Whimsical Chaos

The best cookies ever!

2009-04-08T16:16:00.002-04:00

The other morning I was watching GMA and they had a great chocolate cookie recipe. And I tried it. OMG! Sooo, good. The only changes I made to the recipe were that I used Splenda, Splenda Brown Sugar, and half the salt.

Frannie's Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Woodruff Family's Secret Cookie Recipe

Makes 48 cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated, then add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda and salt. Stir with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture all at once, and mix until they are just combined. Do not over mix.

Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Drop 1-tablespoon-size mounds of dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

By using the cake flour it makes for a very tender cookie! And so far have been loved by all! I am sure one of my friends after yesterday is wishing she had some of the best diet pills on the market. She ate about 15 of them yesterday when our daughters got together to play lol.

I need a break

2009-04-08T16:11:00.002-04:00

I am sooo tired. I forgot what it is like to be pregnant and have energy one second and the next be passed out cold on the couch the next. But, I keep plugging on looking for a job and everything else. I really need to clean my house more, since my parents and sister will coming in from Indiana tomorrow for Easter. But, I really want to get away. Just Jeremy and I- the 2 of us. We really need it before this baby comes, but where to go. Philly is close, but to me not far enough away. Flordia is too far, but you know NYC is just right. About 3.5 hours away. I wonder if I could get people to chip money to cover the cost of a New York City hotel room? Nah, you know they will want to buy stuff for the baby. Which is fine with me... on the 24th of this month we get to find out what it is...

So, what is your guess: Boy or Girl?

Ummm awesome show last night!

2009-04-08T16:05:00.002-04:00

So, did everyone watch House last night? Come on you know you did because I want to talk about it! So, what did you think about them killing off that doctor? And have you heard why they killed him off? It is soo cool! If you haven't watched House last night, please do!

But, I never get over how many different tests that they run on the patients in House. Have you ever noticed that they never run something say like a colon cleanser. Because you know that something as simple as that would never make a tv show, but it would be fun to watch them try to give one!

I want to move right now!

2009-03-24T12:08:00.002-04:00

Ok, I am so sickof the stupid people in my area! I want to move right now! Part of it is the crazy mom's club in my area which is worse than an evil high school clique. They and their relatives think nothing needs to change. They don't want to add white colar jobs, they are fine with their blue colar jobs (which are closing right now). So, I need a change. So, why not move out of the state and maybe find something with Wilmington NC real estate. I would love to just pack everything up and move without a care. These are the same people that made me so stressed I was in an ER for a day.

Dreaming of Spring and Summer

2009-03-24T11:49:00.003-04:00

One day when we have money we want to finish our little patio in the back. We need to rip out the old concrete squares, because they are so uneven and stuff with pointy corner stick up on some of them. We either do that or add on and make a year round room off the back- which to me would be nice! But either way I would love some outdoor furniture. We have a couple of pieces but I would love to be able to eat outside or lounge around outside in the shade! Ahh a pregnant woman can dream! Right! But, I need to get some pillows for the one bench we do have because after a while it isn't very comfortable after a while without them!

OHHHHH got a great deal!

2009-03-24T10:35:00.004-04:00

With the new baby coming, there are a few things we will need to get for it. BTW- we don't find out the sex of the baby until mid April. Well, Lorelei car seat is expired, so we need a new one. If it is a boy we will need a new stoller, because Lorelei's stroller is pink and white lol. I think I would like a double jogging stroller, so I can have both kids in one stroller and it will make me go and workout lol.

Well, I was checking out all the "normal" baby sites and thought that I should check out some not so normal places and found a great Sale going on at buy.com. LOVE that site. We have used it a lot in the past to buy tv series on dvd and puter parts, but they also have baby stuff. But, with this sale I found a great deal and want to get it for Lorelei's birthday- it is a Pink Tee Ball and Glove set. And it is very pink! I am so excited because it is only 9.99 and had free shipping! How great is a deal is that- a bat and glove for less than 10 bucks! There is also a really funny video up of Howie and his son and this website. Check it out it is so funny!

Drool- I want to go so BAD

2009-03-24T10:18:00.003-04:00

During all the craziness of our lives in the last few months, we really weren't planning on getting pregnant. Well, again my in-laws are planning another family vacation and they want us to go with them. Well they were planning on August to go to the Outer Banks. And I have never been to there or any where in the Carolinas, so I would love to go. So, they changed it to June, but now I'm not sure if I will be able to go since I will be intering my 3rd trimester- not sure if I am that brave to travel that far out. But, I have never been there... and I want to go so bad! I missed out on the AZ trip that they went on just before Lorelei was born, and it looks like I am going to miss out on another trip- again!

What a roller coster ride for the new year!

2009-03-24T10:03:00.003-04:00

Sorry that I have been gone for so long, but things have been crazy here. I had to quit the gym job for health reason. I kept getting sick from the chorine smells and the mold growing on the walls in certain areas of the gym. And yes it was new contruction, but that is what you get when things aren't done right. But on top of all of that Lorelei got tubes in her ears, I got pregnant, and ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago due to stess freking out my inners. The baby is ok and I am due around Labor Day. But on top of all of this is trying to find a new job, I am going all out- full time day and sticking Lorelei in either a home babysitting kind of a place or daycare.

And on top of all of that, I need to ship out gifts for friends from Christmas, baby shower gifts, sharing books, etc... but the post office never has any shipping boxes, so I am having to look some where else now for them. One day Lisanne will get her Christmas present lol. Maybe in July lol.

Are you looking for a new snack?

2009-03-24T09:55:00.002-04:00

Ok, since I am jobless and bored and depressed (I hate bills- gotta win the lotto)... I decided to look for some new recipes to change up things a bit... and saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's Every Day website...

Spicy-Sweet Asian Nut Mix

MAKES 3 1/2 CUPS
Prep Time: 10 min (plus cooling)
Cook Time: 5 min

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 cup peanuts
3/4 cup wasabi peas

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sesame seeds and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sugar and, when just dissolved, stir in the soy sauce, then the chow mein noodles. Quickly spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet; let cool.
2. Crumble the sesame mixture into a bowl and toss with the peanuts and wasabi peas.

Now I would change this up by using a brown sugar sub and add more protein packed nuts etc... But I have always loved sweet and spicy... and with the nuts you can add that sweet and salty to your taste buds as well...

Enjoy!

still sick... cough cough cough... all I want for Christmas is new lungs... that work!

2009-01-04T10:35:00.002-05:00

ok when it this going to end? Well I hope soon! Well I didn't have a cold after all during all this time... so ha... it was my allergy asthma acting up... Weds my coughing started to really act up... and just was getting worse each hour... by Christmas day I was barking my cough was so bad... I peed myself twice and went through about 8 pads (I have moved on to stuffing one of Lorelei's overnight diapers in my undies... god i'm so sexy... umm not)... and nothing was working on supressing the cough... it seemd that the meds were making it worse... so when I woke myself up with weezing and this puckering sound from my lungs I knew I had to get into the doc... I had to leave work at 10:45 (babysitting is open till 1:30) to make it to my 11:20 apointment time... the doctor's office closes at noon on Fridays... so I was getting worried when my doc didn't come in until almost 12:20... he was listening to me cough in the hallway and was counting how long I was coughing and how much time inbetween coughing fits... he came in and said that this wasn't not a cold like we tought back in Novemeber... and basically said without saying it that he was wrong back then... this was purely asthma acting up pure and simple... he ordered me to start doing nebuilzer treatments today...

Needless to say that scared me to death and with good reason... he said that if this would of kept going on I could of ended up in the hospital or calling 911... worse case I could of died... needless to say that scared the pee out of me... oh wait that was just me coughing again... argh... he also put me back on antibotics (amoxicillin) and told me to keep taking the dayquil... I am to do the breathing treatments 3 times a day until these coughing fits go away... and then if I have a flair up go back on it... to me this is all very scary because my asthma improved from gastric bypass in losing the weight... and right now I feel like i have hit a big old brick wall... I'm not allowed to workout until I have healed up... which is really frustrating when you work at a gym... argh! But my over all health is more important than doing something stupid like working out too soon and ending up in the hospital...

I will post soon about our Christmas with my in-laws and with my parents later... but please pray for my silly lungs that don't seem to get breathing correctly... right now I am going to watch for the millionth time Sydney White... man o man how I love this cheesy movie... right now I think that I need something hot to drink... what I wouldn't do for an espresso machines!

Things were going so well and then ARGH…

2009-01-04T10:16:00.002-05:00

I was getting ready to write a post about this past weekend and how well it went and then my mom called and just totally ticked me off… she thinks that we can just drop everything to pick up the house phone… well hello we have lives and that just isn’t going to happen… we have lives… and I work a lot of nights at the gym and when I’m done I work out… well try to… or go to the grocery store etc…

Tonight I just got home and was sitting down to relax because parents don’t seem to get it that we close at 8:30pm… not 8:45 or 9.. 8:30… well this dad didn’t show up till 9… his 6 year old daughter thought that he had left her… and well I couldn’t find him… and I can’t go into the guy’s locker room… and that is where he was… taking his sweet time… he finally showed up and I was able to leave… but I had to go to the store to get some tape to wrap a few gifts for once I got home… and here my mom is freaking out because we didn’t pick up the phone when she called… Jeremy is on call this week and was dealing with a work outage and I just got home.. so she calls his cell phone… omg… give me a freaking break… there are times when I wish she lived closer.. but then there are times I think would I be able to have a life? My mom really needs to learn to deal with this… she would get so mad at me in college when I didn’t return phone calls and now it is even worse…

Ok, vent off… but man! I will have to post later about our mini Christmas this past weekend later… I’m just too mad right now… but here is a photo… enjoy!

Oh yeah, late idea for a Christmas gift... My brother-in-law said he wanted some compact flash for his camera, but the stupid boy didn't tell me what kind of camera he has... MEN!

the crazys cont…

2009-01-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

well, we are still sick… argh… this is driving me nuts needless to say… I took Lore back to her doc on Monday because she had this horrible cough… well even though she was on antibotics for 11 days for her ear infection… she was getting sicker… the doc said that it was a good thing I brought her back in… her ear infection got worse and was suprised that her ear drums didn’t bust… so she is on a new antibotic and we have to take her back in 2 weeks… me on the other hand is finally over my sinus infection, but I still have my cold (each day it gets better) and over the weekend I got a bladder infection… well I had left over antibotics from the last one a month ago from when they switched stuff (went for years without one and get 2 in 2 months… what is up with that)… so it is now gone too… but I am sooo tired and then realized that I missed last months B12 shot… and now I am due for this months… so I will have Jeremy to that tonight…

And with all of this sickness going on, I still haven’t uploaded my thanksgiving day photos or any of the other photos… told you all about thanksgiving, pregnancy scare (and no i’m not… not ready for that yet lol), and my BIL dumped his girl friend for cheating on him and moved back home…

I also got my first paycheck from the gym… cheer… but now we might have to replace the battery in my car (at least that is cheap) and I hope and pray that is all it is to fix because other wise I might have to return the Christmas gifts I just bought (waited for the paycheck)… I didn’t go nuts, only spending $20 on each person… well all but Jeremy’s gift… but I am really praying that if we just jump the car it will start and be fine… I’m just frustrated that things were looking up and then this happened today… on top of that I didn’t work this morning because there was a 2 hour delay for the area schools- so that means no morning babysitting… which means 5 hours I don’t get paid… but we will be open tonight and I’m working tonight… I have to find someone to work Friday night… but I might just take the hours… only bad thing is my parents are in town starting tomorrow… so I won’t get to spend much time with them because of working Friday and Sat. morning… I also had someone cancel on me for Sunday because her grand daughter is singing at church on Sunday for the first time and I don’t want her to miss that… so I’m trying to figure out if I am going to work it or find someone to fill it…

We are also doing Christmas this weekend with my parents… so part of the reason I have to clean… but then again… I’m so tired… I don’t wanna… but I need to at least get the living room cleaned for photos lol… but, I feel like I am never home right now… I need to come up with a way to clean when I am home… because I’m only home for about 2 hours in the afternoon… and that is the time I use to make phone calls if I need to etc… and by the time I get home at night I’m pooped… so if any of you have ideas please let me know… but speaking of cleaning… off to move laundry around…

**NOTE**
My car just needed a new battery… cheer- it was an easy fix and didn’t cost that much to replace…

Being Creative

2009-01-04T10:09:00.002-05:00

Well with everything that has happened this last year I have some gret things to scrapbook. Yes, scrapbook! I can't wait, I just need to get my photo printer to work (for some reason it won't suck the paper up into it). I have my rubber stamps, inks, and other scrapbooking supplies all ready to go. So, I just need to get those photos printed and get some time to myself and I will be ready to go. I have the looks and layouts all ready in my head! So, what are you all going to be scrapbooking this new year?

Nice surprise

2009-01-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the coughing is getting a little better… as long as I keep taking the stupid cold meds… Lore eat like a horse yesterday showing no signs of ever being sick the day before… but with everything going on the last few weeks I wasn’t shocked that I hadn’t lost any weight… hadn’t gained but still hadn’t lost… well today I was wondering because some new undies I bought last week started to sag… and I was like what the heck! I’m on my period and everything nothing should be sagging but my boobs lol… but I am now down to 213… I hadn’t lost any weight since Oct 10th… so it was super nice to see the scale change numbers for once…

But, I gotta get Lorelei ready for her eye therapy tonight… so I better go… just had to share the happy news…

Yahw... I'm tired...

2008-12-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

Today is another long day for me. I worked this morning at the gym, and tonight I work at Lane Bryant. And on top of it all is I have a sinus infection. Argh! And it is frezing here. And more and more people that get to know me at the gym are wondering where my wedding band and engagement rings are at. I miss wearing my rings, but with the weight loss there is just no way I can wear them anymore. I feel naked without them. I am going to get them resized one day but for now I go without them. I am thinking of getting a temp wedding band because I'm tired of being naked there, lol!

