Menu Plan Monday - April 28, 2008

It's time for another edition of Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura. Here's this week's menu:

Monday: Tilapia filets with pesto
Tuesday: Chicken & Orange Salad
Wednesday:
Ranch Beef Stroganoff
Thursday: dinner out with kids
Friday: TBD

On The Run Again

Today I participated in the Crazy Legs Classic in Madison. Wow! The weather was quite brisk! I'd never run an 8K before, so I was having a little anxiety not to mention the fact that there were over 10,000 runners. Rich, Ian and Kyra also participated in the "walkers with accessories" category.

The results are in (thanks to the nifty little shoe timer thing-a-ma-bob). I finished with a time of 44:24 leaving me in 4598th place. In my age class, I was 183rd out of 673.

After the race, we walked back to the square and spent the rest of the afternoon with our good friends S, B & M. Now, however, my legs feel a little like warm Jello. I don't think I'll be working out tomorrow!

Thursday Thirteen - 4th Edition

Thirteen Things about Becca This week's theme is : 13 REALLY USEFUL KITCHEN TOOLS 1. Pampered Chef Ultimate Mandolin 2. Mushroom Xpress: it's great for strawberries too! 3. Apple Wedger 4. Burr Mill Coffee Grinder 5. Salad Chopper 6. Kohls 7. George Foreman Grill 8. Magnetic Knife Rack 9. Bamboo spoons: more durable than cheap wooden spoons and you can put them in the dishwasher! 10. Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Soap 11. Micro Cookers 12. Stoneware Medium Bar Pan: I have quite a few stoneware pieces, but this one gets the most use by far 13. Kitchenaid Stand Mixer Thanks for peeking!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Do As We Say and Not As We Do?

I truly believe my picky childhood eating habits are coming back to haunt me in my children. Ian is such an unbelievably picky eater. Last week, things came to a head and I vowed not to become a short order cook. In fact, he had to eat Friday's dinner for breakfast on Saturday morning.

Fast forward to dinner last night. I fixed stuffed peppers which were very yummy (or at least I thought so). Now, I knew that Ian would never touch them so I used a portion of the ground turkey and I made a pasta bake with the leftover marinara. Ian and Kyra loved it. What I didn't expect was Rich wrinkling up his nose at me! Well, at least he was a good boy and ate the "stuffing" but no dessert for him! (He has painful childhood memories of being forced to eat stuffed peppers that he neglected to relay to me).

I guess this recipe gets cut out of the meal rotation!

Menu Plan Monday - April 21, 2008

It's time for another edition of Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura. Here's this week's menu:

Monday: A1 Sirloin Burgers (Market Day)
Tuesday: Stuffed Peppers
Wednesday:
Citrus BBQ Chicken Breasts
Thursday: Scramblewiches
Friday: Crazy Legs weekend - TBD

I'll see your finger splint and raise you . . .

Last week, the bad year for our family's hands ran on when Rich broke his finger on the lazy river (yeah, I'm still not going to let him live that one down). But having met the family deductible for our insurance this year already, I couldn't let him one-up me.

Yesterday my thumb that I cut in my prior accident began to hurt in the afternoon. By the time Rich got home from his trip, it was swollen, red and hot to the touch. Rich passed me the walk-in clinic frequent flyer card and I was diagnosed with cellulitis and given some antibiotics but was also told to return if it got worse.

Fast-forward to this morning when I can barely lift my arm above my head. A return visit to the walk-in clinic ensued where I received an IV infusion of some stronger antibiotics, an IV catheter for my return trip to the walk-in clinic for another antibiotic infusion and an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon for Monday.

Now, I just have to make sure that Rich steers clear of all power tools so he doesn't try to outdo me on this one!

Slow Cooker Thursday - Crockpot Pizza

It's Slow Cooker Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. I haven't personally tried this one yet, but it sounds wonderful! I got it last week on our local Christian Family Radio.

CROCK POT PIZZA

1 package (16 ounces) wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions.

1½ pounds ground beef or turkey, browned with
¼ cup chopped onion

1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni, halved
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and Italian seasoning.

Drain noodles.

In a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray, spread a third of the meat sauce.
Cover with a third of the noodles and pepperoni.
Sprinkle with a third of the cheese.
Repeat layers twice.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until heated through and cheese is melted.

