GOOD-BYE 2009!

It is with great excitement that I type this blog...This time tomorrow I'll be waking up in a new year. A new decade. The last 10 years have been filled with so many ups and downs. Immense joys and deep, heartbreaking sorrows. This past year has been especially trying, and I am over-joyed to see it drift off into the sunset. Instead of dwelling on the past, I'd like to focus on the future. I've set many goals for my self [and Ryan, even though he doesn't know it yet] and I hope that at least half of them will happen. But, that's another blog post.

Happy New Year to you all! See ya in 2010!!! :D

Christmas, through pictures

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve and I am overwhelmed with the miracles of Christmas. It's been a rough year for us, but as I sit here and type this, I feel optimistic anyway.

For me, Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I love shopping for just the right gift for all of my loved ones, I love seeing everything decorated, I LOVE the treats and eats, and I love how *most* people are filled with cheer and good-will. I love getting Christmas cards, especially those with pictures. I love Christmas music, and how certain songs make me cry every time I listen to them. I love the days off work! But, it's not really about all of that. Regardless of your religious views, Christmas is about family. [In MY family, it's also about Baby Jesus. Ü]

So, I leave you with this, as I think Linus Van Pelt says it best:
"Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. 'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"


Merry Christmas!! Love to you all!!

Boring

That's what we are. Boring.

I haven't updated my blog in two weeks because, frankly, we have nothing to report. But to keep up appearances, here is a quick update.

I have been at my new job for one month now. Things are going well! I still dream of going back to school and dream the same for Ryan [even more], but I am so very grateful for this job and the people I work with! Ryan is still doing contract work, but is hoping to find something more permanent and stable after the holidays. We also plan to move at the first of the year, and it will be great to get all of our stuff out of storage!

And, honestly, that is about it. We wake up, work, come home, eat, sleep, occasionally see our friends - rinse, lather, repeat!

See. Told ya. Boring. :)

Winter

It's officially upon us!!

I love Winter. Really, I do. I LOVE the cold weather, and the cold weather clothing. Sweaters, coats and scarves are pretty much my favorite things. Oh, and the hot cocoa! Who could forget the hot cocoa?! I anxiously await fall/winter during spring and summer, and mourn the loss when May rolls around. My entire life, or at least as long as I can remember, I've said "I'm not meant for Texas". I loathe anything over 85*.

That being said, when you DO live in Texas and winter hits, expect the unexpected. It snowed this morning. Maybe snow is an exaggeration. It flurried for about an hour, maybe two. Nothing stuck to the roads, yet people can't figure out how the drive in the stuff. Here's a hint - its the same as driving in the rain. Just drive, slightly slower and further away from the car in front of you. It's not ice. [For the record, I HATE driving in ice.] Also, I don't think my lovely Jetta has figured me out yet. I don't like the heat on full blast in my car. When I leave the house, I'm dressed appropriately for the cold, therefore, I don't need uber-heat. However, the windshield and windows in my car fog up like no other. I had to drive to work with the heat/defrost setting on full blast the whole ride just to keep a patch the size of my head clear. By the time I arrived at my office, I was actually sweating. Not cool Jetta. Not cool.

New Job

Well, last week was my first week at my new job. I am now working for a food brokering company. It's a tedious, time consuming job, but I actually think I'll like it once I get used to it. [Its a LOT of paperwork.] But almost more important than the work, I love the people I work with. One of them is one of my best friends, Kim, who I've known since I was, like, 12. In fact, I owe her, BIG TIME, because she sent me the lead for this job! Anyway, everyone is super nice, and its a really laid back, fun work environment. So, just in time for Thanksgiving, I am SO thankful for this job. :)

Rest in Peace Josh

Joshua Abide
May 9, 1989-November 15, 2009

Josh passed away over night. I'm lacking for the words right now. Please keep his parents, John & Debbie, and his brother, Hunter, in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve the loss of this wonderful young man. *The service is Wednesday. Please say an extra prayer for his family on this difficult day.

Prayers for Josh

I just realized that I had used every mode of communication except for my blog to ask for prayers for my 20 year old second cousin, Josh. He was involved in a terrible car accident last weekend, and is clinging to life. Please keep him in your prayers, so that he may make a full recovery. Thank you.

If you'd like to be updated on his progress, click here.

My 1st Anniversary Weekend!

