Take 2

You're going to call me an idiot.

I went on a date with D#1 tonight. I got weak!!

We had a good talk last night. He had been sending me text messages begging for forgiveness and admitting that he's an asshole. That part made me smile. I didn't have to even tell him! He called me, eventually, seeing as text message eventually get confusing when discussing something serious. I listened to what he had to say, but I made sure D#1 heard what I had to say.

Needless to say, it bothers me a bit that he has the same bottom line over and over again. He thinks that my irritation is solely in reference to his ogling of other females. In actuality, it's not. It's his behavior generally while intoxicated. It's the fact that he is the age that he is and was as irresponsible and insulting as he was. At first he didn't understand why it was such a big deal to me; and if he doesn't still, then I had a great free meal and probably the last for a minute.

D#1 now has boundaries and stipulations. There is to be no drinking around me. There is to be no threatening bodily harm to my friends. Actually, after some time has passed, it's up to him to make amends with my friends and make things right. He screwed his first impression with them and many others. K thinks I'm crazy and can't wait to say, "I told you so." He has other guidelines to follow as well.

I say, I have made things so strict for him that I will be surprised if he sticks around passed the weekend.

This is like having my own little bitch!

In the end, he said he wanted what we had back. I told him that what we had led to our problem. Why not modify it and do things differently; not make the same mistakes again? If he can't do that, then I'll know now that I am wasting my time.

Success is not eating the leftovers

Oh! I am still so full from lunch today! Everything was delicious! Everybody who brought something did a great job! The smoked chicken was e.x.c.e.l.l.e.n.t!!!!!

Unfortunately, not all the Peanut Butter Balls got eaten so I'm taking some home with me. Looking on the bright side of that, there are enough left that I won't have to make another batch for my Mum's Christmas after all. I can just stick these in the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator! Another reason for me not to eat them!

I did get some left over BBQ and some left over smoked chicken to eat. That will be a big help in getting back on the bandwagon. I didn't get any sauce but the chicken didn't need the sauce! It fell right off of the bone! It was perrrrfect! And my dear, sweet husband can have the BBQ; I'll even make him some white BBQ sauce to go with it.

Also, I have some, maybe a serving, of my casserole left. Trey can eat that for lunch one day this week if I can keep him out of the fast food line. Not a lot of people are brave enough to try my cooking and what I can cook is limited. That means Trey's menu from Restaurant Stephanie is limited to about....oh....5 items? Chicken and rice casserole, chicken tacos, pork and rice casserole, ham wraps and...and...um....OK 4 items are on my menu!

Needless to say, he gets a little tired of redundancy and is scared to try my food when I experiment. In my defense, I haven't burnt anything in at least a month and I haven't technically set anything on fire in two years! So I am getting better!!

Just to let you know, I only had one piece of the big "O" cake-- come think of it, I don't think I even ate the whole piece! I'm still stuffed though! What I missed in caloric intake from the cake I made up for with the chicken and rice casserole, hash brown casserole, dip, chips, bite of brownie, bite of peanut butter cake and peanut butter balls. I lost count with the peanut butter balls.

Soooo...I have some running to do Friday...

The Full Spread

Look at all the goodness! The tinfoil is BBQ. The blue top is mash potatoes. The end of the table has an assortment of pies and the big O cake.

And that's not all the food!

Now do you see why it's better for me to cave today??

Honesty

con-fes-sion   /kənˈfɛʃən/ Show
Spelled Pronunciation [kuhn-fesh-uhn] Show IPA
Pronunciation
–noun
1.acknowledgment; avowal; admission: a confession of incompetence.
2.acknowledgment or disclosure of sin or sinfulness, esp. to a priest to
obtain absolution.
3.something that is confessed.
4.a formal, usually written, acknowledgment of guilt by a person accused of a crime.
5.Also called confession of faith. a formal profession of belief and acceptance of doctrines, as before being admitted to church membership.
6.the tomb of a martyr or confessor or the altar or shrine connected with it.

7. I deviated from my diet plan last night and plan to do it again today.

So I have to admit something. I had the Shrimp Cypress Inn at Cypress Inn last night. I know, I know! How horrible! I've done so good! But I thought, "I have done so good! I need a reward!" so I ordered it! And I enjoyed it!!!


I had a really bad run this morning. I got very frustrated and just quit. I know, I know! I shouldn't quit! I'm blaming the bad run on the Shrimp Cypress Inn. Excuses! Excuses! The real reason I got frustrated was because I couldn't get my breathing in a rhythm and when I did, I'd have other problems. Plus, my iPod is out of juice and I'm already bored enough on the treadmill. I think I'm going to have to move my runs outside sooner than I thought. I'm going to have to find a running partner, too. The epiphany of running outside by myself doesn't sound that great.

