Sea of Opportunities

 No matter how many times I say I'm going to work on my website and make regular blog posts - I always seem to run out of time.   So yesterday - during Christmas activities and hectic cooking - I reflected as to what is important, and what isn't. We had a beautiful day - don't get me wrong.  I was up and about pretty early as is the norm for someone who has difficulty sleeping on a regular day - not to mention a holiday!  Leenah surprisingly woke up at 8 a.m., and the festivities began.  We had spent Christmas Eve making cookies and making the turkeys for our hotel guests that live with us year round,  Christmas morning was gift giving/receiving.  This year we set a limit - $50-$100.  Everyone stuck to it - except me (I'm the mom, it didn't apply) and Adam - who loves to shop but didn't put much thought behind it.  Anyway - my favorite gifts this year -  Adam got me Lennox wine glasses - big ones - I love them.  He also had dra...

 So - I've lived in this house more than 15 years.  Over that time, ever spare dollar we had went into our rental properties - and I kept our house going with duct tape.  BUT -  the glass in my oven shattered - and that cannot be fixed with duct tape.  It's a bad time to have to get a new appliance - but I got lucky and picked up a stove that I think will work.  Since I'm going from a wall oven to a slide in stove - I had to do some configuration to my kitchen - adding a new microwave above that stove that will serve as a new working vent (last owners had a vent that didn't work so well).   Anyway - kitchen is pretty torn up - so I've been busy - but still working out with the new trainer - and we've had some discussions about family. He was talking about how he and his wife tried to turn off all electronics the other night to spend quality time together - but then didn't know what to do,  I remembered that I had seen a book with scratch off ...

I'm a LONG TIME user of Paperback Swap - Maybe because I LOVE turning pages - probably why I still use a paper agenda book ?  Maybe.  Anyway - picked up the Taste Of Home cookbook picture below (Paperback swap is free, the idea is you swap out your books for books that someone else may have.) You pay the postage of mailing out your books, which gives you a credit for each book you mail so that you can request a book.  You can have a bookshelf of books that you want, and when one comes up - they'll email you to see if you still want it.   It was awesome when we were homeschooling, and now I find books like How to Crochet socks, cookbooks, and even books I can take the the beach !!  Anyway - in order to avoid copyright issues - I'll be mentioning the book and page number of recipes that come from books - and one I make it - if it's good enough for photos - I'll also type out the recipe along with all the changes I made - because I'm not one to follow directio...

Not real happy with this layout - will have to work on it.   Photo will be added later this week (hopefully before they eat it all!) Graham Crackers -35 g crushed (plain, honey, cinnamon) Splenda - 48 g FF Cream Cheese 675 g (or 3 - 8 oz blocks) Flour - 45 g Eggs - 2 large Egg Substitute - 1 cup Pumpkin (Pure, not pie mix) 1.88 cup (or 1 -15 oz can) Cloves - 1/4 tsp  Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp Cinnamon - 1.5 tsp    Crush the graham crackers and sprinkle in the bottom of a 9 inch non-stick spring form pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.   Beat the cream cheese, add the splenda and flour and continue beating until smooth Add 1 egg, then the egg substitute a little at a time until incorporated.   Transfer 2.5 cups to a separate bowl, and beat the remaining egg and spices and pumpkin into the filling left in the bowl.   Pour half of the pumpkin filling over the crumbs carefully - (pour over the back of a spoon if necessary) so as not ...

  Trying some new recipes - this one starts with frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and some other ingredients most people usually have on hand.  Slow Cooker means I can throw everything into the Instapot set on slowcooker and then go to the beach all day !   Most likely no beach today - but I may set up my blow up Hot Tub - photos to follow for sure !! Ingredients -  3 pounds of frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs (this could be made with breasts, but I had an abundance of thighs in my freezer, so thighs it is) Sour Cream - light or low fat, 16 ounce container Lipton Onion Soup Mix- I like Beefy Onion in  meatloaf, but regular onion for this recipe Cream of Chicken Soup - I used 98%. fat free - because why not ! Peas - One Can No Yolk Egg Noodles - one package - I used extra broad Directions - throw the first 4 ingredients in a crock pot or Instapot set on Slow Cook, for 7 hours.   At the 3 hour mark, if you didn't mix the sour cream,...

