New camera!

We bought a new camera this week. We got our Staples Rewards check and decided we could get one for almost half-price! It's a Canon PowerShot SD750 and it'a FABULOUS!!! It's so crisp and beautiful. Sam was of course thrilled- we gave him our old one.

Here's my first post with the new cam's pics. I made our fave Olive Garden Toscana soup for dinner, so decided foccacia would go perfectly. Here's the bread, topped nicely with onions, olive oil, and Italian herbs-

Here is the link to my post/recipe for the bread- Foccacia

The best part about the new cam will be using it while househunting. The other one was so big and bulky, it was a pain to carry it around. This one fits nicely into a cellphone case, so it can clip right onto my pants!

I can't wait to take beautiful vacation pictures, and of course new home pics! Keep the good selling-our-house thoughts coming!

Off to eat dinner!

Saturday is DATE NIGHT!

Well I wasn't as perfect yesterday as I had hoped. I didn't have a salad for lunch but had a Seafood & Crab sub on wheat instead. It was fabulous and I enjoyed every bite! I even exercised when we got home- did 30 minutes! Last night we did have the gouda stuffed chicken and I wrapped each breast in proscuitto- very good but a tad salty. Next time I'll choose a less salty cheese. We had green beans instead of broccoli and Joe brought home a bottle of pinot noir... Yummmmm!
This morning for breakfast I made spelt biscuits to have with our eggs and sausage. We came home and Joe and Sam started working on Sam's pinewood derby 'car' while I did 35 minutes on the elliptical. I never got around to lunch, but really have not been hungry at all. Tonight we're having mexican, so it probably won't hurt top have missed lunch!
We went into town to recycle and after went shopping. I bought new running shoes to wear while exercising. I also got two new shirts and a pair of pants. I wanted something new to wear on our DATE tonight!
Joe and I are going out with friends Bea and Dave tonight for dinner and then maybe to their house after for cocktails. We never get to go out, so lately have been trying to plan a date night- whether it be a double date or just us. We went out two weeks ago and I would love to make this a routine! So today I bought a new pair of nice pants and a new shirt to wear tonight, Joe even bought a new shirt. Funny how the simple things make you happy in old-age, eh? HAHA!
Here's to a great Saturday night! How sad we've found a sitter we like (as does Sam) and we're going to move...

LOOOOOONG Week

Well it's done. The house is officially listed, but no sign yet. I'm personally a tad disappointed with the asking price, but that's because I think it's worth so much more with all the work we've done. Joe however is very happy with it, so I guess that evens things out. Now we wait...
My eating has been so-so this week. Tuesday was another long workday (they all are anymore). For breakfast I ate an omelet w/ ham and provolone and lunch was a grilled chicken salad from Subway. Dinner we had grilled strip steaks, roasted sweet potatoes w/ FF sour cream, and steamed snap peas. If I ate a snack, I don't remember what it was. I did try to exercise, but could only do about 15 minutes.
Wednesday we woke to 5 inches of snow and no school. I had another omelet for breakfast. I had to take Sam to the office with me, so we went out for lunch at Wheat State because they have buffet. I ate several pieces of pizza including dessert pizza. I did have a salad first tho! For dinner I made Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with rice and green beans. I also had 2 cocktails w/ pink grapefruit Crystal Light and pineapple juice mixed with vodka. For exercise I got about 10 minutes...
Thursday I ate an apple for breakfast because I was just not hungry. For lunch I ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a mini veggie patty sub, and two cookies... For dinner we had pork chops w/ cabbage and carrots. I tried a mini bag of the new salt and cracked pepper popcorn for a snack- good stuff! Tastes a bit like the fries at Applebees. I also did 12 minutes exercise. Seems my stamina has disappeared since I was sick last weekend?
Today I had a granola bar for breakfast- I'm just not hungry in the mornings anymore. I haven't had lunch yet, suppose it'll be a salad. For dinner tonight is chicken breasts topped with smoked Gouda and proscuitto along with broccoli or cauliflower. I plan to try again with the exercising tonight!
I weighed today- 195.2. Not at all bad considering I have been a bit off this week! I will have to revise my first goal of 184 by March 1st tho. Now I'm looking at 190 by March 1st. I can live with that. I also hope to be back at doing 20-30 minutes on the elliptical by next week. I am still a bit weak from last weekend, so I think a week later should be good.

Go GIANTS!!!!!

Well by last night (5pm or so) I was feeling much better so I ate. And ate. And ate... Of course, what I ate was two things of cuppa noodle, part of that baked sweet potato (it wasn't great) and a bowl of beef broth with rice. That was awesome too, so delish. I started feeling feverish later on (major chills) and even tea wouldn't work. Thank goodness for hot pads and hubbys who will get up and heat them for you! Needles to say, when I weighed this morning I was happy that I was still down- 195 even to be exact. Not as good as the original 4 pound loss, but much healthier!
Today I woke feeling very good considering how crappy (ha!) the last two days had been. I ate a little ciabatta loaf toasted and topped with two fried eggs (I said I felt better!)- really good! I didn't get a real lunch today since I was busy, so this afternoon I was awful and ate a pretzel from Subway while doing my grocery shopping. Tonight is stuffed cabbage rolls.
This morning I discovered the automated payroll system we use had 'dropped' one of our stores from the latest processing! I spent about 2 hours this morning trying to get them to understand I just needed those nine employee's checks, not a whole new run of the entire 98. Thankfully I finally got ahold of someone who had drank enough coffee to understand my dilemma. The checks are in the mail.
The realtors came this morning. They think we should leave the landing in the entry alone and not worry about tiling it. They really liked the beautiful red dining room and agreed that the color in the living room is fine. Basically, they say to leave it alone and hope for a sale. In this market, I'm taking all the good thoughts I can get! We got a decent price too, tho a bit lower than I had hoped. Joe is happy with it, but I think if this house was in town it would be a lot higher. I suppose I would never be happy with the price just thinking about all we done to this house. Now we just need to find buyers!
Pretty much it for my day. Hope tomorrow is less hectic!

