Dug Up and Buried Again....

Sounds like a title to an episode of a soap opera, doesn't it. Well, I am talking about St. Joseph. we buried him in December in our basement and obviously he didn't like our prayers or we didn't bury him good enough. In MN you can't dig outside, it's just impossible. So, we though we would try the small unfinished area of our basement where there was dirt. We couldn't dig too far because it was rocky (this whole town was built on a gravel pit basically), but he was buried. Well, it's 5 months later and we still have not sold this house and we are way below our assessed value and fair market value on the house. We keep dropping the price and we're pretty much at the point where if someone does finally buy it we will not be able to buy another one and are going to have to rent.

It makes me sad that we are giving up this 5400 sq. feet beautiful Victorian Queen Anne home to have to rent something. But I need to be positive and see everything we will be gaining. Isabel & I love everything we have available to do all the time around us. We love being members of the Y and having zoos very close to us. We have this wonderful support network of friends that we just don't want to give up. Andy loves his job.

At church last weekend, our minister said something about that sometimes God wants us to prove how much we want something and often that means making sacrifices. The topic that week was on marriage, but why should that not apply to everything. I asked Andy what he thought about that statement and whether or not he thought God's plan was for us to stay in WI.
His response was comforting, but still doesn't bring us a buyer. He said that he doesn't believe that God would bring us to this new & wonderful church that we really like and give us all the opportunities that Isabel & I want, and bless us with this fabulous support network and give Andy this job he really wants if he didn't want us to have these things. I gotta wonder though, how long are we meant to have them. Is it only for a year?

I know we didn't just wait around for God to hand us these things. We made them happen. Andy really wanted that job and we waited & sacrificed for it to become a reality. We went searching for a church for us. We forged these relationships. We went searching for opportunities. But God gave me the strength and curiousity and determination.

So, anyways, I had never read anyone burying him in the house and apparently it didn't work for us. So, I dug him up and tried to figure out just what worked most often. So, now he is buried 12 inches in the ground facing our house while being upside down and underneath one of the realtor signs. Will it happen now? I don't hold my breath anymore, but we'll see. I said my prayers to st. Joseph. There is an open house this weekend and a realtor tour next week.

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

It's my middle sister's birthday today!

You Could Have Sung the Phone Book.....

If any of you are watching American Idol this season, then you are aware that this is Randy's catch phrase this yes, "You could have sung the phone book, Dawg!"

So, I watched the top two contestants and I am a big fan of DC. He's hot and I love his sound. DA is still such a baby and I don't honestly think his voice is all that special. I don't see him as the "prodigy" that someone coined him earlier in the season. And it kind of drives me nuts how exasperated he acts when the judges give him his feedback.

I know that Simon basically predicted that DA would win with a knockout. They both are going to end up with contracts whether or not they end up as the winner of American Idol. And honestly, I think some years the person who comes in 2nd place ends up being bigger than the 1st place person.

It will be interesting to see which performers go on to do what. It seems like with each year there are more & more performers who do not stop with American Idol, which great. I like to see that they don't just fade away.

I'm Fine. Is That What You Want Me To Say?

When someone asks you "How are you?" in some form or another. They want you to say something along the lines of "I'm good" or I'm fine". But what happens when you don't say that and you say something else.

It kinda cracks me up (& actually makes me feel a little bit better inside) to be honest and tell them everything is not fine and to watch their reaction. All of a sudden this quick greeting or small talk has been changed into this uncomfortable conversation that must occur (otherwise they would be thought to be insensitive.)

Sometimes I indulge people (or myself because I don't want to talk about it) and say everything is fine or good. I did that today when we met our playgroup at the park. They asked how things were and I smiled and said "good", even though they know we are soon to be homeless and be living out of suitcases. They know things aren't "good" and one will be brave and ask if our house sold yet and I will say "No" and try not to think about it or cry. That's why I indulge myself in saying everything is good, because I don't want to think about it or cry again. Thankfully, to stop further inquiry, someone else stepped in and said "I am sure she will tell us when it sells." And you better believe that I will!

