Gobby is an affectionate name given to my maternal grandmother, who passed away in 1999. After she died, my aunt made a cookbook out of Gobby's recipes and passed the books out to the women in the family. I love the book! It's so nostalgic for me--some of the recipes are more modern, and some are very old.
This recipe is my favorite in the book! The cream cheese and sour cream mixed together is a great combo. This is 100% the best comfort food.
I've even used these ingredients to make a lasagna, which makes the lasagna unique with the sour cream. Lots of compliments when I made that for a get-together!
16 oz (dry) small shell pasta (or radiatore)
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
16 oz ground turkey (or beef)
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce + 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 cup sour cream
8 oz cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
To assemble casserole: In a large casserole dish, layer half the pasta, and spread half the cream cheese mixture over the pasta. Then spread half of the beef mixture. Repeat layers. Top with cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 F for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Makes about 8 servings.
Before this Covid quarantine, I very rarely scrolled through Facebook... maybe once every 2-3 days! But lately, I've been on Facebook daily. It's still not my favorite social media app (I am partial to Instagram) but I've definitely been on there more lately.
This post is brought to you by a random post I saw on Facebook. Someone listed 100(!) TV shows, and I'm supposed to reply with a checkmark whether I've seen more than 10 episodes of each show. So here goes...
You never realize how much/little TV you watch until you fill out a list. Put a checkmark by the shows of which you have watched more than 10 episodes.
1. Grey's Anatomy: ✅ I started watching this from the very first episode on the day it aired, and just can't stop watching. I don't like any of the characters, but I still watch. *eye roll*
2. Stranger Things: Tried it, but I hate supernatural anything
3. The Vampire Diaries:
4. The Walking Dead: ✅ (This show was fantastic until the last four seasons or so.)
5. Fear The Walking Dead:
6. Dexter: ✅ (LOVED Dexter! Deb was amazing. And of course, Dexter himself was the best.)
7. American Horror Story: ✅ (I don't know why I watched this. I hate anything supernatural, so I must have been REALLY bored to start this one. I watched about two seasons, I think.)
8. Orange Is the New Black: ✅ (I liked the first couple of seasons of this, but then I stopped watching when the "women took over the prison" for one season (or at least the first episode--that's when I called it quits)
9. A Million Little Things:
10. This is Us: ✅ (LOVED this show until recently... lately it hasn't been as good.)
11. The Simpsons: Fun fact--Never saw an episode of The Simpsons in my life. I wasn't allowed to watch it as a kid, and then when I was an older teen, I just didn't have interest in "cartoons".
12. New Amsterdam: ✅ I'm a sucker for medical dramas, what can I say?
13. Manifest:
14. How To Get Away With Murder: ✅ (I actually downloaded a song that I heard on this show--"All of Me" by Conrad Ricamora
15. Breaking Bad: ✅ This was a great show! I watched it when it was still on the air, but a couple of years ago, Jerry and I watched it with the kids. Now Eli is re-watching it himself.
16. Sons of Anarchy: ✅ LOVED this show!
17. Scandal: ✅ I didn't finish this, but I watched a few seasons. I am not sure why I kept watching, because I am usually very turned off by anything political!
18. Riverdale:
19. The Good Doctor: ✅ One of my very favorite shows I've ever seen!
20. House of Cards: Again, politics. Nope.
21. Once Upon a Time:
22. House: ✅ This show is SO underrated! I reference Dr. House all the time. Loved loved loved this show!
23. True Detective:
24. Dr. Pimple Popper: I've watched a couple of episodes, and I'm a fan! Not more than 10, though.
25. Power:
26. Empire:
27. One Tree Hill: ✅ I got sucked into this, along with Jerry and the kids! I ADORE Sophia Bush.
28. Supernatural:
29. Family Guy:
30. Santa Clarita Diet:
31. Shameless: ✅ My very favorite TV show EVER on television. No exaggeration. So jealous that Jerry got to meet "Ian" in Chicago!
32. Pretty Little Liars: ✅ Got sucked in one summer while I was doing some craft... I can't remember what I was working on. Maybe my race t-shirt quilt? I didn't finish the series, though. I got tired of wait to find out who "A" really was.
33. Chicago PD: ✅ Jerry and I watch all of the "Chicago" shows.
34. Bones:
35. Criminal Minds:
36. The 100: ✅ (I binged this really quickly... It got weird the last couple of seasons, but I still couldn't stop watching!
