Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Lunch Experiment: FlatOut Pizza

I decided to try something new at lunch today, so I thought I would make it a blog post. Heh. It was kind of fun. Disclaimer. I am not a great cook. I fail more than I succeed. I'm also not a great photographer. This was strictly for my entertainment. :)


I've seen a number of people mention FlatOut breads when they are talking about low points recipes. My Kroger only had one kind (the sun-dried tomato variety), so that is what I got. Imagine pita that has been stretched out.

First things first, the ingredients.


hmmmm, something is missing here . . . oh yeah, the cheese! For someone who is known as the cheese-eater, you wouldn't have expected me to miss the cheese. By the time I remembered, I had already started cutting up the ingredients. Too late for a re-take.

Step 1. Bake a single piece of FlatOut bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 7 minutes.


Step 2. While baking, chop up the toppings.


There's the cheese. :) I used 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 of a red onion, and 1 roma tomato. I saved the rest of the toppings for tomorrow's lunch.


Step 3. After the bread has been cooked for 7 minutes, spread the spaghetti/pizza sauce over the bread as close to the edges as you can get. Sprinkle with cheese and then toppings.


Step 4. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes.


This is the finished product:

It doesn't really look that different from the pre-cooked version because there are so many toppings.


All in all, it was quite tasty. And only 7 points for the whole thing. Which is about what my Lean Cuisine meals usually end up being. But this was a lot tastier.


Now I just have to figure out some other things to use the FlatOut bread for . . . .

Thursday, March 26, 2009

100+ Reading Challenge Completed

So I've finally finished the first reading challenge I ever signed up for. Unfortunately the page for the challenge is no longer functional. When I signed up I interpreted it as you have a year (from when you sign up) to read 100 books. They have recently changed it to a calendar year. Which is fine, I'll sign up soon for that one and try to finish 100 additional books by the end of 2009. But I really wanted to finish this challenge before I started calculating for another. I honestly didn't think it would be that difficult for me to finish because I love to read. However, I did struggle with it a little. I seem to read in spurts. I'll read a lot for a few weeks, and then really pull back if nothing sucks me in. So I had to really focus on finding interesting things to read. I did discover a few new genres and a few new authors that I really like. I don't feel like I'm stuck in a rut anymore with what I read. There are still a few books (usually series) that I will continue to re-read regularly, but it won't happen as much anymore. There are too many great books out there that I have yet to read. The books in RED are re-reads.

Without further ado, here are the 100 books that I have read since April 1, 2008. I'll leave up widget on the side with the full list for a little while before I take it down to make room for the next one.

1. Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith
2. Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
3. Educating Caroline by Meg Cabot
4. Monster by Frank Peretti
5. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (audio)
6. Point Blank by Catherine Coutler
7. The Hollows by Nora Roberts
8. HP & the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
9. HP & the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
10. HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
11. HP & the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
12. HP & the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
13. HP & the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
14. HP & the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

15. Size 14 is not Fat either by Meg Cabot
16. Big Boned by Meg Cabot
17. The Woods by Harlan Coben
18. The Last Jihad, Joel Rosenbergl R
19. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
20. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
21. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
22. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
23. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
24. The Stork Reality by Malena Lott
25. Daring To Dream by Nora Roberts
26. Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts
27. Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts

28. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
29. Eleven on Top, Janet Evanovich
30. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
31. Twelve Sharp, Janet Evanovich
32. Midnight in Death, JD Robb
33. Naked in Death, JD Robb
34. Survivor in Death, JD Robb
35. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
36. Divided in Death, JD Robb
37. Glory in Death, JD Robb
38. Lean Mean Thirteen, Janet Evanovich
39. Good in Bed, Jennifer Weiner
40. Born in Death, JD Robb
41. Innocent in Death, JD Robb
42. Creation in Death, JD Robb
43. Strangers in Death, JD Robb
44. Morrigan's Cross, Nora Roberts
45. Dance of the Gods, Nora Roberts
46. Valley of Silence, Nora Roberts
47. Purity in Death, JD Robb
48. High Noon, Nora Roberts
49. Remember When, Nora Roberts & JD Robb
50. Devil's Own, Sandra Brown
51. The Little Lady Agency, Hester Browne
52. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
53. Calico Palace by Gwen Bristow
54. Scarlett, Alexander Ripley
55. The Husband, Dean Koontz
56. Queen of Babble, Meg Cabot
57. Tribute, Nora Roberts
58. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, Lilian Braun
59. Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich
60. Midnight, Dean Koontz
61. Queen of Babble in the Big City, Meg Cabot
62. Salvation in Death, JD Robb
63. Little Lady, Big Apple, Hester Brownea
64. Wicked
65. A is for Alibi, Sue Grafton
66. Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, Meg Cabot
67. The Pagan Stone, Nora Roberts
68. Candy Cane Murder, Joanne Fluke
69. The Danger of Candy Canes, Laura Levine
70. Candy Canes of Christmas Past, Leslie Meier
71. Divine Evil, Nora Roberts
72. Dark Tort, Diane Mott Davidson
73. Play Dirty, Sandra Brown
74. Birthright, Nora Roberts
75. A Murderous Yarn, Monica Ferris
76. Son of a Witch
77. Ritual in Death, JD Robb
78. Love Endures, Mary Blayney
79. Cold Case, Ruth Ryan Langan
80. Wayward Wizard, Mary Kay McComas
81. Trace, Patricia Cornwell
82. Blue Dahlia, Nora Roberts
83. Black Rose, Nora Roberts
84. Red Lily, Nora Roberts
85. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Joanne Fluke
86. Candy for Christmas, Joanne Fluke
87. World Without End, Ken Follett
88. The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, Hester Browne
89. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
90. Celia Garth, Gwen Bristow
91. Into The Wilderness, Sara Donati
92. Promises in Death, JD Robb
93. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman
94. The Constant Princess, Phillipa Gregory
95. Cradle and All, James Patterson
96. Pop Goes the Weasel, James Patterson
97. Lost Souls, Lisa Jackson
98. Digital Fortress, Dan Brown
99. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells
100. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A Vow to Myself

