McMakeup

You know….I was thinking… sometimes people are in the wrong line of business.   I was reading a Huffington Post news article today about a woman named Sally Davies who was testing the state of a McDonalds Happy Meal after six months.

Davies explains:

I planned to photograph the decomposing burger every day to monitor the process, and send to my friend! I started a page on Facebook called “McDonalds Happy Meal Project” and also on Flickr posting all the photographs. After a week or two, the photographs were very boring, as nothing was happening. at all. So I only photograph them every week or two after that. Not much has changed since April 10, 2010 on Day one. The top bun is very dry and a small part snapped off. The burger shrank as it dried out, but nothing much else. …
McDonalds says I must have altered the food in some way. I have not.

I was curious to see this 12 year old hamburger she referred to in the article and I was totally amazed and EXCITED!  This is NOT a bad thing, people!

The McDonalds hamburger on the right is from 2008.  The burger on the left is from 1996.

So here is my question; why hasn’t McDonalds thought of expanding into makeup and face cream products???!!  Duh!     You think the Cabbage Patch Doll phase was crazy?  A McMakeup line would cause the National Guard to be a constant sight in department stores!  Picture this….a 16 year old starts using this makeup, and at 50 years old, she would STILL LOOK THE SAME!  Yesssss, yesssss, yesssss!

I’m writing my letter now….

 

Holeeeee Sansoneeeeee!

I have found THE BEST exercise video!!! It’s called Leslie Sansone’s, “Walk at Home.” A five mile FAT BURNING walk. This video is the absolute bomb for losing inches! I am now able to fit into jeans that I haven’t worn in two years, and they fit LOOSE in the waist! I’ve only lost two pounds in the month that I’ve been doing her walking exercise but if there is a remarkable difference in how my clothes fit, it really doesn’t matter to me one bit when I started out doing her exercise my measurements were: Waist at narrowest part 31″, waist at navel 34.5″, hips at widest point 41″. TODAY! Waist at narrowest part 28.5″, waist at navel 29 1/4″, hips at widest part 36.5″. Isn’t it amazing that I’ve only lost TWO pounds with those lost inches? Sorry…I’m still in shock and EXCITED! I can’t wait for next month!

I started out watching her 3-mile walk on “Demand” tv and found that it made me sweat more than my regular power-walking through the neighborhood. I immediately knew this was going to do far more for me than any walking around the lake three times (3 miles) ever could, and I was right. This exercise uses muscles I would have never used in regular walking. it’s at a much faster pace with only a few easy transitions to “surprise” your muscles for better fat-burning effects.

Leslie uses the last two minutes for each mile for a, “Power Boost” jog. Now that I’ve purchased her video, I’m doing more jogging than walking while she leads her troops in the march to be fit. She has an interview with a girl who lost over 100 pounds by incorporating this style of “walking” into her life. I am a believer now. I still haven’t been able to do the full five-mile but my goal is set for next month. Right now I’m just relishing in the joy of feeling thinner!!!! Thank GOD I found something that fits my energy level. I had gotten bored with just toning my body in my regular walks. Now I have found something that finally takes away inches as well.

I tried Zumba a few months ago but it didn’t take me long to figure out that I was not a dancer. It left me out of breath, my chest was on fire, cramping, sharp pain from muscle pulls….. and those mirrors!! I had no desire to SEE myself trying to learn those dance steps.

If you’re like me with low energy level, have never liked aerobics, having a rough time with weight gain and water retention (especially during menopause and post-menopause) please try this. Start out with the one-mile and work yourself up. I never in a million years thought that I could lose this much in inches just by doing Leslie’s video! But I wanted to give it a try since the weather is cooling and I didn’t know what I was going to do during the Winter months. My schedule doesn’t allow for me to exercise each and every day but I have managed to work it in at least three times a week. Three miles takes approximately 45 minutes.

If you try it out and it works, please let me know! I’m so excited to tell everyone about it!