Yield: 6-8 servings

You can add anything you would like on pizza.

* A tip. . . The noodles will dry out on the top. Add a little spaghetti sauce to the top to keep the moisture in.

Thursday Thirteen - 3rd Edition

Thirteen Things about Becca After much pondering, this week's theme is : 13 FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP 1. Lifetime Moments: My favorite scrapbooking souce. A great selection of products and awesome customer service. 2. Gymboree: seriously, what little girl doesn't NEED an outfit with a matching turtle purse? 3. Amazon: it doesn't take much to hit the free shipping mark for me on this one! 4. Shoebuy.com: not only do they send out frequent coupon codes, but with free shipping and free returns, you really can't go wrong when you have freakishly large feet such as mine! 5. Target: whether in person or on the web, I love Target! Plus, when I shop on the web, that darn Dollar Stop doesn't snag me! (Once again, what little girl doesn't need a complete set of Curious George stationary items) 6. Kohls: Since the nearest Kohl's is 25+ minutes away, it's nice to be able to have things delivered directly to me. 7. Old Navy: cute things for the whole family! 8. New York & Co.: Let's admit it, I never shopped here prior to my being a loser because nothing in this store would have ever looked good on my old body. My how things have changed though! 9. Ebay: when you just HAVE to have something, you can usually find it. 10. Bath & Body Works - who cares if I will never use each and every bottle stowed away beneath my vanity - it smells sooooooooooo good! 11. Trader Joes - too bad the nearest one is over an hour away! Of course, when I plan my trips, I get to hit the Cheesecake Factory too! Bonus! 12. Tastefully Simple: I guess it's not really a store, but they have awesome products. Thankfully, I hae a consultant who carries an inventory and she usually has retired products that I love! 13. iTunes: I love being able to pick and choose my music! Thanks for peeking!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

A little sad today

I just found out that the husband of my friend T from back in Chicago lost his battle with cancer of the salivary gland last night. My heart breaks for T and her three children. D is home now even though it's hard for those left behind. Please keep the N family in your prayers.

A little more like herself

Kyra is doing a little bit better today though she is awfully congested still. At least the fever seems to be gone. We've switched from the "purple candy" ibuprofen tablets to the Triaminic quick-desolve strips although they don't disolve quickly enough for Ms. Kyra's taste! We've begun serious negotiations to get her to consume them. Thank the Lord for Ian's candy bowl (and it's never-ending variety).

Ick - AGAIN!

I don't know why it is, but Ms. Kyra seems to pick up every single last bug that is out there. She has this weird stuff/fever thing going on since yesterday morning. I'm trying to keep her in good humor with children's ibuprofen, but she has now decided taht the chewable grape tablets are now bad news as well. Heaven help us if she ever has to take any "real" bad tasting medicine. I did manage to get her lunchtime dose down by bribing her with strawberry Nerds. I'm just hoping this is over with soon.

I'm Just Going to Run to the Office

With Rich being gone all last week, I wasn't able to go into the office to get anything done so I thought I would go in today to catch up a litle bit. It was actually a very bright and sunny day today so after church, I called Rich and told him that after I got home, I was going to change clothes and run to the office. Of course, he didn't take me literally because when I changed into my running clothes he said, "oh, you are actually going to RUN to the office!"

Menu Plan Monday - April 14, 2008

It's time for another edition of Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura. This week we are returning slowly to "normal" (and by that I mean Rich will only be out of town for one night this week!)

Monday: Teriyaki chicken breasts
Tuesday: Inside-Out Cheeseburgers
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Casserole
Thursday: Dinner out w/the kids
Friday: TBA

Take THAT bad weather!

We woke up today to cold temperatures and blowing snow. What do you do when the calendar clearly says spring and the weather isn't following suit? Well, we headed to Blue Harbor Resort. Actually, Ian's scout pack had a family outing there planned for today but it was a great way to escape the nasty weather outside. I actually took quite a few pictures today - here are a few:



Ian spent most of the day in the pool with the floating and lily pads. It was fun to watch him "battle for position" to stay up on them.



Kyra's favorite by far was the small kiddie pool and slides. She got really good at going up and down all by herself.



