Biggest loser challenge and another blog

Last Friday started a biggest loser contest at work. I have decided to participate. I wrote my goal as to lose 8 pounds and be able to run a 3k. But now that I have sat with this for the last three days I am upping the ante and going public. Yeah, I am scared. Isn't it easier just to not tell people so that they don't ask how it is going?

I am all excited about it now but what happens when I have one of those days? You know when the chocolate monster roars and i can't stop eating or what if I skip working out to go have fun or to actually study? If I don't tell anyone then no one will know but me and my failures will be a secret. But why am I so scared of making mistakes - of failing? Why don't I just jump, just get it out there. So that is what I am doing. I am jumping.

I am telling everyone that reads this blog that I have created another blog. I needed a way to track my food. I know it is boring to read which is why I won't put it on this blog and chose to create another blog. I have access to it at work so that should help plus every time I log into this blog I see it and it reminds me to record my food. So I have promised myself that i have to be current recording my food in order to read the blogs that I love so much. (Great motivation!)

I am also hoping to include some pictures in the other blog of the food I eat... I just have to get on that wagon. I am so not used to recording everything that I put in my mouth. It is really shocking.

So now that it is out there, feel free to ask, to check the blog or just to check back in 8 weeks. It ends the Friday before memorial day or the week after I visit Utah for those of you wondering and there is $150 at stake... so maybe a new outfit or massage would be in store.

For those of you who want to join me feel free. Post your goals for the next 8 weeks and then email me each Friday letting me know or just report to someone. I have to report my weight loss each Friday and I think that accountability will keep me on track.

In the good news for today, my work had a fun outing to the Phillies Spring Training. I did not watch much of the game. Why? Because I decided it would be the perfect chance to walk laps around the whole baseball park. I took a couple of breaks to socialize with those that I work with but I never sat down once at the game. Isn't that crazy? I also did not give in to any temptation of hot dog, beer, funnel cake or Cotton candy. All I had was a grilled chicken sandwich and water. And my work had provided me with a $15 voucher for food.... Yes I am slapping myself on the back but you know what I think I deserve it. I looked like a fool for two hours walking in circles and I had so many co workers comment on me walking. It was somewhat embarrassing but I survived.

I will survive anything that the next eight weeks gives me. Bring it on!

Quick and Healthy Pasta Carbonara

Bruce and I tried a new recipe on Friday night. This was super easy after a long day/week of work and it was delicious. I found it in the clean eating magazine but adapted it to fit our needs.

Quick and Healthy Pasta Carbonara (feeds 2)
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
6 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta
1 1/2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (next time I will use less pasta and more veggies)
1 large egg
1/4 cup sharp white cheese
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Put water on to boil (use a large pan and remember to leave room for pasta and vegetables). After cutting the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, I seasoned with pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning. In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, cook chicken, stirring occasionally until browned and cooked through (about 4 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl (all the other ingredients will go into this) and set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions. Stir in vegetables 2 minutes before pasta is al dente (or done - since Bruce likes his pasta soft we cooked the pasta a little longer then added the veggies.)

While pasta is cooking, add egg, cheese, garlic and any extra seasoning to the chicken and mix well.

When pasta and vegetables are done cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta. Immediately add pasta to chicken and stir well. Add pasta water to reach desired consistency. I only added about a tablespoon but this could be that we cooked our pasta longer. Serve immediately.

Serving size 1 1/2 cups with only 410 calories.

I will probably add this to my crazy weeks at work when I am working late or when I have late workouts with my trainer. It was super easy and didn't dirty too many dishes. Next time I am hoping to take a picture for you.

Ten minutes with AT&T executives

My hard working husband did make it home last night from Miami. The business went excellent down there and although he is tired he is excited to see how well business is going. But the best news is that in a week and a half gets 10 minutes with AT&T executives. There is a conference in Las Vegas that he will be going to from March 31st to April 3rd and about a month ago found an application to spend 10 minutes with AT&T executives. He spent the time filling it out knowing it was a great opportunity. Well his time and energy were well spent because he found out that he got in. Here is the letter he received. I am so proud of him!

Dear Fast-Pitch Registrant,

Thank you for entering the AT&T Fast-Pitch Platinum Awards at CTIA Wireless 2009. Your entry has successfully passed the first round of review and you have been chosen to participate in the in-person Enterprise Fast-Pitch. This will be the semi-final and final round of reviews for the Enterprise Fast-Pitch Platinum Awards. In this email you will find all the information about your session. Please follow these guidelines to help ensure your best possible Fast-Pitch!

Your FastPitch Session has been scheduled for:

Day: Thursday, April 2, 2009
Time: ***omitted so no one else can steal it

Please come to the AT&T Meeting Room at least 15 minutes early to make sure you have everything in order and we start on time. Remember- you have only 10 minutes to pitch your application!

