Chop, Chop, Chop

So, this will be my last follow up post on the July menu.  After today, I will be posting recipes and giving reviews.

This is a time saver, not necessarily a money saver.  However, when you buy a bag of carrots, in my house anyway, if they are not chopped up and frozen, then half of them get tossed after a few weeks.  Now, this wouldn't be a problem if I composted, but right now I don't.

So, in order to save myself some prep time, I chop up my veggies and freeze them.  Check out this video of how and why I do this.

Have a good one!
~Sherie~

Buying in Bulk, Saving Money

Here is a follow up post to yesterday's video blog.  We buy in bulk to save money.  Then, we come home and split up the meat into smaller packages.

Check out the video to see how we do it. 

Have a Great day!
~Sherie~

Menu Planning

This week's theme is........

MENU PLANNING

I have not been much of a menu planner lately.  We have been eating out 2-3 or more times every week.  Well, in order to become millionaire's we cannot do that.

Plus, my weight loss goal is shot at the moment, because of course I love all of the fattening foods at the restaurants, and not any of the skinny foods.  UGH!

So, in order to help take some of the burden off of me this month, I have developed a menu for every single night of the month.  Then, I will take some of the leftovers to work for lunch with me the next day. 

Most everything I will be making is gluten free, or I am making it as close to gluten free as I can.  Noodles will be gluten free noodles (except egg noodles, and I am not sure if they are gluten free or not.  I'm thinking not, since it doesn't state it on the package.  I have not looked at the ingredients, so am not for sure.)

Here is the menu:

I do not know why the menu is sideways....... Computers............

So, without further ado, here is my menu planning video. 

Let me know what you think!  And please subscribe to my youtube channel.

~Sherie~

Weigh in Day

Not much to say today except, I am down 2.2 pounds!!!!!!!  My goal was 2.5 pounds, so I am calling it a WIN for this week!

47 more pounds to go!  I can do this!!!!!

JAWS

No,  I am not talking about sharks.  I am talking about this photo of me.

Look at my JAWS!  How did I get this way??????? 

 I know, I have been eating whatever I want, whenever I want.  Well, as of June 1st, that has STOPPED! 

I am on a mission.  We are planning a family vacation for November.  And I plan to be down 50 pounds by then.  That means, I have to lose 10 pounds per month, that is 2.5 pounds per week.  I can do this.  I have done it before, I can do it again.

How am I doing this?  Well, I have cut out as much gluten as I can (I am sure some slips in every once in a while).  I am exercising on the treadmill an hour each day, increasing my speed as I can.  And I am cutting out eating out to one time per week.

Seems simple, huh?  Well, its not.  Its is a struggle.  But, I am determined to do this.

So far this week, I have lost 1 pound.  So, I only have 1.5 pounds to go for the week. 

Yes, 50 pounds is a BIG goal.  But, I am a BIG girl and will get there. 

This year was our 25th anniversary.  I told my husband that this would be the last year he is married to a fat girl.

This was me 5 years ago on our 20th anniversary.

I was close to the weight I want to be.  See how it doesn't look like it hurts to smile?  Now, look at the now photo.  I look like Elvis in the later years.  It always looked like it hurt him to smile.  I'm not old enough to have seen him in person, just looking back on the videos.

Anyway, Here I go!  I will be sharing things that I am doing to cut out gluten out of my diet.  Such as, Tuesday night we had sloppy joes.  Well, I wrapped mine in iceburg lettuce instead of using a bun, and it was DELICIOUS!  Bye Bye Gluten!

Bye Bye Fat!  Hello skinny!  I can't wait!

Until next time!

The Past is Repeating Itself

I think I learn more than my children do in history class every day.  LOL!  Honestly, we didn't learn this stuff in public school 30 years ago.  I don't even think we would have learned it in the Christian school I went to before the public school. 

I love Mystery of History!  It brings the secular world and the Christian world together in ways that you can't get from "real school" (as my kids call it).

This particular lesson has shed light on a subject that is in the forefront of newscasts today.  Lesson 50 of book 2 of Mystery of History is about the Coptic Orthodox Church.  I know, I know, you are thinking, that is not at the forefront of newscasts today......

But, this is.

Did you know that "in 642 the Arabs invaded Egypt with such fierceness that they almost obliterated the Copts?  The muslims made it difficult to NOT convert to Islam."  Is this starting to sound familiar now?

Back then, if you did not convert to Islam, then you were taxed at a MUCH higher rate.  So high that the families that chose this barely made it, and a lot didn't make it.  They starved to death.

Fast Forward to 2014, well before that, but last year we started seeing reports on the news of beheadings and killings because Christians were not converting to Islam.  Children being cut in two because they would not bow down to Mohammed.

Have you ever learned about this time in history?  Its not in any of the history books that I ever remember studying.

Turning to God

When faced with a life changing circumstance, who do you turn to?  I turn to God.  He answers my questions, He puts my mind at ease, He hugs me like no other person can.

Today, I am doubting everything.  I am doubting who I am, what I want to be, and how I got here.  I know, as soon as I turn it all over to Him, He will make it all clear.  And honestly, I have known this was coming for some time, I just kept pushing on thinking everything was going to be ok (in other words, I was stubborn).

Did you know that doubt is a silent killer of your faith?  You think, why has God done this to me?  Why am I here?  Why should I continue turning to Him, when all I get is grief and things are taken away from me?

It is understandable to have feelings like this after a terrible loss.  It takes time to come to terms with the situation that has destroyed you in every possible way you can imagine.  However, God works in, and through every situation we face.  Nothing takes God by surprise.  He can make good out of an impossible situation (even if you think nothing ever will be good again).   In cases where something awful has happened, God is so patient with us.  He knows it will take a toll on us. And He is the answer to getting us back on our feet through hope and faith. 

In times of doubt, turn to God.  He will guide you in the way He wants you to go.  And we must be humble about it (I am preaching to myself here).  We cannot expect God to work in our lives if we are bull headed and only want things the way we want them. 

It is absolutely imperative to understand that God has a plan for us, even if we have to go through heartache to get to the goal, He is with us. 

It is never ever fun to go through tough times that threaten to knock us out for the count.  God sees the Big Picture and knows exactly what he is doing.  We cannot see that big picture, therefore we MUST trust in Him to show us the big picture.

I hope this is speaking to you.  I know, I have to put this out there because I cannot keep it bottled up inside much longer.  Yes, I am going through this and am working my way to the Big Picture through God.  I pray many times a day for Him to show me the route in which I should go.  And I can honestly say, He is guiding me in some directions and not in others.  That just tells me that those other directions that I don't feel God's guidance are ways I should not be going.

I pray that if you are going through grief and depression that you will turn to God for guidance and not try to go through it alone.

~Sherie