Ever have one of those days (and dinner parties) when nothing seems to go right?

First, I couldn't find the flippin' recipe for the onion tart. Dang! So I decided to let the grocery store take care of the appetizers. They have a new line of frozen foods called "On the Go Bistro." Main courses, appetizers, desserts. So I bought coconut shrimp, crab tarts, and chicken phyllo things for the appetizer so I wouldn't have to worry about it. We've had the coconut shrimp before, and it's as good or better than any we've ever had in a restaurant. So that was good.

Then I couldn't decide on what kind of bread to use for the bread pudding, so I decided to make a coconut cream pie instead. I had a frozen pie shell and I checked the recipe I had cut out of a magazine years ago, and "knew" I had all the ingredients except the coconut.

I had meant to go shopping around 8:00 before the crowds, but was looking for the lost recipe, so I didn't get going until around 10:00. So I get almost there, about 15 minutes from home, and realize I don't have my wallet. I had taken it out of my purse to use a credit card to buy DH a new computer online from Dell. So I had to drive all the way home again.

Then I get there and it's really crowded. And everyone thinks it's Social Day so they're stopped in the middle of the aisles, chatting. Grrrrr. I'm trying to fly through, and there are traffic jams everywhere. So then I get in line. There are 2 shoppers ahead of me. The check-out person was so slow, I was in that line for 25 minutes!

Then I get home and start the pie. I baked the shell as per directions. Except that I got distracted and it got overbaked. So then I start making the coconut cream filling. That's when I noticed that I had only cut out the first page of the directions, not the whole recipe! So I had to scrounge my other cookbooks to find a similar recipe. No luck, so I decided to improvise, combining two recipes. (Never a good start, by the way.)

I remembered to buy the coconut, but I was out of cornstarch! That's one of those staples you ALWAYS have in your kitchen. Except when your kitchen has been low-carb-friendly for the past 4 years! So I improvised. Again. I had an old box of egg custard pudding in the pantry. So I mixed the milk, the dry pudding mix, a cup of coconut, and an egg yolk. Got it to a boil and then cooled it. Tasted ok, so I thought everything was fine. Poured it into the overcooked shell and put it in the fridge. The box said it would take 4 hours to set, and that would be fine since we wouldn't be eating it until around 8:00 and it was only 1:00.

At 6:00, I realized it was never going to set, so I sent DH out to buy some ice cream. That dang pie STILL isn't set. It's going in the trash.

The appetizers were good, the Guinness stew was good, and the baking powder biscuits were good. And I was and still am exhausted from the effort. Next time we have friends over, I'm ordering out and calling it good!

Sorry for the rant. I'll be nice now.

Good morning, Pals!

I am on my way to my my MIL's house for a day of chat.

I made it to the markets yesterday and had a blast, and we are finishing up things today. You can check out what I bought per the list in my journal.

{{{{BW}}}}. It sounds like the majority of the food was supurb... and Guinness stew always sounds yummy. Sorry about the pie... I love to cook and am pretty good at it, but get me around pastries and the like... well, let's just say no one would be hiring me as a pastry chef.

Have a great protein-packed day, pals!

Paris

But Bawdy, how do you REALLY feel?
I hear you on the low carb kitchen thing. It's funny what you think you still have in the cupboard.
PS, I emailed you a Word doc on how to capture the FitDay graph.
Off to have my friend do my taxes this aft. This is also the friend I go to the beach with in Sept, so we are planning our vacation as well. (I call us Thelma and Louise. )

Hi to everyone, got to run.
Elaine

Just a hit & run Sunday HELLO!!

OFF to church now!! I will try to get back to you all later today! HAVE A GOOD ONE!!!

Thanks, Elaine. I'll forward it all to Lasert.

No, Elaine and I aren't part of a subversive plot or anything. Lasert, who posts here occasionally, sent me a PM asking about how to print the weight graph out of FitDay. There isn't any quick and easy way to do it that I could think of, so I asked Elaine, who uses FitDay a lot. She came up with a way, but it's neither quick nor easy. So now you know our little secret!

I'm off in a bit to take the dog for a nice long walk. I used to do a 4-mile walk about 4 or 5 times a week, but haven't done so on a regular basis since the summer before I broke my back. It's very hilly around here, so it's up and down and up and down. If I take it easy, it takes 60 minutes. I usually do it in around 50 minutes. My fastest time was 45, but I jogged part of the way. I've never like jogging. Tends to hurt my shin bones and lower back. So other than a few short "sprints," I just power-walk.

See you all later!

Hi, all!
Just a quick run through to see how everyone was doing. Not very hungry today. Sunday is the day I take my once-a-week Actonel and it always gives me a kind of "icky" tummy !
Weather is still gorgeous! Guess I'll go out and walk awhile. I had planned to have my new pilates DVD by now, but the request for them was so great that they were backordered and won't be shipped for another 3 days. So there's no telling when I'll actually get it! Looking for a cheap place to get some of those stretch bands. I've seen them for about $10 but just can't seem to make myself pay that much for a piece of rubber!

