Strating...

OK, I "strated" today's thread and clearly cannot spell.

Had a wonderful weekend... Friday BF and I and another couple went to Kobe Steakhouse. I had some points banked plus some activity points so I don't even feel bad about pigging out. Saturday, I cleaned and grocery shopped (I know, it's an exciting life I lead). Sunday night I did some scrapbooking and yesterday, I went to a cookout with BF's family. I'm sure you can imagine how much fun that was for me, with his family being totally f-ing nuts. I also spent a lot of time reading this weekend--I started the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and couldn't put it down.

Today's activities include a little work (but only a little, I don't want to overdo it, ya know), working out after work, and taking a long lunch break to drive the car that BF is looking at to his mechanic to get it checked out. Thrilling.

So, that's all that's happening here. I'll check back later today to see if there have been any responses, since it was originally titled Monday's Thread...

Laura--

You posted a recipe idea not long ago on here for chicken in your crock pot with some other things... I printed it, but can't find it. Could you post it again? Maybe on the recipe thread, because I Jayne and Jen wanted some more crockpot recipes... Hopefully I have all the stuff and can make it for dinner tomorrow night.

Thanks!

Wow ... it's been a long time, ladies!

My weekend was rainy & uneventful. I worked, and on Monday I slept practically all day.
Last night we watched "The Rookie" and it's a good (family) movie. I was crying ... there is hope out there for us late bloomers.

Jess - Glad to hear you had a nice weekend. I did a little reading on Monday also.

SO ... How many of you have a crockpot (and use it)? I'm seriously considering getting one of these.

Jeremy starts Kindergarten tomorrow.
We have to be @ the bus stop by 8:30 AM. So much for my 11-7 days at work. I'll be going in 9-5 now. I guess it does make things easier in the whole perspective of things. It just means that I've got to get up @ 5-5:30 AM if I want to exercise in the AM and be in bed by 9:30 PM.
Jeremy's birthday is Friday ... so it's a big week for him! He'll be the big 5 (if I let him live).


I haven't been doing well w/ WW at all.
I think I now have PMS. But today so far is a new start ... and off to a good one.

Hello to All! I'm off to work.

PS - Jayne ... Glad to hear everyone is feeling up to par!

OH! I do! I do! I make chili in my crockpot alllllllll the time in the winter, and chicken noodle soup. Sometimes I put meat in with some sort of liquid (typically broth) and just let it cook all day. Yum yum! I love it.

(Can you tell I'm not working very hard yet today?)

I LOVE MY CROCKPOT!! I have piles of recipes, but they aren't all pointed. I can share if you don't mind that I don't have points on them!!!

I worked part of this weekend. Oh I can't wait for vacation. I have 1/2 day Friday, then leave bright and early Saturday morning. YIPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Did you hear about our tornados yesterday. It made national news. A small town north of here was hit pretty hard and they also said our city (Wausau) as being hit a little. We are OK, no damage, but it was wicked windy. All summer we haven't had any normal rainy days, they have all been treatening storms. I was in the basement 3 times this summer for tornados, but we didn't go down last night... so it would have been 4!!

That's about it... not wanting to be at work. I have to pick my parents up at the airport late tonight, so I will be a tired gal tomorrow!

I would love having the recipes, Jen. Over the years I've gotten really good at mentally calculating points. So as I put the ingredients in, I read labels, calculate, and "figger" and then divvy up the points over the number of servings. So as I make them, I can "point" them for you.

Deb, I cracked up when you said "if I let him live". You are going to love life with J. in kindergarten. He's going to be stimulated at school every day (so much more so than preschool) and come home at night tired...every mom's dream. I too am a late bloomer...I'll have to see the rookie.

Jess, you are such a good gf...a cookout with the nutball family AND taking a car in for him? I hope your man realizes what a treasure he has. I agree...it's pointless to overdo the whole work thing, because you'll just burn out and be of absolutely no use to anyone.

