Weight Watchers Saturday

This post will be short and sweet :-)  My husband worked today so . . I didn't go to Weight Watchers again.  So, that's two weeks in a row that I haven't gone and I haven't been very good either.  Hoping to get back on the wagon after Kickoff Sunday tomorrow. 

That's all :-)

Weekly Menu - Week of September 10th

Well, last weeks menu just kinda got thrown out the window.  As is usually the case, when I put off going to the grocery store due to a busy weekend . . .I really hate going so I keep putting it off and get creative with what is left in the house.  I did the same thing last week only so I could keep my grocery list as small as possible for the main purpose of running in and running out! That's ok though, that means I could carry over some of my grocery budget to this weeks shopping (which is good since it is Kick off Sunday!)

This is the plan for this week:

Saturday:   We have Plan A or Plan B - Plan A is the boys and I will meet my husband after work to do some shopping.  My kids need something other than sandals now that it is getting cooler out!  OR Plan B - we will order out if my brother comes to stay with us (this is up in the air right now!)

Sunday:  Ok, This is Kick-Off Sunday and we are HUGE football fans in this household.  To kick off the season we love to have lots of appetizer type foods so we can munch all day!  I promise to share recipes of the things we love!  Bacon Wrapped Sliders, Bacon Wrapped Crackers, Bob Armstrong Dip, Southwestern Tossed Salad and Chips, Warm Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip, Pumpkin Pie Dip and Layered Pizza Dip.  (Can you guess what I'll be eating for lunch all week HA!) *Disclaimer - not sure I will make all of this yet - I have to see how far the grocery budget stretches!

Monday:   I've decided to challenge myself with one meatless meal a week.  Not sure how long we'll keep this up but I think it is a great way to try some different things.
So, we are having Creamy Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups, Green Beans, Garlic Bread.

Tuesday:  Darryl has to go to the recording studio today so he won't be home for dinner . . .more than likely I'll just pick up a box of Mac and Cheese or a frozen pizza for dinner for the kids and I. 

Wednesday: Hearty One Dish Breakfast, Banana Bread, and Strawberries and Bananas.

Thursday: We are going to have Chicken Teryiaki Thighs (an family favorite) and Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:  Date Night with some Friends!!

Sweet Treats:  White Chocolate Chips Cookies and White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Recipe Friday - Fresh Mozzarella BLT with Pesto and Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

A few weeks ago, we went to a zoo with my in-laws.  We started out with a picnic and I really wanted to make something fun.  Too often we end up grabbing something instead of making something to take.  I did some looking and found this great sandwich recipe that was a huge hit!

Fresh Mozzarella BLT with Pesto
Adapted from: Food Network




This sandwich was so fresh and delicious.  The Pesto Mayo made the entire sandwich for both my husband and I.  I picked up some good bakery rolls and they worked great.  Next time, I would hallow out a little of the bread before making the sandwich.  Also, I did put more bacon on it than what the recipe called for - and was glad I did!

Ingredients

• 1 4-inch piece baguette
• 2 slices low-sodium applewood-smoked bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons store-bought pesto
• 1 1/2 teaspoons low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 spear romaine lettuce
• 2 thick slices heirloom tomato
• 1 thick slice fresh mozzarella
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Slice the baguette open, leaving one side attached to form a hinge. Cook the bacon in a skillet over low heat until crispy; drain on paper towels.

Combine the pesto with the mayonnaise and smear on the bottom part of the bread. Layer the romaine on the bread, then the tomato, bacon and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper; close the sandwich and wrap in parchment paper.


A week or so ago, I had two complete flops when it came to baking.  It was bad.  I don't know what the deal was but both items I made were awful.  I ran across this cookie recipe, had all of the ingredients, and decided to try and "save the week".  I was so glad I did!

Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Adapted from: How Sweet It Is

These puffy pieces of peanut butter goodness are fantastic.  Finally, a homerun!  They are soft and gooey and just so good!!  I was short on chocolate chips but they were still very good and I will make them again.  I think they have become my new PB cookie - I'll use this recipe for Hershey Kiss Cookies too!!

makes about 18 cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
8 tablespoons of salted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add butter and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments until melted. Let cool completely.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the cooled butter/peanut butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to bring it all together. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk, but I did not need this. Fold in chocolate chips.
Shape the dough into a ball the size of a golf ball. Place on a baking sheet two inches apart and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. The centers should be soft and puffy. Do not over bake. Let cool completely then dig in!

Linking up over at:

What I'm Reading

Welcome to another weekly addition of "What I'm Reading".  The time when I share what I'm reading and my opinion of the books as well. 

