Friend Makin Monday

Today, in my continuing effort to expand my blogging horizons, I'm joining Friend Makin Monday with the crew over at All the Weigh. 

1. Meat and potatoes or pasta? I do absolutely love me some potatoes but I'm definitely a pasta girl!  I can eat spaghetti noodles plain.  I just love it! 

2. Do you prefer Apple or Android?  I really don't have any experience with the Android series.  I have had an iphone since the 3 so I have been loyal through three upgrades.  However, my hubs just bought me a Samsung Galaxy II tablet and I really like it a lot too.  For now I will stick to my iphone but I am more open to new things than I used to be.

3. Do you kiss and tell, or do you keep it private?  I'm a private gal. 

4. If you had to choose one, would you choose Facebook or Twitter?  I like Twitter and I honestly think I seem to be myself more on Twitter for some reason but I do love my Facebook time!

5. Christmas or Valentine’s Day? Christmas!!  No contest!!  In fact, I basically hate Valentine's Day.  :-)  I wrote a blog post about wearing black on V-Day and why I don't care for the holiday. 

6. If you joined a band, would you prefer to do vocals or play an instrument?  I would probably do vocals.  I'm definitely not Carrie Underwood or anything.  I think I'm just that bossy and I equate vocals with the leader.  ha!

7. Hot weather or cold weather?  I LOVE cooler weather and everything that it brings with it.  I love the smells of fall, daylight savings time, Christmas, college football, sweatshirts, fireplace, etc. 

8. Calorie counting or tracking points?  I did Weight Watchers years ago and was successful so I know tracking points works!  More recently though I have counted calories and carbohydrates (for diabetic purposes) and I have had very visble and true results.  I have lost 30 lbs so far.

9. Yoga or kickboxing?  I have never tried either!  Considering my borderling ADD and my tendances to feel agressive, kickboxing might me right up my alley!

10. East Coast or West Coast?  I lived in California for 4 years as a child and I would love to return for a visit.  But I would really love to visit Maine, Charleston, and Savannah.  So really I think I'm an East Coast girl.

Menu Plan Monday

 

I'm back!  I have been in a weird funk for about 6 months...ok maybe not that long.  I think for so many years I was so focused on finishing my degree that when I finished in May, I didn't know what to do with myself.  I fell into some weird depressive mood that I couldn't escape.  Through identifying my problem and working hard to not allow myself to go down that dark road, I feel like I'm back.  I feel more motivated to blog, read, or just do nothing!  Apparently I like to have a full plate and don't know how to act without one!  

And now on to our menu for this week...

Saturday - Game Night (Alabama Football that is).  Homemade Pizza and Rotel Cheese Dip

My rotel cheese dip - 1 large block Velveeta, 1 can Rotel (mild), 1 package sausage (mild) in a crockpot for about an hour and a half.  YUM!

Sunday - Cajun Chicken Pasta and Garlic Toast

Monday -  Chili and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuesday - Sloppy Joes and Fries

Wednesday - Stove Top Chicken with Green Beans

Thursday - Grilled Chicken and Squash Kabobs, Roasted Potatoes, and Corn on the Cob

Friday - Grocery Night!

For hundreds of menu plans, visit Orgjunkie.com.

Menu Plan Monday

This week I continued my quest to stock my pantry and attempt to make my menu based on the pantry/freezer.  I did ok.  Here is our menu...

Saturday - We had a wedding to photograph so we grabbed drive-thru food on the way home.

Sunday - Hamburgers and seasoning fries

Monday - Chicken and Dumplings, green beans, and biscuits

Tuesday - Spaghetti and Salad

Wednesday - Crockpot Pulled BBQ Chicken, slaw, and fries

Thursday - Grilled Chicken, roasted potatoes, grilled squash

Friday - Oven-fried chicken, rice, roasted zucchini and onions

Not to shabby!  We need to get back on our healthy eating kick though!

For tons of menu ideas, check out Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday.

Friend Making Monday...on Thursday

 I was down with a summer cold at the beginning of this week so I'm just now feeling human enough to blog but I wanted to join Friend Making Monday at All the Weigh!

Questions and Answers

1.  What is a typical weekday like for you?  My weekdays are basically the same.  Hubs and I get up (always later than we should) and rush around to get ready.  We leave (later than we should) and ride to work together.  We work about 25-30 minutes away from home.  I drop off Hubs on my way in and get to work (later than I should).  I work 8-5.  I then pic Hubs back up and we head home.  We are fairly boring.  We get home and I made dinner while we do some basics like start laundry or straighten up the house.  We sit and eat together (in the living room watching tv but together nonetheless).  Then sometimes we keep watching tv or go our separate ways.  I'm an internet addict so I'm always online while watching tv.  So, basic couch potato. 

2.  Name one song that never fails to make you happy and one song that you always listen to when you’re sad.  There are so many songs that I go too.  Lately I have been on an oldies kick...like 50s and 60s.  Almost any upbeat song from those decades can get me dancing.

