diet...

I never want to be on a diet…I have said this before on this blog, and I don’t now want to be looking at this new adventure as a diet. Here is the definition of diet according to the Merriam/Webster Dictionary:






















1.d is not how I want to look at my “adventure”. I like 1.a and 1.b, even 1.c. Food is meant to nourish and fuel us and yes, sometimes provide us pleasure. I am ready to get healthy for my future, my husband, my family. I want to be active and running and traveling the world. I am an active person by nature and do not want to lose that. Hence, I have MODIFIED my diet, but I am not on a diet! I digress!

rEjOiCiNg

OMG, like I am so fricken excited about being on Weight Watchers...it is like totally the raddest thing ever...AND I AM SO NOT JOKING!

Weight watchers has completely revamped their points system. They are now referred to as points plus. First you get more points, but don't let this fool you. They now track carbs and protein and cereal that used to be 2 points is now 3, however, the biggest, bestest, most amazing part of the new Weight watchers plan, most veggies, and all fruits are zero points! Hell yeah! This means that late at night when your tummy is rumbling but you are out of points, you can 100% go have an apple, or an orange, or a handful of carrots. What a great trade!

I am very excited about this journey that I am on! I am doing it online, and today was my first day following it 100%! Even down to the four tortilla chips I had! And I am full, beyond satisfied, and I feel great! Plus, this is the jump start I need. I work out, whenever it is not crazy, but I suck at portion sizes. That is my downfall. So now, I can eat the foods I love, but I am retraining myself on portion sizes. Looking forward to the next few months!

Merry Christmas...

I have many fond Christmas memories. When I was a child Christmas was my favorite holiday. I waited with anticipation as the tree was put up. We would wait a hand full of days so the branches could fall but I would wait impatiently for the day the lights finally got wrapped around it. That was all I needed…that meant Christmas had begun!

I was one of those kids who listened to Christmas music right after Halloween and scoffed at those who said no Holiday music till after Thanksgiving. Why waist those valuable days? And on December 25th, I would stay up till midnight in order to hear the very last Christmas song played on the radio.

We spent holidays all over the place. Some years it was at home, just our family of four, or when Mike was born, our family of five. Sometimes we would head to Grandma Dodie’s where she would put on a feast for a king. She would serve the meal at her cherry wood table that fit the entire family, placed right next to a gigantic tree in the living room. Her house would have made any HGTV show hide in disgrace, well, if it was airing in the 80’s! And then there were the year's spent in the little northern town of Warroad, Minnesota.

I do not know what my favorite Christmas would be. In fact, they have all been very memorable and wonderful. I do have a favorite scene though. A picture of Christmas I keep tucked in the back of my mind. It is the view looking out of my grandma's window on Christmas eve night, seeing the street line with cars as the church across from the house would begin to fill with townspeople going to worship. Families scurrying about, children all excited with holiday spirit. The church was a wooden, classic A-frame and looked beautiful in the moonlight, all decorated for the holiday. It is a scene I will not forget as it reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas.

two for the price of one...

So today is your lucky day. Two recipes, for the price of one. And since I don't charge people to read my blog, I am sure you are completely unamused by my use of cliches. So onward!

The tin above contains two wonderfully delicious, simple and impressive holiday treats. The first uses Hershey's Hugs, M&M's, and wreath pretzels. The second uses rolos, pecan or walnuts, and wreath pretzels.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line pan with parchment paper. Lay out wreath pretzels. Put a rolo or hug in each wreath. Bake for about 5 minutes, checking with the back of a spoon to ensure they are melted. Remove from oven. If using hugs, place on M&M on top, pressing the chocolate into the shape of the wreath. If using a rolo, press in your nut of choice.

I place the entire pan, which is not hot due to low cooking temperature, in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Remove from freezer, pick up parchment paper and shake treats gently into a bowl. You may also lift them off one by one but they are pretty resilient!

Makes a great gift, looks beautiful on the table, and kids go gaga for those sweet little numbers!

Two more sleeps till Christmas eve!

G.G. Olga's Little Whipper Snappers

Oh yeah, I so have my hand in a big bowl of these right now! Want to know how to make them? I will call this recipe, G.G. Olga's Little Whipper Snappers! Yes many people have a version of this recipe, and no, this is not her specific recipe. This is one I created from reading a few recipes on the Internet. I made it a few times with her so I know two things. 1. They need no baking. 2. they only include oyster crackers, oil, dill and ranch dressing packets! So here it goes:

G.G. Olga's Little Whipper Snappers

3 9-10 oz. bags Premium oyster crackers
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp. dill weed
2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch Packets

Mix everything together, sans the crackers. Stir or whisk. Add oyster crackers and slowly fold into sauce. Make sure crackers are evenly coated. Place in air tight container for two hours. I leave them uncovered for 1 hour to let them dry a bit!

Sooooooooo good!

A Christmas Treat!

Adara's Crazy Ass Christmas Trail Mix

1 bag red and green marshmallows
1 bag butter twisted pretzels
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag chocolate chips
1 bag peanut butter M&M’s
1 bag raisins
1 large jar peanuts

Mix all ingredients together. Divide into individuals bags or serve in a party dish!

so close...

We are in our new place, with most our stuff put away. Very little is left in the old apartment, and what is, Chaz will move on Tuesday since he is on break. Wednesday I will clean the apartment and leave the keys for the carpet cleaner. I will have to go back to do a check out but I can't wait to be done with it! I am liking our little basement apartment, but I have been enjoying the freedom of having my own place so we'll see how long I last! lol...our goal is to save some money so if we stay her for a while, we will hopefully leave in a stable position but I do look forward to the day we find a place to call our home, whether we buy or continue to rent. I just feel so blessed and thankful to have family that are supportive and allow us this opportunity! I will tell you one thing I will not look forward to and that is moving! Yuck!

So with Christmas right around the corner, we are fairly settled. Our silver tinsel tree adorns the corner, and most our presents have been wrapped with care. This week will find us enjoying family and friends, doing a bit of baking, and finishing up in the apartment! 2010 has been simply wonderful, and more than I could have asked for but I am ready and excited for a Happy New Year!

la la la la la LALALALLALLALALLALALALLA!

