Good Beginning
 

Karen, Bobbi and Meowee, thanks for the Welcome!

Karen, I hope your bridge friends appreciate you. That's a lot of work! My name is Karen but I use Kren - an old nickname from typing too fast and leaving out the A.:^:

I hope to have time this weekend to learn about the site a little more so I know my way around. Just being here helps. I stayed OP yesterday - first time in a very long while of trying. It feels good.

I, too, have always been a proponet of calorie counting. When I journal every little bite, it helps so much. And my body always thanks me when I don't overeat, by feeling so much better.

It's too bad that overeating is so much fun, because the results are no fun at all!

Kren
Adding calories to a bad day does not make it better!:shrug:

Good Morning Chickies . . . :grouphug:

Well, it is officially SPRING and, the sun is trying to shine in northeastern Nova Scotia.

I celebrated the start of this glorious new season by removing the 'blankie' I tack over my westerly facing, and very drafty, sunroom door. As I sit here in front of it, I fear I may have jumped the gun a little; but it definitely looks more spring-like in here. May trot off to town later on just because I can but other than that I honestly have no plans for the day.

How about you . . . any exciting 'vernal equinox' celebration plans?

Morning folks....everything is made and packed in ice and ready to stick in car trunk. 2 cups of coffee and after a quick shower it's off to the races. Forgot to check the moon last night! Luckly my calendar has wee marks...phew 1/2 moon. Explains last week....after trying to get one pair up to speed without success and trying to explain to the others....finally said I can't penalize senility. Boy that shut them up. Other rule I often use is there is no rule against Stupid.

I just can't believe another Karen. Lordy growing up I was a teenager before I meet another Karen.

Went to the fish fry last night. Nothing was OP! But ate just a little of most everything. Can't get into fried okra and they had made deviled eggs....after making 72 deviled eggs I passed them by quickly! Tasted the mac'ncheese but didn't inhale. Filled up on salad and a couple of grouper fingers. Just so nice to have someone else cooking. Pie was perfect and left the whole thing there. Neither Dh or I ate any.

Gesh, watching the weather map recently.....please send us your rain. We are so dry. Sure don't want those swamp fires again this year. pheeyooooooo

Bobbie....How is MIL doing? More important how is DH doing?

Lynn....Are you down here yet? Hope you packed summer clothes.

Linda....Spring is coming! I promise

Off to the circus.....or will it be a zoo.....Karen3:carrot:

Good Morning and WELCOME KREN!! I am so glad that it is finally Spring BUT we are expecting a snowstorm coming in Sunday night into Monday!! YUCK!!! They are talking quite a bit of snow with this one but I guess I shouldn't complain since we havent' had much snow at all this year and the fire danger is very high!

I've been calling my Dad every morning and he seems to be settling in to the skilled nursing and not really liking that they are making him do exercises!! He said they had him riding a stationary bike, lifting some weights and doing some other things. I told him I was proud of him and thought maybe I should come on back and join him in his routine!! Hopefully, he will get stronger and then be able to go back to stay with my brother like before. But if he is to stay there at least he is getting such good care and also has a wonderful room mate that he gets along with great! So i am trying to relax more about that and get more focused on me and getting the house sold and moved back there. We do have an offer on a house back there and hope to hear today about that. If it is accepted I think we will go ahead and move back there and leave this house in the hands of our realtor. Lots to think about but finally have just decided to leave it in God's hands and know things will be fine.
Have a wonderful day!!

Hi there Kren, welcome to The Golden Girls, I'm still a newbie too, so we can learn together.

HAPPY SPRING!!!

It's finally here, after such a bad winter, hope all of you enjoy it today. It's a beautiful day here, cool, only high 50's, but I will take it,

I have been very busy the last few days, didn't get here yesterday to post, but here today to hope everyone has a great and successful day, at whatever you are trying to achieve.

Tonight is card night, so will make lowfat popcorn and probably brownies.....we all love them, and that's my reward for a decent week.

Have a great Friday everyone!!

And remember...........Nothing taste as good as thin feels!

