Trainer

I started working out with a trainer in July, irregularly, but hopefully with school starting, it can be regularly.
As such, and with my eating the Simple Rules by Bob Harper, I've dropped from 199.5 pounds to 189.6...

Cuties

in the morning

 in the afternoon

Each letter picture

Well, I kind of cheated on this.  The original idea was to take a picture of each letter, as it appeared urbanly.  However, that seemed to be a daunting task, so instead I created a gift for my sister in law.  I took pictures of each of the letters of her new last name, FLYNN as part of their wedding present.

 Unfortunately, the frame was not delivered before I was able to take a picture, so my mother in law had to text me what it looked like.  I think they were impressed.

Potato Latkes (Pancakes

Well, I don't know this quite by heart, but I have certainly found the perfect Potato Pancake (Latke) recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 box of latke mix
• 3 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 eggs, as per the box mix
• water
• oil

Directions

1. Grate potato and onion.  I use my food processor.  Set this to drain the liquid through the colander. This needs about an hour
2. Prepare the box mix as directed but 1/4 cup less water
3. Combine real potatoes and box
4. Heat oil, so that when you drop a few drops of water, it sizzles.  About 1/8 inch high of oil in a frying pan.
5. Drop soup-spoon size dollops in to the hot oil.  You probably want to have the splatter guard handy.  When sizzling dies down and the edges are light brown, flip.  Press down.
6. Use a slotted spatula or spoon to transfer to a plate, lined with paper towels.  

Makes about 20 latkes.

20 new books from friends

1/19/2014. I posted a message on Facebook and got several suggestions.  I don't think I'll be able to read them all.  I'm also including the books I've read in book club.
Finished

1. The Story of Beautiful Girl 10/2013 Book club
2. Nefertiti 11/2013 Book Club
3. Night Circus 12/2013 Book Club
4. Interpreter of maladies from Katie Lees 1/2014
5. Rules of civility from book club 2/2014
6. Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg recommended by Lori and Diane from moms group.  2/2014
7. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. moms group 3/2014
8. The Husband's Secret from Laura Hacker 3/2014
9. Pillars of the Earth 2/2014-4/2014
10. House Rules book club 4/2014
11. Divergent 4/2014 Lori
12. Insurgent 5/2014
13. Allegient 5/2014
14. Me Before You 6/2014 Book Club, and Laura Hacker
15. Fault in our stars 7/2014 (This was on the list of Book Club before I left)
16. The book thief 4/2014-7/2014
17. Water for Elephants 8/2014
18. Eat pray love 9/2014
19. Orphan Train  10/2014 from newcomers' book club
20. Pride and Prejudice .  A Jane Austen recommendation from Jessica d. 11/2014

suggestions: that I never got to

Book Thief from Book Club and Jennifer Kao

The Husband's Secret, Me Before You, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, The Language of Flowers, The Violets of March, The Kitchen House, The Sweetness of Forgetting, The Storyteller, Killing Kennedy, Afterwards, A Grown Up Kind of Pretty, The Art of Racing in the Rain. I would also say anything by Joshlyn Jackson is worth the read from Laura Hacker

"bride for Tom" and "husband for Margaret" from Stefanie Quick

"the general's daughter". I also enjoyed the sequel, "up country" and different character but same author "plum island" (Nelson demille) from Stefanie Quick. she has the paperbacks. also from Cliff. plus gold coast and charm school

Wool, Shift, and Dust by Hugh Howey from Aaron Dobbins

Eat pray love? Water for elephants? from Stefanie Quick

The Four Agreements. Also The Power of Now by Eckhard Tolle. from Colleen Goidel

Happiness project from dawn morse

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken follet. sequel world without end
fall of giants, from cliff

unbroken
art of racing in the rain
catch 22
golden compass
Game of Thrones
, all from Jenna

success principles by jack canfield
a child called it by Dave Pelzer
The why cafe by john streletsky and knight in shining armor by Jude devereux. from Betty

Loved all the books by Diana Gabaldon....start with Outlander....Starz is doing a series on it this summer from Ann P.

