Weekend is over.

Had a great weekend. Of course Breanna was gone and that always makes me sad. I got to spend Friday with my mom shopping and lunch. Dad also met us for lunch so that was a bonus. Saturday Cameron and I spent the day with the folks and decided to cook out the weather was so nice. We had hamburgers (no turkey, beef...lol), hot dogs, sausage, baked beans, chili and broccoli slaw. It was so yummy! My friend Cindy brought an Oreo Cake, we barely had room for a piece of that. I can not wait until every day is sunny and we can eat every meal outside, starting with coffee in our rockers. Sunday was full of just rain. Can't complain I guess, God is just getting the ground ready for those veggies we are going to plant. Cooked a big Sunday dinner of pork roast, honey glazed carrots, loaded mashed potatoes, corn, heated up those baked beans and finished off the broccoli slaw. Mom and Dad came and ate, Cameron acts like a toddler when my dad comes over. It's like my dad has never seen anything in the house and he has to show him everything and never wants him to leave. Four days of school this week and next week is Spring Break. I'm looking forward to that, but of course Bre' will be gone for 9 whole days UGH! I'll just have to make the most of things with Cameron. Gonna plan our PARENTS group picnic today, it will be next Wednesday for the whole family. If you are in the area get in touch to join us. I've got to get things in order for child support today. October I turned in about $8,000 in medical receipts and finally got notice of review in the mail Saturday. I probably have another $5,000 to turn in. Every time we get to this point I get so mad at the situation. Such a shame to miss out on your child's life because of money. If you have a child that you don't watch grow up, I just want you to know you are truly missing out on tons of blessings. Enough said. Well I need to get things going around here and make this a productive day. Hope everyone has a blessed day and remember to thank God for your blessings.

Just a good day, what can I say?!

Today was a good day! I took the kids to school so Cameron could take his Science Project without breaking his neck on the bus. This was a treat for them, it amazes me how much a child looks forward to riding the bus until they have to ride it, lol. While driving to work, Kevin called me and he got called into work. I love it when God provides extra income. Since our income tax has been delayed due to the bio-mom thinking as usual the rules don't apply to her, my job situation has changed and I've moved to two days a week and hopefully this summer it will be three and Kevin has picked up a few extra hours here and there. Cameron called me while I was at work today to tell me that he only missed two on his spelling test and got and 86. I am so proud of him. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not amazed. When I got home we took Breanna to get her picture made with the Easter Bunny. Of course Cameron didn't want his taken...he's thinks he is too old. We had a really good evening as a family hanging out together. I will be sad this weekend since Breanna has to go on her visit. I plan on keeping busy with Cameron and doing some Spring Cleaning.

Do you ever have leftover BBQ? When I do I usually freeze it for later. Here is an quick, easy, cheap and yummy recipe the whole family will love.

BBQ Pita Pizzas

Pita Bread

Leftover BBQ

BBQ Sauce

Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take Pita Bread and brush lightly with BBQ Sauce, add leftover BBQ and top with Shredded Cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until Pita is crispy and cheese is melted.

This is a bargain meal. I buy the Pita Bread with the grocery store marks it down (paid $1.19 for a pack of 6) and keep it in the freezer until I get ready to use it. The BBQ was leftover and the BBQ Sauce was already in the fridge, so no extra cost involved there. I bought a pack of Shredded Cheese for $1.79 and didn't even use but half of the package (so some for another day). Basically we ate for less that $3.00 tonight....AWESOME!

Little tired but I survived.

Well it has been a good day. When Kevin woke up we completed Day 3 & 4 of our spring cleaning schedule. I'm so glad to have even more done than I thought we would. I'll be doing more this weekend and in the next two weeks we should be finished with the inside and we can move to the outside. Hopefully just in time for some warm weather. Can't really complain today was really nice. I didn't get to enjoy much of it because I had a lot I wanted to do. But just think of all the relaxing I can get used to for the rest of spring and summer. Anyway, looks like the rain is moving in.

Tonight I made a chicken pot pie and instead of using crust, I made stove top stuffing and spread over the top. Everyone loved it! I had a friend that used to make hers this way and I wanted to try to make a 100% pantry meal and I certainly did. Time to rotate some products off the shelf.

Everyone has just relaxed this evening and we are about to head to church. So thankful to be going to church...NO ONE IS SICK, YEA! I really hate it when I can't go to church, I'm telling you I really miss it when I don't go. So I guess I'll get off here and get the gang in the car.

