Grilled Packet Potatoes

I love nice weather because it means cooking on the grill! And cooking on the grill means that my husband cooks--even better! I've been wanting to do grilled veggies in packets for awhile now, and I finally got around to it today! I googled different recipes for "packet grill veggies" or "packet potatoes" and went off of those to make my own. They were delicious & cooked perfectly. We're definately having this again!

4 or 5 small/medium potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/4" thick

1 medium green pepper, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Chop all your veggies & add all ingredients to a big bowl. Stir until veggies are coated with seasonings

2. Pull out 4 good sized sheets of tin foil & double each over, length-wise.

3. Spray the centers with cooking spray to prevent veggies from sticking.

4. Spread veggies in the center, dividing between the 4 packets, making veggies as flat as possible & leaving about an inch on either end ("left & right" sides).

5. Bring the "top & bottom" of your foil together and fold over a couple times, making a seam above your veggies.

6. Then roll up the ends and create a tight seal so they will steam properly.

7. Cook on the grill over medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes, then remove.

You can either serve them in their packets, or you can open them all & put in a serving dish. Just be careful when you open them so the steam doesn't get you! They were delicious, and we'd definatly have them again! (a side note, they aren't greasy in this picture, they're just incredibly moist from being steamed!)

Special Present

One thing you should know about my husband--he's exceptionally thoughtful, but I wouldn't consider him crafty/creative by any means. He's a gift-giver, but he enjoys going out and selecting something that I'd like, while I am one to create something I think he'll love & give as a gift. So when he told me he was working on a "secret project" for me, I was stumped. Was he building me something? I couldn't figure out for the life of me what it could be. He worked for a couple hours out in the garage today & woke me from a nap to ask if I had any black construction paper. I thought what.the.heck??? I was wondering, is this going to be a gift that is going to be really thoughtful, but kind of elementary? I mean, come on, construction paper? What would have you thought? I didn't have construction paper, but I had a black sheet of foam for crafting. He said that would work. What the heck?

So imagine my surprise and delight when he came in and presented me with this:

It's a beautiful glass etching with my name & my favorite flower on it! It's for my desk at work! I may have him spray paint the wooden frame black or silver, but we'll see. I love it, and I can't believe that he created this! He got a new dremel & the instructions had several project pages, including a project for etched glass. This was his first try at it, and I think he did great. Especially considering his handwriting looks like a 2nd graders, I'm amazed at how well he did with the curves & stuff. His mom even likes it so much that SHE wants one!

What a thoughtful, sweet gift! Has your significant other ever created something for you that totally blew you away?

Spring Cleaning

The beautiful weather is here, well, here in central IL anyway! I'm hoping that will be motivation to spend some more time outdoors and become more active. This weekend I'm hoping to get in some walks with the dog, some possible gardening, and maybe a little letterboxing. I'd also like to tidy up our house and get things in order. It's hard to focus on eating healthy & weight loss when your household is kind of chaotic. For me, when one thing goes, everything goes!

I haven't posted any recipes in awhile. We've just been having some old stand-bys, not trying anything new lately, but as soon as we do, there will be posts! I'm thinking of trying a stuffed chicken using Laughing Cow cheese & spinach. If you've never tried Laughing Cow, you definately should! It's the consistency of cream cheese, and it comes in several flavors, and one little wedge is super low in calories! I want to say less than 100 cals in a wedge! It makes a good topping for crackers, to dip veggies in, to stuff chicken breasts with, and I've even heard of some people using it as like an alfredo on pasta! But I haven't tried that one yet.

A few blogs I've been reading lately have been talking about doing the C25K program (Couch to 5K). A couple years ago, I did a couple weeks of the program, but stopped due to a foot injury. I was walking a lot back then though and feel like my level of activity was better equipped to start such a project. I know I'd "like" to start the program, but I don't know that at this point I'd be physically able. Maybe a goal of walking 3x a week to start off with would be better. We'll see.

Is anyone else finding themselves spending more time outdoors since spring is finally here? What's your favorite thing to do outside?

Mexican Chicken Chowder

Got this one from the BH&G diabetic cookbook. Don't have nutrition info right now, but have the recipe! This one was pretty good. I don't know that I'd make it a TON, but it was tasty & flavorful, and I'd have it again. Also wasn't too difficult to make, so easy peasy!

