I Was Going to Blog About

Today I was planning to blog about the hike The Professor and I took in the Oklahoma woods on Thanksgiving. One of us (not me) wasn't wearing sensible walking shoes so we had to stick to the road.

It must be said that Crocs do not make good hiking boots.

I was going to blog about the debate my mother and The Professor had on the chances of a mountain lion attacking if we strayed from the path. And whether or not Oklahoma bears are vegetarians or meat eaters.

We decided to risk attack from wildlife and walked for about an hour on very hilly roads. Thankfully, we saw nothing more menacing than a large bird.

I was also planning to blog about the silly orange hats we wore while we hiked:

These supposedly distinguished us from deer so hunters wouldn't shoot us.

Can you tell we're city folk?

I was going to blog about all of that until the check engine light on my car lit up on my way home from work and distracted me from my regularly scheduled blogging:

I'm not sure what it means, but I bet it won't be cheap.

Please leave a comment before December 14 and I'll donate a can of food to my local food bank!

Pay It Forward

Have you ever been hungry? Really hungry?

Have you ever been unable to buy groceries? Or a simple meal?

Have you ever had to ask for food?

Millions of Americans are answering these questions with a heart wrenching "yes."

The USDA recently reported that 14.6 percent of American households were "food insecure" at some point in 2008 and 5.7 percent of those households were "very food insecure," meaning one or more household members lacked money or other resources for food, which disrupted or altered their eating habits.

That means one in seven Americans were hungry in 2008. These numbers are the highest recorded since 1995, when the USDA first conducted it's national food survey, and they could be even higher for 2009.

I talk about food a lot on this blog, but I have never been hungry or in a situation where I didn't have access to food. I'm lucky, and I know it. Things were tough a few years ago when I was unemployed and The Professor was in grad school, but we had savings, family and other resources. We had to cut back on a lot of things, but we never went without.

Shannon over at The Nut House and a few of her blogger friends have started a Comments for Cans canned food drive. I thought it was a brilliant idea and decided to hold one, too.

For every comment I receive on any post on DillypooChatter between now and December 14, I will donate one can of food to my local food bank (Tarrant Area Food Bank).

So leave a comment! And I encourage you to give back in other ways if you're able. The need is great, and if you are blessed with the security of a warm home and full tummy, then make a donation to a good cause:

• Feeding America. For every $1 donation, Feeding America helps provide seven meals to men, women and children who are facing hunger in the U.S.

• Meals on Wheels Association of America. MOWAA provides quality meals and nutrition services to as many vulnerable people as possible in the most efficient and effective manner, all so no senior goes hungry.

• Support your local food bank. Food pantry shelves all over this country are running low.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Thanksgiving Recap

Holidays are about traditions, like making Grandma's Jell-O salad every year (even though nobody ever eats it) and consuming a week's worth of calories in one sitting.

This year, Dillypoo's family broke from tradition for Thanksgiving. Instead of cooking and cleaning for a week to prepare a meal that is devoured in under an hour, we focused on the other reason for the season: spending thankful time with family.

We headed to my brother's new cabin in the woods of Oklahoma to share the holiday with his family (which included his fabulous in-laws):

And it was wonderful.

There was still plenty of cooking and cleaning to be done, and even the Princess of Darkness got into the kitchen spirit. She made peanut butter and chocolate saltine sandwiches for the buffet line:

For the record: they were delicious!

There were ten of us for dinner, and we needed two turkeys to feed us. Well, we didn't really need two turkeys, but there was a dueling bird contest between my family and my brother's in-laws. I stuffed and roasted a traditional Thanksgiving turkey:

And they brined and grilled a nuclear looking bird:

I think mine won for beauty but I have to admit that their's was more moist and tender.

After dinner and pie, we built a fire and enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings:

Wrapped up in a quilts, drinking wine in styrofoam cups by a fire! It doesn't get much more relaxing than that.

Except maybe waiting for half-time to be over:

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with love, family and good food. I give you a heartfelt thank you for stopping by and reading my little bits of nonsense and for your encouragement as I shrink myself to a normal size and weight.

Pie

Just thought I'd share the results of last night's Pie Baking Extravaganza.

I love Thanksgiving!

Fabulous Forty

I did it! I hit 40 pounds by Thanksgiving!

After two weeks of nothing, I lost 2.8 pounds for a total of 41.2 since January!

I knew I'd lost something. My new size 10 jeans are fitting loosely. Which kind of freaks me out.

The last time I was at my goal weight (which I thought was 148 but the WW computer says is 143), I was a solid size 10. But that was without exercise.

All of this walking and jogging and Nordic riding is reshaping Dillypoo. Both my butt and my wallet are getting trimmer. I'm going to have to buy more pants!

