Here is the pickled beans recipe (it's also good with asparagus and I'm going to try it with okra next):

Lemon Rosemary Pickled Beans
2 lbs green beans
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 cloves of garlic
8 3-in strips of lemon peel
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
3 tbsp pickling salt
2 tbsp sugar

Sterilize jars and lids according to manufacturers instructions (I boil the jars for ten minutes and then just stick the lids in the hot water).

Evenly trim the beans so they'll fit in to the jars with about 1/2 inch of headspace (space between the beans and the lid of the jar). Put 1-2 sprigs of rosemary, a strip of lemon peel, and a clove of garlic in each jar. Pack the beans into each jar as tightly as you can. Really force them in--be brutal. The beans will shrink once you pour in the vinegar, so you want them packed as tight as possible.

In a medium pot, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Ladle into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims with a cloth dipped into the hot water you used to sterilize the jars, the affix the lids and the rims.

Put the jars back in the hot water and make sure they covered with about in inch of water. Bring the water back to a boil and boil for about 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the hot water and let cool. As they are cooling, you should hear the lids pop as the jars seal. If you can push any of the lids in and out, that jar hasn't sealed (don't test this until the jars have completely cooled or you could cause the jars not to seal--you have to be patient when canning). Make sure you've left enough headspace in it and then try boiling it for another 10 or 15 minutes to get it to seal.

Store the jars in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks before opening them. The longer you wait to open them, the stronger the pickled taste (again, you have to be patient).

This recipe yields about 8 half-pints of beans. I haven't figured out the calorie content, but it's got to be pretty low, really not much more than the calories in the beans alone.

There are a lot of us Featherweights that hang out in the Maintainers Forum. Don't be afraid!!!

What is your conference? Sure sounds like a lot of work!

I oversee an organization that provides education and networking opportunities for HR professionals that oversee benefit plans that involve company stock (like stock options and employee stock purchase plans). If you worked for a company that offered stock to its employees, the person in HR that oversees that stock program would be a member of our organization. Also, all the lawyers and consultants that design the programs and the service providers that administer them are members. We offer a lot of different services and programs, but one of the most important is our annual conference. It's an opportunity for our members (well, 2,000 of them anyway--we have over 6,000 members) to come together and learn about what is happening in the world of stock compensation in terms of regulatory developments, trends, and best pactices and also to network. It's two and half days of presentions on various aspects of stock compensation--two plenary sessions and ten breakouts where we have five or six presentations running concurrently. It's a lot work but it's all just part of my job as, after membership dues, it is the single most important source of revenue for our organization. Also, our staff handles all of the logistics, like registration, catering, facilities, etc.--I only need to get involved there if there is some horrible crisis and they need my input (like today, we found out a sponsor has scheduled an event for their clients that conflicts with one of the conference events, which they aren't allowed to do, so I have to make them change their client event). But outside of crises like that, I'm really just responsible for overseeing the speakers, substantive content, and marketing. And the conference itself is usually fun because I see people that I haven't seen all year; it's sort of like a reunion.

And I think your new, thin self would have to buy several absolutely smashing outfits to introduce the band and for the conference?

Seriously though, your conference sounds like a huge amount of work.

Dagmar

Barbara~it does sound like a lot of work! I can see why you're so busy. But it sounds like you know just what you need to get the job done. I go to yearly conferences (but more social than yours) where there are big meetings and breakout sessions--I think our organization hires a company to put the whole thing together for us. But I agree--they are fun to go to and see people that you haven't seen all year. Have a good time!

I'm so excited! I ran for an entire 20 minutes this morning without stopping! That is the longest/farthest I've ever gone with no walking. I never thought I'd see the day. And to think I had no motivation when I left the house--I really doubted that I'd be able to do my usual 8 minutes, 5 walk, 8 minute run!

That's great! Sometimes the body just wants to go and the brain doesn't.

Dagmar

I agree--it's a total mind game! However, the other day I had some severe side stitches that made me have to stop early.

Congrats Allison! That's awesome!!!!