All Before 9 AM

I love productive days...kids off to school, I purged my old coupons, clipped all my new ones and filed them away (major job), went through today's grocery store ads and made my grocery list. Now for working on all this mail and deciding what is junk and looking at the budget. Whew, I hope I make it through the day...there is laundry that needs to be done (what's new?). Kevin is sleeping in...so I'm hoping when he gets up we will start on the Spring Cleaning and I can have these other things complete.

Bright and early...only it's not so bright

Well I woke up at 3:20 am and finally decided to get out bed at 4:30 am. I gave it my best effort to go back to sleep but it just wouldn't happen. So I thought I'd be productive and sort through all my unread emails. It amazes me at how many emails a person can receive. Made me some coffee and got my Cinnamon Raisin and Cranberry bread in the toaster, which will be really good with a little bit of peanut butter spread on it. I have an hour until the kids have to get up to go to school. I think I'm just going to enjoy my coffee and toast and make my grocery list until then. Hopefully if Kevin is up for it, we will move our spring cleaning up a day and get some of it knocked out today. I'll have to keep you posted on what productive task we decide on.

Spring Cleaning Schedule

I set this schedule up based on our busy life. I've split it up in workable days and involved each family member where I feel they need to participate. I've just listed areas in the house that I feel could be accomplished easily and not make us feel overwhelmed with our busy schedule.

After each day is finished, we are looking at that particular area and making a list of all repairs and improvements that might be needed. I feel that if we do this then everything looks as though we can actually get to it. I hope this is helpful to you and gives you a way to keep the family involved. By the way, when we are done inside I have a plan for outside as well. I will post when the time comes.

Day 1 - Family
Master Bathroom
Family Bathroom

Day 2 - Pammy & Breanna
Sort Breanna's Clothes

Day 3 - Kevin
Sort Kevin's Clothes

Day 4 - Pammy
Sort Pam's Clothes

Day 5 - Pammy & Cameron
Sort Cameron's Clothes

Day 6 - Kevin & Pammy
Master Closet

Day 7 - Pammy, Kevin & Cameron
Cameron's Bedroom

Day 8 - Pammy & Kevin (I would include Breanna but she will be gone)
Breanna's Bedroom

Day 9 - Kevin & Pammy
Kitchen Cabinets

Day 10- Family
Kitchen
Living Room

Day 11 - Kevin & Pammy
Master Bedroom

Full Speed Ahead

Worked today and it was so great. We moved into our new offices at the Thrift Store/Training Center. It is going to be so nice to interact with the public a little. Of course bookkeeping doesn't need much public contact, kinda speaks for itself, lol. It will be good when all is settled in and the new system is set up and going strong. God is blessing the ministry so much and I'm so happy to be a part of it. Growing faster than every imagined.

Came home just in time for the kids to get home. Cameron jumped right on his homework and told me all about his field trip to the Science Theater. Breanna came home and went right to work at cleaning up her room (this seems to be a never-ending job). Cameron did his chore of emptying the dishwasher and then washed the ones that didn't come clean, while I fixed dinner; tacos and cheesy spanish rice. Since there wasn't but a few dirty dishes he offered to wash those (wonder what happened to him today at the Science Theater?). Breanna and I spent the next two hours going through her clothes as the first step in spring cleaning her room. I got 1 tote and 2 large garbage bags of clothes to get rid of. Believe it or not she has plenty left in her closet and drawers. The kids had a bowl of ice cream for a snack and then got ready for bed.

I'm planning on going through some mail and do some filing tonight. Gotta check all my list and make sure I'm on schedule for everything coming up. I will be posting my Spring Cleaning Schedule on here to give everyone and idea of how we do it so perhaps it can help them get started. Good Luck! Be Determined! Don't Give Up! (that was more for myself, I gotta get this stuff done)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Well last Saturday we made a deal with the kids that if they would help us kick off our spring cleaning then we would treat them to a movie and pizza. For the first step of our spring cleaning we started with the master bathroom and main bathroom. We emptied it out completely and cleaned it from top to bottom. Everything got done; ceilings, walls, floor, tub, toilet and cabinet for both bathrooms and it was reorganized. The kids hung in there and helped as best they could. Breanna and I got ready and went to a baby shower, while Kevin and Cameron got ready. We headed to check out the latest movie (bargain saver time) release; Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This was a cute movie and everyone in the family enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend going to see it, especially as a family. Afterwards we headed to Cici's for some unlimited pizza. After a few stops by the store we headed home for bed. It would have been a perfect day except Breanna woke up at 11 pm throwing up and continued to do so up until 6:30 am Sunday morning. Needless to say it wasn't a fun night. We went through 3 sets of bed clothes and numerous blanket. Don't you just love laundry???? Well after making her rest and slowly eat and drink, thankfully she was able to go to school on Monday.