As most of you know, Ryan & I celebrated our first wedding anniversary this weekend, and it was a WONDERFUL weekend!! Here's the recap:

Starting Friday, Ryan told me "don't plan anything". I knew that meant he was. My mind immediately started going in a million directions. So, I asked him later what kind of outfit I needed. He told me jeans, nice shirt and nice shoes. Ok. Cool. Then, several hours later he also tells me I'm going to need comfy clothes. What? Now I'm thrown. Now, sometimes Ryan does this. When he's planning a surprise for me he likes to throw me off. Like, when we got engaged he was down right MEAN to me the whole week before he popped the question because he didn't want any part of me to suspect he was days away from asking me to be his wife.

Moving on to Saturday, I babysat for Holly's 3 boys and Shauna's son from 6:30am until around noon while they went to a BurbMom event at Texas Motor Speedway. So, I headed home and Ryan was here waiting, with my gift. [Luckily,I had his too.] We decide to open presents then. Wow, did my husband out-do himself! He got me the most beautiful necklace!!!! Here is a blurry picture...

So then, Ryan tells me I need to pack a bag. I am super excited at this point. He won't tell me anything more than that. So, I hurriedly pack a bag and pretty myself up and we head out. He then tells me that my generous in-laws have booked us a room at the Renaissance Hotel in Dallas!! And that he is taking me to Gloria's [one of my all time favorite restaurants] for dinner! The hotel was BEAUTIFUL!!!! Dinner was DELICIOUS! And after dinner he took me to my new favorite place, Eatzi's, to grab some dessert. We got champagne and 3 mini desserts, Pots de Creme, cheesecake and cannoli, to take back to the hotel.


[By the way, that's Ryan's new watch, his anniversary gift from me, on the table!]
It was an amazing night, and the cherry on top was the amazing view we had of Dallas from our room. This picture is blurry too...

And just for fun, a trip down wedding memory lane...a few of my favorite wedding pictures!
[click to enlarge]

It's time to CELEBRATE!!

'Cause I GOT A JOB!!!!! :)

I am so very excited to start my new job at Lakeland Marketing! I will be a CSR, but not in the usual sense of the word. I will pretty much handle everything except for sales for our accounts! One of my best friends, Kim, has worked there for several years and really loves it, so I am excited to jump right in! I'll post more details as I get them, but really I just want to thank all of you for your continued prayers, support and love through all of this! Now it's Ryan's turn so that we can get our life back!! ;)

Overdue

I've done it again. Gone too long without a post. I am overdue! Partially because I have been battling a nasty cold for the past week, so there was nothing much to report.

My Mom is home from the hospital and doing much better. She goes back to work part-time starting this afternoon!

We will be house/dog sitting for one of our best friend's [Jennye & Gavin] next week, which will be fun and then house/teenager sitting for my step-brother the week after while my Dad & Donna are out of town. I think we are going to take Chloe with us, assuming she can tolerate the pups!

Other than that, we are just keeping up the search for full-time jobs. We are looking forward to a fun weekend with friends and good music, and then our 1st wedding anniversary next weekend!

xoxo

What a Weekend!

This was an awesome weekend! It was jam-packed with old friends from out of town, parties and "the State Fair"! Here is a recap in picture form:

Saturday we went to an awesome Halloween party with our group of close friends. This is the only picture I have so far, so I will post more as they come!
Obviously, we were the Chapman's - Bounty Hunters extraordinaire! (click on the picture to make it larger)

Sunday we loaded in our cars and headed to the State Fair of Texas...or so we thought. We left at 1:30pm. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic until almost 4:30pm, only to reach the gates and find they were full and no one else could get in. We were directed back to the end of the line [which was about 2 hours of waiting] and decided to turn around and head home. We decided to have our OWN fair, aptly named the State Fair of AWESOMENESS featuring the Fried Food Wonderland!

Jennye & Gavin, still optimistic at this point

Kim & Jason and Brittany were in the car behind us. Note all the traffic.
Soon after we headed home.

Homemade corn dogs!! They were SO GOOD!

Fried pickles and jalapeno poppers!

Kim & Jason enjoying the fried goodness

Gavin and his corn dog

Ryan, taking a break from the fryer

My personal favorite of the night! PB & J fried in funnel cake batter!

The plate of fried PB & J

Another fav! Fried s'mores!

And of course, what fair is complete without caramel apples?!

It was such a fun day, with great friends. :)

Update on my Mom

She is slowly improving, thankfully. They may let her come home Monday is she continues improving. She has to be off oxygen completely before they will release her and right now she can't go more than 30 minutes without it. Thanks to all who have prayed and thought of her over the past week!!

