LADDventure

Thankful Thursday - Mother-in-Law Edition

A picture that I'm sure she's going to love me for, from a family trip to Seattle a few years back.  One of my faves of Mr. Ladd and his mama.

My mother-in-law is coming into town tonight for just a long weekend.  For most this may not induce gratefulness, but my mother-in-law is actually quite lovely!  She is hands down one of the sweetest, most supportive people I have ever met.  She also happens to be one of my favorite people to go antiquing with and have what we call "kitchen talk," which entails standing around the kitchen, usually after she makes a strong pot of coffee, and gossiping.

Not to mention, she is one of the few people who are as crazy about and entertained by our dogs as we are.  These are the kinds of things that occur when Grandma and Grandpa are around at Christmas.

It also usually means a full house as Jeremiah's brother and our niece will stay over a couple of nights too when she's here.  I do love a good house guest or 3!  So, while taking a quick break from making guest beds and vacuuming, here are the things I am thankful for right this minute besides a house full of family:

1.  Coconut iced latte - My new drink of choice, until pumpkin spice latte season of course.
2.  Not having to set up a classroom right now with poorly working A.C. (Sorry teacher friends, I'll
    bring you lunch next week)
3.  Febreze - it really is a lovely finishing touch when cleaning up
4.  Sidekick pups who faithfully lay on the nearest area rug holding stuffed alligators in their mouths,
     ready to play at a moment's notice
5.  1 more week until BlogHer '12 and Newsies in NYC!
6.  Mr. Ladd, who works so hard even with a bad cold :-(
7.  New opportunities to work on my children's book...more details soon

Hope you're having a fabulous Thursday.  Weekend's almost here!

Wordless Wednesday

Planning

 

One of my favorite sayings is "proper planning prevents poor performance."  Lest you be fooled, it is not my favorite because I faithfully live by that motto, it is my favorite because I constantly need to be reminded of that fact, and because I love alliteration.  Last week I felt scattered and haphazard about things, and it showed in both my weight loss and what I got accomplished for the week.

In order to remedy that situation, today was planning day.  I missed a chiropractor appointment this morning thinking it was scheduled for a different day, even though I was looking right at the appointment in my Google calendar. I have decided I am just not an electronic calendar kind of girl.  I am a paper/pencil type and need a paper planner to stay organized.  So today, I sought and found a big ol' planner to physically write down every tidbit of information.  I've decided I will also still be putting appointments into my Google calendar so it's accessible on the go even if I don't have my planner with me, but am happy with the switch.

I always used to get a new planner at the beginning of the school year.  A cheap August-August academic year calendar from Barnes and Noble was my favorite.  August will always be the start of a new season for me no matter how removed from school or teaching I am.  August smells like sharp pencils and new beginnings even this year! There was a spot to keep dates and to-do's straight in one place.  In college I used it religiously, because I loved having everything in one place, so I was looking for something similar.  I found one even better at Target.  So now I am happily cracking this spiral bound beauty open and filling in dates while inhaling that new planner smell.

 

Look it even has a menu planning spot for the week!

It's the little things.

WAIST Management 1.7

Current Weight:  183
Weight Gained This Week:  3.2 pounds - wtf ?
Total Weight Lost: 3 pounds
 
So frustrated today.  This is delayed today, because when I went to blog about that fabulous weight GAIN, and get support from my online peeps, my newish laptop would not turn on.  A couple of hours and phone calls by my husband later and it turns out I have a bad motherboard.  Grrrr.  So I am blogging this from my husband's machine 'til mine gets fixed later this week. 
Don't know what the fondue happened on the scale this week, because even if I was to eat McDonald's every day (which I did not I assure you), 3.2 pounds would be a lot of weight to gain in one week.   So, I have decided that water is the answer, both because I think a lot of that is water weight, and because I have not been drinking nearly enough this week, so water will be my one of my main focuses this coming week.  Looking back, I think I did have a lot of salt and it's nearing that lovely time of month, both of which can lead to some major water retention, but come on, 3.2 pounds!?!  I have also just really been struggling in general with organization and follow-through the latter part of the week - in all kinds of areas. I mean, Sunday - Wednesday I do a great job of tracking what I am eating and intentionally getting some exercise.  I even am better about other things like writing, sticking to my house cleaning schedule, and making planned meals earlier in the week.  By Thursday I find myself slacking off and having a hard time focusing on the things I need to get done and maintaining healthy habits.  
I have a few goals this week for myself that will hopefully help turn this tubby train around:

Drink water  - Again, the goal is 90 oz. a day, and when I'm doing that I always feel less hungry and more energetic.  A lot of times, when you think you're hungry you're really just thirsty.

Track food and exercise every day this week - Even Thursday - Saturday, do it.

Make dinner every night this week - Plan it using healthy ingredients and stick to the plan.

Report those goals specifically in the WAIST Management post next Sunday -  A little extra accountability never hurt anyone.

