I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

That is absolutely awful Jackie! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Your poor mother. I hope she can make the long drive. It will be so hard while she is in such pain. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

Yes, Jacki, sorry to hear of your troubles and frustrations. Hope tomorrow will be a better day!

My Wii says I've managed to get that 1.3 lb off already! Very tight, but not too miserable. It'd be better if I'd quit eating as soon as I start to feel full. But sometimes that's after about three bites, so I try to eat some more and then I'm sorry.

Tomorrow is our 44th wedding anniversary so we're going to the Space Needle for lunch. I've looked at the menu online, but stil not sure what I will order. There is a $25 per person minimum, so can't just order soup or an appetizer, and can't split something with DH! If they let us order off the dinner menu, I know there used to be a seafood appetizer for two that was around $50 that would be perfect.

Jackie - so sorry you have to go through all that crap, I don't know what I'd do. I'm dealing with my Mom having the blood clot and can't imagine what I'd do if I had to wait for medical help.

Phyl- Love your new avatar.

Am I the only one having trouble changing color and font. I click on it, it clicks off, it's been doing this @!%# for over a week. I don't like this little cat and mouse game.

My restriction is feeling pretty good. I hope I continue to like it.

Tell me about it!!

I had 2 jump through hoops 2 change my avatar!

They don't make it easy!

i FEEL GOOD...DOO DOO DO DO..... Scale is moving again. Slowly, but it is moving. YIPEE!!! And, I bought a new pair of shorts yesterday. SIZE MEDIUM! ! ! !

I need to figure out how to change my avatar with a picture. I LOVED the Flounder in the beginning but would now like a pic of me I think and then I can take it off my signature.

As for changing my font and size, usually I just do the "quick reply" at the bottom of the screen so I rarely go into the screen where you can change those things. So I guess I can't really help there.

Okay, yesterday I think I talked to you all about trying to figure out a menu for this workshop that I'm "in charge" of. Well I sent a sample menu to my director and he said I need to think of vegetarians and people who can't eat pork for religious reasons. So I'm going to ask for suggestions, my brain power is out. A couple of considerations....they have hired a couple of lunch ladies who are used to cooking for kids and really like "institutional" type foods. Second, the director would like to eat better than mac and cheese and lunch meat, but we are on a budget...not really tight, but not unlimited....I need 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 suppers.

My original meals were:

Breakfast 1: egg bake, some sort of quik bread, melon and berries

breakfast 2: french toast, bacon and sausage, and melon

Lunch 1: Chicken or tuna salad croissants, asian cabbage crunch salad, baked apples slices.

Lunch 2: Left over meats from both dinners on hard rolls, soup or chili, leftover stuff from the other two days (this is our final meal so I was trying to do leftovers without them being "left overs"

Dinner 1 (first meal): Pork loin roast, smashed garlic red potatoes, roasted green beans, and cobbler

Dinner 2: Baked ham, sweet potato casserole, corn, creamed cucumbers, angel food cake with strawberries and whip cream.

snack options: chips and salsa, veggie tray with dips, fresh apples, oranges, and bananas.

So I would love any input you all could give me. Any ideas that I don't have to give too much direction for. I want to have a nice menu but nothing outrageous. I hope that makes sense. I also want to have some low cal band friendly options so I can eat too. This summer I really struggled. Any ideas would help.

Thanks all.

I forgot I was going to tell you all something. I found a quick meal that I find VERY band friendly.

I don't know how many people have Schwans around but I love them and they love me because I'm not a huge cook from scratch kind of mom. I'm getting better not working, but I still love them.....

Anyways, they have these small bowls called Chicken in asian style sauce. They are sort of a side dish, probably should be served over rice but that's a problem for me now. Well the small bowl says they are 4 servings of 50 cals each...so if I don't put it over rice and just eat it plain I can get probably 2 meals of 100 cals each. This is their description : "Marinated, diced, all-white chicken meat with mushrooms and water chestnuts in a soy and hoisin sauce". And a 1/2 cup serving, which is all I can do right now (a whole bowl would be double this) has 100 cals and 10g protein, 12 g carbs. Not bad for something that takes me less than 10 mins and I can eat it while the kids and Jeff eat stuff that gets me stuck.

Just a thought for you all.

I just posted, and it disapeared. Son of a 3 pairs of britches.

Speaking of food

Steph, what chicken sausage did you say you like from Sams?

Does anyone know the page number Steph's chicken salad recipe is on?

My secretary is a bitch. This year will be a struggle if I don't lay down the law now.

I just posted, and it disapeared. Son of a 3 pairs of britches.

Speaking of food

Steph, what chicken sausage did you say you like from Sams?

Does anyone know the page number Steph's chicken salad recipe is on?

My secretary is a bitch. This year will be a struggle if I don't lay down the law now.

