Yesterday:
B broccoli/tapenade omelet, whey shake/coffee
L quinoa, beans, cabbage, tofu
S whey shake, coffee
D chicken, cabbage
S potato, broccoli PB2

Hopefully, I won't lose my post this morning. I lost mine yesterday and didn't have time to redo it! :tantrum:

Well, it looks like prayers are working! PrairieQueen's brother is stabilizing, Mars' mother is more settled, Carol Sue's BP is improving, SeeMyFeet's appliances are working (and hopefully people are more cheerful in your work environment during the holidays :crossed: ), and my remaining cat is doing well! Hopefully Rennie, Chickadeee, and Bewildered are all healthy and happy! Let's hope the upward trend in life and a downward trend on the scale carries the season! That would be a wonderful Christmas present to us all! :present:

Week 29: High 171, Low 170
11/29--171
11/30--170.5
12/1--170
12/2--170
12/3--170
12/4--DNW
12/5--170.5 Carb Day

Week 30:
12/6--173
12/7--172.5
12/8--171
12/9--
12/10--
12/11--
12/12--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch
Protein bar
Mio water

Tea Time

Dinner:
Large salad with roasted chicken, pumpkin seeds, and ranch dressing
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
2-mile walk around the track

....a downward trend on the scale would be reeeeel nice, Jac!

Yes, appliances are working. Still lots more to fix around here. Car's in the shop still. I called the automotive company to report the problem, because it's so dangerous. There is a 'consumer satisfaction program' (not recall) to cover the problem for another model (but not mine). Hopefully the dealership will kick in some $$, and the car company will issue a general recall. Could use a new stove (broken ceramic cooktop) and microwave (peeling ceramic coating--fire hazard). House needs painting outside and new roof (hailstorm, please?). But, Hey, that's what I get paid for, right? Fixing broken things, Drs appts & drugs, and college tuition! Ah, 1st world problems! Ha! I really do have good perspective. 's'all good.

Speaking of downward trends, and the Real Reason we're all here...What to do next to get the flab off me? Thinking of an alternating schedule with a focus on breakfast: Eggs/high protein one day and high fiber the next. I need to take my vitamins more regularly, so adding choc milk might help that--I make mine with cocoa powder, small amount of sugar, and 3/4 water+2% milk to keep calories low. But most importantly, NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE EVENING. Just water. And exorcise Every Day. There. I've stamped my foot. Think my brain heard?

Isn't it nice that brothers and moms and cats are doing better? One day at a time, ladees. Somewhere in the snow, there are roses for us to smell today.

BP is doing good. Still waiting to hear about my Echo. I have to call them again with BP results so I will ask about it then if they don't call before. I am hoping that no news is good news. Otherwise, it's bad news and they are trying to figure out what to do next.

I have not been following my plan of waiting until hungry to eat or stopping when satisfied. Foods have been appearing in my line of vision and ending up in my mouth. Yesterday, I actually ate a jelly donut. Those are the only donuts I like and DH bought some. I usually resits, but didn't yesterday. It was delicious with all that jelly oozing out. Back to business today.

I got a new stove about 3-4 years ago and have not been satisfied with the way it bakes. DH thinks it's funny to blame it on the stove, but he doesn't understand that they can be different. The cookies were browning very uneven and I was very disappointed. Finally, this year, I adjusted to the point that I'm getting perfect cookies! I turned the temp down 10 degrees from the recipe, set the timer for half the baking time and turned the cookie sheet front to back, then continued to bake 2 minutes at a time, watching them closely. They turned out great! It's a shame that I have to go through all that with a brand new stove I paid $1700 for, but it's worth it to get better results. It's a General Electric Profile and I don't recommend it.

SMF, we had hail damage to our roof and homeowners insurance covered the cost of a new roof. Check into it. It was a Godsend as it cost a big chunk of change. One of our cars was damaged from it too, and covered by insurance, too.

I am concerned about our furnace as it is original. 40 years. DH replaced the motor once and he cleans it himself. Never had it checked by a furnace expert, but we have CO detectors so it doesn't seem to be leaking. DH doesn't believe anyone can do a better job than he can.

