In the midst of my sewing machine crapping out on me and cooking an overly seasoned pot of chicken noodle soup, I have managed to get in two workouts this weekend. Go Me! The Biggest Loser Workout is another of my DVDs that has been gathering dust for WAY too long. I don't think I've used it in a year or at least since BL2 workout came out last season...and I haven't used that one in a while either!.
Friday's Workout
Biggest Loser: The Workout Warm up + Bootcamp segments. The BL Workout DVD is customizable. There are six routines, including the warm-up and cool down. You can set up your workout any way you choose. I chose the Bootcamp segment last night because it was one of the quickest of the workouts---20 min. w/ 5 min. warm up. I forgot how HARD this one was and how FAST it goes. Wore me out!
Tonight's Workout
Bigest Loser: The Workout Warm up + Low Intensity Cardio + Cool Down (approx. 50min.) After refreshing my memory last night on what a good workout this is, I decided to give it another go tonight. I went the sensible route and did the low intensity segment. Much better. Don't get me wrong, I still got a good workout, just not quite so exhausting. The movements are fairly easy to follow and similar to some of the Turbo Jam movements, only at a pace that I can keep up with. Afterwards, I definitely felt like I'd had a great workout, but I could still breathe. And then there's Bob. He tickles me. Yeah, he seems pretty touchy-feely, but not in an annoying way...and he's a little goofy at the same time. Best line on the dvd is when Bob says "I'm just up here stretching on a rock! Just stretching on a rock!" Bob's fun to work out with. And I love that the people in the workout are huffing, puffing, grunting and groaning just like me! Easy warm up and cool down segments(though the cooldown seems to drag on a bit). There's a sculpt & strength and high intensity cardio segment on this DVD but I think I'll hold off on doing those for a while yet.
I'll rate this one 9 out of 10 for the low intensity segment, the fact that I can customize it, and because Bob and the Losers are fun to watch.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Soup. With Lots of Seasoning. I Mean A LOT of Seasoning.
So with a name like "She Can't Even Cook!" I figure I'd better at least try every once in a while. Today I decided to try a recipe from my cookbook called "Simple Chicken Noodle Soup". I sorta lived up to my blog title again today.
I'm a Sunday morning grocery shopper. I grocery shop at WalMart and I like to get there early in the morning before the crowd shows up. Why is Walmart always so dang crowded, anyway? I knew going in that I was going to make this soup today. I got everything I needed to make it, except the poultry seasoning and the corn starch...OK and the celery. I forgot that too. Luckily Kroger is on the way home so I stopped in there and grabbed the celery. Couldn't find any poultry seasoning anywhere in the store. Got distracted by bagels with ungodly amounts of fiber and fresh cut sunflowers. Forgot the cornstarch...again.
Jump to a few hours later. I decide it's time to make the soup. Crap! No Cornstarch. Call Mamaw(to tell her the folks are safe in Poland) and ask her about cornstarch and poultry seasoning. She tells me to just use a chicken bullion cube in place of the seasoning and not to use flour(my idea) instead of cornstarch unless I want globby-biscuity soup. And she tells me just to make the soup without the cornstarch, since all it does is thicken it. Do I listen? Of course not. I want to make this soup the "right" way and follow the recipe to the letter. SO I head out the door for the second time today to go to Kroger for cornstarch. I knew I had bullion cubes at home, so I grabbed the cornstarch, got distracted by 3 for 18.00 DVD deals, and came on home.
I begin happily chopping carrots and celery, cooking noodles, etc. Feeling pretty confident. As luck would have it when I' get to the "add poultry seasoing" part of the recipe I realize I DO NOT HAVE CHICKEN BULLION! ARG! So I frantically dig through my spices. "Um. This is Mrs. Dash Table Blend. That'll work. Put that in. Ummm. Smells kinda weird, but I won't taste it, that would make way too much sense...instead I'll add a little pepper. OH! I'll also add some lemon pepper too--I like that. Whoa...still smells funky. Salt. Maybe salt will help.Hmmm. Still not going to taste it, but maybe it could use some Cajun Spice. Yes, that's it." I kid you not. Didn't occur to me until after I'd added the cajun spice that I should probably taste it! Sheesh. What a moron. Eventually I stopped adding spices and just let the soup simmer.
I'll say this. Once complete, my chicken noodle soup had a very, uh, complex, not to mention PEPPERY taste. My tongue is a bit numb from all the pepper and every once in a while I noticed a weird taste which I think is either from the whole wheat pasta or one of the 10,000 different spices that I used. But it isn't bad, really, it's pretty good, all things considered. I'm hoping it's one of those things that gets better after it sits a while. I have something like 35 gallons of it still to eat as the recipe does make more than I realized it would. ;) Guess I'll be eating soup all week.
The next time I make this I will have poultry seasoning on hand and instead of using whole wheat pasta, I'm going to use good ole' fattening Amish noodles. And my grandma was right. I didn't need the cornstarch. Lessons Learned.
I'm posting the recipe because I figure if I can go that astray with the seasonings and it still taste OK, it's probably great when done correctly!
Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
1-1/4 cups wide egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1-1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and
oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool
running water.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, and poultry
seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery, carrots, and onion. Reduce
heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is
completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in
noodles and chicken, and heat through.
I'm a Sunday morning grocery shopper. I grocery shop at WalMart and I like to get there early in the morning before the crowd shows up. Why is Walmart always so dang crowded, anyway? I knew going in that I was going to make this soup today. I got everything I needed to make it, except the poultry seasoning and the corn starch...OK and the celery. I forgot that too. Luckily Kroger is on the way home so I stopped in there and grabbed the celery. Couldn't find any poultry seasoning anywhere in the store. Got distracted by bagels with ungodly amounts of fiber and fresh cut sunflowers. Forgot the cornstarch...again.
