11/25- I have my books and my poetry to protect me; I am shielded in my armor.

Weight Loss for the Week: .5lbs

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  I got to go out to Denver to visit my father and stepmother. And, for the first time in years, my brother joined us.  It was so nice to have the family all together for a holiday.  I was able to go out Tuesday night- I thought I was being clever and avoiding the insanity of the Wednesday travelers. I was not so clever since so many other people clearly had the same idea.  Suffice it to say, my second flight was a bit delayed and I did not get in until almost midnight.  Thankfully, my dad was still willing to pick me up at that hour.

It was wonderful being out there during my break.  We went for nice long walks almost every day- something I have hated doing in the past, but looked forward to this year.  We even touched the green gate each time.  My dad claims if you don't touch the green gate that's on part of the path, then your walk doesn't count. 

See, I touched the Green Gate- no worries, we didn't trespass.


For our Thanksgiving meal, we had a total of sixteen, yes sixteen, people.  My stepmom picked up the stragglers, as she called them, from her work and they joined us in celebrating this year.  We had so much food, it was insane.  And it was all so delicious.  Some of it was nutritious, some it of not so much.  I made the Sweet Potato Casserole and the WW version of Squash Casserole.  They were both enjoyed and devoured.  I did fairly well with portion control, until it came time for dessert.  Now, I knew I was pretty close to full, but my dad had made cheesecake and my stepmom had made whipped cream from scratch.  I simply could not pass it up.  I had to do a longer walk the next day to help make up for it.

Aren't we a good-looking family?


We also went shopping for some new clothes and accessories for me.  I hit the jackpot.  I got plenty of cute new clothes, earrings, necklaces, and a purse.  I am very pleased with my haul.  And I am very thankful to my parents for my early Christmas gift.  Now, I can be stylin' for the holidays :)

I had a great time visiting, relaxing, and enjoying all the beautiful views of the Rockies.   And I'm glad that even though I splurged some for the holiday, I was able to counteract it with exercise and was able to lose some weight again this week.

Here's the Squash Casserole Recipe if you would like to try it.

 Squash Casserole Recipe

3 cups Squash

1 tbsp. Chopped Onion

4-5 slices Cooked and Crumbled Turkey Bacon

3 Egg Whites, well beaten

¾ cup Grated Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 stick Margarine

Cook squash until tender.  Season with salt, pepper, butter and onion.  Add well beaten eggs and mix well.  Put layer of squash in baking dish.  Add layer of crumbled bacon and cheese.  Repeat layer.  Add cheese on top.  Bake about 30 minutes.