Regular Old Random Photo Dump!

These buds produce a beautiful yellow flower.

Yall are not ready for the Red Power Ranger!

All of the baked Kettle Chips are full of awesome!

Rosemary Chops

Prepping my sun wall

Lemon tree keeps giving!!!

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

If you use spray paint...you need this 2.50 gem!! Makes spray painting SO much easier.

Surf and turf from Father's Day...I just like this picture! LOL

Fine by Birthday Time #5

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I sure did. I enjoyed my family, cooked a lot, laughed even more and ate and ate and ate!  So it is NO surprise that I am holding steady....at 226.5. 

 

My wonderful Thanksgiving gave way to ALL of my sugar and carb cravings!  I LOVE pecan pie and I surely had my share. I am currently back on the wagon but it seems like my cravings are way worse this time around. No matter how bad those cravings get, I am holding strong. It is still not too late for me to at least get out of the 220's! By out of the 220's I mean 215!

 

*Crosses shoelaces (instead of fingers) so I can go for a walk during lunch*

 

How are your healthy living goals going?

 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner 2012

Gumbo (First pot this year)

Herb Roasted Cornish Hens

Injected and Fried Turkey Breasts

Traditional Cornbread Dressing (Family recipe)

Fresh Collard Greens w/Smoked Turkey

Fresh Green Beans w/Fried Onions

Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

Creamed Onion Gratin (New this year)

Rolls

Sweet Potato Pie

Southern Pecan Pie

Brownies (For W…she’s weird, lol)

Traditional Southern Caramel Cake

Bourbon Pecan Carrot Cake (New this year)

Lemon Pound Cake (Using lemons from my tree!)

 

Fine by Birthday Time #4

Yesterday was a winner. I didn't consume ANY sugar; no potatoes or rice or bread, nada! I thought the withdrawal would be worse but so far all I got was a small headache late in  the afternoon. I'll let yall know what Day 2 is like cause no sugar coupled with the bit of work stress I am under may not be a good combination! LOL
Happy Tuesday yall!

Fine by Birthday time #3

Image Credit

Um yeah. So I am tanking with this whole 20 pound goal.  Well that's a bit dramatic. I've increased my exercise schedule since I began the challenge along with my water intake.  However, my eating habits have not been good. At all.  So since it is a full month until Birthmas I am going to make the for real effort to make my eating habits coincide with all of the exercising I've been doing and see if that number on Mister moves south a little more.
I have been doing stupid stuff like skipping breakfast, carb loading and having my way with sugar lately. For the next 30 days I will:

1. Eat breakfast every morning
2. Have a morning and afternoon snack
3. Make a healthier lunch choice, and
4. Dinner by 630

I am also going to post more frequently to hold myself accountable.  I need accountability. Happy Monay!

#AThankful30Days Day 4 Sunday Dinner

 Everybody knows I love a great get together. I am sure it all started when my mom would throw house parties in our basement when we lived OH in the late 70s early 80s...those parties were legendary! LOL  It could also be from coming from a large family where get togethers were big and loud and full of laughter and food. LOTS and LOTS of food.

In between holiday gatherings there was always Sunday dinner at Mudear's house.  Mudear would normally cook a big old pot of greens or pinto beans the night before so all that would be required is a slow reheat.  She would then put on a roast before church that would have her house smelling all kinds of good.  By the time we made it home from all day service (LOL) all that would be left would be for her or one of my aunts to make the macaroni and cheese and bake whatever bread we would eat. It is likely I had already had the cake baked as well.

The aroma of that cut of beef slow roasting in it's on juices with mushrooms and onions and bell peppers; cornbread that tasted more like cake then actual bread to eat with the best pot of turnip or collard or mustard greens ever and some hot, bubbly oven baked macaroni and cheese! Chile. Please.    

*takes a moment to wave holy hands*

More important than the food was how we all came together.  My younger cousins would stop by, whatever old friend of my aunts or uncles or mom would pay the family a visit...it was the people gathering of it all that I loved so much. Food was just the catalyst!

Even with our busy schedules I still LOVE cooking Sunday dinner a couple of times a month.  Sunday dinner holds really wonderful memories for me and I hope to pass on those traditions and appreciations to my daughters as well.

