Drunk Thoughts

Avatar: The Last Air Bender just made a Dante's Inferno reference lol.

My English teacher was right--that shit pops up everywhere!

I wonder why Aang (the Avatar's) arrow points at his nose....maybe because he breathes out when he Bends Air?

Tito's Vodka is yummy with limonade.

Sushi is less yummy with Tito's vodka and lemonade.

I wish my husband would tell me about his plans before they actually happen.

I love the feeling when alcohol hits your bloodstream.  It feels like you've put everything on slow-motion and turned on the warm fuzzies all at the same time.

I hope childbirth isn't as painful as TV shows and movies depict it.

To be sure, I'm definitely taking the drugs.

Speaking of drugs...hydrocodone cough syrup is AAAAWESOMEEEEE!!!!

I would like a boy...or a girl...or a boy...or a girl...HAPPY HEALTHY BABY!

Why do TV war machine drills always look gigantically phalic?

I wish I could still study martial arts of some variety--silly decrepit/damaged joints.

I wish I could fly...or teleport.  Either would be nice.  I would go to the tropics on a whim and eat fresh pineapple.  

I'd make sure to bring a book to read on the beach between pineapple servings.

Oh, and there would be MaiTais.

Yes, yes...maitais.

And I would be very guilty of FWI or TWI (Flying While Intoxicated or Teleporting While Intoxicated).
It would lead to grand adventures in exotic locales.

And I'd be a size 5 again too, but keep my current boobs.

All of that is equally probable.

I'm glad I've rediscovered my enjoyment for anime.

It makes my joint-mandated rest periods much more enjoyable.

I'm glad I still love to read for the same reason.

I love the acrobat Fire Bender chick--she's random like me.

*Poof*

I love the sarcasm in this show too.

And the jokes.

"I still laugh at gravity.   Gravity hahahahhahahahhahhahahhaha."

I'm going to go lay down now.

Adventures of Thanksgiving

This is a fairly long post, so here's a short summary!  For more details, and everything that happened, keep reading!!!

We went to the Hill Country for Thanksgiving week and saw my best friend and most of my extended family.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone--and the conversations we got to have--and feel so blessed and grateful for the opportunity!

That said, it seemed like one thing after another kept going NOT according to plan--which resulted in waaay more stress and driving than was conducive to a good hunting trip (Bryan's goal) and a good relaxation trip combined with spending time with my hubby (my goal).

So, while it was a great trip, I'm VERY glad to be home.

Last week Bryan and I traveled to the Texas Hill Country.

Normally, we go straight to my Gan Gan's acreage outside of Juntion, TX.

This time, we didn't leave until Saturday and we headed to Fredericksburg instead.

We stayed with Gan Gan Saturday night, and then Sunday went to Trade Days.

Disappointingly, we didn't find anything there--not something to hang on the wall behind our couch, not a desk for upstairs, not even a little something to help complete the guest bedroom.

Although, to that end, I did get a cool idea for a project!  Which I'll post about once I actually do it lol.

Monday we drove to Austin for my best friend's lawyer swearing in ceremony and then lunch!

I am so proud of Victoria!

Back in high school when we met as sophomores, she was determined that she would either become an actress or go into entertainment law.

By our senior year, she had decided to go the law route.

She did amazingly as an undergrad at TCU and went on to law school, where she was always in the top percentile of her class.

And now, she's a full lawyer, working at a private entertainment law firm!

She accomplished exactly what she said she would, and I am so beyond proud of and amazed by her!

Vic and Philip also brought Daddy's new GSP puppy Dixie with them! 

She's so cute!

Though she and Haley got off to a rough start:  Dixie is only 2 months old and thought Haley looked a lot like her mama.  So, she went to get some milk, and BIT Haley on the nipple!

Combine that with all the attention the puppy was getting, and I think it's gonna take Haley some time to warm up to her lol.

After lunch, Bryan and I headed to the ranch!

We didn't make it there before evening hunt, which was disappointing for Bryan.

We did get to go eat at the Koym cabin and see all three sisters (Carol, Cathy, and Suzie) and all of their kiddos (Caleb, Jacob, Caitlin, Hudson, Phoebe, Emma, and Baylee)!

Tuesday looked like it would be the true start to a week of hunting for Bryan and relaxing, reading, and short walks for me and the dogs.

Bryan got up for morning hunt--but when the feeder went off, no corn came out.