On the job front, I got called in for a last-minute interview for a 12 hour a week preschool teacher on Thursday. So I went and found out that I'm not qualified ( I don't yet have a parent educator license, which would be needed for one of the four classes) but that no one else has even applied. So they are checking out if I can be hired provisionally, meaning that I would work on getting my P. Ed. license as I work for them, but they just don't know if the state of MN will allow it. And as for the other job (child advocacy) my friend on the inside tells me that they have it narrowed down to two candidates, but she doesn't know which two. I don't know if this was helplful info or not...now I'm wondering if I made the final two or not. But I know I will end up where I'm supposed to be. If it's better that I stay home with Aaron full time for a bit longer, then that's how the cards will fall, and surprising, aside from a little hurt pride, I don't think I'd be at all upset about it. So I guess there are three great scenarios that could play out, and I just have to wait and see which one clicks into place.

Enough about me! I hope everyone had as great of a weekend as we did, and I'm looking forward to seeing your CROCKPOT RECIPES!!! Either put them here or on the recipe thread. If you put them here I can cut and paste and move them, because I use that thread lots and would love to have them there. I'll look on the main WW recipe section to see if there's any there that I can cut and paste for us. Have a fabulous start to the 4-day week, everyone!!!

Morning Girls.

Had a lovely 3 day weekend. Went out for drinks Friday night with friends, Saturday night Christian and I went to an outdoor symphony concert and Sunday we drove over to Cincinnati to visit with his sister's family and see the fireworks. The Cincinnati labor day weekend fireworks are a spectacular display - just amazing.

Jess - I love Janet Evanovich. Her books are hilarious. I'll post the chicken stroganoff recipe in the recipe thread in a few minutes.

Deb - I like having a crockpot but don't use it as much as I would like because I only have one recipe for it and all the ones I look-up on the internet seem to be high point.

Jen-L: Bring on the recipes girl. I need them.

Hi to all. Will check in later.

Laura

Jayne, that is how I "figger" points also. And I don't write them down because I tend to change recipes as I make them. Some people say I should own a restaurant or become a chef. I love to cook! And I am addicted to cookbooks and recipes. My kitchen is quite pathetic!!! And I have the Mastercook computer program, but haven't had time to get all my recipes into it. Everyday I get like 10 more new ones!!!!

I will check what recipes I have at work and post them for ya'll!!!

Jayne - we must have been posting at the same time earlier. I'd keep my fingers crossed that things work out the way you want them to but it sounds like you're going to be just fine no matter what opportunity presents itself.

Jen, I think we are cut out of the same cloth...we seem to have so much in common, and now this whole cooking obsession. Hubby and I brew our own beer, and we often talk about opening a microbrewery where he would develop the beers and I would develop the menus. I also collect cookbooks...have over 100 at last count, and I'm still NOT DONE YET!

So I shamelessly stole (via copy/paste) all the crockpot recipes off of the main WW recipe forum. I did skip the bazillion chilis that all seemed to be the same, and only put it up once ( I think it made it once). But everyone seems to have their own way of making chili, so we probably all have great recipes as it is. Let us know how the crockpot recipes turn out as you make them, ok? Then we won't bother with the yucky and we'll head straight for the good ones!

Laura, once again we post at the same time. Are we sharing a brain? It feels like I don't quite have my full share this morning, so this could very well be. Thanks for the chicken recipe...I did make the one, and it was nummilicious!

Jayne that is tooo funny!!! My dad homebrews. Hubby wants to try making wine ever since we toured Sonoma County, CA... AKA Wine Country!!!! I would love to open a little cafe where I could also show off my handiwork... like quilts and fiber.

Hope you enjoy the crockpot recipes that I posted.

OK ... so I've decided to buy a crockpot.
Are there ones out there that are better than others?

I LOVE vegetarian chili (especially 1 pt per serving) ... and the chix stroganoff sounds yummy.

That's it ... I'm hitting Target on the way home!

I'm thinking of the yummy Fall foods I love ... black bean soup, vegetarian chili, minnestrone soup ... the possibilities are endless.

Thanks, girls!

PS - I did NOT go to WW this Sunday, but I'm going to weigh in somewhere tomorrow since I'm taking the day off. Might as well face the hard facts. Dum-de-dum-dum!

I have a Rival crockpot. I also have a Nesco cooker, which is similar but can cook at a wider range of temperatures. I'd stick with a basic crock pot if I were you, though, because you have to tinker with the Nesco to make it work for some recipes, and that's kind of a headache. Just find one with both a high and a low. There are some out there that only cook at one temperature, and stuff burns on.