So yesterday was a total mess for me! Ah, the stress! I would like to add that being sick never makes anything look good, beside maybe a cup of mediocre chicken noodle soup. Alas, I am feeling much better. I talked with my husband, and like always, he brings me back down to earth. In those moments of stress, everything seems SO FRICKEN HARD AND COMPLTELY UNOBTAINABLE…and then the fog lifts, and you realize you completely freaked over really nothing at all. I say nothing at all because no one died, no one was hurt, and my family and friends are healthy and abundant…I just wish someone would move my apartment for me, and finish my final, and wash my clothes, all so I can wrap my Christmas presents and watch Christmas Vacation…I am selfish!

So yeah, back to reality!

We now have a new little Durgin running around the house. Her name is Kea and she is an all white 10-year-old cat. She was within 24 hours of being put down so we made the quick and exciting decision to take her in. She has a bit of a limp so we will see what the vet says on Tuesday, but her and Faith seem to be growing on one another, which is hard to believe since Faith is a HUGE, SPOILED Princess.

My final is due Friday at 5. I imagine that once that is submitted, and I can spend a great deal of the weekend unpacking, I will go into next week with a clear, and organized head. Additionally, the next two weeks at work are casual which means jeans everyday! Woot woot! Really, what more could I ask for…Oh, I know! The ability to handle stress better!

For some reason, I am not really in the holiday spirit. It could be because I don’t have my own tree up. I have been so busy moving, I have not wrapped my gifts. I am suffering from a nasty cold and thus have little energy and am living in a fog. I have been stressed, and run down, and it just is not very fun. I imagine things would be different, if I were getting ready for the holidays in my little apartment, where everything was put away and organized, and I could decorate and enjoy my free time. Now my free time is consumed by homework and unpacking and trying to make myself rest to get rid of this cold. I am not really happy, in fact, I am in kind of a funk. Tonight I am going to will myself to wake up feeling better. As much as I try to be a relaxed, carefree individual, sometimes I just can’t help it.

Here is to a brighter tomorrow!

in the olden days...

What does one do when there is no Internet? You could go back in time and ask your however old self (back to a time when Internet was not a part of our everyday lives), or you could just experience a 4 hour long outage on a Sunday evening when your Case Study needs to be submitted by midnight. Happy Monday!

In addition...

This past weekend, I began to paint the basement apartment at my grandma’s in an attempt to prepare for our pending move over there. I realized two things during this endeavor. 1. I hate painting and 2. I suck at painting. Made for one hell of a good time!

movin on up...

Last night we did a lot of work at my grandma’s. Everything is moved out…completely! Nothing in the rooms but a cardboard box holding our Christmas tree which is just dying to be put up! I am hoping in two weeks I can put my tree up and still have some time to enjoy it! That is my goal!

The floors are vacuumed, the walls are puttied! Tonight I am going to clean the carpets and then it is time to paint! I am so excited to get the paint up as then we can really move in! So hopefully next week, amidst schoolwork and work, we will be able to get a good chunk of our apartment moved over!

Wish us luck!

Tis the season to be Thankful...

On this beautiful Thanksgiving day, there is so much to be thankful for. It is fricken freezing outside, so we are all inside, playing games, cooking up a storm, and enjoying the day with family and friends. To pay tribute to all I am thankful for, I have compiled a list of everything I can't live without and everything I am thankful for.

1. My faith and my God!
   
2. My amazing husband who surprises me everyday and makes me proud!
3. My loving family who support everything I do and who support even if they don't agree.
   
4. The amazing host of friends that I surround myself with. Mainly the strong women who I am so blessed to call my best friends.
5. My lovely Faithy Kitty Girl who has provided so much love, comfort, and fun!
6. The animals that live in Buffalo, Jack, Duke, Val, and Jinx!
   
7. My jobs, both of them! I get so much support and security from working.
   
8. My school, who provides me with a plethora of knowledge.
9. My beautiful mother and mother in law. I am so lucky to have two great women in my life.
   
10. A warm bed to crawl into at night.
    
11. Christmas lights and Christmas trees being put up by neighbors.
    
12. My reliable car.
13. Being a part of three of my friends weddings.
    
14. My father who is always there and provides a great deal of humor in my life.
15. My grandma flying out to spend Thanksgiving with us.
    
16. My family in Colorado who were so awesome to share grandma.
17. Being able to travel.
18. Being free cause I love roaming around.
19. My life!
20. Getting to spend Thanksgiving with some pretty great peeps!
    

Cake pull!

Has anyone ever heard of a cake pull? Well, since having an amazing wedding, like many brides, I am a bit obsessed with weddings! Fancy that! Anyways, I occasionally like to Google what’s new on the wedding front, even though I am happily married! Maybe I will use some of the traditions I find for a vow renewal! Who knows!

So this tradition seems like a nice one, as long as it is pulled off in an “interesting” manner. The tradition is to tie a ribbon to little charms. The charms are placed in the cake, with the ribbon protruding, and the bride and groom can pick who pulls the charms out. May be the parents, family, or wedding party. Each charm has a meaning behind it and this meaning can be announced when the charm is pulled from the cake. Check out this site for a list of traditional charms and their meanings http://www.scottish-wedding-dreams.com/heraldic-symbols.html.

I could see this activity going one of two ways. Either splendidly well, or a complete bomb! I think it is key to figure out how you will pull the charms, what you will say, and how much guest involvement is used. Does each bridesmaid pull a charm, say what it is, and read the meaning to the guests? This could be part of the speeches section of a wedding and could be more of a “well wishes” type of activity. Like I said though, with little planning, this could seem like an unplanned, messy event and that is not what any bride wants on their wedding day.

I will add that even though I described using this tradition at a wedding, I have read that people do them for birthday’s, shower’s, and other sorts of parties. I see this being a great activity at any of these events!

So there you have it! A cake pull! I have always wanted to be a wedding planner, especially since J-Lo showed me how it’s done. Maybe this is some foresight into my future. Pretty sure every bride thinks they could be a wedding planner…but really, most of us shouldn’t! Ah, to take my own advice or not to take my own advice? That is the question!

Flash back Friday and a post!

Forgive the flashing, I was singing Santa Baby!


