Sunday, September 30, 2007

Looking back....

it has been over three months since I began my journey, never thinking it would work, because how in the world could you eat like this and lose weight, when starving my whole life hadn't worked? But it does. At that time, I resolved to be patient (not one of my virtues) and be happy with a loss of five pounds a month, which, according to the WW examples, was not only possible, but the "average". The only thing I had to lose at the time was a weight gain. But, miracle of miracles? I began to lose. Presently? I have made my three month goal loss, and may even exceed it by the third of October - the official three month anniversary.

At first it was difficult to remember to eat so often during the day, and frankly, it seemed soooo wrong to eat before I went to sleep. But, I followed the rules faithfully. No calorie is too insignificant, no bite, no lick, not even a touch to the lips went unrecorded. I mean, really, I must have been eating to gain that weigh, right? So I must be doing it subconsciously or something. Nope. Always a faithful reader of labels, I found a few areas to "tweak" when it came to choices, but sometimes, I pick the "bad" choice. Cool Whip "light" is five calories less than regular! What the heck, I will blow the 40 calories and enjoy the dance with the devil!

One of many miracles is being able to eat a bowl of cereal again, after discovering Splenda. It has been years since I could enjoy a bowl of Bran Flakes because I couldn't tolerate the sugar! What a treat! Now, I am thinking porridge may be possible? I checked the Splenda "brown sugar" and it seems to be regular brown sugar mixed half and half with regular Splenda. I figure, I can do that by sprinkling on the Splenda for the sweet, and a tablespoon of brown sugar for the "look". First snow, I will let you know how it works.

I have never been much for sweets, but how I love my salt! There are so many low cal options for a salt "hit" available that this hasn't been a problem at all. My favourite snack was always a little bag of Doritos, and it still is! Sometimes two, because I have so many points to burn up in a day! I realize that this will not be the case as the pounds drop, but there are so many obvious things I could eliminate from my diet that I have added since starting the program...they weren't there before and just joined the list to use up points.

I have never used my activity points, though. But, who knows? Maybe when I am able to don a pink spandex outfit and change my name to Buffy, I just may try the exercise thing...

Until then, I am happy to be who I am, where I am, and working the program. A little less than 92 weeks to go. Whoo HOOO!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Home again, home again....

And so very thankful we made it back in one piece. People were complete idiots on the road yesterday. At one point, some lunatic came careening down our side of the highway in a U-Haul truck towing a car ....thank goodness the shoulder was paved, and we could get out of this maniac's way. Almost had a drastic instant weight loss.

A few towns later, a van pulled out of an intersection in front of us...I had my nose in my book so I just looked up in time to see the van as we swerved to avoid it. Must be the full moon, because these people were real "howlers"! We finally did make it safely home, although not in time to go to the grocery store. So, tuna casserole, Greek salad, with sides of green beans and baby carrots made our supper last night. Not bad for a 'throw together out of nothing'! And, all within points, too. I just had a bit of casserole, and loaded up on the salad and veggies. Thank goodness today is Saturday, and we will have the afternoon to catch up on things around the house...I am not sure if I want to go to Costco, though! I hate shopping in a crowd, but shopping at the end of the month guarantees shoulder to shoulder buggy traffic at the big C. Think I will sit this one out, unless the craving for apples drives me to it.....

Friday, September 28, 2007

Tummy Ache

Should have known better than to go out for lunch yesterday. What is with restaurant meals that make me feel soooooo crappy? No pun intended, but well placed.

We shared a clubhouse sandwich, with side salad and a bowl of chicken noodle soup....we are one of those couples that are irritating to eat with, because we are constantly swapping plates! We find that sharing works out so much better for us. We each had half of the sandwich - I took ten fries, and used the "fork dip" method to eat my share of salad with Thousand Island dressing. As for the soup? He loves the noodles, and I love the broth. But something in all of that just didn't agree with me. Probably the salt content was a little too high....sure tasted good though!

We bought a couple of apples for our morning snack, and will just make a couple of turkey sandwiches for lunch, so we won't have to slow down to scavenge for food. Of course, there will be the mandatory bathroom breaks, but that takes a lot less time than standing in line for food.

