Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian posters.

Loving the link that Megan posted (http://www.verybestbaking.com/Libbys/Products.aspx) because the pumpkin pie mix has 90 calories per serving and "0 servings" per can. Since I normally multiply those two numbers to get calories per can, this looks like a real winner, LOL.

I'm glad to be home after three days on the road in a hotel. Those hotel breakfast buffets are a cahallenge for me to negotiate sanely. Thank goodness for a big bowl of bananas and another of apples to remind me that my goal is to select food out of the choices they offer of sugar carbs in different shapes.

bill I find myself doing quite a bit of math in the grocery store these days. I'm seriously thinking of taking my calculator along. Glad your negotiation of the buffets was successful.

I have been drinking tea and snuggling the cats on the couch for the past hour. The back door is wide open and we heard and watched the day begin here. It's very quiet due to the holiday so we could hear all the birds and the neighbour's water feature.

Today I will be cooking and doing yard work. I enjoy both. No huge Thanksgiving meal for DH and myself but it will be a bit special. Then we'll walk over to the local ice cream place and have our last cone of the season (they close after Thanksgiving weekend) and then walk up and get a movie.

The weather looks beautiful for the third day in a row. Should be a nice end to a great weekend!

Good Monday all!

Dagmar

What a gift this weather has been. I'm working on the U.S. Columbus Day, and with a 9 AM meeting in which I'll be asked to report the (unsatisfactory) progress on a critical document, so I'm feeling restless and somewhat aggrieved, and longing to be out of doors.

Yesterday I came awfully close to feeling okay, almost happy, rather than tense and threatened, and it was while I was out of doors, at the Apple Festival, walking in warm sunlight, after having run a 5K. I'm trying to hold onto that feeling today as I re-enter captivity and another work week.

Being an eBay seller is very annoying. It's the shipping part, and finding boxes to mail the things in. Today there is no mail, but tomorrow I'll be in line at the post office with my boxes.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Dagmar! Enjoy your pea soup. I recently bought a ham shank and a bag of mixed beans and am looking forward to making a batch of bean soup, but it's still a little warm here to do that. Perhaps I'll do it when my dad comes down for our Thanksgiving as he does like bean soup and it'll be easy for him to heat up for lunch if I'm at work.

I'm not really looking forward to his visit (is that a bad thing for me to say?). It's not that he's difficult, but the interruption to my daily schedule has me on edge. That and he refuses to use a hearing aid and he must have the TV on LOUD.

I made a list of new recipes to try this week and so far all have been a hit. Tonight are mini calzone-like muffins. I think a salad will go with that quite well.

Wishing I had Columbus day off, but I have to work, DS has school. It's only government offices that benefit from this holiday.

alinnel, get your dad a set of those headphones that they make with a TV receiver. It's not a hearing aid, but it does allow one person to watch TV without disturbing others, and I think in your house you can ask him to do that when you're around.

There are a whole bunch of them--look here:

http://www.noisefreeheadphones.com/w...headphones.htm

Jay

I'm ready to make bean soup, too. I need to get some ham hocks at the store next time I go. I make a big batch and freeze some in individual portions and I have lunch/dinner on hand anytime.
Today I get to meet my new oncologist. I have liked the ones I have had so far. It is interesting, the more serious one's condition is, the nicer the doctor's seem to be. It has been my experience, anyway.

Jay~he has those. He doesn't like them, either. Did I ever mention he's stubborn?

Morning all,

It's windy and spattering rain here. Despite that I'm in a cheerful mood because I've finished a big project weighing on me at work (no holiday in this office), so that's a relief. My first week of being back to serious dieting went really well until Sat. night when I was dragged out to the bar "to hang out with Mark bc Mark is never in town!" This was after declining to go out Friday night bc I didn't want to drink alcohol. I forgot how much alcohol is pushed on me and how hard I have to fight it when I'm trying to cut it out for diets' sake (not fight the drinking - could care less about it - but fight the pushers). So, fail there, and next weekend WILL be different. I did some "clean" cooking done yesterday to set myself up for a healthy food week. I've failed so far to do the high intensity workouts other than two sessions on the stairmaster last week. I'm not going to make excuses, it just didn't happen. I need to do better with that as well.

