---STS 6 month alumni week of May 29th---

Cendrine, thanks for sharing the pictures! What amazing scenery!!! Did you feel a bit homesick while you were there? I mean about living in the USA instead of Switzerland.

Oh, we know all about the Harry Potter park! We've been following the progress for a couple of years. We could see parts of it last time we were there. It opens June 18, the crowds in the first year are going to be crazy! We were planning on waiting for another year to go but the Cathe roadtrip might just entice us to go sooner. I collect airmile points where I grocery shop and on my credit card and can usually pay for most of our trips with points so doesn't cost us much. Hope the jet lag wears off soon!

Hope everyone had a good holiday! Yes, last week was our holiday, none today.

We had 110 mm of rain over the weekend!!:confused: Our house was fine but many of the houses flooded in the city! On the news today they were showing the house development where we are building, it was hit hard and many of the partially built home were flooded. So thank goodness, they haven't started to build ours yet! A 90 year old church was hit by lightening and it's steeple fell off. Quite the stormy weekend! I'm not sure if my garden will survive:(:( It looked like a lake on Saturday afternoon.

Rachael Well at least you got a new tap:confused: Is everything fixed now? Any possibilty of posting the spinach chicken and mushroom crepe? That sounds like something I would love! We went to the movies yesterday, ds and DH saw Ironman 2 and really liked it. DD and I went next door and saw Shrek 4.:D

Jo, how did the chips turn out? I gues your heel is feeling better??
 
We didn't do too much around here. I made some fresh salsa today (funny you mentioned that, Rachel!) and am dehydrating some tortilla chips as well, Jo! LOL!
We also went to Home Depot to get some things for sqare foot gardening, then dh and ds set up the boxes this afternoon and we planted some tomato, pepper, eggplant, squash and corn plants that we bought at whole foods. We mixed the soil with our very first batch of home made compost! I feel so green! LOL!
Kim, I had a feeling you would know all about the park! LOL! Good idea to wait. I do miss the landscape of Switzerland and the ability to just go out in it, but I am so americanized that I find it hard sometimes to feel comfortable with people and their swiss way of thinking and doing things... It's stuff you don't think about until you are around them and realize you really have changed...
Wow, you had quite the storm! I hope that when your house is all finished it will not be vulnerable to flooding!
My kids went to the pool this afternoon after our gardening project was over. No rain in sight here. In fact, the hills are already their arid brown, even though we just had rain about three weeks ago... With everything here being kept green with sprinklers in the neighborhood, it is sometimes easy to forget that this really is desert area, were it not for the sprinklers...
I'll be back with the spinach Mushroom crepe recipe
 
Spinach, Chicken and Mushroom Dinner Crepes

1 large egg
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup skim milk
olive oil cooking spray
1 cup onions, chopped
4 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
10 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped (2 cups)
2 tbsp dry white wine
4 cups baby spinach
1 tsp dried tarragon
3 oz neufchatel cheese or soft goat cheese (chevre)
1 oz lowfat swiss cheese, finely shredded
2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped

1. In a blender, combine egg and egg whites, flour and milk. Process until well mixed, scraping down sides of blender jar to incorporate flour well. Chill blender jar full of battr in fridge for 1 hour. Remove blender jar and put back on base; pulse to remix batter. Heat an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium high heat. When hot, mist with cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup batter, then swirl to coat pan. Cook until crepe is set, about 1 min. Run a spatula around edges and flip, cooking for just a few seconds after flipping. Invert pan over a cutting board to drop crepe onto the board and allow crepe to cool. Repeat until you have 8 crepes.

2. Mist a cast iron or nonstikck skillet with cooking spray and saute onions over meduum heat. When onions start to soften and brown, about 5 min , add mushrooms and chicken and stir. Over medium high heat sear chicken undisturbed for a few min to allow it to brown nicely. Once browned, stir occasionally until chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are tender, about 5 min. Add wine and cook, stirring unil wine reduces by half. Add spinach and tarragon and stir, turning leaves until they are wilted and bright green. Move contesnts of pan to 1 side and add neufchatel cheese ot the other side. Mash nefuchatel cheese with your spatula to melt then stir into chicken mixture. Remove skillet from heat and allow mixture to cool slightly.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Assemble crepes, measure 1/4 cup portions of chicken mixture into the center of each crepe, then roll up and place on a baking pan or casserole. Top with swiss cheese, dividing evenly, and bake for 20 min. Garnish with tomatoes and serve.
 
Good Morning Yall!

Well it was CCC today and that is one tough workout! Do I say that every time?:p It is funny, I get so sweaty that when I have to do anything with a roll back, I slide across my mat the first time. Even though it happens the first rep every time...it catches me off guard! lol

Today I am going to finish sealing the ceiling so dh can get the light in. Maybe this after noon...that would be fantastic!