But then we had this conference call with our Realtors and one of them asked me how I was doing. I didn't feel like indulging him, as I feel they have repeatedly let us down over & over again. So, I told him I was stressed. SILENCE. I wish I had the luxury of actually seeing their faces, but the silence told me it wasn't what he expected to hear. But I hoped it added a layer of guilt.

The conference call overall was good and Andy & I were way prepared. He made up an agenda outline and we followed that straight through. They probably thought we would talk for 10 minutes, but we had 30 minutes worth of talking to do and things to discuss. I took notes and was a "commitment" Nazi. I kept asking if they would commit to doing different things and got time frame or dates for commitment. If I didn't we would never get anywhere because it seems that our realtors do nothing but talk in circles and riddles without ever committing to anything. And that doesn't fly with me. So, I typed up all the notes and a plan of action sent everyone copies.

And next time someone asks, "How are you doing?" just test it out and see what happens.

Does it make me a little sick that when I am honest and tell them I am stressed or sad or upset or whatever and I like seeing them squirm a little bit because it wasn't what they expected/wanted to hear? It probably does. And I'm ok with that.

What do I Want/Need

I am not sure if these thoughts were spurred by the sermon at church last night or just the constant re-evaluating that is going on in our lives right now. And getting up at 5:30am to go to the bathroom not being able to fall back asleep with all these thought spinning around in my head has not been helpful.

We have lived 9 months without 95% of our possessions and "renting" someone elses. There have been some things we have brought back with us when we have made trips to our mortgage payment, but some stuff we just couldn't. Now, we do miss our bed and comfy couch, but it doesn't necessarily need to be those particular items, just something that isn't 20 years old and needs to be comfortable.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are lots of things that I miss and which I had to use or enjoy and I don't feel the need to give away all my worldly possessions.

We've been talking about the need to rent a house for a while rather than buy so that we can allow the market to stabalize. Even though it is a buyer's housing market, is it really if you are worried about the job market.

I feel like I am rambling all over the place......well, my first dilemma is to rent or not for an extended period of time. After you own a home with your own yard & garden & space and ability to paint walls and change light fixtures as you wish, it's hard to think of not being able to do this long-term. Now, I've not been able to do this for 9 months and I don't particularly care for it.

I enjoy decorating my home the way I want and that includes painting walls and changing light fixtures. And even though I hate the expense of it, I want to be able to install new energy-efficient windows if I so choose. I hate these drafty single pane windows here that cost us a small fortune in oil bills this winter.

I was ok with no yard work until recently. I want a garden, even if it is a small garden or containers. I like plants and growing things, and I need that space to do that. I feel good about growing food to provide for my family and I enjoy the canning I do with all that produce I have grown. I feel like that is missing right now. I have no garden to plant or care for or enjoy.

Now if we could find a suitable house to rent that allowed me to paint the walls and plant a garden, I would be pretty happy. I need to be able to enjoy my interests and hobbies.

But then there is this feeling os stability that I get from owning a home. There is no guarantee that person you are renting from wants to be a landlord long-term and might decide to sell the place, leaving you trying to find new housing. I did not enjoy how often I moved throughout college, both undergrad and graduate school. I did enjoy living in one house for 6 years.

I also want space to play outside with Isabel. I know we can always go to a park and since joining our playgroup we have really learned to utilize parks. But I want our own outdoor play space.

I also want safety. I have no plans to move into Mke. It's just too dangerous. It's pretty scary watching the news. Mke is pretty violent and has a lot of shooting deaths. I seriously don't remember the news in the Twin Cities mentioning as many shooting deaths. My friends from the Chicago area say the same thing, that the news here reports much more shooting deaths. I am too much of a country girl to ever be happy living in the city for long-term.

