Facebook, I Haven't Forgotten

Once upon a time, I had the brilliant idea to start a Facebook page for this blog. and then I pretty much let it die. (Boo to me, but it pretty much speaks to the black thumb I have with houseplants, also...)

I have a few readers who I've only interacted with on there. They inspire me to perform a little CPR on the page.

Other than simply updating my status more often, are there things I could do differently that would make you  interested in participating on the page more? Polls? Discussion questions? Coupon codes for affiliates? An ice cream sundae party?

For the record, I'd vote for the sundae party if I could figure out the logistics. And if you're not already following me on Facebook, you can just click here to find me.

A New Side to the Blog, and Forget-Me-Nots

I've always made a point of keeping potentially controversial topics off the blog. Back in my sorority days, we referred to those as the three B's - beer, boys, and bibles. These days, it more refers to politics and religion. Lately, though, I've been feeling drawn more and more often to share messages with religious overtones. Honestly, though, I think these are messages that just about anyone could take benefit from. Hopefully, you'll agree.

There was a lesson at church recently that really touched me. It was based on a talk given years ago by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. There are five main points, as petals of the forget-me-not flower.

Forget not...

1. To be patient with yourself
There is no use comparing someone else's strong points to your weaknesses. I know I have a problem with this. When I see a woman in a gorgeous outfit, I assume they are always dressed with amazing style - whereas, I am not. I don't know how to discipline my children properly, I don't know how to sew well enough, I'm not a compelling enough writer... you see where I'm heading with this, right? Remember your small successes because they count too!

My Shaklee Commitment

If you've been following along with my Shaklee adventure, you may have noticed a slight change to my disclosure. Or maybe you're like me and don't bother to read the "fine print" on things like that.

The news is, I am now a Shaklee Independent Distributor! This does not mean my blog will become a 24/7 infomercial. It DOES mean you can now come to me directly if you're interested in trying any of the Shaklee products for yourself. I truly believe in this company. Like one reader said at the beginning of all this "Losing weight is hard, yo." The Shaklee 180 system has given me a leg up on this.

If you're feeling the least bit inspired by my experience so far, or if you're just curious about the weight loss program beyond what I've shared so far, please head over to my official Shaklee website here or click on the Shaklee button in my sidebar.

I know I have a lot of readers who are trying to get in shape - either because your pregnancy weight is not coming off as easily as you'd like (hello-my story!), or you just want to jump start a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. Whatever your motivation, I would love to be a part of your success story.

The Way I Meal Plan

Meal planning in general is an awesome option for getting more organized and also for taking control of your grocery budget.

I meal plan much the way I cook -- fast and loose. Okay, that was a little dorky... but true. Based on the way my family eats, I pretty much only plan for about 4 dinners each week. The remaining nights are generally a combination of leftovers. I don't normally assign specific meals to specific days, either. Oddly, I feel like it puts too much pressure on me dinner. Instead, when it comes time to prep for dinner, I decide which meal on my list I feel like making or eating. If it's a day when I know I will be especially pressed for time, I might choose a slowcooker recipe (if I have one on the menu), or some kind of yummy (and EASY) sandwiches.

This is just what works for me, and it is way more organized than what I was doing before. I know people have lots of different ways they plan, and I think it really is a matter of what works best for you and your family.  I admire the women who are able to plan a month in advance. Maybe someday I'll give that a try, probably around the same time I'm finally organized enough to prepare all those freezer meals I keep pinning. Not any time soon, though.

I had a blogger friend who scheduled a meal for each day of the week and loved how easy it made things for her busy family. For instance, every Friday was Pizza, every Monday was pasta, every Wednesday was Mexican. She is able to use different meals each week while keeping the theme for each day the same.

Do you meal plan? What tips or tricks do you swear by? Any favorite recipes you'd like to share? And have you done freezer meals? Monthly meal prep seems awesome to me, so we'll see if I ever get to that point. 

Happy Anniversary to Me!

I totally missed my first bloggiversary last month, but today is my wedding anniversary - so yay me!