37. Chicago Fire: ✅ Again, the Chicago shows.
38. Chicago Med: ✅ See above.
39. The Resident: ✅ A sucker for medical dramas--really.
40. Game of Thrones: I tried a dozen times to get into this show, but just couldn't! The dragons turned me off. I don't like shows with things that couldn't *actually* happen.
41. The Big Bang Theory:
42. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Tried a few episodes
43. Lost: ✅ I loved the first couple of episodes, but when I realized it was supernatural, I was done.
44. The Sopranos:
45. NCIS:
46. NCIS Los Angeles:
47. NCIS New Orleans:
48. Law & Order SVU: ✅ On and off over the years. It's a good show, but slow moving.
49. Gossip Girl:
50. How I Met Your Mother:
51. Blue Bloods:
52. Two Broke Girls:
53. The Office: This is Noah's favorite show EVER. One day, he asked me for a hug and he was literally CRYING... when I asked him what was wrong, he told me that The Office was over, and he was so sad that it was done! Hahaha. I've never watched it--I am not a fan of sitcoms.
54. Blacklist: Watched about 7-8 episodes of this. It was good, but not enough to make me want to keep watching.
55. Full House: ✅ Of course I watched this all the time when I was a kid!
56. Fuller House: Watched the premiere, but not past that.
57. Downton Abbey: Tried this one (so many times!), but couldn't get into it.
58. Hawaii Five-O:
59. Big Mouth:
60. Last Man Standing: ✅ A fun show for Jerry, me, and the kids to watch.
61. Six Feet Under:
62. Wentworth:
63. Friends: ✅ Yes... could it BE any more obvious?
64. That 70s Show:
65. Girlfriends Guide to Divorce:
66. Heartland:
67. All-American:
68. Greek:
69. Yellowstone:
70. Better Call Saul: I watched about 7-8 episodes of this, but I forgot about it and never went back to it
71. You: ✅ I watched this when it was on Lifetime and I had a temporary subscription for it.
72. Rescue Me: ✅ This was a great show! The first song on my running playlist is actually the intro from this show... "C'mon C'mon" by The Von Bondies...
73. Scrubs: ✅ Watched a little of this a long time ago
74. Community:
75. Letter Kenney :
76. Kitchen nightmares:
77. The Masked singer:
78. Robot Chicken:
79. Vikings:
80. Mindhunter: ✅ LOVED this show--I read the book first (a memoir) and the show was based on the memoir.
81. New Girl: ✅ I'm not usually one for comedies, but I really loved Zoey Deschanel in this.
82. The Good Place: ✅ I ADORED this show until the very last episode of the first season. My whole family was so disappointed at the twist that we didn't watch it again.
83. Black Mirror: ✅ I'm obsessed with this show! I can't wait for more episodes. This show is amazing for conversations topics and debates. It's so scary to see that these things could actually happen.
83. Lucifer:
84. Peaky Blinders:
85. iZombie:
86. Parks and Rec:
87. Brooklyn 99:
88. Handmaid's Tale: ✅ Love this show! Scary to think it could become reality one day.
89. Modern Family: ✅ It's been a long time, but I watched the first couple of seasons. Again, I'm not big on sitcoms.
90. Smallville:
91. Seinfeld: Never saw an episode!
92. Gilmore Girls: ✅ LOVE this show! Jerry and I are currently watching it. I watched it before a few years ago, but this is his first time, and he really likes it. The one-liners in this show crack me up!
93. Charmed:
94. Private Practice: ✅ No idea what possessed me to watch this, considering that I wasn't a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy, but I actually liked this show. Maybe a girl crush on Caterina Scarsone? (I know she's on Grey's now, but I like her on Private Practice before)
95. Lost Girl:
96. True Blood:
97. Roswell:
98. Haven:
99. Mad Men:
100. Arrow:
And there it is! I feel like I've watched way too much TV. But there are a lot of shows I've seen that aren't even listed here, hahahaha. One of these days, I'll write a list of my favorite shows!
I have NO idea where this post disappeared to! It showed up on my feed, but now it's completely gone from my blog. That's never happened before! Anyway, this is yesterday's post.
Today, I'm going to give a (hopefully) short recap of the first day of my 3-3-1 goals. Starting today (Sunday)...
