Well, I hope that I will have a wired weekend - I'm looking for a lot of energy to get a lot done!

Lisa: Welcome to the beach forum! I agree that you're brave to start P1 right now...I couldn't do it! I look forward to getting to know you better!

GonnaBe: Hey, sorry about the scale being a PITA! Do you think it could be because of Aunt Flow making her way to you? Hope so! Either way, you're doing what you know you need to do, I guess the scale just hasn't heard about your efforts! Keep it up!

Kara: Not you too! I hope the scale was napping when you avoided all the cookies and cookie dough and hasn't caught on. Then again, are you sure you didn't build four pounds of muscle rolling out all that dough? Just a thought! You're doing great!

Cottage: What a great idea to use plastic cookie jars!

Me: Well, it's not technically the weekend yet, but I figured it was close enough! Our dinner "party" went great, but I'm glad it's over. The nice thing is that I only have two rooms to really clean tomorrow since the rest of the house was so tidy for the company. Just a few dishes to wash and some furniture to rearrange and the front of the house is done!

Tomorrow a friend and I are going to check out a new store in town and then I've got a few gingerbread cookies to bake. I'm planning on a 4-mile WATP DVD in the afternoon plus some possible strength work if I have time.

Geez. DH is bugging me for the computer so he can check out espn for all the stats. I need to go to bed anyways. Hope all of you chicks have a great Saturday morning! I'm sleeping late, so I'll see you in the afternoon!

~Kim

Ooooh, Kim, starting the weekend early! Glad to hear the dinner party went well!

So, Tom has convinced me that the scale is off because it's too cold in the bathroom. He says that since it's an analogue scale the temperature can affect the coil that registers the weight. He *could* be making it all up. He once told his grandmother that he couldn't put her new TV on top of her old one (she didn't want to throw the old one away even though it was broken!) because the electical signals would interfere with each other. Either way, he made me feel better. I'm still giving the scale the silent treatment (do you think it noticed?) but I don't feel so down on myself any more.

I do *feel* incredibly good, despite not having seen a numerical difference. Tom wanted to get pizza for dinner tonight and I just really didn't want any. It seemed so oily and heavy. I made a big salad and my own whole wheat tortilla pizza loaded with fresh spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes and it tasted so good! I really couldn't stomach the idea of the regular pizza, which is huge because I didn't feel left out or like I was choosing to eat a healthy option even though I really wanted the sinful one. I did treat myself to two cookies after dinner and I must say that I make a mean peanut butter cookie. It was the first time I'd tried that kind. Two was enough. I don't even want any more. I'm glad I had them, though, because otherwise I would have been thinking about them and thinking about them and I would've been grumpy about that, too.

I also had a banana for breakfast this morning and, let me tell you, that banana tasted better than any other banana I've ever had in my life! I have missed fruit, but cutting it out definitely did the job of curbing the cravings so it was worth it.

The kids want to make cookies so we're going to do some sugar cookies and some oatmeal craisin cookies and some cream cheese cookies. The latter is also a new recipe - sounded interesting and had great reviews on the recipe site I was surfing.

Have a nice Saturday!

Kara

I know it must be morning because I'm sitting here drinking coffee. I'm off soon to count birds all day. I sure hope it warms up a little!

Someone asked for the brussels sprout recipe. It's from Kalyn's Kitchen, a great site if you haven't been there yet, kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/11/roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe-with.html. They were a big hit. I've made them without the pine nuts or parm and they're still good!

As far as the chili recipe goes, I'm Italian and I don't measure anything so I'm not much help This time I'm throwing in dried black beans, eggplant (cut really small so it disappears and just thickens the chili), lots of peppers, onions, garlic, veggie ground, canned whole tomatoes, a generous amount of good chili powder, oregano and a little extra cumin. As long as the seasoning is right I can throw just about anything I find in my fridge in there though I've used finely chopped tofu, a wide assortment of other veggies, cheese or sour cream on top, etc. I'm leaving this in the crock pot so hope it does well on its own all day.

Kim - Good luck with you busy weekend At least you won't have snow to contend with!

Kara - I'm sure the scale will be in a better mood soon! Between all that working out and your incredible will power I can't believe you didn't lose anything. Have fun baking with the kids. My DD and I always had a great time making holiday goodies together when she was young.

Well I'm off for the day. As long as we have power tomorrow I'm sure I will be around a lot because I won't be going anywhere!

Good morning to all you chirpy early birds!