Guidelines for the FastPitch include:
You have 10 minutes for your entire session, so practice your actual pitch and keep it to 3 minutes.
Arrive with 1 completed copy of the attached Interview Form.
Have your application running on a mobile device so that we can see it in action.

Your FastPitch session will be segmented as follows:
The first 3 minutes will be spent reviewing the demo and collecting basic data (application type, vertical/horizontal targets, platforms and devices). (This will go faster with your Interview Form pre-filled.)
The second 3 minutes will be focused on collecting data about the current and projected demand for the application.
The third 3 minutes of questioning will be about ease of integration with AT&T systems.

Keep in mind that your application will be reviewed on a number of criteria, including but not limited to:
Market penetration and appeal
Vertical and horizontal market targets
Devices and platforms supported Ease of integration with AT&T systems


AT&T is a huge company and this opportunity means a lot for him and his business (winners get $5,000 cash and AT&T's approval to do business with their retailers). I know he is nervous about the presentation but I have great faith in him and I know he will do great! Congratulations Mr. Burke!

Lá ’le Pádrai

That is Irish for Happy St. Patrick's day. So the grasshopper did not turn out nearly as good as my aunts. So now I am on a hunt for a different recipe. I think she uses cream cheese in hers to make it thick and creamy - two things that my pie were missing. Maybe since Bruce is leaving tomorrow I will make another pie and take it to work...

In the meantime, have a safe and happy green day!

Marketing and Spring break

I finished Marketing today. I got a 90% on the test but that is only 50% of the final grade. The other 50% is a 5 page paper that I had to write and it won't be graded till at least next week.

But the best thing about being done with my Marketing test is that now I have officially started my first Spring Break! One week with no school! What shall I do with myself?

Well for starters I have to buy a new cell phone because on Wednesday night I put my water bottle in my purse without the lid being on all the way and I had a water explosion which has caused my phone to have issues - I can't hear you but you can hear me - talk about a one sided conversation!

I also want to try making a Grasshopper pie. My aunt Barbara makes the best Grasshopper pie and even though she won't give me her secret yummy recipe I found one online that looks good and semi easy. If it turns out of course I will blog about it.

I plan on working out. I plan on spending some quality time with my husband, cat and the outdoors. I will get to know a clean house and reorganize paperwork. I get to file taxes.

At work this week I officially start taking over two Outback's in Hong Kong. Thankfully I don't have to learn the language but it is very different to do accounting for international companies so I have a lot to learn over the next couple of months. I am also losing two of my store's that I do now... I know whatever one's I am losing I am going to miss them.

Bruce is headed to Miami later this week. So overall I guess my week of no homework is turning into a pretty busy week. I am off to do errands with Bruce. Have a great Saturday!

New Car Smell

We did it! We bought a Toyota Avalon! We decided it was time to move up a step and get rid of the 1997 Mercury Cougar (Bruce's car). So we have been browsing for the past month. Last Sunday while on a drive enjoying the beautiful sunny weather we stopped at the same dealership that we bought the Hyundai. In the very back row after looking at many was a silver 2003 Toyota Avalon. It was pretty enough that we took it for a test drive and then came the negotiations. Four days of negotiations and working the deal. My husband did great. He got us a great deal! See how proud he is of our new car...

So I met him at the car dealership today after work to sign all the papers and close the deal. 3 hours later we drove off the lot. Look how happy he is.
It is Silver with a gray interior, leather seats and dual air control. Spoiled!

Last picture of the back - just had to be sure you get all the views.

We had a great experience with Autoway Toyota and loved our salesman- Frank Schwartz. He was smart enough to remove the license plate from the old car and put it on the new one before he took it in to be washed - that way it was as clean as the new car. Plus he was patient and really worked the deal. Thank you Frank, Jose and the rest of the Autoway Toyota team.

Happy Saturday!

So I am up early to drink some coffee, take a shower and head over to school. I can actually blog this morning because I finished my homework yesterday and I don't have a test today.

I thought I would pat myself on the back and recap how my first semester is going. First of all my prerequisites which are the basics of the business concepts (what is taught all semester in undergraduate level) are what I go to each Saturday. Some classes are three weeks some are two but below are the classes completed and the grades:
Economics 95%
Accounting - Financial 99%, Managerial 95%
Finance 90%
Management 90%
Marketing - TBD next Saturday
Overall I will take the 90's knowing that I only had to get 70% to pass and I am doing my best when I have to read whole books in two weeks.

With my Wednesday night class, Stats, I have only had one test so far but I did get a 98% and the test was when I was really sick in February so I am very happy. I have one more project and another test before the final so I will be very busy in the next month and a half but the light is already at the end of the tunnel.

What have I learned in going back to school?
1. Homework is NOT easier. I would rather be doing 10 million other things than homework.
2. It is amazing how many friends you can get when you are all in the same class.
3. I did learn and retain a lot of information at my time at USU.
4. I really enjoy learning new things.
5. There is a great feeling of accomplishment when you do your best and the grade reflects it.