Good Afternoon............I had to make another trip into town this morning to finalize MIL moving day so I missed my morning chat with you all.
Karen3...........Do you have a budget set aside from the card club that covers the expense of all the food you buy and the many hours of cooking/baking?
Susan...if you only post a 'Hi' a couple times a day, it will add up faster so you can get your weight chart on the bottom of your post.
Where's Lynn at?
Kren...You can join a couple of different web sites that count your calories for you. I use Fitday but there are other FREE ones!
Meowee.........I'll celebrate when my 1st tulips pop up.
Karen31...If you have the money to swing it, that's probably the best action to take instead of putting up with the disappointment of showing your home and no buyers.

Quote:

If it is accepted I think we will go ahead and move back there and leave this house in the hands of our realtor. Lots to think about but finally have just decided to leave it in God's hands.

Evening.....I'm back and not feeling totally done in. Had 22 tables(88 players) and for some reason that is so much easier than 25 tables. I had everything caught up and started washing up dishes after the 3rd round. Yup, they inhaled every drop. Grown men were moaning over the trifle. Put it a big tub and someone licked it clean. The club pays for the food.....but not my time cooking it.....and pay me $1 per player to direct. If you count my total hours I probably make $1.25 an hour! It gives me such joy to watch people digging into my food. Alot of the elderly people live alone and eating with friends is so pleasureable.....I have 2 ladies who pack little dogggie bags.....shhh I am not supposed to notice.....ahhhhhhhhhhh. Another lady only gets free food they have at local goodwill store and eats mostly potatoes and old vegies. So I watch and make sure she gets some protein. But after eating these same sweeties turn into card sharks and play a very competive game of bridge!

You should see me jump everytime the phone rings. The game is posted on the club website and players have until 12N tomorrow to call with any mistakes or problems. I check the scores I post 3 times and usually am ok. But still jump. Love it they always say "You made a mistake" and 99% of the time they have written it down wrong and it's not my mistake!

Wore my pedometer and did a little over 6 miles. Wonder of wonders I drank my water, too. Just forgot to eat. Inhaled dinner and it is sitting on my diaphragm. Blahhhhhhhhh

Bobbie....i think Lynn is down here visiting her sister.

Karen31....be careful in the late winter snow! You need to get back East and start of summer garden!

Take care of yourselves and hugs. Karen3

:wave:

Sunny but cold . . . awwww SPRING.

Good Morning Girls!
Gosh, everyone's so busy in the spring. I need to get out and let the chickens out, They have been cooped up all winter. We give them vegetable scraps mixed with chopped cabbage, green grapes and cooked brown rice every morning. I caught a Martha Steward show yesterday and she gives her chickens scrap like melon skins. No wonder their eggs taste so good. We're staying home today for a change, If it gets warm enough I'll do some outdoor pruning.
You all have a great week-end.

Hi Everyone,

My sister and I returned from FL yesterday. We had a nice time visiting our cousin in Venice Beach. Went to Sarasota one day to botanical garden and the Ringling estate.

I managed to stay out of the sun & to gain only 1 pound. Ate pretty much according to plan, but overate on breakfasts. Ate 1 dessert and a few french fries. Other than that, did well.

I'm planning to begin the DTOUR diabetic diet (from Prevention magazine) tomorrow. I'll be checking my blood sugar very carefully for the first couple of weeks to make sure it doesn't raise my levels. I'll let you know how it works out.

Check back later.

Lynn

Hi All,

Glad to see you back Lynn, and to hear that you had a good time. Only 1 pound? that is a major accomplishment! You will get rid of that in no time. I'm interested in seeing how the new eating plan from prevention works. Keep us posted. How is it differencce?

Bobbi, I live in the burbs, so no chickens. But my brother lives in a rural area and raises his own organic beef and chickens, stuff.. And the eggs do taste better!

Karen, are you the only one that cooks for these games? I don't know how you do it lady!! I would taste as i went along.

Karen, I hope your house sells soon and the one you want to buy comes through. If you dad makes a real effort he should get stronger. I work rehab and i've seen miracles.

