The Human Randomizer is Coming To Get You!

Yes, it’s me again, the Human Randomizer.  For those of you who didn’t hear this before, in short, I was amused when various bloggers were using a “randomizer” to select the winners of giveaways. As best I understand it, it’s a little electronic thingie that picks a number and tells you who is the winner.  Well, I’ve decided that sometimes, I’m the Human Randomizer and ALL of you are winners…I guess you each have to decide if you’re a winner or not! 😉

I love the fact that I got so many comments about the pepper and egg sandwich I showed as part of What I Ate Wednesday.

If it looks delicious to you, trust me…it IS delicious.  It brings back such memories to me and my sister, Ele.  When we were kids, Mom and Dad would take us to Wildwood in the summer…duh of course in the Summer…no fun for kids there in the Winter!  Mom’s take along sandwich of choice was homemade pepper and egg sandwiches.  I think she would put American cheese on them but I’m sure they would be on white bread and wrapped in aluminum foil.  By the time we got to eat them they were soggy and drippy and just wonderful.  That’s why I love these sandwiches so much and order them when ever I can.  Glad so many of you agree that they look yummy!  It’s like eating a piece of my childhood!

I’ve been working hard to stay on track with Weight Watchers this week.  I think I’m doing pretty well.

An apple with almond butter while I was finishing up Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  I enjoyed this.  I mentioned earlier in the week that my friend Kristen is getting me into Young Adult fiction. This didn’t grab me the same way The Hunger Games did, but I certainly want to continue with the story and find out where the writer takes us.  I like it when I find something like this that grabs my attention.  I liked it better than I’m making it sound!

Since finishing this, I’ve started two books, both of which I just had to stop, couldn’t do it.  One was an all time classic that I read years ago, probably in high school, but I just couldn’t do it.  The other was a memoir and was in a word-whiny.  If I want to hear whining I can just listen to the voices in my head!  😉

I’ve just started Pigs In  Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver.

I enjoyed her Animal Dreams and disliked The Poisonwood Bible, had to stop part way through it.  I’m hoping this will be more like Animal Dreams.  Regardless, 49 cents at Goodwill…good investment or bad?  We’ll see~

Return of veggies and the Big Purple Bowl!  After a trip to the produce market, I’m stocked up, but I’ve been eating so many, I may need to make another trip there over the weekend!

Homemade dressing…I really need to start writing the dressings down so I know what I’m putting in them! Spinach, romaine, red pepper, celery (need my crunch!) tomato and shredded cheese.  Also “small red beans” cooked in the crock pot.  My first time making these and I like them! They’re not like kidney beans, which I don’t like.

Yummy, indeed!

Lunch was some home-made egg salad on a sandwich thin!

With lots of celery, not much reduced calorie mayo and lots of ground black pepper.  This is so good, I’m always happy when I remember to make this.  It’s great because it’s something that both Ralph and I can eat.  On the subject of sandwich things.  The ones that I get at Walmart are $2.68 and only count for 2 Points on WW.  I just found them at Aldi for $1.99.  They count for 3 Points, but for that big a saving, I can work within my Points!

One more salad…looks a Little different from the first one… 😉

Same basic salad, but in natural light!!  Funny how although the ingredients are basically the same, they taste different.  I’ll never figure it out.  Maybe that’s why I never tire of them.  Maybe it’s all in my head…or my stomach!!

Regardless, it’s time for me to get less Random and more Specific.  So I’d better get out of here in order to accomplish that!

Happy Thursday!!  It’s Trash Day!!  Let’s get rid of some of this STUFF!!

 

WIAW~A Girl Could Starve

I Love What I Ate Wednesday!!  Jenn at Peas & Crayons does such a great job organizing all of the wild and crazy bloggers who turn out for the weekly shenanigans.  Don’t forget to go over to P&C to check out the other blogs and leave some comments when you’re finished here!

It’s the best fun!

But I have an issue this week…by the looks of the food I’ve photographed, I’m about to Starve!!! That means of course that I didn’t do my usual excessive photo shoot this past week.  I have a few things but I was NOT about to miss the party!

There were green bananas which took the longest time to turn yellow, but when they did, they were So sweet and good!

File this under “not attractive, but tasty.”  My friend Gail had the idea to put refried beans and salsa on a plain rice cake.  It is so tasty, doesn’t count for much on Weight Watchers and is very filling!

The huge and delicious Greek salad I had on Saturday!

