Finally Lost Five Pounds!

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It’s been an effort to lose weight this year.  Hormones have definitely been a factor in making it hard to lose!  I’ve finally lost five pounds, but it took a lot longer than planned.   I didn’t give up, though, and kept on course.  One thing that has made a difference is that I’ve been able to walk more without much pain.  I’m also more careful about my diet and just try to eat healthy, still allowing myself treats now and then.  Some people use a diet pill to aid them in their weight loss, but that should only be used after consulting a physician first.

Insurance For a New Household

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A couple has a lot to do when they get married such as getting insurance.  They have to make sure they have health insurance for both of them, get quotes for car insurance so they can get the best deal, and get renter’s insurance if they are renting or homeowner’s insurance if they are buying their home.  And there’s also life insurance quotes

to get.  There’s a lot to do insurance-wise when setting up a household!

A Wonderful Weekend With Family

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This has been such a busy week that I’m just now writing about the wonderful weekend we had with our daughter, son-in-law, and Baby J celebrating our daugher’s 27th birthday.   It was fun watching Baby J, who is 13 months old, walking all over the place…and fast.  He jabbered a lot and was very expressive, had a sense of humor, and hugged an Earnie doll (from Sesame Street).   He’s such a cutie!  One special time that we had together (teachers will appreciate this) was when he was looking at some baby books I put out for him.  He picked up a book that my parents (both have passed away) gave our daughter 27 years ago.  So Jackson picked up his mommy’s baby book about animals, turned the book until he could open it the correct way, looked at the first page, and then came over to Grandma (me) and wanted up in my lap so we could read the book.  That was such a precious moment that I hope I never forget!

MyRecipes.com

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Years ago if I needed a certain recipe, I would have to look through cookbooks, ask relatives, or ask friends if they had a recipe for what I was wanting to make.  Nowadays, it’s so convenient to just get online and find the recipe I need.  Let’s say I needed a recipe for sweet potato casserole, I could find the one that suited my needs plus reviews of the recipe online at MyRecipes.com   Recipes are literally at my fingertips.

Four Foods on Friday 48

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#1.  Melon. What’s your favorite kind?

A nice, sweet cantaloupe!  (watermelon comes in for a close second)
#2.  Orange citrus. What’s your favorite – oranges, nectarines, navel oranges, tangerines, etc.

I’m not a big orange eater, but I guess oranges or navel oranges would be my favorite.
#3.  Oreos. What kind is your favorite? (Don’t eat Oreos? What about olives?)

Not an Oreo eater anymore.  We used to eat them a lot years ago. Green olives would be my favorite.
#4.  Pot pie. Share a recipe. (No pot pie recipe? What about a casserole or some other hot meal you bake?)

I haven’t made pot pie in a while, but my recipe has the basic chicken, onion, green peas, carrots, etc.  What is different is the crust.  I want it to be lower fat, so I use Fillo (Phyllo) Dough and spray olive oil in between the layers.

Home Improvements

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When I think of home improvements, I think of “Tim, the Tool Man.”  (That was his name, right?)  If someone were married to a guy like him, it would be easy to know what to get for a birthday present or a Christmas gift.  All you would have to do would be to buy some air tools, power tools, or some kind of tool with a lot of power behind it.  That wouldn’t be so bad because then there would always be a handyman around to fix whatever was broken.

My husband is not a “Tim, the Tool Man,” but he is good to fix things that need fixing.  In fact, he’s replaced the garbage disposal, bathroom and kitchen faucets, door knobs, and fixed leaky toilets.  He does have a power screw driver and electric drill that he uses every once in a while because they’re useful!

Beautifeel Shoes

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Are you looking for shoes that are both beautiful and yet comfortable and fit well?  Check out Beautifeel Shoes from Footwear etc. Their selection includes all types of styles, and they even carry wide widths. They carry casual shoes, sandals, clogs, boots, and dressy shoes in a wide selection of styles and colors. And they have wonderful customer service which is very important.

Healthy Fast Food

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It’s really neat how a person can actually eat fast food and eat healthy at the same time. Nowadays, so many fast food places offer salads that are really good.  I had planned to cook supper tonight, but our schedule got really crazy and we ended up stopping by  a Jack-in-the-Box and eating around 8:15 PM.  I’ve mentioned this before about the great grilled chicken tenders they have, and that is exactly what I got.  Four tenders come in an order, but I just wanted two.  So I ordered two grilled tenders ($1.10 each) and got a side salad ($1.59) which had dark green lettuce, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, and shredded cheese.  So for $3.80, I had a healthy meal, not too heavy for late evening.  Have you gotten a healthy fast food meal somewhere recently?

