day 30

Saturday the 30th of October was the last day of my quest.  It was a long road but I made it.  It feels good that I stuck to it this long.  I think that I can however keep up most of my quest.

The dog I can say benefited from this experience.  I am happy to report that he had no accidents the entire time of the quest.  This is amazing to me.  I think the dog really enjoyed the time we spent together.  It was kind of a way for me to get away from the house as well.

With the exercise I am proud to say that I lost about five pounds.  I think this number would have been higher if the work out time was increased to 30 min.  I will probably increase my workout time to this now that my body is used to doing 15 min.

My family seems closer as well.  Our family dinners are kind of a thing that I looked forward to at the end of the day.  It was a time to vent to my husband and share the days events.  It was also noticed that we need more time together.  We now plan to add a date night one day a month to go out, just us two.  It should be fun and a great way to reconnect.

day 29

I would say that tonight's dinner was the best out of all the meals I have made this month.  It is interesting that something so simple and inexpensive.  Cream style corn, ground beef, and tator tots make the famous tator tot casserole.  I was just the right temperature and everything.  Let me tell you it was yummy.

I am very excited about tomorrow being the last day of my quest.  It was fun, well sort of.  I enjoyed all of the meals that I had with my family.  On the other hand I didn't like the amount of work it took on my part.  I don't know if it is because all the working out or the amount of things I added to my day but I have been extra tired lately.  I think it will be a great to have a break for awhile.

Tomorrow is the last day.  I plan on walking the dog first.  I am kind glad that this quest is coming to an end because of the dog walking.  It is getting colder and colder outside.  Next I will do my sit ups.  I think that I will continue the sit ups beyond the quests end.

October 28th- day 28

It is coming to the end.  Only two days left.  I had the best dinner by far.  It was crab legs.  They were so good.  It was almost as good as Red Lobster.  It was however on the pricey about fifteen dollars to be exact.

The cake I made last night for dessert was also delicious.  It was leftovers from my mom's birthday.  We work together and I made a cake for her yesterday and woke up early today to frost it.  I am actually it turned out so well.  The box cake I had called for three eggs and I only had two.  It didn't seem to affect the outcome.

For dinner tomorrow I am making a old family favorite, tator tot casserole.  It will be the last dinner in my quest however I think I will keep it up.  I plan on making a menu for next month as well.  I probably wont take part of my sister's advise.  Trying new things are not as important to me.  I was really disappointed in most of the "new" recipes I tried.  I think I should stick with what is easy and comfortable.

days 26 and 27

The 26th day was not a roast beef day as I had planned.  I didn't get a roast when I went shopping so we made some good ole grilled cheese.  I love grilled cheese.  It is only at its best with some ketchup on the side.  Plus it has to have two slices of cheese.  It makes the sandwich just the right texture.

Working out was hard yesterday and today.  I have been run ragged at work and sore from all the heavy patients on our floor.  Today I think was the most strenuous.  I got done with my workout and I was shaky.  I hope tomorrow will be a little more relaxed.

It was very cold walking the dog.  I started out the dog with just a jacket on.  When the dog and I got out into the wind I quickly had to turn back for my coat.  It was still cold with the wind working against us.  I am glad however that there is no "s" word yet.  I am looking forward to Christmas but not the "s" word that comes with it.

days 23-25

Well this is the last week.  I am going to backtrack a little and tell you about Saturday, Sunday, and today.  Saturday was a work day for me.  So I did my work out at home and tried a new thing in my lunch.  It was a Special K fruit crisp.  A friend of mine from work suggested it to me.  It is weird but it tastes similar to a pop tart.  My husband overheard me telling someone about it tasting like a pop tart and of course they are gone now.  I have not been buying as much junk food and I think he is having some cravings.

Sunday I had to pack a pop in my lunch.  On the weekends I work evenings so I am not used to working that late.  The pop was to keep me up.  I was so tired Saturday night that I had to call my sister on the way home to keep me up.  I also kept my lunch simple.  I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and carrots.

I was a very lazy day today.  I did my sit ups and went shopping.  At night I made my quesadillas.  They were really good.  I do believe that I am going to pack a couple for lunch tomorrow.  Well I don't know because I looks like there will not be any left.

day 22

I am so glad to finally have a good meal for dinner.  I took meatloaf over to Tristons stepmother's house.  It was very good.  I think that not having to work today made it an even better day.  I have been working hard on my research essay and I went to the library.  I was thinking I could check out some books for some resources and of course it was closed so I will go tomorrow.  I am really surprised how much information I have found on the importance of family dinners.

