4 weeks and 15lbs

Hey All!
Just wanted to share some pics.  These don't show me from the beginning of this journey, but they show the last four weeks, in which time I lost about 15lbs.  In total, I'm almost at 40lbs.  I am really proud of myself.  I feel like I've made significant changes in my life and I feel so good for having done so.  Anyway, here's the pics.  I can see the difference - can you??

Two Months & 30 pounds

Yesterday, I hit a weightloss of 30 pounds.  Yay!

I've been going at it for just over 8 weeks and I really am feeling good about myself.  I'm noticing that I'm not so completely winded after going up a flight or two of stairs.  I have the energy to walk across the parking lot, instead of driving around looking for the closest one (although, I have to admit, I will take a front spot if it's there on my first pass). 

My success is largely contributed to www.myfitnesspal.com.  I've been using it to track my calories & carbs and the exercise I've been doing (Yes, you read that right...More about working out later).  I'm really proud of myself for committing to the changes that I decided to make. 

For the most part, it's been pretty easy.  I don't ever feel like I'm starving myself.  I'm not forcing myself to eat foods that taste like tree bark and dog food.  There are a few things that I used to eat pretty religiously that I haven't had in two months.  Things like chips and apple juice.  But also carbs - they are my absolute favorite thing to eat - pasta, potatoes, bread - but they're bad news, for the most part.  So, I've started eating whole grain breads, which aren't bad.  Baked sweet potatoes and mashed cauliflower have been pretty good substitutes for the higher white potato versions.  And pasta...Well, that's the biggest kicker.  I think if I had to choose one food to live on for the rest of eternity, I would choose noodles in some form - probably Omi's spaetzle.  So when I chose to go low carb for diabetes reasons, I knew this was going to be the worst part for me.  I tried whole wheat pasta and that's okay, but still not quite the same.  And then I learned about a product called Dreamfield's Low Carb Pasta.  And I heard the angels sing.  :-)  The stuff tastes, looks, behaves like regular old pasta.  But it's much better for you, if you're a diabetic.  Higher fiber and a lower glycemic index. 

So, more about that sweating business...I hate it.  I absolutely hate every minute of it.  My favorite part is when the trainer on the video tells me I'm all done.  But then I feel good about it.  I know the sweat that's dripping off of me is bringing me closer to my goals.  I purchased two videos - The Biggest Loser vol. 1 & Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred.  Bob Harper is the trainer on the first one and I like him so much better than Jillian.  I alternate workouts - 1 day of cardio with Bob, 1 day of strength with Bob, 1 day of Jillian and then a day of rest.  In an average week, I'm working out 30 minutes/day, 6 days/week.  And despite hating it for those 30 minutes, when it's all done, I am SO glad that I did.  I feel proud that I'm doing something positive for myself. 

And some non-scale-victories that I've had:
1. My jeans are all fitting much looser.  I'm pretty sure most of the 30lbs that I've lost has come from my ass and hips.  I think I'm going to treat myself to a new outfit this week.
2. Some of my coworkers have noticed a difference and have told me that they can see my face looks thinner.  Looks the same to me, but I stare at the damn thing for much longer than they do.  :-)
3. My health is improving.  Two weeks ago, I went to the doctor for a followup to starting on the insulin.  The nurse who weighed me and the doctor were floored that I'd lost so much weight in such a short period of time.  But more importantly, two of the oral medications that I'm on (that were maxxed out) have been cut in half.  My blood sugar is in the normal range.  AND!  My blood pressure (which is usually high when I go to the doctor) was normal for my last two appointments.
4. Finally, I FEEL better.  I always kind of thought it was bullshit when people would say 'I feel so much better now that I've lost weight.  I have more energy.  I feel more positive.'  I thought it was all in their heads.  And maybe it is.  But it's in MY head now, too.  :-)

My goal is to lose 10 pounds per month. I think that's a pretty achievable goal.  I joined a challenge group on MFP that helps everyone doing it to keep motivated and held accountable.  It's a 12 week challenge and you set mini goals along the way.  At the end of the challenge (September 1st), I hope to be down 30 more pounds! 

And hey, if you're jumping on the weightloss bandwagon, check out My Fitness Pal.  Look me up (username: jagrib0112)!  I'll be your friend!  :-)

Update on Weight Loss

Well, I'm still going strong.  As of this morning, I'm down 17lbs.  Yay me!