Kim-Sorry about the flooding. This is uncommon for yall, isn't it? Sounds like yall are getting some of our rain and a little from every where else too! I am glad your new house was not affected!
Everything is fixed with the plumbing now. Lets just hope nothing else happens for a while.

Cendrine- I remembered...I was going to comment on how you said the people in Switzerland are not as friendly..I felt the same way about Croatia. When we got to the real touristy areas the people were more friendly but when were in the small towns they were really standoffish. I know it is just the way they were but it took me a few days to get used to it and not be offended and saddened by it. I know that probably sounds stupid but I had never been any where over seas before and was not ready for everyone to be so cold.
Have yall done a garden before or is this your first one? If you haven't I picture you having a NEON green thumb and being superb at it! Mean while I am killing my fern as we speak! LOL

Jo-I hope the weird weather is not bringing on another migraine! I have never heard of Brooks shoes before. How do you like them?

Better go. I am so sore in my chest and tri's, it is going to be fun holding my arms above my head all day! lol

TTYL
Rachel
 
I didn't work out yet today due to technical difficulties, but dh is working on it! I am so lucky to have tech support in the house 24/7! LOL! I would really have to sit down and learn some things if I didn't! ...

Rachel, we have played with garden herbs and such before, but everything herby that is not by nature a bit woody, didn't make it in our soil and climate. I used to have a great green thumb when I was growing up but I can't be bothered any more, too many other things that need taking care of.... :rolleyes: Maybe when everyone is more self-sufficient I'll get back into it. Dh is the one that cares more for gardening at this point. I love a beautiful garden but not enough to put in the time reqcuired. But dh will keep things alive....LOL!

Hi Kim and Jo!
 
I am diligently using up my veggies one day at a time. Today for lunch I sauteed
some yellow squash with a poblano and an anaheim and through in a few strips of chicken and right at the end I added some cherry tomatoes. Then I threw that into a wrap and that was lunch! Yum. Esp the tomatoes. Tonight I am trying that recipe for the stuffed patty pan squash that I told yall about and then I have southern green beans w/ new potatoes simmering away. Then I will throw the pork chops on the grill and voila! Dinners almost all from the garden!

Cendrine-How lucky that your dh is technical and good outside too! Normally you get one or the other! LOL I can not wait to hear about what you do with your garden fair.
There are not too many veggie recipes in this months CE so I am hoping that the next one has lots of recipes for summer vegetables.

Kim and Jo Hello hello hello!

TTYL

Rachel
 
Hi Everyone! Wow I came back to a very busy day at work!

I just realized I forgot to take my tortilla chips out of the dehydrator. They finished after I went to bed and totally forgot about them this morning! :eek: Cendrine, thanks for posting that recipe! It looks good!!!!

Kim, oh my gosh! Have you washed away? That sounds like a horrible storm! I bet your garden will be okay...it'll just be lapping up the water for a while! Tonight I will test my heel with my new shoes at the gym with BodyCombat! Wish me luck!

Rachel, you're moving full steam ahead on those vegetables! Can't wait to hear how your squash turns out! I ended up making that Tuscan vegetable dish last night except I used sweet potatoe since I didn't have any squash and I didn't have any rosemary but had everything else. Also, I didn't use as much olive oil as it suggested. It was really good! The guys had it over rice but I just ate mine by itself.

Cendrine, how did your salsa turn out? I emailed CE about my magazine. I've been meaing to ask you if the Chiro was having you make any more treats for them? I was watching something on Discovery last night about this woman that is making healthy meals for an elementary school in DC or somewhere on the east coast and for some reason thought of YOU! LOL! It was a little pilot program and she was doing it out of her house.

Okay, back to work! Check on you all later!

Oh Rachel, Brooks is a very popular brand like Nike, Addidas and Asics. They've been around a long time. In fact my very first pair of running shoes way back when were Brooks! (I won't say when "when" was but it was way back "when!") LOL!
 
Rachel, all those veggie meals sound so yummy! Makes me want to pull out the grill! What are southern green beans? I am assuming it has to do with special seasonings, spicy, I wonder?
I'll let you know about our garden project as things grow! I really would like some berry bushes and fruit trees in our yard, as I think they would be a much better investment than vegetables that you have to buy new every year. Berries, they just keep on coming. But I am not sure how they would do in our little yard. As hot as it gets here in summer, the yard has a lot of shade and the soil keeps losing all the good, fertile stuff, so I don't know how well anything would continue to grow unless it was native to this area. I suppose I could grow coconuts and dates....LOL!