Whoop!

2008-11-25T15:10:00.000-05:00

The gym opened this morning at 4am… found out yesterday around 4:30 that we were opening… worked from 8:30 to 1:30 and then from 4:30 to 8:30 and worked out afterwards… which ROCKS… shiney brand new equipement to break in… sooo happy!

Well, I’m pooped… need to shower and layout clothes for tomorrow… and omg 7:15am SUCKS! Horrible time of the day lol… ok off to bed… pictures to come in a little bit btw…

Another WLS Fave recipe

2008-11-24T07:28:00.002-05:00

Lets face it a lot of our fave dishes for the holidays aren't all that healthy for us. It is even harder when you have had gastric bypass and you have to watch your sugar and fat amounts. This recipe was created by my WLS friend Jackie. And I think this will become a family fave soon!

Candied Yams

Melt a little smart balance, tiny bit of juice from large can of cut yams and some DiabetiSweet Brown Sugar to the pan until it melts down together and starts to make a "brown sticky candyish mess". Throw away the rest of the juice off the yams and add them to the pan, turning gently to warm them and coat them in the "candy" glaze. Takes 10 mins. tops. Done.

Another healthy Thanksgiving Recipe...

2008-11-24T07:23:00.002-05:00

This is a recipe that was created by a WLS friend and it is just awesome. Liz did a great job in creating this for anyone wanting a healtier stuffing. If you try this please let me know what you think!

Whole Grain Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
1 loaf whole grain bread , cubed
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup fresh chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 cup lowfat milk (or stock)
1 egg , lightly beaten
2 medium apples , cored and chopped

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 Put bread cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
3 Put water in medium saucepan. Add onion, celery, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Do not drain. Pour over bread cubes.
4 Stir in milk and egg. Gently stir in apples.
5 Spoon into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

Try these Thanksgiving recipes!

2008-11-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up this week, I wanted to share some recipes with you all that I think you would love at your family table this week.

Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
• 2 cups 100% cranberry juice
• 2 packets unflavored gelatin
• Splenda to taste
• Granted orange zest - optional

Preparation
Bring 1 cup of cranberry juice to a boil. Meanwhile in a heatproof bowl add 1 cup cold cranberry juice – sprinkle gelatin over to dissolve. When the juice boils pour over gelatin mixture, Mix thoroughly and put into a container and refrigerate 2 hours or until set. Enjoy!

Quinoa Stuffing
Ingredients
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation
Bring broth and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion, celery, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and thyme; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in cooked quinoa, cranberries, and walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased baking dish about 10 minutes until heated through.

See isn't that a great recipe! And just think you won't even need any diet pills like Ephedrasil hardcore!

Sylar is Spock?

2008-11-23T23:23:00.000-05:00

I love scifi/fantasy... it rocks... anything is possible... the only thing that can limit you is your imgination... that is it... I know that a lot of people don't get this... but I think most of the ones that don't get it don't like to think outside the box... and there is nothing wrong with that hehehe... but I have never thought inside the box (which is why teachers hated me in school lol)... and that is part of the reason i love this genre so much!

Well the other night after my babysitting meeting at the gym (ugh so close to opening) I came home and watched my shows that were recording... I was watching Fringe (ugh love that show so much) and saw the most amazing movie trailer in years!!! Star Trek is going to be in movie theatres May 8th, 2009! DROOL! Don't know why I'm so excited watch this! I'm trying to figure out if the tattoo guy in it is a Klingon or not... but omg it is so amazing! I haven't been this excited for a movie since the LOTR ones or POTC ones... so, it looks like I will need a babysitter that day or something because I will spend the money to see that in an imax theatre... and oh yeah... Sylar from heros is Spock... and the prince dude from the pricess diaries 2 is kirk... and cop angel from hot fuzz is scotty... ohhh going to be soooooo good!

Also, when I was looking for the link to show you the movie trailer... I saw this one... do you guys remember the Escape to Witch Mountain and the Return from Witch Mountain movies? That movie trailer is returning to that story line... The Race to Witch Mountain comes out in March... I loved those movies as a kid... I have one of them on DVD... looks like I need to pull it out and watch it...

And I know there is a new Transformers movie coming out next summer as well... so far it looks like next summer is going to have some rockin' awesome movies... my geeky neard heart jumps for joy lol... but, I am off to make sugar free cream cheese cookies (made a few last night... OMG good!) I will post the recipe for them later!

Making more out of our lives...

2008-11-23T22:27:00.003-05:00

I have talked off and on about going back to college to get another degree- a B.S. in nutrition science or to take to a whole new level and become a registered dietitian. After what I have dealt with in my own journey through weight loss I am more equipped to help others than someone that has never had an issue with weight. I would also like to become a personal trainer to help others to work through their issues of food.

My mom is an R.N. for a hospital in Indy. She went back to school when I was in high school. First she went for being a medical assistant, then LPN, then her assoc. RN degree and then her B.S. RN degree. Because of that I remember what she went through in picking her school. And she often thinks about going back to school to get her masters. I think she should because she would be a great teacher.

I recently came across an online MS degree that I think she would be interested in at Saint Xavier University in Chicago and Orland Park. MS nursing programs are becoming more and more popular to take online so that you can still keep working while taking your classes and it is combined with one weekend of applied campus experience. And all practicum work will be in your local area, so you really can keep your life very normal while in school.

More and more hospitals are wanting more out of their nurses for a number of reasons. Some want them to be able teach at their schools all the way to wanting their nurses to be the best of the best for their patients. What better way to do those things than to go back to school for MS Nursing. So, if you are a nurse or studying to be a nurse really check out this program. It looks great to me and I know I can't wait to talk to my mom about this program!

Want the inside scoop... on WSL...

2008-11-23T22:25:00.001-05:00

I know a lot of you have questions about WSL (gastric bypass) and some of you don't feel comfortable asking them and that is cool... and if you do ever have a question just ask... nothing will bother me...

Baraiatric TV was created by some people that use the WLS message board that I belong to... But this will give everyone some insite that this isn't a quick fix... for some the weight just flies off (so not fair) and for others it just a bit harder (like for me)... and these shows well as my college history proffs would say "widen your world view."

Well I am off to shower...

argh!

2008-11-07T15:44:00.002-05:00

Well, I called again yesterday to see when the gym was going to open. The asst. manager of the gym had no idea. He told me they were installing the speakers so, you know they are close when it comes to things like that... but what is frustrating is that Lane Bryant is now doing the schedule 2 weeks in advance now. So, I have no idea what I am going to do if I have to work at both places on the same night! And I asked again what is the gym providing for the daycare room and all the manager knows is that a tv is given. Maybe it will be a Sony Vaio but right now I would really like to know do we have a changing table or not! Ok, done with my vent... please pray for me and the gym!

Amen

2008-11-07T15:29:00.002-05:00

We don’t work on things with Lore like I am sure a lot of other parents do with their kids… I don’t sing the ABC song all day long etc… plus she looks at me like I’m a freak of nature when I do it… but with her being such a strong visual learner she watches a lot of Word World and shows like it or shows on the History Channel, History International, Planet Green, Discovery, Smithionian (think that is how it is spelled lol), TLC… and picks up a lot.

She can spell words and knows most of her ABC by sight… numbers… well she isn’t so big on them… she will go down the stairs saying one two… one two… says one two three when her and Jeremy play… but we do hear her from time to time saying certain numbers up to 20… not in order… but I know there are some where in her head…

She is finally liking books… but she wants me to read 40 of them at a time… umm no… I will read 2 at a time and that is it… and it seems to be fine with her now (my parents completely ruined/spoiled her when they had her that week and half without us there- but that is vent post for later)…

But in the last week she has really picked up some new words… Taco, YahYah (what she calls her LuLu the spider (it is some leapword stuffed toy))- which means she is naming things, yogurt, oh darn I can’t remember the rest… well when i do I will post them because it is so funny… because to me they aren’t normal toddler words…

And then tonight… she said Amen and pressed her hands together… my MIL last year for Christmas got her a little board book that has a button on it and says God is Great, God is kind etc prayer… and at the end it says Amen. I tried working with her on it last year but whe wanted nothing to do with it so I stopped pushing… and TADA… she said it all on her own… rock on… but she didn’t say it for Jeremy… little bugger… she also won’t kiss him either… brat… sorry but that is bratty!

She is also waking up during the night crying because she is wet… argh… but still won’t really pee on the potty… we have a total of 2 times now… she always tells me she has to go pee pee but she won’t say on the potty… and I’m about to duc tape her to it so she does go on it lol… but she seems to want to wear real undies so I let her… but she is also totally in love with baths all the time… she will start crying/meltdown/insane crazy shaking because she wants Bubbles soo badly (bubbles= bath)… so as soon as she pees herself in real undies she thinks she has to take a bath… umm if I did that… that would be about 15 baths per day… not happening…

I am also trying to think of some sports that we can start to do with Lorelei next summer. She already has down the basics of a golf swing... but I am wondering if she would like to go to the range and hit a few? I know that Jeremy needs some new golf shoes, but I'm not sure if he would like those for Christmas or not. Time will tell on both of those issues!

A little time for me

2008-11-07T15:24:00.004-05:00

Well as of November 1st, I am no longer a Stampin' Up! demo, but I am still a rep with Amway/Quixtar. And since I am no longer with SU, I have been gathering up my promotional products that I bought in the hopes it would bring me some new customers- well these puppies are heading to my upline. It kind of worked... as in I got a few new customers and then the housing market bombed, then the whole mortgage mess, and now the stock market and then no one had any money to buy anything. But, that is life. But, it is also a huge weight off my shoulders because I didn't even have any time to scrapbook for myself let alone help anyone else. So, now I can sit down stress free and relax and have fun!

Pizza and Thanksgiving

2008-11-07T15:18:00.004-05:00

One of my WLS buddies posted this recipe and I had to share it with all of you… see we can still have pizza… just in a different way… and why you might ask… because we need to be low carb high protein and fiber… pizza high carb and fat lol… but if you start with this great base… I can’t wait to try it!

Broccoli Crust Pizza
2 cups cooked broccoli shredded (squeeze out as much water as you can)
2 large eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 tsp garlic powder

combine all and press evenly into well greased pizza pan or cookie sheet (this makes a LARGE 14 inch crust)
sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and basil (if desired)
Bake at 450 degrees until browned and bubbly (15-20 minutes)

And if you eat like this you won't need weight loss pills! This would be a great way to use up turkey leftovers as well after Thanksgiving. Just tossing out another idea for you all to get ready for Thanksgiving!

How about this for Thanksgiving...

2008-11-03T18:19:00.002-05:00

I know some of you are trying to think of what to fix for thanksgiving... so I wanted to toss out how about roasted chicken for any holiday dinner...

I saw Ina make this today and oh man it looks soooooo good!!! And don't forget once you have finished getting all the meat off the bones you can now make homemade chicken stock... and don't forget this is very low fat if you don't eat the skin! I think this would be a great sub for that boring old turkey dinner!

Ina's Roasted Chicken recipe

Something different for dinner

2008-11-03T18:18:00.000-05:00

One of my WLS buddies posted this recipe and I had to share it with all of you... see we can still have pizza... just in a different way... and why you might ask... because we need to be low carb high protein and fiber... pizza high carb and fat lol... but if you start with this great base... I can't wait to try it!

Broccoli Crust Pizza
2 cups cooked broccoli shredded (squeeze out as much water as you can)
2 large eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all and press evenly into well greased pizza pan or cookie sheet (this makes a LARGE 14 inch crust). Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and basil (if desired). Bake at 450 degrees until browned and bubbly (15-20 minutes).

Christmas Gift Ideas

2008-10-30T08:22:00.003-04:00

Since money is tight again this year for Christmas (come on stupid gym and open!), I have been looking for some ideas for gifts. I thought about making my own gifts, but once I figured in what it would cost me... well that idea went out the window!

So, one of my ideas is doing Operation Christmas Child. We had a former MOPS member come in and talk about this great event. She does one box for each year her child is old. So this year they are doing 7 boxes (I think she was 7... or was it 9). So, when my parents were out visiting they helped me buy things for the boxes. I need to get a few more things, but I have to wait for more money. These are some of the things that these children need in their boxes-

TOYS
small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES
pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

HYGIENE ITEMS
toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

OTHER
Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

A PERSONAL NOTE
In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)

I think what hit me the hardest was some of these kids don't even have their own toothbrush and washcloth they are so poor. One little girl (they showed a video) lost everything in an earthquake and all she wanted was a babydoll. She got one through OCC. Can you imagine all you want is a simple doll and you have just lost everything... and I mean everything and then to get one from a complete strange in another country. To me that just brings tears to my eyes to think about it. Or you are so poor that you use the plastic shoe box that your child's gifts came in to make meals... or to have no socks and live in a place where it is winter for half the year it seems...

So, this would be a great idea as a gift. Just tell your love one instead of buying them something (they probably don't need anyways) you are going to make up so many of these boxes to help poor children of the world.

Another great gift idea is buying handcrafted fair trade products made by
economically disadvantaged women worldwide. Please Visit Hope for Women. They make beautiful cards out of flower petals and they are just amazing looking! I have seem artist in the USA sell these types of cards for $10 a piece. Their cards are so much cheaper and to me even more beautiful as well.

Another gift idea is to give the gift of food. See if there is any local food shelters getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas meal packs. A lot of these places need money to buy turkeys and hams for the holidays, so you could tell your love ones I bought so many turkeys in honor of you to feed the poor. Or, you could buy a a flock of chicks for $20 through Heifer International to help end hunger around the world. Just think how a few chickens can make a difference in the life of a family in Cameroon. Their eggs will provide protien, more chicks will be born, so that means the extra eggs can be shared or sold and then the chickens can be then used for meat... also they help keep the bug population down and their pooh helps to fertilize gardens.

