Five Layer Bars - Dare to DIY Week 3!

Kim's next DIY Blog party dare this week is to Eat Cookies (or cake, bars or candy). While I am all about baking something pretty and not caring what it tastes like, this time the challenge fell right before Thanksgiving and I had to come up with desserts to bring to 2 locations. Ya know, desserts that taste good and won't be spit out into a napkin & crumbled up while I'm not looking. Well lucky me threw my back out this week so most of my time was spent on the couch. So under very careful instruction and examination by yours truly, John made these 5 Layer Bars, from a Paula Deen recipe. Does that mean I cheated? Woops.

They were soooo good though. Really rich and buttery and perfect.

Look at that marshmallowy goodness...

Five Layer Bar

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pecans - I subbed mini marshmallows because of the kiddie nut allergies
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

3. Sprinkle remaining ingredients of mix over crumb mixture.

4. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the layers. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Go check out the rest of the goodies at Kim's blog. I'd advise you not to do so while hungry. You'll regret it.

Pass the Vino

Signing off until next week folks. Right after Thanksgiving, we've got one of my best bud's wedding on Friday then hopefully the Christmas decorating fairy shows up at our house this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful, safe & cozy holiday!

Cheesy White Chicken Chili

Cheesy White Chicken Chili

This, my friends, was pretty tasty. Although, I'd use less chicken broth & less beans. It came out a little more soupy and less chili-y. Good nonetheless though as a soup or a chili. This is another good winter recipe but it's much different than a regular red bean chili. Oh and I was convinced I wouldn't be able to find "Great Northern beans" since I had never even heard of them but alas, there they were in my local bean aisle. Let me know if you try it!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes (depending on taste)
3 (16 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained & rinsed *Shannon says only use 2 cans*
6 cups chicken broth *Shannon says use 4 or 5 cups*
3 cups grated monterey jack cheese
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Heat oil in large heavy pot to med/high.
2. Add onions & saute until translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Add garlic, chiles, chicken, cumin, oregano, and hot pepper.
4. Saute 2 minutes.
5. Add beans and chicken broth.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours or more.
7. Add 1 cup of grated cheese.
8. Stir until thick and melted.
9. Season with salt & pepper. Top with cheese and/or sour cream.

Shirtless Teen Boys & Rehearsaling

My weekend started early. Way early. Midnight Thursday night early. We went and saw New Moon. No lines, a short wait, M&M's dropped inside butter popcorn and shirtless teenage boys made for a very pleasant evening indeed. My opinion of the movie is the same as everyone else's: 1) Much better than Twilight 2) Edward took a backseat to Jacob 3) Jasper looked like a hot mess. The End.

Friday night I drove downtown to a "Stationary and Sweets Soiree" at my friend Emily's. Emily lives in the most adorable apartment in Philly and I told her multiple times I was coming back with my camera so I can show all of you. I think I finally convinced her it wasn't weird. Anyway, her sister designs cutesy cards and stationary so there was a little sale going on as well as some chardonnay and a huge spread of sweets. I jumped for joy when my friend Tursi showed up and jumped even higher when she wanted to hang out afterwards. We went to Ray's Happy Birthday Bar (best bar name ever!) in South Philly and I had the best time hanging out with a Straight-Gay-Not Sure Crowd. Plus, I met a guy who had Edward Cullen hair. He kept running his hand through it, so I told him that he "loooooooves his vampire hair". Yeah, apparently he's heard it before. But then he tried convincing me he's had this hair forever and I quickly lost interest. Thanks for a fun little night out Tursi, you're the best.

Saturday brought the shortest visit ever with LizzieBeth & her fiance. She was dropping off a piece of furniture that she re-habbed for me. Pics to come, don't you worry.

Then came Saturday night...Katie & Andy's rehearsal dinner. We all met up in Lancaster at the church where Lisa and I contemplated all of the helpful brochures the catholic church has to offer. Wanna be a priest? I may have snagged a pamphlet for you. Anyway, rehearsal went relatively smoothly. Katie's uncle Father Larry is marrying them so he was running us through the whole thing, cracking us up the whole time. Then came the dinner, where Katie's future father-in-law called her a "looker". hehehe Loved it. I mean, she is obviously but it was just interesting to hear it come from him. I think we now all know where Andy's "line-stepper" sense of humor comes from. My tablemates had me cracking up the whole time & we all had a good time. Wedding countdown: 3 days!

