So I've found that doing this post is a great way to pass the lunch hour... so one more post before we leave for Ithaca!
Oh that school sounds so cool!!! DS16 wants to go into culinary too. He is taking a sports science class this year along with gourmet cooking. I'm trying to steer him towards nutrition too. Since he is a runner I'd like for him to blend the 2 loves together.
Soup - use a muffin tin!!!! I saw that on pinterest. You take the serving (I think a muffin tin is around 1/2 - 1 cup each so you pour the soup in there with your measuring cup, freeze it, pop them out, put them in a freezer bowl or ziploc bag, and you have single servings pre-measured!!
Don't build your recipe until you have a final draft. Even if your kale is off or what ever, you at least have a rough estimate if you change it after the recipe is built.
We went through a few rounds of shepard's pie and beef casserole before I built the recipe into my index.
But WW might be the way to go since they don't count veggies. Right now I'm at the point that MFP is a better fit for me because I need to account for everything.
Thanks for the great advice, esp. about that muffin tin for soups! Brilliant!
I hope your son is able to marry those two interests, as well! I was just saying to my boyfriend last night how much I wish that the school also had some nutrition component, because I'd be so interested in doing that. It's just such an interesting field and I think the demand for people who are knowledgeable about nutritious food is growing so quickly. Also, because of the focus on healthy eating in childhood to address childhood obesity, there's also a focus on making food that is APPETIZING (so that
kids want to eat it, not just adults who know they should). I think this is a real shift away from some of the more old-school healthy cooking. My boyfriend and I sometimes call this "crisper drawer cooking", where a recipe calls for a trillion vegetables that don't necessarily seem to go together and don't really taste like much on a plate besides a crisper drawer upended in your plate. While we eat like that sometimes (to clean out our crisper drawer!) it certainly doesn't give healthy (or vegetarian) cooking a good name.
Thanks koller! I've really enjoyed reading your answers-I think we would make really good friends if we lived near each other! And that is the sweetest image about you and your grandmother watching Diagnosis Murder
I just love women from that period as well. I feel like they were actual "women" in that they dressed so elegantly, they got so much done around their home and with their families, and it was all on one income. I'm a bit of a non-femenist, so if my views offend anyone, I truly apologize. I think I have a bit of an old-school soul when it comes to being a woman. One of the reasons I want the career I do is so I don't HAVE to work full time and can be at home and be a part-time homemaker and be home with my kids (when I have them!). That way I'll still have the energy to dress up on my days off
Oh!! I've loved your coaching, too-- it's so great to "meet" you and make friends on the Disboards! I know what you mean about that image of the classic woman, because I've got a strong homemaker instinct in me, too. Matt doesn't know if he wants to have kids yet, but taking care of family is SO important to both of us. I will say though, I've met SO many women who would go crazy nutso ballistic if they were home with kids or cooking/cleaning, and (because my mom wasn't a super happy SAHM) I'm so glad that they don't feel like they HAVE to do that. Also, Matt LOVES LOVES LOVES piddling around the house doing random chores and experimenting with random things in the kitchen. So I'm really glad that he feels comfortable doing that--he'll never be a career-driven guy who would make enough to support us both, but I also know that he's super happy and I wouldn't want it any other way. I think the best thing about living in this "era" is realizing that, even though you can't have it all, you can really choose to do what it is that brings you joy and brings out the best in you. That's my version of "feminism"!
I have no plans for tomorrow unless I can drive over to Youngstown, OH to visit my great aunt who is 94. She's in the hospital because she fell (no broken bones) but they kept her because she is having some other issues. This is hard on my grandma who is 10 years younger because it's just her, this aunt (sister), and an uncle (her brother) left out of 9 of the siblings. I'm hoping to go over with my grandma and mom to hang out for a couple hours if DH can be here with my kids.
I'm so sorry to hear your great-aunt is in the hospital. I hope that she enjoys your visit!
In other news, I did it! I finished my C25K program tonight!
It was not a well-advised run tonight - we were out for Mexican for DH's birthday, and it was 91 degrees outside, but I totally did that last run. On to more focused training for the 10-miler at Disney in September!
XO
Liz
Congratulations!!! Although that does sound like quite the run to go out on. Mexican food at 91 degrees??
So the spanish test did not go well but he drops the lowest test score so im not stressing about it, i just need to do good on the last 4 tests. Only 3 weeks of my summer class left!
What i'm really worried about now is the Praxis which i take on saturday. For those who don't know the Praxis 1 is what you have to take to get into teaching school. It's basically like the SATS. Reading, writing, and math. With starting the new job and the end of the semster, i'm not as prepared as i would like to be, especially because i havent done these types of things in 10 years. It seems so ridiculous to me, since im going to be a history teacher, but it need to be done. I struggle A LOT on the math, my boyfriend has been tutoring me (he will be REALLY glad when this is over) but it's REALLY REALLY bad. I'm not optomistic, and i'm not doing well on any practice tests i take. but the only thing i can do is keep trying and keep studying. im going to do three more practice tests tonight, and then i have all day tomorrow to study.