Every year I get so excited when the holiday season starts to arrive. I love the warm decorations, the crisp air outside, and the wonderful Christmas music that I can blast from my car radio from Thanksgiving to Christmas day. What I do not look forward to is the premature nature of the retail world and their insistence on blasting Christmas music and dousing their locations in red and green puke right after Halloween. Seriously, the Tuesday after Halloween, Election night, me and my BFF for life Laura went to get our scrap on and WHAM! Christmas music…I have to admit that they were playing it very softly and it was a bit therapeutic, however, it was TOO soon! Additionally, the second job I have procured, which I seriously love! (-no joke! This is a fun job!), has also started playing Christmas music! That’s right! An entire shift of Christmas music, once or twice a week, for the duration of November and December…TOO SOON! I know I would have loved this as a kid, and only Lord knows why my parents did not take me to Archivers or retail locations more often so I could get my fix, but as an adult, you realize the absurdity of Christmas music in November. It truly takes away from the Spirit of Christmas, the Glow of the season. When that magical day finally arrives, we are turning our radio stations back to rap, pop, country, classic rock, WHAT HAVE YOU, as we are completely and utterly sick of hearing the same Christmas song every hour on the hour as we have been listening to it for the last two months and can’t possibly listen to it anymore.

I digress…make sure to remember what this season is about. It’s about love, joy, faith, friendship, and the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Girlz!

This weekend I am headed to the great plains of the Midwest to embark on a little scrapbooking, Christmas shopping, and hanging with my girlies. Very excited to get my scrap on, my shop on, AND my drink on!

Cheers to a girls weekend! Now pass the Boone’s Farm!

updates galore...

Big changes are in the future for the MN based Durgin clan. Come Dec. 31st, we will officially reside with D. Lo. This will help offset the cost of owning a house for her and additionally, will allow Mr. Chaz and myself to start saving some money! Woot woot! This will be a short term move, maybe around 6 months, as we are looking to find a bigger place, maybe in a suburb! No buying! Just continued renting! We are not ready to plant our roots yet but we do want something a little more “house” like!

We are also looking at fostering a cat just like Faith. I say foster as if she does not get along with Faith, we can continue to find a place for her to call home, but if they get along, we may add another family member to our little family! More to come but for sure two cats is my max! I don’t want a house full of cats someday! Just a few furry friends! And we have always wanted a dog so that is in the distant future but when this does happen, I am sure Faith will NEVER TALK TO US AGAIN CAUSE WE ARE MEAN HUMAN PEOPLE FOR BRINGING A DOG INTO THE HOUSE---Faith has a pretty large attitude which is why I emphasized that statement!

School is going great for both myself and Chaz. I am loving what I am learning and working really hard to get a good grade as this is required in order to receive financial aid and without financial aid I could not afford school and would have to pay back student loans which I also can not offered…ah the joys of growing up! But Chaz is well on his way to graduating. He has a year to a year and a half left and is really looking forward to getting his hands dirty and getting out into the “real” world. It is hard at this age to be a full time student and I completely understand. You want to be making money and providing but we just look ahead to the future and how this will benefit the end means!

So yeah, all is good! Life is great, the holidays are around the corner, and we are enjoying our little life in the big city!

Flashback Friday!

Fu Christmas 2008!

For the love of America...

Tomorrow is Election Day. It is the day to get out and let your opinions be heard. A day to let freedom ring and come together to initiate change, transform our country and sprinkle a fresh layer of hope across our political system. Two years ago on Election night, America made a huge decision. They chose to give themselves their first black President, a President voicing change, opposition to a brutal war, and the promise of a different future. It is also the night that Chaz Durgin asked me to be is wife, promising a future of love, faithfulness, and a boat load of adventure. I can’t help but love this time of year!

FlAsH bAcK fRiDaY!!!!!

Halloween 2007~My roomies and I!

Halloweenie...

When I was a little girl, my favorite holiday was Christmas. I took every opportunity to celebrate the wonderful holiday. Sometimes I would watch a Christmas movie in July and call it Christmas in July. On top of this I one time played Christmas music in July while working outside at a boat rental shop. I called it Christmas in July then too but today I would call that insanity! I would beg my parents to keep the tree up well into January! The twelve days of Christmas end on January 6th so no doubt the tree must remain up till at least then.

My favorite compilation of Christmas and another holiday was for sure Halloween. My all time favorite costume was when my mom dressed me up as a Christmas tree when I was 5. I loved it so much I repeated it when I was in middle school. The first tree costume consisted of a piece of cardboard, spray painted green with a hole for my face and adorned with ornaments.

The second time I dressed up as a Christmas tree, we took a sheet and spray painted it green. We then attached wire around the bottom to create a hoop. Then we hung real Christmas ornaments from the sheet and I look like an authentic dream. Best part, I know everyone was jealous of my couture creation. Bad part, I was twelve and my mom put real Christmas ornaments on me. Lets just say they did not all make it home!

So that was my favorite Halloween costume...what was yours?

time for a break...

I really need a vacation. I realize this will maybe not happen till after Christmas but I would love a vacation to a warm weather destination where I could drink pina coladas and lay on the beach all day. I guess I would even take a cabin up north where I could drink hot cocoa and read all day. Really, anything to look forward to would be nice!

We are going to Colorado for Thanksgiving, and that will be a blast cause I love Colorado and my family there, but that will not be as much of a relaxing trip as I want to get in as much time with family and run around enjoying the scenery and doing some outdoor activities and baking for thanksgiving and getting in some Christmas shopping and enjoying the mountains and loving on my cousins and YOU GET THE PICTURE! I am talking about needing a trip where I can just check out. This has made me day dream which in return as made me compile a list of places I would love to go to!

Mexico-think swanky resort
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
San Diego, CA
Australia
Duluth, MN
Bahamas
Miami, FL
Paris
Aspen, CO
Lake Tahoe, NV
Dublin, Ireland
San Fransisco, CA

BoDy...

Dear body,

Let’s have a little heart to heart. I love you. I really do. In fact, I probably have a little too much confidence in you. You have some flaws, and we could for sure correct some, but generally I give you props and I enjoy your flaws. I need to not enjoy the flaws that make you internally unhealthy however. Like for realz, you could stand to lose some of that buldge around the middle. Sure some of it is due to stress and some to the overeating of luscious and decedent desserts and grandma’s lefsa, but really, you know you want to live a long, healthy lifestyle, so let’s just do it and be done with it. And your arms, those guns are just a little too big and a little too flabby! They should not wiggle that way!

However, as we strive to make you a little healthier, let’s try really hard to not lose that firm derrière! It looks great in a nice swimsuit, fantastic in jeans and we can’t even touch that pencil skirt! Let’s just say, you got it going on in the rear! Thighs? Sure, let’s shape those a bit, but truly, let’s do a lot of squats to keep the butt!

You have a few blemishes, but that is nothing a little Mary kay can’t fix and your hair gets a bit frizzy, but I am so impressed how versatile it is. It really can go from one style to the next with just a little work! Let’s just say, you impress me!