In the meantime, today is our Christmas dinner at the dealership. All that gooey, yummy goodness. I had already planned on allowing myself to splurge today. It's really tough to ignore the BBQ, the potato salads, mashed potatoes, hash brown casseroles (I'm noticing a potato theme, here), slaw, the Orgasm cake from Thanksgiving, the peanut butter balls I made, my chicken casserole (Thanks, Paula!!), the pies, the macaroni and cheese, the dips, the chips - Oh! There is so much stuff to tempt me!

Don't chide me! I don't plan on eating everything! Moderation is key! I know that! I won't have the sauce, I won't have the potatoes, probably - well maybe the hash brown casserole - I'm only sticking to a piece AND I MEAN A PIECE of the Orgasm cake. I'll be a good cheater! Just consider my diet for the last three weeks: salad, sweet potatoes - no butter, chicken, chicken, salad, chicken, oranges, bananas, oatmeal, chicken, egg whites, chicken, protein shakes, chicken, salad and chicken!

I think this will be good for me. Help strengthen my resolve, maybe move me over this boredom hump AND give me some more incentive to push myself harder in the gym!

Mental Health Day

I am so excited today! I have the day off from work! While it doesn't take my mind off of some of the stresses there, it does help me relax in a big way. I already have a packed schedule this evening and work on top of it was pulling me thin. So yesterday, when I asked if I could have the afternoon off a little early, I was very surprised when Clint said, "Just take Tuesday off."

That means I have a whole day to get stuff done today! Here's a little why I was getting stressed about this evening. Every month, my girlfriends and I have our Supper Club. Usually it's the second week of the month but with the holidays and all, it was much easier for all of us to get together the third week of December. We are having an ornament swap and eating dinner at a nice restaurant. We'll catch up with each other, ask how the babies and husbands are and then we'll laugh, cut up, relax and enjoy each others' company with no husbands or children around. I look forward to this every month! Especially since I work around 11 men all day, every day! That's not even counting my husband!

Tomorrow is our Christmas at the dealership. Not that I've been procrastinating at all, I haven't, I just need to get the ingredients to make my dish. I wasn't able to get to the store on Sunday and I have gotten to where I refuse to go to Walmart or Food World by myself at night over here. There was a mugging not too long ago and I don't particularly want to be the next victim. That being said, tonight, I would have to go to the store tonight to get the stuff I need for my dish. That's why I asked Clint if I could leave a little early: I wanted to be able to leave before it was dark, get my ingredients, go to Supper Club and come home to mix it together. Plus, tonight is the Biggest Loser Finale so I didn't want to be up late watching it or make my dish - a Paula Dean dish, no less - while watching people tell me how dishes like mine made the fat! Go Michelle!!

That being said, my schedule today is as follows:

• Call the radio station check
• Eat oatmeal check
• Play on the internet while oatmeal digests checking
• Go run three miles Maybe I'll run outside today, weather permitting...
• Circuit train Or maybe I'll run four miles outside today and say I had a good enough workout
• Eat egg whites Breakfast of champions!
• Grocery Shop Home and Holidays shopping!
• Cook But don't eat!
• Eat chicken and salad lunch of champions...
• Play on the internet some more
• Go to Supper Club
• Watch Michelle win the Biggest Loser! Or Ed - not Heba or Vicky! BTW, I voted for Ed!

Cruel and Unusual

Text message from Trey: Go get Los Torascos for dinner. (FYI - That's my fav restaurant IN THE WORLD!!! It's Mexican, fried, cheesy, crunchy, chickeny, yummy, scrumptious, delicious, fuzzy-feeling-in-the-stomach good! And bad for my training diet.)

Me: I can't eat that.

T: I can.

Me: Then go get it yourself. Are you torturing me???

Trey didn't respond.

Me: Did you get Los Torascos?

T: No.

Meaning?
I get to stand in Los Torascos tonight to pick up my dear, sweet, loving, never-would-let-me-get-tempted husband's dinner.

The Great Thanksgiving

Let's face it. My cooking skills have never been steller. I think that's why Mum gave me the "appetizers" category this year; something I can't screw up (but I can burn water!).

This morning, I got up at the crack of dawn to start my Thanksgiving. I was excited to get to participate in the cooking festivities this year. So I got showered and dressed and headed to the kitchen. I can't cook but I never said that I don't like to pretend!

