So, forgive me

Yeah, yeah... I know, I haven't posted in about a week. Forgive me. I've been rifling through job applications and going on interviews so my time has been spent on the computer, but fully searching for a job. By the way, if any of you are interested in becoming an indentured servant... available all weekends, working til your hands bleed, no benefits and have a masters degree and want to earn $9.00; there are a ton of jobs out there for you my friend.

It's been a struggle to find motivation on many different facets, looking for a job, eating healthy and trying to exercise. I feel like its continuous frustration applying for jobs that no one calls you back. As of late, in the last month I have applied for 122 jobs. This of course is only the jobs that an email is generated from and there are companies that do not send you a confirmation of your application. So, in theory... its about 150 jobs. I've been on a few interviews and one gentleman said that he definitely wants me there, just not in the capacity that I was interviewing for. So, he intends to contact me once something opens. 

On the healthy eating note; I was good all week until Friday last week. I had exercised, I did well. Friday I met a friend for lunch that I hadnt seen in a while. We both ate a half a sammy and I had a beer. We talked more than we ate or drank. Then, Friday night my man suggested we go out to dinner since I got home at the same time he did and had no idea what to make. We went to Old Chicago and split some wings and a pizza. I had another beer.

 Later on Friday, I went to meet some friends for a birthday party. I had a ball.  I did do the atrocious thing and drank a bunch of diet coke (yes I know, its not good for you.) However, after the party was over, I had a very heartfelt discussion with a friend whose brother passed away exactly a year ago that day. This brother of hers was a friend of mine during high school, I dated him for a small period of time. He was an amazing dude. His sister and I laughed and cried... Talked about a lot of different things. The next thing I knew, it was after 4am. I think I got more out of that discussion than she did, but it was so nice to have just a one on one with her talking about him. It was the first time in several years I can remember being up 24 hours straight. 

Saturday, it was another friend's 30th birthday. We went to her parents gorgeous house over in Cave Creek. It was like a resort, absolutely beautiful... complete with a bartender and caterers. Needless to say, I had to partake. The bartender was very nice. There was a keg, delicious food. They also had a candy bar in addition to the cake. Skittles, Good N Plenty, Hot Tamales, M&M's... I mean, how do you say no to this? 

I was quasi-good. I had no cake. I did have a handful of Skittles but mostly was sad I drank my calories. 

Yesterday, I had an errand to run up to the bank so I decided to get up early and ride my bike over there. It was 10 miles there and back. I was thrilled that I was able to do it. It was hot as hades outside as it always is here, but I'm still trying. You can only take things a day at a time. I messed up, but I ate better and I've exercised since then and surprisingly weigh a little less than I did before I went to the parties. How does that work? 

I fully intend tomorrow to do the same thing, the 10 miler. I have another errand I need to run to grab something for my man for his brothers wedding and the store is across the street from where I went before. 

Yesterday for dinner I made artichokes and little mini pizzas. You have a choice on what you want to put on the pizzas so you can make them as calorie laden as you so choose. 

Mini Pizzas 

1 Orowheat 100 Calorie Sandwich Thin

1 tablespoon of Pizza Sauce (your own or what you choose at the store)  

Toppings (I used Chicken hot italian sausage- 1 link from the deli was plenty for three little pizzas) and black olives)

1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. 

I par baked the sandwich thin on a baking rack on a tray for about 8 minutes at 400, so it wasnt so soggy after it got covered. I did not split the thin, just straight out of the package. 

After topped, I placed it back in the oven for about 10 minutes or so. Just watch it to make sure the cheese it melted.

For the Artichoke

Follow instructions on how to clean and cut the artichoke- which I have attached here. 

From there, what I did was carefully pull apart the artichoke, cleaned out the choke part (the hairy leaves inside) and put minced garlic, some olive oil and a splash of balsamic. 

I put it in what I refer to as my spaghetti pot and filled it until the liquid was about 1/4 way up the artichoke. I used organic chicken stock. I put the pan on about 7 so it was boiling. I checked it about every 10 minutes to make sure the liquid level was where it was supposed to be. I ended up boiling them for about an hour and a half that way. 