I recently bought some Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Packets. I used to drink them in the past and had forgotten about them. The ones I get are "light" and are only 25 calories, 4 gm carb and 2 gm sugar. They do contain some artificial sweetener that I cannot pronounce for those who avoid artificial sweeteners. I know it needs hot or boiling water to mix, but I wonder if I could mix it then chill it and have chocolate milk. I bought it so I don't have to drink so much coffee on cold mornings.

Mars, what type of potato did you have for your snack? How are you preparing your cabbage? I have gotten into my salad in a low carb pita and have gotten away from the sauteed cabbage I like so much. Cabbage seems to keep longer in the refrigerator so I'm using up the salad fixin's that don't. We like cole slaw, too, but I forget to make it.

The rolls at Texas Roadhouse are really hard to resist and the sweet butter doesn't help at all. I would tell them not to bring them but DH, who is not normally a bread eater, likes to have one with his meal. It's our favorite restaurant, and during the week the meals we order are on the Early Bird Special, $1 off.

Jacqui, I see that you are teetering just above the 160s. It just doesn't want to make that drop permanent, does it? That's how I am with staying in the 190s and it's maddening.

PQ I am glad that your brother's health is improving although slowly. I hope they are monitoring him closely. I realize the success of the heart surgery can depend on him being stable to begin with.

Hi to everyone else!

I have some quinoa and have it occasionally. Mostly don't think to cook it. I have heard of the roasted cabbage slices but never tried it, and never tried bok choy. I'll have to get some one of these days. I ended up having onion and cabbage sauteed in a pan for lunch after reading about yours.

I buy these Joseph's pitas that are low carb. I chop up different lettuces, like iceberg and romaine, slice some onions, add a bit of chicken or chicken salad when I have it and either use ranch dressing or just mayo. I put it all in the pocket and eat it like a sandwich. It is more enjoyable to me that an actual salad.

Rennie has one of those potato bags for baking potatoes in the microwave and she likes it. I have one that I bought but never used. One of these days I will get it out and try it. I buy these things when I see them but put them away and forget I have them. In fact, a week or so ago I told DH I wanted to buy a small 4 C coffee maker to use for my decaf when he is using the big coffee maker for regular coffee. He told me we have one in the attic! LOL He got it down and it works fine. I don't know what all is up there.

bro update: docs decided this afternoon that surgery will be tomorrow. He's scheduled at 9am and mom/stepdad are meeting with doc at 7. I fly out at 7am to arrive at noon.....step dad picking me up 10 min from hospital. It will take 2-4 hours. I've been running around like crazy for two days at school preparing for my absences and getting exams ready for next week. The office staff and my coworkers are wonderful though, and I'm not worried in that dept.

Break - sausage burrito, ice tea w/stevia
Lunch - leftover chicken w/lemon mustard sauce and mushroom pasta.
Dinner - chicken tenders and onion straws, lite beers
No snacks last night or tonight.

P.Q Prayers continue coming your way.

BP and BG both pretty good this morning. I had some salty popcorn yesterday and that did bring BP up a bit but not the way it used to. Now to get the weight loss moving.

PQ will be praying all day that the surgery is a success!

I have a chicken in the oven, sitting on a beer can, so that's dinner tonight. I will probably have broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with it, and some type of starchy carb for DH. Whatever he wants.

Good news!!! He made through 4.5 hours of surgery. It went fine w/one hiccup....they found undetected abscess hiding but was able to take care of it. He now has two pig valves, instead of prosthetic. Doc thought it was best in his situation...the pros outweighed the cons. Next 24 are critical ...High risk of infection due to them having to dig around to clear out abscess. His lungs are still weak but should start to improve. We get to see him in about a half hour :)

PrairieQueen, that is such WONDERFUL News! :woohoo: I am praying for him to do well in this recovery period!

Carol Sue, your dinner sounds delicious! What great news that you BP and BG numbers are both good! :cp:

SeeMyFeet, a frustrating part about the car is that they almost certainly will eventually recall it, but that doesn't help you now. I wonder if you saved all the receipts if you could be reimbursed when they do finally admit that something is wrong with that model too. :dunno:

Mars, your menu looks yummy! :hungry: I may have to make some more chili soon (just regular, not turkey). It's just one of those great winter foods! I bought some white bean chicken chili in a can, like soup, that I also want to give a try. :yes:

Hi Trish! :wave:

I had a morning appt and then did some Christmas shopping so my breakfast and lunch were not my usual fare. Dinner was better. I definitely have not had enough water today. I'll try to make up for that some this evening.

