Sunday church

Weight watchers veggie fruit meal

Another healthy and tasty AND filling meal made up of mostly fruits and veggies. All this is only 4 points and that includes a little butter on the corn!

Working from home

I've posted previously [click HERE] about my part time job working from home.   I am so blessed to have this flexibility.  Although my husband designed us a nice home office I usually prefer to work in our dining room in the front of our house.  There's a sunny window facing our street and lots of room to spread out if I need to.

Use your home as you need to rather than just what the rooms were designed for.  I typically work most of my hours (20+) on Monday through Wednesday with Thursdays (sometimes) and Fridays off.  I can clear off the table with work stuff in five minutes and our dining room is back to normal.  :)

An update 8 months later... I love it!  The flexibility, the $$, the people I work with, and the company I work for...all are gifts from the Lord and I am thankful.

Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is bable to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us...

Weekly weight watchers weigh-in

Weekly weigh-in...No change from last week which is actually good considering we had a lot of eating out and parties this past weekend...  6 weeks on WW and 6 lbs lost total.

Weight watchers breakfast doesn't need to be a sabotage

You have to be careful when eating meals out. You could use all your WW points in one meal.  This whole breakfast is about 6 WW points and half of that was the English muffin!

• Egg white omelet with onions, peppers and mushrooms
• Mixed fresh fruit
• English muffin, plain
• 1 tsp strawberry jam
• Coffee with half & half

The local restaurant that served this is the Maitland Breakfast Club. Their Healthy Choice breakfast is perfect on Weight Watchers. I only ate half if it and had the other half for lunch with a salad.  Great way to spread out your points.

Letting go of your fears -- balloon ride

This past weekend I denied my fear of heights/ falling and went up in a balloon with my family.  It was actually spur of the moment so I didn't have much time to think about it... And it was so much fun!  My sons and husband were as thrilled as I was to do it with me.

I wonder  if there is a "Way of the Wild Heart" for women!

2Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

This week's submission for Sweet Shot Tuesday Week #26.

Laundry mishap wet erase markers

I almost panicked when I opened my dryer and found this...

Thankfully every bit wiped up clean with just water and a microfiber cloth.  My son had done his laundry and didn't check his pockets so his clothes also had red all over them.  A second washing cleaned the red off of all but two t- shirts. 

Weight watchers avoid fried anything

I love fried shrimp but on Weight Watchers you can eat so few it's hardly worth it.  Just 3 of these are 6 WW points.  I had saved some extra so I could have 5 but definitely not something to eat regularly.

Weight watchers 5 point power breakfast

On Weight Watchers I thought that bacon would be taboo.... not if it's cooked crisp!!  :)  This breakfast consisted of:

• 2 slices of crisp bacon (I used the pre-cooked, freeze-dried kind and cook in the microwave) (3 points)
• Navel orange (o points)
• One egg stir-fried with green peppers and onions (I was out of mushrooms or they'd be in here, too) (2 points)
• Hot tea

Delicious!!  and only 5 WW points!

P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday Week #25

I love gift shops and arts and crafts.  I don't make much myself, but I love looking at the creativity of others and always admire what  people can do with their hands. I was a vendor in an arts and crafts fair recently and someone had made these cute hand towels.  Does this sound like anyone you know?  :)

Week #25 in Sweet Shot Tuesday!

P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday

Weight watchers 5 lb loss !!

First 5 lbs gone! (Actually 6).  By the way, this is probably the first and last time you'll see what my weight was on here!

4 Weight Watcher point breakfast

• 1 oz leftover steak (used scale to weigh)
• 1 egg
• 1 orange
• Hot tea

= 4 WW points

Just sauté cut up steak and egg, peel an orange.  Ready in 10 minutes. 

Weight watchers: Measuring weighing food portion sizes

How do you check your portions?   I've heard that 4 oz. of meat is about the size of a deck of cards and learned for myself that it's true!

I have 2 scales for weighing eBay inventory (in 2 different rooms) and both are accurate. I moved this one to the kitchen. I use a small piece of waxed paper under the food to keep the scale clean. 

This piece of meat is 3.5 oz. and is quite filling with veggies and fruit. It measured about 4" x 3/4" x 2" and was 6 WW points.  You can have your steak and eat it, too!  

Weight Watchers weighing portions

Weight watchers Fathers Day

A special day like Father's Day could be a disaster on Weight Watchers.  Look at this delicious meal-- sons and dad grilled steaks; I made everything else. 

Steak, 4 oz. 

Sautéed mushrooms

Sweet potato

Green beans

Garlic bread

Watermelon

20 points.  If I had left off the garlic bread I would have been fine but it's a special meal. At least I had the sweet potato.  😊  Everyone else had fries.  Salad for dinner to be sure!  

P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday #24

Here is my submission for the photo blog... Week #24... putting this in at the 11th hour before the deadline tonight.   Taken in St. Augustine, Florida.  I love old buildings with arches.  When walking towards one, it's like getting a framed preview of an adventure to come...

P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday

Watch protect your purse while shopping

Just a tip I thought of while shopping at Aldi yesterday...

When I am transferring groceries from my shopping cart to my car trunk (especially when there is no bag boy to help  me) I always put my purse and keys in first so I can keep an eye on them.  Turning your back so often with your purse left in the toddler seat is risky. It would be so easy for someone walking past to take it while my/ your back is turned. 

I don't lock my trunk when closing it so there's no fear if I shut my purse inside.  I won't get locked  out.  😊  

Weight watcher 5 point breakfast

A couple of times a week I love rice chex type cereal for breakfast or even a snack.