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren is the book I was reading when I wrote the post last week.  I finished it up and will say that it ended better than it started.

Synopsis: Sophie Frangos is torn between the love of two men and the promise that binds them all together. Markos Stavros loves Sophie from afar while battling his thirst for vengeance and his hunger for honor. Dino, his quiet and intelligent brother, simply wants to forget the horror that drove them from their Greek island home to start a new life in America. One of these "sons of thunder" offers a future she longs for, the other—the past she lost. From the sultry Chicago jazz clubs of the roaring twenties to the World War II battlefields of Europe to a final showdown in a Greek island village, they’ll discover betrayal, sacrifice and finally redemption. Most of all, when Sophie is forced to make her choice, she’ll learn that God honors the promises made by the Sons of Thunder.

My Opinion:  Honestly, I almost put this book down when I first started reading it.  This is a re-read and, as I started reading it again all I remembered is that it was hard to follow, or at least I thought it was so.  The first few chapters are harder to read because it moves kinda slow but when you move to the store of Dino, the younger brother, and than on to Sophia's life, it picks up a little . It does have an ending that leaves a little to be desired though.  It is one of those books where you are reading and it is getting really good . . .and than it resolves  everything in the last three pages. 

My Rating:  When I consider both sides to this review - one being that it did end up being a good read in the end but started out slow and the fact that it didn't really have a good ending, I can really only give it  . . . .*    *   . . .two stars.  :-(  I am planning on putting this book up on half.com as I really don't want to take the time to read it again in the future.  I have much better books to read, including some by this same author! 

Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren - yes, the same author as the book above!

Synopsis: God has answered Mona Reynolds's prayers and given her the opportunity of a lifetime: she is about to open her own bookstore-coffee shop, the Footstep of Heaven. Now Mona has no time for love and no hope that a man can ever be the hero of her dreams. But when she hires mysterious drifter Joe Michaels to be her handyman, she discovers that it isn't only in fairy tales that people live “happily ever after.”

My Opinion:  This is a great book.  I would categorize it as a "Knight in Shining Armor" kind of book yet it has a great, almost realistic, story line.  It is a feel good kind of book yet you genuinely are pulling for the characters to find true happiness in the end.  There is a little mystery throughout the book that makes you wonder, doubt yourself, wonder again, and then take a deep breath as you finally figure it out and are glad that you got it right.  I really enjoyed reading this book!

My Rating: *  *  *  *  Yep, 4 stars again.  It was really that good and I will be keeping it on my shelf to re-read over and over. 

Tying the Knot  by Susan May Warren - you are sensing a theme this week?  Anytime I re-read books, I start at one end of the book case or the other which means I'm reading in alphabetical order by author.  Obviously, I started from the back end of the alphabet! This is the second book in the Deep Haven Series.

Synopsis: EMT Anne Lundstrom is running from her past. But it's about to catch up. She thought she'd escaped it when she moved out of the city and into the quiet town of Deep Haven. She certainly never expected to get roped into helping Noah Standing Bear run his summer camp for inner-city kids. Yet Noah has a charisma she can't ignore, and romance is in the air. But when the very danger she was trying to escape threatens her peaceful haven—and her life—Anne must find the courage to face her fears and embrace the one man who can help her understand her past.

My Opinion: Again, I really enjoyed this book alot.  It is another "Knight in Shining Armor" type book but is so different from the first book in the Deep Haven series, that it is ok.  I found myself, again, cheering for the characters to get things right and enjoyed learning lessons from each of them.  There once again is a little mysterious "under story" going on with this book as well which resolves itself in the end of the book. 

My Rating:  *   *   *   . .. Three stars for this one only because it follows such a similar path as the first book in the series - even though it is very different in the storyline, if that makes any sense.  It will be remaining on my shelf too, though :-)

There are a couple of other books in the Deep Haven series that I don't own but I would like to read - I'm adding those to my wish list from Half.com so that I can pick them up in the near future :-)

 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving . .  . the fantastic weather we are now having.  The tale end of last week I think I almost died from heat but, it took a 30 degree nose dive on Monday.  It was cool enough that we all had pants on, not shorts!

I'm loving . . . my Dancekin's pants.  I bought them last year on clearance and had forgotten how much I loved them.  I think I will be picking up a few more pair for winter. 

I'm loving . . . how much fun we had at my brother's house this past weekend.  Talk about a relaxing time plus it was super adorable to watch how my kids became my nephews shadow all weekend.  Too cute!

I'm loving . . . that fall is coming - the smells, sights, sounds and fun!  I can't wait until we get to go to the pumpkin patch and cider mill or for Halloween.  I still have to find the costume for my oldest though!