So let's work together and just figure out what we need to! Should be a fun time!

Love,
Adara

Flashback Friday: Durgin Style

Will I ever be able to run my a** off?

I have been trying to get outside and run for the last few weeks. You know, TRY and train for a 5k! Uh! Anyways, I was running Lake Calhoun, but have only been able to go like once or twice a weeknight as it gets dark so fast or else I have crap going on. While running, I am just not getting into the grove of things like I know I can. I am maybe running half the lake, if that, so maybe around 1 mile of it. For sure not the three I need to get to. This lead me to believe that maybe my heart is just not as in shape as it usually is due to being busy and not exercising enough. So this week, I have decided to take a break from outdoor running and do some cardio at the gym. I have been doing elliptical, walking at an incline, some running on the treadmill. It is feeling good and I believe I am getting a good cardio workout, I just hope it translates to the pavement well. One thing I know for sure, I can not train for a 5k by running on an indoor treadmill. To me, running on the treadmill and running outside are pretty different. I always have to work a little harder outside. But as I said, my main focus right now is cardio and I will just have to hit the pavement when I can! Wish me luck!

8.5 years...

My husband and I have been together 8.5 years…some days it seems longer and some days it seems shorter. I guess it depends on our mood and how we are feeling. The one thing that is always a constant is the love that we have felt for each other almost from day one.

Chaz asked me to go to prom with him on April 19, 2002. If we are being completely accurate, it was actually around 1:30 am on April 20th but more on that later! So Chaz asked me to prom after being prodded by numerous people to just ask someone so he wouldn’t miss out on the experience. So he did, and I said yes as I was expecting it. I had told Laine, his sister who is my friend and played the role of matchmaker, if he wanted to go, he had to ask soon as I would only have two weeks to get a dress…that seemed to move the process. And after he asked, I could not fall asleep. I was excited and giddy and a whole boat load of teenage hormones. The best part, I was sleeping over that night, so there I am, huddled into a bed with two other girls, one being his sister, unable to fall asleep. Just precious, right?

So the next day I went to JC Penny with my mom to find a dress. We went back a week later as my dad needed to approve since I was a bit young for prom (I was 16). The day of Prom arrived and we went to dinner and prom in the cities and after we drove home, just the two of us, and I was in heaven. I had my hand on his knee and it felt so grown up. And he was so sweet and told me how lucky he felt to have gone to prom with me. It truly was one of the best nights my little teenage self experienced.

I have no clue how our relationship evolved from there as we did not go to prom as a full fledged “dating” couple. We went more as intrigued friends. And both of us were so fricken shy that I really do not know how we even started dating. I remember after prom it being a little awkward to see each other in the hallway because we were both confused. And, having a boyfriend seemed so foreign to me so I actually felt weird about it.

Somehow, the end of May rolled around and we went to a movie and dinner in Maple Grove. This was probably our first “real” date. We feasted on Red Lobster and saw Undercover Brother! When May 19th rolled around, I was anxious to put an anniversary out there so I bought him a little 99 cent card and gave it to him. Years later it dawned on me that the 20th may have been more suitable (see above!) but alas, I was impatient that one May 19th and hence our anniversary is the 19th!

We spent the summer totally obsessed with one another. We spent a ton of time together and pondered where our relationship would go as he was leaving for college in the fall and I was starting my junior year of high school. Our last “Anniversary” we celebrated that summer was on August 19th, right before he left for college (just a side note: when you are an enthralled teenager you celebrate anniversary’s monthly…it is so ingrained in us now that we still tell each other, happy eight years and six months if we remember). So back to the August night…He took me out his parents boat and we had dinner with sparkling grape juice, and a carrot cake for dessert. It was the sweetest gesture and I realized then that this was for real. He had talked about really wanting to be together and I felt the same way, so we decided to try it out.

The day he left for school, at the end of August, was an incredibly sad day. We said goodbye and as his parents and him drove off and I stood in the yard with his sister, I felt a heavy wave of sadness. I held it in as I was dropping Laine off at a friend’s, but as soon as I dropped her off, I lost it! I just started bawling and was sad and scarred and confused, completely normal for a teenager right?

Needless to say, things calmed down. We spent a crap load of time on the phone, hours nightly. We saw each other every two to three weeks. Sometimes longer. It was hard, and we questioned a lot of things, but something told us to stick it out and boy am I glad it did. When we would see each other after weeks apart, it was always new and took some time adjusting but I always got a wave of butterflies when he pulled up. And I think that because of all this time apart and the countless time of being reunited, when his keys turn in the door now, I still get butterflies and I am super excited to see him.

I have experienced the best years of my life with Chaz. He has been there through the ups when everything is falling into place and he has been there during the darkest hours of my life, offering support, love and comfort. I am so glad we made it this far and I am ecstatic that we have made the commitment to spend the rest of our lives and beyond together!

I love you baby! Happy Anniversary!

Why I fricken love October and Halloween!

We have had our place decorated since Labor Day but since it is actually October, I can brag about that fact now. Prior to October you would have looked at me like I was crazy.
Conclusion: I love fall, October, and Halloween. And I happen to be married to a man who shares my sentiments.

The main reasons that I love this season are as follows:

I love the pumpkins and scare crows and dimmed lights that create a creepy illusion when their shadows are cast upon the walls.
I can't say enough about fun size candy wrapped in shiny brown, orange and maroon foils. Or the oreos stuffed with decedent orange cream (insert licking lips!)
I love the scary movies that play on tv, whether they are old or more current, back and white or color. And since I don't like to be too scared, I really love the Halloween movies that play on such stations as say, the Family Channel or Disney! lol

I also love the costumes that people try and shove there kids into...some are so completely ridiculous that you can not help but laugh. I can't wait till I have kids as they will be the ones you laugh at!

October...

fun fact...last post was my 100th post! Woot woot!

This week and last, we have had unseasonably warm weather. It has been in the 70’s and 80’s and sunny. This weekend there were people laying out at the lake; On October 10th…it seems so weird, and I can’t get my brain to fully comprehend why I am not submerged in layers of warm fabric, but I am digging this extension of summer! Soon enough we will have tons of snow and be slipping around on patches of ice while pulling our scarves a little closer to our faces. Winter can be a pretty time, but I can wait for it!