Football Fans Have Gone MAD

Going to a football game is nothing like it used to be years ago.  People didn’t stand in front of you during the game unless it was a key moment, and then -everyone- would get up and cheer.  They’d sit back down and not block the view of those behind them prior to the next play.  Where did this new breed of fans come from where, “Down in front” means nothing?

Yesterday, while at the Bronco/Colts game, a couple three rows down kept standing before plays and not sitting down for long periods of time.  They had a 10 year old little girl, and their son appeared to be 12 or so.  People were asking them to sit but they wouldn’t hear of it, and the dad proceeded to voice his opinion to those whose views were blocked.  Third quarter came and it got even uglier;  more anger from the dad telling people off, which in turn brought on more raised voices from the fans.  Then, all hell broke loose when the little girl started to cry.  Security was called and took the dad away.  Mom proceeded to yell at those around her saying they made a little 10 year old cry and wanted to know what was wrong with THEM?!  She kept asking if they felt better about themselves ruining a little girls experience at a football game??!!  It made my heart hurt seeing this little baby so upset and scared while her mom held her and continued to yell at others around her.  Then the little boy started crying and she put her arms around him as well –never missing a beat condemning the fans for “causing this situation.” I couldn’t take it any longer and yelled at her that SHE was the one upsetting her children!  She and her husband made this happen!  My husband told me to stay out of it but there was no way I was going to sit back and not try to put a stop to her insanity, and blaming others for what she and her husband caused.  I told the women in front of me, “I can only imagine how many times those little kids have to experience something like this with their parents.”

Each time we go to the games its always the same; people have no manners when it comes to those around them.  They feel if they paid for their ticket, they have every right to do whatever they want with no regard to others.  Maybe its because they never went to games with their parents when they were growing up.  They didn’t have role models to show them the manners of stadium football.  But there are those of us who have gone to these games since we were young and although some of our parents have passed on, we continue to apply those manners today.

I wasn’t exempt from receiving the brunt end of someone’s crappy attitude; I got up once because the heat was too much at the beginning of the game and I needed shade. After I cooled off a bit, I walked back to sit with my husband and the woman at the beginning of the aisle did not want to get up. Her husband kept nudging her and telling her to let me by but she kept insisting she wanted to see this play! Now, I always wait for a play to be over before going back to my seat (MANNERS) so this was bizarre, nothing was going on! Her husband finally got angry and said, “There is NOTHING to see! There is NO PLAY!? Let her through!” Reluctantly, she stood up, rolled her eyes, and gave me a dirty look while her husband was now trying to mend the fence by saying, “Sorry, baby…she just needed to get through” He still has to go home with her no matter how ignorant she was acting you know

Growing up and going to most of the games because it was too cold for mom, I never witnessed the anger I’m seeing today. It’s getting to the point where parents are going to have to keep their kids home to keep them out of harms way.

Good times….

Family Day – Sept 27th

Something as simple as having dinner as a family could have a great impact on your children!  With more than a decade of research, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) found that kids are less likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs the more they sit down and have dinner with family.  Sounds almost too simple, but in these busy times a family dinner is not as prominent as it was when we were growing up.

My dinners are now spent with my husband in front of the TV,  as my girls have grown into adulthood with families of their own.  I remembered some of my favorite dinners mom made.   Everything was planned around meal time and there were no phone calls taken, we said grace and dug in.  If I think hard enough I swear I can smell the Italian sausage burgers, salmon burgers, spaghetti and HUGE meatballs, homemade tortillas, chile rellenos and beans (it was heaven coming home from school and smelling those green chile’s roasting in the oven!), enchiladas with a fried egg and goat cheese on top, and sweet corn bread.   But I think my most favorite dinners were those rare occasions when mom would make BREAKFAST.  I absolutely loved those nights!

Back when my girls were growing up,  I didn’t have much luck at cooking…Flames shooting off the turkey on Thanksgiving, tuna casserole dish that blew up in the microwave –glass everywhere,  Rhodes Monkey Bread left to rise in the microwave only to forget about it and the next morning wondering why I couldn’t see through the glass, upon opening the door….”The BLOB” attacked me and busted out with  great force like an air bag in a car!  Ahhh yes, memories.  I’ve gotten much better throughout the years and I know my girls would have had better memories of our dinners as a family if I had only known how to cook back then  I thought of different ideas for September 27th if we could turn back time and my girls were still home.