Dagmar, I'm so confused about the pumpkin and am wondering if it was just mislabeled. What does the ingredient list say? Dickinson pumpkin is a strain of pumpkin Libby's created for their canning bc it's meatier, thus cans better. My Libby's pumpkin (at 40 cal/half cup) is also Dickinson pumpkin. I swear, pumpkin is a low-cal, high nutrient and fiber ingredient and everyone should use it often!

Bargoo, I've gotta make soup too! It's a soup time of year. I like to do just as you described and make a big batch to freeze some. I'm planning on making chili this weekend.

Saef, do you or your mom know a friend with a business who might get a lot of boxes?

Bill, way to navigate the buffets. Any buffet + "free" food = tough time for me also!

Allison, at least your dad's up and about, watching TV. I don't mean to be depressing but your comments struck a chord with me. My grandfather who has dimensia and depression since my Grandmother passed used to watch Fox News all day on very loud volume, and drove my aunt nuts - both the volume and bc she doesn't like Fox. Now she has trouble getting him out of bed. She wishes he would get up to watch TV at any volume, any station. I also hate to have my schedule interrupted, but try to remind myself not to sweat the small stuff. Enjoy your time with him.

Have a good week all!

I've been craving pumpkin bread for the last 4 days. I found a pumpkin cake at the grocery in Boulder, but my sister tasted it and said I wouldn't like it because it was way too sugary and I've been off sugar for a year. (With a few cheats of chocolate in March to celebrate my 50th birthday.)

So I've been searching for a pumpkin bread in a mix because while I can add an egg and some oil or water, I'm not one to bake so I don't want to by flour, baking powder, and baking soda which will just sit on the shelf for years. I've got to talk my next door neighbor into making me some. She loves to bake.

Lost 2 pounds when I was away in Colorado for 10 days. I really tried to eat enough not to lose the weight. Going to cook up a lot of salmon for the next few days and will eat an avocado to get some fat calories.

Morning everyone,
I think this sub-tropical storm is past us. It rained last night, but the sun is shining this morning. Emma and I went for a very long walk last night and jogged a bit of it as well. Her antsy-ness pushed me to get moving and stay moving.

Carolyn, way to keep on track on your vacation! A 2-lb loss, wow! I think you are one of the few who manages to lose weight while on vacation. Salmon and avocado, yum, sounds delicious.

Saef, I forgot to comment yesterday on how lovely your description of your Apple Festival was. What a great feeling. Enjoy the beautiful foliage!

Dagmar and other Canadians lurking out there, I hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving!

Megan, I know if it wasn't for my dogs and needing their walks to stay healthy, I would have a few thousand less miles under my (big fat) belt!

Go Emma...GO!

Oh and speaking of pumpkin and chili(ish) soups, I saw this on Rachael Ray...think I'm gonna try it soon.

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=858

Just waving hi this week!
Book fair week for me so incredibly long hours plus my second job.
Just trying to fit exercise in, plan my meals, and stay focused.
I can't wait until book fair is over Friday.
However, I don't get a day off (working Sat and Sun) until next Friday when I go visit dd for parent's weekend-- that's what I'm really looking forward to!
I'll try to pop in later if possible.

Yum! This one I'll definitely try. DH is not a fan of anything in the squash family but he didn't seem to mind the pumpkin chili. I haven't done a lot of cooking with pumpkin so it's time to try - bring it on!

Speaking of DH I think he's really going to take a serious crack at the diet : and exercise . We had an hour-long conversation yesterday about it all and I think he's finally ready.

I know I am. I'm only 2 lbs. above red line but I feel all "squishy".

And we survived the first of the fall/winter holidays so bring it on! (is that getting annoying yet? )

Dagmar (probably the last day of good weather for awhile)

I had dentist/haircut appointments last night. So dinner didn't happen until 8 p.m. - the time DH says he prefers to eat. Good thing I had some leftover protein between rushing home and out the door again. And good thing I planned ahead and had meals for the week cooked by the end of the holiday weekend.

I was still starving at 8 p.m. - spent the last half of the haircut appointment with my stomach growling audibly

I managed to step away from the fresh foccacia bread after 3 pieces - one more than I'd planned but much less than eating the whole thing. Whew!

Dagmar