So, here are lots of ways to help the world around us with out us getting all commerized with the upcoming holidays. I think I am going to buy chickens in honor of my mom and then ducks and geese in honor of other family members on top of finish the 2 boxes for OCC. I really hope that some of you will also buy gifts like this for this Christmas.

Early Trick or Treating

2008-10-29T14:33:00.003-04:00

Well it is just down right cold here in eastern PA. Freezing in my book, but then again I start to feel cold when it hits 69 degrees anymore. Right now my hands are little popcicles they are so cold.

Well just incase it would be too cold to go trick or treating on Friday, I took Lorelei to the outlet mall this past Saturday for trick or treating. It was awesome because it is an indoor outlet mall. So, while it rained some and was windy- we were all nice and warm inside.

Here is a photo from the event-

She picked out the dress from Old Navy back at the end of September when we were visiting my parents in Indiana. What is great about this costume is that she can wear it more than once because it is build like a real dress with real material... not plastic like some are now a days. It also came with the crown, which she just loves to pieces.

I haven't picked up a pumpkin yet for us to carve. We have 3 pumpkins for her to play with (they are tiny little ones) and she thinks they are balls. But, I want to carve one so I can roast some pumpkin seeds for her and Jeremy. But I know when I was little we would put into the pumpkin a votive candle and Votive candle holders to light the pumpkin. But I was told you don't do that anymore... so what do you use to light them with now? Please tell me lol...

Well, I am off to a meeting. Have a great day all!

What did you do today?

2008-10-22T20:23:00.002-04:00

Things I have done today:

-put up dishes
-load of dishes
-load of wash
-phone calls for fund raiser I am helping with
-took Lore's crib/toddler bed down
-painted more of Lore's new to her dresser
-stessed over money and the lack there of it
-played with Lorelei
-watched kids shows on PBS with her
-looked online for part time jobs (since the gym isn't open yet) and info on retail franchises

Things I need to do:
-fold laundry
-clean the stove top
-clean sticky spot on the floor
-put fridge lock on the fridge since Lore can open it now
-pick up toys
-watch tv
-take my meds for my since infection
-sleep
-

Misc things...

2008-10-22T20:15:00.002-04:00

I'm not a big fan of Halloween. I don't understand how people decorate more for Halloween vs. Religous Holidays (no matter what one's religon is). We do the trick-or-teating and handing out treats (this year they are getting pencils- not going to add to kids being fat). But I see whole yards all gross and nasty and scary for Halloween. And yes we will be skipping those houses when we go out! Plus, I'm not a huge fan of black and orange together... let alone orange by itself!

In other news... the gym still isn't open. Last week the manager told me that we (the directors) would be getting together for a meeting. Well tomorrow will be Thursday and as far as I know there hasn't been a meeting yet. I called today to see if the manager would be in so I could drop some things off by there but only got the machine. So please pray about this... I know I'm not the only one feeling the pinch money wise... there are others worse off than me who will be working under me once the gym opens. It just sucks that I have had this job since August and haven't worked one day yet.

But, when I was at the gym last week I heard some women talking about fat burners. Now, I know nothing about these things or even how they work. But I have learned that fast fixes mean fast gains back weight wise. I think if you only need to lose 20 or less a quick fix might work. But what happened to hard work and breaking a sweat?

Whoop!

2008-10-22T20:13:00.000-04:00

217 Baby!!
That is what I weight... it has been well over a month since I could change that number from 221... that is 4 pounds since Saturday when I weighed myself...

I had been talking to lots of people on my WLS message for the state of PA and came up with that something wasn't right but they all thought that it was I was doing to much weights (which I completely disagree with... muscle will always burn more fat than straight cardio)... but anyways I found on a different form this... Gastric Bypass Food Pyramid.

Basically what the nuts at Barix told me was this... so this is what I have been following all summer...
4 to 5 carb servings
6 servings of protein (I only need 64 g)
3 to 5 of veggies
whatever of fruit...

So I started to follow the new food pyramid... I went down to the 2 carb servings... and added one more serving of protein and my stall broke... YES... so, now i am going to hook up with a friend that follows Body for Life for work out ideas and the new plan my trainer has given me as well... so I can play between the 2...

So new goal is to hit 200 by Christmas (which is about 11 weeks away) but I would be happier with hitting 195 by then... that is about 2 pounds a week... but I will be happy with 199 by Jan 2nd... that will be my 10th wedding annv. and Jeremy has never seen me past 240 range when were dating... so be under 200 would be a great gift for both of us!

But I need to go clean some more... but will post about that later!

I hate being sick

2008-10-22T19:56:00.002-04:00

ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep that is how I feel… Only I could go and get a stupid sinus infection while being on antibotics!!! See no one believes me in how retarted my body is at times!!! and the antibotic I was on is what I normally take for a sinus infection btw… but this morning I felt sooo bad I got up at 7:30AM (ugh such a horrid hour of the day) and call the doc… got dressed and then dragged Lorelei out of bed and got her dressed… tossed her into the car with a sippy and a cookie (all I could find in 2 mins lol) and off we went… my head is so stuffed the doc was suprised I didn’t bust my ear drums… umm didn’t feel that bad but ok… so on a new drug, sutafid (close enough in spelling and the stuff makes me hyper), nasal spray (because my nose is crap too), zyrtec, singlair, advair, my vitamins, fiber tabs, calicum tabs, and today is b12 shot day… I feel like a freaking drugie!

But, my family doc asked if I see a chiropractor and told him that I do, and he went on to see if I could get an appointment with her to see if she could help my head out. Well, I was able to get in and see her in the afternoon and wow... I can breath again. I am still stopped up but I can breath- which is such a strange combo! But she also fixed my hip again and told me no more treadmill until I am under 200 pounds for now. She thinks that is what keeps messing up my hip. So, I guess I am stuck working out on bikes, elipticals, and the arch machines at the gym.

But, I hear Lorelei crying and she should be sleeping so I better go check on her.

Fun Fall Family Stuff...

2008-10-11T19:30:00.003-04:00

Today we (Jeremy, me, my mom, and Lorelei) went to a local orchard for one of their family fun days. My mom didn't wait for us when we went to let Lorelei pick out her pumpkin... no she went shopping in their market. Which is what you do last so you don't have to tote around the stuff you bought. My mom bought an insane amount of Honey Crispy Apples. INSANE AMOUNT! And then wanted to do some of the little things for kids, well we couldn't do it because we had almost a bushel worth of apples in the cart, along with 2 gallon jugs of apple cider, etc... Which was a little disappointing to me because last year when we went I couldn't enjoy it much because I was still recovering from my surgery. So maybe I will take her down another weekend before they close up their family fun days.

But Lorelei got to see and play with some seeing eye dogs that were in training. She loved it. And they were such good dogs and puppies (only 13 weeks old)! Jeremy was harassing Lorelei on the way home asking her if she wanted some CAT5e (it is networking stuff- and last weekend was a major upgrade at work) and she would go I want Meowie (what she calls cats) and then Jeremy would just bust up. Later when she got some of the cable stuff... well lets just say she wasn't impressed. Ugh she wants a pet so bad and I don't think Wiggles the fish is cutting it anymore.

Well off to upload the photos...

The work blues

2008-10-11T19:18:00.003-04:00

I am so ticked. Tomorrow I have to go into work for a stupid meeting that I HAVE TO BE AT... I was really wanting to go to church since my father-in-law is preaching on how to have a fire-proof marriage that goes along with the new movie out by the same name. But instead I will be at a meeting from 8am to 10am (better get paid for it) and I don't think it is going to be pleasent. And then add to the mess that I can't get a straight answer on when the gym is going to open I am stressed. Very Stressed. I wanted to be able to quit Lane Bryant before Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure if that is going to happen now. I also wanted to quit soon because I would have to buy a new pair of shoes for work because my current black ones make my feet hurt after wearing them to work. And my current fave black shoes are sandles and I can't wear them to work in November lol. So, maybe while my parents are here I can talk my mom into buying me some new Clarks shoes. There is an outlet store there in the same place at work at for Lane Bryant.

Well, off to see if I can find anything fun to watch on tv.

Crop for the Kids

2008-10-08T17:22:00.002-04:00

I thought that I would pass this on to you… and please pass it onto your friends. I am helping to set up this fundraiser, and just to let you know we got a Cricut machine and cartridges donated to us!! And if you sign up you have a chance to win it!

I am posting this on behalf of FairView Counseling in Reading, PA. We are a non-profit organization which specializes in Play Therapy for children and therapy for families also. Being a non-profit we must hold events to help raise money for the organzation and our next event will be held on November 22, 2008 from 9am to 9pm. It is called Crop for the Kids.

Berks County 4-H Community Center
1238 County Welfare Road
Leesport, PA 19533

Some of our vendors on hand at the event include:
• Creative Memories rep: Joanne Weller
• Close to My Heart rep: Denise Sanner
• Pampered Chef rep: Cynthia Hills
• Massage Therapist Linda Dlhopolsky
• Beth Brussler from IT’S SCRAPTACULAR
• Shaklee rep: Kathleen Smith
• Handbag vendor Deborah Kovacs

Cost to Crop is $40 per person

Includes: 8 foot table to crop on plus Lunch, Snacks, Drinks, and dinner.

To register for the crop, visit FairView Counseling website.

Click on the events tab to print a registration form. Complete and mail to FairView .

FairView Counseling and The Play Therapy Center
PO Box 13614
Reading, PA 19612

For more information please contact Sandra Himmelreich at FairView Counseling: 610-396-9091 Mon- Thurs

Proceeds to Benefit the Children and their Families who seek treatment at FairView Counseling and The Play Therapy Center

There will also be a Chinese Auction with lots of great items available to win!

Yuumy Casserole Recipes!!

2008-10-08T11:51:00.002-04:00

As many of you know from reading my blog I love to share recipes with you readers. I think it is a great way to learn about different cultures, peoples, religions, etc... I think cooking and recipe sharing could bring peace to our world. But, now as it gets colder here in the USA, a lot of us start to turn to casserole recipes. And one of my fave sites to find those is My Recipes.com. I really like the Hearty Tex-Mex Squash-Chicken Casserole. It is so good, but now I would take out the tortillas and make sure the others things I would use in it are either low fat or fat free. But check them out, amazing recipes from all over!

Sqaush and Moths

2008-10-08T11:42:00.002-04:00

A friend shared a recipe with me and it is so good. I'm not sure where she got it from, but you really need to try it. I have had it and I am making it tonight with Curried Pork Chops.

2 medium delicata or other winter squash (about 2 pounds)
3 TB. unsalted butter
1/4 C coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 TB. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 C fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 C water
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into half-inch thick slices. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add sage and rosemary and cook, stirring until butter just begins to turn golden brown (3 to 5 minutes). Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed. Makes 6 servings.

In other fun stuff- not! I have been working on different things in the house since Lorelei is still at my parents. One of them is working on the pantry and linen closet. I have made some head way with the linen closet. But have gotten no where with the pantry. Part of my issue is Lorelei gets into the pantry to "cook." The other issue is because of where we live. We are suburban, but on the side of a mountain. So, we get all kinds of bugs. Lately we have been dealing with moths (inside) and snails (outside). So last night when I picked up some things from Home Depot I looked for some moth traps. I need to do something to help get rid of them before it gets really really bad. With the snails... once I find them I just salt them and they will go away... hehehe...

But, back to work for me. I need to finish fixing Lorelei's room!

The joys of life

2008-10-08T11:35:00.003-04:00

There are some things in life that you can never escape from no matter what you do to prevent them. One of them seems to be zits aka acne. I never had them much as a teen on my face. I got them more on my back then any where else strangely. Didn't get them really again until I was pregnant with Lorelei. But now I get them a lot when I tend to lose weight from my gastric bypass. As you lose weight your hormones fluxuate a lot and then the next thing you know... you got acne. So on top of the crazy hair loss from surgery you get zits too. So, I now use special shampoo to help my hair (it does come back) and now acne treatments. I tend to like the ones from Amway best because of my senative skin.

But in other news... I found a great recipe today and I have to share it. I got it in an email from South Beach Diet. Here is what the email said.

Chinese-Style Broccoli
Broccoli is a delicious, nutritious vegetable that's readily available year-round. Dubbed a superfood because of the variety of nutrients it delivers, broccoli works well with many different seasonings and cuisines. This savory recipe is a sure crowd-pleaser!

Chinese-Style Broccoli (Phase 1)

Makes 2 (1-cup) servings

Description
Ordinary broccoli springs to life with this garlicky lemon-soy dressing. Serve it with any Asian-flavored dish or even a simple grilled chicken or shrimp skewer.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 8 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions
Heat oil in a large wok or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, garlic, and lemon juice; continue to stir-fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional information
80 calories
5 g total fat (0 g sat)
7 g carbohydrate
4 g protein
3 g fiber
300 mg sodium

This is a great recipe for everyone and can't wait to try it. Also check out their website for other recipes too.

Fall meals

2008-10-06T11:27:00.002-04:00

I think that Fall has some of the best food around. I'm not saying that because of Thanksgiving, but I love the earthiness of it all! I just got an email from Better Homes and Gardens that has some great fall recipes listed in it. I think I am going to try their spiced rub chicken. It is one of the few I can have since I had gastic bypass and Jeremy doesn't like fruit and meat combos... so I know we will both like that recipe. Plus I think I have everything here for it!

In some other fun news... Lorelei has spend spending the last few days with my parents... in another state! And she is doing fairly well, and I think my parents are surving as well. I just got some cool info about a site that does photo sharing, which we do a lot of since my parents and other family members live in other states- but this site is called Hoorray and go Visit Hoorray today. It seemed like a very easy to use site!

We can do it!

2008-10-06T11:16:00.001-04:00

Want to more for children around the world and make an impact on those who are running for president? Please go to this site and fill out the form to send a letter to the men running for that office. We can make a difference in the lives of children and we can do it today!