Healthy and delicious with a crunch. 

1 1/4 c. Cereal

1/2 cup 1% milk

Sliced bananas

Sliced strawberries

5 WW points

For a snack I might use less cereal. It's a grain so that's where most of the points are.  

I lost one pound this week which included a food- laden bridal shower so I'm doing OK. 4 lbs total so far...

Weight Watchers Lunch 2 points

I was feeling a little under the weather today so I made a large pot of chicken and vegetable soup.  I used chicken instead of the beef from my Get Well Soup Recipe.  What a surprise when I calculated the WW points and found it was only 2!

I should whip up a batch each week to go with my lunches and dinners.

Get Well Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 Sweet potato
• Bag of frozen green beans
• Can of corn
• Can of diced tomatoes
• Sliced/diced fresh onion
• Garlic pepper (out of garlic today, which is unusual)
• Broth from cooked black-eyed peas
• 3 cups of water to fill the pot

8 Points Weight Watcher lunch idea

Weight Watcher lunch 8 points

Weight Watcher lunch 8 points

Lunch:

• Turkey and lettuce sandwich
• Apple slices
• Cottage cheese/yogurt
• Hot tea

Quite a bit of food for a hungry mom for lunch but I spread it out over the course of 2-3 hours.  I eat the sandwich first --3-4 slices of thin deli turkey piled high with lettuce on a sandwich thin bun spread with hummus instead of mayo.  A half hour later I had the apple and 30 min. to an hour later I ate the cottage cheese/yogurt mixture.  I know some of you can't stand the sight of cottage cheese but I've always liked it and adding a little bit of the yogurt makes it like a dessert to me. Sometimes I add fruit or nuts on top.  Try it!

8 WW points to get me through till dinner and I have 10 left for the evening meal and a snack later.  I'm working the system!

A Funeral of Forgiveness

Yesterday was a sad day... I played the piano for the funeral of a young man (age 22) who passed away last week.  He was a precious son, the only son, of two longtime friends whom I have known since I was in my early 20's.  Although the boy and I were not close, as a mother of sons I could imagine the grief that the parents and his sister were experiencing [if something happened to either of my sons, I'd be so, so sad]  This needless death  was the result of a drug overdose.

I've had the honor of playing at many funerals.  Those for children and young people are the saddest.  One thing that will stay in my memory forever are the touching words of the grieving mother:

...if you tried to help my son in any way, I thank you.
If you offered him drugs, I forgive you...

What a testimony to God's grace.  Only through Him could someone utter those words.  The increased volume of those weeping that ensued after she said this was noticeable and I'm sure her words struck the hearts of other young people who use drugs and were in attendance.  I've thought about those words often ever since she said them and prayed that they truly did make an impact upon the hearers.  I know they did on me.

From my seat at the piano before the service...

For all you young ones out there, take care of yourselves... you have no idea how your actions (and possibly your death) will affect your parents, your extended family,  friends, classmates...  Get help now.  If you know someone using drugs or abusing other substances (i.e. alcohol), tell their parents and help them get the help they need.  Stand up and do the right thing.

Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. 

For my Sweet Shot Tuesday, Week #23 photo I chose one of these I took while on a recent visit to  St. Augustine.    These were taken at La Nombre de Dios mission.  We had seen the cross while on a scenic boat cruise on the Intercoastal Waterway that week and as we were leaving town, thought we'd try to find it.   A very interesting and lovely campus the the heart of the city.

Unbelievably, I only had my iPhone with me for these photos.  Not too bad...  :)

This one is what I visualize the evening of Jesus' crucifixion may have looked like with the storm clouds in the distance...

How to poach an egg in the microwave

Some people don't use microwaves at all.  I'm not one of them. They are one of my "servant girls".  [Prov. 31:15]

I use a Corningware handled bowl. Fill 2/3 with water. Nuke for 2 minutes.  Remove from microwave. Crack egg into hot water. Pierce once with fork ( very important). Nuke at 50% power for 40 seconds. Remove with spoon. 

Makes a perfect soft boiled egg. 

Healthy Lunch Salad on Weight Watchers

Salads are just not filling with only lettuce and tomato.  I needs lots of crunchy, chewy, sweet, salty...  Here is a lunch salad = 6 WW points.  You don't have to track the fruit and veggies (apples, blueberries, tomatoes, lettuce)...

Looks great and takes awhile to eat which is good for me!

Weight watchers back on track

Back on track after our trip. One week later I'm down 2 lbs. A visual aid of that helps me a lot!.

Weight Watchers Sabotaged on a Trip

Ugh.  Three steps forward, two steps back.  We had our 26th anniversary trip last week--had a wonderful time--but it included too many restaurants and desserts!  Gained 2 lbs., so a net loss of one pound in 3 weeks now.

Basically starting over but keeping on, keeping on!  Using that tracker online and measuring portions for awhile.

Meanwhile, here are a few photos from our anniversary getaway to St. Augustine ...

A sunset 2-hour cruise (hearing the Gilligan's Theme song?) on the Intercoastal Waterway...

Our Bed & Breakfast... we stayed here on the first night of our honeymoon 26 years ago.  :)

St. Francis Inn St. Augustine FL

Delicious homemade breakfasts each morning...

Aboard the Galleon, a replica of a Spanish merchant ship...

Another sabotage... homemade desserts at the B&B each night...

La Nombre de Dios Mission

Old Marineland...

Washington Oaks State Park...

It was a lovely, fun trip.