And bras. My fanny isn't the only thing shrinking.

Feastive Shopping

Daddypoo and I have a father-daughter Thanksgiving tradition: Every year we shop together for the turkey day feast. I go through the family recipes and prepare The List, organizing it by store and grocery section:

We began this tradition years ago and we have the routine down. We like to follow the route set by The List: produce first, then the bread aisle, canned goods and finally dairy. Mom isn't allowed to go with us. She wanders off and fills the cart with unnecessary items.

Daddypoo and I are perfectly capable of deviating from The List and filling the cart with unnecessary items on our own, thank you.

Yesterday was shopping day. I had The List and he had his checkbook ready. We didn't have as much to buy as usual since we're eating with my brother and his family this year, but it was still necessary to hit two grocery stores.

We buy the staples (broth, bread, dairy, etc.) at the regular grocery store and we buy the good stuff (fresh vegetables, turkey, spices, etc.) at the gourmet grocery store.

We tried buying everything at the gourmet grocery store once. The ticket was about double from the previous year. We shop there last now.

They have an amazing selection of olives:

We call these garlic wonders little "fat pills." One year a habanero stuffed olive got mixed in by mistake. I thought my taste buds were permanently damaged after eating it.

This year I brought my laminated turkey day schedule and menu with us. I'm not sure why, but I did. And I lost it. Along with my recipes for two pies, sugared cranberries and a cottage cheese salad.

I was in a panic when I realized it was gone. My family has long teased me for my laminated turkey day schedule and menu. It listed the entire feast on one side (it's so annoying to find a dish at the back of the fridge after dinner is over) and a timely schedule that began with rising for the day, preparing the stuffing, peeling potatos and everything that needed to happen between shoving the bird into the oven and getting it to the table, like running the vacuum and taking a bath.

They may have laughed at me, but my dinner was always ready on time!

I've found copies of my recipes (although I think there may have been some hand written notes I'll miss) but I have no copies of the schedule/menu. And I'm still upset about it.

I admit it. I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to things like that. It's something I'm working on. Until then, Dillypoo is grieving for her laminated turkey day schedule and menu.

I'm sure it's nothing a hot turkey sandwich and glass of wine can't soothe.

Skinny Girl Secrets

Dillypoo keeps a candy jar on her desk at work. You might think this unwise for a girl on a weight loss journey, but resisting the goodies inside isn't that hard for me.

It'd be another matter, though, if I kept the jar filled with Doritos.

My candy jar is kept stocked with Starburst candies and Dove chocolates. It's a good mix, I think, for covering both fruity and decadent cravings. If I decide to have any candy, it's usually two or three pieces of one or the other, or none at all. I can sometimes go days without ever lifting the lid.

Again, different story if I tried to fill it with Pringles potato chips.

A candy jar has always lived on my desk. It's a nice way to visit with co-workers who wander in throughout the day to say hello and have a quick treat, and my boss, who only recently discovered my candy jar and who secretly harbors a fondness for cherry Starbursts.

After years of sharing my treats, I noticed today that skinny girls eat candy differently from girls like me.

Skinny Girl no. 1 came in, took an orange Starburst and bit it in half. Mind you, this is a piece of candy that is about an inch square. And she made a meal out of it.

Skinny Girl no. 2 came in a while later, grabbed a piece of chocolate and took a tiny bite. Again, a piece of candy only slightly bigger than a postage stamp was consumed not in one or two bites, but in three.

I had unintentionally stumbled upon a Skinny Girl Secret!

Instead of eating three pieces of chocolate, Skinny Girls eat one piece in three bites!

I couldn't believe it.

I, who have always popped one (or more) Starbursts into my mouth at once, was unsure of how this would work. So I tried it. I unwrapped a single piece of Dove chocolate and took a tiny bite:

My mouth was instantly filled with the creamy deliciousness of milk chocolate, the exact same sensation as if I'd eaten the whole piece at once.

Amazing!

I took a second nibble. Again, my mouth couldn't tell how much chocolate was tickling my taste buds, only that there was chocolate goodness to be had.

What a discovery!

I have resolved to secretly follow the skinny girls in my office and observe their eating habits more closely. The company potluck is coming up soon. It'll be a good opportunity to take notes.

And maybe snap some surveillance photos.

Muffin Madness!

My muffins are here!

I've been tracking this package since I received the e-mail notice that they shipped on Tuesday. I even stopped by the house at lunchtime today to see if they were on the porch.

I was fearful a rogue dog or squirrel would take off with my muffins.

Thankfully, The Professor retrieved the package before the neighborhood hounds discovered it. I had asked him to look for it.

Dillypoo: "I think you're going to get home first tonight. Look for a package on the front porch, please."

The Professor: "Okay."

Dillypoo: "It's a box of muffins."