Beef Stronganoff

I am Swedish. 1/4 Swedish, to be exact, from my Dad's Mom. Generally speaking, my Gram's Swedish recipes were a little over my head, but I loved what I can remember of them - although my Dad will tell you his Mom cooked with too much sour cream [stereotypical for Swedish recipes]. One of my favorites was always Beef Stroganoff. So, I attempted it...and it turned out well! My Gram passed away in 1994, when I was only in 4th grade, so I never got the chance to "learn the ways" with her but I think she'd be proud of this dish. After posting a few pictures on Facebook, I was flooded with messages asking for the recipe. Well, here you go!

Rachel's Beef Stroganoff
[I can call it that because I tweaked it and added my own touch]

*6 cloves garlic; 4 roughly chopped, 2 [keep them separate]
*Kosher/sea salt and black pepper
*EVOO
*1 T Rosemary
*1 T Thyme
*1 t oregano
*1 t basil
*1-1 1/2 lbs skirt steak
*1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
*1/2 c shallots
*1/4 c cognac or cooking sherry
*2 c heavy whipping cream [hey, I never said this was low-fat!]
*1 T dijon mustard
*1/2 c sour cream [Just for you Gram!]
*1 12oz bag of egg noodles
*4 T butter
*Parmesan cheese, to taste
*2 T green onions, garnish, optional

FIRST: Place the chopped garlic, salt and pepper into a bowl. Add enough EVOO to create a "paste" to cover the meat. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil and stir well. [I also added a few shakes of red pepper flake.] Coat skirt steak with the mixture and bake at 300* F until cooked through. [We like our meat very tender so after it was cooked through, we chopped ours and placed it in some boiling beef broth until the rest of the meal was ready. Drain before eating.]

ONCE the meat is done/in the beef broth: Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add apprx. a 3-4 count of EVOO. Add mushrooms and cook until brown. Add shallots and minced garlic and combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until garlic and shallots become fragrant. Remove pan from the heat and deglaze with cognac/sherry. Return to heat and slowly add the cream, while whisking. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by about half, whisking occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in dijon mustard and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook egg noodles according to package. Drain when done [cooked fully, NOT al dente] and toss with butter.



Serving is up to you. You can mix the drained beef into the sauce and then mix it into the noodles, or you can place the noodles on your plate, then top with sauce, then top with beef. Either way, sprinkle Parmesan on top just before serving...and enjoy!

Prayers please

Most of you know, but for those who don't; My Mom was hospitalized Friday for complications with pneumonia. She seemed to improve Saturday then took a nose dive yesterday. Her right lung is where the pneumonia originated but it has now started to develop in her left as well. On top of that, her white count is very low, which is preventing her from fighting the pneumonia. They have her in isolation right now and have specialists coming in to try to figure out what is happening. Its been very scary and we would appreciate all the prayers and good thoughts we can get. Thank you.

I cannot wait....

For NEW MOON!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsTPWWZGYSI

Back on the WW Wagon

I fell off the wagon...back in July. Oops. You know, eating like crap is a hard habit to break. I did great May-July, then my birthday came. Then I lost my job. Then Ryan lost his. I'll be honest, I started eating emotionally again. After being around all my skinny in-laws all weekend in St. Louis, I realized just how far off the wagon I had actually fallen. I'm not back to my original starting weight, but I've definitely put some pounds back on. So, today I am back on Weight Watchers. Wish me luck...!

xoxo

Frankie @ Bill's Records & Tapes!

Frankie will be playing @ Bill's Records & Tapes in Dallas on October 3rd @ 4:45pm.


If anyone is in the area that afternoon, come support Frankie Wylie Music!!

Weekend Update!

Yes, I know how long its been since I last blogged. I am been feeling less than inspired so, I just haven't done it. But, its been a great weekend, so I thought I'd update.

I am still loving BurbMom, and have been doing pretty well with it, I think. Ryan is still searching for a new job everyday. Its tough out there. He is bored at home, so if any of you need any work done on your homes, cars, electronics...he's your man! ;)

Back to this weekend. Friday night was the CD Release for my favorite local band, Oso Closo. If were are very close, you've heard me talk about them. My good friend, Daniel Garcia, plays guitar in the band, which is why I first came to see them play. Now, I am hooked because they are just so good. Anyway, the lovely Mandy meet us there and it was so awesome to share the music with her! For fun, here is a pic of us there!



