llkb4me

Lori, So glad for your knee progress and that you get to go home. I always felt better in my own home. Good going.. Apples, time to celebrate......... Julie, hope you feel better soon. Eva, have fun shopping. Laura, Do what is best for all of you, you will make the right decesion for your family. Laura K

Julie, Here's the receipe 2c light brown sugar 1/2 c light corn syrup 1/2 c butter 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp salt 1tsp baking soda 6 qts popped corn Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, cr of tartar & salt. Heat to boiling, stirring over medium heat, stir constantly, boil rapidly to hard ball stage, 260* about 5 min. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda & pour at once over popcorn. Stir gently until all coated. Bake in pre-heated oven 200* for 1 hour, stirring 2-3 times. Turn out on wax paper. Cool. Hint: keep popped corn in 200* oven while making caramel sauce. You can add peanuts or other nuts if you would like. Hope you like it Julie. Laura K

Meredith, WOW girl you look wonderful.. Janet, my version of Puppy chow is butter melted with P butter & choc. mixed over cripix cereal coated with powdered surgar with nuts stirred in. It's ok my kids love it but give me salty anytime. Julie, if I can remember when I get home I have a carmel corn receipe I'll post for you. Laura K

Sounds like we all have another thing in common, I love to bake and cook also. I was the main baker for all holidays for my family. I would start just after thanksgiving and fill up two or three rubbermaid 18 gal totes. One year I made 24 lbs of fudge and gave it away. We make the puppy chow all year as my kids love it. My daughter makes it now for all her friends. I was at my Mom's last friday and we set there and watched "Cake Boss" they sure make some cool cakes, just amazing. Great, good luck with the knee surgery tomorrow, I'll keep you in my thoughts. Laura K

Laura, Thoughts and prayers to you and your family. This is a tough time, stay strong. Laura K

Jessica, You can do this, your mind is made up so don't second guess yourself. My dr had 10 days liquid before then worked up to reg foods for the next 5 weeks. I did it you can too. I was just banded in July. Each Dr is different so follow what yours says. You will work this all out, everyone here is behind you. Laura K

Hi All, Sorry for not posting for a bit, you all sure were busy typing away. Read them all but can't remember everything. Trying to get used to my DS being home again. He will start working tomorrow and hopefully will get into the classes he needs. They are all waitlisted for now. Been busy doing Christmas stuff, tree is done, most of shopping & started making a few treats to share with fam and friends. Wasn't going to make much but the list keeps growing, my sister requested p butter fudge. Says she looks forward to it every year. So I guess I'll make it for them. I too love Apples receipes as I like to cook and bake. Those ginger tarts sound wonderful. Deb what is the Asman thing you mentioned? Don't know what that is. Think that is what you called it. Linda glad to hear you are doing so good with you hip replacement. Positive attitude helps so much. Kudos Laura K

You are doing great. When you go back to school at this stage you really want it. It interests you so you like it. Great job on the test. I have the seasonal Affective Disorder, the first time they put me on meds, the next year I said no and bought a Happy light that I use in the fall and winter. It helps me. Laura K

My thoughts and prayers will be with you. Thinking positive thoughts for a safe surgery & that it is a go. Laura K

Laura,a great pics of you and your family. Boy girl you are smokin hot..... Glad the people you talked to understand as I posted earlier not all do. Your Dad's attitude is so cool, my Mom was just like that too. Glad you get to go meet everyone in Fl. Laura K

I forgot to tell you guys, just found out last week my DS is failing all his classes and moving back home. He's trying to get back into comm college he was at before, he's waitlisted on all the classes he needs. He's not been telling me the truth any time I asked how he was doing with his grades. I am very disappointed in him right now. Has kind of put me into a funk. I know I'll get over it but very upset. It has not made me eat more though so that is a positive. I did get stuck on Sat. pb'd and slimed for the first time. I hope I never do that again. Was all my own fault was talking on the phone and eating at the same time. I was eating chic wings and did not chew enough & ate to fast. How stupid. I have been stuck on my weight loss but this week I did finally lose another pound. yeah! Well good luck to Linda and Great on you up coming surgeries. You will both do wonderful and cruising around in no time. Apples good luck on the farming, I noticed a lot of corn in the fields around here also. You talking about those bins reminds me of the summer I spent building them. My girlfriend and I did it for her Dads company, we were the outside workers and two guys inside. Alot of work but when you are young it was fun, especially when the two inside had hangovers, your wrench slipped alot and hit the side. LOL Laura K

Linda, I'm not sure how far it is. St Charles is located not to far from where the thumb is attached to the mitten. That's the easiest way to describe michigan. I know it takes about 2 1/2 hours for me to just get out of michigan. I will meet all of you some day. You are an important part of my life now. As someone said we are all in the same boat. Laura K