My always favorite  pepper and egg sandwich with American cheese.  It is the best!

Overnight oats with home frozen blueberries…before warming…

After a minute and a half in the microwave.  I just like it better warmed up a bit.   Half cup oats, third cup fat-free vanilla yogurt, half cup almond milk, 1 tsp chia seeds.  Very tasty.

As I said, I have very little to show for myself this week.  Just came back from a trip to the produce market so there are lots of veggies in my future.  I need to get back on track with Weight Watchers anyway and for me salads are the best way to do that.

Don’t forget to take the trip over to P&C, look around and just enjoy yourself.  Next Wednesday…More Food Photos!!  I Promise!!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!!

Holiday Shoe Foolery

A while back, I had added a tag called Sneaking Around.  I had bought a crazy pair of plaid sneakers and the sneakers went on adventures…no seriously, they did.  Haven’t had an adventure with the sneakers for a while, but my sister Ele dragged me to the Mall on Monday (Bleck!!  The Mall…I am not a Mall person) and it got me thinking about sneakers…

First, we had a fun excursion to a tea store there where Ele had a gift card.  I Love their tea, but their employees are Overwhelming.  It’s a tiny store and there’s nowhere to get away from them.  You just have to keep saying “No, Thank you…No, Thank you…”  The woman who helped Ele should have said “No, Thank you” to her eye makeup.  Someone who loves her needs to tell her that’s Not attractive!  We did get to taste some of the teas and they were delicious.  Not in my budget right now, though.

So back to Sneakers!

In my efforts to be thrifty, I was being very stoic and not even considering buying sneakers (Actually, earlier in the day I had been Thinking about it at K-mart, but if I passed on them at K-mart, I was definitely passing on them here!)

Luckily for me, most of the ones I really liked did Not come in my size (Huge!)

These were cool, they could have been contenders And they were in my size, AND they were on sale. But I was being strong.

I liked these a Lot, but no…no…being strong.

Some Non-sneaker fun…I Love Leopard print!!  The bow is a nice touch, too!  😉

These Would have been the Winners…high top purple plaid sneakers…heavy sigh…  But fortunately (for my no shoe purchase policy anyway) They were not in my size and they were not on sale.  As Ele was making her purchase, the nice salesman offered to check in the back for my size, but I just said…”No, Thank you…”  😦

Happy Tuesday!

 

Remembering Memorial Day

A few years ago, it started to occur to me that we as a nation were not giving Memorial Day the honor and courtesy it deserved.

As a child, there was always a Memorial Day parade.  Bands played and school children marched and veteran’s organizations carried their banners and their flags with solemn pride.  We always attended and thanks to Gram and Pop, we always had tiny American flags to wave as the participants passed before us.

Times have changed.  I know that in our small town, there’s a financial reason why there is no parade.  There is no money for it.  Sadly, the town hasn’t been able to raise enough money for a Fourth of July parade this year.  If they can’t do that, there certainly isn’t going to be a Memorial Day parade.

But we don’t need a parade to Remember and Thank those who served.  I know that originally it was called Decoration Day and it’s intention was to honor the military dead.  I think it’s just as important to honor those who served and returned to us.

Today, I honor my Military Man.

This is Ralph, many long years before I knew him.  Sister in law Kathy has marked this as Sergeant which means it was probably around 1967 or 1968.  I wish I had known Ralph then…I LOVE a man in uniform!!

I know I would have been proud to see him enlist, go through officer candidate school and then become part of the 23rd Military Police Company.  I’m not sure how I would have handled him going to Vietnam for a year.  It had to have been very hard.  Just as hard as it is today for families to see their husbands and their sons go to Iraq and Afghanistan. 

But our men and women are brave and they serve the country that they love to keep it safe for the families that they love. 

We have no real way to repay them for that.  But we need to remember to Thank Them.

My heartfelt, though inadequate Thank You to all of our Military Men and Women who serve or have served.  You’ve kept our country Free and Strong.

I personally Thank Ralph, Uncle Joe, Ma and Pop Hancock, Brian and all of the wonderful men of the Americal Division and the 23rd MP Company who I have come to know and who hold a special place in my heart.  Thank You All.

A Grateful Memorial Day to You All.

Just As I Thought

As expected, Saturday was a bit of a whirlwind.