• Theme Dinner – Have family vote on Italian, Mexican, etc.,
• Retro Night – Prepare a meal your mom would make when you were growing up.  By now, you know your children’s taste and can choose one you think they’ll love.  It’s a nice way to connect your childhood to theirs.
• Talk about the importance of sharing the end of the day with one another and vow to make this a priority in the future.
• Stick  ”The Big Chill” cd in the player and have members of the family help prepare the meal while chatting, singing, and having fun!
• Make a picnic-type meal and load everyone up in the car to the nearest park.  Easy clean-up!
• Dinner and a game!  Nonono, not a football game, guys.  After clean-up, play a board game.  Winner gets to choose the menu one night of the following week.
• Dinner and family videos
• Order Chinese takeout and learn how to use chopsticks (having forks nearby of course!)

• Shish kabob Night!  Choose everyone’s favorite item to place on the skewer.  Make Dessert Shish kabob’s too!

• Buy everyone chef hats to feel the part!  You can purchase them at Amazon.com for for anywhere between $4.50 – $10 kids and adults

• Plan a night to paint family aprons with fabric paint before the big event.

Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children^TM is a nationwide movement.  The following link will take you to the study.  Hope you have an awesome family night!

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Men – Gotta love ‘em

I look forward to Bronco games and our tailgate parties at the stadium.  We carefully plan each menu and always have a feast fit for a quarterback!  I had never heard of “Deep-fried Prime Rib,” but….okay, that’s what was decided.

I prepared my appetizers a day ahead because we leave the house on Bronco Sundays at 9:30 a.m., and I am not a happy camper when I have to get up at the crack of dawn to cook.  This week I tried my hand at Guy Fieri’s  Asian and Carolina wings.  After cooking and refrigerating the wings, I started preparing the sauces.  Asian mixture; soy sauce, lime zest, honey, orange juice, ginger, sesame oil, ginger, cumin, oregano, garlic, chili garlic paste, and oyster sauce.  I poured all into a gallon-size freezer bag, mixed it up and had a little taste before refrigerating –YUMMMM!  A lot of ingredients, but so worth it!   On to the Carolina sauce; ketsup, red wine vinegar, red chili flakes, adobo sauce, dry mustard, garlic, and sugar.  A much simpler sauce but equally as good, and a tad more heat than the Asian.

After making refrigerator mashed potatoes I was happy that I had nothing to do but warm the potatoes, heat the wings, and pour the two sauces over each batch of wings come game day.  Tada!

My usual tailgate morning ritual is for me to cook my tail off, shower, makeup, do dishes and out the door we go. My husbands ritual is to pick his players for Fantasy Football, shower, and out the door we go.  Fair?  I think not!  This morning didn’t turn out to be the norm.  I woke up with a terrible stomach ache and told hubby there was no way I’d be able to make tailgate or the game.  I explained what he needed to do to get the food ready and packed.  While I’m lying in bed I could hear the him scrambling  around and loud clatter coming from the kitchen….I couldn’t help but giggle.  Aren’t tailgate mornings F-U-N?!!  Haha!  Now he knows what I have to go through and I made it EASY this time.  Wonder if he had time to pick his players…poor guy………*sniff*  (No, that wasn’t a, shed-a-little-tear-feeling-sorry-for-him sniff.  That was an,  I’m-smelling-something-burning sniff.)  *Sniffffff*   Oh —- my —– God.  I run downstairs to and see a plate full of burnt wings.  ”I was heating them up under the broiler and, well, they got a little too toasty.”  ”Yeah, I see that….”  Ok…..okokokok….my stomach is in pain, I can’t do anything about the wings, no sense crying over spilt milk, so I go back to bed.  At least he was heating them up in small batches so only a dozen were ruined.

