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Post by nov21987 on Jan 6, 2017 1:06:56 GMT
Hi!
Cold day and a little snow is supposed to happen tomorrow, not to bad.
Jojo, glad that you are feeling somewhat better, this has dragged on for too long. I am so not a bath tub person, long soak in tub is bad for my dry skin.
Holly, great that you have friends to exercise with, that will keep you motivated
Joan, you could always cut up the turkey breast a bit and cooked it
Got my mammo today, got my passport picture done - ugh, I'm not a photogenic person and the bad lighting and my wrinkles make it worse! Then I went to get my schedule for school, you have to show the schedule to the teachers in the first class of the quarter to prove that you paid. I also went to the accounting office and told them I have not received a bill for the past 2 and including this quarter! 3 quarters that I didn't pay for and they had no clue why. If I hadn't told them I still would not have to pay, unbelievable!
Well my weekend is not totally relaxing. We're having ex office partner friend and his wife over for dinner Sat night. Again not a huge super production, some cheese/crackers/charcuterie to start, 2 courses risotto with mushroom duxelles/shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and main course will be beef short ribs braised in red wine served with potato gratin and roasted Brussels sprouts. Dessert will be bought from a pastry store down the block.
No gym today because my errands had me walking all over the city for 3 hours.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Jan 6, 2017 18:48:30 GMT
Really odd that the whole post I did yesterday never showed up here! Must have hit some key wrong!
Loving our new muted orange stools--not only do they look fantastic but they are super comfortable. DHS12 spent the night and told me I should be a designer---best compliment you can get from a 12 year old!
Had our turkey noodle soup last night and beet salad---I had some a3 meat Stromboli leftover from the retirement party we hosted in Sept. in the freezer---thawed and baked them for a few minutes---the guys really liked them---I skipped as I don't care for the Italian style meats in them. The soup turned out so good. Today DH and I walked for about an hour and he asked if it was hard to do---asked him why---he said he just really appreciated homemade soup---nice to hear that. I won't eat canned soup so it's either homemade or none at all for me.
It was only 30 degrees this morning! Beautiful and sunny tho' so walking was nice. Yesterday we had high winds all day even tho' it was relatively warm---guess it blew in this cold front.
Sue, your simple dinners are my impossible accomplishments! LOL. Hey we watched a cute movie last night---chefs again---it was The Special of the Day---I really enjoyed it as did DGS12---it was funny and touching as well--and I loved the culture exposure of the movie. Made me want to go try some good Indian food which I think I would enjoy but DH is not an experimenter when it comes to restaurants and eating styles. Will have to go to Sacramento by myself and go out with DD and the DGD's who love Indian food.
Big mystery here---I lost my Wm.Sonoma carrot peeler but still had my Crate and Barrel one plus an old ineffective one. Now the Crate and Barrel one has disappeared---we have searched every drawer and cupboard---they are both gone!! I cannot figure out how that could be! So I'm off to get a carrot peeler so that I can make a double batch of lemon curd with these Meyer lemons---I think I can freeze it in small amounts so that it will keep. I have some lemons already frozen for shaker lemon pies and must mandoline those as well. Lots to do.
I'm liking my book now---A Man Called Ove---need to finish it this weekend. Tonight I'm going to take DGS12 to the movie Sing---I've been waiting for it to come out---looks so cute---it's animated. I needed a kid to go with so don't look crazy at a cartoon type movie by myself!
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Jan 7, 2017 1:20:24 GMT
Sue = how in the world did they let you get though 3 quarters without paying!
Holly- yes, supposed to be 1-4 inches of snow tonight. We will see. I got outside today to try to get some of the leaves and pinestraw off of the new grass and it started raining.
Joan - had a similar disappearing incident with a couple of paring knives. Finally decided that I must have raked them into the garbage with the peelings from some of the things I use to make our smoothies at lunch. I have been super careful since then.
I have been reading about coconut oil and it's miraculous properties. I bought the book "The Coconut Oil Miracle". I was so fascinated that I read the whole book at one setting. I have done away with all my other cooking oils except Olive. I now use coconut oil in what ever I can when cooking. I started putting it in my morning coffee and I already was using it in my smoothie. I have started using it on my face as a night cream and on my hair as a conditioner before I wash it. Read this book!
Tonight for dinner I prepared 15 bean soup in the crock pot and some yummy whole wheat muffins (recipe in the book) that are made with homey and coconut oil. I guess we will be eating it all weekend. I'nm sitting now watching a movie with a nice fire in the fireplace.