UGH!

Do you know how hard it is to find time to blog when I can barely find time to exercise?
Thursday was a bad food day. For some reason I had no desire for breakfast, so I just drank my half-pot of bean and went to work. There's a new restaurant in Emporia called U.P.er's Diner. It's pasties and such. We decided to try it since Joe stayed in town for an interview he was doing later that day. The food was not great, no flavor actually. I can say the homemade fries were good tho. Then that night was scout night and Gambino's pizza night. Joe and I split a medium taco pizza (there was a time we'd have split a large!). Again, not the best for us, but so damn good!
Friday was another can't-bear-to-eat-breakfast day, tho I did eat a string cheese. I went to Topeka to go thru files (which never really happened), so I ate a roast beef salad from one of the stores. They don't have carrots or the seafood and crab up there! That has GOT to change!!!! Then for dinner we had pork and bean burritos again. Later that night I had an apple and pear 'crisp' with some CoolWhip. I did do a 20minute workout on the elliptical, a tougher one than usual.
Saturday was a bad day. I ate well, for the most part. It was my stomach that was bad. When I woke up my stomach was pretty crabby. I even had to sit a minute while making our pancakes (WG, yes). After that I was pretty much chained to a bathroom most of the day. I made paninis for lunch with roasted chicken, provolone, tomatoes, sprouts, pepperoncinis, roasted peppers. For dinner I made baked spaghetti- basically it was lasagna with spaghetti instead of lasagna noodles. For dessert I made a baked pear. By the time we went to bed I felt so sick. I was up half the night and got almost no sleep when I did get to stay in bed.
I felt crappy this morning too, but have not had anywhere near the problems of yesterday. No pukiness thank goodness! I ate some oatmeal for breakfast and tried to help clean the house. I went back to bed at 1pm and slept for an hour or so. I do feel better a bit, had some cuppa noodle when I woke up. I plan to eat a baked sweet potato for dinner if my stomach is still okay then. The one good thing about this weekend- I lost four pounds yesterday! HAHAHA, tho I really did.
Joe got the new stairs on today, wish I could have helped him. The realtors are coming tomorrow to do their appraisal of the house so we can get a better idea what they want to ask. I'm just so ready to get this over with. The selling, the moving, all of it. I like househunting, but the rest is no fun!
I'm off to make some tea.

I'm here, I'm here...

I know! Busy busy busy!

I got to go to the Topeka office last week and meet people. It's like Bizarro World where everything is so well organized! That'll never be me, that's for sure. I also had lunch with Mary, our real estate agent and someone I've known forever. She took me to a house after that and I saw the first one of many I'm sure! Nice- fully remodelled and a kitchen to kill for! I am heading back up Friday to do some work in the office, and if there's time may drive by one or two more of the houses on our list.

Weight loss is creeeeeeeping. I am now down to 197.2, so have lost a total of 6.4 pounds since December 26th. I'm still better off than I was 2 years ago- I WAS 270! I have decided to try and post here daily (I DID say TRY!) what I am eating and what my exercise is starting today. So here goes-

Breakfast- ham, shrooms, swiss omelet and coffee

Lunch- Couldn't bear the thought of a salad so I had Chinese take out- beef, chicken, shrimp w/ LOADS of veggies and I got the sauce on the side (and barely used any). I did eat a tiny bit of rice...

Dinner- pork&pintos w/ usual toppings, red wine

I'm supplying a picture of this. Those of you I share my recipes with are familiar with Sam's favorite meal- Pork and Bean Burritos. This is it. It's the perfect meal to make when you have to work all day since you use the crockpot.

And just so you know, I didn't exercise today.

Pork and Pintos- this makes several meals

3-4 pound pork sirloin roast (the cheapo boneless one), remove the netting if it has it

1 pound dry pintos, cooked and drained

1 can enchilada sauce

1 chopped onion

salt and pepper

Put the beans in the crock, top with everything else. Cook on low all day. When you get home, mash everything together with a potato masher until the beans are mostly smooshed and the meat os shredded. For our family this makes about 5 meals. It freezes very well.

We eat this on whole wheat tortillas and top them with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream- whatever! This series of meals costs me about $11 to make- for the entire batch! Talk about budget-friendly!

I am off to do just a little more work. I'll do my best to post food again tomorrow!

WoW!