My results at Weight Watchers were about what I expected I gain 1.8 pounds.  I knew I was off track and I now I get to work on fixing it!  I was disappointed, but it’s much easier to accept a gain when you have an idea that it will happen.  I get frustrated on the weeks when I’ve been SO good and I get a gain.  Hey, it gives me another project to work on…Like I need another!! 😉

After WW, Gail, Alice and I headed to breakfast, our last one for quite some time. They’re off to Maine early this morning and won’t be home until October.  Thank goodness we’ve gotten the whole Skype thing worked out.  We’re trying to figure out a way for me to get a short visit up there at some point, but it’s still a work in progress.

Breakfast was very satisfying…

Big old bowl of oatmeal at the diner.  I asked for cinnamon.  Unfortunately they gave me cinnamon sugar.  Guess I need to be more specific.  It was good anyway!

Lunch was planned as a birthday celebration  (another one?!) for Ralph’s Aunt Marie.

Isn’t she beautiful!!  She is such a sweetheart, too.  I keep telling Ralph that when I got him, I got a pretty terrific family to go along with him.  Great gift!

Family shot…Ralph, Maddie, Me, George and Aunt Marie in the seat of honor!

Oh yes, the food…Finally found something I really like at this restaurant…the Greek Salad.

So delicious.  I love that I figured out to ask for grilled Portobello mushroom on it. This was huge.  I actually had to take part home. (That may have been due to the 2 pieces of bread I had while waiting…)  I didn’t take a photo of my piece of birthday cake, but that was because I forgot, not because I was hiding it.

Late afternoon we went to a barbecue to see some friends.  It was a very nice time, mainly because there weren’t a lot of people there.  Some we knew and a few new people. Got some of the lowdown on the wedding we’ll be going to in August.  Not being a huge crowd, we actually got to get to know the new people.  I like that.  There were actually connections to other people we know.  Truly a small world.  We sat and talked until about 10pm.  I never ate a thing…still too full from lunch, just kept the iced tea coming.  A very enjoyable evening.

It’s a drizzly Sunday Morning now…Not sure what the day will hold.  Got my fingers on a book I’ve been wanting to read…Snagged it from Kristen…

Kristen is becoming my Young Adult fiction book connection.  She’s the reason I got to read The Hunger Games.  Thanks, Kristen! 😉

On such a dreary day, I’d like to snuggle with my book and a cup of tea.  That won’t likely happen, but hopefully I’ll get some reading in.

Happy Sunday!

 

 

 

Up And Out

This is going to be one of those days! 🙂

But I’m trying to start it with a smile on my face.  Should have written my post last night and scheduled it, but I was involved in some things (Does a Law & Order marathon count as being “involved in some things?”)  Regardless, here I am sprinting to get it up this morning.

Weight Watches of course is first on the agenda.  I really feel the need for going to a meeting today.  It’s been an off track last couple of weeks and I need to go in the other direction…the Right Direction!  I’m on guard now and I think I’ll get back with the flow.

After Weight Watchers, will be breakfast with my best friends Gail and Alice.  Tomorrow they leave for Maine until OCTOBER!!  I will miss them terribly.  They want me to come up to visit but because of our travel schedule, I don’t think that will be happening. We’ll see.

We have lunch plans with Ralph’s sister Maddie, her husband George and Ralph’s Aunt Marie for a birthday lunch.  I’m looking forward to it.  Ralph decorated the envelope of her card, it’s SO cute.  Now if he can just find the card!! 😦

Just yesterday we were invited to go to a picnic/barbecue for this afternoon with some old friends.  We haven’t seen them for a while so this will be nice.

Now you can understand why I REALLY need my Weight Watchers meeting this morning!  I need a shot in the arm because all of these food opportunities are for Saturday…this doesn’t even begin to put a dent in Sunday or Monday! 

So wish me luck, Cookies… I’m going to do my best…that’s all I can do!

Happy Saturday!!

 

Disco Rewind

I have to say Thank You to all of you!  Thank you for not thinking that my Disco Days post yesterday was totally cringe-worthy.  Thank you for all of you nice comments, I love it!  Now if I can just put my fingers on some of those old photos of me with my Donna hair…you will all be in Disco heaven with me!  When I find the pictures, I’ll tell a few stories.  Nothing creepy or Studio 54-ish…My Disco past was actually quite boring…mostly about the music and the dancing.

