I remembered to take a picture!

It's my baby's first day of preschool today. She was so excited! 

She is wearing her new school outfit that she picked out. Can you tell she likes pink?

I love this face! 

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture. 

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 15 oz. cans corn

2 15 oz. cans beans~kidney, black, pinto, your choice (I used great northern white beans because that's all I had)

2 16 ounce jars salsa (I use one medium heat and one mild)

32 ounces plain yogurt or sour cream (I use yogurt because it is so much lower in fat and calories and when added I can't tell the difference and neither can my kids.)

Shredded cheese 

Put all ingredients into the crock pot, except the yogurt and cheese. Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about 6 to 8 hours. 

When chicken is cooked through, shred it as best you can. Add yogurt and stir well. Serve over rice and sprinkle a little cheese over the top. 

This recipe feeds the 7 of us with left overs. If you are a small family, cut it in half. 

Menu Plan for Week of 8/17/09-8/23/09

I haven't done a menu the last couple weeks and it really makes a difference. I really like knowing what to make for dinner ahead of time. I noticed I didn't want to eat out or "just grab something" when I had a menu. So, I am going to (hopefully) make it a weekly thing. 

I am trying a lot of new dishes this week because I get bored with the same old thing. I will try to post the recipes of the dishes we like. 

Monday:

B: Cinnamon raisin toast, yogurt, melon

D: Crockpot salsa chicken, rice, broccoli

Tuesday:

B: Zucchini Bread, apples

D: Tuna patty burgers, tater tots, corn

Wednesday:

B: Cereal

D: Skillet chili mac, salad

Thursday:

B: Oatmeal

D: Pasta Carbonara, bread, salad

Friday: (AKA: the day we spend at the park, usually, hopefully)

B: Egg Muffin Sandwich, grapes

D: Tuna helper (yes, the horrible, easy, boxed stuff), some veggie

Saturday:

B: Baked french toast

D: Quiche, salad

Sunday:

B: Apple Pie muffins

D: Daddy Night because I work through dinner. 

The new camera cont....

Today I am going to buy the memory stick for the new camera, finally. Someday, you all might get to see some pictures. 

Woohoo...Go Me!

I have finally, after 1 1/2 years of trying, hit my first goal weight. When I first started trying to lose weight I weighed 181 pounds and was a size 14. I am now a size 10 in pants and I am, once again, wearing medium tops. 

I got on the scale this morning, naked and before eating a darn thing, and it finally said 149.9 pounds. I have been trying to get into the 140's for about a year now. Last summer I reached 155 pounds and I have been anywhere between 155 and 160 pounds since then.

To get to 149.9 I had to really watch my portion sizes. I still eat whatever I want. I just eat a smaller portion of it. For example, instead of eating a whole candy bar I am learning to eat half of it one day and save the other half for another day or make someone share it with me. I also measure EVERYTHING I am eating. Calorie counting has been a good thing for me. I am probably staying around 1200 calories a day. 

It's been working out great. Although, I will tell you, the first three weeks were really hard. I found myself really hungry and it was extremely hard to NOT EAT. 

I can now honestly say it was totally worth it. 149.9!!! 

Well, I did it.

I sold my pretty camera-Nikon D80. 

Which is fine. I mean, let's face it, I didn't have time to learn all the wonderful things it actually does. The things I did know? Well, this pretty LITTLE thing does it all very well: 

This is a Sony Cyber-shot H20.  It is a more advanced point and shoot with manual capabilities. But, it is way smaller than the Nikon. This thing will actually fit in my purse. 

See, Hubby and I made a deal. I would sell the Nikon, but I get to chose a new camera because we need something to take pictures of the kids with. I decided that when the extra lens sold, I would get this beautiful Sony camera. Well, the lens sold and Hubby ordered this for me on Sunday. It is supposed to be here on Monday. (Added bonus? This camera cost me less than that wonderful lens.)

I am disappointed that we had to sell the Nikon. I really liked the idea of being an amateur photographer someday. It still could happen, but right now, I have to prioritize my life and this just wasn't a priority. And, I will still get to have fun playing with the new camera.

Trying something different

Last night, while working, I decided to make a menu for the week. I want to see if it helps us save money when it comes to grocery shopping. I took into account the meats and other items we already have. Here is what I came up with:

Sunday:

B: Cinnamon Rolls (these were given to us) and some fruit

D: Texas Pinto Beans, Grilled Chicken and cornbread

Monday (Hubby's Birthday):

B: Bisquits and Gravy with Sausage

D: Parmesan Chicken and some veggies

Tuesday:

B: Cereal

D: Meatloaf mini's, mashed potatoes and veggies

Wednesday:

B: 1/2 a cinnamon roll, egg and fruit

D: Bratwurst sausage in a roll with grilled green bell pepper and grilled onion, Salad

Thursday: 

B: Cereal

D: Burritos

Friday:

B: Breakfast burrito

D: Crockpot roast with carrots, onions, and potatoes, Crusty bread

Saturday:

B: Apple Pan Goody 

D: Daddy night

Sunday:

B: Stuffed French Toast, Fruit

D: Taco Salad

The best thing about having this menu? I feel like I have a plan. 

Next Semester

I think I have my schedule for the next semester planned:

1. Retaking Biology (Since I got a B in the lab last semester, I don't have to take the lab again just the class.)

2. Financial Accounting (I took this about 10 years ago, so hopefully it is still in the dark recesses of my brain.)

3. Economics (My Hubby took this over the summer. Which means, he can help me....Sucker.)

4. Communications (in other words: I get to make four speeches in front of a class over the next 4 months. Yuck.)

I do love school. Well, maybe not school but I love learning. I also love starting a new class. It's new and exciting. And then the second week of school comes and you realize you have probably made a mistake in taking so many. :)

By the way, school doesn't actually start for me until the end of August, Thank God. So, I have a little more time to play with the kids. 

I miss my family.

We left California almost 6 years ago. It was so hard to do. I was born there, raised there, and desperately wanted to raise my children there. I am a family person. Family is the most important thing to me in the world. 

I so badly wish I could move back JUST to be near my family. I dream about my sisters dropping by after school and work. I think about hanging out with them and cooking for them and their families. I think of having my mom come over for a glass of wine and talking. How fun would a once a month game night be with the spouses and kids and everyone? We could Bar B Que and just have fun. 

I live in Utah. It makes it really hard to be able to do ANY of these things. About once a year, we try and cram all these things into a weekend at Thanksgiving. I love having them here, they don't realize how much I love having them here. I just wish they could be here more. 

My Birthday Girls!

My twin girls are 12 today! 

They are spending the day at the movies and the pool. They have requested BBQ ribs, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. Of course, I couldn't turn them down. 

(We have a lot of birthdays this time of year. Thank God the next kid's birthday isn't until September! Unfortunately, the Hubby's is next month.)