Jump to a few hours later. I decide it's time to make the soup. Crap! No Cornstarch. Call Mamaw(to tell her the folks are safe in Poland) and ask her about cornstarch and poultry seasoning. She tells me to just use a chicken bullion cube in place of the seasoning and not to use flour(my idea) instead of cornstarch unless I want globby-biscuity soup. And she tells me just to make the soup without the cornstarch, since all it does is thicken it. Do I listen? Of course not. I want to make this soup the "right" way and follow the recipe to the letter. SO I head out the door for the second time today to go to Kroger for cornstarch. I knew I had bullion cubes at home, so I grabbed the cornstarch, got distracted by 3 for 18.00 DVD deals, and came on home.
I begin happily chopping carrots and celery, cooking noodles, etc. Feeling pretty confident. As luck would have it when I' get to the "add poultry seasoing" part of the recipe I realize I DO NOT HAVE CHICKEN BULLION! ARG! So I frantically dig through my spices. "Um. This is Mrs. Dash Table Blend. That'll work. Put that in. Ummm. Smells kinda weird, but I won't taste it, that would make way too much sense...instead I'll add a little pepper. OH! I'll also add some lemon pepper too--I like that. Whoa...still smells funky. Salt. Maybe salt will help.Hmmm. Still not going to taste it, but maybe it could use some Cajun Spice. Yes, that's it." I kid you not. Didn't occur to me until after I'd added the cajun spice that I should probably taste it! Sheesh. What a moron. Eventually I stopped adding spices and just let the soup simmer.
I'll say this. Once complete, my chicken noodle soup had a very, uh, complex, not to mention PEPPERY taste. My tongue is a bit numb from all the pepper and every once in a while I noticed a weird taste which I think is either from the whole wheat pasta or one of the 10,000 different spices that I used. But it isn't bad, really, it's pretty good, all things considered. I'm hoping it's one of those things that gets better after it sits a while. I have something like 35 gallons of it still to eat as the recipe does make more than I realized it would. ;) Guess I'll be eating soup all week.The next time I make this I will have poultry seasoning on hand and instead of using whole wheat pasta, I'm going to use good ole' fattening Amish noodles. And my grandma was right. I didn't need the cornstarch. Lessons Learned.
I'm posting the recipe because I figure if I can go that astray with the seasonings and it still taste OK, it's probably great when done correctly!
Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
1-1/4 cups wide egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1-1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and
oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool
running water.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, and poultry
seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery, carrots, and onion. Reduce
heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is
completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in
noodles and chicken, and heat through.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
*&%^@*$#!!$# Sewing Machine!
My sewing machine hates me. Maybe it's because I haven't used it in so long that it has decided to throw a temper tantrum.
I'm in the middle of trying to make what I had hoped would be a supercute Halloween apron to send to Jackie. It's turning out to be a disaster. I've picked it back up tonight after about two weeks to try and finish up and get it in the mail on Monday. I manage to get the pocket sewn on(with a zigzag stitch on bias tape). I get to the ties and all of the bottom stitches start looping. I've had the tension on every single setting possible. I have un-threaded, re-threaded, removed bobbin and attempted to clean the bobbin case and then made a new bobbin and re-threaded that, I put in a new needle and STILL the underside stitches look like this:
AaARRRHhggggGGG! I wonder, will it be more expensive to have the machine serviced than to just buy a new one? It's a Brother and probably cost less than 150 bucks when it was new.
SOOOOO aggravated right now! Going to find a workout DVD with lots of kicks and punches for tonight and let out some frustration!
I'm in the middle of trying to make what I had hoped would be a supercute Halloween apron to send to Jackie. It's turning out to be a disaster. I've picked it back up tonight after about two weeks to try and finish up and get it in the mail on Monday. I manage to get the pocket sewn on(with a zigzag stitch on bias tape). I get to the ties and all of the bottom stitches start looping. I've had the tension on every single setting possible. I have un-threaded, re-threaded, removed bobbin and attempted to clean the bobbin case and then made a new bobbin and re-threaded that, I put in a new needle and STILL the underside stitches look like this:
AaARRRHhggggGGG! I wonder, will it be more expensive to have the machine serviced than to just buy a new one? It's a Brother and probably cost less than 150 bucks when it was new.SOOOOO aggravated right now! Going to find a workout DVD with lots of kicks and punches for tonight and let out some frustration!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
It's Like Tae Bo on Crack!
Dear LORD! I did Turbo Jam tonight. I have done this workout before, many times as a matter of fact, but it's been a year or more! Even thought I have exercised since then, I've skipped out on exercise the last few weeks as you know and evidently the exercise I'd been doing didn't amount to much. Cause, Man! I'm draggin'! I did not realize how out of shape I had become. Oncce, I was able to get through the whole thing and feel good at the end. Tonight, I'm tired!
Turbo Jam: Cardio Party is one of those DVDs you see on Sunday afternoon and late night infomercials. I don't even know if they still show it but I'd bet you can buy it from Amazon.
SO the DVD starts out innocently enough with five min. or so of warm up. There's a cool "wheel" move that I enjoy and the music in this dvd keeps you involved and if you can keep your breath you can even sing along. Them comes the cardio. Lots of kicks and punches and speedbags and such. I did Tae Bo at the local YMCA for a while and I bought the videotapes when they came out years ago. This reminds me a lot of Tae Bo, but on crack. SO fast and furious! It's doable, for sure, but beware if you are out of shape like I am! It is going to take a while to build up the stamina again to be able to get through it! I found myself doing the "ZHEE! SNURFF!" breathing from YBB just to keep from passing out! And what is it with loud breathers??? This instructor also breathes LOUDLY! At approximately 25min. into the torture, I mean workout, a buzzer sounds and it goes TURBO! Everything speeds up and goes non-stop. Whew! I'm tired all over thinking about it!
