Monday, February 7, 2022

Well, hello again Monday…it is time to link up with Sarah and Holly to share about our weekends.

So…my regular readers now that I missed two weeks ago at the end of the week because I had Covid and then spent the weekend stuck at home. A week ago I returned to school and had three days before we spent Thursday at home doing virtual learning in preparation for a big ice storm. Then, Friday they just called a do nothing good old fashioned snow day because they were worried that some would love power and we got snow on top of the ice. I really wanted Jack and Mason to come home from college because their classes were cancelled, too, but they stayed on campus. It still feels weird to have an empty nester snow day.

The ice/slush on Thursday:

The snow that came after:

I finished this book and I do recommend it. It was different than I thought it would be.

I stayed home from Wednesday afternoon until Friday late afternoon and then the cabin fever set in! But, nothing was really open on Friday. I did go look around Barnes and Noble for a bit.

I got take out Mexican (I have been cooking almost exclusively/eating at home for so long!) and made my skinny margarita. I used my new wine glasses. Mason told me they looked like rejects from the Star Trek set last time he was home and saw them.

Tom and I generally split fajitas and then I use my own low carb tortilla. I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing at all! And, it was Friday so I did have some chips and queso, too.

I started this and it’s so good so far! I really love Christina Lauren books.

Friday night I fell asleep bingeing Younger. I already think I will need to go back and start it over because it’s so good.

Saturday morning felt like a Sunday after being at home for so long. I made myself a Keto bread egg in the hole.

The roads were still kinda bad, but I was ready to go run errands. I needed to get out! I was happy to enter Kroger for the first time in maybe a month? I had just done grocery pick up.

I did my Valentine mani.

I roasted vegetables that were about the go bad and made a cauliflower rice, chicken, roasted vegetable bowl with a bit of mozzarella cheese. Yum! It turned out great. I am really trying to do better with using up food and not tossing it.

Later in the afternoon, I visited a little boutique and added to my fancy cocktail earring collection. This is what I do; I go a little bit overboard. I can’t help myself. Now I have tequila, rose, prosecco, and whatever these white bottles are on the left. Do you all ever get obsessions like this? They had White Claw, mojitos, and vodka, too. No, I am done. I think. Invite me out for a cocktail and I will wear the drink of choice, k?

We went out to eat with our friends at Harry’s and the UK game was on.

I tried their grapefruit sangria and it was amazing!

Gotta love their bread and butter!

My friend and I split the chicken teriyaki bowl and I can’t wait to order this again.

And, some sushi!

It was nice to get out and see some friends because it had been awhile.

Sunday morning I slept in a bit and then started reading this…

Kristen, I apologize, this Fairlife is sooooo good! I am trying to go more natural with my foods (and replace Premier for this) and this tastes like a melted Wendy’s Frosty. I want to try their vanilla now.

I made myself a Spanish omelette/frittata for breakfast.

I’m really into marinating lately. I have a sundried tomato chicken pasta planned for this week and I used the oil from this along with some olive oil to marinate my chicken. Warning: raw chicken photo ahead…

I will be sure to let you know if it turns out. My crochet Target sweater order was cancelled! It said it was out of stock. Why did they promise it, then?

So, to get back at Target I went there.

These two teas were recommended. The left is for evening wind down and it is caffeine free and the right is soooo good. I have had it before. It does have caffeine so that might be a late morning or afternoon tea for me.

Shout out to Tom for doing our taxes every year… but he says we may hire a professional this year?

And, he fixed a problem with my car. I was so stressed out about getting the car to the shop and being without a car (I have had lots of car issues in the last year) and he went to the auto parts store and spent $20 and a couple of hours and did it himself.

For Sunday lunch, I used the rest of the roasted vegetables for a roasted Greek bowl. It’s really good this way, too!

This will be a busy week!

I can’t remember the last time I worked at school for five days in a row. I will be exhausted after this week I’m sure, but the students need the continuity, as do I. We are expecting milder temps and no chances of snow.

What about you? Highlights of the weekend? Are you over winter, too? Are you ready for a 5 day week?