I really wish all hotels were as convenient as this one. Nice little kitchenette, separate bedroom, and a little dressing room with "his" and "her" closet spaces, plus the living room. Excellent shower, too. We love having such a simple little "home", and always come away wondering why we even bother having a house! Maybe it is time to get a condo apartment, so we could just turn the key and not worry about yard or all of the stuff you need to concern yourself with when you have a house. I wonder what the other old people would say, though when I wanted to blast Led Zeppelin at four in the morning? We are so at sixes and sevens about what to do with ourselves. We have been in our house for over eleven years now...the longest either of us have lived in one place - a bit of a record, actually. One of these days, we will stumble onto a place, formulate a plan, and then it will be time to make a move.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Thursday

Why do I wake up in the middle of the night? To eat, of course. The wonderful world of blood sugar management! I ignored the signs the other day, and had a horrible time of it for the rest of the day, so now, when I wake up with that "feeling" I ignore my desire to just "sleep through it". Now, filled with bran flakes and milk, I am rarin' to go! Only question is, at this hour? Where?

We have an early start home tomorrow morning. It is a long drive, so I will have time to plan the dinner for Friday night's company. If we get into the city by two, I will have time to run to Costco, then time to come home and clean the house and prepare the meal before five. Might have to stash the suitcases in the bedroom till bedtime though, as I doubt if I will have time to unpack. Hubby and I work as a team, so I know I can count on him for the basics, like vacuuming and general "honey do" tasks that come up! We always leave the house tidy, so it is just a question of changing the tablecloth, and then doing a bit of dusting and vacuuming, setting the table and preparing the food. I am looking forward to being home again. Although I like being with hubby every day, I do wish it could be in the comfort of our own home. But, it is part of his job to be away a lot, and at this stage of our lives, we are able to pick up and go together...there will come a time when we will sit by the fire and smile, but for now, we pack our cases and go!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Room Food

The PC ROAST BEEF that is 'ready in ten minutes' started tonight's dinner. Frozen baby veggies, and whole red potatoes accompanied the beef for a hearty homestyle dinner...all made in the microwave! The best part of all was that 1/4 of the roast and gravy was only six points. What a world we live in, where you can prepare a meal like this in minutes, compared to hours! I have tried the turkey breast and the pork loin roast as well, with equally good results. Not too salty, and sooooo tasty.

I wasn't able to weigh myself this week, but I am content to work the program and do the best I can, wherever I am. I will be home for ten days then off again to points west. That will be more of a challenge, as we are not sure of the "cooking" facilities in the hotel. Ah well. There is always "Subway"!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Tuesday

A quiet day without access to a computer, so I tracked points manually. What a bore. I love the WW online tracker! Although I really enjoy travelling with hubby, I do miss the comforts of home.

One purchase I did make yesterday, was a set of tempered glass bowls, with storage lids. There is every size you could imagine, with duplicates of some sizes. I have a ton of Tupperware, but I really do prefer to use glass. Storage will be easy, as all of the bowls nest neatly, and I have just the spot for the storage lids!

My most recent taste treat is Wasa Fibre Rye - three of these tasty crispbreads are only 1 point, as they contain 90 calories and 7 grams of fibre. Truth be told, I think I really overdid the fibre today, though! But for three points, you can have three of these slathered with 2 T of Cheez Whiz. Num. I so enjoy the crunch, and when you have a good book, and a good snack? How can life get better?

Monday, September 24, 2007

Another day in the car...

For some reason, traveling in a car signals my appetite to expand as much as the distance covered. Thank goodness for Flex points! They made it possible to enjoy Doritos, a Cadbury Thins bar and a Subway stop for lunch. Love the turkey & ham sub with lots of veggies and mustard. All that goodness for 6 points? Be still my heart.

Supper, once we had settled in, and managed a quick shopping trip, was deli chicken, tossed salad and Green Giant veggies in cheese sauce, with a nice fresh dinner roll. MMMMM room food! Amazing what you can scare up if you have a microwave and a little refrigerator!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

There is nothing...

better than a good book and a bowl of popcorn on a Saturday afternoon!

There are two large Rubbermaid containers full of winter clothing that are sitting neglected in my room. Instead of doing the seasonal clothing swap that is so desperately needed in my closet, I am contentedly sitting and reading the last few chapters of LONDON while my dear husband is enjoying his last fishing experience of the year! There are burgers thawing for supper.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Friday

And all is well.