Hope you all can forgive me for my lack of blogging in the last week :) Hopefully two new recipes will make you happy for a little bit. 

How was your weekend??

How was everyone's weekend? Did everyone stay on their diets? GOOD! Because I didn't.


Ha.


It was our anniversary, my man and I... we've been together for two years. So, I planned a nice dinner for us to munch on. I made sauteed shrimp, roasted asparagus and for dessert an apple and strawberry cobbler.

Productivity...

Its funny once you get something to do how you get a little spring in your step.

I started watching my sisters kids today to help her out. They are usually really well behaved so I didnt have any problems saying yes.

I got up this morning and had a mission. I had a few errands to run before I ran over to her place. I got there and the girl (year and a half) was in a good mood running around in her pj's. We (the 12 year old and 5 year old boys) watched Spongebob for a bit. They started getting hungry and this is where I actually felt good. I brought my lunch today. I brought the Weight Watchers Chicken Enchilada Suiza, a banana, two plums and a granola bar. The big kid had some ravioli, the two little ones had some mac and cheese. I made my frozen lunch.

I was giggling when I ate my banana, because both the 5 year old and the 1.5 year old. They both wanted bites. I had one banana, so the 'sharing' of it didnt leave much for any of us, but they were happy to get some. I was really surprised when I started eating my plum later in the day, because the girl comes up to me, smiling, looking so happy... she puts her little chunky hand on my knee and looks at me raising her eyebrows... then proceeds to say, "MINE". I started laughing so hard. At least the kidlets like fruit! I can't get angry at that.

Then, when the girl went down for a nap in the afternoon the big boys and I went out and got in the pool. We were having so much fun, two hours later after the girl woke up, the boys wanted to stay in the pool. I put the swim diaper on the girl, her cute little pink polka dotted swim suit and we all played in the pool for another 45 minutes. Afterwards, the boys wanted to watch "Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Roderick Rules". It was a good kid movie. The 12 year old can relate. He said that if his parents did some of those things, he would just die of embarrassment. I said, "Well, good thing you have the parents you do. I don't think you have to worry about that with your momma or your daddy". He just smiled.

After three hours in the pool, I am a little pink. A little tired. But, incredibly motivated. It makes me feel good knowing that my sister entrusts me with her kids, that they like spending time with me and that I now have something to do other than blog and search for jobs all day. Its nice to get there and hear both the boys say, "Saa Saa is here!" I even have heard the little girl say Saa Saa a few times and nothing is more worth it than her trying to say "love you" and blow you kisses when you leave saying "MWAH"

Its funny how something that seems so minute, can make your heart feel so good.

Epiphany

You know those moments that you have either a mad case of Deja Vu or the right idea pretty much hits you upside the head?

Yeah, I had one of those moments over the holiday weekend.

I've been battling these extra pounds that I so gracefully acquired over the last few months while on steroids for treatment of my illness. Well, I've been off the 'roids for about a month now. I've been exercising, eating better (as I sit tonight with a low fat/low cal bowl of ice cream in front of me this evening) and I've lost about 2 whole pounds. Sure, thats great and all but two pounds for sweating my butt off outside walking, eating healthy foods! CRIMINY.

Coupons...

Coupons. Most everyone loves them... or as they are called in our family; Coo-pins. As in, "lets go here to eat, I have a coo-pin for half off!"

I regularly buy an Entertainment book, get emails for Groupon, Living Social and we have a subscription to the Wednesday and Sunday paper so I can grab coupons out of them. There is a local grocery store here in the Valley, Fry's (Kroger) that takes all competitor coupons as well so I try to gather as many as I can as well as scan the ads to see who generally has what on sale.

I'm not sure that you have noticed, but I surely have. The coupons that are regularly distributed in the papers are for... well, pooh. Hamburger Helper. Magnum Ice Cream bars. Totinos Pizza Rolls. I could go on.