There's funky, upbeat music(remember "Mama said Knock You Out"?) and a low impact person you can follow. There are a few dance breaks built in. The movements cover all areas nicely...abs(standing), arms, booty and legs are all worked, trust me. The last 15 min. are much more laid back and the cool down is nice and easy with another cool move called Jenga.
Despite being completely and utterly worn out, I'm giving this workout 8 out of 10. It IS a very good workout it just will take a while to get the steps and movements down(again) and my stamina up! Regular rotation? Not sure. Still don't know how I want to do that. Montly, Weekly, Daily??? Any suggestions?
Must. Sleep. NOW!
Turbo Jam: Cardio Party is one of those DVDs you see on Sunday afternoon and late night infomercials. I don't even know if they still show it but I'd bet you can buy it from Amazon.
SO the DVD starts out innocently enough with five min. or so of warm up. There's a cool "wheel" move that I enjoy and the music in this dvd keeps you involved and if you can keep your breath you can even sing along. Them comes the cardio. Lots of kicks and punches and speedbags and such. I did Tae Bo at the local YMCA for a while and I bought the videotapes when they came out years ago. This reminds me a lot of Tae Bo, but on crack. SO fast and furious! It's doable, for sure, but beware if you are out of shape like I am! It is going to take a while to build up the stamina again to be able to get through it! I found myself doing the "ZHEE! SNURFF!" breathing from YBB just to keep from passing out! And what is it with loud breathers??? This instructor also breathes LOUDLY! At approximately 25min. into the torture, I mean workout, a buzzer sounds and it goes TURBO! Everything speeds up and goes non-stop. Whew! I'm tired all over thinking about it!
There's funky, upbeat music(remember "Mama said Knock You Out"?) and a low impact person you can follow. There are a few dance breaks built in. The movements cover all areas nicely...abs(standing), arms, booty and legs are all worked, trust me. The last 15 min. are much more laid back and the cool down is nice and easy with another cool move called Jenga.
Despite being completely and utterly worn out, I'm giving this workout 8 out of 10. It IS a very good workout it just will take a while to get the steps and movements down(again) and my stamina up! Regular rotation? Not sure. Still don't know how I want to do that. Montly, Weekly, Daily??? Any suggestions?
Must. Sleep. NOW!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Yoga Booty Hoodie-Doodie
Tonight I began my first in a series of workouts to try and weed my ever growing collection of dust-gathering workout DVDs. I've decided to do a different workout daily, blog my thoughts on each and at the end of my little experiment, put myself on some sort of workout rotation. You know, the omnipotent "they" say that it is best to switch up your workout routine, not to get stuck in an exercise rut. And since I haven't exercised regularly in months, I SURE don't want to run the risk of getting myself in a rut now do I?
My workout tonight was Yoga Booty Ballet Live! Light & Easy. This makes the third time it's been in the DVD since I bought it months ago. It was a 15 dollar impulse buy that came with two DVDs. A Latin workout and this one. I HATED it the first time around, hated it. But I've decided to go into all of these workouts with an open mind and really think about the exercise that I'm doing and if it would be helpful in my weight loss efforts.
Now I realize that some folks really get into the whole new age thing and I also realize yoga is an age old, respectable practice and if that's your thing I do not mean to offend. So if you take it in that way, don't fuss at me! :)
The warm up segment is, in my opinion, waaay too new age-y and silly. Personally, I get the giggles when "polishing my aura". Which amounted to flapping my arms so fast I could take off in flight, all the while listening to the instructors heavy breathing(it has a Yoga name, I've already forgotten it) which sounds something like this: "ZHeee! Snuff! ZHee! Snuff!" One was ZHeeing! while the other was Snuffing! Yeah, I know getting the oxygen in is a GOOD thing, silly sounding or not! Still, there IS a lot of talk about auras and the like in the beginning so if you are completely turned off by that sort of thing, this is not the workout for you.
After the third time around, I realized that I don't hate this workout! Once I finally got past all the new age gobbledy-gook, I realized it is actually fun(well funny, anyway). The instructors are cute and bouncy (but not scary/Denise Austin bouncy) and they do a good job of calling the moves. They don't seem to take themselves completely serious, which is a good thing. The folks working out with them come in all shapes and sizes. That always makes me feel better! The dance moves are fun and easy to follow and stay at a decent pace (not too fast, not too slow) It seems to go by quickly. It doesn't wear me completely out, yet I feel like I've done some work.
After the cardio segment, we get to the Yoga and floor work segment of the workout. AAARGH! It is hard. And I've a feeling this is Yoga Lite! You should know that I despise floor work in any and all workouts and I have been known to completely skip that portion! Get ready to hear me complain about it with each and every DVD ;) Still, my upper and lower abs are now tingly and that's good. I survived it! My guess would be that comparatively, this one is relatively moderate as far as abs, crunches and the like go.
So. looks like this one is a keeper. It may not go into my regular rotation, but it'll be good for those days when I don't really want to work out, but know that I should. I did forget to mention the cheesy music, but don't all workout DVDs have cheesy music? I also forgot to mention...no shoes required...woo hoo!
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 6. Haven't decided what I'll be doing tomorrow. Maybe one of my many Walk Away the Pounds DVDs.
My workout tonight was Yoga Booty Ballet Live! Light & Easy. This makes the third time it's been in the DVD since I bought it months ago. It was a 15 dollar impulse buy that came with two DVDs. A Latin workout and this one. I HATED it the first time around, hated it. But I've decided to go into all of these workouts with an open mind and really think about the exercise that I'm doing and if it would be helpful in my weight loss efforts.