Denise,

Sounds like you had quite a day. I'd send flowers but I'm sure that wouldn't be what you really need. Maybe send your secretary flowers....from some....let's see.....we can call him a paramour. It might be funny. You could send them once every few weeks and really get the office talking. My dad had some great ideas of how to torture co-workers without being caught. Let me know if you want other ideas....some of them were REALLY good.

My chx salad. However many cans of chicken, a bag of craisins, a can of pineapple (I use tidbits, my sister uses crushed), about 3 green onions chopped, a couple ribs of celery chopped small. Enough mayo to make it moist, but not soggy (start on the light side because it's amazing how just a little too much makes it soggy), dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. Oh...and a small bag (about a cup) of slivered almonds. Mix together and chill. I LOVE it on kashi crackers or just in a bowl.

The sausages I LOVE are Aidelle's pineapple bacon. The asiago are alright (those are member's mark) and the Aidelle's sun dried tomato are good (a little spice that's interesting not strong). But the pineapple bacon are addictive. I wish we had a Sam's club closer. 5 hours one direction, 7 hours the other.

Okay, went to my ds's play. Wasn't impressed, but he did a nice job.

I'll talk to you all later. Waiting for Phelp's to swim. 15 minutes. I'll check back soon.

Thanks Steph, I'll look for the pineapple bacon but we may not have them.

I bought the chicken, cheese, spinich, and I think it may have been the only flavor. We made some pineapple kabobs with them and grilled them. They were very good, but I would like to try out the other flavors.

Thanks Steph, I'll look for the pineapple bacon but we may not have them.

I bought the chicken, cheese, spinach, and I think it may have been the only flavor. We made some pineapple kabobs with them and grilled them. They were very good, but I would like to try out the other flavors.

I think there might be one with chicken/apples that we sometimes buy at Costco. It's quite good, too.

Had a great day in Seattle yesterday. Grilled salmon for lunch went well... two nibbles of a roll, no salad, a couple of bites of DH's clam chowder, and some steamed veggies, a little rice. Of course, then they brought us an "anniversary desert" with a candle in it... small bowl of ice cream with a little chocolate sauce, with two spoons.. so I just had a few bites. Oh, did I mention the bottle of merlot??? My bathroom scale still says I'm down 2 lb today!! I probably sweat it off... hot here! I'm NOT complaining, mind you!! Anyway, later in the evening, I decided to finish some leftovers from the day before... maybe 2 oz of scallops a the most, and some steamed broccoli & cauliflower. It got stuck and I had a miserable evening and very little sleep last night. I got up to sit in my recliner at 1:30 a.m. Then decided to try a small can of pineapple juice (since my papaya had already come back up). I sipped at it and took 1/2 hr to get it down. I started to feel better so went back to bed.. I think around 3 a.m. By 3:30 a.m. I was back in the recliner... refluxing on the pineapple juice. Slept two hours in my chair before going back to bed for another two hours. I'm not anxious to eat any meat or fish today!! I really don't want to get an unfill, so I'm going to have to be much more careful about what I eat, and SLOW down and smaller bites.

Phyl, Sounds like a lovely day with a great guy! Congrats on 44 years! that is such an accomplishment. I'm so glad we did something special for my parent's 40th since Dad didn't make it to 50. I'm sure it was a beautiful view of the city. And weight loss 2 boot! How much better can it get.

I just lost the space bar off of my laptop. I'm pretty sure it is still under extended warrenty but it sure makes it a bi^@* to type! Maybe I'll be quiet now. Who knows.

Now about pineapple juice. For me it has always worked more like baking soda mixing with water. It unclogs the drain but it doesn't go down, if you get the drift. You're a stronger woman than I Phyl. I couldn't stand that feeling. Good luck!

Gonna run. Have a great day ladies.

I am painting my classroom today and...it is interesting. I have 2 students here "helping" I am pretty certain they are making more of a mess than anything, but it is fun to have them around. They are great students and have a good heart which is always heartwarming as a teacher!

Phyl it is hot, hot, hot here too. Once we finish here around 3 we are going to go watch Mamma Mia in the air conditioned movie theater! Then we are going to a brewfest thing at the park next to the theater. That is for DH since I think beer is DISGUSTING.

Well I had best get back to painting. I had to stop to eat lunch!

page 746.... I've got to go back and catch up.

But just wanted to let you all know I'm back from the Cottage

What the hell is the matter with the *&()&(& fonts?

Anyway......

Phyl - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!! I went on the Space needle website to look at the menu.

Salsa - What color!

Peaches - Welcome Back

Steph - I think I'm gonna mix your recipe and Lynette's recipe from last July so I'm gonna use cream cheese to make the chicken salad. I'll make it tomorrow for this weeks' lunch.

Me and Minnie are playing fetch right now. She's sooooo pretty. The other day I came home and she was sitting on my fireplace mantel posing just as pretty as you please. I said, "Oh, Helllll No!" I swatted her a.... and she took off, the dog took off after her. He's looking for a reason, he hates her. Very Jealous!!!

Gotta go cut hubby's hair.