Wordless Wednesday - kind of

Ok, so this is not going to technically be Worldess Wednesday as there are words in my instagram picture, and I'm so excited that I figured out how to embed said instagram picture into a blog post that I just have to write about it. I found some info on that here,  played around with it, and voila!  The power of googling something never ceases to amaze me.

Also I wanted to share how much I love this handmade print in our office.  I love decorating with words, and this is a cute reminder to the messy one (me) who uses our shared office about the peace that order brings.  It was my very first Etsy purchase a while back, and I also got this one for my husband for Valentine's Day :-)  It appropriately resides in our master bathroom and makes us smile every time we use the poo closet. 

Zucchini Bonus

2 blog posts in one day, this one filled with zucchini. You're welcome. 'Tis the season for ripe zucchini at the farmer's market.  I always seem to forget about this guy until late summer and am always pleased when I remember all the tasty stuff I can make with him.  We all know this versatile veggie (or is it a fruit?)  has been the star of many a loaf of zucchini bread, but I've got a couple different things for you to try.

This first one is not your mother's zucchini recipe....

                                                                                                                              ... it's my mother's!

   

This was one of my favorites growing up, and Mr. Ladd is now a big fan as well.  (Cautionary note:  I failed this recipe miserably the other night, because I bought huge "boat zucchini" at the farmer's market and they are NOT suitable for baking.  I think they are just used for serving food and are more matured than their smaller zucchini counterparts.  Not easy to shred and very bitter in the cake I destroyed earlier this week.  But it is a tried and true recipe, and I will triumph with "non-boat zucchini" when I retry it for a gathering with friends later this week.)

 Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake 

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter (softeened)                     1 T baking powder

1 1/2 C sugar                                     1/2 t cinnamon

3 eggs                                                 2 C shredded zucchini

1/2 C oil                                             1 C chocolate chips for top of cake

3 t vanilla

1 3/4 C flour

1/4 C baking cocoa

2 T baking soda

Directions:

1.  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together

2.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beat well

3.  Beat in oil and vanilla

4.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon in separate bowl

5.  Gradually add dry mixture to creamed mixture

6.  Fold in zucchini

7.  Spread in greased 9 x 13 pan

8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

**Don't under cook or it will be too gooey!**

______________________________________________

This next recipe is a yummy, creamy side dish, but far better for you than mashed potatoes or pasta.  I modified it from the recipe that came with our Chow Locally produce box this past week, and it was easy and delish.  Mr. Ladd went back for seconds and thirds and ate them right out of the dish, which is how I know when a recipe meets his approval.

Summer Squash Gratin 

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 summer squash, cut into ¼ inch rounds
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 2% milk (I used sour cream because we only had almond milk in the house.)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped (or dried thyme, whatev)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumb (I used ghetto crushed Saltines, and I would highly recommend.)
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated (I used cheddar, but I think Gruyere would have been better.)
 

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-high heat for about
    5-6 minutes.
3. Add in zucchini, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Cook, uncovered for about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and the milk and cook over low
    heat for 3-4 minutes, until sauce thicken. Stir in fresh thyme and remove from heat.
5. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 inch baking dish.
6. Sprinkle panko and cheese on top of the zucchini mixture. And bake for 15 minutes, or
     until bubbly and browned
 

Nutrition Facts for one serving (1/6 of casseroles): 110calories; 9g total fat (6g saturated fat); 5g
protein; 3g carbohydrates (1g fiber); 25mg cholesterol; 500mg sodium

WAIST Management 1.6

Current Weight:  179.8
Weight Lost This Week:  2.2 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 6.2 pounds

Goodbye to the 180's for good!  6 weeks - about 6 pounds. That's an average of a pound a week, which is a sustainable, healthy rate at which to lose weight.  I am thrilled with that, but excited to kick it up a notch by staying strictly to my points tracking on Weight Watchers and not getting lazy.  I tend to get a bit complacent when I start losing weight and think, "Oh, I got this!  I have healthier habits now, and I know about how much I can eat, and I don't need to keep track of every little thing."  The fact is I do need to keep track of every little thing and not get lazy with keeping myself accountable for my food and activity choices. I clearly don't "got this" because it took me way longer than 6 weeks to gain the weight, and it will take me way more than 6 weeks to change those bad habits.  That's not to say I can't have an Oreo (or even 4) if I have an insane craving for Oreos.  This may or may not have happened this week.  But, I do need to track it, be a grown-up, and own it as a food choice that affects my daily points usage.  The little things do matter because they add up to one big thing, and I don't want that one big thing to be my booty! 

