[Ruthxxx]

Here we go with the first "real" weekend of the year. Last weekend was sort of a recovery weekend for most of us.

The darling dogs managed to bump open the kitchen door and joined me in bed last night. I looked at my clock, decided it had stopped and got up and came downstairs. It wasn't until then that I realized the 3:30 reading on the clock was correct! It will definitely be a nap day without the dogs.

The deep freeze continues around here. At least I don't have a citrus crop to fret about! An Irish friend wrote me yesterday to say that it was the coldest winter over there in 100 years and her lovely garden is dead. So much for global warming.

Not much on the agenda today although that could change. I may go down to Bob's Diner for breakfast when he opens at seven to catch up on the Village news. He's been closed since Christmas Eve so there should be a good backlog of gossip!

I hope your Saturday has just enough excitement to make it interesting and, if not, make some!

[TwynnB]

Good morning Ruth! Does that mean you didn't go back to bed after 3:30, or did you manage to sneak a little snooze in? It would be fun to go to the diner!

I'm sitting her having a glass of water (is that a sin? no coffee yet?) to wake up a bit and do some Wii fit yoga. Then off to work, and back to work on the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets are placed in next Thursday and Friday...then we're close to done!! I wish I could've planned meals better, but I guess the ceiling falling down will interrupt things, eh?

Have a great day, all to follow!

[Ruthxxx]

Twinn, once I'm up, I'm up! Of course the dogs are back asleep.

It's really cold out there so I'm reconsidering walking to the diner. It's very close but 0ºF with a wind is rather unpleasant. I may drive and then go to the store right after breakfast.

I hope everything stays on schedule for your reno. Yes, having the ceiling fall down is a good excuse for practically anything!

[Heidi58]

Good morning!

I'm safe and sound in Massachusetts, but it was a tough drive last night. I knew there were flurries predicted but I did not expect such slippery road conditions. Praise God I had no trouble, but I passed several bad accidents and it took me close to 5 hours to get here rather than the usual 3 and a half.

Ruth, I think you need a new latch for your kitchen door! 3:30 is way earlier than I want to wake up! I hope you get to the diner today... Whatever you decide to do, have a great Saturday.

Twynne, Good morning and good for you hitting the Wii so early! The more you talk about your kitchen, the more anxious I am to see those photos you're going to post. I hope you have an easy day at work today.

Hello to the rest of you. I love how many new posts there are here now. I don't have time to catch up on them all this morning but I'm looking forward to relaxing and checking them all out when I get home tonight. Enjoy your Saturday, friends!

[Mmckellen]

Hey all! Here's to a great on plan weekend for all, especially for me. I have a number of challenges this weekend.

First, yesterday, although I did remain on plan, my eating was very uneven. Breakfast was egg salad and celery as usual, same for snack of non fat Greek yogurt. Lunch was the inside of a gyro sandwich. The meat was a bit fatty and though the sauces didn't have any sugar, there was not as much salad as I thought there would be. So no real veggies at lunch. Then, I skipped afternoon snack because I forgot my almonds at home (could have gotten some peanuts from the vending machine I guess, but was involved in cleaning out our supply closet at work so was in the "zone" with that).

When I got home I had my almonds and my usual early evening snack of cottage cheese with caponata. I had more of the caponata than usual because there was only about half a portion left after I served myself, so I just finished it. That's not terrible, but there is a bit of sugar in the caponata. Then I had a pickle and prepared dinner - steak with roasted chick peas and broccoli. Because I was so full from my snack I didn't eat much steak and the broccoli and chick peas burned and were too salty. ARRRRRGH. But, I successfully skipped my Friday evening wine so WHOO HOO for me. Anyway, today is another day.

Today we are planning a trip to the Container Store to buy stuff to organize our house. Even my husband is getting into it! But we will probably be on the road most of the day, and for lunch. So here's my plan for today:
B-egg salad with celery and broccoli sprouts and small salad
Snacks, which will also probably comprise lunch too: almonds, cheese stick, yogurt, romaine lettuce leaves
Snack when get home: cottage cheese with caponata (new container)
Dinner: grilled spanish style chicken cutlets from Trader Joes with some kind of veggie, not sure what?