Even though we can't afford to have multiple mortgages/rents, we did decide that the most important thing is that we are all together.

Ok - I am rambling here because I don't know what conclusion I am trying to get to. But that's the point. What do I really need versus what I want?

Well, Andy & Isabel have gotten up and it's time to be with them. But aren't you glad you aren't in my head spinning around with all my thoughts.

Blah!

I feel bad....I went to a home party my friend had, it was CAbi party....they have cute clothes and some of them look so great on, not to mention that the sizes run big, so you wear a size 2 sizes smaller than normal. Anyways, I had to leave w/o buying anything. She just bought stuff from my home party and I was planning on buying as much as she did, but this CAbi stuff is quite expensive, at least more than I am willing to pay. I don't pay $89 for a pair jeans. I tried on a few of the cheaper (not cheap by any means - we are talking $30 for the cheapest item which was a thin, kinda see-thru tank top). I couldn't do it. I tried on things that cost more, but again, I couldn't justify paying that much for something. I apologized to my friend and told her I couldn't afford anything. I was talking about it with some other friends before I said anything to her and I was doing all I could to not crying...bless their hearts they were trying to justify for me why I couldn't afford it, but I didn't want to be reminded that we will in essence be homeless in a few weeks and in a few weeks more Andy could be out of a job.

The clothes have very flattering cuts and I can see how people can get swept away in purchasing items when all their friends are telling them how great they are. I almost bought this skirt for $79, but that is a lot of groceries. And it was too dressy to wear to often.

Then my bad habit of mentally comparing sizes came back to me. And I should have been hapy putting on something that was 2 sizes smaller than normal, but I just felt blah! because several others were another size smaller. How petty, can't I get over that stupid high school and college mentality of the "size"?

So, I left the party feeling like crap, like I am poor & fat. I want to cry.

Knock It Off

I have to try to be positive because all this worrying is not good for me. I mentioned how the stress has manifested itself physically in the previous post, but I never mentioned that I tend to talk in my sleep when I am stressed, but the reallys scary stuff is when I get really stressed I start walking in my sleep.

The other night Andy caught me opening the bedroom window and asked what I was doing and I told him "I had to go meet someone," but then I woke up just enough to see that it was 1:45am and said, "well, I guess that doesn't make sense that I need to meet someone at quarter to two I the morning" and then crawled back into bed.

I went to the Y yesteday for my spin class and then lifted weight afterwards for 15 minutes. And then in the evening we went to the park to play with some friends and then for a walk. Currently, I don't have anything physical planned for this afternoon (this morning is a combine birthday playgroup for Isabel & another friend who has a 2nd birthday this month), so I think I better figure something out. Andy thought I seemed less stressed and happier after he came home (which was after the exercising).

Count Down from 27

Yikes! That's it! 27 days left in the lake house rental and then we are kinda homeless. Sure, we still have a place in MN, but Andy still has to work in WI (nearly 5.5 hours from the MN place.)

We decided that what was most important is that we are together, even if we are basically living out of our cars. At this point we can't afford to stay in a hotel or rent another place & continue paying mortgage because there are those impending layoffs at his company and we will have no clue how they will affect us until mid-summer (when he has been here for a year, which he signed a contract to work.) So, it's not like we can all leave and figure out things in MN and we can't really figure out things in WI either.

And with gas at near $4/gallon, we certainly can't afford to drive back & forth to see each other on weekends, so we all must stay in WI. Both our families have offered to lebd us money, which is kind of them, but doesn't help because we still have to pay that back and how does that help us if things get worse (or even if they don't) and we have payments to our family to make as well as all our other bills. So, what does that mean?

Hell if I know!!!

Because we have not sold our house we have the
Homeless Plan:
* Rent a U-Haul & bring our stuff back to MN
* Deliver our pets to their 2008 summer homes (cats: Andy's parents, dog: My parents)
* Stay at MN home for a couple of days & breathe & try not to cry that our lives are a mess
* Return to WI and live at a variety of locations that include a couple of stints of house/pet sitting for 10 days at a shot, as well as living in our friends' furnished basements.

