New Year, new choices

Every year, it's so easy to set goals for the coming 365 days - to say that "By next January, I will be xxx pounds lighter, I will run a marathon, I will have developed a career I love." However, having learned a little something about myself in the last year, I'm not going to set new year's resolutions this year. I'm going to set new MONTH'S resolutions. Each month I will determine what changes I know I can make in my life and I will put those changes in place. Once one change has been mastered, I will be able to add the next step. Knowing the sort of mental organizer I am, I firmly believe that building on past successes throughout the year will make a difference in future successes. Each of my resolutions will be based on action, not on an endpoint. For example, rather than stating that I want to lose X pounds in the first month, my goal would be to exercise three times a week. I can ensure that happens, whereas I cannot ensure the weight loss to accompany.

That being said, I have a few resolutions for the coming month to get my year off to a positive and pleasant start.

Eating: Restaurant visits will be limited to one per week. Even with self-employment, I have been visiting restaurants far too often...and not good ones that I can write about on examiner.com (except Thirsty Lion, but that's another story...)

I will change as many grains that we consume to whole wheat/whole grain foods as possible. It's time to remove processed foods from our diets.

I will cook at least one meal per week with Li'l Miss. She enjoys cooking and it's a great opportunity for me to teach her healthy, natural cooking. She has moved up from Sous Chef to Executive on things like Devin Alexander's macaroni and cheese and my spaghetti. I think we can try something a little more challenging than that.

Home: This will make OTL happy - he would like a cleaner home...my goal for January is to keep the bottom floor clean. Part of this is to teach the shorties to clean up their messes, which they have greatly improved at over the last month...I have faith in them. Then if all goes well, I'll tackle the (insert sinister music here) crafting room.

Job: I plan to devote, in January, at least ONE hour a day to writing. This should be easier, because I have removed all of the time-wasting games (buh-bye Frontierville) from my Facebook. Admittedly, I will still be playing Tetris in the hopes of winning an iPad, but that's a worthwhile pastime, right???

Exercise: Lastly, I will make it to at least half of the tap classes this month. It's not a ton of exercise, but it's a beginning...and a fun, noisy one at that.

Wish me luck over the next thirty-one days! If you care to join me, let me know. I can use support, and I'll offer it.

Boxed Brownies - reduced fat, reduced flavor?

In a recent conversation with one of my favorite pharmacists, she commented on my predisposition toward using applesauce as a substitute for oil. She said there was no way that low-fat brownies made with applesauce tasted the same as regular brownies with oil. While I know that to be the truth, I have grown up with the reduced fat version and never saw a reason to try the full-fat.

So, upon reflection, I decided it was time to taste-test. While the kids were playing, I made two batches of brownies. Both the same brand, the same kind. I cooked them both for exactly the same amount of time in the same pan. I mixed them for the same duration and used cage-free organic brown eggs for both.

The experiment was fruitful. I learned a few things, namely if you use applesauce instead of oil, cook the brownies for a shorter time period. They will lack some of the moisture of a regular brownie, so if you undercook by a smidge, it will help. Also, you may want to use a blend of applesauce and yogurt or applesauce and pudding. There are a lot of fat-free diary products which may add some good moisture. I plan to continue to tackle that experiment shortly. I also learned that I have apparently fed my children low-fat baked goods for far too long. The Boy complained that the full-fat brownies were harder to chew. The chewier texture was a turnoff for him apparently. At least I know they'll be healthy...

New job, new life, new habits...?

It's official. It's officially official. Aside from the fact that I still work there, I have officially quit. And for my going away...they have asked me to train three new people starting this week. Apparently, Boss 1 has never considered what a disgruntled soon-to-be ex-employee might say to the three new kids; but whatever. I'll be a team player. This could be fun.