The Professor: "Muffins?"

Dillypoo: "Yes, muffins."

The Professor: "You said 'muffins'?"

Dillypoo: "Yes! It's a box of muffins. Don't let the neighbors get them."

His incredulity was predicated on the fact that most packages delivered to our doorstep usually contain Harry Potter knick knacks, not muffins.

Although it would've been way cool if these had been magic muffins. Bertie Botts Every Flavor Muffins! Yes!

I love boxes within boxes, especially when I know they hold tasty treats:

I couldn't remember which flavors I'd ordered, so the suspense was killing me! What had I ordered?

Oh yes! Blue-bran, banana nut, apple berry and multi-bran. Mmmmmm!

Gotta try the banana nut first:

Moist, fresh and with just the right amount of nuts. I popped it in the microwave for 15 seconds:

Mmmmmmm! Who knew a one-point banana nut muffin could be so tasty?

I need to petition my local Super Target to start carrying all of the Vitalicious flavors. These are so good!

Feeding the Addiction

I got my DSW reward points in the mail today. This is like sending crack to an addict.

Plateau

pla•teau

To reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, esp. to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off: After a period of uninterrupted growth, sales began to plateau.

I have reached a plateau in my weight loss journey. I've neither gained nor lost any poundage in two weeks.

Plateaus happen. I know that. But they're aggravating.

Especially when I'm less than two pounds away from my next mini-goal, 40 pounds lost by Thanksgiving!

Tonight for dinner I had a bag of steamed veggies with some homemade spaghetti sauce. I hope the pasta alternative helps kick start another losing streak.

And I'll continue beefing up my exercise routine. I'm still using my treadmill 30 minutes at a time at least four days a week and I'm jogging for 11 of those minutes. I've also increased my time on the Nordic torture device.

Maybe I'll move my blog-a-thon to a walk-a-thon this week and try and hit the treadmill every day.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. Hopefully I'll be a big loser next week!

Jammie Time

Tis the season for pajamas!

I can't help myself. I've lost the weight and I have no excuse NOT to buy new jammies. I love, Love, LOVE pajamas!

Silly, fleece, thermal, cozy pajamas. With fuzzy socks.

It's my favorite time of year!

Hive Update

Meet my constant companion this weekend:

Mr. Scratchy and a tube of Benadryl never left my side.

But good news! My hives appear to be getting better and I think I found the cause. I tried an Aveda shampoo this week, and as much as I love Aveda products, I think Dillypoo is allergic.

I'm a sensitive gal.

My ears are still a bit red but the swelling and itching are mostly gone, as are the hives on my back and chest. Thank goodness!

Anybody want a bottle of fancy Aveda shampoo?

One Point Foods

Since starting my weight loss journey this year, I've discovered several new foods that have made the trip very much worthwhile. All of these are only one Weight Watcher point and they really help me keep a balanced and varied diet.

For instance, I don't know what I'd do without Oroweat's Sandwich Thins:

They make wonderful sandwiches. Tuna fish, bologna, veggie burgers, eggs...you name it, these are a terrific way to keep bread in my diet without blowing four or more points on traditional sliced bread or rolls.

Speaking of veggie burgers, Gardenburger's Veggie Medley are pretty good on the Sandwich Thins:

Add sliced onion, tomato and pickles and you have a two point meal! Even The Professor likes these.

Egg Beaters are also pretty awesome:

Pour a 1/2 cup into a ziploc baggie and toss it in the microwave for about 90 seconds. Add a little salsa and you have a quick, easy one point omelet. Egg Beaters are also good for soaking chicken or fish before coating with bread crumbs and cooking in a little oil or tossing on a grill.

Life isn't worth living without cheese, and I've found two options that keep my need for cheese in check:

My favorite treats are from Vitalicious. One point each, they have an incredibly tasty line of muffins, muffin tops, cakes and brownies. My breakfast is almost always a CranBran muffin top and a cup of coffee:

30 seconds in the microwave and I'm all set. And their chocolate muffins are divine:

I discovered these by accident while cruising through the organic frozen food section at my local Super Target. I couldn't believe they were only one point each!

The corn bread muffin top is also pretty good, either as a side to chili or for breakfast with a little sugar free maple syrup and an Egg Beater omelet:

I took one of these to Babe's one night when The Professor and I met the family there for fried chicken. Mmmmm!

I've been looking for the other flavors advertised on the packages. My Target only carries these three. Well, tonight I found them.

The Vitalicious website includes an on-line store!

I'm in muffin heaven! Or I will be when my variety of muffins and muffin tops arrive later this week.

I can't wait!

Triskaidekaphobia

It's official. Dillypoo has hives.

Both of my ears are red, itchy and swollen, and one of them is oozing something from around the helix area:

They itch and burn like heck. And now the hives are spreading to my back and chest.

