30 Days of Blogging: Day Eighteen

Day 18 - Plans/Dreams/Goals you have.


Concentrate and make time for my passions and to not feel guilty about them...

Love my soulmate Brian with every ounce of my soul for the rest of my life...

Reach my GOAL WEIGHT and get my due reward of a KILLER tattoo!

Always be true to myself and to those who mean the most to me...

Be the BEST Mom I can possibly be and to always have my children know I love them more than ANYTHING...

Get married to Brian, the love of my life, and have *The Purple Goddess* wedding of my dreams...

Move and have the uber chic house I have been planning and buying for going on two years now...

Blessed Be..

♥Cyn♥

30 Days of Blogging: Day Seventeen

Day 17 - Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why.

Honestly… I am really can’t say I would want to switch lives with anyone. No, really I am 100% cool with being ME!

BUT…
Here is a list of people who I think have lead interesting and influential lives.

And yes…
I realize all on the list are women – I did that intentionally!
In case you haven’t noticed… I am ALLLLLL about empowering women and uniting instead of tearing each other down!

But I digress…
Here is the list!

Madonna
Barbara Millicent Roberts
J.K. Rowling
Coco Chanel
Helen Gurley Brown
Julia Child
Dorothy Hammil
Tori Amos
Alice Walker
Frida Kahlo
Wonder Woman
Joan Ganz Cooney
Tina Turner
Bettie Page

Blessed Be...

♥Cyn♥

30 Days of Blogging: Day Sixteen

Day 16 - Another picture of yourself.

Really?
As if there aren’t a bajillion pics of me on this blog as it is…
Oh well…

So I HAD to share this pic because it is just kinda funny – and I am the type who doesn’t mind laughing at herself.
Anywho…
This was taken circa early 1990’s (probably 1991) so I was around 21 years old.
Despite being very young and my stunning blue blazer with the bedazzles… one cannot help but notice my SUPER DUPER big hair! This picture was taken shortly after the last perm I EVER got. (Gee wonder why…?)
I look as though I stuck my finger in a socket…
And trust me, this is not the *look* I was trying to achieve.
But I am a firm believer in OWNING IT – good or bad, and I am so painfully trying to own this ‘do!

Bad perm aside… I love this picture because I can see the house I grew up in Mississippi in the background. I LOVED that house and the last time I went to the Gulf Coast to visit I made sure to take a special trip around my old subdivision. I can happily report that the *new* family who lives in our old house is taking absolute wonderful care of the old place.
Makes me smile…

Blessed Be…
♥Cyn♥

30 Days of Blogging: Day Fifteen

Day 15 - Put your iPod on shuffle; first 10 songs that play.

LOVE this…
Here goes!

Trippin’ – Godsmack
Beautiful Girl – INXS
I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic At The Disco
Love Song – Sara Bareilles
Firestarter – Prodigy
Numb Encore – JayZ & Linkin Park
Here With Me – Dido
Mouth – Bush
Nothing On You – B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars
Time is Running Out – Muse

Wow – great list!

Blessed Be…
♥Cyn♥

30 Days of Blogging: Day Fourteen

Day 14 - A picture of you and your family.

My family has evolved and grown throughout the years and cannot be defined by one picture alone...

30 Days of Blogging: Day Thirteen

Day 13 - A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

Dear Cyn~

Why oh why did you let yourself consume 15 points worth of fried cinnamon breadsticks today at lunch? You know you had already given yourself a splurge by having three small slices of pizza – why wasn’t that enough? Why did you feel as though only four cinnamon breadsticks would truly fill that void?
Granted I know you have PMS like a MoFo… but really?
15 points?
On top of the 15 points for pizza?
A THIRTY point lunch?
Is there ever a need for that other than on a very special occasion?

I think not..
And I think you think not too…
So I implore you to take this letter as a written extension of my love for you and everything you are trying to achieve and to keep it in mind the next time you feel like letting PMS rule you and send you on a self-destructive path!

Love,
Cyn
xxoo!

The pic is of me taken May 2008 when I was on Weight Watchers the first time and only 2 lbs from goal! I wanna be that girl again!

30 Days of Blogging: Day Twelve

Day 12 - How you found out about blogs and why you made one.


I have kept a journal since I was about twelve. Mostly handwritten until about six years ago when I stumbled upon an online journal site – before the term *blog* became the norm.
I wrote anonymously at first and never dreamt of a day I would be so *in your face* with pics of not only myself but my babies too!
My opinions of the internet and privacy have changed drastically over the years.
Plus I pity the fool who even thinks of messing with me or my family…

Anywho…
I am now an enormous fan of blogging and feel compelled to document my life via my blog.

I know it’s not for everyone, but for me it is the perfect combination of my love to write, blog, and photography!

Win/win/win!

Blessed Be...