Now can someone photoshop Matt's head out of this?

Turkey Day Buffet

This week over at the DIY Blog Party the theme is Dare to Entertain. Since we won't be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, or any year if I have my way, I decided to go a little bit of a different route. I decided to throw some things together on the buffet on the off chance that a large group of people would stop by and demand that I cook a turkey dinner for them. A group so large that it would necessitate a gun rack buffet-style dinner.

My main inspiration came from the adorable little wooden cubby I scored at the thrift store for 3 bucks. I thought it would look really cute overflowing with pinecones, as well as the napkins & silverware. So after spending the $3, everything else got pieced together from my stash. I stacked some chargers & plates atop an old piece of burlap, threw some glittery fruit around, then brought out the most important part of any family gathering...the booze.

So now I'm prepared for any unexpected, hungry mobs to show up at my door. In fact, I invite you all to show up at my door...but only if you're bringing me pie.

New Moon...with Action Figures

I interrupt your nice quiet Thursday afternoon to bring you yet another hysterical version of

New Moon

What's this Twilight I've Been Hearing So Much About?

Have you read them? If you've been living under a rock and haven't, or if you're too cool for school and scoff at the 3rd grade reading level of the books and haven't, then please read this toon. It will provide you a brief synopsis of the entire series. You can now join in on the Twilight conversations that you've been missing with the other grown women in your office. You can now walk into Hot Topic and get that I Love Boys That Glitter t-shirt you've been eyeing for the past year. No shame. NOOO Shame! Oh and this cartoon? It's also freakin hysterical.

Goin to see New Moon tonight! Goin to see New Moon tonight!

12:04 AM to be precise. Me, two of my buds & a large coffee to keep me awake. So in preparation for this night that we've been waiting for for months, I've re-watched Twilight and re-read the first two books. The first time I read New Moon, I was already enamoured with Edward Cullen by the time I got to it. Jacob didn't have a chance with me. When I realized that Edward wasn't even in half the book, the ol speed-reader in me took over and I flew through the book just to get to more Edward. So honestly, I didn't give it a fair shot. This time, however, I took my time. I actually gave Jacob a chance. And I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the book so much more. Now I've got a little soft spot in this black heart of mine for my favorite woof (inside joke) Jacob Black.

Me vs. The Scale

Weight Watchers Week 2 : Up .4 lbs...Point Four of a One freakin Pound

The Good: I’m only up .4 of a pound

The Bad: I didn’t lose .4 of a pound

The Ugly: I know exactly why I didn’t lose .4 of a pound. As usual, my work week was stellar. Oatmeal in the AM, fruit for a snack, turkey sandwich for lunch and healthy portions plus veggies for dinner. Then came the weekend…once again, as usual. We had a busy one. We did some shopping, which meant dinner at Panera. I did the Choose Two option with a turkey sandwich. It was the latter half of that Choose Two that did me in. Yeah, I “chose” French Onion Soup. Oh sweet sassy molassy, was it delicious. Salty and oniony with gobs of melty cheese and half-crunchy/half-soggy croutons. We also helped my brother at his new house with painting/moving, etc… And you know as well as I do that you pay people for their help in unhealthy food. In this case, my brother paid us in pizza. Oh and then there was those Mac n’ Cheese leftovers that were burning a hole in my fridge. Oy, a girl can’t win. It was one of those weekends where come Monday morning, you’re pretty much disgusted with your food choices. Hindsight is 20/20 they say.

Oh well, back on the healthy horse for now. Perhaps I can kick the workouts up a bit to combat that freakin POINT FOUR of a POUND. And since some of you have or have been thinking about doing WW, best of luck to you too. I promise to stop posting pictures of Mac n’ Cheese from here on out.

No, no, no THIS is the Cheesiest

I've had a hankering for some homemade macaroni and cheese lately. Mac n' Cheese is a "red light" food for me. That's Weight Watcher-speak for Stop, Hold it Right There, Do Not Stick Your Spoon Directly Into the Pot. I just love it so much. It satisfies my carb addiction as well as my almost daily need for liquid cheese. The thing is...I never eat it. I know that it's bad for me and that I'll eat the entire box of Velveeta shells and cheese, so I just don't do it.