Should be a fun weekend. Assuming I remember any of it. I may spend the next day or two in a Benadryl induced haze.

I blame it on the date. Today is the third Friday the 13th this year. I'm not a fan of this day. Bad things tend to happen to me.

I broke my ankle once on a Friday the 13th.

Today UPS decided to arbitrarily change my critical overnight freight for a client to a leisurely five day trip around the country.

And then I broke out in hives.

The only bright side of today is that it's Daddypoo's birthday, but he decided to spend it at my brother's cabin in Oklahoma.

Probably a good idea to spend the day away from me. With my luck, his cake would've caught fire or something.

Scritchy

My ears itch.

Maybe I'm about to come into some money. I hope so. I think I threw away four checks this weekend.

Or maybe somebody is thinking about me. Or talking about me.

Or maybe I have hives.

Must. Find. Benadryl. Lotion.

Bugger

The recent pleasant weather is confusing the bug community. I think they think it's spring. Which isn't a good thing, in my opinion.

On Halloween, I was attacked by mosquitos as I sat on the front porch doling out treats to the neighborhood goblins. And earlier this week I spotted a Texas sized water bug trying to get into (or maybe out of) the dishwasher (hard to tell as it was trapped in the door).

I did the squeamish girl thing and made The Professor get rid of it.

But now the worst bugs of all have decided to invade my space: The useless beasties have fleas.

Frida spends as little time outdoors as possible, but I think her daily five minute trek around the backyard is just long enough for her to pick up tiny hitchhikers.

Lucy and Ethel are indoor cats, but once the bugs ride indoors on Frida it's an easy hop, skip and jump to them. So to speak.

It's been a few years since we've had fleas. I kind of stopped thinking about them, actually. Until the cats started scratching.

Which means this weekend I'll be waging an all out war on the little pests (the fleas, not the useless beasties).

Just call me Dillypoo the Vermin Hunter.

Dillypoo and The Professor

The Professor is the man of my dreams, my knight in shining armor, my one and only true love:

He's also a goof.

But it's good to see him having fun. He's been stressed out lately. Even more than I've been.

The Professor is an artist and he teaches at a local university. He works hard, but if he had his preference, he'd spend all of his time painting.

He's very talented:

Galleries at home, along the East coast and around Texas have shown his paintings. In fact, he has a solo show of new work opening in a couple of weeks in Dallas.

Which is one of the reasons he's stressed. Deadlines. Nobody likes them.

I have plenty of faith that he'll be ready, though. He always is. I peeked in his studio and saw some pretty neat stuff.

My job is to make sure he doesn't crack up between now and then.

And feed him. Poor boy would starve if I didn't make dinner (or keep a constant supply of crunchy peanut butter on hand).

Weigh Day Update: I "maintained" this week, which means I neither lost nor gained. I'm 1.6 pounds from reaching 40 total. I'm hoping to reach that next mini goal by Thanksgiving.

Lazypoo

Dillypoo has become lazy. As things wind down at work, I'm spending quality time not with The Professor or my family or my blog, but with the Tee Vee.

David Tutera and Heidi Klum are my new best friends.

I think maybe Dillypoo needs to get out more. And this weekend I did just that.

On Saturday, The Professor and I joined my parents for a visit to the Japanese Gardens. It was a lovely afternoon and perfect for taking pictures.

I took a nice snapshot of Mom and Daddypoo:

And mom took a nice picture of me and The Professor:

The gardens are one of the few places to see fall color around these parts. Unlike in other areas of the country, the changing seasons are marked here by the sudden drop of all leaves on the trees and a return to temperatures more hospitable to human habitation.

I think I'll make it a point to blog every day this week just so I can get back into the groove.

Repeat After Me

I'm blogging at 11:38 p.m. while eating a baked potato with cottage cheese and a can of tuna, trying to keep the dog away from my plate and bemoaning the fact that it's the first week of November and I'm still putting in 14 hour days.

I keep repeating to myself, "I love my job, I love my job, I love my job..."

Actually, I do love my job. I'm just not particularly fond of the hours lately.

Last year there were two of me in my position, so the late hours were fewer. But due to a bad economy and the utter stupidity of the other me, it was decided that I should go it alone during my company's busy season this year. I gamely agreed.

I'm ready for the game to end.

I'm getting so far behind on tedious administrative tasks, I fear the holidays will be here before I catch up.

Oh wait. They are here. Thanksgiving is three weeks away. I saw Christmas trees at Costco this weekend. I guess the holidays will be over before I catch up on tedious administrative tasks.

On a happier note, today is Weigh Day and I lost another 1.2 pounds! That's a total of 38.4.

Who says you can't have a little trick or treat on Halloween and not lose weight?