Trials of a Long Haired Girl

Hi Friends!  Hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's Day!  Our actual Valentine's Day was pretty ordinary.  Saturday evening, we went to dinner with some other couples from our church and Sunday we headed to Painting with a Twist for a fun couple's painting.   For now, our meal plan is as follows: Monday: Burgers, fixings and tater tots or fries. Tuesday: Homemade Burrito Supreme, Spanish Rice and refried beans Wednesday: Beans and special Cornbread Thursday: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Friday: 2 Ingredient Dough Pizzas No plans for Saturday or Sunday, but that seems to be fairly normal for me.  We have a wedding to attend on Saturday for some church friends.

Happy Monday friends!  I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend!  I was determined to have 5 Blue Dot days this past week.  I had a loss of 2.8 pounds this week. Unfortunately, while I did make some progress with using some things up, I didn't stop to think about how many servings those recipes would make.  We wound up having leftovers because there was just too much food. I planned the following: Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe - Crockpot Copycat Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Casserole Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken Easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta Crispy Baked Cod with Cheesy Potatoes & Roasted Broccoli Stromboli We had: Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe - Crockpot Copycat Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Casserole Easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta Stromboli Here's what I can tell you about the new recipes I tried last week.   The Zuppa Toscana soup was a winner!   👍👍 Easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta was also a winner!  ?...

Happy Monday friends!  I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend!  After my gain this week, I'm determined to have a good on plan week!  I have reviewed some recipes and I'm also trying to use up some of the food that we have in the fridge and freezer and pantry before I try to get some meal prepping done later this month.  While I am sharing the recipe links to the ones I'm using, I am modifying some in order to use up some of the foods I currently have in my fridge and freezer.  Admittedly, I will have to buy some things at the store, I don't think it will be a really expensive trip. Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe - Crockpot Copycat Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Casserole Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken Easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta Crispy Baked Cod with Cheesy Potatoes & Roasted Broccoli Stromboli My plan is to make some of the 2 Ingredient Dough bread sticks as shown by Kathy over at  Kathy's WW Journey   I have been hes...

Happy Wednesday a/k/a Hump Day friends!  It seems most of the folks on my social media are also experiencing cold weather.  My part of Texas is currently in the 20's at night.  I am not a big cold weather fan, but I have to say that one of my favorite things when the weather is cold...and this goes back to me being a little girl...is a nice cup of hot chocolate.  So, here is my dilemma, as many of you know, I don't eat much in the way of sugar substitutes.  Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate packet is 4 SmartPoints per serving...whaa??  Yep, 4 SP per serving.  I could have 4 and that would eat up my daily points on the MyWW Purple plan but would I really want to use ALL my SmartPoint allotment on hot chocolate?  Um, let me think about it, no.  So I have been on the hunt for something that would give me that hot chocolate fix without breaking my SmartPoint bank.  I found this low carb hot chocolate recipe  and thought it might work.  O...

Happy Monday friends!  I hope everyone is doing well.  Thought I'd take a moment and share my meal plan for the week. Also, I know for those of us on WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, there is some excitement as the new programs roll out officially today!   I will be heading to a meeting tonight to gather the information and make a final decision.  While I know I need to track and have done pretty well on Freestyle, I feel like I may change to the Purple plan.  I will continue to track because it is what works for me.  Okay, now for the meal plan for the week: Monday: Family dinner out. Tuesday: Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Thursday: Beans and Cornbread Friday: Leftover Patrol Saturday: Chicken and Dressing Sunday: Unknown I am getting a little better about planning more specifically for the day right now, but we'll see if that continues.  I hope everyone has a fantastic week...

Happy hump day friends!  We've made it to another one!  So I actually made this a couple of weeks ago and again this week, but it was so good so I wanted to share!  As I have said, my daughter has decided to go meatless, so some of my all time favorites are not longer options right now.  I know, I know, I could make more than one meal, but I don't want to do that.  So, I found a recipe for a  Crockpot Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli Soup .  I used some substitutions because I was focusing on what I had on hand.   Here's the ingredients she has listed: Ingredients 3 large carrots peeled & sliced 3 sticks celery chopped 1/2 medium onion chopped 4 cloves garlic minced 1 (28 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices 1 (19 fluid ounce) can white beans drained 1 (19 fluid ounce) can red kidney beans drained 4 cups vegetable broth 5 dashes Italian seasoning 1.5 cups ditali or ditalini pasta  Salt & pepper to taste ...

WooHoo!  We made it to Tuesday friends, so Happy Tuesday!  Okay, I was going to talk about the WW topic this week of eating the rainbow, but I'm in several WW based groups on FB and I've seen multiple people posting about binge eating.  So, the WW topic of eating the rainbow has been postponed for another day.  Seriously, y'all this is an important message that we all need to hear.   First off, let's talk about the definition of the word "binge".  I used Merriam Webster 's web page to look it up so I could include it here: 1a: a drunken revel : SPREE b: an unrestrained and often excessive indulgence a buying binge c: an act of excessive or compulsive consumption (as of food) went on an eating binge  binge drinking 2: a social gathering : PARTY Here's the thing, I have experienced 1c before and, speaking only for myself, it can be very scary.  It was like something invaded my body and took control.  For me, and I know it's...