Tonight's supper was pork tenderloin with a rhubarb chutney, Basmati rice and asparagus. I am not familiar with the growing pattern of rhubarb, but this year, we enjoyed two batches of the beautiful ruby red stuff. One batch went into a cake that was definitely not one of my better culinary efforts (won't ever use 100% Splenda in anything again) and the other batch made the chutney tonight. Move over, Martha. It's a good thing.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Thursday's Treat

Was coffee and an apple fritter from Tim's. How did we live without these shops on every corner? There is something so sociable about sharing a coffee and a donut...the only problem is, that at my age, it isn't the wisest thing to do after eight in the evening! Ah well. Well worth it! The bready, gooey, sugary freshness was well worth the six Flex points I had to forfeit! Other than that, today was totally uneventful...except for the almonds. I read somewhere that twelve almonds a day were very good for weight loss....so last night, while toasting some for the salad, I made some ahead for snacking today. Big mistake. So, right next to my breakfast points, were the points for 30 almonds! Don't try this at home, kids. They are addictive when toasted, and lightly sprinkled with Kosher salt!

Salt is my nemesis. My cravings are usually for salty things, sometimes for vinegary things, and once in awhile for chocolate. Although, I really think that is a "fat" craving, more than a sugar craving. We have a couple of boxes of the 100 calorie chocolate bars that have remained untouched for weeks in the pantry. But whatever the craving may be for, with Flex points, I can indulge, and ward off a major plunge into the pool of BINGE that is totally unavoidable when you deny cravings! This lifestyle thing is quite the concept, I must say.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Wednesday

And thank goodness it is! I needed to refill the FLEX point pot! I was out this morning with my dear little example of WW's success at it's best - you may remember her from the Reuben Sandwich post? So, of course I accepted her generous offer to prepare lunch! While they were visiting Paris recently, they discovered a way to eat crudites that is more than cauliflower dipped in ranch dressing! They were served shredded beets, parsnips and carrots drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. What a nice way of getting that oil in....mm mm good! Double helpings of that one! It leaves you full and satisfied, for just the points for the oil. Sort of makes up for the huge hot chocolate I had at Robin's at coffee break time...four points, but that too, was a real treat!

Robin's Donuts don't have nutritional info on their site, but I just took the values from Tim Horton's as they seem very similar to me... I think Tim's is a bit sweeter though. Anyway, I wrote to Robin's and asked them to send me any information that they may have. I wonder if they will? At any rate, I am happy enough with using a general value, since I have all those lovely FLEX points to play with! By the way, I counted four points for a 10 oz cup of hot chocolate. Sound right to you?

*I received a reply saying they were working on it, and that it would be available on the site. Gee. How informative.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Smart Ones Spicy Szechuan Style Vegetables & Chicken

I have had this product in my freezer for a few weeks now...and today was the day to try it. It is rainy outside and cold in the house, so a nice spicy hot lunch seemed like the way to go. For four points, there is lots to eat - I am sure there was some chicken in there somewhere.....they wouldn't lie, would they? The nice thing was that the veggies had some bite left to them. Not the usual mush that I was expecting at all. For pasta lovers, I can see this working, but for me? It filled a hole, but meh....not exciting at all! I really enjoyed the multigrain roll from Extra Foods though...three points of chewy goodness! With the addition of a side salad, I could see this pinch hitting for supper on a night that I had to fly solo.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Fall

Last night we had a lovely dinner outside...I will miss being out on the deck so much. Who would have thought! I have never, ever been an outdoorsy type, but since we built the deck, it has been my greatest joy. The weather has turned lovely and warm, and the leaves here are still very green....who knows how long the warm spell will last? Fall is my favourite season. When we first moved here, I noticed the leaves turning, but within a few days, it seems, the wind came up and blew them all away! Pouf. Over. Dealt with in one gusty prairie day. So much for fall that year! I came to realize, it is like that pretty much every year. You have to get out for a good long walk when you see the leaves turning, because you may not have another chance. But isn't that the case with the events of every day?

Supper tonight will be an easy pot roast, so you can't get much easier than that! It is good to be back to a relatively normal routine, if only for a little while. Gradually I am going to sort through my closet once again. I need to pack away my summer things according to size, so when the spring comes, I won't have to waste time going through obviously too large items. Thank goodness my winter clothing includes a fair number of knits...they seem to be like the tide, capable of moving in and out daily! Bless you Nina Leonard wherever you are!