For the next three days, my goals are:
1) Go to bed by 12:00 am. I'm going to turn off electronics and read a book (well, all electronics except my Kindle Paperwhite--which I don't use a backlight on, so it literally looks like a page in a paperback). I've found that by going to bed early, I have the energy to get up in the mornings and run within 30 minutes of waking up.
I didn't have a run scheduled today, but I do tomorrow, so I want to get in the habit of going to bed early. I can't say how well I did on this today, because it's only 9:00--but I plan to be in bed reading by 12:00!
2) Run within 30 minutes of waking up on Monday. I have 2.5 miles on the schedule, so I plan to get out of bed, throw on my running clothes, and head out the door to get it done early. On the days that I don't have a run scheduled, my plan is to walk Joey for two miles.
Today, Jerry was off work, so the four of us (Jerry, me, and the kids) took Joey for a walk to my parents' house. We haven't seen my parents at all, really, and since it was a nice day today, I thought it would be okay to go visit outside, keeping a distance of at least six feet. It felt odd, talking across the deck that way, but it was nice to have a conversation with them!
3) Cook dinner all three days (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). Since I've been having a hard time with this lately, I made a SUPER simple menu this week--so that even when I don't feel like cooking, I can take a few minutes to whip something up.
Today, I made grilled cheese. Not just any grilled cheese, but the BEST grilled cheese ever. (That's actually what I call it--"The BEST Grilled Cheese". There is an art to making a good grilled cheese, and this is perfection, if I do say so myself ;)
This is kind of a stupid "recipe" to post, considering it's "just" a grilled cheese. But it is SOOOO delicious that I had to post it.
The keys are: cooking over medium to medium low heat using oil instead of butter (which makes the perfect toasted texture), and the combination of the rye bread with havarti cheese. Don't make substitutions on this recipe!
2 thin slices rye bread
1 slice Havarti cheese (if there is an option, get the "cream Havarti")
2 tsp. extra light olive oil (the "light" just means light tasting, not light on fat or calories)
Directions:
Pre-heat skillet over medium heat (don’t be impatient with this—the best way to cook a grilled cheese is “low and slow”.
Spread each slice of bread with 1 tsp of oil (alternatively, you could put half the oil in the skillet, and the other half when you flip the sandwich). I like to spread it on to make sure each slice is covered.
Set one slice of bread in skillet, oil side down, and top evenly with the cheese. Set the other slice of bread, oil side up, on top of the cheese.
Cook (low and slow; keep on medium to medium-low heat until the bottom bread is nicely brown). This takes roughly four minutes per side, if you're cooking it low enough. Flip the sandwich and toast the other side. Cut and serve. It’s delicious with tomato soup for dunking!
I've been writing a lot lately about my "recent" weight gain (I can't even really say "recent" anymore, because it's been over the last couple of years. In December 2017, I was at about 133, my goal weight. Fast forward to now, a few months into 2020, and I'm at 179--the most I've weighed since early 2010.
As I've written several times, I've been struggling with this weight gain quite a bit lately. I've been doing a lot of introspection about why I've gained so much weight in the last couple of years, and I'm pretty sure I've narrowed it down. (I wrote about finally facing the scale here)
Here is a photo from December 2017 versus now:
Thoughts on my reasons for weight gain:
Mainly--Stress. I have been putting a lot of pressure on myself, but also with Jerry's change in work schedule, my life was thrown for a huge loop and I feel extremely overwhelmed much of the time.
Actually, "overwhelmed" couldn't be a more fitting word for what I felt in 2019.
When Jerry's work schedule changed, he started working straight days instead of swing shift (where he would work nights for a month, followed by days for a month, and repeat). When he would work nights, I got a lot of help from him as far as driving the kids around; but when he switched to day shift, I've been doing it all myself, and I feel like I live in my car. (The Covid quarantine has changed things, but I'll get to that.)
I also used to get time to myself in the evenings. The kids would go to bed at 10:00 pm, and Jerry would be working nights, so I'd have time to do what I wanted--watch TV, read a book, work on my blog or a craft, etc. When he switched to day shift, he's home every evening. (No, we don't have to spend that time together--but I really do like spending time with him! Now, I've resorted to staying up way too late after he goes to bed.)
I have always struggled with insomnia, too. But it has gotten so much worse since he's been sleeping in the bed with me every day. Jerry sleeps like a rock the second his head hits the pillow; but I toss and turn all night. I never realized (until recently) just how much the lack of quality sleep affects me.
