tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345412559144731932024-02-20T10:28:52.351-08:00The Frugal Reservist's WifeWhen living on a Weekend Warrior salary, pennies don't get pinched, they get water boarded.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-60862426671492000472011-12-29T21:04:00.000-08:002011-12-29T21:04:02.511-08:00What have I been doing since June?Well...<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I've lost 33 pounds on Weight Watchers. Making the total lost since hubby deployed 40 pounds! Only 35 more to go!</li>
<li>I've gone back to school to finish my degree while my husband is deployed. </li>
<li>Finished half of my provisional year in the Junior League.</li>
<li>Taken on two new piano students.</li>
<li>Taught Sunday School.</li>
<li>Taught Vacation Bible School.</li>
<li>Pulled a 3.4 my first semester back in Big College.</li>
<li>Galavanted all over the Southeast.</li>
<li>Had an amazing R&R with my husband.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl9zFDDW5ia74iZfiE_LHmqao2DPMv3SoyV4d_krD6q20RDlGiVF4mEhH0tmQ3o8kVgCkDZa1jDhZtWF05zaj78zfZFV46x17QhuVYvtC9O3djtkIrcogKkNODOywM1fTg2QpSBzHKeA/s1600/BandEHomecoming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl9zFDDW5ia74iZfiE_LHmqao2DPMv3SoyV4d_krD6q20RDlGiVF4mEhH0tmQ3o8kVgCkDZa1jDhZtWF05zaj78zfZFV46x17QhuVYvtC9O3djtkIrcogKkNODOywM1fTg2QpSBzHKeA/s320/BandEHomecoming.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-79586352859765786352011-06-27T21:09:00.000-07:002011-06-27T21:09:22.649-07:00I have turned a corner and there was pestoI've had a very emotionally draining week this week. Most of it does not need to be mentioned in a public blog for various and sundry reasons. But the big thing I've noticed, going into my ninth week of Weight Watchers (weigh in is tomorrow), is that I have broken the cycle of emotional eating.<br />
<br />
Honestly, it's been an emotionally draining year for a whole other set of various and sundry reasons. However, before I started WW, when that awful gnawing feeling in my tummy happened, I would soothe it with a peanut butter fudge shake, first from Sonic, then realizing I could make them cheaper and better (and bigger servings), at home.<br />
<br />
In the past week, I have written two papers, taken a final exam, hosted a gathering at my parents' house, sold the car my grandmother gave me, drove said car to Atlanta, saw my in-laws on my own for the first time, saw old friends, got peed on by the friend's kid (it's ok, it didn't smell bad, just made cuddling time a little more moist at the GA Aquarium), had a negative encounter that ended very badly, found out some somewhat bad news from the hubby, had my sewing machine break (again), and threw away a lot of stuff we've been saving for no reason because we didn't know how to let go. The me of four months ago would have immediately brought out the ingredients (because the me four months ago would have already had the blender out as a permanent fixture on the counter) for the milkshake a number of times in the last week. The me of now put the blender away in a cabinet last week when I was decluttering the kitchen and is not particularly interested in getting it out. It's a pain to clean and it's in a high cabinet and I'm only 5'2".<br />
<br />
When I was having a low day yesterday, due to exhaustion, dehydration and my depression getting the better of me, I did not eat a super heavy meal at my parents' house that would have made me feel sick. Instead, I went home and ate some carrot sticks and hummus and went to bed. I've heard the phrase "Eat to live, don't live to eat" a lot over the years (people tend to say it to heavy girls a lot). However, I have finally reached that point where I'm eating to live. I plan my meals out as best I can, with much help from the WW iPhone app. I try to make good choices, but I also occasionally splurge and have a burger and fries, but I make good choices later to make up for it. I am by no means perfect, but I certainly feel a lot better about myself now than I did six months ago.<br />
<br />
Speaking of feeling better. Here is one of my new favorite recipes that makes me feel good about my food.: <br />
<table border="0" class="ERHDTable"><tbody>
<tr><td><span class="item ERName"><span class="fn">Pesto Genovese</span></span></td> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td class="ERHDPrint" valign="top"> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><div class="ERHead">Recipe Type: <span class="tag">Appetizer</span></div><div class="ERHead">Author: <span class="author">Tamara Novakovic</span></div><div class="ERHead">Prep time: <span class="preptime">15 mins<span class="value-title" title="PT15M"> </span></span></div><div class="ERHead">Total time: <span class="duration">15 mins<span class="value-title" title="PT15M"> </span></span></div><br />
Ingredients <br />