I was so disappointed having to watch the game on TV.  It looked like such a beautiful day outside and I kept thinking of that deep-fried prime rib that I missed.  Going to a Bronco game is such an exciting event, and I always feel close to my dad when I go.  I know he’s there with me.   It always reminds me of how my morning ritual with my dad went on Bronco day; he’d wake me up with this long plastic horn on those Sunday mornings.

DOOT DO DO DOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  GOOOOOOO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!    Ah, yes, it was a serene experience  Mom never went to the games when it was cold so those were the days I would get the ticket, which was almost every game since we only had a few warm days in the beginning of each season.  I loved being there with my dad.  It was the only time I was able to spend time alone with him, and even though he knew I never watched the -game-,  only the cheerleaders, it was never a wasted ticket in his eyes.  We had the best time together –just me n’ dad.  How he loved his Broncos.

Dad died five years ago… and every time I go to a game now, I swear I see someone who looks like him from the backside.  It makes me smile.

I got through the day having to watch the game on tv, and when hubby got home he proceeded to tell me how lucky I was that I didn’t go — they announced that it was the hottest game day in Bronco history.  OhthankGOD!  There is no way I would have been able to sit in my seat.  He said it was MISERABLE.  So now I feel better

I asked him what people thought of the wings?  He said everyone loved them! In my circle of friends, we are recipe-crazed.  Our lives are built around taste-testing, recipe-sharing, and searching for the newest ideas for food on the internet.  Knowing all my friends are very picky about their wings, I was happy I found two recipes that I’d feel good about making again.

So I asked my husband, which one did they like more?  The Asian or the Carolina?  His eyes widened.  ”What do you mean?”  ”What do you mean what do I mean? Which one did they like best?”  Silence.  ”Ok, you mean there were TWO different sauces?  I thought they were the same, just in different plastic bags and I mixed them together!”

SIGH……..MEN

If You Really Knew Me

We have a local news station who asks their audience to participate in a show that showcases different representatives from various companies and organizations throughout the Colorado area.  Today they asked for those who have concerns or questions for our public school system, to submit their email to be considered on an upcoming segment with the superintendent of Denver Public Schools.  I jumped at the possibility of this request reaching the office that could make a difference.

Dear Mr. Boasberg,

I am 53 years old and worked as a Secretary in Doull Elementary for 10 years, later going on to work at Sabin Elementary as a Lead Teacher for Kaleidoscope for four more years.  Having to attend inservices with principals and experts was a great help in how we deal with abuse, neglect, self-esteem, and excitement to learn.  But in all those years, those inservices  never gave me such a promise of hope as the reaility series, “If You Really Knew Me. ”

Wikipedia best describes the overview:

If You Really Knew Me is an American reality television series currently airing on MTV that focuses on youth subculture and different cliques in high schools. Students from each clique participate in Challenge Day[1], which is a program designed to breakdown stereotypes and unite students in schools. At Challenge Day, students from all walks of life gather together in one room. Then each student is assigned to a group where they must reveal something personal about themselves. It’s at this point where each student begins their dialog with the words “If you really knew me…” The goal of Challenge Day is to demonstrate to students the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth, and full expression.[1] The show will focus on Challenge Day in various high schools. The series premiered on July 20, 2010 on MTV.

I have watched every episode and I’m hoping eventually every school in the U.S. adopts this program.  I urge you to order transcripts from this show.   How many years before schools catch up and decide this is the answer to crossing lines of division to make high school and middle school easier to manage?  I’m 53 years old and still have dreams of the stress I went through in my school years.  It has a great impact on your life no matter how old you are.

A few nights ago I saw the newest episode filmed at the Denver School of Arts.   Ironically enough, this show hit painfully close to my own life.  Constantly being told I was stupid, not feeling like I fit in amongst my peers because of my hispanic heritage, having to experience things that children should never have to experience, and trying to be seen as a person worthy of being seen.