I was starting to feel like I was reaching a breaking point just before the Covid outbreak. I was really getting concerned for my mental health, because I was feeling so stressed and overwhelmed... and I was eating to make myself feel better. Ice cream was my way to de-stress, and it (clearly) wreaked havoc on my weight.
I had also quit drinking for all of 2019 as a challenge to myself--because drinking wine would help me relax, and I didn't want it to become a problem--and when I quit drinking, I started eating more to fill that "void".
Until a couple of years ago, I never felt stress like I did the past couple of years. Yes, there were periods where I felt overwhelmed as a mom and wife; but those passed in a relatively short amount of time. The past two years, however, have just kept going and going.
This Covid quarantine, as horrible as it is--please understand that I am not at all trying to trivialize how devastating this has been for all of the thousands of people that have been affected--has changed things quite a bit as far as my stress levels go. Because I am at home all day, I finally feel the freedom to do things I really enjoy without feeling like a bad mom or wife or daughter or sister or aunt.
This quarantine isn't going to last forever (at least I hope not!) so I'm taking advantage of the de-stressing while I can. I am doing crafts I enjoy, binge watching TV shows that have been on my list forever, playing games on my phone, and pretty much anything I feel like doing. My house isn't as clean as it probably should be, and the laundry piles up for a couple of days before I finally wash a load.
But I don't feel nearly the amount of stress that I did a couple of months ago. Back then, I kept thinking that I just needed time to stop for a while so I could just take a break and breathe before going again. And this is that break.
Still, I'm not making any progress to drop the weight I've gained. I think this is because I got so used to changing my good habits into bad habits over the last two years that I'm having a hard time getting back to those good habits.
In 2009-2010, it took a long time for me to develop those good habits! At first, I was still eating junk food, but I was eating less of it because I was willing to sacrifice food quantity in order to shed the pounds. Eventually, as I tried new foods in order to reduce the number of calories I was eating, I started to gravitate to healthier options (I still ate junk food, but most of the time I was eating relatively healthy).
I started eating oatmeal all the time, and I LOVED it; I ate fruit with lunch every day; I cooked a "normal" dinner and divided it into four portions, and then ate only one portion; I learned to love certain vegetables, particularly when roasting them; I never did learn to love salad or yogurt, but I still try them from time to time in order to see if that's changed. I even developed the habit of sticking to a running schedule, no matter what else I had going on. No excuses.
They were strong habits that developed when I didn't even notice.
Over the past two years or so, I've undone all of those habits that took me at least a year to develop. I don't like the thought of oatmeal for breakfast, or tuna sandwiches for lunch, or a piece of fruit for a snack. Cooking and meal planning have not been at the top of my priority list because those things are stressful to me.
Several people have suggested having my kids and Jerry cook once a week, and I like that idea. The kids need to learn that stuff anyway, and now is the perfect time for it.
Today, I wrote a meal plan for the week (I'm starting a new 3-3-1 plan on Sunday), and Jerry went grocery shopping. (I have to admit, it was SO HARD for me to let him do it--I am such a control freak--but he did great! I gave him a very specific list and he probably did it faster than I would have, haha.) And I have a couple of meals on there that I will have the kids cook.
So, to answer the question, in a nutshell, of how I gained about 45 pounds in the last 2 years:
1) Life changes as we get older. And I wasn't prepared to change with it.
2) I didn't learn how to manage stress in ways other than eating.
3) I stopped making time for myself, which only made me feel overwhelmed and unhappy.
Whether you can relate to this or not, I don't know. I just wanted to share my introspections and observations as to what caused this radical weight gain.
I feel desperate to gain control over my habits again, and I think I need to start by controlling my stress in healthy ways. I know that running has always helped with stress and anxiety, so starting my training plan for the Detroit Half will be helpful. Even though I know I'm not going to want to hop out of bed and into my running clothes, I will feel a million times better after getting in that run.
Making time for myself is crucial, and even after this quarantine, I am going to make sure to set aside time to do whatever I want--even if it's just binge watching a TV show.
Also, I felt really good about myself when I took the time to do my hair and make-up recently (and dress in something other than stretchy black pants and an oversized sweatshirt). When I need a boost, I can make sure to do that again. (It's not always practical, depending on what I'm doing that day--when I work in the garage, I end up pulling my hair up in a messy bun and wearing my "painting" clothes that I don't mind getting dirty.)
