Sunday, January 29, 2012


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Saturday, October 22, 2011

A Whole Month?!?!

I can't believe I've let an entire month slip away without blogging. 

Here it goes.

Jereld had his elk hunt at the end of September and got a very nice bull!  My freezer is STOCKED with meat.  Good thing I like elk meat! Very lean, and (I think) it makes excellent hamburgers actually.  Check out his elk (after he had skinned it.)  The skull and antlers is currently being bleached to go on our living room wall.  It should look pretty cool when it's finished!


This picture is of Jereld, his brother (Ammon), and his dad loading his dad's bull in the trailer.  They all got drawn, and they all got bulls.


While Daddy (Jereld), was hunting, Beau and I went to my mom's house.  We had lots of fun.  Beau loves Grandma and Grandpa Payne and had tons of fun.  I canned peaches with my mom.  Let's just say that I didn't want to see any more peaches for a VERY LONG TIME!  The peaches are delicious though!

While there, I took Beau's 8 month pictures.  Look at how cute he is!  I might be biased though. 


Update on my progress:  I have gotten down to a size 4 jeans (American Eagle Favorite Boyfriend jeans...of course).  I weigh less than I ever weighed in high school.  In fact, I probably haven't weighed what I weigh now since 6th grade or Jr. High.

The good news is that I'm done with my weight loss journey. 

The bad news is that, for me, maintaining is harder than losing.  I tend to rationalize more.  But, I'm still hanging in there!   

Thursday, September 15, 2011

My favorite eats (post #2)

Ok.  I realized that I wasn't very specific about dinners.  So, here goes a few ideas.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (with homemade wheat noodles--I wish Jereld let me add more wheat flour...hint, hint).

Tostadas--I buy regular corn tortillas, but then I bake them at 400 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until they are crisp.  NO OIL involved.  Then,  I top with No Fat refried beans (usually Rosarita brand). A little cheese. Lettuce. Tomato.
-------The yummiest thing to add though is potato.  You may think I've gone crazy, but if you peel and dice some potatoes.  You lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and then cook them over medium heat until tender with a little garlic salt.  After they are tender.  Sprinkle with the green can of El Pato.  Just a little...wouldn't want them to be too spicy.  They are MOST EXCELLENT added to the tostada toppings.


Pizza---I know you think I'm crazy again, but if you just eat 1 piece (but don't make it if you don't have will power)...you're not going to break the diet.  This is homemade pizza of course. Here's a link to the pizza I make. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/cooking-class-pizza-101/


I LOVE alfredo sauce, but it's TERRIBLE for you! This one's a little better and a nice treat sometimes. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/08/guiltless-alfredo-sauce/

Crash Hot Potatoes: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/  Make sure you don't do too much olive oil.  I love when I marinate some lean cuts of meat (beef or pork or even chicken) and Jereld grills them...and then we eat it with this.

Chili Beans:  I change my recipe every time.  There's no real set recipe for us, but I'll tell you what I did last time.  1 C. Pinto Beans. 1/4 C. Pearl Barley (from the bins at Sprouts). 1 tsp. minced garlic. 2 diced potatoes (yep! I added potato because I'm using up what I have). 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder. 1 lb. Ground Beef (make sure it's SUPER LEAN). 1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning. Salt & Pepper to taste.
           --Sort and rinse your beans (wouldn't want to eat a rock).  Add beans, barley, and garlic to crockpot.  Turn crockpot to high for 2 hours.  Return and add potatoes.  Leave for a couple more hours.  Return and add chili powder.  Leave for a couple more hours or until all ingredients are tender.  Brown ground beef.  Once browned, sprinkle with taco seasoning.  Add ground beef to crockpot and turn to low for an hour or more.  Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. ENJOY!   


SUBWAY...ok...I don't make this for dinner, but when I want to eat out it's my go-to.  I usually get the Black Forest Ham and Turkey on Honey Wheat. I always get the Honey Mustard too.

PANDA EXPRESS--Broccoli Beef.  Check out the nutrition info online.  It's not too bad for eating out!