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Big Fat Lies

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Another Good APBT Friendly Site

This morning I was looking for low cost spay neuter options as our two boy kittens are needing desperately to be "fixed".

The low cost option is $30 and we have to wait until January 4th. That's more than one month away.

I called three other nearby vets. One wanted $227.50. One just 1 mile south of that vet wanted $120. I found another one that charged $87.00.

We're probably going to go for the low cost option.

During the process of looking for low cost options, I discovered that owners of "pitbulls" who reside in Maricopa County, Arizona will be paid twenty dollars to spay or neuter their pet.

Now for the good APBT site: Bad Rap, located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Resurrected Post: Happy 93rd Birthday, Grandma!

I started this post at 0624 on my Grandma's last birthday, September 7, 2007. (I'm going through my draft posts and looking to see how many I can finish up and post as I have a goal to have 500 posts on my blog by December 31, 2007. )

Written 3 months ago - it will drop off at the end as I never finished my thoughts that morning.

My Grandma is still with us.

I took off work early yesterday, it must have been around 11:30 or so, because the doctor at the hospice called my mom to tell her he didn't think my Grandma was going to make it much longer and we should come quickly. I visited with my Grandma for about 3 hours and she is still hanging in there. She is having trouble swallowing, and is in a deep sleep. Twice while I was there, she opened her eyes and looked upwards toward the ceiling, staring.

My mom kept getting a strong feeling to call her sister, with whom she had been estranged for the past ten or so years. My youngest sister had a friend give her a ride to the hospice and she asked if she could call to our aunt. Then my mom talked to her, and I got to talk to her. While my mom was on the phone with her sister, my Grandma was acting agitated. I had suggested earlier that maybe my mom could call my aunt and let her talk to Grandma. So my mom came in after a bit and put the phone to my Grandma's ear and my Grandma demeanor changed as she listened. She moved her mouth as if trying to speak and made soft grunting noises. Poor Grandma. After my mom took the phone away and left the room, my Grandma relaxed and fell into the deep sleep again.

Before I left the hospice, I told my mom what had happened and I suggested that she call the other family members that couldn't be there in person.

My grandma can't hold on too much longer; because of the inability to swallow she is becoming more dehydrated and of course cannot eat. She is so frail that it would be difficult to hook her up to an IV and maybe wrong to prolong her life since the cancer has spread quickly in the past two weeks. But my Grandma's M.O. is STAY ALIVE.

When she was a young girl, I think around the age of 8, she was standing behind their horse carriage and the horses spooked, backed up and knocked my grandma over the side, it was 30 feet to the ground. My mom was telling me again yesterday, something about how they ended up fusing 7 vertebrae into 3 to "fix" her. Then when she was 13, her appendix burst inside her and they had to remove her intestines to clean out the infection. Then she got tuberculosis and had to live in a sanitarium for a couple of years. People were dying all around her and my mom says my grandma's father died right there in the hospital (from TB). My grandma was a child during the Great Depression and was sent away from her family to live with an aunt (I think that is what happened if I remember correctly). When she got out of the sanitarium she found that family members had gone to the bank and stolen all her savings, the money she had planned to use to move to Arizona. So she took her belongings (one suitcase) and bought a bus ticket to Arizona. That's all the money she had. She ended up in a spinster's home, since she was almost 30 years old. She got a job at Luke Air Force base in a secretarial pool. Grandpa had been stationed in Arizona there, he was from Texas. He was the guy that saluted the superior officers as they came into and left the base. That's how my Grandma and Grandpa met. They knew each other for only three months and married. My Grandpa went off to the war shortly after. My Grandma was already pregnant with my mother. My mom was born in 1944. In 1954 my aunt was born. In 1956 my Grandma got breast cancer in her left breast. A mastectomy was performed and she survived cancer. My Grandpa was kind of messed up from the war... I guess he had a hard time holding a job so they opened up a restaurant at 15th Avenue and Pierce in downtown Phoenix. Gordon's Fish and Chips. My Grandma told me once they owned the restaurant for 15 years and only one year made a small profit. They sold the restaurant to a mexican man who made only ONE payment and I guess they didn't feel they had any recourse and I guess they figured they weren't having to put OUT money for the place, so they never pursued payment from the guy. That makes me mad just thinking about it.

My Grandpa died in 1990. My Grandma was like a blossoming flower. My Grandpa was kind of grumpy and it seemed like he'd held her back. She had 7 years in her home on her own until she started getting dementia and wandering around her neighborhood. So my mom brought my grandma to live with her about ten years ago.

Anyway, my intention in telling you that is she has had a lot of bad things happen to her, things that could have killed most people and she stayed alive, so it is probably hard for her to give up. And she probably wanted to see my mom and aunt reconciled at the very least. I'm so happy that my aunt could be gracious, since she can be very mean spirited when she wants to be. My mom was very afraid of that, and didn't think she could cope with being yelled at.

Since she can't swallow, and is in the deep sleep, she isn't showing signs of being hungry or thirsty. I just wish I could be there with her. My mom comes to visit, but I feel that a person should not be alone in their last days or hours. Just like a birth watch... one wouldn't "visit" a laboring woman and keep coming back to see if the baby was born yet. It's the same with a death watch. It was also interesting yesterday one of the nurses at the hospice (a man named Jonathan) was telling us that he observes the person's face to get an idea of how they are feeling (in pain, etc). He said my grandma's face looked calm and peaceful, but *I* could see that she was tense, because of the frown between her eyebrows. That is exactly what I watched for as my sisters' doula, at their births. The frown between the eyebrows gave me a lot of information about what was going on with them. With birth, if the woman is all tensed up, things are not going to progress steadily and easily like they should.

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103 Dead and Counting

I went on a killing rampage this morning. The instrument of death:

Yes, it's that time of year again. The farmer across the road a field full of rotting melons and now we're sharing our daily life with millions of flies. Everywhere you go, everywhere you turn. In the house, on the porch, in the milking parlor, in the vehicles. Here they are on the porch:
And what self-respecting fly wouldn't be thrilled to call a garbage can his or her own?

I've blogged about the flies before:

The flies, the flies!!! June 27, 2006
The Flies Part II July 12, 2006
Hoof Trims in the Summer with a Side of Flies June 9, 2007

The 103 confirmed dead were in the kitchen. When I walked through the living room back into the kitchen, another 700 were in the kitchen, awaiting the smackdown of their lives.

Rain makes it worse. We're expecting three inches of rain.

