Here we go!

It is Friday, but it doesnt seem like it to me since I have to work most of tomorrow. I usually weigh in on Saturday mornings so I am not sure what to do. They have meetings at 8:30 and 10:00 and walk in hours from 8-12:00. I am hoping to just get there before they close at 12:00. If you dont make it in one week what happens?

Maybe I should look and see if other centers in STL have later hours!

In Canada, if you miss a week you simply pay for that week at the next meeting.....we don't have "walk in hours" either, so count yourself lucky!!

Well I had another day OP yesterday- 26points, but I didn't do any exercise besides walking to work and back. Today I was going to go to the gym for lunch, but my bosses boss is having a b-day lunch and I am expected to be there. she is the VP...Plus, I have so much work to do that I dont'want to work the weekend so I'll stay late tonight. I have a conferrence on Monday and Tuesday (so I won't be online) as well, which puts me in quite the bind time-wise. Yikes, so much work, so little time!

My sister has toxemia! They told her yesterday and said that she will be induced if she has another problem, such as headache. Her bloodpressure is high right now. Her meds aren't working well....poor thing! And its hard for my neice, who is four, too. So I have the cell phone at all times on just in case the baby comes.

Anyone have big plans for the weekend? My sisters and mom and I are making pierogies for thanksgiving (in Canada its next weekend). We make cheese and saurkraut. YUM. Its a long day though makeing those. My neice is helping this year too.

Well, better get to working I have 2 hours before a string of meetings (til 3pm) so I better take full advantage.

Have a good day - BBL!

Belle

I'm just running aorund the house like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off trying to get us all ready for our road trip this weekend to the fancy schmancy wedding. I'll have to take pictures and let you guys see them. I'm not going to worry too much about points this weekend. I have no control anyway, so I'm just planning on eating a lot of half portions, skipping desserts and snacking, and drinking lots of H2O.

Marcie, I think it all depends on which plan you're on. There's one plan where you can't miss any meetings without paying for them. There's another plan where you can miss a few free. But they understand that sometimes life gets in the way. I hope it's a good WI for you.

Belle, is your family polish to make pierogies? I watched a Martha Stewart where she made them. I love the ones with mashed potatoes inside...numm-o-rama!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Hi everyone!

Auntie Belle - No baby here yet either. Sounds like yours may actually come first. Sorry to hear about your sister's toxemia. My sister is hanging in there but can hardly walk she is so big! Let me know when the baby gets here!! By the way, can I come over for pierogies?!

Jayne - Have a great time at the fancy shmancy wedding! Yes, please take pictures! And I know I already told you this, but I LOVE the black bean soup recipe that you posted. I may make some more this weekend. Yum!

Marcie - Are you looking at any more reception halls this weekend? Sorry you have to work tomorrow - that stinks. I don't know what to tell you about the meeting. I know it varies depending on location. I am bad because I don't regularly go to meetings anymore, and since I am lifetime, I don't pay when I do go. Good luck, though!

So, I am definitely going to London in January (just bought my ticket this week) and am currently making plans to hang out with Kirsty!! I am so excited to go and to meet her, I can hardly stand it.

Better get back to work. I will probably post more tonight on my usual weekend thread as I am studying!

Take care!

Jen - I just realized that in addition to our other coincindences, we are both U2 fans...wow, we got lots in common.....you weren't born in Ontario were you...perhaps we were separated at birth..! Yay - London, you'lll have blast!! Congrats!

Jayne - have fun at the black tie - if you can't control it, you do your best, how often do those things come along anyway??

Belle

I was in a meeting this morning and can't wait to go home and sleep. 7 hours left, including lunch!!! I was so miserable last night, hubby ran out and bought me Breathe Right Strips so I could breathe a little better. Helped me sleep a little more, but I was still miserable. I can't use Vicks Vapor Rub because of being PG and they were out of the Vicks Patches, so he wasn't able to check if I could use them. The Breathe Right helped tho.

I have to try the black bean soup. I keep wanting to, then I forget to make it. I posted a new recipe for Chicken Stew which sounds delightful. I love soup when it is cold.