Spring? did someone say it was spring? It's snowing here!
Freda

Hi Freda,

For me, it will be more carbs than I generally have.

The goal seems to be to increase calcium, vitamin D, fiber, and omega 3 through food. According to the Prevention booklet, this will be beneficial for pre-diabetics and diabetics. I'll keep you posted.

Lynn

Hi everyone. I'm still at my son's place with the new baby. We're stuck here until at least tomorrow because of a snow storm. We were supposed to go home today but the 20-40 centimeters of snow is coming down thick and fast. It may even last into tomorrow. At home it isn't going to start until this evening. It's the same storm but DS got it first.

My FIL has been sent to the hospital near home. The doctors have removed him from dialysis because it is no longer working. It is only a matter of a few days and he will be gone. I'm so tired from travelling back and forth to the hospital (an hour's drive each way) and then coming back to DS's place to try and squeeze in a few minutes with the baby when he's awake. This storm is almost a Godsend as we couldn't travel today and could actually rest.

I had a post all ready on Thursday night but got called away so I'm just going to press "post" and get this one up.

Hi all, what a beautiful day God has given me today. The weather is absolutely gorgeous and just cool enough to be pleasant. I honestly can't find one thing to gripe about today...lol.

Yesterday however, was a different story. I didn't want to cook, so made my DH a pizza for dinner, and ended up eating some of it myself. I decided against brownies for card night, made white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies instead, and I just can't resist a warm cookie, so ate 3 of them. Then, my friend brought a chocolate pie.........totally my favorite!!!!!, so I had a piece of that. Bad, bad, bad!!!

So, today, I've eaten very light, and walked 35 minutes 2 different times, a total of 70 minutes today. I also ordered some cooler walking shoes for the summer, and I ordered a heart rate monitor watch, to see how many calories I'm burning. I can't wait to get it, and set some more goals for myself.

Karen, there is no way I could cook all of that without eating it. You are a good woman!!!

Kren, I use Sparkpeople to track my calories and my fitness.

Karen31, good luck with the sale of your house. Thankfully things are starting to pick back up here, several of our listings are being shown, and one has gone under contract.

Bobbi, thanks for the tip, I thought it had to be 20 days, regardless of how many times you posted. So, will say hi alot now......lol

Meow and Freda, yesssssssssssssssssss, spring has sprung!!!

Lynn, good luck with your new eating plan, hope it does really well for you.

Isabella, so sorry to hear about your FIL. But, glad you got to spend time with your precious new grand baby. Have a safe trip back home.

Now, it's time to finish up dinner, take a shower, and crash with a good movie...and maybe some lowfat popcorn, and lots of water.

Everyone have a great rest of the day!

"nothing, not even chocolate pie, lol, tastes as good as thin feels".......I wish!!

just dropped in to say that I hope you all had a great, satisfying day. Mine was super, and I did good on my eating and my exercising. I hope to do as well tomorrow, and I hope you all do too!!

Morning all....For some reason I woke yesterday still in run mode. So cleaned almost the whole house, but 2pm the motor fell out and never got the kitchen counters wiped down. Don't know why but had vacuumed and wiped the floor earlier. Even changed a shower head and sorted winter clothes. Had to look in the miror thought an alien had taken over my body.

Lynn...Let me know about your new diabetic diet. DH has been placed on different med and side effect is weight gain. He was on this a few years ago and gained about 5lbs a month. Doesn't sound healthy to me, but is supposed to better on kidneys.

Linda, Freda and Karen.... am sending you a little of our Spring if you'll send us a little moisture. We are about to start in early summer. The pool and the Gulf at up to 70 degrees.

Gorcery shopping day....Told DH not planning on buying much. Am opening freezer and what ever falls out 1st in dinner everyday this week. Be fun to see if I can creat decent meals out of that mess.

Hope you have a happy sunny Spring Day....Karen3

Hi . . . :wave:

Did not sleep well at all last night and I'm now feeling like I need a second nap. :yawn: It was sunny first thing today but is now beginning to look like the promised snow for tomorrow (a couple of inches) may decide to start a little sooner.

Nothing very exciting for me -- hope everybody else is having a fun Sunday.