So much for being able to post more again, huh? Joe didn't think my working hours would change much, but here we are two weeks into the new companies and I have doubled my hours! I'm not really complaining tho, think of the nice paychecks and such. The only really hard part is when there are new employees in Topeka and I can't enter them into the system without having to call that office and have Anne fax everything to me. Eventually that will be better after we move, tho we are keeping this office here for awhile (thank goodness!).
Joe and I have still been doing our best to eat better and workout more. He has had a hard time since he is already getting up an hour earlier to get to work and getting home an hour later usually. Still doing his best tho! I have discovered that I feel much more able to finish my programmed workout if I do it right after Sam and I get home. Not that there's a real option to do it in the morning. Either way, I am getting to where I feel I can up the level I am doing, so hope that by March or so I can do maybe the 40-45 minute ones! As is I am doing the 25 minute weightloss workout most of the time- but now without stopping in the middle! Joe found out it is easier to do longer if you are watching TV instead of just listening to the iPod or something. He watches news and listens to music, I try to find a sitcom like Friends or Sienfeld. We have also started watching The Biggest Loser. There was a marathon one day and we watched while working out and found it very motivational! This made us watch the new season premiere, and we are actually learning from it! Since Christmas he has lost 6 pounds and I have lost 5. Not huge numbers, but we have also had two or three meals that were quite unacceptable... Joe's Crab Shack is EVIL!!!
Househunting is going... Joe found our dream home last weekend- it's a real true log cabin! Gorgeous inside and out, it even has a hot tub under the deck. A bit higher priced than we were thinking, but Joe wasn't really counting on my checks being any bigger than they were so there's room there. There are a few others as well- one on the top of a hill overlooking the Flint Hills! Too bad Joe is still adamant about waiting. I think we'll have our realtor here look at the house in a week or so. It really can't hurt to list it this soon.
Better finish a few last things before I pick Sam up. If ya don't 'hear' from me for a bit you know why!

I can finally tell!!!

YAY! I can finally talk about the one thing I've been wanting to post!
Our boss bought 13 more stores this past week, bringing his total to 21. The stores he bought are in Topeka and Holton KS. The best part of all- we'll be moving when school gets out! This is something we've been waiting for for ages, so it's very exciting. The one downside is Joe is busier than ever now with more stores and not as much help as we had thought. He feels bad, like he's neglecting the other 8 stores, but that will get better eventually. For now tho, there is a lot of work to be done with these new stores- remodelling, updating, CLEANING... This means more work for me too with adding 120+ employees to a new payroll set up with more companies, doing a lot of Joe's office stuff like polling stores, and I have offered to drive to the other 8 stores to drop off/pick up paperwork. More work= bigger paycheck, but I sure miss Joe when I'm in the office. He's also getting home very late in the evening, so Sam misses him too! Once we're moved and things hopefully settle down, it will be better. For now tho rough days ahead with work, house shopping and selling, packing, etc.
Sam had his 8th birthday this past Thursday. I didn't make a cake or anything this year with all the busy-ness. Sam was also very sick the week of the holiday break. He started very pale the day after Christmas, then it went downhill after that. By the next night he had a fever over 104 and was getting very lethargic. We took him to the doc on Saturday- he said Sam had strep but we disagree. He never did a test or anything, just gave him antibiotics and sent us away. Joe and I both feel that Sam really had the flu, and also that maybe the doc is more of a jerk than we first thought! His symptoms were much more consistent with the flu virus than strep... He is still recovering and falls asleep very quickly at night. Soooo, his bday went by without much fanfare this year. He got a small Snickers cake that night along with his presents and yesterday we took him to Radio Shack and bought him an RC helicopter from his Grandpa John. He also got some books at Hastings. Then we took him to Montana Mike's for dinner where we surprised him with a Mudslide dessert. He had a friend spend the night Friday night as well.
Joe and I both gained some weight back the past few months so we bought a big present for Christmas- an elliptical! Man O Man- the first few times on that thing were rough! It has 12 preset workouts with varying resistances. I am now able to do the 20 or 25 minute programs with a stop in the middle to work on the weight machine for my arms. Lost 5 pounds the first week (along with better eating habits), so it must be working! My first goal is a loss of 20 pounds by March 1st, and I'm well on my way. Keep your fingers crossed!
That's pretty much it for now. This next weekend Dad and Suzy are coming so we can go to KC to see Sweeney Todd at the Music Hall. We're very excited! This time with no football draft to race back for we can stay and have dinner. Of course, rushing back after Spamalot wasn't too bad since my fantasy team came in second place- I lost the Super Bowl at the very end of the games on a last second touchdown. Not bad!
Happy New Year all!

Ladies Night- With Food PICS!

MAN! That was fun! There were six of us total- worked out perfectly since I had six settings and wine glasses. Everyone brought at least one bottle of wine, and Tiff brought my new fave- Menage A Trios Red! Ok, so hubby Mike bought it (scoutmaster who owed me one!) but it counts! There were two people there I had never met before, one had not met any of us but the sister-in-law she brought. We all got along famously and had loads to talk about. Really, it was wonderful!

The food was fabulous, if I do say so (tho they all said it too!).

I made the fondue- great with a stale crusty French loaf. Didn't get a pic of that.

The Basil-Prosciutto Cheese Log was delish with Kashi Crackers- it was devoured!

The Onion and Brie Pizza was amazing too, I will make that one whenever given the chance. Obviously it was enjoyed thoroughly!

I must say tho the best (lightest and most refreshing too) appetizer was Laurie's Stuffed Shells Ensalata.

You really MUST buy her cookbook! I passed my copy around to all, I know of at least one who will definitely buy one.

One of my guests brought me a birthday present- she and I have not really gotten to know eachother and yet she brought me a cookbook! I am making one of the side dishes tonight, it's a cauliflower and corn scalloped dish with a crunchy topping. It looks fabulous and I haven't even put it in the oven yet! Some good recipes in there, can't wait to try them...

