GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

A beautiful day after Christmas. Today is my Weigh Day and the picture wasn't pretty but I wanted to go in and face the music. Now I have a new starting point. We made the best ever tamales yesterday. Pork with green chilis and then some with cheese with jalapeno peppers. On New Years we are going to make sweet ones with pineapple which taste like pineapple upside down cake and then some pork with red peppers.

JEAN The book Gloria and I have been talking about is not exactly a new book for it was published in 1998. However, it is called Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook and is chock full of neat things. There is a new book being offered at WW though and it looks very interesting. It is the "best" of recipes gathered since WW started. I am not sure of its title though nor the price.

Everyone have a great day this day.

Good Evening Flowers.

The snow is over for awhile, and it could have been much worse, although when I was driving home through a whiteout last night, you couldn't have convinced me! It's been cold and windy here today.

Talk about being sabotaged...........three of my friends who know I"m doing WW gave me candy for Christmas! I couldn't believe it. Fortunately, the dog got the box of chocolated last night while we were at dinner. I took a Mandarin Orange congealed salad which is one of my favorites, and no one knew it was sugar free and fat free. Tonight I made Potato Soup........do youall have the recipe for it? It's only one pt. per cup. You use OreIda O'Brien potatoes, McCormick's White gravy mix, and 4 cans of chicken broth. Spam the pan, saute the potatoes for about 10 minutes, add most of the broth and bring to a boil. Use reserved broth to mix the gravy mix to prevent lumping, and add it to the pot. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Serves 4-8, and only 1 Pt. per cup. It's easy and really good. Spicier than most potato soups.

Santa was good, and I got lots of new books to read:~} They should keep me busy until spring! I warned everyone not to get me clothes, as I wouldn't be able to wear them for long.

Off to do some reading.
Happy TGIF.................Jean, we forget that most folks had to go back to work today, don't we? By the way, we don't get paid for this break either, lest anyone think the teachers are getting a paid vacation.

Bubs

Good Evening. Flowers!
I don't know why but I am more tired tonight than I was last night! Bed is looking better and better as the night goes on.

I started collecting what little Christmas stuff I put out around the house. I think the tree will come down in a day or two. My holiday spirit just never got in gear this year.

Maggie -- I read about WW new "cookie crunch bars" on another forum. Have you tried them or seen them? I don't usually buy their stuff unless someone else has tried it and says it good.

Bubbles -- I think you are having an Iowa winter! We still have no snow but looking at the weather channel we may be getting some coming in from the Rockies. I'm glad that is one thing I can't do anything about!

I'm off to balance the checkbook. Have a fantastic Friday, Flowers!

Jean -- in Iowa!

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

Good day today ~ took all the tiny decorations off my little bitty Christmas tree and put the decorations up. Poor Turn, he will have to find somethng to bat around now.

JEAN no I haven't tried those new bars yet. I very rarely by the WW bars since I can make my own and they are much fresher. I actually prefer real food for breakfast and snacks anyway since I am not a "sweets" eater much.

BUBBLES vet told me once that chocolate is very BAD for dogs. Have you heard that also? Hope your pooch isn't harmed by that episode. Isn't it neat that you got lots of good books now to read. I bet you would love this used book store out here that has shelves facing the sidewalk. If you want a book after hours there is a box supplied for your change. Good books are out there ~ not just the junk kind.

Have a nice evening folks.

Good Afternoon Magnolias,
The sun is shining brightly, there's not a cloud in the sky, and it hasn't even gotten up to 30 yet today! Jimmy loves playing in the snow..........the only time he'll go out in the back yard without me. So far, no ill effects from the chocolate episode, thank goodness. I was sure he'd have the runs, but got lucky I guess.

I'm going to brave the cold and replenish my supplies for the potato soup.............also want to try it with mushrooms in place of the potatoes. You could use that base with all kinds of things, and it's a good winter recipe.

Jean,
We have new Creme Caramel bars which are wonderful! Taste very much like a Reese's peanut buter cup to me. There's also a new chocolate fudge bar, but I haven't tried that one. We're supposed to be getting all kinds of new things after the 1st, so we'll see.

I think the other cookbook youall may be thinking of is The Best of WW Magazine Recipes..........it's a regular book size, and is bound, so I'd think it would be a pain to try to place it on a counter while you were trying to cook. If I weren't so lazy, I could get the packet they gave us in November with all the plans for 2003, but at the moment I have no idea where it might be.

My tree stays up until twelfth night, but it wasn't up and decorated until the 23rd, so we've hardly had time to enjoy it.

Have a great Friday.
Bubs

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

Lovely day here with the sun shining for sure. We just got back from going to pick up our mail and out for a marvelous drive. I am gearing up for what weight I can lose in 2003.