So, please go to Visit Global Action for Children and make a difference now!

Vote

2008-10-06T11:06:00.001-04:00

I just found a really cool video in why everyone should vote. I think it is now too late to register if you weren't before, but it isn't too late to get an absentee ballet if you aren't going to be in town that day.

Visit Vote - Don

So please check this out! And Vote!

Getting ready for winter

2008-09-24T06:26:00.003-04:00

Well now that it seems like Fall is finally here, I have been thinking of what we need to do to get ready for Winter. Since soon I will be working 44 hours a week for a while I will have less time at home. So, I have been trying to make a list.

Things to do:
- Plant flower bulbs
- Trim plants for the winter
- Clean out flower pots
- Get seeds for growing herbs inside
- Check gutters
- Look for insulated curtains
- Get a new humidifier for Lorelei's room
- Oil changes for both cars
- Tires moved around on both cars
- New windshild wipers for the red car
- Clean and cover the grill
- Fix the shed (it is one of those rubbermaid ones and it popped a part lol)

Ok, I gotta stop or I am going to get depressed... wow that is a lot of things to do...

Lorelei stories...

2008-09-24T06:15:00.002-04:00

Lorelei is now sleeping in the closet. Yes, her closet. It doesn't have doors on it so don't worry about that but we have no idea why she is doing it. We put her into HER toddler bed (which is her beloved crib slightly changed) and she did great in that for a while but then we noticed all her blankets and pillows in the closet. Then we caught her asleep in the closet.

She also thinks that she should be able to cook at all times. She really wants to use the stove and the knives, which is scaring us a bit needless to say. But, I let her help make things like pancakes (the batter), pudding, season things with salt and pepper but these things are now not good enough.

She is also completely in love with light up exit sign, like the ones we have at church. She LOVES them! She will run up to them and then pet them like they are a dog. A couple of Sundays ago she tried to take the signs with her lol. Needless to say she keeps on our toes!

Yes, I am alive...

2008-09-24T05:52:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, things have been crazy around here the last few weeks. But, things are going to get a little better now which I am so happy for... The gym is still got an opening date for around mid October. I think most of my staff is hired now (we are looking for one more person that is weekend only kind of a thing). All of the women hired seem pretty cool, so I am really excited.

Jeremy is working on new projects at work, so when he gets home he really doesn't want to play Tech Support with my computer. Last week I really thought there was something wrong with our Linksys router, but found out later it was just Verizon messing with stuff. They are upgrading things (which I hoping that means we will soon have FiOS) but who knows on that one.

How are things going for all of you? Anyone else happy for cooler temps besides me?

Hanging out with Friends

2008-09-02T08:47:00.003-04:00

We have a friend at church that is in her 60s and has 2 horses and still rides them! Carolyn just amazes me and shows age is nothing. Of course she will tell you that she hurts a little bit more after a long ride, but she just loves it. Well, she has invited Lorelei and I down to her house to see her horses some time- and yes she didn't invite Jeremy because he is allergic to horses... Well, Lorelei has met a few horses (and ponies) here and there out here in PA and she is such an animal lover so I can't wait to do this with her this fall! But, Carolyn and I were talking about the different saddles and such and she started to list off the different ones she has and so I had her explain to me what english saddles are and how they are different. I think I need to see one because I still don't think I got it right lol.

Well, I think Lorelei is awake- so I better get her up now!

Kids- they keep ya on your toes!

2008-09-02T07:55:00.011-04:00

T. Boone Pickens is on right now on GMA and wow he is so interesting. I am sure some of you have seen this TV ads about http://www.pickensplan.com/ and using wind, solar, and natural gas instead of oil and gas. I think that he is amazing. I had seen his ads in the past and do agree with him on a lot of things. Natural gas is every where in the USA- and we don't have to pay some country across the ocean for it. Also why not use the Great Plains as a pick wind farm. Think of all the engery we could make from that!! And why not use the desert for something good (I used to live there and well nothing good is there lol) think of the solar panel farms... we can do amazing things HERE with what we have NATURALLY!

In other news... Lorelei has forced our hands in something lol... We had to take the doors off our tv stands. She kept getting in them and shutting the door and playing with the electrial strips. So the doors have came off for now... so now you get to see the mess of DVDs we have lol...

Ugh Storms Sucks

2008-09-02T07:55:00.008-04:00

My mom and I were talking about the storm victims that keep popping up all over the USA. Well, it doesn't help that it seems that all sides of the USA keeps getting hit by these storms. Heck, PA might be hit by Hanna- how crazy is that... and add to it we are back into the 90s here in eastern PA. Well, with my mom being a RN, she is always worried about the sick when storms hit like this and I don't blame her at all! Can you imagine trying to get out of your home if you have heart or lung issues? I'm just glad there are things like portable oxygen concentrator to help out people like that... because lets face it breathing is a very important issue!

My first Post-Op Meeting...

2008-09-02T07:55:00.005-04:00

On Saturday I went to my first support meeting for being post-op for gastric bypass. It was interesting. I still don't know how I feel about it, but now I have gone to one at least! One woman there talked about everything she had tried before hand and she really tried everything safely and the weight never came off. And I can completely understand that and how frustrated I was when I was doing everything "right" and the weight never came off. She then started to talk about her mom and sister and how they "hate" her because she has lost all this weight now and they are trying to lose weight but they aren't doing it in a healthy way. They are taking 3 to 6 different diet pills to help them lose the weight. And they didn't talk to their doctor first either. That scares me- always talk to your doctor first when it comes to pills because their are some very safe ones out there... just not sure if one should mix 6 different ones together!

Just Leave Her Alone!

2008-09-02T07:55:00.002-04:00

So, what does everyone think about Gov. Palin and her pregnant daughter? Me, well, I don't think it is any of our business. People are now harping how can she be a Christian with a knocked up daughter... umm how many of you can control every single little things your children do, esp. when they are teenagers!??! I know I am having issues with Lorelei and she is only 2! People need to back off and leave the kids alone! Even Obama is ticked off at the media for how they are harassing this family. I think we should be proud that the daughter is keeping the child and that her mother didn't try to cover it up- because we know a lot of people would of killed that child with an abortion or their parents would of covered it up... so people back off of them and let them have the space to deal with this issue on their own! Not like she was trying to install home theater carpet while 5 months pregnant or something crazy like that... please just leave her alone- being pregnant is already stressfull enough!

Getting up early sucks!

2008-09-02T07:44:00.002-04:00

Well, I am trying to get used to getting up earlier for the new job at Gold's Gym. And it completely sucks without caffine! Needless to say I am pretty sure that I will be falling asleep later on the couch, lol!

But, in Lorelei news- she is totally in love with all animals. Puppies (all dogs are puppies to her) and Meowies (cats- she first called them kitties- then Meows- now they are Meowies) are on the top of her lists. To make it worse is that my in-laws have 2 dogs that she just loves and then we have some cats tht wonder into our backyard that belong to our neighbors that our outside cats. Well, Lore is sure she is going to get a cat. Well, that can't happen since Jeremy and his mom and his brother are all allergic to cats. But, when we would go to the pet store to get stuff for the fish (which they are both dead) she would try to take a cat and then go for the cat supplies because almost all of them have photos of Meowies on them. You would think that at the age of 2 that her 4 stuffed cats would be enough- but no!

Kids... they keep ya on your toes lol...

Oh the Joys of Losing Weight

2008-08-25T19:57:00.002-04:00

Lots of crazy things going around here! Last week we went to Hershey Park (thanks to some free tickets) and had a blast. But, of course because I have lost all the fat off the bottom of my feet well it did get to be a bit painful towards the end and still hurt 2 days later! But, it was really a great time!

I am also happy to report we finally got our new car insurance cards thanks to a stupid mistake by the dealership! I did get a free inspection out of their mistake... but it just made me happy to finally have that stupid piece of paper. But, while Jeremy and I were dealing with that mess last week, we got to talking about things we should update since I have lost weight. I am putting off getting a new driver's licences as long as I can... but I think by the time I hit 180 I will have to get a new one no matter what. But we also might want to start getting some life insurance quotes to see if we can get a better deal. Right now I currently have the same policy since I was a child- aka enough to put me in the ground but that is it... We would like to get something better than that incase something would happen to Jeremy and I at the same time to make sure Lorelei is ok. We also have to draw up a will still. Still have no idea who to leave her to at all. Ugh I hate grown up stuff!

But, I am going to watch some movies I recorded last week since Lorelei is in bed and I can watch them in peace now!

Barbequed Pork Wrap

2008-08-19T08:57:00.002-04:00

On my WLS message board one of the women went to LA and got to meet Richard Simmons and took some of his classes at his gym, Slimmons. Afterwards she got to go to his home and meet his dogs! How cool is that...

Well, digging on his site I found he has recipes and I really thought that this one was cool- Barbequed Pork Wrap. Now I would have to use a sugar free BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece makes one) and use SF preserves and use a low carb tortillas or just skip that part hehehe... but this is a great recipe for everyone!

Serves 4

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2-4oz Lean boneless pork loin
1 Tb Minced garlic
1 Tb Light soy sauce
2 Tb Barbeque sauce
1 Tb Apricot preserves
1-2 tsp Hot sauce to taste
4 Small flour tortillas
1 Cup shredded or chopped cabbage

Methods/steps
1. Mix together soy sauce, barbeque sauce, apricot preserves, and hot sauce.
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat.
3. Sauté garlic for about 2 minutes and then add pork loin.
4. Braise pork on both sides until brown and then add sauce mixture.
5. Cover skillet and heat on low for about 10-15 minutes, if sauce gets too thick add a little water.
6. Slice up pork into ½” slices and roll in flour tortillas with shredded cabbage.

Nutritional Information:
234 Calories, 15 gm Protein, 24 gm Carbohydrate, 8.5 gm Fat, 34 mg Cholesterol, 508 mg Sodium

FoodMover windows to close:
2 Protein, ½ Fruit, 1 Vegetable, ½ Fat

Are you getting your exercise grove on today?

2008-08-18T13:34:00.002-04:00

I am just wondering what you all do when you go to the gym? I am always looking for new ideas to add to my work outs, and I am sure many of you are looking to do the same!

For me I normally warm up and then lift for 40 min to an hour. I work on my stomach area, back, arms, and then some legs. Right now leg wise I am working on the outter and inner parts of my thighs to help strenghten that area after my multi vists a week to the chiropractor to fix my right hip. I had basically thrown it out of aligement to do the rapid weight loss. So, to make sure that this doesn't happen again, I make sure that every time I work out I target those areas. The only other leg thing I do is the leg press. I am up to 110 on that weight wise- doing about 50 reps on it.

Arm wise I go through about 5 different machines that work all areas of the arms and shoulders- I can lift from 30 to 55 pounds right now depending on the machine. In a few weeks when I can resign up with my trainer, I am hoping we can add some more back exercises to the mix. Right now I am only doing 2 of them- but I am lifting about 60 to 75 on them. Tummy wise- ugh my weakest area! But then again, I did have a c-section and then 7 more holes added to me because of my gastric bypass... here depending on what I am doing I can lift from 10 to 65 pounds. 10 is on the ab bench- ugh that thing kicks my butt. So, for the most part I try to only do sit ups on the balance ball. Today I did 50 situps, and then I used 3 other machines to work some other tummy muscles.

Then to wrap everything up, I did 11.22 mins on the treadmill going 3.2 with an incline of 1.0 and then 11.30 mins on the precore keeping mets above 7 and really booked it on it. Once I got done my legs felt like jello, so I didn't do any other cardio so I didn't hurt myself.

So, what are you doing to get your exercise grove on today?

Whoop... great ideas for fall through winter!

2008-08-15T11:41:00.002-04:00

The new Holiday Mini from Stampin' Up! is now up for all to see! It has some great things in it if you are crafty but not into stamping. Also some great gift ideas for anyone that is crafty to arty! All I know is that my wish list is growing by leaps and bounds right now! I really love the snowflake window cling-ons and I know Lorelei will love them too!

I GOT IT!

2008-08-13T11:32:00.000-04:00

Well, Adam finally called today… and I got the Director of Babysitting… whoop I’m a director of something… lol… now I need all of you to pray that the gym opens at the begining of Sept! I feel so bad for Adam because I think the contruction crew is dragging things out… a lot! So he is really stressed… he needed a mini vacation and left Thursday night for the shore and didn’t get back till last night… but he is still in the process of hiring the other babysitters… so that part should be interesting… never been in charge of people and not have a say over who is hired before… but I get a free gym membership (so my current one will get transfered to Jeremy) but I forgot to ask how much I was going to get paid lol… opps… I was just so happy!

Grilled Roasted Pepper, Red Onion, and Mozzarella Pizzas

2008-08-13T11:27:00.002-04:00

I got this recipe today in an email and it looked so good I had to share it all with you! Plus this is keeping me thinking that my neighbors across the street are strange! Let me explain, we have the AC off and the windows open and I can hear every word they are saying/yelling at their kids about. Hehehe. Don't even have to try to be nosey in my neighborhood thanks to the mountain bouncing sound lol. But back to the recipe- this would be a great recipe for a casual dinner party. And would be easy to make a ton of these if you were having a big party- such as a block party. Hehehe. Enjoy what is left of summer ya'll!

Grilled Roasted Pepper, Red Onion, and Mozzarella Pizzas (Phases 2 & 3)

Makes 4 servings

Description
Buying tomato sauce and roasted peppers at the supermarket makes easy work of these crispy pizzas. Make sure you slice the onion very thin, allowing it to impart its flavor without overwhelming the other toppings. If you like, add a sprinkling of any fresh herbs you have on hand just before serving, and be sure to break out the red pepper flakes for those who prefer some heat.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
4 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortillas
1⁄4 cup canned tomato sauce
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1 cup)
1⁄2 cup roasted red pepper (from a jar), cut into 1⁄4-inch-wide strips
1⁄2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill tortillas until lightly puffed and browned on the bottom, about 1 minute. Transfer to a cutting board, grilled side up. Spread tortillas evenly with tomato sauce and top with equal portions of cheese, red pepper, and onion.