Christi says:  “I go to Rosa’s and get their bean & cheese tostada. It has a TON of lettuce and grated cheese on it, and is very filling. As far as fast-food goes I think it’s a lot healthier than a burger, or smothered enchiladas, etc.” (Thanks for reminding me, Christi.  Rosa’s does have healthy choices and you can add fresh cilantro, chopped onion, and fresh lime juice, too.)

Donna says:  “When I go to Wendy’s I get their side salad with fat free french dressing and a chicken go wrap with grilled chicken. I feel that healthier than a burger and fries.”

Susan says:  “If only the grocery stores would sell healthy food as cheap as some fast food places do!”

How to Care for Suits

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These instructions, given by the sales lady, came with one of my husband’s suits one time:

  1. Give clothing a rest, wear only once per week.  (Hmmm…how many suits would be needed for work?)
  2. Don’t over dry clean, once a season is usually sufficient.  Just spot clean when necessary.  (I know we did dry clean one of my husband’s suits several times a season, and the suit didn’t last as long.)
  3. Brush clothing after each wearing to clean surfaces and eliminate wrinkles.
  4. Air out clothing after each wearing by letting garment hang outside the closet.
  5. Trousers should be hung by the cuff with the belt in.  The weight of waistband, belt, zipper, etc., will help maintain crease and eliminate wrinkles.
  6. Coat should be hung on a thick, quality hanger to maintain shoulders, never on a metal hanger.
  7. Always hang coat on hanger where possible, avoid placing on back of chair.
  8. Always smile…just makes you look and feel good.

Four Foods On Friday 47

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#1. Share a recipe for something Italian.

Meatless 4-Cheese Lasagna (When our kids were growing up, they didn’t like meat in lasagna.)
#2. Jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, fruit butter or butter. What’s on your toast or bread?

It varies: peanut butter, butter & cinnamon, or butter & organic preserves
#3.  What’s your favorite Kellogg’s product? (Since they’re multinational I’m hoping everyone can answer this one. If you don’t have Kellogg’s products, what’s your favorite cold breakfast cereal?)

My favorite cereal right now is Central Market’s “Organic Toasty O’s.”  (like Cheerios only we like them better)
#4. Do you like liver? What about liverwurst?

It’s OK, but I haven’t eaten it in ages.  My mother-in-law and I used to order Chicken Liver Pate when we would eat at Marshall Field’s restaurant.  This was years and years ago, but I still remember it was delicious.

The last time I had liverwurst was when I was pregnant .  lol

Meatless 4-Cheese Lasagna

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This is a recipe I came up with because my kids didn’t like meat in lasagna nor did they like veggie lasagna.  I like it because I don’t have to cook the noodles separately.   We don’t have this very often because of the cholesterol in it, so it’s a treat when we do.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
  • 16 ounce jar of Ragu Chunky Gardenstyle Spaghetti Sauce with Tomato, Garlic, & Onion
  • 6-7  lasagna noodles
  • 8 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (4 ounces for mixture & 4 ounces for topping)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan/Romano blend of cheeses (1/4 cup for mixture & 1/4 cup for topping)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Mix together cottage cheese, 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan/Romano blend of cheeses, 2 eggs, garlic, and oregano.  Mix well.

Oil bottom of lasagna dish and spread a little Ragu sauce (about 1/2 cup) on bottom of dish.  Then start with layers:

  1. 3 lasagna noodles
  2. half of the cottage cheese mixture
  3. half of the Ragu Sauce that’s left in the jar
  4. 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, depending on size of your dish
  5. last half of the cottage cheese mixture
  6. the remainder of the Ragu Sauce
  7. Top with 1/4 cup Parmesan/Romano Cheese blend & 4 ounces of Mozzarella cheese

Bake at 350 degrees, covered for 35 minutes and then uncovered for 10 minutes.  Let it set for 15 minutes or so before serving.

This recipe can be doubled.

Traveling is Great With a GPS

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We’ve been on several vacations throughout the past few years, and my husband would rely on our laptop GPS to navigate, especially when we would go downtown into the big cities.  It really came in handy when we were in downtown Chicago and also once when we were in downtown Denver looking for a certain restaurant.  It has come in handy and saved us from the frustration of getting lost countless times because my husband would plan our route ahead of time.  If you don’t have a GPS, then you check out Garmin GPS and the savings at Buy.com.