Week 29: High 171, Low 170
11/29--171
11/30--170.5
12/1--170
12/2--170
12/3--170
12/4--DNW
12/5--170.5 Carb Day

Week 30:
12/6--173
12/7--172.5
12/8--171
12/9--170.5
12/10--
12/11--
12/12--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch
Protein bar
Diet Dr. Pepper

Tea Time
Hot green tea

Dinner:
Roasted chicken
Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
Mio water

Snack: Danged pumpkin seeds! Why can't I resist these things?! :devil:

Today's Exercise:

OMG everyone! I haven't been this happy since my last child was born :) we got to see bro for five minutes and he looked great compared to last Friday. Ventilator may come out tomorrow.....then they'll let him wake up. He's been "out" since last Saturday a week.

Break - Sbarro breakfast sandwich w/bacon ala Charlotte Airport
Lunch - Subway Italian sub ala Fort Myer Health Plaza
Dinner - crackers w/butter and Swiss cheese

PQ, offering prayers of thanks for brother's successful surgery and additional prayers for a speedy recover.

PrairieQueen, fantastic!!! Thank God! :yay: :yay: :yay:

P.Q Wonderful news about your brother. I will continue to pray for him to have a successful recovery.

I got the Whey protein powder and have decided to drink one for breakfast and one for dinner with one meal around 2 or 3 pm and have one small snack in the evening. I don't know how it will be in the long run, but it sure was satisfying. If it continues to satisfy me that well, I just might lose some weight. :)

The doctor's office finally called and told me my Echo showed no change from last time. I have this done every year and the past 3 years have been "no change." I guess that's good. I know the valves are stiff and leaking, but I guess they are not to the point of causing problems, and might never get to that point. There's no difference in how I feel, as far as shortness of breath. And my ejection fraction is still in the normal range. Now that my blood pressure has come down some I have no reason to be avoiding exercise, except laziness. LOL

Mars, do you make your own tapenade or buy it premade? I have never had it but I googled it because I noticed you have it on a regular basis. I saw several recipes but would like to try it premade.

Good news Wbh!

We're going to hospital after lunch today. I had a fried egg w/cheese on toast for breakfast and plan on doing another sub for lunch as there's not too much PQ-approved food here. I tried to get them to go to grocery today so I could buy some stuff to cook for their dinners, but mother doesn't want to go until tomorrow. I imagine it will be dinner out tonight. I think I'm going to get an apple now....spotted them in fridge last night!

I just saw on the tv show "Home & Family" that people on average gain 2-10 lbs during the Holiday Season, from Halloween on (actual weight, not just temporary water weight). If that's the case, whether we are maintaining or losing, we should proud of ourselves because we are doing GREAT! :woohoo:

PrairieQueen, I hope your brother has a wonderful day! :flow2: You continue to amaze me with your dedication to healthy eating and reporting here during all this! I know you are not trying to be, but you are an inspiration, and I admire your strength! :hug:

Trish, I'm glad the whey protein shakes are working for you! :cp: Even if you end up discovering that using them as a 2-meal replacement is not something you want to do everyday, it sounds like a great idea for busy days! :yes:

Mars, I had never even heard of tapanade before you! :dizzy: I had to google it too. It sounds very healthy and your tapanade, mushroom, and kraut omelet sounds like a superfood! How's the taste? Is it something you liked immediately, or did you have to develop a taste for it?

Carol Sue, I'm so glad your echo test came back showing no problems! :dancer:

Yay! I'm back down to my low of 169! :carrot: I really do believe 170 is where my body wants to be, but it's fun to step on the scale and see 169! It gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can reach 168, lol! :D

Week 29: High 171, Low 170
11/29--171
11/30--170.5
12/1--170
12/2--170
12/3--170
12/4--DNW
12/5--170.5 Carb Day

Week 30:
12/6--173
12/7--172.5
12/8--171
12/9--170.5
12/10--169
12/11--
12/12--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Tea Time
Hot green tea

Dinner:
White bean chicken chili soup
Mio water

Snack:
Pumpkin seeds

Today's Exercise:
2-mile walk around track

Well Jacqui, the Echo didn't show "no problems." I still have the 2 valves that are stiff and leaking. They just haven't become worse over the past couple years. They won't get better, but if they get worse I will know with fatigue and shortness of breath. Then they will either need to repair or replace them. They are holding off on that as long as they can because the replacement valves are only good for a certain number of years. My MIL had hers done in her 70s and still had the same bovine valve working fine when she passed away at 85. I think they say they are good for about 10 years. I think the mechanical valves last a lifetime but I wouldn't want one of them. You can hear it clicking and you have to be on coumadin for life.