Well Joe was out burning leaves this afternoon and couldn't find his glasses when he was done. They had fallen out of his shirt pocket and I inadvertently tossed them with a jumble of leaves into the fire! He's very upset- more at himself for having them in his shirt than at me. He rushed into town to the Walmart Vision Center (this will be the 6th pair of glasses purchased there in 2 years for this household!) just a bit ago, but his new glasses won't be in until at least Thursday. He has a meeting out of town tomorrow too... Unfortunately he really has only his sunglasses now, bad deal.

Been a bad month. I went to the dentist last week with a pain in my tooth. I've been having this pain for 5 years, but this time the Xray actually showed a crack. They did a temporary fix on it, but I have to go in December 6th for a crown. I offered to cancel my birthday pampering, but Joe said not to. I think now I will tho with the new glasses and all. Something good is going to come eventually, right?

Long time no post, eh?

Yeah, I know it's been ages. Sorry. Been super busy with work and school and scouts... Besides, I can't really write about what I WANT to write about, so it's hard for me to want to write anything at all!

Well here's what's been up the last month or so-

Scouts is keeping me really busy. I was in charge of popcorn sales and we just finished that and got the corn out to deliver. I am still waiting for the prizes to arrive- Sam sold enough to get the bow-and-arrow. Can you tell I'm a bit scared? The boys walked in the Veteran's Day parade Saturday. I know it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but Emporia is the town where Veteran's Day was started so it does hold some special meaning! We have the Christmas parade in two weeks, seems so soon! I have already told the others I will not be as active after January tho.

I've been working a lot more lately. Joe has been extra busy with the stuff I can't talk about so I am taking up more work to ease that- plus I have to earn the "Promotions" title! Starting the 19th we're joining a promotion with a local gym- Emporia's Biggest Loser. Obvious choice right?! We also started using a new payroll system about 3 weeks ago. It's the same company we had been using, but now we're in the bigtime. Some aspects are super-cool, others are something of a pain. Either way, it's a better fit for our-sized company.

Joe's mom was here this past weekend, so we got to run away for a few hours Saturday. We went to Topeka and goofed around at the mall and Barnes & Noble, then went to Olive Garden. No, we did not behave and NO, I don't feel at all bad about it! Kate and her hubby Dave are coming for Thanksgiving this year- Dave hasn't seen the bedroom yet! I'm making a couple of new items for the dinner table this time, but nothing too weird. I think he's really going to like the mashed root veggies I'm making instead of plain mashed potatoes!

I'm having a Ladies Night this Saturday. I wanted to do something like that for my birthday this year and I'm very excited! Most of those I invited are unable to come, but a few that are will be bringing other friends. This is strictly a 'forget you're married/pregnant/a mom and come have wine and hors d'oeuvres with the gals' night! No responsibility other than bringing a bottle of wine! I am making some semi-fancy nibbles and desserts to have- Cider Cheese Fondue, a Prosciutto and Basil Cheese Ball, Onion Brie Pizza, and fall-type desserts of Apple Cranberry Crisp and Pumpkin Flan. It's my excuse to cook fun things I would not usually make and spend an evening relaxing with friends! I'm SO excited!

Well I thought I'd throw this in here too. Today there wasn't any school, so Sam has been pretty bored. He was telling me this morning he really wanted to make pancakes for breakfast, but I was just too tired. We did it for lunch instead! In order for it to count toward a scout requirement, he had to do everything- mix the batter, cook/flip the cakes, and clean up afterwards. Tell you what- they were pretty darn good pancakes! Here's the pics of Chef Sam and his first fully prepared-on-his-own meal!

I have been making a lot of food from Laurie's cookbook lately. Joe and I now have a couple of new favorite soups! Her Creamy Cabbage Soup and her Cauliflower Soup are both delish! The last time I made the cabbage one I added a small diced potato to the broth and mashed it up once it was really tender to sort of thicken it all. MAN O MAN! LOVE THEM, L!~ You can buy her book here.

Off to clean some. Have to make the house fabulous for Saturday!

Weekends are the pits... sometimes

Yeah, I know everyone looks forward to the weekend, but sometimes weekdays are better. I like my quiet Monday mornings, reading email, drinking coffee, Charlie in my lap. Creatures of habit, you have another member!
Saturday we went to Topeka to shop and goof off. Ate lunch at Red Lobster and NO, I didn't behave! You can't go there and not eat at least two CheddarBay Biscuits and have the Shrimp Alfredo when they have Endless Shrimp! Good stuff too... After lunch we went to the mall, walked off lunch, and I got some jeans from OldNavy- even after eating I still got 16s! Got Sam a camo coat for winter and bought some shirts for him too. All of their pants are so big around the waist! I have to switch the kiddo to 2% milk or something, he's so scrawny I can't buy him clothes. I know, better scrawny than pudgy...
I was much better Sunday with food, tho we did have dessert. I made mini Kahlua cheesecakes the other night- man were they good! For dinner last night I made something from my friend Laurie's cookbook, the Cauliflower and Ham Soup. I can't tell you how fabulous it was, and so quick and easy too! It smelled just like potato soup, and even tasted similar. Joe loved it as well, and he's not one for the idea of cauliflower-as-potato thing. Here's the recipe, with my minor adaptations for what I had on hand-