Happy Monday friends!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!  We had a busy weekend, but it was good!  With our first real cold snap at the end of last week, I'm really feeling like fall is upon us! Meals for this week are as follows: Breakfasts are waffle sticks and an egg bake. Lunch plans are rolled tacos (bean and cheese), cheeseburger and tot casserole and beans and my mom's special cornbread.  My plan with the cornbread is to make it in the brownie pan that I just got from Pampered Chef so that I can have individual portions already. Dinner plans are: - Bean Burritos; - Lima Beans and Cornbread; - Lentil Soup; - Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread; - burgers and fries;  - fish and riced cauliflower risotto.  I'm looking forward to this week's meals!  What are you having this week?

Happy Monday friends!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!  It was my 30 year class reunion this weekend so I got to see some people I haven't seen in years.  Last week was a bit of a rough week food-wise, but we made it through and I had a loss on the official scale!  I think it's a number I've seen before, but it's still going in the right direction.  Okay, let's get into it.  Meals for this week are: Breakfasts: waffle sticks using my new Pampered Chef pan and probably a breakfast casserole for me.  Lunches:  Combination of salads, Lentil Tortilla Soup, Bean and Cheese Quesadillas and Bean and Cheese Rolled tacos a/k/a taquitos. Dinners: Tomato Soup and grilled cheese; Vegetarian pasta e fagioli soup ; Roasted Veggies and Macaroni and Cheese; Vegetable fried rice; and  Vegetable Lasagna. I am excited about this week and looking forward seeing how I can improve this week.  I had 4 days of blue dot days, walked more ...

Happy Wednesday a/k/a Hump Day!  Hope you are having a good week.  Here's a peek at what I ate yesterday.  Breakfast (2 eggs, toast), snack (banana), coffee and tea (which I sipped all day), lunch was Philly Cheesesteak inspired sloppy joe which I put over steamed cabbage, sweet treat/snack was Made Good Mixed Berry Granolas Mini and dinner (no I didn't eat it all because I had a migraine) was spaghetti squash with alfredo sauce and garlic cheese bread.  

Happy Tuesday and happy first day of October!  If you don't follow me on Facebook, you may not be aware, but I took a big leap on Sunday and posted a video on YouTube.  I am going to start documenting my journey on YouTube.  I'm nervous and I know I need to improve my editing skills, but I did it.  Y'all, I mean this is HUGE for me.  I started reading Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup and it definitely brought me to some "a-ha" moments and I'm not even out of the fear archetypes yet.  Between Jordan Lee Dooley's book, Own Your Everyday and this book, I feel like I'm in a position to really make some progress on me.  Getting out of my comfort zone and not being so afraid is definitely going to help me reach my goals.  My plan is to post 2 videos per week but I haven't decided specifically on my days yet but my first video is up.  I'm excited to see where this new adventure takes me.  I mean I'm already trying things that I never would beca...

Happy Wednesday a/k/a Hump Day!  Hope you are having a good week!  I decided to do something different this week.  Since fall is technically upon us and I wanted to prepare something different for my daughter for her lunches.  I used this recipe for Vegetable Lo Mein .  I left out the broccoli and the mushrooms.  I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles since that's what I had on hand.  My daughter enjoyed it, but said she wanted more sauce.  I'll keep tweaking it, I suspect, until I come up with the perfect mix for her.   I am looking forward to Texas weather cooling down!  

Happy Monday, friends!  Where have I been?  It was a rough week and I just never found the time to sit down.  For those of you that know me, I am not a big fan of change.  We had a big change at our office because one of my co-workers left our office for another opportunity.  I wish her well in her new venture.  Time was limited to meal prep for this week, but I really needed to be "on" this week like I was a couple of weeks ago. Breakfasts:   Chocolate Chip Pancake Bake  Breakfast Casserole. Lunches:  Hamburger Philly Cheesesteak on cabbage Spaghetti Squash and chicken meatballs Veggie Lo Mein Noodles Dinners:  Lasagna Burritos Kung Poa Tempura Cauliflower Fried Rice Salad Night Hopefully we will enjoy the Philly Cheesesteak over the cabbage.  I'm trying to keep it lower carb where I can, but I've decided for right now not to focus so much on that after my really off week. I've got ideas in my head for ...

Happy Thursday a/k/a Friday eve!  How's your week going so far?  I want to take a moment and talk about something posted on Facebook where people have made rude comments.  Here's the thing, purely my opinion, but I think that many people are getting more rude and not thinking about how it may cause others to feel because they are hiding behind their screens.  Here's my two cents or what it's worth, just be kind.  You don't know what others may be going through.  One smile from you may change the way their day is going.  One "good morning, how are you?" even if you don't really want to know.  Even if you do not agree with someone, there is no point in being rude to them.  We are all human and we all need a little grace sometimes.  We are not perfect and we each fall short from time to time.  I guess my Mom telling me for so long to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" just stuck and I try hard to be courteous to...

