Long But Fun Day

We got up early this morning and drove to Dayton to watch the Cincinnati Reds play the Florida Marlins in their final spring training game. My brother wanted to get there early so we could watch batting practice (it was supposed to start at 11:30). We got there around 10:15, parked and walked to the stadium. We made it to the stadium just as the rain started coming down. Luckily there was a overhang to stand under, or we would have been soaked. We got there 10 minutes too late to see the Reds players arrive (we heard most of them didn't sign autographs anyway). We did get to watch the Marlins arrive. There were probably around 30 of us on each side of the barriers to watch them walk in (luckily the rain had stopped for a few minutes). I've never gone to a game early enough to watch players get off of the buses, so I was surprised that they were dressed really nice in suites. Most of them walked past us like we weren't there (I wasn't seeking autographs anyway since I didn't have anything to write on) but I just wanted to see what they looked like. I don't really know much about the Marlins players. A few players signed just a couple of autographs. Dontrelle Willis signed about 10, but Miguel Cabrera stayed out there and signed every single autograph for anyone asking, and he took the time to take pictures with people. I remember thinking "now that's a really nice guy". He could have easily been like the rest of the players, but he wasn't. So, I rooted for him every time he got up to bat. LOL! I like to root for the good guys. We saw the singer of the National Anthem arrive (Gran Bel Fisher - he's this month's Yahoo Music "Who's Next? User's Choice" artist and will be featured on the upcoming Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack). We probably could have asked him to take a picture with all of us and get his autograph since he was just walking around, but we didn't bother him. Before the gates opened, it poured down rain again (lucky us). It wasn't just rain either, it was kinda cold. No doubt I'll probably be sick from it. Anyway, when we did make it inside, we stood and waited for the rain to stop, then took our seats (never did get to see them have batting practice due to the rain). We got bored with sitting, so we walked around the stadium and took pictures of some of the players warming up on the field. Finally the game started.

I didn't go prepared well enough for today. I took a 2 point bar with me, but didn't think about how long we were going to be there (we were there for 4 hours before the game even started). I was starving. If you've ever been to a game, you know there aren't any choices unless you want water or diet soda. The smells got to me (they had pizza, burgers, cheese steak, sausages, hot dogs, giant pretzels, popcorn, peanuts, ice cream, and other junk). I can't lie about it, I looked around to see what might be the most filling and least damaging to my points, but in the end I got a hot dog and diet soda (it was the cheapest). Then I had a few handfuls of popcorn and about 2 handfuls of peanuts (the kind with the shell on). I'm really not sure how many points I had in total, but I just went ahead and marked off my flex points for the week. We did walk quite a bit so maybe that will help some. I'm mad at myself for not being more prepared, but I'm not going to let it throw me off. It's just one day. Tomorrow I go back to doing what I usually do for food (eat at home) and have more control over my points.

We stayed for all of the game except the last inning. The Reds were getting creamed anyway with a score of 6-2. We left the stadium and walked next door to a cute little bar called Southern Belle and played some pool before heading home (I can officially say I've been in a bar now. LOL). It was a lot of fun. I haven't played pool since I was probably 17-18 years old. Rick and I were a team, and my brother and sister-in-law were a team (my sister-in-law is pretty good). They beat us the first game, then Rick and I won games 2-6, and they won the 7th game (we would have won if I hadn't listened to Rick and done what I wanted to do - which I proved after I missed the shot he wanted me to take). LOL! I always make the mistake of listening to him. He does that to me on the golf course too. I'll be ready to swing, and he'll run over and say "hey you know if you do it this way it will be better". Then I take the shot, it sucks and I say I'm going to stop listening to him. It's an endless cycle. LOL! I just need to start trusting myself. I know what to do, now just let me do it! It may not always go according to my plan, but at least if I mess up, I know it's my fault and have nobody to blame by myself. His constant coaching throws my concentration off too. Sometimes I want to say "be quiet and just concentrate on what YOU need to do". LOL!

Ok, I can see this is getting pretty long. I wanted to share my day since I don't get to do fun things like this very often. :) I'm really tired, so I'll probably be heading to bed in the next hour or so. Thanks for listening. Goodnight!

