Sometimes It Pays to Pay More

The other day I bought two chickens because I thought doing faux rotisserie chicken in the crock pot would take care of a few meals easily. The store had two types of chickens on sale. One was the name brand (which I've bought before) at $1.29 a pound. The other was the generic brand at $.99 a pound*.

Trying to be a fiscally responsible cook, I bought the cheaper ones. Last night, I skinned one of them and realized why I should have opted to pay $.30 more. Under the skin, there were large pockets of fat. Ew. The name brand chicken I used before did NOT have fat stores under its armpits and behind its knees. At least not to that degree. I spent a long time last night cutting off piles of fat, and I figure I lost at least a pound off that chicken. So ultimately the $1.29 chicken was a better deal.

Live and learn.

By the way, go make that rotisserie chicken. It's awesome.

* I know, I know. I should be eating free-range chickens that had a happy life, but I don't think they sell those for $1.29 a pound.

Church Change-Ups

Hooray! We got a new Primary President yesterday. Several weeks ago our Primary President and her husband left. He got a promotion and before we knew it they had moved to Seattle. She was great and hated to leave us in the lurch, but we assured her we would be fine. Since then, the 1st Counselor and I have been trading off Sundays to be in charge and do the Sharing Time lessons and activities. But we really wanted someone to be called because you really do need a full presidency. Also, alternating every 3rd Sunday instead of every other Sunday is much better. For obvious reasons.

At first, I was terrified they might call me to do it. But then I felt like I might actually be ok with that because it's a few more meetings a month, but generally not that different from what I'm already doing as a counselor. Pretty much as soon as I realized I would be fine with it, I felt like I wouldn't get the calling. I just knew it wasn't me.

Then I heard a rumor that it might be this woman in the ward who I have actually wanted to get to know, but since I've been in the Primary since they moved into the ward and she's been upstairs in Relief Society, we haven't talked much. Yesterday she got the calling and I am thrilled.

First of all, she's just cool. And really, you can't have too much coolness in your life. She has a 12 year-old and a 16 year-old and she still wears awesome boots with heels to church. Also, her kids are super-smart and kind of blow me away, so I'm looking forward to chatting with the super-smart mom and getting her insights on things.

I helped out with a Primary class that she substitute taught one week and she was great. The kids were so attentive to her. Right now she's feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, but I know she'll be perfect for the job.

Distracted

Sorry for the silence over here. I'm really focused lately on my healthy eating and swimming, so I've been posting a lot more on my other, health-centered blog.

Other than that, I'm still married, I still have a job, the sun has finally come to Providence. Life is good.

Big Pile of Nothin'

For part of my lunch hour today I moseyed over to this women's dress store down the street from my office. They had some really cute Spring dresses in their windows that I've been eying for a few weeks. I have given myself permission to buy a few items for Spring and Summer so that I don't hate the way I look every time I walk out of the house in the coming months. I am armed with a couple Banana Republic gift cards (thank you, American Express rewards!) and an Ann Taylor Loft coupon, which I intend to fully exploit.

So it turns out that those cute dresses? Yeah, turns out they weren't cute so much as kind of oddly fitted and made of multiple fibers that do not occur in nature. Also, a bunch of them were column, rather than A-line, and as a woman with hips, I can't wear column dresses. Well, I could, but I would need to stuff my bra to triple D size in order to fit the top.

There was one dress I really and truly loved, but they didn't have it in my size. The next size down was just a touch too snug, but I figured I'm in weight loss mode and it should fit soon and maybe I could justify it if I could take advantage of their buy 2 dresses, get $10 off deal. Only I couldn't find a second dress.

But then I found a cardigan in this beautiful shade of blue on what I thought was the 60% off rack and I figured I could rationalize paying full price for the dress if I got the sweater for cheap.

Only when they rung me up, turns out the cardigan was on the buy 1 get 50% off rack. I didn't want another cardigan because all of the other sweaters were in ugly colors. Seriously, one amazing blue, and a whole pile of yuck. So then I had a dilemma at the register and figured if I had to pay full price, I should probably buy the thing that fits right this second.

So I have a cute cardigan, but I am disappointed and hope my expeditions to the mall prove more fruitful.

Easter Celebrations

Good Friday service here. Our friend is the organist and the service consisted of 17th century German music, sung by professionals, 17th century musical instruments, including a harpsichord, and candles gradually extinguished. Very solemn.

Easter Vigil and Easter morning here. Jason sung in the choir both days. I love singing the Hallelujah Chorus with the entire congregation on Easter morning. I know I'm Mormon and all, but the Episcopalians (and other denominations) really know how to celebrate the resurrection. So joyous!

Now we have friends coming over in an hour or so for a nice ham dinner.

Lovely.

Swim-A-Thon

I swam 55 laps (2750 yards) in my allotted hour on Saturday morning. I'm very pleased with that because I was only shooting for 45-50 laps. Not including my own $20 donation, I raised $162.50. If only I had had more than a week to bug everyone I know about it...

This Is the Kind of Day They Write Showtunes About!

I love this.

Go Away!

The weather is draining my will to live. It has been rainy all day and now the clouds are so thick that it's almost pitch black at 4:30 in the afternoon. It is April, Providence, not January!

I'm having a very very very very hard time focusing on work right now. Don't tell my boss.

Oh great. The torrential downpour has started.

I Heart Peanut Butter

I need this:
I am a HUGE peanut butter fan. I'm talking all-natural peanut butter, which comes with a layer of oil on top that has to be mixed in completely or you have half oily/half hard-as-a-rock peanut butter. Mixing the oil in usually results in some kind of mess, usually because I lose patience. I eat a little peanut butter almost every day so you can see how vital this crank is to my life.

Vital.

Beans

Did anyone else used to love the Pintos N Cheese from Taco Bell?

No?

Just me?

Well, anyway, at home right now I have pinto beans simmering in the crock pot, making my own version of the Pintos from the Pintos N Cheese. I used the recipe for Refried Beans from my favorite crock pot recipe site, but they're not actually fried. Or even refried. You just cook them up with onion, garlic, coriander and cumin, then smoosh them up with a hand mixer and you have pureed beans to store in the fridge for future use. I pile on some cheese and microwave for snacks. This is the second time I've made them and they are tasty. You know, if you like beans and cheese. Which I do.