Until next time.

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Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Lots of lazy dogs, lying around in the morning before it heats up.

Until next time.

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The Power of Words

From The Power of Words: Steps to Positive Criticism

The Power of Words
Those who hurl criticism or hostility at others may not even mean or believe what they have said. Their comments may reflect momentary jealousy, resentment, depression, fatigue or revenge. Regardless of the intent, harsh words sting like killer bees. Almost all of us have lived through moments when a parent, teacher, friend, colleague, a husband or a wife said something that cut to the quick. That hurt is now sealed forever in the memory bank. That is an amazing property of the spoken word.

We tend to forget
the day-to-day
experiences, but a
particular painful comment may
be remembered
for decades.

By contrast, the individual who did the damage may have no memory of the incident a few days later.

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Public School Breakfasts

When I was growing up during the 70s, we were poor and eligible for the free meals at school. I don't really remember eating breakfast at school though. I remember the 3 pound margarine bowls of oatmeal that my mom used to serve us. I sure hated oatmeal when I was growing up. It didn't help that one day a balloon tick (I kid you not!) that had walked up the wall and onto the ceiling fell into the pot and my mom made the decision to just remove it and feed the oatmeal to the family anyway. Hey, we were poor and she did boil it for several minutes after removing the offending insect. She must have had half a gallon of oatmeal there, worth at least a quarter, and it was probably being served within moments of our having to leave the house... so it was either feed the oatmeal to the children or send them out the door with nothing in their bellies. She would put a good 2 inches of oatmeal in each bowl. I could never gag that much down so I always had much less, like maybe half a cup's worth. I would take a bite and then drink cold water to wash it down. I was never much of a breakfast person to begin with, thanks to Romy, my nemesis in the 2nd grade. She tortured me daily and pretty soon I had a nervous sick stomachache every single day of school. The daily sick stomachache lasted until I was almost twenty years old, when a coworker told me about chewable Pepto-Bismol which helped me to get over having the stomachache every single day (one of the rare times over the counter medication has actually worked for me).

Eventually I learned how to make oatmeal so that it actually tasted good. And I love oatmeal today, although I prepare it the NT way to reduce the phytic acid (click on chapter 13's excerpt), it still doesn't provide me with enough nutrition and I find myself STARVING within an hour. It's so annoying it's not even worth eating it.

Dh also was poor growing up and eligible for the free meals. He says they served oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and french toast, to name a few.

I had to call one of our local schools yesterday and didn't have the phone number handy so I googled the school name. Found their website and their number within moments. I gave them a call and while they had me waiting on hold I looked around on their site. I was surprised to see how bad the breakfast menu is. Churro? Isn't that considered a dessert? Well, I guess it's a donut of sorts, a Mexican donut... and of course donuts are considered highly appropriate breakfast fare. When I look at this menu I don't see even one meal that I could eat and not be ravenously hungry within an hour due to the lack of protein, sugar and high carbohydrate content. Maybe the "Sunrise Sandwich" if it's like an Egg McMuffin, and has an egg in it. I thought we were supposed to be fueling children to learn. Not to have low blood sugar drops. If this is what most children eat, it's no wonder so many children are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. I'd be unable to concentrate, if my first sustaining meal for the day was sugary and full of carbs. Now don't get me wrong, I've admitted here that I love carbs more than my own mother, but even I know when I have to avoid them.

Unfortunately, lunch isn't much better. Free choice, and imagine that your child doesn't have rock solid nutrition values and can withstand peer pressure. It's like a fast food buffet straight from the frozen food section. Teriyaki Dippers, pizza, Shrimp Poppers, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Cheeseburger, Jumbo Corn Dog, Chicken Nuggets. OH, this month there was a turkey dinner, with no corresponding choice of pizza. Maybe some kid didn't want turkey that day. Too bad, you say? I'm sorry but that's how it should be on other days, too.

I'm really, really glad I didn't put my children through the public school system.

Until next time.

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Just Some Pictures of My Daily Life

The odometer reading was 233,333, I'm driving 70mph, the rpm's were 2600, tank half full and 144 miles since buying gas...Ds2 scrubbed the oven out by hand. One day I'll add in the before picture. No chemicals were used! It's not perfect, but it's much cleaner than it was to begin with and did I say no chemicals were used!?
A cloudy day outside my office window.

Ds2 on his laptop and his cat in his favorite spot.

Dh in bed with just barely enough room due to LJ curled up at his side and Vicious laying on top of him.

And last but not least, LJ sleeping in bed. When he heard the camera he started stretching and then fell back to sleep.




Until next time.

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Wedding Cost Post

Finally! Four weeks after the wedding I finally have the cost on our wedding which I had hoped to keep under $2000. We invited 160 people, and 96 actually showed up. We had a lot of children at our wedding, too, which really made it a lot of fun! I can't believe people don't want children at their wedding!

• Ceremony/Reception Location: $0 We had our wedding at my job, which normally charges $800 for the room but let us use it free.
• Books in lieu of wedding consultant: $40 purchased from half.com
• Bridal Gown: $25 + $3 from Goodwill on 50% off day. A real wedding gown - white, name brand Eden's Bridals. I wet washed it myself, altered it, applied a decorative piece to the back and ironed it. The lace piece cost me $3.
• Other Bridal Clothing: $81
  
• Cake: $115 Dh made our four-tiered wedding cake, and the groom's cake. He had to buy everything to assemble it, plus frosting tools, etc.
• Reception Decorations: $73 I got the arch for $15 with a 50% off coupon at Michael's; I made all the table decorations with juice glasses from Goodwill 24 cents each
  
• Our Special Toast Glasses: $2 2 glasses 50 cents each plus $1 for little white bows to tie to the stems. My boss said we needed to have these and they were running $15 to $25 retail. No way!
  
• Paper Products for Reception: $373
• Boutonnieres and Corsages: $23 I bought some supplies and purchased 3 off eBay. The lady from eBay ended up sending me everything she had left - some 40 corsages!
• Bride's Bouquet: $24 Hand-tied white roses, put together myself.
• Flowers to Decorate the room: $88 Purchased 75% off from Joann's; and unfortunately we didn't even use 1/3 of what I bought, so that was a waste of money.
  
• Food: $457.
  