Amy

Friday, February 4, 2022

Happy Friday to you! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erica!

Here are some things that I would call favorites this week…

I received In Style and Real Simple in the mail and I am saving them for this weekend. A fresh magazine to get me pumped for the next month is still a favorite.

My most recent home glitter mani with OPI Strawberry Margarita (two coats) and OPI Cheers to the New Year (two coats) with an Orly top coat is another favorite.

Erica has used Thrive Causemetics mascara and she asked if I wanted to order one, too, to save money on shipping. It is amazing! I really like it! Now I am curious about their other products.

Tuesday was really nice and we walked after school. Our new track is really cushioney and it was nice to debrief our day while getting some exercise.

Tom liked my Spanish cauliflower rice! I added some tomato paste, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro to the frozen rice and then made burrito bowls one night for dinner.

Erica made the stuffed acorn squash again!

I made Shay’s margarita soup one night and Tom had a grilled cheese with his. You all need to make this! I only put in a tiny bit of Sprite because I didn’t have diet and didn’t want too much sugar. The creamed corn and the lime juice make this a little different than your average tortilla soup. Also, I cooked my chicken in the crockpot with chicken broth to create a rotisserie chicken and it was amazing. Oh, I also added chicken broth to the soup. I can never leave a recipe alone! Erica and I had it for lunch the next day, too, and it is very low in WW points.

Mason sent me this one day and it warmed my heart! I really try not to “bug” them or text them too much. It is special when they text me first!

Did you read my Spring Trends post? Y’all, I could not help it! Crochet is one of the trends I said I wanted to try. This is on its way to me! It is Target, so not too expensive, but pretty expensive for Target. And, it is a juniors brand so I ordered it in the biggest size possible.

I will let you know what I think and if I decide to keep it. I know it’s controversial and looks like grandma’s throw. But, I dress for me!

I am working on a small Valentine’s bag for Jack and Mason.

I found these at Dollar Tree – bandaids and handwarmers for walking to class.

They love sour candy.

I will add some more things once I get out to a store.

I also am thinking of ways to show love this month. I made this little spread for Tom when he got home from work. He loves this candy and I picked it up.

Yesterday we had a virtual day. I actually like having one every now and then. It is really nice not to get out in the winter and not to have to make the day up at the end of the year.

I enjoyed my Valentine’s mantel while teaching from home.

We were at home because of an impending ice storm so I ran into the wine shop and picked up Chalkboard wine for after school – not during!

Ha!

I need show and movie recommendations!

I recommend Younger, Promised Land, and The Woman in the House across the Street from the Girls in the Window. All three of those helped entertain me last week! I am still watching Younger and anxiously awaiting a new episode of Promised Land.

What were your favorites this week? I hope you had many!

Amy

Thursday, February 3, 2022

It is already time to link up again for Fashion Files with Jill and Kellyann! If you are new around here I spend my days as a high school Spanish teacher in Kentucky.

I don’t have much for you this week because Covid knocked on my door. I tested positive a week ago yesterday and stayed home from school Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (I did teach online from home these days but I didn’t worry about my clothes), and of course, I stayed home Saturday, too. Sunday, I tested negative and did get out finally but I didn’t get an outfit photo. I got the booster in December so I am fully vaccinated and it was just like a little cold for me. The worst part was the isolation and the fear of spreading it to others.

So, Monday I was excited to get back to school! I wore my Amazon sweater, Target jeans, and Amazon sneakers. I didn’t get too hot in this sweater (the heat is pretty powerful in my classroom) and I will not wear anything even remotely itchy. This passed the test and ran true to size for me.

I kinda had a goal this week to wear all of my recent Amazon purchases. I wanted to return anything that just wouldn’t work when I got dressed in the morning.

Tuesday I wore my new Amazon skirt. It is really long on me and the waist is not too flattering on me with this combo, but I plan to try it another way. I also may take it to my tailor to hem. The skirt has pockets and it is decent quality. This ran true to size.

