My favorite Salad Dressing

Click here for the recipe!

In the past, I have NOT enjoyed salads at home.  This is because it takes time to prepare salads, plus they have never taste the same as a restaurant.  I have been trying to eat more fresh vegetables and loose weight.  That is why I started the  Wednesday Weigh-In .  It is well under way and this was the first week.  I lost 3 pounds.  As a group we lost 24.9 pounds!  It is wonderful to have such a great group of ladies all supporting each other. 

I have been motivated to try to find a salad I can easily make at home and enjoy.  I don't enjoy salads with mostly lettuce but I love tomatoes and many other veggies.  This week I have enjoyed some of the best salads I have ever made.  It might have to do with this wonderful salad dressing my friend Pam at work gave me.  It is fantastic.  Just enough tang and garlic that I look forward to my salads now.  As you can see in the picture it looks beatiful.  I have played around with the dressing and the ingredients of the salad.  What has worked best for me is to cut up the veggies that can be refridgerated ahead of time to stream line my meals.  I save the tomato for cutting up at the last minute because I only like them at room temperature.  Just think how great it will be to go the farmers market and get some fresh veggies on a weekly basis! 

I work tonight and for the next 4 night shifts.  I will be working on eating well and I plan on wearing my pedometer at work and watching my activity.  This morning and yesterday I walked 4 miles each day with my doggie but now it's back to work and it's hard to do that and walk.  I just so tired after a 12 hr shift on my feet that it is difficult.  Good luck to anyone like me trying to loose weight.  Hope you enjoy this salad dressing too.  If anyone wants to join our Wednesday Weigh-In.....please let me know! 

YoYo quilt mounted

I finally mounted the quilt I made for my mom.  She plans on hanging it in her bathroom on an aqua colored painted wall.  I mounted it on a canvas painting surface and covered the canvas with the same fabric I used in the center of the quilt.  Most of the fabric is April Cornell but I don't know the name of the inside muted fabric.  I matched my bought charm pack well and I needed something to go with it.  Turned out great.  I blogged about this earlier but thought I share my finished product. 

 

sequences and beads

I used DMC floss to quilt the design so it can be brightly visable.

I used the left overs of cutting the yoyo circles from the charm packs as the border by crazy quilting it together on top of the size of the border I wanted.  Hope you like it Mom!

    

Wednesday Weigh-In Week 1

Welcome to Wednesday Weigh-In Week 1

I just worked the last 5 nights straight!  I started to wear my pedometer to work and realized I am really doing a lot of walking when I am in charge.  As a charge nurse in the NICU, I am running between 4 patient care areas, in charge of 22 nurses who are taking care of 45 babies.  This weekend I walked about 4 miles each shift!  I couldn't believe it.  In comparison, last night I was not in charge and only walked 1 mile at work.  Big difference.  The charge nurses rotate 3 months in charge and 3 months as a bedside nurse.  Right now I am in the middle of my charge rotation so that should help my weight loss plan.  The days I am taking care of the babies and not running around helping everyone else take care of the babies, I will come home and walk before going to sleep. 

I weighed myself today and I have lost 3 lbs since last Wednesday!  I have been eating a lot of veggies.  I have a new salad dressing I found that I just love.  I also enjoy cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs and lots of salsa with baked chips counted out to 13! 

Kevin, my husband lost 5 pounds!  I knew he would.  He was outside all weekend doing yard work while I slept (working night shift).   He is trying to be more active on the weekends.  Unfortunately, he does not like to walk.  I walk with my doggie or my son.  My husband says I walk too fast!  Oh well, I don't mind walking by myself.  I have a lovely path behind my house, a river and a golden retriever named Dale who loves to tag along.  I also love to listen to books on tape or music on my iPod.   Right now I am listening to "The girl with the dragon tatoo".  I am loving it!  Makes the long walks well worth the entertainment! 

I will keep track of everyone's progress each week.  Comment to this post and I will update your information on this post for the week.  Don't forget to grab my WWI button to post to your blog so you can come back weekly easily.  By posting the link to your blog, we can spread the word and get others to join us.  We welcome new members anytime! Just email me and let me know you want to participate or comment on one of my posts. 

Here are the results from week 1:

Member's name     This week's wt loss     Total to date

Me                                           -3 lbs                                     3 lbs

Kevin                                       -5 lbs                                     5 lbs

Chris                                         -4 lbs                                    4 lbs

JulieQ                                       -2 lbs                                     2 lbs

Deanna                                      -1 lb                                      1 lb

Pat                                            -2 lbs                                     2 lbs

Cathy                                    +0.7 lbs                                     0 lbs

Helen                                         0 lbs                                      0 lbs

Kim D                                 - 2.4 lbs                                    2.4 lbs

Barb                                          0 lbs                                      0 lbs

Micki                                      -3 lbs                                        3 lbs

Jamie K                                  -2 lbs                                        2 lbs

Linda B                                -0.5  lbs                                   0.5  lbs

Katie Q                                    0  lbs                                      0  lbs
Tonya                                       0 lbs                                       0 lbs

Total weight loss to date by the whole group:             24.9  lbs
What an amazing first week of the challenge!  This is wonderful !!!

You may notice a new button on my left side bar.   Barb shared with me a website that will help me track my weight loss progress that I really like.  It was really easy to create a blog button for my blog.  They also have a calorie counter and the website is free!  myfitnesspal.com is very cool and worth checking out.  I also enjoy reading this blog, chowhound.chow.com.  It is full of wonderful recipes that are favorites of others bloggers.  One of my favorite daily emails is from Hungry Girl.  Their daily tips and recipes are wonderful. 