Married 7 years and two kids ago. Look how young we were! I'm not going to write some long, emotional tribute to the man I married. It's not that he doesn't deserve the kind words. Even though I finally told him about the blog, I prefer he not read it. It just makes me feel awkward. So, instead, I'm posting this picture of one of the happiest days of my life just for me. And for you too, apparently.

Happy anniversary to me and to the husband who belongs to me!

Easy Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

I'm sure I would be the worst and least sought after food blogger of all time, if that's where I put my focus. Or even if I don't. For starters, I don't measure anything. I mean, I do if I'm trying a new recipe for the first time. Otherwise, I'm all about the chop-and-drop. Second, I apparently cannot be bothered to take decent (or almost ANY) pictures of my creations. So what am I doing with this post? I really couldn't say, but let's just agree that you have been warned.

Spaghetti carbonara is a dish I don't make very often but I absolutely love. It's simple, and it's rich, and it's yummy. A lot of times if you order this at a chain restaurant, they don't use actual carbonara sauce. Maybe they don't want to worry about the eggs? I don't know, but if I wanted alfredo sauce, I would have ordered alfredo sauce...

Anyway, here is my version:

Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. When ready, salt the water and cook spaghetti al dente to instructions (staying on the firm side).

While you're waiting for the water to boil, heat up a large heavy-bottomed skillet medium to medium-high. Chop an entire package of bacon and drop into the pan. You can use whichever kind of bacon you want. If you use something like turkey bacon, be sure to add some olive oil to the pan first.

Next chop and add a small onion (or more, if you like onions) to the bacon. Occasionally give the mixture a brisk stir. Once the bacon starts getting a more crisp texture, add about 8oz of frozen peas. At this point, I also add some freshly ground black pepper. Continue with the occasional brisk stir.

(*note I do not drain the bacon grease - I hope that doesn't gross you out. I promise you won't notice it in the end!)

When the pasta is done, drain and set aside, but not before reserving at least a cup of the cooking water.

In a small bowl, whisk two large eggs. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved water to temper (warm up without cooking) the eggs, and whisk some more. Then set aside. You'll understand soon enough why you want these warmed up a bit before throwing them into the mix!

Add the spaghetti to the skillet with the bacon mixture, along with about a cup of the reserved pasta water and half a cup of chicken (or vegetable) broth. Go ahead and throw in half a cup or more of grated parmesan now too. Stir until the noodles are well coated and the bacon is distributed fairly well.

Now this is important: REMOVE FROM HEAT. You can leave it in the same pan; I usually pour it all into a very large bowl. Now pour you eggs over top and stir well. Be sure everything is coated well and you're not creating chunks of scrambled eggs. I know it seems somewhat counter intuitive, but the eggs will cook.

Serve immediately. Then tell me you loved it.

What are some of your favorite dishes? Do you hate using actual measurements for cooking too? I always measure exact for baking, but cooking seems to call for a little more artistic license in my kitchen. Also, do you hate me for not bothering to take an "after" picture? I kind of regret forgetting that part, too. 

Shaklee 180™: Beginning Month 3

It's that time again! For review, this is where my journey started as a blogger for Shaklee at the beginning of March: 
Weight: 170lbs
Bust: 41"
Waist: 36"
Hips: 43"
Arms: left: 14"
           right: 14"

And here are my numbers at the beginning of May! 
Weight: 160lbs
Bust: 38"
Waist: 34"
Hips: 40"
Arms: left: 13"
           right: 13"

Ten pounds and ten inches! I'm only 1/4 of the way to my goal, but - I'm a quarter of the way to my goal! Admittedly, I fell off the proverbial bandwagon a few times, but it was a pretty rough month in general and for weight loss. There were two deaths in my family, a fun trip to Seattle, and a handful of life's garden variety hiccups. 

If you hadn't figured it out, the game plan here is to STAY POSITIVE. One plus to being on the Shaklee 180™ turnaround program are the yummy smoothies. Even my kids beg for me to share with them. I eventually had to start making them their own. It's been a great way to get some extra calories into my picky eaters. Today, I'm going to share a couple of my favorite smoothie recipes!