Carol Sue, well then, I am so glad you have no additional problems! It sounds like the bovine valves are pretty good but I hope your own continue to work for you for a long time! :hug:

Today was good for bro. It's still a critical time until tomorrow. Bp and heart rate were excellent. They discontinued one med and reduced another. Ventilator possibly out tomorrow. Could be talking by tomorrow night or Saturday! So I've decided to stay until Sunday. Christmas 2015 miracle :)

PQ so glad to hear your brother is still improving. Baby steps. I know you will be happy to have him up and talking to you.

Mars, I have never had Kalamata olives, but if would try tapenade before attempting to make it. The recipes I saw said it's easy as all you do it put everything in a food processor, but my problem is I don't want to make a large quantity. I'm going to look for it locally. I do like olives but I don't know if I would like it with eggs. I'm also not sure about sauerkraut with eggs. LOL I don't think I'll even try that one, but I do eat a lot of eggs. I like them with vegetables, but not with cheese or ham. I'm funny about cheese. I like it cubed, by itself as a snack, but not with other food.

P.Q. So glad your brother is improving nicely. Yes it is truly your Christmas miracle. :hug: Do they give you any idea how long the recovery is? I'm wondering if he might be home for Christmas. We had one Christmas DH was in the hospital and I thought they would never decide whether to send him home for Christmas. Christmas eve is his birthday and we finally got him signed out and home around 7ish Christmas eve. I do pray his recovery will make that possible for your brother.

Jacqui Congratulations to making it into the 160s. I like what you heard about us not gaining weight during the holidays being a good thing, It is a good way to look at it. I have always done good during the holidays and have even lost weight. I'm not sure how this year is going to go.

I think I'm going to use the whey protein to increase my protein intake. I've heard that you have to get enough. I've been counting the protein in the past few days and was surprised to find that I don't really eat nearly enough especially if you are supposed to get 30g at each meal which is what I read. So rather than using it as a substitute meal, I will use it to raise my protein count. I will still work to keep my carbs down below 70s.

Carol Sue I'm glad you got good new on the echo and that your bp is improving.

Mars I've never tried Kalamata olives or tapenade. I Lebanese lady I took care of years ago at the olives regularly, but I never tried them. I've seen tapenade at Costco, but won't buy them for fear I won't like it. I don't like anchovies and I loved sardines when I was a teen and ate them with my girlfriends dad. Years later I bought a can of sardines and they had the heads on them and dumped them. For one thing it looked too much like minnows and I don't eat things looking at me. LOL It is a shame because I remember them tasting soooo good. I just can't past the look. I think the reason I could eat it with friends dad is that he put one between crackers and I didn't see what it looked like. :?:

I stopped using the CO in the Bulletproof coffee and I'm using EVOO. It is a little easier on my stomach than the CO was so I will continue drinking it with the scoop of whey protein in it.

Hope I didn't miss anyone. Y'all have a great Friday.

Bro update: we made a short visit to hospital today. He's making great improvements relatively speaking. If he is released before Xmas, it will be to rehab facility for 1-2 months....just depends on how fast things progress. Mom and I are going back after dinner. He woke up today and was trying to talk and passed cognitive tests with flying colors.

PrairieQueen, excellent! :woohoo:

Mars, eating enough not to graze between meals is exactly how I eat. Before I started this way of eating, I grazed all the time! :moo: I have to say, I'm with Carol Sue: No sauerkraut in my eggs, lol! :lol:

Trish, it sounds like you are going to do well this holiday season also! :yes:

Back at 170 today. :dunno:

Week 29: High 171, Low 170
11/29--171
11/30--170.5
12/1--170
12/2--170
12/3--170
12/4--DNW
12/5--170.5 Carb Day

Week 30:
12/6--173
12/7--172.5
12/8--171
12/9--170.5
12/10--169
12/11--170
12/12--

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch
Crockpot Chili
Mio water

Tea Time
Hot green tea

Dinner:
Crockpot Chili
Beef sticks
Diet Dr. Pepper

Today's Exercise:
2-mile walk around the track

I can just sense the smiles and relief in your posts, PQ...Way to Go, Bro!