Saturday, Ryan & I went spent the day in the pool with our friends Brittany, Gavin & Jennye and Kim. It was so much fun! The boys grilled while the girls gabbed. Then we played some Catchphrase. I had no idea I was so competitive! ;) I'll post some pictures soon.

xoxo

In Loving Memory of my Gramp

Last night, my sweet Gramp passed away peacefully holding my Dad's hand. I am so glad he is now at peace and no longer suffering, but selfishly I will miss him so much. Everyone mourns their grandparents passing, just as I have with my Gram, Granddaddy & Grandmommy when they passed, but Gramp and I had an extremely close and special relationship. I was "his girl", as he often called me and the note he wrote in my birthday card in July summed it all up, but that is a sentiment I will keep to myself. For now.

Although I knew this was coming and although I am still terribly sad, I am still trying my hardest to celebrate his life. Because he lived a really good life. And I find peace knowing Gramp is back with his beloved wife, my Gram.



Jack F. Silverman
8/26/1920-8/21/2009

Bad Blogger...

That was me, scolding myself for being such a bad blogger! You'd think being home so much, I'd be a bloggin' fool, but alas. So, time for a quick update. I am really enjoying working with Burb Mom although, I had a slow week this past week. BUT-today I have two phone meetings, going with Shauna [my awesome boss] to a meeting tomorrow to learn the finalization procedures, then another phone meeting on Tuesday of next week. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Also, in case anyone hasn't heard yet-which is unlikely-Ryan was laid off on Monday. It was quite a blow. They laid off 95%[!!!!!!] of the company. I'm afraid the future looks grim for them. So, now we have some BIG life decisions to make.

So, that's where we are and what we've been up to. I'll try to better at updating. :)

xoxo

Do Something You Love

After I lost my job in July, people kept telling me to "find something you love, and do it". Well, the concept is great, but the execution is tough in the job market today. But, I was determined. I knew it was a risk, but I just didn't want to take the first "dead end job" that came along. Been there, done that. So, I started to make a list of the things that I love and that are important to me.
Children, Music, Family, Being a Mommy and Wife [even though I'm not a Mommy yet, its still important to me] and having some flexibility at work were at the top of the list.

Enter the amazing Shauna with BurbMom. If you read my last post, you know a little bit about the site. I have joined the team to work Sales and Marketing, mostly to help them sell more ad space to local businesses. I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting the other two founders/owners, but if they are friends of Shauna, they must be great. Anyway, I do this job out of my home [although Shauna's home is the HQ] and then of course I will go to places of business as well. I think its going to be an amazing ride, and I am so excited to be involved with this wonderful site that meets so many of my "do something you love" needs.

Of course, paying the bills is important too, so as I build up a client base and start selling some ad deals for BurbMom, my cousin has hired me on with some temporary work [also mostly from home] and I am working a few hours a week at Rock Pointe Church providing childcare.


For your enjoyment [or laughter] here I am working from home...yes that is a blue tooth in my ear. I love it. Get off me. ;)

xoxo

burbmom.net

I worked at Rock Pointe Church again this morning. Last Wednesday, I was in the nursery with the babies. Today, I was in a classroom with 6 & 7 year-olds! [Quite a different bunch, to say the least!] But the teacher, Shauna, was so much fun. As we were chatting while the kids were playing on the playground, she mentioned a website she started/runs. It's called BurbMom. I poked around when I got home, and it is a really neat site! Essentially, it is full of reviews from Moms in the area as well as advertisements from local businesses that BurbMom gives their 'seal of approval'.

Since Ryan & I are rapidly approaching the time in our lives when we are growing more and more ready to start a family, I love sites like these. So, for all of you who are already Moms - check it out!!

LONG Overdue Update

Its been weeks since my last blog. I don't have much to update...still looking for a job, Ryan is still out of town every Monday-Friday, Gramp is still slowly declining. BUT we have found an apartment that we both love so that when I DO get a job, we can move back in to our own place soon after. [That was me trying to look on the bright side. ;) ] I'll update again when I have more to update about!

Unemployed & Time With Gramp

Yup. I'm unemployed. Its a long story, but its probably for the better.

This new unemployment has opened up my days to spend time at the hospital with my Gramp. He has taken another turn for the worse, so I am grateful for the time I am now able to spend helping him and being with him.

More later...

Quick WW Update!

