Monday, July 16, 2012

Chaotic

As I write this, I have less than 6 hours before a cab picks me up to bring me to the airport.  I'm going on a trip to visit my family.  There's still so much I have to do!  Here's a quick update on what's been going on.

Salmon dinner was a flop.  Threw that out and made the monte cristo crescent sandwiches again.



I made this ranch potato dinner recipe (below)...yummy.  I used sour cream instead of mayo and the consistency of the sauce isn't all that appealing, but it tasted good.  Didn't have corn flakes for the top, so I dug out a cup or two from the Raisin Bran box.  :)  Recipe also called for 5 red potatoes, but they had huge gashes in them at Kroger.  I opted for a small package of baby red potatoes and it worked out just fine.



Ranch Potatoes

5 red potatoes
Butter or cooking spray
2 packages Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk ranch (ingredients needed milk and mayo or sour cream)
8 oz. Cheddar cheese
2 cups Corn Flakes
2 tablespoons butter

Make ahead: 2 packages Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk ranch, follow directions.

Boil and drain potatoes.  Put on low heat for 5 minutes to remove water. Cool in 9 x 13 pan.
Butter pan, cube but don't peel the potatoes.  Pour dressing over potatoes.  Sprinkle with 8oz. cheddar cheese.  Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter.  Combine melted butter with 2 cups Corn Flakes.  Spread over potatoes.
Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Hiatus Explained

It's been over two weeks since I last posted.  I have fallen back into my old habits of eating poorly.  I've had Carnation Instant Breakfast just about every morning even though I was wanting to cut down on it.  I need to stop buying it and get into the habit of making breakfast in the morning.  The last two weeks of my online JavaScript class really wore me down and stressed me out.  On top of that, I adopted two kittens somewhat on the spur of the moment.

My husband and I have, for some time now, been wanting to adopt two kittens.  Why two?  I have an 8 year old cat, Shadow, who doesn't like other animals.  She has had kittens in the past so I thought she might like them better than an older cat.  I always feel terrible about leaving Shadow alone and thought she would eventually get used to the kittens and they could keep each other company.  We wanted two kittens just in case Shadow didn't get along with them so that they would keep each other company.

My vehicle registration and plates expired at the end of June.  I was out running errands after getting my vehicle safety inspection sticker.  I wanted to get a public library card and went to the nearest branch.  (Off on a tangent, I really miss the Palatine Public Library and Schaumburg Library from back in Illinois.  The branches out here do not compare.  There are too many branches and they are all very small.  They are closed on Sundays and they mentioned they will be closed on another day starting this month.)  Just outside of that library was a Petco.  Every time I'm near a Petco or a Petsmart, I have to check to see if they have kittens for adoption.  Before I found the adoption center, I wandered around the store and saw 3 people who had kittens in boxes!  Once I found the adoption place there were two kittens, two brothers.  I find out they are having a kitty-palooza...one kitten for $25 or two for $40!  Petsmart wanted $100 per cat!  This was too good of a deal to pass up.  The lady set up gates surrounding the adoption area and let me play with the kittens.  I was so torn between getting them or not...I was there for over an hour!  We had nothing prepared at home, but they were too cute and it was such a great deal.  I got them!  Meet Thor and Loki!


It's been about two weeks since we got them.  We kept them and Shadow separated for the most part during the first week.  Except at night, the kitties and Shadow now have free range of the whole apartment.  At first, Shadow was reluctant to leave my bedroom (where we have her food, water and litter since she spends most of the day sleeping on the bed or on our dresser anyway).  She hisses at the kittens when they get too close but they all sleep on my bed now during the day.  Shadow shows an interest in the kitties, but likes to observe them from a distance.  It's a good sign that she will get used to them.  I don't know if she'll ever be cuddle buds with the kittens, but I can hope!  They will at least keep each other occupied!

When we first got them, Loki was the friendly one and Thor was scared of us.  Now, Thor is my new shadow, so loving and very vocal.  Loki is still loving, but not as much as Thor is.  Loki is scared of the brightly colored cat toy I got for them (string on a stick) and Thor attacks that thing and never stops.  Thor does this weird meow and sometimes it sounds like he is a creaky door.  He also snores!  See the videos below!


I need to get back on track with eating healthier and preparing meals.  It's not going to be easy considering I am taking a two week vacation to visit my family soon (so yes, expect another two week hiatus!).  I'm excited but nervous about flying.

If you want to see what I've been eating, follow MyFitnessPal food diary.  I usually struggle to meet the full 1200+ calories each day and I always go over on my sugar intake.  Nothing new there I guess!