Good morning,

Hope you all had a nice weekend. My cousin, who vacations here, and I'm close to, came up yesterday. We went to a craft fair in the town I used to live in before moving to Bridgewater. It was ok, we've been going to this craft fair for a number of years and it seems like it's always the same people and they're always in the same spot. Neither one of us bought anything. I did see some nice NH scenery prints I woul've liked to have gotten, but they were very expensive, especially for only being matted. We had lunch out, and I'm sorry to say it wasn't a SSized lunch. In fact, the rest of the day was not SSized. Back on track today!

We had some people come through looking at the house yesterday afternoon. We had to leave, so we went and got an ice cream. We then parked in a neighbor's driveway until the RE agent and the people left. We never heard anything so we assumed that the people weren't interested.

ANNE, how is your Dad doing? Has your muggy weather broke yet? It's been awfully muggy here. There was a tornado warning out in the southern part of our state yesterday afternoon. Someone had claimed to see a funnel cloud touch down, but it couldn't be confirmed so they cancelled the warning.

Nikki, how is the camping? Hope you're enjoying yourself.

lynn, did you get away for the weekend? If so, hope you had a good time.

Have a good day.
Aleka

Another Monday Morning....

Well, I did my body flex this am so I am off to a good start. My dad is
taking it real easy. Its alittle cooler today but the hot weather is making a
come back this week. Surely, the cooler weather can't be far off though.

Aleka, I think we will all be easing back into the SS program. I am going to
the Canadian National Exhibition on Sunday with my kids. I have been looking
forward to a nice big order of New York Fries and you bet I am going to
indulge, I've been waiting months for this Between now and then I will
be SS all the way. Tonight when I get in I will do my gazelle I will do it while I am watching Everyone Loves Raymond (I just love that show, so the time will go fast) I also want to start jotting down all the reasons I want to suceed to boast my motivation when it sinks sometimes

Hi Nikki, hope you are having a great time. I just work until Thursday and then I am off Friday and all of the following week I need to do a huge
clean up job without the kids being home. Am I ever looking forward to my
time off When I come back from vacation Tanya will be gone I'll think about that when I come back. I don't want to spoil
my time off thinking about that!

Hi Lynn, how are you?

Anne.

HI,
Just a quick note. I thought I'd have more time here, but didn't realize I'd have so many things to do until I got here.
The camping trip is going great. The weather is fantastic and simply beautiful. We are eating all kinds of great food. I made lasagna in the crockpot last night and it was the best I've ever tasted in my life. I'll send you guys the recipe. I made it up with stuff I had in the fridge, so it's unconventional and will work great with zucchini instead of noodles.
Anne, good going on the exercise. I love Everybody Loves Raymond too. I watch the old reruns in the evening, that would be a good idea to use the gazelle at the same time I watch those shows.
Aleka, sounds like your doing pretty good too. I'm still not on the SS wagon yet, but I'm rereading her last book. Its surprising how much I have forgotten about it.
Oh, no, I'm late, take care, Nikki
Hi Lynn, hope your doing well

Hi,

We missed a few thunderstorms yesterday. Hopefully there won't be anymore today. A friend and I are having our last lunch out for the summer. She will be going home to Mass. after Labor Day. It seems as though she just arrived for the summer. We'll be going to Olive Garden where I plan on having whole-wheat pasta.

I saw in the paper that the Farmer's Almanac is coming out, today, I believe. I guess they're predicting a wet and wild winter this year, especially for the northeast.

ANNE, hope you get some cool weather really soon. You can also include me in really liking Everybody Loves Raymond. That is one of my favorite shows and like Nikki, watch the reruns every night. My very favorite, and IMHO, the funniest show was when Raymond set fire to the kitchen. As many times as I've seen that episode it never fails to crack me up. Glad that you're back exercising again. What are New York fries? They sound delicious. I don't blame you for wanting some. Hope you enjoy them. Sorry about Tanya leaving in the not too distant future. Will they be hiring a replacement for her?

Nikki, glad you're enjoying your camping. Your lasagna recipe sounds yummy. Anything that is easy, I'm all for. I bought the SSizing kit one time when they were selling it on HSN. It's the one with the videos and audio tapes. It also included these fan like cards that have SSizing at a glance, a list of foods as to what you can and cannot have, and meal suggestions. I found it one day while cleaning out a draw and I use that as a guide. I too forgot some of the WOE myself. The only thing I feel guilty about eating is the full fat stuff. I guess that's how much I've been brain washed.

