Mornin' all!
Busy day for me as well, couple of hours in the office this morning, birthday lunch in Louisville, then back home to clean as we are having overnight guests (a neice and her husband) They have a cute little beagle that they can not take into my sister's house, because of her severe allergies, so when they come to visit, they (along with the dog) love to stay at our house. They are so funny, they will keep me laughing till I ache! (This is the same neice that ransacked my closet for "vintage" clothes!) So I will scrub the shower and stock up at a liquor store in preparation for their visit.

Tomorrow I wll put more time in at the office...

Sounds like a blast, huh?????
Have a fun weekend gals!
Joetta
Oh, and hey Lori---Your good luck charm is getting closer to the pot of gold!!!!

Let me preface this by saying that hubby, munchkin, and I each have an extremely warped sense of humor.

After my shower, I put on my panties, sat down and was putting on my socks, when my darling, loving, husband started laughing. Knowing that he had a warped thought going--I gave him the "what know?" look.

He said, as I was bent over pulling on my socks---"That is kinda like tying your shoes in the car after the airbag has deployed, isn't it?"



I thought that was sooooo funny. I do appreciate dry, quick wit, even if it aimed at me!

Just had to stop and share that one--now back to my coffee
Joetta

Hang in there Robin!!! I myself tend to be alot like you Joetta. I speak my mind whether I should or not. I hate it when skinny people have no consideration for how they make those of us who are not so fortunate feel. Maybe if you kept somekind of special snack at work so when this kind of thing happens you can still "join them at the table" but you don't have to pay the consequences later.

I forgot to tell you all about this great idea I had. (yes, I do have them once in a while HA HA) I got this idea from an ad in the WW magazine when I saw a bracelet that you use to help you count your points. I thought well I don't need to count by points but I do need to do something to celebrate my losses. So I ordered a charm bracelet and it came 2 days ago. Each charm says something different like family, love, believe, hope, etc... I get to add a charm with every 10 lbs. I loose. This way when I am tempted I can just look at my bracelet and remember all the reasons why I am doing this and I have a visual of how far I have come. I started with one charm "family" on my bracelet and I am really motivated to add the next one.

Well my kids are up and ready for breakfast. Enjoy your day ladies!!!!!

Paige

Good morning Ladies!!

Paige - LOVE the bracelet idea!

Robin - I so sympathize!! I come from a whole family of food pushers! My Mom's a food pusher, my Grandma is one of the worst, my Dad, My SIL, my brothers, my aunts and on and on! They're all food pushers! When I was younger I was thinnner, but just couldn't eat as much. I swear part of the reason I ended up overweight is bc I got tired of saying no no no to all the food pushers. What's worse is I think I caught it from them! I LOVE to bake and when I do I get offended if people won't eat what I make. So I'm not baking right now! It's a shame to let the beautiful Kitchenaid mixer sit there all lonely, so if anyone has anything low cal/fat I could bake - HOLLER at me!

I say honesty is the best policy as well. I've been telling people at work no because I am trying to eat healthy and stop eating sweets. Of course I can't leave the chocolate ALONE! We have a co-worker that has some sort of GI tract issue that she can't eat anything processed so she never eats with us and everyone at work has become less pushy since she joined us.

I'm still arguing with the scale about what it says. I don't think I should weigh again until Wed. That should be my weigh in day. I'm killin myself here getting on the scale everyday. I'm doing great with my meals, but the snackin and chocolate thing could be a lot better.

Well, I have some work to do. So I'll be on the puter most the day - programming away. Enjoy your weekend ladies!

Kerry, I have some great low fat baking receipes, how about choclate angle food cake?? One of my favorites!

Goodmorning Everyone
I had my eggs and diet toast this morning with juice. I'm trying to stay on track. My daughter and two little ones are coming this day so I baked a sour cream coffee cake with fat free sour cream I hope it tastes okay. Has anybody else did any baking with the fat free sour cream? I made up some elk barbecue so I have supper done. Just need to think of meals for Sunday and Monday. I went to dr. Fri. my bottom #on my blood pressure was 100 and I'm on B/P pills already. So he said watch the salt. But I thought I already did that. I love sunflower seeds and my friend makes them so she made me a bunch with no-salt substitute. She didn't like them but I thought they were okay. Well better go get dinner on the table. Talk later.

Anmyreah

Lori - I would love to have your recipe! Anything chocolate AND low fat sounds GREAT!!!

Anmyreah - Let me know how the cake turns out with the fat free sour cream. I might try that too

I have tons, I own so many cook books it is really kind of alarming. I just got back from getting my hair cut so I need to toss some color on it and get a shower. I'll get dinner together and get some receipes together for you guys! I swear I get my hair shorter every time I go, if I keep this up I'm gonna have a crew cut !!!

I have a wonderful collection of cookbooks, but only one light cooking. I looked through it today and everything looked SO complicated and it didn't have many desserts. I am ok with regular meals. I generally cook the same things just replace beef with ground turkey, use ff sour cream, light margarine, canola oil, ff ranch, etc. When DH wants tacos, I have taco salad LOTS of greens!