It’s amazing how old a person can get and yet things that have happened in your youth can still haunt you.  We grow and learn throughout our years,  and events that have happened in those formative years seem to stay on the surface, albeit not in the forefront,  following  like a shadow as we age and mature. Some events make us stronger, and some cripple us throughout our lives.

I would have welcomed someone to talk to, to feel like I wasn’t alone in the battle of growing up in a world of pressure and judgment, and to be able to release my worries and fears in an honest and healthy way.

But, unfortunately there wasn’t a program as meaningful as this in place.  I haven’t heard of any schools in Colorado adopting this sort of program into their curriculum.  Test scores are important, but the overall well-being of our children should come first.  We need to incorporate tools that will generate confidence, high self-esteem, acceptance, and unity.  I am hoping that in our near future,  schools will recognize the importance of these as well.”

For those of you who have never seen this television show, check your local listings on MTV.  It’s worth every minute.

FB Group Shout Out To Oprah – For Our Children

Every four hours a child with cancer loses their battle.

A Facebook Group called, “Oprah Please Do A Show On Childhood Cancer – Our Kids Need Your Help,” has been started to try getting the attention of Oprah Winfrey to do a show on how dire the situation is in getting funding for more research.  Many celebrities are starting to climb on board and Tweeting this page to their millions of followers to spread the word.  The following is their mission statement:

“How can it be that childhood cancer is the NUMBER ONE disease killer of children under the age of 20, yet we hear almost NOTHING about it? It kills more children than asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.

There are no national telethons to bring awareness to it, no major celebrities that we automatically ‘connect’ to it and most people don’t even know what a gold ribbon represents (yet we ALL know what a pink ribbon represents!)

Statistics bore me. They usually just go in one ear and out the other. Then in December of 2007 one of my best friends ended up in the emergency room of Children’s Mercy Hospital. (see their story here:http://www.unitedweridekc.org/braden.html) Her 3-year old son, Braden, was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. Horrible odds – and if it relapses – no known cure. He DID relapse. By the Grace of God he is still with us today – but we don’t know how much time he has left. His mom got diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer recently, too. She learned more in her first one-hour doctor’s appointment about her breast cancer…than she has in almost THREE YEARS about Braden’s cancer! She’s thankful for all the research and treatment options available to her – as they will likely save her life. But doesn’t Braden and all the other kids who have cancer deserve that same shot at life? Statistics on childhood cancer mean something to me now. (please go to the left-hand side of this page and down to Photos and look under “Wall Photos” where I have posted some VERY eye-opening statistics!)

Along this journey we have met MANY brave children, parents and families who have fought…. or are still fighting this awful disease. Their stories are HEARTBREAKING and their courage is AMAZING.

Our mission is plain and simple. We’re hoping that OPRAH, during her last season on air, will do a show on some of the heroes who are currently fighting and some who have lost the fight with this nasty disease. The world needs to hear about their courage, thier fight, their families and their lack of treatment options because of the lack of funding and awareness. In doing this, we’re hoping that a light can finally be shone on something that NEEDS to be seen!

Our hope is that through the power of social networking – we can show the world…and Oprah…how important this issue is! In that light – we are trying to use Facebook AND Twitter to make this happen!!! If you’re on Twitter, we appeal to ask you to follow us and help us spread the word. There are 5 of us working toward this cause and you can find all 5 of our Twitter addresses at the top of this info! Follow our tweets and retweet every, single tweet you can!! On Facebook – we hope you share this with EVERY, SINGLE PERSON you know so we can grow this page FAST and show an AMAZING amount of support for this cause!

There are many independent childhood cancer causes, pages, foundations, etc. We need to ALL band together now and focus on the BIG picture for childhood cancer in the same way the Susan G Komen Foundation did for breast cancer! We are stronger, collectively, as a GROUP….there is STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!

If Facebook can get Betty White to host Saturday Night Live – let’s see if it can get Oprah to spotlight childhood cancer!”

Please pass this on to your family and friends.  Our children need our help.