Back On Track

Okay, lots has really happened and I just got to fill you in.

Well January finished with more sickness that seems to be lasting in spurts throughout the household.

February proved to be very loving. Kevin and Breanna attend the Father/Daughter Dance at her school. Cameron and I celebrated by having dinner at one of his favorite restaurants; Biba's Italian Restaurant. This proved to be a good trip because I was able to mimic his favorite dish; Tortellini Gabrielle the following week for dinner. Yum and what a savings.

March so far has just been more sickness and getting in to the spring cleaning thing. Although the most eventful moment is when we filed out taxes only to find out that Kevin's ex-wife just up and decided the rules don't apply to her and claimed Breanna. So with a lawyer on standby and the IRS working on the investigation, we will just wait for that refund. It really amazes me at how she continues to find excuses and ways to justify her illegal and odd behavior. Of course the icing on the cake for this is that instead of being Kevin's fault, she decided the blame should be on me this time. I hope it is worth it, the IRS Agent I spoke with said she could face not only paying back what she got, penalties, interest and perjury charges. Not likely jail time if she cooperates (that is kind of funny).

Oh, I almost forgot two of the biggest changes in our life. With Kevin's support I have begun a support group at our church. It is called P.A.R.E.N.T.S. (Praying and Reaching Everyone's Needs Through Support). We have been meeting every Wednesday since February and just this past week decided to meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday's of the month (everyone is so busy). This is support/fellowship group for parents of children that may have a learning, mental or health issue. I really felt led to do this since all three of these issues are dealt with in our household and in the last 11 years I have basically not found any group that could just listen or offer advice on situations they have been through. We really wanted to be broad since we don't know what the community need really is, or what God has in store. We want everyone to feel welcome, even if you don't have a child with any issues we feel that daily parenting issues can cause enough grief and maybe just the average parent might want to be a part of our group also. Let me know if you are interested and I will get our information to you.

The next important factor in our life is that God is providing wonderful opportunities for the charity I've been working for the past year. Due to accepted grants, I have gone from 1 day a week to 2 days a week. And hopefully if we get the other grant we applied for it will allow me to work 3 days a week starting some time in the summer. I'm really excited about what I'll be doing and know it is for God. I'm also excited about getting a paycheck. YEA!

Well that should pretty much catch you up on things. I'm sure I left a lot out but I'm planning to really push myself and start this up again...3 times a charm, LOL!

This is the day the Lord has made...

Whoa, we are finally coming to an end. We started out bright and early gathering laundry and of course the arrival of a new person got the kids quickly out of bed and dressed. I kept well might as well say my cousin's daughter today while school was out. We made homemade waffles and bacon for breakfast. The kids seemed to play something new every 10 minutes and didn't need me to much except to feed them, lol. Let's see before lunch they played at least a dozen board games, played the Wii, exercised on the treadmill and elliptical machine, baked brownies, watched half a movie, ate brownies, played with Nerf swords and guns and had some sort of fashion show.

Lunch consisted of BBQ Grill Cheese Waffle Sandwiches and Tortilla Chips with Salsa Ranch Dip and then back to playing. More Nerf swords and guns, some sort of talent show was going on under my carport, played Nail Salon (everyone but Cameron), coloring, more treadmill and elliptical, walked the dogs, drank a sherbet freeze for a snack, built a blanket city in the living room, shot people on TV with Nerf guns and I think the actually stopped an had a conversation for a little while in the middle of it all.

Dinner pretty much finished the day. We had Chili and a brownie for dessert, then they hit the treadmill and elliptical again, shot some more people on TV with the Nerf gun and the fun was over with Zoe's mom Amy arrived. I guess more fun to be had another day.

We are in back to school mode, straightening rooms, bathing and bedtime is slowly approaching. All in all it was a good day.

By the way we have to give God the credit and glory for everything. This morning we were facing a $4500 bill to fix Kevin's car, before lunch it changed to about $50 and just a few minutes ago Kevin walked and the car is fixed and we only spent $40. Praise God! Prayer is everything. God knew we didn't have the money or resources to get this car fixed or another car for few more months and he took care of us as always. I'm so very thankful for his blessings and my family.