And, yesterday I wore my new Amazon puffy sleeve tee. I sized up one to two sizes in this. I haven’t washed it yet, but as it is true t-shirt material I expect it could shrink a bit. You can’t beat this price for the quality and I really think I may get black and white for spring. I really like everything I have gotten from the Amazon Essentials brand.

Like many of you, I have a love/hate relationship with Amazon for clothes. I have found that I need to spend a bit more to get the quality I want. I also really like to take certain bloggers’ recommendations because Amazon is so overwhelming. And, I have also learned that I must return anything that I have any doubts about. I just can’t quit you, Amazon. You make it so tempting and easy!

I have been a bit discouraged lately in my health journey. It is such a slow process. But, every now and then I see my progress and remember how far I’ve come. I found this photo in my camera roll from 2018.

I also know that I have made progress inside that cannot be seen in a photo.

What have you been wearing lately? Favorite outfit from above?

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Well, yesterday gave me a taste of spring weather. It hit 60 degrees here! Erica and I walked on the track while the track team was practicing. We could also see the baseball team practicing. It felt like spring! But, alas, we do have a winter weather advisory coming tomorrow. It’s too early anyway. February is still winter.

Also, today is Groundhog Day! Will he see his shadow? Ha!

I am sure you can find so many different lists with so many different trends, but here are some I found that I will briefly talk about.

Are you trendy? I still like to study trends and try some out. Why not?

mini skirts – I think the best skirt length for me is knee length and I do have a jean mini skirt. Now, I’m not too comfortable going too mini.

gingham – love it! I could totally go for a gingham blouse.

seersucker – love it! I’m kinda in the south so we see quite a bit around here.

matching sets – I guess this means like a blazer and shorts or a sweatshirt and shorts. It looked really odd to me at first, but it is growing on me. I think I could try this if it were the right thing.

catsuits – no thank you. I need to use the restroom sometimes.

crochet – love it. I am a fan of the 70s vibe. I have seen some really cute light crochet sweaters that would go over a blouse or t-shirt.

fringe – depends on what it is. I have been known to love some fringe.

statement cutouts – this feels too much like the cold shoulder trend which was odd in my opinion. I’m not going to say never, but I will be cautious about this one for myself.

shrug sweaters – ummm, this feels very Clueless or Friends era. I guess I would have to see the modern iteration of this trend.

white– yes! I love white! But, white does not love me. I always spill something.

bras as tops – ummmm, no thank you. A bra is a bra and a top is a top.

What trends are you excited to try?

Amy

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

It is time to link up with Tanya and many more to share what we bought from Amazon in January.

I bought these glasses and I really like them and they hold a ton! Anyone watched this yet? I love how Kristen Bell pours her wine. No, I do not do the same! I think there are some less pricey versions of this style.

This was a happy accident. I really like the new to me Soothe & Sleep.

Have you heard hot rollers are back? I just donated a set of very large rollers. I wanted a variety of sizes so I got this set. I don’t love the clips to hold them on and I don’t love the design to be honest. I probably should have spent out a bit more, but I picked a cheaper option.

Big, Texas hair, anyone?

Yeah, I’m not so sure.

Now, I have not styled this yet so it may go back… It is total t-shirt material so I sized up. It is really long, but I will probably tuck it.

And, same with the skirt above – I haven’t styled it yet and if it doesn’t work I will send it back.

I love this sweater! I have worn it maybe 3 times already! I sometimes think Amazon doesn’t use the real photo because I can’t see how this would ever be off the shoulder and I don’t even think the neckline is the same?

And, I wore this to school yesterday and I really like it.

Just so you know, I am very, very picky about materials and I won’t wear something that is even remotely scratchy.

Also, I love the sneakers!

Now, the next products you can find on Amazon, but I bought them in the stores.

Now, please don’t take my feminist card away, but I have information that I feel I need to share. Do not waste your money on Scrub Mommy. Scrub Daddy is way better.

I gave Mommy a chance but I recently went back to Daddy.

This is a great lip product! I learned about it from Polka Dotty Place on Instagram. It feels amazing! It is called Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick.