8 oz chicken breast, cooked & diced

1 c. chicken broth

16 oz frozen corn, thawed

4 oz can chiles

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c. diced tomatoes

2 c. skim milk

1 c. monterray jack shredded cheese

1. In a blender, puree half the corn & the chicken broth until mostly smooth, then add to a large sauce pan.

2. Add remaining corn, garlic, chiles, salt, and pepper & bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Slowly mix in milk while stirring, then add tomatoes & chicken & cook til heated through.

4. Right before serving, add cheese & stir until melted

Tasty, creamy soup for a cool spring day!

Easy Crockpot Pot Roast

**This recipe is not low in sodium. Keep that in mind if you make it & you're watching your salt intake!**

Growing up, I never liked pot roast, but as an adult, it's something that I really enjoy having once in awhile. On nights I have to work late, the last thing I want to do when I come home is cook, so I try to have a crockpot meal waiting. This week I went with a super easy pot roast.

2-3 pound beef roast (arm, chuck, etc. Whatever cut you like)
16 oz bag of baby carrots
1 large onion, cut in chunks
6 potatoes, peeled & chunked
2 packets (1 box) of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 family sized can Cream of Mushroom soup (98%FF kind)
About a cup of water

I start with my roast in the very bottom. Next is potatoes, then onions, then carrots on top. Sprinkle on the dry soup mix, then top with the cream of mushroom. Add your water, cover, and cook all day! I cooked for about 8 hours on low heat, but you could cook on high heat for a shorter period if you needed to.

The veggies were cooked perfectly, not too mushy like can sometimes happen! Throughout the day, I had my husband stir it every couple of hours to make sure the soup & water was mixing well & that nothing was sticking. And it turned out perfectly! Yum!

Trying a new recipe tonight, should be posted late tonight or early tomorrow... Mexican chicken chowder!

Another oldie--italian beef

No picture today... I was so hungry I didn't take the time to do that! This is a recipe I've posted before, but this time I added half a chopped onion & half a green bell pepper. Check it out, it was delicious! Served on a wheat bun with a slice of provolone... perfection!

Deliciousness

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup originally appeared on my blog over two years ago! It was one of the first recipes I posted, when I was doing WW & I gave it an A+. It was good then, and it was good now! This cooked all day while I was at work and was perfect by 5pm. See the original post here.

Tex Mex Sloppy Joes

I will just preface this by saying: This is hands down, one of the best things I've ever made! I loved it, and the husband said he wouldn't mind having it weekly! It was pretty easy, and oh so tasty! So without further ado... Tex Mex Sloppy Joes!

1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey, chicken, etc)
1/2 large onion
1/2 large green pepper
2 tbsp canned green chiles
2/3 c. frozen corn
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
3/4 c. ketchup
4 tsp worchestershire sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet & add onion, bell pepper, chiles, garlic, and corn. Cook 5-6 minutes, until veggies are tender.
2. Add ground beef, chili powder, and cumin & cook 5-10 more minutes, until meat is cooked through.
3. Add ketchup & worchestershire and heat through.
4. Serve on wheat rolls (I like "healthy life" buns). Makes 6 (large) sandwiches

Broccoli Chicken Penne

I took a recipe from the BH&G cookbook & modified it a bit to suit our tastes, so the recipe you'll see is the recipe with my twist. I would also make some changes next time, like maybe using a bag of stir fry veggies instead of broccoli, just to add some different flavors.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken, diced
3 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen)
8 oz cooked penne pasta
Southwest seasoning to taste (1-2 tbsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. light mayo or miracle whip
Grated parmesan, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add chicken, southwest seasoning, and garlic. Cook several minutes until chicken is cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, cook penne.

3. Once chicken is cooked, add broccoli and chicken broth to the skillet & cover, cooking about 5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.

4. Add chicken & broccoli mixture to pasta & stir in mayo or miracle whip & pepper until all contents are lightly coated, then top with parmesan.

A note about the miracle whip/mayo. I was skeptical... it sounded gross. But really it's so little compared to the big pot of food, you don't taste it, it just gives it a more moist texture. I also added a little onion powder & seasoned salt to my individual bowl, to suit my tastes. Made a huge pot--6 servings.

