Good morning, chickadees! Oh, brother. Is it MONDAY again already? Time sure does fly when you're having...well, not so much fun, maybe, but dare I say that the older I get, the faster the time seems to go? Oh, except for when I'm sitting in a traffic jam. Then it moves like molasses.
Well, one more week before we hit the road to North Carolina for a visit with my sis and a meet-up with my son, who is, as you know, heading back from the west coast with all of his worldly posessions - or at least those they didn't get rid of on Craigslist and at their yard sale. We won't be traveling quite as luxuriously as you in your "fifth wheel", Karen - that's quite a vehicle, I must say. Nope. Just in my little Nissan, that uses about a teaspoon full of gas for every 10 or so miles. We'll stop halfway down and spend the night at a hotel - whatever we can find in the right vicinity, at any rate. So for what we save in gas, we'll spend on the overnight accommodations. Guess there's no way to win, really. Omigosh, Karen, I mean, how cute are those little doggies? Makes you just want to cuddle them, they're so darned sweet-looking.
The weekend went by like a cyclone - on Saturday, I grocery shopped with my daughter while DH had the oil changed on my car, and then DH & I had to go buy a new vacuum cleaner because a ball bearing went in the engine of ours, and it would've cost a bloody fortune to fix - cheaper to buy a new one. THEN, we went and walked around the lake on our favorite walking path, THEN came home and cleaned all the sawdust and such out of my new porch-closet and started hanging stuff and putting stuff away in there. Didn't finish by any means. Took a break and went over to my daughter's house to see the twinnies and their sister (and of course my daughter and SIL) since I hadn't seen them since Monday. Played with the boys, chatted, helped feed them their supper and then came home and did some more work on the closet. Much still left to do.
Yesterday, we stayed home all day, and in between ironing and hanging clothes, I'm here to tell you that I was one cooking fool....made my chicken and veggie soup, made my pasta sauce full of all kinds of yummy veggies and ground turkey and turkey sausage, made our individual meat loaves (including 4 for my daughter made with grated rice cereal flakes instead of the grated Fiber One that I use in ours), and apple-cranberry sauce. I also boiled up some of those free-range, humanely-raised (etc., etc.) chicken breasts, let them cool, and chopped them into very fine pieces - I mean, VERY fine - and then simmered them in chicken gravy and put it into six little tupperwares for the twins. I hadn't done it before, but my daughter called to say that they loved it, so I guess I'll be doing it some more - at least until they have a few more teeth and know how to use them. Anyway, my freezer is full of pasta sauces, soup containers, individually wrapped single-serving meat (ground turkey) loaves along with everything else that was already in there. I don't plan to do much cooking over the next few weeks. I got a lot of the clothes situated, too, but there's still a mountain of a pile on my living room sofa. That will have to be done a little at a time, all week long.
PT, actually, I DO think that the hypnosis could work on MY brain. I quit smoking by making myself a tape on which I pictured myself running through a beautiful field in summer, breathing easily, smelling the flowers and such, and telling myself as well, that the smell of smoke from cigarettes and such would be very unpleasant to me - would even nauseate me if I got too close. Oh, other things, as well, but that's the gist of it. I haven't smoked since, and never had the slightest craving to do so - after nearly 30 years of smoking. So, yeah, that could maybe work for me. The problem I've always had in using hypnosis for weight loss is that I can't just tell myself not to eat, period - and that's what seems to work when you want to break bad habits. Unfortunately, we all have to eat [/I]something.[/I] But maybe the belly band simulation might do the trick. I'll have to think about that one.
Such a nice picture of you and your daughter, Lynn! My goodness, she certainly looks like her momma, doesn't she? You both look very relaxed and happy.
Bobbi, I certainly hope you got some pictures of that rakish grandson of yours in his tux - AND that you're planning to share them with us!
Isabella! SO great to hear from you again! And, yuppers...three-quarter sleeves it will be for me! Besides, I hear that batwings can actually come in handy if you find yourself at some high elevation and needing a quick way to get down.
Okay, well, my eating was pretty much okay all weekend. I think that with the trip coming up so soon, I'm in panic mode about getting off these last few pounds. BUT...tad-dah!!!!! <drum roll, please...nothing too loud or flamboyant; just a small one...) everything I've tried on from last summer is actually too BIG for me! I'm amazed and delighted. I guess I haven't noticed because I hardly ever weigh myself. But, in spite of some overindulgences a few weeks back, I seem to still be on track, thank goodness. Now, mind you, I will still wear a lot of these things - the ones, for example, that were too tight for me to zip up last year are quite loose, now, but I LIKE my clothes loose, so that's not a problem at all. SOME, though, are just way too big, and I guess will have to get deposited in the Good Will or Sallie's collection boxes. Yay, huh?
Hello, Rosey..hope all is well way up there in Alaska...and hope you enjoyed your getaway with the girls, Georgia. Freda, wherefore art thou?
Have a terrific day, y'all!