Looking Back on The Week

This is the first week since I have started the blog that I have actually posted something every single day, and it has been awesome. I'm hoping to stick to that schedule with regular features like Waist Management on Sundays, Wordless Wednesdays, and Random Reading on Fridays.  In between it will be any myriad of adventurous and lovely things.  Having a set schedule to write for a couple hours every morning has made all the difference.  It has given me purpose throughout the week as I look at things differently, collecting pictures, phrases, and bits of stories to tell. I caught up with a few friends and family over the phone, and discussed all things bloggy with my next door buddy.  I enjoyed the rainy nights, made a killer summer squash gratin (recipe coming soon), and conquered some pesky technology.  But other than that, I spent a lot of time by myself this week just thinking, reading, and writing.  I haven't had the time to do that in quite awhile, and it was perfect.  The rest of this weekend will include napping to golf on the T.V., volunteering at a doggy rescue, celebrating a friend's birthday, probably some pool time, and making an amazing chocolate chip zucchini cake (this recipe also coming soon).  I'll be literally weighing in tomorrow with a new WAIST Management post.

Rainy Random Reading

Monsoon season has started here in the Valley of the Sun.  It's that lovely time of the summer that comes along just when you think you can't take the days of blowing dust and blazing sun any longer.  Around sunset the layered clouds start rolling in shadowing the mountains as they undermine the sun. The wind cuts through the dead air and sways the palms.

The night cools down enough to sit on the patio for a lightning show with your hair blown back and a sweating glass of iced tea.   Then comes rain.  The smell of dampening dust and refreshment hangs in the air, and the other night I literally drank it all in. Stood out in the rain with my face up to the sky, mouth and arms open wide.  Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder when it comes to precipitation.

On that note, here's some reading material for your (hopefully) rainy weekend.  Most of them are links to the best things I read online this week, but I do have to mention that I'm currently reading the best rainy day book, Tana French's In the Woods.  It is mysterious and creepy, but heartfelt and engaging at the same time.  Lovely to read with rumbling thunder in the background.

Perfect Iced Coffee (The Pioneer Woman)

Finally found a cold brew iced coffee recipe that looks doable, and I tend to trust whatever Ree Drummond says, so it is currently brewing.  Hopefully this will be a staple in our desert fridge at all times.

7 Years of Blogging (Sarah Bessey) 

I originally clicked on this one because Laura of Hollywood Housewife recommended it, and I also trust whatever Laura says.  Great thoughts and encouragement for me about writing and faith.

Eating Chicken-Solving Problems (Dinner a Love Story)

I had not seen this blog until Shauna Niequist mentioned the post.  I also infinitely trust her opinion. (are you noticing a theme here?)  Great theory on what coming back to the table together could accomplish, and why sitting down to share a meal with people you care about is so important.

Spoiled Rotten (Elizabeth Kolbert)

I think this one has been circulating for a while, but it is a must read.  It so interestingly and accurately describes the biggest problem I saw as a teacher.

LIES (The Bloggess)

Lately discovered the Bloggess and can't get enough.  I just finished her hilarious memoir, Let's Pretend This Never Happened.  It is absolutely laugh out loud by yourself on an airplane and shoot pretzel crumbs out of your mouth while reading it - that kind of funny.

Happy Weekend!

Coffee Shop Fraud

Today I am writing from the coffee shop.  This is what writers do right?  I am thoughtfully sipping on a coconut iced latte.  Shoot, this is probably not what writers drink.  It should probably be an earl grey tea or perhaps a triple espresso;  something more sophisticated.  But maybe a coconut iced latte is ironic and therefore an acceptable author beverage.  Plus, it's July in Arizona, so coconut iced latte it is.
After eating some breakfast, I spend an inappropriate amount of time connecting to the wireless at the coffee shop and proceed to check facebook and every blog on my reading list like it's my main objective today. 
Enough of that.  Down to business.  My headphones are in place, so I can appear appropriately aloof.  But I'm nosy, and Iron & Wine is not drowning out the conversation of the social workers next to me who are clearly in need of some social work themselves. So I think I will have to switch to something a little more upbeat.  The Lumineers.  There we go.
Man it's cold in here, maybe this is why authors drink earl grey and espresso in sweaters that are way too big.  Now that would be ironic...a sweater in July in Arizona.  Note to self...bring sweater next time. 
Dude! Why is my computer restarting!?  Windows update?  Now?  Really?
Ok, back up and running.  So, I'm clicking away on my laptop across from the funky red couch.  I try to instagram (can that be a verb?) a picture of said red couch with laptop and funky striped shoes in the frame, but my phone is not cooperating.  I'm tired of its lies of wireless and 4G.  Now I'm instant messaging my husband, who is also supposed to be working, about how much I NEED a new phone. Now he's sending me links to phone options. We'll talk about it when I get home.  I'm trying to write here!
Social workers left.  Good.  Now to some serious writing.  Oh wait, I have a new email in my inbox.  It's from my fellow blogger neighbor. Oh goodie!  I should check out that blog she recommended now too.
Note to self...Disconnect the wireless and do some real writing next time.
Oh boy, 2 moms clearly outnumbered by their children just sat down next to me.  Bagels, cream cheese, and cupcakes are involved.  One of the boys is not wearing a shirt.  He will be wishing he had both an earl grey and a sweater in a moment.  I think I'm going to need to switch the music on my headphones to Dr. Dre.