This morning, I've made meatballs (actually something Trey said he was going to make) and chicken wrapped in bacon and dredged in brown sugar and spice. Ooohh those loook sooo goood!! Thank you, Paula Dean!!! They are baking right now. The meatballs are ready to be eaten.

Trey has made his peanut butter balls. AKA Recipe for Weight Gain - Jenny Craig's favorite!

I made a dip, a bacon chedder dip. I bought some Triscuits to go with them and have been fighting to keep my husband away from the box all week long! I'm thankful it's Thanksgiving so that he can eat them now!

I may not can cook but in my land of pretend, all of the food sounds delicious! I can't wait to try it!

Now, Trey is getting ready, I'm waiting for the chicken to finish and then we are headed to my hometown to eat at my Mum's house. I'm never gonna lose enough weight for this half-marathon now!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Enjoy every bite you eat today and worry about it later!!

Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken

Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings, one topped chicken breast each

What You Need
1 Tbsp. oil
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/4 cup PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Savory Honey Mustard
1 Tbsp. honey

Make It
HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 6 min. on each side or until chicken is cooked through (165°F).
MIX remaining ingredients; spoon over chicken.
COOK 2 min. or until sauce is heated through, stirring occasionally.

Serving Suggestion
Serve with hot cooked rice and steamed broccoli

See more Kraft Recipes here.

When you think you are, you aren't

Five mornings of the week, I get up and go to the gym before work. I wake up, comb my hair into some semblance of normal, put on my gym clothes and sneakers, grab my gym bag and head on my way.

My boss, the Fitness Nazi - he knows that's his name - is the picture definition of "Gym Rat." He eats right, most of the time, stares at his muscles in the mirror more often than he'll admit, knows what every muscle does and knows every exercise and what it works. In short, he'll kick your ass in the gym. Just for fun, he's learn jiu-jitsu. He enjoys pushing his body to its limit more than the normal person.

We both have corporate gym memberships and take advantage of it. Since he goes in the morning and I go in the morning, naturally, we just work out together and work the same muscle groups. Usually, I can keep up. Usually, he pushes me further than I would push myself but I always feel competitive - I have to be able to prove to him that I can do what I or he thinks I can't. I always try! Also, we both try to eat right - or as close to right as possible. We're both at work 10-12 hours a day and work 6 days of the week. Sometimes pizza's just convenient.

So when we had our company Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday, we were both giving ourselves cheating rights. He can eat more than I can anyway. He doesn't have to lose weight like I do. We had all that delicious food...and cake.

Oh, the cake. The cake, with it's delicious whipped topping, it's chocolate flakes on top. It was so tall and so beautiful and so...tasty! It was the most moist cake you've ever tasted. More so than your own wedding cake, I guarantee. It stood two feet tall almost! The cake was already sliced and ready to go in my mouth. The individual servings were huge! Really big enough for two or three people!

I'd already filled my plate and eaten every last bit. The dinner - all the food - it was perfect! I wanted seconds. But I wanted the cake more. It beckoned me.

"Trey," I begged, "Please bring me a piece of that big chocolate cake! I have to try that!"

My husband, who always comes to our holiday dinners along with everybody elses spouse, gladly got up and brought me a piece. He grabbed him some other dessert that I can't remember because this cake trumped his!

The size of the piece on the small Styrofoam plate alarmed me. I asked a few people to share it with me because I jut knew I wouldn't have enough room.

I was very wrong!

I took a bite. It was over. I took another bite, and another. Before I knew it, the whole piece was in my stomach. I thought surely I'd regret it later. Clint knew I felt bad. I think he did, too.

"Clint, I'm going to have to do some serious cardio after this cake!" I declared.

"We'll do some circuit training in the gym on Friday," he mentioned between bites, "gets some cardio in to get all this food off of us!"

Later came, I had another piece! I actually, kind of, sort of, verbally compared it to the act of procreating without the risk of actually reproducing to one work associate or two, or all...sorry, Mum!

When the day was over, I was glad to be away from that evil, sinful food. I felt like I had ruined my day in the gym, even though I had allowed myself this cheat!

The following day, I hadn't planned on going to the gym. I actually had to do the radio show for the dealership and just got up early as usual and piddled around the house until it was time to advertise for Tuscaloosa Hyundai. I came to work knowing that our collision center was going to have its Thanksgiving dinner and that none of that food was coming to us. Thank, God! That's why I was flabbergasted when Lori came in with what she called "a gift." Of course I knew it was leftovers! I had to go see! Who can turn down free food?

I walked over to where she stood to see the white bakery box before her. I didn't think good thoughts that my mother should read and I definitely did not resist the temptation that was in that box.

Inside was the glorious cake. Larger this time, yelling at me to indulge!