Being home more provides me with the hope (if nothing else) that I'll be able to work on relearning the healthier habits I had before I worked for KAI. I truly want to improve my exercise habits again. I miss walking and jogging. I've also been enjoying cooking while I'm not working. The Girl and I have made cookies (which we promptly delivered elsewhere, to get them out of the house), brownies (we tried making both regular and low-fat to compare the two. That's an entry in itself), and homemade mac and cheese (still searching for a better and healthier recipe). I also had a chance to make the Decadent Diet's Sinless Yet Sinful Sticky Buns. HOLY COW! They were delicious! Now, admittedly, they weren't as "low-fat" as I would have hoped, but if they were I think they would have been significantly less tasty. And they were reduced quite a bit in fat and calories from the traditional sticky buns we could have indulged in. They were universally enjoyed, and not just of the "it's good for being reduced fat," variety.

I'm hoping that now with the official changes, life will start to feel calmer, that I can regain the illusion of being in control of my own life, if only for a short time. I'm hoping to let go of the need to constantly be on my guard and focusing on self (well, aside from the blogging...as that is sort of the function...). I'm hoping to find a healthier place in my next place of employment. I really don't see where it could be less healthy, so I guess I'm on the right track already.

Putting the Monday into the week...

I'm completely exhausted. This has been a crazy week...and it's Monday. After a weekend of nursing my little girl through an ear infection, migraine, and some other sort of viral/bacterial issues, and sleeping in her room to ensure her 104 degree temp didn't climb to 105, today was definitely the cherry on that sundae.

We woke up this morning to get The Boy ready for school (letting The Girl sleep in after a, shall we say, "restless" night). She came along to drop off, in her jammies. Once we got home, we called to make an appt with the doctor, since she was still so sick and still complaining of an earache. So, just prior to lunch, we set off to see the amazing Dr. Rosenbloom (whom I love and am so glad we have as a pediatrician). He looked The Girl over and determined that she's really sick. Gr. The best solution was to put her on antibiotics, because "it'll kill what it kills and whatever's left can't be killed in any other way...the body just needs to fight it off."

After leaving Dr. Rosenbloom's, we head directly toward Safeway, where one of my favorite pharmacists was already preparing The Girl's drugs (the other favorite pharmacist is married to said pharmacist). By the time we arrived, he already had everything ready. This was fabulous, as I had been dragging around a 5-year-old in footie pajamas for far longer than ever intended.

We got home, ate a hideous macaroni and cheese lunch, then lay down to rest, as neither one of us slept last night. An hour later, it was time to retrieve The Boy from school. As I prepared to get him, I realized I may well have a migraine starting myself. I took some drugs, picked up Footie Jammies and loaded her into the car, and headed up to the school.

We picked up The Boy, his coat, backpack, lunchbox, and some homework for The Girl, and loaded the crew back into the Mamamobile. On the way home, I asked him to confirm he had his homework. The response was negative...so we turned around and headed back to school to excavate the papers in his desk until we could find his assignments (in the presence of the substitute, who was unable to assist us with the search). We came home and finished the first segment of assignments, then I allowed The Boy the chance to go play with the neighbors. He was so excited to go up to the cul-de-sac and play with the boys. It's the first time we've ever allowed him to ride his bike in The Sac, but at 8, I figured it was time.

Fast forward five whole minutes. There's a knock at the door. A neighbor is there, telling me to get to The Sac -- stat. The Boy had gone over his handlebars, face first into the pavement. Screaming, crying, blood, and part of a tooth in a kitchen towel belonging to someone (I'm not sure whom)... Chrizz came running down to my house to watch the cootie-stricken Footie Jammies while I took The Boy to the ER. That was at 4:00 PM.

Four hours, three RNs, one doctor, two X-ray technicians, and one radiologist later, we had our diagnoses: contusions to the mandible, concussion, abrasions, lacking most of one of his baby teeth (although we can't quite tell, because of the contused mandible), and needing stitches, this kid had had a tough night. In order to give him the stitches, they decided to "wrap him up" a little like a burrito...in a full-body straight jacket type outfit. Once they had him Velcroed in, they started by giving him a local anesthetic. I watched them insert the needle in the right side of his chin, and as they inserted the medicine, I watched it squirt back out the left side of his chin. I thought I was going to throw up. They gave him 8 stitches...one for every year of his life, and he looked at me and said, through a mouth which barely moves, "this is my fault. I wanted to go bike riding." I wanted to cry.