Cauliflower and Ham Soup

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 carrots, diced
3 chicken cubes (had no veg broth, each makes 2 cups broth)
5 cups water
1 tsp savory (I was out of dill)
1 cup chopped ham
2 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (my addition, we like thicker soups)

Bring the cubes and water to a boil, drop in carrots and cauliflower. Boil for 20 minutes until veggies are tender, stir in savory. Using a potato masher, gently smash cauliflower into bite-sized bits. Stir in ham (add this towards the end so it doesn't get tough). In a bowl whisk milk and arrowroot together, then stir into soup. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and eat!
I sliced sourdough bread into 3/4 inch thick slices and broiled them, topped with Havarti cheese, and broiled them again. Made killer croutons. This is one soup I will make again and again for sure! Later this week I am making Toscana Soup like they serve at Olive Garden. I will try to photo it! I forgot last night. :(
My friend Linda called me yesterday. The PTO here is doing a dinner before the home football game Friday, and she was told to make a pie. She doesn't MAKE pie, so she called me. I told her I'd make a pecan pie and one for her to cut and freeze so she can eat little slices whenever. Well, when Joe heard me say that he begged me to make HIM one too! I will do the same with his- bake it, slice it, freeze it. Maybe I can get Linda to have me make her stuff like this more often, eh? :)
My fantasy football team is 3-0 so far. I don't know how, since this week was really the one time they've played well. I guess I've just gotten luck so far. My opponents have not played well so that helps. I am at the top of my division and loving it! hahaha! GO Ballbusters!

Whoops!

So much for no grains! Sam's school pairs with a local (fabulous!) pizza place- Gambino's- once a month for School Fundraiser Night. The class that has the most 'attendance' wins a pizza party. Last night was the night, and since we were planning to have leftovers anyway... Sam wanted it, Joe wanted it, so we got it. My plan was to eat two slices, then have a salad. Yeah, well that didn't happen! I adore their pizza (it's not the place with the wheat crust, there would be no guilt from that), so I ate 4 slices of deluxe pizza and three small cinnamon dessert sticks. That was it tho, and I still weighed less this morning than yesterday! Not that this will encourage me to do it again. This was my once-before-Texoma thing. For the next week I will eat maybe one grain a day, lots of salad, and walkwalkwalk! At least lunch yesterday was a salad.
Today will be an experiment with Sam's lunch. He has been wanting to take chicken noodle soup to school, but the insulated container I bought leaked. Well yesterday I got him one ($15!!!) that doesn't leak, so he took soup today. It'll be interesting to see if it's still warm four hours later. It's a Thermos-brand, and says it's guaranteed to keep it hot for 5 hours. We'll see!!!
Going to Topeka tomorrow to shop and goof off. Hope we find some bargains!

Hello again!

I know, I said I was going to try keeping up with this blog, but man I seem to get busy and forget! Sorry...
I had been having a very hard time lately with eating any and every thing I am not to eat- chips (geesh, have you TRIED those jalapeno chips??? OMG!), cookies (when I enter a particular Subway there are always Franken-Oatmeal Raisin cookies with tons of raisins), and french fries galore. I decided this Monday to start typing in my meals again, tracking calories, and cutting out grains for a while. When I weighed Monday morning, I was sitting at 198! Yikes!!! As of this morning, my bod is working much smoother and I am back to 192.8. Part of my problem is with the bad foods I have not been feeling quite right, but I am "feeling much better now" (I miss Night Court, don't you?). I am doing better getting my water down- had a gallon yesterday! I didn't walk yesterday (working) and got rained on when I went Tuesday, but I will go today for sure!
We are going to Texoma this year. It's the first weekend in October. Sam is so excited he's going to see Joseph soon! It'll be a bit different than last year- Joe's dad won't be there- but it's still going to be nice to get away and have fun for the weekend. What's great is that Dad and Suzy are at the midpoint of the drive, so we'll head to their house that Thursday night after work. That way we only have another 3 hours drive Friday instead of doing all 6 and missing out on half the day! Plus this year I have a better idea of what to expect so I can plan better. I will make sure we stop at the grocery when we get there instead of making two trips back into town.
Scouts starts September 27th. There isn't school that day, so I have to get a key from the principal the day before. Man, as a kid I would have DIED to have a key to the school! ;)
We did do something a bit silly Saturday- we bought a new TV! I got a raise last week, and Joe has been wanting a flat screen, HD TV. Walmart had a 37" Sanyo for a really great price, so we did it! It fits perfectly into our armoire and looks great. We rented 300 that night- manoman was it fabulous! That will be our Christmas present to each other...
Nothing else is new really. I have been cooking up a storm lately with better foods- Chicken Dijonaise, Swiss Steak, and such. I will try to post my recipes more. This is the Chicken Dijonaise-

Chicken Dijonaise
1 roaster chicken (about 5-6 pounds), rinsed off and put in a large zipper bag
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup lemon juice
several cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp Dijon mustard

Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over chicken in bag. Marinate overnight at least!
Drain the chicken and either grill it or roast it. Last time I flattened and grilled it, this time I used my upright roaster and it worked just as well. Roast until the thighs are 170 degrees (about 2 hours at 375), then take it out and tent with foil for 20 minutes. I served it with sauteed asparagus and some carrots, very tasty! This is a very tender and juicy bird- highly recommended!

Long day ahead!