Z

Good Morning Girls!
I had a fun week-end with a wedding and watching my grandson at the Promanade, taking pictures, etc. The wedding was all desserts and coffee, punch. I had the biggest piece of cheese cake that I could find, it was delicious. Bruce didn't want lunch and just took coffee, the big poop. I wanted him to go up and get a piece of cheese cake and I'd eat it. He didn't want to stand in line. So I didn't over-indulge, why can't I find cheesecake not worth waiting in line for. I was the first one in line, they also had 3 huge bowls of fruit on a stick. Have any of you seen those at functions? So pretty! Since I was first in line, the fruit sticks were stuck in pretty tight and I couldn't get the first one out so I didn't eat one.
I've priced most of the rummage sale stuff for our upcoming sale and been selling Winchester cases on ebay, it feels so good to unload some of that stuff.
Isabella...I was wondering what happened to you, looks like I'm the only one left on the exercising across the country. I think I'll delete my spot, I don't need to keep track of my exercise anymore with all the garden work outside and I'm not getting on the stepper anymore. I have the two hour bone building class I still go to plus I've been doing your countertop push-ups plus using 5 lb. weights during the day. I've dropped to 125 and I can't go below that at my height, not that 5' 4" is very tall. I have one sister 5' 8" and I feel short next to her and one sister 5' 1" and I feel tall next to her.
Zoe...what's happening in your part of the country today, back to work as usual? Did you get your porch-closet done and moved into? It's always nice to have extra closet space, it gives you an incentive to go buy more clothes. Ha, Ha, don't tell hubby I said that!
Lynn... I'm enjoying your pictures, was that a castle that people live in, a tourist guided tour or what? I sure hope all the walking is balancing out your calories. How's the leg holding out?

Karen...I got butterflies in my tummy just reading about the 50 mph winds, that had to be tough driving your high profile vehicle. One year when we went to Wyoming hunting, we had high winds and ice slicked road all day long. We saw a big rig jack-knife right in front of us and many cars in the ditch, we sure didn't make many miles that day at 30 miles per hour.

Quote:
We had 50 mph winds all the way from Pratt Kansas until we got almost in to Lamar Colorado!!

Jess...me too, those two dogs have it made, prima donnas indeed!
Hi Freda and anyone I missed. I found the tomato soup recipe this morning and I'm going to try it later today. We still have frozen tomatoes in our freezer from last summer and I need to use them up before this years crop comes in.
You all have a productive and low calorie day, Monday's are always good days to redeem ourselves from week-end overeating.

It's posted, but here it is, too....

Pico de Gallo

6-8 firm Roma tomatoes, deseeded, and finely diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, mostly deseeded, and finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 1-1/2 tsp cilantro (to taste)
squirt of lemon juice
squirt of lime juice

Mix everything together and refrigerate overnight for best taste.

ENJOY!! This goes with just about everything..... yum!

Just lost my post.