I may be getting old or something ~ cranky even. I HATE thes pop-up commercials. My little laptop is slow and I do have a pop-up blocker installed but there are some that refuse to be blocked and take forever to load. I open this site and have to wait 10 minutes for a pop-up to load so I can delete it ~ then I get to this thread and another pop-up. UGH ~ what is a gal to do I don't want to bite my fingernails. Those are the ones that pop-up with the disclaimer that they weren't invited here by this web site but they are everywhere. There, now I feel better for venting but I still hate pop-ups.

BUBBLES I am so glad that your pooch didn't have any ill effects from that chocolate. I have heard it can really make some dogs sick as a dog. Pun intended. Nope, that isn't the cook book I am talking about. Our leader showed us a brand new book that has all the best recipes back to when WW started years ago. An anniversary book. I have seen those yearly cookbooks with all the past years recipes out of the WW magazine and don't buy them for I get the magazine and type the recipes I like out of them into my MasterCook program. I don't ever want all the recipes that come in the magazine so don't waste my money on one of those books that has them all in them.

Have a great evening folks and a safe and happy weekend.

Good Evening, Flowers!
It's been a beautiful day here -- warm enough to go from the car to the stores without a coat on. We did some quick shopping in Spencer this afternoon. We had looked at furniture before Christmas and went back intending to buy a loveseat. The sales are on and ended up with end tables, coffee table, a recliner, and a new kitchen/dining set. We also stopped at Staples where DH has shopped many times for office supplies. Well this time he wrote out his check and they wouldn't accept it. Boy, was he ever mad. The clerk gave him a card with a phone # on it and whoever was on the other end got an earful. They are sending him a letter to authorize any future checks; this time it was only $80+ while he's written checks for lots more on previous visits. He is still steaming. On our way home we stopped for a holiday open house that some of our church friends have every year. They live out in the country and decorate all of their buildings with lights, even an antique car sits in the front yard with lights on the wheels that make them look like they are going around.

I am heading off to bed. I have to get something done around the house tomorrow -- as in some serious cleaning! We have a wedding reception in Sioux City tomorrow night. Neither one of us wants to go but feel that we should for the parents' sake. The groom probably wouldn't know us if we met him on the street; he lives in CA now and got married this fall on some island somewhere. Maybe we can include a trip to SAM's for kitty litter.

Have a super Saturday and Sunday, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

I FEEL AWFUL. Alergy sinus headache and a cold to go along with it.... UGH. Cowboy has gone to get me some medicine........

Hope you all have a nice day this Saturday.

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

WOW no one is here today... I feel much better now that I have had some meds and chicken soup. Also a nice hot Vanilla low fat Cappacino helped. I am currently sipping it now and it is so yummy.

We went out among 'em today and there are still many shoppers spending their money. Guess they are taking advantage of the after Christmas sales. We have now gotten all of our Christmas decorations down and packed away until next year and I sure miss those pretty lights. I even changed my computer desktop picture and curser into a nice river with trees and mountains in the background that look like the snow kissed Rockies.

I am so looking forward to 2003 and doing a good program week after week like I started out 2002. I got sidetracked when Cowboy was having all that trouble but I need to learn how to deal with situations like that and not have my program suffer. As it is I lost most of what I lost in 2002 the first 6 months of the year. I am hoping to make this coming whole year count. As it is though, I am very pleased with what I did lose in 2002 and can look back and be happy about my losses.

Have a lovely evening ladies.

Hi,
I'm afraid to go back to calculate how little l lost in 2002. Jan.2, is OP+E day 1.........onward and downward. I'd like to lose another 40 lbs. by June. I'm going sailing on a windjammer in Maine the week of June 23. This will be my third trip with the same folks, and I absolutely love it. They're retiring at the end of the summer, so I wanted to be sure to have one last sail with them. Their website is www.stephentaber.com, if you're curious enough to see what one looks like. This boat is the oldest sailing vessel in continuous registration with the Coast Guard in the country. She's been lovingly maintained for the past 25 years, which is when Ken and Ellen bought her.
WVU got clobbered today by UVA..........many sad Mountaineers in these parts.
Time to take mr. Jim out.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Maggie, Glad you're feeling better. There's a fierce intestinal bug going around here.........vomiting and diarrhea and awful stomach cramps. Highly contagious, and leaves you weak as a kitten. So far I've been able to avoid it, but my neighbor and her entire family have had it.........she couldn't even fix Christmas dinner! Guess we need to count our blessings.
Bubs

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is a gloomy day here today and "only" 45 degrees outside. Yesterday was beautiful, sunny, and a 55 degree record setting day! I have a feeling when winter arrives it will be in full force to make up for the nice weather we've been having. I don't care now because each day is one day closer to spring!