Well Sam got his glasses Monday after school, and MAN is he happy!!! He immediately turned around and said "Mom! I can read that sign allllll the way in the back of the store!". He is a bit paranoid about breaking them- and I'm sure that's our faults. We've been telling him the right way to set them down, not to take them off at school, to take them off when he brushes his teeth/takes off his shirt, etc. He woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday having a bad dream that they had been broken and he was afraid we'd be really mad! It's definitely going to take some time getting less uptight about them.
My MIL stopped by here last night and left a comment- Welcome Kate!! I know there haven't been many recipes lately, I will work on that.
Lots going on lately, most I can't mention here. I have been working a lot more, and with scout stuff have been very busy! There is a meeting I would have liked to attend tonight, but Sam is getting a cavity filled this afternoon and I think I'll stay home with him. We are planning our first meeting on the 27th, and then a big popcorn sale Blitz-thing that weekend. This month is going by soooo fast! We want to go to the family reunion thing at Lake Texoma this year, but aren't sure if we can make it now. It's the first weekend in October- in three weeks!! It seems so far away, yet it will be here before we know it.
Well I am off to the office to finish payroll and a bit more work, then it's to school for Grandparent's Day (standing in of course!). Have a great day!!

Is it Friday yet???

Man, it seems like this week has draaagggggedddd on so long! Sam being out of school Monday and Tuesday couldn't have anything to do with that, could it?? ;)

I took the twerp to the eye doctor yesterday because he'd been complaining for a month or so that he couldn't see the board at school. Well, he gets his new glasses sometime next week! WallyWorld was having a 2fer sale, so we got him two pairs for $230. Not much, especially when they are supposed to be virtually indestructible and I bought the extended service agreement. Sam is very excited, freaking us both out a bit. We asked why he was thrilled- was it because he was getting glasses or what- and he said it was because now he'd be able to see better at school! I asked the doc, there really is no way for him to have fibbed his way thru the test, so he really does need them. It's just bizarre how his prescription is worse than MINE and he was pretty much 20/20 last year. Scary, eh? Let's hope it doesn't mean he's going to be changing 'scripts every six months... Next week- CAVITY!

Subway does the halftime fun during football games every year. The last few years we've done a punt, pass, and kick competition for a party sub. This year Joe wanted to do something different, so we've been brainstorming. I am so excited about what we came up with! We bought one of those huge (22 inch) inflatable soccer balls from WallyWorld and I am getting some exercise bands from the Rec Center. We'll have two teams of five players- one goalie each and two pairs, tied-up three-legged-race-style. The first team to score wins! I think it'll be a hoot! It's going to be harder for them, but they should be able to do it. The original plan was to buy snowshoes or swimfins, but those are super expensive. This will be easier for us, and I think just as funny!

Scouts and work are keeping me very busy. The four leaders who can are meeting Sunday to plan out the first couple of months for scouts. We also have popcorn sales to do starting September 29th, so that will keep me VERY busy! We're going to try to make it to Lake Texoma this year again to see Joe's family. That is the first weekend in October. Seems we've driven a million miles this year already...

Oh, here is the fabulous meal I made the other night! We love a good Sausage and Peppers Pasta, so I made a big batch of sauce for us to eat on a couple times this week-

Sausage & Peppers Sauce

1# Italian sausage (I used JimmyDean in the tube), browned and drained if needed

1 large white onion, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1/2 a zucchini, diced

8 huge shrooms, chopped

2 tbsp chopped garlic

28oz can diced tomatoes

Italian seasoning to taste

Fresh chopped parsley

After the sausage is browned, add in the chopped veggies and cook 10 minutes or until they are softened and liquid is evaporated. Add in the garlic and spices and cook another 3 minutes, then add the can of tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check seasoning, and simmer another 15 minutes covered. I top mine with the chopped parsley right before serving.

That's it! I served mine over 'fried' polenta slices, and Joe had his with WW spaghetti. Good stuff maynard! We're having the rest tonight...

Off to do a food order before heading in for work! TGTIF- Thank Goodness TOMORROW Is Friday!

I know, I know...

Yeah, been gone awhile. Things have been a bit crazed around here for a couple of weeks.
My Uncle Dave passed away August 22nd after a very short fight with a particularly vicious form of cancer. He was always a very healthy and fun person, and the cancer was quite a shock. He had been getting treatment in St. Louis for a few weeks when he just became so tired and weak from the treatments. He was a wonderful man, great dad, rabid Cardinals fan,and all-around happy person and will be missed terribly. We love you, Uncle Dave!
Since school started I have been very busy with CubScouting stuff. Being the Assistant Cubmaster and the only one of us three 'helpers' with any real time, I have taken on a lot of responsibility. I became the "Unit Kernel" for our upcoming popcorn sale, organized the Race To Join Scouting Night with my GirlScout counterpart, and spent all day Friday running around Emporia getting boys signed up (in our packet for Race night they only gave us 6 new boy packets- we had 26 show up!). As of Friday, our pack has grown from 9-11 boys last year to around 20 this year along with two new adult volunteers! I still have a few new boys to get signed up, too. With so many boys and so many schedules to accommodate, we will be having meetings on two different nights this year- Wednesday and Thursday. Melissa and newbie Mickey will head up the group on Wednesday while newbie Dan and I will do the Thursday group. We'll have to have a full pack meeting once a month, but that can be arranged. Cubmaster Mike is working in Emporia, Kansas City, and two other states right now so he will work on getting to as many meetings as he can!
I have also been keeping busy with Subway work. Joe had me get business cards last week. I told him he needed to come up with a title for me since I couldn't very well put "Joe's slave-girl" on them! I am now titled the Human Resources and Promotions person. Cheap-o cards, but fun all the same. Plus, now maybe people will call me first instead of hoping Joe gets me the message!!!
Sam is doing better in school. He had two somewhat bad days this week- talking of course- but otherwise has done well so far this year. He's not really putting forth the extra effort on assignments, but that's no surprise when you look at who is parents are! ;) He's very happy scouts are starting back up as well. His friend Blake moved away today, so that will be an adjustment but he's got a new girl in his class that he loves to hang around with. We also discovered his 'cousin' goes to his school. Joe's cousin Carrie and hubby Bruce have two daughters- Kelsey and Olivia. Kelsey is in kindergarten this year and they transferred her to the same school as Sam. They see each other everyday, and everyday when they get out she comes over and hugs me too! It's great for both of them- Kelsey has a 'big brother'-type person to watch our for her and Sam has actual family with him and someone to look out for. It's cute, after school if she hasn't come by yet he will go looking for her to say good-bye!
Well that's it for now. Some fun stuff in the future I hope!