Hi all, typical Sunday here, can't go to church right now because Mother isn't able, but she doesn't realize that. So, if I go, she thinks she should go too, and so, we don't go. I'm so out of the habit now, it's going to be hard to get started back, but I can, and hope I do.

The day started out gloomy, but sun came out this afternoon and it turned out to be another beautiful spring day. I spent most of the morning on the internet looking up low calorie recipes. Found some interesting ones. I got my 30 minute walk in, and have eaten pretty good today, nothing that I shouldn't have had.

Everyone have a great Monday!!!

Good Morning all, Happy Monday!!

I'm up early, going to do my Power Mile with Leslie Sansome before heading out on my bus route. I'm down 2 more pounds, YIPPPPEEEEEE, I know it's going to come off faster in the beginning, but hey, I'll take it!!

Everyone have a great day!

Susann

Good Morning Girls!
It's raining cats and dogs here but that's going to be good for our brown lawn. All snow is finally gone except for under some heavy spruce trees. Ooooooh I love spring. I love rainy days too, that's when my two sisters and I would get to bake cookies when we were small. I still like to work in the kitchen on rainy days.
Our church has a family that need financial support, we don't know who the family is. (Not members) They requested food last summer for whatever reason and lots of members brought in boxes of food, including us. Now the pastor said the lady was in the hospital having her 3rd baby, I don't know if there is a husband in the picture. She has a 1 year old and a 3 year old and is requesting baby boy clothes and diapers. I went to the store a couple of days ago with diapers in mind, Geeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz, has anyone purchased diapers lately for grand kids? They are so expensive and makes me think she should use cloth diapers that could be washed and re-used. I think we should buy her some birth control pills as well. But as a christian I guess I need to mind my own business and just help support her.
Susan...one of my favorite pastimes are looking up skinny recipes on the internet. I belong to allrecipes.com that have excellent recipes, it's a free site. The 3 FatChicks also have a good recipe section.
I'm hungry for chicken so that's my plan for today. I also found a recipe for Maple Syrup Pudding that I'm going to make. The reviews said it's more like Figgy pudding/cake and I'll substitute sugar free syrup instead of the real thing. I'll post the recipe if it turns out as good as the reviews state.
You all have a good day!

Hello Everyone,
Just been lurking about. Still doing well with my WOE....not huge losses but onederland finally.
Just got back yesterday from a soccer tournament and my brain is damp and fried.
Welcome Susann. You have a wonderful smile!
Have a great Monday everybody!!!
Need to get going.....:carrot:

:grouphug:

Oh ONDERLAND . . . A great big :high: for you, FLUFFY. And, of course, a :yay: for SUSANN and KREN.

I'm jealous because I seem to be stuck again and I have been good (well since my 17th meltdown). I am I think retaining water as a result of the pulmonary edema I've developed since January. In fact, this past week my ankles have started swelling a little too and it definitely is not due to heat and humidity or salt intake. Hopefully the doctor can give me something to remove the congestion and the water.

Wish rain was what was happening around here, BOBBI -- we got a little bit of cosmetic snow overnight and then there was a bit of sun this morning, but it has now started to snow again and the infamous "they" are saying we could have up to 12 inches by tomorrow morning.

Have to go to the doctor this afternoon and the dentist tomorrow morning; so naturally the Spring weather is in hiding. :lol:

Have a good Monday and I'll see you all later . . . :wave:

Hey....It's raining! Thank u Thank u Thank u....be back later....Karen3

Hi Everyone,

I'm having carb cravings. Too many carbs on this DTOUR diet. I need to revise to keep the fiber, but cut down on the carbs.

Lynn

Lynn, if you figure out how to erase carb cravings, let me know. I always crave carbs. Sometimes I can overcome the cravings, but the craving is always with me!

Karen3, I know how you feel about that rain. Here in Central Texas I had 4.5 inches last week, and that was more than I'd had all together in almost a year. It was wonderful to behold!

Kren
Adding calories to a bad day does not make it better! (Why can't I remember that?)