Well now that my "stomach is smaller than it used to be" and I get fuller quicker, I decided to learn how to make the homemade stuff. I felt like I could be in control. And ya know what? I was. I'm great. I didn't eat the entire thing. But not for lack of deliciousness. This stuff was melty and cheesy with a slightly crunchy topping. Mmmm perfect...

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package macaroni
4 tablespoons butter - I cut out a tablespoon, I wasn't feeling so Paula Deen
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream - I used Half and Half b/c the thought of heavy cream makes me gag
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups good quality shredded cheddar cheese - I used Trader Joe's White Wisconsin Chedda, although next time I might get crazy and add in some Asiago for fun
1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbs - I'm a fan of the Panko ones

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside. I've mastered this step.
3. In a large saucepan melt butter.
4. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended. This, my friends, is called a roux...I'm so fancy!
5. Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
6. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
7. Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes. This step is super annoying but worth it.
8. Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
9. Turn off flame.
10. Add macaroni to the saucepan. Resist urge to eat the entire pot now.
11. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
12. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
13. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Shannon and Built-Ins Sitting in a Tree

It's just a crush. Nothing to worry about. Definitely not a serious obsession. Nooo, not one of those. Just a harmless affinity for built-in shelves. Ok, I admit, I love them. I wish I had them. Because if I had them, besides loving and squeezing and calling them my friend, I'd make them feel so special and pretty and loved.

Me and built-ins had a date this weekend. Now, they're not my built-ins, they're my brother's. He just bought a new (really old) house and they're the star of the living room. So when my brother gave me carte blanche to do whatever I wanted with his new house, the built-ins became my pet project.

They're flanked by a window on each side which lets in a lot of light which is good for you know, people who like natural light but bad for people who, you know, want to take pictures of said built-ins..that would be me.

So here is the before. Don't you love how before pictures are made even more dramatically horrible by paint cans & rollers sitting around? It's like the Pro-Activ commercial before pics, the ones where the ladies have no makeup on with rats nest hair and lots of acne, then magically their acne is gone & all of a sudden they know how to brush their hair? Woops, tangent. Anyway, here is the before.

And the after! Ta-Da!

My mission was to keep it classy but manly & on a loowwww budget. First, he painted the entire room in Valspar's Churchill Hotel Maple, which is part of their National Trust Historic Color Palette. Then I chose Corduroy Black for the back of the shelves to match the curtain panels I ordered through JC Penney. They had them in stores at 84" but I needed 63" so I went to their catalog...they are my most favorite place for curtains, they always have what I need. Of course, the paint looks black in pictures but in person, it's a gorgeous dark, dark blue.

Since most of you know by now that I have very little patience, I was convinced that when I tried to paint these, I'd be slapping paint all over the white shelves because I'm always in a rush. Well, whoever built these did me a huuuuuge favor. There is a teeny, not visible to the human eye, gap betweeen the shelves and the back wall. Enough of a gap where my paint brush fit right under and in between. The result? The whole thing was painted and looking good in I dunno, two hours?

Then came the fun part. Throwing decorative useless-to-my-brother crap onto the shelves! I had picked up a few odds and ends here and there at Pier One and HomeGoods on clearance, but clearly not enough. I've still got lots of room to fill. My favorite part is the textured boxes on the bottom shelf, which house his kids' movies. They're hidden yet the kids have easy access to them. Poifect.

I'm kinda in love with the results. And I kinda might make my husband build me some built-ins. Like an entire wall of them. Maybe if I promise him that one of the cubbies can display one of those old nascar plaques he has. Maybe he'll go for it then. I'd obviously be lying to him but I'd get what I want. And really? That's all that matters.

Dare to be Thankful - DIY Blog Party

Poor, poor Thanksgiving. Sandwiched between the two greatest holidays ever made, ol Thanksgiving gets the shaft from this household every year. It's merely an excuse to eat my mom's Bacon Cheese Ring & drink copious amounts of pinot grigio. I don't get excited about turkey or stuffing or going around the table and saying what I'm thankful for. It's just not my bag. So when it came to Kim's DIY Blog Party's 1st challenge, I was stumped. The challenge was to come up with a Thanksgiving project, simple as that. So what did I do? I did what I do best...copy off of someone else. Ha. No really, I did. I saw these Lace Leaves and loved, wanted to make. But where to put them? I don't have any other T-Giving decor to add them to. I did however, need some napkin rings. So I made them. Voila.