Belle, sorry to hear about your sister. Hope everything turns out great. I knew someone that was induced because of similar complications and everything was OK. Oh and how do you make sauerkraut and cheese?? Are they mixed together???

Jen... Yah on London. Have fun.

Jayne, enjoy the fancy schmanzy wedding. Sometimes you just gotta let yourself have a day off!!! We want details when you get back!

As for me, no big plans. We may drive up north (as if I'm not north enough) and check out the fall tree colors. It is beautiful where I live. They also have this place called Paul Bunyons and hubby LOVES eating there. If you ever saw The Great Outdoors with John Candy and he ate at this rustic restaurant where they gave you piles of food and you say on picnic like tables.... that's the place. IE YI YI!!!!! But it's fun. And they have bakery that I can't resist. And being PG this may be a bad thing!!!

Otherwise I have lots of cleaning to do in anticipation for my new carpet being delivered.

For those of you who like these....my Grama's are the BEST. I'll share the recipe with you, but be warned, these are NOT WW in any way, shape or form. However, if you eat in moderation, you can enjoy them with a meal and your family will love you forever.

Oh, and I am half austrian, quarter german and quarter ukranian....we eat lots of high fat food traditionally (which is my reasoning for my love of food!!)

Enjoy!!

Belle's Grandma’s Perogies

Make the following the night before:
Dough

8 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup oil
4 cups water
Knead well. Cover with a towel. Let stand over night. This recipe will make enough dough for 12 dozen perogies.

Filling – cheese& potatoes
Fill a 4-quart pot with raw potatoes, water & 1 tablespoon salt. Boil till cooked, then mash the potatoes. ( Ask Jason)Fry 2 onions in margarine. Add to the potatoes. Add a 500 g or ml jar of Cheese Whiz to the potato and fried onion mixture. Blend all 3 ingredients together. Be sure they are well mashed. This filling should be made the night before. Should be cool when used. Do not store in fridge.

Filling –Sauerkraut
Lightly rinse 2 jars sauerkraut. Do not rinse too much. Fry 6 onions in margarine. Add sauerkraut to fry pan. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the mixture. Fry mixture.


Next morning make little balls from the dough. Sprinkle rolling surface with flour. Roll each ball out. Fill with cheese or sauerkraut filling – about 1 tablespoon. Pinch the edges together. Place on dishcloth until ready to boil. After using all the dough and filling you are ready to boil them. Fill 4-quart pan with ¾ full of water. Bring to boil. Add 18 perogies. Boil 1-2 minutes. Gently take them out with slotted spoon. Add more perogies to the boiling water until all are boiled. Put a little margarine over the perogies to prevent sticking together. Put on tray in a single layer for freezer.

Belle

Belle - We DO have a lot in common! No, I wasn't born in Ontario (have never even been there, although I would like to go someday) and I am too old to be your twin!!
Thanks for the pierogies recipe!!

Jen - Just so you know if you try the black bean soup recipe, I would definitely say it is chili, not soup. It is delicious, but if you are expecting soup (I was) I don't want you to be disappointed! But I highly recommend it!! Hope you feel better.

I like black bean soup that is thick, not soupy. Is that what it is like??? Do you much any of the beans up to give it some bulk or does the long slow cooking do that naturally???

Jen - Yeah, it is not soupy at all. I actually added water a few times during the 24 hours that I cooked it for. The beans didn't get mushy, in fact there were a few that were still a bit too hard for my liking. That might not be a bad idea to mush some up next time.

Belle: YUM I love Pierogies Then again I am half Polish (I am assuming you're part Eastern European right?) My dad uses ground beef for his filling sauted with onions and peppers. Sorry to he

My skinny jeans fit!!!!!! Woooohoo, BUT I weigh more, Muscle does weigh more than fat hehehe!

Jayne: yeah I am going away for my sections offsite meeting next week and i have no control of the food either, so half portions are the way to go.

JenL: Hope you feel better soon

JenK: I am jealous, I want to go to London soon... Maybe next year... I haven't been since 2000 (I have relatives there, the other half of my roots are english).

Jibelle: I should weigh in soon too... gotta do that! (I know how much I weigh and I am below goal, just haven't gone in a long time)


Take care and have a good weekend!