Lynn, how are you doing? Hope everything is ok with you.

Have a good day!
Aleka

Good Morning Everyone:
Aleka, New York Fries is the name of the company. They make the best
Fries I ever had, even better than McDonalds which are pretty darn
good. They come in a great big cup, they are cut with the skins still on
and fried to perfection I love my fries with ketchup all over them.
Can't wait
I saw the episode with the kitchen on fire. It was so funny, Raymond trying
to put it out with the garden hose I just love the brother Robert when
it says "its all about you isn't it Raymond" cracks me up everytime

Nikki, I would love your recipe. Crock pots are the best, makes cooking easy
especially when I don't want to heat up my kitchen in the heat

I think they will rehire for Tanya, but God only knows how long that will
take......

Have a great day everyone!
Anne

Goodmorning Ladies: A busy last couple of days. Well it feels good to be back on track. Today I am making a chili that I will freeze in serving size's. Tonight I am going to do Suzanne"s Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Zucchini noodles. I made the Faux mashed potatoes yesterday, enough for a few days. DH will be eating as usual. When we went shopping yesterday he was all excited I was back on my diet so he could have canned vegetables!!!!!! Can you imagine prefering canned veggies. What ever floats your boat I guess. It does make it easier for me at dinner just to open a can and microwave the veggie, oh I should add his potatoe of choice is baked. Anne the weather is going to cool down to 23 or so all week that should help your dad. I havn't gone to the Ex in years. My kids still go but I havn't since they were old enough to go with friends. I too am reading one of SS's books to refresh my memory and was amazed at what I have forgotten. I like Raymond also but my favourite sit com is Will & Grace. I really like Jack & Karen, she really cracks me up. Today is a beautiful sunny day, must go for a walk. DH is golfing today so will have a "me" day. Everyone have a great day!!!!!

Hi,

The humidity has broken and it seems quite chilly now. We actually had to shut the windows before we went to bed last night.

lynn, we also like canned vegetables. I don't like to cook anymore and I find them very easy to prepare....just heat. I also use frozen veggies too. How did the shrimp and noodles turn out? I'm going to make the zucchini lasagna tonight for supper. I bought some yellow squash to mix in with the zucchini to make it colorful.

ANNE, I know which fries you're talking about. I've had them before when DH & I were in Va Beach. The place where we had them called them "Beach Fries". I'm sure there are a lot of different names for them. I absolutely love them. I'll be thinking of you!

Nikki, hope you had a wonderful day camping yesterday.

Have a good day.
Aleka

Goodmorning All: I didn't have the shrimp last night, I will be having them tonight. I wasn't in the mood to cook 2 separate meals. I had a sirloin burger with mock mash and yellow beans steamed in dill and lemon juice. DH had a burger with fries. I HATE canned veggies. I think it comes from growing up small town Saskatchewan and there was no choice in the long winters. When I moved to Toronto area 30 or more years ago I have never had canned again, be it home canned or bought. I will eat some frozen. I have a zucchini lasagna in the oven as we speak. Mya goes in tomorrow for her operation. I am uptight over it even though it has to be done. I'm sure she will be ok. Today is DD's birthday, this is the first B'day in her life we havn't seen her, seems strange. I have a headache and can't figure out if it's the lack of caffeine, Mya or DD or a combination of the 3 is the cause. It is a beautiful day here so I guess I should get out and enjoy it. Talk to you all tomorrow. Have a great day!!!!