Also i just realized when checking where i was supposed to go that i signed up to take two tests at the same time. If i cant fix this it means i have to wait till september to take the test, which means i wont be able to apply to the school of education in the fall. Yay another thing to freak out about!
can everyone send me good thoughts? i really need them!
Oh gosh-- I'm so sorry it went poorly. I hope you're able to change the date of your test. Just take things one day at a time, one challenge at a time, and there will be light at the end of the tunnel. When you're having a week that feels like all bad news, it's really important to remember that those interim upsets don't define who you are!!
Welcome to a Losing Week!!!
I am Tara, your weekly coach this week! I find it is perfect timing, because as of this morning I weighed 199.6 and am in ONEDERLAND for the first time in 5 years, the last time I lost with WISH and got down to 175ish. I have officially lost 65.4 pounds in this past year!!! Now, before I go and get that new clippie...I've got to share some tips for this week!
QOTD: Family can help us, share your favorite family memory and share what makes your heart smile!
CONGRATULATIONS on reaching ONEDERLAND! And I love this question, I spent some time thinking about it on the train this morning...
My favorite family memory is from when Matt and I went to DW for his first trip two years ago. We had a really late flight, and we got in to check in probably around 1:30 am or something like that. We were too riled up to sleep, so we went for a late-night swim in the quiet pool and went for a walk around the Alligator Bayou section. We saw lots of critters out and about--a turtle, rabbit, etc.. It was just really magical to feel like we had the place mostly to ourselves, and, as I'm sure at least some of you will agree, that resort is REALLY really beautifully landscaped and themed.
When I think about a primary motivating factor for me to lose weight, I kind of think back to this moment. I know that Matt thinks I'm beautiful no matter what, but I kind of imagine reliving that moment on our next, very future trip (completely unplanned), only this time I'm happy with how I look and feel. I look back at pictures from that trip and I already have lost about 25 pounds from that period, and I can already see a difference.
I really look forward to getting engaged (the $ is kind of set aside for the ring--it won't be anytime in the very near future, but I'm still really, really excited about it!), married, and possibly having kids, and doing it at a healthy weight. I kind of want to get to my goal weight before he proposes... I don't think he's in any rush so I've got time, but I still want to get 'er done!!!
Thanks for inspiring me to put that all into words--it actually is incredibly motivating to reread that and remember why I'm doing this--to take care of myself for myself and for my family--present and future!
I forgot to share mine, and you inspired me, but my job moved us around a lot, (dh was Mr. Mom during the early years)..we made a pact that each relocation, the kids got to go to Disney...so we made our last move about 6 years ago, and the kids expected a trip, but things were tight and we told them we'd have to see...we got RT tix from Huntsville, AL-Orlando for $38 each!!
but told them we were going to pick up a friend who was coming to visit us..we hid all their luggage in the back of the van and headed out...dh parked the van and secretly carried the luggage himself, while I went up to the desk to 'check in'...I had written on a note to the attendant that we were surprising hte kids so not to say anything..she loved it and played along! She even went to the gate check in person to hand them our tickets so my kids would not see them!
Meanwhile, dh had a special backpack for each that he went and hid under seats at the terminal while I got the kids a bite to eat..we went down to 'pick up our friend' and my son noticed the gate next to us was going to Orlando...we had the camera rolling and we pulled the backpacks out and said SURPRISE!! WE're going to Disney! The expressions, shock, doubt, "HUH???" were amazing! Once they realized we were going on the trip they were beside themselves and loved seeing all their surprises in the backpacks....such an awesome experience!
I LOVE this story!!! I can't believe you got all the way to the gate!
Sorry I've been MIA! Life is totally hectic with work and my parents still being here and visiting my dad on my days off and trying to make my kids have a fun summer.
Oh my gosh... your wording CRACKED ME UP... "trying to
make my kids have a fun summer"... my Mom used to walk around the house over our summer vacations saying, "For crying out loud, can't you think of anything BETTER TO DO than sitting around??" Hahhaha. Fond, fond memories.
I hope everyone has a great, on-plan weekend!
HOpe they enjoy the movie though.
You are showing the same exact angst I feel when I see that scale jump up!! I went to my parents for Memorial Day weekend and ate 'normal' maybe at the most 2000 calories each day...but within 3 days I was up 5 pounds!! It made me want to drive a sledgehammer into something!! The good news is that your 5 pounds probably has to do with more salt/water retention...keep your eyes on the new day before you and not the ones before! 