Now I realize that some folks really get into the whole new age thing and I also realize yoga is an age old, respectable practice and if that's your thing I do not mean to offend. So if you take it in that way, don't fuss at me! :)
The warm up segment is, in my opinion, waaay too new age-y and silly. Personally, I get the giggles when "polishing my aura". Which amounted to flapping my arms so fast I could take off in flight, all the while listening to the instructors heavy breathing(it has a Yoga name, I've already forgotten it) which sounds something like this: "ZHeee! Snuff! ZHee! Snuff!" One was ZHeeing! while the other was Snuffing! Yeah, I know getting the oxygen in is a GOOD thing, silly sounding or not! Still, there IS a lot of talk about auras and the like in the beginning so if you are completely turned off by that sort of thing, this is not the workout for you.
After the third time around, I realized that I don't hate this workout! Once I finally got past all the new age gobbledy-gook, I realized it is actually fun(well funny, anyway). The instructors are cute and bouncy (but not scary/Denise Austin bouncy) and they do a good job of calling the moves. They don't seem to take themselves completely serious, which is a good thing. The folks working out with them come in all shapes and sizes. That always makes me feel better! The dance moves are fun and easy to follow and stay at a decent pace (not too fast, not too slow) It seems to go by quickly. It doesn't wear me completely out, yet I feel like I've done some work.
After the cardio segment, we get to the Yoga and floor work segment of the workout. AAARGH! It is hard. And I've a feeling this is Yoga Lite! You should know that I despise floor work in any and all workouts and I have been known to completely skip that portion! Get ready to hear me complain about it with each and every DVD ;) Still, my upper and lower abs are now tingly and that's good. I survived it! My guess would be that comparatively, this one is relatively moderate as far as abs, crunches and the like go.
So. looks like this one is a keeper. It may not go into my regular rotation, but it'll be good for those days when I don't really want to work out, but know that I should. I did forget to mention the cheesy music, but don't all workout DVDs have cheesy music? I also forgot to mention...no shoes required...woo hoo!
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 6. Haven't decided what I'll be doing tomorrow. Maybe one of my many Walk Away the Pounds DVDs.
Tales from the Scales Weekly Weigh In
Has it been a week already? How time does fly! This week went OK! I tried to ease myself back into the whole diet/exercise thing. Looking back at my list of "issues and goals" from last week, here's how it went this week.
1. Drank some water
2. Did some exercising
3. Was more positive this week about weight loss! Didn't beat myself up over a few bad choices and go completely off track! It was the state librarians conference this past weekend...had to eat at the Hard Rock..and drink a couple of reg. Cokes....and eat sweets...the other librarians held me down and forced me to.
4. Though I had a few over the weekend, I did cut way back on regular cokes. No, MBJ, I haven't switched to all water just yet...I'm easing, remember ;)
5. I bought some fruit. OK, I realize I have to actually EAT it to meet that goal, but I'm closer than I was last week!
6. Although I did eat less, I did not track anything. This is tough for me. I know it helps, why don't I do it???
So my weight loss this week was 1.5 pounds and I'm quite satisfied with that number!
Something I want to do this week is bump up the exercise. In order to keep it interesting I'm going to be conducting a little "taste test", if you will, of the thousands of exercise DVDs that I own. OK I exaggerate, I don't own a thousand exercise DVDs, but I do own a lot! More than I need....in fact, if I did them all I wouldn't have a weight problem! Anyhow, I'm going to work out and blog one DVD regularly and hopefully find the ones that I will actually stick with and weed out the others. I'll be starting with a Yoga Booty Ballet DVD(an impulse buy)
1. Drank some water
2. Did some exercising
3. Was more positive this week about weight loss! Didn't beat myself up over a few bad choices and go completely off track! It was the state librarians conference this past weekend...had to eat at the Hard Rock..and drink a couple of reg. Cokes....and eat sweets...the other librarians held me down and forced me to.
4. Though I had a few over the weekend, I did cut way back on regular cokes. No, MBJ, I haven't switched to all water just yet...I'm easing, remember ;)
5. I bought some fruit. OK, I realize I have to actually EAT it to meet that goal, but I'm closer than I was last week!
6. Although I did eat less, I did not track anything. This is tough for me. I know it helps, why don't I do it???
So my weight loss this week was 1.5 pounds and I'm quite satisfied with that number!
Something I want to do this week is bump up the exercise. In order to keep it interesting I'm going to be conducting a little "taste test", if you will, of the thousands of exercise DVDs that I own. OK I exaggerate, I don't own a thousand exercise DVDs, but I do own a lot! More than I need....in fact, if I did them all I wouldn't have a weight problem! Anyhow, I'm going to work out and blog one DVD regularly and hopefully find the ones that I will actually stick with and weed out the others. I'll be starting with a Yoga Booty Ballet DVD(an impulse buy)
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Randomness Steve Martin style
Ummm. What the heck???I thought I had a lot of useless 80s trivia rolling around in my head, but The New Show? Never heard of it! Must have been an SNL knock off or something! The rest of you may not think this is funny, but I think it's hysterical! And since I get to decide what the Randomness for Rhonda post will be...I'm going with the always funny Steve Martin!
Rhonda....Welcome Back! You were missed!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Look Great in 2008 Challenge
Yesterday was the first day to sign in to the Tales from the Scales Challenge but I'm sure they'll forgive me for being a bit late!
I'll continue the weekly weigh ins and scales tales posts now that the new challenge has started. I like that this challenge starts in September and doesn't end until after New Year's. That takes away the whole "New Year's Resolution" thing...at which I normally fail. The other thing that is cool about Tales is the support from others who play along. It's comforting(in a sick & twisted way) to know that other people are struggling with their weight! All kidding aside, I thoroughly enjoy and am inspired by reading their weekly posts. I will do better about leaving encouraging comments this time around. So many encouraging words have come my way and it's time to reciprocate!