Young people have an almost biological destiny to be hopeful.
Marshall Ganz

Flanked Between Bizarre and WEIRD

Recipe For Success:

Take 25 lbs Flank steak and have family butcher shave paper-thin

Slap pieces over the body of Lady Gaga and apply a running stitch to strategic areas.  Tie meat to shoes with cooking twine.

Shove singer out onto the stage as quickly as possible so as not to have the meat start browning before getting on her soap box (and before e-coli sets in)

Pray that every piece stays put

Watch as meat edges start to brown under the hot lights, but middle should remain pink, as flank steak is best served medium rare

Let singer rest 10 minutes after leaving center stage so that juices will set.

Thoroughly wash all items meat has touched (including Cher)

Serve with your favorite Kale bikini

Make newspapers world-wide

————————————————————————————————–

Ok, we’ve all gone through some crazy fads and fashion statements. I’m sure some of our own clothing warranted a little shock value back in the day. As I was reading an article regarding Lady Gaga’s latest stunt, I started thinking back to my earlier days and wondering if some of us thought outside the box.

I remember the look on my husband’s face when I told him we wore “Desert” boots with our short dresses and nylons when I was in middle school.  I guess that trend didn’t reach the East coast?  We thought we looked sooooo cool!

Maternity blouses were extremely popular for girls to wear with their jeans in high school.   All the girls would go to Kmart or Spartan’s to find them on sale,  cut them shorter and hem.    Err…wha?

The Summer months brought Seersucker blouses or blazers with bikini tops.

I have to admit, I would STILL dress like this in the Summer months if I lived near a beach…..and uh, I didn’t have 134 stretch marks

I can’t forget cinnamon-colored nylons.  All the girls HAD to have that shade. When you’d get a run, you’d be blinded by the streak of white skin showing through.

I think  my greatest shock frock was worn in 6th grade.  I had my mom make me a “Paper Dress” for the last day of school.  Not all the girls participated, but those who did had fun showing off their painted designs!

Let’s just hope we don’t start seeing a Lady Gaga fashion trend. “Hi, honey!  Did you have fun shopping?  What didja get?”

Vegan Schmegan!

The first morning I started this diet I weighed in at 128 even.  This morning – 125.1

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo HISSSSSSsssssssssss!

NOT worth it and definitely a diet that doesn’t do what it promised to do in three days.  However, I am so proud of myself for sticking to it to test out this experiment!  It certainly wasn’t BAD for me with all the veggies and fruit I consumed, and it gave me the desire to incorporate those into my day-to-day living with easy, affordable, and yummy dishes.

I didn’t end up making the tofu last night because I was not feeling well at ALL.  My daughters think it was my body lacking protein.  All I know is that this diet gave me two days of not wanting to do my daily speed-walking because of fatigue and being afraid I’d toss my cooki….errr veggies along the way.

I am now eating cold pizza from yesterday and I am in HEAVEN!  Later this morning we’ll go to a Tailgate Bronco Breakfast party and I will no doubt eat everything that doesn’t eat me first!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

We now return you back to your regularly scheduled program…

Day 3 – Last Day of Full Time Veganess

These last two days are a challenge.  I was doing GREAT yesterday starting out with a sweet fruit and almond milkshake.  LOVED it!  It was so thick I had to change to a Boba straw.

I didn’t get hungry until around 2:30 in the afternoon and because I was busy doing odds and ends around the house, I made me a quick PB&J with these products.

So far so good!  I had tons of energy and bopped around my house from one room to another, cleaning, with a spring in my step!

In the evening we were getting ready to leave to play Buzzer Battle (A Jeopardy-type game) at our friends bar, and although I wasn’t hungry I made me a Boca burger because I knew it would be a long night.

Then it got ugly.  We walk in and I smell the free taco bar *sniiiiiiiiiiiiiffffffffffff*   I don’t remember it ever smelling that good before.  Was it a new recipe he tried?  Or, was it just……REAL food that I haven’t had the pleasure of smelling in two days???  I was hearing every crunch of each taco around me.  It felt like the music stopped, no talking…just crunching.  I was thankful I could still have my Bud Light in this diet, so while sipping, “This better be worth it, this better be worth it, thisbetterbeworthit,thisbetterdamnwellbeworthit,” played in my head.  That was just the beginning.  The whole night I had to smell everyone eating around me; french fries, chicken quesadillas, green chili, ……..it was just TOO MUCH!