Jo, your dinner sure sounds good too! So much yummy stuff to make this time of year! The Chiro asked for one more big batch of chocolates but then stopped as it was going to her dh's tummy...:rolleyes: Apparently he was having eight a day instead of just a couple... Same reason I don't make that treat too often at our house. So hard to stop!

NBC finally had the BL finale online so I watched it today. I love seeing how far they have all come! What do you all think of the new show 'loosing it' ? Do you think you will be watching it? Or will you stick with TBL?
 
Just a quick post for me, finished my Insanity workout DH did it with me. Today the Grades 4-6 held their spring concert at the school, it was quite long so a busy evening. Tomorrow the Grades 7 and 8 will be having their band concert so back to the school again.

I was checking out my garden after work, it looks like the garden has survived the flood:rolleyes: Most things are coming up, the lettuce, beets, peas, carrots and onions. It was dry again the house so put in the tomatoes yesterday just waiting till it dries out a bit more to put in the cucumbers.

I think I will try out the new show Cendrine.
 
Hi Guys! Quick note as it's bedtime! I've had an incredibly busy day...didn't get home until 7:30 so missed my gym workout and so NO workout at all today. Anywho, I decided to do the June rotation so am going to start that tomorrow but I'll modify cardio to fit my spinning schedule or substitue as necessary. I'll start tomorrow with ME.

Cendrine, YES wasn't the TBL finale amazing?? I'm finishing watching the new Jillian show right now. Very emotional show tonight...even Jillian was crying! I think it'll be good. Anyway, weren't the TBL transformations amazing? Oh my gosh those participants are so inspiring!!! They just prove that you can do ANYTHING if you set your mind to it!

Kim, did you catch the new show or tape it? I'll bet the concert was fun! I knew your garden would survive! Plants are so resilient! I love how DH works out with you! My DH said tonight that after next Dr appt he should be released to workout at the gym (no weights yet). He's still doing PT 2 times a week. The Dr said after last visit he could do treadmill but DH said he can do that at home! I've been trying to get him to just come sit in the therapy pool but he's not interested to go down there and just do that.

Okay, off to try AGAIN to finish my book. I finished it but couldn't stay awake to read the epilogue.

Rachel, whatcha got cooking for tomorrow?
 
Good Hump Day!

I can not believe it is the middle of the week already! My time off is flying and I feel like I am not getting half the stuff I wanted to get done complete but oh well!:rolleyes: Sometimes it is just hard to get all my little things done when DH is around. Is it like that for yall?

This morning it was GS legs and whoo wee my legs were talking to me. It is crazy how many variations of exercises that Cathe can come up with to hurt ya! LOL

Not sure what is on tap today except I have to go to the bank. I was doing my monthly bookkeeping the other day and I noticed that a restaurant that we dh went to lunch at one day charged him 10$ more than his ticket. I have no idea what to do about it but I am going to see what the bank says to do. I know it is just 10$ but what if they did that to everyone that day and no one said anything! They would have made a killing!

Jo-SO glad you finally figured out you rotation! Doesn't it feel good to at least have a direction. I am so bad about making up my own so I am glad Cathe has yrs of rotations to choose from!
I guess since I live in a small area we only get the common brand names around here..i.e. Nike, Addidas , Asic...etc. I am sure I would be stunned to know my options..LOL
I will probably go picking again this weekend so I might just make that Tuscan dish!

Cendrine-As I have said before I have a black thumb but I know dh's step dad has berry bushes and they do great in the heat we have. I am not sure about shade though. His are pretty much in full sun. I know what you mean about investing in something that keeps on giving but I know veggie prices here can get pretty high so maybe the investment in the plants once a yr is a good one for yall esp. since everyone in you r family eats them. I would rather give my FIL some money everytime I go pick that way I feel like I am contributing and helping him get rid of his excess all at the same time!

Kim-You sound like you have a green thumb too! It seems like more and more people are going to gardening these days! My friends live deeper in the woods that I do so they have to leave there dog in the garden at night to keep the deer out. Last yr. the deer pretty much wiped them out!
Are dd and ds in the concerts or are yall just going for support?

Cendrine here is the recipe for southern green beans and new potatoes..YUM

4 slices bacon
1 medium onion
2 lbs fresh green beans , ends trimmed
8 small new potatoes, halved if large
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large sauce pan or medium dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until it has rendered all of its fat and has begun to brown, 5 min. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 min. Add the green beans and potatoes and enough water to just cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then cover the pan and simmer until the beans are very tender, about an hr. stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep the bean covered. As the bean get close to being done they will become fragile, so take care stirring them.

Side note: I baked the bacon and just used a little of the bacon grease to saute the onion. I crumbled the rest of the bacon up and added with the beans and potatoes.
This was really good and easy.

