Wednesday, December 19, 2012

ww update

still pluggin along.
losing an average of 1.3 per week
down 14+ lbs.

although i wish my average was closer to 2 lbs per week,
i'm pretty happy 
because i'm (so far) making it through the holidays
without gaining.

halloween - check
cooper's birthday (with 2 cakes) - check
thanksgiving - check
deegan family fall festival - check
dan's office party - check
deegan famiy christmas party - check

fingers crossed i'll make it though
girls night (tonight),
christmas
&
new years.

maintain, maintain, maintain.... that's my mantra the next week or so!

here's a new favorite ww recipe.
so good. enjoy :)

Pork Piccata

ingredients
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp table salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb uncooked lean pork tenderloin, trimmed & cut into 16 thin slices
2-1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
3/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp corn starch
1 tbs capers, drained

instructions
in a small bowl, combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper. sprinkle
over both sides of pork, shake off excess.

heat 2 tsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. add pork 
(in 2 batches if necessary) and cook until just cooked through and golden,
about 1-1/2 minutes per side. set aside on a serving plate and cover to keep warm.

in a cup whisk together broth, lemon juice, cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper
until blended. Pour into same skillet and whisk to combine with pan drippings. simmer
until slightly thickened. about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat, stir in butter until
melted. Stir in capers and spoon over pork. serve warm.

serves 4 at 4 ww points.

hope you're having a great week!
xoxo - e

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

max's "guys"


let me introduce you to....
"szor, swimming guy, superman, green lantern,  sidekick and batman"

i will never ever correct him :)

happy tuesday! - e


Saturday, December 15, 2012

thankful

watching cnn.
good God
am i thankful to have my children
safe at home.

still so innocent...
dreaming about christmas, hoping for that special gift,
singing carols, eating yummy treats
 and hunting for our elf, ting-a-ling,


my thoughts and prayers go out
to all the families in Newtown, CT.

my heart breaks for you.
xoxo - erin


Friday, December 14, 2012

iPhone download...

lazy, happy lucy

the spaghetti & meatball dance

totally regret not buying this hat at target

coop's 7th birthday dinner

my (serious) girl drawing

view from my favorite spot :)

reilly saving the world 

my lego engineer... so proud

last one alive wins!

cooper in a mini cooper


hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 
we have quite a schedule...
christmas dance recital
birthday party
cousin christmas party
indoor soccer practice
hip hop class
and 
the kids are begging to see the hobbit
(thinking that's a no-go)

xoxo -e


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

christmas card reveal - 2012

happy holidays
from
skoots and cuddles
and
the deegan family.

here is our 2012 family christmas card...
front 
back
peace, love and joy
erin

you can check out our christmas cards  
from past years here.

Monday, December 10, 2012

haha

so true.
via pinterest

xoxo - erin

erin's golden gift guide

these are a few of my favorite (golden) things.
a gift guide...

golden rhino - $20
find it here.

kate spade bangle - $89
find it here.

shimmer peek trinket dishes- $25-$34
find it here.

gold flatware- $29
find it here.

square lacquer tray- $24
find it here.

salt cellar- $12
find it here.

bar necklace - $189
find it here.

gold nugget hook bracelet- $12
find it here.

gold dipped antler- $112
find it here.

hope you're enjoying the holiday season!
xoxo - e




Tuesday, December 4, 2012

christmas tree hunt

on sunday we spent the day
hunting, searching, finding, losing and finding again
our 2012 christmas tree

this was our first time cutting down our own tree
and i think it will be a new tradition.

our tree is so lovely and fresh!

here are a few photos from our day!
on the horse-drawn wagon on our way to the fields

this is the tree max wanted... it would require two stars!

this was the tree reilly wanted.... in honor of charlie brown.
this is the tree mommy wanted.... perfectly symmetrical and beautiful!
the kids with our tree.... forced to pose and very annoyed with mommy

another try... a little better - love that belly max!
our tree grew legs! taking our tree back to the wagon

taking the tree home.
max decorating in his cars pull-up.
coop decorating... it was very warm that day. we rarely decorate for
christmas in shorts in illinois!
another cute diaper pic.
reilly decorating
all done :)
i added this one... because that kid is kinda cute :)
happy holidays!
-e

Monday, December 3, 2012

weight watchers update

i'm still chugging away.

i was very worried about thanksgiving.
although i did indulge (a bit),
i'm still losing weight.
that is one reason why ww works.
(at least for me)

it's been 6 weeks and i'm down 12 lbs.
so,
that's about 2 lbs. a week. not bad.

here a a few new tips i've learned...

1) the weight watchers website and pinterest are great
places to find yummy ww recipes.

2) thomas' bagel thins = amazing!!! pair a slightly toasted bagel thin with 
lots of veggies & 6 slices of deli turkey for 4pts! perfect lunch!

3) crystal light is a life saver! i'm was getting pretty sick of water
and i've cut out diet soda.

4) i currently can't live without frozen veggie steam bags! so easy and fresh!

5) i don't put anything in my mouth unless i write it down
so i can be accountable for it. it totally works.

6) you don't need to cheat... if you track all of your points, you make
room in the day for a special treat. a glass of wine or a hershey kiss.

7) we still have friday night pizza night. i just eat a few slices of 
thin-crust restaurant style veggie pizza, track the points and
work it into my weekly allowance of points. 

i also wanted to share one of my new 
favorite ww recipes...

carne asada tacos

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs uncooked flank steak
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
24 small corn torillas
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 tsp ground cumin
2/3 tsp kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
rinse & pat beef dry. trim of any excess fat. place in a pyrex dish.

in a small bowl whisk together cumin, garlic, salt & lime juice. 
pour over beef and use a spoon to coat meat entirely.
marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

grill beef until cooked to your likeness (i like medium-rare).

let beef to rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting.

Steam corn tortillas.
i wrap them in a paper towel and microwave them for a minute or two.

while tortillas are warming, cut carne asada against the grain, 
into small, bite-sized pieces.

stack two tortillas on your plate and add 3 oz. of carne asada, 
cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

(you can add extra veggies.... tomato, jalapeno, lettuce, etc. 
or for extra points... cheese and avocado.)

serves 12 and 5pts. per serving. 



hope you had a great weekend!
xoxo - e