I use the bottom first – a pencil on one end and then a little sponge brush on the other then follow it up with the top one. Great products and won’t break the bank.

What has the blue van been bringing to your house lately? Why did that sound creepy?

Amy

Monday, January 31, 2022

It’s time for another link up with Holly and Sarah!

It is the final day of January! Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out, January!

So…where do we begin…I will begin with the fact that I had a runny nose for a few days and then the mildest sore throat for like a day and then the mildest congestion for like a day but didn’t think much of it. I got my booster shot in December, by the way. The teacher two doors down had Covid along with her two daughters on Monday so Wednesday morning before school I took a home test and it was positive. I really didn’t think it would be! Then, the teacher between the one with Covid and I texted me that she was positive! I called in sick and just did nothing basically that day. I didn’t feel that bad!

The home test:

Later that afternoon I made an appointment for the drive through testing site. I had made it almost two years with never getting tested! Ha!

I drove through Chick Fil A and picked up groceries while awaiting my results! I had 5 real nuggets and a small fry with my grilled nuggets and a small vanilla shake. You gotta do what you gotta do when you are a little under the weather. The shake sounded really good.

I got my results and it was officially positive. By the way, Tom did the same drive through about 30 minutes after me and he was negative. So, I moved out of my bedroom into another bedroom and wore a mask when Tom was home and if I needed to be fairly close to him.

I made arrangements to teach from home Thursday and Friday if I didn’t get worse. They sent my students to the library and I used Google Meet. I didn’t have tons of energy and I couldn’t have taught in person even if I was allowed, but this seemed ok.

I ordered Panera delivery for lunch and tried their new Thai chicken soup – yum – and got a mediterranean vegetable sandwich but I put it in my own low carb wrap.

A couple of kids took pictures of our class. It was cute!

They wanted to see Ernie.

Thursday was the day I felt the worst I think and I was questioning my decision to try to teach online and not just rest. But, I finished up for the day and rested the rest of the afternoon and evening.

I woke up to this on Friday and hadn’t even known it was a possibility!

I made myself a homemade bagel sandwich and started teaching.

It was cold!

In the late morning, we got word that they would be dismissing school at 11:45 so I didn’t have to teach the whole day.

So, over the time at home I had some good tv to watch.

Watch this! It is on Netflix.

And this! This is on Hulu or network tv.

And, this is on Hulu.

Friday when Tom got home I walked Ernie with him and the fresh air felt good. Ernie goes crazy in the snow. He just turned 9 this year, by the way. He still seems so energetic and I do not want to think about him getting older.

Erica had dropped off her meals on my porch that I didn’t get to eat – Meatloaf and shepherd’s pie for around 6 WW points each. So, Tom and I split those for dinner with a couple of other leftover tidbits.

I am also really into this book and I’ve been reading while not watching t.v.

And, I think these glitter manis are lasting so long…

I have been going to bed at 9 every night and really trying to get the sleep I need.

I can imagine how challenging this would be to have lot of people in the house. Tom has left everyday at 7 and come home around 6 and then I just had to be careful/wear a mask when he was home.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling great! One of my goals has been to reduce food waste and use up foods. I had some holiday foods lingering – I made a half recipe of monkey bread. For some reason, I had used one of the cans of biscuits I bought, but not the other.

And, Chex Mix with Cheerios. Did you know they have heart shapes in the regular boxes now? They have some regular o’s and then the hearts! So cute for Valentine’s Day!

And, then I ate too much of each on Saturday. Oops.

Because February 1st is coming, I want to try one of these this week but with glitter! Lol! I also plan to wear my heart clothing! And, any red and pink I own!

I wouldn’t do the hearts and the dots – just the color pattern.

Sunday morning I had a Target drive up order and I had a testing appointment at 12. It is so nice to have delivery and drive up options for times like this.

And, Sunday afternoon I got a:

Woohoo!

Tom knew I needed to get out. We went to an Irish pub called The Raven.

a Harp beer:

fries with curry:

I got a leek soup and Tom got a seafood chowder.

And, Tom wanted a Guiness chocolate cheesecake.