Busy Day

Well I thought this morning that the day was going to be one of my worst. First waking to find we had over slept and only had 15 minutes to get the kids ready to meet the bus for school. I guess the excitement had just the opposite effect and kicked my butt in high gear. I started my Brunswick Stew on the stove, put a pre-divided pack of chicken leg quarters in one crock pot (thinking maybe some Chicken Tacos and a Casserole with that meat) and put the Pork Roast that was left over from my Brunswick Stew in the other crock pot (thinking some BBQ or Stuffed Potatoes) to plan for my weekend menu so I don't have to spend the whole time cooking. Made me some Coffee and Oatmeal with Splenda and sat down to enjoy my Breakfast. Loaded the dishwasher and made it work for me. Everything was all finished by 9 a.m. This is how I wish everyday would go. I should be so lucky.

Saw Cameron's Psychiatrist on Tuesday and we decided to up his ADHD medication to see if he might be able to stay on task a little better. We have talked about this a few visits ago but I decided I wanted to see how things went and well he needs some extra. We are doing a new technique of breaking down responsibilities. For instance when he has to clean his room I won't just say, " Go clean your room". That is just to big for him. So now we are breaking it down. I may send him in his room to pick 10 things off the floor. Then later tell him to make his bed. After a while passes I tell him to look in his closet and do 4 things to improve the look of his closet. WOW, this really worked. It took maybe 45 minutes in all to clean his room. This might seem like a long time to most people but usually I tell him about 20 times to clean his room over a course of 2 hours to all day (depends how worn out I become over the issue) and frankly it still isn't clean. Great Job Cameron!

Kevin and I went to Cameron's IEP meeting at the school today. It was a reevaluation meeting. Basically things are going as planned. Cameron is growing socially and fitting in. Grades are steady however the recent issues with his on task we decided to add the same technique that we are using at home to the classroom to avoid shut down. So when he seems overwhelmed or lost the teacher will have him just focus on one part of what he is doing at a time. And the other issue is related to his short term memory loss. I will work with him over the weekend to create a checklist he is responsible for every day and not forget homework items. We will meet in March or April to establish his IEP for Jr. High School. Our goal is to not hinder him in getting his diploma and graduating. All seems good at this moment. We will start the new medicine dosage this weekend since I like to keep and eye on him when anything changes. ADHD medicine can have a bad affect on someone with Bi-Polar sometimes, so you always need to keep a close eye just to be safe. Who can do this better than me?

Well looks like tonight will be filled with looking over grocery sales ads and coupons to plan my shopping for the weekend. I always enjoy saving money.

Something good is also going on in my life. With all the different medical and learning issues Cameron has had over the years I'm in the process of working with my Pastor to set up a support group that will help parents of children with various issues. I have to admit this has been on my mind for some time now and by the grace of God it will come to pass. I feel that there are many families that could benefit from such a group, probably more than we realize. So please keep me and my church in your prayers as we make this a reality to our community.

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew

1 lb Pork Roast, cubed (I bought a 3 lb Pork Roast and cut a 1/3 of it up for this and reserved the other for BBQ to save money)
8 medium Potatoes, diced
1 can Corn, drained
1 can Peas, drained
2 cans Carrots, drained
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 cans Tomato Sauce
Dash Pepper
3 Tbsp Minced Onion
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
4 cups Water (make sure everything is covered)

Brown Pork in pot, add all ingredients and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes and reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes. Make a wonderfully thick gravy for a satisfying meal.

Serves 10
247 Calories per Serving

I usually make this in the Crock Pot but today I really wanted to speed it up. I also have my meals planned or the weekend and had both Crock Pots busy at the time. This was very yummy and filling.

Panko Oven Fried Drummies

Panko Oven Fried Drummies

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick spray.

30 Drummies

Dry Mix (put everything in a Ziploc baggie and shake)
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 tsp Salt
Dash Pepper
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Wet Mix (put everything in bowl and mix)
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk

Rinse your Drummies and coat in the Wet Mix then in the Dry Mix and lay out on your baking sheet. Make sure each Drummie is completely covered.

Bake 20 minutes and then turn over an bake an additional 20 minutes.

Makes 8 Servings
Serving Size 4 Drummies
264 Calories

Fried Chicken is a staple in the South and dieting shouldn't have to change that. I came up with this recipe so we could eat what we wanted healthy. I've never been much on frying anything in oil anyway, mostly because of the mess it makes in the kitchen...I hate a big clean up. This was really good and the whole family liked it. I think you could do some easy variations in this by just adding some different spices or hot sauce. ENJOY!

-3.7 and counting!

Well the Biggest Loser weigh in was tonight. I knew I had done good but the dreaded walk from the car to the church door was a little long, not to mention the wind chill was turning my blood to ice. You have to wonder how much frozen blood weighs, lol. Well everyone lined up was in good spirits and seemed to be coming out with good results...could I measure up? In I went for my weigh in and whoooooohoooooo down 3.7 pounds. I'm proud of myself!!!