I really like the 3-3-1 approach (setting some goals to accomplish for just three days... then resetting and doing another three day session... and then taking a day off before starting over again). I don't know how long it will help going forward, but I can't believe the difference in my mood when I did the first round--I felt fantastic!
I know a lot of you are in the same boat I am, having lost a large amount of weight and then gaining some (or all) of it back--and I thank you so much for sharing that with me!--so hopefully we can get back to our healthy habits together. Identify the problem and look for ways to solve it!
Good grief! I have been staring at this blank page on my computer, and I went through numerous lists (literally for over an hour now) and I just cannot think of anything to write about today.
I eventually decided to post a bunch of things from a Pinterest board I have called "Things That Make Me Laugh". I legit belly laughed over these when I first saw them, and I still like referring to my Pinterest board when I need a good laugh.
So, here are some of my favorites. Hopefully they make you chuckle too!
So, after finally facing the scale after avoiding it for weeks (months?) I've written a few times now about this idea of goals for just three days. Instead of thinking 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, etc, I decided to try out writing some goals to do for just three days.
Three days!
That's enough time to feel like I accomplished something, but not extremely difficult to actually complete.
Someone commented on a recent post about making three goals for three days (with one day off per week--so it would be two "three goals for three days" sessions, then a day off, and repeat). I really like the idea of choosing three goals!
I think when choosing too many goals, it gets overwhelming. That's how I've felt the last few days, because I chose several goals to work on. I'd like to try this 3-3-1 approach, and see how I do.
I've learned that getting enough sleep is EVERYTHING when it comes to running in the mornings. I had planned on running in the mornings again for another three-day set, and I just couldn't drag myself out of bed with the energy to run.
The first time I made the three-day goals, I did great! The only difference is that I went to bed early the night before. So, I think that in order to get up and run in the mornings, I need to get in bed by a decent hour. Right now, I go to bed at around 2:00-3:00 (yikes!). And then I get up (without an alarm) at 7:00 or 8:00. So, clearly, I need more sleep.
I felt really good about myself during the first round of three-day goals. However, doing my hair and make-up just seemed pointless because I spent the rest of the day in the garage working on installing insulation. So, I'm going to narrow down my goals to three--hence the 3-3-1 approach.
Insulating the garage has been fun, but a challenge--moving everything around makes a huge mess and I'm constantly having to step over and dodge things while I move the ladder around. I'm almost done though.
Today, my older brother, Brian, came over to check it out and give me some pointers. He said I should drywall the ceiling before I do the walls, and I'm super bummed about that. The ceiling is going to be a huge challenge! It's too high to do it without ladders, and I'm going to need the whole family out there helping to hold up the drywall so I can screw it in.
After drywalling the ceiling, I have to insulate it (I'm going to use a spray insulation) and then I'll finally be able to drywall the walls of the garage. I knew this would be a big project, but I didn't realize just how big until Brian explained all that to me.
Anyways, I digress... three goals, three days, with one day off after two rounds.
I have a strong feeling that tomorrow is going to be extra hard to accomplish anything (I'm almost done insulating the garage, Jerry will has his first day off in over a week, and I have a lot of housework to catch up on). I want to do well on this round of goals, so I'm going to start them on Sunday.
That means I'll do a three-goal challenge on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; and then reset for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; and I'll take Saturday off. Then repeat.
I realize I'm probably overthinking this entire thing! But right now, being cooped up at home for "quarantine", I overthink everything ;)
I'm going to write my first set of goals here now... three goals for three days:
1) Go to bed by 12:00 am. This is going to be SO HARD for me, because I am never tired that early! I don't really get tired until at least 2:00 am. To accomplish this, I'm going to turn off the TV at 11:30 and then read a book from 11:30 to 12:00. Reading makes me more tired than watching TV. I'm not going to set an alarm to get up (I always get up naturally between 6:30 and 8:00).
2) Run within 30 minutes of waking up on Monday. Since I'm following my training plan for the Detroit Half, this is important. I am scheduled to run 2.5 miles on Monday. I like getting it done in the morning. Since this is just for Monday, I am also going to set the goal of walking Joey two miles on each of the three days.
3) Cook dinner all three days. Lately, I've been asking Jerry to grab something on his way home (I've been really into Jimmy John's for some reason). We really don't need to be ordering food, because I am home and certainly capable of making a decent meal. But since I spend so much time working in the garage, I am exhausted when I come in and I don't feel like cooking.
