Dinner

a random picture of silliness...which has nothing to do with dinner, but at least we're happy in it, right?

Here are a few recipes I tried and thought the results were good enough to pass along. If you are like me, I love new recipes. I get bored eating the same thing over and over..in my family's case, we eat a lot of sloppy joes, homemade pizza and stir fry.

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

6 med. leeks, sliced

4 med. potatoes, diced

2 cans of chicken stock

1/4 c. butter

1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

1 c. half and half

chopped chives

place all ingridents but the half/half and chives into a crock pot and cooke 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 on high. after cooking, pour soup into a blender in stages, and blend until smooth. Put back into the the crock pot and add the half/half. Cook for30 minutes or until hot. Garnish with chives..my family found this soup somewhat bland. So we added our own toppings. I added fat free sour cream, turkey bacon and chives to mine.

Berry Waffles

1 c flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup berries

1 tbsp Canola oil

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 egg

whisk together flour sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In separate bowl whisk together milk and sour cream. Add egg and vanilla and oil. Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir. Stir in berries (I used more berried than the recipe called for) cook in the waffle iron and serve with freshly whipped cream..some mint would be perfect with this!

Charity

Elder Marvin J. Ashton said this about charity:"Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings, having patience with someone who has let us down. or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other"

After taking a very long break from exercise..I am now going to admit what this has done. It has added an extra eight pounds to my already slightly chubby body. I now look pregnant when I am not laying down..which means I look pregnant most of the day!! (why can't my belly stay flat, like it does when I am laying down?) So, I am resolved once again to start my journey again. But isn't that life? Aren't we always striving towards a better you? Sometimes, that might mean just making the same mistakes and learning from that mistake every single time we make it! Take a page from my book, as they say. I suppose this means that I really can't, really, really, can't eat what I want all the time and not have a consequence. My consequence right now is dealing with a bloated and so very attractive mommy belly. But I digress, I wanted to say, that although I haven't done so great in my eating this last week, I have managed to work out almost every day. With the exception of Friday and Wednesday. So, at least I did that. Now, on to this week, where i will begin to start being a conscience eater, for instance, I will ask myself this question "Do you really need that bowl of ice cream with caramel syrup?" or "Do you really need to eat three cookies?" or, my favorite.."are you really enjoying this food or are you just eating it for kicks?" Half the time I eat something and I don't even enjoy what I'm eating. I want to enjoy what I put in my mouth, to savor each and every bite. But alas, I haven't done that in a long time. Eating is just something to do, and not an activity I enjoy, (which is odd, considering that is how I gained all the weight in the first place!) I ordered some pants which arrive on Wednesday, and new shirt which should be coming the same day, the goal this week is to actually be able to zip those babies up! So, I am going to be brave and say..I will loose at least two pounds this week! There, it's out in the world, and I charge you guys with the job of holding me to this! I need accountability to someone other than myself, because it is far too easy for me to talk myself out of things..thus the eight pounds regained! AHHHHHH! (I'm serious, kick my little behind into shape! :)