So yeah, if you have any low fat or light baking recipes send 'em my way. Chocolate anything is great since I have a chocolate craving that cannot seem to be satiated lately! How about a low fat brownie anyone

We're having thin sliced lean grilled chops tonight with couscous and french green beans. I'm splurging with beer while grilling and low fat ice cream with a itty bit of chocolate sauce for dessert. I slept late and I've only spent 500 cal today so far. My folks are coming for the day tomorrow so I am sure we will eat our way through the whole day! I told you already they're the food-pushers. It's all about the choices I make wherever we go though right!

This will solve any cravings, they are rich and wow. I don’t do all the details, I melt the chocolate in the microwave, and I don’t sift anything.
This is from Susan Powters "Food" book.

Chocolate Mousse Bars

2/3 c. flour
½ c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 Tbs canola oil
6 extra-large egg whites
1 ¼ c sugar
¾ c unsweetened applesauce
¾ c unsweetened applesauce
½ c plain nonfat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9-X-9 inch baking pan with oil and wipe off excess or use a non stick pan.

2. Sift together flour and cocoa powder, set aside.

3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. When melted, turn off heat and add oil. Mix until combined. Cool slightly.

4. Beat egg whites on high with sugar until very fluffy. Add applesauce, yogurt, vanilla extract, melted chocolate, and dry ingredients. Lower speed and continue beating until well incorporated.

5. Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The center of the mixture will feel firm and not liquidy when touched. A toothpick inserted will come out covered with batter, not clean.

6. Cool and serve chilled. Cut into 16 bars.

Serving size 2 oz
Servings per recipe 16
Calories 129
Total fat 3 g
Saturated fat 1g
(total fat 21%)

This one takes longer, but oh soooo good!! It never lasts at my house!
This one is from the same Susan Powter "Food" book.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

1 c cake flour
¼ c cocoa
1 1/3 cup sugar
6 large egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
3 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract (I leave this out)

1. Preheat over to 350.

2. Sift flour, cocoa, and ½ cup sugar together. Set aside.

3. Whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Set aside in a large bowl.

4. Whip whole eggs with 1 cup sugar until creamy and golden. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix until combined

5. fold whole egg mixture gently into whipped eggs whites.

6. fold dry mixture gently into egg mixture, until just combined.

7. Pour mixture into a 10 inch tube pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Invert cake and cool.

8. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Remove bottom with tube. Run knife around the bottom of pan and around the tube. Turn cake onto plate.

Serving size 2 oz
Serving per recipe 12
Calories 162
Total fat 2g
Saturated fat 1g
(Total fat 11%)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!! My husband is taking a break from the computer so I thought I would get on quickly before he gets back on. He is working on a big project that needs to be done tonight.

My mom is here so we have been running around Houston looking at fabric for window treatments. I am so depressed. In my mind I know exactly what I want, but can I find anything I like.... NO................ I came home and told my husband that we just need to sell this house and start over, he then reminded me that we just moved into this one Ugh.....

I need to cook for the week tomorrow so I have been looking for recipes. I think my husband is getting tired of Chicken. So I am going to try to vary things a little more.

Well he is standing behind me looking over my shoulder so I guess that is my cue to get off the computer. Until tomorrow ladie!!!

Paige

Thank you Lori! I can't wait to make the chocolate angel food cake! Yum!

Ok, ladies this is what I am going to call a "Hit and Run" post. I had planned on writing more until hubby walked in ( he needs the computer ). Anyway I hope everyone has a great day and makes good choices. I will write more later. Just a quick hello!!!!

Paige

Good Morning !! Why does the weekend have to fly by?? I can't believe it's Sunday again! I have to get to the store today, I didn't squeeze it in yesterday.

Ok Paige, tell hubby your going to need your own laptop because he's just hogging up to much of your chat time !!! Yea, my hubby would tell me to go pound salt and walk across the road and use my mom's computer.

I think I have a laundry conspiracy(sp) going on, the clothes are multiplying in the baskets, I know it, I just can't prove it!

Did I ever mention to you guys about my friend who looks like a life size Barbie? Well she's a hoot, she is usually in great shape, just has problems with her butt zone. Well she got pretty lazy of Christmas and has put on 13lbs so she's working out and trying to eat good and she called me yesterday crying that she put on another 2lbs. I'm trying not to laugh at her because she was truely upset, but I had to tell her to get her head out of the sand, she lost inches around her waist and her jeans fit better, and if she dosen't knock it off I'm comming to take her scales!! I had her laughing, I said try looking at 40+ lbs over weight and then we could talk. So I had an eventful day on the phone trying to convince her the numbers weren't important. How does one get so engulfed by the stupid numbers??? I still hear so many girls say the chart says I should way X lb's I could scream. I NEVER was in the chart range! I always weighed way more than I looked, I didn't know about the muscle until I ran into a body builder and he spelled it out. Anyway, I'm not going any where with this so I guess I'll quit rambling!

I hope everybody is having a great weekend and remember PM or email me your favorite recipes so we can share!!!