Dawn Hall's Fast and Frugal Cookbook Review

I love to eat. That would explain why I'm working on losing weight right now. One of the problems I have is that I get bored eating the same foods, and I'm not very creative. I love to look through cookbooks, but lots of them are not realistic for my family. The ingredients are exotic or pricey, and the method of preparing is too complicated. I received Dawn Hall's Fast and Frugal Cookbook from Thomas Nelson to review, and the timing couldn't be better. The first thing I love about this cookbook is that the recipes are simple. There aren't a ton of ingredients. Actually, I had most of the items already in my pantry. Also, most of the recipes are low calorie and easy for me to incorporate into my daily menu. The book is divided into sections that include beverages, soups, and main meals. All of the recipes include nutritional information and a shopping list. I can easily figure out the weight watchers points for each recipe. I've made a few of the recipes and haven't been disappointed.

I've always loved the combination of ham and pineapple. I'm also a big fan of the sweet potato. I decided to try the Hawaiian Sweet Potato Soup. I thought it was quite tasty and is a perfect recipe for fall and is only 172 calories per serving.


The book include a recipe for a crepe and then adds additional recipes for different variations of preparing them. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Crepes were a HUGE hit with my daughter. It was quite delicious. The best part is that what you see on this plate only has 97 calories. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the filling. I'm thinking that adding bananas would be good also.



I'm pleased with this cookbook, and I'm sure it will be one I turn to regularly. With the holidays approaching, this cookbook would make a great gift.

Weight loss progress

Last week totally got away from me. I was so busy every day. I did go to my weigh-in last week and only lost .2 pounds. I'm not sure why, except maybe it was because it was about to be "that time of the month". Today at my weigh-in I was down 1.6 pounds. So, after 3 weeks I've lost 3 pounds. I guess I can't complain about that. This past week was tough, but I managed to make it through. My big challenge right now is to get in the exercise. I've only managed 2 days a week for the past 2 weeks. I vow to make this week better. I'm sure that would boost the weight loss also.

Einstein refunds...Seriously?

When Abby was born in 2003, I received a couple of the Baby Einstein videos at my shower. I actually had never heard of them before. When she was a few months old I decided to put one of the videos on to see what her reaction would be. The video got her attention and held it for a little while. I was excited because it gave me some time to get a couple of things done around the house. She would always get the biggest grin on her face when the video would begin.

At no time did I believe that a video would make her smarter. I also did not believe it would make her less smart. Come on people, the development of our children is dependent on a variety of factors. Don't get me wrong. If you park your child in front of the television constantly and don't provide other forms of stimulation and experiences...well let's just say that's not good for little Sally or Johnny.

My motto on most things is "Everything in moderation". I certainly have no problem with parents who don't allow tv before the age of 2 years. As parents we do the best we can. I try to make good choices for my children, but television is just not a big concern for me. Abby has put in plenty of hours with Dora and the Backyardigans (my personal favorite). Right now it's more about iCarly and Hannah Montana. She's managed to be placed in an advanced kindergarten class and is doing quite well, according to the report card she brought home this week. She also spends a great deal of time on the computer....*gasp*. I also take her to dance and piano once a week. She loves drawing and spending time with the dog, cats, and guinea pigs.

I guess my point is that we need to be careful about making blanket statements about anything. Our kids are all individuals and we know them best. Letting your baby watch a video is not going to make him or her a genius, but I don't buy that it's harmful either. Expose you're baby to lots of sounds, sights, and smells. Talk to your baby, hold your baby, and kiss your baby. Pick your baby up when she cries and comfort her.

And if you want to put on a video while you make dinner...go for it.

Friday Find

With the holidays fast approaching, it's really a good idea to start shopping now. Start making your lists and be on the lookout for good deals. Buy.com has a great deal on a pink Microsoft Zune 4GB MP3 Player for $78.99 with free shipping. They are also throwing in a car pack and headphones to make it an even better deal. The regular price for this Zune is $209.99!

Kohl's is having a great sale on toys, especially when you add the code SPECIAL 20 for an extra 20% off and PICK15OCT for an extra 15% off for Kohl's card-holders.