If our house (by some miracle) happens to sell we have the
Rental Plan:
* Rent a U-haul & move our stuff into that place
* Keep our pets with us (hopefully)
* Have our possessions from MN stored in a warehouse until we know Andy still has a job
* Find temporary furnishings (some have already been offered up by friends here)
* Breathe and try not to cry that our lives are a mess

Now, July could come along and Andy could find out he is indeed going to be laid off. We hope this isn't the case, but we can't trust that it won't be. So, we must rent so that we are not stuck trying to sell another house while Andy finds another job. And at this point, I think we have decided that we will just continue to rent. We really didn't want to. We wanted to buy a house, but we just can't trust this market (both housing & job) and the last year (yes, the house has been on the market for almost a yeat already) has not been good on our stress levels.

And to make matters worse, Andy had that accident which leaves him with a fractured radial head and more money to pay to the hospital & out of our pockets. We have decent insurance and after this episode we will have met his portion of the deductible, so everything beyond that is coverd 90%, but that means we still have to pay the rest of the deductible & 10% of the rest. As well, as he will have several visits (I am sure to a bone doctor) which we'll have 10% to pay. So much for getting a stimulus check. I guess we are supporting our local medical system with that.

How am I handling it? People say I am handling it well because I don't seem stressed to them, but inside I am bawling my head off and screaming. In the last couple of years I deveoped this eye twitch when I am stressed...just today that sucker has been twitching all over the place. I can't sleep for shit. I fall asleep for a few hours and them I get up every hour starting at 2:30am. I try to nap when Isabel does, but that doesn't help and is never long enough. And when I am trying to sleep, my body is so damn tight that I wake up with cramps all over the place and a stiff neck. I think that maybe I need to start drinking or using the pain meds Andy was prescribed but isn't really using.

I've been going to the Y & exercising or meeting up with friends and walking and just trying to stay busy & active, otherwise I fear I will go completly downhill.

And to make matters worse, our relator continues to be a POS and he told us our open house times would be 11-1 today, and we made out paid & free ads say that, but their website says that it is 1-4 today! What the hell!!!! I hate him.

Peacock at the Zoo Showing Off

The Lake is Thawing

Andy wanted me to take some pictures to show how the ice line is receding and things are thawing. Some of the trees have buds and most of the snow (except the big pile) is gone. We didn't get hit with the snow that apparently hit MN yesterday. Finally - one didn't hit us here.

We went to check out about 6 or 7 open houses this past weekend. Nothing that we HAD to have. And then we find out no one came to our open house, which break my spirit just a little bit more. At this point I am not sure how much spirit I have left. Although, yesterday a lead did come through of someone who is interested in the house. I don't hold my breath anymore.

Birthday Freebies

Here is what I got from businesses:
Pizza Ranch: $5 off (I used this.)
Timberlodge: $10 off (I used this.)
El Tequila (local restaurant): Free shot of Tequila (I passed.)
Cold Stone Creamery: Free Love It Size Creation (I might use this.)
Culver's: BOGO Sundae (didn't use)
Dairy Queen: BOGO Blizzard (didn't use)
Ponderosa: $5 off (didn't use)
O'Charley's: $5 off $20 (didn't use)
Aveda: Free Sample & Free Shipping Online (A bunch of other online retailers sent me coupons for free shipping as well, but I didn't post them because I wouldn't use them and deleted them)

What Have I Been Up To?

Well, it's been a while since I felt good enough, had the energy or time to do some stuff for me. I was so sick through most of my pregnancy and had awful food aversions and was so exhausted that I just stayed home sleeping on the couch most of the time I wasn't working. Then I had Isabel and she was so resistant to the bottle or being comforted by anything but my boob, that I just needed to be there for her all the time (when I wasn't at work -- she would take a bottle ONLY from the daycare lady). For the first year of her life, any free time was if I would run errands between work & picking her up. And then we moved and there was all sorts of new things to get used to, find, and people to meet.