He figured that something was blocking the corn, and he'd fix it later that afternoon.

We went into town for lunch and groceries and Bryan went to the feeders when we got back.

As it turned out, the feeders weren't stopped upt--they were empty!

They had emptied themselves between the beginning of October and last week (I know, BIG surprise, right? lol That's what happens when noone goes up for Opening Weekend).

So, it was back to town for bags of corn.

We were on the way back, making the last turn onto the ranch road, when my car just stopped.

We were in the middle of nowhere.

We called my dad--who was still an hour and a half a way--and unsuccessfully tried to call my Aunt and Uncle.

We were just about to start walking when a truck pulled up!

Turns out, the two men in the truck are actually distant cousins of mine!

They drove us to the Koym Ranch, where Dad and Mom met us.

We went back to my car and loaded it up on Uncle Charlie's trailer (thanks Uncle Charlie!).

The closest Hyundai dealership was in San Antonio--and would be closed by the time we got there.

So, it was back to Fredericksburg.

Wednesday morning, Dad and Bryan got up super early and took the car to San Antonio.

Turns out, my timing belt was shedding teeth, and it had jumped.

They'd have it fixed by the end of the day--for $1100.

Sigh.

We borrowed Mom and Dad's suburban to go back up to the ranch.

Bryan went to fill the feeders and I stayed with the Koyms.

I ended up having a great religious conversation with Suzie, who is moving to Madagascar with her family to be missionaries.

I'll post more about that, and our conversation, later.

Bryan didn't get to make evening hunt--we had to head to San Antonio before 8 pm to get the car.

We got there at 7:52 and grabbed a quick bite to eat.

We then went back to Fredericksburg to drop off the suburban and continued on to the ranch.

We got there at 11:30, but Bryan still got up at 4:45 to go out for morning hunt.

For lunch, we headed back in to Fredericksburg (this makes our 3rd trip to Fredericksburg in 3 days--by the way, it's an hour and a half from the ranch).

We had my mom's branch's Thanksgiving dinner--it sure was good to see everyone!

I got to hear about Eleanor's first semester at college, AND meet my little brother's new dog Diego, the dogo argentino.

He's a big cuddly baby!

Austin followed us back to the ranch that afternoon and got there in time to watch the Aggies

BEAT THE HELL OUTTA Texas!  WHOOP!

It was fun getting to watch the game with Emma, Caitlin, Baylee and Hudson--and they sure had fun picking on and playing with Bryan!!!  He apparently makes as good a jungle gym as he did three years ago when Phoebe (the top picture) was younger!  Lol.

Friday was our first full, uninterrupted day of being at the ranch.

Bryan sat the stand morning and evening, and inbetween we spent time with all the family that came in a day early for the big Thanksgiving celebration!

Saturday morning Bryan took a doe, and cleaned it at the Koym ranch.

He collected quite an audience lol.

Saturday was the day the WHOLE family (except the Rea branch and Joel and Rebecca) came to the Koym place for our Thanksgiving celebration.

It sure was amazing to see how much the family has grown, and how much the little ones have grown up!

Saturday night was the Junction Wild Game Dinner, which all the guys went to.

Bryan actually won quite a bit from the raffle--a pistol safe, a bow saw, a restaurant gift certificate, a gift certificate for deer processing, and a box of popcorn!  He really made out like a bandit!

I hung out at the cabin with Carol and her boys and Aunt Zala and Uncle Charlie.

We watched Avatar: The Last Airbender (the movie), which has inspired me to watch the anime series this week!  I'll review both later on ^_^.

Sunday, we packed up and cleaned the trailer and headed back to Fredericksburg.

We followed my parents back to Spring, where we helped them unload and the load up the blue couch,

Mom and Dad bought a new couch, so they gave us the old one!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

They followed us back down to the house and unloaded the couch--it looks great in the game room!

 Finally, we were home!

I've spent the last few days unpacking and cleaning and doing laundry--and couldn't be happier to be home and back in my normal routine!

And I'm thankful that this routine has finally become normal and satisfying.

Today was even better because I went to water aerobics, had coffee with Saxon, bought a new book, paid the bills, AND have been productive around the house! 

As thankful as I am to have gotten to spend time with my wonderful family, I sure am glad to get the chance to relax and recover from that vacation!

Menu Planning Monday!