♥Cyn♥

We ♥ Santa...

So today we took Skylar to visit Santa…
She was a little *strange* with him but never shed a tear.
Although she was MUCH more comfy talking to Santa from her Daddy’s arms… *heh*!

When asked what she wanted for Christmas she promptly replied…
La La Loopsy
Toys
And
Books!

Nothing wrong with a gal who knows exactly what she wants!

The whole experience was absolutely precious!

The last time I visited Santa was in 1998 when my boys were two and four… the memories!
I truly believe children are the driving force in keeping the Christmas spirit alive.
How did I get so blessed?

Blessed Be…
♥Cyn♥

Family Dinner with Weight Watchers: Part VII

So after a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday it was back to business as usual...

Here we go…
Another installment of Family Dinners with Weight Watchers: Part VII
A friendly battle of the Weight Watcher recipes between my Mother and I.

Basically we take turns preparing and serving Weight Watchers recipes to one another and our family in an effort to step outside of the box (we all get in food ruts on this journey), eat healthy, and to eat as a family at least once a week despite a bevy of INSANE schedules and life in general.

Sometimes it’s a huge success
And sometimes it’s a total flop…
This week it was MY turn and FINALLY I decided to take a friend’s (Liz!) advice and make Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Sage taken right from WeightWatchers.com.
I followed the recipe exactly only doubling the portion due to my enormous brood of HUNGRY dudes. It was fairly easy to prep and prepare and I LOVE that dish is prepared all in one pan! Less to clean!

The verdict—
Once again a winner!
SUPER DUPER flavorful due to the fresh thyme and sage (a personal favorite) and so moist! I am slowly but surely becoming the number one fan of boneless chicken thighs – and this from a diehard chicken breast gal! My only complaint was that I didn’t think the dish tasted very apple cider-y! If I were to remake this I may consider cutting down on the chicken broth in order to increase the apple cider to give it more of a cider flavor. But no mistaking – this dish is delicious even despite this one little flaw.

I would recommend this dish and serve it to any of my friends and family for a special evening of healthy comfort food!
Meat and potatoes never looked or tasted SO good!

Blessed Be…
♥Cyn♥

Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Sage
Course: main meals
PointsPlus™ Value: 8
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 53 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This comforting dish boasts the fall flavors of apples, sage and sweet potatoes. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pound(s) skinless chicken thigh(s), about 6 thighs
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp canola oil
8 medium shallot(s), thickly sliced
1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)
2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) apple cider
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp fresh sage, minced, divided (or to taste)
1 Tbsp thyme, fresh, use 4 whole sprigs
1 1/2 pound(s) sweet potato(es), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Instructions
• Season both sides of chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Brown chicken in batches, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side; set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add shallots and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan; cook shallots, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic to pan; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, combine broth, cider, vinegar, 1 teaspoon sage and thyme sprigs; add to pan and scrape down sides of pan to loosen any brown bits. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil and cook until mixture reduces slightly and flavors blend, about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and potatoes to pan; stir to combine and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and simmer, flipping over chicken and stirring potatoes halfway through cooking, about 30 minutes.
• Remove thyme sprigs from pan; stir in remaining 1 teaspoon sage. Yields 1 chicken thigh and about 3/4 cup sweet potato-shallot mixture per serving.

Notes
• If the final sauce isn’t thick enough for your taste, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and sweet potatoes from the pan. Then increase the heat to high and reduce the remaining pan sauce to your desired thickness.

This dish can be made ahead and reheated. It freezes exceptionally well.

So What Wednesday...

SO WHAT if…

--We live in a spoiled society that has taught us if we throw a big enough hissy fit we WILL get what we want – it is the HOLIDAY SEASON and people should stop and think about what that truly means before making a GINORMOUS scene in the middle of a store over having to wait a few extra minutes or having an item out of stock.

--They charge out the butt for pictures with Santa – hearing my precious little girl tell Santa she wants a La La Loopsy, toys, and books and having a pic to commemorate it all is absolutely priceless!

--I am on Weight Watchers and still a decent distance from my goal – I had FOUR cinnamon breadsticks today and they were like HEAVEN in my mouth. And no... one wasn't enough, nor was two, or even three -- somehow I would only be satisfied by FOUR! Thank you very much Mr. PMS! (Yeah… hello 15 pts for those – ouch!)

--I found out my 16 year old son has a girlfriend via Facebook – apparently this is normal and honestly this girl is influencing my son in positive ways!

--It’s December 1st and my Christmas cards are ordered, addressed, stamped, in the mail, and on their way to my friends and family! I like being the first one to get her photo card out thus setting the bar HIGH! *heh*

--If I wear a scarf every single day – I LOVE them and consider them an accessory and NOT just a means to keep ones neck warm!

What are you saying SO WHAT to?
Let us know… join the fun on Mama Dew’s

page!