The meatloaf was good but it seemed a little runny.  I think it is due to it being prepared at 10am and cooked at 6pm.  I think that the bread in the meatloaf got too soggy.  I think that it was the first time that I made a regular meatloaf.  The last time I made meatloaf I didn't use beef.  Instead of beef I used ground turkey.  Now if you want to eat healthy and have a yummy meal this would be recipe to find and make.

The dog was actually pretty good today.  On the walk he wasn't trying to break my arm off with the leash.  It seems like normally he is either trying to get to a dog, a squirrel, or another person.  I can just imagine the pain.  It is like someone yanking on your arm.  After our walk he didn't sneak out of the fenced in yard like he normally does. So he got his doggy treat today (he doesn't usually get one).

day 21

I was very wrong about thinking the chicken chow mien was going to be good.  All I could taste was garlic.  I was so gross that I started to gag and almost threw up.  I was wondering why the recipe called for 2 garlic cloves.  It seemed like a lot to me, and I was right.  Triston didn't like it either.  He made the funniest face.  Lucas on the other hand loved it or so I thought.  When he walked over to me for more he handed me the chicken I thought he ate.

I am so glad that I made fried rice as well.  It was good but not as good as a restaurant.  I found a packet of seasoning when I went grocery shopping that matched the taste I was looking for.  So for dinner we pretty much ate rice.  It did not really fill me up so I ate some other stuff I had in the cupboard.  I least I tried, right?

Tomorrow is the day we take dinner to Nana's house.  I am making meatloaf and I am really hoping to have a good dinner for a change.  I am not to thrilled with the last two dinners but I wont let it bring me down.  I will finish my quest and do these things beyond the month (I hope anyway).

day 20

After working and working out I had to run to the store to pick up groceries.  It was not fun finding out when I got home that the chicken chow mien I planned for tonight's meal was supposed to be in the slow cooker for 8 1/2 hours.  I quickly decided to make it a salmon night.  I wasn't too excited for that because I am not a big fish fan.  The only reason why I decided to put it on the list is because I thought maybe if I tried a nicely cooked fish instead of fish fingers, or something like that, I might want to eat it every once in a while.

While making the fish I also realized that the recipe wanted me to broil the salmon.  I called my mom because I had never done that before.  She said, "Just bake the fish and put tin foil around it."  So I did as she instructed and when I checked on the fish it looked raw.  I poked it with a knife and the piece just fell off.  It was like cutting through butter, smooth.

So before I tried the salmon I gave some to my son (I know I am mean).  He promptly spit it out by making a face and sticking out his tongue.  Even after seeing this I figured I might as well try it.  The first bite was gross.  Also the second, third and so on till I finished my piece.  I know your thinking, "Why didn't you stop eating it"?  I will tell you, it is because I didn't want to waste it.  The salmon cost me $10 so I was trying to get my moneys worth.  I  think, no I know that tomorrows chicken chow mien will be a lot better!

day 19- 10/19

It was another day of ordering out at work today.  I had to just start telling people not to ask me when they were ordering food for fear of my temptation.  My coworkers ordered Jason's Deli and I am so glad I am doing this quest because it would have cost me around 10 bucks just for lunch. It is already day 19 and I have yet to buy anything down it the cafeteria at work as well.  I think that by the end of this month I wont even have a impulse to just run downstairs for a bite to eat and just naturally pack a lunch every day.

When I was preparing pork chops tonight I realized something.  Letting my son smash all those crackers last night was a bad idea.  Of course the way I make pork chops is making a breading on the outside before cooking them.  And what is that breading made of you ask... crackers and eggs.  So I had to improvise.  I look in my cupboard.  There was nothing and then I thought "Oh yeah.  I have oatmeal that might work."  So I did my chops exactly the same way I always do (minus the crackers and adding the oatmeal).  They weren't bad but the chops weren't the greatest either.  I think they would have tasted better as well if I had remembered to buy some apple sauce.  I guess I am not doing so well with my organization.

Towards the end of the day was the dog walk.  It was kind of peaceful just the dog and I.  We decided (or should I say I decided) to go a little farther today.  I think the dog is just as out of shape as I am.  He was very tired by the end panting and trying to sit down along the way home.  I think I will just stick with the short trip tomorrow.

day 18- 10/18

I had to work early today so I decided that today was a good chili day.  I knew that I would be tired after work.  Preparing a meal the night before and having it cook in the crock pot all day sounded good to me.  I think that it also worked out well with the weather as well.  It has been to chilly outside for me anyway.  Like I said in one of my earlier blogs "I am not looking forward to winter."

For my lunch today I brought leftovers from the night before.  Spaghetti bake of course.  I know you all are probably sick of hearing about it.  You will be surprised that it is just as good warmed up the next day.  I think that I will bring some of the chili I made today for lunch tomorrow.