Whew!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving week--and I hope it was a lot less stressful than mine lol.  But I'll post more about that later.
 Suffice it to say that, even though I enjoyed seeing my extended family and absolutely adore all of my young cousins, I'm glad to be home and back to whatever routine I have.
So, with that said, on to this week's menu plan!

BREAKFAST:  bagel w/ cream cheese, or oatmeal

LUNCH:  ham and cheese sandwich with light Pringles, or leftovers for Bryan

DINNER:

MONDAY:  Pita Pizzas with beer

TUESDAY:  Romano's Macaroni Grill Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken and Pasta*

WEDNESDAY:  Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken*

THURSDAY:   Spaghetti w/ venison

FRIDAY:  Honestly, I'm not sure yet.  My brother and his girlfriend are coming over this weekend, but I don't know when they'll get here.  So this night might be Gan Gan's Meatloaf, or eating out, or ordering in---no idea!!!

*These meals are part of the "Date Night Package" giveaway that I won from Arena over at The Nerd's Wife.  I can't wait to try them!!!

Wordless Wednesday: I LOVE My Food Processor!

Wordless Wednesday! via JayayceeBlog.

Sesame Orange Shrimp

Finally!  A new recipe to post!

It's not that I haven't been cooking--if you look at my Menu Monday posts, you'll see that is far from the case.

I've simply not been trying out new recipes.

I think it was a mental side-effect of adjusting to being home full-time.

Well, now that I've adjusted fairly well (most days, when I'm not overly emotional or going through old teacher stuff), I've rediscovered my joy in trying a new recipe for the first time!

I love how a first attempt at a new recipe consumes my mental energy and focus.

I love seeing all of the ingredients combine and synthesize into something tasty.

And I especially love not screwing it up!

Which brings me to my new recipe--Sesame Orange Chicken!

This one came from EatingWell.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup dry cooking sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced (fyi "scallion" is another word for "green onion")

The very first step is to thaw the shrimp.  If you have the time, overnight in the fridge is the best way.  If, like me, you always forget to put them in the fridge, putting them on a paper towel and running them under COLD water for five minutes.

The secondary steps are to measure out the sesame seeds, corn starch, salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl.  Use a bowl that has a lid available.

Next, crack the first egg in half and transfer the yolk in between the shell halves, allowing the egg white to fall into the bowl.  Repeat with the second egg.

Now, wisk everything together and then put the thawed shrimp into the bowl as well.

Place the lid on the mixing bowl and flip the bowl several times to thoroughly coat the shrimps in the mixture.

Now, heat up the first Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on medium-low heat.

Make sure you don't overheat the oil like I did--otherwise it splatters when you add the shrimp and then you have a whole other mess to clean up!

Once the oil is heated, add half of the shrimp.

Cook the shrimp for about 1-2 minutes on each side (maybe a bit longer is you're on low heat).

The batter will turn a nice light brown, and the shrimp will be opaque when they're done.

Place this first batch on a paper towel-layered plate to drain the oil.

Next add the second Tablespoon of oil to the pan, let it heat, and add the rest of the shrimp for another 1-2 minutes a side.

Once the second batch of shrimp is done, add them to the others on the paper towel plate.

Turn the heat on the pan down to low and then add the orange juice.

Immediately add the cooking sherry, the soy sauce, and the sugar to the pan.

(The original recipe calls for low-sodium sherry and soy sauce options, but I didn't go that route.)

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Let the mixture thicken slightly and reduce by approximately half--this takes about 4-6 minutes.

While the sauce was cooking, I went ahead and microwaved the Uncle Ben's Jasmine 90 second rice I was going to serve under the shrimp.  I then put it in a lidded container to keep warm.

Next, I put in the StemFresh Asian Medley veggies into the microwave for 5 minutes.  They finished right before the sauce and went into their own "keep hot" bowl with lid.

Once the sauce has reduced, add all the shrimp back into the pan.

Stir them to coat them thoroughly in the sauce.

Once that was done, I immediately served the shrimp out on top of the rice so that they didn't get soggy.

I added a couple of extra spoonfulls of sauce on top, and put the veggies next to it.

This was a super-easy meal and quick too--the whole process only took 30 minutes!

Bryan loved these shrimp!  

He was very impressed with my cooking skills, which made me happy.

Even better, I was impressed with how these turned out!

They will definitely become a regular entry on our menu!

Menu Planning Monday!

It's that time again!

Last week's menu turned out well, except I did not end up making the slow cooker pork chops.

So, what are we going to eat this week?