Yes, I did lose some weight during the May Day challenge! I had lost a few pounds before it ever started as well. However, if I'm being honest, the last time around the weigh ins kept me from gaining more than anything else. SO, rather than just continuing on, I want to start over with this challenge. Try harder. Be stronger.
I've been thinking about what my weight "issues" are.
Ummm... Try this...
Anyhow, those are my goals. Just six little things. Shouldn't be that difficult, right? As far as a targeted amount of weight loss for this challenge, I think if I stick to the list above, I should be able to lose at least 16 pounds by the Jan. date. If I can lose more, hey, that'd be great! 16 pounds is about a pound per week, if I counted the weeks correctly. As much as I'd like the weight to fall off, I know that if it comes off slowly I'm more likely to keep it off . Now if we're talking big picture, I'd like to be 62 pounds thinner than I am in the horrid before-before shot you're about to see. I'm not one to cry over being fat. I figure I made myself this way with bad eating habits(ironic that I'm about to feed my face in that picture)and a lack of exercise. Still, this picture nearly makes me want to cry(nearly, but not). I was FAT!!! OK, I'm STILL fat, but good grief! Put me in a red suit and I could've passed for Santa last Christmas!
As a reminder of my progress thus far and to gauge progress for the NEW challenge, I'm posting my before pic for this challenge as an after from the last! It's not a huge difference, but it is a difference and it shows that I am capable of losing weight! Hopefully by January, I'll see some real progress.
Good luck to everyone participating in the challenge! IF you want to get in on the action, read some great articles and motivational postings then head on over to Tales from the Scales!
I'll continue the weekly weigh ins and scales tales posts now that the new challenge has started. I like that this challenge starts in September and doesn't end until after New Year's. That takes away the whole "New Year's Resolution" thing...at which I normally fail. The other thing that is cool about Tales is the support from others who play along. It's comforting(in a sick & twisted way) to know that other people are struggling with their weight! All kidding aside, I thoroughly enjoy and am inspired by reading their weekly posts. I will do better about leaving encouraging comments this time around. So many encouraging words have come my way and it's time to reciprocate!
Yes, I did lose some weight during the May Day challenge! I had lost a few pounds before it ever started as well. However, if I'm being honest, the last time around the weigh ins kept me from gaining more than anything else. SO, rather than just continuing on, I want to start over with this challenge. Try harder. Be stronger.
I've been thinking about what my weight "issues" are.
- I don't like to eat healthy. I just don't. I like junk food, I'm not gonna lie!
- I don't drink enough water. Sometimes I go for weeks without drinking a drop.
- Exercise. I can take it or leave it. I don't hate it, but given the choice, I won't do it.
- I'm seriosly addicted to regular sodas, especially Coke.
- I don't hold myself accountable. I KNOW I should track what I eat, but I don't.
- I'm not an overly positive person. I tend to see the bad first and get hung up on it.
Ummm... Try this...
- Eat healthier! You like fruit, right? Start there and move on to veggies a little at a time!
- Fix yourself a glass of water everyday in that huge WW mug of yours and drink it...twice! Just twice and you're at the recommended amount of H2O for the day!
- Do not let exercise be an option. Just Do It!
- Write down what you eat!
- Stop drinking regular cokes! Just suck it up and drink the diet stuff..or WATER!
- Quit being so stinkin' negative! Focus on how much better you'll feel 37 pounds from now!
Anyhow, those are my goals. Just six little things. Shouldn't be that difficult, right? As far as a targeted amount of weight loss for this challenge, I think if I stick to the list above, I should be able to lose at least 16 pounds by the Jan. date. If I can lose more, hey, that'd be great! 16 pounds is about a pound per week, if I counted the weeks correctly. As much as I'd like the weight to fall off, I know that if it comes off slowly I'm more likely to keep it off . Now if we're talking big picture, I'd like to be 62 pounds thinner than I am in the horrid before-before shot you're about to see. I'm not one to cry over being fat. I figure I made myself this way with bad eating habits(ironic that I'm about to feed my face in that picture)and a lack of exercise. Still, this picture nearly makes me want to cry(nearly, but not). I was FAT!!! OK, I'm STILL fat, but good grief! Put me in a red suit and I could've passed for Santa last Christmas!
As a reminder of my progress thus far and to gauge progress for the NEW challenge, I'm posting my before pic for this challenge as an after from the last! It's not a huge difference, but it is a difference and it shows that I am capable of losing weight! Hopefully by January, I'll see some real progress.Good luck to everyone participating in the challenge! IF you want to get in on the action, read some great articles and motivational postings then head on over to Tales from the Scales!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
An Anniversary!
Today is Mark and my 20th Wedding Anniversary. That's right, I said 20 years! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by... I thought rather than go on with a long narrative about the ups and downs of married life or get all mushy-gushy(I'm so not a mushy-gushy girl), I'd simply post a picture from our special day.
And one from now. This is what 20 years of marriage looks like, folks :)
Mark, I love you! Happy Anniversary!
And one from now. This is what 20 years of marriage looks like, folks :)
Mark, I love you! Happy Anniversary!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Tales from the Scales Check-In
Just got in from parent-teacher conferences and I have mere minutes before my all time favorite reality show ever, the Biggest Loser begins for the season. Gotta make this quick! FYI: No one ever comes to see the librarian at Parent/Teacher conferences!
ACK! Not off to the couch just yet! I just went to sign up and realized this was the last weigh in! I'll say this...I really appreciate all of the encouraging comments and kind words(not to mention a song) that the TFTS gals have given me through the challenge. Thanks so much! I hope there is a new challenge issued, I'd like to keep playing! OK....now...gotta run...I'll post my before/after and whatnot later. I'm seriously NOT missing a minute of BL!!! Sick and twisted, I know! :) Any other BL fanatics out there?