I don't know that I really notice a difference at all.  I guess my jeans are fitting a little looser.  Although, that could just be because I'm on day 3 with these jeans (does anyone else do that?  I hope you don't think I'm nasty for wearing a pair of jeans for a few days before they get washed...I actually read someplace that you shouldn't EVER wash jeans...Just rinse them with cold water every once in a while and air dry...That's a little much for me...).

Anyway, I'm proud that I'm still sticking to it.  There have been a few times where I've been tempted (like last night) to take the easy way out and just pick something up for dinner, instead of cooking, but then I think about the progress that I've made and I don't want to deal with the repercussions of having a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal instead of a Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen dinner as my quick, easy, lazy option.  And then I'm proud when I get up the next morning and I'm a pound lighter than I was yesterday.

I'm being really honest with myself and everyone in my life about what I'm doing.  It's holding me accountable.  And I'm really happy to be able to report my weight loss when someone asks me how it's going.  I don't feel like I'm depriving myself too much.  The most difficult part (other than trying to convince myself to workout...I'm not very convincing) has been reducing my carbs.  I miss pasta more than anything else.  I haven't given up pasta/carbs all together, but there's been a huge reduction.  I was reading about a low carb pasta made by a company called Dreamfields.  You better believe that's the first item on my grocery list for today.  Not that I can feast on a bowl of low carb angel hair, but at least I have less guilt having it as a small side with something else.

My mother in law has joined the site that I'm using and called me last night to talk about how it works.  It's sort of like Facebook, in that you have something very similar to the fb Wall, where you can post little blurbs.  When you weigh in and complete your food/exercise journals for the day, it posts to your Wall.  You can "friend" people and help to encourage one another.  There's also a number of forums/message boards where you can ask questions, share recipes, etc.  So, if you're interested in joining, search for me by my email address and we can be buddies!  The name of the site is MyFitnessPal and it's super easy to use.

Oh, and PS, since I've been on this new eating plan (it's not a diet - diets end...This is a lifestyle change!), my skin is so much prettier!!!!  I don't know if it's the lack of crap going in or the increase in water consumption, but I've got so much less breakouts!  Awesome side effect!

Yep, I did it again

I was doing so well!  Staying on top of my blog.  Giving updates and little tidbits.  And then my 30 day challenge threw me a curveball and I disappeared again.  :-P  I'll get back on that wagon soon.  But today, I have something special to talk about.

I know I've said it many times before, but this time, there is no choice.  I'm taking control of my health.  About three weeks ago, I had an appointment at the doctor to have some labwork done.  My prescriptions had run out and the doctor wasn't going to give me refills until I'd come in and had my glucose levels checked.  So I obediently had my levels checked and they were off the charts.  From October to March, my A1C level (which is a measurement of your glucose % levels over a 2-3 month period and should be under 7) had gone from 7.2 to 12.2.  My blood sugar was over 300, and should have been somewhere around 120.

The next day, the office called me back and said that my doctor wanted to see me to discuss going on insulin.

Pause.  Let's rewind a minute.  Almost six years ago, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes.  I was put on a low dose of a medication called metformin, that is supposed to help lower your glucose levels and the hope was that I would lose a little weight and the blood sugar issues would go away.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  I didn't understand the seriousness of diabetes.  I didn't make the life changes that were necessary to make this issue go away.  I continued to eat and live in the same way I had been for the 24 years previous.

Over the next six years, I continued to see my doctor regularly and for a while, things were under control.  But I'd say after I got married and then more recently, when we bought our house, it just continued to get worse and worse.  That initial medication that I was taking is now at the highest dosage, plus I take the highest dosage of two other medications that are supposed to do the same thing.

So, now, like I said - the doctor wants to have me go on insulin.  And in that moment, it hit me.  Who wants to inject themselves every day?  Especially if you can do something to change it!  So, I'm making changes in my life.  I'm learning more about diabetes, I'm trying to change my eating habits and learn how to make more healthy meals.  I haven't quite bridged the gap of exercise, but maybe I'll get there soon.

That being said, since I've started my new way of life, I've lost six pounds.  In the big picture, that's peanuts.  But all things considered, I think that's an awesome start to this uphill battle.  This weekend, with the holiday that's centered around an enormous meal, filled with things that I just love, may be a challenge.  But I can do it! 