They also sell Irish candy so we bought these but haven’t tried them yet.

It was just what I needed. Today is back to school but I’m really happy! I have a super busy week and so much to get caught up on, too. But, I’m happy to tackle it.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, January 28, 2022

Happy Friday! It’s time to link up with Andrea, Erika and many more right here!

Here is a hodge podge of things that were my faves this week when going back through my camera roll!

We went back to in person school on Monday and boy was re-entry a bit crazy. It felt like coming back again after winter break! But, it was so good to have the normal school noises and the energy of the kids. Also, we had 18 teachers out on Monday (out of 120)!

Last Friday when I had Erica and Elizabeth over my wine glass collection was embarrassing! I had my eye on these. I thought I was ordering 4, but I only got 2. They are awesome and bigger than I expected! I guess I will order 2 more!

I really like this and should have known I would because I love most Method products. I just want to clean more when I like my products.

I hate to waste WW points on creamer, but this is really good ; it is 1 point per tablespoon. I have gone back and forth about creamers because I have to have it!

I know someone recommended the show Younger to me a long time ago but I never got around to watching it. I saw it in passing on Hulu the other day and started it and it is so good! Anyone watch/watched it?

I thought I should show you the exact glitter color I am using. If you are a regular reader, you know I am on a glitter kick. It really hides any imperfections and it is just fun for this time of year? It is kinda surprising how different it looks on than in the bottle.

Above is two coats of Essie Marshmallow with one coat of OPI Cheers to Mani Years followed by an Orly top coat.

I think I want to try red for V Day? But, in the meantime, I tried my OPI Gelato on my MInd under it.

I really like it!

Check out my post from yesterday about my V Day sweaters! Yes, I am wearing them all the time now and I hope I will wear them past February!

And, this is the one my son said made me look like a Care Bear!

Monday the bathroom tile was completed! I love what we picked; I think we chose it three years ago so I was a bit worried that I would not like it anymore. Now we wait on the back ordered shower tile. We are having trouble finding a free standing double vanity. If you have suggestions on retailers, let me know. Tom is super picky and we are trying to stay within our budget = not a great combination.

I really want to drink more tea. The Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice is so good and I enjoyed a cup after school one day. It is caffeine free, which is also important to me in the afternoon. I double up on the tea bags to make it a bit stronger. If you are a tea drinker, leave me your favorite in the comments!

Another happy accident! I ordered what I thought was Dr. Teal Relax and Relief from Amazon but I got Soothe and Sleep and like it just as much!

And, I will leave you with the funniest thing I saw on the internet this week…

Hahahaha!

I hope you had lots of favorites this week! Can you believe it will be February next week?

If you missed any posts this week, I did Hello Monday, Eating Lately, Beauty Update, and Fashion Files!

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Hello and welcome to Fashion Files here where we link up to show our style each Thursday.

Here are my real life clothes!

My vibe last week was jeans and sweaters while I taught virtually from my classroom. This is my black Amazon sweater that I bought to wear with my leopard skirt, my Target jeans, and my new sneakers. While the sweater has some pills, I have worn it and washed it (laid flat to dry) enough to recommend it. I could have gone up one size I think.

Speaking of going up one size…a sweet reader talked to me in the comments about people gravitating towards ponchos to hide (and that I shouldn’t) and that is quite true. I am not excited to wear my ponchos anymore.

So, I can’t seem to help it – I want my holiday clothing. I ordered this but in no way is it off the shoulder. I don’t even think it would be off the shoulder on anyone because the neck is just not that wide.

Here is how it fits on me:

I wore non-jeans to start this week back with students.

Here I am wearing it with jeans on Saturday:

It comes in multiple colors and at $37, it is a bit pricey for an Amazon sweater, but this also fits my theory that one needs to pay a bit more for an Amazon clothing purchase to be a worthwhile one? And, maybe this isn’t true, but it has seemed true for me.

I also ordered this one:

And, this is how it fits me:

Again, this price point was a little higher.