Last week I promised to share my favorite Weight Watcher's Recipe!  It is Spaghetti Bolognese! 

Love, love, love this.  I make the sauce, boil the whole wheat noodles and then mix it all together before serving it.  This is a staple in our house! 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Click here for the recipe!

Lryic Kinard Class project done

Finally finished my diary book that I started in Paducah.  During Lyric Kinard's Art quilting class she taught us several techniques:  Creating a stamp, painting on fabric, stamping on fabric, Silk screening and beading.  This was fun to make.  She provided the stamps for us to carve, the fabric, some beads and the paint.  When I got home I finished beading and quilting it to add my touch.  What do you think?  It was fun to learn all these techniques. 

I am walking everyday!  Here I am today after my walk.  Can you tell my face is red and I look hot?  Evidence!

May 20

x + 46

Wednesday Weigh-In

Wednesday Weigh-In begins!

Welcome to Wednesday Weigh-In!

WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN is for anyone who would like join.  Visit weekly or whenever you can.  The more you participate and join in the fun, the more you MAY be motivated by others.

Weigh-in starts today.  I want to loose about 46 pounds!  I am going to share pictures of me even though I am mortified at how much weight I have gained over the past 15 years.  If any of you have seen pictures of me from years ago (see "Stephanie" in my labels and tags), you would not be able to recognize me.  My hope is that if I can see my body changing, it will motivate me!

X + 46

March 18th 2010

Dale doesn't need to loose weight!

Hope this video makes you laugh!  Please join in the fun!  So far we have 18 motivated losers: 

Me
Kevin my husband

Judy

Dobco

Chris

JulieQ

Keebler1962
 and her husband

Deanna

Pat
Cathy
Helen
Kim D
Barb
Micki
Jamie K
Linda B
Katie Q

For those of you who would like to participate, post your comments with your week's weight loss starting number!  Here is to a promising start! Good luck to everyone this week!  Next week don't forget to come back on Wednesday and post your weekly weigh-in (gain or loss)!  Next week I will share my favorite weight watchers recipe.  Here is a hint:  It has carrots and mushrooms in it! 

Wednesday Weigh-In Starts next week!

I start today....with my attempt to lose weight and keep myself accountable by blogging here!  My attempt to be motivated.  If you would like to join me, I will be blogging my progress each Wednesday and so can you!  You don't have to blog your actual weight, just how much you loss and your total weight loss so far.  Go to the scale and weigh yourself before next Wednesday and come back next week and blog your starting weight!  Lets do it together!  Anyone Game?  Leave your name here if you are interested in participating and I am going to put together incentives each week to motivate us....any maybe we could find some way to award ourselves with our accomplishments.  You can blog about this if you like and like the Wednesday Weigh-In picture back to my blog so more can join us!  Here we go!  See my ICON in the left side bar! 

Happy 19th birthday to my son

Paul is 19 on Friday May 14th

We celebrated Paul's birthday tonight at the Cheese Cake Factory because Paul works all weekend and so do I.  It is great to have everyone home at the same time.  Does not happen often.  Here are pics of the gang.  Matt got sick on May 5 with Mono so I am surprised he already well enough to go out to eat and back to school in the morning.  We were in the ER twice last week with high fevers.  Thank God for Decadron because I know that is what made him better.   Now if I just keep him from kissing his girlfriend!  :) 

 

The Cheese Cake Factory, Columbia MD

May 13th 2010

 

Here is my crew....

Paul, Matt, Me, Sarah, Kevin and Jimmy in the back. 

WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE!!

Looking at this picture shows me I have to loose weight.  I hate seeing how heavy I am and you usually can tell I try not to post too many recent pictures of myself.  I am going to make a promise to myself and to everyone reading this.....I am going to loose weight!  My goal is to track my progress here and have you guys hold me accountable.  Having everyone's support will be great.  I know I can do it but keeping it off is the hardest part.  Well, here I go!

Husband's 50th birthday!

Happy 50th birthday to my husband Kevin!

Sarah and her Dad

We celebrated with all the kids and my mom.  I fixed my homemade spaghetti with meatballs and hot italian sausage, garlic bread and his cake....German Chocolate Cake, his favorite meal.  My gift to Kevin was a Breitling watch and an experience with Doug Foley driving a dragster for a day. 

Kevin's daughter Sarah (20) is home from Peace College in Raleigh NC for only a short time.  She has travel plans for the entire summer....Mexico for a month of college credit, California to see her Mom and Arizona to house sit for her Aunt for three weeks.  I can't believe she gets to be gone all summer!  I am jealous. 

Jimmy, Paul and Matthew

These are my boys and they are being silly.  They won't let me a take a picture without posing.   It's nice to have them all together and home from school.  Jimmy (21) WVU and Paul 19 (MICA) and Matt 15. 

National Nurses Day

1986

Today was National Nurses Day.  A day to honor all the nurses who have made a difference in your life.  I love being a nurse and I feel lucky to have had such a wonderful career that I absolutely love.  I enjoy being part of someone's life and making a difference.  I became a nurse in 1986 and I have worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital since then. 

1986 Nursing Graduation

I have met some amazing families in my 24 years as a nurse at Hopkins.  My first primary patient was a 24 weeker and she has since graduated from college.  I love to receive cards and emails from my parents to update me.  I have lost some babies over the years as well but have attended more birthdays then funerals.

 

2009

Hug a nurse today!