<ul class="ingredients"><li class="ingredient">4 cloves garlic (I love garlic)</li>
<li class="ingredient">some sea salt</li>
<li class="ingredient">3 cups (150 g) fresh basil leaves</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup (30 g) Pecorino cheese</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/3 cup (50 g) walnuts (you can use some other nuts, but walnuts are almost always on sale)</li>
<li class="ingredient">7 tbsp (100 ml) olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">pinch of nutmeg</li>
</ul><div class="ERInstructionsHeader">Instructions</div><div class="instructions"> <ol><li class="instruction">I took my food processor and ran it with the garlic and some sea salt.</li>
<li class="instruction">I then added the fresh basil leaves and pureed them.</li>
<li class="instruction">I added grated Parmesan cheese and Pecorino cheese with the walnuts (which I used instead of pine nuts because they're way cheaper), a pinch of nutmeg. I pureed everything together and in the end combined it with the olive oil.</li>
</ol></div><div class="ERPTagline">Recipe by <span class="ERPBlogname">Honest Cooking</span> at http://honestcooking.com/2011/05/03/italy-pesto-genovese-with-walnuts/</div><br />
I discovered this recipe courtesy of a friend several weeks ago when I mentioned that I have a massive basil plant that is always full of more leaves than I can handle. I keep a jar of minced garlic in my fridge, and anyone that knows me knows of my love for cheese, so if I don't have parmesean and pecorino, I use more of one or the other or substitute asiago. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it can be adapted. I add more garlic than the original recipe because I love garlic, but there are people that are not fans. I've marinated chicken breasts in this pesto and cooked it on the grill. My brother has asked for "That Green Chicken" three times since I made it last month.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-70073109282538325032011-06-03T12:15:00.000-07:002011-06-03T12:15:04.351-07:00Is Stevia the femenization of Stevie?In the last couple months, I have had several things break. Some of them are big (lawn mower) and some just feel big at 7am when YOU NEED COFFEE (coffee grinder and coffee maker). So I broke down and bought a new coffee maker. I've been wanting a <a href="http://www.keurig.com/brewers/special-edition-brewing-system">Keurig</a> for some time. The hubby's been poo-pooing them for some time. But I have to say, after buying the one they sell at Sam's Club, I've been nothing but pleased. I can have 20oz of coffee with creamer for 2 points (I get 29 a day), or I can have a 20oz bottle of Coke for 7 points, or a Venti White Chocolate Mocha for 17 points. That's several points a day I could be using for other more important things, like cheese.<br />
<br />
So on top of lovely coffee (that's signifigantly cheaper than going to Starbucks or buying a bottle of Coke), I also have taken to drinking tea in the afternoon (made with my Keurig). There's something very genteel about drinking iced tea in the afternoon. With this tea, I've started sweetening it with Truvia instead of sugar or Splenda (0 points). I have to say, I'm a fan. I'm debating the merits of getting a stevia plant for my house to soak in the tea because Truvia is a little pricy and I do love to pinch a penny.<br />
<br />
Also, I'm on my fifth week of Weight Watchers and I've lost 7.8 pounds. I've lost about two inches all over except my belly. I've only lost a quarter of an inch. Guess it's time to get on those crunches...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-69596245312837212682011-05-05T20:21:00.000-07:002011-05-05T20:21:42.120-07:00I'm going to do something bigI'm going to give you my sketti recipe. And here's why: I have joined Weight Watchers and I want to share this great recipe because I'm really excited that something I made already is only 5 points and gives you two or three servings of fruits/veggies per serving of sauce!<br />
<br />
Points Value: 5<br />
Servings: 20 1-ladle spoonfuls<br />
Preparation Time: 20 min<br />
Cooking Time: 1.5 hr<br />
Level of Difficulty: Easy<br />
<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
10 clove(s) garlic clove(s) (medium) <br />
2 tsp olive oil <br />
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes<br />
1 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes <br />
3 pound(s) cooked ground beef, 10% fat<br />
2 shallots <br />
1 1/2 cup(s) Carrots <br />
1 1/2 cup(s) vidalia onion(s) <br />
2 cup(s) celery <br />
2 medium green (or yellow or red) pepper(s) <br />
12 oz canned diced tomatoes <br />
1 cup(s) red wine <br />
fresh or dried italian herbs like basil, sage, oregano, red pepper flakes, rosemary, parsley, thyme<br />
<br />
<br />
Instructions<br />
<br />
