Hi everyone DH and I just got done cleaning like crazy.. This is the last wk of classes and I only have one final so I am so happy! BUT I have so many projects for two classes and one paper do that I have procrastinated on. I am officially a Junior after this semester I feel like I have been in college so long but I have one yr left
Sorry I dont really read a lot on the posts I do not have a lotta time these days.. so does anyone have any special plans? We dont, just hope to not go broke the boys b/days are both 2 wks b/f Christmas!!!
Well, T/O is over. I will see what the scale tells me today at the COD. I was going to wait til tomorrow to go but today is our 6 year dating anniversary (the last one we will probably celebrate since we are getting married in May LOL) and we are going to the Mexican restuarant. I am going to order fajitas but still I dont want to go to WI the next day.
I will catch up on personals on my lunch break I just wanted to say Good Morning!
Good morning girls. No time for personals yet. I still have to catch up on the weekend posts.
So... Saturday I was supposed to bake. Well, the handyman took until 2:00 or so to finish the faucet. I then ran to Bed, Bath & Beyond for a little shopping. Came back and we started loading up all the cabinets and moving back into the kitchen.
Saturday evening (still no baking), DH turned on the faucet under the sink that runs to the waterline for the refrigerator. There was a leak. Called the handyman to come back out. He turned it off and said he would be back Monday. We were OK with this because it was Saturday night and we could still use the kitchen, just not the water from the fridge.
Woke up Sunday morning to a flood. He hadn't turned it off, but had turned it on full blast. The leak went behind the new cabinets and through the wall into the den and garage.
He came right when we called (by the time he got there DH realized what they guy had done and had turned off the water). Anyhoo... cleaned up the water, sprayed mildew killer/sealer and I am hoping for the best.
Didn't start baking until yesterday. Made my fudge (it was a little dry - Pearl - did I overcook it maybe?) and peppermint bark. The peppermint bark came out so nice! It looks just like the stuff at Willaim-Sonoma. That's actually where I got the idea. I was at the mall last weekend and looked at that and said, "I can make that." It was a layer of dark chocolate and then a layer of white chocolate with crumbled mint candy pieces on top. I actually pounded out a bag of starlight mints and then dumped them into a collander over a bowl so that the candy powder went into the bowl. I mixed the powder with the white chocolate to flavor it up and then topped with the candy pieces. I was so proud of myself. It looked quite professional!
Still have brownies to make (5 dozen) and lots of shopping.
However, I am mad at myself for the picking I did yesterday. It was mindless eating, ya know? I didn't need it, didn't even want it. It was like I forgot I was on a program. I don't know what I was thinking. It wasn't a lot, but the fact that I forgot to be mindful of it bothered me. Oh well, I will pay today on the scale.
But today I will move forward. I can cook in my kitchen and I will stay OP. This morning and yesterday evening DH and I were walking around the kitchen all discombobulated (sp?) because we weren't used to cooking and using dishes. I totally didn't feel like I had my rhythm during the mornin rush this mornig. Weird. But I'll get it back I'm sure.
I'll catch up on posts and check in later. Have a POP day girls!
Morning ladies! Very busy weekend unable to stay totally OP; back at it this AM gonna try to do TO Tues & Wed befor I go WI on Thursday. Is it me or did Christmas sneek up all of a sudden?
Joni - I need your challenge! I just have not had time to read all the rules is it too late to hop in?
Cassi - These recipes sound so good are they posted here on the site? I tried to find the fudge and pepermint bark but couldn't locate them.
Gotta get busy at work too much too do I'll try to check in later! Everyone have a great day!!!
Cassi--so sorry about the water problems! No fun. Your attitude sounds much better than mine would right now. The mint bark sounds divine. You are not alone on the "mindless eating". Weekends suck for me and my scale was up to prove I can't do that too often. I need LOTS and LOTS of hot lemon water to flush the sodium out!!
Cassi - I feel so bad for you with the flood! It sounds like you did everything
you are supposed to do, hopefully there will be no damage. Your peppermint bark sounds great - pre LAWL, that was one of the things I went for at christmastime. My secretary brings in the Harry and David version every year. Making your own sounds really cool! I am going to a cookie xchange friday and I may make some of that to bring (I know - why am I going to a cookie exchange? Well, I am trying to avoid having to make a bunch of different cookies to give out. This way I can bring them home, bag them up and give them out all in one swoop!)