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

30 Days - Day Five

A Favorite Quote

Ordinarily, I would use one that expresses happiness like 'Don't frown - you never know who is falling in love with your smile'.  Or one that helps me to try and keep my over-emotional brain in balance like 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'  Those two have always been a couple of my favorites, and I really do like them.  I am generally a positive person and I think smiles are great things.  They can brighten your own or someone else's day.  They can be a defense mechanism for when you're feeling down or frightened.  I like smiles. 

HOWEVER!

In the last week or so, I heard the same quote from three different sources...Makes me wonder if God or the universe isn't trying to tell me something. 

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

So, for days now, this thought has been running through my head.  And I keep thinking about how insane I really must be.  lol  Really, though.  I keep on doing the same shit over and over again, and I'm hoping that one day, it will be different.  That eventually, I'll get the outcome that I want.

Duh.  Try a different tactic, Dummy.

So, yesterday, I started a new tactic.  I have to be diligent and stay on this path.  Hopefully, it will lead to different results. 

And yet, I'm still a slacker...

I promise you people things, and then I don't follow through.  I'll try to be better. 

Melissa is doing this nifty Thirty Day Blog Challenge, and we all know how much I like theiving things like this, so I'm definitely in.  Thirty Days goes something like this:

Day 01 — A favorite song
Day 02 — A favorite movie
Day 03 — A favorite TV show
Day 04 — A favorite book
Day 05 — A favorite quote
Day 06 — A fun fact about me
Day 07 — A favorite photo
Day 08 — Something I crave
Day 09 — Pet peeves
Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently
Day 12 — Something I bought recently
Day 13 — Something I want to buy
Day 14 — An old photo
Day 15 — My celebrity crush
Day 16 — A favorite food
Day 17 — A photo of my family
Day 18 — A baby photo
Day 19 — A fun memory
Day 20 — A hobby of mine
Day 21 — A favorite recipe
Day 22 — A favorite joke
Day 23 — A video
Day 24 — A travel story
Day 25 — A favorite photo
Day 26 — A funny (true) story
Day 27 — A child I love
Day 28 — A place I love
Day 29 — A person I love
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Four Year Itch...

I want to get a tattoo...Badly. I have a couple already, which I'd say are relatively small in comparison to what I want to do now.

I got my first one a few months before turning 21. The place where I had it done was owned by a friend of Hubby's mom's boyfriend, so I guess they gave me a break, not being "of age" and all. Hubby was getting a new piercing at the time and as I waited, I looked at the pictures on the wall, thinking it would be cool to have a caricature of my black cat Bubba. The tat guy said that he could do it, I should just bring in a picture. Hubby talked me out of bringing in the pic and told me that I should just have them do one of the ones in the book. So that's what I did. I have a grey kitty, batting a ball of yarn on my left shoulder. It is cute. And I was very happy with the work that was done. But now, 8 years later, I wish that I would've had the caricature done afterall. It would've been more meaningful.

The second tat that I had done was almost four years ago and has a lot more significance. I was finished with all of my college classes, and graduation was a week away. I decided that I wanted to do something to remember my good times in the sorority. So, I got CheerBear (the pink carebear with a rainbow on her tummy - CheerBear was the nickname that I was given when I became a sister) and she's painting my sorority letters on my right calf. I came with this idea, rather than just picking something that was up on the wall. It has a lot more meaning to me than the first one.

So, for the new one!!! Shortly after Opa passed away, I thought that I wanted to get a tat in memory of him. At first, I had the idea of having a black & grey portrait of him done. I have an old photo of him as a young man and I thought it might be a nice tribute. So I began looking online for artists in the area that specifically do portraits. For something like that, I think it's incredibly important to find someone that is REALLY good at this. I would hate to have such an important tattoo done poorly. To look at a permanent piece of art that doesn't look exactly like my Opa...That would be horrible. So, I started to let the idea go and knew that I would come up with something sooner or later.

At Christmas, Omi & I had a moment of sadness, remembering Opa's love for cardinals, his friend Jose. One day, it just hit me. I should get a cardinal! But I wasn't sure how I wanted to have it done. Initially, I thought I'd do a cartoon-y version of the red bird. My standard "cute" choice. But as I thought about it more, I decided I wanted it to be more realistic. It's a memorial, not just some cute little birdy. I want beautiful, not cute. So, I began looking for images of cardinals, photos that I could draw some inspiration from. And then I just happened across a photo of a tat on a girl that was a bird in a tree branch. It was just incredible. Sooo...Here's a small compilation of my inspiration...