Well, I am back in my groove. This fall I started taking a cycling class and a yoga class with another "mom" friend. It takes time to make friends and get to know people and feel comfortable hanging out with people. I feel now that I have made a pretty good base of friends and it feels good (finally!) It was hard to leave all my friends in MN and have to meet all new people.

Now I take a cycling, yoga, & group power (weight lifting w/cardio). I tried Zumba (see previous post) and will occasionally meet another "mom" friend to walk around the track. I went with some friends ( I should just say friends, because they are all "mom" friends, I know them all through our playgroup or through milwaukeemoms.com) to for drinks & to see a comedy show. Tomorrow is Ladies' Night Out. I actually decided to give the book club a try (meeting was this past Thursday) and I thought it was a good time and I didn't mind reading a book I normally would not have chosen.

It feels good to be something else than just Isabel's mommy. I love being Isabel's mommy and I will always be that (& most of my day, that is what I am,) but it feels good to be someones friend, a workout partner, someone to laugh with. To be Jessica.

Zumba

Well, I got home about an hour ago from taking this Zumba class. I have not danced that hard since college (undergrad)......so, 10 years ago already....yikes! About 10 minutes into the class I realized it was kicking my ass! I wasn't sure if I would make it through the entire class at that point and told myself I could leave after 30 or 45 minutes....but I am proud to say I made it through the entire hour long class. Although, I don't think I would have made it (very well) if I wasn't already working out and have lost weight. It takes a lot of work to move your body around. I was sweating like a pig through the entire thing. I drove home in a zombie like state and am tired. I think I will sleep good tonight.

The class is only offered one time a week and next week it conflicts with a wine-tasting for our club. I told one of my "mom" friends that I needed someone to go with me next week for me to probably make the better decision.

My Spirit is Crushed.....

So, our house is off the market. Not because it sold, but because our 6-month contract expired and so did the listing. We have not heard from the realtors (which is no surprise since they have been awful with communicating with us from the beginning.)

I just feel at a loss. Andy is trying to contact the realtors, but I haven't heard anything about that yet. His aunt had referred us to them since she works in the relocation department for Coldwell Banker, but apparently their office is closed today for President's Day. And he can call the relo company that is working with the company Andy works for and have them give us a referral.

BUT - we are here!!!! and a new realtor means new contracts to sign and that we probably need to go back and give them a tour of the house and tell them stuff about it. Although, I should still have all the documents I typed up on for the current/old (whatever they are now) realtors.

I just feel like we are being beaten down. I was feeling good this morning because I did lose weight this week after hitting a plateau last week. But those nice feelings have quickly gone away. I just want to curl in a ball and cry all afternoon. And to top it off, it keeps snowing here and we'll probably get enough that we have to pay the plow guy AGAIN. We are seriously going to end up in the poor house for how much we have to pay to have this place plowed. We have been in a perpetual snow globe all winter.

I kinda feel like saying F-it and go find a big bottle of my favorite wine & a huge cheesecake and totally over indulge. But working out and losing weight seems to be the only thing I have any control of anymore and I don't want to throw all that out the window. But there is really not much else I have any control over, which is really hard for me.

WW Stuff

Well, one of my new friends here has also decided to do WW and wanted some tips on breakfast. So I told & gave her some links to favorite recipes for breakfast foods. But I thought I would share that with all of you as well.

***************************************************************
We tend to eat the same weekly menu for breakfast, but some of that has to do with the classes we have, so they need to be quick to make.