• Gifts for my mom, MIL and my boss: $73 My boss totally took over the food preparation and even went out and bought everything (she even tried to buy everything when it was on sale!)
• Groom's Clothing: $87 Dh is a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy and had NOTHING at all. We had to buy the suit, white shirt, tie, black socks and shoes. All on sale and from Goodwill on 50% off day.
• Bride's Hair, Makeup and Nails: $100 My first ever manicure and pedicure! My hair was gorgeous, I looked like a princess!
• Groom's Haircut: $20 I usually cut his hair for him, but we ran out of time so he went and had it done at a shop. $12 plus tip.
• Honeymoon: $320 2 nights at a local resort + nightwear
  
• Invitations: $17
• Postage: $65
• Bride's Wedding Band: $225 Actually purchased earlier in the year for my Mother's Day/Birthday gift
• Groom's Wedding Band: $8 eBay
• Bride's Necklace: $8 eBay
• Wedding Program: $8 Wrote it myself, printed it myself. Only had to buy paper.
• Veil: $24 Made it myself, hand sewed on over 1000 beads.
• Photography: $133 We had two friends taking pictures and my MIL put disposable cameras on the tables which she paid for the cameras and photo developing.
• Videography: $0 Our youngest son videotaped the wedding. We borrowed the camera from my SIL and she gave us the mini-DVDs that the camera uses.
• Officiant: $250 This is what we decided to give our pastor - he did not require any payment at all.
• Marriage License: $50
• Music: $27 I bought some CDs off half.com and downloaded two songs for $1/each
• Our sons' haircut/wig, and clothing: $155 I know people don't normally count in the cost of their children's clothing, but all of us have to dress up. Our oldest son has alopecia totalis and wanted "hair" for the wedding. The wig cost $56.
  

Total $2874.00

Gifts:

• $1000 - Dh's mother gifted us with $1000 for our honeymoon - I told her we'd only want to stay two nights and it was $130 each night, but that is the number she settled on giving us.
• $400 - My boss went around and collected money from everyone at my job, about $20 each and paid for all the food
• $300 - Dh's mother also bought most of the paper goods for the tables, paper plates, drinking glasses, napkins, silverware, etc.
• $133 - Dh's mother paid for the cameras and developing
• $945 - Cash, checks and giftcards from our guests
  

Total: $2778.00

So technically, our final cost was $96.

Until next time.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

10:20am
We have so much to be thankful for! Our family is together and we are happy and for the most part healthy (all of us are in some stage of recovery from the same head cold). I'm cooking, ds1 is making his pizza pasta, dh is snuggled in bed for a nap with LJ and ds2 was up and swatting flies for a while but now is back in his bedroom.

I got a late start on our Thanksgiving dinner, but the first thing I found myself thankful for is the generosity of my mother and father-in-law who gifted our youngest son with a barbecue Christmas of 2005. So I called them and wished them a happy holiday and thanked them for the grill telling them I was making our turkey on the grill today.

Ds2 tested out grilling the bird on Tuesday and I was much impressed with the moist and tender meat. It turned out well, so I assumed he'd be grilling today's turkey. I learned last night, however, that he did not know if a 23 pound bird would work in the grill and was thinking I'd be doing the turkey in the oven. I usually use a bag... but Alton told me one day that when you use a bag, you're actually steaming the bird. Hmmm. All right. And then ds2 told me I'd not have all that broth that I usually get using the bag - if I grill the bird - and it all started to make sense! If all the moisture is steamed out into the bag, then of course the bird will be dry. Why did I never consider that?

My reasoning was you bake the turkey in the oven for hours and hours at a certain temperature, so what's the difference between grilling it in the barbecue for hours and hours? I did a bit of research on the Internet to see if I could grill a 20 pound turkey, found that it is possible, so I decided I would not only grill the bird, but also smoke it with hickory chips! I was able to locate the hickory chips - I put them someplace "safe" the last time I cleaned... since ds2 had THROWN them away in a frenzy of house cleaning. I retrieved them from the trash can and safely stored them by the front door in dh's pile of stuff. The chips are in the aluminum foil to the left of the grill. One site I read said to cook the bird 15 minutes for every pound, and smoke in the first 30 minutes if you are going to smoke it. The about.com site that I checked said to cover the wing tips after 30-40 minutes so they don't burn, and cover the breast if it starts to get too dark. I'm grilling my turkey breast down, and turning it every 30-45 minutes.

So far I have the bird on the grill for the past hour and 20 minutes, and I just put the butternut squash in the oven - I don't really even like butternut squash, but Pioneer Woman seems to think it will make me have a fainting spell once I try it cooked her way. 11:30 - I made it, ooohhhhh, it IS delicious!!!! I didn't make me faint, however. I only used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.



And I have my pot of broth started that I make for the turkey gravy. I really need to revise my Thanksgiving Dinner plan for I do cook much differently now than 7 years ago. For one thing, 7 years ago, I thought fat was going to kill me if I ate it. I have since learned that our bodies need fat to function. The caveat: it must be GOOD fat. Fats like butter, cream, lard, chicken fat, turkey fat, virgin coconut oil. Bad fats would be partially hydrogenated oils, soybean oil. So back to my broth. Today I checked the freezer to see if I could find anything to add to my broth. Sometimes I'll find some raw chicken bones because someone cut off the breast meat and left the bones for making broth. This time I found some already made chicken stock. Here is today's recipe for making the stock for turkey gravy.

1 quart chicken stock
1 onion, chopped roughly
6 pieces celery, sliced
2 carrots, unpeeled, sliced in 1 inch pieces
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
turkey neck, giblets, liver, heart
8 cups water

One thing I like to do when making stock - since I will be straining off the broth - is to include the onion skins. They will add natural color to your stock.

Add everything to a large pot, bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let it boil for 2 to 3 hours. That should make for some tasty stock to make my turkey gravy later.

Next I should probably start the potato rolls. First... I should figure out what time the turkey will be done as the cooking for everything else will correspond around that. Okay, looks like 5 hours and 45 minutes. I put it on at 9am, so it should be done by 3pm.

I'm going to reopen this post throughout the day and add to it as I have a chance.

11:30. My stock looks delicious! Ds2 just flipped the turkey from lying on its breast to its back. It looks fantastic.








And here are a couple of shots of the food on the table.


I took a little nap after eating, about half an hour. Woke up and started putting the food away, removed all the meat from the turkey and bagged it up for leftovers.

Until next time.

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Thanksgiving Dinner Plan

I composed this Thanksgiving Dinner in 2000. It is detailed with instructions for step-by-step preparation. You may use my plan, or modify it to suit your own dishes. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Ds2 pointed out to me that my recipes need some serious modification, as we eat differently now than we did 7 years ago.