I'm still here!

Well she loved it! My M-I-L got here Thursday night and we were so excited to show her! She went to open the door to her room and looked up and said "Ah! You put up a new door!" When she walked in, she nearly flipped! Couldn't believe we had done all that work- especially ourselves. She can't wait for us to come and tile HER house now... HAHAHA! Kate agrees it is like a Japanese Zen Garden room with the green and how relaxed she feels in there now. So cool!
Nothing however will top yesterday. We left home around 11:30 to get to KC for the 2pm SPAMALOT performance. It was amazing!!! Honestly I can't remember laughing so hard in my life! Joe and I are SOOOOOO glad we did that. Cost quite a bit, but realllly worth it! We bought t-shirts for ourselves- mine says "I'm not dead yet" and his has the shields of King Arthur's knights. I had so much fun!
Then we had to rush home, change, and get to our fantasy football draft. That was great too- beer, football, BS-ing with the guys we pretty much only see once a year! And of course, since my team was awful last year I got to bring the "Good Grief!" Award home (where it doesn't belong!). Joe made it a few years ago- it's Charlie Brown and Lucy in the classic pulling-the-football-away pose. We have had it two of the three years it's been around! Hopefully next fall one of us will have the winner's helmet instead...
So Kate spent the day alone with Sam yesterday and came to a 'diagnosis' of his problems. She says he has chronic motor tic disorder related to OCD-type stuff and says a good treatment for it is B vitamins and spirulina. Let's hope that helps. She also said a big part of it is oppositionality and defiance towards the child's parents. Well that sounds right-on! We're hoping the vitamins and behavior modification will help. He's even been making the humming noises at school, so it's GOT to stop. She did say they usually 'outgrow' this by age 10 or so. God I hope so.
Off to make fondue...

It's DONE!!!!!!!!!

We did it!!! The room is done, all we have to do is put the new door back on when the sealer dries. Joe is building a 'box' to cover up the drain from the dishwasher and that's all that's needing to be done now. Well, that and decorating...

Let's refresh, shall we??

Before-

After! The new closet doors and the new tile floor, the shade in the window over the oak ledge on top of marble tiles, and the antique headboard on the bed with new bedding and the new side table. My old chest looks great at the end of the bed!

Joe's mom is coming Wednesday for a week and has NO IDEA we've been doing this! She's going to completely flip out! Joe came up with a great name for the room- The Lincoln Bedroom... Because you have to make a BIG donation to get to sleep there! HAHAHAHAHA! I think instead it should be known as the 'Grandparent's Suite' since my grandparents (thru Dad) paid for it and Sam's grandparents will be sleeping in it! It really is amazing to think it's the same room. (Wish I had pics with the nasty rotting brown shag on the floor and close-ups of the broken mirrored closet doors!) The downside is it's not OUR bedroom, the upside is when we do our room we get to sleep in it!

We WILL be taking a break for a while. Not sure what the next project will be, but it's probably going to be just as major. I'm sure we'll do the tiling on the landing and redoing the stairs going to the basement next. nothing TOO major in that.

The eating is going OK. Not been super disciplined and only exercised twice in the (whole ) summer! Those were walking last week even. It's so hot now- over 100- that walking outside isn't really an option during the days. Now that the room is done, I was able to move most of the stuff blocking the 'Beast" so I should be able to start that up again. With school starting Tuesday (can I get an AMEN!) I will be able to go whenever I want. I plan to go in and walk at that park Wednesday morning before going in to the office. When I walked last week, it felt great and I slept better. Looking forward to it! Joe is losing well, I am mostly steady at 189 or so. When I start eating better AND exercising, it should start melting off! Have to fit into those jeans from Linda this fall/winter!

Long time!