It is hard to tell what my weight has done over the last couple of weeks. I tried my best to stay on program while away, but I still haven't recovered from the nine hour car trip on Friday to feel confident enough to step on the scale! Sitting down is the worst possible thing for me. Don't get me wrong, I can sit with the best of 'em, but I do need frequent fifteen minute spurts of activity! Reading just doesn't seem to burn any calories, no matter how heavy the book!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

The first letter in Olive Garden is O

as in OOOOOOHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I sure blew it tonight! The breadsticks were so warm, white and wonderful! I succumbed to the siren call of the salad three times, and scarfed down three of those bready beauties to keep the lettuce company!

When my meal came, I swapped my dinner for hubby's, ate the shrimp, mussels, and scallops from his linguine and passed the plate back! I apologize for behaving like a two year old, but he indulges me, and usually ends up with the lion's share, so he adapts! I was just far too full to eat the main course. I have no idea why their salad is so good, but simple is best, I guess. Next time, I will remember just to order the salad and bread sticks and leave it at that! But the company was so entertaining, and the wine was so warm, and red....sigh. I will pay tomorrow! My feet are already swollen, but that is okay, because my new shoes are too big. Life is an equalizer at its worst! Or do I mean at it's best? Either way, my feet will fill out the shoes more comfortably! Of all the places to lose weight, the feet? I have yet to hear someone say "My, you look fantastic! Lost some weight? Pinky toe there looks a little anorexic...are you sure you aren't losing too fast?"

Friday, September 14, 2007

Grocery shopping...

I always have a general idea of what I am going to make over the next week. Food. Please don't ask me what the recipes will be or on what day which foods will finally hit the table! Loose. I keep my planning loose! When the time comes to actually prepare what is written on a menu plan, I either get lazy, creative, finicky or a combination of all three. I still enjoy making menu plans and grocery lists. Sometimes I even remember to take it with me!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

On the road again....

and hoping that we make good time tomorrow. The frig is empty, so a quick shop is a necessary evil when we get home. Nothing like a seven hour trip to give you enough time to write a grocery list. I could likely write menu plans for the next five months, too! Speaking of food, I used my homemade pesto to make shrimp scampi....every morsel was gone at the end of dinner, so I think they liked it! The meal was followed by copious amounts of tea and Smart Pop while we discussed the wheres and why fores of life...we stayed far too late tonight, of course, so everyone will be tired in the morning. There are always too many things left to say in the last moments, and the last thing anyone wants to say is goodbye. Thank goodness we will be coming again in mid November! Hmmmm....that is ten pounds away rather than five.....

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Where has the time gone?

The days have just melted into one another, and already it is time to pack the suitcases. The good news is, that we will be coming back in a month or so - hopefully five pounds lighter! I no longer think of months in terms of days, but in pounds! There is a part of me that is stressing because I haven't been able to weigh in every morning, but this is where I have to just relax, work the program and enjoy the process.

Tonight we ordered in some pretty good Chinese Food. That isn't exactly points friendly, but it sure was good! Lots of veggies, a little chicken, and some really spicy beef. Turned down the egg rolls to keep the points reasonable. I forfeit the FLEX points for the week when I splurge, just to be on the safe side. I have no idea how to count something that varies this much from place to place. Nothing was deep fried, and I didn't have an egg roll...instinct tells me those have to be deadly! So, a lot of bean sprouts, veggies, and more veggies. NUM!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Another day...

Already the sadness is creeping up on me...we are leaving on Friday, and once again the time has been far too short.

I have managed to keep within points every day. I won't be able to weigh in tomorrow, but hopefully there will be a bit of a shift when I get back to my own scale! My dear dil is a good cook, and it is a pleasure to work side by side in her tidy little kitchen. We work as a team, my dear dil and I. They say that two women can't share a kitchen, but I am so glad that is not the case with us! What we really share, are our feelings, stories, hopes and dreams.... something tasty out of the oven and on the dining table at five o'clock is a bonus!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Monday - SNOW?????