The outcome is as follows: he can't eat solid foods for a few days at least; he can't exercise for 10 days, for fear he might re-bruise the brain; he's frustrated, angry, and sad...and tonight, instead of sleeping with sick, ear-infected, headachey Footie Jammies, I'll be sleeping with concussed, contused, sad No Jammies. Aunt Struck was kind enough to bring food for me and liquid sustenance for The Boy. But, hey...at least I stayed home from work. I can't imagine what I would have done if this had happened when I wasn't here. Of course, if I hadn't been here, it probably wouldn't have happened.

Day 55 - Finding inspiration

Travel season has descended upon us. Dealing with the realities of traveling to places like Las Vegas and Frankfurt has frustrated some of my efforts to lose weight. The great thing is that with each of the trips so far, I have come home barely over where I started (which with O'Reilly's Pub and "Donner Kebaps" in Frankfurt, I was kind of surprised by).

But if I needed a jolt to get me fully back on the wagon, I got it yesterday. Last night was (yes, I'll admit it) Bunco night with the Girls in the 'Hood. While there, we often eat, drink, throw some dice, and drink and eat some more. My good friend J, who is also a foodie, has been changing her eating habits and running more, and has lost about 20 pounds. B, who really doesn't need to lose ANY weight that the rest of us can discern, said through some method she's using she has lost 8 pounds. I have been stagnant with the travel and the stress of dealing with B1 and OB. These two women served as an excellent reminder to me that no matter what is going on in my life, socially or emotionally, I need to find a way to be healthy for ME. I feel better when I exercise. I feel better when I eat right and wake up each day feeling just a little bit lighter. I feel better about myself, which gives me the courage I need to make the right choices in other areas of my life.

Thanks, ladies, for providing the inspiration. When I hit my goal, I promise I will sing you a verse of a new song, "You Make My @$$ Smaller."

Zen in 2010

You know that feeling you used to get in the pit of your stomach when you were in trouble with Mom and Dad as a child? I have had that feeling since Monday night in Frankfurt, and have been unable to expel it. What started as a small problem that I thought I could help someone else with exploded by Monday night into a problem that I didn't want to be a part of.

Yesterday's flight was pretty miserable. I don't deal well with someone being angry with me - even if the reasoning is completely unreasonable. After the madness of a 12+ hour flight with OB not speaking to me, I was so relieved to be home with Darling Hubby, it wasn't even funny. Poor man had to put up with my horrendous mood after the craziness. Going to the office today, my first thought was, 'Thank God OB is off today. Maybe a day apart will be good for everyone.' I came to two realizations shortly thereafter:
1. While OB is a complete ass most of the time, I still hate seeing someone struggle when no one else will support them. Whether or not I was in the wrong, not getting along will make me so miserable that it becomes worth it to consider apologizing simply to get along with those I work with.
2. OB isn't the only thing making everything crazy there. He is a contributor but even in his absence today, there was still drama and still shenanigans. I can't handle the idea of always having this drama, whether or not OB is working there.

From what I know, I believe OB will not be back again. I think his office will most likely be clean by Monday. I feel like I need something different NOW...but I can't find it. I feel like if I quit now, people will think I'm quitting in support of OB. That's not the case. I just want to be done. I want to find sanity again - that happy, settled feeling that has been missing...

Day What? Superbowl Sunday

It's rare that I look forward to the end of the weekend, but this year I find that happening more often than not. This particular weekend went by like a couple of workdays, only faster. Starting with a family dinner Friday night to celebrate The Boy's birthday, then moving on to Saturday, which held appointments (shorter hair, y'all), laundry, cooking, rehearsal, Valentines, thank you cards, and homework...only to finish up with a Sunday which held a birthday party (hosted at Safari Sam's to save my sanity), more homework, finishing the Valentines, packing the kids' bag for next weekend, grocery shopping, gifts purchased, baking, and of course the SB with the Saints winning.

I'm glad the weekend's over.