One day at a time

Confession: I am one to get easily overwhelmed with the "big picture" and just let things go. It's true of my housekeeping abilities, my organizational skills, and myself. Of course everyone's heard of the Alcoholics Anonymous saying "One day at a time", and really, it's true. Instead of looking at the big picture (I have to stay sober my WHOLE LIFE) they look at one small snippet (I have to stay sober THIS DAY, or THIS HOUR, or THIS MINUTE). Yet knowing that doesn't make daunting tasks any easier. Knowing that I need to tackle my big obstacles one tiny bit at a time doesn't give me the extra push I need to actually DO one of those tiny tasks... and I don't know why.

I need to work on the baby steps to getting things done. I need to worry about organizing one room at a time (or even one SHELF at a time) in my house, rather than the huge task of organizing my whole house. And I need to worry about one POUND at a time when it comes to weight loss, instead of seeing that I need to lose the equivalent to another human being. But how to do that becomes the big question... obviously if I knew how (and stuck to it), I'd be there by now. I know that organizing the chaos that is my life isn't a destination... that it's an on-going routine of the same struggles. Once I get things in order, or clean my house, or lose my weight, the battle isn't over. It's really only just begun.

So, as they say... one day at a time.

GM Giveaway

Who doesn't love free stuff?! Head on over to My Good Cents for a chance to win a prize pack from General Mills. You'll receive 2 coupons for free cereal, plus a tote bag, cereal mug, and breakfast chiller (whatever that is!). Good luck!

Pork Stir Fry

An old standby, stir fry is one of my favorite meals! You can make it totally different depending on what you toss in it & what kind of sauce you use. Plus it's super easy! The only item I had to purchase for this meal was the pork, as I had everything else on-hand from past shopping trips. You can tweak the recipe however you desire to fit your family's preferences!

1.5 pounds lean pork, boneless, cut up
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
3 carrots, chopped
1 bag frozen stir fry veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, mushrooms, corn, etc)
1/2 bag frozen broccoli (it's my favorite & I like lots of broc!)
Stir fry sauce found in the Asian section of the grocery store
4 servings instant white rice

1. Heat oil, soy sauce, chili powder, garlic, pepper, and pork in a skillet until pork is cooked through (about 5 minutes)
2. Add veggies and cook covered until they are tender (about 5 minutes more).
3. Meanwhile, cook your rice.
4. Once veggies are done, stir in your stir fry sauce to coat the meat & veggies, then serve over rice.

Piece of cake!

And the nice thing is that we still have half a bottle of stir fry sauce, instant rice, and frozen veggies, so we'll be having this again next week with chicken!

Sugar Free Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert

No pictures for this one, but this is an old standby I used to make when I was on Weight Watchers. I modified it with sugar free items for a really healthy (and tasty) dessert! Of course the strawberries have natural sugars in them, so it's not 100% sugar free, but you get the idea. The strawberries could easily be substituted with any other fresh fruit you enjoy, and the cheesecake pudding can be subtituted with any other flavor as well!



1 small package Jello instant pudding (sugar free)--cheesecake flavored

1 cup milk

1 standard sized tub of sugar free Cool Whip

Fresh fruit--strawberries in this case



Pour pudding powdered mix into a bowl & add 1 cup milk. Whisk until the consistency is pretty thick (not pudding-like, but sticky & heavy). Fold in cool whip until pudding & cool whip are entirely mixed. Fold in fresh fruit & enjoy! Makes 4 (1 cup) servings.



I've also made this with chocolate pudding & sliced bananas in it... it's delicious!



You can make the pudding with the full 2 cups that the pudding recipe calls for, but the flavor isn't as good, in my opinion, because it's not as concentrated. It does make more dessert that way, obviously, but the consistency is a little different. To each their own, though!



Enjoy!

Chipotle Beef Burritos

Another tasty meal tonight from the BH&G Diabetic Living cookbook. This one was super easy. Put it in the crockpot before work & when I came home, the house was smelling delicious and dinner was done!