Have a great weekend ladies!! Sorry this is so lon.

Oh - one other thing - child's birthday party tomorrow thrown by friends who always put on a deluxe spread. Another challenge, but I'm feeling positive.

[femmecreole]

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! In the teens this morning. I woke up at 4 and just couldn't go back to sleep. Of course the computer is in the sunroom/library..the coldest room in the house with all of the windows!

Ruth, I may be joining you in that nap this afternoon. I'm not a nap taker, but every now and then it's a joy! My husband brought our "citrus crop" inside a couple of days ago. A meyer lemon tree with 11 almost ripe lemons. I was worried that the dogs might look at the lemons and think "neat toys to play with" but so far so good. Everything else outside is a soggy gooey mess except for some parsley. Glad he brought it in. At least spring "cutting back" will be easy...I'll just cut everything down to the ground and pray for the best...if not, new plants!

Twynn, I know you'll be thrilled when your kitchen is done! I had the one in my last house renovated and it was a 3 month nightmare.

Heidi, glad you made it ok...be careful out there!!!!!!!!!!!

No plans for me today. Didn't get around to making my soup yesterday, so today is definately soup day!

[CyndiM]

Good morning Apparently sleeping in is not allowed here. DW got up at the usual time but I stayed in bed, determined to sleep in. Was just about to get back to sleep (finally!) when the cat started scratching the door frame, his one bad habit. Of course after scolding him I was awake again and just gave up. Oh well.

Ruth - Guess the dogs missed you Sounds like a good day to stay inside

Twynn - I love the Wii yoga in the morning. I have a 20 minute routine of yoga and strength that is just right for getting me loosened up and moving in the morning.
Can't wait to see the new kitchen pics! Is this a working or off weekend for you?

Heidi - Wow, glad you made it safely. That little bit of snow when the temps drop is horrible. Hope your visit is good and your drive home safe and warm.

Mmckellen - Eating on plan is the most important part, especially early on. The quantities will work out as time goes on but you're making good food choices. Hope today is easier and tastes better

Cat - Soup here this weekend too - both days Glad yor lemon tree is inside where it's warm.

Cold here this weekend, like everywhere else. I'll probably hibernate a lot, not being a fan of cold. The usual chores on tap with plenty of Wii tossed in for amusement. I need one of those at work. It gets me up and moving more often, a really good thing for my joints.

I have lots of butternut squash I need to do something with. Anyone ever frozen it in chunks? Does it need to be blanched first?

The cats think it's time to feed them so I must obey Stay warm out there!

[femmecreole]

Cyndi, how about making soup out of the squash and freezing it?
Here is a good basic recipe with some variations at the bottom of the page.
M mckellen...good morning! Wish I could go to the container store with you!
Organizing is fun!

[Lexxiss]

Good Morning Everyone:

Apparently, I'm one of the few who slept in...of course it's still a bit early here. We stayed up way too late last night and the troops have outvoted me...it's back to bed for a bit. Just wanted to pop in and say hi. See you all in a bit.

[cottagebythesea]

Well, slept in this morning. I was woken up several times during the night with Jake's tossing and turning and cover hogging, but he claims that I kept him awake with my snoring.

Just a lazy day on the horizon for me. I do want to run up to Walmart for some things, specifically cleaning supplies, but I don't have anything else planned. I'm trying to decide on the ideal spot for my bike so I'll actually use it, and the only place I can thing of is right here in the livingroom in front of the tv. It's my house and I can do what I want, right?

I walked down to my garden yesterday to see if any Swiss chard survived, but nothing was poking up through the snow. I guess it finally succumbed to the arctic blast.

Ruth, I'd love to join you for breakfast at Bob's this morning. Let's make that a must when I come up again, OK? What a fascinating place that diner is!

Twynn, I can't wait for pictures of your new kitchen, how exciting! We're saving for new countertops and maybe it will happen next summer.

Heidi, I'm glad you made it safely to your parent's after that harrowing trip!