I try to only give Weight Watchers updates when something big [or yummy] happens so I'm not constantly talking about weight. Well, today is one of those days. I stepped on the scale this morning with dread after a weekend of eating "Fourth of July" foods. I didn't regret a thing I ate but just knew it was going to screw up my weigh in. Well...IT DIDN'T! As of today, I have lost 20 pounds since the beginning of May!!! I am so excited and proud of myself. I still have a long way to go [thanks to the stubborn fat below my waist] but I am making progress, which keeps me going. My "20 lbs reward" was a Big Mac, but instead, Ryan & I are going to Macaroni Grill on Saturday. :) What I am REALLY looking forward is my "25 lbs reward", which is getting my nails done for the first time since the wedding.

THANK YOU to everyone who has been encouraging and supportive. I love you all!! xoxo

Weekend Wrap-up!

We had a great weekend, but it flew by. I felt a bit better on Friday so we went to Ryan's office to watch the Kaboom Town airplane show and fireworks. I must have lost 5 lbs in sweat at the very least [though I probably gained that much eating this weekend], but I think it helped me sweat out whatever was left from that virus [still hoping it was just a virus]. Frankie came with us and we all had a good time. We brought our mini grill and a cooler and just enjoyed the night. Here is a pic of Ryan & Frankie. I LOVE that they are buds. :)



Saturday, Frankie & I woke up early and drove out to Allen to visit our Grandpa in the rehabilitation hospital. He was doing okay. He looked better, he had color in his face, but his attitude is just not very good. He doesn't like doing the physical therapy and eating all the food they want him to eat so he can get stronger. BUT, he was very happy to see us. As we always do, we thanked him for his service in the Army during WWII to which he humbly replied "It was my job". After that, we stopped by my Dad's for a few minutes. Then, we came home and Ryan & I went to his parents house to visit for a few hours, then to my good friend Kim's birthday party. We came home around dinner time to watch the Macy's and Capital's 4th specials.

Sunday, I really wanted to just relax all day, but we ended up running errands 1/2 the day and relaxing 1/2 the day. It just went by TOO FAST!! But, the good news is - RYAN IS IN TOWN THIS WEEK!!! I hardly know what to do with myself! Its going to be nice having him home, before he goes out of town again next week.

Just for fun...

Just for fun, here are a couple of pics of Ryan & I before UP! No, we are not wearing sunglasses inside. Those are the rad 3D glasses. :)

Ryan looks way cooler than I do.

Happy 4th everyone!! xoxo

Sheesh!

I've been so bad about updating my blog lately! Part of it is because not much is going on right now. Ryan is out of town, but that's old news. I had a good weekend though. Friday night Frankie & I went to see the band Oso Closo play. It was really nice spending time with just my brother. Saturday Ryan & I spent some much needed time together. We went a saw UP in 3D. It was a great movie. Sad at parts, but the message was great.

I haven't felt great this week. I have such a sore throat and I am just keeping my fingers crossed its just allergy. We have a fun weekend ahead and I don't want to miss it because I'm sick!

And seriously, that's about it.

Yummy Soup!

As promised, the soup recipe:

1lb ground beef [ground turkey will work too. Brown and pour off excess grease]
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans [sometimes I leave this out]
1 can stewed tomatoes [I usually run through the blender]
1 can green beans
1-2 cups frozen Lima beans
1-2 cups frozen peas
1 large chopped onion [saute before adding to mixture. can cook them with the meat if you want]
2 carrots sliced into bite size pieces [I cut them pretty small]
3 cups diced potato
1 small can tomato sauce [we accidentally used tomato SOUP this time but really liked it]
3 beef bouillon cubes [dissolve these in 2 cups of water then add]
1 T Mrs. Dash seasoning
Garlic powder [to taste]
A dash of basil [I use dry for this]

Use all the liquid from the canned veggies. Add or subtract any veggies your family likes/dislikes. Add more water if you want it "soupier". Simmer for about an hour on medium heat. I usually taste after it cooks a while and adjust seasoning.

This makes approx. 8-12 servings depending on the amount of liquid. For the 12 serving calculation its only 2 WW points per serving! I ate this for lunch today...SO yummy and SO filling. Enjoy!!