I am happy with both of them and decided to keep both. My son did tell me I look like a Care Bear in the second one and gosh, I’m just happy that he knows all of the 80s pop culture I worked to instill in him.

I don’t know if dropped shoulders are that great for me, but on these two items I decided I didn’t care.

I know I said I was done with winter clothing, but I got bored. I needed something to show up on my doorstep, you know?

What have you been wearing lately?

Buying lately?

Do you have a favorite outfit/non-outfit from above?

Amy

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

It’s been awhile, so I thought I would talk products and routine today. I use the term “beauty” loosely.

The final product – a tired 50 year old woman:

One of my goals this year is to use up what I have before buying new stuff. Tom rejected the Costco shampoo and conditioner below and I don’t love it, either. But, I will try to use it and be happy.

I love this Dr. Teal’s Relax and Relief and it works well for my evening shower routine. I take my shower after dinner and wash my hair every other night. When I don’t wash my hair, I still take a “body” shower because I just like to get in my sheets “clean”. I also take a quick morning body shower every day because again “clean”. I also just find it easier to do my saline and face washing in the shower. But, I am super, super quick. Why am I using so many quotation marks?

Love, love, love both of these products! I swear by this saline spray and use it twice a day.

I am “saving” my self tanner now because I can be January pale right now. I use and love Lubriderm. It really helps with winter dry skin.

I really like these eye drops and they do make the whites of your eyes whiter. I remember when my twins were little and one of them was asked what their eye color was; he said, “white”. Bahahaha!

So, The Ordinary products are very reasonably priced, but the facial wash and the moisturizer didn’t last very long at all. I do love both of these serums, though and they will last forever. I am really new to serums. Any serum people in the house?

On the non wash the night before hair days, I use this and love it.

I use a 1.5 inch barrel regular old curling iron. I never dry my hair since I wash at night.

I curl and then use this comb and this hairspray. Sometimes if my hair is too clean, I use the Dove to help hold my style.

I clip the top hair up and curl the bottom and then do the top.

This looks really messy and I need to clean it up, but I am still loving my Seint makeup system.

You use their brush and blend all of this together!

I am loving these lip crayons lately.

I really love this blush and will apply it on top of the Seint sometimes.

It has a nice subtle shimmer.

Remember how much I love cream eye shadow and specifically Charlotte Tilbury? Well, I found that Burt’s Bees is pretty darn good and much cheaper and can be found at your local drug store. So, I do that on the lid and then line with one of the powder shadows in this set.

I love this NYX brow and I’m using Grande mascara right now but I am getting ready to try Thrive Causemetics mascara.

You can see my eyes here:

This is what I use for undereye somedays but somedays I don’t do anything. Suggestions welcome!

I’m really content with most of my products for the first time in forever! But, I always love to learn about new things, too.

What is your ride or die product? Like, if you run out you might have a panic attack product? Are you a product junkie? I wouldn’t say that I really am. I find it overwhelming to walk in Ulta and Sephora. I don’t know where to look or what to do.

Talk beauty to me in the comments!

Amy

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Welcome to another round of “Eating Lately”!

I guess I could do an Eating Lately post each week, because I almost always have a new food, recipe or product to recommend! You all seem to respond to these posts. It seems that I’m not the only one trying to eat healthier!

But, first…my weight had not changed much between early November and January. At this point I had lost about 46ish pounds. I had my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, of course. And, I was not that upset. By the way, if you are new around here, I started on this journey on April 8th, 2021. I feel like even though the scale wasn’t moving that my body was changing, my face looked thinner, my attitude was changing, my energy level was changing, my mental state was changing, and so much more…you know? My goal was really just to maintain during the holidays. Also, I changed from WW Purple to WW Personal Points when they rolled out the new plan in early November. I think it took me a while to use my points in the most efficient way, if that makes sense.

So…finally, the first week of January the scale started moving! I am now down about 6 more pounds since early November for a grand total of 53 pounds!

I think the moral of that story is consistency. I stayed consistent. I kept it up. I didn’t get discouraged. So many times in the past I did give up and I did get discouraged.