Apples, sorry I can't make the trip this year with all of you. I just can't swing it financially. I am so jealous that you all will get to meet and spend time together. I may be able to go next year/time. I would like to meet all of you. Laura K

Apples, I seen them in the store, thought about getting one to match the pants I bought. Dang it I restrained myself. Laura K

JeweI, good luck to you and your decesion. Stay strong and get healthly for you. On the discussion of exercise pants, I just bought some from Walmart. They are Danskin brand, very comfy, roomy and have lycra in them. For us short people they are a bit long. Boot cut also. I am hoping to shrink them a bit. Got a yahoo moment when I put them on, they are a bit two big. If they don't shrink I will be taking the other pair back. Laura K

Went to my Master Gardner Christmast party tonight. It was a pot luck. I was talking with a lady sitting across from me and she was telling me about how she was not eating sugary stuff as she has been in a challenge at the YMCA. Any way the discuss got into how much she has lost and I told her I had lapband. She had the gall to tell me she did it the hard way. That kind of burned my A$$. I did inform her very nicely that lapband is not the easy way and that I have to make the right choices and eat correctly. Why do people think this way? Well I ate very good and she ate more than me and tried her husbands desserts. I did see her watching my plate. But hey that's ok I ate what I wanted, tried different things and threw the rest away when I was full. So I guess that is one for the good guys. Sorry for the rant, but I figured you would all understand. Laura K

Hi All, Sounds like you have been very busy. I don't do the tree for a couple of weeks yet, I hate the disruption. I have a small house and if I wait the kids can/will help decorate it. They will both be home for a few weeks on break. I am trying to decide if I want to do all the baking this year. Last year we switched to doing more candy and pretzels. Guess I will have to see what they want. None of us need the extra goodies around. But it's not christmas without it around. Laura K Great pictures everyone,you are all awesome and so are the pets.

Laura, Glad you and your family made it back safely. Your pictures of your family are wonderful, you look so good. Laura K

Hi All and Happy Thanksgiving........ I made two pies, pumpkin and mince, oriental chic salad and a pickle/relish tray. Went shopping at 5:00 a.m. & got a new tv. Been to Mom's and back home again. I'm getting realy tired now. Not sure if I will brave the battle tomorrow and go shopping. Thanks and prayers to all. Laura K

Linda Good job on your loss 98 lbs. I am glad you are look forward to your surgery. Just think how much better you will get around. Hope your DS surprises you. Laura K

Cheri, Thank God for wonderful people like you! I admire anyone that works with at risk children. Laura K:thumbup:

Happy B-day to Apples and Phyl. Went to see the movie Blindside last night, what a great movie. It's a must see, even the guys will like it. Tonight they are throwing in a extra Zumba class since the one on Thurs is cancelled. So I am going and my daughter is going with me. What a surprise when she said she wanted to. I've got my stuff ready for T-day that I am going to make. Now if I could get my game plan ready for Black Friday. Mostly go just for the fun of it and inspriation (sp). Have a great day to all.... Laura K

Janet, No she is not deaf, has a severe to profound loss in both ears. Has worn hearing aids since she was about 2 1/2. She knows some sign language just because she has learned it on her own. Has taken a class, which was considered a foreign language in college. Went to pre-school a couple days a week in a hearing impaired class then main streamed starting in kindergarten. She is a very smart girl, top ten, national honor society, high honors in high school. (not bragging just very proud) I was just teasing her that she has gone to school for almost 20 years. She will be 23 in Jan. I am glad that they are both independent, verdict is still out as they are not really on their own yet. lol Wish the cleaning bug would wear off on them when they are home. I just shut the door and don't look. Keeps me sane, well maybe that verdict is still out too..... Laura K

Phyl, Zumba is a exercise class that is basically dancing to latin type music. Real fast and moving constantly for a hour. I thought it had a lot of belly dancing moves in it. Not that I belly dance but from what I've seen. lol Laura K

Nope she would be about 2hrs beyond home to get to Meredith. Detroit is 2 hours farther. She is in Houghton/Hancock. Which is alot closer to Minn. She loves it up there. I do too, but only in the summer. I hate snow and ice. When she grads in May I'm sure she won't be coming home, hopefully a job if not talking Colorado for more school. She amazes me with her independence. She is hearing impaired but it has never stopped her. Never let her believe she had a handicap. I have been using my treadmill every morning for 2 weeks, have to give it up for a week since she is home and it is in her room. Sounds like me watch news for 15 mins then ipod for 15, just singing away. Glad know one is home then. lol This fitness center just opened up, I haven't joined yet but went to that class. All feel good music and just dancing around, but a workout. I think it was great that was doing it before. Laura K