  Now with everyone back at school, I have time to organize my life ! This week's menu - still cleaning out the freezer  Monday - Rotisserie Chicken in the Insta Pot with mashed potatoes, corn and salads Tuesday Chicken and Dumplings. - using leftover chicken from Monday and adding peas Wednesday - Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken   with couscous and roasted veggies Thursday - Beef with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce and Mashed potatoes/asparagus Friday - Chicken with Asparagus and Penne Pasta  (using leftovers) Saturday - Carmelized Baked Chicken Wings Sunday - Free For All (aka make your own) For more Menus - check out all the links for Menu Plan Monday @ orgjunkie.com

 Wow - life is passing by pretty quickly. Adam is at Marietta - he's loving it so far, he's done his laundry twice, bought himself a bike to get around, and hasn't missed an assignment.   It was tough to leave him,but I had already planned a getaway with Leenah so the day after we got back from making sure he had everything he needed - we were off to Florida.  If you've never visited Safety Harbor Spa in Safety Harbor, FL, you should go !  It's expensive - but soooo worth it.   The pools are amazing.  This pool has a bar/food area, and is the only one where kids are allowed.  It was never too crowded that you couldn't lay out either in the water or in a chair, but if you want a chair in a good location, be smart and go down before 10 and leave your towels and stuff on your spot - even if you aren't going to the pool for another hour or so - by noontime most of the seats are taken !!  Bring a book and just relax - life is good ! The indoo...

Welcome to the family !   Now to learn HOW to row on the water.  Hoping the Dr. clears me before Adam leaves for school.  If not - I guess either I teach myself, or wait until he comes home next spring.  :( She fits well on top of Big Black Mike.  Now she needs a name ....  

  Finally had to say Good-Bye to this guy.   We spent almost 4 years training.   First he was just a trainer for my son (and his crew coach and bio teacher) then he became my trainer - and life started to change for me. The pants we are holding were my favorite pair to work out in when we first started.  We aren't even stretching them - we could have easily both fit in them - but since we are both married - I didn't think it'd be respectful.  130 pounds down before my shoulder surgery - 130 pounds.   A person.  Still have another 50 to go, plus the 10-15 pounds that crept back on since my surgery - but once I get the all clear to work out again, I'll be right back on track We started at a Planet Fitness.   Then he opened his own gym/studio.  That was so much better for me.  I still had body shame feelings and working out in front of people.  Once I was in a safe place - the weight really started dropping.  W...

Why is it that we spend 18 years training them up right,so that they are respectful young men that you finally get to enjoy spending time with, and then they pack up and leave for college?    This young man will be leaving in 2 weeks for his first year of college.  He's my baby - the last of 4.     When I told him I'd prefer to drive him down to Wildwood, NJ - there was zero complaints.  He actually offered me his cap before we left - it was super salty, he's worn it for a couple years guarding - but I was proud to represent his beach.   WE had a great time and it was nice to spend some time with him with no expectations, no nothing.  He really has grown into an awesome young man.  I'm gonna miss you Adam

No matter how many times I commit to blogging more regularly - life gets in the way - isn't that always the way?   The title of this blog post is pretty clear what got in the way this time ... a shoulder that just doesn't work anymore.  Seems like a spur grew where it wasn't supposed to - and all those American and World records I set on the erg?   Yeah, well the hours and hours I spent getting into shape to break those records had that spur shredding my tendons, which I didn't realize until too late (with lifting, sore shoulders are a natural expectation)   So - no erging, no lifting, no boxing after the end of this month which means one thing - no excuses not to get this website up and running smoothly.   First step - order a beach book.   I heard some great reviews on this one - and even though I have a kindle with tons of unread books on it - this will be the book I take to the beach.   What are YOU reading?  ...

Getting smarter about planning my menu around the day's activities.  Now that I've added yoga into the mix, along with son's crew schedule, calls for quick dinners somedays and more involved dinners when time permits.  Also scheduling one dessert per week - everyone needs a little treat now and then !!  Monday - Leftovers - grilled lamb and chicken, rice, add salads Tuesday - Leg Of Lamb   with roasted veggies Wednesday - Leftovers Thursday - Alaskan Cod and Shrimp with Fresh Tomatoes , Pasta, BAS Friday - Slow Cooked Garlic Chicken , Mashed, Green Bean Casserole Saturday - Jiffy Tamale Pie , BAS, Cheesecake #17 Sunday - Asparagus Stuffed Chicken , Mashed or Stuffing

 Talk about an eye opener !! When I first started on my weight loss journey - I was nearly 130 lbs heavier than I am right now.  When my trainer started to incorporate boxing - I simply fell in love (with boxing, not the trainer)    My app doesn't have boxing as an option, so I always choose kickboxing - and maybe one day I'll incorporate my legs, but right now I'm still learning all the combinations, punches, ducks and defense - so much more to it than what I originally thought, and I have enjoyed every single boxing session ever since.  I used to be able to burn 800 calories in an hour no problem, but the fitter I got, the harder it's been to get above the 500 calorie burn unless I'm erging a really tough piece, or boxing.  Not even 50 minutes of boxing produced a 620 burn.  And I was most likely smiling 99% of the time (sometimes when we get going faster, I've gotten clipped, never hard, never intentional, but it does wipe the smile off my face for ...

