Wednesday, December 30, 2009

My Boo is sick

My dog has been sick tonight.  He never poohs in the house and he did tonight.  He couldn't even get up to go out.  He just laid on the floor and let go.  Cleaning up wasn't so bad this time.  At least it wasn't full on liquid.  But between the throwing up and poohing... he was one sick baby.  I just wish I knew what was wrong with him.  He would barely move.  He didn't wag his tail. At least he has started to feel a little better... I think.  He is moving around some and going out to use the bathroom.  So I wonder what had him sick.  I do know that if he doesn't act like his self tomorrow, I'm liable to take him to the vet.  Alicia takes sophie and duchess to Baird's... that might be where he ends up.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Spaghetti Dinner Recipe

Okay so I said that I was going to start a new diet plan... but what I really plan to do is manage what and how I eat and try to exercise more.  I am not going to guarantee that I will be absolutely successful.  But I will have success.  This means that I probably will not lose 160 in the first 4 months.. but I might be able to manage it in about 2 years or so.  Hopefully sooner than that but you can never tell.  So I plan to keep a record of what happens during the next few months and hopefully I'll be saying something positive about all this. 
First.... the spaghetti dinner secret.
The first thing you do is buy the following ingredients:
1)either fresh tomatoes or get 2 cans of 17oz whole tomatoes or diced. It depends on how long you want to cook the sauce.  The shortest time.. diced.. short time...whole-- which you cut up... longer.. fresh tomatoes.
2) ground hamburger meat ( the bigger the family the more meat you want) I use about 4-6 lbs.
3) tomato paste (1 small can)  I like Hunts but use what you want
4) noodles (depends on how many you are cooking for) I usually have about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of thin spaghetti noodles..... you can use the kind you like
5) and here is where it can get tricky.... 2 packs of French Italian Spaghetti sauce (dried herbs)
The reason this is tricky is that I have a hard time finding it... so we use the Piggly Wiggly version sometimes.
Now when I can (without the family finding it out) I use a little fresh shaved garlic and a basil leaf...which I take out after the simmering.  Sometimes I add green and red peppers...but this is optional.

So I usually put the water on for the noodles first.. because I don't pay attention enough to keep up with the boiling otherwise.  Then I heat up a pot for the meat. I brown the meat thoroughly before adding anything to it.  Once it's browned.. I drain the grease out of it.  This keeps the fat content down.  If you would like to leave a little of the grease in it, that's okay but think on this.. I usually end up with about 12 oz of grease if not more. 
Notice I still haven't mentioned the boiling water.. that's because I just remembered to check it.  If it is boiling let it.... back to the sauce.  I add the packs of sauce herbs into the meat once all of the meat is brown.  I mix it well and let it cook on low heat.   Let the herbs get into the meat and simmer. Now I get the noodles...Place the noodles in the boiling water a little at a time.  Keep it stirred as you place the noodles in. 
Back to the sauce.... add the paste in first.  Mix it well.  Then add the tomatoes and let it simmer.  Stir it occassionally and stir the noodles enough to keep them from sticking together.....
Now I like have garlic bread with my spaghetti so you might want to see if you can find a low calorie low sodium version... if not just remember to limit your bread intake.  
**** A NOTE ABOUT THE NOODLES
If you are looking to lose weight you may want to switch your noodles to a wheat or spinach noodle.  The taste of the wheat is not much different than the white noodle version and it's healthier for you. 
**Okay so  here is the secret... not a secret.. don't fill your plate to the brim with spaghetti and don't go back for seconds.  If you want more... eat a small bowl ( about 3-5oz) about 2-3 hours later.  This will keep you from overeating. 
***If you are like me and love a good salad with your spaghetti that's great.  Make sure you have about 4-6 different veggies on there.  Eat this about 10 minutes before the spaghetti.  It will also help keep you from overeating.  Plus.. if you like fruit- eat that on an empty stomach and about 5 minutes before your regular meal.  Fruit helps with digesting... if you eat it after your meal you are more likely to get gas and/or as my dad calls it (the runs).
**** questions? post a comment and I'll try to answer as quickly as possible.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

My Baby


You guys want to meet my baby..Here he is... my 90 lb. baby boy.  He was 9 years old in October... No I have not bred him and don't plan to.  Yes I will be devastated when he dies.  His name is JB and he has never slept outside.  The only chain he has been on was when my dad had his heartattacks and I was going back and forth to the heart center at Carolina.  He has always slept in the house.  And most of the time it was in either my or my mom's bed.

