Category: My Family

Without a family, one seldom thinks long term

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Jenny Craig — Day 11!

just about 1 pound plus loss per day!!!

 Seeing is believing!

I will admit that the last few days were a little tough on this big guy… however, add to it the veggie trays and the sugarless jello which happens to be ‘free food’… and it is definitely something I can manage!

The Jenny Craig gals are very cute here in San luis Obispo… they’re funny and I do like to make them laugh. I ask them if I will ever slip into a size 4 again…. they smile. My guess is that it’s going to take about another week plus for me to drop below the 300 mark… and that will be fun!

As i have blogged… both Karen and Laura have been on Jenny for 6 weeks tomorrow. Karen has lost 35 lbs and Laura has lost 20… so as a family we have dropped 70 lbs. However, if we each reach our goals… the total will be way into tripple digits!

The ladies are reaching their ‘half way points’ which means they’ll be dropping their calorie intake a bit… which is one reason I set my goal soooo low! Next week when Laura changes over to the lower diet… I will be eating twice as much as she is allowed… somehow that doesn’t seem fair… but I am glad that it is not the other way around!

15 pounds in 11 days… I can live with that.

Lost 7.5 lbs!

Interviewing with jenny Craig

Nestle’ Bought Jenny Craig? WOW!

Jenny Craig Weigh-Ins

 

Roger Freberg

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What to buy HER for Christmas…..

As I was scanning the internet, I caught a frivolous article with cliche’ quotes by one of Hugh Hefner’s new squeezes about what to buy a woman for Christmas.

Surprisingly, the article was very helpful. Embedded in the story was a quote from a consumer researcher on the four major categories that WOMEN want… not what you want them to have… but what SHE wants. Big difference. Here’s what Marshall Cohen, chief analyst at consumer and retail market research information company NPD Group, lists as the big favorite categories among women:

1) “The number-one emotionally attached gifts are jewelry as number one,

2) …chocolate as number two and

3) … apparel as number 3.

4) … Number 4 is coffee. Women love coffee.”

As for me, I can agree completely on the categories and the order presented. Here’s how my wife and daughters sort out on my list:

Bluenile.com diamond earringsLaura– Laura never chooses “jewelry” as her number one choice… but then nothing makes her happier. The more she protests… the closer to the mark I am.

Oh yes, Kristin bought her a Prada bag, too.

 

Kristin... with one gift that she will only get... if I am not buried with it!Kristin — Yep, Jewelry is a biggie… but you have to add apparel. She has an account with ‘Coach’ for a reason.

Kristin has bought all of her expensive things… although I bought her a nice pair of diamond earrings for her graduation from West point… she earned it!

 

Kristin took Karen to Prada ni Beverly Hills... a kind and generous gift... Karen wears her Prada Purse with pride.... no 'hobo' gift here!Karen — Chocolate proves she’s daddy’s girl… but apparel is a close second. Kristin bought her this year’s Prada bag.

Karla —- Chocolate and apparel. I don’t know where video games and computers fall… but she’s into these as well.

Well, I hope my little tour has given you some ideas… or at least a perspective on the question for the ages… “what do women really want?”

I can’t say that I have figured it out… all I can say is that for the time being… I look for a smile… and then I know I am okay until… the next occasion.

Good hunting!

 

 Roger Freberg

 

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the ‘ultimate’ Turducken!

aaaaah... nothing is quite as good as a store bought turducken... except, a homemade one!It is especially hard this season to stay on any kind of diet… because, in the end… the conversation always goes back to food.

My eldest daughter Kristin had a party for the army women… mostly spouses I believe… in any event… it sounded all too evil… chocolate fondue, cheese fondue… mimosas! I know this was only the beginning!

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

I have always disliked the bland and often overcooked turkey that is often prepared during the holiday season … even by good cooks. I am particularly talking about the flavorless white meat. My grandmother first helped me address this issue by doing what she called ‘self basting’… that is … simply … taking the stuffed turkey and placing it on it’s breasts… wing and back side up. The fat and juices then keep the white meat moist… or so it seemed.

This made a measurable improvement… but I still didn’t like white meat.

Then we started preparing… ‘turduckens’! This is where you debone the turkey and stuff it with a duck and inside the duck with a chicken! And all of the meat is surrounded and stuffed with stuffing! The white meat became very falvorful and moist and the transfer of flavors from the stuffing to the meat was …. exquisite!

However, there was still a problem.