The squash was great too and I will post that one later. DH still would not try it! WIENER! LOL

TTYL
Rachel
 
Good Morning!

Where is SUMMER? Scheesch! It's only 58 degrees here and rainy! Well I forgot until I turned on my blackberry this morning that I had an early meeting so had to get to work and will do ME when I get home. I'm ready to tackle it!

Rachel, YES I'm so glad I finally figured out what I was doing for a rotation! I function much better and am more productive with a plan! Your recipe looks yummy! I know DH would love that as he loves all things bacon! LOL! Glad GS Legs "gotcha!" I agree, Cathe has many ways to torture us and make us like the pain! HA! Oh and I agree with you...I get way more done when DH is off doing something else than when he's home. We're like you and always double check receipts and bills. You never know where mistakes might happen. If that was on a Visa, you can just have them dispute it for you and they will adjust it. We've done that before and it's as simple as a quick phone call. If it was a debit card, I suspect the same but I don't know...

Okay, back to work! Hello Cendrine and Kim!
 
Hi Girls,

June gloom is here too, Jo! LOL!
Not much to report here, but you made me want to go watch the first episode of Jillian's new show!

No workout for me today. I am really feeling it today. Not sure what brought it on since all I have done was pilates and Yoga the past few days...:confused:

I hope the concert was great Kim!

Rachel, thanks for the recipe, it does look yummy!
 
Good afternoon Yall

Well we are going on an impromptu trip. Just to Hot Springs AR for the night tomorrow but we both agree we need to get out of the house.
So if I am not in tomorrow I will check in with yall late Fri. or early Saturday!

TTYL
Rachel
 
Good Morning! Happy Thursday! Well per the rotation I should be doing Rhythmic Step today but tonight is Resort Night :cool: at the gym so I'll be spinning and doing BodyCombat instead.

Not much else to report yet today. Just up having coffee, eating breakfast and off to work! It looks like the sun may be out today!

Rachel, hope you're having a great time!
Kim, hope your weather has improved!
Cendrine, hope your day of rest helped!

CBL!
 
Have a great time Rachael!!

Well, I have Thursday/Friday off work so getting some things done. Ran around and did errands this morning, end of the year teacher gifts, Father's day gifts and groceries. Kids should be home for lunch soon and then after they go back to school I'll tackle the garden. I just have a few cucumbers and peas to plant but lots of weeding to do:( Then I'll hit Insanity.

The garden is finally dry after the rain over the weekend. But it's supposed to start raining after this evening and rain all weekend! The city is warning people to remove stuff from their basements in case of more flooding. Of the whole part of the city we're probably in the best for high dry land. Over the 18 years we have lived here, no water problems but unfortunately the area we're building is very prone to flooding. But the new homes build with better drainage, sump pumps etc so hopefully will be okay. This city is very prone to flooding as we are on the Red River flood plain.

I was thinking that Jillian's new show started new week so I didn't tape it while we were at the concert.:( Dh saw it repeating late last night and taped it but only got the last half. Will check to see if it's being replayed over the weekend.

All concerts are done! Three in one week was a bit much. Rachael, yes my kids were in the school concerts. Music is mandatory till Grade 6 but choir/band is optional in Grade 7/8 and ds joined to play the trumpet. Of course his main reason was to go on the band trip and miss a week of school.:rolleyes:

Cendrine How are the muscles feeling today??

Jo What's the forecast for you for the weekend?? Oaky I'm not even going to look at the June rotation or I'll be tempted to dump Insanity. I'm doing okay with Insanity and just need to finish the rotation one time though or as a type A personality it will drive me crazy that I stopped the rotation twice.
 
Thanks for posting the crepes recipe Cendrine. Sounds yummy but I"ve never done crepes before. Be interesting to try though.
 
Rachel, I hope you are having a great time away!

Kim, I'm glad your building area is putting in better drainage and all, hopefully that will do the trick in future downpours! By the way, crepes are not that difficult to make, and since you are doing it at home, I'm sure presentation is not that big an issue as long as it tastes good... right? At least that's how my family sees it... I've made many a fancy dish that tasted great but didn't look it...LOL!

I'm going to try to hit the treadmill for some easy walking today. I also have a chiro appt today, so maybe that will help too.

Jo, how was your resort night?
 
Oh my goodness, I tried watching the Jillian Michael's new show (had half on tape) but only made it to the second scene. The couple broke down in tears talking about their infant son who died and it sounded so much like what happened to our little boy. The pain really never goes away, I just had to turn off the tv. Sometimes it just comes out of the blue like hearing a similar story on tv and it breaks my heart all over again.
 
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