It’s been a busy week and not the best week in regards to food and Weight Watchers.  Since I didn’t go to my meeting last Saturday because of the Relay for Life, I’m a little anxious about what my result might be tomorrow.  Again I’m considering opting out of a weigh-in which is my choice as a Lifetime Member.  I’ll probably cave and weigh in any way.  I truly do better when I know what I’ve done, good or bad.  We’ll see.

I have been off track but I’m trying hard to get back on track.

This I think was Tuesday’s dinner in the Big Purple Bowl.  See I know I’m off track when I don’t remember what day it came from.  This was made with the very last of my salad fixings, not much romaine but lots of celery, red and green peppers, tomatoes, home-made dressing and Morningstar Farms veggie burger.  Adding all that crunch is becoming my new favorite thing to do.  Because there was so much crunch involved, it took me 45 minutes to eat this.  Less time for snacking later!

When the apples are getting a little funky…

I call this still life…Six Apples and a Pear… While I was cutting these up, a torrential rain and wind storm came up and the curtain kept whipping around smacking me in the face.  Finally had to close the window…very weird.

We know it’s time to bring out Crock-ette!!

There’s magic inside…

Added some apple pie spice, cinnamon and Splenda.  These so good and make a wonderful dessert/treat when I need it.   Good with oatmeal too.  Mmmm…sounds like breakfast!

Dinner last night…

This was delicious, made with the last of my cooking veggies… olive oil, garlic, 2 yellow squash, 3 small red frying peppers, snow peas, veggie broth, low-fat cottage cheese and spinach.  Topped with shredded cheese and sriracha sauce.  I really do need to get to the produce market today.  With the holiday weekend coming up it will be crazy there too.  I need to get out early.

So this caps off a busy, emotional week.  It’s been a good week in spite of everything. Again thanks to everyone.  This is shaping up into a busy weekend.  I have my fingers crossed for weigh in at WW tomorrow.  Maybe if I kept my fingers crossed, I wouldn’t eat things I shouldn’t.  Hmmmm….something to consider…

Happy Friday!!

Disco Days~

I suppose that one of the things I’ve never discussed on BCDC would seem a little embarrassing to some people.  It’ll make some people cringe.  It’ll show my age…

I love Disco…and I’m sad.

I realized that in less than a week’s time two people who shaped my musical youth are gone.

Donna Summer…

As a true Disco Diva…I had hair like Donna.  Lucky for all of you, I can’t put my fingers on any of the photos.

Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees…

Who could resist tight shiny pants, hairy chests and British/Australian accents?

I’m being funny, because I am really sad.  Because it’s the music I love.  As I’m writing this, I’m listening to Donna Summer sing No More Tears (Enough is Enough) a duet she did with Barbara Streisand.  Of course it’s Donna who shines in the song.  If you’ve never tried it…it is the Best song in the world for working out.  It builds slowly, but as you go through the almost 5 minutes of the song, it builds and builds until Enough is truly Enough!  Try it.

I thought about playing some Bee Gees but then I would be in tears.  I was a Bee Gees fan long before Saturday Night Fever when they burst into everyone’s consciousness and helped make John Travolta a star.  It wasn’t him, it was how he walked when Their music was playing.

This was the first album I had and I played it so many times, I think my Dad was ready to strangle me.  I just loved them. I don’t remember who that scary fourth guy is hiding in the background.

The voices dug deep inside me and carried me away.  It made me proud when their voices launched the phenomenon of SNF. Even as they got older their voices never betrayed them.  They were always pure and clear.

Their younger brother, Andy died in 1988.  Maurice was the first from the group to pass away in 2003, how awful it must have been for Robin to lose his twin.  But Barry and Robin carried on.  Then Robin’s illness took him.  Now I sadly think of Barry all alone.

I prefer to think of them like this…

Young and vital and hitting those high notes like no others.

Strangely enough I had a somewhat humourous “Disco Flashback” yesterday.

I was in K-Mart with my friends Gail and Alice.  There was music playing on the PA system.   Is it still called that?!  They were playing Heart of Glass by Blondie…perhaps a little more New Wave than Disco, but it still felt Disco.  I started dancing down the aisle to the music thinking nothing of it, being taken in by the music.  I expected to hear Gail make some smart comment about my dancing.  Instead I hear a man’s voice say, “You go, Girl!”  I turned around and there was an older bearded man smiling and bobbing his head in time with the music in an appreciative way.  I just smiled…

Thank you, Donna…Thank you, Bee Gees…You brought me joy and got me up and “Dancin’, Yeah!!”  For me, Disco will never be Dead!   Give me a glass of wine and I’ll tell you about my nights at Emerald City…maybe that’s a post for another day…

Enough will never be Enough…Happy Thursday!

