Still got my Touch!

Cream Puffs... the world's most temperamental pastry next to meringue and divinity candy! But I made then today and they turned out perfect. :) I haven't attempted them here in South Carolina yet, because of all the humidity. But I was sweetly surprised and the chicken salad filling was to die for... I wish all of you could have been here to try them.

You can find the recipes to both the cram puffs and the Chicken Salad Filling on my Food Blog at...

THE PANTRY LIFE

Beacon from Afar...

Today is National Lighthouse Day, it seems so fitting here at the beach that it would be rainy and foggy. Makes me stop and think about all the lives that have been saved by the beacon from afar... Much the same as the testimony I have of my Heavenly Father and the light from afar that he send my way everyday.

Journaling on...

     You know... after I posted yesterday I got thinking about some of the reasons why I actually started this blog, because I have two other blogs that service my crafty/food needs and then the family/genealogy blog that I post stuff on, so I really didn't need another blog to mess with. But I wanted a blog to keep track of my biggest loser/marathon adventures on, probably more or less, so that my kids could understand why I was being "SO STUPID" just in case it really did kill me.
       The big race came and went and I didn't end up running, feeling like I let everyone down, I didn't post anything for awhile. Then in April, I felt the heavy urge to share my "Afternoon Tea" story and a couple of days later another strong urge to post and then another and so on.   
       Now I have discovered, after reading back over some of my posts, that this blog has become more of a journal for me. Which, by the way, has not been one of my stronger lots in life. So, I have decided that I am going to keep this blog going... Some days my post may not make a lot of sense and some days they will probably seem like ramblings, but the truth of the matter is that everything I post it true and from my heart. And mostly for my kids, since they all like to read and they don't like my "Long Stories (Lectures)". They, and all of you, are welcome to read any of my posts at your leisure.

Where has the summer gone?

I can't believe that it is August 1st already. Where has the summer gone? Today I feel like a giant blob!! I have eaten so much bad food energies since I have returned from Utah. And I know my weight is starting to creep back up there. So, I think it is time to pull out the tape and do a little preventive measuring....

Where am I today?

Arm ---- 15 inches
Wrist ---- 7 inches
Chest ---- 44 inches
Waist --- 40 inches
Hips --- 50 inches
Thigh ---- 27 inches
Ankle ---- 10 inches


WOW... some very interesting data. I am down more in some areas than I thought and not so much in others. In fact my chest area has gone up 4 inches, while my waist has went down 6. I am excited because over all, I have went from a 1XL/XL to a solid Large and my pants have went from 20/22 to a comfortable 16/18. (this data is compared to where I started three years ago, same time)

<<<<<< YEAH ME >>>>>>

DEFUNKING MY RUT!

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and you feel like you may be losing your edge? Well, I did a couple of mornings last week... not that I really care, because I could blame it on my age or the fact that I really haven't been feeling well at all this year. (still could be my age... menopause, you know!) But the one thing I know is I have to get out of my rut. So... I have spent the morning devising a plan called

" DEFUNKING MY RUT" 

 

I soon realized there were several things I was going to need to include in my plan...

A RUN ON THE BEACH (to help me feel like I am still losing weight)

FLYLADY (to help me get my house back in order)

CARD CHALLENGE (to help me spend time on myself)

FISHING (to help me find peace and patience in the world around me)

 

So today this is my plan... 

• Get up and go for a run on the beach, it was awesome. The sky was clear and temperature was just right. A Perfect morning at the beach. Did I lose weight???? probably not, but at least I feel better!

  • Next: Move my FLYLADY list from my Craft blog to this one so that I would see it everyday. I have slipped out of my daily routine and my house has not had it's "weekly home blessing hour" for quite some time. For those of you who are not familiar with FLYLADY, let we introduce you to a lifesaving friend of mine... Check her out at www.flylady.net and start with the baby steps lessons. Then I completed the tasks in Zone 3, for today.

•  Now to find an uplifting Card challenge that will work both as a crafty project for myself and I can slip a visiting teaching message in it, to send out to the sisters that I visit teach each month. See more details at www.anniespantry.blogspot.com

   

  • Then I am going fishing.... !!!!!!! You can find the recipe here at my food blog. www.thepantrylife.blogspot.com

  
  

  
  

Sweet Shoppe Sunday

Today is National Ice Cream day... This summer Coldstone is featuring some fun retro classics, like hot fudge sundaes, turtle sundaes, banana split royals and my favorite ROOT BEER FLOATS. We also have new Chocolate Malt and Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream. So go see my crew for a sweet treat for the beach on this awesome Sunday afternoon.

 

French Fries & Flip Flops...

Today is National Fry Day.... and I can't think of a better way to spend the day than too grab my fry-loving family, put on the rainbow flip flops and make it a FRY-DAY at the BEACH!!!
 

How to Make a Perfect French Fry

If you own a deep fryer, you can make really good fries... HINT: cook them twice. The first cooking is for cooking the inside of the fry and the second to give it a crunchy exterior.

• Use potatoes that have a lower percentage of humidity - Idaho Russets are the best.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them in fries that measure about 1/3 inch on a side. To save on time, try using a French fry cutter.
• Wash the cut potatoes with cold water to eliminate the starch which can cause the fries to stick to one another.
• Cook the fries a first time at 325°F (160°C) for four to five minutes. Remove them and drain off any excess oil.
• As they are cooling, heat the oil to 375°F (190°C) and add the potatoes again, frying shortly until golden brown on the outside.