Sweat veggies until soft. Add crushed and diced tomatos to veggies. Add half a cup of wine and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. In another pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute shallots, add the ground beef, brown, drain, add to the sauce. Add herbs. Let simmer for half an hour or more.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-12274063167930325292011-04-19T17:17:00.000-07:002011-04-19T17:17:33.251-07:00Not bad for a Tuesday night...Tonight for dinner I had an egg salad sandwich with a side of homemade raw fries made from some red potatoes I had laying around the house.<br />
<br />
Blogger isn't letting me upload photos right now, perhaps later.<br />
<br />
Everyone has their own egg salad recipe, mine is fairly simple, but I like it. Take one hard boiled egg, slice it up (twice) in the mushroom slicer thing that everyone has in their "Kitchen Stuff" drawer. Mix the cubed egg with a spoonful of mayo and a drop of mustard. Then salt and pepper to taste. I put pickle slices on top of the egg salad, it adds a little something extra.<br />
<br />
And it was delicious!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-74730010005328601332011-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:002011-04-03T09:30:09.617-07:00Since my husband's a soldier, should it be Freedom Onion Soup?I've made this a few times and it's always a huge hit, especially with one of my favorite people, who happens to be a vegetarian. Yes, the beef stock is not ideal, but we looked at the bullion cubes I used and the ingredients said less than 2% beef, so we don't worry about it.<br />
<br />
<u><b>French Onion Soup</b></u><br />
2 tablespoons butter or margarine<br />
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large)<br />
4 cups beef broth<br />
2 tablespoons dry sherry or dry white wine (optional- I used some chardonnay that was about to turn)<br />
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce<br />
Dash black pepper<br />
6 slices french bread, toasted (I took italian bread and sprinkled it with olive oil when I forgot to pick up french bread at the store)<br />
1 cup shredded Swiss, Gruyere , or Jarlsberg cheese (4 ounces- I used Gruyere and let people add their own to taste)<br />
<br />
1. In a large saucepan melt butter, add onions. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until onions are tender and golden, stirring occasionally. (I added some salt at this point) Stir in broth, sherry (if desired), Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.<br />
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle toasted bread with shredded cheese. Place bread under broiler until ladle soup into bowls and top with bread.<br />
<br />
Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-79079951842357991552011-03-30T13:24:00.000-07:002011-03-30T13:24:54.348-07:00I'm really bad at thisThe pre-deployment process has swallowed me whole the last couple of months. That Nice Man I Lived With is going with his work friends in the mountains to fulfill a lifelong dream of hanging out with goats for a year. Here is my current favorite (last minute dinner guest) recipe:<br />
<br />
<b>Herb-Roasted <span class="il">Pork</span> <span class="il">Tenderloin</span></b><br />
1/4 C soy sauce<br />
1/4 C Worcestershire sauce<br />
1/4 C vegetable oil<br />
1 tsp thyme<br />
1 tsp marjoram<br />
1 tsp sage<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 tsp onion powder<br />
1 tsp ginger<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp pepper<br />
1 and 1/2 lb <span class="il">pork</span> <span class="il">tenderloin</span><br />
Stir together first 11 ingredients in a shallow dish or zip lock<br />
freezer bag. Prick <span class="il">pork</span> with a fork, and place in marinade, turning<br />
to coat. Cover or seal and let stand at room temperature for 30<br />
minutes or chill 2 hours. Remove from marine and place prok on a a<br />
rack in a roasting pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until 160<br />
degrees.<br />
<br />
I keep all the ingredients in the house and I usually grab a couple pork tenderloins when they're on sale at Sam's Club or Publix and stick them in the freezer. My mother grills this, but I really prefer the oven. We take the left over marinade, add some brown sugar and cook it in a sauce pan while the tenderloin cooks to make a nice glaze at the end.<br />
<br />
I'll try this blogging thing again in a few months. Maybe... Hopefully.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-2203250711692181172010-12-19T14:49:00.000-08:002010-12-19T14:49:37.851-08:00I'm Having A Cheese BabySo I am a bad Southerner. I don't eat grits, collards, or any kind of barbecue other than pulled pork with a mustard based sauce. I don't watch NASCAR and I only go to football games to people watch. And until recently, I did not like pimiento cheese. There, I said it. The quintiessential Southern food. And I hated it. Too slimey. Until now. <br />