I am sure there is more but for now that is all that is coming to my mind.

Today will be a high of 80 and tomorrow 83 so I am hoping to spend most of my time outside tomorrow. I am so happy it is great weather and our Spring is here. Time to clean up the patios and get all ready for the long hot summer.

Have a great Saturday!

Country Bob's All purpose sauce

A while back I was offered two free bottles of Country Bob's All purpose sauce if I would review it on my blog. I accepted the challenge and it arrived the week of Valentine's....or the week of being deathly sick. So of course I didn't cook but now that we are back on track I can finally give my review of this yummy sauce.

The first thing I tried it on was steak. I have never been a fan of A-1 because it is too much vinegar for me but I really enjoyed the seasonings in Country Bob's sauce. It added a really nice kick to my rib eye. So then I tried it on my hamburger - also good and something I would do again. Since it won both trials, I thought I would put it to the final test. Would it be able to finally help me make a turkey meatloaf that was as good as the real meatloaf? Bruce and I love meatloaf but regular meatloaf made with beef and sausage is a little too much fat for us (and his heart). We have tried so many turkey meatloaf recipes and they usually end up dry. The last time we did find an ok recipe but it needed an extra kick so I decided to see if Country Bob's sauce would be the kick that made it a touch down.

Turkey Meatloaf

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 medium onions)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves ( 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons Country Bob's All purpose sauce

3/4 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste ( I used other tomato paste to make shepherds pie!)

4 pounds ground turkey breast ( I used a little less)

1 1/2 coups plain dry bread crumbs

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup ketchup

4 tablespoons Country Bob's All purpose sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, appr. 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Country Bob's All purpose sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature. (I put the onion mixture in a bowl in the freezer to cool it quickly).

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Mix the ketchup and Country Bob's All purpose sauce and spread evenly on top of loaf. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through.

Helpful tip: A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.

Serve hot and enjoy leftovers in a sandwich!

This was so yummy, moist and the seasoning was perfect! I will definitely be making this again. One of the best things about making this was that I used the same saute pan to turn around and make shepherd's pie as well. This means dinner for tonight is already complete and most of the dishes are done as well! I love making two dinners on top of each other when I have the time. For some reason it doesn't seem like I have that much more work but it is nice to know that I can get out the shepherd's pie and put it in the oven and 30 minutes later we will have dinner.
Prep time for both dinners 1 hour - time to relax on Sunday night after work priceless!

Valentine's and sick sick sick!

I pretty much missed Valentine's day and February for blogging. My valentine's day was interesting because I got up early to go to class only to get all the way down to St. Pete and learn that class was cancelled. So I headed home and went with the husband to visit his mom. It was a really fantastic visit. I hadn't seen her in a month (busy with school and work) so it was nice to catch up. Then we headed home and I took my Finance test. I PASSED FINANCE! Which means all my number classes on Saturday's are done and it is all on to theory and just reading a lot. The last two weeks have been Management. I took my test yesterday but don't know my score yet so I will blog that later.
My husband cooked me a beautiful valentine's ribeye roast. It was heaven. We even lit candles and ate at the table to enjoy it. Romantic! I just feel sad that I don't have a picture to share!
But I was so run down that I don't think I was thinking clearly and by the next night I knew I was coming down with a bug. On Monday the 16th I had the day off for presidents day and I had planned on doing tons of studying but I woke up sick sick sick. High fever, sore throat, coughing....so I studied some and slept a lot! I was so sick that I ended up taking my first sick day from OSI. That isn't so bad because I have worked there two years. Even the hubby said he had never seen me so sick. So on Tuesday I slept a lot and tried to do everything in my power to get over being sick. On Wednesday, I went to work because my fever was down and even though I wasn't feeling tons better I was not going to be bored at home anymore. There are only so many soap operas you can watch. Although I was so worn out by Wednesday afternoon that I left work at 3 so that I could relax before my class on Wednesday night. I had a huge test in Stats class that night. I went with a nose that would not stop running, a fever and a cough. I was miserable. I was so happy when I was done with it.
On Thursday I woke up still feeling aweful but when I walked out to the living room it was my husband that concerned me for he was wrapped up in a blanket and starting to get sick. That was enough for me. I called the doctor and we both went. Both of us had fever's and we both got on antibiotics. The next day I could tell a difference and although my cough is still hanging around at least I have my energy back. Bruce didn't get as sick as I did but he just recently got his energy back. He still is coughing but we will deal with it.
So the other half of February flew by with the focus on getting our health back and catching up at work and school. I am so happy that March is here! Warmer weather is on its way.

Happy Birthday Kym!

On Sunday, February 15th, Bruce and I went to Pat's house to have a fun day of celebrating. It was Kym's birthday and Lisa had made her a beautiful cake. It was a great day even if I starting feeling not so hot this day.