I want to marry Weight Watchers. I think we'd be very happy together. Hopefully James won't mind sharing me with my new love. Weight Watchers gives me something that he just can't even fulfill. I ate pizza two days in a row this weekend and still managed to lose 2.2 lbs. Oh yes, that is true love.
So tonight I celebrated with 4 oz of wine, 40 cloves of garlic chicken, and bread smothered with said garlic clove. It was good. Very good.
I know many people have their own variation of the Garlic Chicken but this is how I made it. The best part? I did it in the crock pot!
This recipe was adapted from Alton Brown by a couple of women on a forum that I frequent.
Into your slow cooker:
6-8 large frozen chicken breasts
40 whole cloves of garlic
10 large sprigs of fresh thyme
1 can of chicken broth
1/4 cup of evoo
1 cup of white wine
salt and pepper
Cook on low for about 7 hours.
It was suggested to use the juice of one lemon and then quarter it and add to the crock pot. I personally would not do this again. I think the lemon taste took away from the garlicky goodness of this recipe. But that's just me and James.
Warning - peeling 40 cloves of garlic takes awhile. I suggest forcing your significant other to help you the night before or even better, buy frozen peeled garlic cloves.
Hmm perhaps I should marry garlic chicken, or wine, or my crock pot too.
What do you want to marry?
Combining all things me into one spot.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Post Vacation Blues
James: "Lillian clean up your toys?"
Lillian: "Ahhh. Again?"
Dear Lillian, Mommy feels the same way.
I have fallen into the doldrums, the ho hums, the blahs. The "I did laundry yet can't get the energy to actually hang anything up so the clothes will stay here on the chair next to the closet." It's a terrible funk to be in because I know, I will surely pay.
As I was washing dishes (a chore that I normally do without 2nd thought but have only been doing as of late out of pure guilt. James does all the shopping and cooking these days after all), I thought to myself, "Self, when did this feeling take over?" and the Spot on my Brain said "DUH! It started on Friday" Of course! Friday! The first day back to work and reality from vacation. The first day back to life without too much excitement (aka VACATION) to look forward to.
This evening, as I was continuing to get Lillian to clean up in the back room, you know what I did? I read. Not like this is a big sin but if you saw my house, you would know that there was PLENTY of things needing to be done. Plenty of more important things than reading a book that I really, really don't like (anyone read Husband and Wife?). But that's what I did.
It's times like these I spend thinking of how nice it would be to stay at home full time. That way this house would be spotless. I would be able to run around to 5 different stores to ensure I get the best price for bacon. Lillian would be reading at a 1st grade level. Only if......
Of course, I know entirely too many stay-at-home Moms who can assure me that none of the above would happen. But a girl can dream and make herself all depressed, right?
And why is it, in these moods of pure laziness - both mentally and physically - I feel like a total failure at my weight loss? Can I BE any more self destructive? Even with a good weight loss this week, I can't help but to think how I'm f'ing up this week. My scale, my obsession, says I have gained. Yes, I have time to lose it but what if I don't? The sane part of me says "If you don't, there's always the next week. CHILL OUT". The crazy part of me, you know - Spot, says "If you only started this program 5 months ago, think about how skinny you would be."
I have had this funk before. The problem is I can't remember how to snap myself out of it. Maybe the clutter will become too much eventually. Maybe Lillian will say "Hey Mommy, why don't you do a little bit of cleaning yourself there?" Maybe I just need to force it upon myself. Like now, I will be forcing myself to get up and finish the dishes (I stopped just to come here and write this) and take the remainder of the garbage out.
Maybe tomorrow night, I will actually straighten up the living room. I hope mybrain Spot begins to cooperate. I'll let you know.
Lillian: "Ahhh. Again?"
Dear Lillian, Mommy feels the same way.
I have fallen into the doldrums, the ho hums, the blahs. The "I did laundry yet can't get the energy to actually hang anything up so the clothes will stay here on the chair next to the closet." It's a terrible funk to be in because I know, I will surely pay.