Food-wise, what I'm learning more and more is that I do better with a regimen. On weekdays, it is so easy to do what needs to be done because it's so specifically scheduled that my body gets hungry at the right times, thirsty at the right times, and I just follow "what I always do." On the weekends, I don't sit and drink water like I do at work; I don't eat snacks at predetermined times because I'm not eating meals at the "right" times. So typically, I lose weight during the week then maintain over the weekend...blah. I'm debating between two options right now which I think will definitely help in the weight-loss arena. Number one: write down every item I put in my mouth (even those "fun size" candy bars I steal from Diane's desk...and while we're on the subject, the irony of "fun size" is one of those phrases that I think could earn its own entire post). Number two: photograph every morsel that I put in my mouth. While I think journaling my food would be helpful in my success, I think the horror of having to LOOK at pictures of what I ate would be that much more compelling.

So I was really looking forward to trying Devin's new Peppermint Brownie Pizza. Unfortunately, I was running a wee bit short on time and had to make boring reduced-fat brownies for the teachers. I will DEFINITELY be making this delectable looking treat when I return from Frankfurt. In the meantime, I firmly believe I will be the only loser packing an entire bag of protein bars and fresh produce for Germany. I figure I will need the bag to bring back whatever little German tchotchkes (if they're German, can you call them Tchotchkes or is that strictly a Russian thing?) I pick up for the kids, so I might as well take it over there with healthy foods that I can make use of. Do they take away produce coming out of the US, or only coming in?

Day 30 - Monday

So how do you politely tell your spouse NOT to follow a 13 year tradition for Valentine's Day? Every year, we have given each other See's Candies for the Most Romantic Day of the Year...but this year, I just don't want that around here...I know I could just tell him, but I think that he'll then feel like he needs to do something bigger. I'd be fine with a) nothing, b) a book, c) Starbucks, or d) nothing...Obviously I just need to let him know.

The picture above is a simple part of a dinner I made when I didn't have time to cook - prawns, a little cocktail sauce, and a big fat salad. Sooo tasty...

On Saturday, I woke up early (or earlier than the rest of the family) and made Devin's Sausage Biscuit Sandwich. First, I have to say that I think this was the most time-consuming of any of the recipes I have made so far. The biscuits were homemade, the sausage had to be mixed with herbs and so forth (so tasty!)...so it took time. Secondly, I have to say this was the perfect choice for Saturday morning, as The Girl read her first book cover to cover Friday night...and not one of those "one word per page" kind of jobbies. The title? "Biscuit Goes to School." So when she saw what I was making, she was very excited to recognize a word from her book the night before. The biscuits were tasty - The Boy liked the biscuits as much as or better than those little blue tubes of biscuits. I couldn't find sausage that was AS low in fat as Devin recommends, so I just made 6 sausages instead of 5 to balance out. Nana and Poppy got to try the sausages Sunday morning (yay leftovers), and both enjoyed them very much.
This week is a little crazy for cooking...The Boy has his birthday, so his once-every-few-months treat is due again. Ba da ba ba ba...he's lovin' it. Then he chose Chevy's for the family dinner, thanks to sombreros, singing, and El Machino. I will be as healthy as I can be, just before running away for business to Frankfurt. Wish me luck!
40% of goal met in 16% of the time frame. I think I'll be able to set my next goal sooner than expected!

Day 26 - Thursday

I sat down yesterday to share my excitement about this week but found I was so exhausted from the excitement of my week that I fell asleep in front of the laptop...so I'm going to try again to express my amazing excitement, gratitude and enthusiasm...

I am so incredibly excited! Previously, I wrote about the frustration of not always having the time to cook healthy meals and the need for extensive forethought in order to succeed at weight loss (especially with the craziness of traveling to Sin City and so forth...) On Monday, I received a gift from Devin. Included were three autographed cookbooks: Fast Food Fix (great for when you're craving a Big Mac but looking for something under, say, 500 calories), The Most Decadent Diet Ever (the book I've been working from so far - which is good, 'cause this one's getting ratty from going EVERYWHERE with me), and a brand new book (I don't know if I can even reveal the name) which is designed for those who don't have the time to cook! Having tried a variety of recipes now from MDDE, I'm really excited to try some of these new recipes.