This is the photo that just completely grabbed me. I don't want it in the same place on my body, but only because my body looks nothing like that. :-) And the bird will be a cardinal. And I haven't yet decided on the type of tree...I'm thinking either a cherry tree or a magnolia.

This is the placement and about the size that I'd like the whole tat. It would be a branch, not the whole tree, so that I could accomodate the placement of the bird.

The rest are various images that I like and could be helpful...I really like this specific cardinal. Sometimes, they can look mean. But I don't get that from this guy. He just looks like a nice guy trying to stay warm.

A literal photo of what I'd like, complete with cherry blossoms:

Magnolia blossoms:

I'm having a difficult time deciding which type of flower/tree I'd like. I thought maybe if looked up the symbolism associated with each, that might make it easier for me...

Cherry Blossoms: In Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize the transience of life because of their short blooming times.

Magnolias: associated with nobility, perseverance and love of nature.

I think both flowers have appropriate sentiments behind them...Thoughts? Any artists out there want to take a stab at drawing this for me? I'd definitely pay for your work.

Super Secret Project #1

I've been thinking about doing this for a while and it was just a matter of getting my stuff together and making it happen. Sooooo...SSP#1: Another blog. lol

I love to cook! And I know that there are others that do as well. I wanted a create a place to post my favorite recipes, and yours too! This new blog, Jen's Community Cookbook, will be a place where I can share recipes that I really enjoy. I would also love to share (and test out!) your favorites, as well! Send me your favorites, so I can post them up there with mine!

I've got one recipe up there, so far. A recipe for Ultimate Brownies (which are cooling on the countertop, right now!). They're so easy to do and come out great every time.

I really made a serious dent in my list this morning. I think I'm going to take a break and catch up on some shows until dinner time. This weekend is going fabulously!

Making Progress!

I've been updating my to-do list as I complete tasks on it.

I did the grocery shopping last night and watched a couple shows. Last night was way more about just taking it easy than getting anything accomplished.

This morning, I got up and started cooking and cleaning. I'm about halfway done with all of that stuff. I also have updated my layout here (Purdy, no???). I decided to take the easy route and use stuff that other people have done. It's a lot more work to create layouts on your own. And frankly, these look a lot better than what I come up with. My only objection to using premade layouts is that other people could be (and probably are, because they're super cute) using the same ones. But I just gave in to the ease and prettiness. lol

I also added a Mister Linky & an icon to my page for my new Thankful for...Thursday meme. I hope that you all will participate next week! :-)

I'm off to start baking brownies and one of my super secret projects next! Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Hold on to your hat!

I have SOOOO many things that I want to accomplish this weekend.

• Grocery Shopping
• Library
• New Layout for this blog
• Update FotoJenic with all of the photos that I've taken over the last sixish months
• Take some photos for next week's You Capture
• A super secret project that I'm sorta really excited about
• An icon and the McLinky for my Thankful for...Thursday meme
• Another super secret project that involves mucho ass kissing
• Curtains - I have a sliding glass door in my kitchen that seriously needs some curtains. It's a project that I KNOW I can do. I just need to buy the materials and DO it. (This project may have to wait until next week when I get paid again, since my wonderful husband took $100 out of the account last night for God knows what...)
• Catch up on some tv shows, like pretty much ALL of this week's shows
• Move all my musica to my desktop, so that I can chuck my piece of garbage laptop out the window ...just kidding ...sorta

Yeah, I'm going to be a busy girl. But I'm really excited about it. These are all pretty fun projects for me. Anything that involves making a mess in my kitchen or playing on the computer makes me happy. Should be a fun and productive weekend!!! :-D

Thankful for... Thursday!!!

I searched all over that neato DailyMeme site for a good Thursday one and was just disappointed at my options. I was going to skip Thursdays (even though I really SHOULD be participating in You Capture on Thursdays...But my capturing has gotten a little non existant since the cousin's wedding...And I still haven't posted pics from that yet. Ugh, as a photo blogger, I suck.). And then this morning, I was thinking about a myspace post that I'd done a couple years ago, after Melissa had done it first (Yes, I get most of my ideas from other people...I'm a copy cat...AND WHAT???), listing things that I'm thankful for.