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Post by nov21987 on Jan 7, 2017 1:50:22 GMT
Hi!
Busy day, prepping for dinner tomorrow night and ex-colleague came to visit us this afternoon. He was one of the last 2 partners from our original firm and he was let go because his position was being "eliminated". He was miserable there and kind of knew it was coming. They also let go a bunch of engineers and admins. He has lots of contacts will find something. Morale is so bad there.
Joan, cooking really is just following directions and being organized, which I know you are good at both! I love Indian food, very labor intensive.
Jojo, this school is so disorganized! I've been using coconut oil for past 3 years, not using too much though, I'm splitting 3 oils - canola, EVOO and coconut. Oh I recently bought some avocado oil, which is also supposed to be very good. I like neutral (canola) sometimes because I don't want the extra flavoring and canola also has high smoke point. I also have grapeseed oil, also for the high smoke point.
I made the short ribs today, 3 hours of braising. Tomorrow I just need to skim off the fat and adjust/season the sauce - it has so much flavor. This definitely makes tomorrow easier to handle.
No gym again today. Was on my feet for about 6 hours with prepping/cooking and when the friend came to visit, everyone hung out in the kitchen with me on one side of the island and SO and friend sitting on high bar stools on the other side.
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Jan 7, 2017 4:05:50 GMT
Sue -glad the dinner party went well. I forgot I do have some grapeseed oil that I have been using. Like it. But will try to use the coconut oil whenever I can. I put it in my coffee and tonight I put it in some herbal tea. I also put it in the 15 bean soup that I made!
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Jan 7, 2017 14:48:10 GMT
Had snow and sleet last night. Only a little snow n the ground - about an inch. Temp was in the 20's this morning. We are just staying cozy inside. My sister in NC says that it started snowing in Greensboro at 4p yesterday. Haven't talked to her today. Good that it is here on the weekend.
On my second cup of coffee. Tastes particularly good this morning.
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Post by holly2007 on Jan 7, 2017 15:34:12 GMT
Hi all,
I think we have about 4 inches of snow, maybe more. It is still snowing, but should stop soon. They already closed the university Monday. I hope I can get out to my parents' house in the woods to take some pictures and let Charlotte run around. She went crazy this morning when I took her out.
Oh, we ended up doing much better than we thought on the art sale. We raised about $325. We will use it to buy popular books that would be of value to the collection like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for instance.
JoJo, is coconut oil good for healing scars?
Sue, that is crazy about the school payment!
Joan, hope the movie was good. I am reading a book called Just Mercy. It is really good so far.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Jan 7, 2017 16:27:20 GMT
Good morning everyone! I wondered how much snow you had gotten, JoAnne---must be a really big storm since Holly has so much as well. Our cruise friends fly back from Florida today but luckily land in Houston on the way back so shouldn't have delays. We always pick them up at the airport but tonight they get in at 7 and we had made plans to go to a movie with BF's here---so we are going to take one of our cars and put a magnetic key holder somewhere on it and leave it at the airport for them--pick it up at their house after the movie---usually we would just not do anything and pick them up but having DGS12 here for two nights and all of today and having a play to go to tomorrow with them, we had wanted to get together---were gone last weekend--so I hope that works for them. We want to go to Passengers at one of the movie theatres with recliners because BF's DH has multiple blood clots in his leg now---recent development---and cannot sit with legs down---remember this is the guy who went to Puerto Rico and was so unhealthy. He had lost 27 # and was walking 2-5 miles every other day and had even gotten off the blood thinners. Then he just quit walking, watches tv for hours at a time and started snacking on ice cream at night again, chocolate covered almosnds and raisins and chips---he's gained about 18 # and now has multiple clots! OMG BF is so disgusted with him and he will not try to correct anything---says he's just going to stay on medicine this time---and they have planned their first ever family trip (going to MX in February) and right now he's not even allowed to fly. A story of denial---which I really need to embrace---I am not in denial about exercise which I'm doing great on but I just can't seem to get my snacking in complete control!
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Jan 7, 2017 16:44:31 GMT
Sue, I love it when people sit around the island while I am working in the kitchen IF I am organized and have it "together"! Then you don't miss out on any conversation! However, on that occasion that something is not going right then it is annoying cause I hate near misses or fails in public! LOL! Have a feeling you would be like watching a fine tuned machine in the kitchen!