With the weather being so nice, I have not wanted to be inside, but my bedroom needs a major cleaning. It is not messy, just unkempt. And I need to go through all my clothes and desk drawers and purge like crazy! I am thinking of even putting my summer clothes away in storage, just to help make the closet less cluttered. That is kind of a crazy concept for me as I usually wear most my clothes all year round but I know there are things that could be put away for the cold months.

So by next week I should have an organized closet where I can easily find the clothes I want when I actually want to wear them. This will also be good as I am starting a seasonal job at Bath and Body Works and will need to wear white or black…definitely should have a section dedicated to clothes I can wear there!

I almost forgot....

to tell you about Chaz's 26th Golden Birthday and our first wedding anniversary!

We decided to make it a special day, do a little shopping, go out for a wonderful supper, and stay the night in a hotel! We did all that and more!

Saturday started out with some beautiful flowers from my baby! He sure knows how to pick them!
Then we headed off to the Embassy Suites in Bloomington.
We had a great two bedroom suite with lots of space to spread out and relax.

And it was Chaz's birthday but also our anniversary so since we had celebrated the week prior with birthday cake, we decided to do a more wedding specifiic dessert the weekend of! We got cupcakes designed like our wedding cake from the same bakery.

I made Chaz do a little posing outside our room.

And then it was off to the MOA!

We shopped our hearts out and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Crave. Chaz had a steak and horseradish mahed potatoes and I had salmon and lobster mashed potatoes. And we enjoyed some wonderful drinks and appetizers as we had recieved a giftcard from my parents that was generous enough to allow so!

Sunday was the actual day of Chaz's birthday and our anniversary but we made it a more birthday specific day. We decided to head to my grandma's to take advantage of her big kitchen while she was away and made a wonderful supper of Chaz's favortie foods!
That of course included stroganoff and chicken wings! Weird combo but sooooo good!
We had a beautiful weekend! Thank you to all who sent love, well wishes, and cards! It was great knowing that others remembered our special day and Chaz's birthday!

hello weekend...

Well hello there. I have missed you! What has it been, like, 5 days....too long! Well, let's make the best of this time we have as it usually flys by and then it's like,what?, another 5 days till we meet again? Dear wonderbread! So what should we do? Nap? Eat nummy food? Catch a flick with a friend? Nap again? Lay in bed looking at the ceiling? Nap? Take a walk outside? Lay on the couch? Whatever you want to do, I am so down with it.

Fall

Fall is slowly encroaching on Minnesota. The leaves are changing from bright, lush green to a more muted brown and vibrant orange. The air has gone from a sweet, warm musty smell to a sharp, brisk tingle in the nose. The nights are closing in on our days bringing the warm welcome of our beds to the fore front of our thoughts. Activities have transitioned from picnics and the beach to apple picking and big family dinners. This is a season to rewind, to recoup, and to take the time to relax and refocus.

I embrace fall and welcome it’s comforting traditions. The upcoming winter makes me cringe but I try and take the time to really enjoy this glorious season that turns Minnesota into a scenic adventure.

the ups and downs...

So tonight I started my first real training for my 5k. It has been busy around here with wedding prep and such so I have not had much time but tonight, it all begins! Next week school starts back up for me and I am hoping to not get side tracked! I will just need to stay on top of things and stay organized as I am also looking to get a seasonal part time job! Kind of a lot to take on but I really think I have the time and can manage.

So why a side job you may ask? Well, we have been lucky enough to have had unemployment for Chaz from his job at Coke and since he has been in school, we have had this blessing to help us along the way and we have taken full advantage of it. But, as often happens, all good things come to an end and truly, this good thing was a bonus with all the exceptions, so now it is time to get our hands dirty and really get some extra income the good old fashion way. Chaz is currently looking for a part-time job that will work with his schedule at school and I thought, well, I could use some extra money for Christmas so why not jump on the band wagon! Hopefully all goes smoothly. I would really enjoy a part-time job but more importantly, I am hoping Chaz can find a good job that will work around his schooling but will give him the money he needs to pay his bills. Money to help pay our bills. No matter what happens, we try and stay positive, but it can get tough. We can get down about it, but we both value each other, our families, and our friends and that makes any situation so much easier!

Going to the chapel...

This past Saturday, my best friend Laura got married in Middle of Nowhere, WI. The weekend was a blast. Friday we prepped and got pampered, and Saturday involved up dos, mimosas, Subway, strapping into dresses and sending our bff down the aisle!

The reception was in Burnsville and was such a great celebration. The food was amazing, the dancing was non-stop, and the drinks were flowing! It wouldn't be kosher to say it was better then my special day but it sure came close! It was a great time had by all. Well, maybe not my husband who spent the evening in the car sick! Poor guy!

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Kruschke!

One year ago from yesterday...

I married my best friend! And 26 years prior to yeasterday, my love was born! What a wonderful day!

For the Love of Liz!

Last Saturday, there was a really great event that took place in Minneapolis. A 5k to support widowed families! I could not attend due to a prior engagement, but I was thinking about it all day!

There is a blog that I read, http://www.mattlogelin.com/ . I have read this blog since the spring of my senior year, Spring ’08. It is a blog written by Matt Logelin, and he writes about his experiences and daily happenings since becoming a father and widow all within the span of 24 hours. His wife Liz passed away the day after their daughter was born and since then, he has invited all of us readers into his life. He writes with so much honesty and intensity that one moment you can be bawling your eyes out and the next you are laughing your ass off. Oh, and he loves to use the word fuck…rightfully so as there have been some moments he has experienced that just are summed up great with a good *f* bomb!

After his wife’s passing, he decided to start a 5k around her birthday to help other individuals who have been widowed themselves. And while he lives in LA, he comes back to his home state of MN to host the 5k. Every year it just seems to get bigger and bigger. This year being the third year, second “official” year, I wanted to participate but ended up being busy…that and I have a selfish desire! More about that in a second!

Anyways, the importance here is the donation to widowed families, and we can all donate by visiting http://thelizlogelinfoundation.org/ . I plan to donate this weekend since even though I could not do the race or gala, I still want to support this great cause, and I encourage you to do the same! You will feel great while doing something amazing for someone else!

But now onto my selfish ambitions with this selfless organization. Yes I was busy during the 5k, but I also wanted to run this 5k has a true runner again. I want to train and be prepared and know that I am running for a good cause. But I am sooooooo not in shape and soooooooo would have sucked wind! Last year, before my wedding, I ran the Ovarian Cancer 5k with my sister, but I had not trained, I was winded, and it was not that fun. Yes I was proud of myself for running for a good cause, but I wanted to feel strong and good after the event, not run down and embarrassed. But being a runner in high school, I want to get back into the swing of things and really race with a purpose, in this case, a dual purpose! So I am starting my training for the Liz Logelin Foundation 5k (let’s hope they have one next year!!). Let’s title this adventure; Getting my ass in shape for the Liz Logelin Foundation 5k!