I'm loving . . . that my parents willingly took our dog this past weekend so we didn't have to board her.  They love her almost as much as we do :-)

I'm loving . . .  my husband.  He's just so wonderful - he even drove on Friday night despite having driving all day . .well all week .. for his job just because we thought there might be a lot of traffic.  He's nice like that!

What are YOU loving today?

My 2011 Fall Devotional Plan

Not long ago, I posted about the upcoming session at the Good Morning Girls website.  I've been in touch with my "old" group and we are getting ready to start up once again on September 15th  I'm excited to get back into a routine with my friends and to have that accountability once again.

I thought I would share what I plan on doing for my daily quiet time this fall.

First up, I will be doing the I John Book Study, which you can also download HERE.  I really have enjoyed the S.O.A.P study method that is presented and the fact that by the time the 12 weeks is done, I've written out an entire book of the Bible.   To help with this, I use J. Vernon McGee Thru the Bible Study Guides.  I love how he explains each passage so that it is clear and understandable.

Second, I'll be picking up with these two books:

The way I treat these two books in my devotional time is simply this - I do the Daily SOAP reading from 1 John.  Next, I take one book and read a chapter on Monday.  On Tuesday, I take time to answer the study questions that come at the end of each chapter.  On Wednesday, I read a chapter from the next book and answers the questions on Thursday.  Friday I leave open to catch up or take time to read from one of the other learning books from my book goal list.  I tend to get bored very easy so having several books to read really helps me out! 

Too Cute Not to Toot!

Welcome to another week of inspiring, artistic crafts.  I love this weekly post :-) 

I'm not sure, honestly, if I've mentioned before that I like clocks, but I do.  I also know that I've seen other book clocks out there and think I shared one idea awhile back but I thought I would share this idea from Shealynn's Faerie Shoppe.  She gives a great step by step tutorial and even shares her mistakes :-)

I'm in the middle of a semi-kitchen redo and I have a huge stairwell wall that is open.  When I saw this idea, it really caught my eye as something easy, yet . . .well . .eye catching to do in that very spot. Big D and Me shares her how to and gives links to the etsy stores where she picked up some of the prints.

The fall holidays are just around the corner so here is a super easy and inexpensive project from Directions Not Included for Halloween Coasters. 

Last year, I shared lots of Free Subway Art printables but, over the summer I didn't seem to find too many.  Looks what's back!  This time from The House of Bledsoe.  I really love the colors and the words she chose plus, now I have a great printer to use to get these printed!

When I first saw this idea over at Not Just a Housewife I was quite impressed :-)  I like the fresh look of the plants and than thought of what a great herb garden this would make in the kitchen too.  I've been cooking with a lot of fresh parsley and basil lately so maybe . . .maybe . .this is an idea I should latch on to :-)

Ok, this idea from A Diamond in the Stuff just made me say "how creative"!!  Who would have thought you could use googly eyes from such a craft as this??

This next item isn't really a craft but this seems like the best place to share it.  One of the blogs I follow, Kelly's Korner, did a "Crockpotalooza"  link up this week.  She has a huge following so, needless to say, there are tons of link-ups to check out for crock pot recipes. I'm working on revamping my menu planning for the fall and want to use my crock pot a lot more but have struggled with finding really good recipes - I'm hoping this helps!

And while we talking food, you can also check out another great linky party but this one is by Boomama and is all about dips :-)  YUM!!  I'll be trying a few I found this coming Sunday for football!!

Back to some crafts :-)  I really do love wreaths despite the fact that I have yet to make one but, this black feather idea from Uncommon is just too adorable!  Eventually maybe I'll get this one made ;-)

I could not pass up this post because it is for . . Texas Roadhouse Rolls YUM!  I think they are very similar, if not the same as the rolls for Logan's which are also great.  I love this recipe from Lovely Little Snippets also because it is a bread machine recipe.  Like the crock pot, I want to use my bread machine more so here is the first new recipe to try :-)

Ok, this next idea I love and I want someone to make it for me, Dad.  :-) hehehe  I've seen these awesome storage units which are great for everything from home schooling to storing craft supplies but, for the first time, you can get all of the plans and the tutorial over at It's Just Laine.  So, Dad, if you get bored in your retirement - here's a little project for you to make for your favorite daughter :-) :-) :-)

This shelf idea from Imperfectly Polished is a great idea for my future "beach/cottage" themed living room.  I realize that the author's inspiration was a rustic room but the rope and wood made me think of driftwood/boat rope I guess.  Anyway, I'm tucking the idea and maybe some day it will show up again :-)

I think I will end on that note this week !  I hope you get to check out some, if not all, of the links above.