Awfully hard to keep the fibre high without consuming carbs. Fruits and vegetables are, of course, carbs; but in most cases they are your best source of non-starchy fibre. I find I have a lot of difficulty getting my fibre up where I like it to be without consuming lots of vegetables and at least one serving of high fibre cereal. I do try to avoid too much bread; even the whole grain ones.

Sorry Lynn, recipe for yummy potatoes and you're trying to cut carbs. Tomorrow morning I'll post the 'Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast' recipe I found today. It was to die for, Bruce smacked his lips through the whole meal.

Hey everyone, first let me say thank you for the comments about my smile. My nickname at work is........u guessed it........smiley......lol. Been there for 14 yrs, I was given the nic 2 wks after I started, and it has stuck with me. Some drivers only know me as smiley....lol. I consider it a wonderful compliment.

I go to allrecipes, zaar, hungry girl, anything I can find.....food network has some good recipes too. I love to find new recipes. Bobbi, your stuffed potatoes sounds great, and I can't wait to see the chicken.

I'm glad for the rain that those of you that need it are getting. I know how that can be, last summer was horrible for us. But, we are in spring now.....let's hope it last

Today I did my Power Mile, walked 20 minutes, planted 2 rows of potatoes, 2 rows of radishes, and 2 Blueberry Bushes. I think I got some exercise today!!

Kren, Kentucky is a beautiful state, of course I'm a bit prejudiced.....:), I'm in the western end of the state, on Barkley Lake, near Land between the Lakes. And, congratulations on your 2.5 lbs lost......it feels so good, doesn't it?

Meow, I know you are so ready for the snow to end, i hope that happens soon for you.

Bedtime for me, I'm pooped, and want to get up early and do workout before bus route. Good night all

Morning everyone, I'm up early to do my workout before my bus route, going to be a busy day for me, so wanted to get it in early.

Everyone have a great Tuesday!!

Good Morning,

Well, I lost the pound I had gained over the trip to FL. Now let's see if I can keep it off!

Going scrapping today & taking my DD & SIL out to dinner tonight - Red Lobster - will get the tilapia & veggies and keep away from the biscuits.

Try to check back later,

Lynn

Oh YUCK . . . it is still snowing sideways and I've cancelled my dentist appointment. On the good side -- I saw 209.5 on the scale this morning even though my food intake yesterday was a bit overly indulgent. Of course there's still a few days until month-end and I could end up anywhere by then. I've seen it happen before. :s:

Good Morning Girls!
It's still raining, yipppeeeee! Yesterday morning our lawn was goldish brown and after one day of rain I see green peeking through. I have no time to gab and post the recipe for the chicken so I'll just post the recipe. We have to go pack up MIL stuff today so movers can move her furniture tomorrow.
Susan..........I laughed when I saw the blueberry bushes you planted. A few years ago we planted two blueberry bushes and I was so excited when little blueberries finally appeared after waiting for a year or two. As they ripened they continually disappeared and I accused the birds of eating them. THEN I FOUND THE CULPRIT, it was my dear hubby. Everytime he's walk by the bushes, he'd eat the blueberries that were ripe. I never got one single blueberry that year and the bushes died over the winter.
Here's the recipe for the chicken. You can use turkey bacon instead of the real thing for lower calories, same for the cheese, use low fat cheese and sour cream. I didn't roll the breast up with toothpicks, I just flattened them out, put the spinach filling on one side, laid the mostly cooked bacon over the spinach and folded the other flap over the top. I baked them in a loaf pan instead of a shallow pan, all the juices stayed around the meat instead of burning on the pan.
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
1 pk. fresh spinach leaves (I used frozen)
1/2 Cup sour cream (I used fat free)
1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves pounded to 1/2 inch thickness.
pinch of fresh ground pepper
Optional...a few flakes of crushed red pepper flakes.
8 slices bacon. ( I had 3 breast and used 3 slices bacon)
Preheat oven to 375
1. Place spinach in a large glass bowl, and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every min. or so until wilted. (Or thaw frozen in microwave). Stir in sour cream, cheese and garlic.
2. Lay the chicken breasts out on a clean surface, and spoon some of the spinach mixture onto each one. Roll up chicken to enclose the spinach, then wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon. Secure with toothpicks and arrange in a shallow baking dish.
3. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, then increase heat to 500 degrees or use the oven's broiler to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the bacon. (Some reviewers partly cooked the bacon so it wasn't so greasy and the bacon was crisper)

Morning...It was a lovely little rain. Didn't touch the water level but washed off alot of the pine pollen.Everything looks so clean and bright today. You all can send some more...please.