"Stephanie, do you want piece?" somebody asked. I can't tell you who it was - I was in a trance.

"Definitely!" There was no doubt I wanted more of it's goodness, despite the little angel on my shoulder whispering about the work I would have to do in the gym the next morning. There was a question of how big a piece I wanted. How big a piece? Ha!

"Why don't you just cut yourself a small piece and give me the box?" I was so greedy! And the cake was that good that I could have eaten the whole thing and never lived to regret it! Lori cut me a piece while laughing at the comment she must of thought was a joke, even though I was serious! It was the power of the cake!




Lori, that was not "a gift!"



In several swift moves, the square slab with it's delicious frosting was in my stomach. I felt peace - peace that lasted an hour until I had to have another piece. And I squeaked 'Oink'! Oh, the angel on my shoulder scolded me.

Yesterday morning, I paid my penance.

I woke up at 5:45 am, as usual. I brushed my teeth, combed out my hair, dressed warm for the cold weather. I was so sleepy. I really didn't want to go to the gym. Usually when I feel that way, I get motivated because I have the best workouts, but today, this morning, it was different. I felt like the cake had sucked out all my energy.

I was at the gym by 6:45 am. Lori was there, getting ready for work already. She was her normal chipper self, bobbing her red head around the locker room.

"We've still got some of that cake left, Stephanie!" She putting her make-up on in the mirror and I don't think she could see my reaction. I quickly put my eyes back in there socket before she looked up.

"Oh, Lori! Keep that away from me today! That cakes so good! I wish it was already gone!"

I put my gym bag up and walked out to the floor. Clint was already there and waiting. It was like the Fitness Nazi possessed him today.

"Circuit train?" he asked.

"Sure!" I said, ignorant.

He kicked my as for an hour. I'm not sure, I think we did 9 or 12 exercises in that hour. Weights, reps, all over exercises - ass-whoopin' as us Southerners put it. Despite the months of gym time I've spent with the Fitness Nazi, I was not in shape enough for Friday morning's workout.

I just remember sitting on the floor and thinking I see Jesus! No, I'm just dizzy...

When I got to work, barely able to move, I still had to deal with hearing about this cake. The cake that got my ass kicked. The cake that made me ache. The cake that had Tylenol for dessert. It wasn't just a small portion of the cake left either. It was a rather large slab in a large Tupperware bowl with aluminum foil on top. Everybody had a piece and raved about how good it was. I heard about it all day. Looked at it all day. I got so busy at work I didn't get to eat my lunch and in the meantime watched as my co-workers indulged in the sinful treat.

At 5:30, I couldn't take it anymore. There was only a small sliver left. I went to the small working fridge, took out the devil and said, "I'm taking my lunch!"

Food...and boys at the daycare

Tuscaloosa Hyundai had its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner today, complete with turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, sweet potatoe casserole, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, crockpot mac and cheese, a cake that was to D.I.E. for and pumpkin pie - Oh it was all so good! I was in food heaven!! My favorites were the chocolate cake and Brooke's crockpot mac and cheese.

Let me explain something: I am the only female on the sales staff. There are ten other people besides me in my department. So that's ten people with XY chromosomes. Needless to say, I feel like a maid, a mother and a sister all at the same time.

Right now, I feel like I'm a teacher in preschool after all these guys ate their lunch! They are running around pulling pranks, touching everything on my desk while I'm working, being loud and obnoxious.

I feel like I need a whistle to call everybody to order! When will the sugar from all the carbs expire so they all crash??

It's what's for supper...

Prep Time:
5 minTotal Time:
45 minMakes:
6 servings


What You Need
Take 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix
1 cup water and mix & match your recipe from these options...

• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce 3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese


• 2 tsp. chili powder 3/4 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa 3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Mexican Style Cheese


• 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves 3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers 3/4 cup ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder 3/4 cup KRAFT or BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce 3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese


Make It In Three Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and the seasoning until well blended. Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray; make an indentation in center of each with back of spoon.

SPOON add-ins evenly into indentations in meatloaves.

BAKE 30 min. or until meatloaves are cooked through (160°F). Top evenly with cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a hot baked potato and steamed seasonal vegetables.

Make Ahead: Prepare as directed. Remove from muffin cups; cool completely. Place in single layer on baking sheet; freeze until firm. Transfer to airtight container. Store in freezer up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator, then reheat in 375°F-oven for 20 min. or until heated through.

Special Extra: For a little kick, add 2 Tbsp. A.1. Original Steak Sauce to meat mixture before shaping into meatloaves.

Find more recipes here!