I've Got Nothing

Sorry, I really don't have anything exciting to talk about tonight. I just ran a couple of errands during the day and worked for a few hours. Then we went to my parents house for dinner and cards like we usually do on Friday nights. This week my dad and I were on a team together and Rick and my Mom were on the other team (it's amazing how Rick and my Mom stop the "I'm gonna kick your butt in cards" threats when they're on a team together). LOL! Well, they beat us in the first game and we creamed them in the second game, so I guess we're all losers and winners tonight. I suppose it keeps us balanced. :) I'm hitting the sack early tonight. My brother invited us to see the Cincinnati Reds play tomorrow in Dayton, so we're going to go to that. I just hope it doesn't rain. LOL! I did good as usual on points again, in fact I was a bit low, so I had a glass of milk when I got home earlier. That helped put me closer to where I should be. Have a good weekend!

Relaxing For A Change

Even though a few people (like my mom) think that because I work at home, I don't actually hold a REAL job and work hard for my money, I decided to take a day off today. It was nice not to be sitting at the computer all day for a change. I got up early and dropped Riley off to be groomed (he was in need of some serious doggy repair) LOL! While he was getting bathed and buzzed, I drove to my parents house in Dayton and dropped off some stuff to them. While I was there my Dad asked me to take a look at his computer, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Maybe with a little more time and a little more searching we could have come up with something, but the groomer called and said Riley was done. So, I picked Riley up and headed home. I chatted with Ben for a few minutes, had some lunch, answered some emails, answered some stuff on my message board, emptied the dishwasher and threw a load of laundry in. Then I made out a grocery list and headed to the store. When I got home, I put the stuff away, answered some more emails, checked out my message board, chatted with Ben again to see how his day was going, then made dinner. After dinner I cleaned up, watched a couple of shows on tv (I actually watched them while they were on, not Tivo like they usually are. LOL), did some more laundry, and now I'm back on the computer again to update my points tracker, write this blog, check my mail and message board one more time, then I'll probably chat with Ben for awhile, finish laundry and go to bed (maybe I'll watch a movie, haven't done that lately). It's been nice not having too much to think about or do today. Just a nice, calm, no drama type of day. :) (I know you wanted such details of my day didn't you? Sorry, since I didn't really do much I didn't have anything else to write about.) LOL! Did good on my points and everything again. :) See ya tomorrow night.

My 2nd Weigh In

Well, I don't know why, but my scale said I was down 2.2 pounds this morning compared to last week, and when I went to my meeting this morning, they said I was down .8 compared to last week on their scale. It was a bummer, but I've decided this time around I'm not going to let the scale affect me like it use to. It's just a number I suppose. I know I did my best this week and that's all that matters. At least the scale went in the right direction. Maybe the rest will show up next week. I'm just going to keep doing what I have been.

I'm keeping this short tonight (though now that I'm re-reading, it looks a little longer than I thought it would be. LOL). I want to get some cleaning and laundry done before I go to bed. The place is suffering a little since I sat at the computer all week working on my site. Not to mention if I don't get some laundry done, come Friday or Saturday I'll have to go out without a shirt on and that won't be pretty. LOL! I can't wait until I lose enough weight so my clothes will fit me again (they're a bit tight right now). I mostly just have cheap t-shirts from Walmart. When I gained my weight back, I refused to spend a lot of money on clothes, and quite frankly I can't really find anything to wear in the stores because I've maxed out the size limit. I absolutely refuse to purchase from a catalog too. I'll just have to suffer a bit until I can fit back into some of my old clothes that I use to wear. I've decided this time around, I'm going to put $5 away for every pound I lose. This way if I need a shirt or something along the way, I'll have the money to get it. And if I don't need anything along the way, well then by the time I hit goal, I'll have saved up close to $750. That ought to buy a pretty nice wardrobe or pay a few bills. :)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I did really good on my points and everything today. Even got the fruits and veggies in along with all my water, milk, etc.

Also before I finish this up... if you enjoy reading weight loss blogs, check out my friend Ben's blog titled "Fat Single Dad Seeking Smaller Me". I'd love it if you'd stop by and show him some support. He's going it all alone at home, and raising two small kids while working and going to school. He's a nice guy and I know he'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Where Did The Week Go?

