This is My Life

I kinda gave in yesterday and went to Publix to hit some coupon deals (which is why I'm not counting yesterday). However, I mainly just bought things that we didn't have or things that were free and I wanted to try (like the Sandwich Shop Mayo...which I actually found pretty tasty). Overall I spent $28 and some change. But...since I was a bit bummed about going back to work, I felt that I needed something to cheer me up. (I now realize how pathetic it is that buying food cheers me up, but...we all have our vices, right?) Yesterday I had oatmeal for breakfast (just a few more packs to go!) and a glass of milk. Is it sad that as I sit here I honestly cannot remember what I had for lunch? Probably so...or maybe just another sign that I'm getting old and my mind is slipping. We had small group and the main dish was hamburgers and hot dogs so I took some Boston Baked Beans in the crockpot. I actually used my smaller crockpot (the one for cheese dips) and it was the perfect size....

Terrific Tuesday...has not been so terrific. I go back to work Thursday and I'm quite nervous about it. Fortunately, I work somewhere that allows me to show up anytime between 6:00 and 9:00 am. Sweet, right? I normally like to go in early so I can leave work early. If I get in at 7:00 and take a half hour lunch, I can leave at 3:30 and make it home by 4:00. If this is no big deal for you, try leaving work from the beach, hitting the flyover only to discover that doesn't understand the rules about moving your car after it's once again backed up due to Spring Break, a brush fire, or some idiot that has caused yet another wreck on the bridge (or near the bridge) (or somewhere that affects traffic on the bridge) (or somewhere within 20 miles of the bridge). Seriously, when I worked for the engineering company, I was constantly finding myself crying while sitting at a standstill on the flyover. At one point I was knitting a blanket for a friend and everyone thought I was th...

Yesterday I crossed a line. You know that line that separates the twenty-somethings from the women ? Yesterday I totally flew over it. Yesterday I cooked my very first chuck roast. I pulled it out of the freezer Sunday night and let it thaw overnight. Yesterday morning I rinsed it off, put it in my slow cooker (seriously, if you don't have one, you SO need to get one...everybody's doin' it!), put some minced onion and grinder seasonings on it and filled it up with water. I turned it on high and let her go. For breakfast it was instant oatmeal and milk, lunch was...drum roll please...baked ziti! Let's not talk about snack...(Heath Klondike bar)...and supper was the most succulent roast I think I've ever eaten. I wish I could have taken a picture that could have captured how it tasted. It was that good. And of course, Baby L woke up JUST as we were about to sit down and I had to go feed him so Ryan went ahead and ate. I could hear him saying, "Baby, this...

Saturday morning I had a baby shower to attend for a sweet, sweet friend. She's due in August (poor girl) to have her second baby. This shower wasn't like any other, though. When I tell you the "theme" you're going to laugh...you're going to laugh because no other shower could possibly have my name written all over it like this one did. It was. A. FOOD SHOWER. Seriously, no kidding, I'm not lying. The idea was to bring ready-to-freeze or already frozen meals for the family to be able to heat up and eat during the first few days and weeks of bringing the baby home. Awesome idea, right? Let me tell you, I might be throwing some of these for my friends in the future. Our church has a ministry called "Labor of Love" that also provides meals for the first week and I cannot tell you how much of a blessing it was to not have to worry about preparing food. When you're bleary eyed from so sleep, freaking out because you're not sure if you...

Okay, wow, I'm getting awfully close to the one month mark. Holy cow! I know I've cheated a few times (although it wasn't super bad cheating), but I'm really surprised that I've held on this long. I will admit, the itch to start couponing and stocking up has certainly started back. The Publix list came out this week and I found myself checking it...three times. And then? And then? I checked it over again. Old habits are hard to break. So...Friday. Friday I finished off the frozen waffles with a glass of milk (By the way, I still have to pre-pour my glass of milk and set it in the refrigerator to make it extra cold. Why? Because that's how my mother did it.) Lunch was a Barber's stuffed chicken breast, squash, and okra. So good. Friday afternoon and evening we had a birthday party for a friend's daughter who was turning three so we ended up eating at their house. Pizza. Yes. Sweet manna from heaven. And cake, too. Mmmm.... My latest "food...

Wednesday was a bit crazy. I knew what I wanted to make for small group: Baked Ziti. I knew that I had almost everything for it. What I didn't know was that it would take three visits to the store to complete my list. Here's the recipe and I'll explain as we go. Baked Ziti (from my "Church Suppers" cookbook) Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Foil (I used regular and YES, the cheese totally stuck to it) 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 4 cups (32 oz jar) pasta sauce (I used a a 28 oz can and 1 small tomato sauce can) 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, divided 1 package (16 oz) ziti pasta, cooked and drained (I used macaroni elbows. Can you BELIEVE I didn't have any ziti?!?!) 1 package (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (required a trip to Walmart) 1 container (16 oz) ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese (required a trip to Target, only to discover they didn't have it and therefore also required a trip to Publix) 1 egg 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided ...

Terrific Tuesday might be a good description for today...of course, after yesterday it's not saying a whole lot. After a wonderful trip Hobby Lobby (where Baby L made three new girlfriends) we came home to a nice summer rain shower. LOVE those. Breakfast was supposed to be a bowl of blueberries and yogurt but I was only able to get about half of them down before the L-meister started calling. But...lunch was another story. Bologna sandwich on my sandwich thins (seriously, you gotta try these), the rest of my blueberries and yogurt, some ritz cracker crisps, and peanut butter cookies. This weekend I pulled out a tube of cookie dough from about a month ago. I normally grab it when it's on sale and then I have an easy dessert when needed for church, craft, or small group. Saturday I was having a sugar crave so I grabbed them, let 'em thaw (the crave lasted a while) and baked them up. So. Good. My in-laws got back into town yesterday and asked us to join them for pizza at Angel...