KIM, I'm glad your party went well. Have fun checking out the new store!
KARA, I like Tom's way of thinking! Have fun cookie baking today. I let myself sample a couple of cookies, too, so I wouldn't keep thinking about them. I enjoyed them and satisfied myself, and now they won't tempt me anymore. I think it's a good strategy.
CYNDI, I use the same method of not measuring ingredients, I'm Italian, too! Have fun today!

We're headed out to Cracker Barrel for some breakfast, then a trip to Trader J's for groceries. This afternoon we're watching the grandkids so my son and DIL can do their Christmas shopping. We're also waiting for the "big storm" that's supposed to hit us tonight. I don't think it's going to happen, though.

Morning Everyone...quick flyby today...have to catch up on work since I more or less took most of yesterday afternoon off getting ready for last night's dinner party (warning..food porn)

The party turned out just great...except for one little thing...the birthday girl got sick and could not come. We had already changed the party from Sat. to Fri. to accomodate the other couple's plans and just had to carry on without her, bless her heart. She and her husband are going to try to come over this afternoon if she is feeling better so she can have dessert. I saved cake, 2 creme brulees and some soup for them. Had a lot of fun, but I'm wiped out today with a ton of work ahead of me.

Besides the dessert and french bread, the rest was all SB...I had a couple of bites of cake and a couple of bites of creme brulee and it just about put me out. I think I did my "no-no's" for the month.

A new organic food store opened here today...so that may be my one outing for the day.

Busy, busy Beachies this morning!

Kim, your party sounds great and you seem to be on top of the weekend. Sleep well.

Cindi, I'm not Italian but I cook the same way you do. I swear the Irish have a smidgen of Mediterranean blood from those Spanish Armada guys. Think Johnny Depp!

Cottage, it sure doesn't look like "big storm" time here although it's 0ºF minus the windchill. I love Cracker Barrel and wish we had them here. It might be worth a trip across The Bridge just to visit one.

Femmecreole, too bad the birthday girl was ill. Thanks for sharing the pictures. It's nice to visit your house which looks just lovely. The fleur de lis napkin folding is impressive as is that cake! Food porn, indeed.

Kara, that Tom guy might be right about the scale. Too funny about Grandma's TV! Enjoy the cookie making with the kidlets.

Dinner at my sister's place was lovely and even healthy! My BIL BBQed a steak and Joan had green beans, mushrooms and sweet potato fries! Dessert was applesauce with yogurt - no sugar - so I was safe. One glass of red wine and no Christmas baking. We did the gift exchange too so I feel as if Christmas has already started!

This weekend I absolutely MUST get the decorating finished and finish up wall hanging #2. There's a sliding party tomorrow afternoon for all the kids and adults from Church but I'm afraid my knee won't be up for that! I may just put myself in charge of hot chocolate and runny noses. Of course, it could be canceled if we get this "huge" storm. (I swear they exaggerate weather lately although 18" is forecast!)

Have a busy but productive weekend, Beachies, and take a wee space for YOU!

Time to leap into action!

Good Morning Everyone!

The kids party was a huge success. We had a ton of leftover food so the program will be set for the next week with perishables and the next month with dry goods. When Santa's helicopter landed they had blown fake snow on the runway and as he lande it blew the "snow" gently up over the kids. Too cute.

Kara - I can't believe the scale is being so horrrible to you after all your hard work. When you do start speaking to it again you should mention the trash lives outside and it's alot colder there.

Kim - I'm glad the party was a success. Hope you get all of your list done this weekend.

Femme- Thank you for inviting me into your home. It is truly beautiful. I'm sorry it didn't go exactly as planned but hopefully she'll feel better and have dessert today.

Cyndi - Have fun with the bird count. I hope it warms up some for you.

Ruth - Take care of your knee. Have a great time tonight and try to stay warm.

Cottage - Have a great day and a wonderful afternoon with the kids.