Mon: Yogurt (Roundy's FF kind), Weight Watcher toast with fruit spread (I buy the bread at Brownberry), and fruit (often it's a orange, peach or berries, since they lower in points that some other fruit)
Tues: Some kind of homemade muffins & fruit
Wed: Eggs, toast & fruit spread, Turkey Bacon
Thurs: Homemade pancakes or Old Fashioned Oatmeal w/ berries or banana
Fri: Waffles (can't remember the name, as I throw out the box after I open it and put then in a freezer bag, anyways, that are flax ones in the frozen organic section @ PNS) & fruit

A couple of other things to note is that I usually use Smart Balance Light and I have Sugar free syrup. Andy & Isabel use butter & light syrup and other whole grain bread. I use egg beaters for my eggs and A&I have whole eggs. I also top my eggs with hot sauce or salsa to give them more flavor & kick, although I have always done that regardless. And OF oatmeal has more fiber than quick cooking or instant, so I always use that. It only take 5 minutes to cook after it starts boiling. I usually make 1.5 servings for each Andy & I (& Isabel has a little out of it). And I add some frozen berries the last 2 minutes it cooks. I put Splenda in the water while it boils to help sweeten it.

Weekends I usually make homemade breads and pair it with some eggs and/or fruit or pancakes or crepes. I also bake primarily with whole wheat flour because it has a higher fiber content, which helps lower the points, plus I like whole wheat flour.

Often I will drink peppermint tea if I am feeling hungry. The water will fill me up and peppermint helps curb your appetite.

Here are some of my favorite breakfast recipes:
** 100% Whole Grain Pancakes: http://weightwatchen.com/2007/06/ronis-whole-grain-pancakes-v02.html
** 100% Whole Wheat Banana Muffins: http://weightwatchen.com/2007/06/ronis-whole-grain-pancakes-v02.html These 2 recipes are from the same site, I still need to try other recipes from her site as I love both of these.
** Moist Pumpkin Bran Muffins http://greenlitebites.com/2007/11/21/moist-pumpkin-bran-muffins/ This site takes a while to load
** Low Fat Crepes http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/breakfastandlunch/r/crepes.htm


And here is a fabulous slow cooker oatmeal recipe:

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (Make Overnight)

I found this recipe, then altered it when I was doing WW so that it was even more friendly on the waistline.

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Makes 2 servings
2 WW points per serving

* 2.5 C water
* 2.5 tsp powdered creamer
* 1/4 C Splenda
* 1 tsp molasses
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 1 1/4 C old-fashioned oats
* 1 C peeled, chopped apple
* 1/8 C raisins

***DIRECTIONS***
Spray the inside of a 3-4 qt. slow cooker. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and mix well. Cover and turn cooker to "low" setting. Cook overnight or for about 8 hours. Stir well before serving. Tastes great topped with a little whipped topping.
>>NOTE>> If your slow cooker is larger than 3-4 qts, double this recipe. Size matters with this recipe. The ingredients should fill the cooker at least halfway, but no more than 2/3.

All the recipes are so yummy that Andy likes them even when I am not on weight watchers.

Hopefully some of these are helpful. I also keep veggie dip that I made with a mix & FF sour cream in the fridge & chopped up veggies. Isabel & I tend to eat veggies & dip as a snack in the afternoon after her nap.

*****************************************************************
A couple of other things......I was a little bummed because I had only a -.3 weight loss this week. Bah! But we have weeks like that. I should just be happy that I didn't gain.

Allison - did you get my email with links to those recipes. I sent it the day after (I think) that you posted asking for them. Let me know. I just wanted to make sure it didn't end up in your junk mail.

WW Update #3

Well, here are the losses in total through today:

Weight: -11.5 pounds
Chest: -1.5 inches
Waist: -.5 inches
Hips: -.25 inches

I was surprised at the loss in my chest. I don't think it is my boobs too much. I think it is back fat that is going away. Woohoo! And I was very happy to see my waist go down. My waist is really where I was seeing it as a trouble spot and making me have to wear a larger size. For the first time in my life I was living with an apple shape and I am trying to get back to that healthier pear shape.

So, I am happy at how things are turning out so far. I started WW at the first of the year, so it has been a month now.