Here are my before pictures:
This is after a workout so please dismiss the sweat stains! Go start though, eh?

And hey, while we're at it, let me know if you want to join me on this journey and race next year! I know you have it in you!

Stats:

Currently run: 1-2 miles, 1 mile in around 12 minutes

Goal for the next month: 2 miles non-stop

10 Reasons I get up in the morning...

• To look into my husbands face
• To scratch my kitty's neck
• To appreciate my family and friends
• To go to work
• To work out
• To be outdoors
• To have a good cup of coffee
• To watch a good tv show
• To ponder the future

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Since it's fall...

It is very common to set goals in January but this creates such a stigma and honestly, generally a set up for failure. I mean, creating a goal, probably something big and unattainable, once a year, doesn't seem like a good idea to me. And once it gets too hard, it is easier to give up because you can't see the end in sight. NOT MY CUP OF TEA! I like to set little goals throughout the year, generally around a transition time. So how great of a transition is fall? It's the start of the school year so why not the start of some new goals! So, without further babble, MY LIST!

• Finish reading Twilight (it has taken me almost the entire summer to read the last book-so good, just takes a back seat to homework
• run a 5 k
• make a scarf and keep it
• make a blanket and donate it
• read 4 nights a week
• go to bed before 11
• work out 4 to 5 days a week
• make more dinners at home
• plan a trip to Colorado
• plan a trip to Nevada
• Start a piggy bank dedicated to a future adventure that will require the use of my passport (have to stamp my new passport with my new name!)
• Play cards with my grandma once a week
• realize I will never be anal about making the bed before Chaz...I will just let him do it and not feel bad!
• BUY SOME NEW CUTE WORK CLOTHES!
• Donate to a charity
• Make some of my Christmas Gifts
• Visit the Mwadini's in Moorhead
• Go to more movies!
• Call my grandma's often

That looks like a pretty hefty list so I better quit while I am ahead!

These are the days of our lives...

When I was younger, and it was summer or we had off school, my parents would get us lunchables. We fricken loved those things. In fact, they would barley make it to the mid way point of the Price is Right. About ten thirty, my sister would go get hers. Being the older more responsible child, I tried to make myself wait till Days of Our Lives, which was on at noon. Rarely did I make it to that point. Those little packages of processed meat and cheese, the wonderful pouch of Capri sun, and of course the delicate portion of Hershey’s candy, my favorite being a Reese’s! I will fill you in on a little secret though. I had one of those marvelous lunchables a few months ago, and really, they are not that good at all…I have no clue why we loved them so much! And yes, I watched Day of Our lives…well before sixth grade. In fact, in sixth grade, my friend Sarah would tape them, on a VHS!, and we would watch after school! I was a cool kid!

@proudlybrewed.blogspot.com

Yep, I have a twitter account. What I fail to have to accompany my twitter account is a mobile device I can use to update my twitter account. I kind of refuse to pay a crap load of money to be connected to the internet 24 hours a day. I am sure someday I will collapse, but for now, I stand my ground. And lucky for you cause I would so update with, “taking a poo” or “about to get it on”. I have no shame.

I do love my twitter account though cause I love Kim Kardashian and Ellen Degeneres and I love knowing what they are doing with every waking moment of their day.

Future...

Someday I want to be sitting in the breakfast nook of my very own cottage, looking at this view out the window!

Photo by Chaz Durgin

life

So Laura’s Bachelorette party was great! It was a busy weekend but we all managed!

Tonya came down Friday afternoon and that night Laura and Kory came over for a girls night. We played games, ate Grandpa Lane’s wonderful spaghetti, and Kory painted everyone’s finger and toe nails in preparation for the party. She has a hidden talent in doing some cute designs!

Laura headed to work Saturday morning for a little over time while Tonya and I got right to work preparing for the event. We made a cake, fruit salad, got all our stuff ready to haul to R-Lo’s (Laura’s mom!), and were out the door by 1! We made it to R-Lo’s, decorated, and soon people were arriving. It was a great mix of food, drinking, and conversing. And these ladies are crazy so you can imagine the conversations that were taking place!

We played a few games, however some of the girls forgot their game props, and others weren’t really feeling the games, so we just continued to talk, drink and eat! Soon it was time to get on the party bus. The driver was a ridiculous, burly old dude who at every stop told me some girl was getting him going as he creeper through his review mirror….SICK! In my head I was like, “Does he think I would try and set him up with someone? Oh hell no!”

We went to a few bars, did some way too crazy shit in the bus, and we were all pretty much ready to pass out at 1am…we are for sure getting old! It was a great night had by all!

Our dresses arrived about two weeks ago and they are beautiful! I can’t wait to wear mine on her wedding day!

And Labor Day is right around the corner. I am looking forward to the additional day off. I am going to Moorhead to visit Mrs. Tonya but it will still be relaxing! Do some reading, knitting, and movie watching! Maybe even squeeze in a few workouts!

Happy Labor Day weekend!

This weekend is gonna be ridic!

I am so excited for this weekend and it has made me slap happy! It is Laura's bachelorette party where we will be partaking in a host of inappropriate games and activites, but also, my best friend Tonya is coming down from Moorhead and Friday night will be a girls night in! Laura is coming over and we are going to relax, eat, and mentally prepare for what will go down Saturday night. All I have to say is watch the fudge nugget out Mpls...it's gonna get crazy!

relaxation...

Sundays are truly wonderful! Sometimes they can be boring, but generally I find them to be very relaxing. I do my homework, get in a work out, and prepare for the upcoming week. Chaz and I usually have dinner together, since as the week gets busy, we are not always eating together. I am so thankful to have Sunday's. A day to worship, a day to relax, a day to prepare for the craziness of the week ahead.

The future...

I don't know you,

yet

But I will fall in love,

instantly

Picking up good habits!

I have read for a while that coffee is good for you. It perks you up before exercise and lowers the risk of heart disease but I was also reading in my Prevention magazine that it lowers your risk of early death, Alzheimer’s and dementia, and diabetes. Bonus! Since I am averaging about two cups a day. I have also been reading a lot about green tea too! There are a boat load of health benefits to drinking green tea, ranging from weight management, cancer prevention, among a host of others. So I went out and bought myself a box! I really like black tea so this is a switch up but it tastes great and I can use some more antioxidants in my life!