Wow, I can't believe this week is over already! Where did it go? In a way I'm glad it flew by so quickly, because that means I've stayed on track for 2 entire weeks now with no problems. :) I've made it past that point where I would usually quit, or start cheating and be in denial (and I'm not talking about the river). I've done that several times over the past couple of years. I know I'm the one who's been making it happen, but I owe my friend Ben a big time thanks. He's losing weight with Weight Watchers too (with the at home kit). We IM each other everyday to see how each other is doing, and we bounce recipes and ideas off of each other. It helps to keep a positive outlook on the whole thing, and if one of us is bugging out a little bit or talking about eating stupid stuff, the other one just says "stop it" LOL! So Ben, if you're reading this.... Thanks for the support, you rock! :)

I can't believe how much I got done this week. I had a list of things to do on the website that I thought would take me at least 3 weeks to get done. I got all but about a week of stuff done just this week. Of course my butt hurts from sitting in this chair so much, but I think in the end it's worth it. Just the feeling of accomplishment makes it all ok.

Tomorrow is my 2nd weigh in. According to my scale at home this morning, I'm down a little over 2.5 pounds. I'm a little worried though because throughout the day today I've been feeling swollen (it's hot and my central air isn't working for some reason). I can tell my feet and ankles are swollen for sure. Of course, they aren't coming to fix my air until Thursday when it's supposed to start cooling off again anyway, not to mention after my weigh in. LOL! I'm sure it will all work out though. I guess as long as I lose something tomorrow, I'll be happy. Maybe the rest will show up next week.

Oh, if anyone wants to participate (which I hope you do)... I'm collecting recipes for the next cookbook. I've shared my favorites, now I'm looking for others to share their favorites with the rest of us. It's going to be a "Community Favorites" cookbook. Sales will help pay for the website and services. If you're interested, you can get all of the info at my site (check the main page, recipe page or message board for the info).

Ok, I'm actually heading for bed before the sun comes up tonight. I have to get my "weight loss" sleep for tomorrows weigh in. LOL! I'll let you know how I did tomorrow night. Wish me luck! :)

New Recipes Are Up

Well, I got the new recipes up on the site today. It feels good to finally have that all done. :) After I finished that, I ate lunch and then worked on orders. I got those all finished and ready to go too. Things are finally getting marked off on my "to do" list. Only 3 things left right now. I've spent the last 3 hours trying to get a new page up on my site without luck. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I guess I'll sleep on it and come back and look at the HTML tomorrow and see if I can make sense of it. In the meantime, I'm hoping someone will answer my plea for help at the boards I posted at while I'm asleep. Maybe they can tell me what I'm doing wrong? I guess if I can't figure it out, I'll abandon it and go another route. I'm sure there's more than one route. LOL! Anyway, I did good with my points today. I didn't quite get all of my water in, but I was able to check off everything else. I didn't make any new recipes today. I just had chicken on the grill and oven fries for dinner, nothing special. :) I'm going to try and get through some of my email and then head for bed. Maybe I can mark off at least one more thing from my list tomorrow. TTYL!

Goodnight

I'm keeping this really short tonight. I've been working all day on my estimated taxes, paying bills and trying to finish up with getting the new recipes together for my site. The only thing I have left as far as recipes go, is to link the pages together and upload to my site, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow when I get up to do it. It's after 4 AM and I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. I did really good on everything points wise today (including water), so I'm still on a roll (mmm a hot buttered roll sounds good right now). Just kidding. :) Goodnight!

A Night Out

Well, I spent most of today working, then this evening we drove to our friends house for game night. It was fun since we don't normally get to hang out with other couples very often. I took the choc. éclair dessert that I made last night, and Kelly had made some appetizers (which I couldn't stay out of). Luckily I hadn't had too many points before I got there, but even still I know I used at least 1/2 of my flex points tonight. It's ok though. On the way home, the fog was really thick in some areas. Some of the back roads we were driving on were so foggy it was like something you see in a horror movie. I just drove slow and kept looking for signs of deer or anything else crossing the road. Luckily once we got on the highway in Dayton, it was clear all the way home. :) Well, I'm beat. I have a lot of work to get done tomorrow, so I'm heading for bed (It's actually almost 3 AM).

Oh Ya!