And, really, the scale is just a damn number. It does not define you. I only weigh once a week. My sister only weighs once every two weeks. Some people stay off the scale totally. You do what works for YOU! You can fluctuate by 6 pounds in a day! Maybe more!

My current goals are:

-to eat 30 g of protein at each meal

-to drink half of my body weight in ounces of water

-to get quality sleep and go to bed when my body tells me it is tired even if that is earlier than I would really like it to be

-to get a cup of vegetables at most meals

-to eat less sugar

-to move my body more – right now I’m trying to do free YouTube workouts and soon Erica and I will start walking outside again.

Here are some not great photos of what I’ve been eating lately…

Also, I am not that great about recipes because I kinda go rogue. Let’s say I am giving you “ideas” and you can Google similar things?

My meal prep partner is stalled right now just like I was. She has lost around 30 pounds and wants to lose 10 more by April. I have been encouraging her to stay consistent just like she encouraged me when I was stalled.

Erica made the most delicious whole wheat linguine with chicken and broccoli and lemon cooked in chicken broth. I gave her the highest compliment I give. It is “restaurant quality”. I will be begging her to make this again!

One night for dinner I made French Onion chicken, roasted green beans, and roasted sweet potato.

Friday night for dinner I made skinny pizza dough pizza and one big breadstick. I just don’t even miss “real” pizza anymore. This recipe is just so good. Go to My Bizzy Kitchen for skinny pizza dough and your life will be changed.

I highly recommend this from Costco. My girl got engaged! We had an impromptu celebration at my house Friday after school and I already had this. I do save room in my points allowance for some wine!

Erica made the most delicious taco casserole last week. I think I’m getting the better end of the bargain here because Erica can cook! We knew we could work from home Thursday so we each took our meal prepped lunch home the day before to stay on track. Since I was home, I cut up two corn tortillas and baked them to make my own tortilla chips and they were the bomb. I will be doing that again soon! I think I did them at 350 for like 10 minutes? I need to figure that out!

I am obsessed with mushroom and onion and try to keep a container in the fridge that I throw in eggs or whatever.

I’ve also been on a red potato kick lately. I microwave and then finish them off for a couple of minutes in my skillet.

I discovered a one point tomato soup:

I made a 3 point Trader Joe’s frozen mini baguette to go with it. I take a bit of spray butter and add some garlic powder.

I also had veggie sushi from Fresh Market with the soup and breadstick. I was super hungry. Honestly, I think sometimes in my journey I needed to eat more to kickstart my metabolism. My WW app says that veggie sushi is about 9 points, but it’s worth it! I’m really trying to learn to listen to my body and not just worry about the points. There are days when you need to eat more. I found out why I was so hungry the next day if you know what I mean. If you don’t, then we will also be fine.

A favorite breakfast of an egg, an egg white, mushrooms and a turkey sausage patty.

I have not been able to find my turkey sausage links or my crumbles so I accepted this sub from Kroger Clicklist. Love them! They are 2 points a patty, but they really taste more like real sausage I think. Plus, it provides some of that protein for my goal of 30 g per meal.

Another happy Kroger accident:

I requested caramel and they gave me cookies and cream. Yum! It tastes like a melted Oreo.

It had been weeks since I had done my breakfast casserole so this past Sunday I got back to it. It is one point per serving for me with the cottage cheese, green chiles, and 6 eggs. I add whatever spices I want. The original recipe called for shredded cheese, but I honestly don’t miss it. That adds lots of points.

I bake it at 350 for 40 minutes and then make 6 portions. Yum!

This week I have 2 lunches to make and Erica has 3. I used these:

I found mine at Costco but my sis says Walmart has them. I really like them!

to make a traditional spaghetti with Laura’s lean ground beef. I added zucchini on the side because we get an extra point per cup of vegetables.

And, I did one of our favorites – AmyLu chicken, gouda, apple sausage and roasted vegetables.

Whew, that was a lot of food! I love what I am eating! I never feel deprived or hungry and when I want something I just eat it and count it and move on.

What have you eaten lately? Any recs? I would love to hear!

Amy