A Dollar For A Dream

No hopeful leads on the house yet. I try not think think about it because it can really be an emotional roller coaster.....one day someone wants a tour and I get excited and hope that it is it.....then it turns out to be a dead lead and I get all sad and think we have to move back (Andy looking for a job was very stressful on all of us and I don't look forward to that happening again) and then I go buy a lottery ticket and hope I win (even a small lottery) so that we can afford a down payment on a new house and 2 mortgages until the MN house sells.....but then I don't win and I forget about it all again until we get that next call.....

Sometimes I get too many people asking me about the house and I get really stressed and go buy a lottery ticket. I only buy one and it's only $1, but it at least picks me up a little bit so I can day dream for another day or two about being able to move on & out......and the low after losing the lottery isn't nearly as bad because after a couple days of holding onto that ticket I forget about it until I come across it in my purse.....and then check the numbers and I am usually lucky if I even match one.....and then I throw it in the recycling and it's done....

Some people need crack for their pick me up......I just need to dream a little bit, and buying that $1 lottery ticket allows me lots of dreams for that dollar.....I know I'll never win, but the dream helps.....really, I've spent less than $20 on lottery tickets since we listed the house 8 months ago....depressing....eight months on the market.....It will have been on the market for a year if we move back.....It just twists my stomach all up.....

It's a great house and I really loved it, but it's time to move on -- just seems like the house won't let go of us....

Anyways, I think I need to bundle up the kid now and go buy a lottery ticket....although I don't get to dream very long since the Powerball drawing is tonight....bah! Maybe I'll just uncork some wine and read a sad book and keep the low going until I can buy one tomorrow and then my dollar will buy a few days of dreams rather than a few hours.

**Note: This was originally an email to my dear friend Kendra, but I thought it summed things up well for people and thought I should post it

WW Update #2

Well, Monday is my weigh-in day and I am down another 1 1/2 pounds. Woohoo!

Some new recipes I am going to try this week are:
* Crockpot Ham, Corn & Potatoes
* Chickpeas & Pasta
* WW Pumpkin Muffins
* Blueberry Squares (dessert)
* Sweet Puffy Omelet
* Honeyloaf

I found a recipe for WW pancakes & WW banana muffins that I really like, as well as a recipe for Crockpot Peking Pork (Isabel & I just ate the leftovers for lunch).

I went to Spinning class today, but I am tired because the class felt REALLY hard today. Maybe it was really hard, but I think I was tired anyways.

WW Recipes

So, I am finding all sorts of new recipes to make. I bought a Weight Watchers Cookbook (although not the newest one.) I do have a couple other WW cookbooks, but they are back in our MN home.

So, some of the new recipes I have tried are:
* Meatloaf (online, uses beans for half the hamburger, needs tweaking but is a good recipe)
* Veggie Lasagna (online, need longer cooking than recipe called for to throughly cook & soften veggies, but otherwise a very good recipe)
* Fish Chowder (p.89, I like this, Andy thought it was only ok but he doesn't care for fish much)
* Chicken w/ Apples & Cider (p.147, Andy said to make this even when not on WW. It tastes very German. Excellent recipe!)
* Black Beans & Rice (p.292, I made it too spicy for Andy & Isabel, but that is my fault not the recipe)
* Raspberry Scones (on my food blog, quick, easy & light)

Some recipes still to make this week are:
* Mahi-mahi w/ lime & cilatro (online recipe)
* Mushroom hamburger (p.194)
* Crepes w/ fruit sauce (I made these last time on WW and these are Excellent!)
* Cranberry Bread
* Blueberry Cobbler (online, but modified to be more WW friendly)

If you want the recipe, let me know.

Deer in the Yard

I took this before it got really warm. The quality is not the best, but it was cool to see the deer eating the bushes in the yard. It was twilight, so it was hard to figure out what I needed to do with my camera to make it turn out decent, plus the deer were kinda far away.