<br />
A lovely friend of mine served DiPrato's pimento cheese and pita chips at a baby shower she hosted recently. What have I been missing? This is an amazing concoction! So, in the spirit of trying to save money, I decided to try to find a similar recipe online and use what I have in the house. Here's what I got:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li class="ingredient">half a package (4oz) of cream cheese, room temperature </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups grated parmesean cheese </li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 cup mayo </li>
<li class="ingredient">A dash of garlic powder</li>
<li class="ingredient">A pinch of salt</li>
<li class="ingredient">A pinch of pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 to 3 tablespoons pimentos, smashed </li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon grated <a class="crosslink" debug="254 258" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/onion/index.html" onclick="s_objectID="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/onion/index.html_1";return
this.s_oc?this.s_oc(e):true">onion</a> </li>
<li class="ingredient">Cracked black pepper</li>
</ul><!--concordance-end-->Using my kitchen aid mixer, I beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. I try to put it in the fridge overnight to let all the flavors mix together, but usually I just end up eating it from the container with wheat thins to make it appear more civilized. The last three days I've eaten almost two full batches of it. I'm going to have to lay off it tonight or I think I'll never poop again.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-10976672563135615012010-12-12T11:48:00.000-08:002010-12-12T11:48:49.081-08:00Gourmet for penniesSo That Nice Man I Live With and I have been on a bread kick as of late. I think it's the colder weather, our bodies feel like they need to add some extra layers of fat (as if that were needed). The problem is, bread at the store is expensive. <a href="http://publix.com/">My favorite place to get bread in Columbia</a> is rather pricey, considering that there are only two of us and it tends to go bad before the loaf is finished. We buy our meat at Sam's Club or the commissary in bulk and put it in the deep freezer in the garage in portioned off sizes. It helps me stay more in control of what I eat when I can only have what has been thawed out and it makes for less waste at meals. The last time we mass bought meat, one of the items we purchased was a 10 pound tube (yes, really, a tube) of ground beef. I put the beef in 1 pound portions in zip lock bags (another item we buy in bulk) and put them in the freezer. Well, it turns out that there are only so many times TNMILW will eat spaghetti and chili. So this week we started making gourmet hamburgers. Well, I really like yeasty roll kind of buns, particularly the kind they make at Publix. Those are not on the Have To Have grocery list. So I made my own. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcXkHBwaBVoT9oFhEa88MnfC6gPJjccWpfR30_k6rBNcMXkdAzgA7X-gBI_nYhplu3OuUXkkDcoy3-xulKgfgQ_BVvVKL4fQP5j-hoNpIC1NLkA-QzI5BJyB6DojOeY7hWPqQ7G3bwbo/s1600/Burger+and+Raw+Fries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcXkHBwaBVoT9oFhEa88MnfC6gPJjccWpfR30_k6rBNcMXkdAzgA7X-gBI_nYhplu3OuUXkkDcoy3-xulKgfgQ_BVvVKL4fQP5j-hoNpIC1NLkA-QzI5BJyB6DojOeY7hWPqQ7G3bwbo/s320/Burger+and+Raw+Fries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Here is the recipe:<br />
<div class="ingredients" style="margin-top: 10px;"> <ul><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 2 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1/4 cup butter, melted</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1/4 cup warm water</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1/4 cup white sugar</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 2 (.25 ounce) packages instant yeast</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 2 teaspoons salt</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed</li>
</ul></div><div style="border-top: 1px dotted rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-top: 20px; width: 300px;"> </div><div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px;"> <ol><li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> In a large bowl, stir together the milk, butter, warm water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for about 5 minutes. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Mix in the salt, and gradually stir in the flour until you have a soft dough. Divide into 25 pieces, and form into balls. Place on baking sheets so they are 2 to 3 inches apart. Let rise for 20 minutes. </span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the rolls for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool slightly, then split them in half horizontally to fill with your favorite burgers. </span></li>