This week's Sunday dinner consisted of buttermilk brined fried chicken, homemade skin on mashed potatoes with sage butter gravy and a fresh vegetable stir fry of snow peas and zucchini with dill. 

#AThankful30Days

 

#AThankful30Days Day 3 Best Friends

Growing up, we moved ALOT! We lived in places for such short periods of time I never really made the lasting friendships most people take for granted.  I was always the new girls and I hated it!  That totally does not take away from the friendships I made and have sustained during high school or later in life, I thank God for those friendships often. However, there is something to be said about being friends with someone for 20 plus years or having childhood memories to reminisce about.

These two have been thick as thieves since they were 3 years old.  They usually hug each other when they see each other or when they leave each other. I LOVE that. I pray that they remain as close as they are for as long as possible. Best friends rock!

#AThankful30Days

 

#AThankful30Days - Day 2 A Sound Mind and Body

The church I went to when I was a little girl was an old school Southern Baptist church.  Old school like women weren’t allowed to bless the pulpit with The Word, old school like women wore dresses AND stocking to church, old school like having a Mother’s Board with the old school saints sat in their reserved seats, old school like attending church from 8 a.m. Sunday school until regular service let out at maybe 2 p.m.; old school like getting that church pinch if you didn’t act right and whomever doled out that pinch, your momma, grandma, aunt or neighbor,  dared you to shed a tear; old school like seeing an elder “catch the spirit” scared the hell out of you, old school like Easter speeches, Christmas plays, real deal Sunday dinners and good old “stomp, clap” music.

What is stomp, clap music you ask? It is how churches made music before they could afford the piano or organ or full on music sections churches have now.  You literally started a song by stomping and clapping; and you know Sister So and So always had a tambourine…LOL

I remember listening to the same songs all of my childhood and often catch myself singing them now. Many of those songs included some variation of waking up in my “right mind with full use of my limbs.” How often do we take for granted that we have awakened and can think about our day or we swing our legs out of the bed to take that walk to the bathroom for that first morning pee and they actually move!

Today, I am thankful for my mind and body being strong and useful and in my full control.

 

#AThankful30Days - Day 1 Employment

Two of my wonderful girlfriends are doing a #AThankful30Days where for the month of November they will make daily posts, on Facebook, of some of the things they are thankful for.  I decided to join them, except I will post here and a condensed version on FB. I did this one year on an old blog and I LOVED it! Hopefully I will be able to keep up!

#AThankful30Days - Day 1 Employment

I did not go to college specifically for my current career path. My degree is in English. I had dreams of being a roving reporter who travelled the world bringing the masses current events. Or I wanted to write books that people would pass on to their children or required reading in colleges and universities. I even wanted to be an etymologist at one point. Chile, my nerddom knew no bounds! lol

While it is still possible for me to write a book, reporting is far too competitive for my personality and word historians make pennies and wouldn’t allow me to live the traveling life I’d like!   So I was blessed with working in the tax accounting field.

I am thankful for the opportunity to challenge myself on a daily basis, to work in a field where it is likely I will always have a job; I am also thankful for the benefits this job provides to aid in taking care of my family.  We have fantastic health and dental benefits, the company is strong and I actually enjoy nearly all of the people I interact with regularly; that in itself is enough to be thankful for! LOL

 

Fresh Fried Eggplant

Good country folk bring you fresh vegetables from their garden! 
One of my co-workers is a true Southerner, he raises chickens for eggs, grows many of his own vegetables, hunts and fish as often as he can and he's a gentleman to boot!

As much fried eggplant as I've eaten in my lifetime I had never actually fried any! So I knew EXACTLY what I was going to do with these babies! I seriously made this in less than 20 minutes!

Fresh Fried Eggplant
What you need:

• One eggplant sliced
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbs regular bread crumbs
• 2 - 3 Tbs of your favorite seasoned salt or Creole seasoning
• 1/4 cup oil for frying. You want enough oil to lightly fry the eggplant slices

What to do:

• In a shallow bowl mix the egg and water
• In another shallow bowl mix the remaining ingredients, except the oil
• First coat the eggplant with the egg mixture, then coat with the flour/breadcrumb mixture
• Fry the eggplant slices in the preheated oil over medium heat until golden on both sides
• Drain on a paper towel and enjoy!