BREAKFAST:  oatmeal, bagel thin w/ cream cheese, yogurt

LUNCH:  for Bryan--leftovers, for me--ham and cheese sandwiches

DINNER:   

MONDAY:  

 Sesame-Orange Shrimp w/ rice and veggies

TUESDAY:

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce with rice and veggies 

WEDNESDAY:   

Gan Gan's Meatloaf with veggies and red potatoes

THURSDAY:   

Salad w/ crabmeat (It's my infusion day, so something easy is a good thing.)

FRIDAY:   

Possibly eating out for Bouncer's birthday.  If not, Pita Pizzas!

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:  

We'll be in Fredericksburg, TX spending time with my Gan Gan and going to Trade Days!

I Am Not Happy Today

WARNING:  This is a vent.
I just need to get this out.
Thank you in advance for reading.

I Am Not Happy Today

I am not happy because it is a dreary rainy day, minus the rain.

I like rain.  I do not like dreary.

Today I am stuck with what I do not like, instead of having it mitigated by what I do enjoy.

I am not happy because I did not like my weigh-in weight this morning.

I have not really gained (the .4 lb increase I'm chalking up to water weight and a late Sonic dinner).

But I have not lost either.

I do not like making zero progress.

I am not happy today because I could not go help Bryan help Angie because one of her kiddos had a fever.

Being immunocompromised means if I'm around sick people I get sick.

When I am sick, I cannot have my infusion (the next one is this coming Thursday.)

Without my infusion, I get all achy and limpy and the disease gets happy while I do not.

I do not like being immunocompromised.

I do not like being unable to help.

I do not like having to avoid kiddos who are sick.

I am not happy today because I should have gone to water aerobics.

I did not because I was going to help Bryan help Angie.

See above.

I am not happy today because I would like to know for sure if Bryan has to go run and help someone else today.

I am not happy that noone knows as of yet if Bryan will be needed.

I do not mind Bryan being helpful--I am proud of him for being giving of his time and helpful.

I do not like not knowing if he is going to have to ditch me and come late to/leave early from my Dad's birthday party tonight to go be helpful.

I do not like uncertainty in plans.

Or potentially being ditched.

I am not happy today because I feel as though I should be being productive, and I have no inclination towards productivity at the moment.

I do not like the laundry in the hamper, washer and dryer.

I do not like the dishes in the sink.

I do not like the grime on my bathroom cabinets.

I do not want to fix these things.

I do not like the pull between "should" and "don't want to".

I am not happy today because I feel as though I should be achieving something with my life, and I am not.

I have not written more than the present 15 pages of my story.

I have not started to read Lost Christianities.

We have not found a church.

I have not cleaned out the future nursery.

I have not gotten all the donation stuff to good will.

I have never been an overachiever, but I do not like being a non-achiever.

I am not happy because the whole RA thing has become the norm in my life.

Everyone is super-supportive, which does make me happy.

Everyone also has to make allowances for all the things I can't do anymore.

That does not make me happy.

I am not happy today because all of these things seemed to decide to hit on one day.

They say, bad comes in three--my list is longer than three.

They say, when it rains, it pours.

But there is no rain.

And that makes me unhappy.

Wordless Wednesday: The WalMart Lady Forgot to Remove the Security Case on My Movie

Wordless Wednesday!

I Got A Fever...

While I was teaching, I noticed a particular phenomenon.

I think I noticed it because I was working with primarily women.

Come Spring semester, babies were popping out all over the place!

Not that this in any way shape or form is a bad thing--quite the contrary!

Babies are awesome!

The only thing it did make difficult was toughing out the fever I got that time of year.

The baby fever!!!

Even now, baby-centric thoughts fill my head and I make day-dream plans lol.

Oh well, I've just gotta be patient a bit longer ;-).

Now that I'm at home, I didn't expect to really notice this phenomenon this year.

I reckoned without the presence of social networking.

Yes, the all-knowing, all-informing Facebook!

Now, obviously, this is not Spring.  It is Fall.

However, I can't help but notice all of the babies that are making their debut and all of the pregnancies that are being 

announced!

I know of three babies that have just come into the world--one of whom is making his/her debut as we speak!

Then there's the other two that are coming in the next couple of weeks.

And THEN there are the (at least) three pregnancies that have been announced recently, one of which will be a double-header!

I am so happy for all the families that are adding little ones to their head count!