The original instructions sucked left a little something to be desired, so I traced along the veins of the leaf with Zip Dry glue and sprinkled my favorite Martha Stewart glitter (yeah, I have a preferred brand, don't judge). Then I attached them to some simple brown satin ribbon and voila two times, I've got a napkin ring.

Head on over to Kim's to check out the other projects. Projects that make me seeth with creative jealousy. They're that good.

Easiest Meal to Make. Ever.

Seriously. Buy three ingredients. Throw em in the crock. Then Eat. Ok well if you want to get technical, here's the real directions...

Sweet & Sour Kielbasa

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs kielbasa - this stuff's cheap too! did you guys know that?
2 (10 ounce) bottles sweet and sour sauce, La choy
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 (8 ounce) jar maraschino cherries (optional) - This girl optioned out.
1 (14 ounce) box Minute Rice

Directions
1. Cut the kielbasa into chunks.
2.Put pineapple, not drained into crock pot, along with kielbasa and both bottles of sauce and maraschino cherries (or not).
3. Put crock-pot on low, leave for four hours, or more, and it will be ready!
4. About ten minutes before you serve, cook the bags of rice, following the directions on the box.
5. Serve on rice

Oh hai, I'm Shannon...and I've almost made domesticity my bitch. Almost.

LOL'ing fo Real

Can I just say that you guys crack me up? From my BFF Kelly’s proclamation of “I’ll spit eggnog on your face if you insult my Christmas ornaments” to LB’s offering of a ladder so that subpar Anthro employees can step down off their really high horses to my husband’s contribution of a Family Guy line, I just die. I think I’d like to take all of you shopping with me this holiday season. There’s bound to be some fireworks. I may not have a bajillion readers or followers or whatever, but I’m glad I have you. You, who are just as sarcastic as I am. You, who are ready to retaliate against piss poor customer service at a moment’s notice. You, who somehow think that the things I cook look edible. I thank you.

And can I just admit this now? I normally blog in a huge rush. I’m constantly forgetting to say certain things. Case in point, I posted about the Garlic Chicken the other day. Did I even tell you what I thought of it? Nope. It could have tasted like dog food and here I am, sending you to the store for massive amounts of garlic, and you have no idea how it tastes. FYI, it was freakin delicious. So if you haven’t made it yet, go forth and cook it.

Thank you for your opinions on the Christmas Ornament debate. As of right now, I’ve decided to stick with what I have. We only have one tree (yeah, I’m looking at you Kim) and I know that Tursi was right that in a few years it’ll be covered in macaroni & glue monstrosities. Ornaments get expensive and I guess I just can’t justify a whole new collection…right now. Watch, you guys, come November 28 when the tree goes up, this girl will be banging down Pier One’s door for color-coordinating ornaments. I’m so fickle.

In other news, I had my “first” weigh in at Weight Watchers, or W-squared as we refer to it. I’m down 1.4 lbs. Pretty sweet, eh? Only 28.6 to go.

The Good: I’m trying to figure out “filling” foods that I like. It’s kind of like an experiment.

The Bad: My food log. Somehow I magically forget to write anything down between Friday at 5pm and Monday at 8am. Weird, huh?

The Ugly: I didn’t bother trying to figure out how many points the Chocolate Chip Peppermint Milkshake from Chik-Fil-A cost me Friday night. U-G-L-Y It don’t have no alibi, it’s ugly.

Yeah, yeah, it’s ugly.

I'm Always Right...Always

Customer Service. Let me just say I'm a big fan. Or maybe I should clarify that...I'm a proponent of good customer service. It stems from a few things...like that my Ma raised me with manners. P's and Q's if you will. In addition, I worked my way through high school and college in customer service positions: retail, admin & the worst of the worst, waitressing. Even now, while I don't deal with customers per se, my bosses kinda prefer if I'm polite to the people I deal with at work. But even outside of work, I think I'm pretty polite when it comes to customer service interactions. If I happen to be on the phone when it's my turn at the register, I ask the person to hold on or tell them I'll call them back. I always look my cashier/waitress in the eye and talk to them like a normal person. I say please, thank you, have a good one...all of it. If I can do it, so can you. And by you, I'm mostly talking to the cashier at Anthropologie today. Oh and to the Target Yeller too.