Cat, I'm thinking soup today, too, since we're only in the teens. Bringing your lemon tree inside must be like a breath of summer in the house, all sunny and cheery! I hope it warms up for you all down there soon!

Cyndi, you're starting to perk my interest in a wii with your enthusiasm. Those things never go on sale though, do they?

I'm going to pour myself another cup of coffee and see what Jake wants for breakfast. We don't go to Cracker Barrel much anymore, as they must have gotten a new cook or something, and the food tastes like old grease. Blech.

[CyndiM]

Cat - I thought about freezing some as soup but I have limited freezer space this time of year (lots of blueberries, greens & leftovers in there). That recipe looks good though

Cottage - two friends of mine got their Wii's from friends of their kids who were selling them. Bet your GD could be a good resource. Honestly if I had known how much I would use it I'd have purchased it last year but I was afraid we wouldn't actually get much use out of it. Yesterday it cheered me for reaching 10 hours already.

Good morning Debbie. Enjoy the extra zzzzzs

I'm lazing but it's time for the Wii then breakfast!

[femmecreole]

Cyndi, another idea...slice it up and roast it with some olive oil, onions and seasoning. Then you can eat it as a side dish, put it in salads and also put it on sandwiches...should last a few days that way. I like to do that with eggplant...just keep it in the fridge to add to other stuff.

I also like to put roasted veggies on my "weekend" breakfast:
A piece of ezikiel toast.
A little mozzeralla on top of that.
Some spinach on top of that.
Some roasted veggies on top of that
An over easy egg on top of that.
Some salsa or bruschetta and green onions and parsley on top of that...
talk about yum!!!

[WaistingTime]

Good morning all. May work on my scrapbook today since photos came in the mail yesterday. The hard part is getting myself started. My teen's indoor soccer and rec basketball start this weekend. Otherwise, just trying to keep warm - like everyone else it seems.

Have a good one

[Lexxiss]

Hi again...the troops are showing some movement. I napped last evening in order to watch a BB game that didn't start until 830pm. Needless to say, my sleep routine is all goofed up. The cold spell continues, yet I still see a pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel. I love Spring!

Ruth, glad you decided to stay indoors and skip that breakfast outing...from what I can tell, the gossip will still be waiting for the next opportunity. BTW-I don't use the term global warming, but rather climate change...it certainly seems there are an ever increasing number of "changes". I hope you get a great breakfast at home with the "family".

Twynn, can you find the coffee maker?? I'm amazed your project is going to be finished so fast...it seems there has to be a glitch...I'll keep my fingers crossed

Heidi, See you soon. Take care on those roads..whew 2 extra hours on the road is not fun! I hope it's better today!

Mmckellen, have fun today! Container Store is one of my favorites, but sadly I don't need much anymore! We have one very close to us. I totally agree with Cyndi about OP foods-the quantity will work itself out and it's far more important to eat OP when you're desiring "more"-especially now. Even at the start of P2, the body is still detoxing and would be really happy to have some of that old "stuff". Every day that you eat OP foods is healthier than the day before.

Cat, I'll bet your beautiful gardens are a mess...at least there is hope of a quick recovery-no hope here yet. Enjoy your cold day off.

Cyndi, enjoy your hibernation and Wii amusement...I really want one, but I'm getting enough exercise...I'm looking at a serger instead. Thanks for the glass jar info.

Cottage, good job sleeping in! Here, we just blame any bed hogging or snoring on Bing. How early can you start planting those cold crops? Enjoy your breakfast at home and $$ in your pocket.

Waisting, enjoy your scrapbook day. With my knitting, the hardest part is starting, too. Just think how great it will be when it's finished. Keep warm!

Off to some home projects. The sun is just rising here so it should start warming up. I had a request for a hat yesterday and she'll come watch the cat while we're gone this week. That is a good trade, since we've been asked to bring a rescue dog back with us when we return on Friday. We're packing very light!

Everyone else, Have a great Saturday!

[femmecreole]

Lex, yep gardens are pretty bad, but mother nature will take care of it in the spring! (with a little help from me)

I took this shot a few minutes ago...a little bird "skating" on my sugar kettle on the patio. Those brown things used to be water hyacinths...