And then it hit me!

I'll make my own stinking Meme/Mister Linky and YA'LL can participate! How's that for a brilliant idea?? lol

So, I'm working on a Mister Linky and a lil icon and all that good stuff to go along with it. But for now, here's my list of some of the things I'm thankful for this week. Tell me what you're thankful for, too!

UPDATE: I've added an icon and the html for you to plunk into your blogs to participate! I've also added a Mister Linky at the bottom, for you to share your post of the things that you're thankful for this week!

I'm thankful for...

• leaving work early, even if it is only to go to the doctor.
• having dinner with girlfriends.
• the awesome brownie recipe that I found - it's so good that Hubby's buddy from work asked for me to make a whole pan just for him!
• the brave men and women who have and continue to protect(ed) our country.
• my friends and family, who love and support me.

I really shouldn't...

Get my hopes up, that is. I have been trying for weeks to come up with a good plan for next week's summer vacation.

• First, we were going to go the BMW National Rally in Tennessee. Then Hubby's mom told us she didn't want to go, so that was ruled out.
• Then, we were going to go camping somewhere. But the more we considered that, the more we decided that camping is really something that's best done with other people. We get too bored with one another when we go camping.
• So, then we talked about going to a waterpark resort like the Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, where we went for our honeymoon. But that's like $300/night. And honestly, part of the reason that we loved it so much for our honeymoon was that it was in the middle of October and it was rather empty. We got a great deal and didn't have to deal with a lot of people. But now, we're in peak vacationing season. I'm sure there would be a ton of people and their rowdy-ass kids there. And I know Hubby wouldn't enjoy it as much.
• We talked about going on a roadtrip to who knows where.
• He finally said to me last week that we should go someplace that has a nearby photo-op, like a zoo or some sort of scenic place and where the hotel room is relatively inexpensive.

I think I might have found the perfect place. And I really want to get excited about it, but I know that if I come home, jumping around him about it, like a puppy that needs to pee, I'm going to get shot down. So, let me jump around your ankles for a moment!

I want to go to Columbus, Ohio (I don't know what it is about Ohio...It just seems to be a happy place for me). I did a google search for the top-ranked zoos in the country and Columbus Zoo & Aquarium was one of the closer ones. So, I googled Columbus Zoo, and lo & behold, they have a waterpark that's associated with the zoo!!! At first, I didn't want to be swayed by the waterpark alone, so I tried to pretend like I hadn't seen that. I looked around at the zoo's site and it seems like it's a pretty nifty one! They've got a lot of the animals that I love, and a lot of ones that we don't have here at Brookfield. They also are associated with Jack Hanna, who is the COOLEST! Okay, so I'm totally sold on the zoo. So, now, I go check out the waterpark site. AWESOME!! They've got all kinds of rides and two different lazy rivers!!! (If I was a puppy, this would be the part where I piddle a little bit because I'm so effing excited!!!!!!!!!!!!) They even offer a discounted rate if you buy the package deal for both the zoo & waterpark - $38/person. It's only $4 off (waterpark - 30, zoo - 12), but hell. $4 will buy me...a cheeseburger...? I checked out hotels in the area and there's an Embassy Suites nearby - Can you say awesome room and free HOT breakfast??? I'm so completely and totally sold on this idea. It's about 6.5 hours away, which isn't too bad at all. I really hope I can sell this to Hubby. This is supposed to be his birthday celebration, but seriously, when don't we do what he wants!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!!! :-D

And now, Presenting...

My new photo blog @ http://fotojenicphotos.blogspot.com/!!!

I really want to be able to display my photos, all in one place, and be able to show it other people, mainly people I know, that I don't neccessarily want all in my business. Hopefully, I can keep the two separate.

I posted all the photos yesterday and did the layout today. When I came up with this plan to make a blog solely for my photos, I knew exactly which photo I wanted to use as my header. I knew nothing else. But I'm very pleased with the way it came out. It's not too busy, but it's still unique.

If you get a moment, please wander over and let me know what you think!

My First Layout! How exciting!!!