We're supposed to get snow(!) this week, which really sucks. We got snow for the last couple of days--I don't know why I was surprised, because we always get snow in April--and it really put a damper on my mood. I was so excited for spring.
It has since melted, but I was not happy to see this!
Finally, I just have to say how stinkin' cute Luke and Riley are. I LOVE seeing pictures of them, since I can't be around them right now. I got to see them in their car for a minute, and we could blow kisses to each other, but I couldn't hug them.
Anyway, here are a few pictures. I cannot believe how big they've gotten! Remember how excited I was to become an aunt? It feels like it was just yesterday.
What good is an Easter dress if you can't get down and dirty with it?
She reminds me so much of Eli when Eli was her age! He loved "accessories"--I even have a folder on my computer called "Eli's accessories"--all photos of Eli wearing fun things like Riley in the photo above. So cute!
I've been seeing things like this going around Facebook as a fun way to pass the time, and I find it interesting to see just how much a spouse or child knows about someone. I was curious just how well Jerry knows me, so I came up with a list of questions for him to answer about me. And then I had him answer the same questions about me.
After each question, we will each reply with our actual answer. While I was searching for some photos for this post, I came across this video, which definitely highlights Jerry's personality. It cracks me up!
Anyway, in these questions, Jerry will answer what he thinks *I* will say. And then I'll reply with my actual answer.
FAVORITES:
Color -
J: Orange
K: Orange
Food -
J: Pizza
K: Pizza
Scent -
J: Curve (for men)
K: Curve (for men)
Part of my (Katie's) body -
J: Your eyes
K: My eyes, I guess. Right now, I don't like anything :(
Animal -
J: Squirrels--duh
K: Squirrels or cats--it's a tie!
Place to visit -
J: Portland
K: Portland
Pastime -
J: Playing your game on your phone
K: Woodworking
TV show -
J: Shameless
K: Shameless
Movie -
J: Forrest Gump
K: Forrest Gump
Activity to do with the family -
J: Watch a show
K: Watch a movie
Actor/Actress -
J: Tom Hanks/Susan Ward
K: Tom Hanks/Cameron Diaz
Clothes to wear -
J: Yoga pants and gray sweatshirt
K: Loose jeans and a baggy sweatshirt
Restaurant -
J: El Camino
K: Amigo's
Type of wine -
J: Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon
K: A bold Zinfandel
Phrase from a movie or TV show -
J: "IN LONDON?!" -Friends
K: "This way we don't have to sleep with our heads in the mud" --Forrest Gump
Book -
J: "A Million Little Pieces"
K: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett (FYI- I've never even read A Million Little Pieces)
QUESTIONS:
What is my greatest talent?
J: Running Coach
K: Organizing
What is a phrase or word that I say a lot?
J: "No"
K: "No no no no no!"
What is one thing that I really dislike about myself?
J: The hump in your arm
K: My weight (Bahahaha! The "hump in my arm" is something I've complained about my entire life; it's a ring of fat around my bicep that is there no matter how much or how little I weigh!)
What is one thing that I really like about myself?
J: Your compassion
K: My compassion for others
What do I (Katie) love most about you (Jerry)?
J: That I take care of you
K: Your unconditional love (seriously)
What is my biggest vice?
J: Ice cream
K: Ice cream
What is my guiltiest pleasure?
J: Games on your phone
K: Ice cream
What profession would I have chosen regardless of school, money, etc?
J: A forensic pathologist
K: A forensic pathologist
Which of our pets is my favorite?
J: Phoebe
K: Phoebe
What is my goal weight?
J: 140 pounds
K: 133 pounds
If I won an enormous lottery, what would I spend it on?
J: A truck for me
K: Buying gifts for my family, paying off their loans, etc.
What are three words that you would use to describe me?
J: Kind, compassionate, overwhelmed
K: Empathetic, shy, awkward
What is one food that I absolutely hate?
J: Italian sausage
K: Yogurt
What is my biggest fear?
J: Spiders
K: Getting Alzheimer's disease
What is something I worry about on a daily basis?
J: Everything
K: You or the kids getting hurt somehow--choking, an accident, etc.
What is something that I (Katie) would change about you (Jerry)?
J: That I'd be more of a handyman
K: That you wouldn't feel bad about yourself, for any reason
What is my biggest pet peeve?