Ali

I wanted to use some smiles today because I've been using quick reply and I've missed them.

I decorated my brother's birthday cake last night. THat is an enjoyable hobby. I'm going to start collecting the stuff to do it. YAY FRIDAY!! I'm so happy to have a weekend ahead.

Marcie - walk in hours sound great - sometimes i can't deal with my leader so I don't stay but generally I really need the meetings to keep me going.

Belle - I used to love making pierogies - saurkraut are my absolute favorite.

Jayne - does Aaron get to go and get all dressed up too? I hope you have a ball.

Jen - yay vacation. I will one day leave this continent. it's a big dream right now.

JenL - you poor sick thing - you should be babied all weekend so you can get better. Of course, it was very nice of your man to go get you something to help you breathe.

OK - hi to everyone else and because I need a little fun I'm adding



Cause I'm going dancing on Saturday!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
KT

Hi girls!!! It's a quiet day here (FINALLY) and I've got to get cracking on tomorrow's homework.

I've missed you all!

Last night I blew my OP day, and am trying to stay be OP today.
Jeffrey's birthday is today and we've got tickets to go see Red Dragon & we'll get some chow before.

I'm planning on getting a nice LONG walk in today before I head home from work.

It's a gloomy, Seattle like day here. Damp & chilly.

Only 6 more days until I ship out for my Breast Cancer walk! Woo-hoo! I have a lot to get done before then.
Jeffrey is schedueled to have surgery on 10/9 for his arm (ligaments/tendonitis) and I leave for this walk on 10/10. Could he have picked a WORSE time???

Jeremy seems to have a cold/sore throat thing going on. I'm sure that he's plagues w/ all sorts of germs now that he's in Kindergarten. He'll probably be sick all winter through, I bet. My poor honey.

Anyhoo ...

Belle - I hope the best for your sister. That little one will be here before you know it. The pierogies sound yummy! I of course like the cheese & potato ones. Carbs ... love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!

Jen - Your trip sounds like fun! Lucky you getting to meet up with Miss Traveler, Kirsty. A bunch of college friends are planning a get together cruise for 2003 - I have 1 year to save if I am interested in going.

Marcie - Good luck to you hunting for halls. That's terrible that the OWNER has such poor customer service quality. You'll find the perfect place for your wedding.

Jayne - Have a safe road trip & a WONDERFUL time at the wedding. Don't worry about points - sounds like you have a good plan by eating half portions & drinking tons of H20! A little dancing & romancing will help burn off some calories too.

Ali - Congrats on the skinny jeans! I now wish that I had let my personal trainer take my measurements after 3 months of weight training so I could see that difference (muscle weighing more than fat). But I didn't and now he's gone ... sniff, sniff! I can't wait until this walk is over so I can get back into the gym weight training & running! Isn't that terrible of me???? I'm tired of walking ... haha!

KT - MMMM ... birthday cake! We made slice n dice cookies last night (and unfortunately that's where my OP day ended). I love to bake! Have a great time celebrating w/ your brother! Is he single? Is he cute???

Jen - Feel better! I HATE not being able to breathe! Too bad you can't use the Vicks vapor rub. That's a GODSEND! I agree with the others about the Black Bean Soup ... I thought it was ME, it was quite thick and more like a chili. But yummy, none the less!

I think I've gotten everyone! Hello to anyone putzing throught the threads that I haven't "talked" to these past few days.

Whew! I'm in a soup-y kind of mood for lunch myself.
I think I'll run out (although it is now 3 PM) - where does the day go??

I hit taco bell at lunch. Ughhhh, being PG and having cravings. Oh well. I go to the doctor next Friday for my first exam. YIKES, I hate the regular weighings and seeing the number go up. Oh and ever since they moved to the new clinic building and got new scales last year, I weigh more on them. I want the old ones back. The new ones are digital so there is no room for fudging, and I swear they are 3-5 pounds higher than other scales.

I am now going to make the black bean soup. Tho waiting 24 hours will be hard.

I feel my illness moving down to my chest. OH NO... this isn't good when I can't take anything for it. I drank honey and lemon last night to help with it.