- This week I lost a pound. One puny pound. But I DID lose...will try a bit harder this week.
- I did start back to WW meeting this week! Go Me!
- Hoping that watching people who are much more overweight than I exercising ten times harder and longer will motivate me to do more in that area!
ACK! Not off to the couch just yet! I just went to sign up and realized this was the last weigh in! I'll say this...I really appreciate all of the encouraging comments and kind words(not to mention a song) that the TFTS gals have given me through the challenge. Thanks so much! I hope there is a new challenge issued, I'd like to keep playing! OK....now...gotta run...I'll post my before/after and whatnot later. I'm seriously NOT missing a minute of BL!!! Sick and twisted, I know! :) Any other BL fanatics out there?
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Cookbook!
Here it is...my cookbook! I'm pretty proud of it! 
I love the cover...it's the same picture as my blog header, a vintage sour cream ad! The title, Kellie Cooks: A recipe collection including favorites from family & friends. The fun vintage illustrations came from "the home meal planner: a key to better meals". These were available on the heritage cookbook website and free for use, but I was lucky enough to find my own copy at a local antique mall. The illustrations worked perfectly for section dividers once I added my headings! Part of the fun in this whole project was being able to include photos and personalize it to suit my own needs and tastes! 
My main intent was to have a cookbook that would work for me, and that's what I got!
I sent emails and letters and generally bugged the crap out of people for recipes. They knew this was going to be a cookbook for me to use, and they all know of my cooking skills or lack thereof.
My friends and family really came through for me! Thankfully, the recipes are relatively easy! No longer must I fear potlucks! And the food...things that I will actually eat! No crazy ingredients! Lots of chicken, potatoes and desserts. But hey! that's my kind of eatin'! There are even a few vegan recipes included for Mark and he was very happy about that! Of course, if I actually make those vegan dishes for him, I'm sure he'll be even more appreciative...once he picks himself up off the floor! I was able to add a few of my own recipes along with some that have been on my list to try. It's so convenient to have them all in one handy-dandy little book! In addition to those easy recipes I mentioned, there are special recipes from the people I love the most...my immediate and extended family, my closest friends. I won't lie, Mamaw Doris' Whole Wheat Rolls, aren't easy, but they are an icon of my childhood and not one person in the entire family doesn't smile and make yum-yum noises when they are mentioned! Having those recipes and others, like my Mama Lucille's carrot cake for instance, makes it more than just another cookbook!
Thanks again to everyone who sent me a recipe(or several)! Actually, I got so many recipes that I wasn't able to put them all in! How's that for generosity? I hope you all know how much I truly appreciate it!
Since it was ME who put this together after all, ya'll won't be surprised to learn that I managed to get at least one recipe in that was missing a step(Edith's Chess Squares). I thought I proofread thoroughly, but evidently not. It's possible that I'll discover a few more that are wrong, but nothing I can't pencil in and correct! I was disappointed when I realized that I somehow managed to leave out Grandma Doris' recipe for homemade noodles. They are delicious and deserve to be cooked and eaten...often!
If you're even considering putting together a cookbook...and I'll bet you are...I cannot recommend heritagecookbook.com enough! The process was fun and easy easy easy! Susan, the head honcho, was very helpful and always friendly! If you are more organized than I, you can finish it up in the free 30 day trial membership period and pay only printing/shipping costs. Alright...I'm starting to sound like a commercial. Don't mean to, but I want to mention how thrilled I am with this company and I think they do offer an awesome service!
I'd like to invite you all to leave your favorite simple recipes in my comments (anytime, anywhere) or leave links to your EASY, non-fussy ingredient recipes! For my friends who don't have a blog and I can't talk you into one(leave me floating around in cyberspace looking all friendless, why don'tcha!), you CAN leave comments & recipes! No one will ever know your true identity---so stop worrying about bad grammar and typos! You know who you are, girls and boys!
I love the cover...it's the same picture as my blog header, a vintage sour cream ad! The title, Kellie Cooks: A recipe collection including favorites from family & friends. The fun vintage illustrations came from "the home meal planner: a key to better meals". These were available on the heritage cookbook website and free for use, but I was lucky enough to find my own copy at a local antique mall. The illustrations worked perfectly for section dividers once I added my headings! Part of the fun in this whole project was being able to include photos and personalize it to suit my own needs and tastes! 
My main intent was to have a cookbook that would work for me, and that's what I got!I sent emails and letters and generally bugged the crap out of people for recipes. They knew this was going to be a cookbook for me to use, and they all know of my cooking skills or lack thereof.
My friends and family really came through for me! Thankfully, the recipes are relatively easy! No longer must I fear potlucks! And the food...things that I will actually eat! No crazy ingredients! Lots of chicken, potatoes and desserts. But hey! that's my kind of eatin'! There are even a few vegan recipes included for Mark and he was very happy about that! Of course, if I actually make those vegan dishes for him, I'm sure he'll be even more appreciative...once he picks himself up off the floor! I was able to add a few of my own recipes along with some that have been on my list to try. It's so convenient to have them all in one handy-dandy little book! In addition to those easy recipes I mentioned, there are special recipes from the people I love the most...my immediate and extended family, my closest friends. I won't lie, Mamaw Doris' Whole Wheat Rolls, aren't easy, but they are an icon of my childhood and not one person in the entire family doesn't smile and make yum-yum noises when they are mentioned! Having those recipes and others, like my Mama Lucille's carrot cake for instance, makes it more than just another cookbook!