J: There is a list... I have a list on my phone that's alphabetical. Basically everything.
K: Sounds of chewing or things like that
What am I most proud of?
J: The work you did on the house and your weight loss
K: My weight loss
What is a talent that I wish I had?
J: To be fluent in American Sign Language
K: To speak multiple languages
What would I order at McDonald's?
J: Filet O Fish with extra tartar sauce, fries, and a diet Coke
K: A Filet O Fish with extra tartar sauce, fries, and a lemonade/Sprite mix
And now, for Jerry... in these questions, I (Katie) will answer what I think JERRY will say. And then he'll reply with his actual answers.
FAVORITES:
Color -
K: Baby blue
J: Blue
Food -
K: Pork chops and rice
J: Pizza
Scent -
K: Love Spell (by Victoria's Secret)
J: New car smell
Part of my (Jerry's) body -
K: Arms?
J: Eyes
Animal -
K: Cats
J: Cats
Place to visit -
K: NYC
J: Petoskey, MI
Pastime -
K: Disc golf
J: Playing softball
TV show -
K: Friends
J: Friends
Movie -
K: Something Star Wars
J: Top Gun
Activity to do with the family -
K: Play a board game
J: Play a board game
Actor/Actress -
K: Brad Pitt/Julia Stiles
J: Tom Cruise/Natalie Portman
Clothes to wear -
K: Shorts and a t-shirt
J: Jeans and a band or Star Wars shirt
Restaurant -
K: The Point
J: El Camino
Type of wine beer -
K: IPA
J: IPA
Phrase from a movie or TV show -
K: "IN LONDON?!!!" - Friends
J: "There is no try; there is do or do not." -Star Wars
Book -
K: Anything Star Wars
J: Plagueis (Star Wars)
Thing about me (Katie) -
K: My (Katie's) butt
J: That you appreciate me
QUESTIONS:
What is my greatest talent?
K: Making people feel comfortable in an awkward situation
J: Random trivia
What is a phrase or word that I say a lot?
K: "I love your butt"
J: "How's your day, Boo?"
What is one thing that I really dislike about myself?
K: Your stomach
J: My lack of confidence
What is one thing that I really like about myself?
K: Your work ethic
J: My work ethic
What do I (Jerry) love most about you (Katie)?
K: Other than my butt? Probably how funny I think I am.
J: Your compassion
What is my biggest vice?
K: "Fancy" beer
J: Beer
What is my guiltiest pleasure?
K: Again--"fancy" beer
J: Hamm's (the most "un-fancy" beer, hahaha)
What profession would I have chosen regardless of school, money, etc?
K: A history teacher
J: Professional wrestler
Which of our pets is my favorite?
K: Estelle (If Chandler was still alive, it would be Chandler for sure)
J: Estelle
What is my goal weight?
K: 170?
J: 170
If I won an enormous lottery, what would I spend it on?
K: A trip to some Star Wars thing
J: Pay off our house
What are three words that you would use to describe me?
K: loyal, funny, laid-back
J: hard-working, loyal, easy-going
What is one food that I absolutely hate?
K: Mushrooms
J: Cucumbers ("You could make a salad the size of this house and put one tiny little speck of cucumber in it, and I can tell you exactly where the fuck it is! It overpowers everything."
What is my biggest fear?
K: Dying
J: How I'll die
What is something I worry about on a daily basis?
K: Letting your family down
J: Not being good enough
What is something that I (Jerry) would change about you (Katie)?
K: "Nothing." But since you're making me answer... you would be happier with yourself.
J: That you wouldn't have so much anxiety or stress.
What is my biggest pet peeve?
K: The fact that *I* (Katie) have so many pet peeves.
J: When people add an "S" to the names of stores like "Target's" or "Walmart's", etc.
What am I most proud of?
K: Completing Insanity--three times in a row
J: My family
What is a talent that I wish I had?
K: Doing household things like plumbing, electricity, etc.
J: Play guitar (or x-ray vision)
What would I order at McDonald's?
K: A Big Mac with fries and a Coke
J: A 20-piece McNuggets with 10 slices of cheese, fries, and a Coke (Note: Jerry used to work at McDonald's when he was a teenager, and he would regularly eat this!)
This was so much fun for us to answer! We did the answers separately, and then compared them. I was surprised how many of them matched. Clearly, Jerry knows ME better than I know HIM. But there are several of this answers that I almost wrote down and then changed my mind on!