I want to have a baby. I realized shortly after my miscarriage that I needed to lose more weight before we tried to get pregnant again. Even though I am relatively healthy, I am very overweight. Even though many overweight women have babies all the time, I realized for myself that I needed to give my body the best shot possible. I know I won't be at my "ideal" weight before we try again, but I need to weigh less than I do now. However, I have struggled a great deal in the last seven months to actually lose weight. I've not been able to stick with any thing for very long. I've tried to examine my reasons (excuses) and I just can't figure it out. Is it partly because if I think that if I lose the weight and we get pregnant again, I may miscarry and have to go through this again? Therefore if I don't lose the weight, we won't try and then I won't have to deal with another miscarriage. Maybe partly, but I don't think that is it completely. Is it because maybe I really don't want to have a baby deep down inside? I don't think that is it either. Is it because I don't think I can do it? Is it because I may be depressed and don't want to admit it? Is their just one reason? What reasons do people have for not losing weight? Trust me, I've tried them all on, and no one excuse fits perfectly.


So I started to think about all the promises and goals and lists I've made. Wondering where I was going wrong. What do I need to do differently. I came to the very blunt realization that I have all the tools, I know what works, and I need to stop getting in my own way. So I decided to make a vow. I thought about one of the other "vows" that I have made, and the symbol of that vow. My wedding ring is always with me. A symbol of the vow that I made to Chris. I realized that I don't even THINK about breaking that vow. So why do I break the promises that I make to myself? So I decided to make a vow to myself. And use the same kind of symbol. And just like my wedding vows, I'm doing it publicly (here). I think there is something in making a public vow that brings an extra sense of accountability. So maybe this is corny. I feel serious about it. I got a plain band at Wal-Mart. I said the vow out loud, and I'm putting it here for people to know.


I vow to do what it takes to get healthy. I will follow a healthy eating plan and a healthy fitness plan. No more putting it off. No more reasons to not try. No more excuses.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2009 COMPLETED


I have completed this challenge a few days earlier. I got kind of bogged down in the last book, but it finally came through. Doing this I discovered that I like historical fiction that is about an actual time period better than historical fiction about an acutal historical figure. In other words, I like the made up characters set in a real historical event/period.
Celia Garth (5 out 5 stars) is set during the American Revolution. One of my all time favorite books. I also found out that it was recently re-released, so I went ahead and bought it instead of waiting for it from the library.
Into the Wilderness (4 out of 5 stars) was quite good. It is set in 1792. It was a little slow to start, but once it started, it kept my attention without any problem. The begining felt a little stiff, but the kinks were worked out soon enough.
The Constant princess (2 out of 5 stars) was okay. I've enjoyed the authors other books about Henry VIII, but this one (about Katherine of Aragorn) just didn't hold my attention like the others. She used a different format (some in first person, some in third) and when it was going back and forth between the two, it didn't feel very smooth. Plus, since I had already read the other books (The Other Boelyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance) I already knew the general story.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

when you least expect it

So I ran out to get the mail today in barefeet as Chris was pulling into the driveway. As I pulled it out of the mailbox, I saw a large catalog/magazine deal. As I looked at what it was, I felt a stab go right through my heart. It was a baby registry catalog from Target. I was very intentional about canceling all my web subscriptions that had to do with being pregnant (even though I was only signed up for a few weeks), so that this wouldn't happen. Apparently I forgot one. And besides that I would be almost 8 months pregnant right now. I would hope that I would have registered already.

Anyway, that got be to thinking about what my due date would have been, and what I'm going to do on that date. Part of me hopes that it will just go past without me thinking about it. But I'm not thinking that will be the case.