, noticed that it was sprinkling as I pulled out of the garage so headed to the gym, no rain a half mile down the road so I made a sharp left turn and went to the park.

AnnieDrews - Woo-hoo about the one pound! You definitely deserve the dancing carrot! I had a bad sleep night, too...work up at 2...watched all of "The Blind Side" (so good!!!) and went back to sleep. And hey...I did my mammoth personals yesterday so I never slack off again for weeks at a time! Read what I wrote to Petra about guinea fowls--my friends have NOT been happy using them for ticks.

Lizzie - Sorry doll that you've had such a rough day off. Here's to a better afternoon. :hug:

Re: Sparkpeople.com It's just a way to track your nutrition and your exercise. They have a lot of helpful tools and it's free. They also have a community too but I find 3FC to be much easier to follow. I do check in certain places but mostly I like coming here to 3FC.

And.... have to share a most wonderful NSV. My pants have been getting baggier and baggier to the point they are beginning to look like clown pants. So I went into a store just to see where I might fit right now. I tried on a pair of 18's and I could get in them!!!:carrot:

Now mind you they gave me severe muffin top and they were tight, but I got my a$$ in them and buttoned and zipped. I was dancing in the dressing room. I think in another 10 pounds or so they might actually fit. I haven't even been able to get close to an 18 in 6 years.

Wizzie-New size!! Woot woot!!:carrot:

I feel like I am about to crash and burn.:( Lack of good sleep is catching up fast. I have a hair appt. after work, but then I am off to the house for an evening of vegging by myself. Plan to go to bed a 9 p.m if it kills me!!

Once again I've gotten behind here on 3FC. Life has been crazy busy the last couple days but the good news is my eating has been great and so far I've been able to exercise everyday.

Need to do some running around but hope to stop back before the guys get home.

RHM-I am still waitin for the pedometer to get here. Another few days. I'm not sure what happens if I use it while I'm riding the bicycle. Mainly I am wondering how far away from that 10,000 steps I usually am and thought it might help me to keep track and see if I need just 100 more or something. Probably like 9,999 more in an average day. We've changed feeding time for the dogs, so now they eat at 5 pm instead of in the morning. They haven't quite figured it out yet so now they are hungry ALL THE TIME! Paws on fire!

Petra-Moroccan food? I am truly jealous! I make psuedo stuff, but it is not nearly as good as the real thing. I'm glad it made you feel good though. It's generally good for you, too. My daughter and her hubby have a bunch of Moroccan friends and when we went to visit, one of the ladies cooked something for us. I don't like chicken things, I didn't like chickpeas and so on, but it was so nice of her to invite us along to eat, that I tried everything, even the icky stuff...and gobbled it down. Thankfully, I didn't lick the plate and embarass my daughter. I really like the flavors of the Middle Eastern spices and blends, and use them on all kinds of things even when dinner isn't really ethnic.

Kathi-better take some of that extra money and get yourself some nice fresh veggies! The price seems to have finally gone down a bit, so you can buy extra. I wnet grocery shopping this morning and was happily surprised at the prices compared to just a few days ago.

OMW-Badditude is what Robert says I have when I'm out of sorts. I think I may havwe just been tired. I'm feeling a LOT better today. Actually moving around and accomplishing stuff.

Lola-37 pounds is AWESOME!

slroth-gotta remember that viatmin, but other than that it looks like you are really on plan. I hope the weather cooperates for you. I am always juggling to get exercise in in between *conditions*. I think for next spring, I might get some rain gear and just ride my bicycle as long as it isn't oouring. It would probably be nice for walking in the rain or light snow too. The worst thing here is the wind...it gets so COLD when the wind blows. And it can be in the 70's one day and snow the next. I got a way cool alking in the house workout dvd similar to the onethat Annie told me about. I think if you look back a few posts on this thread or the one from last week there's a link. I am shocked, I tell you, but I really like doing the first mile and have doen it 3 times between Saturday or Sunday and now.

Wizzie-You could use that $40 for vegetables and fruit! I've heard a lot of good things about sparkpeople, but not firsthand. Never tried WW either. Good luck and I know you will figure out the best way for you! And congrats on your new clown-challenged size jeans Yaaay!

So. I am tuckered out today. Dinner will b hamburgers. YUMMY! Haven't had one of those in a while. No bun for me, just the beef. And a pile of spinach covered in a modified version of the barley risotto. No aspergrass today, plus mushrooms, plus I am going to be brave and shred some small zucchini I bought and put that in there. I don't like zucchini, but I am really making an effort to sneak in veggies with my grains. I also bought a butternut squash today. EWWW! My daughter gave me a bean stew recipe that uses it, so I will give it a go.

Barb

RHM - wow - record-breaking post! :) Always great to find another Gordon-fancier - and our old boy was the BEST babysitter when DS-now-10 started to crawl. He would deliberately get in between the baby and the stairway, each and every time. It was cute! Life has been awesome - the one on invertebrates was terribly cool. We're waiting on the bug one this coming Sunday, too. I'll probably shell out for the Bluray edition. Bummer about the teacher. :( Kill those weeds! Good upper-body stretching...