As I was washing dishes (a chore that I normally do without 2nd thought but have only been doing as of late out of pure guilt. James does all the shopping and cooking these days after all), I thought to myself, "Self, when did this feeling take over?" and the Spot on my Brain said "DUH! It started on Friday" Of course! Friday! The first day back to work and reality from vacation. The first day back to life without too much excitement (aka VACATION) to look forward to.
This evening, as I was continuing to get Lillian to clean up in the back room, you know what I did? I read. Not like this is a big sin but if you saw my house, you would know that there was PLENTY of things needing to be done. Plenty of more important things than reading a book that I really, really don't like (anyone read Husband and Wife?). But that's what I did.
It's times like these I spend thinking of how nice it would be to stay at home full time. That way this house would be spotless. I would be able to run around to 5 different stores to ensure I get the best price for bacon. Lillian would be reading at a 1st grade level. Only if......
Of course, I know entirely too many stay-at-home Moms who can assure me that none of the above would happen. But a girl can dream and make herself all depressed, right?
And why is it, in these moods of pure laziness - both mentally and physically - I feel like a total failure at my weight loss? Can I BE any more self destructive? Even with a good weight loss this week, I can't help but to think how I'm f'ing up this week. My scale, my obsession, says I have gained. Yes, I have time to lose it but what if I don't? The sane part of me says "If you don't, there's always the next week. CHILL OUT". The crazy part of me, you know - Spot, says "If you only started this program 5 months ago, think about how skinny you would be."
I have had this funk before. The problem is I can't remember how to snap myself out of it. Maybe the clutter will become too much eventually. Maybe Lillian will say "Hey Mommy, why don't you do a little bit of cleaning yourself there?" Maybe I just need to force it upon myself. Like now, I will be forcing myself to get up and finish the dishes (I stopped just to come here and write this) and take the remainder of the garbage out.
Maybe tomorrow night, I will actually straighten up the living room. I hope my
Monday, July 11, 2011
Weekly Weigh In - Week 7 & 8
I missed my weigh in last week since I was catching fireflies in Kentucky.
Today was what I considered a big weigh in not only because I missed a week but also because I spent several days with James' family in the hills of KY. I was nervous that the temptation of homemade breakfasts of biscuits and gravy, 4th of July fixins' and the inevitable sweet treat would cause me to once again fall of the plan and once again gain.
To add to the temptations of southern cuisine, once we got back in town, I also had dinner out on both Saturday and Sunday. I hate having to weigh in on a Monday.
My goal since gaining those 2.whatever pounds was to not gain an ounce.
Maybe I sweated it off in the heat and humidity but somehow I managed to lose...3.2lbs. I am now down a total 11.2lbs. Which is great and happy and yay-ness dampened slightly by the fact that my WW leader wrote down that I was down 14 total lbs. Isn't that false advertising by her? I think I should be automatically given those 14lbs off since it was her mistake afterall.
I really do love the program. I really don't feel very deprived. I eat regular everyday food. I do continue to obsess a bit and drive myself, and I'm sure James crazy. (I still weigh myself every morning). Hopefully I can get a bit more zen about this process soon.
My Little Guide to Losing Weight On Vacation
- Continue to track
- Enjoy homemade peanut butter cookies with chocolate chip - even if it means skipping lunch
-Allow people to make accommodations for you (within reason of course). I did not want to tell James' family about being on WW but word eventually got out. His aunt was kind enough to grill some chicken breast for me on fried chicken day. (I did have a few bites of James' plate to satisfy the fried chicken craving).
-Exercise. Well you should...I really didn't though. I brought my sneakers so I had good intentions. I did spend some time on "hikes" with Lillian and my nieces and everyday I thought greatly about going outside and climbing up and down a rather significant hill.
- Shoot a gun! OK, this won't help you lose weight but I forgot to mention in my last post that I shot a gun for the first time. At a tree.
I'll leave you with a funny:
“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.” ~Erma Bombeck
Today was what I considered a big weigh in not only because I missed a week but also because I spent several days with James' family in the hills of KY. I was nervous that the temptation of homemade breakfasts of biscuits and gravy, 4th of July fixins' and the inevitable sweet treat would cause me to once again fall of the plan and once again gain.
To add to the temptations of southern cuisine, once we got back in town, I also had dinner out on both Saturday and Sunday. I hate having to weigh in on a Monday.
My goal since gaining those 2.whatever pounds was to not gain an ounce.
Maybe I sweated it off in the heat and humidity but somehow I managed to lose...3.2lbs. I am now down a total 11.2lbs. Which is great and happy and yay-ness dampened slightly by the fact that my WW leader wrote down that I was down 14 total lbs. Isn't that false advertising by her? I think I should be automatically given those 14lbs off since it was her mistake afterall.
I really do love the program. I really don't feel very deprived. I eat regular everyday food. I do continue to obsess a bit and drive myself, and I'm sure James crazy. (I still weigh myself every morning). Hopefully I can get a bit more zen about this process soon.
My Little Guide to Losing Weight On Vacation
- Continue to track
- Enjoy homemade peanut butter cookies with chocolate chip - even if it means skipping lunch
-Allow people to make accommodations for you (within reason of course). I did not want to tell James' family about being on WW but word eventually got out. His aunt was kind enough to grill some chicken breast for me on fried chicken day. (I did have a few bites of James' plate to satisfy the fried chicken craving).
-Exercise. Well you should...I really didn't though. I brought my sneakers so I had good intentions. I did spend some time on "hikes" with Lillian and my nieces and everyday I thought greatly about going outside and climbing up and down a rather significant hill.
- Shoot a gun! OK, this won't help you lose weight but I forgot to mention in my last post that I shot a gun for the first time. At a tree.
I'll leave you with a funny:
“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.” ~Erma Bombeck
Friday, July 8, 2011
Home Again
Two vacations in a row...this is pretty unheard of for me! After unpacking from a short stint in Michigan, we were all packing again to head south to Kentucky to visit a large portion of James' father side of the family.
In the past, we would make an annual drive to the south eastern part of the state for Thanksgiving. Last year, we went in June to celebrate the wedding of a wonderful woman (Lillian's Godmother) and a very lucky (and kind) man. Being up on the family hill in the summer had us on the look out for snakes but also lightening bugs. The sheer joy illuminating Lillian's face as she ran around collecting the lighted bugs made us know that we would need to have our pilgrimage in the summer. (Yes, we have lightening bugs at home but we seriously see 3 or 4 a night. In Kentucky, there seems to be an endless amount of them)
Our goal was to get all the cousins on James' side (2 of them live in Illinois and another 3 are in California) to Kentucky at the same time so that they could bond with each other and also all the millions of cousins who already live there. We were semi-successful as the California crew had a different itinerary from us and our paths only crossed for one day.
Lillian was able to catch fireflies and boy, she is a pro at it. She would catch one, race full speed down a small hill screaming with such joy and excitement only found in a child. " MOMMY! MOMMY! I GOT ONE! I GOT ONE". Over and over again she would shout and sprint to me. If I won a million dollars I don't think I would have sounded as excited as she was each time she landed a flashing bug.
Lillian and her 2 cousins (one cousin is a year older, the other is a year younger) went on many hikes around the family hill (yup, they have their own hill. Everyone who lives on it is related.). They quickly discovered that their uncle down the road would give them an ice cream bar each time they visited. This was fine by me except on their last evening. Lillian ate 3 hot dogs, chips, and 2 s'mores. The girls went down to say goodbye to the uncle (with instructions to NOT get ice cream) and all three walked back with chocolate on their faces and an empty wooden stick in their hands. We brought a puke bucket just in case for the ride home.
Overall, it was a good trip. I eventually even got some reading done and I didn't have to drive any part of the 8 hours. Lillian had a fantastic time and is currently bouncing off the walls at home. Poor thing doesn't know what to do with herself now that she doesn't have people (especially kids) around her constantly.
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I am writing this at work now because I was ridiculous and decided to come in on a Friday after being gone all week. You can likely tell that my head is not checked into work right now.
In the past, we would make an annual drive to the south eastern part of the state for Thanksgiving. Last year, we went in June to celebrate the wedding of a wonderful woman (Lillian's Godmother) and a very lucky (and kind) man. Being up on the family hill in the summer had us on the look out for snakes but also lightening bugs. The sheer joy illuminating Lillian's face as she ran around collecting the lighted bugs made us know that we would need to have our pilgrimage in the summer. (Yes, we have lightening bugs at home but we seriously see 3 or 4 a night. In Kentucky, there seems to be an endless amount of them)
Our goal was to get all the cousins on James' side (2 of them live in Illinois and another 3 are in California) to Kentucky at the same time so that they could bond with each other and also all the millions of cousins who already live there. We were semi-successful as the California crew had a different itinerary from us and our paths only crossed for one day.
Lillian was able to catch fireflies and boy, she is a pro at it. She would catch one, race full speed down a small hill screaming with such joy and excitement only found in a child. " MOMMY! MOMMY! I GOT ONE! I GOT ONE". Over and over again she would shout and sprint to me. If I won a million dollars I don't think I would have sounded as excited as she was each time she landed a flashing bug.
Lillian and her 2 cousins (one cousin is a year older, the other is a year younger) went on many hikes around the family hill (yup, they have their own hill. Everyone who lives on it is related.). They quickly discovered that their uncle down the road would give them an ice cream bar each time they visited. This was fine by me except on their last evening. Lillian ate 3 hot dogs, chips, and 2 s'mores. The girls went down to say goodbye to the uncle (with instructions to NOT get ice cream) and all three walked back with chocolate on their faces and an empty wooden stick in their hands. We brought a puke bucket just in case for the ride home.
Overall, it was a good trip. I eventually even got some reading done and I didn't have to drive any part of the 8 hours. Lillian had a fantastic time and is currently bouncing off the walls at home. Poor thing doesn't know what to do with herself now that she doesn't have people (especially kids) around her constantly.
I am writing this at work now because I was ridiculous and decided to come in on a Friday after being gone all week. You can likely tell that my head is not checked into work right now.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Lesson Learned
I decided to sneak outside to grab Lillian's toy and my chair to put away for the night.
Afterall, I would only be running in and out.
Just so happens I was wearing my old lady nightie and
no bra.
Of course, the neighbors were out and strike a conversation with me.
Lesson learned indeed.
Afterall, I would only be running in and out.
Just so happens I was wearing my old lady nightie and
no bra.
Of course, the neighbors were out and strike a conversation with me.
Lesson learned indeed.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Weekly Weigh In - Week 6
Have you ever had one of those mornings when after you press the snooze button for a good hour, you finally sit up in bed, wipe the sleeping dust from your eyes and then just flop right back down on your pillow? Yea, that was my morning.
It's not so much that I was overly sleepy, I just didn't want to go into work today. It's going to be a hectic and stressful week both here and at home (as we prepare to go out of town again) and staying in bed seemed like the perfect solution to delaying the inevitable.
The hardest part of being lazy like this is not the panic once I do actually get out of bed but it is the likelihood of Lillian waking up grows immensely. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing Lillian before I go to work but the girl knows how to lay down a guilt trip like nobody's business.
As I was finishing upstairs, about to escape - Lillian comes stomping (she doesn't know how to walk like a normal person, she stomps) out of her room, her hair less Justin Bieber-like and more Tina Turner looking. She runs to me and I get to just hold her. Maybe the guilt trip is worth it.
Of course, this slows down my progress of getting out the door even more significantly. I "make" her breakfast which today happens to be a donut that she didn't eat from the weekend but is supplemented by a cup of milk and sliced up strawberries. The girl loves her fruit.
When it is finally time to leave, I get the "Mommy, why do you have to work?" and I reply with "Mommy needs to make money so we eat and have a house". Her "But I want you to stay with me." and this goes on and on. Luckily my sadness turned to laughter when she said "You bring home your money from work and put it in my piggy bank."
Ok, so I will stop procrastinating and announce my weight GAIN for the week. Yup, I gained but honestly, I did expect it. I didn't track at all this week and being on vacation was just too big of a temptation for me. I am up 2.8lbs so am now back to only 8lbs lost.
Not the end of the world. It was totally expected. But I'm still a bit disappointed. I am happy to have a new, fresh week but heading to Kentucky makes me really nervous. I don't want to gain again with the excuse that I'm on vacation. But Kentucky - a family visit - is often filled with biscuits and gravy and fried chicken. James' aunt makes all the good southern food for when her boys visit. I think I'm in trouble!!
But I will try and if I gain or even maintain, I will just try again. It feels good to finally feel motivated about weight loss....I don't want to lose that again.
It's not so much that I was overly sleepy, I just didn't want to go into work today. It's going to be a hectic and stressful week both here and at home (as we prepare to go out of town again) and staying in bed seemed like the perfect solution to delaying the inevitable.
The hardest part of being lazy like this is not the panic once I do actually get out of bed but it is the likelihood of Lillian waking up grows immensely. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing Lillian before I go to work but the girl knows how to lay down a guilt trip like nobody's business.
As I was finishing upstairs, about to escape - Lillian comes stomping (she doesn't know how to walk like a normal person, she stomps) out of her room, her hair less Justin Bieber-like and more Tina Turner looking. She runs to me and I get to just hold her. Maybe the guilt trip is worth it.
Of course, this slows down my progress of getting out the door even more significantly. I "make" her breakfast which today happens to be a donut that she didn't eat from the weekend but is supplemented by a cup of milk and sliced up strawberries. The girl loves her fruit.
When it is finally time to leave, I get the "Mommy, why do you have to work?" and I reply with "Mommy needs to make money so we eat and have a house". Her "But I want you to stay with me." and this goes on and on. Luckily my sadness turned to laughter when she said "You bring home your money from work and put it in my piggy bank."
Ok, so I will stop procrastinating and announce my weight GAIN for the week. Yup, I gained but honestly, I did expect it. I didn't track at all this week and being on vacation was just too big of a temptation for me. I am up 2.8lbs so am now back to only 8lbs lost.
Not the end of the world. It was totally expected. But I'm still a bit disappointed. I am happy to have a new, fresh week but heading to Kentucky makes me really nervous. I don't want to gain again with the excuse that I'm on vacation. But Kentucky - a family visit - is often filled with biscuits and gravy and fried chicken. James' aunt makes all the good southern food for when her boys visit. I think I'm in trouble!!
But I will try and if I gain or even maintain, I will just try again. It feels good to finally feel motivated about weight loss....I don't want to lose that again.
Friday, June 24, 2011
I Plead Not Guilty
Yes, the dead turtle was located by my car but there is absolutely no proof that it was me that ran the poor thing over. Perhaps she just keeled over of a heart attack. All the evidence is circumstantial. There were no witnesses to the (pregnant) turtles demise.
Just as my "cot" incident in Spain, I will never live this down amongst the friends I went on vacation with. You ask "What exactly is the 'cot' incident?" Well I don't want to tell you because it is mighty embarrassing.
Fine, stop yelling at me, I'll tell you the story. Ironically, I was in Madrid with the same friends that I was in Michigan with for the above mentioned turtle incident. I think they bring out something strange in me. Or they are my only friends. Probably both.
This was in 2002 I believe. Friends and myself (I had just started dating James so he stayed behind with mono) went on our international adventure to visit one of said friend's cousin who was studying abroad.