MENU

* Turkey
* Stuffing
* Mashed Potatoes
* Gravy
* Potato Rolls
* Baked Sweet Potatoes
* Black and Green Olives
* Pickles
* Veggie Tray
* Pumpkin Pie
* Cheesecake
* Fruit Salad
* English Toffee Hot Cocoa

SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
Calculate how many hours turkey will need to defrost if in the refrigerator. (My favorite way and one of the safest ways to thaw meat)

TUESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
1. Make cheesecake.
"I OUGHT TO FEEL GUILTY" CHEESECAKE from Whole Foods for the Whole Family, La Leche League Cookbook

* 24 oz. cream cheese
* 3/4 c. eggs (3 TO 5)
* 1/4 c. honey
* 1 t. grated lemon rind

Process until smooth. Bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes - until the top puffs lightly all the way to the center.

2. Make pumpkin pies.

PUMPKIN PIE
* 2 eggs 1 yolk, 3 whites
* 4 C. pumpkin
* 1 C. honey
* 1/2 t. salt
* 2 t. cinnamon
* 1 t. ginger
* 1/4 t. cloves
* 1/2 t. nutmeg
* 1 c. cream lowfat evap milk
* 1/2 c. water

Blend filling ingredients with blender. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 F and bake 45 minutes more. Makes 2 deep dish pies. Bake pies on top of cookie sheets, in case they dribble over.

WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
1. Boil 1 potato for rolls, mash and save 1/2 cup of potatoes. Save water.
2. Cut up celery, onions, mushrooms.
3. Peel potatoes and cut in quarters, refrigerate covered in water.
4. Bake cornbread and cube. (see recipe below)
5. Mix together liquid ingredients for rolls:

* 1 1/4 c. milk
* 1/4 c. honey
* 1 1/2 t. salt
* 1/4 c. butter margarine
* Refrigerate.

6. Take out neck, etc., refrigerate. Save for making the gravy tomorrow.

7. Mix ingredients for Hot Cocoa English Toffee. (see recipe below)


THANKSGIVING DAY, THURSDAY

Time planned on to eat: 2:00 pm
A key to success here is to stay on your feet all day, every spare moment should be spent tidying the kitchen of the last round of dishes. Otherwise, look forward to 2-3 hours of dishes to wash at one time... You might ask yourself if this dinner is really worth it. *grin*

9:45 Put turkey (around 20# turkey) in the oven in bag.
Plates, silverware, napkins, glasses on table.
Open cranberry sauce, clear flat dish, refrigerate.
Open olives; pickles. Arrange on dish, refrig.
Start broth w/neck, etc.

10:45-11:15 Start on rolls; Recipe for rolls
heat liquids.
Add to dry mixture.
Add egg and potato.
Beat at low 30 seconds.
Beat at high for 3 minutes.
Stir in flour to make soft dough.
Knead 6-8 minutes.
Place in bowl, cover.
11:15-12:15 Let rise till double.
12:00 Place cut potatoes in pan to steam, don't cook yet.
Place butter on plates to soften.
Take package corn out of freezer.
12:15-12:30 Punch down, let rest 10 minutes.
12:30 Start white potatoes cooking.
12:30-12:45 Shape into rolls. (We do crescents or cloverleafs)
12:45 Check to see if turkey is done.
Wrap in foil and place sweet potatoes in oven.
1:00 Check white potatoes for doneness.
12:45-1:45 Let rolls rise until almost double.
Saute onions, celery, mushrooms.
Mix potatoes with mixer.
1:10 Mix dressing together, cornbread, vegetables, frozen corn and broth.
1:15 Check on sweet potatoes. (They are done when you can press an indention into them. Or, take one out, unwrap and if you can place a fork easily into the potato.)
1:20 Take broth from turkey.
Make gravy.
1:20-1:45 Bake stuffing.
1:45-1:55 Take stuffing out of oven.
Bake rolls at 400 F.
1:45 Place turkey on serving tray.
Place stuffing on table on potholders.
Place cranberry sauce on table.
Place olives, etc., on table.
Place potatoes on table.
Place gravy on table with ladle.

MY FAVORITE DRESSING

Cornbread:

* 1 c. cornmeal
* 2 t. baking powder
* 1 c. whole wheat flour
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1 to 2 eggs
* 1 c. milk
* 1 t. chili powder

Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Mix together quickly and briefly, only until moistened. Bake cornbread, (400F for 20 min.), slice into cubes.

Vegetables to add into cubed cornbread:

* 3 ribs celery, sliced
* 1/2 large onion, chopped
* 1 lb. mushrooms, quartered
* 1/2 c. turkey broth or water
* 1 T. poultry seasoning
* 16 oz. frozen corn

Saute celery, onion and mushrooms in 1/2 cup water or broth until celery and onion are transparent. Mix poultry seasoning in sauteing vegetables. Salt to taste. Mix cornbread cubes into vegetables, place in baking dish. Bake 30 min. at 350 F.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS' POTATO ROLLS

* 1 small potato, pared and cubed
* 1 c. water
(if you are following my plan, you have already cooked the potato yesterday)
* 4 to 4 1/2 c. flour
* 1 T. quick rising yeast
* 1 1/4 c. milk (liquid from boiled potato plus milk)
* 1/4 c. honey
* 1/4 c. butter margarine
* 1 1/2 t. salt
* 1 egg

In saucepan, cook potato, covered, in the water till tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Mash potato and measure 1/2 c. mashed potato; set aside. In large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In saucepan heat together milk, honey, margarine, and salt just till warm (115 F to 120 F), stirring constantly till margarine almost melts. Add to dry mixture in mixing bowl; add egg and mashed potato. Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. Shape in a ball. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in warm place till double, about 1 hour. Punch down; turn out on a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Shape into rolls. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover; let rise in a warm place until almost double, about 1 hour. Bake in hot oven (400 F.) for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

MASHED POTATOES
Take the steamed potatoes from the pan and place into a bowl. Add in margarine/butter to taste, and I use milk and some of the remaining potato water to moisten the potatoes and make them fluffy and light. Add salt and pepper to taste.

OR --
try Swanson's (tm) Skinny Mashed Potatoes

* 5 large potatoes, cut into 1" pieces (about 7 1/2 cups)
* 3 1/2 cups Swanson Chicken Broth
* Generous dash pepper

In medium saucepan place potatoes and broth. Over high heat, heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving broth. Mash potatoes with 1 1/4 cups broth and pepper. If needed, add additional broth until potatoes are desired consistency. Salt to taste. Serves about 6.
1/2 gram fat per serving (traditional mashed potato recipe: 8 gram fat per serving.)