I went to my parents house tonight for dinner and to play cards. It was guys vs. girls. I'd tell you who won, but I don't want the guys to feel bad. Lets just say, someone got a whoopin' and it wasn't the girls. LOL!!!! We all had fun though. My dad had to run a quick errand during the game, so we decided to have some fun with him and stacked the deck to make him think he had like the best hand ever (not too perfect though so it wouldn't be suspicious). It was too funny! He came back, we dealt the cards and you could tell he was rather pleased with his hand. After the hand was over, we all started laughing and told him that the hand didn't count. LOL! He acted like he knew what we were up to all along, but you know he didn't. LOL! Food wise, I did good today. Water wise, not so good. I was on the go from really early this morning until late this afternoon and then went to my parents. So I mostly only had my water at their house, other than 1 glass I had during the day. Let's see.... Oh, my mom made a good dessert for after dinner tonight (see recipe below). Tomorrow I have to work most of the day, then we have plans to go to a friends house in the evening. I made dessert to take to their house (the chocolate éclair dessert from my site, but with 1 banana pudding in place of one of the vanilla puddings). Well I'm heading for bed. It's actually after 2:30 AM (I just back dated this so it would still show up for Friday since I'm late typing this up). Have a good weekend!

Frozen Strawberry Banana Mousse

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Quart Very Ripe Strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 Medium Banana
4 Whole Strawberries, sliced in half
3 Egg Whites, room temperature*
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 (8oz.) Container Fat Free whipped Topping
8 Tablespoons Fat Free Whipped Topping
1/4-1/2 Cup Splenda Granular (optional)

Coat a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Puree the quart of strawberries and the banana in a food processor (if the strawberries aren't very sweet, you may want to add the optional Splenda). In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, whip the egg whites and sugar for about 5 minutes, or until glossy peaks form. In another large bowl, fold the strawberry puree into the 8 oz. container of whipped topping, then fold the strawberry mixture into the beaten egg whites. Pour into the spring form pan and freeze overnight. To unmold, dip a knife in warm water, run it around the edge of the pan, then release the ring. Garnish each piece with half a strawberry and 1 tablespoon of whipped topping. *You can use powdered egg whites if you're afraid to use raw eggs. If you do, just follow the package directions.

Serves:8
Per Serving: 175 Calories; 1g Fat (7.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 103mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 3

Just Not That Hungry

I had a good day, but didn't get enough points in. I know, most of you are saying "what? How can that be?", but I just haven't been hungry today. I'd tell you the total, but I'd rather not have people scolding me all day tomorrow, so let me just say "I know" and leave it at that. Normally I don't have this problem, but I was just so busy getting stuff done (I actually made it through all of my emails today). I just didn't think about food much. I was hungry by the time dinner rolled around (made a new recipe, see below), but once I was finished with dinner and back at my computer, I didn't think about food anymore. That's kinda funny because I've been doing nothing but looking at recipes and pictures. Normally it makes me hungry. LOL! I did manage to get all of the pictures for the new recipes done, except for the pictures for my 9 newest recipes. I couldn't get them off of my camera for some reason, so I'm going to take them over to my parents and see if I can get them off there. I just hope I don't lose them for some reason. Don't get me wrong, the dishes were good, but I don't want to have to cook them all again just to get pictures. LOL! I did get all of my water in today, so I made that small goal. :) Well I'm off to bed. I have to get up really early tomorrow to take Rick for a test, then I have to come home to get some work done. I also need my rest so I can beat somebody in cards tomorrow night. LOL!



Easy Chicken and Broccoli Dinner

1 lb. Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (1 lb.) Bag Frozen Broccoli Florets
3.5 oz. (approx. 1 Cup) Barilla Plus Multigrain Rotini Pasta, uncooked
1 Cup Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 (10.75 oz.) Can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (10.75 oz.) Can 98% Fat Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 Tablespoon Dry Minced Onions
1 1/2 Cups Fat Free Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, macaroni and cheese. In a small bowl, whisk the soup, broth, onions, garlic powder and pepper together; stir into the chicken mixture. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. sake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir, and then bake 25-30 minutes longer, or until the chicken juices run clear and macaroni is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves: 6 (1 Cup Each)
Per Serving: 267 Calories; 4g Fat (14.3% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 55mg Cholesterol; 1099mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat. WWP: 5

I Had A Good Week!