Other then picking up a tea habit, life has been pretty normal. Last Saturday was Laura’s bridal shower, the first of a few more. And next Saturday we are celebrating her bachelorette party. It has been busy but fun and so worth it! And our bridesmaid dresses came in which was so exciting! They are beautiful and a great fit! I love them and can’t wait to wear mine on her big day!

Work is going good and after our month of vacations, it has been easy sliding back into a routine! I am already ready to start planning the next vacation however! Hmmm, where to go?!?!?

Chaz will start school again in the beginning of September but I am enjoying having him home as he is so great at keeping the house in order and doing the little errands. I am sure on his end though he is ready for his routine and to have something to challenge him!

The fall is looking pretty busy. We celebrate our one year anniversary, and Chaz’s golden birthday, and we have the wedding of Laura and Dave. All great and wonderful blessings we have to look forward to!

Time to unwind...

With life being so busy, it’s hard to find time for yourself. And a day at the spa just may not be in the budget this month. I know this; you know this; we all know this. Male or female, a little pampering can be just the pick me up you need to take on all your duties and tasks like a pro.

I thought I would give a little run down of my favorite beauty rituals. Mine is obviously more geared towards a “female”, however, males can adjust accordingly! I just find after taking a bit of time, I feel, look, and act better!

So block off an hour or two from your busy life. This may seem like a bit of time but it is so worth it in the end!

What you will need:
Cucumbers
Lemon juice
Face scrub or mask
Nail polish remover
Nail polish
Shaver
A glass of cold water
Candle

To start I turn on some relaxing music. If I am in an upbeat pampering mood, maybe something a bit crazier but I generally prefer relaxing! Light your favorite candle and off we go!

Start by applying your face mask. Follow directions on back as most have you wash your face first.

While your face mask is setting (generally ten minutes) remove nail polish from both hands and feet.

Once that is complete, apply lotion to legs-pre-moisturizing for shaving! Take the remaining time left on your face mask and go grab a few teaspoons of leman and two slices of cucumber.

Take off the face mask. Now it is time for the bath! During the duration of this entire activity, make sure to drink plenty of water! If you are taking the time to look healthy on the outside, why not work on doing so on the inside too! You can also add some lemon and cucumber to your water for a real spa treat, however, make sure to reserve some for the remaining activities!

Once in the bath, take time to truly relax. Add some relaxing body wash or bubble bath to the water, lie back, and place one cucumber slice on each eye. The cooling effects will help reduce puffiness and restore the luster of the area around your eyes!

Once you have relaxed to your content, remove the cucumber, and embark on normal bath activities. Wash and condition your hair, exfoliate your body, and shave those well moisturized legs! (Beauty pageant tip-conditioner can replace your shaving cream as it moisturizes your legs and the hair prior to removal!)

If you have a pumice stone, remove dead skin from both your feet and elbows-I have sensitive elbows so I usually just exfoliate my elbows with body scrub…once I hop out of the shower, I then rub some lemon juice on my elbows (really does soften the elbows!) Apply lotion to your entire body, paint toenails, then finger nails, then sit and relax while they dry...this is a great time to meditate!

And !POOF! A new you! Enjoy these little tips...I love them!

July in pictures!

July was a crazy busy time! Faithy kitty girl spent a lot of time enjoying the apartment by herself...but don't worry. Chaz left the air on for her!

We visited Laura's step dad's cabin for the fourth. It was a weekend full of swimming, tubing, eating, rope swinging, and enjoying some fireworks.

The following Wednesday we were off to Ohio for Chaz's family reunion. We took off Wednesday night and drove through the night to get to Athens, Ohio after 15 hours in the car. Chaz's parents were already there so we spent some time with them before heading to the reunion Friday where we met up with the rest of the family!

Saturday was the reunion in a park! It was a nice relaxing time!

Sunday before heading up to Milwaukee, we celebrated Denis' 50th birthday and Grandpa Lane's 75th birthday! Chaz is 25 so they created quite a tradition there!
Taking a break from traveling, we spent Wednesday night with Emma who had just arrived for her sister's wedding from Africa. She was only home for a few weeks so we made sure to take some roomie time to catch up and talk! It was so great!
Then it was back on the road again. Chaz, his parents, sister, and I headed to Reno Thursday morning where we spent time with his grandparents before heading to CA Friday morning.

Along the way we stopped at a few great wineries! It was fun to take a break on the road and enjoy some beautiful scenery...and what is better then enjoying some wine before hitting the road again!

We arrived in the Redwoods where we camped for the weekend. Chaz's mom got us tickets to Reggae on the River for Denis' birthday so that filled out Saturday!

The atmosphere was so relaxing and the music was great. We just sat in lawn chairs enjoying the people watching and the great music!

On the way home we decided to take a detour and head to the Ocean. It never fails to amaze me how beautiful the ocean is. We spent some time soaking our feet in the icy cold water and Laine and I decided to take the plunge and go up to our stomachs in the water. With waves, I would say we pretty much went in the whole way!
Then it was back home where we were finally able to fall in to a routine again! We loved traveling but it is so nice after so much traveling to get home and just relax!

Last weekend I celebrated LeeAnn's birthday with her! We spent the weekend relaxing, walking Lake Calhoun, and partying it up at Gustav's in NE Mpls. What a beautiful birthday girl!
With Laura's shower and bachelorette parties coming up, I also had to get the invitations made. I decided to take basic cards and add individual flare to each one. In the end, I was pretty proud of them!
This past Thursday we said farewell to Emma for what will seem like no time at all. She has already put in 21 months in Africa without being home and after this short stint home, she only has till December left in Africa. And then she will be home! Many of us are so excited to have her back in the states but I know it will be hard for her to leave Africa as she has such a passion and desire to be there!

So tomorrow is August, which is completely crazy! I can not believe how fast this summer has been flying by! I am excited for the fall though and the upcoming months have so many great activities in them, including my best friend Laura's wedding and showers! I can not wait!

So here is to a great month! Happy Birthday Dad, Tonya, LeeAnn, Ryan, Michael, Denis, Lane, and happy Anniversary Denis and Terri! Tomorrow is Laine and Fu's birthday and Tuesday is my mom's! Such a busy time for birthday's also!

4Ever!