So, I did it. I created a layout. I think it's cute, but it's totally NOT what I had in my head when I started on the journey - not even a little close. Sooooo...I'm going to start the search for all the right things and once I get that put together, I WILL post it here. In the meantime, check out my practice blog - Part Two. I've got the new layout living there for now.

You Capture - Letters

O.M.G. This week's You Capture was really challenging!!! Like more so than last week's rustic challenge. The topic for this week was 'Letters'. I was really straining my brain to come up with ideas.

My first thought was letters, like at the post office. I hadn't yet been to my local post office (we just moved in September - give me a break!), so I swung by on my way home yesterday (damn the rain!!!) and when I got there was quite disappointed. Living in a small farm town, I should have known better. The post office was just a house. Literally, an old house with a couple mailboxes outside. So, I dropped that idea. It really wasn't what I was going for. My backup plan, which I'd dropped before I even got to the post office, was photos of graffiti. I love how it looks - I think it's very artistic - and if I had the right opportunity, I'd take TONS of shots. However, that would probably require me going to some unsavory part of town. And that's not something that I'm thrilled about doing on my own.

Sooo...As I'm driving home from the post office, it came to me! I'd walk around the neighborhood and come up with photos to represent each letter in the alphabet. A is for Apple, style.

I ended up not getting all 26 letters, but here's what I did get. I think I might finish this at a later date...I really am happy with the idea that I came up with.


A is for abandoned...This bike was just laying there all alone. No kids in sight. There aren't any houses nearby.

B is for Baseball Diamond

C is for Cat...Woofy was waiting in the window for me when I got home!

E is for Easter Bunny...I'm a little slow to put away my decorations...So what?

G is for Garbage Day

H is for Home Sweet Home (not mine...But someone's!)

K is for Kite

L is for Lightpost

M is for Mother's Love...My girlfriend from work brought her daughter in to work last week...I just love the way she's smiling at her baby girl.

N is for New Life...I can't wait to see how this tree in my front yard looks when these buds open up!!!

P is for Pinecones

R is for Red

S is for Sunny

Z is for Zebra...I really liked how these folks' grass looks like a zebra print...Maybe I wouldn't like it so much if it were my own grass, which is still brown, btw.

I'd love to hear what you think! And for more unique representations of 'Letters,' go on over to:

Chicken Saltimbaca

Chicken Saltimbaca was one of the first dishes that Hubby had at my parents' house, when we first started dating. It's also one of the few dishes that I can make from scratch and he'll actually enjoy. He's much more interested in things that come in a pouch, box or frozen bag. And if not that, then it must come through a drive-thru window. I have no idea how he got so fussy. His mom was just telling me this weekend that he's always been that way. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite. I love to try new foods and new ways of preparing them. I like all different kinds of restaurants and if I wasn't so darn lazy sometimes, I'd never eat frozen/prepackaged stuff. The homemade version is always so much better. Anyway, that being said, on to my recipe! The measurements are not exact - I do this one from memory/by eye, so adjust as needed.


Chicken Saltimbaca
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 slices (thinly sliced) ham or prosciutto
3 slices swiss cheese
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried parsely
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place each chicken breast between two pieces of saran wrap, and pound breasts out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Remove top layer of saran wrap.
2. Mix bread crumbs, parmesan, parsely & garlic salt in a long, shallow bowl. Set aside.
3. Place 1 slice of ham on top of each chicken breast, one slice of swiss on top of that, and then drizzle some tomato sauce down the center (long ways). Try to keep the tomato sauce in one thin line, as you'll be rolling the chicken and you want to try to keep the sauce INSIDE. Now, roll each breast, making a spiral.
4. Dip each roll first in the melted butter, and then dip in bread crumb mixture, rolling the chicken, so that all sides are covered in breading.
5. Bake for 45-50 mins, until chicken is cooked through.

***I realized as I was typing this up that it would be so much...better...if I had photos to display. So, my next recipe post, which I plan on putting up tonight, will include some purdy pictures! :-)

Weekend Update & Brilliant Idea

Happy Monday, Everyone. :-P I hope you all had a nice, relaxing weekend. Ours was very nice, though not the most relaxing ever. That's okay. I don't mind a little excitement.