One day late Wrap-up

I meant to do an entry yesterday, but kept getting busy. This weekend was crazy. Most of you probably already know that my Grandpa took a nasty fall and ended up in the hospital. It looked very bleak for a few days but he showed a slight improvement yesterday, so that must be a good sign! He was having a hard time eating so, instead of telling any of us, he just stopped eating. This was most likely one of the contributing factors as to why he lost his balance, fell and then was too weak to get to a phone for help right away. Luckily, my Dad called to check in, and when he didn't answer after several calls, sent his wife over [she had to break a window to get in!] and found him. Anyway, since he has a hard time swallowing, I made him some homemade soup and mashed potatoes, thinking those would be easy for him to eat until he re-gained some strength. He has 24 hour nursing care right now, and they said he LOVES what I made him. [I'll post the yummy soup recipe later.] I plan to go over to his home tomorrow to visit him. I love him so much, and he is my only grandparent left...and I'm just not ready to say good-bye yet, so we all keep telling him he simply HAS to get better.

In other news, I've lost 19 pounds since May 1st!! I am really excited about it, but I know I have to start working out to avoid the dreaded "weight loss plateau" I always hit [and then usually give up]. My goal is to lose 30 more pounds by Sept. 25. We will see... ;)

Ryan is out of town. Again. I bet you are all as sick of hearing this as I am of telling you. This has been a bit trying to our relationship recently. When he is gone Monday through Friday and we have separate stuff planned on the weekends, it leaves us both feeling a bit...neglected. So, we have vowed that after this weekend, we will bring back "date night" every Saturday night. No matter what, as long as he is traveling...which looks like it will be until at least August.

I hope everyone has a great week! xoxo

Oops...

I officially suck. I haven't blogged in over a week!! Oops!!! Work has been a nightmare and by the time I get home, I don't feel like sitting in front of a computer.

Not too much new around here anyway. Ryan is traveling. Again. And will be all week, every week from now until mid-July. [Insert a very sarcastic "Yay" here.] We ate like crap this weekend, so I only lost 1 lb. Shame on me. I know better.

Speaking of food...here are two more recipes I love and thought I'd share.

Cheesy Broiled Fish [This one is a crowd pleaser in my family]
2 lbs orange roughy [adjust for # of people you are serving]
2 T lemon juice
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c butter
3 T light mayo [I sometimes only use 2 T because I don't love an over-mayonnaisey taste]
2 small scallions, chopped

Broil the fish until almost completely cooked. Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients. Pull out and spread mixture on top, broil for 5 more minutes until melted. We usually serve this with one or two veggie side dishes. Enjoy!
This serves about 6 and is 7 WW points.

Rachel's Favorite Pancakes [Really this is our family's favorite pancakes. Growing up my Dad made these every Saturday morning. Frankie & I loved to help. Now we make them. They are also the only pancake Ryan likes.]
1 1/4 c flour
3 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 c milk
1 egg
3 T butter, melted

Sift together dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry with milk and egg. Slowly incorporate melted butter. Cook on a griddle between 350-375*. When the wet surface is covered with little bubbles, its time to flip! [A note, I start with 1 c milk and add the extra 1/4c in to the batter as needed. Ryan likes thin pancakes, so I use all 1 1/4c when he will be eating them.] I dare you to not fall in love with these!
This makes approximately 14 pancakes, depending on how big you make them. We use a ladle to measure the amount of batter that goes down. They are 2 WW points per pancake [without syrup]. I love them plain or I like to top mine with 1 T of reduced fat peanut butter if I don't want to use points on syrup. Mmmm...makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Recipes & Ryan

We had a really nice, low key weekend, so no need for a weekend wrap-up. Instead, I'll do a Ryan Wrap-up:

As most of you know, Ryan has a had a rough couple of weeks. It seems like we both keep getting slammed with stuff, but hopefully this is the last of it for a while. When we first started dating in 2002, Ryan had some stomach issues. The put him on meds, and it seemed to clear up. About 2 weeks ago, some of the symptoms started again. He was vomiting a lot, almost every day. I called his Gastroenterologist to get him an appointment, and his doc said, let's skip the visit and go straight to the tests. So, on Friday Ryan had an EGD [endoscopy] and stomach biopsy. Immediately, they found his hiatal hernias had returned, and that he may have gastritis. We will know about that by the end of the week. Hiatal hernias are very treatable, my Mom and I both have/had them. The doc also said he needs to drop some weight. Looks like we are in this together. ;)

That brings me to the recipes. I've had a handful of people ask me to post some of the recipes for healthy, and tasty, meals. Unfortunately, I don't have the calorie counts for these. Only the weight watcher points, but I assure you they are all healthy. I'll post two today, and more through out the week.