Goal for this week:

1. Have as much fun planning my menu and coming up with recipes as I have this week.

2. Step up the exercise to twice a day (I'd like to double my time).

3. Praise God every step of the way...without him this wouldn't be possible.

Now what will we have on the menu tomorrow?????

Cameron got his report card today. He did pretty good. Remember this year he is not on any special curriculum, he is doing what the rest of the class is doing. I got a note that is IEP meeting will be Thursday, so we will see what everyone thinks. I'm very proud of him and I pray that he keeps up the good work. Middle school is just around the corner and I'm not ready.

We see his psychiatrist in the morning and I feel like it will go pretty well. I know we may have to adjust some meds so I'm prepared for that. I'm interested to see what he will say so I can report back to everyone at the IEP on Thursday.

Okay, I'm a bit tired tonight since I basically had a boring day at home. Car acted up again this morning. After having it checked out the solution is to drive it and see what happens, lol. Don't you just love that one? I think it will be fine, God takes care of us in every way and he always has.

Spicy Black Bean Chili

Spicy Black Bean Chili

1 lb Ground Chicken (could use turkey or beef)
2-15 oz cans Black Beans
1-10 oz can Rotel
1-14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
1 pkg Chili Seasoning
1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Minced Onion
4 cups Water (less if you want it to be thicker)

Put Ground Chicken and all spices including Chili Seasoning packet in pot and brown meat. You may have to add a 1/4 cup water to keep Chicken from sticking since there is no oil in this recipe. When meat is brown add Black Beans, Rotel, Diced Tomatoes and Water then bring to a boil. Reduce to Medium heat and allow to continue to boil for 30 minutes. It is ready to serve. If you want it to be thicker let boil with lid off and reduce amount of water you add by at least 1 cup. This is so low in calories that you can top with a little shred of cheese or sour cream, just remember to add those calories in.

Makes 10 Servings
151 Calories per Serving

Breakfast Surprise!

Okay like everyone else I live for the quick meal. Breakfast is no different. I have been eating instant oatmeal (the low sugar kind) forever. Mostly because it was quick and it seemed crazy to make a pot of oatmeal for just me. This morning since I had so much time on my hands I decided to pull out the Quick Oats and make my own. First of all it didn't take any longer to make than the instant oatmeal did. Second...I was able to just make a one serving size portion. I just followed the recipe on the back of the package. Third...the portion that you are allowed to have is so huge I couldn't finish it. Fourth...the best of all is that you get more for your calorie intake. One packet of low-sugar instant oatmeal is about half the serving of the quick oats serving and the same calories...so this is a no brainer. I added a tsp of Splenda and a splash of Skim Milk to mine. I also stirred in a tbsp of Peanut Butter since all diet sites and blogs rave about it. Well it wasn't for me. No PB in my Oatmeal! I am however going to buy me some of that Splenda Brown Sugar Blend. I haven't tried it and think it would be a real treat for some things.

Ham and Bean Soup in the Crock Pot

Ham and Bean Soup in the Crock Pot

1 lb Mixed Beans (or whatever you have)
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 lb Ham, diced
1 cup Carrots, chopped
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
10 cups Water

Look and rinse your Beans. Put everything in Crock Pot, adding Water last and stir. I put mine on High overnight and then switched to Low in the morning until ready to serve. It is very tasty and low in calories.

Makes 10 Servings
129 Calories per Serving

Peanut Butter and Banana Waffle Sandwich

Peanut Butter and Banana Waffle Sandwich

2 slices Double Fiber Wheat Bread
1 tbsp Peanut Butter
1/2 Banana

Spread Peanut Butter on Bread. Slice the Banana and place on sandwich. Heat your waffle iron up and spray with non-stick spray, then place sandwich inside. Press down and let cook until browned.

250 Calories per Sandwich

This is a Yummy Sandwich that anyone of all ages will enjoy. Heating the Bananas makes it a little sweet. I'm sure you can find a lower calorie Peanut Butter but I just used regular.

Low Calorie English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich (now with picture)

Okay I made this breakfast of champions again and had to re-post it with a picture.

Low Calorie English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

1 Multi-Grain English Muffin (I toasted mine)
1 Egg (fixed how you like it, I fried mine and Kevin scrambled his)
2 slices of Bacon

I put a little bit of light mayo on mine and seasoned with salt and pepper. I would have added a slice of tomato but forgot to pick them up yesterday when at the store. If you prepare your bacon once a week it will save on the time to prepare.

