HAPPY DANCE!

Okay, I know it is not a huge accomplishment, but I am so doing the happy dance.  Did my weekly weigh in, total of 12 pounds lost this month.  I feel like I may have finally broke through this plateau I have been stuck on for several months.  I had hoped to loose ten pounds total when I started the 12 week program.  Still have three more weeks and have reached that goal.  FOR ME, that is a equivalent to major break through accomplishment.  I knew my jeans were getting pretty loose, but figured it was because they needed washed. LOL  However, I pulled out my favorite pair of jeans, which I have been able to wear for a few months, and slipped them on and zipped them up.  I zipped them up standing up!  Yes that is correct, no laying on the bed, sucking the gut in while I strained to close the zipper.  AND...I actually still have a little slack in the waist.

I got to change my ticker and am so motivated to keep choosing better food choices and more determined to make the time to get in to the gym.  Have not even been this week because of taking care of my mom, but today is the last doctor visit and will now be able to get back to my own routine now that she is back at her home and doing well.

My menu plans have not gone as planned this week, but I just skipped a day, family ate left overs of which there were plenty.  I should be able to get back on track this evening.  I still have to buy groceries, but will probably do that tomorrow.  I was waiting for the sales to change out.  WOW, am so disappointed that no one has any good meat sales, cannot find any beef for less than $2.50 a pound.  The cheapest I can find ground beef (at least that isn't full of fillers) is $2.48 a pound.  I was hoping to catch some roast on sale cheap and just cut them up, but will have to keep watching.  I really figured that with Memorial Day coming up this week end there would be some sales.  Only sales are on wieners, guess I will be buying those up. I was surprised that there aren't even any great sales on chickens at the major stores.  Some of the store chains that cater to the Hispanic population have some legs and thighs on for a pretty good price, will see if I can take the sale circular in and get a price match, if not then I will just wait.  The store is in a really bad part of town and as bad as this sounds, I am very uncomfortable there.  Thankfully though, I have a pretty good stockpile of chicken though and it really is about time for Albertson's to have their chicken sale.  Another great thing, I just about have a whole month of menus planned and have all the meat, fish, pork and chicken I need for those menus in the freezer.

This week ends plan is to do a big cooking and prep session.  I really think we may go camping, so am not really planning to hard.  However, it being Memorial Day weekend, hubby won't want to fight the crowds in the camp grounds so we might just get a little work done around here.  Still have some plants to re-pot and and want to work on planting some shrubs and flowers in the front.

Well, I need to run so I can take mom to doctor.  Thanks for stopping in and feel free to look over the past postings and to leave a comment.  It is always fun to know who has been visiting.

Menu Plan Monday - 5/23

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! My grandson is 8 today, May 23. I was fortunate actually blessed to be there when he was born. He and his brother live in Texas and I only get to see them once a year so I treasure every minute I am able to spend with them. They came at Christmas and I am praying that it works out for them to spend a few days with us this summer.

Now, for my Meal Plan Monday posting for the week.

Mon: Pinto Beans, cornbread, company fruit salad

Tue: Spanish rolls, broccoli, yellow squash

Wed: Bangers & mash, green bean casserole, simple apple dumpling

Thu: Chicken Marsala, fettuccine, salad

Fri: Baked pork chops, oven fried potatoes, fried okra

Sat: Talapia, coleslaw, baked beans

Sun: Surprise

For even more inspiration check out the MPM postings on I'm An Organizing Junkie.

I know, this sounds a lot like last Monday's weekly menu. As I posted earlier, last week wasn't followed much except for a couple of days. So, since I know I have all the ingredients on hand I am just moving it all to this week. A few of the recipes are new, and I will post the recipes as I make them if they are a success. As a matter of fact, I just about have the whole month planned, should have it all completed by tomorrow. I need to clean out my freezers, more to see what I have in there in the way of meat than anything else. I am low on beef I know, but am really hopping that some good sales happen this next week.