After shopping for a bit this morning, I headed over to the kid's house for lunch. It is cold here, and of course, I don't have a coat with me. So, layers were the obvious solution. Two hoodies layered made a toasty warm jacket, but I think it might look a bit odd tomorrow night with a skirt! I am sure I will be forgiven by the general public though!

I found a 'new to me' broth ...Vegetarian Vegetable by Campbell's. (low sodium, of course, low fat) It was right by the chicken and beef broth. Has it always been there? At any rate, tomorrow morning I will whip up a pot for the worker bee's lunch. I rarely make "scratch" soups since I discovered these tetra pack marvels. An "all day" simmer flavour is available at a moments notice, so no wonder the grandmothers aren't rocking in their chairs anymore. They don't have to stay home to stir the soup!

The afternoon was spent curled up with a nice thick book "London" by Rutherford. I love to read about the details of daily life during times gone by, and this author can really paint a picture. The trouble is, that the book is so heavy, your arms get tired, and you are forced to have a power nap! An easy price to pay for such pleasure!

By the time I got online to total up my points tonight, I had consumed exactly what I was allotted for the day. So, I guess the 'points thing' does become second nature after all. We had the PC Blue Menu burgers for supper, and once again I was thrilled! We tried the new line of buns from Safeway, too, so for burger and bun it was a mere seven points. Very tasty. Tomorrow night, chicken, potatoes and vegetables are on the menu. I love cooking for my family - they don't seem to mind, and no one has died yet, so it must be working for them too!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Air - and other basics....

The air is so rich here that it even feels thick! I find myself dozing off at nine o'clock in the evening, and sleep? Oh, can I sleep! The downside is that your appetite increases...everything tastes so good you can not resist a morsel. Thank goodness for Flex points!

Tonight we were presented with a choice of chicken or beef shish kabobs barbecued to perfection. You can't blame me for harbouring this moment of maternal pride, because this is the boy that ate cold creamed corn...right out of the can, when he first moved out on his own! The same kid that wouldn't eat a crumb while we were out, so he wouldn't have to clean the kitchen! And here he is, all testosterone and facial hair, capable of cooking with fire. Of course when another certain someone is a fine baker and you are also offered pineapple cake for dessert, you have the two most important food groups covered. All in all, this day was extraordinary in that it was just an ordinary Sunday. The moments, I will treasure forever, but the calories? Will vanish into thick air!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Gone are the days...

that shopping north of 55 meant a trip to the Hudson's Bay Store! Today my dil and I spent a pleasant morning going to Wal-mart and yes, The Brick. We ended the excursion with a bowl of soup at Tim Horton's. (love those little packages of crackers! It is only .5 point for two saltines, so next time, I will ask for two packages and take a walk on the wild side!) The men were playing golf, and had dinner out at the club, so dil and I had a fine supper of fish, carrots and salad. This is one of the few places I have ever been that I actually enjoy water that is drawn right from the tap. Clear, clean and cold! There are so many reasons to love the north!

The Car Trip - Friday, All Day

There is something about sitting in a car for close to eight hours that drives one to munching. I am totally amazed that I made it through yesterday by using only 12 extra points. Of course with all that activity you work it off...hmmmm I guess not. At any rate it is coming off my Flex point total for the week, so whatever. I did try out the Thinsations Oreo. I am not really a cookie fan at the best of times, but there were a lot of them, which kept me busy for a few kilometers. Other than that it was standard car snackage...Diet Coke, Lay's All Dressed chips, an apple...wait a minute, how did that get in there? Lunch was a Club Sub from Subway, so I had the Tide Pen in use during the first hour or so eliminating the "drippage" stains....activity points maybe?

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Weigh In

Down another 1.6 pounds! Whoo hoo! *\o/* 14.6 total lost so far! It is just a drop in the bucket, but sure beats going up any further!

Today we will be rushing around like crazy to get ready for our trip north to see the kids. My bad, as I always leave the laundry to the last minute, and of course the shopping. We don't have to start home until next Friday, so I will have a whole week to visit with my darling daughter-in-love and son. Hubby and son have male bonding activities planned, one of which will be to play in a golf tournament together, so they will get up to all sorts of "no good" while ddil and I can catch up on all the goings on in our lives! We eat every meal together while we are up there, but since the 'old folks' snore really loudly it is kinder that we stay in a hotel at night!