OhMaGoodness...the weather man just said we need some cold weather to keep the dandelions away!! Too bad I've been too distracted with work this week to enjoy the nice weather :( .....and now the BBC news is showing a giant bag of insects and pointing out that we should eat more insects as they have the same carbon footprint as 200g of beef. So, there's your protein, PattyGirl! (The problem there for me is you eat their intestines.)

Whell...I've been getting up and going to exercise early in the morning, and I'm so proud of myself! Although, not early enough, so something there to work on...Oh gotta go back up and tell you what else is on the telly....There....Annnnnd I'm not losing. If anything, I'm on another upswing. If it weren't for that, I'd be in a pretty good mood.

Yesterday's menu...

Break - McD's sausage burrito w/hot sauce
Lunch - four leftover wings
Dinner - chicken fajita w/sour cream & guacamole
Snack - popcorn

My weight has been hovering around 199 and right now I feel as though I've gained, so I won't get on the scale until I feel "lighter" again. I'm not in the mood to see 2 again.

PQ so happy to hear about your brother's improvement. It will really help to go to the rahab facility. They know what treatment he needs. I see you're still doing well with your food.

Mars, I don't mind anchovies. Now you have me thinking that I might take a second look at the tapenade recipes. I could make it only using the ingredients I like and could cut the recipe down. I am ok with anchovies if I can control the quantity. I don't know if I've ever had capers.

Trish, I might have mentioned this before, but my father was also born on Christmas Eve.

It was surprising to me that we are supposed to get that much protein at each meal. I checked a 4 oz chicken breast and it has 32 gm, so that falls in line, but at breakfast I don't get nearly that much. 2 eggs is only 12 gm and I rarely eat more than that for breakfast. When I eat lunch it's usually vegetables which are very low in protein. So unless I eat a lot of meat at dinner, I'm below my daily allotment. When I first bought my whey protein I was drinking some in the AM but all I could think about was how many calories I was adding to my normal breakfast and I stopped.

EDIT: I checked some sites online and I think 30gm per meal is on the high end. Most sites have calculators that go according to your gender, height, weight, and activity level to determine your needs. The highest estimate I got trying several sites was 72 per day and that was the Kashi site. Since Kashi is a high protein cereal it makes sense that they would want you to eat more. I do remember when I had the home nurses coming every day, they always told me to have some protein at every meal, which I don't always do.

I love sardines. I buy them canned but the heads are gone. I like them canned in water so there's nothing there to block the taste. I get them at Aldi's. My mother always ate sardine sandwiches with mustard and onion. I like them right out of the can. You are supposed to eat the bones, but I just can't do that and they come out all in one strip.

SMF, our temps are supposed to go to 70 or above this weekend, but by next week they are showing some snow and highs in the 30s. It really doesn't feel like Christmas with this warm weather.

Look at the early Christmas present I adopted from a local shelter today! Meet my precious new kitty cat Barnabas. Like Ichabod, he is a darling, sweet loverboy. :love: http://i.imgur.com/iULoWZe.jpg?1

jacqui he looks absolutely adorable! The kitty I tried to adopt last month was black as well.

Bro is doing fine but gets very agitated when we arrive as he still has vent in and wants us to get him out of there. We have to leave. I'm going back to Ohio tomorrow, and mom is only going to call nurse to check in with him tomorrow until vent is out. It's too stressful on him to have his loved ones there. He wants to talk and start hand signals, etc. I'll be able to video chat once the vent is out.

Today's menu....
Break/lunch - chicken fajita
Snack - crackers w/Swiss and turkey pepperoni
Dinner - Cinci chili 5-way spaghetti

Oh PQ, that sounds just awful for your DB. I hope he is getting some good drugs to help him through this. You are such a good and caring sister.

Well JacqiD, that big ole kitty looks right at home in that chair! What a pretty, shiny coat he has! (still jealous of your cats)

Mars!!! That is so sad! I like seafood, but I gather you and Jim Gaffigan have a different opinion.