The sun was shining this morning so I finally got walking again. I was hoping to have about 600 kilometres walked by the end of April but that won't be happening because it rained all last week. But I'll hopefully get in another 30 k this week.

I was going to do all kinds of things today but so far it has been uneventfully unproductive. Maybe I'll get off the couch and tackle a bit of sewing. I'm making grocery bags. I wanted some I could throw in the washer.

Have a good evening and I'll catch you all tomorrow.

PT, I am intrigued by that Pico de Gallo recipe. I've GOT to make it! It occurs to me that it just may be the solution to my aversion to eating anything other than (canned) tuna fish. I know how good fish is for you, and have tried, at various times to make a nice piece of baked fish for DH and I, but it's always bland, and thoroughly unenjoyable for me, at least. BUT, a few tablespoons of your (and soon to be MY) homemade Pico de gallo, and I'm betting that I'm going to be eating a LOT more fish in the future! Not to mention all of the OTHER things I can top with it! Oh, yum. My mouth is watering.
Omigosh, Bobbi. Cheesecake. Omigosh. It's only like my all-time favorite (other than anything chocolate) dessert! Did it by any chance have cherries on top? That would be my favorite, although I will happily snarf down strawberry, blueberry, pineapple....you name it...put ANY kind of topping on cheesecake (or don't put any at all) and I'm going to LOVE it. Maybe I'll find me a piece while I'm on vacay down at Sis's. After all, I deserve to let down my guard a little, right? Hmmm. We'll see.
Well, I am still moving things into my porch-closet. I have the guest bedroom closet all cleaned out and re-hung in the new closet, but I ALSO still have a huge pile of yet MORE summer clothes that have to be ironed before I can hang them. I ironed 6 pieces last night and got some drawers emptied and new drawers arranged. I'm figuring to iron six pieces per night, empty at least three drawers, and then do whatever is left on Saturday (ugh).
I sure am glad I did all that cooking on the weekend. Had a nice big bowl of thick chicken and veggie with rice & black bean soup for supper last night with two pieces of Joseph's 60 calorie, high fiber pita bread. All we had to do was run the microwave for a few minutes. Sheer heaven, I tell you.
Cold here today - and rainy. Same, according to the weatherfools* for tomorrow. Supposed to be warming and clearing at the end of the week. Good.
Have a great day, chickadees!

Z

* borrowed from PT

Good Morning Girls!
Finally the sun is out, we've had rain for 3.5 days. Yesterday I baked DH some chocolate chip cookies with real sugar and butter. He's eaten 1/3 of them already and never puts on weight. I had one only to try them and made my mind up to stop.
Isabella...where's your picture of the cake you made?
Jess...who's PT?
Zoe...the cheese cake didn't have any fruit on it, but devine. I looked in the grocery store for Joseph's 60 calorie pita bread and couldn't find it. How much fiber are in them?
I have to hang around the computer today, I listed some old hunting manuals and the ad expires today. Bruce was going to toss them but I grabbed them and listed all 7 of them in one lot on ebay. I currently have 8 people bidding on them and the bid is up to $26.79. Who would have guessed, hubby is grinning ear to ear.
Rosey...what's happening? How did your appointment go?
Hi Lynn, Freda, Karen. I think of Meowee every once in awhile, I didn't know she was so sick. She always had comments about everything. If something ever happened to me, DH wouldn't know enough about this site to find it and explain my 'pushing up daisy's'.
Not a very happy thought to end my note today, I'm happy and well!

We have the trailer all loaded with the stuff that we had left here before. Tomorrow we have the closing. WHEW! I think we are going to see about finding a RV park to stay tomorrow night since we will have some running to do after the closing. We did get permission to leave the 5th wheel here until after the closing... they asked to bring in their motor home before closing so that will be fair. But by the time we get done with everything tomorrow it will be too late to get a start to go back home. PLUS I brought a bottle of champagne to have tomorrow after all is done--- don't want to drive even after a small amount of champagne!! I think it will feel pretty good after everything is done.. but still a little sad. Enough of that--- I have a pool at home waiting for me and that beats waking up to 28 degrees here!!!