We went to church this morning and I did cat chores for a teacher who is in Florida for the holidays. I've read the papers and now I need to finish the laundry and put the rest of the gifts away.

We went to an interesting reception place last night. It was held in a meeting room where the Shriner's stable their white horses. After extending our best wishes and eating a few snacks, we left and walked by the horse stalls to see the horses. I was kind of surprised there wasn't a guard of some sort because there were no locks on any of the gates and anyone could have let the horses out if they wanted to. There were several friendly cats meandering throughout also. We didn't go to SAM's so may make that a side trip sometime next week.

Maggie -- I'm sorry to hear the flu bug found you but glad you are feeling better. I wish I had all of my Christmas stuff put away but I am getting there.

Bubbles -- I will check out the website as soon as I finish here. Do you stay within eye sight of land when you sail? That sounds like it would be fun except I don't know anything about sailing. The flu bug has hit here also and it seems if one member of the family gets it, they share and everyone gets a turn. It seems to be more the stomach variety than the respiratory kind. Either way, I don't want it and so far we have been lucky enough to avoid it.

Hope you all are enjoying a relaxing Sunday. Have a great week!

Jean -- from Iowa!

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is a mite breezey here this day and I do believe that is what is kicking up my alergy attack.

BUBBLES what joy, what fun to go sailing on an antique boat. I love sailing and what a wonderful opportunity for you. You certainly can lose 40 pounds in 6 months if you keep your FOCUS. We can do that together for that is my plan to lose at least 40 pounds the first 6 months. However, I never have more than 10 pounds to lose at one given time. No thank you ~ I don't want that flu bug that is going around where you live.

JEAN thank goodness I don't have a flu bug. I really think it is an alergy against the Eucalyptus trees around here. The wind kicks up the white pollen on their leaves and brings it right to my nose. That is the only tree that I know of that I am alergic to. I don't have any other alergies either, thank goodness. You do know what they say about the mid west don't you? It is no surprise that there isn't a guard on those horses for they say that the mid western folks are lazy with their protections and incautious about things in general. We found that to be the case while living back there. I am not saying it is a bad thing but just the way it is. We still love the mid west and most folks out there are very kind and it is the heartland of the country. By the way have you seen the TV program with the host John Kasich (sp) X-Congressman's which is titled American Heartland on Saturday nights? If not I recommed you do tune in for it is quite good.

Have a good Sunday evening flowers.

Good Morning, Flowers!
I just had to stop a say "hello" on my way by. I am putting Christmas gifts away and salvaging what gift bags and boxes I can. I figure I will do my part in recycling them!

The sun is out but it is very windy and the leaves are blowing through the back yard . . . I'm glad it is leaves and not snow even though we need the moisture.

Maggie -- My mom had allergies and hayfever; I can remember her carrying a box of Kleen-x with her wherever she went. Does the Eucalyptus tree have a smell to it? Isn't that the plant that one can break off the leaf in case of a burn or am I thinking of something else? I know that Midwesterners are supposed to be among the most trusting people in the U.S. but I'm not so sure any more. We have way too much violence and crime. I have to admit that I don't trust anyone that I don't know. It's sad that our nation has to come to that. Checkers in our local stores aren't quite sure how to respond when someone is extra nice to them. DH just loves to make small talk and wish them a great day on his way out. I'm don't recognize the American Heartland program so I will check the TV guide for it. If Bob is surfing we may have watched it and I just didn't know it.

Well, my dryer is buzzing and I need to keep moving. Have a marvelous Monday, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is a bright breezy sunshiney Monday morning ladies and we are going to Ojai to pick up our mail. My sinus cavities have decided to let loose now and I will be sure to take along a huge box of tissues. This part of the process is always looked forward to but so ucky but I prefer it to the stuffy headache process.

JEAN I don't exactly know just what the "E" trees are good for except in flower arrangements and some medicinal purposes. Panda Bears love those leaves for that is what they eat over in China. These trees aren't native to this country ~ I think they came from Australia. It is the Aloe Vera plant that has the burn rellief goo in it's leaves. I have one of those little plants growing in a nice pot next to a window in my kitchen. It really works for I have used it on occasion.

Have a marvy day folks.

YUP! Aloe Vera does ring a bell for being used for burns! I have a terrible time with plants -- it seems the cats all like to eat everything except African violets so my plants are kind of ratty looking.

Has anyone heard from Gail or Lorraine lately? Wish they would stop and say "hello."

I think this is #14 so whomever reads next gets to start a new thread.

Jean -- in Iowa!