I'm here to help...

[Charlene K 1]

Arlene...never heard of the "trash" with Chex but we have the plain old Chex mix around here on holidays made with peanuts and pretzels. Also puppy chow made with Chex. (Choc covered Chex coated with powdered sugar).

Linda....sounds like you used to bake for the holidays like I do. I truly enjoy it. It's a good way to let ppl know you appreciate them also.

Julie...I used the regular loaf pan size for the two different breads. I just tripled the recipes x 2.

I just gotta ask this question. Why, Oh why are men whiney when they think they don't feel well or don't feel well? I've got this big strong farmer who works himself silly every day. Well, he had to start drinking the gallon of crap about 3pm today for his colonoscopy at 7am tomorrow. (love the guy...just don't do well with whining).

Us women are so different when we don't feel well. Heck, I think I was scrubbing the floor on my way out the door and dialated to 8. I just don't get it.

Phyll......are guys whiney when they are in the hospital too????? Or, maybe you were never a floor nurse.

Apples, in Texas we call the chex mix "trash" or maybe it is a family thing. We put everything , but the kitchen sink in it

I use a box of rice chex, wheat chex, and now I buy two boxes of cheezit party mix, and cashews and pecans. I mix a stick or so of butter, few tablespoons of worceteshire(sp), garlic powder, season salt, tobasco.....simmer then pour it over the mix which I put in a turkey roasting pan. Make sure it is coated and then put it in the oven in two 9x13 pans at 250 for an hour or so. I stir it every 30 minutes. Sometimes I use bacon drippings too. I am sure everyone has their own twist on chex mix. My kids just think I make the best.

[llkb4me 1]

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

[JeweI 2]

Cheri, Thanks for the input about my MIL. I know I can't change her. In her mind my husband is "the head" of me. So she takes all complaints about me to him then he comes to me with it. She will wait till she is alone with him then let him have it. Last time he did actually defend us. We aren't gonna see her much the rest of the week then she goes out of town. Hopefully she will calm down. If she does come to me with it I am just gonna be honest. This is my decision. Hubby is on board (now). She doesn't get a say. I wish she would support me but if not I am still gonna do it. I don't do well with yelling and stuff so if she comes to me that way I don't know what I'll do. Hopefully it won't come to that. We are moving out when school gets out for the summer. I don't think I could handle a move while my son and I are in school.

My Dad makes white trash every christmas. It is Chex mix covered in white chocolate. I made it the past 2 years and I told my son it was magic reindeer food.

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Jewel,

I found with my alcoholic ex and a few other dysfunctional people in my life that the best response is often no response.

I think I might ask my husband not to tell me anything negative or any opinions my MIL expressed to him. Ask him to either keep it to himself or to refuse to listen and to direct his MIL to speak to me directly and to let her know he will not be conveying anything she says. It's not his job to be go-between.

Id' express sympathy for the position he's in and ask him to support me by protecting me from her negativity by not even telling me she said anything.

Walk away the second your MIL gets negative. Tell her you have to make a phone call or do homework or whatever. It is not rude to walk away from someone who is rude.

I've found words like, "Oh, is that what you think." or "That's certainly one point of view." or even "You could be right." can also defuse negative people. Then just quietly continue doing what you need to do.

Probably more advice than you need or want. But the more tools you have in your tool kit for dealing with her, the better you'll do with your food.

Cheri

[IndioGirl55 32]

Joanne - OMW so happy you stopped by like the rest have said we miss you - I keep up w/you on FB ;0) You are doing great 4-5 lbs a month Fantastic - Happy 1 yr Anniversary....

Laura - Hugs and no my bathroom rugs don't get washed every week either ;0) Enjoy your homecomming w/DH - I know he will be a big comfort to you during this time..

Apples - Come on now GF you know men are just big old babies when it comes to medical stuff... I do have a question - for us who are banded how in the heck in 10 yrs when we have to redo our colonoscopies - how in the hell are we going to drink a gallon of that crap - I drank it fast when I had to do mine - but heck I can't do that any more - so I think they need to give us a pill to clean us out ...

Cheri - you had me cracking up - cake being the vehicle for the frosting - I'm with you there - but I like butter cream frosting - I love any kind of fat - oil - butter and I'm a carnivore too (I like my meat bloody) but I want the starches with the meat - Fired chicken hell the skin is the best part Hell or ck fried steak w/white gravy yummy - there isn't too much in this world I don't like or won't try - so I would say that right there is what my problem is/was - I LOVE IT ALL (Fat Sugar Starch Meat)- I LOVE food - I AM ADDICTED TO FOOD..

Laura K - What's puppy chow :0) - I have heard of trash mix that Great is talking about but not puppy chow..

Linda & Julie - Yep you gotta LOVE PAULA

Great - I like to cook - I rather eat a home cooked meal than eating out - now I like to eat certain things out like lobster but other than that - I like my own cooking

Hugs & Prayers GF on your surgery tomorrow - know we will be thinking of you - and ya I though Ann Taylor was the designer too

Julie - what's sour cream raisin bars - sounds good I like raisin;0)

Linda how old is you gd - Heck I started all my grandkids out making xmas Cookies at an early age - like 2 or 3..

I have never counted the Cookies or fudge I have made at one time

Well all this talk of food had me STARVING - I went to the gym - did my 3 miles - have fed the fur babies and GS - my dinner is in the oven and I can't wait...

I had 3 oz pork tenderloin for bf - a spinach salad w/tuna & red onion for lunch - and a small had full of dry roasted nuts

You can see why I am ready for dinner :0)

CBL

[Apples2 19]

Janet...I explained the puppy chow in my previous post. It's just plain gross but we all have diff likes and dislikes. I'm just not one for eating sweets unless it's my not-so-sweet Protein Bar.