Well, I had my first weigh in this morning and lost 4.8 pounds. I wasn't expecting that much, but hey, who am I to complain? LOL! Rick lost too with 7.2 pounds. We're off to a good start. I didn't find this first week hard at all even with the breakfast sandwich obstacles. I actually thought it was kinda fun cooking and counting points again (who knew). I also feel so much better even after just 1 week since I'm not eating all the junk food I had been eating. Since I made it through the first week and didn't have problems counting points, and today starts the new week, I want to add in a small goal. I'm going to try and get my water in everyday. I didn't do so hot with that part last week. I think I only made it like 2 days. So this week, if I can stay within my points and get all of my water in, I'll be doing good (I already got my water in for today). Ok, I'm off to work on recipes. I got all of them typed up, now I just need to edit pictures, then maybe tomorrow night or this weekend I can put it all together and get it up on the web.

PS, I want to thank everyone who has sent me words of encouragement this past week. I really appreciate it. :)

Tomorrow's The Big Day

Well, I go for my first weigh in tomorrow morning. I hope it's good, because I know I've done really well this week. :) I'll let you know how it went tomorrow night. I didn't get to bed last night until close to 5 AM. I was getting all of my recipes together and just kept finding more and more. LOL! I'll be adding at least 40 new recipes to the site. Anyway, after finally getting to sleep at 5 AM, I woke up at 7 AM, then I couldn't go back to sleep because I knew maintenance would be here sometime before 11 to fix the furnace. They came and went between 9:00-10:00, but not before setting off all of the smoke alarms and making the place stink really bad. I finally got back to bed and slept for another 2 hours. Once I got up, I spent most of today typing up recipes. I stopped a few times to eat (sorry no recipe tonight, the only thing I cooked today was an egg sandwich for lunch and grilled chicken for dinner, nothing special). I'm finished for tonight. I think I got all of the recipes typed up except maybe 4. Tomorrow night I'll start working on getting the pictures edited, and then I'll start putting them up on the site. :) I'm off to bed now since I have to get up early tomorrow morning to go weigh in. Goodnight.

Busy, Busy, Busy

whoa it's been a busy day. I finished up getting orders out late this afternoon, got a lot of cleaning done, worked on matching up recipes to pictures that I've taken (I had no idea I had so many recipes that I've tried that I need to get up on my website), and I tried a new dish for dinner. Once I'm done with this blog I'm going to finish cleaning the kitchen and continue going through recipes. I'd like to get at least half of them typed up tomorrow, then I can edit the pictures and get them on the site. I'd like to have it all finished no later than the end of this month. If I can get it done by the end of this week, even better. :) As far as WW goes, I've done great on my points, but I lacked in the water area again today. Maybe I'll go grab a glass right now. Here's the newest recipe for you...



Pizza Potatoes

1 (4.9 oz.) Box Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes
2/3 Milk
2 Cups Boiling Water
1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
34 Slices Turkey Pepperoni

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place the milk and water in the prepared dish and stir in the package of cheese seasoning that comes with the potatoes. Next add the potates and stir to coat. Mix both cheeses together in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons and sprinkle the rest over the potatoes. Place the pepperoni evenly over the cheese. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Let the dish cool for 4-5 minutes before cutting.

Serves: 4
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 147 Calories; 5g Fat (29.7% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 23mg Cholesterol; 769mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat. WWP: 3

I'm Tired

I've done nothing but work today. The sad thing is I'm not done. I woke up this morning, typed up invoices, had something to eat, threw some laundry in, matched up receipts and started filling orders. Orders took most of the day, but I'm done getting them packaged up and ready to go. Now I just need to type up the shipping labels and put them on and I'll be all set to mail them out tomorrow. I still have laundry in the dryer that needs to be put away and a kitchen to clean up from dinner, but it's no big deal. Right now I'm just concentrating on the shipping labels. As far as WW goes, I did great today. I managed to get all of my water in, stayed within my points, and even took my multivitamin. :) Sorry, I don't have a new recipe for you today. We had leftovers for dinner (they were still good). Only three more days until I do my first official weigh in to see how I did my first week back. I'm hoping for something good. :)

I'm A Winner!

