Snow, Smoothies and...................

Snow, snow everywhere.....this picture was taken from my kitchen window in the morning and we still had more snow coming all day. The drive way got shoveled and snow blown about 3 times. We got about 8 inches.....that's enough for one day!!! A big semi got stuck on our street  and could not get out, he had actually Jack-knifed, was kind of scary cause he was pretty close to the electric pole. A couple of good Samaritans came by and tried digging him out. FINALLY the city came and plowed him out and he was on his way to make his deliveries. Hope he made it.

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My smoothie for the day was:
3 strawberries
slice of lemon
2 tablesp. chocolate chip Chobani
1/4 avocado
water
All ingredients were enough to make 1 cup.

My review? Not bad, was going to put a banana in it to thicken it up, but did not need to as the avocado did the trick. Color of the smoothie, a lovely creamy pink.

www.atticfullofclutter.blogspot.com left me a recipe for a smoothie, which I shall have to try, not sure of the proportions, so I will just list what ingredients were:
Blueberries
broccoli
orange juice
yogurt
Sounds good, a must try for this girlie!!!

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So I went to Biz's blog today, www.mybizzykitchen.com which is on my regular "things to do list" and she was talking about going back to Basics today. Journaling, calorie watching, exercise and using a diet site on her computer which she pays $$ for. She found that after one day, her calories were about 1600 for the day but when she looked at her sodium intake for one day she was amazed at how much sodium she consumed: 3700 mg of sodium............wowzers!!!! Here is my comment to her as follows:

 
Oh man Biz…..sodium is the killer for me. If we only knew how much sodium and sugars were in everything we ate…..it would probably chock a chicken. When I went to Inches A Weigh they told me I should keep my sodium intake to 1500 a day and even that was high. I know when I have taken in too much sodium my ankles swell. (water retention) When shopping I read A LOT of labels…sometimes sodium is so high, you can get your quota of sodium in one meal!!!! Yikes! I immediately put that product back in it’s place!!


In Inches A Weigh, I thought I was eating too much (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack, gosh and don’t forget the smoothies and protein bars, writing everything down, WI on Mondays and measurements once a month and riding those toning machines every day….deep down, I hated it)…then one person would tell one thing and another person would tell me something else….I would get so confused. they all had a lot of good to say. But there was so much stress not to mention the politics amongst the trainers that went along with trying to lose weight. I was glad when I left. The place is closed up now, maybe that says something about the place.

I think you are doing good, keep it up and you will make your goal. Hey, it takes us years to gain weight and it will take years to take it off and keep it off….it’s a total “lifestyle” change!!! One day at a time. LOL…..I should copy and paste this for my blog today

An added note: in the two years that I went to Inches A Weigh I lost 10 pounds and 20 some inches. Not bad, but then, not good. OH and I probably spent about $3500 ~ NOT GOOD!!!!!! There is no way at this time that I could afford those prices now as I am not working. At this point I am not really interested in trying another weight loss fad. I'll just watch Biggest loser and get some tips from them and read Biz's Blog and a few others that have lost lots of pounds......true, tried and tested!!!

French Peasant Bread

MMMM is this ever some good bread. Biz had it in one of her blogs and I followed it to the tea and was it ever delicious. I found this recipe from the http://www.recipeshoebox.blogspot.com  You will have to go to  "Top 12 Recipes of 2012" (Tues. 1/1/12). Peasant Bread will be #8. Hopefully the above address takes you to her blog, if it doesn't, just type it in, I seem to be having a problem getting addresses right. Anyways back to the recipe.

I have added flax seed flour, and this last batch, flax seed flour and graham flour, such a good bread, then I brush with butter and sprinkle parsely and sea salt. A delicious bread, toasted with a little cream cheese.........I know, I know, doesn't sound like a nutritious meal, but with a smoothie not bad!!!!

Well, I guess it is time to close this blog for today.......last blog of January 2013........See you in February and OH Valentine's Month.............YAYYYYYYY!! Take care and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh!!! Cheers ~ Louise

Happy New Year - 2011!!!!

The New Year is about to begin for us....in about 6 hours........I maybe down stairs watching all the festivities of the New Years programs and will most likely watch the ball drop in New York City. We had no plans for partying tonight, as it all depended on the weather.....as of now it is foggy out.