Everyone have a great day and I will try to get back to youl.

Hello all,

I haven't checked in in several days. Guess I am kind of embarrassed ~ haven't been making the best food choices lately and know it but did it anyway. Weight has gone up of course. Starting over again then today. Went to the dr yesterday ~ she wasn't pleased about the weight gain, but didn't scold me ~ maybe she should have. Instead she was encouraging and supportive of the things I am doing right.

I signed up and started a program through my work health insurance called Healthy steps to weight loss. I am kind of excited about that. Have been exercising with my daughter in the evenings. She jogs and I ride my bicycle beside her. Also got a referal from the dr to see a dietitian who will help me with meal planning and stuff so I can do better with this pre-diabetes thing and eating properly for that.

I found a new product at the store yesterday that I am excited about ~ I like bagels ~ but haven't had any in quite while. I was looking for Thomas's Everything bagel ~ they had Bagel Thins ~ sort of a flat version of the bagel ~ the whole thing is 1/2 of the calories of 1/2 of the regular version. That is cool ~ I like less bread so you can taste what ever you put on/in it.

Have been having some irritation with my DH (you can interpret that D how ever you like Found these little lines on the posts of a couple friends on Facebook that were funny and fit my feelings at the time: PMS allows a woman - once a month to act like men do every day. and It is better to have loved and lost than to have stayed with an idiot. Some days I am not a man fan ~ LOL.

Ok, guess I had better quit fooling around on here ~ gotta get some gifts wrapped so I can send a box to my daughter ~ things for grandbaby on the way for her baby shower. They decided to name her Evelyn ~ nick name to be Evie. They haven't decided on a middle name yet.

Hope you all are doing well. Will read and catch up on your posts later.

Take care

Pics are from Montalcino. Today we left Tuscany and are now in Umbria. Three nights here, then off to Rome for 3 nights.

Am afraid to face the scale when I get home. TOO MUCH DELICIOUS pasta!

NOTE: picture of tower - has a one-handed clock - no need to be so time-crazed to need two hands.

Lynn

Morning everyone i had an awsome dr apt..i luv my reg dr..she is so upbeat and encouraging..she high fived me and did a dance was so pleased with my progress and 20# loss..and told me to cont the good work..she also was surprized dr turd didnt take into account my physical limits..she had just attended a seminar on obesity..she said something interesting..she said its not our fault that we have weight problems as society has changed the food and additives,and our lifestyle has become more sedintary,they know more about genetics and metabolisms so to not beat myself up or be guilty for my size as its not my fault..interesting however with all that i still feel its choices which we all have control over..no one helped me eat the chocolate..it was all me..anyways she did make my day..i am now using the protein powder that i will use after my surg..i wanted to see what they tasted like and how my body tolerated them..i ordered several diff samples and blend them with 4oz of water and ice..some i like some ugh..i have the protein shake for lunch..my dh and one of his buddies have made the first trip to the cabin of the yr..so i have some me time .. lynn it looks like u are having such a good time thanks for sharing..zoe and bobbie i luv cheese cake to,my dd makes the best my fav is her carrot cake cheese cake and the apple carmel..give me a fork and a cup of coffee yummo! actually i have dreamed of a deseart buffet with a fork and coffee.. oh well its just a dream lol..hoping u all have an awsome day ((((hugs)))) rosey

I thought i would share my 2 favorite fish recipes..since zoe mentioned she likes fish. rosey

1. take fish fillet like halibutt or any white fish and rub 1 T. fatfree mayo all over it and roll it in Progresso seasoned Italian Bread crumbs bake 350 till done.. this is also great on chicken.

2.I dip fillets of halibutt about the size of a deck of cards in real melted butter..place in a glass baking dish and sprinkle generously with crushed sour cream and chive potatoe chips bake in a hot oven 400+ till done