Hi,
Our ISP provided decided to update the MAC addresses and it's been a very painful experience. It was suppose to be simple. Reboot the computer, log on, type in your address and password and presto/chango the computer was suppose to work. Of course, it didn't happen. I tried for an hour to get through to a live person on the phone, sat on hold and finally when I did, he just said he was taking names and phone numbers and a tech would return my call. I tried to explain I wasn't going to be here, but no one would listen. I came back this afternoon and apparently, there was less demand, as I was able to talk to someone in no time at all. Finally, I was able to get the MAC address changed and back on line.
I like fresh produce the best, frozen second and canned is ok if there is nothing else. My DD's will not eat a fresh grean bean. They only like canned.
I'm like you Lynn, I ate too many canned veggies when I was a kid and they turn me off. I use to feel like that about eggs over easy too. We had those for breakfast everyday. I hated them so much, I swore I'd never eat another one, but now they are the only way I really like eggs. I guess you can relearn stuff after awhile.
I'm running out of time, since I had to fool around with the computer so long.
Here's the crockpot lasagna recipe I made the other night. It sounds strange, but believe me, it turned out pretty good. I haven't tried it with zucchini noodles yet, but I think the sweetness from the sour cream would make the zucchini noodles taste even better.

Crockpot Lasagna

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 lb hamburger or italian sausage
32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
16 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz sour cream
16 oz cheddar, shredded
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 box lasagna noodles or zucchini noodles

Grease the inside of your crockpot. Fry the onion in the olive oil till it's translucent but not yet carmelized. Add the meat of choice and brown with onion. Add salt and pepper to the hamburger if you want. Set this aside.
In a large mixing bowl mix together spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese and sour cream, set aside. In a seperate bowl mix the cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
In the crockpot, put a thin layer of the sauce mixture, top with lasagna noodles (break to fit the sides) or zucchini noodles, a layer of meat and top with the shredded cheese mixture. Continue layering like this ending with the shredded cheese on top. Cook on high for 2 hours, watching closely to prevent burning. When a knife can pass through it easily, the top is browned and it's bubbling it's finished. Newer crockpots cook much hotter than the older ones, so if your using an older crockpot, then you might have to double the cooking time. You can also make it in the oven instead like a regular lasagna.

Nikki

Good morning,

I made the zucchini lasgna and did like you suggested, Nikki, and it wasn't runny at all. Next time I think I'll use 3 zucchini & 3 yellow squash. To me, it didn't look like there was enough squash, it was awfully cheesy so I'll also cut back on the cheese. For lunch I made some chicken salad for myself and made "chips" out of cheese in the mocrowave. I've been meaning to tell you that last year or so I bought some of Suzanne's salad dressing, which I never bothered to make. I made her Green Goddess salad dressing for dipping and it is so DH didn't like it. I've used it for a dip, put some in a salad, and used it instead of mayo in my chicken salad.

Nikki, thanks for posting the lasagna recipe. I printed it out and will make it some night. Glad that you got your computer back online. Dealing with the tech supporters can be frustrating at times. DH has dealt with a few that you can hardly understand a word they say.

lynn, a belated birthday wish to your DD Good luck to Mya in her surgery. She will do fine. Please let us know how she makes out. After Lacee had her's, she developed a rash of some sort around where her stitches were. It did go away after a few weeks. We had to take Lacee to the Vet on Mon. She has started losing some fur in spots. It was an allergic reaction to the shampoo I used on her a couple of weeks ago. He said that her skin was very dry. He gave her a shot and we came home armed with some OMEGA 3 oil to put on her food, some sort of antibiotic that looks and smells like orange juice, and hypoallergenic shampoo. He wants to see her again in 2 weeks. Since giving her the OMEGA 3 oil, her coat is starting to get a shine to it and it even feels a lot better. We had been planning on seeing him then anyway to get her health certificate before we travel and to get a copy of all her medical records.

ANNE, has the hot weather broken where you are yet? It's awfully cold here. We've had to shut our windows at night. I hope you're having this delightful weather for your Dad's sake. Today is a light jacket or sweater day. How are things going for you at work?

Well, I'm off later this morning to meet another friend for lunch. The restaurant we're going to will be an easy one to stay SSizing.

Hope you all have a good Thursday.
Aleka

Hello Ladies:
One more hour and I will be on vacation It is always a pleasure to get
away from I will have lots to do though cleaning up our place after
summer vacation

Aleka, the weather today is amazing. Its going to turn back to the hot
stuff though on the weekend I keep hearing about that bloody
huricane, I hope it doen't hit Florida again

Nikki, I printed off the recipe, you bet I will give that a try. I have been
doing my Body Flex and Gazelle each day and I hate to admit it, I feel
a little stiff.

Have a great day ladies!!!
Anne.

