Oh What a Week!

Do you ever have weeks where you just wonder how you're going to get it all done? This is my first full week back to work, the weeone's softball Opening Day is Saturday, I sit on the board at the Dad's Club where she plays so I'm crazy busy with that, my house is still a wreck from our trip last week, my bible study is tonight and I haven't done the work yet, I'm a bit behind already on paperwork for work, and holy-moly the laundry!!! It's that kind of week. I'll survive, I always do - but it will just be hectic until Monday! I really need to learn to say no. Can you teach me?

So, dinners this week will be simple and easy and quick. So last night the weeone thought breakfast for dinner sounded good and who am I to argue with a great idea! So I made her a couple of pancakes and breakfast tacos for both of us.


There's no real recipe for this, but I sauteed diced red bell pepper, onion and canadian bacon first. Once those were looking hot and happy I added 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of egg beaters and scrambled them all together. The weeone had her eggs on a flour tortilla and I had mine on 2 corn tortillas topped with a few diced pickled jalapenos and salsa. YUM! I think breakfast for dinner should be a once a week occurance!!!

I'm tired and Crabby and need something to eat!

Between being back at work full time, carrying the heavy boot that my foot's still in, and a longer-than-usual softball practice for the weeone, today was a VERY long day. I hadn't really planned on needing a dinner that's ready in 15 minutes, but that's exactly what I needed to deliver tonight.

I'd planned our weekly menu yesterday and on it I included a few cold things I thought would be good 'take along' lunches for me. One of those was a Crab Salad Pocket. Well, it was quick, so why not! I found this recipe in a Taste Of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook that I found on a magazine stand a week or so ago. The cover says "Display until April 6th" so I'm guessing it's been out a little while, but not too too long. It has lots of good breakfasts and lunches from the look of it.

This meal was quick, easy, light, tasty and will definitely be something that I make again. It'd be great for a beach picnic!!! It's got lots of crunch and great flavor as well. I sliced some cucumbers to have along with it as a perfect side. It's filling all on it's own and you could bulk it up some more with more peppers or cucumbers inside the salad as well!

This is not the best photo as the colorful nature of the sandwich doesn't really show through very well, but hey, I'm not a photographer!

Crab Salad Pockets
Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook
(submitted by Penny Bokovoy, Ulm, Montana

2 ounces imitation crabmeat, flaked, or canned crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon sliced green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning (I used Old Bay and a bit more than 1/4 tsp)
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise or salad dressing (I used reduced fat mayo)
2 whole wheat pita pockets, halved and warmed (I didn't bother warming!)

In a bowl, combine the crab, cucumber, peppers, onion, celery and seafood seasoning. Stir in mayonnaise. Fill pita halves with crab mixture

Yield: 1 serving
Nutritional Information
1 sandwich equals 239 calories, 2 g fat (0 sat. fat), 7mg cholesterol, 829mg sodium, 46g carb., 6g fiber, 12g protein

I have a new Snack Food Addiction!

My friends Sandra and Deanna brought a can of these over last Friday when we had "Girls Night In". Now, I cannot stop eating the wonderfulness that are these almonds! They're not so hot that they set your mouth on fire, but you get that nice bit of heat on your lips and wow! They're just good! I bought them at Target, but I think you should be able to find them anywhere Blue Diamond Almonds are sold.

Nutritional Info - Serving Size: 1 oz (about 28 almonds), Calories: 170, Total Fat: 15g (Sat. Fat: 1g, Trans Fat:0g), Chol: 0mg, Sodium: 115 mg, Potassium: 180 mg, Total Carb.: 6g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 2g, Protein:6g

Not a bad little snack! The can states "Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."

And yes, vacation photos are coming...I just need to unpack and do laundry and get ready for work for tomorrow and then - I'm right on that!

Hey- it's me on vacation!!!!

I don't take a lot of 'vacations'. Usually when I take time off work it's for one of two things; 1) to visit family put of town- Hi Doug! Hi Colleen! Or 2) I desparately need a mental health day during which I stay in pjs all day and watch bad daytime tv or whatever happens to be on my dvr! So it's a little surprising, even to me, that I'm in San Antonio for a couple of days.