Anyway, even if the answers don't reflect it, we can typically finish each other's sentences and know what each other is thinking in the moment. It feels like we've been together for 50 years! But in May, it'll be 21 years.
I had completely forgotten about this recipe until last night when I just couldn't think of what to cook for dinner. I started looking through cookbooks, and I came across a cookbook that my kids' elementary school had put together in 2012. All of the kids were supposed to submit recipes, and then the recipes were turned into a cookbook for each kid to keep.
Out of curiosity, I looked for Noah's and Eli's recipes, and Noah's was for "Chili Mac". I hadn't made it in AGES, and I had the ingredients to make it, so I made it for dinner last night. It was really good! I think the thing that makes it slightly unique is the addition of the condensed tomato soup.
Anyway, "chili mac" is basically just macaroni noodles with some sort of chili on top. When I worked at Steak 'n' Shake in college, I used to love eating their chili mac! And this dish really reminds me of the Steak 'n' Shake Chili Mac.
16 oz. macaroni noodles
2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from a jar, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
1 lb. lean ground turkey (or beef; my family prefers turkey)
1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook the macaroni noodles per package directions.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and the ground turkey, stirring to break up the turkey. Increase heat to high and keep stirring until the turkey is browned.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the macaroni) and stir well to combine. Simmer on low until the pasta is done.
To serve, add some macaroni to a bowl, scoop some chili on top, and then add some cheddar cheese (and/or onions, sour cream, etc.) to top it off.
I love to make challenges for myself--and they always involved 30-, 60-, or 90-day commitments (or even a year). I rarely last more than a few days. A week, if I'm lucky.
So, I had the idea to try a three-day challenge. Since three days is usually when I start to wane on any challenge, I thought it sounded like a good amount of time.
My challenge for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was as follows:
*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.
I wrote about Day 1 and Day 2. They went really well!
Day 3 (yesterday) was almost as good, with the exception of cooking dinner.
I drank a quart of water as soon as I was done with my run.
I took Joey for a two-mile walk.
My back has been in a lot of pain lately, and when it was time to make dinner, I just asked Jerry to pick up Jimmy John's on his way home from work. I couldn't stand the thought of being on my feet any longer. When he got there, they were closed. He tried a few more places, and nothing was open.
Finally, he ended up getting McDonald's. We NEVER eat fast food for dinner! But by that time, we were starving and I was just desperate. I really need to start making my kids cook dinner sometimes.
Anyway, other than the McDonald's for dinner, the day went well.
Thoughts on my 3-Day Challenge:
*I love that it's only three days! If there is something that I really don't like about it, I know that after three days, I can alter my plan.
*It pushes me out of my comfort zone, but not so far that it's miserable.
*I FEEL a lot better about myself--going for runs, doing my hair and make-up, walking Joey... it just makes me feel like I'm doing something healthy for myself.
So, I'd like to continue these 3-Day Challenges! Today, I was totally unprepared to start something new, so I didn't. But it gave me an idea. I think I'll do two back-to-back three-day challenges, and then take one day off. That will work out to a week at a time.
By taking a day off, I don't mean going crazy by binge eating and wearing pajamas all day. I mean taking the day off of running, wearing my black stretchy pants and an oversized sweatshirt, and skipping the hair and make-up. Maybe getting Jimmy John's or something for dinner instead of cooking.
So, for my next plan (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), I'm going to write different goals for each day. I'm starting back up on my half-marathon training plan, so I'm going to follow that schedule plus add in some walks.
Tuesday -
*Run 2.5 miles within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a one-mile walk.
*Work on insulating the garage.
*Cook dinner (salisbury steak and mini potatoes).
*Start knitting a sweater.
Speaking of insulating the garage, the insulation and drywall was delivered today! I even started working on installing the insulation. I'm so excited to get this project done. And to have heat in my garage in the winter!
Wednesday -
*Run 2.5 miles within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a one-mile walk
*Cook dinner (unstuffed cabbage)
*Work on clearing out inbox.
Thursday -
*Take Joey for a three-mile walk within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Cook dinner (baked ziti)
*Work on sweater or another project.
It's very similar to the last few days, but I rearranged the running/walking a little.
I really like this 3-3-1 Challenge idea (3 days, 3 days, 1 day off). I feel like breaking it up into chunks as small as three days really changes my mindset! And then I can look forward to taking a day off after the second round. :)