Today's chili was made with a half a pound of browned ground beef, chili powder, canned kidney beans, canned diced tomatoes, half an onion, water and my secret ingredient sugar.  It was very good.  My son on the other hand did not like it.  He mostly ate the crackers I had with it and equally crushed them and threw them on the floor.  He ended up getting some meatballs as well.  I don't think that he liked that he had to wait for the chili to cool down.

10/16-10/17 days 16 and 17

Yesterday was spent at my parent's house so the dog didn't get walked till I got home.  I could not believe how cold it was outside last night.  I was wearing a sweater along with a winter coat and was still shivering.  When the dog and I got back I made sure that I had the ingredients for Monday and Tuesdays meals. 

I am kind of ashamed to admit this but here it goes.  I made the spaghetti bake again.  It was so good the other night and of course there we no leftovers to sooth my craving so I had to make it.  I think now I am kind of sick of it though so it must have hit the spot. 

After the spaghetti bake I started to prep the chili for tomorrow by browning the meat and mixing ingredients.  I then stuck it in the fridge ready to put in before work.  I think it should be pretty good.  My husband always complains that my chili isn't spicy enough so I put a little bit more chili powder in it.  I also decided to add less tomatoes then I normally do (my husbands hates tomatoes too).  Hopefully there wont be any complaints.

day 14-15

As you may have noticed I have been missing a few blogs lately.  I have been a busy lady.  After going to my sister's house to exercise I became very tired and decided to take a little nap.  I didn't wake up until 6pm and the tuna noodle casserole that I made that night took a hour to cook not including a prep time of 20 min (or however long it took me to cook the noodles).  Of course by the time we all ate and everything I was ready for bed and so was my crabby son.

The next day, day 15, Is the day that we go to my husband's step mom's house.  So I was rushed this day also.  Again after working out I came home.  After doing all the prep work for the spaghetti bake I brought it over to Candi's house (my husband's step mom).  Then we stayed the night there.

The tuna noodle casserole was good.  It is a recipe my mom used when I was growing up.  Although it takes about a hour and 20 min there are only 4 ingredients.  These ingredients include tuna, egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, and frozen peas.  The spaghetti bake I got out of the Betty Crocker cooking book.  It was really good.  In fact I think I will make this again very soon.

day 13

I was so tired when I came home from working out that I had to take a nap.  I woke up a little late so I had to rush to make supper in time for Triston to try it before work.  It was another recipe from Betty Crocker.  Oven fried chicken (to Betty Crocker) consists of paprika, flour, salt, and pepper.  It was actually very simple to make.

Although the recipe was easy to make and follow I probably wont make it again.  It wasn't that it was gross or anything but it was kind of bland and boring.  I asked my husband, "How is it"?  He answered, "It is dry."  I agreed with him on this.  Not only was it dry the only taste was on the outside of the chicken.

I think our son had other thoughts of the chicken.  I decided not to feed it to him because I didn't think he would eat it and made him a grilled cheese.  When I got my plate ready and started eating he ran over to me licking his lips.  It was so funny except for the fact that he started grabbing at my food.  He probably ate about four bites then saw that I also made peas.  His favorite vegetable is peas.  He promptly began to take handfuls of them off my plate.  If he wasn't my son I would have probably freaked out.

day 12- 10/12

Pork roast was yummy for dinner.  I made it in the crock pot with some carrots and cut up potatoes.  There was a lot left over so I packed it for mine and Lucas's lunch tomorrow.  My workout today didn't seem as challenging as it usually does.  I must be getting used to it.
On Friday I am going to use my sister Angie's advise and try some new recipes.   I have spaghetti bake on the menu this day.  I have had spaghetti bake before but never made it or had it at home growing up.  If my mom every made spaghetti it was boiled noodles.  I am going to bring it to my mother-in-laws and her kids will eat anything so I am not worried about it getting eaten if I don't like it.
Tomorrow is a oven fried chicken night.  This recipe is also one I haven't tried before.  I figure if it doesn't turn out I can always cook up some mac and cheese.  Its hard to mess that up.  But seriously I am surprised that it is starting to look like I can actually cook.  I think it is just that I don't want to stand and wait for it to get done.

10/10-10/11 days ten and eleven

I was a boring evening at work last night.  I packed a pretty boring lunch to go along with it.  A classic peanut butter and jelly, Doritos and carrots with broccoli (green giant frozen thing).  I also decided to bring some cheese its to snack on threw out the night.  I was popping them in my mouth counting down the hours till I was off work.
Earlier that day I cleaned the house.  I snuck in my workout and sit ups during this time.  It was exhausting to say the least.  Walking the dog was not as bad as the cleaning but I had no motivation to do it either.  I was glad though that it was an easy day at work. 
Today was a nice change.  Very calm the worst thing though was the dinner I cooked.  It was taco night and for some reason I thought they had no taste.  I think it is because I used a different soft shell then normal.  The one I picked up was an off brand.  Sometimes I think it is better just to pay a little extra for a product to make it right.