Return pizzas to the grill, topping side up. Cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Transfer pizzas to 4 plates, sprinkle with salt, and season with black pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information
210 calories
8 g total fat (3.5 g sat)
22 g carbohydrate
10 g protein
4 g fiber
610 mg sodium

Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

2008-08-12T15:07:00.003-04:00

This summer I really enjoyed watching The Next Food Network Star on the Food Network. And at the end I was pulling for the 2 guys. While the girl seemed to have everything that she needed what she cooked didn't appeal to me (well not at this point at least). Both guys were from the Philly area, one from Philly the other right across the bridges in NJ. They both had hit hard times and were really trying to make it. Well, after watching the newest show from Aaron McCargo, Jr. (his show btw is called Big Daddy's House) I am hooked. Now a lot of the recipes I will have to change up some because of fat and sugar content because of my gastric bypass there are still a lot that I won't have to change such as Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad. Now he served this with NY Strip au Poirve and Herb Potatoes au Gratin. I could eat the steak without the sauce and have a tiny portion of the potatoes but that wouldn't matter because Jeremy LOVES Au Gratin potatoes! So, once I find a cheaper cut of steak to use I will be fixing this sometime in the future for us!

But, Lorelei just woke from her nap, so puter time is over!

Chillin on the Mountain

2008-08-06T22:14:00.002-04:00

One of our future plans for out little townhouse, is fixing up the backyard. You see our backyard is a mountain. While it isn't a huge mountain, it is a mountain no less and we have a less than steller looking patio- but we do have a great view up the mountain.

After redoing the patio, I would like to get some very nice patio furniture. You know the kind that will last for years and years to come. And because of all the birds, trees, and other things in nature that happen on a side of a mountain we will need patio furniture covers to keep the stuff looking nice. I really love the look of the Adirondack Chairs but I also would love to have a Double Chaise Lounge so I can curl up and read a book while Lorelei destroys everything in sight lol. Plus it would be big enough for her to curl up with me or Jeremy for a romantic night in. But, that would mean getting rid of her little play slide, sand table, and her other toys lol.

But, I am off to finish watching Pride and Prejudice on Oxygen.

Still no word, but fun crafting post

2008-08-06T15:13:00.001-04:00

Well, I still haven't heard... I saw my trainer last night at the gym and he was surprised that I hadn't heard anything... but he said not to worry... so hard for me to do... Chas is right God always provides... but I suck at waiting... really really suck... but here I am still waiting... I get it God... I gotta work on my waiting skills...

So, today I have been doing laundry (aka folding and putting away) and Lore has been a cling-on... whiny and has to be in my sights at all times... which makes it hard to do stuff... can't figure out what she is so scared of me not being around...

I also learned that after putting my daily eats on an online food journal that I am again not eating enough vs what I am working off... I normally work out for an hour and half to 2 hours... and burning off around 450 to 800 calories... no matter what I do by the end of the day I need to eat 1200 calories... so this is why I am stalling again... blah... oh yeah my snacks need to be at least 150 calories... but last night I didn't work out as hard so I didn't have to come home and eat a bunch... lol...

But, yesterday was fun... I got to get together with my Stampin' Up! team mates at my upline's house and got to make stuff... so before I show you the fun stuff I got to see... I am going to tell you about the specials... some have a time limit on them... and now through SU, I can take credit cards and debit cards through their website... I have been told the new catty goes live on the 11th of this month... I am also not ordering catalogs for customers... save you all $10 bucks... because you can look at it for free online... and it is a little greener...

- Never Before Seen Promotion

- Big Shot Special Edition Starter Kit

Big Shot Approved Materials
Cut through the following 50 materials using steel rule dies and your Big Shot machine. Please note the maximum thickness of several materials.
Brass (.055)
Light weight steel
Aluminum (.016)
Tin (.008)
Aircraft plywood (1/64")
Basswood (1/16")
Balsa (3/32")
Paperwood
Mat board (adhesive or none)
Chipboard
Fabric
Silicone
Foam with chipboard (.1)
Corrugated pad
Adhesive-backed cork
Fine sandpaper (.00)
Strene
Extra thick template plastic
Template plastic
Plastic canvas (7 mesh)
Bubble wrap
Sheet foam
Friendly (jewelry) plastic
100% pure beeswax (cut with parchment paper on top & bottom of beeswax)
Adhesive and non-adhesive rubber
Ruffleboard
Static cling vinyl
Warm & natural batting
Fusible fleece
Quilt batting
Adhesive and non-adhesive flexible magnet
Heat n' shrink plastic
Adhesive and non-adhesive felt
Pop-up sponge
Shiny self-adhesive and non-adhesive paper
Iron-on fabric
Poly foam adhesive and non adhesive
3-D illusionary plastic
Glow in the dark adhesive and non adhesive
Suede paper
Funky fur
Personal Embossing Plastic (PEP)
Shaggy plush felt
Canvas
Vinyl flooring
Shelf lining
Placement
Embossing rubber
Thin leather
Gasket material

Fall-Winter Sampler Promotions -Dates: August 11, 2008-January 18, 2009
Promotion Details:
New Recruit Incentive: August 11-October 11, 2008
Join as a demonstrator with the standard $199 Starter Kit and choose one stamp set out of the Fall-Winter Sampler or Idea Book & Catalog for free.
Hostess Incentive: October 1-November 30, 2008
Host a $350 workshop and choose one stamp set from the Fall-Winter Sampler for free.

- Your Business, Your Choice - this is great if you want to get some of the products but don't want to drop $199 for the full kit.

Ok now to fun photos...

Ok here are some shots of the new stamp sets from the new catalog... the first one is for Shanny...

Here are some of the holiday sets...

Now here are some other sets and accessories...

And there are even more photos on my flickr... I know many of you craft in different ways and I am a firm believer that you can can take any idea and transfer it to another medium... so enjoy! And so something creative!

Misc stuff... and I still suck at waiting..

2008-08-06T09:53:00.004-04:00

I am so excited for my in-laws. My FIL is a pastor, and for most of his married life things have always been very tight money wise for my in-laws. My MIL has taught me ways of saving money at the grocery store that my mom never knew, etc. Well, things have gotten better for them over time money wise. Well, they just bought an HDTV (they got a great deal on it) and they just got (well after 3 weeks of waiting) verizon's tv package. So, now they have channels they have never ever had, a sweet tv, and they are now saving up for a home theater package.

It just proves that God does work in great ways. And keep praying for me and the job with Gold's Gym... I was told that I would know something this week, and here it is Wednesday already lol.

BTW, if you are looking for a great family movie, I liked watching The Game Plan that has the Rock in it. There wasn't any cussing it which is really nice when you have a 2 year old that is repeating things... but has a great message about love, family, etc... check it out!

Welcome Anne...

2008-08-05T15:48:00.002-04:00

One of my team mates from Stampin' Up! has just started her own blog. Please welcome and visit Anne's blog. She is an amazing mom and so talented with what she creates! She just started it in the last few days so please be patient as she adds more and more of her creations to the blog!

Gratitude Lists...

2008-08-05T15:28:00.004-04:00

On my WLS message board people were talking about Gratitude Lists. So, I did some digging on Ask.com and found this site. It is a sermon, but I thought that this might help others besides me. I think I might try to do a mini scrapbook of my Gratitude List. If you do the same please let me know and then we can share pictures of what we have...

Will they call already!

2008-08-05T15:28:00.000-04:00

Still nothing from Gold's Gym... ugh they are killing me lol...

But yesterday I got to watch some things I recorded from Food Network... such as Big Daddy's House... and LOVE these recipes... I made the chicken fingers tonight for dinner! I am going to make the others later... but they never showed the dessert recipe on TV... and it took them until tonight to post the recipes... and well I had to wing it for the chicken fingers... but I was pretty dead on... too bad I delete everything as I watch it lol... so I couldn't just go back to the show...

But, I am off to finish watching the Closer... and hoping Lorelei stays in bed... she has drank 2 full sippies of milk, 3 diaper changes and one of those was poop... 3 poopy diapers today... hasn't done that in a while lol...

So, I hope to hear something tomorrow about the job... I suck at waiting!

In A Pickle with Money?

2008-08-05T14:58:00.003-04:00

We all know that things are kind of in a pickle here in the USA right now money wise. Many people I know are living from paycheck to paycheck and having a hard time doing so, and my family is one of them. It seems no matter how hard we try things just don't even out. The cost of groceries are up, the cost of gas is up, yet pay for most people in the USA hasn't gone up to offset the rising cost of gas and groceries.

Now, I know things are as bad for us as it is for some friends of ours from church. They are barely holding on to their home, etc... I know that they could use some help when it comes to Debt relief and could use some Credit counseling. I know they are trying to make it work. And I try to pray for them as much as possible, I really hope that they won't have to declare Bankruptcy.

I know that the tax credit helped a lot of people out this year, but I really don't think it was enough. I think that the government needs to do more to help people out that are just barely making it. More and more Americans are slipping out of middle class into lower middle class aka known as the working poor. I know one friend just doesn't understand how it can happen, but I grew up in a working poor family. I know there was some weeks for school I didn't have lunch money, and the school covered it. I also know that I didn't get to do a lot of things because of the lack of money as well. I was fine with doing without. But so many people think they have to be that perfect soccer mom, or their kids have to be perfect so they have to take all these classes and lessons... and the next thing you know you barely have enough money to get to the next paycheck. We need to stop thinking "gotta keep up with the Jones" kind of mentality!

I think things like Debt consolidation are a great thing if people can get their heads on straight about it. I don't know maybe they need something like a Debt help class?

I know things for us will start to look up once I get a new job, which I am hoping to hear about this week. I was really hoping to hear yesterday, lol.

That is why I really like this Bills IQ. You can see very quickly how things look for you with what you owe. It could be a fairly low score depending on your Credit card debt, but it might also point out that it might be a good thing if you Consolidate debt. I know that when Jeremy and I consolidated our student loans it was a good thing!

There are days where I just hate money. Because no matter what I just can't get it to stretch the way I need to, but when there are places like BillsIQ I know there is hope for my family and my friends at church. I know that we can slowly make it. Sometimes it just means we need some extra help to do it!

50 things about me

2008-08-05T14:38:00.003-04:00

Found this over at my friend Shanny's blog and thought that since I'm in the mood to be silly I would share it all with you...

1. Do you like blue cheese? gross, no.

2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? umm no... it is gross, dirty, and I'm very allergic to it..

3. Do you own a gun? no... guns should be for hunting for food only

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? none- because it is just nothing but sugar water

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? lol no- been so many times nothing surprises me anymore...

6. Do you like hot-dogs? Yeah, but don't really eat them anymore

7. Favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I normally have a protein drink in the morning or one of my sugar free flavored waters

9. Can you do push-ups? yep... up to 20 now

10. What’s your favorite meal? grilled steak with mushrooms with fat free beef gravy and some kind of potatoes and mixed veggies

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding band but it is too big to wear anymore

12. Favorite hobby? scrapbooking, rubber stamping, drawing, oil painting (once Lore is big enough not to eat the paint), getting into jewelry making, and I would love to learn how to do stain glass, weld, and so on...

13. Do you work with people who idolize you? lol no

14. Name a trait that you hate about yourself? ummm not sure if it is a trait... but i hate to clean...

16. Middle name? Delena Ferne Jarrard

17. Name 3 thoughts at this moment: Why haven't I heard from Gold's Gym about the job yet, I really need to fold laundry, I need to start on dinner for tonight, I need to do some bloggy stuff, I need to finish cleaning my office and getting my stamping/scrapbooking stuff together, I wish I had $300 to get the new SU/Sizzix Big Shot...

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday: wel groceries- whole milk, skim milk, skinless/boneless chicken boobies

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? water, protein shakes, protein/fruit shakes

20. Current worry right now? Finding a new job and getting more hours at LBO

21. Current hate right now? not losing weight again and not having money

22. Favorite place to be? Home or at the gym

23. How did you bring in New Years? spent it sleeping...

24. Favorite place to go? I don't know... haven't been on a true vacation ever lol

25. Name three people who will complete this? no idea

26. Whose answer do you want to read the most? Everyones!

27. What color shirt are you wearing? royal blue shirt with a light blue screen print design over it... aka one of my work out shirts

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? never have so i don't know

29. Can you whistle? yeppers

30. Favorite color(s)? blue, white, green, yellow- and shades and hues of those colors as well

31. Would you be a pirate? only if I didn't got to hell for being bad...

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? only sing when lore is in there... and it is normally twinkle twinkle little star

33. Favorite girl’s name? Lorelei

34. Favorite boy’s name? not sure

35. What’s in your pocket right now? no pockets

36. Last thing that made you laugh? Lorelei dancing to Word World

37. Bed sheets as a child? they were plain... so either white, light pink or blue

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had? blew out my ankle

39. Do you love where you live? It has it's good points and it's bad points... every place does

40. How many tv’s are in your house? 4

41. Who is your loudest friend? umm I don't know lol... I think it is me lol

42. How many dogs do you have? zero... but Lore would love a dog... just can't afford one

43. Does someone have a crush on you? not that i know of

45. What is your favorite book? The Hobbit, LOTR ones, anything by C.S. Lewis, the Bible, Christian fiction, and so many more

46. What is your favorite candy? don't like candy

47. What is your favorite sports team? UCLA Bruins, Indy Pacers, the Cowboys till they got TO... so no football team really unless some times the colts... hate baseball... MLS- is coming to Philly so I am sure that I will like them... I used to follow the Maple Leaves a lot till I got married...

48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Something fun... like something from They Might Be Giants fun and silly...