And this fun picture - well, shortly after I took it, Kyra decided she had enough of the lazy river. In getting off the tube, Rich turned in a weird way and banged his finger on the bottom of the lazy river. Well, he ended up breaking his right middle finger. Once again, it has not been a good year for fingers in our house!

Come on a journey with me . . .

A year ago, I handed over my weight struggles to God. I was horribly overweight and out of shape - even what most doctors would consider "morbidly obese". I don't know where I thought the journey would end or if it ever will, but it sure has been a ride. Take a journey back with me:

After my first six-week cycle:

May 22, 2007

Another six weeks later:

June 30, 2007

End of third cycle:

August 30, 2007

End of fourth cycle:

October 8, 2007

End of fifth cycle:

November 19, 2007

People thought I was "the other woman" at Rich's company Christmas party:

December 8, 2007

Would the girl who began this journey in April ever have thought she could run and compete in a triathalon?

February 24, 2008

And here I am today (sorry it is a little blurry, Ian was my photographer):



And, just in case you are really curious about the numbers:

1. I have lost a total of 95 pounds to date (a 38.9% weight loss). That is more than the combined weight of my two children.

2. I went from a size 24 to a size 6.

3. In various areas of my body, I have lost an incredible total of 91 inches.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me. Just remember with God, anything is possible!

Menu Plan Monday - April 7, 2008

Here's this week's edition of Menu Plan Monday. Actually, as you will see, there's not much to my nmenu plan this week. We have quite a few leftovers in the fridge, plus Rich is going on another trip this week so I envision at least one night of "eating out" with the kids. NOt to fear though, I'll be back next week!

Monday: Rotisserie Chicken
Tuesday: Leftovers galore!
Wednesday: TBD
Thursday: TBD
Friday: TBD

What is that I see?

No matter what the temp, spring IS on the way!

Slow Cooker Thursday - E-Z BBQ Beef

It's Slow Cooker Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. This is one of my mom's recipes.

E-Z BBQ Beef

3 lb. roast
1 8 0z. can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped

Sauce
6 T Ketchup
6 T Brown Sugar
6 T Open Pit BBQ Sauce
6 T Worcestershire
4 T A-1 Sauce

Place roast in crock pot. Season with salt & pepper. Add all ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours, until tender. Slice and return to crock pot for 10 minutes before serving on soft rolls.

Thursday Thirteen - 2nd Edition

Thirteen Things about Becca After much pondering, this week's theme is : 13 FAVORITE WORKOUT SONGS 1. It's My Life - Bon Jovi: Since the moment I heard it, I've always considered this to be my theme song. I could honestly just put this song on repeat and run endlessly. 2. Shine - Newsboys: Besides it's obviously uplifting message, it probably has one of the best lines in music EVER (it'd make a vegetarian barbeque hamster) 3. How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty: just a great beat and is awesome for cycling! 4. Dive - Steven Curtis Chapman - this song makes it onto almost every one of my exercise play lists and is usually near the "end". It really helps me to dig deep and finish up. 5. How Bad Do You Want It? - Tim McGraw - the title pretty much says it all 6. The Coffee Song - Ralph Covert - you wouldn't think I would want children's music anywhere within my exercise playlist, but this song continually brings a smile to my face and is strangely fun to run to. 7. Me Lost Me Cookie At The Disco - Cookie Monster - do not knock it until you have listened to it. It takes me back to my childhood! 8. Greased Lightening - Grease Soundtrack - aaaaahhh, good old John Travolata before he went all "scientology" on us. 9. God With Us - Mercy Me - who wouldn't be inspired by this song? 10. Searching My Soul - Vonda Shepard - another song with a great beat and also brings back some good laughs thinking about Ally McBeal 11. Get the Party Started - Pink - a great song for lifting, sit-ups, etc. 12. Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue - can you tell my hairband roots are showing? 13. Bad Medicine - Bon Jovi - actually, almost any upbeat Bon Jovi song could fit in this spot. It was a hard choice between this and Born to Be My Baby. Thanks for peeking!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The time has come . . .

I must update my blog starting with a new name. I'm still "playing," but hope to have everything updated in the next couple of weeks. Please let me know if you have any comments.