Isn't buying stuff for a new kitchen fun? My sister re-did hers last winter and it finished up right near her b-day. We all gave her gift cards to Bed Bath & Beyond and she went nuts!
It really is true about getting out of a rhythm. Especially since your stuff is in all new places! I am sure that you will get into a new routine. I am so excited for you! (pictures..please)
Barb - good luck at WI, and have fun with your DF on your last dating anny!
Keisha - Good luck on the exam!
Joni, OK girl, I was tired BEFORE I read what you did yesterday. Now I am officially exhausted... No fair, you must have lost 10lbs yesterday!
Debster - gotta love tail-proofing the house! The tree is safe from our Maltese tail, but the village under the tree is not! We always find one of the sisal trees from the village stuck to Dodger's tail when we get home from work!
Nicole - don't you just feel like we could all get together and talk like we've known each other forever?
Kristen - your family is picture-ific (if everyone else can make up words, so can I) I like the business name.
Pearl - C'mon up! I am not in NY City, I am about 2 hours north, just outside of Albany (the capital of NY, but a very small city) It is beautiful here, we are 1/2 hour from the Adirondack mountains in one direction, Vermont in the other, and Cooperstown (baseball Hall of fame - the boys would love it!) in the other direction - lots to do, make it a vacation! We have 3 unused bedrooms!
OK, DH and I did our respecive christmas villages - no fights ensued! Fighting over the village is a long-standing family tradition for me, I can remember my parents fighting every year over it when I was a child - it is a christmas memory for me. I will post some pictures as soon as the tree goes up over the village.
After doing the villages, we painted all of the doors on our first floor, then bought ceiling medallions for our foyer and painted them (new lights coming this week), and started painting our 1/2 bath. Nothing like realizing you've been in your 'new' house for 10 years to get you moving on the home improvements!
I think I am going to do TO tomorrow and Wed, any takers?
Cassi - Did you use a candy therm? I rely on thermometers for candy and especially meats! Don't know what I'd do without them. And of course, everyone should have an oven thermometer! The bark sounds great! I'm so proud of you! Hey, for the candy mints - just a hint... I grind mine in the food processor! Yep, just a few pulses and you've got it! By the way, you can use the same process only dip red and green plastic spoons in the choc's and then sprinkle with the mint... fantastic gifts for hot choc and/or coffee lovers! You can also dip them in ground hard cinnamon candies, butterscotch candies, or mini choc chips. Awesome in a gift basket!
Joni - I still have a naked female tree! I have a two food section of lights on the "prelit" factory installed cr@p that won't light but the rest of the string does! And it appears to be in the middle somewhere in the string...
If I can't find a fix for it, I'll just add a small string in that spot, but currently, it's holding everything up!
We stayed after church yesterday to record our Pastor doing 2-2 minute spots for the radio. He's re-written Christmas Carols adding a "spiritual" touch to Jingle Bells and Here come's Santa.... Well those two 2 minute spots took 2 cotton picking hours!!!! (oh my gosh!) DH was fit to be tied! We were starving by the time it was over, but Pastor was kind enough to treat us to lunch - so we went to our favorite mexican place as a treat for 13 yr old ds and for us as well! It was great! I'll be doing some extra H2O to make up for it today!!!
We got a lot of comments yesterday about our weight loss. We've actually lost 100 lbs between the two of us!!!
DH is REALLY having problems in this area... COD GAVE him a box of their tea and it's not working so far either... HELP!!!!!! He's been taking XLax every few days, and we all know that's not good! Any suggestions are appeciated!
Okay - now that that's over, I'm going to fix him breakfast and pack his food up. I made a crockpot recipe of cabbage and turkey kielbasa overnight, I'll let you know how it is and post the recipe if worthy.
Hugs and blessings!
Deb: My dog as a lethal tail also but he hasnt gotten it in shooting distance of the tree yet. He is enjoying the ornaments though. He sneaks up to them and sniffs them out. He is a good guy though and has not tried to take one off the tree yet.
Makena: sorry your hubby hurt his back!
Joni: what a busy day you had cleaning! I bet it feels good to have a clean house though!