Great...just wanted to post to wish you luck tomorrow. Take care of yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help from the family. Get yourself a little bell and use it often! You will be in my prayers. Wish I could just drive over to your house to help you out!

[Apples2 19]

And Janet...I was wondering the same thing as I was watching DH drink and then gag on that crap. I am not sure how they could expect us to drink that much. Anyone here have a colonoscopy since being banded???????????

[phyllser 3]

And Janet...I was wondering the same thing as I was watching DH drink and then gag on that crap. I am not sure how they could expect us to drink that much. Anyone here have a colonoscopy since being banded???????????

I haven't had a colonoscopy since banding, but the last two I DID have, I didn't have to drink that stuff. I had to take pills and drink two small bottles of that stuff that comes in a green bottle. It was much more tolerable than the gallon of "Go Lightly"!! Heck, I couldn't drink a gallon of that stuff BEFORE banding! I got halfway through before it started gagging me!

[phyllser 3]

I just gotta ask this question. Why, Oh why are men whiny when they think they don't feel well or don't feel well? I've got this big strong farmer who works himself silly every day. Well, he had to start drinking the gallon of crap about 3pm today for his colonoscopy at 7am tomorrow. (love the guy...just don't do well with whining).

Us women are so different when we don't feel well. Heck, I think I was scrubbing the floor on my way out the door and dialated to 8. I just don't get it.

Phyll......are guys whiny when they are in the hospital too????? Or, maybe you were never a floor nurse. I'm just waiting for him to slip and call me Mommy.

OH....I did LOTS of floor nursing, and the answer to your question is YES!!! A couple of individuals come to mind instantly!!

[Apples2 19]

Thank you for the answers to our perplexing problems, Phyll! Once a nurse, always a nurse!

[Mrs. Bubba 0]

When I was sick this past year I had to have more than one CT scan of my abdomin with contrast.... So they come and bring me this huge amount of red S___ to drink.... I said, "Whoa up there..... I have a a band and it will take me all day to drink that!!) So they went away and came back with something different that was only one glassfull......Drink as much as you can, they said... So, yup, it will be near impossible to drink that gallon of yuck....

Sour Cream Raisin bars are and oatmeal/brown sugar, butter crust.....cooked sour cream custard with raisins added and then more of the crust on top and baked.. DH loves them... This was a new recipe from a cookbook "someone" sent me while I was in the hospital in April...

Does anyone have a special, topnotch recipe for homemade carmel popcorn? The kind where you pour a cooked carmel sauce over popped corn and then bake in the oven slowly to dry it??? I can't find my recipe I've used before and want it to be good.... Please share if you have one.....

Well, off to bed... Hoping for another good night... Thinking of Lori and hoping she is sleeping well and will be rested for her ordeal tomorrow.... Goodnight.. Julie

[Meredith2424 0]

Hello all.

I just took a break from studying to stop in and read and say hello. I have a physics final tomorrow night and my nutrition final thursday afternoon. Ick. I cannot wait to get home from New York on Monday so I can bake all of my cookies! Last year was the first year I did them. Grandma used to make them, but she has not been well for the past few years, so I have taken over. 7 layer bars, lemon bars, melt aways, sugar Cookies, and wreath cookies. Mmmmm.

Last night was my work christmas party. I will post pics at the bottom of last night. At the party, I showed my co-workers what I looked like 70 pounds ago in April. I will put that pic first. After the party, I went over to one of my co-workers/friends house and had some cocktails. Then, on the way home from there stopped at the bar on the corner near my house bc I say my friends car there. His dad died right before I left for Cali. We haven't spent any time together since. Well, we got real drunk and had a sob fest. We ended up closing the bar and he came over and we had some more drinks! OMW! I totally do not drink much anymore and it was interesting alright. Andrew was pretty surprised when we walked in the door! We ended up crying and talking and laughing until 5 am!:ohmy: I know it sounds crazy, but we needed that time together.

Laura~ I am so sorry about the bad news. My heart really goes out to you and your family. I am not very good with words at times like this, but I just want you to know that I am thinking about you and praying for Dad.

Andrew loves "puppy chow"! I've never made it before, but I might make it for him if his best friends fiance doesn't. She usually makes it for him to eat on New Years Eve. Sweet gal.

Ok, back to my all night studying!

Night girls,

Meredith

[Great2BThin 5]

Meredith, you look amazing!

Just a quick post to say I am on my way out the door for the hospital to get new knee #2. Will check in when I can. 'Thanks for the prayers and well wishes.

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Morning Gang

Meredith OMW GIRL YOU LOOK FAB !!! Can't beleive it's the same person - You Rock girl !!!

The 5 in the morn thing is something some of have done ;0) (ME) ;0) but again I was a lot younger - don't know if I could hang at my age now.. I have stayed up till like 4 when in Vegas

Ok Apples I saw the puppy chow - not my thing - ;0) -

Well since I signed off early last night thought I would ck in before I jump in the shower - and it's time - so cbl

Happy Wed - Great hugs & prayers...

[ljv52 2]

Meredith you look fabulous! What great pictures -- you should be very very proud of yourself -- you look so happy!! I used to do crazy things like that at your age, so enjoy it now -- lol.

Feeling good again this a.m. had a good night's sleep. DGD over last night and we decorated a few Cookies. Her mom brought over the already cut out made kind -- all we had to do was bake them. Yuck - they aren't very tasty which I'm thankful for although with the icing they were tolerable (lol). Janet, she just turned 3 and yes, we make cookies already, but I meant wait till she's older to make the more difficult ones. She's definitely interested in it where my step kids never cared about it.

My computer says its 9 degrees right now -- with the wind chill, probably minus 10 or so. Just thought I'd share that with you southern girls. LOL.

CBL have a great day everyone! Linda