I went to Anthro a few weeks ago and bought a skirt and a tank top. I put them on the counter and the little darling says, "Are you going to wear these together?" in what could be described as a disapproving tone. "Uh, yeah", I respond. And that was the end of the conversation. She didn't look me in the eye once, barely said a word other than the little gem above and the exorbitant total. This run-in bothered me. Has she seen where she works? Had she seen what she put on that morning? There are some crazy get-ups in that store...and the outfit I chose totally went together. If anything, it was too matchy-matchy. What's her deal??

I went back today to return the shirt. I found one I liked better at H&M, and for about $40 less. Guess who is the only one at the counter? When it's my turn, I wait to be asked if she can help me. I never rush the counter, I'm try to be polite, maybe they have something they have to do in between customers, who knows. Anyway, she just stares at me. I guessed this was her "Can I help you" riff. (Name that movie).

I told her I wanted to return the shirt. She says nothing. She scans the tag. She punches a few keys. She writes on the receipt. She points to the credit card machine and says "Swipe". She hands me my receipt. I leave.

Not happy. I did not like that girl. I did not like the service. I prefer a smile at least...and maybe, you know, some words exchanged. And the "having a bad day" excuse doesn't fly. Not a few weeks apart. I checked for a nametag on both her and the receipt to no avail. So what do I do now? I can't call up and ask for the manager and tell them "yeah, you know, the frigid bitchy blonde at the register...yeah, she was rude". I guess I'll let it go. But I really feel like people should be called out on these things. Right? Like, don't work retail if you can't form that little pretty face of yours into a smile.

Oh and before you go thinking I'm all sunshine and butterflies when I'm out shopping, let me just say this. If I'm dealing with some bad, and I mean, bad service, I will pull out some heavy passive aggression. It's my preferred response. It usually occurs there's a combination of bad/rude service and being forced to wait a ridiculous amount of time. This gives me both the motivation and the time to stand there, thinking of a good passive response. But I won't deal it out until it's what I'm dealt. I give my cashier/waitress/receptionist every opportunity to do it right. And when they don't? Well, that really grinds my gears. (Name that show).

Is it Too Early?

To talk trees? Here’s my deal. I love a gorgeous Christmas tree, I know, imagine that. I’ve collected a really fun collection of ornaments that fall into a certain bright, fun & whimsical color scheme. Said color scheme worked wonderfully in my old house. New house? Not so much. The ornaments will totally clash with my family room’s reds, oranges and khakis. What do I do? Should I care? Does the tree décor have to match the room it sits in? OR is the tree its own separate entity?

via Country Living ----WANT now pleze

via this place

via Pottery Barn

Ok, I know the world isn’t going to end if my tree clashes with the curtains but a small part of my Christmas spirit might be crushed. And we don’t want that to happen. Part of me likes to think that money would be better spent elsewhere but part of me thinks I can score some bargains somewhere and not feel guilty. It boils down to this folks…would you hang your mismatched Homer Simpson ornament with pride or search frantically for coupons to go stock up on family room décor-friendly baubles? Tell me what to do. Give me a star-of-Bethlehem sign.

A Tiny Visitor

Over the weekend, John's friend brought her adorable little girl, Tori, over to visit. I'm scrapbooking Tori's first year, so we had to go through some pictures and whatnot. But I'll use any excuse to get to hang out with this little gem.

Happy as a clam, the center of attention, showing off my toofs.

Hmmm, who's that? He looks about my size...Maybe he wants to play.

Maybe not. He doesn't seem to like my death-grip on his tail.

Oh, where's he going?

Oh well, I'll always have this chunk of his fur to remember him by.

Meals a Plenty

So I decided to take a cue from Emily, (and by take a cue, I mean copy directly) and plan out a month's worth of meals. Since I make the choice to become the perfect wife by cooking real meals for John and I, I've had to buy a ton of new ingredients that most normal people probably keep on hand...like chicken stock or cumin. Well planning a week at a time got tiresome real quick since that meant I had to go to the grocery store every single week, and sometimes twice. So here it is...ingredients have been bought for at least 2 weeks & I got started last week with Garlic Chicken, Latkes and Brussel Sprouts.

