Is It?

At times I must ask myself...

"Is Bald really Beautiful?"

I can handle Ronald McD bald, but Brittany Spears?

NOT!!!!

Banana Squash ?

We did not have a football game this weekend! Yeah! You know sometimes you just need a weekend off with no special plans. So, what did we do? We cleaned house, did laundry, and went shopping.

I’ve noticed a big change in our shopping habits since my wife’s surgery. We seem to be buying more healthy foods and produce. WOW, I could not believe the produce we bought yesterday! And this is not all of it! I left baking potatoes, grapes, and onions out of the picture!

_

We have special plans for all of this food though! Tonight we are having Ham, Tomato Onion Gratin, Grape and Apple Salad, and of course this very unique find…Banana Squash! I‘ve never heard of this, but am truly looking forward to it! Of course, after we prepare it, I will post some food porn and recipes!

_

Funny looking, isn't it ? It was huge, it weighed about 12 lbs.!

We are also making our "Scoop & Nuke" for the week. Of course, leftovers will be included in that. Beth is doing Spaghetti Squash, and No guilt Banana Pudding! As Rachel Ray would say...Yummo! That's for my nephew Micheal!
Anyway…Have a great week!

Weekly Weigh In

Hey guys!

I have my last Dr.'s appointment this week! YEAH!!!!! But I also got some bad new from the insurance person at my WLS office. It seems that there is a possibility I will be denied because I have lost so much weight, and been able to keep it off! Soon as I heard that , I wanted to stop off on the way home and start the Ice Cream Diet! You know the one, it's where you eat a 1/2 gallon of your favorite flavor everyday till your next appointment !!!!!!!!

But good sense prevailed and I stayed strong! In the past 2 weeks, I have lost another 4.4 pounds! Count me in!

One way or another, I am gonna do something about my

SO CALLED FAT LIFE !

-

Have a great week!

_

First day of 6 month diet 355.9

Last Dr. Appointment 307.1

Last Sundays Weight 299.1

Weight this AM (9/9) 294.5

Weight loss this week 4.6

Weight gain this week 0.0

Total weight loss 61.4

A whole new us!

Things haven't gone to well in the last couple of weeks. short on money, heat wave, air conditioner broke, etc... Guess what? I think it's all how you look at it! You can choose to have a bad day, or you can choose to have a good day! Once again it comes down to choices, just like it did with R.J. on Saturday (What a Day !) So here it is..."I'm gonna have a good day! There I said it, so that means it should work...right?

It's more than just saying it, it's doing it. As I sit here contemplating what the day will bring, I also look at what it's brought in the past. I have a great wife who is doing things to for herself. She is loosing weight so she can be a healthier person. She leaves for work every morning at 6:00 and because of football practice, does not get home till after 8:00 on most nights. On the weekend, she cooks healthy foods so we can "scoop & nuke" when we get home. I have a wonderful son! He is doing great in school! I was worried, he transfered to a public school this year. I should have known he would thrive in that surrounding. He is doing great at football! Hopefully he will be my wife and I's retirement plan! LOL !!!

You know what, I am Blessed with a capital B! I have nothing to complain about, it could always be worse! Making choices, I think that's what God had in mind when he gave us free will! So I am going to make the choice, here it goes, wait on it...I AM GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DAY, NO MATTER WHAT IS THROWN MY WAY!

Just for giggles, I thought I would throw in a picture of the progress Beth and I have made since Feb.

Just kidding! But my wife has made tremendous progress. since the first picture was taken, she has lost almost 100 lbs. The first picture was taken at Ripley's Believe I Or Not in Gatlinburg on our honeymoon! I love you honey! Oh Me !

Happy Labor Day !

Well, it’s Labor Day! That must mean I have some labor intensive things to do!

Before going to bed last night, I had to fight with a clogged dishwasher that didn’t want to cooperate. Working on pipes filled with slimy water is not my idea of fun! Around 3:00 this morning, I noticed a smell coming from the air conditioning vents. Got out of bed to find my basement wet with water. The drains in my central unit were clogged. Guess what? The air is not working at all right now! We are waiting got a technician as we speak. Then my wife informs me the check engine light is on in our SUV. Now to top all of this…the cable television just went out.

So I assume that this only means one thing! It must be Labor Day, and someone has to labor.

_

As long as it’s not my wife going into labor we are all right!

I wish everyone a very nice Labor Day!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is another recipe we have tried lately. The original called for real butter, and milk. We have tried to modify the ingredients to make it more weight loss friendly.

-

During the week both my wife and I have to work late, so we have what we commonly refer to as "Scoop & Nuke". In other words, we scoop up a plate and throw it in the microwave. I think this is a keeper!
-

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-3/4 cups Fat Free Milk

TOPPING:
1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, melted

-

In a large nonstick skillet, saute ham for 4-5 minutes or until browned; drain and pat dry. Meanwhile, in a greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer the turkey, cheese and ham; set aside. In a large saucepan, saute the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, mustard and nutmeg until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over ham. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.

What a day!

Well Saturday came and went. The problem was, it went faster then I expected. R.J. woke up not feeling well at all. Typical allergy symptoms...runny nose, upset stomach, cough. You name it, he had it. We talked about the football game and what he wanted to do. Of course, I made him aware, the choice was his to make, not mine.

RJ

I was raised with the idea that when choices were to be made, you had to make them. A lot of people want decisions made for them. I don't buy into that train of thought. Even before I was a father, my thoughts revolved around this philosophy. I want to be the dad who is there no matter what. When my child makes a bad choice or decision, I want to be there to pick him up, dust him off, and talk about what he has learned. When he makes a good choice, I want to praise him, and rejoice in the choices he has made. Well, enough about what I believe, back to the football game!

rj

What a game it was! R.J. sat on the sidelines for the majority of the game But that was OK, it was his decision to support the team, even from the sidelines. It was a dust bowl on the field though. We had several touchdowns or long runs returned on penalties. But guess what, the other team did too!

The score was 6-0 at halftime. A BIG improvement over last week! The other team came back and scored at the beginning of the 2nd half to make it 13-6. When all was said and done, the final score was 19-13. Another loss, but an improvement, none the less!

The best part of the game though...R.J.! With 2 minutes to go, R.J. put on his helmet and decided it was time to play. The response from the crowd, coaches, and teammates was overwhelming! They were shouting his name in unison and clapping like you would not believe it! On his first play, he was triple teamed, and still busted through for the sack! When all was said and done...it was still a little to late!

One thing about it though...this was not the same group of kids that took the field last week! This was the Madison Titans, and they were ready to play!