Oh it has been a while! I guess summer equals no time to update the blog! I finished finals a little over a week ago so with my free time, I am trying to get outside and work on other projects that took a backseat to my school work. I am actually pretty disappointed in my grade! On all my projects and papers I got 88% or above, most were 94 and 95. My participation in the discussions though left a little to be desired. So even with my bomb project grades, he gave me a 2.0…a C…what the fudge nugget?!?! No one to blame but myself but I for sure thought I did better than that and my grades proved it! And seriously, he never logged on or gave feedback! I think this may be one semester I complete the end of the class feedback questionnaire! The least I can do is spread my opinion, right?!?!?!

And in my free time I am working out more! That really took a backseat the last few weeks of class! I have been running Lake Calhoun which totally inspires and motivates me! I love the atmosphere and people and the motivation to work hard! And we have had some yucky weather but we have also had some really great nights where I have been able to get out and pound the pavement. Last night I even roller bladed, but they will not become a staple workout…I would much rather run!

Chaz and I have started a string of vacations! He just got back from the Boundary waters and had a blast! Of course with no cell phone service to talk to him, I sure missed him while he was away! This weekend we head up to Laura’s cabin in Wisconsin and the weekend after we head to Ohio for Chaz’s family reunion, then both the Durgins and Emma will visit us the following week! August holds a lot of wedding related stuff for me, in regards to Laura’s upcoming nuptials but we hope to also make it to Wisconsin to a wedding of one of Chaz’s family friends!

I would say that this summer I am most looking forward to some good family time and some good friends’ time! There are a host of birthdays to celebrate, a ton of events, and I am loving every minute! Now if only class didn’t start back up in two weeks!

A family evolves

The below photo is maybe not the most flattering, but it captures that character that my Great Grandma Olga (G.G. Olga-she was like a celebrity) embodied. She had spunk, charisma, and above all, strength. She was the matriarch of my dad's family. We compared her to the Queen of England and since she was Canadian, she may have somewhere down the line been related to the Royal Family. Who knows?!

When she passed away five years ago, our family was affected deeply. I spent the middle part of my freshman year trekking up to Grand Forks or Warroad to help bring a bit of cheer and relieve my Grandma Lainey of some of the stress she was carrying. I would not trade that time for anything. It still makes me tear up thinking about it.

-

One of the most memorable times I had in those last few months was a Friday night I spent with my Grandma Lainey and my Great Grandma. It was scary, and sad, but now that I look back on it, I view it as a blessing, a time with a true Angel.

-

It was about midnight and G.G. Olga was trying to fall asleep. This was hard for her because for a while, she really fought death. She did not want to miss a thing so falling asleep seemed to scare her a bit. I slept on a chair that folded out into a bed on the floor to help her if she had to go to the restroom, and my Grandma Lainey slept in the room right next to us.

-

My Grandma Lainey loves taking care of others and no one more then her mom so undoubtedly, she was on edge during this time. She ran into the room twice because she did not hear G.G. Olga snoring. Finally, I moved off my makeshift bed and offered it to Grandma Lainey while I took the floor. The three of us slept in that room, at least, I think you could call it that.

-

G.G. Olga woke up at 3:30 am for what I thought was a bit of a snack. However, she was ready to get up for the day. While she sat at the kitchen table, I tried to fall back to sleep but had the urge to not waste this precious time. I got up, went to the bathroom with my clothes and makeup. I got dressed for the day, at 3:30 am, and went and joined my grandma at the table. I made her some breakfast and we sat there a bit, in the bright kitchen light, surrounded by darkness. We started talking about all she wanted to complete. She talked about her personal checks she wanted to get organized and this was something that was really bothering her. I suggested we do it right there. So there we sat, organizing her last three months of checks, even though I knew they would be discarded once G.G. Olga passed. It gave her piece of mind and that was all that mattered.

-

I cherish this time so much. My parents are realists and always keep us informed and for this I am so thankful. We knew what was going on. We were involved, and because of that, I got to form a bond with an amazing woman because I knew my time was short.

-

Even five years after her death, her presence is still felt. Whenever we see a rainbow or hear a train, she is there. When a purple flower appears or a certain song is heard on the radio, she is with us. On my wedding day, my father placed a purple flower and a green leaf in my bouquet. The purple flower was for my Great Grandma, and the leaf was from the tree my cat Whitey was buried under. Funny but we called both my cat and Great Grandma Whitey. Just another correlation in this strong family bond.

It has been five years though, and our family has grown by three. G.G. Olga has gained three new great grandchildren, two through birth and one through marriage. And even though she remains an important part of our daily lives, the title of family matriarch has shifted, and as the blood line would allow, another special lady has taken that title, her daughter, my Grandma Lainey. Not only is she also a character filled with charisma and craziness!, she is also full of strength, more then anyone could even imagine. She is the glue of this family, the one who checks in on everyone by either calling them until they pick up, sending a letter, or leaving them a note on facebook! She is positive and supportive and deserves the title just as much as her mom did!

We love you Grandma Lainey!

My husband is a creative one!

All the above are the work of Chaz and Adara Durgin. So don't copy our pics! Get your own!

mmm....Dinner!

So tonight we had a nam nam nam dinner! Created by me! Granted mid prep I looked at the back of the sauce and realized I was one ingredient off from Ragu's recipe. All the same, this is my recipe as I thought of it prior to reading the jar! It is also pretty healthy, so I must share!

I sauteed five or six chicken breast strips. heavily peppered and salted with garlic salt, per my usual prep.

While the chicken was cooking away, I boiled water for my bow tie pasta. You could use any type but I prefer fun shapes!

Once the chicken and pasta where cooked, I popped a bag of peas in the microwave. With everything done, I cut up the chicken and added all of it to my big pan. That is right! Chicken, Ragu light Parmesan Alfredo, peas, and pasta. I let it all cook together for a few minutes.

Ragu suggested adding Turkey bacon for a light carbonara, however, I did not miss that calories at all!

All together, the box of pasta has seven servings at 4 Weight Watchers points each. The sauce also had seven servings at 2 points each. The peas were 1 point, however, there were only 4 servings in the bag so we probably did not get a full serving of peas but I would not add more. And for the chicken, you only end up getting a few cut up pieces so I would take two points but you could do a whole breast for 3-4 points.

Total meal minus the garlic bread I made (hehe) was 9 points! Well worth it as I am stuffed!

Here is a pic of my dinner with my signature drink! Mix one pack crystal light lemon iced tea with one pack of crystal light lemonade! MMMMMMM....