, Janet Evanovich is fun. Start with One for the Money

Lost City of Z and Endurance: Shackeltons Incredible Voyage. Endurance was really good. from Cliff

My all time favorite book is The Physician by noah gordon. The second book in the trilogy, Shaman, was equally as good, the third book was awful. But the first two can actually stand alone, but read The Physician first. Shogun by james clavell. I love long, historical fiction and all of these I have read numerous times. November 22, 1963 by stephen king was excellent, not creepy. Most Nelson demille books are good, but The Charm School was excellent. I have read every single book that Michael Connelly has written, one of his series is The Lincoln Lawyer and the other is Harry Bosch, homicide detective series. Should be read in order but both excellent series. Love the author. The stephen king book that I cant remember the name, but was about a super flu being released and 99% of the people on earth die and what happens in the aftermath was also one of my favorites, read many times, but really, really creepy. It was one of his very early books. Aunt Fran


Divergent Series, from Lori

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is one of my all time favorites. Also, have you read books by Jane Austen or George Eliot? Great reads. Another great classic author is Alexander Dumas . I would recommend starting with the Count of Monte Cristo Jessica D.

Water for Elephants, and Sarah's Key. Kristin C.

Opting Out?: Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home by Pamela Stone from Camille.

Books I started but didn't finish

• Catch 22, Sorry Jenna, I tried and tried and tried!

I got a  LOT of suggestions, more than I could read.  It took me just over a year to read these 20 books.  I love to read, and other people are much better at picking out books than me.  Reading this reminded me how successful people often have 4 books going at a time.  I've figured this is how I could be dividing up those 4 books

• Parenting & Marriage.  Because as the kids grow, I have new stuff to learn.  Plus, I've learned that Jared is not the same person I married, nor am I him.  Our life together has taken us down some twists and turns, but no matter what I still love him.  Sometimes, I have to learn that over and over.  I don't want to fail at this, of all things, so I must keep working on it.
• Self help.  Managing your mind.  This is an area that I rarely read, but I think I could really benefit from
• Career. Including recommendations. this may be a little more difficult to constantly be reading something new; however, there is a lot of Mary Kay books out there, and this may be more of a read it again type of section
• Hobby & Fun reading. This is basically what I read on this list item. I love reading for pleasure. Through high school and college, reading was for studying or what was assigned.  As I became an adult, it's been an escape, I fly through books again.  However, I reason that I can't always use reading for fun - that I'll have to spend my time reading other things too.  Perhaps I'll cycle through one type of book at a time.  I can't keep my mind around more than 2 at a time.
• Fiction
  • historical fiction
• non fiction
  • biography
• wanting to learn about a new subject, topic, hobby

I guess I need to section of the rest of these and figure out if any of the recommended books can fit in to these new sections.

Roasted Chicken: 3 meals

Roasted Chicken with carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes

1. chop veggies and place on the bottom of a roasting pan.  Chicken on top
2. Put a pat of butter under skin and 1 tablespoon butter in cavity
3. salt & pepper the outside
4. Roast chicken 1/4 hour for each pound at 350
5. Baste each hour
1. Add a cup of white wine after the 1st hour
2. Chicken stock after 2nd hour
6. Let sit 15 minutes before carving
7. Serve with the veggies
8. Prep steps 1-3 for third night

2nd Night Leftovers are Delicious! 

• prep steps 4-8 for third night

3rd Night Chicken Soup

1. get as much of the chicken off the bones as possible
2. put carcass in a big pot.  cover with water, Bring to a boil
3. Refrigerate overnight
4. Strain off fat
5. Take any more meat off the bone and discard the carcass
6. Add more carrots, onions and celery
7. Add Salt and pepper to taste. garlic salt. Oregano. bay leaves and basil
8. refrigerate overnight
9. add 3 chicken bouillon cubes.  
10. add pasta
11. bring to a boil
12. serve with grated parmesan

Nanny

I found a babysitter on care.com.  Her name is Molly, she's a college senior and she comes several afternoons per week.  Beginning this week, as Caitlyn is now in Preschool 3 mornings per week, Molly comes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons.  This arose out of a need for some time away from the kids, after the move.  We will see how much I can get done while they are both in school, but she has been a great find.