I don't know what's going on with me...wide awake at 4am today...which fits with my goal to shift to an early schedule, so s'all good. And (finally) a little movement on the scale, and hoping it keeps moving down and not caused by the earlier time. Good day food- and exercise-wise yesterday. Eggs for Br; green beans for L; cashews (only 1oz) S; and Chipotle for D. So sad: we went out for a family dinner but could not agree on a restaurant, most of which were already crowded anyway, so we popped into a Chopotle and brought dinner home. I got a bowl without any rice. Then went to bed soon afterward...I'm feeling the effects of RA and have been popping NSAIDs this week for the first time in several months...living in fear of a flare. Hoping that's related to the big changes in my schedule, too. Even better news: I made it to the gym yesterday :carrot:....under extraordinary circumstances...well, kind of---extraordinary for me anyway.

Wow! Watching the Weather Channel....lots of crazy weather patterns going on. Record Highs. Big whirly thing near the Aleutians; snow and hail out west; warmth in the plains and east; and the Jet Stream is causing the strangest front moving slowly east with wind, rain and tornados. Y'all stay safe-n-warm-n-dry.....I like the Weather Channel...they have the most amazing photos on their website.

.....well, time to take more advantage of the earlier schedule and Get Things Done while the rest of fam is sleeping....

PQ, I think your brother's agitation is a sign that he's improving, but I know he needs to rest and take it easy for a while.

SMF, I wake up very early. Sometimes I can fall back to sleep but mostly can't. I want to try to get more sleep as it is a big factor in diabetes but I have only been able to get about 5 hours sleep in recent years. I don't want to take sleep meds because although they say they are not habit forming, they are. You get to the point that you can't sleep without them. Plus I want to be able to get up and function quickly in case of an emergency, not be groggy. Also, I fall asleep in a matter of seconds. It's staying asleep that's my problem, or falling back to sleep after I wake. I always have to get up to pee at least once a night. Believe it or not, Tylenol helps greatly. It just seems to relax me so I can sleep. But I don't want to do that every night either.

Mars, I love seafood. DH is like you. He can't stand the thought of the shell and the claws.

I wish I could get Bubbies Sauerkraut in a local store. I looked for Tapenade in a store that usually has everything and couldn't find it. I don't have time to be making it right now.

Jacqui, your new cat is beautiful! And so is your Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations. I better get moving and get my tree up.

Mobile site acting weird so just waving hi to everyone.
Jacqui what a heartwarming photo of your new kitty Barnabas by the decorated tree. Makes me want to jump into the picture & pet him.

BaHa WBH! If you come to visit, I'll have to put you and DH in the same room! When I woke up at 4am, I found him watching the telly with the volume down low because he couldn't sleep. Seems like someone is Always awake in this house! One DS needs very little sleep; another kid is an early bird. I don't fall asleep easily, and all this commotion at all hours of the day and night drives me nuts! In my younger days, I was an early bird, but after years of living with these people, I don't know what my natural schedule would be! Yeah, you don't wanna take tylenol regularly--hard on the liver.

Whehl, I spent the morning deep cleaning. I now have the cleanest bathroom this side of the Mississippi. And I got my exorcise in. Still got more to do, and I had a cuppa coffee (late) to keep me going. Hope I can get to sleep early and keep the early schedule alive.

OK, Mars, next time you're near a sweet, imagine one of us slapping your hand!

Are you all getting your exercise ?? I've been pushing myself, and it's done wonders for my mood. And makes me impervious to sweets....I think I'm turning into some kindova superhero.

You'll have to whack me on the head! Hard! (and make me cough it up!)

Hope your cold is better.

Today I baked cookies. Apricot Horns. I was taking a cookie sheet full of cookies out of the oven when I lost my balance and started feeling the tray tilting. Holding it with one ove-gloved hand, for a second I almost caught it with the other hand then realized that the cookie sheet was hot and that hand was bare. So the cookies went all over the place. A few landed on the floor, several more on the open oven door and the rest went into the oven, two of them falling through the vents in the bottom of the oven, down into the flame of my gas stove. DH came over and picked them up for me. He gets the ones that got damaged. After I was finished baking he opened up the bottom of the oven to take out the ones that fell inside. They look like charcoal briquettes. LOL I did end up with 6 1/2 dozen good cookies! Into the freezer until Christmas.

Mars, I found tapenade in a local store today. They had 5 different types, black olive, green olive, artichoke, and 2 others I don't remember. I had the black olive tapenade in my cart, then I saw Kalamato olives on sale and took them instead. I'm going to try making a small batch myself.