1.5 pounds boneless beef round steak
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped onion
1-2 canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
Whole wheat or low fat tortillas

1. Trim fat from meat & cut into 6 pieces. Place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, peppers, oregano, garlic, salt, and cumin in slow cooker.
2. Cover & cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours.
3. Remove meat from liquid & shred. Scoop remaining contents with a slotted spoon and add to shredded meat.
4. Spoon meat onto tortillas, top with cheese, salsa, etc and enjoy!
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information per serving:

Calories: 224
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 15g
Fiber: 9g

I made the following changes to my recipe: used 2 regular sized cans of Rotel in place of the tomatoes/peppers & added a tsp southwest chipotle Mrs. Dash. It was excellent! The husband said he definately wanted to have it again!

Garden Style Ravioli

What's this? An actual MEAL on Teale's Meals? Why yes it is!!! I tried a new recipe from a new cookbook tonight, and it was quite tasty! This is Garden Style Ravioli, found in the Better Homes & Gardens' "Our Best Diabetic Living Recipes" Here's a cell-phone quality pic of the meal from the cookbook:

9 oz. frozen/refrigerated cheese ravioli

1 tbsp olive oil

2 medium red/green/yellow/etc peppers, cut into chunks (I only used half of each pepper though & it was plenty!)

1 medium carrot, cut into long, thin strips (use a potato peeler)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 cup chicken broth (I decided to use 1/2 a cup though to make it more moist)

Italian Seasonings... they reccomend Tarragon or Basil. I used 1.5 tsp "italian blend" seasonings

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions & drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, garlic, and carrots & cook for about 5 minutes, til tender. Stir in tomato, broth, and seasonings and cook about 2 minutes more, until flavors blend.

3. Add veggie mixture to cooked ravioli & toss gently to combine. Makes 4 (1-cup) servings.

Since we were having this as our main dish, we had 2 (2-cup) servings. The following nutrition info is for the 1 cup servings:

Calories: 278

Fat: 9g
Carbs: 39g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 13g

What a tasty dinner! I also added a sprinkle of grated parmesan on top. We'd definately have this one again.

Ups & Downs

Overall, I'd say that my life is pretty grand. If you plotted points on a graph, the overall trend would be up. But if you connected the dots, there would be some pretty high highs, and some pretty steep dips. But like I said, overall... pretty grand.

The husband was supposed to have knee surgery last week, but pre-surgery blood work came back & he wasn't cleared for surgery. We're working that stuff out today at the doctor. It's nothing that will be the end of the world, but it's going to mean some changes on his and my part. That same day, my debit card information was stolen. The second time in 6 months that my numbers have been stolen (two different cards). The first time it wasn't so bad b/c it was a card that I didn't use. We used it on our honeymoon & it's been banished from use until the big balance is paid down. This time though, it was my check card. MY CHECK CARD. That I use probably 3+ times a day. Cash? What's that? Swipey swipe is where it's at. So needless to say, that has cramped my style a bit in the last week. Apparently in 5-10 business days I'll have a new card & new card number, but man has it been a pain in my butt.

Before the crappy stuff last week, we did take a delightful trip to Tennessee for Valentine's Day weekend. I realize that I haven't written about it on here yet, and that's mainly b/c I can't find my camera cord to post pictures to accompany the entry. But here's the short version: took 8.5 hours to get down there, we ate a lot, we spent a lot of time in the hot tub, we did touristy stuff, the Smokies were closed down due to snow so we didn't get to do much driving through them, then our trip home took 12.5 hours due to crazy winter storms ALL THE WAY HOME. But, we made it (though 50+ cars were in the ditch for about a 120 mile stretch in Indiana).

So, that's that. Not much of an update, I realize, but it had been awhile & I wanted to say that I'm still alive and kicking. And ready for Spring.

Love Sweet Love

A few years ago, I found this picture of my parents, from the 1950s, when they were newlyweds:

I love seeing how happy they are in this picture & how they're laughing like they know a secret that noone else knows. When I found the picture, I remember thinking that I hope I have someone one day that I can look like that with.

A couple days ago, when looking through archived pictures on Eddie's phone, we found a picture of ourselves. It must have been one of our very first pictures together, which would have put it at about 2 years ago, as Sunday will be our 2-year "dating" anniversary (and Monday our 6 months of marriage-aversary!). I don't remember this picture being taken, nor do I ever really remember seeing it... but I love it. And it makes me think of my parents up there. It's a picture that years from now I know I'm going to look at & think "Man, we have always been so happy together!"