Cassi: What a mess! I am sorry that that all happened to you! You sure seem alot more calm then I would have been.
Pearl - I didn't use a thermometer. It was a recipe from allrecipes.com and it just said to stir continuously for 5mins after it comes to a boil. Didn't mention any temp. But I have a candy thermometer, and if that's my only issue, I can remake it really fast. It was pretty easy, actually. (I'm not a baker). Do you have a favorite recipe you can PM me? Thanks for the candy crusing tip too. I did it by putting it in a ziploc and using my meat mallet.
Kayla - The peppermint bark is SOOOO NOT LAWL-FRIENDLY. That's why you couldn't find a recipe. Actually, when I was at the mall I saw it and thought it would be easy to make so I just went for it. If you - or anyone else - would like the recipe I used, feel free to PM me.
Barb - I wouldn't say "calm". I was out on the ledge yesterday morning. But it's amazing what a fresh outlook a new day brings. The problem is handled and I did everything possible to minimize the damage. You can't dwell on what you can't change.
Still have to go back and read how everyone's weekend was...
Buffystar - there is a sugar free version of Apple Cider (I've seen one made by Alpine); you find them in the section that sells coffee, tea, hot chocolate; they come in individual pouches. I'm not a Cider person myself, but DH loves the stuff, so I'm always getting it for him. Lea Ann mentioned putting a dollup of whipped cream (FF of course) on top.
Pearl - sounds like you and DH deserved a little treat yesterday; I would think the mexican meal would help out your DH today. If not, things that work for me are fresh apples and Dr. Oz seems to like psyllium husk for fiber. Also, when I was on vacation, a McD's grilled chicken sandwich cleaned me out really good (I actually think I got a touch of food poisoning). Good luck to him; I've only had one short incident like that since being on LAWL. I'm just a regular gal!
Cassi - Hope that plumber doesn't charge too much for his handyman skills! You seem to be handling it way better than I would have, but hopefully you caught it early and no harm done. I see that Pearl answered your cooking concerns. My response to the dry fudge is that was a subliminal msg that you should not be making fudge! LOL.
The bark sounds divine...do you need my address??? haha. You gals that are baking and cooking - if I were baking and cooking, I, too, would be taste testing. Actually, I would be taste "eating." - whole cookies, whole chunks of candy, licking the bowls, spoons, beaters, etc. That is my reward for actually cooking. I've resisted so far and plan to resist during this challenge. After December 16, there's no telling.
So a big box just arrived from the M&M candy store. Thank goodness it was not a gift for me, but a friend sent something (mini tins of personalized M&Ms) for all the gals attending a "girlie diva brunch" that I am hosting next Sunday. There will be 23 gals here basically eating, drinking mimosas, and celebrating the season. The good thing is they all bring most of the food and drink; I just have to clean my house, decorate, and make a signature dish or two.
Anyone have a recipe for a LAWL approved mimosa (champagne/OJ)? Does Crystal Lite have an orange flavor? I guess I could do sparkling water and try mixing it with some SF orange power drink??? I think I'll pop for some expensive sparkling water....what would that be? Figure if I'm going to be good, I deserve the best!
Joni--wasn't me--I like my cider with a few red hots in the bottom! Actually I like with with Hot Damn but I am saving my splurge for Christmas (and Bunco) with family. The sugar free cider is so good. Your party sounds fun. I am hosting Bunco this month (the 14th--not good before the challenge final WI!) so it's gonna be tough to be good.
Pearl......I don't have time to play right now, but I wanted to get this link out to you asap. This is WONDERFUL!!! My 4 yo DS has a lot of problems with constipation, and this is the only thing that works for him. The article is geared towards children, but if you navigate around on this Dr.'s website, you will see he prescribes the same remedy for adults as well. I, myself, am a big fan of boosting fiber. There are a million health benefits. Also, my family doc says EVERYONE should take metamucil daily....it helps prevent colon cancer. K, gotta run...boys are BUSY today
By the way, you can use the same process only dip red and green plastic spoons in the choc's and then sprinkle with the mint... fantastic gifts for hot choc and/or coffee lovers! You can also dip them in ground hard cinnamon candies, butterscotch candies, or mini choc chips. Awesome in a gift basket!