My Mom's Stir fry

This is one of my favorite meals.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 c broccoli, cut into pieces

1 c celery, chopped

1 c carrots, chopped

1 c snow peas

c baby corn

2 T corn starch

4 T low sodium soy sauce

4 T cooking sherry

2 t canola oil

We prepare this in a wok, or stir fry pan. Cook the chicken. Add in the veggies once chicken is done. Mix in the soy sauce, sherry and canola oil. Mix well and stir in corn starch. Let sauce thicken a bit. We serve this over plain white steamed rice. Serves about 6, and the stir fry itself is only 3 WW points.

Taco Ring

I've been making this for years, and I love it. My Mom requested it this week, so I'll be making it tonight. It's one of the highest points count foods I make, but it is so yummy and really satisfies my craving for comfort food.

2 packages of crescent rolls [I get the reduced fat kind]

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 can re-fried beans [can use black beans too]

1 c Mexican cheese [I use the WW Mexican cheese]

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c onion [optional. I do not use onion]

Salsa, black olives, avocado, and/or light sour cream as garnish.

Cook the ground beef. Mix in taco seasoning while cooking. Drain well. In a large bowl, mix beef, beans, garlic, cheese and onion. Mix very well. On a pizza pan, or round pan, lay out the crescent rolls so that the fattest part of the crescent is flat on the pan, connected all the way around so that it makes a circle. Scoop the mixture onto each crescent so that it also makes a connected circle. Fold the skinny part of the crescent over the mixture to "seal" it. Cook per directions on crescent package.

This serves 5-6 and is 8 WW points per serving. Below is a picture of the finished product.

Enjoy!

Weekend Wrap-up!

What a weekend! It went by much too fast, as so many do, but it was a good one.

Saturday - Ryan went to help his friend Tony fix his car, so that left me at home alone with my Mom. So, what does that mean, you ask? Why it means we watched Glee and Twilight, of course!! It was the 3rd time I'd seen the "series premiere/sneak peak" of Glee, but my Mom had not seen it yet. She felt the same why I did. [I cried the first time I watched. Okay, I cried the 3rd time too.] It just reminds me so much of my days in Shades of Blue, the show choir at Flower Mound HS. Those were some of the best days of my life. As for Twilight, I don't think my Mom or I should admit to how many times we've seen it. But, it never gets old. [And of course the New Moon trailer came out Sunday! Eeeeee....hurry up November 20!!] Ryan finally got home around 5:30 and we went to the grocery store.

Sunday - We went to church which was followed by the going away party for our beloved Pastor. He has been at our church for 9 years, and married Ryan & I. For those who are not familiar with the Methodist church, Pastors generally only serve at each church for 5-7 years. This is done primarily to teach us that the Pastor does not "make" the church...in other words like the old Bible song says; "The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple. The church is not a resting place, the church is the people". Nine years is an incredibly long time for a Pastor to be a one church, and we are so lucky he was able to stay as long as he was. It was an emotional day for many of us who have been at the church the whole time. And a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time came, so it was good catching up with some of them. After church, we came home, changed into our suits and headed to the pool for an hour or so. The water felt great and it felt really good to be in the sun. I'm so pale, I'm practically translucent so I will definitely be spending more time in the pool. Then we came home, made dinner and relaxed. It was a great day. Also, on Sunday, a wonderful thing happened for my Mom. She had interviewed to work for a doctor from our church about a month ago, and never heard anything. Well Sunday, the doctor came up to my Mom and offered her the job!! I am SO happy for her!!!

So, that brings us to today. The first thing I do on Monday mornings is weigh myself. I started WW exactly one month ago today. I lost 4lbs last week!! Which means, I've lost 13lbs in one month. I am ecstatic!! And it makes it SO much easier to stay motivated! I have a long way to go still, but every pound counts. I cannot really tell a difference when I look in the mirror. The difference right now is that I am able to wear clothes I hadn't fit into since the wedding. I said I wouldn't buy any new clothes until 20lbs, but there is the cutest dress at Old Navy I've been eyeing. I may have to change it to 15lbs... ;)