Don't mind the smiley with the #1 hand up there. It's for my mom. :) I went over to my parents house to cook dinner tonight (wanted to try a new recipe and get their opinion), and while I was there we played a re-match of last night's card game. Let's just say.... she didn't win. LOL!!! I just wanted her to see that first thing when she checks my blog for today (yep, I know you're checking it mom) LOL! Ok, other than that, I didn't do too much today. Ran errands most of the afternoon and then went to my parents to make dinner. Now I'm home and I'm going to sit and sign cookbooks for a couple of hours before I go to bed. I did really good today. I'm still not getting all of my water in, but I'm trying. I need to make more of an effort I guess. I'm below points for the day, so maybe I'll have a snack before I start working on the books. Well, I think that's about it for today. Here's the newest recipe, thanks to my friend Ben for the ingredients to this awesome dish!



Mexican Baked Spaghetti

1 Lb. 96% Lean Ground Beef
One Packet Taco Seasoning
1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce
1 (16 oz.) Can Fat Free Refried Beans
1 (15 oz.) Can Delmonte Zesty Chili Style Tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, drained
1 (4 oz.) Can Diced Green Chilies, drained
2 Tablespoons Splenda Granular
1 Cup Salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 (1 lb.) Box Barilla Plus Whole Grain Spaghetti


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Once the meat is browned, add the remaining ingredients in the order listed (except the spaghetti). Stir to combine and cook until hot. Set aside. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, drain. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 cup of sauce into the pan and coat the bottom evenly. Place half of the spaghetti in the pan and distribute evenly. Place 4 cups of sauce over the spaghetti and spread evenly. Add the remaining spaghetti and top with the remaining 4 cups of sauce. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes or until hot throughout.

Serves: 12
Per Serving: 269 Calories; 3g Fat (10.8% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 883mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 5

Made It Through Another Day

I don't have much to report tonight. I did ok today. Didn't exercise, but I counted my points and everything. I made a new recipe called Hawaiian Ham Steak for lunch and we went to my parents house for dinner. Luckily my mom is a Weight Watchers Lifetimer, so I don't have to worry too much about how many points she's going to feed me. She's like me and tries to keep the points on a dish below 6 when possible. After dinner, we played some cards (I got my butt beat this week. LOL) and we ate the chocolate cheesecake dream pie I made. Now that I'm back home I'm just trying to get some things caught up. I'll probably watch some tv and head to bed early (anything before 3 AM is usually early for me). Below are the new recipes I made...



Chocolate Cheesecake Dream Pie

1 Packet Dream Whip Whipped Topping Mix
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Cups Skim Milk, divided
1 (1 ounce) Package Chocolate Sugar Free Instant Pudding Mix
1 (1 ounce) Package Cheesecake Sugar Free Instant Pudding Mix
1 Reduced Fat Graham Cracker Crust, ready made
1 Piece (8 grams) of Dove Promise Dark Chocolate

Beat the whipped topping with 1/2 cup milk and vanilla on high speed for 4 minutes, or until it thickens and peaks form. Remove half of the mixture, place it into a small bowl and refrigerate for later. Add 1 cup of milk and the chocolate pudding mix to the remaining dream whip. Beat on low until mixed, then on high for 2 minutes. Pour into the pie crust; spread evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the Dream Whip that you saved from the refrigerator and place it into a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of milk and the cheesecake pudding mix. Beat on low until mixed, and then high for 2 minutes. Pour this mixture carefully on top of the chocolate mixture in the pie crust; spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Unwrap the piece of chocolate and place it on a small plate. Use a small sharp knife and shave away pieces of chocolate (Keep your fingers out of the way). Once finished shaving the entire piece of chocolate, sprinkle it evenly over the top of the pie. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Serves: 8
Per Serving: 156 Calories; 4g Fat (22.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 276mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Non-Fat Milk.
WWP: 3 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)



Hawaiian Ham Steak

1 (1 Pound) 97% Fat Free Boneless Fully Cooked Ham Steak
1 (8 oz.) Can Dole Sliced Pineapple in juice
2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar

Open the can of pineapple and pour the juice into a skillet sized big enough to hold your ham steak with a little room around the edges. Mix the brown sugar into the juice, then place the ham on top. Use a fork and poke some holes into the ham to help keep it from raising in the middle. Place the pineapple slices on top of the ham. Cook on medium low heat, turning it twice, until the sauce becomes thick. Cut the steak into 4 equal pieces and place a pineapple slice on top of each piece. Serve warm.