Me - Today I am going to my mom's to make candy. Candy has been our family tradition as long as I can remember. I should do just fine and I am taking the recipe for SB choc fudge that we're going to try. Then tonight we are going to a party for my uncle's car club. I think I'll just eat before we go to be on the safe side. Hope everyone has a great day.

good Saturday morning chickies! I am just now dragging my butt out of bed, and it feels great. no kiddies around since they spent the night at grandma's after pizza. I did wake up at 7:30, DH brought me coffee in bed, I showered then went BACK to bed and watched food network for a while. I was introduced to a sinful treat by my niece, who lost 85 lbs. on WW a couple of years ago. She brought Turkey Hill NSA lowfat peanut brittle ice cream. I had half a cup and it was sooo good. She said they make a cherry fudge flavor too. I kind of feel like I should feel guilty about eating it, since it tasted so sinful, and I don't think I'll buy any for a while, because I doubt I could be trusted with it. Anyway, I weighed this morning and the scale is being stupid. I was really good this week, and it refused to budge. The bathroom that I keep the scale in stays pretty cold, so I think I'll go with Tom's reasoning... Actually, I had a stern talk with myself. I have reached my birthday goal, and told myself that December would be a maintenance month and I wouldn't worry about losing any more until Jan. But I still kind of feel like the scale "owes" me something if I've stuck to plan.

Kim, glad your party went well!
Cat, hope yours was great too!
Kara, you guys are cookie monsters!
Cyndi, have fun with your birdies! I cook the same way. Pity poor Ruth when I try and post a recipe...
cottage, hope you're right about that storm. I'd love to get out tomorrow.
Ruth, glad you started your holidays off on such a lovely note. As for Cracker Barrels, I avoid them. That is carbolicious, calorific fun right there! What is a sliding party? Is it sliding on ice? Sounds cool!
Have a great candy-making day Thinby! I admire all you chicks who can whip up sweet treats and still behave. i am putting off any baking or goodies until next weekend. I'd avoid it entirely, but the kids must have some cookies for Santa.

So, the plan was to spend the morning finishing up all the cleaning I didn't get to this week, so I'd better get to it, since there isn't much morning left. Haven't eaten yet either. I need to take advantage of kid-free time. This afternoon, DD has a Christmas party, so I'll drop her and then do my grocery shopping. I've got some fun new beachy recipes to try planned for the coming week. I'll post if I hit on a winner.

Hi all, I'll come back later to read everyone's posts yesterdcay and today. Ihad a real late lunch (huge salad) and I wasn't hungry at the party! I did eat one piece of pizza. But I did drink not one, not two, but three strawberry daccarais, and about 3 white russians! and I'm not a drinker! No, I wasn't drunk, cause I paced myself and that went through till 2 am. I bowled till about 9:30 then we moved to a pub, where I was dancing all night, when it wasn't my turn at pool! I got up this am and down to 182. So, all in all, the only thing I regret, is why did I drink????????????????

hahhahahaha .

Looks like everybody has an exciting weekend! By plans are at home, but I've got some cleaning and laundry (blah!) but lots of reading! I want to learn SBD in and out! Sooo, that's what's bringing me to the boards more. I'm looking to chat with others for support. It's just me and my BF at home, but he's very anti-changing any way he eats. He'd rather start running for 5 miles a day, which is just not me. Not yet anyways. I started SB early spring, but my heart wasn't in it, so it didn't last. This time, I started this past Monday, and so far, everything is GREAT! Except for my energy, I find myself getting very sleepy a lot earlier this week. But we'll see!

So hello to all, and hope to chat more soon!

It's turned out to be a wonderfully wired weekend so far!

Kara: I mean it woman, I have no idea how you do it. I went to the store for cookie ingredients, but I'm only making two kinds this year that I'm not really fond of. You are awesome! (I agree with Tom's analysis of the scale -- the coil's too cold! )

Cyndi: I'm going to go check that recipe out after lunch. If it gets DH to eat them I'll be forever grateful! Hope the bird count is going well!

Cat: I'm glad the dinner party went well last night, but I'm sorry that the birthday girl had to miss it. I hope they're able to stop by for dessert today! Did you make it to the organic store?

Ruth: I'm glad dinner at the farm was good for you! Sounds like you had a great time! Enjoy handing out the cocoa - what a fun way to enjoy the festivities without sliding!

Dawn: What a great time you must have had watching those kids see Santa. How fun! Hope the candy-making is fun! What kind of car club is your uncle in?

Schmoodle: That blasted scale! But again, you got to onederland before your goal date, right? That's nothing to sneeze at! I hope the scale smartens up and realizes how hard you've been working next week! Have a productive kid-free time!

Loriann: Well, it sounds like the party was a blast - congrats on getting the scale down to 182! I bet it was all that activity you got in last night! Have a quiet day of recovery!

Rubberduck: Nice to meet you! My DH is the same way. He'd rather eat whatever and work it off later. He's gotten a lot better, though! Hope to see you around here a lot!