Catch-Up

I haven't blogged in over a week, but with good reason. Tuesday while heading home from work, I started really not feeling well. I ate very little dinner, and went to bed early, only to wake up a few hours later - sick. I won't share the graphic details but, it was violent. I ran a high fever all night and most of Wednesday. I was still sick Thursday. I planned to go back to work Friday, but I woke up Friday morning with excruciating pain in my left, lower abdomen. After an hour of back and forth, my Mom over-ruled me and said "We are going to the ER." Her first thought was appendix. [FYI - we learned the appendix is on the right side.] I spent upwards of 8 hours in the ER Friday. After blood tests, scans, ultrasounds the doctor came back in to inform us that I'd had an ovarian cyst burst and cause some bleeding in my abdomen. He said it was very likely that is what was making me so sick, but I could have also just had "bad timing" and had a stomach bug and the cyst burst at the same time. No way to know for sure. So, they pumped me full of as much morphine as I could handle, wrote me a prescription for more pain killers and sent me home. I had to take the pain killers the rest of Friday and all day Saturday. By Sunday the pain was gone but I still felt so drained. I sat outside in the sun for an hour or so, hoping that would help. Monday, at little better but still just no energy. Same story yesterday. Today, I am really starting to feel better. I know Ryan was really disappointed that our 3 day weekend we had been so looking forward to was spend mostly on the couch or in bed. But - at least its a short week!

In other news, WW is going well. I lost 5 lbs that first week then none the second. When they weighed me at the ER I'd lost 7 lbs [yes, SEVEN] last week, but my Mom and I decided it was because I didn't eat for 3 days. Once I started eating again, I gained 3 lbs practically over night, so my total loss for last week was 4 lbs. That's 9 lbs in 3 weeks. Not too shabby. I'm finding more and more I can eat and will start posting the good recipes/meals soon. Although, I have days where I think "Do I really want to be skinny?" because all I want to do is eat fast food and dessert. Dessert is the hardest to resist. Of course, the answer to that question is always "Yes." And really, its less about skinny and more about healthy. But, I'll take skinny too.

Was that on purpose?

As I was walking through my office building yesterday, texting while walking, a lady stopped me to tell me how cute it was that my iPhone matched my outfit and asked if I had a case to match every outfit. I looked down and to my dismay - I did match. Then, on my was out of the building to head home, another lady stopped me, pointed at my phone and then my clothing and asked "Was that on purpose?" Sigh. I must have looked like such a tool. So, I stepped into the restroom and snapped a picture, because I wanted to share my embarrassment with all of you.

I really like black and lime green together, so I guess I just need to keep my phone in my purse when I wear this again...

Not really a Weekend Wrap-up...

...cause we didn't really do much this weekend.

Oh Monday, why must you come so soon. I.am.tired. I didn't get enough sleep this weekend and Ryan & I both tossed and turned all night long last night. Then we had to get up WAY before the sun this morning so I could drop him off for yet another week long business trip. [He also worked Saturday and will work again this coming Saturday.] I miss my husband!!!

I dropped my Jetta off yesterday at the body shop to get the damage from being hit in the parking lot fixed. So, I am driving Ryan's Jeep all week. This has it's pros and cons. I really like his Jeep, but more as a passenger. It doesn't handle the same way the Jetta does so it always takes me a few days to get used to driving it - especially in heels. But it does have a much better sound system, it's faster and I like being higher up so, there is all of that.

I had a total weight loss fail this past week. As previously mentioned, on Weight Watchers, you have a set number of points every day plus "flex" points you can use if you go out to eat. Well, I used about 1/2 of my flex points and I didn't lose a single pound this week. Oops. Since Frankie's bday was Wednesday, we had cake. And I had a couple 1/2 pieces in the days after. Plus, I ate fast food several times. Its my own fault and I'm pissed at myself. I am going to a WW meeting tonight. And I am back in the right mindset and will be strict this week to make up for it. ::Shakes head in shame::

But - there is a light at the end of the tunnel...in the form of a 3 day weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANKIE!

Today, my baby brother turns 23. He has really come into his own over the past couple of years and has accomplished a lot in 2009.

In case you are one of the few that hasn't already had this shoved down your throat ;) check out his music here!! He wrote all the songs you will hear, except for Call Me When You Hit Chicago, which was written by a good friend of ours, Andrew Tinker. Frankie has a real knack for writing "storytelling songs". In fact the last track is appropriately named "Story Song".

Frank-Beau, I love you SO much. I don't think you really even know. You have been my best friend since May 13, 1986 and I cannot imagine how empty my life would be without you. This story has been told by my Mom a lot over the years, but it's very relevant today. I was 2 when my Mom told me I would be a big sister. From that moment, I prayed every.single.night that God would give me a little brother. I think most little girls want a sister - not me. I wanted a brother. And boy oh boy, did God bless me!! I could not have asked for a better brother than Franklin Wylie Silverman!