Wednesday Confessions

1. We still have our Christmas decorations up.
2. I mooch lunch off my parents just about every weekday. They like the company. I like the free food.
3. I hate wearing socks. I'd like to live somewhere that I could wear flip-flops year-round.
4. I could eat tacos every day if you let me.
5. I love the show Teen Mom.
6. Cheese is my favorite food.
7. I almost always give whenever I see one of the Salvation Army red kettles at the holidays... even if it's just like 25 cents. I feel guilty walking into a store where I'm going to spend money on myself or others & not giving at least SOMETHING to the red kettle.
8. I get along with just about everyone, but I don't choose to be friends with many people.
9. When I was in college, without a washer/dryer in my building, I sometimes would go out and buy new clothes, rather than haul the laundry to the laundromat.
10. I have no idea what to get my husband for Valentine's Day.

Your turn.

Moving on from Meals

When I started blogging here, it was a food/WW blog. And let's face it, no matter how many times I try to keep coming back & making it about the food & about the weight loss, I'm just not THERE right now.

So I've made the decision to make this blog more about my daily life. I keep a blog elsewhere on a private site, that noone in my "real" life reads (though I have met some of my blogger friends IN real life, after meeting there), but I thought maybe I'd expand my space here to give what few readers I may have a better picture of who I am, outside of weight loss.

I read a LOT of blogs. Like a couple hundred, probably. But so often, I don't comment because I really don't have anything back here at this blog that would be worthwhile for them to come see. I realize comments aren't for the sole purpose of getting more traffic, but let's face it, the more you comment, the more likely someone is to come see what you're all about! So, while my blog will remain named Teale's Meals, I'm going to expand my horizons & let you know more about TEALE and less about my MEALS.

So if there are any of you out there reading me, but perhaps you dont' comment or comment rarely, come out come out wherever you are. I'd love to add your blog to my lengthy list. Tell me how you found me, how long you've been reading, etc. Even feel free to ask any questions you may have. (I also have a formspring page for that purpose too, so feel free to ask anonymously here.)

So here's the basic lowdown about me, for those that may not know yet:
Name: Teale
Age: 26
Location: Central Illinois
Status: Married
Kids: None (yet)
Furbabies: 3 cats & a puppy
Likes: crafts, comfy PJ pants, rainy days, reading, travelling, taking pictures (for memories... my photos are nothing special!), chocolate, cheese, Counting Crows, and sleeping in.
Dislikes: crunchy vegetables (minus carrots & lettuce), Rachael Ray's annoying slang for things (ie-sammies, EVOO, etc... but like her cooking), waking up in the middle of a good dream, and The Police (the band, not the law enforcement).

So, that's that... welcome if you're new, and welcome back if you're old:)

Week One? Check!

I did pretty well this week, the first of 2010. Some of my goals for the year are to eat dinner out only twice per week (did that!), breakfast out only once (check!), and to post here at least once a week (so far so good!). One week down, 51 weeks to go!

Granted, when I ate out, I splurged. Especially on date night. Hellooooo, Olive Garden! I only ate half my entree, but that's because I stuffed myself on soup & appetizer before the meal. It's OK though, because I didn't make my whole day be like that. Just one meal.

The Mister and I make it a habit to have date night once a week. We're newlyweds and we don't want to become automatic homebodies. Don't get me wrong, I like to be a homebody & stay in my PJs all day once in awhile (hello, Sunday!), but not all the time. I'd like for us to maybe start getting more creative with our date night though. It usually consists of dinner & a movie, or sometimes just dinner... but why always food? Maybe we could get away from that. We'll see.

Anyway, not too much to update on... I have plans to post an actual meal this week sometime, considering that's what this blog started out as! Sometimes I fall into the habit of cooking the same rotation of 8-10 meals & never spice it up... gotta find something new this week! Maybe a crock pot meal. Any suggestions/links to some good stuff?

And while you're suggesting things, have you read any good books lately? I'm hoping to read 50 this year, so I'm making a list of possibilities!

Happy Monday, all!