We did go out to dinner at the "Taste of the Windy City" JP had a gyro and I had a cheeseburger.....oh yummmmmm. I missed going to Inches A Weigh today, as my car was getting fixed, another $249 dollar bill again. Well, so far we have invested $500 into the taurus and we have had it almost 2 months. YIKES!!!! Going to keep a running tab on how much this car costs....when it hits $5000.00 we are getting a newer car. HA HA HA!

Have you made any resolutions for the new year? I haven't, can't keep them anyways. I am thinking I will try and lose a few more lbs, not sure how much, by the end of March I am quitting Inches A Weigh. It has been 2 years of going regularly and sad to announce has not been a success for me......I have felt like I have been under much stress for two years more than anything.....and that is not the way to feel. This whole experience should have been a good one and I have not found it that way. Plus, it has been very expensive and now I have a car payment plus extra upkeep. So "cherio Inches A Weigh" we are off and running in a different direction.

As for Etsy and my card making, I would like to do a little bit more, been alittle lax in this area. The merchandising has slowed down a bit, which is fine with me, maybe now I can focus on card making and get my cards out there more. I really see a few changes coming on the horizon in the next few months, I just hope I am up for all these changes, good or bad......I am not sure.

Well, see you in the new year 2011 for now this is ~Louise~ signing off for 2010.....Cheers!!!

♥Busy makin' cards♥

My sediments exactly!!!! Everytime I get on the scale it is lying to me, UP and DOWN and all around. I dislike the scale like I dislike the devel himself!

This was a fun card to make and I will probably take it to Inches A Weigh to see if it sells from my box of cards. Plenty of people look at my cards and say how wonderful they are..........but alas.....just nibbles and no bites.

I stamped Garfield with versa mark then embossed him with black. Colored him in with my Mark it pens then layered on black cardstock then a blue card. Punching each corner for a little excitement. The inside of the card says "I have been dieting for the past month. All I've lost is 31 days!"

Here is one of my fun Easter Cards. I found a little lamb at Hobby Lobby 40% off and had to buy her. Learned a fun technique making clouds and thought the little lamb would look cute jumping in the clouds and that she does. She is stamped with black ink, then I used a glazed gel pen and outlined her then place sparkles on her wooly parts and gave her a blue bow.

The card is blue with clouds, Happy Easter is done with versa mark and blue embossing powder. The inside of the card is stamped with two crosses on either side of the word Faith.

Well, have a great day..........can you believe March is almost over...........where is the time going.
Louise

Another Group of Mother's Day Cards

So here is another group of Mother's Day Cards I have been making. All fun to make and each one is different from the other. I will be selling these cards seperately on Etsy and at Inches A Weigh at the end of this month. Each card will be selling for $3.00.

If you are interested in buying my cards as a set, let me know by emailing me at http://www.louisellen@juno.com and let me know which cards you desire. Scroll down my blog to another set of cards I put up for Mother's Day. I am getting quite a varity of Mother's Day Cards.............makes me wish I still had a mother, gosh, I don't know which one I would send her.

Well, it's Daylight Savings and I turned my clocks ahead, my computer says 12:13, the clocks say 1:13, so I think I shall close this blog for tonight...........

Happy Mother's Day Early,
Louise

Something NEW in the making..............

This is frame #3 (and my favorite)...........something new I made tonight.........a frame that can hold a picture of your favorite person, a poem, a scripture, an affirmation, or a saying. This frame is actually hanging on the refrigerator.

I was given a challenge the other day at Inches A Weigh by Dave. "Make an affirmation and put it on a card, something that you can look at and read and make it a part of you to help you lose weight"..............I thought, that's a good idea.

Well, while I laid on one of the excercise beds at Inches A Weigh, this thought came to my mind, "Make a frame and decorate it" It can then hang on a wall, or put magnets on the back and hang it on the refrigerator decorateing it anyway I would like.
This is frame #2...................... This is the first frame I made........frame #1

They were alot of fun to make and I am sure I shall make more frames. I am planning on making a few frames for my Etsy store in the near future, so that will be something new for http://www.cards4ubylouise.etsy.com/ I probably will sell them for $10, with this you also will receive a one free card and/or a bookmark and thank you card.

Well, time to go to bed, it's getting late and tomorrow comes early~~~~~~Louise

Labor Day.......and Chicken Soup.......

Today was Labor Day and I labored at Dollar General today doing the Switch out of Summer Promo Cards to CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING AND HALLOWEEN!!!!!!! Oh my goodness, is it that time already?