Well, hello, and happy Wednesday a/k/a Hump day!  This has been a busy weekend and a weekend of trying new things.  As I may have mentioned, I am trying to focus on some lower carb options.  I found a recipe for cauliflower hash browns and decided I would try to make them as an additional to breakfast casserole.  Unfortunately I didn't have 2 packages of cauliflower rice so I decided to halve the recipe.   Here's what I did:   I used my one smaller package of cauliflower rice (10 oz. package), 1 cup of the Simple Truth Organic Cheddar and 1 egg and I added some salt, pepper and garlic powder.   They were a little more eggy than I would have preferred but I didn't have the same amount of cauliflower that she had.  They are really tasty and made a good addition to my breakfast casserole.  I'm looking forward to having them this week.  Did you try any new recipes this week?  Maybe any of the recipes I've shared?...

Happy Tuesday friends!  It's time again for Pep Talk Tuesday.  Let's talk for a minute about something we all do...and probably should do more of...sleep.  There are some nights I feel really rested, I get up and feel pretty positive...and then I get to work and start feeling tired.  Let's take a moment and talk about how to set ourselves up for sleep. 1. Build bedtime habits.  Pick a calming activity that you can do every night.  I found a great ten minute Yoga routine that I can do before bed time.  It definitely helps me.  You can also, take a bath or shower, or read a book.  It's harder when you are doing it on an electronic device.  Turn that calming activity into a routine.   2. Select a cue that triggers you to do the activity.  Set an alarm or use the end of an episode of your favorite show.  Be sure to set the cue at the same time every night so that you are maintaining a consistent schedule.  Star...

Happy Monday friends!  I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend!  Mine was a bit busy, but it was good.  I got to enjoy some quiet time, but I got some good meal prepping done.  While my weigh in didn't go quite as planned, I am so seriously planning on a GREAT week!   As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.   With that being said, I was struggling to eat the breakfast casserole by the end of the week.  This week, I made two different breakfast items to give me some options.  I made a ham, egg and cheese breakfast casserole, some cauliflower "hash browns" and a pancake bake.  I also made a pancake bake for my DD.  Honestly, because I struggle having the same thing for days on end, (really how do people do that??) I try to make different things that I can have on different days.  As last week was so crazy and I didn't eat everything I prepped, I still have some leftovers for this week.  So I will use that ...

Happy Sunday to you!  It's been a minute since I've posted on a Sunday, but I'm trying to get my routines back in order since we ran away on vacation.  Weigh in yesterday was a 1.2 pound gain.  To be honest, I could be really upset by this because I was pretty good most days this week staying within my points and carbs.  However, this week was full of some stressful situations and life.  I am NOT giving up or giving in.  I'm focusing on making the coming week a MUCH better week for me.  I'm meal planning and meal prepping.  I have my calendar out right now so I can put my workouts down on my calendar.  Also, this was the first week of focusing on my WW points AND net carbs.  It's a bit of an adjustment, but I'm gearing up, making plans and making it happen for me.  169 is literally 10 pounds away right now.   What are you doing to set yourself up for success this week? 

Happy Friday friends!  We've almost made it through another week!  Wow!  For a short week, this has been a crazy week!  Feeling good about taking time to prepare some meals and components were super helpful this week!  Now to figure out what to fix for next week.  I'm thinking a bacon breakfast casserole for next week.   This week I had a nuclear stress test scheduled for this week.  Initially, I was okay and then, as the time for my test got closer, the anxiety and stress started getting to me.  By the time that I checked in and was heading to the waiting room, I broke down and started tearing up.  I made it through the test and (Thank you, Jesus!) my tests came back normal.   This is my first week trying to double tracking my Freestyle SmartPoints and my net carbs.  Not everyday has been a win, but like I said to my husband, I am certain that it's better than what it might be if I were not tracking them. Foc...

Happy Thursday a/k/a Friday eve!  I hope you are having a fantastic short week after the three day weekend.  As I'm going through the week, I realized I didn't share my weight loss this week.  I did not go weigh in the week prior because of the stomach virus and I did document my weight when I went to the doctor's office that Friday.  I was at 179.1 at that time.  This past Saturday, I headed to my weight in location.  Even though my food was not 100%, I am excited to share that I lost another 1.3.  The past week, I tried to focus on getting some steps in and pushing my water.  I think each of these things contributed to my weight loss.   With the plan this week of 23 Freestyle SmartPoints and limited it to 33 net carbs, I think it will help me to get past this "recycling pounds" roller coaster I've been on.  My goal is to get past 170 sooner rather than later.  Currently my weight is at 177.8 as of this past Saturday, so 8...