260 calories per serving

Splenda Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Splenda Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Splenda
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and bake 10 minute at 350 degrees. I use non stick spray on my pans to insure they don't stick.

Makes 2 Dozen (I like to make them small so I can feel like I get to eat more, lol.)
32 Calories Each

I was trying to think of something really good today for a snack and a little sweet. Finally I remembered a this recipe and how good they were.

In my search I found a website that I've been to several times but didn't realize how fun and helpful it might be for me...so I joined today. Check out recipezaar.com and you will fall in love.

Snow Day

This is what the front of the house looked like when it first started to snow.


For some reason Cameron put Breanna's Pink hat on...who knows! Breanna bundled herself up all by herself...can she move?


Yep they made snow angels on the driveway...hey in Tennessee you have to make due with what snow you get, lol. And yep it seems they are helping each other out.



Cameron is having a good time, I'm sure Breanna is running fast away from him.

Nothing like getting out of school early due to snow and thankful that they can sleep in and enjoy it again tomorrow...Yep NO SCHOOL.

New Orleans Corn Bisque with Smoked Sausage??? Or Chowder?

Remember I told you I had found a recipe on the Internet. I found it at all recipes.com in case you were wondering and if I happen to be liable for mentioning that, lol. Safe and clean...whew! Well I made it tonight and all I can say is YUM! I changed it up to lower the calories.

New Orleans Corn Bisque with Smoked Sausage
(After tasting it I think it is a chowder, but I guess their name will draw more viewers, lol)

1 package (14 ounce) Turkey Smoked Sausage
1 medium Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 (15.25 ounce) can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
4 cups Skim Milk
2 cups Cubed Cooked, Potatoes, cooked, drained
Chopped Parsley (optional) ~ I used 1 Tbsp of Dry Parsley
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional) I left this off to save calories, not sure if it was figured in to begin with

Prepare Potatoes and set aside. Cut Sausage into 1/2 inch cubes. Melt Butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add Onion; cook and stir until tender. Add Flour, Salt and Pepper (this is where I added the Dry Parsley); cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add Milk. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add Corn and Sausage; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in Potatoes; heat through. Top each serving with Parsley and Cheese if desired (didn't do this to save the calories).

Serves 8
263 Calories per Serving

I just have to say again this was great and a good choice for a snow day...the kids loved it!

Chicken and Veggies

Okay here is our healthy dinner for tonight. Kids loved it, well Cameron said he would rather have carrots out of the can instead of the bag, lol. Good Grief!

Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

1 Whole Chicken
2 tbsp of McCormick Garlic & Herb Salt Free Seasoning
1 1/2 cups Water

Rinse Chicken and sprinkle Seasoning inside and out. Place in Crock Pot and add Water. I plan to use my stock in a soup for Friday so if you don't plan on doing that you might not need as much water. I was really surprised at how brown it got. Anyway I put my on low the night before and waited this morning for a few hours to see it it would brown before turning it to warm.

I think there would be at least 6 Servings
335 Calories per 1 cup Serving (this is the only way I knew how to figure it, I used a website to help me calculate)

Aluminum Foil Oven Roasted Veggies

1 can Corn drained
1 can Green Beans drained
1 cup Baby Carrots
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper to taste

I made a foil packet and just put Corn, Green Beans and Carrots inside. Sprinkled on the amount of seasonings that I thought would be good (didn't need much) and then covered with my Olive Oil. Tossed it with a fork and closed the packet. Baked at 400 degrees for an hour and just turned the stove off and let it sit until I was ready to serve it. It was great. I went really low on salt since I'm always afraid to over do it, so ended up added some when we ate.

Serves 4
165 Calories per Serving

As shock to me the whole meal came to 500 Calories. We all drank water so we stayed healthy.

Did great on Caloric Intake and Exercise today, YEA!

Well kids are so tired from the first day back at school. They are taking baths and then asked to go to bed early. I'm going to oblige them, lol.

Low Calorie English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

Low Calorie English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

1 Multi-Grain English Muffin (I toasted mine)
1 Egg (fixed how you like it, I fried mine and Kevin scrambled his)
2 slices of Bacon

I put a little bit of light mayo on mine and seasoned with salt and pepper. I would have added a slice of tomato but forgot to pick them up yesterday when at the store. If you prepare your bacon once a week it will save on the time to prepare.

260 calories per serving

I wanted to come up with a healthy and quick way for us to eat breakfast everyday. Kevin is always running out the door so this works out great. He even scrambled his egg the night before. I couldn't do that, yuck! I needed my egg to be fresh. I also put 2 slices of Bacon but really you can get by with 1 and cut back the calories even more, just minus 40 calories. Be sure to use a no calorie cooking spray. Tomorrow I think I'll make Oatmeal, a favorite of mine and good for you.