</ol><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> </span></div><div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"></span>We paired the burgers with home made raw fries seasoned with kosher salt. Those were made by using the slicer side of the 4-sided grater and frying in 375 degree canola oil for about three minutes and then set them on a cookie cooling rack to let drain. That meal would have cost us $30 easily at a gourmet burger joint in town. Instead, we used things we always keep in the house and had left overs for lunch the next day!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-74873341393608645572010-12-12T11:04:00.000-08:002010-12-12T11:04:07.017-08:00Aaaand Revamp!So while spending time with some wonderful friends recently, I discovered that pretty much everyone has money problems. It's not a military thing or a young family thing. Everyone is tightening their belts these days and a lot of people don't know the best way to do it. So as I prepare for 2011 and the changes that are coming, I am challenging myself to write in this blog at least once a week and to find a new way to be Fabulously Frugal every week. Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-42313326563312656832010-08-18T09:29:00.000-07:002010-08-18T09:29:17.295-07:00It was too pretty not to post!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnX12HhXIIXUQN9gRSmu-dXb5_LsCjsGNbD7vsyTU8ijXtlUPpHOrHIPmh-VlVL2UspMWkBdcDP8K9lBdkOzTl_JsSzzxsrx5xaxp9NwYQzFxkgdA_IObywOzdwKDHatvc9r_XNZFg5Q/s1600/Chicken+Stir+Fry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnX12HhXIIXUQN9gRSmu-dXb5_LsCjsGNbD7vsyTU8ijXtlUPpHOrHIPmh-VlVL2UspMWkBdcDP8K9lBdkOzTl_JsSzzxsrx5xaxp9NwYQzFxkgdA_IObywOzdwKDHatvc9r_XNZFg5Q/s320/Chicken+Stir+Fry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is today's lunch. Chicken stir fry with vidalia onions and sugar snap peas. Delicious! I did splurge and do white rice, but that's more because I didn't want to wait 40 minutes for brown rice.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-90890696148461288912010-08-16T16:57:00.000-07:002010-08-16T16:57:10.197-07:00Good God, I Love Bacon...So, in the theme of frugality currently running in our house, tonight's meal was made entirely from things we found in our fridge and freezers (that's right, plural). Tonight's dish is actually a twist on a meal That Nice Man I Live With has been making me for years. We started by cutting up an onion into rings and spreading a layer on the bottom of a casserole dish. Then, we took <a href="http://donjobson.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/s_babybel_cheese1.jpg">those little babybel cheese things</a> and cut them in half. We then took the cheese pieces and wrapped chicken around them and then wrapped bacon around the chicken. The chicken is then placed on top of the onions and then we spread a beer/cream of mushroom soup mixture on top and cook it in the oven. It smells amazing. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsEVZTfJP_gz7CUIfGXqgB5Dmu4UUyy_SyWbNDuPRK6HE4kFqxG8WN3RcgVWRhPn2FTrgw3nt7zv4qWWYfynmZvoN7Tb-3NHyZmmZH1EJ4MJRw0z-FuC__YprB6NjbQvll4CQVWtItFw/s1600/Cheesy+Bacon+Wrapped+Chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsEVZTfJP_gz7CUIfGXqgB5Dmu4UUyy_SyWbNDuPRK6HE4kFqxG8WN3RcgVWRhPn2FTrgw3nt7zv4qWWYfynmZvoN7Tb-3NHyZmmZH1EJ4MJRw0z-FuC__YprB6NjbQvll4CQVWtItFw/s320/Cheesy+Bacon+Wrapped+Chicken.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Oh, and by we, I mean That Nice Man fixed all of this. I made the brown rice and will be heating up a can of green beans to accompany the meal. We all do our part.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-1586767772956388112010-08-14T19:55:00.000-07:002010-08-14T19:55:31.583-07:00...Ooops?So I am officially really bad at keeping this blog up to date. Since I have all of two followers, I'm just going to make this a more food-based blog.<br />
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Since February, I've lost 23 pounds. And most of that has been in the last couple months. A big part of that has come from eating at home. At a restaurant, I feel like I'm being wasteful if I don't eat everything on the plate since we're paying for it and restaurant food never tastes good later if you take it home and reheat it. But at home, we almost always have left-overs that taste as good or better the next day. My current favorite dish is <a href="http://www.pauladeenmagazine.com/recipe_results.php?id=1947">Sour Cream Porkchops with Vidalia Onions</a>. The recipe was in a recent issue of Paula Deen's Best Dishes. I am a huge visual person in terms of picking out food and the cover recipe was bacon pimento mac and cheese. Really, how could I not pick up that magazine? Well, the only recipe I have yet to use from that is the pork chop recipe, but I've made it three times in the last month, it's That Good. <br />