Heidi - Sounds like a good excuse to buy some soft, pretty sundresses! And of course, dresses need different shoes than pants ... lol, this could be fun (in spite of the situation!)! And every bit of exercise you do is going to contribute to a faster, easier recovery methinks!

petra - good food, good wine! It's taking care of mind, body and spirit, and your efforts are rewarded with feeling good. Glad you're recovering, even if it means more time for the marvelous paperwork (joy). The 12th is right around the corner! Can't comment on the guinea hen, but most game-type birds do well with forms of wet cooking, especially braising, to offset the lack of fat.

Kathi- agreed, the week is crawling! A decent kitchen definitely makes the difference in wanting to cook. Have you thought about what you're going to make for yourself first?

OMW - I'm with you about getting the hey out of the house during the key hours. Hope your allergies settle down soon!

lola- whoohoo on the doctor visit! 27 pounds in 3 months is a LOT! I'm a subclinical hypothyroid myself, but fortunate in that it just doesn't seem to change at all. I was switched from Armour to Major over the winter, and it "seemed" not to work as well. Back on Armour as of this month, so hoping the little differences will go away.

Hi, slroth! Welcome! Looks like you are doing well with your plan!

Kim - your dinner details are making me drool! I did WW twice and while I think it's a great program for learning portion control, it was too lowfat for me and I just couldn't keep on it. I can relate to the leader issues, too. Can't speak to Sparkpeople but I know it has a lot of fans. I am loving my LoseIt app on my iPod, and when I can't find what I need there, I go to nutritiondata.com, which I think was bought up by Livestrong. $40/month is a little stiff to swallow if you're not getting the benefit of the companionship at WW, IMO. Yay on the 18's!!!

Annie - I can imagine a thunderstorm in your neck of the woods is always a cause for tension! Congrats on that pound - you OWN it! Agree there's nothing cooler than pulling on a pair of pants without needing to undo them. :D

CAT - :wave:

Ugh - I feel like I'm running out of vacation already! Some things are getting done, but I set the standards too high ... OR ... I need to ramp it up. :D I will never be accused of not knowing how to relax!

Angelskeep: I grind my own grains and I have been making my own fresh milled wheat bread for about 3 years now Since you love grains, I just know you would love it. Packed with fiber and goodness. Wyoming is bit far to deliver though.:)
Did I mention I have 11 six week old Great Pyrenees pups I am feeding right now?

Wizzie: AWESOMENESS! New size....love it!

Petra: I too was going to say those dang guinea hens.... until I realized you were talking about ones ready to eat. I used to have some and dang those things are loud and I hated those suckers. Now I have regular hens and so peaceful and quiet.

Annie: Congrats on the pound. Not sure when I will see a pound again. My metabolism is probably in chaos.I have ate 1400 cals the last 2 days and today I am on plan for 1200. I just keep telling myself "I AM NOT overeating with this amount". I started too low and now I am struggling to find the right amount. Blech... I just hate it.

I had to laugh at myself, because yesterday I posted about how I only do container gardening for edibles (because of the deer) and I just emailed Hudson Valley Backyard Gardener about putting in raised beds for me. (They'll also do all the work every week...I just want them to get me started and put in deer fencing.) Okay. I've wanted a garden. I admit it! I just wanted someone to get me started. Next it will be chickens. And maybe a goat. I surrender!

RHM-I eat goats too. :lol:

Turns out the recipe I'm planning to use for the chicken/guinea hen actually calls for 2 chickens so I'm going to cook one of each. I figured that way I can see how they compare. I hope I like the recipe because that's gonna be a lot of poultry. Its out of my awesome Middle Eastern cookbook I bought at Christmastime. I now work with someone who is married to a Palestinian and she tells me a lot of the recipes are very authentic.

angelskeep-I don't know if you would like what I made last night but I thought it turned out well. I made lamb and chickpea tagine and served it over couscous. Moroccan food is my favorite ethnic cuisine-I love that mix of sweet and savory.

Well for all of you who have friends with guinea hens they don't like, maybe you should suggest they slaughter them and eat them.

ICU: good question, I hadn't considered that! I have until may 7th or so to figure it out : )

angel: since I don't drive going shopping has been a bit of a challenge, but I'm planning to find some different options.

You wouldn't think pushing my schedule back by 1 hour would make such a big change in my life but it has....not sleeping the way I should be and my eating is waay out of whack. I did buy myself a simple turkey sandwich earlier today so I have something healthier to eat tonight...I had been eating my larger meal for lunch and something light after work. Now I seem to be starving at 9-10 pm. Gotta get that turned around!

Plans for my trip to texas include swimming and yoga classes with mom. Was going to see about working out with my sis and her personal trainer, but sis threw her back out and is laid up so she may not be exercising next week : (

After my vacation I WILL buckle down on the exercise and food plan! Hold me to it ladies : )