Congratulations to all of you, and best wishes for easy pregnancies, and healthy and happy little ones who learn to sleep through the night very quickly! 

Menu Planning Monday!

I think I'm finally adjusting to being a SAHW.  

I've only been sick once this fall so far--which is nothing short of a miracle compared to last fall.

I can walk almost like a normal person, as long as I don't overdo--then I'm back to limpy-mcgee and unable to walk.

But the great thing?  Being at home lets me pace my life so that the overdoing doesn't happen as often!

I've been able to start working out again and pursue personal objectives, like reading a new Bart Ehrman book and starting to go through the "junk room" so that, eventually, it will be cleaned out when we need to turn it into the nursery.

 And, thankfully, I'm once again finding pleasure in keeping our home clean and organized.

I've even rediscovered my excitement about trying new recipes! 

And speaking of, here's the menu plan for this week!

BREAKFAST:  bagel thins w/ cream cheese, yogurt, oatmeal (it's finally cold enough for oatmeal!)

LUNCH: leftovers for Bryan, cheese and turkey sandwiches with light pringles for me!

DINNER: 

Monday:  Stuffed Chicken

Tuesday:  Spaghetti with Meatballs

Wednesday:   Garlicky Baked Shrimp
Thursday:  Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker
Friday:  PIZZA NIGHT!  Either Pita Pizzas or Pomodoro's.
Saturday:  Daddy's Birthday Party--I'm going to make some cookies to bring.
Sunday:  Either leftovers, crab meat w/ salad, or out to eat!

Church Shopping: Postponed

Last week I posted that Bryan and I are starting the process of shopping for a church to attend!

We had intended on visiting a nearby UMC today, but then my cousin reminded me that today is the first Sunday of the month.

For UMCs, and other churches as well, this means it is communion day.  

Since it is also the first Sunday after Halloween, it is quite possible that the church is celebrating/recognizing All Saint's Day as well.

While both of these rituals/observations are integral parts of church life, attending a new church for the first time on such a Sunday doesn't really let you see the character of the church, or gauge the type of sermon the pastor typically gives, or get a good feeling for the overall temperament of the congregation.

Since that makes evaluating the church based on our shopping list rather difficult, we are postponing our church visit until next Sunday.

That said, I am (finally) starting to read Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman.

He's the same author who wrote Misquoting Jesus, which I thoroughly enjoyed and found very thought provoking.

So, while I will not have a church experience to post about today, I will (hopefully) have a entry later this week over my new reading material.

Alice In Wonderland

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is a wonderful story that has been interpreted cinematically for decades.

There are many movie variations on Alice in Wonderland--the Disney cartoon, several live action movies, silent films, and more.  There's also the sequel Through the Looking Glass, which has also been made into at least one movie (which I thoroughly enjoyed).  Interestingly, movie adaptations called Alice in Wonderland often include bits and pieces and characters from Through the Looking Glass.

I have to say though that my favorite Alice in Wonderland movie is still the Disney cartoon.

There are also many reinterpretations, movies that are set in Wonderland, but that take place at varying times after the origin story.

I've seen the British mini-series Malice in Wonderland, which was only ok.

There is also the SyFy channel's Alice which was awesome--I even bought that one!

And recently Disney came out with another Alice in Wonderland movie.

I'll admit I was VERY skeptical, especially when I saw it was a live-action.

I figured they were trying to remake the original.

I'm so glad I was wrong!

The current Disney Alice in Wonderland is actually a sequel to the original, in which Alice travels back to Wonderland.  However, she believes it to be a recurring dream that she's had since childhood.  Of course, adventures ensue.  With Tim Burton involved, there is also a surreal, bordering on creep feel throughout the movie.

I LOVE it!

This Alice in Wonderland includes elements from both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

It is a very well-crafted sequel, with excellent character development and storyline implementation.

Major characters were given incredible depth, showing the audience sides of the Red and White Queens, the Mad Hatter, the Catepillar (Absolem), and more.

Even minor characters were not neglected, but fleshed out.  The Doormouse was a great example of this, as was the March Hare.

The actors and actresses all did a wonderful job of helping their characters come to a multi-dimensional life, instead of just being flat.

The imagery was expertly done and the soundtrack enhanced the plot wonderfully.

I loved that they worked in Alice's "memories" from her original trip to Wonderland, and I loved the back story given for Alice's family and "real-life" friends.  So many times they are completely left out, or just tossed in as placeholders and ironically seem less real than the fantastical characters in Wonderland itself.  In this movie, both the "real-life" characters and the Wonderland characters were equally real, which I feel was an important aspect in the plot development of this Alice in Wonderland.