The movie Sing was so cute---I loved it---even DH enjoyed it. JoAnne your DGK's would enjoy it. Not huge violent scenes where an evil guy is totally destroying someone! And no orphaned kids without moms or anything---yet there was tension and fun and lots of good singing as well. We all fell in love with Johnny, the gorilla whose whole family had an Australian accent!
DGS12 could not stay awake last night---was falling asleep by about 9 in the chair in the family room---finally told him to go to bed! WE had stayed up too late the night before I guess.
Holly, sounds like Charlotte likes new snow to romp around in? It's very gloomy here today and predicted to rain some---it's only 27 this morning.
JoAnne, don't you love having bean soup in the winter? I think I'll make black bean soup either today or tomorrow. Are the whole wheat muffins sweet muffins? I have coconut oil and use it occasionally but a yoga friend claimed that you can lose weight by eating it in larger portions---I'd like that but have always been afraid to try that. Let me know how it goes.
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Post by nov21987 on Jan 7, 2017 20:52:39 GMT
Hi!
Had a fairly lazy morning then started prepping at noon. Everything is basically cut/measured/assembled just need to cook and bake. It's been lightly snowing all day, our friends live in suburbs, so far no word from them about canceling dinner tonight. I think it's about 3 inchers here but it's been warm so took a long time before it started sticking.
Weight still 123, so the temporary bump up to 125 lasted only a day.
Joan, that is too bad about your BFs husband.
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Jan 7, 2017 22:37:53 GMT
By the fireplace now. Kind of nice. Did not even light it last year.
Yes, Holly. The coconut oil is supposed to be good for scars. I'm trying it on my leg where I have the terrible scar from the accident several years ago.
Joan, the muffins do come out just a little sweet, but not sweet, sweet. They were delicious and so easy to make. Preheat to 400. grease muffin tin. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix wet into dry. Bake 15 min. 3/4 cup water, 1 egg, 1/2cup honey, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 tbsp. melted coconut oil (not hot when added to ingredients), 1 3/4 cups whole- wheat flour, 2 tsps baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt. I actually ended up with 15 muffins instead of the 12 it says.
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Jan 8, 2017 21:24:57 GMT
Haven't done anything all weekend. I don't think the dr. gave me high enough steroids to get over this asthma attach that chimed in - I just can't shake it. Tues. we have an appt. with our financial adviser so I hope I'm somewhat better by then. Thurs. we have tickets to the theater and Friday is DH's surgery to correct the socket around his artificial eye. Busy week.
Decided I would try to go to the mailbox (although I didn't think that the mail was even delivered on Sat.). Just wanted to get out of the house. Everything was ice and it was treacherous out there. Made it to the mailbox and thought I would try to bring the garbage can in - that was a mistake. When I stepped over to get it my foot completely slipped and I went slipping and sliding onto the street and almost down the storm sewer! I finally got my footing got back on a cleared spot on the driveway and slowly made my way back up the side of the driveway. I won't try that again until all is melted - I'm too old to get a broken bone from a fall. I'm not sure that we could even get out of our driveway in the car if we wanted. It is a solid sheet of ice except for some small spots down the side of it.
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Post by holly2007 on Jan 8, 2017 22:57:00 GMT
JoJo, so glad you weren't hurt!
Pretty cold and still some snow. The sun melted a lot of it today. Ready to get out of the house.
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Post by nov21987 on Jan 8, 2017 23:25:55 GMT
Hi!
Freezing cold here today too.
Jojo, that was a close call! Be careful!
Joan, I used to hate having people around when I cooked or want to help, I was really focused with all the multiple courses. But I've been more relaxed with my last 2 dinner parties.
Holly, so you haven't been able to get to your parents?
Dinner went well last night, although fewer courses than what I used to do, each dish had more components - this based on what I've learned in school. Every dish needs, garnish, crunch factor, contrasting flavors and texture. I think I always tried in a way to do so, but now it's very conscious and deliberate.
Had a relaxing day, went to the gym, went through some mail.
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Jan 9, 2017 14:03:06 GMT
26 degrees here todaY! Beginning to think we will never thaw out! But is supposed to be up to 40 today and then warmer tomorrow - thankgoodness! We have the meeting with our financial person tomorrow.
My cough seems significantly better today - about time. Still using my inhaler though. Not a good Dec/Jan for me. Wt. is still 125 - I guess with only eating soup, no problem keeping wt. down
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