GRAVY
I take all the broth from inside the cooking bag and put it in a 6 quart pot. I always skim off the fat. One year I skimmed off one cup of fat. Then I add in the broth made from cooking the neck and parts. Then I take 1-2 cups of cool water and mix in some flour, and then pour the flour water into the hot broth, mixing constantly with a whisk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Personally, I prefer a thin gravy with Thanksgiving dinner.
Rule of thumb for gravy thickness:
Thin: 1 tablespoon flour per cup of liquid
Medium: 2 tablespoons flour per cup of liquid
Thick: 3 tablespoons flour per cup of liquid

VEGGIE TRAY

* celery
* carrots
* radishes
* broccoli
* cauliflower
* cucumbers
* cucumbers with garlic seasoning

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing with Daisy Light Sour Cream.
(Cucumbers with garlic seasoning: sliced cucumbers with freshly crushed garlic, 1 clove or more per cucumber, lemon juice or vinegar and salt.)

FRUIT SALAD

* Fresh papaya, diced
* 1 can pineapple chunks and the juice
* 3 bananas, sliced or diced
* red grapes
Mix and serve immediately or chilled.

ENGLISH TOFFEE HOT COCOA

* 3 cups water
* 2 bags Celestial Seasonings English Toffee tea
* 1 1/2 cups cold water
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1 t. cinnamon
* 1 t. vanilla
* dash salt
* 1/4 c. cocoa
* 1/2 c. nonfat dry milk

Boil water, steep tea for 5 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients in blender. Pour into hot tea. The cocoa and milk are frothy making the cocoa seem like it has marshmallows on top. Very good and creamy.

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One Month Married

Today is our one month anniversary. I kind of hoped we could do something special to celebrate, but since this head cold is making our way through the household, no one felt like doing anything much more than eating and going to sleep.

The best thing I like about being married is being able to say "This is my husband" instead of having to figure out what to call him. He was my ex-husband, but if I introduced him that way people would wonder why we were hanging out together and I'd have to tell the story. If I called him my fiance and the boys were with us, then people would wonder whose children, when they are both ours! I didn't like boyfriend. And I wasn't comfortable saying "husband" because legally he wasn't. Before we reunited, I referred to him as my "ex-husband" and people constantly dropped the "ex" part even though I'd reiterate and remind them again and again.

ANYHOO...

I am almost over this cold, but still have a tickle in my throat which makes me cough and I am not getting very restful sleep at night. Therefore I wake up exhausted each morning and it is incredibly difficult to get going.

And here I sit, not in bed and it's almost 9pm.

Until next time.

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Resurrected Post: Raving Over Training

I wrote this post back on June 23rd, 2006, when LJ was only FOUR months old. I don't know why I never published it, as it appears to be completed down to my "Until next time". LJ continues to be THE BEST dog my husband and I have ever owned.

When I was a young girl, we took care of a dog that belonged to some family friends. They would occasionally move someplace where they could not have a dog, and so he would stay with us for
a few months at a time. His name was Sir Duke Yogart something or other, but we called him Dukie. He was a golden retriever and he was very well trained.

Ever since then, I've wanted my dogs to be well trained and well behaved like Dukie was. I tend to think it was just me not being consistent with all the dogs I've owned as an adult, but also it seemed like the dogs I had were stubborn and didn't want to learn and so it was really discouraging to keep trying and trying and
getting nowhere.

But with LJ, he learns so fast, like I was saying earlier, it's a wonderful reward to see him learn new commands. I am also teaching him some hand commands, they aren't official hand commands, but I have three that I use so far. One is for sit, down and the last one is for "on your side". I was anxious to
teach him the "on your side" command, because I understand it is a bit difficult for a dog to do that one since it puts them into a submissive position. LJ appears to be a dog that may be a ladder climber, and so I am trying to teach him commands that will put him into submissive positions to help me keep him in his place. He adores having his belly rubbed, which I know is also helping me to show my dominance over him.

I read someplace that dogs learn hand commands quicker than verbal commands, so the "on your side" command I have trained him on that one without any words yet. I just take my hand, with my index finger extended and draw an "O" into the air about six inches in diameter. I eventually intend to teach him to lay on the side that I roll my hand in. If I roll it to the left, I
want him to roll onto his left side, and vice versa. But for now, whichever way he goes, he gets rewarded.

I am also working with the clicker a bit, and it was so neat to see his brain working, I mean it was like I could actually see him thinking about this command. He was very reluctant to lie on
his side for me. He tried shifting his butt one way or the other. He tried laying his head down between his paws. He would shift his butt the other way, lol. At first I showed him the command and laid him on his side, and click and treat. After 2-3 examples, I would show him the hand command, then wait, while he did all his butt shifting, etc. Then when I could see he still
wasn't understanding, I would finally tuck his elbow under -- he would brace his elbows way out - (so maybe he was getting it, just didn't want to comply), so it was not easy for me or him to
put him on his side. LOL. After tucking his elbow in, I would roll him over to his side, where he got clicked and rewarded with a treat. Then we worked on it again, and you could see it was
really a hard one for him to submit to. You see, one time, when I tried to put him on his side to rub his belly, he growled. I decided right then and there, that I would desensitize him to me
lying him on his side, and therefore, as I see it, his reluctance to submit to that command.

But he finally got it, and I was so excited. When I started working on the "sit up" command, he would frenetically sit, do a down, then roll over onto his side and wave his paws at me,
hoping that was what I wanted. When I had not asked for that at all, lol, but had held the food just above his nose and said "sit up". So I turn my back and walk away, then work on "come". Oh, I guess I have a hand signal for that, too. I think it is the official one, though. Isn't that one that you cup your hand with your fingers toward you? And of course, the hand command for
"stay" he is learning, too.

I have also found that he learns faster if the treat is especially delicious. He loves half cooked bits of hamburger, that one gets his brain working really fast, as does freshly cooked chicken breast. :-)

After he gets the command, I move to a less delicious treat to reinforce, still clicking, then once I know he knows it, I move to using the command without food or clicker, but maybe for
playing fetch. One of his favorite treats in the whole wide world is a fresh egg from the chicken coop, so that's an early morning opportunity to work with him. I have also begun to make
him work a bit more for a treat like that, where he might have to sit, shake, then do a down for the egg. He takes it in his mouth, runs away happily, then drops it to break it and licks the
yolk.