I also enjoyed the ending of the movie, as much as I wanted her to stay in Wonderland with the Hatter.

The fact that she went back into the "real world" and took ownership of herself and her life there, where it was more of a challenge than it would have been in Wonderland, was a wonderful ending.  I also loved Absolem's final appearance--and hope that there might be yet another chapter down the road.

Though no one will be as good of a Mad Hatter in my eyes as Johnny Depp.  What an OUTSTANDING performance!

All in all, this is a movie I watch over and over again, and enjoy more with each viewing.

Fruits Basket Flash Back

Bryan and I signed up for NetFlix a couple of weeks ago.

I LOVE it!

Right now I'm watching Fruits Basket!

Back in college I went through an anime/manga phase.

That was part of the reason I was so excited to sponsor the Anime Club this year.

Spending the little bit of time I got to spend with the Club at the beginning of the year reminded me how much I enjoyed anime and manga back in the day.

It also made me kind of want to watch anime and read manga again.

Enter NetFlix!

I'm getting to rewatch some old favorites and discover some new (to me) series.

I've also reread the three manga series that I kept:

InuYasha

W Juliet

and Sensual Phrase.

I'm enjoying my flashback.

That said, I'm not about to become as enamored and engaged in anime and manga as I was.

Lol not to mention, spend the money I used to on it.

That said, I might look on Amazon or go to Half-Priced Books and see about acquiring the Fruits Basket manga--I'd love to actually know the end of the series, since the anime cuts short ^_^.

Well, I've Got To (Re)Start Somewhere!

Confession Time:  

I haven't been working out at all for the past 3 months.

Yes, I said 3 months.

It all started with a bad blood test and then came the RA retrogression.

Once I was declared disabled, I had to file my disability claim.

Because I am now subject to said status, I have to get working out cleared by my doctor, and I wasn't doing well enough to be cleared...until recently!

My doctor has cleared my to do water aerobics and ride the recumbent stationary bike!!!

So, this week I have started working out again.

Monday and today I've ridden 45 minutes a day on the bike.

I'll do the same on Friday.

Next week, I'll add water aerobics on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I'm going to have to be sure not to overdo--I doubt that I'll be able to work out every week day.

I'll be happy if I can consistently work out three days out of five.

I'm also counting calories again., and trying to make healthy food choices.

I was up to 173 pounds a couple of weeks ago, and I am NOT happy with that.

So, I've made a plan.

I want to get back down to 160 by the beginning of February.

I'd prefer to be 150-155, but I'll be happy with 160 by February.

I'll work on the other 5-10 pounds after that, if necessary.

So, February--that's 13 weeks away.

So as long as I lose at least 1 pound a week, I should be able to reach my goal.

Honestly, I'm not too worried--most of my weight gain has been due to overeating, making poor eating choices, and to inactivity.

I now can change the latter, and I am determined to improve the former.

Wish me luck!

Menu Planning Monday!

This week's menu planning is going to be super-easy!

Last Friday I made Gan Gan's Meatloaf and green bean casserole, and we still have leftovers.

Mom and Dad, and Austin and Saxon, came over for Halloween last night!  We drank wine, ate candy, and handed out candy to the little kiddos of the neighborhood.

Mom also brought a big pot of her homemade stew AND she made her sausage with red plum jelly and barbecue sauce--and she left the leftovers with us!

So without further ado, here's my menu plan for this week!

BREAKFAST:  bagel thin w/ cream cheese, yogurt, maybe eggs and toast

LUNCH:  turkey and cheese sandwich, salad, leftovers

DINNER:  

MONDAY:  Leftover Gan Gan's Meatloaf and green bean casserole

TUESDAY:  Leftover sausage with green beans/leftover stew

WEDNESDAY:  Stuffed chicken breast and mixed veggies

THURSDAY:  Bow tie pasta with white sauce and crab meat, and broccoli with cheese

FRIDAY:  Pizza night!  Either Pita Pizzas or delivery.

I think I am a fan of having a weekly pizza night--be it ordering out for pizza, making pita pizzas, or making homemade pizza!

And when we have a kid, I think I shall also institute a "dessert first" night, as long as after dessert the kiddo still eats all his/her dinner!

Hope everyone else has a great week!