Day 13 of The Contentment Journal, June 14, 2019

June 14, 2019 Leave a comment

Prompt: Debt steals your gratitude. If you have debt, what’s your top emotion around the subject?

This is an easy one.  Regret.  That is the emotion I feel, so much regret.

Okay that’s over with now let’s talk about something more fun! I found miniature orchids at Grocery Outlet for $3.99. I got 7 of them, one in every color.  I immediately stopped at mom’s assisted living which is between our home and the new Grocery Outlet built in our small rural Northern California town.  She was sitting in her chair reading the newsletter Timber Ridge puts out in her chair.

I cut out a third 49er apron for Javonn and I don’t have enough left for Jaylen’s, so I need to pick up some more. Jaylen is only going to turn 4, and I couldn’t even squeeze out enough for him.   His birthday is August 29th so I have time.  These boys are the sons of my daughter’s BFF since the age of 5!  They are now 38. My daughter lives in Reno and her BFF lives in Sacramento so it’s easy to visit on day’s off occasionally.  My oldest daughter, who also lives in Reno, middle daughter, mom to Javonn/Jaylen and a bunch of other friends, all 38+ just went to a New Kids on The Block concert at Arco Arena in Sacramento.  There were a few other late 80s groups too.  They said it was a great show.  A bunch of adult women with children, all dressed in their 80s/90s garb having a blast!

I made my favorite WW dish last night:

Butternut Squash/Black bean/Corn dish:

It has 0 points if you spray the pan. I use about a tablespoon of olive oil, but I make a gob of it, so I eat it for several days.

Okay take a chopped small (or half a large) onion and bell pepper (I love red bell pepper) and throw it in the pan that has come to a pretty hot temp.  Let the bell pepper and onion cook up for a few minutes.  Meanwhile get your prepped butternut squash (cut in medium sized chunks, I buy mine already prepped at Winco in the produce department). Throw the butternut squash in too, about 2-3 cups. While that is cooking on the stove, go grab a can of black beans from your pantry (we always keep a lot of canned beans in ours), and get some frozen or leftover grilled corn too.  Canned corn would probably be okay too, I just don’t use it.

Throw everything in your large skillet and get out the chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. I put about a tablespoon of chili powder last night, about a tsp of cumin and shook the Lawry’s Roasted Garlic Salt, several times.  Stir it around.  Add riced cauliflower if you are going for a super low point meal or cook some quinoa to go with it.  One half cup of quinoa is 3 points so put that in the bottom of your bowl (or don’t) and then the butternut squash mix.  You can garnish with plain chopped coleslaw, cilantro or even avocado if you want.  It is so delicious.  It makes a great filling for a low carb tortilla also! I have been known to also throw tomatoes into the dish.  Yum.  So glad I have some in my refrigerator right this minute!

Today is all about Pyper.  I need to get with it and be in town by 8:00 a.m.!

Filed under Uncategorized, WW Lifestyle

Day 2-June 3, 2019 The Contentment Journal

June 3, 2019 Leave a comment

Um……Ok this one is not good for me.  I did not have a great childhood.  It was not as bad as a lot of people, but is was not good.

I met my husband when I was quite young, 12 actually, turned 13 in December of 7th grade.  My older sister and my husband are the way I got through my teenage years.

The prompt asked for your happy memories with your parents……ahhhh I could only come up with one each.  Maybe things will pop into my mind as I go throughout the day. Interestingly both memories involve my own children.

My second daughter, born when I was 23, was a difficult birth as she was in the breech position.  This was 38 years ago so I did not have an ultrasound and my midwife did not know she was breech until very late in labor.  I ended up birthing her vaginally and it was very hard on me physically.  I remember my husband’s family and mine were both at the hospital viewing Emily and I was just exhausted and in pain.  I don’t remember if they gave me pain medication after the birth, I’m thinking they must have……but dad  noticed how awful I felt/looked trying to “entertain” the family.  I don’t remember how it came about, but I seem to remember dad asking if he could walk me back to my hospital room.  I remember just locking my arm with his and sort of leaning/walking back to the room.  I was so grateful to get away from everyone.

Both my parents were teachers and mom was in summer break when my third daughter was born (perfect birth or so my husband says again of another “natural” birth).  I was 29, she was our surprise baby.  Mom came over every day and stayed until my husband got home.  I distinctly remember mom making me old fashioned toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato.  You know the kind you butter both sides of one piece of bread and one side of the other piece……I remember thinking those were the best sandwiches I had ever had.

Um yup that’s pretty much it for the good memories.  I’m not sure where we are going, but I’m going with it in terms of this journal.

I kept my commitments to myself yesterday and intentionally decided to work in the yard when my husband said he planned to go to the dump to get rid of the yard waste.  I love me some dump runs so I got to work!  DH made me a grilled chicken sandwich for dinner and I made some coleslaw with half Marie’s Coleslaw dressing and the other half Bolthouse Coleslaw dressing.  It is still plenty sweet but cuts way down in the points with me being on WW.  Oh I do need to track my points from yesterday.

In other news, I am paying bigly this morning for working in the yard for 2 days.  I love my bed, but my neck hurts this morning and the rest of my upper body also.  Yes I’m writing this in bed with my coffee that my DH brought me (memory foam, dual remote control adjustable king size bed).  I dread getting up this morning a bit.

I am up and decided to read my day 3 prompt in Rachel Cruze’s contentment journal.  Today’s topic is about your home…….I will ponder this today while doing my normal stay at home wife stuff and write tomorrow.

Filed under The Contentment Journal, WW Lifestyle