Today's been a tough day for me...friends of mine from school came to visit yesterday/today, and it just suddenly hit me that school is over for most of my good friends, and they've moved on to other things and places...it just made me sad. Where did those four years go? I don't deal well with change, no matter how minor it is. I miss my friends, and I'm kind of lonely I guess.

Food has been okay...I'm working on getting back down to my pre-vacation weight. I'm about 2 pounds above ticker weight now. I've been eating mostly vegetarian (except for this evening!) because I'm reading this book called "the ethics of what we eat" and it's really been creeping me out!

Hello to everyone, esp. Susan B., Allison and Barbara. It's been about 5mos since I've posted and I'm glad to see that you guys are still around, fighting the good fight (and looks like your winning). My current weight tells the story - gained 18# in 9mos.

I hit goal and eased off the journaling, first mistake. I relished in being under the 120 mark and didn't get out my running shoes as determined as last year, second mistake. I enjoyed being in those size 4 and 6s and stopped coming around here as frequently, foregoing accountability, third mistake. I will not make the fatal mistake by ignoring the pounds creeping up on me!

I knew maintaining would be hard, but some days I swear it feels like a nightmare when what took me months to take off, seems like in just one bad day I put back on. But I'm back and have already started journaling again. Baby steps, right? I guess it is better to have gained only a little less than half of what I originally removed, then to wake up one god-awful morning and realize that I didn't catch it soon enough.

Here's to new beginnings...

Hi softballmom . Hope it's easier for you to take the weight off the second time. I've been here since May.

Dagmar

Good morning everyone.
Hi softballmom, we're glad you came back to us. We'll help you to nip it in the bud!

We had a very nice relaxing getaway. Ate too much but that's a given for me on vacation.
It's two weeks from today that we go on our real vacation. We have two dinner parties jammed in there but besides that, I can be good.

Hi Softballmom - good luck! You did it once, you can do it again

So far so good today...had raisin bran with soy milk for breakfast. I weighed in after I woke up, and was down to 140.6...*phew* only 1 pound to go 'till my pre-vacation weight!

Hi softballl - your lessons sound like they apply (or will apply) to all of us. Good luck getting down to goal again. I've been maintaining (not losing) throughout the summer, and I'm trying to get in the mindset of LOSING the last 5-10. And I keep saying, it's amazing how hard I have to work just ot MAINTAIN. I gain very easily, so I know I'll always have to exercise and watch what I eat. We can all do it together!

Allison - great job on the 20 min run! That's no joke! I usually walk/run on my walks, but about 10 minutes or so is probably as long as I run. Then I'll walk for 5-10 and resume the walk/jog. 20 min is great!!!

I did a one hour very hilly walk/run last night at sunset. I drove to the river (10 min away), so it was just gorgeous watching the sun set as I worked out. I pushed myself and it felt good. Today is a bike day for me.

The weather is a little cooler here in Va this weekend - it's only in the high 70s, so I am LOVING being outside now. I do think fall is finally here!

Barbara - gosh, you are busy! That conference sounds like it will be a lot of fun, despite a ton of work. I'm wondering the same thing Dagmar is... have you bought some new clothes now that you are at goal? I hope so! You work so hard; you've earned it! Oh, and thanks so much for posting the pickling recipe. I printed it, but it will be next year until I use it.

Welcome back, softball mom! Next time, don't leave--instead you can "graduate" to the maintainers area where SusanB and I hang out regularly. It really helps to see that maintaining is just as hard as losing, and it helps to see that others are struggling with it as well.

Nic~so sorry to hear that your down in the dumps about your friends leaving. I know I felt that way in college myself--most of my friends were a year or two ahead of me, and it was lonely finishing school without them.

Claire~your walk sounds lovely. I enjoy walking so much more when there are pretty things to look at!

Susan~where are you going on your "real" vacation?

We have family in Alabama. So relaxed, so absolutely away from everything. We love it there.

This year the fella's are going to Talledega for the Nascar race. Once in a while we venture into Birmingham for a nice dinner or shopping but mostly we just dwell in the country.