Serves: 4
Per Serving: 139 Calories; 3g Fat (15.9% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 1405mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 3 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)

Oh No, Not Again!

Dang if Rick didn't stop off at Tim Horton's this morning on his way home from work and bought me another one of those 13 point sausage breakfast sandwiches. I can't escape that place even when I stay home. I was really mad at him for brining it home because he knows I'm serious about losing weight again (not to mention he's supposed to be losing too). But, that stupid little sandwich wore down my willpower, and like the dummy I pretend to be sometimes, I ate it. Then I told him if he brings anymore breakfast (of any kind) home again I'd kick him to the curb. LOL! I could have decided to just blow the whole day off like I would have any other day, but this time I sat down and planned out the entire days worth of food. I refuse to quit and I wasn't eating anything I didn't have written down. I went into the kitchen today and tried 2 more recipes. I'm actually starting to look forward to trying new stuff again. My grocery bill sure has gone up, but then again I'm actually saving money by not going out to eat like I was before. I think I've been to the grocery store everyday this week though. But then again, if I remember correctly, when I use to cook all the time, there probably weren't too many days that I didn't stop off at the the store for one thing or another. I'm going to my parents for dinner tomorrow night. I offered to bring pie for dessert, so I'd better go make it before I head to bed. What's that? Oh the pie? LOL! Don't worry, it's point friendly, and if it turns out, I'm sure I'll share the recipe with you. :) Here are the two new recipes I tried today...



Chicken Cacciatore

4 (5 oz.) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 (26 oz.) Can Hunt's Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce
1 Green Pepper, cored, seeded and cut into strips
4 teaspoons Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the chicken, turning frequently to brown all sides (you aren't cooking all the way through, just browning the sides). Add the spaghetti sauce and green peppers. Cover the skillet and cook on low for 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender. To serve, place 1 chicken breast on each plate and top with 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce with peppers. Top each with 1 teaspoon of parmesan topping.

Serves: 4
Per Serving: 258 Calories; 6g Fat (19.3% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 88mg Cholesterol; 932mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable. WWP: 5 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)



Onion Roasted Potatoes

2 Lbs. Potatoes
1 (1 oz.) Package Dry Onion Soup Mix
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash the potatoes and cut into chunks. Place the potatoes into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top of the potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle the onion soup mix on top and stir to coat the potatoes. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. If they start to get too brown before they're tender, you can lay a piece of foil across the top of the dish.

Serves: 6 (each approx. 4 ounces cooked)
Per Serving: 173 Calories; 5g Fat (24.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 432mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Fat.
WWP: 3 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)

Back To Weight Watchers I Go

I decided to go back to my Weight Watchers class this morning, so I rejoined. I was shocked to see that I weigh 5 pounds more than I did the day I first joined Weight Watchers in 2001. I can't rewind the clock, so I'm looking at this as a fresh start. The class isn't quite the same as it use to be since my old leader isn't there anymore, but I can't change that either, so I'm just going to give it a chance. I do enjoy the people in the class. An old friend has been talking to me lately and has gotten me excited about cooking again. I made my first new recipe in a long time tonight. It was really good. I think I got burned out on cooking before and just needed a break from it. It seemed like it's all I did. It feels good to be back in the kitchen again. I have all these ideas in my head and can't wait to try them out. :) Ok, as promised I said I'd share any new recipes with you, so here you go...



Taco Meatballs

1 pound 96% Lean Ground Beef
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1/4 Cup Salsa

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the ground beef, egg and taco seasoning mix by hand. Divide into 17 meatballs (approx 1 1/2 tablespoons each). Spray a 9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs in the baking dish so that they aren't touching. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. If they start to brown too fast on top, you can lay a piece of foil on top of the dish. Toss the meatballs in the salsa and stick a toothpick into each meatball. Serve warm.

Serves: 17
Per Serving: 40 Calories; 1g Fat (32.2% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 72mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 1 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)


You can also take it a step further like I did and make a sub....