Allow me to offer this short analogy, some folks like Paella with all the bones and shells… but I don’t like to work that hard to enjoy my food… I shell everything first. As for ‘turducken’, I don’t like the skin left on the duck and chicken!

So…. this is what we finally decided to try this year: we are going to debone the turkey as before… but strip the duck & chicken of meat and add them to the stuffing mix directly…. intuitively it sounds like a wonderful idea… so we’ll see how it goes. After all, we only use one type of stuffing for our turducken.

Now, as you know there are some ‘leftovers’… I don’t have any suggestions for the skin… but the livers… aaaah… here’s an idea for an inexpensive pate’ that may just work out for you! The rest? It’s okay for a gravy base.

History of the Turducken

Moose for President.. a Turducken in every pot!

Roger Freberg

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Tale of the Christmas Bear

the Christmas bearIt really doesn’t seem all that long ago… but I know that Karen wasn’t but a couple of years old… old enough to know the ‘truth’ about the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny and Santa…. that they were all “real” just as YOU or ME!

It all started after one fateful visit to Santa Claus… Laura had briefed the children that they would watch Santa Fly in by Helicopter from  the North Pole to the local Elks Lodge. The Elks was a familiar place to swim in the summers.

Santa finally made his yearly appearance making a number of passes overhead to the wild and enthusiastic cheers of the children below. However, no one was more happy to see him … than Karen… who carried the biggest smile and burst with many requests this season.

Finally, Karen made it to the head of the line and her mother suggested that she sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. Santa nodded in approval and said,”Karen, I will make sure that you get all of your special ‘my little ponies’ including “starlight.’ Santa concluded,” besides ,Karen, so I don’t forget, I will make sure I keep your presents on top!”

As Karen prepared to leave Santa, Santa tugged at his beard lowernig it slightly and said, “See you tonight Karen… you see, little one … Santa is YOUR daddy, too!”

Karen beamed ear to ear.

Kristin tried to convince Karen that Santa was ‘just’ dad… but Karen now KNEW that Santa WAS Dad! So, when I finally got home, Karen came up to me… and asked as sweetly as she could,” can I ride with you tonight …. with the reindeer?” “Hmmmm… tonight the Christmas Bear flies alone because he is soooo big and heavy and because his load is sooo heavy with all the presents for the children of the world, Karen… but if Santa could bring one… he would bring you!”

Merry Christmas, Karen… Kristin & Karla

the Christmas Bear

Angelique Kiss Show
starting to feel Christmasy
Christmas “HAT”?
early Christmas Present
Got a WII for Christmas!
Tanners first visit to Santa
Christmas Questions from Texas
from a children’s Pastor”
Christmas in Dubai
Giving to Charities at Christmas

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Jenny Craig …. “extending your snacking experience”

here's a very common weight for me... but it's time to take it off

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmmm…. I don’t know if it was watching my daughter Karen shrink before my eyes, or watching my wife Laura lookin’…. good! …. but I was impressed… impressed enough to want to jump on their band wagon and sign a year’s contract with Jenny Craig!

Now, I did find a diet that helped me lose weight from 427 down to 240.. but it was high on the cauliflower and low on… anything that tasted good. Don’t get me wrong… my diet works… but after watching them devour chocolate brownies, frajitas and stuff that I haven’t seen in years… well, it just seemed that it was time to change. This morning, I ate a banana nut muffin, glass of milk, & cottage cheese as part of my 2300 calorie diet…. it was delicious! I don’t have to wait until lunch , as I get a yogurt mid-morning! Jenny has something for you about 6 times a day…

I started yesterday at noon… so this completes my first day on “Jenny Craig”.

My goal weight is 229… which I set just to test my limits. The last time I weighed this was in 1978 and my mother sent me $20 thinking I was a victim of wifely abuse and needed some food money.

Starting a diet for me is a social activity… Laura and Karen have been at it for a month now and , frankly, I wanted to be sure that they would stay on it before I joined them. Too many times I join an activity only to find myself ‘alone’… this is called ‘loneliness.’ However, they have been strong… so the future looks promising.

Now, I know what you guys are all thinking… “Jenny Craig” is for women…. well, not really. Besides, do you think I really want to be in a weight loss program with a bunch of sweaty guys… or hang with gals who are really concerned about their appearance? Hmmm… let me think about that for a moment.

Weigh ins are once a week so I let you know how it goes… so far it has been fun… eating with no dishes to clean ( it all comes in portion controled microwavable packages!).

Roger Freberg