A little late tonight. Was a really big day today. When I awoke, it was a rush. The normal raisin bran crunch was in my cereal bowl, then it was a busy time as I prepared my Mexican Bean Casserole dish as my daughter, two grandchildren and my ex were coming over to help clean out the two sheds that have stuff from even 23 years ago!
The casseroles were all prepared and ready for the oven before they arrived. Once they arrived, we got right to work on the sheds, clearing stuff and finding boxes of paper ready for the burn pile. We worked for a couple of hours, then I went into the house to get the lunch ready. The casseroles were put into the over (I made enough so daughter and my ex could take some home for the evening meal.) Then time was spent chopping the toppings - cilantro, green onion, tomatoes, and avocado. Also sour cream was in the mix. Just in case you're curious, the casseroles consisted of boiled, shredded chicken added to a big bowl of garbanzos, black beans, kidney beans, white beans and pinto beans. Throw in a bag of frozen sweet corn and mix all that up with a can of tomato sauce and a pint of salsa. Prepare the casserole dish by a light spray of virgin olive oil, then crushing corn tortilla chips into the bottom to make a crust. Next, make an even layer of the bean mix over the tortilla chips, then an even layer of shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese. Add another layer of each and put into the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour or until cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly along the edges, signifying that it is hot.
All of them, even the little ones aged 2 and 4 ate with a gusto. I'm not sure if it was the casserole or all the fresh air and work in the shed, but they certainly made short order of the food on their plates.
After our lunch, we went right back to work. We made another dent in the project and all of us became a bit weary. My daughter knew it was time to take the little ones back home as they were becoming a tad .... well, you know how little kids get when they get tired.
Finally everybody was gone, and I was pretty tuckered out myself. The day wasn't over, as my 94 year old landlord's caretaker called to advise that they were stopping by for a visit. My landlord and I have been friends for over 25 years, so it was a welcome visit as he is now in a memory care facility.
I rounded up some crackers and a glass of wine for everybody. (Due to my efforts in weight loss, I didn't have any cheese or other snack-like items to share.) We visited until evening time.
And so now here I am. I don't know what the calories were for today. I suspect they weren't quite the best. What I do know is that the exercise/walking, etc. between yesterday's zoo trip and today's efforts in the shed burned a lot more calories than I have done in the last 7 or 10 days combined!
Tomorrow promises to be a beautiful day outside - before the rains come over the weekend. I may just get into the car and head back to the zoo with my camera. THIS TIME, though, I'll bring my own food/snacks/lunch, whatever, rather than slip into zoo hamburger mode.
I must get back on track, as I'm afraid I'm slipping a bit. I am, though staying away from all the chocolate, cheese, snack-type items. It's going to be a long road. I AM committed to getting rid of the 80 pounds! I'll MAKE it before 2017.
See you tomorrow! Keep the faith!
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