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I will eventually make the mac and cheese recipe, but I'm doing so well with the weight loss, I'm going to wait until something sad happens and I'll make it then. Because that's what we do in the south, we take carb-heavy foods to sad events. Your grandmama died? Here's a chicken and cheese casserole with extra fried onions on top. You lost your job? Here's some pasta salad. Or ham. When my Granny died, we received four hams. I still love ham, though...<br />
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So I'm going to try and make an effort to be more diligent about writing on here. Up next: Byron's going off Active Duty so we're living on what I make teaching piano lessons for the time being. What can we do with ten pounds of pork chops, ten pounds of boneless/skinless chicken breasts, five pounds of ground beef, five pounds of frozen green beans, three pounds of bacon, various frozen fruits and veggies, and roughly twenty pounds of rice? Sounds like a challenge to me!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-54751381160322583212009-10-14T13:19:00.000-07:002009-10-14T14:14:02.891-07:00May Your Stockings Be Stuffed With Cream CheeseSo as an Army Wife, I am used to being invited to parties where I am expected to Buy Crap in the name of "Social Outlets" for other Army wives. Personally, I prefer not to host said events, but I don't mind going to them, because there's usually free food, and that food almost always involves various uses of cheese. And I do love cheese. <br /><br />The latest Buy Crap Party I went to was a <a href="http://www.tastefullysimple.com/Cultures/en-US/">Tastefully Simple</a> party. I bought a few things. Everyone was very nice. Almost all the recipes I bought included sour cream and/or cream cheese as the additional item(s) needed to make the dish. I think if I didn't enjoy cooking, this would perhaps be a company I should own some major stock in, or at least find a way to get a discount... However, I really enjoy cooking. A lot. So I came home and started thinking about recipes and how I could make the dishes those smart folks at Tatefully Simple are selling for prices I'm too cheap to pay more than once (for the novelty value). For example: <a href="http://www.tastefullysimple.com/Cultures/en-US/Products/KeyLimeCheeseBallMix267107.htm?CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=ClientCatalog%3bDesserts&ShowTop=true">Key Lime Cheese Ball</a>. Now, I tried it at the party. It was ok. I have a margarita pie recipe that would taste even better in cheese ball form, for free because I already have all the ingredients at my house. Next up, figuring out how to make beer bread from scratch taste as good as <a href="http://www.tastefullysimple.com/Cultures/en-US/Products/BountifulBeerBreadMix155108.htm?CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=ClientCatalog%3bBreadsSoupsSides&ShowTop=true">this</a>.<br /><br />So I headed home, inspired to make something delicious for dinner. Instead, I made a pretty normal meal (small steak, wilted leaf salad, baked potatoes), BUT <a href="http://www.tastebook.com">I found a magical website</a> (I'm having fun with the link button today) that just made my Christmas a whole lot easier! I figured since there's a whole two of you that follow this blog, it was probably pretty safe to post it here. Today, after class I spent all afternoon on the phone with my mother-in-law (she's in on the Christmas gift secret because it's her recipes and her mother's recipes that comprise most of the gift) and then copying recipes into a family cookbook. I'm super excited. I think this is probably the most personalized gift (other than the scarves I made a few years ago) I've ever made for That Nice Man I Live With's family.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-61841009818724020482009-09-17T16:13:00.000-07:002009-09-17T16:17:35.028-07:00I'm a terrible influence and proud of it!I was chatting with a friend on the phone. And over the course of our conversation, her language went from everyday conversation to rather rude and vulgar. I asked her about that and she said she only did it when she talked to me and I said that I must be a bad influence and doing something right!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-51712522254098102882009-08-20T18:16:00.001-07:002009-08-21T05:50:14.654-07:00Nobody wants the black girl...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v5203/227/62/12614983/n12614983_42030330_6435639.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 539px; height: 404px;" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v5203/227/62/12614983/n12614983_42030330_6435639.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We have sold all the puppies but one. The last one was promised off, but the guy reneged at the last minute. So now, here I am with the puppy at 7 weeks old and I've got to do something with her. Hopefully she'll sell in the next week. I don't really want to house-train another dog...Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-28826864146804169602009-07-15T09:58:00.000-07:002009-07-15T10:00:50.592-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRk0YNUvKrvwkcSuCGQhrFdBzxtaWRMEk54y2gqiN3DcjDyBkce3dqhX0tIjPOas_71uYoRwI6kQMYrJbqCnnViZxFMWkVZSwkbLuVU8-CW7ciiJnuQDuQ6NJ6DD0NDR6RQfWQFxTa10/s1600-h/bacon+quilted+meatloaf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRk0YNUvKrvwkcSuCGQhrFdBzxtaWRMEk54y2gqiN3DcjDyBkce3dqhX0tIjPOas_71uYoRwI6kQMYrJbqCnnViZxFMWkVZSwkbLuVU8-CW7ciiJnuQDuQ6NJ6DD0NDR6RQfWQFxTa10/s320/bacon+quilted+meatloaf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358732730345463938" border="0" /></a>Here's a picture of the bacon quilted meatloaf I made last week. It smelled deliscious. I've got to work on the meatloaf part a little bit more, though...<br /><br />Picture courtesy of my brother.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-89178659494141638872009-07-08T11:55:00.000-07:002009-07-08T12:21:40.822-07:00Realizing I'm Back Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.woosk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/baconweave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 340px;" src="http://www.woosk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/baconweave.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So I decided to make a nice meal for tonight. Meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and wilted spinach salad. We're having a few people over, not just eating this all by ourselves.<br /><br />For those that know me, know that I'm not a huge meatloaf fan. However, that nice man I live with has been requesting it for some time. So I decided to aquiesce. Since I'm not a meatloaf kind of girl, I decided a good choice would be to put a bacon quilt/weave on top/around the meatloaf. Everything's better with bacon, afterall. However, I had already bought all the ingredients (other than the bacon) earlier today at the grocery store. So I had to make a second trip just for the bacon. The first trip, I had all sorts of healthy food items in my cart and didn't run into a single person I knew in the very crowded Publix. The second trip, now known as The Bacon Trip, I ran into three people I knew, as soon as the bacon was in my possession.<br /><br />Only in my world would I run into a ton of people looking like the fat kid I am. Now that I have three packets of bacon safely in my possession, time to make a bacon weave!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo courtesy of those nice folks at www.woosk.com</span>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-5496732504065912172009-07-01T08:57:00.000-07:002009-07-01T09:32:39.884-07:00The Puppies Are Here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEtetz0fFtSPFPjLCCupdBTtSQfO7wSYko92sD4Xo1CZJWHAcU33FEtFCBCF_wZuexF_0wjofkqXYII2Q46le1DfJtRj83kksBZIBlVIj5hCCyQD4r0h4UBC_FbPDW99HN0rxUDzuQBQ/s1600-h/Tallulah+Puppies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEtetz0fFtSPFPjLCCupdBTtSQfO7wSYko92sD4Xo1CZJWHAcU33FEtFCBCF_wZuexF_0wjofkqXYII2Q46le1DfJtRj83kksBZIBlVIj5hCCyQD4r0h4UBC_FbPDW99HN0rxUDzuQBQ/s320/Tallulah+Puppies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353530488492967618" border="0" /></a><br />Tallulah gave birth this morning to six beautiful puppies!<br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/EMILYO%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" alt="" /><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/EMILYO%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/EMILYO%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-51001418176065186102009-06-18T20:11:00.000-07:002009-06-18T20:19:31.678-07:00I am terrible about remembering to update. I'm currently working on a baby blanket for a friend made out of mitered squares with self-striping sock yarn. We'll see how it turns out. Hopefully I'll remember to take a picture. My goal is to get the blanket finished I go see the friend next week. Luckily, the layover in Chicago is like 3 hours...<br /><br />In other news, I plan on tricking my husband intro trying some homemade ice cream.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-234541255914473193.post-1376827975303470272009-05-17T13:09:00.000-07:002009-05-17T13:12:19.853-07:00I went to a friend's wedding yesterday. Their first date was our wedding three years ago, so it was a nice way to spend our anniversary weekend. The friend and I met in college when we lived in the same dorm. I got to see a lot of people we used to live with in said dorm. One of the former dormmates asked me what I'm up to these days. I told him I'm an Army Wife now and I do what I want.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06824111420365576200noreply@blogger.com0