 If you are EVER in Ocean City, NJ - you must stop by Bungalow Bowl and order an Acai' Bowl with Outta Control Toppings - simply the most decadent and refreshing, yet almost healthy, snack, or in this case - a meal.  Leenah had to work in OC so drove down from college for the day.  After spending the morning at the regatta, I surprised her by stopping by and dropping off her favorite Acai' bowl, and ordered one for myself as well, although normally they contain strawberries - and since I'm allergic, I substitute blueberries.  After I dropped hers off, I found a nice spot with a view and ate mine enjoying the peace and quiet ... sometimes it's the simple things that keep me grounded.  

 After losing nearly 130 pounds so far, it scares me that my shoulder has been acting up for the past month.  The pain is inside the shoulder - sometimes it feels like the back of the shoulder, sometimes it feels more towards the bicep - but it's constant.  I'm never one to complain about pain, but after a shot of cortisone didn't help much, and three weeks of PT just aggravated it, I was left waiting for the insurance company to approve an MRI.    Last year I paid a bit over $33,000 for my family of 5's insurance policy.  Mind you, it doesn't even kick in until we hit our deductible - which is another $12,000 ... but we do get the "insured" price breaks.  Obviously we don't ever use as much as we put in.  Except this year we might - after Hisham was RX'd with Covid last year, hospitalized over Christmas, back to the hospital right after New Year with blood clots, which led to finding a small mass on his kidney, I'm thinking we've already h...

  I've been blogging since 2008.   Hard to imagine that time has gone by so quickly.   One of the first posts included this photo.   I remember this photo - totally unplanned - we had gone to the mall - and when you walked into JC Penny's, the photo studio was the first thing you saw.   So we stopped and had photos done.  I love how tan everyone is - and relaxed.   I wish we could go back to such wonderful, relaxing days - we didn't know how good we had it.  

  Spring comes with it the desire to make everything fresh !   After being locked down for nearly a year - the need for NEW is all consuming. Not looking to break the bank - we have the same chairs in the dining room that we purchased when we first got married (OK, I purchased them - we were poor at the time)    I've recovered them a few times - I hate the last ones I did although they've served us well for the past 10 years.  I LOVE this fabric - but I am worried it will be too dark on my dark cherry wood chairs.  Oh well - I'm shopping at Fabric.com and their prices are reasonable - so I'm going for it.  Also ordering fabric to redo the back porch - so many plans !!  I'll include a few photos of the before looks so you have an idea.   I was going to replace the plain white sheers too - the ones I picked were $158 a YARD!!  I didn't know fabric could be so expensive - especially when you can see through it.  Obviously I d...

 Spent the last 3 days driving over 1300 miles round trip so my son could check out Marietta College and Mercyhurst University.  He's been accepted to both, has financial offers to row at both, but they are only 2 of the dozen he's been accepted to.  We've made a few trips - down to Florida, Washington, DC, PA, MD and now Ohio as well.   I really liked Marietta, and I'm hoping he leans that way - they seem to have the most to offer academically - but we'll see.  I did enjoy spending some quality one on one time with him.  I told myself that this may be the last trip him and I take together - so I didn't really worry too much about my diet.  I didn't track my macros.  I even had dessert - and it was GOOD !  Came home, and stepped on the scale the first morning, only to find out it was at a new low !!  How TF this happens, I have no idea.  But I'm not complaining.  It was the incentive I needed to not even take a day off fro...

  Last weekend my son and I took the opportunity to go visit a couple more colleges he's been accepted to.  Normally this would have been a fun trip, find out about the schools, have a few meals together, and check out the surrounding areas.  Of course, the timing of this trip was completely wrong - we left and after 6 hours of driving, ran into a snow storm.  I had checked and knew it was going to happen, so it wasn't a surprise.  I just squeezed my rental in between to 18 wheelers and managed to get to our destination still doing 75+ mph.  Those truck drivers on a whole are amazing - anytime I have to drive that kind of distance, especially in bad weather, I try and get behind one (but far enough back that they can see me)   I almost felt as if I should wave thank you when we part.    Anyway - it snowed the entire time we were out and about - I carefully planned the time on the road so that we would miss the worst of it - and it worked...

One of the things I know I need to do this year if I'm going to continue my health journey, is to cook more.  Last year we supported small businesses and had food delivered from multiple small restaurants - which was great for supporting them, but not so great when it concerns my diet efforts !!    One of the things that worked so well for me is doing the Menu Plan Monday hosted by Organizing Junkie - check out her site for lots of great ideas and links to other's Menu Plans !! On the Menu this Week Monday - Molikia is an Egyptian dish over rice - also known as Jew's Mallow.   I'll do a step by step on this one someday - not many Americans know how to cook a tasty rabbit dish. Tuesday - Dinnerly Recipe -  I have tried a couple subscription boxes.  Was not happy with the blandness of Hello Fresh, plus their delivery was more miss than hit.   Use my link and try a free box ! Wednesday - My anniversary - unfortunatly the hubby is recovering f...