49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? sleeping

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? GOTTA PEE NOW

So, I you wanna do this... please just copy it and do it on your blog or email... enjoy! Also please pray that I get the job I want at Gold's Gym... Really Need the MONEY!!

Voting...

2008-08-01T09:28:00.002-04:00

I really really don't like either person that is running for president... I again felt like I was going to have to vote for the lesser evil kind of a thing once November hit. Well, after listening this week to NPR, I have found my man that I am going to vote for and it is Bob Barr for the Libertarian Party. I am registered to vote as a Libertarian, so I couldn't even vote in the primaries because in PA only Reps and Dems can vote (which btw sucks). So, this is who I am voting for because I am really sick of BIG govenment because all they do is mess things up more for me!

Go learn more about Bob and his running mate today! You might be really surprised and like what they have to say!

Please pray

2008-07-30T20:47:00.000-04:00

I just lost my job with the insurance guy because the list he bought for me to call on isn’t great- it is a lot of wrong numbers and disconnetcs… so maybe later he will have me do it again… but for now I lost my job and it wasn’t even my fault… and I have no idea what to do… so please pray for us…

Dealing with a Loss...

2008-07-30T20:21:00.003-04:00

On March 26th, 2008 Jeremy's grandmother, Clara, died from Alzheimers. She was the perfect grandmother until this beastly disease took away all her memories, her independence, and her quality of life. This photo is of her grave where she is buried next to her husband (Jeremy's grandfather) back in April. It was hard losing her because she never got a chance to know Lorelei and I wanted to get a lot of her stories down on paper to later scrapbook. But, I will never get that chance nor will Lorelei. I always loved that Clara means Bright or Light and that is what she was to everyone that met her. She had an amazing spirit, mounds of love for everyone, had grace, and such a great relationship with God. She was a member of the same church for over 50 years! Can you imagine that now a days?

Last year I wanted to be apart of the Alzheimer's Memory Walk but timing wise it just wasn't right for us. I was healing up and adjusting to my gastric bypass and then the next thing I knew it was Christmas time. Still don't know where those months went too lol. But I just looked online and saw that there are 2 walks coming up at Kutztown- October 11th and Lancaster- September 27th. I am hoping that I can be a part of at least one of those walks if not both of them. I would love to be a team captain and have a team all walking in the memory of Clara. To spread her love and her spirit with everyone.

Here is some basic information about the walk from them:

The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® is the nation's largest event to raise
awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on
volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer's.
There are walks in more than 600 communities. A typical Memory Walk is a 2-3
mile walk held on a weekend morning in the fall. By teaming up with
the Alzheimer's Association, you can walk with a purpose – and move us closer to
a world without Alzheimer's. Together, we can MOVE a nation.

I don't know about you, but my family was robbed by Alzheimer's. If hadn't been for this horrible disease, we would of had many more years with Grandma Clara instead of the few short years that we ended up having. Please join me and others as we walk to rid this country of this disease!

BC- Moroccan Chicken with Olives

2008-07-29T15:20:00.003-04:00

I love spices and bold flavors. It is something that I didn't have to give up because I had gastric bypass and I am so thankful for that because the way I see it a life without spices isn't worth living. But, then again it could be that I have a lazy susan in my kitchen cabinets that is full of all kind of seasonings and herbs at my finger tips. I use spices so much that Lorelei knows how to sprinkle in spices...So with that being said... here is a great recipe for anyone- but I myself would eat this with some Moroccan styled veggies and skip the carb laden couscous/rice/flat bread. This is on my plan of attack (aka meal planning) for the week. If you fix this let me know what you thought of the recipe. Enjoy!

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cut-up whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup Kalamata or Greek olives
1 medium lemon, sliced
Hot cooked couscous or rice, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Stir together cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt, turmeric, ginger and garlic. Rub mixture on all sides of chicken.

3. Coat chicken with flour. Place chicken in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Stir together water, lemon juice and bouillon granules; pour over chicken. Add olives and lemon slices.

4. Bake uncovered about 1 hour, spooning liquid over chicken occasionally, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Serve with couscous.

Nutrition Information
1 Serving: Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 135 ); Total Fat 15 g (Saturated Fat 4 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 600 mg; Total Carbohydrate 9 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 28 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 20 %; Vitamin C 8 %; Calcium 4 %; Iron 16 % Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 4 Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Did You Know...
Turmeric is an aromatic spice with a brilliant yellow color and a pungent, slightly bitter flavor. Often used in Indian and Caribbean cooking, turmeric is commonly added to poultry, rice, seafood and egg dishes.

Substitution
Kalamata olives garnish this Moroccon dish to add a slightly salty flavor. Greek or even ripe olives can be used if you can't get Kalamata olives.

Serve With
Dress up this dish for entertaining when you serve it beside couscous with raisins and Middle Eastern flatbread.

All-Recipes: Banana Nut Bread Baked in a Jar

2008-07-29T09:29:00.002-04:00

This has to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen! This recipe was submitted by Linda Jean to All-Recipes.com. This is the time to get canning jars and then save them and this recipe for Christmas time to make gifts for friends, family, teachers, etc... This would also be fun for someone's birthday, or even a family reunion because then everyone could take one home with them. I think I might try this recipe by using Splenda instead of sugar to see what the out come might be, and I would have to buy shortening as well because I don't have any of that in the house either lol. Let me know if you try this recipe. It got great reviews on All-Recipes' site. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup shortening
2 2/3 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup chopped pecans

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 45 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 5 Min
Original recipe yield 8 (1 pint) jars

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease insides of 8 (1 pint) straight sided, wide mouth canning jars.

2. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, bananas, and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to banana mixture. Stir in nuts.

3. Pour mixture into greased WIDE MOUTH pint jars, filling 1/2 full of batter. Do NOT put lids on jars for baking. Be careful to keep the rims clean, wiping off any batter that gets on the rims.

4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, sterilize the lids and rings in boiling water.

5. As soon as cake is done, remove from oven one at a time, wipe rims of jars and put on lid and ring. Jars will seal as cakes cool. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to "ping" as they seal. If you miss the "ping", wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it's sealed.

6. Jars should be eaten immediately or kept sealed in refrigerator for up to a week.

BC- Jamaican Jerk Chicken

2008-07-29T09:13:00.003-04:00

I have a huge bag of chicken breasts in the freezer. So, I was on the hunt for some recipes that I could use for all of that chicken to:
A: Help me save money- aka don't need any special items to make the dish
B: WLS friendly- aka no added sugar and high protein
C: Easy to make- aka I can make this with Lorelei hanging onto my legs

Well thanks to getting emails I signed up for on Betty Crocker's website I got an awesome recipe and coupons to boot! But, after digging around on their site I found a href="Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Now Jeremy likes spicy and hates the whole sweet/fruity thing when it comes to meat. A lot of Jerk Chicken recipes I have seen have a lot of sugar/brown sugar in them so I can't eat them but Jeremy also won't like them. This recipe looks like a lot of heat in it, but the veggies will act like a coolent for your taste buds.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pounds)

1. Heat oil in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook remaining ingredients except chicken in oil about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until bell pepper is crisp-tender; cool.

2. Place chicken and bell pepper mixture in shallow glass dish; turn chicken to coat with pepper mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 3 hours, turning chicken occasionally.

3. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.

4. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Cover and grill chicken 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Nutrition Information

1 Serving: Calories 145 (Calories from Fat 35 ); Total Fat 4 g (Saturated Fat 1 g); Cholesterol 75 mg; Sodium 210 mg; Total Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 27 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4 % Exchanges: 4 Very Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

PS- Also found this on the recipe site... TADA Food Knowledge-
Did You Know...
“Jerking” is the Jamaican cooking technique of slowly cooking spicy marinated meat or poultry over a fire of green allspice branches until the meat “jerks” off the bone.

Certifications Change Your Life!

2008-07-28T16:49:00.003-04:00

Jeremy and I have done a lot of talking about how to make things better for us. For me it would be going back to college and getting a BS in Nutrition and then get some kind of certification in personal training because with my BA in graphic design and mass comm I can do all my own PR work. For Jeremy since he is a IT guy, basically he is in networking he would need to get certifications in a number of different areas. One of the main areas is Cisco certification. They use a lot of different Cisco products at work, so if he got the certification then he would go up on the experience ladder at work.

It is amazing how something as simple as getting your certification can change your life but it can in a blink of an eye. Such as promotions at work, pay raises, or even jumping ship and landing a new job because of the ever growing fields of technology.

I know that Jeremy would start with CCENT Certification, which is the entry-level network support position. Having this would prove that he would have the knowledge and skill to install, operate, and troubleshoot a network and network security. He basically knows that stuff now, but the certification would just back that up. What is great is there is no prerequisite for this class. He would have an exam and they also recommend ICND1 (Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1). After that he could start working on getting his CCDA certification which is an associate level certification (a step up from entry-level). This is really what Jeremy needs. But, everything needs to be done in order, you know baby steps.

I know that Jeremy would love to have this training so he could have more responsibilities at work, but he also loves a challenge. I know that he is bored at work, and these certifications would really open up a lot of doors for Jeremy in so many different areas. I know that one of Jeremy goals this year is to be studying and learning more and more about his field. He didn't have that time really in the last 2 years because of us moving and then the birth of Lorelei. But now he does have some more free time to work on these goals which can only lead to success for him!

No Sugar Added Cherry Cheesecake

2008-07-28T16:44:00.003-04:00

I got this recipe in an email from BariatricEating.com months ago. And it is such a great recipe that everyone would enjoy besides people that have had gastric bypass or are diabetic. Now, I didn't add the pecans when I made mine because my daughter still wasn't the greatest at chewing up her food, but when I plan to make this next I will be adding them back in for the extra protein. But, I had a friend make this and use peanuts for a nice sweet and salty feel to the dish. So, I might try that as well! But this would be a great dish to add fresh summer strawberries too instead of cherries and then just use a sugar free strawberry jelly! Enjoy!

No Sugar Added Cherry Cheesecake

12 Murray sugar free Oatmeal or Shortbread cookies
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons melted butter
Two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
1 cup Splenda granulated (not the packets)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
One jar Smuckers Sugar Free Cherry Preserves
One 12 ounce bag frozen pitted cherries

PREHEAT oven to 325°F

PULSE cookies, nuts, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground; add melted butter, and blend until evenly moistened. Press very firmly onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan or 9 inch deep dish pie plate and set aside.

BEAT cream cheese, Splenda, sour cream, and vanilla with electric mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just well blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. If using springform pan, loosen cake from side of pan; cool before removing side of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Melt jar of preserves in small saucepan over medium heat, and add cherries, tossing to coat. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. Just before serving, spoon on the cherry topping arranging the fruit to one half inch of outside edge of cake.

I suck at waiting...

2008-07-28T16:36:00.003-04:00

Last week I interviewed for a job at Gold's Gym, a job that would help my family is so many different ways it isn't even funny! Well, I know the interview went well, my trainer friend told me it went well and that I will get some kind of a job out of it because he talked to the manager. So, last week I made a thank you card and left it at the gym for the manager to get... and yes it is still the right thing to do in leaving a thank you card for a job interview!

Today I followed up with a phone call, only to be told that he has another interview this week for the job I was going for and he will let me know what is going on next week. I am horrible at waiting. I always am, and I always will be... and I know God is working on that with me. But, I could really use some prayers on this and the whole money situation as well. Living paycheck to paycheck is hard enough but add in the rising cost of food and gas each week it is just killing us. And I know that my family isn't the only one in that same boat. So, pray for everyone that is having a hard time with money (aka being able to pay bills etc...) in general...

Lorelei Funnies

2008-07-28T16:36:00.000-04:00

ok we all know that Lore is her own special little self… with more personality than any 2 year old should have… so here are some funnies for the week…

I got some free plugs- tampons- in the mail… because of the hard core teething she has been doing the last 3 months she has sugar free popcicles daily… sometimes 5 a day… and those are the days were she just cries allllllll day! Well she thought the tampons were popcicles… and yep she tried to eat them… Jeremy was busting up on the couch and kept saying you got a few more years before you will need those lol…

Lore also rather be naked… she has been undressing herself since she was 3m old… so her wanting to be naked all the time… well no biggie… at least to me… and no naked butts on the new couch! Well she has a little dress up/play skirt that is shiny and see through… yep… she wears just that… and it doesn’t stay on her waist at all… her butt hangs out… what is really funny is when she starts to dance in it lol… omg that little butt crack hanging out is just too much lol… Lord help us when she gets older lol…

And then last night… I made some fat free popcorn… and the girl is trying to use her toes to eat it… then is standing in the bowl… naked… smashing the popcorn up… I think that is Jeremy’s side of the family sneaking out…

BTW- miss wiggles is SOOOO NOT IN HER BED- gotta love nap and bedtime… I can hear her trying to escape! I am so glad that I was smart enough to remember to child proof her door knob… mahahahaha… one for mommy (oh yeaH- I’m not mommy anymore… I am Shanna… and she calls Jeremy… daddy, mommy and Jeremy…) but I keep hearing her thumbing on the door and the door knob cover thinging spining around and around… this has been going on for over an hour… and this morning she was up at 3:30am… ugh… girl needs to sleep!

Gotta love shopping

2008-07-28T10:08:00.002-04:00

I go to the gym a lot! And I mean a lot! And I have an arm band for holding my ipod nano and I just love it! But, I am starting to have the issue that it isn't dry the next time I workout. So, I wanted to get a 2nd one so I can rotate through them and later if Jeremy starts to go to the gym he can use one as well.

So, I started to look around and found one that I liked at tigerdirect.com. It is really cute. Look at how cute it is- it is blue (my other one is black) and has a cool thing for holding my ear buds as well.