So after my absence, here's a brief recap of some of the recipes I've tried: I did a "Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans" gathering, which allowed me to make the Skinny Mini Cherry-Topped Cheesecakes and Tiny Tacos, as well as the Mediterranean Dip and pita triangles. All were good, although the Cheesecakes were by far my favorite. Great for curing a craving! The Skinny Scampi was ah-mazing and the Chicken Quesadilla was good as well. So far, the two recipes I am least fond of are the Chocolate Not Only in Your Dreams Cake and the Potato Chip Crusted Chicken. Of course, I don't eat potato chips to begin with, so that may be a factor. This week, I'm looking forward to trying the Godiva Sundae, the Sausage Breakfast Sandwich, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and the Cobb Salad...who's coming for dinner?

Day 21 - Saturday

One week later, and I'm half a pound heavier...after having eaten crab, lobster, prawns, steak, desserts, sushi, tempura, more steak, dessert, flatbreads, chicken, foie gras (won't need to do that again), dessert...all I can say is, "thank you, God." I am always up on the scale the day after flying, so I am fairly confident that by tomorrow I will have at least managed to maintain during a challenging week.

The first day of the trip, I went to the closest store where I could find produce (Walgreens on The Strip) and purchased half a dozen oranges and half a dozen bananas. That should get me through two to three days, right? Notsomuch. Everyone at our booth ate it within the first day, and thanked me for thinking to get fruit. Hm. Unfortunately, we were so busy, I couldn't get down to the 'Greens again all week, so I was forced to eat the bananas from Starbucks and the Oranges from the Convention Center as my fruit for the rest of our trip.

What did I do differently from past trips like this? I made SURE I drank a LOT of water. Most of the foods are so high in sodium, I thought that if I continued to drink, I might at least keep the water weight off. My friends from House of Knives made this easier by bringing us all beautiful stainless water bottles with thermal lids to use. I know this contributed to my success, as I had to pee every other hour. Other Boss asked if I was in kindergarten because I couldn't hold it.

I also limited my portions (thank you, Devin...) and only ate about three bites of any course. OB was a little freaked out by the waste of food, but so be it. I was able to get him to consume most of the alcohol that was poured for me as well, thanks to advantageous seating and his willingness to consume. I wasn't able to get out and exercise, as we were at the show from 7:30 am to 5 pm and doing dinners from 6:30 or 7:00 to 10:30 or 11:00, so the shoes and iPod sat useless in my (incredibly dark) hotel room.

On a totally separate note, the hotel room, aside from the lighting which made it impossible to tell black from navy (not good when you only have two colors of shirt to wear), had a fantastic view of the Bellagio fountains, thanks to a little snafu with the front desk. After checking in and heading up to room 3548, I was a little surprised when I used my key card and heard someone from inside shout, "Give us 10 minutes!" Oops. Upon returning to the desk, I mentioned that someone seemed to be "busy" in my room and could I please be moved. They looked up the room and immediately sent security up, as no one should have still been checked in, and I was moved to a Room with a View (just not the kind of view I'd almost had...)

So with many many weeks to go, I'm still 8 lbs down, 17 to go to hit the original goal, and raring to continue in a positive manner. Wish me luck!

Day 14 - Saturday

I am growing more nervous about the upcoming trip. Can I pack my scale? Maybe they make scales that you can easily take with you...if so, I need one now, as well as a good way to pack produce when I'm traveling, since you can't take it through the security. I didn't lose any weight the last two mornings, although with the pizza Thursday night I certainly understand half of that. As for yesterday, I wasn't good, but I wasn't bad either...I would like to lose half a pound more before leaving tomorrow...
Today we celebrate Mark's birthday, so the kids have chosen a restaurant where people will sing to him for dinner. I have to find my copy of "Eat This Not That," and look up what I can do at Red Robin.
Last night was the Chicken Piccata (I told you I'd make it again!) and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. I learned two lessons: don't leave the dressing on the stove for two long because it thickens too much (a great argument for mise in place), and don't put all the dressing on if you don't think you'll need it. It was zesty and had lots of flavor and I didn't need as much as I made. I want to try this recipe again with a little more care taken to preparation...let's hope in the meantime that my family eats all the fresh spinach and produce that we have in the house before it spoils...
Wish me luck this week!