Me: Well, we met at the new store and it was nice, but the owner really seemed overly fond of her wares. I think she's way too expensive for our town. We'll see how she does in the next few months. I wish her the best, but I think that she will have to lower her prices if she wants to stick around. After leaving there, we decided to go to another great little gift shop/emporium that has been here for ages. I ended up blowing too much $$, but it was worth it! I got this stuffed snowman that was dressed as a cowboy, some great Christmas cards for next year, and a really cute picture frame for a pic of DH and I at Thanksgiving.

All I've got left for the day is workout, clean out the fridge, clean my office and crochet my mom's scarf. Shouldn't be a bad day at all. I'm going to make the cookie doughs tomorrow and freeze them so that I can bake Friday before we leave for my parents'. Well, DH is asking for lunch, so I'd better see what kind of salad we'll be eating today! Have a great afternoon!

~Kim

Schmoodle, the Cracker Barrel isn't that bad, at least for breakfast. I've never been there for any other meal, so I don't know what their offerings are then, but for breakfast they offer several SBD-friendly options. I usually either get oatmeal with sliced bananas and pecans, or their ww French toast with SF syrup. They'll make omelets any way you want them, too, with eggbeaters. And they'll even bring you a carton of skim milk with your coffee. We meet "the gang" there every Sat. & Sunday morning.

cottage, that's good to know for traveling. You can always find a Cracker Barrel. I've only eaten there a couple of times, and it was good, but I remember lots of biscuits, dumplings, and mashed potatoes.

Kim, I actually originally planned to get to onederland by my birthday, so I was a couple weeks late, but that's okay, I got there nevertheless and the scale will move again one day soon, I'm sure. No complaints here. By the way, I will be cleaning my office this evening too. I've been piling the boxes from the Christmas decorations in here and it is getting hard to walk. Too bad the office is always the catch all room.

Kara encouraged me to get up my nerve to try the eggplant french toast, so that's what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow.

Hey chatty chicas!

Cyndi, I'm dying to know how many birds you counted!!!

Did you have fun with the grandkids, Linda?

Cat, your home is just gorgeous! It looks like everyone had a wonderful time!

I am also curious about sliding, Ruth! Hope you had fun serving the hot chocolate!

Dawn, I hope you have fun making candy! What were you making? I've never tried candies before, but my sisters love to do the chocolate molds.

Schmoo, your morning sounds divine! Tom got a grumpy wake-up this morning because I was tired of always being "the one" who gets up with the kids. I understand he works, and it's a stressful job at that, but for crying out loud, my "off-time" is gym time! When do I get a break? Last night I was up at 1:30 because Avery had to go potty. She's taking this thing a bit too far... Actually, I think her teeth were hurting her and she just figured she might as well go potty since she was up, but regardless, it was ME who had to take care of it. Goodness, that turned into my own little rant...

Sounds like you had fun at your party, Lori!

Hi Rubberduck! I'm singing Ernie's song from Sesame Street right now in my head. You may not have seen Sesame Street for awhile...I watch it daily! My kids aren't allowed much TV, but Sesame Street can be watched at any time.

What kind of salad did you end up having, Kim? Did you get all your projects done?

We've got our sugar cookies in the oven now. The kids had a BLAST decorating them! I so enjoy doing things with them when there is no arguing or wrestling...

Time to get a batch out of the oven.

Kara

I'm finally home Today was great but incredibly long.
Kim My uncle is a member of Forever Classics. He has two '56 Chevy wagons. Tonight was their annual Christmas party and we turned it into a bit of a fund raiser via raffle because a couple people in the San Diego chapter lost their home and cars in the fires in the fall. It was a great night and very holiday in spirit because everyone decorates their cars for the holiday.
Kara We make 3 types of fudge, peanut clusters in many varieties and these peanut butter/butterscotch things that sound weird but taste divine. And (drum roll please) I ate NONE. You inspired me and I stayed completely on plan through candy making and the party.
Cyndi I know it wasn't a contest but I'm still dying to know how many birds?
Schmoodle I completely agree. The scale does owe you. Apparently the scale doesn't understand how much work it is to stay OP in December. Since it seems to be all analog scales that are tempermental I'm not holding out much hope for my Monday weigh in.
Cottage I love Cracker Barrel. We don't have them out here though. I'm glad you had a nice time.
Loriann & Rubberduck
Well I made it through the first round of holiday temptation and fared pretty well. Tomorrow night I have dinner out with friends but I picked the restaurant so of course it's SB friendly. Have a great night.