Weight Watchers Weigh-In

I've completed my first week of Weight Watchers. It wasn't bad at all. I was able to stay within my points range fairly easily. That was my focus. I didn't exercise, but just tried to make sure I did my points correctly. This week, I plan to add in the exercise. My goal is to exercise at least 4 days this week.

Week one I lost 1.2 pounds. I was hoping for more, but I'll definitely take it.

I hope to find a resource to share here weekly that may help any of you out there working on losing weight. I found a website that I found helpful. It's called Skinny Week. A Weight Watchers leader started this site, but it can be helpful to anyone trying to lose weight. I especially like that there are literally hundreds of recipes. If I'm going to be successful, I have to have a variety of foods. I'd love to hear any other tips or resources you guys have found helpful.

Friday Find

Are you ready for Christmas? Well, it's coming so you might as well start getting ready. This Recordable Christmas Ball Ornament would make a cute and inexpensive gift. Shipping is free!

Wordless Wednesday

Time to Lose

Everytime I've ever tried to lose weight in the past, I've tried to keep it secret. My reason for that is because if I fail, then I don't have to explain to anyone why I'm eating the big piece of chocolate cake. It's time to lose that way of thinking. If you think about it, that's basically setting yourself up for failure before you even start trying. I'm going to do something different this time. I just went online and signed up for Weight Watchers. I've attempted Weight Watchers in the past. I've always been too cheap to pay for it, so I go online and find out the points and try to do it on my own. This time I'm going to go to the meetings on Mondays. I will also track my success on this blog. I figure if I'm weighing in and I'm tracking my results on my blog, I will have even more motivation. I will also be less likely to quit, which is something I always do.

It's time for me to start taking better care of myself. I'm doing this for me and no one else. I know a lot of my fellow moms can relate to my struggle. I don't make time for me. I have lots of mommy guilt. It's time to get over it. I'm a great mom, and I deserve to do something for me. For instance, I always feel guilty for spending money on myself. Well, I'm going to spend some money on me and do the Weight Watchers thing right.

Anyone want to join me? My plan is to post weekly on my progress, struggles and all. It might not be the best time of year to start, with all the yummy holiday treats being available, but maybe it's the perfect time. We shall see...

Wordless Wednesday

Review-Joshua Bell's "At Home With Friends"

We love music at our house. Hubby plays guitar in a rock band, Abby is in piano lessons, and I was in the University of Alabama marching band in college. I'm a big fan of all types of music. I'm excited that One2One Network sent me Joshua Bell's new CD, At Home With Friends, to review. Joshua Bell's bio from his website states that "for over two decades, Joshua Bell has enchanted audiences worldwide with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare opulence. He came to national attention at the age of 14 in a highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra". Joshua has become known for getting together with his famous friends at his home and making great music together. He decided to put together an album with some of these same friends participating.

I put this CD in my laptop while taking care of the baby. It just happened to be a fussy day for her. I was having trouble figuring out how to soothe her. As soon as the first track began, she stopped crying. At the same time, the dog was lying at my feet. He immediately sat up and cocked his head to the side while staring at the laptop. The CD is full of beautiful music, with both instrumentals and songs with great lyrics. You'll definitely recognize some of the great performers who contributed, including Sting and Josh Groban. One of my favorites was My Funny Valentine, which featured Kristin Chenoweth. If you're having family over or taking a long drive, this is a great CD to play in the background. It's very relaxing, and I plan to always have it with me for car trips since baby Ava seemed to enjoy it so much.

Please go here, for a sampling of the songs. The track list is as follows:

I Loves You Porgy featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
Come Again featuring Sting, vocals
Oblivion featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Cinema Paradiso featuring Josh Groban, vocals
Para Tí featuring Tiempo Libre, various
My Funny Valentine featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
Maybe So featuring Edgar Meyer Sam Bush and Mike Marshall, strings
Grieg: Sonata No. 3 featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
Eleanor Rigby featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair featuring Nathan Gunn, baritone
Il Postino featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Left Hand Song featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals

Chovendo Na Roseira featuring Dave Grusin, piano
Look Away featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
I'll Take Manhattan featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano
Left Hand featuring Regina Spektor, vocals

The CD came out on September 29th. Christmas is coming up, and this would make a great gift for the music lover in your life. For more info on Joshua Bell, please check out his website. You can also become a fan on his Facebook page.