I met a little (about 4ft9" tall) old lady today, her name is Eileen and she is 85yrs old. She wanted to tell me about a card she bought a while back, it was called "A message from Heaven" and she felt her husband (who died 16 years ago) was speaking to her through it. She had gotten the last card and had hoped who ever ordered them would get some more. She was told at the checkout counter that I come in every Wednesday. Today she came in not knowing I was there and told me about the card. I said perhaps it was God speaking to her through the card and she said "oh yes" and I said God gave her a hug from her husband and she said "oh yes" from there we started talking about God. Turns out she is a bible scholar with a few degrees. It was quite the blessing to talk to her although I really did not have the time and had to get back to my work. It was one of those encounters that you just know it was God ordained and that I was supposed to be there today, not exactly sure why, but if it was just to be encouraged............it was well worth the time for me being at Dollar General laboring on Labor Day!!!!

It was also kind of nice to know that all my work is not in vain that someone actually got blessed by the cards I put up every week for the last couple of years.

Nothing else much happened today. Made some wonderful chicken soup today. Here is the recipe:
I baked one whole chicken in the oven with potatoes and carrots and Emeril seasonings for about 2 hours. We had a nice chicken dinner Friday night and Saturday. Then I turned what was left of the chicken into SOUP. Placing the rest of the carcus into a pot of hot water and cooked for a couple of hours, put in some Watkins chicken base soup, then let it cool down before putting in the refrig.

Tonight (Labor Day) I took the chicken out of the refrig and out of the pot. Deboned the chicken and put it back in the pot. Cut up one small zuccihni, carrots, added onion powder, paprika, and about 1/2 cup of spegetti sauce and some egg noodles and let cook for a bit, took off the burner and "wah la" a very tasty soup, JP really liked it alot............really have to remember that recipe.........well now its in my blog and will be archived............must change my title to........there....'Labor Day......and Chicken Soup..........." calorie wise......I don't know what the calories are, just too good to count.

Well, I think I will close this blog for today. Tomorrow is another day at Dollor General, have to do the audit on the reading glasses and sunglasses. And then on to exercise at "Inches A Weigh"......I am not too sure I lost any weight as I don't do alot of exercise on the weekends. Well, hopefully I will have lost a pound.

Have a good day................Louise

♥I WON♥I WON♥

YES, YES...........I won a cookbook from "Inches A Weigh" YAY!!!!!!! I am so excited!!! Here's how it happened. I had been wanting to get the cookbook, which costs $25......one of the counelors said, "Louise why don't you wait and see if you can win the cookbook as there is a contest starting, and one of the prizes is the cookbook?" I thought..........oh, so long to have to wait........but waited, I did.

The contest consisted of a baseball diamond and every pound you lost, took you to either 1st base, 2nd base or 3rd base, or 4 lbs gave you a home run!!!!! I only managed to get around all 4 bases ONCE.........never quite getting around again. Sooooo, that meant I only had 1 entry in the box. Yesterday was the big day and names were picked and, and, and, TA DAAAAAAA.......I won the cookbook!!!!!!!

Well, now I should have some fun making new recipes for JP and I with the Inches A Weigh cookbook. Next post, I will show you what my new prize looks like and perhaps I will give you a tried and true recipe...........I will be like Julie, who tried all of Julia Child's recipes in her french cookbook.................I will try all the recipes in the Inches A Weigh cookbook and give you a full report.....lol!!!!

Talk to you later, have to get ready to go collect my prize~Louise

♥♥Inches A Weigh♥♥

To the tune of "Anchors Away" (dum..dum) Anchors Away (dum..dum), That's what I think of when think of Inches A Weigh..............well, it has really been fun!!! Have lost 4-5 lbs and 8 inches since April 24th. Not bad for me, that is for sure. Just think in 6 weeks.....8 weeks.....10 weeks....gosh, maybe by Fall I can buy a bathing suit 50% off!!!

I am feeling better, don't know if I look any different, but that is okay, it will come all in time.

We bought JP a new suit, yellow shirt and fancy tie for the big Chicago wedding on the 23rd. I am still trying to figure out what I will wear. MMMMM, I might go back to Catherenes, try a find a nice pair of slacks and top. We'll see. Catherenes is what sent me to Inches A Weigh in the first place............maybe just maybe things will be different this time.

Well, I think I will shut down, really not in a talkative mood and I am starting to get tired. so talk to you later and a great day.
Louise