Thanks again to everyone who sent me a recipe(or several)! Actually, I got so many recipes that I wasn't able to put them all in! How's that for generosity? I hope you all know how much I truly appreciate it!
Since it was ME who put this together after all, ya'll won't be surprised to learn that I managed to get at least one recipe in that was missing a step(Edith's Chess Squares). I thought I proofread thoroughly, but evidently not. It's possible that I'll discover a few more that are wrong, but nothing I can't pencil in and correct! I was disappointed when I realized that I somehow managed to leave out Grandma Doris' recipe for homemade noodles. They are delicious and deserve to be cooked and eaten...often!
If you're even considering putting together a cookbook...and I'll bet you are...I cannot recommend heritagecookbook.com enough! The process was fun and easy easy easy! Susan, the head honcho, was very helpful and always friendly! If you are more organized than I, you can finish it up in the free 30 day trial membership period and pay only printing/shipping costs. Alright...I'm starting to sound like a commercial. Don't mean to, but I want to mention how thrilled I am with this company and I think they do offer an awesome service!
I'd like to invite you all to leave your favorite simple recipes in my comments (anytime, anywhere) or leave links to your EASY, non-fussy ingredient recipes! For my friends who don't have a blog and I can't talk you into one(leave me floating around in cyberspace looking all friendless, why don'tcha!), you CAN leave comments & recipes! No one will ever know your true identity---so stop worrying about bad grammar and typos! You know who you are, girls and boys!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Random & Utterly unFascinating Facts about Me
So I got tagged by Kristiem10 whose blog you'll find here. Thanks for inviting me to play along, gal!
These are the tag rules:
Post the rules before you give the facts. Post eight random facts about yourself. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names. Leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they've been tagged.
Eight random & not so fascinating facts about me that you may or may not know...
1. I am seriously and I do mean seriously creeped out by monkeys. ESPECIALLY chimpanzees. ooooh...I have full body shivers from thinking about how much they creep me out.
2. I really dig Rockabilly clothing and am jealous of girls who can pull off that look. If I were 15 years younger and fifty pounds thinner, I'd totally wear it.
3. I like raisins but I don't like anything that has raisins in it.
4. I LOVE showtunes, Broadway, and movie musicals. Secretly, I dream of starring in a Broadway musical despite my overwhelming lack of singing, dancing and acting skills.
5. Back to # 2...I used to sell vintage clothing (even though I was too fat to wear them) on ebay and made tons of money! Once I made enough to pay cash to install a patio on our old house.
6. I like doing laundry.
7. If do-overs were possible, I'd go to an artsy-fartsy school and study photography instead of becoming a librarian.
8. In real life, I'm even more of a doofus than I appear to be on this blog.
So there you have it! However, I'm changing the rules at this point. And since I never break the rules in "real life", I'm being a real rebel here, ya'll! ....my rule is if you wanna play, post a comment here and a link to your eight random facts :) if you don't, that's OK too!
These are the tag rules:
Post the rules before you give the facts. Post eight random facts about yourself. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names. Leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they've been tagged.
Eight random & not so fascinating facts about me that you may or may not know...
1. I am seriously and I do mean seriously creeped out by monkeys. ESPECIALLY chimpanzees. ooooh...I have full body shivers from thinking about how much they creep me out.
2. I really dig Rockabilly clothing and am jealous of girls who can pull off that look. If I were 15 years younger and fifty pounds thinner, I'd totally wear it.
3. I like raisins but I don't like anything that has raisins in it.
4. I LOVE showtunes, Broadway, and movie musicals. Secretly, I dream of starring in a Broadway musical despite my overwhelming lack of singing, dancing and acting skills.
5. Back to # 2...I used to sell vintage clothing (even though I was too fat to wear them) on ebay and made tons of money! Once I made enough to pay cash to install a patio on our old house.
6. I like doing laundry.
7. If do-overs were possible, I'd go to an artsy-fartsy school and study photography instead of becoming a librarian.
8. In real life, I'm even more of a doofus than I appear to be on this blog.
So there you have it! However, I'm changing the rules at this point. And since I never break the rules in "real life", I'm being a real rebel here, ya'll! ....my rule is if you wanna play, post a comment here and a link to your eight random facts :) if you don't, that's OK too!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Edith's Chess Squares
Funny that in my last post I was mentioning my weight gain and here I am minutes later talking about chess squares. I'm nonchalant like that.
Since this blog is supposed to be partially cooking related I wanted to let everyone know that YES, I have actually made some edible treats as of late. Not everything has been stitched or stuffed!
I've made several dishes that I've already blogged, so won't rehash those at the moment. BUT I did prepare some of the most delectable(if overly gooey) desert bars ever last week & the week before that; Ediths Chess Squares. My good friend Stacey gave me the recipe. I've had them several times when Stacey has made them and I swear time stands still when sink your teeth in. They are that good. As I mentioned, mine were gooey, both times. But did that stop me from taking them to family functions? NO. Did it stop my family from eating them? HECK no! I don't think anyone even talked while they were sampling...except for the occasional nearly incoherent comments made with our mouths full "Nish es Gooo!" and "MMM!...wa ush innis?" and you know, those noises you make when stuff tastes really good? Like "ahmahamaha! "?
I talked to Stacey about these bars today at work and she figured out my gooey problem. It was the pan. I was taking them to Mom's and wanted the ease of not having lug around and wash a dish so I baked them in a flimsy aluminum baking dish instead of the glass dish the recipe called for. I didn't think it would make a difference. When I got home tonight I checked my cookbook and realized, being the ditz that I am, I had left that part out when I put it in my now published Cookbook. Dangit! I don't know if I read it wrong, was trying to save space and left out a few words(which wouldn't make sense), if I just got in a hurry and skipped it or what! I guess I'll have to tell everyone who gets a copy to pencil that important detail in. I wonder how many more of my friend/family's recipes I screwed up in the cookbook process??