I think it is *especially* important, since LJ is an APBT which get such a bad rap nowadays. Prior to fostering him and falling in love with him, I was one of "those people" who thought people who owned this breed were nuts. So now I know how very important it is to train him well and hopefully portray the breed for what they can be.

Until next time.

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DS2 Made The Applesauce Cake

Ds2 made the applesauce cake in the aforementioned post. He even found our ring mold to make the cake in.

This head cold has taken away my sense of smell totally. I smelled a container of cloves and smelled absolutely NOTHING. I've been eating raw garlic in various foods all day and can't even taste the garlic. I couldn't smell the cake baking at all.

I can taste sweet, however. The cake is a little sweet, I think. I would suggest using at least 1/2 cup less sugar.

It's very delicious though. Thank you ds2 for making this cake for me!

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Grandma Gordon's Applesauce Cake

I haven't made it yet, but I'll post a picture when I do. Since I'm sick, I'm not up for doing anything more strenuous than typing and warming up canned soup for myself. Canned soup with freshly squeezed garlic... and rolls with garlic butter... mmmmm... Maybe I'll see if ds2 would be interested in making this cake for his dear old mother... I think we do have all the ingredients on hand.

Grandma made a couple of applesauce cakes, but the one she made mostly in later years was a 9x9 pan cake that was more light brown in color. This one I remember being darker brown, and she used the old fashioned "ring mold" pan which was similar to a bundt pan but it's a two piece cake pan. Apparently the dark color is due to the cocoa added to this recipe. I bought some dates and golden raisins the other day, thinking about this cake, and wishing I had the recipe.

So I asked my sister first, who didn't have it, and then asked my mom, who did find it. She found the recipe in a stack she had and it's actually called "Jim's Applesauce Cake".

She found the recipe while I was driving home the other day so I couldn't write it down. But I googled it today and it's readily available all over the Internet. It comes from the Good Housekeeping cookbook.

Jim's Applesauce Cake

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup snipped, pitted dates
3/4 cup light or dark raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup soft shortening
1//2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 1/2 cups canned applesauce

To prepare cake: Start heating oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 quart ring mold on bottom and sides. Sift flour, soda, salt. Toss 2 tablespoons flour mixture with dates, raisins, nuts.

In large electric-mixer bowl, with mixer at medium speed, or "cream", mix shortening, spices and cocoa. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, or "blend", beat in alternately, just until smooth, flour mixture and applesauce. Stir in date mixture. Turn into ring mold. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a cake rack for 10-15 minutes. With spatula, loosen cake around edges. Place rack over top of cake; invert pan and rack together; then place rack on table. Lift off pan; place second rack lightly on bottom of cake; invert both racks with cake to turn cake right side up. Finish cooling.

MSG URL: http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/0068004

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38 Answers to 38 Random Questions Meme

38 Answers to 38 Random Questions

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Since I'm sick and was so worn out last night that I was nearly to the point where I was going to pass out if I didn't get home and into bed soon I wasn't much in the mood for laughing. Although the young man who checked us out asked how I was doing and I just shook my head and he finally got me to smile when he said, "Thanks for the donuts" holding back the donuts ds2 had requested that we bring home.

2. What were you doing at 0800? Answering these questions.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Bringing my purse, laptop, knitting bags in from the truck and trying to find my checks so I can write a check to a college for testing done on one of our goats back in October (it's overdue and they sent a second bill talking about collection agencies...) And this is the weekend that I sit down and look at our finances for the first time in ten weeks.

4. What happened to you in 2006? My dh started to get his life back together.

Not sure where question 5 went, it was omitted from the blog I got this from. How's about we start a new version of this meme and you get to put your OWN question into slot 5?

5. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving!

6. How many beverages did you have today? I've had some diluted peach-white grape juice. My favorite which I rarely drink, but always want when I'm sick.

7. What color is your hairbrush? I have three. The one in my desk drawer at work is purple, and two at home, one is black and one is maroon.

8. What was the last thing you paid for? Food from the store last night.

9. Where were you last night? Coming home from work, driving to the pharmacy with dh to pick up pain medication since he had two wisdom teeth pulled on Monday while he was out sick from work with vomiting and diarrhea AND the bottom tooth was infected, which he neglected to tell the dentist so the dentist went ahead and pulled the teeth and by yesterday dh was getting a dry socket which was turning him into a cranky, grumpy old man. [The moral of the story: NEVER get your wisdom teeth pulled when they are infected!!] But his insurance company says he isn't covered. Dh called the insurance company FIVE times yesterday and I talked with his employer who talked to the benefits manager who told the employer he IS covered, no worries. So three trips to the pharmacy... the first trip was in town at a pharmacy 35 miles from the one in our home town. At dh's request, they said they would be happy to transfer the prescription, only when we got to our home town pharmacy they said they couldn't fill the prescription without having the hard copy in hand. Dh did extremely well handling this problem, in spite of being in pain from the dry socket. Finally it was decided by the in-town pharmacy's manager that he would DRIVE the prescription out to our home town pharmacy and the hometown pharmacy also gave dh one day's worth of pain killers. Dh couldn't drive, because the less strong pain killers were narcotics and so he couldn't be driving.

10. What color is your front door? White.

11. Where do you keep your change? In my purse and then into jars.

12. What’s the weather like today? Sunny and mid-70s. It was thundering really loud last night but it never rained, thank goodness since the wind blowing so hard yesterday blew the coverings off our TWO "squeeze loads" of hay (64 bales each at $12 per bale - enough hay to last six months at the cost of $1400 which could be ruined if it rained and poured on the top bales).

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Umm... hard to pick just one. I guess Breyer's Cherry Vanilla is one of my most favorites. There's also Mocha Almond Fudge, Butter Pecan, Vanilla...

14. What excites you? Not too much with the way I feel today...

15. Do you want to cut your hair? No. It's good at this length.

16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes.

17. Do you talk a lot? It depends on who I'm talking to... if I'm talking to dh, then yes, I talk a lot. ;-)

18. Do you watch the O.C.? I don't watch any television. I've heard of the O.C. but I don't know what it is.

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? I have a stepbrother with that name. Also our board president at my job has that name.

20. Do you make up your own words? No. Sometimes I hijack ds1's "isms".

21. Are you a jealous person? Maybe just a smidgen, but mostly not.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. I had to get my cell phone because I couldn't remember the names of anyone I know... Angela.