Day 12 - Thursday

So after the crazy madness that has been the last two days at work (see below), I came home tonight to find darling husband with the can of ant spray and the refrigerator pulled out. The six-legged little vermin apparently overtook the fridge tonight, including the gaskets in the doors. The sitter says she can't figure out why the cleanest family she knows gets ants more than anyone else. Within twenty minutes, the pizza man was at the door, ruining the diet plan for the day. Thank goodness I stuck to it the whole day up until that point. Hopefully with some water, today's dinner won't become tomorrow's thighs.

Other Boss and I sat down yesterday to work out the details of our working relationship. The new org chart was released in the morning, listing OB as the VP of Sales and Marketing and my new title as Marketing Coordinator. Big Boss told me that this was simply a retitling to match what I actually do for the company, but now I report to OB instead of Boss 1. I'm not sure if I just hopped back in the frying pan or if I just made it into the fire...I guess we'll know by how hot it gets!

8.5 pounds down; 16.5 to go...or more or if I can get there in time...

Strange Days - Wednesday, Day 11

Here's what I have discovered in the last ten days: I have discovered that I can't cook Devin Alexander's recipes every day, but that with a little forethought I can plan meals that won't totally kill my calorie intake for the day. I have discovered that a little tiny sparkly donut from Starbucks will kill a craving just as well as a giant Voodoo donut. I have discovered that every day that I choose to drink at least 70 ounces of water, I wake up the next day lighter. And I have discovered that after just ten days of eating smaller portions, I feel fuller with smaller portions.
What I still need to learn is how to maintain a healthy regime when I'm travelling (Lori, input here please). Preparing for a week in Vegas, with dinners at Smith & Wollensky and Japonais, has me a bit nervous. Apparently I need to visit a local produce seller when I get there, because most of what I've been eating is fruit or veggies. Wish me luck!

Wednesday - Day 4

I don't think I have ever weighed myself in the evening, aside from after a round of serious flu-like symptoms, and found that I weighed less at night than in the morning...and yet...today I jumped on just because I was feeling good, and I weighed less than this morning! This puts me at a total of five pounds since Sunday. I swear to God, I am going to build a shrine to Devin Alexander in my kitchen and pray to it before I cook.

I spent the entire day at work peeing every other hour. I know this means that all the weight I have lost is water weight, but I still consider it a step in the right direction if I have cut down enough sodium to spend my day peeing instead of working. That is true progress! On a side note, my bosses were kind enough to infuse some humor in my day when Boss #1 made a comment to Other Boss about how he knew I wouldn't ever let any task go until it was done right, and Kurt looked him square in the face and said, "You better watch out. You're lucky she still works here." Dead serious. I had to choke not to snort laughter in both their faces.

Unfortunately, dinner tonight was ruined (or not entirely) by my lack of forethought. I forgot to pull out chicken to thaw so the chicken quesadillas I promised my family will have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight's substitute ended up being spinach salad (I'll be making Devin's spinach salad later this week, after we buy some bacon) and crab cocktail. At least the crab and cocktail sauce were both fat free...

Tuesday - Day 3

I love the beginning of a new regime - by this morning (was it only this morning?), I had lost 3.5 pounds, in spite of having some (delicious) sushi for lunch yesterday. Last night's dinner was AH-mazing! I made Devin's Chicken Piccata and I will be eating it again either tomorrow or the next night. Eli inhaled the meal, then proved to me that my diet (and by diet I mean food I eat, not DIET) cannot be the same as his. I chose not to serve any carbs at dinner and by 7, Eli was starving! So while I may restrict myself, I need to feed my little Skeletor.

Today, I had the dubious pleasure of an ultrasound on my lunch hour. 24 ounces of water in my bladder while someone pushes on my groin, looking for all my jubbly bits. The minute she said, "you can pee, " I was up so fast I think I actually pulled a muscle. The good news is she didn't see any of the fibroids that the US tech saw last year (do those things disappear?); however there might be adenomyosis and/or endometriosis. So the bad news is that might mean another year or two of toe-curling pain twice a month and you people dealing with an incredible bitch at least once a month...(if you need a calendar to know when to avoid me, please email a request. Depending upon what day of the month I receive the request, it may or may not be honored.

Today's entry from "The Most Decadent Diet Ever" was Asparagus with Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette. Another absolute winner. Fortunately, I have enough asparagus and vinaigrette left for lunch tomorrow. Put that together with the Chicken Piccata that Lo didn't finish and I'm just about set!