wedding gifts

So  I still haven't figured out what to give my friend Tiff for her wedding.  She is fun-loving, a fellow teacher and I think 28.  I know that she loves to dance so I was thinking of some CDs or DVDs but that doesn't include her fiance at all.  He is not the dancing kind... at least not like we are..hahahaha.  I need all the help I can get for this.  I need to ask around and see if she has  registered anywhere.  That would be helpful if she has.  I don't know.. maybe Wanna has an idea or too.  At least I still have a little more time to figure it out.
Great-- Footloose just came on...I really don't like the first 30 minutes of this movie.  So I guess I will find something else... and it will not be Saw or any of the Saw series.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and I am watching Meet the Santas... I really like the movie. I also had a piece of the best pineapple cake in the world... My Grams makes it. She keeps telling me that I can make a better one but I don't believe her. She makes the bomb pineapple cake and I wish I knew how she did it. I promised daddy that I would make his pound cake, but he has to let me know when he wants it. I don't mind cooking as long as someone else does the clean up. Like that really happens. I end up doing it anyway. I guess I need to find a man that likes to clean. Know anyone? I'll do the cooking and wash the clothes. I'll help vaccum and fold up the clothes. I'll even put the clothes away if someone else does the washing dishes and keeping the crap off the floor. I'll admit... I'm not very good at that. I wish I was a little better but hey we all have our good points and our bad points. I just wish my points were a little more balanced. I do know that most of the stuff that ends up on my floor is books. I read as much as I can and I have a tendency to leave them within reach for rereading. I know I should put them away but I can't seem to help myself....
Hey guess what.. *jinx* I am actually growing my nails a little. Wonder how long that will last but I have been able to keep them a little long. Oh Ace of Cakes is on.... love that show. Wonder if I could cook for them since they have a dishwasher...... I don't have to decorate anything... Just cook the cakes. I'll chat you later... Have to walk the dog.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

So I haven't been blogging in a while

Okay I know that I haven't blogged in a while but that's okay because we had a lot of last minute things to do at school this past week or so... Getting ready for Christmas Break and taking down Christmas stuff in the classroom is redundant but necessary. Oh well, at least I have everything for the students taking care of and if others don't like it then they can pray for me. I know that everyone has their own ideas on what makes a good Christmas but for me it's simple. Family and friends. My birthday is on the 18th and it's real hard for others to understand why I don't view my birthday as a positive thing... but when you grow up hearing "just pick a present from under the tree as a birthday gift" you just don't expect people to separate your birthday and Christmas. I also heard "this counts as both a birthday and a Christmas gift, Mech." That's bull and they know it. They didn't intend for it to be a birthday gift they just forgot that my birthday was this close to Christmas and they didn't get me anything for it and don't plan to buy 2 gifts for me. But that's okay.. I just wish they were honest about it. I have to admit though, Chawanna and Donna make a point to get me something for both. I am so grateful for both of my friends. I don't always remember everything but I try to remember them in all my prayers.

On to the reason for the blog... have you notice that people lose their minds at Christmas? I mean, I try to pick up Christmas through out the year because I buy for the individuals and not the group. You know what I mean, the whole "everyone gets the same" or "everyone gets a gift card" deal. I like a gift card don't get me wrong but I like buying things that I know the person will enjoy and use. I don't expect them to buy me something I really don't- it's nice and all- but I really like watching their faces when they open a gift that they didn't expect to get. It's like Christmas each time. My favorite part is when they say something like "Oh, I didn't expect this" or "I know just where to put this" or "Where did you find this?" Those comments mean something to me.

Another favorite thing about Christmas is getting Christmas cards. I know some of you are wondering what is so special about getting a card and not a present. Let me explain it. Some people buy because they think it's expected of them. Some people buy to make themselves look better in someone else's eyes. Cards are not like that. You really look at the cards before you buy them. You think about the message on the card and is it something that you want to say. Then you think about the reason you're getting the card. Cards are thoughtful and caring. When you get a card that means that someone was thinking about you. Even if you are just someone on their list, they thought enough of you to send it through the mail. So from my family to yours (my pack to yours)... here is my Christmas card to you. I hope you enjoy it.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

It's getting closer to Christmas

It's is getting closer to Christmas... how can I tell? All the Christmas movies playing on the tv. It's not getting colder, at least not more than 10 degrees. I am not really in the Christmas spirit. I haven't even decorated the house this year. The house is usually done by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, but not this year. I also have begun to lose my temper more and more over the last month. That hasn't happen since college. I am even getting irritated with friends that are as sweet as sugar. Wonder what's going on? I wish I knew. Maybe it's loneliness or knowing that more and more of my family and friends have died. Maybe it's that I really wish that I wasn't as single as I am or maybe the fact remains that I am working at a job that is no longer a joy anymore. The students seem to get ruder by the month not to mention how each year seems worse than the year before. Whatever happen to the times when you got your tail tore up for mouthing off at the adults much less the teacher. Or if you got in trouble at school you also got in trouble at home. I guess it doesn't really matter huh? *Sigh. I don't think that this is going to change any time soon. But maybe I can change my attitude toward things. I think that I am going to sleep on the goodness of my family and friends. Hope for the best at school and pray that I have the strength to beat down the darkness that seems to want to take over. One way or another I will survive to handle another day of life and hopefully laughter. I'll try to decorate this weekend. The niece and nephew would enjoy that. Good night everyone