I've been looking up some tasty recipes and making them low-calorie so that we can eat them. I'm going to try one tomorrow and I'll post it and let you know how it is. I meant to take a picture or my Breakfast Sandwich but forgot. I'm sure I'll be having that often. I've got a whole chicken in the crock pot and I want to use up some of my pantry items so I think I'm going to make green beans and try to roast a can of corn and some baby carrots in the oven for dinner. Should be good. I'm going to save my broth and may make my Leftover Turkey Soup again Friday. It really went fast.

I am officially looking for some part-time work. As of February 1st I will no longer be at the charity. I need to make a little money and of course they can't compensate me like I need to be. So if you hear anything. I need something at home or during school hours if at all possible but would consider other times.

Yesterday's diet and exercise plan went very well for me. Stayed on track. I have to admit that needing a snack before bed will be an obstacle to overcome. Today I'm learning to drink my coffee black, done it before so it should be good.

Kids started back to school today and very tired I might add. Breanna came home and said she had slept good during her visit. We have such a strict routine and it is hard on her to come back from not as much structure to our schedule. Of course we had been working on Cameron's schedule for past several nights so he was pretty good. He woke up several times in the night and was a little tired tonight. Both said they were going to bed real early tonight, lol. I told them we had church but I may see how they feel after school and may just stay home and let them get in bed early.

Of course it didn't help getting home from picking up Breanna until 9 pm. My car broke down and was fixable it just took a little while to do it. So it delayed us at getting the kids in bed on time. Well I have a few things to do on my schedule today so I will try to post more later. I've never cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot so I'll let you know how it is. All I know now is that it smells very delicious.

Calling All Losers!!!!!

Well it has been a very busy day. Worked really hard a the charity today and got home just in time for a tostada and rice before we had to be at the Biggest Loser Competition at the church. I think we had 50 people or more show up. This is going to be so much fun and what great fellowship. Our church is so huge that it is hard to know everyone and this will give us a chance to meet some more people. This is a money pot from the $5 everyone will put in every week, plus the $1 per pound they gain, lol (not planning on doing that, crossing my fingers anyway). Every week the person who losses the biggest percentage of weight will win $20 and at the end of April the person that has lost the most percentage of weight overall wins what is left in the pot. It should be a fair amount since we had such a good turn out. Time to dust off the treadmill and elliptical machine that has been so badly ignored. Kevin and I are going to do this together so we should be driving each other crazy by the end of the week. You know I'm just kidding. I know we will be supportive and help each other any way we can because we have the best relationship.

Some tips we were given for Week One:

1. Set realistic expectations and goals for exercise. (I figure at least 30 minutes on the treadmill a day would be a good first step)

2. Working out in small bust strenuous spurts will get you the same results as working out moderately for a continuous about of time. (3 days this week I plan to turn up my pace for 5-10 minutes, as long as I don't pass out)

3. Pick exercises you enjoy. (I love to hula hoop on the Wii Fit, so I might do this a few times this week)

4. Integrate weight training into your routine. (the treadmill had weights, so once I get my balance and am sure I won't fall off I'll just start swinging those weights in my arms)

5. Do not expect Spot Reduction. (hey I plan on the all over weight loss, if it was just my arms then I wouldn't have joined I would have bought long sleeves, lol)

Well wish this house luck, this will be a journey for us all. Let me know if you are doing it, I'd love to know how you are doing and what you accomplish.

Biggest Loser Diet

I was wondering what to expect when we start the Biggest Loser Challenge at our church tomorrow night, so I went to the Internet and here is what we all want to know. This seems pretty simple explained this way. Hope this is helpful to you if you are interested.

What You Can Eat

The book includes one-week sample meal plans for 1,200-, 1,500- and 1,800-calorie diets, along with some recipes. Forty-five percent of the total calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 25% from fat.

The 4-3-2-1 Biggest Loser Pyramid sets the stage for number of servings from each of the food groups:

• 4 servings of fruits and vegetables
• 3 servings of protein -- lean, vegetarian, or low-fat dairy
• 2 servings of whole grains
• 1 extra of fats, oils, sweets, alcohol, or your choice, equivalent to 200 calories

Here's a sample meal daily plan:

Breakfast: 1/2 serving protein, 1 serving whole grain, 1 serving fruit

Snack: 1/2 protein, 1 fruit

Lunch: 1 protein, 1/2 whole grain, 1 vegetable

Snack: 1/2 protein, 1 fruit

Dinner: 1/2 protein, 1/2 whole grain, 2 vegetables

Dieters are urged to choose foods that are not processed and contain no added fats, sugar, or salt. "Read food labels, and if you can't pronounce some of the ingredients on the list, don't buy it," suggests Forberg.