Mexican Meatball Subs

1 pound 96% Lean Ground Beef
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
5 hot dog bun, low calorie, 1 point each
5 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons salsa
5 tablespoons sour cream, light

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the ground beef, egg and taco seasoning mix by hand. Divide into 15 meatballs (a little over 1 1/2 tablespoons each). Spray a 9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs in the baking dish so that they aren't touching. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. If they start to brown too fast on top, you can lay a piece of foil on top of the dish. Once complete, place 3 meatballs inside each hotdog bun. Top each with 1 tablespoon of cheese, 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. You can also top with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes if desired.

Serves: 5
Per Serving: 254 Calories; 8g Fat (28.2% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 496mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 5 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)

What Could Have Been A Bad Day

Well I totally blew breakfast. I never intended on stopping for breakfast, but I think it's a habit I need to break. Normally anytime I got up early, I stopped at Tim Horton's for a sausage breakfast sandwich (I can't deny they're very tasty). I had no idea how many points it was until I got home (13 points if you plan on getting one to see just how tasty they are). I spent the later part of the day with a friend. Normally we get pizza or fast food for dinner, but I really wanted to salvage my day. I knew if I blew the 2nd day, what would keep me from blowing the 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc? I suggested Subway for dinner and my friend agreed. We stopped off at Walmart first to look for a book, so I grabbed an apple while I was there. By the time we ate, it was close to dinner time, so I just decided to write lunch off. I know it's not good to skip lunch, but that's just how it went. I stopped off at the grocery store on my way home. I wasn't hungry, but I really wanted something sweet. I told myself that if I could just get what I needed and get out of there without picking up the candy bar I really wanted, that I could get an ice cream cone at McDonald's on the way home. That ice cream cone tasted like a million bucks. :) It wasn't a perfect day, but I think after the breakfast I had, I'm proud of myself for not saying "I'll start again tomorrow".

One Day Down, Many To Go

Well, I made it through the first day back on track. I stepped on the treadmill today totally intending to do a 30 minute pre-programmed workout (this thing moves you up and down hills and speeds you up). I made it only 10 minutes before I thought I was either going to die or my knee was going to give out. I decided to beat my body to the punch and hopped off before anything happened. I win! LOL! Well at least I tried. It's more than I've been doing, so I'll just have to try again tomorrow. I did great with my points today, so I'm really glad about that. First thing I did this morning was go grocery shopping since I really didn't have much in the fridge (confession: I've mostly been eating fast food and pizza). I made some 1 point hot chocolate to take with me in case I got hungry, and I figured the sweetness would keep me from buying sweets too (it worked). I stuck strictly to my list and I got out of there. When I got home I made ham and bean soup in the crockpot (sorry, not a new recipe, you can find it on my site). I made it through my first day and I'm still standing. Now I just have to get through tomorrow. One day at a time. :)

Back and Better Than Ever!

Many of you know that this isn't the first time I've started over in the past couple of years, but I feel I'm ready to take charge of my body and what I put into it again. I've never really been someone who keeps a journal (or blog), but I figure since I'm starting over I should try something new. Maybe I'm doing this because I figure you're reading this blog and can relate, I don't know. Maybe this is just for me and I don't know where to draw the line when it comes to sharing my personal life with the world. Maybe this is what I consider a cheap way of getting much needed therapy after a long two years of feeling sorry for myself and making excuses. I'll diagnose myself and treat myself all at the same time here. Let's see... diagnosis.... crazy. Treatment.... get my head out of my butt and get to work. :) Well, now that we have that out of the way.... I'm going to try to make it a habit to come here every night and log how my day went. Some days I may not have a lot to say, and some days you may be like "OMG Aimee, shut up". LOL! Depending on how much time I have each night, I might even share the new recipes I tried that day (sorry, won't be any pictures of recipes on the blog since it takes too much time). You'll get a sneak peak at them though before anyone else does (those would be the people who only visit my site and not my blog). I know, you're feeling pretty special right now aren't you? LOL Just kidding! If you know me personally, you know I have sarcastic humor and I tend to just say what comes to mind without really censoring myself too much, so many of the things I say you'll know I'm kidding. For those of you who don't know me, or "think" you know me... you've been warned. :) Ok, tomorrow is the big day. I'm going to do it this time. No more excuses!