We're having great fun, taking great photos, and completely wearing ourselves out! When I get back I'll give you a glimpse of what we did. In the meantime, suffice it to say- we didn't sit in the Splash Zone!

This is only a test!

I'm testing out a new app that let's me post from my iPhone...I guess we'll see if it works!

Learning my limits...

....if you know me in real life, you know that I often push myself to do all the things I should do even if it seems impossible to get it all done. Well, today I think I've learned the limits of my foot. I went to work, was on it pretty much all day, and tonight I had plans to cook dinner....but it didn't happen. My foot was sore and swollen and I couldn't imagine standing any more today. And so, El Rey saved the day. Shrimp Tacos for me, Tortilla soup for the weeone and we were off to the house....to settle in for the evening and watch our favorite guilty pleasure - The Biggest Loser!

So, I can't do everything I want to do, but I suppose I'm learning to listen to my body....chalk one up for the Big Guy...another lesson learned.

Tomorrow's a big day...in more than one way!

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day! And that's the least exciting thing about my day tomorrow believe it or not. Tomorrow is my first day back to work since my surgery on Feb. 6th. I'm a bit nervous since its still a bit painful to walk and I walk ALL DAY at work! I'll only be working tomorrow, Wednesday and a 1/2 a day Thursday before we head out to San Antonio on Thursday afternoon, so hopefully a short week will work in my favor pain-wise!

Tomorrow will also be the first day of me cooking again in a LONG time! I haven't decided 100% yet what we'll be having, but I'm certain it will be great no matter what. And I know that the weeone will be thrilled no matter what. She really misses cooking together at home.

So, wish me luck tomorrow...and say a prayer that my foot holds up!

Hey Texans...Help Get a Food Related Bill Passed!

In the state of Texas it is currently illegal to sell any food product prepared in a residential kitchen.

12 other states have Cottage Food laws.

These states generally report very few, if any, complaints or incidences of food-borne-illness originating from non-potentially-hazardous foods prepared in residential kitchens.

But in Texas it is currently illegal to sell any food that was made in a residential kitchen. You cannot be licensed for a home bakery.

A group of dedicated cake artists are trying to change that law. (including me!)

Representative Dan Gattis has filed a bill which would make it legal to sell non-potentially hazardous foods prepared in residential kitchens. It is House Bill 3282.

Please call or email your State Representative (find your rep HERE) today and ask him to become a supporter or 'Joint Author' of HB 3282! This will be a signal of broader support for the bill, and it will strengthen it!

To get more information you can visit the Texas Cottage Food Law website at www.texascottagefoodlaw.com

The Biggest Week EVER!!!

Well, it's a been a big week in our house and it's just getting bigger and bigger! What, you ask, could possibly be going on? Well, here's the rundown....

#1 Saturday we hosted a little kids M&M Extravaganza birthday party for the weeone in the morning...completely a blast! Here's a shot of the weeone (in the middle) with two of her gal pals from school. They played Twister, did M&M art, jumped like banshees, ran around laughing and screaming and had a GREAT time!!! It was only pulled off with the help of many since I'm still cast and crutch limited.



#2 Saturday afternoon after the little kids cleared out it was time for round 2. I have been celebrating the weeone's birthday with a crawfish boil every year since she was born. The first one was when she was 2 1/2 months old and then every birthday since we've had a boil. It's a blast and my absolute favorite part of the celebration. We have family, friends, neighbors and pals to hang out, eat, drink and have a great time.

Here's a shot of the table when the first batch came out...

#3 Sunday was the weeone's actual birthday, so there was breakfast at Barnaby's -yum!- then a mani/pedi at the new salon behind our house (with Nana too!) and finally, dinner with Nana, Pap and our neighbor, Mr. Don, at her favorite little Mexican food joint - Don Jose's - where we've been eating since I was about 5.

Happy 7th Birthday!

and finally....

#4 On Thursday I'm getting the cast off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let the countdown begin!

I can't wait to get back to normal life...I even sort of want to go back to work!