Whole fruits and vegetables are preferred over juices or dried fruits. Foods should be eaten raw or prepared simply without extra fats. Whenever fats are used, they should be healthy fats -- not saturated or trans fats.

Dieters should choose whole grains that are less refined and have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving of bread or 5 grams of fiber per serving of cereal, with no more than 5 grams of sugar. Protein choices include lean meat or fish, vegetarian protein, or low-fat dairy. Your calorie level determines portion sizes and your protein options.

Still hungry? You can eat more than four servings a day of fruits and vegetables.

found this on Internet at:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/biggest-loser-diet

Leftover Turkey Vegetable Soup

Leftover Turkey Vegetable Soup

32 oz Chicken Broth (4 cups)
1 can Carrots
2 med. Diced Potatoes
2 cups Diced Leftover Turkey
4 cups Water
1 cup Macaroni Noodles
3 cups Baby Spinach
1/2 tsp Salt (leave off if concerned with sodium)
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Minced Onion
1 Tbsp Parsley

Pour Chicken Broth and Water in Pot and bring to boil. Add Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Minced Onion and Parsley. Dice Leftover Turkey and Potatoes and add to pot, drain carrots and add to pot. Once potatoes are to liking at Macaroni Noodles and cook until done. Stir in Baby Spinach and let boil for about 5 minutes. Yep it is ready to serve.

Serves 8
266 Calories Per Serving
Takes about 30 minutes from start to finish...not to bad.

Good Morning!

Well it is a brand new year and we are off to a tremendous start, lol. We have had some car trouble and of course, as usual it wasn't cheap. I hope today starts off a wonderful week of no troubles. I am going to be very positive.

The holidays were just absolutely wonderful. It was filled with tons of family and friends. The kids had a great time. And I'm proud to say we had sweets but didn't overdo it. To me that is a major accomplishment.

Cameron started back on his school schedule last night. It is so hard for kids to get so much time off and then have to be thrust back in the school scene. This is the first time that I've let him just stay up and sleep as late as he wanted. I'm sure that wasn't a good thing, but everyone deserves to indulge in something every now and again.

Breanna has been gone since Christmas Day afternoon. I really miss her. She can be very tiring at times with all the talk but I really miss her. I'm going to work on getting her room put back together for when she comes home Tuesday. I hope she isn't to tired. It is really hard on her to come back from a long visit and not having the same sleep patterns and having to get up early the next day to go back to school. I'm sure she will do as always and come straight in from school and try to fall asleep and beg for bed at 6:00 pm.

Just like the last few years, Kevin and I get past birthdays, anniversary, and all the holidays and then sit back and say "Wow, look how long we've been together!" Yep, we've been married now 3 years and together for 4 1/2 years...can you believe it! This has been the best years of my life with him. I never thought marriage could be so comfortable. I know comfortable might sound like not a great word to describe a marriage but it really is. We know each other in and out and have a wonderful way to communicate. There is never any drama (unless the outside seeps in from down under, lol) and we just take life in stride. But most of all we love each other and we both know it. If you've ever been in a bad relationship (most have) then you know how wonderful it is to find one that really works. Plus to share a relationship with God tops the list.

The church is starting a Biggest Loser Challenge and Kevin and I have seriously thought about joining. We start Monday and I think more than anything it would be good to do as a family. So keep tuned to see if we crash and burn or become our skinny inner beings, lol.

I'm going to start working on some new recipes. I told Kevin last night that I thought the hardest part of eating healthy was that every recipe called for a dozen items and 1 1/2 hours in the kitchen. Who wants to do that? So my goal this year is to make good healthy food fast. We will see. Today I'm going to do a leftover turkey soup. I baked a turkey breast (the hugest thing I've ever seen) on New Year's Day and have plenty leftover. Everyone knows how I feel about throwing away food and wasting. And of course turkey in my house doesn't go to waste since it is my favorite meat to cook with.

Also, I'm considering a job endeavor. Not sure if it is going to work out. I will know more next Tuesday. It's one of those too good to be true, but to good not to try things and I'm still weighing in on it.

Well not a bad post if I say so myself. I'll try to be on here more often. Yep, you did hear that one before. I decided I'm going to post when I have something to say. So you might see me more than one time in a day. So hold on to your keyboard and don't turn your desk chair over, I'm okay!