Linda.... that scale is really moving down for you since the beginning of the year. Good job ole gal.

Lynn....The only way I could stop from eating one of those biscuits would be to sew my lips shut.

Kren....The only carb craving stopper I know of is level one of the South Beach diet. You detox for 2 weeks on a strict and limited diet and it literally cleans out the carb cravings. I know when I've slipped and the cravings start in.

Have a free day. Tuesday bridge partner called and can't play. Since my cell phone expires today, it'll be a good time to hit the mall. Plus need to start looking for a new living room sofa. Will have to match the 2 chairs that followed me home last year.

Hugs, Karen3

Hi everyone,

It's still cold here, I think the high today was supposed to be 48, and a little damp and windy. makes for a not really pleasant day. But the sun is out and that is nice to see. Tomorow is my DS's birthday and i'm making cup cakes for me and the Grands to frost and decorate this evening. I keep them every Monday and Tuesday. they love to mix the frosting with different colored food coloring to come up with some pretty weird shades. How can I be the mother of a child this age? I'm just a little past there myself! when did we get to be the "older, more responsible" generation?

Karen, glad you got some of the rain. Hope it washes off some polen and eases the allergy symptoms a lot of people have with it.

Lynn, good job, getting rid of that pound in record time. I knew you would do it have fun at dinner tonight. sounds like you have a plan to eat well.

Sue, Kren, i'm originally from Ky also. southeastern corner of the state. Talking about getting out and planting a garden sounds soooo good! Right now my back yard looks like a big mess. I'd love to just get out there and clean that up, but it's still too cold. Can't wait to get out and play in the dirt.

Bobbi, the recipe's sound great. Something new to try. I love looking for new recipes too. found a good one on Kraft foods. Creamy chicken & pasta bake. It's 390 calories per serving, but a whole meal, so not too bad.

Isabella, haven't heard from you in a few days. Just wanted you to know I'm thinking about you and you are in my prayers.

Freda

Oh Oh . . . not a good day . . . I've been on a starch binge. :o

Hi everyone..i got caught up on all your news.. our Mt Redoubt erupted sunday night.. i could smell the sulpher but no ash fallout where i live ..this mt is about 45 miles from our home..then we were with out power for about 4 hrs..everything back to normal today..i have been craving sweets and carbs not good for a diabetic :?: do any of you know of dvd exercise tapes or programs for wheel chair folks like me? congrats to all who are having success :carrot: its cold today..a good day for a pot of hot soup and a good book..have a great day everyone :hug: rosey

Hi Rosey,

How wonderful to see you again! Not sure about DVD's, but I've been using the arm bicycle at the gym. I believe that you can get one of these to sit on a table at home. I'll check it out & PM you with any information I find.

Welcome home,

Lynn

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful day. Mine was good, very busy, but good.

Bobbi, how funny that your DH ate all the blueberries.....lololol. But, not good that you didn't get any. I am so looking forward to making blueberry "something". Muffins, pancakes, pies, for everyone else. Don't think those will be on my list of allowed foods.

Today I made Super Duper Zucchini Muffins for Mother, she really enjoys them. We had an abundance of zucchini last year, so I froze alot of it.

I wanted to share something that seems to work better for me. On sparkpeople, I go in and log what I am going to eat for the whole day, and if I am going over on anything, I can adjust it before I eat it.

Everyone have a great day tomorrow, NCIS is on, so going to watch it, then go to bed.

nite

Hi Susan,

Any chance those muffins are diet-friendly? If so, might you post the recipe in the recipe thread above?

I'm looking for a good muffin recipe.

Lynn