I've been battling this stupid cold since St Patrick's Day - THANKS DAD! I started with a head cold - totally stuffy, head ache, phlegmy cough...Good times. That weekend, I was still a little congested, but I thought I was pretty much done with it. I had some minor coughing, but nothing that I couldn't handle. And then last week, like Thursday, it started to feel like I was getting worse again! Scratchy throat and dry coughing...I feel like I've got something stuck in my throat, but at the same time, I feel like it's dry as hell. When I try to talk after being quiet for a while, I sound horrible. So, the throat's kinda keeping me down, but whatever.

My mouth is mess, too! The fillings didn't really start to bother me until late last week. I can finally close my mouth all the way, and the foreign material is starting to feel more like tooth. But there's a spot on one of my teeth that's just not right. It feels very sharp when I slide my tongue over it. One more week and I'll be going back for the other side. Yay. :-( And then once I recover from all the fillings, I have to go in and have all four wisdom teeth pulled. I'm terrified.

On to the good stuff. My house is CLEAN! Like awesomely clean. My mother-in-law & my grandparents came up to visit on Saturday afternoon, so the house had to be spotless. These two women are the cleanest neat-freaks I know. My grandparents hadn't seen the house yet, and seemed quite impressed with it. Made me very proud. When my mom got sick, they moved down to be near us. They have been a very big part of my life and I am really scared for the day that they're no longer around.

They arrived around 1 and I immediately gave them the tour. After that, we talked about what we were going to do. I told them that I wanted to take them to the winery that we go to and then m-i-l and Omi decided that they wanted to see our grocery store. Side note about the grocery store - it's HUGE. And they've generally got great prices. Hubby and I have both raved about the store, so m-i-l & Omi, being deal chasers, were stoked to check it out. Woodman's (the grocery store) happens to be right across the street from the winery, so we were in luck. We had a little tasting at the winery, Omi & Opa got a couple cheeses & a bottle of Reisling. M-i-l and I tasted some Almond Champagne, which was really fabulous! And then Hubby and I picked out our free bottles, for our wine of the month club. We drove across the street and wandered around Woodman's for a half hour - not my favorite thing to do on Saturday at 3pm, but whatever floats your boat.

When we were done shopping, I suggested we head back to the house, so Omi could refrigerate her purchases (eggs, cheese, pork roast), but she insisted that it'd be okay in the trunk. Yikes! We went to our favorite Chinese place for lunch and had the whole restaurant to ourselves, which was very nice.

After lunch, they decided to head home. I kinda felt bad, as I think m-i-l would've liked to come back to the house and hang out for a while, but Omi & Opa were quite obviously pooped. After getting them back to the highway, we went home and I watched some tv while he played WoW. A very chill evening. Went to bed around 9, which was so nice!!

Sunday, I slept until 8:30 - yes, I slept almost 12 hours. I SO needed it. I didn't make it to mass, and felt sorta guilty about that. I was kinda bummed that I missed the palms, but isn't the Gospel on Palm Sunday like the longest ever? I gotta say, I'm not so bummed about missing that. I'll definitely be there this weekend. Maybe I'll try to drag Hubby. Probably not though. We didn't really do anything Sunday. Played the game for a while and then decided to go back to Woodman's so I could cook dinner for the Hubs. Which leads me to my next BRILLIANT IDEA!

I think I'm going to start posting recipes (perhaps even with pictures). I love to cook and I usually have no one to share it with, since Hubby is very picky about what he will and won't eat. I didn't take any photos last night, but I made a very tasty dinner - one of Hubby's favorites. I figure as long as I'm cooking, it wouldn't hurt to share some of the really good stuff with anyone that happens to be reading, right? Plus, I just recently took some time to delve into The Pioneer Woman. OMG...I thought I was going to die when I started looking at her site. She is everything that I wish I could be. A fabulous cook, photographer, baker, website pro, mother, wife of a cowboy (I mean, really, who doesn't want the Marlboro Man as her husband?), and GORGEOUS, to boot!!! Seriously, enough already! Spread some of the wealth! She's like Martha Stewart, but better. I figure the only way I'm going to get to that level of Susie Homemaker-ness, is if I give it a shot! So...That's my brilliant idea. Perhaps tonight, probably more like tomorrow, I will put up recipes for last night's dinner - Chicken Saltimbaca & Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes. Woo Hoo!

Oh, PS, we got another 2 inches of snow yesterday. WTF is that all about!?!!??? Where's my effing spring at!?!!???