The Ugly Truth

The truth is this-I am at my all-time heaviest weight... I wouldn't even know what this weight was, were it not for the scale at the doctor's office. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose. You see, my scale at home measures up to an astounding 330 lbs. Which should be heavy enough to way your average 26 year old woman. But not this one. I've known that I was over the weight limit for some time now... you get a big flashing ERROR when you're over the limit & you try to weigh on it.

Thing is, they don't tell you how BIG of an error you are. Oh, but the doctor's office does.

345.6

I dreaded mid-December because that was when I had to go to the gyno for my yearly check up. I didn't dread it because I would have to derobe & sit with a sheet that barely covered my large body... I dreaded it because I knew I'd have to face the ugly truth. All 345.6 pounds of it.

So, back to day one again, right? Right. This week was the week that I attempted to make some changes. And I have made changes. Am I eating like a completely healthy person, no. But I am eating WAY better than the 345.6 pound person I had become. I've stuck with my resolution to eat breakfast out one time per week (today) and only eat out 2 other times per week, dinner with my husband. We've gone once, and we're saving the other for our weekly date night tomorow. I'm doing better. It'll take some time to get the entire healthy lifestyle back in full swing, but I am doing better.

I've been tracking my food as best as I can on fit day. It's nice because I could put in my weight, my goal weight, and how long I wanted to accomplish that in, and it tells me how many calories to cut back per day. I said I wanted to lose 50 pounds this year. That's less than a pound per week. And considering I'd have to eat about 3400 calories a day to maintain my weight (astonishing to know I was eating that much), fit day tells me I only need to cut back 400 cals per day to lose 50 pounds in one year. When you put it that way, it seems so simple! I've been doing much better than that... averaging about 1800-2200 calories. What's unfortunate though, is that due to the fact that I have a scale that calls me names when I get on it, I can't monitor my weight loss progress at this point. I know I could take measurements and evaluate progress that way, and I may, but I'm not sure at this point. My goal is to be able to use the scale by March. so that's 15 pounds to lose by then. At which time it will stop shouting ERROR, ERROR when my booty gets on it! OK it doesn't really shout, but caps=shouting!

So, that's that. And here we are.

Goals for 2010.

Well, in all their glory, here is my list of goals for 2010.

1. Crochet stuffed elephant (I crochet, but have never attempted those cute little stuffed animals... this year I've picked 3 patterns I'd like to do!)
2. Crochet stuffed giraffe
3. Crochet stuffed ladybug
4. Learn to crochet socks
5. Post to my Teale's Meals blog at least once a week
6. Be able to use my scale by March (I am over the weight limit for it now, so I want to be under that limit by March)
7. Get back into the 200s by December 31, 2010
8. Cancel gym membership (haven't used it in a year, plus we moved... yes, this seems counter-productive to goals 6 & 7, but it is what it is.)
9. Volunteer at least 20 hours
10. Find 25 letterboxes (see www.atlasquest.com if you don't know what this is)
11. Read 50 books, including: Her Fearful Symmetry, 3 more Stephanie Plum books, 1 Kristin Hannah book, It Sucked & Then I Cried, 1 Chelsea Handler book, and 1 David Sedaris book
12. Only eat breakfast out once per week
13. Other meals out limited to twice per week
14. Get a cheaper cell phone plan
15. Do rennovations to our house, including: new windows, new toilet, new fixtures in the bathroom & hallway, privacy fence, sliding glass door, patch hole behind bathroom door & put a door stop in, figure out our outside lights (we have outside lights that we don't know how to control...)
16. Grow my nails out & paint them once a week (this is a big deal for me because I am a huge nail biter!)
17. Join a club of some sort (book club, crochet group, something...)
18. Learn to knit something
19. Organize and fully unpack our house
20. Meet my sister Christina (I have 4 siblings that were adopted out of the family when they were young. One of those sisters found me in December & we've been emailing. she lives about 2 hours away. I hope to meet her this year!)

So, there you have it! I'm confident that I can accomplish most, if not all, of these this year!

2009 in Review

So, since I didn't really write much in here in 2009, I thought I'd do Fat Bridesmaid's 2009 survey. Plus, one of my goals for this year is to post here at least once per week, so I figure I better get started! (More on my goals in a future entry!)