SMF, good for you on the exercise. The only exercise I've been getting is shopping. I love how exercise lifts my mood! But getting me to do it is a challenge.

Yesterday's menu....

Break - airport jalapeño bagel w/ham, cheese, egg
Dinner - bourbon chicken w/broccoli on rice

Today's menu....

Break - McD's sausage burrito w/hot sauce, ice tea w/stevia
Lunch - leftover bourbon chicken w/broccoli on rice
Dinner - 2 mini cheeseburgers on toasted baguette, mashed taters, sprout slaw

PrairieQueen, I'm so glad DB is continuing to improve and that you made it back to Ohio safely! :cp: I knew when I went to the shelter that I'd be looking for a black kitty. They are the least likely to be adopted, yet they have the sweetest, most loving personalities. :yes:

SeeMyFeet, lol, you're so funny! :lol: I hope the NSAIDS worked and your joints feel better! :crossed: Good job on the eating well and exercise! :high: I'm glad the scale is cooperating! :carrot:

Carol Sue, thanks! :D I work on decorating every day and it just never seems to get done! :lol: I've finished the kitchen, the dining room, the bathrooms, my DH's tv room, and the family room. The parlor is almost done. The outside of the house is also done. I don't do much decorating outside anymore. But I still have the foyer to do. :dizzy: That involves a tree and about a zillion nutcrackers! I haven't even started it yet. I'm not decorating any other rooms after that! (I tell myself this each year, but this year, I think I mean it, lol!) :wreath: Wow, your baking is impressive! 6 1/2 dozen cookies, even after losing a batch?! That's a LOT of baking! :cp: I do hope you didn't burn your hand! :eek:

Mars, oh nooo, not outside. I go to the Y and do 2 miles around their track. I need to stay and do the machines, but there just aren't enough hours in the day right now! :lol: About the only ingredient I put in chili that others have told me they don't is a tsp of basil. I don't know how different it would taste without it. I've always added it. :dunno: Yes, Barnabas is settling in nicely! :D

Hey Trish and Rennie! :clause:

Week 29: High 171, Low 170
11/29--171
11/30--170.5
12/1--170
12/2--170
12/3--170
12/4--DNW
12/5--170.5 Carb Day

Week 30: High 173, Low 169
12/6--173
12/7--172.5
12/8--171
12/9--170.5
12/10--169
12/11--170
12/12--170.5 Carb Day

12/13--172
12/14--170.5
12/15--
12/16--
12/17--
12/18--
12/19

Today's Meals:
Breakfast:
2 fried eggs
2 slices of bacon
Fage Greek yogurt with Mio
Mio water

Lunch
Tuna salad
Mio water

Tea Time

Dinner:
Loaded Cheeseburger salad
Mio water

Today's Exercise:
2-mile walk around the track

:wave: Jacqui It sounds like you are getting in quite a workout with the decorating!

Today
B whey shake/coffee
S protein bar
L salad, chicken, chickpeas, evoo, WF dressing
S whey shake, coffee, orange
D parsnip pancakes
herb tea, about 5 glasses

Jacqui, I didn't burn my hand. It was that or dump the cookies and I chose to dump them. Only about half of that tray were lost, and they were not totally lost because DH ate them anyway. LOL I'm going to make another batch of those cookies. Make the dough and refrigerate it until Wed, then bake. Tomorrow I am going to make some Rugalach, which is actually a Jewish cookie for Hanukkah, but we like them. I also told DH I would make ladylocks this year. That's a lot of work but he SAID he would help me.

I don't eat these cookies, mind you. I bake, and everyone else eats. Luckily I am not a sweet lover. Give me a second helping of beef and mashed potatoes any day! LOL

I used to do a lot of decorating but then I hate spending the whole day taking everything down so I stopped that. I put up a tree and a few other decorations and that's it. I'll be lucky if I get my house cleaned, let alone decorated. Our outside decorations have been up for a couple weeks but we've cut back on that, too.

I have a shower curtain that has Santa on it taking a shower. I put it up for the first time in years. I'm surprised it hasn't dry rotted. I hope my grandson enjoys it. It probably won't be long until he doesn't believe in Santa anymore.

This post is really off topic but I'm not in the mood to talk about weight and exercise. I don't think I've gained....much.