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kim.

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? Honey. (That's how I list my dh in my phone).

25. What does the last text message you received say? Dump day is 8am to 12pm. Not 4pm. (From ds2)

26. Do you chew on your straw? No.

27. Do you have curly hair? No, it's straight as a board.

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Probably to bed to take a nap. I can't just STAY in bed, because my back stiffens up after seven hours. So I HAVE to stay up and at least sit here at the computer, or on the couch until I can't stay up any longer. I plan to take it as easy as I can today, saving up my energy for when I have to milk later today. Or maybe dh will be feeling up to milking for me.

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Right now, my coworker whose office is right next door to mine and has made a point to not speak to me (or most everyone else at work for that matter) since the event from hell (two weeks ago). Other than that, just about every person on the road driving the main highway into and out of the town I live in. Oh just everyone except my husband and two sons, okay?

30. What was the last thing you ate? A little bowl of cooked carrots with butter and salt. One of my mom's remedies for colds. I know she'll tell me to be sure to have some (for the Vitamin A) and when she asks I'll be able to say I already had them.

31. Will you get married in the future? I just got remarried to my husband - from whom I was divorced from for exactly 15 years to the day - four weeks ago. After the wedding, I told him let's agree to NEVER get married again. ;-)

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Considering I've only watched ONE movie, that would have to be Forever Young with Mel Gibson. I bought the movie off half.com because it has the song The Very Thought of You in it, that inspired my MIL to suggest that I use it to walk down the "aisle" when dh and I were married a month ago. However, the version of The Very Thought of You in the movie was awful, nothing compared to the lovely, magical version by Nat King Cole.

33. Is there anyone you like right now? My dear husband and our two sons.

34. When was the last time you did the dishes? All of the dishes? It's been several weeks since I've actually cleaned the entire kitchen. But I did wash about eight milk jars last night, and I'm washing my dishes after I use them because I'm sick and want something to use the next time I need to eat.

35. Are you currently depressed? No. Just sick with a headcold that I'm hoping and praying will stop at my throat and not turn into a chest cold which will mean my asthma will become an issue.

36. Did you cry today? I don't think I will today. It depends on how easy my day will go. I was crying last night, because I thought we might have to drive back into town to pick up the hard copy of the prescription and the thought of that drove me to tears and to beg ds2 if he would milk, which he begged off since he'd just done hoof trims for me earlier that day. Not at my request, but as a surprise, for which I am very grateful.

37. Why did you answer and post this? Because I wanted to. And I am curious to see if anyone else who reads my blog will do this one, too.

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. I think only five people read my blog, at least only three people have ever commented, so if you read my blog and want to do this meme, feel free.

Until next time.

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80 Year Old Woman?

As I mentioned earlier today, in an attempt to shore up my self image, I've been wearing my new professional outfits and putting my hair up in a French twist. The reason I decided to start putting my hair in a French twist is because I want to wear it that way for my friend's upcoming wedding. I've also always wanted to know how to do a French twist. Not just an attempt and I can't do it and then going with a French braid or twisting my hair into a bun on top of my head. I have put my hair into a French twist three days in a row and every day it gets easier. I am placing the bobby pins properly as my hair is staying in place nicely all day long. I'm learning!

So I have looked VERY nice this week. Every day several of my coworkers comment on how they love my new outfits and how I look so put together. My dress today was blue and my boss especially liked it, since her favorite color is blue.

And to be totally honest with you, another aspect of my doing this is because of my coworker who eats Lean Cuisines. She has this beautiful red hair that's curly and she always wears makeup and she looks nicely put together. She told me today she wished she could dress professionally all the time, but since losing 40 pounds she has to pick and choose the days, since she doesn't have too many outfits to wear. I guess I should have 'fessed to her that part of my wanting to dress nicely was because she looks so nice! I've been feeling like I'm on the janitor crew with my jeans and tennis shoes.

Soon after lunch I'm standing at the printer waiting for some documents to finish. One of my coworkers walks up, apparently she had sent some documents to the printer as well. Here is how our conversation went:

Coworker: "Oh, that is a very pretty dress. It looks really nice on you. Now the dress you wore yesterday, if you wear it again, be SURE you wear your hair down because you looked just like an 80 year old woman."

Me: "Ummm, really. I didn't think I looked like an 80 year old woman."

Coworker: "Well, you did."

Now another coworker, a man, had walked up by this time and I don't even remember what his problem was, but he needed something from me so I walked away.

About 15 minutes later, the woman coworker comes back and says, "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings earlier. You see what happened is I looked in the main hall and I saw you there and I thought we had a new client. And it turns out it was you. I thought you were an 80 year old woman."

I told her no harm done, I wasn't hurt by what she'd said.

You know, I just had to consider the source and laugh. I'm 44 and no one can believe I am this old, let alone 80. Apparently she thinks the French twist is only for old bats. I happen to think it looks very sophisticated and if I do say so myself I look very professional and sharp. She is obviously jealous.

Until next time.

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Very Bad Day Continued

Last night I turned my computer off and closed all the browser windows, totally forgetting I had started a post. So this morning I just put "To be continued..." and now here I am with the rest of my thoughts.

My new heels are Aerosoles and they are actually comfortable!
Well, except for they rub on the back of my heels, but that is easily remedied with a band aid. I almost never wear heels because they hurt my feet, so the fact that I am wearing these shoes all day long should stay a lot for the brand. It would be fun to try on some other styles of Aerosoles to see if they are as comfortable. I wonder how these would fit: Gene Land.I also got myself two new suit-type outfits, $29.99 each, two pairs of slacks and two dressy shirts, and a blue dress for $14.99. I'm learning to put my hair up into a French twist, so I've wearing my hair this way all week. It looks very elegant. It also helps me to feel better -- in a way I guess it's proving to myself psychologically that I'm not just a slave or lower class citizen here at work. It also serves as a psychological statement to everyone else that I'm not a slave. I am elegant. I deserve to be treated with respect. And last but not least, you know how it freaks people out when you dress nicer than you normally do. They think you're looking for a new job.

I'm beginning my wish list for my next job. I almost didn't come in to work today. I woke up depressed and was crying about the whole stupid situation. But I'm here. Tired. Trying to figure out how to stop feeling hurt over what happened, and my office happens to be right between the two unfeeling persons who planned the event.