 

 

WIAW~Not A Single Day

I Love participating in What I Ate Wednesday! You know about that, right, the Fun Food Fest thunk up by the lovely Jenn over at Peas&Crayons. It’s the most fun you can have on your computer…no seriously…it’s more fun than THAT stuff! We all join in and when you finish here at BCDC, be sure to travel over to P & C to look around, get some ideas and comment!

So my title refers to the fact that the food I’ll be sharing doesn’t all come from one day.  Actually, I can’t in truth remember what days it comes fun.  Suffice it to say…it’s here for you to enjoy.  Here goes!

Not so attractive, but this was lunch at Taco Bell. Two soft tacos, fresco style with beans instead of meat.  Try to find a cheaper lunch!

I ate half of one rice cake before I remembered I’d bought a new peanut butter-it’s a Target brand and it’s natural.  Very tasty!

It wouldn’t be WIAW without an appearance of the Big Purple Bowl with your basic major salad!  I just love these.  It reminds me…must buy beans…must cook them in crock pot…make Fran happy!!

Saturday, after a bit of recovery from the Relay for Life, we headed to the spot sure to make Everyone happy…Dunkin’ Donuts for a veggie flatbread omelette and an iced coffee…it couldn’t get any better!

The crazy people you find at DD…Ralph, Mikey and Ele!

A Greek omelette (spinach, tomatoes, onions and Feta cheese!) with sliced tomatoes when we celebrated Ele’s birthday. Major Yum!

Ice cream for more birthday celebration.  Mine was key lime pie…Yum.  I know I used this photo before, but I think it’s just too cute!

Should have ended with the ice cream but…How about some Greek yogurt?  This is the brand I get from Aldi…peach…delicious and so much less expensive than the other stores.

That’s many meals from many different days. I haven’t been doing much cooking lately but I’ll be getting back to it.  I’m not telling you about the jar of Biscoff Crunchy that’s gotten the better of me.  I’ll tell you about that next week!!  😉 Don’t forget…visit Peas & Crayons and see what’s cooking over there!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

Such a Big Number!

Good Morning and Welcome to the 500th post of Broken Cookies Don’t Count! 

I should probably be attempting to do something stupendous and exciting for my 500th post.  Truth is…It snuck up on me and if it wasn’t for the fact that WordPress tracks it for me…I would have No Idea!

Well, I guess that’s my problem…I have No Idea how to approach this.  If I were prepared, I’d say something about all of the wonderful things I’ve accomplished in 500 posts, all of the things I’ve learned all of the wisdom I’ve been able to share with all of you.

I have enjoyed writing my posts so much.  I’ve enjoyed sharing good and bad times with the people in my life.  In the last few days I realized that I’ve now written about my second Relay for Life during the time I’ve been writing BCDC.  That’s kind of amazing to me.

The biggest thing that I’ve learned in these 500 posts is that there are so many wonderful people in this world that I have never met in person and I never would have met if it weren’t for BCDC.  On television and radio, you hear so much about the evils of the Internet.  I have only found joy and friendship and support.  I’m the lucky one here. 

In recent weeks, I’ve made more new friends thanks to the Blogging A to Z Challenge. What fun that was!  But when I tell Ralph about “my friend” in California, or Nashville, or Canada, or Great Britain,  he’s amazed and a little unnerved by the fact that these people in these far away places know all about what he’s doing.  Knowing this hasn’t encouraged him to behave 😉 but regardless of that…though he might not admit it, I think he likes it! 

I know that I like it.  Of course, as always I have to thank my sweet friend, Kristen at verbs and vignettes for getting me started.  Yes, I do know her in real life.  A while ago, she posted a photo of us together and in a comment, someone asked if she knew me in “real life.”  That was the first time I realized the scope of all of this. 

My thanks to all of you for being part of my life for 500 posts.  I feel like we’re building a community.  Someone comes to BCDC, leaves a comment, someone else not familiar with that person’s blog goes to take a look and we all get to know each other.  I am so happy about what I’ve been doing here and dare I say, Yes I’m Proud for what I’ve done.  Thanks to all of you for your friendship and your support.  You are the best!

Forgot to share the sunrise from Relay Saturday morning.  It seems appropriate today.

Happy Tuesday and Thanks for being part of my 500 Posts!!