Well, when I went to check out I saw a cool new way to check out. Instead of using a credit card or even paypal, I can use something called eBill and I can just use it to pay cash. Which is so nice because it is linked straight to my checking account and it was so easy to set up my account as well. After digging around on eBill's site, I saw that you can use it on a lot of other sites. There are 100s of places to shop at using eBill's services. And this is great for people that don't want to use credit cards and want to stay cash only.

Give them a try, and they have specials listed for certain stores as well! All I know is I can't wait to get my new arm band in the mail later this week!

116 down

2008-07-26T08:56:00.002-04:00

Yep that is right… 116 pounds down… and today I wasn’t rewarded with 227… but 224! While on my period no less… ROCK ON… 5 pounds in one weeek… so now I only have to lose 99 more pounds…

I have busted major butt twice at the gym this week… and I still have tomorrow and a training session with my trainer! He is going to be so happy! I haven’t dropped this much weight at once since the begining of Jan. All I know is that about fainted when I saw that 224… such a nice way to wake up this morning and seeing that number… but Lorelei is awake… so off to get her up… but doing a major happy dance here in PA today!

Another thing to be happy about is that it seems with my weight loss has cause my zits to go away. I rarely get zits on my face but on other body locations such as my butt and back of my thighs. Do you know how hard it is to find acne products for those areas, lol!

I hope you all have a great day!

Apple-Jack Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions

2008-07-21T08:25:00.003-04:00

Last week I watchted the Pillsbury Bake Off on the Food Network. And I saw some awesome recipes, but one of the winners for the pizza section looked like a must try! Apple-Jack Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions looks like it will be a winner in my house. Just need to ditch the sugar for Splenda and hide the apples because Jeremy doesn't do meat and fruit together! I would also reduce the butter content as well, I have caramelized onions with only a tablespoon of butter. Just gotta make sure you use a non-stick skillet when you do it. You also don't need the butter for sugar/splenda to melt with the apples. Again use a non-stick skillet, better yet, just use the one the onions came out off and you will have one less thing to wash later.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
2 large sweet onions (such as Maui or Walla Walla), very thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1 unpeeled large Red Delicious apple, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon Domino® or C&H® Granulated Sugar
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup cooked real bacon bits (from 3-oz package)
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese (6 oz)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

DIRECTIONS
1. In 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add sweet onions and thyme; cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove onions from skillet; set aside.

2. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray large cookie sheet with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 14x10-inch rectangle. Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

3. Meanwhile, in same skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add apple and sugar; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted and apple is slightly soft.

4. Spread onion mixture over partially baked crust. Top evenly with chicken, apple mixture, bacon, green onions and cheeses.

5. Bake 10 to 20 minutes longer or until cheeses are melted and crust is golden brown.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

®Land O’ Lakes is a registered trademark of Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
Domino is the registered trademark of American Sugar Refining, Inc. Yonkers, NY 10750C&H is a registered trademark of C&H Sugar Company, Crockett, CA
®CRISCO is a trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company

1 Serving: Calories 450 (Calories from Fat 190); Total Fat 21g (Saturated Fat 12g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 100mg; Sodium 890mg; Total Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 9g); Protein 32g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 25%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Do I get my hopes up?

2008-07-21T08:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I called to follow up on my application and resume at Gold’s Gym about the babysitting job… found out that the other location lost it… so today I went by the new location that is opening by my house (where the hiring is going on at) and dropped off a new resume and filled out another application… came back home (Lore was still sleeping & Jeremy was working from home) and got ready to go workout at the gym at the other location lol… so while I was there I was chating with my trainer and he asked if it would be ok to connact the local paper about my weight loss and inches lost while working out with him… so I said sure… then he said he would talk to the new manager for the new location about getting me the job as not just a baby sitter but as the director of baby sitting… ok how sweet would that be… not idea what it pays or anything but still would be cool! So maybe I wouldn’t need to work at Lane Bryant, etc…

Also… today while I was on the phone canceling our dish network and switching to direct tv (dish ticked me off one to many times and our bill will now be 20 bucks cheaper a month and got the football package for free) Lore was watching tv just relaxing… well Jeremy comes up and asks why Lorelei is naked on the couch and when she saw Jeremy she said OPPS… well the couch was dry… but her put her potty in my office and was sitting on it counting money lol… well I finished up with dish and direct tv and found Lore still on the potty… she smiled and guess what… SHE FINALLY PEED ON THE POTTY!!!! So praised her up and down… and showed her how to clean the potty etc… got her dressed because yes she was still naked lol… and stuck her down for a nap… went down stairs to watch movies I DVRed and will be losing tomorrow and saw the opps… Lore had pooped and took her diaper off… I had little rabbit poop all over the carpet… Jeremy never saw it lol… thank goodness it was little nuggets or I would of killed her lol…

But, I will write later about Lore at VBS later lol… it is pretty funny… but pray for more happy endings on the toliet and this cool job op!

The hidden cost of having WLS...

2008-07-21T08:12:00.003-04:00

A lot of people that are thinking about gastric bypass or even the lap band never think of the hidden costs in having the surgery. They are thinking about how they are going to pay for the surgery, etc... but they don't take into account the cost of new clothes and for women bras, slips, and other things like that quickly add up.

Now when I had mine I knew that was going to cost us a lot, but what I didn't expect was how much our grocery store bill would go up. I'm not even taking about how milk has gone up 20 cents because of rising gas prices for my daughter, but I am talking about $22 for a box of protein bars, $30 for a container of protein powder, the cost of super lean meat which is about $2 to $5 more than the cheaper cuts, the cost of splenda vs sugar, the cost of fat free things like mayo and gravy to name a few.

All and all, our grocery store bill has gone up an extra $150 to $200 a month. A lot of these things that I buy don't have coupons, and when I do get coupons they are like 55 cents, so they can't be doubled at my store. Forget about buying organic or from a CSA, because that is just out of the question.

So, that is why I dream about having a free mortgage loan. Oh the fun I could have cooking if I didn't have to worry about that pesky mortgage payment! I think it is time I start playing the lotto lol!

Mediterranean Minted Peas

2008-07-21T08:05:00.002-04:00

I was looking for a new recipe to go with all the different dishes that we grill. And while I'm not a huge mint fan, I know I have lots of friends that are- so this recipe is for you. By the way, I have had a dish like this before and it was the perfect balance of sweet and salty. I found this recipe via a Pillsbury email, besides having great recipes in these emails when you sign up for them you also get access to their coupons. And who wouldn't want to save some money at the grocery store now a days with the price of gas? BTW, if you have had gastric bypass, you can cut the oil down to a tablespoon and half and still have the wonderful taste of the olive oil, but with a much lower fat content!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Italian plum tomatoes, chopped (1 cup)
1 (15-oz.) can LeSueur® Very Young Small Early Peas, drained
2 oz. (1/2 cup) crumbled feta cheese
4 leaves romaine lettuce
12 kalamata olives, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. In small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, mint and salt; blend with wire whisk until smooth. Add tomatoes, peas and cheese; toss to combine. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

2. To serve, line serving platter or individual plates with lettuce. Spoon salad over lettuce. Garnish with olives.

1 Serving: Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 150); Total Fat 17g (Saturated Fat 4g); Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 660mg; Total Carbohydrate 14g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 5g); Protein 6g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 25%; Vitamin C 25%; Calcium 10%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat; 2 1/2 Fat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Grilled Smoky Eggplant Salad

2008-07-15T09:18:00.002-04:00

I am always looking for new recipes to try because of my gastric bypass. I found this recipe from an email I got today. Now, I have never had eggplant, but of the recipes that I have seen the eggplant dish is just loaded with fat to give it more flavor since it is on the bland side. Grilling is the best way in my eyes to give something bland a new chance at the flavor kingdom. I think veggies take on a sweetness about them when grilled and then add the smokey goodness- I'm telling ya it is just heavenly! If you try this you gotta tell me how it went!

Servings: 6 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Health: Low Calorie, Low Carb, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium

Ingredients:
2 small eggplants (about 1 pound total)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 small plum tomato , diced
1 small clove garlic , chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (see Ingredient Note)
3 cups mixed baby salad greens
2 ounces Manchego cheese , cut into thin curls with a vegetable peeler (see Ingredient Note)

Steps:
1: Preheat grill to medium.
2: Cut stripes in each eggplant’s peel by running a vegetable peeler down the length of it and repeating at about 1-inch intervals. Slice the eggplants into rounds 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Lay them on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
3: Blot the eggplant slices with paper towels and lightly coat both sides with olive oil spray. Grill the eggplant, flipping halfway through, until soft and caramelized on both sides, 9 to 11 minutes total.
4: Puree oil, vinegar, tomato, garlic, paprika and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until well combined.
5: Toss salad greens with half the vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Arrange the eggplant slices on 6 salad plates. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Place the salad greens over and between the eggplant slices, then scatter the cheese curls on top of each salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition: (Per serving)
Calories - 141
Carbohydrates - 6
Fat - 12
Saturated Fat - 3
Monounsaturated Fat - 7
Protein - 3
Cholesterol - 7
Dietary Fiber - 3
Potassium - 287
Sodium - 280

Nutrition Bonus - Vitamin A (25 daily value), Vitamin C (15 dv).
Prepare eggplant and vinaigrette (Steps 1-4), cover and refrigerate separately for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Ingredient Note: To experience the full flavor of this salad, it’s worth seeking out the two signature Spanish ingredients: mild-flavored, smooth sheep-milk Manchego cheese and smoky paprika. If you can’t find them, substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano and Hungarian paprika.

Lorelei vs. VBS

2008-07-14T20:30:00.004-04:00

Well tonight was the first time Lorelei got to go to VBS. Lets just say they didn't break up the ages right. She was put into the 2 and 3 year old group- BUT- all the 3 year olds turn 4 in like a month... so she was the ONLY 2 year old. So, since she couldn't do what the others did the teachers just tossed her into the babies room. Now I know she isn't great a listening, but she is only 25 months old. What kid is at that age, but why couldn't they work with her some? So, now I don't know if it is worth trying it another night. They really don't do anything with the babies... so I am torn right now on that issue. Maybe she will just go back so I can take pictures for her scrapbook lol...

But, Jeremy and I decided that we want to save up and get a bigger compact flash memory for our diggie camera. With the way we use it, there are times that we run out of space when we go to certain events. So, now we need to save for that, a new matress, another new to us car, etc... this list is really starting to get long lol...

Have a great night all!

Slow start to the weekend...

2008-07-11T08:34:00.001-04:00

Well I have added some things here and did some other general house cleaning on the blog today... I have added some new people to my blogroll, so please check them out. They are great blogs.

But, Lorelei is awake, so I better go get her up... have a great weekend!

Ladybug Pizzas

2008-07-10T20:36:00.002-04:00

I got this recipe in an email tonight and I thought that it was soo cute. And I figured will all my friends with kids that this would be a great recipe for them as well. This is a Rachael Ray Yum-o recipe. I really have loved a lot of the recipes they have put out, and I also love that they are trying to get kids to eat better and understand nutrition as well.

Yum-o! Fave: Ladybug Pizzas
This kid-friendly recipe is a reader favorite!
Look - little ladybugs! These are as fun to eat as they are to make, and they're cute, too!
LADYBUG PIZZAS (SERVES 4)
• 2 sandwich-size whole wheat English muffins, split
• 4 tablespoons pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade
• 1 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese
• 4 slices of ripe tomato
• 1/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped
Pre-heat the oven or toaster oven to 400°F. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each muffin half. Top each "pizza" with 1/4 cup cheese. Top the cheese with a slice of tomato and scatter the olives over the tomato to look like the dots on ladybug backs. Bake for 7-8 minutes on a cookie sheet in the oven or on a toaster tray in the toaster oven until very crisp and the cheese has melted. Who knew bugs could be so tasty?

Who knew that having a period could be so useful?

2008-07-10T18:32:00.002-04:00

Who knew that having a period could be so useful? I sure didn’t, I knew that it was good to have a normal cycle but other than that … that was it. Well there is now news out that there our menstrual blood can help save our lives later in life. These things that could save us are in our bodies- in vital stem cells, which now science has made it possible to be harvested from our own menstrual blood. I know to mean that might sound strange or even very sci fi like, but if it can help solve/cure things like osteoporosis, heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease then I am all for it. One day they might be even able to use these cells for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments- such as anti-aging therapies. You know the rich and famous (cough cough Hollywood) is so going to be all over this just for the anti-aging therapies!

Well all of this is possible thanks to research and technology of C’elle. This company is so proud of what they have done they even have Celle Client Testimonial website. Please check it out! I know I am going to check it out because we didn’t save Lorelei’s Core blood when she was born!

Taking Control: Future Therapies for a Host of Serious Diseases May Be Found in Women's Menstrual Blood

July 07, 2008: 01:28 PM EST

OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind -- especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body -- in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.

Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

"C’elle enables and empowers a woman to take control of her future health, and possibly of those genetically closest to her, in a fast, painless and stress free way," said Michelle Kay, Marketing and Sales Manager for C’elle. "We live in exciting times, as science and technology are discovering how extremely valuable menstrual blood stem cells really are, and the enormous treatment potential they represent for future therapies. C’elle’s ongoing research is supporting these promising findings."

For more information about C’elle, please call 1-877-892-3553 or visit www.celle.com.

Cars, Cars, and More cars… and how you don’t wanna lose weight…

2008-07-10T18:21:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my dad called and said that they (him, my mom, and sister) were coming to visit us the weekend of the 18th. Not this weekend… but next… cool… I’m down with that… and… to help us buy a car!! This means the world to Jeremy and I because we have been trying to make more money to save up for a car… I even put in my application to the gym for a babysitting job… so yes that would be 3 jobs and 2 home business jobs… But it would mean extra money!