One other person talked to our CEO and got the same answer. Astonishment that ANY OF US would think we would be invited. I feel so disrespected.

Until next time.

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The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

As I looked for the title to that book by Judith Voirst it occurred to me that today wasn't the ultimate worst ever day I've had in the past year, but it was bad enough that I wished I could have left work by noon and gone home for the day, crawled into bed and stayed there for hours with the covers over my head.

What happened is I went and let my feelings get hurt.

The place where I work had their 60th anniversary event on Friday. The invitation said, "The Board of Directors and Staff cordially invite you to attend our Donor Appreciation Luncheon".

Now wouldn't you think the Board of Directors AND the staff would be included in the luncheon, considered both parties were said to be doing the inviting? Not my job. It was decided early on that staff would NOT be included in the luncheon event. No. We would be offered "delicious sack lunches" (an oxymoron if I ever heard one!) including a "snack, drink and sweet treats". Those are the words included in the email. Very condescending if you ask me. And the person who wrote the email does think herself to be better than the "rest" of us.

I honestly thought our CEO would be upset to discover that people were very upset at being excluded. I emailed him to that effect and he was very polite, but firmly told me that staff was never going to be included in the event, from the beginning planning stages.

Staff was expected to WORK the event. I guess that's how we come in on the invitation.

And the person who planned the event is NOT AN EVENT PLANNER. I personally heard some positive feedback on the event, so to our guests things looked great. I guess in the long run, that's all that counts.

I am now trying to stop feeling upset over the whole thing.

I actually took off work yesterday, well most of the day. I had to attend a training for one of our upcoming proposals and went to that. But I decided early on in the day that I wasn't coming in for the day. Instead I ended up going clothes shopping. Yep. Me, clothes shopping. It's been nearly eight years since I shopped for office wear clothing, and I decided yesterday was the day. My MIL gave me $200 on my birthday last May to buy some new clothes and I'd only spent $50. So I spent the other $150 and actually bought myself some heels!

To be continued...

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Starvation Diet

I know a lot of the way I think was heavily influenced by Mrs. So and So. One of the things she did regularly was try to lose weight. She would try any fad diet she heard about. One time, she tried the lettuce diet. All you eat is lettuce.

As a result, the only diet I ever considered was a sensible one and I've never tried to eat less than 1800 calories a day.

A new acquaintance told me recently she'd lost 40 pounds by eating nothing but Lean Cuisine. The story she told me originally was that she did this for one year, lost 40 pounds and learned "portion control". Yesterday she told a group of us that she was "starting on her diet plan" again. She told us that she ate nothing but Lean Cuisine and 40 pounds dropped off in two months, she learned portion control and her body would no longer allow her to eat too much food and she was able to begin cooking her own food and eating small portions. She intends to lose another 20 pounds by Christmas. This is in part due to the fact that she has regained 5 pounds that she lost. I was quiet as usual, but the other women were curious about her plan. She also told us she walked on her treadmill for 40 minutes the night before. Her choice of exercise and she hasn't used her treadmill in some time.

Her plan is to eat 3 Lean Cuisines each day, plus one handful of almonds. She says the almonds help your metabolism in some way.

This woman strikes me as intelligent. She is a hard worker and conscientious. But she's embarking on a starvation diet.

Most Lean Cuisines contain 200 to 300 calories, with a minimum of 140 and maximum of 400. One handful of almonds, approximately 1 ounce or 23 kernels, contains 160 calories. Even if she managed to eat only the LCs which contain 400 calories, three of those plus the almonds equals 1360 calories.

The University of Michigan's website had this to say about low calorie diets:

It is harmful to reduce your daily calorie intake lower than 1400 calories per day. If you reduce your calorie intake too much, your body adjusts to a semi-starvation state and looks for alternative sources of energy. In this case, in addition to burning fat, your body will eventually burn muscle tissue. Since your heart is a muscle, prolonged starvation will weaken it and interfere with its normal rhythms. Extreme low-calorie diets lack protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. Without these nutrients your body cannot function normally. Extreme low-calorie diets are not recommended.

Since most LCs contain between 200 and 300 calories, it is more likely she's going to be getting 600 to 900 calories each day, plus the almonds. Some days, she will be ingesting less than 1000 calories.

Two of the other women she was talking to were diabetics. Both obese. Both wish they could lose weight. Both made comments indicating they could get on board with this "diet".

I estimate the dieting lady to weigh 160 pounds. Losing down to 140 is not unreasonable. It's not like she's 125 trying to get down to a size 0 and weigh 105 pounds. However, she does not look overweight by any stretch of the imagination. She looks healthy and beautiful.

Each person's body expends a specific number of calories in a given day, based on the exercise level which is called the Basal Metabolic Rate. According to this BMR calculator, my acquaintance's body burns 1468 calories each day. I'm basing this on her age (41), my estimation of her weight (160) and height (5'6"). She needs to eat at minimum this number of calories (1468) to sustain her body. This is what her body needs at complete rest while awake, not counting any other activity. An estimation of her daily activities, calculated at Calories Burned comes to 682.

I based this on these activities:
Activity Calories burned
3 minutes to Brush teeth 9
10 minutes of Cooking (how long can it take to nuke a Lean Cuisine?) 33
30 minutes of Reading 40
20 minutes Washing dishes 56
30 minutes of Driving 79
60 minutes Talking on phone 79
30 minutes of Housework 109
40 minutes Walking 2 mph 139
60 minutes Studying 139

So 1468 just to keep the ol' body going, plus a minimum of an additional 682 calories. 1468 plus 682 comes to 2150 calories.

If she eats three of the highest caloric Lean Cuisines, she's getting 1200 calories, plus the almonds, 160, bringing her to a total of 1360 calories each day. Since most of the LCs are 200-300, she's more likely to ingest 760 to 1060 calories each day.

It is said that in order to lose one pound each week, you have to take in 3500 calories less per week. 500 calories less each day. This is less than you normally take in. Meaning if you normally eat 2500 calories a day, a reduction in calories of 500 per day should result in 1 pound each week. However, our bodies aren't machines. There are many other factors that determine weight loss. Genetics for one thing.

My acquaintance plans to lose 20 pounds in 8 weeks. That's more than 2 pounds each week. Going about it in the way she is will probably result in the desired weight loss. But is she doing her body a service by starving it? Is she losing muscle? Which could include muscle to her heart, the muscle which pumps blood through her body and keeps her alive?

I wish her luck, in more ways than one.

Until next time.

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