Good morning,

ANNE, you're on vacation!!! I hope you enjoy every minute of it. It's supposed to be in the 80's the next couple of days then supposed to cool down into the 60's by the beginning of next week. We will be glued to the TV tomorrow watching the path of Frances. It looks like North Port is on the outer edge of it at the moment. Have a wonderful time at the fair this weekend and enjoy your fries.

Have a good long holiday weekend everyone!

Aleka

Goodmorning All: Mya is back and a little sore. She is sleeping behind me on my bed. We have to keep her out of the lake for 10 days. If it gets to bad as she starts to feel better we will just get in the car and leave for a few days. She has never left our lot, and has never been tied up. We put her on a leach to get to the field mainly to give peace of mind to people walking small dogs. The only thing we have no control over is her desire to be the lake. On colder days I would prefer her to not go in the lake but that is a losing battle. We should have waited to have her done till after the long weekend. DD was coming up with her puppy for a belated Birthday celebration. The vet said no, to keep him away until her stitches are out in 10 days. So it will be a quiet long weekend for us. We have a barbeque on Sunday with friends so that is something to look forward. Thanks for the recipe Nikki, I will be trying it soon. Diet is going very well. I am during SS's food groupings and keeping my carbs under, in fact way under 30 a day. Happy holidays Anne!!!!! the weather is going to be fabulous. Laci will probably have some skin problems in Florida also, apparently in the summer heat a lot of dogs loose patches of hair. Well must get on with my day. I have been gone for 5 mins. or so as Mya came and asked to go out. Now ladies when ever we have had surgery somebody is always asking if we have gone to the bathroom well she just did so that is a good sign. Talk to you soon

Hi,
Anne, I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Even if you are going to spend it cleaning, I find when I'm cleaning, I can get a lot of satisfaction out of making things look better and cleaner.

Aleka, I was wondering how close Frances was going to come to your new home too. Is this an unusual amount of hurricanes this year or is it just because your moving down there that I've been paying more attention? I'm wishing you and I hope everyone down there remains safe.
How's Lacee looking today? I hate to go to the vet, it costs so much. DH says I spend more on vet bills than we do on our own medical care

Lynn, poor little Mya. It's really hard to keep them quiet like your suppose to. Every time I get one of the cats spayed, they say they shouldn't jump. I just look at those people like they're crazy. How can you keep a cat from jumping for 10 days? I do understand the no swimming. That would cause infection for sure.

I think with that lasagna recipe I wrote to you guys, I made a mistake on the amount of shredded cheese to add. I was guessing and I think I added 1 to 1 1/2 cups of each kind of cheese. I'm not sure how many oz that is, so you might want to measure instead.

We will be bringing the camper home tomorrow. I think we will both be glad to be home. It's been great weather though and our neighbors have been quiet and friendly. A family we know came out to camp at the same campgrounds as us. They are fairly nice people, but we are really getting tired of seeing them all the time. I guess you could say, they are intrusive and the wife is always making catty remarks. It is hard to be nice back to someone when you want to tear into them, but for the sake of my DH's relationship with his friend, I've been very civil and try to just over look what she says. It's hard though.

Take care, Nikki

Good morning,

Just wanted to tell you that I had a Dr. appt. yesterday re: my cholesterol. She asked me what I'm doing about it and I told her that I started SSizing right after I got the report, and that it got my numbers down before. She nodded her head and seemed pleased about it. She never said a word to be about doing it low fat. Also, I'm being weaned off of Premarin. DH is scared to death!!

lynn, glad that Mya got through surgery with flying colors. You all must be relieved. That's good you're keeping your carbs low. I'm not counting anything. I do have cereal every morning, as I just can't do bacon & eggs without a piece of toast or something. But....now that I will be eating fruit an hr. beforehand, maybe it might be ok. I will give it a try.

Nikki, from the looks of Frances, it doesn't look like North Port is going to get hit very hard. Possibly a lot of rain. They were saying this morning on the WC some places may get 12" of rain. That's all we need there. Lacee seems to be doing good. Her bald spots haven't cleared up any, but she's getting her OMEGA 3 oil 2x's a day, and yesterday I scrambled her an egg. I think I'll do that every other day for her. Eggs are supposed to be rich in OMEGAS. Good luck bringing the camper home. You won't be spending the whole weekend camping?

ANNE, have fun today.

Aleka