So, Monday and Tuesday I have called I think every dealership in the area and looked at their websites at cars… (I didn’t call yesterday because Jeremy worked from home so I could go to the gym) All I see in my dreams now is cars… thank goodness Lorelei isn’t into that movie right now because that would put me over the edge… but I think I have it narrowed down… we were looking at what I call basic starter cars… but these are also the cars that have the great gas milage so they are going super quick in our area… some dealerships are sold out of them and they are pre-order only… so not going to do that… but today I need to call 2 more dealerships and ask about some cars there… ugh! But, I did make a Honda sales girl speechless… oh that was fun… don’t try to sell me crap I don’t want or need… because I will be your worse nightmare… mahahahaha…

But also since 2:30 this morning I have been in the bathroom every few mins… I don’t think I got any sleep at all… and pray Lore will be good today (she is sleeping still)… but I have the runs… I am pretty sure it is something I ate because I don’t feel sick… just lots of crap coming out lol… but I dropped 3 pounds lol… so that put me only 8 pounds away from my goal of what I wanted to weigh for my birthday… and I can’t believe I will be 34 on Saturday… wow…

The wonders of a Ren Fair...

2008-07-10T18:21:00.002-04:00

I have always loved history. Well that and fantasy. I think that together there is a nice blend where anything is possible. Lorelei has a ton of books that cover both parts of that, and Jeremy and I were thinking that she might be old enough this fall to go to the local Renaissance Fair that is about 45 mins from us. Just gotta make sure that Jeremy is on allergy meds since he is allergic to horses and they have lots of horses at this Ren. Fair.

But, I think it would be amazing to see all of that wonder in her little eyes. And maybe by then I will look super sexy and can pull off some renaissance clothing! I know Jeremy would dig that! Do any of you guys go to the local ren fairs in your area? Were they kid friendly?

Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me...

2008-07-08T18:49:00.005-04:00

This Saturday I turn 34. Compaired to this time last year, I am 100+ pounds lighter, and I swear I have added tons of years to my life!

So, because of that... I want gifts! Lots of them, hehehe... well I can't have cake so why not gifts! So I want a digital frame, plus some other things. What are those other things gift cards to buy clothes! Or a small personal fortune to pay for the plastic surgery that I will need once I am done losing another 100 pounds! So, hit me up with the fun stuff folks hehehe...

Dreaming of Winter

2008-07-08T18:49:00.002-04:00

I told Jeremy that we need to take some kind of a winter vacation. Yeah, I am already sick of summer. We just had a nasty thunderstorm come through with the sun still shining no less and it is even more humid. Bleck. So this winter when it is freezing cold here in PA, I think we should check out some Corpus Christi real estate. I know I could never live there year round, but a girl can dream about living some place warm for the winter!

My Crazy Stupid Body with new measurements

2008-07-08T18:45:00.002-04:00

Ok this should make all of you laugh and wonder at the same time…

Yesterday I tried on a pair of undies that I bought months ago because they were on sale… they are a 14/16 from Lane Bryant… well after those fit perfect… I thought hell lets try on the Victoria’s secret ones… they were an XL… they fit really good… I was all WHOOP doing HAPPY DANCE etc… and then I thought of this…

So can you tell me why on God’s green earth I am still in a size 26 pants?!??!!! I tell you that men have it easy with their sizes lol…

This is making things really hard planning wise… I want to be able to shop these sales for things later to save money… but I can’t… why because my body is NUTS! I’m still a 38DD or 40DDD/F… I have been hitting the gym hard…

Measurement stats:
@ Curves before surgery
Bust- 58
Waist- 54
Abdomen-70
Hips- 67.5
Thighs- 35
Arms- 19.5

1 Month Out
Bust- 55
Waist- 49
Abdomen-67
Hips- 66
Thighs- 30
Arms- 16.5

almost 3 months out
Bust- 52
Waist- 47.5
Abdomen-63.5
Hips- 62
Thighs- 27
Arms- 16

4 months, 1 week, 5 days out
Bust- 51.5
Waist- 46
Abdomen- 61
Hips- 61
Thighs- 25.75
Arms- 15.75

5 months, 2 weeks, 3 days
Bust- 50
Waist- 45
Abs- 59
Hips- 59
Thighs- 25.75
Arms- 15.75

7months, 6 days
Bust- 50
Waist- 44.75
Abs- 58
Hips- 58
Thighs-24.75
Arms- 14.75
Ok that makes this a total of 53.75 inches lost so far… 4.25 since the last measurements…

8 months out from surgery extatly… and I have added some new measurements to help me track better… before all arm and thigh measurements were the left side…
Bust- 48
Waist- 44
Abs- 57
Hips- 56.5
L. Thighs-24
L. Arms- 14.5

Ok that is 60 inches lost so far… and get this 10 inches off the boobs and still no change in cup size… what the heck lol… but that is 6.25 inches lost in about 3 weeks… 3 weeks I have had a trainer… below are the new areas I am going to start to measure…

Neck- 15
Ribs/Ban- 40
R. Arm- 15
R. Thigh- 24.5
L. Calf- 17.25
R. Calf- 17.5

TODAY- almost 10 months out…
Bust- 47
Waist- 41.5
Abs- 55.5
Hips- 54.25
L. thigh- 24.5
R. thigh- 24
L. arm- 13.75
R. Arm- 14
Neck- 14.25
Ribs/Bra ban- 39
L. calf- 16.5
R. calf- 17

Ok since I added new places to measure the last time I broke up the numbers a little… from the old measurements I am down 67.5 inches since before surgery… now from the total of inches from the last time to this time I am down is 12 total… but the break down is 7.5 for the normal stuff… the extra stuff is 4.5 inches… so I am pretty pleased!

I know many of you would love to lose the weight like I did, but don't need gastric bypass to do it. Well, there are some diet pill reviews out there, and there might be something there for you that might help you to lose a half a pound to a pound a week. You never know until you check it out. Well have a great night all!

Freshwater Pearls from PearlParadise.com

2008-06-23T09:59:00.004-04:00

I was given the chance to review some wonderful freshwater pearls from PearlParadise.com. They came in the most wonderful box to keep them in, and they also came in the most striking color ever- Lavender. I already had a white pearl necklace from my wedding. But I had never seen lavender pearls before and just had to have them. You know me- it has to be different! I would like to complete the set by getting matching earrings, braclet, and a longer length in the necklace to give me more options when getting dressed for special events, etc... I would also like to order a loose lavender pearl to get it set in a ring, but that is a really long term goal.

But, besides coming in a wonderful case, the pearls also came with a card no how to care for your pearls. I thought that I would share these tips because I think everyone has something pearl in their jewelry collection.
1. Personal Care Products can damage your pearls
Cosmetics, sun block, perfume, and hair spray all contain chemicals that can dramatically dull the luster of a pearl. The natural acids contained in the body oils and perspiration can also damage pearls in the same way. It is best to put your pearls on at least 30 minutes after applying any personal car products.

2. Simple steps to protect your pearls
Wiping the pearls with a soft cloth after you wear them will ensure that they remain free from harmful build-up of these compounds. Always keep your pearls separated from hard jewelry items to prevent them from being scratched. Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth pouch or a soft lined jewelry box.

3. When to have pearls restrung
If you wear your pearls often, they should be restrung about once a year to prevent strand breakage. Experts suggest the use of silk thread however, nylon thread is an acceptable alternative. The thread should be knotted between each pearl to prevent all the pearls in a strand from falling off should a break occur. Knotting also prevents possible damage from the pearls rubbing against each other.

Here is a short video that my friend, Lisa, made for me... this includes some different shots of the pearl necklace.

I know many of you will be surprised by the prices of these pearls, but if you look you can see they have some wonderfully priced items that would be perfect for gifts for weddings, birthdays, graduation, birth of a baby, etc...

So, if you were impressed as I was of this necklace please check them out!

Marinated Kabobs &Garlic-Mustard Grilled Beef Skewers

2008-06-17T10:57:00.004-04:00

I found this Marinated Kabobs from Whole Foods' Website. I was there to write them and let them know they need to open a Whole Foods in my area. Sorry not going to drive 45+ mins to one because that is just stupid for groceries but also with the cost of gas it is even dumber... While I was there I found this recipe and thought that you all would like it because it can go either all veggie or mix of both veggies and meats.

The Rocky Mountain states eat like most of us in North America, a few local favorites with other foods from here and there. When it’s time to plan dinner, you use what’s available and what looks good. Kabobs take all that and mix it up to everyone’s liking. Here’s how simple it is to prepare marinated kabobs.

1. Soak wooden or bamboo skewers in water for an hour, or use metal skewers.

2. Cut foods into similar-sized pieces to ensure even turning and cooking.

3. Skewer by alternating different shaped foods to help prevent rolling on the grill.

4. Marinate safely in a non-reactive (no aluminum or plastic) container in the refrigerator.

5. Grill or broil, turning a few times, until meat thermometer indicates done.

6. Cook leftover marinade at a boil for at least 5 minutes if you plan to use for dipping.

Serve one or more of these with your kabobs:
dipping sauces – tahini yogurt, spicy peanut, teriyaki, chimichurri, garlic lemon butter

rice and grains – steamed long grain or brown rice, mixed pilaf, couscous or grain salad

flat bread – pita, tortillas or naan to wrap, pull and eat the food from the skewer

cool salads – from crunchy slaws to crispy salads, on the side or in the wrap

Here is another YUMMY recipe... also from the Whole Foods' website...
Garlic-Mustard Grilled Beef Skewers

Courtesy of BOY MEETS GRILL with Bobby Flay

1 (2-pound) beef tenderloin, halved and cut into 1-inch slices
6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
Garlic-Mustard Glaze, recipe follows

Heat grill to high. Skewer 2 pieces of the beef onto 2 skewers so that the meat lies flat. Brush the meat liberally on both sides with the Garlic-Mustard Glaze. Grill the meat for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked to medium-rare doneness, brushing with the remaining glaze while grilling. Remove from grill and serve.

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes

Garlic-Mustard Glaze:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup grainy mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

Copyright 2008 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Flickr fun

2008-06-13T15:27:00.006-04:00

I got this from Cady here’s the idea:
1. type your answer to each of the questions below into flickr search.
2. using only the first page of results, pick one image.
3. copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into big huge lab’s mosaic maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

the questions:
1. what is your first name?
2. what is your favorite food? right now?
3. what high school did you go to?
4. what is your favorite color?
5. What is your fave tv show or who is your celebrity crush?
6. what is your favorite drink?
7. what is your dream vacation?
8. what is your favorite dessert?
9. what do you want to be when you grow up?
10. what do you love most in life?
11. what is one word that describes you?
12. what is your flickr name?

NOTE: for some reason nothing worked for #5... I tried everything and the photos never seemed to stay... so sorry... I was a photo of Monk and Psych...

2008-06-13T15:27:00.001-04:00

Father Day gift ideas

2008-06-11T09:49:00.006-04:00

Well, I am done with Jeremy gift wise for Father's Day. But, I am sure some of you are waiting to the last min to get those gifts for your husband or your own father. Well, why not give them the gift of tools. But, not any kind of tools, but festool. Think about it, the gift of tools is the gift that keeps giving. Think of all the creative things they can make with these wonderful tools. Think of the things they could make for you... hehehe! But, I think that everyone should have the basic of tools around the house to help save you money so you don't always have farm out handy man work.

Being Creative

2008-06-11T09:49:00.002-04:00

I love being creative. I love the new space I am getting to create upstairs for my scrapbooking, card making, jewelry making, painting, drawing, and photography. I really want to paint a wall, but that can wait. But, I am hoping to get a new lamp and hang some of my older pieces up to make it a truly creative space.

But, I have really fallen in love with making my own jewelry. It has been a great outlet for me. And I totally love the local bead/pottery/mosaic store just a couple of miles from me. They are warm and so kind and love to teach you new things.

I have also fallen in love with handcrafted jewelry metal jewelry. I really love supporting other artists by buying their pieces. So, I am now trying to save up to buy a pair of ear rings where money goes to charity.

Scrambled Eggs in Potato Nests

2008-06-11T09:00:00.003-04:00

This is another one of those fabulous recipes from Better Homes and Gardens, and another great one for Father's Day brunch. What I love about this recipe is that it is so versable in the presentation of this dish. You could do herbed eggs, poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, canadian bacon as another fun layer. I also think this would be fun to add some smokey bacon all diced up to the eggs as they cook. There is 20 mins prep time and 22 mins for baking time, which if you would want to toss in some muffins or scones at the same time you can get double use out of the heat in the oven. Which to me makes more since with the heat in our area right now.

Ingredients
1 20-oz. pkg. refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives
1/2 tsp. salt
12 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups shredded American cheese (6 ounces)
Fresh chives (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, the 2 beaten eggs, chives, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Shape mixture into 12 mounds (about 1/3 cup each) on prepared baking sheet. Press the back of a tablespoon into each mound, making a nest. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

2. Meanwhile, beat together the 12 eggs, milk, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper with a rotary beater. In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat; pour in egg mixture. Cook over medium heat without stirring until mixture begins to set on the bottom and around edge.

3. With a spatula, lift and fold the partially cooked egg mxiture so that the uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until egg mixture is cooked through but is still glossy and moist. Remove from heat.

4. Spoon about 1/3 cup of egg mixture into each potato nest. Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Return to oven; bake about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. If desired, garnish with chives.

Makes: 12 servings

Nutrition facts per serving:
Calories 205.277
Total Fat (g) 12.419
Saturated Fat (g) 5.987
Monounsaturated Fat (g)
Polyunsaturated Fat (g)
Cholesterol (mg) 266.253
Sodium (mg) 487.607
Carbohydrate (g) 11.046
Total Sugar (g)
Fiber (g) .624
Protein (g) 12.172
Vitamin C (DV%) 5
Calcium (DV%) 13
Iron (DV%) 6
*Percent Daily Values are base on a 2,000 calorie diet

I'm so glad that I don't have to deal with weight loss pills that work, since gastric bypass has been working so well for me. I am down 102 pounds now. But, if you don't need to lose that much weight maybe there is something out there that will work for you pill wise.