10/8-10/9 day eight and nine

Herb crushed pork loin was good last night but a little garlicky.  I got the recipe from Betty Crocker.  It was simple to prepare but had weird cooking instructions.  Cook this long with foil then take the foil off this long then back on.  It was a little ridiculous.  Today I went to work at 3pm.  I packed my supper and I ended up getting sent home early so I ate my food on the way out.  Because I worked today I decided to workout at home.  I work tomorrow also so I will probably do another workout video tomorrow as well.

day 7- 10/7

Today for lunch I packed sweet and sour chicken made by healthy choice known as a fresh mixer.  It was really good but it didn't really fill me up.  It was almost like I should have packed two of them to satisfy my hunger. Later, supper did not start out that great.  First my husband picked up the wrong kind of shrimp.  Instead of plain shrimp he picked up popcorn shrimp.  So I just cooked them separate from the fettuccine Alfredo.  Thankfully in the end it tasted pretty good.  I think tomorrow will be a better day because it is my day off.

Day 6- 10/6

Today I had to wake up early.  I ended up taking the dog on a walk after work and exercising.  It was grilled chicken night at the Barnett house.  I am not good at grilling so I decided to make the chicken on my George Forman grill.  In my post yesterday I stated that I wasn't really looking forward to the chicken.  This came true even up to eating the poultry.  Although it tasted good I wasn't about to ask for seconds.  I think that I am not a fan of meats and poultry's unless they are a part of a casserole and or other dish.  I think that tomorrow's dinner will be much better.  Shrimp Alfredo Thursday... I like the sound of that.

day 5: 10/5

Going to work and knowing that homemade pizza was on the menu for supper got me through the day.  You all may be used to frozen pizza but let me say homemade is worth the extra work.  First you can make the crust as thick or as thin as you want.  I prefer a little crust on my pizza.  Then you can control what kind of toppings and how many of those toppings you want.  I am just a cheesy kind of girl but sometimes will put a little bit of pepperoni on it.  Lastly the sauce selection and how much sauce.  I like to put just a thin layer of sauce on my pizza.  Triston, my husband, is also a fan of the pizza.  He is not as picky about his pizza.  Just say its pizza and he will eat it.  Tomorrow is grilled chicken night and although it doesn't sound very good now I think it will be a hit.

10/3 and 10/4- Days 3 and 4

Well yesterday was much like the day before without anything big going on.  Today on the other hand was a little different.  I could not wake up to walk the dog in the morning.  I don't really know why I went to bed the night before just fine.  So waking up a little late I quick packed my lunch and went to work.  After work and exercising I took the dog for his walk.  This was a disaster!  My husband had to go to work early so I took our 15 month old with me.  In the beginning of the walk they were both fine.  Then we walked by the first dog on the block.  Not only did the my dog try to break my arm off trying to get to the other dog my son also wanted to see the dog and was trying to run towards it.  This event happened about six or seven times.  I was not aware there were that many dogs in my neighborhood.  When we got back I made myself a meatball sandwich and spaghetti for my son.  It was good even though my husband wasn't there to enjoy it with me.  I did however save him a sandwich and hope he likes it as much as I did and, as you can see in the attached photo, my son too.

Day 2 10/2

Today was a relaxing day.  I didn't have to work so it was nice.  As for my quest the only thing that was done today is my sit ups and walking the dog.  During my daily sit ups was quite an entertainment.  My son was trying to beat up his uncle Drew with a pink brush.  It was really funny mostly because Drew was screaming like a teenage girl.  Walking the dog wasn't as eventful.  Just really cold outside not looking forward to winter.

Day one 10/1

Today is the first day of the month long journey.  I had a hard time waking up early this morning.  In order to get the dog walked before work I set my alarm for 5:30am.  Then at I set it again at 5:40am, 6am, and I finally woke up at 6:15am.  When I got back I packed my lunch and went to work.  Not getting a lunch elsewhere became a challenge at work today.  Everyone ordered Jimmy Johns  and all I could think about was a slim 3 with chips and a cookie.  YUM!!  You will all be proud though I didn't give in.  The dish I chose for dinner was lasagna.  I got the recipe from the HyVee advertisement for the season.  It included ground turkey, zucchini, yellow squash, pasta sauce, lasagna noodles, and a red bell pepper.  "This is better than I expected,"  said my brother-in-law Drew.  I agreed it was pretty awesome.