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced garlic (can use more or less)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (garlic lovers can use more)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt or white salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumb (can use 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional) or shredded mozzarella cheese, use any amount desired (optional)

Directions
1. Set oven to 350°F.
2. Butter an 11 x 7-inch pan (if using more than 4 breasts use a larger pan).
3. In a bowl, combine melted butter with fresh minced garlic, garlic powder and salt.
4. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and coarse ground black pepper.
5. Dip chicken in butter mixture; then in crumb mixture.
6. Place in prepared pan and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes (placing the chicken on a rack in a pan will produce an extra crispy crust and for moist tender breasts cooking time should take no more than at the most 35 minutes unless they are very large then you might have to add on a couple extra minutes).
7. Top with shredded cheddar or mozzarella the last 5 minutes of cooking (this is only optional. )

Recipe & Reviews found here

Oh and the latkes came from a box & the brussel sprouts were frozen. Homemade side dishes are merely a pipe dream to me.

Dare to DIY

Hi friends. The lovely Kim over at NewlyWoodwards was awesome enough to invite me to play along at her Dare to Do It Yourself blog party. I know what you're thinking...is there gonna be booze at this party or is it BYOB? Should I bring some dip? Oh you guys! It's not that kinda party. Sillies. But no really, feel free to have a few while you're DIY'ing. I'll join you so you don't feel bad.

So here's the deal. Kim's got all sorts of fun DIY projects planned for the next two months that you can play along with. Ohhh, you don't have time you say? It's the holidays, you say? Bull-puckey. All of the projects are relatively simple and holiday-related and they're things you might do anyway this time of year! This is just your motivation to do it a little cuter and document it. Plus, you can check out what the other party guests have made and get all sorts of inspiration and crap. Go check out the details and schedule at Kim's blog and join in. Do it!

Turning Myself In

I joined back up at Weight Watchers again after taking a month-long sabbatical. During the sabbatical, I didn’t go crazy as I normally would have. The craziest I went was eating too much chili dip on Halloween. I even somehow managed to only eat 2 tiny Almond Joys at Halloween. So I’ve obviously learned something over the past year. But the lure of a bridesmaid dress I have to wear in 3 weeks is reining me in.

So now I’m back to counting points. I’m back to studying Chick-Fil-A’s nutrition information to see exactly how many waffle fries I can eat. I’m back to counting out my 24 piece serving of pretzels instead of hanging out on the couch with the bag. I know this program works and I’m a huge fan of it. If I can eat waffle fries and still feel in control, this girl’s happy. But after years and years of joining and quitting WW, I’m still trying to figure out how to make myself accountable. Sure, paying $14 a week to hear that I’ve gained weight is a tad bit motivational but it’s not enough. Getting on a scale in front of my leader helps too but it’s not enough. So I’ve decided I should blog it. Plenty of people do but I never have. Blogging about the PBBL worked and blogging about cooking actual meals worked (I swear I’m still doing it!). Sure, I’ve lost around 90 lbs and that is freakin amazing. And hearing the compliments from people is also awesome. But I’m afraid that it’s also made me complacent about where I am weight-wise. I am not at my goal. But I want to get there. I think 30 pounds sounds like a good number. I want to lose 30 more pounds. There, it’s out there. I’m not going to stress about how long it takes, I’m just going to do it. You, my friends, are my witness.

What's Good at the Moment

Here's What I'm...

Reading…New Moon again...it was my least fave last time but I kinda like it now.
Tasting…Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal
Wanting…to be a lady of leisure. This work thing is for the birds.
Listening…to a phone ringing and blatantly ignoring it.
Loving…the 25% off Gap coupon I got in the mail and plan to use at lunch.
Drinking…Water

Not Believing Are Real...these

Come on Down!!!

Here we are. In all of our costumed glory. Halloween was a success.

The Price is Right costumes...

While I had a lot of fun making my Showcase Showdown, I had an even better time making John "tan" and dousing his hair with silver spray.

And our Office Space costumes...John went as Bill Lumbergh and I was Joanna.

Missing from picture: Initech mug & TPS Report & Extreme Fajitas

Not missing: the minimum 15 pieces of flair