My mom is not happy that she has to spend another night in the hospital, and of course I am supposed to magically fix it or I am not doing anything to help or take care of her. Some one PLEASE tell me what I can do about it. I am not a doctor or a nurse, cannot monitor her 24 hours a day to make sure everything stays the way it should. She would rather go home than admit there is a problem, does not want to face it. It is tearing me apart to know that I can't fix things for her. Why am I so inadequate, so unwanted? I know that is a bit dramatic, but it is just how I feel at the moment...okay for several moments lately.

My little planter garden is coming along. I had plans for planting more tomorrow, but have no idea how my day is going to play out with the hospital situation. I want to plant some blackberry plants and maybe one big tomato plant. I also still really want that fuchsia plant I saw. Of course it probably isn't even there any more. I will live, will make it through all this kind of weirdness that I find myself in the middle of. After all, it happens quite often. On the bright side, tomorrow I will have the first harvest of my herbs. I cannot believe how they have taken off. Some how I have got to get to the store to buy some more potting soil so I can get my strawberries and flowers planted in their planters.

Thank you for stopping by and come again soon.

Lazy Sunday

I am so worn out. All the canning has really gotten to me physically. However, I now have 45 quarts of green beans tucked away in the pantry. My house is a disaster because of being so busy with one task. All I can think about is how on earth our grand mother's and great grand mothers managed to do it all.

Of course, in the day, the household was significantly less inventory. Minimal furniture, minimal kitchen ware, and of course minimal clothing. I know that the next time I decide to do any canning I will be bringing out the aprons for sure. Not the little half apron that mom wore for the holiday dinner either. No sir, full apron that covers neck to knee. Now I will be on the hunt for cucumbers, pears, cherries, peaches and strawberries. Maybe some apples and carrots as well. However, around here, carrots are harvested 11 months out of 12 and are extremely cheap in the stores. If I come across a great deal on tomatoes I may can a few, but we just don't use them enough to bother with cooking, peeling then canning them. I do have two plants growing that are the variety that produce large fruits, another one that is the small grape size variety.
This is what I did with the old barbecue pit that has been standing in the corner growing spider webs. The burners and such no longer work, we have long since replaced it with a new and larger grill. In the middle are the two tomato plants I have planted in containers. Our whole back yard is swimming pool, in ground hot tub and cement. With four small dogs about, the flower beds were not an option, they are very small as well. So...the notion of container gardening came about. On either side of the tomatoes are pepper plants and you can't really tell from this photo but behind the tomato plants is a container that has some cucumber seeds and lettuce seeds planted. I am really hoping that they sprout and grow, but may be going and buying some starts as well.

This is the topsy turvy planter that I planted the tomato plant in that will produce the tiny tomatoes for salads.

This is my version of an herb garden. There are five different herbs growing in the planter that is hanging on my patio. I should be able to harvest off enough of what I want for just us with just this one container. There is oregano, basil, cilantro, chives and thyme. It is called the Mexican Fiesta container, just not sure what those herbs have to to do with Mexican flavor. This next week I will be taking my first clipping from the plants. Will see how things go with it. Before we had dogs I planted lots of herbs in my little flower bed beneath the kitchen window. The blooms would smell so good through the open window. I miss that. But maybe when hubby fixes the screen and I can once again open the window I will be able to catch the scent from the hanging baskets.

I will have a fuchsia plant more honey suckle growing as well. Then it will really smell nice.

Today I made Muffaletta for lunch.



I found this recipe in the June 2011 issue of Woman's Day magazine. You can find it here. There are lots of great recipes on their site. If you have never had Muffaletta you are missing out. It is a mixture of chopped olive, garlic and seasoning, spread it on each side of the bread, then add your lunch meats, put the sandwich together, slice for servings. I used one of the round artisan breads, called a boule. You can use what ever you can find though. One of the round bread loafs that are used for serving dips or chowders will work fine. Also, I added some chopped black olive in to the mixture as well. The recipe calls for Genoa salami and capicola ham which I don't buy, but I did have some sliced cooked ham and turkey. I know that I will be putting this recipe in my keeper file. It will be great to take to luncheons.

I am off now, have to get my next week's menu plan together. Come back soon.