Meal Planning with Connie

  Just wanted to say how happy I am to have Emily, Susieloulou and Felcia join me in getting healthier! I wanted to take a moment to thank them and give them a little introduction! Emily has a great food blog called Marvelous Recipes . I have tried many of her recipes over the past several months and have never been disappointed! Be sure to check out her blog. She recently posted a low-carb chicken recipe, Deviled Chicken, that sounds and looks delicious!! Emily is a great encourager!! Susieloulou was such a trooper to hang in with me when I was trying to toss a few pounds before my 25th anniversary in December! Thank you, Susieloulou!! She has been very successful in losing some unwanted pounds over the past several months. I hope you saw her recommendation to check out Sparkspeople . It is a great site with tons of information and lots of healthy recipes for all sorts of special dietary needs. Thanks for sharing this, Susieloulou! Felicia is a sweet, personal friend! She h

This hearty little dish really hit the spot on this cold, wintry night. I had everything I needed to make it in the freezer and pantry. Having the ground beef already cooked and in the freezer was a great help in getting this on the table, too.  The kids and Larry love this! I served it with a loaf of fresh baked homemade bread! Yum! For a super easy version of this dish, cook noodles and top with heated canned or jarred chili. Add a tablespoon of Italian seasonings when you heat the chili, if you like. There are several more healthful varieties of canned/jarred chili available. Serve with a loaf French bread or Texas toast from your freezer.   Chili Spaghetti Chili Spaghetti 1 lb. ground beef 1 c. chopped onion 1/2 c. chopped green pepper 1 packet taco or chili seasoning 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings 1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 - 2 teaspoon sugar (optional) 12 oz. package spaghetti or fettuccine noodles, cooked and drained Shredded Mexican blend cheese for garnish

Today, millions will begin to try to shed those holiday pounds. I managed to “find” almost 5 of the pounds I “lost” before our anniversary. Since I seem to be more successful when setting short-term goals, I am going to try to lose 10 pounds by Valentine’s Day. If you’re on a weight loss program and would like a little added accountability, join me in posting your updates here. Remember to set safe, realistic goals and to consult a physician before beginning any weight loss/exercise program. I will weigh-in on Fridays.  Choose the weight-in day that’s best for you! E-mail or post your goals and weight loss updates in the comment section under any post, or e-mail the info to me at mealplanwithconnie@att.net These words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:14 provide us with timely encouragement, as we begin our new year and endeavor to become healthier, that we might better serve the Lord’s purposes for our lives: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling