yep.. once again I've been slacking. However I have a good reason with explanation that does NOT involve major injuries to my husband or holiday stress, lol.

Like so many in this country I battle a weight problem. I will not divulge my starting weight for some time. My eyes seeing it was tough enough as well.

I have 3 good friends that have either started or restarted Weight Watchers over the last several months, all with great results. Due to cost I never really explored WW all that much and relied on my own self control to devise a 'quick' plan to get the weight off. As you can probably figure out, that was met with dismal failure, lol.

My favorite program so far has been Take Shape For Life, with which I dropped nearly 40lbs in 3 months!! I did not however have the strength of mind to keep on it with Joe's collapsed lung last summer and I got off track. I did go back and forth to it and while I put the weight on again, it was not the fault of the program. Being that I live with 2 toddlers (one aged 2, the other aged 34) who are picky eaters, I've tended to make foods most appealing to them. Well the 34 year old (sorry dear!) quit smoking when he was in the hospital for a broken hip. Now he's adding weight as well and it's time for me to start planning healthier meals. about 1.5 weeks ago I decided to start WW online. It was a less expensive option and a better way for me to start. I am happy to say that I am very pleased with the program and I do a combination of WW and Take Shape For Life which works very nicely for me. As of this morning I have lost 8.7lbs! This is including the dinner we had at a chinese buffet place on Monday night. With all the unhealthy choices and salt I managed to put on 2lbs with that dinner alone, lol.

What this means for this blog is a few things:

1. Planning meals that are healthier and fit into a daily points range better
2. Allowing for the occasional splurge (be it ice cream sundae's or a buffet dinner)
3. Tracking my weight loss
4. Finally reaching a goal weight that I like so that I actually will get in a pic with my son, lol

I hope you enjoy the new direction, and if you have any favorite recipes or ideas please pass them on!

Sunday - Ponsette (stuffed veal breast) w/ homemade french bread and cucumber salad
Monday - Leftovers of roast sticky chicken and stuffed veal - whichever anyone wants
Tuesday - grilled chicken breast over salad
Wednesday - frozen chicken parm - Joe's specialty of course
Thursday - Chicken taco's
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Sloppy Joe's

I also wanted to add a link for a new favorite drink. Several weeks ago I tried, and loved, the sweet tea at Mc.D's of all places. I'd heard of sweet tea before but couldn't figure out how to make so that it tasted right. I finally thought to look for a recipe and found the missing ingredient! I now make this at home and am probably drinking more then I should.. but oh well. Oh and I also plan to try this with green tea. A popular higher end bread/sandwich shop makes a yummy iced green tea and I think its the same principle behind it.

Sweet tea

What a crazy few months! In January I was all set to get started again and then my husband broke his hip! Lucky for him he's young (34) and has made nearly a full recovery. Really amazing since he spent the first 16 days in 2 different hospitals. Today is a cozy, soft, gray day and I've been looking at recipes. Time to get back into my meal planning!

Sunday - Mexican Baked Fish - I'm using Tilapia
Monday - BBQ Beef Casserole ------> this was changed to beef stroganoff over mashed potatoes
Tuesday - Ham and cheese or grilled cheese sandwhiches - easy dinner night
Wednesday - Frozen chicken parmigiana - Joe thinks this is high cuisine..sigh
Thursday- Italian sausage casserole
Friday - Pizza night
Saturday - Crockpot Roast Sticky Chicken - this was soooo good! The house smelled incredible while it baked and I couldn't wait for it to finish. I am definitely making this again! I also made a pan gravy that was equally delicious, although a bit spicy from the cayenne pepper. I may experiment the next time and omit the cayenne as Joe can't eat spicy food

Wow - just about a month without a new menu. Sorry about that folks.. my only excuse is that the holidays got me distracted. Without further ado... and because I'm desperately wanting my pillow and a good nights sleep.... here's this weeks:

Sunday- Kate's mac and cheese
Monday- Chicken parmigan - homemade with some 'oven fried' chicken breasts
Tuesday- homemade waffles - just JP and I and we like to take it easy on tuesdays
Wednesday- soft chicken taco's
Thursday - spaghetti and meatballs
Friday - 'eggplant 'steaks' - trying for one solid vegetarian meal a week now
Saturday - moo shu pork

Sorry folks, life has been a touch more hectic then usual of late and I've not been able to keep up with my planning. I'll be starting again this coming week so check back for next weeks menu.

Thanks!!

I had a head start this week as one of my SIL's had their new baby girl 6 weeks early. I wanted to make a few nights worth of meals to help her as this was quite unexpected. Thankfully mom and baby are doing just fine. What I did last night was to make doubles of 5 meals. This gave me 5 for her and her family and 5 for us.

Sunday - Beef stroganoff over noodles
Monday - Moo shu beef with rice
Tuesday - Homemade chicken noodle soup
Wednesday - chicken enchiladas
Thursday - beef stew
Friday - take out
Saturday - spaghetti and meatballs

I need 5 large baskets and 3 small ones. The large ones are for families and the small ones for couples or individuals.

Throughout the year I've tried to come up with ideas for different baskets.

I'm now thinking of drawing on my access to excellent quality, inexpensive spices.

I figure I'll make a couple of different types of cookies, Amish Friendship bread, artisan bread, maybe a pie or 2, and then tuck bottles of these spices or hand blended spice mixes into the baskets.

Cookies:
Spritz - always one of my signature Christmas cookies
Pecan Pie bars - I love pecan pie and this is a less expensive version
Kirsten's white choc/cranberry cookies
No fail Sugar Cookies
Something gluten free for one SIL's boyfriend and one of Joe's cousins

oh and if you like to bake cookies and find yourself scrambling to make them for bake sales, school parties or unexpected times... I saw a great tip today. Make a batch.. bake half and freeze half. This will save you the hassle of making a from scratch batch every time. No special need? then spoil your family with fresh baked cookies for a before bedtime snack.

Breads
Amish Friendship Bread - a friend, appropriately enough, introduced me to this yummy cinnamon bread 3 or 4 years ago. Makes a wonderful treat to give along with some starter batter. first link is for the starter... this is the recipe to make the bread

Kolaches? or pies - have to look on this one as well. Apple? Lemon? chocolate peppermint?

Spice jars or mixes:
Greek Seasoning
Bouqet Garni - I'll make small bundles and put them in a larger container
Cocoa BBQ mix
Garam Masala - I;ll admit that this recipe is going here.. but I'm cheating and using the organic mix from my fav natural food store
Dry rub for ribs

Jar of Homemade eggnog - note that I am not going to use the amount of rum they have in here. I'm afraid I'd get drunk from the smell, lol.

*added 11/28*
Found some cute additions in a Woman's Day Special Edition magazine I picked up tonight. I'm also adding small bags of homemade marshmallows and peppermint marble fudge and a few gingerbread men to each basket.*


Now to also cut costs I need to come up with low cost packagings. Hopefully the dollar store will contain all I need. If I can find it I'm thinking of using a large inexpensive bowl in red or green. I have one that I bought for $1 and the sides are very flexible.. however it makes a great garbage bowl. Rachel Ray uses one on her show and it made so much sense to me that I found a cheap bowl for the same idea. The bowl I have is large and would actually fit all that's listed above.

If not the bowl I want to get larger, sturdy carboard boxes and then wrap them. This way it's less clutter which is another thing I try not to contribute to.

*added 11/28 - I also was looking for ideas while at the store tonight. I realized I have large plate chargers (large decorative plates that go under a regular dinner plate for a little more pizazz) in a distressed gold color. They will make PERFECT gift plates. I think I have 8 of them. I don't use them and the dishes I bought them to go with are being given away. Partly for space, partly because we never use them and partly because I've decided that I want fine china.. even if it takes me years to get a full set.*