Stop staring, Neesey…you’re only torturing yourself!  Just breathe through your mouth so you don’t have to smell it!!

We stayed to listen to the band after the game was over as we always do on Friday nights.  The eating slowed down because the party people were now the majority.  I made three beers last all night long just to be able to have -something- go into my stomach at a slow, but steady, pace.  The hunger pangs stopped and I enjoyed the rest of the night with friends.

Until…

They brought out the Breakfast Burritos.  This is a late-night event that everyone looks forward to.   Everyone who goes to Eck’s Saloon knows that these are the BEST burritos in town and they quickly sell out.  BIG, thick, piping hot, foil-wrapped BEEEEAUTIFUL tortillas filled with eggs, pork green chile, potatoes, sausage, and cheese.  Usually we grab one on the way out at the end of the night and eat it on the way home.  But last night it I had to sit there and watch everyone eat around me.  I could take no more, so I told my husband to take me home – “I NEED FOOD!!!”

I love to cook late at night – always have.  I was planning my meal on the way home; wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce that was part of the diet plan.  No, wait, maybe I’ll make spaghetti squash with Parmesan!!  Another option in the diet.  OR, I could make me the quick tofu recipe I read today!  Yes, tofu it is!  That was the longest ride home – ever.

I walk in the door and what do I eat?  Cantelope.  I couldn’t stand the thought of being SO hungry and waiting for my meal to be done.  I just wanted to shove anything down my throat and go to sleep so I wouldn’t have to think about food until the morning.

Today I made another breakfast shake, a toasted slice of Ezekiel bread, and a cup of coffee.  I’m not feeling very well today; shaky, weak, hungry,  and blah.

I’m getting ready to go to my youngest granddaughter’s birthday party at the park, where there will be pizza and cupcakes.  I’ll be eating carrots.   Dear GOD help me get through today….

Tomorrow is weigh in!!!!

Update:  I survived the party pizza and cupcake hell.  I know I’ll be dreaming of pizza all night.  I packed some away along with a cupcake in a bag to bring home for my eating pleasure tomorrow afternoon when my life goes back to normal.  But when were ready to leave the park and I couldn’t find the bag …it was GONE!  I looked everywhere and had everyone else doing the same!   Let the rabid-ness begin.  I’m scrambling like a crazed woman and then someone said, “Oh!  That brown bag??  Your mom took it to the car!”  I turned around and yelled out to my daughter and mom in the parking lot asking if they took my bag!???? and THEY’RE yelling back, “What??”  My husband shouts, “You took her FOOD! Run!  Run for your life!  She’s coming!” while my son-in-law runs to get the video camera laughing at me quickly heading toward the thieves.  Turns out mom thought the bag belonged to my daughter and gave it back…well, sort of cautiously stood back with an outstretched arm and handed it to me.

So, that was that.

On my last night of this diet, I’m eating tons of veggies (remember unlimited portions?) and I have to say that it’s not because I feel more hungry than I ever have since starting this diet, it was a delicious Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti hit!  I had my husband taste it just to be sure I wasn’t just hard up.  He LOVED it!  Made up the recipe myself  *beam* Just a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, tossed in onions until they were soft, added mushrooms, garlic, zucchini, red bell peppers, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, tomatoes, oregano, reduced sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 cup water.  I let it simmer on low for an hour while my Spaghetti Squash was baking.  Hubby is already on his second helping. No exaggerating…this stuff is awesome!  I can’t wait to make it again and be able to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top like hubby did.

If the veggies don’t stick with me very long tonight, I’m going to be making “Spicy Tofu Hotpot,”  sans the lo mein noodles.   I’ve never had Tofu before but I feel like going out with a bang on my last night.