Life Rolls On

Well, another week, another pound. Slow and steady wins the race, right? I found a super simple new recipe for a low fat pot pie which is actually pretty good. Of course I couldn't just make it as written so here's my modified version:

Filling
10.75 oz can reduced fat, reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
2 c frozen mixed veggies of your choice
1/2 c chopped fresh mushrooms
Salt & pepper to taste (definitely needs salt, I skipped this step accidentally)

For vegetarians add,
1 baking potato chopped & par-boiled

For meat eaters add,
1/2 baking potato chopped & par-boiled
2 c chopped cooked chicken breast

Topping
1 c reduced fat Bisquick (I used an organic alternative)
1/2 c fat free milk (I used soy milk)
1 egg (I used an egg replacement called Ener-G)

Stir to combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the filling ingredients in a square 8x8 baking dish and stir to combine. Cover with the topping. Bake at 400 for 30 min.

Since I added the fresh ingredients, the prep took a bit longer. If you used the refrigerated precooked potatoes or thawed frozen potatoes, it would be much quicker. And pre-sliced mushrooms would help too although I chopped mine so they wouldn't get mushy. The veggie version is very hearty and I'm sure meat eaters wouldn't miss the chicken. Although J might be a more honest reviewer in that regard. Fresh herbs like thyme would also be delish in either the topping or the filling. Anyhoo, give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Since it seems that my weight loss journey has completely overtaken this blog, I'll make an effort to switch to my two other fav subjects - Ian and Relay for Life. :)

Okay, brace yourselves. Ian has been sleeping through the night since he was 2 months old almost without exception. How blessed are we?! Prior to that, I think our three main obstacles were 1) the acid reflux issues, 2) our lack of routine and 3) his Houdini-like ability to break out of his swaddle. Actually, we thought he didn't like the swaddle so we weren't even using it for the first month. Since he was waking up 45 minutes into every nap, I decided to swaddle him out of desperation. We all needed more downtime! Though he protested at first, he ended up falling asleep quicker and stayed asleep longer. Hallelujah! But consistently by 5:30am, he would completely break free from his swaddle and demanded to get up. J thought the loosened swaddle was a smothering hazard and thought we should give up on it. I was not about to go back to that dark, sleepless place without a fight so I came up with an alternative. We doubled the swaddle! The wrap-around type of swaddle first covered by a velcro version. Separately, they won't hold him. But together, it's pure magic! Since then he sleeps until 7-7:30am! Yippeeeee!!! And now he wakes up happily talking to himself instead of crying. Disclaimer: Ian's comfort zone is about an inch wide so we never know how long a solution will last. But hey, I'll take it while I can!

Now on to Relay. We are knee-deep in our fundraising and planning efforts. Our team has contacted nearly 150 businesses to request silent auction donations and fundraising partnerships. I really appreciate the businesses that respond. They don't even have to say yes but a response is so nice. When we are closer to the event, I'll publish a list of all the businesses that supported us in our efforts. For their generosity, I for one will be a client for life! I think our new website has really helped our fundraising efforts which is great to see. Check back for a bunch of different fundraising events that we'll be hosting in June. There will be something for everyone!!! If you want to be notified of events or news via e-mail, send us your e-mail address at walkingwithangels@gmail.com.

That's the news from Loriland. Life is just rolling on...