how crazy am I ............

 Ok so I have to admit I am kinda crazy.....it is hard to believe, but yes I do drive others crazy.  lol  But then if I didn't....what fun would that be I ask you...lol    At this point I could go into a long list of my crassness's...lol  but those who really know and sometimes love me already have a very good idea...lol  So I am gonna focus on one small little thing that I do........I know there have to be others who do it as well.  So stand up and be proud......

In my last blog I had mentioned that I have this monthly habit ( I call it my job) ...I do a physical inventory of both my freezers, my pantry, my cupboards and any other storage nook and cranny I have to store usable goods ( paper towels, canned soups, etc)   See that's not so bad ...right?!   Once I have this inventory I create a monthly menus..using up odds & end in addition to rotating meats, veggies etc.  Smart huh?!
You would think my food budget would be pretty low...I never over buy, or worse yet run to the store to buy something then later find that item in my pantry - I hate that!

In theory the above sounds like a great idea.   However I have to wonder why my food budget is outta control????  That's indeed is the question at hand.  I have mentioned before that when we were a military family on a fixed budget I fed 2 kids, one GI Joe hubby, and two cats...not to mention the many friends and other GI Joes who happen to stop by....ALL on $200 a month. DAMN!  Now I am spending more than $500 on one teenager, one retired GI Joe, one old cat, one old dog and one puppy plus me.........

Here is my new personal challenge......effective starting in Feb. 2011 I am on a food budget diet.  So welcome Meatless Mondays, Tofu Tuesdays, Whatever I Make & You'll Like It Wednesdays, Turkey Thursdays, Fish Fridays, Spaghetti Saturdays, and Soup Sundays.............my goal is to cut my food budget in half.   Anyone else up for the challenge?????  

So much to think about.......

.......ok so like I haven't make a real meal for my family since before the holidays..........it's been pizza, burgers, junk, and more junk.  I have to admit I actually miss cooking.  Yes I said I missed cooking - it just justed feel right wearing the cool aprons Sharon made when all I am doing it opening a box and sticking some frozen crap in the over...lol  Even Maddie is asking me when I plan to make a "real meal"  lol. Damn I am a slacker!  what to do..... what to do..... what to do

Time to get my ass in gear and tie on my fancy apron and cook!  But first I need to organize & inventory my panty & freezer, create menus and make a plan.  Oh yes - anyone who really knows me knows I am a planner!!!!  Today I will spend my day doing just that!  And of course I will share any and all of my menus, recipes and ideas!  
...more later

2011

Yeah!  I am so happy that 2011 is upon us.  I was & am ready to start a new chapter.   The end of 2010 I somehow lost myself, not sure why but could just feel a disconnect within myself.  With the beginning of 2011 I actually feel myself reconnecting with myself.  Sounds goofy huh?!   As I look back at all the wonderful things 2010 offered me I am truly thankful and blessed.  I am a very lucky woman.  I can't think about 2011 without mentioning the heartbreak, the struggles, the changes that were outta my control. NOW I like everyone has been offered an opportunity to close a chapter and start a new fresh, clean chapter in my life.  YIPPEE!

2011
I don't make new years resolutions, I set goals for myself.  Somehow goals seems to be so much more attainable than resolutions....lol  maybe just in my mind - but it works for me.  I can remember back to when I was in my early early teens, every year I made the same resolutions year after year...I continued with this till I was in my early 40's..........can you believe it?  I can't - I waisted so much time and energy planning my newest, quickest, easiest weight loss plan.  Yep - every new year since I can remember I have set some sort of crazy weight loss resolution.  Nope I NEVER lived up to it nor did I even get close...lol  How crazy am I?! 
Now at 47 I think I was just a nut case.  I look back at the photos of my younger years and I was skinny - what kind of crap was I dealing with?  Damn  I remember being so skinny my hip bones stuck out, but yet I wasn't skinny enough. No I didn't have an eating disorder......I didn't throw  up after eating (certainly didn't want to waste good food  lol).  It was crazy.  Then I hit my 30's........the years of smoking dope, drinking, cocaine, pigging out and doing it all over again caught up with me with a vengeance.  I found myself alone, tired and overweight. What a combo.  I can deal with the alone thing - after all I was alone my entire first marriage ( a whole dif story of what the hell was I thinking?? lol),  being tired is just part of the deal....it was being overweight that was the killer.  Do you know how hard it is to reenter the meat market when you have a huge rump roast???? lol

A few years later I was on the happy track once again.....new marriage, step son, new location (Hawaii) and prego!!!  Happy.  However happy turned to heartbreak when my pregnancy ended with a stillbirth.   (yep - a whole diff story for later)  Most woman at least try to drop the baby weight soon after giving birth...I on the other hand packed it on  and on......food was my friend and believe me when I say I had alot of friends!! lol  I don't even remember trying to drop any baby weight at that time........within two years I was prego again - knew it would be my last pregnancy so decided to hide from the stress of my previous loss I ate.....and ate  and ate......I gained like 100# between 2 pregnancies........and carried it around for more than 10 years.  I refer to it as baby weight..............my baby is now a teenager....do ya think it's still baby weight??? lol  NOT!  Just FAT! 

Last August my eye doctor - yes my eye doctor told me to lose weight for my eye health.....can you believe it......you know you are overweight when your eye doctor tells you to drop some weight  lol.  So I decided to take charge - I started walking, watching what I ate and can you believe I lost a little more than 20#.  YEAH!!!     

2011 One of my many goals is to continue to live a healthy lifestyle.  Making healthy choices, exercising, learning to love ME! 

I started this blog to share my garden, my cooking, baking and canning ideas with anyone who wanted to know more.  I will continue with all that domestic bliss however I have decided to add or should I say turn it up a bit but including so  so much more this year.  So feel free to join me on am incredible ride of self discovery, bliss, blessings.  I have to warn you I am somewhat trashy, always cheap and a bunch of fun.  Join me!