Didn't realize how long it had been! Busy busy busy...
This past Sunday was our trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. It was a day of firsts too! When we got to the area where the lodge is, we were hungry and had a couple hours until our check-in time. The area is called Legends and is full of shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at a place called Styx- it is a Japanese hibachi grill/sushi place. We sat in the grill section so we could get a "show" with our meal. Sam thought the grill chef was awesome- he even loved his teriyaki scallops with SAUCE on them!!! I tried my first sushi- I got three tuna rolls- and it was very good. The waiter told me to try it with soy sauce, but it was better with the sweet soy sauce the chef brought out. Good stuff! I was surprised it didn't have any weirdness to it, just a really creamy texture. Sunday night we ate dinner at a place called T-Rex's- obviously a dinosaur themed restaurant. They have a dino-dig spot for the kids, which Sam loved. The food was crazy good- I had the Mammoth Mushroom Ravioli (big portabello-stuffed raviolis simmered in a white garlic sauce and topped with chopped roma tomato). After dinner and Sam's dino-dig, we ate dessert at Cold Stone Creamery! The service was horrid- and I mean REALLLLLLLY bad- but the ice cream was sensational. I got a small mocha ice cream with graham cracker crust, brownie, and a little fudge sauce mixed in and barely ate half of it. Sam got the cake batter ice cream with white chocolate chips and Joe got a dipped waffle cone with nuts filled with sweet cream ice cream with peanut butter cup added. All was delish, and only Sam finished his. We figured it was the one time we'd ever eat it, so we did!
So school starts next Tuesday!!! Sam is in the same class- they have looping classrooms at his school- so he will have the same teacher and mostly the same classmates. We saw the class assignments yesterday, there are two new kids and I think only one or two kids aren't in there from last year. I do sort of wish he had a new teacher, but it's only for this next year, then they get a new one. He sometimes says he's excited, sometimes he's not. I know I am tho!!! I think the only reason he isn't sure is I have been letting him go to the pool here with his friends for the last week. He doesn't get that the pool closes when school starts! It'll mean getting up at 7:15 every morning again, but it'll be worth it...
The room is almost done. We bought the new door, got it home and it was too small. Took it back yesterday and got the next size up and it's too big! Had to take THAT ONE back today and get the smaller one again, we'll just have to shim it a lot. Got the trim for the closet painted, the window too. Have to get the door done and we can finish cleaning the floor and seal it. Then we can get the baseboards up and put the bed in there. We found a great side table at Nebraska Furniture Mart yesterday, so we're pretty much set. Just need to finish those last few things and we'll be ready for Kate next week. She doesn't even know we've done this... I will get the pics once we are finished and the bed is in there. It's going to look so nice with the new bedding we got too!
Off to start dinner and clean up a bit. Had a major bad headache most of the day so I laid down after grocery shopping. Feel like I've accomplished NOTHING today!!!

Ah, Monday...

Well, it was a productive weekend! We got all the tile in but two around the door and a small row if tiles we have to cut in the corner. Our "random" pattern couldn't be as random as we wanted- the green tiles were just a little smaller than the cream ones. Oh well! It looks good now, and if we can get the grout in this week it will be fabulous (plus we'll be able to move things back in!). Dad and Suzy brought two prints for us, and I think the one with an Asian theme will look wonderful in there with all of the green on the walls and in the print. Suzy showed me a great website that I found lots of things at! We still need to get some doorknobs for the closet- Joe wants something a little whimsical and I was looking at something more antique-glass-knob-like. They have both there, along with some really neat shelf brackets I adore. I also really dig this hook system. It would be great for bathrobes or whatever! I'll post pics of the room without furniture when we get the floor grouted. We still haven't fully decided about the baseboards yet, but are leaning towards oak to match the closet doors and switch covers.
Joe and I took Sam to the 5Th Harry Potter movie last night. Man, I can't say I like what the new director has done. Hagrid isn't the oaf he always was, the scene when they speak to Sirius in the fire was done completely different than before (and it was cooler before), and there were some things cut that I really felt were extremely important for the future. Now the good points were that Umbridge was PERFECT, Bellatrix was amazingly creepy (excellent for someone in Azkaban for 14 years), and the scenes with Dumbledore's Army were fantastic (tho there were fewer than I had hoped). Oh well, I understand they couldn't include everything from the book. It just seemed they left out some very pertinent scenes. Maybe I should direct the next one!
The garden is still producing. We have had rain the past two days, so I hope the last couple cantaloupes will still be sweet since I just picked them this morning. The tomatoes are everywhere, but Dad and Suzy did take a few. They also took a cantaloupe and a huge cuke. We made BLT's with one of the bigger toms Saturday and Suzy was very pleased with the flavor of the 'German' we used. Too bad I could only get them to take four home! Joe and I also have eaten the half-pint and another pint of the salsa, I may be making more of that before I can plain toms! I will use a whole quart tomorrow in the pork roast.
I did eat a bit off this weekend, but that was expected. I still weighed in at only 190.2 this morning, and I'm sure that my only drinking 2qts of water each day had something to do with that. I even ate popcorn at the movie and bad Mexican food Saturday night. I hope to see 186 by Friday (just in time to go to Great Wolf Lodge this weekend...). I have noticed my tighter shorts feel better, so that's a plus too. And I got an amazing compliment both days this weekend- Saturday night at the (bad) play, our friend Krista said "Oh my Gosh! You look amazing!" and then Sunday at the mall some Subway regulars from way back saw Joe and I and called us the "getting skinny people". Now, Krista hasn't seen me in ages (maybe over a year?) and the other lady has always been a super-sweetie, but I'm taking them both!
Sam has his friend Blake over for the day. Blake's sister is getting something removed from her finger today so I said he could come over here and play with Sam. Maybe they'll take Sam Wednesday so I can tackle the fun payroll with the two different wages problem!
Hope everyone has a great week!