We get to our hotel and somehow I get put in charge of asking for an extra sleeping area. The problem? I do not speak Spanish (it's on my to-do list). I attempted to ask the hotel desk clerk for an extra cot for our room. He did not speak English (it's on his to-do list). Suddenly and unintentionally, I became the ignorant American and started to raise my voice saying "COT! COT!" like yelling at the man was suddenly going to make him understand what the hell I was saying.
Have yet to live that down.
Now I'm the turtle killer and the "COT!" girl.
Other than the unfortunate incident with the turtle (I didn't do it), James, Lillian and I had a great time squatting at our friends' vacation rental house. It was a cool log cabin in the middle of a lot of trees. Perfect horror movie setting. In fact, on the first night, I ran outside by myself to get my book that I left in the car. I'm quite surprised I made it back alive and wasn't chopped up by some crazy serial killer.
Lillian got to see her first beach and her Mom in a bathing suit. E'gad! She was adorable and had a blast. She refused to get her hair wet though - what's up with that?
Since I missed my Weekly Weigh In post...here it is:
Before leaving on the trip, I weighed in and lost 4.4 lbs! Yay! Although I am cautiously optimistic since my 2 biggest weight losses have happened at weigh in locations other than my normal meeting. Anyone know how Weight Watchers calibrates their scales?
Anyway, I'll take the 4 lbs and run because that now puts me down 10.8lbs from my starting weight. However, I was not so good on my vacation eating. There was mac and cheese. And awesome onion rings. And homemade breakfasts each morning. I am trying to make up for my 4 days of naughtiness by eating ice cubes for the rest of the week. (Disclaimer, eating ice cubes for a week is not approved by Weight Watchers).
Just as my "cot" incident in Spain, I will never live this down amongst the friends I went on vacation with. You ask "What exactly is the 'cot' incident?" Well I don't want to tell you because it is mighty embarrassing.
Fine, stop yelling at me, I'll tell you the story. Ironically, I was in Madrid with the same friends that I was in Michigan with for the above mentioned turtle incident. I think they bring out something strange in me. Or they are my only friends. Probably both.
This was in 2002 I believe. Friends and myself (I had just started dating James so he stayed behind with mono) went on our international adventure to visit one of said friend's cousin who was studying abroad.
We get to our hotel and somehow I get put in charge of asking for an extra sleeping area. The problem? I do not speak Spanish (it's on my to-do list). I attempted to ask the hotel desk clerk for an extra cot for our room. He did not speak English (it's on his to-do list). Suddenly and unintentionally, I became the ignorant American and started to raise my voice saying "COT! COT!" like yelling at the man was suddenly going to make him understand what the hell I was saying.
Have yet to live that down.
Now I'm the turtle killer and the "COT!" girl.
Other than the unfortunate incident with the turtle (I didn't do it), James, Lillian and I had a great time squatting at our friends' vacation rental house. It was a cool log cabin in the middle of a lot of trees. Perfect horror movie setting. In fact, on the first night, I ran outside by myself to get my book that I left in the car. I'm quite surprised I made it back alive and wasn't chopped up by some crazy serial killer.
 |
| Log Cabin - no Internet, can you believe that? Sheesh |
 |
| See! Lots of trees! |
Lillian got to see her first beach and her Mom in a bathing suit. E'gad! She was adorable and had a blast. She refused to get her hair wet though - what's up with that?
 |
| But she did bury herself. |
Since I missed my Weekly Weigh In post...here it is:
Before leaving on the trip, I weighed in and lost 4.4 lbs! Yay! Although I am cautiously optimistic since my 2 biggest weight losses have happened at weigh in locations other than my normal meeting. Anyone know how Weight Watchers calibrates their scales?
Anyway, I'll take the 4 lbs and run because that now puts me down 10.8lbs from my starting weight. However, I was not so good on my vacation eating. There was mac and cheese. And awesome onion rings. And homemade breakfasts each morning. I am trying to make up for my 4 days of naughtiness by eating ice cubes for the rest of the week. (Disclaimer, eating ice cubes for a week is not approved by Weight Watchers).
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