Was 2009 good for you? 2009 was very good. I'm sad to see it go, but I know there are other great things in store for me. I got a new job, bought a house, got married, and got a dog. Big things this year!
What was your favorite moment of the year? Walking down the aisle and seeing Eddie's face, then saying our vows. Our wedding was as perfect for us as it could have been!
What was your worst moment of the year? Probably when my mom's health had some scary spots. She had a fall in October & had to go to the nursing home. I was worried it would be long-term, cuz at first it wasn't looking so good for her to be able to come home. But after a few weeks, she did get to come home! Within a week though, she had a diabetic scare & they thought she'd lapsed into a coma. Thankfully she was OK, and it turned out it was just a diabetic-induced seizure. Those health scares were definately not a highlight of the year!
Where were you when 2009 began? With Eddie & his family at his mom's house, drinking champagne & kissing at midnight
Who were you with? See above
Where were you when 2009 ended? At the same place, with the same people!
Did you keep your new years resolution of 2009? I don't make resolutions, I make goals. I made a list of 20 items, and I'd say I accomplished at least half of them. I think my last entry was about this, actually!
Do you have a new years resolution for 2010? I have a new list of 20 goals, and I'll write about this in the future!
Did you fall in love in 2009? Even more in love with Eddie than I thought possible. And in love with our pooch, Dora.
Did you make any new friends in 2009? New people at work
What was your favorite month of 2009? August-we got married & honeymooned!
Why this month? See above
Did you travel outside of the US in 2009? No, never have been.
How many different places did you travel to in 2009? Let's see... Indiana in February & October to go to a nice restaurant that we like; Louisiana in May to visit my sister-and I travelled through Missouri & Arkansas on the way there & visited Texas while I was down there; then Florida on our honeymoon-and technically TN, since we had a layover there while flying home... so that's 7 states in a year! Wow!
Did you miss anybody in the past year? I thought a lot about my dad. This was the 10th anniversary of his death, on 12/31, so I thought of him a lot that day. But I also thought a lot about him around our wedding, as that was a milestone I knew he wouldn't get to see.
What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2009? The Hangover & Up
What was your favorite song from 2009? The song isn't from 2009, but it was probably the most special song for us this year--our wedding song, "This Kind of Love" by Sister Hazel.
How many concerts or plays did you see in 2009? We went to 1 concert-Zac Brown Band in October.
Did you have a favorite concert in 2009? ZBB!
What was your favorite book in 2009? I just deleted my book list from the year, so I can't even remember what I read! I know I read 19 books though!
Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? Not that I can remember.
What was the biggest lie you told in 2009? I don't really make it a habit of lying... so I have no idea! LOL I told the people at TX Roadhouse on my bday that I was 21, instead of 26. LOL. That's about all I can think of!
Did you treat somebody badly in 2009? Not badly, but I could have been a more patient person.
Did somebody treat you badly in 2009? Not particularly, no.
What was your proudest moment of 2009? Purchasing our house & getting married
What was your most embarrassing moment of 2009? LOL hands down, it was when we were camping with Eddie's family. I always seem to have tummy trouble when we camp, and I could feel gas rumbling in my tummy. I was sitting straddled on a picnic bench & knew I had to fart. I tried to hold it in & could hear & feel the gurgling going on in my intestines. Eddie, his mom, and I were all sitting together talking when this was happening, and out of the blue, the gas just snuck out! And it WOULD NOT STOP. And did I mention I was on a wooden picnic table?! It was the loudest, longest, most embarrassing toot of my life! The more I tried to hold it in & get it to stop, the worse it was!
If you could go back to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be? I really don't know that I would change anything! Maybe getting our house in order after moving... we're still kind of in that in-between place where not everything is put away.
Where did you work in 2009? I started working at Carle Hospital as a Case Assistant, and I ended working at a local mental health center as a Prevention Specialist.
Favorite TV shows(s) of 2009? Biggest Loser, Paranormal State, Jon & Kate, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kendra...
Favorite Band(s) of 2009? I can't think of bands that were popular in 09 that I loved... my fave band has and always will be Counting Crows though.
Favorite Food in 2009? a local pizza place
Favorite Drink in 2009? Cherry Coke
Favorite Place in 2009? Our home, or our honeymoon location-St. Augustine, FL.
Favorite person(s) to be with in 2009? Eddie. Always.
Favorite person(s) to talk to in 2009? Ditto.
Favorite trip in 2009? Our honeymoon (though my solo trip to LA was also memorable!)
Favorite stores in 2009? Hobby Lobby
Hardest thing you had to go through in 2009? Not having my dad around for our wedding and my mom's health scares
Most exciting moment(s) in 2009? Walking down the aisle & getting the keys to our home!
Funniest moment(s) in 2009? LOL probably also the most embarrassing one from above! It's hard to pick a funniest one though, because Eddie and I always laugh so much together that we're often in tears because we've laughed so hard!