Hope everyone has a good day!
KAT

Good Afternoon Everyone!!!
Bawdy..ya shoulda gone with the black pudding & the bangers!!!

Well, made use of the LC bread this morning...made a ham & fried egg on toast sandwich

I'm not sure about the fitday chart, But I'v found if there's an option to 'save as" that includes RTF. go for it.

Back in a bit!

UGH!! Mr. Stomach bug came to visit last nite. Needless to say, I feel terrible!!I have managed to eat some campbells chicken noodle soup, saltines, and diet gingerale. Any suggestions on what to eat when one is sick and LCing? The usual tenants are high carb.

Bad timing anyways....I have a paper due in a week that I was gonna work on today and tommorrow.........UGH!!

Robin

good morning/afternoon.

i am in a shopping mood today. which doesn't happen very frequently at all!!! i am usually your non-typical female in that department. well, i had some coupond from l.l.bean and i decided to use them and got some new shoes!!!

and now i am looking through some catalogues and found a lined raincoat (which i have been searching for a long time now for) and am contemplating buying it.

the bf's birthday is comming up and i need to find something for him also. he has hinted at a shirt he saw at the big dog store that he wanted but didn't want to spend the money on himself for. maybe i will take a drive out there tomorrow and see what it is.

i am also curious how to capture the fitday graph. could somebody forward me those directions also. i tried messing around with it yesterday cause i wanted to post it here but with no luck. i also tried to cut and paste, or attach a excel graph here also with no luck.

have a great sunday everybody!!!

robin-- when i am sick i usually eat chicken soup w/o the noodles, and jello.

take a can of chicken broth. add celery and carrots.
take a chicken breast cut into little chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper, nuke it in the microwave till done.
add the chicken to the broth and nuke till veggies are the consistency you like (i like them crunchy). i also sometimes add 1 or 2 oz of cream cheese to make it creamy. you can also add some heavy cream.

i think if found the recipe here somewhere. i will look for you..
found it.. chicken soup recipe

hope you feel better soon!!!

Good afternoon Still struggling with my antibiodics I split the dose and while the one I took last night didn't bother me at all, the one I took this morning did. I don't have time before I leave to have it switched to something else so I guess I am stuck

Yesterday's menu:

B - 1 egg scrambled w/pico de gallo, 2.5 oz ham, atkins muffin, coffee w/H&H splenda (didn't finish the egg)

Gym - 40 minutes elliptical machine

late afternoon - 1/2 carbwise bar, 1 deviled egg

D - italian sausage cooked with bell peppers and onion

Dessert - 1/2 Klondike low carb ice cream sandwich (not bad!)

DD is not feeling well either and I am feeling bad about leaving her. She says she will be okay and I do have someone to look after her. DH bit into something hard that was hiding in his cereal this morning and really hurt his jaw...,wierd huh? I am feeling a bit doomed here about this trip. Hopefully things will look up tomorrow.

Robin - There are lots of things you can have that are low carb. You can make a soup using chicken broth, celery, a little carrot, and some cooked chicken for a noodless chicken soup or just have the broth. Low carb bread that you can toast, jello, diet 7-up or gingerale. If you need to have a few saltines that is ok too. Since your not eating much anyway you would still be ok carb wise. Hope you feel better soon

Bawdy - LOL....I like the bringing food in thing better. A lot less stressful than cooking. I have had similar experiences as well.

Elaine - Are you Thelma or Louise?

Michele - I guess I am typical because I love to shop! Over the past few years I have become...well.....high maintenance I have my nails and toes done every two weeks, my hair every 6 weeks. I am thinking about tanning at a salon to get a good base tan going and I have developed a taste for designer clothes at discount prices

to everyone!

Ellie, we must be (high-maintenance) soul sisters!With all the work coming my way, I've decided to splurge. More than I usually do, at any rate! I already alternate between getting a manicure and a polish change every week, and I'm now going to get a pedicure and a facial every 6 weeks. Why in the world do you need to get a pedicure every 2 weeks? Mine usually last 5 weeks at least without a chip, and 6 weeks if I touch up a bit.

I get a haircut every 4 weeks, but only because it's quite short and can get out of shape quickly.

Have you ever considered slowing down your workout routine when you're sick? You're really not doing your body any good by pushing it so hard when it's trying to heal itself. Why not let up a little? You'll be in better shape for your trip.

Hi, Rob! Nice almost chatting with you!

Bawdy - LOL....I get a polish change every two weeks and a spa pedicure once every few months. You are right about the exercise I just get so frustrated that everytime I get in a good faithful routine that I get sick and don't want to lose the motivation. But I will take it easy, promise

I made baked pork chops tonight and boy did they came out good! Here is the recipe:

Preheat oven to 400
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup parmasan cheese
season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder ( I didn't measure these maybe 1/2 tsp each)

Dredge pork chop in flour mixture and place on a cookie sheet or baking dish sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle a little left over flour on each chop. Bake for 20 minutes (30 if they are real thick) and enjoy !