Sunday - Day 1

The kids and I hung out at home today, after an early morning trip to the grocery store to kick off the week. Sunday morning is definitely the time to shop at King City Safeway. If anyone in King City is awake at that hour, they are in church, leaving the heathens to roam the store, listening to Black Sabbath (no, seriously) and "Let's Get Physical" by Olivia Newton-John. It does make for quick shopping though, so the kids and I could be in and out in record time.

My parents joined us for breakfast, a Sunday morning tradition at this point, started shortly after Hurricane Katrina when the whole family was living here. It's a much quieter affair than when 6 kids under the age of 10 were running around the house every weekend. I decided to start with the very first recipe in the book, which was Chocolate Chip Pancakes. While at the store, I did a little impulse purchasing and bought some turkey sausage as well. Having tried it, I don't think we'll ever go back to pork sausage except on those special occasions for Mark (of course, he'll want bacon instead, so I think we're good). We also had clementines, for a well-rounded meal.

The pancakes were pretty good. We all had the same reaction, which was the best reason to keep this recipe was knowing it was better for us. Lisanne, our picky eater, ate four smaller pancakes and loved them (thank God for that). After breakfast, we engaged Nana and Poppy in some Wii time. I drove Nana up the wall with Super Mario Bros. This is the woman who called in sick for four days after she gave me a Nintendo for Christmas in the 90s...to try to master the original Super Mario Bros. The kids thought it was hysterical to watch her freak out every time Luigi died...which was pretty often.

After doing some reorganizing and playing trains with the kids, I started on our early dinner. For dinner, I was going with a "safe" recipe for Lo...Mac and Cheese with low-fat kielbasa. The frustrating part was that my grocery store obviously caters to the blue-hairs in the area and didn't have the lowest low-fat turkey sausage (they didn't have reduced fat kielbasa at all) and the cheese they carry isn't as low fat as Devin recommends. Frustrating. The mac and cheese was very very cheesy. Always the diplomat, Lisanne's response was, "Mom, I like the mac you made with the cheese that came in a box." That's right, she means Velveeta. I wonder if they make a low-fat version of that...she added large quantities of ketchup and found the meal to be copasetic.

Devin lists another mac and cheese recipe on her website. I might have to try that one next Sunday and see if it's met with greater appreciation. I could eat this one again; I just felt like it was a bit pointless when I couldn't get it to the same level of "low fatness" as Devin's.
Tomorrow's dinner? Chicken Piccata and Asparagus with Shallot-Vinegar Dressing. How many should I cook for?

Additional incentive

So I took Mark to see "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles" today, an early birthday gift. It was a good (not amazingly fabulous) show and we had a good time. Of course we had a great time going to lunch beforehand and being able to talk without midgets around. We went to Oasis for lunch and shared a maza platter with khyaar bi laban instead of baba ghanoush (I hate eggplant), and we shared lamb kabobs. While we were there we were talking about our plans for the year, including my work plans (which we all know are on hold, pending the ultra sound on Tuesday. Yay for 24 oz. of liquid in my bladder while they push on me with the magic wand), our plans for the summer, and so forth. While I won't mention what specifically was said, I will say that he provided me with an incredible incentive to get healthy and lose the weight. (Unfortunately, he also provided incentive for continuing to work at least through June. We'll see how that goes...)
Lisanne called and invited Mom and Dad to breakfast tomorrow. I think we will start the day with Devin Alexander's chocolate chip pancakes - I'll have to cook them in my non-Circulon pans...gosh darn it! But here's the deal: It's time to set my goal. I'm giving myself a halfway checkpoint to keep my head removed from my @$$...by June, I will have lost 25 pounds. I will be exercising regularly (although I'm sure not daily)...and I will continue to work for as long as I possibly can (without pulling out a sharp knife and committing hari kira or some sort of -icide.)
I wish I had some sort of specific incentive that if I did hit the goal WOULD happen and if I didn't hit the goal WOULDN'T. The incentive Mark provided would happen either way - I would just be happier if I were healthier when it happened. Any suggestions? Let me know...