How The Summer Flies!

I cannot believe we are in the last week of June! Where has the time flown by? Emily had her first birthday:



This is what she looked like a year ago today - we used this picture for her birth announcements:


She was such a cute newborn... but she is embracing her new found freedom as a toddler (though no, she isn't walking yet)! She has decided to make every diaper change and clothes change an act of war. I hate it - I used to love bath time and post-bath time with her; it's my time to unwind with her after I've been at work all day, but I am started to dread it now. I'm hoping she'll eventually grown out of it...

Anywho, we've still waiting on the move. We found out yesterday it will be another two weeks before they can get the power on (we need the inspector to come out and do it, but alas, he's out of town for two weeks... blasted small towns... there is no one else to do it). Once we have power, we expect to spend a week getting it ready cosmetically (it's much easier to paint when nothing is in it!), and then move. So, we're probably looking at the end of July/beginning of August now... sigh... I can't wait until we have our own space again. And our stuff! It's been sitting in storage for over two years now, as we have been living in furnished houses - it will be like Christmas again!

Well, I need to go get the sun room cleaned - adios!

--Debbie

Whatz Up!?!

Recipe Monday

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes*

Ingredients

	8 average graham cracker(s), mashed into crumbs
	2 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted
	4 oz fat-free cream cheese
	4 oz light cream cheese
	2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
	2 large egg white(s)
	1 tsp vanilla extract
	1/3 cup(s) sugar
	20 oz light fruit pie filling, cherry, warmed

Instructions

Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs and margarine; mix well.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture into bottom of each liner and press down gently. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Beat cream cheeses until fluffy and add lemon juice, egg whites, vanilla extract and sugar; beat until smooth.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly into crumb cups. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes (cheesecake will still be wobbly, and will set as it cools). Cool.

Top each cheese cake with 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling.

*Recipe compliments of weightwatchers.com

Mother's Day Recap

Okay, so it's Wednesday, and my first Mother's Day was three days ago, though Jonathan celebrated it over the course of all last week.

First, I got flowers on Thursday:


Then a dinner date Friday night (always a pleasure not to have to cook!).

On Sunday I was allowed to sleep in until 10:30 AM (which is unheard of in our house!), and then went to a cookout at a colleague's house. It was fun, and Emily got in her swimsuit for the first time this summer, and "played" (i.e. crawled around on her towel on the concrete far away from the wet grass) with another little boy in the sprinklers. In fact, she got her first kiss - two of them, to be accurate. We're going to have our hands full with this one! But of course, we didn't have the camera. *sigh* Next time, we will be armed, so be prepared! :-)

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Mother Day! In fact, if you have a memorable story, post it below!

Monday's Recipe

I'm enjoying cooking again, and especially since we are back on Weight Watchers, am going for very healthy, but yet still very tasty, foods. Anyway, I've decided to make Monday my recipe day. Feel free to comment, or even post your own variations!

Grilled Chicken with Black Bean Corn "Salsa"

Serves 4 (approx 480 calories a serving)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup black beans (rinse if canned)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 cups cooked brown rice

1. Season chicken breasts (salt and pepper, or if you want more of a "kick", use a different seasoning. My favorite seasoning at the moment is McCormick's Grill Mates Steak Rub), and grill until done.

2. While chicken is grilling, mix remaining ingredients and put in fridge until chicken is done.

3. Dish salsa onto the chicken and serve with rice. Enjoy!

(not my picture, but this is very close...)

Now, Jonathan and I often like to chop up our chicken, and roll up the chicken and black bean corn salsa in a tortilla wrap for a burrito effect. Old Mission has several great wraps, including their original, sun-dried tomato basil, spinach herb, garden vegetable, and whole wheat. Also, it's great dish for leftovers! The salsa tastes even better after it has sat for awhile.

Picture Day!

For me, at least! I desperately needed a picture taken for work for two reasons - one for my business cards and second for a picture on the wall for our branch leader/manager section. But, I was not at the last conference where they took pictures, so I needed to have one taken, send it into the publishing company, and Lord willing, they can use it.

So it took us about an hour - we got lots of good pictures, but my stupid glasses caught a glare, no matter where we were, indoor or out. So we took them off, and this is picture Jonathan and I both choose as the best one for the day:



I have a bit of hair in my eye (the wind was blowing), but good grief, it was the best one that came out. I sure hope they can use it!

Anywho, I'm heading to bed - we have a full day tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day to every mom out there!

--Debbie

PS I've posted again on our joint blog that is following our weight-loss journey; check it out at http://jdrogers.blogspot.com/.

Another Day, Another Dollar...

....no wait! Not for me today - I stayed home from work with Emily as she seems to have a bug: fever, and all the nasty stuff Mommy's have to go through with a sick one that seem a bit TMI to put on the blog. My plan was to work this afternoon, but after she finally went down for a nap at 2:00 pm, I was tired that I went down for a nap, too. For two and a half hours. I never, EVER sleep like that, not even after Emily was a newborn. Jonathan was shocked. But I'm working Saturday, so it's not that I lost a day this week. But her fever broke, some of her appetite back, and she currently seems to be sleeping restfully, and I just pray that it lasts through the night!

Anywho, no major news for us, though the land clearing is done, finally, after a lot of rain and the logging trucks getting stuck, numerous times, though I managed to keep our zippy Nitska-Nissan going up and down our now demolished driveway (you are not allowed to ask about my mud incident from the month of April, though!). Not much will be done next week, but I think the week after will be a big one, with the well and septic going in.

The only other news is that Jonathan and I are back on Weight Watchers. We had unofficially stopped this fall when we moved here and had horrid Internet service, thus our online WW as pretty useless. But we both need it, and I've seen myself settle into some fairly horrid eating habits since the move to the other office: I drink coffee all day, and usually don't eat until I get home, and then end out waaaay overeating. So I'm trying to get back into the habit of eating regularly again, and dropping down to one cup of coffee a day (two if I have an evening training or appointment).

But Jonathan just picked up a movie for us, so I must go. Curious Case of Benjamin of Button, here we come!

*************


When a little somebody is not sick... :-p