If you bake these, make sure you use a GLASS BAKING DISH. It's the secret to non-gooey bars. But I'm telling you this after telling you that...they were heavenly...despite my goof up and their gooeyness! HEAVENLY!
Edith's Chess Squares
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted
1 80z. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 box powdered sugar
Combine butter, cake mix and 1 egg in mixer bowl; mix well. Press
into 9x13 inch GLASS baking dish. Combine 2 eggs, confectioners' sugar and cream cheese in mixer bowl; mix until smooth. Spread over cake mix layer. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares.
32 servings
Thank you Stacey for sharing this recipe with me...you know how I loves me some chess bars!
Since this blog is supposed to be partially cooking related I wanted to let everyone know that YES, I have actually made some edible treats as of late. Not everything has been stitched or stuffed!
I've made several dishes that I've already blogged, so won't rehash those at the moment. BUT I did prepare some of the most delectable(if overly gooey) desert bars ever last week & the week before that; Ediths Chess Squares. My good friend Stacey gave me the recipe. I've had them several times when Stacey has made them and I swear time stands still when sink your teeth in. They are that good. As I mentioned, mine were gooey, both times. But did that stop me from taking them to family functions? NO. Did it stop my family from eating them? HECK no! I don't think anyone even talked while they were sampling...except for the occasional nearly incoherent comments made with our mouths full "Nish es Gooo!" and "MMM!...wa ush innis?" and you know, those noises you make when stuff tastes really good? Like "ahmahamaha! "?
I talked to Stacey about these bars today at work and she figured out my gooey problem. It was the pan. I was taking them to Mom's and wanted the ease of not having lug around and wash a dish so I baked them in a flimsy aluminum baking dish instead of the glass dish the recipe called for. I didn't think it would make a difference. When I got home tonight I checked my cookbook and realized, being the ditz that I am, I had left that part out when I put it in my now published Cookbook. Dangit! I don't know if I read it wrong, was trying to save space and left out a few words(which wouldn't make sense), if I just got in a hurry and skipped it or what! I guess I'll have to tell everyone who gets a copy to pencil that important detail in. I wonder how many more of my friend/family's recipes I screwed up in the cookbook process??
If you bake these, make sure you use a GLASS BAKING DISH. It's the secret to non-gooey bars. But I'm telling you this after telling you that...they were heavenly...despite my goof up and their gooeyness! HEAVENLY!
Edith's Chess Squares
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted
1 80z. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 box powdered sugar
Combine butter, cake mix and 1 egg in mixer bowl; mix well. Press
into 9x13 inch GLASS baking dish. Combine 2 eggs, confectioners' sugar and cream cheese in mixer bowl; mix until smooth. Spread over cake mix layer. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares.
32 servings
Thank you Stacey for sharing this recipe with me...you know how I loves me some chess bars!
Tales from the Scales Tuesday
OK, so...last week I refused to weigh and vowed to weigh this week...Good or Bad. Well, it's bad. 3 pounds bad. Now, I could look at it this way: I mainted for three weeks and somehow managed to gain three pounds last week, OR I might say that since July 31 I've ONLY gained 3 pounds while being totally off program OR I could put an even more positive spin on it and say I gained something like EIGHT pounds in the month I was off program and managed to lose a whopping FIVE pounds of it this week???!!! Since I refused to weigh last week and haven't a clue what I've weighed the last month, I guess we'll never know! But that's OK. I have a new starting point, anyway.
Went to the grocery Monday and bought healthier foods and low WW points snacks. Plan to get in at least a 30 min. workout before bed tonight. Feeling pretty good, regardless of todays numbers. Thanks to those of you who offered words of encouragement last week. Someone said and I agree...fessing up...that helped get me in a better frame of mind.
Went to the grocery Monday and bought healthier foods and low WW points snacks. Plan to get in at least a 30 min. workout before bed tonight. Feeling pretty good, regardless of todays numbers. Thanks to those of you who offered words of encouragement last week. Someone said and I agree...fessing up...that helped get me in a better frame of mind.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
taking a bloggy break from cleaning
Was messing around in iphoto this morning and came across these pictures. The Puss in Boots puppet (all handmade)was gift from Jackie and Scott. I love him and can't wait to show him off to the kids at school, but am trying to find a good version of Puss in Boots to read.NOW...I really should be house cleaning. I don't know how two people and three cats can make such a mess, but somehow we manage. Since I've started back to work, the house is unbearably messy. SO today I've locked myself in (while Mark is off at the flea market)to at least try and get it to the point where I'm not embarrassed if someone comes to the door! Been at it a while, SO...decided I needed a break. I sat down to check up on some blogs and see what photos I had to post and realized I've got a few things to share. Here you go:
I have finally finished my bears in waistcoats from Toys to Sew. Here's a look at them.
I'm mostly happy with them.. I d like to try again in felt and hand stitch rather than machine stitch. They were literally a bear to turn and stuff so they next time I may enlarge the pattern a bit.
I made this apron to put in an auction basket from my region for the upcoming KY School Library/Media Association Conference. Ours was a cooking theme, so I thought what better to add than an apron? I'm really pleased with this one. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination...but I do like the color/print combinations. It's Simplicity Pattern 3752 and was one of the easier aprons I've made. Except for the waistband. I have a strong disklike for sewing on waistbands. Someday I WILL master it!Finally, for now, this is the dog made from a glove from the appropriately named book, Sock & Glove. I'd like to try more of these. I had some trouble getting the arms on, but I think this is one of those things where practice really does make perfect. Still, he is pretty dog-gone cute! (I hear ya'll groaning!)
Allright, the dirty cat hair covered floors are calling, better get at it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)