Happy 2010 everyone!

Goals for the new year

I realize it's been an incredibly long amount of time since I regularly posted anything food-related here. I would be quite surprised if I was still even located in very many of your google readers!

Every year I make a list of goals that I want to accomplish. I don't like to call them resolutions because I feel like so many of us make resolutions & then don't think about them again beyond January... until it's time to make new ones. So what I do is make a list of goals, and at the end of every month, I examine them to make note of my progress. It keeps the goal fresh in my mind so I don't forget about it. Then at the end of the year, rather than focus on what I didn't accomplish, I take a look at what I did get done. For example... I did all of these things this year:
-I donated blood
-I bought a house
-I saved $1000 for our wedding reception
-I didn't buy any brand new books
-I married my best friend
-We donated to the ASPCA instead of giving wedding favors
-I completed one 5K
-I completed one scrapbook
-I donated items or money to different causes for 10 of 12 months
-I cooked at least one new item each month
-I found a new job that is a perfect fit for me
-I found 40 letterboxes
-I paid off two credit cards
-I visited a new state

WHEW!

So, it's time to start making my 2010 list... and one of those items is going to be to post here at least once per week. It may not seem like much, but it is a start. My hope is that by posting here, I will get back into the swing of things and my waistline may start to show some improvement! I try to have goals that relate to getting healthier, without actually saying "lose x amount of pounds" or something like that. So my goal of writing here should hopefully spark that healthy lifestyle back up over time.

I hope there are still some out there that haven't forgotten about me... you'll be seeing more of me in 2010, I promise!

Giving back

One of my goals for this year has been to donate somewhere at least once per month. I have gotten nearly every month, with maybe 1 or 2 missing out due to the wedding planning. Places I have donated have included food for a local food bank, hygiene items for a local women's shelter, my never-been-worn wedding dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer, the ASPCA received a donation in lieu of our wedding favors, and I know there were others, but off the top of my head I can't think of them all... So for October, where was I to donate? It's nearly the end of the month, and I still hadn't donated anywhere. Then in my google reader yesterday was an entry from a local blogger. I've been reading her for just a couple months, and have never even commented on her entries until yesterday, but the post she wrote moved me and inspired me. You see, her sister recently lost her battle with cancer, and she wrote about a friend of hers who donated her hair in honor of her sister.

I donated my hair once before, to Locks of Love. They make wigs for children with cancer, and they require a 10 inch minimum donation length. I wasn't quite sure that I had 10 inches at this point, but I had been growing my hair out for our wedding, so it had gotten pretty long. The program that the blogger's friend donated to was through Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, which donates hair to the American Cancer Society to make wigs for women (not just children like Locks of Love). And their minimum donation length is only 8 inches. And I knew I had that.

So just like that, I made my decision. I was going to donate my hair. Again. My thought is that I have been extremely blessed in my life and with my family, that cancer has never directly affected me. I have great aunts and uncles who have fought their battles, but never anyone in my immediate family. I consider myself very fortunate. And because of that, I feel like I should give back, specifically for that cause. Aside from the hair donation and wedding dress donation, I was very involved with Relay for Life for 7 years (and hope to be involved again next year). So it was a no-brainer that this hair was getting chopped. It will grow back for me, whereas there is someone out there who can't grow their hair back right now, so I wanted to help them.

The Process: In Pictures

(^getting a picture of the back of your own head is hard!)

(^all pulled back and double checking the ruler... 9 inches!)

(^SNIP SNIP!)

(^It looks like a squirrel's tail!)

(^And here I am, with 9 inches less hair!)

If you're interested in finding out more information about donating your own hair, please check out:

http://www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful_lengths.jspx

http://locksoflove.org/