3.  Did you watch the VMA’s last night?  Yes but on DVR so I had control of my situation.  Although I, like many others, stared in horrible at Miley Cyrus.  I just couldn't turn it off and now I just can't un-see it.  Sad.

4.  Share at least two skills that you possess.
I'm a fairly decent photographer.  I love to cook and think I'm fairly good at it.  Don't ask me to bake.

5.  Share one thing that you wish you had the confidence to do.  My parents are karaoke nuts.  They say I'm pretty good when I do it.  But I get nervous with the attention of being the one singing.

6. Tell us about one insecurity that people might be surprised that you have.  I don't like being in front of people or being the center of attention.  I think it has to do with my weight and self image.

7.  If you could be the CEO of any company, which one would you choose to lead?  A photography company providing affordable yet artistic photo sessions.


8. List at least three hobbies that make you happy.  Photography or just looking at old family pictures.  Reading.  Sewing.  Planning vacations.

9.  Is there someone in your life that you wish you could say “I love you” to? I think people should just say it more often in general.

10.  Share one cool thing that happened over the weekend. 
I went shopping for my mom's birthday present.  I found it in the first store.  I left happy.  If you know me and my mother, this was a huge fete!

Just This Once...

Eating clean and healthy (not that I'm 100% clean or healthy) is a work in progress but it is also a lifestyle change.  I am not dieting.  My goal is to eat less processed foods with less sugar and absolutely no poison sugar substitutes like saccharin and aspartame.  And lower fats and calories per meal.  I get frustrated because of course a Big Mac from McDonald's is quick and easy (not to mention delicious) but it's so so bad.  I know that I will feel better if I go home and my own dinner. 

But never do I get as frustrated as when people who know my preferred diet say "you can eat it just this once."  I don't want that cupcake.  I won't enjoy it, I'll feel guilty, and worst of all, it will drive my blood sugar sky high.  I am fighting so hard to prevent going on insulin for the rest of my life.  That cupcake "just this once" isn't worth it.  I don't completely limit myself.  I do have treats (this week I discovered that Keebler makes Samoas like the Girl Scouts).  I enjoy those treats from time to time.  But leave me alone.  I'm not asking you to follow my plan.  And I don't keep you from eating yours. 

I guess what I think is that people may not understand why I am careful and strict but don't ask me to leave my path.  There are plenty of obstacles that we, as humans, create for ourselves.  Please just let me follow my own path.  I am not doing without.  I'm actually very well.  Very full.  And getting healthier every day that passes.

Menu Plan Monday

Another week is here!  We are eating out of the freezer and pantry this week.  No more grocery stops until Friday!  Going unprepared to the grocery store for a 2 week trip will bite you hard toward the end of the 2 weeks!  But that's why we have a pantry!

Here is our menu...

Saturday - On Your Own.  I had Kraut and Weinies and Fried Okra

Sunday - Shrimp Boil with new potatoes and corn on the cob and hushpuppies

Monday - Grilled chicken, baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese

Tuesday - Out!  We are going out to eat then to see Kellie Pickler in concert.  Should be a fun night!

Wednesday - Onion Baked Chicken, green beans, corn on the cob, and new potatoes

Thursday - Grilled Chicken, asparagus, and rice

Friday - Grocery night! 

So my menu is not very inspiring this week so you better believe I'm checking out Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday for some new dinner inspiration!

Friend Making Monday

I have followed Kinley at All the Weigh for a while and thought I would jump in to her Friend Making Monday. 

School Days

1. What was your favorite subject in school?  History for sure.
2. Did you attend elementary school and high school in the same town? Yes and No.  My family moved from AL to CA when I was in the 2nd grade but we returned when I was in the 6th grade and I continued on to graduate. 

3. Are you still friends with anyone that you met during school?  My oldest friends are all friends I made in the 7th grade.  We still keep in touch and talk often.  We were inseperable during school and I definitely see us always staying in touch.

4. What activities were you involved in as a student? I was a band nerd for sure.  But I joined the yearbook staff when I was a senior and definitely wished I would have joined earlier. 


5. Did you bring your lunch, or did you get it at school? I never brought my lunch.  I think most days I was just happy I made it to school.  A morning person I was not!

6. Did you enjoy shopping for clothing and school supplies?  Yes I think so.  Getting to pick out all new shiny things for a new year was always fun.
7. Name a song or a band that reminds you of high school.  Whoa...so many!  Early Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, Hootie and the Blowfish, Sarah Maclachlan ("I Will Remember You" was my senior class song)
8. Did you like school? I did.  I never dreaded it or hated it like some people. 
9. How long have you been out of school?  High School - 13 years.  But College...oh 3 months!
10. What did you like most about school? What did you dislike most about school?  I liked being with my friends probably the most.  I didn't really appreciate learning until I was older and in college.  I sort of coasted by in high school.