Thank goodness staying on program won't be a problem this trip. It gets tricky when we have to eat in restaurants. For the moment? I am happy as a clam, doing laundry and making a Costco "gotta buy" list for this afternoon's shopping trip! Of all things, paper toweling tops the list, because it is super expensive up there...guess even though it is light, it takes up so much room on the truck or something.... So, to heck with flowers! We are toting toweling!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Making peace with the pantry...

First order of the day was an emergency run to Safeway to get a few things. We had very special friends visiting for lunch today. I picked up some Breyers Double Churned Fat-Free Ice Vanilla Cream. Wow. At ninety calories for half a cup, it packs a real flavour punch, and is soooooooooo creamy! How do they do that? Since my usual serving of ice cream is 1/4 of a cup, it made the list for great one point treats. ( I am not a saint ...ice cream gives me brain freezes if I eat it in any larger quantities!) Imagine that. Dessert. At lunch time! And I did not only have ice cream, if you please. I had an orange blossom cookie too!

For starters we had tomato wedges with hot Kalamata olives, sprinkled with grated Peccorino Romano cheese and Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash, then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for bread dipping. Next, served with sliced Parisian French bread, was a simple iceberg lettuce, orange, and onion salad with a sweet onion dressing. Our main course was bow tie pasta with large shrimp, dressed with garlic, butter and basil pesto. Sounds decadent, doesn't it? But the reality is that most of the "sauce" is liquid from the shrimp! For dessert we had ice cream and orange blossom cookies. If I hadn't recorded and measured every single ingredient and weighed out the bread myself, I would have never believed you could eat like this on a weight loss program! Will I ever get to the point where I take eating like this for granted? I now get really resentful when I go to a restaurant and see what my points will "buy", compared to the goodies I concoct at home, that is for sure! I am starting to view food prep not as a dreaded necessary evil, but as a really enjoyable process. Am I making peace with the pantry?

Monday, September 3, 2007

It Is My Two Month Anniversary

And all is well! I started Weight Watchers on July 3 of this year, so today marks the end of my second month on the program. As of this morning, I have lost a total of 12.4 pounds! Now the trick will be to continue the rate until I reach my goal. I am sure there will be plateaus, but that is what the "lifestyle" catch phrase is all about - I will complain about that bridge when I come to it. If push comes to shove, I may have to start exercising, although you know that is as appealing to me as shoving a sharp stick into my eye repeatedly....

Today I am making meatloaf. A family favourite that I rarely make because it has been branded an "evil" food in my mind. My poor little meatloaf didn't deserve the label as it turns out! For 1/8 of this entire loaf, it is only 5 points. 5 points! That includes the supremely evil saucy topping, too!

So, here is my recipe for evil meatloaf ;)

800 gms extra lean ground beef

1 slice Dempster's Prebiotic bread, made into fine crumbs in food processor

1 cup of finely chopped onion, add to crumbs and *veggies if you have them, and process

2 TBSP egg white, or white of one egg

salt, pepper
*I like to throw in a few chopped veggies, like carrots and peppers to give little coloured flecks in the loaf, but today the cupboard was bare!

Top with 1/4 cup of ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 Tbsp mustard when meatloaf is half through baking time.

This is best served with Green Giant cream style corn spooned over a serving of potatoes mashed with skim milk, salt and pepper. To make the perfect fifties comfort meal, serve cherry Jello or instant pudding for for dessert!

Such good comfort food for this Manitoba rainy day!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Sunday? Already?

We are having a great long weekend...and it isn't over yet!

Yesterday, we had dinner guests, and today we had lunch at Pineridge Hollow ...everyone and their dog seemed to have the same idea because the place was packed. It is a lovely place to spend a summer's day. We called ahead for reservations, so the wait wasn't too long at all. Spinach soup was the soup of the day, and I just loved it. The cook there sure knows their way around a soup pot! I only had to dip into my weekly Flex points for five points or so, to cover today's "extras". I always assume that I am eating far too much when we go out. I miss my trusty scale, and the security of accurate measurements.

Hubby and I have taken to sharing our meals ...we switch plates quietly when we are "half done" our mutually agreed on choices, and I make sure that his half of things like fries is a lot bigger than my half! Today though, the lion's share of the spinach soup remained with me! Thank goodness he is a good sport, and not a fussy eater. Two in one family would just be one too many, don't you think?